Authors are listed alphabetically by LAST name beginning with M
*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.
Ken MacGregor
Name: Ken MacGregor
Genre(s) of your work: Primarily Dark, Speculative Fiction (Horror), but I write across the spectrum.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
An Aberrant Mind (2014)
Sex, Gore & Millipedes (2017)
Those two are my books, but I also have short stories in over 60 magazines and anthologies.
Bio:
Ken has been writing since he could hold a crayon, and getting paid for it since 2012. His work has appeared in dozens of anthologies and magazines, and the occasional podcast.
He has two story collections: AN ABERRANT MIND, and SEX, GORE & MILLIPEDES. He is a board member of the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers (GLAHW). He has also written TV commercials, sketch comedy, a music video, and a zombie movie. Recently, he co-wrote a novel (pending publication), and they are working on the sequel. He is the Managing Editor of Anthologies for LVP Publications.
When not writing, Ken drives the bookmobile for his local library. He lives with his family and three cats, one of whom is dead but we don’t hold that against her.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I’ve been a horror fan since I was kid. I love how there are no restrictions there: you can write anything, and no one is shocked or appalled (unless that’s your intent, though mine is always to tell a good story).
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Since I started working with publishers, I have met some amazing people, online and in real life. One of them, Kerry Lipp, and I co-wrote a short story and sold it. We had fun, so tried it again. However, it spiraled out of control and became a novel. Should be out pretty soon. We’ve become pretty good friends, too.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Neil Gaiman, Gillian Flynn, Stephen King, Paul Tremblay. All excellent storytellers. All know how to turn a phrase. Highly recommend.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
While I’d rather support, small independent stores (of any stripe), I think that anywhere people can get books is okay with me.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
My ultimate goal as a writer is to entertain you. I hope you walk away from my stories with a sense of time well-spent. I’m not trying to change the world with my fiction, but if I can give you a way to escape reality for a while, to become immersed in my world, I think that’s pretty cool.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Oh, tons. I think every writer’s work is colored by their experiences. I think it’s unavoidable. However, nothing personal from my life is ever portrayed in my work directly. I don’t use real-world events or people in my fiction. First, because it could hurt someone’s feelings; second, because I think that’s lazy writing.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
Once I’ve started, I usually want to know how it ends. The best ones are when the characters take over and start doing things I don’t expect. I know it’s going to be good then.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
My own? I get bored or start something else and forget (I never throw anything away though, and have rewritten bad stories and made them good enough to sell). Someone else’s? I have no patience for badly written books. Unless I’m being paid to edit it, I’m done after a few pages of dull prose.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No. I believe that art should be expressed in whatever way the artist wants. I write some pretty edgy stuff (I mean, my second story collection is completely NC-17), and I would certainly hope no one lets their kids read my adult horror, but should it be censored? Absolutely not.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
Writing: the waiting. So much about this industry is time-consuming. In reading: sloppiness and failure to research annoy me. If I know a lot about a subject, and the writer clearly doesn’t, it rips me right out of the story.
Where can people find you and your work?
Amazon (naturally), Barnes and Noble, Ann Arbor, Clarkston, and Ypsilanti (Michigan) bookstores (and one in Gloucester, MA) and the Ypsilanti District Library.
Ken can be found at ken-macgregor.com. You can also connect with him via social media on the following platforms:
Twitter: @kenmacgregor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KenMacGregorAuthor?ref=hl
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/macgregorken/
Margie Mack
Name: Margie Mack
Genre(s) of your work: Memoir
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Through the Woods (2014)
My Ship has Sails (2015)
Leaving Camelot
Bio :
My name is Margie Mack. I am a self-published author of 2 books in a series of 4 with the 3rd book coming out at the end of the year. I have a screenplay being optioned for a movie and my books have been part of the “Chicken Soup of the Soul” series and also Oprah Winfrey’s “Leadership School for Girls” in South Africa. I have been married 47 years and have a huge family of 13 members! Life is all about living and listening and sharing and magic and I just can’t get enough!!
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I have found that the memoir genre opens so many stories for so many people. I hear all the time from my readers that they had similar experiences with their families and could really relate to the stories that I have written. Memoirs are more than just a memory they are a glimpse in time to be remembered and cherished.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Yes! I have always written since I was about 8 years old. But sitting down and getting it out on paper and then have the courage to share it has made me more confident that I am really doing the right thing by writing as I do. It inspires my grandkids to be creative and to be open with their thoughts and talents.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I love Christina Rossetti, Robert Frost and Truman Capote. A real mixed bag but they all mean something to me. Christina Rossetti and her poetry set me apart from everyday life. I fall into her poems and can imagine being where she writes about.
Robert Frost was the first poet I ever read. “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening” captured me at a young age. He taught me that words could rhyme and that they were also beautiful. Truman Capote is such an excellent story teller. He wrote a short story that was turned into a movie called “The Grass Harp.” His characters were alive and rich with soulful essence and it was based I believe on his own life as a child. His ability to write all genres has inspired me to do the same.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
They have their purpose. It is like being in a click of some sort. Everyone wants in but rarely does the self-published author get an invitation to be a part of that club. They are a necessary evil for now but I am hoping that the independent bookstores will begin to flourish.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
Laughter, tears and healing. I hope that they read my stories and remember their own life with their own families. The mind is a funny thing. If it is stimulated in the right way all sorts of good things can happen.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
100%! Even the novel that I intend to write will always have something of me in it. Personal experience is what gives us our hootspa to take the steps that we are normally afraid to take and to write what we really feel down on paper.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
Oh, there are times I need to sit down and look at myself in the mirror and ask what am I waiting for? I grab my headphones, turn on the music that I have chosen for that book and that usually does the trick. Sometimes I seek out a family member and start a conversation about that time in my life and then the juices begin to flow.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
If it is senseless. Meaning, if I cannot be stirred or enticed to turn the page then I put it away on the shelf. I am not a book snob but I want a book that will make me think about it at night, think about it more than what I am currently writing and make me wished to God that I had all the time to just sit and read it to the last glorious page.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
Not really. There is an audience for everything under the sun. For me, I stay away from graphic sex novels and needless horror stories. I love a good scare and less is always more during sex so I guess it is to each his own.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
No. I am not perfect and I do not expect anyone else to be either. I do not read a book to critique it.
Where can people find you and your work?
Amazon, at local libraries, my publisher, createspace, on my Facebook page and a new website that is almost finished.
https://www.facebook.com/Margiemackamazinglifewriter/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1496067215
http://www.amazon.com/My-Ship-has-Sails-2/dp/1514172208
mack.margie@gmail.com
Terry John Malik
Name: Terry John Malik
Genre(s) of your work: Crime/thriller; mystery; psychological thriller
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Bricklayer of Albany Park. Release date, August 22, 2017
Publisher – Amphorae Publishing under imprint of Blank Slate Press
Bio:
TERRY JOHN MALIK is a Chicagoan to the core. Born and raised in
the city he loves, son of a Chicago fireman, he now explores the back streets and dark alleys of the city’s imagination.
Mr. Malik is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame where he majored in English, and a graduate of Loyola University School of Law. Terry taught English for several years; designed computer systems for an international accounting firm; worked with distressed borrowers as a banker for the largest bank in Chicago; practiced law for twenty-eight years; became the president and head master of a financially troubled high school; administered a foundation that provided scholarship funds for disadvantaged inner city girls; and created websites for local merchants and non-profits.
Throughout his many careers, he has continued to hone his writing skills and never lost his passion for a story well told. Terry has two more thrillers in the works, weaving his stories of killers and cops while sitting on a beach on Sanibel Island.
Book Synopsis
Detective Francis Vincenti, a Chicago cop with an uncanny insight to a killer’s psyche, is tracking a homicidal monster—The Bricklayer of Albany Park. Driven by a mission of revenge, the killer targets victims he believes are sinners deserving of punishment. He kills without remorse, delivering a message with each kill. Wrapping his victims in a shroud of blue, he buries them under piles of bricks at construction sites in the peaceful Chicago neighborhood of Albany Park, always leaving behind a “memento” taunting police. The killer eludes Vincenti, and the body count grows.
Vincneti who left behind a troubled youth, tormented by an alcoholic father, is known for solving the city’s most bizarre and macabre murders. But in this case, the chase becomes personal as Vincenti puts his marriage—and his sanity—at risk. He turns for help to Thomas Aquinas Foster, his mentor and father figure. Foster—a gruff former Chicago PD detective with a tainted soul and his own self-righteous brand of justice—guides Vincenti through the dark, twisted paths of the human soul.
How did you start writing?
Prior to November 2014, I had never written a word of fiction, although some judges mistakenly claimed I did (I’m a lawyer). So, how did I get here? Polite friends have called it an “odyssey.” I call it, “well-timed accidents mixed with equal measures of luck, unintended consequences and serendipity.”
After having lived my entire life in Chicagoland, my wife and I moved to Sanibel Island in 2012. After a couple of years, I grew restless and anxious to meet more people on the island and participate in its varied cultural opportunities. But, which one? There were plenty to choose from. But then I noticed that the Sanibel Library was co-sponsoring the “Sanibel Island Writers Conference,” an annual event sponsored by Florida Gulf Coast University. The list of speakers seemed impressive, so I signed up.
There were social events, breakfasts, lunches and end-of-day wine and hors d’oeuvres soirées (disappointingly, no Irish Whiskey). I met and got to know many of my fellow conferees. Seemed like many of them wanted to write the Great American novel—a noble and ambitious undertaking, but it’s been done; many wanted to delve into the meaning of life and share it with their readers—I already knew the meaning: make your deeds match your words, and your words match your values; forgive your enemies, but remember their names; and store your vodka in the freezer.
I signed up for something that looked interesting, “How to Write a Strong Narrator.” An excellent session. I mean, how can it be bad when the instructor starts the class with Woody Allen’s opening of Annie Hall? Two elderly women at a resort in the Catskills: “The food at this place is really terrible.” “Yeah, I know, and such small portions.”
For homework, we were told to rewrite the opening of one of our manuscripts (I didn’t have one) or start a new manuscript applying the lessons of the class. Since I wasn’t serious about writing anything and I wanted to come up with something that was “in your face” to the intellectually serious attendees, I wrote five paragraphs that were, well, edgy and dark. The next morning we were required to stand in front of the class and read what we had written. The first dozen or so aspiring authors’ offerings were critiqued by the class, and the instructor also gave in-depth analysis—some good criticism some not, usually took about five minutes.
Now, my turn—let’s see what they think of the new Stephen King. I was anxious to hear their comments—I was ready with a fistful of smart alec answers for every potential comment. I finished, snickering to myself and anxious for the nightly soirée. First, a moment of silence, then applause. Huh? Didn’t they hear what I just read? Applause? None of the previous students got applause. What was wrong with these people? Didn’t they realize I meant it to be an “in your face” piece? When the applause died done, the instructor said (really), “Holy crap, I want to see the rest of that manuscript.” Huh? That’s it, buddy. Five paragraphs.
I went home and told my wife, Cathy, what had happened. She said, “So, write the damn book.” Thus, the birth of The Bricklayer of Albany Park. Like I said—well-timed accidents mixed with equal measures of luck, unintended consequences and serendipity.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
Big fan of Thomas Harris.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I now live on Sanibel Island. Every day I walk the beach, but now while I walk I think of new plots, new twists and turns, more characters and more jaw-dropping endings.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Above all, Bricklayer is intended to be a psychological thriller. Interestingly enough, I haven’t really read many of that genre; maybe “Gone Girl” and “The Girl on the Train,” but not many others.
