Amber Flora Amber Flora is a paranormal romance writer. Born and raised in Florida, Amber now lives in Louisville, KY, where she enjoys the fall weather and fast horses. Ambers debut novel “Between Two Realms” was years in the making; envisioning how each character would fit into the underlying story. She has since completed the series, totaling three books in all. When Amber isn’t writing, or reading other authors
work; she enjoys traveling to new places or taking a Sunday drive with her husband.
Author Amber Flora has wrote poems and short stories since she was young, at the young age of 9 she won a short story contest. The prize was a workshop with Jim Davis, creator of the “Garfield comics.” “ I remember how passionate he was about maintaining your own style, if you love your work then the readers will see that in the writing.” Writing runs in Amber’s family. “ It is in my blood, my father and grandmother were both writers. My mother used to say I told the best "fish" stories when I was a child. Meaning I could take a typical uneventful day and embellish on it to grab the listener's attention.”
“I like a lot of genres but fantasy is like a blank canvas, there are no limits besides your imagination. You can create a whole new world or race and make it all come to life.” Flora’s first novel “Between two Realms:Awaken” Was a work in progress for many years. “Between Two Realms: Awaken". I had the premise behind the story for years but it wasn't until I began writing that I really knew the direction I wanted to go. The one thing that I didn't want to change was the heroine. I knew from day one that I wanted her to be kind of an outcast, unsure of herself and her place in the world.”
"Awaken" is a tale about immortals, fate, and following your heart. The novel revolves around a shy, clumsy woman named Ashtyn Lane who spends a fair amount of time daydreaming. With little knowledge of her heritage, Ashtyn had never really felt like she belonged anywhere. In come Cody and Mac; Cody is a dream walker guard that has been protecting Ashtyn while she unknowingly travels between realms during her slumber. It isn't until Ashtyn's life is threatened in human realm that Cody must enlist the help of his womanizing best friend Mac to protect the savior. Cody must convince Ashtyn that she is the one his people have been waiting for. Cody believes Ashtyn to be the "Phoenix" that her mother
prophesized. "The savior that will rise from the ashes and restore Dream Realm to it's former glory." As Ashtyn learns of her destiny, secrets are revealed that take Ashtyn and her protectors to realms she could have never imagined where vampire walk the streets of shadow realm and wizards are more than characters in a storybook.” Miss Flora also tells us there are 3 novels in the series. “Each novel takes you deeper into the worlds of immortals and Ashtyn's journey to discover the secrets of her past and fight the fate that has been bestowed upon her.”
“As a self-published author the road to publishing has had it's up's and downs. With self-publishing you have the freedom to decide the direction and length of your novels. However, this means you are responsible for every aspect of the book, from marketing to choosing the perfect cover. It is important to ensure that you don't rush the project. I finished writing "Between Two Realms" nearly a year before it was published and was ready to be distributed to the public. I had beta readers to advise of plot holes and provide feedback on character progression. The novel went through editing several times before I was comfortable releasing it.”Flora is currently working on a novel that is a spin-off from the "Between Two Realms" series that centers around characters from those novels
“ I am also currently working on another Fantasy series involving a Princess of an apocalyptic like world who is forced to put the needs of her people before her own desires. What I like about this novel is that the heroine is the exact opposite of the main character from my first series. She starts out as a bitter and self-absorbed member of royalty that has a difficult time seeing the good in people.” Flora also has advice for new writers. “Follow your heart; it may sound cliché but it's true. Very rarely do authors write blockbuster hits straight out of the gate. It takes time to find your niche and feel confident about your writing. Not everyone will connect with your style and that's OK, just work on finding your technique and honing your skills and you will gain a desirable audience.”
Shonna Slayton SHONNA SLAYTON writes historical fairy tales for Entangled TEEN. Cinderella's Dress and Cinderella's Shoes are set in the 1940s. Spindle is a Sleeping Beauty inspired tale set in the late 1800s. She also has one indie book out, Liz and Nellie, a retelling of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's race around the world in the late 1800s. She finds inspiration in reading vintage diaries written by teens, who despite using different slang, sound a lot like teenagers today.
