Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Tabi Slick

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Kansas and lived in there on 15 acres. I grew up in the country until we moved to the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma at the age of 12, going from have zero neighbors to having a whopping total of two neighbors. Oklahoma was a bitter sweet place for me. I loved the nearby town of Davis and to me it was a big city. In reality it only had one red light. Here is where the magical world of Tompkin’s School came to life to me. Although, back then it was an entirely different story.

When I was seventeen I graduated from high school and went out on my own to explore this vast world. I flew across the ocean and began my college career studying business at a university in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. I could even see the ocean from my dorm room window! This was quite the adventure for me and I could definitely say I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. I studied in Puerto Rico for two years before transferring to the University of Texas at Arlington in order to start their new bachelors degree in Linguistics (I found that Business just wasn’t for me and fell in love with Linguistics while in PR). Linguistics is the study of language patterns, how it’s formed, developed, and how it lives around us. If I could go back and do it all over again I would always take Linguistics. It was challenging, but it made me appreciate the written word even more.

I live in the DFW area of Texas now, writing code for websites and writing stories. I have a handsome husband and a friendly Rhodesian Ridgeback/German Shepherd pup named Dexter. In my spare time I enjoy working out and practicing my German.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I fell in love with reading in middle school. I started consuming anything and everything, although my favorite stories were fantasy or anything with a paranormal element. I began writing around the same time, although at first it was just movie scripts. Then when I was ten years old I came up with a story I called Tompkin’s School: For The Extraordinarily Talented. It was a totally different story from what it is today, written from a kid’s perspective, but I had written a couple of chapters and I was so proud of it. My dad new an author at work so he had him read my book and the news I got back was that it was basically awful. I was devastated and gave up on writing.

It was in college that this writing creativity snuck up on me again after having these dreams of twins and how they transitioned on the full moon into these beings with powers and wings. I decided to write it all down in a journal. I had no intention of this being a novel, but the more I wrote about these twins the more I became obsessed with their story I knew I just had to publish their story. This story didn’t have a title for awhile, until I remembered the one I came up with as a kid and decided to call this story Tompkin’s School: For The Extraordinarily Talented as a constant reminder to me to never stop following my dream, no matter what and to never give up.

Tompkin’s School is a trilogy, but you can read each book as a stand alone. My second book Tompkin’s School: For The Dearly Departed was just released in August, 2017.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Romance is a guilty pleasure of mine, particularly ones about vampires! I don’t write in this genre, but I do love reading it. I’m not a huge Science Fiction fan, but an author who blends Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Romance perfectly is Ame Terra in her book Earth No. 105. I loved this story! A few other recent reads I fell in love with are Sweet Vengeance by Aliya DelRae and Healing Danger by Maddie Wade. I know I write Dark Fantasy, but I try not to read too many of the same genre while I’m writing in that genre in order to avoid those stories to sneak into my writing.

As for an author who has inspired me? Robert Ludlum has definitely played a significant role in my writing process. How every street in the Bourne trilogy is a real place you can go and see today, that’s something I loved about his writing. It’s not fantasy, but the writing is just so good. I decided to place Tompkin’s School in that little town of Davis, Oklahoma that I went to high school at so that I could give these fantasy stories a sense of realism that Robert Ludlum weaved into his own stories.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book titled Tompkin’s School: For The Dearly Departed follows the twins Izara and brother Kain through their Junior year of high school at Tompkin’s Academy. In this book you get to know Kain a little bit more and watch how his powers progress and threaten to take over. A newcomer named Choyce, who’s over a hundred years old, has arrived who transitions on the full moon just like Izara and Kain. The twins have to figure out whether to trust him or not. The Academy’s army (who call themselves the Night-Walkers) are getting closer to figuring out that the twins have powers and that means bad news for the twins. While the twins are figuring out how to control their new powers and who to trust, something is coming. Something stronger than they have ever faced before. Will they be able to choose between light and the darkness?

Excerpt:
“I shivered at the sight of the wolf-man killing one of the intruders that night they had chained Bart to the ground.
“Destiny of beings is about to come to fruition,” the voice of the being’s human companion rang in my ear.
The scene turned to liquid and then I saw Izzy standing in front of me.
“You know his face,” a voice that didn’t belong to my sister bellowed from within her.
I will return….I will return to my children.
My whole body writhed in pain as the voice filled my head.”

