Archive Section of
Meet & Greet Authors
Authors are listed alphabetically by LAST names S through Z
*All the information/websites/links were current AT THE TIME OF INITIAL POSTING. As time passes, please be aware that the links provided might not be active.
Stephen Paul Sayers
Name: Stephen Paul Sayers
Genre(s) of your work: Horror/Supernatural Thriller
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Caretakers series:
A Taker of Morrows 2018 (book one)
A Taker of Souls (tentative release date: Fall, 2018) (book two)
Bio:
Stephen Paul Sayers grew up on the sands of Cape Cod and spent his first thirty-five years in New England before joining the University of Missouri as a research professor. When he’s not in his laboratory, he spends his time writing and devouring his favorite forms of genre fiction—horror, suspense, and thrillers. His short fiction has appeared in Unfading Daydream. A Taker of Morrows is his debut novel and the first in the planned Caretakers series. Throughout his journey, he has accumulated five guitars, four herniated discs, three academic degrees, two dogs, and one wife, son, and daughter. He divides his time between Columbia, Missouri and Cape Cod writing and teaching.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
Ever since I was a kid, I loved horror. My brother and I watched horror movies all the time. I think the 70s and 80s were a golden age of horror movies – and we got really into it. That’s also when I discovered Stephen King, and I read just about everything he wrote. That was my base, and no matter what different literary roads I may travel, I always veer back into the genre. Even the books I read today transport me back to childhood and reignite those shivers again.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I never set out to be a writer. But after a challenge from my daughter I decided to write her a novel. I thought it would just be something I’d give her some holiday or birthday, something she could put on her shelf as a gift from her father. But when I started writing, a switch turned on inside me, something I’d never felt before. So writing has helped me find a passion I never had before. Writing has taught me it’s never too late to branch out and try things, you may find something you never expected. It helped me finally figure out what I want to be when I grow up.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I have so many authors I love reading in so many genres. They say writers should really focus on their own genre to improve their writing, and that’s definitely important, but there’s just too many good books out there to limit yourself. I grew up on a steady diet of Stephen King and Peter Straub. I loved those authors because they put real chills down my spine, and still do. I’m also a big fan of a new generation of horror writers, Joe Hill, Paul Cornell, J. Lincoln Fenn, and Paul Tremblay. I also love writers of suspense and thrillers, especially Jo Nesbo, Dennis LeHane and Randy Wayne White because their plots are so tight and carefully constructed. I’ve recently discovered Melissa Lenhardt’s “Jack McBride” mystery series, which sort of borders on chick lit, and yet I really like it. You never know what will hit you.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I’m an Indie bookstore kind of guy, and I’m actually trying to set up distribution of my first novel to the ones I used to wander through on Cape Cod when I was a kid. I read recently that New York Indie bookstores are making a comeback, and this is quite encouraging.
That being said, I’m surprised when I hear authors spout venom at the BIGS (we don’t have to mention names). Being angry at the mainstream/corporate bookstore is like blaming Walmart for being successful. This is how we choose to consume our groceries (and literature) in 2018. It’s not their fault. And while I have a real concern that one specific online retailer (he who shall not be named) may completely take over the publishing industry, many of us authors would never been published, read, or allowed to pursue our passion—or make a living at it—without them.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
Horror and thriller fiction should be entertaining, number one. I want readers of my work to feel as if the time spent between the pages was a good investment. If they can escape from their world for a few hours, connect to my characters, and feel like they’ve made some friends they’re going to miss when they turn the final page, then I’ve done my job.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
I’ve read great legal thrillers from former lawyers, war novels from veterans, and sports stories from former athletes, but I don’t bring much to the table in that way. As a researcher at a university, I think my scientific eye helps in crafting a pretty tight story. With research, you are always juggling different variables and studying their influence on a particular outcome. A tight plot is dependent on understanding how one variable, a plot point or clue, affects other parts of the story. So, I think the way my brain is wired for research actually helps in my development of plot in my novels.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
I’ve written two books in the Caretakers series, A Taker of Morrows (released June 15, 2018) and A Taker of Souls (tentative release date: Fall 2018). In the first book, I knew exactly how it was going to begin and how it was going to end, but I had no idea how I was going to get there. In the second book, I knew the beginning and middle, but I had no idea how it was going to end. So, my motivation so far has been the same as any other reader, wondering what the hell was going to happen in the story!
I also believe that any book or story doesn’t truly exist until its completion, until the characters have gone from some starting point to a definitive ending. I can’t speak for other authors, but the characters I write are so important to me I feel an obligation to let them see the light of day, to let others experience them. It’s such an overwhelming feeling, I don’t think I could ever NOT finish a book once I’ve started.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
Actually, I rarely leave a book unfinished. I know that every writer has something that will intrigue me, challenge me, anger me or scare me somewhere along the way. If they’ve hooked me enough to buy the book, I’m going to commit to them. Books are like pizza…and I don’t think I’ve ever really had a bad slice of pizza.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
I am always amazed at other authors, how they phrase things in ways I never thought, how they evoke emotion by their creative assortment of words, and the amazing stories they tell. I think I learn something about writing from every book I read. But whenever I read something about how someone’s eyes “…looked daggers…” I start to squirm. Ha ha!
Where can people find you and your work?
My novel, A Taker of Morrows, is now available for pre-order on Amazon (release date: June 15, 2018): https://www.amazon.com/Taker-Morrows-Caretakers-Book-ebook/dp/B07DFRGW6V/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Check out my website and social media links:
Website: https://www.stephenpaulsayers.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephenpaulsayers
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/SayersAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17982176.Stephen_Paul_Sayers
Amazon: https://www.amazon/author/stephenpaulsayers
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Otto Schafer
Pseudonym: Otto Schafer
Genre(s) of your work: Contemporary Fantasy
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Title: The Secret Journal
Series: God Stones
Bio:
Otto Schafer grew up exploring the small historic town in central Illinois featured in his first work of fiction, The Secret Journal. If you visit Petersburg, Illinois you may find locations familiar from the book. You may even discover, as Otto did, that history has left behind cleverly hidden traces of magic, whispered secrets, and untold treasures.
Like many of you, Otto Schafer always wanted to write though, occupied with raising a family and building a successful career, he struggled to find the time. But the stories refused to rest, springing into his mind as he ran the forested trails of Illinois and invading his dreams at night, until finally he began writing them down.
Otto is currently working on the second book in the God Stones series. He and his loving wife reside in a quiet log cabin tucked away in the woods. You can often find him sitting out back by the koi pond, whittling words into stories for his readers.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
A fan of adventure, mystery, and fantasy I have always loved to read books that take me on an action-packed journey. For me, it’s the journey to what lay hidden in the cave, at the end of the rainbow, or buried under the old oak tree that is much more exciting than what is actually there. Somewhere along the way I realized I want to create journey’s for readers to get lost in. I want to build mysterious quest full of adventure – you know the ones. The ones you can’t put down. The ones that keep you turning page after page.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
So far, completing this first book and learning the process of publishing and marketing has opened up a whole new world to me. Where this goes and what I can make of it is unknown. I would love to answer this question five years from now.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Jules Verne and J.R.R. Tolkien for the hours and hours of classic adventure they provided. Glen Cook and his Black Company was the first fantasy series I ever read and he got me hooked. Stephen King for his ability to develop his characters and draw me into his world.
My all-time favorite may be Ray Bradbury. I default to Mr. Bradbury whenever I need inspiration and he never fails me.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I am grateful. Grateful for the ability to get my own book out there into the world. Amazon made that a lot easier for writers. That said, one of my favorite places to spend a rainy Saturday is sitting cross legged on the floor of a local bookstore reading blurb after blurb trying to find the next perfect read.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
So much! Everything from the locations to the people I write about. I certainly relied heavily on my knowledge of Petersburg, its history, and my own childhood for The Secret Journal. I put my whole heart in those pages, pulling on very real events and very real places from back in the day.
I am currently working on a side project about a serial killer in the Peoria area. I rely heavily on my knowledge of trail running and the areas local trails since I frequent them often and know them well. What is it they say? Write what you know. There is truth in that, but I also find it fun to write what I don’t know. I spent endless hours researching for this first book and loved it. It is fun when you get to pick the topics you study.
What motivates you to complete your (writing) work?
I think I have always been very self-driven. I go all in, whether it is completing a 100-mile ultra-marathon or writing a book. What drives that inner motivation is a mystery to me, but I feel it always there, tugging at me.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No, I don’t. We always have a choice not to read it. If it isn’t your thing find something else.
Where can people find you and your work?
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Otto-Schafer/e/B081ZK9MQ8
Website: https://ottoschafer.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ottoschaferauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ottoschaferwriter/
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Ralph Schiller
Name: Ralph Schiller
Pseudonym: Ralph Schiller
Genre(s) of your work: Film History
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Complete Films Of Broderick Crawford (2016)
Bio:
Ralph Schiller is a government employee who resides in Chicago’s Western suburbs. He is an author and Hollywood historian (past and present) who writes for several magazines including Film Fax, and for Cult Movies.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I grew up in Chicago, Illinois which had great channels like WGN-TV which presented thousands of classic movies to local viewers. I loved the old movies so much that began to read many books and articles on my favorite motion pictures and movie stars before writing Hollywood history myself.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Writing has given me respect, a sense of accomplishment, and a chance to put what used to be my hobby to work. Money wise, no change worth speaking of!
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I see so many films which are fictional, I often enjoy non-fiction beside just film history. This includes the ‘true crime’ genre. My favorite author was beyond a shadow of a doubt the late Ann Rule. Alas she will write no further books.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
They put the little booksellers out of business but now because of the internet the mainstream/corporate bookstores are the last of a dying breed.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
In my book, I hope the readers will be intrigued enough to seek out Broderick Crawford’s great body of film and TV work, and judge for themselves.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
I tracked down Mr. Crawford’s 95 films to review every single one of them and his many TV appearances. I also interviewed many of his co-stars and co-workers who contributed so much to the finished book. Sadly some of them have since passed so I reached them just in time.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
I admired a powerhouse and brilliant actor who reached the towering heights of fame in motion pictures and television with an Academy Award Oscar but is completely forgotten today.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No.
Where can people find you and your work?
Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, CP Books, Oldies.com and for an autographed direct mail copy:
Send $26.00 plus $6.00 for shipping and handling to
Ralph Schiller
PO BOX 273
Winfield, IL
60190
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Terry Shepherd
Your Name: Terry Shepherd
Genre(s) of your work: I write thrillers about awesome women detectives and mystery stories for kids.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Chasing Vega – 2020 (English, Spanish, Audiobook)
The Waterford Detectives (English, Spanish) – 2020
Juliette and the Mystery Bug – 2020/2021
Chasing the Captain – June, 2021
Students in Time – September, 2021
Bio:
Terry Shepherd wrote his first short story at age eleven and was first published as a non-fiction author in 2008. He created Detective Jessica Ramirez in 2019, publishing his thriller “Chasing Vega” in 2020. The book earned 5-Star ratings on Amazon and is also available in audio book and Spanish language editions. The second installment in the trilogy, “Chasing The Captain” was released this summer. When his grandchildren asked to star in their own stories, he created the “Waterford Detective” stories for his grandson and published the popular “Juliette and the Mystery Bug” series, co-authored with his wife, Colleen, when his granddaughter wondered how kids could protect themselves during a pandemic. His forthcoming books include “Students In Time,”(September, 2021) a time travel adventure that parallels the 4th grade public school history curriculum.
Terry is also a prolific book narrator and audio-artist, voicing 7 novels, along with dozens of commercials and promotional trailers. He hosts the popular Authors on the Air podcast, was a moderator and panelist at Bouchercon 2020 and is co-chair of the Sisters In Crime – Capitol Crimes Chapter’s 2021 Anthology project. He was an early social media adopter, authoring “Social Media and Your Personal Brand” in 2012.
He has written over 400 motivational essays since 2004, the best of which were aggregated into three popular self-help books.
Terry and Colleen live on the ocean in Jacksonville, Florida and are co-founders of “Down Syndrome Nation” a web resource for friends and families of persons with Down syndrome. Terry is a graduate of Michigan State University, has studied at both Harvard and Oxford and toured South America as a rock drummer in the summer of 1972.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I want to create stars that can inspire people of color and persons with special abilities to dream that they can be heroes, too. During my corporate life, my greatest joy came from seeing people reach beyond self-imposed limits and creating company cultures that reflected the customers we served. As an author, I have the privilege of creating worlds where protagonists can face incredible challenges with courage and tenacity, where good ultimately prevails and the stars of the dramas are transformed in the process.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
It’s opened doors to a whole new community of friends and colleagues who are part of the creative process. Writing is something you can take up in every season of your life and the process of learning The Craft is a never ending exploration.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Wow. There are so many. I grew up reading C.S. Lewis and translations of Homer’s great epics. Megan Abbott is one of my favorite fiction writers. Her prose approaches poetry. Lee Goldberg’s fast paced plots influence my own style. Among the new generation of great story tellers, I admire Shawn (S. A. Cosby), Shoshona (S. M. Friedman), Boyd Morrison, Owen Laukkanen, Kate Anslinger and Tori Eldridge. Each creates compelling characters and tosses them into deep waters without a life jacket. They bring different styles to the table pieces of their delectable story telling approaches have helped me become the writer I am.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
Full disclosure. I am also a narrator of audio books and read each chapter of my own works aloud as the final edit. A great narrator can bring depth and a rich new dimension to the printed word. I’m definitely biased, having been a broadcaster, voice-over artist and voice actor for over 50 years. But there’s something about the ability to take your story teller with you, whether it’s in your car or whispering in your ear as you drift off to sleep that is alluring.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
They definitely serve a purpose and can expose our work to a broad audience. I still love hanging out with the smaller booksellers and in the back stacks of used book shops. The unique personalities of each place and the dedication of the folks who work there adds to the charm of the reading experience.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
Hosting the Authors on the Air podcast with my partner, Pam Stack has been a mutually beneficial experience that has helped sell my own work and given me the privilege of promoting some really great writing talent. I have yet to get a return on my investments in ads on the major social platforms.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
The reader ultimately decides what sells. There are genres that I don’t personally enjoy, but personal taste is personal taste. In a free society, the exchange of ideas, even if they make us uncomfortable is crucial.
Where can people find you and your work?
I’m all over the traditional on-line outlets (https://www.amazon.com/Terry-Shepherd is my Amazon outpost) and am active at TerryShepherd.com, TerryShepherdWrites on Facebook, the.terry.shepherd on Instagram and TheTShepherd on Twitter. We have a Little Free Library initiative, where I provide my books for free and for families, teachers and kids who want to learn more about the hygiene habits we teach in Juliette and the Mystery Bug, visit Mystery-Bug.com
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Bryan G. Shewmaker
Name: Bryan G. Shewmaker
Pseudonym: Secrets don’t stay secrets if you share them.
Genre of work: Science Fiction / Space Opera
Titles / Year of Published Works
The first work published under my own name was published this year, titled “Providence Ends”; the first installment of my “Solar Winds” series.
Why do you write in the genre you do?
Before I can really answer that, I really have to define the genres as I treat them. Space Opera and Science Fiction are all too often equated to being the same thing. Not uncommonly with the former being used as a derisive term as the latter, though it is less common these days.
I would consider science fiction to be “A story where the reader is shown how man’s capacity to invent and develop technology has resulted in a change of the human condition, as well as the implications of those changes.”
I would consider space opera to be “A story where technology has advanced, but the human condition has not changed and the implications thereof.”
When I have discussed this in the past I have often used the two most well-known examples as proof of concept. Star Trek is widely considered science fiction, and perhaps the apex of its genre. In Star Trek we see a society where inventions such as replicators have solved issues of poverty, hunger, and more. Star Trek then extrapolates that this kind of development allows the human race to explore a new type of existence where our daily motivations are not predicated upon meeting our instinctive needs to hoard resources and power. Instead the human motivation becomes one of exploration and self-betterment. While I don’t agree with Star Trek’s premise that such technologies would bring about the change the show often depicts for us, it is an excellent example of the principle of science fiction.
Star Wars by contrast is a space opera, and I’ve known a few of its die-hard fans who become annoyed that Star Trek is considered science fiction while their favored franchise is dismissed as “science fantasy”. Especially when by some accounts Star Trek is even more unrealistic than ‘Wars. (Utopian societies and all.) But it is an accurate description to say that Star Wars is not science fiction. Star Wars depicts a civilization with technology far more advanced than our own in most respects, but the human race remains unchanged. There are still rich and poor, strong and weak, privileged and oppressed. All of the social ills we as real people face, are faced by the characters. Thus Star Wars is not a work of Science Fiction, but of Space Opera.
Now that I’ve completed my tangent. Why do I write the genres I do? For one they are my favorite genres so it is only natural that my interest gravitate to them. But more than this. Think of how many times science fiction / space opera have predicted our future. Rockets that can take us to the moon, ships that can sail under the water rather than over it. Atomic weapons that can make war such a costly effort that no one who has them dares to fight each other. Personal computers, cell-phones, railguns, lasers, AI, and more. If you look for them, you will see all the hallmarks of our modern day’s great technology was foreshadowed by fiction.
The Epic of Gilgamesh, was written in 2,100 BC. Mankind has been writing fiction for thousands of years. There are only so many ways to tell a story, only so many plots and twists to be had. Every story has already been written. What truly sets one story apart from another is the characters in the story, and the setting of that story. Space opera allows you to create a new setting, one that is different from our own. But one where the people are…people. Space opera creates a setting that real life might one day resemble. Science fiction allows you one of the few opportunities to create truly new stories, as technology changes our way of life and opens the door to plots that may have never occurred to those who came before.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Honestly, the biggest thing it has done is ruin a lot of fiction for me. I’ve studied story-structure, character archetypes, and plot development to the point that unless I completely shut my brain off, I’ll have most any book / movie / game story figured out within a few minutes. Annoys my friends sometimes, when 5 minutes in I can tell who is going to die, who is going to be the hero, who is going to betray someone else, etc. (Don’t worry, I’m polite enough that I usually keep it to myself…unless I want to annoy them) I’ve sometimes been accused of having inside knowledge, or lying about whether or not I’ve seen or read something. Its very hard now for a story to surprise me in any meaningful way, though I do (usually) appreciate it when the writer pulls it off.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Its very hard for me to pick, I’ve read a lot of things by a lot of authors. The only way I can give a reasonably brief answer to this, is to choose some for whom I went out of my way to read more of their work after doing so the first time.
Stephen Coonts – He has a unique gift to explain technical things, in detail, without boring the reader nor significantly digressing from the progression of his plot. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered an author who can explain a real or fictional technology, how it works, and why it was made quite as well as Mr. Coonts.
Timothy Zahn – To be honest its been a long time since I’ve read one of his books, but I never read one of his books that I didn’t finish. There are a lot of authors for whom I can’t say that.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I’m afraid I can’t really say that I have an opinion.
What do you hope readers will take away from your work?
First I hope it entertained them. That is after all the purpose of fiction. We all have problems we deal with in our lives. Who died recently? Which creditor isn’t getting paid on time this month? Who is getting the pink-slip next? What trouble are the kids going to get into? The list goes on for miles. Fiction is one of the few ways we have to leave the burdens of the world behind for awhile. I take the purpose of fiction and its creation quite seriously. So naturally my first concern is that my work does its job.
Second, I hope it leads them to wonder “what-if”. Nothing has done more for humanity than attempts to answer that question. If what I have written leads someone to ask “Is that possible?” “Could that be done?” “Should that be allowed to happen?” Or any of these questions, that would be a nice bonus.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Personally, I don’t like it when people try to conjecture about an author’s views, or state of mind from reading their work. But it would be effectively impossible for a human being to write a book without their personal experience playing some part in the final product.
As to me, it plays a significant role. I place characterization above everything else in the creation of my story. I try to present the characters as real people. People with real goals, real ambitions, and even their own opinions that other people (such as readers) might not agree with.
I’ve done a lot of things, had a lot of different jobs, and met a lot of different personalities. I have been a martial artist, a firearms instructor, a professional wrestler (minor leagues), a telemarketer, a tech-support agent, a dishwasher, a sous chef, an IT-Agent, a hunter, and a few other things. I’ve met people from across all the spectra of religion, politics, creed, social class, and most other means we might wish to distinguish one group of people from another. When I try to create a character, I consider step-1 to be the separation of the character from the creator. By thinking back on those many personalities I have encountered, that first step becomes a lot easier. A character deserves to be their own person, not a mere avatar of the author. Like a child they may share some traits with their parent, but they remain their own unique being. Besides, if the author was that interesting, people would be reading a biography rather than a work of fiction.
Of course it does apply in other ways. My experience as a firearms instructor tells me what kinds of malfunctions a gun is most likely to have, what causes them, and how to fix the problem. My experience in tech support / IT has taught me that there are a lot of people who think they can lie to an expert about having knowledge in the expert’s field. My time as a professional wrestler taught me that some things can’t be faked, and sometimes you simply have to endure the pain to make things go-off correctly. My time as a martial artist taught me that people who say things like; “Size doesn’t matter” have never been in a fight with people significantly bigger / stronger than them.
I try to draw on all of these experiences when I write.
How do you find the motivation to complete a story?
I would rather have a book that no one likes, than to have a story that I never finish. Too much work goes into making a book to never finish it.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
There’s a lot of things that can do it. For my preferred genres, here are a few.
1) An idiotic plot. How do I define that? Simple. If the story could be resolved by either the protagonist or antagonist taking the single most logical option open to them, its the start of an idiot plot. If there is no good reason they cannot pursue this most logical option and yet they don’t, its an idiotic plot.
2) If the author has invented a fictional technology but has clearly not made the effort to think through the implications, I have a hard time staying engaged.
3) If the author insists on jumping on the sci-fi bandwagon that depicts futuristic society as a social justice utopia, I tune-out. Such settings are not only more unrealistic than space aliens and FTL-travel, they are in my view, boring.
4) If the author uses scientific terms but clearly does not understand the terms he/she is using. I can only let so many of these go before the narrative/author loses too much credibility for me to continue.
5) If it becomes painfully clear that the story’s inner paradigm of good/evil, right/wrong etc is predicated solely upon the author’s political views. (Hint, I don’t care.)
6) One of the biggest, if a character is stated to be an expert in a particular field but the author has made no effort at all to educate themselves on the relevant subject matter. I’ll use firearms as an example. If the author’s character is a sniper, but doesn’t know the difference between bore, gauge, and caliber. Doesn’t follow basic firearms safety, doesn’t know enough to position himself on the hillside rather than directly on top of the hill, doesn’t know how to clear a jam etc. I don’t need textbook accuracy, but I can’t take the expert character or his story seriously when its painfully obvious that he or she is in fact no expert.
There are more, but I’ll stop…for now.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No, and I think people who try to censor literature should be hanged. (Yes hanged. I don’t know if she was right, but my English teacher taught me that pictures are hung, and people are hanged so that’s how I’m saying it.)
As a general rule, stupid people don’t read. Smart people are perfectly capable of making their own judgements.
Any pet peeves in writing while reading others work?
This kind of overlaps with the one about what makes me quit reading, but I’ll go over (and expand) on a few. Let’s see if I can do it without going on any tirades.
1) When its clear that the author is simply using their fiction as a vehicle for their political views. I don’t care about your politics. If you think I should care, I’ll ask this. What have you done with your life that is so great, so praise-worthy, and so beneficial shaped the lives of others, that I should care what you think? For 99% of people, and just as many authors, the answer is nothing. Precious few people who have ever lived can answer this question in the affirmative. That’s why we build statues of them, name things after them, and tell our children to emulate them.
