#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Mandy Eve-Barnett

I’d like to welcome Mandy Eve-Barnett to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Ensuring I get my story plot, character description, dialogue, scene ideas onto the page before they disappear into the ether. We have all experienced the ‘I’ll remember it’ phenomenon.
Easiest thing about being a writer: When I am in the zone and actually writing and translating the ‘movie’ in my head into words. I have multiple characters past, present and future clambering in my head at all times.

Things you need for your writing sessions: Primarily peace and quiet with good light and the house to myself. I rarely have music playing. I have a dedicated study, which has made such a difference to my process. It is full of inspirational items, copious notebooks and folders for every book idea, as well as reference and research items, and a comfortable chair.

Things that hamper your writing: Deadlines, freelance projects, and book promotion efforts and other life commitments.

Last best thing you ate: A grilled salmon dish at a fancy restaurant. It was perfect – succulent, flavorful and fresh. I miss fresh seafood and fish desperately living in landlocked Alberta, Canada after having daily access when I lived in England.

Last thing you regret eating: A takeout Chinese shrimp dish I ate many years ago in England, which gave me food poisoning. The pain and repercussions were excruciating.

Things you always put in your books: I discovered after researching a deep dive into my story themes that every single book has love within it in all its forms, not just romantic but sibling, parental, friendship and environmental.

Things you never put in your books: Any sort of abuse of animals or children. They are all innocent and worthy of our utmost protection.

Favorite places you’ve been: Top of my list is Rome and will be forever more. I felt my soul had found its home. It is so full of history but also a modern place to live. The food, the siestas, and the way of life is perfect. The Insectarium in Montreal, which is an astounding exhibition of one man’s lifelong collection of the marvelous insects of the world. Paris, is iconic and a wealth of art, literature and romance.

Places you never want to go to again: Las Vegas. It was awful - dirty, noisy, demeaning and a disgusting focus on greed.

Favorite things to do: Time with my grown kids is the top of my list, they are extraordinary people I am proud to call my own, exploring and being in nature, frequent road trips, and, of course, reading and writing (no surprise there!).

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Going to America anytime soon. Self explanatory.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Princess Anne. She would attend horse trials every summer in the English village I lived in. She is so down to earth and pleasant. Nigel Havers (English actor) he hosted an annual cocktail party and was charming and personable.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Davy Jones (The Monkees) passing him on my local high street years after the fame of the group. His boyish looks had faded, but it was still a thrill.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Actually it was several asking me to write a sequel to my medieval fantasy novella, the Rython Kingdom, which I thought when I wrote it, was a standalone. They were so enamored of the characters and location, they wanted more, so, of course I obliged and wrote Rython Legacy. Subsequently, I came up with an idea for the villain of the piece and gave her, her own novella, Malgraf’s Dawning later on.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: It was actually while I was being interviewed on a New York radio station. I was asked if I could write the Rython saga going forward to modern day due to the magical powers of the main character’s skipping a generation. This would have meant engaging in a mammoth writing task. I declined and thanked them saying I had too many other story ideas to ‘get out there’.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: In high school I created a perspective artwork piece using a very large notice board taken off the school corridor wall. It was a corridor of black and white square tiles going into the distance and papier-mâché entrails at the end. This project and several other art pieces resulted in an offer to go the Royal College of Art in London, UK until my art teacher advised them I was only twelve.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: I’ll be honest here most of my stories don’t turn out the way I think they will – my characters always come up with a better perspective, or plot and I’m happy to detour.

My favorite book as a child: The Story of Hiawatha, which I received as a prize from the Brooke Bond National Travel contest for an art piece I entered at the age of seven. I still have the book event though the spine is tattered, it is a precious keepsake.

A book I’ve read more than once: Ferney by James Long. It is the ultimate reincarnation love story and Galley and Ferney are real people to me inhabiting a place I see in my mind’s eye due to it being so familiar. I wrote my own reincarnation novel, The Twesome Loop as homage to it.

