Category: Author Interview

Posted on

Interview with author Richard W. Coad

Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

A1. Hi I’m a passionate author who loves to dive into political thrillers. My debut work, Sunflower Underground, explores my own memoir in Kyiv during the late nineties. I believe that the story is very topical today and I’m delighted that readers have picked it up. I live with my wife, three sons and two cats in Surrey, UK. When I’m not writing, I have a very busy sporting family life – especially at the weekends where I love a good parkrun! Professionally I work as a project manager in the energy sector so am also passionate about global energy strategy.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Sunflower Underground: A Kyiv Memoir”?

A2. I had never written a book like this before and it was quite daunting how to find time to write it, especially in the context of a busy family life. Extracting a coherent story from my detailed diaries, with multiple characters and relationships, from nearly thirty years ago was really challenging. After much rewriting, the book does convey the true story while keeping the structure and feel of the diary.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

A3. “The Thirty-Nine Steps” by John Buchan and “Around the World in 80 Days” by Jules Verne are my favourite books and authors. I love the protagonists in both books and how the authors created momentum and tension through to the very last page. I have even given a coded nod to John Buchan on page 18 of my book.

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

A4. I love the beaches in the south of England especially along the West Sussex and Cornish coasts. These are places where I can truly relax and be myself, I love eating barbequed food on the beach after some watersports.

Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Sunflower Underground: A Kyiv Memoir’?

A5. The full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 really motivated me to plan the book as I strongly felt that my story needed to be told. In 2023, I was further inspired to write my story when my parents decided to move away from the village I had lived in since I was eight years old and where I had attended my old school – both feature stongly in the book. Interestingly, my Kyiv professor in the book, who died in the first few months of the 2020 Covid pandemic, always told me that if I were to write about those times I should promise to wait until he himself had passed away – this promise is captured in the opening epigraph.

Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Sunflower Underground: A Kyiv Memoir’?

A6. It took me 8 months to write the initial draft of the book but it was 20,000 words too long. My editor returned it after another month showing me where it could be shortened and this turned out to be very good advice which taught me how to improve my writing efficiency. Finally my copy editor really helped me polish off the writing and the resulting style fit the tone of the story.

Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?

A7. Readers can buy the ebook, paperback or hardback from Amazon, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble and dozens of other platforms.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Sunflower Underground: A Kyiv Memoir’?

A8. The book cover design was very difficult and time consuming. As a new author I envisaged a design which ultimately became overly complicated. A friend of mine who had worked as a comminucations advisor for the British Prime Minister, considered the story and advised a much simpler design with the iconic sunflower and the twelve stars of the European Union flag almost shaking hands. The yellow and blue colours also matched. This was the final cover. The title evolved as the book was written and the two key aspects of Ukrainian identity and the political underground at work through the story were encapsulated by the title – the editor suggested the “Kyiv Memoir” subtitle for clarity.

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself.

A9. The best advice I received to keep things fresh for the reader was to keep the story flowing, clearly define the chapters, make the characters distinct and identifiable, and keep the reader in suspense until the last page. I was so incredibly motivated to write the book and, with the Ukraine war ongoing, more importantly to finish the book. I wanted to create a book which was easily identifiable, not only by the cover alone, but as a reminder to help keep the war visible around the world. Each chapter had its own identity and I knew exactly the entry and exit point for each chapter.

Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

A10. The most valuable advice I was given was to write the book in my head first. I knew where I wanted to get to at every chapter when I sat down ro write it and so I never really experienced writer’s block. Of course, it helped that I had lived the experience myself and was able refer to my own diary for dates and events.

Buy book

Posted on

Interview with author Barbara LeForge

Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

A1. I’m Barbara LeForge, a writer, editor, and homeschooling mother of four based in the Upstate of South Carolina. While my days are often filled with lesson plans and martial arts classes, my heart has always been in storytelling. I currently serve as the editor for The Golden Strip News, and I’m passionate about finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life.

​Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “By Still Waters”?

A2. The greatest challenge was the emotional weight of the “detective” work involved. Balancing the needs of my four children while simultaneously digging through painful family secrets and processing the death of my mother required a level of vulnerability I hadn’t anticipated. It was a constant collision of grace and chaos.

​Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

A3. I’ve always been drawn to authors who aren’t afraid of the “unfiltered” truth. I find myself returning to works that explore the human condition with both wit and depth, much like Jennette McCurdy’s exploration of complex family dynamics.

​Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

A4. While I love my home in South Carolina, the Pacific Northwest holds a piece of my heart—specifically the Tacoma and Steilacoom areas of Washington. The mist over the Puget Sound and the rugged beauty of that coastline always felt like a place where the “still waters” weren’t just a metaphor, but a physical space where I could breathe and reflect.

​Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘By Still Waters’?

A5. The book was born out of the raw silence left behind when my mother passed away in October 2024. I found myself standing at a crossroads of grief and discovery, realizing that to truly move forward, I had to confront the secrets of the past and embrace a journey of radical forgiveness.

​Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘By Still Waters’?

A6. The actual writing took place throughout 2025. It was an intense year of drafting and refining, culminating in the submission of my manuscript for editing in September of that year.

​Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?

A7. Readers can find By Still Waters through Amazon.

​Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘By Still Waters’?

A8. The title is a reference to the 23rd Psalm, but with a twist—it’s about finding those still waters even when you are in the middle of a valley. For the cover, I wanted something that captured that duality: the peace of the water contrasted with the depth of the shadows we often have to walk through to get there.

​Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself.

A9. I lean into the “detective” aspect of memoir writing. By staying curious about my own history and being willing to look at old family photos or heirlooms with fresh eyes, I find layers of the story I didn’t know existed. If I’m surprised by what I find, I know my readers will be too.

​Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

A10. The best advice I’ve received is that you cannot edit a blank page. You have to be willing to write the “messy” version first—the one where the chaos is still visible—before you can find the grace and the structure within it.

Book is available for Pre-order

Posted on

Interview with author True North

Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

A1. I approach life with curiosity. I’m a lifelong learner, deeply connected to the rhythm of nature, the whisperings of my soul, and the people I am blessed to love in my life. I am an adventurer at heart, not afraid to take risks (perhaps, because I was allowed to climb trees, wade in creeks, and sit on the roof as a kid). I’ve learned that when fear buddies up to me, it’s there as a friend, not an enemy, to be shushed. It’s asking, why is this uncomfortable? What here wants to stretch, to grow, to be more aligned ?

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Anasazi Vision”?

A2. The book was written in two phases, years apart. The original draft was written immediately following my vision quest. It came by way of nightly excursions INTO the story where I interacted with the characters and landscape. I BECAME a character WITHIN it night after night for seven weeks. By day, for those seven weeks, a “voice” dictated what I had experienced the night before, and Anasazi Vision became that experience. Then, in 2024, I rewrote the story, and it became what it is today. In the years between the first draft and the rewrite, I lived experiences that ripened the emotional fabric of the story. Remember, most of Anasazi Vision is fiction. It was the “voice” that originally wove experiences from my life into the story, and the rewrite gave them lungs and breath. As for my challenge? It was resisting putting too much of myself into the story, but that’s what it asked of me, and in hindsight, it is what makes the story the immersive, intimate, honest, and experiential journey it is.

Q3. The relationship between True and her mama is layered and nuanced. What did you want readers to understand about parent–child bonds through their connection?

A3. I believe in most cases, we need to give our parents a break. They did the best they could, given what they had to work with. No parent goes into parenthood thinking, “How can I screw up this kid?” In my case, my mama is a beautiful human; kind, thoughtful, and quite logical. She wasn’t tapped into her emotions, whereas I related to life through my senses. Adulthood (and unpacking and understanding my relationship with my mother with compassion and honesty) allowed me to see her with fresh eyes. We have high expectations of our parents. In truth, they are humans trying as best they can to raise another human. A little allowance goes a long way to heal our hearts… and theirs.

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

A4. I live in Oregon. In a word, it’s stunning. My favorite spot is Tryon Creek State Park. It is on the outskirts of Portland and is home to miles of forested hiking trails. This is where I am most at home, among the trees.

Q5. The Four Corners desert feels almost like a living entity in the book. What drew you to this landscape?

A5. I’ve spent time in Four Corners, have fished the San Juan River, and spent time at the ruins, so am very familiar with the desert. It is a quiet place that invites introspection. As far as the book goes, it is a metaphor of the internal desert True is navigating.

Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Anasazi Vision’?

A6. The original draft took seven weeks. The rewrite took nine months.

Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?

A7. Currently, Anasazi Vision is available through Amazon and Books.by.

Q8. Did you envision a specific type of reader for Anasazi Vision, or did the story guide itself naturally?

A8. This is such a great question. I wrote the story because it asked to be written. Actually, it wouldn’t leave me alone, and it was the one thing I knew I needed to do before I left the planet. It’s always had a life of its own and has wanted to be in readers’ hands, in their hearts, and in their souls. It is finding its way to them — to the ones it belongs to, and that brings a special peace to my soul.

Q9. When writing a book, how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and yourself?

A9. Anyone who knows me knows I have a close relationship with my spirit guides. That may be too woo for some people, but it is where I write from. See, words carry a vibration. A frequency lives between the actual words, and when I connect with my guides and write from the space where all exists, readers feel it. They may think they are connecting with the story, but in truth, they are connecting to the aspect of us that is shared. That’s why it feels so personal, so intimate, and transformative. I hope that answers your question.

Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

A10. Write to just one person, not ten thousand people.

Buy book on Amazon

Posted on

Interview with author Mary Ganim

Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

A1. I’m a bohemian. I’ve lived sort of an unconventional life. I began drawing comics at an early age. I couldn’t read or write yet, so I narrated picture stories to my family. In high school I experimented with acting and playwriting. I was a fine arts major in college, where I painted landscapes, continued with comics, and portraiture. I was especially fond of figure drawing. I wrote an early precursor to Bastymania, a series of short stories intended to be a book, but in the 1970’s publishers were not interested in “comics for adults.” I tried my hand at children’s book illustration but was not successful. I went back to school and obtained a certificate in Art Therapy. I used that to teach art to at-risk children and nursing home residents. I got married, moved to a small town and took up gardening. I tried my hand at turning one acre of woodland into a botanical garden. I don’t recommend trying to force wild Mother Nature into something tame and pretty, unless you can afford to have someone come in and do it for you; but then it’s no fun.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Bastymania: Love is Strange”?

