Top Selling Authors: Get To Know Them Better

Featured Interview With Wendelin Gray

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was an only child, and we moved around a lot, though not within that large of a geographical area. My parents strongly emphasized education, and therefore we usually lived around Asian immigrants wherever we lived, though I first got involved with immigrant community arts events and started learning my first foreign language when I was in middle school. This really impacted my community involvement as an adult as well as my creative writing later. I was a volunteer ESL teacher for a lot of years helping with the Asian community, I worked as a core volunteer on programming and educational outreach for a dozen or so years with the now-defunct Silk Screen Asian Arts Organization, and I’ve provided cultural programming for local libraries and Japanese festivals for 5 to 10 years. I’ve also studied a lot of traditional and fusion dance styles from the Middle East and Asia for decades. I now live in Pittsburgh, PA, in a very old house. I’ve had both small lap dog breeds growing up and cats more recently, though I don’t have a pet right now.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
When I was seven, my father noticed I was writing imitations of the back cover copy of novels we had around the house, and he gave me a notebook with instructions I should write the stories to go with the descriptions. I also was fascinated by our family set of encyclopedias then and loved the Time Life book series with a volume for each foreign country we had, particularly India. I think I memorized that one when I was little, just like I did with Bulfinch’s Mythology a number of years later, so I like nonfiction, world literature, and foreign languages as well as regular genre fiction.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read a lot of horror and fantasy growing up with some of my father’s favorite sci fi and my mother’s gothic romances thrown in here and there. Tennyson, Walter Scott, and Chretien de Troyer were some of my classical influences. I also loved Edgar Allan Poe, H. P. Lovecraft, Abraham Merritt, Agatha Christie, and the more modern Hickman and Weiss Dragonlance series. Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion series was fascinating, too, and I loved the romantic overtones of Meredith Ann Pierce’s The Darkangel though I never finished the trilogy. Lillian Jackson Braun’s The Cat Who Series was really fun as was Mary Stewart’s Merlin Series. I got into Frank Herbert’s Dune series at one point, though for the most part I’m not a big fan of science fiction. I really prefer pre-modern genre stories.

However, my college major, of course, was Russian, which required reading in a lot of Soviet-Era banned fiction and works from the 19th century, so we read a lot of like Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Turgenev in English translation and Gorky or Pushkin in the original Russian. We once had to memorize a poem in Russian and recite it for the class, Soviet-style. My classmates and I were really mesmerized by some of the rehabilitated authors since they had ideas that were unique and outrageous though they often upset the authorities.

Since I graduated and switched immigrant communities that I served, I studied East Asian languages and began reading their classics, some in translation and some in the original languages. I like that challenge and breadth of exposure because it gives a writer more ideas and techniques to incorporate into their own writing. Some of my Japanese language influences include Ryukishi07, whose light novel versions of his work have some really surprising experimental elements, and Fuyumi Ono who writes a lot of interfaith horror for girls. Just about anything by her is on my bookshelf. Nahoko Uehashi’s anthropological approach to her high fantasy novels is also quite fascinating.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My most recent novel is The Lucky Cat and the Kaiju Horde, volume 4 of my political horror-fantasy satire The Lucky Cat Series. The series follows three generations of women in the Hagiwara family as they deal with the terrifying realities of living in a futuristic, predatory state after World War III has transformed the globe. As the unofficial history of the superstate comes to light and reveals that the grudge of a persecuted dollmaker has unleashed a vengeful set of Girls’ Day dolls against it, the world will never be the same.

With this series, I really wanted to revisit my Russian literary roots, so my everywoman Kumori Ando, the main character in volume 1 where the political intrigue begins, is largely based on the milquetoast civil servants of 19th century Russian literature. Later in volume 3, Trofim Shulga also fits this meek, ordinary character type.

The inspiration for some of the kaiju elements of this series comes from my research on Godzilla films, but the early 1920s Symbolist fiction of Russia also played a huge part, like Mikhail Bulgakov’s Heart of a Dog, which is political satire with fantasy elements. I used the magical Lucky Cat statue in the first volume as my only fantasy element, though I did have an idea of where I wanted to drive volume 2 with more of the dolls, but I let that idea sit until I felt I could play it straight and not make the premise as silly as it sounds. Hopefully, the result is more horrifying and threatening than ridiculous. The second volume delves more into my overall theme of state violence against citizens, which was inspired by 20th century world history since there were a number of countries that did this kind of thing, and it expands its range of fantasy characters to include a more sinister portrayal of Japanese fox spirits into volume 4.

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Wendelin Gray’s Website

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Featured Interview With Kitty Arceneaux

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Kitty Arceneaux, born and raised in New Orleans, La. I’m married with 3 kids and we have a dog name Major.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing at the age of 8, but never really thought about writing a book until I became an adult. I would read all the time, all sorts of books and magazines. I have a love for words more than a love for books.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have a vast amount of authors I love to read, like TD Jakes, Miles Monroe, Maya Angelou, Robert Kiyosaki, Napoleon Hill, Lynn Richardson just to name a few. I read more Christian and Financial books now, but I used to read a lot of romance and fantasy books when I was younger.

Honestly, I have so many people that inspire my writing that it’s hard to point at just one person.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, Ruth Ready, is about building healthy marriages. Both single and married women relate to this book. It has recently won an international book award, receiving the Bronze Medal.
This book is intended to help you focus on what’s important: a healthy and joyous Christ-Centered marriage that will last as long as the vows say, ‘til death do us part.

It took me about 3 months to write Ruth Ready

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Kitty Arceneaux’s Website

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Featured Interview With Bill Mesce, Jr.

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a native New Jerseyan. I’ve spent most of my life in Jersey, but did my undergraduate degree at the University of South Carolina, and several years ago spent a year at the University of Maine at Farmington on their Creative Writing faculty. Coco, our family’s shih-Tzu, never criticizes my work. She also never reads it, but what’re you gonna do?