You’re a writer, your job is to entertain me, not to push your politics on me. And no, having political views similar to mine does not excuse you. As far as I’m concerned, if your story can’t exist without your politics, you don’t have a story. (Sadly I’ve had to apply this to some of my favorite authors.)
2) I touched on this already, but authors using terms they don’t know. Mass is not the same thing as weight, energy is not the same thing as power, there is no such thing as “pure energy”. I don’t expect an author to have a physics degree. But trying to follow characters who don’t know these things (and clearly should) is like trying to watch a game of football between two teams that don’t know the rules. It might be funny at first, but humor only lasts so long and only gets you so far.
3) A lot of things involving firearms, weaponry, and the military. It would take me an entire book to list them all, but I’ll give one example. Why is it, in so much sci-fi/space opera, we see armies that have abilities that would make the real military powers of the world green with envy. Yet these same forces employ the tactics of redcoats about to go muzzle-to-muzzle with militiamen? I know why, military tactics are a science unto themselves and it would take a writer a lot of time to familiarize themselves with it to the degree that they can be both plausible and dramatic. I know I should excuse it, but I can’t. It annoys me every time I see it.
4) 100-pound beauty queens who can beat up grown men twice their size (and often trained fighters at that.) This one I consider a plague that has infested every facet of fiction. I see it in books, in movies, on TV, and in video games. I’ve met and worked with real women who were cops, soldiers, martial artists, and body-builders. Not one of them was a beauty queen. (Not limited to physical things either, I’ve met real female scientists, none of them would have passed for a bikini model.) Yes I know this is fantasy, but suspension of disbelief is relative and it has limits.
And maybe its just me, but when women asked for “strong female characters”; I don’t think supermodel/killing machine/nuclear physicist was what they meant. I’m pretty sure they meant female characters who had their own goals, beliefs, values, opinions, and ambitions, and dare I say own character arcs. Rather than simply being extensions of the male protagonist.
But maybe I’m wrong.
5) “Hero Classic”. You know him. He’s kind, he’s chivalrous, he’s charitable, he believes the strong must protect the weak. He never gives up. (Not because he’s too prideful mind you, but rather because too many people are depending on him.) If he isn’t smart he has a good heart, and if he has a flaw its that he takes his virtues too far. He will always do the “right” thing rather than the convenient or practical thing,
Many a protagonist falls into this mold, but I still hate it when I see it. He better be surrounded by some compelling side-characters, or I likely won’t be finishing. I hate this guy as much as I hate the superwoman above. I find nothing interesting about them.
Where can people find you and your work?
If anyone is interested in speaking with me, they can connect with me via my series’ facebook page.
www.Facebook.com/SolarWindsSeries
I can also be reached via Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16844044.Bryan_Shewmaker
I have a website, but it is still under construction at this time. When completed you will be able to visit…
www.TheEncephalon.com
My work can be found at these links…
https://www.amazon.com/Providence-Ends-Solar-Winds-Book-ebook/dp/B071YJ8S88/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=14xv4931275&sr=8-1&keywords=providence+ends
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/providence-ends-bryan-g-shewmaker/1126427414?ean=9780998960609
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Danielle E. Shipley
Name: Danielle E. Shipley
Genre(s) of your work: Mostly YA Fantasy that puts a new spin on old fairytales and folklore.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Wilderhark Tales novellas – “Tales of magic. Tales of adventure. Most of all, tales of true love.”
1 – The Swan Prince (2013)
2 – The Stone Kingdom (2013)
3 – The Seven Spell (2014)
4 – The Song Caster (2014)
5 – The Sun’s Rival (2014)
6 – The Surrogate Sea (2015)
6.5 – The Sky-Child and Other Stories (2015)
7 – The Story’s End (2015)
The Outlaws of Avalon trilogy+ – “Welcome to Avalon, a Renaissance Faire where heroes of legend never die…”
1 – The Ballad of Allyn-a-Dale (2016)
1.5 – An Avalon Christmas Carol (2016)
2 – The Marriage of Allyn-a-Dale (2017)
2.5 – Truly Great Words Never Die (2017)
3 – The Legend of Allyn-a-Dale (coming October 2017)
Inspired – “For a muse like Lucianíel, one story’s end is another’s beginning…” (2014; currently out-of-print, but relaunching – with a sequel! – in 2018)
Plus a number of short stories in various anthologies, for readers who haven’t tired of all my words yet. ;D
Bio:
Danielle E. Shipley is the author of the Wilderhark Tales novellas, the novel Inspired, and several other expressions of wishful thinking. She has spent most of her life in the Chicago area and increasing amounts of time in Germany. She hopes to ultimately retire to a private immortal forest. But first, there are stories to make.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
Well, as my old author bio put it: “Danielle E. Shipley’s first novelettes told the everyday misadventures of wacky kids like herself. …Or so she thought. Unbeknownst to them all, half of her characters were actually closeted elves, dwarves, fairies, or some combination thereof.
When it all came to light, Danielle did the sensible thing: Packed up and moved to Fantasy Land, where daily rent is the low, low price of her heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears, firstborn child, sanity, and words; lots of them.” I haven’t figured out how to restrict my imagination to worlds without magical shenanigans, so I just embraced it. XD
How has writing changed/altered your life?
It’s given me my best friends! One of whom is a fellow writer I met during my first National Novel Writing Month, most of the rest of whom are – *cough* – technically imaginary. But seriously, without the BFF outside my head and the character pals inside of it, there are SO many adventures – real and fictional – that I may never have experienced. So for that, as well as their endless encouragement during my authorial highs and lows, I am most grateful.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
My latest fave is Maggie Stiefvater. From her “Scorpio Races”, to the Raven Cycle series, to her posts on Tumblr, I just deeply enjoy the way she uses words. I also have to give props to Brandon Sanderson for his mind-blowing world-building, and to the aforementioned BFF, Tirzah Duncan, who’s barely published anything yet, but I get to read her works in progress, so I know what good stuff the world has to look forward to.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
If it’s a place with books in it, I’ll generally approve. I love browsing bookshelves and fantasizing about all the titles I’d buy if my writing career was making me independently wealthy. I can get bummed thinking about how my self-published works will probably never have a place there, but that’s part of the price to be paid for total artistic control. One can’t have it all.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
Entertainment. Maybe a bit of sweet heartache. And if they can see and appreciate my characters as real, free-thinking, incredible people who just happen to live on a different plane of reality, I’ve done my job.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
It varies. Some stories have next-to-nothing to do with me. Then you’ve got “Inspired”, which may be the closest I’ll ever come to writing an autobiography. Most often, it’s somewhere in between. I draw from things I’ve seen, done, and felt, as needed. The rest is straight out of imagination.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
I remember that if I die before the story’s done, no one else will write it. So honestly, as often as not, books are my motivation to not complete my life too soon.
Where can people find you and your work?
Website = http://deshipley.weebly.com/
Blog = http://everonword.wordpress.com/
Twitter = https://twitter.com/DEShipley
Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/Danielle.E.Shipley.Author
Tumblr = http://outlawsofavalon.tumblr.com/
Amazon = https://www.amazon.com/Danielle-E.-Shipley/e/B00HG4A0N0/
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Sylvia Shults
Name: Sylvia Shults
Pseudonym: J. K. Rowling. (Nope, just kidding about that one.)
Genre(s) of your work: I started out writing fiction (horror and romance), but now I work in paranormal nonfiction – true ghost stories, which I’ve adored ever since I was a kid.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
My fiction works include: Timeless Embrace (four romance novellas), The Taming of the Werewolf (supernatural romance/Shakespeare mashup), The Dark at the Heart of The Diamond (horror short stories), The Dreamwatcher (horror novel), and Borrowed Flesh (horror novel). These are all available from Crossroad Press.
Nonfiction:
Ghosts of the Illinois River (2010)
Fractured Spirits: Hauntings at the Peoria State Hospital (2013)
Hunting Demons: A True Story of the Dark Side of the Supernatural (2015)
44 Years in Darkness: A Story of Madness, Tragedy, and Shattered Love (2016)
Spirits of Christmas (2017)
Bio:
Sylvia Shults has spent the past twenty years working in a library, slowly smuggling words out in her pockets day by day to build a book of her own. She sits in dark, spooky, haunted places so you don’t have to. She lives a short, ten-minute motorcycle ride away from the haunted asylum that features in so many of her books. She considers it the highest privilege to share the incredible, compassionate history of the Peoria State Hospital.
After battling an intense, lifelong fear of the dark, Sylvia decided to become a ghost hunter. (What WAS she thinking?) As a paranormal investigator, she has made many media appearances, including a tiny part in the Ghost Hunters episode “Prescription for Fear”, about the Peoria State Hospital.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I am absolutely fascinated by true ghost stories. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, which meant that I grew up listening to my father tell tales of Resurrection Mary and the ghostly monks of Saint James-the-Sag and the screaming mummy of the Field Museum. I’ve always been entranced with history, too, the idea that people who lived in times gone by were much like we are today. I firmly believe that you can’t really appreciate the ghost stories of a place without knowing the history too, because that’s the reason there are ghost stories to tell in the first place – people lived these stories, which then became fodder for tales.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Through my writing, I’ve gotten to know so many fascinating people, fellow paranormal investigators and fellow writers, some of whom have been heroes that I’ve admired in book form from afar for years. And now I get to brush elbows with them and consider them friends. It’s awesome!
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Horror writers are always at the top of the list. I LOVE the work of Jay Bonansinga, who writes the Walking Dead novels. Jay and I have been friends for nearly twenty years, and he has always been so encouraging – I do consider him one of my mentors, as he’s taught me so much. I was so thrilled for him when he was tapped to do the Walking Dead novels. A big break like that couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. I’ve adored Tamara Thorne’s work since I was in college, and I finally plucked up the courage to ask her to be on my podcast. She’s just as nice in life as she is nasty on the page, and that’s saying something.
Hmm, let’s see … Andrea Jones writes literary fantasy (the Hook and Jill saga). I don’t usually read literary stuff – I usually go for the genre books – but her writing is just so lush and powerful that it’s a pure joy to read. Stephen Lancaster writes paranormal nonfiction, and he scared the paste out of me with one of the stories in his book Dark Spirits. He’s got a new book coming out next April, about a haunted doll. You better believe I’m all over that one! Holly Nadler also writes true ghost stories, and her writing is just gorgeous. I’m going to have both Holly and Stephen on Lights Out soon.
Troy Taylor is just amazing at true ghost stories – he puts a LOT of history into his books, which of course I find fascinating. Ursula Bielski is a wealth of knowledge about the paranormal, especially about Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery, up by Chicago. And I really dig S. M. Stirling’s writing (the Change series). He is SO good at battle scenes. Simon Green is good too – I follow his Eddie Drood series and his Ghost Hunters series. I could go on and on …
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I believe that anything that gets people reading is a good thing. There’s room on this big beautiful earth for indie bookstores, corporate bookstores, and of course libraries. There’s room for ebooks as well as print books. Anything – anything – that gets people reading is a good thing. (Yes, I know I’ve repeated myself. But it’s important, and it’s something I feel strongly about. Reading is the sharing of information as well as entertainment, and nothing’s more important than that.)
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
Quite honestly, it depends on the book! A lot of my work centers around the Peoria State Hospital in Bartonville, Illinois, which is regularly listed on the top ten most haunted places in Illinois. Now, when you say “haunted mental asylum”, your mind goes all American Horror Story on you, and you might assume it was a place of pain and fear and abuse. It is my privilege and my joy to tell people this was not the case with the Peoria State Hospital. This was a place of caring and compassion, where the patients were treated like family members. My aim in writing about this place, and about the people who lived there, is to share the idea that mental illness is not something to be feared. The people who suffer from this shouldn’t be feared, but treated with compassion.
Same goes, I guess, for ghosts! I like to say “ghosts are people too”. It sounds flippant, but it couldn’t be more true. What we call ghosts, and search for in dark houses or spooky abandoned places or creepy cemeteries, are simply the spirits of people who have gone on before us. Yes, they’re dead, and death is scary because it’s the great unknown. But most of the ghosts I’ve met are just that – people. People who have the same personality quirks as anybody you’d meet on the street. (It’s just a LOT harder to have a conversation with them, because, you know, you can’t see or hear them most of the time.)
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Oh my goodness, a TON! I think a lot of people want to go out on paranormal investigations, but they don’t know how to find a group. The next best thing is to read a book by someone who has done that, and who can recapture that experience for the reader. That’s also why I do my true ghost story podcast, Lights Out. That really takes the listener along on investigations, and I’m so fortunate to be able to share that.
I feel that any time an author can put some of herself into her work, it just makes the book that much more relatable for the reader. We read to connect, and to share our passions.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
Well, deadlines help! My last two books were written under deadline – I wanted 44 Years in Darkness to be released October 10, 2016, as that is Rhoda Derry’s birthday (and October 9, 2016 was the 110th anniversary of her death). And of course I wanted Spirits of Christmas to come out in early November, to take advantage of the shopping season.
Other than that, I find motivation every day that I work at the library. I’m very lucky in that I have library patrons that know that I’m a working writer, and they’re very good about asking me, “So, how’s the new book coming along, and what’s it about?” I’m polite enough that I feel that I have to have an answer for them!
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
I read voraciously and omnivorously. I’d rather read than do anything else. But life’s too short to read books you’re not interested in. I have zero compunction about abandoning a book if I’m bored with it.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
There’s a habit some writers have, of not putting quotation marks around their dialogue – either leaving them out entirely, or just putting a dash when a character is talking. That bugs the crap out of me, as I find it difficult to follow the dialogue. Plus I’m hyper-sensitive to POV – if it changes in the middle of a scene, without a scene break, I tend to assume the writer is either lazy or doesn’t know what they’re doing.
And I must confess that I’m completely baffled by the entire concept of “cozy mysteries”.
Where can people find you and your work?
I’m at www.sylviashults.wordpress.com, and I’ve got several Facebook pages too: pages for Ghosts of the Illinois River and for Fractured Spirits. But WordPress is where most of the good stuff is, including links to my true ghost story podcast, Lights Out. (You can find that on YouTube and on iHeart Radio, too. But links are on the WordPress site and at http://www.sylviashults.com.)
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Kenny Sills
Your Name: Kenny Sills
Genre(s) of your work: Horror/Thriller/Suspense
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Tattoo: A Beautiful Sin (2011)
Tattoo: The Soul Reaper (2021)
Bio:
Kenny Sills, award-winning author, attended Southeast Missouri State University from 1988 – 1994 where he studied creative writing, philosophy, theology, martial arts, and music. Life is an adventure and Kenny has spent his, traveling and exploring the world, both alone, and with his wife, Syndi. They now call the St. Louis area, home.
When he’s not writing, he works with people with special needs. Kenny, or “Sifu” to his students, is also a 5th degree Black Belt and owns Ohana Martial Arts in St. Charles, Missouri where he teaches classes for typically developing people as well as people with special needs.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I grew up in the 80’s, watching the great (and not so great) horror films, Freddy, Jason, Michael, Chucky, etc. I always reveled in the excitement of being scared but safe in the theater or in my living room, watching them again on VHS. That feeling stuck with me throughout my life and “bled” into my writing style.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Writing has opened up my mind and imagination and helped me realize more of what’s going on around me. Also, it’s opened up a world of travel and meeting tons of interesting people at all of the book signings I do.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Brian K. Morris is an amazing author and a more amazing person!
I also enjoy the writings of Dan Millman and reading about all of his mystical adventures.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
I think audiobooks have their place for a certain type of person. However, I know that there are traditionalists who love the feel of the book in the hand and the turning of the pages. I’m sure that’ll never change.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I’ve never really thought about them in a positive or negative way. They’re an avenue to connect readers with authors, so I guess they’re alright in my book! 😉
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
Facebook! So many ways to get your word out to the world on Facebook.
I’ve also tried ebay, craigslist, etc. No traction there, for me anyway.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
Although I’m a horror writer, I can’t get myself to write about rape. I can’t say it should be censored in other people’s work, but I can’t do it myself.
What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?
Again, I grew up in the 80’s. We didn’t have “Trigger Warnings.” If something upset us, we dealt with it, which helped us learn to deal with other hardships and things that bothered us in life. I think we’re doing a disservice to the younger generation who want’s to be shielded from reality, and the negativity that it can bring from time to time.
Where can people find you and your work?
You can email me for a personalized and/or autographed copy at tattooauthor@gmail.com
You can also order a copy online:
Tattoo: A Beautiful Sin
Tattoo: The Soul Reaper
https://www.facebook.com/kenny.sills.1
https://www.facebook.com/TattooABeautifulSin
https://www.facebook.com/KennySillsTattoo
https://tattooauthor.wixsite.com/tattoo
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C.G. Sins
Name: C.G. Sins
Genre(s) of your work: Fantasy Fiction
Published Works:
The Vampire Lilitu: Rebirth (2016)
Bio:
I am a 30 year old fantasy author born and raised in Chicago, IL. I am of Honduran and Puerto Rican descent and I’m certified in various genres of fiction writing. I am an autism advocate, and make bath products in my spare time!
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
Fantasy fiction was always my favorite genre, most of the books in my library are young adult fiction. I also have a love for dark and spooky things!
How has writing changed/altered your life?
When I published my first book it was an amazing feeling. I worked years on perfecting the story and there are many other stories I want to release within that story’s universe (someday). A lot of family and friends supported my journey along the way and it was great to reach my goal and show everyone that I was serious about my work.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Holly Black is my absolute favorite author! I read many others that write young adult fantasy but I think I’ve read almost all of her books and actually keep an eye out for new releases. Her work is dark, twisted, and full of mythical creatures and I don’t think I’ve read a novel by her that I haven’t liked.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, a passing fad, or somewhere in between?
I think audiobooks are more just a preference. Now that I have my audible account I prefer getting books in audio. If I absolutely love the book after hearing it I’ll buy the hardcover for my library. Sometimes I listen and read along with a hard copy or ebook, sometimes I listen while I get things done at home. I have two kids and it’s harder for me to focus on reading silently, with audiobooks I can listen while I wash dishes or even while taking a shower!
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I don’t really have an opinion on corporate bookstores. I worked at one for awhile and it was really the only customer service job I enjoyed. I tend to shop at both small business and mainstream bookstores. I will say as an author the smaller bookstores are better for promoting and asking to do book signings. I asked bigger stores and they wouldn’t let me since I self published my book.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Not too much. Maybe if I was writing more realistic fiction it would be, but I don’t base any of my characters or events on my life.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I think it depends on how the topic is handled. If it’s in a respectful way and brings awareness to something important then it deserves to exist. If it’s just for shock value or to be offensive for the sake of being offensive there’s no point.
Where can people find you and your work?
I am very active on Instagram and Facebook and I self published my book with Amazon kindle direct publishing. It’s listed if you go to amazon.com and it’s available in paperback and kindle format.
https://www.amazon.com/Rebirth-Vol-Vampire-Lilitu-Trilogy
@cg_sins (instagram)
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008976014841
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Jerrod S. Smelker
Name: Jerrod S. Smelker
Genre(s) of your work: Fiction (horror, general), Non-Fiction (crime prevention and personal safety)
Titles/Year of Published Work(s): Self-Published via my company Last Leaf Publishing
Includes short stories:
Lies in the Attic, Casey and Amusing Anecdotes from Bootcamp
Books (ebook and paperback):
Wicked Harvest: Michigan Monsters and Macabre (book one) – Published 2018
Vigilant In Today’s World: Volume 1 – Published 2018
Amusing Anecdotes from Bootcamp – Published 2019
Bio:
Jerrod S. Smelker grew up in Ionia Michigan, a quaint small town smack dab in the middle of Michigan between Grand Rapids and the state capital of Lansing. He enjoys reading, writing, fine cigars and pipes, craft beers, coffee, Michigan road trips, the Fall season and the greatest holiday of Halloween. He is a freelance writer, author and blogger who has published several magazine articles, short stories and books. He is always working on several other short stories and book projects to publish. He is the owner, operator and blog writer for Last Leaf Publishing, Wicked Harvest and JerrodSmelker.com. He currently lives in Grand Blanc Michigan with his wife, kids and cats. He can be reached at jsmelker@hotmail.com.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
For this question and others, I’ll stick with fiction and my latest book series about spooky stories.
Fiction I think lets you do whatever you want to do. My imagination lets me run wild and do all kinds of crazy things I would never do in real life…or are not allowed to do. I can create characters in my mind completely made up, or take a person from real life and alter their personality, looks, and actions.
I have found within the last few years that I really enjoy writing spooky stories. I guess most would title it as horror, but I prefer spooky. I don’t write about really gory things, it’s more like scary stories people tell around a campfire. Halloween is my favorite holiday and fall is my favorite season, so many of my stories revolve around those two things.
I do have plans to write a few non-fiction books about real-life ghost stories and legends in the near future.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I’ve enjoyed writing since I was young. I took all of the creative writing courses I could in high school and college, however, I never thought I would get as far as I have. I don’t sell millions of books and I’m not on the New York Best Seller list, but I have published a few books and stories and that makes me happy.
It’s altered my life because now writing has become a daily aspect. Whether I’m sitting at the computer writing or jotting down ideas in a journal; writing is now a constant in my life. I made the decision last year on what my priorities are and along with family and work (cuz I still have to have a day job) writing has become a top priority.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I honestly don’t really have specific authors that I would say are my favorite. I would say I have favorite stories or certain books I enjoy. I love classic stories like The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, a few Poe and King stories, and newer stories and books like This is Halloween by James A. Moore.
I’ve been reading a lot of Halloween and spooky books and stories lately (because that’s what I’m currently writing), so I tend to lean towards those authors at the moment.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
Boy this is a loaded question. I’m torn…part of me says any way people can get their hands on books is a great thing, so whatever works. I’ve shopped at large corporate bookstores and have enjoyed my time there. Now, the other part of me would rather have the small town mom and pop bookstores. I understand both and I know there is a time and a place for both. It’s a Catch 22. I feel the same when it comes to most retail businesses…the local hardware vs the big box, chain restaurants vs home cooked diners, etc. It’s the way of the world today whether we like it or not.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Sometimes, I guess it depends on what I’m writing about. Some of the spooky stories I write about have some personal experiences within them. Most of my stories and books also contain personal things like names of friends and family for characters, dates correlate with actual dates like birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Just fun things for me to toss in. Most people don’t even realize it.
I am working on a book currently called “Nina” and the main character is basically based on me…but a bit more handsome. HA! He looks like me, he’s a writer, he’s from a small town, he loves his flannel shirts and his coffee. This story was one of the first serious stories I started working on about 15 years ago. I really hope to finish it and publish it within the next few years.
What motivates you to complete your (writing) work?
There are a few things…
This may sound funny, but I want to finish one story or book to move on to the next one. I don’t feel or say that to just write a bunch of trash to get it out. I say it because I have so many thoughts and ideas when it comes to stories and books that I just want to get them all out. I boggle my own mind and think, “Let’s finish this one and then start the next one, and then the next and so on.” My brain never seems to take a break, especially when it comes to story ideas.
I want to complete my work because I want to read it. I remember seeing a sign (and no idea who originally wrote this) that said “Write the book that you want to read” or something similar. A friend of mine said he reads all of these books and stories out there, but he didn’t like the ending or certain aspects, etc. So I told him the quote and you could tell a light bulb lit up over his head. His eyes got wide and said “Oh yeah!” So if the story that I really want to read isn’t out there…I guess it’s up to me to write it and get it out.
Now this one…may seem a little egotistical. I want to see my name on a book cover. I want to see my name on a book list. I want my name out there. I want to build a legacy. I don’t think there’s an author out there who doesn’t do a little dance or even pop the cork on a bottle when they first see their name and book on a bookstore shelf or ready to purchase on Amazon. It’s very exciting to write it, finish it and see it out in the world.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I don’t think censorship is the right thing to do especially when it comes to writing. I think people should know what a book contains and then decide for themselves whether they should read it or not.