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Tabi Slick’s Website

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Featured Interview With Shavonda Robinson

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live in Nashville, Tennessee
I been here all my life. No i don’t have any pets. I am two timed author now. I am an award winning poet and songwriter.
I am the creator of Create Something For The Future an online poetry magazine for upcoming poets and writers.
I have been published in a few anthologies and magazines.
I am an mother of two kids that i love so dearly.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing when i was seven years old and ever since then i have been hooked on it.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love Maya Angelou and her poetry and also like James Patterson books.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My newest motivational book titled Hidden Voices Of Abuse For Women All Around The World.
This book helps shed light on many women in abusive relationships. This book gives a voice to many woman who may feel trapped in a abusive relationship and need help getting out off it or help recognizing the signs of an abusive partner.

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Shavonda Robinson Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With Ben Jackson

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Australia. I’m married to my wife and co-author Sam Lawrence. We live between Australia and Canada. We have rabbits, cats & dogs! It’s a busy house!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved reading books. I only started writing when I was about 30.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love Wilbur Smith, James Patterson, James Michener, and Bernard Cornwall.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is called “The Day My Fart Followed Me To The Dentist” It’s about a little boy called Timmy that goes to the dentist with his imaginary friend, the Little Fart. It’s free to download on Smashwords.

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Ben Jackson’s Website

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Featured Interview With Rev. Sheri Heller, LCSW

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Brooklyn New York and am a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada although I never lived in Canada. However, I love to travel to Montreal frequently. I love to travel period. I’ve been to 37 countries so far. Travel and the arts- literature, music, fine art, dance, sustained me through difficult times. Childhood was very rough. Hence generational trauma informs my identity, core values and world-view and led to my committing my life to recovery from complex trauma and helping those similarly effected. It also led to my writing A Clinician’s Journey from Complex Trauma to Thriving; Reflections on Abuse, C-PTSD and Reclamation.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading very young. Fairytales and myths were a place to take refuge and escape difficulties. I was very shy but ironically was drawn to acting. That opened up a portal to great playwrights. My father wrote creatively and as a journalist, so that inspired me to write short stories as a kid. Writing creatively and in a journal has been an ongoing ritual in my life. A few years ago I co-authored a play Let the Phoenix Rise, for underserved traumatized women in the public sector, which was produced and directed.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I was drawn to the writings of Dostoyevsky, Joyce Carol Oates, Eugene O’Neil, Tennessee Williams, Pat Conroy, Toni Morrison, fairytales and mythology. Really anything that explored the human condition. I also love historical fiction and thrillers. The Alienist by Caleb Carr was a riveting book for me to read. Given that I’m a psychotherapist and interfaith minister I also love the writings of Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, Marion Woodman, and RD. Laing. In terms of poetry I seem to like the beat genre a great deal; Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti, Bukowski, although one of my favorite poems is Alone by E.A. Poe.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
As a seasoned psychotherapist and interfaith minister who is also a survivor and thriver of complex trauma, this anthology of essays I’ve authored offers unique heartfelt guidance for clinicians and those who are casualties of systemic child abuse and subsequent trauma. Essentially the book embodies the journey of healing and recovery, beginning with articles that pertain to abuse, complex trauma and addiction, and segueing into the relational quest, recovery and treatment and concluding with thriving creatively and spiritually.

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Rev. Sheri Heller, LCSW’s Website

Rev. Sheri Heller, LCSW Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Susan McDonough-Wachtman

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Washington state and I live in Washington state after a brief foray to a few other places in the Pacific Northwest. I have had four cats but am now down to one. She prefers to be an only cat.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I won a writing contest in the second grade with a story about a seashell. I haven’t stopped writing since. I’ve been reading since I figured out One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. I think I was five.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
R.A. MacAvoy, Elizabeth Peters, Connie Willis, Mary Steward, Anne McCaffrey, Cecilia Holland, Annemarie Selinko, Margaret Mitchell — I’ll read almost any genre if there is a strong female protagonist. I love history, sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery in particular.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest published book is a book of short stories. The photographs that illustrate it were taken by my husband. It’s a family friendly book with stories about kids and parents and grandparents. There is a little bit of fantasy. The stories are ones that I have written over the last twenty years of being a wife, mother, and high school teacher.

