Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Nichole Williams

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hello Beautiful Souls, I’m Nichole Williams a poet, writer and blogger. I have a B.A in Communications from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Written communication has always been my best form of communication. In the last two years I started my Poetry blog, Nichole Nichole deals with Reality to reach more loyal readers. Since writing my blog I have been inspired to write short stories and self-publish a few books. I have written three books thus far, proud of that.
I grew up in Denver, Colorado and never left, a true native. I have never lived in another state. I love Colorado, at great place to live and raise children. I don’t have any pets currently but, in the past, I had a black lab named Champ that was a hand full but loving.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was in elementary when I realized I had a fascination with books. I loved when they handed out the scholastic book forms with all the new books. Something about coming to school and seeing the books your parents let you order on your desk was a great feeling as a child. I couldn’t wait to get home and read in my room. I started writing and keeping journals as early as my freshman year in high school. Journaling lead to writing poems which then led to writing stories.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors to read and who inspire me to write my stories are Toni Morrison, Eric Jerome Dickey, Stephen King, Octavia Butler, Alice Walker and Nikki Giovanni. I love reading books by Louise Hay, Lisa Nichols, Tony Gaskins, Joel Osteen and James Baldwin. These authors motivate me in so many ways.
My favorite genres are mystery, romance and Sci-Fi. I also read a lot of self-help books to keep my sanity. Everyday interactions and world events inspire me to write my poems and short stories because they are real and sometimes reliable to the readers. I love when someone reads my work and tells me they felt every word I wrote!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is called Go-Go Juice. Go-Go- Juice, right? I know sounds silly but that’s usually what I call my coffee. So, I had a thought of writing a story based around coffee. At first, I wanted to write a comedy but then a mystery was better suited for this story.

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Nichole Williams’s Website

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Featured Interview With Sherri Simmons

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Sherri Simmons is a wife and a mother to her beagle K.B. She is the oldest of four children (two sisters and one brother) and the aunt to three nephews. She has been an educator in the Chicago Public Schools for 14 years, where she has taught 3rd, 1st, Intermediate Math, served as an Assistant Principal, and is currently working as a STEM Integration Specialist. She is also the Founder and President of Young Ladies At All Times, NFP (Y.L.A.A.T.), a mentoring program for young girls and a member of Young Women’s Professional League (YWPL). She began writing Underneath the Hat in 2013 after her separation from her first husband. The book served as therapy for her to get through the ordeal. Due to the book, she has expanded her brand to a YouTube web series and a podcast of the same name. She hopes that others will be helped as they learn through her journey of rediscovering who she is by revealing what’s Underneath the Hat.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I am the LAST person to want to write anything. It started out as therapy because I was holding so much in. It was a way to release the thoughts and feelings I had bottled inside. I began by writing things on napkins, then as more things transpired I began to record myself speaking about it until I had the whole book on my phone. I love that I did it that way because so many people stated they loved the fact that they felt they were in the room with me while they read it, and that is exactly what I wanted.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Terry McMillan and E. Lynn Harris. My favorite genre is African American fiction. My previous self is my inspiration. The things that I have gone through has taken people out of here and yet I’m still here. That is a strong woman that I am glad to call ME on a daily basis.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Underneath the Hat is about the journey of Amanda Jayne in her role of First Lady and wife to Campbell. It shares the lessons she learned while dealing with his infidelities and how she learned who she was Underneath the Hat.

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Sherri Simmons’s Website

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Featured Interview With M.L. Greye

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Southern California, in the Inland Empire, to be exact. I spent my days by a pool, at the beach, and Disneyland. Oh, and the ice rink, as I was a competitive figure skater.
I went to college at Brigham Young University, where I received a Bachelor’s in American Studies, and a minor in Communications. I currently live in glorious Florida with my husband and kids. Here, I don’t get to go to Disneyland anymore, but Disneyworld is a nice consolation prize.
I don’t have any pets, as my husband is allergic to basically everything in this world. Growing up, though, I had a few cats until they were eaten by coyotes. Growing up, my house backed up to an orange grove. Eventually all my cats would explore too far…

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing stories as soon as I learned how to hold a pencil. I loved to make up characters and grand adventures. Well, grand to my seven-year-old self. My first series was fiction. I wrote them when I was around seven or eight, and titled them “The Slena Stories.” I don’t remember much about them – just a girl named Slena who would go see exotic lands. Those little one-page novellas were the start of my writing career, though.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
So many authors have inspired me! My absolute favorites, though, are Madeleine L’Engle, Gerald N. Lund, Sarah J. Maas, Victoria Hanley, and Gerald Morris. Each one wrote books that have become a part of me and drove me to write better.
My favorite genre is, and probably always will be, fantasy. Madeleine L’Engle introduced me into it when I was eight or nine. From then on, I devoured books with magic and dragons and feats of courage. I hold my love of fantasy largely because of her.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is called “Entwined Paths.” It is the second installment in my Swift Shadows series. It’s a YA Fantasy, of course. The series follows Declan and Emry as they try to piece their lives and country back together. This particular book is actually a prequel to the first. I set it up this way, though, so that the twists of the first book wouldn’t be spoiled. It’s a little different, but it works great!

