Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

This is a list of our featured author interviews. These authors take a few minutes out of their busy schedule to sit down and answer a few questions. Get to know what they are working on next and what types of books they like to read.

Featured Author Vanessa Thurgood

Featured Interview With Vanessa Thurgood

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am an Idaho farm girl, born and raised. I have always loved three things in my life. Photography, horses, and a good book. After living in several locations throughout the US, I’d settled back near my hometown fifteen minutes away from the mountains where I like to go hiking with my family and our aussie mix, Rio.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve loved books from the time I could read. I read every single horse book my school library owned and dreamed of riding a thoroughbred in the Kentucky Derby. When I went to college, I studied Agricultural Business and Advertising, NOT English or writing. I didn’t even know I wanted to be a writer until about 4 years ago when I finally started to write the story that had been living in my head for years. Since then, I’ve found support groups who have helped me shape that rough story into something worth sharing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’m a very broad reader, but my favorite authors are Brandon Mull, especially his “Beyonders” series, JK Rowling, Shannon Hale. (Can you tell I like fantasy?) I also really enjoy self help/motivation books like “The Miracle Morning,” “The Magic of Thinking Big,” and “Name, Place, Animal, Thing.”

In each of these genres, I love to dissect the way the author delivers dialogue or important facts. I feel this gives me greater understanding on how I can improve my own writing and is fun to find out which words each author favors.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Earthspark came about from a dream I had when I was fifteen. This dream was of me riding my big black horse, Jag, into a cave where there was a glittering cavern with a lake. As we rode into the lake, the water swirled around us and I find a magical gem hidden beneath the surface. It was such a cool dream that I wanted to write it down, so I did. This dream became the foundation for the world I created in the Comstock Chronicles.

The storyline has shifted a lot since that day fifteen years ago, but the elements are still there. And the forces of good and evil are at stark odds. The Guardians, almost Godlike beings, are raging a war and dragging the humans in with them. Nienna Comstock, only wants to live her life, but her gift is too powerful to keep hidden.

She must choose to join the Earth Guardian before dark forces get her, because if they catch her, it could mean the end for all who live in the land of Tellidus.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Vanessa Thurgood’s Website

Vanessa Thurgood Facebook Page

Vanessa Thurgood Twitter Account

Featured Author Gail Morin

Featured Interview With Gail Morin

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live in Virginia where I was raised as well. I have always wanted to be a writer. I do have a lot of animals and I am a past educator. I have always felt a calling to write books that give kids a good positive message and with good morals. I plan to write a series of books.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was around the age of twelve and I have always loved to write.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am a huge Judy Blume fan and when growing up I loved reading her books. I love to read adventure stories. I like to make a difference in my writing in a positive way .

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My lastest book is aboutSuper Alert dog magically appears when there is cyber bulling, as well as any online dangers and stranger danger. Super Alert dog saves the day on different adventures. He also wears a cape. He is a superhero dog when he gets alerted on his super alert tablet. When a child is in danger, or experiences cyber bullying, or any online danger, Super Alert dog magically shows up to save the day and to teach good moral lessons. He offers advice on sharing, getting along, and spreading joy and peace. He teaches children about using manners too. As he becomes friends with the children, he has many different adventures. Super Alert dog is so fun to watch and to learn from.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Gail Morin’s Website

Gail Morin Facebook Page

Featured Author Alan Frost

Featured Interview With Alan Frost

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I have American/Romanian parents, but I lived most of my life in Copenhagen, Denmark, which is where I currently reside. When I was a kid, my dad worked in public health, and we had to move several times. So for better or worse, I got to live and study in different counties, and I am very much the product of the international school system. In fact, the question I fear most when I meet someone is “Where are you from?” I have no idea how to answer that.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I don’t think I have a typical “author” answer here. I didn’t like reading all that much as a kid. Then later, I had spells where I would get into a genre and read quite regularly. I remember going through all the C.S. Lewis books, for example. But then I started working as a translator, and I would deal with thousands of written words every day – mostly within boring areas like business and law. And after spending my day working, the last thing I wanted was to read, even it was fiction. Then I discovered audio books about 4-5 years ago, and all that changed. Audio books brought me back to “reading”.

As for writing, I started about 20 years ago, but in all fairness, I had no idea what I was doing. Only a few years ago did I decide to sit down and learn how to write fiction properly. So I studied what I could find on modern writing, read novel after novel, and then finally managed to complete two books. The first is a fun middle grade time travel adventure, which I am releasing now, and the second is YA modern fantasy novel due to be released early next year.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite genres are fantasy and sci-fi. I have a particular fondness for time travel.

My favorite author is probably Michael J. Sullivan, in particular the Riyria Revelations books. I also enjoy the writing of Drew Hayes and Dennis E. Taylor.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The book I am releasing now is called “A Most Unusual Friday Knight”, and it is the first in the “Shawn From the Shed” series. It is a middle grade (ages 8-12), time travel story, which is meant to be fun and amusing while tackling themes like doing the right thing, standing up to bullies, and using your wits to solve problems.

The story is about two orphans, Johnny and Ella, and their encounter with Shawn, a recluse and socially-awkward inventor who lives in the shed at their orphanage. One night, when they investigate lights flashing from the shed, they discover that Shawn built a time machine. Soon, they are all thrown back to medieval England, to a time of mighty castles, brave knights, and wild animals. To make matters worse, they get on the wrong side of a tyrannical lord, and their “simple” jump to the past turns into a quest to save innocent lives – as well as their own.

One of the most important dynamics of the story is the role reversal. Here, it is the adult who needs help from the kids in order to understand social interactions, avoid getting into trouble, and act in a considerate way towards others. This is often a source of humor, but it also a way to teach important lessons in an unusual and fun way.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Alan Frost’s Website

Alan Frost Facebook Page

Alan Frost Twitter Account

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Featured Author Douglas Watkinson

Featured Interview With Douglas Watkinson

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’ve written literally hundreds of television screenplays – everything from Z Cars to Midsomer Murders, via Poirot, Lovejoy and many more. Writing novels has been a new venture for me and there are now six Nathan Hawk Murder Mysteries including the brand new story WHITE CRANE, available on Amazon.
Hawk himself is a bit like me in that we both have four grown up kids, scattered all over the globe. Like him, I live in a thatched cottage in the countryside just outside London and work from a log cabin, usually with two German Shepherds for company. I’m told I have green fingers! I have a mini forest of bonsai trees and and a large collection of orchids.

