After working several years as research chemist, Paula Wiseman was blessed with the opportunity to stay home with her children and follow the writer’s path. She has been published in several Cup of Comfort devotional books and in Life Savors for Women. Contingency: Book One: Covenant of Trust Series, her debut novel, spent time on the Amazon.com Christian Fiction bestsellers list, and was also the #1 Hot New Release in Christian Fiction. Indemnity is her second novel. Paula blogs on matters of life and faith at www.paulawiseman.com.

Thank you for this interview, Paula. Can you tell us what your new book, Contingency, is all about?

Paula: Contingency tells the story of a couple, Bobbi and Chuck, trying to put their marriage back together after he cheats on her. It presents a unique angle because it deals with the process and struggle of forgiveness and reconciliation. Most stories focus on moving on in aftermath of infidelity. We also get a look at how far-reaching the consequences are.

I know authors have a certain liking for one genre over the other.  Why Christian fiction for you?

Paula: My faith is such a huge part of who I am, I don’t think I could put together a story without a strong faith element. I enjoy exploring the hard questions we come up against in life and the role faith plays in those questions and the ultimate resolution.

What do you believe was the most challenging part of writing Contingency?

Paula: Trusting my own instincts with the story, and sifting expert advice. Since it was my first book, I sent it out for several rounds of critiques and edits and got back conflicting recommendations. I dutifully cut as instructed, only to have the next person tell me I was lacking the very things I’d just cut out. Frustrating.

Can you pick out a part of your book that most definitely has the wow factor?

Paula: This question really stumped me, because what wows me as a writer may be totally different from what wows a reader, so I posed it informally to some readers. The unscientific survey was unanimous– everyone tagged the ending, the final resolution between Chuck and Bobbi. (That’s all I can say without spoiling it, though.)
As a writer, my favorite parts were the big arguments between them. There was so much raw emotion in each one, I left the keyboard drained. Satisfied, but drained.

Have you ever shaped your fictional characters from people in real life?

Paula: Yes. The two boys in the book were modeled loosely on a good friend’s sons who were about the right age. Also, Gavin, Bobbi’s brother-in-law, is heavily based my husband. He’s so level-headed and has a very strong sense of right and wrong, but he is able to temper that with grace. Of course the other characters have bits and pieces of me and other folks I know in them as well.

Where are you from?

Paula: I grew up in Ashland, Kentucky and still have family there.

Do you see writing as a career?

Paula: I don’t think I could give it up, even if it meant going back to writing for myself and a handful of friends. I’ll admit, it would be tremendous to be able to make a living at it, though.

Aside from writing, what other talents do you have?

Paula: Writing is a natural outgrowth of my gifts which lie in teaching and communicating. On a less serious note, I am a reference encyclopedia, and a decent college football and basketball commentator.

If you could choose a talent that you don’t possess (yet), what would that be?

Paula: Playing the piano! I am so amazed and impressed by people who play.

If you could change one thing about your writing career, what would that be?

Paula: Aside from adding ridiculous success, *tongue in cheek*, not much. Everything, even the aggravation and setbacks, are learning experiences that I wouldn’t trade.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would that be?

Paula: I wish I didn’t take everything personally. I’m constantly working on that one.

One final question.  If someone were to walk into a bookstore and pull any book off the shelf, why would they choose yours?

Paula: The cover is the attention grabber. The artists did a fantastic job capturing the emotion of the story, and it has a very different look form other Christian fiction books. Then by the time they flip over and check out the back cover and read the first page, they’d be willing to give the book a chance.

Thank you so much for this interview, Paula.  Any final words?

Paula: Thank you for the opportunity, and for the great questions! Blessings!

Tags: Author Interviews, christian fiction, Contingency, Paula Wiseman

Chad Coenson was born in Orlando, FL, but he can barely remember that and pretty much spent most of the years following his birth in a nomadic state of perpetual motion until finally finding a home in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and two dogs.   He has a degree in creative writing from the University of Arizona and spends his time “trying” not to take life too seriously.  Despite his generally adventurous nature and willingness to attempt almost anything, he has never had the opportunity to cast the first stone.

Me and Bobby McGee is Coenson’s first novel.

You can visit Chad on the web at www.chadcoenson.com.

Thank you for this interview, Chad. Can you tell us what your new book, Me and Bobby McGee, is all about?

Chad: Me and Bobby McGee is comedic exploration of humanity’s darkest sides. Through the eyes of Keesey Cypher, a former government sanctioned killer turned  proud and professional alcoholic, the novel satirizes the faults of modern civilization and examines the multidimensional concept of “freedom” with a balanced blend of cynical grace and thoughtful hysterics.  It uses the conduit of an illicit white-baby-slave-trade to propel the story forward while making humorous commentary about a host of humanistic issues including: apathy and indifference, greed, human commoditization, and economic stability.  Despite the seriousness of the underlying themes, the book is a fast paced adventure, filled with unexpected twists, philosophical insight, and disturbing entertainment.

I know authors have a certain liking for one genre over the other.  Why sci-fi thriller for you?

Chad:  It’s funny, the book has been categorized into quite a few genres, but the novel is truly and intentionally a hybrid.  In long terms, it is a satirical piece of speculative fiction that incorporates aspects of thriller, sci-fi, and literary fiction.  Being that the proceeding statement is quite a mouthful, I think “sci-fi thriller” is the abbreviated version.  To that point, readers looking for hard sci-fi are not going to find it here.  My genre is more social satire, most closely compared to that of Jonathan Swift or Kurt Vonnegut.  I prefer this genre because I’ve learned that the best way to discuss challenging and controversial issues is through absurd exaggerations of realism and objective humor, thus avoiding opinion born polarization and inspiring unified thought and laughter.  The genre gives me the opportunity to explore humanity’s blemishes without being too serious, and especially not preachy.

What do you believe was the most challenging part of writing Me and Bobby McGee?

Chad:  Creating a contextually believable reality around the disturbingly absurd (yet irresistibly amusing) core of the novel was by far the most challenging part.  I wanted it to be a glaring reflection of our world, perhaps the distorted kind you see in a funhouse mirror, but a reflection nonetheless. It had to be conceivable even if it was improbable. In order to do this I blended a fair amount of historical fact into many of the key diversions away from reality, which required a fair amount of research so that even some of the most absurd sections of the novel have at least a pinky toe in the puddle of actuality.  But I suppose by nature, satire is the perfect mask for ugly truths.

Can you pick out a part of your book that most definitely has the wow factor?

Chad:  Freedom is just another word for…a lot of things. It is both the essence of humanity and the empty promises of ten thousand pages of scripture. It is the pledge of a nation to its people and the favorite hostage of a tyrant. It is the cryptic poetry of the oppressed and the windswept caution of the rich and powerful dancing away happily on the breeze it was thrown into. It is the isolated lament of the incarcerated and the pale, moonlit ballad of the wanderer. It is the mantra of the militant, a cause worth fighting for, a hope on the horizon, a fleeting and forgotten dream; it is the way nature intended it.

And perhaps this is the central flaw in the concept of freedom. When a word has too many variances in its meaning, it becomes the constant victim of misconstrued interpretation and its value ultimately begins to decline. The term itself becomes broad and ambiguous, leaving it open to be redefined by anyone who has some lingering notion of its original definition. And then, suddenly, something simple and beautiful is washed in a bathtub filled with high-stakes arrogance and toxic waste and it melts and mutates into a weapon, or a bribe, or a myth.

Yet it has been said that “freedom comes with a price.” I believe wholeheartedly that this phrase should be changed to “YOUR freedom comes at a price,” because that is the honest truth. As far as I can tell, everything that seems to be free is either lying, ignorant, or rich enough to appear that way. The only real freedom we have is in our own minds, which is conversely the reason why the world is so fucked in the first place. The freedom to imagine the possibilities of progress, the choice to dream of a better tomorrow, and the liberty to take as many liberties as we so desire is the molten core of both prosperity and demise; we’re just left to hope we pick the right type of crust to stand on. Unfortunately satisfaction is only guaranteed in commercials and the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence…unless of course you let your dog piss and shit on your next-door neighbor’s lawn.

And isn’t that really what happens in this world? We just find ways to constantly provoke each other by sending the proverbial hounds out to piss on our neighbor’s lawn in order to make our own seem better, greener; the envy of the planned, residential subdivision. The reason for this constant defacing of figurative property is simply that destruction is easier than creation and in parallel, history (along with the people who write the history books) helps to heal all wounds. Of course time, like a scratched record, skips ahead and then inevitably repeats itself over and over again until someone either changes the track or turns off the music altogether. Then there is a silent lull, until the album is re-mastered and repackaged and sold to a brand new generation of soon-to-be-deaf ears with their own pack of dogs primed and ready to do their bidding.

Have you ever shaped your fictional characters from people in real life?

Chad:  Absolutely.  In many cases they are a blend of a few specific individuals, and are most commonly not people I like.  The terribly unbelievable traits of actual people often make for the best fiction.  Plus, it’s the best way for a pacifist to work out aggression and when necessary, enact revenge.  In any case, there are a scattered few elements of actual people I’ve encountered in some of Me and Bobby McGee’s characters, but even more so in the new novel I am working on, primarily because there are quite a few more characters in it.

Where are you from?

Chad:  I am originally from the east coast, I grew up just outside of Washington, D.C. and went to high school in the Atlanta, GA metro area.  I bounced back and forth from coast to coast for quite some time before finally settling down in Oregon where I currently reside, and don’t plan to ever leave.  The northwest is truly the only place that has ever really felt like home for me.

Do you see writing as a career?

Chad:  I do.  I find myself wishing daily that it was my only career but I am not quite there yet, as I still have bills to pay.  The good news is I have a head full of ideas and we live in a world filled with plenty of absurd instances and odd beings which give me a plenty of things to write about.  Needless to say, I have quite a few more books on the way before they finally silence me.

Aside from writing, what other talents do you have?

Chad:  Music is probably the first thing that comes to mind, I play bass and have for a number of years.  Performance poetry is the other stage dwelling talent I have.  I am also adept at brewing beer and to my wife’s dismay I am a fearless surf kayaker.

If you could choose a talent that you don’t possess (yet), what would that be?

Chad:  Honestly, the main talent I am interested in possessing right now is that of a good father.  I just recently found out that we have a little one on the way and as far as I am concerned, it takes talent to raise a kid right.

If you could change one thing about your writing career, what would that be?

Chad:  I would say the main thing that I would have changed is the amount of time I let pass before I really got serious about getting my work into public circulation.  I have been a relentless writer my entire life, but I have never been proficient at submitting my work.  Even when I was getting my Creative Writing degree from the University of Arizona, I don’t think I took full advantage of the time and resources I had available to me in those years.  The reality is that I was very focused on music and the pleasures of the stage while I was in school, which I certainly don’t regret, but it definitely put a pause on my literary career even though I was writing most of the lyrics for the band I played in.  Other than a few pieces here and there, I pretty much didn’t start submitting my work for publication until I had completed Me and Bobby McGee so that is certainly the thing I would change.

One final question.  If someone were to walk into a bookstore and pull any book off the shelf, why would they choose yours?

Chad:  The book is a highly comedic piece of speculative fiction, filled with action, thrills , and unexpected twists.  Me and Bobby McGee is a joy ride into American absurdity, a thoughtful satire of contemporary culture, that has a balanced mix of pure entertainment and intellectual depth as to interest a broad audience of readers.

Thank you so much for this interview, Chad.  Any final words?

Chad:  I really appreciate you taking the time to interview me.  Keep thinking, it is good for your health.  Take care.

Tags: Chad Coenson, Me and Bobby McGee, Pump Up Your Book, virtual book tour

People of the Book is the fourth and final book in the Extreme Devotion series from New Hope Publishers. Like the other books in the series, People of the Book was birthed through my passion for the persecuted Church. I am a long-time supporter of ministries like Voice of the Martyrs and Open Doors, and I make it a practice to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer for their faith daily.

This first became a concern for me in the late 1980s, as I watched the violence and upheaval in South Africa just prior to the release of Nelson Mandela from prison and the overthrow of the Apartheid system. Knowing what Apartheid represented, I wondered how Christians in South African dealt with the obvious inconsistencies of Apartheid and Christianity. That sparked a thought about what might happen if two people from opposite sides of the issue met and fell in love. I decided I would base the story around an interracial romance in a time when such a thing was not only despised but quite dangerous.

And yet it never seemed time to write the book until a couple of years ago. I was in a meeting with my agent and publicist and publisher, discussing some nonfiction proposals, when my publisher asked what other ideas I had on the back burner. I mentioned the idea of the South Africa novel (which by that time had become a series in my mind), but I quickly added that I knew they didn’t do fiction. The publisher said they never had before but might be open to this idea.

