Author Interview with Mikael Lacas

Mikael Lacas

Mikael Lacas is a young and up-and-coming writer who is currently in high school. He lives in Central Pennsylvania with his younger brother and parents. The Tears of the Emperor is his debut novelette. If you have any comments or questions, you can email him at lacasauthor at gmail dot com

Where are you from?
I was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and I currently live in Central
Pennsylvania.

Why do you write? 
Writing these books combines my two passions, history and writing, plus it
is fun to theorize these scenarios.

What do you write about? 
Alternate History is the main thing that I write about, it is how history can
change and what that changed world looks like.

How old are you?
I turned 17 on October 6th

What are obstacles that come in the way of writing? 
I find that turning a concept into thousands of words can be tricky because I know how it will end, so the story is building up to the end.

What’s the most memorable thing asked/said by a reader about your work?
When someone asks if I can sign their copy. It is so humbling to say.

How long have you been writing?
This is my first book, but I have been writing since I was 11.

●  When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?
I have always wanted to write, I started writing short stories since I was 11
and was determined to publish them, I still have them and I may rewrite
them and publish them.

What is your work schedule like when you are writing?
I have a chart with how much I had before today, a goal, and how much I
have written at the end of the day. The word amounts can be anywhere from 200-1000.

What you bring to the table that other writers do not?
I am much younger than most writers, so some may say that that brings
something new to the table.

How long does it take to write a book? (if you’ve written one -published or
non)
It can often take a while, however, I am always writing other stories while
writing others. So I may publish more often.

Do you have suggestions on how to become a better writer?
Write, with experiece you will get better. Reading is also a good
suggestion.

What challenges do you come across when writing/creating your story?
Finding a plausible and entertaining divergence in history. As well as a
unique setting and time.

What do you think makes a good story?
A story that is inviting, that you cannot stop reading just to see what will
happen.

What does your family think of your writing? 
My parents both think its a good idea, my mother even helped promote
the book.

Do you see writing as a career?
No, I see myself writing more books, but I want to pursue a career that is not in writing.

Do you have anything specific you’d like to tell the readers?
You should write a book, it was a simple procedure thanks to the folks
and Amazon KDP, and it is also good to use Word or Google Docs or
whatever you use.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I had published the book, I did as before that other things had caus
me to stop writing as much.

The Tears of the Emperor

#FeaturedFriday Review -Samuel Yaw Jian Fong

As a part of our effort to showcase new authors on our website, we are using the FREE publicity section to publish one featured review from an author every Friday to help authors find new readers, and readers new books.

#FeaturedFriday

This week, we are featuring author Samuel Yaw Jian Fong from the Scifi/Fantasy genre

Biography:

Samuel Yaw Jian Fong is an amateur author and artist from Seremban, Malaysia. Due to a lot of time spent on the Internet, he enjoys making his own fictional worlds inhabited by dozens of quirky characters — would you like to check them out? For more information about his works, check out the “Rabydosverse Wikia” and HorsesPlease’s DeviantArt page.

Unicorn Farmhand

The full review is available on this link:

Just reading the unique premise of ‘Unicorn Farmhand’ had me very interested and the book did not disappoint. After escaping a traumatic life in the circus, Dok-Saau the horse has taken to life on a simple farm, but he is far from simple. He is an exceedingly intelligent animal who is fascinated by the human art of writing.

From observing his caretakers, he learns to write in various ways and when he begins communicating with his humans, soon becomes a local celebrity. Dok-Saau’s character is entirely charming. He’s not only smart and loves to learn and teach, he’s witty, determined, and loyal. It’s really cool to see how his brain comprehends things from human culture and how he’s not afraid to speak his mind regardless of the situation. Dok-Saau also seems to suffer from a sort of PTSD which goes a long way in his personification. Over the course of the book, we see him try to remember and overcome the dark experiences of his past and finally, with the help of his human and animal friends, takes their enemy head on.

