Podcast Guests for July 2010

Writers’ Podcasts for July Offers Author Interviews Covering a Variety of Genres from World Travel, to Humorous Fiction, Poetry and Financial Writing.

Writers in the Sky guests discuss books that inspire readers to journeys across planetary landscapes; through realms of human experience; touching the poetic; to end in financial success.

Nashville, TN, June 24, 2010—The team members of Writers in the Sky will be offering a diverse series of interviews for the month of July. The month begins with real life travel adventures and humor to inspire and amuse. The next week brings a guest whose fictional short story anthology evokes both laughter and sadness. July continues with two returning guests and comes to a close with lessons in financial success.

On July 2, WITS owner Yvonne Perry interviews travel author Linda Ballou about writing her book, Lost Angel Walkabout: One Traveler’s Tales. Linda’s tales span years of traveling—sometimes alone, occasionally with her mother or life partner, and often with others in search of soft adventure. Brimming with action, intelligence, regional history, funny mishaps, or tight squeezes, each story is set against a backdrop of nature’s jaw-dropping beauty. Ballou aims to share her world view, and through her eco-alerts make the listener care more deeply about our vanishing resources and places of wild beauty.

The podcast series continues on July 9, when author’s assistant Vonnie Faroqui interviews Garasamo Maccagnone about his published anthology My Dog Tim and Other Stories. A successful business man and one time politician, Maccagnone left politics to pursue his long time love of writing. With several titles to his name Garasamo Maccagnone’s writing style for the My Dog Tim anthology is darkly humorous and geared for an adult audience. The two will talk about the inspiration behind Maccagnone’s stories, his edgy writing style, the role of faith in his writing and how he develops his characters as well as about difficulties he has faced promoting his most recent work.

July 16, Barbara Fifield makes a return visit to Writers in the Sky Podcast to discuss her two new books, Passion’s Evidence and Photographs and Memories. In Passion’s Evidence, Fifield shares a collection of poetry that she has composed over the last twenty-five years, exploring topics such as family, nature, and romantic relationships. Photographs and Memories is a novel that is based on experiences in Fifield’s own life, specifically concerning the illness and death of both her parents and her spouse. Its themes will resonate with anyone who has dealt with the grieving process for a family member or close friend. Barbara Fifield is a veteran writer, having published her work widely in newspapers and literary journals. .

For the second week in a row, the July 23 podcast will welcome back a previous guest when Davis Aujourd’hui sits down with Sarah Moore. Davis first joined the podcast to discuss the release of his book, The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude. He is back to talk about the next book in a series featuring Sister Mary, Babes in Bucksnort. In this latest “misadventure,” the town of Bucksnort is all worked up over some visitors who come to town to dole out their own sense of social justice and Sister Mary Olga Fortitude is right in the middle sharing her wisdom about tolerance and inclusion. Mr. Aujourd’hui will be discussing how this new book extends on the themes of his first release and what we can expect next in the series.

The podcast series ends for the month July30, when Vonnie Faroqui interviews author Manuel Showalter about his book, A Blueprint for Financial Success. Find out how Showalter worked his way from being a high school drop-out to attaining financial security and about his desire to help others as he shares his experiences concerning what it takes to be successful financially and a published author.

About Writers in the Sky: Writers in the Sky blog, podcast, and newsletter is a three-fold production filled with information about writing, publishing, and book publicity created by Yvonne Perry as part of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services.

Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Go to http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com. On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows. Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to the audio file.

Creative Trance

by Sarah-Anne Playle

I hit the keyboard and type out letters and words. Next to me, long shadows fall across the studio suite as the sun sets outside. I barely notice as I continue to type, trying to figure the story that has hounded me since November, now with an official three false starts. I open up a new document and try starting for the fourth time, but like the other attempts it fizzles and stalls, like a car running out of gas, a few spurts, a few grumbles, and then it's dead. I go down a paragraph and try again. I turn the ignition but the car doesn't start. I am creatively stuck. I lean back and stretch my shoulders as the pet behind me squeaks for dinner. Her pleas fall on a brain that is not currently focused on the real world. Instead it is focused on the imaginary and fictional.

What is it with this story, I question again. It hounds me, haunts me – the premise, the title, the characters, but the theme eludes me. And this is problem, I think, the fact that I can't find the true essence of the story. The sun has finished setting now and the studio slowly fills with evening darkness. I roll my shoulders to release some of the tension and then lean back over my keyboard. I don't know what to write. I have two characters, each of which have starred in different aborted beginnings, and I do not know which one is the star of the story. Who's story is it, I wonder, Rogue or Katlin's? And what about that third time travel assassin that crept in last week? I would like to forget it, just get up and walk away and go and get a real job, but I know I would end up feeling creatively stifled and miserable like I have at every job. For some reason, this story wants to be told, and I'm the one who has to tell it.

I stretch my neck, moving it side to side, hoping inspiration will hit. I sip cold Starbucks coffee, waiting. I turn on my antique Victorian lamp as the studio gets darker. Inspiration does not hit. Finally, in frustration, I try an old writing trick I know. I set my cell phone alarm for ten minutes, put fingers to keyboard and start writing about the story, without editing, without stopping, letting anything come. Slowly, as type, the story begins to take shape and create meaning in my mind. I begin to understand what it is about the story that has fascinated me and what I want to tell. The main premise takes shape, the plot begins to evolve and scenes get outlined. Rogue and Katlin stay, but switch roles and the third assassin becomes a pivotal player.

The pet behind me is now chewing on her cage bars to get my attention. I continue to write, barely noticing her. Professional athletes talk about being "in the zone," and a similar thing happens with writers when we are fully engaged in their work, when the outside world ceases to exist. The pet chews and squeaks and I, I write. By the time the alarm goes off I finally, after nearly six months, have a clear picture of the full essence of the novel. I stretch my back again I glance at the clock. An hour has gone by since I sat down at the computer. It feels like five minutes. I don't remember working with such interest and focus in months, and with such a sense of satisfied completion. My art career was filled with half finished pieces that needed the last boring bit of layering done that I would have to force myself through, or, more often than not, put off until all inspiration was dead and then start a new drawing, just to repeat the process.

The pet now resorts to ringing the bell at the bottom of her hay bale. “I know, I know,” I say to her as I reengage with real life. “I'm a terrible owner.” I ruffle her nose and pour her food. My mind still back with the story, I feel excitement for the next day when I can go back into the creative trance.

Sarah-Anne Playle started writing novels at the age of ten and finished her first published work, The Distance Between Us, at the early of eighteen. Since then, she has worked various 'real' jobs in order to support her writing “habit” as she nicknames it. Recently, she has also started a visual arts career, and has already had one gallery display, with another one coming in the near future. Both writing and artwork can be found at http://www.innerheartgallery.com.

Poetry Corner June 2010

Snapper
(with thanks to Berenice Abbott, photographer)

I look back over the thousand and thousand negatives,
assembling from them one monster montage, myriad-
faceted, combining squalor, elegance, such curiosities,
monuments, faces serene, sad, never ordinary, pug-
ugly too often even in triumph: here is power to capture.

Why? some ask, and, considering, I can be no clearer:
for that instant I stopped time – a star in her heyday,
never to age on the negative any more than her beau,
and that bustling market with the fishmonger long dead.
Reliquery of strength, irony, vivacity, decay – a city live.

C.J. Heyworth, Sunday 4th. October 2009

From Snap to Clink

The distance from snap to clink is not very far
You could walk there from here

Snap woke me up about 11 o’clock
To wrench my cell phone away and chuck it to the weeds

Clink showed up later to tell me how it is . . .
Thank the gods my kids are still sleeping

Snap told her story while I sat on my hands
And the bruises from the kicks still pained me

Clink walked me out to his used paddy wagon
Then cuffed me in front of my neighbor’s house

Snap went to sleep on the California King
With a leather, sleigh-bed frame

Clink drove me down on a two-minute ride
To my one room windowless apartment

The distance from snap to clink is not very far
You could walk there from here

John D Wilkinson II from Breakfast Ketchup with Hot Sauce Too

A Little Red Wine

A little red wine can sure make a difference
In just how you look at the world.
It puts on a veil of rose colored glasses
So sweet, as your head starts to swirl.
It won’t change your life
Or heal all your troubles,
But the feeling can be so divine.
So, open the bottle, sit down beside me,
And let’s share a little red wine.

