Finding Funboy

Tell us the book title and your author name. The novel is called “Finding Funboy,” and the author -- that’s me -- is Matt Golec.

What inspired the book?

Staying in touch with old friends became harder after I went away to college. We all made new friends, did new things and took a few giant steps toward adulthood. When I’d come home after several months and look up the old gang, connecting could be tricky because while I’d changed and they’d changed, the people we remembered in our heads hadn’t. It usually took a few steps for us to catch up with the new people we were all in the process of becoming.

People change. Even if you stay in the same place forever, you can’t help growing up and into new relationships with your friends and environment. “Finding Funboy” is about the main character’s search for an old friend, and the dawning realization of how these kinds of changes have been happening right under his nose.

What makes this book special to you?

“Finding Funboy” is my first novel, and I peppered its pages with the sights, sounds and character traits I’d known growing up. The story isn’t about me or anyone in specific, but I wanted it to capture the feel of what it’s like to be a young man kicking around my hometown of Portland, Maine.

What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?
I take a lot of notes when I’m kicking a story around in my head. That way, when I sit down at my computer to actually bash the thing out, I’ve got a lot of dots for me to connect. It’s a great way to keep working if that creativity fails to spark on a particular day.

What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems?

Simply finding the time to write is difficult. There are so many distractions -- family, friends, house projects, my Netflix queue -- and writing is long, hard, solitary work. For me, setting a schedule is critical. I try to write early in the day so I won’t put it off until it’s too late in the day to do anything but curl up in bed.

What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?

Although I don’t have any data to back me up, I’d bet most authors are also lifetime readers. The literary heroes of my adolescence -- Kurt Vonnegut, J.R.R. Tolkien, Joseph Heller, the good folks at Marvel Comics -- were certainly who motivated and inspired me.

Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?

I think for many authors, promoting oneself at all is unusual. But without some sort of promotion, these stories that we’ve worked so hard on will never get read. We write to communicate, not just to put words on paper; without a reader, we might as well be talking to ourselves.

Tell us how you decided on your book’s setting and what you did to create a complete and vivid setting for your readers?

I set most “Finding Funboy,” in Portland, Maine, the town where I grew up. Like friends you have from childhood, I believe the place where you grow up has an emotional hold on you that runs pretty deep. I hoped that emotional connection I have with Portland would translate into a rich setting for “Finding Funboy.”

Also, it’s a great old coastal city with cobblestone streets, heavy brick architecture and mysterious fog smelling of the sea that rolls in at night.

What inspires you about the hero in your book? What makes them memorable for the reader?

What I really enjoyed about the main character/hero in “Finding Funboy” was his growth. The choices he makes and the actions he takes -- some for the better, some for the worse -- help form the core of his maturing self. I hope readers will feel privileged to be included in this process.

Is there a villain or something that causes friction in your story? Tell us about what or who it is and how that contributes to the story.

The real source of friction in “Finding Funboy” is the main character’s attempts to locate his childhood friend crashing into his deepening infatuation with that friend’s girlfriend. How he resolves this conflict, and how he comes out the other side a sadder if wiser person, forms the heart of the book.

If there's anything else you would like to share, this is the time and place.

The book is funny! I probably try for more laughs than I get, but despite a serious theme, “Finding Funboy” promises a fun, snappy read.

For more about “Finding Funboy,” or to read the opening chapter, visit www.mattgolec.com.

To purchase “Finding Funboy,” visit www.booksforabuck.com/mystery/mys_07/finding_funboy.html or www.amazon.com/Finding-Funboy-Matt-Golec/dp/1602150575/

Woman Submit

1 - How did you get interested in the topic that's featured in your book? I was beaten into it.

2 - Tell us a bit about your background. What have you done in the past that relates to your book and that topic? The title of the book is, Woman Submit! Christians & Domestic Violence. I experienced domestic violence and abuse for a period of nine years over the course of two marriages. The most violent of the two marriages was the last in which my former husband was an associate pastor of our church.

3 - What advice would you give to someone who is interested in your topic? It would really depend on why they were interested. Someone could be interested because they are experiencing abuse or domestic violence. Or they could be interested because someone they know and love is experiencing domestic violence. The book is written and contains advice for both groups.

