It’s about a teenager that finds himself inadvertently lured into a sadistic plan, a game of life and death, if you will, that was specifically designed for him by a mastermind thought to have vanished almost a hundred years ago. The more Orion dives into this evil scheme, the more he uncovers about his family and how everyone he’s ever known has been keeping dark secrets from him. Ultimately he decides he’s had enough and he decides he’s going to take matters into his own hands and start controlling his own fate. At least he thinks he is anyways.

What genre is it?
It was originally intended to be in the Young Adult Fantasy/Adventure category, but I’m finding out that as more and more adults read it, the more they love it. So I guess I’d just have to peg it as more of a Fantasy Adventure and not pigeonhole it in the YA genre alone.

What kind of readers will it appeal to?
I believe anyone that likes getting a little bit of magic with their story (literally) will gravitate to this series. It’s a wild ride full of colorful characters, some darker than others, that displays from the very start that it’s going to take Orion on a crazy adventure. So really anyone who wants to escape their own world to explore another magical location with Orion would enjoy this series.

Complete this sentence for us: if you like _________________, you’ll love The Orion Chronicles.
Harry Potter or the Percy Jackson series

How does this book set readers up for the rest of the series?
I want them to be on the edge of their seat salivating for the next book in the series. I intentionally left a pretty big cliffhanger in hopes I’d achieve this sort of response. From early reviews, I appear to have accomplished my goal as everyone has said they just cannot wait for book 2.

What can you tell us about book 2?
The second episode in the series is called Curse of the Phantom Brotherhood. It takes Orion’s journey into the dark underworld of a magical sect supposedly eradicated some time ago. The more he discovers who he is, the more his life is thrown into peril. It’s really a great little adventure that I don’t think is a whole lot like anything else out there.

I fully expect for that to be completed and out in the public by late summer. It’ll introduce us to many new characters in Orion’s journey, as well as explain a little more about who he is and why everyone appears to be after him. If there was any book that I’d suggest you read it’d be that one. So stay tuned!

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m new to the whole novel industry. I’ve always enjoyed writing as I find it fairly therapeutic, but I never actually sat down and wrote any full-length story out until The Orion Chronicles.

I’m in the finance industry by day, but often dream about being home so I could be pounding away on my computer keyboard, whipping up a new story. I’m a huge football junkie (that’s football, not futbol). It is an American sport I suppose, but I love it. That’s actually where I cut my teeth in professional writing was for a college football website. Unfortunately the site is no longer around, but that gave me the push I needed to get going with Orion’s journey.

I love animals, especially dogs. I have two golden retrievers of my own; Sophie and Lily. I was raised in Orlando, Florida and have never really had a desire to move. I guess I look at it like people will travel thousands of miles to come to my city (to experience the theme parks, which I’m an avid attendee of by the way), why would I move away when I can enjoy the adventures in my own backyard?

I’m a very social person. I love to chat and make people laugh. That’s why I’m so active on Twitter. Some people use it as a soapbox to express their most recent political opinions or a forum for complaints. Me, I just like to meet people and talk about them and what they like. Hopefully I can throw a few jokes in there to keep it lighthearted, much like my own personality.

Sounds like fun. What is your Twitter account?
I have two handles on Twitter: @JeremyShory and @OrionChronicles. I’m more active under my author name.

And my Facebook link is https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Orion-Chronicles/254014971329207 I’d love any follows or likes anyone is willing to give. I absolutely love interacting with people through Twitter, which is where I’m most active. I prefer to use social media to connect and chat with friends and fans than to constantly berate you with sales pitches, so hit me up. Hopefully I’ll be able to make you laugh.

Do you have a website?
I do have a website. It’s www.TheOrionChronicles.com. The great thing about that site is it also doubles as my blog. I’m in the middle of a neat little blog series about my characters where they themselves are given the opportunity to tell us a little about them, so it’s entirely in their own words. Blogs About the Characters Written by the Characters is what I’m calling it. (I know, sounds weird right? Perhaps it’s all the voices in my head just dying to get out.) In addition to the blogs, you can view the book trailer I had made for book 1, The Journal of Forgotten Secrets, find a link to purchase the book, as well as explore Orion’s journal to get to know more about the enchanted races mentioned throughout the series. 