However, this amazing horse is not the only interesting thing about the story. The author has crafted a world reminiscent of several real-life cultures while incorporating elements of science fiction. The culture, lore, and histories of Dok-Saau’s country and the various peoples surrounding are both unique and vast. My favorite parts include his hometown’s many holidays as well as the interactions between Dok-Saau, his caretakers, and their extended family. While his human family and friends are very compassionate, they also have their flaws which makes them believable as real persons.

Another fun bit of the story is when Dok-Saau is introduced to a weird species of horse the humans call unicorn. The human children (even the adults) are intrigued with the species while Dok-Saau himself finds them irritating and stupid. The book is full of little quirky moments as he explores the world around him and learns to use his strength to better it for everyone. — Sahreth ‘Baphy’ Bowden

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#FeaturedFriday Review -K.L. Shandwick

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#FeaturedFriday

This week, we are featuring author K.L. Shandwick from the Romance/Erotica genre

Biography:

K. L. is a writer of contemporary, suspense & new adult romance, who retired in 2015 to write full time. Previously, she was a registered midwife and social care professional, but during her teenage years, she followed her passion for music by working as a merchandiser for rock bands. K.L’s writing career only started when she was challenged to write a chapter of a book. This led to her first series, The Everything Trilogy. Mentally, K.L. still has a young outlook, (she says she’s a young person trapped in an old person’s body), she loves all genres of music, loves attending live band performances, and making new playlists to accompany the books she writes. After living and working in the south of England for most of her adult life, she now lives in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside with her husband.

Another Life

The full review is available on this link:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mind blowing and soul touching mastery Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 May 2019 Verified Purchase Wow thats all my brain can say is wow. This book slayed me it moved me in ways in which i cant describe. Whilst reading the start of this book it felt like someone had punched a hole in my chest and squeezed my lungs. I cried (you will need tissues trust me)it is a horrible situation but written so beautifully. It literally took my breath away and it slowly released as the story went on. You become part of the story it feels so real it really is astounding the way the writing makes you emotionally become part of the story. As the hero deals with grief and the journey he takes to go from broken to whole. Its a long arduous journey but you are there every step along with him. The pairings in this story with the main characters and even the side characters is poetry in motion. You feel engaged and part of it from start to end you cant put it down it swallows you whole. I read this in one sitting i didnt eat didnt move i couldnt and didnt want too. It speaks volumes for the skill of this amazing author that i cried for one i hardly ever do, i laughed, I got frustrated and my heart literally felt like it had been broken repaired and then grew thee sizes. You need to read this book it tells the tale of loss, love and handles the mental emotions of one special family. The writing is done with such skill as i already said before in an amazing way. for it to make my heart feel all fuzzy and like i have overcome something myself that takes a special person. I have given no spoilers because you need to experience it as it is going in blind so you feel it the way it was intended to be read. One click now because whether your a new reader or returning fan you wont be disappointed. I voluntarily read and this is my honest opinion so good i bought it . 7 people found this helpful

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#FeaturedFriday Review -Jennifer Priester

As a part of our effort to showcase new authors on our website, we are using the FREE publicity section to publish one featured review from an author every Friday to help authors find new readers, and readers new books.

#FeaturedFriday

This week, we are featuring author Jennifer Priester from the Childrens Books genre

Biography:

Jennifer Priester is an author, artist, and photographer with selective mutism, and social phobia. She is also the owner of A&M Moonlight Creations, a publishing company that publishes teacher and parent approved books for children through YA readers. She loves animals and currently has a Toy Poodle named Merveille, and a mini-Rex rabbit named Kojikaki. She has adopted most of her pets from rescue centers. She is a former horseback rider and bowler with many hobbies, some of which include; reading, listening to music, watching TV & movies, playing video games, building jigsaw puzzles, coloring, and puzzle & activity books. The Mortal Realm Witch Series is her first published work; however she is always writing and has many works in progress she hopes to publish someday.

