Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Julieta Smith

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
JULIETA L SMITH is an advocate, published opinion editorial writer, founder of House of Seven Literature, LLC, and law school graduate who enjoys doing photo shoots in parachute dresses in Santorini, Greece and in balloon skirts in Italy. Smith is a native Floridian, raised in Tallahassee, FL and resident of Atlanta, Georgia. As a prior dog owner, her debut book Moving beyond the Rainbow Bridge: Your Journey to Healing After Losing Your Dog, pays homage to the life lessons and love that her Yorkshire Terrier gave her before he crossed the rainbow bridge. It was through his demise, and working through the grief process that she birthed her debut book, which was released on June 20th.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was raised in a home where the library was a daily visit, and after-school babysitter for my siblings and I because my mother was a single parent. The safest place for me to be was the library, in the children’s section under the watchful eye of the librarian. There, I completed reading challenges, my school work and participated in the literary events hosted by the library, all while my mother was at work. Therefore, I have always had a fasciation with books and I have been creatively writing since my youth because I fantasized a lot and it was as an outlet to life’s twists and turns. As an adult, I have amassed a treasure chest of manuscripts.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love mystery and suspense. However, my favorite author does not fall into either genre. George Orwell, author of Animal Farm, has been my favorite author since I was 12 years old. The way he wrote fairy tales to make political statements fascinates me because, as a recent law school graduate, I learned to look beyond the narrative that is presented because the trust lies behind it. In a sense, it is mystery.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
THE INSPIRATION to create a book specifically for dog owners arises from my path to emotional healing after the unexpected loss of my Yorkshire Terrier, Chez.

After Chez unexpectedly crossed the rainbow bridge in 2022, I experienced an array of unexplained emotions which included deep sadness, and uncertainty in how to navigate the grieving process for my fur baby. Likewise, many dog owners are familiar with and share the unexplained emotions that I felt after the loss of their beloved dog. Such loss can suspend the dog owner in what feels like a perpetual space of sadness, guilt, and without closure.

By doing the work for my own healing, I discovered a blueprint for grieving dog owners to work through their emotional loss and transition into brighter days. Moving Beyond the Rainbow Bridge: Your Journey to Healing After the Loss of Your Dog is for a niche group of people – dog owners and the ones that love them. This carefully curated book of poetry, memoirs, guided journal prompts, and interactive activities assists the grieving dog owner accept the loss of their fur baby, process their new normal without their beloved dog, and focus on joy that their beloved dog brought into their life.

You will never forget your beloved dog because they left paw prints on your hearts. However, you can begin your healing with Moving Beyond the Rainbow Bridge

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Julieta Smith’s Website

Julieta Smith Facebook Page

Featured Interview With L. Ron Hubbard; Kevin J. Anderson; S. M. Stirling; Lazarus Chernik; Kristine Kathryn Rusch; Samuel Parr; Spencer Sekulin; L. H. Davis; Devon Bohm; Arthur H. Manners; David Hankins; David K. Henrickson; J. R. Johnson; Elaine Midcoh; Marianne Xenos; Jason Palmatier; and T. J. Knight

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
This is an international writing contest with winners from 9 countries this year. Each story and illustration includes a bio that introduces each author and artist.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
The international Writers of the Future Contest was created and endowed by L. Ron Hubbard. After several years of success in fostering new writers, the Illustrators of the Future Contest followed. The winning stories are illustrated and published in the annual L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future anthology. Described by critics as a perennial “glimpse of tomorrow’s stars,” a “must-have for the genre reader,” and “the bestselling science fiction anthology series of all time,” it is today the most enduring and top-ranking publication of its kind.

The blue-ribbon panel of judges is what makes this possible. The winning stories are selected by bestselling authors, including Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, Nnedi Okorafor, Kevin J. Anderson, Brian Herbert, Jody Lynn Nye, Larry Niven, Robert J. Sawyer, Katherine Kurtz, and many others. The best of the best are hand-picked each year.

There is no entry fee, and stories are judged blind, making it a fair competition for all authors and illustrators who enter from anywhere in the world. There are cash prizes. The winners are paid professional rates and maintain their rights.

It is an excellent program for new authors and readers, who often discover their next favorite writer.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
This is a science fiction, fantasy, and horror genre competition.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Writers of the Future Vole 39 is a collection of 12 award-winning debut authors, illustrated by artists who won the competition this year.

Twelve captivating tales selected by Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, Nnedi Okorafor, Robert J. Sawyer, Kevin J. Anderson, Jody Lynn Nye and others.

Join a team of time travelers who set out to save London from a terrorist’s nuclear attack … when a blast from the past changes everything.

Meet a vampire, a dragon and a shape-shifting Chihuahua in Key West … this is one beach party that’s about to get wild!