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Featured Interview With Jacqui Morrison

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Pickering Village, Ontario, Canada. When I met my husband, I moved to Northern Ontario. It’s a community on Georgian Bay. I have been writing since I was a child. I started creative writing when I was on maternity leave and I’ve been writing creatively ever since. I have also written inspiring business articles. We have a husky named Shyla and a long-haired cat named Nicky.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing when I was about eight years of age. My dad wrote, non-professionally and I wanted to be like my dad. Although he never published his work, he was a great writer and an inspiration. I was also a voracious reader and I read GONE WITH THE WIND when I was only ten.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I really like Linwood Barclay from Canada, Leah Russell from England, Michael Robotham from England and Steven King from the USA. I really enjoy cozy mysteries written by Sue Grafton as well. Steven King wrote a great book about writing and I refer to it often as well as the books written by Noah Lukeman. Once it awhile I read inspirational books such as Reinvention by Arlene Dickinson.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Detective Constable Lynette Wilton and famed defense lawyer Maxine Swayman and six more guests go on an escape room adventure at a resort in Toronto called the Castle. The escape room is a re-creation of the whiskey smuggling era. Amy Sharpe is murdered and all of the people at the Castle are suspects. Constable Kurt Spencer investigates and he is smitten by Lynette. Suddenly a storm knocks out the electricity and surrounding roads are washed out. All of the people, including the murderer have to stay at the Castle overnight.

Constable Spencer and Detective Wilton investigate the murder and learn that Candace Stewart is the main suspect. Candace is Maxine Swayman’s cousin and there is friction between the police officer and the lawyer. Another murder occurs, and Candace was out of the country when it happened. Have they arrested the wrong person?

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Jacqui Morrison’s Website

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Featured Interview With Marie Maccagno

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in a small town in northern Alberta, and I now live on Vancouver Island, Canada’s west coast. Spoiler alert – I’m still married – we have two adult children who also live on Vancouver Island. I love where I live, since there are many beautiful natural areas that are easy to access. I am inspired and nurtured by nature, so this is a wonderful place to call home. I have no pets, but I occasionally look after other people’s cats.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading at age four, and I haven’t stopped since. One of my earliest memories is declaring to my family, “I’m going to be a writer!” I was probably five at the time. I’ve written in journals most of my life, but didn’t have the courage or support to develop my ideas any further. Finally, when I was 55 I realized that my dream of writing a book wasn’t going to happen until I made a “hell yes” commitment. So I joined a year-long writing mastermind group and thus began my journey. I didn’t know what I was going to write, I just knew I wanted to write. Five years later, I published my memoir, The Chocolate Pilgrim.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite genre these days is memoir, although I have quite eclectic tastes; including poetry. Cheryl Strayed was an inspiration to me while I was writing my book, as well as Martha Beck. Lately, I’ve been inspired by Tara Westover (Educated) and Jeannette Walls (The Glass Castle). I’m a big fan of Neil Gaiman, who writes fantasy. Another book that has guided me along the way is The Art of Asking, by Amanda Palmer. Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, Big Magic, reminds me how important it is to keep showing up for my writing. Mary Oliver’s poetry always gives me full body shivers.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I am passionate about walking, the great outdoors, and chocolate. In the spring of 2009 I made a commitment to walk 800 kilometers through Spain in the hopes I could eat all the chocolate I could find. What I didn’t expect to find was myself. A walk that long gives a person a lot of time to think. My mind dished out big lessons around forgiving my mother, entertaining the idea of possibly leaving my husband, and honoring myself as a parent. One step at a time is how I completed the Camino de Santiago and learned to love herself after all the years of inner self-hate.

When I walked the Camino I had no intention of writing about my experience. Thankfully, I did keep a journal, and I had a private blog for a few close friends and family members. Over time, a clear theme emerged in my writing mastermind sessions about lessons learned. I started to realize that I could serve other readers who have had – or are having – similar challenges in their lives. It took four years from my initial realization that “I’m writing a book” to sending my manuscript to publication. My life has been transformed as a result.

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Marie Maccagno’s Website

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Featured Interview With Nicole Nadeau

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised and still live in Springboro, Ohio. I have a younger brother and older sister, and I have a Morkie named Lola and rescue cat, Penny.