Before I moved to Sanibel Island, my reading was equally balanced between history and biographies on one hand, and spy and crime novels on the other. LeCarre, Ludlum (rereading really), Clancy, Higgins, Grisham, Patterson, Crichton, Harris, Brown, everything Eric Lawson writes and Jeff Sahara’s historical fiction. While I was practicing law, I typically would read four books at same time (not literally), finishing two a week. I eventually got tired of it.
But as to describe Bricklayer in terms of other writers, books and TV, I’d say the book’s recipe incorporates ingredients of Thomas Harris, Lawson’s “Devil in the White City” and the television series, “Criminal Minds.” In fact, Vincenti is somewhat similar to Harris’s Will Graham in “Red Dragon.” Both can get into a killer’s psyche with emotional detachment. Lawson weaves murder and Chicago scenes and history into a psychological thriller of murder and horror. And, Criminal Minds focuses heavily on abnormal psychology.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
Too big to give appropriate and sufficient attention to indie authors; and publishers; reluctant to host signings for debut authors.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
Bricklayer is not the great American novel nor does it seek the meaning of life. I want them to walk away with insight into the psyche of troubled killers and cops.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Certain characters may resemble people in my life. I knew an older fellow named Thomas Aquinas (last name deleted); Foster, a disgraced co who aids the protagonist) has many of the same characteristics, habits and idiosyncrasies, especially his love of cigars and Irish whiskey.
Francis Vincenti’s (the protagonist) alcoholic father is in some ways like my father. Beth (Vincenti’s unfaithful wife) is based on an aggressive associate in my law firm who struggled with drug abuse, was well known to have affairs with partners and came from California. Sean Kelly’s (Vincenti’s partner) family: every Irish Catholic family in my old neighborhood and parish.
I gave Francis an Italian last name because the neighborhood around Newland and Grand Avenue in the city, is heavily Italian, Irish and Polish. It is the neighborhood where I grew up. I placed his house and garage on 2538 Newland Avenue, which is the parking lot of my childhood parish, St. William. The description of Vincenti’s house, a typical Chicago bungalow, is actually my wife’s Italian grandparents’ house and garage. It’s located at Oak Park Avenue and Grand Avenue—three blocks west of 2538 Newland.
There are some tidbits I “planted” in the book for the true-crime, serial-killer aficionados: the address for Henry’s apartment house on Summerdale is actually the address of John Wayne Gacy; The Borderline Pub (John Matheny of Baltimore; killer of 8 women; cannibal; inspired Harris’s Hannibal “the cannibal” Lector) and The White Shutters Lounge (Gary Ridgeway, the Green River Killer) are actual places where those serial killers picked up their female victims; Ridgeway drove a green Toyota pickup with a primer paint spot on the passenger-side door; it’s how a witness identified him—Ridgeway confessed to killing forty-eight young girls (police say it’s more like ninety or so). There are other little items like this sprinkled throughout the book.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
Shallow characters. Stilted dialogue. No action.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
The only topics that are taboo are the ones I haven’t thought of yet.
Where can people find you and your work?
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bricklayer-Albany-Park-Terry-Malik/dp/1943075344/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1491582539&sr=1-1&keywords=terry+john+malik
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bricklayer-of-albany-park-terry-john-malik/1126188495?ean=9781943075348
Website
http://www.terryjohnmalik.com
Book Signings
BookStore1 – Sarasota; August 29
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nancy-sullivan-terry-malik-tickets-36234509393
Petterino’s – Chicago; September 26
The Book Cellar – Chicago; October 18
Brianna Malotke
Your Name: Brianna Malotke
Genre(s) of your work: Mainly horror poetry. I’ve been delving into romance recently.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Stand-alone works:
- Don’t Cry on Cashmere, 2022
- Deadly Fashions, 2023
Bio:
Brianna Malotke is a freelance writer and member of the Horror Writers Association based in Washington. Some of her most recent work can be found in The Spectre Review and The Nottingham Horror Collective. She has work in the anthologies Cosmos, The Deep, Beautiful Tragedies 2, The Dire Circle, and Under Her Skin. In October 2022 she has short stories included in Out of Time from Timber Ghost Press and Their Ghoulish Reputation from Dark Lake Publishing LLP. As far as love and romance goes, she has numerous pieces in the anthologies Worlds Apart, Out of Time, and At First Glance by Dark Rose Press. Along with these, you can find more of her poetry in the anthologies Balm, Tempest, and Cherish by Ravens Quoth Press. In fall of 2022 her debut poetry collection, Don’t Cry on Cashmere, was published by Ravens Quoth Press. Looking to next year, in 2023 she will be a “Writer in Residence” at the Chateau d’Orquevaux in France and her first horror poetry collection will be released.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
The main genre I write in is horror, more specifically body horror poetry. I’ve loved the horror genre ever since I got my hands on Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark in elementary school. I think my love of monster movies and vampire/shifter books really helps with my enjoyment of writing body horror pieces. As far as poetry goes, I like the challenges the format brings to telling a haunting tale in a short form.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I would say that being a part of the horror writing community has been very beneficial to my life. It’s been wonderful to connect with others who enjoy reading horror.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
Somewhere in between. I think everyone has a preference for consuming books, whether it’s through hardbacks, paperbacks, e-books, or audiobooks. I have a decent amount of friends that listen to audiobooks while they commute to/from work and sometimes that’s the only time they have to read. I think having the variety makes books more accessible and allows the stories to be shared with a wider range of people.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
I enjoy using Canva as a free tool to make graphics for social media. They have easy to use templates and quite a lot of variety for the free option.
Do you find that you sell better in person (at events) or through social media (like a personal blog, website, or Amazon)?
I think right now it’s more through social media. I feel as though a lot of people stumble upon indie publishers on social media (booktok and bookstagrammers) and then purchase from them online. I am looking forward to participating in more events next year, so perhaps my answer will change then.
Where can people find you and your work?
A majority of my work is within anthologies, magazines, and digital publications. My poetry collection, Don’t Cry on Cashmere, will be released November 2022. It’s full of poems about love, loss, and hope. My debut horror poetry collection, inspired by deadly historical fashion trends, will be released summer/fall 2023. I update my Instagram and website with publications, interviews, events, and everything else in between.
- My website has a complete list of publications in horror as well as other genres: malotkewrites.com
- Instagram: @briannamalotke (Horror) @malotkeromance (Romance)
- Slasher Horror App: @briannamalotke
- Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/brimalotke
Chris Marchand
Your Name: Chris Marchand
Genre(s) of your work: Non-fiction, history, education, and church ministry.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas: a guide for churches and families (2019)
Bio:
I grew up in Central Illinois and I suppose a Midwestern view on life informs a lot of what I do. I’ve always seen myself as an artist who makes things and for years I wanted be a professional musician and singer-songwriter. I’ve recorded a few albums (which are available on Bandcamp) but I was never able to figure out how to make a music career work. When I was in fifth grade I won my school’s young author competition, so I guess I should have stuck with writing, because I’ve found much more success with that over the years.
After graduating from Eureka College with a degree in literature and music, and then marrying my wife Elisa, I went to Garrett Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, where I studied theology and church music. It was there, after writing a Master’s thesis and doing a special project, that I really began to learn to write. After graduating we moved back down to Peoria and have been involved in church ministry and school work ever since. We have four kids ranging from 10 years old on down to 1, so life is full and crazy. I am willing to discuss anything related to film, music, literature, and art at a moment’s notice.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
For the past few year I had been trying to figure out what my first book would look like. When I got the idea to write on the history and traditions of the 12 days of Christmas, my writing became more focused on research, education, and compacting a lot information into a format that would be enjoyable for a general audience. I’m interested in all kinds of writing, and am working on a realistic novel set in contemporary times, as well as a few books written for the church world and people of faith.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I went and got two seminary degrees, both of which culminated in a thesis or special project. It was there that I learned how to endure revising my work through multiple drafts, a process that takes months. This taught me that writing is a slow and arduous journey, that involves longterm endurance. Since my degrees were primarily research-based, they also taught me how to pursue truth and not settle for an easy answer with my writing. Great writing is born of struggle! I suppose this lesson has helped me with my normal day-to-day life as well!
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I like authors who write “serious” literature, and who yet have humor injected into everything they do. My favorites would be C.S. Lewis, Umberto Eco, David Foster Wallace, Mark Twain, Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, Chaim Potok, Jane Austen, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Cervantes, and Walter Miller.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
My wife and I were watching the film You’ve Got Mail recently, which is one of her favorite films. I observed that the film is out of date in so many ways, because the main premise, apart from the romance, is the giant behemoth bookstore puts the neighborhood boutique out of business. What was funny to me is that now even the giant bookstores are really struggling, whereas it might be more likely in today’s world for an innovative, locally owned store to find a way to thrive.
Generally speaking, I feel pretty conflicted about mainstream bookstores. I want authors and artists to have as much of an opportunity as possible to get their works out into the world, and I suppose in theory the big stores can help them do that (assuming they can get their books stocked there). I view Amazon similarly, in that they make it possible for an author’s work to be available everywhere. At the end of the day though, the best place for an author’s work is at a locally owned bookstore or a library, mainly because the people there are the most passionate about literature and will help authors to find their most faithful audience.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
The novel I am writing is loosely based on my own life, though it will be a highly fictionalized version of me and my family. The book I’ve written about Christmas is highly personal as well, as I hope my family and those in my community will take my suggestions about the holiday serious enough to want to begin implementing them into their own lives. And even though it’s a general history and advice book on the holiday, every single page is essentially an answer to my own questions about Christmas.
What motivates you to complete your (writing) work?
My wife, children, and death. In 2008 I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and though I was able to recover from it, it set about a course of events in my life, from having children, to moving back to our hometown Peoria, to starting a blog and podcast. I feel like there is a sense of urgency in what I create. I know I have been graced with only so many breaths in my lungs and I want to use each one of them well. I also want to leave a legacy for my children. I write based on my own interests, but I also believe I’m writing for a present and future community.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
Basically no. I believe in moral writing and that our works both describe and end up shaping our culture and world. So, in some senses I believe an author should “censor” themselves according to their moral understanding of the world, but at the same time I believe they should always be able to write about what they want and it will be up to readers to determine if they want to ignore it, boycott it, or love it. Often the most challenging or “offensive” work has also been able to influence people in profound and even moral ways.
Where can people find you and your work?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1532655339/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
https://wipfandstock.com/celebrating-the-12-days-of-christmas.html,
https://www.christianbook.com/celebrating-days-christmas-guide-churches-families/chris-marchand/9781532655333/pd/655333?product_redirect=1&search_term=celebrating%20the%2012%20&Ntt=655333&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP,
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/celebrating-the-12-days-of-christmas-chris-marchand/1134053256?ean=9781532655333
https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Marchand/e/B07Z6KG9XZ?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1572379872&sr=8-1
www.postconsumerreports.com
https://www.facebook.com/Chris-Marchand-8316794572/
https://twitter.com/PostCnsumrChris
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19682784.Chris_Marchand
chrismarchand.bandcamp.com
Matthew D. Marchand
Name: Matthew D. Marchand
Genre: Christian Poetry
Title/Year of Your Work:
Love, Truth and Peace 2018
Bio:
Matthew started writing lyrics for Christian songs and over a few years of writing he had many. The songs are poetic so he put them together for the Christian poetry book “Love, Truth and Peace.” Matthew writes from the heart. He has always had an attraction to the light. When he writes sometimes he writes from the point of view of the Christ to bring the reader closer. The poems are uplifting and positive. If you are having some struggles read his book and be encouraged.