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My parents were heavy readers so I took to books when I was quite young. After my mother threw out my comic books because she said they were giving me nightmares, I started reading their book so by the age of 10 I was reading adult novels. I don’t remember when I started writing; maybe junior high, but it was just messing around. I had no serious goals. That wouldn’t happen until I got to college and I discovered this was something I wanted to do.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
While I have favorites (George V. Higgins, John LeCarre, Evan Hunter, Steinbeck, others) it really is catch as catch can. I’m an opportunistic reader: one of my daughters brings something home, I find a book laying around at the schools where I work and it seems interesting or I’ve heard about it, I’ll scoop it up. Inspires, that’s a tough word. There are writers whom I’ve learned from (I named a few above to which I would add Thomas E. Kennedy whom I was lucky enough to have as an instructor when I went for my MFA a few years ago), and others where I’ve admired how they’ve navigated their careers (Hunter doing literary work and screenwork under his own name, crime stories as Ed McBain).

Tell us a little about your latest book?
It began largely as my own response to being a young man working in Manhattan in the early 1980s, a bit overwhelmed by the crazy, scary, exciting stuff that was going on. As the years went by and I would work, rework, revisit the novel, I realized that at one point it was going to become sort of a nostalgia piece for me, revisiting a NYC that had since calmed down and sanitized itself. While it’s not in any way autobiographical, the main character — Ronnie — is seeing NYC as I saw it. In fact, many of the events and overheard conversations Ronnie is party to I witnessed in my time in the city.

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Bill Mesce, Jr. Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Amber Daulton

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in North Carolina (I’m still there!), but I don’t have a Southern drawl as most people who live here do. About everyone I meet for the first time will ask me where I’m from, and it’s funny to see their shocked expressions when I say, “I’m from around here.” They always think I’m from up north or from a foreign country since I sound different.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I read my first romance book when I was 12, and it inspired me to write my own story about two people finding adventure and falling in love. I finished my first novel within six months, and I’ve revised that book several times over the years (it’s currently not published).
I write because I must. I have so many ideas and characters inside my head that I just need to get it out. My imagination is pretty vivid, so I need an outlet. Writing provides that.
Arresting Jeremiah is my thirteenth publication, but I have about ten more manuscripts on my computer waiting to see the light of day.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love all genres of romance (especially romantic suspense and paranormal), but it’s hard for me to pick a favorite author or book. I don’t think I actually have one.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Arresting Jeremiah, the second installment in the Arresting Onyx series, picks up where Arresting Mason ends and will be released on October 14th, 2020. The story follows hardnosed parole officer Jim Borden and his obsession Calista Barlow as they stick their noses where they don’t belong and fall deep into the trouble with the criminal organization known as Onyx. This sexy, dirty-talking romantic suspense series spans five full-length novels and two novellas (I’m currently writing the novellas) with a standalone HEA for each rough-and-tumble hero and their spunky heroines.

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Amber Daulton’s Website

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Featured Interview With Andy Beck

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Born in 1986, I am a devoted writer, musician and multilinguist who splits his time between Glasgow, Scotland and Maidstone, England. I believe that each and every one of us has a story; a deep passion that can guide us on a journey of self-discovery and growth towards the life we really want. In this respect, I’ve just authored “Folk Springs Eternal”, a folk-punk music novel about four musicians with a dream…and how their success will help you find yours!

In my twenties, I struggled to break the mental hold that the scripted, 9-to-5 lifestyle has over many of us. Now, I still work an office job, but with reduced hours, which pays the bills but frees up the time and energy required for my written and musical work. My writing conveys a positive, yet practical message to assist others in identifying their own passion, getting the right people on their side, targeting their audience correctly, and getting paid to do it.

I live with Kerstin, my amazing wife. We speak English and German, sometimes in the same sentence. We’re also learning Scottish Gaelic together.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
The first author whose books captivated me was actually R. L. Stine, with his “Goosebumps” series. This man was the first to give me a sense of the dramatic, the suspenseful and the spine-chilling. In my teens, I graduated to Stephen King, whose imagination and irreverent literary style I praise highly – “The Shining” and “Dreamcatcher” are fine examples.

However, I’ve also drawn inspiration from some more classical, 20th-century works such as “Nineteen Eighty-Four” (Orwell, of course) and “The Purple Plain” (Bates). A somewhat volatile mix, but one that has guided my own output from its creative-writing origins in primary school right through to the present day.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite English-language authors are currently Stephen King, George Orwell, H. E. Bates and various other, lesser-known authors (e.g. Joseph Coohill and Joe Barnes). All of these have inspired my own literary style to one extent or another. In German, I quite liked “L’Adultera” by Theodor Fontane when I read it at university, and Voltaire’s “Candide” was an interesting, black-humour ride.

In terms of genre, that’s a tough one! But I’m going to pick horror.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Gus, Lin, Herman and Rash are four talented musicians playing Irish and Scottish music with a punk twist. They’re nonconformists who’ve found their passion, but how will they make their dreams of big success a reality? Especially when scepticism, hostility and even physical violence are to beset their path?

The band must either persevere through the fire and emerge victorious . . . or fail and self-destruct among the flames. This stirring and suspenseful musical ride will appeal to all nonconformists, especially those with their own burning passion and the courage to pursue it. An action plan at the end of the book equips readers with the tools needed to find success and to withstand setbacks and failures.

