Featured Interview With Anna St. Claire

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in a single-parent household in the South during a time when our society was challenged by constant change and opportunity. I was three when we moved from New York to South Carolina. Luckily, we had family in the area, because childcare as we know it today, was rare. It was a boon to me that my grandmother (who died shortly after I turned six), began teaching me to read before I started kindergarten. Reading and writing quickly became two of my favorite past times. I particularly enjoyed books with happily-ever-after and mysteries, two things you will often find in my stories.

I was fortunate to have an exciting Human Resources career and while I still do consulting, and related things, I have more time to write and be available to my two young granddaughters, my husband, and my pets. In fact, I have two rather spoiled dogs, a Parson’s Russell Terrier, and a Cockapoo. Both have found their way into my stories, which I love.

I have always loved animals–both cats and dogs– and some of the adventures I had with my animals are fodder for my stories. As an example, one of my stories (Romancing a Wallflower, Book Two in the Noble Hearts series) has the heroine rescuing a poor dog that is being abused by some young boys. Even though my heroine is not able to walk, her passion for the animal’s plight spurs the hero to help her save the dog from abuse. I based the premise of this scene on an incident that happened when I was in high school. A small stray dog was being pulled injured by a neighborhood boy and his friends. I got angry at what I saw and rescued the small stray dog. When we were unable to find the dog’s owners, we kept it and named him Petey.

My writing career started a few years ago. While it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever tackled, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had working!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was a child when I began my fascination with books. My. mother read lots of books to me and my maternal grandmother watched my sister and me while my mother worked. She frequently worked with me and taught me to read and write before I started kindergarten.

When I was ten, I had a nextdoor neighbor who worked as a Bell South operator. I frequently visited her, fascinated with her huge collection of books. Even better — she had a typewriter and encouraged me to use it. On it, I wrote several stories about princes and princesses and always made sure they had a happily ever after ending. These were gifts I proudly presented to my mother.

As a sidenote, my maternal grandmother died when I was six and a half years old. Her passing left a huge hole in my heart. I have never forgotten her or the gift of time that she gave me.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite genre is historical romance — specifically the 18th, 19th, and very early 20th centuries. I fell in love with this genre reading books by Katherine Wildiwiss, Rosemary Rogers, Laurie McBain, and Johanna Lindsey–and I may have most of the books they have written.

My mother-in-law loved to read these stories. She and I shared most of the books. That was years ago, but I still have them. It’s had for me to part with books that I enjoy, so I don’t. You might call my hallway bookcase my small shrine to these inspiring writers.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
A saying my husband is fond of saying gave me inspiration for my latest new release, My Lord, My Rogue. It goes: You can never know what is going on in someone else’s life unless you are standing in their shoes.

This story follows The Duke’s Golden Rings (book 3). Without giving away the plotlines, I will say the heroine in My Lord, My Rogue was the foundation for The Duke’s Golden Rings. It was one perspective. The heroine’s character in My Lord, My Rogue (book 4 of the series) gets a chance at redemption in this book. These two books are the two most closely tied stories in the series, although each one of them can be read as a stand-alone.

In My Lord, My Rogue, Lady Honora Radcliff finds herself in an abusive situation and decides her only option is to fake her death, which forces her into hiding.

Three years later, Benjamin Crewe, the Marquess of Willington, comes face to face with the woman he had always wished he had married–Lady Honora Radcliff–but she has been dead for three years! Needing answers and unwilling to make the same mistake twice, Lord Willington decides to woo Lady Honora. At almost the same time, Willington receives an assignment from the Crown which forces him to pursue a treacherous enemy of England.

The two of them are drawn into a dangerous web of danger, espionage and deception which could take away their chance for love and happiness.

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Featured Interview With J. Daniel Reed

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
J. Daniel Reed (Joe) is an independent real estate investor and author. His new novel is The First Wolf Pack: A Dog’s Fable, the legendary journey of wolf, dog, and mankind.

After a successful career in commercial real estate, Joe has spent the last year exploring his love of creative writing. In The First Wolf Pack: A Dog’s Fable, Joe combines his writing talents with his deep knowledge and respect for dogs, wolves, other animals, and nature.

