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Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

This is a list of our featured author interviews. These authors take a few minutes out of their busy schedule to sit down and answer a few questions. Get to know what they are working on next and what types of books they like to read.

Featured Author Simon Rose

Main-largeFeatured Interview With Simon Rose

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

I offer a wide variety of presentations, workshops and author in residence programs for schools and libraries, covering such topics as the writing process, editing and revision, where ideas come from and how writers turn them into stories, character development, historical fiction and historical research, story structure, the publishing world and more. I’m an instructor for adults with the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University and offers a variety of online workshops for both children and adults. I also offer a number of services for writers, including manuscript evaluation, editing, writing workshops and coaching, plus copywriting services for the business community.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I don’t recall the exact age but it was quite early in childhood. I read a lot of science fiction novels and collections of short stories while growing up, as well C S Lewis, Tolkien, other fantasy writers and ghost stories. I also read a tremendous number of comic books as a child, which were great for the imagination. At high school, I studied a great deal of history and have retained my interest in the subject up to the present day. I also read voraciously on ancient civilizations, mysteries, the supernatural, and the unexplained.

I did some writing back then but never contemplated writing as a career. This came later and I began to have ideas for novels for children and teens once I became a parent. I’m not an illustrator and couldn’t create picture books for the youngest readers so devised stories in my favorite genres for readers aged nine to fourteen. These were usually the types of stories that I’d have enjoyed myself at that age, largely, but not entirely, influenced by what I was reading and watching back then.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have favorite genres or stories rather than favorite authors and mostly read science fiction and fantasy.

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

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest novel is Flashback, which was published in 2015. It’s a paranormal mystery adventure for young adults involving psychics, ghosts, and mind control experiments. With regards to the inspiration for the novel, this is another of my favorite themes in the science fiction and fantasy genre. The initial idea was one of the first that I had when I began my writing career but the novel took a while to develop to my satisfaction.

In Flashback, Max, a fourteen-year old boy, experiences strange dreams and visions, which appear to be from someone else’s life. He also sees a ghost and fears that he might be losing his mind. However, following an encounter with elderly private detective John Carrington, Max learns of government conspiracies, secret kidnappings, and mind control experiments conducted by a rogue scientist and his psychic accomplice.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Simon Rose’s Website

Simon Rose Facebook Page

Simon Rose Twitter Account

Featured Author Lilly Robbins Brock

facebook-photoFeatured Interview With Lilly Robbins Brock

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in the beautiful Pacific Northwest in Olympia, Washington which was also the home of my pioneer family. Some of them came on the Oregon Trail in the 1860’s and some such as my grandparents came by rail while it was still in its infancy. I feel a strong connection to these pioneers and have done extensive research into my family genealogy. Because of my love for history, I have chosen historical fiction to be my main genre.

My husband and I have been married over 47 years and we have two beautiful daughters. I started my own business in interior design in 1980 which has been ongoing until just recently. We are now both retired and have moved to a serene coastal country setting overlooking the mighty Columbia River. The wildlife on the river and the land is amazing. It is the perfect environment to pursue my long awaited writing journey.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always known that I love writing. Throughout my life, even in childhood, I have written poetry and short stories. During my interior design career I wrote and sent out to my clients a monthly newsletter. They always looked forward to the newsletter. It was then that I realized that my writing was appreciated and that writing had to be a part of my life. Moving into retirement is giving me the opportunity to do what I love–writing.

I am in the process of writing a historical fiction novel. There are many hours of research logged in about life in the 1850’s and what it was like to travel the water route from the Atlantic Coast to the Pacific Coast via the lesser known South American route.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love all of the classics, anything historical and biographical. I am currently enjoying an English author, Steve Robinson, who is fairly new to me. He writes in the mystery, crime, thriller genre with a family history angle. My main genre is historical fiction. Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With The Wind, has always been an inspiration to me. Her personal story of how she overcame obstacles is worthy to be novel in itself. I also love non fiction self help books and specialized cookbooks.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Food Gift Recipes From Nature’s Bounty is my first published book. It wasn’t planned, but evolved quite naturally. It was because of our beautiful orchard and garden that this book was born. Each year I process the wonderful produce and it’s always a challenge to come up with creative ways to utilize and preserve all of the harvest. I fill my freezer with baked goods, jams, jellies chutneys and much more. I create sauces, condiments, herb infused vinegars, seasonings and fruit liqueurs. It has always been a tradition for me to turn these food creations into gifts. One of the most popular gifts every year are the fruit liqueurs. The happy recipients promptly return the empty bottle for a refill. It occured to me that I should write a book about the gift of food. This book is filled with 98 delicious and easy recipes to make and share for every occasion.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Lilly Robbins Brock’s Website

Lilly Robbins Brock Facebook Page

 

Featured Author Colleen S. Myers

IMG_0703TRcpFeatured Interview With Colleen S. Myers

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Colleen S. Myers was raised in a large catholic family in the outskirts of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she grew up on Harlequin teen romances and stories from her mother’s days as a paramedic. She went on to attend Allegheny College majoring in Biology and English.

After college, Colleen spent a year in service in the Americorp giving back to the community at a local Pittsburgh Women Infants and Children Clinic (WICC) before attending Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine on a military scholarship.

Upon completing medical school, Colleen attended residency at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland and was on base in Washington, DC during 9/11. She earned three meritorious service awards from the military. After serving seven years of active duty, she promptly landed a position at the VA to provide fellow veterans with optimum medical care. Still an avid fan of romances into adulthood, her love of the genre inspired her to hone her craft as a writer, focusing on contemporary romance and science fiction. Her background in medicine and the military provides an inspiring layer of creative realism to her stories and characters.

Her first book, Must Remember, the first book in the Solum series, is published by Champagne Press. The sequel, Can’t Forget, coming in June 2016, is the recipient of the 2015 RWA New England Readers Award.

Colleen currently resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband and son, and spends her spare time writing. She is also working on a new contemporary romance.

