SERAPHIM INN, Author of THE MOST HATED GIRL IN THE WORLD

Today we are interviewing SERAPHIM INN about her non-fiction book, titled “THE MOST HATED GIRL IN THE WORLD.”

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am honest, truthful, passionate and conscious. I love to write, listen to music and converse.

Describe your book, “THE MOST HATED GIRL IN THE WORLD,” In a few sentences.
My book is based on some of the everyday struggles that have helped me grow. It is a perfect representation of what many people have to deal with and how they survive. In the book, I document many highly stressful situations that would have me appear to be the most hated girl in the world due to the nature of the aggression coming from the other parties involved.

Who do you think would most appreciate this book?
I believe this book is ideal for anyone that feels like an outcast or the “black sheep of a family.” These groups would definitely be able to relate to the mistreatment that I have received in many ways.

What inspired you to write down your story?
Frustration. I wanted to release some anxiety and I also wanted to vent. Considering that I am what you would consider a “loner,” there is really no one else for me to talk to so writing became my therapist, my friend, and my outlet.

Did writing the book take you to unexpected places or reveal things you hadn’t thought about before? Absolutely. While writing this book, I was forced to face some real emotions and even some inner demons that I myself have never truly admitted to having. I also had to realize that it was time to also mature and see the struggles of others in order to be at peace with my own.

Do you have any advice for people who feel isolated and depressed?
If I could say anything, I would tell them to find the source. There is a source to all of the confusion and pain. Something is hiding within and it is time to dig into yourself and reveal it. Do not let this hidden piece of you take over your life and prevent you from being happy, while it sits back and hides. Claim your life and start off by discovering the good, the bad and the ugly about yourself and then accept it while understanding it and working with it in order to alter it to work for you.

What was the most challenging aspect of writing the book?
Revealing parts of my private life. I am a very private person and I gave away some of my privacy while writing this book. I put my heart on my sleeve to a certain extent.

Author SERAPHIM INN.

What do you hope readers will gain from reading your book?
I hope readers will see that there are so many different people in the world and we all want to be loved and accepted. We are all different and there is a certain beauty in those differences and we all deserve an opportunity to just be ourselves and accepted as who we are without having to pretend to be something that we are not.

How have readers responded to your book so far?
I have been told that my book is unhappy and to stay out of happy circles! So this kind of proves that I am “THE MOST HATED GIRL IN THE WORLD.” LOL.

Are they any authors who have influenced your writing style?
Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath, Nancy Willard, Oscar Wilde, Renina Newton, and so so many more.

What do you have in mind for your next writing project?
I am currently finishing a children's book.

Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book?
If you are feeling depressed, stressed, isolated or even confused about this life, my book would be a book that can show you that this struggle is one that we all face and that together we can tackle some of these issues in order to work on a better and brighter future for tomorrow. 

More Information
Buy the book on Amazon.
Visit the author’s website.

Trevor Halloway, Author of Ashes and Asphalt

Today we are interviewing Trevor Halloway, author of the action/adventure novel "Ashes and Asphalt."

Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi, my name is Rob...but I write as Trevor Halloway because my real name is rather common. On occasion, I homebrew, raise three dogs and two cats, hate people who take up two parking spaces, love Gravity Falls, and I'm the only person to have a video project banned at my community college and STILL get an A.

Describe the plot of your new book in a few sentences.
Mike and Kyle Byrne have to bring their dad to the annual Sturgis Bike Rally. There's only two problems: he's dead and they can't stand one another. The brothers are forced to work together and bring "Wild" Bill's ashes from Florida to South Dakota in five days. Along the way, they'll face obstacles, not the least of which is their hardheadedness.

Who do you think would most appreciate this book?
People who have their own issues with family (at varying degrees, natch), bikers, and anyone that likes a little gallows humor in their stories.

What inspired you to write about two brothers who go an adventure in attempt to fulfill their father’s last wish?
Part of it comes from my own connections with my brothers. I wish I could say that we did a lot together, but circumstances had kept us apart. I get along with them well, but it could've been far better. In a way, the book has been cathartic for me.

