Awesome Author Interviews

Interview With Author Dianne Selchert

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The hardest day of my life was retiring from my passion, which was teaching. I couldn’t have chosen a better career. I love sharing with others, and in my retirement I have found another way to do that. My mind is full of ideas, and I have begun to create stories from those ideas. I love to write, spinning in tidbits of my own life on the South Dakota prairie into my books. Of course, I’ll never tell which parts are purely fiction and which parts are not!
My first two books are fictional stories, one of which includes my experience with my beloved father woven in through another character’s eyes. It was a bittersweet journey. (Family Secrets, Broken Dreams)

I’m involved in spinning my next release, The Disappearance of Mabel Gray.

I decided that it would be fun to create a journal with easy and fun prompts for grandmothers to share their life experiences with their descendants: Talk to Me, Grandma.

I have also published two books to keep track of gifts you’ve given as well as gifts you’ve received. One is geared toward educators, and the other is for anyone who wishes to remember those special treasures!

Another project I’ve completed is a short story called The Mystery of the Broken Heart. As a middle school educator, I’ve read many of the medal winning books for that level, and enjoyed them all (well, nearly all!) as an adult reader. So, my hope is that adults and youth alike will enjoy the story!

My husband, Dave, is also a writer. His imagination overwhelms me. He has written over 22 books, of which about one dozen are published. He was also in education and coached nearly every sport. Many of his books have sports involvement, but not all of them. One of my favorites is Mystery at Christmas Cove.
Education:
B.S. in elementary education, minor in special education, Dakota State University, Madison, SD

M.S. in educational administration, emphasis on distance education, University of NE-Lincoln, NE

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Broken Dreams is my latest book, which was inspired by my imagination, and the realization that most peoples’ lives don’t turn out as planned.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like exaggerating and twisting real life events into my stories, making the reader want to keep reading.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Katherine Patterson, Charlotte Bronte, Hal Borland ( a relative ! )

What are you working on now?
The Disappearance of Mabel Gray

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use mainly just Facebook. I am looking at offering free books in hopes of getting greater exposure to my writing and more reviews.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Proofread, edit, and don’t get in a hurry.

What are you reading now?
David Jeremiah’s book on angels

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep imagining, keep writing!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Living Bible
The Doctor’s Wife
Beneath the Marble Sky
Jacob I Have Loved

Author Websites and Profiles

Dianne Selchert Website

Dianne Selchert Amazon Profile

Interview With Author Gabrielle Yetter

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a British author who was born in India, raised in Bahrain, and worked as a journalist in South Africa, before travelling to the U.S. on holiday where I remained for more than 20 years.
In 2010, my husband and I sold our home, gave away most of our possessions and bought one-way tickets to Cambodia where I wrote The Sweet Tastes of Cambodia (a book about traditional Cambodian desserts) and The Definitive Guide to Moving to Southeast Asia: Cambodia. Together with my husband, Skip, I wrote Just Go! Leave the Treadmill for a World of Adventure (based on our adventures and the experiences of others who made significant changes their lives), and later published two children’s books, Ogden The Fish Who Couldn’t Swim Straight and Martha the Blue Sheep.
In 2019, I published my first novel, Whisper of the Lotus, which was long listed in the 2019 London TLC (The Literary Consultancy) Pen Factor writing competition.
And The Clouds Parted is my first poetry collection and was mainly created during lockown.
I presently live in Eastbourne, southern England.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
And The Clouds Parted is an illustrated collection of poetry. It was created during lockdown and consists of thirty pieces, each one a story or an observation, with messages about hope, loss, moving on, and seeing familiar things with new eyes.
At the beginning of lockdown, I was on a bike ride with my husband. It was a misty March morning and the world felt dark, scary, and foreboding. As we rode, the sky began to clear, and in the distance the sun broke through. It felt like a metaphor for the time—that there’s always hope to be found, no matter how dismal things may appear. In my head, I started composing a poem—and it became the title poem for my book, And The Clouds Parted.

From that moment, I started to write about situations and people that moved me. One poem was for a dear friend whose world was torn apart when she lost her beloved to Covid. On the day she closed down his apartment for the last time, I hung up the phone from her, opened my laptop, closed my eyes, and starting writing. Words flowed from me about pain and sorrow and loss as I sensed some of the feelings I imagined she was feeling. Those words became the poem, Moving On.

What are you working on now?
I continue to write poetry as I’m constantly inspired to write about people, situations, and experiences in my life.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My social media includes Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and I have my own website and author page.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read a lot. Write as much as you can. Pay attention to the basics of grammar and spelling. Ask for advice when you need it. Use an editor.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep writing.

What are you reading now?
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles (one of my favourite authors whose work makes me want to give up writing forever!)

What’s next for you as a writer?
Since discovering I have a flair for poetry, I’m constantly making notes, observing people and putting together poems to describe circumstances I witness.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss. and The Prophet by Khalil Gibran

Author Websites and Profiles

Gabrielle Yetter Website

Gabrielle Yetter Amazon Profile

Gabrielle Yetter’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

Interview With Author Matthew Hogan

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been in ministry for over 30 years and am now an online pastoral counselor. I am a lifelong motorcyclist, having toured over most of the west and mid-west regions of our country. I live in Arizona with my wife and 4 cats.
I have written and published 1 book and have one in the Beta editing phase now.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “How to be a Christian in Today’s World: Shame or Fear of Failure vs. Living Confidently in God’s Love.” It’s a message that has been percolating in my heart and my wife’s heart simultaneously over the period of a few years.
We’ve seen too many Christians and fringe Christians who either were unsure that God would/could love them either from trauma and abuse or just how they’d lived their lives. A second group that we saw were those that felt alone and like they had to be perfect Christians out of their own strength. The last group would be Christians who either never got or had forgotten the beauty of an intimate relationship with the creator of all.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’d have to say the most unusual writing habit I have is that I write as I can and as I “feel it.” If I’m not knowing where to go next, I’ll either reread what I’ve written or just set it down. It gets done when it’s time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
C. S. Lewis of course would be number one. I have probably read most of his writings and need to go back and read them again.
The writer though that has helped to take the message I knew I needed to write and help put substance to it is Brennan Manning. In particular, “The Wisdom of Tenderness” and “The Importance of Being Foolish.”

