Featured Interview With Sarah L. Blum

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Atlantic City, N.J. in the 1940’s. I was a tomboy and played baseball with the boys and street hockey. I live in the Pacific Northwest now. I do not have pets. I created a sanctuary for Western Monarch Butterflies for when they are migrating.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading about age seven. I read a large book about Confuscious. I did not start writing until the end of the 1970’s in Seattle.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Clarissa Pincola Estes, Taylor Caldwell, Anne McCaffrey, Mary Zimmer Bradley,Mercedes Lackey, Kristin Hannah. I love reading Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Nonfiction, phantasy.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Warrior Nurse: PTSD and Healing is a memoir/self -help book- takes you into the operating room at the 12th Evacuation Hospital Cu Chi, Vietnam, 1967, during the worst fighting in the iron triangle.
Mass casualties with severely wounded soldiers arrive for Warrior Nurse Sarah during mortar attacks, monsoons, and artillery going off. Experience with Sarah, her harrowing return home, emerging symptoms, the effects of PTSD on the brain, body and behavior, the essentials for healing, plus guidance for anyone suffering from PTSD.

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Featured Interview With April Tompkins

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in western North Dakota (still miss it), but I now live in a suburb of Minneapolis with my husband and my fat cat Sasha. My husband and I recorded music for about 15 years, during which time I learned how to be a pretty good songwriter (and a so-so singer). We do have our music on Spotify, though.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Oh, goodness, I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated with books. My older sister taught me to read before I entered kindergarten, and once I discovered my school library, I checked out all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and tons of biographies of famous people in history. I didn’t try my hand at writing until much later, and I shocked myself by actually writing a full-length novel. I’ve since published ten more novels and novellas. I’m addicted.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
While I specialize in women’s fiction, I really like biographies; learning about real people. Still, I like a good story I can get lost in.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Running From Herself started out as a novella, but I discovered there was so much more to tell about Leah’s life that I expanded it into a full-length novel. Leah toiled as a local band singer for almost a decade, but never realized her dream of being discovered. Once she had enough, he quit the band and took to the road, landing in a tiny Wyoming town, where she decided to stay. But her heart got broken and around that time a music executive stopped into the club where she worked, heard her singing with her new band, and offered her a record deal. That’s when her life really turned upside down.

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Featured Interview With N Cooper

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a dad to two amazing kids. I have dyslexia and ADHD, both diagnosed later in life, which came as no surprise.

I grew up in Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, until I was 12, when I moved to Beverley, where I have lived for the past 28 years. I work for an autism and ADHD support service, a role that means a lot to me.

I have a quirky personality and can be quiet in big crowds or around unfamiliar people, but in my home environment, I am loud and full of energy. I think I’m funny, though my kids might disagree, but my friends and family would definitely back me up on that.

Family is incredibly important to me. I live with my two kids half the week, and the rest of the time, it’s just me. Balancing work, parenting, and life can be challenging, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved stories, ever since I was about six years old. Not knowing I was dyslexic, reading was a challenge, but I persisted because I loved being immersed in whole new worlds. There is something truly special about magical worlds that makes them more exciting than reality. That is not to say I have not enjoyed my life. I have had great experiences and no real regrets, but escaping into a world of magic has always been something special, whether it was someone else’s creation or my own.

I started writing as a teenager. I was great at coming up with stories and building worlds, but my writing ability was not quite there yet. Unfortunately, due to behavioural issues at school, my education effectively stopped when I was 14. That is one thing I do regret. I was still in school, but I was a bit of a troublemaker and never did any work. I left without qualifications and spent years working in factories until I was 24. That was when I decided to go back to college, resit my GCSEs, and give learning another chance. Having matured, I approached education with a positive attitude and worked incredibly hard. It was during this time that I was diagnosed with dyslexia. With the right guidance, support, and specialist software, I realised I could achieve amazing things.

Since then, I have been writing on and off, but I always struggled to complete stories. It was not until about five years ago that I was diagnosed with ADHD, which finally helped me understand why. My last count was 29 part-written stories, some just a few chapters, others with over 50,000 words, yet I had never finished a book until last year. Maybe it was the frustration of struggling financially, maybe it was the fact I was nearing 40, or maybe I wanted to show my kids that dreams really can come true. In all honesty, it was all of those things.

I started small, writing a children’s book for each of my kids, naming the protagonists after them. Then I moved on to young adult fantasy novels. While I was proud of the children’s books, my real goal was YA fantasy, so getting my first novel published meant the world to me. The children’s books were a necessary step because I needed to start small. Completing stories is still a challenge because my mind constantly jumps to the next idea, but I persist because I want to succeed. Now, for the first time, I feel like I have a real shot.

This week, my latest story was accepted by my publisher, just as my first novel was released. I could not be happier. I love losing myself in magical worlds, and even more so when I am the one creating them. This is just the beginning of my journey, and I cannot wait to see where my stories take me next.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite author to read? Tolkien is definitely up there. His worldbuilding, depth of lore, and storytelling are unmatched, and I have spent countless hours lost in Middle-earth.

Fantasy is always my go-to genre, whether it’s books, films, or TV shows. There is something about escaping into magical worlds that has always drawn me in, and that passion naturally carries over into my own writing.

I also love the works of Leigh Bardugo, whose Grishaverse series is richly crafted, dark, and filled with compelling characters and powerful storytelling. George R.R. Martin is another favourite of mine; his A Song of Ice and Fire series stands out for its complex characters, intricate plots, and gritty realism.

A lot of my inspiration comes from the incredible worlds I have explored through stories over the years. The rest comes from my kids. They are my reason for everything. If I am honest, my life truly began when I became a parent. They are my greatest motivation, and every story I write is, in some way, for them.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
*Guardians of the Veil* is a young adult fantasy adventure that follows two ordinary boys, Alex and Ravi, who are suddenly thrust into a hidden world beneath their own. When they uncover an ancient secret, they find themselves caught in a battle between powerful forces, tasked with protecting a magical veil that separates realms.

As they journey through mysterious lands, they train to become warriors, discovering abilities they never knew they had. Along the way, they encounter strange creatures, forge unlikely friendships, and uncover long-buried truths about the past. But danger is never far behind, and the deeper they go, the more they realise that the fate of both worlds may rest in their hands.

At its heart, *Guardians of the Veil* is a story about friendship, bravery, and the choices that define us. Alex and Ravi may not have been born heroes, but they will have to rise to the challenge if they want to protect everything they hold dear.

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