Where can people find you and your work?
Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/Jerrod-S-Smelker/e/B07CQWSDXD?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1563713495&sr=8-2
Websites and Blogs
www.jerrodsmelker.com
Blog – The Smelker Files – https://smelkerfiles.blogspot.com/
www.wickedharvestbooks.com
Blog – Wicked Harvest – https://spookystoriesmi.blogspot.com/
www.lastleafpublishing.com
Wicked Harvest Books
Jerrod S. Smelker
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Brian J. Smith
Name: Brian J. Smith
Genre(s) of your work: Horror and mystery fiction; crime/noir
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
“Dark Avenues” (novella) published an e-book on Amazon Kindle (July 2012)
“The Tuckers” published as an e-book on Amazon (December 2014)
“Three O’Clock” reprinted as an e-book on Amazon (March 2018)
“Dark Avenues” (collection) published by Amazon on December 3rd, 2019.
Bio:
Brian J. Smith has been featured in numerous anthologies, e-zines and magazines in both the mystery and horror genres. His novellas Dark Avenues (the novella featured in the short story collection of the same name) The Tuckers, and Three O’ Clock are still available on Amazon for Kindle. He lives in southeastern Ohio with his brother the author J.R. Smith and four dogs where he eats more than enough spicy food that no human being should ever consume, already has too many books and buys more and doesn’t drink enough coffee to suite his palate.
His book, Dark Avenues, is available on Amazon for Kindle and paperback this December.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I was born in 1980 when horror movies were starting to peak. I grew up with Freddy, Jason and slasher movies like Pieces, Slumber Party Massacre and the like but I never watched those because my personal favorites were the Bugs-Gone-Bad movies. My favorites were Kingdom Of The Spiders, Slugs, Island Claws, Alligator, Frogs and Tentacles. The writing part came in a little later when I was thirteen and I was one of those kids who never fit in with the popular kids; I was the (to quote the actress Jordana Brewster from the movie “The Faculty) “the geeky Stephen King kid”.
If I were meant to write anything, it had to be horror.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
It’s taught how to look at the world in a different way. I’ve had a rocky childhood and being a writer has made me how to channel the after effects of that and apply it to my writing so it doesn’t eat me up inside.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Stephen King, of course. Dean Koontz, Jack Ketchum, Brian Keene, Bentley Little, Richard Laymon, Robert McCammon and H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft has influenced a lot of good writers nowadays including myself. The list of writers I’ve mentioned have made a profound impact on my writing and opened my eyes to a whole new world of horror.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
In between. I prefer physical copies over electronic but I have a Kindle app on my I-Phone in case I’m somewhere and I’m bored to death I have something to do.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I have no problem with them. I think they should offer more resources to their customers but that’s just my opinion.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
A lot. I wrote a crime-noir novel where the main character suffered from PTSD because he caught his father slamming his mother’s face into their bedroom closet door. I suffer from PTSD because of the same thing and when I incorporated that into my book it gave me the chance to lift that anger and frustration off of my chest.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No. Writing should be what it is set out to do. Entertain the masses and piss everyone else off.
Where can people find you and your work?
I’m on Facebook under Brian J. Smith, Instagram under singleandhappywriter9, Twitter under brianjoseph913 and on my Amazon author page under amazon.com/author/brianjsmith
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Christopher Smith
Name: Christopher Smith
Genre(s) of your work: fiction and poetry
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Is Choosing a Goat Like Choosing a Dog? 2018
Bio:
Christopher is a writer of poetry and fiction. He’s a graduate of DePaul University with a Master of Writing and Publishing and a graduate of Baker University with a Bachelor of Art in English.
He’s been published in Eclectica Magazine http://www.eclectica.org/v22n1/poetry_list.html and is currently trying to find an agent for his YA novel about a high school freshman in Kansas who struggles with staying in the closet or coming out.
He loves reading YA, Star Trek comics and Joan Didion.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I wanted to explore my childhood and poetry felt less intimidating than a novel.
On the other side of it, I love how much we get to know characters in novels and like being able to explore larger issues in fiction.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I very much believe in the power of sharing our stories and journaling to understand ourselves and others.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Mark Twain: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was the first book I read on my own.
Frederick Backman: his characters and stories are so emotional and he writes older people so well.
Kate Mulgrew: I loved both her biographies.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
I find my life is a springboard for my stories. I like fictionalizing things I find from myself.
What motivates you to complete your (writing) work?
My husband.
I have a writers group who is so supportive.
I want others to read my work.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No.
Where can people find you and your work?
Www.Chrislorensmith.com
Twitter @csmithwrites
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G.E. Smith
Name: G. E. Smith
Genre(s) of your work: Dark/Horror Fiction
Bio:
I’ve lived and worked all my life in north central Illinois. I’m married and have a stepdaughter. My first extended writing period was in the 1990s; gospel clown skits and scripts for my hometown junior high D.A.R.E. and PeaceBuilder programs. From there I got into silly, rhymed children’s verse, some novelette-length works, short stories, flash fiction, and micro fiction.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
When I wrote silly, rhymed poetry, the fun challenge was the meter and the nonsense. In horror, the challenge is a fresh approach on how to make the reader interested and uneasy. Plus, it’s (horror) a great way to fictionalize a real-life stress event.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Increased my confidence in saying what I mean and paying attention to how I communicate.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Michael Arnzen: his short work gets right to the action. Jeff Strand: great blending of humor and horror. Christopher Moore: his novel A Dirty Job is fantastic.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I’ve always been a hard-copy guy, both reading and submitting to a critique group. Been awhile since I’ve been to a bookstore, but stay in business, folks! Amazon is convenient, but I can’t get a caramel mocha and take a seat with a book in hand at Amazon.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
Enjoyment, entertainment. To hold a small place in their mind when I creeped them out would be cool too.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Other than general venting, nothing in the past or present.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
Knowing once my head is clear of what I’m working on I can move forward to what’s next.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
Overuse of f***. I get that it’s part of certain characters. However, too much makes a character one dimensional. A story loaded with f-bombs becomes predictable, and predictable is boring. Also too much detail and lengthy flashbacks cutting into the story flow.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No. Let writers write. Readers can decide what they do or don’t want to read.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
Too much editing while writing my first draft. As for the work of others: using ‘that’ instead of ‘who’ when referring to a person.
Where can people find you and your work?
The Haunted Traveler, Cult of Me, Unfading Daydream, Lonesome October Lit (forthcoming Nov. & Dec. 2017), FunDead Publications, and Trembling With Fear (Horror Tree).
https://www.facebook.com/WritefullyMinded/
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Jeffry Smith
Name: Jeffry Smith
Pseudonym: Andy Zach
Genre(s) of your work: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Humor, and Middle School
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Zombie Turkeys 2016
My Undead Mother-in-law 2017
Paranormal Privateers 2018
Secret Supers 2019
Challenge Accepted (anthology) 2019
Bio:
With his first book, “Zombie Turkeys” Andy blazed new ground in paranormal humor. The second book in his Life After Life Chronicles, “My Undead Mother-in-law” expands the zombie plague from turkeys to humans, with hilarious results. You can find both volumes on Amazon Kindle, Createspace print, and Audible audiobook editions.
Not content to keep in zombies earthbound, Andy puts them afloat in his third book, “Paranormal Privateers”. Just when you thought every funny zombie trope had been explored, new humorous horizons open up. You can get “Paranormal Privateers” in Kindle and print formats. The audiobook will be available for Christmas.
Andy Zach was born Anastasius Zacharias, in Greece. His parents were both zombies. Growing up, he loved animals of all kinds. After moving to the United States as a child, in high school, he won a science fair by bringing toads back from suspended animation. Before turning to fiction, Andy published his Ph.D. thesis “Methods of Revivification for Various Species of the Kingdom Animalia” in the prestigious JAPM, Journal of Paranormal Medicine. Andy, in addition to being the foremost expert on paranormal animals, enjoys breeding phoenixes. He lives in Illinois with his five phoenixes.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
Science Fiction – because it’s my first love in reading and in creative writing, since third grade. I’m a child of the space age, following NASA through the 60s and 70s.
Fantasy – Sometimes the laws of physics are just too confining and you need to burst out, magically.
Humor – Humor and sarcasm, irony and puns come naturally to me. When I learned that many writers have trouble writing humor, I thought, “I’ve found my niche!”
and Middle School – I’ve learned from fellow authors there is a tremendous dearth of fiction for middle school children. Mentally, I’m not too far removed from that age group. Then there’s the business side: If I can engage middle school children, perhaps they’ll read my adult and YA works.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Life is so much more fun! I delight in going to my office and working on my current or next project. I love seeing my books sell. I love writing. I love publishing my books. What’s not to like?
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Fantasy – Tolkein – Beautiful language, massive world building, deep symbolism. Patricia McKillip – Again, beautiful language, combined with mysterious plots and wonderful characters.
Science Fiction – Heinlein – Hard science with cracking good stories with good characters. John Ringo – great military science fiction and fantasy. David Weber – great military science fiction, epic world bulding, hard science.
Humor – PJ O’Rourke, Eric Flint, David Fleer
Middle school – Madeline L’Engle, CS Lewis
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
Sad. They’re dinosaurs in a shrinking brick and mortar marketplace.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
Entertainment first. I want everyone to be happy they’re read my books. Then, that they may have learned some trivia or non-trivia along the way.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Quite a bit. I set my books and scenes in places I’ve been and know about.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
I think of each new book an opportunity to reach a new audience and delight them.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
Certainly some thoughts and behaviors are harmful to yourself and to other people. If a person portrays these taboo subjects as good or beneficial, they are lying to their readers and should not be read or published.
Where can people find you and your work?
My website: https://andyzach.net
My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/andyzachauthor/
My Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01M3Q35H1
My Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16034100.Andy_Zach
My newsletter signup: https://mailchi.mp/22d3daf2a1b7/get-your-books-by-andy-zach
My Twitter handles: @AndyZach2, @Zombie_Turkeys, @UndeadMotherLaw
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Keith E. Smith
Name: Keith E. Smith
Genre(s) of your work: Action/Thriller
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Black Chamber: Paradise Lost – 2016
Bio :
Keith E. Smith was born in the capital city of Kentucky, in the southeastern United States. From an early age he was taught how to use firearms, hunt, fish, and work with his hands. He’s been a construction worker, videographer, auto-mechanic, restaurant worker, and a guitarist in a rock band. He’s poured concrete, video-taped a gubernatorial election, laid sewer pipe, built bridges, bussed tables, cut tobacco and even sold insurance.
In the early 2000’s he began writing articles for a newspaper, and later went on to publish two non-fiction books. He is also a ghostwriter for a book writing company based in Texas.
His novel, Black Chamber: Paradise Lost, is an action-packed thriller that takes readers on a chilling journey into a dark world of conspiracy and violence.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I have always been interested in action, military, spies and conspiracy type stuff. The first books I ever read, even comic books, were all on those topics. When I decided to write a novel, I naturally wanted to write an action thriller story, but with a twist. Typically, books in this genre usually have a main character who is former, or current, military; they’re almost always highly trained and skilled in all sorts of things. In short, they are usually a bad ass. I love those books, but I wanted my main character to be an every day guy who gets caught up in that world.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I convinced myself, for years, that I could never be a writer. I had received no formal training of any kind and felt that I did not have what it takes. Of course, that was garbage and my desire finally overcame my fears and I wrote an article. It ended up being in a newspaper. That experience showed me that being a writer was not only within my reach, but that I was already a writer. I have written four books now, and more are on the way. Writing has completely transformed me and my life.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Louis L’Amour- because he was a phenomenal story teller, and the way he wove facts into his fiction. Brad Thor- He is just a great action writer and his stories are very plausible.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I love all bookstores. I do love independently owned bookstores the best.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
I hope that my readers learn things that they did not know before reading my book. Like one of my author heroes, Louis L’Amour, I put a lot of facts into my work, and I hope my books are as educational as they are entertaining. I also want to make people think. I want them to read my book and think, “Man, this could actually happen.”
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
I have a diverse background that really helps me to see things from different perspectives. That helps me a lot when writing. I also weave some of my own experiences into a story sometimes.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
The entire time I am writing, I keep visualizing that book in my hands. There’s nothing like the feeling of investing hundreds and hundreds of hours into a work, and then it being completed and in your hands. It definitely keeps me going.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
When it is obvious that the author did not research the facts. Fortunately, I have found that to be pretty rare.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I do not believe anyone’s work should be censored. Whether it is a book, a song, or art.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
Not really. I think every writer should take the time to write the absolute best they can, and to put out the highest quality work they are capable of at that time.
Where can people find you and your work?
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Chamber-Paradise-Keith-Smith/dp/1530960878/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509311651&sr=8-1&keywords=black+chamber+paradise+lost
WebSite: http://www.authorkeithesmith.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/KeithESmithAuthor/
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Laura Smith
Your Name: Laura Smith
Genre(s) of your work: middle grade fiction
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Stable House
Published 2013
Saving Hascal’s Horrors
Published: 2014
The Castle Park Kids
Published: 2015
Bio:
Laura Smith earned her Creative Writing degree from Carlow University in 2007. Since then, she has self-published three middle grade novels. Her writing has been featured on the websites ProWriting Aid, Listosaur, Support for Indie Authors, Ok Whatever, and Cleaver Magazine. She also writes blog posts for HubPages, book reviews for LitPick, and book and horror movie reviews for Horrorscreams Videovault and is currently working on a middle grade trilogy. She lives in Pittsburgh, PA.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. So, it only made sense that I would write children’s books. While working on my degree, college steered me away from writing for kids. They wanted us all to write the great American novel. But once I was out of school, I returned to children’s fiction. It’s where I’ve been the most comfortable, and those are the stories that I most want to tell.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Writing has shaped how I see the world, how I spend my time, and how I judge my productivity. I make time for it because it’s the one thing that I’ll allow myself to say that I do well. So, even if my work isn’t widely read, it gives me a feeling of satisfaction and self-worth to put words to paper, whether it’s a story, an essay, a blog post, or a book.
I work writing into my schedule wherever I can. If I can get everything done on my to-do list and still have time to write something worthwhile or have worked it in before or in between tasks, I consider it a productive day.
Some good advice that I’ve heard when it comes to any creative pursuit is, “Quit if you can.” I can’t quit, and I don’t want to quit. So, that feeling lets me know that I’m making good use of my time.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I love Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was named after her (my mom was a fan of the show), and I reread the Little House series every few years.
I also grew up reading Ann M. Martin’s Baby-sitters Club series, R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series along with Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, Wilson Rawls, and Betsy Byars.
I also love Stephen King who I got into in high school and still follow closely. I don’t love all of his books, but he has a huge body of work, and the ones I do love, I love a lot.
As an adult, I read a lot of celebrity memoirs, particularly by comedians. Steve Martin, Martin Short, Gene Wilder, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, Rob Lowe, and Michael J. Fox have all written some great memoirs.
I’ve read all of John Green’s YA novels, and even though I don’t like all of his books, I love his writing. I also like his brother, Hank Green. Ever since I read The Fault in Our Stars, I’ve bought every book by the Green brothers new and the week they were released, which is rare.
I’ve been working my way through Malcolm Gladwell’s books.
I also love graphic novels, particularly Batman.
As a book reviewer, I read a lot of books by indie authors, and I’ve come across some great work by unknown authors who deserve a lot more recognition than they get. You can find my indie author book recommendations on my blog. I only review the ones I like, and any purchases made via the bookshop.org links go to support the authors, local bookstores, and my blog!
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
Yes, I think they’re here to stay, though I don’t necessarily think they’re going to replace hard copy books. Pre-pandemic, I would borrow audiobooks from my local library all the time and listen to them in the car or on long trips. Now, I have the Libby app on my phone and borrow audiobooks from there.
About a third of the books I read in a year are in audiobook format. It allows me to read two or three books at a time because I read the audiobooks while I multitask. So, I can “read” while I get ready for work, clean the house, or make dinner at night.
Then, I’ll read hard copy books on my lunch break, while I exercise, or in bed at night. So, it allows me to maximize my reading time. It also allows me to stay up-to-date with more mainstream books while I work through my list of indie books to read for the various blogs I write for.
I’m a big podcast person too. So, I think people will jump on the audiobook bandwagon as a result of listening to podcasts, particularly if a podcast host recommends a particular book or if listeners sign up for Audible, whose ads are often featured in podcast commercials. If audiobooks will get an otherwise non-reader to read, I’m all for it.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I love stopping in at my local Barnes & Noble, and I was a big fan of Borders when they were still around. I love the wide aisles, the calm atmosphere, and the smell of coffee permeating the air (even though I’m not a coffee drinker).
However, more often than not, I browse for a long time and then leave empty-handed. I’m a bargain hunter. So, if I don’t find a good sale or something in the discounted section, I won’t buy anything and will go to Half Price Books or any pop up used book sale instead.
I’m a big fan of “the hunt.” I have a mental list of books, movies, or music that I want to own one day, but I don’t want to just go to a particular aisle, find that title, and buy it at full price. I want to find the edition that I read 20 years ago, and I want to find it on sale after months, or even years, of looking.
There are so many books to read and only so much time available to read and space available in my home. So, playing this game keeps me from buying too many books or overflowing my shelf space with books that I’ll never read.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
Social media has proven to be an invaluable marketing tool for me. I’ve spent years building up a following, particularly on Twitter. Facebook and Pinterest have been useful as well, and my Instagram is slowly growing. I like to follow fellow writers and bloggers, and they have been instrumental about helping me to spread the word about my work.
A bad marketing tool has been table sales. I started trying to sell my books at flea markets, and those places just don’t contain consumers looking for new, self-published books. They want to buy old, dusty paperbacks for a quarter.
I also once tried to sell my books at a small bookstore. It was part of an event that they were hosting for indie authors, but it was a bust, and we all lost money on the event. You can read about the whole ordeal here.
One table sale that was successful was selling my book during a book sale at my local elementary school, but the school librarian made me feel so unwelcome there that I never wanted to go back again. I hope that visits to other schools will be a part of my marketing plan for future books, but I’ll be more selective about the schools I reach out to.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
As a children’s author, I do obviously steer clear of anything that is too dark or inappropriate for that age level, but my books do have an edge of darkness to them. I try not to talk down to kids or censor my work too much, but there is a definite line to be drawn.
As for other people’s writing, I’d like to say that no topic should be off limits, but the world isn’t that black and white. I don’t want to see any type of writing that’s going to cause a distorted way of thinking that could lead to violence or other dangerous consequences.
The problem is, judging what content is dangerous and what isn’t is a slippery slope. We all know that more than one famous assassin has had an obsession with The Catcher in the Rye, but most people who read that book don’t become assassins. The Harry Potter series was banned by some religious groups for promoting magic and witchcraft, though it was never intended to be anything more than a coming-of-age fantasy series for kids.
I’d like to think that readers are smart enough to be able to tell between what’s real and what’s fantasy, propaganda, or blatant misinformation, but I’ve seen how easy it is to fall into those rabbit holes and how influential the power of words and our modern ability to exchange information can be. But just like you can’t yell “fire” in a crowded theater, we need to judge writing by how dangerous and destructive it could be to share a particular viewpoint in a particular way.
There is so much in the world to write about that can be entertaining, challenging, and educational for readers. Why spend your time writing something taboo just to piggyback on the sensationalism and interest that the shock value provides or with the intent to cause trouble so that you can grow a reputation based on infamy? There’s nothing inspiring, legitimate, or lasting that comes from taking that path.
Where can people find you and your work?
I’d really like readers to check out my blog, Laura’s Books and Blogs. There, you’ll find all of the blog posts I’ve written for the past few years, my portfolio of writing, writing tips, resources, and free downloads, and more about my books, including links to buy.
You can also find me on social media. I’d love to connect.
Here are links to my accounts:
Goodreads
Finally, here are the links to my Amazon and HubPages accounts:
Amazon
HubPages
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Edward J. Spock
Your Name: Edward J. Spock
Genre(s) of your work: Horror
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Eyes Of Mary Beth McCreary ( 2021 ) This is my first published work and it will be also appearing in Books Of Horror, Volume 3 Book 1 that was just released on October 27th 2021.
Bio:
I am a card-carrying member of Gen X. The entirety of my teenage years was in the decade of the 80s. I was a part of the rise of heavy metal, witness to the resurgence of the horror genre in the film industry and discovered a horror legend as he rose to a pinnacle of his writing career. All of this was part and parcel to forming my love for the genre. The imagery and lyrical content employed by the heavy metal artists lent itself perfectly to the horror film industry. The horror film industry in turn found a well of material in the Stephen King catalog. It was a three-pronged attack. It worked and I was all in. I spent the decade immersing myself in the world of horror fiction through music, movies and books.
In my twenties I was one of the founding members of a hard rock / heavy metal band called Ballbreaker. We were part AC/DC tribute band and part an original hard rock band. Over our twenty plus years we appeared on a number of various artist collections as well as three of our own all-original cd’s. Our original music is where I got to display my love for the genre by crafting lyrics to our songs about freaks and apocalyptic visions all with a tongue in cheek fun. Writing the lyrics and melodies to our compositions was one of my favorite parts of crafting a song.
Once the band dissolved, I found that I again needed to find a creative outlet. Having always enjoyed the lyric writing aspect while working in the band, I thought that I would really like to try my hand at creating my first horror story. I began coming up with a nice stock of ideas and starting in on my first attempt. It is still currently sitting on my computer unfinished, tentatively titled “Ruff Draft”. It sits unfinished because another idea had struck me that I was able to run with. The story kept coming to me as I wrote, and the completed work is “The Eyes Of Mary Beth McCreary”. My first story to see the light of day.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I once read an article with Joe Hill in which he talked about how he had spent so much time trying to stay out of his fathers shadow with his own writing. Eventually he realized that he couldn’t. He grew up around the horror genre, it was what he knew. He embraced the legacy of his father and began to write in the style and he is now one of the biggest names in the genre today. He began to write what he knew. I had always felt that way when writing lyrics for the band and is why I am writing in the horror genre. I have always felt that people can see through when a writer or musician is not being themselves. So when I decided to take a stab at writing it was only logical that it was going to be in horror. It was what I grew up watching, listening to, and reading. It is what I knew.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
As I am new to the writing field, it really hasn’t changed my life much …. Yet. But what it has allowed me is a creative outlet. After my band dissolved I was feeling the need to be creative somehow. I had picked up reading again and was reading a lot. I really enjoyed the lyric writing aspect of songwriting and had always written privately. With that being said, I decided to push my writing a little further and actually publish some of my work. I completely enjoyed the process of getting my first story out there and looking forward to getting more of my work out there.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Of course, Stephen King to start with as he was one of my original gateways into the genre. Some of my other go-to authors are Tolkien, Lovecraft and Joe Hill. Most recently I have been enjoying works by Stephen Graham Jones and Nick Cutter.
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 know that audiobooks are the wave of the future, but what I do think they are is another great tool for authors to get their work in front of people. Audiobooks are perfect for when you are driving or just working around the house. It’s an opportunity for someone to pop one on and listen to where it was not an option before. It certainly helps broaden an author’s playing field and opens another door for an author to get their work out there.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I do believe that the big box bookstores have their place. They have been able to diversify what they sell, such as adding coffee shops, toys, stationary and more. They have also been able to put themselves in high profile locations like malls. I would like to think that this all has a positive effect on the industry as a whole in that it keeps bookstores and books in general in the public’s mind. A not so avid book purchaser / reader may be more inclined to enter the store and buy something with these added factors. At the same time some of your greatest treasures are found at an independent store and it is hard to beat their atmosphere. So I can definitely see benefits to both for the book industry.