Matthew has been a rock cover band for 24 years called “Blue Steel.” He also has a recording project titled ” Incognito Souls” this band is Christian rock, where Matthew puts his poetry to music. You can download the music for FREE,. the music can be found at IncognitoSouls.com.
Matthew loves spending time with his family and his lovely wife Rebecca. When Matthew prays, he prays for God to use him as an instrument of His peace. Matthew believes his prayers have been answered. He continues down his path through life spreading love and joy to all.The poetry book can be found online at LoveTruthandPeace.com
I write Christian poetry because that is how I am inspired. I can not think of anything more inspiring than God. I pose the question where does inspiration come from? I believe it comes from a different realm, When I write I try to tap into the frequency of the unknown. Which intern my spirit grows beyond faith and into the know.
Writing has changed my life by saving it. Writing is therapeutic and has helped me through some tough times. The state of the world and condition of our brothers and sisters worldwide can bring us down. Yet God has a plan. Trust in God there are many lessons to be learned. Writing has allowed my spirit to grow exponentially. All the glory to God, it is by His grace we are saved.
My personal experience has giving me enlightenment to write what I do. Life is a classroom,we all should learn through our own experiences on this great journey called life.It is the ups and downs of life that builds character. It makes you the person you are. Be yourself, it is all you can do.
When asked about censorship, I believe nothing should be censored. Let the artists do what they do best “Create”. If you do not agree with an artists point of view, simply do not read it or listen to it. Let the consumer decide what is right for them. Are we going to burn books or have to drink the hemlock? Let the artist say what they want to say!!!
Where can people find you/your work:
The Christian poetry book can be found at LoveTruthandPeace.com
The Christian music can be found at IncognitoSouls.com.
Sharon Marchisello
Your Name: Sharon Marchisello
Pseudonym (if you use one): N/A
Genre(s) of your work: Mystery/women’s fiction. I’ve also written a nonfiction personal finance book.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Going Home (Sunbury Press 2014)
Secrets of the Galapagos (Sunbury Press/Milford House 2019)
Live Well, Grow Wealth (self-published on Amazon 2018)
Bio:
I’m the author of two mysteries published by Sunbury Press. Going Home (2014) was inspired by my mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Secrets of the Galapagos (2019) deals with mayhem on a Galapagos cruise.
Besides novels, I’ve written short stories, travel articles, corporate training manuals, screenplays, and book reviews. My blog, Countdown to Financial Fitness, and nonfiction book, Live Well, Grow Wealth, deal with personal finance. I earned a Masters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California, and I’m an active member of Sisters in Crime, the Atlanta Writers Club, and several critique groups.
I grew up in Tyler, Texas, and earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Houston in French and English. Retired from a 27-year career with Delta Air Lines, I now live in Peachtree City, Georgia, doing volunteer work for the Fayette Humane Society, the Friends of the Peachtree City Library, and the Fayette County Master Gardeners.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I like writing fiction because it allows me to create a world where I’m in control. The heroine can be smarter, prettier, and wittier than I am; she always comes up with the perfect zinger at just the right time. I can craft characters based on people who have been mean to me, and then make bad things happen to them. I can write about situations similar to real-life ones I’ve experienced, but change them to be more dramatic, or give them a more satisfying outcome, i.e., rewrite history.
The reason I wrote my nonfiction personal finance book was that I saw a need. When I was able to take an early retirement package from my job, I looked around at colleagues who’d been earning roughly the same salaries for the same amount of time, and they were barely making ends meet. I realized not everyone followed the same commonsense financial principles I’d learned from my parents, and these are concepts they don’t teach in school. I wanted to share this information with others, and I self-published because I don’t have any financial credentials other than personal experience managing my own affairs.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I’ve been writing all my life, and I can’t see myself ever stopping. It helps me cope with life.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I love to read, and unfortunately, I read slowly. Therefore, I can never keep up with all the books I want to read, all the authors I want to sample. So, even if I love an author’s book, I probably won’t re-read it, or read everything written by that author, because there are so many other books to read.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
Somewhere in between. People have different learning styles, different lifestyles and preferences, so I can’t see audiobooks ever replacing print and/or e-books. Audiobooks make it possible to “read” while doing other tasks like housework, driving, exercise, etc., so I see a continuing market for them.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
I’ve found that one-on-one contact with potential readers—building relationships—is the best way for an unknown author like me to sell books. Most of the social media groups for “readers” tend to be mostly writers promoting their work to each other.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No. People have choices about what they want to read.
Where can people find you and your work?
sharonmarchisello.com (https://smarchisello.wordpress.com/)
https://www.facebook.com/SLMarchisello
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4297807.Sharon_Marchisello
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonmarchisello
https://www.instagram.com/slmarchisello/
https://sharonmarchisello.blogspot.com/
Susan Bass Marcus
Name: Susan Bass Marcus
Genre(s) of your work: Fantasy fiction, speculative fiction, contemporary fairy tales
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Former museum professional and puppetry artist, Susan Bass Marcus published her fantasy novel, Malevir: Dragons Return in 2015 with Mill City Press. She hopes to launch the sequel, Where Dragons Follow by year’s end, 2017.
Her stories have been published in After Hours (print), bewilderingstories.com, http://www.horrorseek.com/home/horror/darkfire/ficarch.html, http://www.fictitiousthejournal.org/, and the Fall Fantasy Anthology out of Cloaked Press in Autumn, 2017.
Bio:
All my graduate degrees are in the humanities, for which much writing was required; and I have spent most of my adult life writing texts for work or for performance, e.g. scripts. Having moved on from two overlapping careers, puppet theater and museum education, I am investing most of my creativity in short and novel-length fiction. I love to draw and am devoting a lot of my time not only to editing my writings but also making images of dragons based on characters in my books.
My native language is English. I am fluent in French and Italian and can manage in Spanish.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I write what I enjoy reading, although my preferences betray an eclectic taste for literature and non-fiction, too. Fantasy fiction invites the reader to suspend all sorts of disbelief. Although surely other writers in the genre have influenced the direction my imagination takes, my characters and the world I build in my novels are original. They be anything I want them to be.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Even if I have been an avid reader all my life, I did not read to dissect another author’s technique and skills. The narratives interested me more than structure. Now, especially when I read short stories, I’m always asking myself, “How did he/she do that? Why did this story work (or not)?”
On a larger scale, hmmm, in the past, people knew me via a lot of different identities—mom/sister/daughter; student; volunteer; museum professional; and puppetry artist. As a writer, my identity has expanded to embrace so much more: a writer is a student of the world (and Beyond!) whose imagination and communications can reach more people in many different ways. Writing has unlocked the gate to a much larger estate.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Too many to name, but I will say that Karen Russell’s short stories and novels gave me permission to explore surreal naturalism. Her work is quirky and terrifically engaging.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
They serve a purpose, but I love my own neighborhood indie bookstore.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
Curiosity about Dragonwolder, the world I’ve been building in the Malevir trilogy.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Where Dragons Follow explores the effects of PTSD, albeit in a land and time far removed from that diagnosis. A member of my family is a therapist whose research has given me insights into a psychological state greatly affecting a large segment of our population and people I know.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
The kernel of a story germinates in my imagination. From that point on, I can’t resist finding a way to learn how the story ends.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
Tedious, self-important, irrelevant writing.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No
Where can people find you and your work?
Website: www.malevir.com;
My blog: AboutSusanBassMarcus https://susanbassmarcus.wordpress.com
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MalevirDragonsReturn
Twitter feed: @AuthorSMarcus
And on Goodreads. I have an author page there and on Amazon.
Elizabeth Mars
Name: Elizabeth Mars
Genre(s) of your work: it’s a love murder mystery series set in 1965 during civil rights movements reflecting back on the great depression a prohibition. Its about two sets of family’s. Jessie Alexander And Miss Catherine Hearts. In order to understand them I had to go back to there grandparents in 1870.
I started in Winchester England and worked its way over to Brighton England. It is also set in Hannibal Mo in 1941. You see they met at a fictional place called Frankie’s Bar & Grill. A live jazz and blues club. Kind of like a dinner theater, was the heart of the town. When Catherine came over at 16 she had every hope of finding her family and re uniting them. But fate wasn’t so kind. Her father had moved on to a monster. Her name was Charlotte aka Charlie. Every time Catherine tried to get close to her father. Charlie was two steps ahead of her. They were each other’s arch animists. When Miss Catherine found out her mother was still alive, and living she tried her best to tell her father. But it was to late. He was gone. She was framed for her father’s own murder after Jessie had left to peruse his dream of being a pilot in pearl harbor. She not only finds out a lot more about her family. Finds out she has family members she doesn’t have. And so much more. She figures out that her Grandpa Jack wasn’t a very honest man as she had thought.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s): Dec 7 2018
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
Because there is so much to go with from there. Not only that, it’s a little bit of a hit home for me. I found out I had a different father, when I was older. And I had gone through some things. SO, in a way this book is close to home because its like a release for me in a way. I also wanted to show my teenage daughter that dreams do come true they have to make them happen
How has writing changed/altered your life?
It has changed me to a better person. Learning to accept what is and not what was, not getting so easily tempered.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Mary Higgins Clark. She can write about anything and make it seem so dark and friendly. She has a certain style that I like. She was my favorite in high school as well as Emily Dickinson. I like how deep her poetry gets and how simple it flows.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
To many rules! It needs to be simple I think
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
I want to show them that your past, is your past you can’t change it, but you can change how it ends and affects you and everyone around you. Everything you do and say, effects so many things and I don’t think people realize that
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
A lot, I am a few characters in this story. Those who know me can pin point me to a tee. I did this because I have been going through a lot lately in the past few years finding out about my family and through friends and family breakups and so forth.
Being a single mom, it was rough. I couldn’t have gotten were I am today with out my parents. When I told them, I wanted to quiet crafting and write they supported me. I wrote the first chapter and said okay I’m done. But then. I listened to a song on YouTube called what are you waiting for by Nickelback. They are my favorite group. I listened to them a lot as well as creed Ed Sheeran and Eminem. For what I was going through. Everyone has days where they felt like they couldn’t go on. But my writing was all I had in high school.
I had so many surgeries. I had 32 different ones in and out of hospitals every six months. I had 12 tubal surgeries on each ear. I couldn’t hear the teacher. So, my hearing-impaired teacher made sure I got the correct notes to pass and graduate with my class. And I did. In spring of 99. We kept in touch after high school on Facebook. But she recently lost her battle to cervical cancer. Lost an an aunt my mother is a 30-year survivor and that’s why I’m donating 10$ out of the book. To Mattoon Ill Breast and Cervical Cancer Foundation Program.
Writing has helped me because in high school I couldn’t do much. Friends had a few, but who would want to pick the kid who wore a back brace in p.e? I had surgery after surgery and finally got healed up. High school was so hard for me because I felt like I was an outsider, so I turned to books and poetry. And that’s when I found my love for writing. It wasn’t telling after I was divorced in my late thirty’s when I wanted to peruse my dream as a published author. So, I took my favorite things mixed them with my favorite era and low and behold songs of whiskey was born.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
There are days when I wanted to give up and throw in the towel. I did after chapter one. But my friends and family encouraged me… there were so many days and nights I stalled didn’t want to thought it would be easier if I went back to crafting. But I new in my heart this story was meant to be told for a reason. Don’t know what that reason is, just yet!
