Featured Interview With Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in London, England, to parents who had fled from Nazi Germany. As orthodox Jews, my family did not fit in with our surrounding neighborhood of impoverished English people, and I have described my strange upbringing in my first novel, ‘The Balancing Game.’ My other novels describe situations connected with my life and my experience in England, France and the USA, embellished by my wild imagination. I now live in Israel, and am married. I have three grown-up children, eight grandchildren, and one grand-dog. My hobbies are reading, writing, painting, and gardening.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As soon as I could read I was fascinated, nay, obsessed with books. If I did not have a book to read my life was bleak, so my parents arranged for me to take additional books from the local lending library. I tried to start writing when I was about ten, but didn’t get very far. I have always written in one form or another, whether for the school magazine, newspaper articles, and now books. I have a blog (http://fromdorothea.wordpress.com), where I write about life, the universe and everything, as well as book and music reviews and anything that takes my interest.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite author is Virginia Woolf, though my writing is not at all like hers. I like historical novels, contemporary literature, and any kind of memoir, especially if it’s related to the Holocaust. My major inspiration comes from my own life-experience, and I have based my novels on events and individuals that I have experienced.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book, my sixth, titled ‘A Ruffled Calm,’ describes what happens to an ordinary family when an eccentric woman descends upon them, makes all kinds of strange demands and says all kinds of odd things. The mother of the family, Tamar, is driven almost insane by the unwelcome visitor, and tries all manner of ploys to get rid of her, generally without success. Her husband, Reuben, is obsessed with thoughts of his attractive secretary. Their three children do their best to help, but their approach is generally to leave their mother on her own. Riots in the Old City of Jerusalem form the backdrop to the story.

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson’s Website

Featured Interview With Joni Parker

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Chicago, Illinois and lived there until I was eight. My father wanted to be a professional golfer so we moved to Japan where he could join the PGA. We lived there for four years and returned to the States, moving to Arizona. After I graduated from high school, I joined the Navy and got out after three years. I got married and went to college where I got a bachelor's and master's degree. I went back in the Navy and retired with twenty-two years of service. My husband and I moved into a motorhome for a few years until he passed away. I went back to work in the federal government as a civil service worker. I retired again after I took up writing and now live in Tucson, Arizona.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I didn't start writing until late in life. I was in my fifties, when I discovered a passion for writing. It came about after watching the 'Lord of the Rings' movie series by Peter Jackson. I came up with my main character and she brought with her a lot of stories. The only way I could get them out of my head was to write them down. Now, I can't stop.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors include James Rollins, Louise Penny, and Suzanne Collins. I enjoy reading action thrillers, mysteries, and fantasy. The person who inspired my writing was J.R.R. Tolkien as interpreted in the 'Lord of the Rings' movie series by Peter Jackson. I even went to New Zealand to see where it was filmed.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest book is called the "Edge of Death," the second book in the Admiralty Archive series. In the first book, my main character, Alex, a young woman who is part Elf and part mortal, is left stranded in the mortal world. In this book, she realizes that she's not just stranded but exiled and her life is in danger from various sources including Rock Elf assassins, wizards, and a white supremacist group bent on killing her mentor, VADM Teller of the British Royal Navy, a black man. The initial draft only took a few months to write but I take a year to have it edited and proofed before its published.

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Featured Interview With Acharya Gaurav Arya

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Acharya Gaurav Arya is an Indian astrologer & Researcher, Lives in India and from Uttar Pradesh. He had written many books on Occult science.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have started to write books in 2017 when I realize that I need to write actual information on occult science, and also on our Indian culture

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Indian culture rishi muni inspire me to write books

Tell us a little about your latest book?
Meri swarg Yantra is my latest book

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Featured Interview With Valerie Douglas aka V. J. Devereaux