The weight of the world is there on your shoulders,
As sure as the night turns to day.
You could use someone to share all your demons,
And help you to chase them away.
I’ll see you through without even asking,
You don’t need to give me a sign.
We’ll face it together, if it takes all night
With the help of a little red wine.

Traces of life, traces of anger,
Images lost and forgot.
Dreams that came true and dreams that were shattered,
Lessons unlearned and untaught.
Loved ones we’ve known, or wished we knew better,
Friends that were left far behind.
We’ll share it all and make it seem better
With the help of a little red wine.

Dennis S Martin
Website: www.iwritesome.com
Blog: www.iwritesome.blogspot.com
Storefront: www.lulu.com/dsmartin

Other Life Out There

I’m trying to settle down to sleep;
Some motel on some road.
Other rooms are stacked - high, wide, and deep.
I know I’m not alone.

Doors to here. Doors to there.
Doors to rooms are everywhere.

I hear a voice; and then a laugh.
Oops, there’s a sneeze; then it’s a cough.

Suppose this place is the universe,
And my room is our earth.
Then suppose we start to hear some sounds,
From other far-off worlds.

Beeps from here; blips from there.
Other brains are everywhere.

Catch a signal; check an image.
Send a broadcast; text a message.

I should be drifting off, but now I’m wide awake.
Thinking of those others in places out in space.

Someone starts a shower; down a hall, up a stair.
And now I fall asleep; I know there’s life out there!

Jan Bossing©2010, Joelton, TN

Entering Contests and Getting Awards Before Publishing Your Book

Recently, my team editor Sarah Moore received a question from a client that we weren’t sure how to answer. We asked our book proposal expert Carolyn Howard-Johnson to reply. Here is the question followed by Carolyn’s answer:

I have entered my book for The Claymore Dagger Award. Is it acceptable to continue to submit it to literary agents as well? I do not want to be unethical or anger the literary world before I even get my foot in the door. I have read the home page for the contest and all that is stated is that the manuscripts must be unpublished and not under contract. I need your professional opinion on what is acceptable. Thank you for your help.

One can't be sure that any general statement applies to every agent and every publisher, but here goes: Generally speaking an agent (and any publisher she might contact) should be thrilled to have an author whose book has already won an award and who is a savvy enough promoter to have already garnered attention.

If I were consulting with her, I'd even advise her to put the Dagger win (once it becomes a win!) in her query letter. In other words, highlight it. Shout it out! If one publisher or one agent doesn't like that, perhaps he or she wouldn't be the right agent/publisher for this author in any case.

I think the question to ask yourself is if the award is given by an individual publishing company and includes publication of the winning submission. If so—from an agent's point of view—it would only mean that it had been submitted to a publisher before they took it on. Ethically your client should be willing to let the agent with whom they signed a contract represent them for the book published by this agent, should both publisher (the one who ran the contest) and author agree to a publishing contract. The agent may choose to advise the author during the negotiations, but even if they don't, the offer should be made.

Writer's Block; Is it Real?

by Carlene Rae Dater

I have been writing for over 25 years and have to say, I don't get writer's block. I'm lucky because I started my writing career working for newspapers and believe me, there are no writer's blocks in newsrooms. Newspapers have deadlines. If you're given assignment and told to write four or six or 12 inches by 6 PM, you do it. If you can't make deadlines, there are a lot of bright young writers lined up to take your job. Working for newspapers also taught me to write fast, get all the facts up front and to always spell names correctly!

I don't have deadlines anymore, well other than those that are self-imposed, but I still don't get blocked. Oh, I may run out of steam on one project or get bored with it, but then I just shift to another piece and work on that for a while. Because I freelanced for so long, I always have multiple projects going. Right now I'm working on and alternating between: a memoir, an article about my rescue dog for an anthology and three novels. I also write a blog twice a week and do some freelance articles for a variety of magazines. That's not much I know, but I'm semi-retired, I've been writing for a long time and I'm getting lazy.

If you're the kind of writer who only wants to do one thing at a time, that's fine. You still don't have to get blocked. Instead of staring at that blinking cursor, write nonsense, write a poem, write something but whatever you do, don't stop. That waylays madness. Once you stop writing you'll talk yourself into being blocked and that's not good.

Try to write something every day, even if it's only in your journal. Remember, you're allowed to write crap. You know you have to revise your work anyhow, so just write. Start by copying lines from one of your favorite novels or paragraphs from a magazine article. Your brain will take over and before you know it the words will flow again and your fingers will be flying across the computer keys.

I guess I don't understand writer's block or why writers get blocked. I mean, do plumbers get blocked? Do teachers get blocked? Have you ever heard an accountant say, "I couldn't go to work today, I'm blocked. I simply cannot add another number." I'm afraid that poor accountant would starve to death pretty fast. So, like the plumber or teacher or accountant, you show up at the page every day and just write. Don't worry about writer's block, it doesn't exist.

Here's a quote from comedian and author Steve Martin about writer's block that I love: Writer's block is a fancy term made up by whiners so they can have an excuse to drink alcohol.

Carlene Rae Dater has published over 350 pieces of short fiction and non-fiction as well as nine novels and a non-fiction book. Her tenth novel was released in May, 2010. Visit Carlene’s blog at: www.CarleneDater.com.

Book with a View June 2010

Lost Angel Walkabout: One Traveler’s Tales
Author: Linda Ballou
ISBN: 978-1449971526
Reviewed by Barbara Milbourn, an editor and writer in Nashville, Tennessee affiliated with Writers in the Sky

In roughly twenty short stories, travel writer Linda Ballou takes us with her up active volcanoes in Costa Rica, down hundred-mile rivers in the Yukon Territory, over combination jumps and oxers in Ireland, beneath the Sea of Cortez, and along unforgettable jaunts through deserts, woods, peaks, and valleys in both hemispheres. Her tales span years of traveling—sometimes alone, occasionally with her mother or life partner, and often with others in search of soft adventure. Brimming with action, intelligence, regional history, funny mishaps or tight squeezes, each story is set against a backdrop of nature’s jaw-dropping beauty. Ballou aims to share her world view, and through her Eco-alerts make the reader care more deeply about our vanishing resources and places of wild beauty.

Living in greater Los Angeles among millions of other lost angels keeping pace in a hurried world, Linda Ballou makes no bones about her need to seek equilibrium, solitude, and salvation in the sublimity of nature. Forget thousand-thread count sheets at luxury hotels or shopping for the latest bling. Like the great figures liberally noted in her pieces—Robert Frost, Jack London, John Steinbeck, John Muir—Ballou prefers the great outdoors and is intimately acquainted with it. She is a naturalist, a thoughtful traveler, one caring toward the environment and sensitive to local populations both near and far. And, she is a meticulous researcher.


Lost Angel Walkabout is richly detailed and poetic. It gifts the reader with the depth of observation in the clear and careful naming of the world around us—places, peoples, plants, birds, mountain ranges, animals, and sea creatures. More satisfying than naming is storytelling the authentic connection made with the inhabitants of land, sea, and sky; ravens and great spirits, fin whales the size of city buses, or Native Americans forced to flee their land. Because the author has connected deeply, so does the reader. Something is gathered from every place visited, and it seems impossible not to connect with our own highest and best self through Ballou’s experiences—not to mention wanting to get up and go there.

Linda Ballou keeps good company too and includes interviews with renowned travel writer Tim Cahill and endurance rider Lari Shea. Like her travel writing hero Tim Cahill, Ballou sees humor in many of the predicaments she stumbles into, or out of, or overboard after.

