Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Tony Leslie Duxbury

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born in North London in 1955. Left school at 16 without qualifications. Found work as a trainee in a commercial art studio, left after two years to travel. That became the main passion in my life. So far, I have visited 28 countries. I would travel, return, find work, save money and then travel again. That set the pattern of my life for many years. My jobs have ranged from pearl diving (dishwashing) to English teacher. By the late 70s it was becoming more and more difficult to find work and so I looked around for a qualification that I could take with me on my travels. To cut a long story short I ended up studying for a degree in Social Science as a mature student. Because I had been out of education so long I attended a remedial class and my tutor, a published author herself, encouraged me to try creative writing. It wasn’t until I graduated that I tried my hand at it and then I sat down and wrote six pages of my first novel. Then I was struck down by a severe case of writer’s block. I couldn’t touch them for two years until I returned to Guatemala, but I took those pages with me and was able to finish my novel there.
Guatemala, C.A. has become my adopted country. The first time I visited was as a traveller. The second time was as an exchange student during my gap year and it was then that I met the woman who is now my wife. I returned to England to finish my degree, but found no work opportunities because of the continuing recession. Returning to Guatemala I became an English teacher. I also married the woman I loved and became the step-father to three children. For the next 15 years I taught English, first in a Language Academy. From there I progressed to teaching independently and went on to form my own company and employ others. A prolonged economic down turn finished off my business and with my wife I returned to England. After several years we returned to Guatemala.
When I finished my first novel I was quite surprised and pleased by the result. Since then I’ve written five more. They are all fantasy novels except one

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I really started reading around 14 years of age. My dad liked to read and one day out of boredom I picked up one of his novels and haven’t looked back since. I don’t feel quite right unless I have a book ready to hand. Whether or not I actually read that particular book doesn’t matter, I just need to have one ready. For many years I was an indiscriminate reader, mostly thrillers , action and adventure novels. Nowadays my reading is more focused. My first attempt at writing didn’t come until I was about 35. It came about through encouragement from others to try my hand at it, not because I had any great need to scribble. The first attempt ground to a halt after six pages, but I was able to turn them into a full blown novel later. I enjoyed it so much that I continued.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Now I read mainly fantasy with some historical fiction and humour thrown in for a break. The Once and Future King by T.H.White started me on fantasy and Tolkien well and truely hooked me. At one time I read a lot of Stephen King too. Although not a vampire fan I love Anne Rice. Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch for sword and sorcery. Mark Chadburn for horror type fantasy. Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt, Tom Sharp for humour. Those are some of the big name authors that I like, but I’ve also read many great books by little known authors. Unfortunately, I tend to forget titles and names unless I read many books by the same author. Since I fired up my Kindle I’ve found lot’s of little gems. Maybe not great literature, but bloody entertaining reading.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
This is my first book, but not my latest. It is the only one that I have attempted to publish so far. It started out solely as an experiment to see if I was really capable of writing something worth reading. I know that I’m bias because I’m the author, but It’s no worse than some of the other stuff that I’ve read. The first six pages were written in a day and then I took a break for two years. Even the thought of sitting down and writing again sent shivers up my spine. One day, for no particular reason I pulled out those pages and started writing again. There wasn’t any ryme or reason for it! The rest took about another 18 months to complete. Anyway, as I don’t take myself too seriously I couldn’t take my writing too seriously either and that’s why I included a dash of humour in the story. The medieval setting was because I’ve always loved the Arthurian Legend and all those sword and sorcery type stories. The hero is an ordinary bloke without any special powers or abilities to help him. I was fed up with superheroes. My main charater came first, a modern young man and then I set him on a world in the medieval stage of development to see what he would do. So that’s the plot. A contemporary man conjured by magic, for no particular purpose, to a medieval society. He is scared witless and deemed harmless by all and so his pleas to be sent home are ignored. Finally, he realizes that he has to take matters into his own hands if he is ever to see home again. With that thought in mind and a few friends that he has made along the way, he stirs up a revolution.

