Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Sari Fordham

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My family moved to Uganda when I was young, and I lived there during and after the dictatorship of Idi Amin. I now live in Riverside, California, and we have two rescue dogs.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I came into writing as a reader. I would hide books under my desk in class, read when I got home from school. I even read obsessively when we visited my mother’s family in Finland. I remember driving through Turku and my mother telling me, “Look up occasionally. Who knows when will we be back in Finland?” and I was think and ‘Who knows when I’ll have a chance to read this book again?’

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love reading literary fiction and nonfiction. Some recent books that I have loved include, “Girl, Woman, Other” by Bernardine Evaristo; Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi; Made in China by Amelia Pang; and The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper.

I’m inspired by all the writers who show up every day to observe the world as honestly as possible.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My memoir WAIT FOR GOD TO NOTICE narrates my childhood in Uganda. I grew up in a house surrounded by jungle and we often saw mambas, driver ants, monkeys, and genets. The political situation was often violent and at one point, our family was under house arrest. Flash forward 10 years and my sister Sonja and I are teenagers living in America and we think our mother is scared of everything. She doesn’t drive and she is worried about strangers shooting us. I am embarrassed, as one is. When I’m in my twenties, however, she dies and I’m not sure what to do. In my memoir, I return to our shared history in Uganda, partly as a way to consider what home is and partly in an attempt to better understand my complex mother.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Sari Fordham’s Website

Sari Fordham Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Karen A. Wyle

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in a few different places: in Connecticut, in two different suburbs of Hartford; in Palo Alto, CA; and in Los Angeles. I now live, and have lived for more than thirty years, in semirural Monroe County, Indiana, between two small dots on the map. We had a “Heinz 57” mutt for thirteen years, but lost her around three years ago. We hope to get a golden retriever puppy soon.

I’ve been, roughly in order (though some of these phases overlap), a would-be novelist; a poet; a lawyer; a photographer; a mother; a novelist; and an author of picture books.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading at around age six, and quickly became a compulsive reader. I began writing “books” (very short handwritten texts, bound in cardboard) at age eight, and poetry then or a little earlier. I attempted a novel at age ten, and again at age fourteen. I returned to writing novels in my mid-fifties (in 2010). By then, Amazon, ebooks, and a more practical form of self-publishing allowed me to realize my childhood ambition.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I will inevitably forget some of my favorite authors, but they currently include Lois McMaster Bujold; Grace Burrowes; Jane Austen; George Eliot; Becky Chambers; Naomi Novik; and M.C.A. Hogarth.

After reading mostly science fiction for many years, I’ve more recently branched out into historical romance, fantasy (though not the epic sort), and historical mysteries. I dabble in other genres, including contemporary romance and biography.

I would guess that every author whose books I finish inspires me in some way. The first to do so was probably Walter Farley — hence my cardboard-covered series about a black stallion (named Collybird). Both George Eliot and contemporary YA author Caroline Cooney impressed me with their unflinching focus on how irrevocable mistakes can be. Mary Doria Russell, during her brief career as a SF author (before turning to her excellent historical fiction), showed me just how much a science fiction author could do with the human condition. Much more recently, M.C.A. Hogarth has shown me how a set of connected series can create and flesh out a fictional universe.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I’m between two book releases right now, so I’ll briefly describe both.

What Shows the Heart, released July 15, 2021, is the third book in my Cowbird Creek historical romance series, set in 1870s Nebraska. It can be read as a stand-alone, although readers familiar with the series will encounter some old friends. Here’s the teaser:

After Jake, son and grandson of preachers, tried and failed to protect Mamie from small town cruelty, Mamie left their small town to fend for herself. Neither expected to see each other again. Now, many years later, Jake is a bitter man with little beside regrets, and Mamie, after much struggle and hazard, runs the thriving parlor house in Cowbird Creek. Can they make a future together, or will the shadow of Jake’s past overtake them both?

I wrote the rough draft in just under thirty days during National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo) — which is how I write all my novel-length rough drafts. I put it away for a month and then revised and edited it for six, benefiting greatly toward the end of that time from the input of several beta readers. I should perhaps, given the presence of a madam, say (to the relief of some and the disappointment of others) that while there are sexual encounters in the book, none are prolonged or explicit.

