For this weeks spotlight I got in touch with the lovely Casey Hays, She is the author of the dystopian sci-fi series Arrow’s Flight and I was honoured to have her take up my offer of the spotlight and take part in our author interview.

Q:  For those that are new to Casey Hays, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your books?

Casey:  Sure! I am a former high school English teacher turned author. I now work full-time for a District Judge, so finding time to write is a real treasure for me. I have been married since I was 19 years old to an awesome guy. We just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary last month, and we have a 19 year old son and 15 year old daughter. I live in Clovis, New Mexico, USA. I sing with our praise team at church, go to Zumba two to three times a week, snow ski every winter, and spend every summer vacationing at a beach.

Q:  At what point in your life did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Casey:  Since being inspired by my third grade teacher, I’ve always been a writer and a teacher of writing. But I didn’t become truly serious about making a career of in until my mid-30s when I decided to leave education. Believe it or not, what really sparked my desire was the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I love her first and third books especially, and also her stand alone The Host. After I finished reading New Moon, I thought “I could do this!” And so… I did.

Q:   Do you need peace and quiet to write or do you have a playlist to keep you going?  If you do, would you share it with us?

Casey:  Depending on my mood, I need both. There are times when too much noise in my head prevents me from connecting with my characters’ voices, so I have to shut everything down and just listen in the quiet. But most of the time, I need music, as many authors do. And fun fact… I’m a hard rock and metalhead girl, so my playlists are filled with bands like, Skillet, Disciple, Papa Roach, Bring Me the Horizon, Breaking Benjamin, Halestorm, Demon Hunter, Hinder, Nothing More, Disturbed, and the list goes on. I will say that last year I came across a band called Secondhand Serenade that blew me away with its beautiful love songs. Not hard rock by any means, but I’m versatile. The lyrics are amazing, and I’ve since used that band to help with certains scenes where love is showcased. Here’s an example of some of their lyrics:

Q:  Are you characters always a complete work of fiction or is there an element of someone you know to start the idea rolling?

Casey:  A complete work of fiction, but I’m sure many of them are more than likely based on some preconceived notion I have about people I know. Mostly, they just crop up in my imagination and start talking.

Q:  What are you experiences of being an Indie Author, do you find that social media is a help of a distraction to your writing?

Casey:  It’s both really. One of the reasons I have been somewhat successful is because of my social media contacts, mostly through Facebook. I met you, for instance through a Facebook group. I’ve built a following of readers due to my involvement with Band of Dystopian Authors and Fans. I attended two years of Utopia Con and made lifelong friends with Indie authors and readers because I heard about the Con through social media. I’ve met so many wonderful authors and editors and PAs and graphic designers because I stay connected.

Q:  What are you currently working on or is it a secret?

Casey:  No secrets here! I just finished revising The Scent of Lilac, the first of three novellas planned for The Arrow’s Flight Series. This one is told from Mia’s point of view. She is a supporting character and Kate’s best friend in Breeder. So… my readers will get to return to the Village to find out what’s been going on. They will also get a more intimate look at Mia. Many readers didn’t care for her before. This is her chance to redeem herself. 🙂 Molly Phipps, author of the Project W.A.R. series (M.A. Phipps) is designing my book cover which will release on August 27. I can’t wait to see it! And the book releases on September 17 with  Band of Dystopian hosting my book launch for anyone who would like to come! I’d love to see you there!

Q:  You took part in the Anthology Prep For Doom, what was it like working with so many other authors in that way, especially as there were crossovers in some of the stories?

Q:  If you could be any character you have written, who would you choose?

Thank you so much Casey!  I’m excited for your next book, so I will be sure to see you at the release party! 

Over at the Playground I am trying something a little different.   In order to truly capture the essence of what the blog is about, I have taken a break from doing a randomly selected spotlight contests and will be choosing authors myself that I feel fit the ethos of the blog.  Just in time for that, I read the post-apocalyptic short story Hope by Lydia Sherrer, which I loved and reviewed earlier in the blog, what better opportunity therefore to hand pick a spotlight author?    

As well as the sort story writing, Lydia is also the author of a modern fantasy series, The Lily Singer Adventures.

Q:  For those that are new to Lydia Sherrer, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your books?