Your favorite movie as a child: This is a really difficult question, I have so many. Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Sound of Music, these were an era of fanciful stories and I loved them. We all need magic in our lives. I think that is why my narratives have such twists in them, it is the unexpected that makes constructing a story so much fun.

A TV show or movie that kept you awake at night as a kid (or as an adult): I made the mistake of watching Psycho, (the original) it had a profound effect on me and installed a real fear into my mind, I didn’t sleep well for a long time, or take a shower without the bathroom door open!

About Mandy:

Mandy Eve-Barnett is an Edmonton Best Seller, multi-genre author, writing children’s, YA and adult books. With eleven books published since 2011, and one more launching in September 2026, and another nine in various stages of completion, her writing life is full. This does not include her writing in numerous anthologies and magazines, and a variety of non-fiction projects through her freelance business as well as presentations and panelist positions at various writing conferences.

Mandy draws on over 10 years’ experience as a multi-genre author, freelance writer and writing community advocate. She is the current Secretary of The Writers Foundation of Strathcona County and Scouting Manager for Relatable Media. And past President of the Arts & Culture Council of Strathcona Council and past Secretary of Alberta Authors Co-operative. She hosts the local Writers Circle monthly meeting and creates weekly writing prompts for the WFSC website.

Mandy has been blogging since 2010 and has over 3,500 subscribers and visitors from 209 countries.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: www.mandyevebarnett.com

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/Mandyevebarnettcom/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mandyevebarnett/

Bluesky  https://bsky.app/profile/mandyevebarnett.bsky.social

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.ca/mandywordsmith/

Blog https://mandyevebarnett.com/

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with A-M Mawhiney

I’d like to welcome A-M Mawhiney back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing experience

I need a silent environment, my laptop, my IPad (for research), a thesaurus, and a notepad to jot down ideas “for later.” I have a studio with a desk facing a large window that overlooks the backyard where I write. Once I close the door, I am in a quiet environment, and the ideas begin to flow.

Things that hamper your writing

Being interrupted when I am deep in the “writing zone” sets me back as I can’t easily re-capture the flow. Like many authors, time is another barrier to my writing. At times life is hectic. Expected and unexpected events occur that take me away from writing. But I would rather be busy than bored, and I can re-schedule writing time.

The last best thing you ate

I have a favorite restaurant in Creston, a small town in British Columbia, Canada, where I visit with relatives annually. There, two weeks ago, I enjoyed a delicious crepe filled with steamed salmon in a rich cream sauce.

The last thing you regret eating

I was served a Thai chicken dish by a family member a few years ago. He had used a jar sauce and cooked the chicken and vegetables perfectly. When I took the first bite my mouth burned with the intense level of “heat.” I put down my fork and signalled to other family members to wait until the chef took his first bite. It turned out the sauce had a warning label showing four red peppers, which meant the sauce was extremely hot. While many people enjoy this level of “heat” it was too much even for the chef!

Things you’d walk a mile for

I routinely take brisk walks for my health, often more than a mile. It keeps me energized, clears my brain and, most importantly, keeps me healthy.

Things you want to run screaming from the room

It’s surprising how often in a social setting that someone will make a passive-aggressive comment, trying to make it sound like a neutral comment or even a compliment. I don’t like to be around that kind of negative energy and would like to flounce out when I encounter it, even when it’s not directed toward me.

Things you always put in your books

I have used social and environmental themes in all three of my books.

Things you never put in your books

I cannot imagine any of my books ending tragically. So far, at least, all three books end on an optimistic note.

Things to say to an author

If you have an opportunity to tell an author that you’ve read their book, almost every one of them, no matter how famous they are, will be appreciative of your comments. If there is an opportunity for a longer conversation than a quick “fan rave,” you might find some authors will request critical feedback, asking if you didn’t like anything about the book.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book

Pointing out typos and minor editorial issues once a book has been published is something no author I know of appreciates. They’ve already found them.

