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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Backstage Pass: A Business Book That’s Far From Conventional?

I’ve had tons of funny war stories from my long music and video games career, and when I worked in corporate companies, I used to tell them at the water cooler, coffee house, or over lunch. The reaction would always be the same:

“You did what?”

“You worked with who?”

“You went where?”

It wasn’t until quite a few years later that a few people I know well suggested I write some of these stories down. After all, I’m not getting any younger!

My inspiration came from the fact that in 1984, my careers teacher told me I’d amount to nothing. Since then, I have been motivated by the challenge of proving people wrong. Especially my career teacher!

So, when the book went to #1 on Amazon, I quietly gave him the birdie!

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Backstage Pass: A Business Book That’s Far From Conventional, what would they be?

As this is a book of career and life lessons wrapped around a true Rock and Roll story, each chapter in the book is named after a famous song!

Tracklist (and chapter titles):

1. Bat Out of Hell (Meatloaf)
2. Don't Dream It's Over (Crowded House)
3. Thank You For The Music (ABBA)
4. Feels Like Heaven (Ariel Pink)
5. (We Are) The Roadcrew (Motorhead)
6. Take on Me (A-ha)
7. New York New York (Frank Sinatra)
8. Won't Get Fooled Again (The Who)
9. The Show Must Go On (Queen)
10. Route 66 (Chuck Berry)
11. Leap of Faith (Bruce Springsteen)
12. Taking Care of Business (Bachman Turner Overdrive)
13. The Long and Winding Road (The Beatles)
14. London Calling (The Clash)
15. Chelsea Dagger (The Fratellis)
16. Shot Down In Flames (AC/DC)
17. Wind of Change (The Scorpions)
18. Like a Virgin (Madonna)
19. Billion Dollar Babies (Alice Cooper)
20. Heart Shaped (X)box (Nirvana)
21. I Can See Clearly Now (Jimmy Cliff)
22. Video Killed The Radio Star (Buggles)

Grab the album for free here:

Apple Music

Spotify

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

I love reading rock and roll books like Lives of Brian by Brian Johnson or Loud by Tana Douglas for pleasure. For personal and career advancement I read mostly marketing-related books.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

1. Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal
2. Growth Levers and How to Find Them by Matt Lerner
3. How Brands Blow by Ryan Wallman, Giles Edwards

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

There’s a scene in the book called “The Turkey Run” that’s had people in stitches laughing. I don’t want to spoil it so you’ll have to buy the book!

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

Not really; you might be surprised to hear that. I can write anywhere, but my number 1 prerequisite is that I need solitude and a clear calendar, apart from the appointment with myself to write.

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

Keep on rockin’! After all, the tagline for my book is 50% Rock and Roll, 50% Business, 100% true!

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

How they laughed, learned, and got inspired at the same time. Is that three? 😉 Can I have three?

 

Harvey Lee is the author of the new book Backstage Pass: A Business Book That’s Far From Conventional

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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Eok Warriors Series Box Set?

The Eok Warriors series is my first completed series and is very dear to my heart. I fell in love with the romance genre early on in my reading journey and science fiction romance was the perfect marriage of my love for both romance and science fiction. The Eok Warriors series is a product of that love.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Eok Warriors Series Box Set, what would they be?

Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf.

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

I live and breathe paranormal romance, but I also love YA romance and occasionally horror as well.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Too many to count! But I'm currently reading Freeing Luka, in the Clecanian series by Victoria Aveline.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I'm a sucker for a great Meet Cute, so it's certainly that!

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

I do! I light a pink candle, make myself an insanely large cup of coffee, and settle in my writing chair each time I write.

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

Not really, but as a busy working mom, I'm sure my kids would answer it's "I'm just doing my best!"

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

That what makes us human is our common need for love and acceptance. Apparently, aliens share that need in my books!

 

Mary Auclair is the author of the new book Eok Warriors Series Box Set

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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Girl in the Forest?

The thrill of discovering a fantasy world hidden in the real world inspired this trilogy. The Girl in the Forest is book 2 in the trilogy.

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

I love fantasy, romance, thrillers, spy novels, mafia, historical… My favorite genre to write is romantasy.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

First Lie Wins, The Vanished Days, and Sabotage.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

If I had to choose, the action scenes, but the romance is a close second. And the dog. His scenes, and anyone who loves dogs will know why. (I’m sorry if you cry.)

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

Sticky notes are EVERYWHERE.

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

I like the dedication: For all the girls who would rather run with the wolves than do laundry… Go ahead and run.

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

The thrill.

 

Sue Wilder is the author of the new book The Girl in the Forest

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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Reset (Time Corrector Series Book 3)?

