Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With James Allocca

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Brooklyn, and now I live in Valley Stream, New York, where I live with my wife and daughter. I have been an Art Director for the last 35 years, designing all sorts of magazines, and having fun doing it!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was fascinated with books at an early age. They took me to places that I had never been and opened my eyes to the world. I even wrote some books as a kid that my audience of two parents really enjoyed! But it wasn’t until later in life that I had a solid idea for a book. Something that I thought readers would enjoy.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love science fiction and science fact books. Always a big fan of Jules Verne, HG Wells, Clive Cussler, Kurt Vonnegut, James P Hogan and others. And I grew up reading comics, which influence me to this day. Science Fiction movies have also influenced me through the years.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is The Descendants Of Krag, which is the sequel to Black Saucer. Black Saucer is a standalone book, but my readers suggested that I write a sequel, and they were right! I think that it’s a solid, fun Sci Fi book that I hope everyone is enjoying.

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James Allocca Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Kristina Gallo

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a multi-genre author from Croatia. I am a fan of cats, it fits together with writing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing in my notebook when I was 16. I was often visiting the local library to read as many books as I can.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Agatha Christie. Francoise Sagan. I love thrillers and crime stories. My heroes are women who have strong attitudes.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My current WIP has a place of action in Brazil. I am writing thriller suspense about a dead girl who left a mess behind her. Her death affected the lives of others.

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Kristina Gallo Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Michael Paul

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi, my name is Michael. I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, and currently live in the Raleigh, North Carolina area. I moved to Raleigh after leaving the active-duty military. I have a 1.5-year-old golden retriever named Finley who was initially trained as a service dog. I plan to train him as a therapy dog and take him to hospitals and nursing homes post-COVID.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
That’s a good question. I don’t know. But there is a picture of me sitting with a leg crossed and reading a newspaper at a young age. Maybe I was copying my father, but I remember loving to read since my early grades. I was blessed to have excellent English and history teachers in grade school and high school that encouraged and challenged me. Journaling during an illness in the 4th-grade likely developed my love for writing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis have been mentors for the Cornerstone series of books. Many spiritual, history and fiction authors fill my bookshelves. For fiction, I love to read historical fiction and fantasy.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Cornerstone The King is tagged as ‘Lord of the Rings Meets a Medieval Love Story.’ I attempted to mix historical fiction with epic fantasy at a pace that turns the page and where chapters build upon each other. The top layer of the book is a love story. The other layers include mystery, political intrigue, and spiritual matters.

A fiery bond.
Battles against demons.
Chased by relic hunters, Jeremiah and Jameela evade until confronted by a decision.
What is more important: love or freedom?

Lord of the Rings meets a medieval love story in an epic fantasy quest to return the legendary stone.

Uncover the mysteries behind the bishop’s murder and the queen’s secret.
Witness the climactic ending where Jeremiah makes a terrifying choice.

Will he kill his father to stop a war?

Cornerstone The King

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Michael Paul’s Website

Michael Paul Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Bianca Nemes

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Bianca Nemes. I was born in Cluj-Napoca, Romania and I am living here since then.
I am a computer science graduated and now I am also studying psychology at university.
Due to my organized and logical mind, I like to find the sense in everything that I do and I want to spread value to people and to encourage them to live.
My passions are reading, writing, painting and walking. I get inspired by emotions, human mind and experiences.
I wrote a book, ‘Collinearity solution. Counterpoint’ and I am currently writing for the next one.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As I well remember, the book first book that I liked was ‘Singur pe lume’ by Hector Malot when I was on the third grade at school. Since then, I started to read a variety of books, from my parents’ home library and then from County Library from Cluj-Napoca. I was going every week with my best friend to borrow books. After reading dozens of books, I realized what are my favorite themes and genres.

Due to the fact that I was participating to literature contests since general school, I started to write a lot about existential themes and to provide better and better arguments to the requirements. I started to love thinking about life, about the subjects that the most famous authors have already written about and to create my own perspectives. Since highschool, I started to write in a notebook about feelings, about experiences that gave me intense emotions and then I developed those words in my first book, ‘Collinearity solution. Counterpoint’. It was written during many years and I did not know that what I started to read by then, will be in hands of many other people.