Buy the book on Amazon.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Tony Leslie Duxbury Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Marguerite Arnold

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up between New York City, London and North Carolina. I was both a vet’s brat and a writer brat. I now live in Germany. I left the United States two years ago due to the situation I faced as a medical marijuana user who actually got better but then could not find a job.

I was very lucky to start to find freelance journalism work online, and I currently cover the marijuana market as it develops for several US based and UK ‘zines.

I am also applying for co-citizenship here. My father was a Holocaust era German Jew. It is a fabulous country, and the Germans really seem to like writers. I don’t have any pets right now, because I am still too much of a migrant. That said, I would really love a dog. In Germany, however, you have to attend three days of pet owner training classes and actually get certified before you can have a pet.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Both my parents were writers. My mother is still a well known children’s book illustrator and writer. That said, I think it was my father who gave me the most instruction if not inspiration and certainly the discipline to write. My first book was a fully illustrated “tome” about the ancient Egyptians (one of my paternal uncles deciphered the Dead Sea Scrolls) that I researched, wrote and illustrated at age five. My father sat me down at the age of 8 to write my first real book. His first instruction, “If you want to be a writer, just do it,” is probably the best advice anyone ever gave me about writing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
The answer to this question is a book unto itself. I grew up surrounded by books. I read the official cannon…most of it in first edition…before I was 13. I have no favorite genre. And the inspiration for my writing depends on the subject and my mood. I found myself actually drawing on the work of fiction writers to a certain degree, as I set about writing “Green.” Even though it is nonfiction, I employ a lot of tricks of novelists. This includes setting the scene, creating a tight narrative and timeline, and creating several storylines that run throughout the book. As a result, it does read like a novel.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Green: The First 12 Months of Modern American Marijuana Reform” is the first book to hit the market about course of marijuana reform in America in 2014. Each chapter is named for a month of the year and examines not only the events of the month, but places them in a context for the reader. For example in the first chapter, which you can easily find online at the book’s website or Amazon or just by doing a simple search, I talk about Colorado. I look at the mechanics of market start in January, but then I look at some history to give readers an understanding of what this really meant. In the third chapter, I look at the business sector and the challenges that face market development if not the unbelieveably brave entrepreneurs in the space because March is the end of the first quarter of reporting in the business world. Etc.

As I was writing the book, I was also inspired in some ways by my other paternal uncle, Peter Drucker. He published his first book, “The End of Economic Man,” literally the day that the Stalin Hitler pact was announced. I did not know if I would have the luck of history on my side, but it seems to be happening that way. It was very strange to be on a radio show the day after my book was published online and that was the day that the new bill to reschedule pot was introduced in the Senate. What I mean by the comparison here is that is that to a large degree, I do believe the marijuana reform movement is not “just” about the right to use marijuana – and for either medical or recreational purposes – but also about freedom of innovation, entrepreneurship and scientific research that has been held back by not only laws, but certain societal mores that are morphing into something else as we continue into the 21st century.

The movement forward has also certainly been aided by the rise of information available via social media and those who use it. “Green” therefore, is not only about marijuana reform, but the society, economy and political environment in which such reform takes place.

Buy the book on Amazon.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Marguerite Arnold’s Website

Marguerite Arnold Facebook Page

Marguerite Arnold Twitter Account

Featured Interview With J.M. Beal

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Kansas City and raised in a small town about an hour and a half further south. After Kansas I basked in the multitude amusements of living in Minnesota, before we moved to the east coast. Around then I gave birth to a small human-in-training. We have three cats who’ve been forced to live all these places with us, and a hamster who seems confused about our lack of respect for his ferocity.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was an early reader, probably out of boredom. Books were always an escape, and I read my favorites over and over again.

I happily took creative writing classes in high school and college, but I didn’t consider writing as a career path until after school. I plotted my first full novel then and started writing it a chapter at a time on bits of paper or stashed notebooks while I worked retail. That first book was all badly planned surprise plot twists and epic sword fights and it will probably never again see the light of day.