Coming out next, in just a few days, is my first picture book(!), You Can’t Kiss A Bubble, delightfully illustrated by Siski Kalla. I started writing picture books many years ago, while pregnant with my older daughter, but am only now finding illustrators and bringing them to life. Using simple words, and a mixture of silly imagined scenes and more realistic ones, this book looks at both the charm and the transitory nature of bubbles, and helps its young audience appreciate how we can take joy even in the impermanent. Children can giggle at a little girl bringing a bubble to a friend’s house or taking it for a walk, complete with leash, through the streets of her town. Then they can lose themselves in the lovely settings showing children enjoying bubbles for what they are.

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Karen A. Wyle’s Website

Karen A. Wyle Facebook Page

Karen A. Wyle Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Mary Camarillo

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. My father worked in aerospace and was transferred to Southern California when I was fourteen. After high school, I went to work for the post office. It might be genetic–both her grandfathers were railway mail clerks. I sorted mail, sold stamps, worked in the accounting office, went to night school, and earned a degree in business administration, than spent nights and weekends sitting at my kitchen table, studying and passing exams to become a Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Public Accountant.

I live in Huntington Beach, California with my husband who plays ukulele and their terrorist cat, Riley who has his own Instagram page.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always been a voracious reader. I was the kid who checked out as many books as possible from the library. In high school I wrote poetry and edited the literary magazine. I thought about a career in journalism but unfortunately let a sour teacher convince me otherwise. I started writing fiction just before I retired from the Postal Service. I took classes at local colleges, joined writing groups, went to writing conferences, and worked on my own. My short stories and poems haven been published in journals such as Lunch Ticket, Sonora Review, 166 Palms and The Ear.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read widely. One of my favorite authors in Elizabeth Strout. I love her character Olive Kitteridge and I love the form of linked short stories, such as Louise Erdich’s “Love Medicine,” Anne Sanow’s “Triple Time,” and Julie Zuckerman’s “The Book of Jeremiah.” Susan Straight is a huge inspiration in my writing because she is a master of writing about Southern California. She is the award-winning author of the memoir “In the Country of Women,” eight novels and two children’s books. She’s also a teacher at UC Riverside and curates a fence garden bookstore.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My debut novel “The Lockhart Women” was published in June of this year by She Writes Press. It’s about a family, living beyond it’s means in Huntington Beach, California in the 1990’s. Frank Lockhart is a postal employee, Brenda Lockhart is a gorgeous, stay-at-home mom, Peggy Lockhart has just graduated high school and dreams of university, and Allison Lockhart is in love with a golden surfer boy.

Frank Lockhart announces he’s leaving Brenda on the night of O. J. Simpson’s slow speed chase through Southern California, June 17, 1994. He’s in love with another women, an older (and in Brenda’s opinion) much less attractive coworker. Brenda’s never worked outside the home. She needs to look for a job. Instead, she turns on the television and gets hooked on the Simpson trials. She’s convinced Simpson is innocent. Meanwhile, her two teenage daughters are busy making their own bad decisions about lovers and crime.

I started writing this novel about six years ago. I was always fascinated by women who would tell me they wished they’d waited to get married and start a family, because they felt like they’d missed out on life. I wanted to explore choices and regrets. Everyone has them. And I thought the Simpson trial would make an interesting background to a family drama. The book is not about OJ Simpson or whether or not he was guilty. The Simpson trial is simply the soundtrack.

June of 1994 was a critical point in American television. Helicopters were just being used to capture news. Reality television was in its infancy. For the first time during the Simpson trial, cameras were allowed in the courtroom, pre-empting cartoons and soap operas. And this was also America’s introduction to the Kardashian family.

The Lockhart Women has received wonderful endorsements and reviews. Kirkus Reviews said, “A family is thrown into chaos in 1990s Southern California in Camarillo’s debut…and the novel’s ending is a satisfying one. An emotional portrait of three women dealing unexpected change.”

Richard Bausch, award-winning author of nine story collections and twelve novels including “Peace” and “Hello to the Cannibals,“ called the prose “lively, companionable, and quite satisfyingly observant in ways that surprise and delight.”

Susan Straight described The Lockhart Women as “deeply and thoroughly Southern Californian, in all the perfectly detailed cities and streets and, of course, freeways, but also in the evocation of its time – the 1990s. These women are vivid portraits – flawed and desperate and seeking redemption.”

