Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Haidi Wigger Klaris

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a 42-year-old fantasy author from Denmark, who is married and have a teenage-daughter. We live out in the country, however not as far out as I actually would like to. I could easily imagine myself living in a little cottage in the woods with no close neighbors. The one thing that I would not like to live without is the internet.

I am kind of a nerdy fantasy person. I work fulltime in a Danish pharmaceutical company where I amongst other things work with IT-systems. I really like to structure processes and like the logic of databases and interfaces, but when I get home I switch on the fantasy gene within me, and start writing on my stories.

I love animals, preferable the ones with fur and four legs! I have two dogs, a longhaired German Shepherd and a Stabyhoun, and two cats. Soon we will get dog number three, a Labrador.

I love travelling around in the US. I have been there four times and have visit ten states.

My most desired dream is to get my books published in English. This would open up the possibility to share my stories with the entire world and especially with my friends in the US.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As soon as I learned how to read, I were hooked. It was an amazing feeling to step into a new world and story. I was a regular guest at the public library for many years. As soon as I were old enough, I joined a book club and bought my own books. I actually still have the very two books that I bought.

During the teenage-age, I started to write short stories but rarely let others read them. When I were on maternity leave in 2001 (for nine months) I got the idea to write a story that was long enough to be considered as a novel and interesting enough that a publishing house would accept it. I succeeded in one of the two things. I manage to write a novel but it was never accepted.

I have rewritten this manuscript several times but with same disappointing results. Over the years, I had to get used to being a mom, pursue a career and still have time for friends and family. The result was that I did not work on my manuscript for almost ten years. I also think that some of it had to do with the fact that my manuscript was rejected. It hurt. It is a very personal thing to write a novel as you give a lot of yourself into the story … it felt like I was rejected personally.

In the end I enrolled for a writing course and thereafter I rewrote my manuscript (yet again). It was not accepted this time either, and at this point I gave up on this story … for now. Instead, I started to write on a new novel, and this was actually the start of Book of Shadows (my debut novel) which was released March 7, 2015. What I thought would be one book ended up as being the first part in a series ( Heir of the Demon Master). It took me fourteen years but the dream finally came true.

Now I am working on the next dream: To have my stories translated into English.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have many favorite authors, and it would not be possible to state them all here. However, the key words are paranormal romance and fantasy. Many things inspire my own writing: Nature, movies, books, dreams, places I visit, things I experience, strange things that friends and family say. Even though I roughly know what my story is about, I cannot write down a fixed overview of chapters and plot. Very often, I am sidetracked by something, which I then incorporate into the story.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Book of Shadows (Danish: Skyggernes Bog) is a YA fantasy/paranormal romance novel, and is the first part of the Heir of the Demon Master-series (Danish: Dæmonherskerens arving).

I wrote the rough manuscript for the entire series within a year. My family went through a rough time the last half year of 2013, illness in family and water damage, and when I needed to get away from it all, I wrote. Actually, I think that this is what kept me sane.

The book was released on March 7, 2015 by Tellerup Publishing (Danish publishing house) and is currently only in Danish – however I dream of the day when the story will be translated into English.

Here is the blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Ally moves into Larchwood boarding school. Near the school is an old, ramshackle church, where she coincidentally discovers a secret entrance in the wall that leads down to a room under the church. According to legends, it was used for practicing of dark magic back in the 19th century.

Larchwoods deceased Lady, Catherine Larchin, seeks out Ally and insists that she must find an old witchcraft book promising unlimited power.

However, a secret circle at the school also looks for the book, and Ally has a hard time figuring out who has good intentions … and who has evil ones.

Book of Shadows is the first volume in the HEIR OF THE DEMON MASTER trilogy– a series about paranormal abilities, love and difficult choices.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Haidi Wigger Klaris’s Website

Haidi Wigger Klaris Facebook Page

Haidi Wigger Klaris Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Lily Luchesi

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in the Midwest but currently reside in Southern California. I hate the sun, and I live here. Smart, huh? I love reading, writing (obviously), comic books and am an avid fangirl.

I’m a new author who writes primarily paranormal/horror stories and poetry. I have planned on being an author since I was eight years old and recently have had my first novel, “Stake-Out (Paranormal Detectives Book One)” published by Vamptasy Publishing.

Previously, I have had a poem published in the anthology “The Struggle” and a short story in the anthology “Wishful Thinking”, both published by Fireside Press.

On June 13th, I will also have a short story published in the anthology “Love Sucks”, published by Crushing Hearts And Black Butterfly Publishing (parent company of Vamptasy).

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have had a fascination with books since birth. I learned to read before I was three. My mom and grandma had a huge bookcase just for me even when I was in preschool and they encouraged my love of books.

I started writing when I was eight, after my teacher encouraged me to write, since I loved to read and always had a vivid imagination.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’ve been an avid reader all my life. My biggest influences are Charlotte Bronte, Edgar Allan Poe, J.R.R. Tolkien and, my absolute favorite, Stephen King.

Each author has taught me something different and I would not be the writer I am today without their influence in my life.

I read anything and everything I can get my hands on, but prefer horror and paranormal, like Darren Shan/Darren Dash, Thomas Harris and Terri Garey.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is called “Stake-Out” and is the first book in the “Paranormal Detectives Series”. Below I’ll paste the official synopsis, but I decided to write it almost on a whim. I was watching a crime show on TV and wondered, what would happen if a cop found out his perp was actually a vampire? I am a vampire lover and always have been, so the thought really isn’t as unusual as it sounds!

I wrote the first draft in less than three months, and recently have seen some wonderful feedback, which literally made me jump for joy and squeal like a child.

In a city overrun with the undead, an ex-cop is given a chance to get revenge…

Danny Mancini is on a case, following a murder suspect. When he catches him, he finds out that the perp isn’t even human: he’s a 200 year old rogue vampire!

The department doesn’t believe him, and puts him on early retirement, despite his many years of service to the Chicago Police Department, which sends him into a downward spiral.

Two years later, Danny gets an invitation from the beautiful, young and very attractive Detective Angelica Cross to join a secret branch of the FBI to help her track down Vincent, the wayward vamp.

But renegade werewolves, meddling immortal witches and Danny’s strange visions of a life lived a century ago with Angelica make things more difficult than it should be.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Lily Luchesi’s Website

Lily Luchesi Facebook Page

Lily Luchesi Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Dan Fletcher

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My family left England when I was 5 and moved to South Africa where my love of wildlife and safaris began. I have also lived in Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, as well as Canada, Spain and the UK.

