Author Interviews

About the author Tell us your story? What made you start writing? I’ve always had a love for reading. It blossomed at a very young age, and naturally, reading at a higher level came easy for me. I grasped mature content much faster than my peers, and I believe that is how I managed to create content as such, even at this age. The main reason I started writing was my crazy imagination. And on the other hand, it was because of my grandfather. He was an author and published tons of books over his lifetime. I wanted to be just like him. Finally, on September 11th, I was able to pronounce myself an author after I released my debut novel, Madness. If only Grandpa Parque can see me now. He passed away too soon. What is the best gift you have been given? I think the gift of being blessed into a wonderful family and having the resources in my life to develop myself as a person is the best gift I’ve ever been given. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to? I don’t have the exact year, but back when Jesus roamed the earth and visited Jerusalem is when I would go back in time. If you were ruler of your own country what would be the first law you would introduce? The first law would be: People who are corrupt, convicted, greedy, or are subject to judgment, will face the consequences… Read More »Paityn Parque

About the author Lou Kemp’s early work was horror and suspense, later work morphed into a combination of magical realism, mystery and adventure painted with a horrific element as needed. She is one of those writers who doesn’t plan ahead, no outlines, no clue, and I sometimes writes herself into a corner. Atmospheric music in the background helps. Black by Pearl Jam is one that really helps. What is the best gift you have been given?  As a writer, the gift of constructive feedback. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?  Year 1868.  If you were ruler of your own country what would be the first law you would introduce? The right of a woman to be her own person. If you had a warning label, what would yours say?  Please ask yourself ‘what if?’ and read the Celwyn series with that in mind. About The Violins Played Before Junstan (Celwyn series #0,5) At first, the immortal peyote-eating magician Celwyn is hired to deliver an automat, Professor Kang, to a priest called Talos. Everything Talos told Celwyn was a lie, and by the time their ship, the Zelda, encounters a terrific storm in the Arctic Circle, Celwyn finds he must reconsider his allegiance. He chooses Kang, and they travel to Singapore, preparing to journey west. In order to deflect the attention of the city’s police, they allow an American heiress to go with them as she escapes matrimony to seek adventure. Her crazy aunt… Read More »Lou Kemp

About the author Tell us your story? What made you start writing? My path to writing was a fun one. It all started in 8th grade when our class was tasked with a project; write and illustrate your own children’s book. I was excited, and decided to make one about my friend Eric and I trying to stop another friend of ours, named Ryan, from destroying the Earth. I got 110% on the project and was told I had a wonderful imagination. So I started running with it. By the time I was 17 in 2004, the first book I ever wrote, “Erift’s Journeys: Secrets of The Sealed Forest” was published through Iuniverse. I was young and didn’t know what I was doing. I paid for it to be published and let it sit and rot. No surprise it went nowhere. 2016 rolled around and I redid the story, but I again, let sit, save for some posts on Twitter. The reception was okay, but by 2019 I wanted to turn writing from a hobby to a profession. I wanted readers, especially younger ones, to be taken on an epic adventure like I always wanted to as a child. That’s why I write. I write because I want to take readers on a fun, epic adventure and for them to grow with my characters over the course of the series. What’s your favorite family tradition? My favorite family tradition is how every autumn, we go out to a local farm… Read More »J.T. Tenera

About the author Tell us your story? What made you start writing? My interest in writing didn’t become noticeable to me until later in life. However, I’ve always enjoyed reading a good book. This interest in reading started with my mom (who spent many years as an educator and administrator). She introduced me to the world of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis, at a very young age. From there, my interest in reading really bloomed. I read everything as a kid. One of my absolute favorite book series from childhood was “Hank the Cowdog” by John R. Erickson. My parents actually took me to meet Mr. Erickson at the Victoria Public Library at one point in my childhood and I still have a book he signed for me from way back then.  However, my true interest in the fantasy genre didn’t come along until the sixth grade. I had an English teacher, Mrs. Warden, who introduced me and my class to the Hobbit. What made that experience really stand out to me wasn’t necessarily how good the story was, though it is still up there near the top of my all-time favorites. Rather, what made that book so exceptionally appealing to me at the time had more to do with what was going on in my home life when I found the story. You see, at that time in my life my father was dying of terminal cancer, my family had just moved to a new city to be closer to… Read More »D.N. Woodward

About the author Tell us your story? What made you start writing? I started writing for the fun of it. As a child, I was a constant daydreamer and eventually started documenting some of those dreams, which turned into stories. I enjoyed creating characters (yes, I was the kid who had imaginary friends!) and making them do all sorts of crazy things. It was entertaining and it made me feel free. It still does. Seeing the way people have connected with Rose, Roosha, and all of the other characters in The Night Sender is rewarding and makes me want to keep writing.  What’s your favorite family tradition? I’m actually a big fan of traditions and we had quite a few growing up, some of which I imposed on everyone! But my favorite was probably decorating the Christmas tree. Every year, my father and I would find the perfect tree, and then we’d all spend the night in the living room putting up lights and ornaments, listening to Christmas music, and sipping hot chocolate. It made the house warm and cheery and during the month of December, we’d spend more time in that room together as a family than any other time of the year.  If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to? I’d go all the way back to around 50BC. I’ve always been fascinated by Ancient Egyptian culture, so I’d love to see firsthand what it was like, and 50BC is right around the time Cleopatra… Read More »Christina Tsirkas