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
Loss of interest
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
Well, it depends on the topic. Some things should depend on what it is
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
nope
Where can people find you and your work?
Luludotcom and on amazon. It will be I’m Mattoon Illinois the book Nook And Bobs bookstore in Charleston Illinois and some on other websites that lulu offers.
I just have one on Facebook called Songs of Whiskey.
I have 3 charities for my new book coming out this winter. Mattoon Illinois cancer center, a place in Hannibal mo called avenues a shelter for woman, & children to get sexual abuse help. And my third one is Shriners hospital in St Louis.
Ronald Mason
Name: Ronald Mason
Pseudonym : R. Will Mason (I am not currently utilizing this name on my books but rather on some of my poetry and songs).
Genre(s) of your work: My book that is currently for sale on Amazon Kindle Direct is a poetry book. I am in the process of writing my autobiography book which hopefully will be available within a few more months. My autobiography will be a tell all book. An insiders point of view of the life, trials, and tribulations of a State Trooper.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Behold the Rainbow After the Rain. I published it in May 2017 on Amazon Kindle Direct publishing.
Bio:
I am a recently retired, father of three sons and married to my love of my life. I lost my youngest son this past January 2017. I worked in the law enforcement profession for almost 19 years. I was forced into early retirement due to an on-duty injury.
I have enjoyed a passion for poetry since I was in first grade and was introduced to poetry by my first grade teacher. I have written hundreds of poems during my lifetime though until recently none of which were published.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I feel that sometimes it is difficult to express certain feelings verbally. By putting pen to paper, so to speak, it is much easier for me to convey a message, feeling, or describe a situation.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
It has made it easier for me to express my inner most thoughts and feelings.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Stephen King is my favorite author. I like a good thriller and in my opinion he is the master of thriller / horror books.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I still love to go into a real, honest to goodness, bookstore like Books a Million and browse. I worry that one day, in the not too distant future, real bookstores will cease to exist.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
I hope that my readers will understand my message(s). I hope to convey my personal feelings and thoughts about a particular subject, whether that subject would be bullying, abuse, heartbreak, love, etc.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Everything, absolutely everything. I normally only write about things that I myself have personally experienced or dealt with. Either in my personal life or professional life. So basically when someone reads one of my poems or my books they are getting a first hand glimpse at my inner soul, which includes my inner demons, (whatever they may be), my hopes, fears, loves, aspirations, desperation, etc.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
Well for the most part I normally don’t suffer from writers block so actually writing down my thoughts in poetry form is not too hard. Now my hardest part of writing my first book was the actual proof-reading, formatting, spell checking, and preparing the book for publication. That in my opinion was an absolute nightmare. But the motivation for writing a book has never been hard for me to find, I’m only telling my life story through my words.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
Normally when I start to read a book I finish it. The few times that I’ve started reading a book and didn’t finish it I would say was because I became bored with the plot.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No not really. I mean I do believe that some books shouldn’t be available to youth. Some of the love story books that I’ve heard my wife mention shouldn’t be read by children.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
Not really.
Where can people find you and your work?
My link to my Amazon Kindle Authors page.
Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.
Bill Mathis
Name: Bill Mathis
Genre(s) of your work: Everything I write deals with family, warts and all, and usually includes a LGBTQ character(s). Genres include: Fiction, LGBTQ fiction, Historical fiction, Family saga with Psychological Mystery, LGBTQ plus disability fiction.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Face Your Fears – 2018
The Rooming House Diaries – Life, Love & Secrets – 2019
The Rooming House Gallery – Connecting the Dots – 2020 (June)
Revenge is Necessary – 2020 (December)
All published through Rogue Phoenix Press
Bio:
The oldest of seven children, I was raised a PK (Preacher’s Kid) in a tiny town in Michigan filled with large families. I spent 23 years directing YMCA camps for the Chicago Metro YMCA which included working with diverse families, children and the disabled. Following the Y camps, I directed and worked at SOS Children’s Villages Illinois, a foster care agency, in Lockport and Chicago, Illinois. I earned Associate degrees and a Bachelor’s from Northwood University and a Masters in Organizational Behavior from Benedictine University.
My writing won the 2015 Jade Ring Contest for the Wisconsin Writers Association and the 2019 First Chapter Award from the Chicago Writers Association, plus other local and state awards. I have also won local and statewide awards for my photography. I have 2 daughters, a step-daughter and 3 grandchildren, 20 nephews and nieces and approximately 40 great nephews and nieces. And people wonder why I write about families…I retired and began writing at age 65. I live with my partner in Beloit, Wisconsin and enjoy writing, reading, photography, volunteering and traveling. I have visited 42 states and over 25 countries and hope to travel more. I have 2 more books in progress and several more kicking around in my feeble mind.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I started out writing nonfiction. I thought I should write what I know. I’ve had an interesting life and have tons of stories to tell. I was working on a memoir, writing about how I came out as gay in my early sixties (not the 1960’s), how hard it was for some family members to accept, when the massacre at the Florida nightclub, The Pulse, occurred. It triggered some things I’d been told supposedly based on the Bible, so I set the memoir aside. I do have plans to finish it. However, in the process, I realized I could work a lot of events from my life into fiction. Writing what one knows isn’t necessarily telling the same thing with different names and places, but can be using the experiences, the underlying issues, sentiments, atmosphere, and people’s traits. Plus, making things up is fun! Side note: I told my then 89-year old mother (since deceased) how much fun writing fiction was and she replied, “That’s how we raised you seven kids. We made it up as went along.”
I love writing about families, dysfunctional, secrets, problem children, big families. I work in observations from all my years, plus issues I conjure up. I include diversity, DNA, and non-DNA in my families. I think that’s where most families are at or will be soon. Of the 40-some great nephews & nieces in my family, 25% are of mixed race. I like dealing with the situations families face, disability, homosexuality, religion, race, late in life kids, small towns, big city living, employment and historical issues.
Not sure that answers the question, but right now, I’m writing fiction in various genres.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
It’s been fantastic. I had two wonderful careers and writing is like starting another one, though not a financial supporting one! Thankfully, I have a comfortable retirement plan that allows me to write without worrying about having to earn my support from book sales. I have met wonderful writers and readers. I keep in contact with them through social media, conferences and my own book events. Writing keeps me off the streets and out of the bars. It keeps my mind working and occupied. I’m continually learning new things in the process of doing research. Did you know that the pebbles of deer scat (poop) are smaller than those of a rabbit? I keep waiting for that question at our trivia group, but it hasn’t been asked yet. Someday…And I’ll be ready! No, I didn’t write a book on deer scat, but it is mentioned in my upcoming one. I have better examples of things I’ve learned. If I can remember them…
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Whatever book I’m currently reading and loving is my favorite author. I don’t keep a list. Suffice it to say, it’s a diverse group as I’m quite eclectic in what I read. My website has a list of books I’ve read, reviewed and an out of date list of some of the authors I’ve read. Prior to becoming an author, I read mostly nonfiction. Now, I read mostly fiction. There are so many wonderful books available today. My To Be Read shelves and Kindle are jammed. Yes, I read hand held books and eBooks. Love them both.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
Somewhere in between. I have friends who love them and have the ability to focus while doing something else, like driving. I’d end up in a cornfield if I was listening while driving. Guess I’m not too adept at multi-tasking. I have used them on long flights and enjoyed them. I think they’re hear here to stay and are an important piece of book enjoyment.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
It seems that lately, independent bookstores are making a strong comeback, as some of the brick and mortar chains shrink. Hopefully the economic issues related to Coved-19 don’t ruin the independents. The online stores control the industry for most of us. Rogue Phoenix Press, my publisher, links to Amazon for Print On Demand books. So, I’m indirectly tied in with Amazon whether I like it or not.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
A tremendous amount. I work in some of my personal experiences, but more than that I write the atmosphere, the traits of a character, the issues I’ve encountered either directly or indirectly or that come to mind. Some of the pain I’ve experienced in some situations is important in my writing, as are the joys, the highs and lows, the flat spots. Being raised a PK in a tiny town during the peak of the baby boom where any family with only two children were thought to have fertility problems, working with all the diversity of the Chicago YMCA in their camps, working in foster care, two divorces, kids, step, grandkids, supervising staff and volunteers, hiring/firing, nonprofit boards, and more has warped my mind to the extent that I’d be institutionalized if I didn’t write…Does that sound too dramatic?
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No. Trigger Warnings should be used if the work is something that might be offensive to some.
Where can people find you and your work?
My website: http://billmathiswriteretc.com
My author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BillMathisWritersEtc/
My ‘normal???’ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/william.mathis.984
My blog: http://billmathiswriteretc.com/blog/
My email: billmathiswriter@gmail.com
Twitter: I do very little on it, trying to save the planet from excess verbiage – @billmathiswrit1
Regina E. McCarthy
(Editor’s note: Authors can format their interviews however they wish. While most choose to do the standard Q & A, others may vary)
Regina E. McCarthy
Children’s Author
Courageous Gilbert the Groundhog (August 2016)
Ms. McCarthy, LCSW, in the state of Illinois, is a Holistic Psychotherapist, Advanced Clinical Heart-Centered Hypnotherapist, and a Reiki Master. She received her undergraduate degree from Boston College, Newton Massachusetts, and her Masters in Social work from Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois. She has a private practice in Elgin, Illinois. She works with her clients on a body, emotion, mind, and spirit level. She incorporates traditional and alternative processes to help her clients heal at their deepest level. Courageous Gilbert the Groundhog is her first book.
I wrote this book as a resource for children to learn to heal themselves. Learning to breath deeply, identify emotions and then express them in healthy ways as a child, will create well adjusted adults. Since the concepts in my book are made simple enough for a child, my intention is that children of all ages will benefit from it. Also, it takes courage to feel and tell others how we are feeling.
I have always loved reading to my children and becoming the voice of the characters. I’ve also always loved telling stories. So when this book came to me I knew I had to get it out to the world. Writing and publishing this book has also added a new dimension to my healing practice. As a holistic psychotherapist I now have one more tool to use with my clients. It has increased my own self esteem and pride in my accomplishment, especially as I have received 12 awards for this book. Mom’s Choice Gold Medal, Purple Dragonfly Book Award First Place, Beverly Hills Book Award, Readers Favorite Gold Medal, Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, Nautilus Award Silver Medal, Next Generation Indie Book Award, Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite, Eric Hoffer Award Finalist, Montaigne Medal Finalist, da Vinci Eye Award Finalist, CIPA EVVY Award Finalist.
My favorite childhood book was Mandy, By Julie (Andrews) Edwards (1971) . It was her first book and was given to me by my mom. It was sweet and magical. I loved that Mandy could sneak out of the orphanage and create her own little world in an abandoned cottage out in nature. What a beautiful place for my imagination.
I hope readers learn an easy tool or two to use when they feel angry, or scared, or sad or anxious. We live in a challenging world and need to take ownership of our bodies and our emotions and our healing. If children can learn this at a young age, they will be happier and healthier. The bottom line is we need to feel and express our emotions in healthy ways because they really are our super power. If we don’t, they will take charge of us instead of us being in charge of them.
This really is my story. I was terrified in front of the class in 4th grade and could not read my book report, I was shy and I was bullied. I was not in touch with my needs and wants, nor my feelings. I did not know how to take care of myself or stand up for myself. I had no idea what personal resources were. I’ve since learned as an adult and wish others to learn as young as they can.
