Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Dan Vale

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Because my life experiences, I have become more interested in disaster preparation than are most people. I spent the first 16 years of my life living in Michigan, where I went through a tornado. I also have lived in nine other states where I experienced a blizzard and a hurricane in Maryland, and very cold winters in Minnesota. The winters were so cold that your breath would turn to frost on your beard. I also worked as a civilian for the Army in West Germany and South Korea where it was important to be prepared to evacuate quickly if ever invaded.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have been an avid reader my whole life. In my mid thirties, I decided that I also wanted to write to help my fellow man. Since I had been involved in disaster preparation for so many years, I decided that I knew enough to write about it. Furthermore, from 2009 to 2017, I wrote 785 articles for the Examiner Online Newspaper. Most of these articles were written in my capacity as the Baltimore Prepper Writer for the Examiner.
Then, in 2016, I decided to write my first book about the importance of physical fitness as a critical component of disaster preparation. I felt qualified to do so because I have a Bachelor Degree in Physical Education. I also won the Mr. Delaware Bodybuilding Contest in 1968 and earned my karate Black Belt in 1973. In short, have had a lifelong interest in physical fitness.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite book is the Bible. I also often read articles and books about physical fitness and disaster preparation. I have spent decades reading, discussing, and thinking about these subjects. My book, “Proper Exercise Primes Preppers for Disasters,” is the result of these efforts.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
COVID-19, hurricanes, wildfires, and extended power blackouts are just a few of the many disasters that are becoming more and more common. Maintaining a strong immune system, controlling stress, and sleeping well all will help you and your family members to meet these potential challenges. Proper exercise is the way for your family members to maintain a strong immune system, control your stress, and sleep well during turbulent times.
Has your gym closed? Not to worry. This book will show you how to work out at home safely, cheaply, and effectively. When you work out at home, you will be a good role model for your family members. When they also work out, your family interactions will become calmer. That is always important, and it is especially important during a disaster.
Proper exercise is a win/win activity. During normal times, proper exercise lessens the chances of diseases such as heart attacks, diabetes, and strokes. During disasters, when medical help might not be immediately available, good health is even more important.

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Dan Vale’s Website

Featured Interview With Marc Cavella

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised one town over from where they filmed MTV’s “The Jersey Shore”. (Don’t judge me by that, though.) I currently live in Pennsylvania, not too far away from where I grew up, in an area that’s supposedly one of the most haunted regions in America. I haven’t seen any ghosts yet, but I always keep an eye out for them.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve been fascinated with books and reading for as long as I remember. I’d read anything I could get my hands on. It didn’t matter if it was age-appropriate or not–if it was there, I was going to read it.

I started writing at a pretty young age as well, probably around ten or so. I remember the first thing that I wrote was a very rudimentary comic strip series that was just a cheap knockoff of Garfield, with a dog as the main character instead of a cat. It also had some sexual elements to it for some reason, which I think is the result of the fact that I had insomnia as a kid and HBO played some risque movies at three in the morning.

I like to think my writing has progressed a little bit since then. My artistic skills are probably about the same, though.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors are probably still Hemingway and Fitzgerald. But I’m inspired by a broad range of authors and filmmakers, like William Faulkner, Nick Pileggi, and the Coen Brothers. I also think that shows like The Sopranos, Seinfeld, and Frasier have inspired me as well. And obviously my love of pro wrestling really inspired my new novella, The Ballad of Ricky Risotto, which focuses on a small wrestling promotion in 1979.

It’s hard to pick just one favorite genre, but I do find myself drawn to true-crime books more than any other type of writing.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is called The Ballad of Ricky Risotto. It tells the story of Waylon Pritchards, an aging wrestling manager who works for an independent regional promotion called Ozark Championship Wrestling.

The company is struggling to stay afloat, and their looking to turn their fortunes around by crowning a new, young champion. Unfortunately, Bruising Brady Lockhart, the current champ and Waylon’s best friend, refuses to drop the title. With the biggest show in OCW history a mere two days away, Waylon faces a personal crisis: Convince Brady to drop the title, or lose everything he’s worked so hard to build for himself over the past thirty years.

The story has a very cool 1970s vibe to it. It probably took me about three or four months to write, and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. I liked OCW and the wild characters so much that I decided to write a trilogy, which I’m currently working on as well.

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Featured Interview With Paul McMurrough

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a native of Belfast, N.Ireland. I have lived briefly in the US and have travelled extensively throughout Europe and America, mostly through my work as a business and management consultant. My educational background was more Maths and Science focused rather than the Arts or Literature.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always been a bit of a daydreamer and for a few years now I have thought (more joked) about writing a book. So, when I started to think about some of the questions that the premise behind Reliance threw up, I thought “Okay just do it.” So, I did. English was never my thing, being partially dyslexic, Maths and Science had always been my field. But once I got into it, I found writing to be extremely therapeutic and relaxing. Now I find myself with more ideas than my poor little fingers can keep up with.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I discovered an independent author a few years ago called D.J Molles. I was doing a lot of travelling with work at the time and so listened to his post-apocalyptic audiobook series The Remaining, on my journeys.
My preferred genre would be dystopian/apocalyptic or thrillers.
When I first started out on my writing journey I came across a podcast by Andrew J Chamberlain called the Creative Writer’s Toolbelt. It was an excellent series with technical advice and interviews with people from across the industry.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My debut novel, Reliance, is a dystopian/apocalyptic tale exploring the fragile nature of society’s reliance on technology and the electricity that powers it. It tells the story of four main characters and their experience of the rapid collapse of society following a plausible, albeit exaggerated, space weather event, which causes a prolonged and global power cut. Rather than invading aliens or mindless hordes of zombies, as you would see in a lot of apocalyptic stories, Reliance looks at the effects that are closer to home and which many people wouldn’t even consider. If the power is off for a day or two it’s an inconvenience, but what if it’s off for longer, a week? A month? How long would it need to be off before things started to fall apart.
I started research for Reliance in mid-2019 and put pen to paper that September. The first draft was completed in April 2020 and the book and audiobook released at the end of July 2020. The book has since been translated into Spanish, with an Italian version expected to be released in Oct 2020.
Work on book two of the Powerless Earth series started in September 2020 and is expected to be released in the Spring of 2021.

