PUYB Author Talks: ⭐A Bookish Conversation with 'The Essence of Bliss' Emily Astillberry⭐ #interview

 

Emily Astillberry is an author and RSPCA Inspector from Norfolk, England. She has a degree in English Literature and Linguistics from York University and has been investigating animal cruelty and neglect and rescuing sick and injured animals for 20 years. In her day job, Emily deals with very difficult and often emotional situations and meets all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds. Her career provides some of the inspiration for themes and characters that can be found in her fictional work.

At home, in a very old cottage in the country, Emily has a husband, 5 children, a dog, a cat, an axolotl, 2 giant African land snails and a varying number of rescue hens, so finding time to write can be a challenge. She is happiest outdoors, growing fruit and vegetables in the garden, walking the dog and family holidays usually involve walking up mountains in summer, skiing down them in winter and sleeping in a tent whenever possible.

Emily loves spending time with her large, noisy, chaotic family, cooking meals for friends and playing board games. She always has at least one book on the go and has always dreamed of writing her own novel. She now dreams of writing more. 

Visit her website at https://emilyastillberry.com. 

You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram.

The Essence of Bliss is her latest book.

 

Can you tell us what your book, The Essence of Bliss, is about?

 

The Essence of Bliss tells the story of Isabel Bliss, an ordinary woman with extraordinary power. Isabel is a reception class teacher who has a remarkable relationship with emotional energy. She can feel and experience other people’s emotions as if they were her own, sometimes to an unsettling or even debilitating degree. She also has the power to manipulate the emotions of others but has never understood or learned to harness her gift. Isabel’s abilities are put to the test when a little boy in her class experiences unspeakable suffering, and only she can sense his torment and help to end his agony.

 

During the book, Isabel encounters a kindred spirit and an adversary when a new family move to town, propelling her into a tangled web of love, passion and power, underpinned by secrets, deceit and betrayal. She is set on an emotional journey of self discovery and discovers a whole world of potential and possibilities. The Essence of Bliss is a heartwarming emotional rollercoaster, with paranormal romantic escapism at its heart. I hope to have crafted a deeply empathetic heroine and a magical journey for readers, who may find themselves pondering the profound themes of emotions and the power of human connections.

Can you tell us a little about your main character and supporting characters?

 Isabel Bliss is a reception class teacher in her late twenties. She is an ordinary woman with an extraordinary sensitivity to the emotions of the people around her. Having been encouraged to keep her ability to herself, she has never spoken of it  to anyone except her mum, but when she helps a young boy in her class who is experiencing unspeakable suffering, and also meets a kindred spirit, Isabel begins to realise the potential of her gift. Isabel begins the story in a long-term relationship with childhood sweetheart, Jack, her parents are Beth and Max, and she has a younger sister, Stephanie. She also has a best friend called Donna. Isabel’s family are very close. Beth is eccentric and complicated but Isabel has always felt loved. As the story progresses, a new family moves to town. The Callahans take up residency in the Big House at the top of the hill and their family consists of Nicholas, an extremely successful barrister with an incredible professional record, his beautiful wife Georgina and their two sons, Scott and Daniel. On first meeting, Isabel has a profound reaction to the sons, recoiling from one and being inexorably drawn to the other. 

 

Where is your book set and why did you pick that location? 

Ramsey Bridge is a fictional town, which exists only in my imagination and within the pages of The Essence of Bliss. I was deliberately vague about its location so that readers are free to use their own imagination. However, I couldn’t help picturing my local area when I was writing and the beach scenes are based very closely on one of my favourite local beaches, Burnham Overy Staithe on the North Norfolk Coast, which I believe is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

 

How long did it take you to write your book?

 I’ve always wanted to write and have never had the time but I got to a point where I realised that the right time would never arrive and if I wanted to do it, I just had to get on with it. I have a job, a husband, 5 children, a menagerie of rescued animals and a 250 year old dilapidated cottage to prop up, so finding time to write can be extremely tricky. It took 3 years of stolen moments and a very patient family to write The Essence of Bliss but I loved every minute of it. 

