Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Teera de Fonseka

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Srilanka, studied at the convent of Our lady of Victories , continued at Good Shepherd Convent ,finished Senior year at St.Ignatius of Loyola college.
Employed by Brown’s Group of Companies since 1963 until I fled for US in 1980.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I began writing much later in life after my children were grown and my life was settled in the United States. My fascination with books began as a child and has continued to grow through the years.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have read so many interesting books but I sure hold on to the book JUST PEACE written by 13 year old, Mattie Stepanak with president Jimmy Carter. Mattie passed away in 2004 at 14, affected by a rare and fatal neuromuscular disease. He made a difference before he died. There are two more books that stay close to my heart. One, I came across recently is THE WRITINGS ON THE WALL. peace at the Berlin wall. written by Terry Tillman and GOD LOVES AN UNMADE BED. spirituality for imperfect written by Fr.Tom Allender SJ with Don Fisher, the founder of Lifes Journey Ministry.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My story is about a painful journey to freedom. God’s amazing grace and mercy brought us to America. At the time, I was willing to settle anywhere in the world to be able to live together with my children in peace. When my children were still infants my perfect world was shattered the night my husband was violently murdered while the two of us lay in bed sleeping. The assailant intended to kill me too, but I survived. Devastated by loss and disfigured from a gruesome facial wound, her infants still to care for, I learned to endure and to carry on. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I imagine that place would be the United States.

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Teera de Fonseka’s Website

Featured Interview With Hayley Barrett

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in the town of Ashburton – a farming town in the South Island of New Zealand, where I lived for the first eighteen years of my life. Once I finished high school, I moved to the city of Christchurch. I loved growing up in a small town and once my husband and I had children, we settled in a small town to bring them up. I now live only a forty-five minute drive from the town I was born – in Rolleston, about ten minutes south of Christchurch. I have three children (two boys and a girl), a birman cat called Tyler and a border collie dog called Lexi.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved reading. Always. I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to read some of the books that meant so much to me as a teenager, books by the likes of Judy Blume and Cynthia Voight. Even now, I my favorite books are young adult books.

When I was in my first year at high school (about 13 years old), my teacher entered my short story into the school’s short story competition and to my immense surprise, I won. The following year, I also won. But apart from writing for school, and the occasional poem written for a favorite uncle, I never spent much time writing as a kid. It wasn’t until I read Sara Donati’s “Into the Wilderness” when I was in my early twenties that I decided I wanted to write a book. But even after I’d made that decision, it still took me another ten years to sit down and start writing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Favorite authors…there are so many! Cassandra Clare, Suzanne Collins, Lauren Kate, Lauren Oliver, Holly Black, Sara Donati, Diana Gabaldon, Paullina Simons. I could go on, but I think that list gives a pretty good idea of what I like!

My favorite genre is probably science fiction/fantasy (usually young adult but not always), but I also love a really good historical fiction.

Sara Donati was my first inspiration and still is to some extent. If I can get so lost in a book that I don’t want to do anything except read, then I always finish the book feeling totally inspired (because that’s what I hope to achieve someday, to write something a reader doesn’t want to put down). Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series did this for me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Into Darkness is a young adult dystopia set in my home country of New Zealand. The main character – Alexandra Spencer – has grown up in the wealthiest, most privileged family in her City, but is sentenced to a year in prison for a crime she didn’t commit. The prison stay itself is horrendous, but she also finds out that her powerful father has been keeping secrets about the people that inhabit their world, and about who Alexandra really is.

When I started writing Into Darkness, I never expected it to turn out quite the way it did – I didn’t expect to write something that would be classified as science fiction. But now I love writing this sort of work and don’t think I’ll ever be able to write a contemporary novel. Into Darkness took me two years to write – I’m hoping the sequel won’t take quite so long.

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Hayley Barrett’s Website

Hayley Barrett Facebook Page

Hayley Barrett Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Laney Zukerman

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live in Manhattan. Moved back here after living in the suburbs of Westchester County for many years.

I was raised in Brooklyn. A native New Yorker.

We have a puppy named Charlie. He is four months old.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
When I was very young I didn’t like to read. Then one day I was grounded. Sitting in my room and started to read some of the books that were collecting dust on my shelves. Nancy Drew mysteries and Louise May Alcott” Little Women.” I became addicted!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
There are many from all different genres but as I got older, began to become more fascinated with non-fiction and life in the real world.

The writings of Maya Angelou are amazing. I often quote her in my book “Lessons for an Urban Goddess.”

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Lessons for an Urban Goddess is a personal growth, self help book. Though it is based on practical wisdom, I think the different twist is that it is effortless to read yet power packed with what is important to renew your sense of self and reflect on your relations to others. It’s really a no-nonsense book filled with motivation. It’s like a booster shot.

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Laney Zukerman’s Website

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Featured Interview With KT Webb

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Lansing, Michigan. My parents are Salvation Army Officers, so I have moved quite a bit since then. I consider myself to be ‘from’ Chicago because I spent most of my childhood in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. I moved to Watertown, South Dakota in 2000 and have been here since.

I am married to a wonderful man (who was born and raised here in Watertown), and have two beautiful children. We live with our two cats, Jersey and Riley. I say we live with them because, let’s be honest, they rule the roost. I am thee weeks away from finishing my Masters of Management and work full time as a Marketing & Communications Coordinator for a successful technology company.

I love to read, listen to an eclectic music portfolio, and make people laugh. I am a sarcastic and snarky individual and often find myself in trouble as a result. 🙂

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My passion for writing has been present for most of my life; in fact, I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t dream of being an author. I wrote my first book in grade school, it was called Lambi & Liara and centered around a lion cub and a lamb who became best friends. It was a pop-up book. 🙂

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have always loved to read, my favorite day in grade school was Book Fair day! I can remember the first books I read over and over; My Teacher is an Alien, My Teacher Fried My Brains, My Teacher Glows in the Dark, and My Teacher Flunked the Planet (by Bruce Coville). After that, reading became my number one hobby.

