Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Dani Collins

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m Canadian. I grew up in a suburb of Vancouver and now live in a rural town in BC with my high school sweetheart. Our daughter has left the nest and our son will graduate soon. No pets! We’ve had cats over the years, but we also have a lot of wildlife here, like cougars and racoons. Plus, now that we’re approaching an empty nest, we want the freedom to lock the door and go.

Would you like to try before you buy? I have a short story ebook romance called Cruel Summer. I wrote it exclusively for my newsletter subscribers. You can join here and download it for free: http://danicollins.com/free-book/

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I found romance novels in high school and knew I wanted to write them. I have a TERRIBLE opening scene that I wrote in Grade Eleven, which was when I discovered that writing is HARD. About five years later, I rented a typewriter (yes, I’m that old!) and tried again. Writing was still hard, but I persevered for the next twenty-five years, through mountains of rejections, and finally signed my first contract in May of 2012.

That was for Harlequin Presents and I’ve been writing steadily for them ever since. I just turned in my seventeenth title!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love any kind of romance, but mostly contemporary. Werewolves and Vampires are lower on the scale, but I’ve read some wonderful ones. I’ll also read erotic and other types of paranormal. Historicals are always a fun departure, but mostly I read contemporary romance.

Honestly, I don’t make enough time for reading. Part of the problem is that I sit so much that when I take a break, it’s usually for something active. (Walking is a huge pastime for me and maybe this year I’ll resurrect gardening.) I’ve recently discovered reading on the treadmill at the gym, however, so I predict doing more of this!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I’m very excited about my baby swap duet with Harlequin Presents called The Wrong Heirs!

The first book, THE MARRIAGE HE MUST KEEP (Print and Digital, Jan 2016) has Octavia realizing in hospital that she has been handed the wrong baby, but no one believes her. She and her husband have grown estranged and his cousin has caused some mischief between them. Octavia is ready to quit the marriage, but Alessandro is determined to make it work. The story takes them from London to their villa in Italy, where they both learn all that the other has sublimated until now.

In the second book, THE CONSEQUENCE HE MUST CLAIM (Print and Digital, Feb 2016) Cesar doesn’t remember making love to his PA, Sorcha. He was in a car crash and lost his memory of that monumental week. Pregnant Sorcha is run off by a woman who claims to be Cesar’s fiancee (How does a man get engaged while he’s in a coma, Sorcha wonders, as she resigns herself to raising their baby alone.) However, the mix-up at the hospital has the administrator calling Cesar for a paternity test–which is a terrific surprise to him when he has no recollection of chancing a baby!

I also have a bad boy short story coming out in ebook on Feb 11th called TAKEN BY THE RAIDER, which has a ruthless corporate raider ‘acquiring’ the heroine in a hostile takeover. I wrote this over Christmas, on request from the publisher, thinking ‘It’s short. It won’t be hard.’ Writing is HARD! how do I keep forgetting that? But I’m happy with the end result and hope you’ll think so, too.

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Featured Interview With J. Grace Pennington

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a Christian in my mid-twenties living in the Dallas area. Texas is my home through and through; I was born in Houston and lived there until I was nine, then lived in the Hill Country until recently. I have no pets, sadly, at least not with me. I do have a palomino quarter horse named Pioneer back home, but he was too big to fit in my Trailblazer for the ride up here.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I honestly don’t remember learning how to read. I just remember reading the Little House on the Prairie books at age four. Shortly after that, when I was about five, I was bored while my mom and siblings were napping and my dad was at work, and it occurred to me that I could write a story like the ones I knew how to read, so I did so. And I never stopped!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I don’t even know if I have a favorite genre to read. I just love a good story, whether that’s sci-fi, romance, drama, thriller, non-fiction, or whatever. I also can’t possibly list my favorite authors, but among them are C. S. Lewis, Charles Dickens, Daniel Schwabauer, and Frank Peretti. All of them have had an impact on my writing and my stories in one way or another.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, Implant, is a YA time-travel dystopia about a nineteen-year-old boy with leukemia who gets pulled into a future where everyone is controlled by means of a medical implant that can cure almost anything. Of course, he’s expected to save the day. Along the way he meets Neil, the idealistic and energetic leader of the rebels and Doc (my favorite), the mysterious and hardened doctor who helps the rebels’ cause–or does he? I wrote the story back in 2011, but only edited it and finally published it last August. It has a few shocking plot twists that have kept all my readers guessing!

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Featured Interview With Scott Stevens

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
i’m a journalist, posting regularly on health and alcohol issues for online news services. I’m also a founding influencer at the world’s largest medical portal, HealthTap. Many popular alcohologists on air and on bookshelves have stellar credentials, but few have had to eat their own cooking. I have. I blend a little humor alongside my personal 86-proof-two-liters-a-day story and mix it with thorough research into alcoholism, sobriety, relapse and recovery.

I’ve had a ‘real’ job, too, as a former mutual fund industry executive. My books show that business acumen and bluntness. The three I’ve written: 2010’s What the Early Worm Gets, 2013’s Indie Book Awards finalist, Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud, and 2015’s Adding Fire to the Fuel. I regularly address conferences around the country — including the REEL Recovery Film Festival — on the latest trends in the field of alcohol use disorders.

I’ve had some amazing life experiences, like meeting seven Presidents of the United States, flying with the Navy’s Blue Angels, piloting a Los Angeles Class nuclear submarine and driving a NASCAR at 140mph on a one-mile oval. All that after I got my Master’s in Public Affairs Journalism from the University of Illinois – Springfield. I own www.alcohologist.com (as well as the Alcohology app for Kindle and all Android devices). I’m from the Midwest… born and raised, lived around the U.S., and came back.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My seventh grade English teacher put the bug in my ear. Mrs. Roanhouse always encouraged the creative side right along with grammar and sentence structure dos and don’ts. By the time I was a H.S. junior, I knew I wanted to be a TV reporter and use my writing skill that way. Throughout the marketing career, I was still a voracious writer and reader. Now that I am back to journalism, I can say I am one of the few lucky ones who’s been able to hold his dream job … not once but TWICE!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read classic psychology like Frankl and Jung, but I like unwinding with fiction that twists and turns. Deaver is the best at it.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Adding Fire to the Fuel was an unexpected journey for me. There is so much stigma around addiction, alcoholism and treatment. I have lived through what an alcoholic lives through and have had the courage to get well again, so I know the alcoholic journey isn’t easy. And it has little to do with willpower and nothing to do with crummy morals. I took a hard look at stigma, why it happens and what to do about it. I challenge the public perceptions, but more importantly, I challenge those in and around recovery to step up and be PANonymous and avoid self-stigma.

