Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With J. Daniel Reed

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
J. Daniel Reed (Joe) is an independent real estate investor and author. His new novel is The First Wolf Pack: A Dog’s Fable, the legendary journey of wolf, dog, and mankind.

After a successful career in commercial real estate, Joe has spent the last year exploring his love of creative writing. In The First Wolf Pack: A Dog’s Fable, Joe combines his writing talents with his deep knowledge and respect for dogs, wolves, other animals, and nature.

Born on the Northwest side of Chicago, into a three-generation household, he was raised by a committee—grandparent, parents, and three older siblings.

Joe lives in suburban Chicago with his wife, Barbara and their Bouvier des Flandres, Keera. When not writing, he loves outdoor photography, taking walks with Keera, nature hikes, gardening, birdwatching, cooking, and grilling.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination is more with writing–telling a good story–than it is with books. I do like to read, though. I did some creative writing in high school, but since then my writing has been for business. A few years ago, I told my wife a story that she loved and urged me to write it down. I worked on it here and there as my time outside of work permitted. In 2020, my job was eliminated due to a company takeover and I found myself with a lot of time on my hand. I decided to pursue that long-held dream and wrote my first novel, The First Wolf Pack: A Dog’s Fable.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read both fiction and non-fiction. Some of the authors who have most influenced or inspired me are Dean Koontz, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, and Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage .

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The First Wolf Pack: A Dog’s Fable, my first book, was inspired by several disparate factors. Love of dogs and wolves, fascination with ancient foundational myths, the grandeur of God’s creation, and contemplating the purpose of fireflies in the grand scheme of creation. Somehow these things coalesced into a story about overcoming ignorance, narcissism, suspicion, and self-pity.

A fantasy tale, The First Wolf Pack draws the reader into an imaginary world of two ancient wolves, mighty predators who must decide to survive together or fight to the death. They engage in a fierce battle lasting two days and nights. Fully healed, they become The First Wolf Pack, a hunting machine dominating all lands they choose. Lone wolves, pressed to survive, form alliances in an attempt to destroy The First Wolf Pack. While their adversaries assemble, Arn and Versa must teach their extraordinary offspring the secrets of pack life

It’s a heartwarming and action-packed journey told from the perspective of a modern dog. Readers will discover what every dog knows about the true beginnings of human civilization and the connection between man, wolf, and dog. You will find yourself wondering if it really did happen this way.

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J. Daniel Reed’s Website

J. Daniel Reed Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With Kim Idynne

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in a small Minnesota town with my parents and two brothers. I loved being outdoors, and the area had a fascinating landscape that shows up in a lot of my stories: swamps, forests, small decrepit cemeteries, mud slides, reclusive backwoods homes (one with a menagerie of “exotic” animals), even quicksand-like soil that tried to swallow me and one of my friends when we tried to cross it after a rainfall. Today I live in roughly the same area with my fiancé, who is also a writer.
I love animals and have lived with rabbits, rodents, and more. The most recent were my two dear cats, Tom and Elijah, who lived with me for 15 years. Tom was a skinny stray who used to casually wander into my house when I lived in a small Wisconsin town; he was very chill and friendly. At the time, some of my neighbors were supporting a movement to take feral cats off the protected species list (meaning that they could be shot and killed). After hearing that, and after Tom was mauled by another cat in my backyard, I decided he was better off living with me. I took him to the vet and got his wounds treated, and then I adopted another cat to keep him company while I was at work. Tom was blatantly disgusted by that at first, but he got over it, and the two became buddies. Elijah died recently, and Tom started to waste away after that. Even when he was sick, he remained a very chill and loving cat. Elijah was a really strange, quirky animal, and not at all trusting when I first adopted him, but when he learned to trust me he became very sweet.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started to read at an early age, and was always fascinated with books. I wasn’t much of a rule-breaker as a kid, but I used to ride my bike to the local library even though it was forbidden, as it required riding on the shoulder of a busy highway. I had a basket installed on my bike so that I could place a good-sized stack of books inside of it. I still have some short stories that I wrote when I was in first grade, and in fourth grade I wrote my first illustrated book series about the strange adventures of one of my friends. As an adult, I became an ELA teacher so that I could share my love of literature with others.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
When I was young, my favorite novel was The Exorcist; I liked how the author contrasted the evils in the world with the ability of humans to do good. Today, I don’t have favorite authors or genres. Some books I’ve read lately that I really enjoyed are The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Change Me into Zeus’ Daughter (both non-fiction). I’m currently reading Cuando era Puertorriquena to salvage my Spanish-speaking skills. I work at a high school, where my students inspire me every day as we figure out how to be the best possible stewards of this world.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is Mahatmas and Monsters, a story about a young man who must learn to transform from a vampire back into a human. In the world of this novel, Elias learns that not everyone who is bitten by a monster becomes a monster, and that his condition is reversible. He desires to become human again so that he can be with Aarya, his childhood love, but he also detests the idea of being vulnerable. To him, humanity means weakness, corruption, and hypocrisy. Elias must decide whether to defeat his vampirism, but it means coming to terms with a painful past and the crimes he has committed as a monster, and it means risking his heart with Aarya. His journey is difficult enough, but an added challenge comes from the fact that he has surrounded himself with monsters who prey on humans—monsters who respond to his transformation with varying degrees of hunger, envy, and wrath.

