Search Results for: Sean Hall

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is Michael, and I’ve spent my whole life being that kid who stubbornly refused to color within the lines.

Growing up in the remote countryside of Northern California’s Sierra Nevada foothills, I spent my childhood looking for bugs and lizards and snakes. Mom hated snakes, which only increased their forbidden allure.

I also daydreamed. A lot.

Normal life was boring. I wanted to escape to exotic parts of the world and see strange animals and ancient ruins.

Then I discovered sci-fi and fantasy, and once I went down that rabbit-hole there was no going back!

Now I live in Oregon with my beautiful fiancée and our puppy Oswald. In addition to writing, my hobbies include fitness, folk metal music, cooking, and game nights with friends.

How many books have I written? At the moment, three, including Book 2 of The Rosteval Saga—and I’m releasing that one in February.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Well, my latest book is Book 2 of The Rosteval Saga, The Spiral of My Destiny, first sequel to The Altar of My Fate. You heard it here first!

When I came to the end of Altar, I knew I had to do something fun and different for Book 2.

If you read Altar, it’s a bit of a *darker* version of a heroic fantasy story. I mean, sure, you have the hero’s journey… but the “hero” is an amoral barbarian seeking power, status, and of course slave-girls (it’s a bit of a theme, you might say). I say “darker,” but from my perspective it’s a more accurate portrayal of heroism and adventurism in a warrior culture.

So, with Spiral I decided to take on the fantasy trope of the “dark lord” figure and try to put my own spin on it. I wanted to give Rosteval and Ghaitta a foe who would challenge the legitimacy of their whole arc in Altar, who would challenge a lot of the things that most people in their world seem to take for granted.

I’m really excited about how it turned out, and after implementing some feedback from my fiancée, who reads and critiques all of my work before it sees the light of day, I’ll look forward to releasing it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Oh my goodness, yes.

For one thing, I *cannot* write unless I have completed my daily workout and had breakfast. I run three days a week, and on days that I don’t run, I have to take a walk before my mind is at all fit for writing.

The other thing is the music. Despite being a folk metal music fanatic, I listen to progressive house and drum and bass while I write. It keeps me cognitively engaged without distracting me too much.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a tremendous fan of Brandon Sanderson, Jim Butcher, and R. Scott Bakker (The Prince of Nothing series is one of the finest things in print).

Recently I added two more amazing authors to my list of holy canon: Jeff Long, author of “The Descent,” and Scott Hawkins, author of “The Library at Mount Char.” I really can’t believe my luck: I read those last two books back-to-back, and they’re both absolutely god-tier.

What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on two projects. The first is Book 2 of The Rosteval Saga, “The Spiral of My Destiny,” and the second is book 1 of a new series, an urban fantasy about fighting vampires in Oregon in the future.

I think I actually do better when I’m working on two projects at the same time. Also, once I really get going on a project I can write 6,000+ words of fiction in a day, and I find writing at a faster pace is actually helpful to my state of mind.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m a newbie author, so I don’t have much of a base of experience to draw on here. Let me get back to you on that in a year! 😉

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes! What works best for me is to embrace the struggle of writing and make myself do it, even on days I don’t feel like it—in short, I treat it like my fitness practice.

I work out six days a week, and that includes different combinations of calisthenics, weight-lifting, and running. When you get into fitness your body will rebel at first, but over time it actually becomes easier to do your workouts rather than noping out.

It’s the same way with writing. Make a time to write—preferably when you’re fresh enough and your mind isn’t worn down by the day—and stick it out no matter what. Remember, the magic always comes back.

The other thing is to study the craft of writing. Read “Fiction Unboxed” by Johnny Truant and Sean M. Platt, and “The Fiction Formula” by the same authors. Writing is a craft, just like sculpting, pottery, basket-weaving, etc., and you can get better if you learn from others who have mastered it.

It’s also important to read other people’s stories, and pay attention to what works and what doesn’t work. Read outside your genre. I write fantasy, but I’m not afraid to pick up the occasional thriller—or even a steamy romance novel.

Finally, I think most writers will probably benefit from an interest in at least one non-fiction topic. I’ll put in a good word for history, but maybe you prefer chemistry, or criminology, or (fill in the blank). It’s good to learn more about the world and expand our minds, and it can help us write better stories.

Most importantly, keep writing!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
In the writing context, the best advice I have ever heard is to write a series of story beats—bullet points, basically—and then improvise as you write the scenes. My experience is that it really does make for faster and better writing.

Now, in an overall life context, the *very* best advice I’ve ever heard is: “Take responsibility for your life, even the things that aren’t your fault.” I can honestly say that this philosophy is how I saved myself from years of mental illness and failure and built the amazing life I have today.