Follow Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I., who’s investigating the craziest case of his so-called life.…

Find out what happens when death and taxes come together in the form of one IRS agent, who faces the darkest audit of all.

From dark fantasy to space opera and time travel, you will love these sci-fi and fantasy stories because, as Locus magazine puts it, “Not only is the writing excellent…it is also extremely varied. Hot new talent.”

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L. Ron Hubbard; Kevin J. Anderson; S. M. Stirling; Lazarus Chernik; Kristine Kathryn Rusch; Samuel Parr; Spencer Sekulin; L. H. Davis; Devon Bohm; Arthur H. Manners; David Hankins; David K. Henrickson; J. R. Johnson; Elaine Midcoh; Marianne Xenos; Jason Palmatier; and T. J. Knight’s Website

L. Ron Hubbard; Kevin J. Anderson; S. M. Stirling; Lazarus Chernik; Kristine Kathryn Rusch; Samuel Parr; Spencer Sekulin; L. H. Davis; Devon Bohm; Arthur H. Manners; David Hankins; David K. Henrickson; J. R. Johnson; Elaine Midcoh; Marianne Xenos; Jason Palmatier; and T. J. Knight Facebook Page

L. Ron Hubbard; Kevin J. Anderson; S. M. Stirling; Lazarus Chernik; Kristine Kathryn Rusch; Samuel Parr; Spencer Sekulin; L. H. Davis; Devon Bohm; Arthur H. Manners; David Hankins; David K. Henrickson; J. R. Johnson; Elaine Midcoh; Marianne Xenos; Jason Palmatier; and T. J. Knight Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Terri Greening

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Michigan and have lived here all my life. Michigan has a lot of lakes and is a nice place to live and to vacation. I like to go to Lake Michigan on nice days.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always liked to read. I remember going to the library in the summer as a child and signing up to read a certain number of books by the end of the summer for fun. Mostly though, I just read books that looked interesting. I started writing at a young age, too. I wrote songs and short stories. When I was in high school, I wrote more stories, and I majored in journalism in college.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like to read novels by Dan Brown, Danielle Steel, Amity Gaige, Delia Owens, Barbara Josselsohn, Karen Dionne, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and Agatha Christie, among others. I am inspired to write when I read suspenseful thrillers or mysteries and emotionally powerful stories.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“The Lady of the Lighthouse” is a historical thriller set in the Great Lakes region. Loralei Lancaster, a lonely, pregnant, young mother and lighthouse keeper is caught up in a WWII espionage plot with a mysterious, Italian spy while waiting for her shipping-captain husband to return home.

I got the idea for the novel when I read a history book about the Great Lakes and WWII and found out that the Soo Locks was under military protection during the war.

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Terri Greening’s Website

Featured Interview With Terri Greening

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Michigan and have lived here all my life. It’s a nice place to live and to vacation. Michigan has a lot of lakes, and I like to go to Lake Michigan on nice days.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved to read. I remember going to the library in the summer as a child and signing up to read a certain number of books by the end of the summer for fun. Mostly though, I just read whatever books looked interesting. I started writing at a young age, too, but I usually wrote songs and short stories. In high school, I continued to write stories, and I majored in journalism in college.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I enjoy reading novels by Dan Brown, Danielle Steel, Amity Gaige, Barbara Josselsohn, Delia Owens, Karen Dionne, Hank Philippi Ryan, and Agatha Christie, among others. I’m especially inspired to write when I read suspenseful thrillers or mysteries and emotionally powerful novels.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Lady of the Lighthouse is a historical thriller set in the Great Lakes region. Loralei Lancaster, a lonely, pregnant, young mother and lighthouse keeper is caught up in a WWII espionage plot with a mysterious Italian spy while waiting for shipping-captain husband to return home.

I came up with the idea for the novel after I read a history book about the Great Lakes and WWII and found out the Soo Locks was under military protection during the war.

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Terri Greening’s Website

Terri Greening Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Patrick Weill

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Patrick Weill has made a living as a lifeguard, a saxophonist, a teacher, and now as an award-winning translator and author. Weill lives in Mexico with his wife and three daughters, four dogs, and an aquarium full of fish. His novels are action-packed tales of police heroes versus cold-hearted crooks, with mostly male protagonists but also women and the barest hint of romance.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Patrick Weill’s mother reports that he learned to read at two years of age and that one of his early favorites was a lawnmower catalog. He read all through childhood and adolescence and is still an avid peruser of pages.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Weill has read all of Lee Child’s books, the first 23 or so before Andrew Child took over the franchise. Other favorites include David Baldacci, Clive Cussler, Dan Brown, Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., and many more.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Double Threat, book three in Pat Weill’s Park and Walker Action Thriller Series is nearly complete. Many of the events take place on large ships such as a cruise ship, a cargo ship, and a superyacht. Double Threat features motorcycles, hot-rod cars, and pages and pages of edge-of-your-seat excitement!

