Featured Interview With Jeremiah D Davis

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a 18 yr old student at Morehouse College. I was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 16th, 2000, and I moved around the city during my childhood. I spent the most time in Homewood, Illinois, and then went back to the city to go to King High School. I lived with my mother and grandmother for the majority of my life, until my grandmother passed in my freshman year of high school. During my senior year, my mother and I got a dog, who we named “Ciera.”

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
From the time I started to going to school, I started reading a lot. I got more into books when I was in fifth grade. I started writing stick figure comics when I was 11, and began writing short stories when I was 12.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I prefer to read fantasy and adventure books, but I also like to read books about the experiences of black people. Those such as Toni Morrison, Scott Westerfeld, and Clarissa Clare have influenced me the most in the subjects of my writings. However, if I were to really say who inspired me, it would be me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest published book is about the remainder of humanity trying to survive against four colossal and mythical creatures. These creatures represent different aspects of nature, and the book revolves around a man who is within this society who is being solicited to kill these creatures. The book is meant to be a cautionary tale about what will happen to humanity if we continue to disrespect the planet.

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Featured Interview With Erik Seversen

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was a bit of an awkward kid growing up, but I had huge dreams. Born into a middle-class family in a suburb of Tacoma, Washington, everything about me was average, but I simply decided not to live an average life.

Chasing my dreams has led me to over 80 countries around the world and 49 of the states in the USA, it has allowed me to graduate from UCLA undergraduate and the University of Virginia for grad school, to hitchhike from London to Zaire, and live with a remote Indian tribe in the Amazon. Chasing dreams continues to allow me to push limits by climbing mountains having summited the highest peaks in nine countries and eight states.

I now live in Los Angeles with my wife, two kids, a snake named Buddy, and a few fish.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was a late bloomer when it comes to reading, and I really didn’t read as kid, but when I hit my junior year in high school, something clicked. I fell in love with academics and reading. Having to make up for a lot of lost time, I was reading sometimes two books a day, and the love of reading has not left.

It was also during my late teenage years that I began to write. I started documenting fascinating experiences in short stories, and a few of those same stories are now included in my current book of narratives called Ordinary to Extraordinary.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
The first author that really struck me was Edgar Allan Poe, and he greatly influenced my early creative writing. A bit later, Jean-Paul Sartre and the French existentialists influenced both my thoughts and writing. Currently, my favorite authors include out-of-the box thinkers like Tim Ferriss, and I mostly read biographies and entrepreneurial success, but I still love good stories particularly about adventure in the mountains.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Ordinary to Extraordinary is my first completed book. It is about adventure, chance meetings, and unexpected results. It is also about love, struggle, and finding meaning through meeting amazing people and being alone with my thoughts. It is also about continuing to chase dreams, even impractical ones.

I began writing short stories from my life as early as sixteen years old, but finally when I had collected a number of them, I realized that it needed more, so I spent the last three years reorganizing the book and in weaving a larger narrative related to how belonging and purpose are pillars of a fulfilled life.

Ordinary to Extraordinary is a book of true first-person narratives about my life, but as much as the book is a memory of my multitude of adventures, it is reader-focused, attempting to show in reflective chapters how extraordinary is available to all of us. We just need to open the door to it.

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Featured Interview With Sarah Norkus

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi fellow readers,
My name is Sarah Norkus and I grew in the Bluegrass state and horse country…Lexington, Kentucky. Mt father was the editor of a horse-racing magazine. Nine days after I turned eighteen I married Michael Norkus…now a retired army officer. It was, to me, the adventure of a lifetime. We were stationed in multiple states and twice overseas, in Germany. We’ve retired just south of Richmond, VA, where I write Christian novels, and my husband hunts and goes fishing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I became fascinated with books at the age of five, especially horse themed books, such as ‘The Black Stallion’ and ‘Misty.’ Unlike most authors I did not have that burning desire to write from a young age. My father was the writer…and I was an athlete. At the age of 48 I penned my first book, an inspirational/creative non-fiction, and henceforth I was hooked. Who knew I had such a vivid imagination…certainly not me.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love suspense and murder mysteries. Preston and Childs, and Lee Childs are among my multitude of favorite authors. My inspiration comes from my father in Heaven. To him be the glory and his son, Christ the Lord.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In ‘The Wildflower Gazebo’, Sophie and Aaron suffer a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions the summer after their senior year of high school that rips their love to shreds. Fourteen years later, they are suddenly thrust together when the skeleton of a young woman is discovered in a well on Sophie’s farm and Aaron is arrested for her murder.

