Featured Interview With Deborah Fox

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am 50 years old and have lived in Doncaster, England all of my life. I work in a returns department for a large electrical distribution company. I like gardening, cinema, theatre, walking and dogs.
I don’t have a dog at the moment but Jake my last dog who sadly passed a few years ago is the reason and inspiration for my book.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My mum always read Winnie the Pooh to me from an early age and still love the stories even now but i cannot say i have ever been an avid reader as always preferred the cinema as my escape. I only started writing a few years ago after Jake passed as a part of a grieving process and didn’t even think i would ever write a book in my life. Now that i have my first book published i am now well on with the second and loving every minute.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I guess i love supernatural, thriller, mysteries as long i am scared and i do love anything with a twist. One of my favourites is Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire. I also find time for period dramas anything by the Bronte Sisters and in particular Wuthering Heights. When i started writing i always had Murder She Wrote playing in the background and so i guess the great JB Fletcher is my inspiration! Halfway through my second book and nothing has changed but maybe my partner is getting a little tired of the re runs.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Second Hand Rose is a horror, mystery, thriller about a big town reporter Abigail Hirst drawn back to her beautiful home town of Friendship with her faithful terrier dog Jake when her Grandmother Rose dies and leaves Abigail her Antique Shop called ‘Second Hand Rose’. She decides to make a go of the new business and starts to make a new life but cracks start to appear in this chocolate box town. Strange deaths and disappearances and a large wardrobe that no one can open push Abigail into investigations that turn more gruesome the more she uncovers. Can she unlock the hideous secret this town has been harbouring for many years and face her own families demons before its too late for the people she loves and the town itself.

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Featured Interview With Alfred Read

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m from Portsmouth, England, which is where I currently live, although I’ve also been known to reside in London and also Bristol. I live with two horrifying entities that I’ve been told are actually “domestic cats”.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
That’s going way back, possibly to the early ‘90s. I can remember reading the Lord of the Rings as a kid and enjoying it so much I didn’t want it to end, so I intentionally left the last page unread so it never would end, at least for me. My initial writing forays were political and journalistic, which ultimately led me to work as a journalist, although this ended with the pandemic (a lot of journalists were out of work then) where I decided to try my hand at writing historical fiction.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite genre (or the genre I seem most likely to read) is science fiction, particularly the novels of Dan Abnett. He’s one of those writers who manages to be succinct but also vivid, which is something I hope to imitate. Given that his stories are usually set in the Warhammer 40K universe (where there’s war and yet more war) he still manages to create characters that seem authentically human (assuming they are really human to begin with) which, in my opinion, speaks to some real skill and depth on his part.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
England’s Martyr is essentially an attempt to create an accurate piece of historical fiction that drops the usual pro-viking, anti-Christian tropes and tells a story that I feel is more faithful to the realities of the epoch. It’s largely told from the English perspective (hence the name) and tries to engage with the desperate environment they would have faced in the early 11th century, where repeat invasions and bungled leadership have brought the nation to the brink. It also introduces a certain actually existing English hero, Edmund Ironside, who I feel hasn’t got anywhere near the level of attention I think he deserves. I hope to finish telling his full story in subsequent books, as, like “Hereward the Wake”, he’s another legend of this country that many people know little about. That should change.

Featured Interview With Brianna Duttry

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in DuBois, PA and I currently live there now. I have 4 cats. I’m working at a pharmacy right now as a technician.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was very young when I got into reading and writing. It’s always been in my blood. I enjoy writing screenplays as well.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite author is Edgar Allan Poe. My favorite genre is romance. I am inspired by my friends and family. They have always been very supportive.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Ring of Destiny is about a 12-year-old girl named Millie who finds a magic ring. It’s my first children’s book.

