Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With fatima koise

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a self-published author of 16 children’s books and a novella. I was born and raised in Nigeria where I currently live with my daughter Atakoise. I don’t own any pets.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
At the age of 7.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
J.KRowling, Steven Covey, and Brain Tracy. My favorite genre is children’s books. My inspiration came from my dad and my mum

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is titled “Nanya, the dragon slayer”

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fatima koise’s Website

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Featured Interview With fatima koise

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a self-published author of 16 children’s books and a novella. I was born and raised in Nigeria where I currently live with my daughter Atakoise. I don’t own any pets.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
At the age of 7.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
J.KRowling, Steven Covey, and Brain Tracy. My favorite genre is children’s books. My inspiration came from my dad and my mum

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is titled “Nanya, the dragon slayer.” It follows the story of a Princess and her two lazy brothers after the death of their father. While Nanya does everything within her means to empower them, the brothers have a wicked agenda against Nanya. Will they succeed? Will she eventually even against all odds?

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fatima koise’s Website

fatima koise Facebook Page

fatima koise Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Tori L Wilson

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Tori and I’m twenty one years old. I was raised in a small town in Georgia and still live there. I have a four year old pekingese dog named Lori and a two year old cat named Gizmo. I am majoring in art education. My hobbies include singing, dancing, painting, writing, and learning new languages. I am currently learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, and Estonian.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I realized my fascination with books when I was around five years old. I had many relatives to help me with my reading and I can remember reading books with my grandma and being so excited about reading that I would pretend my room was a library and encourage my friends to check out books. I began writing in the second grade when my teacher told us to write a short story and mine ended up being several pages long.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I really love the writing style of Stephanie Meyer. I really enjoy the emotion she puts into her stories and the detail in which she describes things. I’m very inspired by the darker themes of Neil Gaiman and the movies and artwork of Tim Burton. I like my stories to have a darker feel to them while conveying deep emotion and attention to detail.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, Christmas on the Beach, is inspired by my favorite place to go, Jekyll Island. It has always been a dream of mine to live there, so that is where I made the main character live. I had a lot of fun imagining what it would be like to spend Christmas on Jekyll Island as I have never been there during the winter months. I tried to go for a less dark feel for this book because I feel like Christmas stories should be happy, however there is just a slight touch of sadness and emotion to keep things interesting.

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Tori L Wilson Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Nina Schluntz

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up on a farm in Nebraska. With not much else to do, I spent my time creating stories with my toys and later with a pen!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was scribbling stories in notebook before I could read or write. I would later get frustrated because I couldn’t decipher my scribbles!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My fallback authors are Stephen King and Dean Koontz, but after I got my kindle I became a sucker for the .99 cent books, which helped me discover the m/m romance novels, and later start writing them myself as I realized not everyone was getting the happy ending they should in those books. The bad guy deserves to be happy too!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Nosy Neighbors” I thought about how curious people are when they get new neighbors and how they always gossip. I figure this is even worse when it’s a gay couple moving in. I took this idea, added a dash of paranormal and boom, we have “Nosy Neighbors!”

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Nina Schluntz’s Website

Nina Schluntz Facebook Page

Nina Schluntz Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Amit Tiwari

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Amit Tiwari is born in 1991 In a small town Bhind which comes in Madhya Pradesh state of India . He grew up in Bhind and went to Gwalior and Pune for higher studies. Amit started his bcareer as a JDE With Mphasis in 2015 And he also worked with IBM. He is a post graduate in computer application field. His first book is the Mysterious wind

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing before two years ago , when I am working with Mphasis I feel that I can write so I started writing

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
J .K. Rowling , The Bible, A course in miracles, any book by Norman Vincent Peale, and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is a Romantic love story of two people how they met during a cyclone and feel for each other

Featured Interview With Sharon Crittenden

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised on the Southside of Chicago in the early 90s. I currently live in Richton Park, Illinois. My husband (Pastor Andre Crittenden) and I have a Labrador retriever named Roxie.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination with books began when I was 9 years old. I used to pretend I was a famous writer. I was more so interested in fiction writing back then. As I grew older and became more active in my home church, I started Christian non-fiction writing in my 30s. It wasn’t until recently that I actually took a shot at publishing my first book.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I enjoy reading Max Lucado, Joyce Meyer, Cindy Trimm, C.S Lewis and Bishop TD Jakes to name a few.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
It took me a little over 6 months to write this book. This book is prayer devotional, with journal space to reflect on prayer requests. The reader will take a journey on 31 Days of Fervent Prayer! We sometimes forget to pray and thank God for the little things in life. Many simply don’t pray at all. Or, we only pray when something bad happens. I want to bring prayer back to the center of our lives. In this book, you can take prayer with you wherever you go and make it a part of your daily worship routine.

