Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Theresa Oliver

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hello! My name is Theresa Oliver and I an author of clean historical romance, clean contemporary romance, and young adult and children’s picture books in all genres. I looke forward to getting to know you, but for now, here’s a little bit about me. I was born in Marquette, Michigan, and raised in Jeffersonville, Indiana. I currently live in Kissimmee, Florida, with my husband, three children, a bossy dog and a very persnicky cat.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I first became fascinated with writing at the age of fourteen, when my Creative Writing Teacher, Ms. Burke, gave me a simple writing assignment: Write a short story. I wrote a Twilight Zone-type story titled “The Door,” and I was hooked. Ms. Burke pulled me aside, told me I had talent, and encouraged me to continue writing. As the eyars passed, I wrote off and on, but unfortunately, life all to often took over and not as many words were written. I had almost forsaken my love of writing, when I read the book Twilight, by: Stephenie Meyer, the first young adult book I ever read. I thought to myself “I can do that” and was hooked on writing once again. Now, I write under two names and have published over twenty books. More are on the way. Now, if I don’t write, I start to have “withdrawals.” As long as stories contune to come to mind, I will continue to write them down.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read in all genres, but my favorite is romance, uban fantasy, paranornal romance and fantasy young adult, and nonfiction. My favorite books include The Twilight Saga, by: Stephenie Meyer; and A Knight in Shining Armor, by: Jude Deveraux. In my opinion, A Knight in Shining Armor is the best time-travel romance ever written and should be the model for all time-travel romance books. I also read many nonfiction books on writing, which help me to continue to hone my craft and marketing. As a writer, it’s important to read.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
When I first wrote the character Dirk, the owner of the livery stable in the fictional town of Whiskey River, I imagined him being married to a princess, although I’m not exactly sure why. The book is set at Christmas time, so including a princess in the story seemed to work. I also wanted to bring in some danger. too. I did a little research on the succession of the throne in Monaco, and I found out that the Grimaldi family has been the ruling family for centuries. So, the fictional character of Gabriella Grimaldi was born. But although she is a fictional character, her uncle and cousin were real people. I love it when I can include real people and events in my fictional stories.

When I thought of Gabriella, I imagined what it would be like to be a princess, to have someone cater to your every whim and wait on you hand and foot. Although it would be nice at first, but you would lose some of your freedom by living in a guilded cage. Gabriella feels the same way and escapes to live a life of adventure. But she has been so protected that she doesn’t realize how dangerous it can be in the real world… expecially for someone in her position. Hence, the character of Gabriella was born.

I started writing A Whiskey River Princess last July, so I watched a lot of Christmas movies to get into the spirit to write the book. Surprisingly, it only took me a few months to write. However, the second draft and rewrites were extensive, which took a bit longer. The result was a much better book, thanks to my editor Liv Olivia Ventura at Hot Tree Editing. Liv, I cannot sing your praises enough.

I enjoyed spending time with Dirk and Gabriella in A Whiskey River Princess. I hope you enjoy spending time in Whiskey River, too.

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Theresa Oliver’s Website

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Featured Interview With Carolyn M. Walker

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m originally from Southern California, but I’ve since traded in the dry heat, Mexican food, brown mountains, and beach bonfires of the golden coast for year-round tropical weather, frequent alligators, and a giant mouse (yes, Mickey…), where I live among the beaches of Florida with my husband, daughter, and chihuahua Dixie.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I realized my fascination with books at a very early age! From the time I could hold a pencil, I’ve been writing. At just six years old I proudly drafted my first short story about a little girl who visits an alternate world through a secret portal in her back yard. When I was 11, I won my first statewide young writer’s competition and by 14 I was an avid reader.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Some great authors who have inspired me include Lewis Carroll, Edgar Allen Poe, Robert Frost, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, J.D. Salinger, Richard Matheson, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, C.S. Lewis, and many more. I’m also inspired by comic books and anime.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is my debut book! IMMORTAL DESCENT is a tale about immortality and the human condition among those who are no longer human.

Ethan West knows what it means to be different. With a haunted past and a strange sixth sense he sometimes can’t control, Ethan’s in search of a better future. Instead, he’s brutally attacked. Narrowly saved by the beautiful and mysterious Rue, Ethan quickly learns the world is darker and more bizarre than he had ever imagined. And sparing his life comes with a price: being reborn immortal.

Now, a dark faction of ancient, cursed immortal beings known as Lorns are after him. Descended from the mythological Nephilim, Lorns are bound by either the divine force of order or the mortal force of chaos. And now they want his rare, newly awakened soul.

