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?
I was born in Manhattan, and raised in the suburbs of NYC. Not being a fan of New York (or SNOW), in 1968 I began the first phase of my westward migration, which took me to…Chicago — and I thought New York had cold Winters!

In 1973 I said a final, if not fond farewell to frigid weather, and moved to the place that inspired Mark Twain to proclaim “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco”. The city of San Francisco, long ago dubbed “THE City” by its hyperbole-inclined inhabitants, is certainly not as cold as Chicago but it was also not nearly warm enough for me, so, in 1986, having run out of “west”, I migrated south, and exchanged “THE City” for “The City of (fallen) Angels” aka Los Angeles (decidely warmer, but also distinctly surreal!)

Ten years of Hollywood proved to be more than enough for this girl so, in 1996, I said goodbye to “LA LA Land” and relocated to the relative sanity of Oregon. Not long thereafter, I began a tedious and not terribly amusing battle with Breast Cancer. Today I am finally Cancer-free…”boobless”, but Cancer-free!

A list of my 4-legged family members includes “Luna” (aka “Lunatic” or “Moose”) — a large, charming and goofy Golden Retriever who has never met an ANYTHING she couldn’t eat! Our house is also home to “Gypsy”, an almost reasonable facsimile of a dog of dubious lineage, and “Demon Cat” (aka “The Floor Weasel”) — an alleged “feline” who couldn’t care less what anyone calls him, as he can be counted on to ignore whatever name he is given.

In addition to writing books and screenplays, I am also the Meme Maven of Camp Meme-A-Day (Facebook.com/@CampMemeaday), and the owner, creator, and designer of THE CARD OUTLET (zazzle.com/thecardoutlet) — the online home of my alter ego, Ima Crone, the Gypsy Crone Queen of Snarklandia, and CardBard Greetings (cards for all seasons and all reasons) — sweet, snarky, tender and twisted! When you’ve got something to say, CardBard Greetings has an amusing way to say it!

I donate a portion of ALL proceeds from the sale of EVERYTHING I do, including my Greeting Cards and my new book, “WHY ARE THERE MONKEYS? (and other questions for God)” to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I began writing at the age of two, although my early “writings” bore a striking resemblance to indecipherable doodles.

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’m a voracious reader. I’m particularly fond of Tom Robbins — his decidely “twisted” brain invents fabulous characters and fantastic stories and his use of language is a marvel to behold! I adore Ray Bradbury’s work for the same reason. While I tend to gravitate toward Biographies, (though you wouldn’t know that based on my fascination with Bradbury and Robbins), I am also drawn to Historical Fiction and the magical work of the late, great Sir Terry Pratchett.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“WHY ARE THERE MONKEYS? (and other questions for God)” is the absolutely TRUE, deeply INSPIRATIONAL, laugh-out-loud FUNNY story of my Near-Death Question and Answer Session with God, and if you think a conversation with God couldn’t possibly be FUNNY, you’re in for a BIG surprise!

As a Los Angeles and San Francisco Radio Personality, I interviewed more celebrities than I can count (Robin Williams, Mel Brooks, and Bob Hope, just to name a few), but the most AMAZING interview I ever conducted occurred after I DIED and suddenly found myself interviewing God!

Being a journalist, I refused to discuss my “Divine Experience” with anybody, unless I could get PROOF that it had REALLY HAPPENED, and that’s EXACTLY what I got…and it was PROOF that NO ONE COULD DENY!

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Brooke Jones’s Website

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Featured Interview With Andrea Byrd

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a Christian wife and mom in located in rural Kentucky, with a deep affinity for an old-fashioned, natural lifestyle. Often described as having been born outside my time, I love to spend time with my family in the great outdoors, one with nature.

With a degree in Equine Health & Rehabilitation gathering dust and a full-time job tethering me to a desk eight hours a day, I decided it was high time to invoke change in my life. To show my children it is truly possible to make your dreams come true, I dove into the role of Christian Romance author with my debut series, Smoky Mountain Romance.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated by books and loved to read. As soon as I learned to read, basically. My love of writing didn’t come quite as easily though. I quite disliked it until 7th or 8th grade. The English teacher I had those years helped me find my love for writing. I’ve been hooked ever since then.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Romance and Christian Romances are my favorite genres to read. I love a happy ending. And beautiful descriptions within the text. That is one of the reasons Diana Palmer is hands down my favorite author and inspiration.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest work is titled Smoky Mountain Embers. It is inspired by the Chimney Tops II Fire that affected the Gatlinburg area in 2016. What started off as a miniscule fire turned into a full-blown firestorm with hurricane force winds. The disaster claimed thousands of structures in the area. After researching the disaster which had hit so close to home, I felt compelled to tell a story which would honor both the lives saved and the lives lost.