So far, I have never had the experience where a person’s comment about my book has made me see red. I can imagine, however, a situation where someone goes on at length making nasty comments about an author’s writing. That would make their comments reveal more about them rather than about the book or author. It might, then, be tempting to write them into a murder mystery.

Favorite places you’ve been

In the 1990s and 2000s, I spent lots of time in various parts of the U.K. where I established enduring friendships. It is my favorite place to visit, and I hope to return sometime soon.

Places you never want to go again

Restaurants with loud music with a thumping bass. Most people I know who go out for a meal want to socialize with family, friends, or handle business with colleagues. Yelling over loud music is not the least bit enjoyable. I return to restaurants where I can have quiet conversations.

Favorite books (or genres)

I read lots of different genres but recently have enjoyed fantasy, speculative, historical, and science fiction.

Books you wouldn’t buy

I tend avoid autobiographies by famous people whose personal lives have been filled with endless drama.

Favorite Things to Do

I love spending time with my immediate and extended family and with friends, summers at our cabin by the lake, reading, writing, travelling to new and favorite places, watching basketball, and playing the piano.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing

I am not good with heights. I would rather do almost anything to avoid jumping off a cliff into deep water, even when I know it is safe to do so. I’m convinced I will hit a rock that no one else, ever, has encountered or will be carried away by an unexpected flash flood even though there had never been one before.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done

After a break of over sixty years, this year I’ve rediscovered the joy of playing the piano. It is astonishing how quickly this came back to me. It is also helpful for my current writing, as the MC in my work-in-progress was child prodigy.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it

I bought a knitting kit several years ago that taught me many new knitting stitches, with a new pattern for each block. In total there were 45 blocks. I imagined a beautiful blanket to gift to someone special. But when I started to put it together, I realized I hadn’t been consistent with the sizing for each block. I wound up with a 3x5 baby blanket instead.

Some real-life story that made it into one of your books

I was socially awkward as a child. I knew I didn’t do well in social situations and would have anxious thoughts flood my mind whenever I had to join a group. Some of my characters’ emotions and mental images described in each book are loosely based on my own childhood experiences.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not.

I have had a few readers of my third novel, Fugitive Rifts, look at me in surprise when they meet me because I look nothing like a basketball player. In fact, I am the first person to say I have no athleticism at all. The basketball scenes with one character are based on my years as a basketball fan. Trust me, no one who knows me would ever think I had played basketball.

About A-M:

At age eight A-M Mawhiney announced she wanted to be an author. It only took sixty years. Her career, first as a social worker and then as a university professor and senior administrator, ended with her retirement in 2018. She began writing again during the first lockdown in 2020. To her surprise she found herself writing her first novel, Spindrifts. which was a finalist in the 8th annual Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writers’ Prize and shortlisted for the Whistler Independent Book Awards in 2022. Its sequel, Spelldrifts, was released in 2023, and her latest book, Fugitive Rifts, was published in July 2025. When she isn’t writing A-M enjoys reading, taking in local basketball games, time with family and friends, and travelling. She lives in Sudbury, Ontario with her partner Dave.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Jon Sealy

I’d like to welcome Jon Sealy to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: You have to wear a lot of hats (author, proofreader, project manager, salesperson, accountant).

Easiest thing about being a writer: You don’t need special equipment, safety training, or nice weather to do it.

Things you need for your writing sessions: A good night’s sleep.

Things that hamper your writing: Noise. Ideally, I’m writing in a carrel by a window in an otherwise empty university library.

Things you always put in your books: Three of my four novels to date have a plotline around stolen cash.

Things you never put in your books: I don’t think I’ve ever written about a wedding, which surprises me now that I think about it.

Favorite places you’ve been: I enjoy the outdoors, so Ireland, the Chattooga River, the Minnesota Boundary Waters, and the Colorado Rockies.

Places you never want to go to again: I don’t think I ever need to go back to Nashville.

Favorite books (or genre): I enjoy detective novels and nonfiction about history, science, or theology.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Although I enjoy crime fiction, I’m not all that keen on true crime nonfiction.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I had an aunt going through cancer treatments say that one of my novels was a welcome distraction to help her get through it. These days, that might be the only reason I keep writing fiction, the idea that a novel can be a gift to someone going through something.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Are you going to write a sequel to The Whiskey Baron?”

