Vinny O'Hare

Interview With Author Behzad Ramezani Farkhani

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m physician, writer, and translator with a diverse range of interests and accomplishments. Having studied medicine and internal medicine, I’m authored numerous books in Persian, English, and Spanish on topics including medicine (Hypnosis), language, and literature (Poem). As a dedicated educator, I’ve taught at the university level for many years and have been the creative force behind educational television programs. I’m also an avid athlete, enjoying tennis, cycling, and paragliding, alongside my ongoing medical practice and literary pursuits.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Mastering Hypnosis, A Practical and Real Guide to Unlocking the Power of Your Mind: Including the Author’s Personal Methods in Hypnosis

What’s next for you as a writer?
Botox

Author Websites and Profiles

Behzad Ramezani Farkhani Amazon Profile

 

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Interview With Author Marcylle Combs

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Marcylle Combs, MS, RN is an Entrepreneur, Leadership Expert, Speaker, Author, and Podcast Host committed to leveraging her extensive experience in empowering individuals to realize their highest potential. With over three decades in the healthcare industry, Marcylle’s journey has shaped her understanding of organizational challenges and opportunities within the business realm.
In her debut book “Never Hire Your Friends”, she details real-life scenarios and actionable advice on building thriving business while nurturing meaningful connections. She believes that leadership is not a position, but a choice, and that everyone can be a leader in their own sphere of influence.
Marcylle is a Certified John Maxwell Leadership Speaker, Trainer, Coach, as well as a Maxwell Leadership DiSC Behavioral Analysis Trainer. She cherishes spending time with her family and friends, traveling, reading, and engaging in lifelong learning. She aspires to grow and lead others until her last breath on this earth.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
This book is warmly dedicated to my incredible team, especially to those dubbed the FUNMEISTERS, who have enlightened me immensely on the art of nurturing friendships within the workplace and beyond. You have shown me that work can be more than just a source of income, but also a place of joy, support, and growth.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am not extrovert, but no one would ever call me an introvert. To sit in a room alone and write is my version of torture.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
John Maxwell
Stephen Covey

What are you working on now?
I own a leadership expert, speaker, and a podcast host and have other business ventures – plus my family to keep me plenty busy!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
https://www.askmaclegacy.com/ is the website for my home health and hospice consulting business. They have a large following in the health care industry.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for new authors is to get a good editor/ collaborative writer — They will nit pick a lot of things that you can be willing to let go of, but stand up for the points that you really believe in.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
From Winston Churchill, “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

What are you reading now?
John Maxwell’s High Road Leadership

What’s next for you as a writer?
I would like to publish a few more books. I have some ideas that will go along with my current book: Perhaps a workbook for business leaders, and a devotional for community leaders.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible
The Women
Tattooist of Auschwitz

Author Websites and Profiles

Marcylle Combs Website

Marcylle Combs’s Social Media Links

Facebook Profile

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Author Interview Series

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Interview With Author Gabriel Van Arneman

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have a background in biology, applied psychology, and coaching, which gives me a unique lens through which I explore human behavior. I’ve spent many years coaching both individuals and couples in the emotional intricacies of love and identity. I’ve been happily married for over 30 years, father of three daughters, and proud grandfather of two beautiful grandsons. Infatuation Doesn’t Happen to You; You Choose It! is my first published book, but it’s the result of decades of life experience, research, and real human connection.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled Infatuation doesn’t happen to you; you choose it! The inspiration came through my coaching practice, where I often witnessed people feeling powerless in the face of infatuation. I saw a pattern—people believed they were victims of their emotions, but in reality, many of those emotions were decisions shaped by unconscious beliefs, needs, and narratives. I wanted to shift that mindset and help people understand how much power they actually have in matters of the heart.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Definitely. I tend to write much more than intended. One chapter can easily spill over into three, because I often dive into related themes that are rich enough to fill other books. I’ve learned to hold myself back—just a little!—to keep the focus clear. Also, I write best when I imagine I’m speaking directly to someone I’ve coached, which helps me keep the tone authentic and relatable.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Without question, the Bible has had the greatest influence on both my personal life and professional thinking. In addition, I draw from scientific and management literature—especially works in social psychology. I’m also inspired by authors like Stephen M.R. Covey, John C. Maxwell, and Tony Evans, who combine leadership, wisdom, and faith in a grounded and practical way.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a book about pastoral care—particularly focusing on the ethical, emotional, and psychological weight many people carry today. In a time where genuine care and community are often lacking, I want to explore how we can rebuild that support structure and bring healing through presence, understanding, and spiritual insight.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far, I’ve had good experiences combining free promotion periods via Amazon KDP with community-driven platforms like Awesomegang and Book Goodies. But honestly, nothing beats the power of authentic recommendations and thoughtful reviews. Word-of-mouth from early readers, especially those who truly connected with the message, has been my most powerful promotional tool.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write from the heart, but don’t forget to listen. The world doesn’t need more perfect books—it needs more honest voices. Be open to feedback, stay humble, and trust that even if your book reaches just one person deeply, it’s worth it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
What you’re most afraid to write is exactly what someone needs to hear.” That advice has stayed with me. It reminds me that vulnerability is often the door to impact.