My favorite authors are varied. I love Jasper Fforde, Joseph Delaney, J.K. Rowling, Suzanne Collins, Susan Cooper, C.S. Lewis, Kate Corcino and Jess Petosa. I love books that combine genres. Life is a mix of a million different things, nothing is all romance or all action. I do tend to gravitate towards Fantasy/Adventure novels.

I find my inspiration in dreams, my mom, and pop-punk music.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Evolved is the result of a crazy dream I had combined with the creative conversations between my mother and me. I started this book about five or six years ago and never really got serious about writing it. Last year, I threw my focus into The Evolved. I went from under 20k words to over 60k words in a matter of months.

The characters are a reflection of the kind of people I want to spend time with. They are smart, quick-witted, brave, and relatable. They’re not perfect, they make mistakes and they question what is asked of them. But they find strength in each other and learn to work together and rely on each other like family.

Throughout the writing process my characters took on a life of their own. There were times when I’d be writing and suddenly stop and think “Nora wouldn’t say that.” Or “Holy crap Thatcher, that was stupid”. It’s fun being able to tell their story, and continue it in the upcoming book, Growing Hope.

The second book sees the characters grow and change in their roles as the Evolved. They become more responsible and even go so far as to search out the one person no one has seen in centuries in order to get the answers they need to defeat a new enemy. I’m excited to share the next piece of their story, and continue with the third installment which will be the conclusion to The New Era Saga.

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KT Webb’s Website

KT Webb Facebook Page

KT Webb Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Laura Wolfe

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a lifelong lover of nature and animals–especially horses. My parents always thought I would outgrow my obsession with horses, but I never did. Today, I still ride at a local barn and enjoy writing about horses. I find it difficult to write a book that doesn’t have a horse galloping through it!

I was raised in Michigan. After graduating from the University of Michigan, I lived in downtown Chicago for ten years. While living in Chicago, I realized I’m not a city person. In fact, one of my dreams is to live on a farm (or at least a large piece of land!) Now, I’m back in Michigan with my husband, son, daughter, and rescue dog. I don’t have the farm yet, but we do live on one spacious acre!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I realized my fascination with books when I was in first grade. My teacher made blank books for all the students and let us fill them in with stories and pictures. I remember I wrote more books than anyone else in the class. My parents literally had boxes of them in our basement.

I didn’t start writing seriously until about three years ago. I spent almost every minute that my daughter was at preschool writing. I wrote picture books first (and got two published!) Then, I decided to tackle something longer. I participated in National Novel Writing Month. That is how Trail of Secrets was born.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love reading fast-paced thrillers, like those by Gillian Flynn. I also enjoy historical fiction with unforgettable characters, such as All The Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr. If I’m sad that a book is over, I know it was good!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Trail of Secrets is a young adult mystery set at a riding academy in northern Michigan. The main character, Brynlei, is a highly sensitive person who can pick up on energy and details that others often miss. When she hears a ghost story around the bonfire about a girl who went missing on a trail ride four years earlier, she begins to sense that the girl–or her ghost–is lurking in the shadows. Brynlei sets out to uncover the truth about the girl’s disappearance. Once she begins to unravel the truth, she finds herself faced with an impossible choice. Will she protect a valuable secret? Or save a life?

It took me about a year to write and revise the book. I tried to add in unexpected twists and turns in the plot, so as to keep the reader guessing! Is the missing girl real, or a ghost? What really happened to her? etc. I set the story against the backdrop of a riding academy so I could write about the riding competition between the girls and their relationships with the horses.

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Laura Wolfe’s Website

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Featured Interview With Lenita Sheridan

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Fairbanks, Alaska. My parents bought property in the Goldstream Valley which is outside of Fairbanks. I enjoyed playing in the woods there and got much of my imagination and inspiration from my years growing up there.

I now live on Whidbey Island, in Washington state where I own a house. I have a pet dog who is a Japanese Spitz named Haley. I love to take her on walks.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My parents loved to read and they passed this on to me. I learned to read at the age of two. I started writing in first grade when a made a picture book. I decided to become a writer in fifth grade. My fifth grade teacher was a fantastic teacher and had us do a lot of writing (among other things). I wanted to take after my grandfather, Maxwell Sheridan who had worked with Ray Bradbury and published in the pulp science fiction magazines of his day.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like C.S. Lewis, L. Frank Baum, George MacDonald, Cornelia Funke, and Angie Sage. I like to read fantasy. I am most inspired by C.S. Lewis. His style of symbolic and allegorical writing is what I write like in my books. Each of my books is based on a parable from the Bible.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The latest book I published is “Guardian of the Gauntlet, Book II.” The Princess Camari from the first book receives a note attached to a bird from the Gnomes of Nurrocon. She realizes she must enlist Isryk’s aid. (She met Isryk in the first book and they became friends.) She and Isryk are about to voyage across the ocean to help the gnomes retrieve crystals from the Magnite Sea which is guarded by a monster named the Great Vanthor. She has a gauntlet which only works through her faith in a higher power to aid her in this quest.

