Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Jeny Heckman

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hello, I was born in Washington state and with the exception of a year have lived here my whole life. We live in the country about an hour outside of Seattle, but also have a boat up near the Canadian border and spend a lot of time on it as well. We did have a black lab, Molly, but we lost her at age fifteen and never had another one. My son and his girlfriend have a red heeler, lab, and boxer mix named Lefty and she is our pride and joy. We spend a lot of time spoiling her then return her back to her parents.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Oh, wow, I’ve always loved to read, and am acutely aware of loving it from an early age. I remember the first “books on records,” mostly fun readers and Disney. As I grew, I became even more of an avid reader. I started becoming interested in writing in 2008 when caring for an ailing family member. I wrote a book to see if I could, then shelved it. In 2015 I self-published it. I fell in love with creating a tale and my second book was picked up by a New York publisher. The rest is history!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Around the year 2000, a friend of mine gave me the first Outlander book and I was hooked. I have read every one since then! I love Diana’s ability to weave and layer a scene. So, often epic sweeping novels are heavy on the scenery and it can go on for pages. I love how she explains what’s going on and keeps you interested, then the fully fleshed out and real characters are without parallel. So, she inspires me, but I loved the old Judy Blume books with real problems. I love the Sophie Kinsella’s and Darynda Jones’s who can tell a serious story with humor. I’m in awe of the grace of Peggy Jaeger, JR Ward, Nora Roberts, Brenda Novak, and Beverly Jenkins in their ability to crank out book after book, staying fresh and relevant. So, many inspirations, so little time to tell them all.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
So, I’ve had three books out this year. The first is a short story from the Australia Burns: Vol. 2 anthologies, entitled, “Dancing Through Tears,” about my family’s experience during the Route 91 massacre in Las Vegas. Book two, entitled, the Warrior’s Progeny, is the second book of my award-winning series, Heaven & Earth. My latest book is entitled, Releasing the Catch, is about a woman Alaskan fisherman, a story of fathers and daughters, letting go of the past, self-discovery, and overcoming odds made harder simply for your gender. It’s told in two parts, about two individuals at different times in an extraordinary life, with so much to teach one another.

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Jeny Heckman Twitter Account

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Featured Interview With Amritangshu Ghosh

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a student of DAV Model School. I am currently studying in class IX. I am raised in Durgapur of West Bengal. I am also currently living in Durgapur. I don’t have any pet.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have realised the fascination with books at the age of 13 and I have started writing at the age of 14.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite authors are Amish Tripathi, Chetan Bhagat, Howard Pyle, J.K. Rowling and Jules Verne.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My recently launched book i.e. “What is the Infinite Power?” is a book based on research and study, which I did for months. It is actually a reference book for those, who loves to know about the real existence of God and Soul.

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Amritangshu Ghosh Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With Sean Frazier

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in rural Maryland about an hour outside of DC. I currently live in Northern California, 25 miles outside San Francisco. Pets? of course! The wife and I have four rotten (in the best possible way!) rescue dogs.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
you know, I’ve never considered myself a “book person”. I read sure, but it’s usually thrillers, sci-fi or technological or business non-fiction. but.. I do like to tell stories. This story is based on real events during my teenage years trying to get a music career off the ground. My friends and I have always sat around and told these stories over beers and I thought they were too good not to write down.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite author of all time is Stephen King. His writing just does it for me. He is the master of transporting you into his stories with his amazing attention detail. it makes for a vivid reading experience that I tried to replicate in my book. Other authors that I have enjoyed for a variety of reasons. I used to read the Harry Potter series to my kids so they will always have a special place in my heart as my kids have all grown up and become happy thriving adults.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
This book was a joy to write, and as I said, I’m not really a writer. It brought back so many memories of growing up in the 80’s as I just figuring out how to navigate relationships (friends and love interests) and while I was trying to plan my future. I wanted to be a “rock star” in the worst way. I never thought about being anything else but every journey has to start somewhere so this is where the book came it. it was hard juggling being a poor kid, in high school, in a very rural part of the country and try to be David Lee Roth or Bruce Dickinson. but man did we give it a hell of a shot!

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Sean Frazier’s Website

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Featured Interview With Ruth Mitchell

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My career as a travel writer took me to many delightful places. My gigs as a freelancer educated me in the ways of the world. My positions as an editor for At Home in Arkansas and Arkansas Business taught me to manage lots and lots of little fires. As the author of Arkansas Heritage, a state-adopted elementary history text, I learned to be accurate. As a novelist, I am learning my toughest lesson yet, how to engage readers through stories. My novels, White Oak: A Steamy Tale of Betrayal and Seduction, and Beyond: A Tale of Discovery on the other Side of Life are available on all major retail sites.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I vividly remember learning to read. It happened in a matter of minutes. My carpool driver, Ms. Jean, who also owned the small private school that I attended, made me stay in the car and read her The Cat in the Hat. I had the book memorized and all I had to do was make the connection between the words in my head and the words on the page. I’ve been reading and writing nonstop ever since. The first time I was published was in high school. I was committed to being a published writer going forward the minute I saw my words in print.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have read thousands of books, many classics and literary works. I like psychological thrillers, history, memoirs and anything that challenges me as a person. I am such a critic now from all this reading, that what I like has to be clever, surprising, and extremely well-written.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In the acknowledgements of my book. I thank my characters. This is a little unusual, but it is how I feel. My stories just seem to write themselves once I get a solid foundation for the story. I love reading about eccentric, gifted characters so that’s what I create when I am the storyteller.

The book, Beyond: A Tale of Discovery on the other Side of Life, is a lot of fun, even if paranormal romance is not your thing. The story begins with Laura a successful fantasy writer who needs to get sober. She lives in a haunted hotel in San Francisco with her beautiful white German Shepherd who can see the ghosts.