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 Irvin Yalom, Paulo Coelho, Emil Cioran.
My genres to read are psychology, philosophy, romance, thriller and creative psychology.

Human being in general inspires me to write. I get inspired by emotions, by experiences that are intense and hard to explain. I like to observe human behaviors and to try to see the motives behind the masks, I want to discover the true self of a person. When I get to know a person for real it is really astonishing. Moreover, whenever I feel down, I feel anxiety or something that is not right about myself, I start to put myself questions. Many times I discover patterns at myself and at other people.

Emotions, human mind, experiences observed or lived are my source of writing. Writing is a way of being vulnerable, a way of searching, with a cathartic effect, which creates bindings between ourselves.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Do you exist or do you just live?
Are you looking for the right questions or are you running for the correct answer, considered universal?

‘Collinearity solution. Counterpoint’ emphasizes the summary of cognitive and sensory processes extrapolated from inner feelings, emotions and experiences, highlighting the connection between universe and human being.

The constant search and flight of human being can be directed towards himself with the aim of reunification and self-creation, through the foundation of love, values and truth.
Chaotic questions, but maybe with meaning, appear incessantly second by second. Did you stop to listen to them? To feel their point of origin?
You sought to know how you feel to realize who you are or you think it is superfluous because you already know too much or the nothing is being replaced by sufficiency?

You are doomed to live, but free to exist.

It was writing for myself first, but then I feel the need to share emotion, value, courage of being.

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Bianca Nemes’s Website

Bianca Nemes Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Sissy Barr

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
“I’m a native Floridian, currently displaced in the mid-west, with plans to return to my home state in the near future. Mother Ocean calls me from afar, my daughter tells me I’m a ‘displaced mermaid’, and personally, I can’t get home fast enough.”

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
“Fun with Dick and Jane’… I was hooked! The first thing I remember writing, was a Halloween short for my younger sister. Excited about the upcoming holiday, I got creative and turned my bedroom into a makeshift haunted house. Then I wrote a scary little story to narrate as she interacted with the scenarios I had set up in room.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Favorite author? “J.R.R Tolkien” – *mic drop*
Favorite genre? “I love to get lost between the pages, to learn, explore, feel. If it teaches me, entertains me, or provokes intense emotion, it’s my favorite!”

Tell us a little about your latest book?
True short stories by real badass women.
Not every woman is born a badass, but every woman can become one. Discover how women around the globe have defied tradition and taken control in this collection of personal journeys.
Mature women, the majority in their fifties and sixties, graciously bare their souls sharing details of their individual, life-altering journeys towards peace, independence, and personal freedom. Holding nothing back, they show you what compelled them to listen to their inner-woman and ultimately gain what they instinctively knew was missing in their lives.

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Sissy Barr Facebook Page

Sissy Barr Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Tony Levy

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born 14 August 1951 in Tottenham, London, England. I spent most of my formative life in and around Tottenham and London. I love football and always wanted to be a professional footballer (soccer) but was not good enough. I have always loved cats and presently my wife and I have two cats that we rescued from some terrible storms two years ago. We help out with the local CNR group to capture street cats and get them neutered then return them to the wild.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved books and reading particularly historical non-fiction but have always loved reading about people and autobiographies.
I suppose I started really writing when I won a writing competition in my local newspaper. I had to write about my favourite football player from our local football team Tottenham Hotspur. I won the competition and my prize was a tour of the stadium and to meet all the players and staff this was back in 1967. I never really wrote much after that but in 1990 I entered a competition in a running magazine and again one the prize which was an entry into the London Marathon, which I completed in the time of 3hrs 42 mins not bad for a 40 year old.
But it was when I turned 60 that I started to write my first book and have now written three more since then.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite author is Sir Winston Churchill and his amazing book ‘The History of the English speaking people’. An incredible look at the English and England from the perspective of one of the 20th centuries great political leaders.
I love fiction too and read each Lee Childs books with relish whenever he releases a new Jack Reacher Story oh if only I could write fiction?
John Le Carre and his spy series are amongst my favourites along with Leon Uris, Len Deighton.
I am also fascinated with anything to do with the Battle of Britain and the stories of the fighter pilots of that period, the famous few. But any historical books on our world history is a particular interest for me.
I don’t have a favourite genre but like memoirs and humorous anecdotal books hence the way I try and write my books. Non-fiction spy stories and thrillers but am not really into horror

