Meet Seraphim Aun Weor, Musician and Film Director

Seraphim Aun Weor grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi. Her debut single "You Never Loved Me" delivers a first-hand view of the raw emotional conflict of self-affliction; it's the first of many singles to be released from her studio album, Chaos and Innocence. Other announced single releases are "You're My Biggest Mistake" and an intriguing alternative industrial mix entitled "Make-Up".

Seraphim is also an independent film director, and her latest film, Ünholywood, guides viewers into the mysteries of the forbidden unknown while taking them on the emotional rollercoaster of a downward spiral in a town that lost its wings when bloodshed became a virtue.

Learn more about Seraphim by visiting www.SeraphimAunWeor.com.

1. How would you describe your music to listeners who haven't heard it before?

I have a lot of amazing influences; however I am a bit different in my creations and writings. It takes you back to Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know" with a twist of Nine Inch Nails. I am a broken Valentine, so my lyrics are colored as such; it could be considered Vamp.

2. What inspired you to form your new band, Deliver Me Up?

I am a rocker chick at heart, and in the past I was a solo artist; during this time, I found it a bit awkward to rock out without a live band backing me up. My shows are dramatically set--think of a dark Katy Perry show as in Creole Voodoo extravagant--but I had no guitar to smash and that bothered me. Hence back to the future I formed Deliver Me Up, and am looking forward to my future world wide tour, "Soul In Tacked".

3. What was the process like for creating your debut album, Chaos and Innocence?

It was a very emotional process as the lyrics mean a lot to me and they shade my past, my present, and my future. Although I am a broken Valentine, I still have joy some how that allows me to create honestly, bringing the listener into my world just for a moment in time. My producer is Jason Charles Miller (Godhead) who is an amazing producer I may add, as I do over write my songs and every studio session turns into a writing session, so you get the short end version of my album Chaos and Innocence.

4. How do you balance your time between music and your filmmaking projects?

Usually I am in the studio twice a week recording or rehearsing which allows me to have a lot of extra time to do my films... I am currently in casting for my new film Unholywood which is an incredible process watching my characters come alive in the auditions. I have cast most of the lead roles already, but am not yet finished with the bit roles; you can follow my films and filming process under Sin Icon Motion Pictures.

5. As someone who has been a solo artist, how has your work evolved through opportunities to collaborate with others, such as your new band?

Collaborating with others such as music artists, this is very much in my near future and I am extremely excited about that for Deliver Me Up. I am in the treatment creating process for my new music video, "You Never Loved Me," in which we are certain it will open up a lot of doors and new opportunities in music. For all enquiries for me to collaborate with another artist or be featured on another artist track, please contact my publicist Domenick Nati.

Thanks, Seraphim!

Meet Carrie Lane, Musician

Carrie Lane is a musician who is excited to launch a 2016 tour with her new band, Honey Thief, a project that reflects her love for country music. The band is releasing their debut EP, Bad Idea, this month. Learn more about Carrie and Honey Thief by visiting www.carrielanemusic.com.

1. Where did you grow up, and what music did you grow up listening to?

I grew up in Montclair, NJ a suburb just out side of New York City. I grew up listening to a lot of the music that my parents liked when they were young. I remember my brothers calling the music "oldie moldies," but I never understood why they were making fun of it because I loved the music from the 60s and 70s that my parents played.

2. Honey Thief seems to bring together some pretty diverse musical influences. How do you describe your sound to people who haven't heard the band yet?

I guess the answer to that is that there is no true way to describe the musical style we have doing on; it's very unique. That is something that I definitely wanted going into this process. I wanted to be able to say that our music draws from so many different styles. If you say, "oh, I sound like Taylor Swift," well, what's fun about that? That person can go listen to a Taylor Swift song, and they probably already have. If you can describe your music by just comparing to one or two things, I don't think you're making music that is progressive or that is your own. In this business it is so important to keep trying new things and stay ahead of the curve.

3. What was your process like in writing the material for your EP, Bad Idea?

My producer James Strazza and I wrote each song a little differently. Nothing that he writes or that we write together ever starts the same way. A song might be influenced by a line or a concept lyrically and then music is written to it or vice-versa. We kind of just let what happen, happen. That is what kept the writing process so organic and, ultimately, gave the music such a unique sound.

4. What are your plans for the coming months in terms of touring and possibly recording more material?

We are going to be on tour in the NorthEast for March and April and then will have more tour dates announced in about a month or so. You can check out the official tour dates at www.honeythiefmusic.com! We are definitely going to keep writing while I'm on the road and continue to create new content throughout the year as well.

5. Is there anything else you'd like readers to know about Bad Idea?

Bad Idea is a very personal EP for me. Every song comes from a really authentic place in my life, and I think that is why listeners will be able to identify with it. I encourage everyone to take a listen and let me know what you think--I love interacting online with my fans especially on my Twitter and Instagram @HoneyThiefXX, so please give it a listen and let me know what you think! xo

Thanks, Carrie!

Meet Gregory L. Hines, Writer and Director of MOD-X

Gregory L. Hines is the writer and director of the forthcoming sci-fi short film, MOD-X. He has worked as an artist in such media as music, drama, writing, and photography. Upon receiving an honorary discharge from military service in 2012, he moved to Southern California, residing in between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Learn more about MOD-X at www.mod-xmovie.com.

1. What gave you the idea for MOD-X?

In the summer of 2014, my friend and I wanted to film a movie together, and we ended up with an idea about a bounty hunter tracking down a criminal in a post-apocalyptic world. Unfortunately, our schedules never could match up to film together, but I ended up writing a script called X1978. Eventually I developed the script further, and it became known as MOD-X.

2. In shooting the film, what did you do (and where did you film) to create a post-apocalyptic setting? 

I have always been of the belief to use what is accessible to you to raise the production value of your film. In my case, I live in the Mojave Desert and wrote a script around the landscape. My "in-camera" approach to create a post-apocalyptic Earth was to capture the fantastic mountains and the vast voids of the land. Additionally, I found a junk yard that gave us the perfect setting for our end scene called "The Deadlands."

Taking these shots, I was able to hand them off to my Visual Effects (VFX) team who started a process of matte painting, manipulation, and enhancements, thus adding to the world of isolation and desolation.