Look for her at Three Rivers Romance Writers, at Facebook

Colleen Myers, and at @ColleenSMyers.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Since I was a little girl, I loved curling up with books and imagining myself in the new worlds. I didn’t start writing until after i accomplished my goals in life and realized I wanted to accomplish more.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite genres are Science Fiction/Fantasy and Romance of course! My favorite authors are ilona Andrews, Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks, Jim Butcher, Nalini Singh, Meljean Brooks. sooo many.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Nineteen-year-old Elizabeth ‘Beta’ Camden is a survivor.

When the E’mani—those pale alien freaks—destroy Earth with a plague of madness and scoop up the remains, Beta is one of the ‘lucky’ ones. For years, she endures their tortures, experiments and games. Then one day, she manages to escape their ship with her life, and no memory of her time with them.

Stranded on their world, Beta wanders the mountains, looking for a way home. She stumbles onto the Fost—the E’mani’s ancient enemy. Their war with the E’mani is old and rooted in magic that the Fost once had and the E’mani crave. Magic Beta soon discovers she’s developing along with strange tattoos and disturbing glimpses of her past. The Fost take her in and train her in their ways. As she spends more time with them, she falls in love with their culture and with Marin—he of the hot hands and slit eyes.

But the E’mani took her for a reason and they want her back—dead or alive. If Beta doesn’t remember that reason soon, they’re all going to die.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Colleen S. Myers’s Website

Colleen S. Myers Facebook Page

Colleen S. Myers Twitter Account

Featured Author Frank Scozzari

MtCharlesFeatured Interview With Frank Scozzari

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born in New York, moved to California at a young age, I have spent much of my adult life wondering the globe. I call the central coast of California my home, and when I’m not traveling, I try to be writing. I have a black six-toe cat named ‘Kid.’

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Many of my early childhood days were spent tucked away in my room, lost in a good book. At age nine I read “The Call of the Wild.” I was so influenced by it (and having a pet dog at the time) that I started writing dogs stories.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors are Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck and Jack London. My inspiration is life itself. It seems I cannot go anywhere, meet anyone, or do anything without being influenced creatively. It is said when a writer isn’t writing, he’s thinking about writing. Well, that’s me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The ultimate threats facing United States come to life in Frank Scozzari’s fast-paced thriller. With the help of an inside man, a group of determined terrorists siege a nuclear power plant, intending to spread radiation and wreak destruction into the world. The only thing standing in their way are two misfit security guards, who return to their posts and realize what is happening in the power plant. The two soon find themselves in a battle against time and odds, as the terrorists facing them will stop at nothing to accomplish their goals.

The Wind Guardian exposes the vulnerability of a terrorist attack on one of our nation’s nuclear power plants, written from an insider’s perspective.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Frank Scozzari’s Website

Frank Scozzari Facebook Page

Frank Scozzari Twitter Account

Featured Author Annemarie Brear

51O22Ibyd4L._UX250Featured Interview With Annemarie Brear

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born of English parents, I grew up in Australia but I am now currently living in England. I write historical omen’s fiction, modern romance and short stories. I have a love of history, of grand old English houses and a fascination of what might have happened beyond their walls. My interests include reading, genealogy, watching movies, spending time with family and eating chocolate – not always in that order!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As a child my favourite author was Enid Blyton. The Wishing Chair and The Faraway Tree were great stories of hers. They stirred my imagination like no other. My mother owned a bookstore when I was young so I had an enormous amount of variety to choose from and this gave me a wonderful appreciation for reading books that triggered my imagination.

I started writing in 1997 and was first published in 2005. I signed with my current publisher, Knox Robinson Publishing, in early 2011, and I have recently signed with UK publisher, Choc Lit. I am also self publishing on Amazon my old back list, which I’m excited about.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Most of Audrey Howard’s books leave a lasting impression on me. I love her books. The heroine usually goes through hell before the happy ever after ending. Catherine Cookson’s Tilly Trotter series and also, The Dwelling Place as firm favourites, too.

I also enjoy reading medieval stores by Elizabeth Chadwick, Sharon Penman, but my reading are varied and I can happily pick up a chick lit novel or a biography. If the story premise seems interesting, I’ll read it no matter what the genre.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
To Gain What’s Lost is a story I enjoyed writing so much, so it’s very close to my heart. The characters Anna, Matt and Brenton, whom had been in my head for years, suddenly demanded to be written down.
I’m always attached to the characters I create, especially the males. I like strong men, men who know what they want and go and get. I prefer my heroes to have flaws, and sometimes those flaws aren’t always likable by the reader but as they get to know him they learn that the man isn’t perfect, and who in life ever is perfect. I want my characters to be real and that includes making them flawed helps that process. But despite the odd flaw, my heroes are always lovable in their own way. Each have qualities that I admire and underneath any tough exterior they adore their women, which is the most important factor.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Annemarie Brear’s Website

Annemarie Brear Facebook Page

Annemarie Brear Twitter Account

Featured Author Heather Young-Nichols

Heather-Young-NicholsFeatured Interview With Heather Young-Nichols

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan and while I’ve moved around the area some, I still live just outside of Saginaw. I’ve always had dogs, lots and lots of dogs but currently have a pug names James and a tuxedo cat named Emmi. I have also always loved baseball. Played when I was a kid and watch now. The Detroit Tigers have been a constant.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I always loved to read, though I don’t remember actually learning to read. As for writing, I can’t say exactly how old I was when I started. I was a kid. I know that. I used to write these short stories for my mom for Christmas. They always revolved around an angel or Christmas miracle, basically something that would make her cry.

Eventually, around college, I stopped. Just stopped because with everything going on, the amount of classes I took, there was no time. But then the bug hit me again in 2009 and I went to work. Haven’t stopped since.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have many favorite authors. Nyrae Dawn, Colleen Hoover, Katie McGarry to name a few.

Every genre is a possibility for me. My favorites are young adult and new adult. I love contemporary, paranormal, dystopian. Basically anything with a great story.