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: My next novel, The Night Hawk, is about a dead roofer. My current house is in a new-construction neighborhood, and a few years ago, I heard this tremendous whoomph from two doors down, followed by a bunch of guys yelling. My stomach dropped because it sounded like a construction worker had fallen off a roof. Thankfully, it was only a pallet of shingles sliding off, but the next time I sat down to write, I reached for the nearest idea: What if a guy had fallen? What if it wasn’t an accident?

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: My first novel, The Whiskey Baron, is about a bootlegger in a 1930s cotton-mill village, and I think some people have assumed I had an old bootlegger in the family. I do have some family who worked in the Carolina cotton mills, but the bootlegger came about because I needed a plot.

The first 8-track, record, cassette, or CD you ever bought: My cassette tapes are long gone, but I think the first one I got was one of Garth Brooks’s albums from the early ’90s.

A type of music that’s not your cup of tea: I’ve cycled through enjoying most genres (except polka). These days, I don’t care for music with bad psychic or spiritual energy.

My favorite book as a child: Beverly Cleary’s Dear Mr. Henshaw

A book I’ve read more than once: Richard Ford’s The Sportswriter

Your favorite movie as a child: Maybe The Sandlot

A TV show or movie that kept you awake at night as a kid (or as an adult): Tim Burton’s first Batman gave me nightmares.

 About Jon:

Jon Sealy is a Southern crime novelist, book editor, and communications consultant in Richmond, Virginia. He is the author of four previous novels, including The Whiskey Baron. His next project is the Detective Luke Steele mystery series, starting with The Night Hawk (forthcoming September 2026). To start the series, readers can download a free novella, Chasing Keys, from his website at jonsealy.com/free.

Let’s Be Social:

Free novella: jonsealy.com/free

Substack: jonsealy.substack.com

Facebook: facebook.com/JonSealyBooks

#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Doug Lawrence

I’d like to welcome Doug Lawrence back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: Peace and quiet

Things that hamper your writing: Too many distractions

Word that describes you: Loyal

Word that describes you, but you wish it didn’t: Focused

Something you’re really good at: Doing the dishes

Something you’re really bad at: Cooking, but I am getting better at it now – thank God for an air fryer.

Last best thing you ate: Schnitzel

Last thing you regret eating: Liver

The last thing you ordered online: Copies of my book

The last thing you regret buying: A sweater

Things you always put in your books: Lived experiences

Things you never put in your books: References but I am getting better

Favorite places you’ve been: Dubai

Places you never want to go to again: China

Favorite things to do: Going for a long walk

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Bike ride

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Zip line

Something you chickened out from doing: Bunge jumping

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Reading your book is like sitting on a park bench, and you are there reading to me.\

The craziest thing a reader said to you: I can’t wait to read your next book – not bad for someone who never wrote a book before.

My favorite book as a child: The Hardy Boys

A book I’ve read more than once: The Hardy Boys

About Doug:

Doug Lawrence is the founder of TalentC® and Co-founder of the International Mentoring Community (IMC).  Doug has achieved the highest level of Mentoring certification – The Certificate of Practice - Journey Mentor (IMC). Currently, he alone holds this certification.

Serving as a Staff Sargent in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for 25 years, Doug retired in 1999. He is a volunteer mentor with the Sir Richard Branson Entrepreneur Program in the Caribbean and with the American Corporate Partners in the United States working with military personnel in their transition from military life to civilian life.

Doug through research has determined that there is a role for mentoring as a support for those struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). His experience in law enforcement coupled with working with people suffering from PTSD has afforded him a unique view of mentoring and mental health. In addition, Doug’s mentoring practice utilizes Effective Mentoring Processes, his system to help people on their mental health healing journey.

Doug works with people who are struggling with their healing journey. Doug lost his wife, Debra to cancer in 2021 and has since devoted his life to helping others with their healing journey.