4 - What do you see as the benefit to participating in groups and organizations? My first thought would be networking opportunities and the chance for personal and business growth. What are your reasons? I have started The Dorcas Network, which is an organization committed to working with [primarily] Christian individuals and ministries desiring to reach out in more compassionate, effective, and biblical ways to the battered/abused women within their spheres of influence. We can certainly accomplish more together than alone.

5 - Who is the ideal person to read your book? Women experiencing domestic violence or abuse and those they are most likely to turn to for help. If each person that reads this was going to recommend your book to one person, what sort of person would they want to chose? Women experiencing domestic violence or abuse or those they are most likely to turn to for help--including pastors and other spiritual leaders.

6 - What do you think ignites a person's creativity? I believe we write best when we write honestly about what we feel strongly about. As for myself, I cannot even stay interested in writing about anything I am not passionate about. And if I cannot stay interested in what I am writing, how can I expect anyone else to stay interested in reading what I write?

7 - What have you found to be the biggest stumbling block for people who want to start writing? Not having anything to say of course.

8 - How would you suggest they can overcome that? Find out what it is they feel strongly--even passionately--about, and write about that.

9 - What do you find is the biggest motivator for people to succeed? Is it money, security, desire for fame or something else? Different things motivate different people. Money and success have never been able to motivate me for very long periods of time (although like most people, I wouldn't mind having some). I committed my life to Jesus Christ many years ago, and I have found that anything he is not the center of, very quickly loses its appeal. But the things I allow His Spirit to lead me into, are the things that have endured.

10 - Who is the “perfect” person to read your book? Any woman (or man) experiencing domestic violence or abuse and those they would most likely turn to for help. And since it is estimated that one out of four women experience abuse or domestic violence (some say one out of two!), that would make the target audience for my book just about everyone.

11 - Is there anything else you would like to share with us? Yes. I would like to pass along a message that I heard for the very first time from a mother whose precious daughter lost her life due to domestic violence, “Domestic Violence IS your business!” www.WomanSubmit.com

Laundry Tales

1. How did you get interested in the topic?

It came from a post about laundry by one of the Celebrate Moms team members. This post on the message board received about 3 pages of responses from our moms. We knew then it is a topic of interest.

2. Our background...What have we done in the past that relates to our book and that topic?

The whole Celebrate Moms website points to the book's message of "Lighten your Load". Our tagline for Celebrate Moms is "The Mother Load Gets Lighter Here".

3. What advice would we give to someone who is interested in our topic?

We can learn from anything in life, even the mundane things like laundry.

4. What do we see as the benefit to participating in groups and organizations other than networking and personal /business growth?

Groups and organizations help us learn from one another and offer a support system.

5. Who is the ideal person to read our book?

The ideal audience for Laundry Tales to Lighten Your Load is made up of mothers ages 20-50. These ladies are the primary overseers of the household laundering chores, seeking acknowledgement and companionship in a lowly job. They are either currently Christians looking to grow closer to God in a unique way or seekers in the midst of child related struggles and open to learning more about God.

6. What do we think ignites a person's creativity?

Finding and pursuing their passion ignites creativity.

7. What have we found to be the biggest stumbling block for people to start writing?

Procrastination and lack of knowledge of how the industry works.

8. How would we suggest they can overcome that?

A quote that helps Melissa, our co-founder, is "Do what you don't want to do, so you can be what you want to be." Keep that in mind. Don't approach life, dreams etc, based on feelings. Just do it even if you don't want to do it.

9. What do we find is the biggest motivator for people to succeed? Is it money, security, desire for fame or something else?

We feel like all three of the ones listed are big motivators but we pray we would rise above it and Celebrate Moms motivation would be to please God.

10.Who is the "perfect" person to read our book?

Laundry is never done—moms struggling to keep up with this humdrum chore will find Laundry Tales to Lighten Your Load especially encouraging and uplifting. They need help in ways they can relate to. The length of each story delivers a shot in the arm that will help moms get through yet another load.

Laundry is a lonely, boring and often thankless job—moms looking for acknowledgement, a feeling of camaraderie, and a greater sense of self-worth will finish reading Laundry Tales to Lighten Your Load feeling like they have just sat and had coffee with a trusted friend. One that understands her struggles and has inspired her to embrace all the dirt life has to offer.