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Featured Interview With Cheryl Lacey Donovan

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am me. Fearfully and wonderfully made to effectuate change in this world by being exactly who I was created to be. I have been married for 25+ years I have 3 adult children and 5 grandchildren. I am blessed!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have been fascinated with books for as long as I can remember. Actually, when I was younger, I would finish my work before the other students in the class. So, I thought it was only right to try to help them. This of course was frowned upon by the instructor. Because my mother was an educator, she suggested my instructor send me to the library to read and write a report on what I read. BINGO! Not only did this spark my love for reading, it also led to journaling and ultimately 6+ books.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Some of my favorite authors include Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Walker, and John Grisham to name a few. Like I said I love to read so my tastes are very diverse.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is all about empowering others to live their best lives honestly and authentically. Too often we hide behind masks that are not a true reflection of who we really are. We’re frauds in our own lives. Can I Be Me provides actionable steps to understanding who you are and how you can present yourself honestly to the world.

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Cheryl Lacey Donovan’s Website

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Featured Interview With Henry G. Taygar

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hello, my name is Henry G. Taygar. I am currently the librarian at Academy Emerald. I was adopted into the Academy when I was a small child, something that is pretty unusual. I’m 42 years old. I have a beautiful wife and two wonderful children that I love to play with who live at the Academy with me. And of course, the students who come through these halls. I love to read and play chess (a truly wonderful game). Currently, two small lhasa apsos are also a part of our family.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I realized my fascination with books as soon as I could read! I began drawing comic books when I was just a young boy. My artistic skills are still at a grade school level, but my storytelling improved.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have been greatly influenced by great modern novelists like Rick Riordan and James Patterson. I also enjoy a good Sherlock Holmes story now and then. I love the way Sir Arthur Conan Doyle absorbs you in your story. While you read, you are in London. I do my best to emulate that in my writing.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Harry Potter meets Mission Impossible in the thrilling first installment of Alphas.
Dark forces have converged on Earth. The world’s protectors are scrambling to find a solution to the coming apocalypse. Their only hope is for an Alpha to emerge, a Being gifted with incredible power and trained in the legendary Academies.
Theodore Hertz was worried about a class project. Now he’s worried about facing ancient evils who want him dead. His only hope is Academy Bloodstone, but the institution that’s supposed to protect him is just as dangerous. His homework? Survive.
Spoiler alert: This information is classified. It took me two weeks to compile the data files for this book because I had to do it in secret. But now that it’s out there, feel free to spread the word!

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Henry G. Taygar’s Website

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Featured Interview With Steven Lazaroff

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was a Military Brat, we moved around a lot during my youth. I lived in several cities in Canada and did a brief stint overseas in Germany when my father served with the Royal 22nd Regiment at the height of the cold war.
Mark, my co-writer and I met in high school and we have remained friends ever since, 30 years later.
He is a bit of an eccentric and has not yet done interviews.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was a voracious reader from a young age. Having to rebuild friendships every two years caused me to escape into stories. I started writing short stories and poems in Junior high School and have since been writing in amateur formats ever since. My day job requires me to write very descriptive content regularly.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I loved the Narnia series from C.S. Lewis and pretty much anything from Piers Anthony at a YA stage in my life. Later my tastes evolved to Asimov and Frank Hebert. Simon Scarrow wrote a fantastic Historical fiction series called ‘Eagles of the Empire’ that I really enjoyed. Scarrow also did a series called ‘Wellington and Napoleon’ which I really got into. Finally, I enjoyed Hunter S. Thompson and followed the style of Gonzo journalism, which is perhaps why my writing is humorous and sarcastic.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Its a collection of short stories essentially. You can pick up any chapter in any order and each chapter is its own stand-alone story. Mark and I researched and documented an example of a confidence scam perpetrated on people at every epoch of recorded human history. We start with the ancient Egyptians, move on the late Roman empire, then middle kingdom’s era of China, all the way through the modern age. Each chapter explains, in detail how the deception or confidence scam was conceived, executed and concluded. There is a lot of humor to keep the reader from being bored. Especially for people that typically don’t enjoy reading history.

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Steven Lazaroff’s Website

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Featured Interview With Chad Stambaugh

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Chad Stambaugh is a Fiction and Non-Fiction author. A Business Owner during the day. Chad is also a Paranormal Investigator and full-time writer. He’s spent the last decade reading all kinds of books and writing blogs about the paranormal. His latest novel, The Devil Within is his first fiction novel after writing predominately non-fiction.