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Andrea Byrd’s Website

Featured Interview With Jennifer Lieberman

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi! I’m Jennifer Lieberman, from Maple, Ontario, Canada. I’m a multi-multi-hyphanate writer-actor-producer and have appeared in over thirty stage productions in Toronto, New York City, Los Angeles, Europe and Australia; including my Award-Winning Solo Show Year of the Slut, which my novel was adapted from. In addition to my performance career I’ve penned a number of screen and stage plays including the wacky web-series “Dumpwater Divas” and the short films “Leash” and “Details” which both screened at the Festival De Cannes’ Court Métrage among other international film festivals. I also have a weekly vlog “I Never Thought I Would…” where I interview fellow authors about doing things they never thought they would and the amazing places it led them.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Although I always loved listening and telling stories, I was a slow reader growing up so it took me quite a while to get into books. In high school I really got into reading plays when my love for the stage was ignited. It wasn’t until I was in my early 20’s living in New York running a theatre company in the East Village when I fell in love with reading books. I was living in Queens and had a long commute on the subway and I also discovered this extraordinary used book store called The Strand, I guess the combination of the two led me to my now veracious habit of reading. I started reading a book on week on y subway commute and got hooked.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite authors are Tom Robbins, Herman Hess, Paulo Coelho and Agatha Christie.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Year of the WHAT?” is an adaptation of my award-winning solo show “Year of the Slut” and is a romantic comedy that follows heartbroken and lonely 25-year-old Dana, who is six months off her first break-up and living the single life in New York City. A virgin once removed, she’s insecure and on the hunt for the one.

Dana has only been with one man and hasn’t given herself a chance to explore her own curiosity. She feels ashamed of her desires, and keeps trying to squash them in order to be a ‘good girl’. Her roommate, Kelly, on the other hand, has none of Dana’s hang-ups.

Kelly is unabashedly promiscuous, with an off the charts IQ and a full ride to NYU. But Kelly can’t stand the monotony of school, so she drops out to become a dominatrix and pursue an alternative lifestyle where she makes ‘lawyer money’ working in a dungeon in Chelsea.

After months of searching in vain for Mr. Right, Kelly’s lust for life and insatiable quest for adventure finally rub off…Dana embarks on an outrageous adventure of sexual discovery where she finds her inner power and confidence, all while taking charge of her erotic exploration. Through her exploits Dana realizes she will never find what she is looking for, until she finds herself.

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Featured Interview With JP McLean

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Toronto, Ontario, and moved to the west coast of Canada to attend university, but within days of moving, I knew I’d make the coast my home. There’s something magical about living by the ocean with snow-capped mountains standing guard and outdoor adventure at your doorstep. My husband and I now live on Denman Island, which is one of the northern Gulf islands nestled between the British Columbia mainland and Vancouver Island. We’re ferry dependent, and rural, so it’s not for everyone, but I find the quiet solitude perfect for writing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My love of reading started early. I have memories of sitting in my father’s lap with a picture book from the library and dragging my finger along the page to sound out the words. But I never thought I’d have a story idea big enough for a book. Happily, I was proven wrong and began writing ten years ago what would turn into the seven-book Gift Legacy series.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite authors to read are also the writers who inspire me. They include Charlaine Harris, Kelley Armstrong, Neil Gaiman, Deborah Harkness, Victoria Aveyard, Jim Butcher, Lee Child and KJ Howe. You can probably tell from this list that I enjoy urban fantasy, paranormal, the supernatural, and thrillers.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Gift Legacy is a seven-book series about a secret society of people who can fly. It begins with Secret Sky. This is the book that made me fall in love with writing. It took me a year to write it, and another year to edit it into shape.

Emelynn Taylor is the protagonist throughout the series, but she doesn’t start out knowing that she can fly. She knows she’s losing gravity, which is awkward, and dangerous. In a daring attempt to learn to control it, a miscalculation causes her to fall from the sky. She ends up in hospital, and that’s where she meets a doctor who recognizes the second lens in her eyes that marks her as one of them, a Flier. The doctor introduces her to a covey of others who are like her. They teach her how to fly and indoctrinate her into their secret society. But she soon learns that they are keeping secrets. Their kind are ruled by a Soviet-style Tribunal, and powerful organizations know about them, are hunting them, and Fliers like her are going missing. Only one has ever escaped and he returned missing an eye and his will to live.

The tagline is: Everybody wishes they could fly–until it happens.

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JP McLean Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With Blake Allwood

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Blake Allwood was born in west TN, then moved to Kansas City MO after attending college in Lamoni, Iowa. He met his husband in 1995 and they officially married in 2015, once gay marriage was legalized. In 2017, he and his husband sold their home, purchased an RV and began traveling the country with their two dogs. Their travels provide the inspiration and settings for many of his novels.