What has been the most pivotal point of your writing life?

 My writing life is very much still in its infancy but I think that the moment my book arrived in the post and I unwrapped it and held it in my hands for the very first time, was rather special and will take a lot of beating.

What kind of advice would you give to up-and-coming authors? 

I’m still very new to this myself so I’m not sure that I’m qualified to give much advice, but I would say that life is hectic and full and the perfect time, when you are free to commit and dedicate yourself to your writing, very rarely ever arrives, so if you want it enough, you have to stop waiting for the perfect time and get on with writing. Make the time, or you could waste your entire life, waiting.

Inside the Book

Title: The Essence of Bliss

Author: Emily Astillberry

Publisher: Blossom Spring Publishing

Publication Date: December 16, 2024

Pages: 615

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Speculative Fiction

Formats: Paperback, Kindle

Isabel Bliss is a reception class teacher. She experiences other people’s emotions and can influence how they feel but she doesn’t truly understand her gift and has been encouraged, by her mum, to hide it from others. She often feels lost and alone. 

When a child in her class experiences chronic distress that only she can perceive, Isabel uses her ability to relieve his suffering, but his situation continues to worsen. Eventually she is forced to take matters into her own hands, escorting him home where she finds horrific signs of abuse. She saves his mum’s life and his father is arrested for the brutal torture he has inflicted upon his family. 

A wealthy family moves to town and Isabel meets the two sons. She recoils from Daniel, who is hateful, rude and emotionally deficient but is inexorably drawn to Scott, who awakens something magical, deep inside her. They are like her. They are fluencers and have the ability to sense, read and willfully manipulate emotional energies. Isabel confronts her mum and uncovers hurtful lies and deceit within her own family. 

She falls deeply in love and ultimately discovers the untold potential of her gift and the passion and power that dwells within.

Read a sample here.

The Essence of Bliss is available at Amazon UK and Amazon US.

PUYB Author Talks: ⭐A Bookish Conversation with 'One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches' Kayleigh Kavanagh⭐ #interview

 

 

Kayleigh Kavanagh is a disabled writer from the North-West of England. Growing up in the area, she learnt a lot about the Pendle Witches and launched her debut novel around their life story. Her main writing genres are fantasy and romance, but she loves stories in all formats and genres. Kayleigh hopes to one day be able to share the many ideas dancing around in her head with the world.

Her latest book is the historical fantasy, One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches. 

You can visit her on Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads and Tiktok. 

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I love stories. This is important because I don’t mind what format they come in—books, poetry, songs, films, podcasts—I love the content, not the medium. Writing is a natural way to tell stories and, as such, has caught my heart. I hesitate to call myself a writer or an author and think of myself more as a storyteller. 

My brain is filled with stories, and I one day plan to get them all out onto the page. 

I’m disabled through illness, which can make writing (and thinking in general) challenging. However, I love it, and even though I’m stuck in my room and writing from my bed, I keep going because this is a true passion of mine. Hopefully, this comes across to the reader.

Can you tell us a little about your latest book, One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches?

 I like to think it’s a little unique in the magical realism/fantasy realm. It's familiar enough for people to follow, but with a unique premise that should engage the reader. It's historical fiction, which gives another layer of atmosphere to the book. The story features magic, spirits, reincarnation, and old gods, which appeals to those who love all things paranormal. 

It’s set in the north of England (Pendle), and the living characters still have to navigate their everyday lives, despite dealing with things in the ether.

One of my favourite part was exploring the family dynamics and relationships, particularly between the women. From those connected by blood to those who choose to consider others family. I enjoy exploring these connections. Of found family and those you’re born with. With such strong personalities, it was a challenge to find the right balance, but I think they all stand out brilliantly.  

Is One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches your only book? 

No, it’s the 2nd book in its series, but also the fifth book I’ve published.

Can you tell us about the main characters?

 Demdike and Chattox were part of the original story, but as so much has changed for them, they as people have naturally evolved. 

Yana and Claire are new characters in the series, but there is a twist revealed later, which means they aren’t as new as they appear.