Lydia:  I’m a perfectionist, workaholic geek meister who spends her time making up stories, then thinking up terrible things for her characters to go through to make them better people.  Oh, and snarky humour.  I spend a significant amount of time thinking up snarky things for my characters to say.  When i’m not writing (50% of my time) or trying to market my writing (60% of my time) I spend time gaming with my husband (20% of my time), Playing my Ocarina (10% of my time) and cooking (1% of my time, though I wish it were 0%).  You’ve probably realized by now that all those percentages don’t add up.  Welcome to my life.

My debut series, “Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus – the Lily Singer Adventures,” is a modern magical fantasy full of adventure, the aforementioned snarky humour, tea, books, and a talking cat.  Lily is a wizard and archivist who just wants to be left alone to take care of the library at Agnes Scott, an all women’s college in Atlanta.  Sebastian is a ne’er-do-well witch who thinks rules are more like guidelines and his favourite thing to do is pop in on Lily and raise her blood pressure.  Many shenanigans ensure.  Despite their opposing personalities, they watch each other’s back while Lily searches for clues about her mysterious past, and Sebastian struggles to face the demons in his (like, literally, there are demons there).

If either I, or my books intrigue you, you can find out more at www.lydiasherrer.com

Q:  At what point in your life did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Lydia:  Around age 20, after I’d spent so much time writing I decided it would be a waste of my time to not do something constructive with it.

Q:  Do you need peace and quiet to write or do you have a playlist to keep you going?  If you do, would you share it with us?

Lydia:  I almost always need music playing.  It gets me in the mood.  These days I mostly listen to epic music mixes on youtube, but I do have a soft spot for the band Two Steps from Hell.  If I ever need to write something dark and depressing, I listen to the Hunger Games soundtrack (all 4 movies).  That is seriously of the most haunting and tragic stories I’ve come across in a while.  The music reflects it.

Q:  Are you characters always a complete work of fiction or is there an element of someone you know to start the idea rolling?

Lydia:  Writers write what they know.  Every place and character I’ve ever written springs out of someone or something I already know, or have come to know through research.  Many characteristics from my family and friends show up in my characters, because those are the types of people I know well, understand, and can write authentically about.

Q:  What are your experiences of being an Indie Author, do you feel that social media is a help or a distraction to your writing?

Lydia:  I love being an Indie Author.  The creative freedom and autonomy is amazing, thought the responsibilities that go along with it can be crushing at times.  Social media is absolutely essential to survival as an Indie Author.  Though of course I catch myself browsing Facebook or Twitter when I should be writing, I find that the connections and relationships I make on social media always feed back into the wonderful life I have as an Indie Author and help build bridges that help me down the road.  But yes, I admit to getting on Facebook for a particular marketing task and realizing after twenty minutes of mindless browsing that I have absolutely no idea why I got on in the first place.

Q:  What are you currently working on or is it a secret?

Lydia:  I actually just finished a two month writing spree, and the result is the third book in the Lily Singer Adventures!  It is a bit longer than I’d planned for, but I’m sure my readers will cheer at that.  Next up is book four of that series, which along with book three will be coming out Spring 2017. I also have a dark scifi/fantasy series in the wings (vampires, political subterfuge, and two orphan sisters who kick everyone’s collective butt to protect each other) which I hope to start publishing in 2018.  Oh, and I just finished polishing a dystopian scifi short story about retribution and depravity of human nature which I’ll be putting up sometime in August.  I’m all over the place, I know, but I’m happiest when I’m over-worked and sleep-deprived.  Feel free to sign up for my monthly newsletter to up will it all lydiasherrer.com/subscribe/

Q:  There is a bit of a leap between your modern fantasy series and the dystopian world of Hope, is it difficult as a writer to switch genres, or is it best to experiment?

Lydia:  I can only speak for me, as each writer is unique in their methods and thought process.  For me, switching genres isn’t a problem, it’s switching characters that is tricky.  To write well, I have to get in my characters’ heads, or else I wont know what they should be thinking, doing, and saying.  I find it best to finish a work, or at least get to a good stopping place, before hopping over to something different.  For instance, I wanted to finish the Lily Singer Adventures Book 3 (last Friday), before I went back today to my scifi dystopian short.

Q:  If you could be any character you have written, who would you choose?

Lydia:  None of them, actually.  I like my life just fine, and the type of character I’d prefer to be is horribly unrealistic and would make a terrible book (a super overpowered, badass fighter who kicks all butts, never loses, and makes out with the hot guy at the end.  Very satisfying but terrible writing material).

If you forced me at gunpoint to be one of my characters, I’d pick the talking cat Sir Edgar Allan Kipling from my Lily Singer Adventures series.  Being a cat would be awesome, since I’d always be right, could get into anything, and would have an unending supply of food and adoring fans.  Sounds like the life, right?