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Kim Idynne Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With Teece Reeder

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hey! I am Teece Reeder! I was raised out in the country in a town called Randleman, North Carolina. I am truly thankful for growing up in such a quaint and tight knit community. We love our people, our high school football team, and our rooted bonds run deep. I reside in a small mill town now that is contained within the city of Asheboro, NC. My grandparents actually “courted” and strolled together weekly on the way to a prayer meeting on the street I live on. Heritage and legacy are of huge importance to me.
I am blessed to have two adult sons, Seth and Luke, who are making me immensely proud as they follow their individual callings. My husband and I have big dreams of getting back to country living someday, but in the meantime, we have our doggies and cats, and some chicks coming this Spring. I just don’t truly feel at home anywhere unless I have chickens.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I honestly can’t recall a time when I wasn’t fascinated with books. Our home was always filled with bookshelves, and stacks on the bedside. My Mama read to me constantly as a little girl and after we read, we discussed the passage we had just passionately inhaled.

I remember getting a notebook and a black ink pen when I was five years old, and after spending a good amount of time filling those pages with my imagination I was given a journal for my sixth birthday and I began to make notes in it. From that point, writing became more than a passion, it became my oxygen. It was my faithful companion, it was my shield, it was my light on many dark nights of my childhood that I needed to escape.
I remember Mama letting me have a pajama party when I was about seven and all the girls asked her to read a story. I couldn’t help but giggle in my sleeping bag, as I drifted off to sleep while the eerie silence hung over every little girl who now was terrified by the brilliant words of Edgar Allan Poe’s, The Tell-Tale Heart.
I am truly thankful my Mother had studied English and introduced me at a young age to so many different works. Looking back I think that was my first and last pajama party!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love so many, but I always revert back to the classics. Hemingway, and his writing style is something I will never grow tired of. By far he is one of my top five favorites of all time. I began my writing journey with poetry so I have a strong admiration for poets. Sara Teasdale, Robert Burns, Poe ( of course), Sylvia Plath, Thoreau. I have Teasdale on my bedside table now, and have since I was a child, it never leaves me.
Who inspires my writing? Oh that’s a big question! To say everyone sounds quite insane, but it is true. I see inspiration in most every person I ever meet. Every person has a story living inside them. Every person has known hurt, heartbreak and love. Just listening to so many people as they talk casually, watching them sparkle as they are heard, has really become a method of writing for me.