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Patrick Weill’s Website

Patrick Weill Facebook Page

Patrick Weill Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Robert L Appleton

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in London England and I now reside in New York City. I spent the last eight months in Jacksonville Florida, finishing up my book of short stories. I had a pet till very recently, she was a beautiful pitbull rescue. But when she reached the age of sixteen, I had to let her go which breaks my heart.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I like to tell the truth even though in this case it’s problematic as I’ve never had any kind of love or much fascination with books. I went to art school, and for most of my life I painted. I did so in my rented large apartment here in New York but I was forced out after many years and had to move to a very small studio apartment.
I couldn’t afford a separate studio, but I had a laptop and decided that I would write instead of paint. That was about 12 years ago. At the time I taught 3D animation and visual effects. One of my friends was a screen writing teacher at my college she is an excellent writer, very smart and it’s she who taught me how to write.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Amongst my favorite authors are Carlos Castaneda, Evelyn Waugh, Raymond Chandler, Edward St. Aubyn – they also inspired me the most.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
These five stories are all about characters getting flung into crazy supernatural situations. Whether they’re letting magic toads move in or chowing down on magic truffles, these folks are in for more than they bargained for.
What ties all these wild rides together? Well, they each dive headfirst into epic good vs evil showdowns. Sometimes the fight’s in the outside world, but often it’s within the characters themselves. They’re wrestling with their own shadows, their flaws, their fears. It’s kind of like a cosmic wrestling match in the soul, but it’s funny too.
And then there’s the sneaky past – phantoms that pop up when least expected, throwing spanners in the works. Forgotten memories, past lives, and secret histories are all game-changers here. They ramp up the drama and give the actors – heroes and heroines alike some serious life-changing revelations laced with humor.
These tales mix the supernatural, personal struggles, and hidden pasts, for your perfect storm.

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Robert L Appleton’s Website

Robert L Appleton Facebook Page

Robert L Appleton Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Robert L Appleton

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Robert L Appleton is an author of the supernatural, the absurd, and the occult. His stories weave strange webs, drawing the reader into intricate worlds that are hard to forget. There we meet characters at living extremes, teetering on the precipices of their own stories. Cartoonish, violent, comical, mysterious and gothic, Robert describes his art in terms of ‘painting moving pictures with words’. Caught in dilemmas that threaten to break them, or pushed across thresholds into other dimensions, his heroes and villains are in perpetual motion, tumbling through scenes crammed with wild details that display Robert’s irrepressible imagination.
Robert’s journey into writing was anything but traditional. After embarking on an intensive three-month screenwriting course – an experience that always provokes a wry smile – he was proudly able to declare himself a ‘supreme failure’. He realized he was unwilling to cede creative control to directors and producers who would gut his vision. This spurred him to commit to writing as his true passion.
The exhilarating process of world-building, then of embedding characters in these finely drawn, vertiginous realms, was not something that could be dismantled once it had been created. With a background in art and animation, Robert’s work is vibrant and visual, rich in detail that is, by turns, cute and fey, then shadowy and horrifying.
This combined relish for the visual and the textual is the hallmark of Robert’s style. Hailing from the culturally vibrant city of London, his training is as diverse as his birthplace. A BFA in fine art from Camberwell School of Art (UK) and then an MFA in animation and visual effects from the Academy of Art University (San Francisco) led to the unique blend of art and technology that continues to shape Robert’s distinct storytelling style.
Each story is a fairground ride so disgustingly hilarious and ‘out there’ that you don’t want to get off. These are kinetic, imaginary moral worlds. As wild and off-the-rails as they are, there is always a journey toward the right choice, the heroic sacrifice, the defeat of evil. There is discipline amongst the chaos. But, as with many aspects of his writing, conventions are subverted; goodness doesn’t always win the day, heroes don’t always earn their reward. Robert’s favourite authors include Carlos Castaneda, Raymond Chandler and Evelyn Waugh.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Step into a twisted realm where the lines between reality and the bizarre blur, and prepare to be captivated by “A Funhouse of Nightmares: Twisted Tales For Troubled Grown-ups.”
In this macabre anthology, five tales transport you to surreal landscapes of the mind, where the strange, supernatural, and occult intertwine with a touch of humor and absurdity.
In “Static,” a troubled young man discovers that the static on his radio holds prescient advice, leading him on a dark and unpredictable path. “Toad” introduces us to a lovely young woman possessed by the spirit of an Inca priest, as she plots to destroy her unfaithful spouse in a spine-chilling quest for vengeance.
Witness the fall and redemption of Beelzebub in “The Book of Fallen Angels,” a haunting exploration of divine rebellion and the pursuit of redemption. Prepare for a poignant tale in “Tears For Topsy,” where a circus clown makes a fateful exchange, sacrificing his soul for happiness in a world consumed by darkness.
Finally, embark on a mind-altering journey with “Mould,” as a hallucinogenic truffle transports a young woman into a mesmerizing realm inhabited by anthropomorphized woodland creatures.
These stories weave together elements of the supernatural, occult, and the absurd, delivering a captivating experience that oscillates between unease and laughter. Described as modern Kafkaesque, “A Funhouse of Nightmares” promises to entertain, thrill, and leave you questioning the boundaries of reality. Get ready for a rollercoaster ride through the bizarre and delightful, where nothing is quite as it seems, nor should it be…