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Andy Beck Facebook Page

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Featured Interview With Christy J. Breedlove (pen name)

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Chris H. Stevenson (pen name Christy J. Breedlove), originally born in California, moved to Sylvania, Alabama in 2009. His occupations have included newspaper editor/reporter, astronomer, federal police officer, house cleaner and part time miniature builder. He has been writing off and on for 36 years, having officially published books beginning in 1988. Today he writes in his favorite genre, Young Adult, but has published in multiple genres and categories. He was a finalist in the L. Ron. Hubbard Writers of the Future contest, and took the first place grand prize in a YA novel writing contest for The Girl They Sold to the Moon. He writes the popular blog, Guerrilla Warfare for Writers (special weapons and tactics), hoping to inform and educate writers all over the world about the high points and pitfalls of publishing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My early writing accomplishment were multiple hits within a few years: In my first year of writing back in 1987, I wrote three SF short stories that were accepted by major slick magazines which qualified me for the Science Fiction Writers of America, and at the same time achieved a Finalist award in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. This recognition garnered me a top gun SF agent at the time, Richard Curtis Associates. My first novel went to John Badham (Director) and the Producers, the Cohen Brothers. It was an extreme honor to be considered. The writer who beat me out of contention for a feature movie (as well as the book), was Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. My book was called Dinothon.

A year after that I published two best-selling non-fiction books and landed on radio, TV, in every library in the U.S. and in hundreds of newspapers. B. Dalton and Walden Books carried my titles in all of their commercial outlets.

I have been trying to maintain that lightning in a bottle ever since. My YA dystopian novel, The Girl They Sold to the Moon won the grand prize in a publisher’s YA novel writing contest, went to a small auction and got tagged for a film option. My latest release, Screamcatcher: Web World, just currently won Best YA title of 2019. I received a 5-Star and badge in the Readers’ Favorite Review Competition, and took the bronze medal in the Reader’s Favorite International Awards Contest for 2020. I have 17 titles appearing on Amazon, the vast majority of them in the adult category.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Oh, like what I consider stylists: Poul Anderson, Virgin Planet, Peter Benchley, The Island and Jaws, Joseph Wambaugh, The Onion Field and Black Marble, Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park, Alan Dean Foster, the Icerigger trilogy, and some Stephen King. Anne Rice impresses with just about anything she has written. I think it’s the humor and irony that attracts me the most–and it’s all character related. Although I’m partial to SF and portal fantasies, I will read just about any genre if the characters grab me.

BLURB:

2020 Readers’ Favorite Bronze Medal Winner for Young Adult Horror

When seventeen-year-old Jory Pike cannot shake the hellish nightmares of her parent’s deaths, she turns to an old family heirloom, a dream catcher. Even though she’s half blood Chippewa, Jory thinks old Indian lore is so yesterday, but she’s willing to give it a try. However, the dream catcher has had its fill of nightmares from an ancient and violent past. After a sleepover party, and during one of Jory’s most horrific dream episodes, the dream catcher implodes, sucking Jory and her three friends into its own world of trapped nightmares. They’re in an alternate universe—locked inside of an insane web world. How can they find the center of the web, where all good things are allowed to pass?

Tell us a little about your latest book?
It all started with a dream catcher. This iconic item, which is rightfully ingrained in Indian lore, is a dream symbol respected by the culture that created it. It is mystifying, an enigma that that prods the imagination. Legends about the dream catcher are passed down from multiple tribes. There are variations, but the one fact that can be agreed upon is that it is a nightmare entrapment device, designed to sift through evil thoughts and images and only allow pleasant and peaceful dreams to enter into consciousness of the sleeper.

I wondered what would happen to a very ancient dream catcher that was topped off with dreams and nightmares. What if the nightmares became too sick or deathly? What if the web strings could not hold anymore visions? Would the dream catcher melt, burst, vanish, implode? I reasoned that something would have to give if too much evil was allowed to congregate inside of its structure. I found nothing on the Internet that offered a solution to this problem—I might have missed a relevant story, but nothing stood out to me. Stephen King had a story called Dream Catcher, but I found nothing in it that was similar to what I had in mind. So, I took it upon myself to answer such a burning question. Like too much death on a battlefield could inundate the immediate location with lost and angry spirits, so could a dream catcher hold no more of its fill of sheer terror without morphing into something else or opening up a lost and forbidden existence. What would it be like to be caught up in another world inside the webs of a dream catcher, and how would you get out? What would this world look like? How could it be navigated? What was the source of the exit, and what was inside of it that threatened your existence? Screamcatcher: Web World, the first in the series, was my answer. I can only hope that I have done it justice.

The entire trilogy series took me over a year to write and about two months of solid editing. That was working eight to 10 hours a day, non-stop.

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Christy J. Breedlove (pen name)’s Website

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Featured Interview With River J. Hopkins

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in Burlington, MA, a suburb not far from Boston. Now I’m out in Western Mass, where my mum grew up. I’m actually living on the street she lived on as a kid! It’s pretty cool. As for pets, I don’t have any at the moment, but two characters in my recent release—INTO THE FORGOTTEN FOREST—are based on two cats I used to have.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I think I’ve always loved books and storytelling. In our house, growing up, there wasn’t a room without a book. Even the bathroom! I’m not entirely sure when I started writing my own stories, but it was pretty young. Found one recently that I wrote when I must’ve been in the first grade, titled THE METAL SNOWMAN. It was kind of TERMINATOR meets FROSTY THE SNOWMAN. I think I was in the third grade when I was first published. It was a poem I’d written about my Nana. And I wrote my first full length novel at seventeen…but we do not speak of that abomination. Haha.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Oof, I have so many favorite authors! Genres, too. I am a big fan of Fantasy, and most of its subgenres. Definitely a sci-fi, horror, and comedy fan, too. I like stories that smoosh different genres together, too. But my go-to authors if I’m in need of inspiration are Holly Black, Melissa Marr, Ray Bradbury, Susan Cooper, Terry Brooks, Anne Rice, and Clive Barker.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
INTO THE FORGOTTEN FOREST was originally twice as long, and with a different title. I realized how massive the story was getting, and made the decision to do some book surgery on it. So now the second book will have the original title—UNDER THE WOLF MOON.

The first book in the series follows Oli and Xander Locklear as they start to discover that their world isn’t exactly what they thought it was.

