Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. I am a self-published author, personal fitness trainer, and English tutor with a BA from WLU double majoring in Anthropology and History.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “BARD: Bearer of the Gemstone”?
A2. BARD, as it was originally called, was written over a number of decades. The pith of the story has always remained the same, however my style and knowledge has changed over the years. Re-working the story so it flows seamlessly has been the biggest challenge.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. The books and authors that have influenced me the most are J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit”; Frank Herbert’s “Dune” series; Joe Haldeman’s “Forever War”; Timothy Zahn’s Star Wars “Heir to the Empire” trilogy (Admiral Thrawn); and William Stevenson’s “A Man Called Intrepid” (non-fiction).
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. When I was younger my parents would take us to Mikisew Provincial Park where we could canoe all day and make new friends every summer.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘BARD: Bearer of the Gemstone’?
A5. I was writing poetry in high school and decided I wanted to write a book. Dungeon and Dragons was very popular then but when I asked my one brother what I should write about he said nature. So I combined the two. However, like the Inuit carve out the image that already exists in the soapstone, BARD started dictating to me what to write.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘BARD: Bearer of the Gemstone’?
A6. The original book BARD, started more than thirty years ago. However, when I told a friend I was struggling to write a synopsis for the story she suggested I split the book in two. BARD: Bearer of the Gemstone is the first book.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. The book is published as an e-book and paperback on Amazon.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘BARD: Bearer of the Gemstone’?
A8. For a while now I’ve been following https://fantasy-art-z.com/. She did two covers for me and I chose the one you see as the cover.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. I like books that teach me something so there’s information on blacksmithing and lute making. However, to keep the story interesting the information is intertwined with the storyline. The river of emotions runs from fear to dark to humour.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. Hi, my name is Carissa Taylor! I graduated from Huntington University with a double major in Film Production and film Studies, but I refer to it as a professional storytelling degree. When I was in elementary school I wanted to be an author and would constantly be coming up with new story ideas. I even got picked to read one of my stories over the loudspeaker to the entire school when I was in 3rd grade. In 5th grade I was asked to read one of my poems at one of our school-wide performances. I began writing poems more consistently when I was 13 years old.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Chronic: A Healing Journey through Poetry”?
A2. I have autism and ADHD. I didn’t realize how difficult it was for me to communicate my emotions until I started my healing journey. Most autistic people have something called alexithymia, which basically means you have trouble recognizing, expressing, and describing your emotions. A lot of my poems in the Before section I can tell I was holding back from my feelings. The poems in the Healing and After sections are a lot more vulnerable and I think I did a better job of feeling my emotions while I was writing the poems.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. My favorite author is John Green. My favorite books by him are Turtles All the Way Down and Looking for Alaska. I admire how he doesn’t shy away from the more uncomfortable and difficult topics of the human experience.
Q4. What’s your favorite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. I live in the United States of America. I would say that I really enjoy visiting theme parks or places that have roller coasters. I’m not too good at standing in lines anymore because I have chronic illnesses now, but I really do enjoy getting roller coasters when I’m able to. It’s the closest thing to thrill seeking on a safe level without having to do anything crazy. I have been skydiving, and that’s about as crazy as I’ll get with high adrenaline activities. I usually go to theme parks with friends or family, and I enjoy spending time with them.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Chronic: A Healing Journey through Poetry’?
A5. One day, in early 2024, I read my poem “Failure Mode” to my roommate and she encouraged me to publish a book of my poems. I already had a lot of material for it since I had been writing and posting poems since 2017, so I decided to self-publish a book of poetry and organize it into my healing journey. I got some advice about self-publishing, since I had never done it before, and I learned a lot. I’m hoping the process will be a lot easier for my next books.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Chronic: A Healing Journey through Poetry’?