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Carlos Castaneda, Raymond Chandler, and Evelyn Waugh.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Step into a twisted realm where the lines between reality and the bizarre blur, and prepare to be captivated by “A Funhouse of Nightmares: Twisted Tales For Troubled Grown-ups.”
In this macabre anthology, five tales transport you to surreal landscapes of the mind, where the strange, supernatural, and occult intertwine with a touch of humor and absurdity.
In “Static,” a troubled young man discovers that the static on his radio holds prescient advice, leading him on a dark and unpredictable path. “Toad” introduces us to a lovely young woman possessed by the spirit of an Inca priest, as she plots to destroy her unfaithful spouse in a spine-chilling quest for vengeance.
Witness the fall and redemption of Beelzebub in “The Book of Fallen Angels,” a haunting exploration of divine rebellion and the pursuit of redemption. Prepare for a poignant tale in “Tears For Topsy,” where a circus clown makes a fateful exchange, sacrificing his soul for happiness in a world consumed by darkness.
Finally, embark on a mind-altering journey with “Mould,” as a hallucinogenic truffle transports a young woman into a mesmerizing realm inhabited by anthropomorphized woodland creatures.
These stories weave together elements of the supernatural, occult, and the absurd, delivering a captivating experience that oscillates between unease and laughter. Described as modern Kafkaesque, “A Funhouse of Nightmares” promises to entertain, thrill, and leave you questioning the boundaries of reality. Get ready for a rollercoaster ride through the bizarre and delightful, where nothing is quite as it seems, nor should it be…

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Robert L Appleton’s Website

Robert L Appleton Facebook Page

Robert L Appleton Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Perry Williams

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in a small town near San Diego called National City. After high school I felt I had no place to go so I joined the U.S. Navy where I was promptly sent to Vietnam where I learned the true value of human life. After the service I used the GI bill to attend San Diego State University. There is where I got started in writing and acting. I now live in Hayden, Idaho on 12 acres and almost all the wildlife you could think of. People travel thousands of miles to see a bald eagle – I got one in my front yard living in a huge nest on a very large tree. I also have two rabbits living near my front lawn and somehow, they are fast enough to survive everything that wants to eat them. It’s very quiet here compared to where I last lived and that would be Venice Beach in Los Angeles. I don’t miss the helicopters flying overhead for hours and of course the numerous police cars with all the noise they make. But I do miss the many fine restaurants. Everything is quiet where I live and I like it.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing while attending San Diego State University. I have a degree in drama and a minor in music. Very quickly I became quite popular and almost everything I wrote was performed in some way or another by actors and I loved it. After graduation I moved to L.A. where I got a job at Paramount studios where I acted in such shows as Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley and
Bosom Buddies and many more. This is where I got my first professional writing job. I actually wrote an episode of Laverne & Shirley. I still get residuals for it though not very much. I prefer writing screenplays but lately, I switched to novels because you are not restricted by needing to keep it to two hours or less. With a novel, you can write all you want. When I convert Saving Christ: Starway Seven to a screenplay it’s going to be very difficult cutting a 114,000-word novel to a 120-page screenplay, but I will do it.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite writer is Ernest Hemingway but I now enjoy writers such as Stephen King and Michael Crichton mainly because everything they wrote got made into a movie which is precisely what I want for Saving Christ: Starway Seven. This movie would be something totally new but very, very familiar. I like to write with big meanings. My other book, Pollen and the Ring of Harmony is about an alien with amazing powers sent to earth to protect mother nature from us humans. And of course, there is nothing bigger than Jesus, still to this day the most known person on earth.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Saving Christ: Starway Seven is first of all a new and fresh telling of the greatest story ever told. Its basic premise is that it is a love story between Jesus and a modern-day woman sent back in time to be with Jesus for his last seven days. It has action, adventure, romance, time travel all in one. When I say romance, I mean pure and clean romance with no passion. Nothing is inappropriate in the book and everything in it happens according to the bible. There is also tension as one of the time travelers sent back in time has instructions to kill Jesus before he gets on the cross thus changing religion forever. Jennifer, my main character must save Jesus only to know he is going to die on the cross a day later. A true tragic love story. I wanted to show the human side of Jesus as if he was your friend and of course, you get to meet all the various characters from the bible but from a different viewpoint, that is from a modern-day woman who will not tell Jesus or anyone she is from the future. Jennifer even at the end tries to save Jesus with a machine gun no less but God won’t let her. The greatest love she has ever known will soon die on the cross but she ends up with a great gift, that being faith.

