Announcement: Proof Positive’s Facebook page has reached over 100 likes! We’re so happy to share our advice and friendship with you that we’re giving away a $25 Amazon gift card through Rafflecopter this week. Just visit Proof Positive’s Facebook page and enter in multiple ways to win. This contest ends Sunday night at midnight Eastern Time.
Thank you again for your support!
Get Down With The Awethors co-creator D.M. Cain graciously suggested that I should do an interview too. As I haven’t published a full book yet, I thought I’d take her up on it in a different way: by telling you why I love all of you.
Indie authors have something really special about them: a sense of community. Why is this so special? Because even though we’re all technically competing with each other, we put that behind us as something that doesn’t need to be acknowledged, as something that is really not the point, and instead we focus on supporting each other. Where else can you find a sense of community that strong?
We exchange books, we give honest reviews, we spread the word on social media for each other, we comment on each other’s work before it’s published. There’s no end to indie authors’ generosity, and it always makes my day to see indie authors working together. Events like the Awethors Facebook event help us not only connect with readers but network with each other. And those relationships last forever.
Just a few of the amazing authors Proof Positive has interviewed and some of the books we’ve worked on!
One of the reasons I started my editing business is to help indie authors succeed, not only through editing but through exposure. I have read some of the most incredible books by indie authors, and I’ve found that I end up reading bestselling traditionally published books mostly to keep up with publishing trends – not because they’re better. This was a big eye opener for me when I first discovered it, and I hope to help open other readers’ eyes to the fantastic talent right in front of them.
Congratulations to all of you who have had the ambition and courage to publish your own books or even get your start by publishing your own books. I hope to join the ranks of such an awesome group soon.
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Christie Stratos is an editor and award-winning writer who holds a degree in English Literature. An avid reader of all genres and world literature, Christie reads everything from bestsellers to classics to indies, and is an audiobook reviewer at AudioBookReviewer.com. She is also a writer of short stories, poetry – some of which have already been published – and upcoming novels. She dabbles in all genres.
Connect with Christie
Author website and blog
Twitter
Google+
Pinterest
Goodreads
YouTube
LinkedIn
AudioBookReviewer profile (scroll down!)
Connect with Proof Positive
Facebook
Twitter (same as my personal one!)
Google+
LinkedIn
AUTHORSdb
Our eighteenth awesome author in the countdown until the Get Down With The Awethors Facebook event on April 12 is Rocky Rochford. Co-creator of this outstanding event, Rocky has several books, at all different lengths and on many subjects, available for purchase – and some to win!
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1. What will you be sharing with the group on April 12 at the Get Down With The Awethors event? Free book giveaway, sneak peek, merchandise, holding a competition, discussion?
For starters I’ve added a number of works for a free giveaway as part of a book bundle. I’ll be posting cover art, extracts and doing a general Q&A about anything and everything, as well as taking part in our Cover Wars contest.
2. What is your latest book or work, and where can we find it?
The Spirit of Iris is the title of released work, the first installment of the Rise of the Elohim novels (Elohim being the Jewish word for Watchers, Guardians), to which I have a series of four full-length books currently planned.
As a child, I was always most interested in fantasy, first captivated by a series of dreams I used to have about a warrior by the name of Jacka-riah Jackal, whose sole duty was to defend an ancient kingdom and its empress ruler from hoards of monsters and beasts. Then my brother got a Nintendo 64 and I played Ocarina of Time for the first time. Ever since my first quest with Link, I’ve been a huge fan of the Legend of Zelda series, and I played Final Fantasy X a couple of years later, which for me just sealed the deal. Ever since playing this game, I wanted to write something on the type of scale the stories of those video games projected, so this was where the idea first started gathering momentum. Also because of that, with a deep love of Zelda, which led to me working on a number of Zelda parodies, I took to doing my own fantasy story, one that would see a young male protagonist take charge in a bid to free his home world from an ancient evil.
As for where can you find it, it is available on:
3. What drives you to write? Music, an interest in the human mind, is it cathartic for you?
I write purely for the sake of writing, and sleep. I have so much going on in my head that I find it really hard to just switch off, so many fantasies and the like, so writing is a great way to get it all out, make some space and share my deranged musings with all those who are crazed enough to delve into them.
