Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Erin S. Riley

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Virginia but raised just outside of Cincinnati. I still live 20 minutes away from the house I grew up in. My husband and I have been married for 18 years and we have two kids, a 15 year old daughter and a 10 year old son. My daughter is a gifted artist and was recently accepted to a school of the arts for her final two years of high school. My son is an amazing athlete, playing football, basketball and lacrosse. We have four cats and a new puppy. Unfortunately, the cats are not amused by their new fur-sibling! My job, kids and pets keep me very busy, so I’ve found my best time to write is between 4-6 am.

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 with books! I learned to read when I was four. I didn’t understand the concept of sounding out words–and honestly, the process seemed very inefficient to me anyway– so I just memorized whole words as I went along. To this day I’m a very fast reader, but whenever I come across a word I don’t know, I have a very hard time pronouncing it because I never learned the rules of sounding things out! Nevertheless, I love getting lost in a good book. I enjoy both fiction and non-fiction, and will read just about any genre of fiction as long as the book is well written. I started writing at a young age and still have the books I wrote and illustrated when I was a child. Everyone in my family is dyslexic to various degrees; my husband, both kids, and me. But I’m a firm believer in the notion that dyslexia is a gift, not a curse. This “creative brain wiring” helps me see the world in a vivid, unique way that in turn helps me in my writing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am a very eclectic reader. I’m as likely to read a textbook about neuroscience or one of the classics as I am a blockbuster novel. If I had to pick a favorite genre, I would say historical fiction with romantic elements. A HEA ending is not a prerequisite for me–I enjoy being surprised. I really like to read indie authors because I find they’re not hampered by the “rules” of genre writing as so many authors with publishers have to be. Outlander is my favorite book of all time, followed by Catcher In the Rye as a close second, and Back Roads third. I like books that are deep and meaningful, yet not pretentious. As a writer, I’m inspired by just about everything: the people I meet, the places I’ve been, and the situations in which I find myself. I enjoy understanding how people tick and why they make the decisions they do. My educational background is in psychology, and I worked on a hospital psychiatric unit for years. One of the main characters in Odin’s Shadow is mentally unstable, so I think my background helped me write him pretty realistically!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is Odin’s Shadow, the first book in a series of three about an Irish girl and the two Viking brothers who love her. I wrote the book in 2010 while recovering from surgery. I was off work for eight weeks, so the book was written in those eight weeks! The first draft was awful, though, and I spent the next few years editing and tweaking until I was finally happy with it. I signed with Soul Mate Publishing in the summer of 2014 and the book was released this April.

Odin’s Shadow is set in the 800s, deep in the Viking era when the sight of a longship sailing up the coast of Ireland would strike fear into the heart of any man, woman or child. Here’s the blurb:

Selia is a girl on the verge of womanhood, frustrated by the confines of her gender and resentful of the freedom her brother boasts of. Intelligent and resourceful in a time when neither is valued in a female, she longs for an escape from her sheltered existence. Fascinated by the tales of Viking raids told by her maidservant, her hunger for independence is fed through the stories of heathen ferocity she hears at the woman’s knee.
A decision to sneak to the city’s harbor to view the Viking longships leads to an encounter with Alrik Ragnarson, a charismatic Viking warlord whose outward beauty masks a dark and tortured mind. With the knowledge that her father is about to announce her betrothal to a man she doesn’t love, Selia marries Alrik and within a day is on the longship bound for Norway and a new life.
While Selia’s relationship with her new husband grows, her friendship with his brother Ulfrik grows as well. And as Alrik’s character flaws come to light and tension mounts between the two brothers, Selia begins to have misgivings about her hasty marriage . . . especially when a secret from the past is revealed, one that threatens to destroy them all.

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Featured Interview With Izzy Szyn

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
From Detroit, moved to Oklahoma City three years ago.
Have a dog named Misty who is the sweetest dog on the planet.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have been addicted to reading since I was ten years old. I have been reviewing, promoting authors for years.
I actually started writing last May. My friend dared me to write after attending a chat. She said she thought I could write better than the book being described.
She then started sending me contest info, submission info.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorites? Too many to name. I love Lori Foster, Mina Carter, Renee George, Dakota Cassidy, RG Alexander, Eden Bradley, Robyn Peterman. Also love Cheryl Dragon, Megan Slayer, Stephanie Burke and Zenobia Renquist. That is just to name a few.

My favorite is actually what I write currently. Erotic. The hotter the better.
I get my ideas everywhere. I work in a call center and someone will say something and my mind will start to run with it.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest is actually my first. It is The Anniversary Present. It is a short read, only 33 pages. It came to me in the middle of the night and wrote it in two days.

Carly Adams works at a temp agency. She knows that some of the people who work there do more than filing with the clients.
When one of her coworkers asks her to substitute for her, she meets Parker and Amber. Parker and Amber are married and want Carly to assist them at the next gaming convention for their newest role playing game for adults.
But it is also their wedding anniversary and Amber always gets what she wants for her anniversary. This year she wants Carly.

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Featured Interview With Francis H Powell