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Perry Williams’s Website

Perry Williams Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Gary Baysinger

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I moved around a lot growing up and spent a few years in Harrogate, England, where my novella takes place. I live in Oregon with my wife, two children and two ill-behaved dogs.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I spent six years living on the Marshall Islands as a child. We had no television, which I initially thought was the end of the world. It turned out to be a blessing because it introduced me to reading and watching movies. Those two things influence my writing. I began writing in 2016.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Rosamunde Pilcher, T.C. Boyle, Paul Bowles. It’s no accident that my book is titled A Kind of Homecoming. I absolutely loved Rosamunde Pilcher’s Coming Home. I have terrible reading habits and will pick up random books that I find laying around the house or something that was recommended to me. I love reading books and then watching movie adaptations. I am inspired by books, movies, comic books, and songs.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My next book is a multigenerational family saga that starts in France and takes the reader to Germany, Russia and America before, during, and after World War Two. It’s based on research I did into my family’s Alsatian roots. I always wondered what happened to the Baysinger’s who remained in France. My family traveled to France in 2018 and we visited the tiny village where my ancestors lived. That trip inspired me to write my novel Margaret’s Last Prayer, about a young girl named Margaret who married a farmer named Jacob Baysinger and watched one of their sons emigrate to America.

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Gary Baysinger’s Website

Gary Baysinger Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Patrick Higgins

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Pennsylvania, but I have lived in Florida since 2008. I also lived in California for a brief period of time. At the age of 20, my twin brother and I moved to Hollywood with dreams of becoming rock stars, of all things. Needless to say, it didn’t work out for us. Never in a million years would I have ever imagined back then that I would end up being a Christian writer. In fact, if someone had made a list of the top 100 future professions for me, being a Christian writer would have been placed at the very bottom of the list. God sure works in mysterious ways…

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
When it came to reading books, I was a late bloomer. But once I started reading, I couldn’t stop! At that time, I mostly read biographies of those who ultimately became captains of various industries, and self-help books. After a while, I started reading novels by John Grisham, David Baldacci, and others like them. But even then, I never thought for a second that I would ever write books. It wasn’t until I went to Sanibel Island and saw a massive banyan tree sandwiched in between a bunch of pine trees that I felt inspired to actually write a novel, which ended up being “The Pelican Trees”. On some levels, it’s still my favorite book.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I still enjoy reading good works of fiction when I have time (which is rare), and I love reading non-fiction Christian books that were written by some of the world’s greatest theologians – past and present. But, without a doubt, the Book I read and listen to the most is the only Book that matters (at least to me), the Holy Bible.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My last book was released on 03-28-23. It is the eighth installment of the multi-award-winning “Chaos in the Blink of an Eye” end times series. The story begins with a famed college football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines. But as the football was kicked into the snow-filled sky, long-foretold Bible prophecy came to pass, causing many inside Michigan Stadium to vanish into thin air without a trace. It was just the beginning of things to come, as life as humanity had known it was forever changed in the blink of an eye…

To date, more than 12,000 positive reviews have been posted online about the series…and counting. Once completed, there will be 10-12 books. I also wrote “The Pelican Trees”, “Coffee in Manila”, “The Unannounced Christmas Visitor”, and “”I Never Knew You”, which have also received multiple awards, praise God!

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Patrick Higgins’s Website

Patrick Higgins Facebook Page

Patrick Higgins Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Chanell Finley

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Natchez, MS and raised in Vidalia, LA. I currently reside in West Monroe, LA. I have a maltipoo named Mixzy.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was around the age of 9 when I realized my love for reading. I became an avid writer of poetry around the age of 12 and stopped around age 16. I have always loved journaling and began writing again in 2020.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love Priscilla Shirer, Stormie Omartian, Joyce Meyer, and Bruce Wilkinson. The late Dr. Myles Munroe is one of my favorites as well.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In Women’s Anxiety Devotional Workbook, I share how anxiety challenges one’s faith and prohibits one from living the abundant life Jesus promised. I also share my personal story of my own struggle with anxiety in the introduction and I then provide effective techniques and resources I found beneficial in my own journey to overcoming anxiety throughout this workbook.

