The Cobras: A Written Interview with Author Jim Daddio

Writers in the Sky is pleased to welcome author Jim Daddio in a written interview about his most recent novel, The Cobras.

Vonnie Faroqui: Some of the first questions that fans usually want to ask have to do with that moment of discovery, when you first knew that you wanted to be a writer; in part, because writing is one of those creative vocations that so many of us aspire too. Do you think of writing and being an author as a special calling or your purpose in life?
Jim Daddio: Writing is a passion. If a person believes in themselves and has a story to tell, fiction or non-fiction, it is important to find the tools to write it.

Faroqui: When did you first know you were a writer? How did you know?
Daddio: I was always told that I told a great story, that and in my business life, I was considered very creative in my ideas. I put the two together.

Faroqui: How do you find ideas for your books? How do you find inspiration, fill your creative well, so to speak . . ?
Daddio: I seem to always have ideas running through my mind. I try hard to create a different story or approach. My goal is always to create a fiction story that feels real to the reader.

Faroqui: What is it like to get that creative burst that evolves into a novel? How was that for you? What inspired you to write The Cobras?
Daddio: I was inspired to write The Cobras from people I've met over the years and the stories they've told me. I also did research on the FBI and law enforcement and created an FBI Agent from a composite of stories and my imagination.

Faroqui: Did you spend much time considering who you were writing for, or did you write for yourself?
Daddio: I would love to say that all readers would enjoy The Cobras, but it is a man's book. The Stuart News said, "The language is frank and the violence is central in this fast-paced thriller."

Faroqui: If you were to characterize your writing style how would you describe yourself? I try to develop stories about people that the reader can identify with.
Daddio: I want the reader to follow the characters throughout the story and understand the decisions they make, good or bad, and the consequences they face.

Faroqui: Some people believe that in order to be truly creative a person has to be tormented, or have deep inner turmoil? What do you think of that notion?
Daddio: Again writing is a joy and passion. If that's what drives a writer then the person's personal life shouldn't matter. This is especially for fiction. A non-fiction story can come from personal tragedy or turmoil in their life.

Faroqui: What experience in life has been the most helpful in preparing you as a writer?
Daddio: I've always traveled in my business life. Therefore I've had the opportunity to meet so many different people and be in so many places that the stories were always in front of me. It's taking all that and tying it together with imagination and the writer's privilege to embellish . . . (Ha, Ha.)

Faroqui: Do you have any advice to offer others, the would-be-writers out there, which might help them on their way?
Daddio: I have three rules; 1. It's called The End. Write it, finish it and have it edited. 2.) Understand your audience and find a publisher that matches your genre. 3.) Have a plan to market and promote your work. Don't count on the publisher on doing that for you.

Faroqui: Do you have anything you would like to share with your readers, thoughts, thanks, or news about upcoming books?
Daddio: I wrote a romance book with a humorous touch. I will be publishing it on an e-book only site. It is called The Choice. I tested it with three female readers and the response has been very satisfying. I also have signed with an agent to place a murder mystery, The Privileged.

Faroqui: What books have you written and where can your books be purchased?
Daddio: I have written a trilogy featuring a PI, Art Decco. "The Wind" on Amazon.com, "Las Vegas Dead" at publishamerica.com and "Heaven or Hell-A Story of Human Trafficking" at wings-epress and amazon.com

Faroqui: Do you have an author's website where fans can follow your work?
Daddio: Yes, I do and thank you for asking, it is www.jdaddiothecobras.com


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Can We Have Her Back Now?

Reading Rand as Literature, not Politics
by Dana Micheli

Much has been made of the resurgence of Ayn Rand in the past few years, particularly on the political landscape. Her work, most notably Atlas Shrugged, has been appropriated by the political right and vilified by the left. It has also caused a stir among religious conservatives, who may agree with her politically, but abhor her atheism. Everyone, it seems, has an opinion about her, whether or not they have read her work.

Certainly, Rand put herself in this position: after writing Atlas Shrugged, she turned primarily to writing about her political/economic philosophy, Objectivism. Since her death, this philosophy has been promoted by the Ayn Rand Institute and others who feel as she did.

I had, of course, heard of Rand, and had seen the thick volumes on bookstore shelves my whole life. But I was never tempted to read them. In fact, I'd never so much as read the back to see what they were about. (I am ashamed to say, part of the reason for this is that I did not care for the cover art!) In short, I looked at her books as something I would have been forced to read in school.

Then this "resurgence" began. Suddenly, Rand's name was everywhere. It was mentioned on cable news, countless blogs, and even a popular TV show I watch, but always in a political—rather than a literary—context. I was intrigued, and the next time I was in Barnes & Noble, I bought The Fountainhead. It wasn't long before I knew it to be an eye-opener; but it had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with the beauty of Rand's prose.
The Fountainhead is nearly 700 pages, yet not a single word is wasted. Its world is so real, I felt like I was stepping into the New York of the 1920s and '30s every time I opened it. The characters leapt from the page, so much so that I felt like I had known them for years, and intimately. She was quoted as saying that the novel's hero, architect Howard Roark, is her composite of the "ideal man." Whether or not that is true, he is definitely my opinion of the perfectly drawn literary character. You may love him or hate him, but to remain indifferent to him is impossible.

I realize that these days it is difficult for people to aside their political views, but in this case it is well worth the effort. Regardless of your feelings on Rand as a political figure, you will fall in love with her fiction.
Dana Micheli is a freelance writer, editor, proofreader and journalist. She has written and edited works of fiction and nonfiction, including novels (ghostwritten), news articles, resumes, business plans, and restaurant reviews. She also researched and wrote the legal and housing sections of New York: The Complete Resident's Guide (Explorer Publishing). Dana has a B.A. in English from Southern Connecticut University and a Juris Doctor from New York Law School. She lives in New York City.

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The Grammar Hero is in the House! Say What?

By Kristen House
Last night, I made fried chicken for supper. It's my husband's favorite meal, and he dug into dinner with gusto. Unfortunately for him, fried chicken is also our dog's favorite meal. She sat by the table and whined while he chewed on his chicken until her begging was too much for him to handle.

"Go lay down," he said, pointing to her dog bed.

"Ahem," I said, after swallowing a bite of mashed potatoes. "I think you mean lie."

"I'm not lying," he said.