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 write. You could say it’s a hobby that turned into a profession. I had my first play produced on television just after I left drama school. It went on from there.
Treasure Island (R.L.Stevenson) was the first book I remember reading cover to cover … and then reading again because it so fired my imagination. From there, still very young, I read every single Sherlock Holmes short story again and again.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite all-time author is Thomas Hardy. He has that gift for making you believe every word that he writes and every event that occurs. In my own field of crime writing my all time favourite is Michael Dibdin and I just wish the Aurelio Zen series had taken off. After Michael, I’ll read anything by Stephen King, Kate Atkinson and Karin Slaughter.

If I had to choose one book to take on that desert island with me it would be Laurie Lee’s Cider With Rosie. It’s a book that says so much about a time and a place which my own family was part of. On top of that it’s one of the most evocative titles I know. Three words which you can always bring to mind.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
This is how Hawk himself introduces readers to WHITE CRANE, the latest in the Nathan Hawk Murder Mysteries

Dear Reader,

I didn’t fancy getting caught up in the search for Suyin Qu, a young Chinese overstayer and a friend of my son Jaikie. I justified it by saying that if Suyin wanted to go missing, that was her prerogative. In truth, her disappearance didn’t involve any blood and guts, so why would I be interested?
Then two men broke into Jaikie’s house looking for Suyin and made the mistake of giving him a black eye, a gash down the inside of his cheek and a bruised face and ego. Nothing valuable was stolen, the place wasn’t trashed and the only thing taken was a 150-year-old bonsai tree, which had been standing on the kitchen drainer.
The tree bugged me, but the crime was hardly one of the big three: murder, rape, kidnapping. It was small-scale breaking and entering, burglary and ABH, and the police were only passingly interested.
That all changed, however, when I stumbled across a body, that of someone else who wanted to find her. The murder was brutal and the only person the police suspected was Suyin Qu. And she had disappeared into thin air…

Hawk

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Douglas Watkinson’s Website

Douglas Watkinson Facebook Page

Douglas Watkinson Twitter Account

Featured Author Christie Santo & Jeff Santo

Featured Interview With Christie Santo & Jeff Santo

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Christie: I was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area by a flight attendant and a lithographer who loved art and golf. Jeff grew up in Chicago who’s father was the third baseman for the Chicago Cubs and now has a plaque in Baseball’s Hall of Fame. We live in beautiful Burbank, California, blocks from Warner Bros. Studios. We have two adorable Boston Terriers who provide us with so much warmth and life.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Jeff: I was fascinated by the movies at an early age, not books. My father and his baseball teammates would always quote movie dialogue; my dad saw a lot of films during his baseball career. I loved movies just as much as I loved baseball, and baseball was pretty much my whole world. My brother and I had a unique upbringing hanging out in the clubhouse with larger-than-life Major Leaguers. I think it gave me a visual ability for storytelling. I took a lot in as a kid because my world was so fascinating. Almost like a movie, with so many unique people that filtered through my entire childhood. I think I started writing at an early age, in my head only, knowing I would write one day. I remember thinking that.

Christie: My mom was a bookworm and pushed it onto me. I think I loved the idea of books more than reading them, but I realized later on that it was because I had a hard time relating to the older stories given to me to read. When I was 14, a very kind woman gave me Jay McInerney’s “Story of My Life,” which changed me forever. I didn’t know writing could be like that, simplistic straight-up and real with a harrowing psychological depth that spoke to me. I decided right then and there that that was what I wanted to do. I wanted to write.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Christie: Well, I just told you how Jay McInerney inspired me. When I got to college, it was Elmore Leonard and movies. The indie film “Dream for an Insomniac,” written and directed by Tiffanie DeBartolo, moved me.

Jeff: Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and The Sea” is the one book I always go to for inspiration and writing lessons. I used to remember the first page like a long song, so I could feel the style of his sentences by speaking them out loud. It was the first book that made me want to read for more than just the story itself. It also made me feel like I could possibly write a book one day because I’m starting to understand how I could write it. It’s the same thing for me as finding a baseball hero you want to emulate or a musician whose lyrics capture your attention to explore more. I didn’t become a baseball player like my dad. And I didn’t have the trajectory to become a rock star. So movies and writing became the big picture for my life.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Christie: Our book is titled “Ravens in the Rain: A Noir Love Story.” We fashioned this contemporary noir romance after the black and white film noir of the 40s and 50s, i.e., “In A Lonely Place,” “Gilda,” and “Double Indemnity.” But we infused our flare and twists, so it both distorts and yet stays true to the genre. And just recently released, we are fortunate to be receiving good reviews.

Jeff: The reviews feel rewarding because we literally put our hearts and souls into this book.

Christie: Our book is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook (both kindle and audible offer it for free with membership).

Link to our book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095HYQ3YM?pf_rd_r=0QS17AYD9P7YR088YMVB&pf_rd_p=5ae2c7f8-e0c6-4f35-9071-dc3240e894a8&pd_rd_r=674c16b8-71e8-4cff-9db6-be299e53fcd2&pd_rd_w=xHfsr&pd_rd_wg=xQvt7&ref_=pd_gw_unk

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Christie Santo & Jeff Santo’s Website

Christie Santo & Jeff Santo Facebook Page

Christie Santo & Jeff Santo Twitter Account

Featured Author Thomas Heffernan

Featured Interview With Thomas Heffernan

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am an Australian author and speechwriter. I have written two published works, The Interior People (2020), and Fabel (2016). Fabel was shortlisted for the 2017 ACT Writing and Publishing Awards. I have also written an epic fantasy trilogy, Black Banner, available for free on Wattpad.

