Category: Author

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Author

Ana McCracken

What’s your genre?
Creative nonfiction

Are you published?
Anthologies, literary reviews, and magazines.

What inspired you to become a writer?
Perhaps the impetus to become a writer began when my mother taught me to write thank you notes? Maybe it was the 20-years of writing letters to my pen-pal, Lisa? Or writing soul-searching stories in my English classes, and my stint as an editor for The Opinion, the Peoria High School newspaper? Much later during the two years that I searched for my birthmother, I wrote annual holiday missives that caused my friends to encouraged me to write my memoir. The inspiration to become a writer is a culmination of life events.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired you?
Dani Shapiro! All of her memoirs in my possession are dog-eared and the pages are filled with marginalia. I have learned dialog, scene-setting and exposition from Dani. She is my go-to author when I need inspiration.

Name three of your favorite books and their authors
Let’s Take the Long Walk Home: A Memoir of Friendship by Gail Caldwell
Heating and Cooling 52 Micro-Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly
Slow Motion, Devotion, Still Writing, Hourglass, and Inheritance by Dani Shapiro

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
In February 2022 anticipating the death of HRH Queen Elizabeth, I wrote her a letter of condolence on Smythson stationery, and sent her a photograph taken at Hewlett-Packard of HRH and Dave Packard, and Prince Philip and my husband, Ed. (Circa 1983.) Her Lady in Waiting read it to her, and they wrote me back. It is one of my greatest pride and joys!

What one piece of advice would you give a budding writer?
Just one? When you are sitting in a workshop group and fellow writers are giving you feedback, don’t justify what you’ve done and written and banter back and forth. People have taken the time to read your writing, and it’s annoying. Just LISTEN! You don’t have to take their advice, but often times it might be good advice. And… edit, edit, edit! Your first draft isn’t even close to the draft you send off to an agent.

Author Bio
Ana’s stories have appeared in the California Writers Club’s Literary Review, the anthologies Nothing But The Truth So Help Me God—51 Women Reveal the Power of Positive Female Connection, and Chicken Soup for the Soul—The Joy of Adoption, and poetry at Telepoem Booth®Iowa. At one time Ana was a columnist and editor for Maui Vision Magazine, and her essays and articles have appeared in various publications around the San Francisco Bay Area. Additionally, she is the founder of the Ames Writers Collective based in Ames, Iowa, and she serves on the Willa Cather Foundation Board of Governors, and served as a board of director for Litquake in San Francisco.

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Author

Rachel Aukes

What’s your genre?
Speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, and horror)

Are you published?
Indie press publisher

What inspired you to become a writer?
Like most writers, I’ve always loved reading. Couple that with a brain that’s constantly daydreaming, the desire to create stories is an intrinsic part of my spirit. From the age I could spell, I wrote. But a “normal” life took over for some time (had to pay the bills) until I inevitably picked up a pen… I’ve thankfully never lived a normal life since.

What author to you admire and how have they inspired your writing?
Jonathan Maberry is a fascinating writer who’s not afraid to write multiple genres. He’s also a prolific anthology editor—and one of the first to give a newbie writer a shot (he’s given a lot of newbie writers a shot!). He’s been an inspiration, a mentor, and an all-around admirable guy.

Name three of your favorite books and their authors
Make Good Art by Neil Gaiman = inspirational bliss.
Murderbot by Martha Wells = a fun modern classic.
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy = an old classic introducing the first masked hero.

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
I acquired my private pilot’s license 16 years ago, and I’m still infatuated with flying. Stop by the Ames airport, and you just might bump into me.

What one piece of advice would you give to a budding writer?
Be the writer of your dreams. Envision what you want to be and make it happen. Don’t try to fit into other people’s opinions of what a writer should be and how a writer should write. Define who you want to be as a writer and make it happen.

