Featured Interview With Gary Baysinger

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I moved around a lot growing up and spent a few years in Harrogate, England, where my novella takes place. I live in Oregon with my wife, two children and two ill-behaved dogs.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I spent six years living on the Marshall Islands as a child. We had no television, which I initially thought was the end of the world. It turned out to be a blessing because it introduced me to reading and watching movies. Those two things influence my writing. I began writing in 2016.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Rosamunde Pilcher, T.C. Boyle, Paul Bowles. It’s no accident that my book is titled A Kind of Homecoming. I absolutely loved Rosamunde Pilcher’s Coming Home. I have terrible reading habits and will pick up random books that I find laying around the house or something that was recommended to me. I love reading books and then watching movie adaptations. I am inspired by books, movies, comic books, and songs.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My next book is a multigenerational family saga that starts in France and takes the reader to Germany, Russia and America before, during, and after World War Two. It’s based on research I did into my family’s Alsatian roots. I always wondered what happened to the Baysinger’s who remained in France. My family traveled to France in 2018 and we visited the tiny village where my ancestors lived. That trip inspired me to write my novel Margaret’s Last Prayer, about a young girl named Margaret who married a farmer named Jacob Baysinger and watched one of their sons emigrate to America.

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Featured Interview With Patrick Higgins

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Pennsylvania, but I have lived in Florida since 2008. I also lived in California for a brief period of time. At the age of 20, my twin brother and I moved to Hollywood with dreams of becoming rock stars, of all things. Needless to say, it didn’t work out for us. Never in a million years would I have ever imagined back then that I would end up being a Christian writer. In fact, if someone had made a list of the top 100 future professions for me, being a Christian writer would have been placed at the very bottom of the list. God sure works in mysterious ways…

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
When it came to reading books, I was a late bloomer. But once I started reading, I couldn’t stop! At that time, I mostly read biographies of those who ultimately became captains of various industries, and self-help books. After a while, I started reading novels by John Grisham, David Baldacci, and others like them. But even then, I never thought for a second that I would ever write books. It wasn’t until I went to Sanibel Island and saw a massive banyan tree sandwiched in between a bunch of pine trees that I felt inspired to actually write a novel, which ended up being “The Pelican Trees”. On some levels, it’s still my favorite book.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I still enjoy reading good works of fiction when I have time (which is rare), and I love reading non-fiction Christian books that were written by some of the world’s greatest theologians – past and present. But, without a doubt, the Book I read and listen to the most is the only Book that matters (at least to me), the Holy Bible.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My last book was released on 03-28-23. It is the eighth installment of the multi-award-winning “Chaos in the Blink of an Eye” end times series. The story begins with a famed college football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines. But as the football was kicked into the snow-filled sky, long-foretold Bible prophecy came to pass, causing many inside Michigan Stadium to vanish into thin air without a trace. It was just the beginning of things to come, as life as humanity had known it was forever changed in the blink of an eye…

To date, more than 12,000 positive reviews have been posted online about the series…and counting. Once completed, there will be 10-12 books. I also wrote “The Pelican Trees”, “Coffee in Manila”, “The Unannounced Christmas Visitor”, and “”I Never Knew You”, which have also received multiple awards, praise God!

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Featured Interview With Chanell Finley

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Natchez, MS and raised in Vidalia, LA. I currently reside in West Monroe, LA. I have a maltipoo named Mixzy.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was around the age of 9 when I realized my love for reading. I became an avid writer of poetry around the age of 12 and stopped around age 16. I have always loved journaling and began writing again in 2020.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love Priscilla Shirer, Stormie Omartian, Joyce Meyer, and Bruce Wilkinson. The late Dr. Myles Munroe is one of my favorites as well.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In Women’s Anxiety Devotional Workbook, I share how anxiety challenges one’s faith and prohibits one from living the abundant life Jesus promised. I also share my personal story of my own struggle with anxiety in the introduction and I then provide effective techniques and resources I found beneficial in my own journey to overcoming anxiety throughout this workbook.

Through straightforward and easy to follow exercises, I uniquely intertwine a Christian approach with my clinical expertise to teach Christian women how to manage stress with God’s Word and other tools.

I created this workbook as a resource for Christian women who desire to learn to manage anxiety through faith. My prayer is that God will use this as a tool to help each reader learn, grow and experience victory in every area of their life.

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Featured Interview With Britney Bell

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a 23 year old striving entrepreneur and college student. I am a devoted believer and follower of Jesus Christ and I lead others to Jesus. I love creativity and arts. I am the founder of Scrapbooking Club at Charlotte and Christ Centered Co. I am a singer, songwriter, actress, author and model. I will be graduating from UNC Charlotte in May 2023. I love traveling and inspiring others.