This book flowed pretty easily from me. It came to me in a dream and I worked tirelessly on it for several years, to et it just right. It’s interesting how a 32 page book or 1500 words can take so long. Yet I had complete control over every aspect of it and I would not have done it any differently. I’m working on my next book and am equally excited about it too.
Please visit my Facebook page, Courageous Gilbert and my website, www.courageousgilbert.com to learn more about me, see videos about my book and buy a personalized copy of my book for a friend or loved on.
I also have an Amazon Authors Page.
Bill McCormick
Your Name: Bill McCormick
Pseudonym (if you use one): Bill McSciFi
Genre(s) of your work: Science Fiction
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
All books published by Azoth Khem Publishing.
The Brittle Riders: Book 1
The Brittle Riders: Book 2
The Brittle Riders: Book 3
Goptri of the Mists: Kitaab Ek
Goptri of the Mists: Kitaab Do
Goptri of the Mists: Kitaab Trey (coming soon)
Stuff About Things
SPLICE: HIT BIT TECHNOLOGY
Bio:
BILL McCORMICK is an award winning, and critically acclaimed, author of several novels, graphic novels, comic book series, and has appeared in numerous anthologies. He began writing professionally in 1986 for the Chicago Rocker Magazine in conjunction with his radio show on Z-95 (ABC-FM) and went on to write for several other magazines and blogs. He wrote a twisted news & science blog at WorldNewsCenter.org. It provided source material for his weekly radio show on WBIG 1280 AM, FOX!, which aired from 10/2010 to 8/2022. Bill is a big fan of tequila, music, and this rainbow-haired goddess who married him. You can find out more about him at BillMcSciFi.com.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
It allows me the chance to skewer societal norms without being preachy. Also, “what if” is one of the greatest questions ever presented to man and being able to start every day with it is a gift from God. Lastly, the chance to explore controversial subjects without slapping people upside the head allows room for conversation and not yelling. I’m not a fan of yelling.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Well, obviously, the groupies, gallons of free booze, and Kardashian fueled sex parties are new. In all seriousness, it has introduced me to people I never would have otherwise met. That does include a Kardashian, but sans sex parties. I have mixed feelings on that fact. Also, it has allowed me to mentor troubled youth and that is rewarding beyond anything I’ve ever done.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Octavia Butler. She turns poetry into prose effortlessly. David Brin. He finds optimism in the darkest realms. Isaac Asimov. He showed that the mundane, such as how bureaucracy works, could be the foundation, you see what I did there, for riveting fiction. Anne McCaffrey. She showed how to blend hard sci-fi and epic fantasy effortlessly.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
They are part and parcel of where we are now. As technology advances, I honestly expect to see books that are transmitted directly to your brain.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
You’d have to ask my publisher but, I have noted, that promotions attached to visuals do best.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No.
What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?
Not a fan. They are far too arbitrary to be useful.
Do you find that you sell better in person (at events) or through social media (like a personal blog, website, or Amazon)?
I have more fun selling in person, but I sell more at Wal-Mart, Barnes and Noble, and Waterstones in the U.K. I also do okay at Amazon but have had issues with reviews disappearing when we’ve done updates.
Where can people find you and your work?
BillMcSciFi.com, AzothKhem.com, and you can find most of my comic books at
HadithiSambambaComix.com.
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Bill-McCormick/author/B01N4R4EP9
https://www.facebook.com/BillMcSciFi
https://www.instagram.com/bigbadbillmcscifi
https://twitter.com/BillMcSciFi
J.E. McDonald
Your Name: J.E. McDonald
Genre(s) of your work: Paranormal romance
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Ghost of a Gamble, Book One of the Wickwood Chronicles, 2020
Ghost of an Enchantment, Book Two of the Wickwood Chronicles, 2021
Bio:
J.E. McDonald is a writer of paranormal romance, romantic suspense, and sci-fi romance. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Canada, she lives with her husband and three rambunctious daughters who keep her on her toes. An avid reader and Minecraft junkie, when she’s not plotting her next story, she’s avoiding dust bunnies while plotting her next story.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I love romance. I started reading it when I was a pre-teen and haven’t stopped. There’s something magical about a relationship that can bloom in the midst of adventure, so I can’t resist throwing my characters in fantastical plots and watching the sparks fly. And, of course, I always need my happy ending.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Writing is my happy place. I was always an imaginative child, always creating worlds and scenarios in my head. I’ve had a lot of odd jobs in my life, but nothing is as whole-body satisfying as writing. No matter what stage of the process I’m entrenched in, I enjoy it. It took me until my late twenties to commit to making a career of it, but since the day I decided to seek out a publisher, I haven’t regretted it. Even when a deadline is coming up and I’m cursing at my computer, I’m content. In short, if I wasn’t writing I wouldn’t be happy. It’s not that writing altered my life, but that I have altered my life to accommodate being a writer.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
How can I even choose? I’m a binge reader, I read many genres, and I go through phases. Right now, I’ve just about binged everything Lisa Kleypas wrote, but there are times I’m in the mood for works like those of Patrick Rothfuss, Guy Gavriel Kay, and N.K. Jemisin. I cut my teeth on Julie Garwood who will always be a favorite, but I’m also absolutely enthralled with new romance authors like Farrah Rochon and Helen Hoang.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
Oh my goodness, what an interesting question. Audiobooks are here to stay and I love that. Making books accessible is not a passing fad. People use audiobooks for all sorts of reasons. Reading is reading, no matter what format a person chooses to use to engage the work. I was just having a conversation with my sister, a teacher, the other day about how audiobooks help some of her students absorb a book better, reading along with the print copy while listening, and therefore growing their skills. To see my books as audiobooks someday would be absolutely lovely.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
Every market has its place. One of my favorite things to do is to go to a bookstore, browse the shelves and leave with as many books as my wallet can handle. I love the smell of bookstores and shelves and shelves of books, whether it be an independent, a franchise, or a used bookstore. I love making an afternoon of it. Does that mean I stop taking books out of the library? Absolutely not. Does that mean I won’t “one click” a book I need right this instant? Nope. There are books that aren’t available in those stores, self-published works and those from small presses like mine, City Owl Press. I’ll never limit myself to only brick-and-mortar establishments. There’s too much great writing out there to do that.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
I’m still floundering with this! So far, I feel like the best thing for me has been to make connections with other writers, to support each other whether that be with cross-promotion or just overall encouragement and advice. But if you have any magic marketing tools you’d like to share, please let me know!
Where can people find you and your work?
Many places! Here are the links for where they can find me:
Website and newsletter sign up: https://www.jemcdonald.net/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JEMcdonaldSk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jemcdonaldsk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JEMcDonaldAuthor
And here is where you can find my newest release of the Wickwood Chronicles, Ghost of an Enchantment:
Amazon: https://smarturl.it/Wickwood2Amz
B&N: https://smarturl.it/Wickwood2BN
Kobo: https://smarturl.it/Wickwood2Koo
iBooks: https://smarturl.it/Wickwood2iBooks
GoodReads: https://smarturl.it/Wickwood2GR
Sean McDonough
Your Name: Sean McDonough
Genre(s) of your work: Horror
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Beverly Kills- 2014
The Terror at Turtleshell Mountain- 2015
Rock and Roll Death Trip-2017
The Class Reunion- 2019
Bio:
Raised on Goosebumps, the horror section at Blockbuster, and other things he shouldn’t have been exposed to at eight years old, Sean McDonough is a fresh new voice in horror fiction. His books evoke a sense of gleeful gruesomeness and dark humor, perfect for keeping the Halloween spirit alive all year long.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
It’s just the way I’m wired. I came out of the factory with a fondness for chicken parmesean, rock and roll, and savage monstrosities. There’s nothing to be done about it.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
It’s really come to be the trait that defines me. Writing is what I do when I get up at 5 AM on a Saturday. It’s what’s in the back of my mind throughout the day. If there’s a TV show I’m not watching, or a video game I never get to, it’s because my time is limited and writing always takes priority.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I’ll skip the Stephen King cliche, even though he’s deservedly an icon, and go with Robert R McCammon. I love writers who blend great character work with an unpretentious love for the classic horror tropes.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I don’t think they’re where you want to go for a real deep dive into the alternative horror scene, but any place that sells books is fine by me.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Mostly in dialogue. I give all of my characters their own unique perspective (or I try at least), but everyone seems to come out talking with some variation of my own smart-ass way of speaking.
What motivates you to complete your (writing) work?
The investment into the characters and the story. If I feel like I’ve got something good brewing, then I’m motivated to push through and see how it ends.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
The short answer is no. The long answer is that I think the conversation gets muddied by how many hacks try to substitute being outrageous for being a good writer.
Where can people find you and your work?
You can follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/houseoftheboogeyman/
Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/houseoftheboogeyman/
And you can peruse my works at https://www.amazon.com/Sean-McDonough/e/B07SJWGX6M/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
My latest, The Class Reunion, comes out October 29th. It’s a lean, mean, slasher novella- satisfaction guaranteed for fans of 80s style slice and dice flicks.
John S. McFarland
Your Name: John S. McFarland
Genre(s) of your work: Horror
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Black Garden, 2010/ 2021
The Dark Walk Forward, 2021
The Mother of Centuries, 2022
Annette: A Big, Hairy Mom, 2022
Bio:
John S. McFarland’s short stories have appeared in numerous journals, in both mainstream and horror genre. His tales have been collected with stories by Stephen King, H. P. Lovecraft, Robert Bloch and Richard Matheson. His work has been praised by such writers as T. E. D Klein and Philip Fracassi, and he has been called “A great, undiscovered voice in horror fiction.” McFarland’s horror novel, The Black Garden was published in 2010 to universal praise, and his young reader series about Bigfoot, Annette: A Big, Hairy Mom, is in print in three languages. His story collection, The Dark Walk Forward, is his first.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I have always loved monsters and outsider stories, cemeteries, crumbling buildings, it fits my nature!
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I had to accept that of all my creative interests, I was a writer first and foremost. I love words, stories and imagination. I am most myself when I write.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Poe, Lovecraft, Stoker, LeFanu, M.R. James, Mary Shelley, Ray Bradbury, Michelle Paver, Susan Hill are all great, classic horror writers
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
Yes. And ebooks. I resist the trend, but I am an anachronism.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
At least they sell books. Anything corporate turns me off but the neighborhood shops struggle.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
I have tried PR people, Kirkus, online marketing. The only thing that works are selling them at book fairs face to face.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No
What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?
I don’t know what they are.
Where can people find you and your work?
Amazon, or Dark Owl Publishing
Eugene C. McLean Jr.
Your Name: Eugene C. McLean Jr
Pseudonym (if you use one): Gene Baker
Genre(s) of your work: Horror
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Lycaeon Legacy Feb 19, 2014
The Journal Of Edwin Hale Nov 18, 2017
Bio:
Eugene C. McLean Jr is a Vietnam Era Veteran, Author (Who sometimes writes under the pseudonym Gene Baker), and Filmmaker who lives with his wife of 38 years in Northwest Florida. Growing up among the forests and swamps of East Texas, his life, experiences, as well as the legends of the area, heavily influence his writing.
He has published two Southern Gothic Horror novels, “The Lycaeon Legacy” and “The Journal Of Edwin Hale”. Eugene has also written several short stories. Three of which, “Loreley”, “Dave, Ingrid, And The Magic Pea”, and “A Place Called Draco” was published in the horror anthology series, “Books Of Horror 1, 2, and 3”.