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Lenita Sheridan’s Website

Lenita Sheridan Facebook Page

Featured Interview With D. G. Driver

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a Young Adult and Middle Grade author who lives near Nashville. I grew up in Southern California. I’ve been a published author, starting my career 20 years ago as Donna Getzinger. I still have several award-winning, critically acclaimed nonfiction books with Morgan Reynolds Publishers under that name. In 2014 my first YA novel, Cry of the Sea was published by Fire and Ice Young Adult Books. It was soon followed by my YA romance Passing Notes, and my sequel to Cry of the Sea, Whisper of the Woods, will be released this fall. In addition to writing, I have a full-time job as an infant teacher in a child development center and I take care of my family. I also love doing theater.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have loved books all my life and always been an avid reader. I started writing as a hobby as a child. I didn’t get serious about being a writer until I graduated from college. I majored in Theater and was planning to be an actress. When one of my children’s plays was produced, followed by the sale of a couple short stories, I was hooked and have been writing ever since.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like a wide variety of books, but I favor ones that are plot heavy, like thrillers, adventures, fantasy and science fiction. My favorite grown-up book author is Stephen King. Mostly I read Young Adult and Middle Grade books because that’s what I write. My favorite YA authors are Lin Oliver, Laurie Halse Anderson, J. K. Rowling, and fellow Nashville authors Sharon Cameron and Tracy Barrett.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My newest title is Passing Notes. It is a YA romance story about a teenage boy who is in love with a girl out of his league. He bumbles and fumbles through his awkward texts and emails to her. He begins discovering handwritten notes that give him advice on how to write a perfect love letter to impress her. Soon, he figures out that the notes are being written by a ghost. Why does the ghost want to help him? And if he follows the ghost’s advice, will it work?

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D. G. Driver’s Website

D. G. Driver Facebook Page

D. G. Driver Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Michael Phillip Cash

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Michael Phillip Cash and I am an award winning screenwriter and novelist. As of summer 2015, I have 11 written novels…two more are on the way. I live on the North Shore of Long Island and married to my soulmate with two amazing children. I can also touch my nose with my tongue.

No pets… I’m allergic to everything.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing at age 15.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
All my inspiration came from reading spiritual books and reading amazing screenplays. The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles was a huge inspiration for me. Any screenplay by Quentin Tarantino, Diablo Cody, and Scott Rosenberg have been very influential in my life.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is ‘Witches Protection Program’. The inspiration is sort of embarrassing but I was in the bathroom, checking out my wife’s trashy magazines. I saw the words Wetless Protection Program on one page and thought it said Witches Protection Program. I thought it was a great idea for the start of an incredible story. A few months later, Witches Protection Program is a best-seller on Amazon.

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Michael Phillip Cash’s Website

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Featured Interview With Brian Triplett

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I have lived most of my life in Spokane, Washington. It is a small city on the other side of the state from Seattle. Our motto is “near nature, near perfect.” I can honestly say it is near nature. Spokane actually has a lot going for it other than its connection to Craig T. Nelson. For example, Spokane is home to a surprisingly robust community of local authors. If you’re familiar with Jess Walter, Patrick F. McManus, Kelly Milner Halls, Chris Crutcher, or fantasy and science fiction legend C.J. Cherryh, they all live in the area. That barely scratches the surface. Considering how many talented crime fiction, young adult, and literary fiction authors live in my area code it’s a little weird that people don’t move to Spokane to become writers the way people used to move to Seattle to become rock stars. Anyway, I moved out to Spokane Valley, an adjacent city that used to be part of Spokane, recently. I don’t really do much beside work, promoting Crosses and Runes on social media sites, and trying to finish the sequel to my book.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I learned how to read when I was four years old. My mother read to me all the time and my father told me stories, so I was always fascinated by fiction as far back as I can remember. I spent a lot of my free time with both age-appropriate books and stuff I allegedly wasn’t ready for yet. Then I got my hands on a copy of The Hobbit when I was eight. That warped me for life and I became even more obsessed with fantasy and science fiction than I was after I saw Star Wars (Episode IV) when I was four. I started writing when I was four or five. I didn’t know how to form letters properly or that there were supposed to be spaces between words, but that didn’t stop me from trying. My mom used to keep a collection of the weird science fiction stuff I wrote and illustrated as a kid. I didn’t get good enough for publication until I was in my twenties, but all the practice was fun.

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 (in no particular order) Poul Anderson, Patrick Rothfuss, Michael Moorcock, Roger Zelazny, Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, Martha Wells, Melissa Scott, Terry Pratchett, and Steven Brust. My favorite genre is fantasy. I am inspired by all of those authors, Charles Stross, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My book Crosses and Runes is kind of a funky blend of urban fantasy, science fiction, and suspense. Imagine a procedural crime fiction novel where the law enforcement officers are elves and the crooks are vampires and that gets you in the right ball park. My protagonist is a 155-year-old half-elf sorcerer who spent a few years in Washington state before going off to study magic and martial arts. He is some kind of intelligence operative. While on a routine assignment with his team, he stumbles upon a plot to conquer the world. With some help from his wife (also a powerful mage), his friends, and some elf soldiers, he races against time to save our world and the elves’ home dimension from the vampires.