Typically, Blake can be found relaxing in the RV or by the fire with his laptop and their Jack Russell Terrier, Buddy, curled up between his legs demanding attention. Denver, their Siberian Husky mix is often asleep at his feet or playing tug of war with Blake’s husband.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved books. When I was still too small to read them, my granny, whom I adored, would put books in my hand and then tell me about her love for them. Naturally, I learned to love books from her. When I was in high school, the librarian put Mary Stewart’s book in my hand and said, “try this…” I did and have loved romance novels since then.

All I can say is how lucky I have been to have such strong role models in my life.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite author is probably still Nora Roberts, although I’ve begun to love Lucy Lennox, Lily Morton, and other MM romance authors as well.

What’s my favorite genre? I love romance, but also fantasy. I’ve recently found some urban fantasies YA novels that I’ve fallen in love with.

Who inspires me? I think people, in general, inspire me. I write MM/gay romance, and most of my works either come from my own experiences or from people I speak to about them.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I just released Love’s Legacy, which is the first book in my Big Bend Series. The special thing about this book is that it’s based in West Texas just outside the Big Bend National Park. I fell in love with the enormous park when I visited there a few years back.

Naturally, because it’s Texas, I needed to incorporate a little paranormal activity in it as well.

These three books are definitely different from my other writing. They also took a couple of years to write. Mostly because they aren’t standalone books, but also because of all the research I had to do about the area.

I love genealogy and have been learning so much about my ancestors lately so that’s influenced these books as well. What would happen if your distant ancestors could help you? Would you want to know them? Would it be creepy? The answer for most of us is yes on both parts. So, naturally, I made that part of these books.

The Big Bend Series is full of suspense, a few cliffhangers, yeah I know… sorry, but also lots of love and support from their friends and family.

In the end, this series has been the most difficult books I’ve written, but also the most rewarding.

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Featured Interview With J.E. McDonald

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Saskatchewan Canada, and I still live there today with my husband and three girls. I often infuse my writing with my landscape, and readers will notice my love of rivers and open prairie in my writing.
We unfortunately don’t have any pets right now, it’s been a couple of years since we’ve had one, but my girls and I have been itching for a kitten for a while. We’ve just been waiting for my youngest to get to an age where she won’t be too rough. Once that happens, I’m sure all my social media accounts will become kitten spam accounts.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I really started reading voraciously around the age of eleven when I discovered Harlequins. My mother was always reading them, and I picked one up one day and couldn’t put it down. My love for romance hasn’t dwindled since then, even if I’ve expanded my tastes to include other genres as well.
I’ve always loved to write. In school I would have rather written a test full of essays than one with multiple choice. More than once when I didn’t know how to answer a math word problem, I would use the space provided to argue a point instead of solving the equation. It didn’t impress my math teachers, unfortunately.
I began to write novel-length stories in my late twenties and I can’t seem to quit the habit. The books in my series, the Wickwood Chronicles, are paranormal romances infused with humor, mystery, and a lot of steam. They take place in the fictional town of Wickwood where strange things happen to ordinary people, and it’s just getting weirder as the series goes on!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
It’s probably no surprise that my favorite genre is romance. I love all subgenres of romance, seriously all of them. Some of my favorite authors are Helen Hoang, Alyssa Cole, Sarah MacLean, and Kresley Cole just to name a few. There are so many good ones out there!
My biggest influence in the past was Julie Garwood. She was the first author I was exposed to who took me away with her writing, where I truly lost myself in a book. More recently, I would say Lisa Kleypas hits that same sweet spot. She writes books I can’t put down, then I end up going to bed at 3am by accident. I find her writing immersive, and that’s what I want to do with my readers, to just take them away to another place.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest release, Ghost of an Enchantment, features a witch named Stella who’s an energy reader. She’s had a string of bad luck lately, and just when she thinks it’s turning around, her best friend opens a portal to another dimension in their living room. Oops! Police are sent to investigate the noise disturbance. The officer who lands on her doorstep is none other than the hottie she met at the bar a week ago, a guy whose energy is so addictive she’d been obsessing about him. Now she’s got some explaining to do.
I love writing these sorts of mashups: comedy, romance, and paranormal. This one took me a bit longer to write because of the pandemic. Our whole routine changed at home and I had to shift my writing habits to accommodate. Overall, I think this one took me about seven months to get to my editor.
The next allotment in my series, Ghost of a Summoning, will be releasing September 14th, 2021. I’m very excited to introduce Roman to the world, a demon hunter with a prophecy to stop. He’s got an adorable sidekick and a penchant for super sweet coffee. I hope readers fall in love with him as much as I have.