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Road to ‘L’ Do you remember your driving instructor? Well, they sure remember you.
My latest book is another biography but is a prequal to my other two books and my continued searched to find my own piece of El Dorado.
It is a humorous memoir. Set in Central London during the period 1981 to 1983 when I was a driving instructor in London working for The British School of Motoring. Pitched somewhere between the old English classic carry-on films and a series of sexy films called Confessions of… It is a humorous memoir of my time as a driving instructor; I reveal the stories of what can happen on a driving lesson, the offers of sexual favours and the actual driving routes I used all around the famous and historic landmarks of London. My books are all humorous memoirs hopefully in the style of Terry Pratchett They should appeal to anybody who likes anecdotal tales, I have tried to write in the style that would make you believe you are in a restaurant and I am with you just recounted episodes of my life or in a pub having a drink with friends, and I’m relating anecdotal stories about my life to you. The Road to ‘L’ is an eye-opening poignant and often hilarious romp through my years as a professional driving instructor in Central London back in the early 1980s.
I’ll tell you about people’s behaviour, conversations and downright dangerous things that happened to me during their lessons and their time learning to drive in my tuition car.
Read about the amazing things that really happened to me which could have come straight out of a Bond movie, the inappropriate offers of sex I received, and you will meet the amazing sister Mary Clara and her meeting with one of the famous Beatles back in the day.
Travel throughout London and all the amazing sites this city offers and all on a driving lesson, or be part of being bombed twice in one day on two separate lessons, by the IRA.
Learn about the Falkland Islands war, from the perspective of both sides.
My book is a journey through the eyes of a professional driving instructor that will amaze you and also amuse you. It gives you a chronological history of the world events that affected London during this period, and of course about learning to drive a car and what can happen on a driving lesson.
But in reality, the book is about people and how they can reveal so much about themselves whilst in the company of their driving instructor. With some amazing stories, and some scary situations, but above all humour.
This book is a prequel to my first two books and a further look into the story of my life and my search for my own piece of El Dorado.
My first book published back in 2011 is called A Turnkey or Not? It is a biography of my 25-year service working in Her Majesty’s Prisons and my second book El Dorado? No! Heathrow Airport is a follow on from the first book and continues my working career as a security officer working at one of the busiest airports in the world and people’s behaviour when confronted with modern-day air travel.

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Tony Levy Facebook Page

Tony Levy Twitter Account

Featured Interview With David Colin

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hello. I was born and raised in Concord Massachusetts, and I currently live in Melrose, Massachusetts. For most of my life, I’ve lived within a 20 mile or so radius of Boston, Massachusetts.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have been profoundly fascinated by books since my very early childhood era. When I was a student in the first grade, my teacher named Mrs. Young had me tutoring children in the kindergarten class in an adjoining room. These were children who wanted to learn how to read before their coursework prepared them to do so. At age six, I was creating primitive books in my own handwriting, courtesy of my own original stories. I would also draw accompanying illustrations, and staple the innocent creations together – before giving them to my father. This was many decades ago. I am still so very fascinated with books, that if I’m in a meeting with co-workers in a formal setting, and there is a bookshelf present with even just ten books or so, I stop participating in the work-related meeting, and it then beomes very difficult for me to focus upon anything other than taking notice to every book title before my view.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My very favorite (relatively modern) fiction authors are: Andrew Holleran and Truman Capote. My favorite (living) poets are: Carl Philips and Mark Doty. My interest in the works of these authors is very selfish, because these authors and I are like-minded.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Without exaggerating, I wrote my latest book over the course of two entire decades. I kept revising the work while toning its content down with each revision, because I worried that the completed work would offend people in general. I even changed some of the focal characters’ points of view altogether as well. My current book will not be popular in any way, as the themes that the book explores are quite heavy. The book analyzes complicated social issues, relating to gender identity, orientation differences, corruption which sometimes exists within public offices, et al. It is not an altogether pleasant read, instead it is a profound and informative one. I promise that there are some happy moments within the text.

Featured Interview With A. L. Hooke

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Berks County, Pennsylvania (about an hour outside of Philadelphia). Living so close to the Poconos, I grew up with a deep love of the outdoors, which turned into an unquenchable wanderlust as I got older. I went to Pitt (H2P!) and lived in Pittsburgh for several years before escaping the gloom for the sunny south.

