Authors are listed alphabetically by LAST name beginning with O
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Kristin A. Oakley
Name: Kristin A. Oakley
Genre(s) of your work: Mainstream/Contemporary Fiction, YA Dystopian
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Carpe Diem, Illinois (2014, Little Creek Press)
God on Mayhem Street (2016, Little Creek Press)
Bio:
Kristin A. Oakley is a Chicago Writers Association board member, the managing editor of The Write City Magazine, the past president and a co-founder of In Print Professional Writers’ Organization, and a UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies writing instructor. Kristin’s debut novel, Carpe Diem, Illinois, won the 2014 Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year Award for non-traditionally published fiction, was a finalist in the Independent Author Network 2015 Book of the Year, and a runner-up in the 2016 Shelf Unbound Best Indie Book Competition. Its sequel, God on Mayhem Street, was released in 2016. Kristin is currently working on a young adult dystopian trilogy.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
Because that’s what I enjoy reading. I also love Stephen King’s books, so there might be some horror in my future.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I’m now more open to meeting people and taking advantage of opportunities because of the research I’ve done for my books. I’m finding that everyone has a story and that fascinates me. I’ve also discovered a love for teaching and am now an adjunct writing instructor at UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Stephen King for his ability to transport you right into the story; David Mitchell and George Saunders for their mind-bending books; and J. K. Rowling and Suzanne Collins for their masterful young adult novels.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I love brick and mortar bookstores because of the interactions with the community. For example, Mystery to Me Bookstore in Madison, WI is hugely supportive of local authors and offers opportunities for many events.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
It would be great if my books stretched their imaginations and inspired them to see what other realities might be possible.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
A lot, particularly in my first book. I was an unschooling mom and activist so I didn’t have to do much research to create the unschooling town in Carpe Diem, Illinois. For research for my current work-in-progress, I went on a four-day trip in the mountains of Virginia to learn survival training.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
Writing with friends helps as does the encouragement we give each other. Deadlines are good, too. Lately, readers have been asking when the next book is coming out, so that’s great motivation.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
When I don’t care about the characters or when the writing is so poor that it pops me out of the story.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No. But that doesn’t mean I’ll read everything.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
When it’s obvious the writer hasn’t hired a professional editor. I don’t understand why, after years of hard work on a book, a writer doesn’t care enough about their book to hire an editor and ensure the book is the highest quality possible. Everyone needs an editor, even Stephen King.
Where can people find you and your work?
http://www.kristinoakley.net/
https://www.amazon.com/Kristin-A.-Oakley/e/B00IX8Z452/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1529546774&sr=8-1
https://www.facebook.com/kristinoakleywriter/
https://twitter.com/KristinOakley
https://www.instagram.com/kristinoakley4/
Miranda Oh
Your Name: Miranda Oh
Genre(s) of your work: Chick Lit
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
2015 Remember No Matter What Chin Up Tits Out
2017 When All else Fails Chin Up Tits Out
2020 Just Breathe Chin Up Tits Out
Bio:
Podcast Host and Amazon Best Selling Author Miranda Oh is a Canadian Author, speaker and new mom. Inspiring and empowering women who are going through tough life situations is something that she is most passionate about. She takes on the tough questions, taboo topics, and uncomfortable conversations and finds light, shares the love and highlights the twisted humor. You can find more about Miranda Oh by visiting her website. wwwmirandaoh.com . You can also find her on IG: @ohmirandaoh and Facebook: Miranda Oh
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
It’s an easy catch all for the taboo topics I write about. I can write about romance, dating, self love, motivation, and I can also write about mental illness, abuse, racism and chronic illnesses. Writing in the Chick Lit genre allows me to explore all the topics that tickle my fancy.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
After battling immigration and cancer for years, my husband got up and left our lives one day. Within the blink of an eye, I had lost everything that made me; me. During my healing process, I chose to write my first series called Chin Up Tits Out – which follows our main character Hadley. Hadley is a more refined version of me in real life, our stories are very intertwined with each other. Fast forward 8 long years of healing, learning and building up my life from the ground up, I have an entire series out in the world, I moved into a house with my new partner, and had a beautiful baby girl this spring. With my newest source of inspiration, I am writing my next series called Love My Lady Bits, which is based on real stories. For preparation of this new series I embarked on a journey to interview 100 women globally who all live with a chronic condition called Endometriosis. I am taking all these stories, and women and turning them into a 3 part series, in hopes to make “female part issues” less taboo to speak about, less embarrassing, and to help make these scenarios more relatable. Inspiring and empowering women who are going through tough life situations is something that I am most passionate about. I would be honored to have the opportunity to share my story.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I have a few too many, but an author and book that always gets me coming back for another reread is the Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. I cant count the amount of times I have read that book.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
I think they are some what in between. We will never completely move away from those old schoolers who love turning the page of an actual book, those who love the smell of new books, and those who enjoy highlighting notes throughout their read. I know I am one of those people, through and through till the end!
