Awesome Author Interviews

Interview With Author Stephanie Hanson

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been a writer since I could form letters on a page. My dad was a writer, so I copied him quite a bit growing up and books were a major part of our family culture. My first book, a book about ancient history, was published last year. I’ve published three more easy readers this year along with my upcoming cookbook.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Ancient Eats: An Edible Exploration of the World was inspired by my lifelong love of cooking and history. My dad and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen together, and people constantly encouraged him to open a restaurant. When I grew up, I worked in living history and learned about historical cooking. I participated in cooking competitions and won awards for taste and historical accuracy. I wanted to bring some of that experience into the kitchens of curious families.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think anything unusual–most writers have a pile of abandoned drafts, drink boatloads of tea and coffee, and are picky about notebooks, right?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Diana Gabaldon and Madeline Miller both write so beautifully. Their use of language inspires my (as yet unpublished) fiction writing for adults. Joy of Cooking is the cookbook that taught me how to cook. I have a scorched volume that I absolutely treasure because it has my dad’s handwritten notes in it. For children’s books, I admire Jane Yolen for her versatility and poetic language.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a story about an ancient Greek mermaid, an alphabet book about Alexander the Great, and a book of boardgames in ancient times.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth! My books are extremely visual, so Instagram has been a great marketing tool.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It’s cliche, but don’t give up. Every writer hits a point where they think their work is terrible and no one will care. It doesn’t mean it’s true. A

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Have a writing routine! It looks different for every writer. For me, a daily walk does wonders for getting my creative juices flowing.

What are you reading now?
My current fiction ebook is Gideon the Ninth. My current print fiction book is The Eyre Affair. My current nonfiction print book is The Crusades by Thomas Asbridge. My most recent nonfiction ebook was 52 Ways to Walk.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m going to join the writing club at my local independent bookstore and hopefully meet people to start a writing group. I’m also attending a writers’ conference in Las Vegas in November. I’m giving my first author talk at an elementary school this fall.

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?
Survival books seem obvious so I’m going to leave them out of consideration and just think about books I could read over and over again. Outlander and Harry Potter (probably Prisoner of Azkaban) are two that I have read and reread. The Princess Bride. Station Eleven. And I’m out of spots!

Author Websites and Profiles

Stephanie Hanson Amazon Profile

Stephanie Hanson’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

 

Interview With Author Ian Adler

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am Ian E.S. Adler, the son of librarians and born and bred in Cambridge Massachusetts (despite many people thinking I have an accent). I got into Fantasy when my Dad read J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings to me and became perpetually hooked after reading Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle, Garth Nix’s Abhorsen series, and Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle. It is to Le Guin whom I owe my debut world and series, the Cynnahu Saga, for her Archipelago inspired me to create my own.

As I have been a Fantasy reader (and gamer) all my life, and a blogger since 2016 (see http://www.starsuncounted.com/), I know the common (and uncommon but still recognizable) tropes and tricks of the genre and so do my best in my own work to either move past them or give them a new coat of paint so as to make them fresh, enjoyable, and unpredictable. Cynnahu is an Archipelago because I noted while reading Earthsea that few other Fantasies feature them, and none in the way Ursula K. Le Guin did. I write Epic Fantasy, yes, but not with the Tolkienesque approach seeing as Middle-earth is perfect.

With an M.Ed and bachelor’s degree in History, my writing reflects an optimism regarding the human potential for peace and goodness despite of and acknowledging history’s grimmest, bloodiest moments. The pen is mightier the sword, but swords guided by pens have the power to win the world from the clenched fists of war. Notice the plural for swords and pens, as I avoid the by now over-used Chosen One archetype. Being Chosen is fine, but the One leaves little authorial room to maneuver.

As it stands I have only published one book, The Last War: Book One of The Cynnahu Saga. But I have written and am editing the book two, Dragon Guardians, with the rough draft of book three on the way.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Last War: Book One of The Cynnahu Saga. As said and explained above (and below), I owe the series to the late Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I am aware of.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My morality, manner of speech, style of writing, and building blocks of thought may all be traced to Middle-earth (and other subsequent worlds I have visited, but Tolkien had and has the greater influence over me). And before somebody asks, yes, I was part of the Harry Potter generation – growing up as the books came out. Part and not a part, for I actually did not read Harry Potter until after the last book came out (technically I did read the Sorcerer’s Stone and loved it, but was put off from reading further after the Chamber of Secrets movie scared me half to death twice over). As such, I am a child of Fantasy at large, my love for the genre balanced by my passion for history and mythology & folklore.