As for my own writing, I get inspired by random things and it’s basically never the same. Up for Grabs was inspired by a news article. Grounded started out as a joke with a friend. I have another story whose opening scene came to me while I was listening to a Fall Out Boy song. There really in no rhyme or reason to it.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest release, Up for Forever, is the second in my Up for Grabs series. It focuses on Kendra, best friend to Flannery in Up for Grabs.

Kendra grew up in a world where love can destroy you. She forced herself to become aromantic as a result. She’ll hook up, even more than once with the same guy, but relationships are for the birds as far as she is concerned. Enter Adam. The boy who takes on Kendra’s strong personality and still wants to stay. He must convince her that what they have is real and could last forever if she lets it.

However, the fate of their relationship isn’t only on Adam’s shoulders. Kendra pushed Adam away. He knows he’s worth fighting for so it’s up to Kendra to find her way back to him.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Heather Young-Nichols’s Website

Heather Young-Nichols Facebook Page

Heather Young-Nichols Twitter Account

Featured Author Mark S. Parker

Brown-PhotoFeatured Interview With Mark S. Parker

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born in Mexia, I spent my early years in Waco and graduated from Belton High School and Texas A&M back in the 70’s. This Central Texas boy married a West Texas girl, Ann Becker, in 1977. We moved to Midland, her hometown, in 1980 when I received my Master’s degree. I went to work for Gulf Oil as a landman and was just happy to have a job. I’ve been a landman ever since, sometimes with a company and sometimes independently. Our four children grew up in Midland. We now have five grandchildren with one on the way. I cohabitate with my wife’s two dogs, Lucy, a Chocolate Lab and Jonesy, a Welsh Terrier (or Terror).

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always been fascinated with books, words and letters. I learned to read while my daddy read the Sunday funnies to me after church. My writing, until recently, has been for family, friends and church. A couple of years ago (in my late 50’s), about the time our grandchildren started coming along, my muse took off and I started writing books and songs for children and young people. I’m having a ball!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
When I was young, Ray Bradbury fired my imagination. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is still my favorite book. LONESOME DOVE is a close second. Today, I admire anything my Kate DiCamillo. Katherine Applegate is also one of my favorites. There is too much talent in the children’s/middle grade/young adult genres today to single anyone out. I think this is a golden age. Just show me a good storyteller and wordsmith and I’m hooked. Oh, and I still love Dr. Seuss.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My first published Middle Grade novel, SHAKY MAN, is set in a small town outside of Waco, Texas in the 1960’s. It is a story of baseball, friendships, racism, understanding and the things that go through any young boy’s mind during times of turbulence. There is even a murder and a trial. The narrator is the grown up Top Parsley, recalling his sixth grade year in Tonkaway, Texas and the experiences and revelations he encountered. Central to the story is his unexpected friendship with a black boy from the Waco Boys’ Club, Mickey Jackson. I can’t say too much about the Shaky Man without spoiling the tale.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Mark S. Parker’s Website

Mark S. Parker Facebook Page

 

Featured Author Gabriella Kovac

Gabriella_KovacFeatured Interview With Gabriella Kovac

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Hungary, just after the Second World War had drawn to a close. I lived through the Hungarian uprising against the Communists in 1956, and remember vividly Russian tanks under our bedroom window. Through the genius of my mother Georgina.My family managed to leave the Communist block and come to Australia in 1957. I am an experienced public speaker, fashion designer and cook Throughout my life I have been inspired by my mother’s amazing tenacity on outsmarting the Nazis and Communists and winning!. Her zest for life motivated me to write Georgina Holocaust Stories.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Under communism as a young child I realised my mother was heavily evolved in the black market. This was a way to keep her family well and not starving like the rest of the country. The drawback was one had to be careful of what they said and who they said it to . My solution was to close myself inside our private library and read.
I started writing down my mothers story 20 years ago and it finally realised I was an Author a few years ago and started to write in earnest.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?* as a child I used to love Oscar Wilde for his satire also Greek mythology one can learn so much about human nature from mythology. The ancient Greeks made a god of abstracts eg: Love, Hate and War

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I am writing about a young man born just before WWII in Croatia under very primitive circumstances. It is a story how the human spirit triumphs against the odds. He finally emerges winning in his new chosen destination. It is based on a true story