I currently live in Wiltshire with my partner Clare and our six children – no time or room for pets at the moment but I have had dogs and cats in the past.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I got into reading full length books and thrillers at an early age due to the lack of TV in Africa, unless you count a couple of hours of broadcasting sitcom reruns on Friday & Saturday nights.

The first books I remember reading were The Famous Five and the Hardy Boys, then at around 11 years old I moved on to the likes of Alistair Maclean, Wilbur Smith, Terry Pratchett & Stephen King.

I have always loved reading thrillers and wanted to write books that pick you up and immerse you in a different world. Books are better than film in that you use your imagination to picture the characters and create a personal experience. It is this magical experience that inspired me to write.

Having always wanted to write I eventually got around to it in 2011 when I sat down for 4 weeks and wrote THE STASH. I realise now that I should have spent longer on research & editing but at the time got carried away in the magic of the moment and the realisation that I could write a full length novel.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite genre is thrillers, with the odd autobiography and historical fiction & non-fiction thrown in. In some ways I guess I have been influenced by all the books I have read but authors who have inspired me are Eric Van Lustbader, Alistair Maclean, Wilbur Smith, Terry Pratchett & Frederick Forsyth to name but a few.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Dawn of Deception is a book that I spent years researching and writing that delves into the world of international poaching syndicates and political corruption in Kenya. The historical background of ethnic cleansing and the criminal methods employed are accurate and well documented.

David Nbeke and the other characters are fictitious, although the evil mastermind Maliki is based on someone I met in Nairobi who had failed the lion hunt, bore the scars, and been ostracized from his tribe – unlike Maliki he was a warm and gentle soul. Although the history gives the characters more depth and motivation this is in essence a high-octane thriller as David Nbeke fights for justice and his own survival.

In the sequel, DIVIDED THEY FALL, David teams up with Clarissa May of the CIA to combat terrorists planning to blow up the American Embassies in Nairobi & Dar es Salaam – due to be released this summer!

I hope that people enjoy reading Dawn of Deception and the rest of the series as much as I have enjoyed writing them.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Dan Fletcher’s Website

Dan Fletcher Facebook Page

Dan Fletcher Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Tory Richards

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Maine but have spent most of my life in Florida, where I still reside today. In fact I retired from Disney a few years ago and I’m now able to devote my time to family, friends and writing.

I live in Deltona with my daughter and her family, and share my woman-cave with four cats. Life is pretty good right now. I have just enough space for the privacy I crave, and can spend as much time as I want with my grandchildren.

I knew at the age of ten that I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I’ve always written romance stories and I’m a firm believer in happily ever after. You will never read a book by me where the hero is killed off. I write mainly erotic contemporary, suspense, and paranormal romance.

Some of my favorites in life include: Last of the Mohicans, The Walking Dead, Jurassic Park, Criminal Minds, Santa’s White Christmas Coffee from Barnies, sweet iced tea, pizza and spaghetti, mushrooms, a good storm, cruising, trees, any kind of flower, Cinderella is my favorite fairy tale and I’m a Syfy junkie.

Some dislikes in life include: abusers of children and animals, flying, litterbugs, cutting in line, people who don’t use their turn signals, dishonesty, and kale.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
At ten I began writing short stories on notebook paper. Then at thirteen I received my first manual typewriter, and later an electric one. I think my fascination began with the fairy tales I liked reading. The princesses always got their prince in the end.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss is my favorite author. At sixteen I started out reading Viking and western romances until I discovered contemporary. I also enjoy shifter romances. As of late I’ve been addicted to biker romances, which inspired me to write some of my own.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Big, Black and Beautiful is a short, interracial romance my daughter encouraged me to write. Shelly’s brother is deployed to Iraq, so he’s asked his best friend Tony to look out for her while he’s gone. The three of them grew up together and Tony and Shelly have always been secretly attracted to one another, but Tony is reluctant to act on it because of the whole best friend factor. Shelly, on the other hand, is tired of waiting around and decides to take matters into her own hands. Once she makes her desires known, Tony doesn’t stand a chance in ignoring her.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Tory Richards’s Website

Tory Richards Facebook Page

Tory Richards Twitter Account

Featured Interview With TL Clark

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in East Sussex, and still live in the south of England.

I have a very lovely, but very annoying cat who doesn’t seem to agree with my belief that 4am is too early to wake up.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved reading.

When I was very young my mother bought me storybooks and tapes, and that’s how I learned to read. They were brilliant; they also introduced me to classical music.

I was first published two years ago, so that’s the date I use as the start of my ‘writing’.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love all things romance (I’m such a shmushy person!), but read all sorts of things.

My favourite book is Jane Eyre.

One of the authors I always get excited to see a new book for is Jacqueline Rhoades.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest published book is Rekindled Love; it’s the life story of Sophie.

We join her with her first love, and follow her all through births, deaths and marriage. It’s a real rolloercoaster. I know that sounds cliche but it really is full of ups and downs.

My current project is more tricky. I’m writing a book featuring an abused girl, but it shows her journey through to the bright side of life. I want it to give victims hope and reassurance. But it is also still a romance novel. It’s proving tricky to get that balance, but I’m slowly getting there.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

TL Clark Facebook Page

TL Clark Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Bronwyn Kienapple

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a Canadian writer and a former publishing professional. I quit my job to travel the world and write full time! However, I was born and raised in a tiny village of fifty people by the seaside in Nova Scotia. I moved to Toronto to go to university. I started to travel and met my future husband in Mexico City, where I’m currently living. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pets right now because I travel so frequently but I’m a huge cat lover.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve loved books ever since I can remember! Both my parents were journalists and they bought me books by the box. I loved fantasy-type classics like the Narnia series, The Phantom Tollbooth, and the Secret Garden. I wrote for the yearbook and literary arts journal in high school and began my first novel when I was about twenty, though I didn’t start writing fiction full-time until I was thirty.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love both high-brow and low-brow fiction. So I adore the Russian classics and Victorian authors like Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins. I also love Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series and Jean M. Auel’s books. I love good YA, contemporary fiction, memoirs, and romances with strong heroines. I recently really enjoyed You Before Me by Jojo Moyes and The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert. All of these authors inspire my writing in various ways. I try not to read too narrowly so new authors have a chance to surprise me!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I self-published my first two novellas in the Disappeared series this year. It’s historical fiction with a fantasy twist, think Jane Austen meets Narnia. It took me about four months to write, edit, and format those books! I was so fortunate to find a great professional cover designer and editor to help me make the books the best they could be. It’s been a fascinating process to learn, from start to finish, how to publish a book. I’m now learning about marketing and thinking about writing a new series!