4. What’s your favorite book in the world? One you couldn’t imagine having lived your life without reading.
Oooh tough one, but if I had to pick one, Bram Stoker’s Dracula was the one book I just had to read. I enjoyed it so much more than the film.
5. When will you be at the Awethors event on April 12? All day or at a certain time?
I’ll most likely be on most of the day, as much as I possibly can, to help keep the whole thing moving.
~~~
Author Bio
My name is Rocky Rochford and I am a scuba diving, photo taking, adventure seeking, sword collecting writer and marine conservationist. I’m a handful of years into my twenties, but after living life on the road, going town to town before finally settling down, I’ve gained great insight into the world and her workings. From day one I have been a writer and a writer I shall forever remain.
I like to consider myself to be a student of everything and yet a master of nothing, who does not choose what he writes, but writes what chooses him, be it fantasy, crime, poetry, philosophy or even adventure. After all, life is a journey we all get to experience, just like a good book.
Every read of one of my typed works is another trip into the imagination of my mixed up, crazed and deranged mind. Welcome to the World of Rochford.
Connect with Rocky
Feel free to get connected with me on any of the following site locations:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IamRockyRochford?fref=ts
Twitter: @RockyRochford
Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/RockyRochford
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7310280.Rocky_Rochford
Personal Website: rockyrochford.wordpress.com
Our seventeenth awesome author in the countdown until the Get Down With The Awethors Facebook event on April 12 is D.M. Cain. She’s one of the authors who started this wonderful event and her writing is outstanding (first-hand knowledge!). Don’t miss her giveaways!
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1. What will you be sharing with the group on April 12 at the Get Down With The Awethors event? Free book giveaway, sneak peek, merchandise, holding a competition, discussion?
I’ve got 2 swag packs for A Chronicle of Chaos to give away, which will include a paperback copy of the book, a notebook, pen and pack of chocolates. I will also be offering sneak peeks of my upcoming book, The Shield of Soren, and giving some insight into the influences behind my books. I’ll be hosting the event all day so I’ll be around to chat with all the other authors, as well as being available to answer questions.
2. What is your latest book or work, and where can we find it?
My most recent book is A Chronicle of Chaos – a YA epic fantasy, the first in a long series 
of 13 or more stories. You can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Chronicle-Chaos-Light-Shadow-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00NJ89B8M/
3. What drives you to write? Music, an interest in the human mind, is it cathartic for you?
I am always inspired by music. I like to listen to large-scale orchestral music, which instantly paints vivid images in my mind. I love to get away from the stresses of being a teacher, author, wife and mother by delving into my own worlds and losing myself in my characters. It is so cathartic for me, even when I’m exhausted from a hard day’s work, and nothing relaxes me more than writing.
4. What’s your favorite book in the world? One you couldn’t imagine having lived your life without reading.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. I think it’s the one book I’ve read that has literally everything I’ve ever wanted in a story. It is devilishly witty and funny, but at the same time dark and foreboding. It is the most quotable story I’ve ever read, but hits quite a powerful nerve by the end too. Wilde was an incredible writer.
5. When will you be at the Awethors event on April 12? All day or at a certain time?
I’ll be there for most of the event! For me, it will be 8 am–11 pm UK time (which is about 4 am–7 pm EDT). I might pop off to do other things every now and then, but rest assured I’ll be back. I wouldn’t want to miss much!
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Author Bio
D.M. Cain has been writing since the age of thirteen, but her first full length novel was self-published in May 2014. The Phoenix Project is a psychological thriller set in a dystopian future.
Her second book, released in October 2014, was A Chronicle of Chaos – the first in a dark fantasy series. In February 2015, she began to work with U.S. publisher Booktrope.
She is currently working on the next novel in the series – ‘The Shield of Soren’ and a short story to accompany it.
Cain lives in Leicestershire, UK with her husband and young son, and spends her time reading, writing and reviewing books, playing RPGs and listening to symphonic metal.