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Featured Interview With Nathan H. Mogos

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Addis Ababa Ethiopia in 1982 from Eritrean parents. Following the border crisis in 1998, I along with my family resettled in Asmara, Eritrea. I completed my BA degree in English SSE at the University of Asmara. Throughout my forced migration over the past decade, I had lived in many African countries before eventually settling in Norway.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I always had this wild imagination growing up. Making up stories, modifying and fantasising the ending of movies was my favourite past time. However, with the intense pressure of my Mother, my imagination went on overdrive once the spell of books took over. What started with Hardy Boys series, went on to serious existential contemplations of Aldous Huxley and Fyodor Dostoyevsky as the challenges of life got harder. After half-hearted years of scribbling my thoughts, at the age of 22, I began depicting the harsh reality around me in short stories in Tigrigna, Amharic, and English. In the past decade, having lived through several countries as a refugee until settling in Norway, my writing became my therapy as well as a career goal to maintain my focus and sanity

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Even though I read books across different genres, I often find myself drawn to those who epitomize the struggle of their times in their in fictive accounts. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Dambudzo Marechera, Vladimir Nabokov, Richard Wright, Saul Bellow, Sebhat Gebregzabher and Knut Hamsun are among the many. For capturing the essence and mentality of their times makes their work timeless and priceless. But my style of writing, which I am constantly experimenting as an apprentice could be the combination of the above mentioned immortal souls I look up to. But I guess I will let the readers decide for themselves

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Watching the news in the comfort of the western world, the coverage of the over packed refugee boats landing in tatters in Lampedusa and the Greek Islands made me feel uncomfortable yet helpless. The polarising narrations on the media fail to capture the deep rooted issues of a continental dilemma of a restless young African generation. The real lives of the people in flight are often blurred by the label “Migrants”. Instead of wincing and cursing on the TV from the comfort of my sofa, figured it was up to myself to portray the authentic story, the face, spirit, and soul of the young Eritreans that make the headline. Having been a migrant, a soldier and a teacher myself, I tried to encapsulate the mentality of the youth in a stagnated state of Eritrea, dubbed by the media ” the North Korea of Africa”. In the novel, you get to meet two brilliant characters with different visions for themselves and their country. With the western dream on the horizon, they try to make sense of their existence while playing hiding and seek from the mandatory open-ended military conscription in the picturesque city of Asmara…

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Featured Interview With Deb Graham

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in New York state, and have lived in Georgia, Illinois, New Mexico, Hawaii, Idaho, Utah, and I’ve lived north of Seattle for 27 years. I’ve visited 36 countries, and all fifty US states. I love to travel! If a passport or suitcase is involved, count me in!

I’m a self-published author of eleven non-fiction books, including two cruise travel guide books laced with stories about her innocent husband (so he says), a book on how to write one’s personal story, how to complain, and several cookbooks, science, and craft books for her six beloved grandchildren. My background in stand-up comedy spills into my writings.
Leery of writing fiction for many years, I’ve just finished my first novel, a cozy mystery set on (where else?) a cruise ship. I’t been delightful to learn how much I enjoy fiction. I already have a sequel in process! It seems that many cozy mystery flyleafs tell that the author lives with a spouse and assorted cats. I love my husband, but sadly, have no cats.
My superpowers include: being able to spell-check and grammar-check with my brain (thanks to abusive English teachers over the years); heading up the making of 1006 quilts for Project Linus; a quick mind that enables me to improvise on a dime; and my talent as a skilled bargain hunter, including being able to find name brand items with store tags still on them in second hand stores with laser focus.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have written my entire life, as far back as I can recall, including a 3 act play in second grade that the class performed. I write copious letters, and I’ve kept a daily journal for four decades. I write!

I read quickly, often devouring a book in an afternoon. There are so many good ones out there!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’m prone to nightmares–and creative enough to conjure up my own nightmare scripts, thank you–so I have to be very careful what I allow into my head. I enjoy cozy mysteries, with warm characters, stories that make me feel good, along with rich historical tomes. A book that impacted me intensely was “Sarah’s Key.” Anything by Dorothy Gilman or Earlene Fowler is also guaranteed to suck me in. There goes the afternoon…

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Peril In Paradise is a wonderful book, I must say! Had I not written it, it’s just the kind of book I’d love to read. It takes place on a cruise to Hawaii, with rich descriptions of places and people that’ll make you want to book a cruise yourself. Go ahead–it’s accurate enough to plan a trip by.
Jerria and Will are unassuming real estate agents in Oregon. Dismayed by their son’s premature departure to college, Jerria agrees a cruise would cheer her up. Will loves her desperately, and does all he can to make the trip memorable. He buys her a necklace at the Honolulu Swap Meet, and that’s when the trouble begins. A simple cruise shouldn’t put Jerria’s very life in danger. You decide for yourself if Pele is myth or real. You’ll be caught up in this warm story. You’d better block out time to read it, because you won’t be able to put it down.