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Sharon Crittenden Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Gay Yellen

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Texas, and after moves to Louisiana and California, I’m back where I started. I love dogs, and for years I lived with a Bichon Frise who brought great me great joy. She had five adorable puppies and lived 16 years. Irreplaceable in my heart.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My mother swears that I wrote my first poem at the age of 3 ½. I was a precoscious reader, and as I grew I worked my way up the bookshelves at home, whatever I could reach. Instead of taking notes, I wrote some deep stuff during high school economics class. Which is a long way of saying, I’ve always been a word person. My pro writing career started in magazines.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I try to stay open to everything, because I never know where my next inspiration will come from. As long as the writing is good, I’m not a one-genre reader. I admire writers whose work adds to my general knowledge or touches my heart. For example, I write to entertain, but I hope my readers also learn a little something along the way, about themselves and this crazy world we live in.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Body Next Door follows the story of Samantha Newman, a young executive who’s had some bad luck. She needs a new job, a place of her own, and a fix for her rocky romance with a cyber-expert. Just when she’s about to get back on track, there’s a murder next door. She’s drawn into the investigation, which drags on and draws her in deeper. To break free and move forward, she risks everything to try to solve the case herself. There’s a lot of humor sprinkled in among the thrills. It’s a multi-award-winner, by the way, and available in print, ebook and audiobook.

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Gay Yellen’s Website

Gay Yellen Facebook Page

Gay Yellen Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Tonya Mead

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Ms. Mead grew up in rural North Carolina. She did not have any Black female role models, as her mother supported her dad in all of his entrepreneurial exploits. His dad (her grandfather) worked as a field hand in the tobacco fields and the saw mills. However, her (Ms. Mead’s) dad held a greater vision. He wanted something better. He started a business, at the height of his entrepreneurial endeavors, he owned the largest Black owned photography dealership in the nation and owned multiple single-family rental properties for residents receiving subsidized housing vouchers. As technology advanced, he was one of the first dealers to install a Point of Purchase computer system.

Ms. Mead was integral in the computer integration. During her pre-teen years, she transferred all of the manual bookkeeping, inventorying, and general ledger information into the computerized system. She authored an operations manual and standard operations plans that were used to train new employees. The business became a true family business. As the company grew, the entire family, and three siblings worked in the business until college. Ms. Mead points to her dad’s motto, “When I couldn’t find a job, I made one,” as the reason for starting Shared Knowledge.
After obtaining an MBA and M.A. in Educational Psychology, Ms. Mead started her own consulting firm as a sole proprietorship

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My grandmother was employed as a custodian for the local library. Therefore, the public library became a place where I could explore the world outside of the limitations of rural North Carolina and professional ceilings of a segregated system.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite genre is inspirational classics such as: the Bible, A course in miracles, any book by Norman Vincent Peale, and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I have been notified that I am the 2017 recipient of the Most Influential Woman in Education Fraud and Cyber Security in the USA (to be awarded in 2018). This award follows the distinction as a 2014 Cafritz Award winner for Excellence in Government Service and Public Leadership.

I wrote the book, Fraud in Education: Beyond the Wrong Answer address fraud, waste and abuse in the education sector. As a Certified Fraud Examiner, Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator and Private Investigator I have extensive expertise in forensic science. However, I started my career as an Educational Psychologist- School-based, K-12 Regular Administrator (I have maintained these credentials).