11. Is there anything else we would like to share with the audience?

Laundry Tales to Lighten Your Load is a lighthearted look at the things we have learned from doing the laundry. We encourage you to pick up a copy, get a cup of coffeee and enjoy some of the stories and insights we share.

Sandra B. Stanford
Bible Teacher/Speaker/Author
WWW.Sandrastanford.com
WWW.Celebratemoms.org
Team Member
"The Mother Load Gets Lighter Here"
Visit my blog: blog.sandrastanford.com
Go to Sandra's website and order Celebrate moms
new book "Laundry Tales" !

Don't Call Me Rosie - Kathleen Thomas

Don't Call Me Rosie, The Women who Welded the LSTs and the Men who Sailed on Them

Author: Kathleen Thomas

1 - How did you get interested in the topic that's featured in your book?

When I was young, I knew that my mother and two aunts were welders in the shipyard during World War II because my mother would occasionally talk about it. I had no idea that the ships they worked on were LSTs nor did I even know what an LST was. I was very proud that she did this non-traditional job.

In 1999, Les Parker, a former crew member of LST 743, somehow found out about my mother and two aunts and asked them to attend the LST 743 reunion banquet being held in Pittsburgh. My mother was so pleased to attend this banquet and receive recognition from the LST 743 crew.

After listening to her talk about the reunion, I decided that I wanted to write a book about the women welders. Finally, in October 2001 on a visit to Pittsburgh, I interviewed my mother and two aunts.


2 - Tell us a bit about your background. What have you done in the past that relates to your book and that topic?

I am a civil engineer and majority owner of a consulting civil engineering firm, Thomas/Wright, Inc. Nothing in my background really relates to the topic except that I am interested in history. When I was younger, I rarely read current events because I felt that when the event would be reviewed in the future as history, we would learn more about what was actually going on.

I believe there is a view that Civil Engineering and writing are mutually exclusive skills. However, one needs to be at least a good technical writer to be successful as an engineering consultant. I have strong organizational and listening skills. These were invaluable in writing a book such as “Don't Call Me Rosie”.


3 - What advise would you give to someone who is interested in your topic?

Since the “greatest generation” is dying at a significant pace, the first thing I would advise is to talk to anyone you know in this generation about their experiences during World War II.

LST 325 is located in Evansville, IL and the website is http://www.lstmemorial.org

There is a discussion group on that website that one can join.

I also have a Bibliography at the end of my book and would recommend reading the books I used for my research.


4 - What do you see as the benefit to participating in groups and organizations? My first thought would be networking opportunities and the chance for personal and business growth. What are your reasons?

Networking opportunities and the ability to learn from others with similar interests. Most of my involvement in organizations has been on the professional side but sometimes I find a group that I enjoy because its members are fun to be with and are interesting.


5 - Who is the ideal person to read your book? If each person that reads this was going to recommend your book to one person, what sort of person would they want to chose?

An individual interested in World War II history and the involvement and interrelationship of both women's and men's role during that time period.


6 - What do you think ignites a person's creativity?

I really don't know the answer to this question. However, I would recommend a balanced lifestyle in which one is happy with what they are doing in life. If one isn't happy, then I think they need to take steps to change it.


7 - What have you found to be the biggest stumbling block for people who want to start writing?

I feel that some people are overwhelmed by the thought of producing a book in its entirety instead of recognizing that books are written one chapter at a time.

8 - How would you suggest they can overcome that?

First, produce an outline of the book. If one gets stuck on a chapter, skip it and go to the next chapter. You can always come back to the chapter you are stuck on but if you don't continue on, the book may never be completed.

When I was writing my book, I would realize I might need another oral history to include in it for a particular chapter. While I was trying to locate that individual, I could still continue on with another chapter in which I had all the information and research completed.


9 - What do you find is the biggest motivator for people to succeed? Is it money, security, desire for fame or something else?

I think it is different for each person. A secure and comfortable lifestyle is important to me. However, I think my genetics and family upbringing have made me a motivated person in general. I would not object to fame (i.e. author on the bestsellers list) but I feel it is a double edged sword that can intrude on one's lifestyle.

10 - Who is the “perfect” person to read your book?