"No, no," I said. "Lie is a complete verb. It means that the dog is doing something to herself—like in this case. She is putting herself into bed, so she is lying down. Lay, on the other hand, means the dog would be acting on something or someone else. It needs a direct object to make sense. Maybe if you said, "Go lay this chicken bone on the table," that would be an appropriate use of the verb."

"Well," he said, "does the lesson come with supper, or does it cost extra?"

"For you," I said, "it's fee!"
Grammar Girl to the rescue!
TIP:

• Lie
• Lay

Kristen House is an Adjunct Instructor of Writing at Belmont University, and the Chief Executive Muse of A Novel Idea. She writes fiction every day for hours, even when there isn't anything to write about. Kristen lives in Nashville with her husband, Andrew, sons, Holden and Shephard, and a yippy little dog named Osie.

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Track Changes Feature

If you and someone else are working on your document and you want to see the changes each of you have made, you will want to go to the Review tab and select the Track Changes icon before you begin editing. This will cause all deletions to appear as strikethroughs. Any new words added will be in a different color font. You may accept or reject each change individually by right clicking on the desired text and right clicking to access the menu.

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When is the Best Time to Think about Giving Up as a Writer?

by Yvonne Perry

JR: When is the best time to think about giving up as a writer?

YP: Never! A writer can't stop writing and feel that her life is in perfect order. We artistic types must write or do something creative to keep our second chakra open and the intense energy flowing. However, if you are referring to being a freelance writer trying to earn a living by writing, there are some checkpoints to consider. I'll touch on these in your next question.

JR: How do you really know if you have talent or if you're just wasting your time?

YP: I must have quit and questioned my sanity at least twice a week when I first started my freelance writing business. I was feeling like a fish out of water because I was no longer getting a regular paycheck I was accustomed to having. But, I'm very glad I persevered.

Every writer has talent that can be improved upon, but what's equally important is whether or not you have the discipline to stay the course and the knowledge to run a business. That doesn't mean you are wasting your time by trying. Additional education may remedy your frustration.

By being open to feedback and constructive criticism you can get a feel for how your audience is receiving the writing you are producing. Seeing clients return for second and third projects is another way to note this. If you take offense to suggestions for improvement, you will not progress as quickly. The red pen from an editor can be one of the best teaching tools available to any writer.

On the financial side, it can take several years before a newbie freelance writer actually starts to turn a profit. This is mainly due to set up costs and the time needed to market and establish your platform or online presence. Your first year may bring very little revenue because of the time you will need to spend building your portfolio and preparing to receive clients. If you already have a huge following on social networking sites, you are ahead of someone who doesn't. However, if all you've been Tweeting (Twitter) and talking about on Facebook is negative or personal, or if you have not been diligent about using correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation on these sites, you still may not have an audience that will trust your ability to write for them.

Once your business, online presence, and portfolio (writing samples) have been established you should be able to find clients with proper marketing.

JR: How do you balance being a writer and doing your day job?

YP: Freelance writing has been my day job for seven years, but prior to going full time as a writer, I worked at corporate job. I handled business set up in the evenings. This included researching the writing industry, taking writing classes, and creating my logo, Web site, and business cards, as well as seeking clients and learning to set prices for projects. By the time, I left my day job, I was ready to open my doors for business.

JR: How do you beat procrastination?

YP: By waiting to see what happens next. Just kidding! I believe in the law of attraction and that I am the creator of my life. Therefore, I have the incentive to take action and do whatever is necessary when the opportunity arises rather than waiting until later. I rarely let anything sit on my desk for more than 24 hours. If you really have a problem with procrastination, perhaps being a business owner is not the best career choice for you. From what I've noted, people do not tend to procrastinate on projects when they enjoy their work.

Recently, I have shifted my focus to writing and marketing my own books that help people find peace as they progress on their spiritual path (see http://weare1inspirit.com/). While I still maintain ownership and business oversight for Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services (http://writersinthesky.com/), I no longer write for clients—unless someone should query me for a project I cannot refuse! J

JR: How do you make your writing different than anyone else's?

YP: There may be many books on the market on the topics that I address, but everyone's point of view and method of presentation is unique. My writing is straightforward and I don't mind sharing my heart when I know it will benefit others. While my writing is filled with personal stories that bring practical application to the things I present in my books, it is supported with comprehensive research, which lends credibility to my work. I also pay close attention to details and do my best to offer a product that has been edited and carefully proofread.

Yvonne Perry is a metaphysical author, spiritual coach, and teacher who helps others learn about oneness with Spirit through her books, teaching, and speaking. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Metaphysic from the American Institute of Holistic Theology. Yvonne is the author of several books. More Than Meets the Eye: True Stories about Death, Dying and Afterlife addresses suicide, near-death experience, end of life decisions, euthanasia, and spirit visits from the "deceased." (http://deathdyingafterlilfe.com) The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children provides a role model for parents while entertaining children with stories that teach life lessons (http://WhoseStuffIsThis.com). Her latest book, Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You, is a resource for sensitive people who have been unknowingly carrying energetic burdens that belong to someone else. http://whosestuffisthis.blogspot.com/.

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Need Help with Your Wedding Toast?

Have you been chosen as the best man or maid/matron of honor for a wedding? Does the thought of making that special toast to the bride and groom at the rehearsal dinner or reception leave you shaking in your rental shoes?

Look no further! There is a solution that will alleviate the stress that goes along with making wedding toasts. Tracey L. Brackett, owner of The Feather Walker Customized Writing Services, is now working in collaboration with Writers in the Sky to offer this unique service at a price that you can afford.

Tracey started writing poetry at the tender age of seven. Her love for words and rhyme has led to having over thirty poems, songs, and prose in her portfolio. To learn more about Tracey, visit http://writersinthesky.com/meet-the-team.html#ghostwriter

One brief consultation with Tracey will allow her to create a personal poem or prose for your wedding toast that you and the wedding party will love!So, if you have trouble with words and need a ghostwriter, contact Tracey through Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services contact page.  Located in Nashville, Tracey serves all metropolitan areas within a thirty-mile radius.


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Editor's Corner September 2011

The grandkids have gone back to school and my favorite time of the year is coming to an end. Yes, I'm one of the few people who love sunny days with temperatures ranging from the upper-80s to the mid-90s. But, I also love fall which means I have the coming season to look forward to.