Q:  What are you currently reading?

Lydia:  The Bands of Mourning, by Brandon Sanderson.  I really like the way he mixes science and fantasy in his Mistborm books and he is very good at writing relatable, likeable characters.

Q:  Fictional Dinner Party – give me 5 fictional characters of authors who you have as dinner companions.

Lydian:  All authors.  While I enjoy fantasy and fiction, I enjoy them because of what they teach me about myself and the world around me, not because I’d rather be in them than in realisty.  The authors who wrote the stories that changed my life are the true heroes:  JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, Terry Pratchett, Tamora Pierce, and Robin McKinley.

Thanks so much Lydia for answering our questions!  I am very much looking forward to your new series starting in 2018, and I hope for continuing success with your Lily Singer Adventures!

This week’s author interview is with spotlight winner CJ Rutherford!  He’s an author that I always have a great laugh with, so I was really happy that he won with his nomination this week!  CJ is the author of the Tales of the Neverwar Series and also dragon keeper to the flamboyant Claude.

Q:  For those who are new to CJ Rutherford, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your books?

CJ:  Well, I write YA fantasy, but my first series branches out through several genres.  There’s romance, time travel, and alternate reality.

Q:  At what point in your life did you know you wanted to be a writer?

CJ:  I think I always knew I wanted to write.  It was only when my kids got too old for bedtime stories I wanted to put them into print.

Q:  Do you need peace and quiet to write or do you have a playlist to keep you going?  If you do would you share it with us?

CJ:  I write everywhere.  In the car, in my chair….and other places I won’t mention lol.  I love to listen to ambient music like Enigma.

Q:  Are you characters always a complete work of fiction or is there an element of someone you know to start the idea rolling?

CJ:  Hahaha…I always love this question.  The two mains in Souls of the Never are based on my daughter and her best friend.  When I read them back, it’s just their interactions.

Q:  What are your experiences of being an Indie Author, do you find that social media is a help or a distraction to your writing?

CJ:  Definitely a distraction, but useful for marketing and connecting with readers.  It’s a double edged sword lol.

Q:  What are you currently working on or is it a secret?!

CJ:  Ooo…now that’s a secret.  I have a project, The Companion Series.  Book one is titled Companion of Darkness.  I’m about a third in, and my alpha readers are begging for more.  I guess I must be doing something right.

Q:  What trouble has Claude been up to recently?

CJ:  That damn dragon still continues to post on my blog.  He does all sorts of giveaways.  He actually does pretty well.  We just did an awesome giveaway where the whole series was offered on audio.  Join my VIP list to have a chance to win http://talesoftheneverwar.net/your-free-book/get-book-one-of-this-epic-fantasy-for-free

Q:  If you could be any character you have written, who would you choose?

CJ:  I’d choose Gaak.  He’s probably someone you don’t know, but the most important character in all my books.  You just don’t know it yet.

Q:  What are you currently reading?

CJ:  EVERYTHING by Sarah J Maas.  LOVE her!

Q:  Fictional Dinner Party – give me 5 fictional characters or authors who you would have as dinner companions.

CJ:  Puff the magic dragon.  Pete’s dragon….see a theme?  Frodo, Bilbo, and Sam

Thank you so much CJ for taking the time to answer our questions for us today!  Good luck with the new project and keep up the good work Claude 😉 

For this weeks interview we welcome spotlight Author JoAnna S. Morris, I was excited to receive JoAnna’s answers as she is a completely new author to me, so I’m really happy she won the spotlight so I could discover a new author!

Q:  For those who are new to JoAnna S. Morris, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your books?

JoAnna:  I am the author of YA Dystopian Fantasy series – Echo Among Stars, Silence Among Stars and Fire Among Stars.  I was born in California and raised from the age of 6 in Oklahoma.  Oklahoma is nice, beautiful in fact, but my bones ache for the salty waves and sand between my toes.  I don’t get to go back near as much as I’d like. *sigh*  I’ve been writing in one form or another since I could hold a pencil but I finally gathered the courage to share my work with others about two years ago when I began work on Echo.  I have two head-strong, fun-loving children ages 18 and 11 and this September marks 17 years of being married to my high school sweet heart.  I enjoy music, movies, reading, writing, music (JT!) and painting. HA!  That pretty much sums me up.

Q:  At what point in your life did you know you wanted to be a writer?

