Awesome Author Interviews

Gemima Jeudy Amazon Profile

Gemima Jeudy

Interview With Author Gemima Jeudy

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a high school science teacher but my passion is reading and literature. I have published two books. The first was a poetry book and the second a children’s book. However, I have several novels that I am working on and hoping to publish soon.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Insecure and it was inspired by my own insecurities. I am hoping that the book helps people to overcome their insecurities and realize that they are wonderful just the way they are.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sometimes when I am trying to work out a scene in a book, I go to bed thinking about it. I close my eyes and just picture myself in that scene and I work out what happens next. I eventually fall asleep, but usually, I wake up knowing where to take the book next and I write that down before I forget.

Also, while I am on a long drive by myself, I turn on the voice recorder on my phone and talk out some scenes with myself. Later on, I listen to the recordings and I write any additions or changes I’ve made to the story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
In no particular order, Jane Austen, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, Margaret Peterson Haddix, and Peg Kehret have influenced my pursuit of writing.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a Fantasy novel and some FanFiction novellas.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice would be to read regularly. Especially in the genre you want to write in because writing and reading go hand-in-hand.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You are under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago. – Unknown

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am currently publishing my work independently but I would like to work with a publishing company in the near 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?
I would take the Bible, Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Author Websites and Profiles

Gemima Jeudy Website

Gemima Jeudy’s Social Media Links

Meena Khan Amazon Profile

Meena Khan

Interview With Author Meena Khan

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an apostate, artist, ailurophile and activist from Trinidad and Tobago. I was raised in the extremist organization known as The Watchtower Society. I have written twelve books that were published under a pseudonym.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I was inspired to write The Longest Lie because I’ve kept that lie for twenty-four years and keeping it increasingly sickened me but promoted the Watctower Society whilst I witnessed it continuously harming the innocent. Watchtower making what happened to me a secret not only harmed me at every point of my life but harmed so many in the effect. Their pedophiles are liberated to preach to you, work at your kid’s school and get married to anyone they desire even if that desire is to do so at the Kingdom Halls. I’ve observed pedophiles going on to raise kids.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wait for the right state of mind bacause it isn’t always available especially for non-fiction. When I have that mood, I go with the flow of things. Usually that is a very good pace. I don’t mind missing a meal or two when I am interested in sharing my own story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love James Patterson, my country’s own Michael Anthony and Elizabeth George Speare’s The Witch of Blackbird Pond is one of my favorite historical dramas.

What are you working on now?
I am writing The Longest Lie 2 as the title is part of a trilogy. It’s almost finished and set for release on February 20th 2023.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am about to figure that out but I do believe TV promotions still offer something. I would never skip social media or independent news.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
All you can do is be yourself in passion and with purpose. Write as much as you read and listen even if your reading is reading your own intuition and your listening is listening to your own heart. If you don’t already have a passion for reading and a passion for listening then what will your writing have to offer? What will be the purpose of sharing your words?

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s actually a quote from The Longest Lie which came from a schoolteacher. “What matters is fairness for all. Bottom line, in life always remember to do whatever makes you proud but not in a prideful way. Do what honors you and brings you fulfillment. Be true to yourself!”

What are you reading now?
I am reading my own thoughts and the nutrition facts on the label on my water bottle.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am going to edit some of my previous titles to post on Amazon KDP under my legal name. I am a singer songwriter and hope to have my first album out soon. I have written numerous songs and would never quit one passion to focus solely on the other.

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?
Those would difinitely be Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins, Michael Anthony’s The Year in San Fernando and Elizabeth George Speare’s The Witch of Blackbird Pond.

Author Websites and Profiles

Meena Khan’s Social Media Links

J.M. Harrison Amazon Profile

Johanna Squire

Interview With Author Johanna Squire

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
This is my first book. I’m working on a sequel which a lot of people have requested.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Black Ivory.
Growing up in Africa and being exposed to the plight of the elephants.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a hiker and diver – so many chapters get handwritten in my tent on those long nights or in a squishy cabin.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Cry of the Kalahari.
Tony Park.
Bryce Courtenay.

What are you working on now?
A sequel to Black Ivory.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far – my animal loving clients when I’m at work as a vet!

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep going.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be responsible for yourself and what you do.

What are you reading now?
An African Love Story by Daphne Sheldrick

What’s next for you as a writer?
More books in my African series. Will also do some set in Australia where I now live. At least one book around my work as a vet. I’ve done a lot of remote work in indigenous communities.