Chad Stambaugh is a 4-time Paranormal Award Winner. Non-Fiction Book: Paranormal Investigations, 2013; Non-Fiction Book: The Paranormal Dictionary, 2014; Paranormal Radio Show of the Year; 2015, Non-Fiction Book: Beyond the Veil, 2015, The IPPA Award: International Paranormal Acknowledgement Award. (Only the second American to ever win the Award.) He’s also had one of his short stories; “Everyone Hates the Grays.” Published in Portable Magic; The Authors First Anthology book.

Chad started his writing career in 2012 by chance. He was looking for a way to teach others how to do Paranormal Investigations. Which led him to writing his first Non-Fiction novel, Paranormal Investigations. He lives in Fresno, Ca and has three children and 3 grandchildren.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Almost from the time I could hold a book, I’ve loved sitting and just reading.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite author is Tom Clancy. He really inspired me to want to write my own books.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My newest book Contagion is book one of a trilogy. It’s also my second attempt at fiction. Most of all my other books have been non-fiction. Something that people won’t realize about the characters in the book are that Every single character is named from a family member or a friend. For some reason they get a kick out of me using their names in my books.

The book itself is about when a disease cannot be defeated, it must be contained. A father learns his daughter has caught the deadly contagion virus. It’s only a matter of time before the CDC finds out and erases the family from society forever. Vincent Gallo and his family watch in horror as their neighbors are “contained” by the CDC after their child is discovered to be infected with The Contagion. Reeling from the trauma and horror of what happened to their neighbors, Vincent’s oldest daughter, Alegra, now shows the marks of the virus. Now the Gallo’s must decide whether they can keep their daughter’s infection hidden from the watchful eyes of the CDC and a fearful population, or take their chances and run. Contagion is the first book of the 3-part Contagion Series. If you like chilling, thrilling, suspense-filled action, and stories of government conspiracy, you’ll love Contagion.

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Chad Stambaugh’s Website

Featured Interview With Kshama

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Kshama. I am an Indian author. I was born in Mangalore. I went to Africa with my parents when I was around three years old and they returned back to India when I was ten years old. I did my higher studies and completed my post graduation from Bengaluru University. I am married and have one daughter. Currently, I am residing in Navi Mumbai.
I am an animal lover. I had around twenty five cats as pets in my whole life till now. I also had one dog and some fishes as pets. Right now, I am having two cats Ginger and Snow. They are five years old now.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading at a very young age and never stopped, as I loved to read. My parents have encouraged me to read books in my childhood.
I started writing in my thirties as I had a passion towards writing. I have written six books and four nonfiction books out of them are already published. They are sold worldwide in different online and offline stores. More than five hundred articles written by me are published in different blogs with worldwide readers.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
This is the hardest question to answer. It is difficult to pick a favorite author. I have too many favorite authors. M.K Indira, Preeti Shenoy and the list of my favorite authors goes on.
I enjoy reading widely, all different types of genres. Mostly, I love to read magazines. I avoid reading horror novels.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book that was published is “Baby care and child care – zero to three”. I had ‘Child development’ as a major subject in my M.Sc (Master of Science in Human development). Child development refers to biological, psychological and physical changes in human beings from birth to adolescence.
Many times people become parents unexpectedly and they panic. If parents do not have adequate knowledge of baby care and child care, parenting experience can turn into a nightmare. Parenting is no easy job. This book is a complete guide to parents of newborns, infants and toddlers. It deals with the day to day care, normal development of your baby, health issues, behavioral issues, newborn concerns, infant concerns, toddler concerns and a lot more.

Featured Interview With Zeeshan Arafath

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Zeeshan Arafath, a 14-year-old author, I have written my first book, All but a Spark. It is about the wildfire in Fort McMurray, but with different names and all. I now live in Calgary with my three brothers, one sister, two parents, and two cats.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
2nd grade, like 7 years old.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
JK Rowling, Cinda Williams Chima, Rick Riordan, and more. I love to read fantasy books. This book I have written is not a fantasy book because I had to get my message out to the world.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My book, All but a Spark, is about my experience, in the fire of Fort McMurray. I used different names for me and my friends, but the things that happened are still the same.