JoAnna:  I have always wanted to write.  I would write screenplays as a young teen.  I still have them packed away in storage somewhere.  I’m pretty sure they’re cringe-worthy, I should probably burn them. In any case, writing a book has been on my bucket list since before I knew what a bucket list was.  I always told myself that I could die a happy woman if I saw Jewel, Bette Midler, JT in concert and published a book.  Now that I have accomplished that I should probably update that list. *gulp*

Q:  Do you need peace and quiet to write or do you need a playlist to keep you going? If you do would you share it with us?

JoAnna:  I have to listen to music while I write.  I usually create a play list for each book that i’m working on.  It serves as a constant inspiration.  For example, here is the playlist for my most recent release Fire Among Stars.  Holocene – Bon Iver, Skinny Love – Bon Iver, All the Stars – Ed Sheeran, Oblivion – The Indians, Without Words – Ray Montague, Not About Angels – Birdy, No-one Ever Loved You – Lyyki Li, Sweetheart, What have you done to me – Keaton Henson, Always in My Head – Coldplay, Dreams – Beck, Flume – Bon Iver, 10,000 Emerald Pools – Borns, Blood Bank – Bon Iver, Staring at the Stars – Passenger, The Funeral – Band of Horses, Magic – Coldplay, No one’s Gonna Love You – Band of Horses, Where is my Mind – Pixies, Lampshades on Fire – Modest Mouse, Black Sun – Death Cab for Cutie, Dead Inside – Muse, Change your Mind – The Killers, Lover, Please Stay – Nothing but Thieves and Beating Heart – Ellie Goulding.

Q: Are your characters always a complete work of fiction?  Or is there an element of someone you know to get the ball rolling?

JoAnna:  Typically my characters are fiction, however sometimes there are characters that have tiny bits and pieces of someone that i know of have known.  It’s inevitable, I think.

Q:  What are your experiences of being an Indie Author?  Do you find that social media is a help or a distraction to your writing?

JoAnna: Social Media is absolutely a crucial tool for an Indie Author, there is no doubt.  Most of us have to rely on some form of social media to get visibility.

Q: What are you currently working on, or is it a secret?

JoAnna:  My current SIP is a standalone YA Contemporary.  I don’t want to say too much but think John Green meets Rainbow Rowell.  It’s a very personal story to me and I can’t wait to get it out into the readers hands!

Q:  I see from your page that you have recently taken part in a book signing.  How does it feel to be a signing author?!

JoAnna: Being a signing author is pretty surreal.  I still can’t believe anyone would want my signature.

Q:  If you could be any character you have written, who would you choose?

JoAnna:  If I could be any character that I’ve written it would probably be Ainsley.  She is just to fun and carefree – I think it would be entertaining to spend a day in her shoes.

Q:  What are you currently reading?

JoAnna:  I’m currently reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.  So far I’m intrigued and the writing style is beautiful.

Q: Fictional Dinner Party.  Give me 5 fictional characters or authors who you would have as dinner companions.

JoAnna:  Oh my gracious, this is a hard question.  I’d be the one to stand just so I could have an extra space.  I think I’d like to sit with JK Rowling, Alice Hoffman, William Shakespeare, Stephen King and Gertrude Chandler Warner Chandler.

Thank you so so much JoAnna, for taking the time to answer our questions!

If you want to check out JoAnna’s books the first book in the Star’s series Echo Among Stars is available here http://amzn.to/2a8j5ga

This weeks spotlight winner is Author PM Hernandez!  She very kindly took time out of her hectic schedule to take part in our author interview.  She is an writer of Young Adult Paranormal, Sci-fi and Fantasy, with 2 series currently; The Earthborn Series and the Whitwood Journels.

Q: For those that are new to PM Hernandez, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your books?

PM:  I’ve loved books all my life, like I have this weird connection with them, which is something I think all writers have in common.  I can remember reading when I shouldn’t (when i was supposed to be studying or sleeping) and I wrote fan-fiction before it was cool.  My day job take me all over the globe and that gets my creative juices flowing.  I write what I would read, so that means a lot of fantasy elements.  Reading, for me, is an escape.  I want to be entertained, overjoyed, saddened, and giggling.   All the feels.  And cute gargoyles never hurt.

Q:  At What point in your life did you know you wanted to be a writer?  

PM:  I’ve been writing my whole life, but it has been in the lat ten year that I got serious about acutally writing a full-length novel for others to read.  Everything jut came to a head in the lat year, and here I am with two published books.