What I keep seeing are these paranormal romance books where the main character is a human girl, and she usually ends up falling in love with a vampire, and usually ends up becoming one herself toward the end. And what I did was to make the trope a bit more interesting. Instead, the main character is becoming a monster, herself. She and her brother, both. And it’s about their journey to figuring out who they are, and who their family really is. But it’s also about friendship and betrayal and loss and a myriad of other things, including an evil queen, doors to other worlds, and other realities. There will be a little romance further on in the series, but it’s definitely not the focus.

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River J. Hopkins Twitter Account

Featured Interview With Michelle O’Healy

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Mt. Vernon, Washington. Dad joined the military shortly thereafter, so we moved a lot.
My primary years were spent mostly in Germany (Dad had two tours) . We always came back to my Grandparents tulip farm, though, and I cherish many happy memories there.

I started High School in Georgia, and finished the last two years in Washington State. After college, marriage, and the birth of my first child, I returned to Europe to live in London for four years. My second child was born there. For many years she thought she was British royalty, as she was born in the same hospital as Will and Kate’s first born. She did not take the news well.

I returned to California, and homeschooled the kids on a boat for seven years. We then sailed from California to Baja, into the Sea of Cortez, and hung out in Mexico for a while. Feeling the call of the sea, we left Mexico, crossed the South Pacific, and explored French Polynesia.

I now live in the Bay Area, California with my family, looking forward to the next adventure.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Books were a fascination for me for as long as I can remember. I was a natural storyteller, and have written in some form or another since I was a child.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
This list changes daily, as my interests are rather broad. I’m into picture books mostly these days, with things the way they’ve been this year. Picture books are a short, fun diversion. Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein are always in my top ten. A. A. Milne always puts a smile on my face.

As far as inspiration: that’s something I find all around me. Often times, my book ideas are sparked by joking around either with my kids, or my nieces and nephews. Sometimes I’m just bored and needing entertainment; like when I’m in line at the post office.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
“What Happens When Unicorns Fart?” came about as I was trying to keep my kids entertained. The story itself took about a month to write, with multiple revisions. In the final copy: A young boy, fascinated by farts, follows his curiosity. He first tries to sneakily get the unicorns to eat beans and other fart producing foods, but doesn’t have any luck. Then the unicorns capture him. The conflict is resolved with calm discussion, and the unicorns do eventually give these new foods a try. Tasting these new foods makes the unicorns fart for the first time, and it’s a lot of magical fun!

There are a number of lessons kids can learn from this engaging and entertaining story. They might be introduced to healthy foods they have never heard of or tried before. There’s cooperation, peaceful conflict resolution, the importance of listening to others, work ethic, and at the end, an illustration depicting the beauty of human diversity. All of this, in a story about unicorns farting.

I’m really proud of how this book came out. While I had written it before covid hit, the illustrations creation and publishing process happened while I was sick with an “upper respiratory viral infection” in early March, which resulted in a fair number of doctor’s appointments and a scary trip to the ER. Every time Milan sent me a new proof or illustration, it cheered me up, with a number of them making me laugh out loud. I’m so grateful to be able to offer to others something that brought me so much joy while I was ill.

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Michelle O’Healy Facebook Page

Featured Interview With Kyle Robertson

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Kyle Robertson grew up an only child. His immediate family moved from Baton Rouge Louisiana to Milwaukee when he was 3. Without siblings, he realized very early in life he needed his imagination in order to make it through this life.

After graduating high school, ne did a stint in the military. After that, he began to learn the art of salesmanship. He was always an entertainment buff,

He sold many things from replacement windows to luxury vehicles to home entertainment install and all types of home electronics. He finally taught his trainees the art of selling home maintenance equipment.

He had a mishap and lost most of his sight and couldn’t sell anymore. In sales your normal day lasted 16 hours, so sitting, watching television all day, and collecting his disability check depressed him. He began to write to alleviate the boredom. That started in 2007.

This is his new career now. e writes fiction books with relevant subtext in them; He also has a motto he lives by. Your dreams don’t have an expiration date.

You can join my Facebook page and get new updates of future content here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1914197243910389724391038

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
my fascination with books began in fourth grade with Henry Hgins, Mrs. Piggle Wigglr. and Encyclopedia Browm. Those srories dhaped my ;ofe at the youthful stage. That told me books can be a positive.
I went through school, the militaty, and thhe sales professon before a medical problrm sidelined me. I began to write to rase oredom n 2007. I’ve been honing my craft ever since.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Issac Asimov. Philip K. Dick Stephen King Mickey Spillane, Arthir C. Clark. Those are my primary authors.
I write fiction, ao they influenced me greatly.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
HOW DO YOU SAVE YOUR BROTHERS TRICKED INTO KILLING YOU?

Yoake Hibana (Dawn’s Spark in English) is a female Yakuza assassin of the Rising Dragon Clan. Her moniker was the Demure Assassin. She was a peak assassin. The only problem with her was she was a ‘her’. Females were mothers, daughters or mistresses in the Yakuza. Being a soldier was unheard of.

One day after a certain assassination, she checked the dojo for security and happened upon her leader, the oyabun. She heard what she shouldn’t have.

Sensei Tagai, her oyabun was on the phone planning the obliteration of his own clan! All her brothers were targeted for intentional death!

Tagai saw her, and tried to kill her. She escaped with her skills and became a fugitive. Tagai yelled to her he would tell her brothers she was the traitor, and to hunt her down to kill her. She had to find a way to warn her brothers while avoiding katanas from the misguided clan.

Yoake went through many calamities before she chose her last resort, confiding in a straight police officer. She was different, but help from a cop was sacrilege in a Yakuza clan.

Lieutenant Tagawa despised Yakuza, but his public duty was to assist anyone marked for death. She was affiliated with Yakuza, but she was a human Yakuza. He just didn’t know how deep her distress went.