I was raised in Atlanta Georgia and lived in other parts of Georgia, Kansas and ended my childhood in North Carolina.

I live in Charlotte, NC. I am currently studying Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

I don’t have any pets, however, I do desire to have a pet in the future.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
In the 3rd grade, I started to love books so much that I’d write my own plays and in 5th grade I started making a comic book with my friend.

I began writing in the 3rd grade. I kept a diary and I would carry it with me wherever I went and I’d always document my life. I carried this into my adulthood. Tales of a Wildflower gives an account for my journey from heartbreak to healing. It shows how I went from boy to boy, trying to find a man who would love me for who I was, finding love in myself and finding out and developing a relationship with Jesus for myself.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love reading Shubricca L Bell, my mother who is also an author, Karolyne Roberts and other local upcoming artists. I love when local authors show me their books and I am happy to read them. I love authors who tell their stories; their testimonies inspire me to overcome my struggles.

My favorite genres are self-help and poetry books. I love these books because I can relate to them and they help grow me into a better person.

Jesus is my inspiration. I long to hear from Him and I let Him lead me when I write. I also think of myself and what I am going through and also the situations around me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
After my Dad left my life when I was 5, I didn’t realize how much I missed having a father around. I had fallen off of a ferris wheel at age 4 and my Dad stopped coming around after that. Later on in my life, he would just “pop up” once a year or whenever he wanted. By the time I became a pre-teen I was tired and I understood what was happening. I began to look for love in boys. I wanted my boyfriend to care for me in ways that my physical father didn’t and love me in ways that I never was loved before. I ended up in a disaster. We broke up but somehow I would end up messing around with the same type of boy and I experienced the same pain over and over again but worse each time until I realized that I needed to change and I truly deserved greater than what I had previously chosen for myself. I decided to turn my life over to Jesus and I found a Father, Husband, and all I ever needed in Him. I also learned to love and appreciate myself for who God designed me to be. Tales of a Wildflower is a collection of poems that I wrote between the ages of 18 to 22 years old. During this time of early adulthood, I saw many struggles, specifically with heartbrokenness and pain from choosing the wrong men and not properly loving myself and God first. This collection of poems are divided into three chapters: Chapter 1: Losing you and finding me, Chapter 2: Healing Seasons, and Chapter 3: Thoughts and Conversations. Throughout this book, I tell the reader my darkest secrets and how tragedy has somehow bloomed me into a bright and bold wildflower. Although I was pressed and left for dead, Jesus found me, saved me, and watered me, and I still turned out to be someone wonderful and beautiful and He’s still doing it!

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Featured Interview With Louise Watkiss Lucas

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Writer, designer, and Architect. Author of three novels, short stories, a children’s book, and a biography of the artist Gillian Watkiss.

I was born in an old Cornish cottage in the rural parish of St Levan.

Dylan Thomas lived there before his marriage to Caitlin.

My parents then moved to Zennor, a remote coastal village where D.H. Lawrence and his German wife, Frieda, had a cottage during the first world war. At the time, and because of Frieda’s background (she was related to the infamous Red Barron), the locals suspected them of spying.

The relevance these famous writers have to my story is, precisely… none whatsoever. They are just interesting facts about two elite literary figures I considered worth bandying about in this biography. I’m not saying our closely shared geographical history has, in any way, enhanced my own literary talents.

However, I’m sure Dylan and Lawrence would have really enjoyed my novels had they lived long enough to read them.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As soon as I could read, from the age of four, I loved books and stories.
When my two sons reached early adulthood, my work as an architect took a back seat, and I started to write with serious intent.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
The authors I read and admire are too numerous and diverse to mention in this short blurb.
Douglas Coupland, Scott Fitzgerald, Laurie Graham, Thomas Hardy, Knut Hamsun, P. G Wodehouse, John Irving, A.M Homes, Iris Murdoch, Charles Dickens… and the list continues.
All good writers inspire me to write and also, sometimes, to give up.
My favourite genre of writing is contemporary fiction.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is a collection of contemporary stories resulting from a personal challenge.
In 2022 I decided to write a short story a month.
Greasy Joe’s & Other stories evolved from that starting point.
The inspiration for the stories comes from personal observations of people in the town where I live, current affairs and overheard dialogue.

