Author M.J. Evans on her award winning book, The Stone of Mercy – Book 1 of the Centaur Chronicles

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A WRITER? When people ask me when I started loving horses, I respond that I was born with Manure in my blood. Well…I was also born with ink in my blood! I have always loved to write but I didn’t have time to actually become a published author until my fifth child entered high school.

WAS THERE A TEACHER OR OTHER MENTOR WHO INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING - PLEASE ELABORATE: Other authors are my inspiration! I grew up devouring all the Marguerite Henry horse stories. I also love all the C.S. Lewis books and, of course, J.K. Rowling.

HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK? My ideas for stories always come when I am least expecting them. I never sit down and say: “I need to come up with a new story idea!” The idea for “The Centaur Chronicles,” of which “The Stone of Mercy” is the first book, came to me while I was reading the Bible. I read Ephesians 6:14: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.” My brain became overwhelmed with the whole story!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LINE FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK AND WHY? As an author, I think of myself as an artist with words. Therefore, my favorite line would be any line where I get to beautifully describe a setting or emotions in a way that the reader can understand. Here is one example: “Lit by the silver moon, the rolling hills looked like ocean waves, and the gentle breeze rustling the grasses sounded like whispered secrets.” And one other example: “The shimmering signs of spring did nothing to quell the storm clouds of emotion that were building inside Carling.”

WHICH OF YOUR CHARACTERS FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE DO YOU BELIEVE ARE MOST LIKE YOU AND WHY? I don’t want to claim that I am the star, but, in this case, I really am! I am the most like Carling. I doubt myself but am willing to do what needs to be done. I’m also very obedient by nature and always strive to do my best. Carling’s response to the Wizard when he tells her that she is to become the queen is what I would say: “I’m sorry to question you, sir, but how is this to be as I am still but a child? I know not the ways of the world. I have barely left the confines of my own little village. And now I am alone in the world with no one to guide me.”

WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL GLEAN FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK? As they read the series and gather all four of the Stones of Light, I hope they will see the value in developing the four virtues of Mercy, Courage (to do what is right), Integrity and Wisdom.

IF YOU COULD BE COMPARED TO A WELL-KNOWN AUTHOR WHO WOULD YOU MOST WANT THIS TO BE AND WHY? One critic called me “This generation’s C.S. Lewis.” I couldn’t have been more honored. He teaches valuable, spiritual lessons through his fantasies. I hope I can become as good as he was.

WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE? Obviously, the Bible and The Book of Mormon are the greatest books ever written and the greatest person is Jesus Christ. They are my source of peace and strength in an otherwise confusing and challenging world.

HOW DID YOU FIND AN AGENT / GET PUBLISHED? I have never used an agent but I published “The Mist Trilogy-Behind the Mist, Mists of Darkness, and The Rising Mist,” and “North Mystic” through publishers. I did it the traditional way: submit query letters and whatever else they ask for and wait, wait, wait. It is very exciting to be selected for publication by a publisher. I learned so much from them. However, I have since started my own company to publish my books. I hired graphic artists and editors. Creating a book from start to finish is an even more exciting process.

IF A CLOSE FRIEND OR LOVED ONE WANTED TO WRITE A BOOK, WHAT GREATEST PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THEM? Writing takes about 10% talent and 90% perseverance. You have to spend hours and hours not only writing but studying the craft of writing.

CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK? You need to figure out who your audience is and where to find them. My audience is 9 to 14 year-olds, especially those who love horses. So, I go to the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo and the Little Britches National Rodeo and other places where young readers and riders are to be found. I also do a lot of school presentations.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT? My greatest accomplishment is the critical acclaim I have received from award programs such as Literary Classics. Of course, my friends and family love my books because they love me. But when professional critics love your work, you know you are on the right track!

WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ASPIRATIONS? At the moment, I’m focusing on finishing all four books of “The Centaur Chronicles.” After that, I have another book in my head that I want to finish…but that one may take me until I die!

