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 30 2022

Author Ada Rossi #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author Ada Rossi

Tell us a bit about yourself…

Hi, I’m Ada and I’m an author – how fabulous to be able to say that! I’m thrilled to be releasing two novels with Butterdragons Publishing this year. I spend as much time as I can reading and writing, but I also love yoga and gardening.

Have you always wanted to become an author?

Yes and no… I’ve come to this in my forties, having not written any stories, nor having dreamed of doing so. But I’m an avid reader and I have a cat, so writing stories seemed a natural progression. But I was recently reminded that, when I was a child, I said I wanted to be a writer when I grew up, so I can safely say it’s always been a part of me, just hiding away, waiting for the right moment to bloom.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

When lockdown came in 2020, I was luckier than most and able to spend as much time as I wanted in my little bit of the English countryside. I became fascinated by tiny changes, every day something altered colour, grew or flew, and I wanted to capture those in a novel which was rooted in one place. I started taking notes, and I realised how these observations sparked memories, from childhood, or a trip out, which made me think about how we share our histories with others, out of order and not all in one go… from there, the structure and style of The Condemned Oak Tree was firm in my mind, all I needed was a story, which emerged as I wrote.

What are you working on now?

I’m finishing up the edits on my second novel Statuesque. It’s a loose retelling of Austen’s Emma, with a contemporary twist to explore a new narrative within this classic story. Apparently, it has some amusing moments. I’ve also started thinking through some new ideas. I’ve so many ideas, I’ve not decided yet which one is next.

Do you have any quirks while working?

Not at all, I’m all about a quiet place and a routine, which sounds really dull and it is, but it works for me. When I’m writing, I aim to write at the same time each day, and every day. While I don’t berate myself if it doesn’t come, I do have a plan and I try to stick to it. I’ve been known to create spreadsheets, which now I think about it, everyone thinks it’s downright weird! So maybe I should have said yes to this question.

What are your hopes for the future?

I have this overwhelming desire to chat with book clubs about my stories. I’ve been fortunate to be supported while I’ve been writing, by my partner and my publisher, but I’d love to talk to readers who don’t know me, and explore my characters, see another side of them and learn how they appear to other readers. Plus, I’ve never been part of a book club, and I really want to be.

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

Gosh, I don’t think I’ve enough experience to be handing out advice, so I’ll stick to dishing out some encouragement – keep going! Just like training for a marathon, you don’t have to want to go for every early morning run, but you do have to like running. Have fun, work hard, be bold, persevere, enjoy!

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

Do you have a book club, and if so, can I come say hi?

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

Mar 23 2022

Author Melissa Adams #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author Melissa Adams

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I’m a former flight attendant from the UK, now turned full time author. I’m UK based but I lived in the US for a number of years with my American husband. We decided to come back to Europe 7 years ago because we enjoy the more laid back lifestyle here. I speak 4 languages and I love dogs, especially Yorkshire terriers.

What has happened work wise since our last interview? I became a USA Today bestselling author.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

My husband! My next release is The Sergeant, book 2 of my RH military stepbrother series and all I know about the US military and living in a US military installation comes from direct experience.

What are you working on now?

I’m about to finish writing The Heartbreakers, book 1 of a brand new RH extreme sports series. It’s really, really, really steamy. But there’s a plot that centers on unrequited love, legacy and revenge.

Do you have any quirks while working?

I need complete silence. And I type all my books on my iPad Pro without a keyboard. I prefer tapping on the screen, it’s easier on my wrists.

What are your hopes for the future?

To be able to continue to write full time and to see not hundreds but thousands of reviews on my books. A huge dream would be to have a movie or TV show based on one of my series (a girl can dream lol)

What have you learned about publishing since our first interview?

I’ve embraced the steamier side of romance. I’m no longer embarrassed to write a sex scene, they’re actually my favorite, but they are important for my stories, they aren’t just smut inserted in the story for the sake of it.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

Thank you for reading my books, follow me on social media, and if you love my books, please consider leaving a review, it really helps.

Reverse Harem with Melissa Adams

Interview One

Mar 16 2022

River Star Author Spotlight

Please give a warm welcome to author River Star

My true name is Rayner Ye, and I’ve been writing portal space fantasy and space opera for six years and publishing for four. I have been spending more on advertising than what I’ve been making, and even then, my space opera sales are dire. I think self-published space opera has to be written to market to succeed. That means spaceships, military procedures, characters from planet Earth going into space, etc.