Yet while Tolkien is the nexus of my reading, I owe my Fantasy writing to another. To the late Ursula K. Le Guin, whose Archipelago inspired me to create my own. This statement probably surprises many of friends, and for good reason as I have always been a vocal disciple of J.R.R. Tolkien; for example, on re-reading The Lord of the Rings for likely the tenth time, I wrote both on my Stars Uncounted blog and Facebook page what I wrote above: “Imagine being able to read your DNA as a piece of literature. Imagine being able to read the root out of which grew many of your basic interests as well as patterns of speech and thought and writing style. Luckily, I do not have to imagine. I can do it.” I do not retract these words at all, but the impact that Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle had on me was no less great even if it was so subtle that I hardly thought of it. She was one of the best. I remember first reading The Earthsea Cycle in elementary school, hearing the mage Ogion of Re Albi say “To hear, one must be silent.” And I still remembered those words when I took the series up for a second and third time, years later. While the rest of my generation went to Hogwarts with Harry, I traveled by ship to the School of Roke with Ged. Isn’t that interesting? I openly and sincerely adored Middle-earth and idolized the wizard Gandalf, but it was Ogion the Silent who I related to: “He spoke seldom, ate little, slept less. His eyes and ears were very keen, and often there was a listening look on his face.” I also remember being struck with the fact that Earthsea was an Archipelago, the first I had ever encountered in a Fantasy, with no true main continent to journey across; rather the journeying was done by ship, in the soul, and on different Isles each of which had a special distinction. I was so struck that even at so young an age I decided that if I were ever to write a Fantasy book then it would take place upon an Archipelago. Interesting is it not? I idolize The Lord of the Rings, yet never felt the need to create my own Middle-earth. Why? Because I know the common (and uncommon but still recognizable) tropes and tricks of Fantasy literature and so do my best in my own work to either move past them or give them a new coat of paint so as to make them fresh, enjoyable, and unpredictable.

Beyond that, insofar as influencing my writing goes, I would say that Diana Wynne Jones and Patricia A. McKillip have influenced my writing most.

What are you working on now?
A sequel of sorts to the Cynnahu Saga. Of sorts because it takes place 1300 years later and in… well, no, I cannot tell because that would be a spoiler.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. Never give up, but do not let the pressures of publishing interfere with your writing or love of writing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.” – Sherlock Holmes

What are you reading now?
At the time of writing, Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta – book #3 of her Lumatere Chronicles.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing more. What else? I have several series in mind, but would like to finish Cynnahu first if possible.

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 Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Author Websites and Profiles

Ian Adler Website

Ian Adler Amazon Profile

Ian Adler’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

 

Interview With Author Jatoria Crews

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hey, my name is Jatoria Crews. I am the author of “Raven and Her Magical Friends”. I am the mother of three amazing boys. I am also in school for psychology. I spend my days being a mother, doing school work, and marketing my children’s book. I love to help others and I believe life is full of magical moments.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Raven and Her Magical Friend” is the title of my first book. It was expired by my childhood. I wanted to write a book that had a positive message in a fun way. I believe it is very important for kids to learn self-love and positivity at an early age.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I use my notes app a lot in my writing process. I randomly get ideas and sentences pop up in my mind throughout the day. I will rush to my notes to write them down so I won’t forget them.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Wow. I have read so many books. I read a lot so this question is a bit difficult to answer. My favorite authors are Lucy score, K. Renee, E L James, and Beverly Barton.

What are you working on now?
I am working on book two of my first book. I plan to make it into a series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have had the most success from Social Media. Facebook is full of great advice and opportunities.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for new authors is to begin marketing early. I didn’t have a solid market plan on the beginning and wasted a galore of money.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever received is to let it flow. Life is full of happy and sad moments. I have learned to go with the flow. As long as I know I did my best, I am content.

What are you reading now?
I am reading fifty shades of grey again. I reread it every few months.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to continue releasing children’s book and maybe a few romance books.

