#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Jennifer Chow

I’d like to welcome the fabulous Jennifer Chow to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday. I love her Sassy Cat Mysteries, and I can’t wait to read her latest!

A few of your favorite things: flowers, oceans and mountains, and pens that write smoothly

Things you need to throw out: tattered sweatshirts and my kids’ old science projects, including tubs of slime

Things you need for your writing sessions: a mug of hot tea, my laptop, and a notebook

Things that hamper your writing: loud music, construction, and social media

Things you never want to run out of: fuzzy blankets, printer paper, and green tea

Things you wish you’d never bought: loose glitter, clothes online, and value packs of CD-ROMs

Words that describe you: calm, cheerful, and funny

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: pushover, awkward, and indecisive

Favorite smell: gardenias and bread baking in the oven

Something that makes you hold your nose: durian and gasoline

Something you wish you could do: aerial silks and hang gliding

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: sigh constantly, pull out a bee stinger, and scorch a microwave

Something you like to do: painting with watercolors, watching movies, and kayaking

Something you wish you’d never done: run into a rattlesnake, staple a finger, and walk into a wall

Last best thing you ate: dim sum

Last thing you regret eating: pickled radish

Things you always put in your books: family and friendships

Things you never put in your books: gore, swearing, and on-page sex

Things that make you happy: smiles, adorable animals, and cute kids

Things that drive you crazy: extended honking and strobe lights

About Jennifer

Jennifer J. Chow is the Lefty Award-nominated author of the Sassy Cat Mysteries and the L.A. Night Market Mysteries. The first in the Sassy Cat series, Mimi Lee Gets A Clue, was selected as an OverDrive Recommended Read, a PopSugar Best Summer Beach Read, and one of BuzzFeed’s Top 5 Books by AAPI authors. She currently serves as Vice President of Sisters in Crime and is an active member of Crime Writers of Color and Mystery Writers of America. Connect with her online at JenniferJChow.com.

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#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Jeff Mariotte

I’d like to welcome author, Jeff Marioette, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

Things you love about writing: I love the act of creating worlds that never existed and populating them with people who never existed, but that make readers think they could have.

Things you hate about writing: I hate the stress of deadlines and the necessity of sitting in the chair and typing to meet them.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Knowing what words to use and what order to put them in is hard.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Signing autographs (within reason—10,000 in three days is too many).

Words that describe you: Introvert, kind, creative

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Introvert, conflict-avoiding, “old white guy”

Favorite foods: Pizza, chocolate, waffles, pasta, poultry, apples, mandarins

Things that make you want to gag: Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts

Favorite music or song: Country rock, folk rock, rock rock

Music that drives you crazy: Disco

Favorite beverage: Iced tea (sweet)

Something that gives you a sour face: Kombucha

Things you always put in your books: I always try to include action, suspense, and at least one bear.

Things you never put in your books: Footnotes, endnotes, and tea parties.

Things to say to an author: I bought your book! I really loved your book! I preordered your book! Your book was really creepy/terrifying/riveting!

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I would write a book if I had time; Here’s what you should’ve done; I don’t read books; You write the book based on my idea and we’ll split the profits 50/50.

Favorite books (or genre): Thrillers, mysteries, westerns, horror, true crime, history.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Technical manuals, regency romances, corporate-executive autobiographies.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Tom Hanks, Dolly Parton, Robert Redford, Katherine Ramsland, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney

People you’d cancel dinner on: Ted Cruz, Kim Kardashian, Mel Gibson, Ezra Miller

Best thing you’ve ever done: Marrying Marsheila (Marcy) Rockwell, brilliant and beautiful wife and sometime co-author.

Biggest mistake: Not doing it sooner.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I took off in and piloted a small plane.

Something you chickened out from doing: Landing it.