The next months were spent in developing a detailed series proposal and quite a few sample chapters for the first book, but eventually we signed a contract and New Hope’s “Fiction with a Mission” line was launched. I tried to cover various ideologies around the world in deciding which countries to use as backdrops for the four books, but I knew one of them had to be a Muslim country. Hence, People of the Book, set in Saudi Arabia.

Of course, having been to only one of the four countries I wrote about, I had to do extensive research online, but that wasn’t enough. I also enlisted the help of at least one person who either lived in that country at the time I wrote the book or had lived there extensively in the very recent past. The most difficult personal resource to find was one from Saudi Arabia. Women there, whom I met online, were either hostile or understandably fearful of talking/working with me. Then, at a writers’ conference, I met a young women who had spent nearly her entire life in Saudi Arabia and only recently moved to America. She was not only willing but anxious to talk to me, and so we proceeded, with her firsthand input providing me with an invaluable resource.

People often ask me if the four books in the Extreme Devotion series are based on true stories. I explain that all are loosely based on a conglomeration of true events, but no one specific story or person (though Red Ink, set in China, comes closest). With People of the Book, the impetus for my Saudi friend’s willingness to work with me came from an experience with someone she knew in Saudi Arabia, a young woman who was martyred—by her own family—for becoming a Christian. My friend put it this way: “She can no longer speak for herself, so I have promised God I will speak for her—every chance I get.”

What a blessing and privilege to be a part that—for we must all be willing to speak out for our brothers and sisters in Christ who pay such a high price for their faith. As Hebrews 13:3 tells us, “Remember the prisoners as if chained with them, and those who are mistreated, since you yourselves are in the body also.”

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored more than 30 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences, and was named 2008 Member of the Year by AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association). Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time riding in Al’s new sunburst orange Corvette. You can reach Kathi or find out more about her writing and speaking at www.kathimacias.com . You can also visit her “Easy Writer” blog at http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com/

Tags: author tour, blog tour, blog tours, book blog tour, book promotion online, book tour, book tours, Christian international thriller, Fiction with a Mission, honor killings, Kathi Macias, literarily speaking, New Hope Publishers, online book promotion, online book tours, People of the Book, Pump Up Your Book, thriller, thriller novel, virtual author tour, virtual blog tour, virtual blog tours, virtual book tour, virtual book tours

Mitch Stephen has been a full time investor since March ‘96. He’s flipped 1000+ properties and is author of the book, My Life & 1000 Houses. You may download the first 100 ages of his book at www.1000Houses.com.  His autobiography is one of a high school graduate striving to find his place in the world. With over (70 ) 5 STAR REVIEWS, it is evident that this author has mastered the art of delivering inspiration and an educational value in a most entertaining way. In short, My Life & 1,000 Houses depicts the trails and tribulations of an amateur business man who stumbles upon the great, long standing revelations, of business, money, love and life while struggling to find his own financial freedom.

Mitch Stephen was honored by the San Antonio Real Estate Investor’s Association (SREIA) in 2007. Despite the fact that he’d never been on the board or held an official position, the president, sitting board and over 800 members voted to dedicate the offices in his name…the “Mitch Stephen Investment Center.”

Mitch is also an avid songwriter. He likes to say, “I’ve been writing songs for over thirty years…and I’m going to get good at it any day now!” That being said, Stephen took honors at the 2005 Tejano Music Awards, winning “Crossover Song of the Year” for his part in co-writing the song “Who’s That Gringo” performed by multiple Grammy Award winner David Lee Garza and group Los Musicales; Co-writer Billy O’Rourke. Hear much of Mitch’s music at www.MitchStephen.com -over 45 original songs!

Today Mitch’s interests have expanded into several real estate related businesses:

Mitch Stephen is actively involved in the San Antonio . Texas real estate community:

- Mitch provides owner financing opportunities to “would be home owners” who cannot fit into institutions mortgage programs. www.Homes2Go.NET

- Mitch loans hard money to proven real estate investors who cannot find institutional money. www.Loans2Go.NET

- Mitch offers boat and mini storage units in and about Canyon Lake , Texas www.CanyonLakeStorage.com

- Mitch offers affordable office space to entrepreneurs in NE San Antonio

210-669-4020

Last but not least, Mitch and his family support Community Bible Church (CBC) of San Antonio , TX . If you are interested in why Mitch attends CBC, you may tune in online at www.CBConline.com. Watch and listen to Pastor Robert Emmitt’s unique talent for bring the good news to the world.

You can visit his website at www.1000Houses.com.  Connect with him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mitch_stephen or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1074602878 and http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/My-Life-1000-Houses/129994207021032.

Thank you for this interview, Mitch. Can you tell us what your new book, My Life & 1000 Houses, is all about?

Mitch: It is about the struggle and maturity of a young entrepreneur struggling to find his financial freedom.

You have “flipped” over 1000 properties.  Would you care to tell us what exactly does that mean?

Simply put; I have purchased and sold over 1,000 properties.

What do you believe was the most challenging part of writing My Life & 1000 Houses?

Starting! The commitment to start and to finish is the hardest part. Once a commitment is made, it becomes a journey. The further I got into the proposition of writing a book the more momentum I garnered.

Can you pick out a part of your book that most definitely has the wow factor?

This book is an autobiography. It is not particularly an ABC “how To” book…although a person could garner a lot about how to invest in RE from this book. I think that exposing one’s self (myself) is definitely a part of the “Wow Factor.” I am very naked in this book.

#1. Speaking openly and directly to my fears and my failures is unique to the real estate investment genre of books. So much of the books in this genre glamorizes and/or glosses over the struggles of the business.

#2. Speaking directly about the emotional sides of investing and the personal dilemmas of investing is a new and unique quality concerning books in this genre. For example: When was the last time a discussion of struggling against the will of your spouse talked about in a book about real estate investing?

#3. Last, and probably least important…but hugely unique; There have been very few authors, if any, that have included music (Original Songs) written throughout the book describing, in melody, how the author felt about various situations as the story evolves.

I hear you love to write songs.  Would you like to tell us about that?

I’ve been writing songs for over 30 years. I like to say. “I’ll get good at it any day now.” That being said, I’ve had my share of moderate success writing songs. Namely, “Crossover Song of the Year” at the 2005 Tejano Music Awards for my part in co-writing “Who’s That Gringo” performed by multiple Grammy Award winning artist David Lee Garza y Los Musicales (Co-writer: Billy O’Rourke). You may see much of my music at www.MitchStephen.com. Go to you tube and search MITCH STEPHEN and find several videos made for songs written by or co-written by yours truly… Lantana, Rick Sousley, James Lann…

Where are you from?

I was born in Longview, Texas. As a child, I spent 4 years in Littleton, Colorado and 5 years in Orange County California before returning to San Antonio, Tx in 1973 until the present.

Aside from writing and songwriting, what other talents do you have?

I have to many too many endeavors for one person…I played the drums for 15 years, have enjoyed writing a book, I’ve written hundreds of songs, I’ve had my share of time educating people in local seminars, I’ve loaned money on RE t investors, work every day in the boat & mini storage business and like small commercial buildings. One of the hardest things an entrepreneur will ever do is; have one great idea and finish. I am learning that lesson.

If you could choose a talent that you don’t possess (yet), what would that be?

Patience!

If you could change one thing about your writing career, what would that be?

I’d spend more time writing.

One final question.  If someone were to walk into a bookstore and pull any book off the shelf, why would they choose yours?

I think the (75) 5 STAR REVIEWS at Amazon.com speak to that concern and you can see all of those reviews at my website www.1000Houses.com. I wrote this book for my own personal reasons. What readers have garnered from that book has been a revelation to me. It says a lot about how we are all duped somewhat as to how easy success is. The gurus are telling us success is easy…just do A-B-C. If you’re at all interested in what happens in between the “A” and the “B” and “C”…then this may just be the book for you.

While real estate is the backdrop of this book, this is more a book of fighting through the obstacles of life while learning to become an investor. It is a book about the foundation of a successful mind set. It is a book of having had enough of the status quo and deciding once and for all “I am not going backwards anymore.” It is a book about getting knocked down and getting back up. It is a book about thinking “out of the box” and learning that it is more about common sense over what the pitchmen are trying to sell you. Actual, it’s the only book I’m aware of that mingles the struggle between commonsense, emotional issues/struggles and the constant bombardment of advertising machines selling us “get rich” schemes that aren’t as simple as they sound in the infomercials. Doable? Absolutely (I’m living proof). Easy? Nothing rewarding is so easy.

Thank you so much for this interview, Mitch.  Any final words?

I’d like to thank www.literarilyspeaking.net for this opportunity to connect with your audience and I would like to let your audience know that I’m offering the first 100 pages of my book free at www.1000Houses.com.

My Life & 1,000 Houses; Failing Forward to Financial Freedom is available in many formats at my site:

Paperback……………………………………….$19.99 (includes shipping)

e-Book  (Digital Download)…………….$  9.99

e-Audio (Digital Download)…………….$  9.99

Audio CDs………………………………………..$29.99 (Includes shipping)

Kindle……………………………………………..$13.99

Nook………………………………………………..$13.99

In addition, I am opening an “Educational Store” with more of the minutia of investing.

I am a blogger at www.BiggerPockets.com where we discuss how to get ahead in the creative real estate investing arena.

Sincerely,

Mitch

Mitch Stephen

Mitch@Homes2Go.NET

210-669-4020

Tags: Author Interviews, Mitch Stephen, My Life & 1000 Houses

H. W.  “Buzz” Bernard is the author of five nonfiction books on weather and climate.  Eyewall is his first novel.  He’s won numerous awards over the past decade as both a fiction and nonfiction writer.

Buzz is a veteran meteorologist having spent 13 years as a senior meteorologist with The Weather Channel, and 33 years as a weather officer in the U. S. Air Force.

His background as a meteorologist informs Eyewall. He’s had first-hand experience with hurricanes, having penetrated the eyewall of Hurricane Felix in 1995 with the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters.   The mission he went on wasn’t nearly as exciting–or as terrifying–as the one described in Eyewall, but he did get an up-close and personal look at how the job is done.  At The Weather Channel, he worked closely with some of the most highly regarded hurricane forecasters in the business.

Besides his trip with the Hurricane Hunters, he’s flown air drops over the Arctic Ocean and Turkey, and was a weather officer aboard a Tactical Air Command airborne command post (C-135).  Additionally, he’s provided field support to forest fire fighting operations in the Pacific Northwest, spent a summer working on Alaska’s arctic slope and served two tours in Vietnam.  Various other jobs, both civilian and military, took him to Germany, Saudi Arabia and Panama.

He’s a native Oregonian and attended the University of Washington in Seattle where he earned a degree in atmospheric science and also studied creative writing.

After leaving active duty with the Air Force, he spent twenty years in New England, but now lives in The New South.  Along with his wife, Christina, he calls Roswell, Georgia, near Atlanta, home.

You can visit his website at www.buzzbernard.com or visit him at Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000867910949.

Thank you for this interview, Buzz.  Incidentally, how did you get that nickname?

It was given to me by my dad–unintentionally, I think–when I was still in a crib.  He looked at me and said, “He’s a real little Buzzaroo, isn’t he?”  At least that’s what I was told.  I don’t actually remember hearing that.  Anyhow, for whatever reason, the name Buzz stuck.  I think since I was a “Junior,” the nickname became the most convenient way to differentiate me from my dad.

You worked for The Weather Channel for quite some time, didn’t you?  What was that like?

I worked as a senior meteorologist for 13 years at the channel.  The greatest thing about working there was that I was able to learn–you never stop learning, by the way–from some of the most prominent meteorologists in the world: John Hope and Dr. Steve Lyons, hurricane forecasters; Dr. Greg Forbes, severe weather forecaster; and Paul Kocin, winter storm specialist.

You worked with some of the most highly regarded hurricane forecasters in the world – can you tell us who they were?

Initially, I had the privilege of working with and learning from the late John Hope, the legendary hurricane specialist who early-on was the face of The Weather Channel. John whetted my interest in learning more and more about the “greatest storms on earth.”

Later I would become good friends with Dr. Steve Lyons, John’s successor. Steve, no longer with the channel, was one of the foremost hurricane experts in the world and knew more about the mechanics of hurricanes and storm surges than anyone I knew. He helped immensely with Eyewall’s meteorological details, even to the extent of calculating a storm surge for the novel’s fictional Hurricane Janet.

What happened to make you decide you’re going to sit down and write a book?

Beats me.  I’d written five nonfiction trade books about weather and climate between 1979 and 1993.  I stopped writing for a while after that, then got a calling–I think that’s the best word for it–to try a novel in 2000.  The urge was just there.  I don’t know where it came from.  But it wasn’t easy, believe me.  Eyewall is the product of ten year’s of effort and four manuscripts.

Is Eyewall patterned after real events?  If so, how so?