I have one other thing: Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a form of muscular atrophy. It makes me have to use a wheelchair and makes my muscles much weaker. But I’m not going to let that stop me from writing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved reading, how you can explore worlds and go on adventures all in your head. When I didn’t like an ending, I would come up with my own. I started writing when I was thirteen, and came up with the idea that eventually became my first book.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love to read Young Adult Action/Adventure. From Anthony Horowitz to Rick Riordan, who has inspired me the most. Horowitz keeps you on the edge of your seat and Riordan breathes life into his stories so easily.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My book is Death by Midnight: The Secret Life of Anna Goode series. Teenaged genius Anna Goode is dragged into a conspiracy involving the CIA when her parents are kidnapped by a terrorist. With her best friend Jake and her homemade inventions, she must save her parents and countless others before it’s too late.

Because I have SMA, I can only write using my phone, so it took a few years to write my book. But it was a labor of love. It was especially fun to write Anna, someone who’s incredibly smart but still very much human. She’s not ruled only by logic. She has emotions and makes mistakes. Yes, Anna is a genius, but she’s a person first.

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Nicole Nadeau Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With Dr. Nathalie Beauchamp

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi, I’m Dr. Nathalie Beauchamp, I am an Ottawa-based Chiropractor, the owner of Santé Chiropractic and Wellness Centre, a Functional Medicine Practitioner, an international lecturer, and Radio/TV personality.

I’ve always had a passion for health and well-being. In fact, both have been at the core of every personal and professional milestone I have achieved in life so far.

My mission is to empower people all over the globe to take control of their health and lead happy and productive lives.

As a natural and holistic health care practitioner, I recognize that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for health. Everybody is different. What works for one person, may not work for you and that’s why I’m here.

I like to think of myself as a no-nonsense, get-it-done kind of doctor, which is why I’m constantly writing and sharing blogs and eBooks, recording podcasts and appearing on different television segments so that you can have all of the health information you need to make the best decisions for your health!

Not only that, but I wrote Hack Your Health Habits and created its accompanying eCourse because I know how overwhelming and confusing health can be and wanted to be able to hold people’s hand and guide them on their health and wellness journey.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved books! Knowledge and learning are 2 big core values for me. I am not a born writer but just felt that I needed to pass on my 24 years in the natural health world. I know first hand that people are confused with all the health information out there and I wanted to decipher the info and help them change their health habits so they could have more energy and feel better!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love anything health-related, especially biohacking as I am all about finding new ways, tools, tips and strategies to get the best results when it comes to health. I also like personal development and entrepreneurial books.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Hack Your Health Habits: Simple, Action Drive, Natural Solutions for People On The Go!

In the new age of information, it can be hard to stay up to date, let alone implement the lifestyle changes necessary to live well. Better yet, so many of us are well informed about what we need to do, yet where we lack is taking action! Wouldn’t it be nice for someone to put it all together for you and give you a prescription for wellness, and even the steps to implement them? This way, you no longer have to live by trial and error, rather become in tuned with your body and your lifestyle to live a life of health and vitality.

Hack Your Health Habits will:

Simplify confusing health-related information that is important to you.
Save you time by having everything you need in one book.
Help you understand how your body works to make better health decisions.
Give You a Process to create and maintain health habits for lasting results.
Motivate you and help you stay accountable to yourself.

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Dr. Nathalie Beauchamp’s Website

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Featured Interview With Russell Heath

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
In my teens, I hitchhiked to Alaska and lived in a cabin on the banks of the Tanana River; in my twenties, I lived in Italy and then traveled overland across the Sahara, through the jungles and over the savannas of Africa and into southern Asia; in my thirties, I sailed alone around the world in a small wooden boat; in my forties, I wrote novels; and in my fifties bicycled the spine of the Rockies from Alaska to Mexico. I’ve worked on the Alaska Pipeline, as an environmental lobbyist in the Alaska Legislature, and run a storied environmental organization fighting to protect Alaska’s coastal rainforests. Several years ago, I moved to New York City to dig deep into leadership development and coaching. I now coach business and non-profit leaders intent on making big things happen in the world.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
What got me started writing? Hubris. I was kayaking with a friend around Baranof Island in Southeast Alaska—a 3-week trip. She’d just finished a mystery by an Alaska author and I asked her if it was any good. She said, yes—so I read it. It was beyond dreadful. I complained to my friend—

“Yeah, I know,” she said. “But I didn’t want to influence your opinion.”

“I want my opinion influenced. I wasted hours of my life reading this.”

That night we were weathered in by a blow. I was snugged up in my sleeping bag still pissed that a book could be so bad. And then I stepped off the edge. I said to myself that I could do better.

But I had a problem. I hadn’t a clue how to start. I so hapless, it was almost comical. Thousands of books written every year and I didn’t what to do after picking up a pencil.