3. Your film has taken 14 days of production and several months of post-production. Could you tell us a little more about what that process has been like?

Tiresome. The process of making a film can be a long and arduous process, and it takes teams of people to successfully complete a project. MOD-X had its fair share of hurdles from over eight rewrites and having to replace two members of the cast mid-way into filming. This put constant demands on the cast and crew such as constantly learning aspects of an ever-changing script to dealing with the extreme environment of the desert. However, as a team we did succeed in getting the shots we needed by staying positive, focused, and determined---a bit of humor also went a long way.

Once we got into post production, the stress of lugging tons of gear into the vast enclaves of high winds and dirt were finally over, but the overwhelming task of assembling the film into a cohesive story both visually and audibly had just begun. Because the sound was unusable, I had to completely reconstruct every sound in the film in a process called Foley and sound design. Additionally, all of the actors had to come and rerecord their lines in another process called ADR or Automatic Dialogue Replacement. As you can imagine, this took over two months to complete, but it gives the film a unique and dynamic feel. Currently, we are waiting for the VFX team and our composer to complete their work.

4. What are some things you've learned about ways to make a quality film on a micro budget?

Most beginning filmmakers worry about gear or what camera they should use. The number one aspect to ensuring a smooth and successful film is to plan, plan, and plan. In doing so, take your time and do not rush or you run the risk of it coming back to haunt you later in production. Another aspect which I noted earlier is to use what is accessible to you. Take a drive and scout your area and ask yourself, what stands out and what is unique? When asking people to help you, always show respect and gratitude for anyone's time. A poor attitude is a sure way to turn people off and lose help. Lastly, be excited about what you do. I found that my excitement and drive was infectious, which attracted the right types of people to MOD-X. People want to work on a film that has a great story and work with dedicated and professional people, and most of all, people want to have fun!

5. What's your advice to other independent artists who want to make films but don't have any funding?

Starting out with a simple script without unnecessary fight scenes, explosions, and VFX. Keeping the process simple will allow you to concentrate on the meat and potatoes of filmmaking. Additionally, resource with people through the filmmaking community in whatever way possible to meet fellow artists. Bargain with people in exchange for services to accomplish your project. One of my cast members worked for free on MOD-X, but in return I filmed a short film for him which allowed him to get his project off the ground. Lastly, be creative, know that it is okay to fail, and don't be afraid to ask for help--and most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Thanks, Greg!

Meet J. New, Author

British author J. New writes crime thrillers with a dark side, short stories, and flash fiction with a twist. She draws on her interests in psychology, spirituality, and the metaphysical to weave tales that explore the darker side of human nature. Her writing is a mix of crime, thriller, murder-mystery, and suspense with a touch of the supernatural.

Her first novel, due out summer 2015, A Poisoned Mind, features protagonist Dr. Mary Gray, a criminal profiler and poisons expert with a secret past and an eerie gift. A child prodigy with an unhealthy upbringing, followed by an event in her twenties that would have catastrophic repercussions, Gray teeters on the brink of a mental breakdown whilst hunting a serial killer.

J. New's writer influences include Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Clive Barker. A staunch supporter of Indie-authors, she loves scouring bookstores, both physical and virtual for her next favorite writer. She currently lives with her partner and three rescue dogs, where she drinks too much coffee and is a slave to her keyboard.

Find J. New's Predator or Prey – Short Tales With A Twist, on Amazon and on Kobo

1. How did you first become interested in writing thrillers?

As a reader, I've always been interested in mysteries and thrillers, and probably half of my bookshelf is made up of that particular genre. When I made the decision to begin writing full-time, it was natural for me to create something that I loved and wanted to read myself. Writing something you are passionate about translates into much better words on the page, and consequently the readers and fans of your work have a much better experience.

That said, I'm not a great fan of pigeonholing an author's work into a particular genre. My work includes elements of suspense, drama, mystery, crime, psychology, and the supernatural, so trying to fit it into a particular box is almost impossible.

I've also penned a short story entitled "The Yellow Cottage" which is available FREE on my website for those who would like to become part of my reader group, and that isn't a thriller at all, but as with everything I write, it has a great twist. I've had some wonderful correspondence from readers about that one.

As an author, whilst I write because I love to, and have an almost visceral need to create, at the back of my mind, always, is the fact that I'm writing for my readers. Without my fans, (those that buy or download free everything I produce), I wouldn't be able to continue. So my responsibility and promise to them is to produce the best and highest quality work I can.

2. What do you most enjoy about the genre of flash fiction, and when writing the pieces in your recent collection, did you limit yourself to a specific number of words per story?

I absolutely love writing flash fiction. It's an incredibly disciplined way of working, and I love the challenge. It's also a great tool to help with the self-editing process for longer works. Surplus words have no place in this style of writing, so you have to make every word count. You'd be surprised how many ways there are of saying the same thing. Flash fiction is an art in itself, and requires you to produce a very short, but complete story in around 500 to 1000 words. Whilst it may sound simple, it's actually more difficult than you would think.

I also like to include twists in every story I write, regardless of length. With flash fiction you have room for just one, so you have to make it count. Many of those who have written to me after reading my latest collection have said they were wowed by the twists and didn't see them coming. That's the best feeling in the world for a writer, knowing that your work has achieved exactly what you wanted it to: that your reader has become emotionally involved in the story.

My latest collection Predator or Prey – Short Tales With A Twist, is a combination of flash fiction and short stories, with the shortest being 560 words and the longest around 1,600. It wasn't a conscious decision to limit myself in terms of words for each piece. I wrote what was best for each story, eliminating words I didn't need, and increasing the pace and suspense, so that the reader experience was the best it could be, and the integrity of story wasn't compromised.

3. Why did you choose to publish your work independently?

It's all about retaining artistic control. Contrary to what a lot of people think, being an independent author does not mean being an amateur. It means being a professional, who prefers to retain control of their work, in order to provide the highest quality for their readers. With the advent of self-publishing in recent years, it's become much easier to get your work into the marketplace, and many well-known, traditionally published authors are now choosing to independently publish their work, in order to reach and grow their audience. With e-readers and Kindles it now takes seconds for a customer to purchase and begin reading your book. That's incredibly exciting for authors and readers alike. And of course, one thing which is important to me is that retaining control means I have a direct link to my readers, which I love.