Connect with D.M.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DMCainauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DMCain84
Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/XevZH
Website: www.dmcain84.com
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+DMCain/posts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7888430.D_M_Cain
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/D.M.-Cain/e/B00LTTX3PA/
Book Links
The Phoenix Project: http://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Project-D-M-Cain-ebook/dp/B00K974TOM/
The Phoenix Project blurb:
A thought-provoking and compelling dystopian world that will change the way you view justice…
In prisons across the country, inmates are forced to fight to the death in a weekly bloodbath while the nation cheers them on.
Raven Kennedy, a bitterly depressed young prisoner who has never forgiven himself for his unspeakable crime, struggles against his own guilt and self-loathing. But even as the real war wages within him, Raven is forced to battle some of the prison’s most ruthless killing machines. Can he survive long enough to unravel the anger and regret that shackle him—and one day find the forgiveness he seeks?
“The Phoenix Project by D.M. Cain is a superbly written debut, soaked in tension and intrigue.” Jack Croxall, author of the Tethers trilogy.
A Chronicle of Chaos: http://www.amazon.com/Chronicle-Chaos-Light-Shadow-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00NJ89B8M/
A Chronicle of Chaos blurb:
In the deepest bowels of Hell, five demons have been summoned, their bonds to the fires of damnation severed. For the first time in millennia, they have been called to the Human Realm to put an end to a battle that has raged for centuries.
The world is split in two – an immense and ancient battleground. The Children of Light and The Brotherhood of Shadow dominate the war-torn land, each yearning to rule the planet. Finally, The Brotherhood has summoned the demons, a weapon that could destroy their enemies once and for all, if they can only keep them under control.
Chaos, a soldier in The Children of Light, basks in the glory of being the highest-ranking fighter of his generation, but his arrogance and impulsiveness prevent him from being given the opportunity to prove himself. He believes himself beyond the law, superior, a god amongst his people, but a fateful coincidence puts him at the mercy of the demon, Anathema.
The two warriors, a demon and a human, strike up an intense rivalry, but their obsession to destroy one another only leads them closer together. They must decide which side they belong on before all existence is sucked into one final Armageddon.
Our sixteenth awesome author in the countdown until the Get Down With The Awethors Facebook event on April 12 is Rebecca McCray. If you can’t wait to read her latest novel, get it on Amazon now at a special countdown rate just for this event!
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1. What will you be sharing with the group on April 12 at the Get Down With The Awethors event? Free book giveaway, sneak peek, merchandise, holding a competition, discussion?
Several items: I’m happy to answer questions about my novel and series throughout the day. Two of the giveaway book packages include copies of my e-book. I also expect my book cover to compete well in the Cover Wars! Finally and for the event, my book will be on a countdown special on Amazon (US and UK).
2. What is your latest book or work, and where can we find it?
My novel, The Journey of the Marked, can be found on Amazon (print and e-book). The 
book leans toward fantasy, but with a sci-fi influence and was written with the YA reader in mind, though it appeals to a wide variety of readers. At its core, the story focuses on the value of differences (i.e. ability, culture, perspectives) and how these together can increase the likelihood of overcoming obstacles…like individuals trying to kill you.
3. What drives you to write? Music, an interest in the human mind, is it cathartic for you?
Writing settles me. A story plays in my head constantly. My imagination tends toward the dark and terrifyingly vivid. I find that writing helps me focus in all parts of my life.
4. What’s your favorite book in the world? One you couldn’t imagine having lived your life without reading.
I struggle with questions like these as they’re narrow, so I’ll answer it a little more broadly. There are three genres that have influenced me and that I love: fantasy/sci-fi, mysteries, and culturally-based (auto)biographies. Cultural differences fascinate me as is evident throughout my story.
5. When will you be at the Awethors event on April 12? All day or at a certain time?
I plan to attend on and off during the day. However, as I live in the western part of the US, I likely won’t surface until afternoon for those of you in Europe. You should be able to find me from 9am-11am Pacific Time (17:00 to 19:00 GMT), as well as possibly other times. To help with the day, I volunteered to chaperone the 5pm-9pm Pacific Time slot (1:00 to 5:00 GMT Monday), so I’ll definitely be online then.
~~~
Author Bio
Rebecca always has a story “playing” in her thoughts. If she puts a book down, her imagination grabs the story and starts creating alternate storylines, expanding on the world to which she’s already been introduced by the author. Over time, she began developing the concept of an advanced species that is the imminent example of the “survival of the fittest” evolution theory. That species was the beginning of her series, The Miyran Heir. The first book in the series, The Journey of the Marked, is now available on Amazon.
