Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Jonathan J Stotler

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Jonathan J Stotler was born on the Highveld of The Republic of South Africa. The child of missionaries to South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho, he grew up admiring, respecting, and loving the land and people of Africa, spending his formative years among several different people including the Venda, Zulu, Xhosa, and Ndebele. He currently lives in Boonton, New Jersey and works in the field of Medical Education, but his heart is never far from Africa.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing poetry at a young age. The soul-driven angst and spiritual search played out on paper for many years. It was that early exploration of how a single word can effect the soul that first caught my attention and pushed me to write my first outline. It was later, in college, that my first novel took shape. After a hiatus of several years due to college, career, and family I picked up the pen again and now have a dozen or more manuscripts in one stage of development or another.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I generally have at least two or three books on my nightstand. I love historical fiction and adventure novels. I have always loved history and cultures, and the immense research that goes into weaving a fictional story around historical events is fascinating. As you read James Michener’s books you can almost see the volumes of information that had to be gathered. I also regularly am reading something by Clive Cussler or similar for something more contemporary and adventurous.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Jabulani is a story of childhood in Africa. More than that, it’s a demonstration of what faith and the Fruits of the Spirit in daily life may look like through the eyes of a child. The idea for Jabulani sprang from a desire to share, in a practical way, the Fruits of the Spirit with my own children, and do so within the context of the African culture in which I grew up. Jabulani lives with purpose and loves with purpose, and shares his story across diverse cultural lines.

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Featured Interview With R.L.Holmes

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Palmerston North, New Zealand and now I live in a small rural town, Ashhurst, New Zealand. I have one cat that came with house. By that I mean he was living under the house, skinny and timid and now he’s fat and happy.
I work as a Medical Herbalist and have my own thriving clinic using herbs as the main source of medicine.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was a big reader from a very young age and assumed I would be a writer when I grew up. I won writing awards as a child, studied English Literature and Fiction in my early twenties and continued to collect books I read, which is a gigantic pain in the arse whenever I had to shift house.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I don’t have a fave genre as I have no problem reading in most.
Fave authors – Joanne Harris, Katharine McMahon, Katherine Mansfield, Phillipa Gregory, Tolkien, Rowling, Oscar Wilde, George R R Martin(until his books got too violent)

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The adventure continues on from Little Wings: The Outbounders of Segais – Book One of Two.

The Outbounding Clan:
Arum faerie, Madar Guirmean, the storyteller, and Seer of the Lost Ones. Ulmarian elf cousins; dark and moody Piper Cruith(cover), and clever, practical Hefin Meannt. Together they are swift, agile, and fiercely accurate with the aim of their arrows. Lastly, goat-riding Cocklebur gnome, Sobhrag Feantag, who is crassly hilarious and slightly tumultuous, yet will fight to the death for ale and broth.

Part One
The Three Jewels of Vulgare –
Gathering her fighting clan together to destroy the Lost Ones, faerie Madar Guirmean, tells the story of their journey to hunt down the Lost One leader, Crios the Black. At the beginning of this journey, they are given a jewel containing the bloodline of the Gnome King, and are told there are two more jewels hidden in Segais, holding the bloodlines of the Elf Queen and Faerie Queen. Once all three are found, they become a formidable force against Crios the Black.

Part Two
The Library of Souls –
Words spoken out of the mouth of a sleep-talking faerie tells of a special place, created by a Myddvai, or magician. A place where pieces of soul have been stolen and stored in books for safe keeping and protection from the Lost Ones. The books contain stories of Segais folk, even the stories of Lost Ones and Crios the Black. “The end is at the beginning.” If the Outbounding Clan can follow Crios the Black’s history perhaps they can find the answer to how to eliminate him for good.
The Library of Souls is hidden somewhere in Hedgerows and they must find it quickly before more Outbounders in the human world are stung by the Lost Ones.

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Featured Interview With KC Cowan

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and grew up in Portland, Oregon, which was a small “big city” but had great schools and neighborhoods to run around in. I still live in Portland, in the Pearl District, which was once a warehouse area that has been turned into a trendy area with condos, apartments, restaurants and stores.
I have owned many cats during my life, but my husband is allergic, so we don’t have any pets just now. 🙁