About Jeff

Jeffrey J. Mariotte has written more than sixty books, including the police-procedural mystery series Major Crimes Squad: Phoenix (launching in September 2022), historical Western epic Blood and Gold: The Legend of Joaquin Murrieta (with Peter Murrieta), the Cody Cavanaugh traditional Western series, supernatural thrillers River Runs Red, Missing White Girl, and Cold Black Hearts, horror epic The Slab, and the teen horror quartet Year of the Wicked. Other works include the acclaimed thrillers Empty Rooms and The Devil’s Bait, and—with his wife and writing partner Marsheila (Marcy) Rockwell—the science fiction thriller 7 SYKOS and Mafia III: Plain of Jars, the authorized prequel to the hit video game, as well as shorter works. He has also written novels set in the worlds of Tarzan, Deadlands, Star Trek, CSI, NCIS, Narcos, 30 Days of Night, Spider-Man, Conan, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and more. He is also the author of many comic books and graphic novels, including the original Western series Desperadoes, the horror series Fade to Black, action-adventure series Garrison, and the original graphic novel Zombie Cop.

Three of his novels have won Scribe Awards for Best Original Novel, presented by the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. He’s also won the Inkpot Award from the San Diego Comic-Con, is a co-winner of the Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America, and has been a finalist for the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America, the Peacemaker Award from the Western Fictioneers, the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, the International Horror Guild Award, and for his comics writing, the Harvey Award and the Glyph Award.

He has worked in virtually every aspect of the book business, as a bookstore manager and owner, VP of Marketing for Image Comics/WildStorm, Senior Editor for DC Comics/WildStorm, and Editor-in-Chief for IDW Publishing and a publishing consultant for various companies. When he’s not writing, reading, or editing something, he’s probably out enjoying the desert landscape around the Arizona home he shares with his family and dog and cats.

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#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Kevin Kluesner

I’d like to welcome author Kevin Kluesner to the blot for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: Anything to capture a thought, whether it’s a computer, phone, tablet and pen, or even a scorecard and a golf pencil.

Things that hamper your writing: Interruptions during my protected time to write.

Things you love about writing: I love getting people excited about a character, a place, and a story that I invented.

Things you hate about writing:

Hardest thing about being a writer: Facing rejection from publishers, agents, and media outlets (when promoting a book).

Easiest thing about being a writer: Talking with your readers about characters and scenes that moved them.

Things you never want to run out of: Laughter and love.

Things you wish you’d never bought: The family size bag of Tostitos that’s calling to me from the pantry right now.

Favorite music or song: Tony Bennett’s Someday.

Music that drives you crazy: Metal.

Favorite beverage: A really hoppy IPA.

Something that gives you a sour face: Any hard liquor.

Favorite smell: Toss up between bacon or coffee (the smell of both together is nirvana).

Something that makes you hold your nose: (Brussel sprouts or broccoli roasting in the oven).

Something you wish you could do: Play music, guitar especially.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: I can’t think of anything I’ve learned that I would want to unlearn.

The last thing you ordered online: The novel, Armored, by Mark Greaney.

The last thing you regret buying: The second Big Mac and the large fries.

Favorite books (or genre): Thrillers

Books you wouldn’t buy: Romance novels

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): John Grisham, Gregg Hurwitz, and Stephen King

People you’d cancel dinner on: Donald Trump and Hunter Biden

Things that make you happy: Seeing something amazing for the first time.

Things that drive you crazy: The mundane.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Marrying my wife, Janet, 42 years ago.

Biggest mistake: Not committing myself to writing earlier.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: I had a reader tell me that she took my novel, The Killer Sermon, to Florida on vacation. She read the first two thirds of the book and wanted to save the last third to enjoy on the flight home. But she said she enjoyed it too much and finished it by midweek.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: That she didn’t like happy endings (Good thing I do)!

About Kevin

I earned both a BA in journalism and later an MBA from Marquette University. I've worked as the outdoor writer for a daily newspaper, taught marketing and management classes at both the undergraduate and graduate level and served as an administrator of an urban safety net hospital. 

The Killer Sermon is my debut novel.  It introduces FBI agent Cole Huebsch and a thriller series set in Wisconsin and the Midwest. I might be the only person to claim membership in both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the International Thriller Writers. I live in New Berlin, Wisconsin, with my soulmate and wife Janet. 

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#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Natasha Deen

I’d like to welcome author Natasha Deen to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite things:

Friends, family, and tea!

Things you need to throw out:

Old mindsets about what it means to be a writer.

