Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Felice Cohen

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised on beautiful Cape Cod in Massachusetts and currently live in Manhattan. I am the grandchild of two Holocaust survivors and aside from being an author, I am also a professional organizer and Holocaust educator. I have spoken to thousands about my grandparents experiences before, during and after the war and have been featured in two documentaries about being a grandchild of survivors.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Growing up we spent a lot of time at our local library. I remember many cold winter nights sitting with my parents and two younger sisters, all together in the living room with our noses in books. I started writing in college after quitting two Division I sports teams when in exchange I covered the teams for the school newspaper. After that I started writing opinion columns and never looked back.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love all books. Memoirs by Jeannette Walls, Cheryl Strayed, J.R. Moehringer, and Catherine Gildiner. I love graphic memoirs too. I love historical fiction (Burr, by Gore Vidal) and biographies (Hamilton by Ron Chernow). I enjoy mysteries and novels too.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“90 Lessons for Living Large in 90 Square Feet (…or more)” is the result of living in a 90-square-foot NYC studio for five years. After a YouTube video of how I lived (and lived large!) in that tiny space went viral, people around the world asked for advice on decluttering, downsizing and organizing their own stuff, and also praised my philosophy about “living large” in a small space. The book tells of how living in a small space made my life so much larger, but it is also a “want-to” guide, helping others achieve that life in any size space. The book took a few years to write, but it was nothing compared to the 18 years I spent (off and on) on my first book about my grandfather, “What Papa Told Me.”

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Felice Cohen’s Website

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Featured Interview With Danko Antolovic

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Croatia, in the city of Zagreb. I finished college there, and then I went on to live and work in three other countries: Belgium, United States and Japan. I went to graduate school in Baltimore, Maryland, and I have lived in United States most of my life. Currently, I live with my spouse Laurie in Bloomington, Indiana, and I work at Indiana University.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I hardly remember an age at which I did not read – I must have been reading actively ever since I learned how to. The earliest books I remember vividly are the children’s novels about Doctor Dolittle, the man who could speak to animals, by Hugh Lofting. These novels opened for me an early window into the wide, fascinating world that lies beyond childhood…

As a scientist and technologist by calling, I have written technical and scientific stuff all of my professional life. I have found an inspiration for non-technical writing in the recent years: I find that there is a great divide between the techno-scientific world and the humanities, yet we are human beings on either side of the divide, capable of appreciating both.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
There are many writers whose writing I appreciate, but if I had to name favorite authors, I think that I would select Thomas Mann and Lewis Carroll. The former has a keen observing eye and an understated sense of humor that appeals to me; the latter’s stories are such an irresistible combination of shy reticence and all-out adventurousness that it is impossible not to be charmed by them.

I like the surreal and borderline fantastic stories, such as those written by Mikhail Bulgakov and Italo Calvino. Classical Greek mythology has also been part of my intellectual world all my life, and I always find something new and interesting in these ancient stories. Among the authors whose ideas have influenced my recent work, I would count primarily the philosophers Rene Descartes and Gottfried Leibniz.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest work is a collection of essays titled “Whither Science?” In our times, science has become something of a surrogate for magic, a wondrous, obscure craft practiced by the craft’s masters, and from this craft we expect marvelous things. But science is really all about discovering factual truth and banishing magic, and in my book I attempt to lift the veil of magic from the practice of science.

In every modern society science is an important public activity, like trade, education or national defense. Behind its veil of wonder, scientific activity is driven by commonplace human ambitions and beset by commonplace human failings, but the veil has spared science the accountability that is expected of most public undertakings. Behind its magical image, science has become a self-serving institution, and it is failing both the public common good and its own noble ideals. I hope that a better public understanding of the process of science will restore this accountability.

On the other hand, for all its present shortcomings, science has undoubtedly given us enormous power, and it has changed our world beyond recognition. Yet we humans have remained the same all along, burdened by animal impulses which the techno-scientific knowledge has made vastly more destructive. I believe that the next great, redeeming task of science is to understand the human mind, and to help us make ourselves worthy of the power that it – the natural science – has given us.

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Featured Interview With Shannon O’Leary

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Australia in the 1960s and 70s, and it was not a conventional childhood. I was brought up in NSW with the National Park as my backyard. As a child I had many pets, goats, chickens, cats, dogs and guinea pigs. Today I have two cats and two dogs and I spent my time between the rural central Australian slopes and Sydney, NSW. I love all the creative arts and I teach music and singing. I also write films, music and songs as well as books and poetry.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading at an early age and I spent many hours during and after school in libraries. I was a read-aholic and loved that books could transport me into another world. As a child, I also wrote songs, poetry and short stories so I guess writing has always been second nature to me. What I can’t say vocally I can express through my written words.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like to read a wide variety of texts both fiction and non-fiction. I like to read Bill Bryson and MD Scott. I also like to read the classics such as the Bronte sisters books, Dickens and Shakespeare. I also love to read historical novels and scientific research papers.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is a memoir about my childhood years. It is a shocking and yet compelling story. When I wrote The Blood on My Hands, I decided to write it from the perspective of my childhood self. My father was a serial killer capable of the most horrific acts of violence. The laws in the 1960s and 70s did little to protect those in an abusive situation. Many child-abuse cases were swept under the rug, as there were not laws in place to protect children. Domestic violence was prevalent, and wives were expected to do what they were told by their husbands. The Catholic Church frowned upon divorce, and people were scared of social repercussions.