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?
Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kanther
Cry of the Kalahari by Mark and Delia Owens.
A Path with Heart by Jack Cornfield

Author Websites and Profiles

Johanna Squire Website

J.M. Harrison

Interview With Author J.M. Harrison

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, my name is Jonathan and I stumbled into writing by accident. Following a near-death experience in 2007, I became aware of who and what I really was, and started to write. I currently have six published works and have been fortunate to win several awards. Before that, back in the day, I was a singer songwriter in London in the 80’s.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is a collection of awakening poetry entitled EDEN THRIVES WITHIN. It was inspired by the Zen intensive I took part in. The book wasn’t planned, but the poems just happened, pouring out of me when the retreat ended, so I’m honoring that by publishing the collection. I hope they inspire readers to heal, learn and grow.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not as such. I find the best writing times are early mornings. My dog is always beside me.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I admire the great wordsmiths and poets, such as Wordsworth, Shakespeare and Dickens.
Spiritual teachers throughout the ages from diverse backgrounds have been an influence. I tend to take a universal approach rather than ‘belong’ to any particular belief system or philosophy. In recent times, the words of Ramana Maharshi, Eckhart Tolle, Shunryu Suzuki, David Hawkins, Gary Zukav and many others have all been an influence.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a new book about the nature of consciousness and the ordinary truth of enlightenment.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The work I do is about reaching the people who are authentically seeking. I’m not here to sell loads of books, that’s not why I write. I write to help people remember who and what they really are. I write from my spiritual heart as a form of service.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Believe in yourself and work at it. Try to write a few words each day, and remember not to take it personally. Once the ego steps aside, words will flow effortlessly.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Listening to the beautiful sounds in nature; the wind, the rustling leaves, the cheerful song of a small bird.

What are you reading now?
I’m not reading at the moment, as I’m very busy with my non-profit works through The Natural Being Foundation. I do monthly talks, 1:1’s, and volunteer in the Care Industry, so I tend to write (not read) as a daily practice.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue to explore ways and means to help people wake up to their most complete understanding of who they are.

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 take one sacred book, a copy of ‘How To Eat Healthy and Live Well on a Desert Island’, one memoir-biography and a joke book. That would be a decent mix.

Author Websites and Profiles

Lester Fisher

Interview With Author Lester Fisher

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Born Lester Fisher on Feb. 1 1947, I later took the surname of my step-father, James G. Klungness. My education, after Catholic school and seminary, included a baccalaureate in Botany from the Univ. of Washington. After two years of Peace Corps as Youth Extension Officer in Taita, Kenya, I began a career with Weyerhaeuser Co., serving in the Wood Morphology and the Genetics Research Divisions. After five years, I returned to finish my Master’s degree in International Agricultural Development from Univ. of Cal. Davis. My thesis on honeybee digestion was published in three scientific papers. After 6 years of service in the Dept. of Pomology, I worked for the University of Hawaii for 10 yrs., performing research on fruit fly parasitoids. I then transferred to the US Dept. of Agriculture to pursue research on fruit fly suppression and management for eight years. I went back to the Univ. of Hawaii to assist on a program to protect the honey bee industry in Hawaii from invasive species such as the vorroa mite and small hive beetle. Health issues forced me into full retirement in 2010. I had authored or co-authored 21 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and many presentations to scientific and public meetings. I developed microscopic techniques, and invented the augmentorium for disposal of infested fruit and augmentation of parasitoids. I am married to my high school sweetheart and have a son and a daughter, a step-son, one grandchild, and two step-grandchildren.
I have written three books, two of which have been published. My first wife was Kenyan, and she had 5 children when I met her and we had my son after we married in the America. I brought all 5 children and a grandchild to the USA, and they have grown up to be a businessman, a SDA missionary, a certified Public Accountant, a Forest Ecologist for the USDA, a Veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and a MS in Public Health. The rest have been prolific workers, students, and parents! My own daughter is from my second marriage.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My books are 3 volumes of one memoir. They are Happenstance, Against the Tide and Three’s a Charm. I have led such a diverse life, and been involved in so much that my three families don’t all know, that I thought it was time to give them my perspective. At the same time I am giving my overview of the 20th century, starting with both sets of my great grandparents who homesteaded in Oregon.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I was well trained by the Franciscan Fathers (with the exception of my spelling dyslexia). I have studied Latin, Greek, Spanish, French and Swahili. English, Spanish and Swahili are the languages I know best. Consequently, I have a rich background in the Romance languages and the styles of authors, like Caesar, Cicero, Cervantes, Shakespeare and Shaw, to name just a few. Consequently, my style is not Hemingwayesque; rather, I appreciate varied and complex structure, strong vocabulary, and figurative language. Or do you mean how do I schedule my writing? I don’t. If I start and if is going well, I will continue. If I am not inspired, I set it aside for another day.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Where do I start? Those I mentioned in “writing habits” and Dante Alighieri, Thomas More, John Donne, Jules Vern, Samuel Clements, Rudyard Kipling, C. S. Forester, Sinclair Lewis, Somerset Maugham, Alessandro Manzoni, Farley Mowat, Tibor Déry, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Richard P. Feynman, Robert Ardrey; of course the classics, But this is the list of authors that moved me and impacted my life.