When Sean Wilson appears in her life, everything changes. Through the use of Artificial Intelligence Sean and his crew revolutionize how ghostly apparitions are perceived. This leads to discovering who Laura’s mysterious grandfather was and sparks an unlikely romance. Will Laura and Sean live happily ever after?

As Laura sobers up her life changes for the better. She finishes the book she has been struggling with, captures Sean’s heart which ultimately leads to a wedding in a Scottish castle, and has a faceoff with an Etheric Revenant. Once the family ghosts have been identified, the ratings for Sean’s reality ghost show skyrocket and Cloud becomes famous, creating its own challenges.

Ghosts aside, readers are in for a rollercoaster ride as they suspend their belief and get to know Cloud and his unique perspective as well as Laura’s eccentric grandmother who once was a celebrated Madam, serving the elite gentlemen of San Francisco.

If you are one to “think outside the box” and want an exhilarating read, with mind-expanding ideas presented in a skillfully written and entertaining fashion, then this book is for you.

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Ruth Mitchell’s Website

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Featured Interview With Shashank Mutneja

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Uttarakhand, India in 1995 and completed my graduation in 2018 and currently I am an UAV Engineer & Trainer at Drone Application & Research Centre (DARC), Dehradun. Along with a Trainer, I am an Entrepreneur and doing two businesses together.
I used to help my father in his business. From childhood, I am involved in spiritual activities and goes to Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) with my parents. I am also a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Besides that, I am fond of reading, writing, podcasting, and traveling. I do not like to read books during my college days but after my graduation, I joined a drone-based startup and I realized that books are the best friends and reading changed my mindset.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Actually, writing is my habit. I write a lot. Whatever comes to my mind, I write it. Whenever I hear something important for me, I try to note it down. I don’t find pen & paper instead I write in my phone notes. I do not remember things for long-time so I prefer writing them. While pursuing my graduation, I was attending a lecture and my professor said a statement, “Today you are reading others books, become such a personality that people read your book”. This set-up my mind to write a book someday and after 2 years of completing my graduation, I am able to complete my first book.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
The first book which influenced me is “Hind Swaraj” by Mahatma Gandhi. I have read lots of books written by Gandhiji and I got inspired from his life. The other author who inspired me is A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Jeff Keller, Bill Gates, Angela Duckworth, Devdutt Patnaik, Danah Johar, Stephen Covey and many more. There are many books and authors that will make you love reading. In my book, I have mentioned books & authors that seem best to me and what teachings we can learn from them so that it is easy for the reader to understand more things in less time.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
This book describes the lessons on how to live a balanced life in this 21st Century. Whether it is Covid-19 or anything else, it boils down to having a balance. When balance gets upset then reactions start taking place. We all want success but the secret of success of Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg and many such great personalities is not limited to becoming rich. Money-Mindedness is the biggest obstruction in life. Mentally-intellectual culture is also important and to achieve it we need big thinking. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam became Missile Man of India from his big thinking. Big thinking doesn’t mean to have a higher IQ. We think that successful people have higher IQ but we are absolutely wrong. So, how to find the right way? How to balance your personal & professional relationships? This book will help you to make right decisions. We don’t need to wait for another Covid to teach us positivity. We need to realize and change today for a better tomorrow.

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Shashank Mutneja Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With T.J. Champitto

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Well, I was born in Troy, New York and spent most of my childhood in Atlanta, Georgia. I currently live in Greenville, South Carolina, with my wife, Tisha. We have two dogs; an American bulldog named Maggie and a boxer named Roxy.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been fascinated by books for as long as I can remember, and I’ve since had a lot of travel articles published around the globe. But it wasn’t until I was about thirty-five when I began writing 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 favorite authors are Olen Steinhauer, David Baldacci and Tom Clancy, and of course some of the greats like George Orwell and John Steinbeck. My favorite genre is espionage and suspense thrillers, but I also get into my fair share of non-fiction. I’d have to say my writing is mostly inspired by authors like James Michener and Dan Brown.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My debut novel, ‘The Medina Device’, published this past August and it’s been a pretty wild ride. The story follows a former Navy SEAL, Cameron Lyle, who has formed this band of thieves to steal from corrupt corporations. A secret society enters the fold and basically blackmails them into stealing a well-protected piece of ancient technology from the U.S. government and everything imaginable goes wrong for Cameron and his pals. It’s an international thrill-ride that loosely folds fringe science into a series of action scenes, suspense and mystery. ‘The Medina Device’ was recently awarded the 2020 PenCraft Award for literary excellence, as well as the 2020 Maxy Award for Best Thriller. It’s a really fun story with a lot of great characters, and I can’t wait for you to meet them.

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T.J. Champitto’s Website

T.J. Champitto Twitter Account

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Featured Interview With David Bush

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Maltese Islands where I spent my childhood. I then settled in the UK where I became a doctor and specialized in Haematology. A few years ago, I returned to my first home where I still practice hospital medicine. I was the co-founder of a support group for patients with blood cancers. Since I gave up my private practice, I have more time to spend with my two great-nephews Jack and Luke. Their joie de vivre has given me the impetus to attempt novel writing. Writing a novel has been one of my many lifelong ambitions.