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Featured Interview With J. W. Barlament

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in a lovely little trailer home in the rural Midwestern United States. Thankfully, I now live in a house on the same property. I am a high schooler with grand ambitions and an iron will, and I have made writing my claim to fame for now. I also engage in many other activities, such as drumming, philosophizing and exploring nature. I do have a few pets, including the intimidating yet lovable dog Balto and the majestic yet slothful horse Calibur.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was raised in a home that cherished reading, which I am eternally grateful for. I began reading as soon as I could read, and writing came the same way. I have simply always had too many intriguing ideas for them to not be written down. It has been about fifteen times now that I’ve tried to write a book. I failed thirteen of those times, but that matters not. Once one finds success, there is never any point in brooding over the failures of the past.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
For the longest time, I tried to entertain myself with the fast-paced and quip-filled fantasy of today. I eventually found it tiring, though, and turned my attention to the classics. Not once have I ever turned back. I have always preferred grand tales of fantastical worlds, and in my opinion, this type of story is told best with the writing styles of old. I like to think of Homer, Lovecraft and Tolkien as my greatest influences, as their detailed and storytelling has captured my imagination like no one else.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, The Agony of an Age, is an intricate tale of power, warfare and torment. Continuing the saga set up by its predecessor, The Plight of a People, it presents three more riveting stories of uninhibited hardship.

In Part I, the immortal philosopher Rahdain is thrust into a life of turmoil as he attempts to prevent a cataclysmic war. In Part II, the struggling king Hallmund faces down rebels, zealots, invaders, and inner demons alike in a maelstrom of misery. Finally, in Part III, the simple villager Reolus strives to save his family from both a bloodthirsty murderer and the unending menace of nature.

The Agony of an Age is a fantasy epic filled to the brim with political intrigue, pressing issues and personal perseverance. It harkens back to an era of mythic beasts and inhuman masters, never letting itself dawdle into mundanity. And, at the same time, it stays focused on the tribulations of the human spirit that drives and unites us all.

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Featured Interview With Dartanya A Williams

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in the very turbulent ultraviolet drug and gang infested part South Philadelphia with his three brothers. By my mid-teenage years, I went from fighting the gangs to joining one but after the tragic death of one of my close friends a transformation occurred in his life.

I inherited the gift and continued the tradition of storytelling. Hearing a lot of street tales I began to write short stories at the age of 12.

I also began drawing cartoons as well. I went from ex-gang member desiring to fulfill all of my hopes and dreams of becoming a musical artist getting involved in the Hip-hop scene as a deejay to make extra money while still holding down a job.

Dreaming of one day becoming a writer or a famous artist.

I also began deejaying because of his love for hip-hop music. After high school, I studied graphic arts. MY talent led him to a high paying job at a graphic art house. While working I continued to build up my skills by writing stories about urban injustice, misfortune, and the joys of living life. Writing stories and working to survive until one day my wife Margaret and family members suggested he should turn his stories into books. It sparked his passion and Dartanya began writing full-length novels. He poured his heart and soul into his books.

A strange twist of fate, I suffered an accident on the job getting hit by a car not able to walk for months. I had to learn how to walk again during that period I turned tragedy into triumph completing eight novels and hundreds of short stories from dark gritty street tails that range from odyssey to wild fantasy roller coaster. Adventurous journeys in other worlds to deep introspective tender novels about relationships new love, lost love in this some time happy and unforgiving metropolis we all live work and play. Throughout it all embarking on his literary journey. I am blessed with the knowledge of knowing his purpose.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
At the 12 I started reading with Malcolm X biography and writing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Donald Goines, James Elroy, Walter Mosley, Chester Himes.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I wrote in honor of my father who was a veteran and dealt with PTSD and drug addiction. I wrote to reflect on the veterans from Afghanistan wars and the side effects of it.

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Dartanya A Williams Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With Tamyara Brown

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Tamyara admits her journey has not always been easy raising a family of six. She has faced obstacles from being Homeless to surviving Breast Cancer. She also cares for her son who suffers from a rare Kidney disease Focal Segmental Glomersclersois and Nephrotic Syndrome who is currently on dialysis and awaiting a kidney transplant. Yet, this has not stopped her from having tunnel vision and looking for the bright light ahead. She took her pen and began her career writing poetry, short stories and finally completed three full novels. Her debut Novel Blue’s Treasure which is currently sold on Amazon and Barnes & Noble has earned eight five star reviews on Amazon. She has another novel which is exclusively on Wattpad called the Gatekeepers of Secrets. Soon to be released is Fat Girl Vigilante and B.L.A.H Diaries( Broke, Lonely, Angry & Horny)