I wrote my story do I could get some closure. I also sincerely hope that in sharing my experiences, some light may be shed on the whereabouts and stories of the other victims. I also hope that those who are in violent situation get out of it and seek help.

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Featured Interview With John Lipscomb and Adrianne Lugo

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is John Lipscomb and I was raised in St. Louis, Missouri. My fiancée and co-author’s name is Adrianne Lugo and she was raised in Wantagh, Long Island, New York.

We currently reside in Boynton Beach, Florida and we moved here almost three years ago from St. Louis, Missouri.

We have one very spoiled Yorkshire Terrier named, Holly.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Adrianne and I are both pretty big readers and have been most of our lives.

For the sake of honestly neither Adrianne or I are writers. I have written a few short stories over the years that have been published and when we decided to write our book I wrote out my entire story and some parts of the book. We did a nation wide search and found a ghostwriter that we collaborated with. We wrote some of the book, there were interviews done, there was a screenplay written about Adrianne’s story previous to the idea of the book, we had cd’s and talks on tape. We basically threw it all into a kitchen sink and pulled it out piece by piece and put it together.

Due to the complexity of the story and because we decided to make it a tandem narrative literary nonfiction we needed help to make it flow smoothly which I believe we accomplished.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite genre is memoir and historical fiction. My favorite two book are, Lit, by Mary Karr and Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand. Adrianne’s two favorite books are, The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls and Beautiful Boy, by David Sheff.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Our latest and only book to date is named, The Painting and The Piano, and was launched on February 4th, 2016.

The Painting and The Piano is an improbable story of survival and love.

The childhoods of Johnny and Adrianne couldn’t have been more different. Not only were they born more than one-thousand miles apart, but the cultural and financial contrasts between their respective childhoods are equally as stark.
Old-money wealth and privilege defined Johnny’s childhood in Ladue, Missouri, which is to St. Louis what Scarsdale is to New York City or Beverly Hills to Los Angeles. From the moment of his birth, Johnny’s world was private clubs, private schools, private jets, high-society etiquette, and a loving nanny named Lizzy.

Middleclass Jewish values, bickering but loving parents, and the distinct character of Long Island defined Adrianne’s early life. It was public school, public transportation, Jones Beach, and Lawn Guyland rather than Long Island or tawk instead of talk.

However, Johnny and Adrianne’s childhoods share a tragic parallel that damaged each to the core of their psyche, their emotional well-being, and brought both to the brink of death.
Where their story diverges from so many others is that rather than fall into the darkness, Johnny and Adrianne reached for the light. Thus began their respective journeys of healing, which led from the slow death of addiction to a serendipitous meeting, falling in love and building a shared life dedicated to the service of others.

Told as a tandem narrative, Adrianne and Johnny pass their respective stories of childhood trauma and abuse, addiction, healing, and final triumph of love back and forth in alternating chapters. Their stories are unique, but share parallels that create a taut and emotionally compelling narrative.

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John Lipscomb and Adrianne Lugo’s Website

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Featured Interview With Cara MacMillan

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am Dave’s life partner and the Mom to two really interesting and good people. Professionally I focus in the area of risk – which means I work to completely understand the consequences of choices. I was raised in Ottawa, Canada. I returned to Ottawa to raise my family. I love the beauty of the city and its proximity to nature. The other love of my life is my 16 year old Sheltie.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved books. They were my escape. I was a nerd so I loved to learn and books opened up my world. I started writing in high school. Writing is my way of synthesizing what I have learned.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Favourites….WB Yeats, Margaret Atwood, Margaret Laurence, W O Mitchell, Mordecai Richler, Stephen Leacock, Sherry Cooper. During those very busy young children years, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen’s Chicken Soup for the Soul books kept me smiling and laughing.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is Make Big Money and Make a Big Difference. Now that we have connected our values with our spending in It Is Only Money and It Grows on Trees, let’s connect our values with our investments.

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Featured Interview With Benita J. Prins

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’ve lived most of my life in small-town southwestern Ontario, but my extended family lives all over the place, so I’ve travelled all the way out to BC and all the way down to Florida. I love travelling! So far, my favourite location has been the mountains in Kentucky. Thanks to all this travelling, it’s probably a good thing I don’t have any pets – but I do have five little brothers (as well as an older one and two younger sisters) who take up just as much energy and are better than pets.

I love to sing and somehow my love of music has made its way into almost every one of my books so far. I don’t intend it, it just happens. I also play piano and organ, but if I had to choose one of the three I would choose singing. When I sing it’s like flying, soft and free.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Reading the Bobbsey Twins for the first time, I recall being annoyed because Flossie and Freddie were older than I was, so I must’ve been four or five (they were six) when I started reading. My dad’s a secondhand bookseller so there’s never been a time when our house wasn’t chuck-full of great books, and there’s never been a time when I can’t remember loving to read. I suppose writing my own books was a natural progression from that, and writing does run in my dad’s family. I wrote the first story in memory when I was around six or seven: “Lucy Larson”, a menage of episodes in Lucy’s life, including one where she went blind and immediately afterward had a successful operation to cure that.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
To narrow them down to three, my very favourite authors are J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and John Buchan. The Lord of the Rings captured my heart the first time I read it. I loved Narnia as a kid and I still do now. Buchan is a more recent favourite; I read The Thirty-nine Steps and it was fantastic. My favourite Buchans are the four Richard Hannay novels. (RH is my only real literary crush since Aragorn.)

