Archive Section of

Meet & Greet Authors

Authors are listed alphabetically by LAST names A through F.

*All the information/websites/links were current AT THE TIME OF INITIAL POSTING. As time passes, please be aware that the links provided might no longer be active.

 

 

Chris Aldridge

 

Name: Chris Aldridge

Genre(s) of your work: Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Non-Fiction Religious.

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Circle Magazine, Festival of the Sun, issue 115, 2013.

Circle Magazine, The Hellenic Journey of the Soul, issue 122, 2015.

The Creativity Webzine, Gods and Heroes Among Us, issue 2, 2017.

Dark Dossier, Deepest Doom, issue 14, 2017 (fiction).

Dark Dossier, Song of Sophia, issue 17, 2017 (fiction).

Dark Dossier, The Darkness, issue 17, 2017 (fiction).

Dark Dossier, The Exorcist Memoirs, issue 17, 2017.

Literary Orphans  Journal, My Time, My Space, issue 32, 2017 (fiction).

Dark Dossier, The Lost Union Soldier, issue 18, 2017.

Dark Dossier, Unseen, issue 19, 2018 (fiction).

Dark Dossier, The Lurker, issue 22, 2018 (fiction).

Mad Scientist Journal, Last Confessions of a Deranged Physicist, Summer issue 2018 (fiction).

Witches and Pagans Magazine, In Her Light, June issue 2018.

 

 

 

Bio:

I’m native to North Carolina, and presently reside in northern Illinois. My religion is first and foremost in my life. I’ve been a devout Hellenic Polytheist since 2009. I’m the Head Priest of my own temple, and have written several books in the self-published market concerning the ancient Greek religion. But I’ve been writing fictional stories ever since I was in elementary school and proudly compose for respectable fictional publishers on the market today.

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I write religious literature to help others who are seeking a light of guidance in the Hellenic religion, but as far as fictional works are concerned, they provide me with an escape sometimes, a world all my own that I can create and completely control. The possibility of creating, and of entertaining others and providing them with their own escape that they may need, gives me an unsurpassed sense of accomplishment in the career world.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

It’s made me realize that anything worth doing, is hard work. It’s easy to write a short story or a book, but it’s not easy to write one that people want to buy and read. For that, you need skill, talent, and dedication to the profession. If you give up easy, I would recommend another job. So it’s really built my work ethic, I suppose you could say.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I really like Stephen King himself, for one. His own life is so inspiring to me as well as other writers who are trying to make it. Stephen once said that when the nail on his wall would no longer hold the rejection letters, he replaced it with a spike and kept on writing. So we know for a fact that the king of horror himself was rejected countless times, yet he’s now the king. Stephen King was a man who never gave up, and he’s a light of hope for all writers and authors out there. As someone who also has his own pile of rejection letters, Stephen is a big inspiration to me.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I very much enjoy them. They’ve done a lot for authors in the promotion and selling area that might not have been possible otherwise.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

When it comes to my religious writings, I hope they will walk away more in touch with the Gods, or if they’re not Hellenic, with at least a better understanding of the religion and its history. In terms of my fictional works, I hope they will come away intrigued, inspired, and if nothing else, entertained.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Tons. The majority of my fictional stories on the market today were spawned from my own life, whether it was something I personally experienced, or a story I wrote to get out my anger and frustration with a particular situation in life. And I think that’s the case with many writers of fiction. I think there is always some spot of truth buried there.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

Normally, I look at the alternative. Being a serious writer is my dream, and losing that would be devastating to me. My motivation comes from the fact that I don’t want to be something else entirely, and if I fail, that’s what will happen. The other motivation is the fact that I want to get my point across in my writings. All stories normally have a moral or a warning to the reader. I think we all have a deep desire to be heard, to have our opinions considered.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

If it becomes boring or long-winded. There was a history book last summer that I did not finish because, toward the end, the author just kept recycling the information over and over again.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

No, not at all. I think that if we are truly to be a society of free speech and free ideas, that there shouldn’t be some that are not allowed. Now you don’t have to accept the ideas of someone else, and if you feel so inclined, you can make your own written or verbal case against their ideas, but you can’t tape their mouths shut or tie their hands.

It worries me to live in a society that can decide which speech is appropriate and which is not, because what if they decide that my own stories are suddenly inappropriate or “unamerican?” I don’t want to return to McCarthyism in any form. I think people don’t realize that our rights as citizens stand strongly only when all of us stand strongly. If rights can be taken away from one person, they can be taken away from another.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

The only thing that bothers me when I read something, whether it be fiction or non-fiction, is when the writer is obviously recycling information just to make the story longer or fuller.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

My website has mostly all of my works in the right column bar. Click on which one you want to view and it will take you to the work. My website is http://www.caldridge.net . People can also find my writing page on Facebook at ChrisAldridgeArtist

 

http://www.caldridge.net

http://www.facebook.com/ChrisAldridgeArtist

 

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Reed Alexander

 

 

Your Name: Reed Alexander

Pseudonym (if you use one): You get Reed Alexander and that’s it.

 

 

Genre(s) of your work: I mostly work with horror but I did self publish an action piece.

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOUNTAIN (2018)

IN THE BEGINNING (2019)

UPD TEXAS CASE FILES (2021)

 

 

Bio:

I’m a horror writer from the capital region NY. I specialize in the terrifying, the macabre, and the bizarre. I write under the publishing house Madness Heart Press and St Rooster Books.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I write mostly horror and there’s two reasons for this. The first is that I have really epic nightmares.  I mean like full blown horror movies with plots and characters and settings.  I fucking love it so I wanted to share it.  Nightmares being what they are, horror was inevitable, really.  But there is another reason I tend to stick to the genre, even when I’m not writing about one of my nightmares.  There is something kinda pure about horror.  I call it the universal genre, in that it can easily adapt all other genres, comedy, action, romance, you name it.  There is something in horror that universal to the human condition.  Through fear and what makes people afraid, we sort of learn some very honest thing about them, don’t we.  This is why horror tends to be so political.  We’re picking the scabs of society and examining the damage underneath.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I’ve always tried to express myself. I was an artist, I was a singer in a rock band. I’ve always had the desire to create and express myself. I sorta need a creative outlet to function as a person. I mean, what’s it all for, this life and all this nonsense.  I’m just trying to make sense of the world.  I’m also kinda a story teller already.  I’ve always spun yarn, my whole life, long before I started to write it down.  So, of course I had these stories in me, what with the nightmares and all, so I felt like I needed to get them on paper.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Harlan Ellison is my all time favorite writer.  You wanna talk about a man who can peal back the scabs on society.  And in vivid narrative.  He could really get into your head and make you think in ways that were particularly uncomfortable.  An amazing writer, really.  I’m also fond of Heinlein.  His capacity to make the terrifying somewhat plausible and in staunch scientific detail, was absolutely captivating.  Of course I’m a fan of Lovecraft.  I write cosmic horror.  I’d be flat out lying if I said he didn’t influence me in some way. My first novella IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOUNTAIN, is a direct head nod to WHISPERER IN THE DARKNESS.

 

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

Neither, really.  Audiobooks will always have their place and for that I appreciate them.  But they’re not the future so much as they’re just a staple of the world.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

Look, I’m not a fan of corporate anything and as an indie author, I can tell you they filter what the mainstream wants you to read in order to control the market.  That really holds us indies back.  Besides, there’s something special about little used book stores.

 

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

The best marketing tool in the industry is engaging your community.  Romance, Mystery, Horror, it doesn’t matter.  Getting involved on the forums, the pages, the groups, and the twitters gives you visibility and completely for free.  TALK to people, get interested in them and what they do.  They then get interested in you.  Don’t just go on there and spam, actually engage.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Yes and no.  I was just talking about this with the movie A SERBIAN FILM.  We’re just trying to be taboo for taboo sake.  It doesn’t impress me.  A good story impresses me.  In a sense, if the story really means something, really has something to say, there is no real taboo.  But then, you gotta ask yourself, what are you trying to say and is it worth saying?  You can go to some pretty dark places and say something meaningful.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

https://madnessheart.press/reed-alexander/

https://godless.com/products/reed-alexander

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20521082.Reed_Alexander

https://www.patreon.com/ReedsHorror

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorReedAlexander

 

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Pete Altieri

Name:  Pete Altieri

Genre(s) of your work:  Horror/Suspense

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

2016 – Blackened Spiral Down (short story collection on Amazon as an e-book)

2017 – Creation of Chaos Volume I (short story collection, physical and e-book)

 

 

Bio:

I was born in the Bronx, NY but spent much of my childhood in CT.  I got married and moved to Central Illinois in 1990 and still reside there near my children and grandchildren.  I was a finalist in the TNT Horror Story competition in early 2017 with my story, Man With Spots.  My story, October House, was purchased by American Horrors for their new publication division for release in 2018.  I have also written two novels, Six, and The Dreadful Lives of Enoch Strange, and am currently seeking representation by a literary agent.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I started to read horror stories at a young age with writers like Edgar Allan Poe.  I began watching horror movies too, such as The Exorcist and The Shining, among others and so began my affair with the genre.  I think I like things that most people find strange or horrifying, because my taste in music is much the same, with a penchant for the heaviest heavy metal.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

When I figured out that writing was my thing, I was only in 4^th grade.  So, I started writing lots of stories and passing them around to friends very young.  Writing has given my creativity a place to go and rear its head with my writing, music, or both.  I think life would be boring without that expression, and so in that way, writing has definitely changed my life for the better.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I mentioned Poe already in another question.  To me, there is no one better at pure horror in the short form.  I also love Ray Bradbury and Stephen King for their short stories as well.  I also like Lovecraft, to a degree, with his simpler horror tales.

When it comes to novels, I like Stephen King as well, most of his early stuff is simply brilliant and very unique in style. He is a genius when it comes to telling a good story.  Some of his later stuff is hit and miss for me.  His son, Joe Hill, is also fantastic and I really like his books.  I also like Nelson DeMille, Greg Iles, Eric Larsen, and William Peter Blatty.  There are countless others, but those are the main ones.  When it comes to non-fiction crime writing, I really like Harold Schecter, John Borowski, Amanda Howard, and Dr. Katherine Ramsland.

In all these writers, I admire their slant on things and find it unique to their peers.  They are the reason I like to write, so I can strive to improve and emulate their success.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

The only one I use that fits that description is Barnes and Noble. I enjoy going there so I can actually look at the books.  I’m still a “physical book” kinda guy when it comes to reading.  I buy a lot of books online, but I also do like to buy them at the store.  There’s a fantastic used bookstore in Forsyth, IL called The Old Book Barn.  It’s my favorite place to go and they do also sell new books too.  For online sources, I get them used on Ebay usually, or if I can’t find what I want, I will go to Amazon and buy it there.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

With my short stories, I hope it gives them something to think about.  My stories seldom end in nice, tidy packages.  So, I would hope they were on the edge of their seat reading it and then at the end, maybe even fell down (not getting hurt of course – ha).  I have addressed some difficult issues in my stories, such as PTSD with service members coming home from war, suicide, addiction, and other topics that I would hope stir some emotion.

With my two novels, since they’re not published as of this interview, I can only guess and would hope the reader would feel like they were on a roller coaster of emotions, as they read the book, and at the end feel physically exhausted!  I like to throw multiple surprises in as my novels are nearly conclusion, so the reader has no idea just how many of those to expect.  To me, nothing is more frustrating than a bad or predicable ending.  I refuse to do it and so I pull out ALL the stops when it comes to shock and awe at the endings I write in my novels.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Quite a bit.  There is only so much you can get from Google, as handy as it is.  There is simply no better thing than to live life and experience things for yourself.  My best stories are ones that are told from first hand knowledge.  I also like to interview friends or family who know about topics I’m writing about.  That also is better than anything you would find from a Google search.  While Google has become a useful tool for simple facts, it can’t replace real world experience.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

For me, it’s got to start inside me.  If I’m not driven to do it, it’s not going to happen.  I’ve got a good friend, Chris Kovacs, who has been battling colon cancer the last few years.  He’s been helping me as a beta reader during this time, and it’s helped him with something fun to spend his time on, but it gives me a person to soundboard ideas off.  We talk nearly every week, and he gives me his feedback on what he’s been reading of mine.  This gives me accountability, so I want to keep writing to hear what Chris has to say about it.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

If I can’t get into it after the first 50 pages or so, I move on to something else. Usually it’s just slow, or the style of writing isn’t my thing.  Or I think the story is weak. If I go further in, hoping to like something, often it’s a waste.  I have so many books waiting to be read, that I have no issues about putting one away as “unreadable”.  Usually, I’ll give it to someone else or use it as trade at the used book store.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

No, I’m not a fan of censorship.  I think people should be able to write what they want to write about.  Chances are, there is an audience, albeit a small one.  I do believe that young children should not be exposed to certain things that might be too much for them, but that’s a slippery slop and needs to be handled correctly.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

Poorly written dialog is hard to read for me.  I know it’s not easy to write dialog, but when it’s bad, it’s real bad.  I also noted in another question, that bad endings are a pet peeve of mine.  I’m also not a fan of writers who dumb down their material in an effort to give it more appeal.  To me, I usually will stop reading something when it gives me that sort of feel, or books of a series that seem to follow a formula.  That gets old real quick.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

They can find me on my main site (that does need some updating) www.PeteAltieri.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AltieriPete or Twitter @AltieriPete – I’m also on Amazon and Wattpad.com with some free content if you want to try something on for size.

You can purchase my new book, Creation of Chaos Volume I.  It’s a 15-story collection that is available as a physical book with a poster and bookmarks for only $20, which includes US shipping.  You can get yours at www.CreationOfChaos.com or on Amazon (no poster or bookmark that way).

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Martin Altman

 

 

Name: Martin Altman

Genre(s) of your work: POETRY

 

 

Bio:
Martin Altman was born and raised in The Bronx, graduated from Lehman College (CUNY) with a B.A. in English, and worked in New York’s Garment District for 40 years. He lives in Chicago with his wife Joyce. He was Featured Reader at The Café and at TallGrass Writers Guild in Chicago. He has been published in Outrider Press, Red Ochre, Blue Minaret, Adelaide Poetry Journal, Aethlon: Journal of Sport, Light: A Journal of Photography, Penwood Review, The Passage Between, and an LGBT magazine Off the Rocks. Being a stutterer from childhood, a major concern of his poetry is speaking and hearing, breathing and cessation, connection and isolation, and silence.

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

For the most part, I am not interested in plot or character (though in the past few years my poems have told little stories), but in the essence of what makes us human. Imagery has always been the most important element in my poetry.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Writing though very difficult gives me great pleasure. And to think of myself as a writer is important to my identity.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Joseph Conrad, the novelist. His use of language and his explorations of human nature attracted me since I was 17. Anyone who tries to break the language in order to escape its traps and limitations is doing a great service to humanity. To open it up, to keep it fresh (e.g., Wallace Stevens, Virginia Woolf, Allen Ginsburg)….

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I have gotten many good books at Barnes & Nobles. But I have also gotten many good books at independent bookstores, even at Goodwill. Both kinds of stores have value, and both need to exist and prosper.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

That there is another point of view, that reality is deeper and more complex than they thought, that human nature is almost beyond our comprehension.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

As I get older personal experience is less and less important. The ability to imagine what another person is going through is much more important.

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

I almost never not finish reading something I start.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

The short answer is that nothing should be censored. But it is a difficult question. To censor writing is to censor thought. Should thought be censored? If some thoughts are bad, how can we stop the production of bad thoughts? Who is to say they are bad? Is their claim they are bad bad?

 

 

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Davia Andrews

 

 

Your Name: Davia Andrews

Pseudonym (if you use one): D. A. Andrews

 

Genre(s) of your work: Poetry

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

To Fight Fire with Sun published December 2020

 

 

 

Bio:

A. Andrews was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. Throughout the years, she has developed wide interests in various aspects of life, such as coffee, weddings, books, and psychology. She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus with a BSc. in Marine Biology and Psychology (Honours) and is currently pursuing her MBA. She considers herself a nomad at heart and has changed cities and apartments quite as often as she changes her clothes. She is currently resting her head in Brunswick, Georgia, with her black cat (and familiar), Luna.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I write poetry because it allows me to process life. I have been writing ever since I was in elementary school, but I really started venturing into poetry when I was in high school. My college creative writing professor (renowned Caribbean poet, Tanya Shirley) helped me to hone my craft and fall in love with the art form even more. Poetry allows me to be wholeheartedly myself whilst allowing me the luxury of living a raw and authentic experience. I have processed deep trauma by putting pen to paper and creating poetry.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Literature has always had a special place in my heart. While my siblings were outside playing, I was often inside under the covers devouring a good book. I have somehow collected books over the years as a sort of extension of myself; each time I went through a monumental moment (whether happy or sad), I have added to my collection. Writing has been a major part of my life in that I can use others’ works to feel not so alone, to escape, or to just enjoy life even more. My own writing has changed my life simply because I can process whatever it is that I need to in just five minutes by simply sitting down with pen and paper. The art of writing fiction, poetry, or even just journaling has been my saving grace countless times.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I am a huge fan of Warsan Shire and Pavana Reddy. Their poetry has spoken to me in so many ways and have inspired my own writing. I am also a huge fan of YA Fiction, and my current favorite author is Neal Shusterman. I was in a reading funk for quite some time, and his book “Scythe” quickly drew me in and fixed that. I hope to venture into the YA Fiction world some day and his writing style is impeccable and inspiring.

 

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

I think tiktok is a great marketing tool! I have discovered so many new authors (both traditionally and self-published) through the platform. I am still working on building my audience through it but I feel that it is a great asset to have in your back pocket.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Writing should not be censored. There are way too many emotions and experiences that need to be in their raw form in order to speak to the hearts of others. The death of my best friend last year and my experience with sexual assault earlier this year birthed some pieces that helped me to process and grieve. I think that censorship of writing takes away from that and it also takes away from other people experiencing the feeling of “wow! I am seen”. Some of the deepest, life-changing pieces I have read have not been censored and I think it should stay that way.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

People can find me on Instagram, tiktok, and twitter @daandrews_. My Amazon page is https://www.amazon.com/D-A-Andrews/e/B08QVCG7JV/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk and my facebook page is D. A. Andrews. Thank you for taking the time to experience my work.

 

 

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Karen Ankers

 

Name: Karen Ankers

Genre(s) of your work: Difficult one!  I’m a poet/playwright/ novelist with a leaning towards social commentary, spirituality, mystery and romance.

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Eight short plays published by Lazy Bee Scripts between 2009-2017, (Criss Cross, Still Life, On Reflection, Red Wine And Ice Cream, Frogs, Good Enough, Dance Before Dark, and Seeing Red).  

Poetry collection, One Word At A Time, self-published in 2017, with Lulu.com

Novel, The Crossing Place, due to be published by Stepping Stones on January 17 2018.

 

 

Bio:

I live in Anglesey, North Wales, where I regularly take part in local spoken word events and teach Creative Writing classes.  I also act with two local repertory companies, one of which (Pakala Productions) I founded.  I live with my partner, dog, and seven cats.  I have three sons, who have now grown up and left me in peace to write!

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I am interested in the social circumstances which can affect people’s lives and make them act in a certain way.  I am heavily influenced by the Welsh landscape and by Celtic legends.  I am fascinated by magic and the co-existence of several layers of reality.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Writing has always been my way of exploring problems and trying to find answers.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

My favourite author as a child was Alan Garner, whose sense of magic has never left me.  As a student, I fell in love with D.H Lawrence’s mastery of words.  Favourite contemporary writers are Harlan Coben, for his wonderful gift of vivid description, and Linda Green, who is a brilliant storyteller.  Favourite poets are Patrick Jones and Kate Tempest.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

Bookstores are wonderful places, but I would rather spend money in the smaller, independent stores.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

That they will enjoy it and that it will invite them to think about the world in a slightly different way.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

A lot.  I carry a notebook with me at all times and find that ordinary everyday experiences can become crucial parts of a story.  And my characters are very good at reminding me of things from my past and helping me to understand them.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

 It all comes down to characters who are believable and who I can identify with.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?  

A clichéd story.  Uninteresting characters.  Unimaginative use of words.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

 No.  A writer needs to have the freedom to explore subjects which might be difficult, so that we can better understand them.  If a book upsets you, you don’t have to read it.  But don’t deny other people that choice.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work? 

Self-indulgent stories which make no attempt to reach out to the reader.  Bad grammar and poor punctuation.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work? 

I have a blog on Write Out Loud.  I also have my own website and Facebook page (Karen Ankers, Writer).  A biography is on my publisher’s website (Stepping Stones Publishing).  Various poems are on online magzines, such as Sentinel Literary Quarterly and the Wild Word.  My plays can be read on Lazy Bee Scripts’ website.

 

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Reg Ankrom

 

 

Your Name:  Reg Ankrom

Genre(s) of your work:  Biography, history, fiction

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Stephen A. Douglas: The Political Apprenticeship, 1833-1843, 2015
The Quincy Miracle (contributor), 2017
Stephen A. Douglas, Western Man: The Early Years in Congress, 1844-1850, 2021

 

 

Bio:

Raised and educated in Jacksonville, Illinois; Vietnam-era U.S. Navy veteran; BA, Illinois College, 1971; MS, University of Kansas, 1972; retired electricity, natural gas utilities executive, 2000; energy industry consultant, present; developed interest, avocation in history, historical research, and writing; third of planned three-volume biography of Stephen A. Douglas underway; contributed more than 100 historical columns, essays, stories to journals, magazines, newspapers. Deliver 30 to 40 speeches annually on Douglas, Lincoln, American Revolution, slavery in U.S. and Illinois, antebellum history. Married 52 years (same gal), son Jud attorney, daughter Alice registered nurse.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

Serendipity led me to an interest, then an avocation, in American history. A chance purchase and reading of Carl Sandburg’s six-volume biograph of Lincoln interested me in our nation’s true civil saint, who introduced me to Stephen A. Douglas.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I find myself frequently in colloquies,  often with myself, about history, its subjects, its players, its reasons, and its lessons. I often manage to turn a conversation into a monologue on history. My wife will tell anyone who encourages me, “Don’t get him started.” (Smartest and most beautiful woman I have ever known. Every book has been and will be dedicated to her.)

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Ernest Hemingway, Theodore Dreiser, Ignazio Silone, William H. Herndon, David Donald, Douglas Egerton, Brian Dirck, Joseph R. Fornieri, Harry Jaffa, Robert Johannsen, synoptic Gospel writers. Early to mid-20^th century novelists drew my interest into reading, learning the leanness of Hemingway and the street richness of Dreiser. Silone’s Bread and Wine caused my conversion to Catholicism (an action he certainly would not have advised).  Billy Herndon in my estimation wrote the most important of the 19,000 works on Lincoln. Robert Johannsen wrote the most important Douglas biography. And Harry Jaffa wrote the best interpretation of the two men, the two biographers, and their place in history. David Donald taught me the method I chose to write history. Dirck, Egerton, and Fornieri have given us great contemporary expositions on Lincoln. The Synoptic Gospel writers were in my view the first great modern historians.

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

They are here to stay, but so, too, are the printed volumes one can hold and caress as lovingly as a  young maiden and which can leave one with wonders of the work that someone did to create them.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

Love them.

 

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

My publisher, McFarland Publishing, has its own audience for books it issues and markets my books in it. Personally, I find talks a good way to market. Audiences make me happy.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

I believe the First Amendment means exactly what it says: “Congress shall make no law. . .abridging. . .freedom of the press.” I refer you to John Milton’s “Areopagitica.”

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?    

www.stehenadouglas.com (Books ordered here are discounted 50 percent)
https://www.facebook.com/Stephen-A-Douglas-Western-Man-1844-1850-102707048147956 (Stephen A. Douglas, Western Man)
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100052131412509 (Stephen A. Douglas,  The  Political Apprenticeship, 1833-1843)
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Ankrom+%26+Stephen+A.+Douglas&ref=nb_sb_noss (Amazon.com)
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Ankrom%20&%20Stephen%20A%20Douglas (Barnes & Noble)
https://www.booksamillion.com/search?filter=&id=8292070751193&query=Ankrom+%26+Stephen+A.+Douglas (Books A Million)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23875602-stephen-a-douglas?ac=1&from_ search=true&qid=VwWXoIP45q&rank=2

 

 

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Steven Bates

 

Name: Steven Bates

Genre(s) of your work: Poetry

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Reflections of A Beret (1st edition / 2015 , 2nd edition 2016)

The “After” Life (1st edition / 2016,  2nd edition 2017)

 

 

Bio:

Steven Bates was a military brat who has served the public as an armed and unarmed security officer, a police officer, and a corrections officer.  He went on to serve his country in both the Air Force Reserves and Active Duty Air Force as a Security Police/Security Forces member until he was medically discharged in 2003.   Steven has written two books of poetry and is currently working on a third collection due out this December.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?  

I find poetry to be my inner voice and catharsis for dealing with a variety of issues.  The symmetry, rhythm, and ability to impart imagery to the reader or listener help me to convey things that I am not able to in a normal voice.  I find that poetry gives me the connection to the listener/reader that I would not normally have, and as such, gives the reader/listener a connection to the heart and soul of what I am trying to make them feel and understand.

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

It has allowed me to help others in ways that I never have been able to before, that of mentally instead of physically, by letting others know that they are not alone in the struggles they are having in their own lives, that others have been where they are now.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Timothy Zahn, Clive Cussler, Margaret Weis/Tracy Hickman, and Kevin J. Anderson.  All because they are able to take me into the places they have imagined, into the worlds they have created, and into the characters that are speaking with such skill as to allow me to suspend any and all disbelief and immerse myself totally into their creations.

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I find them to be an integral part of “making” it in the literary world.  My local Barnes and Noble has been very supportive of me as an author and has allowed me several book signings that have really helped get my material out to the masses where they can do the help that I have always hoped they can do.

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

They aren’t alone.  Period.  They aren’t alone with PTSD, depression, suicide attempts, deployments, and personal issues that many think they have been struggling with by themselves and only themselves.

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Quite a bit.  If not a personal experience of mine then normally my poems reflect an experience that has been relayed to me from another veteran that has been unable to get his story out in other means, or they are created to convey a certain image to make the reader/listener understand the circumstances they would not normally have a grasp of.

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

DEADLINES… lol.. seriously though.. I think that having a set deadline helps but it’s the inner desire to get a certain message out for a certain cause that helps me finish my poems, for example, writing a poem of suicide awareness for a suicide prevention rally.

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

Failure to immerse me into the story, if I can stop when a chapter ends and set the book down, it normally stays down.

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Touchy question! For while all should have freedom of speech, certain speech, and this includes writing, might be dangerous, inflammatory, or downright initiative of hostile acts.  These topics, or statements, such as screaming “Fire” in a crowded theatre, while not violent in nature, still could cause mass panic, violence and endangerment to society as a stampede resulting from fear and anxiety as people rush away from an imagined threat.

By the same token, writing can be just as taboo with certain topics.  When society allows publication of taboo mores and ideologies, pedophilia for instance, into the mainstream literary world, then they allow the nurturing of that culture thus endangering that which we hold dearest, our future in our children.

Who holds the standards is not necessarily up to the majority either, for sometimes the majority rule is formulated by the mob rule mentality caught up in the heat of the moment or the cause of the moment.  Majority doesn’t always mean right and while a lot of people might be upset at that notion, imagine if the majority decided in a tizzy that law enforcement be disbanded, as is a popular notion to many these days, and they got their way.  Total anarchy and lawlessness would eventually ensue with mob and gang rule dictating decisions such as who lives and dies, and who eats and starves.

As I said, a touchy subject. and one that is up to a court higher than any circuit court of appeals to decide.  Forgive my rambling.. else I might be censored as well… lol

 

Where can people find you and your work?

My books are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble online, and on audio at Audible.

my website is http://stevenbates.online/

and I am on Facebook at Steven Bates’ Musings and can be friended at my Facebook page under the name Norelcobronze or Steven  Bates

(and I will send a free autographed copy of my books to the first person that can accurately tell me where I came up with the name Norelco Bronze!)

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Amir Bavar

 

Name: Amir Bavar

Pseudonym : A. A. Bavar

Genre(s) of your work: Action, thriller, romantic comedy, fantasy, creative non-fiction

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Shutdown (screenplay): 1999

That’s Amore (screenplay): 2000

Beauty Untold (screenplay): 2002

The Angel of Death (screenplay): 2005

Coma (short story): 2007

The Walk (short story): 2007

Superstition (short story): 2007

The Hand (short story): 2008

An Alien in China (screenplay): 2010

Az – Revenge of an Archangel (novel): 2015

Juror 83 (novel): 2016

Last Man Standing – My car needs a wash (screenplay): 2017

Samantha (novel): 2017

Kiss Me at the Finish Line (novel): 2017

 

Bio :

I was only nine when my mother rushed me out of school to board a plane for Italy. It was the beginning of the Iranian Revolution, the beginning of my exile. From there, life became an adventure, from going to school in an ancient castle in Florence and playing tennis on the lawns at Wimbledon, to dribbling a soccer ball on the white, sandy beaches of Brazil. What I didn’t realize was that my roots had been permanently up-heaved and that I would spend the rest of my life trying to find a place to belong.

Can you imagine being nine and suddenly going to school in Italy without knowing a single word in Italian or having any friends? And then, as you’re slowly finding your way, to be yanked away again to live in England? Again, no friends, but at least I was fluent in English. But that didn’t last long either, since I soon found myself in Brazil. Once again, no friends and no language. Luckily, I went to the American school so the transition was a bit smoother, but unfortunately, the Iran/U.S. relationship wasn’t. We were right in the middle of the hostage crisis… more on this later. Yes, you guessed it, I’m writing my own life story.

When people ask me where I’m from, I find myself stammering, wondering what I should say. Am I Iranian? Brazilian? American? No, not really… more like an international, cultural mess. So I say I’m from earth, even though when I first came to the U.S. I was tagged as an alien! On the positive side, as a citizen of the world, I understand the nuances of many diverse cultures and can write about almost anything, usually with a lot of humor. Too bad I still haven’t found a place I can truly call home.

After high school in Brazil, I moved to the U.S. and majored in computer engineering with a concentration in creative writing. I met my future wife in engineering lab and we got married soon after graduation.

In 1999, I wrote my first screenplay, Shutdown, which was considered for production by New Line Cinema with Harrison Ford. I went on to write several other screenplays, and in 2015 published my first novel, Az – Revenge of an Archangel.

Also in 2015, I was approached by one of the jurors in the Boston Marathon bombing trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and wrote the book Juror 83, which for personal reasons was not published.

In 2016, I entered a script competition and wrote an episode for the sitcom Last Man Standing called My Truck Needs a Wash, while working on my novel Samantha which I finished in 2017. Samantha is a romantic thriller with a touch of magic. Imagine Bewitched meets Fatal Attraction! Doesn’t that say it all? It’s currently competing on Kindle Scout, so please go to https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2YWWJWSRZQ9XT and NOMINATE it for publication by Amazon. Thank you!

Right now I’m working on my next novel, Kiss Me at the Finish Line, due for publication in December, 2017. It’s an action drama based on my work in Juror 83.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I’m not bound to any one genre. What genre I choose to write mostly depends on my mood at that specific moment, or the premise that pops into my head. From there, it develops almost organically. Originally, I started as a screenwriter and wrote action, comedy, and thrillers. As an author, my books follow the same pattern. I’ve written fantasy, action, comedy, and creative non-fiction. Bottom line, my motivation is to write stories that move my readers independent of the genre.

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Writing is like a pressure release valve. I use it all the time, when I’m excited, happy, angry, scared, confused; when life is simply moving along and I’m trying to keep up. For example, when I wrote Az – Revenge of an Archangel, I was going through a very difficult time when my mother was losing herself (at a relatively young age) to Alzheimer’s disease. Writing that book greatly helped me confront and understand my feelings.

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Alexandre Dumas for writing the masterpiece The Three Musketeers. I love the humor and adventure. It is a complete work that encompasses every aspect of life: dignity, honor, love, loss, and survival.

Robert Ludlum for the scope of his work, but more specifically The Bourne Identity. The book is very different from the movie, and for the better. It’s fast paced and adrenaline packed. The writing is crisp and moves at lightning speed without excessive description. I’m a screenwriter, so it appeals to me.

William Goldman for immortalizing The Princess Bride. It’s the perfect love story.

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I think they serve a purpose. Everyone likes to go to a B&N, have a coffee, and browse through the best sellers or classics. However, give me a corner mom and pop bookstore and you’ll find me there; that’s where the magic is!

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

When I started writing, it was very clear to me that anything I wrote should be a source of pride for my children. Not because of any success it may have, but because it upholds good morals and integrity. I would never write anything that my children shouldn’t read.

I want my readers to enjoy reading my work. Whether it’s with a smile or biting their finger nails, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that they take something away from the journey, something memorable.

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Very much indeed. The best writing is the one that is based on what we know, what we’ve experienced. That should be the foundation of an author’s work.

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

Honestly, I don’t know. Ideas just come to me, anything from romantic comedies and action, to thrillers. Being an avid reader helps – reading stimulates the imagination, which helps writing. Right now I have four novels in the pipeline. These are stories I feel I need to tell and that is motivation enough.

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

It has to be really bad for me to give up. I mean, my character doesn’t allow me leave leave things half done, and that applies to book also. I believe there have been only a handful of books that I’ve not finished, and I’ve read hundreds.

So, to be more precise. I’m very picky about what I read. I look at the storyline and evaluate the writing style and editing. If the latter two fall short, I will not start the book.

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

No. If an author feels strongly enough towards a subject to want to write about it and sign his name on the cover, then that’s their journey to take. However, I do abhor bad taste and will not read things that offend me or are deplorable to human dignity.

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

Of course! As a professional, I have high standards and expect other authors to have the same. It really bothers me when I read books that are poorly written, especially the basics such as spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. Proofread, please!