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My mother taught me to read when I was four. I was jealous that my older siblings got to go to school, so we “played school” and she taught me how to sound out words and soon I was reading. We were not rich, but I can honestly say my mother NEVER denied us a book! She was a voracious reader and all three of us kids are the same way. Getting lost in a good story is still my favorite activity.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am working my way through the Game of Thrones series, but I am a latecomer to fantasy. Mostly, I have always enjoyed stories with strong female characters. Going way back, the Secret Garden was a favorite growing up. I love Any Tan, Elizabeth Gilbert, Anita Shreve, Isabel Allende.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Journey to Wizards’ Keep was a collaborative effort that I wrote with my two best high school friends, Nancy and Sara, while we were in college. It sat forgotten for 30 years before we dragged it out again, finished it and then I spent 3 years polishing and pitching it for publication. While I was doing that, Sara and I decided to continue the story of our heroines, Irene, Nan and Kay. The first book has our heroines having to overcome tremendous obstacles to get to Wizards’ Keep to ask the last remaining wizards to come out of “retirement” and help defeat an evil wizard who threatens the land. There’s romance and humor as the three girls with very different personalities find a way to work together. Nan is all heart and almost too nice for her own good! (she gets into trouble for being so trusting, too!) Kay is the feisty one, who challenges any one who stands in her way and often speaks before she thinks. And Princess Irene is the sensible, practical one who is the true protagonist of the book.
Suitable for readers 12 and up, we have had great feedback from those who have read it — even some women in their 50’s! I think the universality of the story of strong girl friendships is what they respond to.

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Featured Interview With Irene Woodbury

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Pittsburgh. We lived on a cozy, tree-lined street with lots of other families and children. The perfect place for a budding writer. As an adult, I have lived in several cities, from Honolulu to Chicago to Los Angeles. Denver has been home since 1994. It’s a beautiful, dynamic city with many wonderful people. No pets at this time, but my husband and I both want to get a dog someday.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
At age four or five, I was pulling encyclopedias off the bookshelves in the living room. I would sit on the floor and open them and leaf through the pages. My mother taught me to read at age five. I started writing poetry at nine or ten. That went on for quite a long time. During high school, I kept a journal for a couple of years. It was on 8″ x 11″ paper and swelled to 750 pages! There must have been quite a lot going on. I’ve always loved books and going to the library.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love classics by Henry James and Edith Wharton. Their novels are a fascinating glimpse into the era they lived in. They both used language in an original, exquisite way. I also love contemporary authors like Elizabeth Jane Howard and Nora Ephron. And Maya Angelou of course. In general, I love fiction, biographies, and autobiographies.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Pop-Out Girl is a dramatic novel chronicling the life of a 23-year-old showgirl in Las Vegas who pops out of cakes at special events for a living. She’s a beautiful, sweet girl, but she had a difficult childhood that has left her with some insecurities. She meets a cute, successful systems engineer from San Jose and they begin an exciting long-distance love affair. Everything is bliss until her ex-boyfriend, Zane, comes back from prison and tries to win Jen back. When she tells his she’s with someone else, he goes off the deep end. He eventually starts stalking and terrorizing her and her boyfriend. It escalates into violence. Zane kidnaps Jen at gunpoint and forces her to marry him in Reno. A few months later, there’s a horrific drive-by shooting and the wrong person gets shot. Jen’s life and the lives of many others are dramatically altered by the shooting. Pop-Out Girl is a riveting look at love, jealousy, and the vulnerabilities and insecurities that drive people to make huge mistakes that have lifelong consequence.

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Featured Interview With Sarina Rose

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I from New Jersey, the north central area around Morristown, but I grew up in Fairview, Bergen County. I graduated from the College of St Elizabeth with a B.A. and a certificate to teach Spanish. I had been a Spanish teacher and tutor for seventeen years and insurance representative for about twelve. I always thought about being a writer, but really did dive in until I retired and moved to Florida.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I always loved books. Actually, for me, there are so many books and so little time. I love the humanities and really enjoy reading long books like One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Poinsonwood Bible. I didn’t get hooked on writing until I took a Creative Fiction class for Seniors Citizens and then attended a meeting of Space Coast Authors of Romance.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
That is like choosing which of my four children is my favorite. Let’s see. I like Phillipa Gregory, Hilary Mantel, Roxanne St. Claire, Kristen Painter, Lisa Gardner, C.J.Lyons, Sandy Parks, Victoria Sue, Zafon. Right now my favorite genre to read is Historical Fiction. I have no idea what inspires me to write, except to say that I’ll read a book and say I could do that or NOT.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I like to write about love ad war. My latest book is titled The Relentless American. I categorized it as Vintage Historical Romance. It takes place in the 1970’s in the U.S. during the turbulent times of the Vietnam Conflict. It is not you same old romance. It basically has two heroes and one heroine. No, it is not a menage love story. Rather it deals with lost love due to war and second chances. It takes me a least a year to complete a book. I started this one in January 2016. In August I thought I was done. In November, I was sure it was done. Today, I am positive it is done. The e-book edition is on Amazon.com and the print edition is about to go live, too. The audio book is ready. I have to listen to it this weekend, approve it, get the cover done and release it.

