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Interview with Velvet Davis, author of Immortal Roots

What can you tell us about your new release, Immortal Roots?

Immortal Roots is a fantasy eco-adventure novel with a hint of sci-fi and a cast of unique and magical characters. It's a quirky, light-hearted read that begins in the futuristic village of Semadon. The main character dreams that a forest is summoning her, and sets out on an adventure to find out why. In doing so, she puts her career in jeopardy and life on the line.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

Since I was a young child I wanted to be an author. It was probably inspired by our weekly family trips to the library. My mother would let us pick the maximum books allowed, and I would leave each week with ten and have them all read by the next Saturday. I've just always loved books. I'd ask for blank notebooks as Christmas or birthday presents and would fill them with stories. I still have them all.

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Firebird by Susana Kearsley
Fool On The Hill by Matt Ruff
Tracks by Louise Erdrich
The Bear And The Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

My first guest would be Neil Gaiman. I would ask him which god in America Gods was his favorite to write and why. I'm curious to know since I had such vivid pictures of them in my head while reading the book.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

My favorite thing about writing is that sometimes the story comes together like magic. Or maybe it's just your subconscious at work that makes everything fit together in the end. It happens with characters too. Sometimes they have a life of their own and do things toward the end of a story that you unintentionally foreshadowed earlier on.

What is a typical day like for you?

I usually start out with coffee and some exercise, since I desperately need both to wake up. Then I write for the rest of the morning. I spend the afternoon working on marketing and outreach, the business side of being an author. After dinner, I allow myself some free time which can include anything from surfing the web to spending time with my family. I try to end the day with yoga and a good book.

What scene in Immortal Roots was your favorite to write?

I loved writing all the scenes involving the Archaics, particularly the ones with Oc~ea's children because things go very wrong in a dangerous yet innocent kind of way.

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

I have three words that drive me: Passion, Patience, Perseverance.

Velvet Davis is the author of the new book Immortal Roots.

Connect with Velvet:
Author Page
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Interview with Lorhainne Eckhart, author of It Was Always You

What can you tell us about your new release, It Was Always You?

It Was Always You is from the long running Friessen Family Series and brings back Katy and Steven whose marriage fell apart bit by bit after a brutal attack and the resulting fall out of Steven’s injuries that slowly drove the couple apart and Katy into depression. Steven and Katy share a son who is being looked after by Katy’s parents, Brad and Emily Friessen, while both do their very best to get lives back together. But five long years later they have both moved on dating other people and when Steven comes knocking on her parent’s door when she arrives back in town, his intentions regarding their all but over marriage are soon made very clear. This is a love story of that first love that you never get over.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

There was no singular person that inspired me to become an author, but rather it was where I was in my life, after the birth of my daughter, my oldest recently diagnosed with autism being the mother of three and a marriage all but over and I was hit with that, “is this it?” And it’s that moment that I teach others that talk about in my blogs where we all have a dream and not to ever settle for mediocrity. My dream was to write a book, it always was, I just never did it instead settling for just a job and career that pays the bills but doesn’t fill you with any satisfaction or joy of life. And it was a moment of wanting it so bad that I didn’t give up and kept going to achieve my dreams, wrote my first book started on the next one, queried everyone and never gave up no matter who said no.

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

Boy I had to really dig deep on this one, first there is, Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson, Over the Edge Suzanne Brockmann (from her Troubleshooter series, the first series I ever fell in love with) Real by Katy Evans, The Vow Linda Lael Miller, Faithless by Karin Slaughter (I read just about every genre).

Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

First guest would be E.L James who wrote the phenomenon Fifty Shades Series. And first thing I’d ask her is how did you ever come up with the Fifty Shades of Grey concept and create those characters that nearly everyone in the reading world has grabbed a copy of and read whether they’ll admit it or not.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Everything! What can I say to be a writer you have to love your own company and I do. It is a lonely occupation people say and I’ve been told. But I’ve never found that. I love my days writing alone with no one around, it really is something that fills me with such joy. I love creating my characters where they come to life and begin telling me their story.

What is a typical day like for you?

I’m up at 5 a.m. Part of the 5 a.m. club I joined this year, I work-out, get my head together, outline my day and spend the most productive hours of my morning the first ninety minutes writing or marketing. And then because it’s important to always be learning something new, I then will spend either thirty minutes to an hour listening to a podcast or online taking a course, so I am always learning something new in the industry, in marketing or just for me. Now in there to, because I have kids, all teenagers by the way, I tend to get, “excuse me mom are you busy.” Generally, in middle of writing a really fantastic scene, because they need me to drop everything to drive them someplace, handle something for them, or just need to interrupt me because they can.