If I have to narrow it down to an author I would say Kate Chopin. She was so ahead of her time, she was a rebel in the 1800’s, and no matter who tried to silence her words are heard clearly to this day. I love that she pushed, she spoke about taboo topics and was never apologetic about her style or her words.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is “A Million Thoughts of Grace”. It is based on a true story. A beautiful woman, who I had the honor of knowing. Grace is a fighter, Grace is a dreamer, a believer in all the wonder of her child, B.B. Her life was plagued with obstacles and hurt, but when she least expected it, an unconventional meeting changed her life and her daughter’s forever. This is actually the first book in the series, and I am absolutely thrilled about writing these books and finally giving them to the world.Grace deserved to be known and B.B has her long awaited opportunity to voice her horrific secrets in, “Route Two Box 505. Both books are set in a small, North Carolina town and it brings an intriguing group of colorful characters for everyone to love or hate.

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Teece Reeder Facebook Page

Teece Reeder Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Trina Boice

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in California near the beach, went to college in Utah with the snow, raised my 4 sons in Georgia around Southern hospitality, and currently live in Las Vegas. We have an adorable Papillon dog, 2 water turtles I bought in Spain when I lived there, and 2 cute birds that sing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I always knew I’d be a writer when I was a little girl. I just didn’t know exactly what I’d be writing about! I started collecting inspiring quotes and ideas for my books when I was only 6 years old. I kept them in a little box, which grew into dozens of filing cabinets full of content. My husband said I would be buried in a filing cabinet. Thank goodness we can now scan documents into our computer! I’ve always loved clever wordplay, foreign languages, and different ways of communicating. Would you believe I actually liked diagramming sentences in my middle school English class? My kids think I’m such a nerd. They’re right. When I was a little girl, I won a contest in my 2nd grade class for reading more books than any other kid in the class, more than triple!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’ve read many books that had a powerful influence on me, so I don’t have a favorite author. I love many of the writers from the past, but I’m also inspired by living authors who are out there creating books, engaging their readers, and living their dream. That energy definitely rubs off on me and I want to do more! I would be thrilled to be called someone else’s favorite author some day!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“The Ultimate Guide to Mystery Shopping: How To Get Paid To Eat, Shop, & Play”. I’ve been doing mystery shopping for many years in three different states where I’ve lived and I still get a kick out of it! Companies pay me to pretend to be a “real” customer while I’m evaluating a restaurant, store, theme park, hotel, or some other venue. I make money and get free merchandise. What’s not to love? People ask me about it all of the time, so I finally wrote a guidebook and an online course to show others how to get paid to eat, shop, and play!

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Trina Boice Facebook Page

Trina Boice Twitter Account

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Featured Interview With Dr. Ben Pennington

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Detroit, Michigan, in the 1950s, as the youngest of four brothers and three sisters. Wanting to see the world outside of Michigan, I lived in Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California as a young adult. I have been a public school administrator and educator during my life’s journey for over 35 years. Currently, I am living in the metropolitan Atlanta area. My wife Yvonne and I have been married for over 41 years. We have three children and five grandchildren. Our oldest grandchild is 8, and the youngest is 20 months. I love running and have completed many marathons, half-marathons, and 10Ks. My Silver Sneakers membership gives me access to my local fitness center. We have no pets.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination with books began in kindergarten. The power of books was incredible! Reading books allowed me to travel the world while remaining in my seat. I started writing poetry in middle school and later began writing essays.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite two authors are Moses in the Bible and Dr. Martin Luther King. I enjoy reading books and materials in the Christian literature genre. My parents inspired me to read and write at an early age. They encouraged me to study, work hard, and embrace new challenges. I have created a podcast and broadcast series titled “Jesus in Genesis.” I am a 71-year-old lifelong learner that has published my first book. You are never too old to learn a new skill or start a new career! Reinvent yourself!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The resurrected Jesus Christ told his disciples that the Old Testament is his words and is about him (Luke 24:44). Finding Jesus in Genesis: A Biblical Commentary on the Presence of the Preincarnate Jesus Christ gives a chapter-by-chapter commentary on the presence of Jesus Christ in Genesis. The book provides evidence in Genesis of the beginning of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ that brought about our salvation. I published the book on February 5, 2022, and it is available in paperback and as an eBook: www.amazon.com/author/drbenpennington. It took me five months to write my book.