Things you need for your writing sessions:

Socks, white noise or music, treats (cookies!)

Things that hamper your writing:

Outside noise (construction), busy environments (coffee shops), myself ;-)

Things you love about writing:

Engaging readers with my stories and being one of the reasons they’ve had a good day/night.

Things you hate about writing:

Writer’s block.

Hardest thing about being a writer:

Baahahahaaaa!! Everything not connected with daydreaming the story.

Easiest thing about being a writer:

Daydreaming the story.

Things you’d walk a mile for:

My friends, family, and pets

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room:

Toxic people

Favorite books (or genre):

I love all of the genres!

Books you wouldn’t buy:

Anything that promotes/celebrates dysfunctional relationships, toxic masculinity, misogyny, racism, or homophobia

Most daring thing you’ve ever done:

Deciding to be a professional writer.

Something you chickened out from doing:

Sky-diving

The funniest thing to happen to you:

Too many to list—on the list, going to junior high/high schools and being mistaken for a new student.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you:

Mixing up vehicles and almost breaking into the wrong car (thinking it was mine)

The coolest person you’ve ever met:

My parents and grandparents

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video:

Never met one.

The nicest thing a reader said to you:

Anytime a reader would like to chat with me, I think that’s pretty nice. ^_^

The craziest thing a reader said to you:

Not crazy, but adorable—doing a school visit and having one of the grade 3 students invite me home to dinner.

About Natasha

Guyanese-Canadian author NATASHA DEEN has published over forty works for kids, teens, and adults. Her novel, In the Key of Nira Ghani, won the 2020 Amy Mathers Teen Book Award and her upcoming novel, The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad, is a JLG Gold Standard Selection and a CBC Top 14 Canadian YA books to watch for in spring 2022. She’s also the creator of the Lark and Connor Ba mystery series. When she’s not writing, Natasha teaches with the University of Toronto SCS and spends A LOT of time trying to convince her pets that she’s the boss of the house. Visit Natasha at www.natashadeen.com and on Twitter/Instagram, @natasha_deen.

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Nicole Fanning

I’d like to welcome author Nicole Fanning back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

A few of your favorite things: Benji, Rocky and Loki-my fur children!

Things you need to throw out: Sentimental clothing that I will never wear again, and nearly every old phone I have every owned.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Knowing exactly what is going to happen, but not being able to share it with anxious readers because you don’t want to spoil the story!

Easiest thing about being a writer: Knowing exactly what is going to happen!

Favorite foods: Pizza, Ice Cream

Things that make you want to gag: Wasabi, Pickled Herring, Brussel Sprouts

Favorite music or song: Everything but twangy country

Music that drives you crazy: Twangy Country

Favorite beverage: TEA

Something that gives you a sour face: Sports Drinks

Favorite smell: Apple Cinnamon

Something that makes you hold your nose: Fish

Something you’re really good at: Overthinking

Something you’re really bad at: Relaxing

Something you wish you could do: Wrap Presents

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Sailing

The last thing you ordered online: My new Ducky Keyboard

The last thing you regret buying: A five-pound bag of flaxseed. Oops.

Things you’d walk a mile for: Any canine I could cuddle.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Spiders

Things you always put in your books: Easter eggs. ;)

Things you never put in your books: Pet deaths.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Marrying my husband.

Biggest mistake: Dying my hair platinum blonde. “That was a lot of damage.”

About Nicole:

Nicole Fanning is a smitten wife and super proud dog mom to three rambunctious rescue dogs.

She’s an old school romantic and documentary enthusiast, with a proclivity for a little mischief. She also has small obsession with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and obscure boardgames.

Her debut novel, Catalyst, is the first incendiary installment of the Heart of the Inferno Series which follows the romantic entanglement of deadly billionaire mafia don, Jaxon Pace, and his unexpected paramour, Natalie Tyler.

…And this is only the beginning!

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with J. E. McDonald

I’d like to welcome author J. E. McDonald to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Read of course! Especially romance.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Cleaning lol. Nothing like someone coming over to visit to make it spring right back to the top, though.

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Music, fast WiFi, coffee.

Things that distract you from writing: My children and our two cats.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Figuring out the whole marketing schtick.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with stories. There are way too many in my head.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Toilet paper.