Through straightforward and easy to follow exercises, I uniquely intertwine a Christian approach with my clinical expertise to teach Christian women how to manage stress with God’s Word and other tools.

I created this workbook as a resource for Christian women who desire to learn to manage anxiety through faith. My prayer is that God will use this as a tool to help each reader learn, grow and experience victory in every area of their life.

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Chanell Finley’s Website

Chanell Finley Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Britney Bell

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a 23 year old striving entrepreneur and college student. I am a devoted believer and follower of Jesus Christ and I lead others to Jesus. I love creativity and arts. I am the founder of Scrapbooking Club at Charlotte and Christ Centered Co. I am a singer, songwriter, actress, author and model. I will be graduating from UNC Charlotte in May 2023. I love traveling and inspiring others.

I was raised in Atlanta Georgia and lived in other parts of Georgia, Kansas and ended my childhood in North Carolina.

I live in Charlotte, NC. I am currently studying Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

I don’t have any pets, however, I do desire to have a pet in the future.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
In the 3rd grade, I started to love books so much that I’d write my own plays and in 5th grade I started making a comic book with my friend.

I began writing in the 3rd grade. I kept a diary and I would carry it with me wherever I went and I’d always document my life. I carried this into my adulthood. Tales of a Wildflower gives an account for my journey from heartbreak to healing. It shows how I went from boy to boy, trying to find a man who would love me for who I was, finding love in myself and finding out and developing a relationship with Jesus for myself.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love reading Shubricca L Bell, my mother who is also an author, Karolyne Roberts and other local upcoming artists. I love when local authors show me their books and I am happy to read them. I love authors who tell their stories; their testimonies inspire me to overcome my struggles.

My favorite genres are self-help and poetry books. I love these books because I can relate to them and they help grow me into a better person.

Jesus is my inspiration. I long to hear from Him and I let Him lead me when I write. I also think of myself and what I am going through and also the situations around me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
After my Dad left my life when I was 5, I didn’t realize how much I missed having a father around. I had fallen off of a ferris wheel at age 4 and my Dad stopped coming around after that. Later on in my life, he would just “pop up” once a year or whenever he wanted. By the time I became a pre-teen I was tired and I understood what was happening. I began to look for love in boys. I wanted my boyfriend to care for me in ways that my physical father didn’t and love me in ways that I never was loved before. I ended up in a disaster. We broke up but somehow I would end up messing around with the same type of boy and I experienced the same pain over and over again but worse each time until I realized that I needed to change and I truly deserved greater than what I had previously chosen for myself. I decided to turn my life over to Jesus and I found a Father, Husband, and all I ever needed in Him. I also learned to love and appreciate myself for who God designed me to be. Tales of a Wildflower is a collection of poems that I wrote between the ages of 18 to 22 years old. During this time of early adulthood, I saw many struggles, specifically with heartbrokenness and pain from choosing the wrong men and not properly loving myself and God first. This collection of poems are divided into three chapters: Chapter 1: Losing you and finding me, Chapter 2: Healing Seasons, and Chapter 3: Thoughts and Conversations. Throughout this book, I tell the reader my darkest secrets and how tragedy has somehow bloomed me into a bright and bold wildflower. Although I was pressed and left for dead, Jesus found me, saved me, and watered me, and I still turned out to be someone wonderful and beautiful and He’s still doing it!

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Featured Interview With Louise Watkiss Lucas

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Writer, designer, and Architect. Author of three novels, short stories, a children’s book, and a biography of the artist Gillian Watkiss.

I was born in an old Cornish cottage in the rural parish of St Levan.

Dylan Thomas lived there before his marriage to Caitlin.

My parents then moved to Zennor, a remote coastal village where D.H. Lawrence and his German wife, Frieda, had a cottage during the first world war. At the time, and because of Frieda’s background (she was related to the infamous Red Barron), the locals suspected them of spying.

The relevance these famous writers have to my story is, precisely… none whatsoever. They are just interesting facts about two elite literary figures I considered worth bandying about in this biography. I’m not saying our closely shared geographical history has, in any way, enhanced my own literary talents.

However, I’m sure Dylan and Lawrence would have really enjoyed my novels had they lived long enough to read them.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As soon as I could read, from the age of four, I loved books and stories.
When my two sons reached early adulthood, my work as an architect took a back seat, and I started to write with serious intent.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
The authors I read and admire are too numerous and diverse to mention in this short blurb.
Douglas Coupland, Scott Fitzgerald, Laurie Graham, Thomas Hardy, Knut Hamsun, P. G Wodehouse, John Irving, A.M Homes, Iris Murdoch, Charles Dickens… and the list continues.
All good writers inspire me to write and also, sometimes, to give up.
My favourite genre of writing is contemporary fiction.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is a collection of contemporary stories resulting from a personal challenge.
In 2022 I decided to write a short story a month.
Greasy Joe’s & Other stories evolved from that starting point.
The inspiration for the stories comes from personal observations of people in the town where I live, current affairs and overheard dialogue.