In 1994, I dreamed of speaking with a girl fluently in Japanese. Trains were flying over buildings, and I was bidding goodbye to her. I ignored it and dived into Calculus, Statistics, and Quantum Mechanics. The dream reappeared again in 2020, and I could see the sunset in her eyes this time. So I named her Akane and started fleshing out the story. I wrote the story so that I wouldn’t forget it.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Reset (Time Corrector Series Book 3), what would they be?

This is actually an excellent question. I have synesthesia, so I can easily relate.

• “Final Assenct” from Hans from the last James Bon Film.

• Liszt’s Consolation No. 3.

• Chopin’s Raindrop Prelude (Op. 28, no. 15).

• Attack on Titan Appleseed theme.

• Bruce Wayne Suite by Michael Giacchino.

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

Believe it or not, I mostly read non-fiction. Books about watchmaking, art, and automobiles fascinate me.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

The Letters of Vicent van Gogh.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The entire chapter Lunatics, especially when we find out the circumstances that led to revealing the truth. And the chapter, Filth, where Akane asks Vincent, "Why did you learn Japanese?"

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

I need my double-shot espresso before I start writing. It requires four bars of pre-infusion for 4-7 seconds, followed by 9 bars of extraction for 25-50 seconds. And I need my playlist.

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

Yes. “It’s far better to die while dreaming than wake up every morning to find my dreams are dead.” This is my own quotation that I used in the book.

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

The structure and content of pain are universal no matter what station one is in their life. Further, the unexplained nuances of Emika’s character get some clarity in the last three chapters. More clarity will come in Book Two, which begins with Emika’s POV.

 

Avi Datta is the author of the new book The Reset (Time Corrector Series Book 3)

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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write A Path of Possession (The N-ergy Cycle Book 1)?

Years ago, a member of the writing group I attended threw out an idea of a story with a young woman using gems passed down by her mother to grow precious herbs/flowers/etc. The original idea involved gems called dew drops. It evolved into its current form during the writing process as the story took unexpected turns.

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

I'm into how-to writing books these days. Larry Brooks' "Story Engineering" and associated titles float at the top of that list. But for fiction, I'm on a William Gibson binge, which, as science fiction, is a far cry from my current succession of fantasy novels.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

J.F. Penn's Writing the Shadow, Mary Buckham's Writing Active Settings, Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird. And a Kindle full of fiction in both science fiction and fantasy.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The Prologue underwent several iterations, and even started out as an opening chapter over a prologue. In the end, the smoothness of the finished prologue launched me into the rest of the story.

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

I write more while at work than at home (I work the overnight shift and have more non-working moments at work than actual work). It's a sweet gig!

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

I want to entertain. If I can carry a reader's interest from cover to cover, I feel I have accomplished my goal with that story.

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

There are more stories to come! I'd like for a reader to want to pick up my next one after finishing their current read. Outside of that, I'd like my characters and their paths through the story's obstacles to be memorable and encouraging to those facing similar problems.

 

Charles Brass is the author of the new book A Path of Possession (The N-ergy Cycle Book 1)

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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write A Graveyard in Algiers?

As an advocate for cultural diversity, a student of history, and a traveler who has spent time in North Africa, I cannot ignore how terribly history has mistreated Algeria, calling its people Barbary Pirates and, most recently, rewriting history to say that the Algerians were the first Islamic terrorists. This explains why my protagonist is an outsider with a clear and unbiased perspective.

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

I enjoy all genres, though I avoid horror because the trend is toward gore and depravity. Even so, I like post-apocalyptic stories, crime, and mysteries; particularly those set outside Europe and the USA.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Hurst by Robin Crumby; The Light We Lost by Kyla Stone; A Mumbai Murder Mystery by Meeti Shroff-Shah; The Verifiers by Jane Pek; Blackwater Falls by Ausma Z. Khan.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Witness testimony by those who attended the exorcism at the Villa Suwaylim in A Graveyard in Algiers. Unfortunately, much if not most of that eyewitness testimony had to be deleted owing to its length.

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

I listen to the sort of music that is played at theaters while the closing credits run.

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

People fear what they don’t understand.

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

I’d like people to relish the experience of reading a story that gave them pleasure. At the same time, if it provokes thought, then all the better.

 

AJ Lewis is the author of the new book A Graveyard in Algiers

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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Fear Within?

My interest in Freudian psychoanalysis and how it intersects with dreams, the unconscious and traditional medicine propelled me to create "The Fear Within."

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

Thrillers.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The killing of Dr. Reich on the ECT machine.

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

How Freud was right about so many things regarding the construct of the mind and how his work informed psychiatry.

 

Michael Scott Green is the author of the new book The Fear Within

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