Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With TL Clark

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised (& still live) on the south coast of England.
I have a rescue cat whom I treasure (and possibly spoil).
But I grew up with an Alsation and still miss having a dog (just don’t tell my cat that please).

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved books; I started reading when my mum bought my story books with tapes. It was a great way to learn, and the tapes also introduced me to classical music.

I started writing about two and a half years ago. Having read the Fifty Shades trilogy I couldn’t help but think (slightly arrogantly), “that’s such tripe, even I could write better than that!” So I tried. I’ll leave you to decide whether I succeeded.

One of the greatest compliments I’ve received so far is, “You make EL James look like Enind Blyton!”

But my latest book is very different from my sexy norm.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love the classics; there’s something incredibly romantic and elegant in the old style of writing. Jane Eyre is my favourite book of all time.

But as an indie author I have discovered many other great indies, such as Jacqueline Rhoades who writes amazing series (one on wolvers and one on guardians).

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Well, brace yourselves! I have written a child sex abuse novel. It covers the usual ground as you’d expect in a survivor story, but this one goes on to offer hope. The survivor (Tina) finds romance on her path to recovery. And she has some awesome friends too.

It’s ground breaking in its approach. As an author this is both exciting and scary.

I want to raise awareness of CSA (so we can help bring a stop to abuse), and to offer hope to survivors, that they too can have a happily ever after.

Available for pre order now. Official release date 15th October 2015.

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TL Clark’s Website

TL Clark Facebook Page

TL Clark Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Kayl Karadjian

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Venezuela, but I moved to the United States when I was very young. I’m currently living in Florida. Unfortunately, I do not have any pets even though I adore them. Dogs and cats and even reptiles!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading Harry Potter when I was very young, and then moved to some other fantasy and sci-fi series. I started writing at the end of 2013, or at least, I started writing seriously then. And even though I was serious, what I produced was actually garbage until I had some practice and bettered my writing skills.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Of course, any fantasy author is going to name Tolkien, Martin, Lewis, etc. I’d add Rothfuss and Sanderson to that list, in addition to a few other authors (Vonnegut, Orwell, and Lovecraft) who have inspired me.

I was a huge fan of Blizzard Entertainment, particular in their earlier installments of StarCraft, Diablo, and WarCraft, and have read a wealth of novels pertaining to those games. Knaak and Golden are a couple of authors from those series that have inspired me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest (and first) book is called Broken Blades Don’t Sing, and it is the first in my Tales of Ashkar series. It is fantasy, and takes place in a world called Ashkar. In this world, there are those called elementalists, who can wield the power of the elements through sharing a bond with entities called elementals. Sounds kind of complicated, or maybe not. It’s hard to tell sometimes as the writer of your work.

Either way, I have several PoVs and characters. Most of them are elementalists, some young and inexperiences, others older and veterans of the magic. There are a total of ten elements, and some of them are obvious like fire and ice. Others, not so much, though they all follow a certain mastery or concept.

There are a lot of mysteries about Ashkar that are yet to be unraveled, and there’s a whole lot of drama.

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Kayl Karadjian’s Website

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Featured Interview With Nicholas Fisher

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a college professor of English and I love edgy fiction! I grew up in Broomall, Pennsylvania and I currently live a few minutes away in Wynnewood. My dog is a nifty little King Charles Cavalier spaniel, and my son Max is a freshman at Arizona State University.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started being fascinated with books when I first picked up The Lord of the Rings. Since then (middle school) I went over from fantasy more to horror fiction, and through the years have read every Stephen King book. When I teach writing however, even to horror writers, I try to convince them that love is the all-time best motivator for good fiction.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like Stephen King of course, Thomas Harris, and in terms of young adult I have always appreciated those like Louis Sacher, Lois Lowry, and Sharon Draper. I like classics and current books. My favorites have deep character portraits and a psychological edge.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Becky’s Kiss is my first young adult piece. It is a paranormal romance with a baseball them and a lot of surprises. It has the pretty yet klutzy 9th grade girl (named Becky Michigan) in a new school trying to fit in, and a mysterious boy named Danny who it seems only she can see. Becky falls in love and also begins showing talents in baseball she never knew she had, like throwing a ball at ninety miles per hour. Things come to a head when Danny asks her to meet him on the abandoned ball field behind the high school at midnight where all secrets will be revealed.

The book took a year to write and it remains one of my favorite works.

