Featured Interview With Ren Alexander

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in a few cities in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. I wanted to be a writer but didn’t think I could because I didn’t want to major in English in college. So, I put off writing, thinking I wasn’t cut out for it and nothing would come of it if I did write. Also, my warped sense of humor bled so much into my writing that I was convinced nobody would like it. I currently live right outside Detroit, Michigan. Go Spartans! I live with my husband, two daughters, and two cats.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved books. I remember as a three-year-old, ripping up a book and my mother was upset with me. She said books are to be read not destroyed. After that, I learned to treasure and appreciate books. My favorite days at school were when the Book Mobile visited or RIF (Reading Is Fundamental) days when we got free books. I lived for any library and thought of becoming a librarian at one point.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love reading Patricia Cornwell. I really got into her Kay Scarpetta novels, even basing my Wild Sparks series in Richmond, Virginia, and going so far as to visit Richmond and the hotspots in my books and then getting a tattoo from my book, The Keys to Jericho, there. Though, that book is based in Annapolis, Maryland. Still means a lot to me.

I also used to read a ton of Jackie Collins. Her Lucky Santangelo series was one of my go-to reads.

I started out reading a truckload of Regency and Harlequin Romance novels. The problem with those was I wanted more realism in my romance books. I wanted the everyday lives, the common problems, and the stressed-out relationships in my books, incorporated all that crap into something that maybe made it better or even worse, making your own life seem better.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is my biggest baby yet. When I say that, I mean it’s been a long time coming. Greg
“Rod” Rodwell is from my Wild Sparks series and my favorite character. He’s my foul-mouthed smartass with some pretty big confessions to make. I was afraid to write it because of the subject matter that had to do with his past. My beta readers found it shocking and never thought a funny guy like him would have such a darkness to him. It took years for me to be able to write UNSCREWED. I’m glad I finally did. It really changes your entire perception of the Wild Sparks series. UNSCREWED can be read as a standalone, but it’s connected to the Wild Sparks series, where hints are everywhere in each and every book about Greg’s story.

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Featured Interview With Mary Elizabeth Fricke

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a country girl who knows no other way of life.
My official bio reads: Mary Elizabeth Fricke has lived her entire life within five miles of the Missouri River. She and her husband of 37 years have lived 34 of those years on a farm that has been consistently owned and operated by his family for five generations. They have two grown sons married to wonderful women and two beautiful grandchildren.
A graduate of the Writer’s Institute of America and a member of the Heartland Writers Guild, she has published a number of articles in various forums and magazines, as well as Dino, Godzilla and the Pigs, My Life on Our Missouri Hog Farm. She is also a prolific ghostwriter.
Her stories, based in rural mid-western areas, concern the unique but quickly vanishing way of life on the family farm as well as other mysterious intricacies that evolve life from generation to generation. Romance is her preferred genre.

Previously published in the Birds the Peril Series:
Pigeon in a Snare (Lisa’s story)
Roses for the Sparrow (Jani’s story)
Plight of the Wren (Susie’s story)
Robin Unaware (Stephanie’s story)
Sept. 3, 2017: Demise of Innocence (Sweet Pea I)
Oct. 7, 2017: Time to Deceive (Sweet Pea II)
Nov. 30, 2017: The Price of Passion (Sweet Pea III)
‘Sweet Pea’ Gift Set (Books I, II, III) was published Feb. 2018
All are available from Amazon Kindle Select

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My mother was a poet and a voracious reader. Mom instilled reading in myself and sister and brother when we were very young. When I was little she would read to me. When I got older we shared many, many books. Mom died nearly twenty years ago. I miss talking with her about the books we read.
I was making up stories long before I knew how to write them and I always knew that ‘someday I would write a book’. I began that quest when I was twenty-one. That ‘book’ ended up being my final assignment for the Writer’s Institute but I have no intention of ever publishing it. At present, I’ve completed about a dozen manuscripts. One, my autobiography, was published in hardbound. Eight more have been published as e-books. Another I wrote in the 80’s on a portable typewriter. So it needs to be ‘computerized’ before I can think of publishing it. I believe it’s safe to say ‘writing’ is as much a part of me as the nose on my face. If I cease to write, I will probably cease to breathe as well.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite book is Ashes in the Wind by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. I admire Mrs. Woodiwiss’s talent for drawing a reader into the story as if we were there watching the story unfold. That is something I have worked hard to accomplish in my own writing. I also admire Erma Bombeck’s talent for poking fun at herself at the same time she pointed out the necessary little things in life we tend not to acknowledge. My mother was a published poet, but she never received a dime for the poems she wrote. Mom excelled at entertaining people, making them laugh. Indeed, some of her poems were quite hysterical. Others were very serious and thought-provoking. Mom taught me the value of writing to entertain is more important than writing to make a buck.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Sweet Pea began in 1976 when the trends, activities noted in the book were current. As I rewrote the story (over and over and over) I made certain to retain those trends, which today, give the story a nostalgic feel. In a nutshell, Sweet Pea is the story of one woman who loved two men and how her relationships with those men shaped her life. News from a family member sends her into a tailspin of memories, analyzing who she is and how she came to be where she is in her life at this time. She is joined by her best friend and her husband who add their memories. This is the official blurb:
Sweet Pea Gift Set: To one man she gave her virginity; to another, she gave her heart. One, she would mourn. With the other, she would share life’s triumph and turmoil. With both, she would endure times of love, and passion and complete happiness as well as times of despair, confusion, and sorrow. One day at a time—each day, building unforgettable memories.
Sweet Pea I: The Demise of Innocence (1968-70): At seventeen Johnie is no longer a child but still full of virgin innocence—and defiance. She quickly learns growing up involves a lot more than physical loss of her virginity.
Sweet Pea II: Time to Deceive (1973-74) Johnie’s dream of happiness becomes a nightmare where Brenda cackles while Johnie boils naked in a cauldron of pea green soup.
Sweet Pea III: The Price of Passion (1984-1990) A secret part of Johnie’s soul survives nurturing the memory of Jake. Fate strikes several more dramatic blows and once again, everything changes.