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Susan McDonough-Wachtman’s Website

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Featured Interview With Vaneisha tyree

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is vaneisha Tyree I was raised in Yonkers, NY and I still reside here in Yonkers, NY. Unfortunately I haven’t had a pet since I was twelve years old.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I always loved to read. I began writing at the age of nine years old the summer of 2003 I never forget it, I wrote my first story called “The lost diamond” I have no idea why I chose that tile. After that I start to do writing and poetry contests and I was wining them. From there I knew I had a gift I found something I enjoy doing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love to read fictional stories that’s real, I like suspense books too, dramatic. I enjoy a good read anything that’s going to make me picture myself in that book with them and anything I’m able to put myself in that scene. I like to read books that’s going to have me think “OMG what happens next.”

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My book I have published now “I have my struggles & fights” it’s a fictional story but it’s real. Something that a lot of people could relate to. It’s a story that’s going to have you in the edge of your bed, chair etc. I want my readers to want more I want them to know this is not the end, there’s more but you have to wait. Alicia Matthews is going back and forth with her psychologist Dr carol and finding herself it’s amazing, I amazed myself of how I wrote something like that, to be completely honest. It took me about a months and half to finish the book.

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Vaneisha tyree’s Website

Featured Interview With Waldbaums,Supermarkets

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Robert Torres and Im a author of two published books and a hip hop artist.I live in Jamaica ,Queens.N.Y

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
At the age of 10 years old.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I lime to read all kinds of books.I cavorite author is Dr.Kunstler. My experience in life inspire me in writting.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My new third book will be published soon titled Sabor Latino:125 quotes gathered from my life observations.It deals with 125 quotes and five chapters of inspiration

Featured Interview With SimonRose

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m originally form the UK but am now based in Calgary in Western Canad. I’m the author of science fiction and fantasy novels for children and young adults, including The Alchemist’s Portrait, The Sorcerer’s Letterbox, The Clone Conspiracy, The Emerald Curse, The Heretic’s Tomb, The Doomsday Mask, The Time Camera, The Sphere of Septimus, Flashback, Future Imperfect, Twisted Fate, and the Shadowzone series. I’m also the author of seven guides for writers, including The Time Traveler’s Guide, The Children’s Writer’s Guide, The Working Writer’s Guide, The Social Media Writer’s Guide, and many non-fiction books.

I’m an instructor for adults with the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University and also offer a number of services for writers, including coaching, editing, consulting, and writing workshops, as well as copywriting services for the business community.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
In terms of writing books and stories, when my children were small, I starting reading children’s books again for the first time in many years. Some of the books were wonderful and I wished that I could write something similar. However, some of the books were very poor and I was surprised that they’d ever been published. This made me wonder if I could write stories of my own. I started thinking that I should write fairy tales and picture books for younger children but after reading the first three Harry Potter novels, I realized that I wanted to write for the age group that those books are aimed at. I wasn’t interested in writing about the same things, such as magic, wizards, and imaginary creatures, and instead focused on themes that I was interested in, such as science fiction, fantasy, time travel, history, comic books, ancient mysteries and civilizations, superheroes, other dimensions, and the paranormal.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I don’t really have favorite authors, more genres or books and stories really. I read lots of different things but I’d say much or it is in the science fiction or fantasy genres, although I also occasionally read nonfiction too.

When I began my career as a writer I was influenced by the earlier books in the Harry Potter series. However, I didn’t want to write about wizards, dragons, or magic, but rather about the things that I was interested in, such as time travel, the paranormal, superheroes, ancient mysteries, or history. I was also influenced by Phillip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass, along with some other excellent fantasy and science fiction works

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Shadowzone series involves the discovery of a grim dystopian version of Earth that’s ruled by a totalitarian dictatorship, the threat of a deadly virus, and a race against time to save the lives of millions. This is the synopsis for the first book, entitled Shadowzone.