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Brian Triplett’s Website

Brian Triplett Facebook Page

Brian Triplett Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Maggie Adams

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi! I’m Maggie Adams. I live near St. Louis, MO with my high school sweetheart, Ned, and my wonderful kids, Katie (Kyle) and Ross (Valerie). My life is like a walking, talking sitcom from I Love Lucy, but I love it, although people do tend to keep their distance from me! Writing has always been my dream, with reading my favorite hobby. I try to include a little bit of my life in everything I write, so when you read my books, keep your eyes wide open – I’m in there somewhere! Happy reading!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I learned to read at the age of four. My childhood wasn’t the greatest, and like many other authors and readers, I could escape in a book. As I grew older, I found I didn’t want the stories to end, so I would make up even more adventures. Then, I began making up my own stories, twists on life events, or stories of strangers I saw on the street.
In 1993, the Mississippi River overflowed it’s banks near Grafton, Illinois. I had just moved with my family from Grafton, so the pictures and stories of the flood hit home. And it gave me an idea….and The Tempered Steel Series was born!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
First romance novel was Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss. It’s still one of my favorites. She mixed romance with suspense, family and humor. I was hooked at thirteen. Then came the Wolf and the Dove and I found the love of descriptive history mixed with romance. I’ve loved historical romance ever since.
Hmm, that’s hard because I have discovered so many new indie authors that are truly gifted. Rosemary Rey has an erotic suspense trilogy that I think, is comparable to Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series. Lexi Blake and Shayla Black have pushed the erotic envelope, so to speak, and allowed all of us to enjoy a little peek into the D/s world. Charlaine Harris built an entire world of vampires, werewolves and fairies in her Sookie Stackhouse series. And Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle, has taken the reader through Regency, Present Day and Futuristic scenarios that all blended together in an ongoing mystery/romance series. And then there’s Nora Roberts, who has such a flare for storytelling that she simply looks at the paper and it’s a bestseller!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Meet the Coalsons – Here’s an overview of the entire series!
A few years ago, the tiny village of Grafton, Illinois, nestled along the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, was almost completely destroyed by flood. Rather than pull up stakes and move elsewhere, many of the residents vowed to rebuild their hometown, making it bigger and better than ever. One of these residents was Mac Coalson. The eldest son of Hank and Ginny Coalson, Mac, together with his parents and his six brothers, set about the arduous task of clearing, cleaning, and repairing what could be saved.
What no one expected, though, was that not everyone was happy to be rebuilding the town. When vandals strike the new construction, it was up to Mac and his brothers to catch the culprit before anyone is hurt. While laying a trap, Mac thought he had captured the criminal, but instead, he finds sassy spitfire, Dixie Harris, has stolen his heart. But when the vandal turns to arson, it may be too late to save his brothers.
When Sam Coalson, ex-Navy SEAL, heard about the troubles in his hometown, he decides to head back to Grafton, despite being run off fifteen years ago by the father of his high school sweetheart. He can’t forgive Angel Devereaux for her part in his humiliation, but he can and will find out who is behind the destruction of the new buildings. But what he finds leads them all into a sinister plot to run drugs through their tiny town and it’s up to Angel to save him from certain death.
Charming Chance Coalson helps his brother run their construction business with a ready smile and a strong back. Considered the “Casanova of the County”, his love for women is legendary. But he’s recently realized that his heart belongs to shy volunteer firefighter, Georgia Haines. Now, he must prove to her that this “bad boy” has become a one-woman man, and he must do it before she becomes a target for a killer.
With only a small clue to the whereabouts of the arsonist, Lawrence “Lucky” Coalson heads to Las Vegas. While posing as a bouncer, Lucky finds himself ensnared by the lovely bartender, Claudia. But, like Lucky, she’s not what she appears to be and what happens in Vegas follows Lucky back home with unimaginable consequences.
While Lucky is away, Brandon and Nick foil an attempt to assassinate a pretty private eye and her sweet sister. Together with Sam and his best SEAL buddies, Jax and Noah, they vow to bring the ringleader to justice and rid their town of the criminals. But nothing goes according to plan, and the men must fight Mother Nature, a murderer, and the local law enforcement. Not to mention that the new secretary is definitely hiding something.
While it appears the whole community is going to hell in a handbasket, Hank and Ginny Coalson are thankful that their youngest son, Tanner, and Dixie’s younger brother, Jamie, are away at school. But are they safe enough, when the drug lord and the arsonist combine forces that leaves a family friend severely injured? No one knows where or when the criminals will strike, so Hank makes his own preparations and in the end, no one is in doubt that the Coalsons are taking back their town.

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Maggie Adams’s Website

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Featured Interview With Lauren K. Lotter

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a Christian author and dedicated farm girl. I was raised in the Thumb of Michigan on a 300 acre farm. I still live at home with my parents and three siblings.
On the farm we have goats, sheep, cows, horses, dogs, cats and rabbits. My personal interest is the horses. I enjoy cattle sorting competitions and working with rescued horses.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have been an avid reader every since I can remember, I practically devoured books when I was younger.
I began my first book at age fifteen and haven’t stopped since!
My first novel was published at age eighteen, a second novel and a novella this past year and I am hoping to have another novella published by the end of 2015, with another due out in the spring of 2016.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Alicia Willis, Faith Blum, Alicia G. Ruggieri and Cheryl Cowell are some of my favorite authors.
Alicia Willis has been the most inspiring to me.
My favorite genres are historical fiction, mystery’s, thrillers and westerns.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest novel is the second in a series. It is title Hidden Treasure and Wedding Bells.

Synopsis: Amy Kentworthy is ready to settle back into normal ranch life on the Bar Double Diamond after a six month long cattle drive to Texas. However, her father, Clint, invites a sweet Christian lady named Jessica, who they met on the cattle drive, to visit the ranch. Amy senses she may be getting a new mother and three new siblings in the near future and struggles with her emotions. In the meantime, Amy’s great uncle passes away, leaving his large estate to her. They are informed of a hidden treasure and are in a race against time and some unscrupulous men to locate it. Will Amy and her friends be able to figure out the clues Uncle Nathan cleverly created and thwart the thieves plans? What are Clint’s intentions toward Jessica and what will her arrival mean for the future of Amy and the ranch? Join Amy and her friends as they embark on this new adventure!

Amy is a reflection of me, she is living the life I always dreamed of! This book took me nine months to complete.

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Lauren K. Lotter’s Website

Featured Interview With Phoebe Matthews

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Urban fantasy is my favorite reading. I like a mixture of current events and fantasy and I set my stories in places where I have lived, from Scotland to Washington State where I now live.
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My Mudflat Magic series combines sword and sorcery with a neighborhood in Seattle where old magic runs amuck through the families. The first book, Tyrant Trouble, won the EPPIE for Best Fantasy of the year. Book seven, Jimmyed Coffin, was published October 21, 2014.

Vampire Career, first novel of the Turning Vampire series, is set in vampire country (the Olympic Peninsula) and features suspense plus a bizarre romance. The fourth novel was released in January, 2015. About the boyfriend, a fan wrote, “Cute guy. He reminds me of my DH.” Now I wants to meet that DH.