Featured Interview With Deborah Fox

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am 50 years old from Doncaster where i have lived all my life and live my my partner Paul. I work full time in a bust returns department for a large electrical distribution company. I dont have any pets but my dog Jake who sadly passed away was the inspiration for writing this book. I love the outdoors, gardening, cinema, theatre, music and dogs. I am a creative individual with little passed writing experience or education but have a ton of ideas for stories and am looking forward to starting a new venture in story telling now that i have managed to get my first one out of the way.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve read from an early age as my mum introduced my to stories like Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Beatrix Potter, etc. I cant say i am an avid reader in my adult life and i only started writing my first book a few years ago so this is quite new to me and never thought i would ever get a story published as i only set out to write this story as a present for my mum because of the connection with my late dog she also dearly loved. I suppose you would call me a late bloomer but now i have the bug i am already half way through my next book.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Anne Rice is my favourite author and horror / supernatural is my thing. I do also watch a lot of horror /mystery movies and a lot of inspiration came from people like M Night as i love a good twist you cannot guess and i am pleased to say the big twist in my book as yet to be guessed by any reader so far so i must have learned well from the experts. I also have to tell you that part of what inspired my to put pen to paper on my story was coming out of the cinema one day and watching a particularly non scary movie (I will not divulge) decided i could write something much scarier so i started tapping away until i had a finished manuscript.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My story is about a big city reporter named Abigail Hirst and her trusted sidekick Jake a feisty terrier dog. Abigail returns to her hometown of Friendship as she inherits her Grandmothers antique shop Second Hand Rose after she had passed away. Abigail sets out to start a new life in the perfect chocolate box town she adored from her childhood setting up a new business and meeting up with her old friends and childhood sweetheart. However something doesn’t feel right to Abigail as strange events start occurring and something about the mysterious ancient wardrobe in the shop that she cannot open. The more Abigail starts to investigate more people start to meet grisly ends and she now has a race against time to try uncover a dark secret this town has been hiding for many years and a secret Abigail is going to have to confront her own past and family to get to the bottom of before it is too late for everyone.

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Deborah Fox Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With J.B. Kovacs

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Zurich, Switzerland and now live everywhere since I’m a PADI scuba instructor, currently in Tenerife. I don’t have any pets but I say hi to all the sea creatures I meet.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading when I was 5, started writing on a typewriter when I was 12 and wrote my first novel when I was 19 and never stopped since.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am massively into fantasy, spy novels and adventure thrillers. Some of my favorite authors are J.R.R. Tolkien, Ken Follet, Clive Cussler, Lee Child, James Rollins and many more. I get inspired by other books, things I see on my travels and movie soundtracks, without which I can’t write. Every movie, TV I see, every video game I played gave and gives me ideas for my books. But music for sure is the greatest source as I’m writing.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Zari and the Citadel is about a young girl who discovers the world of Realmwalkers and learns that her real parents waged a war against the founders of the Citadel she’s a student in. She uncovers secrets, mysteries while battling her fears of becoming like her father. She forges friendships and encounters her first enemies as she talks to dragons, fights with swords and learns how to craft things out of thin air. And the more she learns, the more she realizes how many more mysteries, ruins and secrets there are to unveil.

It took me a good full year to write it and another year to edit it into its final form. As always with Fantasy, the challenge is to do worldbuilding in a way to introduces the reader into the world but also leaves space for mysteries to be explored in later installments while also developing the characters to make them fully fleshed out.

Featured Interview With Sabrina Wiggins

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Well, let me paint you a picture! I hail from the charming little town of Summerville, GA, where the population is so small that everyone knows your name before you even introduce yourself. It’s the kind of place where “community” isn’t just a word; it’s a way of life.

But, these days, I’ve traded the small-town vibes for the bustling energy of Capitol Heights, MD. It’s a bit of a whirlwind, but I’m absolutely loving the city life!

As for pets, well, I’m the proud parent of four books. They’re not exactly furry or cuddly, but they do have their own unique personalities, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

You see, my journey into the world of publishing was inspired by the tiniest, most precious human in my life – my grandson, Aiden. He’s the heart and soul of my publishing company, and he’s the reason I put pen to paper in the first place. So, in a way, I do have a “pet” of sorts – a literary one named Aiden, who continues to inspire my work every day.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My bookish journey started way back when I was a bright-eyed fourth-grader. That’s when I stumbled upon the magical world of “The Babysitters Club.” Those series of books were like a gateway drug to a lifelong addiction to reading – in the best way possible, of course!