My days are jam packed, and I tend to focus on social media, booking ads and other maintenance stuff that every author needs to do to sell books in the afternoon, when my head isn’t as productive. And two nights a week you’ll find me on the water where I am part of a dragon boat racing team that fills that part of me that is super competitive.

What scene in It Was Always You was your favorite to write?

The opening chapter was my favorite by far. When Katy comes home to her parent’s ranch, and no one knows she’s coming or the plans she has to take her son back, which all but falls apart. Then her estranged husband Steven shows up after not seeing each other in years and she realizes in this defining moment watching her father with her soon to be ex and how close they seem to be that she may be the one on the outside looking in. It’s just a moment for Katy where everything she’s planned in that quick trip back home to Hoquiam to her parents’ ranch where her son is still living and being looked after, begins to disintegrate. And then to make matters worse in walks a friend of hers from high school only to learn that her estranged husband Steven who was her first love has moved on and is planning to marry her once best friend. And it was that opening scene where Katy comes face to face with her first love and everything she ran away from only to discover she may not be over her first love.

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

Yes, I do and it’s one I teach my kids. Follow your dreams and passions, don’t settle for mediocrity, don’t do it if it’s not fun. Be honest. Do your very best. Keep your word. And a job is one that you have to love!

Lorhainne Eckhart is the author of the new book It Was Always You.

Connect with Lorhainne:
Author Page
Twitter

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Interview with Nicholas Houseman, author of Old Country Wounds

What can you tell us about your new release, Old Country Wounds?

I wrote this book as I have always been interested in looking at immigrant situations, being an immigrant myself, and how moving from one country to another brings with it all sorts of challenges but mostly how one gets caught between the two cultures and countries and over time how feelings change and evolve. When I was young my family moved around a lot. Before I was 12 I had already lived in 4 countries and been to 8 different schools and the constant change impacted who I am as a person. Living in Canada now, a country full of immigrants, it interesting to hear discussions around life in a new country and longing for the “old country”. That was the basis of the book that was then wrapped around a good old-fashioned story of revenge.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I cannot say that anyone or anything inspired me to write. I always enjoyed writing even when I was small. I remember being frustrated as a 9 year old because my teacher asked us to write a story and I wrote three times as much as the limit set. I had so much to say as the story took on a life of its own and I remember thinking to myself even then that I enjoy the process of building the story.

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

I am more of a nonfiction person. I like historical biographies and business books. Top 5 I would say include Good to Great by Jim Collins, Stop Time by Frank Conroy, The Night Manager by John LeCarre, Misery by Stephen King, Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt.

Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

If I had to pick someone it would be Sir Winston Churchill or Napoleon. They are know for some incredible successes but they are also known for some incredible failures and that is what I would want to explore with them. If I had to pick someone living I would like to invite Barak Obama and discuss his life and challenges he overcame to become President and where he sees the world going.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Building the story and adding parts to it like building a house. Adding a room that explores someone’s feelings or adding a room that involves a distant memory. It’s the process of creating something with no boundaries. Writing has no limits except imagination.

What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day involves running my businesses. I write on airplanes or when I have downtime during trips. The book I wrote was started in Montreal but written in hotel rooms around the world including London, Ljubljana, Dubai, Singapore, and many others.

What scene in Old Country Wounds was your favorite to write?

My favorite scene was when the main character stows away on a ship to make his escape. It reminded me of times in my childhood and luckily I wasn’t caught.

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

Never give up! And I think this is critical in writing. I started the book and got sidetracked by life and business but I always kept working at my book a little bit at a time. There were times where it was very frustrating to write and then leave it alone for a month or two because of other commitments but the satisfaction of completing the book was immense. My kids summed it up well when the paperback version arrived at our house - “Dad you wrote a book! That’s cool.”

Nicholas Houseman is the author of the new book Old Country Wounds.

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New Mystery and Thriller Books to Read | July 31

Hold on to the edge of your seat as we hunt for clues and solve the case with these exciting new mystery and thriller books for the week! There are so many bestselling authors with new novels for you to dive into this week including John Pearce, Kenneth L. Capps, Peg Cochran, Catherine Coulter, Jonathan Kellerman, and many more. Enjoy your new mystery, thriller, and suspense novels. Happy reading!