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Featured Interview With Samantha Gollakner

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was picked up by a Publisher when i was 18, I am currently 21.
I was born in West Allis, Wisconsin.
Raised in Decatur, Texas
Currently living in Fort Worth, Texas
I have one cat; her name is Shadow. She is a Russian Blue.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing when I was very young, seven or eight. The first book I ever wrote was when I was Sixteen.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite author is Rod Serling.
My favorite genres are Horror and Paranormal.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I just released my first novel in my five novel sci-fi series, ‘Land of ARLENM’ which took me two years to finalize all the details, it originally took me three months to write the full novel.
A alien named ARLENM comes to Earth to set up his game. He lures six unknowing people to The Silent Night Hotel where he puts them up into the tenth room. He is inviting you to have a front row seat into his mind, the object of the game is to go through every room in the hotel to win the game and get back to their bodies; to better explain it these rooms are different dimensions. To get from world to world they must fight their way through every world to find portals.

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Featured Interview With Timothy Baril

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in the countryside, the prairies of Canada. Then moved to Edmonton, the ‘big’ city. It’s not really that big. I went to university at UBC in Vancouver, living there for 5 years. I also spent 8 years in Japan, teaching. I’m currently back in Edmonton.

I’ve had cats, dogs, lizards, tortoises, snakes and fish as pets. They were all delicious.

I’m kidding. Who eats fish?

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I think my fascination with books started as a toddler. I’d make forts out of them and use them to hit my brothers. But then, thanks to my loving mother, a teacher, I learned to read. Then I learned all the bad words in books and used those on my brothers too.

I wrote a fantasy novel in high school once. Took about 2 weeks. But then my life went on a different path. I returned to writing about 4 years ago and have been trying to make a career of it ever since. I no longer hit my brothers.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love Piers Anthony, James Clavell, Wilbur Smith, Forgotten Realms, the Hardy Boys and just about anything and everything. I prefer adventure and historical fiction and fantasy, but I will read any genre. Even romance, but only if the heroine is not some miserably insecure weakling who ends up with the richest, most perfect alpha male ever who is then obessessed with her for no reason. Like Fifty Shades. That was terrible. But there’s plenty of good stuff out there that’s more mature and realistic.

I can’t list all the inspiring writers I’ve had. I think it’s just about the author of everything I’ve ever read. Everyone who has created a little bit of magic for the imagination. But especially those whose stories impart wisdom as well.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I just published The Vampire: Revenge of the Sadist. It’s based on an original work by John William Polidori, published in 1820, which was only a short story, but which did give rise to the modern vampire genre.

It tells the tale of Aubrey Holmwood, a young and very innocent young man who falls under the influence of a very strange man called Lord Ruthven. They leave London for adventure but when Ruthven’s character comes into question, Aubrey decides to go his own way.

Aubrey falls in love with a wonderful girl in Greece. His life seems destined for great happiness. That’s when Lord Ruthven re-enters his life. When Aubrey ends up hurting the vampire, the demon decides to take his revenge, tearing apart Aubrey’s entire world. He must struggle to survive and save the ones he loves.

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Featured Interview With Dario Cannizzaro

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Napoli, Italy, in 1982. I went to school there, and spent my high school years in Pozzuoli, a small coastal town full of ancient Roman temples. We used to play football in the Temple of Venus. I finished high school and lived a bit everywhere in Italy, until I moved to Ireland in 2011.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading very young, so much so that I don’t remember an age where I wasn’t reading a book or a comic. I started writing at seven – The Mystery of the Mysterious Mystery Woman was my first story – and never stopped since.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors are Jose Saramago, Cormac McCarthy, and Denis Johnson for their style; but I do love Neil Gaiman, Christopher Moore, Liu Cixin, Philip K Dick, Andy Weir – I’ve a soft spot for SciFi!

When I write, I try to write stories I’d like to read. Common people in weird circumstances. I let the story be, and add my comments here and there. It’s like watching a living thing, that I only have to describe.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Dead Men Naked is my debut novel. The title is an homage to Dylan Thomas’ poem “And Death Shall have no dominion”.
I wrote that book to deal with mortality; mine, and the one of my loved ones. As one reviewer put it, this book is my take on the questions “What does it mean to die, what is beyond our own death? And what does it mean to cling to objects and people in this life?” – all of it narrated in a very light-hearted and poetic way, as the protagonist has to go on a road trip with his own Grim Reaper.

It’s funny and tender and dark and profound, all together. Since I have a knack for poetry, this book is filled with poetic phrases and references – because life and death are two verses of the same poem.