The influences I’m most aware of in my writing are Tolkien and Michael D. O’Brien, a Catholic novelist who also writes a lot about the use of symbolism in fantasy and such. I wouldn’t have been writing fantasy if it weren’t for Tolkien, and as a Catholic I have found O’Brien’s essays super-helpful.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Seascape is the story of an orphaned peasant boy who would do anything to protect his little sister from the evil Illyrië. This is my second book and took me about ten months to write.

When faced with the impossible and the unthinkable, choose the impossible.

All that fifteen-year-old Einur Landman has left in the world are his flock of sheep and his beloved little sister. The entire purpose of his life is to keep Lody safe from the Illyrië. But what he never expected was that it would be his own name that was drawn for the child sacrifice. Leaving Lody with his promise to return, Einur escapes into the wild where he meets a stranger who outlines a way to bring down the Illyrië. Forced to choose between the unthinkable – Lody’s probable death – and the seemingly impossible, Einur takes the latter.

In his quest from his mountain village, through countless dangers, to the sea itself, everything Einur believes will be tested. For Lody’s sake, can he make a final crucial choice and stand firm to the end?

My absolute favourite character is… I actually have no idea. I suppose you could say ’twas a tie between Einur and Lody. Lody is the darlingest. She’s eight; their parents died when she was just three, and almost-nine-year-old Einur insisted on caring for her himself. So he’s all the parents she has ever known, and their relationship is very sweet.

Einur on the other hand is a little mistrusting and suspicious, although when it comes to Lody he’s as soft as anything. Underneath his brusque exterior, however, you can see he’s just a teenaged boy who’s hurt and alone. He has Lody, but he knows there’s something more to look for, and his journey to the Master is just as much a part of the plot as the destruction of the Illyrië.

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Benita J. Prins’s Website

Featured Interview With Mitchell Charles

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Southern California, but have spent a lot of time in the Hawaiian Islands, which was the inspiration for The Kingdom of Oceana. I have a rescue dog named Magic.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always been fascinated with books, and became enthralled with the young-adult fantasy genre when I had my own children. The Kingdom of Oceana is dedicated to my son and daughter, who are now teenagers.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Some of the books that I’ve enjoyed recently include All the Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven; Best Boy, by Eli Gottlieb; The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt; Fates and Furies, by Lauren Groff, Eleanor & Park and Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell. I’m drawn to books with complex and flawed protagonists.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Kingdom of Oceana is a young-adult fantasy novel that takes place 500 years ago in ancient Hawaii. At its core, The Kingdom of Oceana explores a complex, and sometimes bitter sibling rivalry between 16 year-old Prince Ailani and his older brother Prince Nahoa. The novel is a hero’s journey that follows Ailani’s rite of passage to manhood. Along the way he tames sharks, discovers his spirit animal, falls in love with a beautiful princess from a rival island nation, and must defend his homeland from an invasion of zombie sea creatures. Many of the locations in the book are inspired by my favorite waterfalls, surf breaks, coral reefs, volcanoes, and beaches in Hawaii.

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Mitchell Charles’s Website

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Featured Interview With Linda Heavner Gerald

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in North Carolina and have lived in the Bahamas. I now reside with my husband in Florida. We are retired which gives us plenty of time for biking, walking the beach, and gardening. Writing is my passion. My husband loves to read so it works well for us.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I began writing three years ago. Currently, I have nine published novels. My books are a gift from God. It all began three years ago. A vision would not leave me. I found it impossible to sleep unless I concentrated on it. Finally, I prayed. Beaufort Betrayal, my first book, was born. Since that time, I write daily. That is why I feel that this is a gift from God. Never, did I dream of being a writer. Now, it is my passion.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Nicholas Sparks, Nelson DeMille, Jeffrey Archer are my favorite authors. I enjoy Mystery/Thrillers and Romantic/Suspense

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Told by the housekeeper of over twenty years, Enchanted is the story of Mr. Grover’s second wife. She approached him inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art on a beautiful fall day. He listened to her describe her predicament of not possessing a memory. Since he lost his wife years earlier, it is not an imposition for him to allow her to live for a few days on his large estate. His invitation to her is gladly accepted since she has no other desirable options. She enters his limousine. They are swallowed by the darkness.

The housekeeper, Dottie George, did not want to like this new guest. Her loyalty was to the first wife, Edwina Grover. It is impossible not to like this stranger who Dottie names, Elizabeth. Years pass as the couple attempt not to fall in love. To do so could be disastrous since they know nothing about Elizabeth’s past. Does she have a husband and children somewhere? Their actions are futile. They fall madly in love. Life is wonderful until Elizabeth suffers a severe head injury. Her life returns. It is not good for this delightful couple. What choice will she make? Should she stay with Mr. Grover even though to do so means never finding real peace? You must read Enchanted to find the answers.