“While watching intense flashes of lightning during a violent storm, Ben experiences mysterious and disturbing visions of another world, one very different from his own. In the chain of events that follow, Ben encounters Charlie, a girl from a dark version of Earth, a planet doomed by the effects of environmental catastrophe, where the leaders will stop at nothing to complete their deadly mission.”

The second part is entitled Into The Web and is followed by Black Dawn.

The original idea was about someone capturing mysterious images on a video camera of a person that no one else could see. It was around the time that a local hospital was about to be demolished. I imagined that my character was filming the event and captured the image of the person stepping seemingly unharmed from the rubble as the building came down. The idea of capturing unexplained images on film was something that I’ve continued working on too.

For a while, I was never sure the idea would come to anything. It was early in my writing career and I put it aside and worked on other stories, but I’d periodically add another element to the story about the camera and the mysterious individual. At one point, I decided that the person that the boy caught on film wasn’t a ghost but from another dimension or perhaps a parallel universe and they were attempting to contact him for some reason. I then began to add details of this other Earth and the reasons for the connection to our world, and it went from there. An initial concept involving kidnappings from hospitals didn’t quite work, so instead I developed the idea of a deadly virus, which was a good fit with the type of government running the other Earth. Once that was all in place, I was able to get to work.

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SimonRose’s Website

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Featured Interview With Gary Corbin

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m the seventh of nine baby boom children (six sisters, two brothers), all born within eleven years from first to last. After spending the first sixteen years of my life in a small mill town with a funny name (Agawam) in Massachusetts, my family moved to the New Orleans, Louisiana area, and I graduated from a Catholic school, having gone there only one year. I earned a B.A. in political science and economics from LSU, then a Ph.D. from Indiana University. After nine years in Washington, DC, I moved to the Pacific Northwest. I share dog-raising duties for a rambunctious Golden Retriever with my girlfriend and partner, Renee in another small mill town – Camas, Washington – and I love it here.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I always loved reading. My older siblings loved to play school, with them as teacher, and I loved to play student, so I learned to read very young. By first grade, I was already reading biographies and Greek mythology (kids’ versions, of course).

My family, particularly my parents, inspired me to write at an early age. My parents’ generation and their parents were great storytellers, be it at the dinner table, around a campfire, or just hanging around playing cards, and we learned early to value the ability to tell a good story. My mother in particular praised and encouraged my writing and made me believe in and develop my writing talents.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors include Philip Margolin, Scott Turow, John Irving, Barbara Kingsolver, Lee Child, Toni Morrison, and Michael Connelly. I love any good fiction, especially mysteries and crime thrillers, but also everything from literary to science fiction. I also love biographies and memoirs. I get inspired by any good writing, but also by the success of newcomers and self-published authors, whose grit and determination help them overcome an industry sometimes marked more by rejections and gatekeepers than helpers and cheerleaders.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“He’s a good man with a dark secret. She knows it, and needs a man killed.”

In Lying in Vengeance, the sequel to my award-winning debut courtroom thriller Lying in Judgment (release date September 13, 2017), Peter Robertson must choose between two horrible options. Both involve death and revenge.
Peter Robertson, 33, once fought a man he believed to be his wife’s lover on a remote forested road and left him to die. Six months later, he served on the jury that freed a wrongfully accused man—and let his own secret slip to a beautiful but manipulative fellow juror, Christine Nielsen.
Two months later, Christine wakes him in the middle of the night with a threat: kill Kyle, the man who stalks and abuses her, or have his own murderous past exposed.
Peter pretends to go along as he seeks another, less violent solution, and his best friend Frankie threatens to expose the conspiracy to the police. When Kyle kidnaps her at gunpoint, Peter’s daring rescue gives him the opportunity to fulfill her request.

The next morning, Kyle turns up dead, and the police arrest Frankie, of all people. Peter knows he’s innocent, but can he prove it without directing the finger of blame at himself—for both murders?