TELL US SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU THAT THEY MIGHT FIND INTERESTING: I was a cheerleader for two years at Oregon State University!

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS? If you want to be a better writer, read more!

WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED? “In the Heart of a Mustang,” (2016 Literary Classics Gold Medal winner.) “North Mystic,” “The Mist Trilogy: Behind the Mist, Mists of Darkness, The Rising Mist,” New: “The Stone of Courage-Book 2 of the Centaur Chronicles.”
All of my books have received national awards and may be purchased (and autographed) through my website: www.dancinghorsepress.com. They are also available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or independent bookstores.

DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS? I am currently revising “The Stone of Integrity-Book 3 of the Centaur Chronicles.” I hope to have it out in early 2018. It is possible that pre-release copies will be available before Christmas. I am very excited about Carling’s third quest. She travels to a hidden island populated by fairies who always wear masks! The Heilodius Herd of Centaurs are becoming more aggressive in their efforts to stop her from completing the Silver Breastplate.

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Author Spotlight - Ellias Quinn on her award winning title, Eventyr

WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY?

I always loved adventures and stories. Age ten was perhaps the first year I seriously considered writing as a career; my New Year’s resolution that January was to write a novel. Like most resolutions, that one remained unfulfilled until much later.

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AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?

My burning ambition led me to aspire to a variety of occupations, most notably: sculptor, private detective, inventor, potion-brewer, castaway on an uncharted desert isle, and shapeshifter. It so happens that as an author, I can become any and all of them.

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HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE?

The color and texture of Eventyr comes from nature, with the initial inspiration being a couple of pressed flower petals I set out as decoration. They looked like the wings of a fairy.

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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LINE FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK AND WHY?

I like the part where they went to that place and had a…well, you really have to read it to see why I like that part.

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WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL GLEAN FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?

Differences can be overcome and even turned to strengths when people – and alva – cooperate.

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WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?

C. S. Lewis influenced me most in style, with additional influence from many books I’ve read and movies watched, especially the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, Magyk by Angie Sage, Whales On Stilts by M. T. Anderson, and the film Galaxy Quest.

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WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?

Of all books, the Bible has impacted my life the most.

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WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?

Learning to read.

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HOW DID YOU FIND AN AGENT / GET PUBLISHED?

I was fortunate to have a strong team committed to publishing the entire Eventyr series.

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CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF BECOMING PUBLISHED AND ANY TIPS YOU MIGHT OFFER FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS?

My tips: Heavily research writing, publishing, and business. Learn from the mistakes and successes of others.

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IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?

The world may sometimes seem dark, Literary Classics reader, but keep your chin up. With kindness be neither stupid nor stingy. And read my book, if you like.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?

Elders of Eventyr, Book Two in The Eventyr series, is far along toward completion.

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We will release the continuation of Matil’s journey when falls the appointed hour, projected to be 2017. For news, please check back from time to time at my website, elliasquinn.com, or my social media pages.

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LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Susan Signe Morrison, on her Top Honors Award Winning Title, Grendel's Mother: The Saga of the Wyrd-Wife

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WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY?

In 3rd grade, I would bring my stuffed animals with me to school. My teacher let me perform little spontaneous plays with the stuffed animals as characters and me supplying the voices. I guess that was when I knew.

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AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?

An actress or writer. I teach now, which I joke is a kind of acting: you have to stand up in front of an audience--your students!

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HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE?

From teaching the Old English epic, Beowulf, many times. In my novel, I retell the story from the point of view of the women, compelled to participate in peace-weaving marriages doomed to failure and oppressed as victims. I'm haunted by two stories, one of the Danish woman Hildeburh, who marries as part of a peace-weaving marriage between her clan and that of King Finn. That attempt at harmony falls apart violently. Her brother and son die, as well as her husband. Then there's a nameless woman lamenting the fate of Beowulf's people after his death; they are doomed to death or slavery.

