Author Interviews

Florida-based, Slovak-born author and creator Christiaan A. Lecky is the designer of the CHALstories platform, an ever-growing collection of literary works of varied genres spreading across three primary timelines. A mixed background of interests in business, history, and enjoyment of technology and culture provides the reader with a unique worldbuilding, writing, and execution. Christiaan hopes to pull from his backlog of ideas the right one for his next writing campaign and is already working on the sequel for Gasoline Cowboys.

Kira Metzger is a mother of four and a wife. Her writing has always been a passion of hers. With her imagination and creativity, she can draw her readers in and leave them hanging.

Margaret Mandell’s life story is one of adaptation. Earning her BA and MA in History at the University of Pennsylvania, she has been a doctoral candidate and college teacher, mother of two, entrepreneur, independent school admissions director, triathlete, and certified yoga instructor. When her husband of many years passed away, she became a widow, a woman still in the midst of becoming. Her debut memoir And Always One More Time was released by Atmosphere Press in print and audiobook, narrated by the author, in early spring 2024.

I am a dental professional by trade, but my true passion lies in storytelling. I was born and raised in Amman, Jordan, and currently reside in Long Island, New York, with my husband and our dog, Domino. My debut novel, Dance Around the Dandelion, marks the beginning of my career as a published author.

An RN for nearly twenty years, mostly in the ICU, David Kyrie was also a captain in the US Army Nurse Corp with seven years of experience, and is also fully credentialed Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP).

I am a North Carolina native living in the Blue Ridge mountains. I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in English with honors in creative writing and then pursued a career as a professional journalist for over twenty years, working in print and television journalism. My lifelong interest in archaeology led me to change careers and earn a second degree in anthropology in 1998 followed by a master’s degree in medieval archaeology from the University of York in York, England.

I am eighty-two and experiencing the most fulfilling and joyful time of my life. I live in gratitude for a life always full of blessings despite the speed bumps that come with living in a complex world. I have been blessed with two amazing daughters, four wonderful grandchildren, and a husband who was always supportive, caring, and challenging. I am loved.

Partelow is an actress and director who has appeared in multiple theatrical productions, readings and films over the years. She has developed a play entitled NEIGHBORS! on the impact of racism in our community and society. It was written in collaboration with other writers of diverse backgrounds. It is available to be used by schools, churches and any other organizations wanting to stimulate discussion on this very difficult topic.

Melissa Clark Bacon was raised and stayed in Little Rock, Arkansas. She writes stories and makes photographs using historic and alternative printing processes. Her short story, The Handkerchief, where her character Millie first appears, won Best in Show Adult Fiction Short Story at the Grand Prairie Festival of the Arts. Her current creative work focuses on revealing unnoticed women from the past through captivating stories and photographs that aspire to elevate their contributions and offer them up as role models to women today. Through Her Lens is her debut novel.

Claudio A. Téllez–Soto is of Chilean origin, with a master’s degree in philosophy with a mention in chemistry, from the University of Chile. Téllez is the author of Hurtado, hombre de Dios (Ed. ZigZag–Santiago de Chile–2005), Los Enigmas de Shavi (Ed. ZigZag–2009), Vinho Velho (Ed. Horus. Portugal–2022), A música das moléculas (Ed. Horus, Portugal–2022), Thol, a história de um golfinho (Ed. Biblioteca 24 horas. Brazil–2011), and Manhazinha (Ed. Biblioteca 24 horas. Brazil–2011). He is also the author of the following works: Don Alonso, caballero de amor y Guerra, Tango em Vietnã, Natxis y Gobe no mundo do átomo, The mystery of the snow crystals, and Pevenerete.

I must mention my co-author, Kristi Shalla. Writing a book aimed at English-speaking readers was an intimidating task for someone like me, whose native language is not English. Kristi, who has a deep affection for Korea, particularly the city of Seoul, was the one who first suggested we write this book together. Accepting her proposal has been one of the best decisions of my life.

Thomas Penn Johnson was born on August 22nd, 1943, in Greensboro, North Carolina, where in 1961 he graduated from James B. Dudley High School and in 1968 he received an MA in English from UNC-G. In 1966 he received a BA in Classical Studies from then-Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He also pursued graduate studies in English literature and history at Syracuse and Wake Forest Universities. From 1974 to 1981 he resided in Valparaiso, Indiana. In 1992 he published a collection of poems entitled If Rainbows Promise Not in Vain. In 2009 he retired from then-Edison State College in Fort Myers, Florida after serving for twenty-six years as an instructor of English and humanities. In retirement, he has published a few poems and a dozen short stories in various literary journals.

I have enjoyed appearing on all the late-night TV shows and dazzling the hosts and audiences with my brilliance and my witty extemporaneous repartee, and savor waiting expectantly for the early morning telephone call congratulating me on the Nobel Prize for literature.

I’m a novelist, translator, and translation scholar, not necessarily in that order. I have taught, lived, and written in the US, Finland, Russia, Spain, Hong Kong, and Mainland China, where I currently spend seven to eight months out of every year. Insecticide is my third published novel; the second was also an Atmosphere Press book, a “pseudotranslation” of J. I. Vatanen’s “memoir,” The Last Days of Maiju Lassila (2022). My first novel was written in English but first published in Finnish: Pentinpeijaiset, which plays on Finnegans Wake (“Pentti’s Wake”).

Lenore serves as the Associate Creative Nonfiction (CNF) Editor for the Mud Season Review. Her environmental novel Pulp into Paper was published on Earth Day by Atmosphere Press. Around the same time, she gave birth to her newest poetry collection, Video Game Pointers, from WordTech Communications. Lenore earned an MFA degree in fiction from San Francisco State University and lives in Oakland, California.

In the topside world, I teach academic writing at a community college in Honolulu, Hawaii. In the river that flows beneath, I am a writer, collage artist, and photographer.

Lucineh is the proud author of Lost Souls, published earlier this year. She is of British and French nationality and of Armenian descent. Lucineh has been an educator for nearly fifteen years and holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree. Lucineh is passionate about music, literature and languages and fiercely believes in the power of writing. When putting pen to paper, Lucineh loves to fully embody her characters’ thoughts and feelings, giving them the authenticity that each one deserves. Through her writing and creativity, Lucineh hopes to inspire both readers and aspiring writers!

Ricardo Moran’s writing has been published or is forthcoming in Beatific Magazine, Cider Press Review, Midwest Quarterly, Perceptions Magazine, East Jasmine Review, The Seattle Star, and Willa Cather Review. Ricardo is a member of the Nebraska Writers Guild;serves on the board of San Diego Writers Ink;and works as a content writer. He currently lives in Albania, enjoys traveling, and learning how to say “good morning” in as many languages as possible.

Kathryn Jeanne can usually be found somewhere by the beach. Whether she’s walking her dog, reading a book, or working on her next novel, she loves to be by the water. That is why she resides in sunny Santa Monica, California. Writing a novel was not in her original plans, but having read countless summer romance books she decided it was time to create her own. The more she wrote, the more she fell in love with the process and A Summer in Nixie came to life. Kathryn Jeanne doesn’t plan on stopping with just one book. She is already in the process of her second with more ideas on the way.

Kim Berkley is a fantasy author, narrative designer, and freelance writer with a talent for productive procrastination and a fondness for cats.