Category: Author Interview

Book: The Corona Tales With Galaxina

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

Hello to all, I am a very creativeand unique person. I love to travelthe world and enjoy new experiences in life. I have a young daughter that I make sure she expresses all of her imagination.I actually created the idea of this book from my daughter’s imagination and her understanding from this pandemic.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘The Corona Tales With Galaxina’ book?

One of the key challenges I faced while writing “The Corona Tales With Galaxina”was the limited interactions Iwas able to have with other people. Although, I am usually pretty quiet, Ido enjoy being in thecompany of other people often. Limited time with friends, family or meeting new people during my travels made me a little sad at times. Which, drove me to writemore.But this made me more determined to get his book published. In other words, my challenge becamea positive.

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

I have a wide range of books that I love. I read new and old children’s books with my daughter.I read educational,traveling,history, spiritualand fictional books.

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

My favorite spot to visit is abeach, while I am lounging and watching the ocean waves.

Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing abook?

My mind is very creativeand I can get ideas from anywhere.I love being outdoors. I have to be in an inspiring mind set,either from being in natural settings like a park,mountain climbing,swimming, travelingor yoga.To get awayfrom all of the stressful news stories, I need to drift off and relax. Then, I am able to write for hours.

Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘The Corona Tales With Galaxina’ book?

It took me almost twomonths to write “The Corona Tales With Galaxina”.The nit took a couple more months for illustration. Then a couple more months for publishing.

Q7. On what all platforms readerscan find ‘The Corona Tales With Galaxina’ book to buy?

My book is availableon Amazon and Barnes & Noble.com.Through a quick Google search,other sites aresteadily popping up on where my book can be purchased.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Corona Tales With Galaxina’?

I sketched every page of my book, including the title. I wrote my book first and then imagined the illustrations in my head.Once I was finished writing the book, I went back and sketched out each pageand the cover from the context of the words. I then searched online and found an illustrator that took my amateur sketches and turned it into the graphics that are shown in my book.

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

I try to look at what is relevant in our society and the world around us. I stay in tuned with nature, children and the world.

Book Is Available On Amazon

The Corona Tales With Galaxina

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

Thank you very much for this opportunity!

I am a simple person who believes in love and living your life to the fullest. I am a mother to three children, two cats, and three dogs. I have been happily married to my husband for fourteen years. My favorite thing to do is hike with a cup of coffee and a good book.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Don’t Give Up On Me’ book?

In writing “Don’t Give Up On Me” I was nervous about sharing my personal journey with my husband and our experience with the immigration process.

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

My all time favorite author who has influenced me the most is Mitch Albom. I also enjoy a beautiful romance by Nicholas Sparks and sometimes a thrilling novel by Heather Graham.

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

My favorite place to visit in my own country/state is probably Stone cup café’ in downtown Chattanooga. I love it there because they have incredible views and coffee. I feel myself being lost in a world that I created where there’s only myself, coffee, and walking on an incredible journey while seeing the beauty of the city.

Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?

With most things, there is certainly a strategy behind writing a book. But writing a good book takes time and with me, I always find it better to dive straight in with my whole heart.

Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘ Julip Lullabies And Silent Cries’ book?

With “Julip Lullabies and Silent Cries” it took me a year to write.

Q7. On what all platforms readers can find your books to buy?

My books can be found online at any retailer; Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, Wal-Mart, Etc.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the cover and the title of your books?

The title of my books always come when I finish writing them, oddly enough. You just have to feel it, if that makes sense. The covers were thought out intentionally. The first one had a point to get across, the second was more of a soft approach with a silent intent.

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

Often when I write, I get lost in the moment. But, ultimately, I have to put myself in the readers position and think about how they are going to feel or interpret my writing.

Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?

Secrets? Hmmmm…. People die in both books.

Author’s Profile

Books Are Available On Amazon

Don’t Give Up On Me

Julip Lullabies And Silent Cries

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

I’m Jacob Paul Patchen, an award-winning author and poet of engaging, humorous, dark, and inspirational writings. I write with the belief that every book has a purpose.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘At Daddy’s Hand’ book?

It was challenging to write a book that puts a stabbing spotlight on sexual, physical, and mental abuse. Finding a jagged balance between in-your-face honesty and repulsive, horrible details was particularly challenging.

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

I don’t read that often, myself. Weird, I know. But, I enjoy smart and engaging thrillers and suspense.

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

I think maybe my grandparents’ land where I grew up and romped around like a wild thing.

Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?

Typically, there probably “should be,” but I usually do more thinking than anything before I start. Often, I will jot down some character traits and a rough outline, and then let the story go and tell itself.

Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Family (Words That Matters)’ book?

Words That Matter is a 10 book children’s series. I wrote a story a day and had it finished in 2 weeks. (It might have been the case of Redbull I drank.)

Q7. On what all platforms readers can find your books to buy?

