We have a special guest today.  Brian McClure is here to discuss writing children’s books from his own experience.

The Raindrop is a story about a drop of water that feels small and useless. Even as the cloud reassures the raindrop of its value in the circle of life, that counseling falls on deaf ears. The raindrop is consumed with self-pity, thereby making it impossible to hear the words, much less   feel the truth. All of us at some point in our lives have been, or will find ourselves in the raindrops position. The story follows the raindrop through many of its life experiences, which ultimately allows the raindrop to remember its inner truth. After the raindrop remembers its value and interconnection with all of life, it finds itself comforting the cloud about its value.

(Just as the Raindrop stopped laughing, it heard the cloud utter this cry, “I am just a cloud, up in the sky, I am no use all, oh me, oh my. Why am I here? What can I do? I have no purpose for living, I wish I were through.”

The Raindrop smiled in recognition of the plea, and comforted the cloud with a smile of glee. “What are you talking about?” asked the drop. “You are part of the process of life, and not just a prop!”

“No,” said the cloud,” I am sure you are wrong. I am good for nothing, and soon I’ll be gone.”

“I know your problem,” the drop said in reply. “I can do nothing to help you, I can only stand by…”  Pg. 30)

Isn’t that just the way it is in our lives also?

Writing a book is the easiest part! When you write a children’s book and you are not an artist, the next hurdle you face is finding an illustrator. Once you have found an illustrator, you need to have a legal document drawn up and signed in order to protect both parties. Once that is in place, if you are like me, you will want to have input on the page breakdown and pictures. This is not a quick process, as pictures are first conceptualized and then agreed upon. The final product can take months.

Prior to having the pictures drawn, you have to know what size your book is going to be, (7” x 10” or 10” x 11”) etc. in order to tell the artist what size to make the art. If you are finding your own sources to print or publish your books as I did, you will need to find a source to scan the finished artwork in HD and placed on discs. This company most likely will also be your source to pick out fonts, layout, text, etc. You need to figure out covers, inside flaps, pricing, additional writing on the inside flaps etc. You have to purchase ISBN numbers and assign one of them to your books. You will also have to know what price you are going to charge for your book in order to have the ISBN number printed correctly on your book.

Once you have made all of the necessary decisions, the book is put together on the computer and sent to you for proofing. This is where you make any and all corrections, from spelling to design. Once you sign off on the final proofs, your book is placed if print format on CD discs and given to you. You will then have to have an agreement with a printer covering paper quality and style, book cover quality and dust covers etc. Once you have signed off on all the decisions, they will print you a final proof for you to sign off on. If you have ordered thousands of books, you will have to have a place to have them shipped to, either a book distributor or wholesaler or warehouse, depending on your distribution system. All in all, it can take anywhere from six months to a year to get a book to market. The thing you need the most after you have written a book, is patience!!!

I am promoting this book and my other children’s books, The Sun and Moon, The Ants, The Birds and the Frogs, The Meal, Who am I, The Up Down Day, and The Bubble, through The Cadence Group out of NY. Through them, blog tours, author tours to libraries and schools have been set up, along with reviews and a whole host of activities! They are doing a wonderful job of helping me spread my message.

Ohio born native Brian McClure is the Founder and President of The Universal Flag and its affiliate companies. He is an author, human rights advocate and messenger of the oneness of all. Inside of the Universal Flag Companies, he set up a Non Profit Foundation to help relieve the suffering which he has witnessed in third world countries, along with spreading the Universal Flags throughout the World. The flag was recently paraded and flown at The United Nations as part of World Peace Day.

Brian has been interviewed on countless national radio shows and has been in a number of publications including CNN, CBS & NBC TV. He is the host the hit radio show, “A Call To Consciousness” – which is heard weekly on KTLK 1150AM in Los Angeles and KFNX 110AM in Phoenix Arizona.

He has spoken at many organizations, churches and institutions including The Agape Spiritual Center, The Inside Edge and The Onion based at the Unity Spiritual movement Center. Brian’s humanitarian efforts have extended worldwide. Recently Brian took it upon himself to visit and document impoverished communities in Sierra Leone which had just ended an 11 year war several years before, and Uganda. Upon his return he has been very proactive creating awareness about the real conditions which go largely unreported in the US.

Brian once stated: ”The power of a symbol cannot be underestimated. Politicians use symbols to gather and mobilize support. Corporations use logos to create effective, profitable brand loyalties. Now, the world has a new symbol, the Universal Flag is one that calls forth promise and potential for all. It defines our interconnectedness and oneness with ALL.” As Brian has said many times, “the Universal Flag Symbol acts as a signpost reminding us of our deepest truths. The symbol represents a world filled with infinite possibilities.”

Brian has developed an awareness of equality among all people and nationalities. His primary goal is to help people remember that inside each of us we hold the higher truths that are transforming our world.

You can visit Brian online at www.universalflag.com and  www.briandmcclure.com/mediablog

Tags: book promotions, Brian D. McClure, children's books, online book promotion, The Raindrop, writing children's books

Women’s fiction author Mary Carter will begin promoting her new book, My Sister’s Voice, on April 5 to kick off her April & May 2010 virtual book tour.

Mary will begin her tour with an interview at The Writer’s Life on April 5 and will be stopping off at 40 blogs before she winds it up with a book review at Book Reviews by Buuklvr81 on May 28.  Some of her stops include Dear Author, Examiner, Blogcritics, and will include over 20 book review blogs.  Readers will have a chance to win a free copy of her book during several of her stops just by stopping by and saying hello.

Mary’s book focuses on Lacey Gears who, at twenty-eight, is exactly where she wants to be.  An up-and-coming, proudly Deaf artist in Philadelphia, she’s in a relationship with a wonderful man and rarely thinks about her difficult childhood in a home for disabled orphans.  That is, until Lacey receives a letter that begins, “You have a sister. A twin to be exact…”

Learning her identical, hearing twin, Monica, experienced the normal childhood she was denied resurrects all of Lacey’s grief, and she angrily sets out to find Monica and her biological parents.  But the truth about Monica’s life, their brief shared past, and the reason for the twins’ separation is far from simple.  And for every one of Lacey’s questions that’s answered, others are raised, more baffling and profound.

Complex, moving, and beautifully told, My Sister’s Voice is a novel about sisterhood, love of every shape, and the stories we cling to until real life comes crashing in…

Mary is a freelance writer and novelist.  My Sister’s Voice is her fourth novel with Kensington. Her other works include:  She’ll Take It, Accidentally Engaged, Sunnyside Blues, and The Honeymoon House in the best selling anthology Almost Home. She is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, which is part of the Rochester Institute of Technology. She has just completed A Very Maui Christmas, a new novella for Kensington that will be included in a Christmas of 2010 anthology. She is currently working on a new novel, The Pub Across the Pond, about an American woman who swears off all Irish men only to learn she’s won a pub in Ireland. Readers are welcome to visit her online at www.marycarterbooks.com.