And Eduardo Santiago, award-winning author of “Tomorrow They Will Kiss” and “Midnight Rhumba,” said it was “Unputdownable.”

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Mary Camarillo’s Website

Mary Camarillo Facebook Page

Mary Camarillo Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Michael G

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a 16-year veteran of the banking industry starting right out of college. I was born and raised in New Jersey near New York City. I currently reside in South Florida. I have never had any pets. Accidently killing my hermit crab when I was a kid gave me an inkling I wasn’t set out to be a pet owner.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have never been fascinated with books. It was always a struggle to get through my summer reading during my schooling years. I have always had a fascination with learning, self-educating, and personal improvement. I tended to read any self-help article and countless internet articles with lots of fun information. I always enjoyed writing for school and wrote some articles over the years, but this was the first time I attempted and completed a full-length novel.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
?* I’ve always gravitated towards self-help books and as a natural introvert and coming from a worrier family, the two books that have influenced me the most were Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.” I probably read these books 15-20 years ago, but I still sometimes stop and think about the important life lessons these books taught me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I started in the banking industry right out of college in 2005, and the financial crisis hit in 2008. After that traumatic period passed, I envisioned my future self spending time in a small Italian village, sitting on the balcony writing a memoir about the crisis. It turns out life has different plans; as I worked from home during the Covid-19 pandemic with way too much free time on my hands, I decided that instead of writing a memoir in the future, I’d write a fictionalized version of events that may or may not have occurred. Here’s the essence of what you’ll find in the book.

In a world where success is defined by flashy cars, designer clothes, and bank balance, where profit is everything, and ruthless executives call the shots—anything is possible. Ethical and naïve, Jacob Gilbert is thrown into a pool of greed and shady business dealings as he enters his first year in banking. Surrounded by cutthroat associates who will stop at nothing to please their bosses, he languishes at the bottom of the stack ranking charts. How can he turn his career into a success while maintaining his soul? After another unsuccessful quarter, Jacob heads to Brazil to visit Rodrigo, a college buddy. Rodrigo suggests a business proposition that may turn Jacobs’s career around. But is it ethical? Will it lead to success? When the 2008 financial market crashes, the bank falls apart, and some of Jacob’s colleagues are hauled off for questioning. Caught in a web of international financial dealings, will Jacob and Rodrigo go up in flames as the US banking world explodes?

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Michael G’s Website

Michael G Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Dulee Paranavitana

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Dulee Paranavitana is the author of several books. Dulee’s first book, My Musings, was published in 2019 and is available on Amazon, while paperback copies are available in stores in Sri Lanka. Dulee has gone on to write and self-publish several works via the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing platform. Some of her works include Ripples and Echoes, Jungle Jaunts and Laugh-Out- Lyrics. Jungle Jaunts is a work of fiction based on stories told by my grandfather. My Musings, Ripples and Echoes and Laugh-Out-Lyrics are all works of poetry.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
At the age of 10 I discovered my love for writing! At the age of 17 is when I started writing

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
J.K Rowling

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Damian, an average middle grader, discovers his elvish heritage when he meets Lady Rachel, his aunt, who happens to turn his bike into a stallion to summon him to her castle. At Lady Rachel’s palace Midwood, Damian discovers a world of magic, from the wood’s heart to the fay tree. He stumbles across marvellous things he never thought he would. But, everything is not as it should be. While Damian is on his way home, he notices that the wood is on fire, and Lady Rachel comes and puts it out with the dryads’ help.

While back at home, Damian’s neighbour is holding a mermaid prisoner in his pond. Damian plans on helping the mermaid escape. But he has no idea how to do it. His grandmother, who happens to be an enchantress herself, comes visiting from whom Damian begins to learn simple magic tricks. Meanwhile, Damian rescues the mermaid with the help of Lady Rachel and his grandmother.

His stepfather is acting odd, and Damian feels that he is up to something. When Damian’s mother’s diamond goes missing, Damian suspects his stepdad. One night, he awakens to the sound of his stepfather leaving the house and follows him to the museum, where he sees him stealing something. Damian sets off the alarms. He lets Lady Rachel know of what is going on, and they figure out that Damian’s stepfather is an elf banished long ago from the elven kingdom.