Author Bio
Rachel Aukes is the bestselling author of nearly forty books, including 100 Days in Deadland, which made Suspense Magazine’s Best of the Year list. She’s published through traditional houses, independent houses, and her own publishing company. Her novels have repeatedly been Amazon Top 100 bestsellers, and she was one of the first Wattpad Stars, with her stories having over eight million reads. She writes in several genres, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, thriller, romance, and more. When not writing, Rachel can be found flying old airplanes with her husband and an incredibly spoiled dog over the central Iowa countryside. Click here to visit Rachel.

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Author

Bi Ayers

What’s your genre?
Memoir/creative nonfiction

Are you published?
Indie press publisher

What inspired you to become a writer?
I wanted to share what I’ve learned about the nail salon industry with the hope of helping others to excel with their business. I also wanted to shine a spotlight on an industry which many are familiar with, yet most don’t know its history.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired your writing?
I’ve read a lot of business books over the years, and I feel the authors wanted to share their knowledge and expertise on their subject, which to me is powerful, and it inspired me to share my own knowledge in my industry.

Name your favorite books and their authors
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
I never meant to include as much personal information in my book, but I’m glad I did.

What one piece of advice would you give a budding writer?
People are interested in your story so, pen your thoughts and keep on writing.

Author bio
Bi Ayers was born and raised in Hue, Viet Nam. At age fifteen, he began a new life in the United States. As a Vietnamese American immigrant, he learned early on how to adapt to change. Coming from a hardworking family of leaders and business-owners, Ayers was motivated to start his own business and follow in the family tradition. His professional journey is intertwined with the history of the nail salon boom. His experience re-settling in the United States after growing up in a Communist regime and his own business success as an American nail salon owner offer other Vietnamese Americans and anyone interested in starting their own business an inspiring example of what it takes to open shop and thrive. To learn more about Bi and Polished, click here.

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Author

Stephanie Hansen

What is your genre?
Crime Thriller

Are you published?
Self published

What inspired you to become a writer?
I woke up during a thunderstorm one December evening and told myself a story to fall back asleep. For days afterward, I couldn’t get that story out of my head so I started writing what would become the opening scene in my first book. Things spiraled from there and I found myself swept up in the world of writing thrillers.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired your writing?
I’ve really enjoyed some of Andy Weir’s interviews. The author of The Martian, he self published that book before it was discovered by traditional publishing. He’s really funny (which comes across in his books) and a total nerd. He does a ton of research for his books and as a professor myself, I find it neat the way he helps the reader digest extremely complex science and engineering concepts in his sci-fi works.

Name three of your favorite books and their authors
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
The Fox and O’Hare Series by Lee Goldberg and Janet Evanovich
Sigma Force Series by James Rollins

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
I’m a beef cattle professor at Iowa State University and writing is one of my side gigs. I love to travel and my books each feature a national park. I’m a coffee addict and amateur photographer. My current series, Harper and Reese Crime Thrillers, starts in Glacier National Park in Cold Woods and I am working on the second book in that series now.

What one piece of advice would you give to a budding writer?
Figure out what motivates you. If you need external pressure to complete the book, join a writing group. It is a great way to connect with fellow writers and help you finish the first draft. Also remember, there is a lot of writing advice out there, not all of it is right for you.

Author bio
Stephanie (S.L.) Hansen knows that isolated, stunning locations and mystery go together like peanut butter and jelly. With a passion for exploring the great outdoors and a knack for crafting heart-stopping adventures in remote wilderness settings, Hansen is always seeking the perfect backdrop for her next page-turner. So, if you find yourself hiking through the backcountry with her, don’t be surprised if she starts musing about the best spot to bury a body – after all, when it comes to creating suspense, she’s got the recipe down pat. To join in on the adventure and discover what twists and turns she has in store for her readers next, click here, and sign up for her newsletter today.