A Short Film Anthology, through his newly formed production company, Thorn Hill Manor Productions, featuring his hallmark Southern Gothic Horror stories is in the works. It will present his own tales and the adapted works of other Independent Horror Authors.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
Growing up, I would watch all the classic horror films on a local late Saturday night show, “Weird”. Then, twice a schoolyear the “Weekly Reader” magazine would sell paperback versions of classic books. I would snatch up the chance to own the likes of “Dracula” and “Frankenstein”. I even started writing my own SciFi/Horror stories.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Abuse survivors are some of the most creative people, because we have to be just to become survivors. Writing has helped me deal with a lot of childhood demons and subsequent “Anger Management Issues”.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Bram Stoker, Mary Shelly, Sheridan Le Fanu, Edgar Allen Poe, and even Charles Dickens (The Ghosts of Marley and Christmas Yet To Come in “A Christmas Carol” was scary as Hell). This is because they held up a funhouse mirror to society and used creatures from nightmares for commentary/awareness.
Frances Hodgson Burnett for writing, “The Secret Garden” which is not technically a horror story. I loved the book and the 1949 film. It became the basis for my actual Horror/Drama book, “The Journal Of Edwin Hale”.
John Ajvide Lindqvist for his magnificent work, “Let The Right One In” and so many others.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
Somewhere in between. Who knows how technology may develop in the coming decades.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
Good=being a guest or having my stories read on Genre specific Podcasts.
Bad=Facebook and other similar Social Media platforms.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
NO! It defeats the purpose of the kind of stories I write. I fought tooth and nail with my editor to keep “Trigger Warnings” out of my books.
What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?
See above. People with Triggers shouldn’t read Horror.
Do you find that you sell better in person (at events) or through social media (like a personal blog, website, or Amazon)?
At events.
Where can people find you and your work?
https://www.amazon.com/Journal-Edwin-Hale-Silver-Thorn-ebook/dp/B077M2HR3F/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+journal+of+edwin+hale&qid=1611368364&sr=8-1
https://www.facebook.com/gene.baker.14855377/
https://www.instagram.com/eugenec.mclean/
https://www.thmp.online/
Jo-Anne Mclean
Your Name: Jo-Anne Mclean
Pseudonym (if you use one): JP McLean
Genre(s) of your work: Supernatural Thriller / Urban Fantasy
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Crimson Frost (Novella) (2021)
Blood Mark (2021)
Lover Betrayed (2019)
Wings of Prey (2019)
Deadly Deception (2019)
Lethal Waters (2018)
Burning Lies (2018)
Hidden Enemy (2018)
Secret Sky (2018)
Bio:
JP (Jo-Anne) McLean writes supernatural thrillers and urban fantasy. Her work has earned a Gold Literary Titan medal and honourable mentions from the Whistler Independent Book Awards and the Victoria Writers’ Society. Reviewers call her work addictive, smart, and fun.
JP is a graduate of the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business and makes her home on Denman Island, which is nestled between Vancouver Island and British Columbia on Canada’s west coast. You can reach her through her website at jpmcleanauthor.com.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I’ve been fascinated by the supernatural/paranormal genre since I was a teen and read John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids. I think it’s because I would love to possess supernatural abilities—oh, to be able to fly! And when supernatural beings are hidden within everyday society, then maybe—just maybe—they really exist. That feeling of possibility is what I want to create in my writing. It’s why I write in this genre. It’s escapism, and we could all use a little more of that.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
It’s consumed all my free time and much of my less productive time that I used to spend watching television, visiting friends, or having long telephone conversations. I didn’t know how much I’d enjoy writing when I started. Now writing consumes the bulk of my days.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Deborah Harkness (All Souls Trilogy) and Diana Gabaldon (Outlander). Both writers are diligent about getting the history right. I love their attention to that historical detail, and the interesting facts they include about life during earlier periods of time. I also love the magic in the All Souls Trilogy.
Neil Gaiman (The Ocean at the End of the Lane) and Terry Pratchett (The Wyrd Sisters). Both these writers are masters at creating exceptional, quirky characters that are wildly entertaining. I especially enjoy Gaiman’s sparse writing style.
Terry Hayes (I am Pilgram) and Lee Child (Jack Reacher books). I love a good thriller and these two authors have penned some of my favourites. They bring action to the page at a break-neck pace, and I quite enjoy Hayes’ international settings.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
The statistics I’ve seen certainly show that audiobooks are growing in popularity. Like ebooks before them, I think audiobooks offer readers another way to consume books. And like ebooks, I think they’re here to stay.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
One of the best marketing strategies is to get more reviews for your books to provide that critical social proof that your books are worth a reader’s time. I’ve had good luck using Hidden Gems and BookSprout for reviews. A bad marketing tool would be any service that offers to sell you “followers” or “likes” on social media or anywhere else. Don’t waste your time or money. These fake folks won’t read your books or spread the word about your books, and they may damage your reputation if word gets out that you’ve padded your numbers. You want genuine readers in your social circles. Readers who are engaged and enjoy your content.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No. I think writers and readers should write and read whatever they want. It’s one of the perks of living in a free society.
Where can people find you and your work?
Website https://jpmcleanauthor.com
Newsletter to get free short stories: https://jpmcleanauthor.com/mailing-list-signup-form/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B00JSZOXTC
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jpmclean
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-p-mclean-cd5829f0-6e0d-4189-b561-44651ad67b9e
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JPMcLeanBooks
Twitter: @jpmcleanauthor https://twitter.com/jpmcleanauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jpmcleanauthor
Frances McNamara
Name: Frances McNamara
Genre(s) of your work: Historical Mystery
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Death at the Selig Studios 2018
Death at the Paris Exposition 2016
Death at Chinatown 2014
Death at Woods Hole 2012
Death at Pullman 2011
Death at Hull House 2009
Death at the Fair 2009
Bio:
Frances McNamara grew up in Boston, where her father served as Police Commissioner for ten years. She has degrees from Mount Holyoke and Simmons Colleges, and recently retired from the University of Chicago. She now divides her time between Boston and Cape Cod.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I always read and wrote mysteries. I provided plots for mystery nights for an amateur group when I lived in Columbus Ohio. Later I drafted some contemporary mysteries in a writing group I joined in Chicago. But it was when I started a book inspired by the women who came to Chicago when the University of Chicago opened in 1892 that I got a lot of encouragement to continue. Late 19th and early 20th century was the gilded age but it was also when the seeds were sown for science, social change, and other important influences on the present day. Lots of issues resonate. And Chicago of today bears the imprint of the people of that time who were determined to build an internationally important but very American city. I really enjoy finding historical figures who are forgotten now, but who were fascinating people in their time.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Jane Austen, Shakespeare, and Mark Twain! But for historical mysteries I especially like Laurie King’s series about the Beekeepers Apprentice. I like the voice of the young woman who marries Sherlock Holmes. Like my books they are in first person and Mary is a woman of that time. I also really enjoy the Roman mysteries of Steven Saylor. Gordianus the Finder and his family are like figures in the foreground of a big historical painting of the historical happenings of the time. He sets the stories around the time Julius Caesar rose to power and the books skip over many years to be set with an important historical event in the background while the fictional characters deal with a murder in the foreground. I’ve chosen to move my stories along to portray some really interesting historical events like the Pullman strike and the Columbian and Paris Expositions. I read lots of other mysteries as well.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
I enjoy doing the research and adding an author’s note at the back, citing books that will provide more information about the historical characters in the books. I have found some incredibly interesting characters like Ida B. Wells, Jane Addams and Florence Kelley, Wong Chin Fu (a very early Asian American activist) and others.
For the most recent book Death at the Selig Studios I had heard that there were film studios in Chicago during the silent film era but when I actually started digging into it, I found Col. Selig, Kathlyn Williams, Olga the Leopard Lady, and other really interesting characters. I also found out there was an early silent film of the Wizard of Oz produced at Selig Studios—and you can see it on YouTube. All this happened before they moved the industry to Hollywood for better light but seems like a lot of the process is what they are still doing. The details of the past are fascinating.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
At this point, I have some faithful readers of the series and I always want to make sure I don’t disappoint them. Also, I hate not knowing the end of a story. That happens a lot in various writing groups and workshops I’ve attended. I get drawn into a story and I want to know the end. I hate not knowing. But it’s important in the mystery genre to be fair to the reader and also to tie up loose ends. I think for a lot of writers it’s the middle of the story where they bog down, me too. Once I can see the end, I start racing towards it. That’s a reason for a lot of revision and having a good editor (Emily Victorson at Allium Press of Chicago) so you get a balanced story that is fun to read all the way through. I think my imagined reader is someone sitting on a beach or cosy in a chair with a cup of tea reading the book and wanting to get to the end. But keeping it good is the challenge.
Where can people find you and your work?
https://francesmcnamara.com/
https://www.facebook.com/francesmcnamaraAuthor/
https://www.pinterest.com/fdmcnama/
https://twitter.com/FMcNamaraAuthor
https://www.instagram.com/francesmcnamaraauthor/
http://alliumpress.com/authors/frances-mcnamara/
https://www.amazon.com/Frances-McNamara/e/B002BO9QK8
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2728513.Frances_McNamara
Amanda McNeill
Name: Amanda McNeill
Pseudonym: I use my name, either Amanda McNeill or A. Ramsay McNeill
Genre(s): Life Sketches is dystopian and the sequel will be too. The Haven Trilogy is mystery/paranormal, but not paranormal with zombies, vampires, etc.
Titles/Year of Publication:
Life Sketches – 2011
Oracle and Infinite Chain – 2015.
The last book of the trilogy, Link, will be published later this year…I hope.
Bio:
Rodney and I live in rural Prophetstown and have been married for 45 years. I have been the assistant director of two small public libraries. No, I did not get a lot of reading done. Library work is not what the public thinks it is or even what library boards think it is…curse them! I started writing in 1976 because I realized that if I ever wanted to write, I had to set priorities. Looking back, I discovered I could live my life or I could let my life live me. Sounds noble, doesn’t it? Practical? Someone still has to throw some slop on the table.
A music major in college, but three of my profs advised me to find something else to do and some place else to do it. That may be one reason I write…
Why do you write in the genre you do?
I started writing dystopian fiction because I was royally pissed off at the government at the time. It’s so easy to write. Listen to the news and extrapolate a possible or even probable future. It’s like sounding the alarm. Strip the blinders from the eyes of the public and force the masses to wake up. I hope my two mysteries make people think too.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I’m 65. I’m mostly retired from my “real job” but as a writer, I never have to retire. I believe that through my writing, I’ve developed a deeper, personal philosophy. I’ve been exposed to exceptional persons I’d never have met had I not started writing. I even have two programs. I never imagined I’d be speaking to persons who have actually shown up to hear what I have to say about getting off your butt (technically “on” one’s butt) and putting pencil to paper or fingers to keyboard.
I’m no longer the proverbial shy wall flower. I’m a real gasbag. Through my writing I have made changes in my community. Even though I’m not popular in certain circles, I’m much happier. I’m doing what I wanted to do since I was in the seventh grade. All I had to do was show up. I’m doing something that many persons only talk about. Granted my first book was so bad that I recycled it, but I feel Life Sketches has merit and I’m proud of my first self-published effort.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I rejoice that we still have bookstores of any type. We live in dark and difficult times. The free expression of ideas will never be eradicated, but it may be forced underground. Life Sketches takes place in a totalitarian society. The only information and entertainment was what the government provided. We should celebrate that for the moment we have access to a world of ideas.
