Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Liza and I'm a regular old gal from the great state of Texas. I am a new indie author and my first novella was released on Amazon on September 14, 2018.

This will be the first book in The Headmaster's Harem series, with two additional books in the works.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my debut novella is Bound by the Headmaster. I was inspired by a creative writing challenge.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unfortunately, I'm the cliche writer – booze and a pack of smokes. I know…it's a vile habit, but it helps the words flow.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I'm a big fan of romance. Veterans such as Nora Roberts, Beverly Jenkins, and Danielle Steele have greatly influenced me.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the third book in the Headmaster's Harem series, Claimed by the Headmaster.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook is the greatest tool in my marketing arsenal. Why? Well, because that's where my readers lurk.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing. I know it sounds simple, but that's really all it takes.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write drunk. Edit sober.

What are you reading now?
Baracoon by Zora Neale Hurston.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Taking over the Amazon charts.

What is your favorite book of all time?
A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown.

Author Websites and Profiles
Liza Bangston Website

Liza Bangston’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an avid fan of all types of literature and media, and I recently published my first solo novel. I previously published "The Trouble With Thieves" with my spouse and sometimes-writing partner Maurice Alvarez.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
"The Healer's Girl" was inspired by my love for the fantasy and science fiction genres in general, as well as my desire to create a strong female protagonist who is in charge of her own destiny, despite the expectations of those around her.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to speak to my characters directly and let their voices come to me at all hours, so my desk is littered with scraps of paper with ideas and dialog, waiting to be transcribed.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up reading Asimov, Bradbury and Tolkien, but I've also read my share of historical romances, biographies and science journals.

What are you working on now?
I am currently writing the companion book-end stories to "The Healer's Girl" since the account is first-person and therefore limited in scope and context. There was a great deal that comes before, and after.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am currently new to the publishing business, so I am still finding what works best for me, but I enjoy reaching out directly to friends and readers to learn what they enjoyed about the story, and what more they would like to see.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don't be discouraged, and make the effort to read, and re-read your work. Only you can tell your story the way you intend it!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You are your own best advocate.

What are you reading now?
"Hamilton" by Ron Chernow

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing the next book, while I still have my momentum and inspiration!

What is your favorite book of all time?
I have my books from childhood, but I also have books that I adore that I've read to my children at bedtime. "The Velveteen Rabbit" and "The Giving Tree" are both simple stories that still make me cry when I read them, every time.

Author Websites and Profiles
Ande Li Website
Ande Li Amazon Profile
Ande Li Author Profile Other Bookseller

Ande Li’s Social Media Links
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My first book was a project with a former colleague, where we wanted to collect all the things that we had learned in our ten years of corporate experience, along with expert advice from people in our network, in a guide to help new hires.

My second book, just launched, is also a collection of wisdom and personal experiences: it’s 50 stories of people who have left behind the corporate 9 to 5 to create a different kind of career and life for themselves. I’ve framed these stories within my own experience of quitting my job and I’m hoping this will prove reassuring, inspirational and of tangible help to people who are considering their very own career transition.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Leaving the Corporate 9 to 5: Stories from people who've done it (and how you can too!).

In 2013, I took a leap of faith, leaving my corporate job without a clear plan as to what I was going to do next. One of the first ideas I had after leaving was to talk to others who had done the same. To be perfectly honest, this stemmed from a selfish desire on my side to be inspired, to find the courage to do what I wanted to do, and to learn from other people’s mistakes! In sharing the interviews on my newly established blog, however, I was able to broaden my reach to inspire and help other people like me in the process.

The first interview went up on the blog in January 2014 and, in the years since, I’ve spoken to 50 different people. With a range of experiences and fantastic advice hidden away in these old blog posts, I thought it would be valuable to collect all the interviews in a book. I called this interview series ‘Fearless Fridays’ on my blog, and I do love a good alliteration, so Fifty Fearless Fridays just sounded like it was meant to be!