If you would like to follow Mary’s tour, click here.

Other books include:

Tags: blog tour, book announcement, book promotions, book publicity, Mary Carter, My Sister's Voice, online book promotion, promote your book, sell your book, virtual book tour, women's fiction

Why should non-diabetics get informed? Because as much as we know about diabetes treatment today, the support from our family and friends still plays a part in how healthy we are. An understanding approach from someone who cares means everything to us. Your diabetic friend or relative counts on you to be the person in their life that “gets it” when no one else does. This book will tell you what you can do to help. Things like what you should (and shouldn’t) say, what you should learn to truly be supportive, and even how you can help in the fight for a cure. 21 Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes by Cherie Burbach will point you in the right direction so you can truly support your diabetic friend.  If you know someone diabetic, you need to pick up a copy of this book.

Here’s an excerpt:

When I first became diabetic, I was amazed at how many times someone around me would hand me a sugar-free soda when my blood sugar was low, or investigate the food I had on my plate, or tell me I got the disease from eating too much sugar. Everyone, it seemed, had an opinion or thought they wanted to share. The trouble was, very few people had good information about diabetes.

Diabetics deal with the fear of complications, burden of maintenance costs, and wear and tear on our bodies from organs that are overworked. Some of us deal with multiple needle injections. We deal with so much more than you would think.

Diabetes isn’t just about “not eating sugar.” Our blood sugars can change with stress and exercise and illness.

Your diabetic friend or relative counts on you to be the person in their life that “gets it” when no one else does. This book will tell you what you can do to help. Things like what you should (and shouldn’t) say, what you should learn to truly be supportive, and even how you can help in the fight for a cure.

My hope with this book is to get you the information you need to be the very best friend to your diabetic pal.

This book is:
• a source of encouragement
• a prompt for education
• a starting guide to diabetic etiquette.

This book is not:
• a medical reference book
• a substitute for a nurse, doctor, or other medical professional.

In other words, this book won’t give you medical information. It will, however, give you a starting point so you can find out what you should. The rest is up to you.

21 Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes will point you in the right direction so you can truly support your diabetic friend.

Here’s what critics have to say:

This little book packs an informative punch to those who know little to nothing about diabetes. I highly recommend it…

–Barbara Milbourn

If you know someone with diabetes, or have just been diagnosed yourself, this is a helpful primer that offers reassurance and hope…

–Feathered Quill

Its a great book I highly recommend it…

–Chow and Cheddar

Cherie Burbach is an author, blogger, poet, crocheter, and geek. She loves football and is obsessed with anything having to do with the Green Bay Packers or Tudor history.

A passionate diabetes advocate, Cherie has written the book, 21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes.

Cherie used her experience with meeting her husband online to pen At the Coffee Shop, a humorous look at the world of Internet dating. Cherie went on over 60 coffee dates in just six months. She met lots of great people and one of those turned out to be the guy she would marry just one year later. Cherie’s new dating book, Internet Dating is Not Like Ordering a Pizza is available now.

She is a staff writer for b5media, and also the author of three poetry books, including A New Dish and The Difference Now. Her latest, Father’s Eyes, has received the 2008 Editor’s Choice Award by Allbooks Review.

Readers have resonated with Cherie’s honest and inspirational ”This I Believe” essay, which is the second-most popular out of over 40,000 entries on the NPR website. For more information, please visit Cherie’s website, www.cherieburbach.com, her personal blogs, or follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/brrbach.

Tags: 21 Simple Things You Can Do to Help Someone with Diabetes, author spotlight, blog tour, book promotions, Cherie Burbach, online book promotion, virtual book tour

Every unwed mother’s nightmare comes to life in the pages of Invasion of the Baby Daddy, a compelling and moving debut novel that echoes the emotional and cerebral frustrations of unwed mothers throughout the ages. Its unforgettable characters and authentic story line are interwoven with current and real facts about the volume of unwed mothers in our society today.

In the story, Dr. Sands believes he has found his perfect mate only to discover that she is pregnant from a previous relationship. Not fully aware of the ramifications of this colossal news, Dr. Sands and Rachel date via long distance during her pregnancy and ultimately decide to get married. In order to make a life together, Rachel must move to Tennessee to start a new life with her husband. But the Baby Daddy has other plans for them. Determined to make this marriage work, Dr. Sands goes to extraordinary lengths to try and negotiate with the Baby Daddy. Brimming with honesty from the author s own experiences, Invasion of the Baby Daddy comes alive with unique freshness, candor and rich detail.

Here’s an excerpt:

As once a single man, I often pondered what life would hold in store for me. I never really knew how to approach the reality of looking for a woman to marry. I often figured it would happen like it does in the movies. You know how the guy meets this woman, and they have a few dates. During the courtship, the man would say the greatest lines and as a result, the woman would be swept off her feet. The rest is history. No drama or challenges, the end. We all know that we do not live in that movie, well most of us anyway. Love, at first sight, is truly a great misconception (or even second or third for that matter). With maturity and experience as both a Father and Husband, I never expected to meet a woman, who already had a child, to be my wife. Furthermore, my expectation was that I would meet someone on my level; like a physician or lawyer—someone who was equally yoked or of my intellectual stature. Once you have wrestled with the challenges of being a young man; you learn how to become a better one. Your selection of women evolves from what you want, to what you need. Selfishness in relationships is commonplace to many men. This characteristic is practically encoded in our DNA. As we are raised to be gladiators, we compete for things, such as: family pride, home turf and always for young love or infatuation. This selfishness is also the core of how most men are defined in their relationships with women. The selfishness quotient of a man translates into how he treats himself and the woman to whom he will make a life commitment.

Dr. John E. Bell is a Surgical Podiatrist and a College Professor at Strayer University at the Shelby Oaks campus in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Bell has a Master’s degree in Health Services Administration from Strayer University in Memphis, Tennessee and a Doctorate Of Podiatric Medicine degree from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. He is a graduate from Morris college in Sumter, South Carolina. Dr. Bell is a Gulf War veteran with 10 years in the US Navy with an honorable discharge. Dr. Bell is a member of Phi-Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.

Dr. Bell has his own radio show called the Dr. John Bell Show that can be heard on Saturday from 4-5pm central time and 5-6pm Eastern time on KWAM990.com. Dr. Bell is married and has one daughter and a step son and has experienced the subject of the baby daddy syndrome and the drama that can be experienced from relationships that include a blended family structure. Dr. Bell has chosen to write about some of the challenges from a man’s perspective involved in a blended family where the man does not have any children and the woman has a child from a previous relationship.