Featured Interview With Brandon Rohrbaugh

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Hanover, PA with six brothers and sisters. I now live in Gettysburg, PA with my wife and two children. We have two small dogs, Noah and Obi. I just recently got into writing books and I just enjoy creating a story from my mind and adding a twist to it.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve never been much of a book reader. I actually love watching movies and I just started writing last year. I look at all my books as if they were movies.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I cant really pick a favorite at this time as I haven’t read enough fiction to choose. I love mystery and science fiction.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, What Lies Below, is about a NYC detective who makes a decision in the heat of the moment that leads to his suspension. His boss sends him on a “getaway” while they investigate what he did. While on this getaway in Grimsby, Nevada he soon finds that his detective skills may need to be put to the test. This small town has some dark secrets lurking below. Teaming up with some locals, they try to uncover the truth about this place. Throughout the story Dean battles with internal and external conflict, forcing him to confront what lies below.

This particular book took me two months to outline, wrote, edit, and format.

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Brandon Rohrbaugh Facebook Page

Featured Interview With A. K. Frailey

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi, my name is Ann Frailey, and I am an author and a teacher with a degree in Elementary Education. I have written and published ten books, and several of my articles have been published in national magazines. In 2016, I earned a Masters of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing for Entertainment from Full Sail University and won two course director’s awards.

I homeschool my younger four kids and maintain a mini-farm with my children and our numerous critters. Basically, I am outnumbered. Every day.

I’m currently rewriting my early historical fiction novels to reflect the larger universe depicted in my Newearth science fiction novels. I am also writing science fiction & historical fiction short stories, literary stories, a new science fiction novel, and a science fiction miniseries screenplay.

I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and have taught in big cities and small towns. I currently live in central Illinois, surrounded by farm fields, which like to pretend they are a jungle of green. Generally speaking, I endeavor to make sanity a daily part of my life.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing when I first learned to put pencil to paper—back in the day when one actually used pencils and paper. (Yep—cavemen and women had only recently succumbed to the ravages of time.) I wrote for my own enjoyment for many years but only began publishing my work in 2011. The learning curve involved in writing these days—hiring editors, proofreaders, book designers, and developing marketing skills—has taught me more than I ever learned in college. I enjoy learning new things, and pray I’ve become a better writer, and hopefully a better person, in the process.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’ve read just about every classic book I can get my hands on. My favorite tends to be whatever I am currently reading. Right now, I am reading Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, E. B. White’s One Man’s Meat, The Diary of Samuel Pepys 1667, Tolkien’s The Silmarillion (3rd time), and a really fun modern mystery series by Victoria Hamilton, Muffin but Murder.

I am inspired by everything I read. I love the play of words, literary images, metaphors, and everything the English language can bring to the page, uniting humanity in a way little else can.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, Newearth: Justine Awakens, continues the story started in my first science fiction novel Last of Her Kind.

When my husband lay dying in an emergency room, I held his hand and made a promise to take care of our kids. At the moment, the promise was my focus. In the days to follow, the reality of carrying out that promise hit me hard.

Some months later, I took the kids to a movie, Noah. Mr. Crowe’s stellar acting reflected my inner struggle rather well—as Noah struggled to know the will of God. Life. Death. To act or not to act. Impossible situation? No problem. Keep moving. Live—even when you haven’t a clue what that means exactly.

A few days later, an old friend called to offer her condolences and reminded me of a book, Last of Her Kind, which I had written years before. I never bothered to publish it and had put it out of my mind. But she insisted that it had stayed with her through the years and recommended that I rewrite it.

After a Masters degree in Creative Writing for Entertainment, I wrote not only the novel (And rewrote it three times) I also wrote the screenplay (Very different skill set, by the way.) After LOHK I moved the storyline forward into Newearth: Justine Awakens, still serious but lighter, a bit more humor, and a whole lot more fun. I’m working on Newearth: A Hero’s Crime and rewriting my original novels to reflect the wider universe, because, of course, my universe has grown by leaps and bounds these past four years. For example—fun fact—duck tape has definite limitations.

The storyline for Newearth Justine Awakens involves humanity’s struggle to come to terms with our existence. Justine, an android with an enhanced human brain, awakens on Newearth after being shut down, only to discover she’s once again assigned the role of a hired killer. When she meets Cerulean, a Luxonian guardian, and Derik, her intended victim, she discovers her humanity and the true meaning of life.

Clare, a Human Services investigator, must discover who killed an innocent woman, mentor a flighty new detective, Bala, and figure out what alien has been infiltrating her dreams. When she’s hired by Derik to discover his true identity, she discovers Justine’s hidden agenda and only Cerulean can keep the two women from killing each other.

