May 20 2022

Author Tina Hagmann #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author Tina Hagmann

Tell us a bit about yourself…

Hello from Austria! Thank you so much for inviting me, this is very exciting and I’m very happy!

My name is Tina Hagmann and I am the author of a historical nove which might be published later this year. It is about a French soldier, Raoul Matisse Loberon, who suffers more loss than he can handle in the battle of Sedan 1940. So he flees to the end of his world and has no intentions of returning to Paris to fight the Nazi’s again. But as always, fate decreeds otherwise. Confronted with unthinkable plans of the German Wehrmacht, Raoul joins the Parisian Resistance and offers his contribution as a marksman to an armed squad working against the Nazi occupation. Things seem to change for the better, but when he is forced to face his worst nightmare, once again everything he cherishes is at stake.…

I am living south of Vienna at the foothills of the Alps. After studying psychology, philosophy and ethics, I started to teach and have been a teacher for students, ranging from ten to eighteen at a high school for more than twenty-five years. This is an incredibly exciting, but also very challenging job, as children behave never the same and every day holds new surprises. As a result, I have learned how to keep my thoughts focused, my lessons compelling, and how to simplify the often confusing content of my subjects. If I didn’t do that, my students would probably fall asleep due to boredom! Thus, my profession might offer a good foundation for my writing.

Besides this job, I have a bustling family life with my husband and two wildlings, a dog and a horse. I think most authors who can’t earn enough money from their books for a decent life know this balancing act between everyday life and this deep, inner urge for actually just wanting to write. On the other hand, these interruptions, called life, are exactly the ones that give me a distance between me and my stories. Many things only dawn when I’m no longer sitting at the laptop. Besides, I’m just happy that I can write at all! My husband keeps my back free, without his support it wouldn’t have been possible to finish my debut novel.

Apart from that, I like to work in our little garden. Especially in times like these, it’s important to provide a habitat for bees, insects and hedgehogs and to keep the garden as close as possible to nature. I love the buzzing and humming and the manifold scents surrounding me. Half an hour of cutting the lavender plants triggers true relaxing miracles!

Have you always wanted to become an author?

I wished I could answer this question with “yes” and tell you that I have been writing since I was a kid. But that’s not the case. I started writing very late, in my mid-forties. However, what I can definitely tell you is that stories have been within my mind since I was a child. I’ve been thinking and dreaming stories non-stop. And the more I read, the more sentences started to shape in my mind. I imagined that I would once write all of them down. From time to time I tried to scribble down a short story , but very quickly I realized that there is a huge difference between what’s in my own ‘mental’ cinema and to write a story in such a manner that the reader ’experiences’ the same as me. Thus, I quickly realized writing is actually hard work!

And one day, out of the sudden, I gave it another try. I wrote an hour or two every day in the evening, and when Covid lock-down came along, there was so much more time! And one hour turned into many hours and the more I wrote, the more fun it was. Here I set the foundation for my writer’s life and proved that writing is more than just a hobby for me. It became a real passion!

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

Fun fact: It was a TV show called “Man in the High Castle”. Therein it plays with the terrifying thought that the Nazis won WW2 and actually conquered the world. And suddenly there was this scene in my head- a man, a Resistance fighter, completely at the mercy of a Gestapo Commissioner. And this man was willing to lay down his life for what is important to him. That was the first scene I wrote, and the whole novel grew around it like petals are growing around a stem. Who is this man? What has he experienced and done to end up at this particular point? So there was an incredible amount for me to develop and that was more than exciting in every single way. Writing towards a certain point, especially when you know nothing about the person and his history, was a real challenge for me. With this in my thoughts, my novel was written kind of backwards, from its end to the beginning.

What are you working on now?

Right now I’m adopting a two fold strategy. First, editing of the historical novel has started and I just received the final report of my editor‘s. And as I expected, there are tons of stuff to fix, rewrite and restructure. It’s all going to take time.