What are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading “Deeper,” the sequel to “The Descent” by Jeff Long. If you like gripping, intelligent science fiction and fantasy (it really does blend the two) with adventure, spookiness, and a fair bit of wonder, this may be the perfect book for you.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, I’m releasing book 2 of the Rosteval Saga, “The Spiral of My Destiny,” in the first half of February. Now, obviously I’m biased, but personally I feel it has a lot of what I really loved about Altar, as well as some really interesting new developments.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I don’t think it gets better than The Prince of Nothing series by R. Scott Bakker… and yes, The Descent series by Jeff Long.

Author Websites and Profiles
Michael Schultheiss Website
Michael Schultheiss Amazon Profile

Michael Schultheiss’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve always been writing. As a teenager, I wrote bad poetry and short stories. Thankfully, things have improved since those days. I’m Aussie and live in the Far North of New Zealand (Kiwi parents!). I live on a large property with horses and my three zany dogs.

I’ve written three books: a full-length gothic fiction novel; a historical novella; and a poetry collection.

By day, I write for the World History Encyclopedia (great resource for teachers and students). In between writing historical articles, I write my novels and poems.

My three dogs are – one grand old diva English Pointer named Zsa Zsa, and two young crazy smooth fox terriers, Ziggy and Zoe. You can see I have a thing for names starting with Z.

I’m currently learning Scottish Gaelic – fell in love with the language when I heard it spoken in a film starring Channing Tatum.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Ashgrove Park is my latest book and is book #1 in a series called “A Jack & Bea Mystery”. It was inspired by a few things – my love for gothic fiction, my fascination with spirit photography, and my historical curiosity about WWI and shell shock.

Spirit photography was immensely popular after WWI – due to the millions of deaths from war and the Spanish flu immediately afterward. We look on those photos now with disembodied faces floating behind the person posing, and we laugh, but back then, it was a way of coping with grief. Unfortunately, there were a lot of fraudulent photographers.

My main character, Lieutenant Jack Collingwood, returns from WWI with shell shock. He recuperates at Ashgrove Park – a stately home in East Sussex – only to find a dark presence stalks the halls. Or does it? Is it all a figment of Jack’s shell-shocked mind.

Jack meets Madame de Clermont, an American spiritualist who is on tour in England, and she asks him to be her spirit photographer during a séance. Who or what can be seen in those spirit photos?

Meanwhile, a series of unexplained deaths happen at Ashgrove Park and Jack realizes that he must solve them before the love of his life, Lady Beatrice Ashgrove, is threatened.

Ziggy (my smooth fox terrier) is a character in Ashgrove Park.

I would describe Ashgrove Park as part paranormal romance, part historical fiction, part gothic fiction, and part ghost fiction. A mash-up!

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not sure it’s unusual but I plan out a book using colored Post-it notes. I stick them on a large sheet of paper and move them around until I understand the plot points, character arc and so on. There might only be a few words on a Post-it or a question, but it helps me to ‘visualize’ the book’s structure and the connections between the characters.

I could do this on software like Scrivener but prefer the old-fashioned way because it really makes me think as I move around the notes.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Growing up, it was all Wilbur Smith. I’m still a great fan. I love sweeping generational sagas. James A. Michener was also a favorite author. I tend to read authors from the 1920s to the 1950s – Daphne du Maurier and Lawrence Durrell for example.

What are you working on now?
I am working on novel #2 in the ‘Jack & Bea Mystery Series’. It is called ‘On Jacaranda Street’, and is set in my hometown of Sydney, Australia in the early 1920s. It will involve the main characters from Ashgrove Park, a sensational homicide in Hyde Park, a creepy mansion, and a shady art dealer. All set against the beauty of Sydney Harbor.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I like Twitter and Instagram but try not to tire people with endless promo posts. I do maybe two or three a week. I have a website with a blog, which has proven to be popular.

I’m not keen on throwing money down the toilet when it comes to ads, and I don’t give away freebies (because I work hard on my books and am not going to give my work away). So I concentrate more on writing an entertaining tale, and do the odd promotion. Goodreads is also a good website.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Learn the craft. There are things to know about writing, so learn them. Hire an editor – they are worth their weight in gold. Write because you have a story to tell and don’t worry about becoming the next bestseller. Read as much as you can – in the genre you like but other genres too. Look at how the authors handle dialogue, backstory, character arc and so on.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t get caught up in your ego. You may be a good writer, but be humble about it.

What are you reading now?
White Fox by Sara Faring. As Macmillan describe it:

A remote family estate. A missing movie star mother. A lost film script that is part fairytale, Part clue to everything. “A ghost story that will spook even the most hardened grown-ups.”