What’s next?
Well I hope to have Curse of the Phantom Brotherhood wrapped up, meaning all words on paper, by early summer. Then it turns to the grind of editing, which I have a fantastic editor in Carissa Rossi. Hopefully she won’t be shaking her head at the mess I created like she did when I gave her The Journal of Forgotten Secrets. After I have book 2 all wrapped up, I plan on taking a brief break (maybe a month or two) and then getting into book 3 for the Orion Chronicles series. I have the main story arc all figured out so it hopefully won’t take me too long to get it pumping. I can’t keep the fans waiting after all. 

My novel, Between Boyfriends, is a funny coming of age story about a college girl named Jan Weston, a girl with deep pockets and deep flaws. She’s desperate for love and in desperate need of a rude awakening. At least she gets the latter.

Jan’s parents cut her off after discovering she dropped out of college; they don’t consider massage therapy school a worthy substitute. This comes right after a painful breakup. Without a man and without a plan, Jan has to figure her life out. Growing up has never been so funny.

What genre is it?
Chick Lit.

What kind of readers will it appeal to?
Any girl who has ever changed for a man, suffered a broken heart, felt desperately lonely and lost, or experienced a major redirection of their life course will enjoy this book. Between Boyfriends is a light-hearted, breezy read that never stops making people laugh page after page.

And what has the reception to the book been so far?
A couple of weeks ago, Between Boyfriends was the #3 best-selling Comic Fiction and Humorous Fiction book on Amazon. It remained on both best seller lists for 8 days, plus an extra few hours on the Comic Fiction list. I was so beyond thrilled. It also hit the top 10 for
Comic Fiction in February. I’m very pleased with the support of readers and the media. East County Magazine in my hometown of San Diego called Between Boyfriends the “ultimate chick-lit read ” and Hollywood & Vine magazine said it “presents a unique twist on the chick lit genre.”

A twist? Is there anything out there that we can compare Between Boyfriends to?
Lani Diane Rich‘s work.

In what way? How does Between Boyfriends leave the reader?
Inspired. Many reviewers have commented that the book made them laugh but also made them think. It should evoke positive feelings and hope, as well as a desire to make some change to better one’s life, or help someone else with theirs.

Is Between Boyfriends a stand-alone novel?
I’m working on the sequel, so I hope people will check back and look for that soon.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a freelance writer and editor. My day job is writing for websites like NaturalNews.com and AskTheTrainer.com, though I spend quite a bit of time blogging about natural health and fitness for my site NaturalHealingTipsBlog.com and about books and entertainment for single gals on BetweenBoyfriendsBlog.com.

When I am not writing books or articles, or editing books and articles, I spend time with my pets, my friends, and practicing kung fu and yoga. I used to be a personal trainer and a massage therapist. Health is very important to me. I used a lot of my experience with
massage therapy to write Between Boyfriends, and drew from my college
years at Syracuse University, where I earned my journalism degree.

How else can we follow you online?
My author website is SarkaJonae.com.
My Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarka-Jonae-Miller/168691386526181.
I have two Twitter profiles, @SarkaJonae and @BoyfriendsNovel.

What’s next?
I’m focusing on the sequel to Between Boyfriends. I took two “research” trips to Thailand to visit Wat Pho, the birthplace of Thai massage, and Thammasat University, both of which my character goes to for continuing her education in the sequel.

Times of Turmoil is a prequel to Times of Trouble and Times of Trial. In this novel, we learn the back story of how the Evans family gained their riches and eventually their power to influence events in the United States and elsewhere in the world. We see important events that the Evans family gets themselves involved in: such as the return of the Israelites to Israel, the assassination of President Kennedy, the Iran Hostage Affair, the terrorism of 9/11, and eventually events that leads to government tyranny in the United States, all to dilute the influence of Christianity in the country.