Q:  Do you need peace and quiet to write or do you have a playlist to keep you going?  If you do would you share it with us?

PM:  I love a good playlist.  I’m on Spotify and my playlists are public unless it’s for a novel i’m currently writing.  I’m on Spotify as PM Hernandez.

Q: Are your characters always a complete work of fiction or i there an element of someone you know to start the idea rolling?

PM:  Most of my characters are fictional with an element or two of someone I know.  Using quirks or friend and family makes characters more believable and relatable.  I confess to using someone in real life for a character in Earthborn,  He isn’t evil, just an ass.  He’ll probably die.  Horribly.

Q:  What are your experience of being an Indie Author, do you find that social media is a help or a distraction to your writing?

PM:  It’s a blessing and a curse!  Social media allows me to connect with resources, fellow writers, publishing team members and fans.  It also allows me to spend an hour watching funny videos and chatting with people.  Ugh.  I should get an egg timer or something to keep me honest with my goofing off time.  It’s amazing how fast 30 minutes disappear online.

Q:  What are you currently working on or is it a secret?

PM:  I’m currently writing the sequel to Flesh and Stone.  The title is a secret.  Sorry.  Up next is the sequel to Earthborn.  I also finished the first two books in a horror/science fiction series, but they need some work before going to my editor.

Q:  You have just got back from Utopia, what is it like to be a signing author?

PM:  It’ exhausting!  I’m amazed how tired I feel just hanging out and talking to people.  Must be the introvert in me.  But I love meeting readers and other authors.  I walk away feeling pumped up and inspired.

Q:  If you could be any character you have written, who would you choose?

PM:  I would choose Addy from Earthborn.  She’s sarcastic and straight forward.  She also happens to have kick ass powers that would totally come in handy.  Plus, her boyfriend is HAWT.

Q: What are you currently reading?

PM:  I just finished the Splintered series by A.G. Howard.  So good!  The covers are divine.  I stared at them for so long.  Next on deck is Trial by Charm by Jolene Buchheit, which i’m so excited about because it has Greek mythology.

Q:  Fictional Dinner Party – give me 5 fictional characters or authors who you would have as dinner companions.

PM:  That’s a horrible, horrible question.  I don’t want to choose.  Okay, fine, five fictional characters in no particular order:  Severus Snape, Anne Shirley, George Knightley, William Herondale and Brok Grigni (because I wrote one hot alien, if I say so myself).

For this weeks spotlight we invited Author Aria Michaels to take part in our author interview.  Aria is a writer of Young Adult Fiction, Paranormal adventure, Fantasy and Romance and still recovering from her time recently as a signing author at Utopia!

Q: For those who are new to Aria Michaels, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your books?

Aria: I am the author of the bestselling young adult dystopian adventure, The Icarus Series; Killshot (#1), Before the Sky Fell (prequel novella) and Ballistic as well as contributing author in the apocalyptic short story anthology ATZ’s Chronology of the Apocalypse.   In addition to my career as an author, I am an avid reader, die hard zombie fan and enthusiastic lover of bonfires and red wine.  When i’m not glued to my computer pouring out the voices in my head, I can be found in the dirt playing with my boys, painting, or binge-watching The Walking Dead.  That all sounds innocent enough, but don’t let my mild-mannered smile fool you….I am a woman with lofty ambitions that include complete global domination.  I am determined to live in a world where every pair of yoga pants comes with a free book, an iced caramel macchiatto, and a magic force-field which repels the sound of screaming children (of which I have several).  In the meantime, I am hard at work on the next instalment of the Icarus Series, revelling in my role as instigator of literary mayhem and stealth assassin of fictional characters.  For more information about me and all my goings on, visit my website at: www.ariamichaels.com  “you are never more than one choice away from a different future” ~ Aria Michaels

Q:  Where do you draw your inspiration, do you ever in some ways use real life experiences?

Aria:  It sounds cliche but I truly find inspiration everywhere.  Music, art, nature, and life are a sea of endless story ideas.  The Icarus Series is actually based on a reoccurring nightmare that I’ve had since I was a child.  The chaos and events that lead to the end of the world as it happens in the dream have evolved over the years, but one thing never changes; I am never alone.  I always have a group of trusted friends at my side, helping me overcome the dangers of my new reality.  The Icarus Series highlights the importance of friendship and how those bonds have the power to redefine family.