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Nicholas Fisher’s Website

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Featured Interview With Richard Stockford

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Maine, and have lived here all my life (so far), except for a few years with Uncle Sam in the early 60’s. I attended the University of Maine in Orono, and ended up as a patrolman with the Bangor Police Department in 1970. In 1991, I retired as Chief of Police and have since pursued my interests in the areas of graphic design, blacksmithing and knifemaking and, finally, writing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Some of my earliest memories involve reading, and I’ve always loved to write, but most of my efforts were confined to report writing and technical articles for many years. I got serious about fiction writing when my grandchildren got serious about reading.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’ve always admired the skill, productivity and imagination of Stephen King, and I really enjoy John Sandford’s ability to tell a crime story in a realistic manner. My favorite genre? Anything written.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I published the first two books of the “Past” series, “Past Due” and “Past Perfect” this year. The third, “Past Master” is currently in the works. This series explores the effects of historic crimes on a modern investigator, and it pulls from my love of local history and more than two decades of law enforcement experience.

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Richard Stockford’s Website

Featured Interview With Linda Heavner Gerald

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Linda Heavner Gerald, was recently voted by the public, as One of 50 Writers You Should Be Reading. Currently, Linda has eight published novels, with one on the way. Her favorite genre is Mystery.

Mrs. Gerald, enjoys walking on the Gulf of Mexico, with her husband of twenty-one years, Jennings. They also bike frequently, on the trails by their home. Gardening, is another passion, which they share. As reflected in her latest book, Murdered Twice, Linda enjoys her local DAR Chapter.

Linda Gerald, has one son and one grandson, who reside in Dallas, Texas. Writing is an unexpected blessing, which she humbly uses to honor God. Her goal is to encourage, with medical information from her years as a Registered Nurse, as well as showing that God’s love, and redemption is available to everyone.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As far back as I can remember, I loved books. I tried to read, as many books as possible. My writing, is a blessing from God. Only writing for three years now, I have eight published novels.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors are: John Grisham, Nicholas Sparks and Nelson De Mille. My favorite genre is Mystery. I am inspired by the wonders of nature and my fellow-man.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Murdered Twice, is a delightful tale of murder on the Forgotten Coast. A local friend, made a generous donation to a charity, which offered to feature their name in my next book. Since I write, “By the seat of my pants,” I was shocked by the outcome of my venture. Detective Sue Gibbs, emerged as the heroine of the story. A local detective, with humor and love for her small town. I see a little of Nelson DeMille, in the funny way she looks at life.

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Featured Interview With George Mazurek

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi,
I´m a writer from the Czech Republic. I was born in Cesky Tesin in 1974, and now I live near Ostrava. I don´t have any pets…

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Reading was my passion since I learnt reading at age of five. I started writing in my twenties, and my first published books and stories are from 2005.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like Roger Zelazny, Isaac Asimov, GRRT, JRRT, Brandon Sanderson and many other authors. As you can see, I read fantasy and sci-fi mainly, but I´m also interested in science and YA.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is The City of Wizards. It is a novella from a unique magic world with young heroes and plenty of action, love and suspense. This book is not similar to any other book known to me… It has a mythology of its own

Featured Interview With Michael R Dougherty

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m an Alaskan by way of California, so that makes me a “Calaskan.”

For my entire life I’ve been a storyteller, especially humorous stories –

I’ve always enjoyed observing people, places and things and have collected a lifetime of stories because of my observations.

But I never considered myself a writer until I was in my late teens.

When I was in high school I started working at KTVA channel 11, the CBS affiliate in Anchorage, Alaska. There I started out working in the studio and worked my way up to Director of Programing and Promotions, which meant that I was writing on-air promotional spots for the station. And that’s when I first became a professional writer.

Much to my surprise, and I’m sure to the shocking surprise felt by my elementary school, junior high school and high school English teachers – I became a Hollywood screenwriter.

One script that became a movie is “The Long Ride Home” a family western starring country music singer Randy Travis, Eric Roberts (brother of Julia Roberts) and Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine, and based on my short script.

Well, that’s my story and yes, I’m sticking to it –

There is of course much, much more, but I’d rather leave you wanting more, rather than have you fleeing for your life screaming “get me out of here.”

In your hurry up life where even fast food isn’t fast enough any more, do yourself a gigantic favor. Take the time to laugh and be inspired.

And one other thing –

A very wise person once said “laughter is the best medicine.”

Don’t you wish that they’d sell it on TV like they sell all those pills for everything from sweaty fingernails to leaky plumbing. Because at least with laughter, you wouldn’t need to hear that long list of “may causes.” You know, that long list that follows all the pill commercials where they warn you about all the horrible side effects those pills can cause.

Yes, laughter is the best medicine – it’s free, and there are no side effects, unless you count a few sore muscles from excessive laughter.

So laugh a little – heck, laugh a lot.

Michael R Dougherty

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Much to my surprise I began writing professionally when I was but a young pup right out of high school and I started writing promotional announcements for television.

I actually started writing screenplays before I started writing books.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My wife inspires me to write by saying “Mike, just shut up and write.”

Authors who inspire me are those who can make me laugh because they really know how to use good, clean humor. I enjoy Dave Berry, Garrison Keillor who writes the Lake Wobegon book and radio series, and play write Neil Simon. And the writers of the Bob Newhart TV show – now that’s great writing.