4. What are you working on now, and what future projects do you have planned?

I'm currently working on my debut novel, A Poisoned Mind, which is a murder-mystery thriller. When a young college student is found murdered in bizarre circumstances, Dr. Mary Gray, criminal profiler and poisons expert, is called in to consult on the case. It soon becomes apparent that this is not a one-off crime; there is a serial killer on the loose. When a second body is uncovered, it becomes a race against time to find the perpetrator before he strikes again. As the clock ticks down and her "gift" kicks in, Mary Gray teeters on the brink of a mental breakdown as the past she has tried to conceal collides with her present in spectacular fashion. It's based in the UK and is a pure joy to work on. I'm planning on releasing it in the summer this year.

Alongside that I'm currently planning out the first of a new series. It's a murder-mystery collection based in Victorian England, so sort of a Conan-Doyle meets steampunk, but with a thriller edge to it.

5. I like that your website includes a Writer Toolbox, resources for other Indie-authors. What are some of the resources that have been most important to you in your journey from writing to publishing?

I'm a huge advocate of indie-authors, and over the last couple of years I've been publishing, have learned a huge amount. It's important for me to be able to share with others what I've learned, especially those who are just starting out. Indie-authors aren't in competition for readers, the way it used to be in the traditionally published world. It's so much easier for people to get their hands on books now, and they are reading more than ever before.

In terms of resources I use and learn from regularly, the blog and training of author Nick Stephenson is one of the best. Another is the website of Joanna Penn, an author, speaker, and entrepreneur. Both Nick and Joanna are incredibly successful within their fields, and continue to provide up-to-date and immensely useful information about the industry.

For setting up your writer platform, then you need look no further than the site of Kimberley Grabas. Simply called Your Writer Platform, it provides everything you need to get up and running. Two of the most well-known indie-authors are Johnny B Truant and Sean Platt, and they produce the popular Self-Publishing Pod-cast, and are also the authors of Write, Publish, Repeat, one of the best writing craft books there is. There's much more on my website.

If you are a writer, then sign up for my Readers Group email--you'll get my free short story "The Yellow Cottage," and just drop me a line and let me know you're a writer. I periodically send resources and information which I find to be invaluable, covering everything from starting out, writing courses, marketing, software, and anything else I think will be useful to you in order to make your writing life easier.

If you sign up as a reader, then I'll send news of my releases, book recommendations, competitions, and freebies I've found. I only send it once or twice a month, but it's packed with great stuff for book lovers.

You can sign up for J. New's Readers Group and receive your FREE short story by clicking here. You can also connect with her on social media: Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Meet King, Lead Vocalist and Guitarist of Happiness to Life

King is the lead vocalist and guitarist with Happiness to Life, a Florida-based band which has just completed its first indie pop/rock studio album. King grew up in New York and moved to Lakeland, Florida in 2000, where he studied to become a nationally certified massage therapist. Look for Happiness to Life's album on Amazon and Google Play in October!

1. Would you tell us a little bit about your new band, Happiness to Life?

I just finished our first studio album. I am grateful to have formed my new band, and at this point in time, the band consists of: myself as lead vocalist and lead guitar, a bass player, a drummer, a keyboardist, and a rhythm guitar player. All the musicians in the band are hired members at this moment. We are rehearsing the songs a couple times weekly in preparation before we hit the road.

2. How did the band form?

Originally the band was formed with one person: me. Gradually I started to hire the band members.

3. When it comes to writing songs, what's your process like?

For me, there is no exact formula. A lyric or a melody might pop into my head, and I can use that as a starting point for a song, or I can sit down and concentrate only on writing lyrics or writing the musical structure.

4. How do you balance your music career with your work as a massage therapist?

I took a long break from music. I dedicated a lot of time to my therapy work, and I achieved my objectives. Now my main focus is strictly on my music. On my days off, every now and then, I can do a little therapy work.

5. Why do you feel that you are drawn to creating music with positive, uplifting messages?

As I enter into a higher state of consciousness, I begin to realize that my word is my life, and my feeling is my life because I choose to create them. I can send my word or my feeling to any part of the universe. It will travel, and it will stretch out, and then my word or my feeling will come back to me. Why? Because I am the creator, and this is a very simple universal law whether we are conscious or ignorant of it. So therefore, I decide if I have to say something, I would rather say something that is constructive, positive, and uplifting .

Thanks, King!

Meet Jeremy Boyum of Shadow of Whales

Shadow Of Whales is an alternative indie-pop band with a passion for creating music and spreading hope through friendships. What makes this band truly unique is the experience that all the band members have had in aggressively seeking careers in music with their previous bands. They are all songwriters, they all love music, and more importantly, they all love people.

The band has a new single coming out July 15, 2014. Keep up with their comings and goings on Facebook and Twitter. Our interview below is with Jeremy Boyum, bass player with the band.

1. When did Shadow of Whales get together, and what inspired the name of the band?

We have been together since August of 2013 (roughly). The name of the band came from a dream experienced by our piano player, JD Vazquez. He was walking through the city one day when a shadow came over him. He looked up to see ginormous whales flying in the sky, one of which was blotting out the sun. JD said it was the most humbling feeling he ever had awake or asleep--to be in the presence and shadow of such a large, gentle creature.

2. What's the band's process like for writing songs?

We kind of have to take it day by day. Sometimes Josh will record something on his computer, and we will all come together and take a listen and tweak it. Other times we will be at our scheduled practice and come up with something on accident. Then there are times that we literally will schedule a writing session and the whole purpose will be to create music together.

3. For people who haven't heard your music before, how would you describe it?

I used to describe it as a mix between the Killers, Switchfoot, and Panic! at the Disco. However, there have been people that have said we sound like the Beatles, and others that say we remind of them of One Direction (hough I'm not really sure how). We've had reviews that have called out Franz Ferdinand as a relatable artist as well.

4. I love that your IndieGogo campaign has such a specific focus. What made you decide to do a campaign to buy a van, and what has the response been to the campaign so far?