The novel also follows the Atwood family, starting with the Great-Grandfather of Brian, Charles. We follow him as he makes his way from Normandy in World War Two to being part of the liberation of Buchenwald, the Nazi Concentration Camp, shortly near the end of the war. Charles returns to his hometown in Virginia and gets married to the love of his life, Betty. Eventually, the family ends up in Delaney, Nebraska, when Tom Atwood, the son of Charles, buys some land after returning from Vietnam. In 2001, Aaron, the father of Brian, joins the Army to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan after the terrorist attacks on 9/11. About six years before the beginning of Times of Trouble, we get to see how Brian and Lynda  finally get together and get married.

What genre is it?

Christian Thriller.

What demographic of readers did you write this book for?

Readers who enjoy political thrillers.

Tell us about yourself. Who is Cliff Ball?

Cliff Ball is a Christian, lives in Texas, went to the University of North Texas, and has published ten novels.

How can we follow you online?

http://cliffball.net
@cliff_ball
http://www.facebook.com/cliff.ball.author

What’s next?

Writing two more novels that are completely different in sub-genres.

The book is called “The New Testament Sliced And Diced.”

Most people who come out swinging against Christianity and are not pushing an alternate religion are atheists or agnostics.

I’m a Jew.

We’ve been at this for 1,800 years.

The first guy we know of who read what was the New Testament as it stood was Meir, a famous sage. This was a few years before the Bar-Kokhba War against the Romans which broke out in 132 CE. Meir gave the book the name by which it has been known among Jews ever since: ”Aven Gilyon.” A modern translation of that would be “Worthless
Tripe.”

The next guy whose extensive comments are recorded was called Trypho, about 50 years later. He listened to what an acquaintance who apparently had converted to Christianity had to say and concluded: “Do you realize that you are out of your mind?”

A comedy which was read down through the centuries appeared around that time about a Roman soldier named Panthera. He was identified as the true father of the protagonist. Prior to WWI a grave was found in Germany of an archer named Panthera who had been stationed at Sidon at the time in question. At least the name was not pulled out of a hat.

In the New Testament, written in Greek, the protagonist is called Iesous. He has no name in Hebrew. The Indians call him “Yeshu” in Hindi. That’s the name that was picked up in  Israel. Apparently it’s a sobriquet for Krishna and was known in Egypt where there were many Hindus and Buddhists. The Jews first heard of Yeshu there.

In my book I go through the New Testament and tell where the writers scalped the elements for their book. Petra was the gatekeeper of heaven among the ancient Egyptians and he was just pasted in. In Greek ”Petra” is a feminine name so they had to go to “Petros,” but they didn’t entirely erase Petra and this has caused much confusion ever
since. The father god is Zervan, out of Iran. You can identify gods by their images. It’s a simple and surefire process.

It sounds as if Christians won’t like this book. What have you got against them? Why pick this fight?

Your question “why pick this fight?” trivializes the subject.

Christianity was spread everywhere on the principle of “convert or die.” Most people did in Europe after long periods of butchery but some refused such as original Prussians who  were annihilated in a 60-year campaign. The murdered Jews totalled 3.5 million. In Switzerland for example the mobs just went door to door throughout the land and killed every one. In the end the Jews were the last people standing in Europe who had not  buckled under.

But that’s history and that’s not what I “have against Christianity.”

Israel is not obligated to any kind of political system. The decision is up to the people. They started out with a kind of structured anarchy, which I think was the best and would have gone naturally to democracy. They lost their nerve and brought in monarchy. But this was a limited monarchy, unlike say Egypt and most; the king was not above the law.

The Christians come along with a belief that Israel, our country, should have an absolute monarch above the law. They have as much right as Khrushchev had in his statement to the Americans “we will bury you.” That’s the crassest form of cultural imperialism. The claim is based on the New Testament and that’s why I looked at the book with the question: where did they get off with this?

Any proposal, and Israel is a democracy so anyone can form a party and push for anything, to establish an absolute monarchy and abolish democracy would have to go a referendum and it would never pass, not now, not in a million years. So what is the point?

So it’s not that you’re just trying to make Christians angry?

Feelings is the last thing I’m looking to stir up. But if anyone is angry and thinks I have erred in any way, let me know. I will correct any factual errors.