A new future unfolds as OldEarth passes into obscurity, but the seeds of Newearth are planted. The human family faces a new horizon. The end of a human era—the beginning of an alien alliance.

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A. K. Frailey’s Website

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Featured Interview With Chantal Gadoury

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
So a little bit about me. . .
I was born in Germany, on a military base – as my father was stationed there. I often get questions on what I do remember about that time in my life. Honestly, I don’t really remember much about it, other than the cobblestone roads, the wonderful scent of an ice cream parlor, and a little red house filled with sand at a park. When my parents returned to the United States, we moved to a small town in Pennsylvania. I currently still live there with my mom, my sister and our family dog – Taran. (He’s a yorkie, and he’s the cutest dog I know.) After I graduated high school, I attended Susquehanna University, where I received a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. And suddenly had permission to call myself a full-fledged writer!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was really young when my fascination with books began. My mom used to take me to the library every Saturday, where she introduced me to the world of books. The library was my most favorite place to go. I loved finding new books to look at, to read. Of course, I had my favorites that I always checked out and read over and over again. I started writing a bit later in my childhood – about seven or eight, when a teacher assigned us to write a story of our own. From then on, I was always writing. I can remember asking my parents for a diary, so that I could be just like Harriet the Spy (because I was young when that movie came out.) I used to cut up my old coloring book pages and create stories for my sister. I would have journals and journals of stories and ideas. And when I learned how to type, I was able to write them down even faster. In high school, I wrote with my friends in journals – we’d take characters and mesh them into different worlds and situations. Many of which were all based on anime characters; “Cowboy Bebop,” “Gundam Wing,” “G-Gundam.” When I was in college, I found a little group of on-line Disney Roleplayers. So when I wasn’t reading – I was writing!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
When I enter a bookstore, I directly go to the Young Adult section. It’s my go-to for any sort of reading that I might do. In that section, I prefer to read a good, sweet, fluffy romance. Whether it’s fantasy or contemporary, I’m not biased. I’m a fan of Sarah Dessen, Maggie Stiefvater, and Sarah J. Maas. I’ve recently become a huge fan of Jenny Han’s “To all the boys I loved” series, and finished “Fangirl” by Rainbow Rowell. Robin McKinley, Edith Pattou and Donna Jo Napoli were authors that heavily influenced me in the beginning of my “I’m-going-to-write-a-novel” days. I wanted to write a fairy tale retelling just like they had. But I think many of the authors that I’ve listed have influenced me in many different ways when it comes to my own writings. Maggie and Sarah J. Maas have a beautiful way of describing scenes and emotions for fantasy elements. Jenny and Rainbow helped me to grasp onto the emotional tideway that contemporary romances bring to young people. They all are at a standard of writing that I hope to achieve to someday.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The latest book coming out on June 19th is called “Between the Sea and Stars.” I call it my Disney Crossover. “The Little Mermaid” meets “Treasure Planet” meets villains as cruel as the ones you find in “Aladdin.” When I went about in writing this book, I really wanted to reference real-life mermaid mythology. Instead of being called Mermaids, they’re merrows – based on the Irish/English Origin. The locations are all set in and around Denmark, a nod to the original Little Mermaid tale. And of course, being that it’s my own Disney Crossover, there’s magic, romance, danger, and adventure. Lena is not so much your damsel in distress, but she’s also not one of the many heroines that we read today who hold a bow and arrow and kill all the enemies. I wanted to write a character who felt real and made real decisions; made real mistakes and felt real emotions. I wanted to write a book which explored the many layers of what it is to be human; what makes us who we are. When we’re faced with things that we want the most, who or what do we become? It took about a year to write – but I think I accomplished what I set out to do. Lena meets several different characters while she’s on land – and finds that perhaps the ‘seaweed isn’t always greener, in somebody else’s lake…’ For anyone who enjoyed “To Kill a Kingdom,” “Between the Sea and Stars” might just be for you!

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Chantal Gadoury’s Website

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Featured Interview With Jaime Vendera

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Jaime Vendera, Ohio born and raised, though I travel a lot, because I have this fun little hobby where I shatter glass with my voice:) I’ve performed this feat all over the world, and here in the US on shows like MythBusters and Dr. oz. When I am not smashing glasses, I teach voice and sing…but my favorite pastime is writing. I’ve written over 50 books both fiction and non-fiction. Happily married with a song and grandson. HUGE animal lover, so much that our dogs were like our children. Sadly, our two dachshunds and two chihuahuas have all passed away over the last three years from old age:(

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My 6th grade English teacher had us keep journals all year long. I hated it…until I realized that it was a window into another world for me. I began to write stories about werewolves and unicorns and super heroes….I’ve been writing every since:) Ironically, (starting as a fiction writer) my first book was a non-fiction book about vocal training, called, “Raise Your Voice.”

