Today I’d like to introduce Danielle Thorne, my fellow CIR author. Danielle sent me a traditional photo to post here, however I kinda liked this one better given the theme of her new book!

Danielle has this to say about herself:

Danielle Thorne is the author of classic romance and adventure in several genres. She loves Jane Austen, travel, pirates, beaches, cookies, antiques, cats, dogs, and long naps. She does not like phone calls or sushi. A graduate of Ricks College and BYU-Idaho, Danielle saw early work published by Every Day Fiction, Arts and Prose Magazine, Mississippi Crow, The Nantahala Review, StorySouth, and… you get the idea. Besides writing, she’s edited for both Solstice and Desert Breeze Publishing. Her growing blog, The Balanced Writer, focuses on writing, life, and the pursuit of peace and happiness.

Currently, Danielle freelances as a non-fiction author and copywriter, while waiting to hear from readers like you through her website. During free time, which means when Netflix is down, she combs through feedback and offers virtual hugs for reviews.

Netflix? … ah, yeah, I get it {duh}. Now, I’m going to get you to tell us about your new release, but before that, three quick questions. Firstly, what three things would you say are the most important for an aspiring author to keep in mind as they being their writing journey?

I think the most important thing an aspiring author needs to understand is that it’s easy to become bogged down by all the information out there. The three most important habits to practice, in my opinion, are scheduling writing hours with no interference, finding a peer group (online groups are accessible and fun), and reading. Read, read, read, read. Read your target genre, study the classics, read non-fiction, and study articles about writing, editing, and publishing. A writer today must wear several different hats, so it’s important to immerse yourself in the culture. Don’t try to do everything at once though. Just take writing like life—one day at a time.

So true–the information overload can be mind-boggling sometimes and we need to take a step back and remember to simply read and write! Next question, what was the inspiration for your latest book?

My new release, A Pirate at Pembroke, is a historical romance with a Jane Austen-inspired pirate theme–a reflection of some of my favorite interests and hobbies. It’s about a young woman who’s embraced the expectations of her age, but with a few misgivings.

In a nutshell:  Sophie Crestwood is never going to catch a husband, and she isn’t even sure she wants one. Her father is a gossip, her mother always has her nose in a book, and little Jack has shamefully been dismissed from boarding school. Worst of all, a pirate moves next door into Pembroke Hall.  When Sophie’s sent to a matchmaking party at a neighboring estate, the pirate from Pembroke arrives and distracts everyone from the summer festivities. Unguarded, her feelings about the mysterious Captain Murdock bloom into a trusted friendship that Sophie fears may come to mean more than anyone would ever suspect.  Keeping company with a reputed pirate is one thing but falling in love with him could ruin the eccentric Crestwood family for good.

I started thinking about this storyline after watching the BBC’s latest version of Jane Eyre some years ago. I never grew particularly fond of Mr. Rochester, and I wondered if a mysterious, dark stranger living in a dilapidated old manor couldn’t be a little more charming and selfless. Thus, the pirate from Pembroke was born.

Oh, I’ve always liked pirates! Must check this one out myself! Now, last question, where are your books set? And have you been there, or spent significant time there?

Most of my books are set in Regency England and the West Indies, with a few stories set in my own stomping grounds, the American deep South. I’ve had the opportunity to travel all through the Caribbean and learn about the islands, history, and Age of Sail. Studying British history for my line of non-fiction young adults has impacted my writing and experience, too. Life is exciting when we’re always learning. It’s been a wonderful adventure.

That it is! So … where can we find you and this new book of yours?

Readers can find me on my website, and from there they’ll find all the usual links to social media. Or they can go directly to Amazon.

Today I’d like to introduce Keith Guernsey, my fellow CIR author.