In the meantime, I’ve started a fantasy trilogy and somehow the “curse” of writing backwards is haunting me! For a long time I hesitated to write fantasy, because I’m simply lacking unique ideas. Especially here I was under the impression that everything has already been said at some point and somehow. I love fantasy, but I just didn’t have any sparkling ideas. And like in my historical novel there were suddenly those three final scenes. At that point I knew it had to be a trilogy and again I started to create the story “backwards” from those scenes. What has to happen for my MC to end up exactly where I want him to be? Unlike with my first novel which was created as a panster over long periods, I carefully planned and worked on world-building, i.e. how magic works or which social system I need. Funnily enough, right now I don’t care about geography, monetary systems or anything else, that remains to be seen as I write. I wrote the 1st word of the 1st chapter after two months of planning and the first book of the trilogy is almost halfway through.

Do you have any quirks while working?

I must say there are always many other children in the house and this is often more than turbulent. And I don’t even have my own desk! I sit with my laptop at the dining table and try to write in the midst of the hustle and bustle. The only possibility of excluding the noise around me, putting on my headphones with my ‘writing music’. I need it to mentally find a way into my stories. When I wrote the historical novel, ‘Two Steps From Hell’ had to be a must and each act of the book had certain songs and albums associated with it. It’s a bit magical, I put on my headphones, fire up the playlist and instantly find my writing rhythm. For the fantasy story, I mainly listen to Pandora’s Journey, so Epic Fantasy Music. It always works!

What are your hopes for the future?

I hope I can provide for many readers a great time with my story! All the years before, so many wonderful books have accompanied me. They have taken me out of my everyday life and allowed me to escape into incredible worlds. I hope I can give something in return! I want to write books which entertain readers. Give them pleasure. At best, to lay a foundation for their daydreams. If my stories succeed in this point, then I have achieved a lot.

Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?

I’m still on the road to publishing my book myself, but right now all I can say is: find yourself a writer who has more experience than you and who can guide you. I was incredibly lucky to meet Krista Pimpinella, the author of Nexus Point, the 1st book of the Time Ranger Series. She has taught me so much along the way and prepared me for what is to come, especially the tedious and sometimes painful editing process. The other thing I’ve learned is that as a self-publisher it is less about promoting your own novel but rather about introducing yourself to the world. Be interested in other people and their passions, and over time it will come naturally to talk about your own work as well. Just marketing my novel is not my primary goal.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

You are an incredibly great community and it’s so much fun getting to know you, spending time with you and your thoughts, and I’m learning and benefiting from your experiences! I really enjoy all your passions and skills. There is so much to discover if you are open to meet new people, no matter what they are- poets, horse lovers, photographers, artists, or Musketeer fans. We are connected by our openness and interest in each other- and that’s just awesome!

Twitter

Mar 26 2022

Author M.F. Moody #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author M.F. Moody

Tell us a bit about yourself…

Well, I’m a wife and Mum, ex-high school teacher, with a boy-child as well as 3 fur-babies. I’m Australian, but moved over to the UK back in 2015 due to my hubby’s work (he’s British, although we met and married in Australia).
I’ve lived up and down the east coast of Australia, and love to travel. I’ve been to every state (except for Western Australia) back home, have visited both islands of New Zealand, and have travelled to South Korea, France, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Eire (Republic of Ireland).
I’m the youngest of 3 girls, am a natural red-head, a typical Sagittarius and a typical Goat/Ram/Sheep (Chinese Zodiac), and I have absolutely *no* filter. I love reading, coffee, wine, reading, baking, sleeping, reading, writing, watching movies, and did I mention reading?

Have you always wanted to become an author?

In some shape or form, yes. I would love to write stories as a child, and my sisters and I would often make up our own little skits and stories and perform them. I wrote poetry and short stories as a teen, and have had several published in various places. I also wrote a blog when I first moved to the UK.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

A dream. Quite a few of the stories I’ve written or have in my ‘to be written’ pile are from dreams I’ve had. It came to me about 2 years ago, when there were a lot of the RH Academy/Bully books being written. I love shifters, always have, and I wanted to put my own twist on things – the characters are all adults (even if only by a year or so), there is a fated-mate rejection, and it’s a reverse-harem. Unfortunately for me, the book I was working on at that point in time (‘Disconnect’) wouldn’t let me write anything that wasn’t related to it. I wasn’t able to start writing my ‘Altered Shifters Universe’ books until August of last year.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on 2 projects at the moment. I’m going through the final edits for ‘Altered: Part Two’, in the hopes I can release it in May – it’s currently scheduled for a May 1st release, but I might need to push it back depending on how much work it needs. I’m also writing the first draft for ‘Mythic’, which was *supposed* to be the second book in that interlinked universe, but then ‘Altered’ was split into a duet rather than a standalone.