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Author

Hallie Baur

What’s your genre?
Historical & Speculative Fiction

Are you published?
Indie press publisher

What inspired you to become a writer?
My inspiration to write involves a great amount of duality. Writing serves as both an outlet for my imagination, as well as a tool for presence. Whether I need an escape or a grounding moment, writing is there for me. It’s a bonus when readers want to join me for the ride.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired you writing?
I admire the works of Pamela Des Barres, Margaret Atwood, and Stephen King; all three have shaped my writing style. Pamela Des Barres writes in a truthful, relatable way. I enjoy that she hasn’t led a “traditional” life. My first formal writing class after high school was an online course with Atwood. She takes stories way beyond the limits of typical imagination, and I cannot absorb enough of her brilliance. King holds the same quality of disregard for limits, not only in his stories, but in the writing world. Though my genre differs from these authors, I highly revere and appreciate their works.

Name three of your favorite books and their authors
First is On the Road by Jack Kerouac. Themes of adventure and irreverence continue to influence me. Second must be I’m With the Band by Pamela Des Barres. She poetically breaks down the complications of experiencing a wild yet beautiful world as a young woman. Third is Life by Keith Richards.

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
Human connection, nostalgia, and subconscious revelations play into my stories (good and bad aspects.) I don’t always follow the classic statutes of writing, not out of disrespect, but because I chose not to follow the path of most traditional authors.

What one piece of advice would you give a budding writer?
Use the ideas you can’t stop thinking about. Move the bead. More ideas will come to fill in the gaps.

Author bio
Hallie Baur, historical fiction novelist and poet, views the world through a nostalgic lens and uses her fascination with the past to transplant readers into the settings of her stories.

Baur lives in the Midwest with her husband and Maine Coon cat. When she’s not writing she can be found dancing, making her way to the front row of a concert, and seeing the world.

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Author

Moriah Rose

What’s your genre?
Young adult fantasy

Are you published?
Self published

What inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve actually been writing since I was 12 when a teacher saw my love of storytelling and encouraged me to try out Nanowrimo. Since then, (a number of years I will not name) I have always found that the time when I’m the most happy and at peace is when I’m writing. I both started and keep coming back to writing no matter what my life holds, because I love the joy of discovering the story. I am a “panster,” or an organic writer that lets the story take me where it wants to go. The experience of not knowing where it will end but being along for the ride with your characters (who you ALWAYS fall in love with!) is one of the most magical things in the world.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired your writing?
This is SUCH a hard question! While not my genre, I love Elizabeth Peters. Her’s was the first series (Amelia Peabody) I ever read all the way through and read again! I now call her a “comfort read” and turn to her whenever I’ve had a bad week. Peters wove together a beautiful world with characters who are unique and so alive in my mind that I like to imagine they are actually out there in Egypt solving another mystery as I write this now.

I turn to Peters when writing to remind myself how a unique and well crafted character can make the reader feel invested in their world. When I write, she gives me hope—keeping alive a dream that someone out there will have that same feeling of love for my characters as I do for hers.

Name three of your favorite books and their authors
Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Sandstorm by James Rollings

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
I love to tell a good fantasy story but it’s also important to me that the action is realistic. Outside of writing I’m also a practitioner of a martial arts called Hapkido. Often times, when my characters are battling, the moves they are doing is based on self defense techniques and processes that I have done or mocked out with my fellow martial artists.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to a budding writer?
First, there is no wrong way to write. If you’re doing it, you’re doing it right. But if I can go one step past that, I’d say to never forget that it’s for you. Write your story for yourself first and the audience second.

Author bio
Moriah was raised in Corydon, Iowa, a small town that influenced the growth of her imagination. She started writing with the NANOWRIMO program at age 12 where she completed her first full-length novel in 30 days. Entitled Secret Dreamer, it is part of a three-book series. Since then she has obtained a bachelors in Global Resource Systems and a masters in cultural anthropology through Iowa State University. Her travels to locations such as India, Scotland, Ethiopia, Guatemala, and Senegal have been a constant source of inspiration and allowed her to experience many fascinating pieces of the world, but she continues to be most at home in the Midwest.