What are you working on now?
The last volume, Against the Tide, is written but I am revising it. It will only go to the marriage of my daughter in 2018. Whether I will pursue further books is questionable. I may try other forms of writing. Possibly more in the political arena or science.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far I have only tried the website www.LesterFisher.com, Facebook (28 author/writing groups), Goodreads.com, and my Amazon authors page. I am currently employing Lavidge Social Media Publicists of Tucson AZ to expand my internet presence. Of these, I can’t really say which is most effective. My only feedback is the reviews on Goodreads, and the visitor count on my website.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Dogged persistence! The lyric from Damn Yankees applies :You gotta have heart, miles and miles and miles of heart. Brother you’ll never win if you put that old horse before the cart. You gotta have heart!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
This may seem odd. But my grandfather told me, at a critical juncture in my life, “If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.” I don’t think I understood at the time, but in retrospect, that had a profound affect on my life.

What are you reading now?
Behind the Tapestry by M. Rose Peluso. She contacted me because she was concerned that I should understand the limited audience of Religion based books. I am half way through, but we have very different points of view on faith, at least by this point in her book, she is devoutly Catholic. I don’t think she realizes that my memoir is about my movement away from faith to scientific understanding. I am also reading The Devil’s Race-Track: Mark Twain’s Great Dark Writings by Mark Twain. It is a revelation to see how his style evolved. I just finished The Snow Walkers by Farley Mowat and want to read his Memoir. Recently I read The Memory of an Elephant by Alex Lasker (Loved it!)

What’s next for you as a writer?
As I said, at age 75, I don’t expect to have a career in writing. I just hope I have left a legacy for my friends and family, and that my books will help people understand how the turbulent years of the 20th century impacted ordinary Americans like myself.

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?
Oh come on, that is a pretty old trope. Bringing it into the 21st century I would be sure I had a solar powered satellite communication device with me, so I could continue to download any book I wanted.

Author Websites and Profiles

Lester Fisher Website

Lester Fisher Amazon Profile

Lester Fisher’s Social Media Links

Mike Messier Amazon Profile

Pinterest Account

April Stutzman

Interview With Author April Stutzman

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Chronicles of a Discerner is a practical yet powerful guide that will help you gain an understanding of the gift of discernment in greater depths. April walks you through her own personal journey of this unique gift and shares how she grew “spiritual muscles” to carry the weight of what the Lord has shown her over the years of cultivating a beautiful and personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. April also helps you to navigate what you may already be experiencing or will experience in your own life and calling. Not only will this book give you language, but it will also stir up a hunger to go after an intimate relationship with the Spirit of the Living God and to partner with Him in everything that you discern. Get ready to learn how to walk out this gift in the love of the Father!

I have written 2 books

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Chronicles of a Discerner and the gift of discerning of spirits became a gift to me to carry and blessed the body of Christ.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do not.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Charlie Shamp

What are you working on now?
I am working on a deliverance manual now.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
www.kingdomflameministries.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up and keep writing your book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you have to take a break and take it and then come back to write.

What are you reading now?
The power of healing in the NT.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am starting to write my 3rd 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?
Bible
Golden Glory books
Charlie Shamp books

Author Websites and Profiles

April Stutzman Website

Mike Messier

Interview With Author Mike Messier

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello Vinny and Awesome Gang! I was born in Virginia and have lived in Rhode Island, North Carolina, and currently, Florida. I have six titles currently on Amazon; two novels, one graphic novel, one film book tutorial, and one other novel under a pen name.

I was a creative writing major in college, although most of my adult life, I have been involved in the film and entertainment world in various roles including screenwriter, actor, acting coach, and independent film director. I once played Cybill Shepherd’s son in an action film titled Hard Luck, in which I also had a fight scene against Wesley Snipes and Mario Van Peebles. I also have a fun bar scene with Meryl Streep and Elisabeth Shue in Hope Springs.

During the pandemic, I began to adapt some of my better screenplays into novels with the idea that this would be a great way to get my work read by more people.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Fight or Play Basketball: every shot counts is a coming-of-age sports novel about Jack Scratch, a high school senior with possibilities for a college scholarship for basketball. Through a turn of events involving his single mom Janet, Jack gets caught up in the world of boxing. Jack begins to favor the individual nature of boxing over the team aspects of basketball, which is the conflict that leads us to the book’s title.