Where can people find you and your work?
You can find my author page on Facebook as Edward Spock. You can also find me on twitter (@ejspock70), Tiktok ( @ejspock ), and I am currently in the process of having a new website built at edwardspockauthor.com .
You can also find my book “ The Eyes Of Mary Beth McCreary”. on Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com as well as good reads. I am steadily working at getting my book added to new outlets and will update everyone through my social media platforms.
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RW Spryszak
Name: RW Spryszak
Genre(s) of your work: Irrealism, Gothic.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Edju (2018) – a novel
Numerous works in alternative ‘zines since the late 1980s.
Bio:
Born in Chicago. I came out of Columbia Chicago in the early 70s before that school was accredited and was still considered “experimental” for its time. I was also a member of Marjorie Peters’ Southside Creative Writers Workshop in Chicago then, as well.
Since 1988 my work has appeared in alternative, or “altzine,” publications around the country. A large portion of this material is archived in the John M Bennett Avant Writing Collection at the Ohio State University Libraries.
Nine years ago, I co-founded Thrice Fiction Magazine and Thrice Publishing, where I have been managing editor since 2010. I edited So What If It’s True a collection of work written by the late Chicago slam poet Lorri Jackson, and I Wagered Deep on the Run of Six Rats to See Which Would Catch the First Fire, an anthology of current surrealist writing from around the world. Both of these are available at Amazon and your finer independent bookstores.
I still reside in the Chicago area, but my city has never returned the very deep affection I have for it. Every book publisher in Chicago consistently turned down my offerings. I had to go to New York to find a publisher for my book. In late 2018,
Edju was published by Spuytin Duyvil.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I never felt I was writing to a genre. My heroes are people like Leonora Carrington, Jorge Luis Borges, Nikolai Gogol, Ann Quin, and Andre Breton. I write today as I’ve always written. With, hopefully, no bowing or beholding to realist orthodoxy.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I have been writing since a very young age. I don’t have an answer to this question, directly, because I’ve never been able to imagine my life without writing and have been doing it since 1st grade.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Add to those above the names of Kafka, of course. But, also, Naguib Mahfouz, Gillaume Apollinaire, B. Traven, and Donald Barthelme. What draws me to all of these – as well as those aforementioned – is the pureness of their originality. I like to be challenged. I like to read as a writer and be able to say, after a shock formed by what I just read – “you can DO that??” I’m bored by modernism, realism, and sometimes even memoir; the quotidian and expected. I hate the usual. But don’t let that bother you – I’m still a sucker for my grandkids’ faces when they open the Christmas presents I bought them.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I don’t have one, really. The chains have become the reflection of the Big Five publishers. Oh well. You get what you get. They have shareholders to assuage. The best bookstores are the independents. Like Quimby’s here in Chicago. Those indies willing to take a chance on “odd” things have established themselves over the years. Their survival all this time should quiet the “market specialists.”
But, listen – as a writer you shouldn’t let corporate profits determine whether or not your work has validity. Every writer – not just those deemed “experimental” – should write from the soul, not with an eye to the market. Work created to try to be a bestseller is rarely interesting to me. As an editor of a magazine that kind of thing is rejected post haste.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
I would like them to be on page 75 before they realize they are reading something.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
I utilize a lot of what the surrealists call “automatic writing.” And this comes from the unconscious mind. That’s as personal as you can get if you understand the lexicon. So, there are obscure metaphors at work all the time. In Edju, I think I have maybe seven different scenes drawn directly from my own life. I was once a member of a cult. My drug use in the late 60s is well-known among my friends. My current politics may be explained by saying I was once a member of the IWW. But in my novel those things are explained by metaphors because my actual life is really boring. It’s like the meaning of dreams. Certainly you, as a writer yourself, are probably aware that the symbols in your dreams mean something else. You have a dream where you lose somebody else’s dog and when you wake up you come back to a world where you feel you let someone in your real life down.
I’m blithering. Suffice to say every writer creates through the prism of their own life. I don’t think any of us can escape it.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
I have never had writer’s block in my entire life if that’s what you’re getting at. A piece of flash fiction, or a short story, or a novel, is a cellular thing. It either is or it isn’t. I don’t really have to motivate myself because I’m cursed with it. I write because it happens. And, when it’s going nowhere, I set it aside.
The thing that may differentiate me from some is that I don’t write with dollar signs in my head. I write to create an artifact.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
The moment I stop being enchanted.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
For this I’ll revert to my editor’s hat.
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Overuse of the word “had.” Writers would increase their immediacy exponentially if only they’d find some other way to say “had.”
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Stories about your dog.
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Using the voice of John Boy Walton.
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New ways to say the same old s**t.
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Back to “had.” Open something you wrote. In “search for” type the word “had.” Kill two thirds of them.
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Writers sending work to Thrice Fiction who don’t follow the guidelines or bother to look at the free issues online to see what we like.
Where can people find you and your work?
Edju is on Amazon. The rest of the story is at http://www.rwspryszak.com/work.htm
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Eli Steele
Your Name: Eli Steele
Genre(s) of your work: Fantasy
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Blood & Iron (ongoing series) 2019-2020.
Bio:
I’m a husband, father, and fantasy fiction author. When I can get away, I like to kayak fish from my Hobie.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I try to write things I enjoy, and I’ve always loved a good fantasy book.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I tend to take in content – books, shows, etc. – differently now, and find myself considering the plot and story arc more. Writers also daydream differently – we tend to spend our free time thinking up more lies. 😉
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I like my authors with four letters, like JRRT and GRRM. John and George are incredible world builders; I enjoy getting lost in their writing.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
In a world as busy as ours, audiobooks are an opportunity to reach an audience that may otherwise never pick up a book. They’re here to stay.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
Several years from now, I don’t know if any of our opinions will matter. Bookstores in general are a round peg in today’s square world.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
I’ve never manned a shield wall or stood down a cavalry charge, but my emotional experiences certainly influence my work. I think that’s what we mean when we say things like, “Write what you know.”
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
Perhaps they should, but the bigger problem is – who decides? Today’s censorer is tomorrow’s censored, so I think it best to let the market decide for the most part.
Where can people find you and your work?
Find me on Amazon! Part 1 of my series is currently free: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XCTWXLH/
Website: https://elisteele.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @Elisteele17
Reddit: u/elisteele000
Email: elisteele000@gmail.com
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Diana Stevan
Your Name: Diana Stevan
Genre(s) of your work: Historical Fiction, Romantic Mystery, Women’s Fiction
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
A Cry from the Deep, 2014
The Blue Nightgown, (a novella) 2015
The Rubber Fence, 2016
Sunflowers Under Fire, 2019
Lilacs in the Dust Bowl, 2021
Paper Roses on Stony Mountain, coming out 2022.
Bio:
Diana Stevan likes to joke she’s a Jill of all trades as she’s worked as a family therapist, teacher, librarian, model, actress and sports reporter for CBC television.
Her novels cross genres: A Cry from the Deep (2014), a time-slip romantic mystery/adventure; The Rubber Fence (2016), women’s fiction, inspired by her work on a psychiatric ward in the 1970s, and Sunflowers Under Fire (2019), historical fiction / family saga, based on her Ukrainian grandmother’s life during WWI and the wars that followed in Russia. This last novel was a finalist for the 2019 Whistler Independent Book Awards, sponsored by the Writers Union of Canada, a semi-finalist for the 2019 Kindle Book Awards, Literary Fiction category, and Honorable Mention in 2020 Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards.
Her latest novel, Lilacs in the Dust Bowl (2021), set on the Manitoba prairie during the Great Depression, is the sequel to Sunflowers Under Fire. Diana is set to publish the third novel in the series, Paper Roses in Stony Mountain, in the summer of 2022.
She’s also published newspaper articles, poetry; a short story, and a novelette, The Blue Nightgown, and was featured as one of 100 authors in Alex Pearl’s book, 100 Ways to Write a Book (2022).
When she isn’t writing, she loves to garden, travel, and read. With their two daughters grown, Diana lives with her husband Robert on Vancouver Island and West Vancouver, British Columbia.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
That’s a good question. I write where the muse takes me. I’m particularly interested in the stories of women, their relationships—love and family—their dreams, and the challenges they need to overcome to see their dreams become reality.
The first one, A Cry from the Deep, started out as an idea brought to me by a friend. We struggled to write the screenplay together and when that failed and he gave up, I expanded on the idea and wrote the book. Because I’m a sucker for romance, it became both a romantic mystery and time-slip adventure, set in Ireland, Manhattan and Provence, all places I’ve travelled to.
The Rubber Fence was a screenplay at first, inspired by my work on a psychiatric ward in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I was so traumatized by my time there as a psychiatric social worker that I had to write about it. It’s fiction, but it’s a story that portrays what was going on in that ward in the early 70s. Not much has changed since then. It follows the stories of three women: a psychiatric intern (who has her own troubles at home), an old lady who’s been shocked too many times, and a mute young mother, accused of trying to kill her baby.
As for Lukia’s Family Saga series (Sunflowers Under Fire, Lilacs in the Dust Bowl), my granddaughter encouraged me to write my grandmother and mother’s stories after she heard a number of anecdotes. The first is set during WWI, the Bolshevik Revolution, the typhus epidemic and the wars that followed in Ukraine, and the sequel, an immigration story, is set during the Great Depression in Manitoba, Canada. And now I’m about to publish the third and final book of the series, Paper Roses on Stony Mountain, set during the last years of the Great Depression and WWII.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I sit all day, and I have to force myself to get up, and exercise. But I love what I do. I’ve wanted to write since I was in my early twenties, but I got married at 19, had a baby at 20, and then my husband wanted to go back to university and writing was not a guaranteed way of living. It’s probably less so today with so much competition. Fortunately, I’m retired and comfortable, so I can afford to sit and write.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I have so many authors I love. Below are a list of books by authors who’ve impressed me with their brilliance.
One I’ve recently discovered is Esi Edugyan, whose prose is exquisite. She says a lot with few words. I recommend: Half-Blood Blues and The Second Life of Samuel Tyne.
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy M. Montgomery is a classic and a book I loved because of the emotion the author conveyed. I remember reading it when I was eight and sobbing.
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, a powerful look at a marriage in trouble. (I’m a former family therapist).
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler, the family dynamics in this story were powerful emotionally. I will read anything of hers
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, a master at weaving the stories of different protagonists and linking them in the end.
Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx, brilliant at characterization. You want quirky; you get it in spades in this lovely story.
And Alice Munro, the Queen of short stories. And a Canadian. 😊
I could go on, but…
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 believe they’re the wave of the future, but it’s a wonderful addition to the other ways we can access a book. I only have one audiobook, Sunflowers Under Fire, narrated by myself and that was a joy to voice, as it’s based on my Ukrainian grandmother and her family’s life in Ukraine during WWI and the turbulent years that followed.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I’m not sure if you’re asking about online vs. brick-and-mortar stores, but I believe they are a critical resource for readers. Amazon, though it controls a high percentage of the book market, made it possible for more writers to express themselves through a published book. And the reviews Amazon posts helps readers sort through which books are worth checking out.
I enjoy browsing books online as well as in bookstores. It was especially helpful to browse and purchase books during the pandemic.
But I’m pleased, that despite the power of these mainstream/corporate bookstores, independent bookstores have continued to thrive. I get tremendous support from local bookstores in my area and those outside of it can order through Book Manager or the Ingram catalogue.
In other words, I believe there’s a place for all types of booksellers.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
That’s a good question. I don’t know which is a good marketing tool. I’ve used Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to some success. I prefer to write rather than market, and have to remind myself to expose my books in various ways, so that readers know they’re there.
I’ve had some significant success through a Facebook group site that posts about my heritage. Because Lukia’s Family Saga series is about my Ukrainian grandmother and her family, many from this culture have bought my book and passed the word along.
However, Sunflowers Under Fire and Lilacs in the Dust Bowl, have reminded some readers of the Little House on the Prairie series, as it’s about family and homesteading and survival on a farm. And interestingly enough, I’ve also had readers of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah purchase my family saga.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I don’t believe in censorship in literature.
I’m against child pornography or any kind of writing that incites violence against one another. But if we make that a rule in literature, then we wouldn’t have books like Lolita, or Silence of the Lambs. The perverted and violent are among us, and we need to understand who and what they are so we can deal with the bad seeds in our communities. Books can entertain, but they also inform and educate the reader. They help us find our way in the world.
What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?
I wouldn’t want them for myself, as they could ruin my reading experience. I like being surprised by the author. I can tell early on if I’m in the hands of an author who’s done their homework. If so, I trust that whatever they impart will make sense in the story they want to tell. I personally am not crazy about authors depicting extreme violence or graphic sexual acts, but I have a choice to either not buy those books or skip through those pages when they come up.
But then again, films have warnings, so maybe books should, too. You can see, I’m on the fence about this one.
Where can people find you and your work?
On all the major booksellers’ sites.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vMKxse
My website: https://www.dianastevan.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianaStevan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diana.stevan
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/diana.stevan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-stevan
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/dianastevan
And any questions, I’m always happy to hear from readers at info@dianastevan.com
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Julie Stielstra
Your Name: Julie Stielstra
Genre(s) of your work: fiction, some essays
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Fourteen short stories in various literary journals
Protected Contact and Other Stories, 2017 (WordRunner eChapbook)
Pilgrim, 2017 – historical novel (Minerva Rising Press)
Opulence, Kansas, 2020 – youth novel (Meadowlark Books)
“The Snake Lover,” forthcoming 2021 – short story, Zizzle
“County Fair,” forthcoming 1/27/2021 – short story, Voyage
Bio:
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Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan a couple weeks after Jonas Salk announced the effectiveness of the polio vaccine at Rackham Auditorium. One thing my parents did not have to worry about, at least. And yes, I am a lefty – neurologically and politically.
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I was reading the comics in the Ann Arbor News by age 4, with an endlessly patient mom who kept answering when I would say, “Mom? What does C-A-T spell? Mom? What does “H-O-R-S-E spell?”
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Checkered career: BA in Art History (and no, I’ve never regretted it and it even got me a job once!); state license as a veterinary technician; finally a Master’s of Library Science, working mostly in hospitals (human, animal… a spleen is still a spleen).
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A cat shared my crib when I was a baby, and I’ve never been without at least one since (current count is 4). We bred, showed and hunted Labrador Retrievers; there have been Italian Greyhounds, a whippet, a couple of Border Collie/Lab crosses, and the world’s finest dog Pippin, an American Natural Dog, who could beat the Border Collies in agility.
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There have been horses too – hunter jumpers, eventing, dressage. My almost 30-year-old mare went to her peaceful home far away 7 years ago, and it was time to lay that part of my life to rest with her.
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I love birds, art, Paris, cheap wine, good wine, peanut M&Ms, lemon poppyseed muffins, spring, good movies, and the Kansas prairie. I also love well-written crime novels with a setting and characters so interesting I don’t even care who did it.
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I hate noise, Chicago (sorry – just not a big city girl), most vegetables, winter, action/thriller/horror/romcoms/blockbuster/superhero movies, cozy mysteries, and anyone who hurts an animal.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I grew up on fairy tales, Winnie the Pooh, Black Beauty, myths and legends… just stories. All stories. I try to write the kind of stories I like to read. On the other hand, I gobble up police procedurals like popcorn, and couldn’t write one to save my life. Oddly, I have fallen into the YA genre (Opulence, Kansas; “County Fair”; and an unpublished novel Scratched), just because it seemed like the right voice and context for the story I wanted to tell. Pilgrim is set in 13th century Europe because my art history degree focused on medieval architecture, and I have long been enthralled by the pilgrimage road to Santiago. I’m working now on a historical novel set at the onset of World War I, because that time period is so overflowing with social and political turmoil in central Kansas that I just want to dig in and explore and spotlight that. So, I guess my “genre” varies depending on what kind of tale I’m trying to tell!
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I started writing stories when I was in third grade. Life has gotten in the way at times, but it’s always been there, nudging at me. It’s only been in recent years that I’ve paid more serious attention, worked at it, gotten more involved in the writing community. And damn, I wish I had done it sooner. Life is short.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I have a passion for 19th century literature: Austen, Eliot, Hardy, Tolstoy, Hugo, Dostoevsky (I took two years of Russian in college just so I could read at least a little of poor Fyodor in the original), and… Dickens. Yes, I know he was a pretty awful person and I would NOT invite him to my dead-writers dinner party. But he can always make me laugh, make me tear up, make me shake my head in wonderment at his vivid, pitch-perfect characterizations and observations. When I can’t face anyone else, I can always pull out Copperfield or Bleak House or Nickleby or Dorrit, and they will sweep me away for hours of perfect contentment. But then there’s Jose Saramago – unpunctuated, flowing blocks of words, unfurling humanity in all its greed, hypocrisy, cruelty, and love. And Camus… I could hardly talk about The Plague without choking up when I read it for the first time, and that was years ago… LeGrand remains to this day one of my heroes. Okay, I’ll stop now.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
Took me years to even try one. I felt as though I wanted nothing to interfere or conflict with the voices, expressions, and sounds my own mind creates as I read. And then I spent 23 hours listening to a gravel-voiced Brit read me Bleak House on a long road trip. I loved it. Things that made me chuckle when I read made me laugh out loud to hear them; people I had not thought particularly funny were hilarious when voiced. I shed a genuine tear for Jo’s death and the grave, tragic pronouncement of “and dying thus around us every day.” Movies can be a mixed bag, and while I will eagerly try any version of Dickens that hits the screen, they are often so truncated, distorted, or just at odds with my own mental version, they fail me. Audio stays with the original words, so it can be more faithful. It also takes a LONG time. I can read Bleak House in much less than 23 hours. So… I think audio has a perfectly legitimate place as a medium – not my first choice, ever, but a valuable alternative.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
Okay, here’s my bookstore story. When I was in high school in Ann Arbor, Michigan, my boyfriend came over one day and said. “I found this terrific new bookstore in town! All kinds of art books, and poetry… you’ll love it!” A narrow little hole in the wall between a bike shop and a pizza place, run by two brothers who took turns on the cash register. The mezzanine stocked dozens of inexpensive art books – I still have a bunch of them. It was wonderful. Eventually they expanded, got a bigger space on a main street, with multiple levels, a bookstore cat, author readings, etc. It was a truly marvelous place. The brothers were Lou and Tom. Their last name was Borders. I will miss Borders forever. That said, I do not buy from Amazon. I always prefer to buy from independent shops, and bookshop.org is a great option. I often buy through bookfinder.com, and it’s great to be able to find old, out-of-print, obscure, or otherwise difficult-to-find books for a few bucks when I want them – but then, the authors don’t benefit from that. And… I’m a librarian. I go for library access first, and only if that fails (which, sadly, it often does) do I look to buy (and of course you’ll look at my bookshelves and call me a liar).
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
A good marketing tool would be some other person who would do all that stuff, and just tell me when to show up. A bad one is me.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
Nope. Let people write whatever they want. I have the option not to read them, or hate them, or write nasty reviews or blog posts about them.
Where can people find you and your work?
Website: https://juliestielstra.com, which includes my blog.
Amazon (sigh): https://www.amazon.com/Julie-Stielstra/e/B08LP62VFH
YouTube: Kansas Authors Club talk on Opulence, Kansas, June 2020
YouTube: Emporia State University reading of Opulence, Kansas, October 2020
YouTube: Waterline Writers reading of short story “Little Deaths” from Protected Contact and Other Stories, March 2019
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Dan Stout
Name: Dan Stout
Genre(s) of your work: Fantasy/Mystery
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
My debut novel TITANSHADE releases March 12th, 2019. It’s a noir fantasy thriller, combining the style of a 1970s police procedural with the wonder and mystery of secondary world fantasy.
For a full bibliography, visit https://www.danstout.com/published-works/
Bio:
Dan Stout lives in Columbus, Ohio, where he writes about fever dreams and half-glimpsed shapes in the shadows. His prize-winning fiction draws on travels throughout Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Rim as well as an employment history spanning everything from subpoena server to assistant well driller. Dan’s stories have appeared in publications such as The Saturday Evening Post, Nature, and Intergalactic Medicine Show. His debut novel Titanshade is a noir fantasy thriller available from DAW Books. To say hello, visit him at www.DanStout.com.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
It’s just how it comes out! I’ve written tons of stories in all kinds of genres, styles, and voices, so the ones that see print are the ones that felt like the best fit for where I was as a writer at the time.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Being able to tell stories for a living is pretty much a dream come true. I’ve worked with my hands for a pretty good chunk of my life, and now I need to find ways to stay active, but overall I couldn’t be happier.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I am 100% in favor of any store, library, or service that helps put books in the hands of readers. There are good and bad elements to all kinds of company models and distribution systems, and while I have no shortage of opinions about them, that essential connection between reader and reading material outweighs pretty much everything else.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
I hope that they’ll enjoy the ride, and find characters who feel real. If I do my job, the characters in my stories should seem like they have a life and existence long after the final chapter comes to a close.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
Deadlines and contracts work wonders! For stories that aren’t on deadline, I find the fun in the story and chase after that. That fun might be in the form of an interesting character, an unusual narrative device, or a style or technique I’ve never tried before. But if I can’t find the fun, then the reader likely won’t, either.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
Not clicking with it, which can come from pretty much any element. Even a brilliantly written book may not be right for you at that point in your life. If it isn’t a good fit, set it aside and come back to it later. Life is too short to read the wrong stories.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No. Stories are how we grapple and cope with tough subjects. If the execution and intent of a story is objectionable, then I’m all in favor for counter-arguments and pushing back. But I don’t think that the topics themselves should be off-limits.
Where can people find you and your work?
Website: www.danstout.com
Twitter: @danstout
Short Stories: https://curiousfictions.com/authors/34-dan-stout
Titanshade Order Links: https://danstout.com/buy-titanshade
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Roy Swanberg
Name: Roy Swanberg
Genre: Five Christian Fiction and one non-fiction
Titles:
Because He Cares, 2007
Jason’s Promise, 2012
Jason’s Promise II, 2012
Jason’s Promise III, 2013
Writing in Retirement 2016 (non-fiction)
The Other Two Crosses, 2017
Bio:
Roy Swanberg is a retired public high school teacher. He has written and published many articles in magazines and is the author of five novels and one non-fiction book. Roy lives in Princeton, Illinois with his wife, Jan. They have two grown children and four grandchildren.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I enjoy the Christian literature and I can share my faith in a way many can relate to.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I started writing when I retired at 60. It fills my time in creative thinking and much enjoyment.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Jerry Jenkins and Lynn Austin. They write in Christian Fiction also.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
Okay, I guess. It’s hard for a new author to break into the industry. Hence, self-publishing.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
Enjoyment and understanding of personal lives of Christians through books.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
A great deal.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
Personal time and support from wife, family and readers.
What makes you NOT want to finish a book?
Poor editing and unsearched facts in a story. Obscene language.
Do you believe writing should be censored?
Everyone will buy what they want to read. If someone censors a story, someone else will pick it up.
Do you have any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ works?
Yes. Why do major publishers avoid self-published books like a disease? They offer help at a conference, yet when I email them or send a sample, or even a book, I never hear from them.
Where can people find you and your work?
Amazon.com., Createspace.com, or my website.
Website: www.swanbergchristinwriter.com.