Sweet Pea spans from the late 1960’s into 2009. Set in rural Missouri, it is a story for those who remember the profound cultural changes and historical events that took place in the later part of the 20th Century. It is is a nostalgic story of growing up; of forging lifelong friendships and loyalty within family that supports every life event, good or bad. It is a story of love that binds a man and a woman despite all odds. It is also a story of obsessive hatred and how such hatred destroys not only the innocent, but those who hate.

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Mary Elizabeth Fricke’s Website

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Featured Interview With Karina Bartow

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up and still live in Northern Ohio with my family and parakeet, Sam. Though born with Cerebral Palsy, I’ve never allowed my disability to define me. Rather, I’ve used my experiences to breathe life into characters who have physical limitations, but like me, are determined not to let them stand in the way of the life they want. My debut novel, Husband in Hiding was released in 2015 and was well-received by readers. I’m excited about my upcoming love story, to be released by Vinspire Publishing on October 15, 2018. I may only be able to type with one hand, but I write with my whole heart!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My mom took me to a children author’s appearance at my local library when I was nine, and hearing her speak just lit a spark in me. I excelled in writing through my years in school, but I didn’t know if I had what it took to complete a full-length novel. Nonetheless, I started after I graduated in 2008 and haven’t stopped since.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Nicholas Sparks is my favorite author, and his style inspired me for sure. I love how simple it is, yet how it stirs your emotion. I read love stories, for the most part, but cozy mysteries are growing on me. As for my writing, I do draw off of family and friends…some of whom probably wish I didn’t!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
After a decade-long estrangement, high school sweethearts Charlee Stoll and Hunter Jett reconnect and enjoy the reunion neither of them expected. As their past struggles begin to mar their present happiness, tragedy strikes. Charlee’s thrown off a horse and sent into a week-long coma.

When she awakens with no clue who Hunter is, he seizes the chance to right his wrongs. To do so, though, he has to overcome her father’s displeasure, another ex-boyfriend vying for Charlee’s love, and her mission to regain her memory. Through charm and deception, can he win back her love…before she discovers the truth?

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Karina Bartow’s Website

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Featured Interview With Chelsea Alford

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Chelsea Alford i was born and raised in Raleigh North Carolina. I am still currently residing here. I have no pets i am engaged and i love writing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I had a fascination with books at the age of 13 i always found reading to be satisfying and pleasurable. I began writing short stories at the age of 15 and poetry later.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love reading Maya Angelou she has a unique and wonderful way with words and is an amazing story teller. I love reading poetry books/anthologies. Maya Angelou inspired me to write better.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is entitled “Poetry is not dead”. I came up with this title by reading alot of known and unknown authors and i came to the decision that poetry is very much alive in the sense of its beauty and passion that urges poets like me to write. Its amazing !

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Chelsea Alford’s Website

Featured Interview With Mickey Vanes

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a new author with an immense love for stories. I was born and raised in Georgia. My goal is to create new and exciting characters that will challenge our expectations at every turn.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing stories around four or five, i think. I was basic scribbling on paper, but in my head I was imagining stories. I’ve always loved stories. I basically grew up in the library. I started writing about adventures with the Fantastic Four and Batman when I was about 10. Eventually in college, I took the time to actually write my first novel which had been bouncing around in my head for a few months. It started as a hobby and turned into something wonderful.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I don’t have a favorite author per say. I hate picking favorites. There’s some much to choose from. I do tend to gravitate towards anything supernatural or sci-fi. I’m not opposed to others genres though. It depends on how I’m feeling.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, The Keeper Chronicles – Book I: Beginnings, is about a young Black girl who finds out she’d destined to save the world. I always wanted to see someone who looked like me be the protagonist of a fantasy story, so I decided to write it myself. The book has vampires, wizards, faeries, and more. It’s a great adventure read and a fun ride. You can find it on Amazon starting July 13th!

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Featured Interview With Samantha Grosser

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Bristol, England, before moving to London to study English Literature at the Polytechnic of North London, graduating with a BA Hons in 1988.