When Damian is finally summoned to the elven kingdom by his real dad, who happens to be the king, Damian is chosen as the dragon lord by a magical diadem. Together with his father, Damian sets off to the kingdom of the dwarfs, where the most powerful dragon dwells.

Damian’s stepfather gets there before them and summons the dragon with the help of the diamond he stole from Damian’s mom. The dragon isn’t fooled and speaks to Damian telepathically and, together with the help of the dragon, puts an end to his stepfather’s scheme of destroying the elven kingdom.

Damian and his dad go back to the elven kingdom. His dad gives up the throne to Lady Rachel and comes to live with Damian and Damian’s mom.

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Featured Interview With Constantine Dhonau

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
In 8th grade, I started a myspace-official religion (thank you to our 121 dedicated followers). I picked up trombone after my ska/punk band broke-up in high school. Florida sucked me back in and I became depressed after blowing-out my knee on a 52-day backpacking trip in Colorado because I thought I blew my only chance at realizing my dream by just trying to chase after it. Someone planted the idea in my head to pick-up skydiving as a hobby in college. 8 years later, I jumped out of an airplane solo after watching a man break his leg on landing right before it was my turn to fly. I’m terrible at cooking. After 3 & 1/2 years as a wilderness therapy field guide, my roommate and I woke up one morning and decided to start a high-end catering company. Life is good & I’m satisfied with myself.

All that aside, I like tea. I’m a homebody and a space/tech nerd. I’m becoming increasingly attracted to Daoism. I’m working on letting go of fixed plans and surrendering to the current of life.

“Collateral Intentions” is my first-ever publication into official authorhood. I am currently working diligently on another project with plans for a 12-book…series?…not exactly, but something of the like, at some time in the future. Gotta let it percolate.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Hate to break it to you but I’m not that much of a reader. Every so often I’ll pick something up and go on a streak but they’re few and far between.

I started writing around 17 years-old because of a girl. She was fascinating to me at the time, as weird as I was, and she walked away from me after a mental romance of a month and a half. Writing became my method of emotional processing. Looking back, its easy to say I was a pretty depressive teen with a bad outlook on things but that’s just the arena where I brought most of my problems.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I lean heavily toward non-fiction. Fiction, I go sci-fi dystopia. Margaret Cheney did a splendid job portraying the life of Nikola Tesla in “Man Out of Time”.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Collateral Intentions” is a comprehensive collection of my writing from 17 to 28 years-old.

Yes, it has teen angst & cringe.
Yes, it has smile-back-at-that-moment coming-of-age.
Yes, it has letters to unrequited love.
Yes, it has knee-cracking, tear-extracting, mind-blasting, stomach-stirring rawness.
No, it does not have the answer to your problems.

T’was inspired by a desire to put together a book of selected works to read to my students in the field while I was a wilderness therapy guide. I made a small booklet with a few originals and many other established works. It was a fun process creating it (stirring a deep satisfaction to organize and agonize over the most minute details night after sleepless night, cursing the dawn as a landmark of time passing beyond what I could accomplish within “reason”). So, I decided to continue (how insatiable was the urge) and create a larger collection by combing through my dozen journals. Some friends caught wind of my side-project (whole-hearted obsession) that I started so I could have all my writing in one place and they began asking after it. I gave away manuscripts for the cost of printing. At some point, someone teased me about publishing. “PFEH!” I would say. “HA!” I would scoff. “HRNGH!” I would grumble. Then, after sifting through many-a-scam-site, I decided I would self-publish with Overlord Bezos.

Now, I’m like…submitting it to book contests & $h!*. Who’da thunk?

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Featured Interview With JC Compton