They’re the descendants of the Pendle Witches and have powers during a time when the cunning folk, and those who would have taught them, have all but been eradicated. This is on top of their general life problems, and trying to navigate a patriarchal society as women.

Do you see a little of yourself in the main character?

 Maybe a little in Demdike’s deadpan humour, but no, there’s little similarities.

Where is this book set and why did you choose this location?

 England in the latter half of the nineteenth century. I initially wanted to have the book in 1812, two hundred years after the trials, so it would be halfway between the next book (2012). However, as I was doing research, I realised just how much England advanced under Queen Victoria, and it made more sense to have the period later than I’d first thought.

What's the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?

 A little cliche, but just write. You’ll never get better if you don’t. You’ll never get all those stories out of your head if you don’t start putting words on a page. Those big scenes which stick in your mind need the rest of the plot to make sense. Just do it. Know some of what you write will be terrible, but it needs to get out of you so you can get to the good stuff. Keep at it.  

 Thank you so much for this interview, Kayleigh. What's next for you?

 More writing, hopefully. This and learning more about marketing, so I can reach more readers. 

Inside the Book

Title: One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches

Author: Kayleigh Kavanagh

Publication Date: September 29, 2025

Pages: 400

Genre: Historical Paranormal Fantasy

Formats: Kindle

Demdike and Chattox, famed witches of Pendle Forest, might be dead, but they’re not gone. Bound to their bloodline, they’ve spent the past two and a half centuries watching over their descendants, waiting for when they’ll be needed. 

When 14 year old Yana comes into her psychic abilities and inherits the ‘eyes of the Chattox family’, she can see the long-dead witches, as well as an encroaching evil. But even with this foreknowledge, she’s trapped by marriage interviews and being unable to see her own future, and more importantly, whoever her future husband will be. 

Demdike’s healing gifts are alive and working in Claire, a mid-30s midwife well renowned for her skills and holding her tongue. The Secrets of Pendle are safe with her and her midwives. However, when surgeons looking to make standardisation the norm encroach on her territory, she soon realises how, even a respected woman is vulnerable in a patriarchal system. 

The two descendants must come together to protect the ones they love from an ancient evil, all whilst balancing their lives and the cruelties of being a woman in a man’s world. Set in late 1800s NW England, this book has all the elements of the area: strong, hardy people, atmospheric horror and days as unpredictable as the weather.  

One Foot in the Ether: Whispers of the Pendle Witches is available at Amazon.

PUYB Author Talks: ⭐A Bookish Conversation with 'Knot of Souls' Christine Amsden⭐ #interview

 

 

Christine Amsden is the author of nine award-winning fantasy and science fiction novels, including the Cassie Scot Series.

Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but Christine believes great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. She writes primarily about people, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

In addition to writing, Christine is a freelance editor and political activist. Disability advocacy is of particular interest to her; she has a rare genetic eye condition called Stargardt Macular Degeneration and has been legally blind since the age of eighteen. In her free time, she enjoys role playing, board games, and a good cup of tea. She lives in the Kansas City area with her husband and two kids.

Author Links

Website ➜https://christineamsden.com/wordpress/

X ➜ http://www.x.com/christineamsden 

Facebook ➜https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Amsden-Author-Page/127673027288664?ref=hl

 

Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself to write it? 

Knot of Souls mostly evolved out of lived personal experiences, plus experience reading fantasy/science fiction. The only real research I remember doing was on penguins, because ... penguins! 

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub? 

 I did pursue publishers, and I received offers, but ultimately I chose to self-publish this one in order to have more control over every aspect of publication from cover art to pricing. 

If self-published, did you hire someone to format the ebook version for you or did you do it yourself?  Can you tell us what that was like?

I did it myself. A year ago, I got the rights back on all nine of my traditionally published books and self-published them, which put me in a position of either spending a LOT of money on formatting  (it's not much per book, but multiplied by nine...) or learning to do it myself. I chose the latter, and am glad I did. There's a learning curve for sure, but it's not crazy hard. It mostly requires attention to detail, which I've honed over fifteen years of freelance editing. In a way, this was just the next step I never took. 