I’ve also learned a lot from my own experience of the various twists and turns since I first made the decision to quit. Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to understanding who I am, what motivates me and what a fulfilling career looks like for me as an individual. I’ve become passionate about helping others do the same, and I now coach people through their own transition out of the corporate 9 to 5. I’ve framed the 50 stories in this collection within my own personal experience and what I’ve observed in coaching clients, adding some guidance as to what you can do to start creating your own career transition story. My hope is that this book will offer both reassurance and inspiration on the one hand, and concrete tips and action steps on the other, as you create your very own career transition story.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn't say they are particularly unusual!

I’ve been publishing weekly on my blog for years (in fact, I started out with a new post every two days when I was travelling and then continued twice weekly) and that’s an integral part of my routine at this stage. I also now write for external publications so that has become a regular outlet, while I use my marketing and business experience to produce training scripts for a number of companies as well.

As a result, I write something pretty much every day. Although I never really face that dreaded “writer’s block”, there are definitely days when I feel inspired and can push out a great blog post in just a couple of hours, and other days when I just don’t have the energy or focus. The good thing is that there are plenty of other things that I can be doing on those days, that require a different kind of brain work!

Since I work for myself, I can also write from anywhere – from home, from a cafe, on a train or plane…

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I couldn't really pinpoint any specific author or book that has influenced me in the kind of writing that I do at the moment. However, I have read a lot of books about writing and my favourites include On Writing by Stephen King, The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron and The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

What are you working on now?
I'm promoting my new book!

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The book is a part of my business strategy and I have an email list and social media following that I can promote to, and these people are the ideal target audience for the book. Going forward, I will make sure that the book is integrated into my regular email sequences and I will continue to promote it ongoing.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice is to define what success means to you. Do you have to be a New York Times bestseller in order to feel like a writer? Do you have to sell a million copies? Do you want your book to be a step in your marketing funnel for your business? A platform that will give you credibility and help you enter a career of public speaking? Or just a passion project that you simply have to get out of your system? Knowing why you want to write will first of all keep you motivated through the lows but secondly also help you decide on the best topic and the right way to go about the whole process.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write! So many of us talk about wanting to “be a writer”, and yet we don’t do what being a writer essentially requires: writing! Writing every day, putting our work out there, and keeping going, whatever the response (or lack thereof). Don’t worry about getting it wrong – you’re not going to nail the very first post that you write, and you’re unlikely to be a bestseller with your very first book. Write, publish, then write again. That’s the only way that you’ll be a writer – and get better at your craft.

What are you reading now?
I have a gazillion non-fiction books related to careers and business on my Kindle… I'd love to take the time to read more fiction as well, so I will try to do that now that the rush to publish my book is over!

What’s next for you as a writer?
I'm planning my next book (and a new podcast) on the topic of Reimaging Success: questioning the traditional definitions of success that we have inherited from our parents, teacher and society as a whole, going beyond the narrow domain of work and money and incorporating all our personal and professional goals in a holistic way.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Impossible to answer! But if I can cheat I might say all of Jane Austin's books…

Author Websites and Profiles
Anna Lundberg Website
Anna Lundberg Amazon Profile

Anna Lundberg’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written twenty-two clean, heartwarming romance novels. And there are currently six more in various stages of publication, with more to come, of course.
I live with my husband near Hershey, PA and adore chocolate, laughing, collecting bags, books, and shoes. Oh, and writing clean stories that resonate with others.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Baking with Nerds is book 13 of The Morrison Family Series. This book came out of nowhere, and took me by surprise, but that's the best part of being a writer! I now have at least four additional books from just this one – books 14 & 15 are already written! That's how fast these books have come. (I adore being a writer!)

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No. Like many other romance writers, I do consume far too much coffee and chocolate while in the thick of things. (:

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jayne Ann Krentz, Vicki Lewis Thompson, Jenny Crusie, and Betty Neels all come to mind first. I'm sure there are many, many more!