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Featured Interview With Kim Carter

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia and live on the outskirts of town now. My husband and I have three retired greyhounds that have filled the ’empty nester’ gap and are our babies.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
There isn’t a time that I can remember that I didn’t love books. My mother read to me incessantly as a child and I still have all of my ‘well worn’ childhood books now. I read them to my own children as well as their favorites. I didn’t start writing until 1999 when an illness left me homebound for a few years.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite genre is mystery/suspense which is also what I write. I have so many favorites but to name a few….Sue Grafton, Iris Johansen, Karin Slaughter, and Mary Higgins Clark. My husband and best friend, Lisa Mobley Putnam are my greatest supporters and inspiration. My sister, Pam, is my biggest fan and encourager.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, ‘Sweet Dreams Baby Belle’, was actually inspired by a child’s tombstone in a Biloxi Cemetery. It was broken and only had the name Baby Belle on it. There wasn’t a date of birth or death. My friend and I were so moved by it that we researched her for over two years and were eventually able to repair her broken monument while still maintaining the integrity of the original base made by her family in the late 1800’s. Although the novel is completely fictional, Baby Belle was the inspiration behind it. The book begins with Lizzie, who was a waitress in Atlanta, but marries a cardiac surgeon who sweeps her off her feet and gives her a life of luxury. However, Lizzie soon learns all that glitters is not gold when she discovers her husband’s drug development company is a Ponzi scheme. She realizes that her life could be in danger if she doesn’t somehow escape the gated mansion on the hill. Her only hope is to go to Biloxi, Mississippi and seek refuge with her sister, Maggie. Maggie and her husband Leland quickly find a safe harbor for Lizzie in a house on the bayou. However the house at the end of the street might not be the quiet retreat Lizzie was hoping for. The confines of her hideaway soon get to Lizzie so she begins sneaking out in the middle of the night to walk in the historical cemetery next door. One night a damaged, carved lamb on top of the tombstone of a small child catches her eye, and the story of the child captures her heart. Just when Lizzie Chatsworth thinks her world can’t get anymore complicated, she finds herself in the middle of a mystery from the 1800’s that is pulling her in and demanding she seek justice. As her husband’s empire begins to crumble, he’s more determined than ever to find Lizzie and kill her. But, will the mystery of Baby Belle’s death end Lizzie’s life first?

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Featured Interview With Belinda G. Buchanan

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Owensboro, Kentucky and am the youngest of four girls, beating out my twin sister for that title by a scant two minutes. A self-proclaimed introvert growing up, I spent my youth making dollhouses for my cardboard figurines to act out the drama I’d created for them. I met my husband on a blind date, and this past June we celebrated our 25th anniversary. After having spent fifteen years working in export/transportation, I am now a stay at home mom to two boys (one who loves me unconditionally, and one who loves me only when we’re not in public). We have a menagerie of animals which includes one hamster, one persnickety cat, and one dog who thinks he’s a person.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As a child, I was a big daydreamer and lover of drama, and as I matured those daydreams began to consume me. Writing became a huge outlet for those stories. For years, I had this idea rattling around in my mind about two couples who had an affair and how it affects their relationship when a child comes of it. I began writing it when I was in my twenties, and for two years, worked on it non-stop. When I was at work, and a certain passage came to mind, I’d jot it down on a sticky note, and when I came home, I’d empty my pockets of those notes and plop myself down in front of the computer. Once “After All Is Said And Done” was finished, I put the manuscript in a drawer and forgot about it because…well…life happened. Then, when my youngest son started kindergarten, I pulled it out, dusted it off, and fell right back into step with my first love.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like a good mystery, as well as books that contain a lot of drama, but don’t limit myself to those genres. If I like a book’s synopsis, I’ll give it a try. I’ve always been a fan of Danielle Steel. The characters in her books are so endearing that I find myself wanting to take them home for dinner.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Tragedy at Silver Creek is about a small town in Montana struggling to deal with the aftermath of a serial killer’s reign of terror. There is an abundance of guilt among the residents, especially by former deputy Jack Collins, who is mired in it. Jack feels as if he is slowly drowning as he tries to pick up the pieces, as well as cope with his new-and unwanted-job as chief of police. The pressure soon begins to take its toll when the body of a young woman, bearing the same puncture wounds as the killer’s previous victims, is discovered.

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Featured Interview With Jeff LeJeune

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in South Louisiana and attended Hanson Memorial High School in Franklin, LA, which was the inspiration behind my latest book. While studying at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, a near-fatal bacterial disease rocked my spiritual world and continues to haunt me in indirect ways to this day. A part of me has never really escaped the place that illness took me to, and it is from there that I think I draw most of my writing. Almost dying I think sharpened my memory too, and it is one reason I have so many emotionally rich experiences to draw from.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My sister taught me my ABCs at a very early age, and by Kindergarten my teacher was letting me read to classmates and I was writing my own stories. Back then, my writing dealt with angels and demons, good and evil, and on occasion, dinosaurs.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Like my own writing, my reading interests are vast and diverse. Books that have inspired my own work are ‘Open’ by Andre Agassi, ‘The Fountainhead’ by Ayn Rand, ‘The Scarlet Letter’ by Nathaniel Hawthorne, ‘The Things They Carried’ by Tim O’Brien, and ‘The Screwtape Letters’ by C. S. Lewis, just to name a few. Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories were also an influence on my first two novels.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In Book I of ’51: Opening Acts,’ a nostalgic, coming-of-age story, Andre Joseph Blue is a young boy who leaves the emotional prison of his old school and finds his stripes at a new one, where his brother Duncan has already paved the way. Influenced by his love for family and friends and blessed with a special relationship with Duncan, Andre must learn to adapt to life’s inevitable changes. Eventually, Andre is faced with the choice to forgive those who have wronged him or become hardened and arrogant with the success he has found at his new school. What’s more, he must determine where he could have been mistaken about his old school all along after coming face to face with a nightmarish scenario he never even considered.

I finished the original manuscript in 2009, then began converting it into a blog narrative titled ‘Play on Andre’ two years later. This series is the final refleshing of the story, a humorous and meaningful journey that at its soul is a look at one boy’s desire simply to love and be loved.

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Featured Interview With Barry Stewart Levy

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a native New Yorker, born in the Bronx, graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School, received my Bachelor of Arts in English/Drama-Theatre from Queens College and my Masters in Cinema Studies from New York University. I have lived in various sections of Queens and on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. I currently reside on Manhattan’s Upper West Side near Lincoln Center (a real plus!).