If self-published, how did you determine the price?

For the ebook, I checked the price of other ebooks in the same genre, especially bestsellers, and found that most of them were $4.99. So that's the number I went with. The ebook is also available through Kindle Unlimited, which means it's free if you're a subscriber. As for the print book ... the price here was mostly determined by page count and printing costs. The way I've set the prices, my profit margin is similar for both formats. 

Did you purposefully choose a distinct month to release your book?  Why?

No. I released it as soon as the formatting and cover art were ready. Although May isn't a bad month to release a nice escapist fantasy ... I think this would make a great vacation read. 

How did you choose your cover?

When I originally conceived the cover for Knot of Souls, I was sure of only one thing: there had to be a knot. A green knot, made up of blue and yellow light (Joy’s soul is bluish-white, Shade’s is yellow-gold). The knot could be Celtic, because that’s recognizable at a glance, but that part isn’t literal. The colors are. 

I worked with BZN Studio Designs, and the artist there helped me conceive the rest. I initially suggested a silhouette to de-emphasize the importance of the body (compared to the souls), but this idea apparently looked too science fiction! (I’m not always convinced by the line between fantasy and science fiction, but I understand the genre expectations.) So, no silhouette. We went through a few different designs before she hit on the idea of obscuring the model’s features by showing only the lower part of her face, chin turned off to the side. The effect was surprising, even dramatic, and it kept the focus precisely where I wanted: on the knot. 

I love the lighting effects most of all, When I look at this cover, I don't see one person at all. I see both Joy and Shade, and I hope after reading the book, others will see it that way, too. 

The skyline at the bottom is Kansas City, where much of the story takes place. 

Did you write your book, then revise or revise as you went?

Yes. I revise as I go, then I do major revisions/rewrites, then I revise some more. Writing is an iterative process. Also, if I get to Chapter 30 and realize something different needed to happen in Chapter 7 to make it work, I have to make the change. I've tried just putting little notes off to the side and pretending like it's done, but I get this crazy itchy sensation and my novel starts to feel like it's built on sand. The only way to stop it? Make the change! And usually, it doesn't even take that long. :) 

Did you come up with special swag for your book and how are you using it to help get the word out about your book? 

Not yet. I might make bookmarks before I go to conventions in the fall. 

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

I gladly give away copies to book reviewers, but because this book is stand-alone, I'm not planning to give it away more generally. I've got a seven-book series, and I make the first book free on Amazon once a quarter (which is as often as they'll let me do it) ... this leads to lots of follow-up sales of the series. But for Knot of Souls, I'm relying on other tools. 

What are some of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

Send it to reviewers. In fact, since this was my first time self-publishing, I ended up leaning on some bad advice that suggested a self-published book should just go on Amazon as soon as it's ready ... as in that very day. The result? Weeks of playing catch-up and waiting in agony for that first review to go live. Never again. When it's ready, send it to reviewers first, then publish it a month or two later. 

What are some of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?

Newsletters, interviews, guest blogs ... what I'm doing here, basically!

Also, maybe go on vacation without an internet connection to keep yourself from checking those sales pages too often. :)

What kind of pre-promotion did you do before the book came out?

I sent newsletters to my mailing list. 

Do you have a long term plan with your book?

No. 

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

Knot of Souls is the best book I've ever written. It's a little different, involving a unique twist on the Fae and centering an intimate friendship (rather than a romance), yet it's fast-paced, deeply emotional, and heartfelt. If you enjoyed my other books, I think you'll like this too. If you've never read my books, give this one a try. 

Thanks for having me! 

Inside the Book

Title: Knot of Souls

Author: Christine Amsden

Publication Date: May 20, 2025

Pages: 384

Genre: Fantasy

Two souls, one body …

When Joy wakes up in an alley, she knows three things: she was brutally murdered, she has somehow come back to life … and she is not alone. She’s been possessed by an inhuman presence, a being that has taken over her dying body. That being is powerful, in pain, and on the run from entities more dangerous than he is.

