Vinny O'Hare

Interview With Author Mitchell Waldman

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am the author of the novels THE VISITOR and A FACE IN THE MOON, as well as the short story collections BROTHERS, FATHERS, AND OTHER STRANGERS. My fiction and poetry has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. I also serve as the Fiction Editor for Blue Lake Review.

I grew up in the Chicago area and attended the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, where I received a B.S. in Psychology, the University of Texas at Austin, and Southern Illinois University, where I earned my J.D.

I worked for 27 years as a writer and Attorney-Editor for a legal publishing company, having retired in 2022.

I live in Rochester, NY with my partner the award-winning journalist and poet Diana May-Waldman, author of A WOMAN’S SONG.

We have six children and six grandchildren.

I love baseball, cycling, reading, of course, and a good ale.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My new novel is entitled THE VISITOR which starts “He wakes up in a different body.”

So begins the journey of Ash—short for Pin Asher9919—who awakens on a hospital bed on, he believes, a different planet after an automobile accident took the bodily life of an Earth human named Edward Fleishman. Ash is told he was the victim of a serious brain injury and miraculously recovered from being brain dead in a coma, but Ash feels he knows the truth: his spirit has replaced the distressed spirit of the former Edward Fleishman.

And so Ash’s new life on earth begins, complete with a spouse who is a stranger to him, a body he is not sure how to use, a world he must learn to navigate, and a government he can’t trust.

How did I get the idea for THE VISITOR? It started with an idea about reincarnation. I’d written a story in my last short story collection Brothers, Fathers, and Other Strangers about a Jewish dentist who thinks he was the reincarnation of Hitler. I was fascinated with the reincarnation angle (or was he merely going crazy?) In any case, that idea sprouted into the question Why should reincarnation of spirits be limited to the reincarnation of spirits from Earth? If there are no physical limitations on the movement of spirits and you believe there is life on other planets why couldn’t spirits from other worlds travel into the bodies of Earth-bound humans.

Then I started reading about distressed souls leaving human bodies and the concept of Starseeds — Individuals who believe their souls originate from other planets, star systems, or dimensions and have incarnated on Earth to help humanity and the planet.

Mix that with some purposeful rereading of great dystopian sci fi novels such as 1984, A Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451, mix in the current political state of the government in the United States, and the concept for my new novel was born, starting with the first sentence: “He wakes up in a different body.”

I spent many hours before work and lunch hours starting to build the novel, revising it and revising it until it got to its final form and was, eventually, accepted by my publisher All Things That Matter Press, whose editors gave it yet another final edit or two.

And now, the book has been well received by reviewers and readers on Amazon as a novel blending speculative fiction with psychological depth, as a thought-provoking novel explores themes of consciousness, trust, and what it truly means to belong in a world that feels anything but familiar, and as and emotional and thoughtful book, exploring what it means to be human.

I hope other readers will also find it an interesting and enriching experience.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have a tendency, from years of writing on lunch breaks and before work, of writing in small segments and coming back to work on my stories. This was true of my novel, as well, which required a lot of editing in the end to make sure all my small blocks of writing congealed.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Joseph Heller, Philip Roth, Dorothy Allison, Diana May-Waldman, Ernest Hemingway, Richard Russo, Larry McMurtry, TC Boyle, Larry Brown, Richard Ford, Michael Chabon, Larry Watson, Chris Offutt, Mark Costello, Alice Munro, Frederick Barthelme, Tim O’Brien, Raymond Carver, Jonathan Tropper, Sam Pink, Sam Lipsyte, Andre Dubus, Andre Dubus III, Mark Jacobs

Books–like a lot of writers, I’d have to say, everything I’ve ever read, good or bad.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a new collection of literary short stories, continuing themes that have been included in my past collections, dealing with family dysfunction, feelings of alienation, and the paths we take in our journeys through life.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
All types of social media sites are the thing, it seems these days, from Facebook to posting on Medium and Substack, Instagram, Goodreads, and such. It’s something I’m still trying to catch up on.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. It’s a long road to “get there” and “getting there” can mean a lot of different things to different people. Do you want to get your words out there to be read? Do you want to make money, become famous? What is your motivation for writing? A lot of people say they “must write,” which sounds like a writer thing, but really, think about what your purpose in writing is.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
As a writer we have a tendency to bury our heads in our writings. Sometimes you need to lift your head up and see what’s going on around you. Don’t be all-consumed by your work. Live live than just write about it.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading OUR STORY BEGINS: NEW AND SELECTED STORIES, a collection of Tobias Wolff’s short stories.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have been tending from moving from purely literary writing to more speculative or experimental work, keeping the same literary themes in my work, as exhibited by my lates novel, THE VISITOR. My new story collection should feature a cross-genre mixture of stories.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
CATCH-22
SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE
A WOMAN’S SONG
THE SUN ALSO RISES

Author Websites and Profiles

Mitchell Waldman Website

Mitchell Waldman Amazon Profile

Mitchell Waldman’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

Facebook Profile

Twitter Account

Pinterest Account

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Interview With Author Alex Hunter

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I spent many years playing around with writing, but didn’t take it that seriously – life always got in the way!