My universe doesn’t even include planet Earth. It comprises seven solar systems. Its like magic realism, though what’s real for the citizens of the Plan8 Alliance is not real for Earthlings–because it’s futuristic with different races and religions, etc. But there are amethyst pyramids. They are time portals. Only a select few know. The rivers which well under the portals allow people to shapeshift, teleport, and body-snatch at the speed of thought. Again, only those who know the technique know this. That’s where the portal fantasy and shapeshifting come from.

Space Opera is obviously the wrong niche for this. If I had a good traditional publisher, I might get away with it. As an indie author, I don’t think so. I wrote YuFu’s Run and Cyborg Assassin to market. It’s kind of hard to sell, especially being a woman. Let’s face it. There’s a lot of sexism in science and sci-fi. I changed my face via a gender-changing app to pretend I was a man on my author profile, but it felt wrong.

Then I heard about reverse harem and how Science Fantasy authors can get away with writing a mishmash of sci-fi and fantasy sub-genres, as long as the FMC gets her harem of faithful lovers by the end of the series and there’s a happy-ever-after-ending. I thought it was worth a go, and I was curious about writing sex and romance. I decided to bring my universe over to my pen name, River Star, and then I wrote Princess Celesti.

It’s a Space Fantasy and Time Travel Reverse Harem Romance. There’s galactic empire, shifting (not in the usual paranormal sense,) futuristic sci-fi, and lots more sub-genres. Book 1 and 2 flopped when I published them, last year. I was working on advertising my space opera, at the same time, and following a silly low bid strategy, which was wasting two valuable hours a day. I have two kids so wasn’t getting much writing and dictating done compared to before.

I unpublished the two books, added more povs from villains, and decided to quick release the series in March and April 2022. That’s what I’m doing now. The entire series is on pre-order. Fingers crossed. We’ll see.

I don’t know where the whole idea of a lonely princess came from, but I liked the thought of having kinds and queens in my space fantasy for a change.

When I was four, my grandmother asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said an orphan. She asked me what an orphan did, and I said, “An orphan writes books.” That was the family joke. After my first degree, I travelled to New Zealand alone and wrote a book in a notepad. It was a fairy story for kids. I never got it published. However, the tree-people appear in a couple of my sci-fi series written under Rayner Ye. They’re genetically modified by an alien scientist to de-radiate a planet which was destroyed by a nuclear war.

For the last couple of months, my strategy has been to edit Princess Celesti 1-4 at the computer while the kids are at school, and then dictate Cyborg Assassin 2 by Rayner Ye while I walk to pick them up and walk back from their school drop off. It’s surprising how many words I can get in after even a ten-minute walk, let alone a half-hour walk. Once I’ve uploaded all of Princess Celesti 1, 2, 3, and 4 manuscripts and formatted the paperbacks, I’m going to edit Cyborg Assassin 2 while dictating Cyborg Assassin 3, written under my non-romance name, Rayner Ye. I still have a YuFu’s Run 5 manuscript to edit and release.

You know what, though? If I make any money of this reverse harem series, I’m going to write another and another and another. I might even stop writing under my real name. We’ll see. These are just dreams for now. My hope for the future is contribute financially towards my family through my writing and self publishing. My biggest dream would be to retire my husband. I’m so grateful to him for supporting me financially and emotionally through this arduous journey, like I did to him when we lived in China and South Korea. My advice for new writers is to write! There’s lots of other advice, but everyone is different, and every path is different.

Mar 15 2022

Wycked Concept and Creations #interview

Please give a warm welcome to Jace Durham

Tell us a bit about yourself…

My name is Jace and I’m the founder of Wycked Concepts and Creations; which is a business that offers a wide selection of different author services.

What do you do as part of your author service?

Blurb writing, scenes, outlines, concepts, proofreading, alpha reading, renders, and so much more with new services added as the need for them is brought to my attention.

Have you always wanted to work with this?

Yes; owning my own business has always been a dream of mine and I love that I can help indie authors while I’m at it.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a proofread, 2 blurbs and an outline as well as teaching myself graphic design.