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved reading. As a kid I read Classic Comic Books (“Treasure Island,” “Moby Dick,” “Robin Hood,” etc.), scary comic books (“Tales From the Crypt” and “The Vault of Horror”), Tarzan novels, Dick Tracy and Sherlock Holmes. In my teenage years I read “Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, ” “Poe’s Masterpieces of Mystery,” and Ray Bradbury’s “The Martian Chronicles.” Obviously, I have always been drawn to mysteries and started writing them in the sixth grade. They usually had twist endings and were influenced by Hitchcock and Poe.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like Dean Koontz very much and have read more of his books than those of any other author. When I am not reading fiction or the occasional non-fiction book, I turn to spirituality. I am a big fan of Carlos Castaneda, having read virtually all of his works. Lately my favorite novelist is Don DeLillo. Reading a particular work of fiction, seeing a brilliant film or perusing the pages of “The New York Times Book Review” can often inspire me to write.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I was inspired to write “European Son: a novella” after reading Jerzy Kosinski’s short novel “Steps.” I was impressed with the succinctness and clarity of his writing style and intrigued by his male protagonist, a manipulative loner on a solitary journey. Years ago when I first began writing the book, I wrote an outline and the first chapter. Every once in awhile I would pick up those pages but them put them aside. Believe it or not, this went on for years, until I finally threw out the outline, kept and revised Chapter One and took a leap of faith, trusting myself and my characters. The book is about a young man who suddenly leaves his New England home soon after his twenty-seventh birthday and travels to the South of France where he forms an erotic attachment to Robert and Nicole, a young, attractive couple whom he meets on the beach in Nice. This relationship parallels a similar one back home between his stepsister Ann and Jay, their mutual object of desire. “European Son: a novella” is the story of a man’s journey of self-discovery told within a tale of obsession, revenge and redemption.

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Featured Interview With Mark R. Harris

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Lexington, Kentucky, moved to New Jersey as a small boy, and met my in college in Pennsylvania. We stayed on in our little Pennsylvania town after college until I got my first teaching job, in Bristol, Virginia, down on the Virginia/Tennessee border. I now teach in central Virginia, where I live with my wife and sons, as well as our border collie / yellow lab mix dog Emma and our cat Betty.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
When I was a kid I liked listening to stories—my dad would tell me stories from the Greek myths, like the one about how Odysseus tricked the Cyclops. I listened to stories on the radio too—a New York City radio station did mystery stories in the evening, and Jean Shepherd would spin these humorous stories of him and his buddies on that same station, WOR in New York. I actually tried to write a novel when I was maybe 11 or 12 and sent it to I think it was Random House. Didn’t get published, but hey, at least I tried. As a teenager I got into comic books, and that was my main story reading in those years. In my late teens and into college, I started writing songs, as well as some poetry and stories. I started to get into books in college as well, and eventually I majored in English. My first publication was actually an article on Mark Twain, which came out when I was in grad school. Later I kept starting writing novels but could never seem to finish them. I finally succeeded last year, and now my first novel is published!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Wow, I like so many authors. A lot of classic lit. Faulkner, Welty, Shakespeare, Cather, Hawthorne, Wharton are some favorites of mine. There’s probably some of their various styles in my writing. I like poetry, short fiction, novels, plays, prose poems….Pretty much all periods of literature (well, 18th-century British might be my least favorite, but even there I like Jonathan Swift). Music inspires my writing a lot too, classic rock from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
• My novel Fire in the Bones follows Luke, an American boy plagued by panic and loneliness growing up in a nominally religious middle class family. He looks for security and companionship wherever he can, first through daydreams, including a relationship with an imaginary friend named Bob, and then on to sixties pop culture, via TV icon Batman and pop music sensations the Beatles. As Luke comes to pattern his identity after the Beatles and others, he creates a fantasy world for himself that keeps the panic and loneliness at bay. But when Lonnie walks into his life, he enters a new reality where a flesh-and-blood female offers him tangible security—but at a price Luke may not be willing to pay.

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Mark R. Harris’s Website

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Featured Interview With Val Silver

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I spent my first ten years in Brooklyn, NY. It was wonderful. Most of my loud, lively, large extended family lived within a few miles of our house and we would see them often. My sister would say she could tell who was at our home when she rounded the corner.

Since those days we moved every few years. The most interesting place I lived was Germany for three years. We got to visit several countries while we were there. For the past 30 years I’ve lived in northern New York where we get big piles of snow – but our short lovely summers by the lake make up for it.

After I retire from teaching next year, my husband and I hope to spend a few winter months a year in warmer southern climes. I think our dog Teddy will like that, too, although he is not a fan of traveling.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Oh my, I loved books since I was old enough to know what a book was. I would have my mother read me my favorite books over and over and would listen to stories on records for hours on end. That’s how I learned to read by the time I was four or five years old. I was equally fascinated with writing, and could print and write in cursive before I went to school. That was about the time I wrote my first “books”.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I really enjoy reading a variety of authors and genres. Novel wise, I probably enjoy historical fiction best, because I learn something while enjoying a good read. Most of what I read is non-fiction, because I love to learn by reading.

My writings are inspired by real-life needs of animals and people. Leo Buscalgia and Henry David Thoreau were two major inspirations in my teen years.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My first and latest published books are about rescue dogs, how we saved and adopted them, and how in turn they rescued us. It’s a fundraiser for shelters and rescues and also helps raise sensitivity to the plight of homeless dogs. The stories touch the hearts of dog lovers because we can relate to them.

My upcoming book, still in its infancy is about religions and sacred writings from around the world and what they say about how humans should treat and relate to animals and the natural world.

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Val Silver’s Website

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Featured Interview With Ruth Kyser

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a native Michigander–wife, mother, and grandmother–who writes Christian Inspirational Romance. As a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, I also enjoy reading almost as much as I love writing! I surprised myself, and in 2015 (in addition to writing two books of my own) I read 215 books. I am an avid reader!

Ruth’s Mission Statement: “My goal is to write stories that entertain, but more importantly, educate readers about Jesus Christ and His love for them.”

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As soon as I started reading, which was about age five, I became fascinated with books and stories. I used to pick up my older sisters’ books and try to read them. Fortunately I had a mother who encouraged reading as the older I became, the more I wanted to read a wide variety of books–including a great deal of fine literature and classics.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite author growing up was Bess Streeter Aldrich. I’m fairly certain that her book, “Song of Years”, is what led me to write the type of books I write. I enjoy reading Christian fiction — mostly romance, but sometimes I read Suspense/Mystery too. But the books have to be well-written to keep my interest. Sometimes I start a book and the plot is so thin and the characters so shallow, I can’t finish it. Fortunately, that doesn’t happen very often! We have many wonderful writers out there.

