Good Morning, Bookworms!

Today, I'm sharing an interview with Sandy Lo, author of the novella Decaf For the Dead. It's a great title. However, I prefer caffeinated or decaf! (FYI: That's my attempt at a joke! Remember, I'm a coffee lover!)

Now available to purchase on Amazon and Audible from Claymore Publishing is the fantasy adventure Dragonia: Rise Of The Wyverns, book one in the Dragonia Empire series, by Craig A Price JR..

The Resistance struggles to find a way to defeat the Dragonia Empire; all hope seems lost against the dragon riders, until they discover an island full of wyverns.

Devarius has lost everything. His parents murdered, his sister kidnapped, and the new village he called home: destroyed. The Dragonia Empire has gotten out of control, destroying anything and everything in its path searching for the Resistance.

Devarius is left with little choice but to find the Resistance, join them, and hope he can help them defeat the Dragonia Empire once and for all to bring peace to the land of Kaeldroga.

When did you become interested in storytelling?

I’ve been interested in storytelling ever since the first grade when my teacher gave us empty books made of construction paper and three-lined paper to write our own story.

What was your first book/story published?

The Crimson Claymore was my first novel published, and it is the first in an epic fantasy trilogy.

What inspired you to write Dragonia: Rise of the Wyverns?

I’ve always loved dragons, but I always felt wyverns were left out of fiction and television. I wanted to create a world filled with dragons and wyverns. I also wanted to make it more believable by making wyvernriders more practical than dragonriders by being closer to the size of a horse. I also wanted a lot more than fire-breathing dragons, so I brought in several different elements, and to make it even more unique, I placed the land on the southern hemisphere on a world with two suns and two moons.

What character in Dragonia: Rise of the Wyverns is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Devarius has the same passion and energy to help others as I have, and Paedyn has the same odd sense of humor as me, though I don’t have the same passion for toy boats.

What is your favorite part in Dragonia: Rise of the Wyverns?

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

11:18 p.m. Subject is checking into the Desert Palms Motel, accompanied by an unknown female.

Snapshot in the parking lot. Man and woman embrace. Betrayal, I see it every day, like my own reflection in the mirror staring back at me. Another case, another bottle of booze, life is no longer a mystery to me …

… Because I’m the private eye, hot on your trail; the top gun for hire. You’ll find me lurking in the shadows, always searching for a clue. I’m the bulletproof detective. I got my eye on you …

What’s a little sin under the covers, what’s a little blood between lovers? What’s a little death to be discovered, cold stiff body under the covers?

I’m digging you a desert grave, underneath the burning sun. You won’t be found by anyone. Vultures circle in the sky, and you, my dear, are the reason why.

… I was always easily influenced.

What group did you hang out with in high school?

The artsy, musicians, drama club, geeks & freaks. Or the real question is, what group hung out with me … 

What are you passionate about these days?

Helping aspiring authors survive the hurdles I had to jump ten years ago and making sure they land safely and successfully without being scammed. I run a Facebook group called Fiction Writing where that is my mission.

If you had to do your journey to getting published all over again, what would you do differently?

My first two novels were not originally edited by professional editors. **THE PUBLISHED VERSIONS AVAILABLE NOW HAVE BEEN** (Just want to make that clear before I lose any potential sales.) But when they were first released into the world back in 2007 and 2010 respectively, they were “edited” by friends. What a mistake. Thankfully, I pulled all the copies off the market and when the books were released officially by Scout Media, they were edited by professional editors. I guess it didn’t really make that big of a dent in my career, but I still wish that I could magically replace every self-published copy of those two books that exist on people’s bookshelves with the professionally edited versions.

eBook or print? And why?

For me personally? eBook. I love my Kindle. I can fit a 2 million-page novel in my back pocket. I know the whole “the feel and smell of a book,” but the feel and smell of a book doesn’t help my carry-on luggage, or reading in bed, or reading when I’m shoved into the high school locker. Small, slim. No matter the size of the novel. Compact. Just like me. Now, with my readers? I still, consistently, sell more paperbacks 3-1 over eBooks. So, from a sales perspective, “Let’s print more paperbacks!!!!”

What is your favorite scene in this book?

The epicenter moment when the protagonist and antagonist make eye contact for the first time. It takes only but a moment, but it changes so much for both characters. Actually, it changes pretty much everything for the reader too. Writing a cat-and-mouse detective crime-noir story, you know there is going to be the scene where the detective and the killer come face to face. When it happened while I wrote it, I felt like the moment took on a life of its own, and I became just a backseat observer. It’s like saying your favorite part of a movie is a shot that lasts about seven seconds, but that is how I feel about this interaction.