When not writing, Shonna enjoys amaretto lattes and spending time with her husband and children in Arizona. Join her NEW RELEASE email list and receive a free ebook as a welcome gift. Be the first to learn of new books and get behind-the-scenes info you can't read anywhere else at ShonnaSlayton.com
Shonna Slayton, author of novels “Spindle” and “Cinderella’s dress” first considered a career in writing in the 5th grade. “This was when I made my first attempt at a novel, a piece of fanfiction ofWatership Down by Richard Adams.” After many years of writing inconsistently: but never losing her dream of becoming a novelist, Slayton graduated from University and landed a job writing software help files and curriculum. This experience helped her learn consistency and discipline. “I’ve always loved reading. There is something magical about stepping into someone else’s shoes and spending time in their world. And I suppose my interest in writing stemmed from
That. I wanted to be a part of this greater literary world, creating new characters and places for readers like me to enjoy. It was my way of contributing to the lit-world that I love so much.” Her novel “Spindle” is a “Sleeping Beauty” tale that takes place years after the original story. “Spindle is a Sleeping Beauty tale set in the late 1800s. It takes place centuries after the traditional Sleeping Beauty story, where the cursed spindle, which has been hidden away, finds its way to a spinner girl in Vermont. Trouble ensues.” “Spindle” is an idea that came from a brainstorming session Slayton had while writing a series of historical fairy-tales.
“My first two novels,Cinderella’s Dress and Cinderella’s Shoes were based on fairy tale objects someone would want to have. I challenged myself to write about an object you wouldn’t want. A cursed spindle? Yeah. No one would want that. And for choosing the time period? It just seemed logical to explore the industrial revolution with the cotton mills and all those spindles!” “Spindle” took one year to write from first draft to final edits. Another novel Slayton wrote is “Liz and Nellie” “Liz and Nellie is a historical retelling of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland race around the world starting in 1889. It’s the most amazing story to me,
especially because it’s true. These two reporters head off in two different directions in a race to get back to New York. It was a stunt to sell newspapers. Nellie sailed out east one morning to beat Jules Verne’s 80 Days Around the World time, and when Elizabeth’s boss read about it on his way to work, he was convinced the paper sent her the wrong way for that time of year based on wind currents and probability of snow storms. So, he called in his own reporter, Elizabeth Bisland and with mere hours notice, sent her off in the opposite direction. Can you imagine taking this trip as a solo woman in the 1800s?” “Growing up in Canada, I’d never heard of Nellie Bly. When I stumbled across her doing research for
another project I was amazed. When I found out there was another woman who was part of the story I was even more amazed! I had to get their story out for a new generation of girls. I thought they were so plucky and wonderful role models.” Now Slayton is working on the next book in her Fairy tale series. “summer 2018 the next in my historical fairy tales with Entangled TEEN will be coming out, called Mirror. This is a Snow White tale set in 1902 Bisbee, AZ. Think beginnings of the electric age and the last of the mining boomtowns.” But first. “This summer I’ll be coming out with a novel, currently called The Tower Princess, about a
forbidden love across a kingdom.” Slayton also has advice for young writers. “It’s all about the writing. It’s fun to daydream and plan and chart and talk about writing, but you’ve got to get the words in.”
Sara Thompson Sara O. Thompson’s first attempt at a book was prepared on a Remington typewriter and bore a suspicious resemblance to a famous novel whose title rhymes with ‘Gourd of the Spies.’ Since then, she’s written diaries, advertising copy, and a lot of poetry, besides short and long fiction. Her accolades are so minor they bear no mention here, except to say that she once received five sessions with a life coach as a prize for winning an essay contest. In her spare time, she performs improv comedy, occasionally tells stories on stage, and loves ballroom
dancing. Sara lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband (who is an ICU nurse) and their twin sons. Muddy Waters is her debut novel.
