Author interviews

An independent investment advisor and former high school history teacher, Bland Weaver is an elder at the Gayton Kirk Presbyterian Church and president of the Kiwanis Club of Tuckahoe. Bland enjoys racquetball, swimming and taking long walks with his faithful chocolate lab, Lovey. Bland lives in Glen Allen, VA with his wife, Joy, who is the inspiration for his writing. They have two sons, Eli and Zachary.

Kalpana Sutaria is an architect, an author and a project manager working for the City of Austin. She has worked on climate responsive buildings and has promoted sustainable guidelines in City’s buildings throughout her career. She has been a volunteer at the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, which is working to create a political will to transition away from polluting fuels. She believes that green buildings are crucial but to cool our environment, we need policies to lower carbon from all sectors of our economy. She has a master’s in architecture from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a licensed architect (AIA) in the State of Texas, LEED Accredited Professional (BD+C) and a Project Management Professional (PMP).

Joel Geier has covered the craft beer scene since 2016 via social media, multiple podcasts, his website, freelance articles, and now as a member of the Badger Beer Report. He resides in Glendale, WI, but has lived in fourteen states with his wife Rosa since they were married in 2015. After completing his master’s degree in nonprofit management in 2019, he became a stay-at-home dad and is the proud father of Lily and Beau. He loves visiting breweries and sharing his experiences with others, which is culminating with his first book, Flights Across America.

I've been writing since I was fourteen years old. Majored in mathematics at university, tried four or five different careers, worked as a stable-hand for my equestrienne ex-wife, finally settled down in Hickory, NC, with a significant other, cats and chickens, and volunteer work at the Hickory Aviation Museum.

Writing under the pen name Louisa Clare, I am an indie author who has published four romance novels to date, and am currently working on the fifth. Living in beautiful North wales, I am always able to find inspiration right outside my own front door!

Boaz Kelvin C. Smith is an ordained minister and a chaplain. He has ten years of experience working in the Disability and Mental Health sectors and is a veteran of the Australian Army. A qualified higher educator with a Community Service diploma and a BA from Harvest Bible College, he is the founder and director of The Kelvin Smith’s Youth Foundation and general overseer of Calvary Ministry. Boaz is passionate about developing good character leaders and working with grassroots communities. His children inspire him. Boaz loves to cook, play football, and listen to reggae music.

Nigerian-British writer and TV producer, Deborah Somotun, has been captivated by speculative fiction since discovering Frank Herbert's Dune at the age of eight. A lifelong love affair with the works of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Michael Crichton, J.K. Rowling, and other genre giants fueled her own creative aspirations. As a devout Christian, the events surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement sparked a profound dialogue with her faith, leading to the creation of her debut fantasy novel, Ileri: Spirit Over Shade. This book, the first in the Ileri series, delves into themes of prejudice, power, corruption, and the liberating power of faith. Deborah's writing blends her heritage, vivid imagery, complex characters, and thought-provoking themes to offer a unique voice within the fantasy genre.

John Gonzalez was born in a small town of 12,000 people in the highlands of Mexico. At age thirteen, his family immigrated to the U.S., hoping he would forge a solid future for himself. Gonzalez always remembered why his parents decided to leave their home country and the sacrifices they made while uprooting the family. He learned English and French and earned several degrees, including a doctorate in educational leadership from UCLA. After receiving his doctorate, Gonzalez was appointed American Council on Education Fellow. He has worked in academic positions from middle to graduate school in the U.S. He lived in South Korea for five years, where he worked at an American School as a Spanish and English teacher and academic counselor.

L. P. Simone lives and writes in Washington, DC, where she has worked as a history and writing teacher, a librarian and an advocate for human rights.

Kara lives in rural Minnesota with her husband, son, two fish, and two male cats. She was once an avid traveler, venturing to Egypt, Peru, and the Yucatan Peninsula, but now can usually be found outside on her patio with a cup of coffee and a notebook. She is the author of The Intra-Earth Chronicles and Beneath Storm Mountain.