May Author Interview: Author #10 Lauren Nicolle Taylor

Lauren married her high school sweetheart at 24. They had their first child the following year. The next six years of her life were taken up with caring for her three children. She found out early on that being a parent could be as devastating as it is wonderful. Her first two children developed life-threatening conditions. At four weeks her son developed pyloric stenosis and two years later, at eight months of age, her daughter contracted meningococcal disease. Many surgeries and some very scary hospital stays later Lauren’s third child was born and her parents cross their fingers and thank the gods that, so far, she hasn’t needed any life-saving surgery! Her son (8) and two daughters (6) and (3) are now happy, mostly healthy and extremely boisterous.When Lauren hit her thirties and her children’s health problems began to settle, she started throwing herself into artistic endeavors, but was not entirely satisfied. The solution: Complete a massive renovation and sell their house so they could buy their dream block of land and build. After selling the house, buying the block and getting the plans ready, the couple discovered they had been misled and the block was undevelopable. This left the family of five homeless.

When Lauren hit her thirties and her children’s health problems began to settle, she started throwing herself into artistic endeavors, but was not entirely satisfied. The solution: Complete a massive renovation and sell their house so they could buy their dream block of land and build. After selling the house, buying the block and getting the plans ready, the couple discovered they had been misled and the block was undevelopable. This left the family of five homeless.Taken in by Lauren’s parents, with no home to renovate and faced with a stressful problem with no solution, Lauren found herself drawn to the computer. She sat down and poured all of her emotions and pent up creative energy into writing The Woodlands.

Family, a multicultural background and a dab of medical intrigue are all strong themes in her writing. Lauren took the advice of ‘write what you know’ and twisted it into a romantic, dystopian adventure!

BOOK COVER AND AMAZON LINK:
Advertisement

May Author Interview: Author #9 Kelly Risser

Picture
Kelly Risser knew at a young age what she wanted to be when she grew up. Unfortunately, Fairytale Princess was not a lucrative career. Leaving the castle and wand behind, she entered the world of creative business writing where she worked in advertising, marketing, and training at various companies.
  

She’s often found lamenting, “It’s hard to write when there’s so many good books to read!” So, when she’s not immersed in the middle of someone else’s fantasy world, she’s busy creating one of her own. This world is introduced in her first novel, Never Forgotten.  

Kelly lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two children. They share their home with Clyde the Whoodle and a school of fish.

http://www.kellyrisser.com/

May Author Interview: Author #8 Erica Kiefer

Displaying Lingering Echoes Goodreads.jpg

Erica Kiefer was born on Christmas Eve in Southern California to an American father whose ancestors arrived from Europe during colonial times and a Thai mother who moved to the US during high school. Adding to her rich and varied heritage, Erica grew up living abroad in Asia, including Taiwan, Fiji, Thailand and Indonesia. She gained a great respect for the beautiful mosaic of cultures found in various parts of the world. After graduating from International School Bangkok, she attended Brigham Young University in Utah, where she earned a degree in Recreation Therapy. Erica made the best decision of her life by marrying her husband in 2005 and is currently a mother of three, one of whom awaits her in heaven.
Erica’s first book is titled Lingering Echoes, which was published by Clean Teen Publishing in November, 2013. Her newest release titled Rumors, was released in late December 2013 and is a prequel novella to Lingering Echoes. Borrowed Angel is Erica’s first nonfiction work about her experiences with grief and healing over losing her infant son.

http://www.ericakieferbooks.com/

May Author Interview: Author #7 Amanda Strong

Displaying The final Awakener Cover (2).jpg

Two of my greatest passions in life have always been writing or reading.  I’m pretty sure I spent of most of childhood either hiding in some random corner scribbling away in a notebook or pressing my nose into a book.  Writing has been a journey for me, one that has stretched me, and taught me so much about myself and others.

When I’m not writing, you can find me chasing my three rambunctious children around the house and spending time with my wonderful and supportive husband.  On some occasions you might still find me in my not-so-pink glasses, hiding in a corner to read or working out only to blow my diet by eating ice cream.

Amazon link:  http://www.amazon.com/Awakener-Watchers-Men-Amanda-Strong-ebook/dp/B00G4T1KBY

http://www.authoramandastrong.com/ 

May Author Interview: Author #6 Jessica Tornese

Jessica Tornese is an amazon bestselling author and was voted Solstice Publishing’s 2012 Author of the Year! She has finally finished the final novel in the Linked series; check out Destroyed Through Time this summer!

Jessica Tornese’s debut novel, Linked Through Time, was inspired by her home town Baudette, MN. She graduated from high school there and continued her education at Minnesota State University – Moorhead where she earned a degree in education. She spent several years coaching in the Junior Olympic volleyball program in Minnesota as well as the junior varsity team for Lake of the Woods High School in 2010.

Her favorite hobbies include reading, scrapbooking, playing volleyball, and extreme outdoor sports like caving, ziplining, and white water rafting. Jessica is also active in her church and has run several Vacation Bible School programs and Sunday school programs. She enjoys working with kids of all ages!

She hopes to continue writing and venture into new genres and age groups. Recently, she self-published her first juvenile fiction book for kids online. (see M&M Twins)

Jessica is married and has three children. Her family recently relocated to a small town in south Florida.

Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Through-Time-ebook/dp/B009ZUKKR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365111338&sr=1-1&keywords=lost+through+time

http://www.amazon.com/Linked-Through-Time-Jessica-Tornese/dp/1477570799/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1365111662&sr=1-1&keywords=linked+through+time

http://store.solsticepublishing.com/

Website:

http://www.jessicatornese.com

Amazon author central page:

http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Tornese/e/B008LUYA66/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Linked-Through-Time/392292227468460?ref=hl

Twitter:

@jltornese

Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/jessicatornese

LinkedIn:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicatornese

 

May YA Author Interview: Author #5 Chrystal (Christina) Vaughan

 

Author Website: https://www.facebook.com/chrystalwrites

Bio: Chrystal (Christina) Vaughan (1976-present) was born in Ashland, OR and grew up all over Southern Oregon where she currently resides. She is married and has two daughters and a son; she enjoys teaching others and imparting her love for the written word to her students. When she is not writing, Mrs. Vaughan enjoys spending time with her family and various pets, spinning yarn, and is a voracious reader.

http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Water-Chrystal-Vaughan/dp/1625260512/ref=la_B00FUMF80U_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399657207&sr=1-2

May YA Author Interview: Author #4 M. E. Cunningham

Author website: http://melissajcunningham.com/  https://www.facebook.com/melissajcunningham.author?ref=hl

M.E. Cunningham (Also known as Melissa Cunningham) began writing five years ago when she decided, out of the blue, to enter a community writing contest and won first place. From that moment on she had a new love: Writing. Melissa is a member of the League of Utah Writers. Her past publication experience includes a recurring opinion column called Writing Reality, for her local newspaper: The Leader

Melissa’s first novel: Reluctant Guardian, was accepted for publication through Clean Teen Publishing in August 2013.

When Melissa is not writing you can find her spending time with her husband of eighteen years and her five children. Melissa studied music in college and loves to read all things fiction. Melissa lives in Northern Utah with her family, her horses, cats, dogs and chickens.

http://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Guardian-Melissa-Cunningham-ebook/dp/B00FAY6YJM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1386634018&sr=8-2&keywords=reluctant+guardian

May YA Author Interview: Author #3 K.C. Finn

Author Website: http://www.kcfinn.com
Bio: “Born in South Wales to Raymond and Jennifer Finn, Kimberley Charlotte Elisabeth Finn (known to readers as K.C., otherwise it’d be too much of a mouthful) was one of those corny little kids who always wanted to be a writer. She was also incredibly stubborn, and so has finally achieved that dream in 2013 with the release of her first three novellas in the four-part Caecilius Rex saga, the time travel adventure The Secret Star and her new urban fantasy epic The Book Of Shade.

K.C. Finn has also recently been welcomed into the fold at Clean Teen Publishing as a debut Young Adult author for 2014 – look out for her epic Paranormal/Historical Adventure The Mind’s Eye out now and FREE for all!

As a sufferer with the medical condition M.E./C.F.S., Kim works part time as a private tutor and a teacher of creative writing, devoting the remainder of her time to writing novels and studying for an MA in Education and Linguistics.”

Book Title: The Mind’s Eye (cover attached)

May YA Author Interview: Author #2 N. W. Harris

 
Bio:  
Born at the end of the Vietnam war and raised on a horse farm near small town north Georgia, N.W. Harris’s imagination evolved under the swaying pines surrounding his family’s log home. On summer days that were too hot, winter days that were too cold, and every night into the wee morning hours, he read books.

N.W. Harris published his first novel—Joshua’s Tree—in 2013. It was no wonder that with his wild imagination and passion for all things word related, that N.W. Harris was named a quarterfinalist in Amazon’s Break Through Novel Award Contest. In early 2014, N.W. Harris joined the ranks with Clean Teen Publishing when they signed his new young adult apocalyptic adventure series—The Last Orphans. 

In addition to writing, N.W. Harris has been a submarine sailor, nurse, and business owner. His studies have included biology, anthropology, and medicine at UCSB and SUNY Buffalo. He is an active member of SCBWI and lives in sunny southern California with his beautiful wife and two perfect children. He writes like he reads, constantly.

 
Newest book is The Last Orphans, coming out September 2, 2014
 
 
10318592_10202254842515978_1787813718_n.jpg
 
N.W. Harris
 
Joshua’s Tree, Joshua’s Tree Trilogy Book I (YA Science Fiction, MuseItUP Publishing) Joshua’s Tree on Amazon.com
 
 
The Father, Joshua’s Tree Trilogy Book II (YA Science Fiction, MuseItUp Publishing) The Father on Amazon.com

May YA Author Interview: Author #1 DelSheree Gladden

Bio: DelSheree Gladden lives in New Mexico with her husband and two children. The Southwest is a big influence in her writing because of its culture, beauty, and mythology. Local folk lore is strongly rooted in her writing, particularly ideas of prophecy, destiny, and talents born from natural abilities. When she is not writing, DelSheree is usually reading, painting, sewing, or working as a Dental Hygienist. Her young adult works include Escaping Fate Series, Twin Souls Saga, The Destroyer Trilogy, The Aerling Series, and Someone Wicked This Way Comes Series. Look for, Wicked Power, the next book in the SomeOne Wicked This Way Comes Series. Her first novel for adults, Date Shark, was recently released and is the first book in the Date Shark Series.