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Tonya Mead’s Website

Tonya Mead Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Thorsten Nesch

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in the City of Blades, Solingen, Germany. After moving to the City of Aspirin, Leverkusen, I traveled a lot and I lived on the West coast of Canada, and now in Alberta, Canada.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Looking back probably when the bubbles in comics all of a sudden made sense – when I could read them. That year I discovered Pulp Fiction novels, with 13y Stephen King and with 15 Mario Puzo’s The Godfather – then there was no going back. I started writing myself around that time after stopping playing with Playmobil etc.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Richard Ford & Cormac MacCarthy I read since late 80s. Charles D’Ambrosio I discovered in the 90s. I don’t have a favourite genre. For inspiration I don’t need any other input.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“The Locomotive” – one day I had that picture one day in my head: What if a train derails next to the sea and somebody lies underneath the rubble on the ground during low tide and the water comes in … I chose a day-trader, a broker to be the main character (the modern life weight down by the past age of industrialization and threatened by the nature that creeps back on us)

Since I take research serious I learnt how to day-trade options, puts and calls myself. An amazing research and crazy to find out the top 1% have basically the right to print money this way. – For everybody else without solid information it is pure roulette.

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Thorsten Nesch’s Website

Thorsten Nesch Facebook Page

Thorsten Nesch Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Crystal Hope Reed

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in the DogTown days of southside Santa Monica. Though the city has changed a lot since then (starting in the mid-’80s), it’s still my favorite place to be. I volunteer when I can to help keep it feeling like a hometown instead of just a tourist destination. At least once a year someone from somewhere else says, “Huh, you don’t seem like you’re from Santa Monica” and each time I try to respond with the most considerate version of “How would you know?” I can muster, explaining that the image outsiders have of what “someone from Santa Monica” or even “someone from L.A.” is like is really about the transplants who come here in droves “to make it” and not really about what the locals are like at all.

I spent four years in the Navy and 17 years working in a school for bright-but-difficult students. I used to have a pitbull, who was my best buddy, but now we have three Chihuahuas and they’re equally awesome in their own way. I’ve traveled a lot and gone to school a lot (I have a master’s degree in counseling psychology) but I’m not as young as I used to be, so I’m thankful that being an author and counselor lets me work from home and on my own terms.

As I state in my book, How to Live with a Psychic, I grew up as a non-believer in just about everything. I was a self-proclaimed atheist (parents were probably more agnostic than atheist but that was too non-committal for me), and I thought everything paranormal was merely people fooling themselves or trying to fool me. But by the time I was 30 I realized how wrong I had been about spirituality and the paranormal–which are interrelated to such a degree as to be indistinguishable from each other except by narrow definition, by the way.

Now I live a life with daily paranormal/metaphysical activity, thanks largely to my husband, Brett. Over our years together I’ve developed my pet psychic abilities and some minor energy-work ability, but he’s the “major psychic” in the house. He does readings, healings, and even house clearings from people. Sometimes at a distance! (Meaning he’s here at home and they are literally anywhere else in the world.) It’s a 100% worldview shift from where I started in my childhood, but it’s such a better place. And fortunately, that “place” happens to be located right here in Santa Monica so I get to have all the things.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was one of those fortunate young people for whom reading and writing was always very easy, as if I came out of the womb with memory of these skills from a previous life. In first grade I got in trouble for correcting a teacher that cat is not in fact the opposite of dog. (This is both correct and seems obvious, but all of the other kids chose those pairs as opposites, perhaps out of an understanding that was the expectation, but I refused and she didn’t like me pointing it out.) In third grade, my elementary school banned me from participating in their spelling bees because I would consistently beat the sixth graders. In fifth grade I won a city-wide short story contest, competing against students from all of the local schools. But I wasn’t very ambitious with any of it. I just wanted to do what was expected of me in my average little public school and fortunately, what was expected came easily, and that was good enough for me.

Throughout junior high (now known as middle school) and high school, I wrote short stories and occasionally poems (a format that I’m largely uncomfortable with because I’m so concrete) but I didn’t dare ask to be on the school newspaper or submit my work for competition because I was too self-conscious and, still, just wanted to squeak by with what was expected of me and stay under the radar. At the end of high school, when considering career options via college education, my father once said, “Crys, if you’re not writing, you’re wasting your time.” But I was 17 and he was a grown man so obviously he had no clue about anything and I pursued various other career paths, somewhat haphazardly.