Then, one random day, I remembered a novel that was a scene by scene rip-off of Shakespeare’s Lear. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley. You’d think she’d be hauled off for plagiarism, but no—she’d won the Pulitzer. I cast about for a play where the author had been dead long enough he wouldn’t be coming after me for stealing his stuff.

Since I was writing a mystery—the play to use was obvious. The first mystery in western literature was Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Fortunately, Sophocles has been dead for 2,500 years and I figured he wouldn’t much care that I was taking his best work. That was my start.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I can’t answer these questions. Let me answer this one instead: Why did you write a mystery?

I have no love for mysteries—generally because they are so contrived: a bunch of unlikely events strung together to produce an outrageously improbable outcome that has next to zero psychological plausibility: she killed him because of a hang-nail? I chose a mystery because I was on automatic: the book that kicked it all off was a mystery, so I was going to write a mystery.

So, you might ask, is Broken Angels a bunch of unlikely events strung together to produce an outrageously improbable outcome that has next to zero psychological plausibility?

No. This story is the story that I wanted to read. It’s psychologically real, the characters are driven by who they are; they make bad decisions that lead to horrific outcomes—but each step of the way you get why they are doing what they are doing. The story is rich and complex and, at times, emotionally challenging for the reader. And it rips—you will not be able to put this book down.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Kris Gabriel, an Alaska Native, 24, reluctantly returns to Alaska at the request of a mother she hasn’t seen in nine years. She finds her murdered; shot in the face by the double-barreled blast of a shotgun. Driven by anger and guilt and only knowing how to fight—she sets out to avenge her mother’s death. Relentlessly, she tracks a trail of pain, of lost love, of lives ripped apart by the frozen north’s unyielding law of survival, never suspecting that she has far more at stake than finding her mother’s killer.

At the outset, it looks as if Kris is driven by vengeance to find her mother’s killer. Maybe, but maybe also by guilt. She’d abandoned her mother when she was 15 and when she left, her mother’s life fell apart. Then she’s Alaska Native and she, like her mother, was cast aside by the white world. She grew up on the streets Fairbanks with an alcoholic mother, no father, and even now, she is living a meager existence on the bleak edges of society. She’s crusted by anger and resentment and all she knows how to do is fight. So that’s what she does—fight. But then, as she uncovers her past, we see that what she’s truly searching for is love, for connection, for her humanity. Because Broken Angels is taken from a Greek tragedy—you know it’s not going to turn out well.

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Russell Heath’s Website

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Featured Interview With Leonnard Ojwang

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in a small village in Kenya with no electricity or potable water. There, I felt closer and more deeply connected to nature around me every day. So I spent most of my days outdoors, interacting with nature. I had fun doing all that.

My childhood experiences significantly shaped my outlook on life. In fact, attending a boarding high school transformed the teenage voice inside of me. I found myself trapped in nothing less than a passion for writing. That’s why all of my writing share one thing: authenticity.

Upon relocating to the US, I began writing extensively on many topics, rendering each in thoughtful meditations intended to help the reader engage, visualize, and feel involved in every word.

Through writing, I share many of my feelings, thoughts, and experiences that would otherwise have remained unsaid. Mostly, I write in the first person so that all you can do is say, “I can relate.”

Currently, I have three books published: (1) Bullet with My Name (Thriller/Fiction), (2) They Walk Among Us (Thriller/Fiction), and (3) MY UNTOLD: PORTRAIT OF A LIVED LIFE (Poetry).

I hope at least one of my books or poems will help you appreciate your own experiences or excite you into living in the present–and, in doing so, bring you joy, inspire you into action for a greater cause, or make you curious about nature and humanity.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing at 13 yrs of age. At the time, I was writing short stories and essays to entertain classmates. Then I began reading James Hardley Chase books and then I thought I got inspired to start writing full length stories. When I was in college, I had my first manuscript completed, and it was all handwritten in over ten 200-page exercise books. Hey, I didn’t have a computer. So upon relocating to the US, my first excitement was to buy a computer and type my book. But I didn’t have the money, so I used the computer in the lab every weekend until I got all the handwritten manuscripts typed. I haven’t stopped writing since then.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Sidney Sheldon
James Hardley Chase
Dean Koontz

I like Fiction/Thrillers and I’m mostly inspired by the work of R. Ludlum and D. Koontz.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I just published THEY WALK AMONG US.

Synopsis: Fearless faceless men have killed dozens of strippers, including Special Agent Denali’s sister, for body parts. Weeks of intense investigations and search for answers plunges him into the middle of a dark underworld of strippers, drug addicts and clandestine gangs. The crimes are so heinous he completely devotes his life to an afterthought as he confronts one of the grisly cases in the history of the bureau. To find justice for his sister, he’ll create his own rules and stop at nothing—including murder—and be bound to no law, but the law of the gun.