A2. I was diagnosed with nacular degeneration, an age related eye disease that leads to legal blindness. There are treatments, but no cure. I realized my eyesight was going, and if I ever wanted to write and draw the graphic novel I always wanted, it would have to be now. That was 2023. I had to work large, use several different magnifying lenses, and a mirror to check for distortion. I also had to rely on a very simple drawing style, giving the artwork a “raw” look, which was not ideal, but I wanted it to be hand-drawn.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

A3. Michail Bulgakov is my idol. The Master and Margarita was written during the Soviet Era, and he rewrote it many times out of fear of censorship and imprisonment. Everyone can now read the book unredacted, and it is a masterful work of political and social satire! It is often hysterically funny, even if you don’t know the history of the time, but it’s better if you do. John Fowles’ The Magus is another favorite. I’ve reread it many times over the last forty years, it always seems new to me.The Becoming Fair One, a short story by Oliver Onions, is a great Gothic horror story and a psychological thriller from the 19th century. Bulgakov’s sense of satire especially rubbed off on me. Fowles’ characters are real and three dimensional. You want to know them.

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

A4. I haven’t traveled much. My favorite spot is the Catskill Region in New York State. My husband and I spent many years hiking the rocky mountains of the Catskills. I liked being in the wild, the quiet, the scent of hemlock and the discovery of an occasional waterfall.

Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Bastymania: Love is Strange’?

A5. My brother Louis and I grew up during the era of rock and roll. We spent many hours in his room spinning 45’s on his record player. We called ourselves amateur musicologists of 20th century pop. I always wanted to write a graphic story pertaining to the era.
An early form of Bastymania was written in 1971. It was a series of short stories featuring fictionalized rock stars.
It percolated in my head off and on for forty years.

Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Bastymania: Love is Strange’?

A6. It took two and a half years. My eyesight was an issue, so it was a bit rushed. Normally it probably would have taken four. I was working against time, so I put in six hour days six days a week. I don’t recommend working like that.

Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?

A7. Bastymania is available on Amazon KDP in ebook and paperback.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Bastymania: Love is Strange’?

A8. Bastymania is more like a novel than a comic book, and it contains a riot of characters who appear over a span of years. The main characters also change and grow over time, so I thought I would do sort of a collage of their past and future, showing them in all their personas and moods. The title is derived from the frenzy that accompanied the Beatles’ debut, called Beatlemania. The name of my band is the Bastion. Their fans call them the Basties. Hence, Bastymania!

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself.

A9. I have never published anything before, but I like to write, and I write a lot. I have been keeping a journal since the 1980’s. I don’t just write anything. I carefully curate all my entries, subject matter, everything. I write as if a reader might want to read it, even if I am the only one.

Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

A10. Always write from what you know. You are a treasure trove of experiences, memories of people places and things, and emotions, knowledge acquired over years. Don’t be fantastic. You don’t have to make anything up. An instructor told me this many years ago.

Buy book on Amazon

Posted on

Interview with author Jim Loughran

Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

I was born in Northern Ireland and studied French and Spanish at Queens University Belfast. Following graduation, I spent a year in Paris before completing his Post Graduate Certificate in Education. I taught French in Belfast and then moved to Dublin where I worked for ten years as a Media Planner in one of Dublin’s leading advertising agencies. During this time, I also got involved with Amnesty International and was Chairperson of Amnesty Ireland for five years. I then joined the organisation on a full-time basis as Development Manager before taking on the role of Head of Media. I initiated groundbreaking research into Irish links to the arms trade and produced two major reports: “Ireland and the Arms Trade – Decoding the Deals” and “Claws of the Celtic Tiger.”

I was head hunted by Irish based international human rights organisation Front Line Defenders to take up the newly created role of Head of Media and Communications. Prior to my retirement I was responsible for setting up the Human Rights Defenders Memorial Project, a unique collaborative project involving leading national and international organisations to document the killings of human rights defenders. I was the author of ‘Stop the Killings’ a major report which analysed the patterns of violence that led to the killings of human rights defenders in: Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and the Philippines. These 6 countries collectively account for 80% of the killings of human rights defenders annually. I was jokingly referred to in the office as, ‘Head of Killings.’

I live in Dublin with my husband. Since I retired, I have shifted focus from writing press releases and opinion articles to historical fiction. My first published work, ‘Ill Met by Moonlight’ is a short story published in October 2025 by Briar Press, New York, as part of ‘These Dark Things,’ an anthology of 12 gothic short stories. The Bratinsky is my first novel published by Sharpe Books. My second novel “Syracuse Must Burn” set in Sicily in 407BC is due out this year.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “The Bratinsky Affair”?

The Bratinsky Affair revolves around the stories of two main characters: exiled Russian aristocrat Countess Irina Bratinsky and aspiring investigative reporter Tom O’Brien. Irina’s story starts in pre-revolutionary Russia and travels to Paris in the 1920’s, Paris during the German Occupation and the political turmoil of the 1970’s. On the other hand, Tom’s story starts in small town Ireland and reflects the choices he makes as a young gay man coming to terms with his sexual orientation at a time when homosexuality was still a criminal offence. The main challenge was to convey the complexity of both their journeys and be sympathetic to the choices they make while not getting bogged down in the detail.