Follow the Demure Assassin on her harrowing journey to thwart her chauvinistic oyabun. Trying to stop him from murdering his entire clan gets much deeper than just vindicating for her brothers in Spark of Dawn: The Assassin’s Vindication

In this underworld opposites attract thriller you get:

Underworld betrayal

Underworld collusion

A non-traditional suspense thriller

A wild Japanese underworld fiction adventure story

The show of a woman’s strength

A romance which never should’ve happened

See how this tale of dark intrigue ends in Spark of Dawn: The Assassin’s Vindication

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Kyle Robertson’s Website

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Featured Interview With Erik Meyers

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
An American from Connecticut who has lived or worked in six countries on three continents, the longest in Germany, where I currently live. I’m a communications professional with 25 years of expertise in a variety of corporate roles, including a broad range of communications disciplines, technical writing and translation, and corporate strategy. Reading and writing are my passions, when I’m not hiking one of the amazing trails in Germany or elsewhere. My motto is “fight the hype” and I enjoy taking a unique, perhaps unorthodox, view of the current topics and trends.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
We always had tons of books in our house and I’ve always loved reading all kinds of subjects. My uncle was a math professor and his house was overflowing with books. Learning and knowledge were instilled in me at a young age. And I’m not sure how, but my interest in reading became in interest in writing and wordsmithing. And I’ve now worked in the communications field for years and years.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors are W. Somerset Maugham, David Leavitt, Agatha Christie, Gladys Mitchell and many others. I love reading all kinds of books, thought usually they are historic fiction, non-fiction biographies, or detective stories.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I published my first (business) book this year in June “The Accidental Change Agent” on Amazon in paperback and ebook. In this book, I advocate that managers who desire to create real change in an organization focus on the human side of leadership, be open to trying new methods of communication, and lead the way along the new path. The Accidental Change Agent draws upon my 25 years of expertise in a variety of corporate roles. I’ve often seen that many companies want change, but aren’t actually willing to change to get there. Innovation cannot be mandated. It often involves painful, yet needed, change in the organization, in the leadership methods, and also in the corporate culture. I still can’t believe I’m an author!

I’ve also written a LGBT+ historical fiction novel (ready for pitching), a detective story (editing), a thriller/horror screenplay (editing) and numerous short stories. Some of the short stories have been published on Reedsy.

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Featured Interview With Erik Meyers

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Originally from Connecticut, I’ve been an American abroad for years and years who has lived or worked in six countries on three continents, the longest in Germany, where I currently live. I’m a communications professional with 25 years of expertise in a variety of corporate roles, including a broad range of communications disciplines, technical writing and translation, and corporate strategy. Reading and writing are my passions, when I’m not hiking one of the amazing trails in Germany or elsewhere. My motto is “fight the hype” and I enjoy taking a unique, perhaps unorthodox, view of the current topics and trends.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
We had tons of books at home growing up and I have always loved reading all kinds of stories. My uncle was a math professor and his house was overflowing with books. Reading and knowledge were instilled in me at an early age. I’m not sure how, but my love for reading turned into a love for writing. And also brought me to my career in communications and strategy in various companies over the years.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors are W. Somerset Maugham, David Leavitt, Agatha Christie, Gladys Mitchell and many others. I love reading all kinds of books, thought usually they are historic fiction, non-fiction biographies, or detective stories.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I published my first (business) book this year in June “The Accidental Change Agent” on Amazon in paperback and ebook. In the book, I advocate that managers who desire to create real change in an organization focus on the human side of leadership, be open to trying new methods of communication, and lead the way along the new path. The Accidental Change Agent draws upon my 25 years of expertise in a variety of corporate roles. I’ve often observed that many companies want change, but aren’t actually willing to change to get there. Innovation cannot be mandated. It often involves painful, yet needed, change in the organization, in the leadership methods, and also in the corporate culture. I still can’t believe I’m an author!

I’ve also written a LGBT+ historical fiction novel (ready for pitching), a detective story (editing), a thriller/horror screenplay (editing) and numerous short stories. Some of the short stories have been published on Reedsy.

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Featured Interview With Allison B. Hanson

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in the mountains of Southern Pennsylvania and now live near Hershey, PA, in the land of chocolate! I don’t have any pets, but my husband and I live on fifty acres, so we enjoy our wild pets. Deer, turkey, fox, coyotes and the occasional bald eagle.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing on November 20, 2009 at about 4 in the morning. That was when I woke up with my first book idea. I couldn’t go back to sleep because I kept thinking about it. Eventually I gave up and went to the computer to start writing it out.
When my husband came to see where I’d gone, he was convinced I was sleep walking. When I told him I was writing a book, it didn’t help him believe I was awake.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I generally read historicals, but while I write about Scottish Highlanders, I usually read Regency or American Historical. I love Mary Balogh, Tessa Dare and Holly Bush.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Her Accidental Highlander Husband is my twentieth published book. It’s about a Scottish woman who is on the run from the English law for killing her husband, a duke. She makes her way back to Scotland to the clan her sister has married into and finds herself married to their war chief.
After her last marriage, the last thing she wants is to marry again. Especially a man with a position in the clan made for violence, but Cameron MacKinlay has a big heart and will give anything to keep his new wife safe from the gallows.

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Featured Interview With John Holliday

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
John Holliday grew up in England, where he served in the Royal Air Force and later with IBM. After moving to Canada and initially continuing to work with IBM, John started the first of many businesses, mostly in the IT industry.

A subsequent business opportunity resulted in a move to Australia where he continued his entrepreneurial activities. John’s interest in writing arose when he decided to write a memoir of his business life, ‘Toughing It Out: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur’. A visit to a still-functioning orphanage in Jakarta, founded more than 180 years before by his ancestor, Walter Medhurst, kindled his interest in recording Walter’s life. So became ‘Mission to China: How an Englishman Brought the West to the Orient’, published first in England followed by a Chinese version published in Taiwan.
During the research into Walter Medhurst’s life, John uncovered the extraordinary life of Clara Colby, whose grandmother was Walter Medhurst’s sister. Clara Colby, he determined, must be the subject of my next book. ‘Clara Colby: The International Suffragist’ has been published in time for the 100th anniversary of American women winning the vote, to which Clara’s efforts contributed significantly.