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Audible are the easiest.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the cover and the title of your books?

My titles usually come within the first few minutes of developing the idea, and sometimes the idea starts with a title. As for the covers, lots of thinking and searching for photos that represent the themes of the book.

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

I write several genres. So, it’s easy to mix things up if I get bored with one. But I think my writing style typically has a natural ability to keep things fresh with humor and varying creative ideas.

Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?

For my book, AT DADDY’S HANDS, the character chapters are actually therapy sessions with the school therapist, Mike.

Author’s Profile

Books Are Available On Amazon

Sheltered: When A Boy Becomes A Legend

At Daddy’s Hand

Family (Words That Matters)

Book: Canvas Of Time

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

My name is Amélie, I grew up in Paris, started in the film industry as a film producer for independent films, wrote several scripts and then wrote my first novel. I am now working on my second novel which resolves around the subject of Human Trafficking which is a subject I am preoccupied with.

Q2) How do you come up with the idea to write the story about two people looking for each other lifetime after lifetime?

After my mother passed away I started thinking more and more about love and life after death.

Q3) What is your favourite part and least favourite part of the publishing journey?

Writing is my favourite part and I don’t have a least favourite part, I believe it is all a part of the journey.

Q4) What are your hobbies apart from reading or writing?

Exercising, painting, drinking tea and chatting with my best friends.

Q5) Which is your favourite season to write in and why?

I prefer the sun, it makes me smile.

Q6) Among the 4 parts of the story, which is your favourite part and why?

The life in France during WW I and WW II, the family life and the children who were inspired by my niece and nephew.

Q7) Are you from a literary background?

No.

Q8) How do you do research for your books?

By reading a lot and researching anywhere I can.

Q9) Can you share something your readers don’t know about you?

I love salty liquorice.

Q10) Lastly, who inspires you the most and why?

I am inspired by life and people in general. I don’t believe there is only one person that inspires me, I am inspired by everything and everyone I see, feel and communicate with.

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

Canvas Of Time

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

My name is Bri Bruce (writing under the name B. L. Bruce), and I am a writer, award-winning poet, graphic designer, and marketing executive from Santa Cruz, California. To date, I’ve written four books, with two more in the works. I also dabble in photography and painting. I work in the solar industry as a marketing director by day, and moonlight as a graphic designer and publisher, as well as the editor-in-chief of literary magazine Humana Obscura. In my free time (very rare these days) I enjoy surfing, being outdoors, practicing yoga, and spending time with family and friends (also very rare these days).

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Measures’ book?

I wrote the majority of Measures during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic’s shelter-in-place. I was struggling with my own mental health as well as with insomnia. The constant barrage of terrible news, both in my personal circle and of the state of the world, was weighing heavily on me. To be honest, many of the poems are a blur. I tend to go into a sort-of trance-like state when writing, and coupled with the insomnia I was experiencing, there are a number of poems in this collection that I just don’t recall having written or had forgotten about until it came time to compile the collection. Despite its challenges—of still finding creativity in such a tumultuous time in history, of being vulnerable in writing, and of shouldering through the worst period I’ve experienced—Measures was my silver lining of 2020. It gave me purpose. I’m proud of this collection.

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

Having studied post-modern American literature with a poetry concentration in college, I was introduced to a number of poets that were part of the Beat movement. Writers like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and Richard Brautigan influenced a lot of my early writing but it wasn’t until the end of my schooling and in my early adulthood years that I found my reader’s niche in nature poetry. Mary Oliver is—and will always be—at the top of my list as far as authors whose writing influence and inspire my work. I discovered and continue to enjoy the work of May Sarton, Maude Meehan, Ellen Bass, and Robert Hass. I’ve also come to enjoy the work of haikuists and short-form poets like Issa, Basho, Tu Fu, and Li Po, among others, which has me experimenting with the American haiku form, and am working on a collection at the moment that I will be releasing in the near future.

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

Northern California. I grew up visiting places like Mendocino and Fort Bragg once or twice a year with my family. My parents instilled in me at a young age a love for nature, and for me this region is always a reminder of that. We’d camp on the beach and go diving in the frigid waters. I hated it as a kid and was always cold, but it’s become endearing to me, invigorating even, and is a place dear enough to me to almost call home. There’s something very arresting about the remoteness and the rugged coastlines. It’s rarely sunny, so the weather lends a moodiness to the atmosphere that I revel in, especially for writing. It’s gets the emotions and the thoughts flowing. I once spent a month isolated in a very remote cabin along the coast south of Mendocino to do nothing but write. It was a difficult time for me in that I was attempting to be very disciplined and grappled with my own expectations of myself, but also enriching. I wrote two books while I was there, The Starling’s Song and 28 Days of Solitude, a memoir of my time during that month.

Q5. Is there lots to do before you dive in and start writing a book?