Sara Thompson began writing her first book when she was 12. “It was a shameless rip-off of Lord of the Flies. Before that, I wrote a play about two princesses. It was scribbled on one of my dad's yellow legal pads. My first diary started in the fifth grade. “
go on to a city-wide competition. I wrote an espionage one, one about marine biology, and one about ghosts. The only year I won was the year I sold out on my literary standards and wrote a simpering tale about fluffy little creatures with big eyes who just wanted to be friends with The moment that inspired everybody, because that her to write came while is what the audience she was still in school. wanted to read.” “We used to do that writing program in school, While growing up Young Authors. You write Thompson’s favorite and edit a book, then you books were “Alice in illustrate it and bind it. Wonderland” and The binding part was fun “Through the Looking because that's when they Glass” let us get at the rubber “That's a good question, cement, which has given my background. I excellent booger-making read some fantasy as a qualities and a rather kid (Alice in Wonderland intoxicating aroma. You and Through the Looking read and judge your Glass are my all-time classmates' books and then faves). But I started out there are class winners and early with literary school winners and they fiction.”
Equipped with a Masters degree in Literature Thompson says she was a “literary snob” and still is, but she did break literary tradition when she wrote a batch of short stories as her thesis. “I very confidently told my thesis defense committee that I saw myself shelved among the other literary fiction writers. Academia isn't a fan of genre fiction. I think the farthest they'd go is maybe a little Gabriel Garcia Marquez and magical realism.” Her love of the fantasy genre really began to take hold when people began handing her fantasy books that she ended up liking. “ it opened up a whole new world to me, both as a reader and a writer. My debut novel is urban fantasy. I still haven't emailed any of my professors to tell them... It was just that every time I
sat down to write, I was more interested in the magical than the mundane” Her debut novel “Muddy Waters” is like X-files but with more of a supernatural twist. “ I just wanted to write something I would like to read. I didn't want a female main character whose primary goal is to fall in love, be rescued, or get a date. I will say that I am a huge X-Files fan and I wondered if I could take that idea but use supernatural rather than science fiction elements to tell the story.” This isn’t her only novel though. “This is actually my third completed novel. The first one is a weird little niche book that I assume I will eventually have to
self-publish because it's just too out there for mainstream publishers. The second one was less weird, but still very dark, and though a lot of people liked it, nobody really knew how to sell it. In writing and querying for those two books, I learned A LOT about the process, the industry, and so much more. In 2015, I was asked to submit to Curiosity Quills Press after a Twitter pitch contest. In April of 2016, I signed a contract with them, and my book is out in April of this year.” Thompson is busy with her most recent projects. “Aside from practicing my Famous Author signature, you mean? Well, I have a family. My husband is an ICU nurse and we have 3-year-old identical twin sons. I also work a day job. Besides that, I perform improv
comedy with Project Improv in Louisville. I have developed a workshop on how improv rules can help you write. I'm also working on the second book in the series, which will feature Djinn and also a lot of military stuff.” And her advice to young writers is, “Do your homework. I can't stress it enough. That means...Decide what you want from your writing career and figure out how to make it happen, and then be realistic along the way. For example, if you want your writing career to be "write stories and then go have them printed at the copy store so I can give them as Christmas gifts," that is OKAY. If you want your career to be "top ten best selling horror
writer," that is ALSO OKAY. You just keep working toward your goal, whatever your goal is.”
Tessa Reddick has been convicted for murdering her family-an entire coven of 37 Witches-and locked in a psych ward. The FBI offers her a deal: be their newest Supernatural Investigator and she earns a "get out of jail free" card. Freedom has a price, though it’s one she’s willing to pay if it means she can track down who set her up for the fall. Solving crimes. Doing magic. Drinking bourbon. Welcome to Otherwhere.
Nancy Segovia Nancy Segovia possesses 25 plus years of writing experience in all fields including newspaper journalism, poetry, children's literature, and adult fiction. She possesses two master's degrees one in creative writing from the University of Denver and one in religion from Northwest Nazarene University. She is also a college English instructor. She has five grown daughters, eight grandchildren, five son-in- laws, and eight furbabies. She is a hopeless romantic,
believing that love conquers anything. She is also recently widowed and recently retired. LIFE PHILOSOPHY: the more I know, the more I know I don’t know.