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Featured Interview With Tanisha D Jones

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in New Orleans and still live in the Greater Metropolitan area. In fact everyone in my large, close-knit family live within ten minutes of each other. I am the single mother to a newly minted, full fledged teenaged daughter, work full-time and am completing my B.A. in English Literature. The only pet we have is a rather spoiled, television watching Guinea pig named Dwayne.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was an only child until I was eleven years old and the only female cousin in a family full of boys. So between weekends of Kung Fu Theater, the Dukes of Hazard, Atari and Creature Features, I would escape into books. By the time I was in middle school I had devoured L.M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, Faulkner, Shakespeare, Jane Austin and had delved into Harlequin Romances, Stephen King, and Anne Rice. By then I’d developed my own teen series that I wrote in spiral notebooks and floated through my middle school. I began to write because as much as I loved Sweet Valley High and Seniors and the Paula Danzinger novels, no one looked like me. I wrote characters that mirrored my own muliticultural and interracial friendships.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read everything I can get my hands on but I prefer mysteries, horror and romance. I began my love of horror and gothic romance with the Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles. Once I’d read those I transitioned into Stephen King and Dean Koontz. In the past ten to twelve years I have enjoyed the sci-fi and paranormal romance. And I really like a good ‘ caper’ story. It began with the Sookie Stackhouse novels and expanded. I love series, especially the ones with recurring characters. I’ve read all of Charlaine Harris’ series’ and am working on the Darynda Jones Charley Davidson novels. My favorite authors right now are Sherilynn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter and League series’, Janet Evanovich’s Fox and O’Hare , J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood and Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is The First to Fall, the first in the Fallen series. It introduces the world to Elijah Cain, a tall, dark handsome New Orleans homicide detective who meets the woman of his dreams while trying to uncover the mysterious disappearance of the body of dead rock star Nicky Sky. His search lands him in the middle of a impending battle of good and evil between two worlds he never knew existed. He is accompanied by his partner and bestfriend, Riley Quinn, his dazzling grandmother Grace and the sexy Doc who holds the key to a past he can’t remember. When he and Doc get together it could lead them to their destiny or destroy everything he has ever known.

In a couple of months, the second in the series will be released. The second Fallen Novel, The Mark of the Fallen, is about the Doc, her relationships with the Kents and what happened before she loved Eli.

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Tanisha D Jones’s Website

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Featured Interview With Tony Lee Moral

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a mystery and suspense writer, who was born in Hastings, England. I now live in California and lived in Monterey Bay for two years where my latest novel “Ghost Maven” is set. I don’t have any pets, though I did have many when I was growing up, as I’ve always been an animal lover – intact I have a zoology degree.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Like most authors, I was fascinated with books as soon as I could read. I was writing from an early age too – short stories, poems, and then screenplays. English Literature was always my favourite subject at school, I was always concocting stories in my head and I knew that I was destined to write novels. I’m also known for writing three books on Alfred Hitchcock, as I specialise in mystery and suspense.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite authors as a child were Willard Price, Roald Dahl, the Alfred Hitchcock Three Investigators series and Colin Dann’s The Animals of Farthing Wood series. As a teenager, I moved onto Thomas Hardy, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Patricia Highsmith, Today I am inspired by Haruki Murakami, Isabel Allende and Paulo Coelho, among many other authors.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is a Young Adult Novel titled “Ghost Maven” which is published in the autumn by Saturns Moon Press, an imprint of Cactus Moon Publications. It is the first in a trilogy.

Sixteen-year-old ALICE PARKER moves with her Dad and younger sister to the sleepy town of Pacific Grove, California, to start a new life after her Mom dies. Little does Alice know the strange and terrifying events to come. When she falls into the bay during a kayaking trip, she is rescued from drowning by the mysterious HENRY RAPHAEL. Handsome, old fashioned and cordial, he is unlike any other boy she has known before. Intelligent and romantic, he sees straight into her soul. Soon Alice and Henry are swept up in a passionate and decidedly unorthodox romance, until she discovers a terrifying secret. Alice herself begins to realize her own powers. She discovers she is a “Ghost Maven” with the ability to slay ghosts. But her relationship with Henry brings the wrath of ghosts from a shipwreck who come looking for her, led by the vengeful captain. Ghost Maven is an action packed, modern-day love story between a ghost and a human.

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Featured Interview With Haven Cage

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a debuting author excited to find new readers that can relate to my fascination with our darker sides. I live in the Carolinas with my genius husband, ten-going-on-seventeen year old son, and an outdoor cat. My dayjob is in the medical field, but it’s actually my nightjob since I’m a creature of the nighshift. I enjoy movies, reading, crocheting, painting, gardening (though I’m not very good at it), Supernatural, Penny Dreadful, and Vikings.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I had no idea that I would be an author as a child. Reading and writing was something I was forced to do in school, not something I did for fun. I was more of a visual arts kind of person, using paint and pencils to express myself, but looking back now, I know that I just hadn’t found the right book to spark the yearning in me.