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?
1. Lucy Score- By a thread
2. E L James- Fifty Shades Freed
3. K. Renee- The Billionaires daughter
4. Beverly Barton- Killing Her Softly

Author Websites and Profiles

Jatoria Crews Amazon Profile

Jatoria Crews’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

 

Interview With Author Mia Vasquez

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

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Forgotten Babylon, Babylon myths as well as the fact true love can withstand so many trails.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I dare to research before I write something is that considered unusual.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Twilight, Susan Colleen’s, and of course George Martin

What are you working on now?
Deaths Deal another fantasy

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I find sharing it on an many platforms is the best way as well as allowing others to let people know of it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Someone out there wants to here your story and a block and wall is only temporary

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
There are doers and there are dreamers only you can decided which you are or if your both.

What are you reading now?
Fire and Blood

What’s next for you as a writer?
To write more books and maybe pitch it to be a show.

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 Host, Animal Farm, Mockingjay, and lastly one from my child hood The Last Unicorn

Author Websites and Profiles

Mia Vasquez Website

 

Interview With Author Kelly Knowles

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Chin Hairs and Other Things Mama Didn’t Tell You: From Surviving to Thriving in Your 20s and 30s is my first published book. I started it 25 years ago and determined to finish! It began as a result of discussions with my friends about all of the life changes in our 20s and we ended up with some great stories – some which made it to the book!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Chin Hairs and Other Things Mama Didn’t Tell You: From Surviving to Thriving in Your 20s and 30s – if you read the first pages you know exactly what inspired it: the gory appearance of chin hairs on my face! And the process to manage, hide, discuss, figure out all of those crazy things happening in our 20s and 30s – while trying to move from survival mode to thrive!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I dump ideas constantly into Evernote and occasionally wear out my husband with my “verbal processing”! Thankfully, he is very patient and knew what he was getting into (I think :)) when we married. I also try not to over-edit. I learned that with speech writing. Over-editing can lead to analysis paralysis and nothing gets done.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Jon Gordon and Jim Rohn. I also grew up reading Judy Blume who addressed issues that no one else was discussing for girls my age. Things that many parents were too embarrassed to even consider…

What are you working on now?
Over the years, I’ve created and developed two small weekend conferences just for girls and their female caregiver. This event is especially for girls 9-12 and we cover all the things that girls that age truly need in a safe and respectful manner. I am working to do my third conference next spring with some mom’s who have daughters in that age range. I’m also thinking about how to start my next book and what the topic will be. I’m considering a sequel to “Chin Hairs” about your 40s and 50s or digging into something that is also very personal: First Generation Professional: Navigating the Transition from Working Class to Laptop Class (CC – that’s my title).

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m brand new to this! Sooo green! I work full-time as a lead trainer for a law firm. So, figuring it out as I go, asking lots of questions and realizing that mistakes will be made! And truly, I’m proud of this book. It has a message that I believe every woman can connect with and be inspired by.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you have a message, put it out there. Not everyone will love it, but if it’s part of your mission and purpose – you owe it to the world to get started. And don’t be afraid to ask questions, get help etc. Give up your membership in the “I have to figure it all out by myself club”

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’m not sure yet!

What are you reading now?
Just finished reading Brave New World after 30 years for book club. I’m also leading a women’s faith study based on Fervent. We all need more prayer. I picked up the original Girl Scout guidebook in Savannah GA recently and it’s been a fun look back but also some amazing common sense for today!

What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting started again! I hope to get out there and continue to speak the message that we are all here for a purpose. We all have value.

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?
Cliche, but the Bible for sure. I would also take a Jim Rohn book for inspiration and probably something by Brenda Rickman VanTrease or Ruta Sepatys. Amazing authors!

Author Websites and Profiles

Kelly Knowles Website

Kelly Knowles Amazon Profile

Kelly Knowles’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile

 

Interview With Author D.M. Holland

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve loved reading romance for as long as I can remember. It is my escapism from the world. Writing a book has always been a dream of mine, but one I thought I would never be able to accomplish. And then the pandemic hit, and well, life is just too short to not follow your dreams. I began writing and have no plans of stopping! There is something special about doing what you love and sharing your creativity with the world-even a small portion of it.
I’ve written three books, four novellas, and have several more in the works.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is “Given”. I was in the mood for something a little dark and a whole lot of steamy.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a night owl; evening is when I’m most creative. As soon as the sun starts going down, that is when my ideas start flowing. My ritual is to grab my laptop, shut myself in my room, toss my phone to the other side of the room, and get to work.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh, there’s too many to name! Romance will always be my first love, and I read just about every sub-genre. One of the books that really got me into romance is Fire by Kristin Cashore. It was the first time that I truly fell for a character and the angst just drew me in. The tension and the journey of two characters falling in love will never get old for me, and I will never, ever get enough.

