Brodie Whitburn–Author Interview

This week I got to interview an amazing author all the way from Australia…Brodie Whitburn!

What inspired you to write?

Stories, in general, inspired me to want to write, to tell stories to entertain and hopefully inspire others as it had inspired me when I was young and even does till this day. I was reading many things when I was younger but grew up loving Stephen King, Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman and many more. I was writing since the age of 10 hoping that one day I would be published and others could read the stories that I wanted to write.

Are you a reader? What are some of your favorites?

I love reading and read pretty much every night and try to get some reading done during the day on the weekends with my morning coffee. My favourite to read is the Song of Ice and Fire epics by George RR Martin and anything by Neil Gaiman or Clive Barker. My 2 all-time favourite novels are The ocean at the end of the Lane by Neil Gaiman and The thief of Always by Clive Barker. Both are children’s fable with a hint of magic and darkness within the story.

What is your newest work, and what is going to happen in the future?

My latest work is called The World of Athoria: Essence of the Wild. This is the first book in my fantasy series titled Scriptures of Storm, Earth and sea. I am working on a compilation book in between book one and two (hopefully) called Myth & Legends: Tale of Athoria. That is to tell the tales of shorts stories within the fantasy world, adding more for the reader to immerse themselves within the world with other stories told in shorts spurts, some things they may only hear about in the first book but experience in the tales. Then book 2 has begun writing only a couple of chapters in but is titled The Heart of Athoria: War of the Stormking. And a little side project is a children’s fable I have been working on called Darla: Rainbow tracks to Gorgunheim, which will hopefully be out soon for my readers to read to themselves or to their children. Plus plenty of other works in the pipelines. Some stories finished, just need editing and revisions. Some written longhand and need to be converted and some other ideas waiting to be told.

Do you have advice or tips for Indie Authors?

My best advice is to WRITE! Don’t let anything stop you from pushing for your aspirations. Look to other authors, look to their passions, and feed on their positivity, engage. And most of all READ! I can not stress enough how important it is to read. You soak in what you read, you pick up on voices, the way others writers write, and don’t read in just 1 genre read anything and everything. If something doesn’t mix with you don’t be afraid to pick up another book in the same genre because it could just be the voice of the author. Sometimes it is even the POV. 1st person isn’t my favourite to read but some stories I have found to be amazingly written and some I didn’t but it didn’t deter me away from reading. I read many authors as well ranging from Neil Gaiman to George RR Martin, Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allen Poe, Sarah J Mass, Delilah S Dawson, Stephen King and many more. The more you read the more chance you will find your voice and style of writing that others will enjoy.

What influenced you as a writer?

Many things influenced me as a writer from reading Harry Potter to Lord of the rings and just story-telling in general, whether it was from a book, comic, movie or videogame. Everything has a story to tell and many are amazing and inspirational.

Do you prefer a normal book or ebook?

I love both but I always prefer paperback or hardback (dustjacket as well) when possible. Ebook is great to just whip out when you are on trips or just have your phone on you and want to read. But when I have a coffee in the morning I love to hold the book in my hands and physically turn the pages.

Author Interview–Cully Mack

Tell me about yourself, and what got you into writing?

My name is Cully and I’m from England. I love dogs, wildlife photography, and long walks.

I write epic fantasy with romance! Think epic battles with Immortals and beasts of all kinds, throw in some elemental magic, huge plot twists, portals and unique worlds and an ever-growing amount of characters trying to save their world. If you like character-driven fantasy, you’ll love my books. I warn you now; I don’t go easy on them…I began writing because my mother joined a creative writing class and I asked if I could go with her. I loved it so much, I quit my job and went back to university to study English Literature and Creative Writing. I haven’t looked back, and what I’ve learned most in my life is to follow your dreams.

What inspired you to write?

I’ve always loved the fantasy genre, and I have a keen interest in mythology. I decided to merge the two.

I’m very interested in the oldest mythological texts (think pre Greek & Roman). My Voice that Thunders series is filled with ancient myth, the kind that is buried in soul waiting to be reawakened.My writing is motivated by creating new worlds and in depth characters to live in them. I love how characters grow and overcome the challenges they face. I love plot twists! Being a discovery writer, my characters often surprise me and lead me into territory I wasn’t expecting to go.