What are you working on now?
You're going to be sorry you asked that! 😀
SORRY CHARLEE, book 1 of a new heartwarming series, is soon ready to be sent to publishers. I also have a new paranormal series entitled Gargoyles Unlimited, book 1 is called BLOWN AWAY, and that will also be making the publisher rounds. Then I have the Seeking Series, which is a short fantasy series, and the 2nd book, SEEKING: MAIDEN QUEEN, is due out early next year. Finally, I have book 14, NERDS IN HARMONY of The Morrison Family Series coming sometime next year as well. (Again, book 15 is already written and there are at least two more in that series, possibly more, coming.)

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I'm still trying to figure all this out. Please advise in the comments if you've found some great ones, other than My Book Place, of course. (:

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Finish the book!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Finish the book!

What are you reading now?
Just finished a great clean book by Iris Chacon called Finding Miranda. I've since bought another book by this fabulous author.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As a nerd, it has come to my attention that I need to put more focus on getting the word out about my current 22 published books. I also think most authors would like to learn how to edit faster and better.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Ha! How do you answer this?! There are so many…
Anything by Jayne Ann Krentz and her other names – Jayne Castle and Amanda Quick.
Nerd in Shining Armor by Vicki Lewis Thompson.
There are so many more! (I love to read.) (:

Author Websites and Profiles
D.R. Grady Website
D.R. Grady Amazon Profile

D.R. Grady’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a science fiction, superhero, and fantasy author who is diagnosed with high functioning autism. I am a connoisseur of the science fiction, fantasy, and superhero genres. In addition, I am an autism ambassador, hoping to demonstrate the potential benefits one can gain from being autistic.

As a writer, I utilize my autism to visualize the story taking place inside of my head like a movie. Also, I have a very strong memory, allowing me to store information about my characters and stories in my brain as though it were a computer hard-drive.

I am also a passionate pit bull lover and own a pair of sweet and loving pit bulls named Wally and Fitch.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called "The War of the Gilded Beasts". I based its title on the real life War of the Roses, which depicted a war for the throne of England. I thought the title of my book should be as poetic.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I seem to write at my best when I am in my writing studio with my beloved pit bulls. In addition, I enjoy listening to medieval documentaries while writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The authors who have influenced me are Christopher Paolini, George R. R. Martin, and J. R. R. Tolkien. The books that have influenced me are various Star Wars books such as the Darth Bane Trilogy as well as Game of Thrones and the Inheritance Cycle. On a side note, I am also influenced by Arthurian legend.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on one fantasy book and one superhero/science fiction book at the same time. To gain inspiration for these projects, I have been binge watching historical documentaries and paying close attention to the news. The documentaries give me inspiration for a fantasy world while the news gives me inspiration for a dystopian science fiction world.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I boost the link for my Amazon books through Facebook once a month.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Copyright all of your material, always edit your work even if you think it is good, and you will have better luck with Kindle than you would with paperback books.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Avoid vanity press publishers.

What are you reading now?
I am reading The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to write at least one new book a year. I will continue to explore my ever-growing fantasy world and begin a new superhero series. Overall, I am planning to keep writing until my imagination is spent.

What is your favorite book of all time?
My favorite book of all time would be Eragon, the first book of the Inheritance Cycle.

Author Websites and Profiles
Grady P. Brown Website
Grady P. Brown Amazon Profile