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J.E. McDonald’s Website

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Featured Interview With Jamie Campbell

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in a small town in New South Wales, Australia and then moved to sunny Queensland, Australia where I now live. I’m the youngest of six children and now have a daughter of my own with another baby on the way. I live with my husband, daughter, and two wonderful dogs–Ralph and Bella.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Since I learned to read, I have loved books. I couldn’t get enough of them when I was growing up. I used to write short stories all the time and would tuck them away without showing anyone. When I was twenty-five, I decided it was time I wrote a book. So I did. And now I can’t stop.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love all different genres and authors. My absolute favorites are fantasy and YA Scifi/Fantasy. My top authors are Robin Hobb and Richelle Mead – both absolute stand outs in my opinion.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest series, Princess of the Fae, is a reverse harem novel centered around a changeling who is being hunted. Her talking cat leads her to safety, only to tell her of her true origins. Now, the princess must save her people from falling into the hands of the Dark Fae.
There are three books in this series and it took me about three months to write the first drafts. I really enjoyed the surprise element as our main character finds herself in a completely different world from the one she’s known. Plus, all her advisors were really fun to write.

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Featured Interview With Jessica Highstreet

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m Jessica Highstreet. I grew up in Florida and moved to Denver in 2015. Writing has always been my thing. I also love to teach and share and build community through writing. I self-published my first book, Rose Hips, in June 2020.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved writing as soon as I learned what it really was- putting your thoughts down on paper. I just always thought that concept was magical, I still do. All my childhood friends still remember my songs about the flowers and the trees we were climbing. There’s always been a poet in me, finding her way out.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Oh wow, I’m inspired by so many authors and poets. I could never name them all. But there’s a few that come to mind- Mary Oliver, Pablo Neruda, Andrea Gibson, William Shakespeare, Maya Angelou, Shel Silverstein, and possibly my first true love, Emily Dickinson.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Rose Hips is my first book. I self-published it in June of 2020, when the pandemic left me with lots of time on my hands. I was calling my grandma a lot that spring since neither of us were getting out much, and she kept encouraging me to finally publish my poems. When I started to put the collection together, I realized that I had really recorded my process of finding my identity with my poetry. I think finding your authentic self is something everyone searches for at some point. I wanted to be really vulnerable and raw in my writing. Hopefully anyone who reads Rose Hips will feel a little less alone in their journey.

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Jessica Highstreet’s Website

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Featured Interview With Edward Swing

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
A retired software developer, I enjoy the creativity involved in writing. I’m also an avid gamer and otaku. I’ve traveled quite a lot, both domestically and internationally, participated in the Society for Creative Anachronism, and studied quite a few topics from astrophysics to ancient civilizations.

I grew up in Florida (mostly), went to college in Texas, then moved to Maryland, where I live now. I have three teenaged children and four cats, and it’s a toss-up as to who demands more of my time.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading at a young age – I can’t remember NOT reading. Even as a young child, I read through different Dr. Seuss books and wondered about the bizarre creatures inside. I remember finding a pamphlet on Greek Mythology, and that led to more fantasy. Even books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or The Wizard of Oz fascinated me as a boy.

I didn’t start writing novels until about 2015, but I spent many hours writing intricate fantasy adventures or designing cool characters for Dungeons & Dragons and similar tabletop RPGs. These skills translated naturally to writing novels.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read mostly science fiction and fantasy, as well as manga, and I have a whole pile of authors I enjoy. In fantasy, I’ve read Michael Moorcock, David Eddings, Terry Pratchett, and of course Tolkien. Aside from the classic science fiction authors like Asimov, Clarke, and Bradbury, I enjoy Larry Niven and James P. Hogan. And crossover authors like Piers Anthony, Robert Asprin, and Alan Dean Foster can craft compelling worlds in either science fiction or fantasy.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Wondrous Wayfarer is a Middle Grade fantasy novel with sci-fi elements, and it’s the first of a planned 5 (or more) book series. Gavin Greene, a boy from our own world, discovers an ogre trying to steal his bicycle and the rack it’s chained to. He follows the brute into a mysterious vehicle that travels between worlds, but finds he cannot return home.

Gavin makes a variety of new friends and visits exotic worlds. He faces a variety of challenges – both monstrous foes and his inner demons. But despite the strange wonders he discovers, he’s hoping to find somewhere he can fit in and a place to call home.

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Featured Interview With Lynn Bushell

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born by the sea in East Anglia and grew up in Kent. For the last 20 years I’ve spent half of every year in a bolt-hole on the Normandy coast which provides me with the peace to write and the inspiration to paint. I have an eleven year old border collie with one blue eye and one brown, for company. I could live without people if I had to, but not without a dog

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started out as a painter, not a writer, and began writing after leaving university in order to support myself as an artist. I got a job as a features editor on the UK ‘Vanity Fair’ and because journalism seemed to come easily, I went on doing it. Once I started taking the writing seriously, it got harder. I’d have worried if it hadn’t. It now takes me between 4 – 7 years to write a book, but that’s O.K. Time isn’t everything, although my biggest fear now is that I might die halfway through a book.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like to read books that are recommended and if I like them, I read others by the same author. I love Rachel Cusk’s books – her intelligence shines through everything she does and I loved Amor Towles ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’. As a student Virginia Woolf was my favourite author. I’m not quite as enthusiastic about her now but you never entirely leave behind authors you’ve loved. I hope in the future a few readers might feel the same about me. My latest enthusiasm is for Mary McCarthy’s brilliant 1960’s book ‘The Group.’