Do you have any quirks while working?

I stick my tongue out when I’m really focused.

Do you have any advice for beginners about the publishing world?

Be careful who you trust. It’s too easy to get burned; make sure you know who your friends are.

What are your hopes for the future?

I’d like to buy a house for my wife and never have to work a day job again.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

Thank you for supporting me; you’re making my dream come true and I can’t wait to help you create the magic you’ve been waiting to find with your book babies.

Wycked Concepts and Creations

Facebook

Mar 10 2022

Author Kat Quinn #interview #newrelease

Please give a warm welcome to author Kat Quinn

Tell us a bit about yourself…

Oh hayyyyy, I’m Kat. I like cats, bats, and tacos. The last one didn’t rhyme, but I definitely feel as though it deserves recognition.

First Interview

What has happened work wise since our last interview?

Well, since the first time we did one of these fancy chata-a-majigs, I finished up Dizzy’s series! Which is super duper cool. As many may guess from the magnificent Disaster Zone Jones herself, I am in possession of my own fancy ADHD brain, which comes with a lot of squirrel-centricities. The great thing about that is that it helps me be really sporadic and creative, often finding links between totally unrelated things because my thoughts can zip around and ping off of a heckload of stuff all at once. One of the limitations a lot of ADHD folks, like myself, need to be aware of… is that once something is ‘boring’ to us, we are super likely to abandon it, even if that’s before the project we were once obsessed with is fully finished. The fact that I not only fully completed one book, but an entire series?! And a short story that’s in an upcoming anthology? And still have a TON of enthusiasm left in the tank for this?! It’s an ADHD miracle. Which I attribute to being fully aware of what I want to do (keep writing), and how to get there (never push against my interests, always follow them to where they lead me and never make this feel ‘boring.’). Ooops, ramble! But hey, let’s just say that’s true to form.

TL;DR: Completed the Disaster Zone Jones trilogy, and also have a short story coming up in the limited run “My Perfect Pleasure” anthology coming in May.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

Honestly, Dizzy came to life all on her own, and despite the fact that I am techhhhhnically already working on something else right now, I still sort of consider her my ‘current’ project. I’ve never had any control over what she does, or how she does it. Every time I made a suggestion about what the DZJ crew should do, they pretty much IMMEDIATELY overruled it and went off on their own adventures, the lovable, ragtag, group of freakin HOOLIGANS. So, my inspiration was… well, following the whims of what happens in my brain and just letting them proceed on their own, rather than trying to reign them in. Like I said, I’ve embraced not pushing against my interests because it seems to be what keeps everything so interesting. I do hope to eventually get back to writing that griffin shifters book that Dizzy trampled over during her stampede out of my fingers and onto the page, but I’ll wait until they get insistent enough about making me listen. I’ve learned my lesson about trying to force a story, and the answer is… don’t. It’s not nearly as fun.

What are you working on now?

The book I’m writing now—a story that was just meant to be a Halloween short I had in my drafts from like two years ago—was meant to be a fun little ‘break’ from writing the main storyline in Dizzy’s universe (There’s a TON of other characters and events, all with their own books planned, written in the same universe.), has suddenly decided it would like to be a full novel. Hahahah, because of course it did. This was NOT in the plan, even though it’s been listed in the pinned post in my reader group as being ‘in progress’ for a long time. Genuinely thought it would be a short little 10k word piece; barely a blip of a thing. Anyone familiar with just how thiccc my books are, shouldn’t be surprised that the story had other ideas—*I* shouldn’t be surprised that the story had other ideas—but like I said… I’ve learned to not try and force a story. I’ll go where it takes me, or where it tells me to take it. At this point, I’m pretty sure these books have lives all their own.

After that? The hope is I’ll be working on another story from the main universe I’m working in. There are some pretty strong characters vying for the position to be next up to bat, and I’m having a very hard time choosing between [redacted], [redacted], and [redacted], especially, because they’re all making their points very aggressively. I’d pretend like I know which one is next up for sure, and make some sort of official announcement but… well… I don’t trust the other two to take things lying down [insert joke about sexual positions here, bow chicka bow-wow!], and suspect they’ll put up a heck of a fight. Wouldn’t want to tempt them to kick down the door and overrule that decision, too, so I guess I’ll just see who starts talking when I start writing.