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Vote for Samantha: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2YWWJWSRZQ9XT
Az – Revenge of an Archangel: https://www.amazon.com/Az-Revenge-Archangel-Bavar-ebook/dp/B00XIN9ICC

Social media:
www.aabavar.com
https://www.facebook.com/amir.bavar.5
https://www.instagram.com/amirbavar/

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Karen Bedore

 

Name: Karen Bedore

Genre(s) of your work: (fiction) Romance/Historical/Renaissance

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

The Bard Trilogy

The Bard – 2015

The Betrayal – 2016

The Brotherhood – 2017

Another Lifetime – 2017

 

Bio:

On a typical day, one could find Karen in the throngs of adolescent wonderment, trying to create harmonious music-making to these next-generation superstars. From the first squeaks of “Hot Cross Buns” to the lavish lyrical sounds of “Danny Boy,” there is much magic that occurs within the four walls of the band room.

After being fueled by many cups of coffee to sustain the never-ending insanity of middle school energy, she arrives home to the role of wife (to a wonderful husband) and mother (of an amazing little boy), cherishing every moment (okay, perhaps not the whining…).

However…

Secretly (well, not so secret any more), she is an undercover author, who laces up her trainers for a run to build endurance–not just for running–but to escape from this world to an alternate one, where history and romance meet, fueled by suspense–and of course–wonderful music.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I am a romantic at heart, and long to go on an adventure in Renaissance Italy. I have been fascinated with Italy and this time period ever since I can remember, so it makes researching different aspects of them sooooo much fun! And since the Doctor has yet to come and sweep me away in his TARDIS to experience it first-hand, for now, this will have to do.

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I’ve always loved to write—I’ve been journaling since 1989 (it was the summer of 5^th grade!)  and have started many, many stories, but I either never finished them or they were just ‘meh’. They always seemed to fall short. So I left the writing world to pursue writing music instead, and picked up novel writing again as a friendly NaNo competition between some of my 8^th grade students and myself in 2014. I would hold myself accountable by posting my word count on my board in my band room. I never made it to 50K that year, but did surpass 30K, and found the experience so rewarding that I wanted to be sure to finish my story. I had fallen in love with my characters, and it has since become this part of me that I don’t think I can live without.

Writing gives me a chance to escape reality, and it has kept me sane through some pretty trying moments. I had almost given up on dreaming until The Bard Trilogy began, giving me the chance to let go and dream once more. Writing has become such a passion of mine that I have started the creative writing club at the school where I teach, and provide a place for students that love the art of writing enough to become self-published in our annual student authors book.

 

 Who are your favorite authors and why?

Oddly enough, though I write Historical Romance, I don’t really read it—my favorite authors are in the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller (sometimes Historical Fiction) genres—David Baldacci, Steve Berry, James Patterson, and Rick Polad. Maybe it’s because I’ve always been a huge Indiana Jones fan. There’s something romantic about adventuring and questing and solving puzzles, whether it’s historical or present-day.

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I absolutely LOVE getting to walk into a bookstore and pick up a book. Whether it’s a “big” store or a small local one, I could spend hours there browsing the shelves. It’s another reason why I love libraries so much! There is just something really special about holding a book in your hands. I just wish they would support indie authors more—even with the smaller bookstores it’s difficult to get your books “in store” there.

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

I tend to model myself after the FMC, especially in “Another Lifetime.” From traits and hobbies, to hopes and dreams, if you know me well, you can easily find “me” in my books! I love RPGs and always wanted to be in a real-life one, but since that isn’t possible, I want to live the stories I create. And well, since they’re fiction and of my own creation, writing myself into them is the only way I can “live” them.

 

 How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

I love my characters. I truly do, and sometimes think that in some bizarre alternate universe that they’re real. I can’t leave them stranded in the middle of a situation!! They need me, and I need them. Sometimes it takes me jumping around and writing scenes out of order, but it’s really the characters that keep driving me forward.

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

Too much information and not enough plot. Sometimes I’ve come across books that deviate from the plot way too much to try to explain history or politics or whatnot, and I just want to know what’s going to happen already! Some of that is needed to understand the “why” of the story, but there are times where it’s too much. Other things that makes me not want to finish are characters that don’t interest me in the first few chapters or stories with huge plot holes/unresolved issues. I do make an honest effort to give it a good read before I abandon it.

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Nope. If you don’t like the topic, don’t read it. It’s that simple.

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

Overused words!!! I read a book once where the same word was used beyond the point of annoyance. There are thesauruses for a reason!!!

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Website: http://karenbedore.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebardtrilogy/

Twitter: @Lady_Alcinia

Instagram: lady_alcinia

Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/karenbedore

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Lindsey Behee

 

Name: Lindsey Behee

Genre(s) of your work: paranormal, fiction

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Paranormalish: A Collection of Writings (2015)

 

 

Bio:

I was born and raised in Frankfort, Kentucky. I have dreamed of being a writer since I first learned someone could actually do that for a living. Married in 2009, I had the opportunity to travel the United States due to my husband’s job, living in California and Colorado before settling in Texas. Currently, I am lucky to get to stay home with our two young daughters. This has given me the chance to fulfill my dream and finally get pen to paper.

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I have had an overactive imagination my entire life, sometimes to a fault. I’ve learned that writing out the strange thoughts are a great way to exorcise my mind. While I wouldn’t say I only write about the paranormal, I centered my first book around that to help get stories out of my mind that have been there for ages. A lot of those stories are actually based off of nightmares I’ve had as well as true events that occurred to me or loved ones.

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I have written since I was a preteen, so it has always been a part of my life. However, in the last several months, I have decided to focus solely on writing and it has been an amazing change! First, my best friend and I wrote an entire novel after a simple phone conversation turned into a creative brainstorming session. And beyond that, I have had so many opportunities to get my name out there pop up, including this author meet and greet!

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Chuck Palahniuk! I first discovered him in high school, and seeing the way he wrote opened my eyes to a whole new world! It seemed like he broke the writing rules I had learned in high school and that amazed me. It made me realize I could push that line drawn in the sand and truly write whatever I wanted!

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

From a reader’s point of view, I’ve always loved a good trip to Barnes and Noble! There is something so spectacularly magical about visiting a small local bookshop, though. From a writer’s point of view, I love the extended opportunities that come along with channels like Kindle Direct Publishing and CreateSpace, both of which I have used for Paranormalish and my upcoming novel. Everyone deserves to get their creative work out into the world without having to go broke doing so!

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

On a surface level, I hope they get enjoyment. When it comes to my creepier works, I love to think I’ve given someone chills or made a few jaws drop. Overall, though, I hope that when readers realize I’m “just” a stay at home mom, they see that they don’t have to put themselves in any sort of box. I am more than just a mom who sometimes writes, I am a writer! So, they can be whatever it is they want to be, not just what they feel they’re labeled as.

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

I put so much personal experience into my writing! From a few stories in Paranormalish being only slightly fictionalized, and some being completely true, to just little details like a place of business being inspired by a place I’ve visited. It’s fun to hide those Easter eggs in my work and see if those who know me pick them up.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

Oh, this is something I admittedly struggle with. It took me over a year to finish Paranormalish for Kindle and another two years to get it ready for paperback. And there’s no excuse for that! I was the only one to blame. I think that’s a bit of self-doubt. I’m working on that with my upcoming novel. My best friend and co-author has really helped me keep that in check, I’d say. Working with her, and feeding off of her excitement helps me keep my excitement instead of giving in to the self-doubts and thinking the work isn’t good enough to put out there.

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

Getting caught up in the busy-ness of life! I have two young kids, one of which is in school, and my husband works a lot. It’s so easy to just tell myself I don’t have time to read.

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

I was actually thinking on this recently when a friend of mine sought out a “taboo” book that was banned from Amazon. I feel it’s a gray area for me. On one hand, I think “Why would someone need to write about [xyz]?” but I think I mostly lean towards the idea that anyone can write whatever their heart desires. Who am I to judge what they enjoy? As long as it’s not threatening a real person/people, or purposely ruining a real person’s life with lies passed as truth, write away!

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

For my own writing, I hate when I start to realize how often I use certain words. For example, in one piece, I noticed the world “little” was always used to describe a character. It wasn’t on purpose, there was just so much story happening in between the descriptions that it took a while to notice. But the important thing is that it was caught and changed!

In reading, I may have a few. First, when dialogue doesn’t sound natural. Saying someone’s name every single time a character addresses them? We don’t talk like that!

I’ve never been a fan of overly descriptive writing. I’m talking things like describing every single aspect of a person’s face, with metaphors and similes for each characteristic. Saying someone’s eyes were cold as ice is fine. Saying their eyes are cold as ice, set in a snowy skinned face with wrinkles like rivers flowing to the sea around a great mountain of a nose, is a bit much. (Silly example, I know.)

 

Where can people find you and your work?

You can find me on Facebook, Amazon and CreateSpace!

My writer’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lindseybeheewriter/

My upcoming novel, Lost in Grey: https://www.facebook.com/lostingreynovel/

Amazon’s author page: https://www.amazon.com/Lindsey-Behee/e/B016SPVYIM/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1509202061&sr=8-1

Paranomalish: A Collection of Writings:

            Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Paranormalish-Collection-Writings-Lindsey-Behee/dp/1518837387/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

            CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/5822376

 

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 Barbara Belford

 Genre(s) of your work:  Middle Grade Fiction & Middle Grade Historical Fiction

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Canned and Crushed, March 2015 and June 2017

Crossing the Line, August 2017

 

 

Bio:

Bibi Belford is the author of books for middle grade readers: CROSSING THE LINE, CANNED AND CRUSHED, THE GIFT, and ANOTHER D FOR DEEDEE (coming 2018). She lives in the South Loop neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois with her husband. She enjoys books, gardening, beaches, and spending time with her grandchildren. Belford also works as an educational consultant and volunteers in public schools. She is a member of CWA – Chicago Writers Association, SCBWI-Illinois, and has served as a panelist for author Success Stories at the UW-Madison Writers’ Institute.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I wrote my first novel, Canned and Crushed, in response to a former student’s lament that he didn’t read because he couldn’t find books that appealed to him. He was a second-language soccer-loving student that had spent three years in my reading intervention classroom. “What if I write a book? Will you read it?” I asked him. “If you write a book, I will promise to read it,” he told me. Was he surprised when his teacher read the unpublished chapters of a “mystery writer” to his fifth grade classroom and then invited me to come and read the final chapter for the author reveal.

I walked into the room and everyone shouted, “Guess what? An author is coming to read to us today.” I asked, “Who do you think it is?” Their answers ranged from J.K. Rowling to the school’s Learning Center Director.  “It’s me. I’m the author,” I confessed. “No, it can’t be you,” my former student said. “Now I have to read the book over again, by myself!” My goal is to write books that bring kids joy and create stories that motivate readers to be everyday heroes.

 

How has writing changed/altered your life? 

I was so busy working full-time and being a mom to four kids I never had blocks of time to finish writing projects. Once all the kids flew away from the nest, I dusted off the unfinished projects, enrolled in writing workshops and rekindled my writing passion. I write almost everyday. There’s nothing as energizing and challenging as creating something. I find the research fascinating and stimulating and developing characters and their relationships is like navigating a complex maze. And if that’s not enough to change/alter life, the network of writers I’ve met and the students who tell me they love Canned and Crushed truly fill my life with joy.

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I have so many favorite authors, it’s difficult to mention only a few. I love books with everyday heroes that have messages of hope. Middle grade novel writer, Kate DiCamillo, always has characters I want to meet. Jodi Picoult’s books are so difficult to put down because the characters face such current and catastrophic events. Recently, I’ve become a huge fan of Fredrick Backman’s books and his style of writing. The author that probably inspired me the most was Katherine Paterson with her storytelling technique. See? I can’t stop. What can I say? I’m a hopelessly addicted reader.

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

Although I know that large mainstream bookstores, such as B&N and Amazon, have helped me as an author sell books, I have a heart for neighborhood bookstores, where I can spend hours perusing and choosing books. Some of my favorite smaller bookstores have ordered my books and sponsored events that promote authors. I hope there’s room at the table for all kinds of bookstores, even though that sounds like I’m speaking with duplicity.

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

Since I write for middle grade kids, grades 2-7, I want them to put down my book and say, I’m just like that character. I can make a difference in my family, my school, and my neighborhood.

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

I might have to take the fifth amendment on this question. As a teacher for many years, my mind if full of quite a few characters I’ve actually taught and episodes that I’ve experienced personally.

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

There’s a song that I won’t sing here, because my writing voice is better than my singing voice, but it alludes to sitting on the sand and putting your toes in the water. That’s what has to happen to complete a book. Everyday I sit in my chair and put my fingers on the keyboard. Once the writing gets done, then the editing and revising can begin.

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

I very rarely don’t finish a book, even if I’m not in love with it. I know it’s probably some sort of neurotic disorder, but I feel responsible to the author in most cases, to give it the benefit of the doubt and go the distance with them. On the rare occasion I’ve stopped reading it’s because of two reasons. One—awful writing, labored or excessively contrived prose. Two—inaccuracies in character development or setting details.

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Whoa. I’m sensitive to some topics being inappropriate for certain ages of readers but censoring writing sounds like a violation of free speech. In my lifetime books that were originally banned/challenged such as Catcher in the Rye, and Brave New World, are now found in libraries.

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work? 

I understand the importance of social media in today’s world of book promotion, but it’s still a pet peeve. I wish my time could be spent writing and the publisher had the budget to promote my book. It’s been a huge learning curve to get up to speed on self promotion. Did I say up to speed? It’s probably more accurate to say, barely approaching minimum speed!

And regarding reading others’ work, I’m a member of a group of seven writers, all writing different genres, from cozy mystery to dystopian YA. We read each others’ work and meet once a year to critique in person. We are all open to criticism and suggestions and it’s an absolutely invigorating process, a gift, that we can share with each other. So, if reading others’ work ended up not being like what I know, then I would have a pet peeve. From my experience pets, especially pet peeves, require a lot of maintenance and can be messy, so the less I have the better!

 

Where can people find you and your work? 

Amazon: http://a.co/bjJo3gM (link to Crossing the Line)

Amazon: http://a.co/4Ts61sn  (link to Canned and Crushed)

http://www.bibibelford.com/

https://www.onlineprnews.com/news/931783-1500219994-new-kids-novel-crossing-the-line-by-bibi-belford-set-during-historic-chicago-race-riots.html

https://twitter.com/BarbaraBelford

https://www.facebook.com/bibibelford/

 

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Sophie Bellabone

 

Pseudonym: Sophie Bellabone

Genres: Horror, Comedic Horror

 

 

Titles/Year of Published works:

GRIN GRIM, Comedic Horror Collection 2019

Maple Street 1: RED SAP 2019

 

 

 

Bio:

Sophie Bellabone is a 25 years old Horror author from Finland who loves writing stories that balance between comedic and scary. While she does this, she is also an illustrator, a sleepy couch potato with idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) coupled with ADH, a partner in crime to her future wife, and a cat owner with too many interests – and way too many stories to tell.

She hopes that she can write at least a fraction of them before turning into a permanent zombie or a ghost to torment the living, free from a body that only wishes to slumber.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre you do?

I am one of those nutjobs that LOVE to be scared. I take a good Horror movie over a drama any day or night. Creepy clowns? I am in. Ghosts? Even better. Possessed dolls? Now you are talking!

But often movies and even books lack something else I enjoy: Comedy. And frankly, realism.

Do you know how people hum or even sing when they are scared? Or fiddle with their bracelet and almost piss their pants because they can’t find a way out? Crack a joke just to calm their nerves? THAT, is my jam.

I also have a pet peeve against the whole ‘let me go downstairs to see what is there…just so I can for sure get murdered by the strange dude carrying an ax’-type of storytelling.

So, I started to write Horror stories for myself. To be entertained and dragged through horrific scenes and frankly I am my own number one fan.

Yeah… I am one of those people who laugh at their own jokes.

But there is another reason: I have lived through some horrors myself and I am a very very vivid dreamer so those horrors play in my head in various ways each year. I also tend to remember them in high detail.

I know how it feels to have a raised pulse while walking through a dark forest with a failing flashlight…and hearing a branch break behind you. I have dabbled with the demons of real-life and dreamland. I have been the one cracking jokes at a summer camp when all the lights went out and someone was walking behind the windows, trying to get in…scratching the thin wooden walls…

So I take those stories, mix them with the endless ideas that keep raining down on me from the eldritch monster that keeps cooking them (also known as a muse) and hope that someone out there has the same sense of humor, and dread, as me.

 

 

How has writing altered/changed your life?

Writing has always been part of my life and I have been writing since I could hold a pen…but I did have a long streak of not writing in my teens due to bullying from my siblings and losing my manuscript in a strange computer accident. Long story short: My laptop set on fire. No backups, only agony.

Picking it up again in my twenties (which I still am in) was like calling out an old friend, with warts and all, and asking them to stay. Forever. Preferably tied up in the cellar of my mind so they can never escape again because the years I wasn’t writing, I was miserable.

So writing has brought me joy, a community that I lack in my real life, and a goal to reach for despite the cards handed to me by life itself. I may be undead and have a focus of a hungry zombie, but I love to create. It brings all the meaning to my life that I need.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series is master in the satire and should be read by everyone, J.K Rowling as I raised myself with Harry Potter series, no hate, Stephen King for probably obvious reasons, R.L Stine as another childhood favorite, and me because I creep myself out while making me laugh so… 😀

 

Do you believe audiobooks are the wave of the future, more passing fad, or somewhere between and why?

I think they are part of the wave of the future because there will always be people with disabilities who are blind or can’t hold an eReader or a paperback/hardcover but still love reading. Audio-books are accessible to busy people who only can enjoy books while on the commute, they can be played for the entire family, and according to recent articles – they do make good money for the authors who do have the cold hard cash to produce and market them. My dream is to be able to do that too…one day.

Plus, as someone with an invisible disability, I appreciate Audio-books and their promise to the future to bring more accessible enjoyment to everyone no matter their level of ability.

 

 

What is your opinion on mainstream, corporate bookstores?

My personal opinion is that they should consider selling more indie books and maybe convert into partial coffee shops to keep themselves up since the prices can be kind of crazy and lead to their eventual downfall.

Making bookstores closer to what libraries bring to communities in sense of how they can be utilized by the community could make them more popular. Like a hive that has place for food, place to buy books, maybe computer cafe-situation, a place for kids to get excited over books, and a proper section of indie books (since indie bookstores have been picking up in recent years). Plus, I am a strong believer in people needing spaces where they can just be, no matter the age, without the presence of alcohol, and bookstores could offer that.

Could, but they really don’t, so I can see them slowly disappearing from the map.

Meanwhile, we could just support more libraries so they could have longer open hours…and offer all those things I suggested above.

 

 

Do you think writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

My opinion is that as long as things are not glorified and are presented in the right light of realism, you can write about anything. For example stuff like abuse as romance, alcoholism/drug abuse without consequences, prostitution without any harmful aspects of the trade, rape without showing the profound effects to the victim, racism without a backlash…those should not exist in the literature that has the power to alter the minds that read them.

But written right, these things become warnings, cautionary tales, bits of the real world we live in, and examples of what not to do and how to single out the toxicity that often is rampant in books, and in the real life. Removing glorification from stories about stalking boyfriends who isolate their girlfriends and bribe them with fancy things to stay under their fist turn from a love story into the horror story abusive relationship really is…and in turn, make sure that impressionable people don’t identify being constantly berated as a normal thing.

Stories stick into the readers’ brains for years to come, if written right. Those tales leave literal marks to our minds and can alter our behavior when consumed in large a quantity. So as authors, we have the very responsibility not to make people laugh over alcoholism, romanticize sniffing angel dust, or being a horrible racist bastard.

So yeah, I agree on keeping certain bullshit as a taboo for the sake of humanity.

Readers deserve that much.

 

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

FB PAGE:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSophieBellabone/

WEBSITE: https://sophiecohenptp.wixsite.com/sophiesphere

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/Sophie-Bellabone/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sophiebellabone/

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19241753.Sophie_Bellabone

PINTEREST: https://fi.pinterest.com/sophiesphere/

TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/sophiesphere1

 

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Olivia J. Bennett

 

Name: Olivia J. Bennett

Genre(s) of your work: young adult, new adult, contemporary, suspense/thriller

Titles/Year of Published Work(s): A Cactus In the Valley, 2017; Casually Homicidal, 2022

 

 

Bio: 

Olivia J. Bennett is a writer, artist, educator, and lover of all things cozy and aesthetically pleasing. She graduated from Illinois Central College with an Associate in Arts, and is currently studying to be a high school English teacher. Her debut novel, A Cactus In the Valley, was published when she was a 17-year-old senior in high school. She holds a National Gold Medal in Flash Fiction from Scholastic Art & Writing. When not creating, Olivia can be found baking cookies, binge-watching TV with her partner, or cuddling her two cats.

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

There’s just something special about the young adult age group in my opinion, which would also include ages 18-25 too. When you’re a teenager and young adult, everything feels so real and new and exciting. Everything is the most important thing in the world. It’s when you find out who you are, and what you want. I’d also say (at the not-so-ripe age of 22) that my teenage self was unadulterated, in a sense. Young adult is read by people of all ages because I think everyone’s still got an inner teenager that lives on within them. Literature for children has to be, at the bottom line, entertaining whereas adult writing doesn’t necessarily require that. The focus on pure entertainment allows for more creativity, I think.

 

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

I certainly hope that audiobooks don’t completely overshadow physical books or even ebooks because I think there’s so much value in actually seeing the words and comprehending them. I think they have their place and are super helpful for students who struggle with reading and busy individuals. Besides, who doesn’t like being read to every once in a while?

 

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

Social media! It can be a double-edged sword because on one hand, it’s a great place to meet authors from all over the country (and world) and a way to expand your audience, creating content that fits a brand. However, it’s easy to let social media suck up all your time. Social media is already over-saturated with people and content, so it’s easy to get lost in all the noise.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Not necessarily, although there are certainly things I won’t read about for the sake of my own brain and my own reading tastes. This ties into my response on trigger and content warnings. I think that writing should be censored for children, especially ones who aren’t in high school yet.

 

 

What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?

I fully support trigger/content warnings since the content in my books certainly could be considered “taboo” or at the very least upsetting to some people. I want people to know what they’re getting into when they pick up one of my books, and I want them to be at least a little bit prepared for it. It just seems like the good thing to do, to be mindful of others. I don’t want a negative review because someone’s like “OMG there’s too much cussing in this book” or “I hated all the violence in this book, it made me feel gross.” Like y’all, my two books are about plane crashes and aspiring serial killers, I’m not sure what you thought you were getting into! On the back covers of my books, I include a disclaimer: “Intended for ages 14 and up.” Whenever I give somebody my book for free, like as a beta-reader, early ARC reader, or through a giveaway, I include a list of content warnings.

 

 

Do you find that you sell better in person (at events) or through social media (like a personal blog, website, or Amazon)?

It depends. I usually sell a higher volume of books at events, but over time my books sell a little better through my website or on Amazon.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

If you’re Central Illinois local, you can find my books at Retrofit Culture and Bobzbay in Bloomington, The Book Nook in Washington and Peoria, and Tails of a Bookworm in Pekin!

Website, which includes signed copies & bookmarks: oliviajthewordshak.wixsite.com/oliviajcreates

Instagram: @olivia.j.creates

Tik Tok: @oliviajcreates

Facebook: @oliviajcreates

Amazon author profile: https://www.amazon.com/Olivia-J-Bennett/e/B077625K5X?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1665940654&sr=8-1

 

 

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Shelby Bentil

 

Your Name: Shelby Bentil

Genre(s) of your work: Fiction

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Diminished Dreams/2017

 

 

Bio:

Born and raised in Newark, NJ, in one of the city’s deplorable housing projects, success was the only option. I fell in love with writing and reading as a child in grammar school. It became my outlet because I could escape reality through the words of the author.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I choose to write Fiction because there aren’t any restrictions. When writing essays in English class we always followed very specific rules with a very specific format and use only the information given. With fiction writing there is more freedom of expression. It’s my story told my way.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Through writing I was able to gain my own voice and express my emotions and views without criticism. Growing up as the youngest of 3 girls no one cared about what I wanted to say. Through writing, what I believe, feel and care about matters.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

One of my favorite author’s is Gary Paulsen. My first chapter book was by him, Sarny: A Life Remembered. The Prequel, Nightjohn is still one of the most memorable books I ever read.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

Hopefully my readers will be motivated to live fearlessly and positively after reading Diminished Dreams. I want them to be inspired to live their life for themselves instead of for others.

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

The lesson’s I learned throughout my life help to give me ideas for the basis of what I want the book to be about. My imagination leads the way after that.

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

The last thing I would want in my life is to live thinking should’ve, could’ve, would’ve. This pushed me to complete Diminished Dreams and pursue publishing.

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

The only time I haven’t finished a book was because I felt the book was dragging.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

The only pet peeve I have when writing my own work is writer’s block. I don’t have any when it comes to the work of other people.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Anyone can purchase Diminished Dreams on Amazon and Barnes and Noble or on the 13^th&Joan website when the book becomes available. To know more about my journey to being a published author and me, you can follow me on any of my social media accounts.

https://www.facebook.com/DiminishedDreams/

https://www.instagram.com/shelby_bentil/

http://13thandjoan.com/shelbybentil

https://twitter.com/shelby_bentil

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David W. Berner

 

Name: David W. Berner

Genre(s) of your work: Memoir, Creative Nonfiction, Fiction

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Accidental Lessons (Strategic, 2009)

Any Road Will Take You There (Dream of Things, 2014)

There’s Hamster in the Dashboard (Dream of Things, 2015)

Night Radio (Cawing Crow Press, 2016)

October Song (Roundfire, 2017)

 

Bio :

David W. Berner has been a fixture in Chicago broadcasting since 1988, working for CBS radio and contributing stories to pubic radio stations around the country. He has also written for the arts magazine, Clef Notes Journal and several other publications, and has been an associate professor at Columbia College Chicago since 2004.

He recently completed his tenure as the Writer-in-Residence at the Hemingway Birthplace Home in Oak Park and was the Writer-in-Residence at the Jack Kerouac Project in Orlando in 2011. He has published five books. Any Road Will Take You There was awarded a Chicago Writers Association award and There’s a Hamster in the Dashboard was named one of the best books of 2015 by the Chicago Book Review.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I mostly write memoir and creative nonfiction. I’m most at home telling stories I have lived through or at least gleaning material from my life. My background as a journalist has helped, making  me a pretty good observer and this includes observations on my own life. 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Immensely. When I started my first book, Accidental Lessons, I discovered how much writing meant to me. I had always been a storyteller, in one way or another. When I was paperboy as a kid in the 1960s and 70s, I was, in many ways, delivering stories. Then it was music—playing and writing as a young man. Broadcasting and journalism was all part of it, too, of course. So writing books was always on the periphery. But when I finally figured out how to do it reasonably well, really discipline myself with a meaty story to tell, I found what truly made me tick. 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

My favorites writers are usually the ones I’m reading at the moment. But I remain a Jack Kerouac and a Ernest Hemingway fan. I guess I’m a little old school. But I recently discovered Percival Everett. He is wonderful. So Much Blue may be the perfect novel. I also love Joan Didion and one of my favorite all-time books is Gretel Ehrlich’s The Solace of Open Spaces. It is a marvelous book.  Currently I’m re-reading John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley, his nonfiction book about the cross-country trip with his dog. I had forgotten how very, very good that is.

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

If you’re talking about the Barnes and Nobles of the world—they have their place. But they are less and less bookstores and more the proprietors of greeting cards, silly games, and coffee treats than booksellers. Not many around anymore after the demise of Border’s. I love the independents and they are experiencing a bit of a renaissance right now. We have some great ones in Chicago. My favorite is The Book Cellar. Still have to be supported for them to thrive. So get going! 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

Nearly all of my work is about redemption in all of its forms. I think that’s what life is about—renewal. We all are trying to find ways to reawaken ourselves, discover our truth paths, or reinvent our lives. I think this is the overriding theme of most of my writing. I guess I want readers to see their own lives in my stories. It’s not that my life is so meaningful; it’s that we all live lives that are meaningful in someway or to someone.

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Absolutely everything. It’s what I write about. 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

It sounds cliche but I feel a NEED to write. It is what I do. If I’m not writing, I’m thinking about it, doing research or reading. Motivation for me comes from the absolute necessity to write; it’s like eating. Plus, reading great writers. That motivates the hell out of me.

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

If it doesn’t hit me in the heart. I try to finish all my readings, certainly books I am reviewing, but there have been some I just did not find a connection with. I have even put aside a Pulitzer Prize winner and never finished reading it. I won’t say which one. 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Absolutely not. No censorship. None.

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

Obsessive dialogue or dialogue that isn’t real. I also don’t like stories that feel a need to tie up all the loose ends. Life is full of loose ends! Let them be. And please don’t start your story with a weather report. So many newbie writers do this. But this said, there is room for breaking the rules, even mine. (Although I wouldn’t call my pet peeves rules. They are just things that don’t work for me.) I conduct workshops a lot, including a recent one at the American Writers Museum and I really encourage writers to do more reading; read the classics, the best of the best. It will help.

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Amazon. Any bookstore. If they don’t have, they can order.

www.davidwberner.com

Twitter: @davidwberner.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.w.berner

 

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Priscilla Bettis

 

 

Your Name: Priscilla Bettis

Genre of your work: Horror

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Works:

“The Sun Sets Nonetheless,” The Vampire Connoisseur anthology, edited by Todd Sullivan, Nightmare Press, December 2020.

“Cordelia’s Curse,” Dark Recesses Press webzine, January 9, 2022.

“The Hay Bale,” January 10, 2022.

“Lucretia’s Hum,” Among the Headstones anthology, edited by Rayne Hall, January 31, 2022.

“Mollusk Madness,” 34 Orchard, April 2022.

Dog Meat, Potter’s Grove Press, mid-2022.

 

 

 

Bio:

Priscilla Bettis read her first horror story, The Exorcist, when she was a little kid. Priscilla snuck the grownup book from her parents’ den, and The Exorcist scared her silly. From that moment on, she was hooked on horror and all things deliciously off kilter. As an adult, Priscilla turned to engineering physics, a wonderful profession, but what she really likes to do is write . . . or die trying, probably at the hands of a vampiric wraith. Priscilla shares a home in the Northern Plains of Texas with her two-legged and four-legged family members.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

Scary fiction stories help me purge fears of real-life horrors. And sometimes horror is just plain fun, like riding a scream-worthy roller coaster!

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Writing makes every author a little more knowledgeable. We have to research to get settings, science, and history right. For example, I’ve learned about Southern hay farms, how slugs reproduce, and historic Virginia cemeteries.

 

 

Which makes a better writing snack, salty or sweet?

Sweet, and it should be chocolate. Never trust people who eat potato chips while writing.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Richard Matheson because, boy, he could sure crank up the tension in a story.

Zoltan Komor for his outrageous, crazy imagination.

Camilla Bruce for her insight into the human psyche.

Andy Davidson for his dark, lyrical prose.

Catherine Cavendish for her eerie, spooky settings.

I could go on and on, and that’s a good thing. It means there are plenty of fabulous authors out there!

 

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool?

A good marketing tool is interacting with others online, truly caring about what others are up to. Looking at it from a reader’s point of view, I don’t want to read books written by authors who are rude online.

 

 

Zombies, slow or fast?

Zombies should be slow. There’s something creepy and dreadful about a deceased person barely upright, shambling about. A fast zombie is a different species altogether. Either way, aim for the head.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Censored? No. Write about anything; just know that readers will innately censor by not buying, and bookstores will not stock books that aren’t selling.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Priscilla-Bettis/e/B08R97Z63M?

Website: https://priscillabettisauthor.com

 

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Trever Bierschbach

 

Name: Trever Bierschbach

Genre(s) of your work: Speculative fiction focusing on Dystopia and Fantasy

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Embers of Liberty 2018

When Heroes Rise 2019

 

 

Bio:

Trever has been writing since he was very young.  He is a fiction writer, poet, avid reader, gamer, and has countless hobbies with an amazing wife that tolerates all of it.  He writes because the stories and ideas have to go somewhere, even if no one else reads them.  Much of his writing can be found on fragsandbeer.com, medium.com, and highlandarrow.com. He is also a journalist covering various geek interests and fandoms.  He also has two shorts available on Amazon under the titles Wastelander, and Watelander: Not as they Appear, and the short story collection When Heroes Rise.

When he’s not writing he works for a software company in Peoria, helps keep house in Pekin.  He’s a member of the competitive air rifle club through the German American Society of Central Illinois, and helps his wife with her own jewelry business – Ravenwing Creations.

Most of Trever’s fiction interests lie in fantasy and science fiction, but some of his writing includes alternate history and dystopian speculative as well. His next novel will begin a trilogy of books following a young priestess devoted to saving her people enslaved by a powerful demonic deity.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I enjoy fantasy because there are few limits on what I can do as an author to tell the story I want to tell. The only real rules are those of the world I’ve built to tell those stories in. My first book is dystopian but it still follows the same principles as fantasy for me. I think, with fantasy, our options are wide open to explore almost any theme.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Hard to say, since I’ve been writing for so long, but getting published sure has changed things. Marketing, writing, selling at shows, and looking for any opportunity to get books in the hands of readers has become a second full-time job for me. But, it’s the most fun I’ve had at work.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have had a huge influence on my writing and are, by far, my favorite authors. Their Dragonlance Saga taught me a lot about worldbuilding and handling a large cast of characters. They’ve written one of the few books that I regularly return to, and have read over half a dozen times.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I think there’s a place for them for sure. It’s tough for small, new book stores to stay in business and I feel like it’s always been that way. Independent stores tend to do better carrying used books and some new stuff from local authors. There isn’t enough of a profit margin and from what I understand the distributors make it tough on smaller shops. To me, as long as we’re getting books to as many people as possible, and making them as easy to obtain as possible, then I’m all for it.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Quite a lot, in some of my work. I’ve tapped into a lot of my own personal experiences with grief and anger after the passing of my parents, for example. I’ve been able to use that and channel it into some of my current work and the characters in it.

 

 

What motivates you to complete your (writing) work?

This current work is the product of years of character development, to the point that I’ve come to care a lot about her and her story. Besides wanting to see that complete, I find that when I don’t write, I think constantly about the stories I want to tell. There are stories in my head that need to be told and that’s a lot of motivation.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Very few, if any. The world is an ugly place, always has been and always will be. It’s also a beautiful place, and one can’t exist without the other. It’s our job, as artists, to show both. We have to make people uncomfortable with the bad things that happen. When we avoid them, or ignore them, it doesn’t make them go away. I’ve heard people say that too much of a thing like violence desensitizes people to it but I would argue that lack of exposure to the dark is worse.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Locally I’m in several small book stores listed on my website as well as a list of appearance I’ll be at for the next few months.