An avid reader, she enjoys fantasy, sci-fi, mysteries, and culturally-based biographies/travel stories. She is intrigued by cultural differences and this appreciation for variations throughout the world can be seen in her writing.
Connect with Rebecca
Website: www.rebeccamccray.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiyranHeir
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rebpai
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/RebPai
Book link:
smarturl.it/journeyofthemarked (one link for all Amazon websites!)
Our fifteenth awesome author in the countdown until the Get Down With The Awethors Facebook event on April 12 is Kelly Marsden. Kelly isn’t just taking part in Awethors discussions, Cover Wars, and giveaways, she’s also holding an event for Awethors on her blog!
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1. What will you be sharing with the group on April 12 at the Get Down With The Awethors event? Free book giveaway, sneak peek, merchandise, holding a competition, discussion?
I’m really looking forward to the organized chaos! I’ll be giving away ebook copies of my 
entire Witch-Hunter trilogy, the first book of which will be battling it out in the ecover contest (I hope you’ll all come and vote!).
I will also be hosting an Awethors takeover all day on my precious blog – The Northern Witch’s Book Blog – including lovely giveaways.
There will be a discussion on the Awethors board about who people support in the above trilogy. Are they #TeamWitch or #TeamMMC?
2. What is your latest book or work, and where can we find it?
My most recent publication is The Shadow Falls, the exciting finale of the Witch-Hunter trilogy. It was a lot of fun to write – it has its own twists and turns and answers all the mysteries of the previous two books (while opening many more). I hope people will appreciate the mix of historical facts and modern trials.
It is available in ebook and paperback through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.
3. What drives you to write? Music, an interest in the human mind, is it cathartic for you?
I always have music on in the background. I find that the silence is overwhelming if I don’t, and I need something to engage my senses.
It can also help when that one line in a song stands out and directs your thoughts down a track you might not have considered, but turns out to be inspiring.
My music of choice will always be rock and British indie bands.
4. What’s your favorite book in the world? One you couldn’t imagine having lived your life without reading.
Just one? Okay, in that case I will go with the book on my shelf that has been read so many times that the cover is all crumpled and faded, and the pages are held together by tape: The Silver Brumby by Elyne Mitchell.
My best friend gave it to me for my tenth birthday (actually, the same best friend who, 17 years later, persuaded me to become an indie-published writer), and I have read and re-read it. I fell in love with the characters, and it allowed me to escape to another place full of excitement and loyalty. It was the first book that really inspired me to dream.
5. When will you be at the Awethors event on April 12? All day or at a certain time?
I will endeavour to be there as much as possible, I’m excited to see what is going to roll out. I’m based in the UK, so I’ll be running on British Summer Time!
~~~
Author Bio
Kelly Marsden grew up in Yorkshire, and there were two constants in her life – books and horses. Graduating with an equine degree from Aberystwyth University, she has spent most of her life since trying to experience everything the horse world has to offer. She is currently settled into a nutritionist role for a horse feed company in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
Her first book, The Shadow Rises, was published in January 2013. The entire Witch-Hunter trilogy is now available as paperback and download.
Connect with Kelly
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6905238.K_S_Marsden
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KSMarsden
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KSMarsden
Website: http://kellymarsden.wix.com/home
Blog: http://thenorthernwitchbooks.blogspot.co.uk/
Book links:
The Shadow Rises – free to download
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-shadow-rises-k-s-marsden/1119501646?ean=9781499271607
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=5Xu8BAAAQBAJ
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/476391
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/the-shadow-rises/id921005166?mt=11
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Rises-Witch-Hunter-Book-ebook/dp/B00AWRN8YQ/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadow-Rises-Witch-Hunter-Book-ebook/dp/B00AWRN8YQ
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17972985-the-shadow-rises
Our fourteenth awesome author in the countdown until the Get Down With The Awethors Facebook event on April 12 is Claire Plaisted. She has ten books on the market and counting, including romance and a children’s book – quite varied!