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O.E. Tearmann
Your Name(s): E.S. Argentum and Olivia Wylie
Pseudonym (if you use one): O.E. Tearmann
Genre(s) of your work: Dystopian scifi queer romance
Bio:
The O. in O.E. Tearmann, Olivia Wylie (she/her), is a professional horticulturist and business owner who specializes in the restoration of neglected gardens. When the weather keeps her indoors, she enjoys researching and writing about the plant world, the future, and the complexities of being human. Her solo work is in illustrated non-fiction works of ethnobotany, intended to make the intersection of human history and plant evolution accessible to a wider audience. She lives in Colorado with a very patient husband and a rather impatient cat.
As the “E” in the O.E. Tearmann writing duo, E.S. Argentum (they/them) brings to a life a cast of eccentric, loveable characters. They bring the same passion for diverse, character-driven stories seen in Aces High, Jokers Wild to their solo work. E.S Argentum’s fantasy and scifi romances center on GLBTQ+ relationships with the emotional comfort of your favorite puff piece, layered with rich, unique twists. They have short stories published in multiple anthologies under the pseudonym of Emily Singer, including Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Crossing Colfax and Ultimate Power, from Northwest press. When they’re not writing, they’re generally found playing video games, having existential crises, or napping with their cat.
For the curious: why Tearmann?
Both Olivia and E.S. study the Irish language. In Irish, ‘tearmann’ is defined as: noun. A refuge, place of asylum, home or sanctuary. When these two authors decided to write a series centering healthy social bonds as the best way to deal with traumatic events, and giving agency to marginalized characters, it seemed only fitting to use a name that means ‘a sanctuary’.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
E.S.: We were both going through a pretty rough time back in 2015ish. I was originally trying to write a dystopian story on my own and reached out to Olivia for help brainstorming–and we wound up writing this sprawling story with characters we loved and themes that helped us feel better. After the 2016 election, we knew we needed to do something for our communities, Olivia suggested publishing this series, and here we are. That and I adore writing queer romances in general because we still don’t get to see ourselves on the page as much as we should, especially not in non-fetishized explicit sex scenes.
Olivia: Agreed! Representing the kind of strong romantic and platonic bonds that keep marginalized communities going has been a real joy. And sometimes it’s very simple too: a friend watching someone else’s kid while they work, a quick chat and some dating advice. A word of support in the ‘yeah, I’ve been there, it sucks’ vein. It all helps, and it’s all under-represented in story. But yes, writing queer sex that isn’t feteshized is also a real joy!
How has writing changed/altered your life?
E.S.: I’ve been writing since I was twelve, so it’s almost always been a huge part of my life. It’s helped me create and find an amazing community, helped me explore my own identities through my characters and their struggles, and it’s something that’s always been a great outlet. I can’t imagine anything else I’d rather be doing with my creative side.
Olivia: I think it’s really improved my confidence. I no longer see myself as an outsider; surrounded by the community that I’ve stepped into as an author, I feel like I belong somewhere these days.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
E.S.: Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Tamora Peirce, and Gail Carson Levine. Peirce and Levine were my first introduction to really strong female characters with agency, back when I was in middle school. Gaiman and Pratchett are both just incredible writers who tackle difficult subjects with a grace I only hope we can faintly echo.
Olivia: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, because the radio dramas were what my mom played on long car trips and I find them soothing. Diane Duane, who showed me that there was magic in all things and affirmed for me that it was always worthwhile to stand up to the cruel and the harmful, even when you’re small. Her work is still a comfort read. Charles de Lint, the author who got me through high school and showed me that good things were possible after the bad days. I still love his work. Terry Pratchett, who is and will always be both a comfort author for me and a source of so many lessons. Ray Bradbury, who always gives me a sense of wonder, whether it is blended with fear or joy. Anne Block, who showed me that kicking ass and being magic weren’t mutually exclusive. Catherynne Valente and Aliette Bodard, who are keeping that sense of wonder strong. And Alex Silver, C.B. Lewis and Jodi Taylor, who are all so much fun.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
E.S.: I think audiobooks are here to stay, but I don’t necessarily think they’re ‘the wave of the future.’ I feel like they’ll wind up in the same sort of situation as ebooks: they’re widely available and there are plenty of pieces that are exclusive to the format, but I don’t think they’ll erase print or ebooks entirely. At least, I hope not, because I really struggle with audiobooks personally!
Olivia: I think audiobooks are just another media for enjoyment, serving a purpose that compliments print media. In my own life, I read books when I’m at home, and I listen to audio when I’m out of the house. I have hypersensitive hearing, and plugging in a story to block out the noisy world is a real gift. When Kirt Graves, who reads the Aces High, Jokers Wild series, sent me the first audio, there was a special glee in being at work out in the gardens and listening to our own words coming to life! But it’s just as lovely to come home and curl up in the blessed quiet with a good book.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
E.S.: I much prefer to shop indie if I can because I’m all for supporting local communities. But I also recognize that mainstream bookstores help folks access books more easily, especially in rural areas where there may never have been an indie shop but the corporate ones deliver. I don’t think the big chains are inherently ‘evil’ or anything, but I do dearly hope they leave space for the smaller, independent places.
Olivia: My feelings are…complex. It’s great that books are getting sold, and in some ways the big stores have opened things up for Indie authors. During Covid, it’s been great to be able to order books from Amazon when my local stores didn’t have something specific.
That said, I really don’t want to see cities empty of the kind of stores where secrets wait in little nooks, just around the corner or behind the next shelf. I want places like the much-loved and punk-vibed Mutiny Information Cafe to be on Denver’s Broadway. I want Bookbar to be there as a place to buy a book, curl up in a cozy chair and read for hours. I don’t think I’m alone in feeling this way, so I hope I’m not alone in supporting these stores.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
E.S.: I do social media marketing for my day job and I’m still struggling to find a good tool, honestly. A lot of marketing comes down to timing and luck, unfortunately, especially if you don’t have tons of money to throw at it. The best thing I’ve found, honestly, is just creating community. Talk to other authors and readers, join Discord servers and Facebook groups, make or find a critique group, comment on blogs. Anything that connects you personally to someone else.
Olivia: Amen to that! I’ve found that community is the strongest selling point. Consistency also helps; since we’re both really busy people, I take a week in the winter to schedule all the year’s social media on Buffer, and that’s a lifesaver. No matter what’s going on, something goes up on the pages. I have found boosted FB ads to be a bit of a money pit, so I would advise against that.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
E.S.: Censorship of any kind of a very slippery slope, and as someone who writes stories about marginalized people that certain groups dislike, I worry that banning some topics would balloon out way too fast to cut out anything different. This is where trigger and content warnings are useful, I think. Letting readers know upfront what they’re getting into can help them decide whether or not this particular book is for them–that’s why we have disclaimers and notes in the front of the Aces High books. That’s not to say I condone everything everyone writes about, and there are certainly topics I’ll steer away from, but I just hate the idea of telling people what they can and can’t create.
Olivia: Like E.S., I really struggle with this. Let’s take a really obvious hypothetical that has surprising layers. Saying ‘no child sex should be written about’ is a dead easy example. Nobody wants child pornography around (well, okay, nobody who has any decency). But if you put the above rule in place, that means no The Lovely Bones, no chance for trauma survivors to tell their stories, and no light shone on abuse through the vehicle of literature. You’d really have to be laser focused if you made a rule: ‘no child sex narratives shall be represented in a positive or encouraging manner.’ That’s what makes this such a slippery slope; without nearly super-human restraint, there will be bad rules put down at some point. My basic instinct is to say ‘put rules down to stop what’s really indecent, and let people create the rest.’ But I know my history, and there are too many people who think people like Nonir and me are indecent.
For now, I’ll use trigger warnings, avoid works I find distasteful, and accept that the world is full of complexity.
Where can people find you and your work?
E.S.: My solo work is at argentumbooks.com. At the moment, I only have short stories published, but my first solo novel is coming out in April. I also occasionally tweet on @ESArgentum (though I admit I’m not as active as I’d like).
The Aces High, Jokers Wild series that Olivia and I cowrite can be found at Aceshighjokerswild.com, on Twitter @ETearmann, and on Facebook @Wildcards1407.
Olivia:
For the Aces High, Jokers Wild series, here’s all the links!
Buying Links:
https://books2read.com/drawdead
https://payhip.com/AmphibianPress
Social Media Links
https://www.facebook.com/wildcards1407
https://twitter.com/ETearmann
Aceshighjokerswild.com
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/o-e-tearmann
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18359444.O_E_Tearmann
Under my own name, I write books on ethnobotany and create plant-themed art. Everything is out at https://www.etsy.com/shop/LeafingOutArt. I talk about the place where science and folklore meet in the garden at https://www.facebook.com/leafingout
The Hands Were given Press Release Final-3 – Press Release!! Photos & More!
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Victoria Terrinoni
Your Name: Victoria Terrinoni
Genre(s) of your work: Non-Fiction Memoir
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Where You Go, I Will Go: Lessons From a Military Spouse
Bio:
I started out as a reporter/editor for several newspapers in 1982. When my husband went on active duty in the Air Force in 1992, I switched to freelance writing and wrote for several newspapers and magazines across the U.S. My husband retired in 2018 and we relocated to Normal, IL
I am the mother of twin daughters. We have two sons-in-law, two grandsons and two granddaughters, all of whom I adore. I love reading, writing, being a Nonna, and football – especially the Chicago Bears and the Ohio State Buckeyes. We also like to travel – mainly by cruise ship or travel trailer.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
After 31 years of life as a military spouse, I feel I have a lot of fun stories to share and some wisdom I’ve gained over the years.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I’ve always loved to write and meet people so becoming a reporter was a natural fit for me. But writing and publishing my first book was such a fascinating and rewarding process. I learned about myself along the journey and it feels good to think I may have helped even one military spouse.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I love Jane Austen. Janet Evanovich and W.E.B. Griffin delight me with the characters they create that I grow to love over the course of a series.
In non-fiction, I like Bill Bryson and A.J. Jacobs for their humor. I like to laugh.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
I, myself, have not jumped into the audiobook yet. I think they have a spot in the marketplace, but I think people will continue to want to read books as well. I know a lot of people who don’t even want to read e-books. I know in my personal experience that I’ve sold more paperback copies of my book than e-books. Not sure how an audiobook would fare.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
Well, since I shop mostly at B&N and Amazon, I like them. But indie stores are usually the place you can talk all things books and get to know the employees on a personal level. I like both.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
I use social media – except TikTok, and I have a website, blog and email newsletter. Amazon Ads draws some sales, but not as much as I would like. I’m not pleased with the results of any of my marketing efforts so I keep studying how to do it better.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I do not believe writing should be censored. I believe parents should be involved in what books their children read. The parent needs to deem what they think is appropriate for their own child. I also feel adults should be grown up enough to make their own decisions on what they read or don’t read. If something offends them or makes them angry or any other emotion they don’t want to feel, don’t read it or recommend it to friends.
What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?
I’m not sure what that is.
Where can people find you and your work?
victoriaterrinoni@gmail.com
https://victoriaterrinoni.org
FB — https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaTerrinoni
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/vickiterrinoni
Twitter – https://twitter.com/VictoriaTerrin2
LinkedIn – https://www.linekedin.com/in/victoria-terrinoni-b98a5b30
Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Terrinoni
Goodreads — https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomvictoriaterrinoni
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Richard Thomas
Name: Richard Thomas
Genre(s) of your work: Fantasy, SF, horror, thrillers, transgressive, magical realism, neo-noir, and literary fiction.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
NOVELS: Breaker (2016, Thriller Award nominee), Disintegration (2015), and Transubstantiate (2010).
COLLECTIONS: Tribulations (2016), Staring into the Abyss (2013), and Herniated Roots (2012).
ANTHOLOGIES (as editor): The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers (2015), Exigencies (2015, Shirley Jackson nominee), The New Black (2014), and Burnt Tongues (2014, Bram Stoker nominee). Plus 140 stories across a number of anthologies, magazines, and websites.
Bio:
Richard Thomas is the award-winning author of seven books: three novels—Disintegration and Breaker (Penguin Random House Alibi), as well as Transubstantiate (Otherworld Publications); three short story collections—Staring into the Abyss (Kraken Press), Herniated Roots (Snubnose Press), and Tribulations (Cemetery Dance); and one novella in The Soul Standard (Dzanc Books). With over 140 stories published, his credits include Cemetery Dance (twice), PANK, storySouth, Gargoyle, Weird Fiction Review, Midwestern Gothic, Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories, Qualia Nous, Chiral Mad (numbers 2-4), and Shivers VI (with Stephen King and Peter Straub).
He has won contests at ChiZine and One Buck Horror, has received five Pushcart Prize nominations, and has been long-listed for Best Horror of the Year six times. He was also the editor of four anthologies: The New Black and Exigencies (Dark House Press), The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers (Black Lawrence Press) and Burnt Tongues (Medallion Press) with Chuck Palahniuk. He has been nominated for the Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller awards.
In his spare time he is a columnist at Lit Reactor and Editor-in-Chief at Gamut Magazine. His agent is Paula Munier at Talcott Notch. For more information visit www.whatdoesnotkillme.com.
Why do you write in the genres that you do?
They are the stories that I’m most excited to tell. I tend to lean into the tragic, because I feel that we learn more from our failures than our successes. In every story there is conflict. I started out more crime and neo-noir, but have been focusing more on speculative fiction lately. I’m known as a horror author, but I think that these days a lot of what I’m doing is cross-genre, hybrid fiction, that taps into a number of genres.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
It’s what I do now, so it’s changed everything. I spend 25 years in advertising, but the last 10 as an author, editor, teacher, and publisher. It’s the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done, professionally.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Oh man, where to being? Started out with Stephen King as a kid, read all of his work. The beats like Kerouac and Burroughs changed me. One day I saw Fight Club and then read Chuck Palahniuk, which changed everything. That got me to Craig Clevenger, Will Christopher Baer, and Stephen Graham Jones. SGJ is the only one of those three still actively writing. Which got me into my MFA, and that added some great influences as well—Cormac McCarthy, Joyce Carol Oates, Denis Johnson, Haruki Murakami, Mary Gaitskill, John Cheever, Margaret Atwood, Toni Morrison, etc. I read a lot of small press authors these days, so aside from those mentioned, I love all of the Dark House Press and Gamut authors, especially Brian Evenson, Benjamin Percy, Angela Slatter, Damien Angelica Walters, Kristi DeMeester, Usman Malike, and others like Livia Llewellyn. The list is huge.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
Well, they seem to be essential. I love bookstores, new and used, but at the end of the day I know that places like Amazon get me in front of people. A necessary evil. Nothing will ever replace that small, local bookstore, though.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
I want them to feel something. Sometimes it’s a good cry, a sense of loss, other times happiness, or the thrill of surviving. I don’t want them to say, “Meh.”
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
A lot. I put a lot of myself into my work—heart, mind, and soul. The best stories work on those three levels—physically, moving through the world, action on the page; emotionally, getting the reader to feel something, that intimacy, that trust; and mentally, that sense of epiphany, that denouement, and understanding.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
First, you have to have a story to tell, something powerful, that means something to you. It can’t just be entertainment, for me. When it’s working, it flows out of me, a body without organs, trying to just keep up with the visions in my head. On my best days I’ve written, edited, and finished stories that were almost 7,000 words. For novels, I wrote 40,000 words in one week, 12,000 words in one day my best. It was nuts.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
If I’m bored, if I don’t care about the characters, if nothing new and exciting is happening.
Do you believe writing should be censored—that some topics should remain taboo?
I won’t glorify some subjects. I was very careful writing about molestation and rape, but I also know I probably won’t write those scenes again. There had to be justice, vengeance, a balance. I can’t see there being a need for child pornography, in fiction, and there is so much misogyny these days, it’s not needed in our stories, for the most part. I will say that I’ve read some powerful books that were pretty dark, that made me feel complicit—American Psycho, The Girl Next Door, The End of Alice. Dark stuff. I know where my line is now, where I won’t go.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
I don’t like stories that open with somebody waking up. Hate stories about writers writing about writing. Don’t like stories that curse in the first line. Fuck is such an empty word. It can be powerful, when used appropriately. I hate writing that doesn’t try hard to do something original—be it voice, setting, characters, plot, etc.
Where can people find you and your work?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richardgthomas3
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wickerkat
Website: http://www.whatdoesnotkillme.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Richard-Thomas/e/B0036EYNDC
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/144164.Richard_Thomas
Storyville Column: http://litreactor.com/tags/storyville
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Lesley Tither
Name: Lesley Tither
Pseudonym : L M Krier (crime fiction)
Tottie Limejuice (travel memoirs)
L M Kay (children’s fiction)
Genre(s) of your work: as above
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Ted Darling Crime Series (currently 12 books, first published 2015 – no 13 out Autumn 2019)
Sell the Pig Travel Memoirs Series – (6 books – first published 2012)
The Dog with the Golden Eyes – children’s illustrated fiction, published 2017.
Bio:
Retired journalist, freelance copywriter and copy editor. Born in Britain, now living in France as a French citizen. Enjoys walking and camping with her two rescued border collies, Fleur and Rosie, gardening, reading and writing.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
Travel memoirs because a lot of people are interested in hearing about starting a new life in a new country. And I did it with an 89-year-old mother who had dementia.
Crime fiction because it’s long been my favourite genre to read and watch on television.
Children’s fiction because something I saw about true crime cases made me wonder about children involved.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I’ve written for a living for a large part of my life. Now I wrote for a living doing something I very much enjoy.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I enjoy Ian Rankin and Val McDermid for crime fiction. As I live in France I now read mostly in French and have enjoyed discovering new authors through the local library, and being lucky enough to meet some, including Ghislain Gilberti, Ian Manook, and Olivier Norek.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
Anything which helps/encourages more people to read gets my vote.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Quite a bit, with the crime. I was a court and coroner’s court reporter for ten years.
What motivates you to complete your (writing) work?
I love doing it. The day I no longer do, I’ll stop.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
Tricky! I do think there is a modern trend to overwrite, not to leave anything at all to the readers’ imaginations. I think that knowing when to draw a veil is a good thing, a skill many writers should consider developing.
Where can people find you and your work?
Website: http://tottielimejuice.com/
New website teddarlingcrimeseries.com coming soon
Amazon author pages:
https://www.amazon.com/s?i=digital-text&rh=p_27%3AL+M+Krier&s=relevancerank&text=L+M+Krier&ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=tottie+limejuice&i=digital-text&ref=nb_sb_noss
https://www.amazon.com/Dog-Golden-Eyes-L-Kay-ebook/dp/B01N0GU0VU/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1559236303&refinements=p_27%3AL+M+Kay&s=digital-text&sr=1-2&text=L+M+Kay
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/tottielimejuice
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/LMKrier/
https://www.facebook.com/Sell-the-Pig-Tottie-Limejuice-442840135795573/
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Jorge Trinchet
Your Name: Jorge Trinchet
Genre(s) of your work: Horror, suspense, mystery
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
“Noche de Caza” 2022
Bio:
I was born and raised in Spain and moved to the US in 1996. I taught Spanish in College for many years, but I have been teaching at private high school for the last 12 years. Besides writing novels and short stories, I have also made a few short films, TV commercials and written screenplays and movie reviews. I moved to Wichita (Kansas) in 2009, where I live with my wife and two children.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
Horror has always been my favorite genre. I am not sure why, but most of the ideas I have are influenced by the movies I watch and the novels I read, which tend to be works of horror.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I have been writing for many years, so it is just part of my routine. It has always been a way to entertain myself, research and focus on something that excites me. So I guess it has changed my life because it keeps me busy in the best possible way.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft are the first names that come to mind. I started reading both when I was about 13 years old and absolutely loved everything they wrote. To this day I am still amazed at their creativity and ability to immerse readers in their stories. I also truly admire Carlos Ruiz Zafؚón for the beauty of his prose and the complexity of his storylines. But there are many others like Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Clive Barker or John Farris.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
To me, audiobooks are just another way to enjoy a story. They are not better or worse than printed books, just different. Reading, listening, watching are all great ways to be transported. I think it is great that now we have all these options so all kinds of audiences can enjoy these works of art.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
I am very new at this and I do not have a lot of experience. But social media seems to be a very powerful and useful tool. Most people use these platforms, and they are quick, cheap, and easy to use.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
It depends on the topic, and the age of the readers. But if we are talking about adults, I do not think that censorship works. All adults should be mature and educated enough to decide for themselves.
What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?
I do not have a problem with them, especially as a father of young children.
Do you find that you sell better in person (at events) or through social media (like a personal blog, website, or Amazon)?
As I said earlier, I am very new at this. But so far social media and Amazon have been the most efficient.
Where can people find you and your work?
They can find me on Facebook and buy my work on Amazon.com
https://smile.amazon.com/Noche-Caza-Colecci%C3%B3n-TTT_Novela-Spanish/dp/B0B92KY6YQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Q561QJGXKG3&keywords=noche+de+caza+jorge+trinchet&qid=1667414592&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjc1IiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=noche+de+caza+jorge+trinchet%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-1
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VK Tritschler
Your Name: Vanessa
Pseudonym (if you use one): VK Tritschler
Genre(s) of your work: Romance
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Secret Life of Sarah Meads 2018
Magic & Mischief Anthology, The Risky Business of Romance, Trade Secrets – 2020
A Town Called Nowhere 2021
Bio:
VK Tritschler is a full-time busy body and part-time imagination conjurer. She lives on the amazing Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, having moved there from her hometown of Christchurch, New Zealand. Her family consists of a very patient husband, two rampant boys, and too many pets to mention.
She has a wonderful set of amazing writers who support her in the form of Eyre Writers, and in return, she offers crowd control services for the Youth section who are the future best-selling Australian authors.
Her first book “The Secret Life of Sarah Meads” was released in 2018 and since then she has participated in the NYC Writing Challenge, the Clunes Booktown, and helped organize and run the Eyre Writers Festival.
Her paranormal romance is “Magic & Mischief” with her story “Vital Impetus” which came out in July 2020. An anthology of magical stories from around the globe.
Her next novel “The Risky Business of Romance” was released in October 2020 – a romantic suspense set in rural South Australia. Her next novel – Trade Secrets is a rom-com based in Adelaide came out in December 2020. “A Town Called Nowhere” a paranormal romance about were-panthers set in rural Australia, was released in April 2021.
VK Tritschler will be attending the Australian Romance Readers Association (ARRA) Conference on the Gold Coast in August 2021 where you will be able to meet her personally and get your books signed!
Ever available to her readership you can find her at:
www.vktritschler.com
www.facebook.com/vktritschler
www.twitter.com/vktritschler
www.goodreads.com/vktritschler
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I love to be in love. There is something almost endless in writing romance, because you get to explore every aspect of human relationships and development. Also – there is a special tingle you get when you know you are writing something that feels as real as an actual kiss.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
It has brought out my joyful side again. Because in my writing I am not encumbered by humanity, I can engage in worlds and places that I physically cannot visit at the moment, so it has given me a freedom which I am grateful for. But also, it has endeared me to such wonderful friends in other writers, authors and readers. I feel very spoilt.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I have always been fond of the great writers, and the legacy they bring. Jane Austen and her starkly funny take on the ridiculousness of company. Charles Dickens and his broad fingered poke at the darker side of humanity. But recently I have been reading more local authors, as I have gotten to known them, and it has brought about a new interest in finding friendships behind the books.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
I love to listen to audiobooks myself, so it would be pointless for me to not think they are an expanding market. But are they the holy grail? Probably not. As humans we have given oral history and story for a millennia, so its not technically a new way of presenting a story its just new packaging.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I miss bookstores. I miss being able to browse and read the covers, and find all of your favourites in one place. But I also understand that like blacksmiths, and hatters, there is a time and a place for all commodities. Eventually innovation and creation take their toll on all things material. Still, if the world was to reach its pinnacle and an apocalypse was to take over there is some solace that books will again become the gold I believe them to be.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
The best thing, and any marketer worth their salt will tell you this, for selling anything at all is the good word of someone who already brought it. Word of mouth! Be it friends, bookclubs, groups, forums. Wherever people of a similar ilk congregate in your genre THAT is where you need to be. Make your books the conversation that everyone is having.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
There are no taboo topics in the written world, just themes and times for things to be written. A hundred years ago it was almost unheard of for a woman to write in her own name, now it seems the world is full of female authors. Time is not a lineal thing, it is a constantly moving shadow, and from those ducky hues new things emerge and others are hidden away.