My old wind-up Smurfs alarm clock and my wife saying “get up already and turn off that Smurf thing” also inspire me to get up and write.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Have you ever wanted to visit Alaska?

Humorous Stories from ALASKA …and beyond is a collection of funny short stories like “Dynamite and the Alaskan Outhouse”, “The Popeye Effect” and “Terror on Windigo Island.”

Here’s a quote about my book –

“Growing up can be filled with adventure and Humorous Stories from ALASKA …and beyond is a double dose of fun as author Michael R Dougherty takes you on a fun ride through his families Alaska adventures.”

When I’m asked how long it took me to write this book, the only answer I can give is “it took me a lifetime.” Not because I write that slow, but because the stories came from my life in Alaska.

So for me, “Humorous Stories from ALASKA… and beyond” brings back a flood of happy, fun memories. And by the way, the “… and beyond” part of the title means that a few of the stories were about funny adventures that happened outside of Alaska.

Now here’s the thing –

If you’ve ever wanted to visit Alaska, you can read my book – it’s a lot less expensive than an Alaska cruise, and a lot funnier.

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Michael R Dougherty’s Website

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Featured Interview With Abby Rosmarin

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
“A little about myself.”

Er, I mean: hi there. I was born in Boston, raised in a town just south of Boston (to quote the movie Blow, “A town called Weymouth.”), and currently live in New Hampshire. I have two cats, a guinea pig, and a coop of chickens to call as my pets.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Both my fascination with books and my love of writing predate proper memory. There are pictures of me as a toddler “reading” my favorite books, and there are books I “wrote” from when I was as young as four that are comprised of scribbles in lieu of words.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Although I really don’t read anything else from the horror/fantasy genre, I’m a huge fan of Stephen King. I’ve been reading his books since my parents deemed I was old enough to start reading them. I also love Junot Diaz, David Sedaris, and Anais Nin.
I’ve found that I don’t really stick to one particular genre. Contemporary fiction, creative nonfiction, memoirs — whatever resonates with me at that particular time.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Chick Lit (And Other Formulas for Life) is about the crossroads we all find ourselves at in various points in our lives. It’s about the dilemma we all face in our personal, professional, and romantic lives: do we play it safe or do we take a risk? Katy finds herself in the middle of a quarter-life crisis, attempting to figure out what she wants to do with her life. She also finds herself in a relationship with the stereotypical square-jawed hunk from the chick lit tropes, only to realize that her relationship might not be everything she thought it would be.

The book also plays homage to the guilty pleasure genre known as chick literature. While Katy is vocal about her disdain for “chick lit”, her life starts playing out like one. From her hunky yet nondescript boyfriend to her best guy friend (who is not-so-secretly in love with her) to her sassy roommate who is not afraid to tell it like it is. The only problem is that life can’t be solved like it does in a cliched chick lit story. In fact, attempting to follow those formulas might just make a bad situation worse.

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Abby Rosmarin’s Website

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Featured Interview With Jule Owen

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in the North of England, in a small Merseyside town nestled between Snowdonia, the Irish Sea and the Pennines. I now lives in London, but miss the wild places and the warm-hearted Northern folk. I don’t miss the weather!

I have three cats, which I know is too many. I try herding them regularly. Two are Tonkinese and one is a Bengal. They actually own me.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
One of my earliest and happiest memories is learning to read using those old white cards with big black type. I loved those cards. The words fascinated me. My first book loves were about animals. I loved Charlotte’s Web and I was so into The One Hundred and One Dalmatians that I wrote the sequel, when I was seven and a half. (No one told me one already existed). So my first literary creation was fan fiction. My first original story was science fiction, but it was largely based on Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Right now I’m very into Chuck Wendig and Ann Leckie. Chuck writes these generous, humane, profane, really wonderful books for teenagers, with huge hearts. Ann has created this mind-bending universes and can make you love artificial intelligences inhabiting a dead human body. That’s some feat!

I read a lot of science fiction and speculative fiction, I love Philip K Dick, Ursula Le Guin, Iain M Banks and Margaret Atwood. I also love fantasy. But I read very widely. Some of my favourite books are classics, like Wuthering Heights, Gulliver’s Travels or Orlando.

I’m also inspired by non-fiction, so writers like Michio Kaku, Martin Rees, K Eric Drexler, George Friedman, Alan Weisman, James Lovelock and James Hansen. I read The New Scientist once a week and follow anything to do with futurology or scientific developments.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“The Boy Who Fell from the Sky” is the first of a mind-twisting new YA dystopian series, set in a near future world

The world is falling apart in 2055. Another flood has devastated London and it’s the eve of the First Space War. With the city locked down, sixteen-year-old Mathew Erlang is confined to his house with only his cat, his robot and his holographic dragons for company.

