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Interview with Nowick Gray, Author of Charlie Utopia

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Charlie Utopia?

The end of a fourteen-year relationship in my own life shocked me into taking a deeper look at my own issues. Had I sacrificed love to chase utopian visions of success? After separation, I was confused by four conflicting possibilities: take time to heal and grow; explore total freedom; revive an old flame; or be open to a new relationship close at hand.

The fictional character Charlie Utopia gave me the distance to have perspective on this dilemma, and to try to convey the more universal emotional experience and lessons to be learned.

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

Charlie: “Keep on Walkin (Don’t Look Back)” – Peter Tosh with Mick Jagger. Sharon: “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” Bridget: “My Way.” Charlotte: “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte."

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

Satire. Yes, though I favor the more subtle uses of irony.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

David Graeber, The Dawn of Everything. Douglas Coupland, Binge. David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous. Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See. Stephen King, The Outsider. Brian Brett, Trauma Farm: A Rebel History of Rural Life. Douglas Glover, Elle. John d’Agata, The Lost Origins of the Essay. Margaret Laurence, Dance on the Earth.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The February outing to the river ice in the subzero cold seemed the perfect prelude to reveal a relationship about to fail. The physical scene painted the emotional state of Charlie and Sharon—its mood prescient with inevitability. The stage is set for one life to end, and another to begin.

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

Believing each book will be a bestseller 🙂

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

“Everything is happening in perfect time.”

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

That love is always possible; we just have to be open to it.

Nowick Gray is the author of the new book Charlie Utopia

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Interview with Lee Maguire, Author of Convergence

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Convergence?

Life themes overlap and flow through time. Our past flows into the present. Present events trigger past memories. Convergence is about how these themes are present in the life and work of psychologist Dr. Bryce Davison.

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

Yes, I love psychological thrillers, but of all varieties, including legal thrillers and crime thrillers. All of these are heavily psychological in nature.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I often turn to David Baldacci, but I have the longest relationship with the books of Jonathan Kellerman, who writes about a psychologist and cop combo, which is also present in my series.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

There is a tragic scene in Convergence. I didn't know until I was writing it how it would go. It's not a fun scene, but it's very powerful. Even though I was writing it, the scene took my breath away.

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

I'm a pen and journal collector. Even though I compose on a computer, a pen and notebook are nearby so I can jot down thoughts. The right pen and the right notebook!

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

As I write, the latin term "cui bono" comes to mind. Who benefits from an action? It's something both psychologists and detectives may grapple with. For my life outside of writing, the term "pax vobiscum" has power for me. Peace be with you. I try to be mindful of the power of peace.

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

The main characters, Bryce Davison and Paul Dean, are evolving. The beauty of writing a series is that you can observe how they grow, even when they may not want to. Hanging out with the characters over time draws them into your life and vice versa.

Lee Maguire is the author of the new book Convergence

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Interview with Mike Murphy, Author of Lizzie Fox

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Lizzie Fox?

Several years ago while attending the Austin Film Festival, writer and director, John Lee Hancock encouraged me to write a screenplay about things I was familiar with and have a female as the protagonist. Lizzie Fox the novel started out as an award-winning screenplay.

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

Funny you should ask, the chapter headings in Lizzie Fox are popular songs of the era that reflect the mood and tone of that chapter.

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

No favorites.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

None at the moment.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Lizzie knows that to unravel the mystery, she must travel to La Zona Rosa, a seedy place on the outskirts of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico—also known as Boys Town.

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

Not that I know of.

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

I would rather have tried and failed, than not to have tried at all!

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

Where you find power you will almost always find corruption.

Mike Murphy is the author of the new book Lizzie Fox

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Interview with R.L. Mathewson, Author of Another Christmas from Hell

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Another Christmas from Hell?

For the past two years, I’ve been dying to write another Christmas story, but I was always trying to catch up on a series or couldn’t come up with anything that really caught my attention until finally, this past year, I had an “Ah-ha!” moment with Bryce James from the Neighbor from Hell series. I let the story play out and I decided that it was definitely the story I wanted to write.