Are you a reader? What are some of your favorites?

My earliest childhood memories involve reading. I don’t think I’ve lived a day without diving into a book. My favourite genres are epic & high fantasy (although I read many others). I often like a good romantic subplot, but not always. Some of my favourite authors are Robert Jordan, Raymond Feist, Brent Weeks, Brandon Sanderson, Jay Kristof and Patrick Rothfuss.

More recently I have been reading YA/NA and I like Sarah J Maas, Raye Wagner and Jennifer Armentrout.

What is your newest work, and what is going to happen in the future?

My latest work is book three in my Voice that Thunders series. It’s called, A Fire That Whispers.

Mirah is an elemental wielder whose extraordinary magic has proved too powerful for the Immortal Watchers to ignore. Captured, they demand she destroys their portals. If she yields, it will trap her friends in the immortal realm forever.

Book two, A Scream that Shatters, ended on a such a huge cliff hanger, I was keen to release this book quite soon after. So much is going on! No one knows what is real. I love how the reader can decipher the truth along with the characters. And boy, what a shocker the truth reveals! I really enjoyed writing this book.

I have just release a free prequel called, Sojin. It is about Ammo and Sojin and is set before A Voice That Thunders begins. You can find it here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/biu92oaavb

In the near future, book four, A Vow That Clashes is due for release around Sept/Oct 2020. It runs parallel to A fire Whispers but focuses on other exciting characters.

Next year, I plan to finish the final book in this series. I also plan to publish a collection of fairytale and myth retellings. I’m already considering my next series, which will be about Fae.

Do you have advice or tips for Indie Authors?

Don’t quit! It’s really hard sometimes. Writing can be isolating, and sometimes you wonder if anyone even reads/enjoys your work. Reviews help a lot. A well-timed review has saved my sanity more than once when I’ve been second guessing myself.

Hold on to your dreams! Believe in yourself and stay true to your vision. So much will come your way and try to shake you, hold on. Quitters never make it.

If I was to start over, I’d start with a shorter book, a stand-a-lone or a prequel and get myself known a little before plunging right into everything.

What influenced you as a writer?

I’ve been influenced by many things and it changes depending on what I’m writing. I’m a discovery writer, so I don’t always know until the words form themselves on the page.

I tend to know certain plot points, for example, I knew Mirah needed to reach Hermonial because I wanted a character close to the antagonist.

My start point was her on the ship, so I just started to write her journey and added in conflict. I love how characters grow and overcome challenges. I love plot twists!

Do you prefer a normal book or ebook?

I always preferred a normal book, but now I find it easier to see text in a larger print. I still prefer the feel of a book and to know how many pages I have left in that world, but due to my eyesight, I read more ebooks. If I like them enough, I buy the print copies.

https://www.amazon.com/Cully-Mack/e/B07QBLXZLT/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1https://www.facebook.com/CullyMack/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19033629.Cully_Mack

https://www.facebook.com/CullyMack/

Author Interview: PJ MANN

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: PJ MANN

Tell me about yourself, and what got you into writing?

I am always afraid of questions like this one. There are so many things to say, and finding the right ones is like going through a box of old pictures found on an attic. After I graduate from University in Italy, where I studied Geosciences, I felt like I needed to see more of the world around. For this reason, I moved, almost immediately after, to Germany. There I graduated to another University, but I knew that wouldn’t have become my final destination. I moved to finish writing my thesis to Finland, where I live now. Writing has always been an essential part of my life. In the beginning, it was just a way to write down my emotions on a sort of personal journal. Then, slowly it transformed into writing stories.

What inspired you to write?
I am a traveler, and my wanderings around the world are an incredible source of inspiration. Meeting different cultures, people, sceneries, gave me a unique chance to gather an understanding of human nature, which is very important when I start creating my characters.

Are you a reader? What are some of your favorites?

Yes, I love to read, although between my day job, the writing career, and the marketing for my books, I have left only a few moments during the day when I can enjoy a good book. I read many genres, but my favorites are thrillers and suspense books.

