AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Ellen Shapiro

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I’m delighted to start 2024 by featuring fellow Indies United Publishing author, Ellen Shapiro in today’s Author Spotlight! As you know, I live and breathe mystery fiction and Ellen’s got a wealth of wisdom and experience to share. We’ll get to hear from her in an Author Interview below, but first let me tell you about her.

As a private investigator with more than thirty years of experience, Ellen Shapiro’s professional expertise has brought an authenticity that led her to create the storyline and develop the characters for her novels. Acting on her passion for writing, she enrolled in the Sarah Lawrence Writing Institute where she took courses in creative writing. Ellen is the author of six mystery novels and has written articles in her field for both local and nationwide newspapers. Ellen is a member of Mystery Writers of America and resides in Scarsdale, New York.

She received local acclaim in a feature article written about her in Scarsdale Life Magazine last Fall, showcasing her latest release – Murder on Drake Street.

Murder on Drake Street

In Murder on Drake Street, private investigator Maddie Landon receives an unexpected call from her former police partner-turned-attorney, pressuring her to help him investigate the murder of his friend’s wife, Claire Stevenson. Though conflicted because they were once lovers and their affair ended badly, she reluctantly agrees to take on the case. As Maddie delves into Howie Stevenson’s life, she’s faced with a man who swears he’s innocent, though the evidence against him is overwhelming. As Maddie peels back layers of deceit, she soon discovers her client is indebted to loan sharks. Was Claire collateral damage in a vicious game of retribution or did her troubled past come back to haunt her?

While struggling with the investigation, Maddie grapples with demons of her own past—a tragedy of a horrific accident that claimed her adoptive parents. Though never wanting to search for her biological parents, she now realizes the keys to her present may lie in the past. In a world where the past casts a long, dark shadow, she must unravel a web of lies to find the truth, and perhaps mend the fragments of her own life.

About the Maddie Landon Series

Though the Maddie Landon Mystery series is fictional, it is based on the author’s experience and knowledge as a private investigator. PI Maddie Landon was a former New York City police detective that quit the force when she realized the opportunities for females to climb up the ranks in an old-boy network were stacked against her. The Maddie Landon character is both strong yet deeply flawed. Adopted at birth, Maddie’s adoptive parents died in a horrific automobile accident with Maddie only twelve years old trapped in the back seat. The character is someone people can relate to and follow as Maddie continues to develop throughout the series. Murder on Drake Street follows the 2022 release of Buried in the Attic.

In Her Own Words

How did you develop your series heroines, Maddie Landon and Tracey Marks? And which of them is most like you? 

I didn’t have to reach far to develop both Maddie and Tracey. I could see and hear their voices in my head. Maddie Landon is a more complicated character and is probably more like me than the Tracey Marks character.

How did your career path take you to private investigation?

I was always working in the legal field. I was a paralegal before I decided to have a career as a private investigator.

How do you use your law enforcement, legal, and criminal justice knowledge in your writing?

Because of my experiences and knowledge as a PI, I bring an authenticity to my novels. I use those skills in my writing whether it’s interviewing someone, locating people, or knowing what resources are available to me.

Tell me about your writing practice. Is it a discipline for you, or do you write when the mood strikes you?

I treat writing like a job. I write approximately five days a week for about four hours each day and then at night I edit my work.

What book or books have had the biggest influence on you as an author?

My writing style was mostly influenced by both the Spenser character in the Robert B. Parker series and also the Kinsey Millhone character in the Sue Grafton series.

What advice would you give novice writers about writing and publishing?

If you love to write start taking writing courses and surround yourself with other writers who can help you. Getting a book published through an agent is a challenge but you should keep trying. You can also self-publish, or you can go to an independent publishing house.

Published Books

  • Buried in the Attic (Maddie Landon series)
  • Murder on Drake Street (Maddie Landon series)
  • Looking for Laura (Tracey Marks series)
  • Secrets Can Kill (Tracey Marks series)
  • Missing or Dead (Tracey Marks series)
  • Memory of Murder (Tracey Marks series)

Buy Her Books

Stay in Touch

If you buy and read Murder on Drake Street by Ellen Shapiro, please consider leaving a short review on Amazon or Goodreads to let other readers know what you liked about it. Reviews mean the world to authors!