Yes, the initial inspiration for Eyewall sprang from an actual event. In 1989, a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft, after suffering damage during a penetration of Hurricane Hugo, became briefly trapped in the storm’s eye. In my novel, I changed the plane to an Air Force Hurricane Hunter, mainly because of my Air Force background, and forced it to suffer much more extensive damage than the NOAA craft had–to the extent there was virtually no way for it to escape its imprisonment within the eye.

You’ve had first hand experiences with hurricanes.  Would you like to tell us about penetrating the eyewall of Hurricane Feliz in 1995?  What was that like besides terrifying?

I suppose I could lie and tell you it was a frightening, upchuck, say-your-prayers ride.  But it wasn’t.  Felix was barely a hurricane and the trip into its eye was relatively benign.  I’ve had bouncier trips on commercial airplanes.  Still, I got to see how the crew did its work.  I talked to the pilot and other crew members and heard some tales about eyewall penetrations that curled my hair.  I used those, plus my imagination, to create the terrifying scenes about flying into the eye of my fictional monster.

What do you do for a living now?

I’m a semi-full-time novelist.  I try not to let my writing consume me, however, since I am technically retired.  You know, gardening and golfing and grandkids and all that stuff.  Unfortunately, I’ve had to cancel some of my golf outings.  I think I’ve unintentionally unretired.

Do you plan more books in the future?

Yes.  I’ve completed a novel about bioterrorism called The Koltsovo Legacy.  I’m working on a third one now and have several more rolling around in my head.  Bye-bye golf.

One last question – what is your passion?  What are you more passionate about than anything?

I don’t think I have one great passion, but I am passionate about balancing my life.  I try to keep God at the fulcrum of everything while finding equilibrium among the things that are important to me: family, writing, exercise, socializing and, of course, religion.

Thanks for this interview, Buzz.  Do you have any final words?

Let’s end it like this: if you love thrillers with action and suspense and a little romance, and are looking for a good beach read this summer, Eyewall is your book.

Tags: Author Interviews, Buzz Bernard, Eyewall

Join Mayra Calvani, author of the children’s picture book, Frederico, the Mouse Violinist (Guardian Angel Publishing), as she virtually tours the blogosphere on June 6 – 17 2011 on her third virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About Mayra Calvani

Mayra Calvani writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. Her nonfiction work, The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing was a ForeWord Best Book of the Year Award winner. She’s had over 300 stories, articles, interviews and reviews published. Frederico, the Mouse Violinist is her fifth and latest children’s picture book. Mayra reviews for SimplySharly.com and is co-editor of Voice in the Dark Ezine. She also offers book reviewing workshops online. Visit her website at www.MayraCalvani.com. For her children’s books, visit www.MayrasSecretBookcase.com. You can find Voice in the Dark at http://voice-in-the-dark.com. Connect with Mayra at Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mayra-Calvanis-Fan-Page/162383023775888?created and Twitter at http://twitter.com/mcalvani.

About Frederico, the Mouse Violinist

Frederico is a little mouse with a big dream: he wants to become a violinist. Each day he watches as Stradivari makes his famous violins. Each night, he sneaks into the workshop to play. But the violins are too big! Then, unbeknown to Frederico, Stradivari sees him playing and begins carving a tiny device. Could it be a famous Strad especially for Frederico? Frederico the Mouse Violinist was selected an “Award-Winning Finalist in the ‘Children’s Picture Book: Hardcover Fiction’ category of the 2011 International Book Awards.

Read the Excerpt!

Frederico was a little mouse with a big name: F-R-E-D-E-R-I-C-O. He lived in Cremona, Italy, in the workshop of a famous violin maker named Antonio Stradivari. During the day from the tool shelf, he peeked at the luthier making his celebrated Stradivarius violins. The mouse sighed with longing. His pink nose twitched at the strong smell of wood and varnish, the oil used to make violins glossy.

Watch the Video!

Here’s what critics are saying about Frederico, the Mouse Violinist!

Mayra Calvani, author of several children’s books including Crash; The Magic Violin; and Humberto, the Bookworm Hamster, has given us a really cute story, gorgeously illustrated by K. C. Snider, that also contains some good historical background about Antonio Stradivari and some very interesting information about the violin. The text makes reference to several parts of the violin. At the end there is a page of additional material about Stradivari along with several pages of activities, such as matching the names of parts of a violin with their pictures, finding the words from the glossary in the story, and doing a word search and find puzzle. Frederico, the Mouse Violinist is a wonderful way to introduce youngsters to the violin and to encourage budding music students to learn more about their subject. As a music lover, I found it enjoyable and highly recommend it.

–Home School Book Review

Frederico, the Mouse Violinist is an absolutely wonderful children’s picture book. Through a delightful story, the author teaches about the world’s most famous violin maker, Antonio Stradivari, along with various parts of the violin. But, what has a mouse to do with Stradivari and violins? Well, Calvani cleverly weaved a story that has Frederico living in the home where Stradivari creates his masterpieces.

– –Karen Cioffi, Writing for Children and More

Visit Mayra Calvani’s official tour page at www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/05/16/frederico-the-mouse-violinist-virtual-book-tour-june-2011 to see which blogs and websites she’ll be stopping off at during her Frederico the Mouse Violinist Virtual Book Tour 2011!

Tags: book announcements, children's book, children's book author, children's picture book author, frederico the mouse violinist, mayra calvani, promote your book, Pump Up Your Book, sell your book, tour announcements

The Story Behind the Book is Literarily Speaking’s newest feature. Here we find out either the inspiration behind authors’ books or how they got published. Today’s guest is Heather Haven, author of the humorous P.I. novel, Murder is a Family Business, the first book in her Alvarez Family Murder Mystery series.

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I’d like to think the Alvarez Family Murder Mystery Series was a carefully thought out project, but I have a feeling it more or less evolved. When I started out, I knew I wanted to write a mystery series with a human and lovable protagonist, Lee Alvarez, who had a few things going for her. Not perfect, but striving. I didn’t want yet another protagonist who learned nothing, who was ostracized from those she loved, who owned one crummy black skirt and life was one, long penance. Lee Alvarez loves life. She’s funny and learns from her mistakes. Like most of us, she grows as she goes along. After all, life is what happens while you’re making other plans. Lee’s lucky in that she has strong familial support to see her through it all, even though they are often a pain in her jazzercised derriere.

It was also important for my series to include two important elements:  the recently immigrated, which is one of America’s best natural resources, and the family unit.  Hence, the Alvarez Family Murder Mystery Series, a family of detectives, was born. The first book – which took me so long to write, planets formed and decayed in the interim – I knew had to be called Murder is a Family Business to set the tone for the series. However, the Alvarez family is a little off-center. They aren’t the ‘classic’ family i.e., father, mother, sister, brother, and large dog, all driving around in a shiny SUV eating Snickerdoos. Of course, these days a family like that is harder to find than a dinosaur with feathers. Oh, wait a minute. Archaeologists are digging those up all the time from unsuspecting peoples’ backyards. That means the Ozzie and Harriet family does still exist somewhere. Helloooooo out there!

A short while ago, the book was represented by an agent, but it was going no place fast.  I saw an internet ad and sent the manuscript off to MuseItUp Publishing, with no hopes whatsoever for publication. I sent it because I believe Isaac Asimov is right, “you must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer.” Within three-days I had a contract for the first book, Murder is a Family Business, and two months later for the 2^nd book on the series, A Wedding to Die For. So you never know. Keep sending your work out, is the lesson here. And never lose the faith.

I’m in the throes of editing the 3^rd book of the series, Death Runs in the Family. If the publishers and the readers are happy, I’ll just keep on writing about my wonderful Alvarez Family. They are so fun and I love it. Plus I get to be all the characters, including the cat!

Heather is a story teller by nature and loves the written word.  In her career, she’s written short stories, novels, comedy acts, plays, television treatments, ad copy, commercials, and even ghost-wrote a book.

One of her first jobs as a writer was given to her by her then agent. It was that of writing a love story for a book published by Bantam called Moments of Love. She had a deadline of one week and then promptly came down with the flu. She wrote “The Sands of Time” with a temperature of 102 and delivered some pretty hot stuff because of it. Later on, she wrote short comedy skits for nightclub acts and ad copy for such places as No Soap Radio, where her love for comedy blossomed. Many of her short stories have been seen in various publications, as well as 2 one-act plays produced in Manhattan, one at the well-known, Playwrights Horizons.

Her novel, Murder is a Family Business, the first in the Alvarez Murder Mystery series, has been epublished by MuseItUp Publishing in January, 2011. The second in the series, A Wedding To Die For, debuts April 22, 2011. She is currently writing the 3^rd of the series, and says they are a joy to write. Heather gets to be all the characters, including the cat!

You can visit Heather online at www.heatherhavenstories.com and her blog at http://heatherhavensays.blogspot.com/.

Tags: Alvarez Murder Mystery series, author tour, blog tour, blog tours, book blog tour, book promotion online, book tours, Guest Blogger, Heather Haven, humorous PI novel, literarily speaking, Murder is a Family Business, mystery, online book promotion, Pump Up Your Book, virtual author tour, virtual blog tour, virtual blog tours, virtual book tour, virtual book tours

Douglas W. Jacobson is an engineer, business owner and World War Two history enthusiast. Doug has traveled extensively in Europe researching stories of the courage of common people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. His debut novel, Night of Flames: A Novel of World War Two was published in 2007 by McBooks Press, and was released in paperback in 2008. Night of Flames won the “2007 Outstanding Achievement Award” from the Wisconsin Library association. Doug writes a monthly column on Poland’s contribution during WW2, has published articles on Belgium’s WW2 escape organization, the Comet Line and other European resistance organizations. Doug’s second historical novel, The Katyn Order, which will be released in May, 2011, focuses on one of history’s most notorious war crimes, the Katyn massacre.

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

Thank you for this interview, Douglas.  Let’s start right at the beginning, with the title. What exactly is “The Katyn Order?”

Douglas:  The Katyn Order is an actual historical document – an order – signed by Josef Stalin and every member of the Soviet Politburo in 1940 authorizing the execution of more than twenty thousand Polish army officers, doctors, teachers, and civic leaders. The executions were carried out in secret by the Soviet NKVD in four locations in Russia, including the Katyn Forest near Smolensk. The Soviet Union denied this atrocity for more than fifty years until 1992 when the President of the Russian Federation, Boris Yeltsin, made the Katyn Order public.

But your book is a novel. What can you tell us about the story?

Douglas:  The Katyn Order, is a story of two young people – Adam, an American secret agent and assassin, and Natalia, a covert operative of the Polish underground – caught up in the vortex of cataclysmic events in Poland toward the end of the war. Amid the Allied power struggle left by Germany’s defeat, Adam and Natalia join in a desperate hunt for the 1940 Soviet order authorizing the murders in the Katyn Forest. It is a story of intrigue and danger, of human courage under extraordinary circumstances, a story of love and a quest for redemption.

You write historical fiction. So, is this a true story?

Douglas:  All of the events are true. The story begins with the German war machine in retreat as the Russians advance. Our two protagonists meet in Warsaw as the Resistance fighters of the AK (the Polish Home Army) rise up against the Nazi occupiers. Adam and Natalia, as well as a host of other characters, are fictional, but their experiences throughout the story are real. From the catastrophe of the Warsaw Rising, through persecution of the AK at the hands of the Russian secret police, to the hunt for the Katyn Order, Adam and Natalia struggle to survive as they navigate through a labyrinth of actual historical events.

One of your main characters, Adam, is an American. How did he come to be in Poland at this time?

Douglas:  Adam is a naturalized American citizen who was actually born in Poland. Through a tragic chain of events at the outbreak of the war Adam winds up in London where he is trained by the British as a secret agent and assassin, and sent to Poland. I cannot reveal any more details about this without spoiling the story. So, as the saying goes, “You’ll have to read the book.”

How did you do the research for The Katyn Order, and how long did it take?

Douglas:  It took about three years to do the research and write The Katyn Order, though I had an advantage because much of the story in my first book, Night of Flames, was also set in Poland. I did, however, travel back to Poland twice doing the research for Katyn, including a very exciting auto trip into the Tatra Mountains with my daughter, Kerri (who is also a great research assistant). A large chunk of the research was also done by studying the literature on the Katyn massacre and the Warsaw Rising. Neither of these two horrific events are well known to Americans, so I think many readers will enjoy learning about them as they get into the story.

Thank you very much for this interview, Douglas.  We wish you much success!

Tags: Author Interviews, Douglas W. Jacobson, Pump Up Your Book, The Katyn Order

The Story Behind the Book is Literarily Speaking’s newest feature. Here we find out either the inspiration behind authors’ books or how they got published. Today’s guest is Therese Fowler, author of the family drama novel, Exposure.

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Exposure is a story I never expected to write. I’d been working on a different book in the summer of 2009 when my son, who had just turned nineteen, came home and told me he might be in trouble. It seemed he’d shared, electronically, a photo of himself undressed with a sixteen-year-old girl he was friends with—something now known as “sexting,”—and her father had found it and called the police. My son was arrested shortly after, and charged with something called “disseminating harmful materials to a minor.”