What are you working on now?
With my second book in the editing stages, I’m planning on starting a book about marriage counseling. My hope is to primarily help other counselors find success in helping couples. But I know that in all likelihood that some couples will likely pick it up themselves. So I’ll need to make it something they can follow in a step-by-step fashion.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Ahh, this is my weak point. I haven’t figured out marketing yet. I do have an author page, but I don’t know how much good it is doing. revhogan.weebly.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
EDITING. It’s way too obvious when a book is not professionally done. Copyright pages and formatting are important. But a lack of professional editing can make a great book nearly unreadable.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Remember flow from one subject to the next and hook the reader right off the bat.

What are you reading now?
“In It Together” by Echart Aurelius Hughes.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Research with a psychologist buddy of mine and make sure I have my ducks in a row. He thinks very highly of me as a counselor. But, he’s been around much longer than I have and he believes in the concept. So, I’ll pick his brain before I even start and probably along the way.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would have to take a Bible, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.” Was “Princess Bride ever a book?”

Author Websites and Profiles

Matthew Hogan Website

Matthew Hogan Amazon Profile

Matthew Hogan’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

Pinterest Account

Interview With Author Lina Hansen

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve done a lot of things in my life, and most of them somehow centered on words. Think freelance travel journalist, teacher, bellydancer, and science communication specialist stranded in the space sector. Okay, strike the bellydancer. That was just a hobby. I dealt with too many technical texts, so I wrote the stories I love to read— cozy and romantic mysteries with a dollop of humour and a magical twist.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Down the Hatch. The name was somehow logical, since the first murder victim is found in the cellar of the local pub. Since I’m writing a series, I also had to find a title that somehow matched my debut novel – In My Attic.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not sure how unusual it is to have notebook and pen on my nightstand, wake up in the iddle of the night and frantically scribble down an inspiration I then can’t read the next morning…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There’s not enough space for this! I read a lot, and I mean a LOT. Often when I re-read a favourite novel, I find something that has ended up in my books.

What are you working on now?
I’m preparing a second cozy mystery series, the Da Vinci mysteries for publication.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promotion sites – like Awesome Gang – are awesome. The help me get my books in front of the people that matter – the readers. I’ve yet to try advertising, and will start with BookBub.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
First, get your story out there. No matter what form and shape it is in – you need a story first. Then the editing starts. Never, ever assume you’re “a seasoned author” and don’t need feedback. Any author needs feedback. The more the better. Your first draft is only that – a draft. It’s not the finished product.

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

What are you reading now?
Ricardo Fayet’s guide on Amazon ads, Lucinda Brant’s Roxton Family Saga, Jodi Taylor’s time travel series – and my own novels. As usual, I’m editing.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to publish my second series, and perhaps the standalone romantic mystery. I need more books out there.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The faded Sun trilogy by C.J. Cherryh, An Arthur Conan Doyle Compilation, a Merriam-Webster, and Portuguese for Beginners.

Author Websites and Profiles

Lina Hansen Website

Lina Hansen Amazon Profile

Lina Hansen’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

Interview With Author Erik Foge

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Erik Foge holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History, with an emphasis on Russian history and politics, from the University of Central Florida. His passion for history began at age thirteen when his parents sent him to Washington D.C. to learn about the United States and its governmental processes. The trip sparked Foge’s interest in the federal government and the individuals within the Intelligence Community who are responsible for shaping the country’s national policies. Erik was a 2020 CIBA Award Winner in the Global Thriller Book Awards for High Stake Thrillers and Lab Lit Fiction for One Way Roads. Also, he was a 2021 CIBA Finalist in the CLUE Book Awards for Suspense/Thrillers for We Know Your Name. In addition, Erik was interviewed on the Brian The Hammer Jackson- Reality Radio Show and featured on the cover of the Magic Image Hollywood Magazine October 2022 issue.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The last book I wrote was We Know Your Name, which is the prequel to the Project Pegasus Series. When I was 14, my parents sent me to Washington DC, on a school trip. That was the first spark that got me interested in writing, but it also inspired me to work for the federal government. When I was a senior in high school, I met my best friend whose father was the Fleet Master Chief of the Sixth Fleet. After that, I met some other amazing individuals throughout my college years. These individuals also made a huge impact on my writings. My main interests have always been World War Two and time travel. So, for my books, I incorporated all three.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in my bedroom in my bed where my library is.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on the third book, Horizons Without Boundaries, which is nearly finished. My fourth book, Between Methods and Madness, the first draft is completed. I’m also going to be writing a book about soulmates, Serendipity Promise.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote my books by using Facebook and Instagram. Howver, I also had bookmarks printed and I hand them out to people everywhere I go.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Treat your writing like a career. Every day, as a writer, you need to write, research, and read a book or script to make you better at describing things. For example, I suggest two things, people watch and take notes and/or use people you know and friends as characters in your books.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
This is when you promote and sell your book. Some people will like your book, and some people will hate it. So what! Next!

What are you reading now?
PT 109: An American Epic of War, Survival, and the Destiny of John F. Kennedy Book by William Doyle

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am finishing up book three in the Project Pegasus Series. In addition, I am trying to get interviews to promote my book and a publicist.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, The Final Countdown by Martin Caidin, and Highlander by Garry Kilworth

Author Websites and Profiles

Erik Foge Website

Erik Foge’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile

 

Interview With Author Christie Meierz

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing since 2012, and have five space opera romance novels out so far about a world of reclusive empathic aliens, 24 light-years from earth.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Rembrandt’s Station came about because one of the minor characters from a previous book, an exiled aristocrat, lawyer, financier, and martial artist, kept intruding into my dreams, wanting a love story of his own.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I used to write until 3 or 4 AM, but after a bout with a ovarian tumor (I won!) I am now a morning person. Go figure!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Andre Norton, Zenna Henderson, Robert Heinlein, and my mother’s closet full of Harlequin romances.