Do you have any quirks while working?

Music and coffee. I have several rather large mugs that I will guzzle from as I write, and I also have a pair of Razer Kraken (Kitty Edition) headphones that I wear while writing. They light up. I create a playlist for each major book/series I write, and at the moment, my Spotify playlist for my ‘Altered Shifters Universe’ has around 180 songs on it. Probably closer to 200, if I’m honest. I will zone out completely, and get *very* irritated if I’m interrupted, although I will stop fairly frequently for coffee and toilet breaks.

What are your hopes for the future?

I hope to be able to continue writing. I also hope that more people will find and enjoy my stories. I’d *love* to attend one of the big book events as an author, rather than as an attendeee, but at the same time, I don’t know if I’d ever be considered good enough to be invited. It’s a dream, a nice dream, but (at least in my mind) unlikely to be anything more than that.
I’d also love for one of my books/series to be picked up and gushed over by Ruby Dixon, Tiffany Roberts, Lillian Lark, Tate James, or a number of other authors I admire. Their opinion matters to readers, and if they comment on a book’s readability/enjoyment on their platforms, then that book is likely to see a spike in interest. Oh, and if I can get one of those mythical orange banners on Amazon, or even hit the NYT best-seller list, that would be a miracle, lol…

Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?

Find your people. Find other authors who are like you, and support and uplift each other. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT compare your journey to theirs, and vice versa. Encourage, uplift, share resources, leave reviews, promote yourself and each other. I was lucky enough to stumble on a wonderful group of authors who have encouraged, uplifted, advised, critiqued, sympathised, and just loved me for being me. There are enough haters out there who will try to tear you down (and unfortunately, some of them may even be other authors), but if you find your people, lick them. Slobber all over them and make them yours.
Also, not every negative comment is meant in a destructive way. Constructive criticism, while pointing out your mistakes/flaws, is meant to help you grow as a writer. Don’t just focus on the negative comments, look for that silver lining that a lot (but not all) will be trying to push. If you open yourself up to *constructive* criticism, and actually *listen* to the feedback and positive information someone is trying to impart, you’ll find yourself growing as an author. My books would be a lot crappier if I had ignored the constructive criticism I received when I first wrote them.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

Thank you. From the dark and depraved depths of my black and shrivelled little soul, thank you. Without you, without my readers, without all of your support, I’d still be sitting there wondering if I’d ever get around to publishing that book. So thank you.

The Temperamental Bookwyrm

Oct 31 2021

Horror Author Boris Bacic #interview

Please give a warm welcome to horror author Boris Bacic

Tell us a bit about yourself…

My name is Boris Bacic and I’m a horror writer from Serbia. I’m a certified fitness coach and a former language and communications coach. In my free time, I go to the gym, I take creepy late-night walks through parks and forests, and recently I started learning more about botany (balance is important).

Have you always wanted to become an author?

Yes! Ever since I was a child, I used to write stories all the time. As I grew older, I could envision myself sitting in front of a typewriter (now computer) and making my imagination come to life. It’s a job, but it doesn’t feel like one to me.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

All my inspiration comes from daily life. I see something otherwise mundane, and my mind transforms it into something otherworldly. What if this road is on an endless loop? What if there’s a secret government lab under this abandoned house? What if this mannequin comes to life right now? We all have that kind of imagination; writers just let it run wild.

What are you working on now?

While I can’t reveal the exact story, I can say that the book is based on my hometown, which is number one in suicides in Europe. It will be full of suspense and hair-standing-straight moments that will have you clutching your flashlight like your life depends on it.

Do you have any quirks while working?

For me, it’s important to envision being in the world that I’m creating. Sometimes I listen to ominous horror music while writing to get into the element. I also need a quiet environment. It’s difficult to maintain momentum when you’re constantly interrupted by phone calls and social media notifications.

What are your hopes for the future?