I wrote another book years ago, A Christmas from Hell, and I loved the book and decided that the Bradford family definitely deserved an encore. I loved this concept, a brooding, stubborn man in denial, determined to do whatever it took to avoid the one woman that could bring him to his knees during the holidays. I had a lot of fun writing this book, seeing how far I could push him with all the things that he hated about Christmas.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Another Christmas from Hell, what would they be?

Come Undone by Duran Duran, Bad Habits Ed Sheeran, Bloodstream Ed Sheeran, Adore You Harry Styles, Watermelon Sugar Harry Styles, Sweetest Sin by Jessica Simpson AND of course, All I Want for Christmas by Mariah Carey and Justin Bieber.

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

Regency Romance. I’m just a sucker for a historical romance taking place in nineteenth century England.

No and… yes, I had the chance to write a historical book years ago. It was Truce: The Historical Neighbor from Hell. I took a different approach to it than what is the norm. I wrote with my same writing style, keeping the descriptions low and just focused on the story. It was probably one of the most difficult books that I’ve ever written, but it’s definitely a favorite of mine.

I will say that whatever I’m writing at the moment is usually my favorite genre to write. I work between paranormal and contemporary. Right now, I’m working on the next Neighbor from Hell novel and the next YA Neighbor from Hell novel, so contemporary romance is my favorite… at least until January when I go back to paranormal romance.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I know this is wrong on so many levels because I’m an author, but I don’t have anything on my TBR right now. I’ve been so busy with kids and work that I haven’t had a chance in a very long time to read anything new for pleasure. When I need an escape, I normally hit my favorites, Lothaire by Kresley Cole and Lady Rogue by Suzanne Enoch.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Probably when Bryce confronts Cayley about her crush and she brings him to his knees.

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

A baseball hat. For years, it was my Yankees baseball cap in honor of Haley in Playing for Keeps, but over the years, I’ve gone through several of them, a few got destroyed, one got stolen, and I have no idea what happened to my last one. So now I wear this really comfortable baseball cap that a marketing company sent me as a sample and I love it, but I’ll most likely find another Yankees hat soon because it always worked well for me.

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

“Your goals don’t give a f#ck about your excuses.” It pretty much puts everything into perspective for me. Another one is, “This too shall pass” when I’m struggling.

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

All the reasons Another Christmas from Hell made them smile.

R.L. Mathewson is the author of the new book Another Christmas from Hell

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The Story Behind Four Nights by Stephanie Brother

The Story Behind Four Nights by Stephanie Brother

A visit to a small island town on the east coast of the U.S. in the fall of 2019 inspired my Four series of reverse harem romances that launched in spring 2020. Writing the novels, which take place on the fictional island of Four Points, was a great mental escape in the early days of the pandemic.

The original series is now complete with eight books, but I wasn't ready to leave the island behind (and one lovely reader said she wished the Four series would go on four-ever), so my newest book, Four Nights, is the first of a new spin-off series called Four After Dark. The first few novels — all standalones with related characters — will revolve around Club Red, a male revue club, and will be a bit spicier than the original series.

Though the men always come in groups of four on the Island, the stories have a lot of variety: enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, second chances, and in the new Four Nights book, virgin romance.

Virginity is a social concept that shouldn't matter much in real life, but in romance, someone's first sexual experience brings an extra angle of excitement to the story.

Four Nights includes a varied group of men and an interesting twist: One of the men in the relationship is also a virgin, and another man in the harem guides him and the story’s heroine, Autumn.

Even though the scenarios in reverse harem stories can be fantastical, I aim to make my stories and the situations in them relatable for readers. Sex is only one aspect of the journey my characters take to find their happily ever after.

Stephanie Brother is the author of the new book Four Nights

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Interview with Arthur Drake, Author of Fields Of Blood

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Fields Of Blood?

I was listening to "The Lament For The Rohirrim" by Clamavi De Profundis and the setting sort of popped into my head. I imagined yellow fields blowing in the wind, a stormy mountain dominating the landscape behind them, and a rusty helm of a once proud people brought low. And from there the story was born.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Fields Of Blood, what would they be?

Haha I’m not sure. Most my characters could probably use Basil Poledouris’ “Anvil Of Crom” but for Eadmaer I would probably pick something a little softer and more intense like “The Moonlight Sonata”.