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Gary Corbin’s Website

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Featured Interview With Victoria Blanco

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hey what’s up, my names Jared, I’m 19- no *laughs* I’m sorry I had to do that. I really miss Vine. Um, I’m twenty. I’m currently living in my hometown until I finish school. I have one dog. My baby, my son, Marshmellow. I am in love with that guy. Cutest thing ever.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination with books came at an early age, I think it was right when I knew enough English to read run-on sentences. So like…around first grade. I was attached to picture books. Then Junie B. Jones. I began writing in fourth grade, believe it or not, there was a writing contest and I submitted my story and won.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
One of my favorite authors is Joe Donahue, he wrote this story collection called The Power of Negative Thinking, and it thought it was just brilliant. It inspired me for several short stories I have written myself. J.K Rowling has to be in here. Harry Potter made my childhood a little better. I guess my favorite genre would have to be somewhere along the lines of poetry and experimental writing. I love an abstract book, with no boundaries. Books made to shock you, books with no quotation marks or commas. Books that are very nihilistic and existential. I love Sartre and Camus. McCarthy too.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Chocolate Mint Nite Drives is more of an open door to me as is any book ever written. People seem to enjoy the dark themes presented in this collection of poems and short stories. There’s heartbreak, broken relationships, interpretations of our existence, for example in my poem, Brain Freeze, one day, the sun just…goes away, leaving the earth to become very cold and frigid. The sun appears less and the world begins to slow down until it actually just freezes. There’s a poem about gentrification especially in San Francisco, and some poems about women.

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Victoria Blanco’s Website

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Victoria Blanco Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Leanna Englert

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. I now live in Austin, Texas, with my husband, Tim. My son and his family have dogs, and my daughter has cats. I have visiting privileges.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
A picture book with a forgotten title was the gateway, then on to The Poky Little Puppy, and the Bobbsey Twins. I even liked Dick and Jane.

I remember writing a story–must have been in second grade. My teacher red-penciled the words “cocktail table” and substituted “coffee table.” I still don’t like criticism.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I think I’ve read everything John Steinbeck and Tony Hillerman have written. And pretty soon it will be everything William Kent Krueger has written. I loved Sue Monk Kidd’s The Invention of Wings, and Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants. All these authors inspire me in terms of story-telling. In terms of style, I’m inspired by Anne Tyler.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I began researching the subject of my historical novel, Compromise With Sin, in 1993. At that time I planned to write a non-fiction book about the grassroots movement to get legislation passed that would end the blinding condition known as “babies’ sore eyes.” It was a compelling subject, fraught with controversy, and Helen Keller played a role.

Several things happened that caused me to change direction. One was that research was spotty. Or maybe I wasn’t such a crackerjack researcher. Another was that my imagination took over: what would happen to a family whose child was blinded by this condition? Even worse, what if the child had been conceived as the result of an affair? Hmmm.

So I fictionalized events. Helen Keller is a secondary character who becomes a good friend of my protagonist, Louise Morrissey.

For some readers, the story is one of betrayal and redemption. For others, it’s the fight for a cause that would become of the greatest public health triumphs of the twentieth century.

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Leanna Englert’s Website

Leanna Englert Facebook Page

Leanna Englert Twitter Account

Featured Interview With J.E.Grace

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Northern California, but moved to Missouri in 2000. I had a background in Retail/Property Management, but decided to switch careers to Real Estate. I continued in that field of work until 2013, when I retired to pursue my passion for art and writing.

I have been married for 28 years, have four grown daughters, six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. I have a cat, Rascal, that lives up to his name. He keeps me entertained.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I would have to say that reading at a young age, and getting lost in the stories, inspired me to write. My favorite stories, were Nancy Drew Mysteries and Christian inspirational stories.

I started out writing poetry and then branched out into fiction when I was in my twenties. My mother, who also loves to write, was always there with words of encouragement.

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 William P. Young, Mitch Albom, Kristin Hannah, and James L. Robart. My favorite genre to read is Christian Inspirational Fiction.

Reading my favorite authors work has helped inspire me to keep writing. My faith in God inspires me to write inspiring stories immersed in hope and faith.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is Book 2 in my Pacific Cove Series, Testament of Faith. It’s the continuation of the Sanders family story. It takes place on a horse ranch in Northern California and is about a family with strong faith that endures a series of bad events and pulls through together with God’s help.

The idea came from a ranch I lived on in Northern California in the 60’s. I decided it would be a good backdrop for my story. The book took me about 6 months to complete. I originally had planned the Pacific Cove books to be one book, but realized I was actually writing two separate stories. They became Haunted Visions (mystery) and Testament of Faith (inspirational fiction).