My motto is “I won’t stop writing until I’m either famous or dead.” That path is paved with tiny steps, and for now, the next thing I hope for is getting more recognition for my books – either getting acquired by a major publishing company or having my book adapted into a movie.

Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?

Don’t stop writing.

When I first started publishing my stories, they barely received any recognition. I wrote one more story and told myself that if I didn’t get enough likes, I would quit. Luckily, that story boomed and that helped me launch my first book. Today, I have more than 15 published books and I work full-time as a writer. You never know how close you are to achieving your goals.

Never stop writing.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

Thank you for all your support. None of this would be possible without you. I receive emails from readers telling me how much they enjoy my stories, and for me, that’s the true joy of writing.

Oct 2 2021

Author Eva Ashwood #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author Eva Ashwood

Tell us a bit about yourself…

Eva Ashwood has been a reader her whole life and a writer for several years. She loves telling stories of alpha males and the fierce women who bring them to their knees.

She’s a sucker for reverse harem, bully romance, enemies to lovers, heroes who redeem themselves, and all the drama and passion of new adult love.

Have you always wanted to become an author?

No, but I’ve always been a huuuge reader! For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a voracious reader, and the moment I discovered romance novels, it was all over, lol. I got hooked and never looked back. The first book I ever wrote was because I was dying to read a certain trope in a book and I couldn’t find it, so I decided I would write it myself. And the rest is history!

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

My current series is called Dirty Broken Savages, and the inspiration for that one sort of hit me upside the head, lol. The blurb for the first book just popped into my head one day, and I had to scramble to find a pen to write it down as fast as I could. Then I knew I had to write the book, since the characters were screaming at me to tell their story.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on Reign of Wrath, the third book in the Dirty Broken Savages series. There will be four books total in the series, so up next will be the final book. And then I’ll be starting a brand new series! I don’t want to say too much about that one yet, but it will be a dark contemporary romance.

Do you have any quirks while working?

I often speak the dialogue out loud as I type, to make sure it sounds real and flows right, and I also make faces as I write – happy or sad or whatever the characters are feeling. So basically, I look like a crazy person, lol! My husband has learned to just ignore me while I’m in the middle of a writing session.

What are your hopes for the future?

To keep writing for as long as I can. It’s all I can imagine myself doing now, and I have sooo many more stories in my head that I want to tell. I hope to write another paranormal series at some point, but right now, my muse is pulling me strongly in the direction of contemporary romance. So that’s where I’ll be for a while!

Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?

Take the leap! It’s soooo scary at first, but if I can do it, you can too! Write the story that’s been in your heart and in your head, the one you’ve always wanted to read that hasn’t been written yet.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

Thank you!!! I get insanely nervous with every book I release, and it’s honestly the messages and comments and reviews from readers that keep me going. Thank you for taking a chance on my work, and for loving the damaged, broken characters my mind comes up with!

Eva Ashwood’s Sinners

Website

Newsletter

Jul 10 2021

Author Della Roe #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author Della Roe

Tell us a bit about yourself…

My name is Della Roe. I live in Texas with my two teens, 3 cats, 2 dogs and a fish named Neptune. All but one of my animals were named after a Goddess or God. It’s kinda my theme.

Have you always wanted to become an author?

No, I fell away from books as a teen. I had always been a day dreamer though. When I picked up Twilight I devoured it, I searched for more books to sedate my new found love. The love of reading plus always having my head in the clouds lead me to writing.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

This book just kinda happened. I had no plans for it. I just wrote what came to mind.

What are you working on now?

I just am finishing up the edits of my first book. It’s about a girl who is struggling to survive. She gets fired from her job and gets possessed. It’s a romantic paranormal book. I’m not sure if it will be a ménage or MF. The characters haven’t told me yet.

Do you have any quirks while working?

I write at night. When I should go to bed, thats when I need to get the words out. I like to listen to music to space out the day. Reset my mind to go into creative mode.

What are your hopes for the future?

My hopes are to become a full time writer one day.

Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?