All of it turned out OK. I wouldn’t change a thing. But here I am now, decades later, and guess what? My father was correct about the writing thing. I love it, and I’m good at it, and I can even help others do it. So now that’s a large part of my focus, and Brett has started writing, too. Expect his first book to be out very soon. I still have to do some other things to supplement income at this point (ask pretty much any author you meet, who’s not a household name, about “making money” and watch them laugh and laugh) but the goal is to eventually have a catalog of books that supports me to the point that doing anything else is strictly optional.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I write non-fiction and I’m a very pragmatic person so I read mostly non-fiction, and mostly in the mind/body/spirit genre since it relates to my lifestyle and my future work. But when I need a break from all of that seriousness, I have a possibly surprising go-to escape: Batman comics. Maybe a “serious author” wouldn’t admit to such a thing but I’m pretty much a WYSIWYG-kind of person. Not a lot of pretense here. So yah, I love Batman comics. I only read them a couple times a year but when I do, don’t bother me for about 24 hours because I’m “busy.”

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“How to Live with a Psychic: Your Guide for Maintaining a Happy Relationship when Someone You Love Gets Weird” is a manifestation of my personal and professional experience. Everything that’s mentioned is the book is something that has happened to me and Brett at least once. At least.

The book offers advice that is sometimes specific to the title topic but sometimes generalizable to all relationships. There’s a long section about taking care of yourself while you’re taking care of someone else, which I think is a point that can’t be made often enough when discussing interpersonal dynamics. (Thinking of starting therapy? I even have a section on how to choose a good therapist.) I included a chapter about “psychic vs. psychotic,” which seems to be a sort of taboo subject even within the paranormal/occult community, which itself is fairly taboo! And I describe different types of psychic ability both for a partner’s understanding of what their loved on is going through but also so the reader can start to experiment themselves, if they want.

One of the hosts of a radio show I was on recently referred to the book as “comprehensive” and I think that’s accurate. With Brett’s help, I tried to ensure I covered every possible angle with this scenario. Since it’s the first (and currently, only) book on the market addressing this increasingly common relationship dynamic, I wanted to be sure to say everything that needed to be said for the readers who are seeking my help.

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Crystal Hope Reed’s Website

Crystal Hope Reed Facebook Page

Crystal Hope Reed Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Ben D’Alessio

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am from New Jersey but live in New Orleans. I went to a small-liberal-arts-school in Pennsylvania and studied in London. I also lived in Spain as a teacher after college. I am currently a law student. I have a cat named Kennedy (after John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces)

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My first love of books had one common denominator: the exclusive feature of Dinosaurs. After that it was knights and anything medieval. I would “write” stories in a collection of marble notebooks before I was literate. I started my first novel at 23 while living in Spain. I’m currently working with my editor on my second novel, which will likely be out this winter/spring.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Philip Roth, Martin Amis, Michener, Ishiguro, Elif Shafak, Hosseini, Emma Straub, Vonnegut, Wright, Capote, Norman Mailer, Nabokov, Hemingway, Camus, DeLillo, Bowles, to name a few.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My published novel is about a college grad who loses his childhood best friend to suicide. He travels across Europe with close friends while indulging all of the continent’s pleasures. Across the Mediterranean an awakening foments on the coasts of North Africa: Revolution.

It took me about 3 years (on and off) to write the book, edit it, and take it through the self-publishing process.

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Ben D’Alessio’s Website

Ben D’Alessio Facebook Page

Ben D’Alessio Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Jennifer Rayes

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a freelance author who enjoys writing on the weekends and evenings. Born in Michigan, I spent the first several years of my life there before moving to Lebanon. After obtaining my Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Dayton, Ohio, I lived in Florida, Italy, Houston, France, Canada, and now reside in Abu Dhabi, with my Great Pyrenees, Koby.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve loved to read since I can remember, thanks to my father’s encouragement. I began writing when I was around 12.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Coleen Hoover

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Intricate Intentions is book 2 in the Intricate series.