Tell us a bit about the book’s protagonists.
Mike and Kyle are near polar opposites. Mike's the family man who left Florida and got a 9 to 5 job. He's the responsible brother and tries to steer things in the direction that he thinks is best. Kyle's more of a carefree spirit. He still lives in Florida and followed their father's footsteps much closer than Mike. He believes that his father would've wanted a much grander road trip than what his brother suggested. In truth, both brothers did (and do) love their dad and are willing to put aside their issues to honor the old man's wishes.

There are a lot of actions scenes in the book, from run-ins with bikers and carjackers to avoiding the police. Was there an action scene that was particularly fun for your to write?
Fun action part? If I said which one, it will give away more of the story than I would like to reveal. :)

Humor is a big part of this book. Has humor always been a part of your writing or is this something that has developed recently?
It's always been there, but not honed until the last couple of years. People would tell me that my stories were funny...especially when I didn't try. I figured...why not go with it?

The book takes place in a variety of locations, from Florida to South Dakota. What made you decide to set the story in these locations?
South Dakota is where the bike rally is held, so I had to stay true to that. Florida was a good starting state. I couldn't have them ride from Minnesota to there...that would be a novella at the most!

Are there any authors who have influenced your writing style?
Oddly enough, horror writer Brian Lumley. Besides him, Terry Pratchett. I got some of my humor from him. The biggest influence would be my friend, Walt Bucklin. He was my friend Jason's dad, and later my own.

Who was your favorite character to write?
Ivan. He's a minor character that follows along the same path as the brothers and is put in truly horrible situations. He's like the gravediggers in Hamlet; mainly a comic relief, but that doesn't mean his own tribulations are of no consequence.

How do you feel about the increasing popularity of ebooks?
If it gets more people reading...I'm all for it.

What are your goals as a writer for the next ten years?
Knock out a few more novels, maybe a short story or two. Then I could pull an Arthur Rimbaud.

Is there any aspect of writing you don't like?
Editing. It's a pain, but it must be done if you want to be taken seriously. My tip: hire an editor.

Have you ever had writer's block? If yes, how'd you deal with it? If you have not had writer's block, why do you think you haven't?
Many times. A beer sometimes helps me relax and then the thoughts come pouring in. I don't recommend that option to recovering alcoholics or persons under 21.

Do you write with a computer, typewriter, or pen and paper? Why do you use this tool?
Varies. I used to write it out, then go on the computer. I now go straight to the keyboard.

What do you have in mind for your next project?
I hate answering this question because there's a small part of me that fears someone will run with my idea, but I do have an idea about a stripper turned detective. Believe it or not, I'm trying to keep it under NC-17. If Stan Lee could do it, so can I.

Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book?
That it's far better than Twilight (avoids the glares of sparkly vampire fans). Just kidding (but no, seriously...it is...)

More Information
Buy Ashes and Asphalt for Kindle on Amazon 
Buy the Ashes and Asphalt paperback 
Visit the author's website

Amelia Marie Whalen, Author of Everything You've Ever Done

Today we are interviewing Amelia Marie Whalen, author of the memoir Everything You've Ever Done. 

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am an outdoor adventure girl living in the Southwest. My passion is rock climbing. I work as a technical writer and am a professional playwright.

Describe your book in a few sentences.
Everything You’ve Ever Done is a memoir of my wild 20-something love affair that turned to tragedy when my husband died from a rare brain disease. It’s not a “young lover dying early” story shot through a soft filter. It’s a pungent, rollicking story of two center-of-every-party types who lived hard and full. Dave and I were real-life characters who blasted through a life stranger than fiction. And we created a story as deep and powerful as any spiritual guide.