Some of her accomplishments has been being published in three anthologies, Domestic Violence Anthology VOICES BEHIND THE TEARS, her Blog Tamluvstowrite “Writing her way into your Hearts and Minds” (www.tamluvstowritegroup.net) was also featured as Blog of the Month for January 2012 in Writer’s POV Magazine. American Cancer Society Anthology “Live Life: The Daydreamer’s Journal” and her two poems have been published in the anthology, Homeless Cry. She was a contributing writer for DreamPathways2success magazine (online Magazine). She has won 2nd Place in the UBAWA First Annual Poetry Contest. She has been a contributing writer of B.L.O.G Magazine. In August, 2014 she will be published in another anthology called, No Face. You can find feature articles about her in Imani Wisdom’s Blog Pink Noire Lounge (http://pinknoirelounge.blogspot.com/2…) As well as being featured on Jeane’ Elliot Bennett’s At Home Biz (http://toyourfuturesuccess.blogspot.c…)

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
At the age of five, I fell in love with Cinderella and I was hooked on reading a book. I started writing at eleven. I knew it would be my passion and purpose.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Eric Jerome Dickey, James Patterson, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker

Tell us a little about your latest book?
B.L.A.H Diaries
Zenobia McCall thought she beat the odds of being just another girl on the IRT and foster care system. Coming from living in abandoned buildings and escaping the guilt she gave her mother HIV by sticking a dirty needle in her arm. She believed marrying Kenny would break the curse on her life. Now with four beautiful children, her best friend Charles who lives with them in a beautiful home and a hardworking husband. Zenobia is pretending life is perfect.
Suddenly their youngest daughter Kennedi is diagnosed with leukemia and on the same night, Zenobia catches her husband sleeping with her best friend, Charles. Now faced with caring for an ill child, an out of control teen daughter and twin boys terrorizing the neighbors. She has to deal with betrayal, divorce and keeping her husband’s lie alive or losing everything. Just when she thinks she will be broke, lonely, angry & horny forever a charming doctor will help heal her heart. When Zenobia’s estranged mother returns it open old wounds and makes Zenobia face the past and accept help when needed.

B.L.A.H Diaries is sure to take you on an emotional rollercoaster that teaches you it can turn every mess into a beautiful masterpiece.

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Featured Interview With Michael De Sapio

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised and still live in beautiful Alexandria, Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC, although my family is originally “New Jersey Italian.” I am a great lover of cats and have a tabby named Regina.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always liked books and reading. I loved writing stories as a child, from as far back as the first grade. Oddly enough, though, it wasn’t until some time after college that I realized I wanted to pursue writing as an occupation.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am particularly inspired by the great writers of the Christian tradition, from the Bible all the way through G.K. Chesterton (especially his book “Orthodoxy”), C.S. Lewis, Pope Benedict XVI, and others. Chesterton had a way of combining lightness and profundity that I admire. I also enjoy humorists and journalists from the early-to-mid-20th century: Robert Benchley, P.G. Wodehouse, and others. The book I most recently finished was Oscar Wilde’s “Picture of Dorian Gray.” But I rarely read fiction and usually confine myself to books about history, religion, and culture.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“The Incredible Life of Joey Coletta” is special in that it is not a book per se but a screenplay. I think of it an homage to the classic domestic situation comedies of the 1950s and ’60s – shows like “Leave It to Beaver,” “Father Knows Best,” “The Andy Griffith Show.” I was raised on those old shows and have always admired their wisdom and charm. My screenplay is about an average young boy named Joey Coletta, who auditions for a family sitcom in Hollywood on a whim and wins the lead role. We follow him as he deals with the trials and tribulations of child stardom in the late 1950s: temperamental directors, unscrupulous entertainment journalists, as well as his parents’ crumbling marriage. The story is full of whimsy and charm, and is at times very poignant.

Featured Interview With A.H, Lueders

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Palatka, FL but moved to Jacksonville with my mom when I was about two and have been here ever since. I have an orange tabby kitty named Ember. She is such a goofball. I swear she things she’s a dog. She loves playing tag and chase instead of sitting on laps or by the window.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved reading. I used to read while on the city bus with my mom. When I had down time at my job as a teenager I would read and all of these people would come up to me saying “What? Aren’t you supposed to be on twitter or something?” Haha

As for writing, I started around middle school. I was very shy and often afraid to say how I felt. Writing was my way of living a different life through other characters.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I can’t say I have favorite authors. I enjoy so many it’s hard to narrow them down, especially when you like so many different books. As a teenager I was VERY into Darren Shan. I would love to reread just about anything he wrote.

I enjoy poetry, fantasy, coming of age, horror, and lots of other genre’s. Those would probably be my favorites though.

As for inspiration, that stems from whatever I’m experiencing at the time. It could be pain or joy or old emotions stirred from a memory. I’ll watch my friends and family experience life and wonder what it would be like to feel how they feel.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Kaleidoscope is pretty much my diary in a sense. It covers so much of my life and so many aspects of myself. It’s a testimony of beauty stemmed from tragedy. It’s not just the writing, but also the art that makes it special to me. When I can’t find words, I often draw so that I can still find a way to make sense of my emotions. Kaleidoscope is my way of connecting my story to others. I want people to know that they aren’t alone in how they feel. There’s a whole community of others who may have experienced the same pains they have. Honestly, it’s my hope that someone will be able to point to a page and say “This is what I’ve been feeling” and then maybe be understood a little bit better.