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Featured Interview With Rocio Cadena

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I come from a very humble background. was born and raised in Northern Mexico, in the state of Durango. I grew up in a very rural village, Santa Rosa, with limited access to resources and opportunities. At the age of 11, my family moved to the U.S. in the hopes of seeking a better quality of life. We moved to the suburbs of Chicago, where a lot of relatives resided. I went to university in Chicago and worked/lived for a few years after graduation. During my job as a marketing manager at a food company, I decided the office life wasn’t for me and that I wanted to focus and pursue writing seriously. I started a blog and started writing my book simultaneously. I now live in South Korea. I teach little kids English but the main factors behind this move was to focus on my writing and travel afterward!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
From a very early age I loved books. I remember reading very advanced books around the age of 9 because they were lying around in my house and I was so curious. I read The Alchemist at age 10 and obviously didn’t comprehend any of it, but I fell in love with words around this time. I found my love of journaling before I started voraciously reading, and now the two are at equal levels. When I move to the U.S., reading was a great way to master the language and also get a glimpse into words I couldn’t have dreamed of while living in a tiny, rural village with very little access to techonology (We only had one television channel, no phones and no computers!).

After graduating university I realized that I had a very strong sense of writing but of course, like many writers, I was terrified! I was riddled with self-doubt and sat on the idea of starting a blog for over a year, then one day the fear of regret became heavier than the fear of being ridiculed for wanting to be a writer, so I started my blog (www.thisiisrocio.com). To appease my doubtful mind, I told everyone it was simply a fun hobby (and I fooled myself into half-believing this), yet at the same time I was writing my dual-language book, “The Legacy of a Mexican Patriarch.”

Since college I knew I wanted to teach English in Asia to travel afterward, and it so happened that my passion for writing and travel merged here in South Korea, where I was able to dedicate the time and effort to birth these word babies.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have very varied preferences in authors and genres. I love Kurt Vonnegut, Jack Kerouac, Alduos Huxley, George Orwell, Eduardo Galeano, Isabel Allende, Junot Diaz and many more. I enjoy dystopian novels very much so because I suspect we are living in one!

I truly draw inspiration from everything and anything. I love podcasts, TED talks, movies, documentaries, cool artsy videos from vimeo, concerts, music and so much more. I am a very interested and curious person, so I am constantly inspired. But I must add that I make it a point to find inspiration, it doesn’t always come to me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
It is a tribute to my grandfather and origins. My grandpa, Alejandro Cadena, was a very influential figure in my life. He inspired me to dream big and go after my dreams, without any qualms or fears. He was as imperfect as the rest of us, but growing up, I perceived him as a demi-god because he was just so cool, wise and worldly (to me). He lived a very colorful and interesting life, so I decided to document his life as a way for family and relatives to get a more personal look at who he was and what he meant to me.

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Featured Interview With Lina Greyce

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Nebraska, and I haven’t left yet, except to travel. I live with my husband and two kids.

I don’t have any pets right now. We had to put down both of our last three cats due to untreatable illnesses. It was hard on all of us and we aren’t ready to go through that again.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I really don’t know. I’ve always loved books and I learned to read at 3 or 4 years old. I tried writing my first novel at 8 years old and it’s been my dream ever since.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I enjoy reading pretty much anything in the fantasy and romance genres. I like more contemporary fantasy, and more historical and paranormal romance. I particularly enjoy The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher and the Carpathian series by Christine Feehan.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Her Favorite Mistake is the first of a four-book series based on the legendary and tragic loves of Arthurian legend. Each story takes place partially in the past, giving details of “what happened”, and partially in the present, as they reconnect and get a second chance at love. While I stick pretty closely to the original tales, with details like names, relations, even hair color, there are plenty of steamy scenes throughout. Some of the characters are fae and nearly immortal, while some are reincarnated. Most of the characters have magic, and there are cameos by monstrous fae, such as trolls and goblins.
Her Favorite Mistake is the story of Merlin and Nimue, the mage of Camelot and the Lady of the Lake. Nimue got Merlin killed before, and she doesn’t want to make the same mistake again.

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Featured Interview With Jay A Blum

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Jay was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but grew up on the sun-kissed shores of South Florida after the age of three. As an adult, Jay has had the privilege to live and work in nineteen countries, five U.S. states, and one Indian Reservation.​ I have been happily married for 17 years and we have two children, a boy that’s 10 and our puppy that’s 1.

Stricken with Renal Cell Carcinoma, which took both of his kidneys and the sight in his left eye, Jay had to retire from his traveling circus. Now as a member of the Georgia Writer’s Association, National Writers Union and the Author’s Guild, Jay now writes from the comfort of his home in a quaint and small town in Georgia.