Diving in to write comes easy. I try not to force my writing, and instead allow myself the time and space when inspiration strikes just to get out everything I need to say. I find the hardest work is done during the editing process. Trying to make order of and polish my own work is something that I struggle with. I’m a perfectionist, and as such am very self-criticizing. Though in the end this helps me become a stronger writer (and a better editor) it can be self-destructive at times when I’m too much in my own head.

Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘The Weight Of Snow’ book?

I wrote The Weight of Snow over the course of a few years. Some of the earlier drafts of the poems in the collection were parts of my senior project in college where the assignment was to write a chapbook of poetry. Of course, the final poems that ended up in the collection were redlined or re-written. Lit majors in a workshop setting can be a pretentious and critical bunch. I poured my heart into this first collection, and when it was so well received and earned a number of awards, it was very re-affirming for me that this wouldn’t be my last.

Q7. On what all platforms readers can find your books to buy?

My books are all currently available on Amazon. If readers are interested in getting a glimpse of my poetry, give me a follow on Twitter @the_poesis or on Instagram @thepoesis where I am regularly sharing bits of my work.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the cover and the title of your books?

The titles of my poetry books all come from either a line in the work itself or the title of a poem. In the case of my memoir, it was a little play on Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude (I jokingly say my 28 days felt a little like 100 years) and May Sarton’s A Journal of a Solitude, in which Sarton explores similar tropes about writing in self-isolation and how this can be a mechanism of sorts for writers.
As for my covers, I used to work in publishing and am a graphic designer by trade, so I actually design and layout my own books, including getting them ready for print production. It’s something I enjoy, and even a service I extend to other authors looking to independently publish. I absolutely love book covers, and think a lot can be said about a cover. One of my favorite things to do is visit a bookstore and just admire the book covers.

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

Each book begins to take on a life of its own. I strive not to write about the same subjects over and over, or even use similar imagery or words in an effort to continue to stay fresh while also challenging myself to think and perceive in new and different ways. I draw on a lot of personal experiences when writing, so one way that really enriches my writing process is changing my scenery, whether its writing in a different spot in my house or visiting somewhere new in nature. Traveling is very creatively triggering for me, and you’ll never find me going on any trip without a notebook and pen.

Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?

It wouldn’t be a secret if I divulged it! Get your hands on a copy if you’d like to find out. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. If you don’t take my word for it, check out the rave reviews it’s receiving on Amazon, Goodreads, or on my blog at http://www.bribruceproductions.com.

Author’s Profile

Book Are Available On Amazon

Measures

The Weight Of Snow

Book: Colour Coded: The Black Bullet

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

Hello there, it’s such a pleasure to talk with you. My name is Katy Jordan, I was born and raised in Stirling in central Scotland, but find myself mostly in Glasgow. I’ve always been a creative, but it took me a while to find that thing that really sets my soul on fire. Writing has always been something I’ve loved along with something that’s helped me through life. I found my way to writing my first book through becoming a filmmaker. Acting is something I’d wanted to do since I was about 10yrs old, but I didn’t find the courage to pursue it until a decade later, and so I joined an acting school. After one year there, I left and, struggling to find work, I followed my father’s advice which was: “if you can’t find work, make work”… and thus, I wrote my first screenplay. Having enjoyed it so much, I wrote many more after that. I found making them into films incredibly exhilarating. In 2018, I had a fully flushed out idea that, when looking it over, I surprised myself when I admitted it would work better as a book series than it would as a film or tv/web series, and I considered that it wouldn’t hurt to have a go… eighteen months later, it was published and for sale in all good bookstores, and I had a new title I was extremely happy about but wasn’t used to: author.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Colour Coded: The Black Bullet’?

Some of the things I felt to be challenges probably sound rather silly to other writers, but for the first couple of months, being maybe anywhere between ten and twenty chapters in, I found myself feeling rather distanced from the characters I was creating. I considered that if I didn’t feel any connection to them, how could my potential readers? Surprisingly, renaming them made a huge difference. I named them after people I know. When I did this, I immediately loved them. They aren’t based on these people in personality by any means, but just seeing the name of someone there that I know (or knew) made all the difference, and I wanted people to get to know them properly, to see their flaws as well as their attributes. Other challenges were somewhat logistical in a sense; I work a day job that can be very demanding of time, and so writing into the night causes one some amount of fatigue. On the other hand, I’m working a very manual job in a supermarket with creative ideas flying around in my head, and I’m doing everything humanly possible to not forget them (I got told off for jotting things down in a notebook on the shop floor once or twice!)
Other than that, I found the entire process to be a pleasure!