Do you have any quirks while working?

Probably? Hahaha. I discovered, while writing Dizzy’s third book, that I actually have some positive triggers that can help me enter that sweet-sweet hyper focus state that us ADHDers can magically achieve, which is how we’re able to get an intense amount of work done unexpectedly. If I listen to a specific lo-fi playlist I cultivated (with headphones on to block out the rest of the world), while sipping on a cup of Lin’s Future Brew (a tea from the books that I actually had custom-blended and are available here: https://linktr.ee/authorkatquinn ), I can submerge myself into the story and it just flows the right way. Thankfully, my cat is a very good manager and reminds me to do things like… give him cuddles, which is a great reminder to take a break and drink some water.

What are your hopes for the future?

I hope to be able to do things like fall in love with more of these robust characters the way I have Dizzy and her crew. Genuinely, realizing it was time to set them free and move on to another story had me crying just a little bit, which I’m pretty sure comes through in the afterword of their final book. Accidentally, I started saying goodbye to them and it just hit me all at once. What horrible but fulfilling heartbreak to endure, living life with these people who are completely real to you, and having to part ways, even if you don’t feel ready for it. Loving something and someone with that intensity is a gift, even if it’s sometimes a painful one. So, I hope that my heartache is eased by [redacted] and their group, by finding just as a big a love in them as I did Dizzy.

Also, I’d really like to get some tacos and shaved ice this week. That’s a pretty reasonable hope, right?

What have you learned about publishing since our first interview?

Honestly? I don’t actually know. Sure, it’s been a couple years and I’ve now pumped out that third book, so I’m sure I’ve learned plenty along the way… but I’ve taken it at a leisurely, manageable pace so all those lessons have been gradual. I suppose the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that I can do this; that anyone can do this. If you take ten years to write one book, if you go forward with an idea you’re not sure people will connect with, if you haven’t ever written anything before and aren’t sure if it’ll be any good… as long as you’re brave enough to do it anyway, there’s a place for you. There are NO rules, regardless of what anyone tells you. Just guidelines available for consideration, but not a requirement for your own path if you don’t click with them. And I’ve known this one for a while, but no matter how hard you try… you’re going to fuck up along the way. Why stress about being perfect? That’s not actually realistic. Do the best you can, fuck up, and learn from it how to do better. I’m darn proud of my first series, but I also know that I could have gotten into the trap of never actually showing it to anyone because I could have nit picked at it forever and ever and ever. In the future? Sure, I’ll probably look back and find some bits and pieces that could be done differently… but those are lessons I could never learn without having been brave enough to try. I’m not afraid of whatever mistakes I’ve made, because they show I’m still working on how to get better and better. I hope there’s never a point where I have nothing new left to learn.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

Stay hungry, but never let yourself starve.
Everything is possible.
Oh, and pop tarts are just ravioli.

I’d also love it if you check out my reader group Quinners Not Quitters to do things like keep an eye out for signed bookplates, or argue with me about whether or not pancakes could be used as currency in modern society during out Taco ‘Bout it Tuesday debates.

Linktree

Book One

Book Two

Feb 4 2022

Author Victoria Larque #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author Victoria Larque

First Interview

Tell us a bit about yourself…

Hey, thanks for having me. *sips coffee* I guess I’m still the same weirdo you interviewed waaay back.

But concerning myself, I am V. I write books. Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. I grew up in Namibia (a beautiful country directly above South Africa) and now live and work in the German woods with my husband.

What has happened work wise since our last interview?

Many things! I have almost finished my first series, The Myre Series, that I have self-published. It only needs one additional book and will be done! Wooot!

Then I was snagged by a Butterdragons Publishing and have thus far published two novels with them. I am also featured in two anthologies with BDP and it has been a blast so far.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

My Duology (the second book released on the 30 of November) plays in Namibia for the most part, and obviously the nature and feel of my home has been very inspiring when it comes to those books. Other than that… dunno… Hahaha. My dreams? My dreams are crazy, and filled with fantastical ideas and inspirations.

What are you working on now?

Right now I am working on editing my first novel in its German version to release it in January. Furthermore I am finishing up a standalone, called Lakeborn, and am trying to get time in to write that fifth book in my Myre Series. So… Busy, busy, busy!