Featured Interview With Becky bishop

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Windsor, Berkshire and have lived in Bracknell, Egham Surrey, Worthing West Sussex, halwill devon and cheltenham. I currently live with my grandma near the new forest In Hampshire. I love animals and have had 4 cats but no pets at the moment

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My love of books began at a very young age thanks to my mother who would always read to me and with me. As a child some of my favourite books were Enid Blyton particularly the famous five series, Beatrix potter and the secret garden. I have always loved writing and have been writing poetry for the last four years and for the past year and a half have begun writing my family history stories

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love all genres but particularly crime and ww1/2 sagas. Some of my favourite authors include Carol Rivers, Donna Douglas, James Patterson, Karen Rose, Karin slaughter, rosie archer, Ellie Flynn, jo Thomas. My poems are inspired by my relatives who died in the two world wars of which two were war poets themselves Julian Grenfell and Ivar campbell

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book At The Going Down of the Sun which I have published in time for Remembrance Day and the centenary of the end of ww1 is a collection of poems about World War One and Two some of which have been inspired by my relatives who died. The book also includes black and white pictures from a Battlefield Tour I went on in France and Belgium

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Featured Interview With Barbara Monier

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and have been a resident of the Chicago area for thirty-eight years now. For thirty-two years, I lived in an old house in the Chicago “suburb” of Evanston. My newest novel, Pushing the River, was inspired by real-life events that happened over a four-month period. The book is partly an homage to my time living and raising my family in that house. The house plays a central role; some reviewers have described it as a character in the story.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Possibly Dr. Suess inspired me to write. I began writing at a very early age, literally in crayon, on sheets of notebook paper I stole from my older brother. I illustrated the stories myself, and bound them into little booklets. Mischievous monkeys appeared in a lot of the stories, as well as giraffes – who for some reason were always very wise. I did not read voraciously as a kid, in the way that many writers do, but books had huge meaning to me. A book for children about Helen Keller, for instance, influenced me tremendously. The moment when Helen finally understands the concept of words and spelling – and that this understanding can open up her entire world – I likened that with the power of writing and books. The power to open new worlds.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My answer to this undoubtedly changes, but my favorite books by my favorite authors that come to mind today would be: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, The Cider House Rules by John Irving, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. There’s a great deal of commonality among them. They are all beautifully written, full of sentences that I lingered on, and read over and over. Each of them incorporates a lot of social commentary and weaves it seamlessly into a captivating story. The overall conception of each of these novels is so breathtaking that I tear up when I even think about them.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I was really honored to have my new novel reviewed for goodreads’ Readers’ Favorite by author Grant Leishman. Let me tell you what he said:

Pushing the River by Barbara Monier is a family drama that highlights many of the difficulties we all face in our busy lives as we try to hold our families together, especially as our children grow and leave the nest to spread their wings. Madeline is a typical suburban middle-aged mother. Now in her mid to late fifties, with her ex-husband departed several years ago and her children grown up and living away, she lives alone in the big, old house she grew up in. Despite its size, Madeline uses just a few rooms, with the remainder still containing the memories and collections of a family’s lifetime. Over a short period of time, Madeline’s solo and lonely existence begins to change. She meets a new man, who then suddenly decides he’s moving in with her and an empty house begins to fill, as first her daughter-in-law and then her daughter-in-law’s pregnant fifteen-year-old sister arrive, seeking help. Suddenly Madeline goes from being all alone to managing a new relationship as well as providing comfort for a teenager and her baby. Madeline faces the upheaval and the associated angst with a mixture of terror and determination as she seeks to “push the river” and meet all her family’s needs and demands, whilst still looking after her own self.

This could well be the story of any modern family, broken by dislocation and divorce. As a Mother, Madeline feels the need to hold her fractured family together and to keep and recreate the many traditions that defined them as a family. I particularly enjoyed author Barbara Monier’s description of Christmas together, as the new cast of characters sought to compete with and dispute the traditions of Madeline and her children, who had also returned home for the holidays. Looking at Pushing the River, as a social commentary on the family structure, I have no doubt many readers will identify with, particularly Madeline and the struggles she has to begin a whole new adventure at an age when she should be relaxing and enjoying the fruits of her labour. I particularly enjoyed the flashbacks to Madeline’s mother and Madeline’s life as a child, which shaped the woman she was today. This is a very readable book and one that reminds us that we are not alone in our own struggles with family and the desire to keep it together and alive. Madeline’s abiding love for others is what comes through most strongly in the narrative and I am sure we can all identify with that.