Well... Mainly because we just really need a van, haha. We've been taking two or three cars to each one of our shows. Some of these concerts are long distances such as the concert we did in Lubbock earlier this year. Gas costs a lot of money as it is, and it costs a lot more when you're multiplying the amount you're paying by three.

The response has been overwhelmingly humbling. We've had a lot of close friends donate and a lot of fans donate and help spread the word in creative ways. We tried our best to provide really good incentives, even to the point of doing ridiculous things like squirting lemon juice in our eyes, or drinking a gallon of milk and running a mile. We've even offered that we will play anywhere in the U.S. for one of our incentives, and we've had people graciously donate to that and to a lot of our incentives. We are about 25% towards our goal and a little more than 25% through the campaign's timeline, so we're on a great track!

5. What would you say is the hardest part--and what would you say is the best part--of being an indie band?

The best part? Gosh, I don't even know! Playing music with your best friends? Playing music with your best friends for your best friends in the audience and having a heck a lot of fun? Meeting new people? I don't know--there are so many awesome things about what it is we do. (Not saying we're awesome, but that it's awesome to be able to do it... Also, we're awesome #jk).

We get to travel and meet the coolest people in the company of each other, and not only that but we get to play music and jump around and pound our instruments until we're completely out of breath. It's the best!

The worst part? Probably the ever-increasing, overwhelming amount of discouragement that is constantly being thrown in our faces. Even if there was nothing from the world, as an artist you are constantly evaluating yourself: I missed that note, I'm out of shape, I feel insignificant in this role, etc. Top that off with all these bands that talk about how they make no money, or how record labels are taking advantage or yadda yadda. It's hard to hear that your heroes hate where they're at, when simultaneously you want to be where they are. Now add negative, non-constructive feedback from any one person. We've received feedback regarding our music that stated "it's not what I'm into," and that's all right, but when it's more of a "get a life" or "you suck," that's not helpful at all. We brush it off as best as we can, but I'd be lying if I said it never got to us.

What keeps us going are each other, our awesome team here at home (parents, significant others, friends), and our amazing fans and supporters online and at our concerts. These are the most encouraging people we have in our lives, and they keep us going.

Thanks, Jeremy!

Note: The photo of the band in action above is by CeeCee Hood.

Meet Sheri Meshal, Novelist

Sheri Meshal spent most of her childhood on an old farm in Iowa. A minimalist, Sheri currently lives in Chicago sans furniture with her dog, Kylee and her roommate and fellow writer, Mack Oliver. When she isn't writing, she's traveling and spending time with her nieces and nephews every chance she gets. Chokecherry is her second book.

Learn more about Chokecherry on Sheri's website, and by watching the book trailer below.

Sheri also visited this blog in December of 2012 following the release of her first book, Swallowtail.

1. I remember the story of your first book's journey to publication. What was different in your experience of seeing your second book to publication?

There's such a massive learning curve when you become an indie author, but I have to admit the second time around was easier. I felt more comfortable and confident in my marketing endeavors, along with shooting the cover and all that. It felt good, right.

2. The main character of Chokecherry is a writer: what do you have in common with your protagonist, and where do your lives diverge?

So funny you should ask! I love what I often refer to as "deliciously flawed characters." I wanted explore writing about a truly broken protagonist mending herself. Dana is about as broken and flawed as they come, so much so, some readers have a hard time relating to her. Luckily they all love Stu so much that they cut Dana some slack. Anyway, imagine my horror when readers and fellow writers began asking how much of Dana was me and telling me how they could see me in Dana--yikes! It was daunting at times writing in first-person, but Dana is a fictional character.

I said before, though, I suppose there's probably a little of me in all of my characters, even the dogs. I will admit I do write myself well, but not the way Dana does. When I can devote six or eight straight hours to a chapter, I feel my life comes back into balance. I've never spent any time in a psych ward. I do love me a good farm, though.

3. How important is setting (from Queens to rural Iowa) in your book?

I love writing about places I know well. I've never been to Queens, but Chokecherry is a real place, our old family farm from my childhood. Today it looks nothing like I remember. Sadly, it's completely unrecognizable. It was a lot of fun putting everything back the way I liked it and then some. I feel like writing about places I know well gives me so many layers to work with, which allows me to bring much more detail to the setting and really breathe life into it.

4. Do you believe that writing--and other art forms--can save us in the face of personal crisis?

I do believe writing can save us. I've written myself into a much better state of mind many times. I will say journaling doesn't always do that for me, but writing fiction does. I suppose that's where the healing element of Chokecherry began. I thought it would be so neat to have somewhere to go to reconnect with nature, art, words, animals, and music to help heal one's heart after a tragedy. Such places probably exist, but it seems like such a luxury that I could only imagine it as something magical like Chokecherry.

5. How do you balance your day job with your writing life?

I don't do a very good job of balancing my day jobs with my writing life. I worked ten hours marketing at the dental office yesterday and fourteen hours driving the limo today. I was too tired to write, even when I found little pockets of time. It's weeks like these when I worry I may never get to write full time. I'm a pretty positive person, but the indie market has become so saturated; my experience launching Chokecherry has been completely different from Swallowtail. Both were really well-received, but there are just too many books out there now. I had to laugh when another writer quoted the old Pogo cartoon, "I have been to the mountaintop and seen the enemy. It's us." It's true to a degree. Many of us became fed up with the big six publishing houses taking years to make decisions, so we took matters into our own hands... millions and millions of us. Amazon doesn't take books off the shelves like brick and mortar stores do. All those indie books--the good, the bad and the ugly--are there forever. Readers are drowning in them. I just have to keep writing. I've tried not writing. I never last very long.

I recently had a great visit with author, Beth Hoffman. She's the neatest person. We're both farm girls who'd written stories about healing farms, so we had a lot to talk about. I confided that I wish I had more patience in my writing, but I always feel I rush too much. Her response? "Don't you think that's probably because you're working two jobs while writing novels?" I had to laugh. It was like I'd been struck in the head with a bolt of lightning. I can't believe that never occurred to me. Yet I fantasize all the time about taking a month off of work just to write, so some part of me must know how much better my writing could be if I just had more time. I always say my writing is nowhere in the ballpark of where I want it to be. Then again, it might be at the hotdog stand, but I need it on the pitcher's mound before I leave this world. I'm determined to find more time to write. That's the only way it's ever going to get there.

I've got to say, my readers really keep me going. I am constantly blown away by the fantastic things readers have to say about my books. For the first year, most of my reviews brought me to tears.

Thanks, Sheri!

Meet Darren, Logo Designer on Fiverr

Darren is a designer with 11 years work experience who now offers his skills on a freelance basis, designing logos and doing Photoshop work on Fiverr, an online marketplace for affordable services starting at $5. Check out Darren's Fiverr gig for original logos here, and see samples of his work on his Pinterest page.

1. How did you first become interested in working as a designer?

I have always been interested in art. As a kid, I drew all the time. In the beginning, drawing people was most interesting to me. During my first year of college, I took a drawing class, and my teacher mentioned that she thought I'd be good at graphic design. Before that, I hadn't heard the term. The more I learned, the more interested I became. As an artist, my work gives me fulfillment. The work of other people moves me, and I hope to produce design that does that connects with others in the same way. Success, for me, has come as a result of loving what I do.

2. Why did you decide to start selling logo designs on Fiverr.com?

When we dream alone, it is only a dream, but when many dream together, it is the beginning of a new reality. Fiverr is a good place for freelance graphic designers: you can take control of your time, and there is an excellent customer service system, which I love.

3. What do your clients get for $5?

For $5 my clients will get the basic logo I designed in png or jpg format. I'm delivering only high quality logos. I'm not thinking about the price. This is a great opportunity for me to help people. If you do good work for good clients, it will lead to other good work for other good clients. If you do bad work for bad clients, it will lead to other bad work for other bad clients. Just carrying a ruler with you in your pocket should be forbidden, at least on a moral basis. The ruler is the symbol of the new illiteracy. The ruler is the symptom of the new disease, disintegration of our civilization.

4. In creating a logo, what do you consider in shaping your design?

I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares, as opposed to ugly things. That's my intent. I strive for two things in design: simplicity and clarity. Great design is born of those two things. A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

5. How do you see your freelance business growing over the next year or so?

It's through mistakes that you actually can grow. You have to get bad in order to get good. I'm trying in another freelance site, and I always have success such that my freelance job is growing hour by hour. I never fall in love with an idea. If the one you're with isn't doing the job, there's always, always, always another. I can only say that I'm growing now, for every minute I find that for myself, without exception, the more I deal with the work as something that is my own, as something that is personal, the more successful it is.

Thanks, Darren!

Introducing EZHOPZ, an Online Shopping Mall

Based in the Netherlands, EZHOPZ is a new online shopping mall which was founded by young entrepreneur John Meyers and his team of developers, partnering with some longtime former business owners who offered advice based on their experience.

EZHOPZ offers online sellers the opportunity to list up to 10 products in a free webshop. The idea is to allow individuals and small businesses to set up shop online without spending a lot of money on web design, marketing, etc. The site is meant to be easy to use, for people who have wanted to sell online without spending hours and hours learning about e-commerce.

Each shop has its own storefront which sellers can personalize, and customers can search by type of product, by shop, or by the country where the shop is located. It's a global marketplace made up of a series of uniquely individual shops.

Here's more information about selling online at EZHOPZ, or get an overview of how the site works by watching the video below.

)

Meet Jay Soriano, Entrepreneur

Jay Soriano is a serial entrepreneur and founder of SorianoMedia. He has consulted for various companies in Las Vegas including technology startups and small and medium sized businesses.

Jay Soriano's work has been featured by ABC, Startup America, Under30CEO and various technology publications.

1. What is the focus of your company, SorianoMedia?

I started SorianoMedia in frustration with other consulting companies in Las Vegas. I've watched too many local businesses get burned by bad web designers, unscrupulous SEO consultants, and exorbitant ad agencies that I thought I needed to start up a company that actually helps local businesses at a rate they can afford. I do this by staying small; I much prefer the relationship of a boutique marketing firm, rather than the firm with hundreds of clients in its portfolio, most of which are assigned to project managers.

2. Would you tell us a little bit about how you bring your own experience as an entrepreneur to your work with clients, especially in terms of providing them with an "investment" rather than a "cost"?

Great question! If you're a local business and you hire a web designer, that's a cost. Ongoing web development does little to increasing ROI, and if you're not A/B testing--you could be hurting your ROI. Conversely, I focus on helping clients generate a ROI through digital marketing and search engine optimization (SEO). Thus, money that they spend with me isn't a cost--it's an investment.

3. How long have you been living in Las Vegas, and what do you like about the area as a home/business base?

I actually just moved to Las Vegas about two years ago inspired by the growing entrepreneurial scene (#VegasTech). If you've never been here, or even if you have--Vegas is so much more that the Strip. It's not for everyone, but for some it's everything. Vegas is always growing, always evolving.

4. When it comes to indie businesspeople who want to expand their web presence, what are some things that people can do themselves, and what are some things that tend to require some additional help?

I turn down a lot of people who approach me for consulting, especially those on a budget. Instead I advise them of a lot of things they can do themselves, and when they reach a plateau, that's when they can talk to me. For example, I was recently approached by a realtor, who wanted to rank for the search term "realtor Las Vegas."

First off, you shouldn't care about rankings: you really want revenue. What she REALLY wants is more clients, and she thinks ranking for that term is synonymous with more clients. Well, that's an extremely competitive niche, especially in Las Vegas. And people searching for that term are more in a discovery phase, as opposed to people searching for "What are the safest neighborhoods in Las Vegas." The latter is known as a long tail phrase; it's a lot easier to rank for, and you're reaching people who are further along in the home buying process. From there, you can talk about a specific townhome community within one of the safest neighborhoods.

So the #1 thing indie businesspeople can do to expand their web presence is to create content that is useful to their market.

5. If you could give just three pieces of advice to someone who has always wanted to start a business but has never acted on their interests, what would you say?

1. Starting a business doesn't have to mean risking everything. Don't start the next Facebook; make your first $1 before trying to make $1 billion.

2. Connect with like-minded people, other entrepreneurs, others that have been successful in the niche you want to be in, etc. Cut out the people distracting you from your goals.