This fall brings a lot of exciting activities to my calendar. This month, we kick off a free 4-week teleseminar, "Empaths Shifting into 2012: Helping Energy-sensitive People Understand Their Spiritual Role on Earth." More than 300 people have registered for this online telesummit. Be sure to read the press release in this issue to learn more about this event.

I've taken The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children to another level and created a course to help parents, teachers, and guardians of spiritually advanced children.

I plan to start writing another book as soon as the empath telesummit is complete. My working title is Shifting into Purer Consciousness: How to Embrace and Integrate Multidimensional Frequencies. Looks like I'll have another blog to maintain! That's because each book I have written has its own blog from which I launch my virtual tour, disseminate information on the topic of my book, and offer a point of purchase. This is a vital part of each of my book marketing campaigns. If you need help with marketing your book, please contact Vonnie or Dana or see our author publicity services at http://writersinthesky.com/author-publicity.html .

Jeff Rivera, Editor-in-Chief at Gatekeepers Post (http://www.gatekeeperspost.com/) asked me to answer a few questions for a blog interview. I ended up sharing some good information for writers; so, I've decided to share my answers with you in this issue.

Enjoy the articles and tidbits in this e-zine, and be sure to share the subscription link with your friends: https://app.quicksizzle.com/survey.aspx?sfid=13065 .


Yvonne Perry,
Owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services
http://writersinthesky.com/
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Empaths Shifting into 2012: A Telesummit to Help Energy-sensitive People Understand Their Spiritual Role on Earth

Two empathic authors, Yvonne Perry and Dr. Caron Goode, have organized an event offering eight hours of free training for people who are emotionally oversensitive.

The excitement is building for a free teleconference to kick off the grand opening of Live-Spirit.com and empower people to walk in oneness as they help facilitate humanity's shift into higher consciousness. The purpose of this telesummit is to help people understand the science of the predicted 2012 shift already in progress, and how this is affecting all people—especially empaths.

Each of the four calls (September 6, 13, 20, & 27) in this telesummit will teach participants how to ground and center their energy, obtain clarity, and enact self-care while assisting in the Earth's transformation. Each content-rich call will last about two hours in order to allow two speakers to make presentations and listeners to ask questions.

There will be a panel of eight experts (two each week) who will speak about how catastrophic world events are affecting lightworkers and empaths and what to expect as 2012 draws nigh. We won't leave you wondering what to do about the grief and discomfort you are experiencing; we will give you tips for getting free from detrimental energy and staying joyfully clear as you follow your spiritual path.

The virtual online event will be held all four Tuesdays in September 2011. Go to live-spirit.com and enter your email address to get more information and a reminder about the event fall.

Here is the lineup of speakers and topics for training summit:

September 6 @ 3 p.m. CDT

• Reiki and Level II Acutonics practitioner Kate Garvey is the founder and director of the Institute of Sound Healing teaching. She has conducted workshops at the Indigenous Grandmother's Gatherings. Her presentation is "Self-Care, Healing, and the Shift: Walking Between Worlds, Our Sacred Call, Response Vs. Reaction, the Good of All, the Speed of Transitions, and Keeping Your Sanity." "www.instituteofsoundhealing.com

• Gini Grey, the author of From Chaos to Calm: How to Shift Unhealthy Stress Patterns and Create Your Ideal Balance in Life, is a transformational coach, writer, and spiritual energy teacher. Her passion is to guide people to live from their spiritual center and own their power to create a life of ease, joy and freedom. Gini will present "Staying Balanced and Energized: using spiritual energy awareness tools & intuition to own and clear your space, create healthy energetic boundaries, and release other people's energy and emotions." http://www.ginigrey.com

 September 13 @ 3 p.m. CDT

• Dr. Tom Goode of the International Breath Institute will teach Full Wave Breathing as a simple but powerful way to process physical changes in the bodies and maintain all aspects of health. Tom is the author of seven books on holistic living. His most recent is Breathe and Grow Rich—Self Care to Enrich Your Whole Life. http://www.fullwavebreathing.com
• Jenna Forrest is the developer of www.profoundhealingforsensitives.com where sensitive empaths can learn to master their innate sensory intelligence through tangible empowerment practices and profound healing techniques. She is the author of two books about growing up as a sensitive person. She will present "Climbing the Stairway to Mastery & Illumination: Recognizing the Stages of Consciousness, Spiritual Purification and the Creation of a New Planetary Paradigm of Love."
  September 20 @ 3 p.m. CDT
• Suzy Miller is the visionary founder of Blue Star Brilliance LLC and author of Awesomism: A New Way to Understand the Diagnosis of Autism. After a 22-year career as a pediatric speech language pathologist, Suzy met a four-year old child diagnosed with autism who was destined to change not only the way she viewed autism, but life in general. She will be presenting "Autism: A Postive Step in Human Evolution."
• Dr. Caron Goode, the author of Raising Intuitive Children and Kids who See Ghosts~ Guide Them through Their Fear, will present information about working with intuitive children who have the gift of empathy. Gain easy and useful tools to help empower children who don't fit the stereotype that most educational systems cater to. www.raisingintuitivechildren.com
September 27 @ 8 p.m. CDT

• Empaths have a mission to fulfill as they allow their bodies to receive higher vibrating energy from the ascended masters of wisdom and step it down to the general population. Dr. Michael R. Smith, author of Navigating 2012: Thriving in Earth's New Age, will teach how to ground these higher energies into the body and use the body as a tool of perception. http://www.empathConnection.com  
• Metaphysical empath coach, Yvonne Perry, is the primary author of Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those around You. She will speak about why forgiveness is so important to empaths who want to stay clear of negativity and align with higher frequencies in order to accomplish their life's mission. She will present "There are No Victims! Helping Empaths to See Themselves as Empowered Beings of Light." http://whosestuffisthis.com

Coaches, consultants, caregivers, parents, doctors, nurses, counselors and therapists—any heart-centered support persons or service professionals who need help with emotional clarity, being grounded, and not taking on the pains and emotions of others will appreciate the information offered in this free tele-summit. Empathic people will learn to see the gift of empathy as their greatest empowerment tool in supporting resilience and in deepening and living an inspired life.

Go to http://live-spirit.com/empathytelesummit/ and enter your email address to get the log-in link and passcode to join this online telesummit. Each of the four content-rich calls will last about 1.5 hours in order to allow two speakers to make presentations and answer your questions.