This story has been a compilation of many American family’s dilemma with people who want to move on from their past mistakes in life of children and relationships and how much it can cost the people we love most when our life choices become complicated with an invasive baby daddy as in the book or even an invasive baby momma into a family situation. This book demonstrates how the American family structure is changing and how the law is often used to separate families and ultimately even end a marriage. In this American story of many with this subject, one family had to find a way to make the ultimate sacrifice to avoid destruction from the invasion of a baby daddy.

You can visit his website at www.drjohnbell.com.

Tags: baby daddy, blog tour, Dr. John E. Bell, fiction novel, Invasion of the Baby Daddy, unwed mothers, virtual book tour

It’s the age-old tale:
Boy meets girl.
Boy stalks girl.
Girl already has a stalker.
Boy becomes her stalker-stalker.

We’ve seen it all before, many times, but this time it’s different. If only slightly.

This is the exciting premise of a just released book by Graham Parke. No Hope for Gomez (Outskirts Press) is Graham’s fiction debut that I’m sure humor suspense lovers are going to enjoy.

No Hope for Gomez focuses on Gomez Porter who becomes a test subject in an experimental drug trial and is asked to keep track of any strange experiences through a blog. What Gomez isn’t ready for, is so many of his experiences suddenly seeming strange; the antiques dealer trying to buy his old tax papers, his neighbor boiling salamanders on his balcony at midnight, the super sexy lab assistant who falls for him but is unable to express herself in terms outside the realm of science.

But when one of the trial participants turns up dead and another goes missing, Gomez begins to fear for his life. No longer sure who he can trust and which of his experiences are real and which merely drug induced illusions, he decides it’s time to go underground and work out a devious plan.

Now, years later, his blogs have been recovered from a defunct server. For the first time we can find out firsthand what happened to Gomez as he takes us on a wild ride of discovery.

California Chronicle calls it “Extremely witty and clever writing that contains keen insights into human nature…”

Reader Views says, “No Hope for Gomez! by Graham Parke is a very funny book; a veritable page turner of nonstop laughs…”

Readers Favorite calls it “The antics in this book will leave the reader laughing. Graham Parke is a genius…”

If you’d like to find out more about Graham Parke and his new book, No Hope for Gomez, visit his website at www.grahamparke.com. If you’d like to purchase his book online, you can visit Amazon for purchasing information.

Graham Parke will be on virtual book tour throughout the months of April and May 2010. If you’d like to follow his tour, click here to find out where he’ll be touring and to find out more about this talented and very funny author!

Tags: book promotions, book publicity, book spotlights, Graham Parke, humor suspense, No Hope for Gomez, online book promotion

Robin Leigh Miller knows a little about finding romance in odd places. A retired dirt track racecar driver, she found love and adventure on the track. After three months of dating a fellow driver, he proposed and seven months later, they married. Now Robin gets her adrenaline rush from creating spunky, determined kick ass women that don’t let anything get in their way. Mix in her passion for the paranormal, action and adventure and you have some unique thrilling stories. Enter a world where anything can happen and hold on tight. It’s a bumpy ride but worth the trip as you watch her characters plow through what life throws at them and come out the other side more powerful and of course in love.

We interviewed Robin to find out about her writing life and her newest book, Black Smoke.

Welcome to  Literarily Speaking, Robin. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?

Robin Leigh Miller: Thank you for having me. At the risk of repeating myself in my bio, I’m a retired dirt track driver. I spent six years racing a stock car, a micro sprint, dune buggy and even a late model at our local dirt track in central Pennsylvania. I love adrenaline, it makes me feel alive. I met my husband on the track, we used to race against each other, got married and six years later had our first son. Number one son is now getting ready to run his first season in a stock car. Three years later I had another son and three years after that I gave birth to a daughter. What was I thinking? Girls are much harder to raise than boys. Seriously, she’s the best and will keep me on my toes for the rest of my life. Now we make a living building race engines for other drivers. Yes, I get down and dirty, or greasy rather. I can tear down an engine, machine most of the parts and even put most of it back together again. Life has changed for me since those days of ripping around the track. I took up reading and became addicted to paranormal, action and adventure romance novels. Four years ago I sat down and decided to try my hand at writing. A few blundered stories later, some heavy duty research, studying about constructing a story and Black Smoke came together and here I am.

Can you please tell us about your book and why you wrote it?

Robin Leigh Miller: Black Smoke is about Samantha Wells, a young woman who watched her parent’s brutal murder. She too would have been killed if not for the help of a soft, quiet and calm voice she heard inside her head, the voice of her spirit guide. Adopted by her uncle, Sam grew up in the military world and quickly learned she had skills that could help those touched by the dredge of humanity. With the help of her spirit guide, Sam dons a black mask and the handle Black Smoke and completes missions others have failed to complete.

Mark Lowe, a.k.a. Kong, and his team are called in to assist Sam on a mission in Afghanistan. Mark is uneasy with the way Sam operates. She carries too many secrets, knows things she shouldn’t know. Most of all, he doesn’t like how she’s managed to work her way into his heart and soul. When the mission completes, Mark retreats to safer ground leaving Sam alone and emotionally devastated. Unwilling to listen to her uncle, Sam does what she does best, delves head first into a hell only Mark can pull her from.

Black Smoke was a product of my many years of reading about psychics, life after death and spirits. I’m a big believer that just because you can’t explain it doesn’t mean it isn’t real. Mix my interest of the paranormal in with my fierce patriotism and need for action and Samantha Wells and her team were born. I love reading fiction. I read for entertainment mostly and one day decided to give it a try. I wrote what I knew about, spirits, patriotism and romance. Now I get my adrenaline fix from writing action stories.

What kind of research was involved in writing Black Smoke?

Robin Leigh Miller: Like I said, I’d spent many years reading about spirits so I had a working knowledge of how I wanted that spirit to be a part of the story. As for the rest, when I needed to know something I turned to the internet, who doesn’t these days right? I’m not a big television watcher, but I do like shows about weapons, military weapons especially. It’s funny; my husband will turn on a show and ask if I need to watch it for ideas. He’s cute that way. History channel is where I discovered my weaponry knowledge for Black Smoke. The rest I pulled out of my twisted mind.

Has it been a bumpy ride to becoming a published author or has it been pretty well smooth sailing?

Robin Leigh Miller: I have to say it wasn’t easy at first. All those rejections can bring a person down and cause self doubt. My rejections mainly centered around publishers not needing my type of story at that particular time. So, I hit the smaller presses. Cerridwen Press liked what I wrote and signed me. It’s been clear skies and smooth sailing ever since. It’s nice to know there are publishers out there looking for something new and fresh.

For this particular book, how long did it take from the time you signed the contract to its release?

Robin Leigh Miller: Three months and let me tell you I was shocked. It seemed like the world was spinning out of control at that point. Between edits, cover art and setting up a web site I had a hard time keeping up. Me, having a web site, it still makes me chuckle. I started out just seeing if I could do this and then slam, I’m up to my eyeballs in chats, emails and reviews. I love it!

