Clifford Garstang's most recent novel, The Last Bird of Paradise, was published in February 2024 by Black Rose Writing. He is also the author of two other novels, Oliver's Travels and The Shaman of Turtle Valley, and three story collections, House of the Ancients and Other Stories, In an Uncharged Country, and What the Zhang Boys Know, which won the Library of Virginia Literary Award for Fiction. In addition to a JD, Garstang holds an MA in English and an MFA in Creative Writing. A former international lawyer with a large US law firm and the World Bank, he currently lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
Atmosphere Press is proud to bring readers the Atmosphere Press Presents author interview series. We’re happy to have this archive of excellent interviews and author success stories for you to enjoy. Learn about writers and their books, from book title origin stories to music playlists that relate to their writing to what it was like seeing the cover for the first time.
Atmosphere puts the author experience first, and these interviews make up just one facet of a meaningful and rewarding author journey. Please share your favorite interviews and author success stories on social media, and stay in touch so you can be the first to know when new posts are published. Sign up for our newsletter to receive updates on interviews, Atmosphere Press Presents readings, and other news!
Born in Washington DC in 1955, Brenardo (the Sing-Song Poet) is currently a resident of Baltimore County, MD. He has been writing poetry of all facets for over two thirds of his life. This journey has taken him to platforms all over the world, where his work has been seen in countless journals, newspapers, magazines, poetry anthologies in print and online. He has performed his poems and songs at festivals, schools, libraries, coffee houses, cruise ships and assorted other public and private events, where he has astounded those in attendance.
Diane Piron-Gelman writes as D. M. Pirrone and works as a freelance editor when she isn’t spinning her own novel-length yarns. Her debut suspense novel, No Less in Blood, came out in 2011, followed by the award-winning Hanley & Rivka Mysteries (Allium Press of Chicago), set just after the Great Fire of 1871. Shall We Not Revenge (2014) was a Kirkus Prize nominee, and along with For You Were Strangers (2015), was named a Notable Page-Turner in the Shelf Unbound Indie Novel Competition.
As a Reiki Master Healer and Intuitive guide, Elle brings a unique perspective to overcoming grief and depression. Her personal experiences, including the loss of her mother and surviving three suicides including her fiancé, lend authenticity and empathy to her writing.
Heleni, based in Brookline, MA, is a fantasy writer and professional manuscript editor. Writing has been her passion since childhood, and for the past three years, she has been professionally editing fantasy manuscripts. Alongside her writing endeavors, Heleni works part-time as an elementary teacher, where she shares her love for literature and story-telling with young minds. Additionally, she co-manages a vibrant book club in her local community. Follow her writing and publishing journey on TikTok @heleniwrites.
Caleb Michael Sarvis is the author of Dead Aquarium or (i don’t have the stamina for that kind of faith) and currently owns and operates Bridge Eight Press, where he edited the anthology Fifteen Views of Jacksonville. His work can be found in BULL, Hobart, Joyland, storySouth, and others. His story An Unfaded Black was named one of the “Other Distinguished Stories of 2017” in Best American Short Stories 2018.
Christina Milliner was born in Queens, NY, and raised in Brooklyn, where she still resides. She holds an MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and running. Meet Clay Brown is Christina's first novel, it was selected as a finalist in the 2023 IAN Book of the Year Awards and is available in Indie New York on the BiblioBoard Library platform.
Award-winning author Sinmisola ‘Sinmi’ Ogúnyinka enjoys creating stories across cultures. A wife, mother, movie producer, and talk-show host, she is also a Craftsman of the Jerry B. Jenkins former Christian Writers’ Guild, Colorado, USA, and founder of Pleasant Writers’ Guild.
I was born in England. Now I live with my family in Chicago. Years ago, I had a children's book published entitled Little Lord Blink and His Ice Cream Castle. I worked with a French illustrator in Paris named Georges Lemoine, recommended to me by the illustrator Etienne Delessert. I never had the pleasure of meeting Georges, but he created wonderful illustrations that enhanced my story immeasurably. Recently, the book was translated into French and published in France.
I have self-published a children’s book, Little Critters: Beyond the Pond, and I am a retired NYC guidance counselor.