In my earlier days, we had two cats who both died of old age. We had become very attached to them, and after they died, we all resolved not to have any more cats. We didn’t want to re-live the trauma of seeing them slowly deteriorate physically and mentally in their last years.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As an early reader, I had read practically all Enid Blyton’s books. But in my early teens, I was an enthusiastic subscriber of the magazines Look and Learn, World of Wonder and Tell Me Why. It was through these magazines, that I developed a penchant for historical adventure novels, like the Scarlet Pimpernal, H. Rider Haggard’s tales, Hornblower and many other such stories. That’s when my lifelong love of literature really blossomed.
Unusually, I recently had two free weekends, when I had the house to myself, as everyone else was abroad. During each weekend, I wrote the first draft of two novels which were intended to be part of a trilogy dedicated to my great-nephew Jack.General jack and the Battle of the Five Kingdoms is the second book of the trilogy.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like AJ. Cronin and Somerset Maugham (both of whom had a medical background) who both write in the style of Guy de Maupassant. For family sagas, I like Taylor Cauldwell. I like the gritty naturalism of Emile Zola and Sigrid Undset, both Nobel Prize Laureates.
My favorite genres are historical novels, and generational family sagas, especially if they have a Christian theme.
The books that have most influenced me are Animal Farm for its humourous political satire, CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien for their allegorical imaginative world building, and Francois Mauriac who is the best author for narrating internal conflict within a protagonist. The latter author influenced Graham Greene who is another of my favourites.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
It’s an anthropomorphic fantasy adventure along the lines of the Chronicles of Narnia. It’s intended for the young adult reader but it should appeal to all adults. It transcends various genres, like YA fiction, Christian fiction, fantasy, action & adventure, allegory, myths &legends. It’s not a particularly long book, about 200 pages. I intended it to be an entertaining, inspiring and educational book. I have also included some back matter to encourage further reading for any reader who may be inter

Featured Interview With Doug Shidell

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Writing is a full contact sport for me. It leaves me dazed and bewildered. I’ve left the house wide open, driven off without my wallet (and driver’s license), and arrived at a destination without knowing how I got there after an intense session of writing. My antidote is the outdoors. I love bicycling, kayaking, hiking and cross country skiing.
The two interests feed into each other. I may take a three week self contained bicycle tour, in which I ride all day then curl up in my tent after dark to write an extensive post about the day’s experience. Before retirement, I would ride my bike to my day job and later spend a lunch hour speaking about bicycle commuting to employees of a Fortune 500 company. I’ve written for nine hours non-stop and made up for it with a long bike ride the next day.
I need both activities in my life. They balance each other. A lifetime totally dedicated to intellectual pursuits would leave me sluggish and unhealthy while a life built solely around exercise and the outdoors would dull bore me to death.
Beyond that, I’m pretty boring.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
At age nineteen I wanted to write a book. I’m not sure why, but I was sure that no one would want to read a book by a nineteen year old, so I needed a hook. I had been bicycling as an adult for a year and in the enthusiasm of youth figured I was something of an expert, so I set out to write a bicycle touring guide. I used the maps and tour descriptions to sell the book, but added touring stories to satisfy my creative needs.

Sometimes the brashness of youth pays off, if the payoff you’re looking for is freedom, exploration and creativity, not income. That book, co-authored with Phil Van Valkenberg, lead to hundreds of low paying freelance opportunities, five more bicycle touring guides, dozens of bicycle maps and a career in the world of bicycling. The career paid the bills. Income from the books, maps and freelance opportunities fed my cycling habit and eventually allowed me to ratchet back my “career” to three days per week.

Those three days were spent in a cubicle. It was a good job, but I lived for the other four days when I could write, create maps, give talks and explore endlessly. My world expanded from the cubicle to the metro area of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, then further afield across the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin and a bicycle tour that eventually crossed the breadth of the United States.

Wherever I went, and whatever I did, I felt compelled to write about it: opinion pieces, touring stories, interviews and observations. Some of the pieces elicited kudos, others derision, many a mix of both.

I never developed the tough skin of a hardened journalist. I winced and groaned when the response was negative and my stomach churned when I submitted a piece likely to generate backlash. The best protection was to reread the story multiple times before submitting it. Did it convey my real thoughts? Was it clearly written? Did I use the right words? If I could honestly say “yes,” then there was nothing more to do. I submitted the piece and waited for publication.

Like so many journalists, I felt that I had at least one novel in me. And like so many journalists, I had a wealth of experience to draw from. I’d interviewed folks from many walks of life, observed with a focused eye and a developing story line, lived an itinerant life for too many years and worked at the craft of writing.

I could tell a story, but could I write a novel? The biggest challenge, and the most enjoyable revelation, was that a novelist can lie. As a journalist, I worked hard to get an accurate story down on paper. As a novelist, I had to work hard to break those bonds of accuracy. Sure, I had to keep the story, down to minute details, believable, but beyond that I could lie, cheat, fib, fabricate, revise, prevaricate. Call it what you wish.

Sometimes those fabrications revealed a truth that ran so deep it shook me to the core. I’d stop, take a few deep breaths, wipe my eyes and walk away to regain my composure. I don’t expect the same impact on readers, because the act of writing can mine a deep vein that reading can only acknowledge.

Whether fiction or journalism, the same criteria applies to a story. Did it convey my real thoughts? Was it clearly written? Did I use the right words? I checked those boxes with “On His Own Terms” and published the story.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I enjoy reading biographies and Ron Chernow, author of Alexander Hamilton, is my favorite biographer. I also love reading good, long form journalism in which a writer goes into depth about a subject. Almost any subject can be interesting if researched and written well.

Recently I’ve read three novels by Paulette Jiles and a couple of books by John Steinbeck. I seem to float around among genres, but don’t spend time in pulp fiction, thrillers or mysteries.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“On His Own Terms” has been bouncing around in my head for at least 30 years. At first I thought it would be a big picture look at bicycling and how it can lead down so many different paths. Not just riding, but the history of bicycling, its impact on society, especially during the Victorian era, the characters who populate that history, insights about politics, international relationships, that sort of thing. That idea died an ignoble death and the world is better for it.
Then it segued into an autobiography, a short lived fantasy, no one was hurt.
In the end the characters took over. They made it clear they knew who they were and how they would handle any situation, if I would just get out of the way. I threw situations at them and they handled them on their own terms, but a sharp eyed editor wasn’t impressed. With the MS Word equivalent of a red sharpie plus pithy comments and a summary letter, he suggested that I throw out the last third of the book and rewrite the first two thirds. The rest was OK. Three more readers who believed in tough love made additional demands.
The book finally made it to print, only to be panned by a couple of friends who were also schooled in the value of tough love. No option but to pull the book down and rework it.
I’d like to say that the novel is ready for the big tent now, but I’ve learned that verdict isn’t mine to make. Readers will decide, and I’ll have to handle the situation on my own terms.