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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LINE FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK AND WHY?

When the queen tells the young woman, Freawaru, that the beheadings are “man’s business,” Freawaru thinks, “Surely…this is woman’s business, too. We are the ones married off as peaceweaving brides after the blood and gore have barely dried.” I like this because it expresses in a nutshell the point of the entire novel: men's and women's worlds mutually impact each other. We need to know about both to understand a culture and also to help make society a better place for all.

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WHICH OF YOUR CHARACTERS FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE DO YOU BELIEVE ARE MOST LIKE YOU AND WHY?

The main character, Brimhild, I do find compelling. The novel traces the many passages of her life: the brine-baby; the passionate hall-queen; the exiled mere-wife; and the seer. I haven't experienced what she has, but every person goes through stages as they get older, including getting a job and having children. I think I am most like Ælfsciene, Brimhild's aunt, who defies public opinion by pursuing what she wants--herbal medicine—and lurks on the literal margins of her culture by a swamp. I don't practice medicine, but I do write on topics lurking in the margins of history, ranging from medieval women pilgrims to excrement in the Middle Ages. I grew up by the Great Swamp in New Jersey.

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WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL GLEAN FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?

I hope readers will want to learn more about the original story that inspired me. I hope that people look at history from the point of women, whose stories still need to be told to a larger audience. In my novel, the lesson concerns how invasions by brutal men are not from the fictive world of fairy tales, but disasters doomed to cycle relentlessly through human history. Only the surviving women can sing poignant laments, preserve a glittering culture, and provide hope for the future.

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TELL US SOMETHING RANDOM ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER:

I write when no one is in the house. My husband is at work, and the kids are at school. This happens two or three times a week. Total peace. Except for my corgi, Gwen. She barks constantly at the cats in the neighborhood and at the squirrels and at the wind. So I have to stand up to let her in and out constantly. It's good exercise!

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WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?

The Beowulf poet. I wanted to echo the language of Anglo-Saxon literature. This meant using a lot of Germanic words. How could I replicate-- but also update for a contemporary, novel-reading audience--the feeling of Old English style? I layered the texture of the writing with many synonyms and alliteration. Rather than just saying, the fierce warrior," a more Anglo-Saxon thing to do would be to write, "the fierce warrior, weapon wielder, war-like wreaker." This device increases the density and weight of such verse. A Picasso portrait might have three eyes in order to show how that person looks from all sides. It creates a 3-D effect.

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WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?

I'd have to say my father's, a textbook on Organic Chemistry. He retired early from being a chemistry professor at NYU just to revise the book, which enabled him to be at home all the time with the family and to take us travelling which has enriched my life greatly--intellectually, culturally, and personally-- since we were and are a very close family. I also loved Edward Eager's Half Magic--it made me think anything mundane or ordinary has the potential to be enchanted.

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WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?

Publishing Home Front Girl: A Diary of Love, Literature, and Growing Up in Wartime America. I found my mother's diaries after her death. She wrote them when she was a teenager from 1937-1943. She was a historian and had great wisdom, even as a young girl, into the political events taking place before and during World War II. Plus, she had a great sense of humor. It was an honor to edit them and share them with the world.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY WRITING RITUALS?

I have kept a diary since I was 15. It helps with my writing skills. Like a sport, you need to practice on a regular basis to heighten your abilities and make them sharp. I write in it every night before I go to sleep. Sometimes, I record dialogue that intrigued --or bothered--me during the day. I note down ideas for more novels. By now, I have enough ideas to write hundreds of books!

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HOW DID YOU FIND AN AGENT / GET PUBLISHED?

I was looking for a publisher, and discovered Top Hat Books online, John Hunt Publishing's imprint for Historical Fiction. I wrote them, they loved the book, and in less than a year it was published!

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WHAT DID YOU DO TO CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION OF YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?