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Featured Interview With Janeen G.

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a mother of four, author, blogger, freelance writer, illustrator and poet. I love to write Short Stories of Science Fiction, Romance & Fantasy and Poems about Love, Life & Emotions. I was born and raised in Harlem, NYC. I live in Orlando, FL. I have a fur baby named Todo, and he is a Ferret!

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
9,9,My fascination with books started at 8. This was when I learned how to read on my own and I could see the scenes of a story in my head. I started writing poetry and short stories when I was 9 but I fully got into it at 11 when I met with my mentor and middle school teacher Ms. Someone.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors to read are Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Anne Rice, Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, R. L. Stine, Roald Dahl, L.A. Banks, Maya Angelou, William Shakespeare, Langstone & E. E. Cummings.

I love to read horror, poetry, sci-fi, erotica & fantasy romance.

I’m inspired in my writing by my husband, my kids, my closest friends and the endless movies I consume!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The latest book that I have published is ”The Escape: Collection of Passionate Poetry Writing” I was working on this poetry book for over two years (from 2016 to 2018). This book started off with just blog post writing from my Tumblr page and from my journaling notebooks. I wanted to write down my raw emotions on paper and share it with the world. I love writing about my deep emotions on topics like love, relationships, and sex.

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Janeen G.’s Website

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Featured Interview With Noel Silvia

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m what happens to the kid who grows up asking “why?” to everything. They turn into an adult (sorta) who writes stories that are more fascinating (convoluted) than the answers to those questions.
I’ve lived so many lives, I don’t know which one to focus on. As a child, I lived in many different places as I was a military brat, but I call California my home-home. As I am currently active duty in the Navy, I call Georgia my home where I live with my two dogs.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve loved storytelling before I even knew how to read or write. My parents used to read to me at bedtime, and that really fostered my love for books. In a weird way, the “Pick-a-Path” and “Choose Your Own Adventure” books really piqued my interest at a young age for the notion of non-linear storytelling, and how a writer can truly make the reader an active participant in the story.
I’ve been writing on and off since I was in college, but only got serious-serious about it last year when I decided to actually write a book through to completion.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Everything I’ve ever read has had an influence on me, but to name a few authors/books:
“World War Z” by Max Brooks proved that you can tell a story through seemingly unrelated short stories.
“The Neverending Story” by Michael Ende inspires me to want to capture the wonder of imagination.
Anything by Christopher Moore or Tim Dorsey reminds me to find the humor in the seemingly “normal” and run with it.

I love to read books that make me have a strong emotional reaction, whether that’s sadness (“The Kite Runner”) or wonder (“The Neverending Story”) or a hearty laugh (“Triggerfish Twist”).
Books with narratives that “zig” when you think they should “zag” also catch my interest.

Music is the biggest inspiration to me. It’s incredible how much story and world building songwriters can do in three to five minutes. THAT is effective storytelling.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is actually my first novel, “Where Light Enters: A Novel of Hope”. It is hard to describe, as it is not a traditional narrative. The elevator pitch would be “The Kite Runner” (narrative themes) meets “Cloud Atlas” (structurally) and loosely fits in the “character-focused historical fiction” genre, if that is such a thing.

The story starts with a mystery when a fisherman discovers a body on the beach. The book then takes place over the course of 40 years in a foreign but familiar country as we learn about the characters and events that led to this moment.
The book is broken up into 12 sections, each section focusing on a specific character. Over the course of these sections, you see how their lives intertwine and impact each other.

It is definitely NOT a book for everyone as it requires a somewhat active reader who isn’t bothered by non-linear storytelling in the interest of mysteries and reveals and contains some heavy themes.
The world right now can be a rather bleak place, and reading about bad things happening to good people is not always the most appealing sell, but those who have made it to the end have found the optimism and message of hope in the book’s themes.