Since this book is obviously not aimed at Christians, who is it aimed at?

This will appeal to the curious, not the committed.

Complete this sentence for us: if you like _________________, you’ll love this book.
John M. Robertson.

Robertson, also known as a scholar on Shakespeare, was one of a group of debunkers who flourished about a century ago.

Did you have to do a lot of scholarship of your own for this book?

I’ll go back to the 50s in Canada. I was a lousy student but I had a flair for writing which I discovered doing lyrics for our rock ‘n’ roll group.

By the time I drifted into university I had some vague notion of becoming a playwright. Then I read a book “If This Is Man” by Primo Levi and discovered the Holocaust.

I knew all about war. That’s all we as kids talked about growing up, not hockey believe it or not. There had been three, one after the other, and we were being prepared how to survive another one. I still recall, if memory serves me correctly, that you can eat chicken two weeks after the bomb falls.

The Holocaust was not a war, it was simple mass murder of non-combatants. It made no sense to me. I started to read on tract and branched into many subjects. I picked up on Christianity en passant. I made my living as a journalist.

I don’t think I would have ever have written a book had not the Internet come along. I had done some fairly long items as series in newspapers or magazine articles but I simply looked at a book as a waste of time. You needed to find a publisher and that took years and even then you might get 500 copies printed without any serious promotion. When it become possible to self-publish I said I’ll give it a shot. I already had on my computer an enormous store of files on every subject so I could turn the non-fiction around pretty fast. In this last year I’ve put up nine books (one fiction).

Tell us a little about your other books.

I did an earlier book on Christianity entitled “The Jesus Myth: A Quick Study.”

I’ve also waded into Islam in a book entitled “Two Jewish heroines and the triple moon god.”

Since you’ve studied Christianity, Islam and Judaism, we’d love to hear your opinion on the prospect of peace between the three religions.

I think peace is made between peoples who want it regardless of their religion. I live in Israel now and we’ve already taken out nuclear bomb plants, one in early development, in Iraq and Syria. We may have to do another one, in Iran. Nuclear proliferation threatens everyone because once you have fissionable material, and the more countries able to produce bombs the more of this will be around at least for sale, the greater the chance of it being used. Differences in religion, race, language, culture, or class are often used for pretexts for war, but they don’t explain the root cause. The ancient Greeks were the same in religion, race, language, culture, and class, yet they never stopped making war on one another.

Tell us a little more about yourself.

I am Canadian, 71, journalist by trade, now resident in Israel.

My specialty was or is sh*t-disturbing.

One example. In my home province of New Brunswick there was annual forest spraying. All the dailies were owned by the largest owner of pulp mills in the province. Information on the detrimental effects of the spraying was suppressed.

I was editor of a weekly and we ran a campaign mainly to get the facts out. There were people complaining of children getting sick and dying after being exposed to the spray and I even had a farm couple who lost their milk quota because their 10 cows were sprayed, got very sick, and could no longer give milk. Everyone in authority told them that they were crazy, that the spray was “safe.”

The problem with running campaigns is that people shut off. They’ve heard it all before and after a while there is not much more new that you can say.

What to do? This is before the Internet. The pesticides were coming from Japan. I wrote an open letter to Emperor Hirohito. It got huge play in Japan. Local people grabbed the paper to see what the editor said to the emperor. It was only what I saying all along, but now people were reading every word avidly.

Have you got a website where we can keep up with your work?

https://sites.google.com/site/2inimeg/.

What’s next?

I’m now working on another book of fiction. It’s a satire on the near-death experience.

My new book Hidden Currents, is a romance novel set in Lagos, Nigeria. It is about Ada, a fiercely independent and hardworking photographer, and Eddie, who is rich, fun loving, and different from her in every way.

The book is a sweet story of how they fall in love, despite all the impediments of first  impressions, past issues, personality quirks, and class differences, all within the bustling city of Lagos.

What genre is it?

Hidden Currents is a romance novel, it is also contemporary African fiction. It is part of the Lagos Romance Series, the first book of the series, Always Yours, was published earlier.

Tell us a bit more about Always Yours.

As mentioned previously, Always Yours is the first book in the series, and should be read before Hidden Currents.