What do you hope readers will take away from your work?
I write to make people think. Some years ago I was in a critiquing group. There were several very fine writers, one who couldn’t write a grocery list, and one who had some excellent story concepts but never developed them sufficiently. She was critiquing the first chapter of LS, in which I wrote that “Simon was observing his life sketchers as they created life.” “You can’t say that,” she said. “What will people think?”
I want my work to ignite a spark in my readers that makes them question where our society is going. I hope I’m doing more than telling a story. I hope they consider how far we are from the nightmare world I’ve created. Why are we moving in that direction and how do we stop it? Too many of us coast through life oblivious to what our nation is losing.
How much does personal experience play in your work?
The Haven Trilogy is populated with person I’ve known in my “real job.” I’ve woven them together with some of my experiences and some which are total fabrication. The Universe has blessed me with have so many extraordinary persons in my life. I feel I’ve known more than my share of bad-asses too.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book?
I just keep writing until I’m done. Two years ago I wanted to have something to show at a class reunion. I was working on Haven, but I knew I wouldn’t have it done in time for the reunion, and it was already too long to publish. Earlier in the year I had read all three books in The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. Eureka! Make Haven into a trilogy! I took the material I had, found satisfactory place to end books one and two with a minimum of rewriting, and had them in my hot, little hands a day before the reunion! Whew! But I’m still working on three.
What makes you not finish reading a book?
It’s rare that I don’t finish reading a book. I put a book aside when I can’t follow the thread and it isn’t making sense. Then it’s a waste of time. What I read has to make sense. I’ve read award-winning books that I wished I’d never started. I’ve read several that on completion, my reaction was, “That’s it? There’s no more to it than that?” I resent that I wasted my time.
Do you believe writing should be censored?
No censorship. Never. We must never allow ourselves to slide down that slippery slope (please pardon the cliché) for there will never be an end. Sure, there’s stuff I don’t like to see disseminated, but no doubt my own opinions and prejudices play a part in my judgment. Who would get to decide?
Pet peeves in reading others’ work?
I have no patience with someone who doesn’t have a thorough knowledge of the mechanics of writing or a writer who doesn’t have the necessary (I reiterate “necessary” meaning essential) reference materials, or someone who is too lazy to use them. This summer I read a story with a great concept, but the author didn’t know how to assemble it. I’ve read books that I felt needed editing and proof reading, only to find the author has thanked his editor and proof readers in the acknowledgements. That’s hard to take. It would have been so much better if the writer had enrolled in Fiction 101. Writing is hard work, and should be if it is to be done well.
My work can be found online through the usual places. Do not mix up my Life Sketches with the one that was written in 1929. I’m not that old! I have copies of Life Sketches at Book World in the Peru Mall, and the first two books in of The Haven Trilogy at Book World at the Northland Mall in Sterling. However, today (11/1/17) I heard on NPR that Book World is closing. So if you want my books, hurry! I also sell them out of the trunk of my car.
I will be at Book World at the Northland Mall for a book signing on December 9 from 1-4. There will be three other authors there too.
I will be at the Sterling Public Library on December 2 for an authors fair. Contact the library for information.
Amanda McNeill
scribbler316@yahoo.com
Marcia Meara
Your Name: Marcia Meara
Genre(s) of your work: Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Paranormal Cross-Genres, and Things That Go Bump in the Night
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
WAKE-ROBIN RIDGE SERIES
Wake-Robin Ridge Book 1 – 2013
A Boy Named Rabbit: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 2 – 2015
Harbinger: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3 – 2016
The Light: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 4 – 2019
RIVERBEND SERIES
Swamp Ghosts: Riverbend Book 1 – 2014
Finding Hunter: Riverbend Book 2 – 2015
That Darkest Place: Riverbend Book 3 – 2017
THE EMISSARY NOVELLA TRILOGY
The Emissary 1 (A Riverbend Spinoff Novella) – 2017
The Emissary 2: To Love Somebody (A Riverbend Spinoff Novella) – 2018
The Emisssary 3: Love Hurts (A Riverbend Spinoff Novella) – 2020
Summer Magic: Poems of Life and Love – 2013
Bio:
Marcia Meara lives in central Florida, just north of Orlando, with her husband of over thirty years and four big cats.
When not writing or blogging, she spends her time gardening, and enjoying the surprising amount of wildlife that manages to make a home in her suburban yard. She enjoys nature. Really, really enjoys it. All of it! Well, almost all of it, anyway. From birds, to furry critters, to her very favorites, snakes. The exception would be spiders, which she truly loathes, convinced that anything with eight hairy legs is surely up to no good. She does not, however, kill spiders anymore, since she knows they have their place in the world. Besides, her husband now handles her Arachnid Catch and Release Program, and she’s good with that.
Spiders aside, the one thing Marcia would like to tell each of her readers is that it’s never too late to make your dreams come true. If, at the age of 69, she could write and publish a book (and thus fulfill 64 years of longing to do that very thing), you can make your own dreams a reality, too. Go for it! What have you got to lose?
Marcia has published seven novels, three novellas, and one book of poetry to date, all of which are available on Amazon.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
My stories deal with all sorts of people in all kinds of situations, which often leaves me trying to squeeze round pegs into square holes. They just don’t fit in one genre very well, since they usually contain elements of several.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Writing has made my life better in every way. I started late (age 69) with and now I not only write, but do presentations in central Florida monthly, usually on wildlife, which is often a significant part of the background in my books—especially my Riverbend series, which is set in central Florida where I live. I’ve met so many wonderful people and am amazed that at 77, my life is so full! Every day is an adventure.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
My favorite author of all time is Daphne du Maurier who, wrote (among many excellent and beautiful novels) Rebecca, coincidentally my favorite book of all time. Her writing is stunning in its beauty, like dipping a pen in paint and using it to drizzle images down a page.
I’ve been reading for many years and have read nearly every genre, so I have accumulated a lot of favorite writers, including Dean Koontz, Preston & Child, Jim Butcher, Brandon Sanderson, Larry Correia, Victoria Schwab, Maggie Stiefvater, D. Wallace Peach, Leigh Bardugo, the late Rachel Caine, Benedict Jacka, and on and on. These days, I read mostly fantasy, but everything is fair game.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
I can’t really give a fair answer to that question, because I have very poor hearing, and can’t follow an audio book, even with my hearing aids. I use closed captioning when watching tv. However, I confess that the idea of words in a book being narrated by other than the voices in my own head wouldn’t appeal to me very much, even without this obstacle. I think there is definitely a place and a market for audio books, of course, but can’t imagine them taking over from the pleasure of curling up in a quiet corner with a good book or my Kindle. I guess you could put me down for “somewhere in between.”
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I’m happy anywhere I can browse through books.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
Sadly, I’m completely out of my depth here, as I’m terrible at marketing, except in person at local events, where I do a pretty solid job of connecting with people and selling books. Therefore, I’ve done really well at building a local readership, but as for serious marketing? Not so much so. I know this is an area where I need a great deal of improvement, and I’m working on it. Will let you know if I hit on an outstanding tool that works well for those like me.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No. Period. People can and should make up their own minds about what’s worth reading and what’s not. They do not need others telling them what to read. It smacks too much of Fahrenheit 451 for my taste.
Where can people find you and your work?
I have published seven novels, three novellas, and one book of poetry to date, all of which are available on Amazon:
Marcia’s Amazon Author Page
Wake-Robin Ridge
A Boy Named Rabbit: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 2
Harbinger: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3
The Light: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 4
Swamp Ghosts: A Riverbend Novel
Finding Hunter: Riverbend Book 2
That Darkest Place: Riverbend Book 3
The Emissary: A Riverbend Spinoff NovellaThe Emissary 2: To Love Somebody
The Emissary 3: Love Hurts
Summer Magic: Poems of Life & Love
Email: marciameara16@gmail.com
Social Media sites:
Blog: The Write Stuff
Twitter: @marciameara
I appreciate this chance to visit your blog, Sue, and I’d just like to let folks know that I love having guest writers on mine, too: The Write Stuff. I have two series going currently, wherein I feature guests: #GuestDayTuesday (you can share your new releases, promote an older one, or talk about writing in general, and your own specifically); and Ten Things You May Not Know About Me, a fun series that lets others get to know you better. Full info is available on my blog.
Thanks so much for having me here today!
Daniel Millhouse
Name: Daniel Millhouse
Genre(s) of your work: I write multiple in multiple genres. I’ve been told to stick with one or use different pen names for different genres, but I write for the joy of it. I do it for me and hope that others enjoy the stories I tell.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
2014 – Old Man’s Lake (supernatural genre)
2014 – Heaven’s Darkside (action genre)
2014 – The Conjuring of M’Wait (supernatural genre – short story)
2015 – One Last Weekend (romantic genre – short story)
2015 – A Hundred Kisses (romantic genre)
2015 – 29 Pieces (general fiction – short story)
2015 – Cookies with Santa (Christmas fiction – short story)
2016 – Shadows of the Red Tree (a volume of supernatural stories)
2016 – A New Humanity (science fiction – short story)
2016 – Sol 12 (science fiction)
2016 – Adachu (children’s Halloween – short story)
2017 – The Writers’ Room (science fiction – short story)
2017 – A Night at Wonderland (general fiction)
2018 – Reach Out (general drama fiction – short story)
2018 – Simon Is Coming (action genre and book two of the Heaven’s Darkside series)
2020 – Love, For Cupid (comedy – short story)
Bio:
I’ve been a writer of some form my whole life. Lyrics and poetry as a teenager. Screenplays and short stories up until my thirties. Around my mid-thirties, I moved into books.
I wanted something physical for others to read. I was tired of telling others about a screenplay play I wrote and was pitching to producers and production companies, but there was nothing physical to show for my work.
Being a massive book reader all my life, I decided to move into books. It was because of my writing abilities that I was able to change my career path, twice. The first time, working for multiple news sources for journalism, and eventually moving into my current job with Hodson P.I., one of the most renowned private investigation firms in America.
Before that, I had worked in a variety of fields. I had owned a restaurant, worked in retail, managed properties across California and Arizona, and more.
When I’m not writing or working, I love spending time with my dogs (Bandit, Pepper, and Daisy), watching baseball games, including attending Lake Elsinore Storm minor league games, checking out antique shops and museums, and watching classic movies.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I don’t limit myself to one genre. If I have a good idea that won’t go away, I play around with the idea, outline it, and write it up. It probably comes a little bit from the fact that I read multiple genres of books.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Unexpectedly, it assisted in changing my career. Initially, I moved into local news journalism because the owner of a local news source knew I wrote books. I moved from writing local news stories to becoming a managing news editor.
It then helped further because with my current boss, my ability to write helped him choose me over other candidates applying for investigative work. I was brought on because of my social media skills and my ability to improve upon our reports. Four years later, I’m still working for him and can’t imagine myself working for anyone else until I decide to retire.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I have several. Ernest Hemingway is one. I love the sense of adventure in his stories, which probably comes from the type of person he was in real life.
Out of the current authors, I like Dan Brown, Brad Meltzer, and Vince Flynn. Again, there is a sense of adventure, mystery, and the imagination they write with is amazing.