Keith Guernsey is retired after a forty year career in sales and sales management with several fortune 500 companies. He currently lives on Lake Lanier with his wife Susan and four-footed son Harley. Mr Guernsey spent a good portion of his youth playing sports, active in both football and hockey. In 1995 Keith was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumor (called an Acoustic Neuroma) and he underwent a ten hour operation at the world-renowned Brigham and Women’s hospital where it was successfully removed. While recovering, he met and married Susan. Together they faced his next challenge. In 1997 his neuroma returned. He was to undergo yet another, more complex, operation which resulted in a complete cure, however side effects of this second more invasive procedure caused prolonged inactivity and led to severe weight gain of over 100 lbs. Today Mr. Guernsey is very proud of the fact that he has been able to overcome his physical challenges, losing over one hundred and thirty five pounds, and has found the time to write two successful books (“Confessions of a Beantown Sports Junkie and “Fathers and Sons-Sports and Life”). 

Wow, Keith, how wonderful is it that you’ve been able to reinvent yourself! So, before you tell us about your books, I’ve got three quick questions for you. What inspired you to become an author, and how old were you at the time?

My late father was the inspiration … I was 44 at the time.

Parents are often our inspiration, aren’t they? Next question, what three things would you say are the most important for an aspiring author to keep in mind as they being their writing journey?

Be persistent, consistent and don’t get discouraged!

Do you read the reviews that others leave for your books?

Yes but just the good ones! Just kidding –I feel very fortunate that both my books have all 4’s and 5’s!

That’s a bonus! Four and five star reviews are worth their weight in … well, stars I suppose! Now, how about we learn a bit about your books.

“Fathers & Sons…” is a story of an uncommon love and devotion between fathers and sons. It is a story of my recovery from two rounds of life-threatening brain surgeries to play on three championship softball teams in two states. It is also an ode to my late, great father Gordon who was always the best sports parent ever! It includes a chapter on the most controversial sports topic of our time; Deflategate. “Fathers…” is also a sequel to “Confessions of a Beantown Sports Junkie.”

And where can we find your books, Keith?

Both of my books are available as eBooks or in paperback format, and can be found on Amazon.

Today I’d like to introduce William David Ellis, my fellow CIR author. David, would you like to tell us a bit about yourself?

I am 59 years old, married to an English Teacher which helps a lot, until it doesn’t. My name is David Ellis, apparently my pen name is William David Ellis, I live on a farm in East Texas, and raise honeybees and blackberries, have two German Shepherds and belong to an interesting ethnicity called redneck. For those of you in the underland?, downunder? Big island continent that has kangaroos?, well a redneck is Crocodile Dundee from Texas.  He carries a larger knife, and we don’t have crocs here we have pineywoods rooters, large feral pigs that will destroy a crop in a single night.

Well, I always did like those movies, especially that line, “you call that a knife?”  Ha ha ha. So, give us an idea about the content of your books, because as you know, this is Clean Indie Reads we’re talking about.

Do my books have fowl language, ahh hmm, well I don’t recall any poultry listings, or any references too ducks or geese or any of that sort. However.. if it was mentioned in the Bible, ( you guys read that in underland right?) it is fair game.. like when my roman soldier finds out the demonized high priest of Carthage is planning on sacrificing the children of Carthage to conjure a huge flesh-eating dragon, well he does not say, oh my, or isn’t that awful, or goodness gracious, he says the D word. And when his troops are being burnt by the same fire breathing dragon he says it again.. other than the D word used extremely sparingly, no there is no foul or fowl language. Sex scenes, hardly my wife reads and edits my writing and would laugh at any attempt I made to write something provocative… I am not a soft porn person either conjuring emotions that are not meet in existing relationships, so no to sex scenes or even emotional foreplay that would substitute for sex scenes, as to violence.. this is a book about battles, and fiery dragons, and suffering, but it does not glorify violence. They do work hard at trying to kill the dragon, and the dragon does eat a few folks so… take that into consideration.

Sounds like it’s a good thing your wife is your beta reader. As is my husband 🙂 Now before we learn about this new release of yours, we’ve got three questions to get through. What inspired you to become an author, and how old were you at the time? 