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Gabriella Kovac’s Website

Gabriella Kovac Facebook Page

Gabriella Kovac Twitter Account

Featured Author Paula Houseman

Paula_Houseman_AuthorFeatured Interview With Paula Houseman

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Adelaide, South Australia; I moved to Sydney, New South Wales when I was nineteen (for love, marriage, children and dogs).
For a long time, I just assumed my childhood was an average one (although … having a lamb as a domestic pet in an urban setting should have been a giveaway). My parents were not your average Aussies and I was not your average kid. They were born and raised in Egypt, Jewish and of Romanian descent; I was the misfit wild child, caught in a cultural crossfire as they struggled to assimilate. It felt tragic to me. But I also saw humour in it, and was often in sh*t for laughing at inappropriate times. It was not an easy road, but, oh … what fabulous raw materials for a writer!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I became fascinated with books from an early age. Reading fiction stimulated my imagination, which is important for a right-brained person with a rich inner life. It provided relief against a dry and fact-based system of education. And where reading ultimately led me to escape this, writing has helped bring me back to a more organic reality.
The maxim, ‘Children should be seen and not heard’ was still in force during my formative years. And my parents, who were not progressive sorts, were tethered to it. Well, I had (and still have) plenty to say! Only, it didn’t go over well back then, so I stopped trusting my own voice. I lost it … until twenty-four years ago when my parents passed away. If I could pinpoint a time when my writing career began, I’d have to say that was it.
It started with a personal journal. I was my only audience and it was a safe space to express—I could say anything I wanted to without fear of being judged and shamed. And then at university, the gods conspired and led me to two lecturers who worked in tandem and had a reputation for ‘breeding difficult students’—encouraging us to think outside the square, they celebrated innovation. I now had an audience of three, and my progressive ideas were well-received. I then joined an online writers’ site and my audience grew. The praise my writing garnered encouraged me to finish and publish my book, and to start a blog.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite genres are fiction—mystery-thrillers and humour/satire.
Favourite fiction authors:
1. Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Robert Crais and Mary Higgins Clark (mystery-thrillers)
2. Harlan Coben (who infuses his thrillers with humour)
3. Janet Evanovich (humorous thrillers)
4. David Sedaris (satire)
5. Danielle Steel—her later novels because, apart from the fact that she addresses the major themes of the human condition, what woman doesn’t like a bit of romance! We’re inculcated with a fairy tale blueprint, and it’s not a bad thing to occasionally escape our harsh reality (as long as it doesn’t become a way of life).
And who inspires my writing?
1. Thomas Moore. His book, ‘Care of the Soul’ shot my fairy tale fantasy to hell and changed my worldview (in a good way)
2. Clarissa Pinkola Estés—a true champion of the wild spirit, her book, ‘Women Who Run with the Wolves’ (perhaps my favourite non-fiction book, ever) has been a game changer
Estés and Moore’s unusual take on the human psyche might seem like a new view, but it just revamps a cobwebby old one, and demonstrates how ancient myths can help us understand what really drives our thoughts, impulses and behaviours. For me, this has resuscitated another source of inspiration:
3. Baubo, the goddess of obscenity—she who embodies a holy kind of dirty! Her Bawdiness keeps reminding me of the absurdity of our humanness and the healing value of laughter in a society that gags on moralism and sees a little too much tragedy

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My book, ‘Odyssey in a Teacup’ is, essentially, the healing journey of the misfit. It’s a modern-day satire on ‘The Ugly Duckling’ meets ‘The Odyssey’.
A dissenting Ruth Roth rails against the injustice and insanity of her home environment, and is mystified by the stupidity she encounters outside of it. But she copes with the help of her closest girlfriends: ‘the genteel Vette with the big caboose, and the ballsy Maxi with the big mouth!’ And then there’s Ralph, Ruth’s hot-looking, eccentric cousin and best friend. Also a misfit in his family, he has his share of problems including a st-t-t-tuttering brutish father, and an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder—Ralph needs to do everything twice, twice.
Learning from a high school teacher that life is a tragicomedy, and just ancient myth in modern attire, helps Ruth tolerate what she’s up against daily. And over the years, as she increasingly starts to filter information through the ancient part of her brain, she discovers that she’s always been driven by the butt-ugly goddess of obscenity! Even when Ruth tires of the struggle and gives in to her family’s attempt to shrink her into a wholesome package of conformity, the irrepressible muse remains unstoppable. So, ridiculous situations still abound! And it’s a good homoeopathic dose of ancient mythology that helps Ruth find her way back through the sludgy shame and irrational fears choking her spirit. Then just when all seems well, she faces an apocalypse …
Odyssey in a Teacup has had a long incubation—I started it fourteen years ago! Hey, great things take time (and pay off)—I was chuffed when it became a bestseller on Amazon not long after its release, and after two months, a US Amazon #1 bestseller (humour & satire)—but I’ve got this writing thing figured out and my sequel is well underway.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Paula Houseman’s Website

Paula Houseman Facebook Page

Paula Houseman Twitter Account

Featured Author Christopher Hepworth

Christopher_Hepworth-AuthorFeatured Interview With Christopher Hepworth

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in England and raised in Zambia like my hero Wilbur Smith. As a child of eight, I would travel between my boarding school in the north of England and my family home in Lusaka, Zambia. I developed a deep affinity for the people of Africa and its spectacular natural wonders. My favourite spot in the whole world is the Luangwa Valley game reserve in eastern Zambia.
When I left university in the UK I became a procurement manager in London working for prestigious firms such as IBM and Goldman Sachs before meeting my Australian wife and emigrating to Sydney. I have settled in the Sutherland Shire in the south of Sydney for over twenty years and have four children aged 19, 18, 16 and 12.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always had a fascination for books since I started reading at five years of age. I wrote extensive diaries as a teenager and would have numerous pen friends on the go throughout my twenties to whom I would write long and amusing letters.
I started writing novels a few years ago when I missed out on a promotion at work that would have had me flying around the world at least once a month. Rather than feel sorry for myself, I decided I would do something constructive with the time I had been given back in my life and hence my writing career was born.
Much of the time I find for writing comes while watching my children play representative cricket on the fields of the Sutherland Shire. It’s amazing how many sentences can be written between the fall of wickets.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I grew up on the adventure books of Wilbur Smith who wrote about the plains of Africa, but I particularly enjoyed his Ancient Egyptian stories. He made them so real that you could almost imagine yourself in the year 1500 BC. I also enjoyed Frederick Forsyth (Day of the Jackal), Tom Clancy’s earlier books and all the historical fiction of Bernard Cornwell. If I were skilled enough I would write nothing but historical fiction!
I also love authors who are able to include subtle elements of humour into their thriller novels despite the seriousness of their genre. It is a rare and precious skill and provides a much needed break in the relentless tension that can sometimes make thrillers hard work to read. An absolute master of this art is Peter James with his DI Grace books. His novels are so good that I was inspired to finally put pen to paper and emulate his style as best I could in my own writings.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is called the Nocnista Agenda. I was inspired by my wife who kept advising our kids not to put any photos or personal information on Facebook or the internet as it would come back to haunt them. ‘Now there’s a great idea for a book’, I thought! And so was born the social media tycoon and serial killer Leo Wulff who bought a database used by the rich and famous. Those leaders of society who did not live up to his conservative values of ‘the American Way’ were systematically and brutally murdered by his hit men operating under the code name ‘Nocnista’. (Night Hag.)
Much of the action is set in the civil war zone of the Eastern Ukraine and I have absolutely loved weaving into the book the customs, traditions, icons, exotic buildings and the beautiful but often ferocious people that inhabit this region. I have managed to include Pussy riot, Cyber criminals and ancient religious sects into a whirlwind plot in which the hero Sam Jardine and a number of incredibly strong female lead characters have to save the world yet again.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Christopher Hepworth’s Website