Doug began his Mentoring Practice in 2009. He is an international speaker, mentor and international best selling author: The Gift of Mentoring (2014), You Are Not Alone (2022), and has launched The Silent Pandemic in April 2024. He has appeared in over 200 podcasts either as a guest or host to share his message about mentoring, mental health, and grief.

Let’s Be Social:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doug.lawrence.1610/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/douglawrence-mentor

Twitter: @DougLawrenceJM

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE4YC1GkfHrQtFYgYrf8baQ

Website: https://www.talentc.ca

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Kathleen Kaska

I’d like to welcome the wonderful Kathleen Kaska to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time:

I love just hanging around with my husband, watching baseball, reading, and enjoying the outdoors. I love going for a long run, hiking through the forestland, and beachcombing.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list:

Trying to figure out anything on the computer that requires technical support.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave:

Peace and quiet and a bottle of water.

Things that distract you from writing: Knowing that I have a lot of promoting to do. It’s an unnerving balancing act.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Tying up loose ends before I hit the send button to submit the manuscript to my publisher.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Creating characters. I’m a pantster, and characters just appear when I need them to. It’s like they enter my imagination and tell me their story. All I have to do is listen and write it down.

Favorite snacks: Potato chips

Things that make you want to gag: Cotton candy

Something you’re really good at: Baking scones. I have two secrets to making fabulous scones.

Something you’re really bad at: Resisting eating too many of the scones I bake.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid:

I wanted to be either a dancer or an artist. Later in life, I actually took art lessons, and now I’m taking Zumba classes, so I guess these dreams have come true on an amateurish level.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do:

When I was a kid, I never dreamed of being a writer.

Last best thing you ate: Shrimp and Cheese Grits and Oysters Bienville at Felix Oyster Bar in New Orleans. 

Last thing you regret eating: Pickled herring

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Scuba diving. Being 80 feet under water took some getting used to.

Something you chickened out of doing: Zip-lining. I’m terribly afraid of heights.

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

After my first mystery, Murder at the Arlington, was released, I received a two-page handwritten letter from a housekeeper who worked at the Arlington Hotel, where the book was set, telling me how wonderful it was.

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

I was selling my book, The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: the Robert Porter Allen Story, at The Whooping Crane Festival in Texas. This book took me seven years to write, and it was a labor of love. All my proceeds were (are) donated to various whooping crane conservation groups. A woman picked it up, looked through it, and tossed it back on the table, complaining the print was too small.

Best piece of advice you received from another writer:

The best piece of writing advice I ever received was “just finish the book.”

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing:

It’s not only satisfying and enjoyable but also agonizing and worrisome. And don’t ever assume you know everything about writing because it’s a continuous learning process.

Recommendations for curing writer’s block:

Take a break, go for a walk, and let your mind clear. That’s when I get some of my best ideas. This also helps me figure out how to handle a difficult scene or what to write in the next chapter.

Things you do to avoid writing:

I don’t necessarily avoid writing, but if I need to get in the mood to write, I organize my desk, make sure my room is straightened up, and everything is in its place, so I’m not distracted by the annoying thing I have to do.

About Kathleen:

Kathleen Kaska writes the award-winning Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series, the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series, and the Mystery Trivia series, which includes The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book, published by Lyons Press. Her Holmes short story, “The Adventure at Old Basingstoke,” appears in Sherlock Holmes of BAKING Street, a Belanger Books anthology. She founded The Dogs in the Nighttime Sherlock Holmes Society, a scion of The Baker Street Irregulars. Her latest Sydney Lockhart mystery, Murder at the Pontchartrain, winner of the PenCraft Award for best mystery series, is set in New Orleans at the Pontchartrain Hotel. Kathleen is the winner of the Amity Literary Award for her novel, Death Without Dignity, scheduled for release in 2027. A Texan at heart, she remains a Texan, even though she now lives in a small coastal town in the Pacific Northwest, where it’s cooler, and there is no traffic. 

Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://www.kathleenkaska.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/www.kathleenkaska.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kathleenkaska

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/KKaskaAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenkaska/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/search/authors?search=Kathleen%20Kaska

Book Links:

Anamcara Press: https://anamcara-press.com/product/murder-at-the-faust/

Amazon https://shorturl.at/v3bFQ

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-at-the-faust-kathleen-kaska/1149679615?ean=9781960462862

#ThisorThat Author Interview with Rosalie Spielman

The amazing Rosalie Spielman is my guest today for #ThisorThatThursday. Check out her latest in her fun series!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Read and cross stitch, not at the same time.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Household chores. (Unless it’s editing time, then my house is sparkling clean!)

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Other than the obvious (computer), I need coffee (and my heated coffee coaster) and my white board.

Things that distract you from writing: The internet, phone games.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Overcoming fear and uncertainty to hit “send” on a new manuscript!

Easiest thing about being a writer: Thinking of things to write about. Maybe not things for the current project…but there are always “plot bunnies” hopping around in my head.  

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: A photo frame. I got one for my mom and mother-in-law, and recently my daughter. We can send photos to each other’s frames.

The thing you wished you’d never bought. Shoes and a racket for tennis. As if.

Favorite snacks: Dark chocolate-covered fruits and nuts.

Things that make you want to gag: Eggplant. The texture. *shudder*

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: A spy.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Write books!

Last best thing you ate: Cold brew brownie ice cream from a local ice cream shop.

Last thing you regret eating: Cole slaw. For my guts, it’s like eating a Brillo pad.

Things to say to an author: “I loved your book!”

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “I found your book for free on *insert scam website* and loved it!” (Please, folks, request at your local library instead of stealing.)

The most exciting thing about your writing life: Meeting readers.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: I wish I had made Welcome Home to Murder my debut.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “Genius!” about one of my short stories. (I’m looking at you, Susan.)

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Genius!” about one of my short stories. (I’m still looking at you, Susan.)

Best piece of advice you received from another writer: Don’t compare yourself to other writers. Every writer, every story, is different.

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: Don’t try to make your writing process fit someone else’s. Do what works for you.

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: Just write. Anything. A character bio and description, a list of cars the characters drive, what they like to eat, what their house looks like, something that happened to them when they were younger… Anything to get you back into or keep you in their world.

Things you do to avoid writing: Doom scrolling. Ugh.

About Rosalie:

Rosalie Spielman is an award-winning author, mother, veteran, and retired military spouse who finds joy in giving people a humorous escape from the real world. In addition to the Hometown Mysteries, she has contributed to the Aloha Lagoon mysteries and several short story anthologies. Rosalie is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Military Writers Society of America, and Women Writing the West. For more information on her books or to subscribe to her newsletter, go to www.rosalie-spielman-author.com Rosalie strives to provide you an escape...one page at a time.

Let’s Be Social:

new release link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GTN7KZ6Q

FB: Rosalie Spielman author

IG: rosalie.spielman

Website: www.Rosalie-Spielman-author.com

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Sebastian de Castell

I’d like to welcome Sebastian de Castell to the blog for today’s #ThisorThatThursday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Writing. It’s really the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, even after nineteen published novels.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Talking about writing. I can expound for hours on the craft techniques and artistic inspirations for writing. If only I could make those work on myself . . .

Things you need for your writing sessions: silence and solitude.

Things that hamper your writing: emails from my publishers wondering when the book is coming.

Favorite music or song: “Fall At Your Feet” by Crowded House

Music that drives you crazy: Speed Metal

Things you always put in your books: friendship and idealism
Things you never put in your books: extended exposition on magic systems

Things to say to an author: “My god, Mister de Castell, your latest book is your best yet!”
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “Umm, haven’t read your latest book. Your first one was my favourite, actually.”

Favorite places you’ve been: Cairo, York, Montpelier, Marrakech
Places you never want to go to again: The colonoscopy procedure room at my local hospital.

