Featured Interview With Anne Social

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Anne Social is actually the pen name of three sisters. We were born and raised in Arizona, but spent a couple of years out in the Midwest, where we picked up writing. We’re back in AZ now, but writing followed us!

We have a border collie and a tortoise shell cat.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
We didn’t really start writing until we were in our teen years. We needed a form of escape that wasn’t constantly buffering dank memes or workaholism. Writing was just that.

After a long day of picking rocks or sniffing moldy antique books to sell on our eBay store, we’d get on our computers and write like nothing was wrong. We were (are) a bit perfectionistic, though. We wouldn’t even look at our keyboards until we’d studied story structure and character development. This was an instant head start in our writing career. The three of us instantly fell in love with each other’s books, a thriller, a sci-fi, and a fantasy.

We’d lay in our bunk beds and talk about writing past midnight. We’d eat lunch, debating and theorizing over our methods. We’d find each other grinning stupidly as we thought up a scene or joke that wouldn’t be revealed until the book was finished.

Together we realized that if we couldn’t write for a living, we’d die. Writing outshone every other hobby and interest we had. It saved our existence and then we existed for it.

Now our goal is to write books that make people want to stay in existence. We write hopeful stories that don’t ignore the dark side of life. Stories that meet the reader where he stands.
Collectively, we’ve written over ten books, but now we’re working on publishing our second and third.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Gary D. Schmidt and S.E. Hinton are some of our absolute favorites. We’ll read any genre, fantasy, sci-fi, thrillers, YA, classics, and even non-fiction. We write for each other, that’s our biggest inspiration. Oh, and the music of Twenty One Pilots.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Hijinks is inspired by a creepy little pizza place in a small town in Missouri. We used to drive past it and speculate why it was never open. Were they hiding a body in there? Is it a pit stop for human traffickers? Were they keeping Bigfoot in a cage in the attic? Our top theory was that it was secretly a drug front. That’s always our top theory.

Anyway, Hijinks centers around the relationship of four teens who end up working together to solve the mystery of a cryptic pizza place. We’re really excited about its release, April 25th!

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Anne Social’s Website

Anne Social Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Shareka Swaby

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Rowlandsfield St. Thomas. Small country side community below the John Crow Mountains. I attended happy Grove High School in Portland and would most often walk home in the rain when there was heavy rains to avoid flooding in Golden Grove.

I grew up poor and is now committed to creating wealth in my life. I now live in Kingston and I am a Life Coach and Mentor, Author, Transformational Speaker and Real Estate Agent.

I am mother of children

Branded as the “Mind Reset Strategists,” I started studying the importance of mindset back in 2018. My journey started with searching for answers about my life and attaining success.

Through reading multiple books and doing a lot of introspection, I realized that mindset, perception and self image were the foundation and core of human achievement, contentment, joy and fulfillment.

This eventually led me to Life Coaching. I specializes in Mental Wellness and Spiritual Alignment, I am passionate about a world where people are more present, mindful and less attached.

Additionally, I am mentor to young men and women through her “I Am Initiative” Mentorship program.

My mission is to impact lives worldwide with the message that we all have our own little bit of magic in us and can do anything we desire with self discipline and understanding the fundamental tenets that govern our lives.

One of my main beliefs is that too many people are living without a vision for their future, and it is said “where there’s no vision the people perish.”

My intent is to look beyond the physicality and focus on mental health and starting the healing process.

I have an adopted cat called max

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was always fascinated with books. My mother always had books around for as long as I could remember. And I would read them. I was always writing things here and there but I didn’t really make much of them. I would find something I wrote sometime later, I would read it and wonder if I had written it.

I realize that my writing wasn’t half bad.

In 2020 I wrote my first book. It wasn’t initially a book, it was one sentence of instruction per day, The 30 Day Happiness Challenge to help others feel better about life..

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Favourite genre, personal development. I love a lot of authors but, Florence Scovell Shin, Neville Goddard, Napoleon Hill are among some favourites

Tell us a little about your latest book?
An introduction To Freedom is a journey to joy, to happiness and to knowing of the self. It is meant to help others release so much of the material world and tap into the more spiritual aspect of their being.