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am French and American. I was born and grew up on the coasts of France. We lived in an American household, so we had plenty of classic books in English at home, but I also loved the French classic authors we read in school, such as Victor Hugo, Baudelaire, Emile Zola. I then studied in Montreal, Canada, for 4 years, earning a degree in East Asian Studies and History (subjects I am very passionate about), then moved to the USA to pursue a career as a writer.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I know that I could read fluently by the age of 4, though I don’t remember how I learned. I was that kid who borrowed the maximum number of books at the public library and the school library each week, not only fiction but also encyclopedias about plants and animals. I started writing in elementary school. Despite loving to read and write, my handwriting was atrocious, and my teachers would make me tear out and rewrite pages from my notebooks up until high school!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite genre to read is dark fantasy, but I also enjoy fantasy, mystery, paranormal romance, romance, and philosophy. My favorite authors are Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Edgar Allan Poe, Anne Rice, Stephen King, George Orwell, and so many others!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, Undertakers Inc., is a vampire romance and mystery story set in Victorian London with a twist: all the main characters are antisocial vampires, who, rather than seek to rise in the vampire society and claim the places they are offered, fight instead for the right to live humble lives – the lives they want. Tim, the main character, is a dark and pessimistic young man who has lost all his family. He begins to work for an undertaker business in the East End of London, without knowing it is run by a high-ranking but very antisocial vampire. As he enters the vampire world, he finds love with a vampire named Cyril, and begins to come back to life. But everything changes when he suddenly becomes a vampire “naturally” – without being bitten – and finds out he is the son of one of the most powerful vampires in England, and he belongs to an ultra-dominant clan. He goes to the vampire court of England and is reunited with his late sister – also a vampire now – and she too struggles to find her place between their narcissistic, power-hungry father, and her own desire to be free with the vampire she loves. This is the story of many characters thrown into a dangerous and unforgiving world, and each one finds the path to their own happiness, whatever it looks like for them.

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JC Compton Facebook Page

JC Compton Twitter Account

If you enjoyed this writer’s interview, check out our Featured Authors page. We have some of the best authors to learn about. They are just waiting for you to discover them. If you enjoyed this writer’s interview feel free to share it using the buttons below. Sharing is caring! If you are an author and want to get exposure to new readers submit your book to our book promotion service.

Featured Interview With Brooke Jones

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born and raised in and around Manhattan, author, Los Angeles and San Francisco Radio Personality and Political Satirist, Brooke Jones, never liked cold, wet, snowy weather so, at the age of 18, she left New York and moved to…Chicago, where she quickly discovered that NY’s version of cold, wet, snowy weather was downright tropical when compared to what life along the banks of Lake Michigan had to offer in December, or January, or February! (and if that sentence were any longer, it would be on Death Row!)

In the early Summer of 1973, while Richard Nixon and his BFFs were being publicly autopsied for all the world to see (“Must Watch TV”, to be sure!), Ms. Jones went about as far west as the continental US would allow, settling in San Francisco…and a good time was had by all!…until…she died! You can read all about it in her Memoir “WHY ARE THERE MONKEYS? (and other questions for God)”.

After returning to the “Land Of The Living”, Jones migrated south to Los Angeles, where she continued the Radio career she had begun in SF, and started her career as a Political Satirist. Her morning radio show, “Brooke Jones & The Morning Muse” — “Political Satire For The Deeply Twisted” — became a hit! Newspapers wrote about her. Columnists quoted here. Johnny Carson invited her to be a guest of The Tonight Show! (and that’s a story unto itself…but it will have to be told at another time).

After a long and thoroughly annoying battle with Breast Cancer — a battle that cost Jones what she shamelessly refers to as her “Bodacious TaTa’s” (had you known them, you would have called them that yourself!) — she is now Cancer-free (boobless, but Cancer-free).

These days, Jones resides in the Hinterlands of the Pacific Northwest, along with a menagerie of lovely creatures of both the 2-legged and 4-legged persuasion. When she isn’t working on her next book, she’s designing deeply twisted cards for her company, “CardBard Greetings” (available online at THE CARD OUTLET — zazzle.com/thecardoutlet); writing articles for her Blog, “What If?” (whatif.blog); or creating Memes for Camp Meme-A-Day (Facebook.com/@CampMemeaDay), she’s giving interviews about her bizarre Near-Death Experience and the Memoir it inspired, “WHY ARE THERE MONKEYS? (and other questions for God)”.

If you’re interested in learning more about Brooke Jones, the self-proclaimed “Gypsy Crone Queen of Snarklandia”, you’re invited to visit her website, www.WrittenByBrookeJones.com where you’ll find a short video (“HerStory”) about her career in radio; a brief Video/Audio sample of her book; her book’s Trailer, and a few other amusing items. If what you find there doesn’t cause you to run SCREAMING into the night, the author invites you to contact her, via the Contact Form on her website.

Jones donates a portion of EVERY sale (of her CardBard Greeting Cards and her Memoir) to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I began reading at the tender of age 3, and my writing career began shortly thereafter.