What are you reading now?
Right now, I’m reading the Bible—especially the book of Ecclesiastes, which is full of timeless wisdom from Solomon. It’s a rich, reflective text that speaks deeply to life’s biggest questions.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Beyond finishing my pastoral care book, I plan to develop coaching materials and perhaps an online course. Writing is just one part of my calling—I also want to create tools that help people grow emotionally, spiritually, and relationally in everyday life.

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 definitely bring my Bible—it’s a source of endless wisdom, comfort, and motivation. I’d also pack a good puzzle book, like one filled with Sudoku, to keep my mind sharp and occupied. As for novels or non-fiction, I might resist bringing them because I’d finish them too fast :)!

Author Websites and Profiles

Gabriel Van Arneman Amazon Profile

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Author Interview Series

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Interview With Author Skyler Woods

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Skyler Woods, sometimes known by his pen name Skye Woods, is a self-published science fiction and fantasy author, digital artist, DJ experimenter and YouTuber. A graduate of a performing arts school, he pursued assistant nursing in college while building his fiction writing portfolio. Skyler’s love for science fiction stems from his mother, while his father inspired his passion for poetry. A born-again Christian, he enjoys giving back to others. In his writing, he incorporates elements of hip-hop and video games to appeal to a young audience. A devoted fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Skye’s favorite hero is Spider-Man. He admires how Spidey saves lives without seeking recognition, proving that wearing a mask doesn’t make him any less heroic. For Skye, his stories are his superhero mask. They’re his way of bringing joy to readers without the need for fame. Writing isn’t about being seen; it’s about creating, connecting, and expressing something meaningful. He strives to craft relatable, three-dimensional characters, viewing storytelling as a selfless act dedicated to entertaining and inspiring his audience.

Skyler has been an author on Reedsy Prompts for 5 years. He’s written 26 short stories since 2020, generating positive attention from his followers.

Find his creative writing prompts at – blog.reedsy dot com (Forward Slash) creative-writing-prompts (Forward Slash) author ( Forward Slash) skyler-woods.

To get the correct link, just replace ‘dot com’ with ‘.com’ and ‘Forward Slash’ with ‘/’. That will give you the proper web address.

Skyler has written and self-published two poetry books titled Poems For Aphrodite Vol. 1 and 2. These books along with his first novel were published on Amazon KDP back in 2014. He later decided that writing short stories is more fun when it comes to science-fiction and fantasy, and he’s been showcasing his short stories on Reedsy which is an author blog and online literary marketplace. He first started self-publishing his short stories through an Amazon publishing webnovel platform called Kindle Vella. Kindle Vella discontinued their services for authors in February. So all authors were told to resubmit their work through Amazon’s traditional self-publishing platform, KDP. This is how Skyler is introducing his collection, Nightbeast Godfather, to his reading audience who he likes to call his bookworm darlings.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Nightbeast Godfather: A Collection of Brutal and Beastly Fairy Tales. It’s a collection of stories that I wrote over the years. Years of watching Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Black Mirror and AHS, has given me inspiration.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to make most of my heroes in my stories moms for some reason. I guess it’s because there’s a lot of strength in being a mother. And I also write little by little. Sometimes I’ll write a sentence or two and then step away for a bit and then go back. I noticed that I write more relaxed this way instead of trying to write a whole seen or page in one sitting.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King, Anne Rice, H.G. Wells, and Richard Matheson are the list of authors who have inspired me to delve into scifi, fantasy and horror.

