Author Interviews

I am a storyteller who has always felt the world most clearly through imagination—not as an escape, but as a way to witness and repair what is broken. Growing up, I was drawn to the kinds of stories where wonder walked alongside grief: Treasure Planet, Atlantis, Hercules—tales where flawed heroes stumble toward growth, where loss leaves scars, but where light is still worth carrying forward. Those stories taught me that hope is not naive; it’s hard-won. That same lesson shapes everything I write.

Julie Cruse has over two decades experience working at the intersection of higher education and innovation across public, private, and elite universities. She has led initiatives to create alternative pathways for student success and systemic reform. Her work reflects a deep commitment to equity and survivor advocacy.

Writing has never been just a hobby for me. It is my therapy, my release, my most honest form of breathing. I write when I am struggling and when I am finally at peace. I write when joy catches me off guard and when love takes over everything. Writing is the only thing that knows how to reach into the crowded, heavy noise inside my head and turn it into something soft … something quiet.

I’m a journalist and presenter with twenty-five years of experience working with the BBC, ITV, Sky, Channel 4, and IMG. I’ve been writing for TV and radio throughout my working life, but Angarrack is my debut novel. I’ve loved every second of creating it, although it’s been a steep learning curve. I was delighted when Angarrack was recently short-listed for The Historical Novel Society’s First Chapters Competition.

Effie is an indie author from the North of England, where she lives with her husband of over twenty-five years and their two children. Influenced by her Greek heritage, she is drawn to stories shaped by history, legacy, and the ties that bind people long after they should have let go. She writes emotionally charged romance with a darker edge, often blending contemporary and paranormal elements to explore love, grief, power, and what it means to truly belong.

To say I love books is an understatement. I learned to read before I headed off to school thanks to my grandmother’s insistence and support. She taught me the value of my own curiosity and to seek knowledge beyond face value. My early beginnings have led to a deep commitment to life-long learning. And the occasional life lesson, because reading about it wasn’t enough, I needed to go try it out. I have a master’s degree in counseling, though for the past twenty-plus years I’ve worked in the criminal justice system, first as a probation officer, followed by my work now as an education specialist.

From a young age, Ben Cass was in love with the premises of fantasy novels and comic books: amazing creatures, fantastic heroes, and magical powers that existed right beneath our noses. He created detailed storylines to act out with his toys, often updating the stories until he was satisfied with the plots.

David Viner has had over twenty short stories published in various publications since 2007. He ran a writing group from 2009 to 2022 and edited and contributed to both anthologies released by the group. In 2020, he published two novels, Splinters and Time Portals of Norwich, and has followed the latter with three sequels, Time’s Revenge (2022), Time’s Paradox (2024), and The Sword of Kaskellion (2026).

Rae has a 1st Class MA in Creative Writing. They love getting lost in a good book—recent recs would have to include The Boy From The Sea by Garrett Carr, Common Decency by Susannah Dickey, and The Hotel Avocado by Bob Mortimer. Currently reading Seven Nights At The Flamingo Hotel by Drew Gummerson. They are currently working on a collaboration with co-authors from the New2theScene writing community. Come the apocalypse, they’ll be hunkered down at the local library with a dynamo torch.

Laura Jinks is a writer, a mother, and a widow. She lives with her daughters, her dogs, her chickens, and whatever other animals wander into her life in Upstate New York. She continues to build a life filled with memories, meaning, and shouted moments of joy. When she is not writing and the kids are in school, she can be found crocheting, knitting, practicing karate, or playing video games.

David is the author of the Amazon bestselling Alex Swan spy thriller series dubbed by The Big Thrill magazine as ‘A Cold War Sherlock Holmes.’ Book seven of the series, Contrail of Vengeance, is out now, and writing under the pen name of Dave Becker comes Fallen Shadows, the first novel of a new action-packed contemporary spy thriller trilogy set in the city of London, combining city police detective DC Sam Hayes with Pippa Homewood, a case officer with the Security Service (MI5).

In 1986, I received my Bachelor of Science Degree (Cum Laude) from Adelphi University in Garden City, NY. As the small business liaison officer at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in Upton, NY, I wrote two proposals that both won the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Dwight D. Eisenhower Award of Excellence in the research and development category, one in March 2009 and the other in May 2016. Both awards were presented at the White House, in Washington, D.C.

S.G. (Sam Gavin) Hyde is an author based in Exeter, UK. He is a passionate advocate for disability services and serves as a trustee at Disability Together. Living with cerebellar ataxia, he champions resilience in others. After a twenty-year business career ended unexpectedly, he dedicates himself to personal growth through exercise, mindfulness, and seizing new opportunities.

A middle-aged mom who dreamed of writing poetry, left her corporate career to do just that. Found. is the result of a spiritual awakening that changed Eve’s life forever. May all who read it feel Found. too!

Leslie Swartz is an author, ex-poet, and mother of three. She enjoys long walks in the stationary aisle and uninterrupted sleep. Biggest fears include failure of gravity and The Wizard of Oz.

I am an unlikely writer. I was born more years ago than I care to remember, a stone’s throw from Heathrow airport. Even back in those days, I loved stories but never imagined writing them. My bent was always technical. In the 1980s, I started writing articles for a computer magazine. That ended when the publication folded. I didn’t return to writing until I retired, but this time it was fiction. I was actually writing stories that other people wanted to read.

When I first started writing poetry, it was during one of the most tumultuous times of my life; writing became a safe form of expression that, in turn, helped with my journey of healing. Under the alias ‘Nina Deveaux,’ I launched and published my first poetry book, Mythology. When I’m not writing or working on my business, I am taking naps or kissing cats.

I’m Lorraine, mother to Lexie-Rose and currently in chapter fifty-two! Lifesaving surgery in 2020 meant I was going to have to live with a stoma. Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2004 following a trip to India was where it all began. In 2023 I made the decision to make my ileostomy permanent…the Barbie butt…well, if it’s good enough for Barbie, it’s good enough for me!

Johnzelle is a licensed therapist by trade, and believes in the power of storytelling to heal, imagine, disrupt, and inspire. His writing focuses on mental health, race, relationships, and identity.

Dixie L. King has been writing since she was seven years old, when she taught herself to type on her father’s big metal Smith Corona typewriter. She wrote her first novel at eleven; however, despite the fact that it was about drug trafficking (about which she knew nothing), took place in New York City (which she had never visited), and involved a woman working at the United Nations, not only did Harper and Row refer it to the children’s lit editor (she was insulted), but they rejected the book. Dixie gave up writing novels and became a cultural anthropologist. She has since returned to her first love.