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Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

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

Featured Author Ms. Angel Clancy

Featured Interview With Ms. Angel Clancy

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I like to read and write poems, children’s books, and cookbooks. Im from Lakeland, Florida. I don’t have pets.I

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing in 2022.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like reading Barbara Park Junie B. Jones and I like read poems and children books. Barbara Park inspire me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
It is going to be great time of the year and mother and daughter is enjoying seeing the snow fall down. The little girl is excited to hear Santa sleigh and Carolers singing. She smell cocoa and gingerbread cookies. She like to see Christmas lights and trees everywhere. She goes to the mall and tell Santa her wish.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Ms. Angel Clancy Facebook Page

Ms. Angel Clancy Twitter Account

Featured Author Christina Callahan

Featured Interview With Christina Callahan

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi, I’m Christina Callahan—though you can call me Christy! I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and now I live in Southern Maryland. I don’t have any pets at the moment, but I grew up with guinea pigs, and I’m planning to surprise my husband with one very soon! Maybe I will write a story about his reaction!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was never really into long novels—more of an internet blog reader myself. When I was six, I told my mom I wanted to change the world and write stories. My English teachers, though, made me feel like a terrible writer, which crushed my dreams for a while. But after writing a few books, my readers have told me otherwise. Apparently, I’ve got a gift! It’s better to discover than now than when I’m long gone. I’ve got a quirky sense of humor that definitely comes through in my writing, keeping things exciting and fun.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Myself and The Bible. I’m open to learning about more authors, though.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
This is an inspirational memoir straight from the heart, based on my real-life journey. It’s a passionate, hopeful story filled with faith, love, and some downright miraculous moments through life’s ups and downs. It’s bound to resonate with so many people.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Christina Callahan’s Website

Christina Callahan Facebook Page

 

Featured Author Fia Sylvan

Featured Interview With Fia Sylvan

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up all over the East Coast of the US, we moved constantly, so I’ve lived in a lot of places. I currently live in Oregon with my husband, two dogs and a cat.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was reading from a very early age and it quickly grew to be a passion and an escape. I started writing in middle school, journals and poetry for classes and realized how much I enjoyed it.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read widely, nonfiction (memoirs and history mostly), fantasy, fiction and some science-fiction. My favorite authors are Diana Gabaldon, Jean Auel, George R R Martin, and Sara Donati.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
A deeply honest look at a true American family. Poor, dysfunctional, blended, biracial, and mentally ill. This story is different from other memoirs in this genre in that I did not go on to be highly successful, famous, or even educated. A story at times ugly, raw, emotional and messy, in the truths I share, and the wild extremes to which my family swung. It is also quirky, imaginative, and unusual, taking readers from the dark depths of my childhood experiences to the unique and exciting adventures of my young adulthood. A transition made possible by the chaos from whence I came.

From the cold and lonely streets of Buffalo, New York, to the wilderness of Montana and Alaska. Training Iditarod sled dogs, living among Latino immigrants, working construction in Texas summer, wildfire fighting in Idaho, and working my way across Scotland.

My life has been anything but predictable, even less what people expect from surface appearances. My experience is that most people exist in shades of grey-not a black-and-white system of absolutes where right and wrong, love and hate, are simple, uncomplicated, and self-evident. A middle-class, educated woman is not automatically a good mother. Biracial relationships are not always free of racial conflict and deep-seated bias, and all mothers are not necessarily fit to raise children. Parental mental illness leaves a lasting legacy on isolated children, and the systems intended to protect vulnerable populations fail, time and again.

A story for anyone who appreciates journeys about personal transformation and the triumph of the human spirit, that stubborn, unexplainable spark that refuses to be quenched.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Fia Sylvan’s Website

Fia Sylvan Facebook Page

Featured Author Maria Davies

Featured Interview With Maria Davies

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m from Essex, UK and I’m 23 years old. I have dogs, a cat, and a tortoise.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was really young when I realised how much I liked books, but was around 13 when I started writing poetry myself.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love poetry, like Neil Hilborn and Rhiannon McGavins style, yet I also love a romance book.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My recent release was ‘Letters Through a Storm’ and it’s about mental health, as are my other books. I have 4 out – on Amazon and in 2 independent bookshops. I had the poems sitting in a notebook for years before I got them into an actual book. I never did it for money, I just wanted to see if I could help even one person.

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Maria Davies’s Website

Featured Author Matthew E. Johnson

Featured Interview With Matthew E. Johnson

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Church Hill, Tn. It’s a small town right at the roots of the Appalachian mountains. Around here, the arts of music and literature are not well respected as this is mining and farm land. However, I am now the Choir Director of the local High School where I once attended. Now, I teach young minds the wonders of music and literature.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always been a super imaginative kid. The first time I tried to write a “book” was in second grade. It was supposed to be a thriller about scientists trying to defeat the Kraken. However, my passion was not fully realized till high school when I got into DND and started making worlds and lore and characters. So, the books I write are all based on the DnD campaigns I have and/or am currently running.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’m a fantasy or classical lit guy. My favorite series ever is, of course, the Lord of the Rings. However, I love books like Dune, Area X trilogy, ASOIAF (we’ll never see it finished), the Wheel of Time, anything epic and dark fantasy. I try to write like GRRM and Jordan combined.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My most recent book, “Inquisition of the Damned” was released in Nov. of 2023. It’s the second book in my “Atheneum Cycle” which will span a total of 14-16 novels. The cycle is broken up into 3 separate sagas that occur in the same universe.