What are you working on now?
I’ve just finished something steamy, so I’m countering it with something a little more sweet. But that isn’t to say it still won’t be hot! “Dream Love” will be released soon, so keep an eye out!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is something I’m still very much working on-but I think we have all seen the power of social media, especially through BookTok.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing! You are going to get rejections-it is part of the business. Even the most successful authors-some of your favorites-have faced this. You just have to keep working and honing your craft. What sets published authors apart from unpublished is perseverance-not talent. It is easy to become discouraged, but have faith in your work and abilities and keep moving forward.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write and then write some more! Keep your head down and focus on your own work-don’t compare yourself to others. You have no idea where someone is in their journey, and everyone has their own path to follow.

What are you reading now?
I always am in the middle of several books at once. To name a few, I am rereading The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black, Into the Dreaming by Karen Marie Moning, and An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would love to branch out to some of the other sub-genres that I love so much. I have some ideas brewing for historical romances, both long and short. I also have plans to play around with the classic tropes-but with a modern spin.

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?
Only thee or four?? The world can’t be so cruel! But if I really had to pick, I would chose The Winter King by C.L. Wilson, Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Sea of Ruin by Pam Godwin, and Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt.

D.M. Holland’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Interview With Author Art Isaacs

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m relatively new to writing and maybe a bit older than the usual newbie. I have written four books so far.
I’m a father and grandfather and love being with my family, as we all take trips and vacations together. Over the years, though, my work has taken me away at times. I categorize myself as a ‘well-travelled’ engineer, having worked in over 50 countries so far. I’ve also lived overseas for several years during my career, as well as in several states and spent extended periods elsewhere. There are still a lot of places I have not been and would love to see and experience.
Along with growing up in NY City, this combined exposure has given me some (hopefully) different perspectives on life, people and cultures that I try to utilize in all my writings. I’m also a consummate car buff, having owned and rebuilt many over my life and still have (3) old convertibles of varied years, marques and countries of origin. Those, too, can find their way into my stories. As does music. I love and listen to music of all kinds and like to learn more about the song’s origins, as well as developing my own associations for them as a ‘soundtrack of life’.
My favorite reading and writing genre is Science Fiction and, of the four books that I’ve already written, three are Sci-Fi. The one that was recently (and the only one) published, is a family saga that covers a lot of ground – more than just the 60-year story of members of a fictional family based in a small town in the Florida Panhandle.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book’s title is ‘Morris’.
My main inspiration and influence for this book is my family. Not that any of the stories or characters are based on them, but with my relationship with my wife and children, the closeness of aunts, uncles, siblings and cousins. The support they afford each other and the interactions between us all of different generations and family branches was the basis of my life and ultimately, my writing.
On the title, Morris is actually a character in the book. While I initially did try to build some mystery around who Morris is, it is revealed early-on that he’s actually the main characters’ car. There’s no anthropomorphism, so Morris never speaks, but he’s not just an inanimate object. The point is that he’s passed between members of each successive generation and is part of and present at most key points in each of their very different lives and stories. He is the continuity between them all.
He’s also becomes the one they write to as the substitute for ‘dear diary’, which is really where the title comes from. The idea of Morris as a character was born out of my continuous ownership of an old British sportscar for over 30 years and counting.
The story itself gets its inspiration from many sources, but mainly from the headlines, both current and historical. From growing-up in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, etc. From working in the fashion industry with the interesting and diverse peoples I’ve met and places I’ve been. From the music I’ve listened to and the artist’s stories behind the origins of their songs.
As such, my book touches on many key points and subjects in history, as family members go off to war or are caught-up in the politics of their day with regard to prejudice about race, gender, interracial or same-sex romance and marriages; the changing views on alcoholism and depression, all showing how their attitudes and those of others around them evolve over time. And for each to show their resolve and ability to rise above it all to try to find love, success and happiness, as opposed to merely surviving.
The book is long at near 640 pages and covers over 4 generations. It starts in the early 1960’s with a school assignment to a then teenaged Jessie Peterson to chronicle his summer after complaining how backward and just plain boring life in his small town is. Jessie continues to write throughout his life, even after passing the task on to his daughter, Beth, which she in turn passes to her children Matt and Billie. Each successive generation changes the direction of the story somewhat, adding new situations and adventures with different perspectives that keep it all moving and, hopefully, interesting.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, much of my writing is done at 30,000 feet. That unusual enough? 20 hours each way on planes to Asia, 5-6 times a year gives you a lot of time alone to write and create. The pandemic has me grounded and less time to do this, but I’m finding it.
I also like reading stories that ‘work’, so I make a point to develop the back stories, side stories, look-up details, find inspiration pieces and photos for all my characters and locations as I write a book, even if they are never used. It takes more time, but makes me feel better that what I write can make sense. At least to me, of course. Maybe not everything does, but being new to this, I’m still learning.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
By far, all the science fiction greats like Jules Verne, H.G Wells, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Larry Niven and Frank Herbert.