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Featured Interview With Louise Watkiss Lucas

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My latest book is a collection of twelve short stories.
The genre is contemporary fiction.
At the beginning of 2022, I decided to write one story each month.
Greasy Joe’s & Other Stories is the resulting book.
All the stories stem from my observation of people, current events and daily life.
However dark the story, I like to inject humour.
I use dialogue to tell the story in the majority of my writing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
From the age of three or four, when I first learned to read, I loved books and storytelling.
Writing with real intent only began when my children grew up, and working as an architect took a back seat.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite authors are too numerous to mention in this short blurb.
Here are just a few, in no particular order.
Douglas Coupland, Laurie Graham, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Scott Fitzgerald, Iris Murdock, A. M Homes, John Irving.
The list goes on and on.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is a collection of twelve short stories.
The genre is contemporary fiction.
At the beginning of 2022, I decided to write a story each month.
Greasy Joe’s & Other Stories is the resulting book.
All the stories stem from my observation of people, current events and daily life.
However dark the story, I like to inject humour.
I use dialogue to tell the story in the majority of my writing.

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Louise Watkiss Lucas’s Website

Featured Interview With Lavelle Miller

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a United States Army Veteran. My MOS was Military Police. I have been married for ten years and have four crazy kids. Something interesting about me is have had three MMA fights, competed in jiu-jitsu matches, and have my own podcast, The Brave Way.

I was born and raised in Nashville, TN. I currently live 30 minutes outside of Nashville.

Yes! I have a Goldendoodle named Smokey.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was really big into reading when I was young. When I was in school, we had prizes for the top readers. This might have influence me the most (laughs).

What inspired me to write this book was Nanowrimo 2022. I liked the challenge to see if I could write 50k words in a 30 day span. I actually finished the first draft in 10 days.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Tom Clancy and Lee Child for sure. Thrillers are my jam.

I honestly would say my past and current interest are what inspire me the most. I find it easier to write about things you know about.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Your Turn is about a police officer who was framed for the murder of another police officers. However, its not that cut and dry. Seven House, the main character, was the best detective his police department had. A case he was working on revealed something interesting about a few of the police officers…I’ll leave it there. You’ll have to read the book to find out more.

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Featured Interview With Yvonne Blackwood

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am the author of four non-fiction books and three children’s books. I was born and raised in Manchester, Jamaica. I have lived in Toronto, Canada for forty-seven years. I have no pets—no dog, cat, fish, or iguana.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I began attending school (infant school they called it) from age four. I think I became fascinated with books then. I started writing articles for publication in 1998 after I returned from my first journey to West Africa. I was honing my writing skills in preparation for my first book, Into Africa: A Personal Journey.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read extensively, so I have several favorite authors. I’ll mention Maya Angelou, John Grisham, Michael Ondaatje, and John le Carre. Maya Angelou and Pearl Bailey inspire me in my non-fiction writing.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
About College Life of a Retired Senior, Blueink Review writes:
“Blackwood’s appealing attitude and resilience keep readers turning pages, rooting for her success. Ultimately, this is an inspiring story of an older woman’s quest for knowledge.”

A brief synopsis of the book: Seven years after she retired from a lengthy career in banking, Yvonne Blackwood surprised her friends and family by returning to school at age sixty-four to pursue an English degree. Her purpose was fueled by four powerful reasons—to add texture to her writing; to ward off dementia; to enhance structure in her life; and to inspire her two young grandsons to continue their education after high school. But as she stepped onto the campus of Canada’s third-largest university, Blackwood had no idea of the hurdles she was about to face.

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Featured Interview With Eva Tillman

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised on the East Coast, regularly swimming in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and loving every minute of it. I considered living in several regions of the United States before I finally settled in the West with its palm trees and almost constant sunshine. I love to read, eat, and help others feel good about themselves.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have been fascinated with books since the age of 8. I engrossed myself into the books, to the point that the characters became real.

As a teenager, I started writing poetry. It was a way to express my innermost feelings. And the thought of publishing did not occur to me until I was almost 50 years old!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love to read Shakespeare. He did not seem to allow himself to be confined by time or subject. He simply wrote and wrote and wrote.

I mostly read psychology books though. I am learning so much about myself.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In my first and most personal work, “Dear Mom” (A letter I will never send, to a mother who who would never read it anyway), I do my best to write as if I am writing to the inspiration for the book, my narcissistic mother. Perhaps one day I will deliver the book to its rightful recipient. For now, I enjoy the liberation of having poured out my true feelings.

Although I was writing about my own life, it took me a few months to complete the book because there were difficult subject matters – abuse, neglect, depression, PTSD, sexual assault. But writing it was definitely therapeutic.