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

I jump around a lot. I read sword and sorcery, horror, weird fiction, westerns, and classics a lot. But I try to read a book in every genre at least once. My favorite to write is certainly sword and sorcery, although I think it’d be fun to try horror at some point.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Too many to count haha. But ones that’ll be up soon are The Knight by Gene Wolfe, Lavondyss by Robert Holdstock, and The Plague by Albert Camus.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I enjoy the battle scenes the most. They come the most naturally to me and I can sit down and write them with an almost effortless flow. For this book in particular it’d be the final showdown between Eadmaer and two of the book’s main antagonists.

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

Not really. I only ever write on the computer. Tried hand writing before but just doesn’t work for me.

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

Not really. I like Acta Non Verba and Patton’s “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.” It always resonated with me as well.

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

Don’t be afraid to dare greatly. It may not get you what you want but it’s better than sitting back and doing nothing.

Arthur Drake is the author of the new book Fields Of Blood

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Interview with Doug Bremner, Author of Justice in the Age of Judgment

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Justice in the Age of Judgment: From Amanda Knox to Kyle Rittenhouse and the Battle for Due Process in the Digital Age?

This book was inspired by several high profile criminal cases and our observations about how the media affects perception of these cases, including social media. We spent several years researching the cases in this book, and as we wrote new events unfolded, including the cases of George Floyd, Kyle Rittenhouse and Ahmaud Arbery, that we felt were relevant and should be included as well.

Anne was personally involved in several of the cases, either as a personal attorney or in other ways, including Amanda Knox, Mary Kay LeTourneau, Rebecca Zahau, and Betty Broderick. She also attended the trials of Michael Jackson, Casey Anthony, and Scott Peterson, and covered these cases as an on-site analyst for national TV.

A central focus of the book is how the media, including social media, have an impact on high-profile criminal cases, and how they can influence and promote quick opinions that are often different than the facts as they are presented in a court of law.

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

Fiction, but I prefer writing nonfiction.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

History of Sienna.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The opening chapter where my sister gets the call that leads her to become the lawyer for Amanda Knox.

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

I write at night when everyone is asleep.

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

Never give up.

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

That our legal system is worth fighting for, that decisions about guilt or innocence need to be made in a court of law, not in the court of public opinion.

Doug Bremner is the author of the new book Justice in the Age of Judgment: From Amanda Knox to Kyle Rittenhouse and the Battle for Due Process in the Digital Age

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Interview with Quinn Marlowe, Author of Her Target

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Her Target?

I'd always thought I could be an author, but instead I was writing outlines and stories for someone else. When I wrote the outline for the Rossi series and the client didn't buy it, I was heartbroken. These were characters I really wanted to bring to life! And then I thought... Well, maybe I should write them myself. And then I did, and I started really wondering why I hadn't done this a long time ago!

Penny and Michael are some of the most fun I've ever had as an author. Their personalities are sooooo different and yet they're so immediately dependent on each other.

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

I actually come up with a soundtrack for each character, so this is easy! Penny's soundtrack is ABBA: Bright, beautiful, and a little bit naive. Michael is all Maneskin, who's one of my favorite bands. Aggressive, unapologetic, and loud!

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

This depends on when you're talking to me! Sometimes YA, sometimes high fantasy, sometimes contemporary, sometimes straight-up history (I'm obsessed with Hollywood history and the Tudors).

I do write the genres I like to read, but I have such ADHD when it comes to reading style that I'm not sure you can judge anything based on that!

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

... I have like thirteen different TBRs, so that makes for about 100 books currently on my list. I'm not sure we have time to go through them all!

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Definitely the dancing-at-the-ball scene. I knew I wanted to write it before I even started the book and I had so much fun figuring out how it would go.

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

I'm a serial procrastinator, so I outline a book and then think about it for two months and then write it in two days. I also HAVE to have a calendar written out right next to me, with one of my favorite pencils. I do character sketches by hand because I think better that way, and my cats are always 'helping' while I write.