Don’t be surprised to find her on the back of a galloping horse yelling “Yee Haw!” and let out a yell yourself.

Title: 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home
Author: Tisha Morris
Turner Publishing Company
ISBN: 978-1-59652-567-2
Price: $9.99
184 pages
Reviewed by Randall Hawk

Having practiced the art of feng shui for many years, I was naturally inquisitive when I came across 27 Things To Feng Shui Your Home .

This ancient eastern art of energy transformation has become very popular in modern western society. Combining science and the mystical, feng shui is used to clear clutter and change the energy of a space. Author Tisha Morris, a certified life coach, energy healer, and feng shui consultant, has simplified this art form so anyone can use it to transform their home, office, work area, and rejuvenate their life.

Tisha briefly and simply describes how feng shui can be used to transmute energy in your living space. She takes you on a path throughout your home and explains ways to change the flow of energy by de-cluttering, cleaning, painting, rearranging furniture, ridding yourself of unused items, personalizing, and creating sacred space.

I was especially helped by the sixth thing Tisha mentioned: Get rid of “just-in-case” items. She made it clear that keeping items just in case you need them later is the same as saying you believe you will have a negative situation in which you will need to use the items. It’s about trust, but it’s also about the Law of Attraction. Tisha explains the destructive power of having a negative intention. Holding on to unneeded items just in case you may need them is like saying to the universe, “Send me a situation in which I can use this item.”

27 Things To Feng Shui Your Home is a handy, well-designed book you will want to keep around for years. Practicing this art is a fun and creative way to energize your life and home. You won’t know how much though until you try it. As a result of being inspired by this book, I’m planning to design a sacred space designated for meditation and other spiritual practices. I’ve already rearranged the furniture in the living room. Don’t worry that you will feel overwhelmed when you begin the process of decluttering. The author gives an easy four-step plan to take action in phases. The basics are to remove clutter, change things, clean the space, and then add feng shui elements. Easy enough!

Tisha states, “Your home should feel good to you and be a place where you love to be. As you love your home, you will love yourself.” I agree. Any time I have made positive changes, cleared the clutter, or shifted energy in my home, I have found that it uplifts my spirit and mind, giving me the ability to think more clearly and work more effectively.

Book Title: Forever With You
Author: Ivzi Cipuri
ISBN: 978-1-4327-4257-7
Publisher: Outskirts Press Inc., 2010
Reviewer Byline: Vonnie Faroqui for WITS

When I first received the book, Forever With You, by author Ivzi Cipuri, I was struck silent by the faded photograph on its cover. I have been haunted by that lovely face; the way her eyes shy away from the camera’s lens, as if hiding the soul within, forever denying the reader’s gaze and foreshadowing the author’s torment. Lovingly dedicated, “To my unforgettable beloved wife Aije . . .” this volume of poetry is an autobiographical journey of love, life, and loss. Through it, the author seeks to immortalize his beloved wife and to share their story with the reader . The book is divided into three sections or moods of poetry. In the beginning, Ivzi offers the reader beauty and hope as he and his bride enter into a new life through marriage. His poetry describes glimpses of life well lived, of health and happiness. Then, the poems take a turn down darker paths, into clouds of fear, illness, battles waged, and ultimately death. The author completes his offerings by opening his chest, and in words, he gifts the reader with grasping, choking, ugly, angry anguish, and grief.

“You beauty, you ugly, I hate you all!
You give me pain, I cry, I toll;
You pinch my soul, you break my heart,
I want to throw, to crash you apart . . .”

I cannot tell whether it is the story of a woman’s courage, and love’s fight for life . . . or instead, if it is the story of a man’s love and anguish revealed in the poetry that I find more compelling.

This book is haunting in its humanity. The verse is rough, but true to the voice of the author and in its aching realism, more potently real than prettier words or a more skillful pen could convey. Forever With You effectively sings the song of life and courage; its melody revealing depths of love and painful loss more poignantly because it is roughly sung.

I recommend this book for readers who have suffered loss due to illness or for those and their families who are fighting to recover health. An excellent example of the healing power and transformative impact words and art can have on the grieving process and a ringing testament to a love and fidelity that knows no barriers, not even death.

Frozen in Time: Murder at the Bottom of the World
Theodore Jerome Cohen
AuthorHouse (2010)
ISBN 9781452002705
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views

Theodore Cohen goes back to a time in his life to create a fictional story based on his own real-life experiences during the Austral summer of 1961 -1962. He was part of a Chilean Antarctic expedition with a team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin doing a gravity survey. The work was down on the North Antarctic Peninsula.

Cohen carefully builds a plot which includes natural dangers of weather and environment, criminal activity, greed, and murder. Cohen uses actual events which occurred during the period 1958 through 1965. Real people from his life, fictional characters, and fictional agencies and organizations are all a part of the carefully developed plot. Cohen incorporates the Great Chilean Earthquake of May 22, 1960 and the theft of valuable assets from the bank’s safe deposit boxes valued at millions of dollars to build suspense that leads to an unexpected surprise ending.

The following is typical of Cohen’s amazing descriptions: “ a world of ice, enveloping, looming over, and dominating the landscape . . . melting, cracking, separating, inching inexorably toward the sea, calving in thunderous convulsions that send thousands of tons of ice and snow pouring down from great heights . . . ”
The University of Wisconsin team had a threefold objective. Grant mapped large portions of the area and collected a variety of rocks and fossils that he needed in defense of his doctoral theses in Cretaceous sedimentation. David similarly was collecting rock samples needed for his doctoral work. Ted was working to establish a new gravity network in the Chilean Antarctica.

The book is thoroughly researched, fully documented, and highly informative. Ham radio operators will appreciate the detailed descriptions of strategies involved in communicating worldwide with Ham radio and other high frequency communications. Avid Chess fans will enjoy the reference to highly complicated chess moves and mention of various well-known Chess Tournaments. Frequent references to Catholic tradition and rites will be of interest to practicing Catholics.

I appreciated the use of the Spanish language when appropriate in the dialog with the easy reference to the English translation. I was enthralled with Cohen’s account of the Chinstrap penguins (a rookery of over 100,000.) Cohen’s own pictures, other photos, maps and illustrations add a stunning visual dimension to the narrative.

Cohen writes with depth, authenticity, and meaning as he draws from his own experiences. He adeptly expresses the feelings, emotions, and psyche of his characters. It became difficult to pinpoint where biographical writing ended and fiction began.

“Frozen in Time” is compelling reading combining the elements of conflict, suspense, intrigue, entertainment, and enlightenment. I highly recommended it.

Looking for a Creative Writing Class?

I have recently connected with an author named Roberta Allen, who has published many times with independent and mainstream publishers. Three of her eight books are on the topic of writing.

Roberta has been on the faculty of New School University for 19 years and has taught in the writing program at Columbia University. She has taught private workshops since 1991.

That is impressive enough, but the reason I’m writing is to let you know about her creative writing classes designed to help writers overcome blocks, build confidence, feel safe taking risks, recognize what works and what doesn’t, and learn to trust their intuition.

She offers these creative writing classes in a group setting to those who can meet in-person in the New York, NY area, as well as one-on-one mentoring sessions via email and phone.

Roberta’s supportive, constructive critiques give specific suggestions for improvement as she teaches students to recognize their individual writing process and what can be done to improve it. She will teach students how to write in a variety of literary genres—micro fiction, micro memoirs, short stories, memoirs, novels, experimental forms—as they learn about point of view, structure, voice, style, language, character, conflict, plot, theme, dialogue, and rhythm.

Whether you are a beginner or a professional wanting to simply hone your skills, you can benefit from working with Roberta.

In-person classes are limited to six participants who revise at home, then read aloud in class and get feedback and support at every session. Most class time is devoted to constructive analysis, specific critiques, and free-flowing discussions about the strengths and weaknesses of each work after it has been read aloud to the group. When each member reads aloud, the group reads along on copies and makes individual notes. Therefore, each member gets written feedback to use for further revisions. The writing process, the elements of writing, dynamic beginnings, and strong endings are explored within the context of each given work.