Inquisition of the Damned follows “The Guardians” who have just barely escaped death when the capital city if Valistar was destroyed. Now, as a shadow grows in the sky to herald the coming tides of doom, the Guardians must find out a way to reduce their kidnapped friend and prevent the fall of their world into the Void.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Matthew E. Johnson Facebook Page

Featured Author Jenny Clift

Featured Interview With Jenny Clift

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am British but my twin sister and I were born in France, as my parents were diplomats. We then lived in Malaysia, China, Canada, Northern Ireland and England. …
While I was at boarding school in England I started to play the violin.
I now live in Madrid, Spain, with my Spanish husband and three daughters, and our two cats, Muffin and Pepper.
I am a professional freelance violinist and an EFT – Emotional Freedom Techniques – Tapping coach.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always been a voracious reader…first of novels and fiction, and more recently of non-fiction, especially personal development books.
As a somewhat frustrated performer, facing fears and insecurites, I was very drawn to books such as Susan Jeffer’s ‘Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway’ and Timothy Gallwey and Barry Green’s ‘The Inner Game of Music’.
As I progressed I read a lot of books about the Law of Attraction and then discovered the energy healing modality, EFT. That lead to working with a Life Coach, EFT expert Brad Yates, and making a LOT of changes in a relatively short space of time…. moving from mainly teaching to performing.
I then trained as an EFT practitioner myself – and felt inspired to share what I have learnt, first in my more autographical book, The Music Inside, and now in THRIVING ARTIST.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
When I was a child my favourite book was Enid Blyton’s ‘The Faraway Tree’!!
Then a mixture – classics (all of Jane Austen, Trollope etc) and novels by Lynne Reid Banks, Rosie Thomas, John Irving, Jeffrey Archer…anything with a great story and great characters.
I love authors like Michael Crichton (I read his ‘Travels’ 3 times!) and Bill Bryson. Starting on my personal development journey I read all of Scott Peck’s ‘The Road Less Travelled’ series as well as Alan Cohen’s books.
My writing is inspired by so many authors, coaches and thought leaders. I LOVE googling ‘inspirational quotes’ by Einstein, Gandhi, Benjamin Franklin and Churchill to name just a few.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Since publishing my first book The Music Inside, back in 2016, I’ve been working as both a violinist and an EFT Tapping coach.
For the last couple of years it’s been on my mind to share what I’ve learnt about this amazing modality, Emotional Freedom Techniques, and specifically how it can help musicians, performers and creatives with the different challenges that come up.
I started writing it via blogs on my website and then got serious about pulling it into book format a few months ago.
The actual writing was pretty easy, but turning the draft into a real book, with beautiful book cover (IMHO!!), edited content, formating, and finally all the marketing and promoting required to self-publish a book, well that’s the hard part!
But the whole experience has been amazing.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Jenny Clift’s Website

Jenny Clift Facebook Page

 

Featured Author Olivia Gold

Featured Interview With Olivia Gold

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live in hot and sticky Florida with my husband, three kids, two dogs, two sheep, two cats, twenty chickens, and a miniature zebu. When I’m not writing or dodging animal doo-doo, I’m teaching almost a hundred rambunctious seventh graders. Occasionally, I read my writing to them so they can give me advice. They never let me down with their feedback!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been stapling together pieces of paper and calling them “books” for as long as I can remember. When I was seven years old, I sent my first manuscript to a publisher. It wasn’t accepted, of course, but they sent me the cutest rejection letter imaginable, and I kept writing books in notebooks, on scraps of paper, and eventually on the family computer.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am a die-hard Gordon Korman fan. My students love his books too; we really can’t get enough of them. Still, my biggest inspiration has to be my students. I crunched the numbers, and I’ve taught about a thousand kids!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Hidden was such a fun book for me to write. I didn’t want the length of the book to discourage readers, so I kept it around 170 pages long, and it only took five months to write. Xander witness what MIGHT be a crime and is thrown into witness protection in the strangest Utah town imaginable. He has to figure out how to fit in when all of the kids are obsessed with school spirit and all things Utah. My favorite part of the writing process was reading the chapters to my students as I wrote them. It was so fun to hear them laugh or gasp aloud as I read, and as I mentioned, they gave me amazing advice. It’s a memory I will definitely cherish.

 

Featured Author Jackie Ross Flaum

Featured Interview With Jackie Ross Flaum

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a water aerobics enthusiast, amateur jewelry maker, struggling bridge player, and kick-ass grandmother in addition to writing stories. I grew up in Kentucky, went to college at the University of Georgia where I had way too much fun, and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in journalism. After college, I worked for the Associated Press then became a reporter for “The Hartford Courant” in Connecticut. I married there and our two daughters were born there. My newspaperman husband got a job in Memphis and we moved there. I became a freelance speechwriter, publicist, and marketing person for major companies in town, but my favorite gigs were with the Memphis City Schools and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. I retired and began doing what I’d always wanted to do: write fiction. I wrote short stories that appeared in such anthologies as “Now There Was a Story”, “Low Down Dirty Vote II and III”, “Mayhem in Memphis,” and “Mystery, Crime, and Mayhem”. Since I liked short stories, I tried my hand at a longer form and wrote a novella of love and murder, “The Yellow Fever Revenge.” What I really wanted to write a novel, and so was born the civil rights era suspense/thriller series, Sterling Brothers Ltd. So far the series includes “Justice Tomorrow,” “The Price of a Future,” and coming soon, “Wigs, Mustaches, and Other Disguises”. I am the immediate president of Malice in Memphis a Killer Writing Group and mother to one very disobedient dog.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was reading before the first grade and always listening to radio programs and making up stories to go with them. Many times teachers had to remove a novel from inside my math book—needless to say I stink at math today. I actually wrote my first ‘novel’ in the sixth grade and my mother, bless her heart, typed all 100 pages of it.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Harper Lee, Zora Neale Hurston, SA Cosby, Faye Snowden, Charlaine Harris, and JD Robb (Nora Roberts)
I love all their books. I stumbled on “Their Eyes Were Watching God” when my granddaughter asked me for help with an essay on the book. What a treasure I found.
But I love thrillers and mysteries and suspense stories, especially those with a romantic flavor. I am constantly surprised by authors and books that I read just to please a friend or because I’m about to meet the author. For example, I didn’t think I would like Charlaine Harri’s Sookie Stackhouse series because I’m not into vampires and werewolves. Boy, was I wrong! That proves a well-written book in almost any genre will get me interested.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“The Price of a Future” took me two years to finish. I wrote short stories in the meanwhile, but mostly I stewed and stewed about it.
First, I couldn’t think of a way to make the exchange after Socrates Gray is captured and his partner Madeline Sterling agrees to give up her newborn daughter for him. All her angst wore me out and I cut a bunch of it (You’re welcome, readers.) I had to be smart: Sterling has no intention of keeping her end of the bargain, but it took me a hot minute to figure out how to make all that happen. Second, I finished with 105,000 words, and my Malice in Memphis critique partners went “Whoa! Nobody’s gonna read a thriller that long. Besides, you have two books there.” So I divided it–the third book in the series “Wigs, Mustaches, and Other Disguises” will be out by summer.
Third, I spent a lot of time making sure the scenes and the dialogue in the book were true to the 1960s and the people of that time.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Jackie Ross Flaum’s Website