Things you never put on your shopping list: Lamb, venison, liver.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: A necklace that matched the one my heroine wore in Ghost of an Enchantment.

The thing you wished you’d never bought: This monkey toy for my daughter that played the same song over and over again. Noisy baby toys are the worst.

Favorite snacks: Loaded nachos with a side of guacamole.

Things that make you want to gag: Taking the garbage out when it has sat too long.

Something you’re really good at: Packing! I can make a pile of stuff fit into an itty bitty box.

Something you’re really bad at: Navigation. As soon as I’m out of my city, all bets are off.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: A marine biologist. Then I realized I lived nowhere near the ocean and scrapped that idea.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Publish a book. Until my mid-twenties, I always thought a person needed to belong to a special club to become an author.

Something you wish you could do: I’ve always wanted to own a bookstore, one dedicated to genre fiction, especially romance. I’d love for it to have a cozy atmosphere where a person could sit with a cup of coffee and visit with friends, or even where writers could set up their laptops for a couple hours.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: This is a hard one. I can’t think of any skills I’ve learned that I now regret. Everything is useful at some point.

Last best thing you ate: Fresh cut pineapple on a beach in Thailand.

Last thing you regret eating: Taco Bell.

Things to say to an author: I couldn’t put your book down!

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: How’s the book coming along?

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Any of my friends that I haven’t been able to see over the past two years.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Politicians.

Favorite things to do: Camping with friends and family.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Well, I’ve already mentioned cleaning, so I guess I’ll go with book marketing.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Had my three beautiful daughters.

Biggest mistake: Had my three beautiful daughters. (Lol. Just kidding.)

The nicest thing a reader said to you: A retired teacher emailed me out of the blue and gave me an A+ for my book.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: A family member said they wouldn’t read my book because they thought I was writing about myself and my husband. Ah, no. These books are just about the random people living in my head. (Nothing crazy here at all.)

The funniest thing that happened to you on vacation: This wasn’t funny when it happened, but about six years ago we took a trip across western Canada that had all the markings of a movie. In a bad way. Whatever could go wrong, did go wrong: flat tires, major traffic jams, holding up the ferry for hundreds of people, grizzly bears in the area, our trailer breaking down to the point of being scrapped. But now when we tell it, it just sounds absurd and makes people laugh.

The most embarrassing thing that happened to you on a vacation: I remember splitting the bottom of my swimsuit once. We were on the beach, and I had to wear a towel for the rest of the day. Ugh.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: Every time I release a new book, it’s the best feeling. A little intimidating too, yes, but it’s such a thrill to see the culmination of my hard work transformed into something I can hold in my hand.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: If the pandemic wasn’t happening during the release of my very first book, that would have been awesome

About J. E.

J.E. McDonald was born and raised in Saskatchewan, Canada, The Land of the Living Skies. As a child, she was either searching the clouds for identifiable shapes, or star-gazing way past her bedtime. She’s an anti-morning person who wakes up at 5am to write. Needless to say, coffee is a morning requirement. She cut her teeth watching Star Trek, James Bond movies, and reading the Harlequin novels her mother left in the bathroom—which resulted in an extremely skewed sense of sex education by age eleven. All of these factors contribute to her love of writing paranormal romance with humor, mystery, and lots of spice. J.E. resides in Saskatchewan with her husband and three daughters.

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Website: https://www.jemcdonald.net/
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#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Gregory Phillips

I’d like to welcome author Gregory Phillips to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: A cup of strong black tea. Other than that, I can write anywhere as long as I’m feeling inspired.

Things that hamper your writing: Distractions. For the most part, distractions are mental, and a successful writing session depends on getting your mind in the right place to enter the world you’re trying to create.

Things you love about writing: When a story gets moment and just takes off. When the characters start to feel so real that it feels like you’re watching them and simply writing down what you see, rather than creating it from your own head. That’s when I get really excited about what I’m writing.

Things you hate about writing: Terrible to admit this, but I kind of hate editing.