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Dr. Ben Pennington’s Website

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Featured Interview With Callan J. Mulligan

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Adelaide, but now live on the Gold Coast with my wife. After traveling the world, we have come to love Australia so much more. It’s an incredibly lucky place to be. No pets, but never say never.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Books, Films, Stage – I love anything that enhances imagination and plays with creativity. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. My mother always said, “You were born with a pen in your hand”. I was even published in my school newsletter when I was six years old. It was a poem about dragons. It didn’t rhyme.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite authors include Matthew Reilly, Raymond E. Feist, and Ernest Hemingway. I love so many different genres, but especially science-fiction, fantasy and thriller. There’s nothing better than the pace of a good thriller. That’s how I write, fast and suspenseful. I think my style has mostly been inspired and influenced by Alex Garland and Matthew Reilly.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Astraeus is a SciFi Thriller about a colony onboard a world-settling starship. They’re on a two hundred year journey to the centre of the Milky Way, but during the journey the ship begins to break down. It follows an ensemble of characters and focuses on their deadly secrets, and their desperation for survival. I really wanted to write a space thriller, but I also laced it with a lot of existential philosophy because I’m a firm believer in having a cosmic perspective on the world. I think it empowers us to know we are part of the universe, and the universe is part of us.

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Callan J. Mulligan’s Website

Callan J. Mulligan Twitter Account

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Featured Interview With John Robert Cameron

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. We have most of the amenities of other towns, but it’s way, way colder. I was raised here and haven’t escaped… yet. Where would I go? Sudbury’s actually a pretty nice place, all told. I have degrees in History, English Lit, and Education. I write science fiction, though my three published novels are all very different. One is dystopian drama, one is Canadian-flavored satire, and my most recent is high-brow sci-fi, driven by our pop culture within a utopian future.

I have a hairless Sphynx named Carmen. She’s mean but full of personality.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My school librarian introduced me to the Choose Your Own Adventure series when I was in grade two. I was knocking off full-length Star Trek: The Next Generation novels by the time I was 8. In a single night. I tried crafting a novel in my late teens, though I never got around to finishing it. I took a more serious approach in my late twenties after I’d done a little living. That whole ‘doing stuff’ thing apparently helps with creativity.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I don’t do much reading these days. The ‘authors’ I read today are called ‘reporters’ and ‘columnists’. Nonetheless, I grew up a sci-fi junkie. My writing is inspired by the ills of society, and the bright corrective visions I have. I’m striving to make right what once went wrong… Wait, sorry – that’s from Quantum Leap.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Eons from now, humanity has spread throughout the Universe to its very ends, quelling every last star system. But the introduction of a prophesized wildcard puts all utopia on edge. Enter Final Gamer is a pop-culture-driven tale of Science Fiction and High Drama, with even higher stakes.

“…life was purely what people made of it, without the distraction of potent, random influences. It’d been the endless, shining, gleaming, flashing interior of a pinball machine; all glitz and glamour: one without a nefarious pinball banging around, cracking the inlays and wearing out the bumpers… that life was taken from everyone when the Final Gamer entered the scene.”

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John Robert Cameron’s Website

John Robert Cameron Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Lucille J. Knight