Author Nancy Segovia first began writing back in 1984, the inspiration to write came from her first college instructor. “She told me I had talent and ought to pursue it. I believed her and never looked back. I think her impact on me was so incredible because coming from an abused childhood and then married to an abusive man it was the first time anyone ever told me I was good at something. She believed in me so I believed in myself.” The decision to write in the fantasy genre came from her own love of the genre. “for year and years maybe decades that and sci-fi is all I ever read. I loved it. I still do, but I have branched out a bit to
include paranormal romance. “ Her first novel was a contemporary romance which was loosely based off of her life. “My first novel was called "When You Wish Upon A Star." It is a sweet contemporary romance and I wrote it because all the writing advice i heard said write about what you know, so I wrote about running away from an abusive relationship - which I actually did, and moving to Colorado, did that too, and marrying a very sweet man, did that too, but he died about a year ago. There are a lot of differences but the basic plot was based on what I had experienced in my life up to that point.” “When Abbie Brookhart started life over in Estes Park, she left behind her
abusive husband. She met a wonderful man, and things began to get better. She had no way of knowing that her ex-husband was stalking her, intent on only one thing—revenge!” Another of her novels “Freedom’s Call” is book 1 of 3 in a fantasy novel. "Freedom's Call" Ellora, the main character, is a confused new adult who discovers that she does not want to be the Goddess high priestess any longer. She wants to be free and searches for a way to free herself from service to the Goddess. Along the way she discovers that the Goddess is not all powerful or all good as she was trained to believe. This leaves her further confused. However, she follows the Goddess'
command to destroy an evil wizard because she also needed him out of the way. By the end of the book, you get a hint that the Dragons really control Mithlonde, that the Goddess might be evil and not all powerful, and Ellora is about to do something very stupid to get the freedom she wants.” Her inspiration came from a photo that her daughter was in. “ One of my daughters was a model, and one of the photos was a fantasy image of her holding a shining globe over a fallen friend. It just took off from there.” Nancy is currently working on the sequel to “Dragon Tears” “It is called Dragon Songs and will be out, hopefully, in August of this year.”
The advice she has for young writers is. “Never, ever quit. Believe in yourself when nobody else does. It took me 30 years to become NY Times bestselling author, and if you have the talent and the willpower you can do it also.�
Reader’s Life Review Recently I was given the chance to read Stephanie Garber’s novel “Caraval” The novel follows two sisters as they leave the small island they live on to fulfill Scarlets dream of seeing “Caraval” but things don’t go according to plan when the girls become involved in a deadly game when Tella is kidnapped by the shows leader.Scarlett must find her sister before the 5 nights of the game are over. This novel is fast paced and amazingly written, the story is written in a way that I’ve never seen before. As you read you feel as though you’ve been pulled into the novel and have a front row seat to the action.
I found the characters to be life-like and quite charming in their own ways. The storyline is a mix of Alice in Wonderland and the final season of “Heroes” Which featured a carnival, and a very dark and twisted leader. If you want a darker more adult version of Alice in wonderland, and you’re wanting a novel that is fast paced and will send you through the emotional ringer then this is the book for you. Stephanie Garber has done an excellent job on this novel and I look forward to many more novels from her.
Shannon McRoberts Shannon McRoberts is a lover of fantasy. She has always enjoyed comic books, RPGs, and fantasy themed shows; so, it is no wonder that she has herself become a weaver of myths and magic. She is the author of The Daughter of Ares Chronicles and illustrator for the graphic novel adaptation of the series. She often sums up her series in a single line: Imagine if Xena and Buffy were to fall into The Lord of the Rings and run across Blade Runner while trying to save the universe. More information about Shannon can be obtained by visiting www.shannonmcrober ts.com.