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Bronwyn Kienapple’s Website

Bronwyn Kienapple Facebook Page

Bronwyn Kienapple Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Jonathan Trahair

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Devon born and bred (but with Cornish overtones), I lived in Devon for 48 years except for school in Dorset and 9 months of fun and mayhem working on a farm in Lincolnshire. Since 2004 I’ve lived in Spain with my wife and the dog.

I haven’t always been a writer – far from it, I only published my first book on Kindle this year (2015). In 1975 I went to work on a farm in Cornwall for a year before going to agricultural college in Devon for 4 years, where I learned how to grow 2,000 hectares of potatoes – and not to go farming when I left. I’d passed my HGV test so I bought an old tipper lorry and ran a spectacularly unsuccessful haulage company for a while, then gave it all up and worked for different small companies for ten years or so during the 1980’s and 1990’s – either exporting Swiss chocolates from Switzerland to the Far East, or selling and installing industrial factory and warehouse equipment in the West Country.

Then I started to write better business computer programs than the ones we had at work, and I’ve been doing that ever since. That’s the day job. So far, anyway.

When I wasn’t doing that, I was often to be found playing the organ in a local church for Sunday services, and singing in choirs – and occasionally conducting them, too. This began at school, when I played the piano for a service in the school Chapel for the first time aged 13. By 18 I was organist of a small parish church on the south western slopes of Dartmoor, and I’ve been the organist or keyboard player of any church I’ve been to ever since then.

I am married with two daughters, one grandson, thirteen step-grandchildren and three step-great-grandchildren (at the last count). Plus the dog, of course.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have loved reading ever since they stopped forcing me to do it at school, but especially in the last twenty years or so. I tried writing a few short things, off and on throughout my fifties. I did a short series of 6 aspects of having a log fire, called Six Pieces Of Wood. I did a short piece on my idea of what Heaven will be like. I even did a very short children’s story called Grumble And Auntie Blorat Go Shopping, based on my two year old (as he was then) grandson’s inability to say Grampa and Auntie Florence, one day when it rained and we all went to a monkey sanctuary in Dorset. Apart from Six Pieces Of Wood, which was read enthusiastically on Kindle when I gave it away for free one week, the others here have only been read by members of my family. Well, they said they had read them.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read and re-read books from a wide variety of authors – from CS Forester (not just Hornblower but all his other books too), Bill Bryson (the travel books, Shakespeare, and his books on history and language), Jasper Fforde (the Thursday Next series, and others), Lindsey Davis (the Marcus Didius Falco series) and PG Wodehouse, Robert Harris, Cornelia Funke, Douglas Adams, Hammond Innes, and more. I keep discovering new ‘favourite authors’. My wife reads even more than I do (I have to work), and I think we’re the only private house in southern Europe with its own library.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Just Some Old Letters is my first proper ebook. It’s about Natalie English, a young woman who at last gets a job in her home town, Kingsbridge in south Devon. Her new employer is Andy Somerton, and she becomes aware that the Somertons have never got on with her mother’s family, the Linklaters – there seems to be some vague 100-year old feud between the two families. On her first day at work she finds an old box containing some handwritten love letters and an engagement ring. When she reads the letters she begins to discover why the two families don’t get on, and when her new boss’s mother finds out who she is, Natalie is given a hard time for being in the ‘other’ family. Natalie finds more old letters and begins to work out what actually happened a hundred years ago. All sorts of things happen and it goes downhill from there on. There is a satisfying twist in the tail, however, so all is not lost.

The story is set during the time that I was writing it – Spring 2015, and I found I had to wait for certain real events to take place, such as the UK General Election, before continuing the story past that date (in case reality go in the way of a good plot).

The blurb.

Natalie English, 24, is ecstatic – she’s just got a new job. It’s a good job, exactly what she has trained for. Not only that, but she can go on living at home and helping her mother look after Great Aunt Joan.

Oh well, you can’t win them all.

Her company boss is a young and handsome single man (this is a good thing), and she comes across a bunch of old letters in a wooden box (this is not such a good thing) dating from before Great Aunt Joan was born (too long ago to contemplate).

His family and Natalie’s have never got on. Not since the First World War. And the letters from the box seem to have opened a can of worms.

Each letter she reads leads her further backwards in time, but this is not usually helpful if you want to get to the bottom of things.

She finds more boxes and more letters, which uncover some unexplained events in France during the First World War.

Is the pretty engagement ring she finds in one of the boxes the answer, or is it another problem?

When her boss’s father plans a World War I Centenary Remembrance Parade, why does it nearly cause more casualties than the original battle?

Her father’s car sales business is going through rocky times, and Natalie finds that her job and her father’s business are in competition with each other, which never makes it easy around the dinner table.

Who started the fire in the maintenance shed? Will she be able to save the company and her job? And what’s the link between a lorry driver, her boss’s granny and some old photos of Kingsbridge?

Only Natalie can unravel the mystery, clear her family’s name, save the town from itself and marry her man before the truth is lost again – this time for ever.

Just Some Old Letters is set in today’s times but focuses on some little-know goings-on during the First World War.

Featured Interview With Tricia Pimental

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Brooklyn, New York, was the first place I called home. Although I spent most of my adult life in Los Angeles, I’ve lived in Park City, Utah; five cities in Florida including Miami; a truck stop outside of Reno, Nevada; and in the woods close to the Canadian border, in New Hampshire. (No, I’m neither in the military nor the Witness Protection Program.) For the last few years, I’ve been living in–and loving–Portugal. Currently I’m in the countryside, between the capital of Lisbon and Ericeira, with its world class surfing beaches.

My Maltese, Carson, has been a great travel companion. In fact, we’re starting a one month road trip soon, where we’ll hit Spain, France, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. He’s already put his order in for plenty of local cheeses and meat dishes. I’ll be looking for local wines and chocolates.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
In the third grade, Mrs. Hamlin of P.S. 169 fame praised a poem I wrote about Lapland. (I haven’t managed to get there yet, but there’s still time; Carson will look great wearing antlers.) After high school and college I did more reading than writing, but got back to my love some years ago. Since then I’ve written two award-winning books. First a memoir, Rabbit Trail: How a Former Playboy Bunny Found Her Way, and then a novel (women’s fiction), titled Slippery Slopes. I have articles, poems, and short pieces for anthologies in print as well.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Mysteries and thrillers (Linda Fairstein, Agatha Christie, Lee Child) are favorites. I’ve read every book John Grisham has ever written. I love beautiful prose, so special authors include Ann Patchett and Carrie Brown. Recently I read Paula McClain’s The Paris Wife. Terrific.