What’s next for you as a writer?
Try to write a little faster! I have at least six novels in the head, and a couple of poetry collections. After “On Jacaranda Street’, it’s onto book #3 in the “A Jack & Bea Mystery” series. That novel is called Moon Silver Hill and is set is Salem, Massachusetts. Plenty of witchy, ghostly things will happen!

What is your favorite book of all time?
So hard….but – My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier. I’ve read it countless times because du Maurier was a superb writer. I’ve read all her books. I love the how she uses an unreliable narrator in My Cousin Rachel to explore issues of jealousy and love. And no one does characterization better than du Maurier in my view.

Can I have an equal favorite book? If so, it’s The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell.

Author Websites and Profiles
K.V. Martins Website
K.V. Martins Amazon Profile

K.V. Martins’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I lived, worked, and traveled all over the world. From the green mountains of Oregon to the white sand of the Caribbean to cobbled streets of Paris. From this depth of experience, I’ve developed a unique talent of twisting historical and geographical facts into the lore for fictional worlds.

I have a background in the entertainment, hospitality, construction, and finance industries. Using her experience with various aspects of human psychology I am able to develop many diverse characters, rich in depth and motivation. With a bit of cursing on the side, wink.

This has all blended into my ability to create believable Urban Fantasy worlds laced with magic, or Space Opera taken to a new level of science fiction.

I’m semi-retired and live with my husband and two children on a beach somewhere in The Republic of Panama

I’ve published eight books to date with three more on the way for this year.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest book, due for release in October 2020, is Fates. Fates are the fourth book in the Killing Gods series. I have always enjoyed mythology in any form; the fates fascinated me the most. The idea of our lives being predetermined both comforted and terrified me.
This book explores not just fate, but what if you were one of them?

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I dictate most of my books for the first draft and type to edit before sending them off to the editor.
I love YouTube! I watch anything and everything on YouTube. It is my tinfoil hat goto.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
It is a close toss up between Anne McCaffery and Frank Herbert. I love pern as much as dune. Two planets with very different stories both fighting technology and mysticism.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on Underworld, book five in the Killing Gods series.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Instagram, I get the visual art of it and love the rich pictures used to tell life stories.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write every day, you cant edit a blank page. Write even if its only a list for the grocery store.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Fail fast! It takes 10,000 hours to master anything, and you will fail in those 10,000 hours, a lot. So fail fast, get those hours under your belt and on to your success.

What are you reading now?
I read a book every few days, I’m a fast reader. Night and Silence by Seanan McGuire.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I have about 25 differnet story ideas in my files, not sure at this moment. I do have a total of 22 books planed for Killing Gods, and a few more for These Hallowed Hills before moving on to Techno Witch.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I dont have one. Dune, Dragons Dawn, Pride and Prejudice.

Author Websites and Profiles
S. L. Mason Website
S. L. Mason Amazon Profile

S. L. Mason’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve authored four books and two screenplays (which my novels came from). Every book I wrote was on the suggestion of another. My two novels were first screenplays and are about Scottish immigrants. The latest novel City of Redemption was written upon the request of a Scottish actress I met while in Los Angeles doing a play based on my first novel, The Skye in June. I am a Scottish immigrant who came to live in San Francisco with my 6 siblings and parents, of course. I have to say life has given me quite a ride. In 1970 after a near fatal accident I had a near death experience which opened up a path for a career I never even thought of; psychic abilities which my non-fictions are based on. Happily, I had a long successful career as a psychic reader and medium. I love animals and have had dogs and cats and a beautiful horse that lived to 28 years. The ocean is a place I find great peace and joy so I live blocks from it. Yes, life has many interests to pursue. I’m not done yet.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
How to Talk With Spirits: Seances, Mediums, Ghost Hunts. I truly had no intention of writing this non-fiction. A long time client PM’d me saying he had a visit from his angel that they wanted me to write a book on (the title) this. Several times I responded back to his several messages, NO! Then I gave in thinking so many books on this I’ll make a quick ebook. Long story longer, paperback and now an audio book because it’s turned out to be so popular. I’m amazed. His angels won. My client/friend has since passed away but I dedicated the book to him.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if it’s unusual but my novels were written with the sound of music of the era the stories took place. I got up and danced while to stimulate the muse within – seeing and hearing scenes and characters.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So very hard to say since I read all the time, plus listen to audio books. But, I am a big fan of Micheal Connelly with his straightforward stories and dialogues.