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

With music, I am all about the song, not so much the artist. There isn’t one artist that I’m crazy about and love every single thing they have released. With books, I find that this outlook is no different.
I was an avid reader in my teens, which I think is why my book series is more so aimed at young adults; ‘Alex Rider’ series by Anthony Horowitz, ‘Harry Potter’ series by J.K. Rowling, ‘The Shapeshifter’ series by Ali Sparkes, ‘The Dark Is Rising Sequence’ by Susan Cooper, ‘Truth or Dare’ by Celia Rees, to name but a few. All of these stories had characters I could get behind. Not because they were the hero who saved the world from an evil villain, but because they had flaws and personality traits that I could relate to. That was very important to me.

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

Having been voted Rough Guide’s most beautiful country in the world more than a couple of times, this is a difficult question to ask a Scot! Stirling alone is a beautiful place, and I do find myself on the Old Stirling Bridge every once in a while. Why? Well, the view alone is wonderful – especially at night! It’s peaceful, and the historical significance inevitably gets the creative juices flowing.
If I’m honest, driving is more my thing. I want to say something profound like “it’s all about the journey, not the destination” but, truth be told, it’s just something I enjoy. I get to see everything, and be immersed in this country I love so much. Give me a car and a playlist and send me up a countryroad aiming for the highlands, and that is truly my happy place!

Q5. Is there lots to do before you dive in and start writing a book?

Is having a multitude of lists and mind maps overboard? I’m a planner. I plan everything out, I want to know my book, the characters, the storyline, the interactions and everything in between inside and out before I start putting fingers to keyboard. I don’t plan my chapters, they show themselves when the time is right during my writing, but I do know where and how my story starts and ends. If and when I hit that all too familiar writer’s block, I go back to the drawing board, but I’m never away from writing for more than one week. I need to be excited about it before I start writing. I think it helps; if I’m keen to see it all unfold, hopefully the reader will be too!

Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Colour Coded: The Black Bullet’?

The first draft was probably every day for about three months. Every tweak and minor changes made after that I’d pin at about a month. I had to call it a day and deem it the final draft or I’d never stop editing it! I was thrilled when the first of four publishers I submitted to offered me a contract!

Q7. On what platforms can readers find your books to buy?

The first of the ‘Colour Coded’ series ‘The Black Bullet’ can be bought via the publisher themselves; Austin Macauley Publishers. However, it is also available to buy online at Waterstones, WHSmith, Wordery, World of Books, Foyles, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Sears, Biblio and many more… but Amazon seems to be the most popular at the moment! The second book of the series, ‘The Silver Sparrow’ won’t be far behind as it’s in production right now while I’m working on the third!

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the cover and the title of your books?

The title is probably one of, if not the very first thing, I was absolutely sure of before I started the first book! To explain it properly, however, I need to elaborate slightly on the format of my books; with each novel, you go with the characters as the storyline unfolds, but you see it more predominantly from the perspective of one character. It isn’t written in the first person, I knew straight away that I didn’t want to do that, but you do get into their heads a bit more, witness their reasoning, become englightened to their opinions etc, and so each book is named after the character you will be more likely to follow throught the story. So, before you even pick up the book, you know which angle you’re coming from… but are they the person you thought they were from the previous book? Who knows!!
Furthermore, I said earlier that I have always been a creative. Before I decided to become a filmmaker, I studied graphic design when I left high school, which enabled me to design the covers myself. I plan to do this for each book released.

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

Considering this series is the only thing I’ve written, it’s all I have for frame of reference, but each book has a prologue, which is a snippet about that character’s past. The one absolute rule of ‘Colour Coded’ is no pasts allowed… and that means everything; real name, date of birth, where they’re from, previous jobs/careers, and most importantly, why they decided to drop all of it to join the organisation. This rule is to ensure that there is no prejudice, judgement or potential distrust in one another, and so each character has no choice but to take one another at face value.
In the prologue, the reader doesn’t know how the character they’re focusing on fits in to that little tid bit of their history… until they read the book. The nemesis in the books is their previous boss who does know about their history, and from the mindset of revenge, he taunts them with revealing the information which each of them vowed to never disclose as, in some cases, doing so could put their lives in jeopardy, but also, it could reveal this secret organisation and prevent them from doing the good that they have done and could continue to do from the shadows.
Reviews have revealed that readers find themselves not wanting to know about the character’s histories, and felt disheartened on the character’s behalf when it happened, so I took this as a good sign!

Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?

I would say that there are a lot of unanswered questions in the book… for instance: it’s a secret organisation, civilians don’t know they exist and law enforcement only hear rumours and whispers that don’t seem to amount to anything. But they live in a mansion in the middle of nowhere, so how do they pay their bills? How do they get food in? They can’t just go their weekly shop like we do. Where do they get fuel for their many cars? They can’t just rock up to a petrol station one by one.
I won’t give you the answer outright, but what I will say is… in the final book of the series, all will be revealed.
And it is quite the twist!