What are you working on now?
I’m not really working on it because I’ve already written it. But it’s part 2 and 3 of Nightbeast Godfather. I’m planning to publish part 2 and 3 through Amazon KDP. These are more of my short stories which will be formed into another collection.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve been using Facebook and Meta Ads. Meta Ads helps with reaching a wide audience. But I’m taking a break from Meta and using other methods.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never write like it’s a job. Write a little and then take a step back. Take a break. It will help you write more relaxed. Even if you write one or two words or one sentence, at least you’re writing. Always write relaxed. Don’t think about it. Just be calm, and let the story come to you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” – Stephen King

What are you reading now?
I’ve recently read A Stir of Echoes by Richard Matheson. Since the story is based in 1958 suburbia, it has different customs and a different way of thinking, with a slow-paced, old-fashioned, Father Knows Best atmosphere compared to the urban gritty 1999 film starring Kevin Bacon.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to keep creating stories that my audience will enjoy.

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 Stir Of Echoes by Richard Matheson
Christine by Stephen King
The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

Author Websites and Profiles

Skyler Woods Website

Skyler Woods Amazon Profile

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Author Interview Series

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Interview With Author Sharon Kay

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in Ohio and earned a degree in photojournalism from Bowling Green State University. My time as a college student in the 1970s—living at home, working part-time, commuting, and having a wonderful group of friends—loosely inspired The Michelle Kilpatrick Mysteries.
I started writing the series after watching way too many murder mysteries on T.V. during the Pandemic and have been at it ever since.
When I’m not plotting fictional murders (strictly on paper, of course), I enjoy organic gardening—I’m adding (fingers crossed) a French-Country flower garden this year—devouring mysteries and historical fiction (especially Regency-themed) and indulging in cheesecake—my absolute favorite.

I have written three books in the Michelle Kilpatrick Mysteries—a YA cozy mystery series, and I have at least six more planned for the series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Icy Secrets, Scandalous Lies (Book Three in the series) is scheduled for release on April 21, 2025.

For many years, my kids were competitive figure skaters and trained with several Olympians and their coaches. All those years of shivering inside an arena while they practiced inspired me to write a mystery about a skating coach and his team. Of course, we never had any murders at our rink, but, hey, that’s the fun in writing, right?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My first cozy mystery influencers were Joanne Fluke with her Hannah Swensen series and Lauren Elliott—Beyond the Page Bookstore Mysteries. Other mystery authors who have influenced me are Jenna Bennett, Ellery Adams, and Lillian Jackson Braun. And I can’t forget to add Daphne DuMaurier—nothing like a good gothic romance to get the creative wheels spinning.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing the next book in the Michelle Kilpatrick Mystery series, which will take place in the late summer/early fall of 1975. I have only just started it, but I can tell you it includes a prince, an evil mastermind, and, of course, a murder.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t really found a “best” method for promoting my books yet, although I have found several that I wouldn’t try again lolz. The fact is, I am still experimenting with marketing and learning how it works. It is one thing to write a book, but it is totally another to learn how to promote it. I was excited to learn about Awesome Gang. I love their philosophy of helping authors.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read. Study. Write.

Read works in your genre and outside your genre and make note of descriptions, dialogue, and pacing.
Study the craft of writing. While writing comes easily to some people, it is still a skill that needs to be developed—to be pushed to be the best it can be. Writing is not just about putting words on a piece of paper. It is about telling a story, conveying an idea, and eliciting an emotion. It is about creating something that will be enjoyed and remembered like a great pianist or a dancer or a painter.
Write…write every day if you can. Good writing requires practice.
Something new I’ve been doing as a warmup is to find a book with great writing and write one page of the book each day. It’s amazing how transcribing the text, word by word, makes you focus on the word choices and how they are used. It doesn’t take long, and, in addition to being an exercise in writing, it has significantly improved my typing skills.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give up —keep writing, keep learning, keep striving to do better.