A nine-month stint at a public relations company in London after graduating furnished me with the funds to go travelling and I spent about 18 months in Asia and Australia, returning home via the Trans Siberian Express – one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

A year later found me teaching English in Tokyo, where I met my Australian husband, and developed an ongoing love for all things Japanese. I now live in Sydney with my husband, son and a very small dog called Livvy.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. I have a vivid memory of pretending to read grown-up books not long after I started school and barely knew my ABC! I started writing stories as a child, mostly about horses. Then, in my teens and twenties, I lost confidence in my writing, though I never lost my passion for reading.

It was only when I met my husband when I was 29 that I began to write again. So I guess he is my muse.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
This is always a hard question. Some of my favourite authors include Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Michael Ondaatje, Tracy Chevalier, Hilary Mantel, Melvyn Bragg, and Christopher Isherwood. My go-to genre tends to be historical fiction, but I’ll read anything that’s well-written, with complex characters and a good story. I’ve been inspired by all the writers above, but growing up I read a lot of 19th Century novels, and I think their imprint is still deep in my writing DNA.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Officer’s Affair is a wartime drama of love and loyalty that explores the lives of three people caught in the devastating legacy of the Second World War.
When Danny Lock returns to England from the battlefields of Europe, it is not the joyful homecoming he dreamed of. Disabled and embittered, he knows he can never have a normal life, while his young wife, Rachel, struggles to understand the man her husband has become.
Then Captain Andrews comes to visit. His attraction to Rachel is instant, but the tension between the two men seems to stem from an earlier time.
As all three strive to shake off the ghosts of the war, they must each face their own searching questions about the nature of love and loyalty.

I wrote the novel over the course of a year or so, and it grew from a single idea of a young woman with two children forced to live with her parents during the Second World War. Like most writers, I played with the idea for a while and kept asking “What if?” until a story began to develop in my head.

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Featured Interview With Marie Lavender

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I great up in the Midwest, was raised in a pretty small town.

I live in central Indiana, and I have two cats. Emma and Katerina.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I always loved reading. My mother used to read to me before I could read, and I adored getting lost in the fictional world. As soon as I read on my own, books became my escape. My…solace from the chaos on the outside. Almost from the time I can remember, stories used to play through my head. I often acted them out in my playtime, with dolls and such. But once I could write actual sentences, I began constructing stories. And I really haven’t stopped.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have so many, but some of my favorites are J.R. Ward, Chloe Neill, P.C. Cast and Nora Roberts.

I mainly read various suhgenres of romance, but I have been known to dabble in other forms of fiction. Right now I’m reading a middle-grade comic fantasy mystery, The Case of the Disastrous Dragon.

Who inspires me? People do, usually. The events going on in the world, whoever I meet. A lot of people and things. Sometimes even an object can spur my imagination. Mostly I just wait for the muse to call. When inspiration hits, I’m ready to go! With 123 works in progress, I can’t exactly run out of ideas…

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest release is titled Blood Instincts, a paranormal romance/urban fantasy, with a touch of a futuristic spin on the whole thing. This is book two of the Blood at First Sight Series. The novel took me about a year to write. Here is the blurb:

Enter the Other World at your own risk…

What if you found out that you weren’t exactly…human?

Myah Sullivan is suddenly living that nightmare. There are Others in the world, dangerous, supernatural creatures that make her mind spin and cause her to question the reality she’s always known.

Oliver King is her savior, a vampire who tries to show her the way. Through her journey she learns far more than she ever thought she would about herself, and about the past. Soon, she discovers that there is so much more to meeting Oliver than mere happenstance.

Can Myah accept her new reality, or will she retreat into that normal, safe world she once thought was her own?

Amazon Universal ebook link: http://mybook.to/BI

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Featured Interview With WC Clinton