In a previous life, Jay earned his master’s Degree in Business Administration with a Specialization in Marketing and Communications. Jay is a veteran marketing consultant with more than three decades of experience. Jay’s marketing expertise drew on a broad range of experience that has helped him analyze market dynamics and translate them into effective marketing strategies for major corporations, governmental agencies and foreign tourism departments to name a few.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading, for pleasure, around the age of 8. I am a sci-fi freak and would love being transported to strange worlds, cool people, and someone’s version of our future. I began writing in 2011 as my health began to deteriorate.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am a huge Sci-Fi, Espionage, and Military reader. My favorite authors, besides myself of course, are Brad Thor, Tom Clancy and Larry Bonds.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Over the Ocean and to the Links: A Golfer’s Journey is a hilarious story of a simple man that blows his minuscule IRA to play some of the world’s famous golf courses in the home of Golf, Scotland. Stubborn as Jeff is, he knew he could do better than the “golf tours” offered by many companies. As a result, the book is a tee by tee description of Jeff’s trip from deciding which courses to play, how much he wanted to spend, the trials of driving on the wrong side of the road, and the simple beauty of Scotland. Here is my story. (make Law & Order sound in your head)

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Featured Interview With A. C. Burch

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in a small town about 50 miles south of Boston. From earliest memory, I knew there had to be someplace better. I worked for years as a classically trained musician with a “day job” in technology. Eventually, I found that better place. I’ve been a resident of Provincetown, MA for nearly 30 years. My constant companion is Dori, a young golden retriever who accompanies me for long walks on the beach and sits patiently in my “writing shack” when I write.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
From my earliest days, I wanted to write. My first effort was a short story submitted to my fourth-grade English teacher, a “dumb jock.” I used the name “Modell” and he corrected to “Model,” which completely ruined the story. I remember thinking at the time that he was a dope. I didn’t write another story for forty years.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’m a big fan of several authors. Because I write it, I read a lot of LGBTQ fiction. Armistead Maupin is a hero for his breakthrough Tales of the City series. I enjoy the Walter Mosley’s characters as well as Bart Yates. William J. Mann has been a strong influence. I love mysteries but also read (and reread) the classics such as the comic novels of Jane Austen and Henry James.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
A Book of Revelations includes the first story I wrote when I made I my mind to get over my fourth-grade experience. (Some things take a while.) Götterdämmerung is the story of an orchestral conductor who had a stroke in the middle of a Carnegie Hall performance. Another story, Private Quarters, grew out of the paper-thin walls of an apartment I stayed in while at music school. I’ve always been fascinated by shape-shifters, so a couple of the stories deal with identity. Another story was inspired by a call from a friend who was going to the wake of a suicide “because there might be a book in it.” She went to the wake. I wrote the story.

A Book of Revelations was not written with a specific intention. I was reviewing a bunch of my short stories and saw that all of them had unexpected twists and people who were not as they seemed. One morning I realized they all had a common link: there was a revelation of some sort within the tale. That’s how the book came to be.

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Featured Interview With E.J. Powell

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in the deep south where I still live with my husband and four canine babies. I come from a large family including two older brothers, a younger sister, and too many cousins to count. I absolutely adore my nephews and nieces and have come to be known as the “fun” aunt.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I learned to read before kindergarten and never stopped. I have always been in love with books of all genres. The first series I became addicted to was the Cam Jansen Mysteries, a girl with photographic memory solving crime. I couldn’t put it down. I started writing in high school, and after college finished the first book of my paranormal romance series, The Dark Lords.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
The list of favorite authors is nearly infinite, but I do enjoy J.R. Ward, Gena Showalter, Johanna Lindsey, Dan Brown and his Robert Langdon series, and of course J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien. My favorite genre is paranormal romance, but I like fantasy, romance, mystery and true crimes as well. I seem to always enjoy Greek Mythology-based books (even for kids). My inspiration to write comes from the love all things written, but my support comes from my family. They really are the best.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Dark Lords Series is a Paranormal Romance that centers around an elite group of humans, turned immortal and gifted with superhuman powers. With the help of a few friendly Cambions; a blanket term for werewolves, witches and vampires- they fight the demons that plague the world. The series is planned to be around thirty books with each novel in the series designed as a standalone. They don’t have to be read in order, but are written in chronological order.
My latest book, Hunter’s Blood, is the third installment to the series focusing on Libby, an ex-vampire hunter, and Ethon, prince of all vampires. The story is set in modern day New Orleans after Libby realizes that the Order, a secret society of vampire hunters, was not all it was cracked up to be. She learns that not all supernatural beings are evil and even stays with a werewolf family. Learning to get along with the supernatural world, however, is not as easy as she had hoped. Her family was killed by a vampire, which led her to join the Order in the first place, and she has trouble putting the past behind her. Especially since Ethon seems to always be around. Tall, blond and has knack for sneaking up on her, she finds herself giving into Ethon one kiss at a time.
Ethon has a duty to his crown. He must secure an heir and his father is pushing for him to take a bride… a vampire bride. But he has his sight set on a small, blue-tipped hair woman with storm grey eyes. Libby hates his kind, but he is determined to make her his bride or his father’s line can die with him.
When an enemy from Libby’s past returns, their love will be tested, their lives put in danger, and their prejudice brought to light. Was their relationship doomed to fail before it really even began?