I’m still a baby author myself and I’m still learning. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. And book people in advance! Good book designers/editors/etc are booked out far in advance.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

I don’t have any followers yet, so maybe follow me and give my books a try 🥰

Della Roe’s Readers Group

Mar 16 2021

Author Stacy Jones #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author Stacy Jones

Tell us a bit about yourself…

Hi! I’m Stacy Jones. Ok, talking about myself… umm, basics! I’m 32, I live in the beautiful state of Arkansas with my middle school sweetheart and our rambunctious handful of a son, and I spend my days creating fantastical worlds and hanging out with my imaginary friends. Ha, that makes me sound crazy. I’m a romance author, which doesn’t mean I’m not crazy, it just means I’m productively so 😉

What has happened work wise since our last interview?

What’s happened work wise? Books, of course. Secret projects. 2020. Writing during the stress of a pandemic and the horrors that were virtual schooling was… interesting. Ha. I’m attempting to be diplomatic, but it was terrible. Being able to escape into my stories saved my sanity. I genuinely hope my books helped others cope with that dumpster fire of a year.

First Interview

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

I’m working on the fourth book in the Chosen Series, Native. It was, as all the Chosen books have been, inspired by a dream. Lily, the FMC, surprised me in the epilogue of Tribe Protector (Chosen #3) by snagging herself a new love interest.
I hadn’t planned to write more in this series… and then I had a dream about Lily and Atuk. So, here I am, writing their book! Which releases soon!

Do you have any quirks while working?

Oh, yes. I still have many quirks while writing. I’ve upgraded from writing at my local coffee shop to a writing shed which is absolutely amazing and I recommend all my author friends get one. I still listen to music while writing and have amassed so, so many playlists, some specific to books some for particular types of scenes. I need one leg pulled up at all times. I have an unapologetic addiction to sticky notes. And I collect notebooks, some of which are just too pretty to ever be written in.

What are your hopes for the future?

My hopes for the future are, and always will be, to continue writing books people love, and supporting my family by following this crazy dream.

What have you learned about publishing since our first interview?

What I’ve learned about publishing since our last interview… it’s always nerve wracking. I genuinely thought it would become easier or less stressful at a certain point. I’m still waiting for that. Maybe someday! And, yet, that feeling of pride, accomplishment, and elation when I publish a new book is worth all the stress of release. Every time.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

To my readers, whether you’re just discovering my books or whether you’re an avid fan, I couldn’t do this without you. The love y’all have shown and continue to show my books has been just… mind blowing. I’m so, so grateful. I hope you keep loving my stories. I hope you keep devouring my books so I can keep writing more. This has been one hell of an incredible journey so far, and I’m beyond excited to see what the future brings.

Feb 10 2021

Author Cassandra Featherstone #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author Cassandra Featherstone

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I grew up in the Midwest as an English teacher’s kid, so I’ve always ben a writer. The arts have been a major part of my life—I’ve danced, sang, played instruments, and acted since I was two.

I moved to NYC for college in theater, but I came back to the Midwest when I got married. I’m a victim of gifted kid burnout, so I’ve done a little bit of every thing since HS, including being an indie bookseller, a nanny, a piercer, a bartender, a manager, a teaching aide, and lots more.

I’m a dreamer and a lover of all things magical, glittery, and fantastic.

Currently, I live in a tiny shoebox with my geeky gamer husband (Mr. Cass) and my college aged clone. We have five cats and more cred crew than should be legal between us.

Have you always wanted to become an author?

Yes, I’ve always wanted to be an author. I wrote my first short story at three (my mom still has it), and I’ve loved to write ever since. I didn’t think I could deal with the trad pub world, so I didn’t pursue it in college. After working an indie store that got smashed by COVID in March, I decided to give indie publishing a try. I’m so happy that I did!

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

My current series has been in the works for years. It’s based on characters created while in a writing group many years ago. There’s a hint of homage in some of them if you look hard enough.

What are you working on now?

Right now? Oh, dear. So MUCH. I’m getting ready to release book two in the Riftverse series on 2/19, so I’m finalizing that. I’m starting a short story in universe, a new parallel timeframe series in the universe, and juggling all of the indie author mess–social media, appearances in groups, etc– at the same time. I feel just as packed as before the lockdowns, just more stationary.

Do you have any quirks while working?