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Featured Interview With Jennifer Cherry

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up with an Airforce family and would move every 18 months to 3 years. My parents went their separet ways when I was in the 8th grade. I spent my freshman year in New Hampshire and moved to Austin Texas in 1981. I graduated from Crockett High School in 1984. I moved to Iowa for a short time until I moved to Muldrow OK where I m currently living with my husband and 2 cats.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading at the age of 3 and began writing seriously in the 6th grade.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite autors are: J. D. Salinger, George Orwell, John D. Fitzgerald, Douglas Adams, Yevgeny Zamyatin and Baroness Orczy just to mane a few. My favorite genre is mostly the classics. There isn’t just one person that inspires me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
A Distortion of Reality is a commercial fiction set in a reality of a different kind, depicting characters with no names or gender and at the same time taking you into a realm of romance, mystery and wickedly intrusive overtones which will undoubtedly stretch your imagination.
A Distortion of Reality has an Orwellian feel with a twist leaving the time set open to being the past, present or future. With the minds imagination what seems to be is not always what is and much is left open for the reader to participate in the creation of the characters. The story begins with the main character completely overwhelmed by something or someone, reality or dreamed, taken and held for an unknown amount of time, physically examined, tortured, injected with unknown substances and left totally confused. The Party makes it all but impossible to have the freedom of a personal life although there is still room for the trials of romance, if in fact they are real. Be it mystery, science fiction or fantasy, or maybe a combination of all, this story will definitely keep its reader anxious for more, to find out what will happen next, and will take you back a little with the Hitchcock style ending.

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Jennifer Cherry’s Website

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Featured Interview With TK Lawyer

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live in Florida with my husband and one sweet dog. I work a full time day job and in my spare moments I write, market/promote and socialize with my awesome street team or readers on my Facebook Fan Page. Then sporadically throughout the year I attend book fairs where I love meeting with amazing readers – new and familiar.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved reading~ in fact my parents encouraged it when I was younger. The best time of year for me was when I could order books from the Scholastic book fair. My dad did not pinch pennies when it came to buying books and he encouraged me to get anything I wanted. I started writing about six years ago and never thought I would write books because I always saw it as a hobby but here I am creating tales to fascinate readers and I love it.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have several favorite authors. A few of my mainstays are: Felicity Heaton, Jordan Summers, and Eve Langlais. Some of my favorite genres are: paranormal romance, erotica, Sci fi/paranormal romance and contemporary romance. Hmmm….I am not sure if anyone inspires me in my writings. I write when I feel like writing and I do it because I want to tell a story, hoping readers will immerse themselves in the scenes I’ve created and come to love my unique tales.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, Nightfall, was out of print since October 23, 2016 but re-published with a new publisher on July 17, 2017. Nightfall is a unique paranormal erotic, wolf-shifter romance. Nightfall meets his mate again in the most unique way. He finds himself drawn to a home on his nightly runs but he doesn’t know why. Every night he ends up on the doorstep to this magnetic woman who eventually takes him in as her pet. However, he wants to be with her as her partner and he doesn’t want to remain, solely, her pet. He must find a way out of his predicament.

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Featured Interview With S. T. Sanchez

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Dallas, TX. I currently reside in a small suburb just north of Dallas with my family. Three kids, a husband who works too hard, a small black dog, and orange tabby cat keep me busy. I work part time for a school district in the Student Nutrition Department, I am a den leader for a cub scout troop and volunteer for my church. Somewhere in the mix of all this chaos, I find a few minutes here and there to write.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I tend to go through phases where it is either feast or famine when it comes to reading. I love books, but a book had to hook me from the very beginning. I really never thought about writing as a child. I had lots of ideas, but my grammar isn’t the best. I never know when to use a comma or a semi colon. It wasn’t until college, that I just thought, I am going to sit down and see how long of a story I could write. I ended up writing my first book, a children’s book that I believe is around 80 pages that is so juvenile, it will never see the light of day and is hidden away in a drawer. However, it gave me the confidence to keep working at it.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love fantasy. I can’t do non fiction. I need dialog! I love Brandon Mull. He is fantastic and so fun to read. I just wish he would write a little faster! I hate waiting for the sequels to come out.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Sunwalker is the first in a trilogy. It follows the life of a teenage girl/vampire. Lilly is a sunwalker—a vampire born from human parents, able to walk in the daylight. She lives life as human, hiding her true identity from all those around her. One evening, she comes to the rescue of her best friend, Lex, as a vampire is about to make a meal out of her. Lilly is drawn to him, despite her desire to loathe him for almost murdering Lex, as he is the first of her kind she has ever met. As the vampire, Tread, begins to open Lilly’s eyes to a world she has never known, Lilly must decide where she belongs. After she is betrayed by the person she loves most, Lilly is forced to submerge herself entirely in the vampire world, only to discover that Tread has a secret so shocking it could destroy them all.