My mother read Edgar Rice Burroughs to my brother and me when we were in kindergarten, I cut my teeth on Walt Whitman books, the classics of Jules Verne, etc,, so I was a reader before I could talk, and my first word was ,”book” I actually attempted to write a book in the third grade, then skipped several years and published in the sixth grade, school publication, then started writing again in college, and over the last 30 years wrote several short stories, a few newspaper columns, and started seven or eight different books that are in various stages of remission.

Ha ha ha, I do like your sense of humour, David! next question–If you could tell your younger self something you know now, with respect to your writing career, what would it be?

Learn grammar, be prepared to work, it is very very hard especially the first novel, kinda like your first child, there is an extremely steep learning curve!   

Yes, that hill is a steep one alrighty! One last question for you. What three things would you say are the most important for an aspiring author to keep in mind as they being their writing journey?

Learn the craft–read books about writing.

Write, write write, a writers block is in your head, not in your fingers, type when you do not feel like, even if you have nothing to say. You have to jump start some manuscripts some mornings, but if you start writing, even if it is not very good, you will slip into the flow and then you can come back and delete the first few sentences, but if you do not absolutely force yourself to put something on the screen you will wait for a flow that never comes, you have to drill a hole before you hit water.

Don’t worry about being a planner of a pantser, most writers are a bit of both.

Now, about this new book of yours … what was the inspiration for your latest book?

I was reading about the possibility of some dinosaurs having survived till the present day, and came across a little quote by the Roman Historian Livy, who said a roman legion was attacked by a fire breathing dragon.. and then one thing lead to another..pow a book is born!

Sounds very interesting, indeed! So, here’s the link to the listing on Amazon (oh, and I love the cover by the way!).

And if you want to follow David on Amazon, here’s the link to his author profile.

Today I’d like to introduce Rachael Eliker, my fellow CIR author.

Rachael Eliker is an avid reader and author with eclectic tastes, a life-long horse fanatic, and self-taught home renovator (a skill which has been tested on every home she’s ever owned). She forces herself to nurture her love/hate relationship with running by jogging along lonely stretches of country road with her cowardly dog who would leave her for dead should anything ever happen. Married to her very own absentminded rocket scientist, together they have more kids than most people can comprehend. When she’s not writing, she enjoys mucking stalls, riding her geriatric horse, milking their ornery Jersey cow, and wondering what life would be like as a celebrity if she wasn’t content being an introvert.

We may be on different continents Rachael, but we are kindred souls … well, perhaps I should say that my “kids” are all “fur-kids” but the rest rings true!  Now, Rachael has a brand new book out, but before I tell you about it, let’s have Rachael answer three questions for us.

First question, what three things would you say are the most important for an aspiring author to keep in mind as they begin their writing journey?

Seek and gracefully accept critiques from peers because who else knows the growing pains of writing better than fellow authors? Secondly, know when to say ‘thanks’ to a critique but leave it because it would change your story in a way that doesn’t speak to you as the creator…every time I beta read for another author, I try to make it abundantly clear that my notes are merely suggestions, so take ‘em or leave ‘em. For me, especially as a newer author, it’s sometimes hard to turn down suggestions. In the end, it’s your work and your story to be told! And, READ, READ, READ. I feel like I have grown exponentially as an author, not only as I’ve spent time writing but that I’ve studied my craft by reading what other authors have put out there.

Words of wisdom there folks … listen up! Second question, what was the inspiration for your latest book?

As with all of my writing, a touch of the fiction story is rooted in truth. Though I am not a world-famous singer/songwriter like Ruby (except when driving in the car…), I do happen to be married to a brilliant-yet-absentminded rocket scientist who some days seems to barely have a shred of common sense. The inspiration for the story stemmed from there, wondering what life would be like if I were someone capable of performing on stage. Of course, it’s always fun to imagine from behind the comfort of a computer screen without risk of stage fright.

I’m always amazed watching television talent shows … there are a lot of talented people out there. Now, for one last question, how much time per week would you spend writing? Or are you a full-time author?