Christopher Hepworth Facebook Page

Christopher Hepworth Twitter Account

Featured Author Ashley Moss

1064001_10201651007265633_1788590428_oFeatured Interview With Ashley Moss

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised and Memphis, Tn. I currently still reside there. I don’t have any pets. I do have 2 siblings (a brother and sister) and a loving grandmother though.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I realized that I was fascinated with books at the age of twelve when I was first introduced to the wonderful world of Harry Potter and JK Rowling. Harry Potter was my first book boyfriend. I started writing poetry at the age of twelve as well. Personal essays, motivational articles, and short inspirational stories followed just recently.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors to read are Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Flannery ‘O’ Connor, and many others. My favorite genre to read is classic literature. Toni Morrison and Mark Twain both inspire me in my writings, because Mark’s style had wit and humor while Toni’s has depth and pushes literary boundaries.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My e-book Lessons I’ve Learned: A Collection of Inspirational and Love Poetry is a book of poems that took a year to compile. However, the poems were written during my pre-teen and teenage years. It is a book that all people-both young and old can relate to-because everyone has felt heartache, pain, and love before. It can be found here: http://leafless.co/?browse&*=info&id=128

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Featured Author Angela Meadon

AngelaMeadonFeatured Interview With Angela Meadon

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Angela started writing stories when she was 8 years old. Her first story was about Indiana Jones and she wrote it on pages she tore out of her school books. She has come a long way since those early days. She invents her own heroes now, but she tries to keep the sense of passion and wonder that infused her early forays into the craft.

When she’s not herding her three children through the garden of their Johannesburg home, Angela surrounds herself with words in all their glorious forms. She is the submissions editor for an online magazine, the lead technical writer for a fast-growing software company, a dedicated author and a voracious reader.

She tends to write darker stories, and enjoys experimenting with genre. Horror and fantasy will always be her first loves (yes, she can have two), but she also enjoys science fiction and thrillers.

Her short stories can be found in numerous anthologies and self-published on Amazon.com.

Angela’s novel about the zombie apocalypse with a dash of psychological terror and a sprinkling of guilt, A Taste of You (Amazon), was published in December 2012.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been a book addict since I was about 6. I remember winning the book prize in grades 1,2, and 3. I started writing stories in grade 2. I’ve always wanted to tell stories, and have been practicing for more than 20 years.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors are Terry Pratchett, Gillian Flynn, Joe Abercrombie, and Mark Lawrence.

I’m a voracious reader and try to read widely. I’m always open to new experiences when it comes to reading. But, I definitely know what I like and it tends to be the darker stuff.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I’ve just published an anthology of my short fiction, Dead Ends and Sharp Bends. This book contains nine of my best short stories, and includes stories from my whole career, including the first story I had published (The Patient), through to Her Harlequin Baby which won the Inkitt End Game horror competition in August 2015.

There are also four brand new stories in the book, and I’m particularly excited to see how readers respond to Havoc Unchained, which I consider to be my best short story yet.

The Patient was published in 2010, so I guess you could say this is a work of art 5 years in the making.

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Featured Author Marcy Pusey

042511 014Featured Interview With Marcy Pusey

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born at Camp Pendleton Military Base in Oceanside, California. I was raised alongside the sea, which continues to be a place of peace, restoration, and joy for me. I love the sound of the waves, the fresh sea air, and the ocean life the graces land-livers with their water sprays, cute-whiskered faces, or the periodic fins of a pod of dolphins. Ironically enough, I now live in land-locked Germany. However, my home is where three countries meet, Switzerland, France, and Germany, and I’m surrounded by many rivers, waterfalls, and spas. Yes, spas count as a water-filled “happy-place” for me 🙂 Against my will, we have two guinea pigs. We love to dog-sit our favorite dogs and get a pet-fix that way.

My husband was born in Colombia and was raised between there and the U.S. Together, we have four children… all of which were given to us in a year and a half. Figure that one out! Our third-oldest son is our first born. Our oldest son is our second. Our second-oldest daughter is our third. And our fourth daughter is our fourth child. I’d love to see a birth-order book explain that one out! All of that happened in 20 months. We were foster parents who parented multiple children during this time, adopting our oldest two from foster care.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I come from an impoverished family. I attended the Boys and Girls Club every day after school. One day, they hosted a writing contest. We all had an opportunity to write an essay to win tickets to the local circus. My parents, in their whole lives, had never been to a circus. Neither had we, their two daughters. So I wrote my essay… and I won. In that moment, I realized that my writing and been a gift to my whole family. We loved our trip to the Circus… it’s a favorite family moment. And to know that my writing earned that joy for each of us… wow!!! I have been writing ever since and have won a few other contests along the way. Many teachers and classmates affirmed that I was gifted. It still took many years before I took on professional writing, which for me still looks more like a hobby at times, coming after caring for my family and serving my local community as a counselor.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite book as a child was “‘Stand Back’, said the Elephant, ‘I’m Going to Sneeze!'” by Patricia Thomas. And, to be totally honest, some of my favorite books to read now are STILL picture-books (and that is also one genre for which I write). My favorite authors are Mo Willems, Adam Rubin, Jef Czekaj, and anything by my critique partners and dear friends, Dorina Lazo Gilmore, Amy Dixon, and Bethany Telles.

Currently, my favorite books to read are Y.A. (I know!) I LOVE Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) and Divergent (Veronica Roth) is up there too. I also really like The Fault in Our Stars (John Green). When I’m not lost in Y.A. I’m reading books by Shauna Niequist, Lisa-Jo Baker, or Lysa Terkeurst. I also read Biography / Memoir. I just finished Nelson Mandela’s “Long Walk to Freedom.”