Q: Do you need peace and quiet to write or do you have a playlist to keep you going?  If you do would you share it with us?

Aria:  Sadly, I cannot write when music is playing.  I have battled with ADHD my entire life, and while it makes me a complete boss when it comes to multi-tasking, I am extremely influenced by sensory input.  Music inspires me, and I listen to it when I am mulling a story over in my head, but when I sit down to write, I need silence.  I even have noise cancelling headphones which drown out the sounds around me so I can completely immerse myself in the world I am creating.  I do have an AWESOME playlist for the Icarus Series on Spotify, though.  Feel free to check it out!   Icarus Tunes:  https://open.spotify.com/user/ariasmusicbrain/playlist/2VUpCmXX3k1nuedgNC7oJ3

Q:  Are your characters always a complete work of fiction or is there an element of someone you know to start the ball rolling?

Aria:  My characters are a broad mix of inspiration and spontaneous combustion.  Some of them are based on real people in my life (Liv is actually based on me) while others have snuck up on me as the story progressed.  It’s the strangest thing to be a writer.  There’s power in it.  Creating an entire world, giving life to something that was little more than a fleeting idea, but ultimately becomes it’s own entity.  My Characters are real to me, and to my readers.  They have their own thoughts and beliefs.  They’ve loved and lost.  They’ve hurt and healed.  They are human, just like you and I, only….well, not.  It’s surreal.

Q:  What are your experiences of being an Indie Author? Do you find that social media is a help or a distraction to your writing?

Aria:  My experiences have been overwhelmingly positive.  I was accepted with open arms by my peers.  Both veteran and newbie authors from all genres stepped up to support me.  We’ve all heard horror stories about bullying and trolling that can exist within the indie community, but ultimately it comes down to the people you surround yourself with.  I choose quality over quantity.  I choose close bonds with amazing authors, bloggers, readers and bibliophiles over shouting into the void of social media.  I published Killshot in 2014, and I had NO idea what I was doing.  It was a big leap of faith for me putting my words out there into the universe.  I didn’t know a lick about the indie community, only that I wanted to be a part of it.  So, I put myself out there.  I searched far and wide for positive, uplifting influences to help nurture my passion.  I have been extremely lucky to have been adopted by really amazing groups.  The first ones to fly my banner with pride were Wendy and Claire at Bare Naked Words.  They taught me the ropes early on and shouted my name from the rooftops.  I will forever be grateful to them for their never ending support and virtual hugs.  Soon after, Cheer and ER from Band of Dystopian Authors and Fans brought me into the fold.  The connections I have made in that group are lasting and meaningful, and I promise you that you will never find a happier group of doomsdayers anywhere.  The Horde over at All Things Zombie is led by Jeffery Clare.  These folks really know their stuff.  ATZ is another really fun group where fans of the zom-poc and apoc-fic genres gather to share their love of all things undead, from books to comics, to art and cons.

Ultimately, the best piece of advice that I can give any author is this: surround yourself with positive people and focus your energy on writing.  Social media is a valuable tool and an amazing way to make connections, but if you are not careful, it can also be a black hole.  You have to be careful to toe the line so you don’t get sucked in.

If you are interested in connecting with some awesome people be sure to check out my apocalyptic family below
https://www.facebook.com/BareN4kedWords/  https://www.facebook.com/groups/bandofdystopian/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/AllThingsZombie/

Q:  What are you currently working on or is it a secret?

Aria:  I am working on book 3 in the Icarus Series, a co-author project with a friend of mine (stay tuned for the reveal in a couple of months) and spearheading a top-secret anthology project with some amazing and talented authors.

Q:  I hear that you recently attended Utopia.  How was your first experience at a signing?

Aria:  AMAZING.  Utopia was…(sigh) life changing.  I sat in on panels, spoke to veterans with amazing wisdom, and I had the privilege of sharing oxygen with some of the most talented authors and bloggers in the indie world.  I learned more than I could have ever dreamed and made lasting connections with so many wonderful indies and it was absolutely surreal meeting fans that had travelled from thousands of miles away just to meet me (and the other amazing wordies).  I was even asked to participate in a round table discussion with some of the most up and coming talent in the genre.  I drank the Utopia Kool-aid, y’all.  I have already started filling my piggy bank for next year and I have some exciting new ideas I plan to bring along.

Q:  If you could be any character you have written, who would you choose?

Aria:  Tessa from Ballistic.  She is a bad-ass chick who doesn’t take crap from anyone.  She overcame an abusive relationship, drug addiction, and a male dominated military organisation to become the amazing force of nature that she is in the story.