What are you working on now?
More novels set in Tolari Space, and a first contact story about a race of centaur-like beings that have only recently discovered language, and are fascinated by it.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, giveaways on BookFunnel, and the Fussy Librarian. But I am always willing to learn!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write regularly, finish at least one short story or novel, and then find a GOOD editor to help you improve your stories.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t stop. Don’t ever stop.

What are you reading now?
At the Feet of the Sun, by Victoria Goddard, and The Faded Sun: Kutath, by C. J. Cherryh.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing – and maybe try my hand at short stories!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Works of Shakespeare, Pride and Prejudice, and Dune.

Author Websites and Profiles

Christie Meierz Website

Christie Meierz Amazon Profile

Christie Meierz Author Profile on Smashwords

Christie Meierz’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile

Interview With Author LA Marriott

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Nottingham, England; which is famously known for Robin Hood, it is also the same town where “The Flying Bedstead”, the first jet-lift aircraft to fly anywhere in the world was born in the 1950’s.

I like to watch a variety of movies, including Action, Science Fiction and occassional horror. I also enjoy reading science fiction, fantasy, military fiction. I write science fiction Horror, and fantasy in the form of short stories and novelettes. So far I have written one novelette “Rebels Of Planet Z: The Nomads.”, with another one in progress.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Rebels Of Planet Z: The Nomads the name of my first Novelette.

I was inspired by the love of science fiction movies, dreams and a healthy imagination.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to relax more late in the evening (crossing into early morning). When I start to write, I can get a little obsessed with an idea and find it hard to stop.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Carpenter, J.K Rowling and numberous others…

What are you working on now?
I’m attempting to draw attention to my first novelette through free promo sites like this site. Currently, I’m also in the process of writing a sci fi/fantasy novelette in which the main character is a young boy who grows up in a small village, with only his mother to care for him. It will be an adventure with mystery, magic and a variety of twists and turns.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Still new to the whole self publishing thing so it’s still a learning curve. I came across a number of blogs that give advice such as Kindlepreneur (Dave Chesson).

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you love to write, then just write. It doesn’t matter if your taking longer than you expected. Never give up and believe in yourself!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Always wear clean underware (in case you get into an accident). Treat people the way you want to be treated.

What are you reading now?
Currently reading Forever Odd by Dean Koontz and Dark Winter by Andy McNab

What’s next for you as a writer?
Working on completing the sci fi/fantasy novelette I’m currently working on, improving my writing craft and brainstorming other ideas.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Holy Bible
Life In The World Unseen by Anthony Borgia
SAS Survival Handbook by John Wiseman

Author Websites and Profiles

LA Marriott Amazon Profile

 

Interview With Author Yasmine Millett

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
The Erotic Notebooks is the first book I have published. However, there is a stack of works on my desk waiting to be edited and published, so it will certainly not be the last.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled "The Erotic Notebooks". It was originally written as a collection of stories for a former lover, each exploring a past experience.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always like to write in public places; in parks, in cafés, in bars, at the beach. I like to feel the world around me; to have people going about their daily lives, while I sit quietly, writing erotica.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Anais Nin and Emmanuelle Arsan are my strongest erotic influences; but I have been influenced also by Proust, Gertrude Stein, De Beauvoir, and many others.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on putting the finishing touches on a semi-biographical erotic novel about a young woman who moves to Spain to study art and becomes entangled in a darkly sensuous love-triangle between herself, the libertine artist who is her tutor, and the fiery young woman from whom she rents a room.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far I am experimenting with many… we will see which works best.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Enjoy the process of writing, and do not worry about whether you will have success or not.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
We regret, not those things we do, but those things we never dared to do.

What are you reading now?
Currently I am engrossed in Bonjour Tristesse by Sagan.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To keep writing, keep drawing pleasure from it, and to try to develop into the best writer I can be.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
A difficult question, but I think I would take "In Search of Lost Time," Emmanuelle, The Picture Of Dorian Gray, and the complete works of Byron.

Author Websites and Profiles

Yasmine Millett Amazon Profile

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Author Interview Series

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Interview With Author James B. Flaherty

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was a MadMan in NYC's ad world–but much better behaved. I was a corner office writer/creative director of some major agencies in NYC and even four years in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Left the polished executive life to create and direct a four-star country inn/conference center in NY State. I've published four books. Two are full-length literary fiction novels; two are non-fiction aimed at helping everyone 50 to 90 wake up on the right side of the grass with a smile–and a purpose.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
EMBRACE YOUR AGE — YOU CAN BE BETTER THAN EVER was written because I am concerned (and a bit annoyed) when I see people from 50 to 90 retreating from life. I believe there are no guarantees you'll wake up on the right side of the grass, but if you do, EMBRACE it, love and live life with a purpose. It will make you a better friend, parent, lover, a better human being. Would you want to be your friend? I want people to be honest with themselves and start living life with a smile–and a purpose!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
First of all, I'm not chronologically in what they call The Prime of Life. Although I think I still am. I'm 87 years old–going-on-60, maybe 55. I'm disciplined. Get up early, make my bed (even though I have a full-time Nanny who lives in and cares for me, the dogs, the house–and cooks brilliantly), have my healthy all-fruit breakfast, go to my pool (interior, so it's year-round) and do 30 minutes of serious exercise, come back upstairs, shower and dress for the day. Then I work every day. I try to make two hours of every day Writing Time. Somedays it's more, some, a little less…but every day I write something.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read too much. But since I like fiction, besides the masters, Hemingway, Wouk, Michener, Faulkner, I enjoy Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat Pray Love), and the homey reality of Elizabeth Berg, and too many others to mention. I have 1500 books on my Kindle, and there isn't a week that I don't add three or four more.