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
Convenience and a good place to pick up a Starbucks/ fancy cup of coffee, then go and spend money you didn’t have to spend in the first place.
There are a multitude of ways to support talented authors that aren’t necessarily in those mainstream avenues – I always suggest to follow blogs, or podcasts to find out more about those underground successful authors.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
Absolutely not – I think we should put it all out there! This is how we come together, we talk about the tough stuff, find common ground and move forward together!
Where can people find you and your work?
wwwmirandaoh.com .
IG: @ohmirandaoh
Facebook: Miranda Oh
Carol Orange
Your Name: Carol Orange
Genre(s) of your work: Mystery/Suspense
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
A Discerning Eye, published by Cavan Bridge Press on October 13, 2020.
Bio:
Carol Orange has worked in the art world for more than twenty years. She began as a research editor on art books in London and later became an art dealer in Boston. She has an MBA from Simmons University and worked as a marketing manager at the Polaroid Corporation. Along with concert pianist Virginia Eskin who played Chopin’s music, she read excerpts from George Sand’s novels in three salons at the French Library in Boston. Her short story “Delicious Dates” was included in Warren Adler’s 2010 short story anthology. Another story, “Close Call,” appeared in the Atherton Review, Volume 02. A recent article, “7 Great Heist Novels recommended by an Art Dealer” was published in Crime Reads.
Her debut novel A DISCERNING EYE takes off from the tragic robbery at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
Art dealer Portia Malatesta is devastated when she learns that thirteen works of art were stolen from the Gardner Museum. To help uncover the whereabouts of the artwork, she sets out to construct a psychological profile of the thief. By analyzing the common theme linking the stolen pieces, she suspects the mastermind behind the heist is obsessed with the interplay of dark and light – not only in art, but in life.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
Life is mysterious so I am naturally attracted to the mystery/suspense genre. I particularly like female sleuths. They tend to be engaging, creative thinkers, going all the way back to Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple up to Sara Paretsky’s V.I Warshawski. By the way, kudos to Sara Paretsky for founding the supportive Sisters in Crime organization. I also connect with Amanda Cross’s sleuth Kate Fansler. Amanda Cross is the pseudonym for the feminist scholar Carolyn Heilbrun. Her mysteries are delightful to read. I wanted to write what I like best to read.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I used to work in marketing for corporations and then I owned an art gallery. My role was a supportive one, often encouraging other people’s creativity. Now I foster my own. Writing a novel is difficult. It often takes years to write a novel and there are many revisions along the way. Writing has made me a more patient person. Now I truly appreciate the craft of other writers. There are some days when I sit down at the computer and the words just flow. That’s when I lose all sense of time and place. When I stop writing I feel at peace. Writing has given me a sense of pride in my work that I never experienced before.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
My favorite writers are Graham Greene and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Marquez is the expert writer of South and Central American life. He invented magical realism based on ancient folk tales. No one knows Colombian habits and behaviors better than Marquez. His book News of a Kidnapping gave me important insights into just how brutal cartel operatives could be, and I created similar painful scenes for my novel A Discerning Eye. The Colombian drug war ruined daily life in the country so it is understandable why Marquez left Colombia for Mexico. I’ve read all of his books. Marquez is a brilliant storyteller.