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WITS Annoucements

Check out the e-books designed especially to help authors promote their books online. http://tinyurl.com/DanaWITS.
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Congratulations to David Lafferty, whose first novel, Walking on Hot Blacktop, is now available at the beautiful Landmark Bookstore in Franklin. Walking on Hot Blacktop is the moving story of Danny and Steve, two Middle Eastern-American teens whose friendship sustains them through the challenges of fitting in at an American high school.

Walking on Hot Blacktop is also available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and ibooks.

Learn more at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Walking-on-Hot-Blacktop/191671947545958
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Each story in The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children focuses on life skills such as environmental awareness, helping others, being true to one's self, overcoming fear, and following inner guidance. http://thesidseries.com/

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"Empaths Shifting into 2012: A Telesummit to Help Energy-sensitive People Understand Their Spiritual Role on Earth" is scheduled for four consecutive Tuesdays this September. There will be eight panelists sharing more than 12 hours of useful information about helping humanity shift into higher consciousness. More info at http://dld.bz/aaK6e.
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If you have books, Bibles, church hymnals, genealogy papers, newspapers, tabloids, or courthouse record books that you want to preserve, give James Jackson a call at (318) 995-6800. See before and after photos of some miraculous transformations at http://www.restor-a-book.com/ .
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Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You is a guidebook for empathic people who have been unknowingly carrying energetic burdens that belong to someone else. See all purchasing options at http://whosestuffisthis.blogspot.com/p/purchase-book.html .
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Read the first chapter for free and then decide if you want to download the 3-hour-long mp3 audio book of More Than Meets the Eye ~ True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife for only $7.00 (http://deathdyingafterlife.blogspot.com/p/chapter-1.html ). This work is also available in print and for the Kindle Reader.

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WITS Podcast September Shows

Writers in the Sky Podcast is a talk show about writing, publishing, and book marketing. All shows are archived for listening online at http://feeds2.feedburner.com/audioacrobat/ZOhd

September 2: Dana Micheli speaks with Sharon Rhodes about Family Secrets, her gripping novel about the secrets we keep to protect those we love.

September 16: Sheree Rogers speaks with Dana Micheli about Who Will Cry for Me?—an inspirational memoir about her triumph over childhood abuse and abandonment.

September 23: Ginger Culolo speaks with Dana Micheli about her fascinating book, Dog Tags: The History, Personal Stories, Cultural Impact and Future of Military Identification.

September 30: Romina Wilcox speaks with Dana Micheli about The Calendar, a political thriller that is simply impossible to put down.

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Writers’ Blogs: 5 Essentials for Engaging Your Readers

by Joel Friedlander
The instructions to authors have been repeated up and down the publishing line over and over: blog, blog, blog.

Last year, Simon & Schuster urged all their writers to get going on their author blogs. Every author I’ve spoken to in the last year has told me they are either trying to get a blog started or planning on setting one up soon.

Traveling the web, you come across many of these blogs. Some are lively places where readers and bloggers spend time together. Too many others look like ghost towns, places rarely visited, and not welcoming to the casual passerby.

How did all these blogs end up abandoned, dusty and neglected?

We can’t know for sure since we weren’t there. But I know the thing that makes or breaks your blog, if you’re an author trying to attract a community of readers: reader engagement.

And I don’t just mean readers who don’t visit or don’t leave comments or don’t participate in events, either. This is what I do mean:

 I mean bloggers who don’t engage their readers. Bloggers who write about whatever comes into their head, or about nothing at all.

 I mean bloggers who publish sporadically, whose writings vary in quality, in voice, in subject matter.

 I mean bloggers who appear to have given no thought at all to what readers might actually want to read or learn about.

 And I also mean bloggers who use their blogs as a place to post bits and pieces of various works in progress as a way of fulfilling their “blogging quota.”

How to Tell When Someone Cares

The blogs I read regularly are the ones that engage me as a reader. They leave me satisfied that the blogger has produced something useful, or entertaining, or educational, or all three. I get the feeling the blogger actually knows the kind of information I’m looking for and is working to give it to me. I trust them. And so I follow them.

Now what appeals to me, what engages me, may not be what appeals to you. But there are things bloggers can do to get people excited, make them happy they read your post, and make them want more from you.

As authors, we ought to be able to use our blogs to test just how appealing our ideas are, shouldn’t we? After all, if we can’t attract an audience and involve people in what we care about, how much success can we imagine for the books we want to publish?

So blogging, besides all the other benefits you can get from it, is also a great place to test ideas you want to publish. Why? It puts both the writing and the marketing of your content directly into your own hands. Not only that, it allows you to measure, on a daily basis, just how successful your writing has been.

We all want our blogs to be “sticky.” We want readers to anticipate the next post, leave comments, tell their friends, tweet our articles and do all those things we do when we’re really engaged. But you’ve got to have a good foundation to begin with. Here are some tips to get grounded and get started on your engaging writer blog.

5 Essentials for Engaging Your Blog Readers

1. Make sure you know what your blog is about. If you write about Egypt today, and what you’re planning for lunch tomorrow, and your work in progress on Friday, can you blame readers for being a bit confused about what your blog is about? We’re all interested in many things, but usually only one at a time. Pick a subject and stick to it. If you can’t, at least make a stab at explaining or showing why this is related to your topic.

2. Have a publishing schedule. Bloggers are media publishers, plain and simple. If Time magazine decided to be a monthly, then switched to weekly, then started publishing every day, then didn’t publish for a couple of months, I don’t think they would have many subscribers? Whatever schedule is comfortable for you is likely to work. It’s really important, I think, to enjoy blogging, because people can tell your mood when you write.

3. Take care of your readers. It doesn’t matter how many readers you have today, take care of them. Take care of them by being on time, answering questions or comments, and thinking about who you’re writing for and why they might come to visit your site.

4. Get familiar with analytics. Blogging is at the foundation of web interaction. In its simplest form, you publish content, and invite comment. This two-way conversation is one of the things that makes blogging such a powerful way to connect with your readers. Analytics helps you to find out which articles resonate weeks or months later, which ones continue to provide enough value that they keep attracting traffic long after they’ve been publishing. That information is incredibly valuable to you as a publisher.