Tell us a little about your latest book?
‘Painted Ladies’, (Sandstone 2019) was my first excursion into historical fiction. It was about the painter Bonnard and his relationship with his long-term partner, Marthe, and his muse, Renee Montchaty. My two previous books had been novels, but when ‘Painted Ladies’ was voted ‘Book of the Year’ by The Literary Sofa, I decided to write another in the same vein. ‘The Lovers and the Dustman’ is about the English artist Stanley Spencer and his obsession with his gay muse, Patricia Preece. I’m hoping this one will be out next year.

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Featured Interview With Diane M. Johnson

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born and raised in Upstate New York (or maybe it’s Central New York–there’s a whole argument concerning which is where, and the dividing line between the two puts me square in the middle), the rural countryside was a perfect setting for a budding Stephen King fan. But I studied film in college, graduated from Binghamton University then headed out to California to pursue screenwriting. I spent many years as a script reader/reviewer for organizations and competitions like The Scriptwriters Network and Los Angeles Shriekfest, and I’ve had several scripts do well in competitions, including in Scriptapalooza and the Austin Film Festival.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing in the third grade, and I attempted my first TV script in middle school with a WKRP in Cincinnati episode. Needless to say, it didn’t get past the production company gatekeepers. A script sent in by a thirteen year old with no agent is not going to get read. But they were kind enough to send it back with the advice to keep trying. In that spec, I put the cast of the show in quarantine because DJ Johnny Fever had contracted mono.

I continued to write through high school and college, and ended up writing an erotic adventure that nearly got me in trouble at my first high school job (I wrote the chapters anonymously, and the managers of the diner really wanted to know who was leaving them in the break room…).

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’m going to cheat here and say that some of the best writers I’ve read are screenwriters. If you like movies, I highly recommend finding scripts to your favorites and reading them. It’s a completely different way of writing, but it’s also interesting to see how what is written on the page transfers to the screen.

But I still have my favorite authors. Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, King and Joe Hill . Anne Rice. I tend to like a mix of horror and humor, both in the books I read and the movies/TV I watch. I’m a huge fan of the series Supernatural, especially those episodes that are meta and laced with humor. Some great TV writers from that series too, including Jeremy Carver, Ben Edlund and Robbie Thompson. Also, did you know S.E. Hinton (The Outsiders) is a fan?

Speaking of authors and screenwriters, one of my favorite Stephen King books is The Shining. I was super excited when they first made it into a movie — a horror classic (that Stephen King hated, by the way). That screenplay was written by Diane Johnson, author of Le Mariage and Le Divorce. Talk about range! Also, I am not that Diane Johnson…

Also, I’ve been trying to split my reading time to give some lesser known, indie authors a read. You can find me at Goodreads and BookBub and read some of my reviews there. The last thing I reviewed, at the time of this writing was The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones, and WOW. Highly recommended.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is a sequel to my second book. In sequence, they are Perfect Prophet and Prophet Reborn. Yes, there is a religious aspect to them, but I would not categorize them as Christian fiction. Perfect Prophet is a Satanic Panic style story about a death metal atheist who uses Satanic themes symbolically in his music to tear religion down. But a Satanic cult from his hometown believes that he fulfills a written prophecy that puts him and his family in real danger.

Prophet Reborn follows a different character from the first book, a former Satanist who wants to change. Unfortunately, he chooses to right his wrongs with God by becoming a member of a Christian commune with extremist ideals. Again, the atheist from Perfect Prophet becomes a target, along with his son, but from the opposite side of the religious spectrum.

Perfect Prophet was originally a script that spent years on the shelf before I decided to write it as a novel. My first book The Schoharie (about a rural upstate New York community plagued by a vengeful Native spirit after floods and a bridge collapse seal off the area) was also first written as a script. That story was inspired by an actual bridge collapse that made national headlines in 1987.

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Featured Interview With Rod Butler

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m from London. Born during WW2 in Mill Hill and moved to Enfield after the War ended. I now live in Waltham Abbey, Essex.
I don’t have any pets. I love all animals, but prefer to see and enjoy them in the wild.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I enjoyed physically writing when I was a child. In my teens and twenties I went on to writing songs, and the songwriting developed into stories and biographies.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love reading Elena Ferrante, Joanne Harris and William Boyd.