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Noel Silvia’s Website

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Featured Interview With Erasmo Acosta

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Cantura, Venezuela, and moved to the United States in 1996 to pursue a software engineering career, sponsored by a small Silicon Valley company. I retired to Portland, Oregon, in 2020 after achieving 32 successful years in the industry. In 2015, I became interested in the implications of the Fermi Paradox as it relates to the prospects of finding another civilization in the universe. Further research into Futurism, upcoming technologies, and the works of American physicist Gerard O’Neill, led me to write K3+. The dystopian novel explores human migration, triggered by inequality and climate change, to rotating habitats in space, based on many currently available technologies. I wrote a story of how humanity moved past the unsettling times we live in to a post-scarcity and egalitarian society—absent of fear, uncertainty, inequality, and despair.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Writing wasn’t necessarily a long term aspiration. After I retired, I watched a YouTube video that discussed both the Fermi Paradox and Dyson Swarms. It had a profound personal impact, leading me to drop some of my most deeply held beliefs. Less than two years later, after plenty of research on these and many other subjects, I started writing the K3+ book.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, and Arthur Clarke are my childhood heroes. I make references to them throughout the story. J. K. Rowling had a different kind of influence. Ever since reading the Philosopher’s Stone—I read all seven books many times—I was deeply impressed by her light and easy-to-digest style. The interactions between Fedrix & SueLing are an example.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
K3+ is the story of how humanity gets past these troubling times, to build a purely egalitarian post-scarcity civilization in space. It begins with climate change and economic inequality coa-lescing into a dystopia that triggers a massive exodus to space colonies (aka rotating habitats). Centuries later, people living in space establish a utopian society, while those left on Earth con-tinue to struggle. As migration to space continues, nations on Earth begin to collapse due to un-derpopulation, making the ultimate conflict inevitable.

After WWIII humanity unites. Everyone now lives inside continent-sized rotating habitats, while Earth becomes a tourist destination. Humans begin to send colonization waves, to build rotating habitats around nearby stars, eventually colonizing the Milky Way and hundreds of neighboring galaxies.

In the final chapter, humans encounter the first alien civilization, in the Virgo Cluster, after eons of space colonization. The non-humanoid aliens are savages, permanently at war with each other, stuck in the Middle Ages. After brief research, humans conclude that the current evolu-tionary course will lead the aliens to become a super-predator, becoming a threat to their sur-vival.

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Erasmo Acosta’s Website

Featured Interview With Zhana

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Zhana is a master manifestor, an African American author, indie publisher, blogger and radio host based in London, UK. She taught adult education courses for many years and is passionate about helping you to achieve your goals.

Zhana is a committed Buddhist and, as her work demonstrates, is also passionate about global prosperity. Her books and blogs describe and explain practical methods for achieving our goals and living a happy, successful and prosperous life. Much of her work is aimed at a wide audience from diverse cultural, national and racial backgrounds, although she also produces work specifically for a Black audience, i.e. readers of African heritage. For many years, she has remained committed to helping Black people to heal from the long history of racial violence and its ongoing effects, physical, mental, emotional and financial.

As an holistic healer, healing body, mind and spirit, Zhana produces audios including the Violet Flame Healing meditation, as well as individual healing audios which are tailored to the listener. In the face of ongoing violence towards Black people, including killings by police, other racist violence and young people killing each other in gang warfare, Zhana remains committed to global peace, which is why she hosts the annual Blogging Carnival for Nonviolence.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Zhana started learning to read at the age of three and was always an avid reader. When she started elementary school, she tested at university reading level. By the age of nine, she was a writer. Although she writes fiction, the majority of her work is nonfiction in the areas of wellness, self-help and mind/body/spirit.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Zhana’s favourite authors include Toni Morrison and Octavia Butler. Her favourite genre, as a reader, is science fiction.

Zhana is inspired by great figures such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and Nelson Mandela. She is also inspired by ordinary people overcoming difficulties and obstacles in order to achieve their goals and attain their rightful places in life and in the world.

Zhana is very inspired by the work of Marshall Rosenberg, author of Nonviolent Communication, a Language of Life. She has found this work life-changing, and it is because of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) that she now holds the annual Blogging Carnival for Nonviolence.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Have you ever really, really wanted something but had no idea how to achieve it?

Have you ever had a goal that is important to you but keeps eluding you?

Have you ever wanted to make a positive change in your life?

In Secrets of Manifestation, Zhana explains some of the methods she has used to manifest many things, including money and a contract with a major publisher.

Secrets of Manifestation gives you a chance to learn from a master manifestor – Zhana.

How serious are you about changing your life? How serious are you about achieving your goals? What is stopping you? What is getting in your way?

At this time Secrets of Manifestation is still available for free.

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Zhana’s Website

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Featured Interview With Robert R Randall

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
As my new memoir, Lost in the 50s: in Meridian, Mississippi, will attest, I was born and raised in the deep South. After four years in the Air Force and just enough education to be dangerous (an MS in mass communications from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette), I spent ten years as an itinerant disc jockey and TV sports anchor before I became an advertising copywriter. My wife, Ann, 2 cats called Zeus and Nicholas, a dog named Lucki and I live happily in beautiful San Antonio.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was an avid reader in my teens, but I was almost thirty before I wrote my first short story for a college magazine. Wish I had started sooner, but c’est la vie, n’est-ce pas?

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I still love the classic American authors–Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Robrt Penn Warren. In more recent times, I am greatly impressed by Richard Russo, Kate Atkinson, Donna Tartt, Richard Ford and Annie Proulx, just to name a few.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
A few years ago, wrote a fictionalized version of my formative and adolescent years called The Great Pretender: Confessions of a Semi-Incorrigible Southern Catholic Boy. This time, I cut to the chase with a unabashed memoir. Lost in the 50s: in Meridian, Mississippi focuses on those teen years in which ‘BobbyRandall’ (in the South they often run your first and last names together) suffers the pangs of adolescence-from young romance to raging hormones and a wildly dysfunctional family. It’s a fun book.