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Leonnard Ojwang’s Website

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Featured Interview With Allistar Banks

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Allistar Banks is a prolific author having self-published five books now called Cracking The Happy Weight Code, Spring Brings Summer, Lenny the Lizard And His Green Scarf, A Colorful Balloon Ride, And Girl Rise. She was born and raised in McCormick, SC. She still resides in McCormick, SC. She has been featured in The Index-Journal, Lander Magazine, The Press and Banner, McCormick Messenger, and on WZLA. She will be on a future broadcast with the CBS Sunday Morning Show. She will be a Presenter with the South Carolina International Reading Association in February 2020. Besides spending time writing, she loves to read, hike, listen to 1990’s music, go bowling, see museums, do yoga, Pilates, and play with her terrier Sylvia.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was in the fourth grade when I found my realization for writing books and that’s when I wrote my first picture book The Sorcerer and the Magic Pond where Henry uses his powers for good and not for evil.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
James Patterson, Dorothea Benton Frank, Meg Cabot, Rachel Hollis, and Nicolas Sparks.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Cracking the Happy Weight Code is inspired by the fact that I made the decision to lose fifty plus pounds fourteen years ago and have kept it off since then. As I lost weight, I started to learn proper nutrition, exercise, how the Bible can guide and encourage me to have a healthy lifestyle, and much more. I faced much bullying, peer pressure, low self-esteem, and the pressure of my first T.V. job and toxic love that lead me to having an eating disorder. Now I want to share with young women my journey I went through to lose the weight and how I have kept it off.

Here is a look inside my new book below!

It has been a long road for Alli to finally figure out how to be happy with her body image and weight. Her best friends Marie and Bethany and Marie’s closest friends stood by her side when she battled the battle of the bulge and healing from bullying and toxic love and the pressure of the journalism world to look and feel thin. And now she gets to open up and share her story about how she struggled and overcame issues with weight, the proper amount of exercise, and eating healthy. With that said, she wants to crack the happy weight code to help women feel great about their body image and weight-based upon biblical principals and sharing some of her favorite meals and snacks that have helped her keep off fifty plus pounds!

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Allistar Banks’s Website

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Featured Interview With Sara Brooke

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a native Floridian who loves the beach and strongly dislikes cold weather. Currently, I live in Jupiter, Florida. My writing companion is a six pound Morkie named Buster. He enjoys snuggling up to me while alternatively snoring and farting regularly.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My parents say I came out of the womb reading books. I can fondly remember sitting on the floor at our local bookstore, wading through numerous books until I could find the ones that appealed to me the most.

I began seriously writing about eight years ago. The advent of electronic publishing gave me hope that my stories would find readers – as we were no longer shackled by big publishers that would only publish writers who were represented by agents. The ironic thing is that two weeks after self publishing my first novel, I was picked up by a small press. So, things seems to always happen for a reason, don’t they?

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I enjoy the horror genre immensely. Some of my favorite authors are John Saul and Bentley Little. Reading their work is fluid . . . like drinking a tall glass of iced tea and feeling the cool liquid soothe your throat.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest novel “The Inn and Other Dark Tales” is a mix of horror short stories, including a longer tale about a haunted hotel. This book was inspired by a personal experience when my family had to flee Florida due to an impending Hurricane Irma. We were driving for hours and found ourselves along winding rainy roads in Northern Georgia. The streets were dark and surrounded by trees and I wondered, “What would happen if we had to stay the night in a hotel that just appeared in this darkness?” A year later, the book was completed. It is one of my favorites!

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Sara Brooke’s Website

Sara Brooke Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With Roland Sato Page

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a new indie author born in New York City and currently living in St. Louis Mo. I am a military brat that was seen many US military bases. I have a XXL bully from Bossy Kennels a massive dog with a gentle heart.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Actually I was a late bloomer. I gain interest during my late years, 35 to now 54. I was a tattooist until Lupus hindered my hand motor skills so I switched from visual art to literary art.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
George Pelecanos. Urban crime because my previous career in law enforcement.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Eating the Forbidden Fruit is a gritty fiction novel loosely based on true events in author Roland Sato Page life. The newcomer author delivers a personal journey into his rise and demise as a St. Louis City Police Officer. He takes the readers on a roller coaster ride of good ole family memories to the nightmarish reality of being a police officer indicted on federal drug charges. During his trial he wrote memoirs as a testimonial of redemption. Roland case stems from conflict of his childhood affiliation and his oath to uphold the law. What is certain one can’t run from sin for karma is much faster. Falling from grace can be like hell on earth.