Tales of Familiars

The full review is available on this link:

I won this book as part of the first reads program. It was not what I expected, but it was still rather enjoyable. It was definitely written for a low to middle grade reader, and the structure helped emphasize that point. To me, it read as fairly disjointed, but I’m also rather certain that that was a purposeful stylistic choice. I enjoyed the overall content, and would be willing to say that it would help teach some morality lessons to younger children, which makes it an even better choice. The only reason I wouldn’t give it five stars is due to the writing style, but otherwise it was a fun, quick read.

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#FeaturedFriday Review -James Calbraith

As a part of our effort to showcase new authors on our website, we are using the FREE publicity section to publish one featured review from an author every Friday to help authors find new readers, and readers new books.

#FeaturedFriday

This week, we are featuring author James Calbraith from the Historical Fiction genre

Biography:

James Calbraith is a Poland-born Scottish writer of history-adjacent novels: a historical fantasy “The Year of the Dragon” saga, and a historical fiction series, “The Song of Ash”. Growing up in communist Poland on a diet of powdered milk, “Lord of the Rings” and soviet science-fiction, he had his first story published at the ripe age of eight. After years of bouncing around Polish universities, he moved to London in 2007 and started writing in English.

The Saxon Spears

The full review is available on this link:

The Saxon Spears has the two things I look for in a book going for it. Rich, detailed writing and compelling characters. My first read by James Calbraith left me really wanting more, and I can’t wait to read more from him.
.
I absolutely was engaged in this plot the entire time. The action is riveting and as I said, the writing is so wonderful, I felt as though I was transported into this novel.
.
The characters are intense and so realistic. I love character driven novels, and The Saxon Spears has this with beautifully written plot to back them up.
.
I loved everything about this one and can’t wait to continue in the series. Highly recommended.

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Author Interview with Nicholas Zacky

Nicholas Zacky is a pretty normal guy. He lives in Singapore, loves his family….and oh yeah, he’s been to almost every country in the world as a flight attendant for a major airline.

Nicholas doesn’t sugar-coat things; if you ever wanted to know what it’s really like to work as a flight attendant, now’s your chance. His honest and often hilarious insights will give you the real inside scoop on the business. Then, read about his adventures outside of work! This world traveler loves spending his holidays on solo backpacking trips. Follow Zacky to exotic locales around the globe and find out how all the different cities he’s visited have changed his perspective and allowed him to experience cultures different than his own. On the spiritual side, Zacky explains how solo travel can help you feel free and give your soul a much-needed breaksomething he experienced on his backpacking excursions. Then, on the more suspenseful side, there are so many crazy stories to share: Zacky is someone who goes all-out in his travels, staying awake for almost twenty-four hours at a time in order make the most of every single moment. With these adventures come risks, and he finds that he always seems to get himself into trouble when he’s overseas—he’s even almost died on three separate occasions in three different countries! From flight attendant to author, Blessed is an account of Zacky’s tales of worldly wisdom, wild nights out in cities all over the world, and so much more. Fasten your seatbelts! Blessed is the thrilling adventure you’ve been waiting for.

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Where are you from?

The sunny island of Singapore

Why do you write?

I’ve wrote the book blessed , My first and only book

What do you write about?

Blessed is basically a autobiography of mine which i wrote mainly during my 5 years as flight attendant traveling almost 3/4 of the world

Do you have a specific writing style?

The truth and nothing short of the truth.

Read the free preview on Amazon

What are the obstacles that come in the way of writing?

When you get taken advantage off , cause what your doing is new, and you don’t know how the business works.

What’s the most memorable thing asked/said by a reader about your work?

How are you still alive ?

How long have you been writing?

Have always had a habit writing randomly , can be just writing freestyle to some random story , or even writing a song

When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?

5 years ago, i was at some seminar and the guy that was speaking he made it sound so possible for anyone in the room to write room to write a book, crazy

What is your work schedule like when you are writing?

After i got fired from my job, i spend the next 3 months staying at home not working not job hunting but just staying in my room writting. Even if i were to go out i would go to Starbucks or the library and that is also to continue writing. I was obsessed to get the writing content completed.