I started writing this story as a screenplay in 2012. At the time, I was inspired to write my own “sequel” to the Rocky movies (this was before Creed was released). After writing a few pages, I called Stallone’s management and asked them whenever I was to finish my proposed “Rocky Seven” script if anyone on their end would actually read it. They told me that unless I had financing in place already, this was unlikely to happen.

I am grateful for their honesty as it saved me a lot of time. Still wanting to write my own sports story, I changed the “Rocky” character to “Sweet” Sugar Brown and Rocky’s Philadelphia became Fight or Play Basketball’s Providence (Rhode Island). Within a few months, I had written the first draft of the screenplay, which was well received by a writer’s group I was in at the time (Carl Dupre, writer of Detroit Rock City, was also in the group.) Eventually, the screenplay won a few awards, including The Rhode Island International Film Festival’s Spotlight on New England First Prize Award.

Flash forward to 2022, when I adapted the screenplay into novel form. Now that I’ve done so, I have to go back and rewrite the screenplay again, as I have discovered even more layers by writing the story as a novel!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I prefer typing over longhand. I often write while in coffee houses or restaurants as the background noise helps me to focus somehow.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Laurence G. Boldt has written several books that I enjoy, including Zen and the Art of Making a Living.
Muscle: Confessions of an Unlikely Bodybuilder by Samuel Wilson Fussell is another favorite.

What are you working on now?
I’ll be filming “Many Keys – The Heartbreak monologue” as a proof-of-concept video for my A Distance from Avalon series this August. I will then enter the finished piece into film festivals and eventually upload it to “Subscribe to Mike Messier YouTube Channel” (yes, that’s the name of the channel). I put a lot of time into my YouTube Channel and most of my film and video work can be enjoyed right there for free!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m really just getting started with promoting my books. Awesome Gang is the first website I’ve worked with beyond my own www.mikemessier.com

Do you have any advice for new authors?
For promotion and marketing, the resources I’ve used so far include the “Self Publishing with Dale” YouTube Channel and the Publisher Rocket app. I just listened to the audio version of
Self-Publishing Secrets by Keith Everett, which I found to be very helpful.
As far as actually writing goes, I had some fun writing with the episodic Amazon Kindle Vella system before adapting my Vella stories to the traditional formats.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Never refuse a gift” and “never throw away anything you write.”

What are you reading now?
I just finished the audio version of “Still Foolin’ Em” by Billy Crystal which was very endearing. I just bought a copy of A Catcher in the Rye which I haven’t read since my freshman year in college. I’ve been ordering some comic books from eBay of titles that I enjoyed as a kid.

What’s next for you as a writer?
A Distance from Avalon: Strange Beast, which is my follow-up to my first novel A Distance from Avalon: when the dying and the dead reunite.

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 aforementioned Zen and the Art of Making a Living. How to Survive on a Deserted Island Picture Book by Samantha Bell would probably be good for the adventure!

Author Websites and Profiles

Mike Messier Website

Mike Messier’s Social Media Links

Mike Messier Amazon Profile

Mike Messier

Interview With Author Mike Messier

During the pandemic, I began to adapt some of my better screenplays into novels with the idea that this would be a great way to get my work read by more people.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I prefer typing over longhand. I often write while in coffee houses or restaurants as the background noise helps me to focus somehow.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Never refuse a gift” and “never throw away anything you write.”

What’s next for you as a writer?
A Distance from Avalon: Strange Beast, which is my follow-up to my first novel A Distance from Avalon: when the dying and the dead reunite.

Author Websites and Profiles

Mike Messier Website

Mike Messier’s Social Media Links

Jonathan Ross Amazon Profile

Jonathan Ross

Interview With Author Jonathan Ross

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas, a hotbed of activity during the buccaneer years of the early eighteenth century. As an adult, I lived for two years in the south of Spain, where he learned to speak Spanish at the breakneck speed of his señorita friends, and danced their Sevillanas at Semana Santa. I have explored France, Germany, and other European countries. I reside with my wife near Annapolis, Maryland, USA.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, “Reluctant Host,” tells a tale of romance and adventure inspired by wondering what it would be like if someone tried to take over my mind.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I scribble all my brainstorm ideas for a potential new book on scraps of paper. After about two weeks, I decide if I have enough material, and if so, begin the book.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Andrew Mayne (writes with palpable tension), John Grisham (seamless writing), Cap Daniels (adventure and romance), and Louis L’Amour (downright entertaining story telling)

What are you working on now?
“Hunted in Guadeloupe,” about a woman coming of age, figuring out how to reconcile her dual heritage of jumbee and American woman. Her name is Anika Hegner, and she first appeared in my romantic suspense novel, “The Jumbee’s Daughter.”