Website: treverbierschbach.com

Twitter: @tjbierschbach

Facebook: treverbierschbachwrites

Embers of Liberty: https://www.amazon.com/Embers-Liberty-Trever-Bierschbach-ebook/dp/B07JLW8N1M

When Heroes Rise: https://www.amazon.com/When-Heroes-Rise-Trever-Bierschbach-ebook/dp/B07MBK1H4Q

 

 

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Dewhitt L. Bingham

 

Name: Dewhitt L. Bingham

Genre(s) of your work: Nonfiction

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Hope Deferred Makes the Heart Sick/2017

Viola Liuzzo: A True Martyr

 

 

Bio:

Dewhitt was born and raised in Festus, Missouri, 30 miles south of St. Louis.  He received a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in criminal justice from Lincoln University (HBCU) in Jefferson City, Missouri and a Master’s of Science degree in criminal justice from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. He is employed at McLean County Court services where he has served as a probation officer for the past 31 years. He is also a distinguished adjunct professor at Heartland Community College where he has served as a criminal justice instructor for the past twenty-one years. While being committed to changing the lives of probation clients, Dewhitt teaches Introduction to Criminal Justice, Probation and Parole, Juvenile Justice, Introduction to Corrections, Career Seminar, Introduction to Criminology and Women in Criminal Justice at Heartland Community College.  He is the Head Elder and preacher at Integrity Deliverance Church and his research interests include white collar crime, social injustice and the bible.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I write about nonfiction because I love history and believe if you forget where you came from you are destined to repeat it.

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Both of my books have brought me closer to the history that has socially, politically, economically and spiritually changed my life. For example, in my research of my next project “The Douglass Experience”, I had no idea that the Douglass Cooperative High School (DCHS) in Festus, Missouri, my hometown, was a forerunner in civil rights.  DCHS was the first black high school in the area in 1939. Prior to DCHS/1939, if you wanted to earn a high school diploma you had to travel 30 miles to St. Louis or 89 miles to Cape Girardeau. I did not realize that Festus was very progressive when it came to the desegregation of education. I did not know that my grandfather was the first of five graduates from the DCHS in 1940 and that the great Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, lead counsel in the 1954 Brown v. the Board of Education, was co-counsel in the 1943 Emma Jane Lee v. the Festus Board of Education case and used this case to win the Brown landmark case. Emma Jane Lee was a teacher at DCHS.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

W.E.B Dubois: The Souls of Black Folk

IDA B. Wells: Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases

Carter G. Woodson: The Mis-Education of the Negro

Michelle Alexander: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

Mia Bay: To Tell the Truth Freely

Jack Greenburg: Crusaders in the Courts

Sonya Sotomayor: My Beloved World

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

Both of my college degrees are in criminal justice and I know a great deal about criminal justice. Having worked and taught in the field for over 30 years, I have a great deal of knowledge about how the system works. But, when it comes to education, the most important piece of literature I’ve ever read was Alexander Austin’s “Educational Excellence”.

The reason I wanted to preface my comment with the aforementioned thought is because it is my opinion that it is difficult for the corporate bookstore to give the small-time author an opportunity. If you are not considered a prestigious author or what I call a name brand author, the corporate bookstore will not give you an opportunity to put your book on their shelf. But Austin taught me 35 years ago that education is what you make of it.  In other words, you can learn from the small-time author just as much as you can learn from the so-called big-time author. Everything is about opportunity and if the corporate bookstore will not give me an opportunity to share my stories, I have to take other means to accomplish that goal.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

In a time when hate crime is on the rise, the president of the United States is selling hate, and thankfulness seems to have disappeared, hope deferred really does make the heart sick, but love covers a multitude of faults. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for a friend. Therefore, it is my hope that my readers will take on the loving, compassionate and merciful spirit of IDA B. Wells, Rosa Parks, Viola Liuzzo, John Lewis, W.E.B. Dubois, and the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., all of whom I write about.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

The Genre that I write about is nonfiction. It is something about the truth. The bible says that it will make you free. Dr. King in his quote of William Cullen Bryan stated “Truth crushed to earth shall rise again.” In other words, truth always wins. So, personal experience plays a great part in my writing and what I write about.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

I have the outline for my next project and have started working on it, but I hate that I have not been able to write for the past three months.  The reason I have not been able to write is because, I work 40 hours a week at the probation department and I teach two classes at the college. But that is the usual. What is unusual this semester is I’m teaching an online course for the first time while taking an alternative delivery course on how to teach online, being taught by the Heartland Community College Professional Development staff. So, I am an official student this semester for the first time since graduating from grad school in 1987.

Though I am very busy, I’m really excited about my next project because the high school I graduated from, the school that came about after desegregation of the Douglas Coopertive High School Trojans and the Festus High School Tigers, Festus Senior High School, has officially committed to collaborating with me to tell “The Douglass Experience”. The great story of my grandfather Warren H. Bingham.  The story of Ron Harrington and Don Byas who went to Douglas in 1951 and the Missouri Athletic Association allowed them to compete in the Missouri state track and field championships before 1954 Brown v. the Board of Education and the two of them won the state championship by themselves. In 1953 again before Brown, Marvin Byas (Don’s brother) and Robert Cook did it again. Each taking first or second in eight events including the 100-yard dash, 200-yard dash, high hurdles, low hurdles and field events.  Not to mention, Ralph B. Tynes (Caucasian), superintendent of Festus schools in 1954 transported Willa McCullough (African American teacher at DCHS) to the white school every day because he wanted it to work. I can’t wait to get into it as there are many people still alive and well. Though many have passed on like my grandfather who went to Lincoln University, my alma mater after graduating from Douglass in 1940 and who had to leave college to fight in WWII in 1941, and Mr. Tynes who my high school gym was named after. But, Mr. Tynes’ daughter a 1958 Festus Senior High School graduate, Mr. McCullough (94 years young) who coached those great Douglass track teams and my first year of high school football (before retiring the next year) along with his wife Mrs. McCullough, are still alive.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

I can’t think of a time that I haven’t finished reading a book that I’ve started with the intent to complete. I read nonfiction. So, when I pick it up it is hard to sit it down.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

As a criminal justice practitioner, I really believe that there are some guns that do not belong on the street. Just as there are some guns that should not be on the street, there is some literature that should not be published. This would be limited to instructional books on how to go about killing a man or committing murder. However, I would not want to sacrifice the first amendment to do so.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

I’m in the process of setting up a website, but people can find my work at Amazon.com.

https://www.amazon.com/Hope-Deferred-Makes-Heart-Sick/dp/0692840877/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544485000&sr=8-1&keywords=hope+deferred+makes+the+heart+sick

 

https://www.amazon.com/Viola-Liuzzo-Martyr-Dewhitt-Bingham/dp/1985795000/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1544485041&sr=8-2&keywords=viola+liuzzo+a

 

 

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Michael A. Black

 

Name: Michael A. Black

Pseudonym (if you use one): Don Pendleton

Genre(s) of your work: Mystery, Thriller, Western, Sci-Fi, Nonfiction

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

I published my first short story in 1990 (“All the Players” in Hardboiled Magazine). Since then I’ve had 30 books an over 100 short stories and articles published. My latest novels under my own name are Blood Trails and Chimes at Midnight. I also write the Executioner series under Don Pendleton. The latest titles in that series are Missile Intercept, Fatal Prescription, and the forthcoming Dying Art. My most recent short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine “Walking on Water” in the Mar/April 2018 issue and “Dress Blues” in Down and Out magazine #1.

 

 

Bio:

Michael A. Black is the author of 30 books, the majority of which are in the mystery and thriller genres, although he has written in sci-fi, western, horror, and sports genres as well. A retired police officer with over 30 years’ experience, he has done everything from patrol to investigating homicides to conducting numerous SWAT operations. Black was awarded the Cook County Medal of Merit in 2010. He is also the author of over 100 short stories and articles, and has written two novels with television star, Richard Belzer (Law & Order SVU). Black is currently writing the Executioner series (Fatal Prescription, Missile Intercept) under the name Don Pendleton. His latest novel under his own name is Blood Trails.

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

It’s always been my goal to be published in as many different genres as I can. I’ve cracked a lot of them, but I’m still working on a few, like romance. I have very eclectic reading tastes, consuming anything and everything. I’ve always felt that good writing is good writing regardless of the genre.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

It was my childhood dream to one day walk into a bookstore and see my book on the shelf. Luckily, I’ve been able to realize that dream.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

There are so many I’ be hard pressed to name them. Since a lot of them are personal friends, I’ll leave it at that, since I don’t want to miss mentioning someone.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I’ve always loved bookstores and libraries. Unfortunately, brick and mortar bookstores, especially those small, independent ones, have become something of an endangered species. Barnes & Noble is perhaps the last of the big, corporate bookstore chains. I try to support them, because I’d miss them if they go the way of Borders and a few others. I love to go to a bookstore, any sized bookstore, and browse and talk to people.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

I always try to write the best book I can, and I hope that readers might take away the sense that I’ve told a good story and kept them entertained throughout the book.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

My personal experience figures into my work a great deal. Since I often write mysteries and thrillers, I draw upon my experiences in the police work and the military to make things authentic.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

For me the key to finishing is to write that first draft in my head. Once I know how it ends, I use that as motivation to keep going, in chronological order, so that I can get to that last scene and deliver a knockout.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

I used to feel compelled to finish every book I started. This was a hold-over from my college days when I made the effort to do all the reading and not cheat. As the years passed, however, the old saying, “So many books, so little time” became more prominent. Now, if I start a book and I don’t like it, I simply stop reading it and go to the next one. My “To Read” pile is always growing. I do try to give each book a fair chance, though.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

While I’ve never been a fan of censorship, I do think that an author should be circumspect in his or her writing. Expressing certain opinions and writing about topics that are meant to hurt or destroy never appealed to me. Nor do I see the value in gratuitous scenes that are vulgar, cruel, or upsetting. Thus, I’d prefer that an author uses common sense and good taste when writing.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

My only pet peeves are writers who write about something without thinking it through and doing the necessary amount of research.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

I have a website, but it’s in need of updating. (I’m working on that.) I’m on Amazon.com and Crossroad Books does my ebooks. And you can order my books at Barnes & Noble or your favorite bookstore.

www.MichaelABlack.com

Amazon writer’s page

 

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Felix Blackwell

 

 

Your Name: Felix Blackwell

Genre(s) of your work: Horror, thriller, fantasy

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

The Cold People and Other Fairy Tales from Nowhere, 2016

Stolen Tongues, 2017

In the Devil’s Dreams, 2018

 

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

All fiction genres are actually just subgenres of Fantasy, and all my life, I’ve dreamed of other worlds. As a child, I found joy in serene and scary fantasy worlds alike – in the form of books, movies, and video games. I was especially influenced by films like The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Lord of the Rings, and by video games like Resident Evil 2 and Silent Hill 2. My favorite books were the Goosebumps series and some of the works of Poe.

I think writing is a form of escapism to me; it allows me to go back to that youthful sense of wonder for things that can never be.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

For me, writing is a lot like playing an instrument. There are feelings we humans can only express artistically, whether through music or poetry or performance. Writing is how I get out the feelings I cannot phrase through other mediums.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I would say that I have favorite works, but not favorite authors. Lovecraft has been the most influential on my vision of horror, and his stories The Temple and Nyarlathotep and The Call of Cthulhu are burned into my mind’s eye forever. The literary weight of Dan Simmons’ writing style is something I aspire to someday, and his novel Summer of Night is an adventure I love going on every decade or so. I would credit Scott E. Sutton’s writing and art in The Family of Ree series as the catalyst for my foray into writing at a young age.

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

I think they have their place, and are especially useful to people who are sight-impaired, but I don’t think they’ll eclipse print or ebook formats. I’m glad they exist, because they give readers another means of consuming books, but I personally can’t focus on audiobooks because my mind starts wandering about two minutes in!

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

Bookstore? What’s that?

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

Communicating with readers and producing high-quality writing are the only paths up the mountain. Any marketing service you have to pay for is bullshit and won’t work.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

No. But I personally avoid very controversial subjects that are commonly found in the Extreme Horror subgenre. I don’t have the stomach to write them, nor the balls to attach my name to them. What would my mother think?

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

www.felixblackwell.com and www.facebook.com/felixblackwellbooks

 

 

 

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Justin Boote

 

 

Your Name: Justin Boote

Genre(s) of your work: Horror, dark fiction

 

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Love Wanes Fear is Forever; 12 short stories and 3 drabble trilogies. Aug. 2020

Love Wanes Fear is Forever Vol. 2. Jan. 2021.

Badass (Terror Tract Publishing)-a novelette. May 2020.

If Flies Could Fart-a short story. Sep. 2020

Grandma Drinks Blood-a short story. Oct 2020

A Question of Possession-a novelette. Nov. 2020

 

 

 

Bio:

Justin is an Englishman living in Barcelona for over 35 years and has been writing for 5 years. He started off with short stories, to date having written around 200, about 50 of which have been published in diverse magazines and anthologies. He now dedicates his time to writing novels; the first of the 9 he has currently written to be published shortly, a demon/zombie 5-book series.

When not writing he is addictively playing Candy Crush or tormenting his cat, Loki.

 

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

From since I can remember, I have loved horror. My mother loved it, too, so I no doubt inherited it from her, but it was seeing the T.V. adaptation of Salem’s Lot when twelve that really sparked my love for all things creepy and scary. So, to write in that same genre was just a natural process.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

It has given me something to focus on during the long, lonely hours of the day and a drive to succeed in a highly competitive market. Having recently been made unemployed (thanks, Covid), I see it now as my fulltime job, hoping it will continue so I don’t have to return to being a waiter!

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I started at an early age reading James Herbert. The simplicity of his style and brutal plots were an easy way to get into the horror market. Then, Stephen King, for obvious reasons, and Clive Barker, mainly his collections The Books of Blood. Now I try to diversify, from famous household names to fellow indie authors like myself.

 

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

Audiobooks have a future, but I don’t see them ever taking over from the popularity enjoyed with paperback and especially e-books. Maybe because many readers are far too distracted, and easily so, to be able to concentrate on listening to the story being read to them (me included!)

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

On a personal level, I grew up in a small village in England and now live in a non-English speaking country, so have had very little physical interaction with them, always buying from small, local stores, but my feeling is that the larger companies are going to have to change their ways if they want to continue thriving as they have done in the past. Lowering their prices for example. The profits on paperback and hardback are huge for these companies, but ultimately, unless they adapt it will be their downfall.

 

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

Word of mouth is always a surefire way to get your books seen, especially if you join relevant reader groups of your genre. The absolute best way, though, for me is to have a backlist, or write the next book. The more books you have, the more opportunities to run promotions. As for bad, spamming everywhere with your book, hit-and-run authors as I call them, who just keep posting their books in every conceivable place yet never interacting with others or taking any interest in readers and writers. Guaranteed to put off potential buyers.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Pure and simple, no. Everything has its place and writing about those topics can sometimes lead to understanding the reasons behind those topics. No one was ever forced to read a book they didn’t want to.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

https://www.justinboote.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Justin-Boote/e/B073Q44SZP%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

https://www.facebook.com/BooteJustin

 

 

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Debra R. Borys

 

Name: Debra R. Borys

Pseudonym: I write under my own name above and my maiden name Deb Donahue

 

Genre(s) of your work: Mystery/Suspense

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Debra R. Borys’s Street Stories series: Painted Black (2012), Bend Me Shape Me (2013), Box of Rain (2015),  and Cry Baby Cry (2018)

Deb Donahue Books: Eyes at the Window (2015), A Bull by the Horns (2016), Chasing Nightmares (2017)

 

 

Bio:

Former Chicagoan Debra R. Borys spent eight years volunteering with homeless on the streets of both Chicago and Seattle.  She is a freelance writer who specializes in fiction but has experience in everything from news shorts to how-to manuals.  Several of her short stories have been published in online and print magazines.  She also writes Midwest mysteries under the pen name Deb Donahue.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

Mystery and suspense is the genre I love the best as a reader and was a natural fit as a writer. I credit the Hardy Boys and Bobbsey Twins mysteries as the source of inspiration from my youth.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Publishing my first book fulfilled the dream I always had to be a published author. Every book published after that one has been sauce on the Christmas pudding.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I always liked Stephen King, but not for the horror. I love those books of his which show a group of people banding together to fight as a team and do what’s right. In Dorothy Dunnett’s historical novels, I love the way she built worlds and characters that you can visit time and again and find something new in every reread.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I don’t discriminate between mainstream, corporate, or independent bookstores. Bookstores rule, regardless of who runs the cash register.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

Mostly I want them to enjoy a great story. In the case of my Street Stories novels, I hope they take away a new awareness of what it’s like to be homeless so that they will look differently on those less fortunate than themselves.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

My years of volunteering with homeless organizations lends authenticity to my Street Stories novels, and my years of living in rural Illinois provides fodder for the storylines that are possible in seemingly idyllic country settings.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

I assume you mean writing, and not reading? Often having another project nagging at the back of my mind helps me finish the current work. Mostly, though, it’s the characters in the current manuscript urging me to finish their story, and impatient that I’m taking so long.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

So many things. Poorly executed/edited books that make it impossible to lose myself in the story and enjoy reading it. Characters that I don’t like or don’t care about. Absolutely unrealistic plot twists that I know would not happen to real people. Etc.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

All books can be found on Amazon.com, including some collections of short stories not mentioned above. Most books are also in the Illinois library system.

 

Debra R. Borys

https://www.amazon.com/Debra-R.-Borys/e/B004WWU9EY

https://debra-r-borys.com/

https://streetstoriessuspensenovels.com/

https://paintedblacknovel.wordpress.com/

https://bendmeshapeme.net/

https://boxofrainstreetstories.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/deb.borys

https://www.facebook.com/StreetStoriesSuspenseNovels/

https://www.facebook.com/paintedblacknovel/

 

Deb Donahue

https://www.amazon.com/Deb-Donahue/e/B00HPYY0CS

https://debdonahue.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Deb-Donahue-158884367607442/

https://www.facebook.com/CoffmanCozies/

 

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Craig Boyack

 

Your Name: Craig Boyack

Pseudonym: C. S. Boyack

 

Genre(s) of your work: Speculative fiction. Includes science fiction, fantasy, and paranormal

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

I have thirteen published works, dating back to February of 2013. That’s a lot to list

My most recent ones are Voyage of the Lanternfish, on January 1, 2019, and Viral Blues, on September 13, 2019. (Friday the 13th for my 13th book.)

Lanternfish is a pirate fantasy with a splash of humor. It’s destined to become a trilogy.

Viral Blues is the second volume of an ongoing series about a heroine who battles the things that go bump in the night. It’s also filled with dark humor.

 

 

 

Bio:

About C. S. Boyack

I was born in a town called Elko, Nevada. I like to tell everyone I was born in a small town in the 1940s. I’m not quite that old, but Elko has always been a little behind the times. This gives me a unique perspective of earlier times, and other ways of getting by. Some of this bleeds through into my fiction.

I moved to Idaho right after the turn of the century, and never looked back. My writing career was born here, with access to other writers and critique groups I jumped in with both feet.

I like to write about things that have something unusual. My works are in the realm of science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy. The goal is to entertain you for a few hours. I hope you enjoy the ride.

Craig

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

We spend far too much time in the real world. Just watch the nightly news and it’s depressing. I like to escape to a place where the good guys win, where heroes exist (even if they don’t know it yet), and there’s always something new to discover. Maybe there are others who feel the same way and would enjoy my stories.

I’ve always had a vivid imagination, and writing some of it down feels productive. My blog is called Entertaining Stories, and that’s the goal.

 

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Aside from the bad back, I’m much more observant these days. I notice people and what they’re doing. I pay attention to their larger stories. Research is a big part of writing, and I’m learning new things all the time.

I’ve also met some wonderful friends along the way. People who are willing to lend a hand when I get stuck, and I always try to repay the favor. Some of us formed a group blog, called Story Empire, and it’s designed to help our fellow authors.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

This is the tough one, because I’m tempted to list a bunch of my friends, many of whom are outstanding authors. I’m afraid of missing someone, so I’ll take the bigger name approach. I loved the work of Michael Creighton. I like my pulp, so Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp. I read a lot of Westerns in my day, so Terry C. Johnston. I always  appreciate a bit of humor, so I’ll throw Robert Asprin into the mix.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I kind of like hanging out there, but usually don’t find the kind of things I want. (I think most of the authors I listed are dead, so they don’t have any current best sellers.)

Book selling is in flux right now. It’s going to be interesting to see what it looks like in ten years with Amazon creating physical stores.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

It’s a huge part of story craft. I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time in the outdoors, and learned many things others don’t know. These little tidbits seem to weave their way into my work. We know what makes us happy, sad, frightened, and it’s important to tap into those feelings when designing our characters.

 

 

What motivates you to complete your (writing) work?

I’m kind of a bulldog when it comes to completing my stories. I have one abandoned project, and still threaten to go back one day.

I’ve always written stand-alone tales, but recently my colleagues talked me into series work. (I still have the bruise.) The promise of a series is a huge motivating factor, because now fans are looking forward to the next volume. It’s an extra form of pressure to produce.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

I do not, but a filter might be nice on occasion. I look at a filter as something the author controls. It’s okay to offend some people, and not every story will appeal to all readers, but if your manifesto is going to get people killed, or cause the spread of hatred, maybe it’s best to rethink it.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

My main location is at the Entertaining Stories blog. I have all my social media set up to lead back there. It’s easy to comment on whatever topic I have, and I’ve made a lot of friends that way.

My books are all Amazon ebooks, so that’s the only place they exist. At the time of this interview, I’m pushing Viral Blues pretty hard. It’s dark humor and is perfect for the Halloween season.

Follow my blog: http://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com

Check out my novels here: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00ILXBXUY

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Virgilante

On Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9841203.C_S_Boyack

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ColdhandBoyack

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/entertainin0737

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/c-s-boyack

 

 

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Jason E. Bradstreet

 

Your Name: Jason E. Bradstreet
I write under the similar pen name- Jay E. Bradstreet

 

Genre(s) of your work: Titles/Year of Published:

Paranormal fiction is my thing, particularly in the darker horror niche. I also love to produce bad poetry.

My fiction titles are “Tales & Things” an anthology from December 2017.
And “The House and He” was published the beginning of 2018.
I have many more that are on the way!

Work(s):
Poetry = ‘Madman’s Flight Plan’, ‘If I Ever Make It Home’, ‘Government Heartburn’.

Fiction = ‘The House and He’, ‘Tales & Things’, and coming very soon is ‘Laughter Upstairs’.

Non-fiction = an upcoming work about my treks to haunted places called ‘Shadow Travels’.

 

 

 

 

Bio & Why do you write in the genre that you do?

Born and raised in Castle Country, Utah, my life was a snowball of paranormal experiences and information intake that seemed to often revolve around the supernatural. All of my earliest experiences were ghostly, so to speak. Castle Country itself was built on coal mining, which brought about tons of tommyknocker stories and spirits who suffered tragedies related to the mines. All of these influences turned me into a sponge for creepy information and travel to notorious places. It reflects in what I enjoy writing about.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Writing is an amazing decompression tactic. Not only does it permit you to speak without being interrupted, but it also allows you to get things off your chest in your own words and on your own terms. You can tell your story that has the possibility of living long after your final breath, and that could change a life or help someone through a hard time generations after I am gone. Not all magicians depend on hat tricks 😉

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Oh, man. The hard question arrives.
I love Rod Serling for his magic with words, permission to explore the strange, and his work ethic. Cormac McCarthy has a raw and shocking style that hits with action and suspense. Of course my roots began with Poe and Lovecraft. Keeping it short, I admire anyone who is prolific and dedicated to the craft.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

They are incredible places to get lost in varieties of intriguing topics, and they are comfortable places to breathe the sweet scent of paper. Much like libraries, they feel more comfortable to me than churches. I
can only hope that they survive the internet markets.

 

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Not only do I find inspiration from happenings in my own life and knowledge, I feel it is hard to convey things to the page if you do not have at least a hint of experience with it yourself. Whether it is
a location, a person reflected in a character, or an emotion you feel in a moment in time. Research can definitely do the trick, but it can only go so far into the hearts of readers who have had the experience.

 

 

What motivates you to complete your (writing) work?

Honestly, I am motivated by the idea that I must get these stories finished and push them out into the world before somebody else does it their own way. My entire life has felt like there is a ripple in the universe or a thievery of ideas I have planted into the minds of others who ran with it and made something out of it that I had worked hard to piece together. If I wait too long to piece it together, somebody may grab hold of it and make a product that feels lackluster compared to what I would have done, and they get the credit for the idea while I would get accused of ripping off the idea.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

No!

 

Where can people find you and your work?

A fast Google search for Jay E. Bradstreet and JEB Empires will always get results.
A good way to find most of my social and contacts in one place is on my website http://www.JEBEmpires.com

Check out my Amazon author page. Please hit the FOLLOW button for much more to come and review my books…. https://www.amazon.com/Jay-E.-Bradstreet/e/B078M6RFBX%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

I guest blog for the Angels of Light Paranormal Society. Read some articles, see some pictures, and comment…. https://alpsyubasutter.blogspot.com/

Facebook is a good way to see photos and videos from the Shadow Travels https://www.facebook.com/jebradstreet and seek my JEB Empires page there.

Raw YouTube videos are at this channel link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT2R-Ac1VYzJCEIymmR6pQ

And I’m on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jebstreet/

Hardly use Twitter, but may give it more attention https://twitter.com/EmpiresJeb

You can review my Google business by searching for JEB Empires

Professional profile is on Linked In, just search for Jay E. Bradstreet

 

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Kelly Brakenhoff

 

 

 

Your Name: Kelly Brakenhoff

Genre(s) of your work: Cozy Mystery and Children’s Picture Books

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Cassandra Sato Series

Death by Dissertation/2019

Dead Week/2019

Dead End/2020

Dead of Winter Break/2020

Scavenger Haunt/2021

 

Duke the Deaf Dog ASL Series

Never Mind/2019

Farts Make Noise/2020

My Dawg Koa/2021

            Duke workbooks2021

 

 

 

Bio:

KELLY BRAKENHOFF is an American Sign Language Interpreter whose motivation for learning ASL began in high school when she wanted to converse with her deaf friends. Her first novel, DEATH BY DISSERTATION, kicked off the Cassandra Sato Mystery Series, followed by DEAD WEEK, DEAD OF WINTER BREAK, and two short stories. She also wrote NEVER MIND, FARTS MAKE NOISE, and MY DAWG KOA, featuring Duke the Deaf Dog. She serves on the Board of Editors for the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf publication, VIEWs. The mother of four young adults and a hunting dog, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

Since the time I was in college, mysteries and thrillers are my favorite books to read, so it was natural that the characters and setting of my books would form into mysteries. I like amateur sleuth mysteries because you can take everyday characters and put them into extreme situations and see how everyone reacts.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I have no free time.

I didn’t get serious about writing novels until my kids were in high school, and now we’re empty nesters. When I’m not working at my day job, I’m doing all the writing and publishing tasks. With constantly writing and learning how to get better, I will never be bored again.

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Growing up I was a real bookworm. I love Mark Twain and the Lord of the Rings. In mysteries: John Grisham, Mary Higgins Clark, Sue Grafton, and Janet Evanovich. I’ve been in an in-person book club for more than 20 years, and we read from every genre. Everything I learn helps me do a better job of storytelling. I also enjoy reading non-fiction like the 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson. It’s challenging, and I’ve found a few gems I’ll be able to use for characters in my books.

 

 

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

I’m going to get my books produced in audio in 2022. Personally I usually have at least one print non-fiction book going, a fiction book on my Kindle, and an audiobook on my phone where I listen in the car or around the house. I love being able to consume content, whether podcasts or books, in several formats. I think I’m like many people my age and younger who like to read but maybe don’t have time to sit in a chair all afternoon and splurge on a hardcover bestseller.

 

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

Marketing is mostly about making relationships with people who like the same things I do.

I enjoy chatting with my readers by email a couple of times per month. I try to share websites or articles I’ve found helpful that I think my readers will also find interesting. Often people respond back to me, and we have conversations about what’s going on in their lives. I’m a huge extrovert, so I really enjoy that opportunity to get to know new people.

 

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Since I write children’s books too, I do think that topics should be age appropriate. Parents are the first teachers of their children and should decide when their child is ready for different stages of finding out about the world. For example, I was that mom who wouldn’t let her ten-year-old son watch The Hulk at a birthday party because I worried it was too violent.

But as far as censored books for young adults and up, I disagree with censoring books because of language or historically uncomfortable topics. However, readers shouldn’t consume writing without thinking critically about it and discussing the difficult topics with other people to come to a better understanding about the context of the writing. If you don’t think about or discuss your response to the writing, it’s not as beneficial.

 

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

The mysteries are all available on Amazon and ebooks are in the Kindle Unlimited program. The short stories and children’s books are available on most platforms. Paperbacks can be ordered from any bookstore, or request that your local library purchase them. I also sell signed copies directly from my website.

Here’s my Linktree which includes all the ways to contact me. Thanks for having me on your blog and please keep in touch.

https://linktr.ee/kellybrakenhoff

 

 

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Dr. Ian D. Brooks

 

 

Your Name: Dr. Ian D. Brooks

Genre(s) of your work: Self-Help, Coaching, Personal Development

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s): 

Intention: Building Capabilities to Transform Your Story, 2021

 

 

Bio:

Starting off working in a clinical psychology ward then transitioning to work with “higher functioning individuals”, Dr. Ian D. Brooks has spent his 25+ year career helping people move forward. His clients include Netflix, Shondaland, Bank of America, Guitar Center, Nike Inc. Sony, and Warner Brothers. Dr. Brooks is the author of Intention: Building Capabilities to Transform Your Story; which integrates research and personal journey that drives readers toward introspection and action.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

The self-help genre ties to my educational and career experience where I believe my perspective is unique enough to move people forward. In summation, I choose this genre because I care about people being the best they can be.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Writing Intention has changed and altered my life in numerous ways.

The book offered me permission to open up about my thoughts on personal development in a way I had not allowed myself to do previously. Writing this book – much like journaling – provided a quiet sanctuary to document personal and client experience I gained over time. Writing required me to share details, paint a picture, and draw out emotions associated with client changes and their challenges. Further and in the moments of writing, I was evolving real-time by living the experiences I was writing about. Thus the book took on my personality and experience in way I could not have imagined when I first started.

Aside from the actual writing of the book, my life was also altered. The book brought clarity of my passion towards helping people in a one-on-one way; rather than across technical changes. For promotional purposes, the book required to become more engaged in social media and outspoken on my perspective. Prior to the book, my social media footprint was minimal and my opinions shared even less; yet, Intention required/demanded that I be seen and share my voice in a way that I shyed away from previously.

While Intention started as book written based on client experiences, I learned more about myself and grew as a result of its completion that I can only hope my readers/listeners can taste of what experience is like for themselves. It was a pleasure to be the author and my own client as I transformed my story.

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Langston Hughes

Malcom Gladwell

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Each of the three have mastered the art of storytelling. Their use of words to paint a picture from the eyes of the past, present, and future offers a lens of which readers can clearly see what the author is painting. Langston Hughes through his poetry and writings, Malcom Gladwell through his research and stories, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle through the woven picture of Sherlock Holmes mystery, have make it enjoyable to read their materials.

 

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

Audiobooks are here to stay and compliment hardcopy/e-books. In fact, audiobooks have been in around a lot longer than we consider. In graduate school, I recall reading textbooks for those who were blind or had reading disabilities. From a “mainstream”/non disability perspective where multitasking is the rule – not the exception and soundbites act gospel –, audiobooks play into the continuous demand to be on the move. Audiobooks allow listeners to gather information at anytime and anywhere without being tied to handheld books and in a quick fashion.

The type of book (non-fiction versus fiction) and narrator’s ability to tell a story, influence the listening experience and material retention. However, the use of audiobooks will only increase and continue to assist with different learning styles.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I believe mainstream/corporate bookstores are necessary to expand reach of authors in a way that smaller/independent bookstores have not in the past. Such consistent visibility and extension of viewership creates instant brand visibility and authors can connect to readers who may not have considered them in the past. This culminates in higher inventory and access for readers.

This does not mean they are perfect for all book titles or authors. Indie and independent bookstores have a connection to the community and niche demographic that is often missed by mainstream/corporate locations. This demographic connection allows indie and independent stores specialize the book buying experience for their market.

So I like mainstream/corporate bookstores in assisting with sales and volume; whereas, indie/independent bookstores allow for greater connection with readers.

 

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

The best marketing tool is the internet. It’s expansive, operates 24hrs a day/ 7 days a week, and offers real time sharing of information that isn’t constrained by time or space. The effective use of online advertising, social media, live streamed events, Podcasts, posted reviews on book forums, and websites can drive attention to desired audiences. Note that this marketing also diversifies the channels for distribution and easily establish a two way dialog to connect with and listen to your audience.

There are very few bad marketing tools as any tool used to capture an audience is worthwhile. Also, what may work for one author may not work for another. To rephrase the question, I would ask – where should you invest your energy and money in marketing? This is where internet data analytics and assessments of return on marketing investment shape where you place your time. If there are trends in data where emails are not being opened to capture your audiences attention, but site advertising is working better, then reinvesting more money in site advertising may prove more useful than email blasts.

A tool or method of marketing is only as good as the person conducting the marketing. So the person marketing must have a consistent message and interaction point for their audience. If not, then no matter how good the tool is, it will not be effective.

 

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

No. The art of writing and sharing of any topic, is intended to provide knowledge, belief, perspective or story. While some topics challenge societal norms or personal values, they have a place in expanding our thoughts, reinforcing our beliefs, or even allowing us to change sides.

In writing, authors are documenting a sense of truth – be it through fictional characters that build a story and take readers on a journey or non-fiction authors who are sharing their beliefs – through their eyes. Where topics that are taboo come into question – in my perspective – is centered around how authors provide and readers interpret the context regarding the topic. Taking topics as absolute misses how stories are built to paint a picture and that there is variation to how that picture is seen through the eyes of the reader.