The local media got wind of the story. It ran on the television news, online, and on the front page of our local weekly newspaper. Reporters called and texted my son, and came to our house to try to get “his side of the story.” It was surreal.

The book I was working on at the time was under contract, so although life became very complicated very quickly, I felt bound to keep working and meet my deadline—but I struggled with it; the story just wasn’t doing what I wanted it to do. I was distracted, certainly, but I was also astonished that so much was being made from what seemed an unwise but minor event. An attorney we spoke with was the first to use the word “sexting,” which we hadn’t heard of before then. I searched the web for more information on this, and found accounts of other sexting-related crises, some of which ended tragically for people involved.

A month or so after my son’s charge was, fortunately, dismissed, the idea for Exposure came to me almost fully formed. I’m certain it grew from my amazement over things such as kids who shared photos being labeled “sex offenders,” and kids being charged with illegal pornography distribution, or possession of child pornography. In addition, I knew too well the effects a sexting arrest could have on the accused and his or her family. I asked my son what he thought about my writing a novel inspired by our experience and the issues, and he was fully supportive. I wouldn’t have done it otherwise.

In some ways, the writing came easily because the scenario was so familiar and so close. In other ways it was hard, because even though Exposure is entirely fictional—the story inside the book is not my son’s, nor mine—I knew that if it got published I might be putting my family in a position where we could be judged. And while my editor and publisher had also supported my desire to write this book in place of the one I’d been writing, I knew I was risking my contract if the new story didn’t ultimately meet with their approval. All the while, though, I was telling myself, Think of what books can do.

I grew up being influenced by novels, and I fully believe in the power of story. Whether invented or true, stories have been the vehicles of lessons and warnings and inspiration for as long as humans have had the means to tell them. So to craft a story that might prevent even one person, one family, from having to face a similar or worse crisis was an opportunity I felt obligated to pursue. I wanted to remind us all that “To err is human”–which is especially true when deep emotions are involved. In Exposure, Anthony and Amelia and Harlan and Kim are all well-meaning people whose actions and choices add up to a cautionary tale that I hope will give readers, at the very least, many hours of good reading. Everyone in Exposure makes mistakes—as we all have done at times, and no doubt will do again. It’s what happens afterward that makes all the difference.

Therese Fowler is the author of Souvenir and Reunion. She has worked in the U.S. Civil Service, managed a clothing store, lived in the Philippines, had children, sold real estate, earned a B.A. in sociology, sold used cars, returned to school for her M.F.A. in creative writing, and taught college undergrads about literature and fiction writing—roughly in that order. With books published in nine languages and sold worldwide, Fowler writes full-time from her home in Wake Forest, North Carolina, which she shares with her husband, four amiable cats, and four nearly grown-up sons. Her latest book is Exposure: A Novel. You can visit Therese Fowler’s website at www.theresefowler.com.

Tags: author tour, blog tour, blog tours, book blog tour, book promotion online, Exposure, family drama novel, Guest Blogger, online book promotion, Pump Up Your Book, sexting, Therese Fowler, virtual blog tour, virtual blog tours, virtual book tour, virtual book tours

Dave Zeltserman won the 2010 Shamus Award for ‘Julius Katz’ and is the acclaimed author of the ‘man out of prison’ crime trilogy: Small Crimes, Pariah and Killer, where Small Crimes was picked by NPR as one of the five best crime and mystery novels of 2008, and Small Crimes and Pariah (2009) were both picked by the Washington Post as best books of the year. His recent The Caretaker of Lorne Field received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, calling it a ’superb mix of humor and horror’, and has been shortlisted by ALA for best horror novel of 2010. Outsourced (2011) has already been called ‘a small gem of crime fiction’ by Booklist and has been optioned by Impact Pictures and Constantin Film.

His latest book is Dying Memories (StoneGate Ink).

You can visit Dave’s website at www.davezeltserman.com. Connect with him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/people/Dave-Zeltserman/1434849193.

Thank you for this interview, Dave. Can you tell us what your new book, Dying Memories, is all about?

Dave: Dying Memories opens with a woman shooting a man to death on a crowded Boston street, and then telling the police the man had raped and murdered her eleven year-old daughter. Except she never had a daughter. When a reporter, Bill Conway, discovers a link between this and another killing to a biotechnology firm, he soon finds himself framed for murder, as well as being hunted by shadowy forces. The danger for Bill increases with each chapter as he searches for a way to reclaim his life, understand what’s happening, and ultimately stop a sinister plot to enslave the country. There are a lot of twists and turns throughout the book, lots of surprises, all leading to an explosive ending.

I know authors have a certain liking for one genre over the other.  Why thrillers for you?

Dave: What’s important to me is the story and the charatcers, and not really the genre. I read all genres, and I write everything from charming traditional mysteries to near pitch-black crime noir to horror. Dying Memories is really my first pure thriller, although I gave it a noir edge and added my own twist to the genre.

What do you believe was the most challenging part of writing Dying Memories?

Dave: Dying Memories was a lot of fun to write. Since it was my first thriller, I wanted to follow the thriller conventions, such as keeping each chapter short and having them end with a cliffhanger of sorts

Can you pick out a part of your book that most definitely has the wow factor?

Dave: The ending is pretty much a huge wow. But there’s a lot of other wows going on with each chapter.

Have you ever shaped your fictional characters from people in real life?

Dave: I do have some characters inspired by real people—Pariah, for example, has characters heavily inspired by South Boston mob figures. But even still my characters are completely fictional and exist only in my head, at least until I give them life on paper.

Where are you from?

Dave: I grew up in the Boston area, and outside of five years in Boulder, Colorado for college, have lived in the Boston area my whole life.

Do you see writing as a career?

Dave: Recently, yes. I had a film deal for my novel, Outsourced, for the last couple of years, and it’s now looking like it’s going to go into development soon, and I’m beginning to get some potentially very rewarding film deals for other books, including doing the screenwriting for them. So things are beginning to break for me where I’m going to be able to make a living at this.

Aside from writing, what other talents do you have?

Dave: Well, I have a black belt in Kung Fu.  I’m very strong in math and logic, and spent 20+ years developing complex network device and network management software.

If you could choose a talent that you don’t possess (yet), what would that be?

Dave: I’m too old now to say stud QB for the NFL or pitcher for the Red Sox, but 25 years ago that would’ve been it.

If you could change one thing about your book after the fact, what would that be?

Dave: While I’m genuinely happy with my first 2 books, although there’s some writing in them now that makes me cringe. As far as my last 10 books, including Dying Memories, there’s nothing I’d change.

One final question.  If someone were to walk into a bookstore and pull any book off the shelf, why would they choose yours?

Dave: Probably for the reason that film makers are now after my books—because they’re very different from whatever else is out there. My novels have strong stories with lots of surprises and twists, with suspense that builds throughout to powerful endings, and they’re populated with very human characters, although in most cases, very flawed ones.

Thank you so much for this interview, Dave.  Any final words?

I’d like to thank Literarily Speaking for taking the time to interview me. And I hope folks out there enjoy Dying Memories, as well as my other books.

Tags: Author Interviews, book publicity, Dave Zeltserman, Dying Memories, thriller novel

Join Hugh Aaron, author of the short story collection, Stories From a Lifetime (Stones Point Press), as he virtually tours the blogosphere in June & July 2011 on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About Hugh Aaron

Hugh Aaron, a native of Worcester, Massachusetts, received a Liberal Arts degree in the Humanities at The University of Chicago. For three years as a Seabee he served in the South Pacific during WWII. He was CEO of his own plastics manufacturing business for 20 years before selling it to write full time. Several of his short stories have been published in national magazines and 18 of his essays on business management have appeared in The Wall Street Journal. He is the author of Business Not as Usual: How to Win Managing a Company through Hard and Easy Times. Currently he’s writing and producing plays.

His latest book is a short story collection, Stories From a Lifetime.

You can visit his website at www.stonespointbooks.com or his blog at www.businesswisdom.blogspot.com.

About Stories From a Lifetime

Stories from a Lifetime carries readers through a widely diverse series of life’s peaks and valleys with poignant, clear-eyed vision and understanding that is only gradually gained across the course of a lifetime through endurance and honest appraisal of the emotional rollercoaster that we all ride.

These stories form a welcome, and increasingly rare, honest, grounded, and beautifully written collection that will touch nerves while sympathizing with what it means to be human.

Hugh Aaron delicately reveals the world through the innocent eyes of a young boy, through those of a soldier far from home during wartime, and those of a struggling businessman and faltering husband. He is unafraid to reveal panic beneath a façade of success, the deep and hollow sadness that may exist in an outwardly happy marriage, the yearning we feel to make a break for freedom from the rat race, the unexpected emotional responses that shift lives far beyond the expected course of events.

Visit Hugh Aaron’s official tour page at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/05/15/stories-from-a-lifetime-virtual-book-tour-june-july-2011/ to see which blogs and websites he’ll be stopping off at during his Stories From a Lifetime Virtual Book Tour 2011!

Tags: Hugh Aaron, Pump Up Your Book, short story collections, Stories From a Lifetime

The Story Behind the Book is Literarily Speaking’s newest feature. Here we find out either the inspiration behind authors’ books or how they got published. Today’s guest is Jean Henry Mead, author of the mystery/suspense novel, Murder on the Interstate.

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Writing Mystery Novels for Older Readers

by Jean Henry Mead

I write senior sleuth novels because there’s a growing market for boomers and retirees who like to read in their own age groups. I was intrigued years ago by Miss Marple and Hercule Periot, who were wise and perceptive, but never seemed to have any fun. That’s not true of today’s seniors who are less inclined to retire to their rocking chairs than previous generations.

A St. Martin’s editor gave senior writer Pat Browning a piece of advice she’ll never forget: ‘Be careful not to turn your characters into cartoons.’ I try to picture older characters as they are–the same people they always were, only older. This is especially true when it comes to romance and sex. For all the jokes about senior sex, it is a very real part of senior life, and it’s no joke to those lucky enough to have a romantic partner late in life.”

I agree. Not unlike Janet Evanovich’s character, Grandma Mazur, who is eccentric enough for a cartoon character, most seniors have the same interests they’ve always had, with the possible exception of roller blading and downhill skiing. On second thought, I once interviewed Buffalo Bill’s grandson Bill Cody, who learned to donwhill ski at 65 to keep pace with his much younger wife.

Mike Befeler writes what he calls “geezer-lit.” His first novel features his octogenarian protagonist, “who is short on memory but has a sense of humor and love of life. He accepts his ‘geezerhood,’ solves a mystery and enjoys romance along the way “with a young chick of 72.”

My first senior sleuth mystery, A Village Shattered, takes place in a California retirement village. The plot is generously sprinkled with humor but none of the seniors resemble cartoon characters, although a couple come close, a redneck Casanova and love starved widow. Diary of Murder followed and I portrayed the two 60-year-old protagonist widows as quite capable of traveling the country in their motorhome as well as chasing down killers who happened to be drug dealers. The third novel in the series, Murder on the Interstate, which was recently released, takes place along I-40 in northern Arizona, and involves homegrown terrorism.

Another senior writer, Beth Solheim, spent years working in a nursing home and says she loves the elderly and their “humorous, quirky insight to life, love and longevity.” Her protagonists are 64-year-old twins in her humorous, paranormal cozy series, The Fifi Witt Mysteries.

Chester Campbell, an octogenarian, writes the Greg McKenzie Mysteries. He said, “My friends in this [age] bracket are out going places and doing things. Some, like me, continue to work at jobs they enjoy. I chose to use a senior couple in my books who are long married, get along fine, and do a competent job as private investigators. Greg, who narrates the books, is aware of his limitations from age and makes up for physical shortcomings by outsmarting his adversaries. My hope is to dispel some of the absurdity of the stereotypes about seniors that are all too familiar. Like the old song says, “Anything you can do I can do better.” Chester also has another series featuring 59-year-old private investigator Sid Chase.

Like so many other novelists, I write what I enjoy reading. My readers are mainly retirees and baby boomers, who number over 78 million. Some 8,000 boomers are moving into the senior column every day, the fastest growing potential book buying market on record.

We’re experiencing the graying of America. What better subgenre to write about?

Jean Henry Mead is a mystery/suspense and western historical novelist. She’s also an award-winning photojournalist. One of her fortes is interviewing writers, actors, politicians, artists and ordinary people who have accomplished extraordinary things. She began her writing career as a California news reporter/editor/photographer, first in Central California and later in San Diego. Mead then transferred to Casper, Wyoming, to serve as a staff writer for the statewide newspaper. While there she served as editor of In Wyoming Magazine and two small presses. She also freelanced for other magazines, both domestically and abroad, among them the Denver Post’s Empire Magazine. Her first book was published in 1981. She’s since published thirteen novels and nonfiction books.