This blog series celebrates writers, creativity, and the fantastic writing journey. If you’re a writer with a new book and you’d like to be featured in an Author Spotlight, reach out to me at: lisamarietowles@gmail.com.

Thank you for visiting today and happy reading!

Salt Island by Lisa Towles Wins 2023 Readers Favorite Book Award

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Press Release

The Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest featured thousands of contestants from over a dozen countries, ranging from new independent authors to NYT best-sellers and celebrities.

Readers’ Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

We receive thousands of entries from all over the world. Because of these large submission numbers, we are able to break down our contest into 140+ genres, and each genre is judged separately, ensuring that books only compete against books of their same genre for a fairer and more accurate competition. We receive submissions from independent authors, small publishers, and publishing giants such as Random House, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, with contestants that range from the first-time, self-published author to New York Times bestsellers like J.A. Jance, James Rollins, and #1 best-selling author Daniel Silva, as well as celebrity authors like Jim Carrey (Bruce Almighty), Henry Winkler (Happy Days), and Eriq La Salle (E.R., Coming to America).

“When the right books are picked as winners we pay attention. We will be spreading the word about Readers’ Favorite.” –Karen A., Editor for Penguin Random House

Readers’ Favorite is proud to announce that “Salt Island” by Lisa Towles won the Bronze Medal in the Fiction – Thriller – Environmental category.

You can learn more about Lisa Towles and “Salt Island” at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/salt-island where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.

The Environmental Theme

I’m so excited and honored to have won a Readers Favorite Book Award. Salt Island’s environmental theme tackles oil company illegal chemical dumping, as well as cloud seeding as part of its layered plot to bring a corrupt, duplicitous business mogul to justice. As part of my research for this book, I drew on the environmental knowledge I gained through my MBA dissertation on fracking. I’ve got a lot to say on this subject, ask me about it sometime! LOL

If you haven’t read Salt Island, you can find it on Amazon in Kindle, paperback, hardcover and audiobook formats.

And as always, THANK YOU for reading this blog and supporting my writing journey!

The Real JadeAnne Stone

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This month’s Author Spotlight features award-winning crime novelist and poet, Ana Manwaring and her latest release – a memoir/travelogue, Saints and Skeletons (Indies United Publishing, 2023). I’m especially excited about this one because it’s such a rare treat to catch a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a successful crime series. In Saints and Skeletons, readers will get to experience the author’s real-life adventures, which set the stage for what later became the Jade Anne Stone contemporary thriller series. All four books of the still evolving series have been published by Indies United Publishing and trace the edgy exploits of PI, JadeAnne Stone and her quest to save a trafficked teen and get her back home safely. Sounds easy enough, right? Add in politics, money laundering, big oil, and corruption in Mexico City and beyond. It’s a well-written, exciting series in and of itself. But now we get to meet the real JadeAnne Stone…

In Saint and Skeletons, we get to armchair travel through Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala in an engrossing personal memoir and travelogue, seeing the origins of the JadeAnne Stone character emerge from the author’s own experiences with loss, betrayal, danger, and personal transformation.

Author Interview

How does the process of writing a nonfiction memoir differ from writing a thriller series? 

Writing a memoir uses the same craft as fiction—characters, setting, plot, vivid detail, compelling dialog, tension and conflict. But memoir requires an honest look inside yourself and the guts to admit the truth. In a way, that’s pretty thrilling. Sometime sickening! As far as writing a memoir vs. a thriller series—nobody’s real life could sustain the continuous car crashes, explosions, shootouts, kidnappings, murders and border jumps of a series.  One book’s worth is enough. Okay, maybe two. Saints and Skeletons doesn’t complete the saga. 

When you were in Mexico, had you already planned to write about your travels? Did you know about JadeAnne back then?

Yes and No. Yes, I planned on researching then writing a book called Stonecarver. The trip was to last six months, not three years, and I planned to  visit  ruins. I did – but I never wrote that book. It was about a ninth century architect/sculptor from Copan, Honduras who traveled to the north of Cuernavaca to build a ceremonial center in the style of Copan. The Xochicalco ruin exists, but the book doesn’t. Although Eb Zotz wasn’t with me through my travels, the seed of JadeAnne was. I just didn’t know it. But when I started writing, I knew she’d been with me  throughout.