As for writing, well, that’s a bit of a middle school love story. You see, back in those days, I was already journaling like a pro. I’d pour my heart out about the ups and downs of each day, whether it was the triumphant victories or the epic failures. So, you could say I’ve been jotting down thoughts and stories for a while, even before I realized that I could turn my words into something that would inspire kids everywhere.

Who knew that those journaling days would eventually lead me to publishing not one, not two, but four books? Life is funny that way, isn’t it?

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My literary taste is a bit like a colorful bouquet of different flowers, I must say. I don’t have a single favorite author; I’m all about diversity, just like the children’s books I love to read to my grandson. You see, I believe in expanding young minds by introducing them to a world of voices and perspectives.

Now, for my personal reading, self-help books are my secret recipe for knowledge expansion. It’s like a daily dose of brain vitamins – always good to keep the gray matter in top shape!

As for inspiration in my writings, well, my initial spark was my wonderful daughters. They ignited the storytelling fire within me. But then, along came my adorable grandson, and I was on a mission to create stories with characters he could relate to. He’s my little muse, my source of endless inspiration, and my reason to keep those stories coming.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Let’s dive into the heart of my latest creation, “When My Dad Went to the Hospital.” This book is a slice of my own past, a glimpse into the time when my world turned upside down.

Imagine a rollercoaster ride, but instead of loops and twists, it was filled with emotions, fears, and resilience. You see, this story takes you on a journey through a challenging period in my childhood when my dad faced a life-threatening situation, the kind of situation that makes you question everything.

But here’s the twist: It’s not just a tale of adversity; it’s a testament to the strength of family love, the bond that can overcome even the toughest hurdles. It’s a story of triumph, of healing, and of reminding every young reader out there that no matter what life throws your way, there’s always a path forward.

I wanted to share my experience, not just as a narrative but as a source of hope and inspiration. Life after trauma is indeed possible, but I’ve learned that it’s okay to ask for help when you need it. And that, my friends, is the message at the core of this book. So, “When My Dad Went to the Hospital” is not just a book; it’s a journey, a lesson, and a reminder that, in the end, love and resilience conquer all.

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Sabrina Wiggins’s Website

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Featured Interview With Stuart Tudor

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in South Africa, spending most of my life in the beautiful city of Cape Town. I am not there now, spending my current years along the West Coast. I have two cats named Sparrow and Felix respectively. Sparrow is my beloved stalker who would die of a broken heart if I went on holiday. Felix is almost a wild animal but he is sometimes adorable.

Max is loyal to a fault and I love him like any man would to their dog. What can I say, I love animals.

I am currently a university student studying economics at the University of London and I work multiple part-time jobs to help fund my writing dream.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing when I was a child. I fell in love with stories ever since my dad read The Hobbit and Watership Down to me. Those two incidents have remained one of my fondest childhood memories. I started writing on and off since then, writing my first novel in my late teens. It was a fantasy story set in my original world and it was bad. I do want to go back to my fantasy setting as I have had fun worldbuilding it. At that point, I wrote two short stories as well, which are also bad along with some bad poetry.

I knew I needed to practice, and get feedback more frequently, so I came up with the idea of creating a horror anthology. This would become Eight Nightmares, a collection of short and novella-length horrors, three of eight are out now. The fourth: Our Broken World is in the sixth draft which is currently being beta read (hopefully) soon. I am looking forward

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
There are too many favorite authors for me to list here. Aside from classic authors like Mary Shelley, Margret Atwood, Gabriel García Márquez, Poe, Lovecraft, and Shakespeare. I also love more modern authors like Alen Moore, Kentaro Miura, Andy Weir, and Frank Herbert. I wish I could list and talk about all of them (don’t get me started on Tolkien) but there isn’t enough time lol.

I normally enjoy reading speculative fiction, so fantasy, science fiction, and horror among other aspects of the umbrella term. I love the fantastical and the dark, and I want to see what contemporaries can offer me along with what I can provide myself to the world. I want to be taken to a whole new world, the real world is boring.