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Featured Interview With Rodney D Roby

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in the panhandle of Texas for most of my young life. I moved to Wyoming when I was 18. and I have lived here ever since. I live with my wife of 20 years, and I enjoy gardening and cooking, and building and creating things with my hands.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Funny thing, but I was never fascinated with books. I have always had a hard time reading. But I started writing things when I was diagnosed with several mental illnesses around 1985.
When I was first diagnosed with a mental illness, I sought after information that could tell me just what in the world was happening to me. There was nothing. Or at least I didn’t find anything. I wrote these letters to my first psychiatrist so she could see inside my head. To see all the fear, confusion, hurt, and multitudes of thoughts that hounded me. When I read these letters to my wife, I actually cried. I completed this book with a prayer that it will help people who suffer to understand what they are going through and see that there is hope. Also, so people can understand what their loved one is going through. Prayerfully, this book will help doctors and counselors.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
If I am reading, it has to be something that really interests me. So, I read the Bible, of course. I also like books on cooking, gardening, mountain living, and martial arts.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Paralyzed Emotions is a deeply personal work sharing letters revealing years of psychological torment written to my psychiatrist as I suffered through breakdowns, severe chemical treatments, and repeated psychological crises. I share my journey with the hope that my experience can help others overcome their own mental health challenges.

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Featured Interview With Jon Sparks

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’ve always lived in the North-West of England: born in Macclesfield, raised in Lancaster. I now live in Garstang, Lancashire, with my partner Bernie and several bikes.
I’ve been writing fiction as long as I can remember, but for many years I made my living as an outdoor writer and photographer specialising in landscape, travel, and outdoor pursuits, particularly walking, climbing, and cycling. I’ve won awards for my writing from the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild.
Three Kinds of North is not the first novel I’ve written, but it’s the first to be properly published. And it’s just the first of a series, The Shattered Moon.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love reading, and I can’t really remember a time when I didn’t write stories.
I have a misty recollection of one about a boy called Ajax who lived on a space station, which certainly would have been written while I was at primary school. I know I submitted something to Gollancz when I was an undergraduate, back in the days when it was home to much of the best SF around (and when it was a genuine family firm, not an imprint of a corporate giant). I think I know which story it was, but I can’t be sure. It wasn’t good enough, anyway.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Let’s start with the genre question. I read all sorts of books (and I think that’s vital), but my favourite since childhood has been science fiction. As in my own writing, though, I take a broad view of what counts as SF.
A selection of favourite authors would include Ursula K Le Guin, Iain (M) Banks, Kate Atkinson, Becky Chambers, Dorothy L Sayers, Terry Pratchett, Kim Stanley Robinson, and (going back to childhood) Arthur Ransome.
My single greatest inspiration is Ursula K Le Guin. I love most of her books, from early ones like Planet of Exile to The Dispossessed. I have a special fondness for Malafrena, but the one that made the biggest impression on me is The Left Hand of Darkness. It was and is a great book, but its impact on me went beyond that. I also came across it at just the right time, some years after its first publication in 1969. I’ve often described it as my first grown up SF read (which is not to say that none of the SF I’d read before was grown-up stuff). It nailed, once and for all, the myth that SF doesn’t do character; it focused on sociological rather than technological themes; and it offered some wonderful descriptions of landscape and outdoor experience, guaranteed to resonate with me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
‘Three Kinds of North’ is Book One of a series called The Shattered Moon. Early reviewers have described it as ‘absolutely captivating’ and ‘enthralling’. A post-apocalyptic background, with those shattered moons in the sky, makes it Science Fiction by definition, but there are no rockets or robots here.
Early versions first emerged over twenty years ago, and slowly grew into a very long novel which I’ve now split into two. ‘Three Kinds of North’ is the first and the second, ‘The Sundering Wall’, is scheduled for publication in August 2023. The division of the two came fairly naturally, and also allowed me to flesh out certain aspects of both books.
Three further books in the series are well advanced and I’m planning to publish them at six-monthly intervals. I have partial drafts of two more as well as a collection of short stories set in the same world.
Here’s a very brief blurb/microsynopsis:
Growing up in a remote village, orphan Jerya finds a new home in the Dawnsingers’ Guild, which oversees the slow recovery of civilisation under shattered moons. She’s exhilarated by learning, and by the discovery of love, but her new life soon turns sour. Can she resolve growing doubts about the very basis of the Guild’s rule? An agonising choice looms, but new discoveries may also lie in prospect.

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Featured Interview With Mistie House

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi, I’m Mistie!

I’m an everyday Christian woman who is a loving wife, creative mom, and child of God. Along with being a two-time Award-Winning author and painter, I’m an illustrator and host of the Beloved Bride Christian podcast.

I’ve published three books and am launching my next children’s book June, 2023!

My women’s book, Emergence: How to Experience Beauty and New Life in Dead and Dark Places, was awarded first place in ABR’s Book Excellence Award Contest for best in Christian Faith and Living Category/Genre.

My most recent children’s book, Let Us Rejoice, was a third place winner in the Spring 2023 The BookFest Awards.

My passion is to guide gals to walk with the King through my testimony, teaching, and storytelling and help women EMERGE into who God’s created you to be!