What are you working on now?
I've just finished the Bible (which includes the pilot) for a TV series I believe could run for many many profitable and enjoyable years. Need an agent to help sell that. I've started a new novel–have about 85 pages in the first draft–still haven't decided whether I like everyone enough to spend another 300 pages with them. Also, I have a screenplay, which is oh, almost 75%$=finished. It's a dark comedy, which is hard to write, but very satisfying.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Not positive. I think everyone should have some Amazon ads, and certainly make use of Promo Sites, such as Awesomegang, Bargain Booksy, Books Butterfly, and BookBub. I need to do more with Social Media, but find it interferes with my writing time.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Stop dreaming about "the book" you think you have inside of you. Start writing. If you're unsure of your ability, join a writer's group. It's a terrific boost to your thinking and writing skills. Even though I'm not a "new" author, I belong to two groups and love our interaction.

Try to establish a routine. If you're a morning person, make a habit of writing something for at least one hour every morning. Start "the book". Guess what–if you decide it's ca-ca, you throw it out the window and start something else.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
For starters, read Elizabeth Gilbert's book, BIG MAGIC. She usually writes fiction, but this book is about finding and grabbing hold of a creative idea. Other good advice I can give to any writer-author: READ EVERYTHING YOU WRITE–NOVELS OR EMAILS–OUT LOUD. The eye doesn't always see what the brain hears.

What are you reading now?
Hmm, here's an odd mix, current on my Kindle: THE SUMMER OF THE BEAR by Bella Rollen; HOME SAFE by Elizabeth Berg; ADRIAN MOLE–THE CAPPUCHINO YEARS by Sue Townsend; A VOICE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS by Edward Abbey; and I just read an old Herman Woul book I had never read–YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE. I read ALL the OUTLANDER series; And ALL of Michener; coming up: THE TEMPLE OF GOLD; THE HOUSE ON THE LAGOON; too many more to list.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I think I must finish the dark comedy screenplay before I dive back into the novel. A novel owns you when you're writing it–you become those people, speak their language, dream about them. I've put them in the waiting room, keeping them comfortable and not forgotten until I'm ready for us all to move in together.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I'd want my Kindle with 1500 books. But, just in case, I'd bring Moby Dick, and Churchill's books on the Great War, and the Bible (it shouldn't hurt!) and maybe a book on Morse Code so I could get off the damn island. I mean, I won't even go Glamping because they don't have bidets.

Author Websites and Profiles

James B. Flaherty Website

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Author Interview Series

To discover a new author, check out our Featured Authors page. We have some of the best authors around. They are just waiting for you to discover them. If you enjoyed this writer’s interview feel free to share it using the buttons below. Sharing is caring!

If you are an author and want to be interviewed just fill out out Author Interview page. After submitting we will send it out in our newsletters and social media channels that are filled with readers looking to discover new books to read.

If you are looking for a new book to read check out our Featured Books Page.

Interview With Author Samantha Blackwood

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have published three books in an Urban Fantasy series called The Crossroads Keeper. Three more books in the series are in the works. I'm also working on a Paranormal Cozy Mystery series set in the same world. All of my books include a sassy, snarky – and magical, canine character.

I've been writing and publishing non-fiction (under a different name) for over 30 years. My expertise is dogs, and they are the subject of much of my non-fiction writing. I've been working with dogs as a trainer, groomer and behaviorist for over 30 years. My family calls me the crazy dog lady … and they are not wrong.

Now that I'm semi-retired from the dog world, I have more time to write, and so published my first fiction novel in 2021. Of course, since dogs have always been such a large part of my life, they also feature as snarky side characters in my books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Persephone's Problem. It is Book Two in The Crossroads Keeper series. There is also a Prequel to the series, called Larry's Familiar Tale.

Persephone's Problem was inspired by Greek Mythology – specifically the story of Hades and Persephone. This book features a new twist on this ancient story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I'm fueled by lots of cups of excellent tea. I buy my tea from a specialist tea shop in Lisbon. My husband keeps in in hot cups of tea throughout the day, lol.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like most urban fantasy books, especially those with strong heroines who grow into their talents.

What are you working on now?
I'm working on the third book in the Crossroads Keeper series. It's called Demeter's Dilemma and yes, it's about a problem only a goddess could have.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use various sites to promote my book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. Write the book. Don't get hung up spending all your time creating the magical world – you won't use most of it in your book, anyway.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don't let other people rent space in your head.

What are you reading now?
I'm reading mostly writing craft books now.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Starting another series, in a slightly different genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I'd bring a book on how to identify which plants are edible, plus a book on how to survive off the grid. I might also bring a book of poetry by Robert Frost.

Author Websites and Profiles

Samantha Blackwood Website

Samantha Blackwood Amazon Profile

Samantha Blackwood Author Profile on Smashwords

Samantha Blackwood’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

Pinterest Account

Interview With Author Sherri Moshman-Paganos

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up outside Washington DC in Bethesda Maryland. After college, I went to fulfill a dream of living in Manhattan where I lasted for 5 years before moving to Athens, Greece, where I am based, as a former educator and now travel blog and book writer.
I have written and published two books, a book of poems and a fictional memoir.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Step Lively: New York City Tales of Love and Change. It’s based on my years living in Manhattan in the late 70’s and early 80’s when I was young and impressionable. It’s a story of young marriage and the challenges of living in New York City. The book is made up of 14 tales, told in various voices with quirky characters inhabiting the memoir. The tales have been written over the years from as early as the mid 80’s to last year. One of the tales, “Fingerprints,” was a winning short story in a contest that gave me a trip to Rome for two, for six days!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think this is so unusual, but I need an absolutely clean workspace around me with no clutter. This is a challenge for me as I am not a normally neat person. This is when I write using my computer. My other writing mode, which I do when I can, is to be outside with a pen and notebook.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
When I was younger I devoured all of John Steinbeck’s books and nearly cried when I realized I had read all of them. I think his humanitarian vision influenced me a lot. I also used to read a lot of D.H. Lawrence and James Joyce. But except for Joyce’s stories in Dubliners, his work leaves me a little cold. In the last few years I read all of Elena Ferrante’s Napolitan novels and totally loved them, especially her attention to detail, her characterization and of course her setting of Naples, which is practically a character in the books. I’m a big fan of Chekhov’s short stories. Also Hemingway’s. Other books I’ve read recently that I keep mulling over in my mind are the memoir “The Hare with Amber Eyes,” “The God of Small Things,” “Small Island,” “A Little Life” and “All the Light we cannot see.”