At the moment, I am often found in the middle of a flurry of young children who like to have attention and be fed once in a while (weird, huh?). So, if I had the time to be a full-time author, I guarantee I’d be able to fill forty hours a week without a hint of writer’s block (Agatha Christy always said the best time to write a book is when you’re doing the dishes and I have TONS of practice with dishes), at the moment, writing is more of a creative release I enjoy. As I’ve progressed as a writer, I have found that if I schedule the time, the time is there. On average, I write for about an hour to two every day, outside of keeping up with a personal blog. Does writing silly Facebook posts count, too?

I’m impressed! The energy of youth … ahhhh …  Now, tell us about your books.

I write the way I read: there isn’t much that I don’t enjoy! So far, I’ve dabbled in Young Adult with a competitive horse-riding/fantasy (that was a fun one to write!) series and another suspenseful dystopian series. The latest release is a fun romantic comedy. No matter what I write (there are so many ideas bouncing around in my head that I have to keep a list so I don’t forget), all of my books are clean. You could recommend them to anyone from your middle-school niece to your grandma without fear of making anyone blush.

You can find all of Rachael’s book on her Amazon author page. And here’s a link to the newest book.

And here’s Rachael’s newest book – which looks fantastic!

Thanks for joining me here today Rachael — it’s been a pleasure having you.

Today I’d like to introduce fellow CIR author Guy Worthey, with a new release – Ace Carroway Around the World.

Wyoming native Guy Worthey traded spurs and lassos for telescopes and computers when he decided on astrophysics for a day job. Whenever he temporarily escapes the gravitational pull of stars and galaxies, he writes fiction. He lives in Washington state with his violinist wife Diane. He likes cats and dogs and plays keyboards and bass guitar. His favorite food is called creamed eggs on toast, but chocolate milk is a close second.

You’re obviously into Steam Punk, Guy, so you must get to New Zealand one day. Oamaru claims to be the Steampunk capital of the world I’ve been there, and I don’t doubt the claim is true! Now, before we learn about your books, I have a few short questions.

If you could tell your younger self something you know now, with respect to your writing career, what would it be?

In two words, it would be, “Write more!”
I didn’t publish my first book until I was fifty-two years old, and I really should not have waited so long. I was and continue to be an introvert, like the majority of writers. As a youth, I did write some short stories and submitted them to Analog, a periodical devoted to science fact and fiction. I was rejected, of course, but give me that time machine and I’d head back in time and do some serious pep-talking because writing is fun. It’s fun even if nobody publishes it, but publishing is a terrific hoot.

What are the best and worst things about being an author?

Best: writing.      Worst: editing.   I bet all the authors say that. On the interface with the outside world, however, I’m really torn by the childish need to seek approval and the introvert’s instinct to just hide. So, on that axis, the best thing is the good review and the worst thing is the bad review.  Finally, on the axis of coffee:   Best: coffee.   Worst: coffee runs out.

Where is the best place in the world to write?

By a window overlooking the storm-lashed seaside cliffs of Scotland. I imagine. I’ve never done that, actually. I do have a window, though, and I try to sit by it even if it is far, far from Scotland. In terms of tools, I enjoy typing on a keyboard to write, to minimize writer’s cramp. When reading, however, I prefer the traditional technology of ink on paper pages held together with binding.

Do you write from your own experiences, or do you simply sit down and make stuff up?

I make stuff up! I mean, obviously there is personal experience involved. I rely on my observations of human nature for characters, my travels for geographical inspiration, and my science side for the technical aspects of writing. But by and large most aspects of the Ace Carroway stories are things I have dreamt up. I sometimes start with particular cinematic scenes I want my characters to inhabit, and other times I start with a pair of characters who are clearly on a collision course. I do a fair amount of character building exercises, such as pretend interviews with my characters. I find characters to be the most interesting and most slippery part of writing.

Ha ha ha! Of course! I like the idea of interviewing your characters … must try that myself!

Now, tell us about your books.

I’ve just released the second in a series of adventures written for teens called Ace Carroway Around the World.