A review for The Interior People: “With prose that thunders from the gate like a thoroughbred, The Interior People is brilliantly written, clever, and at times almost unbearably sad. Heffernan gets into his characters’ heads like no other writer … he’ll get into yours, too.”

A review for Fabel: “Fabel is a genre-defying, mind-bending masterpiece… an epic tale of good versus evil, a fast-paced, relentless journey that leaves you both satisfied, and hungry for more. This is a great first novel.”

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have been writing since I could first hold a pen; reading since I used to devour Golden Books in bed by torchlight when I was a little kid. I love how great writing transcends the page and for a moment you become unaware you are reading words on a page – you begin to exist alongside the characters.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Neil Gaiman and Stephen King were early influences on me. I admire the writing of some of the old greats, like Hemingway, Cormac McCarthy, Jack London, Hunter S Thompson, to name a few. For a fiction writer, I actually read a lot of non-fiction, ancient history is a passion of mine, so books like Adrian Goldsworthy’s volumes on ancient Rome are some favorites.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
It’s a sprawling epic supernatural thriller with elements of horror and science fiction. That’s all I can say for now, we writers are very protective of works in progress, they are like chicks in the nest – demanding and vulnerable!

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Thomas Heffernan’s Website

Thomas Heffernan Facebook Page

Featured Author Mercy Onyeyirichi

Featured Interview With Mercy Onyeyirichi

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Mercy Onyeyirichi is a Nigerian author who enthralls, empowers, and entertains. She has written two amazing novella with a fusion of gothic and modern psychological thrillers to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience to the readers.
Mercy is a successful filmmaker whose creative works never fail to amaze, and her movie has also won an award in the African Student Film Festival. In her free time, she loves to read and explore the beauty of the outdoors. On Sundays, you will find Mercy mingling with her beloved twin sister in the local pub discussing politics and arts.
Mercy Onyeyirichi also holds a Creative Arts Degree from the University of Lagos State, Nigeria, and is a storyteller who relishes the beauty of simple things.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
At the age of eight

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Stephen king, JK Rowling, Sarah Painter, Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood…
Oh boy! I love Mystery and suspense books.
Stephen king inspires me a lot.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
1st Birthday gift is a gripping christian horror book, which is a first in the Christian horror standalone series, I am writing presently. Strange as it may, this story came about during my elder sister’s wedding. We were really close, almost inseparable. I was happy she was getting married. Don’t get me wrong! But I was scared about being alone without her. Around that time I had a terrible nightmare, almost an out of body experience. I thought it was some kind of premonition or something, but I was really scared about everything happening that time. But on a second thought, I realized how amazing the nightmare could be in a book form. Voila! That was how 1st birthday came about, and I am super excited about this book. You can check out 1st birthday gift on my Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/author/mercyobridge89

Featured Author Denis Knezovic

Featured Interview With Denis Knezovic

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina (which was Yugoslavia at the time). I was partly raised in Germany and partly in the US, I was 14 years old when we moved to the States. I currently live in beautiful Athens, Greece

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was maybe 13 or 14 years old when I really got into books. But the idea of writing about my life came well before that. Late high school and especially college made me realize that I have a talent for writing. I started writing for a living out of necessity when I finished my studies.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors to read are Leon Trotsky and David North, the current leader of the Trotskyist movement in the United States. My favorite genre is clearly nonfiction. As far as fiction is concerned, I enjoyed the early Dan Brown novels. But with my academic background in history, I prefer nonfiction. I don’t think that anyone in particular inspires my writing per se, but having read numerous books by David North in the last few years, I’ve certainly picked up on his style inadvertently.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Well, this particular interview is about my very first book, my memoir “Against all Odds”. It is about my life in various countries and about coping with my disability at the same time . Given that it was my first book, it took me way too long to finish it. I wasn’t sure that it was what I really wanted to do, so it took quite a bit of motivation from my inner circle to get it done.

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Denis Knezovic Facebook Page

Denis Knezovic Twitter Account

Featured Author Christy Piper

Featured Interview With Christy Piper

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Panama City Beach, FL. It was a small town in North Florida, but it’s grown a lot since I’ve lived there. Currently, I live in New Hampshire. No pets now, but I’d love to get another dog someday.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I liked super hero comic books as a kid. It inspired me to make up my own stories and drawings, too. One of my college majors ended up being creative writing just because I kept taking the classes and writing! I always knew I’d write books one day.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like to read any authors who can teach me how to become a better version of myself. Most are nonfiction. Robert Greene, Chris Voss, David Goggins, Teal Swan, Napoleon Hill, Neville Goddard, Marcus Aurelius, Plato, Florence Scovel Shinn.

I also like fiction that is well written, and includes truths about humanity. J.K. Rowling is my favorite.

All these authors inspire my writing. The ones who’ve overcome hardships and turned their pain into lessons to help others get my highest respect. The authors in my writing group are also an inspiration to me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The book is called Girl, You Deserve More: How to Break His Spell over You, Escape Your Toxic Partner, and Become Independent. It’s filled with the information I wish I’d had years ago when I was going through this myself. It explains the mind games and tactics used by the toxic partner, and gives you the resources and motivation to leave. It is interspersed with stories from my own life experience and other women’s, too.

The book took about a year and a half from starting writing to publish. But I started writing it in my mind and taking notes for it many years ago.

This book makes a perfect gift for someone you care about who needs to get out of a bad relationship, but feels stuck. It is also a perfect desk side companion for mental health counselors and other helping professions. I’m learning that my target reader often wouldn’t think to seek the book out themselves, so sometimes it’s up to others to help them find it.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Christy Piper’s Website

Featured Author Ta’Mesha Smith

Featured Interview With Ta’Mesha Smith

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born and raised in Greenville, SC, I have been writing since a very young age. The love of words started with poetry and has evolved into a pure passion. At the age of 20 I moved to MN for some time where many of the poems in Drugs, Love, and Poetry was created. When I’m not writing I am spending time with my daughters and pursuing other hobbies and new business venture.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been writing since the age of 8. That is when I remember writing my first poem about the sirens of love. What? Something a little strange about me, I’ve never really been fascinated with books. If I am able to read a book it is probably going to be non-fiction or an essay. Ironically I used to read a great deal of self help books until you realize only you can answer those tough questions.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Maya Angelou has been my biggest inspiration as a writer and myself. I developed the skill from a very young age writing poetry so I was truly able to evolve with my own voice.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
To know yourself is important. Self reflection is a form of self therapy. Who better than yourself to share your secrets with?