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

Funny story: I died when I was 18. I had a TBR and had brain surgery that I wasn't supposed to live through. Obviously I did, but it changed my outlook on life. I like to try whatever I think of almost immediately because you don't know when it'll all be over.

Some might say I have a lack of attention. I just say I'm trying to fit in three lives in one!

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

That Michale and Penny are both trying to do the right thing, and that they've just got very different ways of doing it. That's pretty true of most people in life, I think.

Quinn Marlowe is the author of the new book Her Target

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Interview with Dan Blanchard, Author of A Fighting Chance

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write A Fighting Chance: A 40-Year Journey from My Birth until My Brother's Death?

My brother and I came from a very abusive, dysfunctional home. Our father was dealing with mental health issues and heavily medicating with alcohol. He was very mean and vicious to his whole family. My older brother didn’t make it out of that abusive situation. Neither did my younger brother or mom. They all have passed away. I have gone on to success. And now that my father has passed away, I feel safe to share my story to inspire others not to quit and to keep going so they, too, can be happy and successful.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of A Fighting Chance: A 40-Year Journey from My Birth until My Brother's Death, what would they be?

I've always loved Queen's song, "We Are The Champions."

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

Biographies, self-help, psychology, and history.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Tony Robbins, "Life Force" and Robert Prsig's " Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values".

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The scene when I beat Big Bad Billy to win my first wrestling state championship.

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

I write it out with pen and paper first.

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

Today is going to be a great day!

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

Keep going. You deserve to be happy and successful.

Dan Blanchard is the author of the new book A Fighting Chance: A 40-Year Journey from My Birth until My Brother's Death

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Interview with Thomas Scott, Author of State of One

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write State of One: A Virgil Jones Mystery Thriller?

State of One is the 15th Virgil Jones Mystery-Thriller novel, and like all the other books in the series, it is but a chapter of a much larger over-arching storyline. The main protagonists, Detective Virgil Jones (along with his adopted brother, Murton Wheeler) are special investigators for the Major Crimes Unit, working for, and answering to, the governor of the state. Each book in the series is a stand-alone novel, of course, with a complete and satisfying ending. In other words, there are never any cliffhangers.

While the books can be read in any order, most readers tell me they prefer to start at the beginning of the series to better witness the character growth. All of my novels, including State of One, are very character driven. There’s plot, obviously, but it is used mainly to demonstrate the complexities and nuances of the individual characters… both the good guys and the bad guys. State of One, and the entire series is described as mystery—thrillers, but at their core, they are really love stories in their own unique way, which I find very fitting because love is at once mysterious and thrilling.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of State of One: A Virgil Jones Mystery Thriller, what would they be?

Great question. I watched a documentary not long ago about that little ol' band from Texas. If you're not familiar with the tagline, I'm referring to ZZ Top. In the documentary they speak of playing for hours on end doing nothing but variations on "Shuffle in C." While that's not a song, it sort of captures the flow of my books... easy to read stories with a lot of (almost endless, actually) possible combinations and outcomes.

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

My favorite genre is mystery thrillers... the same genre in which I write. I also like to read as much non-fiction as time permits.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

James Lee Burke's Every Cloak Rolled in Blood is the only thing on the pile right now. It seems I'm due to go book shopping pretty soon!

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I don’t think I could limit myself to a single scene without giving something away, but I will say this: I have two very favorite parts of any novel I’m writing. One is the very beginning. There’s nothing more satisfying (and sometimes horrifying) to sit down, type Chapter One, and then watch and wait to see what happens. The blank canvas is always fun, even if it is sometimes a little scary, sort of like a haunted house at the amusement park. But once I get rolling and the characters begin driving the story, it is an absolute joy. Of course the only thing better than all of that is the ending… to watch it all come together in ways I often never anticipated.

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

Not really. I mean... I'm sort of a quirky guy anyway, so even if I did it'd all seem normal to me.

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

Yeah... I find myself constantly trying to "let go." Ram Dass wrote: The whole trip occurs in an unfolding process of which we have no control.

He was obviously speaking of our lives here on earth, and I’ve found that statement to be very true, especially when it comes to writing novels for a living.

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

That there are 14 novels before this one, and countless others on the way. I try to write each book as if it might be my last.