I love the interaction between Lilly and Tread. Both vampires, they come from very different backgrounds. Their upbringings were completely different, so they have a lot of preconceptions about what is right and wrong with the world. I really enjoyed writing from both sides.
I don’t like predictability in books, so there are a lot of twists and surprises. I hope readers find it a fun ride. It took about two years to get published, between writing, editing, designing a cover. I am very happy with the finished product.

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Featured Interview With Ewa Dodd

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am Polish by origin, but have lived in London all my life, moving around different parts of the city. I grew up in leafy Ealing, went to uni in central London, and now live in Highbury with my husband Giles.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved reading – I was a real book nerd as a child and spent many a half term in the kids’ corner of Waterstone’s making my way through the shelves. (My dad was a bookseller and I was allowed two new books a week, provided I was on my best behaviour.) I always secretly dreamt of writing my own book, and as I grew older I became fascinated by modern Polish history, so I decided that’s what I wanted to focus on in my writing. ‘The Walls Came Down’ is my first published book, which I started writing when I was around 26.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I was inspired to write by all of the great authors I’ve read over the years. My favourite writers are those who use a historical setting and have a person story at the centre, like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie or Khaled Hosseini.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
‘The Walls Came Down’ is the story of a young boy who goes missing during a workers’ strike in 1980s Communist Poland, unravelling a chain of events which will touch people across decades and continents. Joanna, a young journalist in Warsaw, is still looking for her brother, who’s been missing for over twenty years. Matty, a high-flying London city financier is struggling with relationship problems and unexplained panic attacks. And in Chicago, an old man is slowly dying in a nursing home, losing his battle with liver cancer. I wanted to get readers interested in how the three stories are connected and how the pieces of the puzzle all fit together.

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Featured Interview With Brenda Scruggs

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised and still live in Tennessee. I have to cats that act like children. You know when you’re busy writing and they want all you attention, jumping in lap, playing with the keyboard while I’m trying to type. But, they are my sweeties.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I took a journalism class in high school which peeked my interest in writing but didn’t get serious about writing until a few years ago.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I enjoy reading most type of genre’s but if I had to choose, I think it would be historical romance. I grew up riding horses and occasionally barrel raced in my younger days. I have many favorite authors but I like the ones that write about my home state.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I am in the process of publishing a series called, “Ladies of Entrepreneurship.” These ladies are strong-willed and destine to follow the dream that God has put inside of them. But, my recently released book, “Michaela’s Justice,” is about Detective Michaela Kendall and US Marshal tracking the escaped convict that had abducted Michaela at the age of fourteen. The two clash on so many different levels but soon release they need each other more than they know, especially when Atelic Horton, the escapee is determined to make her his.

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Featured Interview With Bozena Zawisz

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My Name is Bozena, I am the author of “Liberating Inner Eve.” I was raised amongst the beautiful rolling hills of Southern Poland, where I left behind a piece of my heart, and now I live in the equally beloved NSW, Australia. Outside of my most challenging yet cherished role of being a mother, I also love my counseling work, playing the organ for my church community, and connecting with others via my Facebook page (anyone is welcome to join). There are endless things that inspire me, here’s just a few: the beauty of my faith, the wonder of fellow human beings, Polish food (especially pickles), and tea.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing in primary school, basically as soon as I was able to… My best friend at the time and I were two little poetesses, encouraging one another to write beautiful poems…
I was reading books for as long as I can remember, especially ones relating to the depth and wisdom of Christianity and psychology classics.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love authors who combine their knowledge of theology with insights from the fields of psychology and spirituality, like Scott Peck. I also love the wisdom of Saint John Paul II and Saint Faustina’s reflections.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Liberating Inner Eve” offers psychological insight around the impact of commonly found interpretations of the teachings of the Old Testament (in particular the Genesis account of Adam and Eve) and New Testament (the lifetime of Jesus), on various themes relevant to women’s daily lives, such as how they experience their identity, self-acceptance, and self-worth. Every chapter of this book includes simple exercises, encouraging readers to take time to review their thoughts and feelings, relating to a particular topic. Through Liberating Inner Eve you will learn how empowering the Bible can be in helping women find self-love, self-acceptance, and personal strength.