Desperate for a distraction from the chaos around him, Mathew becomes fascinated by his peculiar and reclusive neighbour, August Lestrange. Mathew begins to investigate Mr. Lestrange, turning to the virtual world of the Nexus and Blackweb for answers. But as he digs deeper, Mathew realises that Mr. Lestrange doesn’t seem quite human.

When Mathew accidentally finds himself trapped in Lestrange’s house, he opens a door and falls four hundred years into the future. Unwittingly, he starts to destabilise the course of human history.

A 1984 for a new generation, The Boy Who Fell from the Sky delves into a future where climate change and technology have transformed the world. It is the first book in The House Next Door trilogy, a young adult dystopian science fiction action adventure.

“The Boy Who Fell from the Sky” is the first of three books in the “House Next Door” trilogy.

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Jule Owen’s Website

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Featured Interview With Katarina Nolte

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Katarina Nolte, author of “So Long Constipation, Part 1”, “100 Steps to a Lean Body”, “The Natural Path to Hormonal Wellness, Part 1”, “49 Gluten-free Recipes”, “50 Gluten-free Recipes” and “51 Gluten-free Recipes”. Blogger. Reviewer. https://katarinanolte.com/

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
1. 7 or 8.
2. 2002

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
1. Currently, it’s Daniel Suarez.
2. Mystery, suspense, sci fi, thrillers.
3. People who write about wellness.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
51 Gluten-free Recipes – Kindle edition by Katarina Nolte. Health, Fitness & Dieting Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

It’s the third book in my Gluten-free Recipes series.

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Katarina Nolte’s Website

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Featured Interview With Annie Miles

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in the South. I’ve recently gotten a divorce and my ex-husband got the family dog. I miss him but get visitation when my ex-husband goes out of town. I have two grown sons.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always liked to read but started reading voraciously in 2007. I was going through a hard time, personally, and I found that reading was an excellent escape. In 2009, when my mother was diagnosed with dementia, I stared writing about my experiences with her as well as my past relationship with her. The book is about all that occurred to mislead me into marrying a man my mother wanted me to marry and the repercussions of that decision. At the same time that I was becoming my mother’s caretaker, I was living in a cold, emotionally-abusive marriage, so dealing with both was challenging, to say the least. Writing about it was therapeutic, and I subsequently found my wreck of a life was entertaining to readers!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like chick lit – both humorous and suspenseful. I love Nora Roberts, and she does inspire me.. I also like Sandra Brown, Stacey Ballis, Robin Carr, Jennifer Cruise . . . so many to like!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Winston Churchill said “When you’re going through Hell, just keep going.” You can read about my trip through Hell with gasoline pants in Misled. It’s based on my real life story. Probably the parts where you will think “that’s fiction” will be the parts that really happened. If you think your family is dysfunctional; if you are or have ever been a caretaker to an elderly parent; if you have or had a contentious relationship with your mother; if you are in or have been in an unhappy marriage; if you like shocking stories about love and betrayal; if you want a book an engrossing and inspiring book that will stay with you long after you read it, you should read MISLED. It’s a story about relationships and how those closest to us can manipulate us into making life choices and how to ultimately survive those choices.

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Annie Miles’s Website

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Featured Interview With Ibiloye, Abiodun Christian

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born in Nigeria, Kwara State to Christian parents, Anglican.Attended Umiversity of Ilorin for degree programme), and both Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and The Redeemed Christian Bible College for Postgraduate studies.Ordained as a minister by Pastor E.A Adeboye at the Redemption Camp in 2006. [A senior civil servant and partly into ministry ]
I have a ministry, Grace Life and Hope Ministry, with online presence and publications as GOD has given the grace and vision.
Presently with Kaduna State Government, Nigeria. Used to have a dog, Bingo as named by one of my neighbors.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
At about six years of age when I began with my dad’s news paper. I was also encouraged by my literature in English teacher at the College I attended. That was about time I started writting and have not only written non fiction but drama and poetry. two of my drama was acted on stage by my youth fellowship members in my Church.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Dr TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer, Paula White, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, Betty Moore, Dr David O. Oyedepo
My favourite genre is poetry, also Christian non-fiction.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I have on Amazon, [kindle book format], a Christian self help and inspirational read:
YOU ARE A WINNER: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WISY0DA/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_sLS5vb0Y20Y9R via @amazon
This goes beyond just another sermon or good counsel but the truth, power and practicality of faith and understanding of God’s resulting into sensible diligent works and intelligent personal life adjustment.