My favourite genre has to be Biography. I love to see how successful people have done well. If I look at the biographies of say Norman Wisdom or Tommy Steel, I get inspiration to write, work and push forwards.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
‘War Baby’ is my own autobiography. It details a difficult early life and times after the War. It took me ten years to complete as I had to build up the courage to write about my early rather traumatic life. I remember everything from those early years and finally managed to write it all down.

My Father died when I was six and my Mother re-married. Unfortunately my step father was a paedophile and this made my early life very difficult. The scars are still there and this book has formed part of my acceptance of what has happened.

In my teenage years I started to find my real self and became proficient on the guitar. I played with many bands and eventually toured the World in a number one hit band – The Honeycombs.

Later on and in my 30s, and a father, I studied Karate, eventually opening my own Karate club and years later forming a very successful Karate Organisation.

This is the basis of the book and hopefully it may serve to help others who have been victims in their early life.

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Rod Butler’s Website

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Featured Interview With Stephan Attia

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in the Holy Land (Haifa 1971) I grew up in a Kibbutz in Western Galilee. I live in exile (Denmark) ever since 1994. I live a quiet and ascetic life in the spiritual desert of exile.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been fascinated with books when I was child. But I only began writing at the age of 23.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Pinchas Sadeh , Edgar Allan Poe, J.D. Salinger, Geoffrey Chaucer, and Stephen Vincent Benet

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Parables III is about judgment in the after life. We can actually make it to heaven while we live on earth. It is all a matter of adjusting consciousness.

Featured Interview With Kerry Alan Denney

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born a poor … no, wait; that’s a famous old movie quote from the immortal Steve Martin. I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida just a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean, moved to Atlanta, Georgia when I was thirteen, and have been living in my dream home in Stone Mountain, Georgia for thirty wonderful years.

My study-slash-workstation where I write what the voices in my head compel me to has a big picture window that looks out on an acre of dense woods that leads down to a creek, an inspiring view full of nature in all its untamed glory—including a hawk’s nest in a big oak tree a hundred feet or so away. Sometimes when I stare out that window and daydream and invent characters and worlds in my fertile imagination, I hop in one of those hawks and soar with them as they hunt. It teaches me humility at the same time as it fills me with confidence, and it’s a magical and unparalleled form of freedom that I never expected to achieve in just one lifetime.

Pets? Absolutely, but I never thought of any of my dogs that way. They’re all family members, constant companions and confidants, and the best little writing assistants I could ever hope or ask for. My current furever friend is Gypsy Dancer, a three-year-old rescue dog. Her dame was a golden retriever and her sire was a black Labrador retriever, so she has all the sweetness of a golden blended with the hyper-spaz playfulness typical of Labradors. I love her so much. We have the greatest adventures together.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination with books and stories began before I could even walk or talk properly. My mother and father were big-time book lovers, and read to me constantly since I was an infant. Once I started recognizing the written words as they spoke them (true real-life magic!), and the words became stories with characters that took on a life of their own, I became a book addict—no, a book junkie. I was irretrievably hooked, and wouldn’t have it any other way in a hundred lifetimes. Make that a thousand. Ten thousand. I blame Dr. Seuss and “Green Eggs and Ham” for providing that literary “gateway drug.” And thank him for it, too.

I started writing in middle school, creating my own stories as a homage to all my favorite stories, novels, and writers. In the eighth grade, I entered a short story contest for the school’s newspaper. When—lo and behold, stop the presses, and knock me over with a feather—I won, I was as happy as a herd of elephants frolicking in a muddy river . . . and as hooked on writing as the caveman who first discovered fire was on burning nearly everything in sight. I still have the winner’s plaque hanging on my Wall of Awards. It is small but infinitely powerful, the symbol of making a lifelong dream come true.

I still remember—and treasure—my mother’s beautiful and priceless smile when I came home from school that day. Yeah, she already knew I was the winner. The best mothers—like mine was—always seem to know things like that. I will cherish and carry that smile with me to the end of my days on this watery spinning rock.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
As a child and pre-teen, I devoured anything and everything by Edgar Rice Burroughs and reread them until they fell apart, along with the fabulous “Doc Savage” series by Kenneth Robeson and all of “The Shadow” books by Maxwell Grant, including many others too numerous to list here.

As an adult, I got gloriously hooked on Dean Koontz’s “Watchers” and quickly started reading everything he wrote. The works of F. Paul Wilson, Robert R. McCammon, James Rollins, Charles de Lint, Stephen King, and Robert Charles Wilson soon followed, among many other favorites. One of my all-time favorite novels is “The Anubis Gates” by Tim Powers.