5. Ask for it. Hey, if you never ask, how will readers know you want their opinion, their input, their comments? As writers, sometimes we get caught up in the creative process. We live inside our heads a lot, maybe we’re used to sitting in a dark room by ourselves and the whole idea of social interaction is a bit weird. But this works: if you want a response, ask for it directly. “I’d love to hear your opinions on this issue. Please let me know by leaving a comment.” Do it.

So let’s recap: Having a focus for a blog that publishes regularly, cares about its readers, works to find subjects in which they are interested, and asks for involvement is much more likely to promote reader engagement. These are all things within the reach of authors who blog, so go out there and engage, you’ll be glad you did.

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author and book designer who blogs about book design, self-publishing and the indie publishing life at TheBookDesigner.com. He's also the proprietor of Marin Bookworks, where he helps publishers and authors who decide to publish get to market on time and on budget with books that are both properly constructed and beautiful to read.

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Book with a View August 2011

Book Title: The Pineville Heist
Author: Lee Chambers
ASIN: BOO5DST2U8
Reviewer: Dana Micheli

In Pineville, Nothing Is As It Seems...

Lee Chambers' novel The Pineville Heist (based on his award-winning screenplay of the same name) may have been intended as a teen thriller, but anyone who reads it--regardless of their age--will find it impossible to put down. I know I did, and I absolutely loved it.

Seventeen-year-old Aaron Stevens has everything a kid could want. As the son of wealthy mill owner Derek Stevens, he lives in a luxurious mansion, surrounded by hi-tech toys and a designer wardrobe that most people only dream about.

But underneath this idyllic surface, Aaron's life is anything but perfect. He's lost his mother to cancer, and his relationship with his workaholic father is turbulent, to say the least. To make matters worse, the Recession has taken its toll on the small town of Pineville. Businesses are closing, people are losing their homes, and they've begun to look upon Aaron's father—and Aaron--with a combination of jealousy and distrust. Aaron's wealth has begun to feel like a prison, and his father, a warden. He finds solace only when he is rehearsing for his lead role in the school production of Hamlet, or when he is walking in the woods on the outskirts of town.

One day, after a particularly nasty fight with his father, Aaron is hiking among the trees when he discovers a mysterious white van with two security guard uniforms and two Halloween masks on the seat. He wants to investigate further, but he's late for play practice and continues to school. It is only after he overhears the sheriff talking about a $5 million heist at Pineville Savings and Loan that he realizes he has found the crooks' getaway vehicle. Along with his two friends, Mike and Steven, Aaron returns to the forest. But when they get there, the van is gone, along with any proof of Aaron's story. The boys are about to leave when they stumble upon the robbers' hideout and are pulled into a web of violence, intrigue and murder that threatens everything that Aaron holds dear.

As he races to uncover the truth about the robbery, Aaron is faced with the realization that everything he had believed about his life, his town, and those closest to him may be a lie. For every layer he peels back reveals yet another secret, and Chambers' tight prose promises—and delivers-- a hairpin turn with every page.

Learn more about Chambers' work at http://leechambers.com/

Purchase for Kindle Reader only 99¢.


Title: L.A. Blues
Author: Maxine Thompson
ISBN: 978-1601623072
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp., 2011
Reviewer: Yvonne Perry

Healing the Racial Divide

Nine-year-old Black/Spanish Zipporah Saldano (a.k.a. "Z") made a panicked phone call to her father, who lived across town, to let him know that her mother, Venita, was being beaten by her latest live-in boyfriend. That phone call changed Z's life forever. Even though Z was sent to live in a loving, foster home, she blamed herself for getting her father killed, having her pregnant mother put in jail, and sending her siblings into multiple foster homes. She turns to alcohol to cover the pain she refuses to feel.

Z decides to become a cop and join the LAPD, hoping to stop some of the gang violence she and her people have seen way too much of. Her time on the force is cut short when her drinking problem causes her to be fired after her partner is killed. Her downward spiral lands her at rock bottom where she has no choice but to deal with the pain that is destroying her life. She joins AA and finally begins sorting through the years of emotional agony she has buried within her heart.

This story takes the reader deep inside the home and hearts of Z's infertile foster parents, Daddy Chill and Shirley, who love all their foster children unconditionally. Even after Z and her foster siblings reach adulthood, Shirley continues to provide emotional support during the hardships this bunch experiences quite often. Shirley even takes in the children of her drug-addicted foster child, Chica, and raises them as if they are her own grandkids.

When death hits close to home and nearly devastates the entire family, Z, who has become a private detective, begins her search for their loved one's killer. That search turns up more answers and secrets than she ever anticipated finding. I'm thankful for a happy ending to this tragic story that caused tears of compassion to well up in my eyes as I read.

The storytelling skills of this author are great. The story is told in first person. While I was a bit puzzled by the narrator's shift from present to past tense (sometimes in the same sentence), I must admit it helped define the protagonist's character. I finished the book in one weekend even while tending to my young grandsons because I couldn't put the book down. I had fallen in love with the characters and had to see what was going to happen next. The pace of the story is perfect.

Knowing that inner healing can change an entire culture—and ultimately our world—I recommend this well-researched book to all races because it gives hope that our Black and Latino brothers and sisters can take responsibility for their choices and find peace within themselves. There is no place love cannot reach!


Title: Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road
Author: Neil Peart
ISBN: 1-55022-546-4 (cloth) 1-55022-548-0 (paper)
Publisher: ECW Press
Reviewer: Tracey L. Brackett

At the tender age of sixteen I was introduced to a band called Rush. The Canadian trio filled my ears as well as my soul and to this day Rush still rocks my world.

Unfortunately, after the tour to support their album, Test for Echo, ended on July 4, 1997, the band disappeared. Rumors spread that one of the trio had cancer while others heard they simply broke up.

In 2002 the explanation about the band's hiatus was finally revealed to the world and the truth was exposed. Neil Peart, Rush's King of Kings drummers, lost his nineteen-year-old daughter to a car accident on August 10, 1997 and his common-law wife went into a deep depression and died of cancer ten months later.

So, on a rainy, late summer morning on August 20, 1998, just two months after his wife's funeral, without any reason to carry on and having no interests in his work or his life, the drummer of drummers secured his home, revved up his BMW R1100GS motorcycle and rode down the driveway of what used to be a happy home. He didn't know where he was going, but he would let his bike lead the way.