Do you feel like there were more skeletons or saints among the people you encountered in your Mexico travels?

There were many saints. People are helpful and caring if you give them the  chance. I found the Mexican people to be lovely and giving, but I was in love with Mexico and its people long before I lived in-country. Perhaps that showed? Not everyone was honest—my bus was broken into twice, an electrician stole money when he came to fix the wiring, and a friend of my lawyer acquaintance, a policia judicial,  stole and forged my check, emptying my bank account. I don’t count these as skeletons—the only skeleton was how I comported myself. Okay, Spring Break wet t-shirt contests, but I was not at my best!

How many more books do you envision will be in the JadeAnne series? 

I’m exploring several ideas for a new series set in Mexico, the Dafne Olabarrieta mysteries. There will be at least six Jade books. Jade and company will appear periodically ten years later in the Dafne series.

In what ways do you feel like you and JadeAnne are alike? In what ways are you different? 

JadeAnne and I might be twins: thirty-ish, smart, good-looking, redheads who can wear spandex salsa dancing dresses and bikinis. Well, in my past life! Jade knows more about guns than I do and her orchid collection is much nicer than mine. We both love Sausalito and the houseboat community and have had business offices there. She’s braver than I am and we’re probably equally as reckless. What can I say, I put my shepherd mix into “Jade’s” VW camper and drove through cartel country (and to Guatemala—read all about it!) alone. Jade, at least, carried a gun. We both hooked up with adorable but inappropriate men while we were in-country, and we both are taqueras, lovers of tacos. And so far, we’ve both lived to tell the tale.

What do you know now about the publishing industry that you wish you knew 20 years ago? 

Writing a good book isn’t enough! There are no “overnight sensations” – only hard, hard work to write the best book you can, figure out how it fits on the shelf at the bookstore, convince agents that your book will sell, then wait months for the book to come out, and finally have to take on the job of book marketer because the publisher isn’t going to do it for you. I chose to go a more independent route and sign with a smaller publisher who operates the publishing house more as a marketing collective.

What advice would you give to a novice writer starting their first book? 

Take your time. Don’t rush—get help, take classes, pay for professional editing, proofreading and cover design. Don’t believe your words are precious! The work starts after you write “The End.”

Start the Adventure

“In Manwaring’s immersive memoir, Saints and Skeletons, she deftly takes her reader on a pilgrimage to Mexico. Rendered with heart and vulnerability, we observe her inner life through the risky choices she regrets, the love she desires, the sublime beauty she discovers. Don’t miss this multisensory adventure of a lifetime.”   

     — J. C. Miller, Amazon Best Selling Author of Vacation

Buy Saints and Skeletons:

Connect with Ana Manwaring

Stay connected with Ana to hear about her upcoming publications. Subscribe to her newsletter on her website, and follow her on social media.

Countdown to Release

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Coming June 7th, Pre-Order from Amazon now

Editorial reviews of Salt Island:

“This book is an intricate, immersive, and riveting thriller, with plenty of surprising twists and turns”

– Readers’ Choice

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” An often engaging tale of money, danger, and family”

– Kirkus

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“ An intricate, gorgeously written, character-driven page-turner with some shocking twists” 

– Prairies Book Reviews

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“An Intoxicating read, hugely entertaining” 

– The Book Commentary​

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“An exceptional thriller and a riveting work of espionage, wrongdoing, and discovery” 

– Midwest Book Review

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“Towles is a master when it comes to parallel storylines. Readers will love the quick pace and snappy dialogue of this thriller, and Mari is a character who jumps off the page and into your heart.” 

– Literary Titan

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“Likeable, interesting characters and a confident narrative keep the pages turning of this crime thriller, in a series that harkens Evanovich, Grafton, and Millhone.” 