A coworker gave me a copy of Twilight when I was 24, and my love for reading grew from there. I later read an article by Stephanie Meyer saying that a dream inspired her to write; that sparked the urge to look at my own bizarre dreams and pick up the hobby of writing. After seven years, my hobby has grown into so much more. It has transformed me into a person that wouldn’t be hole without the art of words.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love Urban Fantasy, Romance, and Erotica if it has a good plot. My favorite authors include Karen Marie Moning for her clever yet elaborate details, Leigh Bardugo’s vivid imagination and descriptions, and Jamie McGuire for her will to succeed as an author while creating great books everytime she writes.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Falter is my portrayal of the gray areas of spirituality and morality that many of us struggle with. Choosing what to believe in a God, in ourselves, and in others is much harder, I think, than we’d like to admit. I am a spiritual person who grew up, and maintained, christian beliefs. However, I’ve always been fascinated with the darker side of a person’s soul, what can turn good intentions into terrible decisions.

My novel toys with those notions.

Nevaeh Richards thinks she has found a chance to leave her homeless life behind. When the spirit of the only father she knows is wrongfully taken to Hell, Nevaeh is hurled into a world haunted by monstrous demons, rogue Guardian angels, love that is beyond her control, and a soul-threatening choice between the inherent evil inside her and the faltering faith she is struggling to grasp.

Nevaeh and George have lived on the streets as father and daughter since he found her, alone and unconscious, many years ago. When they start a new life employed at Joe’s cafe, Nevaeh experiences debilitating visions and frightening apparitions. Adding to the troubling path her life has taken, George suddenly becomes ill and an Animus demon takes his soul hostage in Hell. Unfortunately, the ransom may be more than Nevaeh can afford.

As Nevaeh spirals into this supernatural world, Gavyn—the handsome café-owner—tries to convince her that she belongs to a hidden race of people with God-given gifts known as Celatum, and she may be a key player in the Celestial war. However, even after all the otherworldly events she experiences, Nevaeh continues to deny her part in it all.

Meanwhile, Archard—a stranger she feels undeniably bonded to—mysteriously wanders in and out of her life, offering none of the answers she suspects he holds.

Will Nevaeh attain the faith it requires to fulfill her fate as a Celata and take part in the Celestial fight? Or will she give into the darkness that calls to her for the sake of George’s soul and damn herself to Hell?

Warning: this novel contains adult language and sexual content. Readers 18 years and older only, please.

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Haven Cage’s Website

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Featured Interview With John Pearce

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live most of the year in Sarasota, a beautiful small city with a lot of theaters and museums, on the West Coast of Florida. For a couple of months each year I live in Paris, which is where I base most of the action in my books.

During my varied careers I’ve lived all over the place — as a journalist in Washington, DC, and Germany; as a corporate manager in Washington and St. Louis, and as CEO of my own business in Sarasota. I sold that ten years ago.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My interest in reading goes back a VERY long time, to the Hardy Boys and science fiction when I was hardly old enough to make out the words. I took my first shot at a novel forty years ago, when we were staying in a small hotel in Assisi, but I couldn’t get it off the ground.

Ultimately my efforts resulted in Treasure of Saint-Lazare, my first novel. It won the Readers Favorite award for top historical mystery a year after I published it, and it sold quite a few copies — for a while it was in the top 50 of all Kindle books.

Last Stop: Paris is a true sequel, and should be read after Treasure of Saint-Lazare.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read across genres, but my reading taste leans to literary fiction. I’m a fan of Ann Patchett and Don DeLillo, and of course the godfather of my own genre is John LeCarré.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Last Stop: Paris is the continuation of the story I told in Treasure of Saint-Lazare, which is about a famous painting the Nazis stole from a museum in Poland at the beginning of the war. The governor-general of Poland, a high Nazi who was hanged by the Nuremberg Tribunal, supposedly shipped it to his home near Munich just as the Russians were closing in on him in Krakow, at the beginning of 1945. All that is history. It actually happened, and the painting hasn’t been seen in public since, although there are rumors that it’s stored in a bank vault somewhere.

My “what if” story is about a modern gang of cutthroat criminals who get the idea an American who was an Army officer during the War either has the painting or knows where it is. The burden falls on his son Eddie, who is the major protagonist of both books — the father is murdered, and the protagonist’s wife and young some are murdered as well. There are few clues, and for ten years the case grows cold.

Then one day a young woman appears at Eddie’s home in Paris with a letter that provides a critical clue. The tale takes off from there.

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Featured Interview With Jo Zebedee

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised and still live in Northern Ireland, not far from Belfast. I write sf and fantasy, sometimes in NI, sometimes in my Space Opera worlds.

I also have a family, run a business, have a busy, busy life so writing is a passion I fight to find time for.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been a reader all my life but only started writing when I was 40 and decided it was time to get on with it! Since then, I haven’t stopped writing and have completed seven books, with three already released.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read all genres but tend to gravitate to sf and fantasy. I love Lois McMaster Bujold, Neil Gaiman, Ben Aaronovitch, Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

I’m inspired by a lot of the sf classics, such as Dune and really enjoy Space Opera – I like the escapism of it.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is the second in my Space Opera trilogy, called Sunset Over Abendau. It’s a very character led series, with challenging themes all set against a classic-feeling Space Opera world. I hope it’s escapist, but it also has its dark, dark corners.