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1. What will you be sharing with the group on April 12 at the Get Down With The Awethors event? Free book giveaway, sneak peek, merchandise, holding a competition, discussion?
I am giving away an ebook version of Malachy’s Unit, which is the first book in Garrett 
Investigation Bureau (GIB) series. I will also participate in the character talks, chat and Cover Wars.
2. What is your latest book or work, and where can we find it?
My latest work is Book 5 in the Garrett Investigation Bureau (GIB) series. It’s called Mascosta’s Dreamgirl. You can find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Apple and many more online stores.
3. What drives you to write? Music, an interest in the human mind, is it cathartic for you?
My fingers drive me to write, as do my generally noisy characters, who seem to argue a lot at times. I have no idea where the plots or anything else comes from. I tend to do as I’m 
told. Muse or pixie on my shoulder is what I like to think.
4. What’s your favorite book in the world? One you couldn’t imagine having lived your life without reading.
There are two books. Valley of Song by Elizabeth Goudge and The Chronicles of Narnia (series) by C S Lewis.
5. When will you be at the Awethors event on April 12? All day or at a certain time?
I’m about 18 hours ahead of the USA, so I will be there for as long as possible, though when it hits Monday here, I have a volunteer job to do.
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Author Bio
Hi everyone! My name is Claire Plaisted. I live in Rotorua, New Zealand with my family and two cats. Rotorua is one of the main tourist stops for a cultural Maori experience with lots of things to do, be it walking, cycling, museums, spa days, etc.
I am an indie author with sidelines in genealogy where I research and format family history books for clients. I have also developed a business to help indie authors self-publish. I have published six books for clients so far.
Plaisted Publishing House will format your draft books into ebook and print format; along with this we will help you find an editor and book cover designer if they are needed. My main aim is to get as many indie authors published and online as possible with reasonable costs. After all, not everyone is computer savvy.
Back to me! I have published ten of my own books so far. Two are short stories and five are part of a series called Garrett Investigation Bureau. I have one erotic fantasy, one children’s mythical story and a contemporary romance under my pen name, Beth Bayley.
I started to write in 2012 quite by accident and ended up with a Regency historical novel, which still needs editing and publishing. From that time on, I have not stopped. My work has been a continual learning curve that includes designing websites and learning how to use Word more efficiently.
At present I am working on a war diary and attending college to help enhance my small business management skills.
Enjoy looking at my books. I will be updating and leaving teasers as I learn to use WordPress more efficiently.
Connect with Claire
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rotosis1
My Buy Links
http://geni.us/3EMp
http://geni.us/O4N
http://geni.us/13o2
http://geni.us/O4O
http://geni.us/2fb1
http://geni.us/vn1
http://geni.us/M8J
http://geni.us/2W5y
http://geni.us/23H7
Our thirteenth awesome author in the countdown until the Get Down With The Awethors Facebook event on April 12 is Tory Gates, otherwise known as DJ Riff. Tory writes literary fiction that deals with relevant cultural issues in a readable way, and his upcoming book will be YA/Mainstream.
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1. What will you be sharing with the group on April 12 at the Get Down With The Awethors event? Free book giveaway, sneak peek, merchandise, holding a competition, discussion?
A free copy of my first book, Parasite Girls; the cover is also entered in the Cover Wars competition.
2. What is your latest book or work, and where can we find it?
Parasite Girls is available through Amazon.com, either in physical or Kindle form. E-
readers of other kinds may also purchase the book through Smashwords.
I am currently in the editing process for my next work, A Moment in the Sun, a Young Adult/Mainstream crossover story that will be released later this year by Sunbury Press.
3. What drives you to write? Music, an interest in the human mind, is it cathartic for you?
There are so many different forces that have inspired me over the years. Music is indeed one of these; as a broadcaster I was exposed to so much over the years, it’s hard to not be inspired in another creative direction.
Writing was another expression beyond what I did for a living. I also found it became a great form of therapy. I was unable at first to write about myself, but I found I could write about other people’s experiences. Then I gradually began to chip away at the things inside me, which were even better, as I lived them.