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Featured Interview With Louise Watkiss Lucas

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My latest book is a collection of twelve short stories.
The genre is contemporary fiction.
At the beginning of 2022, I decided to write one story each month.
Greasy Joe’s & Other Stories is the resulting book.
All the stories stem from my observation of people, current events and daily life.
However dark the story, I like to inject humour.
I use dialogue to tell the story in the majority of my writing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
From the age of three or four, when I first learned to read, I loved books and storytelling.
Writing with real intent only began when my children grew up, and working as an architect took a back seat.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite authors are too numerous to mention in this short blurb.
Here are just a few, in no particular order.
Douglas Coupland, Laurie Graham, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, Scott Fitzgerald, Iris Murdock, A. M Homes, John Irving.
The list goes on and on.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is a collection of twelve short stories.
The genre is contemporary fiction.
At the beginning of 2022, I decided to write a story each month.
Greasy Joe’s & Other Stories is the resulting book.
All the stories stem from my observation of people, current events and daily life.
However dark the story, I like to inject humour.
I use dialogue to tell the story in the majority of my writing.

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Louise Watkiss Lucas’s Website

Featured Interview With Lavelle Miller

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a United States Army Veteran. My MOS was Military Police. I have been married for ten years and have four crazy kids. Something interesting about me is have had three MMA fights, competed in jiu-jitsu matches, and have my own podcast, The Brave Way.

I was born and raised in Nashville, TN. I currently live 30 minutes outside of Nashville.

Yes! I have a Goldendoodle named Smokey.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was really big into reading when I was young. When I was in school, we had prizes for the top readers. This might have influence me the most (laughs).

What inspired me to write this book was Nanowrimo 2022. I liked the challenge to see if I could write 50k words in a 30 day span. I actually finished the first draft in 10 days.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Tom Clancy and Lee Child for sure. Thrillers are my jam.

I honestly would say my past and current interest are what inspire me the most. I find it easier to write about things you know about.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Your Turn is about a police officer who was framed for the murder of another police officers. However, its not that cut and dry. Seven House, the main character, was the best detective his police department had. A case he was working on revealed something interesting about a few of the police officers…I’ll leave it there. You’ll have to read the book to find out more.

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Featured Interview With Yvonne Blackwood

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am the author of four non-fiction books and three children’s books. I was born and raised in Manchester, Jamaica. I have lived in Toronto, Canada for forty-seven years. I have no pets—no dog, cat, fish, or iguana.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I began attending school (infant school they called it) from age four. I think I became fascinated with books then. I started writing articles for publication in 1998 after I returned from my first journey to West Africa. I was honing my writing skills in preparation for my first book, Into Africa: A Personal Journey.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read extensively, so I have several favorite authors. I’ll mention Maya Angelou, John Grisham, Michael Ondaatje, and John le Carre. Maya Angelou and Pearl Bailey inspire me in my non-fiction writing.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
About College Life of a Retired Senior, Blueink Review writes:
“Blackwood’s appealing attitude and resilience keep readers turning pages, rooting for her success. Ultimately, this is an inspiring story of an older woman’s quest for knowledge.”

A brief synopsis of the book: Seven years after she retired from a lengthy career in banking, Yvonne Blackwood surprised her friends and family by returning to school at age sixty-four to pursue an English degree. Her purpose was fueled by four powerful reasons—to add texture to her writing; to ward off dementia; to enhance structure in her life; and to inspire her two young grandsons to continue their education after high school. But as she stepped onto the campus of Canada’s third-largest university, Blackwood had no idea of the hurdles she was about to face.

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Featured Interview With Eva Tillman

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised on the East Coast, regularly swimming in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and loving every minute of it. I considered living in several regions of the United States before I finally settled in the West with its palm trees and almost constant sunshine. I love to read, eat, and help others feel good about themselves.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have been fascinated with books since the age of 8. I engrossed myself into the books, to the point that the characters became real.

As a teenager, I started writing poetry. It was a way to express my innermost feelings. And the thought of publishing did not occur to me until I was almost 50 years old!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love to read Shakespeare. He did not seem to allow himself to be confined by time or subject. He simply wrote and wrote and wrote.

I mostly read psychology books though. I am learning so much about myself.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In my first and most personal work, “Dear Mom” (A letter I will never send, to a mother who who would never read it anyway), I do my best to write as if I am writing to the inspiration for the book, my narcissistic mother. Perhaps one day I will deliver the book to its rightful recipient. For now, I enjoy the liberation of having poured out my true feelings.