Grady P. Brown’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an author from the Minneapolis area who also works as a bus driver and retail clerk at a liquor store to afford my writing obsession. At the moment, I have written upwards of ten novels but only have managed to publish two of them. Of those novels, seven of them are part of a fantasy-adventure book series set in a mystical world known as Gaia.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel that was published or my latest novel written? Well, the first answer is The Buccaneer of Nemaris: Of Forests and Friends – this is a novel that explores a person's desire to please their elders and also discover that sometimes it takes more than the power of friendship to solve the world's problems. My inspiration comes from many sources, but certainly a love of role-playing video games and personal history have helped to drive that story's plot. My latest novel is a new series that takes place in the San Juan Islands of Washington State where a mermaid suddenly appears on a young woman's fishing dock the day after another young woman goes missing in the town of Friday Harbor.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Maybe?
What's usual for one writer might be ordinary for another. I tend to put on music to help me write, along with a cup of tea or the occasional beer – maybe once I become famous I can switch to single malt scotch, but always in moderation! But to be clear, alcohol is not necessary, and certainly optional for writing. I also tend to work late into the night if I really get inspired.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
My biggest inspirations include the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and his world of Middle Earth, along with the realms of J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter. Other works from those of Dan Brown and Susan Collins have also fueled my writing, along with The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and others.

What are you working on now?
In between other projects this year I've been refining book three, which is known as The Buccaneer of Nemaris: Of Scimitars and Sands. The novel features a young orphan named Ketze who is destined to become the next sultan of a fallen empire in the desert, as well as a genie who challenges him not to use any wishes to accomplish his goals.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This one?
in all fairness, my best resource is my personal website at www.buccaneerofnemaris.com – unfortunately, it does not get a lot of traffic and I have yet to be discovered by many readers. Most of my customers have met me in person, as that is currently where I have sold the most books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
If my own story is proof positive of this fact, I can say with true honesty that you have to be persistent, even infatigable – the only writers who wake up one day and find themselves famous are those who either are celebrities, are already self-wealthy, or incredibly lucky (and hopefully modest enough to say so.) The best advice I received was to keep writing and have a love for the art – having that passion will ultimately bring money to continue that passion. It's been ten years since my first novel was published, and I still have work to do. Don't give up and keep trying.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
As I stated above, the best advice I received came from a man named Milt. He told me that if I love writing, money will follow. I'll admit it's taken a long time, but I love my craft. Even if it hasn't made me rich yet, I try to write every day and keep my mind active for the next idea.

What are you reading now?
I recently picked up a creative nonfiction novel that explores the reality of our technology-dependent world we live in called Born Digital. My three nieces and nephew will never grow up in a world that has lived without the internet, without constant surveillance on security cameras, and also a world that doesn't depend solely on social media. It is interesting how my own childhood in the 1980s has become so much different than theirs in such a short time.

What’s next for you as a writer?
The next project, the next story, editing, whatever it is. I also write a fan fiction series – mainly for fun – that includes a wizard, a mermaid, and a girl who can transform into a car. Perhaps that's the start of a bad joke? At any rate, I have worked on that series for almost twenty years and it is a continual project that can be found on my DeviantArt blog, if you're into stuff that might not be considered public domain or commonplace.

What is your favorite book of all time?
The first book that really fueled my writing and engrossed me into a fantasy world would have to be The Search For Delicious by Natalie Babette. It started with a simple question – what defines delicious? – and sends a young boy into the world to get everyone's opinion. The way that such an innocent question can send the world into an uproar is clever and thought-provoking, and even a little magical with the inclusion of Ardis the mermaid who somehow manages to convince the world that a soothing drink that parches the roughest throat can be truly delicious. Lovely little story.

Author Websites and Profiles
J.D. Delzer Website
J.D. Delzer Amazon Profile

J.D. Delzer’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a SAHM of three boys. I started writing as an outlet to be something other than "mommy". I have completed two books and am in the process of writing the third in my SAPD SWAT Series.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my upcoming book is Addicted to You. I don't think anything really inspired it. Well, the main character Michelle owns a bakery/coffee shop with her best friend. I have always wanted to own one myself. So I suppose that plays a part.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I wouldn't say unusual but I do generally need some quiet to be able to write. If not, I end up typing what my kids are saying to me. It can be comical and frustrating at the same time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love Mariana Zapata and Bijou Hunter. I love Mariana's slow burn and Bijou's beyond comical repartee.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the third book in the series title Cuffed by You. I'm really excited for this book. I even named the main character after one of my readers after she gave me a good idea.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have used Facebook and Instagram. There are also a lot of great websites for authors to promote. I fell like Goodreads and Bookbub are probably the best though.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing, no matter how long it takes. A little each day is better than nothing.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
"Don't take someone's criticism to heart. You can't please everyone."