Check out the classes and sign up at http://www.robertaallen.com

Writing for a Cause

by Kate Garvey

Do you have a passion? Mine has always been for animals. My father was a veterinarian and I began rescuing wildlife and injured animals as young as six years old. During my teen years I worked for my father and witnessed first-hand the suffering animals endure when they are injured or ill. In college I wrote term papers opposing animal research. For much of my life I felt so powerless and overwhelmed by cruelty toward animals. Back in the 1980’s the United States was euthanizing approximately 17 million healthy adoptable animals because of pet over-population and irresponsible ownership. Many of the top research institutions were using animals for medical research; vegetarians and individuals who chose a vegan diet were thought to be eccentric and a little weird.

Instead of following in my father’s footsteps, I became as a property manager in Nashville, Tennessee. I routinely rescued animals that were abandoned in streets, parks, and even left inside vacant rental homes without access to food or water. I started reading about factory farming of livestock and my consciousness and food choices changed even more (even as a kid I could not eat mammals). My feelings of frustration and sense of powerlessness regarding animal cruelty grew. In 2003, I saw a Pit Bull who was literally starving to death on the streets. I’ll spare you the description but this poor creature was the most abused animal I had ever seen. Most likely she had been used as a “bait” dog for a dog fight ring. One-thousand dollars later, I had a dog-aggressive Pit Bull I could not place. She was an unwanted high maintenance pet but I loved her deeply and gave her a good home despite the physical and emotional costs of her care.

When Michael Vick’s dog fight operation was exposed, I wrote an impassioned response to an article I read in the Wisconsin State Journal, which is a highly respected, well-read daily newspaper in the upper mid-west. The following morning a friend stopped by with the paper and there was my unedited letter under the Featured Guest Editorial. This was a major credit to my writer’s bio. It led to two writing assignments for Wisconsin Woman Magazine and other freelance work. But, the best reward is that I got to be a voice for those who suffer wretchedly and yet have no voice and no political power.

The battle against animal cruelty continues as does my passion to be the voice for those who cannot speak. I like to think in some small way my words have been part of the growing consciousness toward sentient beings. Because of animal activists, writers like me, and great animal welfare organizations, progress has been made. The euthanasia rate has been cut in half in the past thirty years, more and more people are become vegetarians or at least buying free-range meats, and most major research institutions are using non-animal model testing for medical experimentation.

Edward Bulward-Lytton said, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” As a writer you and I have been given a precious gift that allows us to touch thousands of lives. So, if you have a cause, I implore you to write, write, write! Write for a cause you believe in and give it your best effort. There can be no greater reward for a writer.

Kate Garvey is the founder and director of the Institute of Sound Healing and a freelance writer. She has had more than fifty articles published on animal welfare. Kate will be releasing a series of e-books on animal welfare this fall. For more information on ways to prevent animal cruelty please visit the “Free Info and Products” section at www.InstituteOfSoundHealing.com or email Kate at kategarveygarvey@yahoo.com (put Reference Writer in the subject line).

Calling for Submissions for July 2010 Ezine

It's time for me to start putting together the next fantastic and information-filled e-zine for July 2010. That means I need you to send me your articles, contest announcements, and brags to be included in the next issue. We have more than enough book reviews, but if I have room for them, I'll include them.

Read our guidelines for submitting here. Remember, the better your piece is written, the better attention and credibility it receives--and the less editing I have to do.

Beyond Books: Building Multiple Streams of Income

by Dana Lynn Smith

It takes a lot of time and effort to attract people to your website and blog, so it's important to maximize your income opportunities from those visitors. Below are some ideas for earning money from products and services other than print books.

Ebooks

The easiest way to create an ebook is to convert your printed book to a PDF document. Nonfiction authors may also want to spin out portions of the book into several smaller ebooks or create ebooks that expand on the information in their printed book. You can also create ebooks by combining or expanding on articles you have already written.

If you'd like to publish in a variety of ebook formats, check into Smashwords. For a 15% sales commission, with no upfront fees, they will convert your book into several ebook formats and handle the online orders and payment processing for you. Book formats on Smashwords include PDF documents and formats that can be read by ebook readers and devices like Kindle, Sony Reader, iPod, and Palm. Smashwords is a good way to get started with ebooks.

Teleseminars and Audio Products

Free teleseminars are a great way to promote your products and services, but nonfiction authors can also earn income from hosting paid teleseminars or webinars. Be sure your paid sessions provide excellent value for the dollar and record the session for those who cannot attend.

Informational teleseminars, in-depth interviews, or live presentations can also be recorded and sold as a CD or downloadable MP3 file. Many authors charge extra for a written transcript of their teleseminars and audio products.

Package Deals

Increase your order size by offering add-on products for an additional fee. For example, when promoting your ebook, offer a companion audio product for a small additional fee. Novelists can offer several books together at a package discount. Children's books can be paired with companion products like stuffed toys that relate to the story. Package prices should reflect a discount of 20% to 30% of the price of the products purchased separately.

Home Study Courses

Once you have content in several formats, such as books, audio, and video, you can package them together into a comprehensive "home study course."Some courses also include individual or group coaching sessions. These courses are often presented in a three-ring binder which includes the printed text and sleeves containing the CDs or DVDs. Like packages, the price should reflect a discount off the prices of the separate products.

Ecommerce

To sell your information products, you'll need to have an ecommerce system to process payments. Clickbank and Paypal are among the easiest to set up. Other choices include ecommerce processors such as Plimus. If you expect to generate more than $2,000 a month in online sales, consider getting your own merchant credit card account and setting up a shopping cart system. Kathleen Gage offers a free tutorial on choosing a shopping cart. If you publish ebooks through Smashwords, they will handle the payment processing for you.

Affiliate Programs

All authors and small publishers should belong to the Amazon Associates affiliate program. In addition to collecting a commission on sales of your own book, you can promote non-competing books and a myriad of other products. For example, cookbook publishers can promote their favorite small appliances and authors of parenting books can promote children's products available on Amazon.com.

Many nonfiction authors offer their own affiliate programs, so check to see if there's a program for your favorite information products. You can also find affiliate programs on sites like Commission Junction. To maintain your credibility, only promote quality products that you believe in.

Advertising

The easiest way to earn advertising revenue is to sign up for the Google AdSense program. But think carefully whether the ads will detract from your site and whether you might have a problem with inappropriate ads appearing. Because just a tiny percentage of visitors will click on the ads, you need a lot of traffic to make any money.

If your site gets a significant amount of traffic, you may be able to sell banner ad space or sponsorships to other organizations that want to reach your target market. This can be done manually on a small scale—just set aside one or more ad spots on your site and charge advertisers by the month for those spots. Run your own ads to fill any blank spots.

There are a variety of ways to generate additional revenue. Just be creative and look for things that are a good fit for your business and your book.

Dana Lynn Smith is a book marketing coach and author of the Savvy Book Marketer Guides. For more tips, follow @BookMarketer on Twitter, visit Dana's blog at www.TheSavvyBookMarketer.com , and get a copy of the Top Book Marketing Tips ebook when you sign up for her free newsletter at www.BookMarketingNewsletter.com.

Network with Us June 2010

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Linda Ballou's book is here!


Lost Angel Walkabout: one Traveler’s Tales is a spirited collection of travel narratives recounting the haps, mishaps, and serendipitous adventures that have given travel writer Linda Ballou her sense of wonder and delight. Some of the stories might make you glad you stayed home, while others will inspire you to toss the TV clicker out the window and get up off the couch to explore our beautiful planet. All of these tales let you share the sensual experience of being there without straining one muscle, getting altitude sickness, or tipping your canoe.