John lives with his wife, Colleen, on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
Covered by the previous question.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am fascinated by history and historical novels. Among my favourite writers are Robert Harris, Frederick Forsyth, Edward Rutherfurd, and Ken Follett.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Clara Colby: The International Suffragist.
This book is the story about a leader in the cause, which one hundred years ago, gave American women the right to vote. Clara Colby was born in England, graduated as valedictorian of the first woman’s class at the University of Wisconsin and became a writer, publisher, teacher, public speaker and friend of many leading figures of her day. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the founders of the suffrage movement in America, became Clara Colby’s mentors. Her journey is an epic saga of untiring and heroic endeavor, sometimes under the most adverse circumstances, across the United States, and her native England. She suffered great injustice, but she never complained, and her accomplishments contributed significantly to the successful introduction of the Nineteenth Amendment.

Clara’s story stands out among all of those who so selflessly contributed to the suffrage movement. With the centenary of the Nineteenth Amendment and the US election in the same year, this book is extremely relevant to anyone who has an interest in politics, US history, women’s history or appreciates learning about a woman who would stop at nothing to do right by the people she represented.

The book took me two years to complete and uncovered some previously unknown details. It was a very personal journey because Clara Bewick Colby was my grandfather’s cousin.

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Featured Interview With Steve Wilmot

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I’m a first-time author at the age of 67. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and finally pulled the trigger. I grew up in a small town in NE Indiana. After graduation, I headed to college to train to become a pastor. I pastored for 37 years in five different churches. My wife, Becki, and I live in a small town where we pastored for 28 years. For the last 25 years before retirement from the church, I also delivered mail for the United States Postal Service. I’m enjoying retirement by gardening and landscaping around our house, reading and writing, and babysitting my grandkids.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I am a reader from an early age. Books took me away from a childhood and teen years in which I battled insecurity, inferiority, and fear.
I don’t know when I started writing for sure, but for sure as a Junior in high school. I signed up a journalism class and ended up as assistant editor of the school newspaper. As a Senior, I was editor. Since then I’ve written curriculum and newsletters for the churches where I’ve served and for over a decade, I wrote a weekly spiritual column in two local newspapers. (I’m still doing that now.)
Finally as a senior citizen, I wrote my first book, a novel called “Cornered in Shallow Water: One Man’s Journey from Crippling Fear to Faith and Freedom.” A few months later, I wrote, “Do It Scared: 20 Devotional Readings to Turn Scaredy-Cats into Warriors.” More books are coming.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read anything by Tedd Dekker and John Eldredge.
Books by Andy Stanley, Judah Smith, Steve Farrar, and Bill Thrall have greatly impacted my life.
I am drawn mostly to Christian non-fiction books, but also enjoy biographies and novels written by Christian authors.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
In my first book, I told the story of a pastor who battled fear. Fear that kept him in the shallow end of the pool where he could touch bottom. Fear that imprisoned him in his comfort zone. He learned how to overcome his fear primarily by believing and living out several Bible verses that gave him courage, increased his faith, and defeated his enemy.
My latest book is a companion to that novel. I took 20 key Bible verses that the pastor found life-changing in his battle with fear and wrote a devotional about each of them. My hope is that these devotionals will inspire, encourage, and provide more weapons in the arsenal of my readers doing war with fear.

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Featured Interview With T. J. Blake

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi everyone, I’m T. J. Blake, a psychological thriller author who enjoys creating unique characters and plonking them into dark stories. My imagination is a little ridiculous, it always has been, so becoming an author was the best way to put those ideas into something entertaining. To date, I’ve written six novels – five full length and one short. My latest novel is my supernatural suspense thriller, “Familiar”.

I was born in Guildford, Surrey in the UK. I lived all my childhood in the same house actually, in a little town called Haslemere in Surrey. Even when I moved out, I stayed in Haslemere. I didn’t leave until I was twenty-one.

Funnily enough, my fifth novel, DECEPTION: A Love of Lies, is based in the same area where I grew up. I little village called Hammer. Anyone local will know the woodlands where DECEPTION is based.

Now I live in Lindford, Hampshire, which is still only around a fifteen minute drive from Haslemere!

When I lived with my parents I persuaded them (after a good eighteen years trying to convince them!) to get a dog. Although I don’t live with my parents anymore, I still see my little Cocker Spaniel, Coco, as my pooch. She’s a lovely little thing. A real diva at times, but she’s adorable. Somehow she knows the sound of my car when it pulls up outside my parents’ home, and goes absolutely mental when I do.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always had a love for reading. It was as early as primary school where I found my love for it – I was always a few grades/ages above the class for reading. And writing, well, I wrote my first full novel back when I was around seven years old – it was about a kick-ass girl called Elizabeth, she used to fight monsters.

It’s funny thinking back – I had a little notepad book, and I literally filled all the pages with the story. All handwritten. Once the story was complete (a little bit of editing here and there), I would force my parents to sit down and listen to me read the story. I think they were genuinely surprised how good my stories were. A clear structure to the story, realistic dialogue (or so my seven year old brain thought), and some great descriptions for the setting.

But before all that, I was a child who needed speech therapy and additional learning to hand write. The idea of me becoming a writer was definitely not on the cards.

Alongside reading and writing, I had a real obsession back at school, even now to be fair, with spelling. Most kids at school hated spelling tests. Me, I absolutely loved them. Thrived at them. I would always get high marks, most of the time full marks. Again, my parents would gladly show off my spelling to friends and family who came round to see us. Then the friends and family would chuck words at me to spell.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’m the kind of reader who is more focused on the plot itself. If your cover looks great and the story is intriguing, then I’ll give it a go. It doesn’t matter whether you were traditionally or self published, I’m an advocate to stories.

