Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Calvin Dean

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew-up in a small town in Mississippi about thirty miles south of Memphis, TN. Everyone knew everyone. No one had secrets even if you thought you did. If you acted-up in school, your mom knew about it before you got home. I remember a time when everyone took safety for granted. We never locked our doors. You could leave your car keys in the ignition over night. It was a different time and place compared to today.

Over the years, I’ve lived in Baton Rouge, LA; Jackson, MS; and Memphis, TN. For the past twenty or so, my wife and two kids have lived in a burb of Memphis. We have two cats: Sebastian and Getto. Why Getto? My daughter found her under the hood of her car. Get it? The hood? Ghetto?

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Well, Dr. Seuss,of course. I think I had all of his books including the dictionary. I started writing as a high school freshman. For homework, the teacher made us write a short story. Mine was inspired by The Twilight Zone: a teen … a broken down car on a lonely stretch of road at night … a light in the distance. My teacher accused me of plagiarism though she never cited a source because there was no source other than the musings of my mind. My mother had to go to the school and straighten her out. That story stuck with me and eventually became the backdrop for my first novel, The Epitaph of Jonas Barloff.

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. I’ll name them in no particular order. Dean Koontz, Robert McCammon, and Author Conan Doyle. I love the unexplained … mysteries … the paranormal … but I also like to laugh, so I guess one of my favorite characters is Odd Thomas created by Koontz. I guess he rubbed off on me because a few bloggers have said my writing style reminds them of Koontz and Doyle. That’s a good thing, right?

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, Curses, is about Martin,a bumbling bachelor, who buys an old house and confronts a family of ghosts living there. Agnes is the young, sexy, but psychotic ghost who tries to derail Martin’s blossoming relationship with Hannah, a widow in the neighborhood.

My intention was to write a good old-fashioned ghost story, but by the sixth or seventh chapter, I realized that Martin had taken control of my keyboard and injected a humorous streak into the story-line–totally unintentional on my part. But I liked it.

Of course, Martin fears that Hannah will reject him if he complains of spooks … she’d think he has bats in the belfry and jettison him like a used rocket booster. So, poor Martin has to solve his ghost problem without Hannah knowing anything about this sexy busybody of a ghost. But with Agnes hanging around, it becomes more and more difficult to conceal her presence.

Curses has its moments of horror too. Many of the things Agnes does to Martin are quite horrific. So if you like horror, the paranormal, solving mysteries, and a good laugh, you’ll love Curses.

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Featured Interview With Robert E. Hirsch

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Pusan, Korea, came to the States at age 5, became a citizen at age 13. I recently retired from 40 years as an educator, ending as the Superintendent of Ocean Springs School District, Mississippi Gulf Coast. I ride motorcycles (Harley), play bluegrass guitar in the Hound City Ramblers band, live on the bayou, and write novels. I’m a ‘fun and crazy guy,’ as they say!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
About the 5th/6th grade, I became absolutely fascinated with the Illiad. From there it was on to the Dark Ages and beyond: King Arthur, Song of Roland, Siegefred. Two or three years later I got hooked on the classics (Victor Hugo, Charles Dickens, Alexander Dumas, etc…)

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love Victor Hugo and Charles Dickens in particular. Their stories, plots, and subplots are timeless, complex, and profound. I am inspired by their writing and imagination!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is Hammer of God ( Argus Publishing, Oct. 2016), which chronicles the saga of Tristan de Saint-Germain as he is ordained a monk and enters the service of the Benedictine Underground (secret Papal Spy Service of the 11th Century, assassinations, information collection, etc…). As the intrigue of the Vatican and the Benedictine empire spread, Tristan becomes deeply involved in promoting what becomes known as the First Holy Crusade, on behalf of his mentor and father figure, Pope Urban II.

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Robert E. Hirsch’s Website

Featured Interview With Geoff Waugh

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in country towns in Australia and now live in a community house in Brisbane with two of my adult children and their families where I enjoy the freedom and proximity of the granny flat.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I enjoyed hearing my mother read to us every night when I was young and began reading children’s classics as soon as I could. I began writing articles and newsletters as a teenager and then in college I began publishing articles. After teaching overseas in the South Pacific I published books about my teaching subjects in ministry and mission. All those book were re-published independently and I began using independent publishing extensively as the founding editor of the Renewal Journal (www.renewaljournal.com).

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors are Christian novelists and devotional writers such as CS Lewis, Llyod Douglas, and Philip Yancey. These, and many others, inspire me to communicate creatively.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Discovering Aslan is a devotional commentary about Aslan in the stories of Narnia. It describes the background to the stories and the way the Lion of Judah is reflected in the stories of Aslan in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ by C. S. Lewis.