The son or daughter of parents who lived during World War II.

I also feel that high school students would benefit from reading it since the oral histories would have more meaning to them then learning a bunch of dates about events without really comprehending the significance of those events.


11 - Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I know that your blog is time consuming to produce and appreciate the opportunity you are giving authors to be a part of it. Thank you.

Its My Crisis and I'll Cry If I Need To - Yocheved Golani

Tell us the book title and your author name. The book has rather long name that I use three different ways. 1: It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To for general communication, 2: It's MY Crisis! for rapid communication (that way, shoppers can remember the basic title when they want to order it in a store or online) and 3: the official title of It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To: A Life Book for Helping You to Dry Your Tears and to Cope with a Medical Challenge.

My name is Yocheved Golani. The "ch" has the same guttural sound as in "Bach." I'm a woman and I try to clue in my clients and readers by using soft, feminine colors at my websites and in my book cover. A pen nib with the medical symbol for "female" on my Writing Services site, www.ygolani.com is another tipoff that I'm female.

What inspired the book? My survival of emergency life-saving brain surgery. Friends and loved ones wanted me to explain how I survived the crisis without having a breakdown.

What makes this book special to you? That my crisis serves a higher purpose. By making lemonade of the lemon that was brain surgery, I can help people with my appreciation for their anguish over a medical crisis and their need for "how to get well" information.

What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY? I explain in simple, sometimes funny language, how to cope with the challenges of medical crises. From adjusting your perspective to how to pack for the hospital stay and how to keep your medical and insurance records in order, my book covers the topic. The Resources section in the back of my book informs readers how to find the help they need all around the world: free clinical trials, free or price-reduced medication and medical appliances, medical and mental health therapists, suggested reading materials for adults and children, medical clowns, and much more.

What people NEED to read this book and WHY? ANYBODY facing a medical crisis, including medical and mental health professionals trying to help patients and clients let alone the loved ones of the sick person and that ill person.

What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity? Hmmm... I do many types of writing: feature stories, Op-Eds, speeches, site content, advertising content, media releases and press releases (different in that media releases are geared for broadcast and digital media, press releases for print publications ) and more. I find inspiration by looking out the window. I have some miniature toy cartoon characters, some thought-provoking newspaper cartoons and some inspirational thoughts on my desk that make me think outside the box.

What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems? Not knowing how to proceed has been a real stumbling block. Before I wrote my first genuine press release, I had to do some research about press release preparation. Before I wrote my first novel I focused on whatever I'd learned as an English major. I also read books and magazines about novel writing. Before I began writing It's MY Crisis! I'd been aware that the "How to Do Anything" and "Anything for Dummies" books only offer titles dealing with specific medical or psychiatric diagnoses. Amazon.com does not list any books as broad-based and inclusive as mine. It's MY Crisis! is a neatly packaged survival tool that can be shared with loved ones, packed in a suitcase and shown to health care professionals. I wrote what the book market and some readers needed. Study up on your subject. You can use and reject what you learn as desired.

What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry? Oy. Only an optimist or a masochist would become an author. There are exceptions to the rule, of course. I write because I'm good at it. People have been paying me to write for them for a long time. I'm not good at many other career paths. Some people make excellent plumbers or architects. I'm wired to be a writer.

Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books? I haven't done anything unusual. Yet. Now you've made me think about the alternative!

NON FICTION - Why are you the BEST person to write this book? What in your background or in your research makes you qualified to do justice to this topic? What an excellent question! My book is written from the heart as much as it's written from my mind. Not only did I experience a life-or-death medical crisis, I've worked in the medical industry. Insight from both sides of the hospital bill influences It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. I sympathize with anyone going through a medical emergency or situation.

NON FICTION - If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn't interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I'm thinking something better than "Its the greatest book ever." Give me something more specific :) I'd suggest that they read two pages (that'll give them a chance to be drawn into the text) or scan the book untiil they find something that grabs their attention.

NON FICTION - Why does the topic of your book interest you? Why would it interest potential readers? Give us a hook to reel in new readers. Have you, a friend or a loved one received a nightmarish medical diagnosis? Calm down with It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To: A Life Book that Helps You to Dry Your Tears and to Cope with a Medical Challenge.