Stayed home with my family and we played Masterpiece, an art auction board game, along with the card game, bridge.

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CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF BECOMING PUBLISHED AND ANY TIPS YOU MIGHT OFFER FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS?

I recommend joining a critique group, so you can get other writers to look at your book in draft before you send it to an agent or publisher. Also, various writers' organizations are wonderful. In my home state, there is the amazing Writers' League of Texas, which has an annual conference with agents as well as sessions on the craft and business of writing. Conferences are a wonderful way to meet other writers! There are lots of organizations, like SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators), the Historical Novel Society, Romance Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime, among many others.

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CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK?

Tweeting and blogging, taking a virtual blog tour, and getting out to local bookstores--they are our best friends. Support other writers and they will support you.

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IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?

Don't give up! I started writing Grendel's Mother in the late 1990s after my daughter was born. Her birth made me think more about the position of women in society. The story just came to me. I've fiddled with it over the years. Finally, in 2014, I decided it was time to stop editing and put it out there. Don’t be afraid to put pen to paper or your fingers on the keyboard. The great thing about writing is, you can always go back and change it, add to it, and reflect on it more.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?

I have several in the works. The latest is another work of historical fiction. I'm not quite finished with it yet. But I hope to be soon!

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Link:

To a song that appears in my novel, put to music by Singer-Songwriter Sarah McSweeney

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https://grendelsmotherthenovel.com/2015/11/13/the-slaves-song-as-performed-by-the-incandescent-sarah-mcsweeney/

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WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED?

A Medieval Woman’s Companion: Women’s Lives in the European Middle Ages. Oxford: Oxbow Books, 2016.

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The Literature of Waste: Material Ecopoetics and Ethical Matter. NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015.

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Excrement in the Late Middle Ages: Sacred Filth and Chaucer's Fecopoetics. The New Middle Ages Series. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.

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Women Pilgrims in Late Medieval England: Private Piety as Public Performance. London: Routledge, 2000.

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Home Front Girl: A Diary of Love, Literature, and Growing Up in Wartime America. Joan Wehlen Morrison. Ed. Susan Signe Morrison. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2013.

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All the above books are available on Susan's Amazon Author Page

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​LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Author Spotlight - Wim Baren on his award winning title, Ptaath's Hammer

WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY? 

 In 2014, I had an idea based on my reading of a history of Byzantium. From there, with a lot of research, I crafted The Crimson Emperor. I haven’t stopped since.

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AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?  

I never really knew, but I loved designing things, or improving things.  I especially liked learning things.

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HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE?  

The anti-hero, Phocas, had a terrible reputation as a usurping Emperor. His reign was bloody and vengeful. The color fit.

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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LINE FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK AND WHY? “One God, One Faith, One Church, One Empire…” It sums up the dominant spiritual motivator for much of the action.

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WHICH OF YOUR CHARACTERS FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE DO YOU BELIEVE ARE MOST LIKE YOU AND WHY? 

I never looked at them in that light. Perhaps Romulus, because he loved an active regimen and pursued the highest levels of excellence in what he did. Also, he was a highly romantic actor.

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WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL GLEAN FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?  

History is so full of the most amazing stuff, no one should ever feel they’ve run out of ideas for stories. Pick any place and any time, and you’ll be amazed.

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TELL US SOMETHING RANDOM/INTERESTING/FUNNY ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER:

Since I started writing, I found it enjoyable to create mini-broadsheets (maybe 1500 words each) on creative writing, to share what I’ve learned with others.  I also found that certain music pieces become embedded in my mind as I write, a given piece associated with a given story. Weird, I know.

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WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?  

H. Ryder Haggard, Eric R. Eddison (The Worm Ouroboros Quartet), Jane Austen (any of her novels) and Anthony Trollop (The Pallisers).

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WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE? 

 The Bible

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WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT? 