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in the state of Alaska and lived there for almost 20 years. I currently live in Missouri with my husband and our two Australian Shepherds, Ham and Bean. Okay fine, it’s only fair I mention the lazy house cats, Scooter and Ziggy, too!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
The first book I remember really loving was Dragonheart by Charles Edward Pogue (there’s a movie by the same name) when I was about 9 years old. I used to sleep with it under my pillow, I carried it in my school bag everywhere I went. My mom had always read to me growing up, a chapter or story before bed was customary, but Dragonheart was the first one I read on my own. Not long later I fell in love with Star Wars and became a voracious reader. Even into adulthood my mom and I still read together, except it was me reading to her.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’ve read a lot of Star Wars books (less so in recent years). My early writing was heavily influenced by Star Wars. I was reading adult level fiction in grade school because I just couldn’t get enough Star Wars! As I matured I broadened my tastes, discovered J.R.R. Tolkien and had my mind blown. Tolkien has been another huge influence to my writing, alongside Mercedes Lackey, Kevin J. Anderson, and Robert Jordan. Despite being a die hard Star Wars fan, my favorite genre is Fantasy and Paranormal. I’m not sure I could ever wholly jump into Science Fiction, though I do have an appreciation for it!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My debut novel is Hexen Blood: Damnation. It’s a sensual, action-filled, adult book set in England at the turn of the 19th century. The premise is a classic “vampire meets girl” with a twist in that the girl, Eve, isn’t as ordinary as she thinks. There’s something supernatural about her that even a centuries old vampire like Alucard can’t easily figure out.

When I started writing it I didn’t have much of a plot in mind. I began with a stormy scene, a wounded vampire, and a naïve young woman; the story evolved from there! At one point I had to take a pause to figure out the end goal, which lead to me going back to the beginning and adding about four chapters worth of content to better flesh out the overall story. I wanted to make sure that I built a foundation for Alucard and Eve to trust one another before launching into the main plot.

Depicting their different kinds of strength was important to me as well. Eve is demure and a bit of a push over at first, but she has a power with words and presence, she understands people, and as her supernatural abilities develop her insight becomes sharper as well. Alucard on the other hand is physically strong. He too has presence but it’s the sort that covers your heart with sheer terror, contrasting Eve’s more subtle, womanly aura. There are situations where Alucard’s brute force is necessary and other times when Eve’s gentleness prevail.

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Lucille J. Knight’s Website

Lucille J. Knight Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Lucille J. Knight

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in the state of Alaska and lived there for almost 20 years. I currently live in Missouri with my husband and our two Australian Shepherds, Ham and Bean. Okay fine, it’s only fair I mention the lazy house cats, Scooter and Ziggy, too!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
The first book I remember really loving was Dragonheart by Charles Edward Pogue (there’s a movie by the same name) when I was about 9 years old. I used to sleep with it under my pillow, I carried it in my school bag everywhere I went. My mom had always read to me growing up, a chapter or story before bed was customary, but Dragonheart was the first one I read on my own. Not long later I fell in love with Star Wars and became a voracious reader. Even into adulthood my mom and I still read together, except it was me reading to her.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’ve read a lot of Star Wars books (less so in recent years). My early writing was heavily influenced by Star Wars. I was reading adult level fiction in grade school because I just couldn’t get enough Star Wars! As I matured I broadened my tastes, discovered J.R.R. Tolkien and had my mind blown. Tolkien has been another huge influence to my writing, alongside Mercedes Lackey, Kevin J. Anderson, and Robert Jordan. Despite being a die hard Star Wars fan, my favorite genre is Fantasy and Paranormal. I’m not sure I could ever wholly jump into Science Fiction, though I do have an appreciation for it!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My debut novel is Hexen Blood: Damnation. It’s a sensual, action-filled, adult book set in England at the turn of the 19th century. The premise is a classic “vampire meets girl” with a twist in that the girl, Eve, isn’t as ordinary as she thinks. There’s something supernatural about her that even a centuries old vampire like Alucard can’t easily figure out.

When I started writing it I didn’t have much of a plot in mind. I began with a stormy scene, a wounded vampire, and a naïve young woman; the story evolved from there! At one point I had to take a pause to figure out the end goal, which lead to me going back to the beginning and adding about four chapters worth of content to better flesh out the overall story. I wanted to make sure that I built a foundation for Alucard and Eve to trust one another before launching into the main plot.

Depicting their different kinds of strength was important to me as well. Eve is demure and a bit of a push over at first, but she has a power with words and presence, she understands people, and as her supernatural abilities develop her insight becomes sharper as well. Alucard on the other hand is physically strong. He too has presence but it’s the sort that covers your heart with sheer terror, contrasting Eve’s more subtle, womanly aura. There are situations where Alucard’s brute force is necessary and other times when Eve’s gentleness prevail.