Shade, a Fae prince on the run, didn’t mean to share the body he jumped into. Desperate and afraid, accused of a murder he didn’t commit, he only sought a place to hide—but if he leaves Joy now, he faces discovery and a fate worse than death.

Forced to work together to solve multiple murders, including her own, Joy and Shade discover hidden strengths and an unlikely friendship. Yet as their souls become increasingly intertwined, they realize their true danger might come from each other … and if they don’t find a way to untangle the knot their souls have become, then even the truth won’t set them free.

Knot of Souls is a stand-alone buddy love fantasy that forces two very different beings to work together … and come out stronger on the other side.

Knot of Souls is available at Amazon.

PUYB Author Talks: ⭐A Bookish Conversation with 'Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea' Richard I. Levine⭐ #interview

 

 

Richard I Levine is a native New Yorker raised in the shadows of Yankee Stadium. After dabbling in several occupations and a one-year coast-to-coast wanderlust trip, This one-time auxiliary police officer, volunteer fireman, bartender, and store manager returned to school to become a chiropractor.

A twenty-five-year cancer survivor, he’s a strong advocate for the natural healing arts. In 2006 he wrote, produced, and was on-air personality of The Dr. Rich Levine Show on Seattle’s KKNW 1150AM and after a twenty-five-year chiropractic practice in Bellevue, Washington, he closed up shop at the end of 2016 and moved to Oahu to pursue a dream of acting and being on Hawaii 5-O.

While briefly working as a ghostwriter/community liaison for a Honolulu City Councilmember, a Hawaii State Senator, and volunteering as an advisory board member of USVETS Barbers Point, he appeared as a background actor in over twenty-seven 5-Os, Magnum P.I.s, NCIS-Hawaii, and several Hallmark movies. In 2020, he had a co-star role in the third season episode of Magnum PI called “Easy Money.”

While he no longer lives in Hawaii, he says he will always cherish and be grateful for those seven years and all the wonderful people he’s met. His 5th novel, To Catch the Setting Sun, was inspired by his time in Hawaii.

Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea is Levine’s first foray into the romance genre.

Website & Social Media:

Website ➜ http://www.docrichlevine.com  

X ➜ https://www.twitter.com/Your_In8_Power 

Facebook ➜ https://www.facebook.com/RichardLevineAuthor/ 

Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/rilevinedc 

Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea offers romance, contemporary fiction, trauma, strength and growth. Which of these traits were the hardest to write about?

To be perfectly honest, none of those things were hard because when I write, I am writing and creating it is a form of personal entertainment that comes from life experiences and heartfelt expression—be that in the form of character development, which is always taken from people I have known, or from events that I’ve actually experienced, personally witnessed, or learned about from eyewitness accounts. Of course, I do take creative license to embellish if it fits the situation and/or to protect the innocent. But when I’m writing and I’m in the zone, the story’s path or the character’s arc almost always comes organically.  

Which of the characters from Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea do you most closely identify with and why?

That is something I haven’t given a lot of thought to. I consider myself an observer who is standing on the sidelines watching the world pass by. As such, all of my characters are made up of composites of people that I’ve met throughout my life. Some of those characters are additionally infused with some of my own personality traits that allows me, as the creator, to enhance or denigrate that character as I see fit.  

What do you think sets Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea apart from other books of the same genre?

Readers’ Favorite Reviewer Grant Leishman sums this up perfectly in the review he posted just recently. Here is a very short excerpt from his commentary: 

“Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea is a powerful, emotional rollercoaster that captures readers from the beginning and takes them on a journey of love, loss, and redemption...Levine has a remarkable talent for evoking story arcs and emotional dramas that will tug at readers’ heartstrings. The character development is superb. I am a sucker for a good romance and all the elements were present but there was so much more depth, conflict, and suffering than you would normally find in a romance. This lifts the story well above others in the genre. The descriptive prose is wonderfully rich and complex...”

Surprise me. What is something that happens in the book that would make my mouth drop without giving too much away? 