Do you have any quirks while working?

Hmmm. I listen to music. That’s it. No real quirks, sorry

What are your hopes for the future?

To actually – for once – deserve a little orange bestseller tag. That would be awesome. And generally to be able to live off of my writing.

What have you learned about publishing since our first interview?

That the hardest part about writing and publishing is marketing. Writing the book is easy in comparison.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

Thank you for standing at my side and reading my books. I actually know most of you by name by now and I am very lucky to get to interact with the people reading my stuff. You are awesome!

I hope to be able to entertain you far into the future!

Linktree

Jan 10 2022

Author L.A. Wayward #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author L.A. Wayward

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I’m a lover of dark romance, with an even darker edge of smut and taboo. I also love “I’ll hold your hand” romance books. It depends on my mood.
I love my stories with a whole lot of action, romance and lots of steam.
I try to write pull at your heartstrings books filled with scorching brooding Alpha men and badass women in search of a HEA.
Because let’s face it—who doesn’t like to spend their time fantasizing about hot guys?

Have you always wanted to become an author?

From the first moment I saw the movie Almost Famous I knew I wanted to be a writer. During my years at UVA I started writing for a music magazine and different music websites, and went on tour with a band for the last leg of their UK concerts. I got to interview countless bands, and spent most of my time going to concerts for free. For years I got to see, and interview some awesome artists and bands. I also got a job as a script reader for a movie production company, I even sold a treatment that never hit the big screen:) I’m a nomad and love to spend my time on the road, I traveled throughout my life with my parents, but after graduating University I bought a big backpack and embarked on an adventure around the world with my best friend. We spent months traveling through Asia, Australia, New-Zealand, Canada and ended the trip with an epic road trip through America.

I had about three half-completed manuscripts and when I came home I knew I had to finish them. I published my first book Make It Burn in 2020 and spent 2021 reading and writing about six books that I hope to release in 2022.

What was your inspiration for your current book?

I’m a sucker for a good dark romance novel. Ranger Danger is a little bit spicier than Make It Burn. I love forced proximity, instant lust/love books where the main MCs have to overcome their own demons. I believe there is someone out there just right for you, who brings out the best in you, and loves you for all your flaws and demons. Who likes you for you, not because of your job or how much money you have in the bank. Inspiration comes at random times for me, I always write my thoughts down to work on them later.

What are you working on now

I’m working on Thirst, a dark romance “touch her and you die” kind of book. The MC scares me shitless and sets my heart on fire. It’s going to be another quick read, that I really hope people will like. Writing is an adventure, it has brought me in contact with so many great writers, bloggers and bookstagrammers. My dream was for just one person to read my words, having so many people actually buying my books is mind-blowing. Every day I try to work harder, and make myself and the people around me proud. Success for me isn’t measured in how much money I make as long as I’m happy and healthy, can travel, am able to keep writing my stories, and give people an escape.

Do you have any quirks while working?

I have a ton;) I can only write when music is blasting in my ears, mostly K-pop. I’m a chaotic mess, so I have to stick to a strict schedule. I usually start with social media and emails in the morning, and write the whole day. There are post-its everywhere with quotes or scenes I still have to write. When I’m in the zone everything around me disappears, I get obsessed and need to finish it even if it means I don’t get a lot of sleep or forget to eat.

What are your hopes for the future?

My ultimate dream is to get a book in the Amazon top 100 list and an orange banner. I want to keep traveling the world, write more books, stay healthy, be at peace with myself, be a good friend and make myself and my family proud. We all have our dark days, but it’s what we do with adversity that makes all the difference. I just want to go with the flow, keep growing, keep changing, nothing lasts forever so I try to do a little better every day. Try to find happiness in the little things, happiness doesn’t mean having a lot of material things for me, as long as I can pay my bills I’m happy. I write about love every day, and I do hope there is someone special waiting to share a life with, to enjoy the little moments with. I’m really lucky though, I have a place to call home, friends and family I love and a little success with my books. I really want to go to an NBA game, a Liverpool match, and spend some time in Seoul. And I’m learning Korean at the moment, at a snail’s pace but I’m making process. It’s good to keep dreaming, and challenge yourself even if it scares you. And don’t compare yourself to others, everyone is on their own path, that’s what makes it beautiful.