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Author

Hank Kohler

What’s your genre?
Adventure/conservation

Are you published?
I am published by a traditional publisher

What inspired you to become a writer?
I have written a couple of stories that the Iowa Outdoors magazine published. I hadn’t planned on doing a book but the hundreds of people that followed my One4Water adventure on Facebook asked if I would write about the journey so that they could relive it.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired your writing?
I very much admire Barry Lopez and his book Arctic Dreams. As I was reading it, I realized that I shared many of his thoughts about our planet and its future. I quote him in One4Water.

Name three of your favorite books and their authors
The Overstory by Richard Powers
Into the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides
Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
I’m a storyteller not a scientist. So many others know much more about our land, waters and living things, but I would guess I’m their equal when it comes to appreciation and concern.

What’s one piece of advice you would give a budding writer?
Dream, Plan, Do!  Don’t put it off. Find a trusted publisher and get it going!

Author bio
Hank Kohler, born in 1952, grew up on a family farm in northwest Iowa. He has a degree in Education from the University of Northern Iowa but became a restaurant owner—not a teacher—during his working years. Mr. Kohler enjoys spending as much time as possible on lakes and rivers and was the recipient of the 2016 Olav Smedal Conservation Award sponsored by the Ames, Iowa Chapter of the Izaak Walton League. He has written two stories published by Iowa Outdoors. “Rocks in the River” and “The Ice Shack”. Mr. Kohler lives in Ames with his wife Anne. They have three children: a son Andy and daughters Robyn and Kerry. One4water is the author’s first book. Visit Hank here.

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Author

Dr. Yen Verhoeven

What’s your genre?
Nonfiction education

Are you published?
Indie press publisher

What inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve always used writing as a way to process my thoughts. I’m also a forgetful person, so writing things down is how I remember ideas without keeping them all in my head. About a decade ago, I suffered from chronic migraines — the kind of migraines that put you in darkness and make you do practically anything to make them stop. Writing saved me from the times I wanted to commit suicide. I could escape, and I created worlds in my head where I didn’t have to focus on pain. Fortunately, I found ways to control my migraines. My writing continued, but I’ve learned that writing can also be insightful for others. I see the benefit to others when I share the things that I’m going through.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired your writing?
Helene Cixious is a French philosopher, poststructuralist, and writer. Her essay, “The Laugh of Medusa” was a call to action for women to write themselves into the spaces that at first, did not exist. Cixious talked about writing as women’s way of creating and of discovering who we are. In this piece, she says, “And why don’t you write? Write! Writing is for you, you are for you; your body is yours, take it.” It spoke to me, and how I used to keep my writing secret. As a feminist myself, I’ve spent my life as an educator who empowers students. But as a woman, I know that there are still spaces where we are “lesser than.” It is in those spaces that we must write into—write ourselves into existence.

Name three of your favorite books and their authors
Teaching to Transcend, by bell hooks. She gave words to the things I was feeling and thinking.
Home by Toni Morrison. I could read a passage and just sit there, savoring the beautiful art that is her writing.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. This book changed my life.

What one piece of advice would you give to a budding writer?
Don’t write alone. You need a community to make your writing better—whether it’s a close friend who reads your work, a writing group, an editor, beta readers, etc., but people get the writing out of your head so that you can communicate what you really mean, and so that people can understand you. Plus, you need people who keep you going. Find the people who believe in you, because you’ll need them during those times when you stop believing in yourself.

Author bio
Dr. Yen Verhoeven is the president and founder of Qi Learning Research Group, a groundbreaking ed tech company revolutionizing how we approach teaching and learning. Yen has over 23 years of teaching experience and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with certifications in program evaluation and online instructional design. She is an award-winning speaker, the author of the book, REBEL Teaching, and sits on the Governor’s STEM North Central Regional Advisory board. She lives with her husband, two sons, a dozen chickens, several fish, and a psychotic dog. Click here to visit her.