An unexpected layoff from work was the kick I needed to get on with it. After all, I could lounge around the house in my joggers watching Netflix, or do something useful with all this free time!

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘The Harvest’ is my debut novel. I had an intense, unforgettable, nightmare and thought ‘Hmmm, I reckon other people would be scared by that’, so I wrote a whole book around that one thing. And guess what, it’s still scary!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My partner finds it odd that I can walk away in the middle of drafting a sentence, to go shopping, eat, whatever – and still come back to the point I got to with no need to remind myself. I have a weird brain like that.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many. ‘The Rats’ by James Herbert (later in life I’d sell him a TV!) was my first true horror when I was a kid. I then moved on to King, Barker, Campbell and others.

I read widely and am a huge fan of Anne Tyler – her ability to never waste a single word never fails to take my breath away.

What are you working on now?
I’ve completed my second and third novels (still horror, but very different) and am currently working on an original screenplay. I thought it’d be interesting to try and flex my creative muscle in a new way – it’s a challenge.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
There’s lots of ways. I find the best is to communicate direct with readers, through social media for example, as well as interviews like this! The horror reading community is really vibrant, and people are always looking for new stories to make them think, and perhaps give them nightmares. I should also say that other horror authors are great at promoting book they like – it’s a great community.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep at it! Don’t agonise over the words, that comes later, it doesn’t matter if your first draft’s a hot mess. In fact it probably will be.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Stephen King said it best – “Read a lot, write a lot.”

What are you reading now?
I am re-reading The Stand.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Both of my next books are finished, my second, ‘The House That Screamed’, is due for release in June 2026.

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?
IT – Stephen King
The Gray House – Mariam Petrosyan (a book I urge everyone to read)
The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien

Author Websites and Profiles

Alex Hunter Website

Alex Hunter Amazon 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 Dale Stubbart

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I started writing a long time ago. Many of my stories were for Spanish Class, in Spanish. An English Teacher taught me how to fix plot holes. After I married my wife, I started writing her two or three stories each Christmas. All the women are gushing. All the men are freaking out. 30 years later, I decided to get them published. I’ve written more than 130 books.
Other interesting facts: My wife and I live in Hawaii. I’m a computer consultant. I do write computer books, but most of my books are about Fantasy and Romance.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Whistler’s Call
As with many of my books, the first chapter or two came as a dream. Once I wrote that down, I had to listen to see how this story was going to proceed and end.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, I’m always working on 30 to 50 books semi-simultaneously.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
James Nugent – My Self-Publishing Mentor – write over 300 books – How to Get your Kid to Move Out
Hannah Jansson – The Actress
Astrid Lindgren – Pippi Longstockings, Noisy Village
T Kingfisher – A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking

What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m focusing on editing one computer book, writing another computer book, and writing a chapter in whatever non-reference book is next. I try to write/edit one chapter in each of those three every day. Some days I don’t make it. Other days, I get more done on them.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My best method is to write short stories about each book and post those on social media. This works best for me when I only post one of these every three of four days. These stories are stories, rather than marketing descriptions. They’re written in the voice of the book. They let people see how I write.
Also, audiobooks sell a lot more than paperbacks and e-books combined.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write because you want to. The number one thing you’ll need is determination to see it through. My determination comes from loving to write. (There can be other reasons.)

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Let the story write you. Actually, I said that. But, it’s a modified version of something in The Artist’s Way or inspired by the Artist’s way, Let your Art create you.
I didn’t pay any attention to that advice until it happened to me. Now, I let all my stories guide my writing. My books were very good before. Now, they’re so much better.

What are you reading now?
I hear lots of writers say, if you want to write, you’ve got to read. I’ve never read much. Then again, I’ve read books like Regeneration and Finding the Mother Tree – neither of which is an easy read – they’re long and they cover deep topics. I mostly like to read children’s books and adult books that are written as children’s books – ones that don’t try too hard to make a point. My wife and I like to read together, so often, I read whatever she’s reading. But, if there’s too much TMI or it’s too violent or too many people die, I opt out.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I help people write their books. I would like to help more people do that. They always stretch me. My current book writing client stretched me when I created websites for her. She also stretched me to do a wraparound cover. They’re very difficult for me. But, I did it.
I’ll probably publish my 150th book next year.
I just started making my own book trailers and posting them on youtube.

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?
Dictionary
Thesaurus
A couple of books that help make this world a better place for all. Any suggestions?

Author Websites and Profiles

Dale Stubbart Website

Dale Stubbart Amazon Profile

Dale Stubbart’s Social Media Links

Goodreads Profile

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Author Interview Series

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

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

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

Interview With Author Benjamin Plumb

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Harvard Business School MBA was a US Army intelligence officer in Vietnam. My obsession with my introvert “winning recipe” mistakenly led me into unfulfilling careers as an entrepreneur and executive. As soon as I backed away from the recipe and began to live openly as an introvert, I found my niche as a writer and turned my life around. I live in the Tampa Bay area with Sandy, my wife of over forty years.