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Doug Shidell’s Website

Doug Shidell Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Mike Sherer

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Mason, Ohio, which is within the Greater Cincinnati Metro Area in the southwest corner of Ohio. I have settled in West Chester, Ohio, about 10 miles distant. I enjoy traveling across the US, and have detailed camping trips across the country on my travel blog American Locations: https://mikesherer.org. I especially enjoy long hikes in the wilderness while on these trips. I have published 3 novels, 4 novellas, and 20 short stories, plus 1 screenplay that was produced into a movie. It was released direct to DVD & now is available on Amazon Prime.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
The first books I read in my pre-teen years were science fiction. That’s all my older brother ever read, so they were laying around. I have since broadened my range to all kinds of fiction, especially horror, fantasy, and suspense, and nonfiction, especially history and science. I began writing song lyrics in my teen years. I progressed to short stories, screenplays, and finally novels.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Thomas Pynchon, Robert M. Persig, John Updike, Neal Stephenson, Robert Jordan, Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, Ray Bradbury, Philip Roth, Bernard Cornwell, Elmore Leonard – to name a few.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In my paranormal suspense novel ‘Souls of Nod’, published by Breaking Rules Publishing, five members of a soul family gather to carry on a conflict that has been repeated since the dawn of time. One of them will murder another member of the group, and there is seemingly nothing any of them can do to stop it from happening. It is app. 67,000 words. In 2010, Hester has recently married Paul and moved into the house he previously shared with his former wife Flo, located in a suburban Ohio neighborhood decimated by the real estate crash. Many of the houses stand empty, and Hester has encountered ghosts in some of them. Paul scoffs, but neighbor Chanti and husband Clay have seen them, too. Hester learns from them and others about violent deaths that have happened on this land that had once been a prosperous farm, killings involving people who seem strangely familiar. Chanti tracks down Millie, an old woman who appears to know what is going on. Millie tells her about a soul family of the five ancient elements: fire, air, water, earth, and the void. In each incarnation each member of the soul family can be either man or woman, husband or wife, brother or sister, father or daughter, mother or son, or totally unrelated, or any combination of these. No matter how they are incarnated, each generation the five souls are drawn together to carry out the violence they seem destined to commit. In this latest incarnation the gathering is complete when Paul’s ex-wife Flo returns. Will they continue the age-old cycle of violence they seem doomed to commit? Or will this time be different, allowing the soul family to advance on its path to Nirvana?

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Mike Sherer’s Website

Mike Sherer Facebook Page

Mike Sherer Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Mike Sherer

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Mason, Ohio, which is within the Greater Cincinnati Metro Area in the southwest corner of Ohio. I have settled in West Chester, Ohio, about 10 miles distant. I enjoy traveling across the US, and have detailed camping trips across the country on my travel blog American Locations: https://mikesherer.org. I especially enjoy long hikes in the wilderness while on these trips. I have published 3 novels, 4 novellas, and 20 short stories, plus 1 screenplay that was produced into a movie. It was released direct to DVD & now is available on Amazon Prime.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
The first books I read in my pre-teen years were science fiction. That’s all my older brother ever read, so they were laying around. I have since broadened my range to all kinds of fiction, especially horror, fantasy, and suspense, and nonfiction, especially history and science. I began writing song lyrics in my teen years. I progressed to short stories, screenplays, and finally novels.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Thomas Pynchon, Robert M. Persig, John Updike, Neal Stephenson, Robert Jordan, Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, Ray Bradbury, Philip Roth, Bernard Cornwell, Elmore Leonard – to name a few.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In my paranormal suspense novel ‘Souls of Nod’, published by Breaking Rules Publishing, five members of a soul family gather to carry on a conflict that has been repeated since the dawn of time. One of them will murder another member of the group, and there is seemingly nothing any of them can do to stop it from happening. It is app. 67,000 words. In 2010, Hester has recently married Paul and moved into the house he previously shared with his former wife Flo, located in a suburban Ohio neighborhood decimated by the real estate crash. Many of the houses stand empty, and Hester has encountered ghosts in some of them. Paul scoffs, but neighbor Chanti and husband Clay have seen them, too. Hester learns from them and others about violent deaths that have happened on this land that had once been a prosperous farm, killings involving people who seem strangely familiar. Chanti tracks down Millie, an old woman who appears to know what is going on. Millie tells her about a soul family of the five ancient elements: fire, air, water, earth, and the void. In each incarnation each member of the soul family can be either man or woman, husband or wife, brother or sister, father or daughter, mother or son, or totally unrelated, or any combination of these. No matter how they are incarnated, each generation the five souls are drawn together to carry out the violence they seem destined to commit. In this latest incarnation the gathering is complete when Paul’s ex-wife Flo returns. Will they continue the age-old cycle of violence they seem doomed to commit? Or will this time be different, allowing the soul family to advance on its path to Nirvana?

Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles

Mike Sherer’s Website

Mike Sherer Facebook Page

Mike Sherer Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Lynn Wallace

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in a small town called Boerne, TX and now live in Victoria, TX with my husband and my son. We don’t have any pets – cleaning up after a toddler is enough work!