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born in 1961, in Reading, England I attended Art Schools, receiving a degree in painting and an MA in printmaking. In 1995, I moved to Austria, teaching English as a foreign language while pursuing his varied artistic interests adding music and writing. I am currently living in Paris, songwriting, doing concerts, writing both prose and poetry. I have no pets, just a little son of two years old. What better way to put all my angst into short stories. Born in a commuter belt city called Reading and like many a middle or upper class child of such times I was shunted off to an all-male boarding school aged eight, away from my parents for periods of up to twelve weeks at a time. In such an institutions, where I was to rest until my seventeenth year, there was no getting away from the cruel jibes hurled at me from taunting tormentors. My refuge was the arts room, where I started to find some kind of redemption from the stark Dickensian surroundings, whose aim was nurture the army officers, businessmen, and gentry that dominate the class ridden world I was born into. The seeds were sown, I was an outsider, Happier times were to follow, I went to art school, where I attempted to exorcize my time spent at school. At eighteen I turned my back on a parentally enforced weekly visit to church and my head was filled with a range of nonconformist ideas. While at my first Art college through a friend I met a writer called Rupert Thomson, who was at the time in the process of writing his first book “Dreams of leaving”. He was a bit older than myself, me being fresh out of school, but his personality and wit resonated and despite losing contact with him, I always read his latest published books with not only great expectation and unabashed admiration, but also a fascination for a person I had really looked up to, his sentences always tight, shooting arrows that always hit the mark. My yearning to be creative stayed strong and diversified, from my twenties through to my thirties and forties I made electronic music, doing concerts, in front ecstasy infused crowds, at a point I was making videos and short films. When the age of the internet arrived I was really able translate my creative endeavors into something really tangible. To earn a living I have worked as a teacher. I moved to Austria where upon I thought I would try writing. It is sure that my writing at that time was rough and rugged and without direction. I dived into a story about immortality, the story remains vegetating on some dusty floppy disk. Then tried short stories for children with illustrations to go with them. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-forties that my writing took shape. I was at this point living in Paris, France. I spotted an advert for short stories. The magazine happened to be called Rat Mort (dead rat) I sent off a short story, in the hope it would match the seemingly dark world the magazine seemed to embroiled in. I got no answer. Not put off I sent two more stories. Finally I got an answer. It seemed the magazine editor was a busy man, a man prone to travelling. It seemed my first story really hit the right note with him. His name was Alan Clark. He had a flat in the Montmartre area of Paris, where he seemed known to all, especially those who frequented his favorite drinking haunts. He offered me many words of encouragement. I was writing stories that were coming into my head at regular intervals, as if a monster had suddenly awakened. I was writing them on scraps of paper, less I would forget them, while I travelled on the Paris metro, going about my teaching work with staid business types. I had found a format for writing that worked, as well as a hunger to write about the demons of my past that still haunted me. Moving closer to present times, the desire to put together an anthology seemed to resonate in my mind. The Flight of Destiny evolved slowly. Many trans-Atlantic exchanges between myself and two editors seemingly far away. This evolution took my writing to a new level and the stories more depth and resonance

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started when I lived in the middle of nowhere near Vienna, Austria. I just dived into writing, and I am sure what I wrote was very raw and unpolished. Then in France I started writing a lot of poetry, which got published on various websites. I wrote lyrics for my own music as well as for other musicians. I caught this writing virus and felt compelled to write these stories, which were swirling about in my head. Maybe a lot of my deep anxieties came to the fore. I liked the format of a short story and the idea of having stories which are set in different places and different periods of time.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Roald Dahl, for his short stories. Rupert Thomson for his great style of writing.
I like to read obscure newspaper articles, strange unusual stories. I like to write stories that have a twist at the end. I like to write about the “underdogs” of this world, the oppressed, the downtrodden. I like reading for example about people who turn up in the middle of nowhere, not knowing who they are, with the authorities unable to place them. Unlikely stories in newspapers fascinate me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
flight of destiny Is a collection of short stories about misfortune. They are characterized by unexpected final twists, that come at the end of each tale. They are dark and surreal tales, set around the world, at different time periods. They show a world in which anything can happen. It is hard to determine reality and what is going on a disturbed mind. People’s conceptions about morality are turned upside down. A good person can be transformed by an unexpected event into a bad person and then back again to their former state. The high and mighty often deliver flawed arguments, those considered wicked make good representations of themselves. Revenge is often a subject explored.

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Featured Interview With Natalie Alder

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I write stories about romance. They center on learning about the characters backgrounds, personalities and life circumstances that mold them into who they are and how they love.

I am a sassy 40-something year old. I live in a quiet farming town in New England with my husband of fifteen years and our three rescued cats. After college I facilitated improvement in the physical abilities of children and the elderly then took the opportunity to enjoy my creative side. I love to sew, knit, write…sing and drink martinis (not necessarily at the same time).

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Before I could read. I loved to watch and listen to others read. I like to look at the words and pictures even though I couldn’t read the words.

I began writing The Tapestry Series when I was twelve.

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 Lori Foster, Ginger Ring, Rodd Clark, Mike Faricy, Rick Johnson, Maeve Binchy, Jostein Gaarder, C J Carmichael, Jayne Rylon, Mari Carr, Laura Moore, Addison Moore, Lisa Jackson, Jane Porter, Sable Hunter, Aurora Zahni, Patricia Cornwell and so many more.

My favorite genre is romantic suspense with a cowboy. (I think I just made that genre up).

All of the above. And Christian Fennell.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I just submitted Book 3 in the Tapestry Series, Woven Interests, to the publisher. Each book in this family saga/romance series is about a different member of the family. This book tells the middle son, James Becker’s, story.

In the previous books James’ sexual orientation is unclear to the readers and his family. James believes he will never be in a committed relationship, it’s just not for him. In this book he finds love. He finds it complicated and confusing to understand and accept but the love is real. So he works hard to help weave the bonds that are forming strong so they may build a viable relationship and hopefully eventually commit to that relationship.

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Featured Interview With Madelyn Hill

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Madelyn Hill has always loved the written word. From the time she could read and all through her school years, she’d sneak books into her textbooks during school. And she devoured books daily. At the age of 10 she proclaimed she wanted to be a writer. After being a “closet” writer for several years, she sent her manuscripts out there and is now published with Soul Mate Publishing. And she couldn’t be happier!

A resident of Western New York, she moved from one Rochester to another Rochester to be with the love of her life. They now have 3 children and keep busy cooking, watching their children’s sporting events, and of course reading!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I can’t remember when I wasn’t an avid reader! I always had a book in my hand and my favorite series as a young girl was the Little House on the Prairie series. Now, I love reading on my iPad so that I can have an assortment of titles to read at any time.

I started writing when I was ten! I wrote short stories, poems, journals. After the birth of my son I became more focused and started writing seriously and joined a writer group.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love historical romance, but I read all genres. Some of my favorite authors are Sarah Addison Allen, Julia Quinn, Diana Gabaldon, Christi Caldwell – just to name a few. I don’t know if a particular author inspires my writing. I’m very visual and images help me become inspired. I love Pinterest for this very reason. I have boards for all of my books. Here’s the link to my boards: http://www.pinterest.com/madelynhill68

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest novel is called For The Love Of A Gypsy. The story starts in Ireland and ends in England during the Regency time period. Martine and Declan are the hero and heroine and I was inspired by the lush Irish landscape and the lore of Gypsies. Both are proud, a bit stubborn, but ultimately made for each other! Before I wrote a word of the story, I came up with the title – a rare event for some authors. You can find my novel on Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VG98NWQ

I started this book about eight years ago and then started my Master’s Degree. Over the years I started and finished other novels, but this book kept calling to me. I opened it up, did some major edits and sent to my publisher Soul Mate Publishing. The novel was released on April 17, 2015.