During the first week of 5th grade, my class was given an assignment: Choose one author and read everything that author ever wrote. In the final weeks of 5th grade, we received one more assignment: Rewrite the Nursery Rhyme of your choice in the style of the author you chose to read at the beginning of the school year.

I was, what — 10 years old? — and I had chosen to spend 5th grade reading everything ever written by…Edgar Allen Poe. (yes, I was a strange child!) So…I chose to rewrite “Hickory, Dickory, Dock”, in the style of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall Of The House Of Usher”! Okay, yes, I was a very strange child, but I’m not, anymore! No, I’m not, for I am now a very strange adult!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
When I’m not writing, I am a voracious reader. While undergoing Chemotherapy, (for 18 months! Yikes!) I read a minimum of 3 books a week. (Hey, when going through the kind of Chemo they put me through, my daily activities were rather limited — I was either sticking my head in the toilet or in a book. I much preferred the book!)

While I prefer Biographies, History or Historical Novels, I love authors who use language in a way that makes me jealous of their skills, or who can tell a story in a way that makes me unable to stop reading it. You want a few examples? Okay, here are a few: Mark Twain, Sir Terry Prachet, Steven Paul Levia, Tom Robbins, Ray Bradbury, Terrence Newman and Roland Merullo.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“WHY ARE THERE MONKEYS? (and other questions for God)” is the absolutely TRUE, profoundly INSPIRATIONAL, laugh-out-loud FUNNY story of my Near-Death Question and Answer Session with God — and I know it really happened because I was given PROOF that no one could deny! If you think a conversation with God couldn’t possibly be FUNNY, you’re in for a BIG surprise!

The feedback from readers has been AMAZING, and the reviews have been great (the author said, humbly). Here’s just one example: The U.S. Review of Books called it: “HYSTERICALLY WITTY…NOT TO BE MISSED!” (and who am I to disagree?)

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Brooke Jones’s Website

Brooke Jones Facebook Page

Brooke Jones Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Akhin Abraham

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Madhya Pradesh. It’s from North India and then we shifted to Dubai for a while. After a couple years, we decided to move back to India again and so we’re now in Kerala. I’m doing my graduation in Computer Application and will be moving out for my Masters degree (Probably UK).

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I always loved writing essays and poem in school and at my free time. I had a diary filled with poems but I never thought I could write a whole 200 page story. It’s not a story, it’s actually based on my life and from a dream I had. I wrote this book for a dear friend of mine (who is Olivia Maye, in the book) for her birthday.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love watching Love movies which ends with a heartbreak. I love movies which I can relate to. So one day, I thought, why not make my life into a book? So, I began my journey, writing down all the interesting parts of my life but I wasn’t sure how to end it. That’s when I had this dream. So, I decided to use that.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My first book (most recent) is called Can We Fall Again and it’s based on my journey for love. It’s a teenage love story of a boy who is in search for love and he travels different ways to find what he is looking for. He ends up with a broken heart but he finds something more precious than love.

Featured Interview With Silvi Stamen

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born
I was born in a town on the river Danube, named Vidin. At present I live in London, United Kingdom with my husband and our three black cats.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was fascinated by books at the age of 5,when I was making my first attempts in reading. Long after that I started to write articles about several lifestyle websites and now my first book is live.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love reading romance books. Love and love stories are what inspires me to read. Isabel Aliende and her novels inspire me to write.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My book reveals a long-kept secret about the Romanian Queen Mary and the Turkish merchant Osman. Intertwined in them are the stories of Osman’s sister and the nowadays and contemporary couple of Sylviya and Mr. BIG..

For Sylvia it all started with a trip to the seaside town for the summer…

I wrote the book for two weeks and during all that time the thought of the story was what made me happy.