What kind of readers will the Lagos Romance series appeal to?

It will appeal to all lovers of romance, happy endings, good stories, and well rounded characters. It was written to be savored and enjoyed.

Complete this sentence for us: if you like _________________, you’ll love the Lagos Romance series.
If you like happy endings, love, romance, strong heroines, and generally good fiction.

How would you like the reader to feel as they read the last word of your book?
I would like the reader to feel satisfied, entertained, and glad to have read my book. I would like them to love it so much they immediately want to see what else I’ve written.

What else have you written?

I have another book which is not a romance, it’s called Jungle Justice and is a short story about violence in Nigeria.

Tell us a little more about yourself and your background.

I am a writer, Architect, student, and book lover. I was born in Benin City, in Nigeria, and I have been reading since before I can remember. I currently live in Lagos, where I work and write.

There must be something in the water over there; you’re the second Nigerian architect we’ve interviewed. Have you got a website where we can keep up with your work?

Yes, My website is at www.lagosromanceseries.com. there, you can read excerpts of my work.

How can we follow you on social media?

You can follow me on twitter at @somiekhasomhi, and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/somiekhasomhiauthor.

What’s next?

I’m planning to write a whole series of romances set in Lagos. After that I plan to spread out to other genres, and spend a lot more time writing.

It is about a young werewolf named Sera Kalihan, who at a very young age lost her parents. Her pack’s new Alpha, her uncle Ryan, was cruel to her. He cheated her out of her rightful Alpha title, and gives it to her younger brother. When the pack calls Ryan out, he strikes. Sera is sent to a neighboring pack, where she finds her true mate, and many new friends, but the threat of her uncle is still at large. Sera’s pack, as well as the new one train together so they can fight for the chance to be rid of Ryan once and for all.

What genre is it?
Paranormal Romance, and action.

What are Phased‘s essential ingredients?
Werewolves, love, and fighting.

What kind of readers will it appeal to?
Teens/Young Adults who enjoy a nice romance, with some action intertwined.

How would you like the reader to feel as they read the last word of your book?
I would hope that the would be left wanting more, and that my readers came to feel emotions toward all the characters.

Have you written any other books that we should read next?
No, but there will be many more on the way.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a young writer. Writing has been something I have loved to do since I was a young girl. I also to have fun with friends, and I have a bubbly personality. It is hard not to have a fun time when I am around, because I love to make people laugh. My family consists of my dad, mom, and two brothers. One younger, and one older.

Do you have a website where we can keep up with your work?
Not yet.

What about social media?
@YoungAuthor32.

What’s next?
Well, this book is a series, so there will be more of the Phased Moonlight Series. Also, there will be other books, and maybe a few more series along the way.

A young Indian graduate, Manasvi dreams of pursuing a Master’s degree in America and building a life from scratch in a foreign country, even though she has never lived away from her family and friends or doesn’t have money to pay for the expensive education. The exciting journey unfolds in surprising ways and during the dot-com boom of the nineties, Manasvi comes to America all ALONE on a student visa.

Tell us a bit more about Manasvi and her adventures in America.
Manasvi is a common, middle-class young woman from one of the most cosmopolitan cities of South India. She obtains her primary and high school education in one of the best Catholic schools in her predominantly Hindu neighborhood. Around 1988 like most teenagers, Manasvi is influenced by American television shows on Cable TV and starts dreaming about going to America. The newspapers keep her informed about the IT boom in America and she decides to become a computer science engineer. By the late 1990s she and her friends makes plans to pursue their Masters degree in America. Her dreams are big, but her pockets are not deep enough to pay for the expensive American education. Her exciting journey unfolds in surprising ways, and during the dot-com boom of the nineties, Manasvi comes to America on a student visa.
 
Cable TV shows being her only source of information about all things American, her American adventure begins when she’s stranded in the airport in Mississippi and hopes LAPD will rescue her, just like the TV show LAPD.
 