There are however some writers that I love and will always read their books whenever they release a new one. Stephen King; obviously, Gillian Flynn, Karin Slaughter, Linwood Barclay, Alex Michaelides, Alex Lake to name a few. I’ve also read quite a lot of books by authors I didn’t know through Amazon Prime reading – there are some really great books there!

The next book on my list, The Institute – Stephen King.

Favourite genre for me is always psychological thrillers, detective fiction, suspense, horror – essentially anything that is dark, gritty and has a story that you want to guess before the conclusion or twist is revealed.

In terms of my inspirations, I’ve found human nature is my biggest inspiration – it’s the recurring theme in all my stories. The protagonist in each story has a past and they have something in them that isn’t entirely normal. That’s what drives the story. The plot itself is key, but it’s the protagonist that always drives it and makes the story what it is. It’s quite cool that human nature is my formula to all stories. I have to say, it works every single time!

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest novel is the supernatural suspense thriller, “Familiar”. It’s based on a psychic medium known as Arabella.

Book blurb:
‘For as long as she can remember, Arabella has communicated with those who exist only in memory.

Being the centre of attention growing up was uncomfortable, and now, as a renowned psychic medium, it is becoming more of a struggle. Arabella’s ability and reputation always made it impossible to hold onto lasting relationships, but with those who no longer walk this earth, that’s not the case.

Arabella returns to where it all began fifteen-years before – on the very same stage. After an evening reconnecting loved ones and exposing untold stories, Arabella can’t help but wonder about the one unclaimed ‘friend’, and their cryptic message.

In an unexpected turn of events, Arabella finds herself the subject of morning headlines and at the centre of Detective Barnes’ investigation.

Can Arabella use her ability to prove her innocence and uncover the truth about the past?’

The plot for this one was complex to put together. It took a lot of time planning before even attempting to write it. It’s a great story with a twist that I don’t think anyone will be able to get. I challenge you to read and let me know if you did manage to guess it.

What I like most about “Familiar” is that Arabella is constantly speaking to ghosts, or as she calls them, her friends. With that comes many different characters coming into it – different stories to tell. It’s a book that has many short stories to tell.

The strapline for “Familiar” sums it up well:
“For the living, it’s closure. For the departed, it’s the last chance to expose the truth.”

It’s a supernatural story, but I did my best to not make it just a massive cliche with other paranormal stories. I think I’ve achieved this, and I’m really proud of this book. A couple of reviews have come in already – 5 stars so far!

I would love for you to read “Familiar” – it’s free on Kindle Unlimited too: https://viewbook.at/Familiar-TJBlake (global link to Amazon)

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Featured Interview With C. Greg Long

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Atlanta, Georgia during the economic prosperity and optimism of the baby boomer generation when the virtues of apple-pie American life were extolled. It was also the generation when divorce became more prevalent, leaving the first generation of latch-key kids home alone. I was one of the first latch-key kids and spent most of my childhood raised by my grandparents in South Georgia, where fishing, hunting, taking care of livestock, and farming were a part of everyday life.

I returned to my childhood love of outdoors after moving to central Texas where I now live with my wife on a small ranch of cattle, horses, four dogs, Boomer, Bella, Rags and Chloe; three cats, Missy Mocha and Leo; and the routine wildlife that wander through our twenty-four acres on a daily basis. Our ranch is a rescue site for all the dogs and cats dropped off in the country by owners who no longer want their animals for whatever reason.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was a very reluctant and poor student bouncing from house to house in my early childhood. My first real love for books and reading did not surface until my sophomore year of high school when Mrs. Martin, my Literature teacher, introduced me to some of the great works of Literature. Books like Red Badge of Courage, Moby Dick, and Robinson Crusoe took me on adventures and to places, I could hardly imagine. Mrs. Martin instilled in me a love for reading that has remained with me throughout my life. My love of reading motivated me to aspire to write and become a published author. I fulfilled that aspiration in 1984 while completing my doctoral studies in theology, writing a number of academic journal articles, book reviews, and theological curriculum for graduate students. I published my first non-fiction book in 2001, and have since that time authored or co-authored three other books. My most recent publication is Strength at the Broken Places, published in August 2020.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My reading interest revolves around spirituality, personal spiritual development, philosophy and psychology. Among my favorite authors are N. T. Wright, Dallas Willard, Richard Hays, Alisdair MacIntyre, Michael Polanyi, John Walton, and David Berlinski. Two more contemporary authors I enjoy reading are David Brooks and France Collins.
Two of the most profound and inspirational writers that are not widely known that motivate me to be a better writer are N. T. Wright and Dallas Willard.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My book took several years to incubate. But once I determined my purpose, it only took four months to write. So why did I write this memoir?

First, my grandfather taught me almost everything I learned in my early childhood. He was the most influential person in my life. When I was a sophomore in high school, he died suddenly from a massive stroke. His death impacted me at a challenging time as a teenager, and I lost the anchor that I had depended on from childhood.

As I have gotten older, I realize the importance of his influence in my life. I have memories of him, but I have no written records of his life.

I have grandchildren now, and I wanted to write this memoir in part for them to leave a story that they can read and remember long after I am gone.

Second, I experienced career failure which led to family failure. All of us fail in some way. The question is what do we do with the failure. I wanted to write my story to help those who feel like failure eliminates them from having a relationship with God, and ever experiencing success and joy in life. I wanted readers to understand:

I found the answer to failure in the most unexpected places. I embraced and overcome the past, confronted my mistakes, and found a transcendent path to new life and restoration. My story will help people discover why failure is never fatal, how we can make peace with others whom we have disappointed and hurt, how we can embrace and overcome anger and loss, and out of our wounds how we can become wounded healers for others.