Do you have an agent and, if so, would you mind sharing who he/is is? If not, have you ever had an agent or do you even feel it’s necessary to have one?

Robin Leigh Miller: I don’t have an agent. I tried to get one but once again it was the not looking for this genre at the moment routine. I think if you’re looking to be published by the big houses, the names everyone is familiar with, you need an agent in your corner or else your manuscript is floating in a sea of others and you don’t really have much of a chance. I’d love to have an agent, so if any are out there looking to sign a new, fresh voice with a scary mind, I’m available.

Do you plan subsequent books?

Robin Leigh Miller: I actually have seven titles published. Black Smoke is my only print book. The others are released in ebook. Boomer’s Fall and Ricochets Rogue are the sequels to Black Smoke. Then I have thrillers titled Running Blind, Force of Nature and Soulless. I released a short story in February titled Country Loving, a thriller as well. I donated Country Loving to raise money for the American Heart Association through All Romance eBooks. My current WIP is about the military. Guess you’ve figured out I’m kind of a groupie when it comes to military. Seriously, I hold our serving men and women, along with vets, in the highest regard. My undying gratitude to them and their families.

Can you describe your most favorite place to write?

Robin Leigh Miller: Most people work at a nice desk all organized. Me, I sit in my overstuffed recliner in my living room with my feet tucked up under me, an annoyingly loud timer to remind me that people need to eat, and my dog at my feet. She’s a German shepherd and occasionally sends me jolting from my chair when a car goes by that sounds funny. I live in the country, so cars don’t go by all that much but if a big truck rolls down the road she thinks she needs to warn it away. My notes are piled beside my chair in an organized chaos that only I seem to understand. I used to have a room where I sat at a desk but number one son needed a bedroom of his own so I sacrificed. What us moms won’t do.

If money were no object, what would be the first thing you would invest in to promote your book?

Robin Leigh Miller: Billboards, lots and lots of billboards with my book cover ten stories high right in everyone’s face. I’d also advertise on television during Idol or any of those reality shows that make me nauseous. I’d even buy advertising space in shoe stores, right between all the gorgeous heals and stylish summer sandals. That’s where my target audience is, right?

How important do you think self-promotion is and in what ways have you been promoting your book offline and online?

Robin Leigh Miller: Self-promotion is key. You have to take charge of getting your name and book out there or it won’t happen. Most publishers don’t do much promotion so you absolutely have to do it yourself. I hit review sites on the internet, work the networking sites and even bought a local newspaper add. Word of mouth is good, if you know a lot of people. Business cards, bookmarks, pamphlets, contests, anything you can do to bring people to your site and get your name and book out there is helpful. Choosing a good promotional company that has connections is great. I’m using Pump Up Your Book and they have opened doors that I never even knew existed.

What’s the most common reason you believe new writers give up their dream of becoming published and did you almost give up?

Robin Leigh Miller: I’d say the number one reason is rejection. If you want to be in the publishing industry you have to be able to take rejection. Brush it off, learn from criticism and keep forging on. Nothing worth while comes easily. If the big houses are turning you down, maybe you can find support in the smaller presses. Work your way up, stepping stones. I haven’t wanted to give up yet. I’m sure I’ll hit some very large hurdles through my journey but I’d like to think I’m the type of person that will scrap, claw and climb my way over those hurdles.

Any final words of wisdom for those of us who would like to be published?

Robin Leigh Miller: If writing is your passion then keep writing. If you think you’re lacking something then find a writers course, attend a seminar, research do anything you have to do but don’t give up your dream. It’s your dream and no one can take it away from you.

Thank you for your interview, Robin. I wish you much success!

Robin Leigh Miller: Thank you so very much for your time and for helping me promote Black Smoke. I wish everyone excitement in their lives, romance in their hearts and a little paranormal mixed in to keep things interesting.

You can visit Robin’s website at www.robinleighmiller.com or her blog at www.robinleighmiller.blogspot.com. Connect with her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/robin.l.miller1?ref=profile or visit her at Author’s Den at www.authorsden.com/robinleighmiller.

Tags: Author Interviews, Black Smoke, Cerridwen Press, paranormal romance, Robin Leigh Miller

Rachel, Jessica, and Tiffany all share a difficult secret: they’re all struggling with major financial problems. A sudden divorce has turned Rachel from a stay-at-home mom to a strapped-for-cash divorcee about to enter the workforce for the first time. Tiffany’s spending has been out of control for years, and her mounting credit card bills have put a major strain on her marriage. And Jessica just had the rug pulled out from under her. After struggling her entire life to make ends meet, she’s just gotten engaged to a man with a big bank account…and now he’s asked her to sign a pre-nup.

When the women share their problems at their weekly crafting group, they decide to band together to take control of their finances. As they struggle to bring balance back to their checkbooks and their lives, they learn that some things in life, like good friends, are truly priceless.

This is the exciting premise of Sheila Roberts’ new women’s fiction novel, Small Change (St. Martin’s).

Sheila is no stranger to penning novels and books that speak of friendships among our fellow sisters are her specialty.  Her other books include Love in Bloom, Angel Lane, On Strike for Christmas, and Bikini Season.

How many women in the Virginia Beach area know of a special woman friend they could lean on through thick and thin?  Small Change gives all of us reasons to believe nothing is too hard to tackle as long as we have a little help from our friends.

Here’s a little excerpt from Sheila Roberts’ Small Change:

There it sat, a Cloud Nine queen-sized luxury gold comforter with red ribbon applique and metallic embroidery. Forty percent off. It was the last one left. Tiffany Turner had seen it, and so had the other woman.

The woman caught Tiffany looking at it and her eyes narrowed. Tiffany narrowed hers right back. Her competitor was somewhere in her fifties, dressed for comfort in jeans and a sweater, her feet shod in tennis shoes for quick movement – obviously a sale veteran, but Tiffany wasn’t intimidated. She was younger. She had the drive, the determination.

It took only one second to start the race. The other woman strode toward the comforter with the confidence that comes with age, her hand stretched toward the prize.

Tiffany chose that moment to look over her competitor’s shoulder. Her eyes went wide and she gasped. “Oh, my gosh.” Her hands flew to her face in horror.

The other woman turned to see the calamity happening in back of her.

And that was her undoing. In a superhuman leap, Tiffany bagged the comforter
just as her competitor turned back. Score.

Boy, if looks could kill.

It would be rude to gloat. Tiffany gave an apologetic shrug and murmured, “Sorry.”

The woman paid her homage with a reluctant nod. “You’re good.”

Yes, I am. “Thanks,” Tiffany murmured, and left the field of battle for the customer service counter.

As she walked away, she heard the other woman mutter, “Little beast.”

Okay, now she’d gloat.