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Ibiloye, Abiodun Christian Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With Teiran Smith

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. After living in Connecticut and Sandusky, Ohio, my husband and I moved again to Grand Haven, Michigan in January 2014. I am absolutely in love with western Michigan. It is hands down one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. The Grand Haven community is very supportive of the arts which has been incredibly inspiring for me. It inspired me to publish my first novel, Rooter. And I have fallen in love with landscape photography and even dabble in abstract painting.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Oh my. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated with writing and reading. For me, books have always represented hidden treasure. They offer an escape from reality. Reading has an extremely calming effect on me as does writing. I can’t go a single day without one or the other without going through withdrawals.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Another hard question. The first Author I fell in love with was Edgar Allan Poe. I love his work. I’ve read everything he’s written. I remember the first time I came across The Raven in middle school. I was hooked immediately. Then came Shakespeare-my second love followed by Jane Austin.

In recent years I discovered Jamie McGuire. Her book, Beautiful Disaster, resembled that which I write and I became an immediate fan. I also enjoy Colleen Hoover.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Rooter was a real labor of love for me. I had such a fun time writing it. This was the first book I didn’t follow an outline for. I let the characters lead me and rather than writing the story I wanted to tell, I wrote THEIR story. I fell so in love with Sophie, Rooter, Miranda, Bear, and Ryan that I actually cried when I finished writing it. It felt like saying goodbye to good friends. Halfway through the story I’d already decided it would be a series. I just had to keep going with all of them!

Sophie is a very troubled young woman. She has no family. The only family she ever had was her mother-a drug addict who committed suicide when Sophie was seventeen. So now she lives with her best friend, Miranda, and her brother Mike. All Sophie wants is a normal life with family and love-something she’s never had and something she believes she’ll never have.

Miranda and Mike also recently lost their parents so they’re all kind of grieving their losses together. But Mike’s feelings for Sophie are more than just friendship. He admitted he’s in love with her and when she didn’t reciprocate, he spiraled out of control. Now he’s doing drugs and drinking and has become abusive. The derision between them causes tension between the three of them. Sophie’s infatuation with Rooter, the “vicious criminal” next door only makes matters worse.

When Mike finds Sophie conversing with Rooter, he goes into a jealous rage and attacks both girls. Rooter comes to their defense which only increases Sophie’s interest in him. But he makes it clear that nothing will ever happen between them-he’s a bad guy and she deserves better. But when Sophie gets attacked yet again he comes to her rescue and finally admits that he has feelings for her.

They embark on a passionate romance, but it’s hampered by Rooter’s secrecy, controlling behavior, his crazy, obsessed ex-friend-with-benefits. As much as they care for one another, there just seems to be one obstacle after another. When it seems things can’t get any worse, Sophie is accused of committing a brutal crime against Rooter. Heartbroken, Sophie moves out of the house to put distance between the two of them. But now that she’s separated from Rooter’s watchful eye and protection, Mike decides Sophie needs to pay for breaking his heart.

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Teiran Smith’s Website

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Featured Interview With Marie D. Jones

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’ve been writing since toddlerhood and wrote my first full book at the age of 5 1/2, about life on Mars. I was always ahead of my time. I grew up in the Northeast and then moved to San Diego, California as a teenager with my family. I’ve been a Cali girl ever since. I live in a lake resort community with my son, Max, and a Chihuahua and cat…they get along marginally. I’m a full-time writer and single mom, which leaves little time for much else. But those are my two biggest passions anyway, and not necessarily in that order.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading and writing at a very early age, before I was 2. Yes, one of “those” kids. I worshipped books and loved telling stories, and still do. I knew from about the age of 5 that I would end up being a writer, mainly because I wanted to be so many things and writing about them was the only way I knew of that I could live all my dreams, even if a bit vicariously! My fondest childhood memories involve an armload of books from the local library in Stony Point, New York. I can still remember the thrill of getting to pick out whatever I wanted to read about. Books represent such freedom.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am a huge fan of Charles de Lint and Stephen King. I love reading all genres, but mainly urban fantasy, horror and science fiction. I tend to have more masculine tastes in what I read, and in what I write. I’m inspired by other writers, and my son. Sometimes I have no idea where the inspiration comes from, although I suspect I know! I love discovering new authors like my current “loves,” Sarah Lotz and Matt de la Pena. That excites me and motivates me!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I’ve written over 15 non-fiction books, a novel with my son, and more to come. My current release is a non-fiction book titled “Mind Wars,” which documents our nation’s history with mind control, social engineering and surveillance. It’s objective and chilling and was very frightening to research and write. My most current fiction is “EKHO – EVIL KID HUNTING ORGANIZATION,” a middle grade book written with my son, Max, about the real life spy group he formed in grade school when being bullied…with a sci fi twist. Book Two is coming early in 2016!