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 it’s hard to pick a place to start. I love the classics, like Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte. I love mysteries, like Lilian Jackson Braun and Susan Wittig Albert. Jurassic Park will forever hold a special place in my heart, along with anything by John Scalzi. I spent a lot of time in my twenties reading Sherrilyn Kenyon, or Lynn Kurland, or Stephanie Laurens and I still go back there from time to time.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In October of 2010 I was languishing, trying to find something to write for NaNoWriMo. By the twenty-fifth I still hadn’t come up with anything I was interested in. It was crunch time, and I was going to have to pick something, even if it was something I was fairly sure was going to fail.

In August I’d been working on another project, and a character had gotten unhelpfully specific about his favorite book. To the point of outlining part of the plot and reading the first page aloud. And in my desperation I looked at that and said “sure, why not. At least it’s a plot.”

Thirty days later I’d forcefully driven Orion Bartleby through the most ridiculous, unhelpful twenty-some chapters of his life. I’d introduced him to new people–people who valued him even if he still had a hard time valuing himself–and given him a purpose he didn’t want even a little. I’d made him belt up and save the world, even if he was going to complain every step of the way.

What Orion wants is a simple life in a tiny town on a backwater planet where nobody expects anything from him.

Instead he meets the girl of his dreams and gets handed a crappy quest to save the world.

Buy the book on Amazon.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

J.M. Beal’s Website

J.M. Beal Facebook Page

J.M. Beal Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Henry Hill

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am interested in the human journey of becoming the strongest version of themselves. I especially like to focus on the mind, and happiness.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started to write when I was in highschool

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love writing non-fiction book

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Speed reading is a skill that many have tried to acquire over the past few decades. This is largely due to the number of advantages that one gets once they can speed read. The most direct advantage is having more time to complete other tasks, being able to assimilate more information than usual, and increasing the overall efficiency on how one functions. The challenge for many people is figuring out how they can develop the necessary skills they need to speed read effectively. This book is the solution to this challenge. Within this book, you will find various techniques and information on how you can increase your speed reading skills. In addition to that, there are detailed exercises that will teach you how to begin developing the skill, and how to continue to improve this skill over time. What is excellent about these exercises is that they are measurable, so you will be able to tell by the end of the book whether you have increased your reading speed by 300%.

Buy the book on Amazon.

Featured Interview With Alicia Stevens

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am an author interested in all things spiritual. My hope is that my readers get something out of my books that will enhance their way of life.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started when I was in Elementary

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like writing non-fiction book

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Discover how the third eye works and the different psychic effects and potentials which may be acquired upon activation of the third eye. This will give you the opportunity to decide on whether to pursue the awakening process as this is an irreversible one.
The book also explains the origin or the discovery of the third eye’s potential including its relevance to the different chakras or points of consciousness. It also emphasizes the role of the brain since third eye awakening mostly involves the manipulation of thoughts and staying focused on the now.

Buy the book on Amazon.

Featured Interview With Pedro Okoro

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I moved from Nigeria to the United Kingdom in 1996. I started a law firm in 2001 and was named the ACAS Employer of the Year (UK Trade & Investment/Black Enterprise Awards) in 2004. I am the lead Pastor of New Covenant Church, Wallington, Surrey in the United Kingdom, near where I live with my wife and our two gorgeous daughters.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always been fascinated by books, and writing. Its not therefore surprising that I became an acclaimed writer from an early age. In 1983 when I was a teenager, I won the first prize in the National Essay Competition organized by Mobil Oil Nigeria, in NIgeria. The following year, 1984, I won the first prize in an international essay contest organised by the United Nations Radio, New York.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors include TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen. My favorite genre is non fiction. I draw my inspiration from my my faith in Jesus.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Crushing the Devil” is a guide to spiritual warfare that helps you discover your purpose. Purpose which gives rise to discipline, restraint, and self-control, is one of the most fundamental and crucial tools in the journey of life. It defines spiritual warfare and helps you to be equipped with the weapons needed to fight in the battle.

With a challenge to examine where the devil has a stronghold in your life, “Crushing the Devil” helps you uncover battles you may be attempting to fight today in your own power. By understanding spiritual warfare, you learn to stand on the Word of God and use the authority given to you as a child of God to command the enemy to flee using the name of Jesus.