– RECOMMENDED, The US Review of Books

 

“Highly recommended for fans of intricately plotted mystery tales, high-stakes action, and dynamic detectives” 

– Reader’s Favorite

 

“Powerful and entertaining, a harrowing journey into the heart of corporate greed” 

– Book Viral Reviews

Synopsis

Having established their new official partnership, the private investigation team of Mari Ellwyn and Derek Abernathy are tested to the extreme with two new cases involving high-stakes corporate espionage and eco-terrorism. Someone is trying to sabotage billionaire CEO Jack Darcy’s IPO deal and reputation, and now his glamorous wife – media darling and entrepreneur, has gone missing. Thryve, Darcy’s high-profile environmental startup, is lauded by investors as one of the best innovators of the decade. But a journalist has learned Darcy’s dirty little secret and is hell-bent on exposing it to investors and the world at large.

Pulled from their Southern California headquarters, Derek heads to the Central Valley to investigate two suspicious deaths from an explosion on a local farm. The deeper he digs, the more questions emerge about what the murdered farm workers may have witnessed – toxic chemical dumping linked to an oil and gas company. A shadow witness is gathering evidence but disappears before Derek can get to her. As Mari considers her next move in a much broader conspiracy of corporate corruption and environmental abuse, her partner’s gone undercover to find the missing witness, and now he’s off-grid.

Mari must reckon with powerful ghosts from her past – her missing father and the truth about his double identity and secret agenda. She embarks on her own investigation to the British Virgin Islands, one of her father’s secret haunts during his time as an active CIA operative, and uncovers details too painful to bear – about her father, herself, and her future.

Secrets can’t say buried forever, but now Mari is alone, exposed, and time is running out.

Thank you for reading this post, for following me, and for supporting me as an author. Our connection means so much!

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Gem Collie

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Author Gem Collie, a royal native of Kingston, Jamaica, is a psychology student with a focus on holistic health. Drawing on her passion for exploring the damaging impacts on the cognitive, behavioral, emotional and psychological development of people in the African diaspora, Collie’s quest is to repair the pieces of her identity through metaphysical healing and to use her expertise and knowledge to help others on their healing journey. I’m delighted to feature her in this month’s Author Spotlight and showcase her book and her writing process. 

What is the book about?

A Damsel in Dis-Stress: Coping with Emotional Co-Dependency Personality Dis-Order is an unparalleled attempt at understanding the self, the surrounding people, relationships and the culture that she comes from, from a psychological perspective. Rendering the life story of the author, this book explores the world of the African diaspora and the challenges they face. The coming-of-age account of a young girl in Jamaica who travels to America only to return to her native place is filled with innumerable twists and turns, forcing her to evolve amidst a broken family and community, creating an inordinate impact on her personality. The book not only probes into her life, psychology and being but also the people around her.

The author calls this book “greedy”, one that has caused her to lose friends. She calls it “selfish” and yet regards it as a healer. This book has been an attempt at soul-searching, at healing oneself and highlighting the defects in the way most families and communities live in the present times. The Damsel in distress, waiting to be rescued and loved, is only left broken and abandoned by everybody that comes along in her life, including her parents, who too are a product of the same broken culture. This unique account of the author’s life intertwined with the theoretical wisdom of the school of psychology will compel you to think about the self, relationships and society only to drive you to make this world a better place to live.

Damsel was published in July of 2021 and is available in Kindle and Paperback formats from Amazon, Lulu, Google Books, Barnes & Noble, and Ingram.

What Readers Are Saying

  • “Highly Recommended! A must read!”
  • “A great look into the unspoken truths of trauma”
  • “A relatable journey”
  • “An emotional and impactful book”

Was there a specific event or turning point in your life after which you knew you needed to write this book?

The turning point was when the book topic began speaking to me. It was here that I felt as though I was traveling through my subconscious mind, digging away at the calcified dysfunctionality that was left to be considered as normalcy.

How did you research this book?

I am a psychology student in the field of social sciences. So resultingly, the research was more of a social experience than a literal research project. My inquisition came from investigation of the ideas and philosophies of my subject matter.  

The content in this book feels like an intersection of psychology and spirituality. How did you draw on your knowledge of psychology in the writing of this book?

Much of an intersection of meta psychology and spirituality, my spiritual beliefs merge with the philosophy of psychology. As I tap into the sources of my inner self, evidence of our collective consciousness emerges.

How much of a role did region play on your decision to write this book?