Demonspell is the first novel of the Sunspinner series and is set in a neighborhood across town from Mudflat. The heroine would like a lovelife but that is hard to do when the family is being attacked by demons. So far no fan thinks the demons are cute.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was lucky enough to grow up in a house filled with books, plus big sisters who read aloud to me, probably before I understood the words, as they were learning to read and wanted an audience.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors write books that have strong plots and characters that make me laugh. Included in that group are mystery writers, urban fantasy writers, and so many others, I can’t remember all their names.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
A few years ago I went on a vacation with friends that took us to vampire country. That’s the area near Forks, Washington, as vampire fans know, and the setting for a very serious series that then became movies. We visited the gift stores in Forks and nearby communities, were charmed by the movie posters, sweatshirts, jewelry, and tons of other things tied to the books. But those books are very serious, and as we were on vacation and being silly, the way friends can be, we joked about the problems of being a vampire. By the time I returned home I had an idea for a short story, and somehow that grew into an idea for a book and then a series. A publisher loved the idea and that’s how I ended up writing the Turning Vampire books, with the newbie vampire who is clueless when it comes to surviving.

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Phoebe Matthews’s Website

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Featured Interview With Robert Eggleton

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., but I grew up around Charleston, West Virginia. Let me elaborate a little because your question ties directly into the plot and character development of my debut novel, Rarity from the Hollow.

Shortly after I was born, my father graduated from television repair school in Cleveland. My family returned home to West Virginia. Even though I didn’t remember living in Cleveland, during my childhood I would brag to my peers that I’d been out-of-state since I was born in Ohio. It boosted my social status because very few of my peers had been anyplace other than their own ghettoes.

Similar to the protagonist’s father in my novel, my own father had PTSD caused by World War II traumas that he treated with alcohol. Before I started elementary school, he had become so dysfunctional that my mother would run him off. He would return when sober, “fall off the wagon” and my mother would run him off again, and again. Since we couldn’t pay the rent regularly, we moved frequently — shacks and dilapidated houses in one impoverished neighborhood after another, into and out of the rural hollows outside of our small town. Typically, I would change schools three or four times a year. Everyplace that we moved, I would brag to my peers that I’d been out-of-state, and they were impressed.

After my father died in a house fire, my family moved into a housing project when I was fourteen. At sixteen, I no longer needed to lie about having been out-of-state because I’d gotten my driver’s license and it was true. I moved out of the Project my second year of college, got married, graduated from West Virginia State College, and was awarded a Masters of Social Work degree by West Virginia University in 1977. I have been employed in this state for over fifty-two years, more than forty of which were in roles related to child advocacy. Today, we own a small house in a low-income neighborhood on the West Side of Charleston, West Virginia.

The theme, “out-of-state” was incorporated into Rarity from the Hollow. The protagonist is Lacy Dawn. Her mother, Jenny, begins the story as a down-trodden victim of domestic violence. After an off-planet comical adventure, Jenny doesn’t need to brag anymore about having once gone out-of-state.

“Out-of-state” was also an element of a scene during which Lacy Dawn delivers psychotherapy to classmates at school. In this scene, a boy’s father is unemployed because the coal mine had shut down. The boy is being treated by Lacy Dawn for anxiety related to the family’s intention to move out-of-state so that the father can look for a job in Cleveland.

“Out-of-state” was also used in two scenes involving the android. In the first scene, the android had been assigned by Universal Management to perform a job on another planet. He had to leave Earth, leave Lacy Dawn. At this point in the story, the android was beginning to fall in love and to modify his programming so that he could feel more human-like emotions. In this scene, the android sheds his first tear because he has to leave the Hollow and go “out-of-state” for a new job.

The last scene that mentions “out-of-state” involves the android’s return to the Hollow from the out-of-state job. In this scene, he is introduced to Jenny as Lacy Dawn’s fiancé for when she’s old enough to marry. Following is an excerpt showing, in relevant part, Jenny’s head thoughts at one point in the scene:

It’s unusual for a man to promise to come back home and ever be seen again…They’ve been together for a while and I ain’t seen a mark on her. That’s unusual too. He ain’t got no private parts and that’s another good thing. Hell, if I get in the middle, she’d just run off with him anyway. I’d better play it smart. I don’t want to lose my baby.

A book review of Rarity from the Hollow published by The Missouri Review noted its “out-of-state” theme:

“And just when you think enough is enough, this world is too plain ugly…Lacy Dawn, her mother and her dog take off for a trip to the mall ‘out of state’ with Lacy Dawn’s android friend, now her “fiancé”… In the space of a few lines we go from gritty realism to pure sci-fi/fantasy. It’s quite a trip….”

My wife and I have four rescue cats, and one rescue dog. The cats are in charge of the household, but the dog has not yet realized it — I think Blew has ADHD, so it seems to be going in one dog ear and out the other.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was born to be a writer. In the eighth grade I won the school’s short story competition with “God Sent” – a story about a semi truck driver so consumed with theological debate that he lost concentration on the road and caused a terrible accident. That win reinforced my dream to become a rich and famous author. But, I prioritized other responsibilities, such as school and supporting my family, until 2006 when, after having soaked up the pain of traumatized children at work, I would come home still thinking about the kids but stay up late and write fiction. I had become concerned that I was running out of time to pursue my dream of creative writing. So, I pushed myself. For as long as I can remember, I never actually gave up on my dream. But, until I retired from my job as a children’s psychotherapist a couple of months ago, I was just so exhausted that I couldn’t efficiently produce material. I’ve now made a total commitment to writing fiction, subject to revision if I can’t pay my bills and need to get a part-time job.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’ve always had eclectic tastes in fiction. Mark Twain’s characters inspired me as a child to work hard to support my family. Without that inspiration, I have little doubt that I would have ended up on the “wrong side of the tracks.” Episodes of male incarcerations were an accepted way of life in my family, especially on my mother’s side although my father did his time in prison too. Tom Sawyer gave me an alternative to believe in beyond what seemed like an in and out of jail existence. I probably should have paid a little closer attention, however, because I served some time behind bars too, but it was during the hippie counterculture days so it was cool.