How long does it take to write a book? (if you’ve written one -published or
non)

I’ve completed writing in a year. It took another to get done and published

Do you have suggestions on how to become a better writer?

Just get a pen and paper , and just write it all first don’t worry about anything else. That should be your first step, don’t worry about anything else.

What challenges do you come across when writing/creating your story?

Am i writing too much ? am i writing too little ? will they like it ? how will they see me after the book ?
overthinking generally in life is toxic, let your heart and soul do the writting.

What do you think makes a good story?

If it is coming from and it is real as hell, that’s a good story.

What does your family think of your writing?

They could not believe it, they thought i was messing around
the day when my book arrive on post and they saw it for the first time, they were speechless.

Do you see writing as a career?

It was so much work on the first book , i told myself this is the first and the last book
Now that i’ve gotten a hang of it, I don’t see why i should not be writing book number #2

Do you have anything specific you’d like to tell the readers?

In life sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and just do it, don’t tell yourself you’re gonna do it next week, next month , next year
just fucking do it today , like right now. Hesitation is always holding us human down from living.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When i saw the book cover, i was like god damm Nicholas Zacky is an Author . Wow!

An Interview with Author Alex McCann Johnson

Alex McCann Johnson

Alex McCann Johnson was born and raised in North Dakota. He has always been fascinated by myths and legends from all over the world, and that fascination played a central role in his quest to learn more about our world and this life from both a metaphysic and spiritual perspective. Alex is also the author of Shadow in the Light, a finalist in the International Book Awards LGBTQ category.

Vindico

Where are you from?
Williston North Dakota USA

Why do you write? 
I write because I have a story to tell. This story has allowed me to express myself in a way that I hope my readers enjoy. While it is a work of fiction, I hope people take from it the lessons learned from the characters that they relate with. I hope that I have fueled their imagination enough to make a positive change in the reader’s life.

What do you write about? 
I write about the journey. Some people believe that it is the ending that matters most, but I truly believe that it is the journey that paves the way to the end.

Do you have a specific writing style?
I like to make it so that the reader is able to use his or her imagination. While I can describe a character in detail, I still like to leave key characteristics of features to the imagination so that the reader can become more involved with the character.

What’s the most memorable thing asked/said by a reader about your work?
In a review, it was mentioned that “This author is striving to break moulds and has to be applauded for that. It’s refreshing to find a writer like this who dares to be different and who confronts his readers with an innovative and challenging universe.” And that is exactly what I want to be known for!

How long have you been writing?
I started creating stories when I was very little. I loved books, and when I learned to write words, I immediately started to put them together.

What is your work schedule like when you are writing?
Do we all get the luxury of setting aside time in our busy schedules? haha

Do you have suggestions on how to become a better writer?
Just start writing. Get it all out of you! We all have a story to be told.

What challenges do you come across when writing/creating your story?
My biggest challenge was trying to fit in too many ancient gods and goddesses! I had to cut some out because it got to be too many. I wanted to use them all!

What do you think makes a good story?
A good story comes when you really dig within yourself when you write.

What does your family think of your writing? 
My brother did my cover art! They are super supportive!

Do you see writing as a career?
It is my favorite hobby!

Do you have anything specific you’d like to tell the readers?
I write these books for you!

Do you have links that you’d like to share for others to read? www.shadowinthelight.com

#FeaturedFriday Review -Jesse James Kennedy

As a part of our effort to showcase new authors on our website, we are using the FREE publicity section to publish one featured review from an author every Friday to help authors find new readers, and readers new books.

This week, we are featuring author Jesse James Kennedy from the Crime Novel genre

Biography:

Jesse James Kennedy is an American novelist and poet born in St. Louis Missouri. After a brief stint in the Army, he spent a good decade running wild, reading and sharpening his writing skills. His first novel, Missouri Homegrown, was published by Perfect Crime Books to strong national reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. His second novel, Tijuana Mean, has been accepted by the same publisher and is due to be released in late 2018. These days he can usually be found somewhere in the rural Midwest writing and consuming copious amounts of bottom shelf whiskey.