Buy the book on Amazon.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Pedro Okoro’s Website

Pedro Okoro Facebook Page

Pedro Okoro Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Ashley Moore

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Ashley Moore, one of the experts in the field of nutrition, fitness, women health provides the helpful strategies you need in simple and affordable ways. What separates her from other experts is her ability to demonstrate very complex concepts in an easy-to-understand and straightforward manner. She does not promise the world, but she always provides organized, clear instructions that are constructive, feasible and easy to put into action.

She specializes in assisting people who struggle with weight, health and energy levels reconstruct their bodies – and transform their lives – without going hungry doing extreme exercise. In addition, she holds a certification in clinical hypnotherapy and has over 8 years of experience dealing with psychological health. Her work with the medical hypnosis has freed people from addiction, ceased the torture of never-ending stress, and helped many people getting over phobias and building self-confidence.

Buy the book on Amazon.

Featured Interview With Anabelle Bryant

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born and raised in New Jersey, I enjoy being so close to New York City and still having the beach and countryside within a short drive. I love dogs, but don’t have one simply because I’m not home enough to give a pet the attention it deserves.

I’ve always read and loved Regency England historical romance and find it a dream come true to be published with Harlequin/HarperCollins with a trilogy of my own.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always been a bookworm since early childhood. I started writing around the fourth grade and kept lengthy journals that I still have today. It’s entertaining to read the drama of my school years! I continued to write through college and graduate school, eventually choosing education as my profession. I never stopped writing or reading romance along the way though.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have a VERY active imagination and more ideas for novels than I have time to write. I enjoy reading Sherry Thomas who is a master at deep emotion, Julia Quinn, who incorporates humor into her romance, and Loretta Chase, who knows how to keep every plot surprising. I mostly read historical, but occasionally step out and try a contemporary too.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Midnight Rake is the story of Phineas, a Regency boxer and very good man…or at least that’s what polite society believes. Beneath his tough exterior, he is a man with the same drive and desires of many, except Phineas also has a secret kept close to his heart.

This novel is the third in my trilogy although they can all be read individually and you wouldn’t need to read To Love A Wicked Scoundrel or Duke of Darkness to enjoy each singularly. I’m thrilled the novels have been met with great praise and success!

Buy the book on Amazon.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Anabelle Bryant’s Website

Anabelle Bryant Facebook Page

Anabelle Bryant Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Julia Keanini

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in a tiny town in the countryside of Japan’s main island. My dad is Japanese, but my mom’s from Delaware so living in small town Japan in the 1980’s was an experience for her, to say the least. She was the only gaijin (foreigner) around and she didn’t even speak the language when she moved there. We all moved to Hawaii when I was three. I think it was a better middle ground for my parents. I loved growing up in such a melting pot, but went away to the mainland (or the continental US) for college where I met my Hawaiian husband. Ironic. We moved back to Hawaii and live here happily with our six-year-old son.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading at around age five and took my head out of my books at about age fifteen. I still love to read, but am better able to balance that love with real life. I always loved to write, but I really started writing about ten years ago when I got married. I have an extraordinarily supportive husband and his belief that I could do anything made me almost believe it too.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’ll read anything with words and I’ll give any writer and almost any genre at least a chance. But people I’d be sure to read anything and everything from would be Jane Austen, Madeleine L’engle, Shannon Hale, and Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Inspiration in my writing depends on what I’m writing. If I’m writing a sister relationship, then my sisters. If I’m writing about love, my husband. If I’m writing about heartbreak, so many sources. I love to observe people (or as my husband calls it stalk) and I tend to use what I see in what I write.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The first two books of my series Skinniness is Next to Goddessness? were published last week. It starts with Lacey’s Story. I had an eating disorder in high school and didn’t even know it. Because of that I wanted to tell the story of a girl who still hung out with her friends, had obsessive crushes, but also had an eating disorder. Lacey is a character that’s been unfolding in my mind for years. She hates her body and decides there’s got to be an easier way to lose weight. Instead she loses her way and only finds herself when she meets the Sunday Lunchers, a group of girls who have “bad relationships” with food, just like her. That’s where she meets Anna, star of book two. Anna deals with bulimia, but is also consumed by trying to make it into an Ivy League University and battling her feelings for her cousin’s baby daddy.