I now live in Raleigh, NC, with my very tolerant husband. By day I’m the COO of a small digital marketing agency downtown where I focus primarily on content marketing and consulting but still spend every spare moment I can outside. When Chris and I aren’t traveling, hiking, paddling, or otherwise exploring, I’m writing (or reading).

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have been a bookworm my entire life, and I spent years as a journalist and copywriter before lacing up my hiking boots and venturing into the dense jungle of fiction writing. I have always loved writing and have written in various capacities over the years. I developed my first character in the third grade and spent much of my young (and not so young) life in Pennsylvania dreaming of ancient civilizations and lost treasures.

My debut sci-fi action-adventure novel, Daughter of the Antediluvian World: An Atlantis Origin Story, is my first adventure in fiction, and I have to say, I’m hooked! There have been enough requests for a sequel to Daughter that I might just have to spend more time in Atlantis, but there are a lot of other mysteries out there that I’m itching to unravel!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Oh, this question is always tricky. I’m a bit of an agnostic reader; I’ll dig into any from hard science fiction and technothrillers to fantasy, thrillers, and mysteries. Daughter of the Antediluvian World is a bit of a nod to my unwillingness to commit to one genre – it’s primarily an action-adventure sci-fi story, but there are elements of mystery, mythology, and yes, even a little romance weaved through.

Some of my favorite writers, who have inspired me over the years to pursue my love of fiction, all seem to live in this “in-between space” with me. Michael Crichton, A.G. Riddle, Dan Brown, and James Rollins are likely all partially responsible for my writing style. Still, I also love a good laugh with Christopher Moore, a little darkness and intrigue from Neil Gaiman, and stories to quench my wanderlust by travel writer J. Maartin Troost.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The concept for Daughter of the Antediluvian World originally came to me in college. I was taking an Introduction to Mythology course as part of a communications minor, and it reignited a long-time love I had for Greek Mythology growing up. So, this story started brewing and – of course – changed quite a bit over time. (Spoiler Alert: There are no Greek gods in DOAW.)

As I started writing I just couldn’t seem to get the fantasy aspects of the story to jive with what I knew about the world – I tend to be a very logical thinker – so magic became science. (Because really, aren’t they the same thing?) The concept of an action-adventure story really developed as I got a bit older and started doing more traveling. I’ve mentioned that U have a severe case of Wanderlust – I want to see the world. The places in the book are a few at the top of my list, so getting to research them and visit them through the process of writing the story was thrilling.

Because of the technical nature of the story, there was a ton of research to be done. So, the process was not a short one – this book is nearly two years in the making. Researching and outlining the story took nearly as wrong as writing it, and when it finally came time to put the story on paper I would sit for an hour or two every morning before work and just get as much of it out on paper as I could. It took so much of me to develop my characters and take them on this adventure and I wanted to do it right, but I think I could probably repeat the process in less time now. For the sake of the readers who are hoping for another glimpse into the lost city of Atlantis, I hope so!

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A. L. Hooke’s Website

A. L. Hooke Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Paz Ellis

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a shameless nerd! I am a mom of two boys, now 21 and 19. (But I don’t feel like I’m getting old!) I was born and raised in New Jersey, lived in a few states and am not back in New Jersey for a couple of years while my sons are in school. And I have a crazy, barking, parti Maltipoo that I adore! He is my hiding-under-my-desk, writing companion.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I may have well been born with a book in my hand! My parents were avid readers and reading came natural to me. I was able to read and write in both English and Spanish at an early age and took full advantage of that. My older sister kept journals and notebooks full of poetry and I, of course, mimicked her. I have kept journals since I was about eight, and this has helped me to always jot down ideas and write stories and poems. However, one of the worst events of my life is when I started publishing. My mother passed away and I worked through my grief by writing and publishing my first book, a memoir.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
The novel that made a huge impact on my writing was Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The characters are rich and well-developed and perfectly flawed. I love literary fiction, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, and memoirs. One of my favorite modern authors is Amy Harmon. She speaks to my soul.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Finn is very special to me! Although, Finn is a fictional character, he is an inspiration based on my brother who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of 45. So, Finn is close to my heart for this reason.

