Author Interview – Havelah McLat

Author of Short stories and Flash fiction

Joining me today is Havelah McLat. Author of short stories and a lover of flash fiction.

Welcome Havelah. Now, I know you love writing short stories and have a few posted for free to various websites as well as your own website. What started you off writing?

Havelah: One of my oldest siblings got me into writing. It all started when I asked her to write a story with my fairy characters, and she did. At that point, that’s how my writing journey began. I started off with short fairy stories less than a thousand words and now I like to write longer stories.

Helen: What made you choose short stories? I always struggle to keep to a word count; my novels tend to be getting longer!

Havelah: When I first started writing stories, I was finding my style and voice. I was a newbie writer and knew very little about writing. One thing about short stories, they help you develop better in writing and learning about different skills in general.

Helen: You’ve written fairy tales, what else do you write about?

Havelah: I like to write a variety of genres. I’ve written stories that are fantasy, or inspirational, and sometimes historical fiction. I like to write fantasy because it gives me freedom to be creative and have fun. Especially with fairy stories.

Helen: Tell us about your writing space. You mentioned you have a large family, it must be difficult to find peace and quiet to write.

Havelah: In my room, on my bed. But now I’m trying to break that habit and write at my desk more. I feel the need to sit on a chair and desk in front of me and write that way and have a candle next to me. Sometimes if the weather is nice and cool, I would write outside. But most of the time, I write in my room, alone. I prefer drafting or revision. I guess it depends on what story I’m doing. I’m not too good at editing. Especially when it comes to grammar and tenses.

Helen: Do you plan your stories or let them take you where they will? I imagine for a short story you have to be more concise?

Havelah: I’m in the middle. I usually know if the story is going to be long or short. I don’t always know how everything is going to be, but often I know how the story will go. I tried one time doing outlines for one story, but I decided to let the story play out and see how they unfold in the process. Every writer did things differently, which is okay. I don’t mind it all. In fact, it is kind of fun.

Helen: I’m glad you have a cosy corner. I love candles too. Do you prefer silence to write? Does the help you concentrate?

Havelah: I do like to listen to music. Uh, I have a list of songs I randomly listen to when I write. Some are up-lifting, fantasy instrumentals, Christian songs, and country songs, and Folklore by Taylor Swift. They have a way to keep me motivated and give me inspiration for stories.

Helen: Which type of characters do enjoy writing the most? Villains or heroes?

Havelah: I honestly don’t mind doing both. There is one in my recent draft I finished. He is my first antagonist I’ve created. It was a fun yet challenging experience. I don’t want to say much because I don’t want to spoil any. You might read it in the future 😉

Helen: I bet you are a big reader, most authors are! What do you like to read? Are you reading anything right now?

Havelah: I recently read two books The Wing Thief and Sing Me Forgotten. Both fantasies, but one is a retelling of the Phantom of the Opera, gender swap, and the other is a fairy adventure. They are both great stories and I highly recommend them.

I am currently reading The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Montron, a historical fiction, and Wonder by R.J. Pallacio. By the time this is post, I’ll probably have finished them both and will be reading other books on my TBR list. Always a never-ending list of books to read :D.

Helen: You are a prolific reader! Tell us how do you get ideas for new stories?

Havelah: Every project I do is different. Some will be inspirations from Pinterest pictures or watch movies and books. Half of the time, they are inspired by real life. Other times, I like to try and think up stories for fun.

Helen: Thank you for your time today, Havelah. It’s been lovely talking with you. Just to bring us to a close, tell us why you’d decided to give away your children’s short stories for free.

Havelah: I felt writing short fiction was a good way to begin my writing career. I self-published on Smashwords for a start, because I wasn’t sure anyone would be interested in buying ebooks, I want to provide the ebooks and in return for a review.

I do have three self-published eBooks all available on my website, or you can get them on Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, and iBook. They are short and fun to read for young children, but adults are more than welcome to read them too. All of them are free. In return, I would appreciate a review. I also published a flash fiction The Whole of the Moon in There is Us an Anthology and Catharsis in LitStream Literature Magazine. You can visit havelahmclat.com. Please don’t forget to sign up for a newsletter for monthly guest blogs. If you want to be part of the guest blog, contact me and we will work out the schedule.

About Havelah McLat:

My name is Havelah McLat. I’m an author of children’s collection stories and have published one story The Whole of the Moon in There is Us Anthology and flash fiction Catharsis in Litstream Literary Magazine.