Buy the book on Amazon.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Julia Keanini’s Website

Julia Keanini Facebook Page

Julia Keanini Twitter Account

Featured Interview With J. A. Cipriano

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Huntington Beach, California where I surfed to school, said “Duuuuuude,” a lot, and once had a teacher throw a desk at me in high school. It was my fault. I was that kid.

I’m currently residing in Bakersfield because I like to sit out on my porch in the 110 degree heat with a cigar (even though I don’t smoke) and scotch (though I’m too much of a sissy to drink it so I just stare at it ominously) and pretend I’m an oil tycoon/ billionaire agriculture industrialist.

I have three Chinchillas named Jet, Cadmium, and I don’t remember the third one’s name because he’s a jerk. I also have a cat named Turtle. This gives my toddler some weird issues when you ask him to point to the turtle.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have read as long as I can remember. My grandmother used to take me to the library and used book store when I was little to pick stuff out, then we would lie on the couch and read all day.

I penned my first story in third grade, and I’m pretty sure it’s the best thing I ever wrote. I wrote three books by the time I finished my freshman year in high school. My wife swears these are the best things I’ve ever written.

I wrote another book when I graduated that I’m re-writing now actually. I then went and spent a year or so writing a million words of fan fiction. Well, not quite a million, 863k to be exact.

The first Lillim book came along after they banned me for, well, reasons. That was in 2007, and I haven’t forgotten. Remember, I’m always in the background, watching, waiting… but with cake. Only it’s poison cake. Wait… did I say the soft part loud again?

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite author of the moment is Jim Butcher. I absolutely adore Dresden, and it was the reason I wrote Lillim. I met him once and, though I was too overwhelmed to actually speak to him, I got to shake his hand.

When I need to write romance and by romance I mean steamy scenes, I like to read Laurell K. Hamilton. Why? Because I’m about as romantic as a blender is good for an anniversary gift. It makes me feel bad for my wife.

I don’t have a favorite genre. I read a lot of everything. I enjoyed Moneyball (the book), and I enjoyed Gone Girl (the book). Someone asked me how I pick books? I don’t. I just get what people are talking about and read that. (Yeah, I’m a poser reader…)

I also adore Dean Koontz because when I broke my arm when I was twelve, he signed my cast. So did Stan Lee. It is, by far, the coolest cast I own.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Pursuit is the fourth Lillim book. For this book, I dug out a character I absolutely adored from the second Lillim book, The Hatter is Mad. His name is Masataka Mawara, and I had an absolute blast writing him. The basic premise is that Masataka has taken over Lillim’s home town and wants to kill her.

It is also the first time Lillim is really going toe to toe with another of her people. Before this it’s all dragons, werewolves, and ancient gods. She can justify killing them, but one of her own? This time she’s fighting a person who knows everything about her, how to hurt her, and who loves her. (Oh, did I say that?)

This is by far the darkest book I’ve written. I really tried to put my reader into tears, or if not, have some feels. I really went for “it” in this book. It has some great characters and really stretched me, personally, as a writer.

At first, I’ll admit I didn’t want to write the book because it was so gritty, but as I started writing, I couldn’t stop. I gushed all over my notebook and when I went to type up my notes, I gushed more.

I also changed editors for this book. So that, I think, really helped. Not that my old editor was bad, far from it, but it was really different working with someone new. I think it helped me get a whole new perspective on the Lillimverse.