I would be remiss to not include some of my favorite illustrators, like Maria Bogade, Daniel Salmieri, Howard McWilliam, Daniel Jennewein, and Kadir Nelson. Of course I could go on.

Some of my greatest writing inspiration comes from Anne Lamott and Laurie Halse Anderson.

And as far as what inspires me to write? Usually some life contemplation or experience. I want my life and stories to be a hope and encouragement to others. I want children and adults to know that they are valuable, that they matter, and that they are not alone.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, Reclaiming Hope: Overcoming the Challenges of Parenting Foster and Adopted Children” is inspired by over sixteen years of working with families and children, as well as being a foster mother, adoptive mother, bio mother, and counselor. As we struggled through our own journey of fostering and adoption, I realize how MUCH we don’t talk about. How many surprises might have been manageable if others had been talking about them. And perhaps we were somewhat smitten with the nobility of fostering and adopting and I didn’t listen well… either way, here we are and it’s been hard. But it’s also been amazing. I wrote this book to NAME all of the challenges that we don’t talk about… to bravely call out the struggles that many of us face, with the hope that readers will know that they are not alone, that they are not crazy if they struggle, and that there is HOPE in this journey. That our sweat and tears and trauma are not in vain.

Readers have told me that they couldn’t put the book down. They’ve shared how it has inspired them to get help. Or how it has prepared them better to enter adoption or foster care. Or how they wish they’d had this book 20 years ago when they began. A number of readers have shared with me how excited they are to share it with their friends and family. Nearly everyone knows someone who is fostering or has adopted… this book is for all of them.

I wrote this book in four weeks. I know, right? My house was not clean, my family ate a lot of “quick-food” and my husband graciously gave me the space and time to write. The editing gave me some reprieve between drafts. And now, only a week or so in the world, the book is an Amazon Best Seller. And it’s National Adoption Month! I didn’t even plan that.

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Marcy Pusey’s Website

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Featured Author Heather Dahlgren

me5Featured Interview With Heather Dahlgren

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am 37 years old. I’m married to my high school sweetheart and we have 3 amazing kids. I was born and raised in NJ, where I still reside. I have 6 books published and many more in the works.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing when I was in high school. I wrote a lot of poetry back then. I didn’t love reading until I got older. Even though I loved writing, reading didn’t hold my interest until I was older. Now I get to do both and I absolutely love it.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Some of my favorite authors to read are Kate McCarthy, Ella Emerson, Colleen Hoover, Alison Bailey…I could go on forever. My favorite genres are contemporary romance, coming of age, and NA.
It’s hard to say who inspires my writings. It depends on what I’m writing. Sometimes it’s a photo I’ve seen, sometimes it’s a song, sometimes it’s just a feeling I have.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book I published was Behind the Book (Sexy Series #2). This book is about an author and model. One heart needs healing, one heart learns how to love. Two lives that will never be the same.

Blake Foster is a playboy model, not looking for love. He is all about having fun and sleeping around.

London Tweed is a best selling author who lives through her books. She doesn’t do much else besides working and writing.

After having Blake on the cover of her book, London invites him to attend a signing – a signing that will change both of their worlds. It may take time for Blake to break down London’s walls, but when he does it transforms them both. Making London remember the person she used to be and Blake the man he wants to be.

London’s past doesn’t want to stay there and it may be something that will crush them both.

Blake and London’s story is the second book in this series. I adore them both. When I was writing, I put a lot of myself into London.

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Featured Author Cait Reynolds

official-copyFeatured Interview With Cait Reynolds

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live in Boston with my husband and our small, neurotic dog Denny who has ambitions for world domination.

There’s not much in my life that doesn’t center around writing or reading. But, when I do tear myself away from all the words, I like to cook authentic Italian food, go rock-climbing, walk/snuggle/nap with Denny, and drink wine with friends.

I love to travel, especially going to see my family in Italy. I’ve been to Greece several times and am hoping to get back there soon. I’m also a Francophone and Francophile, a result, no doubt, of growing up speaking French, living and studying in Paris, majoring in French in college, and writing my thesis on the protofeminism of Victor Hugo in “Les Miserables” as depicted by the effortless switch of characters and destinies between Cosette and Eponine.

In the summer, the beach is my happy place. In the winter, snuggled up with tea, books, and Denny is where you’ll find me.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Apparently, I began my career as an illustrator. My mother says that as a toddler, I used to tell her stories about my stuffed animals and the chipmunk who lived in the bush by our back door. I made her write them down, and then, I would “illustrate” them. Eventually, I graduated to writing and illustrating my own stories, including the infamous “Bird Life in Apartments.”

Eventually, I realized that I probably wasn’t going to have a future in art, so, I settled for using my words. And then, as I got a little older, I realized that I can use words in ways no one else could. (Of course, now, I realize I am just little craftsman tadpole in a very big pond of literary naiads, but back then, I stood out a bit from those around me because of my words)

I think the most accurate thing you can say about me is that I was born a storyteller. Writing is how I express it, but I think I would be compelled to share the stories in my head through crochet if that’s where my talent lay (it doesn’t.)

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
So, here’s where I totally nerd-out. I love, love, love reading non-fiction. I mostly read history and science books. I even subscribe to Astronomy Magazine and Discover Magazine because I think science is so cool. I’ve read about early Amazonian exploration by French cartographers to the discovery of the Mars parallax by Tyco Brahe and Johannes Keppler. I’ve read about Victorian police procedures, Jack the Ripper, and the major families of Renaissance Italy.

All of this gets filed away in my brain and pops out at various times – in the best case scenario, it comes out in my writing…in the worst case, it comes out during cocktail parties.

There are two reasons I don’t read a lot of fiction. The first is that as a writer, I can’t help but parse and analyze a story as I read it. I study the book jacket, the author bio, and the publication details. As I read, my mind goes over the various marketing possibilities and tactics for this book. It ends up feeling very close to “work” for me. The second reason is that when I do find a book that I love, I read it all the way through in one sitting. I can’t help it. I devour fiction. This leaves me with book hangovers and issues of procrastination.