I’m inspired to write by music, nature–just about anything. Sometimes an idea will sit in my head for years before I finally decide to use it. It takes me about six months to write, re-write, edit, and polish my manuscripts before they’re ready for publication. I have times I don’t write, but I’m working on related projects during those ‘down’ times. And I’m ALWAYS writing in my head!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My most recent book, CLARA’S HEART, is actually book 2 in a 3-book series — THE MORGAN FAMILY SAGA series. MATTIE’S HEART is book one in this Christian Historical Fiction series, followed by CLARA’S HEART, and my current writing project, LAURIE’S HEART.

MATTIE’S HEART is Book 1 in the “Morgan Family Saga” series. As a newlywed, Mattie Welch Morgan had specific ideas about what her married life would be like. None of those included going to Montana with her husband to start a cattle ranch. But after Brady Morgan decided they are going west to homestead a claim, Mattie has to change her notions about her future. Then tragedy strikes the Morgan family and Mattie is left struggling with her faith and wondering if her life is all a mistake. What will Mattie choose to do with her heart, and will she ever know peace and happiness again? “Mattie’s Heart” takes place in the years spanning 1915-1919, and shares the story of one young couple with a pioneer spirit–their trials, turmoil, and sorrows as they strive to find God’s will for their lives. Those who have read the “True Cover” series by Ruth Kyser will recognize Brady & Mattie Morgan as the great-grandparents of FBI Agent, Samuel Clemens Morgan.

CLARA’S HEART is Book 2 in “The Morgan Family Saga”.
Reece Morgan had always planned to return home and help run the family ranch after college, but after a difference of opinion with his father, he decides to accept a job in town. He’s settling in well in his new occupation as a sheriff’s deputy when the troubled granddaughter of the Bluecreek Ranch’s foreman comes to visit the ranch.
Suddenly Reece’s focus changes and his heart is drawn back to his family and the ranching business he loves. However, the young woman, Clara Callahan, makes it known from the start that she doesn’t have the same faith in a loving God that he does. Praying some time apart will dim his feelings for her, Reece once again leaves the ranch for the big city.
Will the two of them find a way to make their stormy relationship work, or will the differences between them be too large a hurdle to overcome?
“Clara’s Heart” takes place in the years 1938-1939, and continues the story of the ancestors of FBI Agent, Samuel Clemens Morgan, from the TRUE COVER SERIES by Ruth Kyser.

I actually decided to write this three books series while I was finishing up book 3 of my TRUE COVER series–SECOND CHANCES. I had created a very detailed family history for the main character of the book, Samuel Clemens Morgan, and decided I needed to tell the stories of Sam’s parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, who had started the Bluecreek Ranch.

All the books have been very well received and reviewed, and I have greatly enjoyed writing them. When I finish this series, it’s going to be difficult to leave the Morgan Family behind as I’ve been writing their stories for the last three years! The Morgan family is made up of imperfect people striving to live for God–making mistakes and suffering tragedies–but picking themselves back up and continuing on with the live God has given them. I hope all my readers find their stories inspiring and uplifting.

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Featured Interview With KUNAL NARAYN UNIYAL

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Master mariner by profession and poet by passion, I am born and brought up in Dehradun, a beautiful valley in India. Joined shipping at the age of 18 as trainee navigational officer and since then have taken expedition round the globe, n number of times. 12 years down the line, I still enjoy sailing as this was what I always wanted to do. But I used to write since my school days, be it poetry or story, I always used to find a place in my school magazine for same. Once I joined shipping, I never gave up writing. In fact people and new places always inspired me to write. My topic for poems were little different as I have been practicing spirituality since my childhood, I always used to write on that, death being my favorite topic.
I spend my part time on land and part on ship, while most of the time on ship is spent on writing and on land for publishing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I always has fascination for books even as a child, all thanks to my father who used to make me read lots of books be it spirituality or adventure. When i was four years old, i remember my father making me sit with him for meditation and writing. I used to scribble something or other in my small diary, short stories or poetry. But the major transformation came in my life when i was thirteen years old and i wrote a story about a man who had last eight minutes of his life left. It was basically a journey of a man from life to death and that was the time i realized i was meant to write and write something different. The description of the man was so realistic that whoever read it thought that i had actually experienced it.
Then during same time i started dreaming about various writers who used to talk to me and share their experiences with me including Lewis carol and Charles dickens. This is how i got into serious writing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love spiritual writings, ancient scriptures, religious scriptures from where i can draw meaning to our petty lives and find direction to the lost kingdom of bliss.
Sri Aurobindo ghosh, Khalil Gibran, Shelley,Keats are among those famous poets i love reading and P.G.Woodhouse among the fiction writers.
But my greatest inspiration comes from people around me, each and every face carrying a story of their own. Some is happy, some is sad, some in love,some in pain, all filled with stories and poetry. All one need is to extract them out of their lives and give them word form.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Unanswered, I know it is quite an unusual kind of title for a book of poems barring a few articles. Before I say anything more about my book, I would like to say something about myself and my thought process. Born and brought up in Dehradun, I have always shared a close affinity with nature. I used to love, I still do, watching nature and ponder how it can be loving and cruel at the same time. I grew up with my thoughts and took to sailing, a job were I fit in perfectly. My roving mind now had more to ponder about. Often have I stood alone on the deck of my ship, feeling the vibrations of a surging ocean underneath and watching the sky change its colours and mood without any indication. At times I have been frightened…. bewildered… mesmerized…all at once. I respect nature in all its aspects…its benevolence… its fury…its colours… its stillness…its suddenness…its unpredictability…everything!
Then I look at us…I mean we humans…we are the most superior…the most intelligent…the most progressive of all living creatures and yet the most miserable of all living creatures so long as we are shrouded in false ego and ignorance. Nature has its laws fixed and does not discriminate. It is we who draw what we call bad luck. I quote Cassius from Julius Ceaser” fault, dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings…”All that is required is an insight into ourselves and faith in divine providence. Here lies the crux of my book ‘unanswered’.
Unanswered is all about finding the answers which lay deeply hidden in the core of our hearts but we fail to discover it as we are covered with fog of ego and desires. Unanswered is all about revealing those answers.
Non fiction cum poetic novel are based on life as question and answers. Each poem is supported by an article explaining the poem and reason behind writing same.
So much of questions in me which in turn coming from this mortal world led me to find answers for same and giving solace in this painful world.Why is there pain and sufferings, why do we die,what is morality,how can we become immortals are among those many questions which one will find answers to in my book in a very very simplified form. If my writing can bring peace into someone’s life that would solve the purpose for which book was written.
“From where it came,there shall it go”