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Featured Interview With Marianne Sciucco

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m not a nurse who writes but a writer who happens to be a nurse. A lover of words and books, I dreamed of becoming an author when I grew up but became a nurse to avoid poverty. I later brought my two passions together and write about the intricate lives of people struggling with health and family issues. I grew up near Boston and earned my Bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. I spend a lot of time on Cape Cod. I also survived nursing school and when not writing work as a campus nurse at a community college in New York’s Hudson Valley, where I live with my patient and reliable husband and beautiful, brainy daughter. We are ruled by Mr. Chance, a cat we rescued who thinks he rescued us. I’m currently working on a YA novel, “Swim Season,” about the new girl on the team who challenges a longstanding school record, to be released in 2015. A dedicated Swim Mom for ten years, you can find me during swim season at one of many Skyline Conference swim meets cheering for my daughter and her team. 25:00!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always written, and dreamed of becoming a professional writer as a child, when I would staple together pieces of notepaper and write stories. My goal in high school was to become a journalist, and in college I worked on the student newspaper, eventually becoming editor-in-chief. After graduation, my attempts to find work as a reporter failed, so I eventually went into nursing. I put away my typewriter and stifled my wild mind, which constantly fed me ideas for stories and articles I had no time to write. Years later a manager at the hospital I worked for started a newsletter for the nursing department. I volunteered my services and soon took over the whole project. This got me started writing articles for publication and soon I embarked on my first novel. I guess I’ve come full circle.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’m an eclectic reader. I don’t stick to one genre. Here are some of the books and authors who inspire me:

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, because it’s the ultimate romance novel, timeless, and beautifully executed. Jane never goes out of style. If I could only keep one book on my shelf it would be my “Complete Novels of Jane Austen.”

Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, by Anne Tyler, which I read during my first trip to California, and hooked me on Tyler, who is one of my favorite authors – I’ve read all of her books – and someone I actually had the privilege to meet.

True to Form, by Elizabeth Berg, another favorite author. I discovered this book while at the gym, flipping through a Good Housekeeping magazine as I took on the treadmill. I often read while exercising. The excerpt enthralled me so I went out and got the book, which not only inspired me to read everything she’s written but motivated me to start writing my own books. Thanks Elizabeth.

Gap Creek, by Robert Morgan. Oh, he gives me goose bumps, such a beautiful writer. He weaves a magical story and pulls you into his country so you feel like you were born there.

Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt. Incredibly real and moving, dark and full of light at the same time.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
While at work as a nurse case manager in a rehabilitation unit, I met an elderly couple who inspired my characters Jack and Sara in my novel Blue Hydrangeas. She had Alzheimer’s and he was physically frail. The amazing thing about them was that they’d driven from Florida to New York by themselves without any incident. Unfortunately, once home, she fell and broke her pelvis and landed in the hospital. That’s where I came in, to assist with the discharge plan. She was supposed to go to a local nursing home for continued rehab and her son planned to drive her and her husband there on discharge day. I completed their plans and said goodbye, but couldn’t stop thinking about them, wondering what would happen if they somehow left the hospital without their son and did not go to the rehab. Where would they go? What would they do? My wild imagination took off, and the seeds for the novel took root. My hope is that those who are unfamiliar with this disease come away from this book with knowledge and understanding of what it does to those affected and their loved ones. For those who are familiar with this disease and live with it every day, I wish to give them hope, comfort, and the knowledge that they are not alone.

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Featured Interview With Ana Spoke

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in the in the part of the Soviet Union which is now Russia. I grew up in the US and now live in Australia.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved books – thanks to the boring grey Soviet TV and movies, it was the best entertainment. I would read a book every day or two, and consumed them without regard to genre, although historical adventures were my favourite. I’ve tried to write a novel for at least a decade, but Shizzle, Inc is my first finished and published work.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love Stephen King, although I would rather read humor and chicklit than horror. My writing style is undoubtedly influenced by some of my early favorites – Russian Ilf and Petrov’s “Twelve Chairs” and “The Golden Calf”; Czech Jaroslav Hašek’s “The Good Soldier Švejk”; and O. Henry’s short stories. More recently, I’ve loved John Kennedy’s “A Confederacy of Dunces” and Jonas Jonasson’s “The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared”.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Shizzle, Inc is a slightly bizzare comedy about adventures of Isa Maxwell – an average and not especially bright 20-year old community college graduate. More than anything else, Isa wants to be discovered, so that she can solve her financial woes and win back Brad, the love of her life.
Thanks to her clumsiness, street smarts, and an unbelievable bit of luck, Isa lands a dream job at Shizzle, Inc. Things start to look up when Mr. Hue, the playboy billionaire owner of Shizzle, Inc takes Isa under his wing. Isa even gets a number of new love interests, but all is not what it seems.

Shizzle, Inc took about two-an-a-half years of hard work – what started as a joke spoof of one scene from 50 Shades of Grey grew into a full-fledged story, complete with life and death dramas, kidnappings, car chases and gunfire. I’ve had a lot of fun writing it and so far it seems my readers enjoy it – I keep getting requests to hurry up with the second installment!