She is also on Facebook and Twitter.

The author’s virtual book tour takes place from May 2-May 27. Three copies of Murder on the Interstate will be given away and one of the winners (from a drawing of blog visitors leaving comments) will be a character in her next book. The tour schedule is posted at: http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/03/25/murder-on-the-interstate-virtual-book-tour-may-2011/

Tags: author tour, baby boomer fiction, blog tour, blog tours, book blog tour, book promotion online, book tours, Guest Blogger, Jean Henry Mead, literarily speaking, Logan & Cafferty, Murder on the Interstate, mystery, mystery/suspense novels, mystery/suspense series, online book promotion, online book tour, online book tours, Pump Up Your Book, virtual author tour, virtual blog tour, virtual blog tours, virtual book tour, virtual book tours

Title: The Virgin Mary in the Light of the Word of God
Author: Dr. Labib Mikhail
Publisher: Nordskog Publishing
Paperback: 176 pages
ISBN: 978-0982707494
Genre: New Testament non-fiction

The Virgin Mary in the Light of the Word of God fills a tremendous need for a concise, elegant, Biblical treatment of Mary. Dr. Labib, as he is affectionately known, gives Mary her due full honor while fending off the many faith-damaging myths perpetuated about her.

For those not well acquainted with but interested in Christianity and its true historic beliefs, you will find a straight-forward declaration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the Gospel that leads to the eternal and abundant life our God always intended for mankind, through the saving and sanctifying work of Jesus Christ. For the committed Christian, you will find an edifying presentation of the true Gospel and of sound doctrine.

The book is a balanced and Biblical portrait of the Virgin Mary. It is a relevant study clarifying Mary’s role and significance.

Read the excerpt!

All generations of true believers agree that Mary is blessed among women because she was the vessel that God the Father used to prepare the body of His Son, Jesus Christ, who would complete by His death on the cross God’s plan for man’s salvation. The Virgin Mary is blessed among women because she believed in the possibility of this most unprecedented event in all human history … that a virgin girl can give birth without being touched by a man.

Now let us look at the specific words of Elizabeth that have caused a lot of controversy … “But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43) The traditional churches have built on these words of Elizabeth the teaching that Mary is the Mother of God. So what was the intention of the Holy Spirit when these words were recorded in Scripture?

It is logical that any mother precedes her son as far as time is concerned; but is that the case as far as the relation between Mary and Jesus? Did Mary precede Jesus as far as time? Certainly not! In fact, Christ was eternal with God the Father before creation.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

Tags: author tour, blog tour, blog tours, book blog tour, book promotion online, book tour, book tours, Dr Labib Mikhail, New Testament nonfiction, online book promotion, online book tour, online book tours, Pump Up Your Book, The Virgin Mary in the Light of the Word of God, virtual author tour, virtual blog tour, virtual book tour, virtual book tours

The Literarily Speaking Book Panel talks to authors on different subjects regarding books, book industry topics, book selling, book promotions, and whatever catches our fancy.  Today we are talking about social media and how we use social media to promote books.  Is social media all hype?  A big waste of time?  Are authors selling books this way?

Our Distinguished Panel of Authors

Chad Coenson was born in Orlando, FL, but he can barely remember that and pretty much spent most of the years following his birth in a nomadic state of perpetual motion until finally finding a home in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and two dogs.   He has a degree in creative writing from the University of Arizona and spends his time “trying” not to take life too seriously.  Despite his generally adventurous nature and willingness to attempt almost anything, he has never had the opportunity to cast the first stone. Me and Bobby McGee is Coenson’s first novel.

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Ron Fritsch is writing and publishing a tetralogy asking whether history and civilization might’ve begun and proceeded differently than they did. He’s doing it not because he hopes to become rich and famous but because he wishes to share his story with the world.  His latest book is Promised Valley Rebellion.

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J. J. Hebert’s debut novel, Unconventional (paperback), became an Amazon.com best-seller in three categories on July 19, 2009. The Kindle version has been the #1 Inspirational Book in the Kindle Store numerous times. J.J. is also the founder of MindStir Media, which helps authors successfully self-publish and distribute books worldwide. Currently, he lives alone in New England, home to some of the greatest sports teams in the world (for now), where he’s at work on his latest novel, Saving Dad, and a children’s book, Weepy the Dragon.

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Jennie Helderman is a 2007 Pushcart Prize nominee and co-authored two nonfiction books, Christmas Trivia, Hanukkah Trivia and writes profiles for magazines. Previously she chaired the editorial board of the 120,000 circulation alumnae magazine of Kappa Kappa Gamma, The Key. Helderman is married to a retired newspaper publisher; is the mother of two and grandmother of three; and has recently moved from Alabama to Atlanta.Her latest book is As the Sycamore Grows.

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Thom Hunter is a Christian married father of five who fought, fell and rose again to fight against unwanted same-sex attraction. He encourages others to press on, moving beyond excuses, to claim responsibility and power through the Grace of God. Thom believes the church has failed in its responsibility to provide hope and healing for those who struggle with sexual brokenness.Thom is a former newspaper and magazine editor, journalism professor and speech-writer. He spent 20 years with AT&T as a public relations executive and chief of staff. He now writes and speaks full-time. Surviving Sexual Brokenness: What Grace Can Do is his third and most recent book.

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Douglas W. Jacobson is an engineer, business owner and World War Two history enthusiast. Doug has traveled extensively in Europe researching stories of the courage of common people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. His debut novel, Night of Flames: A Novel of World War Two was published in 2007 by McBooks Press, and was released in paperback in 2008. Night of Flames won the “2007 Outstanding Achievement Award” from the Wisconsin Library association. Doug writes a monthly column on Poland’s contribution during WW2, has published articles on Belgium’s WW2 escape organization, the Comet Line and other European resistance organizations. Doug’s second historical novel, The Katyn Order, which will be released in May, 2011, focuses on one of history’s most notorious war crimes, the Katyn massacre.

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Carla Malden grew up in Los Angeles, California. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from U.C.L.A. with a Bachelor of Arts in English and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society for her academic achievement. She worked extensively in the film business, both in production and development. Along with her father, Academy Award-winning actor Karl Malden, Carla co-authored his critically acclaimed memoir, When Do I Start?, published by Simon & Schuster. AfterImage:  A Brokenhearted Memoir of a Charmed Life delivers a fiercely personal account of her battling the before and surviving the after of losing her husband to cancer. It offers an alert for an entire generation:  this is not your mother’s widowhood.

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Allison Tammy Moore’s own rise from being labeled a habitual offender to prominence deems her an expert on personal success. Born to teenage parents and ending up being adopted, Allison lived a life plagued with abuse, addiction and crime. With a criminal history, low self esteem and no one to guide her, Allison went to prison and developed her own method of recovery by redefining success.  Allison Moore is Co-Founder of Meet Her At The Gate, an organization devoted to assist women exiting prison. Allison is also the author or several magazine articles and her first book entitled: I Was I Am….How to Move Beyond Your Past to Create an Extraordinary Life.

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Elle Newmark is an author whose books are inspired by her travels. Her work has been published into 16 languages and she lives in the hills north of San Diego with her husband, a retired physician. She has two grown children and five grandchildren.  Her latest book is The Sandalwood Tree.

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Christine Norris is the author of several works for children and adults, including the Library of Athena series and the Zandria duology. She has also done several English adaptations of novels translated from other languages. She reached a new level of insanity by attending Southen Connecticut State University Graduate School’s Information and Library Science program, so that someday she, too, can be a real Librarian. She currently resides somewhere in southern New Jersey. Her current book is a YA/Fantasy titled The Mirror of Yu-Huang.

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The Hippie received a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Utah and worked briefly as a licensed mental health therapist before leaving her job to pursue writing. She prefers ice cream in the winter, beanies in the summer, and only plays sports when properly guilt-tripped. She currently lives with her husband and two dogs in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Her latest book is Snowflake Obsidian.

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Alexandrea Weis began writing at the age of eight. In college she studied nursing and went on to teach at a local university. After several years in the medical field, she decided to pick up the pen again and began her first novel To My Senses. Since that time she has writen several novels and sold two screenplays (White River and Blood Will Tell). Blood Will Tell is currently in pre-production with Buyer Group International. Her work has been critically acclaimed and is continually growing in popularity. Alexandrea Weis is also a permitted wildlife rehabber and works rescuing orphaned and injured animals. She recently has been working to aid oil soaked birds in the Gulf disaster.  Her latest book is Recovery.

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Nzingha West is a special education specialist working in New York City. As an instructor Nzingha’s expertise has been featured onRadio Disney, 106.7 Lite Fm in New York, News 12 Connecticut, NPR Radio and several parenting magazines. Before starting her education career Nzingha worked in several labs as chemist. Nzingha has honed her education expertise over 10 years in New York City schools and private companies. Nzingha has worked with several prestigous schools such as The Harlem Children’s Zone, University Settlement, The New York Foundling, The American Museum of Natural History and The City College of New York among others.  Her latest book is Is My Kid Stupid? Avoiding an Educational Disaster .

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After working several years as research chemist, Paula Wiseman was blessed with the opportunity to stay home with her children and follow the writer’s path. She has been published in several Cup of Comfort devotional books and in Life Savors for Women. Contingency: Book One: Covenant of Trust Series, her debut novel, spent time on the Amazon.com Christian Fiction bestsellers list, and was also the #1 Hot New Release in Christian Fiction. Indemnity is her second novel.

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Recently, Terri Wolffe was challenged by the question: “What is it that you’ve always wanted to do, but never allowed yourself to do because of fear?” The resounding answer for her was: “I’ve always wanted to write an historical romance novel!” Pouncing on that flash of inspiration, she set out to try her hand at writing her very first historical, erotic romance. Terri admits that she had to overcome fears such as, “What will people think? What will people say? What if you fail and fall flat on your face?” Three months later, Desperate Desires was born.

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Vincent Zandri is an essayist and freelance photojournalist, and the author of the recent bestsellers, The Remains, Moonlight Falls and The Innocent . His novel As Catch Can (Delacorte) was touted in two pre-publication articles by Publishers Weekly and was called “Brilliant” upon its publication by The New York Post. The Boston Herald attributed it as “The most arresting first crime novel to break into print this season.” Other novels include Godchild (Bantam/Dell) and Permanence (NPI).

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Dave Zeltserman won the 2010 Shamus Award for ‘Julius Katz’ and is the acclaimed author of the ‘man out of prison’ crime trilogy: Small Crimes, Pariah and Killer, where Small Crimes was picked by NPR as one of the five best crime and mystery novels of 2008, and Small Crimes and Pariah (2009) were both picked by the Washington Post as best books of the year.  His recent The Caretaker of Lorne Field received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, calling it a ’superb mix of humor and horror’, and has been shortlisted by ALA for best horror novel of 2010. His latest book is Dying Memories.

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The term “social media” had become the latest buzz word lately.  In your opinion, why do you think social media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, has gained in popularity in regards to the book world?

Chad Coenson: “There is no question that social media has become a prevalent part of the modern world, so much so that many people have actually forgotten how to communicate verbally altogether.  And though the muting of auditory ignorance is in itself of notable esteem , it is not the only positive effect social media has had on society.  From my perspective, it has also become an extremely useful tool for the book world.  I say this because, unlike films and music which can be previewed with more ease and generally have a broader marketing reach, there are tens of thousands of books released daily across the globe and because of the sheer quantity of titles, it is nearly impossible to keep track of what works have recently been published, especially as it pertains to lesser known authors.  In parallel, there has also been a major flood of self published literature in the last few years which adds another layer of complexity when the time comes for readers to select their next book of choice.  The combined challenge herein is essentially a twofold cliché: it all comes down to time and money.  What this means is that shy of a mutated librarian in a permanent isolation chamber being fed amphetamine intravenously, no one has time to sift through the infinitely expanding pile of available literature.   Furthermore, these days, next to no one, aside from professional gamblers and the US national treasury, has funds that can be frivolously thrown around without the guarantee of at least a semi-worthwhile investment.  More simply put, endless agendas limit the amount of free moments an individual can spend browsing the physical and digital book shelves, and the current economic climate prevents people from taking a chance on an author they are not familiar with. It is for these reasons that emerging authors, small press and self published, and even several established authors, have embraced social media as a modernized means for marketing .  It is the most convenient and cost conscience way of promoting one’s work as it allows for mass communication, “friendly recommendations”, and acts as an outlet for writers to relay updates regarding existing and upcoming releases.  In turn, social media also gives readers the opportunity to express their opinions on literature, write reviews,  and suggest books to others in their “network”.  This virtual relationship is a sort of symbiotic, bi-product of social media that perpetuates literacy beyond the New York Times Best Seller list, in this age of TMA (text-message-acronyms) and CliffsNotes.  It is this concept in concert with the fore mentioned public’s lack of time, as well as the “cautious spending revolution”,  that I believe has prompted the ever evolving book world to welcome the rise of social media, advocate its usefulness to others in the community, and leverage it as an alternative publicity resource.”