Self-discovery can be an insightful and scary journey. Taking the time to learn more about ourselves can be fun if we open up a bit. But not for the entire world to see but for you to admire your true self. The true, genuine, unique self you see when you look in the mirror each day. We all have the power to be the highest form of ourselves.

All About Me is a thought and feeling provoking journal that makes you shed light on parts of your world and pieces of yourself that you never really thought about. Life happens fast and often times we don’t allow ourselves the proper time to process our true feelings and views on ourselves and the world, not only around us but inside as well.

With over 500 questions and journal prompts, All About Me inspires you to think about your feelings, dream about your goals, and put your future into perspective. What type of support can you give yourself that no one else can? What do you believe is your destiny? How can you learn to trust yourself more? Do you like being in the spotlight or behind the scenes? What does perfect mean to you? How do you feel when someone gives you advice you didn’t ask for?

It takes true courage to embark on a journey to knowing thy-self. All About Me is a guided journal to help you navigate your inner world and keep you focused along the way.

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Ta’Mesha Smith’s Website

Featured Author J.W Zarek

Featured Interview With J.W Zarek

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Thank you for asking. I’m J.W. Zarek, and I grew up in Brooklyn and Queens, New York, and
now reside in Northern Virginia, and I help catch naughty folk for the Government.

I’ve taught English Conversation in Japan and can analyze anyone’s handwriting. I’ve sailed
through the Suez Canal twice and hunted pirates in the Persian Gulf. I’ve climbed to the top of
Mount Fuji, been kicked off Mount Rainier, and successfully ran in the Walt Disney World
Marathon as a woman.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
It was in sixth grade. A teacher assigned everyone in the class to write a Halloween-themed scary
story. I don’t remember story details, but I’ll never forget how the story made the teacher feel.
They said how much they enjoyed what they read, and it’s good enough to be published.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Favorite authors I grew reading are Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain, J.R.R Tolkien,
C.S. Lewis, and Jules Verne. Their stories inspired my imagination and fed my soul.

Who inspires me? I dedicated my third book to Margie Lawson because she shared and showed
me how to write fresh and amp up my writing. I am forever grateful to Margie for doing this.
And because of what Margie shared and showed me, it’s helped me find inspiration in my
writing through a shared glance, an argument or conversation, and unexpected, unplanned
moments.

An example of this is the first time I was outside the Port Authority bus station, and a homeless
man asked for a dollar. I gave him a dollar, went about my day, and forgot about this momentary
exchange, this unexpected moment because, at the time, it wasn’t significant, extraordinary, but a
normal kind of moment you forget.

And when wrote the scene where Boone, the protagonist exits the Port Authority bus station, I
asked what Boone would see, feel, hear, and experience his first time inside and outside the bus
station. And the memory of the homeless man asking me for a dollar replayed inside my head.

This memory helped shape how the scene opened in Chapter Three – First Time Anywhere, as
shown below.

Twenty-two hours after riding on a cramped Greyhound with no A/C and the backed-up
bathroom smell, I’ve arrived outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City,
thankful I only had one panic attack and one weird dream. I rub the knot swirling in my stomach. The urge to turn around and go home hits
me hard.

Inside the terminal, tourists chatter, beggars beg, buses brake. Everyone is on a cell phone. I wish
I’d bought one before the trip. There wasn’t a need for one in Wentzville. Not allowed at Ren
faires. I use a walkie-talkie for my handyman job at the trailer park. And who would I call here?
I don’t know anyone in New York City, except the contact Flynn gave me, a Professor Stone.
I inhale, and whiskey-flavored words barrel over my shoulder. “Mister, can you spare a dollar?” Turning, I’m face-to-face with a gruff one-toothed grin. I’m thrown by his breath, but I hand him a dollar. His grin grows. “Thanks, Mister.” He leaves, prize in hand.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I wrote The Devil Pulls the Strings, to honor the hero’s journey and infuse Slavic mythology and
all the many faces of the mother of all witches, Baba Yaga, in a modern setting, and address a
rumor about Niccolò Paganini, born in 1782. Paganini was the world’s first Rockstar of his day,
known as the world’s greatest violinist who revolutionized violin technique.

Rumor has it, his mother gave Paganini’s soul to the Devil so Paganini could be the world’s
greatest violinist. Imagine a world where that’s true. Then you would be immersed in the world of The Devil Pulls the Strings, where time travel, twisted history, secret societies, Paganini’s music, and one haunted hero collide.

Twenty-two-year-old Boone Daniels has problems, debilitating panic attacks, gut-wrenching
guilt, a wendigo haunting him since age six, and now he almost killed his best friend in a joust.
But when he fills in for his injured friend at a New York gig, he goes to meet the gig’s contact at
his NYC brownstone. A body falls from the brownstone balcony and the place explodes with gunfire. Boone barely escapes but uncovers a sinister plot to perform a rare Paganini piece that
summons the Devil to trap Baba Yaga and destroy modern-day New York City.

He then finds himself on a race through time, to capture the cursed melody. Along the way, a
Romani immortal, steampunk vampires, and Baba Yaga set the stage for war, and Boone shall
have to risk death for redemption. All Boone wants is to keep a promise to a friend. The same
friend, he almost killed last Sunday during a joust.