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Featured Interview With Luther M. Siler

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in northern Indiana, where I currently live. I spent ten years in Chicago after graduating college, but my fiancee (now my wife; our 8th anniversary is coming up) lured me back home in 2007. I have a son and a variety of pets. I have spent most of my adult life as a teacher but recently resigned to focus on writing and whatever adventure comes next.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always been a reader– my mom has a picture of me as an infant on Christmas day, surrounded by piles of toys, with a book in my lap. My uncle gave me a copy of THE HOBBIT in second grade and I was off to the races after that. I’ve always been a writer, although I didn’t start genuinely taking it seriously until 2014. I currently have four books published and am working on a fifth.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Despite mostly writing science fiction (so far!) I actually read more fantasy than any other genre, although I’m pretty catholic in my tastes. Current favorite authors include John Scalzi, N.K. Jemisin, Brandon Sanderson, Cherie Priest, Salman Rushdie, Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire, H.P. Lovecraft, Robert Howard, John Irving, Nnedi Okorafor, Saladin Ahmed, Helene Wecker and Stephen King.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My most recent book is actually nonfiction. It’s called SEARCHING FOR MALUMBA: WHY TEACHING IS TERRIBLE, AND WHY WE DO IT ANYWAY. It’s a compilation of fifteen years of stories about being a teacher in urban schools in Indiana and Chicago. I’ve been quite pleased with the reception it’s gotten so far.

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Featured Interview With Andrea Michaels

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in a Concentration Camp during World War II. My family and I escaped in a rowboat when I was three months old. I lived with my grandparents in Italy until my mother sent for me when I was three years old. She had married an American pilot who took her to the U.S. I grew up in Southern California, where I now reside. I have two cats – Tom and Jerry.

I have been an international event producer for 40 years. I am the founder and president of Extraordinary Events in Los Angeles.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I wrote my first screenplay when I was eight years old and submitted it to Television. The producers liked it so much that they came to meet me and were shocked that I was just a child. So, I would say that I began to write as soon as I could hold a pencil!

In my capacity as a meeting and event planner and producer, writing is part of my everyday life. I love both reading and writing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I always have a book with me. I have so many authors that I love to read, so let me just say that my favorite genre is vampire novels.

A friend of mine wrote her memoir a number of years back. It was so brutally honest about being in an abusive relationship. I was inspired by her candor and wanted to write about my amazing career and somewhat sad personal life which I intertwined. My personal story totally affected my professional career. I became successful because of it, and I wanted to share it with other women in order to help them … just as my friend had.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Reading Reflections of a Successful Wallflower – Lessons in Business; Lessons in Life is a little like reading my diary! I share both my public and private persona openly and honestly. It is a witty account of my life and career, and I tried to chock it full of as much wisdom as possible. That’s why each chapter ends in a lesson. My events, travel and personal life reads like fiction, but honestly, I can’t make this stuff up!

I worked with my editor for about a year to get it written, and I still have more to tell. So there’s probably a sequel in my future.

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Featured Interview With John J. Daly, Jr.

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born into a middle-class family and raised by my mother after she and my dad divorced when I was 18 months old. My mother became the very successful president of a construction company in upstate New York. We lived the high life until I was nine years old, when we lost everything, and I mean everything. In 1957, my mother took my older brother and me to Miami where we settled in a ghetto. My mother found a job on the other side of town, but we were so poor that she had no money for bus fare or other transportation to and from work. My brother managed to get a bike and would take my mom to work on the crossbar of the bike every day and then go on to school, then pick her up and bring her home. My job at age 10 was to keep the house clean and have dinner ready for the family. It was during these times that I decided I would never allow this to happen to any of us again. We slowly managed to find our way out of this mess by working together. We moved to Los Angeles when I was 13 and bought a new home. Today, I live in Santa Barbara, California. My wife and I have five children and five grandchildren, and a female Bull Mastiff named Cooper.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always been a reader. Froom the time I was a teenager I was fascinated with books about manners and protocol. I not only wanted to learn about my own culture but those of the rest of the world and why people do what they do. My work as an international event designer meant that I had to write numerous proposals. This was expanded as I ran six successful businesses. It wasn’t until after 44 years in the event business, and after starting The Key Class to teach students soft skills that I decided to write my first book, The Key Class – The Keys to Job Search Success.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love to read and don’t have a favorite author. I read mostly non-fiction and particularly books about behavior, etiquette and protocol. My experiences during my lifetime and with my students inspire me. I find there is always something about which to write that will help other people succeed, especially young people.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
If someone could give you the keys to success in life and work, would you accept them? Look at life as a game. Every game has skills and rules. When you play the game, you have to possess the skills and know the rules. If you don’t, you’ll lose. So it is with life and work. It affects your relationships, your happiness, your self-awareness, and your ability to perform well. 74 Key Life Skills for a Happy, Successful Life will point the way to living the good life. It provides skills for behavior in life, work, image building and interaction with others. These critical 74 “soft skills” will enhance your life and guide you through both difficult and often uncertain situations that block even the most aware from being successful.

Who says this is important stuff that you should pay attention to? John Daly does. How does he know? He practiced these skills throughout his 44-year career as one of the most successful event designers/producers in the world, gaining the title of “guru of special events.” Then he turned his attention to working with our youth who often lack the social skills to succeed in life. He is teaching these soft skills to them, and guess what? It’s working. It’s working so well that John’s curriculum, called The Key Class, has been adopted by the Unified Santa Barbara School District as well as other schools. “We have found John Daly’s Key Class provides a break-through opportunity for students to learn many life skills that we simply have not had the expertise or curriculum to deliver … and we have had such phenomenal responses.” –Dr. David Cash, Superintendent, Santa Barbara Unified School District

Not just for kids, John has taken his experiences and knowledge and poured them into this book that will help adults and youth alike fill in the missing pieces for a happier, better life. With keys like that, there isn’t any door that won’t be open to you!