What are you working on now?
During the lockdown, I started writing my teaching memoirs (I was a high school teacher in Athens for 35 years). I dipped into lots of notebooks about classes and the setting where I taught and wrote a very rough draft. Now I’m going back and revising it and hope to finish it by the spring or summer.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is a difficult question to answer, as I feel like I am still new at this promotion game. I believe the author interviews or guest blogs are a good way to promote. I’ve had little success with getting reviews from book promotion sites. I’ve done some Amazon ads and kindle countdowns but it’s hard to see any relation with sales. Personal appeals to acquaintances seems to work best.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’ve heard people say they have ideas for stories/novels in their head but don’t take the step of writing them down. If you don’t, you won’t be able to revise or edit! Don’t give up, writing is painful. If you have an idea to publish, you have to want it more than anything to go through not only the lonely writing itself but all the steps you need to do to make publishing a reality.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Concerning actual writing, especially for fiction and memoir writers, I like the way Chekhov expressed it: “Don’t tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint of light on broken glass.”

What are you reading now?
I just finished Daniel Mendelsohn’s “An Odyssey,” a beautiful and rich book on many levels, about not only teaching the Odyssey to his classics students, with his 81 year old father sitting in on his class, but most important, about the parallels of Homer’s epic with his own changing relationship with his father.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Besides my teaching memoirs, I’m working on essays about language learning and collecting together more recent poems.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would take three classics that I’ve loved and have enriched me: Anna Karenina, Les Miserables and the Grapes of Wrath. (On a desert island I’ll have plenty of time for rereading!) But I’d also include The Catcher in the Rye, as it’s a book very dear to my heart.

Author Websites and Profiles

Sherri Moshman-Paganos Amazon Profile

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Interview With Author Julia Barnes

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up on Long Island, New York. My mother is Swedish and my father is American. I am lucky to be able to spend summers with her Swedish family in Sweden.

As a child, I always loved reading and writing stories. After receiving a Master’s in Elementary Education and a Bachelor’s in Psychology, I set forth to educate young children. I also have a strong passion for teaching mindfulness and meditation and am a certified Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher.

After teaching for many years, and working with young children, I saw the impact low self-esteem has on children. This inspired me to write stories that send a positive message to all children. My new book, The Ugly Puppy reveals the simple yet profound message I want all of my little readers to remember: You are enough.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is , The Ugly Puppy.As an educator and mindfulness teacher, I found it so important to teach young children about self-acceptance, embracing diversity, and being a good friend. And I wanted to make it fun! So I wrote the book, whilst taking a spin on the classic tale: The Ugly Duckling.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write early in the morning or after I meditate because I allow my brain to rest and due to this my brain becomes creative during that time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Susan Verde inspired me to write! I saw her present at one of the schools I worked out and felt inspired to write books with positive messages.

What are you working on now?
I am working on marketing my book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My amazon site: https://www.amazon.com/Ugly-Puppy-Childrens-Self-Acceptance-Friendship-ebook/dp/B0BHF5GCFZ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don't give up and be consistent. Do what you love to do because life is too short.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The point of power is in the present moment.

What are you reading now?
Louise Hay: The Power is within you.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Market my current book. Soak in my efforts and achievement and then write another book!

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Louise Hay: You Can Heal Your Life, Trust the Gold by Tara Brach,Peace Is Every Step Book by Thich Nhat Hanh, Walden by Henry David Thoreau

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Interview With Author Brieanna Wilkoff

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello! I'm a believer in kindness, an '80s rock lover, and a musical theatre nerd. Words are my passion—reading, writing, editing. (Oxford comma all the way!) Becoming a published author was a dream of mine since childhood, so I am beyond grateful that my debut young adult novel (my only book—so far!) was published in 2022.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I'll Be There for You—a contemporary young adult novel about '80s rock, theatre, and kindness. Kindness is important to me and my family, and our various kindness efforts inspired the book, which is ultimately a story about the healing power of kindness.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don't know that they're all that unusual, but I do have a few tricks I use when I'm developing characters: first I make a list of the things they want (50 things for my main character, 25 for secondary characters, and 10 for important tertiary characters)—sometimes these are deep wants and other times they're as simple as their favorite type of candy. Then I create external and internals GMCs—goals, motivations, and conflicts—for the main characters who change over the course of the story. And finally, I "cast" my characters with Shutterstock photos.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Since I write YA, that's definitely the genre I enjoy reading the most. John Green and Becky Albertalli are at the top of the list—Becky in particular does such a great job with voice, so she inspires me in that regard.

What are you working on now?
My next novel (also contemporary YA) is about a high school English class that’s reading Romeo and Juliet. They’re given an assignment to write a letter to “Juliet” asking for love advice, but the letters are anonymously posted online for everyone to see. As people try to figure out who wrote which letter—and who’s crushing, who’s gay, who’s in love, and who cheated—“Juliet” starts responding….

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I'm not sure I've found any one magical thing, but I think it's important to keep putting yourself out there. I try to engage wherever I can—through social media, interviews, book festivals, connecting with other authors, etc. There are lots of opportunities for getting your work out there, so I just try to keep plugging away, and to enjoy myself in the process!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Embrace revision. It’s hard to get words on paper, especially if you’re writing a book and need to string together tens of thousands of words. If you accept that the first draft isn’t going to be great, it helps take the pressure off. You can always change, add, or cut words later. That’s a necessary part of the process—revision is what turns a good idea into a great book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I'll plug the craft book Save the Cat! Writes a Novel here. This is the best craft book I've ever read and it fundamentally changed how I structure my stories.