A6. I started a trend called “Poetry Wednesday” on my FaceBook page in 2017. In 2019 I started having major health complications and then began my healing journey in 2020 where I went to weekly therapy sessions. My poems range from the year 2017 all the way to July 2024. They’re organized into Before, Healing, and After, with the majority of the Before poems coming from my “Poetry Wednesday” posts. So this book took about eight years before it was finished.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. My book is currently available on Amazon.com in paperback. I’m hoping to come out with an ebook and a hardcover copy eventually.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Chronic: A Healing Journey through Poetry’?
A8. I drew a concept picture for the book cover with stick figures and shared it with one of my artist friends, who then drew the cover illustration. The cover picture is based on Ezekiel 37 “The Valley of Dry Bones” in the Bible. In that story the Lord tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones and tell them that He will make breath enter them and they will come to life. One of the things I wrote in my concept picture was “skeletal to eternal, dead to alive.” I feel like the cover art captured my journey from feeling dead to then feeling alive during my healing journey. The definition of Chronic means long-lasting and difficult to eradicate, and being chronically ill I definitely feel like the pain is long-lasting and difficult to eradicate. A Healing Journey through Poetry is basically describing how I healed over time throughout my poetry, and you can really tell that there’s a difference in my poems between the Before, Healing, and After sections.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. That’s a good question. I started keeping journals in 2016 and I have a ton of journals that I keep in a giant storage container. (I still have a ton of empty journals that I need to use and constantly buy more to sit in the pile.) Whenever I get a new idea, or think of a phrase, I always write it down. (Sometimes I wake up in the middle of sleeping and write an idea down in my notes app before I forget. That has been a lifesaver because I usually don’t remember the idea by the time I wake up.) I tend to watch popular shows, movies, and listen to new music and that helps me come up with ideas and get inspired with my writing.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. While I was taking screenwriting classes in college, I was constantly told to “write what you know.” I think I was afraid of writing about my experiences because I hadn’t processed them. Once I finished going through my healing journey I found it much easier to talk about everything I had gone through in my life, and it was a lot. I’m even working on writing a fantasy trilogy series, and the main plotline has to do with experiences I have personally gone through that weren’t necessarily the best. I think it’s important to write about your experiences, but not necessarily get lost in them. I think processing them through beforehand definitely helps with writing, especially if they were traumatic.
Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. My name is Jay Davis. I am a writer, producer, film maker, actor, and now author from Bellwood IL. I have been producing films since 2010. Comedy is my first love, but horror / thriller is a close second.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “The Cornelian Dilemma”?
A2. I write screen plays which is much easier than writing a book. So the Cornelian Dilemma is from a screen play I wrote about 6 years ago that I haven’t had the opportunity to film yet. So that transition from screenplay to book was the biggest challenge for me.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. Stephen King
Q4 What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. I’m from Chicago, but I really enjoy California whenever I get the opportunity to go. The sun and the overall atmosphere. Plus I have a few friends who live there.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘The Cornelian Dilemma’?
A5. I’ve always enjoyed the Creep Show series and I wanted to make my version of that.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘The Cornelian Dilemma’?
A6. It took by about a month and a half to write the original screenplay, and a month to convert it into a book.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. Amazon
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Cornelian Dilemma’?
A8. I had an Idea about one central evil enity and I let my graphic designer work his magic. After a few revisions we came up with what I feel is an eye catching cover.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. make the subject matter relatable as possible.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. Be patient. If an idea isn’t coming to you, stop writing, take sometime to reset your brain, and come back to it.
Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. Hello, my name is Michael Caprio and I’m from Hopatcong, New Jersey! When I was 18 years old, shortly after graduating high school, I was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition that runs in my family called Familial Adenomatous Polyposis. What that means is I have a gene in my body that doesn’t stop the growth of polyps, instead, they multiply. Polyps are precancerous growths that can grow anywhere in your digestive system and if left untreated can turn into cancer. With my condition, this occurs within the Large Intestine primarily but could occur elsewhere though it is less likely. With that being said the treatment plan for my condition is to have the entirety of my large intestine removed before the polyps turn cancerous.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “A Bump in the Road”?