Featured Interview With Linda Maria Frank

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born and bred in Queens, N.Y. I still live on Long Island and love being near the beaches and marshes. I have two cats, Max and Lola. I have had a very long career in teaching, from 5th grade to graduate school. I taught the sciences, and an introductory course in forensic science that I taught in both high school and college got my writing simple mysteries for my students to solve.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I became a reader when I discovered the Nancy Drew mystery series. Nancy made me a life time reader. It was many years later, and many books later that I discovered that my talent for story telling could be turned into books.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love historical fiction. Current favorite author is Diana Gabaldon and the Outlander series. Besides the romance and thrilling exploits of the characters, I love the herbal medicine and healing arts aspects of the books.
I think Stephen King is my inspiration as a writer. The way he draws his characters, making the human ones so very human is a great model for me in the development of my characterrs.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book which is part of the Annie Tillery Mystery Series is the Mystery of the Lost Avenger. It was a labor of love for me to reasearch what the women of my mother’s generation did to help win WWII.
This fourth book in the Annie Tillery Mystery series falls into the genre of young reader, between children’s chapter books and young adult. However, older women who grew up reading Nancy Drew love this book. The story works on several levels, a ghost story, a romance, the technical side of weaving clues to solve a mystery, the history of women in WWII and the espionage that happened in that war.
The wreckage of a World War II plane is found in the mountains of Appalachia in 2014. It mysteriously crashed in 1943 on its way to a naval base. Inside the plane is a note, written by Annie Tillery’s great grandmother, Charlotte, who was in love with a fighter pilot. Young Charlotte tested the planes and flew them to naval bases; her fiancé flew the planes in battle.
While investigating the crash site, NCIS finds the note in the plane, which they trace to Charlotte and then to her surviving family members, Annie and her mother Carol. Annie struggles with Carol’s new sobriety with her addiction to alcohol, which in the past, caused an estrangement between them.
The mystery begins. Why did the plane crash, and what does Charlotte’s note mean? Annie and her mother decide to dig into Great-Grandmother’s past by way of the family attic.
There, they find love letters written by Charlotte and her Navy pilot fiancé. A code to be broken in those letters hints of sabotage. As they explore, Annie suspects Charlotte’s ghost is reaching out to tell her something, but what? She enlists the help of her boyfriend, newly licensed pilot Ty Egan, but Annie feels she may be the key to her great-grandmother’s top-secret life. She means to find out how.

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Linda Maria Frank’s Website

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Featured Interview With Lisa Wolstenholme

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi, I’m a multi-published author originally from the UK but now living in Perth, Western Australia. My family immigrated nine years ago and we love it here. Perth is one of the lesser-known cities in Australia but well worth a visit, and the weather is just perfect.

I was raised mostly in the UK. My father was in the Royal Air Force which meant moving from place-to-place every three-or-so years. I spent time in Germany and all over the UK, so you could say I’m well travelled. Travel is something I love and have been to Canada, USA, South America, all over Europe. Being in Australia opens up the opportunity for some really exciting trips, well, as soon as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

At present, I have one dog (a Kelpie Mastiff cross who’s a complete numpty), a goldfish, 6 baby chicks and one hen, not to mention the amazing variety of birds and critters calling my block home. I’m lucky to live in the Perth Hills surrounded by bush – a haven away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Looking back, I guess I’ve always been a writer. I’m always daydreaming and coming up with stories and scenes, and as a child was drawn to fantasy stories like ‘The Enchanted Wood’. I could easily disappear into other worlds and would think about them constantly.

I love to read and am particularly drawn to gritty, emotional stories that leave the reader pondering what makes a character tick and why they do what they do.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love contemporary fiction and am not averse to romantic tales as long as they are not too ‘mushy’. I do particularly enjoy transformational journeys and love Paulo Coehlo’s work, especially books like ‘Veronika Decides to Die’ and ‘The Alchemist’. Gillian Flynn is also a favourite author. I love the way she builds authentic characters and creates tangible settings. I also really loved ‘The Girl on the Train’ and found Paula’s writing affecting and accessible.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Sunrise Girl is contemporary women’s fiction novel about a thirty-something woman who is struggling with authenticity. A former party-girl, she does what she’s expected to do i.e. get married and settle down, but it becomes an increasing struggle for her. When her husband dies, she has to navigate her grief – and guilt – and figure out what she wants, but rather than face her past she escapes to the party island of Ibiza and indulges in a hedonistic-like lifestyle.
It’s gritty, emotional and a bit steamy in places (but not in an ‘erotic’ sense). I would say it’s ‘Adultery’ by Paulo Coehlo crossed with ‘Shirley Valentine’ by Willy Russell with elements of ‘The Girl on the Train’.

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Featured Interview With PEARL.

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
~ Poet ~ Empath ~ Highly Sensitive ~ Psychic ~ Readings ~ Angelic Reiki Healing ~ Crystal ~ Enlightened Wisdom ~ Healer ~ Twin Flame ~ Manifestation ~ Mental Health ~ Eating Disorders ~ Body Image ~ Emotions ~ Sexuality ~ Erotica ~ Inner Child

I’ve been through quite a lot of trauma over the years. All ranging from mental health issues, sexual harassment, emotional neglect, struggles with sexuality, losing my ‘known’ identity. The latest to add to the list is having my first relationship, with a narcissistic emotional and mental abuser.