I would say that the authors mentioned in the first paragraph are major inspirations, but inspiration can come from several places, from video games like Silent Hill, Bloodborne, or SOMA to movies like Jacob’s Ladder or Indiana Jones. I have also been enjoying manga recently, like Berserk or Uzumaki, I have been wanting to explore what non-western countries can offer for art, I can enjoy something from a unique perspective.

I should also mention some of the negative influences that push me to be better. One of my major motives for writing was when one of the writers for Game of Thrones- David Benioff said themes are for eighth-grade book reports. I am letting my anger at that attitude fuel my one-sided vendetta to prove him wrong. I know it is silly, but spite can be a great motivator.

I also follow the advice of Alan Moore about reading great and terrible books, which has led me to read rubbish like Empress Theresa because it is a great learning moment for me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
So my latest book is the third entry in the Eight Nightmares Anthology is Black Masquerade. It’s a novella set in 1929 where a group of characters host an engagement party for our protagonist Barbara. She is due to marry a Texas oil baren Dennis, but the party turns for the worst when a specter with dire warnings for the future invades the party. Barbara then learns of what history has in store for her and her friends.

Barbara herself was a fun character to write about, she had to be strong but also within the confines of her gender at the time. She also had to be motivated and relatable, something that proved to be rather difficult when writing elite characters. She came from nothing, rising to become the heiress of a manufacturing company during WW1, she knows suffering and wants to avoid it at all costs. But the specter might force her to admit that you can’t always avoid suffering.

I have been a big fan of gothic horror since high school and this is my attempt at it. Big inspiration from Poe as I would imagine him viewing history unfolding. Those who read Black Masquerade should be able to pick up which Poe stories I used as bluepoint tee hee.

This story took me almost a year to complete, primarily due to other obligations and drawn-out beta reading progress standards to hunting down beta readers online. It is a slow, tedious, often expensive business, but well worth seeing it published and even sometimes reviewed

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Stuart Tudor’s Website

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Featured Interview With Annemarie Musawale

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born and raised in Nairobi Kenya, I do not have a pet but I have a son; he’s an adult now and he’s adopted the neighborhood stray cats so there’s that.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was always a reader. there was no age where I started reading books. My mother was reading to me until I could read for myself.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am not one to have favorite genres or authors. I love good stories. I love imaginative, creative stories that I can’t predict what’s going to happen next. Those are my favorites. I do devour the Outlander series, and I loved Maria Doria Russell’s two children of God books. Of course, Harry Potter though she who must not be named is a bit of a disappointment. I love comics like Archie and Asterix. The play on words in Asterix and Obelix gave me my first appreciation of how words can be used to paint a picture.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is the fifth book in a series. When I started writing it five years ago or more, it was about this child of destiny and what happened to him after he was born. Now it’s diverged into relationships and how complex they are. I wish I had more time to just focus on it.

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Annemarie Musawale’s Website

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Featured Interview With Mary Ladd

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I collaborated with Anthony Bourdain and created The Wig Diaries: An Irreverent Cancer Book (2019) with illustrator Don Asmussen. The Long COVID Reader founding editor has written about meat clothing, withered sexuality, and pizza champions for the San Francisco Chronicle, Playboy, Wildfire, and the best-selling 642 Things to Write About and Lit Starts books and the best-selling 642 Things to Write About books. I am a proud We Wai Kai First Nation member and belong to the Writers Grotto.

I was born in San Francisco and raised California’s first capitol city. An adorable small rescue dog named Jerry provides unconditional love and the chance to walk and play.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Because my mom taught elementary school, we spent a lot of time reading and visiting libraries. Each summer meant I could read as much as I wanted, which I gobbled up.

My first piece was published in third grade, and I received a writing award a few years later. The coolest teacher in high school invited me to edit the school newspaper, and I continued to write and become more interested in food writing. Going to cooking school at age 29 seemed to be a great way to break into newspapers, and I went on to write for other publications, while spending my free time reading and learning.