4. What’s your favorite book in the world? One you couldn’t imagine having lived your life without reading.
That’s a tie: The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I read the former for the first time when I was nine, and LOTR at ten (so I read them long before they were cool!). Tolken’s creation of Middle Earth (which spanned over 20 years) is a journey of imagination that I’ve never encountered before or since, and I don’t think we ever will. It proved to me from an early age there were no boundaries for creativity and storytelling.
5. When will you be at the Awethors event on April 12? All day or at a certain time?
I will be on for the midday hours, hopefully. As I have promoted the event on this, I’ll shamelessly plug: I host a Sunday afternoon program called The Music Club on Radio-Airwaves Station from 4-6 pm Eastern, at www.radio-airwaves.co.uk – perhaps I can provide some music of interest for you during that time!
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Author Bio
Tory Gates is a broadcast professional with over 30 years of radio experience. He has worked nearly every format as a DJ, news anchor, journalist, talk show host and producer. Tory is currently a reporter with the GeoTraffic Network, plus a sports anchor for the Radio Pennsylvania Network. He is also known on the Internet as “DJ Riff,” host of the The Music Club for the London-based Radio-Airwaves Station.
His second book, A Moment in the Sun, a Young Adult/Mainstream work will be released this year on Sunbury Press. Parasite Girls, Tory’s debut novel, was released in 2013 and is available through Amazon.com and Smashwords.
Tory is also a songwriter/musician with the indie folk duo the Dharma Fools, and an actor with experience in stage and independent film. Occasional thoughts and observations can be found on his blog, Words of a Pre-Curmudgeonly Zen Pagan.
A native of Vermont, Tory lives in York, Pennsylvania with his five cats and the herd of deer that come to sleep on his lawn each evening.
Connect with Tory
https://www.facebook.com/ToryGatesMedia?ref=hl
https://www.facebook.com/tory.gates
https://www.behance.net/torygates
https://twitter.com/ToryGates (or @ToryGates)
http://tgfabthunderbird.blogspot.com/2014/12/book-deals-writing-and-other-stuff.html?zx=c6436b1550baed91
http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/tory-gates.html
Our twelfth awesome author in the countdown until the Get Down With The Awethors Facebook event on April 12 is Lynne Murray, who writes to bring readers into new worlds and unique situations.
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1. What will you be sharing with the group on April 12 at the Get Down With The Awethors event? Free book giveaway, sneak peek, merchandise, holding a competition, discussion?
I’ve entered the Gravitas cover in the Cover Wars contest. I also hope to give away a Mobi and/or EPub copy of Bride of the Living Dead, a romantic comedy about a woman who loves monster movies too much. I’ll be happy to talk about anything on the day.
2. What is your latest book or work, and where can we find it?
GRAVITAS: VALKYRIE IN THE FORBIDDEN ZONE. Available for Kindle at 
http://amzn.com/B00U4EOBR0
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00U4EOBR0
In all other formats at
https://draft2digital.com/book/84993
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25055762-gravitas
3. What drives you to write? Music, an interest in the human mind, is it cathartic for you?
When I read, I want to be surprised, captivated and taken away to another world where things are different. Writing fiction delivers that experience for me even more strongly! As an author, I infinitely prefer making people laugh out loud to making them shiver in fear or cry, but sometimes those things happen as well.
Every book springs from a different need, seed or craving. Usually it’s my need to turn things upside down. For example, in Bride of the Living Dead, I wanted to write a romance about a woman who hates weddings, loves monster movie T-shirts and finds herself trapped in a formal wedding planned by her control freak sister.
Gravitas: Valkyrie in the Forbidden Zone sprang from a desire to write about Valkyrie, a planet where women rule, an aphrodisiac is the major export and a secret relationship with the planet Earth and its inhabitants goes back 30,000 years.
4. What’s your favorite book in the world? One you couldn’t imagine having lived your life without reading.
I must join the legions admiring Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, a book to live for and live in.
5. When will you be at the Awethors event on April 12? All day or at a certain time?
I will definitely be there from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, but I may drop in before or after too, just because it sounds like too much fun to stay away.
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Author Bio
Reading, writing and what we can charitably call an active fantasy life have been very central to who I am for as long as I can remember. My father was a scientist working for the military, so I grew up in Illinois, Texas, Alaska, Washington, and finally Southern California. I wrote my first book before I could read. I loved the books my parents read to me and was certain I could write one. I was a much-indulged only child and they typed it up for me to illustrate with crayons.