Jackie Ross Flaum Facebook Page

Featured Author Elle F. Kingsley

Featured Interview With Elle F. Kingsley

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hello, I’m Elle!
I’m an award-winning futurist, AI ethicist, and bestselling sci-fi author, recognised among the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics™ and TechWomen100 honourees. My work spans AI ethics, legal tech, and global policy, advising organisations like the UK Parliament, the Commonwealth, and the European Commission. I’ve also worked on cutting-edge technologies like generative AI in Big Tech and specialise in cyberlaw, data protection, and privacy.

I put all this into my sci-fi work, weaving deep insights into technology, society, and policy to imagine future worlds—so that you don’t have to. My work explores how emerging technologies shape humanity, crafting stories that inspire thought about our digital futures.

I’m originally from England, spending time in Guildford before moving to London, where I’m currently based. My work has me travelling frequently across Europe and Asia, especially to Germany, China and South Korea, so I’ve learned to embrace a life that’s always on the move!

While I’d love the idea of a pet, my lifestyle makes it tricky, so I channel my energy into exploring new places and making the most of wherever I find myself. I love exploring new cultures, connecting with people, and finding inspiration in unexpected spots. Life’s an adventure, and I’m always eager for the next chapter.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always had my head buried in a book! I was fortunate to pick up reading at a young age—by 6 or 7, I was devouring classics like Alice in Wonderland and Grimm’s book of Fairy Tales. But a defining moment came when I was 8, during a school assignment to write a scary version of the Macbeth witches’ potion, which when then go up on the wall in the corridor. Knowing my audience would be other students and inspired by Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids, I conjured up witches tearing out naughty children’s intestines and putting them into their cauldron.

Needless to say, teachers were not pleased. They called my parents in, claiming my story was “far too dark” and would terrify the other kids. When asked why I’d written something so gruesome, I replied, “But you told me to make it scary!”

The teachers insisted I rewrite it, removing the scary parts. But my mum stood by me, arguing that I’d simply followed instructions.
Unsure what to do, the school suggested punishment.
The punishment? I was taken to the bookstore and free to pick any book I wanted while proudly called a “mini Stephen King.”

Fast-forward to today, and The Last Garden reached the same bestseller list as King at #30 on literary short stories. It’s reached #2 on the new releases list, just below Dostoyevsky. Life has a funny way of coming full circle, doesn’t it?

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’m a sucker for the classics, especially in sci-fi and dystopian genres. Authors like Orwell, Huxley, and Kafka shaped my love for tales that explore dread, paranoia, and the human condition. Fahrenheit 451 is an excellent addition and commentary on literary rates. The Terror by Dan Simmons is another favourite that masterfully combines historical fiction with a creeping sense of doom.

On the sci-fi front, there’s Dune, which is iconic in its own right. I thoroughly enjoy Liu Cixin’s Three-Body Problem, which blends dystopia with speculative science and a lot of philosophical and ethical debates.

Similarly, I draw a lot of inspiration from classic philosophical ideas, especially those related to technology, surveillance, and freedom. Thinkers like Voltaire, who challenged ideas of progress and freedom, and Jeremy Bentham’s concept of the Panopticon, which explores surveillance and control, really influence the different nuances of the role of surveillance, technology and control in shaping society. These concepts help shape the moral dilemmas I explore in my writing, particularly in dystopian worlds where the lines between freedom and control blur.

These texts challenge us to think critically about power, surveillance, and the role of the individual within society. I apply these ideas to my storytelling, creating dystopian worlds where morality, freedom, and technology collide

Beyond books, I draw inspiration from other forms of storytelling, too. Anime like Psycho-Pass, series like Black Mirror or Mr. Robot, and graphic novels like V for Vendetta, and even games like Orwell, We Happy Few, BioShock feed my creative energy. Great storytelling, in any form, really inspires me to create my own worlds and narratives.

These immersive adventures remind me of the power of storytelling—it’s the only medium that can truly transport us to entirely new realities.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“The air, thick with smog, choked the sky with a never-ending amber haze. Ivy tightened her mask, its edges biting into her skin. Around her, the forgotten shuffled, their makeshift filters from scavenged waste barely keeping the lethal air at bay—each breath, a gamble.”

In a world gasping under the weight of environmental collapse, The Last Garden is a short story, exploring humanity’s desperate attempt to reconnect with nature amidst the fallout of failed climate goals. Towering domed cities like Solara shine with technological brilliance and innovation, protecting their inhabitants while the world outside lies in ruin—a barren wasteland abandoned to those left behind. Within the dome, advancement flourishes, but at what cost?