Graham Greene’s novel The Quiet American has impressed me as well. His sense of place is extraordinary. Place is almost as important as his characters and the plot. The Quiet American takes place in Vietnam as the French colonialists are leaving and the American involvement begins. His main characters, Phoung, a young Vietnamese woman and the journalist Thomas Fowler are survivors in this treacherous world. While this year of Covid and political unrest has been hard to deal with, at least our country is not at war. After traveling to Vietnam three years ago I’ve come to admire the Vietnamese people. I witnessed their resilience and surprising friendliness to Americans. They explained that ordinary Americans were not responsible for the war and do not bear any grudges. Their work ethic is inspiring and they have rebuilt their country. Their Communist government does hover over the country as a negative force, although capitalism is encouraged in their business lives. Graham Greene knew the country so well he was able to predict the end of the Vietnam war. His descriptions of the verdant countryside and the dangers they faced gave me insights into the people’s determination to survive.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
I believe that audiobooks are here to stay and will only become increasingly popular over time. They are more portable than actual books. Talented narrators can dramatize the scenes and make the experience even more enjoyable than reading from a book. Another plus is the convenience of being able to listen to an audiobook while you are driving, doing housework, walking and/or sitting in a chair. The downside to the audio experience is that I am more likely to remember characters names and important passages in the print versions.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I love browsing in independent bookstores, reading the staff comments about new books, getting help making hard decisions about which books to buy and just soaking up the ambiance. Browsing is one of life’s true pleasures. What’s more a bookstore adds character to a neighborhood, and each store’s curation of books is different. Some bookstores sponsor community outreach to kids or other specific groups of people. When I first moved to New York in 2000 I worked at Bookberries (71st and Lexington Avenue). What fun it was to help clients find books that they hoped to enjoy. Some Barnes & Noble bookstores have also provided this customized service for their clients. Amazon is the most efficient way to buy a book if you are looking for a particular title, but you can’t browse bookshelves online and you can’t touch or smell the books.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A Bad one?
During this pandemic the best marketing tool is zoom events. They are not easy to book, but they are interactive. It is thrilling to reach people all over the country with one event. The Zoom experience allows participants to ask challenging questions for the author to answer. It’s gratifying that many participants have bought my novel before they come to the event, but some are inspired to read it afterward. What’s missing are the casual chats that can happen before and after an in-person event.
A bad one? This is difficult to answer. I’m not sure there has been a bad marketing tool for me. I love the social media advertising campaign that Pubvendo has designed for A Discerning Eye using museum backgrounds and real art (with owner’s permission of course). I know how many clicks I get for each ad, but there’s no way to measure how many clicks translate into book sales.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I believe in a free press, First Amendment rights. Yelling fire in a crowded theatre is certainly not acceptable because it can lead to a riot. But as private citizens in an open society we can pick and choose what we like to read or watch. Parents have a responsibility to choose what is age appropriate for their children. I like the way the movie industry rates films as General ( for adults) or PG ( parental guidance recommended) or PG13 ( parents strongly cautioned for children under 13).
Where can people find you and your work?
My author web site is: https//www.carolorange.com. A Discerning Eye is available wherever books are sold. I have author pages on Facebook, Goodreads and Amazon.
Here’s the link to my Amazon page: (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=A+Discerning+Eye&ref=nb_sb_noss_2).
An audiobook version narrated by actors Campbell Scott and Kathleen McElfresh is available on Audible, Google Play, Audiobooks and iTunes.
You can reach me on Instagram(@carolorange2) and on Twitter (@COrangeAntiques).
Ryan T. Osborn
Your Name: Ryan T. Osborn
Pseudonym (if you use one): David Camily
Genre(s) of your work:
As Ryan T. Osborn, I write LGBT Romantic Suspense. As David Camily I write LGBT romantic comedy/drama.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
(As Ryan T. Osborn)
Caine’s Alibi – June 15th, 2021
The Shadows of Thornebrook – May 30th, 2023
Masters of the Zodiac #7: Aries w/ Minette Monreau – March 19th, 2023
Bear Family Series (as David Camily)
Prequel: Noah’s Neverland – October 31, 2023 (Originally published in “Hot and Sticky” Passionate Ink’s 2023 Anthology to support ProLiteracy.) Only available in E-book.