Like Driftwood On The Salish Sea is more than just a love story between Mitch Brody and Jess Ramirez, and with all sincerity, I did not set out to weave a tale with hidden messages. But those hidden messages are there throughout the book and it will be interesting and fun to see if readers can find them.

Who is your favorite romance author? 

I’m sorry to say that I do not have one.

Do you think writing a romance is more complex than writing books of other genres?

I certainly cannot speak for other authors, but generally, I don’t think so. It comes down to what you know of human nature and what it is you’re trying to accomplish. If your experience writing fiction, in any genre, only comes from what you’ve read in other fiction books, or if it only comes from watching a movie, then I suspect you’ll have a hard time trying to create a story. I believe crafting a quality narrative should come from a combination of reading the works of others, watching a screenplay unfold before your eyes, reading non-fiction accounts of human events, and your own desires; all of which are combined with a fertile imagination and life experiences which should include personal triumphs as well as heartaches. Fantasy, desire, and personal experiences that are too uncomfortable to openly talk about with others can be carefully woven into each of your characters without revealing which of those are actually you. It’s quite therapeutic. As with anything else that deserves your best effort however, it’s important to take your time, never force the process but have fun with it, and write for an audience of one which is yourself. You are the writer, the creator, the producer, director, the primary talent, the background actor etc.

What’s next for you?

I will say that there is a new adventure that I’ll be embarking on very soon. It may or may not wind up being incorporated into my next novel. But for now, that next adventure shall remain a mystery. 

Inside the Book

Title: Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea

Author: Richard I. Levine

Publisher: KDP

Publication Date: June 1, 2025

Pages: 396

Genre: Romance

When they met in the fourth grade, it was love at first sight for Mitchell Brody and Jessica Ramirez. He was the freckle-faced kid who stood up for her honor when he silenced the class bully who’d been teasing her because of her accent. She was the new kid whose family moved to San Juan Island, Washington, from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and whom Mitch had thought was the most beautiful girl in the world.

She was his salvation from a strict upbringing. He was her knight in shining armor who had always looked out for her. Through the many years of porch-swinging, cotton-candied summer nights, autumn harvest festivals, and hand-in-hand walks planning for the ideal life together, they were inseparable…until 9/11, when the real world interrupted their Rockwell-esque small town life, and Mitch had joined the Marine Corps.

This is not just the story of a wounded warrior finally coming home to search for the love, and the world he abandoned twenty years before. It is also the story of a man who is seeking forgiveness and a way to ease the pain caused by every bad decision he’d ever made. It’s the story of a woman who, with strength and determination, rose up from the ashes of a shattered dream; but who never gave up hope that her one true love would return to her. As she once told an old friend: “Even before we met all those years ago, we were destined to be together in this life, and we will be together again, because even today we’re connected in a way that’s very special, and he needs to know about it before one of us leaves this earth.”

Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea is available at Amazon.

Here’s what reviewers are saying about Like Driftwood on the Salish Sea!

“It isn’t easy to edit when you’re crying, let me tell you! But I’m not complaining! This was so beautiful and emotional. It really struck a deep chord in me. It’s an impressive book, and I truly enjoyed it. Thank you so much for the opportunity (to have been your editor)”

– Bryn Donovan, Amazon

PUYB Author Talks: ⭐A Bookish Conversation with 'Jury Duty is Murder' Kate Damon⭐ #interview

 

 

When Kate Damon is not writing, she and her husband enjoy RVing, spending time with family and friends, raising Monarch butterflies, and playing a wicked game of bridge.

Writing as Margaret Brownley, she has published more than 40 novels and is a New York Times bestselling author. Known for her memorable characters and humor, she is a two-time Romance Writers of America Rita finalist.

Not counting the book she wrote in sixth grade, and the puzzle of the missing socks, this is her first mystery.