The Devil Pulls the Strings as seen on ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, Ticker News Live, and the NY
Post, received the Literary Titan Award, The International Review of Books Badge of
Achievement, selected to move forward in the American Golden Picture International Film
Festival competition, made the Chanticleer Long List in multiple categories, as well as, received

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

J.W Zarek’s Website

J.W Zarek Facebook Page

Featured Author Kay Douglas

Featured Interview With Kay Douglas

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in New Zealand and have lived there all my life. I live in Auckland in a home in a bush setting which I love. I consider myself blessed to living in New Zealand.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Looking back I can see that my writing career began when I was about 8 years old. I was living in an alcoholic home where there was a lot of abuse happening. I can still remember deciding I was going to write a book about it. I wanted to tell parents how much abuse hurt so they would stop. After hurtful instances I would comfort myself by writing my book in my mind (because it didn’t feel safe to put it on paper). This is no doubt why I have gone on to write 6 books, 5 of them on the subject of abuse and recovery.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I tend to read non-fiction, mostly about issues relating to my work as a psychotherapist who specializes in anger change, and abuse and trauma recovery. There is a lot of new information coming out about trauma and the brain at the moment and I find this a very interesting area.

I have recently enjoyed Dr Bruce Fisher and Oprah Winfrey’s book “What Happened to You?”

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is Invisible Wounds. This book was first published in New Zealand by Penguin Books in 1994. It has been continually in print since it was published. I have always wanted to publish Invisible Wounds in United States but somehow life kept getting in the way. Last year I got the rights back from Penguin Books so I could self-publish an updated edition. I did this last year in New Zealand and I am excited to have finally released this 3rd edition in US. This feels like finally completing something that was started a very long time ago.

One may think that this is a very old book, but as someone who has worked in the area of abuse prevention and trauma recovery for the last 27 years I can say for sure that many women are still experiencing the same kinds of abuse by their partners as was spoken about in Invisible Wounds all those years ago. I am sad to say that this book is probably more relevant than ever.

The thing that makes Invisible Wounds unique is the direct quotes from the 50 women I interviewed for this book. Their stories are powerful; moving, informative and inspiring.

Invisible Wounds took me 1 year to write. During that time I lived alone, and I lived and breathed it. I was surrounded by transcripts of the women’s interviews, scribbled notes, and half-finished cups of tea. I had a deadline with Penguin so there was an underlying panic present. I had 50 women’s stories I felt responsible for, and a publishing contract with a top publisher so I knew I just had to keep going, no matter what. Although that deadline created pressure it also helped to move me through to the next level in my writing.

I discovered my mind was a wonderful thing, capable of so much more than I realised. I would often dream about the book and wake up with words tumbling through my brain. Half asleep I’d scramble for pen and paper to get the words down while they were there. And usually the words were perfect. The subject I couldn’t seem to write about the day before was now on the page. It was like the words were coming through me, rather than from me. That was a very powerful, humbling process to experience, and one I never forget.

Over the years so many women have told me what Invisible Wounds has meant to them; the comfort and insight they have found on the pages, and the relief they felt when they realised that other women had experienced the same confusion and distress that they were living through. The power of the shared experiences and collective wisdom of women had touched their heart and renewed their self-belief and hope for the future.

I believe that Invisible Wounds is a lifeline that will continue to touch people’s lives powerfully for many years to come. That’s why it has felt so important for me to publish this updated version of Invisible Wounds.

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Featured Author Chyrel J. Jackson & Lyris D. Wallace

Featured Interview With Chyrel J. Jackson & Lyris D. Wallace

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Country Club Hills IL a Southern Suburb outside of Chicago is where we were raised. Chyrel lives in Mississippi. Lyris is still in Chicago. My sister Lyris has 2 cats. Oregon & Benny. My cat Mynx died 3 years ago.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
We loved books as children but our fascination for them reached a new level during the college years. It was then that we discovered African American Literature and oh boy we were compelled to write and be a part of the world of our great literary ancestors. My writing (Chyrel speaking) began in my early 20’s. My sister’s (Lyris) began when she was 30.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
We both love James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, Claude McCay, Zora Neale Hurston, Maya Angelou, Ralph Elliston, Sonia Sanchez, Gwendolyn Brooks and Nikki Giovanni.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Mirrored Images is a collection of poems written in quarantine during the Pandemic. We explore the darker side of human nature. Our overall arching message of sister love remains in tact but as our first book we tackle many life changing topics. Social injustice, politics, racism, relationships etc.

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Featured Author Mia Dymond

Featured Interview With Mia Dymond

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a contemporary romance novel author of 22 novels with sexy, alpha males and females with attitude to boot. I live in a zoo, hold down a full time job, and am trying to coax my creative muse from her cage. So BEWARE, the madness may rub off on you! I am from the hot, dusty state of Oklahoma and am the mother of 2 human children and 2 fur babies, an English bulldog and a black Labrador retriever.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
According to my mother, I read in the womb ….. but I remember being an avid reader all of my life. I’ve always had stories buzzing around in my head but I seriously began writing in 2009.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite genre is romance, of course! I read such fabulous authors as Christine Feehan and Lora Leigh.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, Undercover Desire, is the first in my new series, Wright City Heartthrobs Book 1.

Registered Nurse Paige Warren runs a tight ship, fiercely dedicated to the care of her patients while she ignores the fact that the new doctor in town is a major heartthrob. After all, office romance is complicated.

Dr. Damon Flynn has returned home, dodging old rumors while he walks a fine line between past and present to protect a delicate secret. Attracted to the compassionate beauty, he carefully balances personal and professional feelings to hide the truth. Yet when sinister forces intervene and threaten to expose him, he is forced to make an admission that may endanger them both.

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Featured Author Fred Tippett, II

Featured Interview With Fred Tippett, II

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am Fred Tippett, II, the author of the recently released YA Mystery novel THE LETHAL LIST–-which is currently on sale now via Amazon. I was raised in Alabama and live there now, though I was away from my home state for quite a while because I attended college in Georgia and law school in Philadelphia. I am currently a Washington-DC-barred attorney. Sadly, I do not have any pets.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I first realized that I was fascinated with books during early childhood–-when I became nigh obsessed with Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew titles (both the originals and the later branch-off books). As I grew into my teen years, my tastes began to mature a bit, tending more towards YA novels written by traditionally published, big-name authors like James Patterson or Anthony Horowitz or James Frey. I also started reading more adult-oriented novels as well, some by James Patterson, some by Sue Grafton or Michael Connelly, some by other authors.