I actually graduated from Baylor University with a bachelor of science in nursing. I currently work part-time as a registered nurse in surgery. Between working and watching my son, I don’t have as much time to write as I would prefer, but it’s still my passion and one of my absolute favorite things to do! So during naptime and any time I get home from work early you’ll find me on my laptop, typing or editing or doing whatever author stuff needs doing!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember. I actually wrote my first book back in high school! I didn’t publish it, of course ><. That first book and its sequel (written one summer during college) will probably never be published – I don’t think they’re quite the quality to print – but they were good practice! My writing has improved significantly over the years since then, and now I have 2 books on the market that I am proud to have my name attached to :-).

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
(Sigh.) Answering this question may take a while! I’ve enjoyed reading Charlie N. Holmberg, Stephanie Meyer, Marissa Meyer, Jane Austen, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, Lisa Mantchev, Juliet Marillier, Sharon Lathan’s “Pride and Prejudice” sequels… to name just a few ><. I seem to prefer YA fantasy with a dash of romance and the paranormal! I don’t know that there are specific authors that inspire my writings… the intimate first-person perspective of Twilight and Rick Riordan’s books are similar to my style though, and I admit to using vampires in my books because of Twilight! But I would definitely say my faith is one of the many places where I find inspiration for what I write.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In order to talk about the most recent book, I’ll have to start from the beginning! I write what I call “YA paranormal romance with a Christian twist.” My first book, “The Heart of Everything,” took almost ten years from initial idea to publication to create – it’s a YA paranormal romance where an ordinary young woman, Emer, discovers her own magical past and must choose between her two former lovers – a vampire (Alex) and a half-devil (Jesse)– one of whom is convinced she is the key to the salvation of his soul. And my latest book, “The Supernatural Reasons Why I Love You,” is a collection of paranormal romance short stories, with almost half the collection being “origin stories” that go into the background of characters you meet in the first book (mostly it follows Jesse and Alex, but it also sheds light on the “priestess” that Emer is reincarnated from). I actually wrote most of the short stories in this collection before I wrote the novel – I’m weird and I prefer to write my stories in chronological order so that I can keep everything straight XD (even though I published the novel first). So again, it took about a decade for this book to go from scribbled notes to fully published!

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Lynn Wallace’s Website

Lynn Wallace Facebook Page

Lynn Wallace Twitter Account

Featured Interview With M.L.Ruscsak

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Back in my 20’s, I had everything figured out. I had a career path and the schooling to proceed with my future. But life has a funny way of changing even the best-made plan. So, at 28 after a medical emergency, I was left with the choice to do nothing and live off the system or learn what I could and still achieve on my own. I have never been a quitter. True, I may back off and re-think, but I will not give up. Holding on to this core value, I discovered my passion for writing and the excitement of seeing my words come to life. I’m right there at the tip where things are starting to get exciting.
With a major move cross country coming up. Relocating not just my family, but three large dogs and a cat is anything but ideal. But there is no way I would leave any pet behind.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing in 2006. Nothing big just little fan-fictions for fun. It wasn’t until being challenged in 2016 that I sat down and wrote my first book, “The New Reign: Of Lite and Darke”

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’m a fan of the Black Jewels. To pick just one book would be impossible. As I am getting ready for the next book of the Black Jewels to come out, I am in the process of re-reading the entire series . So, as you might guess Anne Bishop is one of the authors that inspires me.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I currently have two coming out at the same time. The First is “Obsidian Chronicles: Secret of the Sword” This will be the first books in the series, but a spin off of my flagship series “Of lite and Darke.” The Secret of the Sword will follow Prince Magmas who will find himself in a bit of trouble. More than it will be worth.
The second book is the conclusion of the Of Like and Darke Series. This is titled “The Silent Wars.” As with everything, All must come to an end, but worry not as there is so much more of the story to be told. It will just be told through the eyes of another.

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M.L.Ruscsak’s Website

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Featured Interview With Raymond Parish

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a Midwesterner, born in Ohio and raised in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Our dad was in the textile business and we moved around a bit; I went to three different rural high schools. Once I was on my own, I continued my nomadic ways, living in Iowa, Illinois, back to Iowa, and on to Missouri. I finally dug in, settling with my family in metro St. Louis . The intersection of rural and urban life that has been my personal journey was a driving force in the setting for my novel, Overnight Delivery: A Hank Anderson Thriller, published on Amazon in my pen name, Raymond Parish.

Although Hank is his own fictional man, his chosen profession, psychotherapy, is the path that I have followed. Two of my nonfiction books have been published including, Men at Work: An Action Guide to Masculine Healing, and I have self -published two additional self help books including, I’m Sorry, It’s Cancer: A Handbook of Help and Hope for Survivors and Caregivers. Service work has become the family business. My wife directs a nonprofit the serves children and families. One of our daughters works in an agency that assists women in need. My sister is a psychologist. And so, it only made sense that Hank had to be “in the field.”

Pets? I still mourn the loss of our West Highland Terrier of thirteen years. She was our “therapy dog,” shadowing any family member in ill health until they fully recovered. These days I make do with my son’s very laid back puppy and the cats that own both of my daughters.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Books were always around the house. Both of my parents were readers, as is my sister. My dad introduced me to the mystery and thriller genre early in life: the light mysteries of The Hardy Boys, then Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Dashiell Hammett, and Raymond Chandler.

As the new kid in a new town, one of my first moves was to find the local library and acquire my precious library card. I discovered historical fiction and biographies. Dickens, O. Henry, Tolkien,
Twain, Verne. The list was, and is, endless.

My introduction to writing in a conscious way was through a creative writing class in high school. Although interesting, I was still on a quest to become the next Eric Clapton, guitar god, or Dustin Hoffman, actor. Rock stardom and Tony awards were not in the cards, and in my early years as a counseling professional, my writing chops were practiced in reports and assessments. Nothing fancy. Clarity. Economy. Structure.