What are you working on now?
I’m now in the middle of writing a science fiction trilogy.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Still working on and learning that.
Maybe I’ll have a better answer after I gain more experience and advice.
I can say that I have recently found great people through the Goodreads site that are collaborative and sharing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. You have something you find interesting subject in your head, put it on paper (or on a screen, as I date myself) and play with it. Walk away and do something else before coming back to it again. Lose it and rewrite it from memory (yeah, I had lost my manuscript file in writing Morris – bad idea).

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Immerse Yourself
It was the mantra of a professor teaching language, but I’ve adopted it for just being part of the way to experience and enjoy the world. There’s a big difference between tourism and immersion, for example. One is being a spectator and the other is being involved with the experience. Same for writing. And reading.

What are you reading now?
I’ve just finished E.K. Frances’ ‘The Dark’, the third book in her ‘Hybrid’ series. The next and final volume will release soon.

I’ll now be starting the third of Scott Kimak’s ‘HIM’ trilogy.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As I said, I’m currently in the middle of working on a sci-fi trilogy.
I’m also starting to play with a supernatural mystery about some strange goings-on over several decades around an abandoned refinery complex.

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?

Author Websites and Profiles

Art Isaacs Amazon Profile

Art Isaacs’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Interview With Author La Carmina

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m La Carmina – I’m a Gothic culture / fashion blogger, freelance journalist, and the author of four books. I’ve long been researching and writing about alternative subcultures worldwide (I’ve been to over 70 countries, and specialize in Japanese alt culture). My previous two books were published by Penguin Random House, and my upcoming one will be released by Simon & Schuster.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Little Book of Satanism: A Guide to Satanic History, Culture, and Wisdom will be published by Ulysses Press / Simon & Schuster on October 25, 2022. I spent a great deal of time in Japan since the mid-late 2000s, and was fascinated by the vibrant Japanese Satanic community that included an Osaka Satanic shop and ritualistic club nights. I also was intrigued by the development of The Satanic Temple in the mid 2010s. I’ve participated in and written about both for some time now, for publications like CNN, Fodor’s, and The Daily Beast. This led to a book deal about Satanism — I cover the history, culture, practices, pop culture, and more in my “Little Book of Satanism.”

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a night owl, so I love to work late into the night, and find I do my best writing then. I also emphasize the importance of sleep — I always get newly inspired after a good night’s rest.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m fond of works of literature that have impacted the way we think of The Devil. These include Paradise Lost by John Milton — his nuanced and compassionate characterization of Satan influenced the Romantic Satanists like Milton and Shelley. And Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin is a page-turner that influenced 20th century pop culture notions about the Devil and Satanism.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently prepping for the release of The Little Book of Satanism, which comes out right before Halloween (worldwide on Oct 25, via Simon & Schuster).

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve been blogging since 2007 so I have a long-time following, and am active on social media @LaCarmina. I publish updates about my book at lacarmina.com, along with my travels and outfits worldwide.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Build up a portfolio of writing that showcases your niche and skills, whether on a blog, freelance publications, or other outlets.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Krishnamurti: “I don’t mind what happens. That is the essence of inner freedom.”
And it applies to writing and publishing books — let go of the reception and outcomes, and be present for each step of the process.