Unchecked reliance on technology has created an illusion of progress while erasing the natural world and the very essence of life it was meant to protect. Meanwhile, outside, the Seed Savers, an underground faction, risk their lives to preserve Earth’s final seeds of hope.

What sets The Last Garden apart is its nuanced portrayal of morality, where I invite readers to consider their own complicity in systems of convenience and destruction. The Last Garden was born in a whirlwind of creativity, with the first draft written over two intense, caffeine-fuelled days to meet the deadline for its original publication in Futurescapes Zine.

The story poured out of me, driven by a sense of urgency to explore the themes of hope and humanity’s relationship with nature. Though the writing came quickly, the ideas behind it had been simmering for years—drawing from real-world climate concerns, the recent UN Summit of the Future, and my fascination with speculative fiction. Using the Three Horizons Method, I envisioned a utopian world where systems coexist, then stepped back to focus on the challenges and issues that may arise. This exclusive extended edition, published by Pariah Tales, was then finely tuned over a few months.

This tale is for anyone who has ever asked, “What would I sacrifice to create a better world?”

You can find your copy of the The Last Garden here: https://amzn.eu/d/0PP8ZYe

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Elle F. Kingsley’s Website

Elle F. Kingsley Twitter Account

Featured Author Dr. Phyllis Pobee

Featured Interview With Dr. Phyllis Pobee

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m Dr. Phyllis Pobee, a triple-board-certified genetic weight loss physician, author, and founder of GeneLean360°, a personalized weight loss program inspired by my own 100-pound transformation. I was raised in Canada as the daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, where I learned the values of hard work, persistence, and self-belief that continue to guide me today.

I currently live in Canada with my husband and two young children, who keep me grounded and motivated. While I don’t have any pets, my home is always full of energy, laughter, and the occasional dance party in the kitchen.

Through my writing and work, I’m passionate about empowering women to reclaim their health, confidence, and joy through personalized, science-backed strategies.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I realized my fascination with books at a young age, around 8 or 9 years old. I loved getting lost in stories that transported me to new worlds or helped me see life from a fresh perspective. Books became a source of comfort, inspiration, and growth for me, and that fascination has only deepened over the years.

I started writing much later, inspired by my own 100-pound weight loss journey and the realization that I had a story and expertise that could help others. Writing became a way to combine my personal experiences with my professional knowledge to empower women to transform their health and lives. While I didn’t grow up imagining myself as an author, once I started, I knew it was a path I wanted to continue for life.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love reading authors who inspire action and transformation, both in life and in health. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, is one of my favorites for his practical yet empowering approach to building habits that stick. Maxwell Maltz’s Psycho-Cybernetics had a profound impact on me—it taught me how much our mindset and self-image shape our outcomes, a message I weave into my own writing.

My favorite genre to read is personal development and health science. Books that offer both relatable stories and actionable steps resonate deeply with me because they reflect the kind of writing I aim to create. I also enjoy memoirs that highlight resilience and transformation, as they remind me of the power of storytelling to inspire change.

When it comes to inspiration, my readers and clients are my greatest motivators. Knowing that my writing could provide someone with the tools and hope they need to reclaim their health keeps me focused and passionate. Authors like Jen Sincero (You Are a Badass) and Dr. Jason Fung (The Obesity Code) also inspire me to communicate complex ideas in a relatable, accessible way that empowers readers to take control of their journey.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, Lean Genes: A Physician’s Guide to Genetic Weight Loss — Eat What You Love, Lose Weight for Good, and Break Free from Diets and Medications, is a deeply personal and empowering guide to transformation. It’s inspired by my own journey of losing 100 pounds through the groundbreaking science of genetic weight loss, and it’s designed to help women over 30 reclaim their health and confidence in a way that’s sustainable and personalized.

This book challenges the outdated, one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss by focusing on the unique role genetics play in cravings, metabolism, and fat storage. I combine relatable stories from my own struggles with practical, science-backed strategies to give readers the tools they need to create lasting change without deprivation or frustration.

Lean Genes isn’t just about losing weight—it’s about breaking free from the cycle of diets and discovering a path that works specifically for your body. It’s a call to embrace your unique genetic blueprint and take back control of your health, all while enjoying the foods you love and living life with joy and freedom.

For anyone who’s felt stuck, defeated, or overwhelmed by weight loss, this book offers hope, clarity, and a proven way forward. It’s more than a guide—it’s a revolution in how we think about weight, health, and transformation.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Dr. Phyllis Pobee’s Website

Dr. Phyllis Pobee Facebook Page

 

Featured Author Kate Damon

Featured Interview With Kate Damon

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Writing as Margaret Brownley, I’m a New York Times bestselling author with forty-plus romance novels to my credit. “Jury Duty is Murder” is my first mystery.
When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time with the grandkiddies, raising Monarch Butterflies, and playing a wicked game of bridge. I’m sad to say we’re between pets right now as we recently lost our little furry friend.
I’m not sure what my next project will be, but since I’ve recently remarried, my thoughts have turned back to what else? Romance!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated with books. As a child, I would be so happy when I got sick and could stay in bed and read all day. I wrote my first book in 6th grade, a mystery I didn’t know how to end. I didn’t start writing seriously until my children were in middle school.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’m primarily known as a romance writer, so of course I enjoy reading them. Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts, and Diana Gabaldon are among my favorite authors. I also enjoy a good mystery. Among my favorite mystery authors are Gillian Flynn, Lee Child, and Richard Osman, whom I recently discovered.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I never thought to write a mystery, but my life took a sharp turn with the loss of my husband to cancer just before the Covid lockdowns. This shifted my focus away from romance and “Jury Duty is Murder” is the result.
I have to laugh at the thought of murder crossing my mind during that ordeal. Life sure does have a way of steering us in unexpected directions. I like to think that this book is a reflection of my journey and the resilience we find in our darkest moments.
Here’s a preview of “Jury Duty is Murder”:
The verdict is in; a famed athlete is headed for prison. The jurors have done their job and are free to go back to their lives.
But after being sequestered for three months, life as most jurors knew it, no longer exists.
HAROLD ASHMAN’s house is almost destroyed when a reporter drives through it. Exotic dancer, CEECEE LAINE, discovers that her boyfriend is two-timing her, and she no longer has a job. Actor ALEX MANNING learns his career is down the tubes, and 72-year-old, HELEN RYDER, discovers her family is plotting to put her in an old folks home.
Then things take a turn for the worse. When jurors start dropping like flies, CeeCee, Helen, Harold, and Alex are convinced there’s a killer on the loose. Now the feuding foursome must find the killer before he finds them—or before they save him the trouble by killing each other.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Kate Damon’s Website