Region and environment played a major role in the writing of this book, in terms of family culture, belief systems, and social situations. As I began to expose my demons on paper, they began to come alive in cultural and social settings. 

What was the most challenging part of the writing of this book?

Unveiling the truth of my trauma, being bold enough to slay goliath with the sling of resistence and the stone of bold truth. Knowing the beast would now attack me and that it did.

What are you working on now? 

I am now working on my second book: The War in the Heavens about breaking the chains of generational curses. 

Which authors have inspired your writing the most? 

Marcus Garvey, Napoleon Hill, Dr. Joy DeGruy, Robert Green, and Dale Carnegie 

Buy A Damsel in Dis-Stress from Barnes & Noble

Learn More about Gem and Connect

This blog series celebrates writers, creativity, and the fantastic writing journey. If you’re a writer with a new book and you’d like to be featured in an Author Spotlight, reach out to me at: lisamarietowles@gmail.com.

Thank you for visiting, today, and I hope you enjoyed meeting Juliette Lauber!

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Juliette Lauber

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I’m so excited to feature award-winning novelist Juliette Lauber in this month’s Author Spotlight. Juliette’s latest book is a fascinating read, drawn from her rich and diverse interests, expertise, travels, and history. Juliette nurtures two careers – novelist and an international entertainment lawyer. Her latest book, The French Queen’s Curse, is part of a historical romance and mystical thriller trilogy – The Kikki Trieste Trilogy. French Queen won a Literary Titan Award for Fiction and was published by Indies United Publishing in 2022. Juliette’s successful international legal career led her to become European General Counsel for Time Warner/ Warner Bros. in Paris and London. She has lived in New York, London, Madrid, Santorini, Sante Fe, and she’s fluent in French, Spanish, conversational Greek and some Italian.

What is the book about?

Véronique “Kikki” Trieste – an international entertainment lawyer moonlighting as a time traveler and 21st Century High Priestess, answers a plea from the ghost of Queen Marguerite de Valois to break a 400 year-old curse. Two ancient secret societies are pitted against each other—one, the Knights of the Holy Swords of God and the Daughters of the Goddess Inanna. Kikki crosses time and dimension to the 16th century through past life visions to break the 400 year-old curse.

“A thrilling and mysterious fantasy saga filled with action and drama” – Literary Titan

“Cunningly plotted, filled with suspense and unexpected moments. Masterfully written” – The Book Commentary

Where did the idea of The French Queen’s Curse: In Queen Margot’s Gardens come from?

It came from the French Queen herself! I have lived in Paris for many years and beginning in 1993, I lived on the corner of rue de Verneuil and rue de Beaune, once the site of the early 17th century gardens of Queen Marguerite de Valois’s Rive-Gauche palace. I was literally haunted by the spirit of Queen Margot. She came up time and again through the old tunnels under the 17th century buildings where I lived and insisted that I listen and give her a voice. I became fascinated with her, and she compelled me to share her untold story.

Who is Kikki Trieste?

Kikki Trieste is a kick-ass fighter for justice who courageously walks the labyrinthian hero’s journey doing battle against darkness and evil. And, of course, she’s my alter ego. Kikki’s also a 21st Century High Priestess fighting to protect and empower Mother Earth, the Mother Goddess, and powerful women of history whose lives have been rewritten by the Patriarchy. The character of Kikki was born during Holy Week in Marbella, Spain, where I had gone for a master flamenco class. In the richly evocative ambiance of Andalucia, and as a flamenco dancer myself, I conjured a wildly free-spirited character who wanted release from the constraints of her professional legal career to explore her passions– a character who sought love, magic, adventure, and danger in equal measure. That eventful week inspired Kikki’s birth and her reunion with an old flame, Pepe Torres.

Who was Margot?

Marguerite de Valois, “Queen Margot”, was known as the Rebel Queen. She fought to rule as Queen and was denied agency. A brilliant and great beauty, poets called her the Pearl of the Valois Court. She fought to be heard as a woman in the treacherous patriarchal Valois Court of the High Renaissance—one of the most tumultuous and dark times in Paris’s history, during the French Wars of Religion. I believe Margot and I are kindred spirits – passionate, romantic, interested in magic, the spirit and natural world, drawn to the archetypes and beauty of Greek Goddesses. As one who has always been fascinated by past-lives, I was told by a psychic that I was Margot’s confidante, Gillone, who appears in past-life visions in the novel.