I love spending time laughing and socializing with family and friends, exploring new destinations with my husband, and camping with our children.

I grew up out in the middle of “No Man’s Land” in the Oklahoma Panhandle. I now live in Amarillo, TX with my amazing husband Chris, and am a mother of two precious daughters—my shining jewels. Tobi is our adorable, yorkie puppy who keeps us bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Ironically, I never liked reading as a kid. My teachers had to bribe me with the Pizza Hut BOOK IT! Program to get me to read—This Italian girl would still read for pizza! 😉

It wasn’t until after motherhood that I must have finally grown up, and fell in love with reading Christian books, then writing them.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love all things Christian!

I enjoy Lysa TerKeurst, Christine Caine, Lisa Bevere, Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore, and especially Jimmy Evans, Founder and President of XO Marriage.

I’ve spent years learning from Pastor Jimmy Evans, who used to be senior pastor of the church I attend at Trinity Fellowship Church in Amarillo, Texas. By far, he has been the greatest inspiration in my writings and is still heavily involved in our church and speaks there often—lucky me!

Pastor Jimmy Witcher, author of “Kingdom Come” is now the senior pastor of Trinity Fellowship Church and one of my greatest inspirations as well.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest published book is my children’s book “Let Us Rejoice: Rejoicing in the Day the Lord Has Made” which I also illustrated.

“Let Us Rejoice” invites readers to follow one little girl’s journey as she travels through time, soars through seasons, and hops through holidays, rejoicing in the day the Lord has made.

I’m launching my newest children’s book “The Perfect Prize: How Jesus Showed Me The Way” on June 6, 2023.

“The Perfect Prize” is about a little girl who can’t wait to go to the Fair in search of the perfect prize! However, her story takes an unexpected twist and turn when she finally arrives.
Just when she thinks she’s found the perfect prize, she loses something else!
In the end, she discovers something even better and more valuable than what she was hoping to find in the beginning.

I can’t wait to share her story soon!

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Featured Interview With Francis H Powell

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live in France, Moret sur Loing, close to Fontainebleau and about fifty minutes by train from Paris.
I was born in Reading in Britain. I lived a lot of my adult life abroad. I have a wonderful dog called Bertie, who is a rescue dog. The only problem is, he doesn’t like other dogs!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I suppose when I was sent away to a boarding school. I started writing when I was living in Paris. I started writing short stories.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like Roald Dahl. I like quite a range of different genres. I am inspired by different things, with my present book, it was a drawing my son did.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
It’s a children’s book, but it can be enjoyed also by adults. It is called The Fish King and the Two Wise Ghosts. It is full of quirky fishy characters and is about a king who can’t find a suitable wife and who meets some unsuitable would-be queens along the way. The second part of the book is about his son and his adventures. It took me a year to write and to create the images that go with it. There are over 30 images that go with the book. I wrote it as a long poem at first, then decided it should be changed to prose, then decided I wanted to keep some of the poetry.

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Featured Interview With Cory Allen

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Cory grew up in rural western Pennsylvania before a divorce between his parents moved the family to a conservative suburb of Richmond, Virginia. He got his first job at fifteen at a family restaurant and bar. He soon found his voice and love for music and took steps to become a performer, even traveling to Nashville, TN to record in a studio. He ended up in the U.S. Air Force, which led to a career in local law enforcement. However, this meant hiding his sexual orientation.

In 2009, Cory quietly married his first boyfriend and came out to his family. He was later hired by the U.S. Secret Service as a Special Agent and sent to Miami, FL, working high level protective assignments and criminal investigations. He and his husband relocated to Washington, D.C., but extensive Secret Service work weakened the relationship. In 2019 at the pinnacle of his career, he left the Secret Service and everything he knew on the east coast to restart his life in California and begin the process of finally being his own person.

Cory continues to reside in California with his partner where they are plotting their way into parenthood.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Around the age of 30, when I was seeking LGBT literature and fell in love with David Sedaris. I have always written a little here and there but Breaking Free was my first full attempt writing at a book.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Augusten Burroughs, David Sedaris, Steven Rowley, and a host of memoirists.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Breaking Free is a deeply personal yet candid saga of a gay Secret Service Agent in the Obama era; an agent who was struggling with his own identity, marriage, discrimination, and balancing the demands that accompany being assigned to protect the most powerful people in the world.

Cory Allen delivers an amusing view into his adventurous life, with abundant historical and pop-culture references, twists and turns of his relationships, and an inside look into life as a gay Special Agent in the hyper-masculine career field. Through intense self-reflection he recounts the impacts it had on his life and the hardships imposed by a career in the spotlight.