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in a Sellersville hospital that became the subject of a national news story twenty-some year s later when someone walked away with someone else’s baby. That was a close one.
Perhaps for my safety, my parents moved to Hilltown, Pennsylvania where they still reside. I, however, escaped briefly to West Virginia to obtain higher education and a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing. Some relatives expressed a preference for Bob Jones University, but I avoided fundamentalist indoctrination by pointing out that my field of interest was not on the curriculum there. Those relatives periodically ask me how the writing is going, “since that was so important.”
I returned to Hilltown after graduation and sponged off my parents until a mysterious illness made me realize how important health insurance can be. I left my menial low-wage position in a glass factory and embarked on a somewhat accidental career in insurance, which today still provides my main income.
My profession took from the Philadelphia area to the Atlanta, Georgia area for a decade, and then back to the far reaches of both the Philadelphia and Allentown areas, where I currently reside. During this rather extensive period, I married, begat one son and adopted another, and befriended several dogs, one of whom still keeps my acquaintance.
On the side, I became involved in semi-professional theater (in that sometimes I actually received money for acting), co-founded a sketch comedy troupe, and became involved in party politics. This latter activity eventually resulted in election, and re-election, to local office.
Despite all of that, the thing most people remember about me is that I have the same name and birthday as a former US President. In fact, I’ll bet you have already forgotten everything above this with the revelation that solitary fact.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I cannot remember a time I was not fascinated with books. My mother, a compulsive reader from a family of compulsive readers, made reading to me a priority. She noted in my baby book that I loved books, and would often memorize whole books. My first favorite was apparently Stan and Jan Berenstain’s “The Big Honey Hunt,” which was only a year younger than me.
That I would begin writing myself was inevitable. My first creative endeavor was my second grade assignment, “I am a Pilgrim.” I was already bored with the expectation that the student was to write a short description of what pilgrims wore, how they came across the ocean for religious freedom, and how the natives helped them out in the hard times and they had a big meal. I’d already done that sort of thing in first grade. Instead I invented a tale of revisionist history in which a young pilgrim accidentally discovers a plot by the natives to attack the unsuspecting pilgrims, using the planned feast as a ploy. Somewhat of a daydreamer, I had zoned out in class, but suddenly noticed all of my fellow students laughing, and the teacher, holding the paper in her hand, saying, “What an imagination!”
Shortly after that, I wrote a story without being assigned; the next year I was exposed to the format of plays and took a stab at that. I had to try rhyming verse sometime after that. I never stopped.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
So many authors. I enjoy Kurt Vonnegut, Ray Bradbury, and Douglas Adams; I enjoy Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre; I like George Orwell and Aldous Huxley; Voltaire and Denis Diderot; Mark Twain, Edgar Alan Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle. More recent novels I’ve enjoyed are “All the Light We Cannot See,” “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikrey,” and “Barn Again: A Memoir” by Alan Good. I also like Liane Moriarty’s novels.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My last and only book is “Two Pairs of Shorts,” a quartet of short stories that go from light to dark in tone and subject matter.
“Respectfully Submitted” is the meeting minutes of a church board where tempers flare and personality conflicts crystalize. The story uses the formal format of Robert’s Rules, but the content diverges significantly. “Harlan scowled, and reminded everyone that the Minister had compared spiritual and physical self-abuse. “I’m still dealing with the complaints from our members. It’s no wonder you’re scaring people who don’t even know us yet. I warned you not to give that speech.””
“Operation Eagle Eye” is about a neighborhood watch that takes itself seriously (but the narrator does not). “Clearly, I did not value my mailbox, or what it represented, nearly enough,” the narrator observes after one encounter.
“Wintergreen” is a young man’s reflections on his life, which he feels is going nowhere. “When days and months blended together in routine living, why should the dividing line between two equally mundane years make a difference?” he muses as he walks through a quiet town on a cold December night.
“Make Lemonade” is an episode in an early twentieth century rural middle-aged woman’s experience. “Sometimes she wished God in his infinite wisdom had given her at least one daughter to help out around the house. Instead, she lived with one man and six boys, who were handy for the field work and feeding the animals, but never lifted a finger to do what their father pejoratively called “wimmin’s work” since the oldest one was three.”
The stories were written over a span of about 30 years; “Wintergreen” being the oldest and “Make Lemonade” being the most recent.

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Featured Interview With N.J. Adel

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Alexandria, Egypt. Now, I live in Oman in the Gulf, where I teach English. I have a German Shepherd named Leo.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Eight. I started reading and wriring to escape my rough childhood. My imagination was my only sanctuary.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Nicholas Sparks and Leo Tolstoy. I just love those two.
My favorite genre is paranormal romance and my favorite book in the genre is The Vampire Diaries.
I love all dark romance authors. And my favorite feel-good romance author is Deanna Birch, my mentor.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Her Majesty’s harem is a reverse harem erotica and the first of the Royal harem series.
It’s about a Queen who breaks free from the rules society and status enforced on her, or at least she tries. She’s a naughty one for sure, who enjoys having more than one hot man at the same time.
There’s also the hint of a forbidden romantic relationship with her personal guards.
It’s very hot 🙂

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Featured Interview With Torry Wolf

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Torry and I am just a regular gay from next door. I was born and raised in the SW corner of Germany, close to France and Luxemburg, and I have lived there for the majority of my 44 years on Earth.
About 20 years ago, I made my first friends online, some of which happened to live in Arizona, and I ended up visiting them there. Ever since then, I consider Arizona my second home; not just because my closest friends live there, but also because I love the state with its amazing natural wonders and wonderful weather.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have loved reading since I can remember.
It was different with writing. I never really liked writing essays and such for German class in school. Never got great grades for it either. But then I started learning English as a foreign language, and suddenly writing felt much easier. Maybe the part of your brain that is responsible for language skills is also the part where your creativity comes from, which would explain why it is so much easier for me to write in English than in my native German.

I used to just write short stories, but last year I participated in National Novel Writing Month, and I actually finished the challenge to write an entire book in 30 days.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
If there is one author that I have read every book of, it’s Stephen King. I have devoured his books since I was a teenager.
My other favorite genres are fantasy, especially epics like ‘Lord of the Rings’, but also dystopian stories, especially with young adult main characters.
As a gay man, I also like LGBT themed books, mostly coming out and coming of age stories.

I don’t really get inspiration from any particular author but rather from the world around me when my imagination takes little things that I see in real life and then spins a story around it.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The book, ‘Papago Wolves’, was inspired by another visit to Arizona. Sitting on the rocks in Papago Park, the idea just came to me. What if there was more to these rocks than meets the eye? The fantasy-loving part of my mind then pictured a young werewolf sitting where I was sitting, looking for his roots and finding so much more. He falls in love with another boy, and together they travel from Arizona to Montana and even beyond the boundaries of our world, having to face a demon, poachers and a rogue wolf pack.