I feel most comfortable in bookstores and libraries and love learning from readers and my fellow writers.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My greatest inspiration is at the Writers Grotto because our members try so many exciting things in their books. Members have won Pulitzer prizes and Guggenheim Fellowships and penned New York Times bestsellers, national TV series and movies. Notable alumni include Vanessa Hua, Jason Roberts, Tom Barbash, Glen David Gold, Ethan Watters, Ethan Canin, Po Bronson, Caroline Paul, Zara Stone, Vendela Vida, ZZ Packer, Roberto Lovato, Mary Roach, and Julia Scheeres.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Long COVID Reader: Writing and Poetry from 45 Long Haulers goes on sale November 15 and took an entire year of hard work and collaboration to publish. This anthology provides an unprecedented glimpse into the lives of 45 American COVID-19 long haulers and reflects broad demographics. As the world stands on the cusp of recovery, this piece of living history is a poignant reminder of the millions of people with Long COVID worldwide. It uses a patient-centric, experiential literary approach. The book is the brainchild of author and writer Mary Ladd, a one-time Anthony Bourdain collaborator who has had Long COVID since March2022. The Long COVID Reader
includes essays, stories, and poetry from Andrew David King, Pato Hebert, Nina Storey, Emily Pinkerton, Morgan Stephens, Nikki Stewart, Sonya Huber, Ann E. Wallace, Alexis Misko, and others.
The Long COVID Reader is a powerful testament to human strength and solidarity. Contributor Dr. Sabrina McQueen Johnson, a retired school principal, wife, and mother, says, “Being part of the first-everLong COVID Reader is significant because the pandemic was a firstfor the world, and our stories matter. This book is meaningful as it enables the forgotten Long COVID community to break their silence and contributes to the next phase of my healing.”

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Mary Ladd’s Website

Featured Interview With Carol Amon and Lawrence Kemp McGehe

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am proud to say I’m a Southern girl from Columbus, Georgia and Larry is a mid-westerner from Dubuque, Iowa, transplanted to Illinois. We were married in 1978 and have combined our careers and life experiences to bring a unique blend to our writing. We love to travel and have visited all seven continents and all fifty states, connecting with individuals across the world. We also enjoy mentoring young adults, whom we fondly identify as our “children.” Our only “child,” Casey, was a delightful, smart, and loving cocker spaniel, who we enjoyed for 14 years and still enjoy in our memories.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
We both grew up with amazing mothers who read to us from our earliest memories. We memorized books to the point that people thought we could read at age three! I had a poem published in college, but both of us first wrote primarily for professional journals and magazines. The journey of writing our first novel began in the early 2000s.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Liz Curtis Higgs, Francine Rivers, Melanie Dobson, Brock and Bodie Thoene, Elizabeth Musser, Tom Clancy

Tell us a little about your latest book?
• Tell us a little about your latest book?
In Search of My Heart, the first book of the In Search series, is a story told by Miriam, a young Jewish girl, who grows up in first-century Israel in the loving home of her strict religious family. Her fellow Jews bustle throughout their small village with a zest for life, but also with a clear disdain for the Roman soldiers who occupy their town. Miriam has definite views regarding her life and a strong desire for adventure in the world beyond her village.
Her life and expectations are shattered when she experiences tragedy at a young age. Bitterness and disillusionment replace the joy she has always known. Through a series of events interwoven with biblical accounts, Miriam is catapulted into the lives of scriptural women who have encountered the Messiah. Compelled by her curious nature, Miriam joins the women traveling with Jesus. Her long-held beliefs are challenged. Doubts, trials, and pain attack her attempts at faith. She questions whether Jesus could be who he says he is. She wonders if she can trust those who have been touched by him and more importantly, whether she can trust herself.
We get a glimpse at this time in Jewish history through the eyes, emotions, and thoughts of this intriguing young woman. Miriam helps us see ourselves in these ageless, yet very personal issues.
Some readers will be interested in reading this book to learn the history of this time and place and become more familiar with the geography of Israel and surrounding areas during the time of Jesus. For those readers, we provide an extensive body of notes and three different maps at the end of the book. Other readers may be more interested in the biblical context of the story’s events. In Search of My Heart has plenty of intrigue and a few surprises along the way.

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Carol Amon and Lawrence Kemp McGehe’s Website

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