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I mostly prefer to use Amazon KDP.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Always meld in tension – at the people level.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Tension always.

What are you reading now?
“Private” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep my readers supplied with fun romantic suspense: complete writing “Hunted in Guadeloupe” and continue on the next two books of the 3-book 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?
Beach reads. Nothing serious.

Author Websites and Profiles

Jonathan Ross Website

Hollister Peter

Interview With Author Hollister Peter

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
So, I’m a budding writer and I’m into “Romance, Sci-fi, Thrilling and suspense themed books.” I just published my first book and I’ve got more on the way, still processing them, lol. Y’all stay tuned.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It’s titled “Sinful Desires”
Oh my source of inspiration was from years of reading other books written by other authors. It’s like a book filled with different spheres of romance. I just sat and thought about how people would love to read a book filled with different spheres of romance, since everyone has a different point of view, you know.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes i do.
Like acting out dialogues, lying down while writing, writing without clothes, facing a wall while writing. It’s pretty weird though.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Oh that’d be J.K Rowling’s and E.L James.

What are you working on now?
Currently working on developing myself to achieve the perfect work and write balance and also a couple of thrilling books on the way.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
uhm I think free book promotions at first for exposure, i don’t really have a best website.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read alot, Read stuff that’s similar to what you’d write and then read stuff that’s more literary too. Decide on your own genre, Do your first draft , don’t be afraid to self edit. Have your own voice.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Whatever you do give it a 100%”

What are you reading now?
Oh I’m currently reading “Half of a Yellow Sun” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Oh working towards developing myself into a renowned author,
getting a large audience, explore life itself.

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?
Oliver twist by Charles Dickens, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Fifty shades of grey by E.L James, that’s all.

Author Websites and Profiles

Hollister Peter Amazon Profile

Hollister Peter’s Social Media Links

Kevin Bryant Amazon Profile

Kevin Bryant

Interview With Author Kevin Bryant

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an Army veteran and a former Special agent that has turned to writing books because I’m a glutton for punishment. I have written one fiction book (that I scrapped after two years!) and another nonfiction book (being published after eight years of research and writing).

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my current book is Spies on the Sidelines: The High-Stakes World of NFL Espionage. It is all about how teams spy on each other trying to gain a game day advantage, the various collection methods used to do this, and the countermeasures employed to defend against these efforts. I became intrigued by the subject after Spygate and began wondering how much spying goes on in the NFL. After about a month of research I realized nobody had that answer. So, I set out to to answer that question.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No (as I sit here typing at 1:30 in the morning). Hmmm, I don’t know about strange habits. I’m pretty methodical. Everything is a process for me. I have stages of review: Rough draft, clean it up, polish, polish again, insert humor, review for word choice, fact check . . . it takes forever, but that’s how I’m wired.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
As for influences, I’ve always wanted to write. It’s just a need. It simply took me a long time to find a topic that fit me. As someone with a bachelor’s degree in history and master’s degrees in intelligence studies and sports management, and having worked for 23 years for the Department of Defense collecting and protecting information, I felt like the topic of spying in football just fit me. More than anything I love to read fantasy (especially Robert Jordan). That inspired me to try writing fiction, but I crashed and burned. That failure told me to move along to nonfiction.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing a follow-up to Spies on the Sidelines about spying in college football, which sounds like almost the same book but is actually very different. I don’t want to give away too many secrets and spoilers here. I have about ten ideas for additional books floating around in my head as well, so I just need to make sure I live to 200 to finish them all.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The website for Spies on the Sidelines is https://www.spiesonthesidelines.com. All the purchase options for the hardcover, ebook, and audiobook are there, as well as author information, social media handles, and information about upcoming podcast, radio, and tv interviews.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you’re writing for money, get a job at McDonalds instead. Seriously! But if you just can’t stop writing because you have a story that has to get out, well, welcome to the club. As for real advice, have fun with it, keep your day job, and just refuse to quit!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Try to get advice and feedback during the writing process. This will save you a lot of time in the long run if flaws and issues can be identified early. Hopefully you’re reading this advice early in the writing process (instead of six years into your book like I was).

What are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading three books at the same time. I’m rereading Wheel of Time (book 2), reading a random David Baldacci book that was in a freebie pile (I give a lot of stray books a home), and reading Twilight (book 1 in French).

What’s next for you as a writer?
For the next six months or so I’m going to be promoting Spies on the Sidelines like crazy. After that madness slows down a little bit I’m going to get back to working on book two. I’m not sure where this crazy adventure of being a newly published author will lead, but it’s exciting nonetheless and I’m looking forward to hearing how everyone likes the 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?
I would take Huckleberry Finn (Nobody makes me laugh like Mark Twain); the entire Wheel of Time series (I’ll have them smuggled in via contraband if needed), and what I have written of my book 2 (because I’m not starting over from scratch).