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Featured Interview With Carol McKibben

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Savannah, Georgia, but my family moved to Asheville, North Carolina, when I was three. I grew up there and attended the University of Georgia and then graduated from the University of Kentucky with a major in English and minor in Journalism. I got my education degree and then later a Master of Arts in Teaching.

My husband and I moved to Los Angeles in 1982 after living in upstate New York, Florida and Washington, D.C. We have two children and three grandchildren, three dogs – Neo, a 100-lb. Labradoodle; Thor, a Yellow Lab, Ty, a Siberian Husky and Aramis, a 1,300-lb. Friesian horse. We’re definitely dog and horse people!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved to read and write. I started keeping journals when I was a young child. By the time I went to high school I worked on the school newspaper. When I was 14, I gave my daddy a story I had written to read. When he finished, he looked up at me and declared, “You are a writer.” And, it went on from there. I have been writing and editing as a book and magazine editor all my life.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
John Irving and Stephen King. I love anything quirky, like Irving, or anything unusual or paranormal, like King. They have both inspired me to be a little quirky and a lot unusual.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Snow Blood: A Vampire Mystery Thriller (Season 2) is the sequel to Season 1, the story of the original vampire as told through the eyes of his kindred dog. I have always loved vampire novels, but didn’t feel any of them explained the origin of vampirism. I went to the Vampire Bible for the legend and then wrote it in Season 1. In both books, there is always a sinister plot to destroy Brogio (the original vampire), Snow Blood (his kindred dog) and those they love. And, of course, it involves a great love story as well. I am working on Season 3 right now. I’ve tried to make all of the books unique … and a lot of the reviews say that the Snow Blood Series is like nothing you’ve ever read before.

By the way, it usually takes me about a year to write a book.

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Featured Interview With L E Kinzie

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My life seems to have been written in movements like a classical musical piece.
I was born in San Antonio, Texas and grew up there with my family and my trusty cat, Jack, for jack-o-lantern, because he was bought for $7 on Halloween. My earliest desire that I remember, was to be a member of the Motown singing group, The Supremes. Yes, I am serious.
My brothers, our friends, and me ran wild through the neighborhood and the city on our bikes, the only rule being “Show up before dark, or else.” This fostered a sense of adventure and possibilities that would come in handy, as I would later try to re-invent myself, after 30 years in other careers. I actually started writing when I was about 10 years old, and got sidetracked for about 30 years chasing a legal career, sanity, survival, money, and kids, not in that order.
I moved to Austin, Texas to chase a job, and I’ve been in this wonderful artists’ hive ever since. This is where I found everything- -including myself, my backbone, my purpose, not to mention an extremely hunky husband with the patience of Job. Former corporate lawyer, now fount and purveyor of joy, words, humor, and most importantly, questions.
I now live with my family and Japanese Spitz dog that thinks he is a cat and a Persian/ Siamese mix cat, which has dementia and thinks she is a dog. We’ve lost track of her age. She’s just “Granny Kitty.”
I have one book out now, another of a completely different genre out in a few months, two more books in the works after that, a website, a blog, entitled What’s in your
Spiritual Toolbox? , a poetry blog which about 20 people follow, called PimpinPoet on WordPress, and have been known to sing with a band—just like a Supreme, sort of, minus the style and talent.
“Suddenly “, I’m a creative fountain that has been Undammed and I just can’t get enough of the act of creation. Coincidentally, that is the title of my book, Undamned, and it all started with motherhood, which prepared me for a career of attempting to bring things of beauty into the world. I’ve been on that track ever since.
I simply think that any kind of art is beauty and joy and a kind of celebratory prayer to our creator, so there is nothing creative that I won’t try. For that reason, I have no idea why anyone would limit himself or herself to only one genre—I don’t. You can expect something completely new and different from me with every creation. I’ll be as surprised as you are ☺
Our house reminds me of the old TV series, Green Acres—everything is falling apart and the décor is 1960s, not in a good way. But the backyard is where God and the angels dance, and ideas and inspirations percolate for me. It is completely overgrown, unintentional, and lushly inviting, like someone put a jungle with a walking path in the middle of a neighborhood. I actually don’t write in my house at all. I built a little writers shed in my wild back yard. There, looking out the window on all of this lushness run riot, I believe in the infinite number of courses a creative process can follow, and I get started creating.
I write most first thoughts, titles, drafts and poems on the Memo/ Post It app on my phone, and in my pajamas, if at all possible. It really helps to dispense with any formality or limits to letting the process be what it will.
An idea, a chapter heading, a poem title, or a full poem will occur to me, and to save time, I put that idea on the memo pad, to flesh out later. Then, I transfer it to my computer to be modified, edited and re-edited, as a form of self- torture.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Someone gave me a children’s bible sometime around kindergarten and I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on ever since. I started writing poetry when I was 10, and I wrote a “magazine,” complete with graphics, artwork, and articles, as a project for junior school. Words have always had incredible power and sacredness to me. To me, they do not differ from music. They are a kind of music. It’s all about reaching and uniting people for me.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am remarkably impressionable and something that is well – written and powerful can influence me for weeks or even years. The Goldfinch and All the Lights We Cannot See changed me for good with their message and their beauty– The Goldfinch, because it illustrated how a thing of beauty can be redemptive in even the darkest of lives. All the Lights… similarly showed that there are moments of heroic sacrifice and pure goodness in people who appear dark and times that appear without hope. These acts simply aren’t brought to light.
The Goldfinch made a huge difference to me, in that I saw that art has the capacity to change a life, and therefor, what I do as an artist is never in vain. I may never see how my work affects someone, but that does not mean that it doesn’t. I love the idea of seeing and pulling light out of the darkness. The Nightingale is also a beautiful work of historical fiction with this theme.
I typically read more than one book and more than 1 genre at a time. I just finished Tammy Hoag’s new thriller, Cold, Cold, Heart and am finishing an interesting book entitled 60 Million Frenchmen Can’t be Wrong, and am reading the last few chapters of The Gifts of Imperfection. I discover and re-discover books, according to the inspiration I need at the time. They all have their own gifts and beauty. I read so many books of so many different genres; it’s hard to choose one. I’m not just a writer; I ‘m a huge fan of all good authors and a voracious reader. My favorite book is always the one I’m reading right now.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is called Undamned, My Escape from the Old Testament. Simply put, I wanted to return the gift of joy to so many who had it surgically removed from their spirits by their religion.
It was inspired by what I describe in the book as my collision with the phenomenon of McChurch, something that can look more like a fast- food restaurant than a place of sanctuary, and can be more of a harmful addiction than a balm for wounds.
As a person of faith, my heart ached for so many who sought solace and got judgment and more pain, and was outraged that this was happening to so many, simply because they were asking questions every spiritual person has asked and should ask. I sought to help others and heal myself and found answers to the questions that would not fit in this cold doctrine, as well as a whole new, more forgiving and infinite spirituality. It is the compelling chronicle of the journey from shame and oppression to joy and freedom. Many say they read it in one sitting, like a thriller. (My life has been that crazy.) Others have thanked me for writing it, and say they keep it on their bedside tables, to refer to again and again.
This book took a lifetime to write. I had to realize that what I thought of as my spiritual bedrock was actually what was harming me, before I could embark on the journey that became this book.
I had no idea when I conceived the idea and began writing, that I was blending several different genre’s of book– Memoire, Christian, Non- fiction, and Poetry. I just wanted it to be a page- turner and to be an authentic soul baring. It took me two years to just conceive of how this would work and to organize it in my head and on paper. It took another year to research, write, and finalize, because I was still living the journey I was describing.
I think art is worth it. I think beauty is worth it. I think 100% authenticity and vulnerability are worth it. These are the things I attempted to combine in this book. They touch people in a way that can’t be measured or even fathomed, and that in and of itself is worth it!