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Featured Interview With Nick Piers

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’ve lived all over the Maritimes here in Canada: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Also lived in Toronto for a few years, which was my own time living outside of Atlantic Canada. That gave me a good feel for big-city living and a seeing wide range of people.

Now, I’m living back in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

As for pets, I have a cat – Diomedes – who I’m almost certain wants to conquer the world.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Oddly enough, I’ve been writing pretty much since I learned how to write. During the summer after Grade 2, I wrote and drew little stories in crayon. Usually, they featured Gizmo (from the film Gremlins) in various one-paragraph adventures. As I learned more writing tricks over the years, my writing improved and I eventually dumped Gizmo in favour of horror stories. I was relentlessly bullied in grade school and wound up using the names of my bullies as victims in those stories. It was strangely very cathartic.

By middle school, I’d learned the love that is comic books, superheroes, and pulp heroes.

As for reading, honestly, I didn’t spend as much reading as others. I probably spent more time watching cartoons, horror or action films, and playing video games. Comics were my big thing to read, which unquestionably influenced my writing style. In both of my novels, I actually employ comic book style sound effects. It’s gone over very well with my readership.

Though I did still read many books growing up. I fondly remember enjoying anything by Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume, for example. Later, it was Stephen King. And I was probably one of the few in my English class that actually enjoyed the material we were given to read.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Most of what I read is genre books. My favourite authors include Neil Gaiman, John Zakour, and especially Simon R Green. Though there are some non-genre books I’ve greatly enjoyed. Some of my favourite books include Frankenstein, To Kill a Mockingbird, What Dreams May Come, and Flowers for Algernon.

I’ve also recently discovered Mickey Spillane. It’s funny. I didn’t read any of his work until after my first novel – The City of Smoke & Mirrors – was published. Yet, the very first sentence I read of “The Big Bang,” I immediately thought to myself, “Oh my god, this is Dill!” (Dill being the main character in my own series).

My own writing’s biggest inspiration was Simon R Green’s Nightside series. I loved the mix of the fantasy and detective genres, as well as how each book was a fun, self-contained adventure. It harkened back to the old pulps like Doc Savage. Similarly, I loved John Zakour’s science fiction & detective series like The Platinum Blonde. I kept thinking, “Man, I’d love to create my own trench coat and fedora kinda guy.” And that’s when Dilbert Pinkerton was born.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
THE DAME WAS A TAD POLISH is the second Armadillo Mystery. Mixing the superhero and detective genres, I like to describe the series as “Mickey Spillane meets Ninja Turtles.” Its star, Dilbert Pinkerton (friends call him Dill) is a mutant armadillo private detective. He digs for the truth.

In DAME, Dill is hired to protect a mutant frog actress, Lily Pad. Someone wants her either dead or to confess to something she’s clammed up about. Dill has a feeling there’s more to the story than she’s willing to say, though. So he needs to dig into things before things come to a head. Or before she loses hers.

At 60,000 words, DAME took me roughly 8 months to write. My usual M.O. for writing is trying to bang out a chapter in one sitting. So with 30 chapters, that’s about 2,000 a session, which is usually my goal in a writing period. Obviously, it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes I wrote more, sometimes I write less. Sometimes I finish a chapter, sometimes I don’t.

Funny enough, this wasn’t even meant to be the first sequel in the series. I’d actually been working on a different adventure for Dill. But at almost 30,000 words in, I hit a major case of writer’s block: I had no idea what to do with the villain for that adventure. Frustrated, I put the whole thing on the back burner and started fresh with this one. In the end, I’m really pleased how this one turned out.

If you’re considering reading DAME or The City of Smoke & Mirrors, I like to tell people: “Dill’s a right total bastard. You’ll love him.”

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Featured Interview With Kannan

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am an Indian with fluency in three Indian Languages. And I know a little bit of English.

I was born and brought up in the state of Andhra Pradesh, where Telugu is the spoken language. However, I was born into a migrant family that speaks Tamil. So, I used to speak Tamil at home and Telugu outside. My education was in Telugu and I grew learning that language well. When I was adolescent, I taught myself to write and read Tamil. When I moved to the state of Maharashtra for doing my Masters in Engineering, I learnt Hindi to manage my day-to-day affairs. I was forced to read newspaper in English, the Times of India, which in those pre-commercial days was good to read.

When I started working in a place near the then Bombay, I visit Bombay often to buy books and then was initiated into English literature, albeit I had few interactions earlier as well.

At present, I live in Mumbai – the same old Bombay, with a new name with my son, and of course my wife.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
It was during high school. Eversince I could read, I read – whatever I find and could. At that time, I used to read all that was written or printed in Telugu. Then, I wrote poems – in line with my young age – both romantic and revolutionary.