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The publisher of Velda Brotherton’s book, The Boston Mountains: Lost in the Ozarks, has its new website up where the book can be ordered. This regional nonfiction is a history of the people who settled the Boston Mountains of the Ozarks in Arkansas, beginning in 1828 when the Cherokee were moved west into Indian Territory. It has 205 pages and contains 137 photos of the lost communities and the people who lived and worked there. It can be ordered through the publisher's Web site: http://www.oldampub.com.

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Get a FREE 30-day trial of Allison Maslan’s life coaching software for personal development and goal setting at http://ow.ly/KoxX

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Check out the awesome feng shui and decluttering articles on Tisha Morris' book tour http://tinyurl.com/TishaTour. Tisha's book, 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home is the perfect guide to clearing clutter and creating an energetic space in which to work, live, or play.

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Janet Riehl, author of the new audio book Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poetry and Music did a podcast with Author Access on DIY Audio Book Promotion. Listen to her conversation with Victor Volkman and Irene Watson at http://bit.ly/9GVNW4. Janet invites you to become a Riehlife Villager at http://www.riehlife.com

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Memoirs from the Asylum, Ken Weene's gritty tragi-comedic novel of life in a psychiatric hospital, is now available on Amazon. This is Ken's second novel. He specializes in hard-hitting themes and lyrical writing. Memoirs From the Asylum can evoke laughter and tears often within the same paragraph. Ken's work is published by All Things That Matter Press, and he is a past contributor to these pages.

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Mystery Author Darden North to Sign Novels at the 31st Mississippi Picnic in New York City

Saturday, 6/5/2010
Noon until dusk
Central Park, East Meadow between 5th Avenue and 97th Street

Organized by a small group of native Mississippians living in New York City, the New York Mississippi Picnic was first held in 1979 to showcase Mississippi’s artists and hospitality. The first picnic attracted some 500 individuals. That number has steadily increased with a crowd of over 2,000 expected for 2010. In addition to the delicious southern-style food and live music, there will be a Mississippi Authors Tent where mystery and suspense author Darden North and others will have their autographed work available for purchase. Copies of North’s three novels House Call, Points of Origin, and Fresh Frozen will be available. For more info about the Mississippi Picnic, please visit http://www.nymspicnic.com/about_2009.html.

A practicing obstetrician/gynecologist physician, Darden North’s author Web site is www.dardennorth.com.

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Writing Partners, Wolter and Zapalac, are pleased to report that Rockin' Chair Cowboys has been accepted for publication through Outskirts Press. OP wrote, "You have a great collection of stories and recipes here. Everything about it is nicely done. You have done a great job capturing your memories and committing them to paper. (This is not an easy feat.) Even though it is a personal narrative and your family is going to cherish this from generation to generation, you have written it in a way that many will enjoy and benefit from reading. Your narrative voice is very familiar and friendly and you have a way with words. It is obvious that you have done your homework and put much thought and preparation into your work. Your book is well written. I wish more people would take the time to write their stories down like you have. I am sure it will be embraced by many. We can learn so much from reading the stories of other's lives. What a great book you have put together here!"

Vada M. Wolter and Joseph A. Zapalac, former classmates, became writing partners in October 2008 and within a short time had two books published, Reflections, Memories Past and Ribbons and Roses. Other books, including a trilogy, are planned. www.outskirtspress.com/ribbonsandroses www.writingpartnersjova.blogspot.com

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Need help with using Twitter? Check out Dana Lynn Smith's Twitter Guide for Authors.

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The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest is open to anyone who loves expressing innermost thoughts and feelings into the beautiful art of poetry or to write a short story that is worth telling everyone! And to all who have the ability to dream. Write a poem or short story for a chance to win cash prizes. All works must be original. http://www.dreamquestone.com

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The San Francisco Book Festival just awarded an honorable mention to Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poetry & Music by Janet Riehl in the audio/spoken word category. Sightlines: A Poet's Diary won a DIY (Do It Yourself) award in 2007. http://bit.ly/bICCov

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Spirit of a Woman: Stories to Empower and Inspire written by Janet Riehl and published by Santa Monica Press is finally being launched after years in the making. "Sliding Glass Door" is one of two dozen essays in the book. http://bit.ly/boQZz1

Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.to/bZlqv7

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Transcription services provided at a penny per word.

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Script-a-thon is a 30-day screenwriting competition taking place in July. We would like to include all interested screenwriters. The Script-a-thon is at heart a celebration of the art and craft of screenwriting. On our website, www.thescriptathon.comom, we offer screenwriters resources and opportunities to share their perspectives with each other and the world. Please let us know if you would be interested in participating in the new and exciting event!

Colleen Lyons
Marketing Director
scriptathoncollleen@gmail.com
618-303-9625

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Let's WITS help you with social marketing campaigns, Twitter, and virtual book tour. Check out our author's publicity packages!

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Want to learn how to get your book on the shelves at libraries? See The Savvy Book Marketer's Guide to Selling Your Book to Libraries.

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Cherie Burbach is featured in the new book What To Do When No One Has a Clue by Stephanie Person and Barbara Harrison. The book is a funny and smart guide to modern day etiquette, and includes tips from people like Bethenny Frankel from the Real Housewives of New York City, designer Badgley Mischka, Top Chef Master Rick Bayless, Internet pioneer Arianna Huffington, and Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger. Cherie answers the question: "Is it okay to blog about someone you are dating?"

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For the last year Sarah Playle has been writing a column called Chasing Rainbow; one artists journey, chronicling her experiences as an aspiring writer. She started it online originally but recently it has been picked up my one of her city’s local newspapers. Although the first entries were based on her visual arts career, she has since switched back to her original love of writing and is currently writing about her journey to becoming a published author. See her writing at http://oneartistsjourney.wordpress.com.

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Velda Brotherton’s recipe book, which contains 150 authentic Boston Mountain Ozark recipes plus stories of growing up in Arkansas during the Great Depression, will be out this month. Arkansas Meals and Memories: Lift Your Eyes to the Mountains is being published by Goldminds Publishing. Check her Web site for a link to pre-order this book: http://www.veldabrotherton.com.

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Enjoy this blog filled with tips for book promotion and ideas about how to gain online exposure.

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Be a guest on WITS Podcast when you purchase any of our effective but inexpensive marketing packages.

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New white label digital solutions

Major PR firms have tapped a hot new company, SiteCanvas™ (www.thesitecanvas.com), as a white label digital business and technology solution, which has enabled them to expand their core services into their clients' internet business and presence at far less cost than building internal departments. SiteCanvas is working with and connected to some of the most high profile agencies, talent firms, etc in the world with digital clients including pop sensation Taylor Swift, super model Adrianna Lima, and more. For a demo or to learn more, visit www.thesitecanvas.com.

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Restor-A-Book

My cousin, James Jackson, has more than 20 years experience as a book restorer. He learned the trade from his father and took over the family bindery business, Restor-A-Book, in the early part of this century when James Jackson Sr. died.

I accidentally left a book outside and of course it rained that night and it got soaked. It wasn’t an expensive book, just one that I love and use a lot. It has great photos of native flowers and was published by the Audubon Society in 1986. I searched online but didn’t find it available in print. Naturally, I turned to my cousin for advice on the best way to dry out the book so the pages wouldn’t stick together or curl up. I wasn’t sure if I should try to iron it dry.

Here is what James advised:

If the pages are enamel paper, they will more than likely stick together regardless of what you do, but to start with, you need to try to get most of the water out of the book. Using a dry towel, pat each page to absorb the excess water. You might even put paper towels between the pages to draw the water out of the paper.

However, remove the paper towels as soon as they absorb water or they may stick and cause a worse mess. When you get as much of the water out as you can, put the book in a frost free freezer and leave it for a month or two. The freezer will continue to draw moisture out of the book.

Even if you iron the pages, the spine will still be wet. It’s best to take the book apart and iron each page, but the iron only needs to be lukewarm. If it sizzles, it is too hot and may burn the paper. When the pages are dry, send it to us and we will put it back together (rebind it) for you.