What are you reading now?
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes —what a fun book!!!!!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m crafting a new mystery series…so, stay tuned to see in what direction that one goes.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell
Peril in Piccadilly, Book 7 of the Pippa Darling Mysteries, by Jenna Bennett (Book 7—I absolutely must read it)
Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier
Desiree by Annemarie Selinko

Author Websites and Profiles

Sharon Kay Website

Sharon Kay Amazon Profile

Sharon Kay’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

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Author Interview Series

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

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

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Interview With Author Julie Ann Sipos

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
As a longtime producer and entertainment executive bringing a generation of iconic screen stories to life, I’ve marked my Spring 2025 debut into literary fiction with the creation of an immersive story world. “Horrible Women, Wonderful Girls: A Jaycee Grayson Novel” is the centerpiece of an “all girl adventure series for somewhat grown women,” set in the fictional Village of Littleburgh, WI. Featuring a character-voiced cookbook, tear-and-share postcards book, and online interactive catalogue, the Jaycee Grayson Series launched a #1 Amazon Bestseller in both Humor/Satire and Amish Cooking, of all things!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Horrible Women, Wonderful Girls: A Jaycee Grayson Novel tracks a newly unemployed kids’ entertainment executive from #MeToo Hollywood into the supposedly warm arms of Wonderful Girls, a famous Midwest doll company. Confronted instead by an angry army of Prairie Karens, Jaycee collects a colorful following of fellow misfits to stage a rebellion that could become her greatest production yet. Either that or the ultimate career killer that sullies her spirit, breaks her sobriety and stops her meaningful search for belonging dead in its tracks. Imbued with the adventure, romance and resilience of countless empowering girlhood tales, its shines a light on the failings of adult women in a post-contemporary sisterhood, where we are often our own worst enemies when we think men aren’t really looking. Thankfully, they usually aren’t.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Aren’t they all?

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dickens and Twain are pretty obvious choices. They not only subverted social norms of their respective eras (slavery in the American south, child abuse in post-industrial England) into popular contemporary fiction, but also left us laugh-out-loud family classics that stand the test of time. Jaycee Grayson has her flaws, but her razor-sharp wit mostly results from an insufficient internal editor, creating highly teachable moments on her perilous journey toward reinvention. If readers ready to laugh at our own foibles find her a fraction as compelling a character as Huck Finn or Ebeneezer Scrooge, my work here is done, folks.

What are you working on now?
I’m about to make a turkey sandwich. Lettuce, tomatoes, the works.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This could change once I figure out what I’m doing on Amazon and Facebook, but Bookbub (both ads and promos) yield insane numbers for me.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never wait for a call. Not from any one, not about any thing.

Should you ever wish to do this, pause first and read Dorothy Parker’s famous essay, “A Telephone Call.”

“Please, God, let him telephone me now,” it begins. “Dear God, let him call me now. I won’t ask anything else of You, truly I won’t. It isn’t very much to ask. It would be so little to You, God, such a little, little thing. Only let him telephone now. Please, God. Please, please, please.”

It ends pretty much the same way. Today we have KDP and Tinder. Pull yourself together, girl.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up. Never, never, never, never, never. I think that’s a Winston Churchill misquote, but don’t do it anyway.

What are you reading now?
I’m scrambling to finish a mordantly funny novel, “Deadpan,” by Richard Walter, for a Livestream he and I are giving this afternoon on humor and satire in chaotic times. I really don’t want him to sound smarter than me, although he is, by a lot.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Again, there’s that sandwich. Oh, I’m also working on the second Jaycee Grayson novel in the series, a prequel set in Y2K Hollywood.

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 3 or 4 of my own books in various stages of completion, abandoned somewhere along the way for reasons unknown, probably because they were deemed unworkable or I just lost interest. A Sisyphean venture, to be sure, but I’m not nuts about islands and don’t really get why people save all year to vacation on them, unless they are Manhattan or Île Saint-Louis.

Author Websites and Profiles

Julie Ann Sipos Website

Julie Ann Sipos Amazon Profile

Julie Ann Sipos’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

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Author Interview Series

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

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

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