Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

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?)

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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

L.S. Pullen Facebook Page

L.S. Pullen Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Pegg Thomas

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live on a hobby farm in very rural Northern Michigan with my husband of *mumble* years. We raise sheep, chickens, and keep a few barn cats along with Murphy the spoiled rotten dog. It’s a beautiful part of the world, and we are blessed to be here.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Some of my earliest memories are of my grandma reading to me before bed, stories from magazines. I became a voracious reader, often reading through the school day, my novels “hidden” behind my algebra or English books. And always I thought, “Someday I’m going to write a book.” But someday didn’t come until our son was grown and the empty nest stared back at me in 2009.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite genres are historical fiction and historical romance. The history inspires me. I enjoy novels with real history and even real historical characters in them. Novels where characters struggle with real-life issues common to their era. Period novels are good too, but the inner history-geek in me loves those meatier stories. Laura Frantz, Jocelyn Green, and Ann Gabhart are must-read authors for me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Sarah’s Choice” releases on Aug. 3rd. It’s the first book in my “Forts of Refuge” series. The series is set during Pontiac’s Rebellion in 1763. There were three Colonial American forts that did not fall to Pontiac’s forces. “Sarah’s Choice” is set at Fort Pitt. “Maggie’s Strength” is set at Fort Detroit. And “Abigail’s Peace” is set at Fort Niagara.

“Sarah’s Choice” is about a young woman with her whole life planned out ahead of her as a newly married woman on the frontier. A pre-dawn attack on their settlement changes everything. As the only survivor, Sarah has to make some life-altering decisions over the next several months as she struggles with her life changes. At its heart, it’s a story of life and hope amidst the askes of her dreams.

While writing this book, I did my best to show the events only through the eyes of the main characters, Sarah and Cully. I had a first-hand journal written by a soldier stationed in Fort Pitt during the siege. From there, I envisioned how the events would have impacted these two characters. I made no attempt to filter this history through our 21st Century lens. I wanted to see and feel things the way I think Sarah and Cully would have seen and felt them. So it’s not a book about the siege, it’s a book about Sarah and Cully and how the siege changed them.

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Pegg Thomas’s Website

Pegg Thomas Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Mary Elizabeth Jackson

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Orlando, Florida. My first job I worked at Disney World and could see the fireworks every night from my house. I moved with my husband to Tennessee 27 years ago. Our plan was to stay just five years. But three children and and one amazing dog named Bella later we are still here. My author career started later in life after my surprise son was born. I am an award winning children’s author of the Poohlicious series, and an advocate for special needs and disabilities, co-founder and co-host of the Writers Corner Live TV Show and Special Needs TV Shows on Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon Live, Twitter, and YouTube. I am a ghostwriter and book collaborator and the voice on the app Sports2Gether.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have loved books from the time I could read and have tried to pass that onto my own children. When I was little I was fascinated with futuristic and fantastical stories. Now I love spiritual books, mysteries, historical non-fiction, and true stories.
I have been writing my whole life. Poetry is my first love and writing children’s stories didn’t happen till the past few years. Now I could write children’s stories everyday. Having a young child means my days are filled with inspirations both for a child and adult.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Since I have an author show and get to interview authors I have the opportunity to read lots of different genres. It depends on what is going on in my life as to what I am reading and who is my favorite. Recently I read Energy Speaks by Lee Harris. Great book and now I am reading a debut author’s book: 77 Letters by Susan P. Harris. It’s a true story based on her mothers experience in the Vietnam War. It is being written into play format.
My favorite genres are children’s books, parenting and self-help, mystery, historical non-fiction, and spiritual growth. I am inspired and continue to be inspired by Dr. Seuss, Beatrix Potter, Judy Blume, Elizabeth Gilbert, Deepok. There are so many I love and find value in so I will list just a few.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is third in my children’s series. Poohlicious Oh the Wonder of Me is carrying on the message that children are okay just the way they are and came into this life. It journeys through the funny, silly, awkwardness of childhood. Having crazy hair, spaces between their teeth, and funny ears are all normal at this stage and a great thing to see the positive in. I have included an I AM page in each book to get kids and their families started on this positive language early in life. Helping to encourage them to be more empowered within themselves and in challenging situations they might find themselves in. Its a great book for ages 4-7/8 and features boys and girls because they all go through quirky times during these ages.
Because I wrote this book in rhyme it took awhile, and the illustrations can take a long time depending on the artist and medium they are using. Collaborating takes patience.

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Mary Elizabeth Jackson’s Website

Mary Elizabeth Jackson Facebook Page

Mary Elizabeth Jackson Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Riri-sensei

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hello dear readers! :3 My name is Ririchi [リリ血] but you can call me Riri-sensei. A little bit about me! I am an Asian lady in her late 20s who lives in USA. My favorite animals are cats but I love all animals very much. My favorite colors are green, black and red. I also love pastel colors. My zodiac sign is Capricorn, yay cappies. ^_^ In my daily life, I suffer from several medical conditions and I have physical disabilities. This makes life a little tricky but I try my best to live a good life and do enjoyable things. c:

As for my interests & hobbies, I am a huge nerd who loves anime, manga, and video games! I play lots of RPG games and several MMOs in my free time. 😀 Stardew Valley, Black Desert, Tera & The Gray Garden are some of my favorites. I love old school retro games and pixel games a lot too.