Another challenge was that in the first iteration of the book Irina came across as a bit of a monster. I had to recalibrate her as a much more sympathetic figure. On the other hand, I wanted her to come across as a strong independent woman, not a victim. She is someone who has taken control of her life and that is what makes her relevant to a modern audience.

Tom’s journey is more of an emotional one and it also incorporated elements of my own story as a gay man. Both stories reflect how happiness depends on the choices we make and the need for moral courage in difficult moments.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

Since I was a teenager, I have always been absorbed in history so that is the first area I would look at. Growing up in a small village in Northern Ireland the subject of the famine was not talked about that much. There is a certain category of books which I would describe as light bulb books in that they illuminate an unknown event with the force of revelation. The Great Hunger by Cecil Woodham Smith was one of those in that it described the horrors of the Irish famine in an objective way that left you feeling you had lived through it. He showed me the importance of well researched and well written history.

The Memoirs of the Duc de Saint Simon is essential reading for anyone interested in French eighteenth century history. They have everything that any novel has ever been written about: gossip, corruption and intrigue at court, snobbery and the lust for power, love and devotion. He wrote his diary every day for fifty years and the only break was on the day his wife died, which is recorded by a tear on the page.

Another ‘light bulb book’ is the twin volumes The Normans in the South and The Kingdom in the Sun by John Julius Norwich. The Norman kingdom of Sicily established by Roger 11 in 1130 was an amalgam of Arab, Jewish and Christian culture based on tolerance. He was a Christian king who spoke Arabic and Greek and brought the finest craftsmen from Constantinople to create the Palatine Chapel. To see the most spectacular Byzantine mosaics go to Palermo.

In terms of historical fiction there are so many inspirational writers. Mary Renault, of course is the writer who almost invented historical fiction as a genre and in books like “The King Must Die”, “The Persian Boy” and “The Bull from the Sea” she recreates the world of ancient Greece so that you feel you are reliving it.

CJ Sansom’s character, lawyer Mathew Shardlake, is a wonderful invention as he explores the dark corners of Henry V111’s reformation England. This of course brings us to Hilary Mantel who has set the bar very high for writers of historical fiction with her “Wolfe Hall” trilogy.

When I need some light relief there are the adventures of Commissario Guido Brunetti by Dona Leon. Set in Venice this is the antithesis of scandi noir. He is not a divorced alcoholic. He has a happy marriage, loves his children and navigates the politics of his job with skill. Finally, there is one book which I have read many times: “The Historian” by Elizabeth Kostova. It is a brilliant reworking of the Dracula legend, so embedded in history that it is entirely credible.

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

My favourite place in Ireland is Woodstown Beach, outside Waterford City. It is a shallow bay bordered with sand dunes and a discreet fringe of pine trees. Here and there you can catch glimpses of elegant villas sheltered from the wind among the trees. Due to some anomaly of the tide the beach is littered with tiny pink shells and if you close your eyes all you will hear is the sighing of the wind and the tinkling of the shells in the surf. I have gone there many times with my oldest friend, and it is a place of great comfort and peace. Woodstown House also happens to be the place to which Jackie Kennedy retreated after the assassination of JFK.

Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘The Bratinsky Affair’?

In Irish history there are many stories about Irishmen who during the penal laws in seventeenth century Ireland fled repression at home to seek fame and fortune in the armies of Spain, France, Austria and Russia. At one point I met a descendant of one those families. Baron Brian de Breffny, Count O’ Rourke was the descendant of one such family. His ancestors had been generals during the wars against Napoleon and one of them even has his portrait in the Hermitage Museum. They survived in Russia until the revolution and ended up coming back to find refuge in Ireland three hundred years after their original departure. I thought there had to be a novel in that story! Years later, I discovered that there is a village in Wicklow called ‘The Russian Village’. It had been built by another Russian refugee whose family had fled to England. An architect, he married an Irish woman and ended up in Wicklow. This was the perfect place to start my story.

Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘The Bratinsky Affair’?

It took about three years though I wasn’t working on it all the time. It happened in fits and starts.

Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?

It is available on Amazon.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Bratinsky Affair’?

I can claim no credit for the cover as this was designed by my publisher, Sharpe Books. The title was suggested by all those reports of scandals and crime such as ‘The Drefus Affair,” “The Profumo Affair” the “Affair of the Diamond Necklace.” Once I got that title stuck in my brain I couldn’t think past it. Nothing else quite worked, despite numerous attempts.

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and yourself.

You have to be open to changes. For example, we were on holidays in the south of France and stumbled on an exhibition of the portraits of Suzy Solidor a controversial singer from the 1920’s who was painted by all the great artists of the day. She also ran the most fashionable night club in Paris in the 20’s and 30’s. She was also openly lesbian. Her story was so outrageous that I thought this is what we need to make Irina more human, and more fun. You also need to accept when something, a character or a section, simply doesn’t work. This stage of the process is not called ‘killing your darlings’ for nothing.

Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

I would quote Stephen King (and recommend his book on writing): ° keep reading, keep writing and keep submitting. The other piece of advice I got was get it finished rather than obsess on making it perfect, otherwise you will never get past the opening paragraph.

Buy book on Amazon

Posted on

Interview with author Alex Gerrick

Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

A1. I am a former senior government official and political adviser who left the Australian government in 2018. Since then I have been the CEO of a charity dealing with PTSD and on the board of another charity that deals with animal assisted therapy. I live in Canberra, Australia with my wife and pet beagle, Louie. I have just completed my first draft of my third book, The Cry of the Lyrebird. My interests include history, travelling, music, animals. and football, being a mad supporter of Liverpool FC.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “A Season of Thunder”?

A2. Although written as a novel, the book is based on fact, dealing with my shooting as a four year old boy and the possible connection to my father’s war service in the former Yugoslavia. Exploring such a traumatic event had its challenges as I discovered that many things I was told about the shooting were untrue. Dealing with that was difficult. Also discovering the background to my family’s escape from Yugoslavia (way before I was born) was also very challenging as I finally understood the terrible situations they experienced.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

A3. I read widely, so I enjoy many authors. In terms of weaving together a story, I think Stephen King’s early books were a big influence on me, especially with character development. I also was influenced by writers such as Le Carre, Leon Uris, Herman Wouk, Robert Ludlum, and more recently, Robert Harris and Mick Herron. Catch 22 and To Kill a Mockingbird are still my two favourite novels of all time – I would love to write an Australian version of Catch 22 one day. I am also greatly influenced by the American film director, David Lynch, and how he portrayed the mysterious undercurrents that lurk within small towns.

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

A4. I am more of an international traveller these days – the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia and California are probably my two favourite places in the world because I love the sea and scenic, rugged coastlines. In Australia, Sydney is still my favorite place to visit – it is a historical city that offers everything, from fantastic beaches to brilliant restaurants and bars. Even for a large city, it relaxes me. Never get tired of visiting.

Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘A Season of Thunder’?

A5. As the youngest of four children, I wanted to record the story of my family’s escape from Yugoslavia for my siblings and their children. It is such an amazing story that I felt it needed to be retold within our family for decades to come so that those that live after us continue to honour the sacrifices that my parents and my oldest sister made.

Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘A Season of Thunder’?

A6. It took me about six months to conduct all the research for the book, and about eighteen months to write it.

Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?

A7. You can purchase the book through Amazon or order it online through your favourite bookstore such as Barnes and Noble etc. In Canberra, some bookshops carry the book.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘A Season of Thunder’?

A8. As for the book cover, I wanted something that conveyed a tree burning following a storm as that was an image my father recollected from the final days of the war. Fortunately I was able to find and purchase the perfect photo. My publisher who helped me with the book turned it into the perfect cover. As for ‘A Season of Thunder’ the title comes from my discussions with a Filipino Marist brother who I met in the Philippines in 2001. He explained to me about the Four Seasons of Life – the first being the Season of Thunder which details the events that led to your birth. That title fits perfectly with the essence of the novel.

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself.

A9. Always have a surprise or twist ready to go! Sometimes I didn’t even know what the twist would be until it came to my head.

Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

A10. Stay calm, trust your instincts, don’t be scared to seek and take feedback, and don’t give up!

Buy book on Amazon

Posted on

Interview with author Alexandra Longfellow

Q1. Please introduce yourself so that the readers will get to know you better.

Hi! I’m Alexandra Longfellow, a mom, wife, lifelong book lover, and proud dog mom to two golden retrievers named Doug and Todd. By day, I tell real-world stories as a U.S. Air Force Public Affairs professionals. By night (and especially at bedtime), I love creating stories filled with heart, humor, and a whole lot of love. If there’s a dog nearby or a book in my hand, I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

Q2. What is the inspiration behind your book The Tail of Doug & Todd: A Golden Bond?

Doug and Todd inspired the book simply by being themselves. Doug is the wise, older brother who knows all the rules, and Todd is the joyful whirlwind who learns them as he goes. Watching their bond grow (through tail wags, patience, and plenty of mischief) felt like a story that needed to be told. I wanted to capture that magic and share it with families everywhere.

Q3. When did you realize you want to be an author?

I realized I wanted to be an author when I noticed how powerful stories are, especially the ones we read aloud together. Stories can calm busy minds, spark imagination, and turn ordinary moments into special memories. Once I saw that, I knew I wanted to create stories that children would ask for again and again.

Q4. Please tell us something about your book The Tail of Doug & Todd: A Golden Bond.

The Tail of Doug & Todd: A Golden Bond is a cozy, heartfelt story about two dogs learning how to share love, space, and life together. It’s about growing bonds, gentle lessons, and discovering that family isn’t just about who was there first It’s about choosing each other every day.

Q5. For which age group is your book The Tail of Doug & Todd: A Golden Bond?

The book is perfect for children ages 2–10, but it’s really written for lap reading. It’s the kind of story meant to be read with a child tucked under one arm and maybe a dog curled up at your feet.

Q6. What is your favorite quote?

“One day you will read books you once loved to someone you love.”
It’s a beautiful reminder that stories don’t just stay on the page, they become part of our lives.