Words that describe you: Joyful, positive, optimistic. This is how I try to live each day and I hope my books can transmit some of this outlook back to my readers.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Great question! Deliberate and sometimes slow-witted. I’m the guy who thinks of the perfect comeback ten seconds too late. Probably a reason why I’m drawn to the written word.

Favorite foods: At this time of year, strawberries! I just picked up some amazing strawberries from my local farmers’ market and I can’t get enough of them.

Things that make you want to gag: Mayonnaise and sour cream. I just can’t and I don’t understand how y’all put that on everything!

Favorite music or song: I’m a real classical music nerd. Hard to pick a favorite but I’m currently enamored with Prokofiev’s second violin concerto.

Music that drives you crazy: Directionless jazz.

Favorite beverage: A dry gin martini with olives.

Something that gives you a sour face: A dirty vodka martini.

Favorite smell: Evaporating rain on a warm summer day.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Fabreze. It’s worse than whatever you were trying to cover up with it.

Something you’re really good at: Dancing. I love partner dancing, especially tango and salsa and like to think I’ve gotten pretty good at it.

Something you’re really bad at: Creating visual art (painting, drawing, graphic design). My lowest college grade was in drawing class even though I never missed a class or assignment.

Things you always put in your books: Hope and aspiration. Everyone needs more of this and there is room for it even in the darkest stories if you know where to look.

Things you never put in your books: A pet peeve of mine—novels about novelists. So many authors do it and it annoys me, though in an ironic and hilarious way.

Favorite books (or genre): I’m not particular about genre as long as a story pulls me in. A few favorites are “East of Eden” by John Steinbeck, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by Ernest Hemmingway, “Housekeeping” by Marilynne Robinson and “Written on the Body” by Jeanette Winterson.

Books you wouldn’t buy: Ones that adhere to a formula. I won’t call out any authors by name but there are those who seem to plug characters into a mold that works. However, that’s not how life works and I find myself quickly bored by a formulaic novel.

Most embarrassing moment: There are definitely highs and lows in life as an author. Most embarrassing was when I was doing a signing outside a book store and one person came. It was at a busy shopping center and people were passing by, avoiding eye contact because they seemed to feel sorry for me. Embarrassing at the time, but I get a good laugh about it now.

Proudest moment: The first time I won a literary contest. It was the moment that launched my career, really, but it also felt validating after all the years of work to get to that point.

About Gregory:

From a prolific literary family, Gregory Erich Phillips writes aspirational stories through strong, relatable characters that transcend time and space. Readers frequently describe being transported into the world of his stories. His most recent novel, “A Season in Lights,” won the Grand Prize in the Somerset Awards, and was named the book of the year by The Write Review. This continuing the award-winning tradition of his first two novels, “Love of Finished Years” and “The Exile,” each of which won a major award. Gregory is also an accomplished tango dancer and musician.

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#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with D. C. Gomez

I’d like to welcome author, D. C. Gomez, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Favorite summer treat: Narrowing down my favorite summer treat is such a hard question. I’m a fruit fanatic, so summer is my season to indulge. Some of my favorites are Rainier cherries, watermelons, frozen grapes, and persimmons.

A summer treat that makes you gag: Summer is the season for crawfish in Texas. We have tons of local vendors selling them around my town. I’m the weird kid that can’t stand the textures of it and would gag trying to eat them.

Favorite summer beverage: I’m crazy about Horchata. It’s a traditional Mexican drink made with rice. To me, this is just a perfect summer drink.

A drink that gives you a pickle face: Regardless of how many times I tried it, I still can’t stand sparkling water.

Best thing you ever grilled in spring: The best thing I have ever grilled was chicken and beef kabob. I spend a summer during high school making/selling them as a fundraiser for a club at school. By the end of the summer, my best friend and I were pros. To this day, my family loves it when I make it. Too bad it takes a bit to prep.

Your worst kitchen or grilling disaster: I love experimenting in the kitchen. One year I tried to make making a tiramisu from scratch. My kitchen looked like a tornado hit it. I had a messed everywhere, and somehow, I could not make the crazy dessert taste right. After that, I had a new respect for the dessert.

Best summer vacation memory: The summer before getting deployed to Iraq, my then boyfriend and I took a cruise. It was a four-day cruise to that stopped in Playa Del Carmen. I had never been on a cruise before, so that vacation was full of first-time experiences.