My entry into the world of published author came as an act of kindness from a friend, who submitted my first nonfiction manuscript to a self help book publishing house. My first editor provided all the motivation I would ever need to forge ahead when she said, “For a social worker, you’re a pretty good writer.” They then published the first of two editions of my book. I reminded myself of this ‘don’t wait until you’re the next Carl Jung before you write’ message to put fingers to keyboard and finish the first of my Hank Anderson series.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My reading is divided into two categories, professional and personal.

If readers read one nonfiction book on personal growth and healing in a lifetime, let it be Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, an integration of his memoir of pain and transformation as a Holocaust survivor, and his theory of psychotherapy and healing. He is one of my heroes. For a bonus, read the memoir of a Frankl compatriot, Edith Eva Eger’s The Choice.

In fiction, my choice of the greatest book of all: To Kill a Mockingbird. I can’t say anything about Harper Lee that has not been said.

My current favorites in the mystery and thriller genre are David Housewright’s McKenzie series, the Laurie R. King Mary Russell books, and John Sandford’s Virgil Flowers series. Housewright and Sandford utilize the Midwest as their setting, which I used as encouragement to set my novel in Des Moines, Iowa. Nothing like a little unspoken mentoring to overcome first novel jitters.

I am influenced by nonfiction books that read like page turning novels: Mukherjee’s The Emperor of All Maladies, about the history of cancer; Frank McCourt’s memoir Angela’s Ashes (it was as if I could here the Irish voices in my head…and I have no Irish DNA); Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Harari. Nonfiction or fiction; try to write the truth!

Although I seldom read the horror genre, I was inspired and influenced by Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. Blunt. Clear. Simple do’s and don’ts.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Overnight Delivery is a psychological thriller from an insider’s point of view. Hank Anderson is a gifted psychotherapist, devoted father, confused ex-husband, loving son, and dedicated friend to a brilliant and flawed crew of beleaguered colleagues. When the imposing Detective Phil Evans refers Kenny Jensen, delivery man and thief, for counseling, Hank’s curiosity, compassion, and taste for personal risk draw him in to a world of meth and death that lies just beneath his town’s Midwestern calm and conservatism.

One of the joys of writing OD was how characters appeared through several drafts. In my first draft Dennis did not have a husband. The impetus for Preacher’s fanaticism was not apparent until I reached the finale. It came to me only recently that one of the catalysts for the relationship between Hank and Phil was my reading of the Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons autobiographies. My editor, Mary, was instrumental in deepening the strength and clarity of my female characters, along with helping me to find the trajectory of Hank’s journey through the calamity that will change him forever. Belinda’s blend of grace and edginess. Daughter Haley as a mirror for Hank’s humor and inquisitive nature. These qualities all rose to the surface over time.

It was clear to me that the friendship between Phil and Hank would be grounded in contrast, physically and emotionally. Diversity was also a core aspect of my work. I hope readers will connect with the people and the world I’ve imagined. And, will continue to imagine as I work on the second of the Hank Anderson series, tentatively titled, Higher Education.

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Raymond Parish Twitter Account

Featured Interview With F. Scott Service

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Like a lot of folks, I’ve been many things in my life, but one of the most prominent is that I’m a former sergeant with the Army National Guard. I also hold a Bachelor of Science in Professional/Technical Communication and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Nowadays, however; I’m a full-time author, which is really my true love, going way back to childhood when my mind was enchanted by the adventures of Tintin and his pals. I have also had experience with editing, journalism, desktop publishing, and videography.

Being an avid explorer, I’ve spent time in all but two states in America and am always on the lookout for someplace new. Internationally speaking, I never thought Iraq and Kuwait would be my first travel destinations, but they did provide plenty of writing material. In my spare time, I love to cook, read, backpack, and mountain bike.

I’ve just self-published my second memoir, titled Playing Soldier. My first, Lines in the Sand: An American Soldier’s Personal Journey in Iraq, won a Readers’ Favorite Five-Star Award and is a transcription of the handwritten journals I kept during my tour of duty.

I live in New England with my cat, Jerome, who is always purring for another snack.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I fell in love with books and imagination when I was very young while reading Herge’s The Adventures of Tintin and I wrote my first story when I was ten. It wasn’t much, three pages, but when I was finished awkwardly pecking at my mother’s old manual typewriter, I couldn’t have been prouder.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Oh, there are so many. But off the top of my head, I would have to say Malcolm Braly, Maya Angelou, William Styron, Flannery O’Connor, and Baron Wormser.

Typically, I read a lot of nonfiction, but really any book I can get my hands on delights me.

Cheryl Strayed has been an inspiration for me. I appreciate the style of her writing, but also her honesty.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
From the back cover of Playing Soldier, my latest memoir:

As an only child isolated within a troubled family, F. Scott Service found solace in fantasy and imagination, until a fateful day led to the discovery of his father’s Korean War field jacket hidden in a closet. What began as innocent emulation and approval, eventually spiraled into the calamitous loss of everything he had built as an adult. Faced with a grievous divorce, post-traumatic stress, homelessness, substance abuse, and the failure of everything he had willed himself to believe was truth, one night communing with a loaded pistol became the mechanism for self-clarity. From that darkest time, only elemental deconstruction and reconstruction of identity would allow him to forge a reclamation with his true, original self.

Visceral, with breathtaking candor, Playing Soldier powerfully captures the unlearning of expectation, the celebration of individuality, and the nourishing of self-acceptance once buried by cultural stamps of approval and societal convention. Braided with humor, courage, fear, despair, and hope, his unflinching, evocative story of passage into adulthood, the Iraq War, and beyond, speaks to anyone who has confronted adversity from without and grappled for their dreams from within.