Although I was writing about my own life, it took me a few months to complete the book because there were difficult subject matters – abuse, neglect, depression, PTSD, sexual assault. But writing it was definitely therapeutic.

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Featured Interview With Rodney D Roby

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in the panhandle of Texas for most of my young life. I moved to Wyoming when I was 18. and I have lived here ever since. I live with my wife of 20 years, and I enjoy gardening and cooking, and building and creating things with my hands.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Funny thing, but I was never fascinated with books. I have always had a hard time reading. But I started writing things when I was diagnosed with several mental illnesses around 1985.
When I was first diagnosed with a mental illness, I sought after information that could tell me just what in the world was happening to me. There was nothing. Or at least I didn’t find anything. I wrote these letters to my first psychiatrist so she could see inside my head. To see all the fear, confusion, hurt, and multitudes of thoughts that hounded me. When I read these letters to my wife, I actually cried. I completed this book with a prayer that it will help people who suffer to understand what they are going through and see that there is hope. Also, so people can understand what their loved one is going through. Prayerfully, this book will help doctors and counselors.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
If I am reading, it has to be something that really interests me. So, I read the Bible, of course. I also like books on cooking, gardening, mountain living, and martial arts.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Paralyzed Emotions is a deeply personal work sharing letters revealing years of psychological torment written to my psychiatrist as I suffered through breakdowns, severe chemical treatments, and repeated psychological crises. I share my journey with the hope that my experience can help others overcome their own mental health challenges.

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Featured Interview With Jon Sparks

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’ve always lived in the North-West of England: born in Macclesfield, raised in Lancaster. I now live in Garstang, Lancashire, with my partner Bernie and several bikes.
I’ve been writing fiction as long as I can remember, but for many years I made my living as an outdoor writer and photographer specialising in landscape, travel, and outdoor pursuits, particularly walking, climbing, and cycling. I’ve won awards for my writing from the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild.
Three Kinds of North is not the first novel I’ve written, but it’s the first to be properly published. And it’s just the first of a series, The Shattered Moon.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love reading, and I can’t really remember a time when I didn’t write stories.
I have a misty recollection of one about a boy called Ajax who lived on a space station, which certainly would have been written while I was at primary school. I know I submitted something to Gollancz when I was an undergraduate, back in the days when it was home to much of the best SF around (and when it was a genuine family firm, not an imprint of a corporate giant). I think I know which story it was, but I can’t be sure. It wasn’t good enough, anyway.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Let’s start with the genre question. I read all sorts of books (and I think that’s vital), but my favourite since childhood has been science fiction. As in my own writing, though, I take a broad view of what counts as SF.
A selection of favourite authors would include Ursula K Le Guin, Iain (M) Banks, Kate Atkinson, Becky Chambers, Dorothy L Sayers, Terry Pratchett, Kim Stanley Robinson, and (going back to childhood) Arthur Ransome.
My single greatest inspiration is Ursula K Le Guin. I love most of her books, from early ones like Planet of Exile to The Dispossessed. I have a special fondness for Malafrena, but the one that made the biggest impression on me is The Left Hand of Darkness. It was and is a great book, but its impact on me went beyond that. I also came across it at just the right time, some years after its first publication in 1969. I’ve often described it as my first grown up SF read (which is not to say that none of the SF I’d read before was grown-up stuff). It nailed, once and for all, the myth that SF doesn’t do character; it focused on sociological rather than technological themes; and it offered some wonderful descriptions of landscape and outdoor experience, guaranteed to resonate with me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
‘Three Kinds of North’ is Book One of a series called The Shattered Moon. Early reviewers have described it as ‘absolutely captivating’ and ‘enthralling’. A post-apocalyptic background, with those shattered moons in the sky, makes it Science Fiction by definition, but there are no rockets or robots here.
Early versions first emerged over twenty years ago, and slowly grew into a very long novel which I’ve now split into two. ‘Three Kinds of North’ is the first and the second, ‘The Sundering Wall’, is scheduled for publication in August 2023. The division of the two came fairly naturally, and also allowed me to flesh out certain aspects of both books.
Three further books in the series are well advanced and I’m planning to publish them at six-monthly intervals. I have partial drafts of two more as well as a collection of short stories set in the same world.
Here’s a very brief blurb/microsynopsis:
Growing up in a remote village, orphan Jerya finds a new home in the Dawnsingers’ Guild, which oversees the slow recovery of civilisation under shattered moons. She’s exhilarated by learning, and by the discovery of love, but her new life soon turns sour. Can she resolve growing doubts about the very basis of the Guild’s rule? An agonising choice looms, but new discoveries may also lie in prospect.

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