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Author

Gary Eller

What’s your genre?
Fiction, novel and short story, occasional nonfiction

Are you published?
Traditional publisher

What inspired you to become a writer?
In short: early encouragement, love reading, opportunity, and disillusionment with my first career choice.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired your writing?
Co-favorites) Raymond Carver, Alice Munro
Carver: simple, minimalistic use of language, his subtexts say so much. And, as he was once described: “He taught us that literature can exist with a bottle of catsup resting on a table in a trailer house.”

Name three of your favorite books and their authors
Where I’m Calling From by Raymond Carver
One-Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Friend of My Youth by Alice Munro

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
I’m a well-concealed introvert whose sometimes dark writing belies the fact that I’m a quite nice guy.

What one piece of advice would you give to a budding writer?
Read, read, read…all the writers you love.
Remember the advice of your old favorite uncle: “Work hard and don’t give up.”
The paycheck should not matter.
And finally, this is related to the previous. Marry well.

Author bio
Born and raised in Rolla, North Dakota, I worked as a pharmacist mostly in Alaska for fifteen years. I became a writer after earning an MFA degree at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa.

My collection of short stories, Thin Ice and Other Risks, was published by New Rivers Press. I’ve also published many stand-alone short stories and nonfiction articles. My novel, True North, was published by BHC Press in late 2021.

I have several writing awards, the most significant being a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. I’ve taught fiction and nonfiction at Iowa State University.  I live and work now in Ames, Iowa, while spending parts of summers in the Turtle Mountains of North Dakota.

Click here to visit Gary.

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Author

Paul Brooke

What’s your genre?
Poetry

Are you published?
Traditional publisher

What inspired you to become a writer?
Always nature has been at the forefront. My work focuses on the relationship of humans with the wild world. I am deeply interested in understanding why we mistreat the earth and how we can live in harmony with it.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired your writing?
There are so many that it is hard to boil it down. In terms of poetry, Gary Snyder was an inspiration early as he understood the complexities of the natural world and he integrated a Zen philosophy, which I found intriguing. Later, fiction writers like Toni Morrison blew my mind with their historical retellings and incredible imaginations. Her book, Beloved, is my absolute favorite. Today, there are so many talented authors that it is a joy to read and discover new voices.

Name three of your favorite books
As I mentioned earlier, Toni Morrison’s Beloved, then Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridan, and Sylvia Plath’s The Collected Poems.

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
I love to travel and that often fills my writing. Recently, I went to Chile and I just finished a collection that fuses nature photography and form poetry. My newest work explores the often unheard side of Antarctica and I plan to go there very soon. For me, it is necessary to have experiences that show me awe and wonder in order to find inspiration. Those moments are transcendent and illuminating. Always necessary to building the best work I can.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to a budding writer?
Revise. Revise. Revise. Be patient with your work and be patient if you send it out. There will be tons of rejections. And for most young writers those rejections can send them running away. Run into the rejection and then submit again somewhere else.

Author bio
Paul Brooke has five collections of photography and poetry including Light and Matter: Poems and Photographs of Iowa (2008) and Meditations on Egrets: Poems and Photographs of Sanibel Island (2010). Sirens and Seriemas: Photographs and Poems of the Amazon and Pantanal (2015) was published by Brambleby Books of London, England, while Finishing Line Press published Arm Wrestling at the Iowa State Fair (2018). Jaguars of the Northern Pantanal: Panthera onca at the Meeting of the Waters was published by Academic Press (2020), while The Skáld and the Drukkin Tröllaukin: Photographs and Poems of Iceland was released by Gold Wake (2022). Brooke recently was awarded both an Iowa Arts Fellowship and a grant for publishing a diversity of writers. Click here to visit Paul.