Author Websites and Profiles

Kevin Bryant Website

Kevin Bryant’s Social Media Links

Lucky Noma Amazon Profile

Lucky Noma

Interview With Author Lucky Noma

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Fantasy author, with two books.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The New Defeat was inspired by Tolkien.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I use multiple povs to tell a story

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and Martin’s A song of Ice and Fire. Also liked The Axe and the Throne.

What are you working on now?
When a kingdom bleeds lords weep. An Epic high fantasy novel.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
For now, none.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Patience. It all comes together with time, and strategic planning.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Every obstacle… Make impossible possible. Even when winning is illogical, losing is still far from optional.

What are you reading now?
Dresdan files

What’s next for you as a writer?
Who knows, a writing deal? Netflix? I’ll settle for a single review for now.

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 five books from a Song of Fire series by R.R Martin

Author Websites and Profiles

Lucky Noma Website

Lucky Noma’s Social Media Links

Freddie Idiaquez Amazon Profile

Freddie Idiaquez

Interview With Author Freddie Idiaquez

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Non – LEO (Retired Officer) and a US Veteran
My Hindu Gods wish – Video “Enchanted Ganesh Blessings.”
Is to provide this Positive Book to the World.
This Book Is the First One.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
LEARN TO LIVE LIFE –
This was inspired by my Fiji Indian Family and Learning how to Cope.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
no

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Book: SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM
AUTHOR – His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

What are you working on now?
Enjoying Retirement.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Amazon as a tool and a lot of soul searching.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Always write an inspiring book that has a positive value.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The pen is mightier than the sword.
and it’s true in our society.
So don’t break the Law.

What are you reading now?
I’LL MAKE YOU AN OFFER YOU CAN’T REFUSE
FROM: Michael Franzese
Insider business Tips from a Former Mob Boss — It’s an eye opener. Great Book.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Currently nothing.

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 books that are Hinduism Based so I may Pray to God.

Author Websites and Profiles

Freddie Idiaquez’s Social Media Links

Eli Salas III Amazon Profile

Eli Salas III

Interview With Author Eli Salas III

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written four books but I have only published one so far.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest book is black rain. It was inspired by a dream I had, it was me on a mountain. And as I am a student of History I wondered how I could be there in the 18th century and I went from there.
I had my friend, Alexis and we came up with the story and everything together and that’s how it formed. So it was a process that came together and it was a group effort. Alexis being African-American we get the story of Amira and as a slave in what she goes through as a woman.

And then we have rain, the character in my perspective and he is a native American.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t really have any unusual writing habits. But for this book we did go back and forth.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love biographies. I love being informed. I love Jean plaidy, Antonia Fraser, Margaret George. I love reading and I don’t understand why some people don’t do it. It just fascinates me. I guess because in the old days there was no internet there was no TV. There was nothing. The only thing that was for entertainment was books and writing stuff down on the black pieces of paper.

That’s really where my writing journey begin. Out of loneliness and desperation. But of course turned every negative into a positive. And I just never stopped writing. And now I love it. It’s a lot of fun and it’s very therapeutic. To just close my eyes and get everything out.

What are you working on now?
Currently Farewell My Prince. It takes place in the Middle ages. With no magic whatsoever but it’s on another planet.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
https://linktr.ee/elisalasthethird?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=628c7984-8bea-4681-aa00-bc0b82fcaf90

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just to never give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best way to gain knowledge is to read. Or was it, the best way to be a good writer is to be a good reader. I think that was it

What are you reading now?
Mary, Queen of Scots by Antonia Frasier

What’s next for you as a writer?
I just want to do so much more. Comics. I do them already here and here. More books to write. The journey never ends

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?
Cleopatra by Margaret George.