Being a student in a protected college environment in her own country among friends of her own ethnicity was completely different from being a foreign student in America. Little did she know that building a life from scratch in America meant dealing with all facets of real life. She had to quickly learn to understand the thick Southern accent spoken by people who looked nothing like the people on Cable TV. She learns how to befriend other foreign students from China, Mexico, Russia and other regions of India. Just when she manages to assimilate into the new college she suffers pangs of homesickness and misses her family & friends from India.
 
The diversity in college adds complexities to dating. Several months into college, in addition to her course work, she has to deal with narrow-minded people giving her bad advice and poisoning her mind about black people. The lack of public transportation in Mississippi lands her in some scary situations when she tries to run some errands by foot.
 
Each and every phase of her college life is laced with adventures Manasvi had never anticipated.

What genre is it?
Literary fiction.

Are the student immigrant experiences universal, or is there something particular Indian about the story?
The student immigrant experience is universal. Ask any immigrant who has pursued their Master’s degree in America in the 1990s before facebook and the social networking and they’ll be able to relate to one or more of the scenarios in the novel. I chose the lead character to be an Indian woman because a lot of foreign students who pursue Master’s Degree in computer science in America are Indian men and very few Indian women. So, it adds a new dimension to the story.

Tell us more.
America is one of the most diverse countries in the world. After reading the last word of my book, I want my reader (especially if it is a young woman) to feel empowered and encouraged to pursue their own dream regardless of their circumstances, and that everything will eventually work out in our favor if we stick with it.

How come there’s a glossary at the back? Why do we need it?
Most of the world is multi-lingual and any person who speaks English along with another language is very familiar with the concept of mixing words from another language into conversational English. I wanted my novel to reflect this concept and hence took a risk and departed from the conventional rules of writing an English novel.

Some examples, please.
In Chapter 1, there is this sentence:
“Ayyo, I slid down too fast and lost control,” replied Manasvi
When the reader searches the word Ayyo in the glossary they’ll find the meaning.
Ayyo means Ouch!

Example 2:
“Howda? I should ask Riya to show them to me sometime,” remarked Vikram
Howda? means really?
 
Example 3
“Parvagilla – I’m happy I was there to help….”
Parvagilla means it’s ok
 
Have you written any other books that we should read next?
I’m currently working on my second novel “The Young Graduate on a Work Visa”.

Is it a sequel? Does Manasvi return?
Yes, it is a sequel. Manasvi transitions from being a student to a high-skilled employee.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I was born and grew up in Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore), India and currently reside in Missouri, USA.

I’m a computer science engineer by education and training. An IT job paid the bills and helped me become financially capable of pursuing creative careers such as writing and voice-overs. I pursued writing as a hobby to hone my creativity and engage the right-side of my brain.

My first novel was inspired by a few personal experiences as an immigrant living in America and numerous stories I heard from immigrant friends and colleagues.

Do you have a website where we can keep up with your work?
www.pushpagowda.com.

How can we follow you on Twitter and/or Facebook?
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pushpa-Gowda-Author/288656
261190006

I’m new to twitter and don’t use it often. I created a new twitter account very recently and haven’t shared it with anyone yet
@IAm_PushpaGowda.

Tale Of The Music-Thief is a fantasy adventure tale with music as the focus. In the story, Allegra, the protagonist, is at the center of a seemingly incurable illness. Music is disappearing from everyone’s minds. A person might know a song one minute, and in the next minute the song will disappear. Worst, they know they knew the song, they just can’t recall it anymore. It might seem like an illness, and many people in City-Along-The-Lake believe it is and that the medicos will find a cure.

But Allegra has seen something. She has seen someone, who is present when music disappears from her mind. And he wants nothing to do with Allegra, escaping into the night when she attempts to confront him. She knows he is behind the music theft, now she has to find him. With the aid of the gangly magicnician, Gerendorf she begins her pursuit across the country, magic map in hand. Only, the map has it’s boundaries and Allegra must catch the music-thief before he disappears off the edge of the map, taking all the music with him.

Oh wow, that’s really interesting. Though we’d love it if he could steal Gangnam Style from our minds! It’s a fantasy novel, you say?
Because Tale Of The Music-Thief has magic and takes place in a fantastical realm it is best classified as a fantasy. But there are no grand wizards or Orc armies. This is about individuals trying to protect what is most important to them and their world.

It’s a fantasy because magic is involved. But this isn’t wave your wand and say a word kind of magic. Magic in the book is slowly being industrialized. There are “magicnicians” who design spells, charms, crystals, cloth, to perform tasks. One of the most visible presence of this new magic are the golems – once the soldiers of the defeated dark magicians. They are now programmed as street sweepers, street light attendants, door guards, servants of the populace.

There are trolls and giants and sirens, as well, so that also puts Tale Of The Music-Thief into the fantasy category.

What kind of readers will it appeal to?
I think Tale Of The Music-Thief will appeal to a broad range of readers, and a broad reading age. I’d hate to say X type of reader will like the book and give Y type of reader the impression they won’t like the book. I can say there isn’t any gore or excessive violence, nor is there sex of any kind. So the book would definitely appeal to parents of readers who cut their teach on Harry Potter and the like. But the parents would enjoy the adventure as well. (Z type of readers, you’ll enjoy the book, too.)

This question might seem unfair, then. Complete this sentence for us: if you like _________________, you’ll love Tale Of The Music-Thief.
If you like Watership Down, you’ll love my book.
If you like Harry Potter, you’ll love my book.
If you like a great adventure, you’ll love my book.
If you like extra cheese on your pizza, you’ll love my book.
If you like breathing, you’ll love me book.

Is this book a stand-alone novel? Do you leave us on a knife edge?
I would like the readers of Tale Of The Music-Thief to feel satisfied but intrigued. The book has a definite conclusion, but there is a grander story arc that is hinted at and I hope the reader wants to know more about Allegra’s world.

So there’ll be a follow up novel? Have you written any other books?
Not yet. I’m working on the follow up to Tale Of The Music-Thief. It’s called Tale Of The Missing Village.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I was born in Washington State. I’m a military brat so I grew up on military bases in the U.S. and Germany. After high school I served five years in the U.S. Marines. I went college after that. I’m now of middle age. I’ve always been an avid reader who has dabbled at writing since I was in third grade. I’ve often allowed other aspects of my life to get in the way and only in the last decade have I made a serious attempt to be constructive with my writing.

Do you have a website where we can keep up with your work?
I do have a website: www.earltroske.com and I try to keep it up to date.

How can we follow you on Twitter and/or Facebook?
On facebook: www.facebook.com/EarlTRoske where anyone can like me.
I have a twitter account though I don\’t tweet much: @earltroske.

What’s next?
Next is the follow up to Tale Of The Music-Thief, Tale Of The Missing Village. I am also working on a first draft of a sci-fi novel that doesn’t have a title yet. There are two other books I’m working on first drafts for as time permits.

Ah, my book is called Operation Hammer a fast paced Science Fiction war story based on animals not humans. Lizards are under the rule of the Communist Hawkins family, and decide it is time to rebel. Under the leadership of the up and coming Commander Steve Nole they implement Operation Hammer to combat the iron grip of Communism on their lives. After the fighting they start to reconstruct their lives, but some are bitter against the new government. A group of heroic soldiers have to save the country before it is too late.

What kind of science fiction is it?
Science Fiction mixed with Steampunk.

What kind of readers will it appeal to?
Hopefully a broad array of readers. If you like a good war story mixed with science fiction and animals you should enjoy it.

Complete this sentence for us: if you like _________________, you’ll love Operation Hammer.
The Hunger Games you will like this. I 100% guarantee it. The plots are not far off from each other and Operation Hammer is very fast paced.

Have you written any other books that we should read next?
Soon my friends, soon!

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a teenager writer (of course) trying to take a bold step forward in a cluttered market. I love the great sport of baseball and writing. You can find me on a variety of tech and book sites like The Verge or NaNoWrimo.

A teenager? Do you mind us asking how old you are exactly?
13.

There’s still a bit of technical knowhow required to self-publish a novel. Some older writers find that a little daunting. Do you think that younger writers like yourself, having grown up in this digital age, might have a bit of an advantage?
Yes. I mean my 60+ year old teacher said it was easier to self publish in the 1800s than now which I knew was a lie. I mean I tried helping people older to self publish on Smashwords but found things like the meatgrinder difficult to use and paid others to do it for them. I think someone that can send an e-mail, check Facebook, with medium technical know-how can publish a book.