Kate Damon Facebook Page

Kate Damon Twitter Account

Featured Author Aengie Scevity

Featured Interview With Aengie Scevity

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Darwin, in the Northern Territory, Australia. Most people will have only heard of Darwin through the famous front-page spreads of its newspaper ‘The NT News’, where, more often than not, crocodiles are the star of the day. I live in Melbourne now and though I miss the tropical wildlife of Darwin, I don’t miss the tropical heat. I have two ‘dirty little street cats’ as they’ve been called, a mother/daughter pair of strays I found, fed, tamed, and adopted; they are simultaneously the brightest spark of my day and my biggest worries. Though I am very experienced in cat-ownership, the mother cat is FIV+, which is a first for me and I’ve turned into a bit of a helicopter parent. They are strictly indoor-only cats as, even though crocodiles are no longer a worry for me, the dangers don’t stop there.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Reading has always been in my nature: if my parents took the family out to dinner, I always brought a book; I would read under my desk during class; and, growing up, my friendship with one of my best friends consisted of us just sitting silently reading separate books. At some point in the early 2000s, I found myself unable to stop reading and read every single book in the house. With parents who were both readers, that was not an insignificant number of books. However, I always resisted the pull of being a writer. All I ever heard was how impossible the journey was, and so I refused to entertain the idea. Then, it happened anyway. My education and my interests led me down a path of studying reading and writing and language and it became inexplicably entangled with who I am. I wrote an Honours thesis on my favourite author, then a Doctoral thesis on ideas which fascinated me. Part of my Doctoral thesis was a creative contribution to the field of my studies, which became my first full-length manuscript.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite author of all time, without question, is Diana Wynne Jones. Those unfamiliar with her will almost certainly have heard of the Studio Ghibli movie ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’, which was based on her novel of the same name. Jones exists, in some degree, in every single novel I write, be it in the names of characters or allusions to her work or ideas pilfered and transformed.
Growing up I was very much a fantasy reader. Then I discovered Margaret Atwood and fell in love with dystopia. I loved science fiction but never thought I was smart enough to write it (I have since proved myself wrong). In recent years I’ve been getting into thrillers; I love a good twisty story tightly woven and shrouded in half-truths and unreliable narrators. I also have a secret love of (some) horror stories however I can’t watch horror movies or play horror video games or I lose all my pretend coolness and aloofness (it’s just social anxiety).

Tell us a little about your latest book?
During my studies I remember reading Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’. In that book he says that he sits down every morning and writes one thousand words. They might be good words, they might be rubbish, it might take him no time at all, or it might take him all day to drag words out, but he does it. Every day, one thousand words. He said by following that practice, anyone could have a ninety-thousand word manuscript in three months.
So I said, alright, I’ll give it a go.
At the time I made this decision I had just finished my Doctoral thesis and was suffering a bit of brain-melt from the effort. The last season of ‘Game of Thrones’ was coming out and I finally relented to the wishes of a friend and watched the whole series, just in time to watch the final season. I remember thinking, ‘dang, I love this low-magic fantasy setting of people scrabbling for a throne through whatever means necessary’ and here we are.
I wrote ‘The Owlbear and the Omens’ over a year, which astute readers might notice is ever-so-slightly more than the three months King predicted it would take to write a novel. However, in my defence the novel isn’t ninety-thousand words, but one-hundred-and-eighty-thousand words (oops). Still, I think I’ve got the hang of it now.
In any case, wanted to write a character who was physically incapable of lying (readers of Jones will know where that idea came from), and that became my main character. At the time I was also playing a video game called Dauntless, in which one of the monsters (the Shrike) is clearly an Owlbear. I fell in love with the way it looked and, bada bing, bada boom, it became a part of the novel.
I’m also a massive anime fan and wanted to see the harem/reverse harem trope used purely for political machinations, instead of erotica and after that the story began to fall into place. I also wanted to write a new form of divination and ended up researching the Victorian Language of Flowers, which became my titular Omens.
Add in a royal tournament (my favourite!) with seven different realms of a country, the return of a Lost Prince, and a pinch of murder here and there, my intention to write a novel spiralled into an epic tale. Now I’m looking down the barrel of the two intended sequels and wondering just how long each might take to write.

 