Lady in the Tower by Jean Plaidy

Black Rain by Eli Salas III and Raven

Author Websites and Profiles

Eli Salas III’s Social Media Links

Raven Mills Amazon Profile

Raven Mills

Interview With Author Raven Mills

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am married, and a mother of two. I enjoy larping, writing, dancing, drawing, acting, and singing. I am a huge musical fan (and I have been in a few as well during my theatre days). I am in two films on Tubi called Die by the Sword and King of Britons as Princess Dove. I am currently a student at USC Upstate as a Performance Theatre major and English Literature cognate. I love all things fantasy and my favorite trilogy is the Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke. I started writing when I was 14. I wrote a 6 book series. I have to get around to typing it. However, I have another book that I am working on under the working title “Eraser”. It will be completed once the other two books under the Black Rain trilogy are completed.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Black Rain book one is the first book I’ve ever published. It is a ten year old book. We started it when I was in high school. Eli already graduated from high school. The book was inspired by a dream he had of us in the mountains back in 2012. We ended up coming up with Black Rain in the process. We also pulled from our own ancestry here and there. Amira is my clone with several differences and Rain is his clone with differences as well. We also chose the spirit animals based on our birthday and their totems. So the beaver is an April totem and the raven is the October totem. They ended up being perfect matches for the characters in general.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do not believe I have unusual writing habits but I guess I can say that I have to have a book inspired playlist going to keep myself immersed. I play the scenes out like a movie and translate it into paper. I will day dream about how it will go until I am satisfied with the idea.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Edgar Allan Poe is a huge influence with the flow and sentence structure (sometimes). I love the way he tells stories. I also love Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart; a well written fantasy; along with LOTR/the Hobbit by Tolkien.

What are you working on now?
I am working on the second book of the Black Rain Trilogy. It is already typed and ready for editing along with the 3rd book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook is my main and best method. I have more reach there.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do your own research on the best options for you if you choose to self publish. If not, and you want to go through a traditional publisher, get prepared to write a cover letter and polish your work so much that you can see yourself in it. You want to send your best work to them. Be prepared for a lot of no’s before you receive your first yes. Don’t get discouraged. It is ok. Rejection is part of the process of success. Utilize your resources. Fiverr, Twitter, IG, Reedsy, Booksie, Facebook groups, YT for tips, Canva for creating videos and pictures for marketing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
BEWARE OF VANITY PRESSES. DO NOT GO TO PUBLISHAMERICA. THEY WILL TRY TO STEAL YOUR WORK. THEY ARE SCAMMERS. A group of people saved me from them and I still have a copy of their letter to me promising they will never use any or part of my work. Just in case they try.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading the 48 Laws of Power and Art of War.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing the next two books in the Black Rain Trilogy with my co-author, Eli Salas.

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?
My Edgar Allan Poe collections “bible”, 48 Laws of Power, a copy of my own book, and a Nancy Drew book

Author Websites and Profiles

Raven Mills’s Social Media Links

Andie Campbell Amazon Profile

Andie Campbell

Interview With Author Andie Campbell

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written one book (so far) under the name of Andie Campbell (I should have a new release soon), one book under the name of April Cox, and one book under the name Mildred Armstrong.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Believe in Yourself: Nutmeg’s Story will be coming out soon. It’s about a little squirrel who believes she can fly, despite her friends’ insistence that she can’t. Desperate to convince them, she leads them up on a journey into the mountains to meet the wise old phoenix. Through this journey, her friends come to believe her, and Nutmeg becomes the world’s very first flying squirrel.

To be entirely honest, I wrote this as part of a school assignment. My friends each chose an animal to represent them, and then I wrote the story based on those characters. I do want to say that the animals do not actually represent my friends’ personalities, but there are a few inside jokes in there about some of them.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
At most I only write a few paragraphs at a time usually. If the words are really flowing, then I may write more, but sometimes it’s a sentence or even less before moving onto something else for a little while. This allows me to write everyday (or nearly everyday) even if I’m blocked.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Harry Potter for sure. Although I disagree with a lot of J.K. Rowling’s politics, I love the series. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer as well was a huge influence. While I’m not a huge fan of the series, her style of writing point of view is a huge influence on my own writing. I usually write in third person, but I try to maintain that narrative closeness in my novel writing.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on an urban fantasy novel series inspired by Harry Potter.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still learning about marketing. When it comes to free publication, social media is your best friend, but I think having a website is helpful as well, although that you have to pay for. There are also other paid avenues that are important. Facebook ads and similar are relatively inexpensive as compared to other forms of marketing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep writing, keep learning, and if it’s important to you to be a published author, then never give up.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Honestly, I can’t think of any at the moment.

What are you reading now?
I’ve mostly been reading children’s books to review for my blog and a little bit of fanfictions. I’m hoping to delve into some more novels soon.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m working on revising my first novel to hopefully get published within the next year.

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 a really tough one because I haven’t really read physical books in a long time–they’re all on the computer. I honestly don’t know. I’ve reread the Harry Potter series a few times already, and I used to read J.D. Robb’s In Death series, but I found one of the more recent books to be a bit offensive, so I haven’t been reading those so much. And, I haven’t found a new series that I really love to follow since then.

Author Websites and Profiles

Andie Campbell Website

Andie Campbell’s Social Media Links

William Brinkman Amazon Profile

William Brinkman

Interview With Author William Brinkman

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I created the Bolingbrook Babbler back in 1998 as a work of web fiction, and today I write for Freethought Blogs, and I’ve been active in progressive politics and organized secularism for decades.