 The Crimson Emperor winning the Literary Classics Silver Medal for Young Adult Historic Fiction in 2015, and now Ptaath’s Hammer winning the Literary Classics Gold Medal for Young Adult Fantasy Fiction in 2016.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY WRITING RITUALS?  

I select a specific piece of music to put my mind in the right frame, and will repeat the piece throughout the writing session. It gives me a creative flow that helps ideas coalesce.

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WHAT DID YOU DO TO CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION OF YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?  

Dinner out with my much better half, plus sharing the news with a few long-time friends whose judgments I value.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS? Another Historic Fiction work, Empire and Triumph, a kind of sequel to The Crimson Emperor. Hoping it will be completed by January 2017. About half a dozen other ideas are on the writing table, with a few bits and pieces fleshed out.

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When released, it will be on the Smashwords.com website.

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LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Author Spotlight - Lincoln Cole on his 2016 Award Winning Book

WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY?

When I was about ten and reading Stephen King, I knew I wanted to do that when I grew up. I loved to read and I wanted to tell stories just like he did. I also loved Goosebumps and anything sci-fi or fantasy. 

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AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?

I wanted to be a writer from pretty much as soon as I wanted to be anything. 

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HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE?

I wanted to contribute to the conversations dealing with social issues and the problems America is facing. 

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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LINE FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK AND WHY?

I don't have a favorite line, but I do have a favorite scene, and that is when Richard and Jason are getting ready to close for the night and Richard confronts his brother. The way the conversation flips on him is something I worked hard on.

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WHICH OF YOUR CHARACTERS FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE DO YOU BELIEVE ARE MOST LIKE YOU AND WHY?

Jason is most like me because of the personality. Richard is more like my brother.

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WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL GLEAN FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?

I wanted people who read the book to be able to take something away. I didn't want to stereotype anyone and to specifically avoid using gender or racial identifiers that are considered the 'norm'. This has actually caused a lot of readers to shy away from the story because they expect people to act like the ones they see in real life.

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WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED? 

Raven's Peak

Ripples Through Time (2015 Literary Classics Award Winning Book)

Graveyard of Empires

UAV

Schism

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TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER:

I get sidetracked easily and often have five-ten different stories in progress at a time. 

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WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?

Stephen King. 

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WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?

Stephen King's On Writing changed my entire style and helped me become a much better writer.

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WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?

Right now I would say winning Kindle Scout to get a Kindle Press contract for Raven's Peak. I worked incredibly hard on the thirty day campaign and managed to win out over hundreds of other awesome books. 

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DO YOU HAVE ANY WRITING RITUALS?

Not really. I just like to sit down and put the words on paper. I prefer rewriting. 

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HOW DID YOU GET PUBLISHED?

I started out self-publishing and then moved on to trying out Kindle Scout to try and get a contract, but I still don't have an agent. 

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WHAT DID YOU DO TO CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION/PUBLISH DATE/OR OTHER OF YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?

I went out to dinner with my wife and we had a nice evening together! 

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CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF BECOMING PUBLISHED AND ANY TIPS YOU MIGHT OFFER FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS?

Just keep working at it. The biggest mistake you can make is thinking you're getting good at writing because you should always be improving. If each book is better than the last then you are doing something right. 

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CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK?

Get it in front of people. No matter how good it is, if people never see it then it won't sell. Sometimes you might buy an advertisement and it won't sell any copies, but it's still getting seen, and maybe the next time or the time after that someone will buy it. It's a slow process, marketing. 

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IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?

When you find an author you like, let them know that their books meant something! Positive feedback gives me the confidence to keep trying. 

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DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?

I'm working on my science fiction series right now and the sequel to Raven's Peak. 

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Hopefully I'll have two new books from the Graveyard of Empires series and another Raven's Peak book out by the end of this year. That's the current goal! All of them will be up on Amazon! 