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
WOW, toooooo many to mention. I LOVE fantasy fiction and my favorite authors in that genre are Terry Brooks and Cinda Williams Chima. For non-fiction it is Joe Vitale, hands down.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is a non-fiction book called, “Mind Over Music” which is a book about overcoming procrastination so that the musician within can get into the studio and onto the stage. I write it in three days…Raise Your Voice took me four years! This book was actually a challenge given to me by author, Joe Vitale. He was shocked when I completed his challenge because most people he has challenged never made it to the finish line.

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Jaime Vendera’s Website

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Featured Interview With DAVID DANON

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Pasadena California. We moved to Newport Beach when I was ten years old, and I grew up in the water, surfing, and sailing. I sailed around the world when I was 19 to 21. I now live in Costa Mesa Ca. I’ve had many jobs, co-founded a clothing company, and worked in film and television for 20 years. I began practicing yoga over 40 years ago and began teaching yoga over 20 years ago.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My parents were voracious readers and read a lot of science fiction, fantasy, and pulp fiction. From the first time I saw the comics in the newspaper, I wanted to know how to read. As I got older, my parents kept me in a continuous supply of books that they had liked. They were reading all the great science fiction/fantasy authors of the day, and it was so great because they filtered for me, and I always read great books.

I always loved reading, and I can remember being so obsessed with the Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings in High School, that I would have the paperback inside my textbook and be reading during class!

I never was a journaler and didn’t write much when I was young. I began to write a memoir about my youth and sailing around the world, but in the midst of that, my father died. I had to deal with the details of that, lost the momentum, and never finished. Next came a family and those responsibilities. About four years ago I started blogging when I was diagnosed with cancer, and that led to the book.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love good writing in many genres. For me, writing or any art form, must speak to or evoke emotion. Anything else is just window dressing. It can be fiction or non-fiction. I love biographies and autobiographies of people who changed their art or profession. Fantasy, adventure, historical if it is well written, and moving I’ll read it.

From Michener to Stephen King, to Louis L’Amour, Jack London, Ray Bradbury I don’t care as long as it’s good. Biographies or autobiographies from Keith Richards to Mozart, to Paramahansa Yogananda, or Steve Jobs.

I prefer succinct, direct writing. Long descriptive narratives bore me, and I will skim over them. If I think the author is just going for word count or being overly self-indulgent, I’m done.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Honestly, I had considered writing a book. I even started one. It was a memoir told as a novel, to allow some creative freedom, and protect the innocent and guilty as well. I may still do that one.

But this is not the book I ever thought I would write. It is not a book that I wanted to write. It was, ultimately, the book I had to write.

First, I must make it clear that this book is not only about cancer. Cancer is used as an example of a problem to be dealt with, but many aspects apply to other physical and mental problems as well.

When I was diagnosed with cancer, I did the same thing I have always done when confronted with a new and unknown situation. I studied it, and studied it, and researched it and lived it. And that has been going on for five years.

Throughout that time I have had many, many conversations with friends, family, co-workers, and students regarding cancer. I realized that I had accumulated a large body of information relative to the disease, and just as importantly, the system that treats it. People were so surprised and sometimes shocked by the information, that I began to think, “ok, there is a need for this information. People need to know this stuff.”

That is how it happened. I started a blog and realized that to use yoga as an ally in the battle of life, that life, yoga, and the problem were all inseparable to the yogi. All part of the package of living in material creation.

Thus the stories and views on life are from the yogic point of view. The chapters on yoga are from a long time in it. The section on cancer is from the viewpoint of a yogi facing his mortality.

There may be things in the book that resonate with you and others that don’t. That is exactly as it should be. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I know this. If you find one thing in one book that you can integrate and use in your life that improves it, it was well worth the read.

Because in the end, it is all about accumulating knowledge, and most importantly, doing the work.