NON FICTION Is there a way to tie your book topic to current events? If so, tell us about how you could do that. I have a blog to feature information and examples about tying books into current events that might be a good place for you to promote your book. People in Peru are suffering from medical complications they've blamed on a meteor. Governments and everybody around the world are scared of biological weapons of mass destruction. Robin Williams of ABC television is experiencing breast cancer. Montel Williams has Multiple Sclerosis. Michael J. Fox has Parkinson's Disease. College students suffer all kinds of stuff after being exposed to germs in limited spaces. The news media are full of reports about epidemics and preventative techniques. Even the kid down the block can tell you who's not feeling so good these days and feeling stressed out about it. People in all kinds of occupations and social situations suffer medical problems. The Internet is full of helpful information and so is the library. Even the brochure rack in your doctor's office offers information about something or other. But bringing it all together in order to cope with a medical crisis is a whole other story! My book reduces your stress by showing you how to take things in logical order and how to cope with a medical situation. No way did I write the only book you'll ever need for coping with medical crises. But I did write a book that helps you to calm down, to think clearly and to show you what to do about many medical problems. Think of the book's complete title: It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To: A Life Book for Helping You to Dry Your Tears and to Cope with a Medical Challenge
Wow, can it make a great stocking stuffer!

If there's anything else you would like to share, this is the time and place. It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To is a book to share with someone you love or feel compassion for. Family and friends, even colleagues at work can share it with each other. Medical and mental health therapists can use it with patients and clients. Gyms can sell it to patrons, Retiree organizations can provide it to members. Chartiable organizations and pharmacies can give it out to people who need it. No matter the person, no matter their medical crisis,It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To is a book for helping you to cope in a forthright, pro-active manner. It fits the Self-help genre, the Spiritual genre, the Medical genre, even a Gifts Section genre. Recipients will be glad to get It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To.

Humorous passages and thoughtful witticisms from famous personalities in It's MY Crisis! provide comic relief, enabling relaxed readers to benefit from the workbook's eye opening, life-saving content. Nancy Rosenfeld, author of Just as Much as Woman: Your Personal Guide to Hystterectomy and Beyond, and Unfinished Journey: Two People, Two Worlds, From Tyranny to Freedom. has said that It's MY Crisis! is "compelling, inspiring, and merits publication." Medical and mental health professionals, clergy of different faiths, even a Fortune 500 motivational speaker praise it on the book cover and inside! Buy it for someone you love. Including yourself.

--
Yocheved Golani
Self Help Coach
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.
http://itsmycrisisandillcryifineedto.blogspot.com/

Three Feet Under - Journal of a Midlife Crisis

Tell us the book title and your author name.

Three Feet Under: Journal of a Midlife Crisis

Christee Gabour Atwood

What inspired the book?
A desire to laugh at myself and see if anybody else laughed along. And the fact that I had a rent payment due.

This book has also been therapy for me. I don’t like it when I see people upset by midlife experiences, when I see the lack of appreciation of elastic waistbands, and also when I see airbrushed supermodels creating unrealistic ideals of what beauty is. Writing this book has helped me put those thoughts on paper and see that I’m not the only who thinks that way.

What makes this book special to you?
This book is special because it made me realize that it’s okay to be myself and to write what I enjoy reading. I discovered that if I write something that appeals to me, at least I have an audience of one. I can build from there.

What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY? People must read this or I’ll come to their houses and talk to them. Yes, be afraid. Be very afraid.

It’s also a great book for airplane trips and trips to the bathroom. Not as a toilet paper replacement, but as short format reading for the attention-challenged like myself. I get bored and trail off when…

It’s also a chance to laugh if you recognize yourself in any of these episodes. And isn’t that what makes life fun?

If laughter is the best medicine, this book replaces at least one dose of fluoxetine. (If you recognize that drug, welcome to my club. You need this book.)

What people NEED to read this book and WHY?
Everyone in the world needs to read this book. Is that too obvious?

Okay, almost everybody in the world needs to read this book. Infants can wait a few years before they pick it up. People need to read this book to help them understand friends who are going through midlife crisis, to prepare themselves for surviving it, or just to laugh at midlifers. Either way, they’ll get a laugh. Or they’ll decide they never want to sit next to me on a plane. Either one is a valuable lesson.