With respect to writing, I’m not sure that you have enough bandwidth for me to make a complete list of inspirations, so here’s a few. Of course, Heinlein’s determination as an aspiring author after having been rejected so many times inspired my own persistence. Also, the way he progressively treated racial and gender issues in his fiction at a time when science fiction was regarded a pulp for kids inspired me to consider incorporating social commentary into my fiction.

Ferlinghetti, the poet of the Beat Generation, showed me how to enjoy my anger about political and societal issues. Similarly, Vonnegut’s anger in Breakfast of Champions helped me stay strong as a children’s advocate and as a writer, and how to continue to have fun experimenting with my writing style outside of commonly accepted structures and formats.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Harry Potter series reinforced my faith in the potential of adolescent morality and the future of the world, which was comforting. Watership Down by R. Adams was such a sweet adventure that some of this element just is a necessary ingredient of even the scariest or saddest story. I want my writing to be as hopeful regardless of barriers. What the point in bumming people out?

The versatility in cross-genre and the use of humour by Bradbury – I have enjoyed everything that he’s written. It taught me that people finish what they read because they are experiencing enjoyment. Recreational reading is not like a homework assignment.

Dean Koontz has been masterful and can give me enjoyable nightmares. I’m one of those people who learned how to enjoy having the crap scared out of me.

Nora Roberts knows how to get me in a romantic mood. Yes, older guys can still at least remember romance and I’m not embarrassed to admit it. Males do read romance novels.

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by D. Adams and Another Roadside Attraction by Robbins pushed me into the wilder side of writing regardless of censorship, as did the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers comics. It’s a place that I really like to visit, but would not necessarily want to live there full-time.

Stephen King’s use of everyday horror convinced me that alarming scenes can be created by using almost anything as a prop. At home, we have a game. We name common household objects that could be converted into a dangerously exciting killing machine – the more gross the better. We are inspired!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I don’t want to spoil anything for its readers. Rarity from the Hollow is full of contrasts: harsh reality amplifies outrageous fantasy, bitterness blends into acceptance and empowerment, tragedy inspires comedy, and a biography of a victim becomes a science fiction story. It does not fit neatly into a genre, such as romance, horror or even speculative fiction.

The protagonist, Lacy Dawn, is the last person on Earth that one would expect to be charged with saving the universe. The Evil was the original spawn of the human race and now so universally despised that any homemaker would be embarrassed to admit its occupancy. I know that this sounds vague, but it’s difficult to avoid spoilers.

This novel was written for an adult audience, but does not have graphic sex scenes, a lot of violence or any of the other similar content that one might assume to be attributable to an Adults Only classification. It is sweet but frank and honest with no holds barred. It addresses the complexities of real life, but presents sensitive topics that might trigger emotional distress with comic relief. My intent was for readers to enjoy the experiences that I created with everyday words and colloquialism, but not to gloss over realism in the way that some YA titles accomplish.

In a nutshell, Rarity from the Hollow is about a traumatized little girl who learns to be the Savior of the Universe with the help of her mentally ill family and friends. It’s up to readers to decide which scenes are dissociative as a result of Lacy Dawn’s severe traumas and which scenes are pure fantasy and science fiction. I hope that readers take away the sense that action empowers one to overcome any real or imagined tragedy.

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Robert Eggleton’s Website

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Featured Interview With S. M. Schmitz

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I have an M.A. in history and love teaching world history, as well as writing and reading. I’m a native of Louisiana, and set many of stories here; considering I write urban fantasy/sci-fi, it lends a unique element to my books. But, really, if I were an alien and looking for a city to hang low in, why not choose Baton Rouge? I mean, who’s going to look for me there?

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve loved to read and write since I learned both skills. I remember writing a poem when I was in the Brownie Scouts and having it published in the regional Girl Scouts newspaper. I must have been seven? I wrote my first novel in the eighth grade, with a pen and notebook at my parents’ kitchen table where I’d work each night after finishing my homework. I’ve always loved the process of storytelling, creating worlds and characters, and putting words together to form new ideas and thoughts. It’s such a beautiful process.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My writing idol is Ernest Hemingway. He’s a literary genius, and there’s such a fluidity in his style. I read a wide variety of genres, though, from paranormal/urban fantasy to literary fiction. My favorite novel is CATCH-22, yet I’ve read and enjoyed a lot of the recent popular series from the past decade like TWILIGHT, THE HUNGER GAMES, VAMPIRE ACADEMY, etc.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I just completed the Resurrected trilogy (Resurrected, Insurrection and Final Sacrifice), which focuses on the resurrection of one young woman, Lottie, by an extra-terrestrial life force. In some respects, it builds on familiar tropes of space travel using wormholes, but these aliens can only survive on Earth by reviving dead human bodies. But for Lottie, something went wrong. She isn’t supposed to have her human memories or personality, and yet, she is resurrected. Her resurrection begins her struggle for survival against the men who run the company transporting people from their planet to Earth, because who wants to wake up as both yourself and someone else? That’s just not good for business.

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Featured Interview With Stan Schatt

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona before central air conditioning. I don’t care how many times I heard that it was “dry heat,” it was hot! I’ve had several different careers including futurist, English Professor, software trainer, network manager, police department administrator, hospital/autopsy worker, market research executive, sales manager, etc. I incorporate what I’ve learned from my various careers in my novels.