Ron Fritsch:  “I’m not convinced that the book world has figured out yet how best to use the social media. If you’re already a famous person, or at least a writer who is familiar to a significant number of potential readers, the social media can obviously inflate your celebrity far faster than anything humans have previously invented. If you’re a nobody, on the other hand, pushing your first novel, what can you do with the social media except to prepare for the moment when all your marketing and other efforts let you take off? I have a website and blog for that purpose.”

J.J. Hebert:  “Social media popularity continues to grow in the book world because actively participating in social media yields positive results … Authors are now able to reach and communicate with lots of readers all over the world…without spending a dime. I believe social media is particularly crucial for the indie author, who usually lacks a large marketing budget and brick-and-mortar distribution, and therefore should use social media to ultimately drive traffic to online bookstores to generate sales.”

Jennie Helderman: “Every author wants her book to go viral. It happens. It’s possible. All she has to lose is time. And even if she doesn’t hit a jackpot, she spreads her book’s name recognition and possibly increases her network. It’s a new, trendy way to market for free. And we all know how vital marketing and promotion are. I don’t see a downside to using social media. I do see some people wasting vast amounts of time with it. One author on a recent panel in Atlanta said she spent three hours every day on Facebook. I also see social media as one of many avenues to reach book buyers. I wouldn’t put all my effort in one place.”

Thom Hunter:  “As odd as it may seem, and even though we may not meet some of our “friends” or “followers” face-to-face, a trust factor builds. Over time, they can see whether we are legitimate, truly believe in what we are doing and whether others believe we are credible. Even people who communicate in little bites here and there eventually want to settle down with something substantial. They like to read what their friends are reading. The social networks allow for immediate feedback and reaction. They play an important role in the development of word-of-mouth sales because links can be shared so easily and comments can spread quickly. “

Douglas W. Jacobson: “I think they are popular because it is so easy. You can just sit down at your computer and in a few moments connect with hundreds of people anywhere in the world. There is no easier, and less costly, way to get out the story of your book.”

Carla Malden: “People have a multitude of likes and interests in books – as many tastes as the tens of thousands of books released each year.  Social networks allow for word of mouth so that people can find books that align with their personal tastes.  It’s like attending a technological cocktail party where you gravitate toward a clump of people discussing a book or writer of interest to you.  Books inspire people to communicate ideas about them.  Social media offers another venue for that kind of discussion which, in turn, elevates the value of books in the world.  In other words, it facilitates the sharing of the reading experience.  One would hope that social media emerge as another venue for the deepening of the reading experience – the creation of a synergetic experience of a book. ”

Allison Tammy Moore: “I absolutely believe such social media options has gained popularity in regards to the book world because it allows you to reach the masses as well as a specific target market audience, with very little or no cost at all.  The connections made through such outlets are phenomenal. It gives authors a presence that may not have otherwise been known.”

Elle Newmark: “Because everybody is on it.  Authors can reach more people with one well-placed blog than they used to reach on a whole book tour.  It’s hard to justify the huge amounts of money on traditional publicity when you have a soapbox like Facebook.  And it’s convenient for the reader, she can go from one website to another, checking out a book, and end up on Amazon to buy it – all without ever having moved out of her chair.”

Christine Norris: “I think that we’ve become this interconnected society, where we can reach anyone anytime. On one hand it’s good – I talk to relatives that live far away more than ever. On the other hand, sometimes we need to unplug. As far as the book world, books are evolving from just a printed form of media and into an ‘experience’. I think readers enjoy being able to connect with those authors whose books they love, finding out they’re real people an able to ask them questions in 140 characters or less, knowing there’s a real chance of getting an answer. It’s interactive, and that’s the beauty of it! I’m finding more and more that blogs are getting shorter in their entries, possibly because people are more into the bite-sized tidbits; they don’t want to sit and read a long blog post. I’ve been trying to make my own shorter, unlike this answer! I also think that a savvy author can keep readers interested in their work through social media. A book takes awhile to write, generally, and it can be a year or more between books. An author can use social media to keep a readers interest, so their name sticks in the reader’s mind, their next book event is right there in front of them, their pre-publication teasers can entice readers to pre-order the book. If the author is excited about the book, the readers will be too!”

The Hippie: “I think social media sites have gained interested in the book world because you have to go where your customer is and this is where the masses are headed. “

Alexandrea Weis: “It is a wonderful way to gain an audience for books and to interact with that audience. Social media networks bring people closer, especially authors and fans of their work. Unlike book signings and public speaking engagements, I feel the social media format gives individuals a faster and more personal approach to interacting. Communication is also not dependent on travel and a certain day or time. There is much more flexibility and a more open forum for feedback from readers.”

Nzingha West: “Overall, the internet has gained in popularity. Sites like facebook, twitter and LinkedIn offer people a way to connect that is cheap, free and instant, so why not capitalize. Also, sites like facebook, twitter and LinkedIn allow you to meet with individuals and learn about businesses and catch sales etc. Really most people enjoy these sites because of their convenience. When it comes to books, promotion is a big deal. The more you use these sites the more people learn about you, your book and your cause overall. Almost everyone uses or has used the internet in the past. It really offers a cost effective, smart way to promote your book and find followers and readers.”

Paula Wiseman:  “Social media provides a “win” for readers and writers. Readers are passionate people, and social media provides an open invitation to voice their opinions. Writers get to share their work in a much more personal and interactive way. Writers are more accessible than in the days before social media, and the opportunity to engage and build relationships with readers is a welcome innovation.”

Terri Wolffe: “One of the novel features of all the social media platforms is that it allows authors to have immediate contact with our readers. To be able to instantly communicate with someone whose works you’ve read and enjoyed allows one to feel connected in a sense. This contact enables the reader to have the sense that they know the author. I believe this in turn translates to more sales over time.”

Vincent Zandri: “Is the Pope Polish? Oh, that one died. My bad. Well, yes, enormously so…We don’t have to schlep our books at bookstores anymore to an uninterested trickle of customers. now we can promo our books via the social networks to a willing global audience! Way better!”

Dave Zeltserman: “As more and more books are being bought online, and as the digital book market explodes, it makes more sense for authors to have an online presence. I’m also noticing readers want more of a connection with authors now, and I’m often having facebook chats and answering emails from readers.”

Of all the social networks out there, which one is your favorite and how do you use it to promote your books?

Chad Coenson: “Before directly answering this question, I must admit that until the weeks before my first novel was published, I avoided social media networks in the same fashion that cows avoid Taco Bell meat; I dabbled in it ever so slightly, but was never really a major part of the whole thing.  But as the release date for Me and Bobby McGee approached, and my lack of involvement in the cyber society was revealed, my publicist at the time more or less ordered me to create a Facebook page, something I had vowed to myself never to do out of stubborn principle and relative fear of “The Grid”.  Reluctantly breaking my vow, I somberly signed up and established my online profile.  Within minutes all of the things I had anticipated dreading about social media were fully verified.  Useless status updates, friend requests from people I had intentionally lost touch with, invites to participate in collective-life-wasting events…  Facebook was rapidly ratifying my assumptions and the continued existence of my membership was certainly in question.  And it continued to remain in a potentially temporary status, that is, until the day my book became available.  The moment I posted the news about the release, the buzz began and within a day I started to see links to purchase my book appear on other folks pages, some that I knew and quite a few that I didn’t.  From that point on I began to post any news pertaining to the book, or to my writing in general, on my Facebook page and I continue to do so whenever I can.  I have also used this particular social medium to post video excerpts from the book, radio interviews ,and  live presentations to name a few other means of promotion that are commonly propelled through my social network.  The ability to do this from a single spot has certainly allotted me the opportunity to reach a much larger audience, which I found to be especially helpful in the larval stages of publicity.”

Ron Fritsch: “I try to connect with other independent authors, book reviewers, and book marketing experts in order to find out what I’ve got to do to bring myself to the point where I want to be—and to meet some fascinating people along the way. I’m much more active on book-world blogs than I am in the social media listed in the previous question. The time for them will come.”

J.J. Hebert: “Goodreads.com, which is the #1 social networking site for book lovers. As of now, the site consists of around five million members. I prefer this social network over Facebook (the runner-up, in my opinion) because Goodreads is completely geared toward people who love to read. Marketers would call that “targeted marketing.” I promote my book Unconventional via Goodreads by participating in the free author program. More information can be found here: http://www.goodreads.com/author/program. “

Jennie Helderman: “I use Facebook primarily right now—my book has a page—but I haven’t made the most of social media yet. Had good intentions, but other priorities bumped it aside. I may have made a mistake in not giving it more attention from the beginning. I’m in the process now of learning, evaluating my options and moving forward.”

Thom Hunter:  “At the moment, Facebook is my favorite. I post links to my blog there and receive great feedback. Many of these contacts eventually turn into book buyers. It’s important, however, to truly be a “friend,” on Facebook and not just a marketer. I read and comment on a lot of links and status updates and do so remembering that the person who wrote them is real and wants attention, not just a marketing pitch. I am working to develop a better feel for Twitter, but Facebook is my favorite.”

Douglas W. Jacobson: “I think Facebook is the easiest to use, it reaches more people, and you can target specific groups that are most likeley to be interested in your subject.”

Carla Malden: “I have been dragged kicking and screaming into this world, I must admit.  I am pleased with my website; I suppose because I was able to exercise control over its look and content.  I don’t tweet and I’m not on Facebook, but my daughter created a Facebook page for my book.  That’s her arena and I’ve been happy to let her manage it for me.  As I get closer to the release of my book, I may check on the page more regularly to see what kind of response it’s getting.

Allison Tammy Moore: “Of all the social networks, my favorite is Facebook. For me it allows the most interaction, easy to use, and gives the most options for promoting.”

Elle Newmark: “I guess Facebook is the biggest and then Goodreads.  It’s mostly a matter of just showing up.  Be there on a regular basis to keep an online presence fresh.”

Christine Norris: “I am a big Facebook and Twitter user. I think LinkedIn is less social and more business. I use them to update people about events, talk about writing, and just be myself, which I think is part of promotion, that readers can touch that little bit of something they might not usually get to. I can also post links to my blog through my Twitter, and I syndicate my blog through my Facebook Author Page. I use Tweetdeck to be able to update any of my accounts or all of them at once.”

The Hippie: “I like Facebook because it’s more interactive than Twitter, and those are the only two I use. Facebook also has more posting options and I’m not limited to cramming my thoughts into less than 140 characters.”

Alexandrea Weis: “I would have to say I use Facebook the most. I have a page for my books and it allows people to follow updates on new releases, as well as posting reviews and any other pertinant material I may want to convey. When I was working on my second book, Recovery, I used my facebook page to post updates on the progress of the book, reveal the cover, and share early reviews with my followers.”

Nzingha West: “I personally love Facebook, I’ve tried twitter, but I haven’t perfected it yet. With Facebook, I’ve just started to use a service called North Social to help with my book promotion. I’ve also tried Facebook ads in the past and I plan to re-implement them in the future to assist with book promotion.”
Paula Wiseman:  “I use Facebook most of all. I have an author page and from there I’ve listed news, and reviews. Previewing quotes and chapters and audiobook samples from my upcoming book worked well, too. When the Kindle version of Contingency released at 99c, I ran Facebook ads which proved very successful because of the specific demographic targeting the ads offer. Also as a timesaver, my Facebook page is linked to my Twitter account so updates automatically post both places.”

Terri Wolffe: “For me, Facebook works best because it affords me a greater level of communication than just tweeting about something and hoping the network will read it. I use Facebook to promote in many ways and I’m able to comment/post on other’s pages as well.”

Vincent Zandri:  “I’m more comfortable with Facebook. I think it was invented for 30-60 year olds. Twitter is crazy rapid, and LinkiIn is cool but kind of snoozy.”

Dave Zeltserman: “I’m a bit behind on the times and haven’t gotten on twitter yet, but I am finding that my readers like see me on Facebook to hear about what’s going and leave comments to me. But even with Facebook I haven’t gotten into it as much as I should yet.”

Do you think you have actually sold books because of social media?

Chad Coenson: “Yes, and I actually know this for a fact.  It became explicitly evident when the Kindle version of my novel, Me and Bobby McGee, was released.  The paperback had been out for a few months before the electronic version became available and other than my own website, Facebook was the only other spot I used to announce this.  In the weeks that followed I watched my sales rank on Amazon improve steadily and it has continued to do so, a success which is at least partially related to the self promotion I have done via social media.”

Ron Fritsch: “I have no idea. It’s much too early in this phase of my independent publishing life for me to worry about that. It’s a good question for me to keep in mind, though, as the world and I move forward together.”