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Featured Interview With Emily Grace

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am an author of YA fiction from the North East of England, where I live with my parents and older sister. I’ve been writing stories for most of my life, but only recently decided to share them with the rest of the world. I’m currently working on a YA paranormal mystery series, but I also like to write YA fantasy, as I love exploring magical worlds. When I’m not writing, I enjoy reading, playing board games, watching murder mystery shows, hanging out with my best friend, and I have a keen interest in mathematics. My debut novel ‘The Secret of the Carter House’ was released June 2021 and is the first book in ‘The Paranormal Detectives’ series.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been fascinated with books for as long as I can remember. My favourite author when I was younger was Enid Blyton, with my favourite series being the Famous Five series. I must have started writing stories at around 8 or 9 years old. I remember sitting at the computer in the corner of the kitchen and tapping away at the keyboard, thinking I was writing a best selling novel. I recently read something I wrote around that time, and it wasn’t as good as I thought – but at least I was having fun! My dream when I was younger was to be an author, but I didn’t think it was possible. I stopped writing for a few years when school got more intense, but my love for it came back a couple of years ago, and I can’t see it ever going away again!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have many favourite authors, it’s difficult to pick just one. When I was younger, Enid Blyton was my favourite author. Now I love to read books by Amy McCulloch, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Tom and Giovanna Fletcher, and many more. I also love Harry Potter, it is definitely my all time favourite book series. My favourite genre to read is Young Adult fiction, and I normally go for fantasy books, but recently I’ve been quite into thrillers and mysteries too. I’m always inspired by other authors when I read their books, and it always pushes me to better my own writing. Carrie Hope Fletcher is definitely a big inspiration, as one of her books inspired my debut novel.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
‘The Secret of the Carter House’ is the first book in a YA paranormal mystery series, following two amateur ghost hunters, Mateo Jones and Charlie Parker, in a search for paranormal evidence for their YouTube channel, The Paranormal Detectives. In this book they investigate a house thought to be haunted by the ghost of Pearl Carter, who died 76 years earlier in what was believed to be a tragic accident. But does the house hold a secret proving there is more to Pearl’s death than what meets the eye?

I had the idea for this book in January 2020, and I immediately started planning and writing it. I’d had a few ideas for books in the past, but never enough to write a full novel. It had always been quite intimidating. But when I had this idea, it was like it all began to come together and form one big idea, the prospect of which was very exciting to me. Overall, it took me around a year and a half, from having the idea to publishing the book. For it being my first novel, I was very proud of myself for this!

I love writing about the characters I created to lead this series. I’ve become attached to them and their friendship. Charlie is a big believer in the supernatural, ever since a series of paranormal experiences he had in his childhood home – which you will find out more about in the first book of the series. However, his best friend, Mat, strongly believes that there is no such thing as ghosts. They start their YouTube channel, The Paranormal Detectives, as a way for them to settle the debate, by going to haunted locations and searching for paranormal evidence. Although their views on this subject are very different, Mat and Charlie are always very supportive of each other, which I really enjoy writing about. I love how wholesome their friendship is! 🙂

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Emily Grace’s Website

Featured Interview With L.S. Pullen

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m L.S.Pullen, aka Leila. I’m an indie author, born and raised in North London, but now reside in Peterborough, England. It’s true what they say you can take the girl out of London, but you can’t take London out of the girl.

I’ve written six books and currently have four published.

When I’m not writing or drowning in edits, you’ll find me taking care of my adopted guinea pig Maurice or walking our Kelpie Cross Luna whilst squirrel spotting.

I am passionate about everything books and have a reading list I’ll likely never finish. The struggle is real.

I love photography and art. And in true English cliche fashion, I adore having afternoon tea.

No longer working the corporate life in the city, I spend my time writing full time and running a small Etsy shop Wisteria Handmade Crafts. And I am managing Indie Author’s Book Services, offering multiple services to other aspiring and aspiring self-publishing authors.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved to read, from Roald Dahl to J.R.R. Tolkien growing up, and so much more. I used to write short stories all the time. My head has always been stuck in the clouds. I always caught up in my imagination.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have so many favourite authors, Stephen King, J.R.R. Tolkien, Tarryn Fisher, Colleen Hoover, Willow Aster, Katja Millay, A.D. McCammon, Crystal A Blanton. The list goes on and on. I like so many genres as well, Romance, Fantasy, Thrillers, Suspense, Horror. I’ve been greatly inspired by Tarryn Fisher and Stephen King in my writing, even though the genres I write are different.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Burning Embers is my most recently published novel, a contemporary single mum romance set in England. I was inspired to write this book as Olly was a character who made cameo appearances in my first two novels, and his character kept speaking to me and hence Burning Embers, which will now be a trilogy.

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L.S. Pullen’s Website

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L.S. Pullen Twitter Account