For fourteen months, Neil ventured 55,000 miles of highways and byways from eastern Canada to the American west coast and Mexico. All the while, keeping a journal of everything he experienced.

When he finally placed the kickstand down on his bike in early autumn of 1999, he began piecing together the notes from his journal and titled the book to describe how he felt about himself. Thus, Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road was born.

This book will warm the hearts of Neil's long-time fans as well as anyone who wants to read a sad, yet uplifting story. While Neil details out the events of his travel, he sprinkles in the memories of his once-happy life. By the time you finish the book, the entire picture is before you—and you understand.

Neil divides his piece into two books: Book One is titled Riding the Healing Road, which specifically records every rain drop and winding turn he experiences on his journey. Book Two Homeward Angel, On The Fly is peppered with his reflection and his determination to look and move forward.

The author brings humor and intimacies into the book and allows the reader to watch the dissection of his spirit, his mind, heart, and his "little baby soul." Neil introduces us to his best friend, Brutus, and his alter ego, Ellwood, which is actually his middle name. We also become acquainted with Carrie Nuttall, the woman who was ". . . the answer to a prayer I hadn't dared to voice, or even dream" and on September 9, 2000 became his wife.

The only frustration I had with the book is the amount of ad nauseam and unnecessary detail. I found myself many times in frustration screaming "GET ON WITH IT" and would rifle through pages of description-overkill of a rock or how the wine tasted on his tongue.

Many words the author uses such as nadir, majordomo, euphoniously, gelid, and vicissitudes were so unfamiliar to me that I found myself looking to Webster for clarification. The extremity of pointless detail became so exhausting that it took me quite a while to get through the book. I found his writing style arrogant and vain.

I've labeled Neil a narcissistic wordsmith as I now realize how much he loves his words. It is very clear to me after reading this book and listening to his lyrics for the past thirty years that he wants his readers and listeners to know just how much he loves his words and how well he can put a plethora of complicated words together to invoke a simple meaning.

Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road, although frustrating and sometimes exhausting, is a must read for any Rush fan, rocker, or those who like a complicated read with a good ending. Delightful and fun, yet heartbreaking, this book will not only give you a new outlook on life, but will motivate you to buy a motorcycle and "Take off to the Great White North."

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Rock Your Business: Leverage, Package, & Market with Group Support!

This is the time to shake yourself out of excuses and limitations and rock your business. Over the last eight years of ACPI’s growth, I’ve seen coaching practices thrive; and I've seen new coaches become overwhelmed, and a few practices collapse. Why?

You enter the helping professions for the right reasons. Your natural talents, so perfect for coaching, teaching, counseling, or care-taking make a huge difference or serve people in an awesome way. You've learned powerful transformational strategies. Moreover you want to share those ideas with others. Therein lies the dilemma.
Does this sound like you? Most people in the helping profession are so passionate about the content they spend the majority of their time focusing on it. They fail to see that this content must be organized, packaged, structured and leveraged into an effective business model to consistently connect with your customers. Without this demonstrated business model, everything comes to a sudden halt. Why?
Without a proper business system, the numbers of people that you actually reach and the extent to which you connect with and eventually serve them remains small.
There are two simple reasons. First, you feel like you have to create new content consistently to be fresh and new. The second reason is the lack of leverage. You don’t use the principle of leverage, which is comprised of the system to re-purpose and package your content and the action can use those gifts to make a HUGE difference and have a thriving business along the way.
Wouldn’t you like to create a specific action plan so that you know exactly what you should be doing in your coaching business every day? Organize your overwhelmed mind into the system to leverage your expertise? The benefit to you is no worry, increased clients, and a larger income.
Dr. Caron Goode is offering “Leveraging Your Expertise & Expanding Your Incredible Presence” –a 6-month mentoring program for a unique group of six persons. The program starts September 1, 2011.
Leveraging Your Expertise is for more advanced business owners—visionaries and big thinkers who have business success and are ready to expand credibility and influence leverage with social media, packaged content, and marketing.
In this small group, you’ll be developing some specific skills:
 Developing content

 Packaging content in several forms

 Developing an E-book , a white paper or webinar, if you desire

 Engaging through social media
Mastering the principle of leverage is an extraordinary experience, and the nature of the training itself results in relationships that will last a lifetime. Your business will be transformed.
Read more here

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WITS Tip of the Month on Microsoft Word

An index lists the terms and topics in a document, along with the pages they appear on. First you must mark the index entries: Select the text and press ALT+SHIFT+X then "mark all." Microsoft Word will insert an XE (Index Entry) field formatted as hidden text. The hide/show feature will automatically pop up. To hide the marks, click on the backwards "p" (paragraph mark) on your toolbar.

Once you mark your index entries scroll to the place at the end of the document where you want the index to appear. Then go to insert/reference/indexes and tables and select the index tab. Click ok. Word then collects all your index entries, sorts them alphabetically, references their page numbers, finds and removes duplicate entries from the same page, and displays the index in the document. Don't modify index entries in the finished index; if you do, your changes will be lost when you update the index. If you make changes in your document and want to add new entries to your index you can right click your mouse somewhere inside the index and click "update field."


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Entrepreneur Marketing to Inspire You, Not Tire You

By Dr. Caron Goode

Last week, a student in the ACPI coaching marketing class floored me with her praise, “Caron I have to say that your class inspires me, not tires me. I took a year-long marketing class at a prestigious business school last year, and I thought this marketing class would be the same old. I was wrong, your marketing mentoring is uniquely different...finding my passion and taking it forward. Just WOW!”

Language of Marketing Old

Her comment gave me cause to watch the words and sales of other marketing ezines I read. I noticed how subtly different my marketing mentoring program is in that does inspire as opposed to the language of my marketing email within the last 10 days, which asked these questions:

What problems are you solving?

Why aren’t you making a six-figure income?

Not working hard enough? Outsource what you hate!

Want to be a millionaire like me?

Of course I want all of those things, but I never sign up because the energy doesn’t feel like a compatible match. Here are my answers:

 Well, I’m not solving problems. I like inspiring people to solve their own problems.

 Well, I am making a six-figure income, I just don’t shout it to the world or belittle others who don’t have a six-figure income or tease them to find an easy way to do so.

 YES! I am outsourcing, and I still work long hours by choice – if enjoying your passion is work. I love it!