I’ve been fortune to travel extensively and have my way paid for the most part by the companies I worked for. If you look at the list of the thirty-three books I’ve written, you’ll see they reflect my interest in almost everything. I’ve written books on career changing, procedures for first contact with extraterrestrials, guides to the novels of Michael Connelly and Daniel Silva, and lots and lots of books on technology. I also have written paranormal mysteries, science fiction, and adventure novels.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
When I was twelve, I sat down with a pad of paper and a pencil and wrote my first novel, a science fiction story about space travel. I always loved books and loved reading. That particular day I had gone to a library and couldn’t find the type of science fiction novel I wanted to read, so I decided I’d write something that I would love to read.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like to read Michael Connelly, Daniel Silva, Frank Herbert, and Nelson DeMille. I also like to read and re-read books by James Clavell and William Faulkner. My two favorite genres at the moment are science fiction and mysteries.

When I write science fiction, Frank Herbert inspires me because he was able to create an entirely new universe and history in Dune. The fact he could make such a universe highly believable challenges anyone who wants to follow him and write science fiction.

As far as mysteries go, I’m inspired by Michael Connelly, Faye Kellerman, and her husband. All three novelists write about continuing characters. I’ve only written one sequel so far, but I already can see how difficult it is to keep characters growing from novel to novel and still be consistent and entertaining.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Alien Love is based on the premise that Earth today might be very much like Casablanca in the movie of that name –in other words, a place where people (in this case that includes aliens) can be found who have very different agendas they are planning. The question I ask after writing an entire non-fiction book on first contact with extraterrestrials is how can we hope to understand true aliens with completely different codes of conduct. I also asked myself what would happen if a human male fell for an attractive female who just happened to be alien. The other question I asked myself is what if all the conspiracy talk found on the web about an alien presence on the Moon and a secret agreement between our government and aliens were really true. That’s the starting point for this novel. I did extensive research for Alien Love and read hundreds of pages of first-hand “accounts” of encounters with aliens. I also read statements attributed to some of our astronauts.

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Stan Schatt’s Website

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Featured Interview With Nicole Banks

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Nicole Banks. I’m from the greatest city ever and that of course is New York.

’ve always loved reading and was always a great story teller with an over active imagination. I think I’ve always had either a book or journal in my hand at all times.

I’m an animal lover (cats mostly), and coffee addict.I love the warm weather and sunshine. I am miserable when it’s cold.

I walk around with my headphones in because I believe everything that happens in my life should have a soundtrack to it. I published my first book Shattered in 2013. The first installment in the Shattered Hearts Series.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I honestly can’t remember. There was this one time in third/fourth grade that the teacher stepped out of the classroom for a second. Kids being kids everyone in the classroom erupted and went crazy. I pulled out a book and started reading amongst the chaos. I couldn’t even tell you what book it was that I had, but it was already an old one because I remembered how worn the pages were. But when the teacher came back in unnoticed to the crazy kids she looked around and saw me. When the class finally realized the teacher was back and went quite she walked over to me and said this is why she does so well and will always do well.

That’s the earliest memory I can recall about my fascination with books.

Writing was something I always did. My aunt brought me a diary in 95′ for my 8th birthday and honestly that was probably what began my journey as a writer. I still have it and I look back at some of the stuff I wrote, it wasn’t only day to day stuff it was stuff I made up and wrote down. I was telling stories at such an early age and I’m glad most of it was written down.

As I got older and my teenage angst set in (LOL). I started writing poetry and it was so dark and very “woe is me.” It makes me laugh going back to read some of it. I didn’t have that bad of an upbringing, no clue what I was so angry about in my poems. LOL

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
JR WARD!! Hands down this woman can do no wrong in my eyes. I fan girl her so hard! I love everything she puts out. She has a way of drawing you in and making you devour the world she creates. Then she leaves you hungry for more. I can only hope to be as half as amazing as she is.

My fave genre is paranormal romance and contemporary romance. I like reading things where the romance plays second fiddle to what’s going on in the story.

Music inspires me to write. Music has always been my muse. I believe every song, lyric, beat has a story that’s just dying to be written down and expanded outside of the 4-5 minute song.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is called Into Pieces. It’s the second installment to my Shattered Hearts Series. This book took my two years to write and finish and I’m glad it did. I got to see my characters grow in ways I’m not sure would have happened if I rushed through this.

It’s about so much more than the love story. It’s about real people going through real live issues. You watch them learn to cope with the heartache and pain life can throw at you. You watch these characters learn to trust themselves again and trust those around them. Of course not without testing the bonds they’ve built first. =)

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Featured Interview With Iscah

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in a hospital, raised in a house, educated in a school, and have been known to revisit such places as the need arises. Now that I’m grown, I work at a job and frequently write in coffee shops. Clearly I am a unique individual, whose inner life must be more exciting than my outer one.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Books have always been a pleasant part of my life, first being read to and then reading for myself. At some point in Middle School I realized the only way to put my daydreams to any practical use would be to write them down for others.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Dickens, Zahn, Snicket, and Eth Clifford are some of my favorites, but I enjoy a large range of authors and genres and alternate between fiction and nonfiction. However writing may also be inspired by music or an unusual tree or that peculiar habit of a third grade teacher. It’s all story fodder. But I really couldn’t say where every idea comes from. Many of my characters feel more like they just happened to wander into my head than people I created.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“The Girl With No Name” is the first of four “Before the Fairytale” book which tell about the younger years of my main characters from “Seventh Night”. “Seventh Night” is a romantic, comic, action, adventure fantasy. But I’m playing with style a bit in the Before the Fairytale set.

“The Girl With No Name” is written in a folklore style. The main character is orphaned before she can be named, and she’s a shapeshifter, who doesn’t have a face to call her own either. So the story is mainly her wandering about, trying to find her place in the world. One reviewer called it a Grimm’s Fairytale mix with Shelley’s Frankenstein, and I really liked that description.

The next book “Horse Feathers” will have a stronger sense of realism, but magic invades there too.