She was still gloating as she drove home from the mall an hour later. She’d not only scored on the comforter, she’d gotten two sets of towels (buy one, get one free), a great top for work, a cute little jacket, a new shirt for Brian, and a pair of patent metallic purple shoes with 3 1/2 inch heels that were so hot she’d burn the pavement when she walked. With the new dress she’d snagged at thirty percent off (plus another ten percent off for using her department store card), she’d be a walking inferno. Brian would melt when he saw her.

Her husband would also melt if he saw how much she’d spent today, so she had to beat him home. And since he would be back from the office in half an hour, she was now in another race, one that she didn’t dare lose. That was the downside of hitting the mall after work. She always had to hurry home to hide her treasures before Brian walked in the door. But she could do it.

Tiffany followed the Abracadabra shopping method: get the bargain and then make it disappear for a while so you could later insist that said bargain had been sitting around the house for ages. She’d learned that one from her mother. Two years before, she had successfully used the Guessing Game method: bring home the bargains and lull husband into acceptance by having him guess how incredible little you’d paid for each one.

She’d pull a catch of the day from its bag and say, “Guess how much I paid for this sweater.”

He’d say, “Twenty dollars.”

“Too high,” she’d reply with a smirk.

“Okay. Fifteen.”

“Too high.

“Ten.”

“Nope. Eight ninety-nine. I’m good.”

If you’d like to find out more about Sheila and her books, visit her website at www.sheilasplace.com.  If you’d like to order her book at Amazon, click here.  The book will be available on March 30.

If you’d like to follow her virtual book tour in March and April, click here.

Tags: blog tour, book campaign, book promotions, book publicity, online book promotion, Sheila Roberts, Small Change, virtual book tour, women's fiction, women's fiction author, women's fiction novel

Annette Fuson has been a teacher of teenage girls for many years. She has a BS and MA degree in Education and has also taught at the college level. She is married and has a daughter and granddaughter. The book, ‘Straight Talk for Teenage Girls’ is about topics she taught, where she learned that the changes taking place in teen girls’ lives make them confused, afraid and frustrated. The information taught gave them realistic ideas to help them deal with this stage of life. The classes and discussions were lively and positive. The girls wanted ideas, encouragement and sensible answers to what was bothering them. She used this knowledge to write the book when she saw so many girls needed this kind of help. Girls need all the ideas and help they can get from school, parents, church and other adults to make good decisions that can help mold them with a minimum of problems along the way. Annette has a self-help test and case study at each chapter. Girls love these and adults who work with teens use them for discussion. It is in everyone’s interest for all teenage girls grow to be happy and confident adults. To that goal is her mission with the book. She speaks and has taught workshops for teens and parents of teens where she has information sheets and tests on parenting. Annette has a business helping people look and dress their best for themselves and their careers. She gives presentations to businesses. But Annette Fuson’s true purpose it helping teenage girls. She has been chosen Citizen of the Year and Queen of Sales many times. These accomplishments show she is a leader and a “people person” that can make a difference in many lives.

You can visit her website at www.straighttalkforgirls.com.

Q: Thank you for this interview, Annette. Can you tell us what your latest book is all about?

Straight Talk for Teenage Girls gives information on making choices in life situations. It is sensible ideas on problems all girls face with suggested answers so they can deal with the pressures. Examples: self-esteem, emotions, decisions, friendships with girls/boys, getting out of bad situations, handling mistakes and reaching goals. Each chapter has a self-test and case study for discussion. The mistake chapter has things to say and do for each mistake, as well as, 800 numbers and websites for more information. The mission is for girls to make choices that will help them reach adulthood successfully. www.straighttalkforgirls.com

Q: Is this your first novel? If not, how has writing this novel different from writing your first?

This is not a novel. It is a non-fiction, self-help book and my first.

Q: How difficult was it writing your book? Did you ever experience writer’s block and, if so, what did you do?

It was very easy to write because it was information I gained from teaching teenage girls for many years. I used that information and situations gained from them.

Q: How have your fans embraced your latest novel? Do you have any funny or unusual experiences to share?

When I do book signings or conferences, I hear how they enjoyed and used the book to help themselves or others. Teenagers have said something like, “When we have a problem, someone will say, “Let’s get the “Bible” and see what we can do.” Friends use it together. One male counselor said that he uses the controlling/abusive boyfriend test to see if the guy has tendencies toward being controlling and then he deals with it with him. Another said she took the book to school and the teacher used the case studies at the end of class for discussion.

Q: What is your daily writing routine?

Now I am marketing not writing.

Q: When you put the pen or mouse down, what do you do to relax?

I golf, play bridge or dominoes or shop.

Q: What book changed your life?

Straight Talk for Teenage Girls has made my life busier, but rewarding. Something good is happening to girls because of it. In our area, Foster Care is trying to give a copy to each girl they place in foster care.

Q: If someone were to write a book on your life, what would the title be?

She did it her way!”

Q: Finish this sentence: “The one thing that I wish people would understand about me is…”

…that I am a strong personality, but am kind, thoughtful and caring.

Thank you for this interview Annette. I wish you much success on your latest release, “Straight Talk for Teenage Girls”.

Tags: Annette Fuson, Author Interviews, self-help, Straight Talk for Teenage Girls, teenagers

We thoroughly enjoyed Judi More’s last book, You Are More Than Enough, and she is back with a new anthology titled Life Choices: Navigating Difficult Paths.

We’re all stuck in one uncompromising situation after the other, but how well do we bounce back? What about those who defied the odds and bounced back with flying colors? That’s what her new book is all about. We interviewed Judi to find out more about this inspiring book and what was involved in the writing and compiling process.

Thank you for this interview, Judi. So nice to see you again! I thoroughly enjoyed You are More Than Enough, now you are back with an anthology titled Life Choices: Navigating Difficult Paths. Can you tell us a little more about it?

Thank you for the interview. Rarely do we find a book that addresses so many different challenges. These 26 extraordinary people who have written their stories reached into the depths of their souls to share with us how they have persevered against the odds, navigating difficult paths, and made choices that enabled them to achieve successful lives.

You compiled this anthology yourself. How did you find everyone whose stories appear in your book?

Some of the people I had heard speak and knew their stories. Some were referred to me by other people. Then I put a notice in my monthly newsletter that I was looking for stories and many people sent stories to me.

Did you edit this yourself?

Yes and no. Yes, I edited it. Then I sent it to a professional editor, Jami Carpenter, who edited my You Are More Than Enough book and she did the big edit.

What was the hardest part about taking on such a huge project?

I had never published anyone else’s work before, so I felt I had to be careful about maintaining the integrity of their stories and still making sure they had every little detail correct.

What were the joys?

Working with these incredible people to tell their stories. Seeing them cry with joy when they saw the finished proof of the book.

Do you have a personal story in the book and would you like to tell us about it?

Yes, I do. Thank you for asking. My story is about my first trip to Africa…the invitation, how I got there, meeting the love of my life, losing him and still making the decision to go live in South Africa during the end of aparteid….it was a choice that changed my life forever.