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Roland Sato Page’s Website

Roland Sato Page Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With Shannon Cutts

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a Texan born and raised. After moving away and traveling the world for several years, I have returned to my roots and now live in Houston with my three pets, Pearl, Malti and Bruce.

Pearl is a 21-year-old cockatiel. Malti is a five and a half year-old redfooted tortoise. Bruce is a rescued adult Texas 3-toed box turtle.

Aside from my full-time work as a freelance writer, my creative blogging and book writing projects focus on our little flock’s adventures.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Oh my gosh – I was that kid who snoozed all day because she was awake all night with a book and a flashlight! And I wasn’t under the covers, either – my mom fostered a lifelong love of reading and I didn’t even try to hide it. I was reading like a pro before I even entered kindergarten.

As far as any kind of formal pursuit of writing, however, I actually started as a songwriter! I wrote and recorded songs and performed for several years before I made the unexpected transition into freelance writing (you can still hear my songs on Facebook and YouTube, as well as on Apple Music, Amazon, et al).

My first book was published by Health Communications, Inc., in 2009.

I published my second book, “Love & Feathers,” with BookLocker in 2015.

My third book, “Waffles & More: A Love & Feathers Recipe Book,” was published with BookLocker in 2018.

I am currently working on my fourth book, tentatively titled “Love & Feathers & Shells,” which I will hopefully complete and release this year.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Oh this is a tough one! My reading list is a mile long and the stack beside my bed has left a dent in my floor (j/k but it seriously could one day).

My favorite genre is pets and animals – I love everything about nature and the natural world, from snails and honeybees to dogs and dinosaurs.

I mostly read non-fiction (although I will readily make an exception for the latest John Grisham thriller and right now I am reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s “City of Girls” and loving it).

I actually keep an updated reading list and your readers can find some really amazing books there: https://shannoncutts.com/reading/shannons-reading-list/

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is actually a book duo: “Love & Feathers: what a palm-sized parrot has taught me about life, love, and healthy self-esteem” and “Waffles & More: A Love & Feathers Recipe Book.”

Both books came about as a result of a blog I launched several years back called “Love & Feathers & Shells.” The blog chronicles the daily adventures of my little flock, Pearl, Malti & Bruce. At first the blog was about Pearl and me, but then when Malti and Bruce came along, it naturally expanded.

“Love & Feathers” the book came about during a vacation I took to Cape Cod one year with my folks. I was missing Pearl so much I started writing down memories as little stories. My folks loved the stories and I realized I had so many of them that before I knew it the book was taking shape.

My mom is an amazing chef and Pearl loves to be in the kitchen with her. He is often the first to sample new dishes. I don’t have a shred of her cooking DNA anywhere inside me but I’m always there taking photos and videos of the two of them, which is how “Waffles & More” started. Followers would look at the photos and ask for the recipes so Mom and I worked hard for more than two years to get them all compiled into a book complete with photos of Pearl sampling each delicacy.

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Featured Interview With M.W. Arita

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi there! If you’re reading this, you’re awesome and I thank you. My name is M.W. Arita. I’m primarily a Young Adult Fantasy author, but also the founder of my publishing company, Aeonian Entertainment, which puts out various series under the larger Aeonian Covenant Universe label. Think of it as a Marvel-style universe where characters and events in one series can impact and freely cross-over into another.

I was born and raised in the Midwest, but currently live in southern Japan. I have two dogs. One is a Yorkshire Terrier named Sage who always wears a tiny sweater, and the other is a white wolf-looking creature I rescued whose name, age, and breed are completely unknown. I have no idea where she came from or how she got here.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been reading for as long as I can remember. I was very fortunate in that my mother instilled a love, a burning passion, for reading at an incredibly early age. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on from superhero comics to cereal boxes to Stephen King.

I put pen to paper for the first time around age nine or so. The story was about a superhero duo that traveled around different planets and rescued people. Or maybe it was a romance about a space princess and her dashing knight in shining (space) armor. Who knows?

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite western authors are Alexandre Dumas, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Neil Gaiman. For eastern authors, my top three are Kinoko Nasu, Eiichiro Oda, and Yoshihiro Togashi.

The genres I consume the most voraciously would have to be Fantasy (particularly Urban or Dark), Paranormal Romance, Adventure, Science Fiction, and the occasional Mystery.

I inspire myself. I strive to be the greatest version of myself that I can envision, and work towards that vision every day.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is a work-in-progress under the working title “The Prism Wizard and the Ancient Artifice.” It should be out by the end of January or early February. The draft will end up taking roughly two months to write, but it is the culmination of over three years of world-building, research, and learning about the characters.

It’s the first in a new series of Middle Grade Fantasy books. It revolves around a young boy who can’t use magic yet finds himself–and a mysterious robot girl he discovers–attending a prestigious magic academy. This book contains some of my favorite characters I’ve written to date, especially Cass, the princess of the empire. Every line and action of hers became my favorite to write. I hope you’ll enjoy her scenes as much as I did.