What are you working on now?
Well, honestly my life is busy with – so much! My commitment to a metaphysical learning group, selling books with radio interviews and public speaking, teaching ESP that completing my sequel to The Skye in June is taking forever! I get requests all the time to hurry up. Readers love the story. So, that’s a project I must complete in 2020.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’d like to think my website, www.juneahern.com so people can get to know me, as an author and person better. The most sales have always been at my book events/book read parties. Once potential readers get a chance to talk with me, share their ideas and stories while I also share mine, they just seem so happy and books sell! Other than that, Amazon has done me right, but I also offer my eBooks on Smashwords.com just to keep sources well rounded.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Listen to other authors, how they did it, what challenges they had. One of the hardest lessons for me, and often still is, tooting your own horn. Find a way to share your books that you are comfortable doing. I usually sneak in to the conversation a bit about one of my books and let the other person ask more. People are interested in writers.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
People sell books, books don’t sell books. Meaning don’t wait around for your book on a shelf or on a book site to just sell. Get out there, carrying some with you. I once heard successful author Sue Grafton on a radio interview say, you can edit your own book, you know what you want to say and how. Trust yourself. I do hire editors, but I get what she means. Write to please your artist within, write for the joy of it, what you’re connected to. Readers will somehow know if you’re “feeling” your words.

What are you reading now?
I’m enjoying my library of Agatha Christy in this shelter-at-home place of life. I have an extensive library of many books, fiction and non-fiction. Most my non-fiction are on metaphysical and spiritual subjects, which I read in bits and pieces. Presently, I’m continuing to study The Tarot Major Arcana and the Kabbalah.

What’s next for you as a writer?
As said above, completing the sequel to The Skye in June my most popular and well reviewed novel.

What is your favorite book of all time?
Oh my – loved so many – but always when asked this what comes to mind is Aztec by Gary Jennings. Fascinating history and characters. I’ve read it a couple of times and just as pleased as the first time.

Author Websites and Profiles
June Ahern Website

June Ahern’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m the author of “The Magnetic Advantage”, which is my first book. It is designed to help business leaders improve profits through great people management.

After 20 years working for a successful pharmaceutical startup turned multi-million dollar company I became a Ziglar Legacy Certified speaker and trainer. Combining Ziglar principles with my own corporate experience and research, I’m now focused on helping entrepreneurs, small business owners, and struggling organizational leaders realize their full potential.

I’m a wife, mom, and business owner, and love the craziness of it all! I live in Birmingham, Alabama with my husband Mike. We have a blended family with six kids: Cori, Stephen, Kristin, Madeline, Jacob, and Sean. I love animals, especially my dog, Bryant.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
We live in a time where the economy is booming and unemployment is at record lows. For many business leaders, their single greatest challenge is recruiting and retaining talent. I wrote “The Magnetic Advantage” to help business leaders attract top talent, retain employees, and engage their workforce.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My most unusual habit is that my dog generally sits with me while I write. Not on the floor, but in my lap. When that gets uncomfortable, I place him on a blanket on my desk. He’s not happy if he is not right there with me! Plus, he is calming and gives me company during the long hours of writing.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a Zig Ziglar speaker, so I have to say that he is the most influential author for me. In second place, is Jim Collins, author of “Built to Last” and “Good to Great”.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on spreading the word about “The Magnet Advantage”. I would like to produce training and resources around the book as well. No plans for a second book at this time.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The place where I’m having the most fun promoting my book is Goodreads. I love connecting with others who love books.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Expect this to be a long process. We live in a world where everything is instant, and book production and promotion is a slower process.

I recommend that you start developing followers on social media and email while you are writing your book. This will make the marketing process easier and more successful for you. Marketing is 50% of the success of the book.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Zig Ziglar wrote that you can have everything that you want if you’ll just help enough people get what they want. I find that this is so true. When I give, I receive much more in return.

What are you reading now?
I generally have books in multiple formats going at the same time. On Kindle, I’m reading “Relationships 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know by” John Maxwell. On Audible, “Exit Unicorns” by Cindy Brandner. In paperback, “Simplify” by Bill Hybels.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Since my book is in the business genre, my current focus is to help people understand and implement the tactics that I lay out in my book. Also, I want to keep my followers informed of new research, ideas and resources to help them in business.

Providing inspiration, encouragement and motivation to my followers is important to me as well. I want to help people succeed in their business and personal lives.

I feel like I still have a lot to give people around the topics in my book. So, for now, that is the focus of my writing, social media, and other creative processes.

What is your favorite book of all time?
The Bible is my favorite book the foundation of everything that I do.

Author Websites and Profiles
Pascha Kelley Website
Pascha Kelley Amazon Profile

Pascha Kelley’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account