Featured Author J C Pereira

Featured Interview With J C Pereira

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born on a plantation high in the mountains of a small Caribbean island where the trade winds blow clear, and the rains wash all clean, leaving only the smells of the sun-warmed earth and vegetation. After my father’s death, I travelled with my mother to England, a land of cold and constant drizzle, but where the promises and opportunities significantly compensated for the dull weather in comparison. Here, I completed my formal education with a BA (Hons) in Psychology and experienced an entirely new way of life that once influenced my origins. Knowledge and experience alter perspective and hopefully lead to wisdom. Upon graduation, I worked in the corporate world, where I was never comfortable. Then, I settled uneasily within the civil service, where, after several years, I moved to Italy, rediscovering the sunshine of my youth and starting a new family. The language remains a continued challenge.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always been captured by inventing stories in my mind, even before I could read, as my world was filled with the beauty of nature. Stories were my way of finding comfort and meaning in an isolated but never lonely setting. We all live within a tale we tell ourselves, and none is more important than another. The first books I remember reading were White Fang and The Jungle Book. They fit well into my imagination, nurtured by my early environment. I found submerging myself into another living creature and seeing the world through its senses a normal and natural thing to do. At school, I found short stories easy to create, and I started writing my first book, A Place To Belong To, while still at A Level college but only completed it many years later with my wife’s encouragement. With one done, many followed. The biggest project still to write remains brewing slowly in my mind, but in the meantime, I practice my storytelling by writing many others, adjusting my world perspective as I go along.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Reading has always been an integral part of my life, and I would read anything I came across. However, the fantasy genre has always and still remains my favourite, especially those with historical themes. David Gemmel’s ability to create dignified characters, even with his antagonists, has always fascinated me, and I find Robert Jordan’s storytelling engaging, especially the Wheel of Time books. When I first started writing The Hidden King, the first of the Brothers of Destiny series, I wanted to write a book my son would read and tailored one of the main characters after him. In the same way, when I wrote Dying Under a Clear Blue Sky, concerned that humanity’s inventiveness was negatively affecting our wonderous blue planet, I modelled my main protagonist after a projection of my daughter into her teenage years for it would be her generation that would have to deal with the mess we were making with our narrow band, solution based ingenuity. This method, I believe, is a technique of survival hard-wired into our psyche. This perspective is the foundation theme in many of my stories and can be found in Penance, and I Once Was.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is The Chosen, a sequel to the Brothers of Destiny fantasy series. It describes the efforts of genetically engineered twins with characters on the flip sides of the same coin, attained only through following the road of discipline and free spirit, a choice they individually make. Their destiny is to deliver humanity from the continuous and circular road of violence and war, which, ironically, they are masters of. Is such an endeavour possible? Can humanity be forced from the path of conflict? I examine the answers to these questions throughout the books. The setting is after several falls of civilizations where humanity’s DNA has been altered by the poisons and contamination of humankind’s wars, ironically giving some unique powers. A mysterious brotherhood digs into the past to resurrect the means to interrupt the repeated pattern of destruction. The result is Morgan and Krarl who are not quite human, always on the outside, feared and respected, but never accepted.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

J C Pereira’s Website

J C Pereira Facebook Page

Featured Author Mark O’Bannon

Featured Interview With Mark O’Bannon

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a San Diego native. My grandfather, Reuben H. Fleet, built the SD airport and gave it to the city. He was the largest manufacturer of airplanes in the US. His company, Consolidated Aircraft, made 18,000 B-24 Liberator bombers and thousands of Catalina PB-Y flying boats durung WWII.
Thogh a cat lover, I do not yet have a kitty.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My mom taught me to read when I was 2. Been reading ever since. In high school, I read 50+ books every year. I started writing in the 90s. The idea for my first novel, “The Dream Crystal” came to me while I was talking to my friend, George Clayton Johnson, who wrote 8 Twilight Zone episodes, Logans Run and the first episode of
Star Trek TOS. I combines two ideas: a fairy changeling and shadow people.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Ray Bradbury, Robert E. Howard, Robert Heinlein, Fred Saberhagen, Larry Niven, H.P. Lovecraft, J.R.R. Tolkein, J.K. Rowling.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Touching Infinity is a science fiction mystery love story set in the far future. A scientist takes a journey to the heart of a supernova and discovers love.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Mark O’Bannon’s Website

Mark O’Bannon Facebook Page

Mark O’Bannon Twitter Account

Featured Author Hunter H. White

Featured Interview With Hunter H. White

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m an energy transactions lawyer, who always dreamed of writing suspenseful Christian fiction. When the Covid shutdown came along, I finally got my chance to really focus on it. I was raised in Houston, Texas, and I still live in Houston, with my wife of thirty-three years. I have two adult children and no pets at the moment; but we do pet-sit our son’s cat, and our daughter’s cat and dog.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As a child with dyslexia, reading was a challenge. Even with a lot of hard work, and very encouraging parents, I was unable to achieve an acceptable age-level reading ability until middle school. That is also when I could finally start to read for pleasure, and the inspirational and transportive aspects of books found a special place in my heart. I believe my early challenges helped fuel a desire to write and inspire other young readers. I gravitated toward creative classes in high school and college, and I absolutely loved them.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors include, among others, Joel C. Rosenberg, C.S. Lewis, James Rollins, Steve Berry and Clive Cussler. My favorite genres include Christian fiction and Suspense. I love fiction that is action-packed and includes Christian themes and/or utilizes the actual historical record with a little fiction injected. Authors who inspired me the most in connection with my novel, Treasures of the Lochs, were C.S. Lewis and Joel C. Rosenberg.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Treasures of the Lochs is suspenseful young-adult Christian fiction, involving a modern-day treasure hunt in Scotland, with a bit of supernatural thrown in. Blending historical fact and Scottish legend within an action-packed adventure, Treasures of the Lochs is an exciting, powerful story of faith, friendship, and redemption. The target audience is teenage and above (some parts would be too intense for younger readers). This book is a 2024 NIEA Finalist in Religion Fiction. It also hit Amazon#1 New Release for Christian Fantasy. I hope you’ll check it out.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Hunter H. White’s Website

Hunter H. White Facebook Page

Featured Author D E Fox

Featured Interview With D E Fox

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Deborah Fox lives in Yorkshire with her partner Paul. She currently works for a large electrical distributor, as well as being a budding author.

Like many children, Deborah spent her time inspired by stories from AA
Milne to JM Barrie, and to this day her favourite story was and still is,
Winnie the Pooh! Her writing talents didn’t materialise until later in life
as most of her childhood was spent dancing and performing.