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

Just start writing, don’t compare yourself to others and read as much as you can. With every book you learn something new. It’s easy to get discouraged when you see people having more success than you. But you never know when your big break is going to come, keep going, keep growing and the rest will follow. And reach out to people, I’ve found everyone wants to help you along the way. Ask for help, or a little guidance and pay it forward.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

Thank you so much for reading my words and buying my books. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and TikTok. I love to interact with new readers, so don’t hesitate to reach out! Thank you for giving me a chance and making my dream a reality, big virtual hug!

Dec 28 2021

Author K.R. Hall #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author Karen Hall

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I grew up as a Navy child. My dad was transferred about every two years. I was terribly shy, and it was hard to make friends. I was in the Air Force from 1984 to 1992. I moved to Colorado with my then three-year-old son.

I was a single mom for 14 years. I met my soulmate in 2003, and we married in 2004. I have three adult children. Hubby and I had our dream home built in 2015. We live there with our two chihuahuas.

I’m addicted to chocolate. I prefer dark chocolate, I enjoy milk, but I hate white. I love Cherry Coke Zero Sugar. I drink iced tea and hot tea. In the winter, I drink dark chocolate hot cocoa with Reddi-Wip whipped cream.

Have you always wanted to become an author?

I wanted to be a writer in the third grade, but my dad said I needed a job with a guaranteed income. December 2009, I quit my job due to health issues. My first six months of being unemployed were great. I still got up early to see my husband off to work then I cleaned the house. It was just the two of us, and it was easy to keep clean. I read a lot from my favorite authors, Sue Grafton, Dean Koontz, and Stuart Woods. I also read romance novels. My first Paranormal Romance (PNR) was VA Dold’s Le Beau series.

I met Vickie at the Reader Appreciation Weekend for the Denver RomCon in September 2016, and she changed my life. I remember being very nervous. When Vickie came around the corner, I tried to calm down. Her smile lit up her face when she spotted me.

We hugged, and my husband took a photo of us. Vickie is so down to earth. She could tell I was nervous, and to help settle my nerves, she said to me that she put her pants on one leg at a time, just like everyone else.

We spent the weekend getting to know each other at the event. I told Vickie about my ideas about writing a book about bear shifters. She told me that I should write it and she would love to help me out. I called her and emailed her a lot while I wrote my first book.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

Many things inspire book ideas. A lot of them have been inspired by photos. My newest book, Project X-Force: B.E.A.R. – Bravo Echo Alpha Romeo, was inspired by the cover model’s image.

What are you working on now?

I am starting to write my first RH (Reverse Harem). Just as a harem comprises one man with multiple women, a reverse harem consists of one female protagonist and three or more male love interests. However, this is not a situation where the woman must pick her one true love by the end of the story; instead, she enters into relationships with … several (if not all) of them.

Vega: Stargazers’ Prophecy is the sixth book in a twelve-book series with other authors. Author Gina Manis saw the movie Stardust and had the idea for the series. The other authors joining us are Jewels Arthur, Jade Waltz, Skyler Andra, Quell T. Fox, J.R. Thorn, Krystal Pena, Ciara Skye, Hanleigh Bradley, Zelda Knight, Naomi Panthera, Kenzie Graves, and Eve Bradley.

Do you have any quirks while working?

My office is full of stuffed animals (mainly bears). I have bear figurines and wall art. I must have silence when I write, but sometimes I turn on my bear water fountain. I tend to nibble while I write. I sometimes will have nuts, string cheese, and beef jerky. I also have chocolate candies.

What are your hopes for the future?

I hope to make it to the USA Today’s Bestsellers list one day. I would also like to have a little orange flag from Amazon Bestsellers. In the meantime, I will continue to write and hope readers will enjoy my books.

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

Just keep doing what you love. I rewrote my first book six times before it was published. I have only been an indie author. It would be best if you did what feels right for you. Don’t let anyone tell you how or what to change.

An editor told me to change the lead character’s nationality in a book. I explained that I didn’t feel comfortable doing so. My book was written a certain way, and the people who have read it enjoy the book.

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

Thank you for trusting my books. I’m thrilled that you like them. I enjoy writing and have loads of stories that are bursting to come out of my head and onto paper. I will continue to write and self-publish.