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Featured Interview With Barry L. Becker

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. I am a military veteran and a graduate of San Francisco State University. My wife and I live in Portland, Oregon.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was interested in reading novels when I was about eighteen. I didn’t start writing until my junior year in college.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I enjoy fiction the most, especially suspense and espionage thrillers. My favorite authors are David Baldacci, Nelson DeMille, Daniel Silva, Christopher Reich, Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, and Mary Higgins Clark. I also enjoy reading non-fiction and memoirs.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I wanted to write a story about the best-of-the best special operations forces tier-one Joint Special Operations Command operators. Mark Ericksen fit the best description perfectly: He has integrity, courage, intelligence and leadership. He was all about duty, honor, and country. This is a story about his journey from high-value target missions in Afghanistan in 2002, resigning his commission, facing the burdens of war-PTSD, and successfully moving ahead in life within the defense contracting business. In 2009, the CIA receives actionable intelligence about a wealthy Saudi terrorism mastermind who is hell-bent on attacking American cities with nuclear material.
When America urgently needs his services again, the CIA tasks Ericksen for Operation Avenging Eagles to sabotage the terrorist plot.

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Featured Interview With Michelle Saftich

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Brisbane, Australia, the eldest of two girls. My mother is a fine artist and my father is now a retired electrician. I have also spent time living in Sydney and Osaka, Japan. I find big cities stimulating, but after the birth of my first child, I moved back to Brisbane to be close to family. My two sons are enjoying being raised in Brisbane with a large backyard, plenty of sunshine, wild summer storms and a black cat, who hangs out with them, much like a dog. My husband is a singer/songwriter and an accomplished musician. Lots of creativity around me!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
By the age of six, I had promised myself that I would one day be a published author. I can remember being a young child, looking at the book shelves in our local library, wondering upon which shelf my book would sit. By the end of primary school, I found it difficult to find a book in the school library that I hadn’t checked out and read. I loved reading and found I could read quickly. In Year 7, my teacher asked if I could read out loud a chapter from a novel to the class each day, something I enjoyed doing immensely.

My grandmother is a playwright and I have always felt a connection with her. I would sneak into her writing area, ogling her huge, heavy typewriter, scanning all her press clippings about her plays and I longed to have a space just like it. I can recall sitting on her lap at age nine, reading to her an eight-page story I had written, just for fun. I think I’ve always been reading and writing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have read broadly, exploring a range of genres and authors. As a younger reader, I loved historical fiction and romance. I treasure such books as “To Kill a Mockingbird” and Jane Austen novels and I loved Wild Swans by Jung Chang. I have enjoyed biographical novels about Marie Antoinette and early writers such as Mary Shelley. I like stories about strong, inspiring women and works that inform and educate as well as entertain.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My historical fiction novel, Port of No Return, was inspired by my grandparents’ true story of having to flee their Italian town, with their children, at the end of World War II. At that time, their city, Fiume, a beautiful portside city, was taken and absorbed into Yugoslavia – lost to Italy forever.

In May, 1945, Yugoslav Partisans came down the hills into the city of Fiume and began rounding up those Italians, known to have worked with the Germans during the war, and executing them.

My father, a great oral storyteller, had told my sister and I a few snippets of his parents’ plight. He was fond of telling how his mother had stood up to the Yugoslav Partisans when they had come knocking on their door, seeking to arrest and kill her husband. She had shown great bravery in telling them that her husband had left her for another woman, and was not at home.

Inspired by these family tales, I decided to do some research about the city and came across a startling post-World War II conflict. Hundreds of thousands of Italians fled the region as the Yugoslav Army moved in, leaving behind their homes, their livelihoods, their friends.

I decided to write about their experiences.

It took two years to write. I talked to other Italians who had fled Fiume – ones who could remember being shot at trying to cross the town border to escape, ones who could recall the Partisans coming down the hills.

I have tried to capture their fear, their loss, their desperation – while informing readers of this little known conflict that affected so many lives.

Personally, it has been wonderful to write about and record my family heritage, while giving the people of this region a voice. I have felt honoured to tell their story and have loved every word of it.

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Featured Interview With Isobel Blackthorn

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in London in 1962 and I currently live in Melbourne, Australia. I’ve had 66 addresses so far! I’ve lived all over Australia, England, and in parts of Spain. I have a little white cat. Her name is Psyche. She never goes outside. She’s the gentlest, most sensitive creature I have ever known. My first two novels, Asylum and The Drago Tree, were released by Odyssey Books in 2015. My third novel, the mystery-thriller A Perfect Square, will be published in August. I write contemporary literary fiction, and I genre hop. I’m at work on my first crime novel, and my first horror will be out next year.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always been a keen reader. As a child I devoured books. I went through a dry spell in my teenage years and then made up for it in my twenties. I started writing creatively in 2007. At first I worked on a memoir, and then another, turning to fiction in 2013, when I decided I was done with writing stories based on my own life.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I adore the Scottish author, Iain Banks. He’s my all-time favourite. I tend to go for contemporary literary fiction. I had a run on Booker Prize winners for a while. I enjoy reading books from all over the world. It’s a great way to travel! My greatest sources of inspiration are writers who take risks, who write with strong voices, who tackle difficult issues, who really delve into things.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is a short story collection, All Because of You: Eleven tales of refuge and hope. Most of the stories are semi-autobiographical. There are three set in shelters for battered wives. Family violence, trauma, dealing with difficult teenage daughters, it’s all in there. It’s probably as close to memoir as short stories can be and when the original collection came out in 2012 I was almost too shy to talk about them. I remember going on radio and the interviewer asking me how they were so personal, and I fobbed her off and changed the subject. Fact is, I’m a survivor. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. I wrote these stories in the hope that they might connect with other trauma survivors, give insights, maybe raise a smile. Inside each story is a nugget of pain, and a theme of sacrifice. I’m honoured that Odyssey Books decided to re-publish, and include an additional three stories. I often get asked how long a short story takes to write. After all, they are often about three thousand words so you should be able to knock one out in a week, right? Wrong. My answer is months, sometimes years.