Deborah’s passions are the outdoors, gardening, interior design, dogs
and cinema. She has always been intrigued with all things supernatural
and the time presented to her during COVID, and the inspiration from
the sad passing of her dog Jake, was the start of her first novel ‘Second
Hand Rose.’

With the support of family and friends and Blossom Spring agreeing to
publish her story, it has fulfilled the dream to become a published
author and has given the encouragement to write more stories.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always loved books especially adventure books, like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Kidnapped, Treasure Island. I used to read them over and over much to my mum’s despair. I didn’t start writing until my 40’s when my dog sadly passed away I needed to fill my time. Writing helped with my grief and anxiety and I found I really enjoyed it. So much so that I now have two published books and I’m already thinking about number three!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read lots of different genres, my mum taught me that at an early age. So I love Jane Green, Anne Rice, AA Milne, JM Barrie, I love to read autobiographies People’s lives fascinate me. But since becoming an author I read other indie authors books which have definitely opened my eyes to amazing authors with very different styles. I think that has helped me with my writing to give the characters more depth.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
A mysterious event has gripped the world!
How, why, who and what — is taking the grass?

Globe leaders are baffled; unbeknownst to them there’s a secret agency who
solve weird, bizarre events and it’s run by dogs!

Jake and Sammy are everyday pets until a strange encounter changes their lives forever; this puzzling case will test their bosses, Gino and Phillip, to the limits.

Can they pull together and save humanity before it’s too late? Will Jake ever get that packet of crisps he so desperately craves for? And will the age-old question be answered—are four legs better than two?

In this crime mystery where dogs rule, anything can go wrong and probably will. But we all love an underdog!

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

D E Fox’s Website

D E Fox Facebook Page

D E Fox Twitter Account

Featured Author Sophia Conway

Featured Interview With Sophia Conway

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Wales, the UK but grew up mostly on the West Coast of Ireland. 5 Years ago I immigrated to Canada with my husband and we now have one son that we raise between the ocean and trees! Nature and motherhood are my two biggest inspirations and so we fill our days eating cinnamon buns and walking the beaches together.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination with books started before I could even read them. I loved them so much I would staple loose pages together covered in scribbles and tell my mother it was a book. As soon as I was allowed to use my father’s old computer I would type jumbled stories in Word documents late into the night. To be an author was my first dream and I’m thrilled to have fulfilled it.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’m a restless reader who devours books far too quickly so it’s hard to say which ones are my favorite. My shelves are crammed full of everything from faith-based to poetry. Currently, I spend most of my reading children’s books to my toddler and enjoy the simplicity of them.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
‘His Last Companion’ is a thought-provoking introspection of the human experience and the intimacy between the last man on earth and the one companion who has been by his side since birth, Death.

“His Last Companion is a compelling short story that touches on some of our toughest questions about life and death. Sophia Conway has crafted a deep tale in few words that will sit with the reader’s psyche long after finishing. In ‘His Last Companion’, the author delivers a message of hope amidst ultimate brokenness.” – The Book Review Directory

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Sophia Conway’s Website

Featured Author Elaine Broun

Featured Interview With Elaine Broun

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am currently living in Texas, I have been married for 42 years, have four grown children, and four bonus children (their spouses) and five grandchildren. I was born in Brazil, I speak several languages and have lived in many South American countries multiple times. We have two sixteen year old dogs. Dug is a red healer and Luke is a Beagle/Labrador mix. Our life evolves around family and we have a blast enjoying our adult children.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Beginning at the age of five, I discovered a passion for books while developing an extreme curiosity towards people and what made them tick. As a school girl, I would get very exited when we could select our own topics to write about. In this area I excelled as I found a had a fertile imagination.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Authors I have loved are Diana Gabaldon, Kathleen Woodwiss, Gillian Flynn, and Liv Constantine to name a few. I have always loved Suspense thrillers, Historical romance and autobiographies. What inspires me is life experiences and having a natural tendency towards a creative imagination even some of my crazy dreams has given me ideas!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Carrasco 67′ A harrowing tale of an Imperialist Pig is a based on a true story. You will be thrown into a spiraling out of control roller coaster ride as you follow the Gray family in Montevideo, Uruguay during the 1960’s. After Peter Gray sets up a sting to catch a Tuparo Terrorist he discovered was infiltrated in his company, his family is soon given a death sentence by the terrorists. Hair raising scenarios, terrorizing moments as they try to elude multiple kidnapping attempts escalates to a level where the Uruguayan Military had to take over the protection of the family. This is a mind blowing story.

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Elaine Broun’s Website

Elaine Broun Facebook Page

Elaine Broun Twitter Account

Featured Author Elaine Broun

Featured Interview With Elaine Broun

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Brazil and have lived multiple times in several South American countries. I speak several languages, I love to read, travel, history, walking through antique shops and sewing crafts. I presently live in Texas with my husband of 42 years and our two 16 year old dogs, Dug and Luke. I have four grown children, two bonus daughters, two bonus sons and five grandchildren.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I remember when we arrived in the USA after fleeing the terrorists which I covered in my first novel, there was a mobile Library that set up monthly in a parking lot near my home. It was there that I began checking books out and being mesmerized by stories. When I was in third grade was when I discovered the Little House on the Prairie books that made me discover in turn the love of autobiographies. It sated my natural curiosity to understand where someone came from, what were their hurdles in life, what made them tick, what gave them their greatest joy or sadness. This is also where I became obsessed with geneaology.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love to read books by Diana Gabaldon, Kathleen Woodwiss, Liv Constantine, or Gillian Flynn. There are so many and I must admit I am horrible about keeping track of what I have read or who I enjoy to read books by, I guess it is due to always being busy. I do however, enjoy reading suspense novels naturally and also historical books and historically based romance novels. My writing inspiration comes from my own fertile imagination and through my life experiences from my constant travels in my lifetime.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My current book “Let Me Go” is in its final stages before it is off to the editors. Another suspense novel it revolves around several friends that meet while attending neighboring boarding schools but eventually focuses on Isabella Andrews Hampton and her husband Kane Hampton.
The story begins by bringing the characters to life while unveiling the evolution of their lives and how each of them came to be. As time marches on, snipits of Kane’s fragmenting emotional stability becomes evident as Isabella discovers family secrets she wasn’t supposed to and now she is on the run hoping not to be found. Upon arriving in Provincetown, the City where Isabella fled she finally met her realtor a handsome ex-military realtor named Nate Marcum. Falling hard she strives to hide her past, all the while looking over her shoulder at every moment knowing her husband will never give up until he finds her. So, now she lives terrified that her new life will implode. Will Nate be just an elusive dream, as she is forced to reveal her past in order to save her future?