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I'm a terminally cheerful optimist raised outside of Philadelphia, PA, now living in the 'wilds' of Ohio with four rescue cats, two rescue dogs – including a VERY energetic Belgian Malinois.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I've been telling stories for as long as I can remember, and don't remember when I started reading, but I was voracious. I wrote my first book at eight (got an A), wrote a bunch of books that weren't ready for prime time. Then one day a story idea just wouldn't let me go.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have many authors I love to read I can't pick, ditto with genres and inspirations. I write fantasy – epic and historical primarily – action, mysteries, a western, horror, and romance. Under my pen name of V. J. Devereaux I write erotic romance – paranormal, menage, reverse harem, with an emphasis on complex plots.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I'm currently at work on the fifth book of my epic fantasy series 'The Coming Storm', and it's intense. It takes place during the recovery from the terrible depradations of a dark wizard. His short reign wreaked havoc on the Kingdoms, so Alon – namesake to the current First of the Three – is set to hunt down the horrific creatures of borderlands in the place of the decimated Hunters. Years before, during the dark wizard's reign, the Wizards Collegium had been all but destroyed – save for the efforts of one young wizard, Misha. Alon discovers she's all grown up, and very well. When they discover that a new dark wizard now commands others, they're both called to defend the Kingdoms.

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Featured Interview With Rusty Blackwood

Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Isn't always easy to speak about myself as I tend to feel it's somewhat self-absorption when I do, however I realize it's required in this field. I'm a proud mom of two great sons, and grandmother of 4 wonderful grandchildren and one great-grandchild. I grew up on my paternal grandfather's farm in rural south-western Ontario, Canada. Looking back, I consider myself most fortunate to have had a childhood where I did, and very often return there in my mind. I presently live in St. Catharines, Ontario on the southern shores of Lake Ontario. A beautiful area of this beautiful Provence. I love animals, horses in particular and would have one if I could, but I love my cat Tipper, who has been my stalwart furry friend for many, many years.

At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I would say at age six in grade one. Story time was my favorite time of the day, and I loved listening to the different stories the teacher would read to the class, and traveling in my mind to the many places she would read about. I carried this fascination with me until I became a serious writer in 2001.

Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have always been drawn to expressive writing. By this I mean where the characters truly come alive, their stories present themselves in a vivid way, and the reader is totally immersed into the book. It takes a special talent to do this effectively. A few of my favorite authors wrote primarily for children, and they are Canadian author, Lucy Maude Montgomery, and American author, Laura Ingalls-Wilder, and English authors Anna Sewell, and Louisa May Alcott. Anyone who is familiar with these names would be familiar with their excellent work. I very much admire Margaret Mitchell's’ Gone with the Wind, and Emilie Bronte's’ Wuthering Heights. I very much enjoyed Kathryn Stocketts’ The Help, and I have always enjoyed Steven King’s work, pretty much anything he has written. I'm an eclectic reader in many ways for it depends on my mood at the time, but I truly enjoy romantic fiction drama with an interesting twist of suspense where you'd least expect it.

Tell us a little about your latest book?
I am most proud of my latest title, The Perils of Autumn, published by Tellwell Talent; I feel it's my best yet, not just because it garnered another 5 star rating from Readers Favorite Books, and is now a 2019 International Book Awards Finalist in Romance, but because it tells a fine story, one that really will hold readers' interest. Autumn Rose Leeves is born to unwed Abigail Leeves in 1946 in Lexington, Kentucky. Because of the stringent values and relegated, narrow-minded views of the time, Abigail and Autumn are ostracized by society until they come upon kindly, elderly shop owner, Lucy Perkins, who takes them in and basically supplies them life. Abigail eventually takes over the running of Lucy's shop, and is willed the shop upon her death. This allows Abigail to put her daughter through nursing school. Autumn graduates in 1970 and after a brief stint at two Lexington hospitals, is sent on assignment to care for the terminally ill wife of middle-aged, English equestrian master, Cyril Landon. Upon Mrs. Landon's death, Autumn, who has a great love for horses and an interest in riding, is asked to stay on and take riding lessons from Cyril Landon. As time goes on, Cyril and Autumn, though 35 years divide them in age, develop an attraction to each other that in time deepens into love. Though Autumn's mother, and Agnes Harris, Cyril's housekeeper who is a life-long friend of his as well as a stalwart friend of his late wife, stand against the marriage. However, they marry, and life carries on, which includes the tumultuous birth of a daughter. Cyril's celebrated thoroughbred stables, Landon Lawns, located just outside Lexington in a posh community known as The Meadows, employees world renown jockey, Duff Taylor, who lives full-time above the tack room at Landon Lawns and enjoys the many benefits it brings, but he also has a dark secret surrounding an unsolved racing incident from his past that he will go to any length to protect. All of this combined, sets the scene for a most impressive read for anyone who chooses to 'take the ride'.

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