Why is Margot still relevant today?

Four centuries later, women are still fighting for agency. Margot is an exemplary hero/role model for the 21st century. While imprisoned in exile, she continued to fight for her place, for a return to the court and Paris, for a woman’s right to live as men did. She finally returned triumphantly to Paris and with the money from her divorce (annulment) settlement, shocked everyone by building her palace right across from the Louvre, home of her former husband, King Henri IV. She was the original “influencer” – a trend setter at the forefront of social change, the first to transform the Left Bank into the fashionable area it is today. She held the first “Salons” on the Rive Gauche, bringing together philosophers, poets and artists to mix with daring aristocrats.

What advice would you give a first-time, novice writer thinking about getting started with their first book?

To have fun with their writing, ideas, plots, characters, to let it all come out in glorious bloom. No editing on the first draft. Enjoy it! Get a good writing coach and editor as soon as possible to help shape the book after the first draft. It’s also important to develop a discipline, a practice that fits the writer’s personality and obligations. Read Natalie Goldberg’s books, “Wild Mind” and “Writing Down the Bones.” Respect the psychic privacy of your work. It is sacred and you are entitled to keep it private until you are ready to share it. Always be kind and patient with yourself as you write and revise.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on a sequel novella to Kikki and Torres’s adventures, The Black Queen’s Shadow. It takes place in Paris and Amboise, France in the Loire Valley, leading up to Winter Solstice, and features familiar characters as well as some new cast members—the ghosts of Leonardo da Vinci and Marie Stuart, Queen of Scots—in a quest to save and protect a powerful ancient treasure from the dark forces who seek to destroy it.

Buy The French Queen’s Curse on Amazon

Connect

This blog series celebrates writers, creativity, and the fantastic writing journey. If you’re a writer with a new book and you’d like to be featured in an Author Spotlight, reach out to me at: lisamarietowles@gmail.com.

Thank you for visiting, today, and I hope you enjoyed meeting Juliette Lauber!

Author Spotlight: LAURA DiNOVIS BERRY

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2022, Indies United Publishing House

I’m delighted to focus this month’s Author Spotlight on a wonderful middle grade fantasy author, Laura DiNovis Berry.

Laura’s latest publication, The Nasties of Nastgant Swamp, was released by Indies United Publishing last October and is the 2nd book in her Story of Antyfas series. I love middle grade fantasy books so I wanted to take this opportunity to share this wonderful author, her story and her wisdom with you.

What’s it about?

It’s not every day that a gnome invites you to dinner. When Valentino is invited to a special gnome party deep in the Nastgant Swamp, he can’t wait to go. Unfortunately, he isn’t just the guest of honor — he’s supposed to be the main course! Join Valentino on his fantastic adventure filled with trolls, gnomes, and danger.

The Nasties of Nastgant Swamp is filled with all of the creative escapism you’d want in a fantasy novel – imaginative world-building, all kinds of magical creatures, danger, challenges, and absolutely delightful characters who drive the story forward.

Author Interview

Do you write and read middle grade mystery fiction? Why does this specific genre and age group speak to you?

While I don’t read as much middle grade fiction anymore, I used to! The Magic Tree House was a great series, and I used to drink in the Red Wall series too. When I was a kid, I wanted action, adventure, and magic. Books had that in great supply. I work in this area now because there are many young readers in my family who liked my stories. And so, the world of Antyfas came to be.

Illustration by Lee Thompson

Where do you get your ideas for the setting/locale of your series?

The real world and the writers of Xena Warrior Princess. I adored how their world building didn’t really have rules. They seemed to take inspiration from costume closets, world history, and myths. Putting those together created a wonderfully cohesive atmosphere because they committed. Antyfas is a little like that. It’s an amalgamation of things I like, but it also sometimes shows how I would like our real world to be.

Who has been your biggest inspiration as a writer so far? How did their influence affect your experience as a writer?

