Carrick Island is crusted with salt and riddled with secrets in this sea-worthy novel by Ananda Braxton-Smith.  Readers will be carried away on waves of lyrical writing and vivid lore throughout the pages of Merrow. This coming-of-age novel tells the story of a young girl’s struggle with processing grief and a damaged relationship with her young aunt. With all of the rumors regarding her family, it’s nearly impossible to tell truth from tale. The fascinating mythology of the island and different religious beliefs blend together in delicately woven webs of wishes and desires, bringing a feeling of hope and warmth to this journey of self-discovery. Mysteries are solved and families are brought together as truths are revealed, though some secrets will forever remain hidden.

Ananda Braxton-Smith incorporates words from the dying Manx language of Isle of Man as well as words from Old Norse. The inclusion of these languages is executed in a way that adds to Merrow's authenticity and myth-like style of story-telling. While the book was peppered with a few noticeable grammar and punctuation errors, the story never failed to captivate and enthrall me. From cover to cover, Merrow's bits and pieces of history and lore being stitched together held my interest and satisfied my thirst for adventure.

Kayla M. Ware

“The romance novels I enjoy are fun, easy reads. They distract me from a stressful reality and bring a lot of happiness and love into a world that is often overrun with negativity and hate.” While Liza has found a definite sweet-spot in writing romance, she does not restrict herself and explores other genres as well. “At this point, my published books are all contemporary romance, but the majority of the books I’ve written that aren’t yet published are actually in a crossover genre,” she said. 

Liza praises her friends and family, as well as influential adults throughout her childhood, for providing her with a strong, encouraging support system. “I had several teachers who praised my writing,” she said. “My oldest daughter (now 11) is also a huge supporter. she brags about my books to all of her friends. The fact that she’s so proud is incredibly encouraging.” Liza also credits a lot of her at-home support to her husband. “He reads all of my books when they’re in their earliest draft versions and he’ll listen to my random rants about my characters. He’s really great about not laughing too hard when I need help clearing my internet search history after attempting to research some of the crazier topics that come up in my books.”

Writer of the Fliers series, Laura Mae is an indie author with a never-ending desire to create.  While writing has always been a vibrant passion for Laura, the thought of publishing never crossed her mind until 2014. "It was never anything I did seriously. I just enjoyed creating stories and being immersed in a world I made from nothing," said Laura. She grew up writing short stories, poetry, song lyrics,  and many other forms of writing and artistic self-expression as creative outlets. As the host of her own interview series, The Indie-Go Interviews, Laura is now an active member of the online writing community and an enthusiastic supporter of others within the community, helping other indie-authors share their stories and reach new fans. Laura credits the online writing community as her biggest source of inspiration and encouragement. "I don't know where I'd be without their amazing support," said Laura. "I learn so much from all of them and I hope I have done the same for all of them."

More about Laura's interview series can be found on her website. 

Laura's current work in progress is Vultures, the third and final book in the series. Vultures takes place immediately after the events of Sparrows. "I feel like almost anything I say about it will have spoilers," said Laura, "but I can say that normally the first two books are limited third person in the perspective of Sydona, but this time, we have perspectives of several other characters. ⁠— I really hope that it helps the reader put the whole big picture together while little side stories go on around her." Laura's inspiration for the series came from a dream that she had in 2011. "I have a lot of dreams about flying and one dream in particular had me flying over a sea of white tents, reminding me of a sort of concentration camp," said Laura. "I had to write a story about it. Of course, I never thought it would be a trilogy, but when I finished Fliers, I knew it wasn't the end. There was so much more to this world that I wanted to write." 

Autumn Flux

As with any craft, learning to crochet dolls takes time and patience. "My first failed attempt was a monkey. I didn't know how to sew the pieces on together the right way and it was just bad," she said. "My first successful attempt was a Coraline doll. She was the very first thing I actually finished." The most challenging part of crochet, Aubree says, is learning new patterns and designs. "Everyone has a different technique to crocheting, so each item might not come out exactly like the pattern." Aubree says that another difficult challenge she faces is having to decide on what colors to use for her dolls.