I first began writing during my freshman year of college, though this wasn’t writing books “in proper.” It was more like very detailed outlining. The laying out of books–outlining them–has always been rather easy for me, and I created very detailed outlines for MANY books beginning during my freshman year. Somehow, though, I never quite found the bravery to put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) in writing a proper book until one rainy Sunday during my second year of law school. I’m still a master outliner to this day–but since then, I ALSO have been writing books as quickly as the ideas will come to me.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors tend to change often–but I will say that as of right now, I heavily favor works by Michael Connelly, Mary Higgins Clark, and C.S. Lewis.

I have three favorite genres: Science Fiction, Mystery, and Fantasy, not necessarily in that order. Nevertheless, I do read quite a bit more Mystery than I do Sci Fi or Fantasy.

As an author, I have to say that I take inspiration from just about EVERYTHING. Real world events, day-to-day life, things that I read, even things that I write. Every book begins with one or more ideas, and ideas can come from anywhere–-at any time.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book–-THE LETHAL LIST–-is also my second published. It is a Young Adult Mystery novel whose primary character is Katelyn Elms.

Katelyn, a seventeen-year-old aspiring investigative reporter, is saddened and shocked by the sudden suicide of her friend Marnie Overton in her Santa Barbara home. Then, after the initial police investigation, Katelyn notices multiple inconsistencies that the cops overlooked—and begins to believe that Marnie was actually murdered by a clever and elusive killer.

Prompted by the insistence of Marnie’s young daughter, Katelyn launches her own investigation and quickly uncovers a disturbing number of buried secrets and lies surrounding Marnie’s final days, including mysterious relationships with a shady district attorney and a womanizing and temperamental boss. Stonewalled by a police force determined to look no deeper into Marnie’s case and unwilling to let a child relitigate the matter, Katelyn presses on with the covert assistance of the Police Chief’s son—who also happens to be the one boy whose affections she has silently pursued for the past three years.

But when her efforts turn up a second questionable suicide, a book of suspects, and a motive to kill with dark ties to a massive underground conspiracy, Katelyn finds that she herself is fast becoming a target for premature death.

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Fred Tippett, II’s Website

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Featured Author Mark Holloway

Featured Interview With Mark Holloway

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi, I’m Mark Holloway, a 27-year-old debut fantasy indie author, based in England, UK.

Like most indie authors, I have a day job, where for me personally I work as a scientist. Creative writing, especially fantasy writing, is an outlet for me to break free of the highly technical work I do during my day job, letting me express myself in a way that is almost entirely alien to my professional career.

I live with my wife, and rescue hamster – a half-blind Syrian hamster called Apricot – whose lack of depth perception makes her a terror to handle, but doesn’t stop her from being outrageously cute.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been reading fantasy since I was about seven or eight. As I child, I suffered quite a lot from insomnia so reading late at night was one of my getaways from the sheer boredom of lying awake for hours on end, waiting for sleep to take me.

I’ve always loved creative writing, but it was something I always shied away from or even felt self-conscious about as a child. It wasn’t truly until the past year that I really started giving myself the time to write properly, and I fell in love with writing once again.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’ve always loved fantasy, and there are some fantasy authors that as a fan, you cannot escape from their gravitational pull. One of my all time favourite fantasy authors is of course Robin Hobb, who taught me stories didn’t need to have a happy ending, nor did they need to go the way you want them to. Her stories have always lasted with me far beyond what other authors have written.

Outside of fantasy, I also love some of the classics, particularly Dickens and Shakespeare (yes, I can feel the eye rolls from here, but honestly, Othello is one of my all-time favourite pieces of literature). Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is probably my favourite novel, which makes sense, because I’m also a huge Terry Pratchett fan, and the two are sides of the same coin.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
A healer forced to become a killer for an empire that would grind his country to dust.

Years ago, Aspectors protected the land, performing esoteric miracles both wondrous and terrifying. They used their magic connection to the realm of the Aspect to serve the people of their country, healing the sick, and guarding their borders.

Then the Vin Irudur Empire attacked.

Now as soon as Aspectors are discovered, they are ripped from their families and forced into academies run by the empire to be trained as the Vin Irudur see fit.

To Kehlem, Aspectors are a distant legend, of little importance to the town of Barrowheld where he works with his father as a physician. But when an enforcer of the empire is sent to town in search of an Aspector gone rogue, Kehlem finds himself at the very centre of the empire’s attention.

Kehlem must prove himself useful to the empire, but to do so would turn himself into a weapon so sharp, it would cut any that tried to hold him.

The Soul’s Aspect is a coming of age story, in a similar tradition to those presented by Hobb, Rothfuss and Kuang, but with a particular focus on making sure characters face real repercussions for the pigheaded actions that can often occur in these types of books. All in all, The Soul’s Aspect took around 6 months to write, and then a further 6 months to edit and refine.

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Mark Holloway’s Website

Featured Author Sven Nilsson

Featured Interview With Sven Nilsson

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m an urban planner currently living in Barcelona. I visited and worked in a dozen of countries, so I do really like to discover new places and cultures. All my living experience at last embodied in a book which I am glad to present now.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I liked to read as long as I remember myself but to write a book is different. It’s my first, but i hope not the last book. Follow me on the pages on my book Downfall and you will discover beautiful Barcelona that you have never heard!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like classics like Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky but good phylosophers are welcome too, like Nietzsche for example.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Downfall is an exciting novel about life, carreer ambitions, love, difficulties of adaptation in nice but complicated Barcelona. With the main hero you will discover fantastic hidden places on this sunny city, but its secrets and problems also. You will see by his eyes joyes and pain of the people around him, will sympathize him in his sufferings and rejoice his unexpected love and beautyful moments. The book is full of nice descriptions of places, food, events and reflections.