That’s a tough question. John Updike has been an inspiration because of how prolific he was. When I don’t feel like writing, I’m reminded that John Updike didn’t become who he is by putting off the craft. Now, Mr. Updike is my inspiration for my work ethic, but creatively I would say J. K. Rowling and Terry Pratchett. Rowling created a very immersive world filled with relatable teen characters, and Pratchett’s incredible humor is phenomenal. I enjoy writing silly books that kids can relate to, so you can see how those two have played a role.

Stephen King makes the list too. (I told you this was a tough question). Carrie was honestly a life-changing read for me when I discovered it as a freshly minted teenager. And his short stories? Come on, those are amazing. His best novels, in my opinion, are Cujo and Carrie. They’re scary, sure, but they’re really tragic, human stories at heart. King’s influence is why I became a horror fan, and why readers will bump shoulders with some mild scares in a few of these books.

What are some of the high and low points on your path to developing your successful series?

Well, a certain nephew needed a birthday gift, and writing that story for him launched the whole thing.The high points were the entire writing process. Death at Dusbar College was the first manuscript I worked from beginning to end. The feeling was exhilarating. Lee Thompson, the illustrator, was such a joy to work with as well. Our collaboration meetings were so much fun. Watching him bring the world of Antyfas to life in real time was real magic.

Illustration by Lee Thompson

What do you know now as a writer that you wish you knew when you first started?

Plan the ending before you even start. If you don’t know where you’re going, you can’t get there. That, and schedule time to write. Without a plan, nothing is going to happen.

You write serial novels and also shorter fiction. Which form is your favorite to write?

Another tough question! I suppose I would have to say the serial novels, but writing shorter fiction and poetry is really what got me started as a writer. I saw that Death at Dusbar College was the first manuscript I finished, but Egg Shaped Ball is really my first cohesive written work. I say cohesive because I actually had a plan with that one. I wanted to write poetry about women’s rugby and implement different poetic forms throughout. Very few, if any, of the poems in that chapbook are free verse.

What are some of your practices as you get started writing a new book?

The first thing I do is pick a protagonist. Then I start to scrape out an idea of how a book will end. There’s a lot of dog walking involved in this process. My dogs probably love this time because we go on constant walks so I can mull over ideas and polish and polish them until they’re ready. Between walks, I’m writing down the ideas I get.

It’s not a strict outline process, but I hack away at one chapter at a time. If I get thought for a chapter down the road, I’ll jot it down and work my way back to it.

What’s one thing you would say to a novice writer as advice on the writing journey?

Start from the ending and get yourself a good editor! My brain is constantly moving faster than my fingers, but you also need someone to field test your work. Was that joke really as funny as you thought it was at 3 a.m.? Your editor will let you know.

Connect

This blog series celebrates writers, creativity, and the fantastic writing journey. If you’re a writer with a new book and you’d like to be featured in an author spotlight, reach out.

Thank you for visiting, today, and I hope you enjoyed meeting Laura DiNovis Berry!

Milestones

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A big moment in my author journey happened today: my 9th book, The Ridders, is officially released and available everywhere. It’s published by Indies United Publishing and is available in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover formats.

And I’m especially excited that the audiobook format is also now available from Amazon, iTunes, and Audible, because it’s narrated by noted crime author and my dear friend, Jonathan Brown.

What’s The Ridders about?

A young private investigator, 21 year old BJ Janoff, investigates a mysterious envelope and gets tangled up in a labyrinth of secrets, a shadow government, and a deadly game of global espionage.

The Ridders was the Winner of an American Fiction Award in the Crime Thriller category, and was a finalist in the Political Thriller category.

Curious about the Brotherhood of Ridders and their terrifying agenda?

You can buy the book on Amazon, or if you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’ll be with author Ana Manwaring tonight, November 30th, at Books, Inc. in Alameda, CA (1344 Park Street) at 7pm for a booksigning/reading event, and also Barnes and Noble in El Cerrito, CA on Saturday December 3rd at 3pm.

Books make convenient holiday gifts because they’re easy to wrap and easy to ship! 🙂

If you enjoy The Ridders and would like to let other potential readers know what you liked about it, you can leave a review here.

Happy Reading and Happy Holidays!

Lisa