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Interview with Valerie Nifora, Author of Mary Whitcombe

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Mary Whitcombe?

I had just finished ‘The Fairmounts’ and handed that off to my publisher and then Mary (one of the characters in The Fairmounts) figuratively tapped me on the shoulder, and felt the need to explain herself. So, I sat in front of my computer and started writing. It’s her confessional. She wanted to explain why she made the choices she made that caused the things to happen in ‘The Fairmounts’. It was definitely a stream of consciousness that took over. I didn’t know it was going to be a series, to be frank, until that moment.

Although ‘Mary Whitcombe’ is book two in The Fairmount series, it's written in such a way that it’s a standalone book. You can read it out of order or simply just read it, and that’s it. I did that very intentionally. They work together to add more clarity to what happened, but they are also very independent. Unlike most series where the narrator stays the same, in this series it switches. Harry told the story in ‘The Fairmounts’. Mary tells the story in ‘Mary Whitcombe’. And yes, I do have book three coming together now so stay tuned!

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Mary Whitcombe, what would they be?

Theme songs. Ok. Let me think. That’s a fun question!

For Mary it’s, “Loneliness for Love” by Lovelytheband, for Harry it’s “Summertime Friends” by The Chainsmokers, for John Fairmount it’s “Ocean Drive” by Duke Dumont, for Marco it’s “Colour My Heart” by Charlotte OC, and for Lois it’s “It Ends Tonight” by All-American Rejects.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

For the most part I read the genre I write. I started writing because there was nothing more to read in my category. Now, I appreciate that sounds odd given the number of books that are published each year. But, I’m a fan of first-person narratives, written in a style very long forgotten, and, as it so happens, that’s what I write! My favorite books ‘A Blithdale Romance’, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, ‘Rebecca’ and ‘My Cousin Rachel’ by Daphne du Maurier, ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and ‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Bronte.

It’s a completely different way of telling a story. They’re incredibly unique in their own way, and they carry you along to an unexpected ending. That’s what I hope I achieve with my books.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

My “to be read” pile is currently filled with several nonfiction books and biographies, and of course I revisit the books I mentioned before. They’re comfortable companions! I will confess I don’t have a lot of time to read balancing life, work, kids, spouse, so I tend to watch movies. Old historical films or remakes of the books I just mentioned. Correction, I tend to fall asleep watching movies. Although, I will say, I’m currently fascinated by the 2022 film ‘Elvis’ and the breathtaking job Austin Butler did in that film. Just awe inspiring.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I have a few favorite scenes, but I don’t want to spoil what happens. I’ll say that any scene that involves Mary Whitcombe and John Fairmount is my favorite. They were incredibly fun to write and imagine, and hopefully fun to read. For those unfamiliar, John Fairmount is the “Great Gatsby-esque” character that strikes a bargain with Mary Whitcombe, the heiress with a missing fortune. The bargain is to keep the nephew, Harry away from Joh Fairmount’s wife, Lois. Harry has shown interest in Mary and so the story spins from there.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

Quirky writing habits. Let’s see. I try to write on Saturday mornings before my household wakes up and I do it mostly in the dining room, because it’s the place I will make the least noise to disturb anyone. I also only write on my laptop. I can’t write stories longhand. It always has to be on a computer.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

I have a few mottos. First and foremost, life is beautiful and people make it ugly. I try to contribute to the beautiful part.

The other is that sometimes, people are just not going to like you. So, leave it. To paraphrase Denzel Washington, sometimes your angels irritate their demons. And there’s nothing you can do about that, but find the other people with angels and spend your time with them.

And finally, make peace with yourself. I think the world would be a much better place if people actually made peace with themselves.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I hope that people remember that you can make a beautiful life even when bad things happen. I think it’s the chaos of being alive. Things will happen. People will come and go, but you have choices and responsibilities and you can improve whatever it is. I hope they come away with a better understanding of love, forgiveness, redemption, and hope. Those are essentially the things I write about. I hope my works contribute to the “beautiful” in life.

Valerie Nifora is the author of the new book Mary Whitcombe

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Interview with Zaayin Salaam MD, Author of With Love, From Planet B

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write With Love, From Planet B?