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DAVID DANON’s Website

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Featured Interview With Nina de Beurs

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in New Zealand to a Maori mother and a Dutch father. I was raised in a small town outside of Auckland. I’m currently living in Auckland City as I am studying Sociology and Politics at University.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I realized my fascination books at the age of nine. My childhood best friend got me into Jacqueline Wilson’s novels and I was hooked with reading from then on. I have boxes and boxes filled with novels.
I started writing when I was around nine, but I was never serious about it. Writing for me then was just a hobby and I’d only do it for fun. I was also terrible at it.
When I was fourteen I started to write more and I actually to see it as something I could do as a career.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors to read are Jodi Picoult, Gillian Flynn, and Becky Albertalli. I would say Jodi Picoult inspires me the most out of those authors, but I love them all. They’re all brilliant writers.
My other inspirations are my parents, and my beautiful nanny who passed away a little over a year ago. I think my real life experiences inspire me the most. If I didn’t have the experiences that I have had my writing style would probably be different.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My book Broken follows Matariki, a Maori boy who struggles to understand love, his identity, and his sexuality in a thick-skinned New Zealand community that is constantly pre-defining people. Matariki is a shy and introverted kid. He’s a lanky soft-spoken kid who isn’t violent or sporty, and that is why he struggles to fit in. In order to be considered a ‘real man’ in his community you have to be aggressive, ‘macho’, and hard-skinned. He’s always searching for love and affection, but it’s not always easy for him to trust people. This is further complicated by his strong feelings for his best friend, and the powerful influence of toxic masculinity which causes his friend to drift away from him as soon as he realizes that his manhood could be put to question.
It took me almost six months to write this novel. It was inspired my one of my friends who happens to be gay. He wanted me to write a novel that talked about hyper masculinity in New Zealand. Although there are novels and movies (such as Moonlight) that acknowledge hyper masculinity, there aren’t many New Zealand novels that talk about hyper masculinity in New Zealand. He wanted to read a story that was similar to his and a lot of others in New Zealand.

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Featured Interview With Clara Winter

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a wife and mom to one boy and two Siberian Huskies. We’ve had five huskies over the years. They are goofy, loveable, and so much fun. I have a Master’s Degree in Counseling, and was a school counselor for seven years. I have written here and there, but about two years ago decided I was going to buckle down and write seriously. My debut novel, Deepest Midnight, was accepted by Inkspell Publishing and will release on June 25, 2018. Deepest Midnight is a paranormal romance. I am from Colorado Springs, Co and currently reside in Mission Viejo, Ca.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination with books began as a young child. My first chapters books, Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, are books I still love today. I began writing bits and pieces in high school, but did not become serious until my late 30’s. Better late than never, right?

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have so many loved books, it’s hard to pick favorites. I love everything; classics, sci-fi, paranormal, horror, you name it. My favorite authors are Anne Rice, Jane Austen, Stephen King, Ayn Rand, and the Bronte sisters. How’s that for eclectic? I would say my writing is inspired by authors like Anne Rice and Emily Bronte, paranormal and gothic.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Deepest Midnight is about Millicent, a once French noblewoman turned vampire, who lost the love of her life before she became immortal. She spends the next two centuries with her maker Alexandre, and her vampire sister, Annie. Alexandre is a bit of a mystery and Annie was once a Culper Spy during the Revolutionary War. Millicent is consumed by her grief, until, in modern day Savannah Ga, she locks eyes with a man who looks exactly like her dead love. Sparks fly and they spend their nights in each other’s arms. The situation becomes complicated by this man’s mortality, and the insistence of her maker that she end her romance. It took about a year from start to finish for me to write this book.

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Clara Winter’s Website

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Featured Interview With Maggie Oakes

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi, I’m Maggie 🙂
I’m a nerdy young woman with a positive attitude towards life. I thrive on helping other people. I have suffered years from anxiety and panic attacks, and thus have started writing self-helps books to help people who have the same problems that I used to have.

I was raised in a good family with good values. We have been living in a city for all my life, but now we also have a country home and I feel that my heart yearns for the countryside. I don’t currently have any pets, but am thinking of loaning some chickens for the summer

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I used to read a lot as a youngster (the Hobbit was my favorite), but then developed other hobbies in my teens (making short movies). Now I am back to reading and enjoying books. I first seriously started writing in August 2017.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My current favorite authors are Umberto Eco and Tolkien. Tolkien has swept me away with his fantasy worlds and intricate research. My favorite genre is fantasy, mystery and psychological thrillers. If you have any recommendations, do let me know 😉

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is named – Your Journey to Calm: A Guide to Leaving Anxiety and Panic Attacks Behind.
I was inspired to write it by my own years of struggles with both anxiety and panic attacks. Now I am a medical doctor and have helped out many others with their anxieties. So I feel that I have many useful tips to share.