It provides a step by step process to do so. It takes work, but anything worth having will come with its challenges.

Once applied, an introduction to freedom, though it seems like some simple steps, will really get you looking at life completely differently.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Shareka Swaby’s Website

Shareka Swaby Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Chadd SJ Ciccarelli

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m Chadd Ciccarelli—author, strategist, and former Amazon exec. I grew up in Pittsburgh, studied philosophy at Carnegie Mellon, and spent over a decade at Amazon helping build global programs and scale high-impact initiatives. Along the way, I’ve lived in Los Angeles, San Francisco, London—and now, I proudly call Sydney home. It’s a city that blends everything I’ve loved about the places I’ve been: creativity, grit, and a pace that keeps you sharp. This is where I write, build, and push the next chapter forwar

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved books, but I’d say my real fascination—and the shift toward writing—started when I was accepted into Carnegie Mellon. That’s where I fell hard for philosophy. I became obsessed with ideas, systems, and the kind of critical thinking that forces you to question everything. That environment didn’t just teach me how to read deeper—it taught me how to write with purpose.

Later, at Amazon, writing became the core method of communication. No slide decks—just clear, structured narrative thinking. It was a writing culture built for high stakes, and it sharpened everything I’d learned at CMU. So while the love for books came early, I’d say I truly became a writer in university—and refined it in the pressure cooker that was Amazon.

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 are the ones who don’t pull punches—Camus, Dostoevsky, Bukowski, and Hunter S. Thompson. I’ve always been drawn to voices that challenge convention and force you to think differently. On the philosophy side, Thomas Kuhn and Clark Glymour had a big impact on how I see systems and structure arguments.

As for genres, I split my time between thought-provoking fiction, sharp non-fiction, and inspiring biographies. I’m into anything that tells the truth, hits with clarity, and sticks with you long after you’ve closed the book. If it challenges perspective or sharpens thinking, I’m in.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, It’s All Trash ‘til It’s Cash: Applying Amazon’s Blueprint for Builders, is a no-nonsense guide to turning ideas into results. Based on my 12+ years inside Amazon, it breaks down the systems, leadership principles, and writing culture that drive innovation at scale—and shows how anyone, from solopreneurs to startup teams, can apply them. It’s part philosophy, part field manual, and all about execution.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Chadd SJ Ciccarelli’s Website

Featured Interview With tammy ruggles

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I lived a portion of my early life in Cleveland, Ohio, then moved to Kentucky in the third grade. I have enjoyed dogs and cats over the years, but have no pet now.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I loved books as a preschooler, but didn’t write until I was about twelve. I enjoy writing in various genres, from horror to self-help to children’s books. Social work was my chosen profession, so I wrote as a hobby until I was 40, when a progressive blinding disorder known as RP forced me to retire. I tried freelance writing and it was the right path for me. I’ve been writing professionally ever since.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like the trim style of Cormac McCarthy. I have more than one favorite genre to write: Crime drama, horror, YA, children’s books, fanfiction, and poetry. I’m inspired by just about everyone and everything.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
It’s called “Savannah’s Salvation”, and is a Christian Romance short work about a Christian woman seeking companionship after the death of her husband, and finds herself attracted to a man who lied to her about being a Christian on a Christian dating site. One thing leads to another, and it’s a will-they-or-won’t-they kind of scenario. It’s also about how God can heal broken people by bringing the right ones into your life.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

tammy ruggles’s Website

Featured Interview With Jamilette Cintron

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m Jamilette Cintron—an award-winning author, nurse, and mother of five. My writing is deeply rooted in mythology, gothic horror, and emotional truth. I’ve always been fascinated by the stories that live between the lines—the ones whispered through generations, hidden in shadow, and pulsing with ancient magic.

