Interview with Mike Jordan, Author of Never Saw It Coming

Meet Mike Jordan, author of Never Saw It Coming, available on Amazon, Amazon-UK and B&N. 

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. What else do you do besides writing?

Well, I work in the telecommunications field and maintain my own blog, ModeratelyProfane.com. I've got a background in humorous/seething with righteous indignation type Op-Ed pieces, something I started doing when I was writing for gunaxin.com. When I'm not writing or working, which isn't often, I can be found in front of a dartboard, not living up to my boasts of skill and accuracy.

Meet Cyndia Rios-Myers, Author of Rescued By the Wolf

Cyndia Rios-Myers is the author of three novels, the latest of which is Rescued by the Wolf, a wolfish fantasy about social workers. It's available on Amazon, B & N and Smashwords. Get it today! But in the meantime, meet the author right here.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. What else do you do besides writing? 
 
I am a Navy veteran, a Stay-at-Home-Mom, a home schooling parent, a Blogger, and a Navy wife.  I am also a big homebody, which is why writing and reading are so dear to me.  
 
2. How did you first get into writing?
 
It happened when I was a teenager.  I spied my sister and stepsister writing a book and thought that I could do that too.  I actually wrote my first book back then - a story about a group of teenaged girls who move to California and fall in love with members of a hair band.  I really hope that book never sees the light of day.  

3. Tell us about your latest book. 

My latest published book (actually a novella) is called Rescued by the Wolf.  

4. Is it part of a larger series?

Yes.  It is book one of the Wolves series.  I have already written books 2, 3, and 4.  

Meet Yukiko Kagami, Emily Kane's mom? (Go No Sen)

Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from?

Originally I’m from Kosai, the lake district. That’s where I grew up. Most of my family lived around there, though I don’t think there’s any of us left there now. But I haven’t been back there since I was a child. I went to university in Kyoto, and later worked with my father’s lab in Tokyo. But I’ve lived in Virginia for the last fifteen years or so. That’s probably the longest I’ve lived anywhere.

How did you end up in Virginia?

That’s a really long story. I’m sure it’s not very interesting. I came here with George and my daughter, Emily, for lots of reasons. We left Japan because it got to be too dangerous for us there, and Michael helped us out when we needed him. We’ve had a place in his family ever since.

Meet Sarah Williams, Author of Captive

Sarah Williams new novel, Captive, an Urban Fantasy story full of mystery, twists and turns. 

You can get it at Amazon or Smashwords. In the meantime, meet Sarah below.

1.  Tell us a little bit about yourself. What else do you do besides writing?

I’m originally from England but have been living in Australia for the past three years.  The move gave me the opportunity to indulge my passion for writing.  A lot of my time is spent marketing my current novel and writing new material but I also do some freelance work.  I write content for websites, blogs, brochures, newsletters and other commercial literature.  As well as writing I also enjoy gardening, good food and wine, yoga, reading, films and music.  I have ambitions to become fluent in French and learn to play the piano but at present haven’t had time to fit any of this in.  I’d also like to learn how to surf.

2. How did you first get into writing?

Writing has always felt like a natural thing for me to do.  I write not only because I want to but because I need to.  I started writing when I was in primary school; some of my earliest memories are of putting pen to paper.  I loved sitting down and creating characters and then sending them on adventures.  I loved letting my imagination run free.  I started handwriting stories and reading them to my little sister.  I soon upgraded to a word processor and would spend hours writing out my stories, reading out each new chapter as soon as I’d finished.  English and Drama quickly became my favourite subjects and I went on to University to study Theatre and Creative Writing.  Writing is just something I’ve always done and always enjoyed.  It’s a major part of who I am.

Meet Gregory J. Downs, Author of Mordred and Brother Thief

Gregory J. Downs is the author of two novels, Brother Thief and Mordred, both Young Adult Fantasy Adventure stories. Meet him below.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. What else do you do besides writing?

My name is Greg, and my “author alias” is just my full name, Gregory J. Downs. Sounds more writerly, huh? I’m still a student, believe it or not, so that takes up most of my not-writing time. Also just the nitty-gritty of formatting and such is a big time-consumer…. Whaddya know.