Thrillers are my favorite genre, especially those with a crossover blend of horror, sci-fi, real-world and urban fantasy, and the supernatural and paranormal—all done masterfully by the above-mentioned authors and many others. A tasteful fringe of the fantastic spices up any good thriller to supremely delicious status for me.

My inspiration comes from numerous diverse literary sources both great and terrible. I learn just as much from poor writing as I do from the giants and world shakers, and apply that knowledge to continuously improve my own writing skills while refining my style and voice. But the writers who make the words disappear and transport me completely into their story’s world are the ones who spark my creative imagination best of all.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Gideon Cain is the pseudonym for my main protagonist, Brendan Callahan-McCallum, a bestselling author who writes psychological thrillers about femme fatales with deadly vendettas. Each of those killer women suffer from an unforgivable betrayal, and spend all of their energy and efforts in a reckless pursuit of vigilante justice. With blockbuster movies made of each thriller, the sexy villainesses from his novels become wildly popular with legions of hardcore fans, and vault Brendan into unexpected success, fame, and riches. And Brendan doesn’t know how to handle that because he’s living a lie—and hiding a shameful secret from the world and everyone he knows and loves.

Nine years after the tragic death of his pregnant wife, Brendan still hasn’t fully recovered from his loss. With too much money and not enough maturity at forty, he pretends to live a carefree playboy lifestyle in an effort to prove to the world that he’s unbreakable. But that effort is futile. Haunted by the ghosts of his past and confounded by the mystery surrounding his wife’s unexplained disappearance and subsequent death, Brendan starts losing touch with reality. Is he really being visited by the spirit of his dead wife, or is he experiencing delusional psychotic episodes?

Then the villainesses from his thrillers seem to come to life and begin accosting him. Real or fantasy, they’re trying to kill him. When a forgotten nemesis from his past begins stalking him with a weapon so deadly it can kill with the touch of a button, Brendan realizes he must solve the mystery before he ends up dead.

During his desperate race to discover the truth about his past, Brendan meets three indomitable women—including two badass sisters with an underground network that fights for the underdogs of the world—who team up with him to help find those answers before his enemy kills him. Then he meets an enigmatic woman from his past who reveals a secret that changes everything he thought he knew about his life.

Come join him on his adventure, and discover the dark secrets for yourself.

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Featured Interview With Ann D’Silva

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Ann D’Silva is an Indian writer who hails from the city that never sleeps, Mumbai. She has spent over two decades in the corporate world in senior management roles across the globe.

She is a humanitarian, passionate about CSR, and her initiative ‘India Heart’ works for women empowerment in rural India.

Passionate about words, she eventually discovered that writing was her calling and being a storyteller was an expression of her creativity.

She is an avid traveller, blogger, fashionista and entrepreneur. She relocated to Turkey in 2019 and lives in İstanbul.

Sand and Sea: Child of Two Worlds is her second book from the trilogy, and her first book, Footprints in the Sand, is translated in Turkish.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was fascinated with poetry since childhood and could rhyme sentences whilst speaking more effortlessly, than doing maths or science. I was drawn to literature as I was a teenager and maintained a journal to spill my thoughts since I can remember.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am classics girl. Jane Austin, Emily Bronte, Homer, Tolkien and of course J K Rowling in our times. I love to weave mystery, mysticism with love in reality. Spirituality and Nature inspire me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I am a child of two worlds,
essence of spirit and being.
I journey from a forgotten past to an unwritten future.
Torn by turbulent memories and pain.
Reduced to a parchment of tradition; a mere knot of some lost connection.
A victim of fate I am,
Stuck in a war between dreamers and unbelievers.
If only they listen,
I just wanna go home…

True love is ever entwined with a higher calling. The majestic Sand “Kum” and the mysterious Sea “Deniz” are immortal lovers, protectors, guardians of the path of Good “Taqwa” against Evil “Fujur”. Since the beginning of mankind, they have been relentlessly watching, aligning the path of true lovers across parallel lives for the ultimate payment of karmic debt.

Özcan Güneş, a young boy with simple desires finds himself on a path conflicting that of his identity. His longing for his soulmate from his dreams grows over the years.

Junaid, an unfortunate lad from the war-torn Syrian land, sees his fortunes take a turn when destiny crosses his path with a kind Imam, who offers him education and a better life.

Hannah, a Mumbai girl, seeks the love of her life in a faraway land, heeding to the call from her dreams and embarks on a journey to find him, in Turkey.

Returning to his home in Syria to be with his family, Junaid meets Bahr (Sea), an orphaned girl, falls in love and marries her albeit through fortunate circumstances and the kindness of many. Soon, the pain of displacement, the vulgarity of loss of life through war, and the suffering of the innocent at the sleeves of ego tear their lives apart.

Maryam, the child with magical powers, is fated to change all their lives. She is the nucleus that connects the past and the present. How did she come into Özcan’s life and what is her connection to Hannah?