Topics that are taboo for one person are not necessarily taboo for another. Even if a topic is taboo for these same two people, their tolerance for the messaging may vary based on their perspective and context.

We have to be careful regarding censorship as, just because a topic cannot be said through the lens of one person, doesn’t mean it still cannot wand will not be said.

 

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

My book Intention: Building Capabilities to Transform Your Story will be available on Amazon.com (in KDP and Print), Ingram Sparks, Good Reads, and at select bookstores across the country.

I can be found at http://www.RhodesSmith.com. This site offers access to my book, blog, news & press, as well as signing up for individual and group coaching sessions.

• Website – rhodessmith.com

• Amazon Link INSERT

• Twitter – DrB_Intention

• Instagram – DrB_Intention

 

 

 

****************************************

Vic Broquard

 

Name: Vic Broquard

Genre(s) of your work:

I’ve written a number of computer programming texts on C++, C#, and Windows MFC programming. Ten are in print today.

I’ve also written fifty-five published novels. My three genres are Sci-fi, fantasy, and YA.  I tend to write in series.

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Without Warning (fantasy)

The Trident Series: (fantasy)

Volume 1 The Trident and the Book  

Volume 2 The Trident and the Scepter         

Volume 3 The Trident and the Resurrection 

The Adventures of Elizabeth Stanton Series: (science fiction)

Volume 1 The Evolution of the Path  

Volume 2 The Great Messiah

Volume 3 Of Kings and Queens and Troubadours    

Volume 4 Chaos in the Aftermath     

Volume 5 Power Plays

Volume 6 Age of Exploration 

Volume 7 Abducted   

Volume 8 The Emperor and Empress

Volume 9 A Job Worth Doing

Volume 10 Degradation        

Volume 11 The Second Crusade        

Volume 12 When Worlds Collide      

Volume 13 Dark Ages

The Lindsey Barron Series: (fantasy YA)

Volume 1 The Rod of the Apocalypse

Volume 2 The Board of Governors    

Volume 3 The Crown of Moses         

Volume 4 Dominus for President      

Volume 5 The National Health Care Program          

Volume 6 States Justice         

Volume 7 Cross and Double-cross     

Volume 8 Down the Dragon Hole      

Zoran Chronicles Series: (fantasy)

Volume 1 A Dragon in Our Town      

Volume 2 Dragons, Power, Courts, and War

Planet of the Orange-red Sun Series: (science fiction)

Volume 1 When Kingdoms Fall          

Volume 2 Dark Ages  

Volume 3 Age of the Towers 

Volume 4 Difficillis Exitus

Volume 5 Age of the Lords    

Volume 6 The Renegade Tower        

Volume 7 Rebellions  

Volume 8 The Aliens Return  

Volume 9 Power Struggles    

Volume 10 Guilds, Genetics, and Gods          

Volume 11 Magi, Witches, Swords, and Superstitions          

Volume 12 The Voyage of the Eagle’s Seed  

Volume 13 Eagle’s Seed and Origins 

Volume 14 Justifications        

Volume 15 Responsibilities

The Return of the Wizards: Twelve Companions – The Making of Wizards (fantasy)

Slow Comes the Dark Series: (science fiction)

Volume 1 Creeping Darkness

Volume 2 Serendipity

Volume 3 Darkness Descends

Volume 4 Perversion Incarnate         

Volume 5 Extermination Wars

Reclamation Series (science fiction)

Volume 1 For the Want of a Pill        

Volume 2 Organ Donors        

Dragons, Magic, and Me (fantasy)

            Volume 1 The Box

Sol Empire (science fiction) due out this year

            Volume 1 For the Want of Humanity

            Volume 2 Fear

            Volume 3 Greed

The Three Friend’s Grand Plan (fantasy) also due out this year

Out of print works:

Intermediate MFC, Broquard, Prentice Hall, 1998, ISBN 0-13-848276-4

Programming with OWL for Windows 95, Broquard, Prentice Hall, 1997, ISBN 0-13-492273-5

Programming with MFC for Windows 95, Broquard, Prentice Hall, 1996, ISBN 0-13-459546-7

Fundamentals Of Assembler Language For The IBM PC/XT, Broquard and Westley, Merrill, 1990, ISBN 0675-210585-01

Structured Problem Analysis and Logic Design, Broquard and Westley, Prentice Hall, 1985

In the Fantasy Area:
The Jingling Mordo Circus, Broquard, TSR: Dungeon Adventures, 1987
Underdark Tunnel Design, Broquard, TSR: Dragon Magazine, 1988

 

Bio:

Professor Vic Broquard has over thirty-five years experience in the computer programming field. He has programmed in the engineering arena as well as the business and systems programming areas. For the last twenty years up to 2010, he has taught full-time at a Midwestern junior college.

He also does Windows programming consulting for several local firms. He has had three Windows programming books published by Prentice Hall and was the primary author for two other published programming books.

In 1999, he received the “Gallion Award” for excellence in teaching. It is an award given by the students each year for the best teacher at the college.

His books reflect his teaching style and attitude. In his words, “I try to communicate the information in a manner that is easily understood by the student. I am application oriented. That means you will not find my books theoretical in nature nor a rewritten language reference manual. Rather, they are very readable and emphasize the actual doingness of programming. My students end up being able to actually write computer programs in the real-world. In the final analysis, the ability of someone to actually “do it” is what is vitally important.”

He is now retired from teaching and writing novels full-time.

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

Why I Write Fantasy Novels

I get an enormous amount of pleasure and satisfaction from writing fantasy novels for three key reasons.

One, magic. What would life be like if one could cast magical spells? Such spells range from protection spells, such as my Skin of Stone spell – which protects the body from physical blows from things as sword strikes and even bullets, to offensive spells such as a Ball of Fire. Let your imagination flow freely and then ask yourself just what would live be like for you if you could do such things? Intriguing.

Two, mental skills that mimic magical spells. Often called psi powers, the same considerations apply. What would life be like if you had powers of the mind at your disposal, such as telepathy, telekinesis, and many more? Again, I find such notions highly intriguing.

Three, character development and interaction. I enjoy mocking up unique characters and then “wearing their hat,” writing as though I was that person. In fact, in one novel, I had a high action chapter involving seven quite different and unique characters constantly interacting with each other, making a fascinating read.

Back in the 1980’s, I played a lot of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, even going so far as having an article published in the Dragon magazine and a game module in the Dungeon magazine. That, coupled with my love of Tolkien, led me to write my first such novel, The Return of the Wizards.

From there, I decided to merge magic spells and psi powers. The result was the Trident Series, which also became a love story as well. In the third book in that series, you can find the chapter with the seven characters in action that I mentioned above. Jon Brown has the psi powers, while his new friends have magical spell casting abilities. His friends are each very unique with strong personalities, quite divergent from each other.

One of my students once asked me why I didn’t have a novel involving dragons. So I wrote the Zoran Chronicles in response, making dragons the focal point of that series.

Harry Potter was impressive. I just knew that I had to respond. After all, the US needs its own version. Thus, I began writing the Lindsey Barron series, which soon grew to six novels to tell her complete story.

Then, later on, I added a twist. People can change. What would happen if the main evil wizard that haunted Lindsey in those six books suddenly changed – for the better? Enter the recent addition of the seventh novel in that scene! I’m just now finishing up the 8th, continuing  to explore that huge personality change.

Several years back, they did a remake of Alice in Wonderland as a short mini-series. Impressed with it, I decided to try my hand at writing something akin to Alice. The result was Without Warning, a fanciful wonderland-like fantasy novel.

 

What I Like Most About Writing Science Fiction

Evolution of people and societies over long time spans. I was inspired to tackle such a broad span by Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover series of many novels, which still ranks as one of my favorites of all time.

Okay, what exactly do I mean by “evolution?” There are many, many good sci-fi novels but it takes a whole series of novels to cover say five hundred years of a society’s development. Perhaps, my background in anthropology also tends to push me along these lines.

The fifteen novels in the series Planet of the Orange-red Sun begins with a primitive society located on the fringes of the galaxy stuck in what one might call the Bronze Age of development. Their planet has almost no heavier elements. Iron is so rare that a steel sword is worth “millions.” How can such a society develop beyond such a point?

Just how can a people develop and progress as a society if some have such powerful gifts, while others lack them totally? One solution that is followed is to allow these incredibly powerful people to be the sole rulers of the various kingdoms. Ah, with such ultimate power and no checks on their powers one might well anticipate major disasters will follow.

Does this relate to our own time where giant corporations control so much of our society and dump billions into getting certain candidates elected to political offices?

Evolution of societies: one of the key principle that unfolds is that “the solution to today’s problem becomes tomorrow’s problem.” A secondary key principle is that aberration in behavior is and can be easily transmitted down through many generations, though it can become twisted and distorted as it carries on through the centuries…

…I’m looking at my second viewpoint of evolution – that of aberration or how traumatic events propagate down the ages. For example, a parent abuses child; child grows up and abuses his children in a similar manner. Or a person is raped and thereafter the person is afraid, fearful of … Many of current TV shows are dramatizing this type of situation.

Coupled intimately with this is my personal belief that we are all immortal spiritual beings who have a mind and who are inhabiting human bodies. Call it Karma or whatever, but this notion is reflected in many religions.

An individual person can suffer very traumatic events, events that cause severe pain and unconsciousness or tremendous personal loss. Likewise, a whole society can also undergo a severe trauma. While society is beginning to accept the fact that these traumas can adversely affect the person for the rest of their lifetimes unless healed, my proposition is that since the person, the being, is immortal and will have further lifetimes (Karma or whatever), that trauma is still there and can still impact them in their future lives.

Worse, we tend to forget previous lifetimes. We try to avoid pain, and that other body did just die somehow. Also, the old out of sight, out of mind kicks in. We forget things, especially if those things are no longer present anywhere in our lives. Best left forgotten is frequently the norm. Yet, that un-erased, un-handled trauma is still there, buried deep in what many call our unconscious minds and can still impact our lives.

Just how do, why, and what do such traumatic events have on people and upon a society as a whole? This, then, is the second aspect of evolution that so intrigues me and which I often explore when writing science fiction novels.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

It has broadened my grasp and understanding of people and society.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series

Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover series

Roger Zelazny’s Amber series

Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series

Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassin series

Tolkien’s  Lord of the Rings and Hobbit

In all cases, because they fuel my imagination and I can follow a character across time.

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

They should buy and sell more Indie published books.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

That there are parallels to our own world and times. That there is hope for the future. That there are ways to deal with disabilities. That there are ways to erase trauma, physical and emotional. What can happen if a person has more than one lifetime… Oh, and be entertained, lol.

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

In my textbooks, my experience is everything.

However, in my novels, my exposure to the erasure of trauma plays a role. I want others to know and have hope. Beyond that, I mostly study and observe others, reflecting off them.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

I’m a panster. When I get an idea for a story, I simply have to tell it. Usually, I have a starting point and an ending point in mind. Then, I’m off, allowing the story and characters to develop as I write.

The problem is that I get too many ideas. Right now, for example, I have eight novels in progress – just got another great idea and started its chapter 1 this week. This year, home remodeling and vacation has cut into my writing time.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

Many misspelled words. Horrible grammar. Obtuse writing. Pages of unfamiliar words that aren’t defined. And most of all, boring material that goes on and on.

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Nothing should be taboo. Nothing should be censored. HOWEVER, book covers should carry red warning labels, such as Hateful Material, Pornographic, Polarizing Views, Fake News etc.

I don’t want school children reading erotic stories or hate inciting materials, for example. That’s one other reason I like Amazon’s Look Inside feature, so I can get an idea of what the book contains before I buy.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

Many misspelled words, bad grammar and punctuation turn me off right away. Where’s the Editor?

A story that goes nowhere, a story that is banal, especially in dialog, and one with overly flowery (literary fiction) prose or lengthy, page after page descriptions also turn me off.

 

Where can people find you and your work?

http://amazon.com/author/vic-broquard

http://www.broquard-ebooks.com

http://www.broquard-ebooks.com /blog

On Social Media:

Facebook

Google+

LinkedIn

YouTube

 

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J. Lee Burke

 

Name: J. Lee Burke

Genre(s) of your work: Suspense thriller

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Blackrock Island, 2017

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I enjoy writing crime fiction and leading my main character on a quest for truth and on a wild adventure.

 

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

After working with Elmore Leonard for several years, I learned a lot about the writing process and how to think about and create the “bad guys” in my work.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Hemingway’s writing is a great example of tight terse prose and simplistic style of writing. Elmore Leonard is exceptional in the way he treats dialogue. Agatha Christie keeps the reader guessing ‘who done it’ until the very end.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

They have a job to do, but it would be nice to be able to present books even if you are not a ‘big name’ author.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

A sense of what the human condition is in the work and how they can apply it in their own lives. Also, I hope the readers enjoy the main character and they want to continue reading about her or him.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Some of the experiences have been enjoyed by the author, but overall, it is fiction.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

Once you are into the story, there is a drive to keep writing it until the end. The ideas for the story help motivate me to continue writing.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

It is usually time and not the writing. I am a selective reader.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Yes, especially for children.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

Leave out the prologue.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, eBooks, Kindle, Nook, libraries

JLeeBurke.com

 

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David Busboom

 

Your Name: David Busboom

Genre(s) of your work: Horror/Speculative Fiction

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Nightbird (Unnerving, 2018)

Every Crawling, Putrid Thing (JournalStone, 2022)

Bio:

David Busboom is a writer, science editor, and lifelong Illinoisan whose fiction has appeared in Unnerving Magazine, the Saturday Evening Post, MYTHIC, and Planet Scumm, among others. His debut collection is Every Crawling, Putrid Thing (JournalStone, 2022).

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

Growing up in a castle in the middle of Illinois (go ahead and Google “Busboom Castle” if you want to know what I mean), I was already in love with fantasy before I could read. By the time I started submitting stories in my early teens, that love had grown to include science fiction as well. I was always a frightened kid, too afraid to watch most horror films. Even a trailer on TV for something like The Ring would give me nightmares. I think that’s why, when I finally did get into horror around that time, it felt significant—like I was facing something, or like a part of me had just grown up a little.

When I sold my first story a few years later, it was a horror story. I’ve written many fantasy, science fiction, and crime stories since, and even sold some of them, but most of my output continues to be rooted in horror. I remember what it’s like to be afraid of the dark, afraid of the shadows in your own home. Writing about the imagined inhabitants of those shadows keeps me connected to that scared little boy and helps me cope with the more mundane but all-too-real fears of adulthood.

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Writing is both my outlet and my shelter. Ever since grade school, it’s gotten me through some of the worst moments of my life, helped me cherish some of the best, and revealed things about myself I might never have realized. It’s also opened me up to a whole community I’d not have otherwise, of fellow writers, editors, and artists met online or at conventions. And, perhaps most importantly, writing is what led me to meet my partner, Shelby, in college. We’ve been together almost eight years now, with a house and a dog and insurance, the whole shebang. If it weren’t for us both being on the staff of the campus lit mag, I’m not sure we’d have found each other.

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Brian Jacques is the writer who made me want to write in the first place. His Redwall series remains among my favorites to this day. Frank Herbert showed what great worldbuilding can do, and how it can be seamlessly and inextricably incorporated into a story’s themes. H. P. Lovecraft, despite his reprehensible qualities as a human being, could evoke pure creeping dread like few others ever have (and his ideas spawned a plethora of excellent stories by those who came after, some of which far eclipse anything Lovecraft himself wrote). And, finally, Ray Bradbury. He is my desert island writer, the writer I cannot live without, the writer with whom I identify the most, the writer whose heights I strive to reach.

I realize this is a very homogenous quartet of dead white men, so perhaps I should clarify that these are my formative writers, the ones who influenced me the most as I was deciding in my teens and early twenties what kind of writer I wanted to be. Among my living favorites (who are honestly too numerous to list in full) I count Laird Barron, Ted Chiang, Samuel R. Delaney, Kathe Koja, Carmen Maria Machado, and Cormac McCarthy as exemplary of the very best. Machado has done so much with only two books that, even if she never wrote again, I think her place in the literary pantheon would be secure for decades if not centuries to come. And, of course, I’ll always have a soft spot for good ole’ Uncle Stevie.

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

Audiobooks are just another way to read. I don’t think they’ll ever replace print books, but they’ve been around for decades and they’re clearly here to stay, and I think that’s a good thing. They make books more accessible, and only an asshole would take umbrage at that. I most enjoy listening to audiobooks whenever I’m doing chores around the house or taking my dog for a long, leisurely walk.

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

Hey, Barnes & Noble finally brought back the dedicated Horror section, so they can’t be that bad, right? And it still beats getting your books from Amazon by a country mile. But, given the choice, I always prefer to support my local indie shops (shoutout to Jane Addams Book Shop and The Literary in Champaign, and Priceless Books in Urbana).

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

I’ll be the first to admit that marketing is not something I think I’m very good at. In general, I try to just be myself and not spam people. If I see a tweet or a post that says “drop your links here, fellow authors” or something like that, I almost always take part, but I don’t generally do self-promotional posts on my own more than a few times a week, if that. I’m trying to get better about reaching out to blogs (like this one!) or podcasts when I have something to promote, but it all still feels a bit weird to me. I suppose I’ll get over it eventually.

One thing I know NOT to do (because it’s been done to me and I hated it), is to DM unsolicited links to strangers with little or no preamble beyond “buy my book!” That’s one of the fastest ways to make a bad first impression.

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

No. I mean, if your writing advocates for eugenics or marital rape or something, then fuck you, you know? But stories dealing with those topics (or worse) can still be compelling and worthwhile. Lolita, for instance, deals with a horrifying subject in a way that is sensitive, artful, and scathing all at once.

What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?

I don’t really have a strong opinion about them one way or another, though I rarely use them myself unless they’re explicitly requested. I’ve read and heard convincing arguments both for and against, and I certainly don’t want to do anyone harm, but such warnings seem most useful when dealing with specific traumas (like sexual abuse or self-harm) rather than broader concepts like racism or misogyny, which can encompass a much wider variety of behavior or content (for example, “TW: racism” could refer to anything from a slur appearing in a single line of dialogue to a graphic depiction of a lynching, so I wonder how helpful it actually is to people with related trauma; then again, I’m no expert).

If an editor or publisher wanted a trigger warning attached to one of my published books or stories, I don’t think I’d be opposed, especially if I could approve the wording and/or placement of the warning itself. If they’re going to be used, I like the idea of standardizing an unobtrusive position for them somewhere in the front matter, such that they are easily skipped or ignored by those who don’t want them and easily found by those who do.

Where can people find you and your work?

August 19-20, 2022 they can find me and my work at Dark History & Horror Con at the iHotel in Champaign, Illinois! But for those who can’t make it, here are the usual links:

 Website/Blog: davidbusboom.com

Twitter: @DavidBusboom
Facebook: facebook.com/busboom1

Amazon (if you must): https://rb.gy/gwin1w

 

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Liz Butcher

 

Your Name: Liz Butcher

Genre(s) of your work: Horror/Dark Fantasy/Speculative Fiction

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

• 2018, After Dark (Short stories)

• 2019, Fates’ Fury

• 2020, LeRoux Manor

• 2021, Never, Never

 

 

Bio:

Liz Butcher resides in Australia, with her husband, daughter, and their two cats. She’s a self-confessed nerd with a BA in psychology and an insatiable fascination for learning. Liz has published a number of short stories in anthologies and has released her own collection, After Dark, in 2018. Her debut novel, Fates’ Fury released September 2019, soon followed with LeRoux Manor in September 2020 and Never, Never in 2021.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

It wasn’t really a conscious decision. I just started writing the stories that popped into my head and this just seems to be the genres with which I naturally align. Though there is crossover with other genres.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Immensely! It’s given me the opportunity to pursue my greatest passion in a full-time capacity.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

There are so many! I would have to say Stephen King is the forerunner, as I started reading his work when I was about ten, so he was really my first adult author. I love that he writes across a number of genres too. Anne Rice is another favourite of mine.

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

I think they’re the wave of the future in the same way that kindles etc were a few years ago. There will always be people who prefer to hold a physical book, but with our busy lifestyles there is such an appeal to the freedom of listening to a book while multitasking.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

Honestly, I don’t really have one. I just love bookstores regardless.

 

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

Marketing is something which is still a massive learning curve for me and I’ve yet to come close to nailing it.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

No. Never. I feel that writing about topics that are considered taboo or confronting can help shine light on those topics. Start conversations, create interest, learning and understanding.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Website: https://lizbutcherauthor.com.au

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lunaloveliz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lunaloveliz/
Tiktok: @lunaloveliz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Liz-Butcher-1394868604152823/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13845425.Liz_Butcher

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/lizbutcherauthor/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00X6XN5O6

 

 

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Desiree Byars

 

Name: Desiree Byars

Genre(s) of your work: Horror

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Patchwork, March 13.2020

 

 

Bio:

I’m Desiree Byars. I’m a nerd and currently live in Texas. I write, read, and play video games. I have a house full of animals from my years of rescue work.

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

Horror is something I’ve always been drawn to, as far back as I can remember. My very first short story was written at six years old, and was horror. I’m sure my therapist could dig deep and try to figure out why. It’s what I love reading, writing, playing … I wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I’m not much of a people person. Like many others I have fairly severe anxiety, self-esteem is often in the toilet, etc. Writing and going to conventions and talking to people is changing that. I’m learning to believe in myself and my work, see that I really do have something to offer the world, and meet people I otherwise would have shied away from.

 

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Way too many to list them all. The obvious is Stephen King. These days I prefer his son, Joe Hill, to him. Joe is fresher, and I think takes a much shorter road through the story than his father tends to. The Deep by Nick Cutter will always be a favorite; I really need to get on to more of his work. I like some of the extreme horror, splatterpunk stuff, such as Edward Lee. There are independent authors I enjoy. Jae Mazer writes excellent horror with strong female characters, I love her stuff. Mike Lane has some short stories out in the world that are wonderful, highly detailed, big worlds, deep meanings.

 

 

 

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

I think they’re in between. It’s not a new thing, some people being visual and others being auditory, others being hands on. There will always be people that prefer to listen to their books and get more out of them that way. There will always be long commutes when it’s easier to play a book through the radio while you’re stuck in traffic. I have an author friend who listens to them while he writes. I don’t think they’re going anywhere. On the other hand, there will always be people like myself, who don’t do well with audiobooks. I struggle to follow sometimes when things are being read to me. I must physically read it myself to get the full experience. So definitely not a fad; I think they’re here to stay.

 

 

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

There is a piece of me in a lot of my stories. I’ve had a lot of experiences in life, both good and bad, I draw from to write. It’s very easy to take a time I was rejected, or something traumatic that happened to me, and spin it into a tale I have control over. That’s what happened with the final story in Patchwork, Dear Cricket. It’s a story loosely based on an experience in my life when I was a teenager. I wrote the story and I had full control over how it ended. So in that way, it’s therapeutic. I think each protagonist I write, and even some antagonists, have a little bit of me somewhere in there.

 

 

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

I don’t. I wrote about things in Patchwork people will not like. The first story has a dog in it, the last story is about child molestation. When I wrote it, I pulled back, because nobody wants to read a detailed account of child sexual abuse. In this case, it served the story, and without that element the story would have never worked. So if you censor me, or other writers, and say NO ANIMALS or NO CHILD ABUSE or NO whatever, my book doesn’t get written. There are cases where we write what we write to help people. I wrote Dear Cricket as a way for other victims of sexual abuse to have a few minutes in their day where they got to win. If you censor me based solely on that content, those readers never get that. If it serves the story, I will go there. I’m a firm believer in if it’s too much for you, put the book down. Turn the channel. Scroll on by. Of course, obvious disclaimer, some books aren’t meant for children, including mine. That’s a parental choice. But overall censorship? No.

 

 

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

http://www.scriptorcorruptus.com
https://www.facebook.com/DesireeByarsAuthor/
IG: desiree_byars_author
http://www.amazon.com/author/desireebyars

 

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Pat Camalliere

 

 

Your name: Pat Camalliere

Genre: Mystery, historical, amateur sleuth

 

Titles/Year Published:

The Mystery at Mount Forest Island, 2020

The Mystery at Black Partridge Woods, 2016

The Mystery at Sag Bridge, 2015

 

 

Bio:    

Camalliere is the author of the popular, five-star rated and award-winning Cora Tozzi Historical Mystery Series, which is set in Lemont, where she lives with her husband. A resident of Lemont for over twenty years, Camalliere wants to introduce readers to the unique places and history of the area through her character-driven mystery novels. She serves on the boards of the Lemont Area Historical Society and the Lemont Public Library District, and is a member of the Society of Midland Authors, Chicago Writers Association, and Sisters In Crime. She speaks locally on a number of topics, and writes a blog about Northern Illinois history. Visit her web site at www.patcamallierebooks.com.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre you do?

One summer between seventh and eighth grades out of boredom I searched our attic and found an entire box of Perry Mason mysteries. My mother reluctantly allowed me to read them—the whole box before school started, and I’ve been hooked on mysteries ever since. After I retired, I decided to see if I had any writing talent. At my age I knew if it was ever going to happen at all, I had to focus right away on the things I loved: the community I lived in, my love for mysteries, an interest in the past, and the unique and oddball sides of life. So I threw all of that into my first novel, The Mystery at Sag Bridge, about a retired historian who had recently lost her mother and was being haunted by the ghost of a young woman who left behind a child when she was murdered in 1898. The mystery was to find the ghost’s killer as a very cold case, set in a historic graveyard in a forest preserve near suburban Chicago.

The book was popular locally, and my fans loved the characters, the things I revealed about the area, and the touch of the paranormal. I couldn’t disappoint them by eliminating any of these elements in my following books.

 

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

For me, yes, because I wanted my writing to be read. To be commercially popular, a writer must spend vast amounts of time not only writing and perfecting her work, but pursuing ways for readers to find it. Even if you are writing only for your own pleasure, though, that pleasure is achieved only after producing something you can be proud of, and requires a great deal of thought, study, and revision. The bottom line here is that writing not only takes a lot of time it can be close to being an obsession.

Because I am interested in history, I write a blog on local and Northern Illinois history. I never thought I would enjoy public speaking, but I do. It’s a very satisfactory way of sharing my experience as a writer as well as the knowledge I gained through research. Perhaps my biggest pleasure is that I have met so many wonderful and supportive people that I would never have known if I weren’t a writer, and their honest respect of my work has been personally rewarding.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Surprisingly, I read in my genre, but when I read for pleasure I turn to police procedurals, crime books set in Western United States, and legal thrillers. I have a variety of favorite writers: Elizabeth George, C. J. Box, Jo Nesbo, Scott Turow, Georges Simenon, Craig Johnson, William Kent Kreuger, Nevada Barr, and Ken Follett.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

A lot! My personal memories are scattered through my books, often with changes for effect. I enhance  backstories, giving the experience to different characters. My characters can be based on people I knew, but are blends. I use a lot of dialog and I role-play that to make conversations more realistic. But probably the biggest impact of personal experience comes into play in showing the story’s emotional impact on the characters. It is easier to write emotion that you have lived. There’s a quote—historians tell you what happened, but a novelist shows you how it felt. Something like that. That’s the power of story, and to develop that power I have to put myself in that character’s place. Often the best way to do that is to take myself into a similar emotionally-impactful memory, and get those feelings on the page. The writer is always looking for her character’s reaction, analysis, and decisions. Those are driven by emotion, even with logical characters.

My first book, The Mystery At Mount Forest Island, came from some poltergeist-type experiences I had had throughout life. I asked myself, what if these are not coincidences but there is a presence behind them? What might that look like? Those experiences and questions formed the basis of my plot.

 

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Please visit my website, www.patcamallierebooks.com. You can also view my blog there, where I have written many articles about local history, focusing on quirky and little-known events. Please leave a comment; I love to engage with readers.

My books are available in paperback and Kindle at Amazon. Here’s the link to my newest release : https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Mount-Forest-Island-Historical/dp/1937484726/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1586187132&sr=8-1

In addition, my books can be purchased locally in a few stores, and I sign books at frequent speaking engagements, book club discussions, local festivals, and the like. Now that Covid-19 has put a stop to personal meetings, changes will be in order. Of course that’s disappointing, as I so enjoy talking with readers personally. I’m sure we’ll work it out somehow.

 

 

 

Other things I’d like to say?

I think I’m fortunate to live in a very interesting place, and it is a big advantage to be able to pull stories from the area. Lemont, unlike other areas in suburban Chicago, is semi-isolated, sitting on a bluff and bordered by the Des Plaines River, and surrounded by woods and farms rather than subdivisions and shopping centers. Not only is the geography interesting, but the history is quirky. And the area is noted for its ghost stories, rich in ideas for mystery writers, and my fans love that I am taking them to places that are familiar. My books allow them to see where they live in a new way.

My books have a common theme of solidarity between families and friends and explore the profound connections in relationships. In particular, all three books deal with the importance of motherhood in some way, interweaving dependencies between past and present. In The Mystery at Sag Bridge, the main character is grieving the loss of her mother, and the ghost who is haunting her is grieving the loss of a daughter, which creates a bond between the two. In The Mystery at Black Partridge Woods, a Potawatomi mother is searching for a killer in order to free her son from imprisonment. And in The Mystery at Mount Forest Island, a blind and friendless woman is searching for the mother that deserted her when she was a teen. They never start out with that theme, but as the meaning of the story develops mothers are always involved in an important way. I can already see that pattern taking place in my next book.

 

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Keith Carmack

 

Name: Keith Carmack

Genre(s) of your work: Comic Books, mostly. Sci-fi and Fantasy

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Victorie City – IDW Publishing / 2016

Current – Self-Published / 2017

The Fog of Severed Peaks – Self-Published / 2018

 

 

Bio:

Keith Carmack is a filmmaker, writer, and musician. He directed and scored the feature full length documentary Is This Heaven? which won Best Documentary at the Frozen Film Festival 2016 in St. Paul, MN. He created the series Victorie City, published by IDW Publishing, is a contributing artist in the 44FLOOD anthology, TOME Volume 2: MELANCHOLIA, and has producer credits for Ben Templesmith’s THE SQUIDDER and DAGON graphic novels.

“Writing is personal and my writing is no different. I attempt to infect my characters with experiences that I’ve had, emotions and reactions that are honest and real, and mold it into a story that informs the reader of a truth that they’ve never pinpointed, but always knew was present.”

 

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

Ideas come and you work with what you’ve got the energy for. I’d love to write a novel about the plight of man, but it’s too hard to tackle; a story about twin Viking girls taking on a tyrant King is more my speed.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I drink a lot more wine now.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Hemingway. I read The Old Man and the Sea when I was whatever age you are in the fifth grade and I maintain it’s a near-perfect novel. I romanticized the idea of him, Fitzgerald and the rest, the lost generation, running around Paris. They were celebrating having won the great war and now they could be artists. I want to feel like I’m through with the fight and just be an artist.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

The cool kid club.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

I want them to have fun. I want them to enjoy a story. Storytelling is as old as mankind, to be good at it is the ability to entertain the masses.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

There is plenty in there. Even though I try to continually mix it up with characters from different background, you can’t help but throw in anecdotes from your own life.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

It’s a feeling like if you don’t get it done you’re going to explode.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

Thin plot connections and bad character motivation.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Not really. Things that are blatantly over the line won’t last.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

Yeah. “Hey, I’m gonna start with a big action scene and then cut to one week earlier when the character was just a lonely writer in a coffee shop, depressed about getting dumped, eating a sandwich and staring at his macbook!”

“Oh, yeah!? So it’s a story about a writer trying to write and then something insane happens!? Have you ever considered the reason you only have this one idea is because you’re a writer trying to write and you haven’t taken any chances or experienced anything!?”

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Keithcarmack.com

amazon.com/author/keithcarmack

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Angel Chadwick

 

Name:  Angel Chadwick

Genre(s) of your work:   International Crime Mystery/Thriller/Multicultural Romance/Suspense/ Action/Adventure/Horror/Sci-fi, Poetry/Memoir

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Weeping Well (2017)

Corridors of My Mind (2014)

 

 

Bio:

Angel M.B. Chadwick is currently writing the sequel to the “Weeping Well” series, titled “Weeping Well: Shards to the Grave.” She’s also writing a twelve book cozy mysteries series, numerous plays, novels, short stories, among her other literary works, business ideas and inventions all while raising her ten year old son. She has traveled all over the world starting in her teens and hopes to do it again soon. She currently lives in Mississippi, in a quaint little house on the corner, in a quiet neighborhood in the city, where she is constantly and relentlessly plagued by inspiration.

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I write in all genres, with the exception of erotica. I like writing mostly crime mystery/thrillers and sci-fantasy. I like the suspense, whodunit, the mystery. With sci-fi fantasy I like all that entails, especially the world building. But I prefer writing all genres and mixing those genres, because I like what I can do with the aspects of their genres by mixing them together and developing something that everyone can relate to, or evokes emotion or some sort of feeling in them that is genuine, real and human.

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I like the dark stuff so Edgar Allan Poe and his works are one, but I also like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bret Harte, Tennessee Williams, William Shakespeare,  Washington Irving, Sylvia Plath to name a few. I love how deep, raw, tragic their characters are. Ralph Waldo Emerson I like the value of his words, their authenticity. These authors works speak to me in depth on so many levels.  I can relate to it.

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

All of it. Authenticity, depth and  emotion are very important to me when writing.  So why not use my own experiences.

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

What would make me not want to even entertain reading a book would be a book length blurb. You’ve told me everything I needed to know about the book, why would I want to read it, when basically I’ve already read it from the blurb.  For this reason, I don’t make a habit of reading blurbs, if they’re too long.

I also don’t read books with lengthy (like book report long) blurbs. To me it’s like going to a movie after you’ve been told all the spoilers or a good bit of them.  I don’t like spoilers. I rather find out what happens and have my own thoughts and opinions about it.