When it comes to mental health issues, I’ve suffered from a range. Eating disorders, OCD, depression, self harm, suicidal tendencies. 15 years and still the same default setting comes through. Why? I guess I haven’t healed yet.

The thing with trauma is – you keep going through the same stuff until you learn the lessons embedded deep within it. Until you change the programme, the same frequency is going to keep being emitted. Trauma leads you to a place of self-love, and that’s what life is all about.

It’s not egotistical love. It’s not being selfish. It’s not viewing yourself as being superior to others. No. It’s about embracing all that you are, shadow side and all.

Self-love is about honouring yourself. Honouring your limits, your triggers, and honouring your energy. Where you place yourself, affects your energy. How much pressure you put on yourself, affects your energy. Who you spend time with, affects your energy.

This world is beautiful, and magical. Only the select view see it though. I’m one of those select view.

Exactly like my book description concludes: ‘Throw in the concoction of eating disorders, narcissistic relationships, a Divine Masculine Twin Flame that struggles with emotions, hidden sexual desires, struggles with sensuality and sexuality… and you’ve got a book that covers all areas of the psyche and mind.’

That’s what this book is about. My journey throughout it all.

The main character throughout, is myself. You’re reading the words as if you’re looking through my eyes. My writing does something miraculous though. You may be looking down on the paper through my eyes, but you’re creating your own story. You’re looking back over your lifetimes, and you’re picking out pieces of the puzzle. You’re acknowledging that these little gems that are found between my words, are actually the gems that you’ve been missing your whole life.

Of course, throughout, the differing stories focus and evolve around culprits or characters who played a huge part in the trauma that I endured. Again, there are characters who have helped me and who continue to help me forevermore.

My advice: Love yourself truly, completely and unconditionally. You’re the only person who will never leave your side. Other people come and go. You have to be your own best friend, because when you’re dealing with the stuff inside, it’s only you who understands.

I want to be a well-known Spiritual Teacher. Get me on all platforms. Let me spread the word… share the word… let me be a ripple that generates a magnetic wave across the entire race of humanity, to really start implementing and living from a place of truth, peace and love.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’m not really sure when I started writing, but I know that as a child in Primary School, I was very creative. In Literacy and even Creative Writing, I would thrive. Admittedly, I felt it to be a bit of burden when having to write stories – I could never seem to find a suitable ending, and so would just keep on writing and writing.

However, as my life’s path started to pan out, I realised that I was adept at poetry. It actually got added to my list of ‘coping mechanisms’.

My current published book:
Chapter 1 = My undying attempt to feel loved
Chapter 2 = Enlightened wisdom that keeps me alive…and fighting.
Chapter 3 = Mental Health Illnesses and how they are all fabricated illusions… yet so very pain-stakingly real.
Chapter 4 = How my shadow side actually saved me from an abusive relationship with a narcissist.
Chapter 5 = Sexual repressed desires/erotica

The second book I’m in the process of writing is all about:-
Chapter 1 = Being fearless and being the hero of my own life… being the hero of my own destiny
Chapter 2 = That hero (my Inner Child) being locked away and held captive…and me not knowing where she is or where she’s gone
Chapter 3 = Eating Disorder
Chapter 4 = Acknowledging my Shadow Side (and Traits), and also balancing Masculine and Feminine energies of whom I am.
Chapter 5 = Realising that I’m a Messenger/Spiritual Teacher who holds much Wisdom and Truth
Chapter 6 = Honing in on my emotions and being the sensitive soul and empath that I am
Chapter 7 = Worshipping both my Masculine and Feminine energies, and also my Shadow and Light sides
Chapter 8 = Getting justice for all who have wronged me
Chapter 9 = How my Soul leads my way now…

As you can see, my first two books are all centred on my journey, and how pain and all different types of emotions have been embedded throughout. It’s been a hectic ride, that’s for sure!

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
To be honest, I feel like I’m one in and on my own. Yes, there are numerous poetry books out there. Truth be told, I don’t particularly enjoy reading poetry. I can say that I’ve not read any books that are like mine, and therefore, they haven’t influenced me.

My own life experiences have shaped my writing, and I’m really proud of that. I’m proud of myself for having come through those experiences, and still be the strong beautiful soul that I am today. I haven’t changed, and what I mean by that is… I’ve not closed my heart… I’ve not turned nasty… I’ve not let the world turn me cold. If anything, I’m more loving, nurturing, protective, caring, loyal… because of the experiences I’ve been through. It’s a rarity in this world.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
As previously mentioned, I’m working on two books. One that, again, is focused on my journey through life… but is definitely much more indepth… and it really scrutinises everything that I’ve been through, all whilst summarising it all really.

You’ll clearly be able to distinguish between the chapters, and you’ll follow the journey with ease. It’s very clear, yet as my writing does, it generates so many layers and so many stories that are buried deep within. You’ll find yourself swinging along many different turns and paths, and that’s what it’s all about. It’s about going deep within yourself, and honouring what comes up to the surface.