J.J. Hebert: “I’m 100% certain that I’ve sold MANY books because of social media. I’ve watched my sales rank climb as a result of social media campaigns. I’ve seen tons of sales receipts through Paypal from people I “friended” on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/jjhebert) as well as fans there. Many Twitter followers (I’m @authorjjhebert) have also purchased copies of Unconventional. And I haven’t even mentioned Goodreads … Members from that social network have purchased and reviewed Unconventional, helping my book gain exposure. Now that I mention reviews—I am able to trace many reviews back to friends/followers in my social media world. Those are reviews from people that otherwise would not have heard of Unconventional … Podcasting is another form of social media that I utilized early on by releasing Unconventional as a free podcast novel, meaning my book was serialized and offered online for listeners at no charge. That podcast novel edition attracted somewhere around 30,000 downloads and resulted in increased sales figures for the paid versions. Unconventional, the paperback and Kindle edition, has spent time on the Amazon.com bestsellers lists. The Kindle version has been the #1 inspirational book in the Kindle Store numerous times. I owe most of this success to social media and encourage all of my authors (I own MindStir Media, a self-publishing and book marketing company) to engage in social media.”

Jennie Helderman:  “Maybe. I hear from readers who are excited about my book and they’re spreading the word. I do think some new readers have come through social media. Chances are, though, they passed around the same book.”

Thom Hunter:  “I know I have because people have responded through the social media to let me know their reactions to Surviving Sexual Brokenness: What Grace Can Do. Several have reviewed it and a number of people from Facebook and Twitter purchased the book directly from my website by following the link. I’ve not sold huge numbers because it takes a little courage to order a book called Surviving Sexual Brokenness, but I can track a number of sales directly to social media contacts. Interestingly, I’ve also gained some contacts from people who read the book and then requested to be friends.”

Douglas W. Jacobson: “Absolutely. I track my ratings on amazon as one barometer and I can see the impact of being active on social media sites.”

Carla Malden: “I don’t know yet.  Books are sold through word of mouth.  The precise ways in which that word of mouth occurs are difficult to measure; it’s nearly impossible, I suspect, to gather numbers that pertain to word of mouth.  Some pre-orders for my book that have been received on Amazon are probably a result of the Facebook page.

Allison Tammy Moore: “Yes, I have actually sold books because of social media. It allows me the opportunity reach people all over the world with the click of a button. I am able to connect with people, develope a following, post about the book, create buzz and make people want to read more!!”

Elle Newmark: I know I have.  People have told me they saw my book on this or that site and, after reading reviews on Amazon, they bought it.”

Christine Norris: “Absolutely. I saw a marked increase in my sales rankings on Amazon when I started using Twitter, more than when I started Facebook. Once I started being more aggressive with FB, though, I did see some sales as well. Social media is kind of like any other promotion — you get out of it what you put in. That doesn’t always hold true, but it’s pretty close.”

The Hippie: “I know that I have, however, friends would likely buy my book anyways. Except without Facebook I would not have stayed in touch with so many people from my past and been given a forum to let all of them know about it.”

Alexandrea Weis: “Absolutely. I feel the word of mouth factor fostered by social media networks is priceless for a writer. People who read a good book and want to spread the word about it, can do so with social media. It is a fast, effective, and efficient way to reach a large amount of people in a short amount of time. I have seen the popularity of my first book, To My Senses, grow under the auspices of Facebook and Twitter. And it has definitely helped gain an audience for my second book, Recovery.”

Nzingha West: “I can say that I’ve sold some books because of blog exposure, but I cannot really say that I’ve sold books because of social media. I haven’t explored it as throughly as I could have. However, with my new knowledge of how to leverage social media, I definitely plan to explore it more thoroughly.”

Paula Wiseman: “I know I have. I’ve had readers tell me they bought the book because they saw the Facebook ad. My friends posted the book’s release on their profiles for me which led to sales. I’ve also heard from friends from years ago who picked up Contingency after seeing news about it on my profile page.”

Terri Wolffe: “I know I have sold books over 200 books via Facebook. And I have also made use of their direct advertising. Conducting a two-month marketing campaign with them caused a spike in my sales.”

Vincent Zandri: “You gotta ask???”

Dave Zeltserman: “I have been. I’ve had 4 print books released since 2008, with them all getting nice attention, including Small Crimes being picked by NPR as one of the five best crime and mystery novels of 2008 and The Caretaker of Lorne Field being shortlisted by ALA last year for best horror book of the year, and that has gotten more people looking me up on Facebook and discovering more about my other books.”

Do you have any questions for our panel?  Let your comments or questions below!

Tags: Alexandrea Weis, Allison Tammy Moore, book panel, book panel discussions, Carla Malden, Chad Coenson, Christine Norris, Dave Zeltserman, Douglas Jacobson, Elle Newmark, J.J. Hebert, Jennie Helderman, Nzingha West, Paula Wiseman, Pump Up Your Book, Ron Fritsch, Terri Wolffe, The Hippie, Thom Hunter, Vincent Zandri

Carla Malden grew up in Los Angeles, California. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from U.C.L.A. with a Bachelor of Arts in English and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society for her academic achievement. She worked extensively in the film business, both in production and development.

With her husband, filmmaker Laurence Starkman, she wrote twelve feature screenplays; they also served as rewrite guns-for-hire. The team of Malden & Starkman wrote and produced the short romantic comedy Whit & Charm, which screened at eight major film festivals, including The Hamptons, and won several awards. They also wrote and created a series of Cine Golden Eagle Award-winning Art History films produced in association with The Detroit Institute of Art and The National Gallery.

Along with her father, Academy Award-winning actor Karl Malden, Carla co-authored his critically acclaimed memoir, When Do I Start?, published by Simon & Schuster.

AfterImage:  A Brokenhearted Memoir of a Charmed Life delivers a fiercely personal account of her battling the before and surviving the after of losing her husband to cancer. It offers an alert for an entire generation:  this is not your mother’s widowhood.

Carla Malden lives in Brentwood, California where she is currently completing her first novel as well as a children’s book illustrated by her daughter, Cami Starkman.

Visit her website at www.carlamalden.com.

Thank you for this interview, Carla.  Your book, Afterimage: A Brokenhearted Memoir of a Charmed Life, is about your transition into widowhood.  What happened to your husband and was it an all of a sudden thing or did you have time to prepare yourself (if that can even be done)?

Carla:  My husband was diagnosed with colon cancer and lived for a little under a year after that.  That may not sound sudden, but it felt head-spinningly sudden.  Aside from the fact that I was in great pools of denial, I don’t think you can prepare yourself.  It’s like childbirth.  You think you’ve learned all the exercises and the breathing techniques, but nothing can prepare you for that wallop of pain.  Grief is like that, especially since I had no firsthand experience with major loss and found myself plunged into the deep end of grief without even knowing how to dog paddle.

I remember one day after my mother died, someone was joking around with me and I thought that was so brutal.  How can I laugh right now?  What do you say to those people?  Leave me alone and let me grieve?

Carla:  I think everyone grieves differently.  I didn’t mind joking and did quite a bit of joking myself.  There were other triggers for me, other hot buttons that made me bristle.  I think the best that other people can do is just to listen and to try to be sensitive to how the bereaved is reacting in any given situation.  I’m not an authority on this subject; I just told my personal story.  It just helped me to know that people loved me and, far more importantly, that people loved Laurence, my husband, and were never going to forget him.

So how did you begin to pick up the pieces?

Carla: There is no secret, no trick.  You just get up each day and try to choose to live in some way.  Gradually, you begin choosing bigger and bigger ways to live until you discover you have built a life that is productive and fulfilling and even joyful.  Also, I had a daughter; I had no choice but to keep going for her and to try to be an example of carrying on.

Looking back, what advice did you get that had such an impact on you?  Good or bad?

Carla: There was no single piece of advice.  In fact, I can’t even remember anyone offering advice per se.  People just rallied around me and kept me propped up.  That first year, there was a barrage of invitations.   I felt so supported and cared for.   That’s far more meaningful than advice.

Afterimage is essentially not a “cancer story” but a “love story.”  I’d love to hear how you and your husband met for the first time?

Carla:  We met our senior year in high school.  It was a tiny, progressive school to which I had just transferred for my senior year.  I was the only new girl in a class of forty-five students.

What do you believe were his best qualities and that’s what makes him unforgettable?

Carla:  Laurence was the most talented person I’ve ever known.  He could do so many things well, largely because he had a passion for so many different things. Aside from his professional life as a filmmaker and writer, he was also a chef, a drummer, and an artist.  He also had a gift for design of any kind.  There was a remarkably fluid communication between right brain and left brain in him; he could dream something up, but then he could devise the ideal way to execute it as well.  He was a perfectionist but only because it gave him such enormous pleasure to do things perfectly.  For all his gifts, he was also humble — and not falsely so.  He just didn’t care about what other people thought about him; consequently, everyone loved him.  But his sweetest gift and, I’m sure, the gift of which he was most proud was as a father.  He was a sweet and gentle man who also had a wry sense of humor.  He radiated joy.

I’m sure your husband was sitting beside you in spirit the whole time you were writing your book.  Did you ever feel his presence?

Carla:  I felt his presence then.  I feel it now.  I’ll feel it always.

Thank you so much for this interview, Carla.  Do you have any final words?

Carla:  Thank you for asking about Laurence and about letting me tell you about “AfterImage.”  In many ways, I wrote it to bear witness to a life — his and ours together — and it is rewarding to know that people are less daunted by the grief than they are touched by the love.

Tags: Afterimage, book promotions, cancer, Carla Malden, memoir, online book promotions, Pump Up Your Book

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How did I get published? I set up a publishing company and did it myself.

Here’s why:

At my age I can be feisty.

Change has turned the publishing industry on its side—one is the ease of self-publishing—and caught the big players off guard. They may be years in sorting it all out. I don’t have time or patience to wait on them.

And I knew a little about printing, or so I thought.

John Grisham, Stephen King, and Virginia Wolfe self-published. Today they’re  joined by an army of self-published authors.  The stigma once attached to self-publishing has almost sloughed off.

Nevertheless, I vowed that my book would be as fine in quality as any book at Barnes & Noble.  Professional editing. No shoddy printing, narrow margins, standardized covers.  And it would be available through any book store, which required a means to accept returns. For these reasons I chose not to go with one of the many new self-publishing companies. Either their specs didn’t meet my standards, or they retained the rights, or some other provision didn’t suit my feistiness.

Consequently, I drew up a detailed business plan, made a budget, and formed Summers Bridgewater Press in May, 2010. We set the following October 1 as the launch date for the book, October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month. By June the budget was in free-fall.

I didn’t anticipate the need or know the cost of an interior design or international copyrights or shipping from the printer to the warehouse or renting pallets for storage or the number of cases free to reviewers and much more. I had stepped onto a high speed treadmill set at the steepest incline and was racing against a self-imposed deadline, which we met.

Only now, a year later, am I catching my breath. Would I do it again? Yes. Would I do anything differently? YES.

First of all, I wouldn’t start out with a tight deadline. I’d take at least a year, two would be better, and walk through every step of manufacture and production so there would be no surprises and no decisions made because of time pressures.

I would still do it through my own company although more choices arise every day in the self-publishing business. I like being my own boss.

I would explore every option for distribution. Self-publishers, like other small presses, are really in a bind getting their books into the major stores. Surely some alternatives will develop.

Have I encountered barriers because the book is self-published? Yes, a few. Some reviewers won’t look at a self-published book. My own press club didn’t include me as an author at the holiday authors’ party. But all this is changing. Publishers Weekly has begun reviewing self-published books and my book was on its cover in March.

Now that I have some experience, I’ve reclaimed the rights to my first two books, Christmas Trivia and Hanukkah Trivia, revised them and will bring them out for the 2011 holiday market. And a book proposal from another author arrived in last week’s mail.

I’m a publisher now, as well as an author.  And still a feisty old woman.

Jennie Helderman broke the glass ceiling at age ten by becoming the first girl page in the Alabama State Legislature. That surge of girl power wouldn’t be the last time she saw a need to put women’s issues at the forefront. Years later, after she helped set up a crisis-call center in an old house, a cry for help at the other end of the phone line resounded in her head. That call was the catalyst; eventually, the empty bedrooms upstairs served as the community’s first shelter for victims of domestic abuse.

From there, Helderman began work with women’s issues and leadership, community development, public relations and communications, beginning in Gadsden, Alabama, and reaching to national levels. She has championed women’s and children’s issues and worked with child abuse victims. From 2000 until her term expired in 2006, she presided over the six-member board of the Alabama Department of Human Resources, which serves 520,000 clients each month and oversees all family abuse issues in the state.

A 2007 Pushcart Prize nominee, Helderman coauthored two nonfiction books, Christmas Trivia and Hanukkah Trivia and writes profiles for magazines. Previously she chaired the editorial board of the 120,000 circulation alumnae magazine of Kappa Kappa Gamma, The Key.