More Than Just Finn, Book Two of the “Just Finn” series is my latest book about a young man with Asperger syndrome. Finn will make you laugh and cry! He is eighteen when he leaves the only place he has ever known as ‘home’ seeking a better life. Though he does not know it in the beginning, a diner, crazy geometric vests, a psychiatrist, and an Italian leather artist will pull him out of the lonely world he knows into one full of love, hope and acceptance. And you get to see Finn’s progress in the 2nd book of the series: More Than Just Finn which was released a few months ago!

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Paz Ellis’s Website

Paz Ellis Facebook Page

Paz Ellis Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Manjithe Senanayake

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m Manjithe Senanayake, a 14 year old Sri Lankan writer and a poet. I’m living in Galle, Sri Lanka. I have no special pets but I give food daily to the street dogs around. So, they can be taken as my pets too.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I realized my fascination with books when I was 6 years old. I started reading newspapers when I was 5 years old. Because of newspapers I started reading picture books and books with less than 50 pages at first. I started writing books when I was 8 years old. Many of the stories I wrote on that age was based on cartoon characters. Eventually I started writing picture books and now I’m writing middle grade books.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
David Walliams, Roald Dahl, Prashani Rambukwella and Tissa Abeysekara are some of my favorite authors. I don’t have a one favorite genre. I like to read books in variety of genres so they have different tastes. Above mentioned authors inspired me on writing. Specially Tissa Abeysekara’s books full of descriptions and David Walliams’s, Roald Dahl’s books full of imagination.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, The Kite : Face Challenges Strongly is out now. It is a children’s short story written by me taking a real life instance I faced as a example. Also my next books will be published on late December or January (2022)

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Manjithe Senanayake Facebook Page

Manjithe Senanayake Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Zylkia Ivy Swensen

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Zylkia Swensen graduated from the American Military University
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Development and Family
Studies. She also graduated from nursing school and computer decoding.
She’s bilingual (Spanish and English) and briefly served in the military for the US Army as a supply specialist where she received the
Army Achievement Medal.
Zee, as she prefers to be called, always had a passion for the arts.
Drawing, painting, writing—she could do it all. She sold her paintings since she was five for twenty-five cents around the neighbors.
She wrote stories since she was thirteen years old, mostly funny teen
drama. She dreams about writing a book and not just any book but
one that would help humanity.
Even when she was little, she would always want to help others
and had done numerous homeless trips where she gave packages of
food and hygiene items. She was very good at couponing, so she was
able to buy more to give. With a heart like an angel, she helps just by
listening to you with her bright colorful personality.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing when I was 12 and the bullying started in middle school. I guess writing kept me hoping for a better world. By writing I was able to control the story, only reflecting on my real life where I had none.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I grew up with ADHD and dyslexia. I hated to read. I would write all day, just don’t make me read it please …lol (SMH) Most of the books I have “read” I really just watch the movie, documentaries, mostly youtube videos. When I was a child my stories were about teen drama. Fantasy teen drama. But what really got me into writing was my first year of college, English Intermediate, where I learn how to write essays. I love doing research and write about real issues in life, trying to use my story to inspire others….but also it keeps me in check because I can’t preach what I don’t practice. When I wrote “The voice of a Phoenix”, I was going true a really bad time in my life. Writing gave me a sense of purpose and literally save my life.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
INTRODUCTION
Hello, everyone! My name is Zylkia Swensen. I am forty years old
and a mother of six kids. I started writing this book as a source of
getting relief. I had everything bottled up inside, and my heart could
not take any more suffering. I’m the weird kind. I was not very popular, and if anything, I was the antipopular, not the center of attention, ever. My hair was a mess, and I had an ocean of moments where bullies would humiliate me. It did hurt me. I too wanted an out, but contemplating suicide is never the option, although sometimes it seems like a quick way out. I know; I have been there. However, I chose different every time. Life was painful and humiliating. I felt like I was dragging chains on my legs going upward along on a forty-five-degree uphill. Join me, and you will see that no matter how bad everything goes, there is always a silver lining. You came to earth to live, and sometimes living hurts. That is okay. It is a part of it. How can you ever truly appreciate the good times without the bad ones? I see life as an adventure. Like if I am high up in the air and
ready to jump into whatever it is, this is what it really means to be human. Could we restore faith in humanity? Sometimes it feels like the fall is full of bumps and jumps when others glide over the
clouds. However, if your soul is full of “It’s not fair!” and you can’t focus on yourself, if you are wasting your time thinking over the things that others have and that you don’t, then stop. Think again. Life is not meant to be fair; we all need to learn different lessons. You must focus on yours. Don’t quit on yourself. Live, learn, wipe, and restart as many times as it takes until the moment to return home
with our heavenly Father. Life will end on its own. So why miss out? Why count the bad times when you can count the good ones? If you are thinking about suicide, there is always someone you can talk to about your problems: friends, spouse, therapist, or the bus driver! Call National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 or the Military Helpline (get help) 888-457-4838 or text MIL1 to
839863. We want to see you shine.