What are you reading now?
Magic & Murder by Annabel Chase. I'm a sucker for a great cozy series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have my book Addicted to You coming out on November 5th. And I hope to finish Cuffed by You by mid-November. I would like to have that one published by the end of January.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I don't know if it's my favorite of all time but the one that I have read several times is The Wall of Winnipeg and Me. There is something about Aiden Graves that I absolutely adore!

Author Websites and Profiles
Nikki Mays Website
Nikki Mays Amazon Profile
Nikki Mays Book Bub Author Profile

Nikki Mays’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I live in a small town with my family in New Mexico. I graduated college in 2010 with a degree in business and accounting. However, my true passion is all things book related. As a student English and Literature were my favorite subjects. Weekly library trips with my mother also helped instill my love for books. I would look forward to summer most of all, not because I was out of school but for the summer reading groups at my local library. After a friend’s encouragement I started her author journey in 2016.

I'm an avid book, music and old Hollywood movie lover. When I'm not busy reading or writing I'm probably binge watching Netflix or PassionFlix. Some of my favorite authors are: Edgar Allan Poe, Abbi Glines, Colleen Hoover, Alessandra Torre, Nicholas Sparks and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

I also loves to connect with her readers on social media.

I'm currently writing my 11th book. I have four available to purchase right now.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Becoming Bloody Mary. I was always intrigued by the legend of Bloody Mary but I often wondered how the Mary became Bloody Mary.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always create outlines that I never use. When writing dialogue I often carry on a conversation with myself to try and get it to flow well.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
There have been so many! Edgar Allan Poe is my all time favorite author. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is my all time favorite book. Some of my other favorites are K. Bromberg, Colleen Hoover, Abbi Glines, Alessandra Torre, Nicholas Sparks and Tarryn Fisher. Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer, Nevermore trilogy by Kelly Creagh and Forever Grace by Holly Hall.

What are you working on now?
I'm working on creating a twist on the tale of Little Red Riding Hood. It will be part of the Shady Oaks series. I'm getting to work with some other amazing authors that are also writing books in the series. All the books are set in the small town of Shady Oaks that is basically a supernatural hotbed.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I use Facebook and Instagram a lot to promote. I do attempt Twitter as well.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Surround yourself with people that are both honest and supportive of you.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
To write for yourself. Not everyone will love your book but if you write a story that you are proud of then that's all you can do.

What are you reading now?
Evershade by Michelle Areaux

What’s next for you as a writer?
Breaking Bloody Mary, the sequel to Becoming Bloody Mary, releases on October 31st. Force of Impact which is the third book in the James Brothers series releases on November 5th.

What is your favorite book of all time?
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Author Websites and Profiles
Stephanie Nichole Website
Stephanie Nichole Amazon Profile
Stephanie Nichole Author Profile Other Bookseller

Stephanie Nichole’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I wrote and published two books. They are post-apocalyptic, but the genre has been described as elements of Science Fiction, with a bit of ET and Harry Potter style fantasy.
Set in Hever Castle (that’s the one where Anne Boleyn grew up) in the beautiful Garden of England, they are also perfect for Anglophiles.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I published The Cool Breeze of spring – A new beginning and The Cool Breeze of spring – Rebecca’s diary simultaneously in August 2018.
Rebecca’s diary is a companion to the main novel, A new beginning.

Caila the protagonist in ‘A new beginning’ is faced with the following dilemmas:
If you were consulted, would you agree to have most of humanity removed from Earth?
Who would you choose as your seven companions to restart a new population?