Where can we pick up a copy?

It’s already available on Amazon. Most of the major book stores will be carrying it. Or it has it’s own website, www.lifechoicesbook.com and it can be purchased right there.

Thank you so much for this interview, Judi, and good luck to you!

Thank you. It’s always a pleasure.

Tags: Aimmee Riley, Andrea Chestnut, Anne Abernathy, Anne Dreyer, anthology, author publicity, blog tour, Bob Walker, book marketing, book promotions, book publicity, Charlotte Foust, Dan Roberts, Deborah Clark, Dr. Casey McNeal, Edie Raether, Elle Swan, Ginette Bedsaul, Jennifer Tarlin, Jesse Ferrell, Judi Moreo, Karen Phillips, Life Choices Navigating Difficult Paths, Mary Monaghan, motivational, motivational anthology, motivational speaker, Nancy Todd, online book promotion, Rev. Cattel, Sandra Gore Nielsen, Sandy Kastel, self-fulfillment, self-help, Sherial Bratcher, Stephen Philpott, Susan Haller, Vickie Lane, virtual book tour

I am a huge fan of country music so you can imagine what a thrill it was when I found out George Earl Parker was going to guest blog today at Literarily Speaking.  I mean, okay, it’s not the fact that he’s the fantastic author of a new book called Vampyre Blood -  Eight Pints of Trouble (it’s so new Amazon doesn’t even have the cover up at this point but don’t let that stop you from purchasing!) and it’s not the fact he’s touring everywhere (his single The Rebel in Me is currently #2 in Sweden, #16 in Norway, #21 in the United Kingdom and #38 in Denmark) but just maybe it’s the fact I’m so excited he’s going to talk about how songs can be interwoven in with his book, Vampyre Blood – Eight Pints of Trouble.

I’ll let Earl explain…take it away Earl…

Songs by George Earl Parker

I’ve just completed a book called Vampyre Blood-Eight Pints of Trouble, which is a crazy romp through New Orleans with a cast of characters seeking a place in history where they can relax and be themselves. It’s not an uncommon pursuit; we are all involved to some degree in searching for shelter from the storm.

My book however, is distinguished by the fact that chief among these seekers of enlightenment is the ultimate bad boy himself, none other than Count Dracula.

What sets him apart from most everyone else involved in this search is not that he’s a reformed vampyre, or that he’s over 450 years old. It’s that he’s playing violin in a Goth rock band called The Techno Zombies, and searching for an answer to where he came from; a most human quest.

The fact that he endeavors to find himself through music is not unique. It is something we all do. Music and song elevate the soul, taking us to places within ourselves, places we would have no access to without them.

Songs are metaphors for that which cannot be said easily. They add up to more than the words in them, and at their best they are feelings transmitted through emotion. So it’s no surprise that the Count is attracted to their allure; they represent the light of consciousness.

Freed from his hunger he is able to see for the first time that he has been a prisoner of habit bound to the heart of darkness by a force so strong, he needed supernatural help to escape its confinement.

We are all attracted to songs that help us achieve freedom from some pesky preoccupation that refuses to let us go. My latest song is titled, Out of The Ice, and from the reception it’s getting it appears to be one of those songs that is greater than the sum of its parts.

It’s not that songs are going to ride in and free us from ourselves, but they do help us to understand the corners we paint ourselves into. Whether it’s joy or sadness, love or pain, heartache or desire, somebody’s been there before, and left behind a map of the territory.

Tags: Author Interviews, blog tour, book promotions, BookLocker, Count Dracula, European Country Music Association, George Earl Parker, Guest Bloggers, literarily speaking, literary fiction, literary humor, literary humor fiction, metaphysical, Museum of Modern Art, New Orleans, online book publicity, Pump Up Your Book, Rutles, singer, songwriter, vampires, Vampyre Blood, virtual book tour

Paul Stutzman spent twenty-five years in food service, but left that career after his wife died of breast cancer. At 58, he hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, seeking healing and answers to questions about grief and God’s relevance to his life. His book, Hiking Through: Finding Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail, chronicles his hiking journey and his spiritual journey. His website is www.hikingthrough.com.

Paul’s book, Hiking Through, was chosen as one of our April Book Club Selections.  To not only find out more about Paul and his book, but to have a chance to win a FREE copy, too, visit our Book Club Selection page to find out the dates Paul will be appearing (virtually, that is!).

Q: Welcome to Literarily Speaking, Paul. Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

That’s an easy one. This is my first venture.

Q: What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

Hiking Through is my very first book. For many years, I dreamed about writing a book about “life”, but I was too busy living to get it written. Then my wife died, and this hike gave birth to a book that was entirely different than what I had planned to write.

Q: For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

I guess I never gave anyone the pleasure of rejecting me. I went straight to self-publishing, because I had a message I needed to get out there. I already had a following and an audience from my online trail journals, and I didn’t want to wait a year or more to get the book out.

Q: How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

I’m sure rejections would have been hurtful, but I also know I would have persevered until I found a publisher.

Q: When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

Synergy Books, a division of Book Pros. The reason I picked them was that it was as close as I could get to traditional publishing in that they offered book distribution, something I was happy to have someone else cover.

Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

How did it feel? It was amazing to hold that first book when it came in the mail. I celebrated by going to my knees and thanking God, then calling my children and telling them the story of their mother’s bravery was going to be published.

Q: What was the first thing you did as far as promotion when you were published for the first time?

We let the local newspapers know; they did press releases. I did a radio interview in the first few days after publication. Word of mouth in my small community is pretty effective.

Q: If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

No. I’m very satisfied with the route I took.

Q: Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

No, no more publications. Very busy promoting this one. I’ve certainly learned a lot about the publishing business. I know there’s another book coming, though, just waiting for me to put the words down.

Q: Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up? What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

Since I’d quit my job to do the hike and then write the book, I pretty much devoted my whole life to getting this book in print.

Q: What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

I’m happy that the book is selling well, but even more pleased that people are responding to the message, and I’ve been able to connect with others who have been through the loss of a loved one.

Q: If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

I guess that now I’m a writer. That’s what has filled my life for the last year and a half. But if I would do something else, I’d go back to food service. I miss the people. Yes. I’d go back to food service, and run a little hot dog stand.

Q: Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

I don’t have to. I could easily run a little hot dog stand and write! I can be a purveyor of wieners and still hear people’s stories.

Q: How do you see yourself in ten years?

Well, I will have at least three more books out. They’re in the pipeline right now.

Q: Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

Be persistent. If you have a story or a message that you feel is helpful to somebody, with the resources available today you can definitely be published.