At the pinnacle of his career, he left the Secret Service to restart his life in California and begin the process of finally being his own person. Struggling to break free from societal norms, creating his identity apart from his all-consuming profession, and learning to listen to intuition are at the heart of this memoir.

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Featured Interview With Mary Brotherton

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Mary Brotherton, the 2022 Prestige-award-winner is known as the Angel Author. She is the founding president of bUneke, an educational charity. As the editor-in-chief of bUneke Magazine and the director of bUneke Radio, she is privileged to interview remarkable people and work with writers, editors, photographers, filmmakers, podcasters, interns, and experts worldwide. When she’s not managing the administrative side of the nonprofit, fundraising, or mentoring others, she’s writing, painting, or illustrating children’s books. She is also working on several of her novels, fiction and non-fiction anthologies, scripts, and guided meditation journals.

The fourth of eight children, Mary grew up in a small, rural town in South Carolina, where she also raised two sons. She and her second husband currently live in Florida, after starting life together in Atlanta. They are the sole possession of an orange cat born in 2004.

When they moved to Florida, Mary quickly joined the writing community and was deeply involved in the local and statewide organizations, until she founded her own private writers’ critique group.

She worked on “Go with Angels,” her debut memoir for 40 years before publishing it. Two weeks after its launch, she was inspired to create “My Angel Book,” for children and spent only four months from idea to publication. The inspired idea for “A Journey with Angels” came to her days before she launched the children’s book.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My mother said I was editing cereal boxes when I was four. I don’t remember not writing, whether it was short stories, book reports, or school essays. I think I may have been scribbling before I was born.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love to read Dean Kootnz, Steven Coonts, Sylvia Browne, Elmore Leonard, Jim Butcher, Diana Galbadon, Erma Bombeck, Lynn Grabhorn, O Henry, Hemmingway, and the local indie author. I enjoy reading memoir, poetry, thrillers, mysteries, fantasy, spiritual, and sci-fi.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My current work in progress was inspired just two weeks before I received copies of my second book, which was inspired two weeks after I released my debut book. Perhaps I should start over. In October, 2022, after 40 years of agonizing and organizing, I published “Go with Angels,” a collection of short, true stories about near-death encounters, miraculous moments, and angelic encounters, as well as a few conversations with departed loved ones. As soon as I announced the book, one of my nieces bought a copy. Two weeks later, she ordered another copy for her three-year-old granddaughter, who kept taking grandma’s book. When that book arrived, my niece called to tell me how happy the little girl was and we talked about my next book project. With half a dozen children’s books, several themed anthologies of short stories, two novels, and some scripts, my next project could have been anything. However, I felt inspired to write a book about angels for children, since her granddaughter loved the memoir so much. Four months later, thanks to some divine inspiration and the artistic help of A.I. , I was selling copies of “My Angel Book,” but two weeks before receiving my first copy, I was further inspired to create “A Journey with Angels,” which is a guided mediation journal currently being written (May 2023). Will there be a fourth angel book? Stay tuned!

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Featured Interview With Samuel Rose

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hello – Excited to do this interview! Thank you for the opportunity. Well, I grew up in a small town in western Colorado and life has been strange from the git-go. To that point, I just started a semi-autobiographical series on Vella and would encourage you to check out Freckle Constellation. In Episode 1, “What Can We Know,” you find out about a life-altering experience and life-long puzzle for my family. I cannot explain it, but it may involve aliens. *sigh,* I know.

These days, I am on the Front Range in Colorado, choosing “the quiet life of a country bumpkin” in the words of a writer friend. Back in the day, I did a fair amount of adventurous travel, including living near Mexico City for a few months on a trip to Panama (by car). Have also lived in the Philippines and have a scar to prove it.

I have never had any pets, but have been owned by *many* other animals. My cosmovision is a hybrid of Western science and Mesoamerican shamanism–and when you feed, protect, provide medical care and give love to another being you have to wonder who owns who. These days, my “owners” include some geese, chickens, dogs, cats, wild neighbors, and a bunch of trees that require me to haul their water. Yes, most of the trees have names. *sigh,* I know.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Very early. I remember Dick & Jane, Cat in the Hat, etc. Probably the first book to really hook me, was “The Forgotten Door” by Alexander Key. I started writing as a kid–a diary. But, it got snatched and read by alleged family. I learned not to write down my thoughts.

Then, in 1985, I was living on my own and started writing again. This was the start of a 37-year journey to write the Scout Report Universe. Not a typo. Not a lie. Thirty. Seven. Years. Ok, about 1991 life happened, and I dropped the project, with 2.5 unpublished books to show for the effort. Then, in 2011, life happened again. This time, due to injury, all I could do was write. So I restarted the project.