If you have books, Bibles, church hymnals, genealogy papers, newspapers, tabloids, or courthouse record books that you want to preserve, give James a call at (318) 995-6800. See before and after photos of some miraculous transformations at http://www.restor-a-book.com/.

Three Things Make the Biggest Difference in Moving Your Writing Forward

By Dawn Goldberg

As writers, we all want to continuously be moving along in our goals. Think of it as a river. A river constantly flows. There may be places where it looks very calm and barely moving, but if you look close enough, you'll see a current.

At times, your project feels like it's a rushing river; other times, it's trickling along like a small stream.

We have to manage our energy, time, and resources in both places and everything in between along the project spectrum. It's easy to get caught up in your own writing and let it pull you along. The problem with that, though, is that when the torrent is done, you may feel as if you've been deserted. And that can lead to self-doubt. "What's wrong with me? Yesterday, I cranked out 5,000 words! Why can't I write anything today?" And that leads further to "Oh, maybe this is an awful idea, and I should stop." Or, "No one is going to read this. Who the heck do I think I am?"

If we find ourselves in the slow and steady part of the meandering writing river, we may question if we're ever going to get there. It seems as if everyone else you know is passing you by, full steam ahead.

Here's the thing—life, business, writing, you name it—is a cycle. We have our high energy states, and that's followed by a low energy state. We have our low energy states, and that's followed by a high energy state. What can confuse it even further is when our creative energy doesn't match our physical energy. Then we're even more frustrated because we have all these ideas without the physical ability to put them into play. Or, worse in my opinion, plenty of energy and not one creative idea in sight.

What's the key to managing your writing project, without getting caught up in the negative mind chatter, and keep it sailing along? Three things: kindness, small steps, and celebrations.

First, recognize that there are cycles. Be in those cycles. Feel the gift that they bring. If you're moaning that you have all these ideas, but you're exhausted from a 10-day business trip and can't possibly write a word, understand that you need rest and rejuvenation. The physical energy will come later. Capture the ideas so that you don't lose them, and know you'll come back to them when your physical energy is more in alignment with your creative energy.

Part of that recognition means being kind and understanding - to yourself. Most of us fall down in that area. We have such high expectations of ourselves, and we think we should be writing books, running businesses, raising kids, cooking healthy, gorgeous meals, training for a marathon, going to spinning class, volunteering in the PTA . . . Um, no.

Imagine that you're talking to a friend who's being awfully hard on herself. What would you say to her? Now turn that kindness and compassion inward.

Next, nobody ever writes "write my book" on their to-do list on Monday and then crosses it off on Friday. It just doesn't happen. Break down your writing project into as many small steps as you can think of. Your steps should be as concrete as find two competing books, research statistics on fuel usage in New York City from 1950–1990, brainstorm chapter titles, write the introduction. Put each step on an index card. Then put the cards in order. Take the top three, and that becomes your current to-do list for this project.

Finally, and this is the important part that almost everyone misses. When you complete one of those action steps, celebrate it. Give yourself a pat on the back. Call your staunchest supporter and crow! Cross it off the list with glee. Put a gold star on that index card. Truly let it sink in that you're making strides in this project.

Following these three steps will keep you moving, and eventually, you'll get to your destination.

Dawn Goldberg brings life to words and writing - and helps others through their writing and publishing journey. Sign up for Fuel For Your Writing Journey at Write Well U (www.WriteWellU.com) and get the Nifty Guide for Writers checklist free.

Poetry Corner May 2010

Miss Sophie Catches Bugs
Pamme Boutselis

Miss Sophie
catches bugs, raptor style,
on a murky May
afternoon.

Perched on
the porch, body erect;
her tiny jaw continuously
snaps, easily catching
her prey.

In Memory of Johnny Maestro
(Lead singer of The Crests and The Brooklyn Bridge)

He rose from the streets of The Bronx, New York
to find fortune and fame.
His songs were filled with love and joy
Everyone knew his name.

He gave his life to music
since he was a young boy.
Such beautiful poetic lyrics
for the world to enjoy.

His soul has gone to heaven
to sing for The Lord up above.
A medley of his favorite songs
for the angels to love.

Speak often of Johnny
And his spirit will live in your heart
His music will never die
We will never be apart.

May the Lord bless Johnny's family
May stardust pave their way.
Until that special moment
When they meet again in heaven
someday!

Irene Brodsky, author of "Poetry Unplugged" (Outskirts Press)

Apples

Apples, he said holding the paring knife,
Slice and mash them
The juice will hold faster

Although I'm holding the buttery spoon
Nothing comes faster than the sugary juice falling off its edges
Like an icicle in the rain.

Unfortunately, this batter turned out too sour
Better to go through the harvest again
Without dulling the knife

I become mismatched between the Granny Smiths
And the right words to convey my thoughts
Red peels - Too delicate

Too wary for the knife's blade
I turn to other thoughts:
The turning of the moistened leaves that bark up another shadow ~
It crisps through time.

Dorit Sasson is a freelance writer, educator and founder and director of the New Teacher Resource Center. Subscribe to receive your free bimonthly e-zine and e-book, Taking Charge in the Classroom when you visit the New Teacher Resource Center at http://www.newteachersignup.com.

A Breath of Life
Gail Livesay

When my life first began
I was all things good and true.
God gave me strong limbs,
and a will of my own.
He has a purpose for my life.

I can see beauty when he has control,
but turmoil when I have gone my own way.

Each time my soul has cries out,
I feel his presence and love.
Now I can give back a breath of beauty.

This Old House

This old house could tell
A hundred million stories.
Every corner holds a secret,
There’s a book in every stone.
There are spirits who
Reside in every hallway
Telling tales that reach
Into the great unknown.

But there’s one story
That is still to be told.
It’s a story of you and me,
And it’s yet to unfold.
I’ve been trying to tell the world
How wonderful it can all be.
Ours is the greatest love
This old house will ever see.

All these memories
That we keep adding onto,
All the days of our love and laughter,
All the nights held in your arms.
How I long for this
To go on for forever
Here in this old house
Where we’re both safe and warm.

And we’ll keep singing
Through the joy and the pain.
We’ll fill every empty room
Though the seasons may change.
Our love will still be strong
And continue to grow.
Ours is the greatest love
This old house will ever know.

More lyrics from Rhythmic Notions by Dennis S Martin
Website: www.iwritesome.com
Blog: www.iwritesome.blogspot.com
Storefront: www.lulu.com/dsmartin

A Writer’s Prayer

Dear God,

We believe that you called us to write; to rip open the curtain of our hearts to allow the world to grasp your love. This is a scary place to be. We feel vulnerable, unqualified and afraid. The obstacles are many, and the experts say that success is a long shot. But, you are the God of long shots, and specialize in impossibilities. We truly believe this.

We ask that you strengthen us, enable us, and anoint us. Open the path through the sea of doubt that stretches before us. The road is long, but we trust that you remain in control and are leading us through it. That is enough for us.

We envision a Promised Land of sorts; of a finished product that glorifies you and touches a life.

So, please show us how to finish this journey. And continue to give us your words to touch your world.

In Jesus Name,
Amen

Janet Morris Grimes
ACW Mentoring Retreat, Nashville, TN

Eliminating Adverbs in Your Dialog Taglines

Let Tom Swift Inform Your Writing


By Carolyn Howard-Johnson


Ever heard of Tom Swifties?


Maybe you're too young to be familiar with the classic Tom Swift adventures for boys. Or maybe you're a girl who never read a Tom Swift book nor cares to.


Tom Swifties are one-line jokes lampooning the style of Victor Appleton, the author of the original Tom Swift books. People started making jokes about his overuse of adverbs and the unnecessary taglines he wrote into his dialogue. Like the Polish jokes, they were so much fun that a whole series of them became available for pun aficionados. The author of these classics, of course, laughed all the way to the bank. But that's a lesson for one of my marketing seminars, not this article on writing.


Tom Swifties were then. This is now. I haven't dared to go to the new books in the series but I assume that this outdated writing has been eliminated from them.