I got my start in professional fiction writing as a contributor for White Wolf Studio’s Demon: The Fallen game line. After working on the Babbler for several years, I decided to self-publish books inspired by the setting of the Bolingbrook Babbler stories on my website.

My self-published Books:
Pathways to Bolingbrook (Free to newsletter subscribers)
The Rift (Releases 7/13/22)

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Rift: A Bolingbrook Babbler Story. It was inspired by a rift within the secular movement between the libertarian/anti-feminists and progressives/feminists. As in the book, things exploded when a female podcaster mentioned that a man hit on her in an elevator at 2 AM, and she merely asked her followers not to do that. The incident itself wasn’t a big deal, but I was stunned by the backlash against the podcaster. She started receiving death threats, while at the same time, most of the movement’s leaders downplayed harassment, and seemed more concerned with protecting the reputations of questionable male figures, like Lawrance Kruss.

I watched as my progressive friends were hurt by the hatred directed at them. That compelled to write The Rift in response. Sadly, the harassment tactics used against women and progressives were later used in Gamergame and by the Alt-right.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sometimes I’ll check the Bolingbrook, IL government sites for ideas.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
William Gibson, Stephen King, Bruce Sterling, and the Spenser books.

I really like the idea of stories where all the characters can’t see the big picture, and that’s a major theme in the Bolingbrook Babbler books.

What are you working on now?
After releasing The Rift, I will start work on the next book, Phantoms of Bolingbrook. I also plan on releasing a collection of early Bolingbrook Babbler web posts.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Ask me next year.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Everyone needs an editor and/or someone to shoot ideas off of.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Even if you’re doing satire, if you’re using a real person as a character, make sure their actions fit their personality. Otherwise, it won’t be funny/believable.

What are you reading now?
Cloud Cuckoo Land

What’s next for you as a writer?
Trying to finish the Bolingbrook Babbler Stories in my lifetime.

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 book on survival, and William Gibson’s Bridge Trilogy.

Author Websites and Profiles

William Brinkman Website

William Brinkman’s Social Media Links

Amanda Wilson Amazon Profile

Amanda Wilson

Interview With Author Amanda Wilson

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I’m Amanda, a schoolteacher turned homeschool mom of four. Besides being a busy homeschool mom, I’m also married to a preacher and very engaged in church life. I love God and kids are my jam. I’ve been blogging about life as a homeschool mom for a couple of years, but this is my very first book! I’m super excited!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called “Heading into Homeschool: a Step-by-Step Faith-Based Plan for Beginning to Homeschool”. After 14 years in the public school classroom, eight years homeschooling and two years blogging about my experiences, I decided to write a book for families who want to begin homeschooling. Jumping into homeschool can be daunting without a roadmap showing you how to get started. Even with my background experience as a teacher, I felt totally overwhelmed when I started homeschooling. There were so many decisions to make and new ideas to understand! Wishing I had someone to walk me through it step-by-step, I created the book I wish I could have read 8 years ago! Now, I just hope it is a blessing and help to others.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
As a busy momma, I blog while my tiniest one is napping. When she wakes up – I’m done! Sometimes I squeeze in a little more writing time in the evening when the kids have all gone to bed. Mom first -author 2nd! No other unusual writing habits – unless you count nibbling on chocolate while typing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a voracious reader (when I have time!) so I’ve been inspired by many authors through the years. Hands down my fav author is L.M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables. And, of course, as a Christian, I’m super inspired by the world’s best book ever – the Bible – truly a masterpiece. But, beyond that, I love reading the classics or vacillating between non-fiction parenting books and a good historical Christian fiction. As a homeschool mom, I also devour copious amounts of kids books each year, from picture books to chapter books.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m simply writing for my blog – maestramom.com. I’ve been working on releasing Bible songs for kids each week that I’m hoping to pull together into a book format in the future.

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

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Still being a new author myself, the only thing I can say is – just go for it!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice ever is from scripture – Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.

What are you reading now?
I just finished reading the journals of L.M Montgomery and simultaneously Gregor the Overlander – a phenomenal kids book by Suzanne Collins. My older kids have been reading them and begged me to read them, too. So glad I did!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to continue connecting with my audience at maestramom.com where I talk about everything from mom life to homeschooling to Bible songs for kids. I’d love for you to join me!

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. My Bible
2. Anne of Green Gables (can I bring the whole series?????)
3. a hymn book
4. Pride and Prejudice

Author Websites and Profiles

Amanda Wilson Website

Amanda Wilson’s Social Media Links