Your inspiration to write this book was due to something your husband, Dave, said after a diagnosis with a brain disease. Can you tell us a bit about this decision to write the book?
Dave inspired me in many ways, through his words and by his example. The last sentence he said to me, before the brain damage robbed him of speech, was “I appreciate everything you’ve ever done for me.” He spoke out of the blue, but with total clarity and sincerity. Dave’s character and those words gave me strength at the time and have motivated me since then.

Your book is chock-full of adventure. Did you and Dave always lead such adventurous lives?
When Dave and I met in our early twenties, we both had adventurous backgrounds. I’d been camping and hiking since I was a small child and rock climbing from the age of 13. Dave was a world traveler, helping his father run a South American import company since he was a teenager. Together we adventured in the woods, on the road, and with our business and art pursuits.

Who do you think would most appreciate this book?
I think that those who feel deeply and strive to experience the richness of life would most appreciate the book. I think anyone struggling, especially with illness and death, can find comfort in my story.

Did anything surprise you as you were reflecting on your past and writing this book? Anything that you realized looking back but didn’t realize or appreciate at the time?
The importance of Dave and my story’s background surprised me. I didn’t realize before I started writing and building the book’s structure how much of our pasts would be relevant to the way we lived and dealt with Dave’s illness. I didn’t expect to include so much of our lives from before the time when we met and leading up to the onset of Dave’s illness. It took me a while to understand the importance of the big picture and how impactful our pasts were on our character development.

How do you think reading your book will impact people?
My book will reassure people that suffering and death are parts of our human experience that enrich our lives. These aspects of our existence are a reality that doesn’t have to be feared or avoided. Embracing the bad with the good is essential for spiritual development. We are blessed, even by tragedy. Readers will see that the most devastating life circumstances can create personal discovery, peace, and acceptance.

You’re currently in the process of finding a publisher or agent, and are sharing some excerpts with readers. Can you tell us a bit about the excerpts you’re currently sharing with readers?
I am attempting to give readers pieces from both the dark and light parts of the book. It’s undeniable that parts of the story read as tragedy and are heavy and sad, but I hope that other parts read as a love story and inspire.

Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book?
Anyone who'd like to be notified when the book is released can sign up for the mailing list, at either the Facebook page or the blog.

Thank you for a great interview!

More Information
www.everythingyouveeverdone.com
www.facebook.com/EverythingYouveEverDone

Interview with Candace Campbell, author of Broken

Today we are interviewing Candace Campbell, author of the contemporary romance novel Broken (book #1 of the Abducted Beauty series). 

Describe the plot of your book in a few sentences.
Abducted Beauty book series is about finding love, faith and hope to move on from tragedy.
You can’t change the past but you can change your future. Love heals all wounds.

Who (age, gender, etc) do you think would most appreciate this book?
I think women who have a love for dark love stories, between 18-35 would like the Abducted Beauty book series.

What inspirations contributed to this book?
This inspiration for this book came from the TV show Criminal Minds. I love how they use physiology of the mind to find the criminal. But I feel that the show only shows the criminal’s side and I always wonder what happens to the victims. So this book series is all about the victim’s point of view and what each girl has to go through in her journey to finding herself and falling in love after being abducted. Broken was supposed to be a stand-alone novel but I fell in love with each sister and had to continue their stories and I am so happy I did because each book just keeps getting better.     

Who was your favorite character to write?
That’s a hard question because this series has four main characters it’s hard to pick my favorite. I love each sister for who they are. I love Veronica’s pure heart and her gentleness, she has this need to protect her sisters because she was never protected and she never felt loved until she meets Edwin. I love Claudia’s wild adventurous confidence. I love Amanda’s innocence. I absolutely love Natasha’s obsessive control freak personality.

How long have you been writing?
I started writing after my dad passed away from cancer so it’s been about three years that I have been writing.

What is your favorite book?
Oh my goodness I have so many. I can’t pick just one book or one author.

What genre do you read most frequently?
Romance, always romance. I am a hopeless romantic. I also enjoy paranormal and erotica every once and a while.  