A2. Some challenges I faced when writing my book was deciding whether to include or omit moments that would be considered vulnerable or embarrassing. Considering the nature of my surgeries and my condition I was faced with a lot of those moments and not including them felt like a disservice to others out there going through the same thing behind closed doors. This is why in my book I decided to keep all of those moments in, no matter how shocking the subject matter might seem to show the real struggle of what happened behind closed doors. Another challenge I was faced with was the handling of my family’s medical history and sensitive medical information in general. I didn’t want to publish anything misleading or flat wrong, so I put a lot of effort into researching my family history with the disease as well as my family’s doctors who saved our lives. For some things that I wasn’t 100% sure about I had my surgeon double check to make sure it was accurate, just to give an idea of the lengths I went to make sure everything was accurate.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. I read a wide variety of books ranging from memoirs to science fiction so it is difficult for me to say one author or book in particular has influenced me but I can list a few of my favorite books for what it’s worth! Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Dune Series by Frank Herbert, Outlive by Peter Attia, and Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. As a person who was raised in the New York Metropolitan area, I love to visit places that are more south of me. One of my favorite places is Washington D.C., our nation’s capital. It’s a special place for many reasons but for me in particular it’s a place me and my family always vacationed to since it wasn’t that far and we could travel by car. It always brings back fond memories of going to Nationals baseball games and visiting all the historical sites with my family, which there is an endless supply of. We have been visiting for twenty years and we always find something new to do. Another special place to visit is Virginia/Virginia Beach for similar reasons, it was a place my family always vacationed to for most of my childhood and we still occasionally visit. The New York Metro area will always be home to me but it’s nice to go down south where the pace of life is a bit slower every once and a while.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘A Bump in the Road’?
A5. It was a gradual process and many factors contributed to me writing the book but I think the biggest reason was to leave a legacy for my grandparents. That’s not to discount all the other reasons, including documenting my journey in great detail so that the other people with FAP or similar conditions out there can not feel alone and have a reference to look to since no one talks about these conditions in particular. However, I can’t deny that the biggest influence was my grandparents and my grandma in particular. She had devoted most of her life to being a guinea pig essentially so that my life could be easier and my journey was certainly much easier than hers. Her persistence and strength inspired me and still inspires me to this day and I wanted to share that with the world.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘A Bump in the Road’?
A6. Officially it took me about a year working with editors and my publisher but I had been writing my story many years prior on my laptop unofficially. Before I had the help of my publisher I had the idea that maybe one day this could become a reality and I didn’t want my memories to fade of how things transpired before, during, and after my surgeries. So I started to document my memories on Google documents hoping that one day I would meet someone who would be able to trim it up for me and give me the guidance I needed.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. My book can be found on all platforms including Amazon & Barnes & Noble!
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘A Bump in the Road’?
A8. For the book cover, I must give all credit to the lovely editing team at New Degree Press which is now called Manuscripts. They drafted up four or five versions of the cover and I chose which one I liked the most and we would keep doing revisions until we got it perfect. All I did was say “I like this” or “I don’t like that”. They did all the creative work on that and should get all the credit, it came out perfect in my opinion! As for the title, it came from a saying my dad used to repeat all the time during my surgeries and recoveries as a means to keep us all calm. He kept saying “It’s just a bump in the road, we’re going to get through this.” And it was just a bump in the road as life is all good now and so the name stuck.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. Considering the subject matter of my book can get a bit dark without humor or moments of levity I decided to incorporate a fair amount of self-deprecating humor to keep things light. I also tried to include a lot of active metaphors to keep readers engaged and paint a more detailed picture of the events I was going through and the pain I was feeling. Also, I chose to incorporate some pop culture references from entertainment that I like to give the reader a better insight into me as a person.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. To be fully transparent and leave it all out there, for better or worse. Writing at the end of the day boils down to having an opinion or a story to share about something. You can’t do that if you are afraid to be fully transparent and speak your mind or your truth. It won’t be authentic if you do otherwise and the reader will be able to tell. Don’t betray yourself and be authentic.
Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. I suppose I’ll start with my name, which is Pierre – although I was born Peter in Los Angeles. My family moved to Geneva, Switzerland when I was a toddler, where I became-and remained-Pierre. I moved back to the States in my late twenties and took on various jobs. None particularly intellectually challenging. I started to play chess fairly seriously. In 1975, I co-authored a book on chess openings. My publisher, knowing of my interest in math, asked me if I could write a book on, the then new-to-market, calculators. It did fairly well, picked up by some mathematical book clubs. I then approached McGraw Hill about publishing a book that would contain the major historical documents of the world. That idea came to me as the Watergate scandal was exploding and I wanted to read the U.S. Constitution for myself. The Internet wasn’t yet a thing and I couldn’t find the text in my (large) bookshelf. McGraw Hill immediately approved the project and that became my third book (although I am listed as Editor.) To help with my research, I needed to compile various databases. I built various personal computers from kits (ALTAIR, IMSAI, etc.) and immediately realized that I had to teach myself software programming. This got me sidetracked for decades! I eventually taught computer science at various universities. During these years, I also developed and patented new technologies for radio receivers that eventually became part of a U.S. national standard. But to be closer to my potential licensing clients (the big guys in Japan), I moved to Hong Kong, where I stayed for eleven years. Right after the start of the World Wide Web, I started a small website called the Classical MIDI Archives. Upon my return to the states in 1997, I moved to Silicon Valley, close to Stanford, and continued to develop the site which eventually became ClassicalArchives.com, one of the largest classical music sites in the world. As one of my passions is astrophysics and cosmology, I got involved with Stanford’s physics department. In my spare time, I try to visit as many labs and research centers as I can. This brought me to the deepest mines, the highest observatories and other fascinating locations around the world. I even spent time at the South Pole. Asteroid (32890) Schwob has been graciously named after me. I am one of longest serving member of the SETI Institute’s Board of Directors. Now that AWE: A technothriller (focused on climate change, AI, fake news, and international cooperation) is out, I am thinking of writing another novel, addressing the benefits and dangers of AI.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “AWE: A technothriller”?
A2. As AWE is my first novel, I had to learn to “kill my children:” to remove characters, whole passages, even entire chapters. Serve the story. Another challenge was the immense amount of research I had to undertake. Particularly as the science and technology is so fast-moving in the areas the novel covers.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. A tough question as I read fairly voraciously. But my taste centers on science, foreign affairs, history (even older works like Edward Gibbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Will and Ariel Durant’s The Story of Civilization), and thrillers. I can name Stephen Greenblatt’s The Swerve, Carl Sagan’s entire output, Stephen Weinberg’s The First Three Minutes, Lenny Susskind, Brian Greene, Sean Carroll, and many others. As to thrillers, I’ve read John Sandford’s Prey entire series twice(!), Daniel Sylva, Jason Matthews, and many others. Matthews’s Red Sparrow was an inspiration for my offering a playlist in my book (a classical music work to play at the beginning of each chapter), although that idea also sprang from an experience I had when I read a novel at fourteen while my gramophone was playing in the background–recounted on my website (www.prs.com).
Q4. What’s your favorite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. I am a Swiss/US dual citizen. I suppose that I have to mention Stanford University for its beautiful Romanesque campus and contagious intellectual ferment. Otherwise, I shouldn’t miss mentioning the Swiss Alps and their meadows. Gorgeous wild flowers in the spring and summer, and glorious snow in winter. (Learned to shoot down airplanes-on-a-wire from my troop carrier there, while in the Swiss Army.)
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘AWE: A technothriller’?
A5. While some will take offense, it was the deplorable response to COVID-19 from a previous administration, its reckless lack of interest in climate change, and the self-sabotaging China Initiative (thankfully ended but now rearing its ugly head again.)
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘AWE: A technothriller’?
A6. About a year to write a complete draft. Another year to massage it into shape. And then three weeks to select and build the playlist, available on ClassicalArchives.com.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. Amazon, as a hardcover, paperback, or on Kindle–both in a flowing text, and as a print-replica. (The latter for those who wish to enjoy the author-selected fonts.) You can also find a link to Amazon’s AWE page on my website at http://www.prs.com, where readers can read more about the book, the playlist, contact me, or ask for a personalized signed bookplate.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘AWE: A technothriller’?