3. Utilize free advertising. Google ads, Twitter and Facebook ads all offer free advertising that startups can take advantage of. Use this to test the demand of your product or service.

Thanks, Jay!

Meet Devin Goodsell, Actor

Devin Goodsell was born in Boulder, Colorado and was raised in southern and central California. In the 4th grade he had an assignment to look into three different careers he wanted to do when he grew up. Taking this assignment very seriously he chose: computer programming, acting, and piloting. Giving in to his introverted personality, he pursued the technology route. After high school he attended college where he graduated with a bachelors degree in Computer Science. Devin went off to have a successful career in the technology industry.

For so many people this would have been where their career life continued, but there was something severely lacking for Devin. No matter what he accomplished, he couldn't achieve a sense of fulfillment. In 2009 the catalyst came, and unfortunately he experienced the passing of his mother. Knowing she always wanted him to live his life not on the premise of financial accomplishments but to gain happiness from passion and relationships, he set out to try and discover what this would mean.

Driving down Laurel Canyon Blvd one afternoon in June of 2009 he saw a sign for an acting class. The same fantasies that danced in his head as a kid back in the 4th grade re­emerged, and he realized it was time to push his timid behavior aside and give it a whirl. He called up and booked himself a class. Scared out of his mind he went to class. Not knowing a single thing about acting other than what he saw in movies, he attempted to do his best, which admittedly, he says, was horrible. However a spark ignited in him that he did not understand, nor could he make sense of, and he knew he was on to something.

As years progressed he came to realize that spark ignited a burning blaze of passion that could not be put out and he would do everything he could to continue feeding it. After three years of challenging himself through classes, improv, auditions, performances, and over 30 film projects he now has the confidence to call himself an actor, but knows this is just the first step in the long and exciting journey he has begun.

Devin appears in the forthcoming short film, Locked.

1. How did you get your start as an actor?

It was a bit on the whim and started from an acting class, but I must admit acting was always a desire that terrified me. Being shy and a perfectionist I have no idea honestly how it began other than for a childhood dream, thirst for something that challenges me to the core of my existence, and an undeniable feeling that once I started it was exactly what I was supposed to do. But my start to being an actual actor I'd have to attribute to a play I was in late last year that provided the opportunity to truly dive in and embrace a character much different than myself.

2. Would you tell us little bit about your character in Locked?

The first time I read the script I couldn't help but think, "man, this guys' an a--hole" and laugh at his predicament. But after really starting to see the world from John's perspective, I realized how real he is. John got married young and started to wonder what life would be like if he hadn't. He played off the fantasy and overtime allowed it to be his addiction while still enjoying the comforts of being married. In a sense he was having the best of both worlds. But the arc of the character in the film allowed me to see he was still human, and the guilt he had from his actions has been wearing on him for longer than he realized. Underneath it all John really does have a heart, and I think that's what's surprising to realize.

3. What did you do to prepare for your role?

Like I do with all characters, I sat down and created a list of similarities and differences with John and me. The two big differences were that he's married, and he has cheated on his wife. I've never cheated on anyone--yes, that's the truth to all you single ladies out there, nor have I been married. So I had to pull a girlfriend from my past who I had a long relationship with and imagine what if I married her. That's when I began to make a lot of discoveries. After getting into his mental background I then worked on the actual aspect of the lock. And well I'm not going to get into details but let's just say I now know what its liked to be locked.

4. What are some of the pleasures and challenges you encountered in your role for this film?

Preparing for a character has to always be at the top of the list. It's such a eye-opening experience to learn life from another perspective than your own. Now the most challenging would have to be the nudity, but what was cool about this particular nude situation is the character and my nervousness were in line so there was no need to add in extra depth.

5. Could you tell us a little bit about some of your goals as an actor, and what projects you hope to be working on over the next few years?

At this point, just trying to get those 10,000 hours in! No, but in all honesty my goals have always been in line with digging to further depths with my craft, but lately I've started to become more keen on the business aspect and realize talent can only get you so far, sadly. So I've began taking on producing roles to understand that aspect of movie making, and let me tell you the experiences and lessons are invaluable. But straight to your question, I've been working on a play titled Brilliant Traces that will be going up soon where I play the lead, Henry. Also I'm working with a director I've previously worked with to do a short film on Google glass that will be filming in November. As for the unknown future and my hopes: TV, of course, and features in hopes I can get a few lines in with the greats.

Thanks, Devin!

A Useful Blog for Indie Business Owners from Upscale Your Business

I think one of the big challenges for an entrepreneur is knowing when to seek some outside help to grow your business. For those of us who are solopreneurs or maybe work with a spouse or close friend, we get so used to running our business on our own that we may miss some opportunities to expand our reach and increase our financial success. I'm enjoying the posts on the blog at Upscale Your Business because there's a lot of food for thought on this topic.

Upscale Your Business is run by Jaimie Skultety, an experienced administrator and virtual assistant. Jaimie and her support team work with a variety of independent business owners on a range of tasks with the goal of taking care of those routine "to-do" items that have been bogging you down, so that you have more time to work on other areas of your business. Do you want to find and make contact with more prospects? Do you have a zillion files on your computer that need to be organized into a spreadsheet? Jaimie is ready to help you with these tasks and many more.

Jaimie has done a lot of work with business, life, and career coaches, but her skills apply solidly to any industry. On a personal note, I've been reading a lot about eBay businesses lately, and I know that some people in this field benefit greatly from the help of a virtual assistant. It's all about managing your time and your data effectively, and sometimes an "outside" perspective can give you a real boost.

For me, just reading Jaimie's blog gave me ideas about places where I could benefit from streamlining some of my business practices--her ideas are concrete and specific, and you can apply them yourself, or you can consider hiring a virtual assistant if you want to expand. Learn more about Upscale Your Business by clicking here.

Meet Michael Luchies of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization

Michael Luchies is an entrepreneur, freelance journalist, and passionate supporter of everything entrepreneurship. Michael is National Growth and Programs Manager for the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization (CEO), and the Interview Editor for Under30CEO.com. Find him on Twitter: @MichaelLuchies.

CEO is the premier entrepreneurship network with chapters on university campuses across North America and beyond. CEO currently supports entrepreneurship on over 240 chapters in over 43 states. CEO's mission is to inform, support, and inspire college students to be entrepreneurial and seek opportunity through enterprise creation. With a diverse entrepreneurial community and global network, CEO provides student entrepreneurs with opportunities, events, chapter activities, and conferences to help start businesses. The highlight of the year is the annual National Conference hosted each fall.

Michael is hard at work getting the word out about the 2013 CEO National Conference. Here's a video about the event:

1. How and when did the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization get started?

CEO was started in the early 1980s as a gathering among entrepreneurially minded students in the Chicago area. The initial meeting had around 20 attendees. In 1997, CEO became a 501 (3)c nonprofit organization, and expanded to serve colleges and universities through on-campus student operated chapters.

CEO now has over 230 chapters, and the CEO National Conference is attended by nearly 1,400 students and entrepreneurs each year. The 2013 CEO National Conference will be held on October 31 – November 2 in Chicago.

The focus of the organization is on venture creation and experiential learning. We want young people to get their hands dirty and to get real experience while creating businesses.

2. What can attendees expect to learn at your upcoming National Conference in November?

Around 70 entrepreneurs will host workshops, share their stories, and work with students to assist them with their business ideas and ventures. Sessions will be held on a wide variety of entrepreneurial topics. Topics covered will include self-employment in the arts, technology, startups, scaling a business, business ethics, executing on an idea, how to create and present an elevator pitch, and more.

Outside of the sessions hosted by entrepreneurs, the CEO National Conference is home to the National Elevator Pitch Competition, which allows 60 young entrepreneurs to share their businesses and ideas for a chance at national recognition and cash prizes. There are also an unlimited amount of networking opportunities to meet students from other schools, mentor rooms, and social events. The learning possibilities at the event are endless.

3. Why is entrepreneurship on the rise, in your opinion?

That's a great question. Entrepreneurship is on the rise due to the availability and affordability of technology, and the shift in the economy over the past decade and a half. Being an entrepreneur is easier than ever, and the Millenial generation has grown up with the internet. Anyone can start a blog or a website in a day for free. There are countless resources available to those who want to start a business and being a young entrepreneur is a more accepted career path than it once was.

4. What has been your own experience as an entrepreneur, and what motivates you to share your experience with young entrepreneurs?

I started my first small e-commerce website in 2007 after having enough of the corporate world. I eventually quit my job to go back to school, where I pursued a degree in entrepreneurship. Although I have yet to launch a highly successful company, I wouldn't trade my experiences and passion for small business for anything. I am currently working on several projects that I hope to launch in the near future.

I love sharing experiences with others because I love learning. That may seem like an odd statement, but teaching others is a great way of enhancing your own abilities while also learning what other people have to offer you. I made many mistakes as an aspiring young entrepreneur, and I want to help share my experiences in hopes of saving others from making the same mistakes I made.

5. For a person of any age with an interest in entrepreneurship, what do you recommend as some ways to figure out if an idea for an indie business has potential for success?

As the Interview Editor for Under30CEO, and also through working with many successful entrepreneurs with CEO, I am told time and time again to just start something! Test your idea at a basic level and start getting feedback. You often never know until you try. I will give one quick example of a business idea and how I would recommend someone begin to test to see if the idea is worth pursuing.

Gluten-Free Bakery

• Organize a very basic business strategy (1 page max) of what you would want your gluten-free bakery to be in the future. This will help you keep your goals in mind while testing your idea.
• Concurrently, work on perfecting one recipe while contacting people ahead of time and telling them about your new venture and what you are working on. You want to speak with people who you believe would be your targeted clients in the future. Ask for their help in taste testing your recipe once you feel it has been perfected.
• Give taste tests and provide them with surveys about your product, and the future business. Collect as much information as possible to help you get to the next step. Ask everything, including what they would pay for the item, how often they would come, if they know people who would like to try your goods for free, etc.
• Going about it in this manner should bring you closer to your potential clients while building excitement and gaining critical feedback on your business idea and your baked good.
• The next step is starting to price and sell your item while working on additional recipes based on the feedback of your future customers.

Thanks, Michael!

Meet Jayme K, Author

Jayme K. is the author of the novel Disorderly and the #1 best selling eBooks Youth and David Bowie is Dead. He lives in Boston with an absurd number of cats.

Keep up with Jayme on his Facebook page, and learn more about Disorderly by checking out publisher's website, Before Sunrise Press.

1. What first gave you the idea to write your novel, Disorderly?

It's funny, actually. Disorderly initially wasn't supposed to be a novel. My process in writing it was drastically different than any other manuscript I've started and that's probably why it was the first one I really finished.

Around early 2012, I came across a prompt for a short story anthology that was going to be published and sold for the sake of charity. There were two specific guidelines in place:

1. It had to have something to do with zombies.

2. The protagonist needed to suffer from cancer, or be a cancer survivor.

So I started writing this short about a guy who was bitten by "a zombie" and didn't fully convert. The problem was, I couldn't stop writing once I reached 10,000 words. The story was much bigger than what I had planned and the way I saw it, I really had no other choice but to let it breathe and expand upon it.

2. How is Disorderly similar and different from your previously published books?

In terms of substance, not very different. Black and white characters are the death of anything intellectually creative, in my opinion. If you don't have complex feelings for at least one major character, then your story is failing. In Disorderly, as well as Youth, it was important to me that my characters and their actions not necessarily be viewed as outright "right" or "wrong." Humans are very grey creatures and I wanted to portray that in both, so on that level, Disorderly and Youth are very similar.

In terms of writing style, I had written Disorderly's first draft prior to starting Youth. My style is constantly changing and it's almost hard for me to look back and read snippets of Disorderly without thinking, "Wow, I could've worded that so much better." That's not to say that my novel is poorly written--I'm not trying to detract from sales! But as a writer, I'm constantly learning and I feel that with every publication I've had, my writing has "graduated." By the time my second novel comes out, I do believe there’s going to be a stark difference between it and Disorderly in that sense.