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Barbara Monier’s Website

Featured Interview With Elli P Hunt

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My life could easily be divided into chapters, the early years when I came aware we lived in the hill country of Tennessee. I spent most of my time exploring the forest around our home and learned how to tell stories to entertain my siblings. Later we moved back to Wisconsin, we lived in an area surrounded by the sand prairie with sand burs and prickly pear cactus. There was the river that ran through ancient out-wash of the last great glacier that created a lot of backwater sloughs and lakes. Can you imagine a better place for young kids to live and explore. It was a Tom Sayer kind of life.

I went to college and earned a Master’s degree in education. Taught until I was old enough to retire and then decide to write and publish some of my stories. Backing up just a bit, my skills in telling stories which were often applied to avoid getting whacked on the rump for some mischievous act I could not avoid turned into writing. I was fortunate enough to have a wild imagination that refused to be strapped to the seat of a desk during lessons that were so boring it provided me with a way to survive. Now then, when I entered into higher education and you must remember that for my fokes and many of their peers, a high school education was often a luxury that they couldn’t afford. So going to high school was a privilege that I did not take lightly and decided to put my best foot forward. It was there that the writing of some of my stories were acknowledged to have some potential. I feel in love with literature and couldn’t read enough. I was pleasantly surprised to find many kindred spirits of authors who stirred my interest in writing and in education.

I wrote stories while I was in college, learned about the framing of a story and recognized that if I put effort into it, I could write a good story. Of course that is my own humble opinion but often supported by those that I was lucky enough to have as teachers and professors.

The next chapter was about my years as a teacher and it was quite a shock of how the world looked from the other side of the desk. I quickly learned that it is no simple task to maintain the attention of twenty-five or more students especially when they were what we politically called, “reluctant learners”. That was when I came to know what Karma was and just in case I was to forget, I was given many reminders through out my teaching profession.

The chapter that is being written is about my life as a retired professor/teacher and finally taking the leap into writing and publishing my own work. To no surprise I do now as I did when I was a young mischievous youngster, that is to say I leaped without looking. I quickly discovered that I need to do the taming of my own shrew and that is no easy task but I am assured that with repeated failures comes success.

What I enjoy about writing is when the story just flows out of someplace into my keyboard. I realize that I have snagged something when the characters in the story begin to have their voice and readily take charge of what should be printed. I love taking the time to explore the depth of their character and can convey their personality into the story. If I’m not careful they can wrangle the story away from me, that isn’t always that bad of thing as they are better equipped to tell their story than I am.

My first published novel is Stolen, (Lynn’s Story), yes she wrangled it away from me. It is a fictional account of a dark period in her life when her mother was abducted from her home. There was no trace of what happened or where she went. They lived in a small city in a farming area of southwestern Wisconsin. This took place in the early seventies, it was a different world then than what we have now. No cell phones or personal computers, and as a writer that actually lived through that era it was interesting to go back to visit that time in my own life. It was startling to realize how much technology we take for granted today that simply didn’t exist then.

I think one thing I try to stick to, is to write what I know. So, I don’t see myself writing science fiction or stories about New York or Europe and many other places in things that I have no experience with. I grew up in a small communities, usually farming was the main economic staple. I try to draw from my own adventures that I have experience. If you like small town stories, you might like mine. I do try to stay true to the characters and sometimes they can lead me into dark places that I’m not comfortable in. It is a challenge sometimes, but to be true to the story and character I feel that I have to convey even the dark side of life.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I think it was shortly after I gained adequate reading skills I discovered new worlds in the books that I read. I couldn’t get enough and often had several books under my arms when I came home from school.
My first experience of writing would have been in my seventh grade literature class. I don’t remember the name of my teacher, but I loved how she would engages in discussions about the books we were reading. It was in that class that we were first encouraged to write our own short stories.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Wow! There are so many. I love the classics, Shakespeare and his plays were a who new experience for me and I loved all I could get my hands on. I love reading books by Thoreau, Dickinson, Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, John Steinbeck, Mark Twain seem to resonate a great deal with me.
I also like historical books, Upton Sinclair gave me awareness of social injustice. There are many others that I can’t think of at this moment.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Stolen, (Lynn’s Story) is my debut book. I have described some of that already but, I can share some other aspects of that book.
First, the book as it is now never crossed my mine when I sat out to write this story. My initial concept was pretty mundane, meant to be about a girl growing up in a small town and the episodes of mischief she got into. But the story had roots that ran deeper than that and it was apparent to me that I wasn’t in charge anymore. I found that sweet spot where the characters become alive and situation becomes real. I was in fact a rider in this story as it unfolded before me. It is quite the experience when a story connects with me like this. It is also very draining and that is why it took so long to write. That and a lot of rewrites, revisions and corrections.