I’ve written two books – The Satisfied Introvert in 2022 and 2025 editions (the latter is out October 7), and First Aid for Introverts in an Extroverted Workplace.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Satisfied Introvert: How I Broke Free from the False Self I Created and Started Living authentically (So Can You). After releasing the first edition three years ago I began to see that it would be helpful to be more explicit about how to detach from an introvert “winning recipe.” So I added additional self-help material: (1) A chapter dedicated to “Your Own Recipe: Its Identity, Origins, Structure and Costs;” (2) collections of takeaways, reflective questions, and practical exercises at the end of each chapter; and (3) Twelve Tools of Detachment presented throughout the book and collected in a new Appendix.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes. I’m in bed by 2:00pm, get up around 10:00pm, and write all night long.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Primarily Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking. It convinced me for the first time in my life that as an introvert I had no “defect” to fix. It is foundational reading for any introvert who wants to start living authentically, as opposed to presenting ourselves via the persona that we all created as a child to appear more outgoing than we really were.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on a prequel to The Satisfied Introvert. The working title is, “The Grounded Introvert: How I Tamed my Flight Reflex and Found a Steadier Quiet (So Can You).” It will consist of 36 short stories about my six months at Stanford in France in 1963 when I was 22. At the start of the experience I was so withdrawn that I rode most of the way from San Francisco to Paris under an airline blanket. By six months later I had learned not to flee whenever I got overwhelmed by all the extroversion around me. Doing that made it possible for me to stay long enough in experiences in love, war, and business to learn lessons from them. The main lesson: I am not only OK as an introvert, but like all quiet people I have a set of 7 naturally-occurring skills that contribute huge value to a world that has gone overboard with extroversion.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
After self-publishing my first book, which was a struggle and brought moderate results, I approached a hybrid publisher – Greenleaf Book Group – with the second edition. They saw the market potential and have been an enormous help in editing, producing, and helping to market the book. Most publishers take most of the royalties and expect the author to do almost all of the marketing. As an introvert marketing for the most part is anathema to me. But Greenleaf (specifically its River Grove imprint) accepted me for who I am and worked around my distaste for promotion. I’m doing no podcasts, no newsletters, no speaking engagements, just the back room work out of the limelight that I’m good at. Hybrid publishers are pricey, but you get to keep the lion’s share of the royalties, and maintain total editorial control over the book.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
First, if you’re young, keep a journal. For most of the 60-odd years covered in The Satisfied Introvert I kept one and found it to be invaluable in creating vivid stories from the past.

Second, use a hybrid publisher if you can afford it. Otherwise you may get sequestered into giving up your royalties to a mainline publisher while at the same time you do all the marketing work that you likely are not good at, and like me, may even dislike intensely.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
As an introvert you have no “defect” to fix. Get that at a deep level, give up the persona you likely have presented to the world since childhood, and live as a straight-up introvert every day.

What are you reading now?
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the US Book 6)

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish The Grounded Introvert and see if I can get it published. Get my new author website finished and launched in early September 2025 (currently the site only features the first edition).

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. Quiet, by Susan Cain. Just to keep my head screwed on as an introvert.
2. Comparative Grammar of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French. I’d spend the time learning Italian and reviewing what I already know about the other three languages.
3. The Singularity is Near, When Humans Transcend Biology, by Ray Kurzweil. Today the singularity is even nearer than when he wrote the book twenty years ago.

Author Websites and Profiles

Benjamin Plumb Website

Benjamin Plumb Amazon Profile

Benjamin Plumb’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.

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

Interview With Author Michelle Mutheu

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an aviator and entrepreneur with a passion for flight and space exploration. Combining my love for adventure and storytelling, making the wonders of the sky and imagination accessible to young readers. Little Rubani, is my debut children’s book,reflects my curiosity, creativity and dedication to inspiring the next generation to dream big and reach for the stars

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
LITTLE RUBANI. RUBANI means PILOT in Kiswahili. Little Rubani translates to Little Pilot.
My own struggle to archiving my childhood dream of flying,when no one believed i was worthy of becoming a pilot and never giving up on my goal . This is what drove me and inspired me to write this book. It is a story of never giving up on your dreams.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am a first time writer. Perhaps. I honestly don’t know.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Little Rubani was not influenced by any book or author it was influenced by my own struggles.
The authors I enjoy reading are of a very different genre from little Rubani. I’m a huge fan of Robert Greene

What are you working on now?
Getting little Rubani out to the world

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still determining that

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’d also like to get advice from the experts as well

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
What you are not changing you are choosing

What are you reading now?
Reading Little Rubani for the 100th time

What’s next for you as a writer?
See how little Rubani performs

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?
Little Rubani
An Atlas
The Prince

Author Websites and Profiles

Michelle Mutheu Website

Michelle Mutheu Amazon 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.

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