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Featured Interview With Kristen Twardowski

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’ve stumbled around working for libraries, studying the relationship between gender, archaeology, and imperialism in Germany, and playing with wolf puppies. Now I’ve finally found a professional home with a small publisher where I do marketing and data analysis. Though I never imagined I would end up working with numbers and metadata, the job is a dream and allows me to spend time on my other love, writing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Like many writers, I can’t remember a time before books. I blame my mother for that. She was a teacher and showered me with language from the time I was very small. I started trying to write my own fiction when I was 10 or 11, and my sister and I even began a round robin novel around that time. I was awful at writing back then, but most young authors go through a stage of experimenting with words, so I try not to be too hard on my past self.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Fantasy is my great passion. It’s the genre that I was raised on and the one that I always return to. Great fantasy books make every day a little better. In particular, I adore works by Diana Wynne Jones, Melanie Rawn, Peter S. Beagle, Jan Siegel, and a dozen others. Oddly, my first novel, “When We Go Missing”, doesn’t deal with fantasy at all – it is a psychological thriller – but the feel of fantasy, the arc of its stories, the texture of its language, bleeds into my writing.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My debut novel, “When We Go Missing” is a fast-paced psychological thriller.

It follows the story of Alex Gardinier, a woman who was once a successful physical therapist and happy wife. Now, however, she is trapped in a crumbling hospital. Several years ago Alex’s ex-husband, Nathan, was convicted of murdering five girls, and he has been rotting in prison ever since. Except the doctors say that Nathan isn’t in prison. In fact, they don’t believe that he is a criminal at all. According to them, Nathan is a devoted husband who visits her every week. But Alex can’t recall ever seeing him at the hospital, and they last time they met he was holding her hostage on a boat.

Maybe the doctors are right – maybe these memories of his crimes are her own personal delusions – but if they are wrong, then Nathan somehow escaped from prison. If they are wrong, he has trapped Alex in a psychiatric ward.

If they are wrong, he is hunting her sister.

Writing this book allowed me to really engage with the ways that people, especially women, do go missing in America and the way that society deals with those disappearances. It was a fascinating and horrifying realm to discover.

This book was also something of an experiment for me. I began this “Novel Experiment” as I called it on my blog in July of 2016 with the ridiculous goal of publishing it in December of 2016. I finished the rough draft in September and then spent October and November editing it. Though I don’t suggest anyone else use my schedule – I would have liked to spend more time on revisions for example – having a quick deadline meant that I had to get the book written and published. That was a great decision for me because if given free reign, I will edit a work to death and never complete it. I am extraordinarily excited that I was able to get past my perfectionist tendencies and complete the novel. (And I’m even more excited that I have the chance to share it with the world.)

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Featured Interview With Robin Ray

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Trinidad & Tobago, lived there till I was 12, then emigrated to the U.S. Most of my teen years were spent in Mt. Vernon, NY. It wasn’t all peaches and cream, though; in fact, it was downright challenging. Still, I managed to survive by the skin of my teeth. After traveling around the country for years, and racking up experience points by the bucketful, I eventually landed in Seattle, a city famous for its diversity. I have no pets. I did try to adopt a dog once but the agency said I’d have to be domiciled, which I’m not.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Because I spent a lot of my teen years alone, I found the local public library to be my main source of comfort. I became enthralled and fascinated with all kinds of books, from biographies to Greek literature, from scientific achievements to turn of the century novels. I started writing almost immediately and, after high school, continued my literary pursuits at Iowa State University.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’d gotten my hands on several library books, breezing through them like a nor’easter in Maine. Looking to challenge myself, I sought out longer works, eventually discovering books like Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” and “Fountainhead.” Around that time I also became a fan of writers like Franz Kafka, Upton Sinclair, John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway. My favorite genres are human interest stories, books that speak about the hardships some people face, books like “The Grapes of Wrath”, “Cannery Row” and “The Jungle.” Because I was born, and continue to be, dirt poor, I’m inspired by writers who have been through the mill but somehow survived to tell their story either in fiction or non-fiction.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, my second novel, is called “Murder in Rock & Roll Heaven.” My original intention was to write a book where I “interviewed” pioneers and geniuses from days gone by, but when I saw books like that already existed, I abandoned my idea and created a mystery from my notes. Here’s the synopsis:

No one ever “re-dies” in Heaven; unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to singer Amy Winehouse. Because of the uneasy alliance and frequent mistrust between angels and citizens, a new detective in town has been tasked with investigating the prime suspects, the members of the 27 Club – Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison. Now, with time running out, the wise-cracking PI and his newly acquired younger sidekick must quickly uncover the mystery that threatens not only to close Heaven’s doors forever, but promises to send a ripple effect through the entire universe that could rip it apart.

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Featured Interview With Tina A. O’Haiey

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Being born and raised in Florida with gators, winged things that bite, and no air conditioning—I chose to escape as fast as possible and have lived in California, Montreal, Georgia and Tennessee. I prefer the mountains of Tennessee when I can get there. I have 3 long haired wee Chihuahuas and a black Lab named Jack; that equals 2 dogs in surface area.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I remember writing stories as early as eight years old on a beat up royal typewriter. In study hall of high school I wrote novels in long hand. (For the uninitiated – that’s with a pen on actual paper, in cursive.) I’ve always had a novel in the works. My career has nearly always included travel. I write the most when in airports, planes and hotels. When driving (which I do a LOT) I dictate the outlines for books. I can’t actually dictate the manuscript. I’m not that talented to drive and write in my head at the same time. I have to see the shape of the words on the screen.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read anything with good characters. I used to listen to books from audible while traveling. It would be hilarious to listen to me comment and critique the dialogue while I drove “What’s the matter with you? A female detective would not say that.” At the point that I started becoming very opinionated about what I read – I knew I was ready to actually write a book. My favorite writers: King, Koontz, Cormac McCarthy, Lisa Gardner, Hugh Howey, Andy Weir to name a few.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The characters Brandy and Susan in “Absolute Darkness” are actually from a different novel I started in ’05. It was a murder mystery titled “Running in Place”. There was no caving involved. Then in ’06 I found caving and wondered what would happen if I put the characters there. Then they met Alexander —and he fell in love with Brandy. I fought it for months then gave in and wrote this love story.

