Authors are listed alphabetically by LAST name beginning with D
*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.
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
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
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
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
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
Alan Derosby
Name: Alan Derosby
Genre(s) of your work: Horror/Fantasy/Speculative Fiction
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
- FULL MOON. Ink Stains Volume 13- A Dark Fiction Literary Anthology. Dark Alley Press. October 2019. ISBN: 9781946050182
- GOING HOME. Unholy Night in Deathlehem-A Grinning Skull Press Publication.
December 2018. ISBN: 9781947227231
- If I Die Before I Wake Vol 2. Sinister Smile Press. April 2020.
ISBN: 9781951093099
- UNDER THE BED. The Hollow Vol 2. Breaking Rules Publishing. May 2020
ISBN: 979-8640662849
- Horror Tree: Trembling with Fear- WINDOWSILL
https://horrortree.com/trembling-with-fear-happy-2020-valentines-day/
- The Line-Up: Chilling Tales- THE GHOST OF OLD PIER’S PUB
Sue Rovens 