By the end of last year (2022) I finished the project. That included eight books (five published publicly; three kept private because [reasons that are actually part of the story!?!], plus the separate diptych of SORYANA’S SPEAR and HEVIN’S SPEAR.

Wow! Can you imagine what it was like to finally finish that project? It was truly a pivotal time in my life. It was such a huge and mesmerizing story, that I couldn’t let go of it until I had done my best to try and communicate to others what I had seen in my mind’s eye.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Have lots of favorite books and their authors. It’s all about the story, for me. The story stands alone. The story is not the author (unless an autobiography?). The first few that come to mind: “How I found Livingstone,” by Stanley; “The Conquest of New Spain,” by Bernal Diaz; “The Forgotten Door,” by Alexander Key; “Tom Sawyer,” by Mark Twain; “Odysseus,” by Homer; “Jonathan Livingston Seagull,” by Richard Bach; “A Separate Reality,” by Carlos Castaneda; “Dandelion Wine,” by Ray Bradbury.

It is not really a genre for me. I like to read books that feed my soul in some way. What is attractive to me is a story that is something I have not seen anything like before, is remarkable, is memorable, and provides thought-provoking abstract truths.

Who inspires me? I’m pretty cynical these days. But sometimes we humans manage to bring forth a whiff of that ancient remnant aroma of virtue. That is inspiring. Would honestly say that inspiration comes from within. Not as something that is a part of the person or owned by the person. More in that the facility for perceiving that inspiration is found in the soul, and so when we perceive it, it always seems to come from within even though it is not a part of us, per se.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Scout Report Universe

Brace yourself for an epic story that takes place in an alternate Universe…but then something unimaginable leaks over into ours. The diptych of SORYANA’S SPEAR & HEVIN’S SPEAR take place in two universes (not alternate timewaves–SciFi writers, do better). These two books are the only ones currently in print, but the plan is to re-release the other five as prequels at a future date.

The whole saga started when the apex species of the Scout Report Universe conquered a planet whose living soul is named Soryana. These great quasi-material creatures travel through the Universe spreading life in the form of biospheres that they grow.

They are horrific discarnate dragon-like beings, whose wings are nearly a mile wide when spread. There are forty-eight in their pod. No other species in the universe can stand up against them. They hyperdimensionally inhabit the core of their target planets, feeding off the emotional and soul energy of life they cultivate on the planetary “skins,” with the assistance of deities they create to manage that life.

The oldest of the deities knows his lease on life is running out, and contrives a plan to with the favor of The Builders, in the hopes of extending it. He will grow a hue-man soul over eight lives in multiple timewaves, and then they will balloon-animal contort that soul in four dimensions to create a new tesseract-type of spiritual being: star-sail being. That being will be able to travel vast distances pandimensionally and find the information that The Builders can use to fix a pesky problem they have: entropy.

One problem: when The Builders arrived on the planet hundreds of millions of years ago, Soryana cried out into The Void. Something unimaginable heard her. Wheels were put in motion. In the depths of space, a most unlikely angel that was injected into their universe…changed his course. Soryana, who is slowly being consumed, raises up her warriors–including the soul(s) that Lord Uman is manipulating–to try and defeat The Builders. A wolf crosses their paths.

These books are available on Amazon (see https://linktr.ee/samuelroseauthor in bio). There is also a short story series spin-off on Amazon Vella: World’s Edge Neighborhood.

Are you a Scout?™

[Thank you so much for supporting #indieauthor’s! Please take time to follow me here and on Twitter: @SamRoseAuthor. Your like/share/comment/follows & books/subscriptions + reviews…? …Have a huge impact on the lives of #indieartist’s of all kinds. …Probably one of the highest ROI acts you can do personally. Did you know that?]

The Noble Angel Ryquori (aka “Grey Wolf”) incarnated as a modern canid: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AOM3H7cokowKFpzya4oA95SKFgP5WoHB/view?usp=share_link.

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Featured Interview With Faith Abraham

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am Faith Abraham. I am an award-winning author, entrepreneur, philanthropist and animal activist. I believe every child has a right to education and healthy life. My mission is to empower children around the world through my books.

I live in Canada with my grandma, mom and pets Sparkle (our dog) and Penny and Darkie (our birds).

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As a baby I love books and love when my mom read to me. I started writing at 3 years old. My first book Superhero Faith was published the day before my 4th birthday. I like to share my experience with others to help them improve and enjoy their lives.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I enjoy reading and listening to Bible Stories and Curious George books. I’m inspired by life; my experience and message go together so every day is a story waiting to be told.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Doctor Faith is my latest book. It’s part two in my series. This book is based from my experience when my grandmother had cancer. When my grandmother was going through her treatments Sparkle (my dog) and I, helped her get better. We made sure she exercised (go for little walks when she felt good), ate healthy (made smoothies, ate vegetables and drank water), made sure she took her vitamins (what the doctors gave her) and showered her with lots of love and affection.