Born on the Northwest side of Chicago, into a three-generation household, he was raised by a committee—grandparent, parents, and three older siblings.

Joe lives in suburban Chicago with his wife, Barbara and their Bouvier des Flandres, Keera. When not writing, he loves outdoor photography, taking walks with Keera, nature hikes, gardening, birdwatching, cooking, and grilling.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination is more with writing–telling a good story–than it is with books. I do like to read, though. I did some creative writing in high school, but since then my writing has been for business. A few years ago, I told my wife a story that she loved and urged me to write it down. I worked on it here and there as my time outside of work permitted. In 2020, my job was eliminated due to a company takeover and I found myself with a lot of time on my hand. I decided to pursue that long-held dream and wrote my first novel, The First Wolf Pack: A Dog’s Fable.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read both fiction and non-fiction. Some of the authors who have most influenced or inspired me are Dean Koontz, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, and Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage .

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The First Wolf Pack: A Dog’s Fable, my first book, was inspired by several disparate factors. Love of dogs and wolves, fascination with ancient foundational myths, the grandeur of God’s creation, and contemplating the purpose of fireflies in the grand scheme of creation. Somehow these things coalesced into a story about overcoming ignorance, narcissism, suspicion, and self-pity.

A fantasy tale, The First Wolf Pack draws the reader into an imaginary world of two ancient wolves, mighty predators who must decide to survive together or fight to the death. They engage in a fierce battle lasting two days and nights. Fully healed, they become The First Wolf Pack, a hunting machine dominating all lands they choose. Lone wolves, pressed to survive, form alliances in an attempt to destroy The First Wolf Pack. While their adversaries assemble, Arn and Versa must teach their extraordinary offspring the secrets of pack life

It’s a heartwarming and action-packed journey told from the perspective of a modern dog. Readers will discover what every dog knows about the true beginnings of human civilization and the connection between man, wolf, and dog. You will find yourself wondering if it really did happen this way.

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J. Daniel Reed’s Website

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Featured Interview With Kim Idynne

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in a small Minnesota town with my parents and two brothers. I loved being outdoors, and the area had a fascinating landscape that shows up in a lot of my stories: swamps, forests, small decrepit cemeteries, mud slides, reclusive backwoods homes (one with a menagerie of “exotic” animals), even quicksand-like soil that tried to swallow me and one of my friends when we tried to cross it after a rainfall. Today I live in roughly the same area with my fiancé, who is also a writer.
I love animals and have lived with rabbits, rodents, and more. The most recent were my two dear cats, Tom and Elijah, who lived with me for 15 years. Tom was a skinny stray who used to casually wander into my house when I lived in a small Wisconsin town; he was very chill and friendly. At the time, some of my neighbors were supporting a movement to take feral cats off the protected species list (meaning that they could be shot and killed). After hearing that, and after Tom was mauled by another cat in my backyard, I decided he was better off living with me. I took him to the vet and got his wounds treated, and then I adopted another cat to keep him company while I was at work. Tom was blatantly disgusted by that at first, but he got over it, and the two became buddies. Elijah died recently, and Tom started to waste away after that. Even when he was sick, he remained a very chill and loving cat. Elijah was a really strange, quirky animal, and not at all trusting when I first adopted him, but when he learned to trust me he became very sweet.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started to read at an early age, and was always fascinated with books. I wasn’t much of a rule-breaker as a kid, but I used to ride my bike to the local library even though it was forbidden, as it required riding on the shoulder of a busy highway. I had a basket installed on my bike so that I could place a good-sized stack of books inside of it. I still have some short stories that I wrote when I was in first grade, and in fourth grade I wrote my first illustrated book series about the strange adventures of one of my friends. As an adult, I became an ELA teacher so that I could share my love of literature with others.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
When I was young, my favorite novel was The Exorcist; I liked how the author contrasted the evils in the world with the ability of humans to do good. Today, I don’t have favorite authors or genres. Some books I’ve read lately that I really enjoyed are The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Change Me into Zeus’ Daughter (both non-fiction). I’m currently reading Cuando era Puertorriquena to salvage my Spanish-speaking skills. I work at a high school, where my students inspire me every day as we figure out how to be the best possible stewards of this world.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is Mahatmas and Monsters, a story about a young man who must learn to transform from a vampire back into a human. In the world of this novel, Elias learns that not everyone who is bitten by a monster becomes a monster, and that his condition is reversible. He desires to become human again so that he can be with Aarya, his childhood love, but he also detests the idea of being vulnerable. To him, humanity means weakness, corruption, and hypocrisy. Elias must decide whether to defeat his vampirism, but it means coming to terms with a painful past and the crimes he has committed as a monster, and it means risking his heart with Aarya. His journey is difficult enough, but an added challenge comes from the fact that he has surrounded himself with monsters who prey on humans—monsters who respond to his transformation with varying degrees of hunger, envy, and wrath.