This book took about four years once I stopped fighting the love story portion. I didn’t know what to do with that. So, a friend recommended that I read the “Outlander” series as reference on writing romance. I realized quickly I didn’t want to write that steamily. I wanted my Mom to be able to read this, heavens.

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Featured Interview With Christina Lynn Lambert

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Virginia. I love the parks and beaches of Virginia. The city too, because so many of the cities in Virginia, especially Richmond (not far from where I grew up) have hiking trails and river access. The beauty of nature and the need to take care of the land on which we live will be a recurring part of all my stories.
I currently live in Virginia with my sweet husband, two (very) energetic children, and a ridiculously obnoxious cat.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have loved reading since I was a little kid and always wrote poems and short stories for fun. With the exception of publishing a poem in a high school creative newsletter, I never intended for writing to be anything more than a hobby or distraction for myself. Instead, I worked in sales, and then in case management for people with disabilities. After my kids were born, I still wanted a career but I needed it to be flexible. While working as a running coach and personal trainer, I started writing a short story for fun, but this time, I couldn’t leave the idea alone and it worked its way into a story. After experiencing all the frustration and joy of turning an idea into an actual book, I know now that writing is what I was meant to do.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love romance, science fiction, suspense, horror, chick lit, and more.
Some of my favorite authors are Ray Bradbury, S.E. Hinton, Sarah Addison Allen, Elle Kennedy, Suzanne Collins, Dean Koontz, and Rebecca Zanetti.
Ray Bradbury and S.E. Hinton were two authors whose works I read early in life. Ray Bradbury’s works inspired me to think about writing outside of the ordinary world and creating different realities. S.E. Hinton’s books inspired me to focus on the characters and their complexities and thoughts instead of just continuous action.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Wolf’s Challenge is a paranormal romance featuring a sexy, dark haired, blue eyed wolf shifter male and the curvy, sweet, redhead he wants to claim. But before Derrick can claim Sydney as his mate, he has to find his way out of the friend-zone. Sydney is determined Derrick is a player, that his outgoing personality makes him just too much of a risk. She’s been burned before by a charming jerk and she’s not about to let it happen again. After recovering from an even scarier relationship with a violent man, Sydney is determined to deny her attraction to Derrick. Relationships are just too dangerous, she’s decided.
After the loss of his child, Derrick has been consumed by grief. He’s been existing but not living. Sydney is a fiery haired light in Derrick’s darkness and he knows he needs her in his life, but his fears that Sydney can’t handle some of the secrets he’s hiding leave Derrick twisted up inside.
Can love conquer fear? Will Derrick and Sydney survive an obsessed stalker long enough to find out?
Wolf’s challenge took about two years to write and then another year to go through the editing and publishing process. Going over my editors suggestions and trying to find a better way to say what I wanted to say was hard but the hardest (well, scariest) part of the whole process was submitting the book to a publisher in the first place.

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Featured Interview With Rich DiSilvio

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Yonkers, NY until age 5, then in Seaford, NY. It was a great little town to grow up in. I have had numerous pets, from dogs, hamsters, rabbits and fish to even a quail, which I incubated and hatched.

Nowadays, I only have a cat, but she’s a sweetheart and all I need. Between you and me, if she heard me say anything other than that, it might get ugly. Very ugly! She can be quite jealous. So, yes, she’s the one and only! And you all can quote me on that!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As a young boy and young man, I had dabbled with writing short stories and poems, yet my focus was diverted by other things, such as art, music, architectural design, and construction.

When my children were young, I had dabbled with children’s stories, but never published them. During those early child-rearing years, I had become a voracious reader of history and biographies, which has lasted ever since.

However, I truly began to write seriously when my eldest daughter was going off to college. I wanted her, and my younger children, to have a clearer understanding of history, rather than much of the misinformation posited by reckless revisionists or the misplaced emphasis in schools and museums that likewise distorted history. As such, my first published work was my largest. “The Winds of Time” was an analytical study of the titans who shaped Western civilization, which took almost five years to write and ended up being a 750 page tome.

Soon after, I began writing articles for magazines on topics ranging from historical, art and music, to military, political and architectural. Simultaneously, I had decided to veer into writing novels of historical fiction, thrillers and mysteries.

My solid foundation in history, coupled with my life-long endeavors in fine and commercial art, music, architecture and new media have added greatly to my fiction writing, which has yielded many accolades and awards, even an international Gold award.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I truly have too many favorite authors to mention in both nonfiction and fiction. Yet I do gravitate primarily to nonfiction. I draw inspiration from all sources; written, visual, audio, film, real life etc.