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Featured Interview With Donna M. Cain

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky and moved shortly after to Hawaii where we lived until I was three. As an army brat, I’ve lived all around the nation. My favorite place was Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. I loved going to Kansas City Royals and Chiefs games! I went to college at the University of Kentucky and met my husband there. We’ve lived in Louisville, Kentucky for the last thirty years! I started writing books after my two sons left for college. With the help of my little black dog, Moose, I’ve finished three novels.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination with reading began at such an early age. I can’t remember a time in my life that I wasn’t reading. When my kids were little I would read to them so much that I would change the stories around a little to make them new. That’s when I started to think about the series that I’ve written. Over the course of many years I developed each manuscript in my head. When my youngest son left for college, I wrote three books over the next three years.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love to read books of many different genres. I love Historical fiction because I’m obsessed with Henry VII. What a jerk! I like to read Women’s fiction when I’m writing my own scary stories because they have happy endings a lot. My favorite genre is suspense. I really like “The Passage” by Justin Cronin and I like a lot of Dean Koontz books. My all time favorite book is “Watership Down” by Richard Adams.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book will be titled, “Return to Meadowview” and will close out the Grounds of Vengeance series. This book will bring back characters from the previous three books and hopefully help them eradicate the Varuupian curse once and for all. I can’t guarantee that everyone will survive, but I’ll try to save one or two favorites. (wink wink)
I’ve only just started this one so it’ll take a while to finish. I’ll have it published by next summer. In the meantime, you can read “Meadowview Acres” which is the first book in the series. In that one, you meet my favorite character, Bug. She’s a smart little thing, but don’t underestimate her! Next, read “Plantation Springs” which has a nasty little rodent in it. Not many people are safe from him! After that, “Forest View” will have you rooting for Chowder, an heroic German Shepard. By the time you’re finished with those, I’ll be almost finished with “Return to Meadowview.” I love hearing your feedback so please don’t hesitate to tweet or add a comment to my Facebook page. Who would you like to make it? Who would you love to see have a nasty mishap? Any romances you’re rooting for? Let me know if you like where I’m going!

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Featured Interview With kay gardner

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
i’m a poet all the time, sometimes to the dismay of people around me, who become the object of the vacant stare of a poem clamoring to be written. i’m in love with words, my cats, really good coffee, and i’m a sucker for a well-crafted line (i’ll stop what i’m doing so i can write it down). i’m also a bit of a grammar nazi, which serves me well in proofreading others’ works. i was raised in memphis, but i live in a small town about three hours away, and i love it.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
i’ve loved books ever since i can remember. my grandmother would read to me, and when she was busy, i taught myself to read (“the runaway pancake” no less!). i would go to the library and check out stacks of books, read them voraciously, and be ready to go back the next day. as for writing, i started writing poetry off and on at an early age also, but it didn’t really take until college. that’s when my muse decided to move in full-time.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
favorites? i read everything i can get my hands on! poetry, science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, romance, whatever. two books i re-read on a regular basis are “shogun” by james clavell and “good omens: the nice and accurate prophecies of agnes nutter, witch” by neil gaiman and terry pratchett. i take inspiration for my poetry from emily dickinson, e.e. cummings, and robert frost.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
my latest book is “disappearing me,” and it’s a memoir of sorts. it’s poetry, with an intermission in the middle with a few of my favorite recipes. the poems were written over a period of a few years, and i compiled them into the memoir. most of them were originally published in “shattered dreams,” a book i collaborated on with another poet.

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