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New Romance Books to Read | July 31

Have you finished your romance reading list and looking for something new? You’ll adore these exciting new novels! This week you can get your hands on books by bestselling authors Cassia Leo, Lorhainne Eckhart, Alison G. Bailey, Kaylee Ryan, and more. Enjoy your new romance books and happy reading!

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New Books to Read in Literary Fiction | July 31

In need of some new books to read in literary fiction? This week’s latest releases list is full of intriguing reads you won’t want to miss! The new releases list includes so many bestselling authors like Nicholas Houseman, C.C. Humphreys, R. O. Kwon, Kimberla Lawson Roby, and many more. Enjoy your new literary fiction books. Happy reading!

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New Science Fiction and Fantasy Books | July 31

Are you looking to explore new worlds and go on on exciting adventures? This week’s selection of new science fiction and fantasy books will surely please! Science Fiction fans should be excited about the latest from bestselling authors Zach Kraft Michael G. Thomas, Michael Mammay, and more. If Fantasy is what your library needs, you’ll be able to pick up the latest from Velvet Davis, and more. Enjoy your new science fiction and fantasy books. Happy reading!

Science Fiction

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Fantasy

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New Young Adult Books to Read | July 31

Do you love young adult fiction? This week you are in luck! With all of these new novels, you’re bound to find a new favorite book to add to your to-be-read pile. This week includes new novels from bestselling authors Alexandra Bracken, Justina Chen, Sarah Henning, Katy Upperman, and many more. Enjoy your new young adult books. Happy reading!

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New Biography and Memoir Books to Read | July 31

Searching for some new biography and memoir books to add to your library? There are so many new releases this week that you’re bound to find a new favorite. You can pick up new novels from Courtenay Hameister, Julia Reed, Dawn Raffel, and more. Enjoy your new biography and memoir books. Happy reading!

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Interview with John Pearce, author of Finding Pegasus

What can you tell us about your new release, Finding Pegasus?

Like everything I’ve written recently, Finding Pegasus is a showcase for Paris and my main characters, Eddie Grant and Aurélie Cabillaud, who have been together since Treasure of Saint-Lazare but now are married and living the life of the wealthy in a penthouse atop the hotel Eddie bought years ago.

It’s also an opportunity for me to introduce two important new characters, Kate Hall and Mark McGinley. Kate is an ex-Navy officer who left the service because of friction with her paranoid husband and joined Mark’s little engineering firm in Miami. There they completed work on Pegasus and Icarus, respectively a miniature submarine and helicopter drone, both completely autonomous. Just as they get a strong buying signal from their main customer, the CIA, their sailboat blows up on their first overnight sail on Biscayne Bay, and at the same time, someone tears down the wall of their shop and steals their crown jewels.

They narrowly escape with their lives, and the crimes send them to Paris and then on to the caves of northern Hungary.

Kate is going to be a very important character in future books.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

John Le Carré, like a lot of young writers of my generation. I was a journalist with novelist ambitions, living in Europe and writing about banking and finance. Careers got in the way, but years later I was able to retire early and turn to Treasure of Saint-Lazare.

Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

Alan Furst, no question. I admire his between-the-wars tales of espionage and adventure. He’s a master of scene-setting, and his character development is peerless. My question would be: When will the next one be ready?

What's your favorite thing about writing?

I like building worlds, then creating the people who inhabit them. There’s nothing more satisfying than starting the day with a blank page and ending it with a couple of thousand words, some of which may even survive through the final draft.

What is a typical day like for you?

I started out in journalism working for morning newspapers, so it feels natural to do my main work in the afternoon. I take a walk of three-plus miles every morning, then I tackle business stuff, catch up on email, transcribe any notes I have dictated, and deal with marketing.

After lunch, I sit down to write and try to spend at least four hours at it. In the evening, I’ll come back to plot development, interviews like this one, and catching up with what happened in the world that day.

What scene in Finding Pegasus was your favorite to write?

That’s a tough one to answer, but I think it’s the second chapter, when Sophie Leroux picks up her son Lucas at the bus after school. She is walking him home down the Seine when they witness the murder of a Hungarian politician that kicks off the action.

It shows one of the most beautiful parts of Paris in all its color and diversity and gives them two opportunities to walk across the beautiful Seine.