As for some trivia, Dan Brown’s “Da Vinci Code,” and “Angels and Demons,” offered some inspiration for me to write “Liszt’s Dante Symphony,” which was a spy thriller/mystery with ciphers, that was written well before Dan Brown turned his pen to Dante in his most recent novel, “Inferno.”

Meanwhile, Nelson DeMille’s “Plum Island” offered some inspiration while writing “My Nazi Nemesis.” DeMille’s witty and cocky character, John Corey–and a federal marshal friend of mine–helped to give Jack Goodwin, in my novel, his feisty traits.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“My Nazi Nemesis” is a fast-paced thriller/mystery that won the RF International Gold Award and is also a finalist in the Goethe Award competition. It features a cocky, and quite humorous, CIA agent, Jack Goodwin, who enthralls his fifteen-year-old daughter by revealing adventurous and harrowing tales of his past during WWII. Besides the amusing way in which he met and married her mother, Jack also reveals a shocking fact; her mother did not die of natural causes, she was murdered in cold blood. The culprit; Nazi SS officer Alois Richter. Fueled with revenge, father and daughter join forces to hunt down his long-time nemesis, as a fast-paced and riveting tale unfolds, leading to a shocking conclusion.

This novel, while being very entertaining, and focusing on the private lives of the main characters, also delves into some lesser known facts about WWII that readers will find quite interesting. Meanwhile, other scenes will rekindle fond memories from the 50s and 60s or even nosedive into some uncomfortable and thought-provoking areas, hence being a true roller-coaster of actions and emotions. I entreat readers to give it a shot. Thank you.

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Featured Interview With Karen Dimmick

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’ve moved around a lot – I was born in England (UK) and moved to Hong Kong when I was little, so I did all my schooling over there, which was an amazing experience. I went back to the UK for university and then I met my husband in London in 1999. He’s a duel national, so we decided to move to the US to Colorado in 2006. We’re now in Florida, where it’s nice and hot and near the beach!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember. I’ve forever got my nose buried in a book! I only started writing in 2013 though because it didn’t occur to me that I could write since I struggled with English at school. Since I started though, I’ve discovered how much I love it and I’m sure I’ll be writing for the rest of my life.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Genres – Nonfiction and Fantasy. I’m a complete sucker for anything with magic in it, especially if it also has dragons! For nonfiction – I look for books every time I have a question I need an answer to. I go through an average of 1-2 books a week and I always make sure I’m reading a fiction and a nonfiction book at the same time.
I don’t really have any nonfiction inspiration, I go with topic and what people seem to be struggling with, where I could help them. I haven’t started writing fiction yet (soon), and for that my inspiration is Mercedes Lackey, Anne McCaffrey, JK Rowling and Ednah Walters to name a few, who are also my favorite fiction authors.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
It’s called 47 Mind Hacks for Writers. It took roughly 30 days to write, but it’s based off of over 10 years of study, so it was a topic I knew really well, which made the first draft easy to write.

It’s a collection of mindset shifts around the writing process to help writers get over any blocks they’re facing. Things like writer’s block, procrastination, feeling like they’re not good enough and that everything they write is terrible.

I asked over 100 authors what their obstacles were, grouped up the similar ones and came out with 47 different problems people were facing. Then I used all the techniques I’d learned over the years to create short mind hacks to help them get over each one. I even ended up uncovering one I didn’t realize I had and solving that on route too, which was a bonus!

It’s like life hacking, but for your mindset.

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Featured Interview With A.L. Knorr

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a Canadian living in Italy part of the year. I grew up in Southwestern Ontario on a farm but I also spent most of my adult years in Wester Canada, near Banff, Alberta. No pets, I travel too much for that. But I sure do love animals, especially dogs and horses!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I could read when I was 3 (my father would say I could read better then than I can now) so I don’t even remember not reading. I read everything I could get my hands on, even the Bible. I started writing as soon as I could read, and took a course on writing books when I was 16. I didn’t tackle fiction professionally until 2015, though. I’ve done a lot of working in between, mostly as a Marketing Director.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite genre is YA Fantasy or NA Fantasy, but there are very few genres I won’t read. Stephen King inspires me (even though I’m not a huge fan of horror) so much that I’ll reread my favourites over and over. I’ve been so inspired by JK Rowling, Veronica Roth, and Suzanne Collins, but also by a couple of really great indies – Ryan Schow, and Layla.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Born of Water is set to publish Dec 1, 2016, on Amazon to start with. I have always loved shipwrecks, nautical history, marine archaeology, and marine biology. Combine that with my love of YA Fantasy and out came Born of Water, a mermaid story:

Life for a small-town high school kid in Saltford should be simple and straightforward – for 17-year-old Targa MacAuley, it’s anything but. Navigating life with a supernatural mother is tricky enough, but dealing with the feelings of guilt that she’s never been able to ‘change’, and confusion that she doesn’t seem to be attracted to boys (or girls for that matter), Targa feels like she’s got more demons than the average kid.

When the opportunity to salvage a mysterious wreck in the Baltic arises for her mom, a professional salvage diver by day, Targa jumps at the chance to go abroad for the summer. But it’s when she meets Antoni Baranek, and a boating accident puts them both in danger, that Targa’s world turns completely inside out in more ways than one.

