Author Interviews

Pamela lives and works in rural Cumbria. She is mother to three (fully fledged and succesful) home-educated boys, an asylum-seeking cat from the Calais Jungle, and multiple stray dogs. Her writing life began early when she won “most inventive story/essay” at primary school, which she based on a dream she’d had the night before about Martians sailing into the schoolyard to hand out grapes at lunchtime! Since then she has won several awards including Writing Magazine Winner of Winners with a ghost story set in a refugee camp. Her other works comprise of commissioned children’s fiction, short stories, general interest articles, a series of animal information pamphlets and a fair bit of blogging for a London pet store. At present she is concentrating more on personal projects and has recently had a children’s picture book accepted by independent publisher Chapeltown Books.

I am a born storyteller. At age five, I taught myself to type on my dad’s typewriter, and I’ve been creating worlds and characters since then. I also have a self-published illustrated children’s book about growing up with a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) titled I Am A Heart Warrior. Also, I collaborated on a pineapple passion project called A Pineapple Republic, for which there is a companion book and a feature-length documentary film that I narrate. Both books are available on Amazon. Born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, I now live in Honolulu. My day job is as a Mental Health Professional for the State of Hawaii’s Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation. My hobbies include needlework, Hawaiian outrigger canoe paddling, and cycling.

Morgan Liphart’s work has appeared in anthologies and journals across the US, Canada, Italy, England, and Scotland, such as Oxford University Press’ Literary Imagination, Popshot Quarterly, and The Comstock Review. Her chapbook, Barefoot and Running, was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award. When she’s not writing, she enjoys her career as an attorney and loves to adventure in the wild spaces surrounding her home near the Rocky Mountains.

I was born in India and moved to the US in the late 90s. I was an avid writer from a young age, penning exciting magical stories exploring relationships, and weaving in notes of strength, generosity, and perseverance through simplistic stories. I am a debutant children’s book author with an upcoming fiction novella in production and multiple children’s books in different languages. Being raised multiculturally, I enjoy sharing my experiences and intermingling my learnings through these stories. I have a BS in Chemistry and an MS in Bioengineering. While currently employed in the life sciences industry, my passions are writing and social work.

Ceaseless creative with a penchant for history, mystery, and magic. Has never knowingly taken herself seriously.

Johan Twiss is an award-winning author who’s passionate about writing exciting science fiction and fantasy stories that are suitable for tweens, teens, and adults alike. He has nine published works, including his award-winning novel, Four Years Trapped in My Mind Palace, and the I Am Sleepless series.

David Atkinson lives in Edinburgh with his wife, two teenage daughters, and a Labrador called Bea. He is fortunate enough to be traditionally published with Harper Collins and independently published with Collective Charm Books.

Hi there! I’m J.S. Day, an ambivert who adores romance novels and the author of Freefall, A Love Reborn. Whether I’m lost in captivating love stories or exploring the world of science fiction, I am always in for an adventure.

Javier Sarmiento Jr is an Afro-Latino writer from Harlem in New York City. He is a graduate of Buena Vista University with a degree in Digital media. He is a graduate of Guttman Community College with a degree in Liberal Arts. Sarmiento Jr won first place in the collegiate sports writing category of the Robert L. Vann Media Awards for his article “The Impact and Influence of LeBron James.” He was selected to be a part of the NABJ’s Student Multimedia Project. He produced two articles about race in the teaching and book industries.

Alex has been writing since the ripe ol’ age of 10, first cutting their teeth as a writer through fanfiction. A quarter of a century later, they have taken that love of fanfiction and branched out into doing their own thing. As a neurodivergent, nonbinary single parent whose child calls them “Mom,” Alex has been working on several novels—some nonfiction, some fiction—for years now, and wants to make their dreams of becoming a writer come true, despite their Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Alice has been published by Orion/Hachette in contemporary fiction, by Unbound (using a pen name) in speculative fiction, and by Warleigh Hall Press in historical fiction. Her novels have won Kirkus stars, “Editors Pick” on Publishers Weekly, placed in the BookLife Award and in Foreword Indies’ “Book of the Year” Award, and won innumerable other prizes.

Daniel Ford is a podcaster and author whose books have been sold in both Britain and America. He is best known for his podcasting. Ford presents a news and current events show called Paper View, now in its fifth year, which sees Ford reviewing newspaper articles and placing them in what he calls their ‘true context’ and ‘the story behind the story.’

I’m experimenting with literary fiction, thrillers, and paranormal romance—different ways of arriving at similar places. If you’re familiar with Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, he says that people who are successful at something are thought to have put in at least 10,000 hours of practice. I reckon I’m on the road to achieving those 10,000 hours.

Sally Showalter was born and raised in rural Illinois. Much of her writing lingers through the four seasons and county of Pike. She settled in Tucson, Arizona in the mid-1980s with her husband, cats, and a backyard full of various plants from seeds collected from dozens of road trips over the years. Ms. Showalter has studied at the University of Arizona in the Creative Writing Program, Pima Community College, and the Center for Creative Writing Works. Her poetry has appeared in Pudding Magazine and Festival Writer and her fiction and memoir in collections of anthologies.

Born in Nebraska and raised on a farm, I currently live in the front range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, along with my husband of fifty years and our nine-year-old dog, Rusty. I am thankful to have three children, four grandchildren and three granddogs. My children jokingly claim I love my dogs more than them. I have always been interested in a person’s story and find it helps me in navigating my own life. I am drawn to memoir writing and have been inspired to write my own. In fact, every one of us has a story to tell or write.

Rebecca Jane writes fiction, poetry, essays, and book reviews. She is also a ghostwriter. She has taught yoga and meditation. She has also taught ESL in China and in San Diego. Her work has appeared in TARKA, Literary Mama, Spirit Voyage, Earshot Jazz, The Journal of Expressive Writing, and A Year in Ink anthology. She is a literacy advocate, a musician, and a mother.

David Szczesny grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, and currently lives in Colorado with his wife and two children. He wears a lot of plaid and occasionally navigates by map and compass. David can often be found in his basement watching old movies. In the process, he has seen every film directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

I am a native originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I originally grew up surrounded by the history of Creole and Cajun culture, as well as the culinary styles of good old-fashioned southern soul cuisine. Growing up, I was raised under the influence of Christianity by my church and biological families and was always taught right from wrong. However, my Bible teachings were not the only knowledge I retained. Since a young age, I was fascinated by the idea of putting my thoughts into words and decided to ignite that passion by studying English literature.

Born and raised in Kansas City Missouri, after earning a bachelor’s degree in English, I moved to New Mexico where I taught English in a USA government boarding school for Indigenous students, primarily from the Navajo tribe. After two years, I felt called to work in Children’s Protective Services for New Mexico Health and Social Services Department. From there I moved into rehabilitative work in Addictions.

Paris Williams, a promising new author, embarked on his literary journey with the publication of his debut work, Silver. Born in Chicago, IL, in May of 1993, Paris possesses a passion for storytelling and a dedication to honing his craft. His first published book showcases his unique voice, vivid imagery, and authentic characters, captivating readers with its heartfelt narrative.