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Featured Interview With Kathy Miner

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in the farm country of western Michigan, and thought I was a “town kid” because I lived one house inside the village limits of a one-stoplight farming community. For the last 20 years, though, I’ve lived along the front range of Colorado – I’m looking out my office window at Cheyenne Mountain as I type this. I have two pets – a fluffy golden-mix who we rescued as a puppy, and an imperial cat I saved from abandonment in the parking lot of the building where I worked. The dog continues to be grateful. The cat never was.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have no memory of not knowing how to read – I would follow along as my mother read to me before I started kindergarten. I have called myself a writer since the fourth grade, when a poem I wrote won a contest. It was the first and last good poem I ever wrote.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love Alice Hoffman, Nora Roberts, JK Rowling, Barbara Kingsolver, and Patrick Rothfuss, just to name a very few. I love reading in many different genres, from romance to literary to young adult to sci fi/fantasy – my only requirements are good writing and a good story. Stephen King impresses me on many levels as a writer, though I can’t read his stuff (too scary!) – his memoir on writing is a must-read for any aspiring author.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
At the end of May 2015, I’ll be releasing the second book in my Colorado Chapters trilogy, “Where the Light Enters.” (The first book is entitled “What Survives of Us.”) My books follow a group of survivors of a devastating pandemic as they try to put their lives back together, reunite with loved ones, and cope with the changes the plague wrought in them. It’s post-apocalypse without the zombies and machine guns. What would you do, to ensure your survival, and the survival of the ones you love? Both books demand an answer from the characters, and readers are telling me it makes them contemplate the question as well.

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Featured Interview With Sloane B. Collins

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a fifth-generation Texan, born and raised in El Paso, then I lived in Independence, MO for 18 years where I met and married my husband. We moved to Tampa, FL, and now we’re in a suburb of Dallas, TX. But since I began writing the French Kiss Connection series, my heart belongs to France.

We’ve been married almost 27 years, and have four adorable cats. Last year a pregnant stray adopted us in time to give birth to three boys, all named after characters in my favorite Julia Quinn novel. They are our children, and frequently steal the show on my Facebook page!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been an avid reader since I was very young. My favorite place growing up was the library – there’s nothing like the smell of all those books in that huge building. I devoured books, and still do when I have the time.

I have a little handmade book from some class project in first grade. One of the questions was What do you want to be when you grow up? My answer: Writer. Upon my first reading of “Little Women,” I wanted to be Jo March and write from the heart, and I’ve been writing ever since.

I love escaping into books, whether I’m reading or writing them. It can be the hottest July day in Texas, but I can feel the snowy cold of a December Maine when I read, or the feel the spring breeze blowing through my French vineyards when I write.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love reading. Period. I devour Cozy Mysteries, Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, and Paranormal Romance. I have so many favorite authors, but two of my most favorite are Sasha Summers and Julia Quinn. I’m now on the twentieth reading of “What Happens in London” by Ms. Quinn. The dialogue and humor in that book is awesome. I mean, how can you not love it when the hero says “I love her so much it makes my teeth ache”?

There are so many authors who have inspired me, but none more so than the women in Dallas Area Romance Authors. These women have taught me so much, and give freely of their time and knowledge. I have developed treasured friendships through DARA and RWA that will last a lifetime.

I have to give a shout out to Candace Havens, who has to be the hardest-working woman I know – she’s an author, a Senior Editor, and a well-known entertainment reporter. She has taught me more about writing and editing in the last year, and I’m so grateful to call her friend.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My debut Contemporary Romance is called Love Redesigned, set in the fictional village of St. Armand in the Alsace region of France. I fell in love with that part of France while writing this book, and am hopeful to get there someday soon. The story was inspired when I met a French fashion designer a few years ago. He started speaking in that delicious French accent, and I knew immediately I had to write about a tall, dark, and ruggedly attractive Frenchman.

This book is about two people who are reunited after the machinations of a scheming cougar broke them up fifteen years ago in Paris. Genevieve is an American cake artist returning to France for her cousin’s wedding. Roman is the cousin to the groom, and is designing the clothes for the wedding party. Seeing her reminds him just how devastating falling in love can be.

They form a fragile truce to make it through the wedding, yet every second together makes their attraction and long-buried feelings undeniable. But old habits and hurts die hard, and while Roman is ready to weave their lives together, Genevieve can’t afford to lose herself in his shadow.

It took me about nine months from start to finish, along with researching France, revising, editing, and polishing.

One of my favorite characters is Daniel, Genevieve’s BFF who accompanies her to the wedding. I hadn’t planned for his character, but he literally walked on to the first page and called her “Sugar.” He’s a hoot!

http://tinyurl.com/pks2nz2

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Featured Interview With Marie Lavender

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in a small town in the Midwest. I now live in central Indiana, but I plan to move to California or some other coastal location someday. I have three cats, and I’ll be adding six to that total when I marry my fiancé.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I think I loved books from the time I knew about them, probably from the time my mom was reading them to us at bedtime. I was pretty young then. When I could read on my own, it just opened up another world for me. I started writing at the age of nine, but stories were in my head long before that. I always had a wild imagination.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Some of my favorite authors are J.R. Ward, P.C. Cast, Chloe Neill, Catherine Coulter, Kris Tualla, Emma Wildes, Nora Roberts, Kerrelyn Sparks, and the list just goes on. My favorite genre to read is romance – really any sub-genres of romance. My main two favorites are paranormal romance and historical romance, though I’ll also read contemporary romance, romantic suspense, time travel romance or romantic fantasy.

Who inspires me? The world inspires me. The people around me, the writers I meet every day and really anyone or anything can inspire me in my work. My favorite authors inspire me because they made it despite the obstacles. I also admire their candor in approaching certain topics. I hope I can be so brave in my endeavors.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest release is Second Nature, book one of the Blood at First Sight Series. It is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy, and is my first published book about vampires, or the Other world. I wanted to create a story about a captive’s struggle with her circumstances, but I didn’t want it to get too creepy. I had a lot of fun writing the book, and the whole process from start to polished took me about four months!