What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?
You know what’s funny? I get creative when I get angry. I found that writing is my therapy. I remember coming home from a job interview and banging on my typewriter (yes, this was a while back) and complaining about the guy with seven strands of hair draped across his head who seemed more interested in doodling on his desk blotter than in my brilliant answers to questions. So I wrote and wrote and little by little the anger started getting really funny. I took the interview to the furthest extreme by describing the fellow as a superhero who only interviewed people in between saving the world from fast food drive-thru workers. From this experience, my humor column was born.

We decide our responses to situations. Anything that makes us mad can also make us laugh. We just have to flip it and take it to the extreme.

What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems?
The biggest stumbling block in my writing is the attachment of my rear end to a chair. I found that the answer for me was to start with short format materials. With the attention span of an over-caffeinated gnat, it really helped to be able to sit down and write a humor column that was complete at the end of the sitting. It was those humor columns that eventually became the basis for this book.

Also, try writing the worst book you can. This really helps relieve the pressure we put on ourselves when writing. Geez, even Pavarotti had to clear his throat before he sang. Plan to write a lot of phlegm before some good words sneak onto the page.

What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?
People become authors because they like to be abused by editors, agents, and critics. Because they feel that performance appraisals by one boss are not enough. Instead they want their work appraised by everyone, including that crotchety woman who said that no one has written a good book since Gone With The Wind. In other words, we write because we’re insane.

I became a writer because I love the thrill of creating a world and living in it while writing the story. I get depressed when the story is finished because I don’t want to leave. It’s like the darkness in the theatre when a good movie fades to black. It’s nice because you were there, but you still want more.

It’s also therapy and is a heck of a lot cheaper than a psychiatrist.

Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?
Last year, for National Novel Writing Month, I put on a chicken suit and sat in the window of a Waldenbooks for a month, writing a novel called, “Danger, Deceit, and a Demon … named Myron”. I got some incredible press – in fact, you can even see the article on CBS News webpage at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/08/print/main2241177.shtml

I was on the national radio show, The Satellite Sisters, and other various radio shows, television shows, and possibly even made it into a junior high school newspaper, but that might have just been a rumor.

I’ve emceed a Menopause Fashion Show for a hospital. Lots of elastic in that one. I’ve done talks for anyone who would stand still – and that includes turning around in elevators and saying, “I suppose you wonder why I called this meeting.”

I’ve offered myself as a fill-in guest for any radio or TV show within driving radius on a very short turnaround time. I’ve gotten calls with “We’re taping in 30 minutes. Can you talk about something?” and I’ve done it.

After the chicken suit episode, I got a reputation and ended up hosting the Harry Potter Release Party at a mall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Now, they’ve called me back to be Mrs. Claus and read my children’s Christmas poem to kids who’ve eaten too much candy.

I’m working on a promotion idea right now to do a “mall tour” because I can create events with malls and I can shop at the same time. Sounds like heaven to me.

I created a Girls Night Out group that met at a local bookstore and discussed our midlife adventures. We later moved to bars and liked it much better… although we tended to forget what we had talked about.

And the list goes on and on…

Why are you the BEST person to write this book? What in your background or in your research makes you qualified to do justice to this topic?
I’m living this book. I’m not the only person who could write this book. That’s what makes it special. This is a book any person can and should write about their experiences. It’s sharing these experiences that makes this time of life fun instead of frenzied, happy instead of harried, bonding instead of brooding, and other assorted alliterations…

I hope other people will read this and say, “I could do that” and turn around and write their stories. The more of this that we share, the more we’ll all realize that we’re crazy … but at least, we’re in the same boat.

If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn't interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I'm thinking something better than "It’s the greatest book ever." Give me something more specific :)
Every once in a while we need to realize that there are others like us. There are other people who pretend they’re on the cell phone in the car so people in the neighboring cars won’t realize that they’re talking to themselves. Others who read the comics instead of the business section of the paper. Others who think that, if God had intended us to stay one waist size, he wouldn’t have invented elastic waistbands. This book shares those moments. It’s a great gift to remind ourselves that we’re not alone.

Also, it’s not just a book for midlifers. It helps others understand midlifers.