Another early memory was being driven across the Golden Gate Bridge. My parents told me what it was called, and I protested that it was not gold. I know orange when I see it and that bridge was and is orange (okay, dark reddish-orange). The idea that the bridge was across the Golden Gate, the opening into San Francisco Bay, was way too complicated for me at that age. But I never forgot the bridge, the sun and the water. I always expected to move to San Francisco.
In 1968 I moved here and not long afterward I started to practice Buddhism, which I still do daily. I got a degree in psychology and decided to devote my life to writing fiction. Not a sane move financially. But the dream has been so strong that I had to make whatever sacrifices necessary to follow it.
Fast-forward 47 years: I’ve had nine novels published with large and small presses and now I’m self-published. When not reading or writing, I spend my time staring at the ocean and catering to the whims of a small group of formerly feral felines, rescued cats who daily return the favor.
Connect with Lynne
Website: http://www.lmurray.com
Blog: http://lynnemurray.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynne.murray.7771
Twitter: @lynnemurray
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzje2HN4yeetetuXVqoC8PA
Our eleventh awesome author in the countdown until the Get Down With The Awethors Facebook event on April 12 is Joe Compton. He’s an indie author as well as president of his publishing company Never Mind The Fine Print LLC. Check out the story of how he came to start his own publishing company!
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1. What will you be sharing with the group on April 12 at the Get Down With The Awethors event? Free book giveaway, sneak peek, merchandise, holding a competition, discussion?
My book, Amongst The Killing, will be part of one of the bundled giveaways. I believe it will be in the thriller category. I also have a chat room on my website that I will be opening up for everyone on the 12th.
2. What is your latest book or work, and where can we find it?
It’s called Amongst The Killing, a crime thriller available at Amazon.com on Kindle and in
paperback here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TYXGT36 and at Smashwords for all other ebook versions here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/521250.
3. What drives you to write? Music, an interest in the human mind, is it cathartic for you?
I am fascinated and curious about human nature and the human condition. I always had this wild imagination, so I took the discipline I was taught and put it use in writing. It’s one of the few things I like to do that doesn’t seem like work, though anyone who knows me knows I put a lot into everything I do.
4. What’s your favorite book in the world? One you couldn’t imagine having lived your life without reading.
Short stories of Edgar Allen Poe. I read them a very young age and said I want to write like that. Of course I discovered it’s a lot harder than it looks, but the spirit of the way he wrote is very much a kindred spirit for me.
5. When will you be at the Awethors event on April 12? All day or at a certain time?
I will be there as much as I can. I will have specific “hot times” to be in the chat room event I am planning, but for the most part I will be in and out at various times during the day.
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Author Bio
Writing has always been a passion. Published in his school anthology at an early age, Joe was able to get his first taste of self-publishing, having gotten to see firsthand what it took to publish and sell something on your own.
Right out of school Joe joined the Marines, and while serving his country, Joe wrote the first draft of Amongst The Killing. When Joe got out he began pursuing his writing dream in Denver. He got an agent and they actually got an offer from a publishing company. Alas, though, they wanted to groom this manuscript toward a movie of the week theme and were looking to change the entire concept. Joe didn’t want to go along with those plans and walked away.
Soured from his experience, Joe began pursuing a different writing avenue through screenplays and filmmaking, and they were as equally strong of a passion as novel writing. While still in Denver, Joe began making short films. He made three of his own, and though success would elude him in the traditional sense, he found another type of success. The relationships he forged and the avenues he opened up led him to realize he was not alone in his experiences, and thus he decided to build a publishing brand. A company that could help others like him be discovered. It took some time, but now Never Mind The Fine Print Publishing LLC is here. Their first effort is Joe’s book he wrote all those many years ago, Amongst The Killing.
Connect with Joe
Amongst The Killing at AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TYXGT36
Amongst The Killing at SMASHWORDS: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/521250
WEBSITE: http://nevermindfineprint.com
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/nevermindfineprint?ref=hl
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/Joedream73
PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/Joe_NMFP/
GOOGLE+: +NevermindfineprintpubLLC
YOUTUBE TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFx3eEGocuY