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Maggie Oakes’s Website

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Featured Interview With Evie Snow

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
We’re a husband and wife writing team. Georgina Penney (George) spent most of her childhood gallivanting around the Australian Outback, wrestling cows, staring down reptiles and reading far too many romance novels. Tony Johnson (AKA The Kraken) spent his childhood in the city being refined, cultivated and learning a whole lot about Dungeons and Dragons. Having met at an amusement park in Sydney in 2000, we’ve since managed to live in Saudi Arabia, Brunei Darussalam, Bahrain, and Scotland, and have traveled a bunch more besides. Our main hobbies include chatting with random people (George), being gleefully surly (Tony) and searching out the perfect scone.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
We both discovered books at a really early age and bonded on first meeting over George’s shameful confession that at age ten, she once (gasp) didn’t return a school library book for a whole three months!

George was the first one to start writing ten years ago when we found ourselves living in Saudi Arabia for Tony’s job in the oil industry. Realising that writing was a heck of a lot more fun than getting oil out of the ground, Tony soon started putting pen to paper, which leads us to where we are now. (This talking about two people in the third person thing is rather interesting…)

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Everything is inspiring and that’s the problem! We’ve got so many ideas coming from so many angles. We’re both omnivores with our reading taste with George reading a bunch of romance, crime, literary fiction, and philosophy, whereas Tony’s a big fan of fantasy, science fiction and anything on astrophysics. We both love webcomics with our current favorites being XKCD, OGLAF, and Slackwyrm

Tell us a little about your latest book?
George is a trained hypnotherapist, so it was an absolute hoot to write our latest romantic comedy, California Dreaming, which features an insomniac war veteran and a meditation expert. There are so many opportunities for both fun and sexy things to happen with hypnosis and we included as many as we could in this story. We also set it in a fictional town in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, the Californian coast, with a bunch of eccentric characters, many inspired by the wonderful people we’ve met in our travels around the globe.

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Evie Snow’s Website

Evie Snow Facebook Page

Evie Snow Twitter Account

Featured Interview With JP Cawood

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m originally from Milwaukee, WI. I love to travel and have lived for short periods in France, India, and the UK. I currently reside in Los Angeles with my husband and cat. Los Angeles has a lot of storytelling opportunities, and I’ve worked in television development for over ten years.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been writing stories since I was a little kid. I loved making my friends laugh with funny little stories. I used to read like crazy when I was a kid – specifically the Goosebumps series. As I grew older, I found I preferred to read non-fiction self-improvement books as well as fiction. I wrote my first book two years ago and now have four books available. Writing for books is much different than writing for TV and film, but now I am hooked!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’ve recently fell in love with John Demartini who wrote The Values Factor. His message is so simple yet so profound. Learn to listen to what you truly value in order to achieve your goals. A great self-improvement book that has exercises built into the reading. I also recently read A Touch of Joy by Jyotish Novack. It’s a collection of short stories/allegories that are uplifting and inspirational. It could be read all at once or you could read one excerpt per day. I love little reminders about how joyful life can be.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My new book is a collection of short stories called Tales from the 4th Dimension. All of the ideas came to me during meditation. I loved the challenge of creating several stories with a strong beginning, middle, and end – a twist ending to be exact! I wrote seven stories, but only five of them made the book because two of them didn’t have a strong enough twist. I’ve explored virtual reality, alternate reality, aliens, spirits, and other dimensions all within a quick and easy read.

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JP Cawood’s Website

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Featured Interview With Sarah R. Molder

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in California, moved to Indiana for a few years and now back in California. I have one German Shepherd dog. I love going to Disneyland and Universal. I play a lot of video games and watch a ton of movies and tv shows.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination with books came when I started reading Harry Potter. I don’t really know when I started writing or how old I was. I just woke up one day and just started writing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite genre is Fantasy. J. K. Rowling had inspired me, not only in writing but also in reading. I hated reading until I read Harry Potter and slowly from there I started writing. My favorite authors are J. K. Rowling, Sarah J. Maas, Cassandra Clare and Leigh Bardugo. Just to name a few.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Cataclysmic Ascension is a book about a Dragon Queen learning to rule in a time of war. Forging alliances with other races, some more trusting then others. This story is full of action with sword fights and magic. Creatures of horrors and some majestic, like Dragons and Fairy’s. You may even come across some Pirates and Gorgons! At the heart of the story, it really is about family and friendship. Though, it doesn’t hurt to have some snakes mixed into it.

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