How do you think you've evolved as a writer since when you first started?
Writing is like anything else the more you do it the better you will get. I find the more books I read the better I write I learn from other writers what works and what doesn’t work. But I write what I enjoy and I hope others enjoy it too. I once talked to a writer who was working on a book she found boring she had a hard time writing it and I said why write it if you don’t like it who else will? She went back and rewrote the book until she was happy with it. I think that’s the most important part. Feeling happy with whatever you do in life. I love writing because it fun creating a fake world and characters is just an awesome experience for me. I am happy with this book series it’s much better than my last. I think it’s because it’s meaningful nd I put my heart and soul into it.

Are there any aspects (e.g. character building, world building) of your writing that you've been practicing?
Well I am Dyslexic, and I have a comprehension and communication disorder as well as ADD. So reading and writing in school were always very difficult. But I am constantly working on learning and getting help to keep writing. It’s not easy to do, but I will keep writing and hope in time it will only get better. In the mean time, I count on others to help me with editing my books.

As a writer, one would assume English was your favorite class in school. If that was not the case, what was and why?
No, I was horrible in English. Spelling and grammar were very hard, in fact. Because of my learning disabilities my teaches looked past the spelling and grammar parts of my school work, which didn’t help me when I started writing novels. The first person that looked at my book told me it was a mess. But I didn’t care. I keep trying to make my books better and better. Getting them edited over and over until they are ready for my readers. My favorite class in school was drama and art. I loved to be creative that’s something that comes so natural to me. 

How do you feel about the increasing popularity of eBooks?
As an eBook author, I think eBooks are awesome. There better for the environment, and it’s a lot less of a cost to produce eBooks and cheaper for readers to get their hands on the newest novels.

What are your goals as a writer for the next ten years?
Honestly I don’t need to become a big-selling author. I just want to write and have people read and follow my work. I hope to inspire other people with disabilities to try new things and follow their dreams. But yes I hope to be successful enough to one day write full time.

What is the most impactful experience you have had with a fan?
On my website I had a fan post that I was inspirational to her as someone who has learning disabilities. I have been in contact with the young girl and have encouraged her to go to college and not to let her disabilities hold her back from trying new things. I believe there is a great success in trying something even if you don’t succeed at least you tried. No one can take away the love you have in your heart so give your passion everything you got.   

Have your family and friends been supportive of your writing?
It’s a hard thing being a writer I think a lot of my friends and family are scared to let me down if they don’t like my books but everyone encourages me even if they don’t read all of my books. My mom’s my biggest fan; she reads everything she is so proud of me.

Is there any aspect of writing you don't like (e.g. editing)?
Being Dyslexic makes everything about writing is hard so I don’t worry about the grammatical aspects of writing I just let the story come out of me naturally. I write with love in my heart; it’s fun and therapeutic. I worry about editing later so that my work is not corrupted by my frustrations of editing.

Have you ever had writer's block? If yes, how'd you deal with it? If you have not had writer's block, why do you think you haven't?
When I am in writer’s mood I never have a problem I can write a whole series in a few months but I take long breaks until a story comes to me. I wrote two series, 12 books, in two years but I have not written in a year. I don’t have anything to write right now and I’m not going to push it. I’m working on editing, creating book covers, I think once what I finish with the novels I am working on and put them out into the world I will go back into writing again.

Do you write with a computer, typewriter, or pen and paper? Why do you use this tool?
Always on a computer. It just works for me. I can type pretty fast and spell check is nice to have or all my words would be backwards lol.

What do you have in mind for your next project?
I have another book series coming out hopefully this year. Called "Moments. It will also be a romance novella series. It’s not as dark and twisted as "Abducted Beauty." "Moments" it a sexy fun book series with lots of drama and excitement. I am very excited about getting it out and I hope it does well.

Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book?
Broken is the first book in the Abducted Beauty series, and it is free on Smash words. It’s the shortest book -- the other books are full books. It’s the introduction and history to each sister’s life. As you read each book, it will get more intense and more exciting. Please let me know who’s your favorite sister and why.


More Information
Get the book on Smashwords:https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/467850