Quirks? Definitely. I like music–both books have playlists on Spotify– and I like to be set up exactly so. I can write anywhere if I take my laptop, but I need to focus if it’s editing. So I have headphones, pillows, lap desks, a desk area, etc setup to my specs when I do work. I can’t stand to work without a mouse, so I always have one along.

What are your hopes for the future?

My greatest wish is for readers to fall in love with my ‘brain gremlins’ as much as I did. If that happens, I’ll be able to continue to write from home after this pandemic mess ends. That’s the real goal. Because I love this, and I want to do it forever.

Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?

Advice? Lots. I thought I knew everything going in–I didn’t. I took missteps that it’s taken me months to fix. I’m just starting to really get my feet under me and it’s been a year. I will say two things have helped IMMENSELY: one, finding other authors and PAs in the RH community that are helpful and kind, and two, joining the 20Booksto50K FB group to learn about resources and successes of other authors. Those two things have really been invaluable.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

I ALWAYS have things to say to my followers! Number one, I love you, thank you for reading, you are the most amazing folks! Number two, help keep indie a place where we can all learn and grow. Support one another, don’t gatekeep, and help us all succeed. There’s nothing more satisfying that lifting each other up and seeing all of our glitter sparkle. Number three, don’t ever be ashamed of what you read and what you love. You do you, boo.

Free copy of Into the Wild

The Pridelands—A Cassandra Featherstone Readers Group

Jan 21 2021

Author Aria Winter #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author Aria Winter

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hello! I live near Fort Worth, TX with my husband, 2 cats and 1 dog. In addition to reading and writing, I love biking, travel, and sitting on the deck drinking coffee or tea when it rains.

Have you always wanted to become an author?

I love writing, but the idea of becoming an author always seemed like such a faraway dream. My husband was the one who encouraged me to publish. At first, I was full of so much self-doubt, it seemed impossible. But he and one of my sisters kept encouraging me until I caved and finally decided to go for it.

My husband learned how to do all the “behind the scenes” stuff so that I can focus on writing. He’s been so supportive, it’s amazing. If it weren’t for him, I’d probably still be writing fanfiction for myself.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

The one I’m working on now is a cowrite with Jessica Grayson. It’s a fairy tale retelling series. With the crazy state of the world today, I’ve found myself drawn to fairy tales as an escape. Especially Disney movie fairy tales. So, we decided to do a series of retellings based on our favorites.

I love fairy tales, but I also love steam in my books. So, we decided to combine the two. Our fairy tales are full of love, have plenty of steam and smexy times as well as plenty of interesting twists to keep the readers guessing. We loosely follows the fairy tales, but we also wanted to make sure they could stand on their own instead of just being a rehashing of what’s already out there.

Our first one is already out on Amazon KU. It’s a Dragon Shifter Beauty and the Beast Retelling called “Taken by the Dragon.” I cannot tell you how much I fell in love with those characters while writing their story. They have a cameo in the 2^nd book in the series “Captivated by the Fae: A Cinderella Retelling” that I think readers will really enjoy. 😊

What are you working on now?

I’m working on “Bound to the Elf Prince: A Snow White Retelling” with Jessica Grayson. I love Elvish Romance and I’m really enjoying fleshing out this world.

Each of the fairy tales are all in a shared world and loosely connected to each other. Characters from each story make cameos in the other books. I really love how it’s all tying together.

Do you have any quirks while working?

I have a different song that I choose as a theme song for each book. I write about 20k words/day. If I get stuck on one project, I switch to another so I can get my word count in. So, the theme song helps get me back in the head of the characters and also helps me really immerse myself in that particular world before I dive back in and start writing in it.

What are your hopes for the future?

I have a million stories in my head and I want to get them all out into the world as quickly as possible. I love writing and immersing myself in other worlds. I wake up each morning excited to begin and I can’t wait to share all these stories that I have in my head with my readers.

Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?

I know it’s hard, but do your best to silence the voice in your head trying to convince you that you cannot do this.

Jessica Grayson shared a quote with me that helped her with her writing process. It really inspired me as well. “I’m writing a rough draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.”