Travel through the portal of Deniz in high tide across parallel lives. Karmic debt follows the protagonists as the war between Fujur and Taqwa brews at the shores of Dalyan and the hidden mystery of the countless grains of sand is revealed.

Take this journey to mystical places, sights of historic ruin, experiences of pain and joy, swim in the lyrical flow of poetry and much more.

Child of Two Worlds is the second book in the Sand and Sea Series.

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Ann D’Silva’s Website

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Featured Interview With Cathy Connally

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am an avid reader and traveled the world for most of my career working in internal audit and then founding my own companies in technology and compliance. I was raised in the Midwest of the US and began my food journey at five years old in France where a doctor prescribed an artichoke for an inflamed liver rather than pills. From that time on, I have worked to utilize food as medicine while never compromising on flavour. I love to cook and bake and am constantly working on new recipes. I am an avid traveler and have been to 60 countries for work and pleasure.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Started reading at four or five years old. My parents were language teachers so reading was required in our house. I started doing technical writing early in my career and have more recently started writing non-fiction after realizing that I wanted to connect with people to reach out to help with flavour and health through writing stories that connect and introducing new ways to make iconic foods.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
John Grisham, Jeffrey Hammelman, Lee Child are a few of my favourite authors. I like thrillers and mysteries and non-fiction such as historical biographies, autobiographies and cookbooks. My co-author Charley Best and I have worked together for a long time and we inspire and work well together on this book series as well as others that are underway.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
This book was two years in the making. We wanted to weave stories of audacious women with some fun travel locations and accompany it with tasty recipes. Our standards are very high on the photography and we have hit some #1 New Release categories on Amazon such as Travel Photography and Gourmet Food. Most of the photos are our originals except those that are historical or family photos.
The reader is taken on a fun road trip through France, first stopping in the Champagne Region where we toast the Widows of Champagne, then onto Metz, where a little girl first realizes that food can be medicine. Then onto Burgundy region where relatives fought in WW1 and there are stories of family members who survived the Depression and had health issues that can be solved with nutrition. Then onto romantic Provence and Arles and finally Marseille and the Calanque, the Coastal mountains.
The book has adventure, poignant moments and lots of great food and other pictures. Sip a glass of wine and take a vicarious trip to France.

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Featured Interview With Chantal Bellehumeur

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a Canadian author born in 1981.
I lived in Toronto for half of my childhood, and Ottawa for the rest. I then moved to Montreal (Quebec), originally to study theatre. I was an extra in movies, shows, and commercials. That’s actually how I met my husband Jeff, but we actually didn’t become a couple until many years later when we met a second time. Turns out we both had crushes on each other back in the day…
Because I had my son when I was only 19 years old, I never completed my theatrical studies at University. He became my number one priority, and I felt that I needed something more stable.
I loved writing as much as acting, and eventually somebody told me I should publish. I do it as a hobby and currently have 18 published books of various genres as well as numerous short stories, memoirs, poems and articles featured in compilation books, eMagazines, plus a local newspaper.
I also wrote a few articles about Ulcerative Colitis because I was diagnosed with the digestive illness back in 2009.
I find writing very therapeutic. Being around animals too, although I don’t have any pets aside from two goldfish. I do talk to them though. I used to have a cat named Persephone when my son was a baby but she was jealous of him. I also adopted two budgies a few years back. We did not replace them once they died.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been composing stories since I was able to write. My parents kept the collections of little books I created. I continued writing stories as a teen and young adult but never considered publishing anything until a friend of mine told me I should. I find the writing process very therapeutic and the fact that people want to read my stories gives me that extra motivation.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I support many Indie authors and read various genres.
My writing is usually inspired by life itself. I get a lot of support from my friends and family.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I’ve been writing a lot of short stories back to back for an online magazine called Mom’s Favorite Reads eMagazine. My work, mainly inspired by life itself, was first featured in the January 2021 issue, and I’ve had stories or memoirs published in each monthly issue since.
I wrote a story called “I’ll Take You to See the Ocean,” which was originally inspired by a trip I took to the Magdalen Islands back in 2017. The heartwarming story about a windowed mother wanting to fulfill her five year old’s son to see the ocean ended up being a lot longer then intended. I just kept elaborating, feeling it needed those extra details and actions.
Although I probably could have published the story in the online magazine, split up in different issues, I decided to publish the story independently instead back in March.
I ended up doing the same thing with my short story “Hidden Secrets” in May, even though it wasn’t as long.
That one was meant to be set in Victorian times since I love that era, but once I started writing everything changed. The main character, Alice, finds old letter and diaries inside her grandmother’s old Victorian farmhouse which had being in the family for generations, but they date back to the 1930-1950. The contents end up revealing shocking secrets…

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Chantal Bellehumeur’s Website

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