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Featured Author Susan Beth Miller

Featured Interview With Susan Beth Miller

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Chicago and its northern suburbs. I have lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan since 1969 when I moved there for college, then stayed for graduate school in Clinical Psychology. I got a doctoral degree in psychology and have been a practicing psychologist for many years. At the moment I live in a house with my housemate Mahmoud and my dog, Sylvie, a rescue dog who hails from West Virginia.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I became fascinated with writing at the age of nine. My fourth grade teacher gave the class a creative writing exercise that fully engaged me. I didn’t even get a good grade on it, but I was hooked.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite books are in the literary fiction category though I also read non-fiction at times, especially nature-oriented writing. This last year, I loved reading The Overstory, which spoke to my love of great fiction and my love of nature. I thought it was a terrific book. I’ve also been reading Toni Morrison who is an amazing writer.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My novel, A Beautiful Land, comes out on October 8, 2021–probably past the date of publication for this interview. The novel that was inspired by my wish to try to understand more deeply some of the human dimensions of ethnic violence. It also explores guilt, including guilt in the context of motherhood, and it explores the appropriation of motherhood. The book has multiple settings, but one is a threatening but also protective forest.

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Susan Beth Miller’s Website

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Featured Author C.M. Halstead

Featured Interview With C.M. Halstead

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
When people ask me where I was raised, I reply, “Everywhere!”. I was raised on Air Force bases, not one, multiple. The US Military likes to move their personnel around, that or my parents liked short term stays in various parts of the world and the government allowed them to move around at will. Not.
Who remembers Andy Griffith show and the town they lived in? I tell people that growing up on base was like Mayberry with war. SAC bases during the 1970’s and 80’s were all about paying attention to what USSR was doing and where their military was staging and being prepared for nuclear attack. Everyone knew that if it came to nuclear war both the United States of America and the United Soviet Socialist Republic could make the planet earth inhabitable for humans. The cold war was the epitome of “if you want peace, prepare for war.” It may have taken the movie “War Games” for common culture to realize what military personnel and governments already knew, yet the professional’s knew that all out nuclear war would end the human population. at the dinner table one night when the conversation came up (did nuclear war come up during your dinner table conversations?) that I should not worry, if nuclear war happens, living on SAC base like we do, we will not feel a thing. That is not to say we would survive, or be in a fallout shelter (yes, the base had those, and most base housing had basements), it meant that the nuclear bomb that was aimed at the base would destroy it and everything within 50 miles or so in every direction.
Now, with that knowledge, the threat of life ending war, and the “commies” attempting to infiltrate the base fears you still go about your day to day lives. The base schools were well funded, each base had movies theaters, fast food, commissary for food and other desired goods. Children were free to roam the unrestricted areas of the bases, playgrounds and ball fields were interspersed within the housing areas. Many bases were located near forests, rivers, and other areas to explore. We played with GI Joe action figures, pick up baseball, war with bb guns, and jumped bmx bikes off of wooden ramps and dirt mounds. We played with innocent abandon and the knowledge that we could die in an instant.

Where I live now is one of the few remaining frontiers of the lower 48, or the closest thing we have to it in 2021. It is a high desert area located on the fringes of the largest continuous stand of Ponderosa Pines the United States has. An area created by the push-up of tetonic plates forming a plateau of about 240,000 square miles. Although I live off-grid on acreage containing mostly moenkopi rock and juniper trees, within a couple hours drive I can be playing on mountains, sand dunes, millions of acres of national forests, national parks, blm land, and other unkept spaces. I can see sporting events in big cities and experience the culture of tourist areas and then drive home to the quietest place I’ve lived or worked. As an author I work from home, so home office is standard, not pandemic induced. When I wrote in town, I had to wear sound deadening headphones at all times! I found it hard to create other worlds and work the protagonist’s hero’s journeys whilst the garbage truck going by reminded me it is Tuesday, or all the dogs barking (I had to edit out of my writing, “and the dog barks” way to often.) or….. you get the drift. I know live out in the middle of “nowhere” so I can write and focus without the distracts of town and the humans contained therein. Out here I find uninterrupted thought common, human drama is kept at a distance, and the nights are quiet with only the sounds of our conversation, movie, or football game, not those of our 20 neighbors within a quarter mile. Plus when you maintain a minimalist lifestyle in 2020’s America, it is easy to keep the visitors at a minimum. Quiet and drama free are our visitation requirements. Keep the drama addictions elsewhere.

Pets you ask? Strange enough, even though my life has been highly mobile, pets were common. Every base had a newspaper where ads for “free to a good home” were common. Anything from dogs, cats, lizards, snakes, fish, you name it, could be obtained from a family moving overseas or anywhere that was inconvenient to takes pets with them. Besides, you knew you could get new pets at the new location anyway. Pets, even in stationary life, are one of life’s great lessons on the cycle of life, loyalty, adaptation, responsibility, and reciprocation. We currently have outdoor cats and a giant pound hound mutt of the loyalist kind who’s self imposed job it is to keep all visitors, two legged or four, off the property. Even though I enjoy seeing deer and the like, I am grateful he keeps most of the foxes, coyotes, and other predators at bay. It is one of the reasons he gets the best pet food and the occasional steak.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always had a fascination with books. As a child it was nursery rhymes and golden books, at some point it morphed to Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, throughout I also got my hands on my dad’s Longarm books and other western themed stories. Then in 8th grade I discovered Stephen King, I mostly read him and repeat reads of the 100 or so Hardy Boys books I had in my possession. Honestly high school mostly found me reading the required readings of school, the classics all the way back to the Greek’s and the newer lessons of Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies, and Huckleberry Finn. The list goes on and is surely more or less the same today. Common cultures (the masses) change slow and the lessons of stories stand the tests of time.