Q:  What are you currently reading?

Aria:  I just finished Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher.  O…M…G if you haven’t read it, you should. Seriously, go now and get your copy.  That book is raw and gritty and honest.  I loved it hard.

 Q:  Fictional dinner party.  Give me 5 fictional characters or authors that you would have as dinner companions.

Aria:  Margot from Marrow by Tarryn Fisher because she is bad-ass.  Zander from the Icarus Series because in my head he looks like a young Ian Sommerhaulder (and yummmmmm).  Liza from Gods of Anthem by Logan Keys.  She is the ultimate survivor.  You must give this book a read if you haven’t yet https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Anthem-Book-one-ebook/dp/B00ZUA2X3M Steven King, mostly just because he is Steven King, but also because he pretty much says whatever he wants nowadays.  An unfiltered genius would be excellent company.  Rachel Higginson, because honestly I would LOVE to pick that woman’s brain.

Thank you so much Aria for taking the time to take part in our interview.  The Icarus Series is definitely on my TBR and I will be sure to check out the other reads you have recommended.  Excited for the new projects you have mentioned too, be sure to keep us updated!

This weeks Author Spotlight we interviewed Caroline A. Gill.  Caroline is the author of the acclaimed Flykeeper Chronicles, Flying Away, Flying Blind and the 3rd book Flying free is due for release on the 10th August.

Caroline took time away from her Facebook release party preparations to take part, so thank you!

Q.  At what point in your life did you realise that you wanted to be a writer?

Caroline:  In the third grade, we made our own books.  Stitched together paper with needle and thread, used pencils to mark the lines, wrote the draft, and coloured the cardboard cover, it took days.  I wrote Super Cluck, the story of a chicken who saved his girlfriend from a fox.  It was a massive hit.

We had no television on purpose.  So I read everything.  I spent days sitting in the children’s section of the library, going through books like boxes of candy.  That’s where I fell in love with the sauciness of Dr. Seuss, the yearning romanticism of Shel Silverstein, the dark heart of Mary Shelley, the grand visions of Tolkien, CS Lewis, Frank Baum, and so many others.  I first found fantasy writers when i was introduced to David Eddings, Goodkind, Lackey, and McCaffery.  And then of course JK Rowling, Suzanne Collins, James Dashner, Brandon Sanderson, and Stephen King.

I was fostered in my love of the written word by my high school English teachers Robin Adair and Chris Skelton.  They pushed me to do more, to write my own voice, to find my own song, and to visit worlds no one had ever before landed upon.  Their support made all the difference.

Q.  Where to you drawn your inspiration?  Do you ever in some ways use real life experiences?

Caroline:  Well, a foundational aspect to my writing is: Magic is found in the most ordinary of places.  I feel like finding the wonder in our own lives is the real trick.  We can’t all be hidden princesses.  When we see the beauty of the world immediately surrounding us, that’s when we rise to our strength, when we find our joy.

And the basis of all my stories is that: Joy, Friendship, and Family will always lift us to be better versions of ourselves.

Q.  Do you need peace and quiet to write or do you need a playlist to keep you going?  If you do, would you share it with us?

Caroline:  When writing emotional scenes, I need music that speaks to that quality, that mood.  With Flying Away, and the whole Flykeeper Chronicles, I listened to the Guardians of the Galaxy Soundtrack.  Oldies but goodies all of which had a punch.  That helped when dealing with the confusion and anger of my main character, Iolani Bearse.

Q.  Are your characters always a complete work of fiction or is there an element of someone you know to start the idea rolling?

Caroline:  Bits of people I know, mostly.  That’s what makes them stand out, the likes and sayings,  the attitudes and assumptions they make.  Cheesie, Al, Calvin Chong, all have basis in people I know.  Friends, even.  Because it’s the ticks that make the characters live.

Q.  What are your experiences of being an Indie Author, do you find that social media is a help or a distraction to your writing?

Caroline:  It is both the best and the worst of things: Facebook has connected me to so much talent.  So many readers and bloggers have been found within the social media community.  There is truly power in the reach of these connections.  Getting noticed is ever more difficult as the market is glutted with 100k books and then more and more.  Standing out in the crowd is difficult.  Social media makes it easier only if you have a brand, and can market effectively.  Social media for family and cat pics?  Not so helpful.  But dang cute.