I also enjoy cooking, sewing, and doing arts & craft projects. I am a certified henna artist and enjoy drawing body art in my free time. In addition, I have a passion for astrology, divination, occultism, and spiritualism.

With that being said, I have written and published 1 book so far but my goal is to publish a 20 novels. 🙂

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing when I was 9 years old and started having a fascination in writing when I was 8. 🙂 I used to make up stories and tell my grandma and mom when I was 3. I didn’t know I wanted to be a professional novelist until I was 15.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am heavily inspired and influenced by Japanese manga artists and one of my favorite artist is Cocoa Fujiwara. My pen name is in remembrance of her death. My favorite book genre is romance and fantasy. 🙂 I was inspired to write books because of my mama who always supported my dreams. She passed away 4 years ago in 2017 and I stopped writing for several years but in 2020 I decided to go for it again. 🙂

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Taking place in an alternative universe during the 18th century, Ashiqui is a tale about love, self-discovery, and hardships. This story begins with Raiszadah, the Goddess of Fire, as she tearfully mourns the death of her loved ones. In despair, she attempts suicide by drowning herself in the sea of Zo’ar. Alas, her immortal blood binds her to the living realm preventing her death. Sinking to the bottom of the sea, Raiszadah goes into a deep slumber, where she stays isolated from the mortal world for several years. In an act of defiance, Jahei, the God of Water, convinces her to continue living and revives her from her catatonic state. Once revived, Raiszadah begins to have strange dreams of a young boy whom she has never met before. Plagued by nightmares, she begins to question if this is just a dream or a prophecy. Meanwhile, Zhou Bai is sold to a gang of slave traders by his abusive grandfather shortly after his mother dies. At the mercy of evildoers, Zhou Bai is forced to work at a brothel where he suffers from constant sexual abuse, and violence at the hands of local thugs. The result of this traumatic experience leads a young Zhou Bai to become a shell of his former self. As time passes, Zhou Bai is tired of his life as a prostitute and seeks comfort in suicidal thoughts. Desperate for a solution, the boy ends up praying to the Goddess of Fire, begging her to have mercy upon him and end his miserable life. After hearing his pitiful pleas and having reoccurring dreams of Zhou Bai, the Goddess decides to embark on a journey to find him and save him. Unbeknownst to Zhou Bai, Raiszadah devises a plan with the help of Jahei, to uncover her connection to this young boy and rescue him before it’s too late.”

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Riri-sensei Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With Leigh M. Hall

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I live in Texas, where I was born. I have ventured out to other areas, but Texas is where I belong. I have three trying boys that take up most of my time. I love animals. I have three rescue dogs, and one rescue cat, all of them have a passion for destroying my house. My husband is the greatest man I have ever met, so I decided to put a ring on it.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As a student, I loved writing, but I could never end my stories. They just dragged on and on. I could never perfect the perfect short story. I have worked in the medical field for 22 years, that’s what my degree is in, but I have never been fully satisfied with my career choice. I’ve had an idea for a book since my early twenties but never made the time to sit down and write it. In 2020 I made that time, but the idea I had wasn’t what came out. I still plan on writing that book sometime in the future. I mastered my ending problem by writing my endings first.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read all genres, and as a youth, I loved paranormal books. As I grow, I’ve started to enjoy thrillers and mysteries more. My favorite authors are Anne Rice and Charlaine Harris.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Capability was actually the first book I ever wrote. I have sat on it for over a year making small changes and sending it out to different agents. It is a dramatic psychological thriller that centers around a woman who suffered a brutal attack. She is trying to find herself but at the same time loses herself entirely.

