Chris, I’m pleased to be included in your guest author series. I enjoy your site and the focus on story-telling. Interestingly enough, you mention that you hope reincarnation is true; in that case, you just might love a couple of my books! Along with authoring 11 novels (with a new one in the hopper) and 1 non-fiction, I am also a hypnotherapist and I specialize in past-life regressions. I have brought my experience in this, both as a hypnotist and as a subject, to my book, Queen’s Gold. This is an action-adventure story wherein the main character undergoes a past-life regression and discovers that as a soldier in Hernán Cortes’ army 500 years ago, he found and then hid a fortune in ancient Aztec gold. When others find out, they threaten his family in an effort to use him to find the gold. Plunging into the jungles of Mexico, he encounters treacherous terrain, dangerous wild animals and a love that spans centuries. This book has something for everyone!

My newest book, to be released in June, is also based on a past life, but this time the protagonist is a woman and she spontaneously experiences a memory of being murdered during the Holocaust. Her investigations into the concentration camp where she died and the person who murdered her lead to some surprising twists and turns.

People often ask me if my books are autobiographical in any way. While I have witnessed many of my own past lives, these stories are pure fiction. The only thing that’s absolutely true is the process by which people can access their past lives. It’s a fascinating process, and one that can yield a great deal of insight into who we are and why we do the things we do.

At some point, I’d love to write a non-fiction about past lives, but so far that hasn’t come up to the top of the priority list. My stories seem to have a knack for kidnapping me, taking me hostage until I get it all down on paper. I never know what story will take center stage next, and I’m often as surprised as my readers might be. I’ve written romance, fantasy, adventure, western, spiritual, paranormal, satire and biography—whatever captures my interest.

As in writing, I have very eclectic interests in life and I’m always up for something fun and interesting. I love to travel and have hiked all around Ayers Rock (Uluru) in Australia, Machu Picchu in Peru, Mayan pyramids in Guatemala. My husband and I are both space junkies and we attended adult space camp in Huntsville, Alabama and had an absolute ball. We’ve gone parasailing in Hawaii and zip-lining in Costa Rica. I may spend a lot of time at the computer, but I want more than to just write about life—I want to live it! And, of course, bring all that fun and adventure to my writing.

In my spare time (ha!), I blog, both on my own blog and for Indies Unlimited. I’ve been writing and publishing for 40 years, so I’ve seen a lot of changes in the industry and I like to help out newcomers who might just be starting their journey, hopefully help them avoid some of the pitfalls. My first five books were published traditionally, either by a New York house and by small presses, and then I began to self-publish. I love self-publishing because I have total control and it’s fun! I love the entire process, from writing to editing to designing the book cover to formatting and then finally holding that finished book in my hands. There’s nothing like the satisfaction that I get from seeing my dream become a reality. And the great thing is that it’s possible for everyone. It’s not that hard, it’s not expensive, and it’s do-able; I encourage anyone who loves to write to publish. You might be surprised at the results!

I’m happy to connect with readers and writers at all the locations below:

Website – Blog

Facebook – Twitter – Pinterest – LinkedIn – Google+

Goodreads – Librarything – Shelfari

Authors page in Amazon.co.uk – Authors page in Amazon.com

Authors page in B&N – Authors page in Smashwords

Also, check out my posts on Indies Unlimited, as well as those of all the other contributors. There’s a huge amount of experience, advice and tutorials there.

Melissa Bowersock