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Elaine Broun’s Website

Elaine Broun Facebook Page

Elaine Broun Twitter Account

Featured Author Ingrid McCarthy

Featured Interview With Ingrid McCarthy

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Schweidnitz (now Swidnica, Poland) and grew up in Bremerhaven, North Germany, a town that once was a port of embarkation for the then-occupying US forces and a fishing harbor of considerable importance. Fishtown, people called the place because when the wind blew in a certain direction, the stench from the fishmeal factory hung over the town like an evil curse, prompting us to slam the windows closed before turning into miserable and retching creatures. And woe to the person in the street who didn’t have a handkerchief ready to slap over the nose and mouth! No wonder I couldn’t wait to get out of there. At the age of twenty-one, I moved to Spain. Four years later to Canada. I lived in Montreal for ten years, then two years in Durham, N.C., and now in Ottawa, Canada’s Capital, where I feel happy, creative, and very much at home.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I cannot remember a time without books. As far as I can think back, there were always books in my life: first coloring books that had little stories on each page; then the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tales, and later Roman and Greek mythologies. In my post-WWII childhood memoir, “I Stood Among The Ruins And Cried”, I tell when in my early teens I first entered a public library. I was in awe. So many books! I was in Heaven and became the library’s most frequent visitor. Around the same time, I received a diary as a birthday gift from a friend. My parents were not living in happy bliss. There was much anger due to my father’s excessive drinking and infidelity. Books and the diaries―I ended up filling six of them―became my escape and consolation during those unhappy years: I read one book after another and confided my innermost thoughts, wishes, and fears to the pages of my diaries. That was my early writing experience.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
When I read a book, I either want to be entertained or learn something. That’s why I enjoy fiction and non-fiction in equal measure. Once I mastered the English language, I fell in love with the classic English writers: W. Somerset Maugham, George Orwell, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, Charles Dickens, and Virginia Wolff, to name a few. Today, I admire: Isabel Allende, Anthony Doerr, and Jonathan Franzen―the list is endless. I also enjoy Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. With so many books in her series, I occasionally choose one of them, which never fails to make me laugh out loud. I prefer physical books to eBooks and rarely listen to audiobooks. The latter, if poorly recorded, irritates me. If well done, the voice soothes me and, sadly, I fall asleep. I love turning the pages of a book, feeling the weight of it in my hands, and even taking in the scent of it. A world without books would mean the end of the world to me. I believe reading has turned me into a good listener. People tend to tell me their life stories and those stories, in nearly every case, have inspired me to create my novels/novellas using a heavy pinch of imagination.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest award-winning novel “Anna’s Shadow” is an example of such a true story, plus heavy imagination. Let me explain: Many years ago, a German friend told me how she met her husband. In the early years of World War II, a young German officer was billeted in her family’s home. A portrait of my friend hung in the family’s living room. The officer was so smitten by her―she was not living in the house at the time of his stay―he vowed that if he survived the war, he would return and ask for her hand in marriage. When I met the officer and my friend many years later here in Ottawa, they were already in their senior years and have since died.

“Anna’s Shadow” isn’t based on the officer’s life. It was his infatuation with a girl in a portrait that served as my inspiration. I’ve sometimes visualized the young officer standing in front of that portrait and falling in love with a pair of blue eyes. It’s as romantic to me as the story of Romeo and Juliet, albeit without the dramatic ending. No wonder when I spotted an article in Oprah Magazine about the Juliet Club in Verona, Italy, where volunteers (Secretaries of Juliet) answer letters received from the broken-hearted, my imagination went into overdrive and, ten months later, I held the book in my hands. So, it’s thanks to my friend and Oprah that I was able to create a dramatic and page-turning novel that is part mystery, part WWII story, part romance, available on Amazon in paperback and eBook.

Kirkus Reviews:
An unusual historical romance set in two time periods.

BookLife Review:
“…The end of World War II is brought to vivid life as McCarthy balances the timelines of Sofia’s 2005 and Luke’s 1945, with storytelling that emphasizes sleuthing and history. Sofia’s own story, of healing and self-discovery, never compels as much as the beautifully narrated tale of Luke and Uwe, Luke’s oldest friend and mentor, which reveals just how unpredictable life can be. Readers will appreciate, though, how McCarthy’s attention to telling detail never slows narrative momentum.”

Literary Titan (5 Stars)
“… Anna’s Shadow stands out for its vivid imagery and compelling setting, particularly appealing to readers who appreciate narratives set in the 20th century. Ingrid McCarthy’s writing style is both engaging and evocative, making her a noteworthy addition to my list of favored romance authors. This book is a testament to the enduring power of love and the complexities of human relationships, making it a worthy read for those who cherish a well-rounded love story.”

From an Amazon Reader (5 Stars)
“I love historical fiction and nonfiction–particularly around the WWII era. This was such a romantic, suspenseful, and hope-filled book. There were so many twists and turns; it was not your average love story. I fell in love with all of the characters and will spend some time missing them. This is one of those books you don’t want to end!”

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Ingrid McCarthy’s Website

Ingrid McCarthy Facebook Page

 

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