What is your newest work, and what is going to happen in the future?

My latest release is a paranormal thriller set in the Congolese rain forest. My travels through Africa have strongly influenced the writing of this one. I wanted to bring to life my experiences and to share those powerful feelings of being in the middle of one of the most amazing natural environments on this planet. Visiting the voodoo market in Togo gave me the idea for the paranormal part of the story, all I needed to do was to connect all those parts to fit into a novel. In a few days, I will release my next book, ‘The Man from the Mist.’ This is going to be a mystery thriller, so I’m returning to the genre I mostly write, but I also plan to release other historical fiction and paranormal thrillers I have in mind.

Do you have advice or tips for Indie Authors?

Patience, patience, patience. This, together with perseverance, is the most required quality an indie author needs to have. The second important thing is before even thinking of publishing anything, do your researches and connect with as many other authors through groups. Writer support groups are a real treasure chest, as there you can understand the process behind the industry and all the requirements to bring your word to the public. Writing is indeed a creative process, but publishing is a business, and the two things, when you are an indie author, cannot be separated.

What influenced you as a writer?

I was mostly influenced by the books I’ve been reading, and I will continue reading. As a thriller author, reading the news influences and inspires me. As a multigenre author, I guess it has been the other interest I have always been passionate about.

Do you prefer an ordinary book or ebook?

I love physical books, but I understand that they can raise a big space issue. Ebooks have the great advantage to be carried wherever I go, and in my traveling life, this gives an advantage I cannot overlook. I buy physical books when there is a title that grabs my attention in a particular way and has a fantastic book cover.

Amazon Link to her Newest Book:

https://www.amazon.com/…/B08…/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2

My first author interview! Vicky Peplow!

1)Tell me about yourself, and what got you into writing?

Hi, my name is Vicky Peplow and I live in Northern Virginia, USA. I’m originally from the North-East of England and a village called Ryhope in the City of Sunderland. I am 42 years old and I have been a writer for about three years now. I love reading, pets, been outside, walking.

I got into writing just purely to pass time at first and then the ideas began to flow so decided to do a little research and my first book Death on The River Wear came to life. I’ve always had a wild imagination and thanks to the support of my partner Lorie, I began writing.

2)What inspired you to write?
My home village and City actually got me started as it is so rich in history and wanted to share that with everyone and to get it recognized. My other inspiration is also Lorie but also a lady who I used to homecare for called Jean and she used to love to see what I had wrote since the week before. Unfortunately she passed away last year but we were a lot alike in many ways.

3)Are you a reader? What are some of your favorites?

Yes I do enjoy to read and I have quite an eclectic taste and it depends on what I’m in the mood for. Favorites? That’s a hard choice. I have to go with any books by Shani Struthers, Sarah E. England, Greg Olsen, John Watson, and obviously not forgetting Samantha Evans lol

4)What is your newest work, and what is going to happen in the future?

My newest book is The Old Coal Miner’s Lamp which is based around the old coal mining village I come from and it is a historical/paranormal fiction book. I have quite a few things in the works at the moment and some I can’t talk about because they are under contract, but personally, I am working on two books right now the first is call Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust which I based around an Asylum in the same village as The Old Coal Miner’s Lamp and the other is the second book to Death on The River Wear. I have a lot of projects in the pipeline so some exciting things to come in the near future.

5)Do you have advice or tips for Indie Authors?

I’ll give the same advice I got from some well respected authors, read, read, read. The more you read and gain experience from the different genres then the more you’ll know what to expect and what your book is contending with. My tip would be to do plenty of research before becoming an author. Also this is going to be a long road and it ain’t gonna happen at the drop of a hat so buckle up and enjoy the ride.

6)What influenced you as a writer?

Again, it has to be my imagination and being able to build a story from what is around me and stories that I hear from other people. Also talking to other authors and hearing their stories was very intriguing.

7)Do you prefer a normal book or ebook?

I do prefer ebooks but I also like to collect signed copies from authors if cash-flow allows it and signed books from authors I’ve helped along the way in whatever capacity.

My book can be found at www.amazon.com/dp/B0852QWR5T