What are you reading now?
I’m about to head to Japan for a job, so I’m brushing up on my Japanese language skills by reading books about kanji, idioms, and more!

What’s next for you as a writer?
It was a dream come true to do this passion project about Satanism, and I’m keen to write more books in the future.

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?
If I have to be pragmatic, I’d choose books about how to survive in the wilderness! I’m not an outdoor person, so I wouldn’t have a fighting chance otherwise.

Author Websites and Profiles

La Carmina Website

La Carmina Amazon Profile

La Carmina’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

Pinterest Account

Interview With Author A Victor

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live on an idyllic island with my lovely wife and she’s also my best friend (that’s important isn’t it?). Over the years, we travelled internationally holding seminars and teaching the full range of real biblical living – knowing God, being guided and empowered, making a difference in the world around us. Now, we both write and sometimes write together as co-authoring books that teach a successful, spiritual life. I’ve been writing for over 35 years and counting. That’s a lot in courses and seminar materials – hundreds of articles, lectures, course material plus 6 books and many more to keep me happily writing for years to come.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It’s a real mouthful, ready? ‘You Are… Uplifting truths about YOU! Workbook: A Happy Walk Book’. In short, ‘You Are…’. The inspiration? We all need to have a good self-image and we need someone to tell us good things about ourselves. Who better to tell us than God? I set out to write who you are from God’s perspective, from the bible. There are over 31 “You are…” declarations in this book, so, reading it is an amazing and uplifting experience. It’s a genuinely feel-good read that you can return to over and over and one you’ll want to share.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I never get writer’s block. This is why… I have multiple writing, painting, creative projects and when I don’t know how I want to say something, I don’t force it. I go and cook, walk, chat, watch a show. I switch to something else. Then, bubble, bubble, I sense a theme or idea bubbling up and I don’t delay, I start to put it down. Sometimes, when I can feel there’s something there but it’s not ready to go down in writing, I leave it and allow my mind to work on it in the background.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Without reservation, the book that most influenced my writing is the bible – it’s any serious biblical writer’s primary source with an extraordinary range of information. Being a prolific reader and researcher I also have a library containing a wealth of bible-based and other subjects – histories, cultures, science, the mind. We also have all our theology text books from our university days. To add to that, I have masses of writing my partner and I have done over the years and I get surprised by what’s been written before.

What are you working on now?
Lots of exciting works are in progression including books on success, how God communicates with you, dreams and sleep, and painting with a view to illustrating and making prints. Plus I’m writing for our monthly newsletters.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
You can’t go wrong inviting readers to receive email newsletters. How? We offer a free book in our books and follow up with monthly emails with free articles and books and news of special book releases. Plus our books contain extracts from other books we’ve written with links. And this site was highly recommended to me by a top publishing expert.
They said, ‘A Top Book Promotion Site.’

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Give your best with a view to adding value to each reader’s life. Be positive and provide solutions. Ensure that it’s accurate and properly researched. Write, rewrite, condense, check for typos more than once. I always have an expert in my field read the draft and comment. People judge a book by its cover so make sure it’s done well and the content is well-formatted.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s something that comes through in all my writing – to gain true satisfaction in life, give your very best and make a positive difference in the world around you.

What are you reading now?
‘Happy Money’ by Ken Honda. Ken presents a unique perspective on money and our relationship with it and how that affects our ability to receive and give in the right way.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m illustrating and writing a children’s bible story colouring book for our monthly newsletters. It’s one of our free offerings.

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?
Stranded on a desert island? It could be for life, then again, I might get rescued so my 4 books take that into account:
• How to Thrive on a Tropical Deserted Island: A Primer For the Shipwrecked Sailor by Mike Riley – to stay alive and thrive.
• The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies by Nicole Apelian – for safe eating and health.
• Thompson Chain-Reference Bible, Hardcover: New King James Version by Dr. Frank Charles Thompson – this is bible, concordance and multiple references ideal for research.
• A blank paged book for writing in (with a pencil) – to write memoirs, thoughts and those next books.

Author Websites and Profiles

A Victor Amazon Profile

 

Interview With Author Kelvin Ho

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Certified Hypnotherapist, Master Hypnotist and an NLP Practitioner. I am also a Certified Human Behavior Analyst from The Institute of Leadership of America.