Buy the book on Amazon.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

J. A. Cipriano’s Website

J. A. Cipriano Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Angela Smith

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Central Texas, where I still live. In high school (many, many moons ago), I was named most likely to write a novel. It took me awhile to fulfill that dream. I got married and started a job working in a District Attorney’s Office. Now, I manage that office, and being a certified paralegal gives me perfect fodder for my romantic suspense stories. When not spending time with my husband of over two decades or caring for my small “farm” (I love plants and animals!), you can find me reading, Jeeping, crafting, sewing (currently teaching myself), or learning something new.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was fascinated with books when I was still in diapers. Holding them, owning them, thumbing through them. My mother read Brer Rabbit to my sister and me so often I was able to recite it back to her before learning to read. I was jealous when my older sister could read it before me, but I never stopped reading since. I grew up with a family of readers and always had books around. I think I was about nine years old when I read my first Harlequin romance. My sister had to tell me what some of those words meant, LOL.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors are Sandra Brown, Kristin Hannah, and Karen Robards, but I have so many favorites and love so many that it’s hard to choose a specific favorite. I love romantic suspense, although I have to say I’ve gotten a bit burned out about how thriller based they’ve become. I think most of that is because of my job, though, since I’m surrounded by bad crimes and “mystery” all day, it’s harder to pick up that type of story at night. I’ll always love a good contemporary or historical, and I’m currently writing a young adult, which I also love to read.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In One Last Hold, champion auto racer Wesley Webb has done everything he can to hide from his tragic past, including turning his back on the woman he loves. But Caitlyn Daniels knows everything about him and his secret, and now she’s out for an exclusive interview. Can he turn his back on her again and pretend their love was never real? One Last Hold is actually the first book I ever wrote and published years ago. It got a complete makeover with new revisions, a new cover, and it took me a good ten years to get back on track with it, so I’m super excited about it.

Buy the book on Amazon.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Angela Smith’s Website

Angela Smith Facebook Page

Angela Smith Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Kristina O’Grady

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi *waves excitedly* It’s so nice to be here today.

I grew up on a cattle ranch in western Canada and was educated as an environmental consultant. I’ve since moved to beautiful New Zealand where I live on a sheep and beef farm with my gorgeous husband, three kids, eight working dogs, two ducks, ten chickens and one very needy cat.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I can remember my mom reading Heidi to me when I was very young and since then I have never stopped reading. For most of my childhood, I remember writing short stories when I should have been doing homework (more than likely math!) I took a knock back in my writing when I was a teenager but I kept a journal that I wrote in often and when I moved to New Zealand I hand wrote letters to my grandmother. I can’t really remember a time when I didn’t write.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
What a horrible question to ask an author! I read so many books and so many genres it’s hard to pick just a few favourites…but I’ll try.

Let’s see, at the moment I love anything by Amelia Thorne, Holly Martin, Samantha Tonge, Katie Oliver, Diana Gabaldon, J.K. Rowling, Julia Quinn, Sally MacKenzie, Anabelle Bryant, Tessa Dare, Kris Pearson, Eloisa James and Rebecca Raisin.

There are sooooo many more though and I feel bad for leaving them out but I would be here until next week if I were to name them all. 😉

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I’m really excited about this new release. It’s close to my heart, mostly because it’s set on a ranch and although I do love it here in beautiful New Zealand, part of me misses home.

It’s funny how things work out but this book is not the book it was meant to be. I happen to think that how it turned out is better than I planned but characters sometimes take over and tell the writer how the story should go. I did argue my points, but Ben and Helga won out in the end. 🙂

Here’s the blurb for I Choose You.

Lights. Camera. Cowboy.

Helga Hansen is the movie star of the moment. Wealthy beyond her wildest dreams, beautiful and girlfriend of sexy Myles of the world-famous band The Knights: life could not be better. Until Myles cheats on her, that is. Then her latest movie is ‒ again! ‒ a career-threatening flop. She’s sacked her friend/agent in a fury. And, to make matters worse, her little sister’s life seems to be spiraling out of control and Helga’s just not sure how to help her out of the abyss.

So the invitation to star in Brian Hargrave’s new movie – yes, the Brian Hargrave ‒ is one she just can’t turn down. And if it means filming in Hicksville for what’ll seem like an eternity, so what? It’s time away from the big smoke and a chance to lick her wounds. And did someone say something about cowboys?