In the end, I feel that there is a story here of substance, yes it is gritty and at times heart-wrenching. The strength of the character, Abi amazed me. Her will to survive even when she had fallen into despair she always found that her will to live was deeper than she realized. It was quite a privilege to get to know her and then their is Lynn who witnessed and lived through this whole traumatic episode of the history of her family, her life.

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Elli P Hunt’s Website

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Featured Interview With Steve Hill

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born round the corner from John Lennon before the Beatles were famous. After a varied career in retail, outdoor pursuits and education my wife and I moved to Brittany in 2005 to concentrate on writing more and working less. Of course life got in the way and things didn’t quite work out according to plan. We made the classic mistake of buying a house that was too big, too old and required way too much renovation. Fortunately we managed to sell it and buy something that gave us back our free time and isn’t a money pit.
Presently I teach part time at the local University, teaching English to Journalism students, which I really enjoy. Leaving the rest of the time for writing.
The hardest part of living over here is being so far from family and friends.
The final piece in our domestic jigsaw is an unruly dog called Floyd.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I suppose I always love reading. As a child it was Enid Blyton’s children’s adventures. I loved the freedom the children enjoyed without parental influence. It was Lord of the Rings that led me on to reading the Norse Sagas I suppose that inspired me to write about different worlds. Very different to what I’m writing about at the moment.

I remember being about fifteen and writing in the evenings in the back room. I was always too shy to share my writing with anyone at that time but every night my dad would bring me a mug of coffee at nine o’clock. It’s the little things like that showed their love and support.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Most of the time I read non fiction histories. I love reading about the Classical world, but I do binge read thrillers. I love Jo Nesbo’s books but also weird stuff like Jasper Fforde – I guess it’s appeals to the inner Blyton reader in me.
One of the things I love about ebooks is you discover new authors all the time. You never know what the next click will bring.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Concentric Darkness is the second book in the Annie Taylor series. It starts two years after the events of the first book, Breath Thief.

The plot develops and expands some of the issues originally explored in Breath Thief. Many of the characters reappear but also introduces a whole new cast.

When I finished Breath Thief , and I mean even as I was saving the document a voice bounce inside my head in Tilly’s voice ‘I don’t want to be Holly anymore…’ I couldn’t get rid of it and the more I explored why she would be saying that the plot took shape.

Writing Concentric Darkness was amazing, it only took a year to write the original narrative, then another five to refine, edit and overlay some of the themes. Rereading it just before publishing I realised that in many ways it’s quite autobiographical – but exactly how I’m keeping a secret.

Featured Interview With Elias Morning

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Lubbock TX, i went to Monterey High School, graduated from South Plains College. I live in west Texas with my family and i have a dog named Duck.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I fell in love with books when i was in the 10th grade. Late bloomer. I found it easier to pick a book up and read it when you aren’t forced to do so. I started writing small papers in college, but have alway wrote out plot lines and characters that would make for a good story.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love Lee Child ,Larry Mcmurtry , Bruce Campbell, David Morrell, and many more. Auto biographies are also a big part of my library. My inspiration come from anybody who has ever said “You only live once.” It’s true. Do something that you enjoy.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
‘No Mercy in July’ is not your typical western. Not that i dont enjoy most westerns, but far too many appear to be the same. I wanted something different. I wanted something that could lead to a series of picks wheee it didnt matter where you pick up at each book could be the beginning you start with.

The characters of Cole and Hill are by far and above different from your usual western heros. Both men couldn’t be further apart in race and personality that it draws them together. It’s their relationship that makes the book a real page turner.

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Elias Morning’s Website

Featured Interview With Colette Tozer

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live in Little Egg Harbor with my wonderful husband, Rodney and my spoiled Chiweenie, Nala.

I have a passion for writing (and coffee) that has guided me all throughout my life. I love all kinds of stories and coffee, with a strict persuasion towards hazelnut coffee.

After formulating a story for over a decade, I finally released my debut novel, Family Tithes along with the formation of my production company; Serial Writer Productions.

When I am not writing, I read, obsess over (and rant about) my favorite television series, bake tasty treats and sing along (terribly) to my favorite songs.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing when I was ten years old. I have always been fascinated by stories. So, when I got old enough to be somewhat coherent in my writing, I started creating my own stories. They were terrible, but they were mine. I wanted to be an author before I even knew it was an occupation.
My mom explained that you could get paid for writing books and I was thrilled. My dream just got better.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love to read Sandra Brown and Lisa Jackson. I love the way they are able to craft an intriguing story. My favorite genre to read is anything suspenseful. I enjoy learning how other authors handle suspense and I am incredibly character driven. Therefore, I enjoy books that create solid, interesting characters.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Moraless Pride: Ash is a book that contorts the perception of its characters. It’s a story about survival and the struggle to find worth in life enough to continue surviving. It’s a story about pushing a person to their limit while exploring the instinct to stay alive. Every character in this book is designed to defy their presumed, social roles.
Moraless Pride: Ash is the first in a series, that follows different characters in their pursuit of freedom. Whether that means freedom from financial burdens, family, power restraints, or the law, is specific to each character. I started Moraless Pride over a decade ago. The idea developed out of the characters. Ash was the first character, followed by Malvin and a few others that will be revealed now, in later books.