All these people–and many others–inspire me, because they make me think and take me for beautiful rides, which is one of the best things in life.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
A Movable Marriage, another memoir, picks up where Rabbit Trail left off. It’s about giving up stability (a tough act for a person like me who loves constancy and routine) and learning to move from house to house and state to state and country to country without getting divorced (or having a spouse meet with a suspicious end).

So far, so good.

I’ve been working on it for a few years, partly because we kept on moving, so there wasn’t a point at which I could say, okay, there’s some closure now. We’ve paused long enough at this juncture, however, for me to wrap it up and send it off to my editor. I plan on it being released in late summer or early autumn. I hope she’s planning the same thing.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Tricia Pimental’s Website

Tricia Pimental Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Peter G. Pollak

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
After careers as a journalist, educator and entrepreneur, I allowed myself to do what I’d always wanted to do–write novels. I’ve self-published five to date, satisfying readers’ desires for page-turning thrillers, but only whetting my appetite to improve both my story telling and writing chops.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Thanks to my mother’s reading bedtime stories, I was a library patron at a young age. One of the first adult books I read was To Kill a Mockingbird, but it was Thomas Wolfe’s Look Homeward, Angel, that converted me from a reader into a would-be writer. What I wrote at first was typically self-indulgent and immature. So it was good that I waited until now before attempting to gain a following for my novels.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read all genres except for horror and romance. I feasted on SciFi in the 1960s and 70s, now read more Fantasy than SciFi. Although I write thrillers, I don’t read the popular thriller authors with one exception–Daniel Silva. Other contemporary favorites are Michael Chabon, Richard Russo, Geraldine Brooks, Alice Hoffman, Dennis Lehanne, & Neal Stephenson. Inspirations? Samuel R. Delaney and Ursula LeGuin because they were pathfinders for blacks and women in Sci/Fi, and they were innovators as well.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
House Divided is a contemporary thrillers. I wanted to explore how a family would deal with a division that seems innocuous at the start, but quickly escalates into a life or death situation. Alison and Leonard Robbins are unhappy that their college student daughter has joined the radical group Students for Justice in Palestine because they know the group fronts for terrorists. Neither can foresee what happens when terrorists set their sites on Courtney Robbins as their next victim.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Peter G. Pollak’s Website

Peter G. Pollak Facebook Page

Peter G. Pollak Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Tsipi Sharoor

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Ramla ,a small town which used to be called “The Liverpool of Israel”. It was the capital of the rock-and-roll during the 60’s and 70’s, which had a huge impact on me. That impact of rock music in my hometown, can be seen in the pages of my book ‘Calypso’. The book is filled with music, mainly of the Beatles, songs by energetic long-haired bands who played and sang at the
‘Calypso’ club in Ramla.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was a sensitive and well influenced girl. That sensitivity was a trigger for me tostart writing. My creative career started quite early at the age of 10. I then started to write poems and short stories and dreamt about writing novels. Today, I live in Tel Aviv, the city that never stops, still enjoy partying in rock clubs – probably as a result of those days when I sneaked on the stage of the mythological rock club ‘Calypso’ in my hometown Ramla.

I believe that writing has always been a part of me. There was always a need to document anything I saw, to describe anything that excited me. I wrote about anything, family members, trips, about a boy that I fell in love with. Slowly but surely, writing has become an integral part of me. And then, when I was a teenager, I was lucky to meet one of the most important female poets of Israel, Anda Amir Pinkerfeld. She gladly read a few of my early compositions and encoraged me to publish my first book.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Poets and authors have always had an impact on me and my writing.
The most prominent among them are: Raymond Carver with his special short stories, Charles Bukowski with his “straight-to-the-heart truth”. Haruki Murakami, a genius writer, an acrobat of words, extraordinary inventions and ideas and lastly- Paul Auster, a heartwarming writer.
My favorite genres are dramatic stories, fiction, and short stories.
The writer who has influenced me the most in my early days, was Robert Louis Stevenson’s adventure stories.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Calypso” is a story of 7 years-old girl who was raped by an adult, after she sneaked into a synagogue to watch the religious articles in the ark, following a story that someone tells her, that God is living there.
As she walks over there by her own, the synagogue maintenance man, who’s also in charge of collecting money for the operation of this holy institute, attacks her.
The event and the trauma remains in her soul, and she tells no one about the incident. Since that day, her life wonder around this incident that became repressed and well kept. She sank into her own world, a world with illusions, music – especially Rock-and-roll, that everyone heard in her hometown. The characters around her are: her older brother, childhood friend and a child immigrant from India who has an impact on their life. The children had a safe place where they sat and daydreamed together – particularly dreams about travels and the Indian subcontinent.
As the girl grows up and her secret is well kept inside her, she’s not able to keep a normal relationship and tostudy. She becomes a strangely introverted girl, beautiful and unique.
After the six day war, where her beloved older brother is killed, she decides to tavel to India, a county that her brother dreamt to see. There she meets a young Indian man, who is related to Buddhist priests. She falls in love with him, they get married and they bring a child into the world.
The man assists her, but the impact of his teachers and the Buddhist priests that he serves in the temples influenced his behaviour the most and he becomes a monk. He leaves the heroine and his son, and travels through the subcontinent to reach nirvana. She is left alone and decides to return to Israel with her son and to deal with her past.
The novel was written for over 2 years, after a hard work and research about the ways that young girls deal with rape traumas, research about the six day war where the character’s older brother was killed and of course many hours of listening to music, mainly from the 60’s and 70’s. This is a fluent book, narrated in second person, from a girl’s point of view. It starts with a childish language, which developes and grows as she grows and becomes a young woman.
I choose the second person’s narration which is not familiar nor common,due to the fact that it was important to me to keep the speech authenticity on one hand, and the need to emphasize the presence of other characters in different times and places. The result is a unique and exciting novel.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Tsipi Sharoor’s Website

Tsipi Sharoor Facebook Page

Tsipi Sharoor Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Sarina Rose

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Biography:
Sarina Rose was born to first generation Italian-American parents in New Jersey. Her childhood memories of living in the four family apartment house with extended family decorate her books. Two cousins living in the house and two uncles on her mother’s side were drafted and served in Europe and Japan. One was killed in France. Her father’s family occupied the four apartments throughout her childhood into her late teens. The families took their meals together and she wandered through the apartments at will.
She attended local public school and learned to use the public library as a youngster. She graduated from the College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown, NJ armed with a B.A. and a certificate to teach Spanish grades K-12 and ready for the career of her dreams, teaching and having fun in high schools. Sarina taught seventeen years in several New Jersey school districts spaced out with raising four children and working as a tutor and insurance service representative.
Sarina continued studies at Kean University graduate school accruing credits in computer usage, reading, liberal studies, science, art history, music history, and cooperative education courses. Along the way I enrolled in an on-line creative writing class and began what I love to do now which is writing stories full time.”
Sarina says she is lucky enough now to live near the beach on the Space Coast in Florida with her husband and their two loveable dogs, Andy, a Labradoodle, and Cici, a Shih Tzu.
Sarina Rose is a member of Space Coast Authors of Romance and Romance writers of America. She is also a member of the Melbourne Women’s Club. “I enjoy the Women’s club where I am the Arts Chairperson and contribute to the monthly newsletter. She quilts children’s blankets for local hospitals and wheelchair bags for nursing homes. Sarina is a docent at the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts at the Florida Institute of Technology and leads a lively discussion of publishing at S.A.I.L. (Senior Adventures in Learning).