A8. As the main themes of the book is climate change and rigorous science, I wanted the cover to be simple and direct. I selected an image of the Earth taken by a NOAA satellite. The title is an acronym for “Artificial Wisdom Engine” – an AI which becomes one of the novel’s protagonists.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. I’ve never given a thought to this. The creative endeavor never seems to get stale. I find that developing a plot is very much like playing chess, when you have to think ahead many moves, offering hints that presage the action to come. The key is to continuously place unexpected obstacles that the protagonists must overcome. I get a lot of help from my characters as they evolve. As most authors will tell you, they do take a life of their own. And their personalities, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, particularly their sense of humor (when they have one), help keep things interesting.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. I’ll repeat what I said earlier: learn to “kill your children!”
Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. My name is Frank Demith. I am an Army veteran having served twenty-eight years on active duty. I am also a 1983 graduate of the United States Military Academy. I currently live in Martinsburg, WV.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Of Vital Interest”?
A2. I wanted to make sure to make my book something that anyone could enjoy. That meant that I would have to add some detail about what was happening and limit the use of acronyms. I also wanted to make sure to include some strong secondary characters in addition to the main characters. There are many different story lines in the book, but I thought they were essential in telling the story and letting the readers have a deeper understanding of what our men and women in the Armed Forces go through when they deploy to a foreign country,
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. I enjoy reading all books but am mostly interested in the classics and modern suspense/thrillers. My favorite authors have been Dickens, Tolstoy, Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn and Harold Coyle.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. That would have to be my Alma Mater, the United States Military Academy. It is packed with history and amazing views. I will always feel indebted to this institution for allowing me to become the person I am today. It was an amazing experience which has resulted in a wonderful life.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Of Vital Interest’?
A5. I wanted to share stories of the amazing people I had a chance to work with while in the Army. Each character in the book is a compilation of several individuals I came across while serving in the Army. Not much had been written about the contributions of immigrants to the war effort so I wrote this book for the more than 1500 individuals who joined the Army to serve as interpreter/translators.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Of Vital Interest’?
A6. I wrote this book in 90 days.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. My book is available through a number of online sources to include: Barnes and Noble; Amazon; Target; Walmart and dozens of other utlets. Individuals who would like a signed copy can contact me through my website at http://www.frankdemithauthor.com
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Of Vital Interest’?
A8. The title is taken from another program which also recruited individuals for their language and cultural expertise. That program was called Military Accessions Vital to National Interest. The book cover is my way of illustrating the conflict between the two main characters and highlighting the fact that there are different shades of reality in war depending upon an individual’s perspective but the one commonality is bloodshed.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. I am a very structured writer. I spend several weeks developing an outline that covers main points for each chapter, and then I do short character sketches. That keeps me focused on writing and allows me to move through the storyline without leaving things out. I also like to use foreshadowing as I write to give the readers that “Oh yah” momement when they realize something had been said earlier about that topic.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. That would be “write what you know”. It sounds so simple but it is so important for me. I enjoy writing fact based fiction, and I’m not really making things up, I am telling stories. Hopefully they willl continue to be stories that others can enjoy.
Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about all three of you.
A1. The three authors knew one another socially, but live in different communities. They first met in early 2017 to share concerns over the many factors influencing the nation’s alarmingly declining health. They realized that the choices made in communication, often reflexively and habitually, make a difference whether the results are healthy or unhealthy. They decided it was time to create a book that identities detrimental communication practices associated with unhealthy outcomes and suggests healthy communication alternatives.