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Featured Interview With Lise Gottlieb

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
LISE GOTTLIEB, International Bestselling Author, Award Winning Speaker, born in Denmark, creator of Biz Boost Formula, Wholesome Health Tips, Awesome Paleo Diet, is a Marketing Expert, Serial Entrepreneur, Business and Health Editor, Motivational Speaker and Coach.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
LISE GOTTLIEB, International Bestselling Author, Award Winning Speaker, born in Denmark, creator of Biz Boost Formula, Wholesome Health Tips, Awesome Paleo Diet, is a Marketing Expert, Serial Entrepreneur, Business and Health Editor, Motivational Speaker and Coach.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
LISE GOTTLIEB, International Bestselling Author, Award Winning Speaker, born in Denmark, creator of Biz Boost Formula, Wholesome Health Tips, Awesome Paleo Diet, is a Marketing Expert, Serial Entrepreneur, Business and Health Editor, Motivational Speaker and Coach.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Biz Boost Formula will help you to increase sales for a higher profit in as little as 2-3 months.
Written by International Bestselling Author, Marketing Expert, Award Winning Speaker, Business Coach and Serial Entrepreneur Lise Gottlieb, who has created many successful businesses and coached business owners all over the world

Featured Interview With R. J. Eastwood

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Over my career, I have written, produced, and directed both feature films and television programming and everything in between and have been honored with over 75 industry awards along the way. To date, I have published six books, four of which are nonfiction. My first novel (as Robert J. Emery) was chosen as one of the top five finalists in the Next Generation Indie Books Awards. I now write under the pen name R.J. Eastwood. My last novel, “The Autopsy of Planet Earth”, received the 2017 Authors Circle Novel of Excellence Award for Fiction, and the 2018 Readers’ Favorite Gold Award for Science Fiction. New released “Midnight Black”, a thriller with dark overtones. I invite everyone to visit my author web site… www.robertjemeryauthor.com to learn more or to communicate with me.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
At around 13-14 years old I began writing short stories. In my early 20’s I wrote TV commercials and documentary films, then moved on the screenplays (eight produced into movies) and TV productions (over 140 hours produced). After retiring from active production, I turned to writing novels. Currently available is the award-winning science fiction novel “The Autopsy of Planet Earth,” and soon to be published “Midnight Black”, a thriller.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I enjoy authors Steven King, Cormac McCarthy and Lee Child. They all inspire me. I’ll read any good novel, no special genre, just good stories.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The best way to tell about my upcoming release is to post the synopsis here. The title is “Midnight Black” and it’s one heck of a thriller if I say so myself.

At age 27, Billy Russell’s promising career as a narcotic officer abruptly ended when he cold-bloodedly and violently executed the man who committed a heinous crime against him. He is sentenced to 20 years hard labor in total isolation from the outside world. With no explanation as to why, he is suddenly released on parole 5 years short of his full sentence.

Returning to a world foreign to him, he finds a one-world government of autocratic billionaire’s control of the planet. A merciless, but isolated nuclear attack has spread primal fear among the populace. Fearing a nuclear holocaust, an international economic meltdown follows. Millions have succumbed to drug addiction to escape rampant poverty, crime, and disease.

As a condition of his parole, Billy is assigned to a government drug enforcement unit in Boston, but soon makes a gruesome discovery of the unit’s true mission. If he refuses to participate he will be returned to prison and isolation. Within two-weeks of his return, he is approached by a secret underground dissident group calling itself Volte-face (Reversal in Policy) that plans to overthrow the authoritarian government, implement worldwide democracy, and a return to the rule of law. Reluctant at first, Billy eventually joins the movement to end the demonic reign of tyranny, only to discover there is more going on than meets the eye.

Midnight Black is a fast-paced, action packed thriller in the tradition of Lee Child.

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R. J. Eastwood’s Website

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Featured Interview With Paul Heingarten

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live in the New Orleans area, Louisiana! Born and raised here. There’s always something happening around here, and plenty of chances to be creative!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
It was during grade school for me. The choose your own adventure books were an early inspiration for me. I wrote here and there in my early users, in a creative writing class, and then later in college I worked for the school newspaper writing reviews for music and movies. As far as writing the short stories and novels I’ve published, that began around 2010.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I write primarily science fiction, but read from a broad spectrum of genres. I’d even include some films in there as well (scrips have to be written, right?). Authors I enjoy and have been influenced by include Elmore Leonard, Arthur C Clarke, Douglas Adams, Quentin Tarantino.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Settling Darkness is book 2 of my Valkyrie Chronicles series. The main story of this series centers around two people, Ana Crucinal, a 23-year-old woman growing up in the year 3192, and Nelson, an author living in modern day New Orleans who has written a science fiction novel. If only it were fiction.