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Lucille J. Knight’s Website

Lucille J. Knight Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Clinton C.

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a committed Christian and A lover of the word of God. I have been a board member of J & Cli Links Consultancy Firm Ltd for over ten years. I have worked with Pastors, Leader of non-denominational Fellowships, Missionaries and other members of the Church Community to hold Church Services, Special Programs as well as organize Rural Rugged Evangelism Outreaches. Working with some of these people years ago, two Churches have been planted in two different Communities.
I have a Bachelor degree in Pharmacy and have also taken a certified short course from London school of Hygiene.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved books but I did not think of writing until I was about twelve. About then, an Uncle of mine published a pamphlet which showed me that I could do so too. Amusingly I just knew then, it would have to be a future ambition. So, the idea was kept for the future until it could no longer be kept. Consequently, about a year two months ago, my first book was published.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
So many Authors and books have influenced me over the years but I will mentions a few: Rick Joyner -the Final Quest, Rebecca Brown -the Unbroken Curses, He came to set the captives free. I have also been influenced by people who are writers of some sort but not regular authors; for example my Pastors and several Ministers that I have sat under.
Presently, I read Christian non-fiction.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My Latest book is titled “Dealing with Satanic Subtlety and Strategies” and it was inspired by real life experiences. In my walk with God I have seen the enemy at work against people –both in my life and in the lives of others. I have also seen the power of God intervene and variously set people-including people close – free; this happens in both the natural way as well as in the certain circumstances of spiritual encounters that make our natural lives seem so mundane. The power and place of prayers in all these was also inspiring in the writing of the book and other books that are to be published soon.

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Clinton C. Twitter Account

Featured Interview With C.R. Hurst

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in southern PA and lived there most of my life until my husband and I retired early and moved to the mountains of North Carolina. We have one pet, a tuxedo cat called Miss Molly that I rescued from an animal shelter years ago.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I can’t remember the age, but I do remember the first book that I loved, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine LEngle. I started writing when I was in college, mostly short fiction and poetry, but I didn’t publish much until after my retirement from teaching. I guess that shows we are never too old to return to an earlier passion!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I really don’t have a favorite author, but I do love those who write well, who develop a fluid prose style as well as craft an entertaining story. I read many genres, from classic sci-fi to memoirs to historical fiction. Again, the how is more important to me than the what. Any author who has a distinctive style I will read.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest published book is the final installment of my Jane Digby’s Diary series called White Lady. The series is written as a fictional diary about Jane Digby, a 19th century English aristocrat who led a unconventional life and traveled the world in search of freedom and true love. The entire four-part series took me nearly five years to write.

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C.R. Hurst’s Website

C.R. Hurst Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Theo Faurez

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Theo Faurez is the pseudonym of Paul-Dominique Masiclat, o.p., a friar of the Dominican Order (aka Order of Preachers, aka Blackfriars) in France. Currently based in Sweden, he has lived in several countries in Asia, Europe and North America, and still travels extensively.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Books became my passion at a young age, not just reading but writing. I can recall making up new adventures for the characters of my favourite books, for example Babar the Elephant and Tommy Turtle. I began writing short stories at 13 or 14 using characters from television series – what would be called fan fiction. I joined a book club and would read just about anything. The book club helped me to branch out into history, books on nature, dinosaurs of course, and biographies.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
The first Agatha Christie I ever read hooked me for life on the murder mystery genre. My interest in ancient history, especially that of the Roman Empire, also grew at this time, and I taught myself Latin. Then I discovered the authors who married ancient Rome with murder: J. Maddox Roberts, Steven Saylor, Lindsey Davis, R. Magrì, Danila Comastri Montanaro and others. Their work has been a beacon. Other writers who’ve taught me about the crime genre are John LeCarré, P.D. James, Ian Ranklin, Robert Galbraith, Anthony Horowitz.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Rome already had its detectives, I wanted to diversify. I chose the Greek-speaking sphere, namely the city of Antioch, the proud, prosperous, decadent capital of the eastern Roman Empire. The sleuth (ancient Rome had no police force, much less the notion of a detective) is Captain Antonius Sabas, a Syrian Greek with Roman citizenship who patrols the city for fires and, by extension, criminals. In this first novel, he is called to the scene of an attack in broad daylight. Is it banditry or premeditated murder? Faithful to the classic “rules” of the whodunit, the reader is given all the clues. Captain Sabas uses physical clues and rational deduction to find the murderer – no internet or forensics doing the thinking for him! I also wanted to plunge the reader into another time and culture, guided as much as possible by verisimilitude to bring the Roman Empire to life. Thus the characters are somewhat alien in their mindset, share our common humanity, but without the ideologies or neuroses of 21st-century society! All my writing was done in my spare time, some of it in English, some of it in French. What with other jobs and responsibilities, it took me nearly a decade to complete this one. The next one won’t take as long, rest assured!