I am author of a physical book “Wisdom from Space” and four ebooks:

• Everyone experiences hypnosis but not everyone can be hypnotized
• The beauty of words – How to use them to your benefit
• Know your brain – easy doing, easy using
• Know persuasion and influence – our daily life influencing force

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Recently I published my book “Know your brain: easy doing, easy using” as a free book via Draft2Digital.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write not based on forcing myself but on the inner urge to write. Sometimes I may write a small paragraph and at other times even a chapter or two.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like books written by Anthony Robbins, Robert Kiyosaki and Gundhi Gabriel.

What are you working on now?
At the present moment, I am writing a book on the powerful words used in Persuasion and Influence.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am new to marketing my books and I cannot give advice at the present moment until I have seen the results of the marketing efforts.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
It is more fruitful to write books you are passionate about.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Take action.

What are you reading now?
I am reading on Sam Walton – Made in America book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The next level could be to come up with my own course.

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?
Anthony Robbins – Awaken The Giant Within
Robert Kiyosaki – Cashflow Quadrant
Gundhi Gabriel – Kindle Publishing

Author Websites and Profiles

Kelvin Ho Website

Kelvin Ho’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile

 

Interview With Author Kimberly McKenzie-Klemm

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am 52 years old and I have authored six published books. The Rest Room Trilogy is a set of three fiction books: “Rise Times Souls Love”, “The Rest Room” and “The Dream of Keriye”. I have one fiction short story collection “Growing Past” with an addendum of a few more stories in “Leaning Toward”. I also have two non-fiction books to my name “TEAMWORK (Together Everyone Achieves More)” and my most recent “The Quality 4P’s Model Handbook”.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is “The Quality 4P’s Model Handbook”. It is non-fiction and inspired by The Marketing 4P’s Model in the Manufacturing Industry use. The Quality 4P’s Model is not the same as The Marketing 4P’s Model, nor is it a knock-off. It fits the details of Quality coverage non-inclusive of tests and measurements where arguably Manufacturing protocol can be vague.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I make my own “notebank” for Characters, Settings, Themes, and Plot ideas before starting any book-length fiction. Then I choose from my own “notebank” per Chapter needs and assign the notes as used or not accordingly. I refuse to let a computer program supply me with the building blocks.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Margaret Atwood; Ayne Rand; Edgar Allen Poe; Mark Twain (Samuel Clemmons); Scott F. Fitzgerald; and so on…

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a new collection of short stories “Slipping Sideways” and adding notes for my next book length fiction effort “Twisted Rabbit”.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method or websites for promoting my books are tied between Amazon.com and lulu.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up; you are a writer.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I was told to keep my rejection slips from poetry and short story journals and magazine submissions in some sort of scrapbook. To this day, going back over the notes- every failure is just one more rejection before publication.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading a book by David Baldacci: “Redemption”

What’s next for you as a writer?
As a writer, I just intend to 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?
1. An empty notebook with a pen attached.
2. A thorough Collegiate Edition American English Language Dictionary
3. Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations

Author Websites and Profiles

Kimberly McKenzie-Klemm Website

Kimberly McKenzie-Klemm’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

Interview With Author Toby LeBlanc

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a mental health therapist in Austin, Texas. Writing is a way my own tales can have life alongside the countless stories of courage and strength of my clients. Dark Roux is my first traditionally published novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Dark Roux came about after listening to an NPR interview with a Jewish author discussing his experience from inside of his culture. I realized we do not have something like this in Cajun culture. I wanted to show all sides of my culture: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn’t say I do anything too out of the ordinary. I have noticed that the muse is very fickle with me, though. Some days I will write for four hours straight. Other days I can maybe eek out four minutes.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Toni Morrison, Cormac McCarthy, Eudora Welty, Arundhati Roy, Larry Brown

What are you working on now?
I have two different projects going on right now. One is a first draft novel of two neighbors who weather Hurricane Katrina and must escape its aftermath. Each have to overcome their racism to survive. I also just started another short story collection focused on a woman who is part of the first mission to colonize Antarctica after climate change.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I really love local events. Books are all about connection, thought usually those connections are felt in private. The shared space of local events allows me to see who is seeing my words, discuss what they like and what’s important to them, and learn from them. It may not be the most wide reaching connection, but it’s the deepest one. Word of mouth is a solid referral source.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I know it’s a worn out saying, but do not give up. Persistence is the secret ingredient to getting books in the world.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Before you open your mouth to share an opinion, ask yourself 3 questions: Does this need to be said? Does this need to be said by me? Does this need to be said by me right now?