I lived in a small town on a farm. I come from a family of seven siblings and two parents. I like to take care of chickens, and help around the house. When I’m not doing those things or writing, I like to draw and listen to music, or ride a bike or take a walk and read a book, and sometimes watch YouTube videos to learn more about publishing industry.

Social Media Links:

Website

Twitter

Instagram

Do you talk to yourself?

There is one thing I’ve noticed as the lockdown progresses, is that I talk to myself a lot. I am worried I’ll forget once I am back out socializing, and I’ll still find myself saying things meant for inside my head, out loud in public. Can you imagine it? People will be staring at me as if I am crazy!

Well, hopefully not, as I am sure I am not the only one.

It isn’t just because I live alone, and have no one except my cat to talk too. It’s because I talk to my characters as I am writing them. I immerse myself in my world of Remargaren and see it through their eyes. Hopefully, so that I capture it for my readers to experience as well.

But that does mean that I get caught up in conversations, some of which make it into the book and some of which don’t. My characters have been invented by me; I created their backstory, their likes and dislikes, their foibles, and habits, their thoughts and beliefs. Some I know better than others, and others force their way to the front demanding to be fleshed out more, to play a part, to have a voice.

Characters are an important element of a great story. A reader wants to be invested in their story, to be drawn in to their world, to understand why they react the way they do. It is the authors job to give the reader enough information to draw conclusions, infer emotion, too anticipate. A well rounded character resonates; it’s part of what give us that book hang over when we finish. That sense of losing a friend, of misplacing something, because you won’t be able pick up where you left off.

Fortunately, you can always revisit when you want you, that is the joy of re-reading a book and returning to visit old acquaintances, and often learning something new as you glean something you missed the first time you read it.

Then a new characters raises their hand! And says “What about me?” And I take a closer look, and realize that they don’t fit in the world of Remargaren. They have their own world waiting to be described; to be created, for me to put pen to paper and bring it to life.

A smile rises in me at the thought of meeting someone new; to explore who they are, what they have to say. To discover what they have suffered, or are yet to suffer, and who they will become.

I was listening to an Olly Murs album as I edited my third Sentinal novel, and the lyrics from one of his songs just resonated with me. A young woman raised her hand, stared me in the eye, and she said “I have a story for you to tell.” And she does. I have two new protagonists and a whole new world to think about. A whole new conversation to enjoy.

So If you hear me chattering away to myself, don’t dismiss me. I am in the throes of composition, meeting new characters and making new friends.

I hope you come and visit, enjoy the company and return often.

Author Interview – Jamie Krakover

Author of Tracker220

Joining me today is the American author, Jamie Krakover. Aerospace Engineer by day and author of a Young Adult Sci-Fi novel, Tracker220 by night!

Welcome Jamie. From reading your bio, I’m amazed you even have time to write, so Tracker200 is a very special book, tell us a bit about it.

Jamie: My book, Tracker220 is a Young Adult Sci Fi that released in October 2020. It is about a society where everyone has tracking chips in their head and can access anything or anyone in the blink of an eye. But that technology is also heavily monitored and the authorities know everything you do on the network, everyone you talk to, and everywhere you go. The story starts shortly before 16 year old Kaya Weiss’s tracker glitches and she has to deal with the consequences of having a device that doesn’t play by the rules. After discovering what the authorities do to people with glitchy trackers, she has to choose if she wants to continue on with the technology and deal with being treated like a lab rat or embrace her life and explore her Jewish identity without the confines of the tracker but give up on the only tech she’s ever known.

Helen: What an interesting premise. Technology is consuming our lives, how far we are prepared to trust it will no doubt continue to be debated. Is there a special meaning behind the book title, Tracker220?

Jamie: The tracker part of the title comes from the tracking chips and tracker network in the story. The 220 has a special meaning in the story that I won’t spoil, but I picked 220 because it’s my birthday.

Helen: Can’t wait to read it, you’ve peaked my interest! What made you decide to write a novel?

Jamie: I’m not one of those authors who always knew she wanted to write. In fact I hated writing. In first grade they used to send home story starters and I’d sit at the kitchen table and cry because I thought all my ideas were dumb. Then in high school I took a science fiction English class and they assigned the book Ender’s Game. It was the first book I’d been assigned that I enjoyed enough to read ahead. From there I dove into more sci fi and fantasy. I read Harry Potter, and found another series called The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. After I read that series I started playing with the meanings of names and symbolism and writing some stories. Then I got an idea that just wouldn’t let go and made me write the whole thing down. That manuscript is sitting in a drawer but when I was editing it, I got the idea for TRACKER220 which grabbed hold and never let go.

Helen: I love it when I idea insists it be written, though I find it does interfere with the day job and I have to tag a day onto a long weekend to get it out of my system. I suppose with your day job, it’s not surprising you write Science Fiction?

Jamie: I write MG and YA sci fi and fantasy. Mostly because that’s what I read, but also because I’m an aerospace engineer and it allows me to leverage my STEM background and infuse some of it into my writing

Helen: It is brilliant to find an author supporting women in STEM, and writing books that encourage girls to go into a STEM career. With the recent Women’s International Day on March 8th, I believe it is so important to demonstrate by example, and encourage young women to follow career opportunities in the sciences. With such a busy life, how on earth do you fit your writing in?

Jamie: This is a tough one. I work full time as an aerospace engineer and have a toddler so that doesn’t leave much time for anything else including sleep. Nap time on the weekends is usually when I get the most writing done. Sometimes I’ll write in the evenings after bedtime. Pre-covid I used to meet up with some local writers to write once a week in the evenings. I miss those tag ups it was great for my productivity and to work through plot bunnies.

Helen: Yes, writers group are a great support, and meeting up is irreplaceable for bouncing off ideas and solving plot problems! Speaking of ideas, where do you get your ideas for novels?

Jamie: As a STEM nerd, I love the question “what if”. What if I never got lost again? That’s the question that started Tracker220. But what if leads me down a lot of interesting paths and is how most of my stories start. And I just keep asking what if until I dig deep enough to find an interesting conundrum.

Helen: As an engineer, how does your creativity flow? Tell us a little about your writing process. Do you like to plan or write free form? Do you prefer writing or editing? It seems authors tend to prefer one process or the other.

Jamie: I’m a plotster. I like to outline on a chapter level but I usually only write a sentence or two about what I expect to happen then I let the characters do the rest. I have pantsed my lastest WIP and it was a complete mess so my current WIP is back to some semblance of an outline. My engineer brain needs some organization in the chaos.

Hands down editing. I hate the blank page. The blinking cursor mocks me. I find it so much easier to mold something even if it’s bad then to work from scratch. I love taking the words on the page and shining it up until it’s something amazing.

Helen: For some reason I am not surprised! In Tracker220, who is your favourite character?

Jamie: Oh this is like asking me to pick my favorite child (luckily I only have one in real life). Let’s see I love my main character Kaya for her determination and her artwork because I always wished I could draw better than I do. I love Bailen for his tech skills and his sweet nerdiness. I love Peyton’s sass. She’s super fun to write and I love watching her walls crumble. And Jake I love because I have a soft spot for siblings.

Helen: Another creative piece of the self-publishing puzzle is the cover art. You have a striking cover; how did you choose the design?

Jamie: I honestly had no clue what I wanted my cover to be, but I knew I wanted a girl and something with a brain and some neurons and the tracking chip. Beyond that I was lost. I did a lot of searching stock images, and when I found the one that ultimately became my cover I instantly knew it was the right image. I worked with Jennifer Stolzer my amazing cover artist and gave her some incoherent babbling about a tracking chip and some neurons and a few other details and what she created was my beautiful cover after a few minor tweaks. It’s really stunning and I’m so happy she was able to decipher my nonsense.

Helen: It has been lovely chatting with you, Jamie. To wrap up, tell us what you are current reading.

Jamie: All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban. It’s a locked room thriller where six teens are locked in a room with a syringe and a bomb and they have to pick one person to poison with the syringe or they all will die. I’m not quite 100 pages in but it’s already pretty intense.

About Jamie Krakover:

Growing up with a fascination for space and things that fly, Jamie turned that love into a career as an Aerospace Engineer. Combining her natural enthusiasm for Science Fiction and her love of reading, she now spends a lot of her time writing Middle Grade and Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy.

Jamie lives in St. Louis, Missouri with her husband, Andrew, their son, and their dog, Rogue (named after the X-men not Star Wars although she loves both). When she isn’t being a Rocket Scientist by day and a writer by night, she can be found catching up on the latest sci fi TV, books, and movies as well as spending time on Twitter (maybe a little too much time :-P). And no, the rocket science jokes never get old!

Through Snowy Wings Publishing, Jamie is the author of Tracker220 (October 2020). She also has two female in STEM short stories published in the Brave New Girls anthologies and two engineering-centered nonfiction pieces that published in Writer’s Digest’s Putting the Science in Fiction.

Social Media Links:

and purchase her book Tracker220, via Amazon:

Link to ebook on Amazon US | Amazon UK

Link to Hardcover on Amazon US | Amazon UK

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Author Interview – Nonku Kunene Adumetey

Author of I Celebrate My Skin

Joining me today is the author of the children’s picture book, I celebrate my skin, Nonku Kunene Adumetey.

Welcome Nonku. What a delightful book, ideal for young children, with a great message. Tell us a little about your book.

Nonku: I celebrate my skin, is a children’s picture book that teaches them to love and embrace their skin tone. It also teaches them to embrace others.

I Celebrate My Skin is an inclusive children’s book about self-discovery and self-love. Focusing on celebrating and embracing skin tone diversity, I Celebrate My Skin is a fun and meaningful book you and your family will want to pick up again and again. The book includes modern illustrations that weave in a touch of traditional elements, playful language, and interactive fun activities at the end.

This family book will teach young children:
•That their skin is worth celebrating
•That all skin tones are beautiful and worth celebrating
•That their skin is functional and can do so many things
•That diversity and inclusion are strengths

Helen: What made you choose to write a picture book?

Nonku: When we celebrate our birthdays, job promotions, any success in life we go all out and do what we want unapologetically. I chose celebrating your skin because we also need to love and celebrate who we are unapologetic. Going all out in loving yourself for me is truly success.

Helen: A great topic and a message we all need hear right now. What or who inspired you write this book?

Nonku: My family, my kids inspired me to write the books and then grief of losing my father inspired me to write. I chose children’s books because I want to inspire my children’s and other young children out there to love themselves and enjoy seeing themselves in books.

Helen: Family is so important. Are you working on anything right now? What makes you choose what to write about?

Nonku: I am working on a couple of titles for next year’s release. They about celebrating yourself and embracing who you are with a different twist. I am telling my story; I am building and empowering my inner child. My ideas are truly my story, personal what I am feeling or what I experienced. I’d like to write little encouragement books, I am not sure what genre those would be. I love to spread positive vibes.

Helen: You have a young family which must keep you busy, tell us a little about your writing process.

Nonku: I write mostly at night, for a while I would start writing or working on edits at midnight. I am a bit of a Panster, lol! love to free form and not follow a rigid plan. It helps me relax and not stress if things go a different way

Helen: Me too, I am a night owl. Thank you so much for spending time with me. To end our chat, what advice would you give other aspiring authors?

Nonku: Do not be shy to ask for help from seasoned authors. There is so much information out there and honestly, it is impossible to learn it all. Sometimes you have to go through the process to learn different things. Also, more importantly, be patient with you self and your work.

About Nonku Kunene Adumetey

Nonkululeko Kunene Adumetey (also known as Nonku) is a loving wife and devoted mother of two happy toddlers. Her children both love singing, storytime, and tasting home-cooked cuisines. When Nonku tastes delicious food, she hums a blissful tune, which she never realized until both her children started humming along.

Nonku was born in the Kingdom of Eswatini, where she lived until she was 16. She left to complete high school in Canada and later moved to the United States to pursue her college education.

Her passion is to inspire her children and all children to celebrate who they are, understand their differences are beautiful, know their diversity is a strength, and believe their voices are should be heard.

Her hero is her late father, Themba Micah Kunene, a man from humble beginnings who worked tirelessly to provide a full life for his eight children. Her father’s unconditional love, wisdom, selflessness, and work ethic inspire the core of Nonku’s principles and life mottos. One of his favorite mottos was “umtsentse uhlaba usamila”, a saying about a strong grass that gets deeply rooted during its early stages of development. The essence of this saying embodies the core of early intervention and teaching young minds early so that they grow up strong and informed about the world. This is what inspires Nonku to write children’s book, to inspire and empower young minds for a greater future.

Link to ebook on Amazon US | Amazon UK

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Author Interview – Jaimie Schock

Author of Visions of Iotan

Joining me today is the author, Jaimie Schock, author of the science fiction novel Visions of Iotan which will be published today, March 20th, 2021.

Welcome Jaimie, to start us off please tell us about your brand new book Visions of Iotan.

Jaimie: Visions of Iotan is a stand-alone science-fiction novel featuring a gay protagonist, a talking capybara, an evil priest, and bison-sized benevolent aliens. The story follows Cillian, a nurse whose daughter accidentally kills an alien child. From prison, he is given a chance to take his family on a trip to another planet, and he agrees. This decision sends them on a journey rife with danger, from which they might never return.

Helen: First of all congratulations on the launch of your novel, it is such a special day when your book goes live. Visions of Iotan, can you give us a little background on how you came up with the name.

Jaimie: “Iotan” is the name of the planet they visit (in the Iota Horologii system), and “Visions” refers to hallucinations that Cillian ends up experiencing.

Helen: This is a science fiction novel, but you don’t just write sci-fi do you?

Jaimie: I write adult fantasy and science-fiction, always with LGBTQ+ and disabled characters. Though I am currently working on a high fantasy, I am open to writing other genres such as horror and YA.

Helen: It’s great to see inclusive novels being being written. There is definitely demand for them. Do you have a favourite character in the book?

Jaimie: My favorite character from Visions of Iotan is an alien nicknamed Rapunzel. It starts off as just a worker on the ship, but soon enough it performs a valuable role in the story. It helps Cillian and his family substantially. I also really like the name. My second favorite character is a trans woman named Zoe, who is the resident doctor on the ship. She becomes a friend and colleague to Cillian, as well as a voice of reason when things start to go bad.

Helen: I know you are just launching your book, but are you working on anything else? Do you have another work in progress?

Jaimie: My current untitled work-in-progress features a lesbian bard who plays the flute. She is assigned to a mountainous country named Centralla. When a child is murdered, the country descends into a civil war that gets worse and worse as time goes on. The Bard must balance a burgeoning relationship with a witch while helping to diffuse the conflict.

Helen: Sounds very interesting. I love stories with bards for some reason, more I think because they travel and tell stories, spread the word and entertain just like we do! I look forward to it being available! How does writing fit into your daily life. I am sure you have demands pulling you in all directions.

Jaime: I’m disabled and haven’t worked in an office setting since 2013. The moment I stopped traditional work, I began writing novels. I have written eight books and begun a ninth in that time. I write during weekdays predominately in the afternoon. I like to save the evenings and weekends for spending time with my husband, friends, and family.

Helen: Congratulations on being so prolific, most authors are lucky to finish one book! It’s easy starting, it’s the finishing that’s challenging! Tell us a little about your writing progress. Do you plan out your books or do you pantser, and write as you go?

Jaimie: I’m a pantser. I write chronologically without chapters (and put them in after a few revisions). I rarely know what’s going to happen when I begin. I wrote my entire series this way, along with Visions of Iotan and my new project.

Helen: It has been lovely chatting with you, Jaimie. Thank you so much for spending time with me and I wish you every success with your new book. Just one last question. What advice would you give other Indie authors?

Anna: Just write. Whether you plan your whole story ahead of time or start with just a basic idea, the most important thing is to write your heart out. If and when you start querying your piece, don’t lose hope if you get a lot of rejections. For my first story, a fantasy series called The Talisman War, I queried more than 100 agents and more than 20 publishers and got rejected by every single one before getting a publishing deal directly.

About the Author

Jaimie is an author, editor, and journalist with more than a decade of professional experience. I have been published in newspapers and magazines as a journalist, and my novels have been published via a small press. I am married and living in Northern Virginia. Though I have an extensive career, I am disabled with PTSD and chronic illness. I try to incorporate my life experiences into the fictional pieces I write while delivering complex and diverse characters. My pronouns are she/her, and I am proudly a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

You can find out more about Jaime Schock on:
Website
Publisher
Amazon page

and purchase her book Visions of Iotan now.

Launch – Sentinals Rising

Book Two of the Sentinal Series

Now Available: March 17th, 2021

Order Now: eBook or Paperback

Have you visited Remargaren yet? An ancient world suffused with magic and adventure. Sentinals Rising continues our action packed journey with Jerrol and his newly awoken Sentinals.

Jerrol Haven, having rescued the king from the clutches of the malevolent Ascendants, knows they haven’t stopped their scheming. While trying to learn more about the mysterious Sentinals he woke from a three-thousand-year sleep, he has to defend his king and country from further magical attacks.

Should he trust the Sentinals in such vital positions? Can he trust them to protect the king and Vespiri? As Jerrol learns more of their capabilities, he realises there are more secrets yet to be revealed. Maybe those questioning their sudden rise in power have a point.

Before he can delve further, a call for help comes from the neighbouring country of Terolia. The nomadic Families are disintegrating into chaotic infighting. The king sends Jerrol to investigate, instructing him to do whatever is needed to protect the Families from the Ascendants

Virtual Launch-Book excerpt reading

Get ready for Book Two – Purchase the first book Sentinals Awaken now, eBook on special offer at 0.99c for four days only!:

Amazon UK:
Paperback
eBook (On 0.99p special offer March 17th-20th)

Amazon US:
Paperback
eBook (On 0.99c special offer March 17th-20th)

Giveaway!

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Author Interview – Anna J. Walner

Author of Garkain, Book One of the Uluru Legacy

Joining me today is the author, Anna J Walner, host of the Author’s Library YouTube channel and author of the YA fantasy Uluru Legacy series. The first book of which, Garkain, will be released on June 25th, 2021.

Welcome Anna, to start us off please tell us about your book Gharkin.

Anna: I began with the story of my adoption and built from that. Amelia is a girl who searches for her past, and once she finds it, she discovers that the truth is far more unbelievable than she ever imagined!

Helen: That is so brave, to write from your own experience, though I’m sure what Amelia eventually discovers did not happen to you! It must have been difficult at times to write about a topic so close to your own heart. Is there a special meaning behind the book title, Garkain?

Anna: Garkain is the aboriginal name for the creatures of the night. The boogeymen in the Outback. But we come to find out that everything we knew of vampires has changed; evolved over time. They still must drink blood, but they live normal lives almost like you and I, with the exception that they drink blood, their skin darkens in the sun, and they have a unique gift when the human constraints of the mind are removed.

But it’s not a special meaning, I just picked an Aboriginally accurate term for them. I tried to incorporate the Aboriginal culture where I could. Uluru is the Aboriginal name for Ayers Rock.

Helen: I love it when I learn something new from the books I read. What genre did you to choose to set your book in?

Anna: I write Fantasy. I think in a way, when I write I get to escape into the same world my characters do, which is nice. I enjoy writing it as much as I enjoy reading it, and I hope that come across to other readers.

Helen: Which character do you enjoy writing the most and why? Heroes or villains?

Anna: I enjoy writing strong female characters. In either form. I think it’s nice to see a strong young woman in the central role, and Amelia is just that. She’s a leader.

Helen: So…is Amelia your favourite character?

Anna: Yes! Amelia, hands down. Although there’s a character that we’ll see in the second book who’s running a close second . . .

Helen: I’m glad to hear you have a second book coming. Tell us a little about your writing process. Do you like to plan or write free form? Do you prefer writing or editing? It seems authors tend to prefer one process or the other.

Anna: I am a combination of the two. I have a plan of where I want to start and finish, the rest of the storyline is in flux. The characters really drive the direction of the story. I love writing, but I’ve also come to accept editing as a necessary evil and now I look forward to those finishing touches.

Helen: And you have a young daughter; how do you fit your writing in?

Anna: I write at night when my daughter sleeps. It’s the only time I have free! But I wouldn’t have it any other way!!

Helen: The independent author’s life is all about fitting writing around work and everyday life. We get good at finding those brief moments to create and to read! Reading is as important as writing to authors. What have you been reading recently?

Anna: Triad by Brittany Weisrock and Awakening by Jennifer Pezzano. I do my best to support the Indie Author community. We write some good books!!

Helen: There have been some amazing Indie author books released this last year. My ‘to be read’ list keeps growing! And thanks to you and your Author’s Library YouTube channel readers can find out more about their favourite independent authors as you post regular author interviews as well as marketing advice. You can check out Anna’s Author’s Library YouTube channel here.

It has been lovely chatting with you, Anna, just one last question. What advice would you give other Indie authors?

Anna: To be patient. Be patient with yourself, with the creative process, and with the book. Define what success means to you and realize that being an independent author means wearing a lot of hats. Learn from your mistakes, but never give up!

About Anna J. Walner:

Anna is a mother, and a published author. I’ve always had a passion for writing, spending my life obsessed with literature. As an author, my creativity has grown. I not only read the stories I love, but I create them too.

She began this quest for her daughter. The Enrovia Series is written for her, with her in mind. From there her ideas continued to form and grow. The first book of the Uluru Legacy series is currently available for Preorder and will be available 06.25.2021.

Award Winning Author – Literary Titan Golden Award 02/2021

Breaking news: Readers Favorite 5 star Silver Award announced March 10th, 2021.

You can reach Anna J. Walner via social media on:

T w itter
Instagram
Website

and purchase her book Garkain, Book One of the Uluru Legacy now on pre-order via Amazon:

Link to ebook on Amazon US | Amazon UK

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Author Interview – E.P. Stavs

Author of the Shendri Series

Joining me today is the American author E.P. Stavs, Author of the YA fantasy Shendri series. The third installment of which will be released on March 16th. She also has a Bluebeard retelling that will be included in the charitable anthology “Villainous”, coming out March 29th.

Welcome Erin, I am a fan of your Shendri series; I thoroughly enjoyed Book One: The Marked Princess, (you can find my book review here,) and I am looking forward to reading the second book: The Searching Songbird. News that number three The Unclaimed Wolf is releasing soon is so exciting. To start us off please tell us about your the Shendri series.

Erin: The Shendri Series is a fast-paced, young adult fantasy series that follows the adventures of four young women bearing the mark of the Shendri. While there’s an over-arcing storyline to the series that ties the four books together, each heroine is given her own, unique story (and romance) as the journey progresses.

Helen: I must admit it is an enjoyable read, and I love the covers, such vibrant colours. With four heroines to choose from, do you have a favourite character?

Erin: I have a couple of favourites, really. Josselyn, the hellcat Shendri and MC of “The Marked Princess” is pretty special to me, partly because she’s the character who put the entire series in motion. Before I knew anything else about the series, I knew it would have her. Aside from sentimental reasons, I also love her strength and sarcastic, don’t-mess-me nature. She was a lot of fun to write. One of my other favourites is Maya, who readers will meet in Book 3, “The Unclaimed Wolf”. She’s just so unique and awesome and I love her.

Helen: Writing feisty characters must be great fun. Tell us a little about your work in progress, you have few projects on the go, haven’t you?

Erin: As I recently finished the first draft of the series’ finale, I’ve put that aside for a while to rest and gotten back into a novella I’ve been working on for a while. While I can’t say too much about it yet, I will say that it’s pretty different from my previous work. The setting is modern day Seattle, there’s zero fantasy or magical creatures, and some of the language is a bit stronger than my usual YA novels (Although, I’m still not into writing sex scenes. I’ll leave those for everyone else, heh.)But, it does carry my signature flow and pacing, so I’m hoping fans of The Shendri will enjoy this , as well. And if not, at least I’m having fun writing it!

Helen: That is so amazing. I think switching genre is very brave. How do you come up with the ideas for your books?

Erin: Music, usually. I love to lie in the dark with a steady flow of music in my ears and just feel the stories and characters as they flow through me. It’s also my go-to method for dealing with writer’s block.

Helen: It’s great you have a technique to combat writer’s block. Aspiring authors take note! You are also a great reader aren’t you? What have you read recently?

Erin: So, anyone who follows me on Twitter (@estavs) or Instagram (@e.p.stavs) probably knows what a huge book nerd I am, and since joining the Writing Community last April, I’ve read and reviewed approximately 60 indie books. Many of which I’ve recently started featuring on my Instagram site. Some recent favourites include Eva Alton’s “Witch’s Mirror”, Carol Beth Anderson’s “The Vine Eater”, Anya Pavelle’s “The Garden of Stone Houses”, Allison Martine’s “Move on, Melinda”, and, most recently, T.M.Kohl’s “The Warriors of Bhrea: The Lost King”. But these are only a handful of the many awesome books I’ve read this year alone. So much talent!

Helen: I agree, we are fortunate there are so many fantastic authors keeping us supplied with amazing books. Thank you so much for joining me today. It has been lovely chatting with you, just one last question, having read so much, who is your favourite author?

Erin: While it’s almost impossible to pick a favourite author (I mean, I’ve been reading since I was four…), the author who’s had the biggest impact on me is Melanie Cellier. I started reading her young adult, fairytale re-imaginings on Kindle Unlimited well before I’d gathered the motivation to finally write a novel of my own. I loved the way she wove bits of familiar tales into a fantastical world all of her own, with each story effortlessly flowing into the next. When I finally finished my first book and started thinking about which route to try – traditional or indie – I couldn’t help but look her up to see who she was published through. And then, to discover she was an indie author? It absolutely blew my mind and changed my perspective on self-publishing completely. Here was a woman with an extensive catalogue of beloved books, all of which had at least a few hundred reviews to their title, and she was indie! It was that realization that pushed me toward indie myself, and I’m so glad I did!

About E.P.Stavs:

Erin Stavrides grew up in various parts of Upstate New York, where she became a regular at the public libraries, checking out book upon book upon book. Not even bedtime could stop her from reading, thanks to a handy flashlight kept close by.

Erin married her husband, Michael, in the Fall of 2007, and the couple moved across country to Seattle, Washington soon after, where Erin worked as a math teacher. When baby girl number one came along, however, she decided she’d had more than enough teaching to last a lifetime and decided to be a stay-at-home mom, instead. Five years and two daughters later, she finally found the time and motivation to follow through on her ultimate dream – writing books of her very own.

When she’s not reading, writing, or mom-ing, Erin enjoys taking long walks with her headphones on, playing Age of Empires 3 with her husband, and taking that first sip of coffee in the morning. So good.

You can reach E.P.Stavs via social media on:

Twitter
Instagram

and purchase her book via Amazon:

The Marked Princess, Book One of the Shendri Series
Link to Paperback on: Amazon US | Amazon UK
Link to ebook on Amazon US | Amazon UK

The Searching Songbird Book Two of the Shendri Series:
Link to paperback on: Amazon US | Amazon UK
Link to ebook on: Amazon US | Amazon UK

The Unclaimed Wolf Book Three of the Shendri Series:
Link to ebook on: Amazon US | Amazon UK

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Time to talk about books!

I’m so excited that I just had to share! I was fortunate enough to be interviewed by Anna J Walner on her YouTube channel ‘The Author Library’. Anna’s channel provides Indie Authors a platform to talk about their books and their love of writing and the processes that go into writing and publishing their own books.

If you want to find out more about my books, and the world building that went into creating them, then check out my interview here or click the image.

Make sure you check out some of the other Indie Author interviews, each offers their own insights into the world of writing and self-publishing.

I enjoyed chatting with Anna, another win to celebrate! Roll on launch day! Sentinals Rising will be available soon, make sure you add it to your Goodreads to be read list along with the first book Sentinals Awaken.

Or if you are Bookbub you can find them here:
Sentinals Awaken
Sentinals Rising

Or better yet order them now via Amazon.

Procrastination? We’re all good at that!

I’m sitting here drinking a glass of prosecco wondering what to write about. I should be editing my next book in the Sentinals series but I have spent the weekend procrastinating. Isn’t it funny how the mind works? How many things you can find to do instead of what you intended.

I have hoovered the house, done the washing – it was a gloriously sunny day here in the UK – eaten a box of biscuits that won’t be any good for my waistline and spent the afternoon scrolling through twitter and Instagram. Been pinned to the sofa whilst Alfie had a kip so I joined him for a snooze as I couldn’t get to the keyboard! And now I’m writing a blog post.

Now I’m feeling guilty that I haven’t made progress with my edits, (and about the box of biscuits!). I’m also quietly excited about the fact that my second novel will release on March 17^th.

With release day approaching, I should be feeling a sense of accomplishment, but I feel pressured to get book three complete. That is pressure I’m putting on myself for some reason, and then I remember that you have to celebrate the small wins as well as the big wins. If you only celebrate the huge wins, then the expectation you place on yourself is to constantly achieve at that level and you miss the opportunity to appreciate and enjoy your journey.

Just completing a novel is an achievement. Lots of people have ideas, but to write them down, edit and polish it into a finished product, not so many achieve that. Time to Celebrate!
Learning how to self-publish, complete the interior formatting, cover design, launch plan. Lots of accomplishments to celebrate.
Sending the book out to some of your peers for review. (eek!) Celebrate being brave!

Each step is a win to be enjoyed. Each is an achievement taking me closer to the launch day. And so, I’m drinking a glass of prosecco. I may not have done much editing this weekend, but I let go of my second novel. It’s in the hands of my peers who also write, the hardest audience of all to appease.

Next week I have an interview to record. Another small win; well, it feels like a big win! and then we will be approaching launch day.

Make sure you celebrate the small wins; you’ll enjoy the huge accomplishments even more!