I’ve been an actor, a director, a theatre professor, and a freelance writer. I’ve studied playwriting, theatre history, and how to teach actors. My plays have been produced in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Kansas City MO, and (I love this!) Cape Town, South Africa.
Then a character in one of my plays had a new story to tell—a story that would never fit on a stage. So I wrote a novel, The Dry Country. That was so much fun that I wrote another novel, Siljeea Magic, and got it published by Black Rose Writing! You can find both novels on Amazon.
Now I’m working on another novel, and another play.
I live in Ithaca, NY, with a husband and three cockatiels.
Fantasy
Interview with Author – Emma Khoury
Hi there! My name is Emma Khoury and I’m a writer/soon to be published author. My first book, The Sword & Shield is coming out March 2020 with Black Rose Publishing Company! I have many Works in Progress and one completed young adult fantasy manuscript out for consideration at several publishing houses. I went to Ferris State University for Criminal Justice and have Studied Abroad in Ireland and Japan. I live with my two cats, Echo and Kira, who were the inspiration for my first book The Sword & Shield.
Interview with Author – Crystal Reavis
Crystal Reavis is an American fantasy author. The first book of her series The Awakening called Areal is available now. Areal was nominated for the Author Academy Awards. She is currently working on her second book and plans to publish it n 2020. She also has articles in The Old Schoolhouse where she writes about homeschooling. She lives in Colorado with her husband and three kids. When she isn’t writing you can find her reading, hanging with her family, and helping to market other authors.
Interview with Author – Astrid V.J.
Astrid Vogel de Johnsson is a South African author and anthropologist now residing in Sweden. In early childhood, she showed an interest in reading and languages—interests which her family encouraged. Astrid started writing her first novel at age 12 and now writes high fantasy, exploring her passion for cultures and languages. She is fluent in five European languages. She is happily married with two adorable children. When she isn’t writing, Astrid likes to read, take walks in nature, play silly games with her children, do embroidery, and play music.
Astrid writes transformational fiction: incorporating transformation principles in novels, rather than writing another self-help book. Astrid is also interested in minority group questions, considerations on social standards of beauty and the negative consequences these have, and would like to make the fantasy genre accessible to people of non-white, non-Christian backgrounds. Astrid feels the fantasy genre has become too restrictive with limited representations of race, ethnicity and culture. She seeks to explore other paths on this writing journey, incorporating her background in anthropology and psychology to create engaging experiences which also provide food for thought on the diverse topics she finds most important, such as: racism, minority rights, cultural diversity, culture change, intolerance, humanity’s environmental impact and much more.
Interview with Author – S.J. Hartland
I’m an Australian journalist who grew up in tropical north Queensland. It’s cyclone-territory, pretty laid-back and if you’re wearing thongs you’re overdressed.
In comparison, I now call the Darling Downs home. It’s high up and cold, which is tricky for a north Queenslander who thinks the next ice age is upon us when it drops below 30 degrees Celsius.
I’m also a fencer, which is useful for all those sword fights in epic fantasy. Can you have two many sword fights? Never. The 19th Bladesman was my first published novel, though there are some practice ones in the computer version of a drawer.
Interview with Author – Nathan Ayersman
Born in the flat rural terrain of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, I occupied my mind with the escapism of fantasy novels to explore the worlds created by Robert Jordan, Brian Jacques, and Christopher Paolini. Eventually, the image of a sword with a hilt in the shape of a dragon’s mouth came to me and inspired me to write what would eventually become the Ancient’s Armor series. The first book “The Dragon’s Rising” took several years to write while also attending veterinary school and starting my career as a veterianrian, but I expect the books that follow to have a shorter delay.
Interview with Author – Kathryn Zurmehly
Kathryn Zurmehly is a U.S. Army veteran and calls Phoenix, Arizona her hometown. She grew up with a love for stories, heroes, and new worlds. She enjoys Krav Maga, good whiskey, at least reasonably alright wine, petting dogs, and time with family. It is her goal as a writer to bring the kinds of stories that she loves to readers.
Interview with Author – Kim Petersen
Kim Petersen is a USA Today Bestselling Author, author of The Ascended Angels Chronicles, and co-author of the Stone the Crows series. Her debut novel, Millie’s Angel received a gold award in the 2017 Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Awards.
Based in Australia, Kim forces herself out of bed in the wee hours to walk the oceans roads of the NSW sleepy south coast town where she lives with her family. She is always grateful she did because she thinks there is much to be said about those small hours. She loves to explore the meta-physical aspects of life, and the universal bonds of love and friendship – then find expression through creating works of urban fantasy, paranormal and dystopian fiction. Sometimes, she drives too fast because it feels good to be reckless 😉
She loves empty beaches, summer storms, big shady trees, and music – not necessarily in that order. Reading books is an obsession, and great movies and Netflix can be a satisfying pastime when it’s time to tune out to the world. Mostly, she loves to ponder anything mysterious and beautiful.
Interview with Author – Ron Vitale
Ron Vitale is a fantasy, science fiction and nonfiction author. He’s written the Cinderella’s Secret Witch Diaries series, the Witch’s Coven series, book one in the Jovian Gate Chronicles, and the Werewhale Saga. His first nonfiction book, How to Be a Successful Author While Working Full-Time: The Secret to Work/Life Balance is also now available. When not writing, Ron loves spending time with his kids even when they beat him in the fun card game Kittens in a Blender.
Interview with Author – C. S. Johnson
C. S. Johnson is the award-winning, genre-hopping author of several novels, including young adult sci-fi and fantasy adventures such as the Starlight Chronicles series, the Once Upon a Princess saga, and the Divine Space Pirates trilogy. With a gift for sarcasm and an apologetic heart, she currently lives in Atlanta with her family.
Interview with Author – Cecelia Hopkins-Drewer
Cecelia lives in Adelaide, South Australia. Cecelia is the author of “Silver Springtime” (2017) and “Faith and Love” (2018) both of which belong to the Silver Springs University Series, set in S.E. Queensland, Australia. “All For Love: on the charity dating show” (2018) is currently a stand alone novel, although a sequel is possible…hint….hint. “Mystic Evermore” (2018), “Saints and Sinners” (2018) and “Autumn Secrets” (2018) all belong to a vampire, mixed shifter dark fantasy series known as the Nevermore Parables.
Interview with Author – Katlynn Brooke
Katlynn Brooke grew up in Africa, traveling with her parents through the African bush-veld, penning plays, poems, and short stories for the entertainment of her family.
Katlynn Brooke continued as a gypsy-wanderer and reader into her adulthood. Her travels took her to spending several years in both India and Indonesia, before settling permanently in the United States where she now lives with her husband and cat.
She has drawn on her past experiences and lifestyle to create novels that are also out of the ordinary, novels for the young adult that opens doorways into the unusual through her world of fantasy.
Interview with Author – Vanessa Kittle
Vanessa Kittle is a former chef, soldier, and lawyer who now teaches English. Her fantasy and science fiction stories have been featured by Akashic Books. Vanessa’s stories have received hundreds of thousands of downloads on Amazon in the genres of fantasy, science fiction, paranormal romance, and cooking. She enjoys watching cheesy movies, cooking, gardening, and Star Trek!