Writing the first draft took 30 days, though it took another 6 months before I actually decided to publish the book with Kindle Direct Publishing.

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Featured Interview With Triveni Sidha

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hey hii! I am Triveni Sidha from J&K,India (city of temples and heaven of earth). I am persuing B.sc in nursing from shri mata vaishno Devi college of nursing. It’s true that best friends are many but I am blessed to have a pen and paper who are not only my best friends but support systems in every phase of life. Writing to me is not only a passion it’s like a drug addiction “a LSD, and without my drug single day to me is just useless” The city of temples is my birth place i.e Jammu. Recently I resides in Katra,Jammu for my higher education. I love birds mostly but I don’t like to cage them. My soul believes ” let them free and fly like you”
“Let them live their life without fears like you”.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Actually I never loved to read books but when I opened the key to enter into the door of millions and billions of words, I felt that for this universe my soul was craving from last few years ” At age of 18, I realized that I should enter into this world because an ambivert person like me would be fit better into this sky full of shining stars. And at age of 18, I started to burst out the feelings and changed my perceptions,thinking into poems, two-liners,Articles and stories.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
After I realized I am good for this stuff I started to turn off the pages of few books and what I read first was a story written by my grandpa “story of evil and truth” . Next who amazed and inspired me by his words was A.P.J Abdul Kalam who was mastermind in lightening up the minds by his perfection and his faith on the youth.
The “ignited mind” is my favourite because it gave me the answers of lot of questions that were stucked in my mind since long. It has power to beautify the soul of any person. And it’s said that there is always someone beside you who help you to grow better in every field of life. Coming to next,
Of course “she is my mother” who always inspired me to do whatever I want to do in my life, but the genes that had transferred from my grandpa to me speaks well in my writings. He is a person who never said NO to his writing skills. I remembered when he was the chairperson of the committee of our area, he never prepared speech, he always went there and stole hundreds of hearts by his speaking skills. He was a true believer who always encouraged me to “stand on my own foot with courage and courtesy” According to him writing was an ocean,
the deep you go…
the deep will be the roots buried.
So, according to me he is the man of perfection. I love him in every way.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I am working on a title “koshur” This is a story full of sacrifices. Actually it’s about the story of my own state,where thousands of people had face the worst by there time just because of turning point that striked their livelihood.
I will not like to open the secret locks of my chapters over here,
until the day will come to publish it.

Featured Interview With K.S. Ruff

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live in Northern Virginia with my football-crazed husband, two beautiful daughters, and two psychotic Shih Tzus. I teach courses in international relations, peacekeeping, and human security for the American Military University. I also work as a reading tutor at my daughters’ elementary school. What can I say? I still love school.

I’m addicted to coffee, dark chocolate, reading, and writing; although not necessarily in that order. Reading will always be my first love. Writing appears to be edging out coffee for second place, unless it’s morning. In the morning, it’s coffee.

I haven’t a clue what’s going on around me when I’m writing. The house could be burning down, and I wouldn’t even notice. I’m counting on my husband to save the children and the dogs.

More than anything, I want my readers to FEEL something. I love it when you growl at my protagonist, when you hold your breath in anticipation, when your heart stumbles against your chest, and when you laugh until you cry. That’s what I strive for. I want to make you laugh so hard in the middle of the night that your husband thinks you’ve finally gone mad.

To date, I’ve written five romantic suspense novels in The Broken series, a children’s book entitled Brave Just Like Me, and a young adult fantasy novel entitled Saving Tir na nOg, which is the first book in The Chosen Ones series. You will find my children’s book and YA fantasy novel under my full name, Kimberly S. Ruff.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’m pretty sure I was born with a book in my hand. I was that kid, the one who liked to hide under the covers with a book and a flashlight well past my bedtime.

When I look back over my life, I realize that I have always been a writer, although my writing has certainly run the gamut from Supreme Court briefs, government reports, legislation, academic journal articles, a children’s book, romance novels, and now most recently a young adult fantasy novel.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love Deborah Harkness, Nora Roberts, Skye Warren, Rebecca Zanetti, and Elizabeth Hunter (just to name a few!). My guilty pleasure is paranormal romance. As far as those authors who inspire me in my own writing… for romance, I’d say it’s an eclectic mix of Kristin Hannah, Nicholas Sparks, and Nora Roberts. For fantasy, it’s Deborah Harkness and J.K. Rowling.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is Saving Tir na nOg, a young adult fantasy novel steeped in Celtic Mythology. My youngest daughter inspired the book. She has been begging for a book about fairies for years now. I had very little interest in writing about fairies. Of course I was picturing Tinkerbell inside my head. But then, I realized I could introduce her to real faeries… to the very grown up, beautiful, and sometimes terrifying faeries, better known as the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Celtic deities born in Irish Mythology. Now, that was a topic I could get excited about. I’ve always been intrigued by the Sidhe. There is Irish blood coursing through my veins after all. And so… this novel was born. I assure you this was no small task, especially given the research involved. This book took a year and a half to write! I discovered I rather enjoy world building. From this point forward, I’ll be dividing my time between romantic suspense and YA fantasy novels. Saving Tir na nOg will be released in July.