Shannon McRoberts has been writing since she was a small child. “I remember making little story books, illustrating them, and then selling them to family members. In high school, there was a large focus on writing in every subject and not just English class; so, I got a lot of practice. At my college, writing was so important you had to take two classes and pass them to graduate no matter what your degree choice” “Several things culminated into me being able to sit down and write my first fiction story. It was a mix of RPG gaming, D&D gaming, Xena, Buffy, Wonder Woman, Anne Rice books, and having an idea that lead me to writing The Secret of Genetic Corp X. Most of my stories start with a single thought or line.”
She first chose to write within the fantasy genre because of her love of mytholagy and fantasy. “ I remember being little and watching Red Sonja, Wonder Woman, and She-Ra. In school I was fascinated by the mythological gods and goddesses, but they never had much of a back story. Naturally, I was a big fan of Xena when it came out. When I ran out of things to entertain myself with, I filled the void by writing my own fantasy based stories.” “My first novella was The Secret of Genetic Corp X. It was inspired by a thought I had about identity and what would happen if you lost your identity but not your memories. This book ties into my fantasy series, The Daughter of Ares Chronicles. The Daughter of Ares
Chronicles. The Daughter of Ares Chronicles was also started by one line which was: she will make the world quake at her feet. From that line grew Athine and her world. “ “It's a story mainly about Athine, a daughter of Ares, and her coming to terms with what and who she is. Destiny vs what you make of your life. My original story was just about Athine and her coming into her own identity and powers. The second book in the series is more of a side story. The third, fourth, and fifth books in the series are more of a cohesive arc. The story starts in The Blood Sisters and ends in Cursed Bloods. Gen X ties into the series by having Zarra cross over into Athine's world and vice-versa. Gen X is
Zarra's back story” There are 6 novels in total. “Books 1-4 are in Verses of Athine with book 5 being Cursed Bloods. The Secret of Genetic Corp X is a standalone book that can be enjoyed by anyone, but it enhances the series. “ McRoberts has a very unique publishing story. “I actually started publishing poetry books way back in 2005. I had wanted to prove that I could have a book of poems in print. I have never been fond of "gatekeepers" and I am a very controlling individual; so, really I never thought about traditional publication. Back then, there was no cover art, self-publishing had not yet exploded, and nobody had really heard of an eBook. As time
went on, I learned how to make eBooks and found Createspace for my paperback distribution. I also dabble in art books made at Blurb. My search for good cover art back when pre-made cover art wasn't a thing is what actually lead me to learning how to create fantasy art and covers for myself. I even have a few comic adaptations of my works that I have made with these skills.” Her recent projects include a grapic novel adaptation of her novel “Daughter of Ares” As well as a two new novels in a new series. “ I hope to have at least one of the new books fully completed in 2017. I also just released a hardcover book with some of my favorite
fantasy art pieces. “ She also has a piece of advice for new writers. “Write the story you want, but listen to your editor and betas. You likely will not get rich writing, but that doesn't mean it has to be fruitless. Don't undervalue your work. Believe in it.”
George Kramer George Kramer started writing early in his life. In fifth grade, he started dabbling with his pen and paper. It was instrumental since his writing would serve as a crucial outlet later in life. The venting allowed him to get a handle on his trials and tribulations in growing up with eight other siblings. George spread his wings and embraced writing in all genres. As it stands, he has over one hundred and fifty articles published online for various websites. He has written two books of unconventional poetry, countless short stories, and six books of the popular Arcadis series. Additionally, George has written a medical
horror book called Blind to Blood. Additionally, George has written a medical horror book called Blind to Blood. George was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, raised on Long Island, is one of nine children, and is a natural born triplet. He moved to Indiana in 1989. Currently he resides in McCordsville, Indiana with his wife and precocious daughter.