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Featured Interview With Nancy O’Neill

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a Midwest girl, born and raised on a farm in the middle of North Dakota. I remember times when I wished we lived in town so I could ride my bike on pavement instead of gravel roads. I’m sure there were a few other reasons I didn’t like the farm while growing up but now I’m so glad that was my upbringing because it gave me solid values, good work ethics, and a lot of real life experiences. In fact, my first children’s book was “Guess What is on Grandpa’s Farm?” which was inspired by my childhood.

One of the things I didn’t like about North Dakota were the harsh winters so I was very glad when I had the opportunity to move to Southern California. I function so much better in warm weather.

My favorite place to write is outside in the sun and the hotter the better. The only thing that doesn’t work well is trying to use a laptop in the sun but I prefer to write all of my first drafts in a spiral notebook with a Uniball pen, which I buy in bulk from Costco. Now if I could just figure out how to keep the paper dry so I could write while lounging on the pool float. That would be the perfect setup!

Even though we have hot, dry summers and for the most part, fairly mild winters, I still enjoy traveling with my family to tropical vacation spots, especially the Caribbean.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
When I was in middle school (and we’re not saying how long ago that was), I really loved Nancy Drew books. Jump ahead to college when I was getting my paralegal degree and I liked reading John Grisham books, especially “The Firm.”

Growing up, I wasn’t that interested in writing nor did I ever have any plans to become an author but one of my philosophies in life is to keep your eyes open because you never know when opportunities may be right in front of you. That’s exactly what happened.

I actually started in publishing as an editor for TV Guide (eons ago) when they still had the mini weekly magazine. That was a job I basically talked myself into without any experience. From there, I started writing poetry, newsletter articles, website and marketing copy, and then after the birth of our son decades later, I started writing children’s stories.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Other than John Grisham, I’m open to lots of authors and different genres, although I prefer not to read books with violence, abuse, drugs, or swear words. I think you can have a good story without all of that.

When it comes to inspiration, our son is definitely the person who inspires me the most. From starting my Guess What children’s series to helping me with technical details on my first adult fiction, he is a big supporter and has given me lots of ideas and inspiration.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
After publishing five picture books and one coloring book in my Guess What series, I took a giant leap and decided to write my first adult story. “Her Way Out” is a novella and it took me a little over a year to complete it, which included the beta readers and editor phases.

I actually came up with the title first and then decided what story I wanted to tell. I would describe it as a soft suspense with a bit of technology woven in. There is no violence, drugs, physical abuse and only a couple of instances where the words “hell” and “damn” are used.

The main character, Beth Bradnowski, thinks she has found the man of her dreams. Jackson Cooper is charming, handsome, and could have any girl he wanted yet he chose Beth. She loved his take-charge personality but when he becomes controlling and jealous, she questions whether she really knows him. After six years of marriage, she’s had enough but she knows that he’ll never agree to a divorce and if she just walks away, he’ll do whatever it takes to track her down. Beth finally devises the perfect plan to find “Her Way Out.” However, people and situations aren’t always what they appear to be so get ready for the twist.

“Her Way Out” will be available on Kindle for FREE on December 2-3, 2016 along with two of my children’s Guess What books, “Guess What is at the North Pole?” just in time for a great Christmas gift and “Guess What is in the Ocean?” in case you’re tired of winter and want to escape to the beach.

Authors love reviews so I hope you’ll consider posting one after you’ve read any of my books.

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Nancy O’Neill’s Website

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Featured Interview With K.M. Guerin

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi, I’m K.M. Guerin! I grew up in a little farm community in Michigan (I mean, I grew up next to a tractor dealer), and I didn’t get my license until I was 20, so I spent a lot of time just running the area or sitting on my computer and roleplaying on Neopets. I was smart (I got the second highest score on the ACT for my year), but bored, so I’d often forget or just completely ignore my homework After I graduated high school in 2008, I moved to Grand Rapids for school, and I spent a few semesters out there, until I was forced to move home for medical reasons. I few years later, I moved, had a baby, and got married. I now live in Flint, MI, with my husband, my son, and my two pests – I mean, pets, a dog and a cat.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved to read. I read “Little Women” at 8, purely because I wanted to read it, and I read the Vampire Chronicles when I was 10 because I had an obsession with this one vampire YA book and I saw them on my mom’s bookshelf. At 15, I was a member of the theatre club, and they planned on going to the Michigan Renaissance Festival. To get myself familiar with what everything might entail, I ended up picking up a historical fiction book called, The Other Boleyn Girl. I’ve read historical fiction almost exclusively since then.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Well, like I said, I pretty much only read historical fiction (I’ll pick up other genres, but it’s on a book-by-book basis and it really has to call to me). I prefer medieval to Renaissance – 1300s to 1600s, but I’ll try anything once. I’m looking forward to picking up Philippa Gregory’s newest book, honestly, and I’m finding myself to be more and more infatuated with Jean Plaidy.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book takes place directly after my first one, and tells the story of the second Trastámara king, Juan, with a special focus on his first wife, Alionor. This focuses on the early years of his reign, and is very much a bridge book between the first book, about the first king, to the third book, which continues the story of the second king and his quest to gain what he believed he was entitled to own – a completely new country.