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Featured Interview With Sasha Laghonh

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a proud American that kicked off her journey on the West coast of the United States before bringing me full circle by introducing me to the East coast, Mid Atlantic and the beautiful Rockies. I’ve experienced my fair share of living in the city with clouds of pollution and construction starting at 7am as well I know the feeling of indulging in suburbia where I know my heart is at peace. It doesn’t take much to bribe me to run off to the water and mountains for a get away! Aside from North America, my life stories and travels have also taken me abroad introducing me to the wonderful ways of living. Travel is humbling because it teaches us to count our blessings and respect society’s way of living while learning about what life is truly about – living. Presently I’m splitting time in three time zones due to upcoming professional endeavors. As for pets, I wish I had a puppy but my lifestyle presently doesn’t support it because I spend 98% of my time away from home engaged in travel and working. Mama Sasha can definitely welcome the company of a puppy, one day.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve loved reading since I was a child. I recall going through an elementary phase where I started collecting Archie comics. Archie comics inspired me to pursue the creative arts through entertaining the art of drawing, oil painting, appreciating pastels and more. Reading is the gateway to many inspirations and acquiring other skills. As a kid I loved reading comics, murder mysteries and biographies. I initially started writing for school because students didn’t have a choice! I was encouraged to write because two of my teachers felt the topics I entertained, from social causes to current events, provided an educational platform for citizens to become involved in their communities on the local, state and global levels. As a humble (and initially a hesitant) student of writing, I continued the craft that allowed me to get published in the Library of Congress (unbeknownst to me!) and a few periodicals/magazines that covered the political landscape & human rights during my teen years. This also opened avenues for my work to be submitted in competitions that entertained legal, cultural and political science topics. My submissions were addressed quietly by faculty members knowing that I’d talk myself out of participating in these causes. I’m glad they had enough faith in me because I did end up winning a few of those writing competitions that showcased my rhetoric focusing on legal & political matters affecting our communities during that time period. The latter topics were chosen by the judging committees, participants had to entertain the challenge to formulate their thoughts that can impact people through the wide palette of seasoned ideas.
I tease people to learn their ABC’s because it grants them access to an entire world of creating art that can change lives for the better. Learn, educate others and make sure to produce a positive change in the world. Either we’re part of the problem or the solution. I’m not perfect but I know that I’d rather contribute to the world through positive engagement, even if it invites difference in opinions. Differences are what humanizes our species to become better at traveling this journey called life.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I appreciate the works of anyone that shares their intimate creativity in an engaging manner. Let’s see…F. Scott Fitzgerald, George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, Tim Ferriss, Stephen King, Vic Bloom; etc. I love mystery & thrillers, biographies/documentaries, business reads and comedy.

Everyday people inspire me in my writings. This includes people whom I cross paths with at coffee shops, during my travels and business visits and ideas that come to me while I’m either working out or showering. The flow of inspiration doesn’t have a time and place, one needs to be open to welcoming what we’re open to receiving. Be open to receiving positivity. Life is too short to walk around with angst and doubt. We’re humans doing our best and compassion goes a long way. It’s not always about who’s right and wrong, sometimes it comes down to just honoring a person’s right to be acknowledged. I know as a society we can be kinder to one another.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Departures: Smart Packing, of Life’s Essentials, for On-Time Arrivals” focuses on the basic variables of life that we should refine in the areas of communication, relationships, career, death and more. The book is not offering tips to readers, instead it’s exploring a few uncomfortable realities of life from different perspectives. Departures focuses on us having the choice to walk away for good from constructs we’ve outgrown, reinventing ourselves to survive this challenging life and also understanding that walking away from societal norms doesn’t compromise one’s ability to attain success. It’s material that encourages humans to engage in introspection rather than always looking outwards for happiness, success and answers that typically are manufactured by society to mislead those seeking an easy way out. I can’t give it all away! Definitely check it out, even if you make it past the index, I know that you’ve been kind to entertain the idea of Departures. We all are anchored to some aspect of our life that keeps us sane but there are anchors that need to be let go. Who’s ready to make that bold decision to make those changes in their life?

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Sasha Laghonh’s Website

Featured Interview With Matthew C. Woodruff

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Upstate NY surrounded by books. Right now I am on staff at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My brother gave me a copy of one of the Brains Benton series when I was 7, and I was forever after hooked on reading.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I enjoy reading Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Mysteries. My favorite authors are Stephen Donaldson, Robert Jordan and L.E Modesitt

Tell us a little about your latest book?
26 Absurdities of Tragic Proportions tells of the adventures of the 26 children in Edward Gorey’s famous illustrations in the Ghastlycrumb Tinies, and how they finally met the ends he illustrated.
The 26 tales are weird, wonderful and darkly humorous.