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Featured Interview With Melissa Volker

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in upstate New York but fled to the acting world in Manhattan like my feet were on fire when I was seventeen. That lasted through several years at NYU and a decade living the romantic, ironic, devastating, fabulous life of a starving artist. Then I decided a more sane life would be kind of awesome, so left it all and moved to Boston. I now live in Western MA with my family and two cats where we psuedo-homestead, homeschool our teenage son and I chase after the voices in my head who tell me they have things to share with the world. Oh, and I’m an enthusiast photographer, too! Somewhere in there I sleep, but not well and not much!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I am the daughter of playwright/author/director father and poet mother — so you do the math! Books and plays go hand-in-hand and writing became a natural extension of acting (and a good replacement for all that creative energy when I left that world!). I wrote as a young adult — a novel (it was terrible), then another when I fell in love with Anne Rice and all her terribly dramatic and self-loathing vampires, but my first novel, “Delilah of Sunhats and Swans” came about much later, after journals of short stories, little snippets, a collection of short-shorts spawned by my crazy depressing and sometimes inspiring life in NYC. Those actually became a published collection (Still, Life: a collection of echoes) after my first novel.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My first love is literary fiction. Words are music to me and the rhythm, cadence, and tone of the words themselves are as important to creating the mood, sense, and feel of the story as the overall narrative and the plot itself. So I’ve always been drawn to lyrical, poetic writers such as Anne Lamott, Ann Patchett, W.P. Kinsella, Harlen Ellison…I could go on forever! The shorts stories I write are really vignettes and I found my love of that by reading Raymond Carver’s “Where I’m Calling From”. He’s a master at capturing the essence of a moment, snatching it out of the air and distilling it down to its purest truths — he taught me to delve deep and show the hardest and the most beautiful moments.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My most recent book is a departure from my first love of literary fiction. While I approach it the same way, I waded into YA genre fiction with a supernatural/soft sci-fi novel called “Anabelle, Lost” and a magical realism novella that explores the experience of social/general anxiety called “HIDDEN: an impossible story”. Both came surprisingly quickly to me considering the genre is out of my wheelhouse. So it was scary and fun and intimidating. But I also discovered how much I LOVE writing for that age range. Mid to older teens are going through so much, and to talk to them after they’ve read something that inspired them, moved them, jazzed them — wow — it’s a high, and I love talking with them.

Just prior to that, though, I answered the call from fans of my debut literary novel, “Delilah of Sunhats and Swans” who told me they had never read a book that moved them so and when was I going to write something else like it, by publishing a novella called, “a life undone”, which is an exploration of the sensitive soul of a creative, trying to find her way in a world that is often harsh and unforgiving. It’s told through both narrative, journal entries by the main character, poems written by her, and in the end becomes an epistolary novel (there’s a word! I love that word and it in case you aren’t familiar with it, it means ” a novel told via correspondence letters”).

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Featured Interview With Melvyn Fickling

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Wells-Next-The-Sea on the North Norfolk coast in Briatain and spent my first 26 years in the town. I was educated at Wells Primary and Fakenham Grammar School, worked in my family’s painting and decorating firm (established by my grandfather, Harry, on his return to Wells after the war) and then in the nearby animal-feed plant at Egmere. In 1988, a three-month stint on an inshore shrimp-trawler ended in a force-ten gale and a rescue by the Wells Offshore Lifeboat (assisted by an Inshore Lifeboat and a Sea King helicopter).

Hanging up my sea-boots, I moved to London in search of safer employment and spent the next 18 years working in import and distribution, purchasing, company administration and project management.

After developing skills in internet marketing and search-engine-optimisation, I took advantage of work-from-home technology and moved to the picturesque medieval town of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, arriving just in time to be involved in the major flooding in 2007.

Following a move to Kent, I helped to run a micro-pub and fledgling brewery, concentrating on research and development of historic beer styles.