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Featured Interview With Martin Roy Hill

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m the author of five books. My first book was Duty, a collection of previously published and new suspense short stories dealing with military service. That was followed by the military mystery thriller, The Killing Depths, then the noir mystery thriller, Empty Places. My fourth book was a sci-fi novella called Eden. My latest novel, due out in March, is a sequel to Empty Places called The Last Refuge.

I’m a rare Southern California native. I grew up in the beach community of Redondo Beach, just south of Los Angeles and, other than military service, have lived in SoCal all my life. I currently live in San Diego with my wife, Winke, son, Brandon, and our cat, Harry. I spent some 20 years in journalism as a police reporter, investigative journalist, and editor before switching careers and becoming an analyst in combat medical operations for the U.S. Navy.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Like most writers, I was an eager reader at a young age. However, I didn’t start writing until I was in high school when an English teacher who liked my classroom writing urged me to consider something like journalism as a career. I started taking journalism classes and writing short stories at that time. I eventually majored in journalism in college and launched a career in that profession. Besides the newspapers and magazines I worked as a staff writer or editor, I also freelanced for publications such as Reader’s Digest, LIFE, Newsweek, Omni, and so on. All the time, I continued writing fiction and honing my craft.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
When I was younger, I was very much influenced by the writers of The Lost Generation — greats such as Hemingway, Remarque, and Dos Passos. I also enjoyed science fiction authors like H.G. Wells. But I also enjoyed the work of Ian Fleming and Alistair MacLean. Today, I read a great number of thriller authors like David Morrell and James Rollins. I’m very fond of stories that involve historic backgrounds, the kind of books Rollins, Preston and Child, and Bob Mayer write. My sci-fi book, Eden, was very much influenced by those authors. My books Empty Places and The Last Refuge were based on historical events.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is The Last Refuge, the second in my Peter Brandt series of thrillers. It takes place in 1993, not too long after the First Iraq War—that is, Operation Desert Storm. Peter Brandt, the battle-scarred war correspondent hero of Empty Places, is trying to put his wars behind him when he lands a freelance magazine assignment to write a story on a lawsuit filed against the U.S. government by a widow whose husband, a civilian engineer, was killed along with several U.S. soldiers in a terrible friendly fire incident during the war. When Peter learns the government has not only classified the lawsuit but denies it even exists, his continuing investigation draws him into a world of betrayal, murder, and government secrets. The tile comes from Samuel Johnson’s rebuke of his fellow politicians who hid their corruption behind a veil of patriotic fervor: “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.”

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Featured Interview With Adair Arlen

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and grew up in a residential neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. I now live on the West Indian island of Montserrat in the Caribbean with my husband and our Westie dog.

As an English major, my bent has ever been toward the written word; I’m a voracious reader and like to be entertained, so I usually read fiction with occasional forays into non-fiction — biographies and the like. In addition, I read the weekly U.K. Spectator, covering international news, opinion pieces, entertainment and the arts. My resume includes some wonderful jobs, including Playboy magazine at its Chicago home office and another interesting position in the Department of University Graphics and Publications at Southern Illinois University where I worked with writers and editors as well as artists and designers.

When I left Playboy the Editorial Department asked for me and I still mentally kick myself for declining their offer because that was before I realized I wanted to be a writer. Imagine — Playboy Editorial! I could have had a foot in the door of a publishing company — and I turned it down. Duh….

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always had a fascination with books and whenever possible would immerse myself in one.

Early in our marriage my husband asked me what I would be if I could be anything I chose. I replied that I’d like to be a writer, never dreaming that would ever happen. Well, he took me at my word and built a studio for me where I could write undisturbed and kept after me until I finally wrote, The House of Tomorrow, which would become the first of my Paul Gregory series. That was back in 1997 and I’ve now completely rewritten it, bringing it into the 21st century and cutting 10,000+ words, making it a tighter, better read. So I must admit that it was my darling husband who was my inspiration to begin writing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Daniel Silva, Bernard Cornwell, Martin Cruz Smith, P.D. James, Robert Crais and others write books that I greatly admire. I read mysteries and books of international intrigue by choise. Although I don’t read romance, it seems I can write it.

My favorite book of all time is The Golden Warrior by Hope Muntz.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I’m well into The Gift of Rose, fourth in my Paul Gregory series. It’s quite a departure from the foregoing books and in my opinion will be the best. I hope. It will be classified as literary fiction.
In this book the protagonists, Paul and Connie, have been married for about twenty years and have a 15-year-old son, Nick, and an 18-year-old daughter, Rose. Nick seems to be prone to getting into trouble, but Rose is the perfect daughter who never causes her parents to worry; hence, Paul thanks God regularly for “the gift of Rose.” The reader should be interested to learn that Rose, too, can be the cause of significant concern as she meets the son of a criminal known to Paul.

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