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Jennifer Rayes Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Earl Javorsky

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Berlin and immigrated to the US when I was two. Now I’m living in San Diego, two cats, the occasional dog (when our daughter travels), and working as an editor.proofreader when I’m not writing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My dad was a big reader. He always had Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine on his toilet tank. I would steal them and rip through them. Before that, it was Treasure Island, Huck Finn, and other young people’s classics of the time. I started writing in high school and working as a writer by the time I was twenty.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’m mainly a mystery guy. My favorite authors include James Lee Burke, Elmore Leonard, T. Jefferson Parker, Kem Nunn, John Le Carre, and Walter Mosley, but I could name twenty more that have delivered terrific reads.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Private investigator Charlie Miner, freshly revived from his own murder, gets a call from Homicide Detective Dave Putnam. Self-styled “psychic to the stars” Tamara Gale has given crucial information about three murders, and the brass thinks it makes the Department look bad. Dave wants Charlie to help figure out the angle, since he has first-hand experience with the inexplicable. Trouble is, Charlie, just weeks after his full-death experience, once again has severe cognitive problems and may get them both killed.

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Earl Javorsky’s Website

Earl Javorsky Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With David Bradley

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
David Bradley is a digital marketing strategy expert, best-selling author, consultant and coach. David has worked with venture-funded startups and 9-figure corporations to help them develop and execute digital strategies.

David has spoken to crowds from dozens to hundreds, taught over 10,100 students, and continues to work with both marketing agencies and companies to grow their individual businesses.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
18

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Business and Marketing Books

Tell us a little about your latest book?
You’re exhausted, tired, and burdened by the chaos that is “digital marketing”. You have business growth goals to meet over the next 12 months. You already tried some marketing tactics and met with different consultants, agencies, & potential hires. Still, there’s still no clear answer…

This book provides a strategic view of digital marketing for the eager business owner, executive or marketer.

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David Bradley’s Website

David Bradley Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Anthony Avina

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Anthony Avina, and I live in Southern California. Born in raised here, I am now 27 years old and live here with my Yorkshire Terrier named Sammy and my two Black Cats named Batman and Robin. I work as a freelance writer for the online publications On Request Magazine and TheGamer. When I’m not working or writing, I am filming vlogs and other videos for my YouTube channel, Avina Vlogs. I also have a blog where I frequently review other author’s books and post book related posts, as well as opinion pieces.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was fifteen when I realized I wanted to be an author. I’d always loved reading from a very young age but I was fifteen and in my Creative Writing class in high school when I knew I wanted to be an author. I started writing then but I was twenty years old when I published my first book on Amazon. It was called Death for Sale, and from then on I have been self-publishing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors to read are Stephen King and Dean Koontz. The genre I love the most is the horror genre, although I love YA and Science Fiction almost as much as horror, (but not quite). Stephen King is the author who inspired me to become an author and his style is something I’ve been passionate about incorporating into my own brand of writing. The person in my life who inspires me to write and inspires my writing choices is actually my mom. I know that sounds cheesy to some, but her strength and absolute kindness have been a constant inspiration to me in my own life, and it has translated into the characters I write as well. She is the sweetest, kindest and strongest person I know, and she also gave me my passion for writing, so she is my biggest source of personal inspiration for my writing.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
This book is actually something I’ve been invested in for the last seven years. It combines the three novellas that made up the very first series I ever wrote, and includes “I Was A Teenage Killer”, “I Was A Teenage Zombie” and “I Was A Teenage Demon”. I wrote it when I was twenty years old, and something I’ve always believed is that being a writer is a constant learning experience. There is always going to be something you can improve or change or learn to do better, and that’s why I decided to go back to this series and re-write it, incorporating new ideas and new styles into the story. I fixed some of the mistakes I made as a young and inexperienced author, and turned this into a much scarier and creepier story that I think horror fans will love to read.

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Anthony Avina’s Website

Anthony Avina Facebook Page

Anthony Avina Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Jeffrey Matucha

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a San Francisco Bay Area native, born and raised. I came of age in the racous San Francisco Eighties, a time that was simply Sodom and Gomorrah, and I dived head first into the alt cultures in this crazy region, cultures that I am still very much a part of. I live in Berkeley, a city I am destined to never leave.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading at an early age thanks to my mother. Some of my early favorites were James Thurber and Roald Dahl along with Dr Seuss. As a tween I went through my Russian writer phase with Dostoyevsky and Tolsoty, and eventually discovered Hunter S Thompson and Jack Kerouac, among many others.