18 September 8.40 am – Will you be removed from Earth, when you smell that cool breeze of spring?
The Neteru are a species who seeded Earth as an ecological experiment, but now humans are about to mess up so catastrophically that Earth needs a reset. Caila and 12 other descendants of the first human seedlings are asked to advice on the future of Earth’s human population. Caila senses an instant strong connection with her Neteruian contact Mateos. But after Caila shows unexpected Neteruian skills Mateos is forced to admit that she is different from the other Khered.
After the reset Event, Caila and her group pick up some unexpected survivors. 12-year-old Rebecca is feisty and frighteningly intelligent and decides to start training as a doctor.
After an attack by self-pronounced Prime Minister Baldwin Caila is forced to confront her own complicated background. This confrontation finally fills in the blanks for Caila but comes at a great cost. Then, a second more sophisticated attack by Baldwin has catastrophic consequences for Caila’s group and threatens to derail this new beginning.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t think so. But, then again, I wouldn't know what the usual writing habits of other authors are. Writers usually don't work in open-plan offices.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Loads of books from different genres.

What are you working on now?
Currently I am working on a parallel novel to The Cool Breeze of spring – A new beginning.
The Cool Breeze of spring – A flying start, is set in Canada’s Ultimate East, and it features the most amazing group of people:
31-year-old Lucas is perfectly happy with his uneventful life as the captain of his own whale watching boat in Canada’s Ultimate East.
Charlotte, the woman of his dreams, a marine biologist and his tour guide.
Six brilliant teens from a special needs school.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I haven’t really found that out yet. You tell me, please?

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep at it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Not really directly related to writing, but: If you see someone without a smile, give them yours.
Although, if my book puts a smile on someone's face, then I believe that's a job well done.

What are you reading now?
I have not much time for reading right now.
Writing is like reading, sometimes you just can’t put a book down. And at this moment I can’t put down my pen, I want to know what happens next to Lucas and his bunch in Maddox Cove.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Writing is like reading, sometimes you just can’t put a book down. And at this moment I can’t put down my pen, I want to know what happens next to Lucas and his bunch in Maddox Cove.
But I do have some very good ideas for an Australia parallel, and for an England sequel.

What is your favorite book of all time?
That is like asking me about my favourite ice-cream.
It depends on the weather, the season and my mood.

Author Websites and Profiles
C. Attleya Website
C. Attleya Amazon Profile

C. Attleya’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been writing for about twenty years, but focussed mainly on short stories. Now that I am retired, I find that I have no excuses left, so I have just published my first novel.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My book is called ‘A Compound Investigation’. It is set in the early 1950s. This is an era that I wanted to research, as I was born in the late ‘50s and knew little of how my parents had coped with WW2 and the aftermath..

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m sure that we all have different approaches. Personally, I like to break a story into bite-size chunks – scenes. Once my book is complete, I then group these scenes into chapters.
I use a Chromebook mostly for writing, as this can be used almost anywhere and it takes no time to boot. I also know that all of my work is safely backed-up and I don’t have to worry about pressing ‘save’ all of the time. This means that I can concentrate on the writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Where do I begin? I suppose that I mostly read Mystery and Science Fiction, so authors like Leslie Charteris and Anne McCaffrey have been influential. As a child, I enjoyed the Swallows and Amazons books by Arthur Ransome.

What are you working on now?
I am resting until November, then I intend to write a Science Fiction series. When I say that I am resting, I will not be idle – A series takes an awful lot of planning. I am also trying to promote my published novel, A Compound Investigation.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As this is my first book and I am just beginning to promote it, I feel that I am too new to this subject to give advice. MyBookPlace seems to be a good place to start.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Persevere. You will need to stay focussed if you want to finish your draft and get published. You will need to spend a lot of your time checking for typos and grammar. Computer and online tools do not do a thorough job, although they are worth using before you embark on manual checking.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t look at a blank page – write something – anything.
You have permission to write badly. Just because you wrote it, doesn’t mean anyone else has to see it. Just because you typed it, doesn't mean it has to stay on the page. That’s what revisions are for.

What are you reading now?
The Fixer, by Rex Carpenter.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully, starting to write a Science Fiction series this winter. The plan is to write the first two stories. That should be quite a challenge!