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

I don’t like first person. But I have made exceptions. But I don’t read a lot of first person  unless it’s the classics.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

https://www.amazon.com/Mrs.-Angel-M.B.-Chadwick/e/B00O4KZI8Q/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

 https://www.facebook.com/angel.chadwick.10

https://twitter.com/goddessamabo23

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9476119.Angel_M_B_Chadwick

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9476119.Angel_M_B_Chadwick/blog

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Weeping-Well-Angel-Chadwick-ebook/dp/B01NAOJ4O5/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503340779&sr=8-1&keywords=weeping+well

https://www.amazon.com/Weeping-Well-Mrs-Angel-Chadwick/dp/1541341082/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1503340779&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weeping-Well-Mrs-Angel-Chadwick/dp/1541341082/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503340874&sr=8-1&keywords=weeping+well

https://www.amazon.com/Corridors-My-Mind-Angel-Chadwick-ebook/dp/B00NLOM0HI/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

https://www.amazon.com/Corridors-Mind-Mrs-Angel-Chadwick/dp/1500796328/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Corridors-My-Mind-Angel-Chadwick-ebook/dp/B00NLOM0HI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503427777&sr=8-1&keywords=corridors+of+my+mind

 

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Cynthia Clampitt

 

Name: Cynthia Clampitt

Genre(s) of your work: Nonfiction, primarily food history and travel

 

 

Titles/Years of Published Works:

Midwest Maize: How Corn Shaped the U.S. Heartland (2015)

Waltzing Australia (2007)

On Amazon now for pre-order, but released October 8, 2018: Pigs, Pork, and Heartland Hogs: From Wild Boar to Baconfest

 

 

 

Bio/How Writing Shaped my Life:

I am a writer, speaker, and food historian. I have written since childhood, but I didn’t consider writing as a career until I’d spent a decade in the corporate world. Eventually, I realized that I really did need to write, but in order to write, I’d have to get out of the corporate world. So I saved my money for a few years, and then I quit. Wanting both to get away from it all and to test myself a bit, find out who I was, I headed for Australia, undertaking a six-month, 20,000-mile journey around and across the continent. This trip became the subject of my book Waltzing Australia. But it was just the beginning of the adventure for me.

I built my new career around history, geography, food, and travel. I did spend a couple of years with a job in retail, to get insurance and a bit of income while I got my career started. But I wrote all the time, and soon I could leave retail behind. I wrote about travel and food for magazines, but I also wrote history and geography books, in time working for every major educational publisher in the U.S., including the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and National Geographic Learning. However, over the last two decades, food history and the relationship between food and culture began to increasingly consume my attention. My food history research took me all over the world, and I wrote a food history column for fourteen years.

In the last few years, my research has increasingly focused on one of the richest agricultural areas in the world: the American Midwest. The outcome of this new fascination was the book Midwest Maize. Maize/corn is a far more exciting topic than most people would imagine, connected to everything from vampires to time zones, football teams to railroads, Pilgrims to popcorn, the frontier to the snack aisle. Plus, for anyone curious about food-related issues that face us today, in a world dominated by maize/corn, this book can help bring some clarity.

Continuing the Midwest theme, though including some of my wider travels, I focused next on pigs and pork—the most commonly eaten meat in the world and a creature whose story in the U.S. is intimately interwoven with the story of corn. So my next book—Pigs, Pork, and Heartland Hogs—followed naturally from the corn book. And, again, this is a remarkable tale filled with interesting surprises (and a few great recipes).

In addition to books, because I love sharing what I learn as I research and explore, I do a considerable amount of public speaking (food history and travel) and have three blogs. So writing fills my days, but so does learning, because one can’t pour out until one is filled up. Or, as Stephen King famously stated it, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

I’m not going to get rich writing about food and travel, but I’m having a great time.

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I find nonfiction to be wildly exhilarating. It is unpredictable and fascinating, and it is intimately connected with our humanity. It ties together so many other aspects of history, from hunger-motivated conquests to desire-driven international trade in spices.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

So many, it’s hard to narrow it down. I love Mark Kurlansky, as he does so much great food history. Joan Didion’s essays and Edna St. Vincent Millay’s poems resonate. Tom Wolfe is always a great read – keen eye, razor wit. But to be honest, I’m sort of all over the place, from C.S. Forester to C.S. Lewis, Arthur Upfield to Harold McGee to the classics (Melville, Shakespeare, Byron)—anything that uses language brilliantly, shares great insights into human nature, reveals important elements of history, and/or spins a great tale. But most of the time, I pick books by topic rather than author—either something that has caught my attention or, more often, whatever I’m researching for my next trip, magazine article, or book.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I love bookstores. I’m sorry to see so many of them struggling. But I love being somewhere that is filled with books and people who read, and where employees just might be able to guide you to something you didn’t realize was available. So, essentially, I love them for the same reason I love libraries, except with bookstores, you get to keep the books you take home.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

I hope they have a sense of wonder about how we got to where we are today and how remarkable our lives are because of what has gone before. I also want people to delight in the crazy interconnectedness of everything (for example, the corn book includes Henry Ford, whiskey, corn flakes, and the Chicago Bears). The world is so much more interesting than anyone would guess based on most textbooks.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

The two would be hard to separate, as I pursue experience that supports my writing. Going to cooking school in Oaxaca, Mexico, drinking fermented mare’s milk with Mongolian nomads in the Gobi, learning about making chocolate in Chicago, or hanging out with farmers in Iowa, it is all motivated by what I want to write and therefor ends up in what I write.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

A lot of time, there are deadlines imposed on me by publishers. However, when there is no external deadline, I create one for myself. For example, “By this time next month, I want to have another book proposal out to an author.”

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

If I really dislike it. Learning how to do this was really freeing, as I’d always felt that one should finish any book one started. But if a book is dreadfully written, full of errors, or is filled with ideas that I find objectionable, I can now happily toss it out.

That said, I don’t always read straight through a book. I have books everywhere, and I read some of them in spurts (especially a really dense history book), while others are easily finished.

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Blogs:

            http://www.waltzingaustralia.com

            http://www.theworldsfare.org

            http://www.midwestmaize.com

Website: http://www.worldplate.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/Cynthia-Clampitt-35358347597/

https://www.facebook.com/MidwestMaize/

Amazon – author page and links to books:

https://www.amazon.com/Cynthia-Clampitt/e/B002LTNEII/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1528775229&sr=8-2

https://www.amazon.com/Midwest-Maize-Shaped-Heartland-Foodways/dp/0252080572

https://www.amazon.com/Pigs-Pork-Heartland-Hogs-Littlefield/dp/1538110741

https://www.amazon.com/Waltzing-Australia-Cynthia-Clampitt/dp/1419663062

GoodReads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1065359.Cynthia_Clampitt

 

 

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Kay A. Clark

 

Name: Kay A. Clark

Genre(s) of your work: Young adult, adult, pets/cats

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

“Sebastian & Me: A Rite of Passage and Spiritual Journey (2012)

 

 

Bio:

Born and raised in Wisconsin, now in Illinois.

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

As a cat owner, I write from the heart.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I have a new respect for myself and feel empowered to step up and speak out and/or lead.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Debbie Macomber, Wayne Dyer, Louise Hoy.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

Not sure what that means but we do need book stores.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

A renewed faith in knowing someone is always looking after us.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Quite a bit!

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

To prove to myself that I can publish something noteworthy.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

Distraction, be it life, TV, bed, time, etc.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Not necessarily.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

The need for discipline. Staying focused.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Amazon.com

kayclark631@yahoo.com

 

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Tracy Clark

 

 

Name: Tracy Clark

Genre(s) of your work: Crime/PI novel

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

“Broken Places: A Chicago Mystery,” released May 2018

 

 

 

Bio:

Tracy Clark, author of the Cass Raines mystery series, is a native Chicagoan. Her first short story, “For Services Rendered,” was included in the mystery anthology “Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African-American Authors.” When she is not writing, she wastes inordinate amounts of time watching “Say Yes to the Dress” reruns and “Murder, She Wrote” marathons. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, PI Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America.

Tracy is a graduate of Mundelein College in Chicago, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English/Communications. She has also earned a master’s degree in Mass Communications from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She currently works as an editor in Chicago.

Her next Cass Raines novel, “Borrowed Time,” releases in June 2019.

You can visit Tracy on Twitter, Facebook or go to her author website at tracyclarkbooks.com

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I’ve always loved PI stories. There’s something about that lone avenger type living on the fringes of society yet fights for its soul. The dogged PI travels mean streets, taking hard knocks, scurrying the human rats that prey on innocents. I suppose it’s the PI’s pursuit of justice that appeals to me most. In a world filled with so much wrong, the PI’s goal is to set at least some things right. I always knew that this was the kind of story I wanted to write and that my main character would be an African-American female. Luckily, a lot of talented female writers blazed a solid trail for me and other writers to follow. Every female crime writer that has come after Grafton and Paretsky, I think, owes a great debt.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I certainly don’t have as much free time as I once did. Before writing became a real thing, I could waste all kinds of time just doing the stupidest things. Now, I’m either writing, rewriting or thinking about writing or rewriting. Everything is chapters and deadlines, dialogue and character development. It’s fun, don’t get me wrong; it’s fulfilling, too, but it doesn’t allow for a lot of hanging out time.

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I have so many. In my genre, there are of course the trailblazers that I mentioned earlier—Sara Paretsky, Sue Grafton, Marcia Muller. I was also a great fan of Margaret Maron’s Sigrid Herald series, which I wish she would resurrect. There are also tons of writers of color on my favorites list—Barbara Neely, Eleanor Taylor Bland, Kellye Garrett, Rachel Howzell Hall, Delia Pitts, V.M. Burns. The list is soooo long. I’m a sucker for a unique voice, and each of these writers has created a main character that couldn’t possibly be mistaken for any other.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

Normally, anywhere I can get a book is the place I want to be, but I find the loss of community-based independent bookstores in favor of big corporate operations tremendously sad. We’re losing so much as each one of these small, niche-market places disappears. I support the heck out of independent bookstores wherever I find them. I want them to survive.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

A good time. I’ve got no illusions. I’m not Dostoevsky, and I’m not writing “The Brothers Karamazov.” I’m writing PI novels. I think they’re meant to be sharp and fast, down and dirty. I have fun writing them and I hope readers have just as much fun reading them. There’s no weighty message hidden in the pages; I’m not hammering readers over the head trying to make some grand statement about the human condition. This is how it goes. Somebody finds a dead body. That body didn’t get dead on its own. My PI has to figure out what went down before the nutcase who killed the guy does it to some other mope. And I’ve got to make all that enjoyable and relatable and worthy of a reader’s valuable time. Sounds easy–and I wish it were–but it isn’t.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Not a lot. I make it all up. I research the cop and PI stuff, of course, so that it feels authentic. I talk to cops, pick their brains. I try to find out what makes them tick, why they do what they do. Female cops especially have been tremendously helpful in helping to flush Cass out and bring her to life, but otherwise the stories spring from my head. I’ve never once been thrown into a jail cell, been handcuffed and hauled off to the station, or been accosted by burly goons in a dark alley, but I sure love writing about all of that. A writer can step inside any old body and walk around in it. I don’t have to be an astronaut to write about one. I don’t have to be a serial killer to write about one. I can imagine what being an astronaut or serial killer might be like. That’s the fabulous thing about this writing business.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

At this point, motivation isn’t much of a factor. I have a book to complete, a deadline to meet. I put my butt in the seat and pound it out. I do that every day. I keep at it until I’m finished. Some days are easier than others, but the same holds true for any job. You have to get it done and just thinking about it won’t get the words on the page. Butt in the seat; eyes on the page; head in the game. Go!

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

Boredom. I read all kinds of books in almost every genre. I don’t discriminate. I love it all. If the writer can transport me, keep me engaged, I’m all in. If the story stalls, if the writing fails to inspire, if my mind begins to wander and turning the page becomes a chore, I bail. Why read a bad book when there are so many good ones out there?

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Nothing should be censored, no topic taboo. Not all books or topics are for all people, of course. I mean, you wouldn’t give a blood-and-screech horror book to a six year old, but it should be available for those mature individuals who like that sort of thing. Writers should be free to write about anything and everything. As a reader if you don’t like what I writer writes, read something else. Different strokes for different folks. Variety is what makes the world go ‘round.

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

Bad writing is my biggest pet peeve, mine or anyone else’s. If it’s mine, at least I have a shot at fixing it. If someone else commits the crime, you’re kinda stuck. The book’s there in front of you. You can either keep slogging your way through, hoping it gets better, or give up. I don’t often put a book down, but I have done it.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Broken Places, book one in the Cass Raines series, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Hudson BookSellers and anywhere books are sold. It is also available in e-book and audiobook versions.

 

Website: www.tracyclarkbooks.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tracyclarkbooks/

Twitter: tracypc6161

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B075FC4K9C

HudsonBooksellers.com: https://www.hudsonbooksellers.com/book/9781496714879

The Book Cellar: https://www.bookcellarinc.com/book/9781496714879

 

 

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Sandra M. Colbert

Name: Sandra M. Colbert

Genre(s) of your work: short stories and crime/mystery

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Chicago Bound – 2015

The Reason – 2015

Damaged Souls – 2016

 

 

Bio:

Born and raised on the Southwest side of Chicago. I spent twenty years living in Arizona and I currently live in Rockford, IL.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

The short stories are really a pleasure to write. The outcome is resolved quickly. And I found that, maybe because of the length, there can be a powerful, emotional impact.

I hadn’t planned on committing to a crime/mystery series, but once I started, I couldn’t stop. I really enjoy talking to the readers of my stories. It’s great to see how involved they are with the characters and the book’s outcomes. I enjoy the research and working with the professionals in the fields that I’ve written about.

And, I think, most importantly, I enjoy being able to determine the outcomes and the appropriate punishments for the ‘bad guys’. There is control over a situation that you don’t have in real life.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I spent a large part of my life in banking and mortgages. It paid the bills. But it was never what I wanted to do. I am finally doing exactly what I want to do and it’s what I wanted to do for so many years.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Jody Picoult – She is absolutely brilliant. All of her books deal with a moral dilemma. Her books make me think, not only while I’m reading it, but well after I’m done reading. And her writing is just so good.

The same for Gillian Flynn.

I’ve read all of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels. I hooked me from his first book. I have a tough time putting down any of his books.

And there are so many more.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

We need all bookstores! Regardless if they are corporate or independent. We need to support them.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

I hope there is an emotional impact. Not just escapism. I want the reader to feel something and feel something enough, that they share their thoughts and feelings about the story with others.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

The short stories were based on the neighborhood that I grew up in – The Back of the Yards. It was a gritty area in Chicago that grew out of the Stock Yards. The people and the neighborhood apparently had quite an effect on me.

 

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

Poor research. Details that simply do not make sense, because the author made them up and they are not based in fact.  And boredom. I can’t read a boring book.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Absolutely not! Censoring is just another person or group’s opinion or belief. It has no place in the literary world. If you don’t like the topic, don’t read it! But do not stop others from reading it because you have the power to do so.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Amazon, Barnes and Noble. Also, Goodreads. And at any book fair in the Rockford/Chicago area.

I can be reached at sandycbound@gmail.com for any questions or comments.

My website is: authorsandracolbert.com

I am on Facebook and Linked In

 

 

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Christina Consolino

 

 

Your Name: Christina Consolino

Genre(s) of your work: Women’s Fiction

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

HISTORIC PHOTOS OF UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN (2007)

REWRITE THE STARS (2021)

 

 

Bio:

Christina Consolino is an editor and writer whose work has appeared in multiple online and print outlets. She is the author of Historic Photos of University of Michigan, and her debut novel, Rewrite the Stars, was named one of ten finalists for the Ohio Writers’ Association Great Novel Contest 2020. She serves as senior editor at the online journal Literary Mama, freelance edits both fiction and nonfiction, and teaches writing classes for Word’s Worth Writing Connections. Christina lives in Kettering, Ohio, with her family and pets.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

While I love researching topics I do not know, it’s easier for me to write what I know and live. And for me, that’s women’s fiction. According to the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (of which I am a member), the genre involves stories whose “plot is driven by the main character’s emotional journey.” And I’m all about emotion, at least in terms of writing. I like to get at the heart of what’s happening in a character’s head and heart and how that affects their external lives. I also enjoy writing about relationships and connection and family, and the women’s fiction genre seems to fill all those slots.

Having said that, I really enjoy the teenage mind, and I have three drafted manuscripts that fall into the YA genre. I can envision finishing those and seeking a publisher at some point in the future. But the core of the story—involving relationships, connection, family—is still prevalent.

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Despite having a penchant for writing and editing since I was a little girl, I chose to pursue a doctorate degree in science. I thought for a while that I’d establish my own lab, but as soon as I stepped into the classroom to teach, I knew I’d found my calling. So for close to twenty years, I taught anatomy and physiology at the college level. On the side, I’d write blog posts or short stories or novel drafts or edit a friend’s paper. Eventually, I put my passion to the forefront, became an editor at the online literary journal Literary Mama, and took the dive into freelance editing. In fact, in 2019, I stepped away from teaching science altogether, and at this time, I have no plans to go back (though I still love to look at bones and hearts and think about the inner workings of the human body). And in March, one of the many manuscripts I wrote on the side is finally (!) being published.

Am I where I thought I’d be when I first began graduate school? Not even close. Am I where I think I’m supposed to be? Absolutely. Sometimes it takes us a bit of time to find the courage to step onto a path we weren’t willing to admit was the best one for us.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I have so many favorite authors for very different reasons, so I might as well just list a few. Stephen King for his quirkiness and dedication to the odd. Crystal Wilkinson for beautiful language and getting to the heart of a character. Anne Valente for making me stop and think. Toni Morrison for her ability to make me view life from a different perspective. John Green because he nails the minds of teenagers so well. Jennifer Nivens for her willingness to write raw and honest depictions of life in general. James Balwin for his eloquence. I could go on, but I won’t. We might be here all day.

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

Audiobooks serve multiple wonderful purposes, and I wish they weren’t so expensive to buy. Personally, I don’t use them much, as my mind tends to wander unless I have words to focus on. But I hope they (or something like them) are here to stay!

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

Pre-pandemic, my answer might have leaned more toward the side of independent bookstores and away from mainstream/corporate bookstores. But I see the benefits of both. Of course, given a choice, I’ll support the small, independent bookstore over the larger corporate one, but I really try very hard not to denigrate either set because I have shopped (and probably will continue to shop) at both. I think part of that stems from having once lived in an area where the only bookstore in town belonged to a larger umbrella company. My feeling is this: the debate between independent bookstores and larger conglomerates will still be here in a decade, so let’s just worry about getting books into the hands of consumers! The more people reading, the better off our world will be.

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

Marketing is my weakest area of expertise. And I use that term “expertise” loosely because I really am no expert at all! I find Facebook easy to use; Twitter maddens me; Instagram—well, I don’t know enough about it. But I’m learning, so I hope people are patient with me! I think the best marketing tool for me, though, is good old-fashioned word of mouth. And sorry—I don’t know enough to say anything about bad marketing tools.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Two thoughts jump to mind right away. 1. I believe in free speech, and 2. I believe that writing can help heal the person writing it and the person reading it. So, it’s probably clear that I don’t think any topic should be taboo. However, that doesn’t mean I need to choose to read something that will make me uncomfortable or something I find unpalatable. Everyone has a choice to read or not.

 

Where can people find you and your work?

My website (https://christinaconsolino.com/) has links to my books and a blog. I’ve also provided direct links below to the books and my social media handles. Feel free to connect!

Rewrite the Stars at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rYbiXW

Rewrite the Stars at Bookshop: https://bit.ly/BookshopRTS

Rewrite the Stars at Black Rose Writing: https://bit.ly/BRWRewritetheStars

Rewrite the Stars at Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/BNRewritetheStars

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cmconsolino

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChristinaConsolino

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmconsolino/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B00IVYAA9I

 

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Bruno Cortis

 

Name: Bruno Cortis

Genre(s) of your work:  Preventing heart Disease- Spirituality and Medicine.

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

HEART AND SOUL 2018- HEALING THE HEART- 2017- HEAL YOUR CANCER-2015

 

 

Bio:

CARDIOLOGIST- AUTHOR- SPEAKER- ASSISTANT PROFESSOR RUSH UNIVERSITY

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I HAVE BEEN INSPIRED BY LIFE EXPERIENCES

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

ENRICHED MY SPIRIT

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

SIEGEL- CHOPRA- DOSSEY

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

GUIDANCE- MOTIVATION

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

ALL

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story? 

THE JOY TO FINISH

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

IF BORING

 

Where can people find you and your work?

AMAZON-

BRUNOCORTIS.COM  WEBSITE

BRUNOCORTISMD-    BLOG

 

 

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Kristina Cowan

 

Your Name: Kristina Cowan

Genre(s) of your work: narrative nonfiction

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

I’ve been a journalist for 20 years, and I’ve had many articles published at a variety of publications. My latest and largest project is my first nonfiction book, When Postpartum Packs a Punch: Fighting Back and Finding Joy. It includes my personal experience with postpartum depression, and the stories of other parents who had postpartum mood disorders, in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. The book is a resource for mothers and fathers coping with mental illness during pregnancy or after childbirth, and for the friends, family, and clinicians who help them.

 

Bio :

Kristina Cowan started writing when she was 5. Years later, she earned a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University, and these days she covers mental health and women’s issues. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two young children. When Postpartum Packs a Punch is her first book.

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

When I faced postpartum depression, I couldn’t find a book that offered true, detailed stories from other mothers who’d been where I was. There was plenty of clinical advice, but nothing from peers. What helped me most was the solace I received while talking with other mothers. I set out to capture that solace in print, and offer it to families for generations to come. Because I’ve been a journalist for 20 years, writing nonfiction came naturally. Still, I do harbor the dream of writing fiction. It’s my next frontier.

 

 How has writing changed/altered your life?

I’ve been writing since I was 5—maybe earlier. It’s the way I sing, pray, think, and spread hope. Life doesn’t make sense to me unless I write.

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

They’re too many to list here, so I’ll give the top few.

Philip Yancey is my favorite nonfiction author. He helps me better understand big issues and how they relate to my faith. He’s humble, he has an excellent command of complex subjects, and he’s brilliant. His writing makes me feel smarter.

Shakespeare inspired me at an early age, and he still does. Name a heartbreak, a malady, a joy; name a type of hero or villain, and you’ll find them somewhere in his work.

Mystery is my favorite fiction genre. My favorite writers there are Tana French and Mark Pryor. French’s prose is lyrical. Her stories are anchored to psychological suspense, not gore. Pryor’s character, Hugo Marston, is a modern-day Cary Grant who grabs bad guys around France. What’s not to love? Pryor has dexterity with the language and smartly weaves in background and description. I forget that I’m reading, and I’m transported to Europe. If I one day come close to writing fiction that good, I’ll be happy.

I like historical romance, too. Natasha Solomons does an excellent job here, with The House at Tyneford and The Song of Hartgrove Hall. Her characters are believable and lovable. The story lines seamlessly weave history with romance, and leave the reader with much to reflect on.

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I love bookstores. I’ve always spent a lot of time and money in them. After I had children, I developed a new appreciation for all they offer. Barnes & Noble has been good to me since I published my book. I’m not famous, and I don’t yet have an agent, and my publisher isn’t one of the big ones in New York. But B&N agreed to catalog my book, and my local branch stocks some on the shelves. I wish I could say the same for my favorite independent bookstore in my neighborhood. I figured they’d be open to including my book in their collection, but I’ve not been able to get them to return my emails and calls.

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

If readers come away with just one thing, I’d like it to be hope. There are wise, empathetic people capable of helping families who struggle through perinatal mental illness. It might take a while to find them, so you have to persist and be your own best advocate. It’s also important for women to listen to their bodies. They never lie. If you don’t feel like yourself, and that feeling lingers, chances are it won’t go away on its own. Staying quiet won’t make it better. Sharing how you feel with someone you trust is the most important step you can take to restoring your mental health. It’s not a sign of weakness, as our society readily suggests.

Modern medicine has redeeming qualities, but it falls short with mental illness. There’s still much it gets wrong. For example, recent research suggests that Pitocin, medication often used to speed labor, increases a woman’s chances of postpartum depression between 32 and 36 percent. Those numbers should send medical experts on a quest to more carefully consider the drugs they give women in labor and postpartum.

Like any art, my book is a snapshot, a moment in time. Research on maternal mental health continues. We’ll get better at reaching, responding to, and caring for struggling families. And we’ll face setbacks. My book couldn’t cover everything, but I’ll continue to build on it through my future writing.

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

For the last six years, about half of what I write touches on my personal experience. My book delves into my brush with postpartum depression. My blog posts and stories for various outlets deal with mental health, and how I think we need to change and grow. I lost my brother to suicide four years ago, and I’ve been writing about what I learned through that experience. I hope to write more about men in middle age who face severe depression, too.

The other half of my writing life is pure journalism, where my personal experience doesn’t come into play at all.

I find the balance of this tricky. Writing about myself is difficult, especially because I was trained as a journalist to remain objective and keep my perspective out of the equation. We see this less and less in mainstream media, especially on TV. I value Walter Kronkite-type journalists, who don’t pepper the news with their thoughts and feelings. 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

Deadlines are a writer’s best friend. My writing mentor says that often. And I learned that in journalism school—write to finish. If you don’t, you’ve no hope of keeping a job. That served me well as I wrote my book proposal, looked for a publisher, finished the manuscript, went through edits, and polished off the galleys.

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

If there’s too much description, if the author waxes flowery, if the characters are boring or unbelievable—these things make me stop reading. I sometimes have trouble with books that toggle between the past and present, a trend common in fiction. But if those types of books are well-written, if I relate to the characters, if the tension builds with each scene—then the back-and-forth doesn’t matter. There’s no substitute for good writing.

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

Typos. My own are the worst. They’re like nails on a chalkboard.

When I’m reading a book and I find a typo, I wonder whether a copy editor had enough time to read as carefully as he/she would’ve liked. There’s no substitute for good editing, whether it’s for content, mechanics, or grammar.

 

Where can people find you and your work?

My website: https://www.kristinacowan.com/

My blog, housed at my website: https://www.kristinacowan.com/blog/

My author page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cowankristina/

My Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Kristina-Cowan/e/B071SDD8P3

On Twitter, I’m @kristinacowan

 

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Frederick H. Crook

 

Name: Frederick H. Crook

Genre(s) of your work: Most works are Dystopian Science Fiction. I have one Paranormal/Historical Fiction novel.

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

*All titles are dystopian science fiction with the exception of The Summer of ’47, which is my paranormal historical fiction.

The Dregs of Exodus, 2010. (Self-published through Authorhouse but recently discontinued. I am in the process of re-editing it for self-publishing.)

The Pirates of Exodus, 2012. (Also self-published through Authorhouse and was discontinued. I’ll be re-issuing it in 2020.)

Runt Pulse, 2012. E-book only. Self-published.

Lunar Troll, 2012. E-book only. Self-published.

Campanelli: The Ping Tom Affair, 2013. E-book, Audiobook (2016), and now in print through CreateSpace (2017). Self-published.

The Fortress of Albion, 2013. E-book, now in print through CreateSpace (2017). Self-published.

Campanelli: Sentinel, 2014. E-book and paperback. Solstice Publishing.

Minuteman Merlin, 2015. E-book. Solstice Publishing.

Of Knight & Devil, 2015. E-book and paperback. Solstice Publishing.

Campanelli: Siege of the Nighthunter, 2016. E-book and paperback. Solstice Publishing.

Comfort in a Man Named Jakc, 2016. E-book. Solstice Publishing. (Jakc is misspelled intentionally and is explained in the story.)

Adrift, 2016. E-book. Solstice Publishing.

The Summer of ’47, 2016. E-book and paperback. Solstice Publishing.

The Interceptor’s Song, 2017. E-book and paperback. Self-published.

 

 

Bio:

I was born in Chicago in 1970 and wrote short stories through high school. I now live in a suburb of Chicago with my wife, Rae and our three dachshunds. I published my first book in 2010 and was picked up by Solstice Publishing in 2014. I continue to write for them as well as self-publish some titles. I was an editor for Solstice for two years and now freelance edit with the Indie author as my target market.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I love the idea of humans finding another planet to live on, so I decided that was the way to go. Too many dystopian works feature an apocalypse or Armageddon happening, where my works feature a slow migration to Alethea, a fictitious planet, over the course of many decades. I focus on the people, not so much the technology of the future time.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

It’s everything to me. It’s all I do or ever want to do. I am constantly thinking about the next few storylines while working on the current one. There’s not a waking moment that goes by when I’m not writing that I’m not thinking of writing.

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I like the giants of classic science fiction. Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, George Orwell, etc. I’m also a big fan of Stephen King and Dean Koontz.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I like them, but I prefer to cruise through used book stores. They are more fun to shop through and the owners are more likely to be welcoming to indie authors. The big chain bookstores, at least those here in the Chicagoland area, tend to be closed to anyone beyond the big publishers.

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

I’d like people to be entertained. I want them to be immersed in the time and situations of my characters, and I hope that their imagination is sparked by my stories. It would be a triumph to hear from someone in a few decades that tells me they went into a particular line of work because they read one of my books.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

I think it really comes out in a character’s dialogue. I can really put myself in their place while writing scenes where they are interacting and conversing with other characters. Humor comes out, and it mixes well with whatever is churning in the storyline.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

I like to finish what I start. I’ve only bailed on two works in my life, and it was because I didn’t follow my usual process, which is to think the book through from beginning to end and making sure there’s a complete story there. It’s like building a railroad. You have to have a point of origin, a route, and a destination. I don’t start typing without these being worked out.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

That’s extremely rare, even if the book is not of a preferred genre. Usually something has to be really terrible, and there’s no shortage of the really terrible out there. I can usually spot it before I even start, which is helpful. Talented writers, whether they are indies or backed by the big publishers, have to really do something special to stand out.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

I don’t believe in censorship. Not at all, but I do recall reading a book for a now defunct review site that was so mean in spirit and deeply, pointlessly vulgar that I thought it was a joke. I remember emailing the persons that ran the review site and asked that very question, but was told it was legitimate. I hated every page of it and even stated in my review that to have written such a tale made me question the author’s sincerity. It seemed to have been written for the sole purpose of disgusting the reader, rather than entertaining them.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

Poor grammar and typos that could have been caught by an editor, copyeditor, proofreader, etc., really is an annoyance. Indies are not the only ones that fall victim to that. For instance, I’m reading one of Isaac Asimov’s books of the Foundation Series and a character’s name is misspelled at least twice, there are a couple of sentences that make zero sense, and in some places, there are too many details. That being said, there is no such thing as a perfect book, it’s just a matter of keeping the errors to a minimum to allow the reader to move through the story smoothly.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

 Website: http://frederickcrook.wixsite.com/crooksbooks

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Frederick-H.-Crook/e/B00P83FW02/ref

Twitter: @FrederickHCrook

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorFHCrook/

 

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Pat Daily

 

 

Your Name: Pat Daily

Genre(s) of your work: Science Fiction

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

SPARK – 2021

Fire – Coming in December 2022

 

 

 

Bio:

Pat Daily is an engineer and former Air Force test pilot who worked at NASA’s Johnson Space Center on both the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs.

When not writing or trying to bring new airplane designs to life, Pat can be found gaming. He is a fan of role-playing games – particularly open worlds with engaging storylines where actions have consequences.

Pat and his wife spent twenty years in Houston before moving to central Washington.  Now they are back.

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I fell in love with SciFi as a kid. It’s still my go-to choice for books, TV, and film, even though my tastes have expanded over the years.

Maybe it was my love of SciFi that led me to science and engineering in school, or maybe the other way around, in any case, I’m happy being a sciency nerdy guy.

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I game a lot less since I started writing. Brian Herbert (son of Frank Herbert, author of Dune) made a comment that stuck with me. He said that when he was growing up, his father spent far more time with Paul Atreides than with him. Dune is great, but I’d rather be remembered by my children for the time we spent together than the time I spend writing.

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Robert Heinlein broke a lot of barriers and had a very hopeful vision for the future. He was my #1 growing up. Then came Asimov, Clarke, and Niven.

As an adult, it’s hard to beat Stephenson for SciFi, John Sandford for murder mysteries, and W.E.B. Griffin for military fiction. All are compelling storytellers who pull you along and leave you craving more.

For non-fiction, I’ll go with Bill Bryson. Who else can make a simple walk so interesting?

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

In between. They fill the niche for people who commute, or perform mundane tasks that don’t require a lot of thought or attention. I listened to Vladimir Nabakov’s Lolita while painting my house.

When I’m driving, I’d much rather listen to a book than be bombarded by advertisements.

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I went into one recently and was surprised by how few books they had. Lots of real estate had been given over to a coffee shop, games, and puzzles. I still love to prowl bookstores looking for something to pique my interest and satisfy my craving for physical books. A good cover grabs my attention.

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

Comic conventions are great for marketing my books. Everyone who comes by already loves the genre.

Podcasts are hit or miss. There are some outstanding hosts and some who are killing time and eating potato chips as they fail in their podcast experiment. I say yes to almost all of them because I think there’s a chance that I’ll find someone who is building something great.

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

No to censorship in any official form. Parents should monitor what their children read. Adults are on their own. The other part of this is that there is no fundamental right to publication. If I write something heinous, no one is obligated to publish it. Mass murderers should not automatically have their manifestos published or their hateful screeds aired.

Where can people find you and your work?

My website leads to everything else: https://thepatdaily.com

My books are available on Amazon.

Here are all the specific links:

Feral Daughters Blog: https://thepatdaily.com/blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patdailyauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patdailypics/

Twitter: @patdailyauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21521042.Pat_Daily

 

 

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Mary R. Davidsaver

 

 

 

Your Name: Mary R. Davidsaver

Genre(s) of your work: Cozy Mysteries with regional interest.

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Clouds Over Bishop Hill, 2016, published by MWC Press, an imprint of the Midwest Writing Center.

Winter Worlds: Three Stories, 2017, published by Bishop Hill Arts.

Shadows Over Bishop Hill, 2021, published by PSC Press, an imprint of Park Square Crafts.

 

 

 

Bio [from marydavidsaver.weebly.com]: 

Mary Davidsaver is a graduate of the University of Iowa who lived in Bishop Hill, an Illinois state historic site and a national historic landmark for twenty-four years. She wrote for local newspapers and won an Illinois Press Association first place feature photo award. Since returning to Iowa, she has won two Iron Pen first place awards, was the first local writer to win the Great River Writer’s Retreat contest and was honored as an Outstanding Literary Artist by the Midwest Writing Center.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

For my first novel I decided to make my themes preservation, art, and place, specifically relating to the village of Bishop Hill. I was told the genre of mystery could teach plotting. Since I came to writing as a late bloomer, I took that advice and chose the cozy mystery genre because it suited my circumstances and temperament. I’ve not been disappointed.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Two things come to mind. First, I was a crafter and a maker first and had to reinvent myself as a writer. There were enough similarities in the creative process to help me along the way. Building a sentence, constructing a scene, are tasks not unlike forming a three-dimensional object. It takes time, planning (or at least having a goal), and work. The second involves the people I’ve met along the way. Sharing time with fellow writers has always been rewarding.

 

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

When anyone asks me who’s my favorite author, I’m at a loss to pick one person out of lifetime of reading. I’ve gone through a lot of phases: like reading the science fiction greats, focusing on animals of various kinds, and the searching out the books behind the movies I’ve seen. This amounts to an odd assortment of things for pleasure, school, and work. I’ve liked many books and found value in my reading, but I can’t say I found an all-time standout favorite among all those authors. I just keep on reading to discover new voices.

 

 

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

I’ve found audio books a relaxing way to share a novel or short story over a meal with family. I hope it’s not a fad. There’s too much acting talent out there not to use it for dramatic readings.

 

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

Mixed. Love shopping the large stores. However, I’ve had success and difficulty with selling my first book through one. I’m willing to try again. In the meantime, I’m placing my books in independent bookstores and shops.

 

 

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

Bishop Hill is a real place and I’ve chosen it as my brand. Is it limiting? Yes. Do I have to take care with how I portray people and the village? Yes. Is there a ready market? Yes. Is it worth it for me? Yes. Others have to make their own decisions. Bad? No, only what I haven’t tried.

 

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Don’t like the idea of censorship. Who decides when the cultural wind changes direction? But I feel writers need to be sensitive to the degree of violence to children specifically and to the psychological effect of mass murder. Desensitization to acts of violence can’t be a good long-term trend.

 

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

My Work: Amazon; Wordsmith Bookshoppe, Galesburg; The Brewed Book, Davenport, Prairie Arts Center, Bishop Hill; Colony Store, Bishop Hill.

Me: https://marydavidsaver.weebly.com/, https://marydavidsaver.blogspot.com/, https://www.facebook.com/MaryDavidsaverAuthor

 

 

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McKenna Dean

 

Your Name: McKenna Dean

Pseudonym (if you use one): McKenna Dean is my pseudonym!

Genre(s) of your work: Paranormal romance

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

The Panther’s Lost Princess 2017

Snowfall (short story) 2018

 

 

 

Bio:

McKenna Dean has been an actress, a vet tech, a singer, a teacher, a biologist, and a dog trainer. She’s worked in a genetics lab, at the stockyard, behind the scenes as a props manager, and at a pizza parlor slinging dough. Finally she realized all these jobs were just a preparation for what she really wanted to be: a writer.

She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her family, as well as the assorted dogs, cats, and various livestock.

She likes putting her characters in hot water to see how strong they are. Like tea bags, only sexier.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I love the way paranormal stories can be used to comment on things happening around the world today, much the way comic books have always reflected world events. The energy and suspense that paranormal elements bring to a story is so much fun to work with as a writer as well. And I’m a closet romantic, so I want all my stories to end with a happily ever after!

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I used to envy people who had something they were passionate about. People who were so committed to a hobby or sport they put in extra hours before school or after work. People who could chatter single-mindedly about their love, regardless of the interest level of the people around them. For years, I thought I was without passion, without drive. It turns out I kept pushing storytelling out of my life because I couldn’t imagine ever being published. Once I turned back to writing, it was like opening the hidden gate to an abandoned garden and discovering that it still flourished behind the walls.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Oh goodness—such a long list! I read in many genres. I love the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries by Dorothy Sayers—Lord Peter and Harriet Vane have one of the healthiest romantic relationships I’ve ever read in fiction. I adore the Amelia Peabody books by Elizabeth Peters—her heroine delightfully tromps in where angels fear to tread and Peters skewers the romantic suspense genre with her tongue-in-cheek descriptions of the formidable Amelia’s antics. Jane Austen is my go-to comfort re-read—I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve read Pride and Prejudice, as well as her lesser known novels.

Tasha Alexander writes some of the best historical mysteries in her Lady Emily series. I love David Weber’s sci-fi Honor Harrington series—if you’re looking for epic military space opera, that’s the series for you! One of the best contemporary romances I’ve read in a long time was Act Like It by Lucy Parker—there was real character growth over the course of the book, and if you love a slow-burn romance, it delivers in spades.

I tend not to read as much in my own genre because I’m always working on a story, and I don’t want elements of someone else’s book sneaking into my WIP (writing in progress)!

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I grew up thinking there was no better way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon than to hang out at the local bookstore, be it independent, second-hand, or one of the chain stores such as Waldenbooks, Books a Million, Barnes and Noble, etc. My friends and I used to spend hours at the bookstores. The chains put the indies out of business, and now almost all of the chain stores are gone too. It worries me that little seems to be able to stand up to Amazon. I love both the convenience and pricing of ordering ebooks online now, but wonder what will happen when Amazon owns the publishing industry.

On the other hand, the advent of the Kindle and the ease of self-publishing through sites like Amazon are the only reason I’m published today. So my feelings toward the Zon are complicated.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

Most of my stories center around a character realizing what her true worth is: not to the people around her but to herself. I want readers to know there is more to life than just getting through the day.

I write because in general, life is tough. I like being able to make things work out better for my characters than they necessarily do in real life. But I also write for the person who’s had a crappy day. Who simply needs to escape their world for a few hours; be it because work is stressful, or they are an exhausted caregiver, or because of chronic illness, or whatever. If I can make someone forget the day’s events for a few hours, then I’ve done my job as a writer.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

On the surface, I lead a pretty boring life. I haven’t traveled much. I’ve lived in the same area most of my life. I work long hours in a stressful job. These element usually have no bearing on my writing. But I do know what it’s like to feel like an outsider. To be bullied. To have a stalker. To be discriminated against. To believe I’ll never be good enough, pretty enough, smart enough, talented enough by today’s standards.

I know what it’s like to create my own family with ties thicker than blood. I know what it’s like to feel as though I live on the Island of Misfit Toys. I know what it’s like to slog through each day hoping for something better than mere survival. I know what it’s like to find love that brings out the best in you.

Those are the elements that go into my writing.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

Most days I’m on fire to write all day long. I’ve been thinking of how I want to play out the next scene and I can’t wait to get home and start writing. Only by the time I’ve put in 10 hours at work, then come home, make dinner, feed the animals, walk the dogs, etc, my time and energy have petered out.

Still, I manage pretty well until I hit the last quarter of any story. Then I am SURE the story is utter trash and I should just bail on it. Somehow I push myself through this stage. I remind myself I can’t fix a blank page.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

I used to finish every book I started on sheer principle. Now, if I can’t stand the main characters, I’ll drop the book by the end of the first chapter. I don’t have time to waste on truly despicable people with no redeeming qualities.

I’ll DNF (did not finish) a historical with obvious anachronisms.

I’ll DNF a book that doesn’t capture my attention. That’s not usually a conscious decision to DNF as much as I laid the book down and never went back to it.

 

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

That’s a tough question. On the surface, I’d say no. There is an audience out there for nearly everything, and who am I to judge someone on their desire to read erotic dinosaur romances, or whatever?

But I think the real answer is more complicated than that. In the past, traditional publishing house performed a TON of self-censorship, especially in romance genres. If the publishers didn’t believe it would sell, they didn’t offer a contract. Heroines tended to all be white, slim, and blonde with blue eyes. They didn’t seeks out a sexual relationship; they were often ‘seduced’ against their will because good girls weren’t supposed to want sex. The romance had to end with either a marriage proposal or an epilogue depicting the newborn baby. The sex act itself (if it occurred on page) was couched in florid euphemisms and touted unrealistic expectations. These were industry standards.

Today, in part because of the success of self-publishing breaking down some of these perceptions as to what readers want, there’s a lot more diversity out there. But we still have a long way to go. Part of that diversity is allowing people to offer stories that fall into taboo categories: incest, slave fic, war criminals as heroes, etc. Do I want to read these kinds of stories? No. Do I want to prevent other people from reading them if that’s their thing? No… but if a major publishing house releases a story in which there are serious issues with the premise: be it something like fat-shaming, or racism, or a power discrepancy between the main characters (such as finding ‘love’ in a concentration camp), then I think readers have every right to take the publisher/author to task for publishing such a work.

A new algorithm on Amazon recently has resulted in erotica as a genre being blocked from sales ranks and having their rankings stripped, thus making these stories much harder to find. Apparently it came about due to a bill aimed at eliminating online sex trafficking, but instead has ensnared the very popular erotica market. To make matters worse, even non-erotica stories are getting re-labeled and stripped—romances that have any explicit sex scenes whatsoever. This is a case where the attempt to do a good thing—stop sex trafficking—has inadvertently targeted a segment of the population that has done no harm. Not sure how Amazon plans to resolve this, but it’s a measure of how potent censorship can be if only one company weighs in on it.

I defend someone’s right to read something I’d consider taboo because I don’t want anyone telling me what I can read or write.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

To be honest, I’m over the ‘billionaire’ hero. I know he’s the modern equivalent of a Duke, and a great catch and all, but I can’t imagine any billionaire treating an average woman with decency, kindness, or respect. You’d have to work hard to make me believe he was hero material.

Same with the Alpha Male Hero. Don’t get me wrong—I love conflict and sparkage between characters, but once you’ve shown me a character who is a jerk, you’re going to have a hard time making me believe he is worth it. I’d better see some amazing character growth in the story.

The quickest way to make me DNF a book is to introduce me to characters who are simply unpleasant without any real need to be so. I adore a grumpy hero. But show me why he’s grumpy—give me the justification for arrogance, or cockiness, or gruffness. Otherwise, he’s just another jerk.

Likewise, I have little patience for the ‘feisty’ heroine who puts herself in danger by refusing to act sensibly or take advice because she’s too stubborn and independent. Um, no. Truly independent women don’t put themselves in harm’s way just to spite someone—who then later has to rescue them.

Want me to fall in love with your characters? Show me people with issues to overcome. Who are better together than they are apart.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/c8GDYX

Website: http://mckennadeanromance.com/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B075CRHQ7B/

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/McKenna-Dean-Author-262328784224302/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/McKennaDeanFic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mckennadeanromance/?hl=en

Tumblr: https://mckennadeanromance.tumblr.com/

Email: mckennadeanromance@gmail.com

Buy Link for The Panther’s Lost Princess: http://a.co/34jCXiw

 

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Pauline G. Dembicki

 

Name:  Pauline G. Dembicki

Genre:  Non-fiction-Law.

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Powers of Attorney for Health Care (2018);

Probate, Wills and Executors, Not All Evil *(2018)

Powers of Attorney for Health Care and Property* (2017)

Pet Trusts, Yes for the Dog *(2013 and 2017)

Living Trusts, The Bees Knees (2017)

All above available (all in Kindle, * in paperback) on Amazon:

http://amazon.com/author/pauline

 

Wills and Powers and Trusts, Oh My! (2009) currently out of print.

 

 

 

Bio:

Attorney for over 30 years in solo practice, covering wills, trusts, powers of attorney, probate (decedent’s and guardianship), mental health law and trust administration. My role is to guide clients through crisis and planning. I have also been an arbitrator for nearly 30 years.

Author of several books about estate planning, first book published in 2009.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I write about estate planning to help people understand the basics and encourage them to make plans.

 

How has writing changed/altered your life? 

I’m able to reach a larger audience to teach them about wills and trusts. This is a magnificent feeling and exceeds my pride about parallel parking.

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

The large stores provide another way for us to find books (and calendars and magazines). With the extinction of small independent bookstores we lost a great deal of personal care. Two lawyer friends had a dream of opening a mystery bookstore and when they did it was awesome. They put post it notes on books to describe them. I was ushered and introduced to books they thought I’d enjoy. I met authors there that shaped my writing in terms of teaching.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

I would like to convince readers to sit down and start the process of making an estate plan, timetable and all.

For my book PET TRUSTS, YES FOR THE DOG, I would like people to talk about the concept. I firmly believe pet trusts keep animals out of shelters. They provide a plan for your pet in case the pet outlives you.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

My work includes contested matters, e.g. court and litigation. The results from contested matters are ugly, expensive and disappointing. But rather than scare people with bad results, I want to educate them about how to make a plan.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book?

My topics are from work experience. I want to encourage people to plan. By writing books I realize I can reach a larger audience.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

When I’m reading I’m impatient. For fiction, I want a plot that moves along. I want real characters not stereotypes. Repetition of a phrase, gesture or plot point makes my eyes roll. For non-fiction, a book that touts its worth and goes on and on about what the book can do will end my interest before I get to the heart of the book. Repetition hurts non-fiction too unless it is in review or summary.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

Punctuation errors annoy me.

 

Here are my main accounts:

http://paulinelaw.com

linkedin

twitter

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Megan Deppner

 

 

 

Your Name: Megan Deppner

Pseudonym (if you use one): M.K. Deppner

 

Genre(s) of your work: Horror/supernatural/paranormal

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Photographs of October – May 2020,

everything i wanted – Forthcoming, Fall 2022

 

 

Bio:

M.K. Deppner knew she wanted to be a writer from a very young age. A far cry from the horse and unicorn stories she was writing at six years old, her favorite genre now is horror and supernatural. She lives under the shade of the cottonwood trees near the Flint Hills where Photographs of October and everything i wanted take place.

 

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I love exploring the psychology of horror—why we love being scared, what scares us, and why we keep coming back for more. I also love exploring supernatural/ghostly avenues—it’s another topic that people love because of the unknown surrounding it.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Writing has gotten me through the best and worst of times. When I feel bad, I write. When I feel good, I write. There’s nothing like a great writing session to put me in a better mood, even if I felt good to begin with!

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Stephen King was my first and greatest love. That’s where I learned to love horror. His characters came alive for me, and the horror aspects kept me up at night! I also love Nora Roberts’ romances that have magical elements.

 

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

I think audiobooks are somewhere in between. In my opinion, they’ll always have their usefulness, especially as an accessibility option for those who need it, but the printed word will survive and thrive.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I think they’re a necessary evil…just kidding, sort of. I prefer to see my titles in independent bookstores because I know the money is going right back to that local area, though from a buying the groceries perspective, I wouldn’t mind having a few books in mainstream bookstores.

 

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

Social media gets the trophy for being both good and bad. It’s an excellent way to connect with readers, but it does require consistent engagement. A tool that has only been good to me is BookFunnel. It makes it easy to send my readers free chapters and extras!

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

For myself, there may be topics that I won’t write about, but I’ll cross that bridge if I ever come to it. I do write horror, so some of the topics I cover—death, murder, and psychological torment just to name a few—might already be taboo to others. I think it comes down to each individual and the intent/purpose behind their writing.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Website: www.mkdepper.com

Instagram: mkdeppner

Facebook: Author M.K. Deppner

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/M-K-Deppner/e/B087BDDCQ6?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4&sr=1-4

 

 

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Alan Derosby

 

Name: Alan Derosby

Genre(s) of your work: Horror/Fantasy/Speculative Fiction

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

1. FULL MOON.  Ink Stains Volume 13- A Dark Fiction Literary Anthology.  Dark Alley Press.  October 2019.    ISBN:  9781946050182

2. GOING HOME.  Unholy Night in Deathlehem-A Grinning Skull Press Publication.

December 2018.  ISBN: 9781947227231

3. If I Die Before I Wake Vol 2. Sinister Smile Press. April 2020.

ISBN: 9781951093099

4. UNDER THE BED. The Hollow Vol 2. Breaking Rules Publishing. May 2020

ISBN: 979-8640662849

5. Horror Tree: Trembling with Fear- WINDOWSILL

      https://horrortree.com/trembling-with-fear-happy-2020-valentines-day/

6. The Line-Up:  Chilling Tales- THE GHOST OF OLD PIER’S PUB

   • https://the-line-up.com/chilling-tales-ghost-story-derosby-old-piers-pub

 

 

Bio:

Alan Derosby, a Maine native, has spent the past several years focusing on his passion: writing.  Alan has created original and spooky short stories, having THE GHOST AT OLD MILL’S PUB and WINDOWSILL published online as well as four in print anthologies, titled GOING HOME, FULL MOON, KUNK, and UNDER THE BED. Several more short stories are to be published by the end of the year.  He has made it to the second round of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel awards with his young historical fiction novel Lost Souls of Purgatory.

When not writing, Alan is teaching history at Messalonskee High School in Oakland, Maine, spending time with his family, or watching the New York Mets suffer through another disappointing season.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

Since an early age, probably around eight, I began sneaking Stephen King books; starting with Skeleton Crew. That, along with watching horror movies on Saturday afternoons on Creature Double Feature and the Twilight Zone, shaped my writing.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Writing has given me an outlet to share my imagination and let people into a side of me they didn’t know.

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

My favorite authors are mostly nonfiction, such as Robert Massie and Erik Larson. As a history teacher, I love researching and learning new things to bring to the classroom.  Of course, my favorite authors in my genre are Stephen King and Edgar Allen Poe.

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

I believe audiobooks are another avenue to reach the general public. As long as people can access novels, regardless of the form, it’s good for the business.

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I don’t mind corporate bookstores if it’s the only stores around. In Central Maine, we have access to only a Barnes and Noble. I read mostly through e-reader so generally use Amazon or Barnes and Noble. I do understand the need to support local bookstores and would gladly do it.

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

My writing has some personal experiences, though mostly in fears and anxiety of the unknown. Also, my childhood and my early introduction to the horror genre has helped.

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

I am of the belief that writing should not be censored. That being said, if the writing brings about negative feedback or a lack of audience, the writer should be mindful of that.

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Facebook Author Page:

https://www.facebook.com/ADerosbyauthor/?view_public_for=100737971625840

Author’s Page: Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Alan-Derosby/e/B084LVSRG7?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000

 

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Neda Disney

 

Name: Neda Disney

Pseudonym (if you use one): Your question just made me so sad that I never thought of having a pseudonym. I will make one up by the end of this interview. Just you wait!

Genre(s) of your work: Literary Fiction, Magical Realism

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Planting Wolves (November 4, 2019)

 

 

 

Bio:

—I have been a costume person on tv and films, a writer, producer on Public Radio in NYC. I’m currently on the REDCAT council in Los Angeles (a theater and art theater).

I’m a mother, family person, and have a pretty big group of friends I’ve known from childhood all the way up to recently. Wow, my life sounds lovely. I’m so lucky!

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

—I love metaphors and magic realism makes so much room for that. It’s also inescapably visual. I’m very involved in the art world in Los Angeles and have grown more and more fluent in abstract visual storytelling.

I’m enchanted by that.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

—I’ve written my whole life so it has never altered my life. But I can tell you that during the times I haven’t written, my thinking grew very one dimensional and a part of me unknowingly grieved.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

—David Foster Wallace, Laurie Moore.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

—It’s very important to me to not have opinions on things I’m not fully informed about. I think that is the very definition of a jackass!

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

—I bet a lot. I don’t actually know consciously but maybe it’s like dreams- don’t they reinterpret and download information your mind takes in?

 

 

What motivates you to complete your (writing) work?

—Mostly, I want to find out how the story ends.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

—I truly hope no one has said ‘yes’ to that question but I’d be interested to hear their reasons. I could write the person into a story.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

—You can order my book at Barnes and Noble and on Amazon- as hardcover, paperback, as ebook, and audiobook: https://www.amazon.com/Planting-Wolves-Neda-Disney-ebook/dp/B07WK963CQ.

—Planting Wolves has a page on Instagram: http://instagram.com/planting_wolves. For events, etc., check it out!

—I also have a website: www.nedadisney.com

And thanks for your unique questions.

 

 

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DJ Doyle

 

Name: Denise Doyle
Pseudonym : DJ Doyle
Genre(s) of your work: Horror / thriller

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

 

Novel – The Celtic Curse: Banshee – Oct 2015

Novelette – Hades’ Gate – July 2017

Novelette – Red: An extreme horror – Aug 2017

Short Story – Christ on a Bike! – Oct 2017

Novel – The Celtic Curse: Newgrange – Nov 2017

I also have 2 short stories in two anthologies.

The End: An Apocalyptic Anthology – The Last Confession – Nov 2017

OMP (One million Project) Thriller anthology – Good Intentions – Feb 2018 (this is for charity)

 

 

Bio:
D.J. Doyle is the author of multiple horror and thriller novels and short stories from extreme horror to comedy horror.

She was raised by pot-smoking hippies and spent her days worshipping pagan deities in the HellFire Club, and her nights watching horror movies. She now lives with her family in a treehouse, preying on unsuspecting travellers, and where she likes nothing better than coming up with ideas for new stories and plotting her next novel. Some of this might have been made up.

 

To learn more about D.J. Doyle, her website can be found at http://djdoyleauthor.com and her official Facebook author page is https://www.facebook.com/DJDoy leAuthor/

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I’ve watched horror since I was a kid, and started reading it when I was a young teenager.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Well, I now have 2 full-time jobs

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Stephen King, of course. His earlier stuff is better when he was drinking and doing drugs lol. He is able to create a tale of intensity using simple people and their fears.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

I hope they feel the hairs on the back of their neck stand up, or feel fear when a shadow passes. Then I’ve done my job.

 

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

For many of the locations, I’ve visited them multiple times. I also add many funny anecdotes to my stories that I have experienced myself.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

I don’t really, I find little time to write, so I just fit in a few hundred words here and there. I sign up for campnano twice a year to challenge myself with a wordcount I wouldn’t usually hit.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

Padding, if there is too much padding and excessive description I skim. I also shy away from extra long books, if it’s more than 400 pages, it needs to be good.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Nope, not really. As long as the author warns the reader, I don’t see an issue.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

Not really, we can all make mistakes. However, mixed tenses to throw me off and I can’t read it.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

I have everything available on Amazon.

website – http://djdoyleauthor.com/

twitter – @djdmar123

amazon – Author.to/DJDOYLEBOOKS

FB – https://www.facebook.com/DJDoyleAuthor/

 

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Lane Drewe

 

 

Pseudonym (if you use one):   Lane Drewe

Genre(s) of your work:  Thriller/mystery

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

The Girl Who Found All That Money, 2021

 

 

 

Bio:

Lane Drewe always has time for jazz, shopping, spas, and being pampered, and loves to get lost in mysteries and thrillers.  She has traveled widely and dreams of the next destination and the one after that.   She and her family live in Georgia, near a river that flows to Florida.

 

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?  

I’ve written in several genres, but find that my books veer in the direction of a thriller, so I decided to go along with my inner muse.

 

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

They say to write a story that will change your life. The Girl Who Found All That Money tells of a woman who grapples with questions about fortune and fate, and whether dreams really can come true, and what price she might have to pay. I see the story as a metaphor life.  We live in a wonderful world where all our dreams really can come true. However, danger and disaster lurk behind every corner. So how are we supposed to juggle that?

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why? 

Mary Kubica, Rebecca Serle, Stacy Schiff, Chris Bohjalin.  I like to get lost in stories that ask, “What would you do if?”  I like stories that confront horror and danger.

 

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?  

Audiobooks have their own niche. They are terrific for long trips and when working around the house, but at the same time, nothing replaces time alone with a book.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I LOVE them but I spend a fortune in them.

 

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

That’s a tough one. My first thought is yes, that we need to keep the shock value in some things. There are some things that we should never find blasé. On the other hand, evil lurks in silence. We cannot confront problems that we don’t know exist.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

I’m on Amazon.

Look for Lane Drewe on Facebook and Amazon.

 

 

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Rachael Dunn

 

Name: Rachael Dunn

Genre(s) of your work: Fantasy, sci-fi, horror

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

I published Vessels in 2017 and the prequel What the River Brought in 2018

 

 

 

Bio:

I live in the Midwest and focus on writing fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. I’ve got two self-published books out on Amazon. I live with my husband and a couple of dogs who try their best.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I write fantasy, sci-fi, and horror because those were the stories I grew up reading. Those were the tales that resonated with me.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I sit too much. I’m painfully aware of the time all the time. I’ve got a complicated opinion on coffee that might be a result of the writing but who can say?

 

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Ursula K. Le Guin and Octavia E. Butler are two of my favorite authors because they write in my favorite genres. They show that not only can women write in the genres, but also write so well that they shape the genre itself.

I also like David Wong because he was able to write about a parasite monster named ‘Shitload’ but also make me cry when a character died. That’s range, buddy.

 

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

There’s really only the one, and I mean Barnes & Noble. Yeah, they’re cool but if they keep making the same bad business decisions, then they too will fall before Amazon.

 

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

Enjoyment. I don’t write to share a moral or anything lofty like that. I just want the reader to think ‘oh, that was cool’. Maybe I’ll inspire some young woman through a strong female lead. I’d like that.

 

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Massively. I’ve pulled from very painful experiences as well as weird everyday encounters. If I can really feel the scene, I can hope the reader does too.

 

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

I’m going to be real here. Really real. I’m a glutton for external validation so if I finish a book, people will say really nice things to me. I know. It’s cheap and shallow. But thinking about the time when I can release a book is a major motivator. I’m hoping once I get some more books under my belt, my motivation will grow up and become something pretty, like ‘I write for the future of the next generation’ or something.

 

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

I am ridiculously quick to set a book aside and usually it’s because the story gets mired in endless flashbacks, dream sequences, reveries, and recollections. I want to read forward, not backward. Also, I can’t stand ‘too cool’ heroes. The guy who is good at everything because he’s just that good and yet is so tortured and tragic. Probably lost a mom or a girlfriend. Also using a raped woman as motivation for the protagonist. That’s just cheap and gross but surprisingly, it happens more than you’d like to think.

 

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Nah. No one should ever listen to anyone about what to write. Just don’t be surprised if you can’t find a publisher or an audience. Unless the subject in question calls for the hatred and harm of an ethnicity, race, gender or other social group. Then, yeah, go ahead and censor that monster.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

My blog can be found at rachaeldunnwriting.com.
I’m on Facebook at facebook.com/writesrachaeldunn/.

Find me on Twitter @rdunnwrotehere
My books can be found on Amazon here.

 

 

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Joshua Dyer

 

Name: Joshua Dyer

Pseudonym: J. E. Dyer (for historical and general fiction)

 

Genre(s) of your work: Horror, fantasy, scifi, western, historical, and general fiction.

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Padded, Restless, Axe and Emerald, Los Condenados, The Adventures of Duck Biscuit, Finding November, Sterling, Blackberry Smiles.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I gravitate to whatever each story dictates. I’ll categorize it for distribution’s sake after it’s written.

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I’ve found a new appreciation for the small things in life. A sunrise, a sunset, great food, a beautiful sunset, or a crackling campfire.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

They’re great. Yes, they push what the Big Money wants you to buy into, but they have books for crying out loud.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

I hope they come away with some sense of being reminded that they’re still alive. Take advantage of your time here while you can.

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

I rely on it a lot. If I can relate to it, then it reads cleaner and more transparent.

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

I have a compulsion to create. This is never a problem. Turning the spigot off – that’s another story.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

Flat characters, repetitive poor grammar, an unoriginal story, and rambling or no plot.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

No. Art shouldn’t be censored for any reason. If you don’t like it, return it.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

It’s out there in several places in different formats.

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/author/ref=dbs_P_W_auth?_encoding=UTF8&author=Joshua Dyer&searchAlias=digital-text&asin=B0095SQX4K

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/author/ref=dbs_P_W_auth?_encoding=UTF8&author=J. E. Dyer&searchAlias=digital-text&asin=B00HCGJN12

 

https://m.facebook.com/Joshua-Dyer-author-772136266145778/?ref=bookmarks

 

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J. Lynn Else

 

Your Name: J. Lynn Else

Genre(s) of your work: Fantasy, historical fiction, science fiction

 

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Historical fiction:

The Forgotten: Aten’s Last Queen

The Forgotten: Heir of the Heretic

Fantasy:

Descendants of Avalon (Awakenings book 1)

Lost Daughters of Avalon (Awakenings book 2)

Destiny of Avalon (Awakenings book 3)

The Girl from the Haunted Woods (short story published in “Journey into the Fantastical” anthology)

Sci fi:

Strangely Constructed Souls

 

Bio:

LYNN ELSE is an award-winning author from Minnesota who’s self-published two historical fiction novels set in ancient Egypt, “The Forgotten: Aten’s Last Queen (2013),” which was named an Indie Editor’s Choice book for 2016 by the Historical Novel Society, and “The Forgotten: Heir of the Heretic (2016)” as well as a sci fi novella “Strangely Constructed Souls (2018).” Through Inklings Publishing, she’s authored an Arthurian-influenced, female-driven fantasy trilogy, “Descendants of Avalon” (2018), “Lost Daughters of Avalon” (2019), and “Destiny of Avalon” (2021).” Her short story “The Girl from the Haunted Woods,” won 2nd place in the “Journey into the Fantastical” Anthology contest. In 2021, she became the Indie Reviews Editor for the Historical Novel Society. She believes in unicorns and practicing random acts of awesome.

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I’ve always loved reading sci fi/fantasy books. I wrote my trilogy because I wanted greater depth of characters for young girls reading these genres so that they could picture themselves in the worlds without having to be ultrasmart or beautiful or super aggressive. Often, girls would fit into a specific fantasy trope: bookish smart. I wanted more options for female characters.

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I feel more connected to the bookish world. I love interacting with other writers and readers. Sharing the love of books with others fills my soul with joy!

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Growing up, I loved Madeleine L’Engle and L.M. Montgomery. While two vastly different settings, they had strong female main characters. More recently, some of my favorite authors are Margaret Rogerson, Elsa Hart, and Lynette Noni.

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

Audiobooks are somewhere in between. I typically only listen when I’m riding a bus or in a car on a long drive (I can’t read in a moving vehicle). For some people, this is the way they experience books. There are some great book narrators who are very talented at transporting their listeners and making the characters come alive. I think audiobooks are a good thing, but it will not replace print books. Print books are just so satisfying! That, of course, is just my opinion.

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

That’s a work in progress. I enjoy connecting with podcasters and bloggers to discuss books. It feels like a virtual meet-and-greet. Hopefully, we’ll start having in-person book events again. Those are so much fun! And I can network with local authors.

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Certainly, I don’t condone books about tips for murdering people or about unnecessary cruelty for cruelty’s sake. Just to get that off the table. 😉 I think as long as authors are transparent about their content, readers can choose if they will or will not read it. I’ve seen suggestions online about rating systems for books. If I’m wary about what to expect in a book, I check a website about trigger warnings. I believe it’s good to let readers know if certain topics are going to be part of the experience.

Where can people find you and your work?

Amazon: Amazon.com: J. Lynn Else: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

Website: http://www.teasippinnerdymom.com (that’s “tea-sippin’ nerdy mom”)

Facebook: www.facebook.com/teasippinnerdymom

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JLynnElseAuthor

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jlynnelseauthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7275724.J_Lynn_Else

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jlynnelse_author

 

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Olivia Esther

 

 

Pen name: Olivia Esther

Genres: I currently have one science fiction book and one poetry book published, but I’m still finding my voice.

 

Titles/year of publication:

In 2016 I published ‘Briobands’ and in 2017 I published ‘The Things I Never Said’. Both self published through Amazon!

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I’m still trying to find my voice, so I’m writing anything and everything. It really is just a game of ‘hmmm what do I feel like writing today?’

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

My favorite author is Jamie McGuire because her raw talent is so inspiring. I have to give a shout out to Stephenie Meyer because the Twilight series is what got me into reading. I also enjoy Poe quite a bit. A good dark story is always fun!

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream bookstores?

I actually enjoy mainstream book stores. Going to big bookstores is something me and my mom do a lot, and it is always something I love doing.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

With my most recent poetry novel, ‘The Things I Never Said’, I want readers to understand they are not alone. People, especially young girls, all go through heartbreak that seems like the end of the world. But ultimately you are stronger and can conquer anything.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

My most recent novel is all personal experience. It is my feelings and thoughts just thrown on paper. ‘Briobands’, however, is science fiction and made up. But I will say the characters are based on people I know. Never mess with an author, you might end up in a book!

 

 

How do you find motivation to complete a book/story?

My mom is always pushing me to be the best I can be. She is always telling me to go the extra mile and finish whatever I put my heart and mind to. She is my motivation.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

Okay so I’m a terrible reader because if I don’t like a book I will just stop reading it. Then maybe a week later I will pick it up again and realize it is actually a great book and I just didn’t get far enough into it! Really it’s a curse.

 

 

Any Pet Peeves in other’s work?

Exclamation! Points! Lose! Their! Emphasis! When! You! Use! Them! All! The! Time!

 

 

Where can people find your work?

All my work is available on Amazon. Go check it out!! Follow my author twitter to get updates and find out where I’ll be for book signings.

 

Twitter: Olivia_Esther24 Email: author.olivia.esther@gmail.com

 

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Kevin N. Fair

 

Name: Kevin N. Fair

Genre(s) of your work: Upper Middle Grade/YA fiction

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Paper Airplane, November 2017

 

 

Bio :

I graduated from Florida Atlantic University with degrees in education and history. I am currently a teacher, having spent the last ten years in classrooms. This has allowed me to see the struggles of teenage life today, and compare it to my teens. There are many similarities, but also some major differences. In many ways, teens have it MUCH more difficult now. Paper Airplane is my debut novel. It has already received wonderful reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and San Francisco Book Review, among others.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

YA stories are the best ones to tell! Who can’t relate to or remember all of the trials and tribulations, drama and awkward moments of their teenage years? It’s such a critical time in a person’s life, and if my stories can help a teen deal with some of the problems they are facing, or bring back fond (and maybe some not so fond) memories to an adult, then mission accomplished for me!

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Writing has always been my therapy, my medicine. Any time I felt some kind of way about something, I picked up a pen and wrote (yes, a pen, I still prefer writing over typing). Paper Airplane, in fact, was written during a particularly low point in my life, as a way for my mind to escape that reality. Without this novel, I might have made some decisions at the time that wouldn’t have been the best for me long term. That’s the power and impact of writing for me. And I encourage everyone to find their passion and make it their therapy, to use it as a means of coping with their emotions.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I grew up on Judy Blume and Rachel Vail. I was already addicted to writing basically as soon as I was old enough to hold a pen. But I remember reading a Vail book titled Do Over in eighth grade, and I was immediately hooked. I saw so much of myself in the main character (named Whitman), and I still clearly recall how much that book touched and affected me. I wanted to make a similar impact on readers.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

Bookstores of any kind are very necessary, as technology moves us further away from physical books. There’s definitely a time and place for technology, but I’m old school. I still enjoy the feeling of holding an actual novel in my hand, turning the pages, and escaping into another world.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

One of the most difficult things to do as a teen is to be comfortable with yourself. Everyone, everywhere tells you that you must think, or act, or dress, or behave a certain way. Uniqueness is rarely rewarded. Following the crowd just seems easier in school. The main message I want young readers to take away is that it really is okay being yourself. A person is better at being themselves than they can ever be at trying to be someone else.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

For me, personal experience plays a major role. I envy writers who can create a great story out of thin air. I’m not that good (laughs). My story has to be my story. It has to come from my mind and heart, my past experiences. That’s how I write the most effective narrative.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

To me, it starts with the motivation of wanting to tell the right story. I have to be invested in the story and in its message, and then I focus on trying to tell it in an authentic way.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

A lack of connection. If there is nothing connecting me to the characters, I can’t get into the book. When I say connecting, that can be in either a positive or negative way. If a character makes me angry with their behavior, I will continue reading to see if something bad happens to them. Kind of shallow, I know (laughs). I will also continue reading and hoping for good things to happen to characters I like.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

As a teacher (and student) of history and politics, I am a firm believer that no writing should be censored. The exchange of ideas should always be open and free. Writing, at its best, should lead to conversation and self-reflection. But that can’t happen if it is censored.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

Simplicity. I love complex stories and complex characters. Beyond what characters are doing, I want to know why they are doing it. One-dimensional writing loses me.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Check out my website, www.kevin-n-fair.com. Every book bought from the site is personally autographed, and you are automatically entered into a contest where one lucky winner receives a framed, autographed 24”x36” cover poster.

You can also purchase other items from my site such as bookmarks, notebooks, magnets, and (soon) fidget spinners. The preorder for Paper Airplane is also available via Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You can also follow me on Twitter @KevinNFair, Facebook, the usual. You can also check out my Amazon and Goodreads pages and follow me there, and my blog will be up and running shortly (as soon as I catch my breath from the start of the school year!). I look forward to hearing from you.

 

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Andrew Farah

 

Name: Andrew Farah

Genre(s) of your work: Biography

 

Titles/Year of Published Work

Hemingway’s Brain, 2017, USC Press

 

 

Bio:

I am a psychiatrist, I focus on forensic work. I was raised in Charleston SC, now live on a farm in NC. Went to Porter-Gaud, Clemson, MUSC, and Wake Forest.

It is an honor to be asked to contribute!! I hope I don’t sound narcissistic- just excited to contribute to Sue’s post— with so many talented folks before me!

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I write in other genres, but the nonfiction/biography was my successful work to date as far as publishing/sales/reviews.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Writing has always been a part of my life.

Your readers will understand that impulse to write from inside. No reason, just what we have to do.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

 Hugh Maxton- amazing poet I can always re-read

Billy Collins- he was so nice to me when I met him

John Brehm- consider these lines:

            To wrap yourself in the perceptions of others

            and then enact the emptiness

            of those perceptions.

            Even a master illusionist is sometimes taken in

            by reality – dragged offstage

            in the tiger’s mouth.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

Fun.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

That I got it right— cleared up so many myths about Hemingway, that his psychiatric struggles and demise are now clarified.

I also clarified the original source of the phrase “grace under pressure,” and found a photo of Hemingway with his African muse.

I also discuss reading Hemingway forward, not backwards. So much Hemingway scholarship and popular press is about looking at his life and correlating past events with the work. The fact that he used his writing-life as a form of therapy, which informed his life going forward, is a far richer study.

DH Lawrence said that his pseudo-philosophy did not inform his poetry and fiction, his fiction and poetry informed his philosophy (of life). We must understand Hemingway the same way.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

 It’s always a struggle to keep myself out. I once ended a poem with the lines:

I start with the long poem

and keep subtracting myself.

 

My editor loved that. Every writer knows what I meant. (no one has published that poem, by the way)

 

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

I always have desire/motivation/ideas. I am short of time – energy/mental energy- and the distractions of day-to-day work and pettiness keep me from writing.

I once took a week off and went to the beach. I swam in the mornings, wrote all day, and went to dinner alone. It was a great 4 days. Then a friend saw me, came back to my place, drank all my rum, and never left. He ruined my Karma and I came home early. But I wrote well for 4 days.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

 Fiction: not caring what happens next (Faulkner)

Nonfiction: so technical as to lose then bore me (Ezra Pound scholarship)

Poetry: clichés

Magazines: infusing politics into everything/assuming I am a liberal or I must be stupid or evil if not (The New Yorker)

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

The politically correct answer is no. The psychiatrist I am says yes – I have met with secret service and FBI agents over the years to discuss psychiatric cases who threaten elected officials. The hatred in the mainstream news inspired most of them, but I think fictional works about assassination and school shootings should be off limits. I wish that vulgarity and disrespect towards religion and spiritual people was off limits but it is far too late to reverse that.

I think the fact that Catcher in the Rye was so associated with Hinkley and Chapman, (and at least one other murderer) exacerbated Salinger’s reclusiveness and regrets. But when art is put in the world, any connection or reaction to it is ultimately up to the interpreter, not the creator.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

As above, the assumption of political leftism as a premise.

In the scientific/psychiatric realm— when people present my ideas as their own…

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Anywhere!! Amazon – B&N— USC Press website ….

Can email me with questions

Or get a signed book from me- hemingwaysbrain@gmail.com

 

 

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Michael A. Ferro

 

Name: Michael A. Ferro

Genre(s) of your work: Literary Fiction

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

TITLE 13: A Novel (Harvard Square Editions, February 1, 2018)

 

 

Bio:

Michael A. Ferro’s debut novel, TITLE 13, was published by Harvard Square Editions in February 2018. He has received an Honorable Mention from Glimmer Train for their New Writers Award, won the Jim Cash Creative Writing Award for Fiction, and been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Michael’s writing has appeared in numerous journals in both print and online. Born and bred in Detroit, Michael has lived, worked, and written throughout the Midwest; he currently resides in rural Ann Arbor, Michigan. Additional information can be found at: www.michaelaferro.com.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

• I know that some writers feel like they have to write science fiction or fantasy to escape reality, but I feel compelled to write reality to escape the science fiction and fantasy that has become our everyday life here in 2018 America! Don’t get me wrong: I love what sci-fi/fantasy writers do—they provide a much-needed escape for our fatigued minds, but for me, there’s just so much awkwardness and absurdity in everyday life that makes literary fiction so appealing to me.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

• I have much less time to do anything else now; I’ve gained weight, lost friends, my dog hates me because I have less time to take him for walks, and a host of other things, but overall, I’m happier writing books. At the very least, it gives my life some meaning and keeps me out of trouble (for the most part).

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

• Oh, there’s so many to name, but here’s a few: David Foster Wallace, Don DeLillo, Roberto Bolaño, Zadie Smith, Cormac McCarthy, Nickolas Butler, Ian Frazier, and Jack Handey. I love postmodern literature, especially anything that captures the absurdity of our modern lives and interactions, but I also tend to have an appreciation for the darker side of our culture. McCarthy nails our frailty with his epic, biblical prose, while folks like Ian Frazier and Jack Handey lend a satiric quality to life that makes it worth living. Things can be bad, but laugh sometimes, dammit. Life’ll kill you.

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

• While I will always prefer independent bookstores, if people are buying books, I’m not going to knock how they get them.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

• I think we as an American culture have turned a blind eye for far too long to the darker subset of our society. I’m not talking about the murderers and criminals—we know about them—but rather I’m referring to the toxic underbelly of latent racism, ignorance, and hatred that has poisoned our culture. While TITLE 13 is indeed a satire, it’s also a serious meditation on how we as a people have allowed our country to come to the divisive state that it now finds itself in.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

• I also write many satire and humor pieces, so just turning on the news these days is a goldmine of absurdity.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

• It helps to have crippling obsessive-compulsive disorder and a debilitating, incessant sensation of wanting to get something done. It’s why my email inbox always needs to be at zero. If I see that little red dot notification on my phone with unread email(s), I’ll stop in traffic to be rid of it.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

• If I get hit by a car or somebody stabs me, I stop reading.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

• I don’t believe any writing should be censored.

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

• I find the ampersand to be too fancy and a trifle pedantic.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

For more information on my writing, please check out my website and other links! Thanks!

 

• Author Homepage: http://www.michaelaferro.com/

• Goodreads Author Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17108839.Michael_A_Ferro

• Amazon page: amazon.com/author/michaelferro

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelaferro

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichaelFerro

• Poets & Writers Profile: https://www.pw.org/content/michael_ferro

• Publisher Website: http://harvardsquareeditions.org/portfolio-items/title-13/

 

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Anne Fifield

 

 

Your Name: Anne Fifield

Genre(s) of your work: Children’s Mysteries

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Princess Caroline’s Adventures Series – Book One – The Princess’ Hand –  Published in August 2019

Book Two – Trip to Lake Ahrooo – Published in August 2020

Book Three – The Hunt for the Jeweled Swords – Published in November 2020

Book Four – The Missing Knight – Published in August 2021

 

 

 

 

Bio:

Anne Fifield is the creative visionary and best-selling children’s author of “The Princess Caroline’s Adventures” book series. Written for ages 7 to 12 and the young at heart, she is delighting kids worldwide. Her books are unique as she weaves in the elements of her rescued doggies, specifically basset hounds, into each of her stories and book covers.

Her first titled ‘The Princess’ Hand’ was released in August 2019, book two titled ‘Trip to Lake Ahrooo’ released in September 2020, book three followed in November 2020 with ‘The Hunt for the Jeweled Swords,’ and book four newly released in August 2021 titled ‘The Missing Knight.’ All are available on Amazon Books, Amazon Kindle, & many fine online book sites.

Anne is the youngest of three siblings and was born and raised outside Oklahoma City, OK. She met and married the love of her life, Tom, and they have been married for 24+years. Their kids are the four-legged variety who had adopted them over the years.

Her career was also a passion. She was an ‘American Sign Language Interpreter’ for over 25-years and taught ASL at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. Since both were her passions, she says she felt like she never worked a day in her life. In 2006, she became heavily involved in basset rescue and co-founded another one in 2011.

Now retired, she decided to move on to her next passion, the love of writing. She and her husband have rescued and fostered basset hounds for 20-years, so as Anne shares, “it felt natural to write children’s books with bassets as the characters. Our hounds provide the comic antics and inspiration for all my books. Thus, “Princess Caroline’s Adventures Series was born.” All the characters in her books are actual rescue dogs. Their pictures are on the back of each book.

Anne and her husband enjoy retired life and reside in the ‘Great State of Texas.’

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I’ve been owned by basset hounds for the last 20 years. I knew I wanted to write about my love of hounds, so a children’s book was appropriate. I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie. I knew my books needed to be mysteries. I affectionately refer to Caroline as the canine Nancy Drew.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

 It’s widened my circle of associates and friends. I love it when parents send me a picture of their child reading my books. That makes my day and keeps me motivated to keep writing.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Agatha Christie, James Patterson, and Patricia Cornwell. I love mystery and suspense.

 

 

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

Social media is important – your own website, an author’s newsletter, FB author’s page, Instagram, Twitter, Amazon author’s page, etc. So far, knock on wood, I haven’t encountered a bad one. Some are more successful than others.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

I publish on Amazon. You can search for me by my name, Anne Fifield.

https://authorannefifield.com

https://facebook.com/authorannefifield

https://instagram.com/authorannefifield

https://twitter.com/AFifieldBook

 

 

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Brian Finney

 

 

Your Name: Brian Finney

Genre(s) of your work: Nonfiction and fiction

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Money Matters: A Novel. Kindle Direct Publishing, 2019. Finalist in the 2019 American Fiction Awards.

Terrorized: How the War on Terror Affected American Culture and Society. Amazon: Kindle, 2011.

Martin Amis. Routledge Guides to Literature. London and New York: Routledge, 2008

English Fiction Since 1984: Narrating a Nation. London and New York: Palgrave

            Macmillan, 2006.

1. H. Lawrence. Sons and Lovers: A Critical Study. Harmondsworth, Middlesex:

Penguin; New York: Viking Penguin, 1990.

The Inner I: British Literary Autobiography of the Twentieth Century.  London: Faber & Faber; New York:  Oxford UP, 1985.

Christopher Isherwood: A Critical Biography.  London: Faber & Faber; New York:

Oxford UP, 1979. Won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize.

Since How It Is: A Study of Samuel Beckett’s Later Fiction.  London: Covent Garden P, 1972.

 

 

 

Bio:

I am a writer and Professor Emeritus of Literature at California State University, Long Beach. Educated in England, I obtained a BA from the University of Reading and a PhD from the University of London.

After serving three years as an officer in the Royal Air Force, I spent five years in industry as an internal management consultant and production control manager. Between 1964-1987 I taught and arranged extra-mural courses for the University of London. Since immigrating to the US in 1987 I have taught English literature at the University of California, Riverside, University of Southern California, UCLA, and California State University, Long Beach.

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

Money Matters is my first work of fiction. But before that I wrote in a variety of nonfiction genres – biography, criticism, genre study, and a socio-political book.

 

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I first fell for D. H. Lawrence and made his shorter fiction the subject of my PhD thesis besides editing two volumes of his work. Next I fell under the spell of Samuel Beckett and wrote a pioneering study of his later prose pieces. More recently I have spent a lot of time reading and writing about the generation of British novelists who came to prominence in the 1980s and are still active, writers like Martin Amis, Salman Rushdie (not just British), Ian McEwan, Jeanette Winterson, Kazuo Ishiguro ad others. Most recently I have become an admirer of David Mitchell, a highly inventive writer.

 

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Obviously my profession as a university teacher of literature determined the kind of nonfiction books I wrote earlier in my life. Having taught students how to read and interpret fiction I was happy to try writing a novel myself once I stopped full-time teaching. Money Matters, my debut novel, made immigration a major issue. Only after finishing it did I realize that of course I was an immigrant and had experienced some of the challenges my immigrant characters faced in the novel.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

All my work that is still in print is available on Amazon. Money Matters is available there as an e-book, paperback and audiobook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W62XLY6/   I have a website that offers extensive information on all my books and other publications: www.bhfinney.com All my books are also listed in Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/10250.Brian_Finney I post regularly on Twitter (brianfinneywri1) and Instagram (brianfinneywriter).

 

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Jen Flanagan

 

 

Pseudonym: Jen Flanagan

Genre(s) of your work: Lighthearted mysteries, paranormal romance, and romantic suspense

Titles/Year of Published Work(s): 

Detective “Mal” Malone Mystery Series: Bad Company 2019

Here I Go Again 2022

Under Pressure 2022

Orca Cove Paranormal Romance Series: Books 1 & 2 coming in 2023.

 

 

Bio:

Jen Flanagan writes mystery and romance with a penchant for the paranormal to feed her soul. Based in the Midwest, she’s a lover of adventure, travel, immersing herself in other cultures, and bringing her daydreams to life on the page.

In her spare time, she can be found in her kitchen whipping up potions (aka natural products) or a variety of baked goods. She surrounds herself with good food, good friends, coffee, and puppies.

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I write what I like to read. Often, I’m enjoying discovering the book I’m writing so much, I prefer to write than read something new.

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I feel like I have been able to spend more time exploring things I’m interested in. I’ve been able to dream harder and wider. I’ve been able to inspect my feelings and what drives me. I enjoy the psychology of creating a good character with all the history, pains, and accomplishments that come along with that. It makes for a richer character and a truer experience for the reader.

I spend more time assessing characters in movies and books and can better guess plot lines, which is fun. I am pickier on books that I read, however. That’s not always fun.

I would even say I think I pay better attention to what makes people different and appreciate those differences.

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Darynda Jones because she’s witty and writes realistically flawed characters. Elizabeth Hunter because she builds these entire worlds of amazing people and abilities.

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

I believe there’s a huge market for audiobooks. However, until the cost of audiobooks comes down and royalty percentages improve, I don’t think we’ll see as many authors take advantage of them. I believe we may see better options in the future, though. I hope so.

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

I’m still learning marketing. I think Amazon ads are a good direct source, as you’re advertising to people who are actively shopping. However, there is a decent learning curve to get good at using it.

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

I tend to believe in freedom of speech in general. However, I also think some topics, like glorifying the murder of the young for instance, are inherently wrong. I also believe that these writings wouldn’t generally get good reviews or retain any good reputation, so it’s doubtful they’d do well.

What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?

I don’t have a problem with them. It doesn’t hurt if you think it could help a reader find the right book. You do run the risk of advertising to the wrong person, not meeting their expectations, and therefore getting a bad review.

Do you find that you sell better in person (at events) or through social media (like a personal blog, website, or Amazon)?

I’ve sold well in person and online through Amazon. I’m not sure that social media has helped me much, but I think it does help connect with readers when you get a good following. I have a website, but have very little traffic.

Where can people find you and your work?

Right now, other than in-person signings, I sell exclusively through Amazon. Signings aren’t frequent opportunities, but I do enjoy them. Through Amazon, I am selling paperback, e-book, and am on Kindle Unlimited. In the future, I may sell wide, but not while I’m doing well on KU.

Website: https://jenflanaganbooks.com

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/stores/author/B09YVTQ6S6

Facebook: @jenflanaganbooks

Instagram: jenflanagan_author

 

 

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Paul Flewitt

 

 

Your Name: Paul Flewitt

Genre(s) of your work: Horror/Dark Fantasy

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Smoke (OzHorrorCon Book of the Tribes; A Tribute To Clive Barker’s Nightbreed and Cabal) – 2013

Paradise Park (Thirteen Horror’s 13 vol 3 anthology) 2013

Poor Jeffrey (Novel) 2013

Always Beneath (Vamptasy Dark Light 4 anthology) 2014

Climbing Out (Lycopolis Press Demonology anthology) 2015

Apartment 16c (Behind Closed Doors Anthology with Matt Shaw) 2015

The Silent Invader (Fragments of Fear TV show and Matt Shaw’s Masters of Horror anthology) 2016 and 2017

Clive Barker Career Retrospective Blog Spot (Meghan’s Houese of Books) 2019

The Last Madness of Dear Eddie (The Many Deaths of Edgar Allan Poe anthology) 2020

Defeating The Black Worm (Demain Publishing Short, Sharp Shocks series) 2020

 

 

Bio:

Paul Flewitt is a horror and dark fantasy writer from Sheffield, UK, where he lives with his wife and two children.

Paul began publishing in 2012, beginning with the flash fiction story, Smoke, for OzHorrorCon’s Book of the Tribes anthology. He went on to pen further short stories, including Paradise Park, Climbing Out, Apartment 16c and Always Beneath.

In 2012, he also published his first novel, Poor Jeffrey, which was received to much critical acclaim.

Paul cites writers such as Clive Barker, Stephen King, James Herbert and JRR Tolkien as inspirations on his own writing.

Paul continues to write, contributing to Matt Shaw’s The Many Deaths of Edgar Allan Poe anthology in 2020 with The Last Horror of Dear Eddie. He also began releasing free short stories and fanfiction on his Wattpad account for fun.

 

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

That’s a question with quite a few answers. First and foremost, it’s probably because it’s what I read most often. It’s familiar, and I know the rules. It’s what I feel comfortable in, and that goes a long way towards being creative.

The longer answer is that I grew up as a fantasy nerd. My dad was big into writers like Tolkien, Donaldson and Brooks, and he passed those books onto me when I was still fairly young. I remember writing a story at school for a task that was only meant to be a few pages, but I filled several exercise books with the damned thing. I suppose that was a big pointer towards what I would eventually become.

My Dad was a hobby writer, mostly of poetry but he did write the occasional short story too. It was his fault that I started writing in my spare time, copying him by writing poetry. It became something of an obsession, and I went through a phase of writing a couple of poems per day. That progressed to writing short stories too, which seems pretty inevitable to me now.

My reading habits changed somewhat in my teens. I guess I figured out the formula for fantasy, and those books didn’t excite me anymore. I tried reading all sorts of other genres, but I couldn’t seem to find the exhilaration I had experienced reading fantasy. That’s when a neighbour noticed that I read a lot, and handed me a Stephen King book. That was Skeleton Crew, and I devoured it. Here was something quite different, more visceral and just what I had been looking for. A closer family friend saw what I was reading, and handed me her entire King collection, which ran to a hell of a lot of books. Mixed in there were some Herbert, Laymon, Masterton and Campbell books, and I was in hog heaven for months. Then the same thing happened with horror as I had with fantasy; I worked out the formula and they all became a little generic. They played by the same rules, and ended up in the same places. I was a little despairing because I suspected I might hate reading after all. Then I discovered Clive Barker, and he opened my eyes to new possibilities. Here was a writer that spoke my language, and never disappointed the teenage me. I’d struck around for ways to explain what it was I wanted to write, and here it was on the page with me. It was a melding of horror and fantasy, the real with the surreal, profundity with the banal. There were twists and turns, unexpected endings. I loved it, and I wanted more of it.

Of course, several writers since have emulated Barker, and I found writers that did similar things over time. That’s what really shaped me as a writer, and why I write what I do.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

It really hasn’t, and that’s a cool thing. The only things that changed when I started publishing is that I get to do it a lot more, and have a good excuse for doing it. I don’t make masses of money, partly because I don’t write so quickly, and because I haven’t yet secured a deal with a six or seven figure advance. I don’t even aspire to doing that, although I wouldn’t refuse it if the opportunity came along.

I suppose, if anything, publishing confirmed to me that I can do the only thing I ever thought I was truly good at. Before, I was always bang average at everything I turned my hand to, but this I can honestly look at and think I can do it pretty well. Obviously, I have the same writer hang-ups as everyone else, but the positive reviews, the pitches accepted, the favourable comments from other writers and the opportunities I have like this one (to sit and talk about writing with people like you) goes a long way to convincing me I might be okay.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Well, I already cited a few in the lengthy reply to the first question, but there are many, many more. Obviously, Clive Barker is a huge influence and inspiration to me. In short, I think he’s a genius. His ability to draw a reader in and convince them of the reality behind his fantasy is beyond belief. His style is very approachable, with no filler or bloat. I just love what he does.

Stephen King was really my first love, because of his world building and characters. They are so relatable, and you actually care about them. He isn’t a great storyteller by any means, and his work is often a little bloated with unnecessary exposition which slows the pace down at times, but I’ll still always love what he does.

Tolkien was the first big influence on me, I think. Lord of the Rings was the first work I really got lost in, and I wanted to live in The Shire. Even re-reading it, I’m always a little sad to leave that world behind at the last page, and that’s the sign of a really good story. I doubt anyone has ever created a world with such depth of history, language, culture and politics as Middle Earth, and I guess we’d have to live a long time for another to come along. Some come close, but nobody yet has equaled the feat.

Then, of course, there’s Poe and Lovecraft, who I can’t not mention. They were the ones who write the blueprint for everything that dark fiction is today. None of us would be here today if it wasn’t for those two lunatics. They both rethought the way fiction is written, and created characters and situations that I doubt many would have considered at that time. You always have to honour those who went before, and these were the guys who sparked the flame.

 

 

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

It isn’t something I really considered. I mean, people have been tolling the death knell of the book for many years, but they never seem to go away in the paper form. Now we have ebooks and audiobooks, which are just other ways to consume our content. That’s fine, and hopefully people find enjoyment from them.

From another standpoint, I think audiobooks particularly are important to allow people with disabilities to access written fiction. I know a very close family member loved his audiobooks, and he would never have consumed a book in paper form due to cognitive functioning not allowing it. Of course, there are also the visually impaired, who can’t always find the books they want in braille because they’re so damned expensive to translate and create. I did look into braille books, and the costs of production are very restrictive for an indie writer. So, audiobooks have their place in the market, and serve an important function.

Are they the wave of the future? Will they take over from physical books?

I doubt it. They’re far from a new thing, and nothing has yet taken away from the tactile and personal experience of opening a new paper book for the first time and reading those first lines. The smell, the feel and anticipation of that experience is something I doubt any constant reader will tire of.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I guess I have a love/hate relationship with them. Obviously, anywhere that makes books freely available is a good thing, right? But … the tastes of the customer are often dictated by those of the acquisitions manager, and if they don’t like a particular genre, they don’t get stocked. Frankly, I tire of walking up to “horror” shelves in these big stores and seeing only Stephen King books, like he’s the only one in the entire world writing the stuff. I hate that they refuse to take a punt on indie writers enough … even local talent. They’d prefer to just stock what they know they can sell thousands of copies of, and its always writers that are already selling in the millions. It’s a business, I get it, but surely there’s space for a big store supposedly dedicated to the written word to educate people on what’s out there? I see people saying all the time that dark fiction is a dying genre, that nobody reads it, and that’s totally untrue. There’s real talent out there, and people itching to find it, but you have to search. Guys like Dave Jeffery, Mark Cassell, Matt Shaw, Mark Allan Gunnels, Lee Murray, Lee Franklin are all writing very different styles, very different approaches to the genre, and all should have far better profiles than they have in the mainstream, but they’re limited to cult followings because they’re not with big presses. It sucks, and its what all bookstores should be doing to highlight ALL writers, not just those with cache.

And I’ll climb down from my soapbox now…

 

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

I’m far from being a marketing guru, but I suppose I’ve picked up certain insights into what works and what doesn’t.

First, I don’t think there’s a hard and fast rule that works for everyone. If there was, we’d all have bestsellers and have followings of millions by now, right? We don’t, and that’s because what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for everyone.

I think there’s no substitute for gaining a reputation for consistently high quality work. Word of mouth goes a long way, and the only way to get that is by being consistent and dependable. After that, I think reaching out and being approachable is the next thing. Nowadays, fans don’t want their authors to be shrouded in mystique. They seem to want to get to know you on a more personal level. So, reach out to readers, and potential readers, and talk to them. Be yourself.

What doesn’t work, and never will, is endlessly spamming people’s inboxes with invites to groups, pages and links to buy books. That’s just annoying, and must be the industry equivalent of the unsolicited dick pic. Nobody wants that, nobody asked for it. If you want to sell me your shit, talk to me!

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Hmm, now this is a tough one. It’s very easy to be militant about this and say that all literary efforts should be unencumbered by censorship, and that free speech should be sacrosanct. There is a grey area though, and free speech doesn’t come without consequences and responsibilities. I think that’s something that people in general often forget.

Do I think there should be censorship? Generally no, because I think important and difficult topics can be tackled in fiction if handled deftly and with respect. But, it has to be handled carefully. It’s  increasingly easy to offend, to the point that books like To Kill A Mockingbird are now being slammed for their racist content, which entirely misses the point of the entire book. I think there are important conversations to be had, and they can take place in literature like nowhere else.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

You can find more information, and keep up to date with latest news at these links…

 

Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/Paul-Flewitt-Author-of-Dark-Fiction-352745188170046/

Amazon; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Paul-Flewitt/e/B00FG34L7O/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Twitter; @RealPaulFlewitt

Instagram; @paulflewittauthorofdarkfiction

MeWe: @Paul Flewitt

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/DarkFantastique

 

 

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Rebecca Flynn

 

Your Name:  Rebecca Flynn

Genre(s) of your work:  urban/paranormal fantasy

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

The Wild Hunted 2019

Iron Will 2021

 

 

Bio:

Rebecca has been writing since she was 10. She has written poetry and short stories in addition to several novels. She currently teaches creative writing classes online to help young kids bring their ideas to life. Her husband has been muse, research partner, idea springboard, and personal critic. Currently, she lives in the mountains of Tennessee with her husband, four children, and horde of dogs.

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

 I was told once to write what you enjoy. Fantasy has been my favorite genre for a long time. I love the escape from reality.

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?  

It helps me sleep better at night, believe it or not! There is so much going on in my head. When I write, it goes on the paper and I don’t have to worry about remembering it anymore. I can sleep in peace!

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

 I have so many authors that I really enjoy reading, too many to list. So, I will share my favorite book instead. My husband introduced me to Faerie Tale by Raymond Feist. It’s just such an amazing story. The characters are well thought out, the story truly pulls you in, and the premise for the book is intriguing. I could read this book over and over and still enjoy it every time.

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

 I can see the appeal of audiobooks. You can have so many more, you don’t run out of space, and it’s easy to bookmark. However, there will always be people like me who like to curl up and hold a book in their hands to read. I actually have both, but I will always enjoy the feel of the real book. I love the way they look sitting on the shelf, waiting to see which one I will pick next.

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I’ve worked for one before and I don’t really have any negative feelings about them. I’ve been a part of signings for both famous and self-published authors. Big chains have more money to throw around for that kind of thing.

 

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?  

Signings are a good marketing tool. If you can find a local business willing to set up a table for you, have a signing. Bring a supply of your own books and make friends! I brought a box of books and sold half my supply in a couple hours. Plus, I made friends with the owner of the store and they welcomed me back to do it again!

Not really sure about bad marketing tools because I haven’t really come across anything that’s really bad yet.

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?  

I don’t believe in censoring. Just because you don’t agree with something doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be written about or discussed. Once we start censoring, where do we stop? And who decides what is acceptable and not acceptable? I don’t use certain words or situations because I’m not comfortable talking about them. That’s my personal choice. Other people are fine saying anything or talking about any situation. Readers will tell you by purchasing or not purchasing your book.

 

 Where can people find you and your work?

I am on Facebook and Twitter. My books can be purchased directly from the publisher (Black Rose Writing) or online at Barnes & Noble, Booksamillion, Amazon.

I’m currently working on my personal website, but I can be found on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaFlynnAuthor), Twitter (@rebeccaflynn79), and my books can be purchased from Black Rose Writing (https://www.blackrosewriting.com/fantasy-paranormal/thewildhunted?rq=the%20wild%20hunted) and (https://www.blackrosewriting.com/fantasy-paranormal/ironwill?rq=iron%20will).

 

 

 

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Carol M. Ford

 

Name: Carol M. Ford

Genre(s) of your work: Non-Fiction: Biography, Pets  ///  Fiction: Thriller/Mystery

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography (2015)

Golden Linings: Tiny Tales about Pets, for Pets (2018)

Vulture Mine over Matter (short story)

The Incident (short story)

 

 

Bio:

Carol M. Ford has more than twenty years of experience in the publishing industry. She earned her BA degree with Honors in English/Liberal Arts from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) in Glassboro, New Jersey. She is the Director of Editorial Services, an editor, and a managing editor for Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. (AJJ), a health care association management, marketing, and publishing firm located in Southern New Jersey near Philadelphia. Working with leaders in the nursing community, she oversees the production of several clinical peer-reviewed nursing journals, publications, and textbooks.

Carol has authored and published several articles on writing and publishing, has self-published two short stories, has written several novels on spec based on Hogan’s Heroes, and has co-authored a two-part teleplay on spec based on Dracula: The Series. Since 2011, she has owned and managed the Vote For Bob Crane National Radio Hall of Fame campaign.

Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography is Carol’s first major non-fiction work. In addition to her deep understanding of Bob Crane and her writing skills, her extensive knowledge of publishing for the health sciences has equipped her with keen investigative and research skills, ensuring the final publication of the book, which was thoroughly researched for twelve years, is evidence-based. A portion of the profits from Bob Crane’s biography is donated to various charities in Bob’s memory.

Carol is CEO and owner of Carol M Ford Productions, LLC, which provides individuals, organizations, and businesses with podcasting, voiceover, and video production services. She currently oversees the production of the Jannetti Publications, Inc., podcast series, which provides extended content of AJJ’s scholarly, peer-reviewed nursing journals (Nursing Economic$, MEDSURG Nursing, and Pediatric Nursing). She also provides podcast production services for AJJ’s clients. Throughout 2017, Carol co-produced and participated in a podcast based on Bob Crane’s biography, The Bob Crane Show: Reloaded (no longer in production).

In addition, Carol has experience in website design, development, and maintenance, and has constructed websites for various individuals, as well as for herself. She also co-developed, owns, and maintains the Bob Crane: Life & Legacy website.

In 2018, Carol published Golden Linings: Tiny Tales about Pets, for Pets, a book where a portion of profits will be donated to animal shelters to help abused/homeless animals. Her publisher has recently approved Golden Linings 2: More Tiny Tales about Pets, for Pets, which is scheduled to be published in Summer 2019. Carol is also working on a new book, a thriller/horror novel set in Arizona.

Her spare time is filled with writing, reading, photography, drawing, music, traveling, hiking and fitness, her pets (a cat, Charley, and a Golden Retriever, Copper), and spending time with family and friends.

When she finds time to read, Carol  reaches for historical fiction/thrillers/mysteries, and she lists Dean Koontz, Louise Penny, and Dan Brown among her favorite authors. An avid cook, she loves experimenting with new recipes and inviting friends over for dinner. Carol has traveled extensively across the United States and around the world, including to England, Ireland, Scotland, and Australia. She has tutored with Literacy Volunteers of America, teaching adults how to read and write, and has also assisted young children in developing their reading and writing skills.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I have written all of my life. I’m probably best known for my non-fiction work, specifically Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography. But my favorite genre to write in is fiction—mystery, thriller, and supernatural/horror.

I wrote my first stories were when I was a little girl, about five years old. I made up my own tales based on Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, and I’d draw pictures to accompany the stories. I’d then read the stories and show the drawings to my kindergarten classmates. As I grew older and throughout school, I continued writing—more for my entertainment than anything else. And I loved every word of it.

By the time I graduated from high school and entered college, one might think that I had my undergraduate curriculum all figured out. But no. I started out with a major in Elementary Education with a coordinate major in English at Glassboro State College (now Rowan University). One year in, I changed to English/Liberal Arts. And following college graduation, I ran right out and got a job at a publishing firm. Right?

Nope. I got a job with Lifetouch National School Studios, where I found my dream job. Right?

Nope. After three years, I became engaged and got married, and lived happily ever after. Right?