Where can people find you and your work?
The easiest place to find me is on my website at www.vktritschler.com – I try and keep everything central and easy to locate there including my social media sites if you want a more regular update.
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Wayne Turmel
Name: Wayne Turmel
Genre(s) of your work: Mostly Historical Fiction, some short pieces of indeterminate genre
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Count of the Sahara (2015)
Acre’s Bastard (2017)
Bio :
Wayne Turmel is a former stand-up comedian, car salesman, corporate drone and business owner. After 20 years of being pretty well-known in the business communications field, and writing 7 books, he decided to turn to fiction to save what’s left of his sanity.
His two novels, The Count of the Sahara, and Acre’s Bastard, have won numerous online and indie awards. Originally from Canada, he lives in the suburbs of Chicago with his wife, The Duchess, and Byron, the world’s crankiest cockatiel.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
The stories that captured me as a child were always set in someplace far away and long ago from small-town Canada. Treasure Island, The Three Musketeers and the like. I have just always been intrigued by the people who lived in other times. Also, swords are cooler than guns.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Wow, going deep aren’t we? I think there are small-scale changes…. when I have a creative outlet I’m happier and easier to live with than when I’m just being a corporate drone. Joining my local writers group has given me a social outlet that I desperately needed–they say that writing is lonely, but being a writer is actually a social act.
Also, because my writing involves people and places that don’t involve mid-fifties white guys in American suburbia, it becomes an exercise in empathy. What were people thinking then? How did things become the way they are?
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Wow, I am a bit of a book slut, not too discriminating across a lot of genres and styles. I tell people I’m the love child of Alexandre Dumas and Hunter S Thompson and let them figure it out. Dumas, Stevenson and Kipling knew how to tell a story and grip the reader.
Modern writers like Jack Whyte and Ken Follett still crank out great historical fiction. Foreign writers like Arturo Perez Reverte and Leonardo Padura give us insight from different cultures. Indie authors like Lavinia Collins and others just inspire me to do good work and quit whining about not having an agent.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
Will you hate me if I say they are necessary? Bookstores are a business, and well-run, efficient businesses can offer more selection and convenience than an indie book store. It’s more convenient for the buyer.
The problem with them is they tend to have TERRIBLE taste and push what’s easiest… big press books that have gotten lots of press, celebrity bios, all that stuff, and the staff tends to be woefully unaware about books in general. The point is, it has to be easy for people to buy books or they won’t do it. Also, walking the shelves allows you to find surprises. ONline, you have to pick what you think you want, and can’t browse.
And small book stores may be terrific, but by definition they are going to have less selection (and sadly, be more expensive). That doesn’t mean I don’t love them and try to support them best as I can.
As an indie author I’ve had mild success getting into local stores both indie and big-box, but it takes a lot of work and you don’t make much money per book. Hey, if people can’t easily buy books, they’ll stop doing it, and that means they’ll never find you.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
My favorite reviews are when someone says , “I didn’t think I would like a story about _____, or I’d never heard of this person, but I loved it” I want them to come away having enjoyed the ride first and foremost. Then I get a kick when it drives people to Google the subject and learn more. If you’re reading Historical Fiction and think you now understand a time period or person, you’re not doing your job.
Finally, I want them to have fun. My topics are serious, but there’s always humor to be found in even the most horrible circumstances. It’s how humans have survived so long.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
I think all writers draw on their life for characters. There are certain people in my books who are an awful lot like people I know. Also, when you’re plotting your story, you have to ask, how would I act in those circumstances? I’ve never been a 10 year old half-French, Half-Arab boy in the crusades, but I have been 10.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
I don’t start until I’m really passionate about a story. It can gestate for a long time before I sit down to write. I’ve been writing to deadlines most of my adult life, so I can make myself do it, and frequently crank out a lot of words at one sitting (of course, it can be a long time between sessions while I’m noodling the story in my brain).
I waited until i was past 50 to tackle my first novel because I wasn’t sure I could do it. The trick, as the old cliche goes, is to eat that elephant one bite at a time. I find that by writing in small chunks, say 3-5000 words, it’s not too intimidating, if I do that 15- 20 times I have a whole novel.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
There are only two things that will stop me…. 1) if it’s just badly written. A lot of indie books especially haven’t been edited or proofed properly. When it becomes too much work, I give up. 2) If it is just over-written. I read a lot of sword and sorcery, and if the person is a nonstop parade of multi-syllable names and places with too many consonants, or the response to every question is a long-winded oratory with references to a dozen gods, it becomes a distraction. Surely there were people in mythical worlds named Bob, right? And sometimes, people just say, “yes.”
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I don’t think writing should be censored, AND I think we need to play fair with readers. A writer has the right to tackle any subject they want. That doesn’t mean their words will be embraced or appreciated, and people have the right not to publish or pay for that work. I will tell you, the more distasteful or controversial the topic, the more skillfully it has to be written.
I ran into this on Acre’s Bastard. There is a scene in chapter 2 where someone attempts to molest young Lucca. It’s pretty intense (I’m actually proud of it as a writer.) Someone wrote me a nasty note about not warning about “graphic” content, as it apparently triggered her PTSD associated with her own assault as a young girl. That was NEVER my intention, and I’m not sure i need a big warning label on the front of the book, but some people feel that scene rules the book out for them. I feel I did the subject justice, they have the right to hate it.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
I have become obsessed with active verbs vs passive. Was standing, vs stood, for example. I am becoming more and more of a minimalist as I get older… unless it’s someone incredibly skillful like Mark Helprin, who can describe something for three pages and make me love it.
Where can people find you and your work?
My website, which also features other historical fiction authors: www.WayneTurmel.com
Twitter @Wturmel
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/wayne.turmel
My Amazon Author page https://www.amazon.com/Wayne-Turmel/e/B00J5PGNWU/
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PA Vachon
Pseudonym: PA Vachon
Genre(s) of your work: Paranormal Romance
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Bears in Love Series:
Mated to the Grizzly published Nov 2017
When I See Her Smile published Feb 2018
Bearly Mistaken published March 2018
Marcus prequel to the Bears in Love series due to release April 2018
Lake Alice Shifters
A Brother’s Treasure due to be released April 2018
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I write paranormal romance because it’s what I love to read. It let’s you create your own worlds as well as characters with a little something extra. So far the majority of my characters have been human and shifter (bears so far).
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I don’t read as much as I used to. And my writing has taken over pretty much every free moment of my time. My husband likes to joke that I need to hurry up and make a ton of money…so that I have free time again. I told him I don’t do it for the money. I do it for the love of my readers, my characters and to get my stories out there into the world.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
One of my all time favorites is Moxie North. Her books take me into another world and make me feel all the feels…she is an amazing writer.
I also love P Jameson, her dirt track dogs series really draws me in. Both are always on my re-read pile!
Another fav is KC Lynn she can rip my heart right out and then put it right back in with her amazing tales of love, danger and happily ever after…I have ugly cried A LOT when I’ve read her books…
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I love bookstores, unfortunately I don’t think they will continue to thrive with the way online books are available now…I used to co-own a small town bookstore with my mom, it was an amazing experience but it was very expensive to keep it up and running.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
I hope my readers can ‘see’ what I write, have you ever read a book and been able to see it in your head as you’re reading it? That is what I want. I also want to write books that move people.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Actually not as much as people might think. Some situations that I have written have happened to me or someone close to me..but usually I just pull shit out of the air.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
Some books flow so well that I don’t really need any motivation. Others I turn on my inspiration music and go for it.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
Bad editing…I just can’t…also, when an author changes the main characters name mid way through the story without an explanation. I kid you not I recently read a book where the main male character had three different names..I just couldn’t do it
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I don’t think so. I think most people can decide for themselves what they want to read and if they don’t want to read about a certain subject they can choose not to.
Where can people find you and your work?
I have a website where people can buy signed print copies of my work. and also on amazon.com for eBooks.
My website: www.sexyshifterromance.com
Facebook:
Page https://www.facebook.com/PAVachonauthor/
Profile: https://www.facebook.com/pa.vachonauthor.33
Readers group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2081847745393971/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/pa-vachon
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PAvachonauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/pavachonauthor
Amazon author page: amazon.com/author/pavachon
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Mary T. Wagner
Name: Mary T. Wagner
Genre(s) of your work: I’ve written essay collections for grownups, and now I’m working on the third and fourth “chapter books” for young readers based on the fictional adventures of Finnigan the Circus Cat (who was inspired by a real rescue kitten!).
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Finnigan and the Lost Circus Wagon (2017)
Finnigan the Circus Cat (2016)
When the Shoe Fits: Essays of Love, Life and Second Chances (2014)
Fabulous in Flats: Putting My Best Foot Forward! (2011)
Heck on Heels: Still Balancing on Shoes, Love & Chocolate! (2009)
Heck on Heels, paperback edition with FULL COLOR nature photographs (2016)
Running with Stilettos: Living a Balanced Life in Dangerous Shoes (2008)
Bio:
Mary T. Wagner is a former newspaper and magazine journalist who changed careers at forty by going to law school and becoming a criminal prosecutor. However, she never could step away from the written word entirely, and inevitably the joy of writing drew her back to the keyboard.
A Chicago native, this mother of four and grandmother now lives in “coastal Wisconsin,” where she draws much inspiration for writing from frequent trips to the shore of Lake Michigan, watching the waves ebb and flow and make shifting mosaics of sunlight on the sandy lake floor. Wagner’s ongoing legal experience has ranged from handling speeding tickets to arguing and winning several cases before the Wisconsin Supreme Court…sometimes in the same week! She plans to retire from her job as a state prosecutor in late 2018, in order to devote more time to writing, hiking and visiting her adorable grandchildren!
Her first three essay collections—Running with Stilettos, Heck on Heels, and Fabulous in Flats—garnered numerous national and regional awards, including a Gold E-Lit Book Award, an Indie Excellence Award, and “Published Book of the Year” by the Florida Writers Association. Her latest essay collection, “When the Shoe Fits…Essays of Love, Life and Second Chances” rounds up her favorites—and reader favorites—into a “best of” collection available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Her newest publishing venture is a series of children’s chapter books for young readers based on “Finnigan the Circus Cat.” The second book in the series was “Finnigan and the Lost Circus Wagon,” and the third, “Finnigan the Lionhearted,” is in the works. She also draws the pictures inside the books, which can take her just as much time as writing the stories.
Wagner’s life experiences includes the defining watershed of motherhood, and stints as a Girl Scout troop leader, truck stop waitress, office temp, judicial clerk, and radio talk show host. She counts both wearing spike heels and learning to use a cordless drill and chainsaw among her “late blooming” discoveries, and would be hard pressed to surrender either her favorite stilettos or her power tools.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I’m going to go with the Finnigan books, because they’re the most recent writing adventure! I had been writing essays for a number of years since I first started my signature blog, Running with Stilettos, just before New Year’s Eve in 2006. I had never, ever, ever imagined myself writing something for a very young audience (around age 7 to 10). But two things happened that put me on that course. One was that my younger daughter, Sarah Muehlbauer, had become a contemporary circus aerialist, and so the subject of “circus” and circus history were always part of our conversations. Plus, of course, we were just a few hours’ drive from Baraboo, Wisconsin, and we loved to visit the Circus World Museum.
The other thing was that a few years ago my younger son and his wife adopted a tiny rescue kitten that they named Finnigan, and Finnigan then got to spend several months at my house while they were in Ireland for a semester abroad. He had quite the exuberant personality! So somehow the idea of “circus + kitten” just naturally took hold. Now that I’ve published two of these books, I finally realized just why they are so much fun for me to work on. And that’s because the books’ narrator, a wise-ass circus mouse named Maximillian, is my alter ego. I swear, he’s really me as a ten year old, before I grew up and got domesticated and mature and all those things you’re supposed to be as an adult. When I start to write these Finnigan stories, all have to do is sit down with a keyboard or a notebook, open up a little door in my head, and that mouse steps out and says “OK, here’s where we’re driving today!” It make me feel like a kid again.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Oh good Lord, where to even start! I actually wrote a longer essay about it a few years ago, but the short version is that I’ve had so much fun and amazing experiences since I first started blogging and then putting my essays into books. I’ve made friends around the country, done speaking engagements here and there, traveled several times to coastal Georgia which is my favorite place on Earth, ridden horseback on an Atlantic beach, done “live lit” in front of groups in places that have included bookstores, bars and a tattoo parlor, and now, with the Finnigan books, gained the confidence to actually draw the pictures inside the books. And I’ve had some truly humbling moments when people have reached out to tell me that something that I wrote resonated with them or helped them get through a tough time or a hard decision.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I am drawn like a moth to a flame to suspenseful, well-written fiction. If I had to be shipwrecked on an island with a single book to read over and over, it would be “Rebecca,” by Daphne DuMaurier. And after that it would be William Kent Kruger and his “Cork O’Connor” series of novels set in “up north” Minnesota. He writes so beautifully about the natural world and has really amazing plotting in this series which weaves the experiences of the reservation-dwelling Native Americans and the white town residents into an intricate tapestry.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I wish more of them would carry my books on their shelves! It can be an uphill climb for indie authors to crack those brick and mortar markets.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
Something that I think runs deep through the Finnigan books, though it’s under layers of slapstick and adventure, is the notion that the family you make can be just as important as the family you come from. The kitten in the book is a foundling, and forms a bond with these two mice at the museum who become his closest friends, despite their natural differences. I also hope that kids and the adults in their lives will share these stories and enjoy reading them together. I always loved reading to my children when they were small, and I’ve tried to write these books in a way that grownups will be drawn in by the wordplay and the humor at an entirely different level than the kids are.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Well all the essays that I’ve written are stream-of-consciousness truth, so in a word, “everything”! That goes for the power tools, spike heels, tragedy, joy, chocolate, nature, and the guy with the motorcycle and the black leather pants. And as for the Finnigan series, clearly I’ve never been either a cat or a mouse…but Finnigan was inspired by a real rescue kitten, and has the sass and the mannerisms of the real kitty.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
Finding the motivation to write has never been a problem for me, it’s as necessary as breathing. However, finding the time to sit down and write has always a challenge!
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
Bad writing, mostly. I have literally given up on some books before the end of the first chapter because the first few pages are so full of clichés, or they just plod from paragraph to paragraph. Gratuitous violence that’s just there for shock value is another reason. On the other hand, there are times when I start reading something—most recently “Blood on the Tracks” by Barbara Nickless, a suspense novel involving an Iraqi war vet with PTSD working railroad security, her marvelous canine partner, and winter in the Rockies—when the skill of language and imagery is so strong that I know I’m going to stay with it.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I haven’t given this much thought before, but I don’t think I’d have much of a problem with some of the horrible racist ranting and hate speech that encourages violence and worse these days to be shut down.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
Ha! My “pet” peeves involve my pets! I live with a large and boisterous and affectionate dog, Lucky, who is constantly seeking validation, or just another walk. I also have two cats, who do their best to create distractions. So I often just pack up the laptop and head for my favorite library for some uninterrupted writing time.
Where can people find you and your work?
You can find all of my books on Amazon of course, in both paperback and Kindle editions. Or you can ask your local bookstore to order it for you. I won’t make as much, but it’ll be good for the bookstore! As for finding me for speaking engagements and library visits and the like, check out my website and then reach out by email at runwstilettos@yahoo.com I love to talk about empowerment and how “it’s never too late to make mid-course corrections” for women’s and business groups, and I thoroughly enjoy talking to kids about Finnigan the Circus Cat and doing “draw Finnigan with me” exercises to show that trying new things is great even though you’re guaranteed to make mistakes.
Author website: http://www.marytwagner.com
Running with Stilettos blog: http://runningwithstilettos.blogspot.com/
Growing Bolder “team blogging”: https://marywagner.growingbolder.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningwithstilettos/
Amazon author page
Twitter: https://twitter.com/runswstilettos
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runwstilettos/
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Brendan Walsh
Your Name: Brendan Walsh
Genre(s) of your work: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller, YA, New Adult, LGBT, High Fantasy
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Raven Gang (2017)
Immortale (2018)
The Serpent League (2019)
The Century’s Scribe (2020)
The Century’s Last Word (July 2021)
Bio:
Originally from Glendale, CA, Brendan Walsh earned his B.A. from the College of Wooster in 2017. He’s worked a few different jobs, currently a Barnes and Noble bookseller, to help put himself through a Cal State Northridge Masters program. When he’s not writing or studying, you can find him reading, drinking coffee, or thinking about what to write next. He is also a Dodger fan, philosopher, and recreational madman.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I’ve always loved SciFi and Fantasy. Of course I grew up with Star Wars, like everyone I know. As much as I enjoy classics and literary fiction, I get a unique satisfaction when worldbuilding. The most important thing for me in a story is my feelings about the characters. I enjoy the challenge of creating characters (human or not) and figuring out how to fit them into the worlds I’ve made.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Before fully committing myself to writing, I was a Chemistry major in college. However, writing started to eat up more and more of my time, and it showed in my grades. I think my choosing to read Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy that one day before my first Organic Chemistry test was pretty telling as to what I valued more. Inevitably, in the years that followed, I have made all kinds of friends and read all kinds of books that I certainly wouldn’t have had I still been mixing acids and bases instead of writing about magic and humanoid birds.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I wasn’t much of a reader as a kid. I discovered James Rollins when I was 16 and have loved him since then. His SciFi thriller Sigma Force series is one of the coolest things ever, and its Indiana Jones vibes make it exactly the kind of fiction I was looking for at the time. Neil Gaiman is another one of my favorites. When I first came to fantasy literature, I mainly stuck to urban fantasy, as big elaborate world-building didn’t interest me that much. Eventually I read Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson and my view completely changed. I wouldn’t have written The Century’s Scribe if not for that book. Ray Bradbury is my favorite author of all time, and The Martian Chronicles is my favorite book.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
I would say in between. Many people I know don’t have much time to sit down and read, and when they try, they fall victim to a bunch of distractions. Audiobooks help solve that problem. You can exercise or commute to work and be able to get some reading done. Personally I prefer holding a book in my hands, but I can see the market for audiobooks continue to stay for a long time to come.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
As I wrote earlier, I currently work at a Barnes and Noble, so I’m not going to say anything bad about them (lol). Even back when I was just a customer, walking in a BN was a joy in itself. Being surrounded by so many books while unsure what I would buy gave me a feeling that would help sate me even in one of my worst moods. However, there’s nothing quite like walking into an independent bookstore. I’ve been to so many BNs in my life that I usually know what to expect from their selections, but at an indie one, I never know what I’m going to find, and that’s more enjoyable.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
I feel Facebook ads haven’t helped me. I think fewer and fewer people my age are using it. Instagram and Twitter are probably better for my target audience. So far, I think I’ve had some surprising success on Instagram.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I do not. As a writer, I find the idea of having my work tampered with to be very off-putting. However, that doesn’t mean that all takes on certain sensitive issues are all equal. I believe that most readers are capable of telling the awful things from the better ones.
Where can people find you and your work?
They can find my first three books, The Raven Gang, Immortale, The Serpent League, on Amazon, and my latest book, The Century’s Scribe, online everywhere books are sold. The audio version of it came out a couple days ago, and that can be found on Audible and iTunes as well. Also, we have copies of The Century’s Scribe at my Barnes and Noble in Glendale, CA, so come grab one if you’re in the area!
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Zach Waymire
Your Name: Zach Waymire
Genre(s) of your work: Horror, Young Adult Horror, Children’s Horror.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
July 21, 2019 – Terror Times #1 The Swamp Monster
October 9, 2019 – Terror Times #2 Petey’s Playpen
January 27, 2020- Terror Times #3 The Wishing Well
May 10, 2020- Snack-Size Scares #1
Bio:
I was born in Texas, but moved to Arkansas when I was only two months old. That was almost thirty years ago now (please don’t remind me I’m about to be out of my twenties). Art was always my favorite/best subject in school. I eventually went on to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in the subject. Aside from writing the books, I actually do all of my own artwork for the book covers/illustrations as well. While in school, I always received praise
from my English teachers. Whether it be from teacher-specified essay topics, or a creative writing assignment, my teacher’s always seemed to encourage me. The true tragedy is that my younger self, while showing promise in writing, never found it enjoyable. This didn’t change until after I graduated from college. For whatever reason, I really caught the writing bug around the age of 23/24. Initially, I wrote for adult audiences, although never pursuing publishing these works. Everything changed when I changed my target audience.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
Growing up, like most children, I was an avid reader of both Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. It wasn’t purely the stories. For me, the artwork was the true hero of these books. Between Tim Jacobus’ dazzling Goosebumps book covers, to the terrifying sketches illustrating Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, I was obsessed. These drawings were the spark that kindled my love for all things horror. The stories were merely a bonus. As a kid, I couldn’t look at the pale lady used as an illustration for the short story, “The Dream.” I was especially excited when they perfectly recreated her look in the recent film version. As an adult, of course I turned to Stephen King. But my favorite, most vivid reading memories all stem from me as a child, piled beneath a suffocating blanket, nearly too afraid to turn the page while reading in the dark, comforted by a vulnerable, narrow flashlight beam.
In my mid twenties, I changed my motivation for writing. Suddenly, I wanted to invoke that same purity and innocence I had while reading about monsters and ghosts. Fueled by nostalgia, I created my own horror universe; a series of scary books looking to capture that childlike wonder. I have two separate series. Terror Time is my ongoing, shared-universe series that is most similar to Goosebumps. Snack-Size Scares is my short story collection, most similar to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, featuring 15 terrifying tales to whet your appetite. I am about to release my fourth book of the Terror Times series, and I’m currently working on Snack-Size Scares #2.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Writing has changed my life in the sense that it’s always on my mind. I am constantly brainstorming ideas, and mapping out chapters. Like many authors, I am always thinking about the next project, rather than working on what I should be. I just can’t help myself. Brainstorming is the most fun aspect of the entire process. Well, in my opinion at least. It’s hard to remember what I was like before being an author. Was my mind just blank? What did I used to think about? It’s honestly hard to remember a time in which I wasn’t constantly plotting out entire books in my brain.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
R.L. Stine as far as being the most instrumental in shaping my personal path. Stephen King is an easy answer, but it’s the truth. I’ve read more books by him than anyone else. I also enjoy Robert McCammon, Jeff Strand, and surprisingly James Murray. I am a huge fan of Impractical Jokers, so when I initially heard Murr was writing a horror novel, I knew I had to read it. He’s released several books now. They have all been pretty entertaining.
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 audiobooks are certainly here to stay. I could see them becoming even more popular than they already are. Just look at how podcasts have exploded in popularity. For me personally, I’ve almost entirely replaced radio with podcasts. I think you could see something similar with audiobooks. However, nothing will ever fully replace a paperback book. No matter what, they will always be around. If e-books couldn’t eliminate them, nothing will.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
Nothing beats word of mouth. Ads are great, but it can be so difficult dialing in and finding your ultimate audience for best results. It has been especially difficult for me. My target typically isn’t shopping online for books, and if they are, they’re probably getting grounded shortly after.
Where can people find you and your work?