Website ➜http://margaret-brownley.com/

Twitter ➜https://www.x.com/katejuryduty

Facebook ➜https://www.facebook.com/MargaretBrownleyAuthor/ and https://www.facebook.com/p/Kate-Damon-61565155275435/

Instagram ➜https://www.instagram.com/katedamonbooks

BookBub➜https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-damon

Goodreads ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4072660.Kate_Damon and https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/163681.Margaret_Brownley

Before you started writing your book, what kind of research did you do to prepare yourself to write it? 

I normally write romance novels under the name of Margaret Brownley, so when I started jotting down ideas for the book, I thought it was going to be another romance. For that reason, I didn’t think any research was needed.  However, when the story took an unexpected turn and became a mystery, things changed in that regard.  For example, one of characters—CeeCee—is a pole dancer, and I knew nothing about that.

Did you pursue publishers or did you opt to self-pub? 

I queried the publishers of my romance novels, but none were interested in having me change genres. For that reason, I put the book aside for a while.  But then someone suggested I try The Wild Rose Press.  I was so delighted when they chose to publish it.

How did you choose your cover?

My publisher asked me for cover ideas, which was a bit of a challenge.  I’m used to having an embracing couple on my books, but I knew that wouldn’t do. I considered showing a jury, but since the book takes place after the trial, I knew that wouldn’t work.  I finally settled on the gavel, and Lady of Justice.  Some mysteries have really dark covers.  Since my book is filled with humor, I specifically asked that the cover not be dark.

What’s your opinion on giving your book away to sell other copies of your book?

This is a complex issue. Offering free copies of books can potentially stimulate interest and boost sales for subsequent titles in an author's series. However, the effectiveness of this strategy may be limited. The market is saturated with free books, which diminishes their impact compared to previous years.  Today, I mostly just give away books to bloggers who graciously host me or agree to write a review. 

What are some of the most important things you believe an author should do before their book is released?

It’s important to draw up a marketing plan. I try to come up with ways to build reader anticipation before the book comes out. For example, you can do a cover reveal and post a countdown.  It also helps to get some early reviews and post them on social media.  Also, if you’re new to publishing, I would suggest you join a writer’s group, preferably in your genre. I found writer groups to be a big help in keeping me informed about promotional opportunities, writing contests and so much more.

What are some of the most important things you believe an author should do after their book is released?

Keep promoting.  I try to do at least one thing a day to promote my book. Almost every organization is open to speakers, so it’s a good idea to contact as many as you can. Also, check out local book clubs. 

What would you like to say to your readers and fans about your book?

I just want to thank my readers for supporting me through the years. In regards to my book, Jury Duty is Murder, I’m delighted to say that it has received many positive reviews. Kirkus Reviews describes it as "a clever and entertaining whodunit that blends suspense, humor, and heart". The book has also been praised for its unique mix of courtroom drama and post-trial mystery, as well as its subtle romance elements. So whether you’ve read my previous books or not, I hope you give this one a try. 

Inside the Book

Title: Jury Duty is Murder

Author: Kate Damon

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

Genre: Cozy Mystery

A young civilization is turning the corner into the future, but first they must face a terrible enemy from their deepest past – THE VORM.

The main characters are a young man named Harl’ut and his lifelong companion Vispushin – who is a perIanth, a kind of telepathic pegasus. Join them on this epic adventure as they lead a group of young warriors into the heart of the Vorm Hive.

Book One: Battle In The Sky is the first of five books which comprise the opening series of this epic tale. Here, Harl’ut and Vispushin and The Princess Bryn’lynn, engage in desperate battle over the southern plain with savage Vorm warriors. You will be uplifted by the passionate and thrilling conclusion of the first installment of this fantasy adventure. 

In Book Two: Descent Into The Abyss, Harl’ut recovers from his harrowing adventure from Book One: Battle In The Sky. He walks through the streets of The Ocean City, visits the Sculpture Garden and his friend, Elá, the bard, and engages in exciting training games with warrior/mentor, Calanctus. Then the story takes you down the throat of the vast volcano, Pla’than’taa, once worshipped as a god, where Harl’ut enacts a deadly initiation ritual, confronts the barbaric past of his people and battles a terrifying monster. 

Pick up your copies at https://kaufmantales.com/