Nope. After three years, during which time I was going to school for mortuary science (my ex-husband and my uncle are funeral directors, didn’t you know), I was divorced. I settled into my lifelong career of writing. Right?

Nope. I got a job with an association management firm and found success. Right?

Nope. I left that job and went to another association management firm, this time Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc., where I’ve been employed since 1998. After a year working on the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses account as the Education Coordinator, a position opened up in the company’s Editorial Department. I moved over to Editorial in the entry-level position of Editorial Coordinator, and it was here, under the mentorship of my boss and VP of Jannetti Publications, Inc., Ken Thomas, that I really learned publishing. Ken taught me everything I know in the publishing industry. Over time, I advanced to managing editor and then was promoted to Director of Editorial Services. Point being is that sometimes, you don’t always jump on the right road immediately after graduation. Sometimes, the right road needs a little time to find you.

Throughout my professional career, I kept writing. I wrote several articles on publishing techniques for AJJ. And while I loved working on my fiction and dreamed of being a published author, I one day found myself researching Bob Crane for a new, serious biography. I partnered with a radio journalist, Linda Groundwater (who is credited with officially starting the project), and Dee Young, a radio veteran who worked for WICC 600 AM Radio in Bridgeport, Connecticut, which was also where Bob had worked from 1951-1956.

Truth be told, I have been researching Bob Crane ever since I was about fourteen years old. When my parents would go to the local mall, they’d drop me off at the county library, located right across the street, and I’d spend all day in the microfilm/microfiche room. This was circa 1985. And in the 1980s, of course there was no Internet, no email, no eBay to find long lost items. In 2006, when I learned Linda had officially started researching Bob’s life, I reached out to her. She had already connected with Dee by that point, and the three of us bonded together to discover the real Bob Crane.

People ask me—why Bob Crane? Well, of course, I am a lifelong fan of Hogan’s Heroes. That almost goes without saying! But when I was just fourteen, I found out that Bob was murdered, and it really affected me. That kid who was me at that time was so sad. And then when I learned how he was murdered and that the crime was unsolved, I was angry. Little by little, I uncovered fragments of Bob’s life. I had to keep finding out more. And more. And more.

Bob Crane’s biography might be the only biography I have in me. Writing a biography is not something to take lightly. Facts must be checked. You’re dealing with a person’s life and legacy, and to get something wrong or to make an assumption or a sweeping statement alters the truth. Research is key. It’s exhausting, expensive, and time-consuming. Learning and telling Bob’s true story was and will always be a labor of love.

But my favorite genre to play in is fiction. You get to create these fantastic universes where your characters can do things that surprise you, and there’s nothing like getting lost in those pages as I’m writing them. I’m constantly writing or working on ideas. I have written several novel-length Hogan’s Heroes fan fiction (would love to get permission to publish them one day!), as well as two short stories I self-published.

I also love animals, and that’s how Golden Linings: Tiny Tales about Pets, for Pets came into existence. In early 2018, I started brainstorming ideas on how to raise money for animals in need. I love animals, and I’ve always had pets. Currently, I have a golden retriever, Copper, and a cat, Charley. I follow countless shelter/rescue sites on social media, and I always feel so helpless when I see these poor dogs and cats and bunnies and so on in the shelter—some high-kill shelters, giving the scared pets only days or hours to live. I can’t adopt them all, and I can only donate so much (in fact, much of my author profits from Bob Crane’s biography have gone to animal rescue groups). I spun some ideas past my publisher, and we settled on a book written by several contributors about their pets, including a photograph of each, with the sole purpose of raising money to help animals in need. Voorhees Animal Orphanage and S.N.O.R.T. Resuce (Short Noses Only Rescue Group) officially endorsed the book, which was published in July 2018. Golden Linings 2: More Tiny Tales about Pets, for Pets is now in production, with an anticipated publication date of Summer 2019. I’m hoping it continues to grow and raise lots of money to help these sweet furry souls!

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

In a word: Profoundly.

Researching Bob Crane and writing his biography introduced me to some of the most amazing people I have ever had the honor and privilege to know. I wouldn’t trade one second of any of it for the world. These are/were some of the most beautiful and precious people, and I’m not just saying that because they knew or are related to Bob. Each has touched my life and made me a better person in ways I can’t even begin to explain.

I’ve also had to sharpen my public speaking skills. Nobody tells you that when you publish a book, especially a biography about a public figure, that you’ll have to give presentations about it, be interviewed on the radio about it, and even go on TV about it! Having written and published Bob’s biography has pushed me way outside my comfort zone to do things I normally would never have had the courage to do.

I have come to absolutely love giving presentations about Bob Crane, which I do annually at the MidAtlantic Nostalgia Convention (held each September in Hunt Valley, Maryland) and the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio (home of the official Hogan’s Heroes prop and uniform display). I love watching my audience—and it doesn’t matter if it’s five people for fifty people or a hundred people—absorb what I tell them. Many often attend my presentations with preconceived notions about Bob based on incomplete or inaccurate information, and as I go through his life from birth to death, I can physically see their faces change. They realize how much they didn’t know about him, and they see him in a new light. My favorite story will always be about the first time I gave a presentation at the MidAtlantic Nostalgia Convention. One lady kept coming up to my table in the vendor hall, and she kept saying how much she used to love Hogan’s Heroes, but how she couldn’t watch it because of what she thought she knew of Bob Crane. I was scheduled to give the last presentation of the convention, and I urged her to attend. .She said she’d think about it. So the day came for my presentation (and I was terribly nervous!), and afterwards, she approached the podium to see me. I recognized her, and I said, “I’m so glad you decided to come!” And she said, and I’ll never forget it, “Thank you. You have changed my negative perception of Bob Crane and given me my show back.” That is when it hits you, that you’re doing more than just writing/publishing a book or going around giving talks. You are righting a wrong. That is why I keep going and will always keep going.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

There are so many. I really enjoy books by Dean Koontz and Dan Brown. Koontz I like because he can bring multiple characters who didn’t previously know each other together, and Brown because of his intricate plots and settings. I love a good mystery, too, and curling up with a Louise Penny novel is fun!

I like the protagonist to be set up against nearly impossible odds, get knocked down to near defeat, and then rise again, like a phoenix from the flames, stronger than before. We all go through challenging times. I like to see vulnerabilities in the protagonist, making him or her human, not infallible. And sometimes, not always nice. Because life is not perfect, and we as humans are not perfect. When our heroes fall short but bounce back, it gives us hope that we, too, can do the same. I think we are all too hard on ourselves. We try so hard to be perfect. But we aren’t. We stumble. We fall. We learn. We rise. And we are better in the end, not just to others, but to ourselves.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I love all bookstores! So I can’t knock the corporate booksellers, like Barnes & Noble. I’ve had very good experiences at Barnes & Noble during book signings, specifically in Deptford, New Jersey; Stamford, Connecticut; and Waterbury, Connecticut. Barnes & Noble has been tremendously supportive and friendly, especially when I was still a first-time author and getting my feet wet.

But independent bookstores offer a charm that the corporate stores often lack. They vary in size and many are owned by individuals just trying to make ends meet. I particularly enjoy The Book Asylum in Blackwood, New Jersey; Bogart’s Book Café in Millville, New Jersey; and the Doylestown Bookshop in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

 

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

With Bob Crane’s biography, to discover the truth. Rediscover Bob Crane as a talented drummer, a genius in radio, a driven actor, who was simply a human being. Before judging him, learn his whole life story for proper perspective.

With Golden Linings, to help animals but also to take a step back and warm your heart and soul.

With my fiction, to be entertained, thrilled, and a little scared at times.

 

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

A lot. In the case of Bob’s biography, I visited nearly every single place of importance, walked in his footsteps, and immersed myself in his life.

As for fiction, it’s true that you need to write what you know, and if you don’t know it, you have to learn about it. And learn a lot about it. I read and research to death. You can’t be a writer if you don’t have an arsenal of information. That’s your foundation upon which you build your story.

 

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

Success. I am driven toward success, even if that success is just the completion of writing the book/story, even if it is never published, and I’m the only one who reads it!

 

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

It bores me. I appreciate all writers and their hard work, but we all can’t like everything. If I become bored with a character or plotline, I’ll lose interest pretty quickly.

 

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

For the most part, no. Even if it makes us uncomfortable. As Rod Serling said during his KNX interview with Bob Crane in 1961, when he quotes the First Amendment, stating that there should be no abridging the freedom of speech or of the press. Regarding his hate mail, Serling says, “I’m delighted. Let them write anything they want. I don’t think we’re in trouble in this country if we let people say, talk, think, comment. This isn’t our problem. It’s when we start to abridge that.”

However, I do not believe in anything that could cause harm to or malign any person, place, or thing. In other words, if the intent is to injure or worse, then that is the exception to the censorship rule.

I’m open to constructive criticism (as much as we don’t like any kind of criticism!), but what I don’t like or allow on my social media sites (for myself or those that I run for Bob Crane) is the hate speech/bullying/vulgarity. I own those sites, so I censor what I feel is inappropriate and considered hateful.

 

 

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

I remember reading Gone with the Wind in high school, and when I was reading pages and pages that described the draperies at Tara, I couldn’t help but think, “Okay, I get it. They were luscious and pretty!” Do we need pages and pages of such descriptive text? Maybe. But I don’t care for it!

I’m also not a fan of when authors try and use big words to impress. Sometimes that “big word” is suitable and is the perfect word to use. But when it’s done repeatedly and as a way to make the author sound smart only seems to annoy me.

 

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Oh, I’m all over the place!

You can find everything at my website: https://www.carolmford.com/

Bob Crane: https://vote4bobcrane.org/

Golden Linings: http://www.goldenlinings.com/

Carol M Ford Productions, LLC: https://www.carolmfordproductions.com/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Carol-M.-Ford/e/B005VEKSW0/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cmford714

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carol.ford.378

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cmford714/

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-ford-7414399/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi8XaUxPitfYO2qzmdKQjFw

 

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Darlene Foster

 

Your Name: Darlene Foster

 

Genre(s) of your work: Middle Grade Fiction

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Amanda in Malta: The Sleeping Lady 2021

Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action 2019

Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind 2017

Amanda on the Danube: The Sounds of Music 2016

Amanda in Alberta: The Writing on the Stone 2014

Amanda in England: The Missing Novel 2012

Amanda in Spain: The Girl in The Painting 2011

Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask 2010

Cerdito a juicio/Pig on Trail 2015

 

 

 

 

Bio:

Darlene Foster grew up on a ranch in Alberta, Canada, where her love of reading inspired her to see the world and write stories about a young girl who travels to interesting places. Over the years she worked in rewarding jobs such as an employment counsellor, ESL teacher, recruiter, and retail manager, writing whenever she had a few spare minutes. She is now retired and has a house in Spain where she writes full time. When not travelling, meeting interesting people, and collecting ideas for her books, she enjoys spending time with her husband and entertaining rescue dogs, Dot and Lia.

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

The short answer would be because I have never really grown up, and I don´t plan to. I write for kids ages 7 to 13, although many ages, including adults seem to enjoy my books. I relate to this age group, often called tweens, and find them fascinating. They have the innocence of small children but the curiosity and eagerness of young adults. They have not yet experienced the angst of teenagers or the jaded views of adults, although they can also be old souls. Tweens love to learn and soak up knowledge like a sponge. My best conversations are with tweens. They are on the brink of life and I love them.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I wrote the first four books while I was still working full time. It was hard but I enjoyed it as it was a release from the stress of the day. Now that I’m retired, I believe writing has enriched my life. It gives me something to do and keep my mind active. I learn something new every day through research and studying the craft of writing. Writing has given me many new friends as the writing community is very supportive and close knit, in person and online. Writing gives me purpose, a reason to get up in the morning and I believe that it keeps me young. I look forward to writing every day and it is something I can do for a long time.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I have many favourite authors and they change over time. I particularly love Jane Austen and Lucy Maude Montgomery as they wrote about strong girls and women in a lighthearted and amusing way. You wouldn’t want to mess with Elizabeth Bennett or Anne Shirley would you? I am fond of Alexander McCall Smith not only because he writes about Africa in a way that makes you feel you are there, but also because he has created in Precious Ramotaswe and in Grace Makutsi, two clever women who know their own mind.

 

 

Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?

Audio books have been around for some time now. I recall when my dad had a stroke and could no longer read, I bought him audio books. He loved reading so they made him happy. That was over twenty years ago. I once had a job which required a lot of travelling in my car. I would pop an audio book in my cassette player and read/listen to some great books. So they are not a passing fad. People will always like to read a book, paper or digital but there are times when an audio book is handy. Any way our stories are read, is a good way!

 

 

What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?

I believe blogging has been the best marketing tool for me. It has broadened my international audience in ways I would have never imagined. The bonus is I’ve made some remarkable friends as well. I love to do in person events, some have been very successful, others not so much. But they are time consuming and can be expensive if you have to travel to distant locations. I think the pandemic has taught us that we can connect with our readers without leaving home. I have done a number of school visits, virtually, all over the world. So now ZOOM has become a good marketing tool.

 

Thank you so much for having me as a guest once again on your wonderful blog. (Ed: You’re welcome! 🙂 )

 

Where can people find you and your work?

 Darlene Foster’s Blog | dreamer of dreams, teller of tales (wordpress.com)

http://www.darlenefoster.ca

https://www.amazon.ca/Darlene-Foster/e/B003XGQPHA/

Darlene Foster (@supermegawoman) / Twitter

 

 

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Conrad Franco, Jr.

 

Name: Conrad Franco, Jr.

Genre(s) of your work: Non-fiction (Business, Education); Fiction (Poetry, Short Stories)

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Beyond Bitcoin (The Ultimate Guide to Digital Currencies) 2017; Poet’s Pen (A Poetic Composition) 2018

 

 

Bio:

Hi, I’m Conrad Franco, Jr., a Filipino writer from the scenic country – Philippines. I am a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in English. I also earned short courses on Computer Systems and Professional Education. While I love reading, writing has been always my passion. My family circle is my ultimate inspiration to live life each day. I’m inspired to read, write and share what I know.

I have written and published my first ebook online on year 2017 entitled “Beyond Bitcoin, The Ultimate Guide to Digital Currencies”. The ebook is about the first decentralized digital currency called bitcoin. But it did not limit alone with bitcoin. It explains how bitcoin and other digital currencies work, how one could be part of this new technology and how one could profit from digital currencies.

My second ebook is “Poet’s Pen” (January 18, 2018). It is a collection of my original poems from a variety of subjects and styles. It was actually taken from my unpublished ebook, “Beyond the Pen: A Work of Poetry, Prose and More”. Through this ebook, you will learn what poetry is, know the different forms of poetry and discover my own style of poetry writing.

My other upcoming ebooks for year 2018 are “To Teach”, “Ang Pulis” and “The Cop”. For updated list of my ebooks, just head on to https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/conradfranco.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I write in my genres as I believe that through my writings, at least I can impart some ideas or insights and give inspiration to my readers.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

Through writing, I can express and share my thoughts, experiences and emotions. Through indie authorship, my dream in becoming a published author has been realized. And it is indeed a life-changing experience.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Classic authors: Charles Dickens, Eric Arthur Blair (George Orwell), Robert Frost and William Shakespeare.

Online writers (bloggers): Efren Nolasco, Jerry Pontillo (Jay Hee Seo), Krzysztof Kowalczyk and Ofir Beigil

Smashwords authors: Mark Coker, Mark Elswick, Trevor Tanqe and Bill Taylor

Other authors: John C. Maxwell and Zig Ziglar

They are my favorites because their works are marvelous, remarkable and great.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I guess bookstores will always be there. Many still loved to buy physical books for them to enjoy, share or display later on their bookshelves and the flipping of the book from pages to pages is always an exciting and fun experience.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

My books are products of my passion to write for other people to enjoy and inspire them.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Personal experiences have somewhat contributed to my written work. It is always a fascinating skill to share.

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

When I finished my first project, I got to think for my next project, conceptualize and then begin writing my manuscript.

 

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

I got three things that make me not finish reading a book.

First is when the story is predictable. It sounds interesting rather if the story have lots of twists and surprises as the plot progresses.

Second is when the author gets lost with his/her purpose. As a reader, you are also getting lost with what you are reading if the author’s writing is already out of his/her subject matter. Although, it is good to tackle/elaborate other topics/issues but I think authors should be very specific with regards to his subject matter.

Lastly I would quit reading book when the writing is full of author’s opinions. Authors need to see the other side of the story. It must be balanced and not biased.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

No. Every literary piece has its intended readers or audiences.

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Friend me on Facebook at https://www.facebook/com/radj.franco

Message me on Messenger at https://m.me/radj.franco

Add me up on Google Plus at https://plus.google.com/112991133518593875620

Favorite my Smashwords Author Page at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/conradfranco

 

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Vincent Francone

 

Name: Vincent Francone

Genre(s) of your work: Creative Nonfiction, poetry, fiction, meandering essay

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Like a Dog, 2015

The Soft Lunacy, 2019

Otherwise: various poems, essays, reviews, and stories in journals across the internet

 

 

Bio:

Vincent Francone was born in 1971 in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Roosevelt University (BA: English) and Northwestern University (MA: Creative Writing) and worked as an adjunct English Instructor for various colleges in the Chicago area. He has been a full time English Instructor at Roosevelt University since 2014. He is currently also the Interim Director of Writing Tutoring at Roosevelt University’s Learning Commons.

In 2009, Vincent Francone won the first place Gwendolyn Brooks Award in the Illinois Emerging Writers Competition shortly after publishing his first poem in Rhino. Since then, he has published poems, stories, and essays in New City Magazine, The Oklahoma Review, Akashic Books, Three Percent, Southword, and numerous other online and print journals. His memoir, Like a Dog, was published in 2015 by Blue Heron Books Works. The Soft Lunacy, his collection of essays, was published in March of 2019. He hosts the podcast Drinking and Talking.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I studied poetry while earning my creative writing degree, a process that can often rob one of their love of the genre. Needing a break from meter and rhyme, I started writing a nonfiction story that turned into memoir. Nonfiction offers a sort of freedom I don’t get in other modes. I’m too constrained by what I think a poem should be, what a story looks like. But creative nonfiction feels very liberating. I can do whatever. And while nonfiction conventions are already being established, I don’t care. Which makes me less concerned about conventions and traditions in poems and fiction. But I’ve always written prose and poetry—I don’t see why more people don’t work in multiple genres. I suppose each offers different opportunities. Nonfiction is exploratory and reflective. Poetry is compression. Fiction is commentary. I approach all of them with humor.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I don’t know that it has. I doubt my life would be much different if I’d never written a word. I have a day job, which is another hustle, just like any other I’ve done since high school. So, until I get to that place where I can be financially safe via writing, I don’t know how writing has tangibly changed anything. (And that financial stability is bound to begin any day now, of course.) The one definitive thing I can say is that sharing my writing has allowed me to meet people I wouldn’t have otherwise met, many of them lovely individuals.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Oh boy, here goes: Mikhail Bulgakov and Reinaldo Arenas are inspirations not only because their books (specifically Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita and Arenas’ The Color of Summer) are incredible, but also because they wrote them under terrible conditions. Bulgakov was writing under Stalinist surveillance, knowing he’d never see his book in print. He wrote “for the drawer.” Imagine that: working for years on a book (a masterpiece, actually) and never expecting it to be published. What dedication! Arenas as well: most of his books were written in Cuba while suffering from the oppressive Castro regime (don’t get me started on that guy). He rewrote one book four times (the manuscripts kept getting confiscated and destroyed). FOUR TIMES! His books had to be smuggled out of the country by visitors from Europe, so Arenas didn’t see much of his work published in his native country. He finished his last book while dying of AIDS, writing it as a series of vignettes in case he dropped dead before its completion. That way, it could still be published as “complete.” And when I think of these examples, I feel inspired and very lazy.

Quicker shout outs go to James Joyce, who took the novel where no one else could, Jeanette Winterson, who showed me that plot is not important when you have language, Samuel Beckett, whose work is hilarious, and the great poets of Northern Ireland, especially Ciaran Carson, Medbh McGuckian, Paul Muldoon, and Seamus Heaney. I don’t know what’s in the water there, but it breeds natural poets. Speaking of, Leontia Flynn is currently carrying the Belfast tradition of great poetry. Her last book, The Radio, is a must read.

Last thing: I do not (cannot) write like those mentioned above. They are simply inspirations. I’ll arrogantly cite stylistic influencers: Kurt Vonnegut and Sergei Dovlatov, both economical, playful writers who saw humor as a means of truly conveying the absurdities of our existence.

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I know, I know… shop small, support indies and locals. And I do, but I live in a city (Chicago) that offers plenty of options aside from Barnes and Noble or Amazon. That stated, I grew up in the suburbs in the 80s-early 90s before Borders occupied a space in every town. I would’ve killed for Borders! The only books I was exposed to were the ones my high school teachers thrust on me and the pop novels of the mall stores. A giant store with three floors of books? A poetry section that spanned an entire wall and featured more than Robert Frost and The Prophet? That would’ve been heaven. So while I’m spending much time and money at Unabridged Books, The Seminary Co-Op, Powell’s, and Bookman’s Corner (let us not forget the used shops where one can discover out of print writers), I have that luxury. Some literary curious kid growing up in Smalltown, USA may not. If they’re able to get a copy of a small press gem at Barnes and Noble, well good for them. They need such cultivation. And in a few years they can move to the city and spend their cash at an indie.

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

It’s all a product of personal experience. I don’t believe people who say they write about things outside their sphere or their lives. At least not the poets and fiction writers. I may exaggerate, distort, or downright fib, but what we experience filters in throughout the process. I have to believe Sci-Fi writers imbue their tales with personal experience. No is that much of a fabulist.

 

 

What motivates you to complete your (writing) work?

I wish I knew so I could get some more of it and finish this damned project. I used to have goals and schedules, but I’m not always good at keeping to them. I have ideas galore but get distracted or discouraged easily. I’m getting better at tuning out the negative inner voices and just writing whatever and spending the required time making a mess and cleaning it up. I suppose my motivation is to do better than last time. I like my memoir, but I like my essay collection more because it’s new. And it’s done, so naturally I like the thing I’m writing now more than either of my published books. Because I see the old work as flawed, near misses, which motivates me to do more, write more, write better. Probably not healthy.

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Nope. Write about anything, but be prepared for consequences. Maybe if you can justify the topic, or do something with it beyond empty sensationalism, there’s no reason to censor. Kathy Acker’s books come to mind. Shocking, great stuff, but hardly pornographic, even with a sex act on every other page. Anyway, Lolita, which is regarded as a top ten novel, is narrated by a pedophile, right? Let’s chat about that sometime.

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Amazon is the easiest way. Or IndieBound. My website has links to purchase as well. Savvy stores in Chicago may carry a copy, but the internet is where I’m at for now.

My website: www.vincentfrancone.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vincent.francone.7

Instgram: vincentfrancone

Here’s my Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=vincent+francone&link_code=qs&sourceid=Mozilla-search&tag=mozilla-20

Feel free to leave me a message through my website or find me on Facebook. I’m happy to chat with anyone. I think.

 

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Jan Frazier

 

Name: Jan Frazier

Genre(s) of your work: fantasy, self-help, historical fiction, mystery, fiction

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Fantasy and Time Warp for Young Adults:

Starlight Laser Express 2003

Ghost of a Chance 2004

Glimpse of the Netherworld 2005

Bells of Europe 2006

Patchwork Quilt 2007

A Magical Christmas 2008

Secret Land of Goji 2009

Destination Disaster 2010

Pilgrims, Indians, Shakespeare  Oh My!

Beyond the Aussies and Roos 2012

 

Fiction:

Warmth of Opa’s Blanket 2009

Born to Travel – A European Odyssey 2014

I Visited Europe and Survived 2008

European Roots and Beyond 2011

 

Self-Help:

Healing the Wounded Inner Child – A Journey to Wholeness 2015

 

Historical Fiction:

Catch the Watercolored Wind – Jamestown 1617   2015

Prairie Points – A Civil War Sanctuary 2017

Transatlantic Ticket 1852 – Passage to a New World 2018

 

Mystery:

Murder Times Three 2005

Mission to Murder 2005

 

 

 

Bio:

Jan Frazier received both her BA and MA from Bradley University, Peoria, IL. She taught in the secondary schools for 25 years, taking early retirement in 2002. She then started teaching at Bradley University in English, Education, and Communications and then full-time in Communication for the last eleven years.

She has had the privilege of living abroad in Holland and travels to Europe every year under the guise that she needs more information for her novels and creative nonfiction books, most of which are set in Europe. She has had the honor of taking high school students abroad for fifteen years and now has the privilege of taking Bradley University students to London during the January-Interim. Frazier has always believed that only so much can be taught within the four walls of the classroom, and then the students need to get into the world and “see” for themselves.

Frazier has been honored with various awards for teaching as well as for her writing abilities. She has twenty-one books to her credit and continues to enjoy both teaching and writing.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I have done a multitude of speaking engagements at civic events and schools. I especially love to get into the schools and talk with young students to hear their opinions of the world, desires for life, and learn of their writing abilities. I’ve done many writing workshops with students, and I find this a joy to do. I have grown through all of these experiences, and I feel blessed that God has given me all of these opportunities.

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Being an English teacher, I believe that I still love the classical authors the most – Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Twain, Milton, etc., but most of all Shakespeare!!!

 

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

When I first started to write, it was for young adults and I wanted them to learn the value of travel. Trying to think of a way to get them to pick up the book and read, I decided on making it a fantasy and time warp, with J.C. van Winkler traveling with Smitty the ghost. Thus began Starlight Laser Express, and I went on to write ten more books.

Most of my other books take place in Europe so I guess I’m still pushing the value of travel and then history as well in my historical fiction books.

I used to tell parents of students who were going abroad with me, “Your child will come back a changed person.”  “How do you know?” I would be asked. Well, I knew from experience, but I told the parents to just wait and see. Everyone (including the young person) was amazed at what a change had taken place in just two weeks from seeing parts of the world unknown to him/her. Seeing different cultures, using foreign money, hearing different languages, seeing unusual ways of living, and being surrounded every day by Old-World traditions changed the individual. It was always amazing. And, so, the value of travel continues!!

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Amazon, local book stores, e-books, contact me.

Janfrazier.com; jfrazier@bradley.edu, Hellgate Press website, Amazon.

 

 

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Marc Frazier

 

Your Name: Marc Frazier

Genre(s) of your work: poetry, memoir, flash fiction, fiction

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

Full length poetry books:

The Way Here by Aldrich Press, 2012

Each Thing Touches by Glass Lyre Press, 2015

I have had memoir from my book WITHOUT published in Gravel, The Good Men Project, decomP, Autre Cobalt Magazine and Evening Street Review and Punctuate (forthcoming).

 

 

Bio:

 Marc Frazier has widely published poetry in journals including The Spoon River Poetry Review, ACM, Good Men Project, f(r)iction, The Gay and Lesbian Review (forthcoming), Slant, Permafrost, Plainsongs, and Poet Lore. He is the recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Award for poetry and has been featured on Verse Daily. His book The Way Here and his two chapbooks are available on Amazon as well as his second full-length collection titled Each Thing Touches (Glass Lyre Press). His website is www.marcfrazier.org 

  

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I have been publishing poetry in journals and online for decades but have also dabbled in prose such as fiction and nonfiction. I have just finished my memoir WITHOUT and am searching for an agent or publisher. Writing prose was so much different than writing poetry. It is difficult to describe. I kept having the feeling the work was never finished. That it always needed more work. I revise and edit poems, sometimes over years, but it doesn’t feel as incomplete as prose does.

  

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I now write full time which has changed my life. I had a teaching career and wrote part time. This is so much better. The ability to live the writer’s life. There is a lot of business to a writing career that people don’t realize: all the time in revising, sending out for publication, tracking submissions, etc.

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I would say Virginia Woolf, Laurence Osborne, Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Louise Gluck. They all write exquisitely. I especially relate to the beauty of language which I hear in my head.

  

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

I have no strong opinion about this

  

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

Something they remember that is significant to their life.

  

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

A great deal although I do write other types of poems, for instance such as persona, ekphrastic and ones based on history or myth that are not I-centered.

  

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

It is just built in. I have to write.

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

I simply lose interest or can’t relate to the characters. I like a very tightly written style of writing also and don’t have patience for lengthy ramblings.

  

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

No I do not believe in censorship. I have found that the publishing community can actually be very prudish. Yes, even in 2017. My memoir pieces that contain gay sex are very difficult to place even though they are not overly shocking.

  

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

I don’t believe in self-publishing at all.

Say it once. In the least possible words.

 

Where can people find you and your work?

My poetry books and chapbooks are available on Amazon. My website also has examples of my published writings. Check it out!

 www.marcfrazier.org (website)

https://www.facebook.com/poetmarcfrazier/ (Facebook author page)

https://www.pw.org/content/marc_frazier (Poets & Writers directory)

https://www.amazon.com/Marc-Frazier/e/B00DHX19VG (Amazon)

@marcfrazier45 (Twitter)

marcfrazier-blog (Tumbler)

marcfrazier45 (Instagram)

 

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Sean R. Frazier

 

Name: Sean R. Frazier

Genre(s) of your work: Fantasy and fantasy/humor

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

The Call of Chaos (2016)

The Coming Storm (2017)

 

 

 

 

Bio:

There’s not much to say, really. All through school, I daydreamed and wrote short stories from those daydreams. When I graduated college, I had to get a job which largely killed my writing. Work, family, pets, blah blah blah, fast forward to more recent times. I realized that writing was my passion. It makes me happy, and I’d really love it if it makes readers happy.

 

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

I have always enjoyed reading fantasy over other genres. After every book I finished, I would say to myself “I want to write that!” For the longest time, I never even considered the option of writing in another genre. But Sci-Fi has been knocking on my door as of late.

 

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

I used to be a night owl. Once I started seriously writing, that changed. I also now understand what passion is. I now sympathize with people who say “I love my job—it’s my passion.” My job is not my passion, but writing is, and it’s really all I want to do.

 

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

I grew up on Stephen King, Margaret Weis, and Tracy Hickman. Roger Zelazny and Brandon Sanderson would be my later faves.

 

 

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

“Big box” bookstores can offer things that smaller bookstores can’t, and they can sell books cheaper. That being said, indie bookstores have so much charm. It’s fun to seek them out whenever I visit a town I’ve never been to. Each indie bookstore is an adventure, whereas each mainstream/corporate bookstore is simply a utility.

 

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

Entertainment. It would be nice if there was a fist-pumping moment or two, and some laughter. I want them to love the characters more than anything else. If I somehow manage to inspire someone to write stories of their own, that would be fantastic.

 

 

 

How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Years of playing and Dungeons & Dragons games would be my largest personal experience, I guess? The game has sparked not only my imagination but my storytelling skills.

 

 

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

My goal for every book is the same as it was for my first book—I want to hold my book in my hands. I want to smell its pages and see it on my shelf. I smile every time I think about finishing another book.

 

 

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

Certainly anything harmful or misrepresentative of subject matter should probably not be produced. Historically inaccurate nonfiction as well. If the subject matter is treated properly and fairly, and it’s not harmful, then the door should be wide open.

 

 

 

Where can people find you and your work?

My books on Amazon: http://mybook.to/ForgottenYears

Website: https://SeanRFrazier.com

Facebook: SeanRFrazierAuthor

Twitter: @TheCleftonTwain

Instagram: SeanRFrazier

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/SeanRFrazier

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16064722.Sean_R_Frazier

Also, hiding under my bed

 

 

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John Andrew Fredrick

 

Name: John Andrew Fredrick

Genre(s) of your work: comic literary fiction, film criticism

 

 

Titles/Year of Published Work(s):

The knucklehead chronicles (Full Court Press, 2008, London and Los Angeles)

The king of good intentions (Verse Chorus Press, Portland, Sydney, London, 2013)

The king of good intentions II (Rare Bird Books, Los Angeles, 2015)

Your caius aquilla (Rare Bird Books, 2017)

Fucking innocent:  the early films of wes Anderson (Rare Bird Books, 2017)

 

 

Bio:

John Andrew Fredrick was born in Richmond, VA and raised and educated in Santa Barbara, CA.  He teaches writing in the English Department at California Lutheran University.  He is the frontman for longstanding indie pop band the black watch.  He lives in Los Angeles and London.

 

 

Why do you write in the genre that you do?

Because in a Hemingwayan sense you must write what you know—and I think at least that I know both the indie rock world and what works in comic fiction:  I have a real yen to make myself laugh first, then the reader.

 

How has writing changed/altered your life?

It made me into a scotch-o-holic for a spell there until my doctor ordered me to leave it out.  Creating characters you are rabid to run home to the computer to be with, as it were, staves off a bit of the unmitigated loneliness of the so-called writing life.  It got me a beautiful and absolutely bonkers Persian Abercrombie and Fitch model girlfriend for a year and a half—my first and last fictional groupie.  That was… interesting and dramatic.

 

 

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Nabokov because he is mad perfect, a master of the unforgettable phrase. Lorrie Moore because she slays me.  Martin Amis as well.  Henry James and Proust I am stunned by.  George Saunders on account of, well, who doesn’t love him?

 

What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?

Even the lattes are corporate there.  Fuck that.

 

 

What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?

Whenever anybody hails me somewhere and says “You know, I really did laugh a lot, John” I am terribly humbled and thrilled and thrilled and humbled.  I hope they realize they themselves must be in on the joke (my narrators always-always mess with the reader) for the novels to work.

 

 How much does personal experience play in your written work?

Wanting one’s trade secrets, wot?

 

How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?

I’m like another of my heroes, Flaubert:  very jaded, very bored by most people, by life.

 

What makes you NOT finish reading a book?

A more interesting book.

 

Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?

I’m apolitical.  Last time I voted was against Reagan.  That didn’t work out now, did it?

 

Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?

The sort of fiction V.S. Naipaul described as “bringing news.”  So so so much MFA stuff!

 

Where can people find you and your work?

Me on the tennis court.  My work in indie bookstores and at RareBirdLit.com

www.johnandrewfredrick.com    you can find the amazon page—I’m here in LA watching the World Series, hoping the Dodgers lose.  Am a Giants fan who lives a pop-up fly ball from Chavez Ravine!

 

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