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Featured Interview With Sabìnah Adewole

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Sabìnah Adewole. I am a mother married for twenty six and have three young adults. I was born in London United Kingdom and raised in Nigeria . I moved to Nigeria aged 4 when I lost my dad. I moved back in 1995 and have lived in the United Kingdom ever since. I used to have an Alsatian dog in Nigeria but do not currently own a pet. I enjoy travelling , nature ,exercising and the outdoors.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I realised my fascination with books from a very young age . As a result I studied English language in University. I wrote my first book in 2016 titled My story seven years of bondage all that glitters is not gold by Koko Danielles. I have also taken part in four anthologies all best sellers. I started to write poetry from a park bench in May 2018. I have since self published two poetry books In 2019 titled journeys of Life volumes 1 and 2 available on Amazon. They are a collection of free prose poems that are inspirational and transformation poetry . These are a collection of poems I have created on my journey on the day , bus on my travels.
In Dec 2019 I published my first children series A Child’s Journey through poetry Vol 1 which is fun ,engaging and interactive touching on current issues . This is a best seller on Amazon in 7 categories.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourites authors are Chinua Achebe -Things Fall Apart.
I also enjoyed Shakes Speare novels -A merchant of Venice
I am inspired to read new authors who are setting out or breaking into the curcuit.
My favourite genre is Poetry . I enjoy Maya Angelou poems , I find them very inspiring. I enjoy her style which is easy to read and follow.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is my Children’s series A Child’s journey through poetry Vol 1.
It is a fun and engaging series for anyone and has been inspired by my faith and my journeys. It touches on current issues and is for anyone it is a best seller in seven categories and also Number 1 in New Release. . It is educative , interactive , fun and inspirational life series for anyone to enjoy.
The book touches on current issues of safety , Climate Change, family dynamics to rainbows, seaside and unicorns. This collection uses the basic events of everyday to learn and have fun with the child . Open ended questions inspire readers to think by involving them in the story shared.

You can use this book to interact and connect to your child or children on a level where you can engage and encourage one another to be present in your growth journey , fun and easy to read , with colourful pictures to draw you in , this book can be a fantastic starter journey for a child to enjoy on their own.

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Sabìnah Adewole Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Sabìnah Adewole

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Sabìnah Adewole. I am a mother married for twenty six and have three young adults. I was born in London United Kingdom and raised in Nigeria . I moved to Nigeria aged 4 when I lost my dad. I moved back in 1995 and have lived in the United Kingdom ever since. I used to have an Alsatian dog in Nigeria but do not currently own a pet. I enjoy travelling , nature ,exercising and the outdoors.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I realised my fascination with books from a very young age . As a result I studied English language in University. I wrote my first book in 2016 titled My story seven years of bondage all that glitters is not gold by Koko Danielles. I have also taken part in four anthologies all best sellers. I started to write poetry from a park bench in May 2018. I have since self published two poetry books In 2019 titled journeys of Life volumes 1 and 2 available on Amazon. They are a collection of free prose poems that are inspirational and transformation poetry . These are a collection of poems I have created on my journey on the day , bus on my travels.
In Dec 2019 I published my first children series A Child’s Journey through poetry Vol 1 which is fun ,engaging and interactive touching on current issues . This is a best seller on Amazon in 7 categories.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourites authors are Chinua Achebe -Things Fall Apart.
I also enjoyed Shakes Speare novels -A merchant of Venice
I am inspired to read new authors who are setting out or breaking into the curcuit.
My favourite genre is Poetry . I enjoy Maya Angelou poems , I find them very inspiring. I enjoy her style which is easy to read and follow.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is my Children’s series A Child’s journey through poetry Vol 1.
It is a fun and engaging series for anyone and has been inspired by my faith and my journeys. It touches on current issues and is for anyone it is a best seller in seven categories and also Number 1 in New Release. . It is educative , interactive , fun and inspirational life series for anyone to enjoy.
The book touches on current issues of safety , Climate Change, family dynamics to rainbows, seaside and unicorns. This collection uses the basic events of everyday to learn and have fun with the child . Open ended questions inspire readers to think by involving them in the story shared.

You can use this book to interact and connect to your child or children on a level where you can engage and encourage one another to be present in your growth journey , fun and easy to read , with colourful pictures to draw you in , this book can be a fantastic starter journey for a child to enjoy on their own.