2. How did you first get into writing?

Well I’ve always enjoyed stories, and the thinking-up of them. Only in 9th grade did it occur to me that I could write my stories down instead of think them in my head… I was that odd. Anyway, I wrote a few short stories that were total junk, then finally got around to writing a book… and then three more. I’m about to graduate high school at home. I’m young and inexperienced. SO? People like what I write, so I see no reason not to enter the indie-pub world.

Dangers of Self-Promotion for Indie Authors, pt. 2

In a previous post, I said that patience was the most important virtue for a self-pub, indie author. But that left me thinking about the real meaning of an author's decision to go the self-pub route. I said then that I thought the chief motivation was impatience with the process of getting a traditional publisher's attention, whether through the medium of an agent or otherwise.

Self-pub can give a writer instant gratification, but it can also lead to premature publication. For the most part, writers need to rely on the assistance of others to bring a fully realized project to the public. In part this is a matter of not possessing or having access to all the skills needed, namely editing, marketing and promotion. These are the skills typically provided by a traditional publisher or agent.

But if impatience is the indie author's chief motivation, the counsel to patience might seem particularly unhelpful. And perhaps it is. But just in case it is still true, what follows?

Meet Andie Cardano, a close friend of Emily Kane

Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself? What’s your name? Where are you from?

My name is Andrea Cardano, but my friends call me Andie. I was born in Philadelphia. But I come from a Navy family, so we bounced around a bit from base to base. I mainly grew up in Hawaii, when my Dad was stationed at Pearl. I worked there for awhile too for an Armed Services support charity. That’s where I first met my husband, Michael. Later, we moved to Virginia, where we’ve been living for the last fifteen years or so, off and on.

What do you mean “off and on”?

Well, Michael’s work requires him to travel a lot, and we’ve spent time in various places all over the world. Last year, we spent several months on Naxos, and later we were in New Zealand for a couple of months. Naxos was beautiful, and so was New Zealand. But I’m glad to be back in Virginia again.

Is this the house you’ve been living in for the last fifteen years?

No, unfortunately not. That house burned down while I was in Naxos. Michael arranged for this place while I was away. It’s quite nice, but nothing compared to the old estate.

Meet Eryn Lockhart, Author of After Midnight

Eryn Lockhart writes romance with plenty of adventure, danger, and intrigue to keep you on the edge of your seat. None of her heroines are your stereotypical damsel in distress--they're more than capable of saving themselves, and occasionally the hero as well. Her latest novel, After Midnight, is a historical romance set in the Napoleonic period.

You can get it now at Amazon or B & N now, and meet Eryn below.


1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. What else do you do besides writing? 

I travel. I've back-packed solo through Europe, spent a month living in Greece, poured over Oxfords University's archives, dived the Caribbean, and toured the Southern United States. When I'm not indulging wanderlust, I'm all for urban exploration--I'll track down karaoke bars to belt out tunes, clubs where I can swing dance, salsa, or tango, or local holes-in-the-wall for some of the best cuisine. When I'm in the mood for a night in, I'll invite friends over for Battle of the Bands on Rockband or dinner & movies, read, play video games, or catch up on Dexter, TrueBlood, or Iron Chef America.

2. How did you first get into writing? 

When I ran out of bed-time stories to read to my younger siblings, I started making up my own...then as my reading tastes changed, what I wrote about also evolved.

Meet Connie X, Assassin and Friend to Emily Kane

Can you tell us something about yourself?

You know I can’t tell you very much. You can call me Connie. I’ve been working as an analyst with Naval Intelligence for the last few years.

How did you first enter the Navy?

I went to the Academy right out of high school, and then straight into the Navy as an Ensign. I served on an aircraft carrier for a few years, and then was posted to a desk at Yokosuka. A brief stint in San Diego followed, and then I found myself at Patuxent. There, that’s pretty much a map of my career. Anything else you wanna know?

I have this feeling that your map doesn’t really scratch the surface of your activities. Is there anything else you can tell us?

I’m pretty sure you don’t really want to know much more. Some things can be dangerous to know.