The authors come from diverse backgrounds. Their ages span three generations; their academic resumes differ, and their life experiences both professionally and personally are varied. Bobby R. Patton (Ph.D., University of Kansas, 1966) has been a communication scholar, a professor and an administrator at four major public universities, including serving as President at the University of Central Missouri. He has co-authored sixteen highly regarded college textbooks in the area of interpersonal communication and decision making. In 2021 he received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. Rusalyn H. Andrews (Ph.D., Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, 1989) is a professor emeritus of Cottey College, a private women’s liberal arts institution. She has taught courses in communication, theatre, and women, gender and sexuality studies. She has rich international educational experiences, including a Fulbright Award to do research in Russia, and specialized training in Deaf Culture. Jennifer Page Daily, (M.D., University of Nevada, 2007), the youngest member of the team, is a Board-Certified Family Practice Physician with a Certificate of Added Qualification in Primary Care Sports Medicine. She is a Professor at the University of Louisville in the Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine. She serves as director for the Introduction to Clinical Medicine, a pre-clinical course for all university medical students. In 2018, Dr. Daily was the recipient of the Department’s Excellence in Teaching Award and Outstanding Faculty Award. She also was named a 2018Inspirational Physician by the American Medical Association Women Physicians Section. In 2020 she received the Exemplary Teaching Award from the Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians, and in 2021 she was named a member of Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Medical Society.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Keys to Healthy Communication”?
A2. The key challenge consisted of accurately reporting the daily events involving the COVID pandemic and reconciling the contradictions.
The five years spent preparing this book obviously included the COVID-19 pandemic as it spread across the globe. The authors began their project with the intent to avoid politics, but the crisis became political from the outset. While the authors did not know each other’s political beliefs at the beginning of the project, they were united in their belief in truth and science based on verifiable evidence. They utilized consensus to maintain a shared view of reality. Sadly, by the end of 2021, over 800,000 Americans had died from the COVID-19 virus.
Q3. What books or authors have most influence your own writing?
A3. The following scholars greatly influenced our data base and writing: Carl Rogers for providing the theoretical grounding for this work and, additionally, Kim Giffin (trust). Sidney M. Jourard (humanistic psychology), Daniel Goleman (neuroscience; multiple intelligence), Steven Pinker (cognitive psychology and human nature), Michael Marmot (health determinants), Jonathan Page (neuroscience and cognitive control), Dr. Harriet Lerner, an expert on relationships, and a staff psychologist at the Menninger’s Clinic; as well as numerous others who are noted in the endnotes to each chapter.
Q4. What part of the book did you have the hardest time writing?
A4. As stated in the book, the authors followed closely what was happening as the COVID-19 virus spread around the world, and they attempted to avoid politics. When our political leaders made what appeared to be major important decisions, they had difficulty remaining non-partisan. The authors did their best to rely upon truth and science, as they maintained a shared view of reality. They had difficulty remaining impartial while over 800,000 died for the COVID-19 virus by the end of 2021, some needlessly. Hopefully we can avoid the choices in the future.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Keys to Healthy Communication’?
A5. The authors were moved to write the book by their questioning why the U.S. health treatment is declining (compared to other economically leading countries) while spending the most of any other country in medical costs (National Center for Health Control and Prevention, July 2, 2021 – Report was the latest we saw.) A key for the authors was the median age of the deceased population reported on an annual basis. Until 2016, the U.S. population had the oldest median age at death. Since then, the U.S. average age of death has decreased annually, while other countries have been rising. During this same period of time, the U.S. expenditures for healthcare continued to rise in comparison to other leading countries.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Keys to Healthy Communication’?
A6. We began our research in 2017 with writing beginning in 2018. Chapters started to be exchanged in early 2019. By the end of that year, the COVID virus made in-person meetings difficult, forcing the authors to rely on electronic communication. They worked out the responsibilities and a project schedule. A full draft was completed in late 2021 and the submission of the complete manuscript, approved by all three authors, was submitted for a February 22, 2022 release (2-22-2022!)
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy it?
Our distributors platforms were Ingram Spark and Amazon for worldwide distribution. We elected a print-on-demand availability to permit sales without forcing dealers to order stocks in advance. We have promoted sales on an international basis. Among our purchase links are all major bookstores (internationally), including: Nook on B&N and Barnes & Noble Waterstones Booktopia Kobo Booksamillion Walmart Indigo AbeBooks Bookshop by Indiebound eCampus
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Keys to Healthy Communication’?