It started as a self-therapy "dystopian foresight" to deal with our denial of climate change, then became a deconstruction of religion and a spiritual evolution for myself. The spiral put it - Self in this book. This novel is a Spiral-Ritual (spiritual) manual of sorts. I truly went deep and chose only the most stable, accurate "knowings" and "insights" to put in the novel.

This book will elevate people's consciousness even though they may not recognize it at the time. I know that's a bold statement to make. But that's how far I went, and how careful I was. The messages in this book were earned and learned.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Lesbian sci-fi spiritual - is a genre I hope develops. I like my books to have some deeper meanings, connect with reality, or at least invoke deeper feelings.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Channeled alien books (Law of One, The Hathors, Thoth), and spiritual non-fiction (Conversations with the Universe).

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Each scene had its purpose and place and time. I removed many great scenes to cut the size down.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I find the right song and then play it on repeat... for days...

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Always be truthful even in my fiction, deliver truths to people. I don't imagine dystopians for shock-value, but some dystopian futures I wrote about are already coming true. I try very hard to be truthful and accurate, even in fiction. So that people can trust me and relax, and let the deeper messages in.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

The Three Spiritual Diseases of Earthlings, and that we can cure them, and regain our lost senses.

Zaayin Salaam MD is the author of the new book With Love, From Planet B

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Interview with Callie Hutton, Author of To Charm a Highlander

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write To Charm a Highlander?

Donella Sutherland is the youngest of her siblings. Several years ago her personality changed and she grew very quiet. So much so that the family and the rest of the clan thought she was simple-minded. Donella has been part of the series since the first book and it was time for her story...

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of To Charm a Highlander, what would they be?

Callum: All my lovin'. (The Beatles)

Donella: Bridge Over Trouble Waters (Simon & Garfunkel)

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Yes, I read and write historical romance; I also write Victorian cozy mystery, but I don't read it.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Saving Grace (Julie Garwood), Stolen Highland Hearts series (Jayne Castel), Her Master and Commander (Karen Hawkins), and about 40 more!

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The scene where Callum Gunn was about to be thrown out of the Sutherland castle because the Laird doesn't trust the Gunn clan, and Callum saves Donella from certain death by catching her as she falls down a stone staircase.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

If you think you can, or your think you can't, you're probably right.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I'd like them to remember how many surprises are in the book.

Callie Hutton is the author of the new book To Charm a Highlander

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Interview with Laura R. Hepworth, Author of From the Ashes

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write From the Ashes?

A few things honestly, I love fairy tales and retellings in general along with art which is a major theme for this book and the whole of the Guilded Kingdoms series, but the primary inspiration actually came from majorly misreading someone's question on a Facebook group I'm in. Someone had asked in an artist group whether everyone thought it would be cheating for them to hire an artist assistant, but I instead of 'assistant' I read 'assassin' which sparked all kinds of ideas in my head.

A little while later, I decided to try an experiment with serializing my chapter drafts while I wrote, but wanted to do it with a new project rather than use one of my other work-in-progress stories. As an avid reader of fairy tale retellings, I thought this would be a perfect time to try my hand at writing one and the idea of combining art and magic in a fairy tale setting based on my misreading of that question sounded like a really fun and unique idea. And, as it turns out, I was right! It's been so much fun writing this story and my mind is already running away with me for the rest of the series.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Oh, that's hard! I love so many, all of which are some form of sci-fi or fantasy. My top favorites though would have to be fairy tale or classics retellings (bonus points if it's both!) and steampunk. Oh, and library/book-themed fantasy! My background is in art, jewelry, and library so I always love reading a fantasy book with any of these as a major aspect of the story. And, yes, my favorite genres to read are the same ones that I love to write.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

More than I will ever be able to finish! Right now though, I'm working through A.G. Marshall's Fairy Tale Adventures series, but I also need to catch up on the rest of K.M. Shea's Timeless Fairy Tales and Fairy Tale Enchantress series. Plus I've missed a few books by Brittany Fichter that I really want to read. Honestly though, pretty much every clean, indie author fairy tale retelling is on my TBR pile right now!

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Just about any scene with Lady Halishym or Ilysa. Both characters were so much fun to write! Also, scenes where I got to really let loose with the villains.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

Fuzzy blankets and chai tea! I always have a blanket on me while I'm on the computer and, as often as possible, a mug of chai or cocoa (or combination of chai and cocoa).