Buy the book on Amazon.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Kristina O’Grady’s Website

Kristina O’Grady Facebook Page

Kristina O’Grady Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Amy Metz

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Louisville, Kentucky, where I still live today. My Labradoodle, Cooper, went with my ex-husband in the divorce, so I am petless right now, although I do get to keep Cooper from time to time, and I have two granddogs–Gage, a chocolate Lab, and Arlo, a 220-pound English Mastiff that looks more like a pony than a dog. Sweetest dogs in the world.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My obsession with reading began in 2007, and I began writing in 2009 as a form of therapy when I became caretaker for my mother, who had been diagnosed with dementia. I found writing about my experiences with my mother to be therapeutic, but I also needed an escape about writing about my problems! That’s when I started writing the Goose Pimple Junction mystery series–with both humor and mystery.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love mystery novels, and Robert B. Parker, Michael Connelly, John Sandford, Nelson Demille, and Harlan Coben are some of my favorites. For Southern novels, I love Rick Bragg and Michael Lee Wes. Michael Lee is a female, and she inspires me, as well as the other authors I read.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Heroes & Hooligans in Goose Pimple Junction picks up three months after the first book in the series ends. There’s a new police chief in town, but also a bunch of hooligans who annoy the townspeople, aggravate and pester Martha Maye, and terrify everyone when a murder occurs. All of the folks who were in the first novel are back to lend support and humor. And there just might be a mutual attraction between Martha Maye and the new police chief.

Buy the book on Amazon.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Amy Metz’s Website

Amy Metz Facebook Page

Amy Metz Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Sarah Noffke

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m the author of a YA sci-fi fantasy series. It was published in November 2014. When I’m not writing then I’m chasing my three-year-old and teaching college classes online. Currently, we live in Central California and spend our free time hiking and exploring the beaches. This is the perfect place for me, not too hot or cold. I grew up in Texas and I’m done with extreme weather…for good.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always been writing. As a child, I was obsessed with creating plays and short stories. It was inborn in me. Then as I got older I began writing poetry. Now I’ve found my niche with writing YA. It’s like I’m finally home.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Philip Pullman is by far my favorite writer. He writes mostly YA, but it’s hard to classify his genre. I think that’s what I like about him. He can’t be pinned down. Also, his concepts are fresh and unique. And his writing is absolutely flawless. He creates characters I want to know and places I need to see.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
When sixteen-year-old Roya Stark attends a dinner party she hardly expects to be drugged, much less told by the host that she’s a special race of human with incredible abilities. Then she follows his orders, closes her eyes and enters a different world. And meets a leader of secret society who promises that his people can protect her.

This is Roya’s first meeting while dream traveling. Within forty-eight hours Roya is pulled into the mysterious world of the Lucidites with a vengeance. By that time her family has already fallen victim to violent hallucinations and the dark figure has dared to approach closer at night, hovering just outside her window. When told her world is in danger and her fate is connected to greatness, Roya knows she has no choice but to seek refuge in the Lucidite Institute. The only catch is she’ll have to risk drowning to get there…

Roya thought she was just a weird teenager. Turns out she’s an extremely powerful Dream Traveler and her fate is to rid the world of a real nightmare. Captivating and mysterious, Awoken will take readers on an exciting voyage they will not soon forget.

Buy the book on Amazon.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Sarah Noffke’s Website

Sarah Noffke Facebook Page

Sarah Noffke Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Julie Mulhern

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. I left home for college then came back to the Midwest.

I live in Kansas City about four blocks from where I grew up with my husband, two daughters and a dastardly dog. That dog, Sam, makes an appearance in The Deep End as Max. The two share many bad habits.

Of late, people have asked me what I have in common with the heroine, Ellison. In truth, we share a certain snarkiness.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have loved books as long as I can remember and always wanted to be a writer. My path to publication took a few decades – what with marriage and kids and a full-time job. For years I wrote articles for local magazines and then someone suggested I write a book and I got serious about my dream.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love mysteries, always have. An early taste for Nancy Drew turned into an Agatha Christie addiction. From there I discovered Josephine Tey, Dorothy L. Sayers and PD James.

The Deep End is set in the 1970s and the era inspired the story. I loved researching The Deep End and am now the proud owner of a year’s worth of Vogue, Architectural Digest and Gourmet from 1974. Loved the fashion, loved the articles, loved the ads – I even loved the recipes. Croquette, anyone?