3. Why did you decide to seek print publication for Disorderly (in addition to eBook format)?

I'm a very aesthetic person. I like the look of physical objects. I like being able to hold something I've purchased, or created, and stare at it, touch it, feel it, etc. With eBooks, you don't get that. You stare at a screen until your eyes hurt or you get distracted by Facebook.

I also wanted to make my work as accessible as possible and having a publisher that specialized in all formats was important to me.

4. I've read studies about how people read and comprehend material differently online vs. on paper. As an author, do you find that readers respond differently to your work in different formats--and as a reader, do you find that you take in work differently depending on the format in which you read it?

That's an interesting question. I haven't noticed any drastically different responses based off of the reviews I've read from those that've burned through the paperback or eBook. As a reader, myself, I actually probably pay closer attention while reading eBooks than I do paperbacks, although I prefer the latter.

5. What are you currently working on, and where can readers find your latest writings?

I'm currently collaborating with an amazing artist--my UnHollywood partner--Joel Amat Güell, on a graphic novel that's tentatively titled "The Extractor." It's an unconventional revenge tale. I'm also co-writing a screenplay with him that's called "Broken." That's his baby. He came up with a brilliant, brilliant idea and I'm excited to be working on that with him.

Scripts aside, I'm also working on my second novel right now and that's been coming along incredibly well.

I've got a few other smaller projects coming up also, so I've got a busy couple of months heading in my direction.

You can find Disorderly and Youth paperbacks and eBooks at BeforeSunrisePress.com/store or Amazon.com.

Thanks, Jayme!

Meet Melody Beals, Musician, Songwriter, and Host of FlipCamWebisodes

She is a musician and a songwriter. She is an interviewer gone web designer. She is a mother. She is Melody Beals. Singing always came easy to her because she loved it more than most teens her age loved sports, or dating, or friends. Melody's mom would scream across the house as Melody was proudly singing whatever choir medley that was stuck in her head, "Life is not a musical, Melody!” And Melody would retaliate with, "Then why did you name me 'Melody,' Mom??!!!" It was an on-going battle.

Melody was born and bred in Austin, Texas, home of South by Southwest, the world's largest music festival. Her real dream was always to be a backup singer for a major act, but a lot of that is meeting the right people, which never happened. Her love for music never died, but she decided to take things in a different direction rather than performing. Her new website, flipcamwebisodes.com, launched March of 2013.

She interviews solo artists, instrumentalists, bands of all genres, people who have had YouTube Videos go viral, etc. As long as these artists are not on any major labels at the time of interview, she is taking them on! Her idea is really to give indie musicians the chance to shine because if this kind of thing were around 10 years ago, she would have wanted somebody to help her! Melody wants to give people a voice, a platform, bragging rights, or whatever the musicians want to do with it to help them along the way.

If there is anything that she wishes to create other than a place to promote other than their music, she has creatively designed her website to let each artist shine as an individual and as the person that they are. She wants to catch the artists before they make it big, so they can all look back someday to see where they started.

Keep up with Melody and her flipcam on Twitter and Facebook.

Note: The photo of Melody was taken by Stephanie Featheringill.

1. How did you get the idea to focus your website (mostly!) on flipcam interviews with bands/musicians?

It was kind of an accident really. I wanted to create a blog originally. I just wanted to write about the things that really interested me, such as indie music. But after thinking about it for a day or two, I knew that I would have to bring a LOT more to the table if I were going to actually get people to come to the blog. So I decided that I still wanted to be immersed into the music scene and I knew it would help the musicians out if I interviewed them, as well as it would help my site gain traffic. I chose to do the Flipcam interviews, well... because I already had a flip cam, haha!

I just hadn't seen anything like it. I wanted to create a place where anybody and everybody could be themselves without judgment and have it be a relaxed environment. I liked the idea of kind of having an amateur feeling so everybody could be at ease, and I would be able to travel to them to get the interview.

2. What are some key elements to a good interview, in your opinion?

I really like to try to ask musicians about their learning experiences. I think that it creates a place where they can talk about their trials, and it could really help other hopefuls out there who are trying to do the same things. For me a good interview is one where people who watch can walk away like they have either gotten a chuckle out of it, or REALLY learned from it. The Aly Tadros and Tom Meny interviews are great examples of that.

3. With such a busy music scene in Austin (and so many great artists accessible online, too), how do you choose the musicians to feature on your site?

I am in the most wonderful position ever with this! When I go to do an interview, I ask them who they would recommend for me to look into next. Then I go home and look them up. I only literally interview the people whose music I actually love. So when they get interviewed by me, it's like they already know I'm a huge fan. And not mentioning any names, but this has made things a little awkward at times, haha! I try not to geek out, but I'm human. I pick the people I want to know the most about first because that makes it so easy to strike up the conversation.

4. What's your own background in music, and what motivated you to start your site?

My background is singing and playing ukulele, guitar, and some piano. Most of it has been unprofessionally, as I never really kicked my ass into gear hard enough to get out there like I had always dreamed. I'm not good enough at the instruments to even call myself a beginner, but it gets me through when I write a flippin' sweet lyric. I really got into music about 15 years ago.

Having a daughter who is 4 years old really has made me stop and think about whether I want to go on tour with her at home with her daddy. I know that's crazy to think about... but it could happen. The site came to mind because I'd be working from home with my daughter, Harmony. It just seemed more feasible to create a website instead of running out the door four nights a week to band practice or performances. With this, I choose my schedule. I also don't take too kindly to the band life anymore, because if I'm spending time away from my daughter, then it better be worth it. Most of the bands I was involved in never really made it out of the garage anyway, so I am really paying attention to where I am spending my time.

5. What projects do you see yourself taking on in the next couple of years?

I see this growing and more people getting involved with wanting to be a part of it. I do not see any limits to it. I will not stop. New ideas come to me every single day about things I want to do and things I want to add. I think about the people I want to talk to and how I can help them out. I take time to listen to opinions and ideas, and will also take help (in return for mine) from anybody interested in what I have going on. Oddly, I have been getting into acting more which is crazy because I never really saw myself doing that! Opportunities keep knocking and it's a shit ton of fun! I have no idea what my next step will actually be, but I do know that ANYTHING is possible and I am open to ALL opportunities (within reason, lol).

Thank you so much for being the very first person to interview me!

Thanks, Melody!