Prequel: A Night at the Rainbow Rose – December 19, 2021 (free to newsletter subscribers)
#1: Mason’s Story – January 15th, 2022
#2: Noah’s Story – April 20th, 2023
#3. Luke’s Story – May 27th, 2024
#4: Ian’s Story (coming 2026)
Bio:
I was born in Peoria, Illinois. An avid player of tabletop role-playing games, and Backgammon, I have always enjoyed storytelling in any form or genre, especially gay romantic suspense thrillers and comedies, and daytime soap operas, including but not limited to plays, audio plays, poetry, music, short stories, novellas, and novels. As a gay teenager and young adult, I would read my grandmother and Mother’s romance novels and wanted to know why there were none for me that ended with the type of happily ever after that I imagined, so I decided that I would put his writing talent to good use and wrote three YA gay romances in high school, and I have been writing them ever since.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I have always loved Romantic Suspense in any paring as long as it was a good story. I’m especially fond of “Bad Boy” or “Dangerous Men” books. You know the type. Where the Main Character doesn’t know if the love interest is going to kiss them or kill them?
How has writing changed/altered your life?
It really hasn’t changed my life, I’ve been writing most of my life. It wasn’t until 2020, when I joined Passionate Ink Erotic Writer’s Association, that I finally found my calling writing fiction novels, and stories, with their help and teaching me about the tools that I needed, I went to work during the pandemic and published my very first novel, “Caine’s Alibi”.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I’m particularly fond of the following:
1. Marion Zimmer Bradley, despite all the controversy about her personal life, she was an amazing storyteller of Science Fiction and Fantasy work. Her rendition of the Authurian Legends, “The Mists of Avalon” gives it a new spin by focusing on the women of King Arthur’s Court.
2. Stephen King, I love how Stephen King makes his horror stories feel real, and his characters are three dimensional. I’ve always loved stories where the antagonists are just as human and capable of having other merits, and flaws that conflict with the other characters.
3. I’m grouping, Sandra Brown, Maggie Shayne, and the late Jane Toombs into this category, because their stories of Romantic Suspense, were my gateway into the genre.
4. Keira Andrews is a new addition to this list. I love the fact that she writes gay romance or M/m romance, and she really gets it. Her stories focus on men who fall in love. Most of the time I can tell the difference when women write gay romance, and gay men write gay romance. Try as they might most women don’t quite get all the nuances of Gay Life. Their stories are more let’s take the heroine out and put a man in her place. Which while some are good. It does kind of feel like a wash. Keira Andrews writes about men, and she’s not afraid to delve into the LGBT culture and that makes her an amazing author to me.
That’s just my starter list, I could go on all day.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
Personally I LOVE audiobooks. I’ll sit in my chair, crochet and listen to an audio book, getting lost in the story for hours. I also love listening to Audiobooks during my hour commute to my nine to five job and back home again.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
Bookbrush(dot)com is one of my favorite marketing tools. Making graphic ads for my book is so easy anyone could do it. The only downside is the $99 per year subscription fee. Sometimes, I’m able to cover it other times I’m not.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I do not. I’ve never been one of “THOSE PEOPLE” who yuck another person’s yum. Would I read books dealing with taboo subject. Maybe, depending on the subject. Do I deliberately seek them out? No. It’s not really my thing, but more power to those that enjoy them.
What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?
I think these are very important. Especially in the realms of “Dark Romance”. Sometimes, DR can get very dark and very taboo. As a sexual assault survivor, and a person with PTSD, it can be triggering if things like ‘Non-Con’ or “Non-consent” is on the page of the book. Especially if it comes across without any warning. This happened to me, once. When I was first meeing my fellow authors in Passionate Ink, one of the authors shared their work with me, and in one scene the heroine and hero were practicing some kinks, but it triggered me because it was almost a similar what had happened to me. Nothing against my fellow author, she didn’t know my history. But having that warning would have been nice. In my novel, “Noah’s Story” book two of my Bear Family series. Noah suffered from childhood abuse, and in the novel, Noah has to face off with the father who abused him. I tried to add the warning about flashbacks to child abuse to the blurb to warn people who are reading the story that there may be some included in the book.
Do you find that you sell better in person (at events) or through social media (like a personal blog, website, or Amazon)?
LOL. It would be nice if I made more sales period, but so far, Through Social media seems to be my best advertising and marketing tools. I would love to be able to expand outside social media, but I’m still rather a baby author at this point.
Where can people find you and your work?
I am on most all social media platforms, and my work is available at places like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other favorite retailers. Anyone wanting to connect to me can follow me by going to linktr.ee/rtosborn78.
Linktr.ee/rtosborn78
Sue Rovens 