As a storyteller, I breathe life into forgotten goddesses, haunted legacies, and the sacred power of feminine rage and redemption. My work, particularly The Dark Mother Collector’s Edition—is about reclaiming space for women in myth, challenging the idea of fate, and exploring the beauty that can bloom even in darkness.
Outside of writing, I’m a nurse, which has given me a deep reverence for life, death, and everything in between. My greatest inspiration comes from my children—who remind me that legacy is not just about what we leave behind, but what we choose to rise from.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been journaling for as long as I can remember—it was always my way of processing the world, even before I understood what storytelling truly was. But my deep fascination with books began around the age of 12. One night, I couldn’t sleep and decided to sneak downstairs. I turned on the TV while everyone was sleeping, and that’s when I saw Stephen King’s Carrie for the first time. I was instantly captivated—by the darkness, the emotion, and the way the story wasn’t afraid to be raw and honest.

Not long after, a classmate told me the book was even better. That one comment changed everything. I started going to the library, and from the moment I stepped in, it felt like I had discovered a portal. It became one of my safest places. The quiet, the scent of old pages, and the stillness—it all made it feel like the only sound that existed was the voice of the story in my hands.

That love for books, especially ones that dared to explore the darker parts of life and emotion, shaped me as a writer. And even now, that curious, wide-eyed twelve-year-old still lives in me, chasing stories in the shadows and scribbling them into light.

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 to read are the ones who know how to peel back the layers of the human soul; Stephen King being at the top of that list. His ability to tap into fear, grief, and the supernatural in a way that still feels human is something I deeply admire. His son, Joe Hill, has also captured my attention, there’s a unique, almost inherited magic in his storytelling that I find incredibly compelling.
I’ve also always been drawn to the timeless darkness of Edgar Allan Poe. His words feel like whispers from another realm—haunting, lyrical, and laced with deep emotional truth. And William Blake, with his poetic visions and philosophical depth, reminds me that storytelling can also be spiritual, symbolic, and soul-shifting.

As for Some of my favorite authors to read are the ones who know how to peel back the layers of the human soul—Stephen King being at the top of that list. His ability to tap into fear, grief, and the supernatural in a way that still feels human is something I deeply admire. His son, Joe Hill, has also captured my attention—there’s a unique, almost inherited magic in his storytelling that I find incredibly compelling.

I’ve also always been drawn to the timeless darkness of Edgar Allan Poe. His words feel like whispers from another realm—haunting, lyrical, and laced with deep emotional truth. And William Blake, with his poetic visions and philosophical depth, reminds me that storytelling can also be spiritual, symbolic, and soul-shifting.

As for genre—I’m in love with gothic horror, dark fantasy, and myth-based fiction. I gravitate toward stories that blend beauty with darkness, light with shadow. The kind of tales that linger in your bones and make you think long after you’ve closed the book.

When it comes to inspiration, I pull from all of them—but also from the world around me. Music, silence, motherhood, grief, justice, the things left unsaid—they all pour into my writing. I write for the women who carry the weight of generations, for the broken who still rise, and for the forgotten voices who deserve to be remembered.
As for genre .. I am in love with Gothic horror, dark fantasy, and myth-based fiction. I gravitate toward stories that blend beauty with darkness, light with shadow. The kind of tales that linger in your bones and make you think long after you’ve closed the book.

When it comes to inspiration, I pull from all of them, but also from the world around me. Music, silence, motherhood, grief, justice, the things left unsaid, all pour into my writing. I write for the women who carry the weight of generations, for the broken who still rise, and for the forgotten voices who deserve to be remembered.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, The Dark Mother Collector’s Edition, is a powerful blend of mythology, Gothic horror, and feminine rage. It’s a collection of interconnected stories, each story explores what happens when divine justice meets human cruelty, and how women reclaim their power, even after death.

The book is deeply emotional, mythic in scale, and rooted in the idea that the feminine is both sacred and fearsome. You’ll meet gods, monsters, elemental beings, and even Death himself. Some stories feel like ancient legends; others echo modern struggles. All of them are tied together by a divine thread of consequence, sacrifice, and legacy.