All of my books can be found on Amazon.com
Amazon- Zach Waymire
https://www.amazon.com/Zach-Waymire/e/B07VH6D3KH?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=162741
0289&sr=8-2
Facebook Page- Terror Times – Zach Waymire Author
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Book-Series/Terror-Times-Zach-Waymire-Author-10
5902764327637/
Twitter- @TerrorTimes
https://twitter.com/terrortimes?lang=en
INSTAGRAM- @terror_times_books
TikTok- @terror_times
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Amanda L. Webster
Name: Amanda L. Webster
Pseudonym: Mandy
Genre(s) of your work: Young Adult, Rural Fantasy, Adult Fantasy, the occasional Instagram poem
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Valley of the Bees, 2017
F-ing Freddy Fisher, 2017
Kindle short stories: Rain at Three, 2015 and Her Name was Amber, 2015
Loosely Collected: A Book of Poems, 2014
Bio:
Amanda L. Webster is an author and editor who lives and works in Central Illinois, USA. She obtained her Master of Arts in English with a concentration in creative writing from Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When not writing and editing, she enjoys crocheting, hiking, camping, and spending time with her two sons and two cats.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I’m a bit of a genre hopper. I don’t pick the stories: they pick me! I often hear bits of dialog in my head, and then I listen in for a while to find out who the characters are. They often reveal themselves to me in unexpected ways, which I love.
My current project, which is in the final editing stages, is an adult fantasy novel called Demons of the Night. It is totally different from anything else I have published to date. The great thing about being an independent publisher is that I can continue to write the stories that are begging me to write them without having to worry about what some editor in New York City wants me to write next!
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I’m from a family of story tellers, and I’ve been writing stories since I learned to write. Writing is how I figure out how I feel about life. It helps me make sense of the world, and I use it try to help others make sense of the world as I see it.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I think they have their place. As an independent author, where would I be without Amazon? Besides that, I have often lived in places where the only independent book stores available were religious in nature. When I was growing up, I didn’t even have access to a public library! Scholastic book orders were my sole source for books. I wish every small town had its own library and thriving, independent book shop, but the sad fact is that most don’t. Corporate stores fill those gaps and serve the underserved.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
First of all, I hope they enjoy my stories. I love it when someone tells me they meant to just read a few pages of my book but then stayed up all night trying to finish it. In my novels, I try to create an experience that the reader can immerse themselves in and forget the outside world exists.
At the same time, I use my writing to explore themes and issues that are important to me. Rather than lecturing the reader though, I try to show real people living real life in such a way as to help the reader understand and empathize with those whose lives may be different from theirs.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
There are elements of truth in all of my fictional works. Sometimes, I feel like it’s easier to show the truth through fiction than it is to just tell someone about it. Writing fiction helps me reach people who might otherwise be unreachable.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
It’s hard. I have to psych myself up for it and then push myself to write every single day until the first draft is done. I can bang out a first draft of a novel in about eight weeks, and then I have to put it away and work on something else while the dust settles. It’s really exhausting, but that kind of hard-core push is the only way I can finish a story.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
I won’t hesitate to stop reading a boring book. You have about two chapters to hold my attention, and then you’re done. There are too many great books in the world to waste time suffering through a boring book! I also won’t finish a book that isn’t believable. Even if it’s fantasy, the author needs to develop the story world for me in such a way that I can suspend disbelief and immerse myself in the story. Sometimes, something small and silly – for example, a character checking her Twitter account at an internet café in 1997 (true story, I actually read that in a traditionally published novel!) – is enough to make me slam a book shut and throw it across the room.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I don’t think anything should be censored ever. Adults should be allowed to read whatever they like. As far as children go, it’s the parent’s responsibility to monitor the child’s reading habits and make decisions regarding what is appropriate for the individual child. No one has the right to tell me what I or my children should or should not read.
Where can people find you and your work?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmandaLWebsterAuthor/
Twitter: @missmandy76
Instagram: mandy_raine
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Amanda-L.-Webster/e/B00MDAXQJM/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Blog: writeontheworld.wordpress.com
Also, I am running a book giveaway on Amazon right now if you would like to include the link: https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/7c62771b95d34663
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Frank Weiss
Pseudonym: 1X?X3
Genre(s) of your work: Thriller/horror/suspense
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Dark One (October 1st, 2020)
Dead Journal (October 1st, 2021)
UNTITLED: A Collection of Short Stories (October 1st, 2021)
A Girl Named Steph (October 1st, 2022)
{Insert Title Here}: Another Collection of Short Stories (October 1st, 2022)
All of my work is self-published
Bio:
I’ve always enjoyed reading anything that could take me away from reality. I was working a job I hated and felt I was wasting my time, so I thought it was now or never. It was either take a chance and write or look back and wish I did. Now I have three novels, two short story books, and no regrets.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
When I was a teenager my aunt suggested the Stephen King novel Duma Key. I put it off for a year or two. I liked reading zombie and fantasy books. They were the most interesting to me, but I knew I could never write a story like the ones I was reading. Then I finally got around to Duma Key, and the avalanche began. Since then, I’ve read mostly horror because I feel like I can connect with it. I write horror/suspense books because it’s the only genre I’m able to write a full novel.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Writing has changed my life by bringing back that sense of accomplishment. In high school, you’ve got clubs, friends, and sports to keep you busy and happy. College comes around, and you’re invested in your major and meeting new people. After school stops, you look for a job, and one of two things happens. You either find something you like doing, or you find something to do because it pays you. Years passed, and I fell into the group of doing something because it paid me. I got to a point where I felt like I wasn’t accomplishing anything, and life wasn’t fun. Without getting too in-depth, when I decided to give writing a chance, it turned my frown upside down.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
My favorite authors are Neil Gaiman, Frank Herbert, Stephen King, Paulo Coelho, and Andy Weir. The reason I put them above others is that they are incredible storytellers. Like I said, when I read, I want to be taken as far away from the “real” world as possible. If you pick up any one of these author’s books, you get lost in the pages. You forget about the problems, drama, and pointless bickering that always seems to be going on, and you’re taken to a place that is far, far away.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
I hope audiobooks don’t catch on too much. Maybe they have already, and I’m unaware, but books are meant to be read. You’re supposed to read the words and figure out emotions and images using your brain and the voices it creates because that’s a part of you. When you’re reading, you’re really paying attention. You have to, otherwise, the story can get confusing quickly. If you have trouble reading because it’s boring or because it’s easier to listen, you haven’t found the right book. In short, audiobooks= Boooooo!
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
I haven’t found a great marketing tool yet. I don’t know if I’ve found a bad one either. I will say this, social media is huge, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best way to go. There are a lot of people on it, and it’s very easy to get overlooked. I think narrowing in on your specific audience and starting small is a longer but more beneficial route.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No
What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?
I think warnings and censoring have been taken to the extreme, and it’s way out of control.
Do you find that you sell better in person (at events) or through social media (like a personal blog, website, or Amazon)?
Being a small business, I sell 100 times better in person.
Where can people find you and your work?
All of my writing is exclusively on my website, WWW.1XHORRORX3.COM. I’m self-published, I made the website, I design the books, I write the books, I edit the books, and I ship the books. The whole business is run through me, so I appreciate it like crazy when someone takes a chance on my work.
Instagram: 1XHORRORX3
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Kelly Fumiko Weiss
Name: Kelly Fumiko Weiss
Genre(s) of your work: Science Fiction and Serial Fiction
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Cube, Science Fiction, 2018
Amache’s America, Serial Fiction, Started 2017, on-going on Channillo.com
Bio:
KELLY FUMIKO WEISS is a member of the Chicago Writers Association. Her novel, The Cube, debuted in April 2018. Her Channillo series, Amache’s America, won the 2017 award for Best New Series. Kelly’s career has centered around IT management in the education/nonprofit sector. She lives in Chicago with her husband and daughter.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I like to write science fiction because it is what I like to read and what I like to watch on TV. I love taking the potential of human invention and imagination and world building with it.
As for my current serial fiction, I also like to write about my own personal experiences in a fictionalized way. I’m not a memoirist, but I think my life experience, and the experiences of my family, lend themselves to some great (invented) story lines.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
In general, as a skill, writing has been the foundation for the progress of my career. Having quality writing skills has given me a niche and makes me a value add in the world of IT. Personally, writing has been a gateway, toward and away from myself, allowing me to explore new places and feelings without leaving my own day-to-day life, while simultaneously teaching me about myself. On a more social level, it’s given me a community to be a part of and a built-in support network with fellow writers.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
This is such a hard question. There are too many to count. I love AJ Jacobs because he really puts himself out there in relatable and funny ways while still teaching us all things. I love the trio of Jay Kristoff-Amie Kaufmann-Meagan Spooner for their world-building and supportive collaborations. I love Rainbow Rowell and Julie Bauxbaum and Nicola Yoon for how their books make me feel. I think what draws me to any author is writing books about good, flawed, relatable people (that are sometimes in fantastical situations), but that overall will choose love over everything at the end of the day.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I think anything that brings people to books is good. I love indie bookshops. I love big bookstores. I love buying books in unexpected places. Reading is good, and more people need to do it, so if big bookstores make books more accessible, then that’s cool with me.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
I hope they will see heart in what I write. I hope that they will get a warm-fuzzy feeling. I hope that it will spark conversations about how we relate to each other as human beings.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
For my science fiction novel, The Cube, the setting of Chicago grounds the whole book for me. I write about streets and neighborhoods that I know and love so that the fantastical parts have roots and a heart.
For Amache’s America, it 100% draws from my family’s experience. My grandmother was in Japanese Internment camps. My mother married a white man. I have struggled with my biracial identity. While the characters in that story are fictionalized and the situations they go through are (mostly) made up, the core of their experiences is one that I know well.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
It takes a lot of inner will power for sure. More than anything, I have always wanted to be an author. At the end of the day, it comes down to me. If I don’t write, I won’t be an author. So, write I must.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
I usually put a book down if there are zero redeeming qualities about any of the characters. If it’s a story about bad people doing bad things with no hint of arc or redemption, I’m not interested. I will also put a book down if it is drowning in its own prose or the plot is too slow. I’m okay with a slow build-up, but if there’s not plot at all, I will usually lose interest. That being said, thankfully, these things rarely happen!
Where can people find you and your work?
People can find me on Twitter and Instagram at @kellyfweiss
My website is kellyfumikoweiss.com. My website contains my blog, My Writing Experience
You can buy The Cube on Amazon
And you can find Amache’s America on Channillo.com
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Robert Weisskopf
Name: Robert Weisskopf (Bob)
Genre(s) of your work: one cookbook for the new cook and scifi (space opera)
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Dining – Not Just Eating 2016
Hardcore – The Journey Begins 2016
Carbonado – The Shakedown Cruise 2016
Dale Dair – Fight for Family 2016
Chico 7 – TROLLS 2017
Ambush in the Forest – A Chris Williams Short Story 2017
Bio:
Robert Weisskopf, Bob as his friends call him, grew up in Chicago where he still lives. His father was a Chicago Police Lieutenant but his father had first apprenticed as a pastry chef under Bob’s Grandfather. Over the course of thirty years he rose from Police Officer to Lieutenant.
He has three sons, Bobby, Jimmy, and Patrick. To this day his sons are the brightest part of his life. Now with a home filled with sons and dogs Bob perfects his cooking and spends his time writing, cooking and riding his Gold Wing motorcycle. This year he turned 61, so this is just the beginning of his story.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
The cookbook was something suggested by friends. I learned to cook for my sons and wanted to pass what I learned on to other single dads and anyone new to cooking. The Scifi genre I chose after recuperating from a leg injury where I spent most of my time reading ebooks on my kindle. I thought “I can do that.”
How has writing changed/altered your life?
It has sharpened my mind and forced me to teach myself several new skills. It keeps me alert and connected to everyone around me. It makes me feel younger.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I have always enjoyed King, W.E.B Griffin, Dale Brown, and Tom Clancy now I am reading a lot of new indie authors who have become my friends. Larry Casey, Richard Rybicki, and Paul Russell Parker.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I always loved visiting them and browsing through the aisle. Now with a bad back I don’t do that often. I have also limited most of my purchases now to my Kindle. I just don’t have the room to store all the books. I read a lot and without e-books it gets costly.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
I just hope they enjoy it. I’m not trying to change their life. I want them to take the time to relax and sink their teeth into a book. Afterwards If they were entertained I’m thrilled. With my cookbook, I hope they become more comfortable in the kitchen. It isn’t about following recipes but rather getting comfortable in the kitchen.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
In my cookbook, it is all personal experience. I have pulled my experiences and recipes that I made for my sons and myself. With my novels, my characters develop based on people I worked with or lived with. My lead character treats people and leads the way I learned as a Police officer and supervisor.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
I’m not sure. Some of them have come very easy. My current novel is taking time. I enjoy the process from the first word of the first chapter up to the hours of marketing needed to sell a copy. I have always been creative and artistic. It always stirred my spirit to create something. I learned a while back to find God in the details and I do.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
Now more than anything it is bad editing and proofreading. My quality has improved from my first to my current work. Sentence structure is better, plot line has improved, and even though you might find errors they are few and far between.
When I read a book that has the story line drift all over it loses me quickly. Spell check isn’t enough. You need someone who can read your work and criticize and correct your mistakes. If you don’t edit the reader will. Find an editor that will work with you. I have and she made a world of difference to my writing.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No but perhaps warning labels are needed. I wouldn’t want a little child reading some of the work I see. I think the best way is to have the author label it themselves. If it is political or sexual let the reader know it on the back cover. Be honest the readers will appreciate it.
I am often asked at book signings if it is appropriate for a teenager. I try to be honest. I don’t use much vulgarity but there is some. I stay away from hot topics like gender or politics but if I didn’t I would be happy to warn people.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
Please use contractions. It makes your writing read so much smoother. Learn your computer and social media.
Where can people find you and your work?
BOBWEISSKOPF.COM and of course on Amazon
https://bobweisskopf.com/
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01DB5A7IU?ref_=pe_1724030_132998070
https://www.facebook.com/RWAuthor/
https://www.facebook.com/Diningnotjusteating/
https://www.facebook.com/FreighterLola/
I have also been a contributor to Law Enforcement Today online new magazine for several years now and my work is archived at https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/author/robertw332/
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Jamie Wendt
Name: Jamie Wendt
Genre(s) of your work: Poetry
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Fruit of the Earth published in July 2018 by Main Street Rag Publishing Company
Bio:
Jamie Wendt is the author of Fruit of the Earth, a poetry collection published by Main Street Rag Publishing Company. She graduated from the University of Nebraska Omaha with an MFA in Creative Writing, and she received a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Drake University. Her poetry has been published in a variety of literary journals, including Lilith, Raleigh Review, Minerva Rising, Third Wednesday, and Saranac Review. Her essays on Jewish writing have been published in Green Mountains Review and the Forward. She contributes book reviews for the Jewish Book Council, Literary Mama, and other publications. Wendt teaches high school English and lives in Chicago with her husband and two children.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Writing has always been a part of my life, so it’s hard to say how it has changed my life. However, I know that writing has allowed me to better understand my life. Writing is my way of making sense of the world. I have always been more articulate through writing than through verbal conversation. Writing out my ideas allows me to reconsider what I believe and to think critically about what is going on around me.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
A few of my favorite poets include Alicia Ostriker, Emma Lazarus, Carl Sandburg, Ada Limon, and Patricia Smith. These poets all are experts at telling stories through poetic imagery and sensory language and are able to weave politics and lyric abstractions in their poems in a way that is still accessible. These are poets whose poems I continually go back to for inspiration or to share with my students. These poets are very intentional about diction and the line while writing about everyday experiences that lead to heightened awareness of the world. I especially love Smith’s Hurricane Katrina poems in Blood Dazzler and Ostriker’s Jewish themed poems in The Book of Life.
My favorite prose writers include David Grossman, Barbara Kingsolver, Alice Hoffman, Emma Donoghue, Alex Kotlowitz, Tim O’Brien, and Azar Nafisi. I am reminded of their characters at random moments in life, especially when current events beg connection to their characters. These authors not only bring their characters to life but create memorable, relatable moments. These books help me connect with time periods and events and enter the lives of characters who are both very similar and very different from me. Their books have been both my mirrors and my windows.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
My poems focus on my Jewish identity, especially my roles as a mother, woman, and American. I hope readers will take away my passion for my family’s heritage and traditions and learn about the personal aspects of Judaism. Many of my poems are about women’s experiences within Judaism, including going to a ritual bath, or mikvah, and praying in the women’s section of the Western Wall (Ha’Kotel) in Jerusalem. Several poems are also about the passing on of significant objects from generation to generation, such as wedding heirlooms, which I think all readers can relate to. Judaism is as much a lifestyle as a religion, and I hope my poems will give new insight into Jewish culture.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Personal experience does play into my poems; although, the narrator in my poems is not always myself. I think readers of poetry tend to assume that the first-person narrator is the poet, unless the poem is identified as a persona poem, but this is not always true. While I do tend to write from my experiences, I also add fictional elements to my poems, or combine multiple experiences into one moment. If I add something fictional, it is to create a higher realization.
Where can people find you and your work?
My poetry has been published in a wide variety of literary journals and anthologies, including Lilith, Literary Mama, The Laurel Review, Saranac Review, and Feminine Rising: Voices of Power and Invisibility.
Please check out my website for links to poems published online: https://jamiewendt.wordpress.com/.
There are also sample poems available on my publisher’s webpage from my newly released book, Fruit of the Earth. More information about my book, including purchase details, can be found at the following link: https://mainstreetragbookstore.com/product/fruit-of-the-earth-jamie-wendt/.
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Jay Whales
Pseudonym (if you use one): Jay Whales
Genre(s) of your work: Horror, but to paraphrase the late Richard Laymon “I don’t actually write horror, I write crime fiction.”
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Marquand Tales, 2015
Weddings Suck: A Non Politically Correct Novel of Horror, 2015
Sasquatch: A Non Politically Correct Novella of Horror, 2015
Sarah: The Non Politically Correct Novella of Horror, 2015
IBRNSOB (Redux): The Non Politically Correct Novella of Horror, 2015
Booger Eating Bastards: A Non Politically Correct Novella of Horror, 2015
Nothing Ever Happens in Fox Hollow – Volume 2: A Horror Short Story Anthology; The Haunted Mirror by Jay Whales, 2020
Nanjing Fried Rice, in queue to be read on the Horrorific podcast, 2023
Bio:
Jay Whales grew up in a small Missouri town battling sasquatches, rednecks, witches, booger eating bastards, drinking Spine Likker fresh from the spigot and just having fun. Jay rode in the back of pick-up trucks, never heard of a seat belt until he started working and he and his best friend watched shitty horror movies every chance they got on VHS. Jay also dabbles in acting, it is a hobby, he is not expecting to be the next Clint Howard.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I have been an avid fan of horror, movies, books, comic books, you name it since the earliest days I can remember. I enjoy and I write every genre of horror as well. My earlier writings were pretty brutal and “non politically correct,” nowadays I would have to use the term that my writings were “non woke” in any way, shape or form.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Writing is an outlet where-in I can express my imagination. My entire adult life I was in the military where at each and every step someone was telling me what to do. In my writing, no one can do that.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
If stranded on a desert island, I would want every Richard Laymon book with me. To me, he wrote “down to earth” stories that could happen to most of us. His writings never got boring or bogged down in inane dialogue.
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 can not listen to audiobooks while driving, my mind works in ways where I am not listening to it. Others though are the opposite and live and breathe their audiobooks. Some people still haven’t accepted ebooks.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
The best marketing tool is word of mouth, though of course to be a big time writer, a person would need word of mouth on the national level. A bad marketing tool would be to rely solely on user reviews. They are too subjective and any person can read any user review on any product and see an 180 degree swing in the users write up. Of course, I am aware, this is also “world of mouth,” that I just said was a good thing.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
NEVER!
What is your opinion of Trigger Warnings?
Trigger warnings are a joke. A nation that has to put such warnings on peoples “art”, is a nation in decline. If trigger warnings were around in times past would the Bible have been written? Would the statue of David be around? The movie Soylent Green? The list is endless.
Where can people find you and your work?
https://authorjaywhales.wixsite.com/mid-western-stories#!
https://www.amazon.com/s?i=digital-text&rh=p_27%3AJay+Whales&s=relevancerank&text=Jay+Whales&ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1
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Barbara Claypole White
Name: Barbara Claypole White
Genre(s) of your work:
Mainstream / book club fiction / women’s fiction / upmarket commercial fiction / literary fiction / southern fiction
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Unfinished Garden 2012
The In-Between Hour 2014
The Perfect Son 2015
Echoes of Family 2016
The Promise Between Us 2018
Bio:
Bestselling author Barbara Claypole White creates hopeful family drama with a healthy dose of mental illness. Originally from England, she writes and gardens in the forests of North Carolina, where she has fourteen flowerbeds, one of which is home to Horace–a black snake who likes to scare the UPS guy. She is also a wife, a mother, and an OCD Advocate for the A2A Alliance, a nonprofit group that promotes advocacy over adversity. (Her beloved menfolk—her husband and son—both battle obsessive-compulsive disorder.)
Barbara is traditionally published with MIRA Books and Lake Union, and has five novels in print and one in the drawer—where it will stay. She is currently working on what she thought was novel six, but appears to be two linked stories that need separating. (Fun times ahead.) THE PERFECT SON, her third novel, was a Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee for Best Fiction 2015.
To connect with Barbara, please visit http://www.barbaraclaypolewhite.com
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
Not sure I have a genre, so let me tackle that first. When I started writing fiction, thirty years ago, I knew only that I wanted to create strong female voices and messed-up men. I didn’t want to write genre romance, but I was leaning toward love stories. Once I unleashed James Nealy on the page, the hero of my debut novel, everything changed. Or rather, became more defined. James led to my two passions: crafting characters who battle invisible disabilities, and creating stories about the impact of mental illness on families.
Some people classify me as women’s fiction because I write emotionally-layered stories; others say I can’t possibly write women’s fiction because I have two novels with male protagonists; booksellers have put me in romance, southern fiction, and commercial fiction. My last two novels have performed consistently well in Amazon’s literary bestsellers category.
Honestly? I write the stories I want to write and hope they find good homes. If I had to pick a genre for myself, I would say book club fiction, which isn’t strictly a genre. Mental illness has framed my life since childhood, and I want to punch holes in the stereotypes, the stigma, the shame. I also want to be part of the public dialogue, and book clubs spark terrific discussions about such topics.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I’ve written my whole life—in stories and poems as a child, in journals as a teenager, in press releases as a publicist, in articles as a freelance journalist, and finally in fiction. Fiction is my true love. It’s become my therapy and my escape, the way I process fear and everything I can’t control. The way I consistently write a better story for myself and my loved ones. I don’t necessarily have happy endings, but my stories carry truckloads of hope. I need that hope.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I tend to have favorite books, not favorite authors, but I will read anything by Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain, Chris Bohjalian, Sally Hepworth, and Denyse Devlin/Woods. I love these authors because they guarantee strong themes and messages, outstanding characters, and gorgeous writing. (As an author and a reader, I’m all about writing and character.)