I also consider other favorites of mine to be F. Scott Fitzgerald, Steve Berry, Kevin Smith, and Raymond Khoury.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
I don’t think they’ll be the sole wave of the future. I certainly believe that some people, especially those who travel or have long commutes, will listen to them to keep up with books they are interested in, but I don’t think they’ll replace books.
I can see e-versions of books eventually taking over a large portion of the industry. It wouldn’t surprise me if future generations get away from printed books and utilize tablets more.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I believe they serve a purpose to some extent. The atmosphere of a Barnes & Noble is certainly appealing to me compared to other retail stores, but I think they cater a lot to more well-known authors, or at least authors with large publishers. It may be different in other parts of the country, but in my part of Southern California, there are not a lot of options for stores carrying newer authors or local authors. I admit I get a little jealous when I see other parts of the country with local mom and pop shops that not only sell books by local authors, but they also get together with their local authors for events such as book signings and Q&A’s.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Some, but not a great deal. I don’t tend to write characters based on myself or those I know, but I do absorb life experiences like the next person and may integrate quirks or traits from those I have met in the past into my characters.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I don’t believe that writing should be censored for ninety-nine percent of the stuff that is out there. I usually believe exceptions to every rule though. Someone writing explicit child-based porn would fit under that category, in my opinion. Otherwise, I think everyone should be able to read what makes them happy. If you like spy-thrillers, have fun. If you’re into paperback romance books with Fabio on the cover, enjoy. If you’re into sci-fi, go for it. The point of reading a book, at least for those doing it recreationally, is to hopefully have some fun and escape to another world for a short amount of time.
Where can people find you and your work?
My books can be found through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and through multiple eBook sources. I have a few books through Smashwords too, but I’ve gotten away from there in the last few years because I found that this outlet didn’t really help me get any more readers.
amazon.com/author/danielmillhouse
https://www.facebook.com/DanielSMillhouse/
https://twitter.com/DanMillhouse
https://www.instagram.com/danielmillhouse/
https://www.pinterest.com/DanielMillhouse/ (you can see images, book covers, and people I’ve mentally cast for roles for parts in my books on some of my boards)
I may go back to having my own website one day, but for now, I don’t have one.
Ben Monroe
Your Name: Ben Monroe
Genre(s) of your work: Horror
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Seething (2023)
Planet Apocalypse (graphic novel, 2020)
In the Belly of the Beast, and Other Tales of Cthulhu Wars (2018)
Plus a whole bunch of short stories published between 2019 and the present.
Bio:
Ben Monroe has spent most of his life in Northern California, where he lives in the East Bay Area with his wife and two children. He is the author of In the Belly of the Beast and Other Tales of Cthulhu Wars, the Seething, the graphic novel Planet Apocalypse, and short stories in several anthologies.
When not writing about slimy lake monsters, cosmic horrors, or other malevolent entities, Ben spends time with his family, reads a lot, works a perfectly normal day job, builds models of classic monsters, and enjoys hiking and running in the East Bay hills.
You can find more information about him and his work at www.benmonroe.com and find links to his social media, upcoming appearances and more at http://www.benmonroe.com/about
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I’ve been fascinated with monsters and the macabre for as long as I can remember. I’ve got a story I wrote (technically I dictated it to my teacher, apparently) in preschool, about a werewolf biting a guy and turning him into a wolf. So I suppose that’s archival evidence of some sort.
Over the course of my life, I’ve read a ton of horror fiction. Though I read a lot of fantasy, westerns, and other genres, I always seem to come back to horror. I guess it was just inevitable that when I began writing fiction I’d do so in the genre I love most. I suppose in some way I’ve internalized all the tropes and styles, and it just feels comfortable for me.
One of my favorite types of stories are those where relatable, regular people are thrust into difficult situations, and have to make the best of it. Truly, horror is a great medium for telling those types of stories. Those are the types of tales I enjoy reading, and the same sorts of things I try to bring out in my writing.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
The biggest revelation I had when I wrote my first novel, was that I could actually do such a thing. I’d wanted to write horror stories for so very long, but I suppose admit I was scared of failing. But really, it became a self-fulfilling prophecy, because I was failing by not actually doing it.
Eventually an opportunity came up that forced me to really “put up or shut up” and I took it. The result was a book that did fairly well, that people who’ve read it enjoyed, that the publisher was happy with, and that got me eligible for membership in the Horror Writers Association.
In the years since that book came out, I just kept writing. I’ve written a few dozen short stories (most of which have been published at the time of this writing), a graphic novel, and a second novel.
So in answer to your question, I suppose proving to myself that I could do it was really a confidence boost for me. Also, that I discovered that even without a promise of publication, I just enjoyed the process of writing. Just doing it for the sheer joy of doing it was worthwhile.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Oh, gosh. This is a question that could change every time you asked me. Same as asking me my favorite movie.
I love Stephen King for his prose, for his story structure, and for his commitment to never backing down from an idea.
I love the grandeur and spectacle of Tolkien.
I’ve recently been getting into Steinbeck, and greatly appreciate his tight prose, sarcasm, and how he creates a sense of place in his works.
Kathe Koja is one of my favorite horror authors, for elevating the genre into near poetry.
I’m fortunate to have made some great writer friends in the last few years, whom I’ve gotten to know, and really enjoy their work: Lee Murray, Francesca Maria, Tamika Thompson, LS Johnson, Loren Rhoads, and Ken Heuler are people to look out for for a dizzying variety of horror styles.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
I’m a child of the 80s, and remember “Books on Tape” back then. Audiobooks seem to be the natural offshoot of those. And Books on Tape were probably an offshoot of the radio plays which came before, which were a descendant of any kind of oral storytelling tradition.
I haven’t really thought about it before, but I think audiobooks are a fine thing to have. I prefer reading text, but I know lots of people who enjoy audiobooks. And when my family is off on long car trips, we always listen to audiobooks in the car.
I guess it’s just another way to absorb a story, and that’s fine however you do it.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
I think I get most of my best marketing from just being out there on social media and the web. I talk about my book whenever it seems appropriate, and try not to bluster on about it. I think it also helps to get other people talking about it, so making those personal connections is always important.
A bad marketing tool would probably be standing on the corner and throwing your books at the heads of passerby. Which is sort of a joke, but also not really, because I’ve seen a ton of indie authors do that metaphorically, by spamming their followers on social media sites via direct messages. Seriously, nothing makes me want to buy a book less than following an author on a social media platform, and instantly getting links to buy their books in my DMs.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I think for the most part, writing almost becomes self-censored by the community. If an author writes something offensive to enough people, then those people have the right not to read it, and to warn others about it. Likewise, a publisher has the right to refuse publication to something they find dangerous or offensive.
But true censorship, which would be a government demanding a book be destroyed, or kept out of libraries, etc.? No, I don’t agree with that at all.
What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?
I can see the good in them. I’ve never been affected enough by a book or film that I felt traumatized and wished someone had warned me beforehand. But that’s just my experience, and is not at all universal. If a publisher wants to put trigger warnings in a book or film, I honestly don’t see the harm. Just because it doesn’t affect me, doesn’t mean it might not cause distress to someone else.
I’ve only worked with a couple of publishers that wanted them in their books, and I was happy to provide them (though admittedly it wasn’t always easy to come up with them, because I wasn’t sure exactly what might be seen as triggering).
Do you find that you sell better in person (at events) or through social media (like a personal blog, website, or Amazon)?
I haven’t actually done a lot of in-person events where I was selling my books, so I guess I’d have to say online. But I’m sure that’d change if I started going to conventions and bringing books to sell. I’m a pretty easy going person, and good at banter, so would probably do okay selling books face to face.
Where can people find you and your work?
The best place to go is my website, cleverly tilted http://www.benmonroe.com. From there you’ll find links to all my books, podcasts, blogs, and interviews I’ve done, my rarely-updated blog and newsletter, and my current social media links.
Margaret Montet
Your Name: Margaret Montet
Genre(s) of your work: Creative Nonfiction/travel
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Nerd Traveler, 2021
Bio:
Margaret Montet’s narratives of place blend memoir, research, and the arts. She’s a college librarian and completed the Pan European MFA Program at Cedar Crest College specializing in Creative Nonfiction. Margaret blends these skills when teaching music history courses to older adults and public speaking to college students. Her creative nonfiction has been published in The Bangalore Review, Pink Pangea, Library Journal, Mature Years, America in WWII, Edible Jersey, and other fine periodicals and anthologies. Her collection of travel essays, Nerd Traveler, was published in July, 2021, and Brooklyn Family Album will be published in September 2024.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I love writing about a place after I’ve learned about the art, music, history, and nature that come from it. Writing a logical, linear story about a place becomes a kind of puzzle after I’ve accumulated interesting facts and anecdotes about it. I use minds maps to organize my information and find interesting connections between my observations and data, and then I frequently consider using musical and literary forms to guide my manuscript. Each essay is a delightful challenge.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Writing has given me confidence and a creative outlet to distract me from the more mundane parts of life. I’ve been presenting multimedia lectures on my topics at lifelong learning venues. This endeavor has grown, strictly by word of mouth. The two writing styles, for reading or speaking, are different, but frequently on the same topics. I have met so many people at book talks and lectures, and they’ve enriched my existence by chatting and commenting about my books, essays, and presentations. Sometimes they know all about my topic and enjoy my perspective, and sometimes they don’t know much and are glad to learn something new. It’s a joy for me.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I have a lot of favorites, but I’ll stick to the nonfiction writers. I absolutely adore John McPhee. I read his book on the Pine Barrens of New Jersey when I was in high school, and for the first time I was aware of the writer’s voice, technique and style. I have read many more of his books since then, and I am always in awe of his command of the topic, and no matter what he is writing about, it is compelling.
Joan Didion is another favorite. Like McPhee, she has a knack for experiential research and compelling writing. I can read her essays over and over and still find something new in them.
Paul Theroux is my experiential travel hero. I love to read his stories about exotic places and train rides that are anything but posh. I admire his skill of talking to people in these locations and asking just the right questions to make his stories of place and travel come alive.
Nathaniel Philbrick and Erik Larson are my two other top favorites. They make history come alive!
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
I love audio books and listen to them frequently in the car. I think the trick is to choose the right kind of book for listening. I wouldn’t try to listen to a book I need for research, but a multi-faceted novel is probably going to be great!
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
I can say that the marketing tool I like best is hand-selling my book at author fairs, book talks, book clubs, and lectures. On the grand scale these probably aren’t the most effective marketing tools, but they are certainly the most enjoyable.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I’m a librarian, so I could write for days on this subject. I won’t, but I will say that I think it is important for readers to have access to many kinds of literature. I grew up in a home with two older parents who didn’t talk about many topics at home. They did not restrict my reading (much) and I could get anything out of the public library without worrying about them censoring my choices. This is how I learned about a lot of things and began to form the basis for many of my own beliefs and knowledge.
What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?
I can see where a trigger warning might be necessary for some things. My book, Nerd Traveler, probably doesn’t need any because it’s mild and tame.
Do you find that you sell better in person (at events) or through social media (like a personal blog, website, or Amazon)?
I do both kinds of selling, but I think in-person works better for me. I have no research to back that up!
Where can people find you and your work?
Anyone interested should go to my website http://www.margaretmontet.com/. There’s information about me, my writing (with links to some pieces), and a list of upcoming lectures and appearances. There’s a link to sign up for my newsletter which comes out sporadically when I have news to share.
- On Instagram I’m Margaret_the_Writer
- My next book, Brooklyn Family Album is scheduled to be published in September 2024!
Sue Rovens 