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always had books around me stacked on a very large steamer trunk next to my mid-childhood bed, in the clothes closet, in a book case in the living room. My mother was a good readers. She loved mystery stories from Cherry Ames and Nancy Drew to Hercule Poirot. We sometimes went to the library together. I started writing at the age of ten. My fifth grade teacher posted a silly poem I wrote under the pencil sharpener on the window sill. I think most students probably looked out the window instead of at my poem. Nevertheless, I thought I felt famous.

My writing career began when I took Creative Writing 101 on-line after having spent years and years in graduate school trying to decide on a major. I started writing with the intention of publishing a book after retirement. I am fascinated with the whole business of writing and publishing.

I have been successful at having been offered contracts by two publishers for my first book. Although I chose to self-publish, the offers were a validation of my efforts.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love books with strong heroines who discover something about themselves in the course of uncovering their own and their heroe’s emotions. My favorite genre is historical fiction with romantic elements. I love Phillip Gregory and Hillary Mantel for their takes on history. I have never read about the War of the Roses and the White and Red Queen. Henry VIII and Cromwell are also a few of my favorite historical characters.

The World War II ear is one of my favorites perhaps because I was born during that time. My new novel THE RELENTLESS BRIT is set during the war. See my latest book below to learn more.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
THE RELENTLESS BRIT is The Relentless Brit is an historical romance,. It is a tale of sex, romance, and betrayal during World War II. History, romance, spies, espionage, intrigue, love, sex, war, peace, and the happy every after ending you love.

War rages in Europe. Hitler’s troops have occupied all countries except Great Britain. Nevertheless, bombing from German aircraft have scorched London and other parts of the British Isles. Peace is elusive. Hitler has betrayed the Prime Minister of England. Spies and espionage are rampart on all side.

Marie Gentile is a young widow working in her brother’s law office investigating divorce cases. Life had betrayed her by taking her husband to an untimely death. She longs for adventure, maybe romance and the chance to work on criminal cases for a change of pace. As she sits in a diner waiting for a friend, a handsome man comes through the door and attracts her attention. Can he give her a happy ever after, she muses? She would mind making a new history for herself.

Charles Stanhope is a handsome strong British secret agent who is married to ending World War II with a promise of peace. He is in the United States to recruit Marie to assist him in preparing propaganda to thwart the German Occupation and the rule of Mussolini. He succeeds and the two spend evenings working together. It is love at first sight for him. He wants her to love him as much as he loves her. He foresees love and romance, buy does Marie. .

Marie likes Charles well enough to sleep with him, but after she joins the spy movement, goes to spy camp in Canada, takes a troop ship to England. From there she is to go to her assignment with the Americans in Italy, she has second thought about a happy ever after ending. She believes gossip that Charles a cad and womanizer and sparks fly when she meets him again in England..

Charles travels for weeks at a time penetrating a German sympathizer cells in England and taking dangerous espionage missions into Germany. For Marie the war plays itself out in an office. She becomes despondent until she befriends Molly.

Marie and Charles are relentless in their fight against Hitler. Will the war determine a romance? Will they survive World War II? Will they find the happy ever after in the end or will Marie return to the United States in peace time and find true love.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Sarina Rose Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Samantha Cross

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in a very small town in Connecticut called Putnam, and when I was two years old my parents moved back to their home state of Michigan, where I was raised and still reside. Michigan often gets a bad rep, but it can be quite beautiful, and because of that most of my books take place there. I’m a single gal, unless you include my marriage to writing and my 12 year old cat Loki.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Without realizing it, I have been telling stories my entire life. As a child I never saw playing with Barbies as a pastime, but a tool for dramatic storytelling. Every doll was an important, colorful character, and my dollhouse the perfect place for an intense rooftop fight. Once I outgrew it, and could form proper sentences, I turned to writing and never turned back.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
There isn’t one single genre I seek out. I’m the type to check out a book blurb and judge it by what is interesting to me. If it sounds like an exciting or unique story I will dive right in regardless of a genre. It’s the same as my writing. If an idea strikes me, I go for it instead of limiting myself to what I should or shouldn’t do.

A lot of my inspiration actually comes from music. Obviously books have had a hand in my inspiration, but there’s nothing like sitting down at a laptop, slipping on your headphones and letting the words flow.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
This story was actually based on a dream I had in early 2008. A girl had traveled to a woodsy neighborhood where werewolves were hiding in the shadows. I was up at 3am scribbling down every detail I could remember, but it took me years to actually write it because I couldn’t decide on a tone. Then one day it all clicked, and I wrote it in the summer of 2014. It was then in March of 2015 that I received an acceptance to be published by Summer Solstice Publishing, where I changed the name to Lunar Rampage.

It’s a mystery, it’s horror, and it’s extremely quirky. For those who have read it, the portion they comment on the most is the humor. Here is the blurb for my werewolf novel, Lunar Rampage:

Photographer, animal lover, and unfortunately for the summer, the new girl in town, Cora Nash considers herself a simple girl. Renovating and living at her grandmother’s house seemed like a good idea, until events took a turn for the bizarre. Garbage cans viciously torn into, howls from the woods, wild animals behaving erratically, and an ominous warning from the good looking bad boy, “Stay out the forest.”

This seemingly normal town hides a mysterious and violent secret. When one of the townsfolk up and disappears in the forest, leaving nothing but a pair of shoes, Cora is the only person willing to investigate. The answer, however, is nothing she could have ever anticipated, when under a full moon she finds herself face to face with a… werewolf.

If werewolves don’t exist, where did it come from? And… more importantly, who could it be?