Favorite books (or genre): heroic fantasy and hardboiled detective novels.
Books you wouldn’t buy: ghostwritten ‘autobiographies’ of billionaires.

Favorite things to do: Travel, perform on stage in bands, hang out with fellow writers.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: cooking and colonoscopies.

The funniest thing to happen to you: After an event in Prague, a young woman came to the stage asking if I would sign her copy of Spellslinger because, apparently, the VIP signing session where I was going to be signing books later was sold out. Like any good Canadian, I jumped down off the stage and signed the book for her and agreed to a selfie. Thirty seconds later, I was literally swarmed with twenty-year-old Czech women and my editor was desperately trying to haul me back onto the stage. This is the sort of experience that would probably be very exciting as a young man, but is distinctly uncomfortable when you’re fifty years old. Also, my wife wasn’t there to see me being mobbed by fans, so I couldn’t even gloat about it!

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: Afterwards, in the green room, one of the handlers asked if I’d sign a book for a girl outside who was crying because she hadn’t been able to get hers signed. I said sure, of course, and offered to go back out into the hall just to sign for anyone who wanted. My Czech handlers went through a whole routine of getting security ready, and when we finally got out into the hall, pretty much everyone had forgotten about me. I literally experienced my fifteen minutes of fame and then it was gone. Never doubt that the universe has an excellent sense of humour.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “Your series got me back into reading for pleasure for the first time in many years.”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “Would you sign my [inappropriate body part]”

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: Most of the murderous, thieving things Reichis the squirrel cat does in the Spellslinger books are based on my cat, Peloush, who is, amongst other things, a murderer and a thief.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: People often assume Falcio is based on me but I could never be that obsessively heroic.

 My favorite book as a child: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

A book I’ve read more than once: Jhereg by Steven Brust

About Sebastian:

Sebastien de Castell’s acclaimed swashbuckling fantasy series, The Greatcoats was shortlisted for both the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy and the Gemmell Morningstar Award. His YA fantasy series, Spellslinger, is published in more than a dozen languages. He spends his time writing, travelling, and going on strange adventures.

Let’s Be Social:

website: www.decastell.com

X: @decastell

Instagram: @sebastiendecastell

Facebook: Facebook.com/SebastienDeCastell

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Lisa de Nikolits

I’d like to welcome Lisa de Nikolits to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

Hardest thing about being a writer: The constant worry that I’m not marketing and promoting my books in the best possible way. Social media can feel like a black hole, and I always feel like I’m not doing enough – or doing it correctly.

Easiest thing about being a writer: How much fun I have getting lost inside writing a book!

Things you need for your writing sessions: I need to start off neat and tidy, with my pens lined up just so and my desk in order.

Things that hamper your writing: social media. It’s very easy to think the grass is greener, that other authors are doing much better than I am. I have to push that self-doubt down, get on with my writing and ignore my inner critical voice.

Words that describe you: Determined, productive, prolific, creative, original, disciplined.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Perfectionistic, obsessive, outcome orientated.

Something you’re really good at: binge writing. That’s when I have the most fun and am the most productive.

Something you’re really bad at: taking breaks from my desk. If things are going well, I’ll work around the clock, until the early hours, like 2 a.m., sleep for a few hours and then get back at it.

Last best thing you ate: Chocolate! Without fail, chocolate is my favourite thing in the world. That said, I do love cake too. Vanilla sponge cake with lemon filling and buttercream icing.

Last thing you regret eating: Onions. I love them, but I hate onion breath!

Favorite music or song: It’s very hard to just choose one song! I’ll go with the best of the 80’s.

Music that drives you crazy: I just can’t love hip-hop or rap even though I’ve tried.

My favorite book as a child: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. That book inspired me to become a writer.

A book I’ve read more than once: There are so many great books in the world that I don’t usually reread a book. I do reread poetry, T.S. Eliot, for example.

Your favorite movie as a child: The Man from Snowy River, 1982. I guess I wasn’t really a child in 1982 (I was 16) and I was a very romantic teenager, and I loved horses.