What are you reading now?
I'm always reading multiple books—a nonfiction book, a middle grade that I read to my daughter, a novel, and sometimes more than one of the above. Currently, I'm reading: 1) What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker by Damon Young; 2) Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli; 3) Alice Austen Lived Here by Alex Gino; and 4) One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books. 🙂 I've got ideas for my next two novels, and I recently started writing the first draft of one of the ideas. Beyond that, I'm excited to keep connecting with readers of I'll Be There for You and building relationships in the book community.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Ooh, that's such a hard question. I would base my decision on how the books make me feel and which books I would enjoy reading over and over again, so my choices are:
1. To Kill a Mockingbird
2. The Help
3. Eleanor and Park
4. The Happiness Advantage

Author Websites and Profiles

Brieanna Wilkoff Website

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Interview With Author Dre Hill

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an artist and storyteller born, raised, and currently residing in Fort Worth, Texas. I am no stranger to various genres of literature, especially when it comes to reading. I am working on getting my literary publication to reflect that of my writing as well. For now, all of my published books are poetry based or centered. I have three: i love you means nothing, Melanin: Black, and Crossroads.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My next book is Crossroads. Truthfully, life inspired it. The past few years have been tumultuous for all of us. I found, especially as graduation was drawing nearer back in 2021, that I had informally turned to poetry to work through my feelings. Both the fresh, raw, new inspired emotions, as well as things that I hadn't quite worked through or decompressed. At its core, Crossroads is about growing up and figuring out who you are, while dealing with some of the various intersections of life like trauma, loss, love, identity, self-expression, mental health, etc.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don't know if this is unusual per se. Maybe it is. I often do a lot of writing in the bathroom. Now to clarify, I do mean my own personal bathroom. Sometimes I just go in there to sit and think. Or I'll take a shower and have ideas come to me, and articulate them on the voice memo app on my phone so I can revisit them later. I don't know, the bathroom is just a safe, creative space for me I guess. Maybe that is weird or unusual, but I works for me, so I'm not gonna change that any time soon.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Man. I would say a lot of authors have influenced and even inspired me. I don't want this to drone on with some kind of rabid, fanboy, rambling though. I'll limit it to a couple of big names, and some smaller ones that I think that you should keep eyes out for, and on. Rick Riordan, James Patterson, and Pittacus Lore are names I can kind of credit with helping hold my interest in reading at a young age. It's part of the reason I'm such an avid reader now. I'd also say that Ari Lorh, Jamaal Dante Fields, and KB Brookins are some great smaller names to get into. They all push me to want to get better and write more.

What are you working on now?
I have two full-length collections that I'm working on concurrently. I'm kind of just taking it day by day and letting the poetry speak to me. Whichever book has the most pull that day is the one that I work on. The first collection is a more detailed, in-depth, and expansive look at love. Like my book, i love you means nothing, but on all the steroids. Essentially. In contrast, the other project, the other book, is much grittier and darker. It explores mental health, personal inner struggles, and suicidal ideations, cutting through the murk of what we don't know is happening inside other people's heads with intersectional forays into race, religion, gender, and even some other marginalizations. I hope it's a beacon for people in mental and emotional distress, for anyone who ever attempted suicide or has been affected by suicide, and for people trying to help fight stigmas surrounding mental health. I'm really excited to tackle the undertaking and face some of my own issues in the process.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I would say for me, I think that Twitter and Facebook have been very helpful in converting actually sales, especially when talking social media. I really don't have a way of tracking TikTok for example. Instagram is equally as challenging when it comes to trying to track conversions that hopefully lead to sales and purchases. Plus, regarding Twitter, it's just an easy and great way to get connected with other writers and artists. It's a great way and place to initially start fostering a community and maybe more easily connect to readers old and new.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I'm sure there are so many things I could say. I think the most practical, something I would've wanted to hear when I was first starting at least, was to just start. Just write. Write what you feel. Write the story you want to tell. Write about garbage if it makes you happy. Just write. There's an audience for anything and everything, and there are readers eagerly waiting to discover you, your voice, and the stories that you plan to tell. So, just start.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I think the biggest thing that has resonated is, write what speaks to you. If you're writing something you don't care about or have no interest in, there's no personal development and attachment to the narrative. Whether it's fiction, non-fiction, poetry, literary, whatever. Writing what you want, what speaks to you, ends up pulling from your center, from your core, a plethora of emotions and experiences that help breathe life into your words, or characters, and create the kinds of tethers that leave readers leaving loving, or hating, certain characters and worlds. It's the kind of thing that creates fans of your work.

What are you reading now?
According to Goodreads, Kings of B'more by R. Eric Thomas, Homie by Danez Smith, and Pillow Thoughts: Healing the Heart by Courtney Peppernell. Now have I already started another book knowing I haven't finished those three already… who knows.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, right now I'm really focusing a lot on Crossroads. Outside of that, the two new poetry books I'm currently working on. Looking to the future though, I do have some novel ideas that I'm looking forward to playing with and exploring. I really just want to keep writing, keep creating, and connecting with readers and lovers of my work. I'd love to make this a full-time job one day. Just living my life making art all the time. It sounds nice.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
This is such a hard question. Like, damn. Just 3 or 4? I think I would want to pick either standalone books or tail ends to a series. I think my list will consist of The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass, Gravity by Ari Lohr, Did I Make You Cry Yet? by Jamaal Dante Fields, and The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan. It's an assorted list. There's a little bit of everything. I think I could live with that.