The Trastámara were the ruling family of Castile y León from 1358 to 1555, and they also ruled Aragón, Sicily, and Navarre at different points during that time period. Most people are familiar with the Trastámara by knowing about the final two generations – either Isabella and Ferdinand (“The Catholic Kings”), Juana (“la Loca”), or Catherine of Aragón (Henry VIII’s first wife, whom he divorced for Anne Boleyn). I decided to tell the story of this dynasty starting with how they came to power and ending with the transfer of power to the Habsburgs.

This book took me about a year to write, which was about the same as the previous one. I did a lot of building upon research that I had already done, but there was a bit extra that I had to do. Unfortunately, I realized a bit too late that I ended up picking a queen who would not have been involved with a lot of the major “action” of the time period because she was pregnant, and to be completely honest, she really wasn’t mentioned a lot outside of a few events, so I did have to take some artistic license, but I did try to keep it as accurate as I possibly could.

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Featured Interview With D.E. Haggerty

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I just moved back ‘home’ to The Hague. It’s not exactly ‘home’ like most of you think of as home because it’s the Netherlands and not the city or even the country of my birth. I was born in Wisconsin and, for the most part, grew up in that Midwest state. But yet, I claim to be home now that I’m living in The Hague – a jump over the pond and quite a bit of driving from Wisconsin. How in the heck did that happen? Let me try and explain. After spending my senior year of high school in Germany, I developed a wicked case of wanderlust. I rushed my way through college while traveling back and forth over the pond to visit my then boyfriend. The idea of sitting in an office after college scared the daylights out of me. So much so that I joined the Army. After several stops and starts with the U.S. Army, I ended up in Heidelberg where I met my Dutch husband. And the rest, as they say, is history.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As soon as I could figure out what all those scribbly lines on paper meant, I was addicted to books. I read absolutely everything I could get my grubby hands on. I can’t remember exactly when I started writing in addition to reading. I do remember sitting on the yellow school bus on my way to school in 6th grade and filling in a notebook with what I was sure would be the next great American novel.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Oh gosh. I have tons of authors I love – from Khaled Hosseini to A.S. Byatt to Janet Evanovich. I love to read different genres. For relaxtion, I love a good murder mystery or romantic comedy. I also enjoy digging into a book that makes you really think like The Sympathizer. My guilty pleasure is paranormal or fantasy.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Self-Serve Murder is the third and last book in my Death by Cupcake series. It’s a cozy mystery with a bunch humor thrown in and a side of romance. Kristie may be a sweetheart out to save the world, but sticking her nose into an investigation of rapes across campus makes her the target of a murderer. Before she knows it, Callie is smack dab in the middle of murder investigation with her colleagues from the cupcake bakery. If that’s not enough to drive a sane person up the wall, a friend has decided he’s going to keep her safe whether she wants him to or not. And, oh yeah, he’s her man and that’s that.

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Featured Interview With Awen Finn

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in the United Kingdom and began my career in fashion before moving to Australia. In Sydney, I went on to develop a successful business in the art world, co-founding art galleries and a successful art publishing company.

I began my journey in spirituality after attending a meditation class with a friend. I went on to train and qualify as an energy healer and spiritual teacher before I began to understand the incredible connection hidden within music and the spiritual energy of the world. I now interpret how to apply this life-changing knowledge in people’s favorite songs while completely transforming their understanding of music and its energy.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’m what you might call a late developer with books! I started to really enjoy reading at the late age of 15 and I only started writing 3 years ago 🙂

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read a lot of non fiction, especially books with a spiritual focus. I love Napoleon Hill, Caroline Myss, Haanel and Dale Carnegie. I also love learing from The Greats and I am continually re reading the teachings and lessons from Paramahansa Yogananda

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I have 2 new books!

Soul Music has just been released. In this book I pin down the traits most common to people who share the same favorite song. Using psychic intuition, Soul Music is a unique book that reveals your strengths, weaknesses, and major issues while providing practical advice and life guidance.

It is a must have for every library and anyone even remotely interested in the dynamics of personality. While you study your profile you will find it hard to resist examining those of family and friends. Soul Music helps you to better understand yourself and celebrates our differences and similarities as human beings.

You can find it on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2bFLw5Z

And my latest book, How to Beat Criticism and Feel Good launched on 8th November. This book offers practical advice and simple techniques for how to beat criticism and make your life happier.

I show you how to:
• Recognize the tell-tale signs of criticism
• Respond confidently to criticism
• Free yourself from the negative clutches of criticism
• Empower you to live a happy life and feel good

How to Beat Criticism and Feel Good has the potential to turn around your relationships and help you feel good with all of the people in your life.