I do have a list of authors that I am absolutely in love with. I love the dark stories and exquisite prose of Gillian Flynn, Tana French, Elizabeth Kostova, and Sarah Waters. When I grow up, I want to be able to write like them. I will buy and read whatever they publish. They are amazing.

There are some authors I’ve discovered recently – either randomly or through professional contacts – and, I love them, too! Kim Alexander just came out with “The Sand Prince,” and I was fortunate enough to read one of the early drafts of it. I was hooked and read it through in 10 hours. Daphne Lamb also came out with “The Girl’s Guide to the Apocalypse,” which had me laughing out loud (the embarrassing, snorting, snickering laugh). I cannot wait for the next books from them.

I also have a really weird thing for modern Japanese fiction with Ryu Murakami, Haruki Murakami, Junichiro Tanizaki, and others. I get so inspired by the way they use prose sparingly but with such tremendous effect.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Downcast” is the story of Stephanie Starr who lives at the bottom of the social totem pole in high school and with a seriously domineering mother at home.

Stephanie’s main goal is just to get through to graduation, and she has hopes of building a better life for herself out in the big, wide world.

Her plans go awry from day one of senior year when two brothers named Zack and Haley Smith show up as transfers into the senior class. Haley seems drawn to her, to the point where Stephanie starts wondering if he’s either crazy or playing her for a fool.

But, the harder she tries to avoid him, the more he’s determined to make a connection with her, and the more she realizes that there is something much bigger at stake than just her heart.

There’s an official synopsis for the book that says this all much better than I have here – and it should, since it is the product of blood, sweat and tears because I hate writing blurbs and synopses! Basically, “Downcast” is a high school love story that takes a steep swerve into Greek mythology.

Yeah, Greek mythology.

I won’t tell you which myth – you’ll have to figure that one out for yourselves when you read the book. I will say that I loved doing all the research to build in tons of detail and mythological Easter Eggs. Okay, I should probably just come out and confess that one of the reasons I like to write is because it gives me an excuse to exercise my geek research muscles.

Anyway. I’m hard at work on “Thunderstruck,” which is the sequel and will come out early next year. I have a third book planned, but the title is teetering between two options, depending which gods make it into the storyline (I have a habit of voting characters off the island during my plotting process then bringing them back in during writing). I also have several short stories and novellas planned for the Olympus Falling series – mostly because I love all my characters so much. I can’t let go.

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Featured Author Addison Kline

51tDYHMdaiL._UX250Featured Interview With Addison Kline

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am an international best selling author from Philadelphia, PA. I write romantic suspense, psychological thrillers and mystery novels. I grew up in South Philadelphia, but I now live on the outskirts of the city in Andorra, where I live with my husband, our children, and our two dogs.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have had an interest in the written word since I was a young child. I started writing my first short story at age six, and my first novel at age 15. I have always been very passionate about writing, and I am a firm believer that there is an adventure to be had within to pages of each and every book.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I devour mystery novels. There is something incomparable to a really well-written, well-planned mystery novel. I also enjoy romantic suspense and psychological thrillers. Some of my favorite authors include J.K. Rowling, Gillian Flynn and Stephen King. My biggest inspirations have been Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allen Poe, Nicholas Sparks and Ray Bradbury. Mr. Bradbury has an amazing quote that I adhere to, “Let the world burn through you. Throw the prism light, white hot, on the paper.” My passion for the written word burns through me. With a mind that will not still, and a heart that yearns for the opportunity to express itself, writing has became as natural to me as breathing.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
On December 14, 2015, I am releasing book one in my mafia thriller/romantic suspense novel, titled Miles Away.

Synopsis:

The mafia couldn’t kill him.

Prison couldn’t break him.

Going home threatens to do both.

Miles Capadonno has made some mistakes. Once part of the Capadonno crime family, he took the fall for another member of the crime family who once tried to kill him. At age 17, they put a contract out on Miles’ head for neglecting to complete a job. It was a matter of priority. Miles went to his dying mother’s side instead of picking up stolen merchandise from the ship yard. When you’re in with the Capadonno’s, whether you’re blood or sworn in, when they say jump you jump, when they say kill you kill. Ignoring an order is an offense of the highest degree. When they couldn’t kill him, they let Miles take the fall for another Capadonno family member. Now 15 years later, Miles is being released. He is ready to put his past behind him. There’s only one problem. There is still a contract on Miles’ head. This time, Miles is man enough to collect on owed debts, and he will not back down from the family that stabbed him in the back.

Leticia “Letty” Alves is a saucy Latina and Miles’ old high school girlfriend. She was only 16 when Miles was arrested, but she hasn’t stopped wondering about the boy who charmed her all those years ago. Now working as a nurse for a home health agency, Letty’s priorities are to take care of herself and her 18 month old son, Gabriel. But when Miles walks back into her life everything changes, and suddenly, the family that she had avoided all her life, is now breathing down her neck looking for Miles. Letty is no damsel in distress, though. She’s a fighter, and she never backs down from a challenge.

Sparks fly when Miles and Letty reunite. Can they put their differences aside to become one again? Can Miles set down his pride and accept the help and love that Letty can provide? Will Letty get over her resentment over being left so long ago when Miles was arrested? Only readers know for sure.

Welcome to Carrion, New Jersey, where the Capadonno’s call the shots. Miles was away for so long, but now the prodigal son has returned. One thing is for sure, the family business isn’t ready for a bastard like him.

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Featured Author Richard Lowe

Richard-Lowe-gravatarFeatured Interview With Richard Lowe

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in California and moved to Florida 2 years ago to pursue my dream of becoming a professional writer. I worked for 20 years for Trader Joe’s as their Director of Technical Services and Computer Operations, and before that I was VP of consulting for two different companies.

I have had several pets, including 3 cats and a Pomeranian. I’m writing a novel about my cat, Buttercup, from her point of view.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My grandmother left a box of books with us, and one of them was Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. I was only 8 years old, but I struggled through it and fell in love with science fiction. Before long I had a library of thousands of books.