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F. Scott Service’s Website

F. Scott Service Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Dion Anja

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hello, I use Dion as my pen name and I was raised in a small town in Turkey. Luckily, after I enrolled into university, I moved to Istanbul where I enjoyed switching continents in the blink of an eye. I am a literature major and I love reading! I generally read classics but I love discovering modern or underappreciated classic writers too. Also, I love walking in nature, writing, learning languages and new stuff, and playing with cats! I have recently adopted a kitten which I named Monsieur. Yes, I am learning French. I love how different languages open different doors inside our souls, it feels like I discover hidden parts of myself every time. About my writing, it is really a mixture of so many feelings and genres. I self-published a poetry collection this year called “My Dawn Is Only Five Hours Away” but until this book, I have never liked poetry and would never imagine I would be writing them! So I tend to harmonize with my inner flow in my words though they generally have a gloomy side.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I remember very vividly the day I fell in love with books and it coincides with me borrowing a copy of Meyer’s “Twilight” from one of my friends. Though it is looked down on today, I enjoyed it and was almost obsessed with it back then. It was an easy read and as a 13 or 14 year old, I was fascinated with how someone could create such a magical universe with their words!I My writing journey began a couple of years later. There was a Sims forum on the internet and I sort of was writing a story about my Sim characters. It took on and I finished a book on Wattpad, got an offer, declined it and then… Well, I had to deal with “writer’s block” for about 3 years. I am turning back to my roots now, thankfully. And I am full of ideas!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
As I mentioned before, I read a lot of classics and I love reading them. My favorites are Dante’s “Inferno”, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein, and Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. I like Patrick Süskind and Kazuo Ishiguro as more contemporary authors. My favorite genres include mystery, romance, and gothic. My muse generally come from my surroundings and my feelings and I find the most minute detail to be fascinating often. In terms of people, women authors really empower me when I feel down as I can identify myself with them.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My debut book is a poetry collection called “My Dawn Is Only Five Hours Away”. I started working on it back in April or March when I was distracted during my online classes. I could never believe I would be working on poetry but as I wrote I was convinced that what I and we as humanity go through these days can only be captured in raw and intense poetry. I worked on it until the end of October, I guess, and it blossomed into something that I am proud of today. I explored themes of love, death, anger, anxiety, sadness, hope, etc. during this pandemic and I wanted to tell it from a young adult’s point of view as our so called “glorious” days fade away during these lockdowns. I also wanted to experiment with literary movements like romanticism, and genres like manifesto. Therefore, there are narrative poems about fairies, talking cats, and lakes that awaken existential crises too. I am currently working on its paperback edition and I intend to add extra poems because I loved the whole process.

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Dion Anja’s Website

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Featured Interview With James Allocca

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Brooklyn, and now I live in Valley Stream, New York, where I live with my wife and daughter. I have been an Art Director for the last 35 years, designing all sorts of magazines, and having fun doing it!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was fascinated with books at an early age. They took me to places that I had never been and opened my eyes to the world. I even wrote some books as a kid that my audience of two parents really enjoyed! But it wasn’t until later in life that I had a solid idea for a book. Something that I thought readers would enjoy.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love science fiction and science fact books. Always a big fan of Jules Verne, HG Wells, Clive Cussler, Kurt Vonnegut, James P Hogan and others. And I grew up reading comics, which influence me to this day. Science Fiction movies have also influenced me through the years.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is The Descendants Of Krag, which is the sequel to Black Saucer. Black Saucer is a standalone book, but my readers suggested that I write a sequel, and they were right! I think that it’s a solid, fun Sci Fi book that I hope everyone is enjoying.

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James Allocca Facebook Page

Featured Interview With James Allocca

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Brooklyn, and now I live in Valley Stream, New York, where I live with my wife and daughter. I have been an Art Director for the last 35 years, designing all sorts of magazines, and having fun doing it!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was fascinated with books at an early age. They took me to places that I had never been and opened my eyes to the world. I even wrote some books as a kid that my audience of two parents really enjoyed! But it wasn’t until later in life that I had a solid idea for a book. Something that I thought readers would enjoy.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love science fiction and science fact books. Always a big fan of Jules Verne, HG Wells, Clive Cussler, Kurt Vonnegut, James P Hogan and others. And I grew up reading comics, which influence me to this day. Science Fiction movies have also influenced me through the years.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is The Descendants Of Krag, which is the sequel to Black Saucer. Black Saucer is a standalone book, but my readers suggested that I write a sequel, and they were right! I think that it’s a solid, fun Sci Fi book that I hope everyone is enjoying.

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James Allocca Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Victoria Liiv

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born as a second daughter to a loving and caring mother, when she was 19 years old. Although she was struggling at the time I consider my childhood a very happy one. We were living in a three room apartment in the capital city of Estonia for the longest time. During that period we tried our hands in caring for pets, we had a turtle and a cat at one point, but neither of them stayed with us for very long (due to no fault of ours, I still dare to think!) There was a time we moved around a lot, until we settled into a semi-detached house with a big garden. I always wanted a dog and it was a perfect place for one, instead I managed to bring home a rabbit, who enjoyed hopping on the grass as much as a dog would have!

When I moved out of my parents house, I also moved out of the country to the Netherlands. Now I own my own semi-detached house, with a much smaller garden, and still have no dog!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading around twelve years old. It was the time when other girls arraged slumber parties, experimented with make-up and discovered new fashion styles; I discovered new worlds! I realized I had a talent for writing a few years after that, when my literature teacher started reading my essays out loud infront of the whole class. I did try my hand at a few short stories, while being at high school, and found encouragement from the feedback of several avid readers. That’s when I knew I wanted to write a book. I just never managed to find the patience to finish one until now.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I currently consider Grimoire saga by S.M. Boyce one of the best reads. The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J. R. Ward is also high in my list and then several authors like John Green, Kelley Armstrong, Abigail Roux and Patricia Briggs can also be mentioned, but if I were to count out everyone, whose work I’ve enjoyed we would be here awhile.