I tend to just go with the flow. Even if I think I’ve got nothing to write about, I’ll get my laptop out and I’ll literally just put down anything that comes to mind. It can be so wacky and metaphorical, but it all just seems to fit and come together so beautifully!

Other than that, I tend to just write from how I’m feeling. Feelings and emotions are such a great indicator for what you should write about!

I was actually reading my own book. I think it’s a beautiful element to be able to put yourself in the reader’s shoes for a few moments, and really indulge in the writer’s stories. It’s almost endearing to be able to forget that you’re the writer, and generate even more stories in your mind that you didn’t have when you were actually writing the book!

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Featured Interview With Mia Michele

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Nashville, but I’ve lived in the Philadelphia metro area for the last two decades. I met my husband in New England and, after college, we settled in Pennsylvania. We don’t have any pets, but are currently raising a brood of children.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved books. I was the child who received pens and reams of paper for Christmas and birthdays! I remember writing short stories and poetry throughout primary school and, by the time I was in middle school, was organizing fairly long novellas. I began professionally publishing in the early 2000s and, in 2013, switched from nonfiction to fiction.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I was a librarian and, quite honestly, will read anything! My favorite book is The Source by Michener (although I’m not a huge fan of his other pieces!). A book that has stayed with me is Anita Shreve’s The Last Time They Met.

I don’t know that “who” inspires me is the question in as much as it is “what” inspires me. I feel like life makes the best art and, even in my paranormal and dystopian work, I draw from real life to create the situations and characters.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Alexander Vale has lived for a thousand years. He has seen the human race fall prey to the immortals and now, as a member of the ruling Archon class, he is responsible for his own people- both the older and more powerful Archontes as well as the hunger-driven Subalterns- and the mortal Esnes. The Law is his safety; he helped create the ruling class hundreds of years ago to quell revolt and provide a measure of calm in a world that was ravaged by cruelty and harsh conditions. Once the Old Lands were made docile, he and those like him turned to the New Lands, and he eventually settled himself as the Commissioner of the North Eastern Dominion. The Law was established: the Esnes were forced into obedience, the Subalterns (for the most part) were subdued, and the Archontes were firmly in control. There have been minor rebellions, but, since the Great Rebellion (twenty-five years ago), there has been a relative peace. Stumbling upon an Esne after dark, his entire life is turned on end and he sees not only who he has been, but who he is at his core self. In a story that combines the dystopian and speculative worlds with romance, Vale crafts a psychological tale that pits ego against soul, with heartbreaking consequences.

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Featured Interview With P.C. Darkcliff

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in the Czech Republic, but now I live in Spain. I’ve lived in four other countries: Canada, Portugal, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Since we move around a lot, we don’t have any pets.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started reading and writing as soon as I learned my letters. If I remember correctly, my first story was about a talking dog.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love classic horror writers, such as Lovecraft, Poe, and Machen, and my favorite genre to read is dark fantasy. I also admire Dickens, Remarque, Steinbeck and other late masters. Out of contemporary authors, I like Follett and Grisham.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
It’s called Celts and the Mad Goddess, and it’s the first installment of The Deathless Chronicle. It tells the story of a young Celtic woman called Rawena, who falls into the claws of the rat-goddess Pandemia. The goddess schemes to annihilate humans to preserve other animal species. She lets Rawena live but turns her into a pawn in a mad game. Rawena fights to defy Pandemia while running from her own tribespeople who suddenly see her as their enemy.
It took me only a year to write this book, but it’s based on a saga I worked on for nearly a decade in my younger years, and later abandoned.

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Featured Interview With Sophia Sinclair

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a small-town Midwestern girl to my core and my small-town romance books build on each other like the written version of the world’s longest romantic movie. I spend my free time performing unnecessarily complicated culinary feats in my kitchen and dreaming up home improvement projects for my husband to do in our fixer-upper Victorian. My greatest accomplishment so far has been either raising two wonderful children who love to read or designing and digging a goldfish pond by herself. Probably the goldfish pond; it’s really cool. We had the sweetest old beagle-mix mutt, Ginger, until recently. We aren’t ready to get another dog just yet; losing Ginger broke our hearts even though she lived to a very ripe old age. If you read Worth the Wait, the old shelter dog Clarence Molly’s kids adopt was modeled on my Ginger.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always been a writer. I knew from an early age this is what I’d do. I have done every kind of writing, from journalism, SEO, advertising, marketing, fiction, genre fiction and technical writing. I write. It’s what I do.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I will read anything, including the backs of cereal boxes or technical manuals if that’s my only choice. I read a lot. If it’s well-written, I’ll read it happily. There are thousands of books in my house, plus all the ebooks I now have. Reading is my favorite thing to do. I love the classics, I love genre books, I lover non-fiction … I love it all. You’ll notice that my romance novel characters are smart, well-read people.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I’m about to publish the fifth book in my Small-Town Secrets series. It’s called “Crazy Little Thing,” and it features the bartender of The Clipper. The Clipper is the bar where everyone in Fairview, my fictional small town, hangs out. There, you’ll run into previous characters as well as people who might be in future books. Ashley has been in every book, so it’s fitting that now she’s the main character in this one. She’s been plotting something for a long time. I love Ashley! She’s smart and she has a lot of secrets up her sleeve. No wonder the wealthy developer who walks into the bar ends up losing his heart to her. She’s unlike anyone he’s ever met before.