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Featured Interview With Joyce Reynolds-Ward

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Springfield, Oregon. I spent ten years in a small ranch house in town, then moved to a five acre farm in the Mohawk Valley north and slightly east of Springfield. Growing up on the farm shaped a lot of who and what I am. I wandered the fields, rode my pony and horse, and worked to help my parents preserve food.

Now I split my time between Enterprise and Portland, Oregon. I lived in Portland for over thirty years and am now tired of the urban life. The joy of Enterprise is that just about everything is within walking distance, including the Fishtrap House, where I attend monthly readings by local authors in the wintertime. Wallowa Lake is ten miles away, and my horse moves around various pastures in the summer, depending on conditions, the herd, and what my barn owner’s needs are.

For the past thirteen years I’ve owned a reining-bred Quarter Horse, Mocha. We’ve had a number of adventures together, including the move from Portland to Enterprise. Mocha went from being a stall princess to living outside 24/7. She had a difficult adjustment to that change, but now wouldn’t stay in a stall even in windy subfreezing temperatures in the middle of an ice storm. Truth. Barn owner called us during those conditions once to suggest that Mocha go inside. We put her in a stall–and formerly compliant Mocha who would stay in a stall with the door open said NO WAY and was heading for the field and her herd with any opportunity presented. She is now fat, sassy, and enjoying the heck out of living life in a herd with other horses outside. But I think part of the appeal is that she can eat 24/7 if she so desires. And at the age of 18, being able to move around more freely than she can even in a big stall is much better. She is healthier than she’s been in years…and I have lots of stories.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was an early reader, and was reading the Black Stallion and Little House series’ in second grade. Somewhere around that time I banged out my first short story. I can’t remember what it was about, except that the lead character was Mighty Mouse. Later, in fifth grade, I wrote my version of the Black Stallion books, except that the lead horse was a palomino filly who won the Triple Crown with her girl rider. Then I played with mysteries, but then I started work on what is now Goddess’s Honor after reading the Lord of the Rings.

I’ve been writing and telling stories to myself for a very long time.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read widely and voraciously, so my favorites are not constant. My favorite method of discovering new work is to wander through Enterprise’s small city library and pick up whatever catches my fancy. While I prefer speculative fiction in my reading and writing, I also enjoy well-written fiction about the West. But then again, I also enjoy books by non-European authors. My main criteria are–does the book interest me? Are the characters engaging me? Is the writing itself enjoyable?

Blah, mechanical writing with cliched plots, cardboard characters, and unlikable characters need not apply for my readership.

Additionally, inspiration varies. Long-term influences include John Steinbeck, Zenna Henderson, and others.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, KLONE’S STRONGHOLD, was inspired by a road sign I spotted en route to our hunting area.

The story mutated along the way, as stories can do even when rigidly scripted. But it developed in a fun way. I’m still finding out things about the story and the subcharacters, including the fact that many people (including Reeni herself) mangle her full name, reversing the first and middle names. So in one circumstance she is Irene Marie, in another, Marie Irene. If Reeni has to be formal, she goes by Marie–but she often chooses not to. The reasoning for that will show up in the next book.

Here’s the blurb:
In a world of supernatural beings, not knowing what you are is dangerous.

After Reeni Dutta’s ex-husband Karl attacks her at a music festival, she finds a refuge teaching cryptid construct children at Klone’s Stronghold in northeastern Oregon’s isolated Bucket Mountains. But things are not as they seem at the Stronghold, from the older proprietors of a nearby store and the Stronghold’s leader Alexander Reed Klone, to Reeni herself. She discovers it’s not just Karl who seeks to control who and what she is, but forces from her past that threaten her present. Can she learn the truth about herself and do what is needed in time to defend the Stronghold?

I had a lot of fun writing STRONGHOLD. Reeni’s voice came out strongly when I first started it, and I drew a lot on my experience as a special education teacher to chronicle her work with the delayed cryptid construct kids. She has endured a lot over her life, but she comes back with spunk and wit to manage it. Now I’ve decided that it will be part of a series–and I’m looking forward to playing with ideas for that series.

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Joyce Reynolds-Ward’s Website

Featured Interview With Kimberly Moore

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m originally from a small town north of Mobile, Alabama, where everyone knows one another. I lived in Pensacola, Florida, for a few years during and after college, and then my husband and I moved to his hometown of Auburn, Alabama. (War Eagle!) We now live in neighboring Opelika, Alabama, in a beautiful, historic neighborhood. We have three fur-children: Emma, a 14-year-old lab mix; Grayson, a 7-year-old pit mix; and Vax, a 5-month-old lab/pit mix.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading and writing at a very young age. I was fascinated with books as a toddler and started writing stories when I was six. (They were all quite terrible.) I started writing seriously and pursuing publication two years ago at age twenty-eight and recently began writing full-time.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I mostly read historical mysteries/thrillers and YA fantasy. I’m a huge Agatha Christie fan and am constantly looking for more Christie-style works. For historical mysteries, I’m particularly fond of Jacqueline Winspear, Charles Todd, Frank Tallis, Victoria Thompson, Rys Bowen, and Carola Dunn. My favorite YA fantasy authors are currently Marie Rutkoski and Holly Black. The authors who have inspired my children’s/YA works (what I’m currently focusing on) are C.S. Lewis, Madeline L’Engle, Brian Jacques, and Lloyd Alexander.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I just published my first book. A Girl with a Bow is the first in a YA fantasy series. The main character, Petunia, is an awkward seventeen-year-old who lives with a caravan and becomes a folk hero when she accidentally kills a baby dragon. She ends up tangled up in a nefarious plot related to the dragon. The book and series is very much about Petunia’s personal growth as an individual and leader. I wrote the first draft in about a month, but it took me fifteen more months to re-draft it seven times, edit it, and publish it.