Author George Kramer started writing in the 5th grade. “My teacher was reading aloud the book 'Treasure Island', and was using a pirate accent. I got bored so I started dabbling with my pen and paper since computers weren't around yet.” After he began to write his inspiration came from “Star Trek” and “M.A.S.H” “ I had written several plays similar to M.A.S.H., two novels loosely based off Star Trek, and countless short stories. When I was 16, I had all of my writings on a bookshelf in the living room. One of my older brothers threw out everything of mine. (I am one of nine children. Six boys, three girls.) I had an argument with that brother the night before. He decided to
throw out my material. From sixteen to eighteen I did not write. At eighteen I met this girl and I started writing again.” Until 3 years ago Kramer had never read fantasy. “I was into science fiction. I saw on Netflix a Fantasy show called the Dresden Files, and enjoyed it. I looked online and found it was based on books. I read them all, and started reading David B. Coe as well. After reading them, I said to myself, "I can do that." But, what to write about? Three weeks later I was at a sister's house. She was painting the inside of her house.
There was three gallons of paint on one side of her, and others on her other side. I asked her why she had separated the paint. She told me that the red, blue, and yellow paint were the primary, and the others were based off of the primaries.” “My first Fantasy novel was called, Arcadis: Prophecy. The inspiration behind it was the different colors of paint from my sister's house. I decided to base my book off of the primary and secondary colors from the paint. In the Arcadis book there are three primary powered sorcerers, Red, Blue, and Yellow. In the beginning of the sorcery world you were only allowed to marry your own color power. A red primary would only marry a red, blue to a blue, a yellow to a yellow. When Lord Quill
ascended to top sorcerer, he mandated no one was allowed to marry their own color power. Now when a blue power married a yellow power, a green powered baby was born. When a yellow power married a red power, an orange powered baby was born. When a red power married a blue power, a purple powered baby was born, and so on. The offshoots were called secondary's. They weren't as powerful.” There are currently 6 novels in the series. “However, my small but growing fan base asked me for a seventh. At the conclusion of book one, Arcadis: Prophecy, the secondary's weren't happy with the way they were treated, so in book two, there is a war between the primaries and secondaries.
The book is aptly named, Arcadis: War.” His journey to publishing was filled with research through facebook groups, and many, many books. “The journey was arduous because I self taught myself everything. I read copious amounts of material from forums, blogs, googling, groups on Facebook, the whole gambit. It was by trial and error. Some of the things I read, and talked to people weren't applicable to me, and some were. I had to wade through all of the myriad of material, and filter out what was, and what wasn't applicable because of finances, and the genre I had chosen.”
His current projects include: “I have a storyline for book seven of the Arcadis series, I just published a medical horror called Blind to Blood (based on when I did tissue procurement. Basically when someone expires, I surgically removed body parts for donation. Did it for several years.) I am in the midst of writing a play, and the sequel to Blind to Blood.” Kramer also has advice for new writers. “Yes, don't give in to the naysayers. There will be people that think you shouldn't do it. Don't listen. Additionally, seek out advice from people. At book signings I am always asked questions about the writing and publishing process. I enjoy speaking with them, and hope to impart my knowledge to them.”