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Samantha Cross’s Website

Samantha Cross Facebook Page

Samantha Cross Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Jennifer Loring

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Portland, Maine and raised in rural western New York. I currently live in Philadelphia, PA with my husband, Zach, and our turtle, Ninja. We will soon be adding dogs to the family.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I had read Stephen King by age 11 and was writing my first horror stories within a year. My first publication was in the Canadian vampire magazine Requiem Aeternam at age 21. After graduating with a BA in studio art, I wrote several novels that thankfully never saw the light of day, dabbled in more short stories (including the first draft of “The Bombay Trash Service”, which in 2004 was awarded an honorable mention in The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror), and ran a popular fan fiction group in which members wrote space opera set in the Voltron universe.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have so many favorites and so many inspirations. Stephen King, Clive Barker, Tanith Lee, Meredith Ann Pierce, Carrie Ryan, Max Brooks, Shirley Jackson, Cormac McCarthy, Mark Z. Danielewski… My favorite genre is horror in all forms–dark fantasy, splatterpunk, psychological, etc.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My newest book is called Those of My Kind. It’s a dark fantasy that began as my grad school thesis project, and it took about two and a half years to write. It was published by Omnium Gatherum on May 11, 2015. One of my goals was to avoid two of horror’s most common tropes–the straight white male protagonist, and the damsel in distress. The four main characters are all young women, two are people of color, and three identify as lesbian though it is never explicitly stated. Most importantly, each performs an active role in moving the plot forward rather than passively allowing herself to be acted upon.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Jennifer Loring’s Website

Jennifer Loring Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Christina Kirby

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Marietta, Georgia, but now I’m out near Austin, TX and I love it. Since graduating from Auburn University and getting married two weeks later, I’ve lived in five different states. Needless to say, I’m great at packing boxes. I’m lucky writing is something I can take with me no matter where I live. If you need me, I’ll be in my new lime green office with my two little furry helpers or deep into the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As strange as this may sound, the first book that caught my attention was one that I didn’t read myself. I can distinctly remember my second grade teacher reading us The Boxcar Children. I loved it and looked forward to the part of the day when she would sit down and read us the next chapter. After that it’s all a bit jumbled, but over the years I fell in love with Little Women, Rebecca, and Nora Roberts pulled me in and made me a lifelong fan with Montana Sky. When I first started writing in my late 20s, I was just trying to see if I could write a book. I never knew someone would read it, but it didn’t take long until I caught the writing bug.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’m a loose cannon when it comes to what I read. Part of the reason is because I’m in a book club so, whatever book everyone votes for is the one we read. It’s great because it opens my eyes to books I may not have chosen on my own. I read a fair amount of romance, naturally, (Nora Roberts, Fern Michaels, Meda White), but I also love YA. Cassandra Claire is a favorite of mine. I also have deep respect for Stephen King even though there is no way I could write horror. The ability to freak people out with only words is a true gift.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is my debut, not counting a short Christmas story I published as part of an anthology. SAFE AT HOME tells the story of Samantha Parker and why she left Chicago for the small town of Warm Springs, Georgia. I chose Warm Springs as the setting because it’s a place I spent a lot of time in as a child.

Starting over…
Driven by fear and desperate to protect her family, Samantha is forced to leave Chicago and everything she’s worked to achieve, only to start over by tossing a dart-at-the-map. The Georgia townsfolk’s true Southern charm is the unexpected prescription needed to heal her soul, and the sexy carpenter who touches her heart are distractions she didn’t plan on, but they might offer her a chance at a new life, if she can let go of her past.

Town heartbreaker Spencer Malloy isn’t looking for anything serious. His days are perfect working as a contractor, attending his nephew’s baseball games, or taking him fishing. He never expects to fall for the big city girl, Samantha. She’s not his type, timid and closed off, but in her unguarded moments, he’s intrigued by the woman he can’t get out of his mind. The urge to get closer to her grows stronger each day, and when the shadow of evil resurfaces, he vows to protect Samantha, even if it means abandoning his home and joining her on the run.

When confronted by the man who’s bent on revenge, Samantha must choose between running again to save the people she loves, or, if she has the strength, to stay and fight for her new life.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Christina Kirby’s Website

Christina Kirby Facebook Page

Christina Kirby Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Daniel Shinhar

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Israel and studied medicine at the Tel Aviv Medical school.
I am a Pediatric Surgeon at the Sheba Medical Center where I tend to children with different surgicl problems.
I live in Herzeliya, near the Mediterranean sea, have three sons and enjoy sports, reading and hiking.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
When I was a kid i started reading all kinds of books and always enjoyed using my imagination to go to different places.
Ever since I became a father some time ago, I have been telling stories to my sons before they go to sleep. One of their favorites stories is was about a crane helping his friends. My son then decided to call the crane Foofy.
I wanted to share this story with other children and to let them know about friendship, giving, and kindness.
If we will use these three wonderful words the world will be a better place to live in.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I enjoy reading all kinds of books including science fiction, action novels and good drama books. I read also poetry from time to time and the best is to read while i’m in my garden in a peaceful afternoon.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Foofy the Friendly Crane” is charming and tells a story of true friendship, giving, and helping those in need. Foofy is a yellow crane with many friends. One day he discovers that his friends are in various troubles: the concrete mixer is stuck in the mud, the small car’s engine is broken, the ambulance has a flat, and the school bus is stuck in a puddle. Foofy sets out to their rescue. Touching and laced with humor, the book is written in the direct but subtle language of children and accompanied by colorful illustrations

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Daniel Shinhar’s Website

Daniel Shinhar Facebook Page

Daniel Shinhar Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Woelf Dietrich

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
As a kid I consumed books and comics by the truckloads, reading anything from fantasy to westerns to science fiction. I wanted to stay in that dream state so I began making up my own stories, writing my first short story at 12. I also started drawing my own comics–little stick figures with dialogue balloons that later evolved into musclebound warriors and scantly clad vixens. I gave them battle axes and broadswords and unleashed them onto the world. A silent chaos ensued followed by crickets chirping and nothing much else, but boy, did I entertain myself. Alas, life kept interfering and I allowed it, and so nothing came from my artistic endeavors.

After graduating high school I served a year in the military where I learned how to dig trenches, eat quickly, and miss girls. I travelled to Israel and lived on a Kibbutz for eight months, working in avocado fields and drinking cheap vodka. I sold pots and pans and educational toys in Africa for a while and almost got shot in Zimbabwe. I did a brief stint as cartoonist somewhere and an even briefer stint as reporter somewhere else. Somehow, and maybe by accident, I ended up in law school and became a lawyer. I did that for almost a decade.