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Featured Interview With Teece Reeder

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hey! I am Teece Reeder! I was raised out in the country in a town called Randleman, North Carolina. I am truly thankful for growing up in such a quaint and tight knit community. We love our people, our high school football team, and our rooted bonds run deep. I reside in a small mill town now that is contained within the city of Asheboro, NC. My grandparents actually “courted” and strolled together weekly on the way to a prayer meeting on the street I live on. Heritage and legacy are of huge importance to me.
I am blessed to have two adult sons, Seth and Luke, who are making me immensely proud as they follow their individual callings. My husband and I have big dreams of getting back to country living someday, but in the meantime, we have our doggies and cats, and some chicks coming this Spring. I just don’t truly feel at home anywhere unless I have chickens.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I honestly can’t recall a time when I wasn’t fascinated with books. Our home was always filled with bookshelves, and stacks on the bedside. My Mama read to me constantly as a little girl and after we read, we discussed the passage we had just passionately inhaled.

I remember getting a notebook and a black ink pen when I was five years old, and after spending a good amount of time filling those pages with my imagination I was given a journal for my sixth birthday and I began to make notes in it. From that point, writing became more than a passion, it became my oxygen. It was my faithful companion, it was my shield, it was my light on many dark nights of my childhood that I needed to escape.
I remember Mama letting me have a pajama party when I was about seven and all the girls asked her to read a story. I couldn’t help but giggle in my sleeping bag, as I drifted off to sleep while the eerie silence hung over every little girl who now was terrified by the brilliant words of Edgar Allan Poe’s, The Tell-Tale Heart.
I am truly thankful my Mother had studied English and introduced me at a young age to so many different works. Looking back I think that was my first and last pajama party!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love so many, but I always revert back to the classics. Hemingway, and his writing style is something I will never grow tired of. By far he is one of my top five favorites of all time. I began my writing journey with poetry so I have a strong admiration for poets. Sara Teasdale, Robert Burns, Poe ( of course), Sylvia Plath, Thoreau. I have Teasdale on my bedside table now, and have since I was a child, it never leaves me.
Who inspires my writing? Oh that’s a big question! To say everyone sounds quite insane, but it is true. I see inspiration in most every person I ever meet. Every person has a story living inside them. Every person has known hurt, heartbreak and love. Just listening to so many people as they talk casually, watching them sparkle as they are heard, has really become a method of writing for me.

If I have to narrow it down to an author I would say Kate Chopin. She was so ahead of her time, she was a rebel in the 1800’s, and no matter who tried to silence her words are heard clearly to this day. I love that she pushed, she spoke about taboo topics and was never apologetic about her style or her words.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is “A Million Thoughts of Grace”. It is based on a true story. A beautiful woman, who I had the honor of knowing. Grace is a fighter, Grace is a dreamer, a believer in all the wonder of her child, B.B. Her life was plagued with obstacles and hurt, but when she least expected it, an unconventional meeting changed her life and her daughter’s forever. This is actually the first book in the series, and I am absolutely thrilled about writing these books and finally giving them to the world.Grace deserved to be known and B.B has her long awaited opportunity to voice her horrific secrets in, “Route Two Box 505. Both books are set in a small, North Carolina town and it brings an intriguing group of colorful characters for everyone to love or hate.

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