I mostly read anything fantasy, romance, YA and mystery, but I am discovering new things I enjoy every day and can’t really be confined into one ‘box’.

I think every single story I have read thus far has a part to play in inspiring me in creation of my own fantasy world.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Through Hell & Highwater is a YA Fantasy story. A story of how saving the Earth brings together a Shifter, two Vampires, Werewolves, an Elf, Half-Fae, a Wizard and an Orc. When the world is slowly turning into chaos the students are trying to find a way back. Back to what is safe and secure. But in order to do that, the students have to go through hell first

When I first started telling my friends about it they immediately compared it to Harry Potter (as there is a magic school involved) and Lord of the Rings (mostly because of the orc). Yes, I might have been influenced from both of those books while writing the story, but I’d like to think it turned out to be an individual story.

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Victoria Liiv’s Website

Featured Interview With Sandy Hanna

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a BRAT – in capital letters, not lower case letters. This acronym refers to being a British Regiment Attached Transfer; part of a tribe made up of military dependent children that follow their families around the country and world, experiencing things that most can’t imagine. This life is ever changing and requires the ability to adapt as the world changes around us. To ask me where I was raised, I can only respond ‘everywhere.’ We moved every two years, leaving our friends, schools, pets, homes, and teachers, all without a second thought. I now live in Lambertville, New Jersey, and fight the impulse that comes over me every two-years to move and walk away from everything I know. I rearrange the furniture to trick myself into thinking I have moved. I’ve had so many animals throughout my life, including a monkey and an elephant, but currently I am without a pet. My memoir, The Ignorance of Bliss: An American Kid in Saigon, will give an insight into the transient life of military children, my life. It also gives a window into the conflict in Vietnam that the United States became involve in and the reality of what was happening there in the early 60s when my family and I lived there.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Books were wonderful, because even if we had left our books behind in every move, there were more to be had wherever we went. My fascination began with the Walter Farley horse stories. I loved the illustrations and the stories. When living in Vietnam, however, I was grateful for anything written in English and found I was reading everything I could find; basketball stories, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy mysteries, and biographies. When I realized how amazing books were was when I finally read “To Kill a Mockingbird” and I was hooked. I moved on to books by Walter Faulkner, finding ‘The Sound and the Fury’ unforgettable.

I started writing when I was in my twenties, mostly to try to figure out my life. Short notes to myself and stories I would remember from my strange gypsy life. It wasn’t until my father, the Colonel, then in his 80s, gave me an expose on the ruling Diem regime written by his Vietnamese counterpart that I took the job of writer seriously. He put me under orders to write a compelling true story about what was really going on in that small country. His statement was that ‘if you don’t understand history you are destined to repeat it.’ The expose was a reveal of the anti-American position the regime of Diem held, although supported by the United States.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love all genres, though some more than others. What I appreciate is good writing. I’m a visual person so when the writing forms images in my head I’m hooked. The classics are my favorite: D.H Lawrence, Anais Nin, Charles Dickens, T.S. Eliot ,and Henry James. More modern reads included Robinson Davis, Pat Conroy, Kazantzakis, and Lawrence Durrell. I think the two authors that inspired me the most when writing my book were Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird) and Pat Conroy (The Great Santini). Their stories mirrored mine in some way and I loved their style of writing.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Ignorance of Bliss: An American Kid in Saigon by Sandy Hanna
“Saigon was a world of crushing poverty and extraordinary beauty. It was also a world of streets, villas, and brothels, where politics and intrigue resided between plot and counter plot. It was the world I grew up in as a ten-year-old with my brothers and sister between 1960 and 1962. As children we lived in the continuous present – perhaps the only way children can live.”

It took me years to write this true coming-of-age story and in many cases I had to refer to my older brother’s memory for some of the detail. My father died before I finished it, but I think I achieved the goal of writing a story that would be easy for anyone to understand and join with me on the journey. Mine is not the story of the darkest days of Vietnam, but what led America into the conflict. Told through a child’s eyes it is approached with an innocence that is not threatening to the reader. My father, the Colonel, was the Chief of Ordnance with MAAG (Military Aid Advisory Group) from 1960 to 1962. I strived to give the reader a clear picture of a country and history little understood by most and to provide the information that was revealed in the expose given to my father from his Vietnamese counterpart, Colonel Le Van Sam. It is a unique story with unknown historical facts woven in to give critical background information to the reader. This coming-of age story takes place in a turbulent country striving for nationalism, giving the reader a stunning look into the life of military dependents living abroad and the underlying ignorance that surrounded a little understood time in history

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Sandy Hanna’s Website

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Featured Interview With Irene Wittig

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Rome, raised briefly in Vienna and Buenos Aires before arriving in New York, where I lived through college. After that I spent a year as a Fulbright student in Germany before moving to Washington DC, where I worked for the government for three years before leaving for a short stay in Italy which extended to five years. There I worked, married and had a daughter before we returned to the Washington area. Later we spent six years in Geneva, Switzerland. I studied art, had my own business hand painting ceramics, wrote a book on it, before writing this novel.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was always an avid reader but did not become a writer until my 40s.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I started by loving fairy tales, classic children’s novels such as Little Women, then Dickens and Dostoevski. I binged on the Forsyte Saga, reading all nine volumes in a month. I love all books that have richly developed characters or teach me something I did not know before.I’m always interested in World War II, have always liked books that take place in the UK. I’m open to most genres, but at this point in my life I want to read books that are interesting to think and talk about.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I have been working on a novel quite different, and smaller in scope, than All That Lingers. More a character study than a saga. I’ve also enjoyed trying my hand at short stories.

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Irene Wittig’s Website

Irene Wittig Facebook Page

Irene Wittig Twitter Account