That is such a powerful quote. It’s also the reason I’m able to write as quickly as I can. It really helps silence my inner critic when I’m writing a rough draft so that I can produce it that much faster.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

Thank you so much for all your support and encouragement. It means so much to me when someone messages me about how much they loved a particular story and/or the characters. These books are really close to my heart and I love knowing that people enjoy them as much as I love writing them. 😊

Jan 15 2021

Author Jessica Grayson #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author Jessica Grayson

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hello, World! I live in San Antonio, TX with my husband, cat and dog. I love swimming, biking and all things dark chocolate.  When I’m writing, I love coffee. But when I’m reading, I love a good cup of chai.

Have you always wanted to become an author?

I’ve always loved writing, but it was more a hobby for me than anything else. But after losing my parents and oldest sister unexpectedly a few years ago, I started writing as an outlet for my grief.

Writing helps me to channel all my grief into something creative and beautiful. To be honest, I feel like it gave me my life back. It helped me to rediscover my joy after going through so much devastating loss.

I never thought I’d be an author but now that I am, I know it is something I will do for the rest of my life.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

I love slow burn romance and getting lost in a beautiful love story—the kind of book that leaves you thinking about it for days after you’ve read it because the characters and emotions were so deep and intense. I also love Vampire, Alien and Elvish Romance. I kept searching for a story with all these things included in it, and wasn’t really finding what I was looking for. So, I decided to write what I wanted to read. That’s how my V’loryn Series (Vampire Alien Romance) was created. 😊

What are you working on now?

My Vampire Alien Romance (V’loryn Series), Dragon Shifter Romance (Mosauran Series), and Fae Alien Romance (Aerilon Fae Series) are all set in the same universe. Each series can be read independently, but it makes for a much more immersive experience to read each one to get a richer understanding of this universe and all the characters that live in it.

Right now, I’m working on my Aerilon Fae Alien series book: “Trace the Sky.” It is about Al’aneo (Tr’lani’s brother) and his Terran (human) mate Holly. He saved Holly from slavers in “The Shape of the Wind,” and I fell in love with the idea of giving them their own HEA.

Do you have any quirks while working?

I have to write at the kitchen table. My husband set up an office for me in one of the spare bedrooms, but for some reason the words just flow better when I’m in the kitchen, in the middle of everything going on in the house.

Also, I love listening to music when I’m plotting. It’s amazing how much music helps in my creative process. When I hear a song that inspires me, I can literally see the plot playing out in my head like a movie.

The ending of “Lost in the Deep End” was inspired by the song, “Indian” by Sleeping at Last. The scene in “Beneath A Different Sky,” when they land on Marek’s planet and then step off the ship together was inspired by “Believe with Me” by Raign.

I’m not sure why my mind works that way, but I’m glad it does. When I get stuck on a plot issue, I start listening to music and it helps me to figure it out. 😊

What are your hopes for the future?

I have quite a few stories/HEAs I want to write in this share/expanded universe. Several side characters are speaking strongly to me and I can hardly wait to get their stories out in the world.

Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?

Write what you love and keep writing.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

Thank you so much for all your kind words of encouragement. These stories and these characters mean a lot to me. You have no idea how wonderful it is to know that readers love these characters as much as I do. I cannot thank you enough.

Jan 6 2021

Author Stella Brie #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author Stella Brie

Tell us a bit about yourself

I live outside of Nashville, Tennessee with my husband and my 13 year old golden retriever, Bailey. My husband got tired of me telling him I wanted to write a book ‘someday’ and challenged me to sit down and write a paragraph. Just one paragraph. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. First, I wrote a serial fan fiction, then jumped into my first book, My Salvation. I learned a ton writing that book!

Have you always wanted to become an author?

For a long time, no. I was a voracious reader and I worked in marketing. But for the last few years, I kept thinking “this is something I want to do…someday”.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

Music often inspires a kernel of an idea. For my newest book, The Rowan, I heard the song Youngblood by 5 Seconds of Summer on the radio and all I could think about were vampires dancing on the dance floor, paying homage to a master vampire. That jump started my new series.

What are you working on now?

Book 2 in the Killian Blade Series, an urban fantasy reverse harem.

Do you have any quirks while working?

I like to write one chapter at a time. When I sit down at my laptop, I will only write one chapter. I may come back later and write another chapter, but not in one sitting. It helps me focus.