Second Nature is about a young woman, Desiree Edwards, who finds herself in a different world when she is taken from her home and forced to get along with a vampire. She also learns some things about herself in the process. Alec is her captor, but he is not the monster he appears to be. He is very drawn to her, but soon realizes the dangers in keeping her with him.

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Featured Interview With Linda O’Connor

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I haven’t always been an author –I’ve been a physician for a lot longer! I work part-time at a clinic, but I also spent many years teaching clinical skills to medical students. As part of that job, I wrote a lot of roles for the standardized patients (actors portraying patients). That was great experience for character development in my stories! I live in Ontario, Canada and we have a house on the water. I love looking out onto the lake to write.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’m fairly new to writing! I started about three years ago. When I was a child, I always found it tough to write a story when the teacher asked because I had too many ideas floating around in my head. It was hard to sort them out. But now I love it because I can take my time and as the story builds in my head, I can write it down. Sometimes I think of the next scene when I’m out for a walk or lying in bed at night. Sometimes I’ll hear a funny saying on the radio or read about an unusual event that will trigger a quirky characteristic or scene in a story. Once I was in the grocery store and overheard a funny conversation between two teenagers stocking the shelves! Listening to what people say, and how they speak and respond (*cough* eavesdropping) is a great way to learn to write catchy dialogue.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite genre is romance because I love the happily-ever-after endings. I’m usually reading for relaxation so I enjoy any lighthearted, fun read. My favourite romance author is Nora Roberts. I also really enjoyed Priceless by Marne Davis Kellogg and Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl. Graeme Simsion’s two Rosie books are very funny!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is PERFECTLY HONEST (don’t mean to shout – I’ve learned that authors always CAPITALIZE their book title). It’s a romantic comedy about two doctors who get caught up in a little white lie. It took me about nine months to write and polish, and readers tell me they’re finished reading it in 2 nights…is that fair?

You never know where your words will take you…
When Mikaela Finn agreed to be Sam’s ‘fiancée’ for a weekend, she probably should have told him that she’s a doctor. Sam O’Brien, aka ‘Dr. Eye Candy’, is trying to shed his playboy reputation and convince a small town hospital that he’s ready to settle down. But when his ‘fiancée’ helps deliver a baby in the middle of the meet and greet, it’s a bit of a shock. If he’d known the whole truth, Sam might have done things a little differently because somehow his ‘fiancée’ ends up stealing his job and his heart. Not exactly the change he wanted. Lies and deceit – it’s a match made in heaven!

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Featured Interview With Maya Tyler

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I moved a lot in my growing up years because of my dad’s job. I had a “where I hang my hat is home” policy until I married my high school sweetheart and finally settled in one place. We have two little boys and a nine-pound shih zhu. Oh and we have a betta as well. We have tons of fun together… we take them to museums and have family movie nights…

Besides writing and hanging out with my family, I have a lot of hobbies. I enjoy reading romance novels, listening to rock music (especially from the ’90’s), watching TV and movies, and cross-stitching. I try to do yoga daily… It helps me relax and focus.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was pretty little when I became interested in books. My parents read to me a lot! It wasn’t long before I was reading on my own.

I wrote a lot of poetry and short stories when I was a kid. I took a creative writing class post-university about ten years ago and caught the writing bug again. It took a few more years for me to actually finish a novel though. It’s harder than it looks! 🙂

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I enjoy reading romance mostly these days. My life provides me with enough reality… Some of my favorite authors include Karen Marie Moning, Tara Taylor Quinn, and Sally Mackenzie… I enjoy reading paranormal romance (probably why I write it) and stories that stray from the ordinary ‘boy meets girl’ scenario. I also have a fascination with historical romance.

My writing is greatly inspired by my dreams. I have an active imagination which often spills into my dream world. I love creating new worlds and happy endings for my heroine and hero.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I always wanted to write a book. Literally. Always. I started my latest book Dream Hunter about three years ago and it was published in December 2014. It took me a year to write it, a year to find the right publisher, and another year to go through the editing/publishing process. It was a labor of love.

My story was inspired by a dream. I wrote it down as soon as I woke up and thought “wow, I have to finish this story.” My heroine Cynthia is a strong, career-minded woman. Romance is the last thing on her mind. Except in her dreams. During the day, she is focused on climbing the corporate ladder. At night, work is the furthest thing from her mind as she dreams of a mystery lover. My hero Gabe is a protector. He’s Cynthia’s real-to-life guardian angel. When a threat arises at her workplace, Gabe is there to guide her to safety. Cynthia is not content to sit around and wait for resolution, she is convinced she can solve the mystery surrounding her work herself – a goal completely at odds with Gabe’s objective of keeping her out of harms way.

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Featured Interview With Karen and Kathy Sills

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
First of all you are not seeing double, we are twin sisters. Our names are Kathy and Karen Sills. We live in Harrisville Mississippi, but was born in Holland Michigan. We have a beautiful dog named Molly, and she keeps us busy. We still live at home with our wonderful Mother, Sue. We have an awesome bother that lives in North Carolina.
Kathy and I love to write children’s books, but we are working on a novel as well. Cooking is another passion we share. We love to create our own recipes and try them out on family. One day we hope to own our own bakery or food truck. Our lives are always filled with writing, it may be recipes or stories, but one thing for sure is our imaginations never stop. We are always thinking of something to write about.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I think we started reading a lot in our early teens. We loved to read Sweet Valley High books.
We always made up stories when we were in elementary school, but in high school we got more serious.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Karen: I love VC Andrews, Debbie Macomber and Emily March. My favorite genre is romance, suspense. I do love the children’s book Good Night Moon.
Kathy: I love books by Debbie Maycomber, Lisa Jackson and Fern Michaels. My favorite genre is mystery, suspense and romance.
We always say we inspire each other, and we both work with children which is very helpful since we write children’s books.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Our latest book is Wiggle Worm’s Shape Adventure. Wiggle Worm is a very insecure worm. He has to find six shapes for school. Wiggle Worm doesn’t know where to start looking until his friends come to the rescue. Black Crow is a warm hearted feathered friend, and loves to help out. Tiny Ant may be little in size, but has a big heart when it comes to helping his friends. Flounder Fish is an energetic friend and is always excited to lend a helping fin. Chester Squirrel is very talkative, but when a friend is in need of help he has good listening ears. Shaggy Dog is laid back, but is always willing to share with his friends. Wiggle Worm’s Mommy is the one who is always there to cuddle him and to cheer him on.
Since we work on writing projects together, Karen wrote the first half and Kathy wrote the last half. It took us about two days and some editing time to finish the book. We needed a story for our kindergarten classes on shapes that’s how Wiggle Worm’s Shape Adventure was born. It can be bought on amazon.com.

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Featured Interview With J. S. Harbour

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’ve been a lifelong fan of hard science fiction. I am a software developer by trade, and spent five years teaching computer science to undergrads. I have blended interests in computing, artificial intelligence, singularity theory, physics, and speculation on the future of technology. I started by writing technical books on computer programming with 19 published, and that largely explains why it took so long to get my first novel finished.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I really didn’t start reading (my favorite genre is science fiction) until my mid-teens when I discovered Isaac Asimov–he was my introduction to the genre. I loved to read as a child but was not a heavy reader until high school.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, and Greg Bear each influenced me in a big way.

I’m reading “Friday” (for the 3rd time) and “Methuselah’s Children” by Heinlein, and “The Science of Interstellar” by Kip Thorne.

I occasionally get inspiration in spurts and fill in a couple pages in future chapters that I hadn’t thought about in much detail, then I tend to fill in up to that point. Also, I sit on my work for at least a year before releasing it, and review it from a fresh, objective point of view. I never rush anything out the door.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Mandate of Earth is my debut novel, which I started writing in 2003. I was inspired by reading rubbish from a well-known sci-fi author (in my opinion) and said to myself, “I can do better!” 12 years later, I’m not so sure. Wish I’d finished it sooner, but I began writing technical books instead. But the world was a different place back then for indie publishing too. I was very hesitant to go in this direction versus traditional publishing, but now I’m glad I did.

Mandate ended on a mild cliffhanger so I owe fans a sequel and expect it to evolve into a trilogy as is popular today. The idea of exploring the galaxy digitally is at the forefront of the story. There’s a lot of potential there. And, reviewers said that Mandate was too slow, so the sequel will be a lot more action-oriented.

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Featured Interview With Sara Preston

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hey all! My name is Sara Preston I was born, raised, and live in Indiana (no I’m not backwards and I don’t believe in the laws passed by our Governor). I am happily married to my husband Dan. We’ve been married for five years now. We have three children two girls and a boy. We have a dog named Loki. He’s a border collie/corgi mix.

I write contemporary romance novels with a realistic twist to them. If you’re looking for fairy tales, you won’t find them here. My characters deal with real life issues in my books. I run a critique group on facebook called Critique Me. I love helping people with their writing, because if it wasn’t for the people who helped me, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My parents read to us at a very young age. They got tired of kids books at a pretty young age, so they started reading us chapter books instead (Tarzan, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings). I was between seven and ten when they started reading chapter books to us.

I started writing in Junior High. We had read Old Yeller in my literature class and my computer writing teacher assigned us to bring Old Yeller into modern days and bring him on vacation with us. So I combined my love of TV cop shows at the time with Old Yeller and we went to New York and ran into the characters from NYPD Blue. Ha! It was awful, but it was my first attempt at a story and it’s only grown from there.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My love for reading started out with fantasy. I love Tolkien, Terry Brooks, Raymond E. Feist. I found the romance genre around the same time I started writing. I fell in love almost immediately. My first romance novel was Night and Day by Carole Buck. I found it in one of my mother’s desk drawers and read it by flash light hiding under my covers. I spent many a night up until three in the morning reading romance novels by flashlight.

Eve Gaddy and Susan Mallory are two of my favorites in the romance genre. Also Amie Thurlo does wonderful romantic suspense novels.

A couple of new authors I have to mention because I really do love their work. Deb Julienne writes hilarious romantic comedies that everyone should read. And Wendy Oleston writes Sexy Christian Fiction. I usually don’t read Christian Fiction, but hers is worth the read.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My book If You Only Knew is a labor of love. It is loosely based on my relationship with my husband. The situation in the book is made up, but my main male character has a lot in common with my husband. It took me about two years to write this book.

Instead of telling you what I think of my book, I want to share what my good friend Amber Root wrote about the book. Amber writes a serial on FB called Tears of the North.

Character critique for Julian: I must take a moment to congratulate you on your ability to write believable male characters. He is sexy. He is charming. He is mysterious. He is passionate. He is also frustrating, pig headed, stubborn, inconsiderate, and, at times, emotionally abusive. This last characteristic is, I believe, the issue of his that you resolve in your novel with the introduction of Liza into his life. He learns that he does not have to be a mean, insensitive, ass in a can to be respected and strong. He is a beautiful mess and I salute you!

Character critique for Liza: As a woman I can identify strongly with Liza. She is, at her core, every woman in the world. She is beautiful, loving, supportive, intelligent, independent, and here, empowered. I have noticed that Liza’s biggest troubles emerge when she gives some one else the power. First with her bosses, then with Julian. You also bring us to Liza when she is at a low point. We think she can get no lower. But you show us that is untrue. Things can, and do, get worse for her. But you show us through Liza, with Julian’s help at the end, that they do get better. Liza is the quintessential woman living a horrible, wonderful life. Thank you for sharing her.

The Story: I went into this expecting a romance novel. I expected a beautiful woman would be having awesome sex with a gorgeous, sexy, charming man. I expected that their problems would be mole hill small and made into Mount Everest. You, you beautiful, cheeky angel, gave me a window into a real life and a real love. You gave me real people to care about with real problems to agonize over. You gave me no promise of happily ever after, but a continuing struggle for love and family that sings the song of modern life loudly and proudly. Prince Charming gets his princess knocked up and then shows he deserves the crown for staying around for the long haul. Julian and Liza make each other better people and I love that. But I also love that you didn’t give me a saccharine sweet happy ending but a promise of “let us face this world together”. Give me more. I love it!
If I had one criticism it is this: not everyone is a case worker. If you can express your case work examples within the story more, and have them less as a stream of consciousness from Liza that would be fantastic.

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Featured Interview With Ahmad Amani

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m from the Middle East, the world of ‘to be or not to be,’ where the third way, democracy, isn’t for mankind—at least for now it isn’t, and unfortunately now ISIS has controlled many cities in the Middle East.
I’m a graduate of the Art University in Tehran, and have worked for many newspapers in Iran.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always enjoyed playing with numbers and mathematical symbols in my mind; I drowned in mathematics but, of course, I didn’t die. Instead, slowly numbers and mathematical symbols have come to life as characters in my mind such as Mr. Six, Lady Thirteen, the Lying Line (minus) and Mr. Broken Line (from my next book). With them and a little interest in writing I could write some short stories.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors are William Faulkner, William Shakespeare , José Saramago, Friedrich Nietzsche.

Fantasy style is so important to me, and I like to write my story in this style. I think fantasy is a major influence on the people. In fantasy, you never have to point out or criticize anybody or any certain culture. I never like to point at a certain culture because all cultures have some strong points and some weak. Therefore, through fantasy, we can challenge cultures to reach peace.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Big Fish is my latest book, a book has been written to my daughter. I think the feedback to Big Fish is good. For example, Math City was reviewed by Jeannie Walker (Award-Winning Author), she wrote: “It is a cute little story that I think everyone would like very much. I loved the concept of Big Fish. Children can learn that even if they do something bad, they can still change and become good kids. Being good is the best way to become popular, even if they are not a big fish who can make it rain.”
The Writing is pure, the art work is enticing, Big Fish, even to me was one that I wanted to read.
Big Fish now is free(Kindle) on Aamzon.

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Featured Interview With J.P. REEDMAN

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Victoria, B.C., Canada, but have lived in England for over 20 years. I live in a little ancient town, its church once part of a great abbey, near to the ancient monument of Stonehenge. The rivers flows through an ancient landscape with finds stretching back to 10,00 B.C., and there are bronze ages burial mounds virtually in my back yard. We also have a ‘missing Queen of England’, Eleanor of Provence, wife of Henry III, buried somewhere in the town, probably under the old folks’ home that used to be a priory.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I can’t remember a time when I did not read! My mother and sister both believed reading was very important and got me books from an early age. I immediately gravitated to history, and loved the tale of Cleopatra. I was writing stories by age five and one of the first was about that dramatic Egyptian Queen. I discovered fantasy when I was 11, and wrote a story over 100 pages at 12. I wrtote fantasy for many years and was widely published in the small presses in the 1980’s and early 90’s. I still write fantasy but I have recently moved more into historical fantasy and straight historicals.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Tolkien is my all-time favourite author. I also like Alan Garner, Susan Cooper, Robert Holdstock, Parke Godwin, Mary Stewart, Rosemary Sutcliff, Sharon Penman, Rosemary Hawley Jarman. I read a lot of non-fiction too, mainly on the late medieval period (Wars of the Roses) and prehistoric Britain. The archaeologist Aubrey Burl, stone circle specialist, who is also a brilliant writer who never makes prehistory dry, ignited my passion for neolithic and bronze age Britain.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is SACRED KING, a historical fantasy about Richard III, England’s most maligned King. As I was studying Richard in the wake of his finding in 2012, I noticed some heavy mythological motifs seemingly mingled with the history–the scapegoat, taking away the sins of the people; the sacrifice that must shed his blood so the Land could be renewed. It all seemed to work, in a very Golden Bough kind of way! It didn’t take too long to write; this one really just flowed. About 6-7 months.
I’ve also written several short story collections on Richard; he fascinates me; and I’m working on a full-length ‘straight’ historical novel on him…but with a few twists!
My first books were both set in the era of Stonehenge. They are STONE LORD and MOON LORD, and work on the premise that the Arthurian tales are older thanvthe Dark Ages–that they are rooted in legends as old as the bronze age. They’ve been quite successful and are sold at the Stonehenge Visitors Centre as well as the usual places online.

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Featured Interview With Megan Tayte

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m Megan, I’m a writer and I’m an incurable romantic. I grew up in the Royal County, a hop, skip and a (very long) jump from Windsor Castle, but these days I make my home in Robin Hood’s county, Nottingham. I live with my husband, a proud Scot who occasionally kicks back in a kilt; my son, a budding artist with the soul of a paleontologist; and my baby daughter, a keen pan-and-spoon drummer who sings in her sleep. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me walking someplace green, reading by the fire, or creating carnage in the kitchen as I pursue my impossible dream: of baking something edible.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been writing for as long as I could write. In my ‘treasures’ shoebox I have my very first story, written aged six. Reading it now, I assume my school was offering a Most Adjectives Crammed Onto a Page Prize – I can’t fathom why else I felt the need to be quite so descriptive. From there, I wrote many stories through my childhood and teens, but I didn’t quite get the courage together to write a book until adulthood. I’d written a lot of non-fiction books before I took a stab at fiction, and then I was hooked. When I write fiction, I feel like that six-year-old again, totally enchanted by writing. I think that’s the crux of why I write – it’s the most ‘me’ I can get; it’s what I always knew I wanted to do. So it takes me to a really happy, calm, fulfilled place.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
On my ‘favourites’ shelf are plenty of classics. I specialised in African-American history and literature as part of my degree, and Maya Angelou and Alice Walker in particular have always been firm favourites. My copy of Oliver Twist is yellowed and well-thumbed, as are Wuthering Heights and The Phantom of the Opera. I read plenty of women’s fiction, a fair amount of crime and thriller fiction, some literary fiction and the odd humour title. But of course it’s YA that dominates my shelf: Stephenie Meyer, Cassandra Clare, Maggie Stiefvater, Rachel Vincent, Richelle Mead, Veronica Roth, Lauren Oliver, Becca Fitzpatrick, Jenny Downham, John Green, Lauren Kate, Suzanne Collins. I also have a soft spot for Harry Potter, which was the catalyst for my love of epic series fiction and is now my son’s passion.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Ceruleans series began life as four discrete ideas that I planned to make into four discrete books. Then one day as I was walking (something I do when I’m looking for inspiration) the ideas knitted together, and from there the overall story arc of the series took form.

There are many inspirations for the books. The story is quite personal to me, based on a mix of experience and fiction woven from my imaginings and ponderings. The setting – in a part of coastal Devon where I spent every summer as a child – was a key inspiration. But the story, about love and loss, light and darkness, good and bad, is based on my own efforts to make sense of a world in which people close to you can die; in which being true to yourself can be incredibly difficult; and in which love – for people, for places, for a way of being, for a passion and an ethos – is the only reason to hold on.

Here’s an introduction to Death Wish, the first book in the series:

IN SEARCH OF THE MEANING OF DEATH, SHE’LL FIND THE MEANING OF LIFE.

Seventeen-year-old Scarlett Blake is haunted by death. Her estranged sister has made the ultimate dramatic exit. Running away from school, joining a surfing fraternity, partying hard: that sounds like Sienna. But suicide? It makes no sense.

Following in her sister’s footsteps, Scarlett comes to the isolated cove of Twycombe, Devon, with grand plans to uncover the truth. Alone. But she hasn’t reckoned on meeting two boys who are determined to help her. Luke: the blue-eyed surfer who’ll see the real Scarlett, who’ll challenge her, who’ll save her. And Jude: the elusive drifter with a knack for turning up whenever Scarlett’s in need.

As Scarlett’s quest for the truth unravels, so too does her grip on reality as she’s always known it. Because there’s something strange going on in this little cove. A dead magpie circles the skies. A dead deer watches from the undergrowth. Hands glow with light. Warmth. Power.

What transpires is a summer of discovery. Of what it means to conquer fear. To fall in love. To choose life. To choose death.

To believe the impossible.

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Featured Interview With Claire Gem

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
A native of New York State, I lived a number of years in Florida, Texas, and North Carolina before settling in central Massachusetts. I’m an animal lover, and have owned and raised horses and Persian cats over the course of my life. I share my life now with a Boston Terrier named Chopper, and my office with two angel fish aquariums. The bubbling water, along with the soft instrumental music I play while I write, keep the words flowing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
The school library of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel elementary school was very small. I think in the six years I attended, I read every book in its collection—at least once. Each month, a box arrived from one of the larger libraries in the area, and each student was permitted to borrow one book. It was the highlight of the month.

I started writing after my seventh grade English teacher gave me an A+ on an essay assignment, and took me aside to encourage me to pursue writing. That’s all the encouragement I needed.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My library is filled with a hodgepodge of genres, from nonfiction historical to romance to books on parapsychology. I have always been fascinated with the paranormal, which led me to earn a certificate in Paranormal Studies from Duke University’s Rhine Research Center. I keep books on hand about real-life hauntings and unexplained phenomena to inspire my writing.

My taste in romance authors is as varied as my library: I listen to the late, great Barbara Michaels for goosebumps, Kristan Higgins for heartwarming laughter, and Susanna Kearsley to stimulate my curiosity. Nora Roberts’ recent Boonesboro series is one of my favorite works of hers.

I am an audiobook addict, and tend to listen to whatever genre I’m writing at the time for inspiration.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Set in the fictional town of Caldwell, N.C., “Phantom Traces” is the contemporary story of Abigail Stryker, a young librarian struggling to revive the antiquated and reportedly haunted Harvey Library. A pipe-smoking ghost has suddenly begun hurling books at anyone he doesn’t like, and if the haunting isn’t stopped, the library will be shut down. Abby enlists the help of the very handsome history professor Jack Wood to figure out what has stirred the spirit of the library’s founder, and why he’s still trapped within its walls after over 100 years. In so doing, they uncover a tragic, 19th century tale of love, and discover one of their own.

Addressing the themes of May-September romance and the heartbreak of Alzheimer’s, “Phantom Traces” combines a modern love story, a historical tragedy, and a spooky paranormal in a multilayered, fast-paced plot guaranteed to take the reader on an emotional ride.

The book was actually born in a library, and began as my first attempt at National Novel Writing Month. This is a challenge to write a complete novel of 50,000 words in the 30 days of November.
On November 1st, 2013, I took my laptop to a local, old library and parked myself in a back corner.
I wrote the first two chapters of Phantom Traces that day, and by month’s end I had 54,000 words, and The End.
Over the next year, I edited and embellished the rambling draft, and grew it to a complete, 95,000 word novel.

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Featured Interview With Oron Ofek

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Givatayim, Israel. I particularly enjoyed playing outside with my friends or reading books. It was a time where the tv was black and white and there was only one channel.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My mom used to read me stories when I was a baby, and when I grew up I used to listen to records and story tellers. My favorite story was “Peter and The Wolf”. I would listen to it again and again, fascinated and anxious about the wellbeing of Peter and the animals in the book. To this day I enjoy listening to the classical music of the book.
As a kid, I really liked to read, especially action and adventure stories. As a teen I continued reading but then I became interested in Philosophy and read all of Plato writings and many other philosophers. When I became older I flew to the Far East for a few months, and studied Yoga in Nepal. The main reading material that I read was Yoga and spiritual development. As the years went by, I studied Chinese Medicine, our family grew, and I have two sons and two daughters.
When my forth son was born I published my first book: The art of healing with Chinese medicine. The book incorporates two fields I really love- Healthy diet and Chinese Medicine. After a few years my wife and I became religious and most of our time was dedicated to Jewish studies. In that time I practiced Diabetes curing methods, as a result of that I published my second book- “Diabetes: Prevention and treatment in a natural Chinese way”. My hobbies today are Traveling, sports, studying, reading and writing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite author is Dan Brown- I really connected to his writing style and technique and the way that he builds the suspense in the story.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
As my children grew older, they became book lovers themselves and when they read Harry Potter, I had a look at the book, read it and then an idea came to me. I told myself that a lot of the most interesting ideas in the world of magic actually appear in Judaism which addresses these ideas as a reality and not as literary concepts. The “Torah” tells about the Egyptian sorcerers, Balak and Bilam who practiced witchcraft. The Bible and the Talmud are filled with ghost stories, witches and magicians, this world and the afterlife. Moses and other characters that were capable to perform things that were above nature. That’s where the idea of my book ” The Urpalians: The Search for the Magical Cave” came to my mind. I thought about how Judaism sees the powers of good and evil and what their characteristics are. I started to put together a plot and characters that were influenced from the Torah’s stories. People who don’t know these stories see a fantasy and suspense story. The names are made up and the plot takes place in the deserts and underground caves, areas where I love to travel.

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Featured Interview With Carol Jackson

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live in Auckland, New Zealand where I was born and raised. My hubby was born in India and came to New Zealand in the late ’80’s. This is the subject of my book, Julie & Kishore, it is loosely based on our lives, how we, as a couple faced being in an inter-racial relationship at that time. Although I have added more ‘spice’ to the story to make it more interesting. It is perhaps 40% non-fiction and 60% fiction.
We have two children who are young adults. We also have a Pomeranian dog called Louie and his best friend is our ginger cat, Donny.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always had a fascination with books, while growing up I enjoyed reading: Anne of Green Gables, Pollyanna, Charlotte’s Web, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and many more.
I have had the idea to write three different books in my head for a long time. It wasn’t until my children started school and I was doing accounting working from home that I found the time to write. Once I started, I could not stop, the words poured out of me, although Julie & Kishore still took two years to write.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
It is not the author that attracts me to a book, it is the plot. I love books, I love to read and I love being engrossed in a story. I go through stages of enjoying both fiction and non-fiction. I have recently read – Room by Emma Donoghue and Wild by Cheryl Strayed. I belong to a book club and we have a list of different books to try to read each month. This is great because this makes me read different genres that I would not usually choose. I am inspired by all authors, I learn and take a little bit away with me from each book I read.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Julie considers herself a freckle-faced, red-headed plain Jane, she dreams of one day having a traditional white wedding. Then she meets Kishore, a guy who was born in India, but has been in New Zealand for two years. They go on a few dates and love blossoms. The couple face trials and tribulations from family and friends about being an inter-racial couple at that time, but they battle on with building their relationship. They become engaged and the inevitable happens, they decide to travel to India to meet Kishore’s family. Upon arrival, Julie is faced with a huge culture shock and is astounded by the sights of New Delhi. She goes through a harrowing ordeal when she gets lost in a busy market place. She is just recovering from this when Kishore’s Mother drops a bombshell, by suggesting Julie & Kishore get married before they leave India.
Will Julie say yes? Can she even think of getting married in a foreign country without any of her family or friends for support?

I am currently writing Julie & Kishore – Take Two and have started my third book which I have called Nina’s Art.

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Featured Interview With Helen MacArthur

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland. The Beatles’ Paul McCartney was so inspired by the place he bought a farm (600-acre place called High Park) thereabouts and wrote a song about the mists rolling in from the sea. The place is home to single malt whiskies including Springbank (peat, leather and tobacco smoke notes, according to my dad), cheddar cheese and fishing boats (not as many as there once was).

I grew up in a small village called Clachan, about 28 miles from Campbeltown, and spent most of my childhood with best friends Hazel and Rowan running along beaches, climbing rocks and cantering on wind-smacked trees shaped like horses.

While Paul McCartney was drawn to the area because he “liked its isolation and the privacy and the end-of-the-world remoteness…” this was the very reason I had to leave. What’s more, I’d run out of trees and rocks to entertain me.

I studied English Literature in Stirling and started my first-ever job as a trainee journalist in Dundee at publishers DC Thomson & Co, home to The Beano and its characters such as Dennis The Menace and Minnie The Minx. I’ve pretty much worked on magazines here, there and everywhere – Australia, Glasgow and London – ever since.

As well as writing fiction, I contribute to e-commerce sites writing copy containing lots of persuasive language to whip shoppers into a ‘must-have’ mindset. Those tartan culottes you bought but never wore and never will? Blame me.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Even before I could read, I discovered that books had the power to burn potatoes. My mother would stand in our kitchen, nose in book, transfixed, bewitched by words on the page. She would forget the world around her, the water in the pans would boil to nothingness and our dinner would go up in smoke. In light of this, I learned how to butter bread before I could read.

I started to write for a living when I landed a job on a weekly women’s magazine in the UK. Fresh out of college, aged 21, armed with a degree in English Literature, I was so excited at the prospect of creating headline-grabbing features and conducting exciting interviews. I was a little less excited when the Editor informed me that I would be writing the horoscopes. The horoscopes? “But…” I protested, flustered, “I know nothing about the zodiac or the position of the planets or lunar phases!” That was the moment I learned that Editors aren’t interested in what you haven’t got or what you don’t know, or how it’s not possible, all that matters is creating respectable, readable, entertaining content that meets its target audience and a deadline. Hello, Aries. I learned fast.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Whenever I read great sentences, truly great, memorable, gorgeous sentences that have been exquisitely stitched together like haute couture, it makes me want to kiss the feet of the person who wrote them. Like, for example, “Coach Bob knew it all along: you’ve got to get obsessed and stay obsessed. You have to keep passing the open windows.” John Irving, Hotel New Hampshire.

Or “Murderess is a strong word to have attached to you. It has a smell to it, that word – musky and oppressive, like dead flowers in a vase. Sometimes at night I whisper it over to myself: Murderess, Murderess. It rustles, like a taffeta skirt across the floor.” Margaret Atwood, Alias Grace.

Sentences that are written to be remembered and quoted and loved and shared. It’s the stuff writers’ dreams are made of.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I did what writers are not supposed to do – I jumped genres. My latest book, You Again, is aimed at the Young Adult market. I usually write contemporary women’s fiction and now I was attempting something quite different. “Won’t this just confuse your readers?” questioned my mother. “Let’s do it!” said my Editor.

I didn’t have doubts but I knew that storytelling is selling; therefore, I had to make sure that this was a good product. It might be a different genre to the one I was used to but I was excited about the characters and plot. It was something I desperately wanted to develop into more than storyboard notes and scribbles.

You Again was written in 30 days. I took part in the NaNoWriMo project in November 2014, which involved writing 50,000 words in one month. I made the deadline but it was nowhere near the publication stage. I let the manuscript “rest” during December – I didn’t look at it once. Then I opened the files in January and worked with my Editor on the pages until April 2015.

If I had to sum up the book in three words it would be: “Girl meets boy”. It is about first love, murder, friendship and corruption. Angie Anderson and Lennox Jones are the two main characters who discover that the truth throws light on dark secrets. It brings them together, it tears them apart, it makes them question everything and everyone around them.

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