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Featured Interview With Teresa Vale

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Mozambique in the sixties and lived there until I was twelve, but the revolution and regime change in Portugal that led to Mozambican independence, as well as the civil unrest that followed, forced me and my family to leave Africa for good. I’ve lived in Lisbon, Portugal, with my family, ever since.
I pursued an executive career in the financial area but have always loved to write. For a few years now I’ve run the blog The Many Stories of a Woman. At this point in my life I have many stories to tell – stories lived and shared… And all these memories of places I love, music that moves me, books that have inspired me. These are a few of the reasons I began writing.
I love going to the beach and spending time with my sons and my friends. And, like most Portuguese, I would be entirely unable to exist without my cup of espresso!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My love of books reaches far into my earliest memories, with Granny and Mom reading bedtime stories to me. Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” was a huge favorite. As soon as I was able to read and write I began my attempts at storytelling and journaling, even tried to draw comics. In my mid-teens, other concerns took precedence: mostly juggling the demands of a social life and the pressures of school work and all the expectations around it. Later on came a marriage, a career, and children, which all proved extremely time-consuming. Only in my fifties did I resume the habit of writing. I tentatively began a memoir which then became my first novel. At the same time, I started blogging, publishing small, fictionalized vignettes about real life, about struggles and victories shared by women I knew or admired, and of course my own.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I would only mention a few. Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Emily Brontë, Barbara Erskine, Juliet Marillier, Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Joanne Harris… regarding genres, I would say historical fiction and non-fiction, fantasy and nordic thrillers.

All the authors I admire have influenced and motivated me in some way, but life itself, with all its nuance and complexity has proved the greatest inspiration behind every word that ends up on the page.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I have recently published my first book, “Love Secrets Lies”.
Teresa, the protagonist, is a young woman born in Africa, where she had begun to dream of love, and felt her heart racing for the first time. As a colonial dictatorship falls in the cold, distant land of Portugal, Teresa’s country gains independence. Danger mounts, and Teresa’s family are forced to flee Mozambique, danger champing at their heels.

Her childhood paradise is gone. She plunges into a wintry landscape of wan faces and gray apartment blocks. On the first day of school she wears green sneakers to school and her classmates jeer. Teresa feels out of place, and realizes she must adapt to a new, alien environment.

But even here romance can thrive. Girls her age share her fancies and expectations. First, Teresa sings the praises of her imaginary boyfriend, Fernando, the tall basketball player she left behind in Mozambique, who is too busy to write to her.

But fantasies fall away. From party to party Teresa makes new friends and learns the new taboos that surround her while her grandparents scrutinize her life, imposing rules and fears she finds unfair and outdated. She’s not supposed to go anywhere without adult supervision. Heavens forbid Teresa’s grandparents even suspect she dreams of romance!

One after another come the Princes Uncharming, the Knights of Broken Armor: Mendonça the Field Test, Rui the Indecisive, Paulo the Almost-Perfect and Diogo, the Riding Coach, a man with soul ablaze, whose flames Teresa is ill-equipped to extinguish.