You'll want to minimize tags and adverbs in your writing, too!


An example from one of the Swift books will suffice to let you know what to watch for. (Thank you to Roy Peter Clark for the example.)


"'Look!' suddenly exclaimed Ned. 'There's the agent now!...I'm going to speak to him!' impulsively declared Ned.'"


Even authors who swear that adverbs are always very, very good things to use and are reluctant to give up their clever taglines can see how, well . . . awful this is. In fact, I have to reassure people the quotation is real! Some of the writing that comes to the desks of agents and editors looks almost as bad. Here's how you can make sure yours doesn't:


1. Use taglines only when one is necessary for the reader to know who is speaking.

2. Almost always choose "he said" or "she said" over anything too cute, exuberant or wordy like "declared" and "exclaimed."

3. Cut the "ly" words ruthlessly, not only in dialogue tags but everywhere.


You will find specific techniques for strengthening your writing in the process of eliminating adverbs in The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. This book will also give you some computer tricks for making these edits easy. Until then, take Nike's advice and "Just do it!"

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo) and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success (www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor) . The former is the winner of USA Book News "Best Professional Book" award and the Book Publicists of Southern California's coveted Irwin Award. The Frugal Editor is both a USA Book News winner and a Reader Views Literary Award winner and won the New Generation Marketing Award. Learn more at www.HowToDoItFrugally.com. Learn more about editing at www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com.

The Right Time to Launch A Business/New Writing Venture

by Dr. Maxine Thompson

“The principle mark of genius is not perfection but originality, the opening of new frontiers.” – Arthur Koestler

A couple of years ago, someone called me and asked if I thought we had launched my radio show too soon, because I stepped back and slowed up for a moment (the year I had three grandbabies born within eight months.) No, I told her all major companies roll their products out, (take action), then go back and do corrections.

How many glitches did Microsoft have in all its products when they rolled out Windows 98, XP, then even Vista? To get the lead on your competition, you have to leap and rest assured, that the net will appear.

You can’t wait for perfection. Don’t wait for the perfect time to start a business or take an action step towards an idea. Just like there is never a perfect time to have a baby, given our present economy, there is never a perfect time to make a change that could transform your life.

In the case of the Internet radio shows I’ve done, I think they have helped up the standards of the publishing industry for both self-published and African American writers.

Many things I’ve tried to do failed, but it didn’t mean it was over. For instance, I’ve tried to sell e-books back in 2000, when they were fairly new. But now I’m going to step out there and try again. This time we have Kindle, and other devices to assist with the sales.

As a literary agent, it took two years for me to get my first book deal, but once they started, I obtained eight book deals for four authors within a two-week period.

So now I know there’s a thing as try, and if it doesn’t succeed, try again, until you get it right. They say Edison had numerous tries before he developed the light bulb.

In the end, when you take a chance, you become stronger, whether you succeed or fail. It is in the process that you become a thought leader, one who encourages others to take chances.

Become a thought leader! Push your given industry to the next level. Affirm: “I am willing to take risks and do what I need to do NOW.”

What’s your next step?

Dr. Maxine Thompson
http://www.maxinethompsonbooks.com
http://www.maxinethompson.com

Book with a View May 2010

Book Title: 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home
Author: Tisha Morris
ISBN: 978-1-59652-567-2
Publisher: Turner Publishing Company 2010
Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1596525673/?tag=writeoncreati-20
Reviewer Byline: Vonnie Faroqui

In her book 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home, author Tisha Morris seeks to share with the reader a modern and practical approach to using the ancient tradition of feng shui. From introduction to final page the author approaches her topic without the affectation or rhetoric commonly found in books on feng shui. She doesn’t oversell the concepts but instead walks you through 27 Things with the assumption that having picked the book up you inherently know the principles behind feng shui are sound.

The author brings her education as an interior designer and her experience as a certified life coach into play and is able to clearly relate the art of feng shui to the reader. She offers solid advice on clearing clutter and with each subsequent chapter clear, practical advice on how to implement the feng shui principles to make improvements, to change the flow of energy and ultimately manifest desires. Tisha echoes centuries of mothers by telling us to clean out the closet and keep doorways clear but, more importantly, she explains why these actions are necessary in relation to how energy flows in our homes, lives and in order for energy shifts and healing to occur. This is a strong practical guide book. The author has a pleasant writing style, presents the material in an easy manner and speaks to our core issues in a non threatening way. 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home includes a chapter about creating a vision board, information on the Bagua map, easy to follow advice on using feng shui “cures,” and closes with a plan to implement the 27 Things.

For those readers unfamiliar with feng shui practices the author explains just enough about the concepts to allow a lay practitioner to receive solid reward for their time investment when applying the techniques, without planting confusion about the ins and outs of feng shui itself. For readers who have already been exposed to the art and mystery of feng shui, the author assists by leaving out confusing or contradictory information and the superstitions which often impede implementation of an action plan and the needed changes. She writes with confidence that following the feng shui principles and applying these techniques will have a powerful healing impact and her confidence is transferred to the reader.

After reviewing this book I am confident that I will be able to bring about some significant changes in my own life by following the 27 things that Tisha Morris recommends. I am also convinced that I could do so without spending a dime, simply using my current possessions in new ways or by letting go of things I no longer need. I recommend 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home to anyone who wants to employ feng shui without becoming mired in research to do so. Tisha has done the home work for us and lays out the most important pieces in an easy to understand and follow format. This is one feng shui book you will pull off the shelf time and again.

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Rewriting Life Scripts: Transformational Recovery for Families of Addicts
Liliane Desjardins, Nancy Oelklaus, Irene Watson
Life Scripts Press (2010)
ISBN 9781932690972
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views (03/10)

I can honestly say that in all the time I have been a Psychologist working in the substance abuse field, I have never found a book that covered all the topics families need to know about recovery in one place. The authors have written this book in a format that is easy to understand and read. They cover so many topics about addiction, recovery, misconceptions and family roles that one would end up highlighting the whole book.

There are seventeen chapters in this book which cover topics such as the family process, psychological tendencies of the addicted to how families’ unrealistic expectations put everyone in the down spiral again. I am a firm believer, like the authors, that families do not understand the addiction process or the underlying problems that might start it. Nor do many families receive treatment for themselves. As the authors state, even if the addict gets help it is important for family members and friends to learn new ways of living their life. This book dispels the myth that I hear so many times from my college students that if the addict had willpower, they could stop.

There are several parts of the book that I really appreciated. One is Higher Power. Many of those going into treatment get upset with thinking they have to rely on God to help them in the process of becoming clean. In short, Higher Power is really what motivates a person to make changes. The information on co-dependency was very informative, as were the roles we take on in our families of origin which often follow us through our adult lives. Each role is broken down into what the addicted person is thinking and what they present to others in their outside appearance.

Chapter 7 discusses The Authentic Self. If we can’t be honest with ourselves, how are we going to be honest with the addict? This chapter also will have readers questioning: What need is met for me by keeping the dysfunction going? The authors also discuss boundaries, which many of us have a hard time putting into place.

Throughout the book, the authors provide simple exercises one can do in the privacy of their own home, and then discuss the impact these answers make on the family or individual. It is important to note that one important part of this chapter is the Grief Inventory, for when we lose a family member to addiction, regardless of what it is, we do go through a grief process.

The remainder of chapters discusses surrender- we cannot change others, we can only change ourselves. I think this is one of the hardest things for individuals to realize. I can say from my own personal experience of living with a family of alcoholics my family expected me to get my brothers to change and when I said “I can’t,” they would be angry with me. We have to learn that we can only change the things we have control over, we have to learn to let go and let the addicted person figure out situations on their own. It may cause many tears, anger and resentment; however, that individual needs to learn to be responsible for their choices.

There are so many things in this book that will help families become better informed and lead them to resources that will help them learn to live a peaceful life. We will always worry about family members or even friends who are addicted to something. But, this book gives us step-by-step tips on how to take care of ourselves as well as the addict.