Why does the topic of your book interest you? Why would it interest potential readers? Give us a hook to reel in new readers.

This quiz will tell you if this book is for you:

Do you use your exercise bike as a coat rack?
Do you want to know how to look cool while searching for your car in the mall parking lot?
Do you believe people on the show Survivor could never last through 39 days in your workplace?
Do you believe that cheesecake and Prozac share many of the same healing qualities?
Do you use the phrase, “I remember when none of that was here”?
Do you list your hair color as “Number 168”?
Do you believe that the birthday of Thomas Hancock, the inventor of elastic, should be a national holiday?
If you even grinned at any of those, you need to read this book…


Is there a way to tie your book topic to current events? If so, tell us about how you could do that. I have a blog to feature information and examples about tying books into current events that might be a good place for you to promote your book.
November is National Novel Writing Month, where thousands of people worldwide will try to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. Everyone has a book in them. They just need permission to give it a shot. This is the month to do it.

I’m a Municipal Liaison in Louisiana, which means that I help writers in the state coordinate events and communication during the month.

I’ll also be writing my sequel to Three Feet Under, entitled In Celebration of Elastic Waistbands, during this month. Like I mentioned before, last year I got national attention when I wrote my novel in the window of a bookstore while wearing a chicken suit. This year I’ll be wearing elastic waistbands. Much more comfortable than a chicken suit…

If there's anything else you would like to share, this is the time and place.
I believe that one of the greatest gifts we can share is laughter. And, as an added bonus, it burns calories.

My theme for life is “If I laugh at myself first, then the rest of the world is laughing with me, not at me.”

Thank you for visiting with me and in closing, give us your website address and a link to order your book.

Thank you! This has been a lot of fun and it’s kept me from hitting the refrigerator for a few minutes. That’s a good thing, because there’s just so much elastic in the world…

Website: Christee.biz

Blog that’s just getting started: http://elasticwaistbands.blogspot.com/

You can order Three Feet Under: Journal of a Midlife Crisis at Amazon.com or any online bookstore as well as getting at your local bookstore. If they don’t have it, please ask them to order it!

You can also check out my new business and training books, Succession Planning Basics, Presentation Skills Training, and Manager Skills Training at Amazon.com.

Your Guide to Marketing in the Christian Marketplace

1 - How did you get interested in the topic that's featured in your book?

My husband and I published a set of board book for infants and toddlers and then set about the task of marketing these books in the Christian Marketplace. Out of this experience, Christian Small Publishers Association (CSPA) was born. CSPA's mission is to assist publishers in marketing their books to the Christian marketplace. As the director of CSPA, it became clear to me that a marketing guidebook was needed for emerging Christian authors and publishers.

2 - Tell us a bit about your background. What have you done in the past that relates to your book and that topic?

As mentioned in the first question, I am the director of Christian Small Publishers Association (www.christianpublishers.net). The purpose of this organization is to represent, strengthen, and promote small publishers in the Christian marketplace. CSPA was started in 2004 and I have spent the last 4 years providing information and assistance to new and emerging publishers in marketing in the Christian marketplace. The resources in the book are an accumulation of 4+ years of research.

3 - What advice would you give to someone who is interested in your topic?

Read my book, Your Guide to Marketing Books in the Christian Marketplace.

4 - What do you see as the benefit to participating in groups and organizations? My first thought would be networking opportunities and the chance for personal and business growth. What are your reasons?

If you visit my book's website (www.marketingchristianbooks.com), you will find an excerpt of the first chapter of the book. In this chapter, I list four benefits of participating in an organization. These include: respect in your industry, cutting-edge information, saving money, and doors of opportunity as a result of networking.

5 - Who is the ideal person to read your book? If each person that reads this was going to recommend your book to one person, what sort of person would they want to chose?

My book is for any author of a Christian book that he/she is trying to promote and for anyone who is publishing materials for the Christian marketplace.

6 - What do you think ignites a person's creativity?

Creativity is such an individual process. What ignites one person's creativity does nothing for another. Each individual needs to find where their spark comes from. Mine flows from my passions.

7 - What have you found to be the biggest stumbling block for people who want to start writing?

I have found that many people desiring to write feel that they need all the material before they can begin. Another words, they think they have to sit down and write a whole book. Writing starts with just a few words.

