Author Interviews

I am an independently published author, rural advocate, and outdoor guide with a passion for storytelling that connects people to the natural world. Over the years, I have written numerous books, essays, and articles that explore themes of outdoor adventure, rural life, and the profound connections we share with our natural surroundings. My work has appeared in publications such as Backwoods Home Magazine, Countryside, Speckled Paw Times, and North Carolina Outdoors, and I have been honored with multiple awards for my fiction.

I’m a Los Angeles native, born and raised, and a graduate of the UCLA English Department (many, many years ago). I wound up with a concentration in military and espionage fiction because, given a choice, I always picked the electives that let me read authors like Tim O’Brien or Ian Fleming. Of course, I lived in Hollywood at the time, so right out of school, I got into the WGA and went to work screenwriting but found that I hated writing for sponsors and markets instead of telling the great (messy, raw, ugly) story, so I went to the technical side and have worked in film production technology ever since!

Young, traditional Catholic, prolific author, editor, graphic designer, photographer, and crocheter living in the United States. I have been writing since I knew how to form the letters (I am now twenty years old). The Trooper Series is my debut, written (with several other works) before graduating high school. I also describe myself as the Architect Author, as my writing method is rather revolutionary compared to the traditional method of drafts and reading.

I have been writing my entire life in one way or another – poems or little short stories in my journal, or thousands of story ideas scattered on scraps of paper through my life – but I’ve always been too afraid to take it seriously. Mostly, because I was afraid that doing something that had always meant so much to me would mean suddenly it wouldn’t mean as much. I know that doesn’t make much sense, but there it is. I was also afraid that if someone didn’t like my writing – something that genuinely feels like a piece of my soul on paper – that it would crush a sacred part of me and I’d never felt brave enough to allow that to happen.

I have been writing for as long as I can remember – stories, poems, and essays that trace the inner and outer landscapes of my life. A multi-migrant, I began moving across the globe at age eleven and have continued this journey through many homes in Poland, Germany, and now Miami, Florida. These experiences have shaped my distinctly multicultural perspective. One is rooted in the lived moments of this journey.

M. LaRose wrote her first story while in first grade: a thriller titled The Peach-Fuzz Monsters. Unfortunately, that story was lost to the sands of time when her parents failed to preserve the manuscript. Today, M. LaRose writes paranormal romance inspired by human passion and the mysteries of nature. Kirkus Reviews called her debut novel, The Flower Eater, a “delightfully entertaining story of how one woman’s effort to destroy helps her learn how to save.” Her second novel, Lost in the Hall of the Mountain King, was a quarterfinalist in the Screencraft 2019 Cinematic Book Competition. M. LaRose lives with her husband in the green mountains of Vermont.

J.L. Askew is an award-winning author and a lifelong bibliophile. With a psychology degree from the University of Memphis, he had careers in social work and the medical industry.

Amy J. Smith currently lives and works in Surrey as a primary school teacher. The Magic Emporium is Amy’s debut novel.

J.L. Toussaint, aka Jen, is an author living in the state of Vermont with a passion for writing, music, tarot, astrology, and graphic design. She fell in love with fantasy, romance, and general badassery quite young, thanks to the films Star Wars, The Princess Bride, Willow, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Dark Crystal, Aliens, and Legend. Those stories came to life on the ‘big screen,’ giving her all the feels and inspiration to create her own stories ‘her way.’ These new tales – mostly of romance, action, and adventure involving her as the main character – lived rent-free in her mind for years. Some made sense, some not so much, but rather than keep them all to herself, she decided she wanted to share them. So she put pen to paper – or rather, fingers to keyboard. That’s when the writing bug hit her like a sack of bricks.

Rachel Meisner holds a Master of Arts in History, a Master of Arts in Education specializing in Curriculum and Instruction, and an Ed.S. specializing in Learning, Instruction, and Innovation. She has taught college-level history since 2019, and specializes in twentieth-century world history, Vietnamese history (specifically the development of Vietnamese communism), women in world history, modern American history, and Colorado history.

M. Almelk is the author of The Fallen Kind trilogy, a post-apocalyptic saga blending sci-fi, fantasy, and human drama. His work draws inspiration from mysterious, layered shows like Lost and The Leftovers, as well as the atmosphere and energy of rock music — from stadium anthems to the haunting weight of metal.

Stevie Dustmore is the pen name of UK-based cleaner-turned-author Claire Jones. After years on the frontline of grime, she decided it was time to tell the stories hiding behind the spray bottles — the messy, hilarious, and unexpectedly human side of cleaning that most people never see.

Tristan Zelden is a former journalist who now focuses his time on book writing and editing. He made his debut with the urban fantasy novel The Huntress and the Trickster and is about to release his first horror novel, Unfold. This will mark the beginning of exclusively writing horror for the foreseeable future, as he sees it as the ultimate art form through which to tell stories and discuss deeper themes about humanity and society. He lives in California. When he isn’t writing, he can be found getting tattoos, watching TV and movies, or playing Dungeons and Dragons with his friends.

Ada Nwadigo is a multi-award-winning civil engineer, entrepreneur, and author dedicated to advancing innovation, inclusion, and leadership within the engineering and technology sectors. She is the president and CEO of Jona Infrastructure, an independent organisation supporting African countries in planning, delivering, and managing sustainable and resilient infrastructure aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Graham Daydy is a UK-based writer and creative with a lifelong love of science fiction and storytelling. By day, he leads copywriting for some of the biggest names in gaming and entertainment, and by night, he builds universes of his own.

Andrea Casanova is a Hispanic author from South Texas. Her love for writing came after her third-grade teacher, Ms. Bolado, assigned a creative writing paper for Halloween. One page was all it took for her to become obsessed with storytelling. Years were spent filling in composition books and carrying around USB drives so she could write on any computer she could get her hands on.

Kate Campo is originally from New England. An only child, she grew up reading voraciously – creeping around her neighborhood like Harriet the Spy, or curling up to read Little House on the Prairie when it snowed, imagining that she was living in a log cabin. After college and a gap year, she began medical school, deciding to pursue primary care and ultimately practice near her hometown.

Kassidy Coursey has lived with fantastical stories in her imagination for as long as she can remember. Her dark fantasy books speak to her greatest loves: redeemable anti-heroes, sweeping character arcs, and unbridled love that crushes souls (but deliciously). She otherwise thrives on terrible jokes, harmless pranks, caramel macchiatos, and being right.

Calial McCarty is an AuDHD writer, parent, advocate, and private practice clinician. She is a LMHC in Washington state and holds a board certification as an Autism Specialist through IBCCES. This is her first publication, as she brings a first-of-its-kind resource to the community.

Hope Redgrave is a twenty-two-year-old university student who initially developed her love of writing through fanfiction at age seventeen. Stress from studies suppressed that flame briefly, but she reclaimed it in her university life. Writing was her go-to refuge – her means of world-building outside lecture theaters and deadline projects.