A8. Three artists were selected to prepare first drafts of the cover. We all liked the one selected for its reflection of our book’s content and attractiveness. With minor suggestions, the first cover was selected and approved. The title for the book was determined by reactions of early readers to describe the contents.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. We had no trouble “keeping things fresh” due to the rapid occurrence of new facts virtually daily. We are pleased that the facts as we reported have been verified by time and long-term results. We, at this time, see no depictions that need to be changed.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. We repeatedly told one another to keep writing and rely on our co-authors to question and offer suggestions. We believe we had a good team and truly practiced “healthy communication!”
Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. I am from Louisville, KY and now live in Virginia Beach, VA with my wife and four children. Most of my children are adults now and one still in high school. I’m a veteran of thr US military and work full time as an IT professional contractor with the US military. D&D, dark fantasy, horror movies, and odd history are things I enjoy.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Shadows of the Past”?
A2. I write my books with pen and paper, so one challenge is when I begin to type them out I have to decipher my own handwriting. Also, I tend to have a lot of ideas for the next book while writing and have to refocus myself on the current book.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. Edgar Allan Poe, Topher Metcalf, and Stephen King
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. Louisville, KY. It is home and no matter how far I traveledor how long I have been gone, my foundation is always there. A specialspot in Louisvilleis Zachary Taylor cemetery. I grew up playing in the cemetery and had a lot of supernatural experiences there.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Shadows of the Past’?
A5. I was actually working on a D&D based novel and was stuck at one point. The idea of Damien came to me as I sort of see myself, not a demon slayer, but with inner demons to battle.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Shadows of the Past’?
A6. From pen to paper and typed out it was about ten months. Hopefully book two is quicker.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and it is coming to Target and Apple. It should be available world wide on mist platforms soon.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Shadows of the Past’?
A8. I wanted something simple and defining of the book. I came up with a basic idea and my editor, Em , helped with some ideas also. We had three ideas and I asked my familyand close friends to tell me thier favorite, which matched my favorite, so Damien with hos back to us made Sadows of the Past feel like it was behind him.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. I do whatever I can took keep the story moving and introduce new characters and leave small openings for the characters to reveal more about themselves as I go.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. My friend and mentor, Chris M., told me my opening paragraph sucked the first time he read my writing. He explained the old used up, it was a dark amd stormy night, type of writing was not what people wanted anymore. Make that opening paint a picture of the story not just the scene. I have taken that to heart and appreciate his bluntness very much.
Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. I was born in San Mateo, California in 1996. Growing up, surprisingly, I wasn’t the biggest writer or reader. In fact, It was my worst subject. My mother would put me in extra reading classes in elementary school every year in hopes of getting me interested but it just wasn’t clicking. I only liked sports, especially soccer, which was my passion during childhood. It wasn’t until my mother bought me the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan for Christmas one year before things began to turn. And that created the domino effect for getting me interested in other books and authors.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Light Of The Mortal God”?
A2. One of the challenges I faced was the constant changing in story from when I created the idea of the novel. At first I thought it would just be a simple dystopian science fiction novel. And then more and more as I got into it the path of the story and the depth of the characters kept changing that I had to rewrite it a few times. But once I finally got it right, it is without a doubt my favorite book out of all the stories I’ve written.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. Growing up I was a huge fan of the Percy Jackson novels by Rick Riordan. He created a really compelling character that I related with plus the world building from start to finish was second to none. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings is another series that is so immersive and jaw dropping for me. The sheer scope of the story he created is incredible. I’m also an avid manga and comic book reader. Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is something I probably read every other year. I definitely have been influenced by these author’s world building techniques and likeable characters that are full with personality. I think that’s the main ingredient to delivering a compelling novel. Interesting worlds that get more vast and complex, interesting and likeable characters with personality, and an engaging plot that doesn’t stop.