This summer I’m on a kick to read more thrillers/suspense to teach myself pacing. I was pleased with the pace of my January release, The Promise Between Us, but it’s something I struggle with as a writer. I want to stop and describe the flowers, the light through the trees, the bird song… My natural inclination is to meander, and meandering doesn’t generate page-turners.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I’m a huge fan of indie bookstores. Always have been, always will be. I love Amazon Prime and the ease of shopping with Amazon, but nothing competes with the ambiance of a community bookstore. We’re blessed to have great indies in our area and they host amazing author events. Plus, our local booksellers have been incredibly supportive of me throughout the ups and downs of my career. They have won my customer loyalty.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
I hope that my work encourages readers to talk openly about mental illness—to share information and stories of success. Life in the trenches with mental illness can be debilitating and isolating, and if I start a conversation, or educate readers about real life OCD, for example, I’m thrilled. However, my primary goal is to entertain. I’m an author first.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
How long do you have for my answer? My story seeds come from my corner of the world—either from watching loved ones struggle with anxiety, depression, addiction, etc., or from events within my mental health community. I plant those seeds and encourage them to grow outside the box of personal experience. Ultimately, I find my stories and my characters through one-on-one interviews with strangers who are living the experiences I want to recreate. For example, we have bipolar disorder in the family, but my research for Echoes of Family was restricted to people I met online or friends of friends.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
Gin and chocolate? (That’s not so far from the truth…) I work backward from my contract deadlines, figuring out what I have to achieve by when. I put those dates on my calendar and then shrink that information to daily goals. I hate everything before the third draft, so up until that point, I focus on writing 1,500 new words a day or editing a set number of pages a week. Thinking small helps me achieve big and discover plot/research holes. I have just made the terrifying decision to abandon my work-in-progress after a year, because I discovered I had squished two stories into one. And a stronger heroine accidentally presented herself during a research interview. I know I’ve made the right decision, but it’s battered my confidence. (Thank the Lord for gin and chocolate.)
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
I rarely give up on a book. As a writer, I often learn more from a story that I’m not enjoying. However, if I’m not connecting with the characters on any level, I might call it quits.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No, I don’t. I believe good writing comes from the heart and research is a wonderful tool that allows authors to build worlds. If an author has the passion and dedication to research and write around a difficult subject, that’s his or her choice. And the reader must decide whether he or she wants to spend time with the result. Some people who struggle with OCD have told me they had to stop reading The Promise Between Us because my heroine’s postpartum OCD triggered their own obsessive thoughts. When I do public events, I warn people this can happen. On the other hand, readers with undiagnosed, untreated OCD have reached out with incredible stories about how my novel encouraged them to seek professional help or enabled them to understand their struggles as new parents. Fiction can, and does, make a difference.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
It’s an incredibly silly one, but I hate the word ‘chuckled.’ There, I’ve said it. I’m not a chuckler. Icky, icky, icky word.
Where can people find you and your work?
Check out my website for my social media links: http://barbaraclaypolewhite.com/index.html, and my Amazon author page for my books: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B00913DBCG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1532187971&sr=8-1&redirectedFromKindleDbs=true
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David Wickenden
Your Name: David Wickenden
Genre(s) of your work: Mainly Thrillers, but I have just released a YA Fantasy.
Bio:
David Wickenden has spent time in the Canadian Armed Forces before the Fire Service, so is as comfortable with a rocket launcher as a fire hose. He has brought six people back from the dead utilizing CPR and a defibrillator and has assisted in rescuing people in crisis. He has learnt to lead men and women in extreme environments. He loves to cook, read and draw and write. David ran his own home based custom art business creating highly detailed wood and paper burnings called pyrography. One of his pictures of former Prime Minister Jean Chretien graces the walls of Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
After 31 years in the Fire Service and attaining the rank of Deputy Fire Chief, David retired to write thriller novels full time. He is a member of the Writer’s Union of Canada, the International Thriller Association, and the International Screenwriters Association. His works comprises of IN DEFENSE OF INNOCENCE, 2018, HOMEGROWN 2018, and DEADLY HARVEST 2019, MAD DOG July 2020 through Black Rose Writing and FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE November 2020. He has adapted all five stories into screenplays.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I have always loved thrillers. Having been in both the military and the fire service, I was definitely an adrenaline junkie. Now into retirement, reading and writing allows me to continue to experience the thrills without the pain of aching muscles. I look at issues that interest me or disturb me to shine a light on the issue. My Laura Amour series, In Defense of Innocence and Deadly Harvest, deals with child exploitation; both domestically and internationally. Homegrown deals with the radicalization of young people by ISIS, while Mad Dog deals with animal abuse and life in the 1970’s in my hometown. My current WIP (work in progress), The Old Guard, deals with the growth of Nazism in America.
My YA Fantasy was suppose to be a ghost story for my son, but then the story took over and it ended going in places I would never had suspected.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I’ve tried writing a novel a number of times of the years, but life got in the way. After a three week holiday at camp that was filled with writing my first novel, I decided what really fulfilled me. I took an early retirement to write fulltime. I have released 5 novels in 3 years and have adapted all 5 into feature screenplays, which are for sale on the International Screenwriters Association website.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
The list so long! Robert Ludlum was my first real favorite. Currently, I have fallen for John Hart, William Kent Krueger, Steve Berry, David Baldacci, and of course, Stephen King.
In Science Fiction, I love Scott Overton, Frank Herbert, and Michael Crichton.
Historical: Conn Iggulden, Bernard Cornwell, and Margaret George.
Fantasy: William Stacey, Raymond E. Feist, J.R.R. Tolkien and Robert E. Howard.
Horror: Steve Vance, Stephen King, Nick Cutter, and Robert R. McCammon.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
Definitely. The increase in the sales of audible books is steady increasing. Most of the books I read are done this way. Even those ebooks I have, I use a reader as I am always reading on the run. Walking the dog, washing dishes or driving my car; I am always reading and the little things in life do not slow me down.
Currently, three of five of my books are on Audible and the other two should be out by April 2021.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
It has become too expensive for INDI authors to list on the larger bookstores because of the percentage they demand. Online books stores and audible stores are taking so much of the market, that Barnes and Noble in the States, (who declares bankruptcy last year) and Chapters in Canada, sell more home furnishings then they do books.
I think we will see a rise to the small Indi stores who are willing to stock both mainstream authors but also self-publishing titles. This is large market that hasn’t really been tapped into yet. There is a ton of talent that never reaches the light of day because everyone wants maximum profits.
What have you found to be a good marketing tool? A bad one?
Number One tool? Getting in front of the readers. Although I do make some sales off Amazon, Apple, Kobo, and others, the majority of my sales are made a Farmer’s Markets and Vendor Events. I have currently been directing my sales locally, but I have sold close to 1000 physical copies of my first novel, In Defense of Innocence since it was first published in the spring of 2018.
Once we are through with Covid, I plan on venturing to outside communities and larger book fairs in the Ottawa and Toronto areas.
Bad Marketing tool? – Not sure, as it is difficult to see what isn’t working when you have multiple tools working at the same time.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I think the market will decide. We definitely do not need religious or government to intervene. Right now, there is a huge LGBTQ+ demand by publishers as they try to fill a demand by readers. For some this is encouraging while others are opposed. Frankly it comes down to the individual. If you don’t like it; don’t read it. But leave your opinion to yourself.
Case in point: I wrote In Defense of Innocence to bring attention to the weak Canadian laws surrounding child abuse. I use a vigilante to bring the subject to light but also make it entertaining and exciting. Never, do I write a scene that shows a child being harmed. My sales for this series are great.
Another writer wrote a story that deals with a priest who molests children, but goes into vivid description of the multiple acts of abuse. From what I have heard, the author’s sales are in the toilet.
The market will decide.
Where can people find you and your work?
http://davewickenden.wixsite.com/dave-wickenden
On my website, readers can follow my writing journey, links to my books, and book reviews. For authors; I offer professional Beta Reading Services.
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07B53KWY5
https://twitter.com/DaveWickenden
https://www.facebook.com/WickendenDave/
My books are also available on most internet book stores.
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MK Williams
Name: MK Williams
Genre(s) of your work: My first novel, Nailbiters, is a sci-fi thriller. My second book is a collection of contemporary short fiction. My forthcoming third book is a contemporary fiction.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Nailbiters (2015): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27279554-nailbiters
The Games You Cannot Win (2016): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32660979-the-games-you-cannot-win
Bio:
MK Williams is an Indiana-born, Philadelphia-raised, Florida-transplant working and living beneath the sunny, and often rainy, skies of Tampa. Williams’ writing influences include a lifetime of watching suspenseful mysteries and action movies and reading Stephen King, Ian McEwan, Maragret Atwood, and J.K. Rowling.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
For each of the works that I have published, I wrote the story that I wanted to read. Nailbiters is a sci-fi thriller and it was fun to write and definitely pushed me as a writer to get out of my comfort zone. The stories in The Games You Cannot Win are all contemporary because that is what I know, living in modern society. I don’t think I will ever hold myself to just one genre or type of story. At least not intentionally.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I’ve always loved to write. When I decided to stop second-guessing myself and self-publish, I found a new confidence that has helped me in all areas of my life. I have learned so much about the industry, about myself, and I know that I will continue to learn more over time.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
My current number 1 favorite author is Margaret Atwood. I was late to discover her work (only a few years ago) and I am methodically going through her entire body of work. I love her writing style and her characters. All of her stories have a deeper message. I really like that.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
My aim is to make people think, to second-guess their assumptions. With Nailbiters, I wanted people to stop and think, “How would I act in that situation? What are the limits of my own humanity?”
With the last story in The Games You Cannot Win, titled Escaping Avila Chase, I wanted to tackle the complex issue of domestic violence or violence against women in our society. Writing it from the viewpoint of the aggressor, I wanted to make my audience question their assumptions of guilt and redemption. How can an abuser ever find absolution? Can a woman really just walk away after the first instance of violence without anyone criticizing her actions?
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
From the very first idea to the final product it usually takes me about 3 years to write a book so the motivation comes in short spurts. I’ll have a new idea and I will need to get it written down and then maybe I’ll let that sit for a while.
My biggest motivation to finish a story and get a book published comes from this fear that someone will publish the same exact story before me or that the plot line will play out in the real world and everyone will think that I just copied the idea.
This actually happened with my latest work, The Games You Cannot Win. The second story, The Joker, was written in November of 2015. When I wrote the story, I believed it to be a far-fetched conspiracy theory about the election. By the time it was published in October of 2016, the US Presidential election was only a few days away and many of these crazy ideas had already played out in the media.
Where can people find you and your work?
My books are available for sale on Amazon, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords, and other online retailers. They are also available in some local libraries, if you want your library to add my book to their catalog you can usually find a purchase request form on your library’s website.
Website, where I post updates about my books and new releases: https://nailbitersnovel.com/
Facebook Page, to stay connected to my fans: https://www.facebook.com/1mkwilliams/
Nailbiters: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015QRVSWA
The Games You Cannot Win: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MCU6A0W
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John M. Wills
Your Name: John M. Wills
Genre(s) of your work: Varied
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The most recent five:
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Targeted, 2011
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Women Warriors, Stories From The Thin Blue Line, 2013
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The Year Without Christmas, 2013
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HEALER, 2014
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The Storm, 2016
Bio:
John M. Wills writes mostly fiction, but he’s also a freelance writer and has published more than 150 articles. John write scripts for the William McLlain Foundation for videos honoring fallen first responders as well. He’s been fortunate to have poetry and short stories published in eight anthologies, and writes book reviews for the New York Journal of Books. His books, articles, poetry, and short stories have won more than a dozen awards.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
After writing reports and affidavits most of my life, I enjoy escaping into the world of make believe and writing about fictional characters and places.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Writing has allowed me to explore new topics and given me a small platform to express myself. And while I never started writing to make money, happily I’ve been able to make a bit of money through my freelance work. My books, while not all that profitable, give me an intangible reward vis-à-vis the feedback from readers who enjoy my stories.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I very much enjoy the works of Dan Walsh. He writes wholesome stories with redeeming themes that resonate with me.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I’m disappointed in the direction they’ve gone in the past several years. My books used to be carried by them, at least locally, now unless you’re a mainstream author or celebrity author there’s hardly a chance they will carry your books. Sure they’re in the catalog and will order them if a customer requests, but they’re not on the shelves in store. Sad. I have a couple local bookstores that do carry my books.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
Most of the time I have the good guys winning, so I want to reinforce the notion that doing the right thing is the best policy. Bad guys lose—good guys win.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
My background has been structured: Army, Chicago Police Department, and the FBI (retired). I’ve seen and done many things and I use that history to help weave stories.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
I get very involved with the characters and look forward to developing them each day. As the story moves forward, characters change and new ones emerge. It’s exciting and I look forward to adding a new chapter each day.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
A dull story line and lifeless characters, too much telling rather than showing, poor dialogue, and too many errors.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No, I may not like certain topics but stifling creativity and speech is detrimental. The market place will usually decide what stays and what disappears.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
In thrillers and mysteries involving police, I hate when the wrong terminology is used regarding weapons and procedures. I instantly question the author’s credibility and/or research.
Where can people find you and your work?
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and my website/blog:
https://jwillsbooks.com/books/
As well as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Rosalind Winton
Your Name: Rosalind Winton
Genre(s) of your work: Poetry
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Poetic Wonders on Amazon (2019)
Bio:
I live in Hertfordshire and I run my own editing business One Voice Literary Agency, but in my other life I write poetry and song lyrics. I have been writing for around 40 years and most of my achievements are with my lyric writing (which will be in the musician’s blog section on this site). I have always wanted to publish my own poetry, but never had enough to warrant a whole book, so in 2014, I had an idea and I gathered together five other talented writers for the project.
Poetic Wonders is an anthology with 90 beautiful original, contemporary poems, plus a full length story, written in rhyme called The Bear On Lonely Lake by one of the featured authors, my daughter illustrated it and it really is a beautiful book. It took five years to complete, because life got in the way with unforeseen events that included two accidents which left me with a broken ankle on one occasion and a broken elbow on another occasion, but I pushed through and was determined to finish the book. The one thing that kept me going was the thought that I would be letting the other authors down if I didn’t and it was the most incredible experience to finally have the finished, published book in my hands.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I have always been fascinated by rhyme and rhyming patterns. I love to find different ways of saying something and the creative process of starting with that blank page and working on an idea, building it to a finished poem or lyric is just an incredible feeling. I love a challenge and when I am asked to write something for someone, they are very exciting experiences.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
Writing has given me a way to express myself in ways I can’t do verbally. It has given me confidence and it’s something I have for myself.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Shakespeare, Dickens, Bronte sisters. I love the classics, because I love the way language is used in these types of stories.
Do you believe that audiobooks are the wave of the future, more of a passing fad, or somewhere in between and why?
I think audio books are very important, for the visually impaired and for people who can’t read a book for one reason or another, dyslexia for example, but also just to hear a voice reading a story can be very relaxing for anyone. I think that they are a wave for the future.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I think that any outlet that sells ‘real’ books is something great.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
Not at all.
Where can people find you and your work?
http://www.onevoiceliteraryagency.com/
https://www.facebook.com/OneVoiceLiteraryAgency
https://www.facebook.com/rosalind.winton/
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Stacy M Wray
Name: Stacy M Wray
Genre(s) of your work: contemporary romance, although my current WIP is a suspense
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
The Girl from the Kitchen Store 2014
Unclaimed Regrets 2015
Finding Karma 2017
Libra Rising 2017
Bio:
Stacy M Wray loves writing and reading anything romance – Judy Blume being one of the first authors she read in middle school. After all, a world without love, heartache and angst would prove a boring place to live.
Lover of gray and white cats, craver of all things sweet, enthusiast of hiking and camping, wife of an extremely supportive husband, and mom to two amusing adult children, she realizes life is pretty damn good.
She also appreciates that it’s never too late to try something new. Never.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I love all things romance so naturally I write it too. The build up between two people meeting and falling in love never gets old for me.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
It hasn’t. I started writing later in life. I am the mom to two adult children, and when they left for college, I bought a Kindle and never looked back. I read so many books that I decided to give it a go. I have learned so much with every book I publish.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
In middle school I discovered Judy Blume and I couldn’t get enough. I also enjoy Anita Shreve – I’ve read every book she’s written. Now my favorite author is Tarryn Fisher. I love how she writes about flawed, raw, real characters and how she doesn’t necessarily stick to a certain genre. She writes what she feels.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
Hopefully I provide some sort of escape for them. And if I’ve managed to get them to shed a tear or want to throw their book across the room, then I’ve done my job.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
Nothing major. I’m sure I slip nuances of myself and life in my books, but nothing big.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
I’m a slow writer. I don’t use an outline or a storyboard. My story shapes itself as I type. So it might take me awhile to get there, but I WILL get there.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
Bad, cheesy dialogue. If it’s not realistic, I just can’t.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
No. Writing is a form of art, an expression of oneself. And there are thousands upon thousands of books to choose from. No one forces anyone to read what they don’t like/believe in. It’s all about choice.
Where can people find you and your work?
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Stacy-M-Wray/e/B00PS4NQ4U/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1522549474&sr=8-1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/authorstacymwray/
website: www.stacymwray.com
Twitter: @stacymwray
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Debbie Young
Name: Debbie Young (I write under my real name)
Genre: Cosy mystery and romantic comedy – a bit of a mashup!
Titles/year of published work:
Sophie Sayers Village Mystery Series
1st five of planned series of seven published so far:
Best Murder in Show 2017
Trick or Murder? 2017
Murder in the Manger 2017
Murder by the Book 2018
Springtime for Murder 2018
Still to come:
Murder Your Darlings 2019
Murder Lost and Found 2020
Plus 1st in new series, Secrets at St Bride’s, will be published later 2019
Also three collections of short stories:
Quick Change (2014), Stocking Fillers (2014), Marry in Haste (2015)
Bio:
After a busy career in journalism, PR, marketing and charity administration, Debbie Young writes full-time in her Victorian cottage in the heart of the English Cotswolds region, where she has lived for most of her adult life. Her warm, witty novels are inspired by the rural community around her, where she plays an active part in village life, including running the annual Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival. She is also UK ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors for which she also co-writes guidebooks for authors, including How to Get Your Selfpublished Book into Bookstores. She also enjoys travel in the family camper van with her Scottish husband and their teenage daughter.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I wanted to write the kind of books I like to read – warm, witty upbeat stories with a healthy mix of mystery, gentle romance and comedy, all set in appealing communities such as an English village or a girls’ boarding school.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I’ve always written fiction for pleasure and my love of writing just about anything enabled me to find jobs that included a strong writing element e.g. marketing and PR. I’m now very much enjoying writing fiction full-time as my career – something that I don’t think would have been possible when I was a new graduate. Modern technology – digital publishing, print-on-demand and online retailing – have made writing fiction now a viable career for many people, and that is absolutely life-changing!
Who are your favourite authors and why?
I love Dorothy L Sayers for her intelligent approach to crimewriting, combining compelling characters, vivid sense of place and meticulous use of language with clever plot ideas.
George Orwell has been a huge influence on me because of his earnest political focus, his precise language and his sincerity.
I admire P G Wodehouse for his comic genius and inventive language – he makes it seem so effortless!
MC Beaton’s humour, wit and prolific output have made her a key role model for me.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
Bookstore chains are hidebound by the profit motive and need to please shareholders and others remote from the storefront. Small indie stores, where the proprietor is usually hands-on and dealing with customers and authors on a daily basis, are much more fun to visit, and I think they are more futureproof too, because they tend to make themselves more a pillar of the local community, adapting to local markets and needs and interests.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
All my stories are triggered by real-life observations, whether a single short story sparked by overhearing a snippet of conversation between strangers, or a series of novels inspired by a community in which I have lived or worked. I am careful always to fictionalise everything though – real life is only the starting point!
What motivates you to complete your writing work?
A deadline to get an ms to a beta reader/editor/retail site.
Eagerness to have the current WIP out of the way so I can get on to the next one.
Readers asking me when the next book will be out!
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I think censorship is the thin end of a dangerous wedge of excessive state control. Instead, I prefer there to be clear guidelines for labeling so that people can make an informed choice about what they want to read.
Where can people find you and your work:
Author website: www.authordebbieyoung.com
Blog: https://authordebbieyoung.com/personal-blog/
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorDebbieYoung/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DebbieYoungBN
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Debbie-Young/e/B009GLU6XU/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Debbie-Young/e/B009GLU6XU/
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Joyce Burns Zeiss
Name: Joyce Burns Zeiss
Genre(s) of your work: Young adult historical fiction
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Out of the Dragon’s Mouth, Flux, March, 2015
Bio:
I am a retired junior high school teacher, married, with three grown children and three grandchildren. I live in Evanston, IL and belong to Off Campus Writers Workshop and The Writers in Glencoe. Besides writing, I tutor English as a Second Language students in my friend’s classroom, practice yoga, garden, read , and travel as much as I can. I love spending time with my children and grandchildren.
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
I have always loved history and think it is important for young people to learn about what has happened in the past and the lessons we can take from it.
How has writing changed/altered your life?
I have become a part of a whole community of writers which is wonderful considering how solitary the writing life can be. Writers are such interesting people. I love getting to know them and read their works.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
I’ve always been a fan of Steinbeck. Grapes of Wrath changed my life. A contemporary author is Ruta Sepetys who has written Salt to the Sea, and Between Shades of Gray, two powerful young adult books about World War II in Eastern Europe. Between Shades of Gray is being made into a movie.
What is your opinion of mainstream/corporate bookstores?
I hope they don’t run the independent bookstores out of business. I do love browsing in them.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
I want readers to understand what refugees go through when they lose everything and have to risk their lives to leave their country and travel to another land. Most young people know nothing about the Vietnam War and what happened after the fall of Saigon.
How much does personal experience play in your written work?
My book is based on my friend’s experience as a Vietnamese refugee. In 1979, our family sponsored a Chinese Cambodian refugee family so I came to know up close what a refugee goes through. My husband and I also worked in several Angolan refugee camps in Zambia and Namibia. All this has fueled, my interest in the plight of the refugee.
How do you find the motivation to complete a book/story?
I need to be in a writing/critique group with deadlines. I am currently working on a sequel to Out of the Dragon’s Mouth and I really need the feedback I get from my fellow writers.
What makes you NOT finish reading a book?
If the book is really long and I am becoming bored with the character, I will not finish it. I shocked my librarian friends by not finishing The Gentleman in Moscow, a book everyone seemed to think was wonderful. Beautiful language but the plot really dragged for me.
Do you believe writing should be censored – that some topics should remain taboo?
I do not believe in censorship, but I do think there is age appropriate reading. No topic is taboo, but I don’t have to read about it.
Any pet peeves in writing? In reading others’ work?
Since I was an English teacher, the grammatical errors jump right up at me. It’s okay in a first draft, but after that, no. Writing is hard work and we all need to encourage each other.
Where can people find you and your work?
joyceburnszeiss.com
joyceburnszeiss@amazon
Joyce Zeiss author, Facebook
Joyce Burns Zeiss, Goodreads
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Victoria Zigler
Name: My name is Victoria Zigler, but I prefer to be called Tori.
Genre(s) of your work: I write poetry and children’s stories.
Titles/Year of Published Work(s):
Degu Days Duo:
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The Great Degu Round-Up (2014)
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A Very Degu Christmas (2014)
Kero’s World:
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Kero Goes Walkies (2013)
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Kero Celebrates His Birthday (2013)
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Kero Gets Sick (2013)
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Kero Celebrates Halloween (2013)
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Kero Goes To Town (2013)
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Kero Celebrates Christmas (2013)
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Kero Crosses The Rainbow Bridge (2014)
Magical Chapters Trilogy:
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Witchlet (2012)
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The Pineapple Loving Dragon (2012)
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A Magical Storm (2013)
Toby’s Tales:
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Toby’s New World (2012)
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Toby’s Monsters (2012)
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Toby’s Outing (2012)
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Toby’s Games (2013)
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Toby’s Special School (2013)
Zeena Dragon Fae:
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Zeena And The Dryad (2015)
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Zeena And The Gryphon (2015)
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Zeena And The Mermaid (2016)
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Zeena And The Phoenix (2016)
Sue Rovens 