Tags: adventure, Appalachian Trail, blog tour, book campaign, book promotions, breast cancer, cancer, grief, hiking, hiking backpacks, hiking the Appalachian trail, hiking the appalacihians, hiking through, hiking trails, hiking trails in Appalachians, mountain hiking tips, mountain hiking trails, mountain hiking trails U.S., online book promotion, promote your book, sell your book, Smoky Mountains, spirituality, virtual book tour

A true Southern woman who knows that any cook worth her gumbo always starts with a roux and who never wears white after Labor Day, Christa Allan weaves stories of unscripted grace with threads of hope, humor, and heart.

Walking on Broken Glass (Abingdon Press, Feb. ‘10) is her debut novel. She contributes to Exemplify and Afictionado, the e-zine of American Christian Fiction Writers. Her essays have been published in Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover’s Soul , The Ultimate Teacher, Cup of Comfort, and Chicken Soup for the Divorced Soul. Christa is the mother of five adult children, a grandmother of three, and a teacher of high school English. She and her husband Ken live in Abita Springs, Louisiana, where they and their three cats enjoy their time between dodging hurricanes.

We asked Christa a few questions about how she markets her books.

Literarily Speaking: Thank you for this interview, Christa. Can we begin by having you tell us a little about your book?

Christa Allan: Walking on Broken Glass tells the story of Leah Thornton, a woman whose life looks pretty from the outside; she seems to “have it all.” But appearances can be deceiving because she’s a mess. She drinks to numb her pain and, until her friend confronts her with the truth, she thinks no one else has noticed. Leah admits herself to rehab, and the novel-told from Leah’s point of view-follows her through her recovery as she attempts to discover who she really is and what she’s willing to sacrifice to find out.

Literarily Speaking: What is the first thing you did to promote your book once your publisher accepted your manuscript?

Christa Allan: Does wildly screaming count? Unfortunately, no! My first step was to work with Rob Eagar of Wildfire Marketing. he helped me zero in on my novel’s value to readers, my tag (“Stories of Unscripted Grace”), how to redesign my website, suggestions for a speaking and writing platform, and other strategies for debut authors.

Then I yakked it up on social networks, my blog, and anyone who breathed.

Literarily Speaking: If you had to pick just one book marketing tool that you’ve used to promote your book, which would you say has been the most effective?

Christa Allan: At this point, blog tours have provided opportunities for a wide range of virtual “appearances.”

Literarily Speaking: Do you do more promoting online or offline and which do you prefer?

Christa Allan: My novel released February 1, so I’m still in the throes of promoting. Honestly, I’ve not had time to evaluate where I spend more time. My first thought is that perhaps, at least for now, it’s about the same. Online I promote through social networks and blog tours. Offline I’ve written and sent out a number of press releases, have booksignings, send out postcards, elicited endorses and influencers to help spread the word…

Both types are overwhelming! I like the personal contact from signings and workshops. But there’s no way to beat the potential of the virtual world to connect with people I’d never have an opportunity to know.

Literarily Speaking: Do you use social networks such as Twitter and Facebook to promote your books and have you had any success with it?

Christa Allan: Absolutely! As a teacher in the same parish for over seventeen years, I’ve found Facebook an invaluable tool to connect with former students. Many are now married with children, and they’re spread from sea to shining sea. Qite a number of them are actively promoting my novel.

My Twitter posts automatically show up on Facebook, so that’s a bit of a timesaver. I love Twitter precisely because tweets are limited to 140 characters, and I can speed scroll through them. I think Retweets (where some tweets my tweet!) have the most potential for promotion because my message is reaching followers beyond mine. And who knows how many times that can be retweeted!

Literarily Speaking: Do you own a blog and how often do you update it? Did you set up your blog solely to promote your book and what is its effectiveness?

Christa Allan: My blog, Fictionary, is devoted to book and product reviews, and blog tours.

My website is devoted to promoting my novel and personal blogs. Lately, my personal blogging has dwindled; I’m not so pleased with myself that it has! Juggling full time high school teaching, grading papers, marketing a book, traveling for booksignings has been challenging. It seems like every time I get one arm of the octopus in the box, another one pops out! My oldest daughter, my organizational whiz, is whipping me into shape. The first plan of attack is to update my website for promotional purposes; for example, we’re putting together a press kit, schedule of my signings and speaking engagements, and links to interviews.

Literarily Speaking: Do you recommend authors getting publicists to help them promote their books? Do you have one?

Christa Allan: I don’t have a publicist because hiring one wasn’t an investment I could afford. Though I do have to say, after everything I’ve experienced in marketing my novel, I think a good publicist would be worth every penny! Abingdon Press, my publishers, have been extremely helpful in coordinating efforts with book stores, answering questions, and generally making themselves available to help wherever they can.

For my next novel, I’m putting funds aside now, and I hope to be able to invest in a publicist.

Literarily Speaking: If an author prefers to do it alone rather than hire a publicist, where should they start?

Christa Allan: I think if someone is serious about publishing, a website and social networking need to happen even before the book is sold! Get yourself out there in the virtual world early. People are much more tolerant of what I call “shameless self-promotion” when they know you’ve been around for a while.

Open yourself to promoting other writers. It’s not only a great way to learn about what works and what doesn’t, it’s a way to build relationships that could help later.

Literarily Speaking: Thank you for coming, Christa! We wish you much success!

Christa Allan: I appreciate the opportunity to be here. Thanks so much for having me at Literarily Speaking!

You can visit Christa on the web at www.christaallan.com.

Tags: Author Interviews, book marketing buzz, book promotion, Christa Allan, literarily speaking, marketing, Walking on Broken Glass, women's fiction

Stephanie Rose Bird graduated with honors from Temple University, Tyler School of Art and received her MFA from the University of California at San Diego, where she was a San Diego Opportunity Fellow. She was Assistant Professor at the School of the Art Institute in painting and drawing; a Fulbright Senior Scholar to Australia in the field of anthropology, and she has taught at the Chicago Botanic Garden as well as the Garfield Conservatory. Bird is a professional member of the International Center for Traditional Childbearing (Black Midwives and Healers) and the Herb Research Society of the American Botanical Council. She is also a member of Author’s Guild. Bird is author of Sticks, Stones, Roots and Bones: Hoodoo, Mojo and Conjuring with Herbs, Four Seasons of Mojo: an Herbal Guide to Natural Living, and A Healing Grove: African Tree Remedies and Rituals for Body and Spirit. She has been published in the magazines, Sage Woman, the Beltane Papers, WitchVox, PanGaia, Aromatherapy Journal, Aromatherapy Today, Herb Quarterly, Llewellyn Herbal Almanac naturallycurly.com and others. Bird is a practicing magical herbalist and aromatherapist who lives with her husband, family and animal friends in the Chicago area.

Literarily Speaking: Thank you for this interview, Stephanie. Can you tell us what your latest book, The Big Book of Soul: the Ultimate Guide to the African American Spirit: Legends & Lore, Music and Mysticism, Recipes and Rituals, is all about?