However, once my academics have turned to be serious, I forgot about the finer arts. When I was working and stayed alone in the factory’s colony, I painted a lot, apart from reading. When I moved to the interior India to work for the aluminium Industry for the first time, and quite a distance from both my native place and Mumbai, I started writing – and that was nearly nine years ago. However, none of the books I started then were completed, at least till now.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Robert Ludlum, Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and Ayn Rand. I know, the combination is a bit weird, but I think it explains me. My favorite genre is mystery and thriller, the way Ludlum conceives. I enjoy reading Doyle and Chritie at any time like I enjoyed Dickens and Defoe.

With Ayn, it was those two novels that shaped my perception of the world.

Despite influenced by the writings of Ayn, I feel, it was Ludlum and Doyle who inspired me to write.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
It is a book about the insignificance of life in the eyes of politicians and businessmen. Yes, the plot deals about a purported nuclear attack on India, by non-state actors of Pakistan. But, in the story, the Pakistani characters are not villian, but heroes in their own way.

The story involves one Pakistani general who was disowned by his own Government, Army and finally his nation. As a patriotic officer of Pakistan, how he reacts – despite he was a part of one of the dastardly schemes.

The main protagonist of the book was however, a nuclear scientist, who belong to an Indian family that moved to Pakistan after partition. How, this person with exposure to both countries responds to the suggestion to nuke the country in which he was born, when pushed by his adopted nation- form the crux of the story.

I tried to discribe and discuss various background scenes that evolve when such attack is expected and how all major countries of the world respond, keeping only their interests in mind.

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Featured Interview With Jennifer Loring

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in western New York, not far from Buffalo. I’ve been in Pennsylvania for twenty years now, if you count college–Erie to Pittsburgh to Philly, where my husband and I have lived for almost ten years. We share our house with a turtle and two basset hounds.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I taught myself to read at age four, so books have always been one of my favorite things. I started writing when I was 12, about a year after I read my first Stephen King book (MISERY). My first serious attempts at writing didn’t come until after college. I was first published at 21 and had my first pro sale at 24. I’ve since had 33 short stories, a novelette, a novella, and two novels published.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Robin McKinley. Stephen King. Gillian Flynn. Chuck Palahniuk. Tanith Lee (RIP). Clive Barker. Cormac McCarthy. D. A. Stern. I love to read them all, and they’ve all influenced me. My favorite genre is dark fantasy and horror, but I’ll read anything that catches my interest. I’ve recently started reading paranormal romance.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is FIREBIRD, the first in The Firebird Trilogy, a contemporary erotic romance series from Limitless Publishing. I wrote the first draft in five weeks at the end of 2014, most of it during NaNoWriMo. Another eight months, three drafts, and 40,000 more words later, I signed a contract for it after generating a lot of interest on Twitter’s #Pit2Pub. It’s the story of a pro hockey player and a journalist and how they work through their various personal tragedies and emotional baggage before they can be together.

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Featured Interview With Rachel Carrington

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Though I was born in North Carolina, I was raised, for the most part, in Charleston, South Carolina which is where I still live. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

I have a part-Siamese part-tabby cat named Temperance who is temperamental, loving, and demanding, and adopting her was one of the best decisions I ever made. She sleeps right beside me as I’m writing every night.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember. The Little House on the Prairie series was, and still is, one of my favorite series. I’ve read those books numerous times along with Little Women, Jane Eyre, Anne of Green Gable, and Pride and Prejudice.

As I’ve grown older, my reading habits have changed, and now I read a lot of young adult, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance, but I can still go back to my favorite childhood books.

I started seriously writing when I was sixteen after someone I cared for very much lost his life at fifteen. I wrote a poem detailing my emotions. And it helped me to express myself, and from that point on, I knew I wanted to continue writing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have a long laundry list of favorite authors including Christine Feehan, Michelle Rowen, Lisa Renee Jones, Janette Oke, and Teri Blackstock. I don’t have one particular favorite genre to read because I do read a little bit of everything, including young adult, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, non-fiction, biographies, and thrillers.

The one author who inspires me the most is, and always will be, Lisa Renee Jones. Not only is she a phenomenal writer, she’s also one of the most determined women I’ve ever met. But one thing that really stands out with Lisa is that even though she has a successful writing career, she hasn’t let that change her. She’s still the same open, wonderful person she has been since the day I met her.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, Meeting Zach, is a young adult romance which hasn’t been released yet. It’s my first full-length young adult book, and I’m really excited about it. I had a short young adult story published in the Still Hungry for Your Love anthology, and it got me interested in writing in this genre.

In Meeting Zach, Abby is determined to make it to Mega-Con to meet her celebrity hero. And she’s willing to break all the rules to do it. What she doesn’t realize is that bad decisions can have tragic repercussions, leaving her with guilt she can’t shake and a life forever changed.

I started writing this book about two months ago, and I’m about 3,000 words away from finishing it as I write this. I’m hoping I might wrap it up this evening!

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