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Sabìnah Adewole Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Ed Marohn

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Boise, Idaho, although I was born in Rothenburg, Germany, in a Displaced Persons camp operated under the US Army. I was born the 24th US Army Field Hospital stationed there. My mother was a DP, a freed Nazi slave laborer who had been incarcerated in a concentration camp from 1942-45.
After graduating from the University of Idaho in 1968 and I was commissioned an officer in the US Army. After Airborne and Ranger training, I served with the 25th Infantry Division and the 101st Airborne (Airmobile) Division in the Vietnam War, where I commanded a combat unit. My awards included three Bronze Stars, one Air Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, one US Army Vietnam Campaign Medal with two campaigns, the South Vietnamese Campaign Medal, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm. I served in Germany and also Holland (Dutch language trained by the US State Department) and was the Assistant Professor of Military History at the University of Nevada, Reno. At U of N, I earned my MA in Counseling (psychology). After headhunters recruited me I became an executive with Continental AG and Michelin Tire Corporation, both International Fortune 500 companies.
After retirement from the corporate world to Idaho Falls, Idaho, in 2008, I volunteered as a VA facilitator for military veterans with PTSD because of my combat experience in the Vietnam War. Additionally, I served as a Board Member, then eventually Vice Chairman, of the Idaho Humanities Council (National Endowment for the Humanities). Concurrently I sat as Board Member of the Idaho Falls City Club. In 2014 I got elected to a four-year term to the Idaho Falls City Council. I wrote as a Local Columnist for the Idaho Falls Post Register and have had my fiction and non-fiction published in multiple magazines.
With my wife Cathie, we have traveled extensively to include Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Panama, Germany, Austria, and Hungary. The most significant trip was my return to Vietnam some thirty years after the war, where my novel, Legacy of War, began. It was published in July 2019
I am currently writing a sequel novel.
I grew up with dogs and cats but no longer have pets.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination with books started early in grade school, The public library enticed me to spend numerous hours searching for interesting reads.
The effective period for my writing began in college and started to flourish once I graduated and became an officer in the US Army. I was still on active duty when I wrote my thesis for my Master’s degree in 1975. My first magazine article was published at the same time: a piece about brainwashing. That first check for writing hooked me. I have been scribing ever since.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Some of my favorite authors are John Updike, Norman Mailer, Stephen King, Jon Krakauer, William Manchester, Joseph Conrad, and Fredrick Logevall to name a few.
I enjoy both nonfiction ( history, political science, philosophy, economics) and fiction (various genre: mystery, crime, historical, action-adventure, thriller, etc.)
Good books and good authors help me to push my writing, to entice the readers. And in the end, my characters inspire me; they set the tone, they set the timeline, and they create the numerous subplots.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Legacy of War is an action-adventure novel immersed in a mystery dealing with revenge. A PTSD patient triggers Psychologist John Moore’s traumatic memories of the Vietnam War. Moore, the protagonist, is compelled to return to modern-day Vietnam, confronting his past war demons: the killing fields, corrupt South Vietnamese Army officers, and the CIA’s Phoenix Program. Again in the decaying jungles, he fights to keep his ethics and moral high ground, while also struggling over his wife’s death from cancer.
The novel took ten years to write, triggered by my trip back to Vietnam in 2009.

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Ed Marohn’s Website

Featured Interview With Teresa Dovalpage

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Havana, Cuba. But I studied English there since I was very young–I always mention in my book signings that I don’t have an accent when I write! I came to the United States in 1996 and currently live in Hobbs, New Mexico, where I teach English as a Second Language and Spanish at New Mexico Junior College. My husband and I have three dogs: a Rhodesian Ridgeback that weighs 120 lbs, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a cute, blue-eyed mutt.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was a nerdy kid…always with a book in my hands. I moved from reader to writer at around thirteen years old…my first stories were what you would call “Gothic” today, only that we didn’t use that term in Cuba, back then. My friends said they were just…well, weird. But I had fun writing them!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite author in English is Anne Tyler. In Spanish, Leopoldo Alas (Clarin). I read all genres, really. No favorites, though I like mysteries and memoirs. My friends, colleagues and quirky characters, in general, inspire me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
When I finished Death Comes in through the Kitchen (Soho Press, 2018) I wasn’t even sure I would write a second mystery. But the Queen of Bones characters started appearing to me as soon as the first novel was sent to the publisher. Padrino, the santero detective, and Marlene Martinez, the Cuban Police lieutenant, insisted they wanted to appear in another book. Bueno! I obliged. It took me around nine months to finish the book. Queen of Bones is a mystery, but I also think of it as a Havana travelogue—readers get to know about the cemetery One of the largest in Latin America) well-to-do neighborhoods like El Vedado, and the very interesting Havana Chinatown, since one of the main characters, Juan Chiong, grew up there. There are also Santeria elements (Santeria is an Afro-Cuban syncretic religion) as well as plenty of food references because I like to cook, and to eat, as much as I like to write.

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