Q7. What do you like the most about your country?

I love the sense of possibility. The idea that stories, dreams, and creativity can come from anywhere (and that everyone has a voice worth hearing) is something I truly value.

Q8. What suggestion do you want to give to parents of little readers regarding a reading habit?

Keep it fun! Let kids pick the books, read the same story for the hundredth time, use silly voices, and don’t rush. Reading should feel like a treat, not a chore; and the memories you create will last far longer than the lesson itself.

Q9. What does literary success look like to you?

Literary success is hearing a child say, “Read it again!” or seeing a book get a little worn from being loved. If my story becomes part of someone’s bedtime routine, that’s the greatest reward I could ask for.

Q10. Lastly, who is your inspiration in life and why?

My biggest inspirations are my family, and yes, that includes Doug and Todd. They remind me every day that love is loyal, patience matters, and joy can be found in the simplest moments… especially when tails are wagging.

Buy book on Amazon

Posted on

Interview with author Larry Culliford

Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

A1. Hello. Yes, I trained as a doctor in England then worked in hospitals and as a GP in New Zealand and Australia before training to be a psychiatrist. After returning to the UK, I became a Consultant Psychiatrist in the NHS in Brighton for almost 20 years, retiring so I could write more, publishing a long-time blog on Psychology Today and several books about happiness, wellbeing, spirituality and wisdom. My wife Sarah and I live in a beautiful small town in Sussex close to the South Downs National Park. I keep fit, go to the gym once a week, play golf, and enjoy things like reading, going to the theatre, watching films and documentaries. I think of myself as an ordinary kind of person, just like everybody else.

Q2. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

A2. One of my favourite spots is the golf club near Pulborough where I am a member. It is special for several reasons. Firstly, it is a beautiful, tranquil place. The scenery and wildlife are exceptional. Secondly, it is a friendly club with a welcoming atmosphere where I have many friends. Thirdly, the golf course is fair but challenging, requiring players like me to focus on each shot and deploy a testing range of skills; very satisfying when things go well, and character building when they don’t. They also serve excellent food and liquid refreshment.

Q3. What inspired you to write the book ‘Happy as Larry’?

A3. My friend Matt and I often share stories about our lives when on the golf course. One day, he suggested I write it all down, including some of the lessons I had learned along the way. That’s how the idea for my spiritual autobiography was born. My motive is not self-aggrandisement. Far from it. I simply want to share my experiences and thoughts about good mental health, and how I came to develop them into a coherent scheme (called the Kairos Theory of Emotional Healing and Personal Growth). If I am confident that this will help many people, it’s because it already has done. My aim now is to spread the hopeful message to a much wider audience.

Q4. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Happy as Larry’?

A4. I wrote the 28 chapter first draft at a steady rate. It took 14 months, so two weeks per chapter. This needed editing, to make it shorter and more readable, so I employed Susan Watt from ‘The Writing Coach’ to help me. The final version took about another six months to complete.

Q5. In your book, you say people can mature towards wellbeing and wisdom throughout life. What do you mean by wisdom?

A5. Wisdom can be thought of as a form of knowledge. It’s not like scientific knowledge, the knowledge of facts. It is, rather, the knowledge of how to be and behave for the best, both for yourself and for other people, in various situations. It is immediate, intuitive, on-the-spot knowledge, and depends on what I call our ‘wisdom minds’, which people can train themselves to access in simple ways. I should add that wisdom, kindness and compassion go together.

Q6. How can people develop their capacity for wisdom and compassion?

A6. There are several ways, as for example outlined in the World Wide Wave of Wisdom website (www.wwwow.net). One of these is to spend time reading wisdom literature, such as religious scriptures, philosophy, classical literature and poetry. Another is to spend quiet time every day in reflection, meditation or silent prayer.

Q7. What is the secret of wisdom?

A7. The secret of wisdom depends on people thinking for themselves and taking responsibility for their thoughts, words and actions. It also depends on such a person experiencing a feeling of unity, of a deeply personal connection with every other person, despite apparent differences of age, gender, nationality, faith tradition, political affiliation, favourite sports team, or anything else; and the same seamless degree of connection to nature and the planet, so that you always want to help, and cannot possibly do harm to anything or anyone, knowing intuitively that somehow you would reap the consequences, beneficial or otherwise. Your relationship to others, to all living things and to the wider cosmos develops a sacred quality of inviolability,. This is what it can mean to be a spiritual person, whether you happen to be religious or not.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Happy as Larry’?

A8. The expression ‘Happy as Larry’ refers to Larry the Lark, a nickname for the bird with a bright cheery song that we hear in the summer months. My name is Larry (not Lawrence), and I have been interested in the subject of human happiness and wellbeing since the 1970s, when I was a trainee psychiatrist and there did not seem to be an overview available to help us understand what supreme mental health might entail. Looking into this, as the book describes, helped me grow in terms of happiness and tranquillity I was carrying a lot of anger following a traumatic childhood and adolescence. Nowadays, I am a happy person, and I am also happy… in the sense of ‘content’… to be Larry, to be the person I have become. ‘Happy as Larry’ was the obvious title for the book. It then made sense to put my photo on the cover, and to put a photo from 1975, taken on the day I received my medical degree in Cambridge, on the back cover. The subtitle, ‘A Psychiatrist’s Quest for Mental health and Wellbeing’, summarises what the book is about, and hints that my personal journey could be interpreted universally; that I have been professionally interested in, and have discovered truths about, wellbeing for everyone else.