I started writing in elementary school, and continued with technical publications through my computer career. I quit my computer job to become a full time ghostwriter and professional writer in 2013.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love science fiction, and authors such as Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein and L R Hubbard are inspiring to me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is “Help! I Lost My job” and it is intended to give people pointers about what they need to do and think about when they suddenly become unemployed. Over 33 years I was a high-level manager, I hired and fired, and I learned that many do not know what to do when they lose their jobs. What do they need to consider? What about health insurance? Dozens of questions such as these are answered.

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Featured Author Brenda Thornlow

imageFeatured Interview With Brenda Thornlow

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Brenda Thornlow is an author from Brooklyn, NY. She is the author of the first book in a time travel series entitled, My Life as I Knew It; The Revolving Door: A Short Story, and her latest novel is entitled A Godless Love. When she is not writing Brenda temps as an administrative assistant all around the Manhattan area. She currently lives in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bay Ridge with her husband of five years, their dog Norman and cat Sophie.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve had a fascination with books and reading as far back as I can remember. I wrote my first short story when I was probably around 8 or 9 (never saved it though). It was a story inspired by Beverly Cleary’s Ramona Quimby books.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Some of my favorites are The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb; The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster and The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule. True crime is my favorite genre.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is entitled A Godless Love. The inspiration for this book stems from my background being raised in a religious cult that has immense control over its member’s lives, including the sex lives of married couples.

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Brenda Thornlow’s Website

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Featured Author Justin Bienvenue

10485404_757753684263043_2574212950198527792_nFeatured Interview With Justin Bienvenue

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live in a town south of Boston, Massachusetts where I was born and raised. I’ve lived here all my life. I have no pets unfortunately.

I enjoy being unique which is why I also try to be unique with my writing. I don’t like sticking to just one genre as I like to expand into several and expand my horizons. I enjoy the strange and bizarre as well the the mysterious twists in literature and I always try to give my own creative spin to my works.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I only recently became interested in books. As a child I hated reading and while I still don’t enjoy it I’ve come to have a new found appreciation for it since I am an author myself. I first started writing when I was 15. Back then I only wrote poems and found stories to be difficult as the teacher would likely butcher my work or felt it would not be good enough. It wasn’t until 2010 that I started to take my writing more serious and dared to journey into the world of writing and publishing. Since 2010 and even since 2004 I have been writing poems, stories, drabbles and of course books.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors to read are Elmore Leonard, Edgar Allan Poe, Vincent Hobbes and Vincent Hobbes. I enjoy read Horror, Westerns, Crime, Poetry, some Fantasy and Science Fiction. My inspirations in writing are Elmore Leonard, Edgar Allan Poe, Rod Serling, Robert Frost and William Shakespeare. Yeah I know that last one may be a bit of a surprise but to be honest I just really enjoy his writing. The man was unique and genuine and I like to think I am the same in my own right.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Opium Warfare is a Crime Thriller in 1920’s Shanghai the city is slowly being taken by the opium trade. What was once small and hardly seen has now become more evident and direct. For one young man named Ryu Tsang, he wishes to find out more and put a stop to it, for another man named Shin Shaojin it’s embracing the opium and making sure it infiltrates the city to the best of it’s ability.

The book is a great blend of Fiction and Historical Fiction that delivers entertainment and education.

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Featured Author Sarah England

sarah-england-large-pic-2Featured Interview With Sarah England

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi! I’m Sarah England and I live in the UK. Originally I trained as a nurse, before working in medical sales & marketing, specialising in psychiatry. Since then I’ve worked as a fiction writer for over 12 years, with hundreds of short stories and a few serials published, mostly in magazines.
I also have a couple of books with the small press (3am and Wide Awake, and Expected). I lurched between comedy and horror for a while, but now I’m firmly in my chosen genre – I just love occult horror! My supernatural horror novel, Father of Lies, is my first in this genre and it was launched just over a month ago.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading my mother’s cast-off Victoria Holt novels when I was about 9 or 10 years old, and had already started to make up stories. However, I didn’t get the chance to be a professional writer until I was about 40 – I began with writing short stories for magazines, then serials, then a collection of thrillers, then a comedy.. until I finally found my passion… supernatural horror!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like reading about the supernatural, paranormal, psychological thrillers, horror (not gory or vampires though) and good literature. I also like the classics and keep an open mind when it comes to new authors with new perspectives.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Well Father of Lies started to take shape 2 years ago. I had a background in psychiatry and an unhealthy interest in the occult …and then met a lady who had what used to be called multiple personality disorder (now disassociative identity disorder) and her story really upset me. After that I did a lot of research into seriously scary stuff – demonology and even exorcisms by the Catholic Church.. the books freaked me out so much I had them burnt afterwards because I couldn’t keep them in the house!
But …Father of Lies was born!
It’s set in the bleak Derbyshire moors where I spent most of my life – I even lived in a haunted mill next to rushing water – so a lot of me is in this book and that’s why I feel so passionate about it. Most of all though – I wanted to bring a horrific truth to people – that stuff like this goes on! But in a way that was entertaining and gripping. I really hope it’s done that.
Here’s a little synopsis – see what you think:

..far more chilling than any mainstream horror…’

Ruby is the most aggressively disturbed patient admitted to Drummersgate High Security Forensic Unit, on the bleak Derbyshire moors in England. With no improvement after almost two years, psychiatrist Jack McGowan, finally decides to take a risk and hypnotises her . With devastating effects.

A horrific, dark force is now unleashed on the entire medical team, as each in turn attempts to unlock Ruby’s shocking and sinister past. Who is this girl? And how did she manage to survive such evil when no one else can?

Set in a desolate northern mining village, where secrets remain secrets and intruders are hounded from their homes, soon enough their questions lead to a haunted mill, the heart of darkness…and The Father of Lies.

***

Sleep tight!

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