Each one of them asks for more than she can give, demanding her freedom, pieces of her being. Time and again Teresa must decide whether to surrender — to grandparents, friends, boyfriends — or say “No”, regardless of the personal cost.

From tropical Mozambique to drab, 1970s Lisbon, from the golden beaches of Durban to five-star holidays in verdant, mountainous Madeira, and even the Moroccan Kasbah, Teresa makes mistakes, stumbles and falls, and picks herself up again.

She tries to forge her own path in a country that struggles to emerge from fear and taboo, evade her grandparents’ unrelenting surveillance, and negotiate the terms of her involvement with the boys that come into her orbit. That’s not always easy, and sometimes her insecurity gets in the way, exacting a heavy toll. “Love Secrets Lies” is not a daydream about teenage crushes; it is the story of a woman in the making.

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Featured Interview With Richard R Becker

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised by my grandparents in Milwaukee, Wisconsin after my father was killed in a car accident. They were poor and my grandmother suffered with cancer. Just before she died, I was relocated to live with my mother and her new family in Burnsville, Minnesota, and later Las Vegas. I left Las Vegas to attend school, but fate led me back. I don’t have any pets because my daughter is a travel softball player, but I’m pretty sure I will have a dog someday.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
While I was always a storyteller, I wasn’t always a writer. I was more of an artist. I told stories with drawings and struggled as a reader. Things started to change in junior high school when my reading teacher introduced me to Dune by Frank Herbert because I aced my book report by picking the thinnest book in the library. It was in junior high that I also started writing some poetry and wrote a serial for the school newspaper. Aside from that, it wasn’t until college that I learned to write well.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
At first, I started reading John Jakes and Sidney Sheldon because they were on my mother’s bookshelves, but then I discovered J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Brooks, Lloyd Alexander, and Roger Zelazny. By high school, I felt like I cheated myself somehow and started reading all the classics I had missed in between science fiction and horror novels. Nowadays, my reading is eclectic like my writing. I do have an affinity for Hemmingway and Updike, but I’m told my style is more like a mix between David Baldacci and Heather Graham.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
50 States is a debut collection of 50 short stories that take place across the American landscape over the last 60 years — the kind and the cruel, the heroic and the criminal. Each story is set in a different state. This idea originally evolved out of a project to write 50 stories in 50 weeks.

While there is no set genre, all of the stories are character-driven. There is a farmer who is snapped out of his self-imposed reclusive prison, an alcoholic vigilante, a secret witness protection enrollee, a man gifted with the ability to see alternate destinies, and a few runaways. Most, though, are people like those you meet every day, with secret joys or pains that we never notice.

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Featured Interview With Jori Aguilar Sams

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
When I write, I have a chance to give back what’s been invested in me. Spiced with a past that has led me to live in states all over the US, I’ve also lived in four different countries across Europe. This has supplied me with a palette full of colors…and plenty of writing material! So come and explore my mind and look at life through my lens.

Create. Inspire. Repeat!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was a sickly kid. Oh, so sickly! From age 10, writing was an outlet and my therapy. I started with poetry and advanced to short stories and little diddies. By the time I was 14, I wrote a script about a bike racer. Don’t ask me where it is! I’ve moved so many times, I’ve had to leave my past behind…

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My literary interests stretch across a wide spectrum. I like real heady stuff and have a great interest in Theology, so I read and write a lot of Bible studies and scholarly stuff. I’m greatly inspired but two of the greatest thinkers I have come across, Arthur Custance and Oswald Chambers. As far as non-fiction goes, I love Tolstoy. He was a legend. And Dickens for his ability to reach out to the working class.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I’ve set out to write a new series called Making Waves with the first book Making Waves on the Aegean. This story came about when I told some friends over dinner one night about my adventures living on a sailboat in the Greek Isles. I was supposed to be teaching people how to sail, but instead…I was just making waves!

My friends loved the story and told me I needed to write a book about it.

So I did!

I have other books too, with new releases coming out every few months. In 2021, I released four books and I have another one dropping in a couple of months, so if you love books, come explore my mind!

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