I have always written, but did not start formally writing until my late twenties. I used writing as a means to try and get myself together, especially with my struggles with substance abuse.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Among my favorite writers: The aforementioned James Thurber, Richard Wright, (Everyone needs to read Native Son,) Dostoyevsky, WEB Dubois, (Okay not fiction, so sue me,) Tolstoy, Janet Frame, Groucho Marx, David Sedaris, Ann Petry, Hunter S Thompson, Charles Bukowski, and Kim Acrylic. My go to for graphic novels is the Hernandez Brothers, Jaime and Golbert, with their Love and Rockets series.

Wright, Thompson, Petry, and Bukowski are huge influences. As are the Hernandez Brothers.

These days I’ve been diving into a lot of non-fiction, especially Mary Roach, Sarah Vowell, and Brian Greene.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Clubber is a book about a man I can’t stand. I decided to take a dive into the mind of a shallow and self-absorbed person and ended up getting lost in this character. A man who goes to great pains to deny his true self and ends up paying for it. It’s also a harrowing tale of 1980’s San Francisco, a subject that hasn’t been written about nearly enough.

More details in my blog post:

Why I wrote The Clubber

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Jeffrey Matucha’s Website

Jeffrey Matucha Facebook Page

Jeffrey Matucha Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Mark Hibbett

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m originally from Peterborough, but now live in East Village in London – it’s the former Athletes’ Village from the 2012 Olympics, and it’s an amazing place to live. We can see the stadium from our living room window, and our flat was where the athletes from San Marino stayed. We lived in nearby Leytonstone during the games, and loved it all so much that we decided to move there!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved sitting in a quiet corner and getting lost in a book, and have written for as long as I remember. I pretty much stopped in my twenties and thirties though, as I got more interested in writing and performing music (there are a lot more chances to drink beer and meet girls at gigs than there are sitting at home in front of a computer) so it’s been lovely to get back to it now I’m in my forties. It’s also a lot easier on the knees than jumping around in front of an audience.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’ve always loved the Nigel Molesworth books by Geoffrey Willans and Ronald Searle, and though my spelling is (hopefully) better than Nigel’s, the spirit of bemused anarchy has inspired me in life and indeed in art. I also love Jane Austen – I had to read her books at school and then at University, and thought they were dreadfully boring. It was only after i’d finished college that I realised that her novels are comedies, and that she’s basically taking the piss out of rich people. When I read them with that in mind I thought they were fantastic!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
‘Storm House’ is a comedy science fiction story about a bunch of people who work for a small museum in London, but who are also secretly the UK’s last stand against monsters, aliens and general weirdness. It’s very much in the tradition of Douglas Adams and has, I think, some decent jokes and some very loveable characters. I like them all so much that I’ve already started writing them a sequel!

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Mark Hibbett’s Website

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Featured Interview With Vicki Batman

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m the oldest, dark-haired, brown-eyed girl with three blonde-haired and blue-eyed sisters. We were raised in the suburbs. I’ve lived in the big city ever since I graduated from college.

I’ve always had cats until two years ago when my twenty-three year old cat passed. She had the most incredible velvet fur. For the past eight years, we’re pet parents to Champ and Jones, malti-poos. Yep, Jones got his name from Indiana Jones. LOL

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always been a huge reader. Every summer, my mom took the four of us to the library to check out books for two weeks. One time, the librarian told me I couldn’t check out the stack I had, that I wouldn’t read them all. As I turned away to sort through my pile, my mom saw how upset I was. I explained what was what and she marched me back to the desk, saying, “Give her all of them. She’ll read them all, probably twice and her sisters’ too.”

I started writing about thirteen years ago. A friend prompted me and continues to feel responsible for what I have accomplished.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love reading historical and contemporary romance, mysteries, thrillers, women’s fiction. My all-time favorite is Dick Francis. When my son was a toddler, I discovered his books. Handsome and I were visiting a Half Price bookstore and I mentioned how I wanted to find more of his work. He asked, “Why do you like him so?” I said, “I wish I could write like him.” Never before had I told anyone that. It took me a long time before I found the courage to try.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Temporarily Insane is the second in the Hattie Cooks mystery series. Temporary Employed is the first one. There’s humor, romance, and murder in each.