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Leigh M. Hall’s Website

Leigh M. Hall Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Harsimran Kaur

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m Harsimran Kaur, and I’m a 16-year-old author and an English language enthusiast who also happens to have an affinity with the history of the Indian Partition. I am born and raised in a small village on the outskirts of a city called Jalandhar in India. I’ve always been an ardent fan of literature since a very young age. I was raised reading Mark Twain and Roald Dahl. So in a way, you can assume that books have raised me along with my parents!
I recently made a national record and an Asian record (‘Grand Master’ for authoring a book containing different colours of poetry), which is given to me by the India Book of Records (registered with the Government of India) and Asia Book of Records, respectively.
I don’t have any pets now, but I fancy having a dog and a cat.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As far as I can remember, I started writing poems and several ramblings around ten. I had recently finished reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain at that time, which made me write a poem about protecting our planet (don’t know what element from the book inspired me to write that) and a short story about a mischievous kid called Thomas. I titled it ‘Some Years Without Parents,’ which is an expression that I indeed consider pretentious.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
If any people inspire me in writing, they are the greatest minds of the past century like Franz Kafka, Kahlil Gibran, Robert Frost, Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, Wendy Cope, and Toni Morrison. I also idolize Michelle Obama and Arundhati Roy – and I can’t emphasize the fact enough. My mother is also a source of my utmost inspiration, and I admire her for that.
I love reading literary fiction, modern classics, and poetry. I also love to read translated works of literature from different countries because that’s how globalization is facilitated, one of the aspects that I love the most about books. I’m prominently interested in American and British literature, which will most probably be the focus of my higher studies.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, ‘Clementines on my Poetry Table: A Poetry Collection‘ came out on March 17, 2021. It is a collection of poems written between December 2019 and June 2020 about topics ranging from Zoom meetings to donuts. It is currently available on all the Amazon Marketplaces and all the royalty received at my end for the book will go to the Give India Foundation’s urgent COVID relief fund. You can follow me on Instagram @harsimranwritesbooks for more updates regarding my books.

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Harsimran Kaur Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With Laurie Sudbrink

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in a tiny little upstate NY town where cows outnumber people. I was a middle child of 13 siblings – I fondly refer to us as ‘the Crazy Bunch’ (kinda like the ‘Brady Bunch’).

I live between my small upstate-NY town and a small community in Florida. I love nature, so living near trees, water, wildlife is important to me. I enjoy being outside as much as possible!

I lost my dog Mason almost 7 years ago. I’m just starting to think about getting another puppy! A rescue. I love animals!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Finally as a senior in high school, our teacher let us select an author and read 5 – 10 books. I chose John Steinbeck, and my favorite was East of Eden. I was hooked on books after that. (Prior to that the reading was boring to me.)

I wrote poetry in high school and absolutely loved it. I wrote short stories as well, but never attempted at getting anything published – the thought really never crossed my mind (I don’t think I would have believed it was possible…)

I still don’t consider myself a writer. I’m more of a doer. I love the work I do, training and developing, coaching, retreats, etc. From this comes great ideas and if I can get it into a book, I can share it with more people.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read a lot of trade-books (leadership, self-help), and my favorite authors are Don Miguel Ruiz, Patrick Lencioni, Ken Blanchard, Dan Millman to name only a few!

Don Miguel Ruiz inspired me to write my current book, Leading With GRIT. (In fact, he endorsed it on the front cover!). I went to many retreats with Don Miguel Ruiz and spent 1:1 time with him.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The idea for Leading With GRIT came to me on a flight from NY to CA. I wrote the outline and chapter summaries on that flight. It changed quite a bit since then (10 years), but that’s where it was born!

The book began as “Get Your GRIT Together!” When Wiley published the book, they wanted the title changed to “Leading With GRIT!” So yes, Wiley published my book in 2015. I’m now self-publishing because there’s so much more I want to provide and it was difficult to do so with a publisher. I’m fortunate to have gained the rights back, and just finished the audio version as well (out very soon)!

My 20+ years of experience, with real stories of clients, makes this book relatable and very practical.

Leading with GRIT® centers on the why, what and how to make positive, effective and sustainable changes in your life so you authentically and more naturally lead others to do the same.

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Featured Interview With Marshall Armstrong

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in a small Midwestern town, and moved to Southern California as a freshman high school. After high school, I attended junior college in Southern California before joining the military. That sent me travelling the world, making my home on three different continents along the way. I am a retired Air Force veteran. I live and work in San Antonio. Timeless Poetry, is a collection of poems I wrote over the last 30 years, shaped by life in the moment and memories of life gone by.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I really started writing poetry in 1989. I wrote my first poem, I Am, for my church in Southern California. After that, I wrote off and on for many years, finally culminating in my first book.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I really enjoy Michael Crichton and Robin Cook. They are my two favorite Non-Poetry writers. I love Mr. Cook’s medical thrillers. My favorite Crichton books are Sphere and Jurassic Park.
My favorite poets are Sylvia Plath and Algernon Charles Swinburn. Swinburn has inspired me to write my own style especially when looking at my stanzas and rhythm. Plath is the poet that inspired me to explore the senses as I write. There are many great Poets I enjoy reading , like Frost and Dickinson. I feel that Plath and Swinburn really inspire me the most.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My book, Timeless Poetry: A Collection of Poems is a collection of the poetry I wrote over the last 30 years or so. It has three sections, Faith, Life, and Romance. The “Faith” section has poems written about my faith in God. It covers subjects such as blessings, struggles, and surrender. The “Romance” section is a bit steamy but not erotic. It contains poems about my wife’s accent, our wedding, and her beauty. The “Life” section has poems about my life in a small town, and a poem about how a lie I told caught up with me when I was a kid. Check it out. I hope you enjoy this first book. 🙂

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