Q.  What are you currently working on, or is it a secret? 

Caroline:  I am working on the third book of a vampire hunter serial, Kinship: The Uncertain Life of a Vampire Hunter.  The first book is due out in October.  I am also working on a thriller/space opera prequel that should really be a blast!

Q.  Flies may be seen by some as an unusual focal point, what let you to choose that idea?

Caroline:  So many stories start with the unknown hero who has the magic ability to……. or the magic item that opens a fantastic world.  I think magic is found in the most ordinary of things, if they are loved.  Have you ever notice how you meet someone and they don’t register on your radar.  It’s only when they are kind, when they include you, that we start to see them, really.  And those that we love shine with an inner light to our eyes.  Love makes ordinary things beautiful.  Love helps ordinary people step into greatness.

Q.  If you could be any character you have written, who would you choose?

Caroline:  Probably Jackie.  There is a loyalty to her friendship that matters.  I treasure her.

Q.  What are you currently reading?

Caroline:  Heartless, by Kelly Martin.  Frantic, by Casey L. Bond, Ballistic, by Aria Michaels, the Revolution: Utopia 2016 Anthology.

Q.  Fictional dinner party.  Give me 5 fictional characters or authors who you would have as dinner companions.

Caroline:  Jo from Little Women, Oliver from Oliver Twist, Peta from Hunger Games, the Walrus from Alice and Wonderland, and Portia from the Merchant of Venice.  That would be some party, Right?

Post-Apocalyptic Playground – wow, that really would be some party!   Thank you again Caroline for taking part in our Spotlight interview.

Please come and join Caroline on Facebook between the 10th and 11th August for the release of Flying Free, we will also be taking part with a takeover slot on the 11th, would love to see you there!  https://www.facebook.com/events/531873903680618/

For this week’s author spotlight, we interviewed Scarlet Le Clair.   Scarlet is the author of the Zombie Apocalypse book George:  The Long Road Home.  She has been very poorly this week so a big thank you to her for taking time out to answer our questions.

Scarlet lives in a small village in the Welsh Valley’s, UK.  She loves to read and can mostly be found with a book in her hand.

Q.  At what point in your life did you realise you wanted to be a writer?

Scarlet:  I’ve always had a love of reading and because of that I enjoyed writing my own short stories.

Q.  Where do you draw your inspiration, do you ever in some ways use real life experiences?

Scarlet:  Some of it is from real life.  Lately, it comes to me in dreams or at three o’clock in the morning when I’m trying to get my son back to sleep.

Q.  Do you need peace and quiet to write or do you have a playlist to keep you going?  If you do would you share it with us?

Scarlet: I need peace and quiet, I don’t have the TV or music on

Q.  Are your characters always a complete work of fiction or is there an element of someone you know to get the idea rolling?

Scarlet:  So far all my characters have been a work of fiction. Although I tweaked my character George’s appearance to match my cover model Elman Espana.  I have another work in progress that I am co authoring with Lizzie James that is loosely based on a real person.

Q.  What are your experiences of being an indie author?  Do you find social media is a help or a distraction to your writing?

Scarlet:  Lol.  It can be both. Facebook is a huge problem for me I’ll go on for 2 minutes and a hour later I’m still on there!  But it can also be a really good place to pimp my books, through my page, SASS street team and various takeovers.

Q.  What are you currently working on or is it a secret?

Scarlet:  I have just completed the third book in the Torn Trilogy, I just need to do the edits.  and I’m working on another with Lizzie James but that’s all I can say!

Q.  George is quite a departure from your first two books, was it a hard decision to change genre’s? 

Scarlet:  I’ve always loved horror and the creepy side of things since I was younger,  I love the Goosebumps Series and the Darren Shan books and as I grew older that morphed into a love of all things Zombie.  I think in enjoy the survivors POV, and what they need to do in order to survive.

Q.  If you could be any character you have written, who would you choose?

Scarlet:  Sam.  Who wouldn’t want to be between two hot lifeguard brothers?

Q.  What are you currently reading?

Scarlet:  I have just finished Into the Nothing by B.T Urruela, it was amazing.

Q.  Fictional Dinner Party!  Give me 5 fictional characters or authors who you would have as dinner companions.

Scarlet:  Dumbledore, Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, Dean Winchester and Mike Talbot (from the Zombie Fallout Series by Mark Tufo)

Scarlett, thank you so much for taking the time out to do this interview with us and we hope you feel better soon! 

George: The Long Road Home is available now!
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F9E8N8C/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01F9E8N8C/