What are you reading now?
Horizon by Barry Lopez. I’m so upset I only learned about him after he passed.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I like writing about the intersection of climate change and culture. What constitutes our humanity is in flux as the world changes. I love being able to document it and speculate on it.

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?
Horizon by Barry Lopez
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
The Prophet by Khalil Gibran

Author Websites and Profiles

Toby LeBlanc Website

Toby LeBlanc Amazon Profile

Toby LeBlanc’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Twitter Account

Interview With Author Joseph Di Lella

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
As a creative writer and teacher, I love to educate others in and outside the classroom. I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology at UC San Diego; a master’s degree in Sociology from San Diego State University and a doctoral degree in Bilingual Education at Claremont Graduate University. I have published over 125 poems and short stories in addition to six non-fiction books. You may know me from my four volume series called, The Tao of Star Trek: Finding Your Inner self Through Outer Space, or another called, Star Trek Storytelling.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Graduate School Blues was inspired by my experience in graduate school. So many of my friends failed to complete their degree that I wanted to honor their efforts by helping others find a way to complete their advanced degrees. I hope this book will help countless others attain a M.A. or Ph.D.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing unusual in my writing habits except that I try to write 2-5 hours a day when I am in a good groove.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Ray Bradbury is perhaps the most influential writer of my times. I saw him speak a half dozen times and never left the venue without a new way of looking at the writer’s life. Also, Dean Wesley Smith, an author who has published over 25 million copies is a dear friend who has mentored me over the years, too.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on non-fiction book on basketball, based on interviews and letters I have had with famous collegiate and professional coaches, players, announcers, et. al throughout the past 25 years. I am also writing one last Star Trek non-fiction book!!!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Hard question – Kindlepreneur is a great place o find the best free or paid promotion sites on the internet.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write! Do not self-sensor – ever!!!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Embrace your imagination and believe that the words your speak are important for others to listen to in life.

What are you reading now?
The Right to Write by Julia Cameron

What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue writing . . . what else is 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?
Tough question: The Prophet by Gibran, The Alchemist by Coelho, and any book by Mark Twain or Ray Bradbury.

 

Interview With Author Susanna Kanto

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an indie author from Helsinki, Finland. I write in several genres, ranging from historical fiction to urban fantasy. Caytee is my debut novel, but I’ve been a writer ever since I can remember, and a storyteller even before I could write. So naturally, when I learned to write, I started writing down my stories. None of them were very good, but at least I got a lot of practice!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Caytee is a modern YA retelling of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. That should be enough to tell you that I’m a huge Jane Austen fan. Back in 2012, I started reading a lot of Young Adult novels. That got me thinking what would happen if the main character of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey was a modern-day teenager and obsessed with YA paranormal fantasy.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I spend a lot of time planning my stories—years, even decades. I have random piles of paper and notebooks everywhere. When I start writing the novel down, I don’t write in order but skip around, working on the scene that I feel inspired to write at that time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Obviously, for Caytee Jane Austen was a huge influence. I think every author I’ve read has been at least a minor influence.

What are you working on now?
My next novel is a coming-of-age story of a boy and girl living in a prehistorical matriarchal society.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m such a newbie at promoting books, but I’ve found some amazing free sites. I’m also active on Instagram and have a newsletter.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you want to write, write. Make it your priority, but don’t listen to people who say that you have to write every day to be a writer. If you can’t write every day, write when you can.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Every first draft is perfect because all the first draft has to do is exist.” – Jane Smiley

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Earth’s Children series by Jean M. Auel and The Golden Bough by James Frazer. I like to read both fiction and non-fiction and have several books in rotation at the same time.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing the next book and publishing it! I hope to start working on the third draft of my prehistorical coming-of-age story soon.

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 collected novels of Jane Austen (is that cheating?), War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (maybe I would finally have time to read it), and Survival Wisdom and Know-How (bought it for research, but it might come in handy when trying to get off the island).

Author Websites and Profiles

Susanna Kanto Website

Susanna Kanto Amazon Profile

Susanna Kanto’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile