Thomas M. Wing, a Naval Academy and Naval War College graduate, retired after thirty-two years as a Navy Surface Warfare officer. He served across a broad swath of tactical and operational billets, including more than ten years at sea in guided missile destroyers and frigates. A dedicated sailor for over half a century, he founded and served as executive director for the Continental Navy Foundation, and commanded the foundation’s tall ship, Megan D.
Atmosphere Press is proud to bring readers the Atmosphere Press Presents author interview series. We’re happy to have this archive of excellent interviews and author success stories for you to enjoy. Learn about writers and their books, from book title origin stories to music playlists that relate to their writing to what it was like seeing the cover for the first time.
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Stephen C. Pollock (“Steve”) is a poet, essayist, eye surgeon, neuro-ophthalmologist, business executive, and inventor. His debut poetry collection, Exits, won the 2024 North Street Book Prize for Poetry, the Gold Medal for Poetry in the 2023 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, and 1st Place for Poetry in the 2025 Firebird Book Awards. The twenty poems in Exits were written and edited over a period of twenty years. Designing and formatting the book required an additional two years.
Originally a shy and awkward biracial adoptee, Stephanie is now one of those people who, as soon as you meet her, you’ll feel joy around. She graduated from Langara College (Digital & Print Publications, Dean’s Honour Roll) and recently from Simon Fraser University (Editing Certificate). Last summer, she published her first children’s book – Septopus.
Last year, I entered a micro-fiction writing contest with a horror/Halloween theme. My love of horror attracted me to this contest, and I had so much fun writing it. I didn't win the contest, but it triggered something. I've always loved writing short stories, but this started me on a new path of writing up an absolute storm. Many of the stories I crafted were in the spooky/horror realm. So, you could say that I wasn't exactly "inspired" to write a book, more so that I had lots of fun writing some shorts and realized... these could be a book!
I'm a British author based in the North West, UK. I published my first book, Drifting in a Dream, in 2021, with the sequel, Falling in Flames, escaping in 2024. Despite reading far and wide, young adult and fantasy remain two of my favourite genres to write. I love the flexibility of fantasy, and I particularly enjoy incorporating it into our mundane everyday world.
Roberta Beach Jacobson is an American author/poet/editor who is drawn to the magic of words – flash fiction, poetry, song lyrics, puzzles, and stand-up comedy. Her latest book is Demitasse Fiction: One-Minute Reads for Busy People (Alien Buddha Press, 2023). She lives in Indianola, Iowa, with her husband and three cats.
I searched, for many years, for enlightenment. I questioned a lot and searched for reasons for why people think the way they do and react the way they do. The absurdity of life has always fascinated me and disturbed me. Philosophy has always been an interest. Even in this book of funny illustrations, there is a lot of philosophy behind the scenes! Art helps me create the settings and allows me to make fun of myself and our crazy world.
By day, I’m a former scientist with a background in materials chemistry, now working in the saner (but no less complex) world of intellectual property. Both sides of me live in Birmingham—a city full of grit, heart, bin bags, and endless inspiration for the end of the world. We have two cats, one kid and one husband that we have to share.
Rachel has enjoyed writing all kinds of funny little stories since she was the young age of eleven. Also a nerd, she likes Star Wars and anything involving vampires. Some of her favorite TV shows are The Vampire Diaries, Brooklyn 99, and Supernatural. Her inspiration for The Dark Prince of Lazera comes from a lifelong interest in magic, folklore, and the paranormal.
Rachanee Lumayno is an actress, voiceover artist, screenwriter, avid gamer, and amateur dodgeball player. She grew up in Michigan, where she spent way too much of her free time reading fantasy novels. So when she decided to try her hand at writing a book, it made sense that it would be in her favorite genre. The Kingdom Legacy series marks her debut as an author. She is also a staff writer for two comics and an upcoming video game.