I wrote a few poems, that sort of thing in my teen years, one poem I wrote in my 20’s, between then and my early 40’s all writing was of the business kind. Either writing proposals, refusals, systems and procedures, or emails. I did not allow myself to do what I wanted to do since high school and that was to be a creative writer. Stephen King inspired me to write my stories, to write what I think, to write what comes, not what the judgers and critics of the world say we “should” write.
The biggest catalyst in getting me to start producing as an author was part of my goodnight ritual I had with my son. When he was younger and I tucked him into bed and turned out the lights, I would say, “I love you. You are awesome. You can be anything.” After years of saying this it became hard to deny I was not walking my talk here. I knew I wanted to write and would not allow myself to be the ONE thing I wanted to be. And my life is a history of being anything I wanted to be, and to honest, at times to do things that others thought that I couldn’t do to prove I could. It was time to put up or shut-up, time to walk my talk, time to learn how to be a writer and learn how to write the stories I needed to tell. I put in my notice at work and after a short unsuccessful attempt at the same job in another location, I focused on writing hero’s journeys. It is now seven years later and I am getting warmed up and comfortable in writing my style.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I tend to prefer storytellers or world builders. I do enjoy enough world building to take me out of mine and into what the writer wants me to know. The parts that move the story forwards. Post-apocalyptic sets a tone of “starting over”, being “on your own”, “no civilization”. Time travel sets the tone of lessons of the past or future to learn. Why are we going back in time? to save the world or myself…. Like myself, I enjoy other writers that write adventures, coming of age stories, and situational stories. Stories that put people out of their element to succeed or fail. To test their boundaries and belief systems. To go from walking dead to conscious human. I enjoy stories about the things the politically correct culture refuses to acknowledge. Our shadows, the parts of ourselves that we hide, repress, deny.

i do not have a favorite genre or genres, I enjoy the storytellers in their genre. I find genre searches a hard way to find authors that are story tellers vs world builders. I rely on other readers and their reviews to help me differentiate. Goodreads is becoming my favorite source of new reads. The library the best source. I still prefer print books over digital. Perhaps it is because I write on the computer and have always read on paper.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is a culmination of three November NaNoWriMo’s. I appreciate the support structure of their process, the desire to teach authors to crank out words, and the acknowledgement that flow is what writes novels, not conscious thought. HBD (Here Be Dragons) is a story about the fringes of the map, the areas of culture most deny. The things that many utilize but are unaware of the costs. HBD is a story of internal espionage, serial killers, and hero’s. A story for grown-ups, not just those that got bigger. A story for those that want to get lost in a world that could or could not be real. Male and female hero’s adorn the pages, same goes for the crazier side of things as well. Life is not black and white in the world of spy’s and serial killers, and betrayal is eminent. Who will thrive and who will endure?

Marty Roberts has an opportunity to save the world, not from itself, but from the humans that dominate it. He sits, thinking. Determined to find a solution, no idea how lost he is.
Agent Joanne Clay urgently moves forward in her career, hell-bent on making her reputation and moving on from her family’s. She, a new generation of FBI agent.
Enter a clandestine agency, a psycho or three and the race for power gets violent. A whodunit, full of power and personal struggles. Who will prevail, the young, FBI-backed agent or Marty Roberts, alone and on mission?

From an author perspective, this book is a release from my personal constraints and boundaries, all the protagonists in this book live outside of normal societal constraints. normal is a relative term and the characters here all thrive in their version of normal. the serial killer, the spy, the assassin, the FBI agent, all live by different rules and boundaries. Each believe theirs are the correct ones. Each living by their own ethos and confident in their knowledge that their way is the right way. No matter how much it clashes with another.

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C.M. Halstead’s Website

Featured Author Bruce Calhoun

Featured Interview With Bruce Calhoun

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Exploring the woods behind my house when I was growing up in rural Wisconsin, working passage on a tramp freighter, fending off White Tipped oceanic sharks on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, filming lowland gorillas in Africa, capsizing a sailboat in the Bermuda Triangle, mushing sled dogs in Alaska, teaching marine biology in Puerto Rico, visiting the Amazon and founding Save the Rainforest in 1988 are but a few of the highlights in my life. Other highlights include writing an award winning play, an autobiography and my latest novel, Ardennia. Currently I am serving as president of Save the Rainforest and living a rather sedate life in Southwestern Wisconsin with my beloved wife and my dog, Paco.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I fell in love with books in conjunction with falling in love with nature at the tender age of fourteen. Not only did I fall in love with nature, I became enamored of wilderness – especially after reading some Jack London novels. His books had such an influence on me that I went to college at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, where as I already mentioned, I did some dog mushing.

I started writing at sixteen, as I recollect. My first short story was about a hunter getting treed by an grizzly. Little did I dream that some day I would I would have my own encounter with a grizzly – in Glacier National Park. Life mirrors fiction?

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read a lot of historical non-fiction, but I also love the literary fiction: Cervantes’s DON QUIXOTE is one of my all time favorites; such a favorite that my latest book draws inspiration from Cervantes. I must give honarble mention to the books of Victor Hugo, Leo Tolstoy, Oscar Wilde and John Steinbeck, as well.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
A Cinderella story like no other, my book, ARDENNIA: THE UNLIKELY STORY OF CINDERELL’S PRINCE, is a young adult historical fantasy that captures the magic, brutality and earthiness of the medieval age. It chronicles the many adventures of Cinderella’s prince as he experiences his first joust, undergoes his baptism of fire in the Battle of Paris, is charmed by Cinderella at a masquerade ball, and sets off on a quest to find her after she flees the ball at the midnight hour.

The quest takes him and his folksy mentor, Sir Guy, through strange lands supposedly inhabited by ogres, pixies, hobgoblins, man-eating plants and giants; and peopled by an extraordinary and motley cast of characters that include an epileptic bard, a bean counter who wagers his gold tooth in a dice game, a merchant who can never be too prosperous, a little girl who has a running feud with three bears, pilgrims that argue over who is the most pious and a beggar who has been cursed with leprosy for committing all the cardinal sins. Be on the look-out for a bit of Chaucer-like satire in this adapted fairy tale.

It only took me a couple months to come up with a rough draft of ARDENNIA. It has taken twice as much time to polish it, and get the word out about it. So, if you are reading this – that’s great: And let me just add there are at least seven great reasons for reading ARDENNIA. They are:

7. Robinette the Hood’s cameo
6. The buffoon’s gambit
5. The ironic ending
4. The love affair between Cinderella’s stepmother and the hunchback
3. Sir Guy’s story of the elf and the troll
2. Queen Bernadette’s sagacity
1. Prince Henry’s tete-a-tetes with the 14 ladies who attended

Links to reviews and to purchase the book are on my website.

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Bruce Calhoun’s Website

Bruce Calhoun Facebook Page

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