You can find it on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2cDahB7

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Featured Interview With Alex R Carver

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Bristol, England, and after a number of years away, in which I have lived a few places without finding somewhere that feels like home, I’m back, living in the house my mum grew up in. My time, when I’m not writing, is taken up with bringing the house into the modern era (it hasn’t had much done to it in decades).
Getting in the way of the renovations and redecorating is Molly, the Yorkie, who is an attention hog who likes to get underfoot at every opportunity.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was ten when I started writing, thanks to a creative writing assignment at school; I came up with a Famous Five style kids adventure, the kind of thing I’d have liked to be part of, that I now wish I still had.
I haven’t really stopped writing since, though I have taken the occasional break, and I am now working on publishing a collection of books I’ve written.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love George RR Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series, and pretty much anything by Anne McCaffrey, her ability to create so many different worlds and such believable characters is amazing.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Where There’s A Will is the first book in a detective series I have been writing, with 5 more titles to be released over the next few years.
It took me 2 years to write what I have of the series, which was inspired by the multitude of detective books and TV series I have read and watched, and especially by A Touch of Frost starring David Jason.
My main character, Inspector Stone, is a family man with a wife and kids, and a dislike of technology; in the first book he has to investigate an armed robbery and the kidnap for ransom of a schoolgirl whose father is a rich and influential businessman.

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Featured Interview With S. C. Abbey

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Glasgow, Scotland, but I spent most of my childhood wandering the streets of Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore where my parents had a career in the finance industry. So I’m much globally raised. I don’t really identify with any one location as my hometown. I currently still spend most of my time travelling in Asia and Europe, I’m kind of a nomad. Before my life as an author, I have worked as a chef, door-to-door salesman, a fishmonger (true story) and many other not so glamorous jobs. Not that being an author is a glamorous thing, it’s really just a lot of sitting and bending over a desk.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I can’t remember the exact age I started reading fiction, but I do vaguely remember the first book to be ‘Charlie And The Chocolate Factory’ by Ronald Dahl, which till this day, is still one of my favorite books. Growing up travelling from place to place meant that I didn’t had many friends, and my parents were busy most of the time, so I grew up living in the many different worlds in fiction, with all these characters as my friends. I only started writing fiction when I was in high school, I still have tons of this material I wrote more than a decade ago, I actually started exploring fiction with romance and fantasy, perhaps someday I will publish them, they need severe polishing though. I only started reading thrillers, mysteries, crime, when I got acquainted with Sherlock Holmes in my early twenties. God knows how did he evaded me for so long.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Tom Clancy, J.K. Rowling, Ruth Rendell, Tolkien (senior I’m afraid), Ian Rankin, Vince Flynn, George R.R. Martin, Lee Child. I dig fantasies and thrillers (crime/psychological/political/spy, not horror) profoundly. Suzanne Collins (author of hunger games) inspires style of my writing, because her work proves that a strong plot is perhaps the most important aspect of storytelling (I guess this applies to Rowling as well). Sure, her prose may not be as beautiful as Marcel Proust or Sylvia Plath, but the story captivates its readers nonetheless. I like that kind of clean prose, where the story moves along at a neck-breaking pace, instead of over-descriptive or over-sob prose.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The name of my latest book is: Maximus: A Harvey Nolan Thriller. It is the first full novel in the series I have planned out. What inspired me to write this series was a combination of action movies (Taken, James Bond, etc), captivating television series with great plots (CSI, Bones, House of Cards, etc) and thrillers with strong plots (Daniel Silva, Ian Rankin, James Patterson, Lee Child, etc).

The first book introduces the two main characters: Harvey Nolan and Katie Moulin, and their background stories. Although this book is the first book of a series, I plan all the books in a way where every single novel has a proper story line within itself, with an underlying huge plot that builds up of course. As the series progresses, the huge plot unfolds. There is also a prequel available for readers to get a sneak peek.

In the first book, Dr. Harvey Nolan, a Nobel prize-winning Columbia Professor, wasn’t expecting the FBI at his office after his first blood-soaking brush with them many years ago. In a dark and damp dungeon, a frightened woman wakes up to find herself chained to her bed, her screams echoes but unanswered. Agent Katie Moulin, a jaded ex-FBI, grudgingly returns to the ground when things get chaotic with a single divergent event.

Caught in a crossfire between a merciless assassin and the FBI for a crime he did not commit, can Nolan clear his name before it is too late? As New York City becomes a hotbed of crime, Harvey’s and Katie’s lives must intertwine once again. Forced to battle enemies and allies closing in alike, they find themselves surprised by the extent of cruelty people can go to.

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Featured Interview With Ben Jackson

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Ben lives in Tasmania, Australia. While working during the week as a Boiler Maker/Welder, specializing in Aluminium Welding, he also writes of a night as a Freelance Writer and Author.

Ben is in a Long Distance Relationship with his wife Sam, who lives in Canada, she works as a full-time formatting professional, publisher, and author.

Be sure to check out all of his books, there is definitely something there for everyone!

As Indie Authors, we rely on our valuable customers to write a review, if you could spare a minute to leave a review of one of our books, we would greatly appreciate it.

He has numerous books in progress so stay tuned for information on those by following this page, connecting with him on Facebook or Goodreads.

Remember, if you enjoyed one of his books, leave a review!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always read from a very young age. I devour books at a fast rate, and this is what I think fuels me towards writing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Wilbur Smith, Leon Uris, and Bernard Cornwall

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Day My Fart Followed Me To Hockey!

The Day My Fart Followed Me To Hockey is a beautifully illustrated journey of Timmy and his best friend the Little Fart as they attend Timmy’s first hockey tryouts. Chaos and laughter ensue as the Fart attempts to help out his best friend the only way he knows how.

If you enjoy reading funny books with beautiful illustrations and love having your child read along with you, then make sure you grab The Day My Fart Followed Me To Hockey.