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Zylkia Ivy Swensen’s Website

Zylkia Ivy Swensen Facebook Page

Zylkia Ivy Swensen Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Liz Flaherty

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up on a farm in central Indiana with the intent of leaving the area as soon as was humanly possible. Several decades later, my husband, four cats, and I live happily back a long, gravel driveway six miles from the family farm. We also have a bunch of grandkids, the actual Magnificent Seven. Did you want to see pictures?

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I don’t remember when I wasn’t fascinated by books, and by the time I was nine, I knew I wanted to write them. (I also wanted to be rich, famous, and reclusive–none of those panned out.)

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love reading Kristan Higgins, Nan Reinhardt, Janie DeVos…so many more than I can name. While romance was my first love, women’s fiction has taken over the top spot in my reader’s heart.

As an essayist who’s released one–and almost two–collections of newspaper columns and blog posts, I love slice-of-life essays, too.

I am inspired by everyone who sticks to it. My favorite piece of paper is one on which author Muriel Jensen wrote, “Never give up. Never, ever give up. I didn’t. Thank you, Muriel.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In THE HEALING SUMMER, when Steven Elliott accidentally rides his bike into Carol Whitney’s car at the cemetery, the summer takes on new and exciting possibilities. Long friendship wends its way into something deeper when their hearts get involved. Feelings neither of them had expected to experience again enrich their days and nights. But what happens when the long summer ends? When Carol wants a family and commitment and a future, Steven isn’t so sure. He’s had his heart broken before—can he risk it again?

THE HEALING SUMMER is a sequel to ONE MORE SUMMER, still a book of my heart, and was one of my favorite ever books to write. Steven and Carol are broken, which is just how I like start, and the joy of putting them together again–albeit with some of the pieces a little crooked and scarred–is beyond measure.

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Liz Flaherty’s Website

Liz Flaherty Facebook Page

Liz Flaherty Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Jimena Yengle

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Lima, the capital of Peru. From a very young age I dedicated myself to develop myself through Art. At 15 I moved to Tarma because of my parents’ work, and that is the small city in which I currently reside. It s quiet, and often inspiring because I am surrounded by nature and clean air. We have many plants, and peace.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination for books began when I met Peter Pan by James Matthew Barrie. It was a book that broadened the horizons of my imagination. Reading made my heart happy for many years. At that time in my life, I wrote fairy tales, micro stories and articles. When I turned 12 I realized that I could get answers by putting my inner desires on several sheets of paper. From that moment on I have not stopped writing.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors are Walt Whitman, Oscar Wilde, and Lucy Maud Montgomery.
My favorite genre to read is romance, and fairy tales. It’s something that hasn’t changed since I was little.
My sources of inspiration are diverse.I am inspired by life itself, my imagination and my internal world. And love.Love is a very present subject, but also very complex. It really colors the human experience, and the mental processes of the individual.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Roma Enamorada: Portrait of Human Experience is a story of real connections in a superficial world. It encompasses various dilemmas, cultures and ways of thinking that we find present in the human experience. It is a novel that carries a message of love, hope and a little bit of Magic.

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Featured Interview With Wes Verde

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born and raised in New Jersey: home of the 24-hour diner, haunted asylums, and the setting for the majority of movies and TV shows about the Mafia. There’s also a great deal of history, which I have only recently started to appreciate. My early years were largely spent exploring the woods behind my parents’ house. Now, I’m trying to encourage my own sons do the same thing.