What is your favorite book of all time?
I know that it is cheating, but I have two: I Robot, by Isaac Asimov, and DragonFlight, by Anne McCaffrey.

Author Websites and Profiles
Don Taggart Website
Don Taggart Amazon Profile

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Helen Blacksmith. I am a self-published writer and I am currently working novels three, four, and five.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Summers We Lost was inspired by my desire to write a novel about love that everyone could relate to no matter what their sexuality was. We've all had first loves and many of them were lost, but how many get a second chance to do it again?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have attention deficit disorder so everything about my writing is unusual. I write in pieces and then I string them together.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I'm a huge fan of Maya Angelou and Janet Evanovich.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on three novels but my main focus is on Today I Love You which is a story of love and redemption that centers around a bisexual woman who is fighting a battle against opioid addiction.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love Twitter but I use Facebook just as much for promotion.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write and eventually you will find your audience.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Same advice I would have for new authors.

What are you reading now?
I really wish I had time to read, but my eyes are on Janet Evanovich's last published novel in her Stephanie Plum series.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Just promoting the two works I have out there, and hopefully adding to them in the very near future.

What is your favorite book of all time?
To Kill A Mockingbird

Author Websites and Profiles
Helen Blacksmith Website
Helen Blacksmith Amazon Profile

Helen Blacksmith’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I currently an undergrad majoring in Linguistics and Spanish. Sensuality. is the first book I'm publishing, but I'm also almost done with revisions for my first novel. I came out of the womb wanting to be a writer of fantasy novels but it wasn't until late high school that I got introduced to poetry. It was a rocky start but I eventually fell in love with it.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Sensuality. is the name of my latest book. It's a small book of fourteen poems concerning the relationship between sensuality and art. What inspired the idea was that despite not having much sexual experience myself, writing sensual poetry has always come naturally to me. And I feel that all art, especially music and poetry, has this sensual aspect even if it has nothing to do with sex. I think that sensuality is connected to intense emotions, which is an idea that runs through all the poems in the book.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to write the last line of my poems first. Not always. But quite a lot of the time.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
One of my favorite poets is John Donne. I'm not sure if I can say that he's directly influenced me, but I identify with how he often tied the concepts of sex and spirituality together in his poetry. I feel like I do a similar thing with my own poetry.

What are you working on now?
I'm revising my first novel. It's the first in a fantasy series titled The One and the Other. It's set in a technologically-advanced fantasy world. When the main character, Monoria, begins to hear a voice in her head, she's institutionalized. She'd rather accept that she's crazy than that the voice inside of her is real, but a government official informs her that the voice belongs to a mystic parasite and he has come to heal her of it. But the longer she stays in the mental institution, the more she suspects that he might not be there to help her and that the voice in her head might not be as evil as she thought.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like making videos on YouTube. I'm not much of a traditional social media person, so I prefer the format of YouTube because it allows for creating longer, more thought-provoking content.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The best way for a new writer to find their voice is to forget about what everyone else thinks, including your inner editor. Take risks and write what comes to you even if you fear it might be bad or you fear it isn't what "poetry" or "writing" should be like.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write everyday. Not only has my writing improved from writing everyday, but I'm also more confident as a writer now.

What are you reading now?
For poetry, I'm re-reading "Double Jinx" by Nancy Reddy. It's so good. Could not recommend more. Then, I'm also in the middle of the Dark Tower series of Steven King. I'm reading Wolves of the Calla.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing my novel, and hopefully I can publish it next year.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I don't have a favorite book but my favorite book series is Tales of Goldstone wood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. It's not very well known. It's a fantasy series with a fairytale-like aspect to it, and each book tells its own story but all the stories tie together. It has dragons, faeries, romance, and unicorns of the badass variety.

Author Websites and Profiles
Mary K Gowdy Website
Mary K Gowdy Amazon Profile

Mary K Gowdy’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile