WITS Podcast Schedule July 2008. Authors interviewed this month include:
July 11
Dawn Menge has a master’s degree and clear credential in special education. She has worked with the severely handicapped population for eleven years. She combines imagination with practical skills to make learning fun in the characters and kingdom of her Queen Vernita series of children’s books. Queen Vernita's Visitors takes place in the land of Oceaneers, and is a story woven around Dawn's 87-year-old grandmother and other family members, which include her parents, children, grandchild, nieces, nephews, and childhood friend. Some of these characters will be visiting during the interview with Sarah Moore.
July 18
Kelley Dupuis will be interviewed by Sarah Moore regarding the writing, publishing, and marketing of his recently-published book, Three Flies Up: My Father, Baseball and Me.
In Three Flies Up, Washington, D.C. author and award-winning journalist Kelley Dupuis explores two themes: one universal and one uniquely American. The perennial theme of fathers and sons forms the backdrop for the story of the author’s long, usually-troubled relationship with his own father, a career Border Patrolman who grew up both poor and largely without a father in his own life, and as a result had no role model for being a father himself. As the author grows up in the 1960s and 1970s, father and son are at logger-heads more than often than not. Read more or purchase at http://tinyurl.com/3rppl7.
July 25
Bridget Lenox, author of Beyond the Border, will be interviewed by Sarah Moore. In 1979, four of the toughest boys in town vomit and weep when they stumble across Border Patrol agents who covertly exterminated caged, illegal aliens with kerosene and a single cigarette. Later, as adults, two of the boys discover that the same practices still secretly exist and are sanctioned by both the State and Federal authorities to further political careers. Beyond the Border is a story about an attorney, Mike Phillips, fighting for the rights of illegal aliens—unknowingly and feloniously aided by a Columbian ally—but undermined by a staircase of politicians and political platforms that escalates to the Presidency and the future Presidency. ISBN: 9781598009217. Read more at www.outskirtspress.com/beyondtheborder and www.beyondtheborderbook.com.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Book on Diabetic Foot, Limb Salvage, and Amputation Prevention
I would like to introduce you to a book and an author I am working with. Dr. Mark Hinkes (Chief of Podiatry at Veteran's Hospital in Nashville, TN) and I are excited about getting this book ready because we believe many people will be helped by the information provided. Here is a synopsis:
Keep the Legs You Stand On is a patient educational tool meant for the average person who may have diabetes. It’s also for the caregiver or anyone involved with the diabetic patient to help them better understand the issues surrounding the co-morbidities that affect the foot of the diabetic patient.
It’s a very daunting task because there’s so many aspects of this disease that affect different systems. Diabetes has reached an epidemic proportion due to our diet and lack of exercise. Millions of people don't even know they have pre-diabetes. Then, there are the political aspects of access to healthcare. Diabetes is everywhere around the world but the way we deal with it and the way we take care of people’s feet varies depending upon our resources and politics.
We also know certain minorities have other risk factors and higher incidences. So, we’re trying to bring new life and information to at-risk people who are diabetic and show why they don’t have to lose their leg. This book will teach what people can do to self-empower and become active in their health and prevent an amputation. This requires a partnership between the patient and the medical posse that takes care of the patient. Interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary healthcare teams are strongly advocated in this book.
Nightengale Press will be publishing this book this fall. For more information about the book, see our Squiddo page.
Keep the Legs You Stand On is a patient educational tool meant for the average person who may have diabetes. It’s also for the caregiver or anyone involved with the diabetic patient to help them better understand the issues surrounding the co-morbidities that affect the foot of the diabetic patient.
It’s a very daunting task because there’s so many aspects of this disease that affect different systems. Diabetes has reached an epidemic proportion due to our diet and lack of exercise. Millions of people don't even know they have pre-diabetes. Then, there are the political aspects of access to healthcare. Diabetes is everywhere around the world but the way we deal with it and the way we take care of people’s feet varies depending upon our resources and politics.
We also know certain minorities have other risk factors and higher incidences. So, we’re trying to bring new life and information to at-risk people who are diabetic and show why they don’t have to lose their leg. This book will teach what people can do to self-empower and become active in their health and prevent an amputation. This requires a partnership between the patient and the medical posse that takes care of the patient. Interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary healthcare teams are strongly advocated in this book.
Nightengale Press will be publishing this book this fall. For more information about the book, see our Squiddo page.
Published Poetry
These poems were published in the June 2008 issue of Writers in the Sky Newsletter.
Complete
As I tossed and turned last
night, He came and sat by my side.
I saw his face so kind. He
said to me“ Come take a stroll
through your life.”
We saw a child all alone,
afraid , dirty and stained.
We walked on and I saw my new
born babies, fingers entwined in mine.
I heard myself say, Thank you
God for These precious gifts..
I listened as I told them,
“You must love others as yourself.”
He paused and said, “Look back
at the child alone and afraid.”
I asked, “how could
anyone leave her there?”
He answered, “You were the little girl.
. You felt she was unworthy and left her
behind that day, though she had done no wrong.”
I cried bitter tears for
the little girl I had been.
He placed her in my arms
and I kissed her tears away.
Our hands entwined, we
fell asleep, whole and complete.
Gail Livesay is 57 years old and lives in Berea, Kentucky with her husband, Wayne. They have two children, Michael and Lisa and have been blessed with two granddaughters, Marina and Hannah. Gail writes poetry, fiction, plays and is currently revising her autobiography about growing up with bipolar disorder which was neither recognized and/or diagnosed.
Completing Moments
Freeing time, alone,
Natural floral arranging,
Fresh air, gusting and breezing,
Sun, extending a late morning welcome,
Its warmth tiptoeing across my skin,
Joining the meadow’s soothing tune.
Half-fluttering, half-floating, you appear,
Innocently flirting with each flower,
Diving and rising effortlessly,
Dipping and sipping selectively,
Steadily drawing nearer,
Accepting the offering of my hand.
Bearing marigolds and honeysuckle,
Bare feet tickling, antennae flickering,
Delicate wings fanning my breath away,
Brushing elegance along my lifeline,
Dancing beauty, black Swallowtail,
Returning my gratitude.
Usiku achieved early success and recognition for Eloquence: Rhythm & Renaissance. He received a 2008 nomination for an NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry. The title poem, “Eloquence”was featured in the souvenir program guide for the Image Awards. Usiku’s refreshing style has been shared through the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Parent, the Dana Literary Society and poetry collections. He has received television, newspaper, magazine and online media coverage. Www.usiku.net.
Complete
As I tossed and turned last
night, He came and sat by my side.
I saw his face so kind. He
said to me“ Come take a stroll
through your life.”
We saw a child all alone,
afraid , dirty and stained.
We walked on and I saw my new
born babies, fingers entwined in mine.
I heard myself say, Thank you
God for These precious gifts..
I listened as I told them,
“You must love others as yourself.”
He paused and said, “Look back
at the child alone and afraid.”
I asked, “how could
anyone leave her there?”
He answered, “You were the little girl.
. You felt she was unworthy and left her
behind that day, though she had done no wrong.”
I cried bitter tears for
the little girl I had been.
He placed her in my arms
and I kissed her tears away.
Our hands entwined, we
fell asleep, whole and complete.
Gail Livesay is 57 years old and lives in Berea, Kentucky with her husband, Wayne. They have two children, Michael and Lisa and have been blessed with two granddaughters, Marina and Hannah. Gail writes poetry, fiction, plays and is currently revising her autobiography about growing up with bipolar disorder which was neither recognized and/or diagnosed.
Completing Moments
Freeing time, alone,
Natural floral arranging,
Fresh air, gusting and breezing,
Sun, extending a late morning welcome,
Its warmth tiptoeing across my skin,
Joining the meadow’s soothing tune.
Half-fluttering, half-floating, you appear,
Innocently flirting with each flower,
Diving and rising effortlessly,
Dipping and sipping selectively,
Steadily drawing nearer,
Accepting the offering of my hand.
Bearing marigolds and honeysuckle,
Bare feet tickling, antennae flickering,
Delicate wings fanning my breath away,
Brushing elegance along my lifeline,
Dancing beauty, black Swallowtail,
Returning my gratitude.
Usiku achieved early success and recognition for Eloquence: Rhythm & Renaissance. He received a 2008 nomination for an NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry. The title poem, “Eloquence”was featured in the souvenir program guide for the Image Awards. Usiku’s refreshing style has been shared through the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Parent, the Dana Literary Society and poetry collections. He has received television, newspaper, magazine and online media coverage. Www.usiku.net.
Friday, June 27, 2008
James Ross Discusses the Game of Golf in his New Book
Author James Ross will be joining us today on Writers in the Sky Podcast to discuss his book about the game of golf.
Synopsis for Finish Line:
After getting caught committing a petty act of vandalism, two teenage boys land summer jobs at
Prairie Winds Golf Course on the east side of St. Louis. Follow the adventures of Justin Ventimiglia and Keith Puccio as they explore a slice of life that they never knew existed. Observe the special relationship between adolescent boys, a cast of grown golfing misfits, and a young man battling the demons of cancer.
Explore the heart-wrenching relationship between an impressionable child and a pseudo Big Brother. Witness the summertime ride of the two youths in a poignant story about life and death. See them as they develop a love for the game of golf and apply those lessons to the challenges of life.
Experience the reactions of Justin and Keith to the vices of the world such as drinking, smoking, and gambling and watch how their knowledge molds their character. Take the journey with them as they battle a dysfunctional family situation, exposure to a life-threatening disease, and the vices of the world as they live a summer to remember.
Click here to listen to part 1...
Known best for living life to the fullest James Ross decided early on that he was going to work to live, rather than live to work. With a persuasive demeanor and a “don’t-take-no-for-an-answer” attitude he embarked on a journey that allowed for him to live life along the way.
Born in Central Illinois in the early 1950’s James Ross grew up wanting to be a professional athlete. He was the oldest son of a high school basketball coach and a homemaker. Early in his life his dad took a job as a textbook salesman for a division of Doubleday. Soon thereafter the family relocated from the cornfields of Illinois to the Metro St. Louis area.
He took up the game of golf at the age of twelve when the family moved to a golf course development in the western suburbs of St. Louis. His passion for the game grew from that moment on and with continued practice he became a low-handicap player. Mr. Ross was a three-sport athlete in high school and accepted an athletic scholarship to go to college. After one year of that he transferred to the University of Missouri in Columbia. There he was a member and social chairman of Beta Theta Pi fraternity until he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with emphasis on real estate and finance in 1974.
Click here to listen to part 2...
Synopsis for Finish Line:
After getting caught committing a petty act of vandalism, two teenage boys land summer jobs at
Prairie Winds Golf Course on the east side of St. Louis. Follow the adventures of Justin Ventimiglia and Keith Puccio as they explore a slice of life that they never knew existed. Observe the special relationship between adolescent boys, a cast of grown golfing misfits, and a young man battling the demons of cancer.Explore the heart-wrenching relationship between an impressionable child and a pseudo Big Brother. Witness the summertime ride of the two youths in a poignant story about life and death. See them as they develop a love for the game of golf and apply those lessons to the challenges of life.
Experience the reactions of Justin and Keith to the vices of the world such as drinking, smoking, and gambling and watch how their knowledge molds their character. Take the journey with them as they battle a dysfunctional family situation, exposure to a life-threatening disease, and the vices of the world as they live a summer to remember.
Click here to listen to part 1...
Known best for living life to the fullest James Ross decided early on that he was going to work to live, rather than live to work. With a persuasive demeanor and a “don’t-take-no-for-an-answer” attitude he embarked on a journey that allowed for him to live life along the way.Born in Central Illinois in the early 1950’s James Ross grew up wanting to be a professional athlete. He was the oldest son of a high school basketball coach and a homemaker. Early in his life his dad took a job as a textbook salesman for a division of Doubleday. Soon thereafter the family relocated from the cornfields of Illinois to the Metro St. Louis area.
He took up the game of golf at the age of twelve when the family moved to a golf course development in the western suburbs of St. Louis. His passion for the game grew from that moment on and with continued practice he became a low-handicap player. Mr. Ross was a three-sport athlete in high school and accepted an athletic scholarship to go to college. After one year of that he transferred to the University of Missouri in Columbia. There he was a member and social chairman of Beta Theta Pi fraternity until he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with emphasis on real estate and finance in 1974.
Click here to listen to part 2...
After a few years of traveling and a two-year stay in Los Angeles at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, Mr. Ross returned to the St. Louis area to embark on a career in sales. After turning fifty he decided to get in touch with the creative side of his mind and sat down to write. Three years later his first novel, Lifetime Loser, was published.
Upon completion, the writing bug had consumed him. Before his first novel was finished he had begun the second book. Finish Line is a continuation of the happenings in and around the fictitious setting of Prairie Winds Golf Course on the East Side of St. Louis. Drawing inspiration from his characters, the third book, Tuey’s Course, is in development.
When he is not writing, Mr. Ross is out looking for a golf game around town or traveling to some warm weather destination to enjoy an amazing life. Many of his stories will be centered on a sports theme complete with applicable analogies. Being a native of the Midwest they will also carry references to the heartland of America.
For more information about James Ross please visit: http://www.authorjamesross.com/.
Upon completion, the writing bug had consumed him. Before his first novel was finished he had begun the second book. Finish Line is a continuation of the happenings in and around the fictitious setting of Prairie Winds Golf Course on the East Side of St. Louis. Drawing inspiration from his characters, the third book, Tuey’s Course, is in development.
When he is not writing, Mr. Ross is out looking for a golf game around town or traveling to some warm weather destination to enjoy an amazing life. Many of his stories will be centered on a sports theme complete with applicable analogies. Being a native of the Midwest they will also carry references to the heartland of America.
For more information about James Ross please visit: http://www.authorjamesross.com/.
**************************
Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just click this link: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/ and go to my blog.On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.
Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just click this link: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/ and go to my blog.On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Read Your Work on a New Radio Show for Authors
Authors Reads – where authors, storytellers, and poets read from their published work. Your host, Lillian Brummet, is the co-author of the popular book promotion guide Purple Snowflake Marketing – How to Make Your Book Stand Out in a Crowd. Lillian is also the host of the Conscious Discussions talk radio show that airs 3 times a week.
Visit www.brummet.ca Web site for information about the world of writing and how to appear on this radio show.
If the above link does not work, please try http://www.blogtalkradio.com/AuthorsRead. The Brummet's Web site is not fully operational.
Visit www.brummet.ca Web site for information about the world of writing and how to appear on this radio show.
If the above link does not work, please try http://www.blogtalkradio.com/AuthorsRead. The Brummet's Web site is not fully operational.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Networking at Conferences: Great Opportunities for Building Your Networking Web
By Connie Cox
Pretend you’re a solitary spider, trapped in a web of your own making, eating the same old flies in the same old way. Pretty soon, your spinning looks the same as it did yesterday and the day before.
Meet and Greet
First, little spider, be well groomed. Yes, those appearances do make an impression. Different conferences have varying levels of formality. Contact the conference coordinator before packing. Throw in something distinctive, even eccentric, if you’re so inclined. It keeps the myth alive that spinners of tales are a bit different. (What’s that? We are a bit different? Why don’t we save that for another article?)
Arrive early enough to shake hands and chat a bit. It’s okay. Spiders rarely eat their own kind during a public conference. Introduce yourself to at least three writers you’ve never met. (Hint: Pick the spiders hiding behind the plants. They’re more afraid of you than you are of them.)
Ask questions, i.e., What do you write? You will immediately endear yourself and gain interesting information. Your new acquaintance might even return the favor and ask you the same question. Make sure that you listen more than you talk. Absorb the anecdotes and advice that your fellow spinners share.
Beware the sticky strands! Clumping, pairing and mobbing are frequent deterrents to meeting and greeting. Two spiders moving through the throng are seen as companionable as long as they are doubling their efforts to meet and greet.
Three spiders constitute a clump and are often seen as intimidating. Only the bravest of individual webslingers try to add a clump to their webs at one time.
More than three spiders are a mob. There’s not a solo spider alive who willingly walks into a mob with hand outstretched. While hanging with your friends is comfortable, you can do that at home. Don’t give in to shyness and waste a great opportunity.
Volunteer
Raise your hand, and you’ll find that you’ve just been elevated to the ranks of the movers and shakers. When you volunteer, you’ll be invited to scurry along the foundation strands of the network web. You’ll pick up threads for your own web that ordinarily you’d never have the chance to know about. Whether you keep the speaker’s water glass full or stuff the give-away bags, you are doling out your silken thread by helping others, who will be grateful. Soon, your name will be bandied about by all those high-profile webslingers. You’ll be offered another opportunity, and then another, until you’ll have your choice of the plumpest flies, err, tasks. And look how many spiders you’ve met along the way.
Beware the sticky strands! Volunteering, then failing to follow through, will damage your network web greater than if you had never let out your thread. Those gaping holes are difficult to weave over and spiders have long memories.
Connie Cox sold her first book through networking at a conference. That’s right! She pitched to a visiting editor, and nine months later, the editor bought the book! Check out Connie Cox’s debut novel, TAKING FLIGHT by Avalon Books to see what can be sold through conference networking. (available through Barnes and Noble, Hastings, and Amazon.com). Connie has been writing for about ten years and loving/hating every minute of it! Visit www.conniecox.com for the inside scoop.
Pretend you’re a solitary spider, trapped in a web of your own making, eating the same old flies in the same old way. Pretty soon, your spinning looks the same as it did yesterday and the day before.
Meet and Greet
First, little spider, be well groomed. Yes, those appearances do make an impression. Different conferences have varying levels of formality. Contact the conference coordinator before packing. Throw in something distinctive, even eccentric, if you’re so inclined. It keeps the myth alive that spinners of tales are a bit different. (What’s that? We are a bit different? Why don’t we save that for another article?)
Arrive early enough to shake hands and chat a bit. It’s okay. Spiders rarely eat their own kind during a public conference. Introduce yourself to at least three writers you’ve never met. (Hint: Pick the spiders hiding behind the plants. They’re more afraid of you than you are of them.)
Ask questions, i.e., What do you write? You will immediately endear yourself and gain interesting information. Your new acquaintance might even return the favor and ask you the same question. Make sure that you listen more than you talk. Absorb the anecdotes and advice that your fellow spinners share.
Beware the sticky strands! Clumping, pairing and mobbing are frequent deterrents to meeting and greeting. Two spiders moving through the throng are seen as companionable as long as they are doubling their efforts to meet and greet.
Three spiders constitute a clump and are often seen as intimidating. Only the bravest of individual webslingers try to add a clump to their webs at one time.
More than three spiders are a mob. There’s not a solo spider alive who willingly walks into a mob with hand outstretched. While hanging with your friends is comfortable, you can do that at home. Don’t give in to shyness and waste a great opportunity.
Volunteer
Raise your hand, and you’ll find that you’ve just been elevated to the ranks of the movers and shakers. When you volunteer, you’ll be invited to scurry along the foundation strands of the network web. You’ll pick up threads for your own web that ordinarily you’d never have the chance to know about. Whether you keep the speaker’s water glass full or stuff the give-away bags, you are doling out your silken thread by helping others, who will be grateful. Soon, your name will be bandied about by all those high-profile webslingers. You’ll be offered another opportunity, and then another, until you’ll have your choice of the plumpest flies, err, tasks. And look how many spiders you’ve met along the way.
Beware the sticky strands! Volunteering, then failing to follow through, will damage your network web greater than if you had never let out your thread. Those gaping holes are difficult to weave over and spiders have long memories.
Connie Cox sold her first book through networking at a conference. That’s right! She pitched to a visiting editor, and nine months later, the editor bought the book! Check out Connie Cox’s debut novel, TAKING FLIGHT by Avalon Books to see what can be sold through conference networking. (available through Barnes and Noble, Hastings, and Amazon.com). Connie has been writing for about ten years and loving/hating every minute of it! Visit www.conniecox.com for the inside scoop.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The Writing Life: Writing is a Sensory Experience
By JJ Murphy--a nature writer, curriculum creator, blogging hiker, locavore, and tree-hugger currently based in Harriman, NY. Visit http://www.writerbynature.com for more information on JJ's writing services and her favorite places for gear and supplies.
I’m always on the lookout for writing exercises, crossword puzzles, hidden picture puzzles or any system that will jump start my writing. Here are a few ideas for filling the page without the pressure of producing a final draft:
- Write a one-sentence description of ten friends or family members.
- Write your obituary in 500 words or less.
- Describe your favorite place to relax in 300 words.
- Select an essay that you wrote and rewrite it in third person.
- Choose a chapter written by you or another author and in third person and rewrite it in first person.
- Sit in a cafe or public place and transcribe a conversation between two people. Now create characters based on the conversation.
- Freewrite for ten minutes, then stop and read what you wrote. Write down the central theme or issue and begin another 10-minute freewrite. Stop and read that freewrite, find the central theme and begin another 10-minute freewrite.
- List ten activities that you love. Now write down the last time you did each activity.
- Take a walk and list every smell or every sound you notice. Use that to write from a dog’s point of view or a cat’s point of view.
- Find a passage from a favorite book and rewrite it in another genre. If the passage is science fiction, try writing it as a romance or a comedy.
Monday, June 23, 2008
A Book or a Game of Golf?
Author of a series of books based upon golf, James Ross will be joining us on Writers in the Sky Podcast June 27, 2008.
Born in Central Illinois in the early 1950s James Ross grew up wanting to be a professional athlete. He was the oldest son of a high school basketball coach and a homemaker. Early in his life his dad took a job as a textbook salesman for a division of Doubleday. Soon thereafter the family relocated from the cornfields of Illinois to the Metro St. Louis area.
He took up the game of golf at the age of twelve when the family moved to a golf course development in the western suburbs of St. Louis. His passion for the game grew from that moment on and with continued practice he became a low-handicap player. Mr. Ross was a three-sport athlete in high school and accepted an athletic scholarship to go to college. After one year of that he transferred to the University of Missouri in Columbia. There he was a member and social chairman of Beta Theta Pi fraternity until he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with emphasis on real estate and finance in 1974.
After a few years of traveling and a two-year stay in Los Angeles at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, Mr. Ross returned to the St. Louis area to embark on a career in sales. After turning fifty he decided to get in touch with the creative side of his mind and sat down to write. Three years later his first novel, Lifetime Loser, was published.
Upon completion, the writing bug had consumed him. Before his first novel was finished he had begun the second book. Finish Line is a continuation of the happenings in and around the fictitious setting of Prairie Winds Golf Course on the East Side of St. Louis. Drawing inspiration from his characters, the third book, Tuey’s Course, is in development.
When he is not writing, Mr. Ross is out looking for a golf game around town or traveling to some warm weather destination to enjoy an amazing life. Many of his stories will be centered on a sports theme complete with applicable analogies. Being a native of the Midwest they will also carry references to the heartland of America.
Known best for living life to the fullest James Ross decided early on that he was going to work to live, rather than live to work. With a persuasive demeanor and a “don’t-take-no-for-an-answer” attitude he embarked on a journey that allowed for him to live life along the way.
Synopsis for Finish Line
After getting caught committing a petty act of vandalism, two teenage boys land summer jobs at Prairie Winds Golf Course on the east side of St. Louis. Follow the adventures…
of Justin Ventimiglia and Keith Puccio as they explore a slice of life that they never knew existed. Observe the special relationship between adolescent boys, a cast of grown golfing misfits, and a young man battling the demons of cancer.
Explore the heart-wrenching relationship between an impressionable child and a pseudo Big Brother. Witness the summertime ride of the two youths in a poignant story about life and death. See them as they develop a love for the game of golf and apply those lessons to the challenges of life.
Experience the reactions of Justin and Keith to the vices of the world such as drinking, smoking, and gambling and watch how their knowledge molds their character. Take the journey with them as they battle a dysfunctional family situation, exposure to a life-threatening disease, and the vices of the world as they live a summer to remember.
For more information about James Ross please visit: http://www.authorjamesross.com/.
Born in Central Illinois in the early 1950s James Ross grew up wanting to be a professional athlete. He was the oldest son of a high school basketball coach and a homemaker. Early in his life his dad took a job as a textbook salesman for a division of Doubleday. Soon thereafter the family relocated from the cornfields of Illinois to the Metro St. Louis area.He took up the game of golf at the age of twelve when the family moved to a golf course development in the western suburbs of St. Louis. His passion for the game grew from that moment on and with continued practice he became a low-handicap player. Mr. Ross was a three-sport athlete in high school and accepted an athletic scholarship to go to college. After one year of that he transferred to the University of Missouri in Columbia. There he was a member and social chairman of Beta Theta Pi fraternity until he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with emphasis on real estate and finance in 1974.
After a few years of traveling and a two-year stay in Los Angeles at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, Mr. Ross returned to the St. Louis area to embark on a career in sales. After turning fifty he decided to get in touch with the creative side of his mind and sat down to write. Three years later his first novel, Lifetime Loser, was published.
Upon completion, the writing bug had consumed him. Before his first novel was finished he had begun the second book. Finish Line is a continuation of the happenings in and around the fictitious setting of Prairie Winds Golf Course on the East Side of St. Louis. Drawing inspiration from his characters, the third book, Tuey’s Course, is in development.
When he is not writing, Mr. Ross is out looking for a golf game around town or traveling to some warm weather destination to enjoy an amazing life. Many of his stories will be centered on a sports theme complete with applicable analogies. Being a native of the Midwest they will also carry references to the heartland of America.
Known best for living life to the fullest James Ross decided early on that he was going to work to live, rather than live to work. With a persuasive demeanor and a “don’t-take-no-for-an-answer” attitude he embarked on a journey that allowed for him to live life along the way.
Synopsis for Finish Line
After getting caught committing a petty act of vandalism, two teenage boys land summer jobs at Prairie Winds Golf Course on the east side of St. Louis. Follow the adventures…
of Justin Ventimiglia and Keith Puccio as they explore a slice of life that they never knew existed. Observe the special relationship between adolescent boys, a cast of grown golfing misfits, and a young man battling the demons of cancer.
Explore the heart-wrenching relationship between an impressionable child and a pseudo Big Brother. Witness the summertime ride of the two youths in a poignant story about life and death. See them as they develop a love for the game of golf and apply those lessons to the challenges of life.
Experience the reactions of Justin and Keith to the vices of the world such as drinking, smoking, and gambling and watch how their knowledge molds their character. Take the journey with them as they battle a dysfunctional family situation, exposure to a life-threatening disease, and the vices of the world as they live a summer to remember.
For more information about James Ross please visit: http://www.authorjamesross.com/.
**************************
Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just click this link: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com and go to my blog. On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.
Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just click this link: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com and go to my blog. On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.
For information about being a guest on Writers in the Sky Podcast, see http://www.yvonneperry.net/Writing_Packages.htm#Publicity_Packages_
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Get it Sold with SEO: Lynne Lee’s eBook!
You’ve got a book to sell or a service to offer, but you haven’t got a clue how to attract visitors to your Web site—much less those who will actually purchase what you’re selling. Never fear; I have a solution for you.
Whether you are a novice or a pro at SEO (search engine optimization) you will find something useful in Lynne Lee’s book Optimize Your Web site: How to Drive Free Traffic to Your Web site. Did you read that correctly? Free? Yes, free. The things Lynne instructs you to do will not cost you a thing other than your time and the money you pay for her eBook. That money is well spent especially if you consider what it would cost to hire someone to optimize your site for you. Learn to do it yourself with this step-by-step instruction manual.
Learn about keywords, article marketing, and social networking; choose your domain name wisely; anchor your hyperlinks with text to attract search engines and targeted traffic. You can do it all after reading Lynne's book.
I highly recommend you get a copy and put Lynne’s suggestions into practice. I’m already seeing results from my efforts.
Read more about SEO!
Just look at all the new places I'm now networking online thanks to what I have learned in Lynne's book:
http://www.yvonneperry.net
http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com
http://bookmarket.ning.com/profile/Nashvillewriter
http://www.myspace.com/yvonneperry
www.right2recover.com
http://www.facebook.com
http://www.squidoo.com/bookwriter
http://www.blogtalkradio.com
http://www.linkedin.com
I do spend a lot of time maintaining them, but it didn't cost anything to get my pages on these social networking sites up and running. I wish you success as well!
Yvonne Perry
Whether you are a novice or a pro at SEO (search engine optimization) you will find something useful in Lynne Lee’s book Optimize Your Web site: How to Drive Free Traffic to Your Web site. Did you read that correctly? Free? Yes, free. The things Lynne instructs you to do will not cost you a thing other than your time and the money you pay for her eBook. That money is well spent especially if you consider what it would cost to hire someone to optimize your site for you. Learn to do it yourself with this step-by-step instruction manual.
Learn about keywords, article marketing, and social networking; choose your domain name wisely; anchor your hyperlinks with text to attract search engines and targeted traffic. You can do it all after reading Lynne's book.
I highly recommend you get a copy and put Lynne’s suggestions into practice. I’m already seeing results from my efforts.
Read more about SEO!
Just look at all the new places I'm now networking online thanks to what I have learned in Lynne's book:
http://www.yvonneperry.net
http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com
http://bookmarket.ning.com/profile/Nashvillewriter
http://www.myspace.com/yvonneperry
www.right2recover.com
http://www.facebook.com
http://www.squidoo.com/bookwriter
http://www.blogtalkradio.com
http://www.linkedin.com
I do spend a lot of time maintaining them, but it didn't cost anything to get my pages on these social networking sites up and running. I wish you success as well!
Yvonne Perry
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Grade Your Media Release Writing Skills
Want to know how your press release writing skills rank? Let the press release grader give you a grade and suggestions for improvement.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Sandy Powell Speaks to Authors about Publish-on-Demand Companies
Our podcast guest this week is Sandy Powell. She will be discussing Wordclay and Author Solutions and how these publish-on-demand companies are able to help authors get their work to the marketplace. Join her and Yvonne Perry today on Writers in the Sky Podcast.
As a life-long lover of books, Sandy Powell, director of online initiatives for Author Solutions, Inc., is well seeded to understand the diverse needs of both authors and readers. Since Powell began her career at Author Solutions more than six years ago, she’s been a strong voice in the industry advocating easy-to-use publishing services for writers across all genres.
Click here to listen to part 1...
Powell’s current role with Author Solutions includes identifying new technologies to increase the scope of services for writers and publishers alike. She is also a key to Author Solutions’ business development team’s efforts in discovering new online partnerships and oversees the Wordclay and AuthorTree brands. She’ll be on the show to discuss two new offerings for authors, Wordclay and AuthorTree.
Wordclay (http://www.wordclay.com/) is a new DIY book publishing Web site that makes it possible to publish a professional-looking book in less than one hour. The Wordclay team has over 100 years of collective book publishing experience – which they’ve “baked” into the Web site. This means you don’t need to be concerned about the details of publishing, such as calculating spine width and gutter size. The publishing tool is completely free, but printing costs are separate. Books can even be sold online at Wordclay’s Web site.
Click here to listen to part 2...
AuthorTree (http://www.authortree.com/) is a free service that allows all authors, regardless of publisher, create a free Web site. Its easy-to-use Web platform makes it simple for authors of all levels of tech-savvyness to create promotional and marketing Web sites to showcase their books. AuthorTree author Web sites feature a robust set of tools, including author biographies, detailed book information, book reviews, excerpts, a calendar of author events, ordering capabilities, a link-sharing tool and a blog.
To learn more about Author Solutions, Inc. and its offerings, visit http://www.authorsolutions.com/, http://www.wordclay.com/ and http://www.authortree.com/
********************************
Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just click this link: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/ and go to my blog.On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.
For information about being a guest on Writers in the Sky Podcast, see http://www.yvonneperry.net/Writing_Packages.htm#Publicity_Packages_
As a life-long lover of books, Sandy Powell, director of online initiatives for Author Solutions, Inc., is well seeded to understand the diverse needs of both authors and readers. Since Powell began her career at Author Solutions more than six years ago, she’s been a strong voice in the industry advocating easy-to-use publishing services for writers across all genres.Click here to listen to part 1...
Powell’s current role with Author Solutions includes identifying new technologies to increase the scope of services for writers and publishers alike. She is also a key to Author Solutions’ business development team’s efforts in discovering new online partnerships and oversees the Wordclay and AuthorTree brands. She’ll be on the show to discuss two new offerings for authors, Wordclay and AuthorTree.
Wordclay (http://www.wordclay.com/) is a new DIY book publishing Web site that makes it possible to publish a professional-looking book in less than one hour. The Wordclay team has over 100 years of collective book publishing experience – which they’ve “baked” into the Web site. This means you don’t need to be concerned about the details of publishing, such as calculating spine width and gutter size. The publishing tool is completely free, but printing costs are separate. Books can even be sold online at Wordclay’s Web site.
Click here to listen to part 2...
AuthorTree (http://www.authortree.com/) is a free service that allows all authors, regardless of publisher, create a free Web site. Its easy-to-use Web platform makes it simple for authors of all levels of tech-savvyness to create promotional and marketing Web sites to showcase their books. AuthorTree author Web sites feature a robust set of tools, including author biographies, detailed book information, book reviews, excerpts, a calendar of author events, ordering capabilities, a link-sharing tool and a blog.
To learn more about Author Solutions, Inc. and its offerings, visit http://www.authorsolutions.com/, http://www.wordclay.com/ and http://www.authortree.com/
********************************
Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just click this link: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/ and go to my blog.On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.
For information about being a guest on Writers in the Sky Podcast, see http://www.yvonneperry.net/Writing_Packages.htm#Publicity_Packages_
Thursday, June 19, 2008
An Interview with Texas Rangers Author Mike Cox
Mike Cox is the author of thirteen nonfiction books including a study of Texas disasters, three books on the Texas Rangers, one collection historical stories, one true crime story, a biography, a memoir and three local histories, as well as numerous magazine articles, essays and introductions for other books. He has been an elected member of the Texas Institute of Letters since 1993.
Mike’s latest work, The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso, 1821-1900, is the first of a two-volume comprehensive history of the Rangers published by Forge in March, 2008 (496 pages, $25.95). The second volume will release in 2009.
Writers in the Sky is pleased to host the following interview with Mike Cox, author of The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso, 1821-1900.
When did you decide you wanted to become an author?
My late grandfather was a freelance writer, my late father and my late mother also were writers. Naturally, I grew up thinking that ever kid aspired to be a writer. And now, I’m proud to say my youngest daughter has shown an interest – and talent – at writing.
Do you have another job besides writing?
I’ve been a writer for more than 40 years, but during most of that time, like most freelancers, I had to have a day job. For nearly 20 years, I wrote for Texas newspapers. Then I was spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, which includes the modern Texas Rangers. I retired from the Texas Department of Transportation, where I was communication manager, in the fall of 2007.
Were you an avid reader as a child?
Absolutely. I still am as an adult. My only complaint is that I don’t seem to have enough time to read everything I’d like.
What type of books did you enjoy reading?
History, biography, science fiction, historical fiction, murder mysteries.
Tell us a bit about your latest book and what inspired you to write such a story.
In a way, I’ve been working toward The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso, 1821-1900 all my life. I grew up hearing stories about some of the old-time rangers from my granddad, L.A. Wilke. Then, as a newspaper reporter, I met a fair number of rangers. Finally, as spokesman for the DPS, I dealt with many rangers over a 15-year period. Most of the rangers would sooner be in a gunfight than do a media interview, so I had good job security.
I had written a children’s history of the rangers in 1990, following up in the late 90s with two collections of nonfiction stories about the rangers. In 1999, I signed the contract to do this book, which I hope will stand for a long time as the definitive history.
From the moment you conceived the idea for the story, to the published book, how long did it take?
Much longer than I anticipated. Fortunately, in Bob Gleason with Forge Books, I had a very patient editor.
Describe your working environment.
I work at home in a book-and-memorabilia-filled office. Probably could use a little Feng Shui work!
Are you a disciplined writer?
Yep, pretty much. I love to fish, hunt and camp, but I try to write at least something every day. I don’t miss many days out of the week.
Have you ever suffered from writer’s block?
Rarely. Don’t have the time. And as a newspaperman, I quickly learned to write no matter how I felt because I had to if I wanted to stay employed.
How was your experience in looking for a publisher?
I was already an established author, so it wasn’t too hard. Interestingly enough, I’ve never sold anything through an agent, though I have had several.
What words of advice would you offer those novice authors who are in search of one?
Join a good writer’s group like the Writers’ League of Texas, read books on writing and attend workshops. Oh, and just start writing.
What type of book promotion seems to work best for you?
I’m still trying to figure that out. I have a publicist who has done some good things to get my book noticed and would certainly recommend her.
What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
My dad constantly told me “show, don’t tell” and my mother finally taught me to write in active voice.
Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?
www.mikecoxonline.com
www.lonestarbooks.blogspot.com
www.saddlebagbooksonline.com
Do you have another book in the works?
I’m putting the finishing touches on the second volume of the Texas Rangers book.
Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?
I haven’t decided yet…well, I am at work on a book about Texas UFO stories. Let me hasten to stress that I don’t believe in little green men – or women, for that matter – but I do believe in good folklore.
Anything else you’d like to say about yourself or your work?
If you read my book on the rangers and like it, spread the word. If you’re interested in a writing career, I highly recommend it and wish you the best of luck.
More about Mike Cox:
Since 2000, Mike has written a syndicated weekly newspaper column called “Texas Tales” on interesting, little-known incidents inTexas Texas
Mike’s latest work, The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso, 1821-1900, is the first of a two-volume comprehensive history of the Rangers published by Forge in March, 2008 (496 pages, $25.95). The second volume will release in 2009.
Writers in the Sky is pleased to host the following interview with Mike Cox, author of The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso, 1821-1900.
When did you decide you wanted to become an author?
My late grandfather was a freelance writer, my late father and my late mother also were writers. Naturally, I grew up thinking that ever kid aspired to be a writer. And now, I’m proud to say my youngest daughter has shown an interest – and talent – at writing.
Do you have another job besides writing?
I’ve been a writer for more than 40 years, but during most of that time, like most freelancers, I had to have a day job. For nearly 20 years, I wrote for Texas newspapers. Then I was spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, which includes the modern Texas Rangers. I retired from the Texas Department of Transportation, where I was communication manager, in the fall of 2007.
Were you an avid reader as a child?
Absolutely. I still am as an adult. My only complaint is that I don’t seem to have enough time to read everything I’d like.
What type of books did you enjoy reading?
History, biography, science fiction, historical fiction, murder mysteries.
Tell us a bit about your latest book and what inspired you to write such a story.
In a way, I’ve been working toward The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso, 1821-1900 all my life. I grew up hearing stories about some of the old-time rangers from my granddad, L.A. Wilke. Then, as a newspaper reporter, I met a fair number of rangers. Finally, as spokesman for the DPS, I dealt with many rangers over a 15-year period. Most of the rangers would sooner be in a gunfight than do a media interview, so I had good job security.
I had written a children’s history of the rangers in 1990, following up in the late 90s with two collections of nonfiction stories about the rangers. In 1999, I signed the contract to do this book, which I hope will stand for a long time as the definitive history.
From the moment you conceived the idea for the story, to the published book, how long did it take?
Much longer than I anticipated. Fortunately, in Bob Gleason with Forge Books, I had a very patient editor.
Describe your working environment.
I work at home in a book-and-memorabilia-filled office. Probably could use a little Feng Shui work!
Are you a disciplined writer?
Yep, pretty much. I love to fish, hunt and camp, but I try to write at least something every day. I don’t miss many days out of the week.
Have you ever suffered from writer’s block?
Rarely. Don’t have the time. And as a newspaperman, I quickly learned to write no matter how I felt because I had to if I wanted to stay employed.
How was your experience in looking for a publisher?
I was already an established author, so it wasn’t too hard. Interestingly enough, I’ve never sold anything through an agent, though I have had several.
What words of advice would you offer those novice authors who are in search of one?
Join a good writer’s group like the Writers’ League of Texas, read books on writing and attend workshops. Oh, and just start writing.
What type of book promotion seems to work best for you?
I’m still trying to figure that out. I have a publicist who has done some good things to get my book noticed and would certainly recommend her.
What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
My dad constantly told me “show, don’t tell” and my mother finally taught me to write in active voice.
Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?
www.mikecoxonline.com
www.lonestarbooks.blogspot.com
www.saddlebagbooksonline.com
Do you have another book in the works?
I’m putting the finishing touches on the second volume of the Texas Rangers book.
Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?
I haven’t decided yet…well, I am at work on a book about Texas UFO stories. Let me hasten to stress that I don’t believe in little green men – or women, for that matter – but I do believe in good folklore.
Anything else you’d like to say about yourself or your work?
If you read my book on the rangers and like it, spread the word. If you’re interested in a writing career, I highly recommend it and wish you the best of luck.
More about Mike Cox:
Since 2000, Mike has written a syndicated weekly newspaper column called “Texas Tales” on interesting, little-known incidents in
His byline regularly appears in a number of national and statewide magazines, including
Mike is also an accomplished and experienced public speaker, on such topics as the Texas Rangers, free-lance writing, leadership, and media relations.
He retired in the fall of 2007 as Communication Manager for the Texas Department of Transportation, where he handled media and internal relations on highways and other transportation issues.
Prior to that, he spent more than 15 years with the Texas Department of Public Safety as Chief of Media Relations and Public Information Officer. In between, he was Director of Member Services for the Texas Press Association. Earlier, he was an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly 20 years, most of that time with the Austin American-Statesman.
Mike lives in
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Book Reviews for June 2008
Bloodstone Castle
Mirella Patzer
ISBN-13: 978-0978486525
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00100fNjb-GSUgtC-DShr5ZJQItpWGwVZHLMp3mVk7pPYzaKkhiIlF9Q3n9vYipWqQKC9-ShtWg1g_Si5lItTzXr_pKBOkM8V2anInVT20skjar3KLWxAqyZw==
Bloodstone Castle stands sentinel on the shores of the Ligurian Sea. Secreted somewhere in its dungeons is an ancient Roman treasure of immense value. Contessa Morena of Bloodstone Castle possesses a mysterious bloodstone pendant, the only proof the treasure exists.
Since childhood, she has been promised in marriage to Duke Ernesto of Savona. Ernesto is a desperate man, a gambler who has lost his family's fortune, a man who resorts to murder, not once, not twice, but three times to keep from paying his debts and to hide his dirty secret. Marriage to the lovely Morena will make the treasure his and restore his power and desperate circumstances.
After the brutal murder of his father, Duke Amoro of Genoa swears two oaths. The first is to avenge his father's death. The second is to honour his father's dying wish and wed Morena of Bloodstone Castle and end the violent feud with between their two families. He severs his affair with his mistress, Laria, and departs for Bloodstone Castle to propose to Morena. But Morena refuses to marry him. Her life thrown into chaos, Morena must choose between obligation and honour, truth and lies, good and evil. She must honour the betrothal her father arranged with Ernesto. Amoro continues to try to convince Morena otherwise. Ernesto arrives at Bloodstone Castle to claim his bride, but finds Amoro there. The two men confront each other with much animosity.
Then, when the murdered body of Morena's father is brought home, Amoro helps her with his burial, then her and takes her to his home in Genoa. He is fiercely protective over her. This angers Morena at times because she insists upon her independence. While she is conducting an act of charity, she notices Amoro's men following her. As she tries to escape, she falls from her horse and is taken back to Amoro. When Amoro agrees to allow Morena full independence, they set a wedding date. Laria and Ernesto meet and together they plan to separate Amoro and Morena.
On the day of the wedding, Morena falls into the clutches of Ernesto. Amoro arrives to rescue her and the two men agree to battle each other - winner gets the girl. Ernesto cheats and Amoro is held prisoner. Morena realizes her love for Amoro and to save his life, agrees to marry Ernesto. Laria is free to pursue Amoro again. But Amoro continues to refuse Laria. When Laria learns that Ernesto plans to kill Amoro, she aids Morena in a daring rescue to Amoro and his men.
In medieval Italy, two men face each other with ruthlessness and intensity. Enter their world of splendour and depravity, of passion and wickedness. It is Italy's most dazzling and dangerous age, and as Duke Amoro of Genoa and Duke Ernesto of Savona match wits and cunning, it is a dance the death to decide which one of them will win the hand of the beautiful Countess Morena and the hidden treasure of Bloodstone Castle.
Mirella Patzer
ISBN-13: 978-0978486525
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=00100fNjb-GSUgtC-DShr5ZJQItpWGwVZHLMp3mVk7pPYzaKkhiIlF9Q3n9vYipWqQKC9-ShtWg1g_Si5lItTzXr_pKBOkM8V2anInVT20skjar3KLWxAqyZw==
Bloodstone Castle stands sentinel on the shores of the Ligurian Sea. Secreted somewhere in its dungeons is an ancient Roman treasure of immense value. Contessa Morena of Bloodstone Castle possesses a mysterious bloodstone pendant, the only proof the treasure exists.
Since childhood, she has been promised in marriage to Duke Ernesto of Savona. Ernesto is a desperate man, a gambler who has lost his family's fortune, a man who resorts to murder, not once, not twice, but three times to keep from paying his debts and to hide his dirty secret. Marriage to the lovely Morena will make the treasure his and restore his power and desperate circumstances.
After the brutal murder of his father, Duke Amoro of Genoa swears two oaths. The first is to avenge his father's death. The second is to honour his father's dying wish and wed Morena of Bloodstone Castle and end the violent feud with between their two families. He severs his affair with his mistress, Laria, and departs for Bloodstone Castle to propose to Morena. But Morena refuses to marry him. Her life thrown into chaos, Morena must choose between obligation and honour, truth and lies, good and evil. She must honour the betrothal her father arranged with Ernesto. Amoro continues to try to convince Morena otherwise. Ernesto arrives at Bloodstone Castle to claim his bride, but finds Amoro there. The two men confront each other with much animosity.
Then, when the murdered body of Morena's father is brought home, Amoro helps her with his burial, then her and takes her to his home in Genoa. He is fiercely protective over her. This angers Morena at times because she insists upon her independence. While she is conducting an act of charity, she notices Amoro's men following her. As she tries to escape, she falls from her horse and is taken back to Amoro. When Amoro agrees to allow Morena full independence, they set a wedding date. Laria and Ernesto meet and together they plan to separate Amoro and Morena.
On the day of the wedding, Morena falls into the clutches of Ernesto. Amoro arrives to rescue her and the two men agree to battle each other - winner gets the girl. Ernesto cheats and Amoro is held prisoner. Morena realizes her love for Amoro and to save his life, agrees to marry Ernesto. Laria is free to pursue Amoro again. But Amoro continues to refuse Laria. When Laria learns that Ernesto plans to kill Amoro, she aids Morena in a daring rescue to Amoro and his men.
In medieval Italy, two men face each other with ruthlessness and intensity. Enter their world of splendour and depravity, of passion and wickedness. It is Italy's most dazzling and dangerous age, and as Duke Amoro of Genoa and Duke Ernesto of Savona match wits and cunning, it is a dance the death to decide which one of them will win the hand of the beautiful Countess Morena and the hidden treasure of Bloodstone Castle.
Sarah's Journey
ISBN: 978-1-897559-01-7
Available from http://www.eternalpress.au/
Cherokee, Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Sarah Collins leaves on a wagon train only to be ambushed by Indians. When she finds she is alone in the middle of nowhere, she searches for a town before she runs into anymore Indians. Nathaniel Grey Wolf Elder had done some scouting and traveling with the army. He would do anything to have a home and saves every penny he makes to buy a piece of land.
Sarah Collins remembers the war cries that sliced through the air, killing everyone on the wagon train. When she is left defenseless, she later awakes to find she has been rescued by an Indian. Wolf finds Sarah after she has been snake bit and does everything to save her. She learns he is a half-breed, his mother an Indian, his father, a white man. He will take her to Independence but informs white people can be hateful to those who are with an Indian. He has a good friend, Miss Maggie that will give her a place to stay. Sarah and Wolf form a very close relationship but others are determined to destroy. Can temporary traveling companions find love in each other’s arms to make a difference in the world?
Sarah’s Journey is an incredible adventure into the life and loss of those that lived during rough times. The hatred, prejudice and hardships many faced were an everyday occurrence. I liked Maggie and was glad there were a few people as kind as she. The rift between Wolf, the white men, and Sarah, is very well written. A great plot, rich characters and a stunning tale hard to let go, Ginger Simpson has a way of allowing the reader to share in the great adventure in this recommended read that really pulls at the heartstrings. Be prepared for an awesome read.
Movie Girl
Author: Christina Hamlett
Outskirts Press
$11.95 US
ISBN: 9781432718541
Reviewer: Yvonne Perry
Have you ever liked someone so much that you began assuming they shared your affection and admiration? This type of mental outlook clouds our reality and causes us not to see what is really happening around us. The relationship with the person who was truly meant for us doesn’t have a chance to blossom because we are so attached to the outcome that we can’t see past what we think should happen. This is the case with Laurie Preston in Movie Girl.
The story begins when the would-be lovers are barely teenagers. Laurie falls in love with Artie the first time she sees him and begins to pursue her dream of marrying him. However, Artie is oblivious to her feelings for him. He hardly knows she exists. The nonchalant coincidentally-on-purpose meetings she sets up to “run into” him are more clumsy and accidental than she planned, and he doesn’t gets the message. Instead, he has her write a poem for his girlfriend, whom Laurie assumes is none other than herself!
Being the youngest in a family of writers, Laurie has a natural talent for writing and everyone at school knows it. Therefore, when Paul Revere High School is awarded a grant to allow the school to film a movie, Laurie is the sophomore chosen to write the script. From asking him to be on the writing committee to playing the lead role, Laurie tries everything to get the unsuspecting future-father-of-her-children to notice her—she even joins the high school chess club in an effort to sit next to him.
Once the script begins to take shape, Laurie’s infatuation for Artie becomes more and more obvious. With names like MacArthur Wedlock and Lauren Trueheart and the setting in the fog-shrouded moors, the committee has to help open her eyes to a better storyline.
Hamlett uses the book as a teaching tool. Not only is there a lesson in the moral of the story, and take-home value demonstrated in family relationships, but the reader also learns something about writing for screenplay and how it differs from writing a book. A book is written with great detail given to imagery, plot, character, and scene. A screenplay has a special formatting with a lot of white space and only minimalist description other than to say who enters when and where.
The truth about Artie comes out in a heart-breaking manner, but it also opens Laurie’s eyes to an even greater truth. The friend she has been ignoring and continuously pushing away is almost lost before she realizes what a treasure he is.
Christina has developed her story well and told it in a manner that both adults and teenagers will appreciate. While the story is set among teenaged characters, it deals with such a mature topic that anyone, any age can benefit from the reading. It gives adults a glimpse into what teens deal with; it gives teens a reminder to utilize family dynamics and allow the adults who love them to play an active role in their daily triumphs and frustrations.
The story has a happy ending with many lessons learned. I highly recommend this book.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Book with a View
More book reviews for June 2008.
Positive Force
Author: Tim Stewart
Publisher: Nightengale Press
ISBN: 9781933449579
$ 15.95 US
Reviewed by Melanie Cressman
As I picked up Positive Force, the cover immediately caught my eye like a Wassily Kandinsky painting. I flipped it over to peruse the summary, and I was instantly fascinated. I opened the front cover and plunged into the novel.
When Officer Brandon James begins to investigate cases on gang violence within his community, things get horribly out of control, sending his family into shock, his life into turbulence, and his sons’ reality into a fuzzy haze. Without the semblance of their normal reality, their world is again changed when a ghost joins their ranks. Soon the situation becomes more drastic and Officer James knows that he must do something to interfere with the gangs.
Deciding to take action, his two sons go undercover as new gang members to get an insider’s perspective. His sons, along with the help of some unlikely friends, convince the local gang forces to create Positive Force, a cumulative gang that brings people together to do good for the community.
With a plot driven by seemingly un-related coincidences, and writing that is crystal clear and concise, Positive Force is the story of people taking several negative aspects of a situation and creating something positive that can truly make a lasting impact on everyone in their community. The characters bring the conflict between good and evil to life in an intriguing way. This book will not only inspire readers, but it will also enthrall, charm, and help to stimulate pressing questions about whether or not our reality is the best it could be.
Lifetime Loser
Author: Tim Stewart
Publisher: Nightengale Press
ISBN: 9781933449579
$ 15.95 US
Reviewed by Melanie Cressman
As I picked up Positive Force, the cover immediately caught my eye like a Wassily Kandinsky painting. I flipped it over to peruse the summary, and I was instantly fascinated. I opened the front cover and plunged into the novel.
When Officer Brandon James begins to investigate cases on gang violence within his community, things get horribly out of control, sending his family into shock, his life into turbulence, and his sons’ reality into a fuzzy haze. Without the semblance of their normal reality, their world is again changed when a ghost joins their ranks. Soon the situation becomes more drastic and Officer James knows that he must do something to interfere with the gangs.
Deciding to take action, his two sons go undercover as new gang members to get an insider’s perspective. His sons, along with the help of some unlikely friends, convince the local gang forces to create Positive Force, a cumulative gang that brings people together to do good for the community.
With a plot driven by seemingly un-related coincidences, and writing that is crystal clear and concise, Positive Force is the story of people taking several negative aspects of a situation and creating something positive that can truly make a lasting impact on everyone in their community. The characters bring the conflict between good and evil to life in an intriguing way. This book will not only inspire readers, but it will also enthrall, charm, and help to stimulate pressing questions about whether or not our reality is the best it could be.
Lifetime Loser
Author: James Ross
ISBN: 978-1-4257-8208-5
Publisher: XlibrisGenre and Target Market: fiction; male relationships; legal drama
Publication Date: 2007Book Length in Pages: 327
Reviewer: Sarah Moore
J.W. Schroeder (known as J Dub) is one shot away from getting the score he needs to become a member of the PGA Tour. He has played well throughout this qualifying tournament, and his confidence is peaking. His wife, Marcia, is standing nearby, pregnant with their first child. She questions the unstudied approach that J Dub is taking to such a crucial swing, while his suddenly swelling ego allows him to believe nothing can go wrong. Marcia’s doubts prove warranted when J Dub fails to earn a spot to play his beloved golf game professionally. With all of the family’s hopes and dreams riding on that ill-fated shot, what will be next for the Schroeders?
So begins the first foray into the literary world for author James Ross. Over the next 300 pages of Lifetime Loser, Mr. Ross takes us through twenty-three years of J Dub’s life and introduces us to a cast of unforgettable characters. J Dub and his wife are lured to Illinois by the villain of the novel, Lewferd “Lew” Zerrmann. Lew asks J Dub to manage a golf course he just acquired, with promises of eventual ownership and a life-changing fortune. However, as the novel unfolds, we realize that failing to keep his word is the least of Mr. Zerrmann’s unappealing qualities. Lew and his business associates introduce the well-intentioned J Dub to a world of murder, perversion, tax evasion and a demented fascination with a genocidal dictator. What could go wrong?
One of the strongest parts of Lifetime Loser is the detailed attention to character development that Mr. Ross pays to each player in his story. We learn the background story for each person, from high school experiences to luck with women to professional successes and failures. The readers also receive vibrant physical descriptions … for better or for worse! I found myself rooting for J Dub and his family, while becoming more sickened by each new detail that was shared about Lew Zerrmann. The emotional investment that I staked in these characters was directly due to Mr. Ross’ determination to make these people three-dimensional and complete in their personalities.
I also was drawn to the layout that Mr. Ross uses to develop his storytelling. While the entire novel is written in the third person, the person, issue … and even year … of focus changes from chapter to chapter. We are let into the homes of the characters and even unexpectedly taken back in time to provide context for the plot. There are also lapses allowed in the chronology so that the reader is given the opportunity to fill in the details based on what we have learned about the people and their situations. Ross manages to elegantly fold these different snapshots together to create a novel rich in detail.
Readers should not expect a quick and casual read that can be completed in one afternoon. The text of Lifetime Loser is dense and needs to be read carefully. I found several instances in which I flipped back to chapters I had already read just to see how a particular aspect of the plotline had shown hints of itself before fully unfolding. The need to go back and forth in my reading was not due to any shortcomings on the part of Mr. Ross’ writing, but was instead based on my interest in how Ross managed to get the intricate story to its current point.
This initial offering, Lifetime Loser, by James Ross is a great novel for anyone who appreciates the art of creating strong characters on the written page. It is not often that I find myself audibly gasping in reaction to a development in a novel, but the actions of the main players in Lifetime Loser made me do just that. This book is certainly a page-turner, but with a plot that deserves your time to give it a slow and deliberate read. I have no doubt that you will be amazed by some of the situations that our protagonist faces as he simply tries to support his family by helping others play the game that he loves. Ross has a creative mind that translates well to each page of his first book. I look forward to meeting the other people who I hope James Ross chooses to create in the future.
Reviewer: Sarah Moore
J.W. Schroeder (known as J Dub) is one shot away from getting the score he needs to become a member of the PGA Tour. He has played well throughout this qualifying tournament, and his confidence is peaking. His wife, Marcia, is standing nearby, pregnant with their first child. She questions the unstudied approach that J Dub is taking to such a crucial swing, while his suddenly swelling ego allows him to believe nothing can go wrong. Marcia’s doubts prove warranted when J Dub fails to earn a spot to play his beloved golf game professionally. With all of the family’s hopes and dreams riding on that ill-fated shot, what will be next for the Schroeders?
So begins the first foray into the literary world for author James Ross. Over the next 300 pages of Lifetime Loser, Mr. Ross takes us through twenty-three years of J Dub’s life and introduces us to a cast of unforgettable characters. J Dub and his wife are lured to Illinois by the villain of the novel, Lewferd “Lew” Zerrmann. Lew asks J Dub to manage a golf course he just acquired, with promises of eventual ownership and a life-changing fortune. However, as the novel unfolds, we realize that failing to keep his word is the least of Mr. Zerrmann’s unappealing qualities. Lew and his business associates introduce the well-intentioned J Dub to a world of murder, perversion, tax evasion and a demented fascination with a genocidal dictator. What could go wrong?
One of the strongest parts of Lifetime Loser is the detailed attention to character development that Mr. Ross pays to each player in his story. We learn the background story for each person, from high school experiences to luck with women to professional successes and failures. The readers also receive vibrant physical descriptions … for better or for worse! I found myself rooting for J Dub and his family, while becoming more sickened by each new detail that was shared about Lew Zerrmann. The emotional investment that I staked in these characters was directly due to Mr. Ross’ determination to make these people three-dimensional and complete in their personalities.
I also was drawn to the layout that Mr. Ross uses to develop his storytelling. While the entire novel is written in the third person, the person, issue … and even year … of focus changes from chapter to chapter. We are let into the homes of the characters and even unexpectedly taken back in time to provide context for the plot. There are also lapses allowed in the chronology so that the reader is given the opportunity to fill in the details based on what we have learned about the people and their situations. Ross manages to elegantly fold these different snapshots together to create a novel rich in detail.
Readers should not expect a quick and casual read that can be completed in one afternoon. The text of Lifetime Loser is dense and needs to be read carefully. I found several instances in which I flipped back to chapters I had already read just to see how a particular aspect of the plotline had shown hints of itself before fully unfolding. The need to go back and forth in my reading was not due to any shortcomings on the part of Mr. Ross’ writing, but was instead based on my interest in how Ross managed to get the intricate story to its current point.
This initial offering, Lifetime Loser, by James Ross is a great novel for anyone who appreciates the art of creating strong characters on the written page. It is not often that I find myself audibly gasping in reaction to a development in a novel, but the actions of the main players in Lifetime Loser made me do just that. This book is certainly a page-turner, but with a plot that deserves your time to give it a slow and deliberate read. I have no doubt that you will be amazed by some of the situations that our protagonist faces as he simply tries to support his family by helping others play the game that he loves. Ross has a creative mind that translates well to each page of his first book. I look forward to meeting the other people who I hope James Ross chooses to create in the future.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Is a Do-it-yourself Publishing method right for your book?
Sandy Powell will be joining Yvonne Perry on Writers in the Sky Podcast June 20, 2008 to discuss Wordclay and Author Solutions.
As a life-long lover of books, Sandy Powell, director of online initiatives for Author Solutions, Inc., is well seeded to understand the diverse needs of both authors and readers. Since Powell began her career at Author Solutions more than six years ago, she’s been a strong voice in the industry advocating easy-to-use publishing services for writers across all genres.
Powell’s current role with Author Solutions includes identifying new technologies to increase the scope of services for writers and publishers alike. She is also a key to Author Solutions’ business development team’s efforts in discovering new online partnerships and oversees the Wordclay and AuthorTree brands. She’ll be on the show to discuss two new offerings for authors, Wordclay and AuthorTree.
Wordclay (www.wordclay.com) is a new DIY book publishing Web site that makes it possible to publish a professional-looking book in less than one hour. The Wordclay team has over 100 years of collective book publishing experience – which they’ve “baked” into the Web site. This means you don’t need to be concerned about the details of publishing, such as calculating spine width and gutter size. The publishing tool is completely free, but printing costs are separate. Books can even be sold online at Wordclay’s Web site.
As a life-long lover of books, Sandy Powell, director of online initiatives for Author Solutions, Inc., is well seeded to understand the diverse needs of both authors and readers. Since Powell began her career at Author Solutions more than six years ago, she’s been a strong voice in the industry advocating easy-to-use publishing services for writers across all genres.
Powell’s current role with Author Solutions includes identifying new technologies to increase the scope of services for writers and publishers alike. She is also a key to Author Solutions’ business development team’s efforts in discovering new online partnerships and oversees the Wordclay and AuthorTree brands. She’ll be on the show to discuss two new offerings for authors, Wordclay and AuthorTree.
Wordclay (www.wordclay.com) is a new DIY book publishing Web site that makes it possible to publish a professional-looking book in less than one hour. The Wordclay team has over 100 years of collective book publishing experience – which they’ve “baked” into the Web site. This means you don’t need to be concerned about the details of publishing, such as calculating spine width and gutter size. The publishing tool is completely free, but printing costs are separate. Books can even be sold online at Wordclay’s Web site.
AuthorTree (http://www.authortree.com) is a free service that allows all authors, regardless of publisher, create a free Web site. Its easy-to-use Web platform makes it simple for authors of all levels of tech-savvyness to create promotional and marketing Web sites to showcase their books. AuthorTree author Web sites feature a robust set of tools, including author biographies, detailed book information, book reviews, excerpts, a calendar of author events, ordering capabilities, a link-sharing tool and a blog.
To learn more about Author Solutions, Inc. and its offerings, visit www.authorsolutions.com, www.wordclay.com and www.authortree.com
********************************
Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just click this link: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com and go to my blog.On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.
For information about being a guest on Writers in the Sky Podcast, see http://www.yvonneperry.net/Writing_Packages.htm#Publicity_Packages_
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Book Reviews Published in Writing Newsletter
Narrow Lives
Tyler R. Tichelaar
Marquette Fiction (2008)
ISBN 9780979179037
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views
Tyler R. Tichelaar’s novel “Narrow Lives” is a collection of short stories, all of them connected by one character – Lysander Blackmore. While Lysander might not appear much in some of them – and in others he’s already dead, he has greatly influenced the lives of all characters who tell us their stories. Their lives – for various reasons – have not been lived fully; hindered by various character flaws or simply by lack of confidence.
All of the stories, seven in total, are written as first-person narratives. They are united by the central figure of Lysander Blackmore, but they are also connected and very much defined by their locale, the town of Marquette. Marquette provides the perfect backdrop for the everyday humanity and the struggles we all face daily.
It would be difficult to decide which of the stories touched me most deeply, since I connected with every single one of them. It did not matter whether the narrator was young or old, male or female, rich or poor—all of their stories resonated with me. They also all made me vow that I will not be stopped in my endeavors and that I will try to live my life as fully as possible – each and every day. Reading about other people’s regrets, misgivings and misfortunes made me all the more determined not to falter.
Tyler R. Tichelaar’s writing is rich and powerful. Even the shorter stories pack a powerful punch. The longest of them, Scofield’s story, which takes up nearly half of the book, is a novel in itself. Well-rounded, believable characters and life situations which sound familiar, yet fresh, guarantee reader’s enjoyment of this charming collection of stories. The very helpful “Principal Characters” section helps the reader keep all of the numerous individuals straight, something that would probably be impossible without that handy section.
“Narrow Lives” is a great book about human nature and the influence some people have over others, this book would probably be even more enjoyable for the readers who are familiar with the U.P. of Michigan. If you aren’t one of those, it might make you want to go there and explore. And if you just decide to do some armchair travelling, this is a good book to do just that.
*****************************
Stolen Fields: A Story of Eminent Domain and the Death of the American Dream
Jean Boggio
Colerith Press (2008)
ISBN 9780979933042
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views
Stolen Fields is a story of the American Dream gone wrong. It is a story of hatred, bitterness, ambition, and greed. It is also a story of “What If” and “If only.” What if eminent domain had not taken the Cole property? If only Grandfather Cole had been able to build his prosperous ventures?
Jean tells of growing up as a descendant of the strong-willed and vibrant Cole family. In the first few chapters she gives the reader a glimpse into the historic heritage and of the hard working Coles and the economic success of the fertile farm on Neville Island near Pittsburg. The Cole farm on Neville Island was known as “The Market Basket of Pittsburgh.”
Jean Boggio consistently and fairly shared two sides of a story. I felt bonded to the family as I listened as Jean shared lighthearted gossip through the stories handed down from one generation to the next, fairly reporting on two completely different perspectives of the perceived facts.
During the years of 1918 and 1919 toward the end of WWI, the United States government came up with a plan to rival the German Krupps Works that provided munitions for the German juggernaut. Neville Island was selected to be the site for the project. The government officials invoked the process of eminent domain to seize the property for public use. The project had only begun when the Armistice was signed. The government no longer needed the land. It was put it up for public auction.
The Cole family, distraught by loss of the home that had been in the family for over a hundred years, held out in an attempt to negotiate a fair market price. After a great deal of harassment and the fear of arson they were forced to accept the government-determined price.
Family accounts, newspaper research, and historical sources, as well as her own memories provided Jean Boggio with the material for this remarkable account of the Cole’s of Neville Island and the impact of eminent domain on the dreams of her parents, their children, and ultimately on the generations that follow. Although there were feelings of hatred, and bitterness by members of the Cole family, theirs is a journey that resonates with a sense of accomplishment, pride, and promise.
This is more than a leisurely nostalgic stroll down memory lane. Jean’s vivid descriptions draw the reader into the experience of being a part of her childhood at the Sandy Lake farm. She has the amazing ability to turn everyday circumstances and events into entertaining, often humorous, stories that resound with simplicity, warmth, and reality. Jean uses flashbacks depicting scenes from her childhood. She reveals details of her relationships with her sister, her parents, her grandparents, Aunt Gladys, Uncle Robert, Uncle Ned, and her cousins. These colorful characters provide dramatic word pictures bringing an excitement to the otherwise routine life for the Cole’s from Neville Island. Family photos are included throughout the book to illustrate the events. These pictures add another dimension and a sense of relationship to the Cole family.
I especially enjoyed Jean’s openness in relating college relationships and her early experiences in New York City. As an aspiring actress she was sympathetic to the beatnik culture. I appreciated her positive writing even in light of romances gone awry, family relationships gone amok and personal goals unattained. Jean gained a broad range of work experiences in corporate offices, in the field of education, and ultimately in the medical field as a nurse.
Strong writing, thorough research, and an objective look into the avarice that often accompanies the process of eminent domain make “Stolen Fields” a significant contribution to the history and future restructuring of a process often misunderstood and abused.
As a memoir writer Jean Boggio is a gifted storyteller. Her vivid descriptions and characterizations insure that the enjoyment of her writing will linger long after reading the final chapter. “Stolen Fields” is a rich and entertaining reading experience.
*****************************
Book reviews submitted to this blog are also published in Writers in the Sky Newsletter. You may subscribe to the writing newsletter and submit your book review.
Tyler R. Tichelaar
Marquette Fiction (2008)
ISBN 9780979179037
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views
Tyler R. Tichelaar’s novel “Narrow Lives” is a collection of short stories, all of them connected by one character – Lysander Blackmore. While Lysander might not appear much in some of them – and in others he’s already dead, he has greatly influenced the lives of all characters who tell us their stories. Their lives – for various reasons – have not been lived fully; hindered by various character flaws or simply by lack of confidence.
All of the stories, seven in total, are written as first-person narratives. They are united by the central figure of Lysander Blackmore, but they are also connected and very much defined by their locale, the town of Marquette. Marquette provides the perfect backdrop for the everyday humanity and the struggles we all face daily.
It would be difficult to decide which of the stories touched me most deeply, since I connected with every single one of them. It did not matter whether the narrator was young or old, male or female, rich or poor—all of their stories resonated with me. They also all made me vow that I will not be stopped in my endeavors and that I will try to live my life as fully as possible – each and every day. Reading about other people’s regrets, misgivings and misfortunes made me all the more determined not to falter.
Tyler R. Tichelaar’s writing is rich and powerful. Even the shorter stories pack a powerful punch. The longest of them, Scofield’s story, which takes up nearly half of the book, is a novel in itself. Well-rounded, believable characters and life situations which sound familiar, yet fresh, guarantee reader’s enjoyment of this charming collection of stories. The very helpful “Principal Characters” section helps the reader keep all of the numerous individuals straight, something that would probably be impossible without that handy section.
“Narrow Lives” is a great book about human nature and the influence some people have over others, this book would probably be even more enjoyable for the readers who are familiar with the U.P. of Michigan. If you aren’t one of those, it might make you want to go there and explore. And if you just decide to do some armchair travelling, this is a good book to do just that.
*****************************
Stolen Fields: A Story of Eminent Domain and the Death of the American Dream
Jean Boggio
Colerith Press (2008)
ISBN 9780979933042
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views
Stolen Fields is a story of the American Dream gone wrong. It is a story of hatred, bitterness, ambition, and greed. It is also a story of “What If” and “If only.” What if eminent domain had not taken the Cole property? If only Grandfather Cole had been able to build his prosperous ventures?
Jean tells of growing up as a descendant of the strong-willed and vibrant Cole family. In the first few chapters she gives the reader a glimpse into the historic heritage and of the hard working Coles and the economic success of the fertile farm on Neville Island near Pittsburg. The Cole farm on Neville Island was known as “The Market Basket of Pittsburgh.”
Jean Boggio consistently and fairly shared two sides of a story. I felt bonded to the family as I listened as Jean shared lighthearted gossip through the stories handed down from one generation to the next, fairly reporting on two completely different perspectives of the perceived facts.
During the years of 1918 and 1919 toward the end of WWI, the United States government came up with a plan to rival the German Krupps Works that provided munitions for the German juggernaut. Neville Island was selected to be the site for the project. The government officials invoked the process of eminent domain to seize the property for public use. The project had only begun when the Armistice was signed. The government no longer needed the land. It was put it up for public auction.
The Cole family, distraught by loss of the home that had been in the family for over a hundred years, held out in an attempt to negotiate a fair market price. After a great deal of harassment and the fear of arson they were forced to accept the government-determined price.
Family accounts, newspaper research, and historical sources, as well as her own memories provided Jean Boggio with the material for this remarkable account of the Cole’s of Neville Island and the impact of eminent domain on the dreams of her parents, their children, and ultimately on the generations that follow. Although there were feelings of hatred, and bitterness by members of the Cole family, theirs is a journey that resonates with a sense of accomplishment, pride, and promise.
This is more than a leisurely nostalgic stroll down memory lane. Jean’s vivid descriptions draw the reader into the experience of being a part of her childhood at the Sandy Lake farm. She has the amazing ability to turn everyday circumstances and events into entertaining, often humorous, stories that resound with simplicity, warmth, and reality. Jean uses flashbacks depicting scenes from her childhood. She reveals details of her relationships with her sister, her parents, her grandparents, Aunt Gladys, Uncle Robert, Uncle Ned, and her cousins. These colorful characters provide dramatic word pictures bringing an excitement to the otherwise routine life for the Cole’s from Neville Island. Family photos are included throughout the book to illustrate the events. These pictures add another dimension and a sense of relationship to the Cole family.
I especially enjoyed Jean’s openness in relating college relationships and her early experiences in New York City. As an aspiring actress she was sympathetic to the beatnik culture. I appreciated her positive writing even in light of romances gone awry, family relationships gone amok and personal goals unattained. Jean gained a broad range of work experiences in corporate offices, in the field of education, and ultimately in the medical field as a nurse.
Strong writing, thorough research, and an objective look into the avarice that often accompanies the process of eminent domain make “Stolen Fields” a significant contribution to the history and future restructuring of a process often misunderstood and abused.
As a memoir writer Jean Boggio is a gifted storyteller. Her vivid descriptions and characterizations insure that the enjoyment of her writing will linger long after reading the final chapter. “Stolen Fields” is a rich and entertaining reading experience.
*****************************
Book reviews submitted to this blog are also published in Writers in the Sky Newsletter. You may subscribe to the writing newsletter and submit your book review.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Writing for Teens with Marc Loranger
Virtually meet Marc Loranger, author of a teen fiction titled You're It as he joins Barbara Milbourn today on Writers in the Sky Podcast.
Born in Welland, Ontario, Canada, Marc is the youngest of seven children. He graduated from Salem College in West Virginia with a degree in Broadcasting and has worked at several media outlets over the last twenty years or so. You’re It is actually part 2 of an exciting, new adventure series he has developed. He released his first book Diamond in the Rough in 2004. Marc Loranger is currently living in Oakville, Ontario. Marc also writes poetry and short stories to keep his creative juices flowing.
Click here to listen to the interview...
Here is a brief synopsis of the book:
You're It picks up where Diamond In The Rough left off. If you like reading a story that has you hanging on to every word, then this book will leave you breathless and wanting more after each chapter. Who would have guessed that an innocent looking baseball card would send three boys into a world of espionage and murder. Join James, Corey and Jed on this nonstop thrill ride. Just make sure you fasten your seatbelt first.
For more information about Marc Loranger please visit http://www.skywaybooks.com/
*************************************************
Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just click this link: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/ and go to my blog.On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.
Born in Welland, Ontario, Canada, Marc is the youngest of seven children. He graduated from Salem College in West Virginia with a degree in Broadcasting and has worked at several media outlets over the last twenty years or so. You’re It is actually part 2 of an exciting, new adventure series he has developed. He released his first book Diamond in the Rough in 2004. Marc Loranger is currently living in Oakville, Ontario. Marc also writes poetry and short stories to keep his creative juices flowing.Click here to listen to the interview...
Here is a brief synopsis of the book:
You're It picks up where Diamond In The Rough left off. If you like reading a story that has you hanging on to every word, then this book will leave you breathless and wanting more after each chapter. Who would have guessed that an innocent looking baseball card would send three boys into a world of espionage and murder. Join James, Corey and Jed on this nonstop thrill ride. Just make sure you fasten your seatbelt first.For more information about Marc Loranger please visit http://www.skywaybooks.com/
*************************************************
Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just click this link: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/ and go to my blog.On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Poetry from Writers in the Sky Newsletter
A Picture is Worth
Press a button
Snap a shutter
Instant memory
Captured in time.
Keeper historical
All categorical
Storybook treasures
Of reason and rhyme.
Telling a tale of
Fantastical youth.
Shining bright fortune of
Beckoning truth.
Brazenly bold
Through the heat, in the cold,
More revealing than sunlight,
More precious than gold.
Devine distinction
In frolic and mirth,
Measures untold
What a picture is worth.
Dennis Martin has written thirteen plays—several of which have been presented as staged readings in the Baltimore Playwright’s Festival. Dennis has written over 800 poems and self-published a book of poems titled “Love and Passions” available at www.iuniverse.com and major online bookstores as well as six other poetry collections and 3 novels available at www.lulu.com/dsmartin. Read more about Dennis at http://www.iwritesome.com or blog with him at http://iwritesome.blogspot.com.
Drifting
By Hal Manogue
Drifting
In A Boat Of Dreams
My Thoughts Row
Through Waves
Of Anxiety
Seeking To Find
The Shore Of Wholeness
Rocks Filled
With Yesterday’s Fears
Block My View
Caught In The Current
Of Acceptance
I Row In Circles
My Mind Lost
In Search Of Itself
Darkness Covers
My Hope Of Success
Conformity Holds My Desire
In An Anchor
Of Loneliness
Suddenly
A New Wave Of Thought
Sinks My Boat
I’m Cast
Into An Altered State
Where White Caps
Of Love
Push Me Upward
I Find Myself Floating
In The Mist
Of Another Reality
A Connected Consciousness
Is Kissing My Lips
I Taste
The Salt Of Oneness
Filling
My Lifeless Body
Another Wave
Washes
Over My System
Of Narrow-Mindedness
Cleansing And Clearing
My Trapped Vision
Releasing Me
From
Distorted Perceptions
A Bright Light
Of Belief
Warms My Body
My Skin Vibrates
With Energy
Now
I See Myself
As A Wave
That Carries Me
To A Sea
Of
Universal Consciousness
From the 2008 Collection of Short Sleeves A Book For Friends
http://www.shortsleeves.net/
Any Given Night
By Jan Bossing © Joelton, TN 2008
He’s lookin’ at me in a certain way; sees how hungry I am.
Thinkin’ it won’t take much to tune me up; thinkin’ he’s the man who can.
So he’s watching me, watching him; gives me a grin.
I nod and scoot over; he moves right on in.
He’s not really good lookin’. And now, he’s not even young.
But in a certain light, on any given night, he knows I can pretend he’s the one.
He gets my name, at least the first; introduces me around.
He takes a sip out of my drink; sets the glass back down.
He watches my eyes when he talks to me; and he laughs when I do.
If the band gets a little loud, he leans in and whispers too.
He was prob’ly never good lookin.’ And now he’s not even young.
But in a certain light, on any given night; I can prob’ly pretend he’s the one.
He touches my arm and nods to the floor; I tell him I don’t dance that much.
He tells me to just relax; he’s tryin’ to decide where to touch.
We don’t cover that much ground; we mostly just move in place.
He takes the backs of two fingers and brushes them up my face.
Ya know, he was never good lookin.’ And now he’s not even young.
But in a certain light, on any given night, we can both pretend he’s the one.
There’s a dark little place at the back of the dance floor.
‘Bout as far from the bar as it is from the door.
In about a minute, I’m gonna make my move.
Just as soon as I decide what I really want to do.
Press a button
Snap a shutter
Instant memory
Captured in time.
Keeper historical
All categorical
Storybook treasures
Of reason and rhyme.
Telling a tale of
Fantastical youth.
Shining bright fortune of
Beckoning truth.
Brazenly bold
Through the heat, in the cold,
More revealing than sunlight,
More precious than gold.
Devine distinction
In frolic and mirth,
Measures untold
What a picture is worth.
Dennis Martin has written thirteen plays—several of which have been presented as staged readings in the Baltimore Playwright’s Festival. Dennis has written over 800 poems and self-published a book of poems titled “Love and Passions” available at www.iuniverse.com and major online bookstores as well as six other poetry collections and 3 novels available at www.lulu.com/dsmartin. Read more about Dennis at http://www.iwritesome.com or blog with him at http://iwritesome.blogspot.com.
Drifting
By Hal Manogue
Drifting
In A Boat Of Dreams
My Thoughts Row
Through Waves
Of Anxiety
Seeking To Find
The Shore Of Wholeness
Rocks Filled
With Yesterday’s Fears
Block My View
Caught In The Current
Of Acceptance
I Row In Circles
My Mind Lost
In Search Of Itself
Darkness Covers
My Hope Of Success
Conformity Holds My Desire
In An Anchor
Of Loneliness
Suddenly
A New Wave Of Thought
Sinks My Boat
I’m Cast
Into An Altered State
Where White Caps
Of Love
Push Me Upward
I Find Myself Floating
In The Mist
Of Another Reality
A Connected Consciousness
Is Kissing My Lips
I Taste
The Salt Of Oneness
Filling
My Lifeless Body
Another Wave
Washes
Over My System
Of Narrow-Mindedness
Cleansing And Clearing
My Trapped Vision
Releasing Me
From
Distorted Perceptions
A Bright Light
Of Belief
Warms My Body
My Skin Vibrates
With Energy
Now
I See Myself
As A Wave
That Carries Me
To A Sea
Of
Universal Consciousness
From the 2008 Collection of Short Sleeves A Book For Friends
http://www.shortsleeves.net/
Any Given Night
By Jan Bossing © Joelton, TN 2008
He’s lookin’ at me in a certain way; sees how hungry I am.
Thinkin’ it won’t take much to tune me up; thinkin’ he’s the man who can.
So he’s watching me, watching him; gives me a grin.
I nod and scoot over; he moves right on in.
He’s not really good lookin’. And now, he’s not even young.
But in a certain light, on any given night, he knows I can pretend he’s the one.
He gets my name, at least the first; introduces me around.
He takes a sip out of my drink; sets the glass back down.
He watches my eyes when he talks to me; and he laughs when I do.
If the band gets a little loud, he leans in and whispers too.
He was prob’ly never good lookin.’ And now he’s not even young.
But in a certain light, on any given night; I can prob’ly pretend he’s the one.
He touches my arm and nods to the floor; I tell him I don’t dance that much.
He tells me to just relax; he’s tryin’ to decide where to touch.
We don’t cover that much ground; we mostly just move in place.
He takes the backs of two fingers and brushes them up my face.
Ya know, he was never good lookin.’ And now he’s not even young.
But in a certain light, on any given night, we can both pretend he’s the one.
There’s a dark little place at the back of the dance floor.
‘Bout as far from the bar as it is from the door.
In about a minute, I’m gonna make my move.
Just as soon as I decide what I really want to do.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Opinion Poll on Keyword Search for Writer
1. If you were looking for someone to help you with getting your book ready to publish, what keywords would you use to search the Internet to find this person?
2. If you needed help to promote your book online, what keywords would you use to find PR help?
3. If you had to have a business document written or edited, what words would you type into the search engine?
4. If you needed a ghostwriter or editor, what keywords would work best?
Please leave your answer to any or all of these questions by clicking on the comment link below this post. I'll post everyone's answers in about a week. I appreciate your feedback.
http://www.yvonneperry.net
http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?nm=yvonne+perry#/home.php
http://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonneperry
2. If you needed help to promote your book online, what keywords would you use to find PR help?
3. If you had to have a business document written or edited, what words would you type into the search engine?
4. If you needed a ghostwriter or editor, what keywords would work best?
Please leave your answer to any or all of these questions by clicking on the comment link below this post. I'll post everyone's answers in about a week. I appreciate your feedback.
http://www.yvonneperry.net
http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?nm=yvonne+perry#/home.php
http://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonneperry
Word-Loving Networkers and Educators Unite in Tennessee
Writers of all genres and skill levels attended the 2008 Tennessee Writers Alliance (TWA) Writers’ Conference on June 6-7 at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee.
Nine presenters offered expert advice on travel writing, how to self-publish, writing nonfiction, understanding the publishing industry, writing for young adults, and writing for a packager. One class offered a critique of the first page of a manuscript.
Yvonne Perry, owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services, presented two 1.5-hour workshops on Book Promotion in the Digital Age and Online Book Marketing. As a ghostwriter, editor, and promoter, Perry has worked more than 100 books for clients seeking help with manuscript preparation, publishing advice, and book publicity.
About Writers in the Sky and Yvonne Perry: Yvonne Perry is an award-winning author, full-time freelance writer, editor, public speaker, podcast host, blogger, and the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services. As a networker, Yvonne loves to share her knowledge and connect writers with one another. One way she does this is through Writers in the Sky, her monthly writing newsletter and weekly writing podcast about the craft and business of writing.
Other speakers included Vanderbilt Professor Bill Brown, Tennessean Journalist Gloria Ballard, Lantz Powell, Owner/Agent of Literary Agency for Southern Authors, ETSU Professor Tamara Baxter, Romance Author Tracy Crudup, and Southeastern Louisiana University Professor Jimmy Carl Harris. Day one ended with a reception for participants and presenters at Landmark Booksellers in downtown Franklin.
Keynote Speaker Estelle Condra gave a powerful theatrical performance of “Writing is Like Ketchup!” Condra has performed professionally for Nashville Children’s Theater and Tennessee Repertory Theater as well as acting companies in England and South Africa. Her presentation was followed by the announcement of the 2008 Tennessee Writer of the Year Award and the 2008 Tennessee Literary Legend Award.
About TWA: The Tennessee Writers Alliance is a non-profit organization aimed at supporting the work of Tennessee writers and enhancing the role of literary arts in the state of Tennessee. Current members include experienced professional writers, emerging writers, entertainers, educators, students, publishers, librarians, and book lovers of all sorts. Membership is open to anyone interested in writers and writing.
Contact: Yvonne Perry on her Web site www.WritersintheSky.com or phone
615-884-1224
Nine presenters offered expert advice on travel writing, how to self-publish, writing nonfiction, understanding the publishing industry, writing for young adults, and writing for a packager. One class offered a critique of the first page of a manuscript.
Yvonne Perry, owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services, presented two 1.5-hour workshops on Book Promotion in the Digital Age and Online Book Marketing. As a ghostwriter, editor, and promoter, Perry has worked more than 100 books for clients seeking help with manuscript preparation, publishing advice, and book publicity.
About Writers in the Sky and Yvonne Perry: Yvonne Perry is an award-winning author, full-time freelance writer, editor, public speaker, podcast host, blogger, and the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services. As a networker, Yvonne loves to share her knowledge and connect writers with one another. One way she does this is through Writers in the Sky, her monthly writing newsletter and weekly writing podcast about the craft and business of writing.
Other speakers included Vanderbilt Professor Bill Brown, Tennessean Journalist Gloria Ballard, Lantz Powell, Owner/Agent of Literary Agency for Southern Authors, ETSU Professor Tamara Baxter, Romance Author Tracy Crudup, and Southeastern Louisiana University Professor Jimmy Carl Harris. Day one ended with a reception for participants and presenters at Landmark Booksellers in downtown Franklin.
Keynote Speaker Estelle Condra gave a powerful theatrical performance of “Writing is Like Ketchup!” Condra has performed professionally for Nashville Children’s Theater and Tennessee Repertory Theater as well as acting companies in England and South Africa. Her presentation was followed by the announcement of the 2008 Tennessee Writer of the Year Award and the 2008 Tennessee Literary Legend Award.
About TWA: The Tennessee Writers Alliance is a non-profit organization aimed at supporting the work of Tennessee writers and enhancing the role of literary arts in the state of Tennessee. Current members include experienced professional writers, emerging writers, entertainers, educators, students, publishers, librarians, and book lovers of all sorts. Membership is open to anyone interested in writers and writing.
Contact: Yvonne Perry on her Web site www.WritersintheSky.com or phone
615-884-1224
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Should I Copyright My Work?
By Carol Denbow
One of the most commonly asked questions of new authors is “Should I copyright my work?” Authors are concerned their work might be stolen by some smuck (sorry, couldn’t think of a better descriptive word) who reprints their work and claims authorship for it. Well, the truth is, it could be. But whether filing a legal copyright will make a difference; that’s uncertain.
Since the 1976 Copyright Act, the need to file a legal copyright has changed. The new copyright act states, “Copyright protection now subsists from the time the work is created in fixed form. The copyright in the work of authorship immediately becomes the property of the author who created the work. Only the author or those deriving their rights through the author can rightfully claim copyright.” (U.S. Copyright Office, “Copyright Office Basics,” Who Can Claim Copyright, www.copyright.gov, Washington, DC, 2006)
If you find that someone has reprinted your work under their name, the process of claiming copyright follows about the same path whether you have legally or assumedly copyrighted your work. The first step to take is to contact the U.S Copyright office and report the infringement. Also contact Writer Beware (http://www.sfwa.org/beware/).
For legitimate authors, a rule of thumb is never copy more than three words in sequence of another person’s work. If you want to use someone else’s work word-for-word as part of your book, such as a quote or research document, you will need written permission from that person (See Vol. 6).
If you lose sleep worrying that someone will steal your work, by all means, file a legal copyright. The journey to becoming a published author can be stressful enough without this additional concern.
If you’re concerned about the total protection of your work, or feel better with the guarantee of register copyright, visit the U.S. Copyright office online to learn more about the copyright process (see resources).
Copyright symbol © Wrapping the letter “c” will automatically create a copyright symbol on your word processor. Include the month and year, i.e., Copyright © April 2008 by “your name.”
Suggested Reading: U.S. Copyright www.copyright.gov
Carol Denbow is the author of Are You Ready to Be Your Own Boss? (2006 Plain & Simple Books, LLC), Stress Relief for the Working Stiff (summer 2008 Publish America) and A Book Inside, Writing, Publishing, and Selling Your Story (Summer 2008 Plain & Simple Books, LLC).
One of the most commonly asked questions of new authors is “Should I copyright my work?” Authors are concerned their work might be stolen by some smuck (sorry, couldn’t think of a better descriptive word) who reprints their work and claims authorship for it. Well, the truth is, it could be. But whether filing a legal copyright will make a difference; that’s uncertain.
Since the 1976 Copyright Act, the need to file a legal copyright has changed. The new copyright act states, “Copyright protection now subsists from the time the work is created in fixed form. The copyright in the work of authorship immediately becomes the property of the author who created the work. Only the author or those deriving their rights through the author can rightfully claim copyright.” (U.S. Copyright Office, “Copyright Office Basics,” Who Can Claim Copyright, www.copyright.gov, Washington, DC, 2006)
If you find that someone has reprinted your work under their name, the process of claiming copyright follows about the same path whether you have legally or assumedly copyrighted your work. The first step to take is to contact the U.S Copyright office and report the infringement. Also contact Writer Beware (http://www.sfwa.org/beware/).
For legitimate authors, a rule of thumb is never copy more than three words in sequence of another person’s work. If you want to use someone else’s work word-for-word as part of your book, such as a quote or research document, you will need written permission from that person (See Vol. 6).
If you lose sleep worrying that someone will steal your work, by all means, file a legal copyright. The journey to becoming a published author can be stressful enough without this additional concern.
If you’re concerned about the total protection of your work, or feel better with the guarantee of register copyright, visit the U.S. Copyright office online to learn more about the copyright process (see resources).
Copyright symbol © Wrapping the letter “c” will automatically create a copyright symbol on your word processor. Include the month and year, i.e., Copyright © April 2008 by “your name.”
Suggested Reading: U.S. Copyright www.copyright.gov
Carol Denbow is the author of Are You Ready to Be Your Own Boss? (2006 Plain & Simple Books, LLC), Stress Relief for the Working Stiff (summer 2008 Publish America) and A Book Inside, Writing, Publishing, and Selling Your Story (Summer 2008 Plain & Simple Books, LLC).
Monday, June 09, 2008
Mirella Patzer Interview on Bloodstone Castle
YVONNE: Tell me something about yourself and your writing background.
MIRELLA: I’m first generation Italian Canadian with a passion for her roots and history. I began writing in 2003 when I discovered that my grandfather’s Italian vineyards were the site of a major World War II battle where hundreds of Canadian soldiers lost their lives. This sparked my desire to write. Even though I haven’t started writing this story yet, I’m honing my skills on other historical novels.
YVONNE: What is the title of your book? Give us the basic story line so we’ll know what it’s about.
MIRELLA: My book is entitled Bloodstone Castle. It is a romantic suspense novel that takes place in medieval Italy. An ancient Roman treasure lies buried somewhere beneath Bloodstone Castle, the home of Contessa Monterossa. Amoro Dragone, Duke of Genoa, is honor bound to fulfill his father’s last wish – to marry Morena and end a century old feud between their families. But Morena is already betrothed to Duke Ernesto Boccanera of Savona whom she has never met, a man she does not know and has never met. She must choose between two men, both with different motivations.
YVONNE: What inspired you to write this book?
MIRELLA: I have been immersed in researching and writing a trilogy of the Ottonian Empire for many years. It is a true historical work of which I endeavour to relay authentically. A need to let my imagination run free and create a romance with characters and plot purely from my own imagination. Bloodstone Castle is the result of that.
YVONNE: Is this the first book you have written?
MIRELLA: No, my first novel is entitled, Heinrich the Fowler: Father of the Ottonian Empire. It is the first novel of the Ottonian Empire which is being re-written to suit a different market and different publisher.
YVONNE: How long did it take to write this book? Any interesting tidbits about your writing method or how the book developed?
MIRELLA: I began writing Bloodstone Castle in the summer of 2005 and completed it in the spring of 2007. The plot grew from a desire to write a book about a castle. I found a picture of a castle in Italy and built the plot and characters around it. The castle is real, but I only used its picture for inspiration. I completely recreated its name and history and ownership.
YVONNE: How did you publish your book? Tell me about your publishing experience and what you learned from it. Please go into detail if you wish.
MIRELLA: My first novel was published by Publish America, a POD publisher. They are great for a first time author, but because it is print on demand, the price of the book is too high to be competitive. It’s a trade paperback and is currently selling for $27.00 U.S. So it is virtually difficult to market and book stores can’t put it on their shelves because it is too high priced and sales will be low. So I’m currently re-writing the novel, adding new scenes from new research I’ve gathered and will try to pitch it to another, more mainstream, publisher.
YVONNE: Did you work with an agent? If so, how did you find the agent? Was it beneficial to you?
MIRELLA: No, I am without an agent at this time. I was lucky to find Enspiren Press, an small indie publisher. I’ve a wonderful relationship here and hope they will accept future novels. I like the fact that I can grow as an author there while the company grows at the same time.
YVONNE: Where is your book(s) available? Do you have a Web site or blog where we can learn more about you or your book?
MIRELLA: Bloodstone Castle is currently available at Amazon and other regular book sellers. It will also be available as an ebook. I’m currently recording it as a “narrator read” audio book and it will be available to ITunes and other audio book vendors.
I have several blogs:
http://www.mirellapatzer.com/ is my home site.
http://mirellapatzer.blogspot.com/ is my blog where I post about anything and everything that strikes my fancy.
http://bloodstonecastle.blogspot.com/ is a blog specific to my novel, Bloodstone Castle. Here I post articles related to the book, the region, the characters, the castle, etc.
http://bestofitaly.blogspot.com/ is a site where I talk about all things Italian and encompasses a variety of Italian related topics from recipes, to books, to travel and more.
http://authorcookies.blogspot.com/ is a site where I feature some of my favourite authors and their favourite cookie recipes. This blog is a ton of fun to maintain and tasty too.
http://historicalnovelreview.blogspot.com/. Here I write reviews on historical novels I read.
YVONNE: As far as marketing, do you do more online publicity or print/radio/TV promotion? Tell me some ways you have promoted your book. Give examples and links to any sites you feel might help other authors.
MIRELLA: I tend to do more online publicity, but have also had interviews with radio and newspapers locally. The most unusual thing I’ve done to promote my book was to contact various Red Hat Society groups around the Calgary area. This contact resulted in an invitation to launch my book at one of their functions where 100 ladies were present. It was great fun and wildly successful.
YVONNE: Have you hired a publicist to help promote this book? If so, what was your experience like?
MIRELLA: I consider Nikki Leigh my publicist. She has a reputation for being very hard-working and thorough. So I am pleased to have this opportunity for her assistance in arranging this virtual book tour. I have enjoyed the experience so much, that I’ve offered to be a tour guide for future authors.
YVONNE: Any other comments or things you would like for us to know?
MIRELLA: I’m just a regular, every day person who never believed I could write even though I had the desire. One day, after a luncheon with a published author, I came home, bought a laptop and began to write. I’ve never looked back. So I’m living proof that one can achieve their dreams if they wholeheartedly pursue them. All is possible.
YVONNE: Thank you for giving us the opportunity to get to know you and learn about your book. I wish you well.
MIRELLA: Thank you very much, Yvonne. It has truly been my pleasure.
MIRELLA: I’m first generation Italian Canadian with a passion for her roots and history. I began writing in 2003 when I discovered that my grandfather’s Italian vineyards were the site of a major World War II battle where hundreds of Canadian soldiers lost their lives. This sparked my desire to write. Even though I haven’t started writing this story yet, I’m honing my skills on other historical novels.
YVONNE: What is the title of your book? Give us the basic story line so we’ll know what it’s about.
MIRELLA: My book is entitled Bloodstone Castle. It is a romantic suspense novel that takes place in medieval Italy. An ancient Roman treasure lies buried somewhere beneath Bloodstone Castle, the home of Contessa Monterossa. Amoro Dragone, Duke of Genoa, is honor bound to fulfill his father’s last wish – to marry Morena and end a century old feud between their families. But Morena is already betrothed to Duke Ernesto Boccanera of Savona whom she has never met, a man she does not know and has never met. She must choose between two men, both with different motivations.
YVONNE: What inspired you to write this book?
MIRELLA: I have been immersed in researching and writing a trilogy of the Ottonian Empire for many years. It is a true historical work of which I endeavour to relay authentically. A need to let my imagination run free and create a romance with characters and plot purely from my own imagination. Bloodstone Castle is the result of that.
YVONNE: Is this the first book you have written?
MIRELLA: No, my first novel is entitled, Heinrich the Fowler: Father of the Ottonian Empire. It is the first novel of the Ottonian Empire which is being re-written to suit a different market and different publisher.
YVONNE: How long did it take to write this book? Any interesting tidbits about your writing method or how the book developed?
MIRELLA: I began writing Bloodstone Castle in the summer of 2005 and completed it in the spring of 2007. The plot grew from a desire to write a book about a castle. I found a picture of a castle in Italy and built the plot and characters around it. The castle is real, but I only used its picture for inspiration. I completely recreated its name and history and ownership.
YVONNE: How did you publish your book? Tell me about your publishing experience and what you learned from it. Please go into detail if you wish.
MIRELLA: My first novel was published by Publish America, a POD publisher. They are great for a first time author, but because it is print on demand, the price of the book is too high to be competitive. It’s a trade paperback and is currently selling for $27.00 U.S. So it is virtually difficult to market and book stores can’t put it on their shelves because it is too high priced and sales will be low. So I’m currently re-writing the novel, adding new scenes from new research I’ve gathered and will try to pitch it to another, more mainstream, publisher.
YVONNE: Did you work with an agent? If so, how did you find the agent? Was it beneficial to you?
MIRELLA: No, I am without an agent at this time. I was lucky to find Enspiren Press, an small indie publisher. I’ve a wonderful relationship here and hope they will accept future novels. I like the fact that I can grow as an author there while the company grows at the same time.
YVONNE: Where is your book(s) available? Do you have a Web site or blog where we can learn more about you or your book?
MIRELLA: Bloodstone Castle is currently available at Amazon and other regular book sellers. It will also be available as an ebook. I’m currently recording it as a “narrator read” audio book and it will be available to ITunes and other audio book vendors.
I have several blogs:
http://www.mirellapatzer.com/ is my home site.
http://mirellapatzer.blogspot.com/ is my blog where I post about anything and everything that strikes my fancy.
http://bloodstonecastle.blogspot.com/ is a blog specific to my novel, Bloodstone Castle. Here I post articles related to the book, the region, the characters, the castle, etc.
http://bestofitaly.blogspot.com/ is a site where I talk about all things Italian and encompasses a variety of Italian related topics from recipes, to books, to travel and more.
http://authorcookies.blogspot.com/ is a site where I feature some of my favourite authors and their favourite cookie recipes. This blog is a ton of fun to maintain and tasty too.
http://historicalnovelreview.blogspot.com/. Here I write reviews on historical novels I read.
YVONNE: As far as marketing, do you do more online publicity or print/radio/TV promotion? Tell me some ways you have promoted your book. Give examples and links to any sites you feel might help other authors.
MIRELLA: I tend to do more online publicity, but have also had interviews with radio and newspapers locally. The most unusual thing I’ve done to promote my book was to contact various Red Hat Society groups around the Calgary area. This contact resulted in an invitation to launch my book at one of their functions where 100 ladies were present. It was great fun and wildly successful.
YVONNE: Have you hired a publicist to help promote this book? If so, what was your experience like?
MIRELLA: I consider Nikki Leigh my publicist. She has a reputation for being very hard-working and thorough. So I am pleased to have this opportunity for her assistance in arranging this virtual book tour. I have enjoyed the experience so much, that I’ve offered to be a tour guide for future authors.
YVONNE: Any other comments or things you would like for us to know?
MIRELLA: I’m just a regular, every day person who never believed I could write even though I had the desire. One day, after a luncheon with a published author, I came home, bought a laptop and began to write. I’ve never looked back. So I’m living proof that one can achieve their dreams if they wholeheartedly pursue them. All is possible.
YVONNE: Thank you for giving us the opportunity to get to know you and learn about your book. I wish you well.
MIRELLA: Thank you very much, Yvonne. It has truly been my pleasure.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
You're It! a Book for Teens
Marc Loranger will be joining Barbara Milbourn on Writers in the Sky Podcast June 13, 2008!!
Born in Welland, Ontario, Canada, Marc is the youngest of seven children. He graduated from Salem College in West Virginia with a degree in Broadcasting and has worked at several media outlets over the last twenty years or so. You’re It is actually part 2 of an exciting, new adventure series he has developed. He released his first book Diamond In The Rough in 2004. Marc Loranger is currently living in Oakville, Ontario. Marc also writes poetry and short stories to keep his creative juices flowing.
A brief synopsis of the book:
You're It picks up where Diamond In The Rough left off. If you like reading a story that has you hanging on to every word, then this book will leave you breathless and wanting more after each chapter. Who would have guessed that an innocent looking baseball card would send three boys into a world of espionage and murder. Join James, Corey and Jed on this nonstop thrill ride. Just make sure you fasten your seatbelt first.
For information about being a guest on Writers in the Sky Podcast, see http://www.yvonneperry.net/Writing_Packages.htm#Publicity_Packages_
Born in Welland, Ontario, Canada, Marc is the youngest of seven children. He graduated from Salem College in West Virginia with a degree in Broadcasting and has worked at several media outlets over the last twenty years or so. You’re It is actually part 2 of an exciting, new adventure series he has developed. He released his first book Diamond In The Rough in 2004. Marc Loranger is currently living in Oakville, Ontario. Marc also writes poetry and short stories to keep his creative juices flowing.
A brief synopsis of the book:
You're It picks up where Diamond In The Rough left off. If you like reading a story that has you hanging on to every word, then this book will leave you breathless and wanting more after each chapter. Who would have guessed that an innocent looking baseball card would send three boys into a world of espionage and murder. Join James, Corey and Jed on this nonstop thrill ride. Just make sure you fasten your seatbelt first. For more information about Marc Loranger please visit http://www.skywaybooks.com/.
*************************************************
Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just click this link: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com and go to my blog.On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.
For information about being a guest on Writers in the Sky Podcast, see http://www.yvonneperry.net/Writing_Packages.htm#Publicity_Packages_
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Writing Sarah's Journey
By Ginger Simpson
I write western historical novels because I love that time period. The old west was raw, hard, and character building. To survive, the people had to have exemplary strength and determination. But, my fascination doesn’t end with the pioneers; I’ve always had an unexplained interest in the history of American Indians, so much so that I wonder if I lived a previous life as one. By writing about them, I can help alter the perception that TV westerns have fostered—that the red man was always the bad guy. In two previous novels, I focused on the customs and traditions of the Lakota Sioux. I tried to portray them as the proud people they were.
I often wonder if readers realize that writing an historical is much more time consuming than say writing a contemporary or suspense. Although the story is fictional, the facts to support history have to be accurate and true. The language has to fit the period as does the dress, and the gadgets available at the time. Back in the 1800s, which is the era of my choice, kids were goats, mothers were Ma, not Mom, and fathers were Pa, not Dad. The idea is not to overwhelm the reader with a history lesson, but pepper the story with facts that relate to the scenes and characters.
In writing my first novel, I had my hero delivering his bride to in a shack in the middle of the prairie. I described her reaction to a rundown house, grass growing through the wooden shutters, a few pieces of splintered furniture. When I described the rooms, I also described a heavy iron stove. My editor was quick to point out that a deserted shack was more likely to have a fireplace and hearth where cooking was performed, and that the abode wasn’t likely to be more than one big room. Thank God, for editors who help us learn our craft. Now, when I write about a room, I put myself back in the time period and see through the hero or heroines eyes what should be there. If there is a question in my mind, I research the object and see exactly when it was invented.
There’s no faster way to lose your credibility as an historical author than to yank your reader out of the story by having written about something that doesn’t fit the time. Imagine my Sarah, dressed in gingham, with her bonnet securely tied under her chin, coming in from the barn, carrying a pail of fresh milk. She sets the heavy container on the floor, and deciding to have some more coffee, pops a cup in the microwave to heat it. WAIT a minute. Something is wrong with this picture, and although I’ve used a very obvious discrepancy in time, you’d be surprised how quickly some historical readers are to pick up on even the slightest faux pas.
Still, despite the extra time and effort required, historical writing is my preference. My heroine in Sarah’s Journey is the kind of person I strive to be. I want her survival strength, determination, and her ability to stand up to people when others are mistreated. I want to right the wrongs of humanity, and if only through becoming Sarah for a brief time, I can show my readers how badly people of half blood were treated and how hard life was in the old west. I can hold up my head, trudge along the Oregon Trail and wonder what looms over the next horizon. Sarah’s Journey is a historical fiction but more so a story about a woman’s struggle to find a new life, deal with disappointment, and handle the realization that she loves a man that no one in the world but her is ready to accept. I hope people enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it. It doesn’t have a “traditional ending” but that’s all I’m going to say. J
Ginger Simpson retired from the University of California as an advocate for students. While there, her involvement in editing and creating publications/forms led her to believe she could write a novel similar to those historical romances she loves so well. Her debut novel was published by small press in 2003. Since then, she’s written a total of eight books and five novellas, all contracted for publication. Several of Ginger’s works have been nominated for awards and recognized as yearly best reads on well-known romance sites. The reviews she’s received have been extremely favorable, with her first book receiving four stars from the Romantic Times Magazine.
I write western historical novels because I love that time period. The old west was raw, hard, and character building. To survive, the people had to have exemplary strength and determination. But, my fascination doesn’t end with the pioneers; I’ve always had an unexplained interest in the history of American Indians, so much so that I wonder if I lived a previous life as one. By writing about them, I can help alter the perception that TV westerns have fostered—that the red man was always the bad guy. In two previous novels, I focused on the customs and traditions of the Lakota Sioux. I tried to portray them as the proud people they were.
I often wonder if readers realize that writing an historical is much more time consuming than say writing a contemporary or suspense. Although the story is fictional, the facts to support history have to be accurate and true. The language has to fit the period as does the dress, and the gadgets available at the time. Back in the 1800s, which is the era of my choice, kids were goats, mothers were Ma, not Mom, and fathers were Pa, not Dad. The idea is not to overwhelm the reader with a history lesson, but pepper the story with facts that relate to the scenes and characters.
In writing my first novel, I had my hero delivering his bride to in a shack in the middle of the prairie. I described her reaction to a rundown house, grass growing through the wooden shutters, a few pieces of splintered furniture. When I described the rooms, I also described a heavy iron stove. My editor was quick to point out that a deserted shack was more likely to have a fireplace and hearth where cooking was performed, and that the abode wasn’t likely to be more than one big room. Thank God, for editors who help us learn our craft. Now, when I write about a room, I put myself back in the time period and see through the hero or heroines eyes what should be there. If there is a question in my mind, I research the object and see exactly when it was invented.
There’s no faster way to lose your credibility as an historical author than to yank your reader out of the story by having written about something that doesn’t fit the time. Imagine my Sarah, dressed in gingham, with her bonnet securely tied under her chin, coming in from the barn, carrying a pail of fresh milk. She sets the heavy container on the floor, and deciding to have some more coffee, pops a cup in the microwave to heat it. WAIT a minute. Something is wrong with this picture, and although I’ve used a very obvious discrepancy in time, you’d be surprised how quickly some historical readers are to pick up on even the slightest faux pas.
Still, despite the extra time and effort required, historical writing is my preference. My heroine in Sarah’s Journey is the kind of person I strive to be. I want her survival strength, determination, and her ability to stand up to people when others are mistreated. I want to right the wrongs of humanity, and if only through becoming Sarah for a brief time, I can show my readers how badly people of half blood were treated and how hard life was in the old west. I can hold up my head, trudge along the Oregon Trail and wonder what looms over the next horizon. Sarah’s Journey is a historical fiction but more so a story about a woman’s struggle to find a new life, deal with disappointment, and handle the realization that she loves a man that no one in the world but her is ready to accept. I hope people enjoy reading it as much as I loved writing it. It doesn’t have a “traditional ending” but that’s all I’m going to say. J
Ginger Simpson retired from the University of California as an advocate for students. While there, her involvement in editing and creating publications/forms led her to believe she could write a novel similar to those historical romances she loves so well. Her debut novel was published by small press in 2003. Since then, she’s written a total of eight books and five novellas, all contracted for publication. Several of Ginger’s works have been nominated for awards and recognized as yearly best reads on well-known romance sites. The reviews she’s received have been extremely favorable, with her first book receiving four stars from the Romantic Times Magazine.
Friday, June 06, 2008
What Writers Need to Know about Publishing and Jerry Simmons
Our WITS podcast guest today is Jerry Simmons--the author of What Writers Need to Know about Publishing.
Jerry has worked for 25 years as a sales rep for a major New York publishing house. He is here to share his experience with us and help authors understand what goes on inside the major publishers from the other side of the desk.
Click here to listen to part 1...
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown says: “The good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of book publishing, told in a straight-from-the-hip manner. Simmons speaks from years of experience, as well as with a genuine caring for the would-be-published writer. New writers, take note.” Then New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan said, “The information was absolutely incredible! I would recommend your book to all aspirin
g and new authors.”
Click here to listen to part 2...
What Writers Need to Know about Publishing is a behind-the-scenes look at a big New York publisher, what happens, how authors and their books are published, and what an author can do to help themselves and their book become successful. Read more at http://www.nothingbinding.com/.
Jerry's book is only available at his website http://www.writersreaders.com/.
Click here to listen to part 3...
Jerry has worked for 25 years as a sales rep for a major New York publishing house. He is here to share his experience with us and help authors understand what goes on inside the major publishers from the other side of the desk.Click here to listen to part 1...
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown says: “The good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of book publishing, told in a straight-from-the-hip manner. Simmons speaks from years of experience, as well as with a genuine caring for the would-be-published writer. New writers, take note.” Then New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan said, “The information was absolutely incredible! I would recommend your book to all aspirin
g and new authors.”Click here to listen to part 2...
What Writers Need to Know about Publishing is a behind-the-scenes look at a big New York publisher, what happens, how authors and their books are published, and what an author can do to help themselves and their book become successful. Read more at http://www.nothingbinding.com/.
Jerry's book is only available at his website http://www.writersreaders.com/.
Click here to listen to part 3...
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Ten Fundamental Components of Story's Opening Scene
By Billie A Williams
The Goal of your Story’s opening is to successfully introduce the story worth-telling problem and to hook the readers. It is essential to establish the rules of the story as each genre has its own rules that govern reader expectations. You must also foreshadow or forecast the end of the story at the very beginning. These are the essential components of an opening scene that should help you off to a hook-worthy beginning. Not all of these elements must be present in the opening scene, however the first four are the foundations you will build on and are therefore crucial.
Inciting Incident – When the fabric of society as the protagonist knows it, has a hole ripped in it.
The story-worth-telling – the problem, conflict, or crisis, which must be solved or resolved by the end of the story.
Initial surface problem – The immediate spurn to action caused by the inciting incident. The protagonist will solve, but not the real underlying story goal. Think of it as a mini-goal aiming toward the Story Goal. It also can create other problems. It may arise from the initial problem, but must have a deep rooted connection to the story-worth-telling problem of number two.
The Setup – You should strive to only give the reader what is exactly, absolutely necessary to understand this opening scene. (Little or no backstory). Save details for later when you will work them into the story whole a little at a time. What you need is a hint of the trouble to come, directly or indirectly.
These lesser components may or may not be necessary to adequately introduce your story. Use them, or leave them out whatever best suits your story and its purpose.
Back Story – The kiss of death to your manuscript? If you include too much unnecessary links to the past – yes it will be. Trust, instead that the reader’s ability to ‘get it’ will help them know what they need to know. Remember to include only that which is absolutely and exactly necessary. Some will assuredly fit better into the latter part of the story.
The Opening Line: This should be the best, strongest, most charged sentence of your entire manuscript!
Language – Remember the rule of thumb…each additional adjective or adverb halves the power of the verb or noun you use. Rarely, if ever do they double the affect. Strong, original verbs and concrete nouns create powerful writing. That includes dialogue tags, use said if you need to use a dialogue tag. Generally, language and action will do the tagging for you. Follow the rule of FAD – Feeling, Action, dialogue and you will stay on target without using unnecessary dialogue tags.
Character Introductions – Usually, protagonist and antagonist reaction/action form inciting incident creates a vision of these characters and indicates their personality. Brevity—is key here— pick telling details, not necessarily physical description but something that lends itself in interpretation to knowing your character by his/her actions. A caveat here is—do not introduce too many characters at once. It confuses the reader and makes the characters harder to remember.
Setting – Glimpse of detail, depending on how important the setting is to your story. Again brevity, includes these points in your setting – Physical space, time period, culture, society, and uses your five senses. Give the reader a sense of what is heard, seen, smelled, tasted include only if they are significant to your story at this point however. It should not stop or even noticeably slow down the forward movement of your scene or story. According to Les Edgerton author of Hooked, Write fiction that grabs readers at page one and never lets them go. “…active description, incorporated unobtrusively within the action of a scene,” describes your setting.
Foreshadowing- Hints of action or obstacles to come in your story-worth-telling. What is a good rule of thumb about how long your opening scene should be? According to most books on writing you should be able to create this scenario in about four pages. Using concise language will cause your writing to pick language that will work in more than one way. Write a great hook, clean concise prose with only the exactly necessary details and you will be on your way to being well-published.
Billie A Williams is a multi-published award winning author of mystery, suspense, romantic suspense, adventure, YA adventure, poetry and non-fiction articles and books on the craft of writing. Visit her Web site at www.billiewilliams.com or her blogs at http://printedwords.blogspot.com also http://onewomansgarden.blogspot.com. Video trailers she has made for herself and others at http://youtube.com/basbleu43. Billie writes a column for Mystery Fiction’s Voice in the Dark titled “Whodunit?” And interviews other authors for Manic Readers at www.manicreaders.com
The Goal of your Story’s opening is to successfully introduce the story worth-telling problem and to hook the readers. It is essential to establish the rules of the story as each genre has its own rules that govern reader expectations. You must also foreshadow or forecast the end of the story at the very beginning. These are the essential components of an opening scene that should help you off to a hook-worthy beginning. Not all of these elements must be present in the opening scene, however the first four are the foundations you will build on and are therefore crucial.
Inciting Incident – When the fabric of society as the protagonist knows it, has a hole ripped in it.
The story-worth-telling – the problem, conflict, or crisis, which must be solved or resolved by the end of the story.
Initial surface problem – The immediate spurn to action caused by the inciting incident. The protagonist will solve, but not the real underlying story goal. Think of it as a mini-goal aiming toward the Story Goal. It also can create other problems. It may arise from the initial problem, but must have a deep rooted connection to the story-worth-telling problem of number two.
The Setup – You should strive to only give the reader what is exactly, absolutely necessary to understand this opening scene. (Little or no backstory). Save details for later when you will work them into the story whole a little at a time. What you need is a hint of the trouble to come, directly or indirectly.
These lesser components may or may not be necessary to adequately introduce your story. Use them, or leave them out whatever best suits your story and its purpose.
Back Story – The kiss of death to your manuscript? If you include too much unnecessary links to the past – yes it will be. Trust, instead that the reader’s ability to ‘get it’ will help them know what they need to know. Remember to include only that which is absolutely and exactly necessary. Some will assuredly fit better into the latter part of the story.
The Opening Line: This should be the best, strongest, most charged sentence of your entire manuscript!
Language – Remember the rule of thumb…each additional adjective or adverb halves the power of the verb or noun you use. Rarely, if ever do they double the affect. Strong, original verbs and concrete nouns create powerful writing. That includes dialogue tags, use said if you need to use a dialogue tag. Generally, language and action will do the tagging for you. Follow the rule of FAD – Feeling, Action, dialogue and you will stay on target without using unnecessary dialogue tags.
Character Introductions – Usually, protagonist and antagonist reaction/action form inciting incident creates a vision of these characters and indicates their personality. Brevity—is key here— pick telling details, not necessarily physical description but something that lends itself in interpretation to knowing your character by his/her actions. A caveat here is—do not introduce too many characters at once. It confuses the reader and makes the characters harder to remember.
Setting – Glimpse of detail, depending on how important the setting is to your story. Again brevity, includes these points in your setting – Physical space, time period, culture, society, and uses your five senses. Give the reader a sense of what is heard, seen, smelled, tasted include only if they are significant to your story at this point however. It should not stop or even noticeably slow down the forward movement of your scene or story. According to Les Edgerton author of Hooked, Write fiction that grabs readers at page one and never lets them go. “…active description, incorporated unobtrusively within the action of a scene,” describes your setting.
Foreshadowing- Hints of action or obstacles to come in your story-worth-telling. What is a good rule of thumb about how long your opening scene should be? According to most books on writing you should be able to create this scenario in about four pages. Using concise language will cause your writing to pick language that will work in more than one way. Write a great hook, clean concise prose with only the exactly necessary details and you will be on your way to being well-published.
Billie A Williams is a multi-published award winning author of mystery, suspense, romantic suspense, adventure, YA adventure, poetry and non-fiction articles and books on the craft of writing. Visit her Web site at www.billiewilliams.com or her blogs at http://printedwords.blogspot.com also http://onewomansgarden.blogspot.com. Video trailers she has made for herself and others at http://youtube.com/basbleu43. Billie writes a column for Mystery Fiction’s Voice in the Dark titled “Whodunit?” And interviews other authors for Manic Readers at www.manicreaders.com
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