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Colossians 3:23 - "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;"

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

A very good and very hard question to answer as I didn't have any specific thing in mind while writing this story. However, through the course of the book you see the importance of family to both Lael and Nathyn and of doing the right thing even in difficult circumstances. Lessons are also learned about being careful of who we give our trust to and of forgiveness.

Laura R. Hepworth is the author of the new book From the Ashes (Guilded Kingdoms Book 1)

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Interview with N R Emerald, Author of Shae Anson

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Shae Anson?

Letting go of the past... to embrace the future.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

To write: Inspirational romance...

To read: Billionaire and mafia romance with morally gray men that love their women.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

King of Greed by Ana Huang.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I love writing opening scenes. My aim is to create opening pages that would get the reader curious about the journey the book would take them on.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I prefer to write in mornings.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

A mistake is only a mistake, if you don't learn from it.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

To embrace the future... we at times have to let go of the past.

N R Emerald is the author of the new book Shae Anson

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Interview with Lance Horsman, Author of Bad Medicine

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Bad Medicine?

I wanted to write about themes of Found Family, forgiveness and our assumptions around what is good and evil. I think these are important questions, and believe that fantasy is a great mechanism to investigate our underlying belief-systems. I also had an idea about a magic system that involved the combination of matter and time, and so included that in Bad Medicine as the tool for how Magic works.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Bad Medicine, what would they be?

Eddie – Immigrant song – Led Zepplin, Becca - - Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mathilda – Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A, Sko – “I saw the light”, and The Odelia – Volare – Dean Martin

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Yes – Fantasy and sci-fi are my favourite, hands down… but I will read anything that is interesting or well written!

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Shantaram by Gregory Roberts and An inheritance of Magic by Benedict Jacka.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The fight scene in the department store was absolutely the most fun I had whilst writing Bad Medicine! It’s got rocket launchers, demon possession, ancient Irish magic, Davey Crocket’s knife from the Alamo, personal realisations in the midst of chaos, fire mages… it’s a smorgasbord of intense action, and was really fun to write!

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I need to start writing with a cup of tea. (Writers are, after all, the vanguard of civilisation, and so we should set the standard! What is life when we can’t start important tasks with a cup of tea?)

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

“Take all the wins.” I say it often to myself. Being a bit of a perfectionist, it’s easy to focus on the negative or dwell on what’s not right so I can strive to fix it. This can be very productive at times, but it also means that I don’t always acknowledge the amazing things that are happening around me at any point in time. By reminding myself to ‘Take all the wins’, it helps me to take time to smell the roses and acknowledge all the good things in my life.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Find your tribe, and hold onto them tightly!

Lance Horsman is the author of the new book Bad Medicine

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Interview with James Wood, Author of The Ebon Knight

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Ebon Knight?

I had an intermittent dream for almost a decade about two adversaries on opposite sides of the Eternal Conflict meeting unexpectedly at a diner (of all places) and forming an improbable alliance versus a new third power that had entered the fray. I was inspired to write the book because I wanted to know what happened between them, and I am now on my third book in the series... so, yeah, a lot happened!

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Ebon Knight, what would they be?

The Overall Series: Clint Mansell – “Lux Aeterna” (Requiem for a Dream); Kelso Hart: Eve 6 – “Inside Out” (before meeting Ava), Jason Michael Carroll – “Livin’ Our Love Song” (after); Ava Pentran The Sneaker Pimps – “6 Underground” (before meeting Kelso), The Naked and Famous – “Hearts Like Ours” (after).

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Horror is my first love, but my series is dark/urban fantasy.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Tales from the Gas Station Volume I, The Last Storm, Megladon Bloodbath, and The Whiteout Series.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Either the first time Kelso & Ava go out together OR when a battle breaks out at an abandoned barn. Completely different, but both very good.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

Yes, if I get stuck on a scene or a chapter I head over to a particular coffee shop thirty minutes away to break it... passing dozens of coffee shops on the way!

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

"It is what it is and cannot be changed." - variations of such can be found several times through my books.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Absolute good and absolute evil are exceedingly rare, revel in the grey.

James Wood is the author of the new book The Ebon Knight

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