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Featured Interview With D. K. Hamilton

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Lyndsay, but I write under the pen name D. K. Hamilton. I’m an engineer by day, runner, country music fan, & beach lover fulfilling my dream to be a writer. I’m also slightly addicted to Snapple iced tea and Starbucks mochas. I was born and raised along the southern part of the Jersey Shore, and after college, I moved right back to my hometown. I love it here and wouldn’t want to live any place else!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been an avid reader since I was a little girl. I have memories as an 8 year old reading Baby-Sitters Club books every spare minute I had! By the time I reached my late 20s, I decided to make my dream a reality and write a book. So far, I’ve self-published my debut novel, The Other Side of Later, and I’m working on its sequel, which I hope to publish by the end of the year.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
If a book is classified as chick lit or romance, I’ll usually read and like it! I especially love books with strong, independent female characters. I usually relate to them and identify with the struggles of their late 20s/early 30s lifestyle. Of course my favorite Chick Lit books have a sweet love story thrown in the mix too because I’m just a hopeless romantic at heart!

Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors. I find that the most amazing part of all of her novels is her ability to capture tough life-changing decisions and characterize the dynamics in a wide array of relationships. Life is full of tough decisions, and from the outside looking in, it’s always easy to judge what’s right and what’s wrong. However, Emily Giffin so eloquently flips that perspective. What is the rationale when we have to make that decision? The lines between right and wrong are easily blurred, and we’re left to make decisions and live with the consequences. She always challenges her readers to look beyond the moral boundaries of right and wrong, and I find it so inspiring.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest (and only so far) book, The Other Side of Later, takes place in a small town on the Jersey Shore. I’ve been a resident of South Jersey for my entire life so the places and even a lot of the characters reflect what I know best. Someday, I hope to step out of that comfort zone, but for now, I like that my stories reflect where I come from. I think it gives them a sense of authenticity.

Julia, the main character, had a pretty rough go of it through her early 20s, and now, she’s facing life as a single mom and unsure whether she can let go of the past (and her mistakes) to move on and trust someone again. I identified with Julia a lot as I wrote The Other Side of Later. Did my early 20s resemble hers? No, not even close. However, Julia has a hard time forgiving herself for some of the choices she made. And that’s something I relate to and I think a lot of other women can too.

I hope you check out my debut novel and join Julia on her journey! Here’s a little blurb:

Julia Merina always thought her life would be simple – go to college, meet Mr. Right, find her dream job, and live happily ever after. But just shy of 25, she learns the hard way that life rarely goes according to plan.

Now, at age 28, Julia’s life revolves around her three year old son, Carson, her career at Oceanic Marketing, and her supportive family. After the turbulent years of her early 20s, Julia resolved to never trust a man again. That is until Drew Parkington, an old classmate, suddenly comes back into her life.

Julia is forced to examine her life and decide if she can let go of the past and learn to trust again.

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Featured Interview With Nicky Peacock

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m an English author in the UK. Raised in a little steel town called Corby. Although I’ve ventured away a few times, I keep coming back there. It’s a great place to live – near enough to lovely countryside for nature walks and nearer enough to shopping centers to feed my shopping addiction!
I used to have a dog, but he died a couple of years ago. I’d love to have another dog, but my lifestyle doesn’t allow for it at the moment.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Pretty much from the get go. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love books or wanted to write. It’s kind of a cliche. I was first published about 5 years a go and I must admit its a hard life. There are a large number of authors out there that don’t have the luxury of being to write for a living. I have a full time job still, I write, promote my books and also have to have some form of a social life – it’s not easy. I do run a local writers’ group which has been a real boon in my life. I’ve helped a lot of writers and they’ve helped me.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have lots of favorite authors: Laurell K Hamilton, Keri Arthur, Poppy Z Brite, Richard Laymon, Jack Ketchum and, depending on my mood, I read the odd graphic novel too. I’m inspired by every writer that takes time to put pen to paper or finger to keyboard – all authors deserve respect for their efforts.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Lost in Wonderland is a homage to Lewis Carroll’s original book, but doesn’t just force the same plot to fit a different genre:

Monsters, serial killers, and imaginary friends—being a Wonderlander can be murder…

Once upon a time, Kayla was lost. Then she found Wonderland, but not the one you know. Run by ex-government agents and funded by an eccentric Silicon Valley billionaire, this Wonderland is the name of a collective of highly trained vigilantes who hunt serial killers. Now Kayla, aka Mouse, works tirelessly alongside her fellow Wonderlanders, Rabbit and Cheshire, baiting dangerous murderers. But even her extensive training hasn’t prepared her for the return of her older brother…

Shilo has spent most of his life in an insane asylum, convinced his mother was abducted by a sinister Alaskan monster who lures the lost away to feast upon their flesh. And now he’s certain that his sister is in the same monster’s crosshairs. But if Shilo is going to save what’s left of his family, he’ll have to convince his sister that maybe, just maybe, we’re all a little mad.