When I travel, I prefer to do so by car. I don’t consider “seeing the inside of an airport” to count as traveling to a place. I like to see things and that usually means driving.

Making things has long been a hobby of mine. I spent my childhood building models of all kinds. When I’m not writing, I like to roast coffee and brew beer.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I had the good fortune of having a mother who read to my sisters and me every night. Better still, she liked to improvise. It was a rarity that she read the same book in the same way twice. In what was intended to wind us down before bedtime, she usually managed to have us rolling and laughing in stitches. And my father could always be relied upon to have at least a couple spy thrillers lying around which I soon acquired a taste for.

Despite the best efforts of my formal education to turn me off from reading (19th Century English Literature was truly wasted on my teenage self), I cannot remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated with books. Goosebumps saw me through grade school. By middle school, I discovered Heinlein. I distinctly remember sitting in the parking lot before high school reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Fight Club.

College was a weird time… The DaVinci Code was my first exposure to “fast food fiction” as I think of it. Read Harry Potter for the first time. Wicked too (I was trying to impress a girl).

Since then, my interests have expanded and I have not lacked for reading material, only time with which to read.

As for writing, I typed my first short story in middle school – some nonsense about a zombie apocalypse. This was still fresh at the time as zombies had yet not become the cultural force they are today. It was printed on inkjet, stapled together, and distributed to a dozen or so of my friends.

Whether it was strictly writing, or drawing comics, I’ve been doing it in some form or another ever since.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
A decade ago, I would have said Patrick Rothfuss and George Martin (this was before the success of the show, mind you). There’s foul opinions aplenty when it comes to these two… and I won’t add my voice to the chorus. I simply can’t badmouth an author whose books have held my interest through multiple readings.

Instead, I’ll say Scott Lynch and Andy Weir. The Lies of Locke Lamora is a damn fine amalgamation of the heist and fantasy genres with lovable scoundrels and a solid “buddy” relationship at its heart. I could go on all day. And as for Mr. Weir, I cannot help but marvel at a man who turned a series of blog entries – done in his spare time – into a bestselling novel which turned into a movie which turned into a series of novels. Andy Weir, I salute you.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Jalopy is simply the story of a young woman and her car.

In our modern world, we take high speed travel for granted, which is why the setting of the 1920s United States is important. Our main protagonist Etta spends a lot of time walking – it’s part of the drudgery of her daily routine. The ability to travel beyond the range of one’s feet holds a world of possibilities in her mind, as it undoubtedly did for many at the time. The introduction of the automobile (first run of Model T’s was 1908) had economic and social effects that are difficult to overstate.

The secondary protagonist, Art, comes at things from the opposite side – an almost hyper mobile upbringing, where his salesman father frequently moved the family to chase better prospects. For a reserved, introverted young man, this was unbearable. Thus, the lake and rural life have a particular appeal for him.

I’ll say this: while I take certain liberties with timeline, much of what you read is of things that actually happened. I’m one for authenticity. In fact, there’s a “Historical Note” chapter dedicated to such.

Avoiding spoilers here… a significant plot point involving a certain Navy Depot was a read world event. Biggest explosion in the state’s history. Yep. Big boom. People are still affected by it today.

Much of Etta’s day-to-day was borrowed from a conversation that took place with my grandmother over the course of an afternoon. While she was born in ’32 – some years after the setting of the novel – her experiences growing up on a farm in then-rural New Jersey provided a solid framework to build from.

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Featured Interview With Melinda B Hipple

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Missouri, USA, but have lived in a number of mid-western states and on the west coast. I have settled back in eastern Kansas, but still travel extensively. As an older non-traditional student, I had the opportunity to live in England for a semester while studying abroad. Because I’m often not at home, it makes me sad that I haven’t been able to play host to a cat in a while.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was both a reader and a writer from a very early age. My mother designed a library into the entrance hall of my childhood home. From Dr. Seuss to Ray Bradbury, I devoured everything I could get my hands on. At bedtime, I remember my father and younger brother coming to my room so that I could read to them.