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Featured Interview With H.B. Cavalier

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, and draw a lot of writing inspiration from the land around me. I have traveled, though, and that slips in as well. My pen name, Véva Perala, exists mainly to lend an air of magic to my novel, ‘Farewell, Everything’ (Véva is, in a sense, a character in the story herself) – but originally it served to protect my privacy. Now days, however, I wonder just what I’ve been trying to hide. There really isn’t much to say about me! The life of Véva Perala is FAR more intriguing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Oh, immediately. I was given a little chalk board at 18 months, and legend has it I began writing, at length, right then and there. I grew up in the 80’s, across the street from an academic writer – she’d give all of her red-inked rough drafts to me, so that I could write my epic novels on the blank side of the paper. Living under the sea, being kidnapped by ghosts, and ridiculing the rich were common themes of my early work, but I also dabbled in nonfiction: bee colonies and cat anatomy were my specialties.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite fiction genre, hands down, is magical realism. I get frustrated when writing is too concrete and literal – it leaves stories barren, void of metaphor and deeper meaning. Part of the pleasure of reading, for me, is finding hidden gems in a narrative, discovering new depth upon returning to an old book after years away. You can mature side-by-side with a good story. Plus, my life experiences have rarely been logical by modern standards, and like anyone, I enjoy books that reflect me back to myself, so.

On that note, I love Dorian Gray – joking. Sort of.

Oscar Wilde is one of the greats, though, of course. Garcia Marquez, Murakami, Arundhati Roy, Sunil Yapa, George Saunders and Salvador Plascencia are all authors on my bookshelf. But I mostly gravitate toward nonfiction – books about psychology and spirituality, history and sociology, philosophy and the human brain. The occasional memoir, such as James Rhodes’ ‘Instrumental,’ and David B.’s graphic novel ‘Epileptic.’ But, at the end of the day, I feel I’ve drawn just as much writing inspiration from music and film as from books.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
‘Farewell, Everything’ is a slipstream/magical realism novel following a sickly runaway through tandem struggles with disease and politics – neither of which he’s prepared to handle. It’s something of a hero’s journey, in that the protagonist spirals into the depths to find strength and wisdom he never knew he had – but more than that, it’s simply dark comedy. The main character is bumbling, naive, and desperately self-unaware. Romantically self-sabotaging with both men and women, he willfully ignores his own limitations, allowing them to undermine every aspect of his life in the process. Enchanted by the world around him – a world that speaks to the past, the future, and even the realm of the dead – our hero enjoys plenty of escapist fodder in his quest to avoid of reality. ‘Farewell, Everything’ is a mystical story at heart, surreal and whimsical at times – but never loses sight of its end goal: to get this poor, confused kid out of the mess he’s made for himself.

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Featured Interview With E.N. Crane

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
E.N. Crane is a pen name that combines my last name, married name and a nickname I tried to get people to call me in Junior High that never took. I’m from the Antelope Valley, a suburb of Los Angeles that is 50/50 considered a suburb and “the country” depending on which part you are in. I live 30 minutes south of there now in Santa Clarita, another suburb, with my fiance (until October) and German Shepherd, Perry. She was rescued from the pound and may be a velociraptor. It has yet to be cleared.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started my first book in 4th or 5th grade when I got my American Girl of Today doll and I could write her story. In 6th grade, I started my own Fantasy novel, and in High School I started 2 Laurie Halse Anderson style books. None of which were ever completed. It took 20 years to actually finish a book that I started without getting distracted and now I have 2.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors are, in no particular order, J.K. Rowling, J.D. Robb, Janet Evanovich, Michael Connelly, Jill Shalvis and Mindy Khaling. I know the last isn’t technically an author, but she is a writer and has written 2 books about her life and shenanigans and I love her. My favorite genre to read is romance and thrillers. Bonus points if there’s both.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I started a trilogy, The Ampersand Series, and it centers around an optometrist with an extrasensory ability to see strong emotional memories. She uses it to try and help people, but ends up putting herself in danger. She’s sarcastic, love dogs and drinks way too much coffee. In book two, she’s recovering from the loss and trauma in book one and trying to sort through her dad being sick as well as being the target of a serial abuser and rapist. It’s titled Without Direction and will be out October 1st!

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Featured Interview With Irving Waters

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a private security contractor, writing books when I’m off duty.
I grew up in Langley. I love dogs and grew up with a Newfoundland.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have always written, but never published anything fictional until my first book:
‘The Wuhan Mission’.
I had a great time writing it and now I’m hooked.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I prefer reading outside my ‘spy fiction thriller’ genre. I’ll read anything that has some movement to it.
My books are fast paced, and that’s how I like the books I read to be.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
‘The Wuhan Mission’ is a fun look at the conspiracy theories that surround the Covid-19 situation. It will take your mind off the darkness of it and give you a giggle while entertaining you for 5 hours or so.