Lydia Sherrer Author of the Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus magical adventure series, Lydia Sherrer is a fantasy author whose goal is to leave this world a better place than when she found it. With an urban fantasy series, multiple short stories and a novella under her belt, Lydia has been writing for over a decade and enjoys nothing more than a good book, a cup of tea, and a comfy chair in the sunshine. When not writing she loves to play her ocarina (think Zelda), and also enjoys traditional archery, cosplay, larping, and art. Growing up in rural Kentucky, she was thoroughly
corrupted by a deep love for its rolling countryside, despite the mosquitoes and hay fever. She was instilled with a craving for literature early on, and her parents had to wrestle books away from her at the dinner table. Though she graduated with a dual BA in Chinese and Arabic, having traveled the world she came home and decided to stay there. She currently resides in Louisville, KY with her loving and supportive husband, and their very vocal cat
1. How long have you been writing? I’ve been writing since I was 10 (at least!). I still have a hand-written story I did in 1999 about my two guinea pigs Fuzzy and Thor. 2. What inspired you to start writing? Biological imperative. That is to say, I can’t not make up stories. It is part of my thought process and part of how I cope with and understand the world around me. Writing them down is just a logical step to making a living from all this time I spend thinking up stories! Besides that, however,
my life has been deeply touched by many stories over the years, and it is my greatest hope and wish that someday I might write something that touches someone’s else’s life. If I can accomplish that, I feel that I will have repaid the hard work of my heroes (Tolkien, Lewis, and the like), and helped to carry on the flag of meaningful art everywhere. 3. Why did you choose to write within the Fantasy genre Partially because it is such a wide and diverse genre,
partially because it is a popular genre (and therefore marketable), partially because that just so happens to be the best categorization of the story my head and heart wanted to write. 4. What is the name of your first novel and what was the inspiration behind it? That depends on how you define novel. The title of the first novel I completed and published is “Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Beginnings” (The Lily Singer Adventures, Book 1). This book, and the long-running story it is just the beginning of, grew out of my
great love for magical adventures (such as Harry Potter to name the most famous), my love for humorous adventure (such as everything ever written by Terry Pratchett) and my desire to write a light-hearted adventure liberally sprinkled with snarky wit, something that could delight and teach at the same time. The first novel I ever started (that I still have anyway) I believe had the working title “The Beginning” (that’s the best place to start, right?) and was inspired by a picture I drew one evening
while listening to my mother read me The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien. 5.Can you tell me about it? Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Beginnings is the adventures, trials, triumphs and woes of Lily Singer, a wizard living in modern-day Atlanta. She is a classic introvert, preferring to be left alone to manage her library archives (her job) drink tea (her great love) and pet her cat (her preferred companion). Unfortunately for her, she somehow ended up with a troublemaking witch (Sebastian Blackwell) as a best
friend who is a raging extrovert and thinks rules are just guidelines. Not surprisingly, he gets into all sorts of mis-adventures and pulls her in after him. And then the cat starts talking. They do their best to save the world from magical mayhem, most of it caused by the skeletons in her family closet which—while not her fault—fall to her to clean up. If you enjoy adventures like Harry Potter, Supernatural, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, you’ll love the Lily Singer Adventures.
6. Is it part of a series? Hoooooo yes! Books 1 & 2 are available on Amazon https://www.amazon.co m/gp/product/B01N1Y D2OF Books 3 & 4 are being released on April 28th, and Books 5-12 are planned out and awaiting writing over the next four years or so! 7. Can you tell me about your journey to publishing? It is quite simple. I don’t like working for other people, or being told what to
do. I am very entrepreneurial and enjoy learning new things. I didn’t feel like waiting two years to get an agent, then two more years to get a publisher, then a few more just for good measure while my book when through production. So I decided to study, and master, the profession of publishing myself. I founded Chenoweth Press, and have successfully published four books and several short stories. I manage everything myself, and hire professional contractors for the things I’m not an expert at (such as cover design, layout, editing, etc), just like any other publishing company.
I’m not really interested in a traditional publishing contract (though I certainly wouldn’t turn one down that sought me out if the terms were favorable), and enjoy the publishing process immensely. Anyone can do what I do as long as they are willing to study how to publish correctly and professionally (as if it were any other skill or subject matter). It is detailed and exhausting work, but not rocket science.
8. What projects have you been working on? Besides Books 3 & 4 in the Lily Singer Adventures coming out April 28th, I’ve been writing the first book in a spin-off series about one of the main characters, Sebastian Blackwell. This series will explore his younger years and show how he became the man he is in the Lily Singer Adventures. This novel will debut in a book box collection in August I’m participating in with a wonderful group of authors (we’re aiming for
the USA Today bestseller list!), and once that run has completed I’ll re-release it as a solo title. 9. Do you have any advice for new writers? Put your butt in the chair and write. Read, read, read. Study successful authors you want to be like to find out how they got where they are and try to emulate them (every writer’s journey is different. Yours won’t be the same as theirs, but you can mimic the strategies they used to find success). Lastly, and most
importantly: Dream big, plan well, work hard, and never give up.