Stephanie Rose Bird: The Big Book of Soul is all about soul and how it manifests in the healing ways of African descended people in America, Africa and the Caribbean.

Literarily Speaking: Is this your first novel? If not, how has writing this novel different from writing your first?

Stephanie Rose Bird: Well, this is actually my 5^th nonfiction work, blessed be. My work has gotten a lot more complex over the years and it has become a combination of being research-driven and drawing from experiences (mine and those of others) whereas in the past it was largely drawn from personal experience. I think the work has evolved to become more welcoming to a broader audience than the way it started.

Literarily Speaking: How difficult was it writing your book? Did you ever experience writer’s block and, if so, what did you do?

Stephanie Rose Bird: I had times when I got stuck and blocked. I tried to work through it doing other things like making art, dancing, cooking—anything except writing.

The Big Book of Soul by Stephanie Rose Bird (click on cover to purchase at Amazon)

Literarily Speaking: How have your fans embraced your latest novel? Do you have any funny or unusual experiences to share?

Stephanie Rose Bird: Well, the book just released three days ago. I gave a presentation at a local college at an African, Caribbean and Native American Heritage Conference and the response was overwhelmingly warm and receptive.

Literarily Speaking: What is your daily writing routine?

Stephanie Rose Bird: I get up in the morning. Have breakfast with my family. Take my little boy to school, feed my animals and then write from about 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. continuing in the late afternoon at times.

Literarily Speaking: When you put the pen or mouse down, what do you do to relax?

Stephanie Rose Bird: To relax I like to take walks, do yoga, dance, cook and read.

Literarily Speaking: What book changed your life?

Stephanie Rose Bird: The Secret

Literarily Speaking: If someone were to write a book on your life, what would the title be?

Stephanie Rose Bird: The Never-ending Stories

Literarily Speaking: Finish this sentence: “The one thing that I wish people would understand about me is…”

Stephanie Rose Bird: …that I love to laugh.

Literarily Speaking: Thank you for this interview, Stephanie. I wish you much success on your latest release, The Big Book of Soul!

Stephanie Rose Bird: Thank you!

Visit Stephanie’s website at www.stephanierosebird.com.

Tags: African American history, Alternative Spirituality, American culture, blog tour, book campaign, book promotions, book publicity, Earth-based Spirituality, folklore, healing, herbalism, holistic health, hoodoo, Legends and Lore; African American spirituality, Mysticism, mythology, online book promotion, online book publicists, soul food, Stephanie Rose Bird, The Big Book of Soul, virtual book tour

George Earl Parker is an author, singer/songwriter, and an artist. As director of the short film The Yellow Submarine Sandwich, included in Eric Idle’s pseudo-documentary of a band called the Rutles, Parker received accolades, awards, and a showing at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. His art has been exhibited in museums and galleries around the country, and three of his songs have climbed the European Country Music Association charts. Vampyre Blood-Eight Pints of Trouble is his first novel. He currently lives in California where he continues working on music, and his second book.

Q: Thank you for this interview, George Earl. Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

I’ve got to say that this is the first time I’m being published because I’m currently re-editing my first book.

Q: What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

It was called The Atomic Kid and it was self published for about ten minutes before the company went belly-up.

Q: For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?

I was rejected by a hundreds of literary agents until I found one who believed in the book, and he said it was going to be the next big thing. But when the 15 or 20 publishers he sent it to turned it down, he became despondent. So I published it myself.

Q: How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

I ignored them while I tried to understand what on earth I’d done to tick so many people off?

Q: When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

I can’t remember the name of the company. I just know it should have been Incompetence Incorporated. The reason I chose them however was noble, it was because they actually printed books.

Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

I was going through a re-birth at that time, and I began writing songs in earnest.

Q: What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

The book was reviewed very well by a couple of lovely people and I tried to get those reviews out. I wrote press releases, recorded some music, tried to make it an event, but I think I was a little to early for myself.

Q: If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

No, not at all. I learned everything I know now from what I didn’t know then.

Q: Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

Yes, I am happy to say that my new book, Vampyre Blood-Eight Pints of Trouble, is being published by BookLocker.com. It’s the story of a lonely monster who just wants to be normal-and like all of us, the fact that we realize it means that we must have grown.

Q: Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up? What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?

When you follow a path you have to adapt to the terrain. There are no shortcuts until you have mapped the territory. You must keep moving forward at all costs, and never look back.

Q: What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

I’ve just released a new song called, Out Of The Ice, in Europe.

Q: If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

A Taoist Priest.

Q: Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

You don’t give anything up in Taoism, you just learn to take more on effortlessly.

Q: How do you see yourself in ten years?

Writing and singing.

Q: Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

Don’t give up.

You can visit George Earl Parker on the web at www.georgeearlparker.com.

Tags: Author Interviews, book promotions, George Earl Parker, literary fiction, online book promotion, Vampyre Blood

WALKING AND FINDING TRUE LOVE – IT CAN BE DONE!
by Gary Morgenstein, author of How to Find a Woman…Or Not

In my new dating and relationship book How to Find a Woman…Or Not, I propose that all the world’s a singles bar and that you can meet your soul mate anywhere, from the gym, Laundromat, grocery store – even walking down the street.

Yes, the streets. Women walk, so do you. Ergo, you can meet her. Abandon the notion that you need a drink in your hand or an online dating account to meet someone.

Eye contact, eye contact, eye contact.

When looking at a woman, it’s best if you don’t stare directly at her cleavage, however tempting. Drooling accompanied by a slack-jawed expression won’t get you far, either. Hand gestures are out, easily misunderstood as obscene (women have witchly powers which enable them to read our minds).

No thumb’s up, guys. Saunter casually, as if you have something important to do which would happily include them, but won’t hang yourself if they ignore you.

Some women you don’t bother on the streets:

1. Married women (this book is about finding a relationship, not breaking up someone else’s)
2. Women jogging (you think they’re going to break training for the marathon to smile at you?)
3. Women carried on a stretcher into a waiting ambulance (stomach wounds are not conducive to exchanging business cards)

Not that I discourage meeting women in hospitals. If they’re on a gurney in an emergency room, you’ll have to do all the talking; it’s also difficult to assess whether their shrieks of pain should be interpreted as encouragement.

Then again, they might promise anything if you get them a shot of morphine. And if you grab them just before anesthesia sets in, they’ll probably have little memory of anything particularly stupid you might’ve said.

Gary Morgenstein’s novels include Loving Rabbi Thalia Kleinman, about a divorced man who falls in love with a beautiful woman rabbi; Jesse’s Girl, a powerful story about a father’s search for his adopted teenage son, and Take Me Out to the Ballgame, a political baseball thriller, as well as the baseball Rocky The Man Who Wanted to Play Center Field for the New York Yankees. His prophetic play Ponzi Man played to sell-out crowds at the New York Fringe Festival. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, surrounded by lots of books and rock and roll CDs.