 Yes, I want to be a millionaire too, like everyone else who buys a lottery ticket a week (I don’t) because isn’t that the American myth and motivator. We can all see it and feel it.

Language of New Marketing

The marketing questions from other ezines are old school; they are based on being competitive.

Instead, The heart is where we start. I’d rather ask questions like . .


What does your heart tell you is true in this situation?


What is the possibility of you making a six-figure income? In what time frame?


What is working for you right now?


What is true and possible with these products?


You can learn any marketing system, but if you still aren’t focused on the “doing” aspect, you won’t move ahead. Marketing fatigue is doing all of it by yourself. Inspiration comes from high energy of group support and mentoring.

When seeking marketing information, we want role models to emulate, and we make our decisions from emotional compatibility. Do the following marketing principles resonate with you?

 Your self-esteem, not your mentor, is the foundation of your inspiration.

 Yet, we all need a buddy system or group support to keep focused on the work.

 Move beyond competition to seeking cooperative marketing efforts with a group that shares your values.

 Finding ways to take your expertise and wrap it like a Christmas gift for your clients and having partners to do it with is exceptional!

Leveraging Your Expertise & Expanding Your Incredible Presence
You’ll find Dr. Caron Goode’s mentoring programs unique, and an inspiring investment that results in products, group marketing, and master-mind friendships. If you have six-months and three hours a week to invest in grounding and solidifying your business with packaged content and social media marketing, then please visit http://acpi.biz/.


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Editor's Corner August 2011

By Yvonne Perry
What a wonderful month—past two months actually. Two of my grandsons turned two years old and had fabulous birthday parties. Now we have all new toys to play with. Yay! No matter how old I get, I will never lose my love for children—I even act like one at times. Hopefully, that doesn't mean I'm child-ish, but that I'm child-like. Hahaha!

Speaking of children, I have completed the audio story album for The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children and these sweet stories are now available individually (99¢ each) or all 12 stories as one MP3 download ($8.99) on Amazon.com. Try a few for traveling with the kids this summer. I think you'll like the sound effects!

Two WITS team members have recently taken full-time jobs and are only available part-time. I hadn't planned to take on a new writer, but this occurred about the time I decided to take a sabbatical from working with clients. (I want to focus more on my spiritual endeavors.) I had a student enroll in my 6-week freelance writer training program. After reviewing her work and professionalism, I realized she was highly skilled and well prepared to work well with clients. So, please welcome Tracey Brackett to the Writers in the Sky team.

One of the things I'm focusing on is organizing "Empaths Shifting into 2012: A Telesummit to Help Energy-sensitive People Understand Their Spiritual Role on Earth" to be conducted all four Tuesdays in September 2011. The purpose of this telesummit is to help people understand the science of the Earth's shift in consciousness as we approach 2012 and how this is affecting all people—especially empaths. A panel of eight experts will give tips for getting free from detrimental energy and staying joyfully clear. Sign up at http://live-spirit.com/empathytelesummit or read more about the free event and the expert panelists at http://dld.bz/adU8s


Yvonne Perry,
Owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services
http://writersinthesky.com/
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Where Do You Like to Write?

By Sarah Moore
While I appreciate the wonderful technology that is the home computer, and consider it an indispensable tool of my chosen profession, there is still something to be said for grabbing a spiral notebook and a pen and putting ink to paper. I love to write outside while sitting on a blanket that is spread in a field or perhaps on some flat rocks by the side of the lake. There is something about communing with nature that helps me to tap into the artistry that comes from the written word. Beyond the scenery, I simply love the smell of paper and ink. I feel more connected to the sentences I am crafting when I see each letter formed from my own hand.

Through my work with Writers in the Sky, I have had the opportunity to interview dozens of authors about their work. One question that I always like to ask is, "Do you have a specific way that you like to write?" Some people with whom I spoke dedicated the same three hours to progressing on their manuscripts every morning without fail. One gentleman opted to do his writing while sitting at the kitchen table and listening to a baseball game on the radio. (I'm not sure what he did during the off-season.) Yet another author had created a space in her home that she only entered to write, and she made sure it was painted and decorated in such a way to pull out all maximum creative energy.
Writing is a very personal and emotional process, whether you are writing a graduate thesis for a chemistry program or your memoirs. You leave a piece of yourself on the page. You are forming something and then presenting it to the world for their enjoyment and scrutiny. Where you choose to create is important.
So, what about you? In what environment do you feel that your writing is best able to develop and flourish? I would love to hear from you!
Sarah Moore has nearly a decade of experience in higher education administration, having worked at University of Maryland, Boston University, and Middle Tennessee State University. In addition to her administrative responsibilities, she taught research and writing courses at these institutions. Sarah also taught high school government and history for several years, and always included a strong emphasis on writing in her students' assignments. Sarah was raised just outside of Washington, D.C., but has called Nashville home for nearly eight years and enjoys life there with her two young children.


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Network with Us August 2011

Check out the e-books designed especially to help authors promote their books online. http://tinyurl.com/DanaWITS.

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Each story in The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children focuses on life skills such as environmental awareness, helping others, being true to one's self, overcoming fear, and following inner guidance. http://thesidseries.com/

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Kristen House has developed a summer writing program called "A Novel Idea." It is aimed at teaching middle-grade students (rising 7th, 8th, and 9th graders) and high-school students (rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors) to write a novel in a month during their summer break. Contact Kristen for details.

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"Empaths Shifting into 2012: A Telesummit to Help Energy-sensitive People Understand Their Spiritual Role on Earth" is scheduled for four consecutive Tuesdays this September. There will be eight panelists sharing more than 12 hours of useful information about helping humanity shift into higher consciousness. More info at http://dld.bz/aaK6e.

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Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You is a guidebook for empathic people who have been unknowingly carrying energetic burdens that belong to someone else. See all purchasing options at http://whosestuffisthis.blogspot.com/p/purchase-book.html .
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Read the first chapter for free and then decide if you want to download the 3-hour-long mp3 audio book of More Than Meets the Eye ~ True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife for only $7.00 http://deathdyingafterlife.blogspot.com/p/chapter-1.html

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Tracey L. Brackett has joined the Writers in the Sky team as a ghostwriter. After thirty years as a high-level executive assistant, which placed her in a position of becoming the sole editor and proofreader for company proposals, presentations, and business correspondence, Tracey decided to take Yvonne Perry's six-week course "How to Start and Manage a Freelance Writing Business." Through the knowledge she gained in that course, she successfully opened The Feather Walker Customized Writing Services and is now affiliated with WITS. She is excited to be a part of such a phenomenal team of writers.