A summer vacation disaster that you’d rather forget: A vacation disaster happened a few years ago. I had the brilliant idea of taking my parents on a road trip from my town in East Texas down to Galveston. Somehow, I manage to forget how much my parents hated road-trips. I was so excited to take them to a beach that underestimated the six-hour drive in a tight vehicle. We will drive nowhere for long periods of time again.

Most favorite place to write/edit in the summer: Favorite place to write in the summer is my local bookstore. There is an energy of excitement in the air that is contagious. I enjoyed sitting with my laptop at the café and watching people shop around and just browse the books.

The worst place to write in the summer because of all the distractions: This might sound odd, since I enjoy writing in busy places. I have a hard time concentrating when I visit my family during the summer. Every year, I take all my notes with me to work on my books, but it never happens. I’m distracted by the things my family has going on.

Favorite thing to do on a summer evening: Summers in Texas can be murderous with our heat index. The evenings, on the other hand, are the perfect time to take long walks around the park. This is a fun way for me to relax and let go.

Least favorite thing about summer: The humidity in Texas is probably my least favorite thing. When all you have to do is step outside just to sweat, you know it’s too hot and sticky.

The thing you like most about being a writer: What I love the most about being a writer is being able to create new characters. The initial process of developing a story is so much fun for me. I enjoy playing with scenarios and new characters.

The thing you like least about being a writer: The marketing side of being a writer is probably the hardest for me, and my least favorite. It’s the part that pushes me out of my comfort zone. While not my favorite, it is still part of the process and I take it seriously.

The thing that you will most remember about your writing life: The one thing I would remember more about my writing journey is the amazing community of readers and writers that I have met. It has blessed me to connect with incredible people who love books and have embraced my works. I’m extremely grateful for this community.

Something in your writing life that you wish you could do over: If I could do something over in my journey, I would have started sooner. It took me a while to conquer my fears and take the leap to publish.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: To this day, joining the U.S. Army is probably the most daring thing I have ever done. I was a junior in college when I enlisted. To this day, my family is in shock that I joined. I was the first person in my family to do it.

Something you chickened out from doing: While I joined the Army and had an incredible experience. I discovered I’m terrified of heights. Information that would have been useful prior to enlisted in Airborne School. During the training, we practiced jumping out of a 34-foot tower. I learned quickly that jumping out of a plane was not in my future. That was the first program I was happy I did not complete.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: The nicest thing a reader has ever told me was that my books helped them during difficult times. They could escape the tension of their everyday life and laughed along with the adventures of my characters. Their words humbled me.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: A reader once asked me if I was following them around and capturing their life story on the page. Considering they were referring to my book Death’s Intern, an urban fantasy tale based on the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, I had to blink. I really wasn’t sure if this person was serious about the claim or just messing with me.

The best summer job you ever had: The best summer job I ever had was a program sponsored by the city of Salem. They hired me to work at the local access TV station that was newly opened in the city. It was the place I felt in love with storytelling. That was the summer between my freshman and sophomore year.

The worst summer job you ever had: The city of Salem also sponsored the worst job summer job I ever had, ironic. They hired a group of high school students to do manual labor at an alternative school that was being renovated. I learned how to set sheet-walls and even ceiling tiles. After that summer I appreciated the hard-work it took to renovate a building and working in hot painful conditions. It made me realized I did not want to do that when I graduated high school.

About D. C.:

D. C. Gomez is an award-winning USA Today Bestselling Author, Podcaster, motivational speaker, and coach. Born in the Dominican Republic, she grew up in Salem, Massachusetts. D. C. studied film and television at New York University. After college, she joined the U.S. Army, and proudly served for four years.

D. C. has a master’s degree in Science Administration from Central Michigan University, as well as a Master's in Adult Education from Texas A&M- Texarkana University. She is a certified John Maxwell Team speaker and coach, and a certified meditation instructor from the Chopra Center.

One of D. C. passions is helping those around her overcome their self-limiting beliefs. She writes both non-fiction and fiction books, ranging from Urban Fantasy to Children’s Books.

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Website: www.dcgomez-author.com

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