When we were around nine and ten, my brother and I started a neighborhood newspaper – hand written, and sold for 10 cents a copy. I believe we had all of three regular subscribers. Beyond that endeavor, I’ve written poetry and short stories all my life. Twenty years ago, I began writing full-length manuscripts.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My genre of choice for both reading and writing is science fiction. I grew up on Bradbury, Asimov, Heinlein and Clarke. I’m currently a huge fan of sci-fi writers like Mary Doria Russell, Andy Weir, and Cixin Liu. I prefer my sci-fi to be based in good science, but I’ll accept the improbabilities as long as the author builds a consistent world.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In early 2021, “Raven” was released by Imperium Publishing. As the head of Odyssey Central bids farewell to five separate ships designed to colonize five new solar systems, the crew of one ship must reckon with an unsolved murder that has ramifications for all five colonies. Their decades-long journey poses challenges from the rigors of space that are multiplied by the connections made before the Day of Leaving. One crewmember’s pre-flight effort to improve the biorecycling systems mutates into a nightmare, while the murderer (driven by jealousy and revenge) corrupts the very heart of the artificial intelligence platform their lives depend on. Isolated in the harshest of environments, the Chang, the Hawking, the Einstein, the Newton, and the Kepler each find themselves in a deadly race against time.

This was the first full-length manuscript I had ever written. I knew the story was good, and after twenty years, I returned to school as a very non-traditional student and finished a creative writing degree at Baker University. With a better understanding of how to polish my work, I editing “Raven” from its original 150,000 words to the tighter book it is today. I’ve written books in other genres, but “Raven” still feels like my best work. And the first of three planned sequels is under way.

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Featured Interview With Kaye D. Schmitz

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and spent the first twenty-eight years of my life there. After that, I moved to Florida and have lived there ever since. I make my home in the World Golf Village area of St. Augustine with my husband, Michael. Our two grown children and four grandchildren also live close by. We have not had a pet since our miniature schnauzer, Heidi, died.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always been a reader and a writer. I was actually published at the age of 10 when my poem, The Garden, was published in my local newspaper. I continued to write all through high school and college–again mostly poetry and short stories. I became a novelist about five years ago and have two books currently in publication, THE CONSORT CONSPIRACY and ON DEADLY GROUNDS. My third novel, THE ROAD REMEMBERED, will release on November 1, 2021 and I am currently working on the follow-on story.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love reading the late Dorothea Benton Frank, Steve Berry, David Morrel, Kristin Hannah, and Sarah Pinbrough. I shy away from straight romances and prefer action and psychological thrillers, but for sheer story-telling, it’s hard to beat Kristin Hannah.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My newest book, THE ROAD REMEMBERED, will release on November 1, 2021–in time for Veterans’ Day–and takes place primarily during World War II. It is actually a split-time novel, with the action both during 2015 and 1945. I was inspired to write it when I found a map my deceased father received when he was discharged from the Army in 1945 at the end of the war in Europe. The map traced his progress from France to Germany with the 89th Infantry Division and was accompanied by a transcript of an oral interview he had done about his war experiences. After reading the transcript with the map in front of me, I felt as if my father spoke to me from the grave. I knew I had to tell his story–partly because he was my father and I loved him so much–but also because I wanted the world to remember how ordinary men like my dad stepped away from their everyday lives to became “citizen soldiers” in the military only long enough to defeat Hitler…and then return to their everyday lives as husbands, sons, brothers, and fathers. I was upset, however, that I hadn’t decided to write the story before my dad died since I had so many questions. But I was able to find another veteran who had also been part of the 89th Infantry Division, so I flew to Austin to interview him. It was a magical day and we became good friends. I interviewed a number of other veterans and wove their stories into a tapestry of historically accurate fiction. Most of the story was written by the time I read The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah, but after that, I realized that my “citizen soldier” story needed a “savior” in addition to the Americans. So I created a character based on the life of Irina Sendler, a Polish social worker, who saved 2,500 Jewish children from Nazi extinction. My early readers have said the story filled them up emotionally–much like The Nightingale did for me. The best description of my book is Band of Brothers (Ambrose) meets The Nightingale (Hannah). I had the book written by the beginning of 2020. And then COVID hit, throwing publishing timelines out by a couple of years, so I am very grateful to be getting this book out in 2021. Sadly, however, many of the veterans I interviewed, including my wonderful friend in Austin, have already passed, so I am working with their families to get the book out in their honor and memories.

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