Now available on paperback and Kindle is the historical paranormal romance Salem Burning by Daniel Sugar.



When did you become interested in storytelling?

When I was 5 years old I saw a TV show called “Bewitched” and that was it – I was suddenly hooked on stories about witches.

What was your first book/story published?

“Salem Burning” is my first novel. It was published, (on Amazon), in Kindle form on February 20th, 2018 and in paperback form on March 9th, 2018.

What inspired you to write “Salem Burning”?

One day I thought, what if someone told a lie and it just happened to be true? And then I thought, and what if that happened in 1692? Once I started thinking about the Salem witch trials of 1692, I realized that that particular, well-known event in history would be an interesting backdrop for a discussion about the way men treat women. In fact, in one scene in “Salem Burning”, the heroine, Lilly Parris, actually says to the young man who has destroyed her life, “Is this the way you treat women?” That’s really what the book is about – the way men treat women. I wanted to turn the Salem witch trials upside down and so I did - and this time, the women win.

What character in “Salem Burning” is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Unfortunately, no one in “Salem Burning” is like me. I say unfortunately, because I’d love to be Lilly Parris. She’s so strong and brave and she has such amazing adventures. Her life is really quite cool. Who wouldn’t want Lilly’s life? I know I certainly would!

What is your favorite part in “Salem Burning”?

I really like the scene after the wolf attack when Lilly is alone in the forest. To me, that really shows who she is; a free spirit who really loves life.

What was the hardest part to write?

The only hard part was the first sentence. I thought about it for a very long time (months) because I wasn’t sure about tense or tone. Once I had the first sentence it was smooth sailing.

What would your ideal career be, if you couldn't be an author?

I’d like to work on sitcoms in any capacity – even sweeping floors. I love being around comedy, comedians – funny people. I’ve sold comedy to “The Tonight Show” and I write jokes every day on my Twitter page. You can find me at Daniel Sugar @1692SalemWitch.

Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

Now available to purchase on Amazon is the fantasy/murder/romance Shadow of the Moon, book one in the Shadow Series, by Kwen D. Griffeth







When did you become interested in storytelling?

I was 14 and I read For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway for the first time. He took a farm boy from Idaho to the Spanish Civil War and allowed me to fall in love for the first time. I wanted the ability he had.

What was your first book/story published?

My first book published was Dear Emma. It is a novella about a small girl whose mother puts notes in her lunch box before sending her to school. The mother is killed in a car wreck, but the notes, from time to time, still arrive.

What inspired you to write Shadow of the Moon?

I read a story about a female werewolf written by a well-known author and I didn’t like the way the werewolf was portrayed. In human form, the character was intelligent, tough, determined and educated. When forced to shift shapes, she became little more than a wild dog chasing rabbits through the forest. I did hours of research on werewolves and the society of wolves. I wanted to develop a more complete character.

What character in Shadow of the Moon is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

I would most be like Detective Gerald Meeker, NYPD. He is a 30-year veteran of the NYPD and he has investigated crimes for most of those years. I’m as old as Meeker, a grandfather like Meeker and I was a police officer. I hope I have a sense of humor like his as well.

What is your favorite part in Shadow of the Moon?

Not so much a part, but a character. I enjoyed writing about Miranda. Miranda is the protagonist’s niece as well as his assistant. She is smart, sexy, red-headed with long legs and she has a touch of rebellion in her against all things structured. She loves to drive her Miata convertible as fast as she can and when another character asks if she’s worried about getting a ticket, Miranda says, “What traffic cop is going to ticket me?”

She’s also a full werewolf and everything does not turn out right for her. She displays a deep character and courage later in the book.

What was the hardest part to write?

Writing a werewolf book requires a certain amount of violence. Which means, there is going to be blood. I was extremely cautious when writing those parts. The werewolf is dangerous and ruthless. I wanted the killing scenes to display that side of the creature, but not derail the story which is much fuller than just that small part of their character.

What would your ideal career be, if you couldn't be an author?

I was a police officer for a number of years and career military. Both were ideal at the time. I am reaching an age where if I couldn’t write I’d have to go fishing. Something I’m not very good at, so I work hard on my books.

Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

I track the review numbers as certain marketing opportunities avail themselves based on numbers. I actively seek reviews for that reason, but I don’t allow myself to get too excited about the good ones nor bummed about the bad. I focus on writing the best I can but I know not every reader will like my work.

What well-known writers do you admire most?