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Featured Interview With Alex Milton

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in a sleepy little village that could be the setting for an English murder-mystery novel. All my friends played cricket and football (“soccer” to you American readers), or lived on farms, messing about with air rifles and motorbikes. I was the odd-ball who chose to write.
It was a pretty idyllic existence, until I was seduced by the fast-paced London lifestyle. Now I spend most of my time there – like my characters…

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
It’s not a very literary answer, but I became fascinated with writing through comic books. I’d say to any parent who is struggling to get their child to read that comics can be a useful entry point.
I started writing at 4, then discovered Roald Dahl, Jules Verne, Arthur Conan Doyle, Greek mythology, etc. It’s not too strong a term to say writing became an obsession. I wrote for fun, though; I didn’t realise it was a career option until my teens.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like all genres, but if I’m not hooked by the first chapter, a novel gets put in my “read later” pile, where it invariably stays…
Among my favourite authors would be: Mario Puzo, William Gibson, Suzanne Collins, Margaret Atwood, Cormac McCarthy, Stephen King, H. G. Wells and Oscar Wilde.
I can read a novel by “an unknown” that inspires me. Like many writers, I secretly read other people’s offerings with either grinding jealousy, or a “How the f… did this get published” face!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest novel examines whether a polyamorous relationship can work, through the eyes of four characters living in modern-day Britain. It also looks at the difference between our “true selves” and the glamorised version we present on social media.
All my protagonists are hiding secrets about their past, fearing it will affect their relationship – hence the book’s title ‘The Etiquette of Lying’.

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Alex Milton’s Website

Featured Interview With Dew Pellucid

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Maybe because I grew up in 3 different countries (Israel, UK, Canada), I started imagining different worlds early on. Echoland began with a philosophical idea. I sat on the floor with my pens and notes, while my four dogs chewed up my pens and turned my notes into confetti.

If the philosopher Plato was right, I imagined–what then? If we are just a reflection of a perfect world–what could happen to us? Then I imagined that they are Sounds and we are their Echoes. And that was the beginning of my see-through, winter wonderland called: Echoland.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I always loved rhymes. So I started writing poetry as a little girl. And my elementary school principal (who was our poetry teacher) published my poems in the school paper. She also read all sorts of metaphors into my poems, which baffled me utterly.

Then I discovered the children’s edition of Hugo’s Les Miserable, and Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde, and Jane Eyre and Withering Heights. I still remember being 7 years-old and seeing Kathy’s ghost at Heathcliff’s window in a BBC production. Nothing ever compared to books, to their world of metaphors and imaginary wild landscapes where everything had a double-meaning that changed fates.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love Victor Hugo and Ayn Rand. I always come back to them to feed my soul. But for fun I read biographical novels by Irving Stone (The Agony & the Ecstacy), or the novels of Winston Graham (Poldark). I love the Bronte sisters, oh…the list goes on.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I write under 2 pen names. I published “The Crystilleries of Echoland” (5 book awards) under Dew Pellucid (which is an Echo’s name); and I published “Looking Glass Friends” (14 book awards), under E. L. Neve (which is an anagram and a clue to two identities). Here I’ve been talking about my teen fantasy, “The Crystilleries of Echoland”, which Kirkus Reviews summed up as follows: “In this middle-grade fantasy, a young hero must ally with his alter ego in an intricate parallel universe in order to rescue his sister and save his own life… A gripping, if sometimes dark and perplexing, fantasy coming-of-age novel.” Kirkus Reviews

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Featured Interview With Brian S. Sofsky

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in a small town in central Florida but have lived in California most of my life. I moved to Oklahoma with my wife and 3 kids about 4 years ago. We adopted a rescue pup named penny and she is a perfect fit with our three red headed gingers.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved storytelling. Since before I could read I was always making up some huge elaborate scheme to tell my parents. This love of telling stories lead to my career in filmmaking which I enjoy to this day. The book writing began when my kids were little and I ran out of books that kept their interest. We would start these “choose your own adventure” ideas and unique stories would splinter off from those ideas. My kids inspire me quite a bit, it’s good to have your own little test audience.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love the creativity of Dav Pilkey and the characters in S. E. Hinton’s novels. I love listening to kids tell stories, there is an honesty and clumsiness to them that is hard to find in stories your read today.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is a Children’s picture book about the unique ways animals sleep. I went on a safari a few years back and I saw a lion sprawled out in a tree, toungue out and snoring to beat the band. I love that image and it still makes me smile today when I think of it. So many times a have seen animals sleeping in the wild and the comedy and peacefulness stuck with me so I decided why not make it into a colorful picture book for kids.

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