Tijuana Mean

The full review is available on this link:

“Mean as ever . . . stepping over the bodies—a lot of them. . . . Kennedy’s involvement with his material has deepened. In heightened language, he explores the odd bond between cops and criminals, the poisonous tension between father and son. There’s a sixties vibe, too, with LSD visions and the Grateful Dead on car radios. These are gripping, beautifully executed scenes, and there’s still plenty of McCray business-as-usual: robbing corpses, chopping off arms, pushing lit cigarettes into open wounds. . . . How do McCrays handle competitors? “We kill them.” The American Library Association’s Booklist

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#FeaturedFriday Review -Cheryl Butler

As a part of our effort to showcase new authors on our website, we are using the FREE publicity section to publish one featured review from an author every Friday to help authors find new readers, and readers new books.

This week, we are featuring author Cheryl Butler from the Horror/Mystery/Thriller/Suspense genre

Biography:

I love character-driven tales with a psychological edge and aim to produce that kind of work myself, and I’m not afraid to tackle issues that some may find difficult… other than horror – I can’t read or write horror as I scare far too easily! Aside from writing and my family, my greatest passion is music, and I can easily lose myself in a favourite album or song, rather like I do within a book I’m writing or reading, and a musician’s ability to move you on any level is pure genius.

The Course Of Conviction

The full review is available on this link, but here’s the summary:

Perfect!! I was attached to this book more than I was with book one – in fact, I became a little obsessed with the plot of this particular story! Things are darker than ever, there are twists and turns from the very beginning that leave you speechless and we see the disturbed minds of certain characters, as well as the consequences of their actions. I had to laugh at myself when I finished this book – I felt like I was such a prude reading book one, but this book has just sparked my obsession with this series in a way that I never thought possible! It just goes to show that you should all read books that are out of your comfort zone, as you never know what you might find. This series has been such a complex, deeply emotional and unexpected ride so far and the end of this book has made me pretty desperate for the final installment. Amazing!

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#FeaturedFriday Review – Paul D. Brazill

As a part of our effort to showcase new authors on our website, we are using the FREE publicity section to publish one featured review from an author every Friday to help authors find new readers, and readers new books.

This week, we are featuring author Paul D. Brazill from the Horror/Mystery/Thriller/Suspense genre

Biography:

Paul D. Brazill’s books include Man of the World, Last Year’s Man and Gumshoe Blues. He was born in England and lives in Poland. His writing has been translated into Italian, Finnish, Polish, German and Slovene.

Gumshoe Blues

Gumshoe Blues is a collection of four linked tales, the eponymous novella length Gumshoe Blues followed by three short stories Mr Kiss And Tell, Who Killed Skippy? and The Lady And The Gimp. In each our worn down private investigator attempts to rake in enough assignments to at least cover his bar tab – with the occasional Pot Noodle thrown in for sustenance – without getting on the wrong side of any of the local crime bosses and gangland hoodlums. For such a setup, the book has an unusual and deceptively gentle pace. Brazill excels at creating vivid scenes and locations, each one dripping with authentic detail, and maintains a strong sense of threatening unease. I could easily imagine myself alongside Ord in these deprived and forgotten Northern towns. Gumshoe Blues is as much an indictment of the sad state of contemporary England as it is a crime novel. That’s not to say that such a grim locale has resulted in a depressing read though – far from it! I love Brazill’s dry humour and scathing turns of phrase which contrast well with his eye for an absurd situation. All of his characters have a ring of authenticity to them with even people who only put in the briefest of appearances being utterly believable. Gumshoe Blues wasn’t at all what I expected it to be, but I appreciated its unique atmosphere and thoroughly enjoyed the read.

Review posted on https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/literary-flits-14929117/gumshoe-blues-by-paul-d-brazill-7217949779

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