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The August Issue of Writers in the Sky E-zine is Now Available!

The August issue of Writers in the Sky E-zine is now available! This publication provides a rich resource of articles and information about the craft and business of writing, publishing, and book marketing.  Go to http://writersinthesky.com/writing-newsletter.html and scroll down to the archives and click the link to this month’s issue. It will download as a PDF. If you would like to get once-a-month email delivery of the e-zine, you may subscribe for free at https://app.quicksizzle.com/survey.aspx?sfid=13065

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WITS & We Are One in Spirit Podcast Schedules

WITS Podcast


August 19 -- Ian Anderson speaks to Dana Micheli about Modern Disciples Vol. I, his first novel and the first in this fantasy series about a group of mythical heroes.

August 26 -- Lynee Davis sits down with Dana Micheli to speak about A Widow's Walk: From Pain to Peace, a memoir chronicling her journey to healing after the untimely death of her husband.

We Are One in Spirit Podcast

August 11- Carl Bozeman will be joining LavendarRose to discuss his new book, On Being God Beyond Your Life's Purpose. Carl is a spiritual pioneer who's message is to provide new ways to inspire, uplift and challenge everyone to see through the limiting illusion they accept as life - to challenge their beliefs and all limiting behaviors in such a way that a new awareness surrounds them; an eternal awareness where no boundary exists. On Being God is a testament to our divine nature and a guide to show us how to find that place inside where God dwells. We can find our way back and many will find the words of the book compelling and uplifting as they rediscover that under all the trappings this reality provides there is so much more.

August 18-  Tisha Morris will be joining us to discuss how our world is changing.  As the news stations ‘Countdown to Doomsday’ over the debt crisis, shootings, suicides, and anxiety are meanwhile at an all-time high.  What’s going on?  Is the world going crazy? Is the world ending? Is it 2012?  I can’t help but think of the REM song, “It’s the end of the world as we know it.”  The phrase, as we know it, is the key.  Our world is changing and changing very fast – as we have known it.  Tisha Morris is a certified life coach, feng shui consultant, energy healer, yoga instructor, and the author of Feng Shui Your Life: The Quick Guide to Decluttering Your Home and Renewing Your Life and 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home (Turner Publishing).

August 25- Angelica Rose will be joining us to discuss her book, Living Life As You Always Dreamed.  Angelica is a national gifted Essence Specialist since 1991 presents group talks and offers private sessions to spiritually gifted, heart centered and creative people which provides opportunities to expand spiritual and creative gifts and into greater levels of awareness.  In Living Life As You Always Dreamed, you will learn how to identify, minimize and even eliminate the distractions that divert you from living a happier productive life. Angelica defines these distractions as beliefs-programs such as insecurities, fears, self-induced limitations, that hold you back from being the 'great' person you are meant to be.
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WITS Tip of the Month on Microsoft Word

If your 2007 Word document is too long, has too many words or is too verbose, you may want to shorten it without losing the main thoughts. You can set the percentage to show higher or lower levels of summary. Go to the MS Office button , and Click Customize. Click the Microsoft Office Button In the list under Choose commands from, click All Commands. Scroll through the list of commands until you see AutoSummary Tools. Click AutoSummary Tools, and then click Add. The AutoSummary Tools button now appears in the Quick Access Toolbar.
Make your selection for whether you want the summary to show or hide the unnecessary parts, or put the summary it into a new document.

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Some Thoughts for Those Considering a Ghostwriter

By Sarah Moore
I have the opportunity to wear many different creative hats as a team member with Writers in the Sky. I write articles and blog posts, edit manuscripts, develop marketing ideas, and proofread novels that are just a few steps away from becoming published books. Also among the challenging and exciting tasks that I get to fulfill regularly are those of a ghostwriter. I love instances in which I get to sit down with a person who has an amazing idea, and probably has heard something to the effect of "you really need to put that in a book" from friends and family for years, but simply does not have the time or perhaps the writing expertise to bring the vision to life.

If you have thought about hiring a ghostwriter to help your book idea become a reality, I would like to offer you a few thoughts that will be helpful to know before you even begin the process.

First, this is your book and should be crafted using your voice. I have many conversations with my ghostwriting clients to get to know who they are and what perspective they wish to share with a reading audience and also ask them for any material they have already developed (lectures, articles, journals) that could be useful in my writing. If you hire a ghostwriter and find yourself getting lost in the process and even pushed aside as the writer begins to control the message, it is time to have a conversation about your working relationship.

Second, get ready for a fluid process. While I enter into a contract with a client having an estimated completion date and cost in mind, I cannot give definite figures at the outset. I see your manuscript as a living and breathing entity that likely will change as we progress. You may realize more people you want to interview for content or decide to take a particular chapter in a new direction. If you want the book to be the best possible product, you have to let this evolution happen. At the same time, of course, your ghostwriter should never charge a fee that seems completely unrelated to the initial estimate and always should account for how her time was spent for every dollar received.

Finally, communicate with your ghostwriter. With my clients, I like to have a constant back and forth dialogue about the developing book. While my client is reviewing and editing a chapter I just submitted to him, I am at work writing the next one. This continual dialogue results in a better product. If you wait until five chapters have been written to offer any feedback to your ghostwriter, there is the potential for a lot of time and energy being spent before discovering that the two of you are not following the same line of thought at all.

Do you have an idea that you just know would make a great book? If so, I would love to talk with you about it and see how I might be able to help. Please contact me at sarah@writersinthesky.com or (615) 423-2467 and let's spend some time brainstorming and seeing if maybe we just might make great partners in making your thoughts a published book!


Sarah Moore has nearly a decade of experience in higher education administration, having worked at University of Maryland, Boston University, and Middle Tennessee State University. In addition to her administrative responsibilities, she taught research and writing courses at these institutions. Sarah also taught high school government and history for several years, and always included a strong emphasis on writing in her students' assignments. Sarah was raised just outside of Washington, D.C., but has called Nashville home for nearly eight years and enjoys life there with her two young children.


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