Author Interviews

Scott Crain was taught in Broward County, Florida public schools and educated in South Florida bars and stages. As a singer-songwriter, he has long been drawn to stories of the struggle, of love and pay checks that are not enough; of families that work like families should, to a point; of triumph and failure as it is lived in humid, sticky circumstances. Now, he is turning that eye to poetry. A familiar face on the South Florida music scene, Scott has been part of a number of bands. He also runs independent record label Unfiltered Southern Grit. His writing mixes humor and indignation, cold-eyed realism and hard-won optimism. He is an exciting young voice whose words thrive on the page as well as they have when coming from a microphone.

L.B. McGrimm is an American space fantasy author who lives a quiet life in Indianapolis with his wife and dogs.

Brian Martin has a long love of and fascination with medieval history. He studied history at The University of Texas at Austin with the intent to become a history professor, but life took a different course. Although he spent thirty-five years working in the software industry, Brian never lost his love of medieval history and studied it as a hobby while also enjoying medieval reenactment. Brian still lives in the Austin area and has been happily married to the love of his life, Pam, for thirty-two years. They have one son, Trevor, and a rescue dog.

I grew up in Hampshire, in the south of England. I have always loved reading and books, as my father is an avid reader and every house I grew up in had literally thousands of books! I studied German at university, which opened up German literature to me; however, like many other people, upon graduating, I had nothing more to do with my degree, although I like to keep up my language skills by reading German when I can.

Breezy Grooms is a fantasy author with a passion for mythology, dragons, and epic storytelling. She weaves tales of gods, warriors, and destiny, bringing rich worlds and unforgettable characters to life. When she’s not writing, she’s diving into folklore, dreaming up new adventures, or getting lost in a good book. She also shares her creative space with her cat Natalie, who oversees all writing sessions with regal indifference.

Nick Clement is an educator, children’s author and founder of Chi Education and Confident Healthy Active Me CIC. A former primary school teacher, he now creates movement-rich, mindful stories that help children build confidence, emotional wellbeing, and a love of active learning. Drawing on his background in sport, coaching, and child development, Nick’s books are designed to get young children moving, imagining, and feeling good about themselves. His mission is simple: To help every child feel confident, healthy and active through joyful, accessible storytelling.

I’m an independent author with a lifelong love for storytelling. Before writing books, I trained as a performer in NYC at a prominent acting academy and later worked in Disney’s entertainment department. Both experiences strengthened my passion for bringing characters, emotions, and entire worlds to life.

Not far from here, there have been sightings of a strange silhouette roaming the night using a jar of lightning bugs as a lantern. These sightings suggest that he paces back and forth and only stops when he finds a fallen animal at his feet. On this occasion, this man can be seen kneeling down and reciting a eulogy for the roadkill before beginning to pace again. There are rumors that this odd fellow is none other than Alec B. Hood, the author of this collection. However, the only firsthand account of this man’s face offers a chilling revelation; that this man has no face at all. The eyewitness describes a skull with scattered freckles instead of some skin and a smile. If this account is to be believed, this could not be Mr. Hood, and as a result, this small story is completely irrelevant.

Deborah Jennings is an environmental lawyer, retired from a global law firm. She was a partner for thirty-four years. The author is the mother of adopted twins and herself an adoptee who didn’t learn she was adopted until she was thirty-two years old. She wrote this memoir about the discovery of her adoption and ensuing international search for her origins. She grew up in very modest circumstances but discovered an illustrious biological family, including a grandfather who was a political figure and John Kennedy appointee and a grandmother who was from the Yucatan and graduated from Cambridge University. She is a former board member of Adoptions Together, now named Paths for Families, in Washington, DC.

Elizabeth Eastwood is a retired editor, developer, writer, and publisher of curriculum materials and textbooks for elementary school students. A former teacher, she produced teaching guides and authored articles and newsletters about best practices. In the early 1990s, she adopted two Peruvian children as a single woman and raised them in a suburb of San Francisco. This is her first trade book.

I am a writer, high school English teacher, and school counselor from Vancouver, Canada. My flexible career has allowed me to work in America and Europe for the last twenty years. Recently, while residing in the Netherlands, I finally found the time to complete my first young adult novel, Below the Surface, which was triggered by a real event. I am currently working on a women’s novel, a menopausal memoir delving into the remembrance of my past courage. My greatest accomplishments include raising two magnificent daughters and a clever border collie, learning enough German to marry a Swiss man, completing an Ironman, and swimming in over thirty countries…so far. I’m forever grateful to the wonderful people and stories that I have gathered along my journeys.

I’m Kayra Lilith Oz, a teen author who published my first book at the age of thirteen. Mythology and horror are my biggest inspirations, and as I approach my sixteenth birthday, I continue writing – hoping that my stories will reach and resonate with more people.

I grew up reading myths and legends so it’s no surprise that my fantasy books reflect that – my first independently published trilogy is based on the legends of King Arthur but with a twist, and I’m currently working on the final book of The Viking Saga, a Norse-inspired trilogy. My romance novels are in the same vein as Hallmark movies but are set in the UK and are inspired by my travels – I have a five-book series set in the Lake District (Romance in the Lakes) and I’m currently working on another series set in the Cotswolds (Appleford). I’ve also published two standalone novels and two Christmas novellas.

Chelsea Muzar holds her MFA in creative writing from the University of Nebraska Omaha. Her work has been published in Clarkesworld Magazine, Planet Scumm, and Kansas City Voices. When she isn’t writing, she’s enjoying time with her husband, daughter, and their toy poodle.

I am the author of six novels and a collection of short stories, all released by Nightbird Publishing. I have been writing fiction for forty-plus years, moonlighting for thirty-one of those years while working a day job as a technical writer for corporate IT companies in the Atlanta area. My first five attempts at a novel currently reside as dusty manuscripts in the deep dark confines of what I call my ‘apprenticeship trunk.’ They were absolutely dreadful and amateurish (LMAO!). They will never see the light of day, but they taught me a lot about the craft of writing commercial fiction.

Kristen Capezza is a nationally recognized leader, storyteller, and creative strategist. After more than fifteen years as a senior executive in higher education, where she led award-winning marketing and enrolment initiatives, Kristen followed her calling to write children’s books that inspire imagination, wonder, and heart. She is president and founder of Three Little Lights LLC, a company dedicated to bringing ideas to life through personalized consulting and children’s book publishing.

Selma Byrd is a romance writer with a background in fashion, criminology, and sociology. Her work blends contemporary romance with dark and gritty themes. Drawing from her academics, she crafts multifaceted and complex characters that feel real and compelling.

Nick Paskoski is an activist and writer from the Washington D.C. area. Simultaneously heartfelt and sarcastic, his debut novel, American Pride, combines a rock and roll style with thoughtful political and social explorations.

Russell Gerney is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and the Duquesne University School of Law. He has published two novels, Eighty Hours and To Sleep, Perchance to Dream. He has also had the poem Dreams of the Beach published in Scribeworth magazine.

J.L. Kirby is a pen name for sisters Jacqueline and Lauren Kirby. Jacqueline lives in New Jersey with her husband, Mike, and daughters Emma and Lorelai. She runs a marketing agency, First & Vine Marketing. Lauren lives in South Carolina with her husband, Tyler, and their cat, Meadow, DJ’s sister. Lauren teaches third grade and loves working through writing prompts with her students.