It took me about 13 months to write, which was way too long as this is about 30K novella! I gave my protagonist, Mouse one of my deepest fears – being lost so it became a bit of an emotional trip. I also had to do a lot of research on folklore and serial killers too.

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Featured Interview With Anastasia Zaloga

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
For 5 years Anastasia was an accountant and whiled away boring days doing routine work. But one day she decided to change everything. Today she is a successful psychologist and journalist. Her methods of work are so effective that the results of her clients look more like a fairy tale. Anastasia writes for such publications as Cosmopolitan and Psychologies. She says: “The main results of my efforts is clear when there are positive changes in people’s lives.” This personal motto has been confirmed by her successful work for 6 years and multiple positive reviews.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
3 years ago.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
“Crime and Punishment”, Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is “How to Love Yourself. 50 Ways to Improve Self-Esteem”.

It is a diary – an excellent tool for working through self-love. Everything is simple! Ten minutes every evening and in 30 days you are in love with yourself.

If you don’t love yourself, you’re not satisfied with yourself and the results of your life up to that point. When you compare yourself with someone else over and over, you feel disappointed. When you criticize your every action, you’re always unhappy. Your reflection in the mirror doesn’t create positive feelings, but rather becomes another source of negativity.

Sometimes you may truly believe that you are the biggest loser ever. You often ignore your own needs and desires. You lack love. If you’re single, you strive to attract your soul mate and hope that with his coming you will feel loved. At the same time, you think that there may be no one who could love you.

If you have a partner, his love is not enough. You live with a feeling of not being loved, appreciated, or respected enough. You blame yourself constantly for any mistakes that have happened in your past. “How could I have screwed things up so much?!” – you angrily think. Not loving yourself is not only an internal and invisible process, but it affects your life, too.

How does low self-esteem affect your relationships? Well, your partner behaves in such a way that he is not afraid of losing you. He may promise (and quickly forget), he may insult you, cheat on you, and still pretend that all is fine. He may even hit you. This behavior doesn’t cause any active resistance from your side though.

Of course, you may complain about him but most likely, you tend to tolerate the behavior. Your self-esteem is too low and his dignity is too high. In this case you’re afraid to lose “your tormentor” and you live with the dead-end belief that you will meet no one better.

People with low self-esteem are prone to explicit and implicit jealousy attacks. With a certain periodicity you’ll be jealous of your partner’s past relationships, casual small talks, and his colleagues. Coming up with a reason for suspicion is not a big deal for you, you’re good at this. Stupid jealousy is what hinders the healthy relationships.

As for the girls who are not in relationships, the low self-esteem is not less destructive. It may be hard to believe that there will be a man who can fall in love with you with all his heart! Sometimes a girl doesn’t allow relationships with a man to develop, believing that he is too good for her. With similar actions (or inactions) you simply push a new boyfriend away “give” him a more worthy, in your opinion, woman.

Lack of self-love pushes you to conquer the men. You don’t believe that the members of the opposite sex may be interested in you. Therefore, as soon as you meet an attractive man, you start to run after him and show an excessive interest. This most likely will lead to nothing and may scare this man.

Your low self-esteem may also affect your career success. Sometimes, you may be afraid of sharing your own opinion and thus block any opportunities. You seem to be no one special, and therefore, your results have little or no value. This is why you choose to sit quietly and not stick out! If you created something, you would definitely be showered with a wave of criticism!

Lack of self-love makes you less demanding in regards to income as well. This is why you may work in a low paying job and earn less than you serve. Your life strategy is to tolerate poor working conditions and a bad attitude of your manager.

Your self-esteem cannot but affect your quality of life. It’s enough to look around and note the conditions in which you live. You may put an equals sign between self-love and everything that surrounds you. After all, your surroundings are just a reflection of your inner self-attitude. Increase your self-esteem and your life will improve!

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Featured Interview With P.S. Winn

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Raised in Montana, I lived In Utah for 30 years before returning to my native home. Luckily I have friends and family in both places and along the way. For me it is so awesome to have friends and family around who support the craziness I call being an author. They all have put up with a lot because I am working on my 40th book to finish 4 years of being an author.
I love family, animals, gardening and writing. You can find me outside, with my notebook and pen, but my health limits what I can do.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I think I was born with a book in my hand, I am an avid reader and reviewer as well as an author. Although I always wrote short stories and poems, I didn’t try publishing an actual novel until October of 2012, now working on #40, I think that means I couldn’t stop. The ideas won’t stop swirling until I pull out a pen and write them down because I write the books longhand.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love to read just about anything and write almost anything also. I don’t read or write erotica. I just love a good story, especially suspense with a touch of supernatural, which my writing is also heavy on.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Book 39 is going to be out sometime in June, “Realities” is a life story of a young woman whose boyfriend supposedly committed suicide. The woman, Mandy is going to find out a conspiracy behind the death and also that she is pregnant with the young man’s son. What she discovers will change her life, her son’s life and maybe humanity.
I am also starting book 40, “Presence” is the story of a woman who can connect with the other side.
Usually she meets good spirits, but not always!

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