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Featured Interview With Au’loni Media Group, LLC

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and a small town outside of Dallas, Texas. Almost 21 years after leaving, I returned to Philadelphia, where I currently reside. I have one dog and he’s truly my baby. I used to laugh at Dog owners who said that but once I got my dog, I noticed they really do become an intricate part of your family structure. I’m the Chief Visionary Officer for Au’loni Media Group, LLC and we were most recently selected as a Marquis Who’s Who in America, received the 2022 Philadelphia Award in the areas of Business and Coaching, and inducted into The Philadelphia Media Founder’s Exchange with The Lenfest Institute of Journalism. In addition, our podcast #BlackWealthIsBack was rated #13 of the Top 90 Podcasts for “Black Wealth and Finance” by FeedSpot.

We focus on merging traditional media with modern technology. Through Broadcast, Digital, and Print. We minimize the gatekeeper’s influence over the voice of the underrepresented and disenfranchised, to better strengthen our global community. To date, we’ve written 3 books. The Melanoid Chronicles: Encyclopedia Series which is the first encyclopedia series in the new millennium for the African Diaspora. We’ve also published two titles under our “mini-eBook series” called, Seafood for the Startup Soul and The “Strategy” in Struggle.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was 5 years old when I won my first writing award. It was a short poem about God that I submitted to my mosque. When I wrote it, even at such a young age, I felt the release that it caused and that was the moment, that my infatuation with putting “words to paper” came from. Soon after, I became engrossed in the creative ways that you can use words as expression and internal release. So, I started reading everything that I could get my hands on. So my fascination with reading actually started with writing which is rare, it’s usually the other way around.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, J,K. Rowling. I also love Augustus Burroughs and the new error of some of my favorite celebrities titles such as Tina Fey, Issa Rae, and Ellen DeGeneres. As a child, it was R.L. Stine and Judy Blume.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Our latest books are, The Melanoid Chronicles (Collector’s Edition): Encyclopedia Series and The “Strategy” in Struggle which is Part II of our Mini-Ebook Series.

The Melanoid Chronicles: The inspiration behind it was to change the trajectory of how black history is told and documented for all members of the African Diaspora, in hopes that our future generations will NEVER experience what every generation before them had to endure by not being told or knowing their history and having the ideas that only slavery defines them in the U.S. In 100 years, our stories of today will help shape the ideas of our children and how they value themselves. This is a “historical piece of art” to lay the groundwork for future generations.

The “Strategy” in Struggle: The inspiration behind this was to revive the “Chicken Soup” books into a new age and new technology with a focus on inspiring entrepreneurs and innovators since this is the industry that is fueling a new economy.

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Featured Interview With Gwen Kelly

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Canada and moved to the US in 1998. I currently reside in Atlanta, GA. After losing my Lucy Lu – a black with white markings pittie-mix in late 2022, two days after her birthday, I decided to foster a dog that had been in the shelter the longest – over three years! I am working with him on being his best self which is hard for a 4-year-old dog who lived tied to a tree with an embedded collar to then being put into a shelter for three years but he is doing an amazing job. He currently has someone interested in him so the stars may be aligning for him and the rest of his sweet days! When he is adopted, I shall get another longtimer. My goal is to someday have a sanctuary where animals can come and live out the rest of their days in peace.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved writing but had set it aside until my 50’s. A teacher in grade 6 shattered my dreams of pursuing writing after a story I thought was good, was given a less than favorable review. It sometimes takes years to realize that stories are personal and that while they may resonate with some, they may not resonate with all. You have to just keep forging ahead and become the best writer you can be for you and for no one else.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love detective and crime mysteries, so Michael Connelly, David Baldacci, Steve Turow are all favorites. As a Scorpio, I believe we have an innate sense of mystery and creating a mystery so inspiration would come from these authors.

Then there is Jess Loury and Robert Dugoni. I’ve moved away from self-help books, but back in the day Eckert Tolle would definitively be a favorite.

As a children’s author, I love to tell stories that children can learn from to help them be the best version of themselves. Incorporating animals and how they need our helps hopefully will take hold to make our future better.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Life Lessons of Lucy Lu – Book One – Lucy Lu Gets Adopted

Children’s Book – Ages 5 to 8

We are introduced to Lucy Lu, a shelter dog who has been waiting for years to get adopted into a loving home. Book 1 tells the tale of her getting adopted and the life lesson she learns.

The book series will cover all sorts of wonderful life lessons as she journeys through life with her new Mama.

A portion of net profits will be donated to Georgia SPOT Society to aid individuals in spaying/neutering their pets.

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