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Featured Interview With Jeff Pollak

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Most of my upbringing occurred in Riverdale – not the one in the Archie comics, the one in the Bronx (part of New York City). Although my dad died when I was three and my mom passed when I was sixteen, my childhood years provided a positive upbringing and prepared me well for adulthood. I attended college in Buffalo, N.Y., and soon after graduating I moved to Los Angeles for law school. My career in and around civil litigation lasted thirty-five years, and now, in my retirement, I write fiction.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My earliest childhood trauma involved books. On the first day of first grade, my teacher divided the class into groups based on our respective reading skills. I was lumped into the kindergarten-level group, which upset me so much I cried. I thought I belonged in the advanced reader group. So I decided to prove to my teacher that I belonged there. I began to read everything I possibly could, and well before Thanksgiving I’d moved into that advanced group. I became a voracious reader as a result. But I never thought of myself as an author until I retired and decided to give it a try.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My current favorite authors are, in alphabetical order, Neil Gaiman, David Mitchell, Haruki Murakami, Iain Pears and Daniel Silva. I love books too much to have a favorite genre, but I read a lot of suspense novels. As for my own writing style, my debut novel, First Second Coming, was influenced more by Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams than anyone else, but I can’t say that any single author has inspired my writing.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
After five years of working on First Second Coming, it was published in August as a supernatural romantic suspense novel. Yes, that’s three genres rolled into one story.

Earth’s new god provides the supernatural element. He’s a planetary turnaround specialist, hired by Milky Way Galaxy, Inc. in 2027 to replace the retiring New Testament God. The new deity’s task is to bring Earth back into compliance with MWGI’s planetary operations standards.

Suspense derives from the first step the new God takes. He must decide whether to include humans in his turnaround plan. He chooses to test their ability to cooperate with each other, and assist him, with this ultimatum: within sixty days religious violence must be brought to a permanent end, without heavenly help. Failure means mankind’s extinction.

The romance element comes into play after God introduces himself to earthlings by appearing for an interview on a talk show, which he beams worldwide. The shows’ co-hosts, Ram Forrester and Brendali Santamaria, are anointed as the only media reporters approved by God to report on the progress of discussions to prevent religious violence. In addition to monitoring that conference, Ram and Bren must evade a fringe religious group seeking to kill them for promoting a false god, and do their nightly shows. All this brings them closer. Romance blooms as the specter of extinction threatens to bring their love to a premature end.

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Featured Interview With Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in a small town, a place where you had to make your own fun. There wasn’t a movie theater in my town or a concert hall. There was just a pool and a library. Therefore, I took up a great interest in reading. As I grew older, I began to write, and I eventually went into the military. My career field in the military was centered around health management, so in my free time, I took extra assignments from the base newspaper, The Nucleus, so that I could expand my talents. I eventually was honorably discharged and landed in a new city, where I wrote for The Rover and The Gateway, which were local college newspapers. A few years later, I took an assignment to write for The Sarpy Sun, The Midtown O, and The West O. After about two years of doing this and exploring journalism, I decided to take a break. I didn’t begin to write again until 2012, and I didn’t write seriously until I got married to my wife in 2015.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I realized that I was fascinated with books when I was eight. I was walking in my school library, and I saw a book that was written by a boy my age. After looking closely at his work, I was inspired to try and create my own story. I started by creating picture books and comics, and later on, I wrote screenplays and for newspapers. It took a while for me to realize that my true calling was writing novellas and novels.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Early on, I was influenced by Jane Austen and later by Julie Ann Peters. As I got older, novels by Radclyffe began to hit the Barnes & Nobles shelves, and at that time, there were only a few lesbian fiction authors. After reading several of her works and exploring that of Gabrielle Goldsby and Gerri Hill, I decided to write my own lesbian fiction stories.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is called Complicated Heart. This is the fourth edition in the Avery Detective Agency Series, a series that was first inspired by my grandfather. I decided to write a fourth installment because several readers had contacted me requesting this addition, and since I love mysteries, the writing process flowed naturally.

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Featured Interview With Jessica Ainsworth

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born and raised in New Jersey. I know, I know – not many are fans of the dirty Jersey, but what can you do?! I currently reside in Maryland with my husband, three kids, bulldog and guinea pig.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I fell in love with books at a very young age. The first book I remember really sparking emotion and intrigue for me was a book called A Solitary Blue. Like many other children I, of course, loved the Goosebumps series (rereading it now with my eldest) and Judy Bloom.

I was about 11 or 12 when I started writing my own “books” and continued writing in various forms throughout the years. Mostly technical in nature and very research driven.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Total fan girl for Nicholas Sparks!!! If Nicholas Sparks is reading this — I LOVE your books and we should be friends!!!!!

As for who inspires me to write… that’s kind of an odd answer here. While I’ve always loved reading and writing, I could never really decide what to write and always had self doubt. What kicked off my writing career was actually watching small businesses torn apart by COVID-19. These books are all written with the small business owner just trying to make it to tomorrow in mind. This is my way of helping.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Going back to my inspiration here, there was a sudden “aha” moment, a lightening strike moment if you will. Shortly after COVID-19 forced businesses to close, business owners were left scrambling to find innovative ways to reach their customers so that they could make ends meet.

I had a Facebook Ad come across my News Feed for a pizza parlor located several hours away from me. Being that far away, I am clearly not their intended audience. In fact, by targeting outside of their radius, they were wasting money. So, I reached out to them privately to help them with their Facebook Ads and they had confessed that not only had they been targeting the whole state, but were embarrassed to admit they had been targeting the ENTIRE country. Talk about a money suck!! You see, they said they were new at advertising on Facebook and weren’t entirely sure about what they were doing. Enter the “aha” moment.

It was from seeing their ad and the ads of other businesses that I realized that I could help.

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