A TV show or movie that kept you awake at night as a kid (or as an adult): Foul Play, 1978, starring Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase. I know—who gets terrified by a comedy? The albino terrified me. His face appears in a window at night and for years (even now), I can’t bear to have uncurtained windows at night for fear of “the face in the window.”

The last thing you ordered online: A sofa cover from Shein. It really refreshed the room, and it didn’t break the bank.

The last thing you regret buying: A fancy dragon ear cuff off Instagram. It didn’t fit and was really poor quality.

Favorite places you’ve been: Tasmania, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shetland, Edinburgh, Long Beach, New York, Nice, Barcelona, Budapest, Namibia, Peru, Vail, Australia, Rome and Milan and all across Canada on a bus (which became West of Wawa). And South Africa of course, my home country.

Places you never want to go to again: I got lost in Cusco, Peru, and it was awful. It was completely my fault. I went on a group tour and the minute we arrived at our hotel; I ran out into the street to explore. And I got horribly lost. The sun was setting, I was jet-lagged, I couldn’t remember the name of the hotel or what street it was on. And some of the streets I wandered down weren’t exactly safe. Thankfully, I found a travel agent, and they helped me back to my hotel. Now the first thing I do is grab a map from the hotel, a business card of the hotel and the name of the hotel manager.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: take the (very precarious) chair lift up to Great Wall of China and climbing down the Stairs of Death on Huayna Picchu mountain in Peru.

Something you chickened out from doing: So far, I’ve done everything I’ve set out to do even if my heart was going to explode from the fear.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: “I loved your book and read it in one go!”

The craziest thing a reader said to you: “You based that book on me, right?” I actually get that quite a lot.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: I was a fashion magazine art director for 30 years. I art directed Vogue Australia, Cosmopolitan, marie claire, and many magazines in Canada. The glory days of magazines were very “Devil Wears Prada” and I wouldn’t change a thing

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: There have been many! I start off plotting my books carefully but, like the Fleetwood Mac song, they like to go their own way!

About Lisa:

Originally from South Africa, Lisa de Nikolits has lived in Canada since 2000. With a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Philosophy, she is the award-winning author of twelve published novels with her 13th, That Time I Killed You, forthcoming with Level Best Books in 2026. Her work has garnered five-star reviews and a strong international fanbase. Her short fiction and poetry have been published in various international anthologies and journals including the Crime Writers of Canada’s 40th Anniversary anthology (2022). No Fury Like That was published in Italian in 2019 by Edizione Le Assassine under the title Una furia dell’altro mondo. She delights in crafting suspenseful stories with memorable characters and twists that cozy mystery fans can’t resist.

Let’s Be Social:

Author website:

https://lisawriter.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/lisa.denikolits

X/Twitter:

https://x.com/lisadenikolits

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ireadsomewherethatbylisa/

Amazon.ca
https://tinyurl.com/5bckbbpp

Inanna Publications:
https://inanna.ca/product/mad-dog-and-the-sea-dragon/

Substack:

https://lisadenikolits.substack.com/

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3217413.Lisa_de_Nikolits#

Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lisa-De-Nikolits/author/B004JLC3QK

About the Book:

That Time I Killed You

She thought she’d buried the past forever. Now it’s knocking at her door.

Janis Wheeler has the life she always wanted: a loving husband, two children, and a peaceful home in an idyllic beachside town. With the summer holidays about to begin, everything finally feels under control—until a police car pulls up outside her house.

Sixteen years earlier, Janis killed her lover to escape a past that nearly destroyed her. She believed the truth had died with him.

It hasn’t.

As old secrets resurface, Sandpiper Crescent begins to unravel. Neighbours aren’t what they seem, loyalties fracture, and disturbing truths emerge about the people Janis trusts most. To protect her family, she must confront the life she thought she’d left behind—and consider how far she’s willing to go to keep everything she loves.

Darkly funny, fast-paced and sharply observed, That Time I Killed You is a compulsively readable domestic thriller about secrets, survival, and the dangerous cost of a perfect life.