I returned to Wells in early 2015 and completed my first novel, based on the life and times of a local war-hero. In my spare time I’ve been perfecting my long list of unique beer recipes and I hope to establish a micro-brewery in the town in 2018.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always been drawn to reading and this was facilitated early on in my life by a monthly book catalogue that was circulated at our Primary School once a month. As soon as I had pocket-money of my own it was generally spent either on books or uniforms for my Action Man.
I enjoyed English Language and English Literature at Grammar School, attaining an O-Level grade A in both. I actually remember asking my English teacher to set me themes for extra creative writing assignments.
In my teenage years I started playing guitar and my writing urge got diverted into song-writing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
When I was very young I was a great fan of War Picture Library publications and from these I grew into the Pan Book of Horror Stories, which might explain the undercurrent of darkness that haunts some of my writing. I also have a soft spot for Fantasy from the likes of Guy Gavriel Kay and Terry Brooks, but my favourite in that genre is The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever by Stephen Donaldson.
I find the world-creation skills of good fantasy authors inspiring and a bit daunting. My job writing Historical Fiction is far easier as the world I describe has existed in reality. But it does mean that almost 100% of my reading today is research and background reading.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The RAF’s victory in The Battle of Britain saved the modern world from tyranny. One of the legendary Few lies buried in the graveyard at Wells-Next-The-Sea, my home town. My research into this pilot’s career, and the life and times of the men who flew in Spitfires alongside him against desperate odds, suggested the plot for my debut novel, Bluebirds.
I had made an abortive attempt to write this novel as far back as 2001. Then in 2016, finding myself with time on my hands, during what could be described as a lull between careers, I opened the file and re-read my script. It certainly had a long way to go to impress a potential publisher, but I felt I had sharpened the skills necessary to take it there…
So the re-write began, pruning the 38,000 words of my original text down to 28,000 and editing chapter by chapter as I wrote. Then the new writing began and the second half of the story took shape. By early May the first draft was finished, weighing in at 83,000 words. I dived straight into the first full edit. By the end of May my novel, entitled Bluebirds stood at a shade under 77,000 words.
I sent the manuscript to half-a-dozen beta readers. While I waited for their reports I ran a second edit. Then, having received consistently good feedback from my beta readers, I began the long process of finding a way onto a publisher’s list.
In September of 2016 I stumbled across Endeavour Press Ltd. Their website boasted an “Aviation Fiction” list. I sent them a short pitch. A full manuscript was duly requested and after a month of tense waiting I received a contract offer for publication. It seemed that Bluebirds had found its spiritual home.

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Featured Interview With Heather Walsh

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hello! My name is Heather Walsh and I have just released my first novel. This is my first author interview, so please forgive any mistakes! Currently, I live in a tourist town in Upstate New York, about two and half hours south of New York City. With the ski slopes only five minutes away, I have become an avid skier in recent years, although, I must admit my children are still so much better than I am!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination with books began before I could even read. My mother tells me I used to recite every page of Biddy and the Ducks by the time I was two! By the time I was in fourth grade, I began writing mysteries, prompted by my fascination with Scooby-Doo! However, as I grew up, so did my writing. After years (and years) of writing academic papers, I returned to my first love: Fiction.

About twenty years ago, I wrote my first full length novel, but never submitted it. In recent years, it was on my mind, until I finally dragged it out of my nightstand. While certain parts made me cringe, others were written rather well, I’m happy to say! So I dusted it off, took the good parts and scrapped the rest. Although Deception shares very little with what I wrote all those years ago, I did keep the character’s names!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
When I was a teenager, my mother gave me the Sweet Savage Love trilogy by Rosemary Rogers, and historical romance became my first favorite genre. Eventually, I returned to the present day and my love of suspense. which led me to Sidney Sheldon, an early favorite of mine! My current favorite authors include Sandra Brown, Tami Hoag, and James Patterson. My favorite genre is romantic suspense, which is also the genre I write.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Deception is a romantic suspense set in a small resort town in upstate New York. It begins with an attempted murder, which draws Katherine Collins into a deadly investigation and an affair that may prove to be even deadlier.

If my description seems a little skimpy, I apologize! The book’s secrets unfold throughout its entirety, so I was afraid of giving away a spoiler. Believe it or not, those two sentences took a few hours to write. But, I suppose that’s better than the year it took to write the book!

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Featured Interview With Andrew Glennon

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Andrew Glennon was born in Liverpool, UK.
For almost 30 years he worked around the world for large multi-national companies before deciding to burn the business suit, shirt and tie. His first book, “The Loneliest Robot” was released in 2017 and is a highly original and imaginative work of fiction which challenges modern life and technology.

A proud husband and father of twins, Andrew likes music, great movies and interesting people.
Andrew dislikes robotic people, greed, margarine and rap music.
Visit www.theloneliestrobot.com

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always enjoyed books and devoured Roald Dahl as a young reader. I never had the courage to sit down and really write until I walked away from corporate life (just last year). My core motivation is to share some positive messages to younger readers. Modern life has many ways to distract us all.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
As a younger reader I always enjoyed Roald Dahl.
My favourite authors are John Irving, Stephen King, JK Rowling. I need to read more.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
After too many years being cooked up in an office, I found myself constantly reflecting on modern life and how it distracts us from being who we really want to be. I see people getting lost in modern life – lost in technology (smart phone addiction!), lost in career (working too hard or too long), and lost in consumerism (need to work more to buy more stuff they dont need!). My story explores how modern life changes people, its like a modern day fable. My real ambition is for both young and older readers to read it. Its very relevant to our modern times. I used to think that technology connected people, but I am now feel that it is starting to separating us. We need to be human again.