No man. Bad job. And Murder. Hattie Cooks is still searching for her dream job and one might be available…in the Big Apple, far from friends, family, and Allan Wellborn, the man who still makes her heart race. In the meantime, she finds temporary employment at an accounting firm where two auditor friends turn up dead.

Detective Allan Wellborn dropped Hattie for Blonde Bimbo who, coincidentally, is employed at NLB where fishy things are taking place. When Allan interviews Hattie, he must determine why all signs point to her as a suspect.

Can Hattie discover why Allan dumped her and who is murdering auditors before death strikes again?

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Vicki Batman’s Website

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Featured Interview With Ally K.

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Well, I was born in Uzbekistan. When I was three years old me and my family moved to Germany (we lived in Bonn, it’s a small town near Cologne) and lived there for eleven years. I went to a Russian school which was one of the two Russian schools in the whole country (the second one is in Berlin).
In the year 2011 we moved to Kazakhstan where I live now. I finished school here. Now I am a student at a Russian university and a technical translator for my father’s IT firm.
Sadly I don’t have pets, never had any. Always wanted a cat or at least a hamster. Too bad my parents don’t really like pets.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
To be honest I hated reading as a child. But even then I always had a dream to write my own book. Funny isn’t it? A girl hates reading but wants others to read her work.
All that hate vanished when I read my first book. It was the year the movie Twilight went out. I didn’t really like the movie, but… you know… Robert Pattinson… That was when I wanted to find out if there would be a sequel. This way I discovered the books. First I asked my mom to buy me the first book, to find out if I’ll actually be able to read it. That was one of those life changing moments. I ate up all four books, I have two exemplars of the saga (in German and English).
Since then I haven’t read any other books, I just reread Twilight over and over again. Until my dad gave me Ender’s Game. I never cried over a story, that was the first time I cried while reading.
Since then I read when I have free time. I love indie books, I think they are so innocent in a way, not tainted by fame and money.
The first time I tried to write a story was when I was thirteen I think. It was a fun idea for a story, but so embarrassing to read seven years later.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I loved Stephenie Meyer as a kid, now I can’t read Twilight any more, I read it too many times to do it again.
I fell in love with Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series a few year ago. She’s my favourite author ever since.
I also recently read an indie book I just adored. It’s called The Face You See by Amelia Legend. Now it’s one of my favourite books and the author has her place on my favourite author shelf.
Right now I read and review indie books of almost any genres. I’ve been doing this for a month now and I love all the books I got from the indie authors. Starting a blog to do reviews for indie authors was probably one of the best decisions I ever made. I found a new passion for indie books.
I get inspired by the most random things. Even a simple word can make me think of a new scene for a book or an idea for a new story. So there is nothing/no one in particular that inspires me, it’s all random.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Special Minds is my debut novel which is the first in a trilogy. And yes, it has a cliff hanger.
It’s a love story. When I write, I write about things I would like to read.
The characters I created are people I would love to meet in real life, simple and complicated at the same time. Millicent (Milly) Kale is seventeen, after finishing school she started working as a PA for the CEO of a very big company. She’s very serious in the beginning but lightens up more and more in the second half of the book.
Dean Write is a billionaire – a very fun, always amused, billionaire. He owns his family business and doesn’t care about money, because he just has it.
You can’t deny that these two characters are charming enough to win your heart over. They most definitely did with me.
I worked on this novel for two years, working on the universe and polishing up the plot. So I really hope you’ll like it.

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Ally K.’s Website

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Featured Interview With Michael W. Huard

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live in the beautiful four seasons region of Maine. I have always found the people are friendly and time slows down just enough to let my imagination find its way to paper.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always found great comfort in words. To read and learn from authors from the last is like time travel to me. As a long time dungeons and dragons player I started writing stories right out of high school.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
As far as other writer’s, Gemmell, Tolikein, Salvatore, Martin, and a fellow Maine Steve King are my favorites.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Land of the Free is my debut book in the genre of sci-fi and fantasy. The story is set one-thousand years in the future. The USA has now fallen into great despair. The rich and powerful govern a robotics military via a lawless country. Yet, there is hope. A sisterhood of enhanced, beautiful, patriotic, martial arts masters are out to make the land free again. It’s a fun tale, very female empowering!

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Michael W. Huard’s Website

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