Author Websites and Profiles

Dre Hill Website

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Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

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Interview With Author Leonie Althea

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I'm Jamaican born and raised. I grew up with my very overprotective grandmother and spent a lot of time indoors, which drove me to make up stories and poetry. My love for writing led to a career in marketing and advertising. Most of my writing so far has been in the business world, but now I"m transitioning to creating content that shares the stories I want to tell. How Rice Met Peas is my first published book so far.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called How Rice Met Peas, which is inspired by my Jamaican heritage. But what's interesting is that I didn't imagine the book; the story just came to me in one piece.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Typically, I don't sit down with the intention to write a story. Words come to me naturally when I'm just doing my normal activities.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jamaican poet and writer, Louise Bennett is one of my biggest influences for storytelling. Her vibrant personality in how she told stories made it possible for me to imagine myself as an author.

What are you working on now?
I'm working on a sequel to How Rice Met Peas.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. If you feel stuck and not sure how to go about getting your story out, seek help immediately. Whether it's just to brainstorm ideas with someone, do research online, or hire a professional publicist, do something to get the ball rolling.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
No one is coming to save you. Learn to stand on your own two feet.

What are you reading now?
Awakened Empath. It's a book about healing the emotional, psychological, and spiritual attributes of being an empath.

What’s next for you as a writer?
My next step is building an audience and doing book tours and signings.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, The Shack, and How Rice Met Peas.

Author Websites and Profiles

Leonie Althea Website

Leonie Althea Amazon Profile

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Interview With Author Melinda Boyette

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Christian who authored two books, my first book won a Reader's Favorite award in the Spiritual and Supernatural Genre. I am a native of beautiful Jamaica and is not a US Naturalized Citizen. I am a wife and a mom.

It gives me great joy to feed her family, so most evenings, I can be found in the kitchen preparing meals for her husband and their two sons. My family and I reside in the serene "City of Oaks" in Raleigh, North Carolina

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Wake Up Sleeping Church is the title of my latest book. Originally, I had no intention of writing a book, but three weeks ago I was inspired to do so and could not stop writing. 10000 words later I had my second book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, I do not have any unusual writing habits, I write when inspired to do so.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am inspired by Smith Wigglesworth and John G. Lake

What are you working on now?
I recently complete Wake Up Sleeping Chruch, so I am working on marketing that book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It takes little to no energy and is affordable to promote my book on websites like Amesoe Gang.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It is important to believe in your work and market it, if no one knows about your book, it will not be read, but if you market the book, the reader will find it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Trust and Beleive In yourself.

What are you reading now?
Reading and rereading my latest book to ensure I catch any lingering typo is there is any.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Maintain a healthy lifestyle for myself and my family. I work full-time and so, I will continue doing my nine-to-five, and when the inspiration comes to write again I will write my next book.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Holy Bible, My books to inspire me that I will be okay.

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Melinda Boyette Amazon Profile

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Interview With Author David Craig

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I'm a US Air Force Veteran, and retired airline pilot. I've written one book so far but have ideas for several more! I was born in California, joined the military, and have lived all over the USA since. I've been an airplane fanatic since I can remember. I love everything to do with anything that flies.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Memoir of an Aviator, My journey from factory worker to airline Captain.

Aviators are not shy about telling stories, and many of my friends have told me, "You should write a book!" So, I did. Once I retired, I needed something to keep my mind active, and writing is the perfect place to recall memories and the people that inspired me.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to work in a quiet corner of my house, but when traveling to see family I can work amid a full cacophony of kids, grandkids, dogs, and associated din.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I've always loved very technical military writers such as Tom Clancy. Historical military novels by W.E.B. Griffin are also my favorite companions. I also like Nelson B. DeMille. Ed McBain is my go-to for pulp fiction, along with John D. MacDonald. Len Deighton for spy thrillers. Alastair McLean. I also like autobiographies of prominent leaders.

What are you working on now?
I'm writing a companion to Memoir of an Aviator, with many more short chapters on interesting events, people, and situations. I'm also compiling a user guide to the Amazon self-publishing process.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I'm a new author, so I am looking for a great way to get some reviews and book sales. At present, I am on Amazon, but am going to branch out to a wider sales theme.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Review your records of events, places, calendars, etc, and think about what happened and who you were with. Sometimes it is helpful to sit quietly and think about friends, places, and events. Your memory will pop up with things you may have not written about yet. Then write down a quick memory jogger of what popped up, or you will forget it!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I've had a lot of good advice over the years. Some of the best was, "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything." That has been attributed to Mark Twain.

What are you reading now?
I'm finishing the Ed McBain 87th Precinct series. Cops, bad guys, mayhem.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I'm going to be marketing my first book, then working on a companion book of aviation stories.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That's tough! One W.E.B. Griffin novel, likely "The Aviators." One Tom Clancy, "The Hunt for Red October." David Hackworth, "We were Soldiers." Len Deighton, "Bomber."

Author Websites and Profiles

David Craig Amazon Profile

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Interview With Author Denise Baden

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I run the Green Stories project and this year I have been working with Herculean Climate Solutions and the Climate Fiction Writer’s League to compile an anthology of climate solutions wrapped in short stories called: No More Fairy Tales: Stories the Save Our Planet. I edited it and contributed several stories..
My day job is Professor of Sustainability at the University of Southampton. I’ve published numerous book chapters and articles in the academic realm, and a eco-themed rom-com Habitat Man (2021), followed by The Assassin in 2022. I set up the series of free Green Stories writing competitions in 2018 to inspire writers to integrate green solutions into their writing (www.greenstories.org.uk).
The interesting thing about such a herculean task to put the world to rights via climate fiction is the divisions it reveals among all those who are striving for the same goal but come from different disciplines. The engineers love the big, bold, audacious solutions, the more impossible the better. ‘Glaciers melting? Well let’s just refreeze them! Nature lovers and ecologists say ‘how about we just stop leave nature alone? And then the social scientists pitch in with ‘what’s the point of all these projects if we’re still consuming as fast as we can in the name of economic growth?’
As editor it’s been a challenge reconciling all these viewpoints. Each story was written by a professional writer and then honed by climate experts. The stories I co-wrote myself as a social scientist, with Steve, a chemical engineer and Martin a comedy writer were an amusing but educational wrangle to determine which aspects got priority.