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Deep End released in February. It’s an ‘uncozy’ cozy. One reviewer noted, “If Agatha Christie had decided to write something akin to “Fifty Shades of Grey,” she might have ended up with “The Deep End” by Julie Mulhern. This certainly isn’t your grandmother’s cozy mystery, and I loved it. This is a cozy mystery with an edge.”

Swimming into the lifeless body of her husband’s mistress tends to ruin a woman’s day, but becoming a murder suspect can ruin her whole life.

It’s 1974 and Ellison Russell’s life revolves around her daughter and her art. She’s long since stopped caring about her cheating husband, Henry, and the women with whom he entertains himself. That is, until she becomes a suspect in Madeline Harper’s death. The murder forces Ellison to confront her husband’s proclivities and his crimes—kinky sex, petty cruelties and blackmail.

As the body count approaches par on the seventh hole, Ellison knows she has to catch a killer. But with an interfering mother, an adoring father, a teenage daughter, and a cadre of well-meaning friends demanding her attention, can Ellison find the killer before he finds her?

Buy the book on Amazon.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Julie Mulhern’s Website

Julie Mulhern Facebook Page

Julie Mulhern Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Maranda Russell

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a 32-year-old award-winning author and artist who also happens to have Asperger’s Syndrome (a kind of high-functioning autism). I was born & raised in Muncie, Indiana and now live in Dayton, Ohio. I am married with no kids, but I do have six cats that are like children to us (Jack, Einstein, Spyder, Mao, Icky and Rosie). Besides writing and making art, I also vlog and blog regularly about many subjects, including Asperger’s Syndrome, chronic illness, writing, art, entertainment and whatever else catches my fancy.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I don’t remember a time I didn’t love books. Some of my earliest memories are of my grandmother reading to me and stealing my older sister’s books to look at them. I actually would cry before I started school because I wanted to learn to read and write so badly. Once I learned to read and write it became a main focus in my life. Even if I never sold another book, I would still read and write constantly.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite genres to read are the same genres I like to write. This includes children’s books, young adult, short fiction, poetry and certain kinds of non-fiction (memoirs, biographies, spiritual or inspirational, art, entertainment, etc.) Some of my favorite authors include Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Mo Willems, Sonya Sones, Nikki Grimes, Nick Bruel and many others. Those authors who inspire me most in my writing are those writers who are unafraid to be open, honest and personal. I have especially been influenced by some of the authors who write novels-in-verse. I love a good sense of humor too.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My most recent book is entitled “Searching for the Truth: Poems & Prose Inspired by Our Inner Worlds”. It is a collection of short writings inspired by my love for subjects like spirituality, philosophy and psychology. The book covers a huge variety of subjects but is all written in an honest and thoughtful manner. The book is not about any particular religion or belief system, but instead explores those mysteries and questions about life that we all ask at one time or another. With this book I wanted to celebrate the emotions and experiences that make us human.

Buy the book on Amazon.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Maranda Russell’s Website

Maranda Russell Facebook Page

Maranda Russell Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Dan Van Oss

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in the midwest; Michigan, Iowa, Kentucky. I’ve lived in Iowa the past 35 years, and the past three of those with a Golden Retriever names Jack.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I post in my by bio that I “grew up reading just about everything I could borrow from the town library, although admittedly sometimes just to get the sticker segments to complete the Reading Centipede for each book I finished reading.” I read a lot of fantasy and sci-fi during the teen years, but that’s tapered off. Did some creative writing in college with a good teacher who wasn’t afraid to cross out your sentences with a red pen right in front of you.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
For humor, I like Dave Barry, Douglas Adams and James Lileks, who are also inspiring as well. I think humor is one of the tougher things to write; it seems like you either have it or you don’t. Let’s hope I have at least a little of it. I also like to read political thrillers, such as from early Tom Clancy, and I’m always interested in autobiographies.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
There are two recent books, but I’ll talk about “Shopping Survival Guide for Men”. It pretends to be helpful but let’s face it, it’s all pretty hopeless once a guy sets foot in a mall. I’m just trying help guys make it through a Saturday afternoon of forced march shopping without losing all of their sanity or savings.

Buy the book on Amazon.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Dan Van Oss’s Website

Dan Van Oss Facebook Page

Dan Van Oss Twitter Account