In terms of content rating, it’s harmless. There are a couple of mild cuss words spoken by the grumpy narrator. In terms of plot, well, check this out:

 Thanks for joining me here today, Guy, it’s been fun. Oh, and before I forget, you can find Guy’s books on his website, or at Amazon, of course!

Today I’d like to introduce you to my fellow CIR author, Nix Whittaker. Nix is an English teacher who lives in the heart of the North Island of New Zealand. She lives with her cats and her dog in the shadow of an active volcano where she writes in her spare time.

Nix started as a reader to help improve her spelling as she is dyslexic but was hooked by the marvellous worlds of Mercedes Lackey and Terry Pratchett. As time passed and she read out the library, she was forced to write to feed her ferocious need to read. Now her books are influenced by Patricia Briggs and Anne Bishop as she is still very much a reader and so writes books she would like to read herself. 

It’s awesome to have you here with us today, Nix. And I’m looking forward to introducing everyone to your books. But before I do that, I’m going to get you to answer three questions.

First, what inspired you to become an author, and how old were you at the time?

I have dyslexia. My teacher suggested that I read some books to help with my spelling. I don’t think she knew I was dyslexia. The reading didn’t help with my spelling but I was hooked and that first year I gulped down a good section of the library. When another teacher years later suggested I read more books to improve my spelling I realised then that my teachers didn’t know I was dyslexic because I was reading about a hundred books a year at that stage. When I ran out of books to read I started writing my own books. I still have my first book I wrote when I was nine. Written in an old diary and my own hand drawn cover. It was about a princess of the moon who could travel through portals to earth.

That’s so inspiring, Nix. I have other friends who have battled with dyslexia and it just goes to show what perseverance can do! Next question, what was the inspiration for your latest book?

My latest series is set on another planet with humans who are altered to survive and placed in rigid castes. Four: Warrior, Scribe, Rustic and Serenity. I got the idea for the story a long time ago. From the four winds I created a religion for a fantasy world. I’ve tried writing in this fantasy world a few times but it always falls flat so this time I thought I would shoot it into the future. I get to play with race and eugenics in a way that is interesting. Our preconceived ideas of what makes up our own culture and how it can be manipulated. I have the earthers arriving on the new planet and the altered humans reacting in fear. I’m living in an adopted country and it interesting to see how people perceive outsiders or people who don’t fit into a mould.

Sounds fascinating! So, last question, are you indie published, traditionally published, or hybrid? And what are your thoughts on the whole indie vs. traditional topic?

I’m Indie published. I started down that path because a friend published their own book and I caught the bug. Now with more experience I’m glad I went down this path. I do wish I had gone slower and got everything edited rather than rush but other than that I love it. I taught myself how to do all the aspects, still learning to be honest. It got me into creating book covers. I make more from selling book covers than I do selling my print books. Indie and Hybrid seems the way to go. With people finding their success first with Indie and then going into traditional. I think all these paths are great paths. The one thing I don’t like about our industry is the ones who take advantage of authors, the vanity press. To see people so keen to be published that they will spend their life savings and never really sell anything. It breaks my heart to see it.

I hear you, but the more information that is out there, the less often people will fall into the vanity press traps.

So, now, let’s find out  a bit more about your books, and where we can find them.

I have two series: The glyph warriors and the Wyvern Chronicles.

The Glyph Warrior’s series is about a genius who discovers some ancient language that allows her to hack the human body and give it super powers with tattoos. It is set in the future where everyone is living inside domed cities to keep safe from the extreme weather of climate change.

Wyvern Chronicles is a steampunk series. I came up with the idea of this series when I was thinking about the possibility of dragons. Dragons with four legs, a tail and wings just couldn’t evolve on Earth so that had me thinking of where they would come from. So I have shapeshifting universe hopping dragons.

My books are romance but everything is fade to black. I’d probably call my books PG 13 because there is innuendo and there are action scenes.

Great! Now, where can we find them?

You can check out my website — or my author page at Amazon.