These days I’m back to writing stories. A calling I ignored for far too long. I mostly write tales of dark fantasy and the supernatural. Sometimes I write other things. I now live in New Zealand, and with a wife and kids, and a dog, I’ll be staying put for the foreseeable future.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
At 12. We were asked to submit a one page short story for class. I handed in eight pages. I discovered I like writing, then, which made sense, given that I was reading ferociously at the time. Through the years I’ve written many stories, but never really invested enough time to make them readable. Then, one day in 2010, I got this idea for a short story and I told myself I would finish it, no matter what. If I did this right, at least I could then say I hacked at it with all my might. The adage “It’s better to have tried than not to have tried at all” was my mantra while I wrote the story. I finished it and left it. I felt satisfied that I had tried my best and sad, completely convinced I couldn’t write. A year went by and things changed. I won’t bore your readers with the details, but writing suddenly became the only option left open to me, which is pretty dark considering that a year previously I was thoroughly convinced I couldn’t write. I went back to the story to polish it and discovered it wasn’t so bad after all. I also realized the scope was too big for just a short story. It deserved to be told on a much grander scale, and so begun research for The Spirit Bow. What really propelled me into this world is discovering that the ideas I used in the original story, the locations and rough mythos, all resembled actual places and even characters and incidents in history. It is an epic fantasy tale that takes place in an antediluvian Sumer. The history, the gods, the geography, etc., all fit perfectly with what I had conjured up at the time. I was blown away by this discovery.

But it was taking too long. The research and writing alone was immense and it took me through the first seven months of 2012, and still I wasn’t even close to finishing the project. While I was working on Spirit Bow, something else brewed in the back of my mind, an idea for a contemporary fantasy tale that weaved things a bit differently than you would find in your standard urban fantasy story. I decided to pay it attention. I tapped into various mythologies for this one, leaning heavily on Sumerian and Norse mythologies. That I was neck-deep in Sumerian lore helped grow the idea, of course. I started writing the The Seals of Abgal in August 2012 and finished the final draft in November. After editing and rewrites I published the book on 31 December 2012.

As with Spirit Bow, during the writing process of Seals I realized the concept was too big for just a novella (Yeah, I know. not again, right?). A whole new mythos and arc had developed and it was begging me to make it real. The Seals of Abgal is thus the prequel to the Guardians of the Seals series. I am currently busy with a novel titled, The Morrigan, which takes place immediately after the events in The Seals of Abgal.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Everyone I have ever read who showed me the beauty and magic of words and stories. I need to explain. There is no one book or author that prompted me to write what I write. I’ve always had an affinity for fantasy and its various sub-genres. But I can say the same of other genres too, including literary fiction. So my inspiration, generally and for future projects, will always include Robert E. Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert B. Parker, A.J. Quinnell, Hammond Innes, Desmond Bagley, Louis L’Amour, Ernest Hemingway, Neil Gaiman, John Grisham, Robert Harris, Morris West, David Eddings, Ken Follett, JRR Tolkien, and a lot of others whose names I don’t recall at the moment.

This is not and never will be, a closed list. All of these guys make me want to write. At the moment I’m a Gaiman fanboy. I also love Mark Lawrence’s work and Bernard Cornwell’s Warrior Chronicles. I’m addicted to David Gemmell’s heroic fantasy series. You cannot pinpoint only one writer or book. All of them influenced me and shaped me. Some I read multiple times. As you go through life and mature, you go through different stages, experience emotions that are ever evolving, and the books are there, each one befitting whatever mood you are in, whatever level of maturity you’ve attained. The same book can impact you differently the next year or it can call back emotions you’ve long forgotten.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Seals of Abal is a 128-page novella about a powerfully magical grimoire by the same name. The story involves a bookstore owner, Sebastian Kaine (who may or may not have possession of the book) and an ancient, putrid evil that seeks to own the book at all costs. Sebastian’s only goal is to stay alive… or is it?

It is an introduction to my Guardians of the Seals series. The next book is titled The Morrigan and is in the final stages of revision.

I won’t bore you with an extended arc description of the series, so here is the gist of it:

“Behind the fabric of our reality supernatural forces are at war with each other and have been since before time, and in the middle of this conflict is Sebastian Kaine, who, torn between loyalties to factions on both sides, must try to unravel the mystery of his family’s past and deal with his feelings towards a strange and beautiful woman who knows more about him and his family than he does. And he needs to do all of this without losing the Seals of Abgal.”

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Woelf Dietrich’s Website

Woelf Dietrich Facebook Page

Woelf Dietrich Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Paul C. Steffy

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Paul C. Steffy has written several short fiction stories, two novelettes and one novel. His travels include twenty-seven countries and all fifty United States.

He enjoys flying; sailing; ocean cruises; travel; landscape and wildlife photography; the feel of ocean spray in a brisk wind; the fragrance of pine forests; stimulating conversation; quiet moments at sunset and fulfilling evolving goals. He values these and many other aspects of his busy life.

The Southwest is where he lives with his family and continues to write.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My parents read to me from as far back as I can recall. In Kindergarten I discovered the joys of listening to an adult in a classroom environment while they read an exciting story. Our school librarian always held my interest during our one hour of weekly library day. She’d read of far away places, and interesting and unusual people I wanted to meet. As she painted a word picture, the myriad of scenes from distant shores around the world helped to ignite my wanderlust.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I enjoy a variety of authors from the Greeks and Romans through Churchill, James Joyce, and Richard Bach. Hemingway and Confucius have their own special appeal as do many modern authors on a list too lengthy to recite. I read almost anything and everything when I believe I will learn and expand my thinking and knowledge base.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My most recent book THE GOOD SOLDIER is listed as fiction. It incorporates events from my year in Vietnam when I served in the infantry for one year in 1967-68. Tet happened while I there and I have vivid memories of those days. All that went into writing THE GOOD SOLDIER proved to be cathartic for me. I waited forty-seven years to put pen to paper on this topic so that my family would know what I experienced when I was eighteen years old and on foreign shores.

In the story, Brad Thomas returns to Vietnam with other Veterans in 2014 to see old battlefields and find the family who gave him their family keepsakes to give to the American People.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Paul C. Steffy’s Website

Featured Interview With Linda Heavner Gerald

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Linda Heavner Gerald. I am a Renaissance Person. By this I mean that I have had several different lives. A Registered Nurse, Real Estate Broker, Mom, Retired and now Author. My writing is due to a vision which I experienced each night for years. Finally, I prayed for guidance. The result was my first book, Beaufort Betrayal. Now, I have seven published books which are doing well at http://amzn.to/1EtWIG5 (Amazon). My latest book is Confessions of an Assassin. This is my best work yet. I am very proud of it.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I began writing almost three years ago. Each day, I write. It has become my joy and passion. It is my hope that God will use my writing to touch a life. Hopefully, I demonstrate that HE loves all of us. None are beyond the redemptive love of God. No matter what you may have done, HE waits to show you forgiveness.