Ana is among many amid a fight between Lebabolis, a nation that has arisen from the ashes of a decimated North American continent, and the Omegans, a mysterious race of aliens who have taken a big interest in the people of Lebabolis. Ana Crucinal is one of the citizen “Products” of Lebabolis, literally bred and trained for a specific purpose. She joins the Action, the Lebabolis resistance, and journeys across time to find Nelson Forrester before others with more sinister goals can catch him.

Settling Darkness involves the next phase of this fight, and a search for Cataclysm: a deadly weapon that, if found by the wrong people, could be used to bring the Earth as close as it has ever been to final annihilation.

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Paul Heingarten’s Website

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Featured Interview With R.J. Eastwood

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Robert J. Eastwood. I write novels under the pen name R.J. Eastwood. I was born and raised in Rhode Island, but have resided in Florida since 1970. I spent my entire adult career writing and directing motion pictures and television programming. After retiring from active production, I turned to writing novels full time. You can learn more about me and my writing at www.robertjemeryauthor.com

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Actually, when I was 13-14 I began writing short stories. I continued while serving in the Air Force. Once back in civilian life, I turned to writing screenplays, and the rest as they say, is history.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Cormac McCarthy, George Orwell, Steven King. I love biographies but also enjoy a well-written novel in the thriller genre.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The best way to explain my new book is this brief synopsis.

Former-narcotics officer William Evan Russell executed the man who raped and murdered his young wife and was sentenced to twenty-years in total isolation. Paroled five-years early, he is shocked to learn Pakistan’s nuclear attack on India has sent the world into a downward spiral of poverty, crime, disease, and rampant drug addiction. A one-world government, ruled by an autocratic billionaire, controls the planet. Approached by dissidents planning to overthrow the authoritarians, he joins forces with them to end the reign of tyranny.

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R.J. Eastwood’s Website

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Featured Interview With Matthew Rockwood

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a native New Yorker – born and raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan where I continue to reside along with my wife and two sons. After a brief career as an attorney, I realized the profession wasn’t for me, so I decided to change careers and become a teacher while also pursuing my passion for writing. My novel SCHOOLED! is based, in part, on my real-life experiences teaching in an inner-city public high school. I am a graduate of the Writing Seminars program at Johns Hopkins University and I received my JD from Boston University School of Law. I am also an avid swimmer and a poker enthusiast.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always enjoyed reading. When I was a kid, I gravitated toward science fiction (Ray Bradbury, Issac Asimov, Michael Crichton) and books that explored social issues (Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, Harper Lee). I started writing seriously in college where I was lucky to be a part of the Writing Seminars program at Johns Hopkins – but I would say that as great as that program was, the most important thing for aspiring writers is to live life and have experiences that take them outside their comfort zone. It is really important to study people and to expose oneself to persons from all walks of life, all political persuasions, and from as many different cultures as possible. Otherwise, I think it would be difficult to create interesting characters or to see life from more than just one perspective which would be very limiting as a writer.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I think it is important that writers – and all artists – are people who think about the human condition and who have something to say about it. I think all great art is compelling on many different levels. In writing, one level is that the story you are telling is interesting, well-paced, and well structured. Another is that the characters you have created are authentic and likable – even if they are scoundrels. But without more, you have an enjoyable read you will forget in a week. I think the best writers take their works to another level – one that says something important about the human condition – something the reader will take with them long after they put down the book.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
SCHOOLED! is a fast-paced novel that shines a light on the often hidden underbelly of a divided New York City Public School system and is based on a true story. I originally considered writing a memoir but realized that, apart from having some ethical concerns about including actual students and teachers in a published work, I wanted to write a story that said more about American values and American society than I could in a memoir. I have always admired writers who tell compelling stories while also making their readers think. SCHOOLED! is best categorized as autobiographical fiction (or possibly social issues fiction) in the tradition of books like The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, The Things They Carried, and David Copperfield.

Although fictionalized, nearly all of the events in the book are events that happened to me personally. A few are events that I am aware happened to other teachers in the program or at other schools around the country, and a few, particularly to do with the main character’s arc, are fictionalized to make for a better story. All of the characters, without exception, are completely fictionalized. The students are composite characters made up from pieces of the characters of many students I’ve taught over the years – which helps create an authentic experience for the reader – but which also serves to protect student privacy.

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