I wish, as a Psychologist, I had this book years ago; not only would it have helped my clients, but my family as well. This is a book that I will recommend to my college students to have in their resource library, as well as make a recommendation for this to be a required book for my Substance Abuse classes. Readers will appreciate the honesty and information provided in an all-in-one book, “Rewriting Life Scripts: Transformational Recovery for Families of Addicts.”

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Live Ringer
Lynda Fitzgerald
Crystal Dreams Publishing
ISBN 9781591463276
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (03/10)

Lynda Fitzgerald’s Live Ringer is one of those books that cannot be put down once you’ve started on it. I picked the book up in late afternoon after a long day at work, planning to read for an hour to relax. At midnight I was still up, turning the last pages of the book and holding my breath. I wanted to find out who was the villain. I also did not want it to end quite yet. But end it did, with one last, very final twist. Sleep did not come for many more hours that night. Part of my mind was churning around all of the twists and turns of this delightful read; part of it was revisiting Florida, so fascinatingly described by Ms. Fitzgerald. Even today, several days after turning that last page, I would be hard pressed to decide what I liked best – the plot, the characters, the vivid descriptions of Florida, the twisted and intertwined relationships between the characters or something else…

Allie, newly divorced and still very much unsure of herself, returns to Florida, where she used to spend some of the best times of her early life with her now deceased aunt. Having inherited her aunt’s home (and – as she will soon discover– quite a few other “things”), she decides to settle down there. On the first morning after her return she stumbles upon a body of a woman on a beach not far from her home. Soon she is entangled into a very complex web of deceit, old friendships, fear, new love and much more. Fearing for her own life, she decides to fight back and discover the truth. Will that truth set her free? Or will it destroy more lives?

There is nothing boring and predictable about this book. It has enough twists and turns to keep you holding your breath for hours. The characters are believable, complex and immensely human. The situations they face, the decisions they have to make, the people they love and hate will probably make it quite easy for you to identify with at least a couple of them. Then there are the paragraphs – and pages – devoted to Florida. Ms. Fitzgerald writes about the pre-condo, non-touristy Florida, the Florida that is fast disappearing and is already missed by many. Her Florida has everyday people who actually walk their dogs, garden and talk to their neighbors; people who live in houses and not in the concrete behemoths devouring so much of Florida nowadays. Slightly nostalgic and so charming, those were some of my favorite pages in the book.

I found Lynda Fitzgerald’s “Live Ringer” an altogether great read, which I would wholeheartedly recommend to anybody who enjoys a good book. A delightful mix of romance, thriller and mystery will keep most readers riveted for hours. So get a cold drink that will make you think of Florida and enjoy your journey.

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The Adventures of Silly Kitty, Princess Jasmine, and First Puppy

Irene Brodsky
ISBN: 978-1-4327-5552-2
$23.95 USD
Full-color, children's picture book
Outskirts Press, March 2010
Reviewed by Yvonne Perry

I received this book as I was packing for a trip to South Carolina to visit my grandkids. I knew the older two, Keilie and Mac, would enjoy having a story read to them. They are both such good readers, I ended up listening to them read this book to me. There’s such a joy in sharing written words with children and Irene Brodsky seems to understand that as she provides a story on a topic that I’ve not previously seen in a children’s book—the first puppy of the White House, belonging to the Obama family.

The Adventures of Silly Kitty, Princess Jasmine and First Puppy is a two-part story in one book. In the first part, Princess Jasmine, who lived in an English castle, was strolling in her garden when she heard and found Silly Kitty. After some negotiation, they became friends.

In part two, the two friends were sitting in the garden, when Princess Jasmine got a call on her cell phone from First Puppy. He invited them to come to the White House for dinner and dancing under the stars. I loved the menu, which included such items as Milk Bones, Friskies tidbits, strawberry shortcake, sardine tidbits, and pasta alfredo and garlic bread. Of course, they accepted, and soon were packing their best clothes and jewels for the airplane trip to Washington.

This book carries a subtle message of world peace. Dog and cat, humans and animals, Black and White, American and English, we can all get along and enjoy one another’s company.

The hand-drawn pictures were a delight to my grandchildren. In fact, eight-year-old Keilie said this was her favorite part of the book! Rather than feeling intimidated by perfect and professional artwork, she was inspired to take out her pen and paper and draw her own picture of Princess Jasmine
and Silly Kitty.

We never know what will inspire the young ones in our lives. In reading this story and learning that I was going to write a book review for it, Keilie wanted to help. In doing so, she gained a better understanding of how to summarize a story without giving away the details.

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The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children
Author: Yvonne Perry
ISBN: 978-0982572207
Price: $15.95
Publisher: Write On!, 2009
Pages: 54
Reviewer: Dr. Caron Goode, author of the award-winning Raising Intuitive Children (2009) and Kids Who See Ghosts, Guide Them Through Their Fear (June 1, 2010), which won Best Parenting Book in US News Awards.

Author, Yvonne Perry, uses her experiences with her sensitive grandson Sid to write simple, easy-to-read stories with profound meaning for a child and parent who read together. Perry made a parent’s job easy by addressing some hot issues that all parents face with their children at some point: seeing a ghost in the closet, why a best friend has a different skin color, how to choose healthy foods, how to welcome a new brother, why Mother Nature thunders, why we recycle, and how to find and play with fairies.

I love the pages of different colors, and the bright illustrations are delightful eye candy. Perry’s authentic storytelling emphasizes the use of imagination, reasoning, problem-solving, acceptance, hugs, and connection. One volume of Sid’s stories allows any child to return to the book to discover Sid’s next adventure or to read a couple of pages before going to sleep. I highly recommend these wonderful stories!

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Lost Angel Walkabout: One Traveler’ Tales
Reviewed by Barbara Milbourn for WITS

In roughly twenty short stories, travel writer Linda Ballou takes us with her up active volcanoes in Costa Rica, down hundred-mile rivers in the Yukon Territory, over combination jumps and oxers in Ireland, beneath the Sea of Cortez, and along unforgettable jaunts through deserts, woods, peaks, and valleys in both hemispheres. Her tales span years of traveling—sometimes alone, occasionally with her mother or life partner, and often with others in search of soft adventure. Brimming with action, intelligence, regional history, funny mishaps or tight squeezes, each story is set against a backdrop of nature’s jaw-dropping beauty. Ballou aims to share her world view, and through her Eco-alerts make the reader care more deeply about our vanishing resources and places of wild beauty.

Living in greater Los Angeles among millions of other lost angels keeping pace in a hurried world, Linda Ballou makes no bones about her need to seek equilibrium, solitude, and salvation in the sublimity of nature. Forget thousand-thread count sheets at luxury hotels or shopping for the latest bling. Like the great figures liberally noted in her pieces—Robert Frost, Jack London, John Steinbeck, John Muir—Ballou prefers the great outdoors and is intimately acquainted with it. She is a naturalist, a thoughtful traveler, one caring toward the environment and sensitive to local populations both near and far. And, she is a meticulous researcher.

Lost Angel Walkabout is richly detailed and poetic. It gifts the reader with the depth of observation in the clear and careful naming of the world around us—places, peoples, plants, birds, mountain ranges, animals, and sea creatures. More satisfying than naming is storytelling the authentic connection made with the inhabitants of land, sea, and sky; ravens and great spirits, fin whales the size of city buses, or Native Americans forced to flee their land. Because the author has connected deeply, so does the reader. Something is gathered from every place visited, and it seems impossible not to connect with our own highest and best self through Ballou’s experiences—not to mention wanting to get up and go there. Linda Ballou keeps good company too and includes interviews with renowned travel writer Tim Cahill and endurance rider Lari Shea. Like her travel writing hero Tim Cahill, Ballou sees humor in many of the predicaments she stumbles into, or out of, or overboard after. Don’t be surprised to find her on the back of a galloping horse yelling “Yee Haw!” and let out a yell yourself.

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