This collector’s edition dives deep into the origin stories of the Fates, their children, and the cosmic forces that shaped them. It’s my love letter to readers who crave layered storytelling, complex female characters, and the kind of haunting beauty that lingers long after the last page.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Jamilette Cintron’s Website

Jamilette Cintron Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Chadd SJ Ciccarelli

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Chadd Ciccarelli is a former touring musician, global executive, and lifelong storyteller. Raised in Pittsburgh, he graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with University Honors as a Philosophy major and was inducted into both Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

Over the course of 12+ years at Amazon, Chadd built and led international teams across London, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Sydney, helping launch several of the company’s most impactful global programs. He was also part of Zillow during its IPO journey and contributed to the expansion of Sumerian Records into broader areas of entertainment.

A passionate traveler who has explored more than 60 countries, Chadd now resides in Balmain, Australia. He is the founder of the Chadd SJ Ciccarelli Student Award at CMU’s Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the author of It’s All Trash ‘Til It’s Cash: Applying Amazon’s Blueprint for Builders.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Books have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I was hooked on Dr. Seuss—I must’ve read Green Eggs and Ham a million times. I was drawn to the rhythm, the wild imagination, and how playful language could carry big ideas.

As I got older, I found Camus and Dostoevsky—writers who didn’t just tell stories but wrestled with the human condition. Their work cracked something open for me. It wasn’t just about reading for fun anymore. I was reading to understand how the world worked, and more importantly, why we think the way we do.

When I arrived at Carnegie Mellon, I didn’t have a clear path in mind. But I knew one thing: if I could learn how to solve hard problems, I’d be ready for anything. That led me to a Philosophy degree, where I immersed myself in the Philosophy of Science. CMU had some of the best thinkers in the world in that space—Clark Glymour, Preston King Covey, and Wesley Salmon. Their ideas challenged everything I thought I knew about logic, truth, and systems.

That mindset followed me into my career. One of the first things I did when I joined Amazon was ask senior leadership what books had shaped them. I’d go out and read every title they mentioned—books like Tim Ferriss’s Tools of Titans, which gave me a toolkit for productivity, mindset, and high-performance habits. For me, reading has never been passive. It’s how I’ve leveled up at every stage of my life.

Writing came later, but naturally. I started putting thoughts on paper as a way to make sense of what I’d learned and experienced—both in business and in life. Over time, it evolved into a craft. Now, I write to share the lessons, the scars, and the frameworks that helped me build a life and career on my own terms.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’m really drawn to non-fiction and biographies—books that pull back the curtain on someone’s real story, flaws and all. Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey is one of my all-time favorites. It’s poetic, raw, and unexpectedly profound. I also loved Too Fat to Fish by Artie Lange—before everything went sideways for him, that book was brutally honest and hilarious. Private Parts by Howard Stern is another classic—it captured a voice that felt completely unfiltered and unapologetic.

At the same time, I find myself revisiting timeless handbooks like Meditations by Marcus Aurelius or The Art of War. There’s something grounding about those texts—they’ve survived for a reason.

When I started writing my first book, It’s All Trash ’Til It’s Cash, I didn’t want to just tell my story—I wanted to create something useful. A book you could reference, mark up, come back to when you’re stuck. It’s a blend of personal journey and practical tools, inspired by the books that helped shape my own thinking.

In terms of inspiration, I’m drawn to voices that are honest, curious, and a little rebellious—people who aren’t afraid to say the quiet part out loud and still leave you with something you can use.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
It’s All Trash ’Til It’s Cash is based on my 12-year journey at Amazon, where I worked across four countries—London, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Sydney. The book is part memoir, part playbook. It captures the lessons I learned while being constantly thrown into situations I wasn’t technically qualified for—but had to figure out anyway.

Amazon has this reputation for being a corporate machine, but one of the most misunderstood things about it is that it still operates like a giant startup—just one backed by a publicly traded company. That mindset shaped everything I learned and ultimately what I put into this book.

I wrote it to be both a story and a blueprint. It covers the things no one really trains you for—how to interview effectively, how to launch a new product or idea, how to build something from scratch using Amazon’s “Working Backwards” method. These are the same tools I used to build global programs and lead teams around the world.

If you’re a founder, builder, or someone trying to create something real in a noisy world, this book was written for you. It’s meant to be something you can go back to again and again—not just read once and shelve.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Chadd SJ Ciccarelli’s Website

Chadd SJ Ciccarelli Twitter Account