In your blog post on Tech Gone Wild about indie publishing you sounded quite down on the marketing reach of indie authors. We’re here to do our bit, but what else do you think needs to happen?
I think the market is a bit flooded. My Twitter feed is flooded with people self promoting their novels and people trying to advertise how to be a bestseller etc. When is the last time you heard someone like a regular person not really into the indie movement but an avid reader actually talk about an indie author? The age of the uber-popular indie author like Twain, Tolkien, etc is dying because of the mass number of books in the market. Sadly a lot of the books are lacking in editing, quality, originality ( i stare at you fan-fiction), and cover design. That is why I want to introduce the Animal Conflict Series: an original Sci-Fi series to make an impression on the populous that the indie revolution isn’t all bad. I know a lot of good indie authors out there, but the market has a lot of people trying to get rich quick by writing a book that could be poorly formatted, have a lackluster cover, and a used storyline. 

Tell us more about your plans for the Animal Conflict Series.
I have a lot of new novels planned. I am looking to write at least 1 book a year. Each book will be more science fiction than the last featuring high octane adventures of unbelievable stories. To hear on the latest follow us on Twitter, Facebook, our website, and join the Google + community. 

Can you tell us where we can find your website?
Sure. Animalconflictseries.wordpress.com.

How can we follow you on Twitter and Facebook?
On good ol’ Twitter @AnimalConSeries and you can search in Facebook for Animal Conflict Series.

What’s next?
I am writing a book right now called Eat My Tail that is heavily science fiction. A bit of a mix of Star Wars, James Bond, and well you have to read to find out! I am also thinking about compiling a bunch of short stories by Indie Authors and publishing that as well.

The Rest of Forever is a story about Noah Myers, a man who loses his wife in a tragic accident, then finds himself falling in love with the woman who killed her. In the aftermath, he struggles with single fatherhood – a life he never imagined, and is completely unprepared for. In forming a friendship with Lindsey Preston, the young social worker who killed his wife, Noah draws fire from his family and his church, and is faced with a battle between faith and religion. His in-laws are a nightmare, his life is falling apart, and the only thing that seems right in his world is Lindsey, who is running from her own terrifying past. In the end, they must decide if their love is worth the fight…Including the fight for Noah’s life.

What genre is it?
Contemporary Women’s Fiction or Contemporary Romance. Either will work.

What kind of readers will it appeal to?
Most of my readers are women, but I have had several men read it and like it a lot. Anyone who believes in forgiveness, the power of love, and the strength of the human spirit will enjoy it.

Is there any writer out there who writes similar books?
Nicholas Sparks.

Have you written any other books that we should read next?
The next book is being edited, and will be out soon.

What can you tell us about it?
My next book is very different from The Rest of Forever. It’s more edgy, more suspenseful. Definitely not as sweet. It’s the first in a series. A crime drama with a romantic undertone. Human Sacrifice is the story of a set of very close partners working for the LAPD, the female of which is abducted by violent, vengeful gang members. The price of her ransom? The unthinkable. Her partner’s life.

Sounds very different. Can’t wait. But, for now, tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a 45 year old mother of four, ranging in age from 26 to 8. I’ve been writing since I was old enough to string words together, and have heard “the voices” for as long as I can remember. I love the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and much of what I write is centered there. The ocean holds a special appeal, and my leading men always seem to be surfers. I am an animal lover, especially dogs, and incorporate them into my stories often. I use part of my royalties to save and improve the lives of shelter dogs. I am an open-minded, accepting Christian. I keep my politics to myself. I figure if someone wants my opinion, they’ll ask for it. I live in Eastern North Carolina with my husband, our youngest child, and our four crazy dogs, where I write full-time.

Do you have a website where we can keep up with your work?
It isn’t up and running yet, but I’m working on it.

What about social media?
@MElaineMoore on Twitter and Author M. Elaine Moore on Facebook.