Q9. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

A9. It may sound arrogant, but I consider myself to have been blessed with the gift of writing ability. It was there when I was at school. My teachers remarked on it. So I have never felt the need to seek advice about writing.

Q10. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

A10. a) Read a lot; b) develop your vocabulary, learn new words every day; c)hone your work, revise everything multiple times; d) keep descriptions short, avoid repetition except occasionally for emphasis, less is usually more; e) write with confidence, especially non-fiction, avoiding words like ‘maybe’ or ‘perhaps’; f) try reading your work aloud, ideally to a sympathetic listener, make sure it sounds good, almost like poetry; g) persevere, become resilient, do not give up on your dreams and ambitions; h) writing is a form of self-development, use challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth. I had five books rejected before my first successful publication. Finally, i) believe in yourself, and good luck!

Buy book on Amazon

Posted on

Interview with author Terry Kruser

  1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

Hi. My name is Terry Kruser. I am 67 years old and live in Renton, Washington (just SE of Seattle). Wow, there is so much! I was born and raised in Iowa. At 18, I joined and served 9 years in the Air Force, stationed worldwide, and this is when I gained most of my “people experience”. In 1986, I started school at the University of Iowa and graduated with a BS in pharmacy. I retired in 2014 for medical reasons. I’ve been very happily together with my husband over 25 years. I started writing when I was 18 and concentrate now on “life learning experience” essays instead of poetry.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Uncommon Poems Common People”?

The book is essentially composed of two parts. The first part “The Edge” was mostly written when I was in my teens in early 20’s and concentrates mostly on the emotionally immature side of myself. The second part builds on the first with more mature life outlooks. The most difficult part was trying to find a way to coherently reconcile the two into a single body of work in a way that would achieve my overall goal, that of a guide to living that would show others that they, too, can achieve a sense of self-peace in their lives regardless of whatever challenges life may throw at us.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

I’ve long been a sci-fi reader. Stephen Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant series (starting with Lord Foul’s Bane) is a series that’s been re-read several times. Probably my all-time favorite book has been The World According to Garp by John Irving because it pegs people so well and accurately reflects life and people in all of their idiosyncrasy and absurdity. My own life has been strange, challenging, and wonderful and I like writing that reflects those qualities. That would include Stephen King, because he writes about what makes people tick and why they act like fallible people so well, but for some reason I’ve gravitated away from that genre. My own writing now is not influenced much by other authors, but (as its mostly always been) much more related to my own real-life lessons-oriented relationships and experiences.

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

For the early part of my adult life, it was Glacier National Park in NW Montana. I really love places of natural beauty. Later, after moving to San Antonio, TX, it was our almost yearly fall trip to South Padre Island in far south Texas (not regular Padre Island, central TX coast), which has the best stretch of beach in the state. I tend to gravitate to places that feed my sense of spirituality, self-peace, and serenity. Nature and ordinary everyday things (as metaphorical symbols) appear a lot in my poetry simply because they are relatable and are things that people can key on and find personally relatable and as such, can more easily be tied to one’s mental and emotional state and well-being, in times of both the good and not very good.

Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Uncommon Poems Common People’?

Occasionally, I’ll pore over my old writing, and I found that I had a lot of really good stuff that was worth sharing and that people could relate to. More importantly, I think that because of my own personal experiences, others might be helped (because of what I’ve gone through, both good and bad) to find their own way. It took me literally decades to find answers and solutions to my own lifelong personal issues. There were things that I wished I could have known or thought of when I was younger, that it would have been nice if people who truly cared would have passed onto or told me as to the lessons in life we all could use, or even need. My hope is that others might gain and find their own ways through life more quickly and easily by knowing about my experience.

Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Uncommon Poems Common People’?

I had to laugh when I saw this question. I’m 67 now and the vast majority of the material in the book was written before I was 25. The first half of the book was already written by the time I was in my mid 20s. I just had to fill in the blanks, organize, and get it all pieced together to say what I really wanted to say. Essentially, it only took a few months to put it all together once I decided to do a book. It took just as long for the editing process and the back and forth between my publisher and I to iron it all out. Even then, when it was published, somehow the printer managed to put in an all too obvious typo in it.

Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?

I self-published, so not in some of the obvious places like your corner bookstore. The book is available through the publisher Dorrance, and naturally Amazon in softcover and Kindle formats. It’s been a few years since originally published, so I’m not sure if Barnes and Noble even stocks it any more. Amazon is a reader’s best, quickest, and easiest bet. I don’t think the e-format does poetry writing justice; I’m not a big fan of it. I’m really lousy at marketing so popular it isn’t.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Uncommon Poems Common People’?

