Author Interviews

Memoirist, novelist, and essayist Carolyn Dawn Flynn is the author of the memoir Boundless and seven books of nonfiction. Boundless was longlisted for the 2021 Mslexia International Memoir Prize and the 2022 First Pages Prize. Her work has been published in Fourth Genre, Under the Gum Tree, Arts and Letters, The Colorado Sun, The Tampa Review, The Whitefish Review (Montana Prize for Fiction), Albuquerque Journal, Sage Magazine, Albuquerque the Magazine, and Wilde Frauen.

Vegout Voyage is created by survey data scientist Katharina Huang. Raised in Germany, the United States, and Taiwan, Katie’s multicultural upbringing ignited a deep curiosity about the shared human experience behind diverse perspectives. Her field research in Uganda and Tibet-in-Exile further shaped her pursuit of equitable representation through analytical rigor.

My publications include numerous short stories and articles in various Russian media abroad. The novel What’s Hecuba to Him (in Russian) was published in 1991 by Boston Clio & Co Publishing House. Slavic Gospel Press, Chicago, published my Russian translations of Dan Richardson’s Eternity in Their Hearts and Francis A. Schaeffer’s How Should We Then Live?

Christine Kessides first imagined A Tail Tale when she was a student, but didn’t publish it until her first grandson arrived—who loves a good story and, coincidentally, looks like Wally. Christine is also the author of Magda, Standing, an award-winning Young Adult historical novel. She lives in Maryland with her husband and spends as much time as possible (in person and virtually) with her four children, two grandsons, and granddogs around the country.

More than just publishing a book, this journey is about showing my own children that dreams are worth pursuing. I want them to know that their mom is more than someone who packs lunches and reads bedtime stories—I’m someone who set a goal and made it happen. My hope is to inspire them, and other children, to believe that they can do anything they set their minds to.

I’m a mother of three and married to my high school sweetheart. I’ve been writing since the age of twelve. Writing has always been a healing mechanism for me, an escape from my reality. I have a book of poems published on Amazon titled Awakenings From the Dark.

By day, Robin is an academic research consultant and freelance fiction editor. She has degrees in medieval literature, historical linguistics, and political rhetoric. When not working or writing, she enjoys reading cozy mysteries, dark fantasy, and cute romances; playing video games, Magic: the Gathering, and tabletop role-playing games; and annoying/cuddling her two cats.

Karl Wegener is an American author who served as a Russian linguist in the United States Army Security Agency and with the Intelligence & Security Command during the Cold War. He also served as a combat interrogator in the United States Air Force Intelligence Service Reserve.

My first written work was in market research, in engineering and sales. I have written many papers on subjects including Taxonomy, Entomology, Plant Diseases, and Landscaping as an Advanced Master Gardener at VanDusen, Vancouver. What Really Happened to the Hat and the Gloves is my first nonfiction novella. I have written from personal experience about the impact Alzheimer’s can have on the person affected, their closest relatives, and caregivers.

After leaving a career in music (classical guitar) due to injury, David Linebarger earned a Ph.D. in English at UC Davis before becoming a Professor of Humanities at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. His publications include scholarly essays on Wallace Stevens and Modern Music, poems in over thirty journals, and two small collections of poetry: War Stories (Pudding House Publications) and Bed of Light (Finishing Line Press). A nationally ranked tennis player in his age group, his most recent book is Tennis Players as Works of Art, which features short writings on art and tennis alongside artwork from forty-five artists. His current project is a book on composers and their music.

Brian Sullivan worked in legal publishing for almost thirty-five years as an editor and writer, and is now enjoying retirement with his wife in suburban Chicago. As a father of three, he always wanted to write stories that children would enjoy, but life continually got in the way. It was only when he became a grandfather that he found the time to write a children’s book inspired by his first grandchild, Beau. Beau Wants to Know was followed by a second book, Lilah Loves Life, about his second grandchild. After being blessed with a third grandchild, Dylan, Brian was thrilled to make the book series a trilogy by writing Dylan Is Delightful.

Jastrow Hill is a retired attorney who spent thirty-four years in law enforcement and law. He has had an ongoing love affair with books since first grade. He currently buys and sells books, collects books, and writes books.

Cathy Schieffelin is an avid reader and writer. A love of nature and years of adventure and travel contribute to her daily writing life. She is a regular attendee of local writing workshops and participates in writing competitions. Her work has been published in the Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletin, Adanna Literary Journal, Halfway Down the Stairs and Microfiction Monday Magazine. The Call, published by Atmosphere Press in December 2024, is her first novel.

I help take care of the elderly. I got my associates in creative writing. I’m getting my bachelor’s in English and I’m also getting a certificate in technical writing while I’m a stay-at-home mom going to school full-time.

Martha Siede lives with her husband, Andrew, and her dog, Bronte, at the foot of the Blue Mountains in Western Sydney, Australia. Martha’s passion is to show others that anything is possible if you are determined to improve and reach your goals. Martha has a wacky sense of humour and enjoys making people laugh. In Pursuit of ‘Normal’ is the first book Martha has written.

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!