There are many characters in the book who symbolise the good and bad in modern life. The book contains original illustrations from a widely acclaimed Robot artist (Matt Dixon) and I have tried to include various images in the book to bring an added dimsenion to the tale.

My friends and family all enjoyed reading the preview draft. I have yet to meet anyone who doesnt share the same concerns about modern life.

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Featured Interview With Jamie Edmundson

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in the English counties of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, where as a teenager I developed my interests in History and the world of Fantasy Fiction. The 1990s saw me study History at the University of Hull in East Yorkshire. By the 2000s I had moved to Yarm in North Yorkshire – I became a teacher, got married and became a father.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was reading fantasy by the 1980s, so as well as Lord of the Rings, think David Edding’s Belgariad, the Dragonlance Chronicles by Weis & Hickman, Tad Williams etc. In film there was Star Wars, Ladyhawke, The Princess Bride and (dare I say it? Oh, go on then) Hawk the Slayer. At various points I dabbled with a fantasy story that became Toric’s Dagger, but it wasn’t until I left full-time teaching in 2015 that this became a more serious pursuit. The world of publishing, like many things, has taken a quantum leap since the 1980s, and I find the idea of indie writing very exciting.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
There is an amazing crop of fantasy writers I admire at the moment. Some names that come to mind are GRR Martin, Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence and Steven Erikson. I also enjoy historical fiction, including Bernard Cornwell’s books.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The main characters and world of Toric’s Dagger were developed about twenty years ago. Set in the fantasy world of Dalriya, the story is rich with different characters and nations. The plot is driven by the quest to acquire seven magic weapons which are needed to defend Dalriya from dark forces that want to conquer the whole continent. The series is called The Weapon Takers Saga and I’m excited to have the sequel, Bolivar’s Sword, nearly ready so that readers don’t have a long wait between books.
In Toric’s Dagger Belwynn and her twin brother, Soren, become the leaders of a team that set out to retrieve a stolen dagger. As the story develops they begin to learn about the importance of the weapon. They are supported by a number of other characters, from mercenaries to priests. But can they all be trusted? As the series develops, all these characters develop their own stories as the search for the weapons widens and as war comes to Dalriya.

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Featured Interview With Vijaya Gowrisankar

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and brought up in Kolkata. I currently live in Mumbai, India. I don’t have any pets.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was always an avid reader. I remember being surrounded by books, enrolled to the nearest library and reading at least one book a day. I used to read the same book many times, if I loved the book.
I started writing by chance. I don’t remember how it happened. How my scribbling in my notebooks gave birth to writing poetry. I remember being motivated by my teachers to participate in writing competitions and it started from there.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite childhood author was Enid Blyton. I read books of all genres. I return to re-read books that provoke an emotion and leave a niggling feeling of that emotion in me.
I write poetry. The beauty of poetry is that each reader can interpret it in his/her context, based on their experiences and their life. I love the works of William Wordsworth, Rudyard Kipling, Maya Angelou, Ravindranath Tagore, Sarojini Naidu, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, to name a few.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Savour – Art meets Poetry releases on April 30, 2017 for the worldwide audience. It is my fourth book of poems. The first three were Inspire, Reflect and Explore. Savour is a book of ekphrastic poetry. Savour has a combination of art work (paintings/photographs) from 19 different artists 20 poetic forms against the art work and 73 poems. It features 5 MFPA artists (from Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Association). It was magical to experience the journey of writing the book. I hope the readers can feel the magic when they read the book.

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Featured Interview With Dr. Bon Blossman

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am from Fort Worth, Texas. Currently, I live in Austin Texas with my husband Jason, son Zakk, and a Doberman named Ozzy.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always been an avid book reader. I started writing in my late twenties (back in the ’90s).

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite author is J.K. Rowling. I am a huge Harry Potter fan! I am inspired by Agatha Christie, however.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My son (Zakk Myer) and I wrote a book together, Dregs Island. It’s a dystopian thriller about a young man who is falsely accused of a felony and banished to a prison island. Here is the abstract:

Seventeen-year-old Alex Cardin witnesses a hit and run and is falsely convicted of vehicular homicide. It is six years after President Gray’s Prison Reform Act of 2026. Prisons have been shut down across the United States, and all felons must serve life sentences on isolated prison islands where escape is impossible, and rules of civility are obsolete. Alex is sent to Dregs Island and has no choice but to rely on his sharp intuition as well as his new allies when he’s pitted against Tobias – the ruthless ruler of the island who was a legendary serial killer back on the mainland. Alex is forced to make decisions along the way that weigh survival against humankind and family against friendship.

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