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 probably Los Angeles. I love Disney Land and have been so many times. It’s special just cause of the all stories I grew up with being live and all around you. It’s something to admire that one studio could create so many ingenious stories and to keep going till this day.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Light Of The Mortal God’?
A5. Before writing novels, I was actually writing screenplays. I’m a big film fanatic and so I wrote a few scripts which I would do on my free time after school. One day my mom said why do you only write screenplays and why don’t you write a novel too and just threw that idea out there. I hadn’t thought about it but I actually took a script idea that I was going to write for a screenplay and adapted that idea and that became the basis for my novel ‘’Light Of The Mortal God’’.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Light Of The Mortal God’?
A6. It took me almost 2 years. I had to juggle school and it was hard to stay consistent. But over time I finished and it was such a good feeling.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. Readers can buy it on many different platforms but Amazon is the one I recommend.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Light Of The Mortal God’?
A8. Towards the beginning of the book a tragic event happens that sets the main character, Roy, on a path so terrible from his former life. Roy gets taken from his mother arms and has to live with the convicts on Pluto. But, one day everything changed, he meets a friend. A creature of mystery who’s feared by everyone except Roy, who finds the goodness in him. I wanted to showcase this scene that sticks out which sets up the rest of the story. Light of the Mortal God, without spoiling too much, refers to Roy, from not only his divine past but mainly the light and goodness from his heart that separates him from any immortal God.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. I’m someone that gets bored really easily so I need a lot of interesting things to happen. So that’s one of my techniques is to always have a compelling plot point happening to move the story at a brisk pace. Pacing is key in stories. But not only that, the main thing is the characters. If one makes great characters readers don’t care what happens really. Harry Potter can go on for 7 books and 8 movies because we love the characters so much, they can be doing anything and we’ll still tune in for the next book or movie. That’s my strategy. Great characters with personality and engaging plot ideas.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. To just learn the craft and keep writing. I remember my first screenplay I sent into a big Hollywood contest. I paid for judge feedback and surprisingly the script was in the top 10% of scores. The script was a mess though and not formatted right and I had no idea what I was doing but the judge gave me some great advice that even though you’re talented you need to learn the technical aspects of writing. Being a great writer isn’t just having a great idea but there are rules and you need to understand these rules and grow. So that was a big piece of advice I received.
Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. Every introvert’s worst nightmare, but now that we have that out the way…I grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee where I spent most of my life. I am married with three wonderful kids. Our twin daughters have blessed us with seven grandchildren and now the pressure is on our recently married son. But seriously, we moved around some after the breakup of our church in’97, but that’s a story for another day and another book. We were in Florida for eight years and now happy to be back in Tennessee, residing in Hendersonville.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “The Quiet Kid”?
A2. Balancing time between a full time job and family and still carving out the time to write.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. There are so many. The first was probably Harper Lee ~ To Kill a Mockingbird. Kurt Vonnegut got me hooked and then came Cormac McCarthy ~ All the Pretty Horses. I love the way he handled dialogue.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. Anna Maria Island. So many good times with family there. My wife and I took a road trip out to Bryce Canyon a couple of years back. I’m itching to get back out there to see more of the state and more of the Rocky Mountains.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘The Quiet Kid’?
A5. Conversations with my son about my high school days, which stirred his curiosity. I became acutely aware of my lack of knowledge about my Dad’s early years, so I just started writing things down
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘The Quiet Kid’?
A6. I wrote for almost thirteen years before concluding that I actually had two books going simultaneously. I spent another year or so breaking it apart before self publishing The Quiet Kid.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. Amazon
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Quiet Kid’?
A8. I wanted the cover to reflect the times, so I drew up a rough sketch of me flashing the peace sign out the window of the first car I owned and pitched it to a friend with the idea of some Peter Max style pop-art. Kudos to Brad Smith for the brilliant job! As for the title, it was how I was known, especially to those who didn’t know me well.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. I always try to get inside the moment and draw the reader in with me. That’s the goal.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. “Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.” Kurt Vonnegut
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