Author Interviews

Christopher Hawkins is the Booklife Prize and IndieReader Discovery Award-winning author of Downpour and the short story collection Suburban Monsters. His work has appeared in numerous anthologies and podcasts, including Cosmic Horror Monthly, Shortwave Magazine, and Tales to Terrify. He is currently the co-chair of the Chicagoland chapter of the Horror Writers Association. He lives in the western suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two sons. His new novel, I Contain Multitudes, was released in April 2025.

While the book will reflect my understanding of good and evil and my general fatalism, it’s meant as a fun, escpaist read for people who find fart jokes and the end of the world cathartic. Save it for a treat after you finish something edifying, like Evan O’Connell’s Mrs. Bridge or Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge.

What fascinates Chris most are the machinations of modern-day human frailty, and his debut adult novel is underpinned by significant research into the condition of covert narcissism. Although the book is pure fiction, a key motivator for writing it was the prospect of helping anyone in a current or past traumatic relationship where psychological abuse and control are, or were, all too real. In those situations, “why” is perhaps the one question that remains unexplained.

Brandon Lennon is a 23-year-old novelist raised in Dublin, based in London. He started writing novels at the age of fourteen out of an intrinsic need to express himself through storytelling in all things. Most recently, he has been working on his MA degree from London while wrapping up his manuscript, June Gloom, his strongest vision to date. Lennon’s influences range from cyberpunk to literary fiction, from prestige television to experimental horror flicks, and from classic rock to new-age witch-house. His writing is fuelled by the many weird and wonderful realms of art that he has embedded himself in across his life, and he promises this unique synthesis in his story.

Barbara Hoffbeck Scoblic (born July 1939 in Ortonville, Minnesota) is an American writer. In 1964, she began her writing career as a reporter for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader (a national award-winning newspaper). In 1965, as a Peace Corps Volunteer, she traveled to Thailand, where she taught English as a second language.

During his travels as an internationally recognized photojournalist, Charlton saw many incredible sights. He explored the natural habitat of the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, was the podium for a Barbary Ape on the Rock of Gibraltar, and even kissed a kangaroo in Australia. Maybe he was just monkeying around, or maybe these were wild experiences that will stay with him forever.

I’m a storyteller, maker, and believer in the quiet power of words. I write books that help people, especially kids, grow in self-awareness, emotional strength, and faith. Whether crafting a whimsical children’s tale or a reflective Christian journal, I aim to create something meaningful that whispers truth in a noisy world.

Amy Safford’s articles and essays have appeared in Soul Magazine, Mythology Journal, Mind Prose, Write a Catalyst, and other publications. Goode Vibrations of the Wresting Place is her debut novel. She taught English composition at the University of New England and was a contributing writer to Coastal Fish of Southern Maine and New Hampshire, published by Wells Reserve & Laudholm Trust. Her alma maters include Boston University’s College of Communication and University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast MFA program. She is the former executive director of the Maine Psychological Association and lives in Southern Maine.

It’s a surreal feeling to hold your own book in your hands for the first time. To see the result of your dream in the form of your own book cover is absolutely wonderful; I hope that every aspiring author gets to have that experience!

Phill Webster is a writer, actor, and spiritual teacher. He has appeared in movies alongside Sylvester Stallone, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Elle Fanning to name a few. Letting Glow and Glowing Deeper are the first two instalments of the Letting Glow Trilogy. He lives in Richmond, UK.

Born in Brussels, Belgium, Natacha Pavlov is a multicultural Christian author of German, Russian, and Christian Palestinian heritage. Her latest novel Jayida, set in sixth-century pre-Islamic Arabia, has been called “a magnum opus of historical fiction.” She also authored the historical novel The Well-Loved Demon on the eighteenth-century French King Louis XV; the short story collection Our Lives Are Fairy Tales; the novella Nicola’s Leg, about her Russian family’s relocation to Jerusalem in light of the Russian Revolution; and the short story collection Twisted Reflections. She is currently at work on more historical fiction of various genres and lengths.

D.G. Torrens, a celebrated UK & USA international bestselling Author has an impressive literary portfolio. With twenty-five published books to date, she continues to captivate readers across genres. Currently, she is crafting her twenty-sixth book, titled THREE FOR A GIRL, a gripping survivor series novel set for release in October 2025.

James Honaker is a writer, a small independent game developer, and a peddler of bespoke cardboard. He presently lives in North Carolina with three cats and a parakeet, and he hopes to use book sales to fund the purchase of top-shelf kibble for his felines.

Kevin Rowlett is an American author, teacher, and musician. He holds a Bachelor’s of Music from Northern Illinois University, but has always loved the written word. Prior to publishing his first book, Kevin wrote stand-alone short stories centered around science fiction for a small audience. His first major novel, Travel, is the result of many years of hard work, imagination, and research into the northern Illinois area. He lives in Wonder Lake, IL, with his wife, two dogs and two cats. Kevin would like to thank his wife, Nikki, for pushing him to follow his dreams.

Christian Gilman Whitney was born and raised in Western Massachusetts. He received his MFA from Bennington College, and his short fiction has appeared in several literary journals. I Have Never Felt Alive is his first novel.

Ducksoo Yi studied English literature as a Graduate Member at Darwin College, Cambridge, for a year in 1981 and earned his Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Yeungnam University in August 1984. Further, Ducksoo Yi served as Professor at Yeungnam University from 1978 to 2005 and Emeritus Professor from 2005 to present.

Russ Gerney is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and the Duquesne University School of Law. He is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and Ohio as well as multiple Federal courts including the Supreme Court of the United States.

Although Riassat had written poetry and short stories from a very early age, it was not until the age of twenty-seven that he decided to dedicate his life to writing at a professional level and, later on, to writing fantasy novels with rich characterization, profound philosophical insight, crisp pacing, and a rather unorthodox and most unique plot structure and progression.

Mohammed Salihu is a poet whose work explores themes of migration, identity, spirituality, and healing. His poetry is shaped by his personal experiences and cultural heritage, blending raw emotion with spiritual depth. Mohammed is inspired by the power of language to evoke empathy and foster healing. Voices from the Soil: Wounds and Wisdom is his debut collection, which reflects his journey through grief, faith, and the search for belonging.

A retired English teacher living now in Florida, Randy is a dinosaur, born during WWII, raised in west central Indiana in the times before computers and electric cars. In fact, his earliest homes had no electricity or running water, no telephone, no central heating or air conditioning. Those were not the good old days, but those are the times Randy prefers to write about. His first book, Growing Up with Grandpa John’s Son, is a 663-page autobiographical tome being used primarily as a doorstop by the few lucky souls who have read it—or read at it. Shoal Bend is a bit shorter, but also autobiographical in that many of the characters are family members.