Life is not about us; it’s about how we care for those around us. From a failed journey of outward personal success to the purposeful and heart-felt ministry of serving others, I found the secret to a fulfilled life—an awareness that it is easier to succeed than to fail.

Strength at the Broken Places will lead readers on a journey to discover:
• How true and lasting change occurs
• How failure does not define us
• How authentic identity is not determined by what you do or to whom you are related
• How success comes from intention rather than effort
• How to answer the four critical questions that every person must answer

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Featured Interview With Philip Spires

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire in 1952 and was brought up in Sharslton, a mining Village. I went to London University, Imperial and King´s, and then became a maths teacher, working initially as a volunteer teacher in Migwani, Kenya. I then spent sixteen years in London, specifically Balham and Islington. In 1992, I left Britain for Maktab Teknik Sultan Saiful Rizal in Brunei and then Zayed University in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. My wife and I currently live in La Nucia, just 5 kilometres from Benidorm on the Costa Blanca.
I have always been interested in the relationship between nature and nurture within nature, birthright and experience. Themes of culture and identity and their relation to economic roles and social experience underpin my writing. What we are born into relates to what we become, but we are rarely in control of our own destiny. What others do, how we approach friends and foes, our interests and intellects and the way we choose to earn a living, all of these shape us into what we become. It may be that culture is the sum of all assumptions that others make on our behalf, whereas identity represents our reactions to them. Just a thought…
I did a PhD on the effects of education in economic development in the Philippines. My aim was to relate educational experience to culture and identity, particularly in the area of the adoption of personal attitudes and values and how they then relate to desired and realised economic roles. It was far too ambitious and occupied nearly a decade of my spare time. But I am very glad I did it and offer the deepest thanks to those who assisted and supervised.
These days I am pretty much retired. I did a few years teaching in Spain at the Costa Blanca International College, but my wife and I have concentrated on our small tourist rental business for several years. I do a lot of cooking and reading, and the garden is always in need of attention. I maintain a passion for music and am currently president of Alfas del Pi Classical Music Society.
But it is writing that interests me. My books aim to take you there, to live the characters’ lives, to experience their dilemmas. I don’t want to shock or to engage in vacuous fantasy or gratuitous crime. The world we live in is packed with experience, and even the most banal reality is far more interesting than fantastical invention. I hope there are truths in my writing.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I cannot remember anything too specific, apart from getting car sick just once in my life and being asked to read my compositions to the class when I was quite small. The travel sickness came about when I decided to write the story of The Three Little Pigs in an out-of-date desk diary of my dad’s. I was determined to finish and finish I did. I’m afraid the copy got rather messed up when I was sick. And then I distinctly remember that I was repeatedly asked by a teacher to read my work to my classmates. At the time I was convinced I was better suited to maths and science, and I rather dismissed what appeared to be a talent. I have been doing the same ever since. After many Biggles adventures, I can remember borrowing The Plague by Albert Camus from the school library when I was around eleven years old. I am not sure I understood it, but it made me want to read more. I never did and still do not worry myself with anything that might be described as genre fiction. I seek new worlds, not repetition of the familiar.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Like cliché, I avoid anything claiming to be in a genre like the plague. I see so many authors who claim to be on this number or that in a series and I wonder why they didn´t say it in volume one. I concentrate on literary fiction, where the plot really doesn´t matter, because it´s how and why things happen that´s more important than the “what”. I have just finished a so-called plot-led novel based on the financial crisis of 2008-9, and it was surely one of the longest books I have ever encountered. I had no interest in the people, the plot or what the author was repeatedly trying to tell me. When I see a production of Shakespeare in the theatre, or an opera by Janacek, I know what will happen and I know all the characters before they open their mouths, but how and why things happen is always endlessly and repeatedly fascinating. I grew up worshipping Lawrence Durrell´s Alexandria Quartet and have read al four books about five times. I´ve read A Grain Of Wheat by Ngugi was Thiongó at least three times and Paul Scott´s Raj Quartet also at least three times. And I would read all of them again, because there would still be new experience in all of them.
Feel free to elaborate here.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Eileen McHugh – a life remade – is a novel about a sculptor whose creative life ended in the 1970s. She left no work, but now an archive of her notes and sketches has come into the possession of Mary Reynolds, who is determined to resurrect the artist’s life and reconstruct her work. She contacts people who knew Eileen as a child and as a student in London. Via these partial memories, she recreates the artist and her work.

Eileen McHugh is an artist. She is a sculptor. She seeks no avenues of compromise in her work. Her career was short and unnoticed. Paradoxically, one of her works has achieved viral status on the internet via a photograph posted in the name of Mary Reynolds, who now wants to create a biography of the artist and a discussion of her work so that she can create a museum to display it. She has contacted Eileen’s mother and has the artist’s sketchbooks and notes.
Eileen wanted to tell stories in her work, stories that arose out of the detritus of people’s lives, their bits and pieces of discarded trash. Her art, at one stage, is described as ‘off the wall’ as well as on it. The form of the book, however, repeatedly illustrates how lives themselves mirror this state. The lives of people who knew the artist come to mimic new works created by Eileen, assemblages of life’s discarded bits and pieces.
The novel begins in West Yorkshire, UK, migrates to London for art college, visits Thailand on a hippie trip and finishes in New Jersey. But the people who contribute to Eileen McHugh’s story are scattered across the world by the time they are contacted, forty years after the events.
Eileen McHugh did not exist, but her story in this novel creates a plausible biography and corpus of her work.

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Featured Interview With Author Paula Kendrick

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Arkansas. I still live in Arkansas. No, I don’t have any pets.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I just started writing about 2 years ago. I never had any desire to write before then.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I really don’t have a favorite author. I like non-fiction, memoirs, autobiography’s. My personal experiences inspire me in my writings.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
The Modern Day JaBez. Jabez means pain or sorrow. His mom birth him in pain. I was birthed in pain by being adopted. That pain transpired up until now

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