Discover and giggle along with Timmy and his best friend on their exciting day at the hockey arena!

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Featured Interview With Andres Mann

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in East Africa by Italian parents. I now live in Florida. I no longer have pets, but I had a Bulldog named Sebastian and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel called Maggie. Talk about the beauty and the beast!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading at the age of four. Where I lived there were no libraries, so I cut a deal with a used book seller to rent books one at a time. I ended up doing this every other day. I continued to be a voracious reader all my life. I like all genres, particularly History, Novels and great literature.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Dante’s “The Divine Comedy,” Stephen King’s “The Stand,” Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with the Wind,” Umberto Eco’s “The Name of the Rose.”

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Tess: Day of Reckoning
Tess is still gorgeous, tough, relentless and protective of her Valkyries, not to mention she loves the amazing Jake. Now they are drawn into a desperate search for two nuclear bombs that the ISIS terrorists have obtained from North Korea. To complicate things, Tess falls under the spell of Vaughn Wentworth, a charismatic symphony conductor who gives her an opportunity to play a piano concert in Moscow. Here they meet the Russian President and try to talk some sense into him. At the same time, she a Vaughn become attracted to each other. Jake has his hands full as well. He is also looking for the missing nukes and must resist the affections of the gorgeous and talented Claudine Bisson. Tess’s old nemesis Laurent Belcour is also back in the picture, and she is forced to work with him to find the weapons. The action takes place in Nigeria, France, Russia, the Middle East and North Korea. Can our heroes prevent the destruction of European cities while dealing with severe personal challenges?

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Featured Interview With Kristina Widener

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born and raised in Northwest Ohio in a small rural community. I still live in the same area (not the same town, though) where I live with the love of my life, my oldest 2 children and his 3 children. We have 2 cats that are like having perpetual toddlers in the house, and we have a very active family life.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading at a very young age. Reading isn’t truthfully the right word, more like devouring books. I started writing after tragedy struck my family as a way to try to cope with all my thoughts and emotions.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I don’t have a favorite genre, but favorite authors are just as broad. I love Stephen King’s work, James Patterson, Dave Pelzer, Brad Meltzer, and the list is never ending.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
It isn’t natural to bury your child, but life doesn’t always follow the natural way. Shattered Soul: An Angel Parent’s Journey is a story of every parent’s worst nightmares, the death of a child. Kristina Widener shares her journey of grief after losing her youngest child to SIDS, her emotions, memories, and how she has coped with it all.
“Welcome to my journey.
This has been a road of pain, grief, discover, loss, healing, joy, love, and so many other things that are hard to put a name on. This is my story, my version of the thoughts and feelings that I have experienced since losing my youngest child. That is a hard statement to say, to write, to read, but it is the cold fact of the matter. I will take you through the roller-coaster ride I have lived, and am still living. I will tell you what I can remember, what I felt, and how I feel now at the time of writing this.”
Join Kristina, if only for a brief moment, on her journey. Shattered Soul: An Angel Parent’s Journey will take you down an unforgettable path. When you lose a child, you’re still a parent, an Angel Parent, and here is the story of one Angel Parent determined to break the silence of her grief.

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Featured Interview With Michael Tappenden

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Currently living in South London but originally from Kent – The Garden of England. Went to a 1950s English grammar school (lots of work, rugby, discipline and occasional corporal punishment – the days when you lifted your cap to your teacher in the street). Destined nay programmed for University entrance and left to join a gang of Irish labourers on building sites, an assistant grave digger and gardener, joined the Parachute Regiment of the British Army (a year in the mystical deserts of the Middle East followed by a civil war in Cyprus). Left to become a graphic designer and then Course Leader at the University for the Creative Arts. Learnt to play the alto sax (with more passion than expertise) and sat down one day and decided to write.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I cannot remember a time when I did not have my nose in a book. To be fair, apart from cinema and radio, that’s all there was. No TV. No social media. Just words and sounds and music and the silver screen. I think in many ways I was lucky. I developed a love for the language and had my imagination constantly massaged. School/college/ letters home from foreign parts/certainly gave me the opportunity to write and I did so at every opportunity. It took me a long time to realise that I could write seriously and actually had something to day.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite book of all time is Treasure Island. I so wanted to be Jim Hawkins and still do. I have just purchased a copy from the Folio Society. Mouthwateringly beautiful. The look. The smell. The sound (did you know that paper manufacturers used to put straw into the wood pulp to make the pages crackle). The feel. Magic.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
One published (Pegasus to Paradise) and another on its way (this latter one a bit like giving birth – I would imagine). P to P however is historical fiction based on a true story. A D-Day hero returns to his family but damaged by war. The initial euphoria of survival against all the odds is soon replaced with the challenge of surviving together in post-war England. Ordinary people in extraordinary times. Conflict of duty, drama, courage, humour and unconditional love.
Problem was, this was my own family and even though my parents (the hero and heroine of my story) were no longer with me, it posed considerable problems. What exactly was the truth? Could I portray my parents as fallible human beings? What effect would this have on me, their son?
I can tell you the process was cathartic. I laughed with them, wept with them, shouted aloud at them, protested and for the first time in my life, understood them.

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