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LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Author Spotlight: Award Winning Author, Dr. Bon Blossman, on her award winning book

WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY?: My father is a surgeon, but a poet in his free time. Being inspired by him, I took a stab at writing my first novel in the 1990's under his guidance. A few books later, I published my first one in 2007. I always said I would turn my hobby into my life, and I was able to quit my full-time job and follow my dreams almost ten years ago. 

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AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? An actress and a surgeon like my father. I'm a producer and am playing a role in my first short film (Dinner is Served), and I hope it does well in film festivals! I did earn my Ph.D. in physiology - my dad's a medical doctor, but that's close enough! Writing has always been a love of mine, but I never saw myself doing it full time. 

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HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE?: This book is volume five in the YA Fiona Frost Murder Mystery Series. Fiona Frost is a seventeen-year-old criminal investigator who works in close collaboration with the crime lab as part of a grant-funded forensic training program. Each novel follows a murder case - which is often met with twists of the supernatural. The series builds energy in Fiona's life from the start, and it was time she gained a bit of federal experience. I worked closely in the planning stages with an FBI agent to ensure my story would be inspiring to young people, and not just purely fiction - as far as FBI procedures go and how they'd deal with younger interns. 

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I like to think of Fiona Frost as a modern-day Nancy Drew but with more forensic science built into the criminal investigations as opposed to strict 'Sherlock Holmes-style sleuthing.' 

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TELL US SOMETHING FUN ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER: I am a murder mystery writer. I own a company (My Mystery Party) and have written over 100 murder mystery party games. I also write murder mystery novels. I am certain that with the hundreds of topics I research on the internet involving details of how to get away with murder - I am most likely on many government watch lists! Even though I may know best on how to get away with it - I'm harmless! I promise! 

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WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?: My father shaped my early writing experience, but in later years I would say my idol is J.K. Rowling (I am an enormous Harry Potter fan) and think she is a legend. 

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WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?: Other than the Harry Potter series, I would say the most impact a book has made is The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton. Even though I read it over 30 years after the release, it was amazing to me, and I could relate to it. With my background in science, I enjoyed the mix of science, suspense and intrigue. 

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WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?: Winning the gold seal for volume 4, and now the silver seal for volume 5 from Literary Classics! I hope to win many more in the future, as well. 

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CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF BECOMING PUBLISHED AND ANY TIPS YOU MIGHT OFFER FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS?: Write every day, never give up. Don't expect to publish your first novel. Write it, revise it, revise it ten more times and put it in a drawer (or hard drive folder) and move on to your next. With each novel you write, you improve and fine-tune what is coming from your heart and onto the paper. Don't let rejection letters get you down - the best authors have plenty of them. 

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CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK? Social media is the best way in today's world. There are many ways to promote your novel on Amazon such as free giveaways and signing up with Kindle Select. Amazon even has a Kindle Scout program where the readers decide if you get published. Also, you can offer your book as a free promotion to get readers. Hopefully, these readers will give you glowing reviews, and you'll get snowball action from there. 

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IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?: Don't give up on your dream. Even if you are just starting, and the end goal seems like it is on top of Mount Everest, and you're at the bottom of the mountain - keep your eyes on the goal and don't sweat the small stuff. You will fail. You will fail many times. But in the end, you'll succeed. 

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DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?: Taking a short break from the Fiona Frost Mystery Series (Blood Dolls was published the day of the contest deadline, so it's hot off the press). I'm currently collaborating with my son (Zakk Myer) on a YA thriller novel with a working title The Island. He's a student at The University of Texas and a gifted writer. We're going to see what a mother/son team can do! Then, it's back to Fiona Frost for another compelling murder case. 

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TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR NEXT BOOK, WHEN IT WILL BE AVAILABLE, AND WHERE IT CAN BE PURCHASED:

 We are still writing, but our publication schedule has the draft in the editor's hands by the time Zakk heads back to school - then, we're looking at a late winter / early spring release. 
LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org