Judge for yourselves if we got it right.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
No More Fairy Tales: Stories the Save Our Planet was inspired by wanting to showcase what a sustainable society might look like and how we can get there. I wanted stories to be engaging, great to read and inspirational to provide hope.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Kim Stanley Robinson (visionary), Marion Keyes (so funny), David Mitchell (epic and innovative)

What are you working on now?
I'm adapting the novella The Assassin into a full length book. Also working on Habitat Man as a tv series and the sequel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
my green stories network

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Enjoy the process!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don't try to make the first draft perfect – just get it down.

What are you reading now?
I'm immersing myself in crime fiction as I write the Assassin as a full length novel. Just finished the Guest List by Lucy Foley.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I like experimenting with different formats so am working on writing my stories (Habitat Man and the Assassin) as TV series

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Doctor Zhivago (as it's long and will keep me going).
Survival skills!

Author Websites and Profiles

Denise Baden Website

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Facebook Profile

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Author Interview Series

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Interview With Author T.M Cicinski

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a 36 year old, British-born novelist and short story writer, currently resident in Granada, Spain. From Whence The River's Run is my fifth published work. My other works include another novel, a novella, and two collections of short stories. Over the course of this year, several other works will be added to this list.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest work is "From Whence The Rivers Run." It was inspired by a story I heard long ago about a man who set out to kill the crocodile that had killed his wife. I forget how that story ended, whether it were in success or tragedy, however, it made me think a good deal about the relationship between humanity and nature, and the process of grief, and the result of this pondering was the novel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am not sure if it is unusual or not, but one of my habits is to write in bars. When I am working on something, in the evenings I often take my notes to one of two or three bars, settle down at a table, and work away with a beer and plate of tapas at my elbow. It is not important to me whether the bar is full or empty. As soon as I am settled to work, no amount of noise or activity around me disturbs me. But I like the feeling of life going on around me. Writing can be a lonely path to walk, yet working in a public place, in proximity to others, that loneliness slips away. The bars I chose have changed over the years, but my most enduring favourites for working are "El Rincón de Lorca" and "Bar Poë", both in Granada.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
To list all of the authors and books that have influenced me would be an impossible task. At different times, different authors and books have been more or less important. However, the most enduring influences I would say have been Hemingway, Camus, Proust, Saint-Exupéry, Tolstoy, and Jack London. Each in their own way achieved what I consider to be perfection in one or more of their works.

What are you working on now?
At the moment, I am working on another literary fiction novel and a collection of stories. Alongside this there is a mountain of projects stacked beside my desk, which I must get round to completing and editing sooner or later.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am inexpert in all such things. However, if I learn, I will let you know.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
You must write for you, for your pleasure, for your own development. Do not write because you want to be published, to be famous, or to be rich. If you do, the chances are that you will spend less time being happy than you will being unhappy. If you write only for yourself, for the joy of the process of writing, and the satisfaction of finishing a work to the standard you hoped for, writing will never be anything other than something that enriches your life.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
"It would be a terrible thing for the end of the world to come and for you to be in credit."

What are you reading now?
I am always reading more than one book at the same time, so that no matter what my mood, I have something that suits it. At the moment I am reading "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse, and "Bonjour Tristesse" by Françoise Sagan, both of which I would heartily recommend.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue writing everyday, and, hopefully, to continuing growing and improving as a writer.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would take Proust's "In Search of Lost Time," Tolstoy's "War And Peace", and, for something a little lighter but by no means less enjoyable, De Bernières' "Captain Corelli's Mandolin".

Author Websites and Profiles

T.M Cicinski Amazon Profile

T.M Cicinski’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

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Author Interview Series

To discover a new author, check out our Featured Authors page. We have some of the best authors around. They are just waiting for you to discover them. If you enjoyed this writer’s interview feel free to share it using the buttons below. Sharing is caring!

If you are an author and want to be interviewed just fill out out Author Interview page. After submitting we will send it out in our newsletters and social media channels that are filled with readers looking to discover new books to read.

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Interview With Author OVWEDE AZIAKPONO

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
had the rare bitter pleasure of being by myself most of my life. So, an introvert is one word to describe me but entirely. In the right crowd, I could be very lively and loud. But in most, I'm silent and just nod to everything said. I've also had the sweet pain of making mistakes. These mistakes have left their ultimate scars. My writing comes mostly from these life scars. I started writing in 2016. I had it coming, they were eventually going to burst out of me. I had two choices, write them down or they come bursting out in ways I can't fathom. I've written one book. Working on another currently

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Letters from the future: reality checks is the name of my latest book. It was inspired by my life's events and is a culmination of most of those events.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yeah, I think I am to write better when I'm sad or in a bad mood.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
James Clemens "witchfire" series
Collen hoover
Chinua Achebe

What are you working on now?
It's an untitled fictional novel on sorcery and African witchery

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I'm yet to know that, this is my first book. Let's see how its goes

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keeping, even if you are not feeling it. Just write. It will get to a point when you will eventually get it right.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don't give up. Never ever give up. Make sure you keep trying

What are you reading now?
Cullen hoover "reminders of him"

What’s next for you as a writer?
For now, I would to establish myself as a well-read writer. From there, we will see how it goes.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
James Clemen's "witchfire" series
E. Lockheart's "we were liars"
Cullen hoover's. "it ends with us"

Author Websites and Profiles

OVWEDE AZIAKPONO Amazon Profile

OVWEDE AZIAKPONO Author Profile on Smashwords

OVWEDE AZIAKPONO’s Social Media Links

Twitter Account

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Author Interview Series

To discover a new author, check out our Featured Authors page. We have some of the best authors around. They are just waiting for you to discover them. If you enjoyed this writer’s interview feel free to share it using the buttons below. Sharing is caring!

If you are an author and want to be interviewed just fill out out Author Interview page. After submitting we will send it out in our newsletters and social media channels that are filled with readers looking to discover new books to read.

If you are looking for a new book to read check out our Featured Books Page.