Her latest book is As the Sycamore Grows.

Helderman is married to a retired newspaper publisher; is the mother of two and grandmother of three; and has recently moved from Alabama to Atlanta. Her website address is www.jenniehelderman.com.

Tags: As the Sycamore Grows, book tour, Jennie Helderman, The Story Behind the Book, virtual book tour

Join Carole Waterhouse, author of the literary fiction novel, The Tapestry Baby, as she virtually tours the blogosphere June 6 – 30 2011 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About Carole Waterhouse

A creative writing professor at California University of Pennsylvania, Carole Waterhouse is the author of two novels, The Tapestry Baby and Without Wings, and a collection of short stories, The Paradise Ranch.

Her fiction has appeared in Arnazella, Artful Dodge, Baybury Review, Ceilidh, Eureka Literary Magazine, Forum, Half Tones to Jubilee, Massachusetts Review, Minnetonka Review, Oracle: The Brewton-Parker College Review, Parting Gifts, Pointed Circle, Potpourri, Seems, Spout, The Armchair Aesthete, The Griffin, The Styles, Tucumari Literary Review, Turnrow, and X-Connect.

A previous newspaper reporter, she has published essays in an anthology, Horse Crazy: Women and the Horses They Love, and Equus Spirit Magazine. Her book reviews have appeared in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Pittsburgh Press, and The New York Times Book Review.

Her latest novel is The Tapestry Baby, a novel depicting a mother who believes her child is born to fulfill some special destiny and discovers her life is intertwined with six other people, raising the question of whether any of us really control our own decisions, and through the process learns that greatness can be defined in the simplest of gestures.

You can visit Carole’s website at www.Carolewaterhouse.com.

About The Tapestry Baby

Karin lives in terror that her child will be born a multi-colored version of the mysterious tattooed man she met one night. When Anna is born normal instead, she becomes convinced her daughter is meant to fulfill some special destiny that she herself can’t provide. A believer of signs and premonitions, she takes off on a journey with Vonnie, a writer friend who can’t complete any stories because the peacefulness of her own life leaves her without inspiration hoping she can make a decision along the way. The choice, however, may not fully be her own. Their lives are randomly connected with six other people. There’s Ward, a cross-dresser who chooses his lovers based on their ability to make him look good, and Daria, a photographer who wants to feel emotion with the same level of intensity she can show it in her work. Mrs. Brown is a librarian with a sordid past who masquerades in her own dowdiness and her secret admirer Ned, a music teacher experiencing a nervous breakdown who finds that his images of make-believe women are deteriorating as notes break on his piano. Pivotal are Reggie, a massive tattooed man who despite his best efforts lives in fear of destroying women the same way he once accidentally crushed a bird he held in his hand and Clarissa, a fake fortune-teller who is responsible for bringing them all together. The Tapestry Baby raises the question of whether any of us really has control over our own destinies.

Visit Carole’s official tour page at www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/05/07/the-tapestry-baby-virtual-book-tour-2011 to see which blogs and websites he’ll be stopping off at during his The Tapestry Baby Virtual Book Tour 2011!

Tags: author promotions, author publicity, blog tours, book promotions, book publicity, Carole Waterhouse, literary fiction, promote your book, Pump Up Your Book, sell your book, The Tapestry Baby, virtual book tours, Zumaya Publications

5 Things You Should Know About Promised Valley Rebellion

By Ron Fritsch

1. Where is the story set? Readers have frequently asked me this question. I chose for the story not to have a precise setting because, as the reviewer for Kirkus Discoveries noted, I wanted my novel to be a universal story. That said, I had to make some choices that narrowed the possibilities for the setting. Because the winter solstice occurs when the sun reaches the most southern points where it rises and sets, the story has to take place in the northern hemisphere. Because the farmers have domesticated wheat, barley, cattle, horses, and the other plants and animals mentioned in the story, they have to be located in the eastern hemisphere. Therefore, the story could take place in northern Africa, all of Europe, and all but the most eastern parts of Asia (where the first farmers domesticated rice). And the characters could be the ancestors of most humans alive today.

2. When did the story take place? The rise of agriculture happened at different times in different places. On the other hand, since farming has been established in the Promised Valley for a at least a few generations, and since writing hasn’t yet been invented, I would guess that the story takes place between 5,000 and 10,000 years ago.

3. Why do the characters have names that seem Native American? Since the story doesn’t take place in the western hemisphere (where the first farmers domesticated maize, now known as corn), this is a good question. I can only say I’ve always liked Native American names, with their references to nature. I suspect, though, in prehistory many peoples in addition to Native Americans had similar names. They all lived much closer to nature than most people do today, and they might’ve balked at using names, such as Ron Fritsch, that mean nothing to anybody other than the person with that name and the people who know that person.

4. Why don’t the characters use any “forbidden” words? Although the characters speak present-day English, as most characters in historical fiction written in present-day English do, they never use any of our “forbidden” words dealing with sexual or excretory matters. Are they prudes? Is the author? The answer to both questions is no. I consider “swear” words to be a societal hang-up and little more. We can use the word “Fockers” in movie titles but not the word it calls to mind for 99.99% of the people who see or hear it. Does that make any sense at all? For my far-away and long-ago Promised Valley characters, I decided to give them the freedom not to have to deal with such a meaningless issue.

5. Why are the “tellers,” who constitute a kind of priesthood and judiciary, gay men and lesbians? Currently, many gay men and lesbians raise children. Many lesbians in the Promised Valley adopt and raise orphans and don’t become tellers. The men who go with men, though, don’t raise children. They and the lesbians who become tellers therefore have the time to memorize and retell their people’s stories, to hear the arguments of the persons involved in legal disputes, and to prepare for and conduct their people’s religious ceremonies. It all makes perfect sense to me. Maybe in some prehistoric societies it actually happened that way.

Ron Fritsch grew up in rural northern Illinois, the son of poor but hard-working tenant farmers who loved to read. He obtained a bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Illinois and a law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School. He became a public-service attorney representing indigent and disabled adults and abused and neglected children. For many years now, he’s lived in Chicago with his partner. He’s writing and publishing a four-book Promised Valley series of novels asking whether history and civilization, with their countless heaven-sanctioned wars and genocides, might’ve begun and proceeded differently. Promised Valley Rebellion is the first novel in the series. The titles of the three following novels will be Promised Valley War, Promised Valley Conspiracy, and Promised Valley Peace.

For more information about Ron, you can visit his website at www.promisedvalley.com

Tags: 5 Things, Guest Blogger, Promised Valley Rebellion, Ron Fritsch

J. J. Hebert is a writer. Surprising, huh? He has written fifty-two novels, including the immensely successful, award-winning Willard’s Heart. J. J.’s also an archaeologist, and he recently unearthed an ancient religious scroll in Jerusalem that, in time, will prove absolutely nothing about anything important. He presently resides in Yemen, where he enjoys being the richest man in the land.

Of course, the aforementioned isn’t true (except for the “J. J. Hebert is a writer” part), but you found it entertaining, right? Perhaps just a little funny?

Honestly: J. J. Hebert’s debut novel, Unconventional (paperback), became an Amazon.com best-seller in three categories on July 19, 2009. The Kindle version has been the #1 Inspirational Book in the Kindle Store numerous times. J.J. is also the founder of MindStir Media, which helps authors successfully self-publish and distribute books worldwide. Currently, he lives alone in New England, home to some of the greatest sports teams in the world (for now), where he’s at work on his latest novel, Saving Dad, and a children’s book, Weepy the Dragon.

Visit J.J.’s website at  www.jjhebert.net or his blog at www.jjhebertblog.com. Connect with him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/authorjjhebert or Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorjjhebert.

Thank you for this interview, J.J.  Can you tell everyone what your latest book, Unconventional, is all about?

Unconventional focuses on James Frost, a young janitor who decides to pursue his dream of becoming a published author. His journey from mopping floors to finding love, God, and literary stardom is inspirational and quite entertaining.

Is this your first book?

It’s my first published book. I wrote a novel, Defiance Rising, before Unconventional, but decided to put it in a drawer.

Why did you decide to write an inspirational Christian fiction book?

I wanted to inspire readers while promoting a Christian worldview.

Can you tell us about the main characters?

James has low self-esteem and is rejected often, but he always gets back up and goes after his dream. He’s kind of like the Rudy of the publishing world. He’s extremely relatable and it’s easy for readers to root for him.

How much of your book comes from real life experiences?

Like most writers, I use some real-life experiences to enhance my writing. I did perform janitorial work years ago, by the way…

What do you do for a living when you’re not writing novels?

When not writing novels, I’m busy with MindStir Media, the self-publishing and book marketing company I own. Info can be found at http://www.mindstirmedia.com. I find it extremely fulfilling to be able to help others publish their work.

Where do you like to hang out?

Barnes & Noble, cafes, parks, the beach in the evening, my house…

Finally, what is your passion? What are you passionate about more than anything else?

I believe it’s extremely important for everyone to find and pursue their God-given purpose. For me, it’s writing and publishing.

Thanks for this interview, J.J.  Any final words?

Embrace the unconventional!

Tags: Author Interviews, author tour, blog tour, J.J. Hebert, Unconventional, virtual book tour

The Story Behind the Book is Literarily Speaking’s newest feature. Here we find out either the inspiration behind authors’ books or how they got published. Today’s guest is Nancy Stewart, author of the bestselling children’s book, One Pelican at a Time.

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Let me begin by telling a bit about the book, One Pelican at a Time.  It is the story of two girls, Bella and Britt, who love living by the beach.  During an oil spill, however, they realize their old friend, the crooked beak pelican, is in grave danger. The girls, after having been told by adults that kids can do nothing to help, take matters into their own hands and try to save him from the oily gulf waters.

My husband and I bought a condo on the water in Clearwater Beach, Florida, three years ago.  Although I didn’t know it would, that decision had a profound effect on me.  I watched the Sea Turtle Summer and Bella Saves the Beach marine life on our daily walks and quickly grew to love it all, particularly the brown pelicans.  I found those walks opened up a whole new world for me.  I’d been along beaches many times in many places, but this time it was different.  It was personal. 

Bella came to me in a sand heart that the tide was just beginning to take away.  Inside that heart was the name, Bella.  A nugget of a story stirred in me.  Britt came about two weeks later in the form of a lovely child splashing in the gulf with her parents.  I wrote the first two books, Sea Turtle Summer and Bella Saves the Beach.  They were both accepted by Guardian Angel Publishing and were scheduled to be published.

And then the oil spill happened.  That changed everything. I spoke with my publisher, Lynda Burch, about the spill.  She and her husband are in Florida several months, and she loves and respects all of it as well.  We both agreed a book about the spill had to happen, and Bella and Britt were the ones to do it.  The old crooked beak pelican that the girls had known all their lives was in the previous book, Bella Saves the Beach.  It was a natural fit. 

The problem was that the first two books in the series were to be published soon.  They went on hold, and Pelican took over.  I wrote like a madwoman and finished the book in about six weeks, something I’d never done before.  Time, though, was everything.  We were determined to be first to get a book out about the event.  And we did it! 

In retrospect, it was all worth the effort.  I know Lynda feels the same.  We were both on a mission to help, and this was the way we could do it.  And I think it may be working.  One Pelican at a Time has and continues to be on several Amazon bestseller lists:  Bestsellers in Children’s Books, Hot New Releases in Children’s Books and Most Wished For in Children’s Books.

It was a circuitous route to publishing One Pelican at a Time.  One might even call the book an unintended consequence of a global disaster.  But I want to thank my publisher and our wonderful illustrator, Samantha Bell, for putting so much love and effort into the book.  Britt, Bella and the old crooked beak pelican have a story to tell, a cautionary tale, and we are all so grateful that so many people are paying attention. 

After having been an elementary school teacher, a management consultant with New Options, Inc. in New York City and a university professor of education, Nancy Stewart now writes children’s books full time.  She, her husband and three sons, lived in London for eight years, where she was a consultant to several universities, including Cambridge. 

 Nancy travels extensively throughout the world, most particularly Africa.  She is the US chair of a charity in Lamu, Kenya, that places girls in intermediate schools to allow them to further their education. 

Nancy is the author of One Pelican at a Time and two other Bella books:  Bella Saves the Beach and Sea Turtle Summer.  All three are published by Guardian Angel Publishers. 

She and her family live in St. Louis and Clearwater Beach, Florida. 

You can visit Nancy online at www.nancystewartbooks.com or at her blog www.nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com

Tags: 2010 Gulf oil spill, author tour, bestselling author, bestselling children's book, blog tour, blog tours, book blog tour, book tour, book tours, environmental issues, Nancy Stewart, One Pelican at a Time, online book promotion, online book tour, online book tours, Pump Up Your Book, Samantha Bell, virtual author tour, virtual blog tour, virtual blog tours, virtual book tour, virtual book tours