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Featured Interview With Bree Wolf

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Well, I grew up in a small town. I still live in that small town, and I’m probably never going to get out of it! Hardly a car goes by on the street and the loudest noise I hear is the woodpecker who has just recently taken up residence in the tree outside my bedroom window. So, really, everything is peachy!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
To tell you the truth, I don’t remember when IT began. But my mother tells me – and I have no reason not to believe her – that even before I knew anything about letters and words and sentences, I used to sit on the couch for hours telling stories to the pictures in my books. I like to think I was destined to be a writer! That sounds so nice!

So basically, I’ve always been a story-teller, but I only started writing about five years ago. I don’t really know why it took me so long, but as you know they say, ‘better late than never’.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Honestly, I read (almost) anything (except for horror). Besides the absolute classics of Jane Austen, I have trouble naming authors I like. I love historical fiction, especially about the Civil War era or going west (one of the classics is Gwen Bristo’s Jubilee Trail), but also European stuff like the French revolution. I appreciate romance novels that got a touch of history too, so occasionally I read regency books. And time travel…that reminds me, I loved the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and The Winter Sea and Mariana by Susanna Kearsley (not really time travel but close enough – awesome books!). Then there is fantasy/ paranormal. Be it vampires or werewolves, elves or dwarfs, if it’s got a good plot, a snarky comment here and there I’ll probably like it. I also love science fiction novels. The idea of what might be waiting around the next planet is too intriguing to pass up. Besides that I decide on a whim which book to pick up and read. It’s not an exact science!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Well, currently I am working on a regency novel myself (Forgotten & Remembered – The Duke’s Late Wife). After trying my hand at a middle-grade adventure (Fireflies), a suspenseful romance (A Love Trapped in Time) and a paranormal fantasy (How to Live and Die in Crescent Rock), I thought something new was in order. It’s a lot of fun, but I’m not sure I got everything right. Sometimes my characters do sound a bit too modern. I gotta fix that! But that’s what editing is for. Right now, I’m trying to finish my first draft. It probably won’t be ready for release before the end of the year. So, stay tuned!

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Bree Wolf’s Website

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Featured Interview With Alice Benson

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in a small city in Wisconsin. I moved around a lot when I was married to a man in the military. After we divorced, I moved back to Wisconsin and I live there now. I have three grown children and two grandchildren.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated by books. I have always loved to read. Because I love reading and books so much, I thought it would be amazing to write something for other people to read. I started writing when I was a teenager, and I wrote sporadically for many years. I became more focused on my writing after my children were grown and I took a writing class that inspired me to write my novel.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love all kinds of books. Mainly, I read fiction – literary novels and mysteries. My favorite authors are Alice Walker, Marge Piercy, Kathie Giorgio, Anna Quinlan, Meg Wolitzer, Donna Tartt, Jonathan Franzen, and Jonathan Kellerman. All good writers inspire me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In my novel, Her Life is Showing, advocates in a domestic violence shelter wrestle with victim-blaming and conflicting ideologies as well as pain and violence, life and death.

One in four women will experience domestic violence in her life, and many more people are affected through friends and family. Additionally, most of us have experienced conflict with co-workers or a demanding boss. The life and death drama of domestic violence is the backdrop to the daily struggle of the staff in a shelter. They must cope with terror, judgment, and burn-out, as well as the more mundane clashes with colleagues and supervisors that everyone faces.

Nancy provides advocacy and support for the women and children who come to the shelter seeking safety. When Renee, the new director is hired, her values clash with the current staff’s philosophy, and they struggle to deal with the changes she brings. Eventually, the ideological conflicts begin to put the shelter residents at risk, and the staff must take a stand to protect the women. By the story’s end, a murder in the shelter puts everyone in danger and shows Nancy as the leader needed to guide the future of the shelter.

I worked in a domestic violence shelter for over thirteen years. Like my main characters, I saw the trauma of violence and murder and struggled with clashing philosophies and staff conflict. I also watched families succeed against all odds. I’ve experienced absolute desolation and emerging miracles, and worked to capture all of it on the page.

My novel certainly entertains, but it also includes a great deal of information about domestic violence that provides education about the topic. The book should inspire conversation and debate about current events, as well.

This book took me quite a long time to write. For several years, I wrote disconnected pieces of it; I wrote whatever scene came to me. I started working with a writing teacher, and she helped me organize the different pieces and put them together into one coherent narrative. Then, it took me another two years to write three drafts of the novel, until I believed it was ready to submit to publishers.

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Featured Interview With Stephanie Berget

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Boise, Idaho and have lived in a small town in Eastern Oregon for the last ten years. I married a rodeo cowboy and have spent the last thirty-five years training and competing on barrel racing horses. To say I love the western lifestyle is an understatement. We live on a hay and cattle farm and continue to rodeo in our spare time.
As for pets, we are owned by Dizzie Dottie, the Border Collie and two Munchkin cats (naturally short legged like a Corgi) Mysto Magia and Munchkinlane Martin. Cisco and Snake are AQHA registered Quarter Horses. I run barrels on six year old Cisco and my husband team ropes on Snake. Included in our menagerie are ten head of Corriente cows and their calves.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been a voracious reader since I was old enough to hold a book. I loved horse stories when I was younger and read romance and mysteries now. I began writing about six years ago. I wanted to bring a more realistic view of rodeo and horses to western romance and ended up with bits of magic, mayhem and humor filling the pages.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love so many authors, but if I had to narrow it down, I’d choose Jennifer Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Katie Lane and RL Naquin. They are my must read authors. The loveable characters and bits of humor get me every time.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Radio Rose, the first in the Change of Heart Cowboy series is set near Trinidad, Colorado. When I was looking for a location, imagine my surprise when I learned Trinidad is called the Sex Change Capital of the World. Rose Wajnowski, my heroine, is a DJ for a late night radio program on extra-terrestrials. She meets cowboy Adam Cameron and after a bump to the head, thinks he’s an alien. They are pulled together in an effort to save their little town that is peopled with a crew of characters who are a little off center to say the least.

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