Book Is Available On Amazon

Colour Coded: The Black Bullet

Book: Colour Coded: The Black Bullet

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

Hello there, it’s such a pleasure to talk with you. My name is Katy Jordan, I was born and raised in Stirling in central Scotland, but find myself mostly in Glasgow. I’ve always been a creative, but it took me a while to find that thing that really sets my soul on fire. Writing has always been something I’ve loved along with something that’s helped me through life. I found my way to writing my first book through becoming a filmmaker. Acting is something I’d wanted to do since I was about 10yrs old, but I didn’t find the courage to pursue it until a decade later, and so I joined an acting school. After one year there, I left and, struggling to find work, I followed my father’s advice which was: “if you can’t find work, make work”… and thus, I wrote my first screenplay. Having enjoyed it so much, I wrote many more after that. I found making them into films incredibly exhilarating. In 2018, I had a fully flushed out idea that, when looking it over, I surprised myself when I admitted it would work better as a book series than it would as a film or tv/web series, and I considered that it wouldn’t hurt to have a go… eighteen months later, it was published and for sale in all good bookstores, and I had a new title I was extremely happy about but wasn’t used to: author.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Colour Coded: The Black Bullet’?

Some of the things I felt to be challenges probably sound rather silly to other writers, but for the first couple of months, being maybe anywhere between ten and twenty chapters in, I found myself feeling rather distanced from the characters I was creating. I considered that if I didn’t feel any connection to them, how could my potential readers? Surprisingly, renaming them made a huge difference. I named them after people I know. When I did this, I immediately loved them. They aren’t based on these people in personality by any means, but just seeing the name of someone there that I know (or knew) made all the difference, and I wanted people to get to know them properly, to see their flaws as well as their attributes. Other challenges were somewhat logistical in a sense; I work a day job that can be very demanding of time, and so writing into the night causes one some amount of fatigue. On the other hand, I’m working a very manual job in a supermarket with creative ideas flying around in my head, and I’m doing everything humanly possible to not forget them (I got told off for jotting things down in a notebook on the shop floor once or twice!)
Other than that, I found the entire process to be a pleasure!

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

With music, I am all about the song, not so much the artist. There isn’t one artist that I’m crazy about and love every single thing they have released. With books, I find that this outlook is no different.
I was an avid reader in my teens, which I think is why my book series is more so aimed at young adults; ‘Alex Rider’ series by Anthony Horowitz, ‘Harry Potter’ series by J.K. Rowling, ‘The Shapeshifter’ series by Ali Sparkes, ‘The Dark Is Rising Sequence’ by Susan Cooper, ‘Truth or Dare’ by Celia Rees, to name but a few. All of these stories had characters I could get behind. Not because they were the hero who saved the world from an evil villain, but because they had flaws and personality traits that I could relate to. That was very important to me.

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

Having been voted Rough Guide’s most beautiful country in the world more than a couple of times, this is a difficult question to ask a Scot! Stirling alone is a beautiful place, and I do find myself on the Old Stirling Bridge every once in a while. Why? Well, the view alone is wonderful – especially at night! It’s peaceful, and the historical significance inevitably gets the creative juices flowing.
If I’m honest, driving is more my thing. I want to say something profound like “it’s all about the journey, not the destination” but, truth be told, it’s just something I enjoy. I get to see everything, and be immersed in this country I love so much. Give me a car and a playlist and send me up a countryroad aiming for the highlands, and that is truly my happy place!

Q5. Is there lots to do before you dive in and start writing a book?

Is having a multitude of lists and mind maps overboard? I’m a planner. I plan everything out, I want to know my book, the characters, the storyline, the interactions and everything in between inside and out before I start putting fingers to keyboard. I don’t plan my chapters, they show themselves when the time is right during my writing, but I do know where and how my story starts and ends. If and when I hit that all too familiar writer’s block, I go back to the drawing board, but I’m never away from writing for more than one week. I need to be excited about it before I start writing. I think it helps; if I’m keen to see it all unfold, hopefully the reader will be too!

Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Colour Coded: The Black Bullet’?

The first draft was probably every day for about three months. Every tweak and minor changes made after that I’d pin at about a month. I had to call it a day and deem it the final draft or I’d never stop editing it! I was thrilled when the first of four publishers I submitted to offered me a contract!

Q7. On what platforms can readers find your books to buy?

The first of the ‘Colour Coded’ series ‘The Black Bullet’ can be bought via the publisher themselves; Austin Macauley Publishers. However, it is also available to buy online at Waterstones, WHSmith, Wordery, World of Books, Foyles, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Sears, Biblio and many more… but Amazon seems to be the most popular at the moment! The second book of the series, ‘The Silver Sparrow’ won’t be far behind as it’s in production right now while I’m working on the third!

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the cover and the title of your books?