The book cover was easy, entirely driven by Dorrance the publisher. They came up with a couple of designs and I wasn’t really picky. One they came up with was appealing enough. For the title, I wanted something that reflected the book. The type of poetry style I use is fairly unique to myself and is out of step with a lot of modern poetry. C’mon, it’s about the writing itself and not how you spread the words all over the page. A lot of my poetry is deeply and intimately personal and relatable. I write about emotions and experiences relatable to most everyone, so that what makes it for “common people”. An interesting side note is that the original title I had pegged was “Uncommon Poems for Common People”. While putting the book together, I found out that a writer in Spain had coincidentally recently published a book “Uncommon Poems for the Common People”, so I ditched the “for” out of my own title to help ameliorate any possible confusion. (I saw enough of it to realize… completely different). I’m happy with the result.

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself.

Like any writer, recurring themes in composition and content often come up, especially when it’s personally emotional and there’s some internal axes that need to be ground. I had my own set of issues when I was a lot younger and that was a rut that it was easy to fall into in my writing. This results in boring and repetitious writing. This final set I think is pretty darn good. I’ve had some reviewers not liking my repeating themes between the first and second parts who didn’t recognize the shifts in tone, (the sometimes slow) growth, change, and maturity; some did). That being said, I’ve done some truly bad carry-on forever writing, and composed some real stinkers in my time. To keep things fresh, you have to keep things real, honest, and straight to the point, or else it’s too much of a burden to the reader. Young and inexperienced writers (like me at one time), being so eager to get their message across, tend to make these kinds of mistakes.

Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

There’s several (see above). Keep it real, honest, and to the point. Write about things you know about and have experience with. Don’t make it too auto-biographic, unless that’s the point. If you’re not familiar enough with the subject matter you want to write about, do your first rough drafts to get your ideas down and fixed, then educate yourself on the potential holes in your writing and knowledge base. We may think we know all about some things, but those who actually do know and have the experience, they will have the last laugh every time. And above all, DO NOT write “above the heads” of the people in your target audience. In some feedback from my first book, I was told that I wrote at a post-graduate level and only then did I realize I needed to tone it down if I wanted to write something that people would actually want to read.

Buy Uncommon Poems Common People on Amazon

Posted on

Interview with author Rusty Austin

Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.

A1. My name is Rusty Austin, I got the nickname when I was a kid because of the shock of red hair. I grew up in Colorado, where the lifestyle is to spend as much time in the outdoors as possible. All the weekend hiking and backpacking and rock climbing led me to a love of nature and animals. I graduated from UCLA in 1988 and went on to spend 30 years as a reality TV producer in Hollywood, where I worked on shows like Survivor, Big Brother, Nanny 911 and Hell’s Kitchen. In reality TV we take many hours of footage and hone it down and down and down until we get to the smallest kernel we can find that still tells the story the way we want it to be told. That experience has come in quite handy in my writing career. I retired in 2018 and now I write children’s animal poetry books and the occasional non-fiction book for adults.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Dave and Me”?

A2. My lifelong friend Dave died unexpectedly at age 60 and I wanted to pen a memoir to honor him. I had to make sure it was as accurate as possible to my memories of our times together. The biggest challenge was trying not to feel too much grief while writing so the joy of life could come out over the pain of death…what resulted was a lot of short stories recalling specific events, both humorous and serious.

Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

A3. Charles Bukowski is one of my favorite writers, I try to pay homage to him in every one of my short stories. One of my favorite books, believe it or not, is Ulysses by James Joyce. I like it because it successfully breaks almost every writing rule known to man. It took me 10 years to get through it, I would read and reread several pages then put it down for a month or two.

Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

A4. My favorite spot to visit is Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where they have one of the largest natural hot springs pools in the world. My whole family learned to swim there, and I’ve passed it on to my nieces and nephews, and I plan to do so soon to my grandchildren.

Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Dave and Me’?

A5. My lifelong best friend Dave passed away unexpectedly at age 60 and I wanted to write something for both myself and our extended family to remember him. I had a drawer full of short stories that I had written over the years, many of which had him in them, so it seemed like a good place to start.

Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Dave and Me’?

A6. In a way I’ve been working on it for 30 years because many of the stories I wrote while the events were still fresh in my mind. It took me about 2 months to go through the archives (many of which existed only in print and had to be transcribed) and cull out the best of it, then another two months to fill in the gaps and select the photos (again many of which only existed as hard copies and had to be scanned).

Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?

A7. Amazon.com, the series on Amazon is called Goofy Things by Rusty, also on Barnes&Noble.com and IngramSpark.com. They are also available on my website, rustyaustin.com

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Dave and Me’?

A8. I wanted the simplest title I could dream up that still described accurately the vibe I was looking for. The title came quickly, but, I went through many iterations of the cover before I landed on the abstract pattern and green color that I think really speaks to what I was trying to say.

Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself.

A9. I write when I feel like it and stop when I no longer do. Then the next time I sit down I do a fair piece of editing to make sure I’m not repeating myself or even worse boring myself! I figure if it bothers me it bothers my readers.

Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?

A10. There’s a few, Stephen King said writing is applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair, which kind of contradicts the way I write now that I’m retired but is still true, Winston Churchill said the work of the world is done by people that don’t feel very well, which also rings true. Bukowski said the days run away like wild horses over the hills. I have that on my license plate frame…

Buy Dave and Me on Amazon

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started