My experience as a Registered Nurse also allows me to incorporate current health issues in my writing. Hopefully, someone may seek care for a problem which seemed unimportant.

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, Nelson DeMille and Nicholas Sparks. I really love DeMille when he lets his wit lose. I try to use humor also even in dramatic events.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Confessions of an Assassin

Confessions of an Assassin is the story of Catherine Carnegie. Although she was born to a wealthy, prestigious family from New York, her dream was all things southern. “Cat” finally obtained everything that she dreamed of since childhood. Once established in the loveliest home in Eufaula, Alabama, she meets a vaguely familiar man from her college days who changes her life. What begins as a fun diversion attending state dinners in Washington, soon immerses her in a dangerous unknown government agency. Despite attempts to withdraw from their clutches, she realizes that they are ruthless and unwilling to ever let her leave. Her assignments become more dangerous; sent to various places all over the globe. Eventually, she is given her most heart wrenching assignment in Bali, Indonesia which will change her life forever. Finally, a package arrives unexpectantly. It is the gift which sets her free.

Upon completing this book, I realized that I had crossed a plateau in my writing. It is definitely my best work. Transporting the reader to Abaco, Bahamas; London, England; and Bali, Indonesia. I am able to use my travels to inspire my readers and allow them to see these places in their minds from the comfort and safety of home.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Linda Heavner Gerald’s Website

Linda Heavner Gerald Facebook Page

Linda Heavner Gerald Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Karin Shah

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Greece, NY, a suburb of Rochester, NY. Our house was about a mile as the crow flies from lake Ontario. The winters were cold and snowy (which I loved as a child). The summers were spectacular with a lovely breeze off the lake. They call Chicago the Windy City, but Buffalo, to the southwest, and Rochester both get more wind. The lake goes on for as far as the eye can see and on a foggy day, sometimes it seems like the world just ends at the edge. Perfect for a writer’s inspiration. Now, I live in Westerville, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. It’s a bit milder in the winter here (though not lately!) and summers can be pretty hot, but I love my adopted town. It has some cool history, (Benjamin Hanby lived here, the Temperance league started here–though the town is no longer dry), and the community is a really wonderful place to live and raise children (I have two. A girl and a boy) I also have a trail-running husband and two wild dogs, an active vizsla and a mischievous basenji.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was bullied a lot as a kid, so I learned to live through characters in books. Greece had a number of libraries when I was growing up and the closest one to our house was Paddy Hill Library. It was an old church, with a steeple and stained glass and everything. It had a second story balcony and had a sense of mystery and magic about it. I read everything in the children’s section and started on the Romance and Sci-Fi at age eleven. I started writing seriously in after I was married. Although, by this time I was a school librarian and wanted to write YA and children’s books, I was intimidated by the kid’s market which required an agent, so started with my other love–Romance. I love my Happily Ever Afters! And I’ve just released my fifth book, a YA Romantic Fantasy.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
In children’s and YA, I am a sucker for JK Rowling and I re-read the Harry Potter series about once a year. The aftermath is dangerous though as I walk a long in a Harry Potter induced haze for days after wanting to get back into Harry’s world. Fantasy is my go to in YA. In adult reading, I’m all about Romance on the wild side, vampires, shapeshifters, fantasy, and Science Fiction Romance. Give me your tortured heroes like Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters or Robin D. Owens Heart series. I also love Linnea Sinclair’s Sci-Fi Romances. Her Kel-Paten from Games of Command is probably my favorite Romance hero of all time. Everything inspires me. Currently, I’m exploring the kick-ass heroine. But, I don’t think she needs to actually fight people to kick-ass. She can be strong in other ways, too. Really smart, or emotionally resilient.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book Halfling, is a YA Romantic Fantasy or Fantasy Romance. Deyna, my heroine is the lowest of the low in her world, a crippled Valayan wanderer (Think gypsies in the olden days).
When her father sells her to their enemies, the winged darklings, as the annual sacrifice, it seems like the end of the line, but when it’s discovered she’s half darkling her life is spared.
Of course, her troubles are just beginning. The darklings are in the middle of an undeclared civil war and she soon has to decide whether to risk her comfortable life as a servant in the palace to help others. She’s had to be selfish to survive, so risking her neck for her new friends is not something she enters into lightly. She’s probably my favorite heroine to date, because she has endured so much, but she never gives up.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Karin Shah’s Website

Karin Shah Facebook Page

Karin Shah Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Maria Gibbs

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in West London, England and haven’t ventured outside of that area to live although I do love to travel and see different countries.
I don’t have any pets, but I do love animals, especially horses.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I not sure when I became aware of my fascination with reading as it always seemed to be there. I do remember around the age of 7 or 8 years of age starting to create my own stories. I used to tap away on an old typewriter but every time I made a mistake I would pull the paper out and start again. I took forever to write anything. The possibilities with a computer and word documents were astounding, but I am glad that I started with the typewriter.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
When I was younger, I devoured Enid Blyton books, moving on as a teenager to J.R.R Tolkien.
I love many different authors nowadays ranging over a spectrum of genres, but I suppose if I had to pick a favourite I would have to say, Sharon Penman. Others include Barbara Erskine, Tom Clancy, M.M. Kaye, Phillipa Gregory and lots more.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“As Dreams are Made on” is a Romance, Fantasy, Time Slip story about a newly-wed woman who has been experiencing some disturbing dreams. On the advice of a Gypsy at the local fair, she takes a potion to stop her from dreaming. Yet it cannot stop her from being drawn into the dream world where an enigmatic man hopes to trap her there for his own purposes. Meanwhile, her husband in the present day has to fight his own beliefs in order to bring his wife back before he loses her forever.
The Gypsy tells him that only pure love can save her…but what is pure love?

“A Lifetime or a Season” is a Romance book and a journey of self-discovery. The protagonist Athena, is a young woman who has lived in the shadow of her mother and, as a result, struggled to form a meaningful relationship with men. This book sees Athena challenging herself to go for her dream despite the opposition from her mother and the man who holds her heart. She discovers who she really is and her own abilities.

I had no idea what I was going to write for either of these. I had no initial idea I just placed my fingers on the keyboard and the story flowed. The first draft probably took a month to write and the editing process the same again, but both are only approximately 14,000 words long.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Maria Gibbs’s Website

Maria Gibbs Facebook Page

Maria Gibbs Twitter Account