The title is probably one of, if not the very first thing, I was absolutely sure of before I started the first book! To explain it properly, however, I need to elaborate slightly on the format of my books; with each novel, you go with the characters as the storyline unfolds, but you see it more predominantly from the perspective of one character. It isn’t written in the first person, I knew straight away that I didn’t want to do that, but you do get into their heads a bit more, witness their reasoning, become englightened to their opinions etc, and so each book is named after the character you will be more likely to follow throught the story. So, before you even pick up the book, you know which angle you’re coming from… but are they the person you thought they were from the previous book? Who knows!!
Furthermore, I said earlier that I have always been a creative. Before I decided to become a filmmaker, I studied graphic design when I left high school, which enabled me to design the covers myself. I plan to do this for each book released.

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

Considering this series is the only thing I’ve written, it’s all I have for frame of reference, but each book has a prologue, which is a snippet about that character’s past. The one absolute rule of ‘Colour Coded’ is no pasts allowed… and that means everything; real name, date of birth, where they’re from, previous jobs/careers, and most importantly, why they decided to drop all of it to join the organisation. This rule is to ensure that there is no prejudice, judgement or potential distrust in one another, and so each character has no choice but to take one another at face value.
In the prologue, the reader doesn’t know how the character they’re focusing on fits in to that little tid bit of their history… until they read the book. The nemesis in the books is their previous boss who does know about their history, and from the mindset of revenge, he taunts them with revealing the information which each of them vowed to never disclose as, in some cases, doing so could put their lives in jeopardy, but also, it could reveal this secret organisation and prevent them from doing the good that they have done and could continue to do from the shadows.
Reviews have revealed that readers find themselves not wanting to know about the character’s histories, and felt disheartened on the character’s behalf when it happened, so I took this as a good sign!

Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?

I would say that there are a lot of unanswered questions in the book… for instance: it’s a secret organisation, civilians don’t know they exist and law enforcement only hear rumours and whispers that don’t seem to amount to anything. But they live in a mansion in the middle of nowhere, so how do they pay their bills? How do they get food in? They can’t just go their weekly shop like we do. Where do they get fuel for their many cars? They can’t just rock up to a petrol station one by one.
I won’t give you the answer outright, but what I will say is… in the final book of the series, all will be revealed.
And it is quite the twist!

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

Colour Coded: The Black Bullet

Book: Remember Her

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

Hi Everyone. Thank you for taking the time to read about my book and me. I am R. Cohen (my pen name), and I am a native of Las Vegas, Nevada and currently reside here. By day, I am a college a professor. I teach rhetoric and academic writing. I have been teaching college since 2007 and enjoy every minute of it. I typically write in the academic world, so writing romance fiction has been such a difference but a huge pleasure and filled with excitement. I have an amazing rescue husky dog named, Mila.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Remember Her’ book?

For one, it took me almost four years to write. There were moments where I did not think I would finish the book because nothing really forces you to finish as an independent writer. A lot has happened in my own life over the last four years. I survived the Oct 1 shooting in Vegas, and I can tell you I did not write for almost a whole year after that incident. This book was the last thing on my mind. However, I found my passion for writing again through the encouragement and support of my family and friends. I am incredibly happy I did not give up!

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

My two favorite books are Sula by Toni Morrison and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. Although I read all kinds. For a while, I was only reading academic books because I was in school much of my life. Oddly enough, I am not much of a romance novel reader, but I enjoy romance movies, and I would say the dialogue in films influence my writing.

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

I enjoy the Oregon Coast. Being from Las Vegas and the desert, it is such a remarkable experience being by the water and the greenery that comes with it in Oregon. It’s a peaceful place, and it’s where I go to reset each year.

Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?

The book ideas, including my next book, were ideas that just popped up into my head and unfolded on their own. When that happens, I have to immediately tell someone about it and talk it out before writing the outline. Once I have a handle on the direction, I outline all the chapters with the end in mind. Then, I go back in and fill in the characters by writing out their personalities, relationships with each other, their nuances, etc.

Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Remember Her’ book?

Just under 4 years.

Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘Remember Her’ book to buy?

They can find my book on Amazon but all links to the book are available through my social media platforms and website rcohenbooks.com

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

The title was something I decided at the very end even after editing a while. Someone told me to wait until editing to see what phrase or key words popped out to me and since the theme is about not forgetting who we are, the title seemed fitting. As far as the cover, I knew I wanted it to have water in the image somehow because it is parts of scenes in the book but also because of how important water is to me when I have to take time out to reset in my own life. I also did not want to have a face showing either because I would like readers to depict the characters in their own way in how they choose to visualize them.

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

I am all about authenticity and being realistic. Romance novels tend to have a perception that they have to be one way but romance is different to all people. I tried to reflect the kind of dialogue that I have encountered in my life from people I have met from different walks of life. Ultimately, I think it’s about recognizing that there is no one “right” way to do something and being confident in what you are writing because you as the writer enjoys it.

Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?

Some of the characters in the book represent a few people I know in my real life, but I don’t say which ones because it is fun for me to see my friend and people who read my book try to guess. I get asked all the time about it, and I only have revealed that info to a select few.

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

Remember Her

Book: Deliberate Duplicity

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

After a long career in business that allowed me to travel to all but one continent and countless countries worldwide, I decided to write a murder mystery series based on a fictitious character named Detective Sasha Frank. The first book in the series is titled Deliberate Duplicity. I live in Illinois with my wife, and when I’m not writing I spend as much time as possible with my family. I particularly enjoy golfing.

Q2) What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your books?

I guess the first thing is that I was able to write a murder mystery. I’ve written a business blog for many years, but writing about murders is a significant change. Deliberate Duplicity has received great reviews, and I’m very grateful for that.

Q3) Could you please tell the readers something about your book Deliberate Duplicity?

The book follows the main character, Senior Detective Sasha Frank, with the Bloomington Police Department. One by one, bodies are discovered at different points along the Constitution Trail, consisting of forty-three miles of abandoned railroad tracks that once ran through the “Twin Cities” of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. The murders are the work of a calculating, methodical killer. Each murder victim is found posed, with their eyes wide open – witnesses who cannot testify to what they’ve seen. Deliberate Duplicity explores the twisted, vengeful mind of a serial killer. Sasha Frank is working to solve the mystery of who’s responsible for the string of gruesome crimes. There is a complicated web of clues leaving Sasha and his team with more questions than answers. It’s up to Sasha to find the killer and justice for all who were affected.

Q4) What are your hobbies apart from reading or writing?

I greatly enjoy golfing and spend as much time working on my game as possible. I also am a fan of college basketball.

Q5) How is life in Illinois?

I grew up in Central Illinois, and I’ve lived in a handful of states and several countries. I lived in downtown Chicago for many years before moving back to Central Illinois a few years ago as we have a family nearby.

Q6) What is your favorite quote?

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” I’ve certainly made countless mistakes in my life, and I can only hope that I learned from them. While in business, I liked the anonymous quote, “Delegate authority ruthlessly with confidence.” In most endeavors, it takes a team to accomplish big goals, and the only way for a team to achieve is for all to learn to do.

Q7) What has been the most difficult situation in your life which you finally overcame?

In March 2019, I suffered sudden cardiac arrest. I was down without a pulse for 15 minutes before many heroes, including my wife, a 911 dispatcher, a police officer, paramedics, and a dedicated group of health professionals at a local hospital, worked tirelessly to give me my life back. Over 99 percent of people who suffer sudden cardiac arrest in their home die and my living is a miracle. I suffered no memory loss, brain damage, or severe heart damage. With the help of countless people, I survived and was able to finish Deliberate Duplicity.

Q8) When is the second book of Detective Sasha Frank Mysteries to be released?

The second book in the series is titled Cold Consequences, and I’m currently working with editors and my publisher on final edits. We have a planned release date of late Summer 2021. I’m also currently working on the untitled third book in the series.

Q9) When did you first realize you wanted to be an author?

I’ve enjoyed reading my entire life. I like reading mysteries and especially murder mysteries. A few years ago, a friend suggested that I write business books and become a conference speaker on business. I tried writing a business book and found it impossible to write. I then started thinking about all the books that feature detectives in big cities while there aren’t books featuring detectives from a smaller city like Bloomington, Illinois. I had the name Sasha Frank in my mind and began thinking about what kind of murders would be interesting to readers like myself, so in 2018 I started to write Deliberate Duplicity. I greatly enjoy writing about Sasha Frank.

Q10) Lastly, who inspires you the most and why?

Those who have created something from nothing are incredibly inspirational. Since the beginning of time, the list of those who have made a difference in the world is endless. That list would include those who began transformational societal movements like Martin Luther King or Nelson Madella to this century’s business game-changers like Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, or Elon Musk.

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

Book: The Old Men Who Row Boats And Other Stories

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

Thank you so much for having me here. I feel privileged, and look forward to sharing a bit about myself, my book, and the writing process for your readers. My name is David Joseph, and I am the author of The Old Men Who Row Boats and Other Stories. I am married, have two children and have lived in California and Spain over the past twenty-five years. What seems like a lifetime ago (it nearly is now!), I was a student of English Literature. I went on to complete a graduate program in writing at USC and then teach at the college level. However, I left teaching to move into the nonprofit sector, where I co-founded LA SCORES, an organization that uses writing to help inspire children in Los Angeles. That was my passion for many years, and I only returned to my own writing in earnest four years ago. Since then, I have been writing and publishing full-time and have completed four collections of fiction, the first of which is The Old Men Who Row Boats and Other Stories. I’ve also been able to invest more time into the true loves my life, my wife Karen and our two sons Jackson and Cassius.

Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘The Old Men Who Row Boats And Other Stories’ book?

That’s a great question. I think the biggest challenge I faced while writing this collection was that I hadn’t written a short story in nearly two decades! That’s quite a long time, and it likely dates me as well. I’d continued to write poetry, essays, and Op-Ed pieces, but fiction was a medium I hadn’t worked with in a long time. I think writing is similar to many other crafts, in that it’s important to work on it constantly in order to remain sharp. I’d like to think I have done that over the years by continuing to write, but I still had to shake off some of the Rust when it came to writing fiction. At the same time, I was also much younger back then. This passage of time can serve as a challenge, but it also has the capacity to be beneficial. I have had so many experiences in my own life since I last wrote fiction, and those experiences have helped me evolve as a person, but also as a writer. They’ve given me a new perspective, and it’s from this vantage point that I have worked to craft fresh narratives, and I hope that is evident in these stories.

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

There are so many different fiction writers that have influenced me over the years, with Raymond Carver and Ernest Hemingway’s short stories at the top of the list. I also love “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin’s, and more recently, I’ve been reading the fiction of Mario Vargas Llosa and Arturo Perez Reverte. I’ve also been inspired by Flannery O’Connor, Chekhov, and I love Carson McCullers story The Jockey.

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

I love Joshua Tree National Park. I’ve heard some people say there’s “nothing there” but that’s exactly what makes it so special. It’s what I imagine it might be like on the moon. It’s just the feeling of being in another universe. The desert landscapes stretch out for miles. The wind tunnels through the stone corridors and the sky goes on forever. It’s almost impossible to conceive that it’s only two hours from the urban jungle of Los Angele, but it is. And it’s a wonderfully desolate, vast paradise. There is an almost spiritual quality to it, and I can always think a bit more clearly when I am there, when I am removed from everything that moves quickly and immersed in the desert stillness.

Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?

I imagine there is, but that’s not how this project began. It started with some casual verse that turned into prose and stretched out into a single story. The second story came quicker than I expected, and only then did I begin to think of the possibility of a book and begin to conceptualize where I might be able to head with the collection. I’d like to be able to tell you that there was a lot of preparation, but I really just began writing and then new ideas for new stories started to take shape organically.

Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘The Old Men Who Row Boats and Other Stories’ book?

I wrote the first story in the spring of 2017 and the final story was completed in 2019, just over two years after I had begun. Since that time, I’ve spent my time working on the editing, cover, design, and trying to develop a plan to market and sell the book effectively. These aren’t my strong suits, so it’s been a learning experience. Fortunately, I have an incredible team of people that have helped bring the book to fruition, beginning with my editor Emma Moylan, Cover Designer Katarina, and Layout Specialist Walt. Without their guidance and expertise, putting the finishing touches on the collection would have been hard to imagine.

Q7. On what all platforms readers can find ‘The Old Men Who Row Boats and Other Stories’ book to buy?

The book is available for pre-order on Amazon.

Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Old Men Who Row Boats and Other Stories’?

As far as the title was concerned, that is the title of one of the stories in the collection. The story, in particular, wrestled with time and place and the manner in which time moves along, which are themes that are found throughout many of the stories in the collection. The cover was a completely different process altogether. As I said, this is not where my personal expertise falls, and I am so lucky to have found such a talented designer, Katarina, from Die Welle Design. She took the time to become familiar with the stories and then create a cover that she believed embodied them. I am so pleased with it, from the colors palette to the image to the design, and I couldn’t be more proud to have this beautiful cover house the stories in this collection.

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

This is another great question. This is, of course, so important for writers if their work is going to resonate with readers. For me, I just try to make sure that everything I write feels like it’s coming from an authentic place, that it’s being written with my heart as well as my head, and that I am not forcing something onto the page that I don’t feel completely, wholly convinced about. This doesn’t have to be something significant. It could be describing two people sitting at a table at a restaurant. Or it could be someone gazing at a sunset or two people contemplating their future together. But if I am not passionate about what I am putting down on paper, it’s hard to expect the reader to be. I suppose whether I’ve accomplished this or not remains to be seen, but I hope that this approach has created some moments and that will resonate with readers.

Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?

Are there any secrets? I’m not sure. Perhaps I am not clever enough to have any secrets! But these stories don’t really fall into categories of mystery or fantasy where there are continual twists and turns and elaborate plots. So, it’s not a case of having something that I can leak or share or unveil. If I was going to reveal a secret, and I am not even sure I’d call it a secret, I’d reveal that the characters in this book are ultimately defined, like us, both by what they do and by what they don’t do, what they say and don’t say. And I guess it’s up to the reader to determine how they feel about them and the stories they inhabit. But I am excited to put this first collection forward and hope readers will enjoy it.

Author’s Profile

Book Is Available On Amazon

The Old Men Who Row Boats And Other Stories