8 - How would you suggest they can overcome that?

Start with just writing your thoughts; even in outline form. Consider beginning with an article, poem, or short story. There are literally hundreds of places on the web where you can post an article or essay for free.

9 - What do you find is the biggest motivator for people to succeed? Is it money, security, desire for fame or something else?

I believe that desire is generally the biggest factor in success. You have to want something enough to work hard to obtain it. Drive goes hand-in-hand with desire. Desire fuels the drive. The drive is what gets the work done to make success happen. It's what causes people to keep at something when rewards are not immediate.

10 - Who is the “perfect” person to read your book?

Your Guide to Marketing Books in the Christian Marketplace is for any author of a Christian book or any person who is or is interested in publishing a Christian book.

In Detail with Leeanne Marie Stephenson

Tell us the book title and your author name.
A PRESCRIPTION FOR LOVE
BY LEEANNE MARIE STEPHENSON

What inspired the book?
my life took a dramatic turn as I was diagnosed with kidney failure
due to my diabetes. The prognosis was less than promising. As my
physical condition deteriorated, I was forced to give up my career as a
nurse. Fatigue and weakness encompassed my entire world as I underwent
dialysis treatments. Desperate and determined to still be part of this
wonderful profession, I started writing a romance novel based on the
experiences I had encountered as a nurse. When the days that lie ahead
of me seemed impossible to face, I did not allow my tears to compromise
my strength. Instead of giving up, during the darkest time in my life,
I drew on the love that surrounded me from my wonderful husband and
family to write this loving story. When I wrote, I was released from my
physical problems and taken back into the world of nursing, which I
loved so much. Romantic stories can always release us from the problems of
real life. They send us into a fantasy world where our
imaginations can soar. I strove to take my readers and myself into
that world. Thus was born my book, “A PRESCRIPTION FOR LOVE”.

What makes this book special to you?
This book is so very special because it represents the strong love I
had surrounding me, and what I could accomplish because of it, during
the lowest point in my life.

What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?
It is a truly wonderful romantic journey, where you will wish that
the Hero was definitely the man in your life! You are drawn into the
drama of the medical world with breath taking life and death scenarios, a
world of wealth and prestige, and underhanded schemes that lend the
many twists and turns to this hard to put down read. You will wish it
would never end!
It also is a book that demonstrates what can be achieved when life
seems overwhelmingly hopelss.

What people NEED to read this book and WHY?
Lovers of romance novels, people wanting to know what true love is
and how it is demonstrated between 2 people. People facing the
challenges of great adversity in their lives will hopefully be inspired to read
this book, to see how I achieved my dream while living without any hope
in my life.

What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own
creativity?
My creativiety for this book came from the great love affair I have
with my usband. Also, I wanted to still of the medical world so I
wrote about that. I think you can be very creative if you use a lot of
your own personal experiences in your writing.

What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you
share some tips to help others get past similar problems?
The hardest thing about writing when you are sick, is the fatigue and
weakness that you experience. You just have to have an unfathomable
resolve to forge ahead and accomplish what you set out to achieve!

What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated
you to get into this unusual industry?
I became an author, because the writing allowed me to escape into my
imagination and go to a place where the world was wondrful! It allowed
me to escape the horrible world and circumstances I was in. I wrote
about a place in life that I loved which was being a Nurse.

Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any
books?
I persistently sent many media packages and e-mails to a TV show
until they relented and had me on their show.

FICTION - If there is a setting, tell us how you decided on that
setting and what you did to create a complete and vivid setting for your
readers?
My setting is where I worked my own career as a nurse so it is
very personal to me and easy to describe throughout the book.

FICTION - What inspires you about the hero or heroine in your book?
What makes them memorable for the reader? What motivates the hero and/or
heroine? You can include information about both if you want.
Weel, the heroine is a Nurse as I was, so alot of her characteristics
magnify mypersonality. The hero is every woman's dream, truly aloving
caring man.

FICTION - Is there a villain or something that causes friction in your
story? Tell us about what or who it is and how that contributes to the
story. Any details about conflict and friction is good information to
know.

There are several villains in the story, all with the same goal of
keeping the hero and heroine apart! Each has their own selfish reasons
for their phoniness and manipu;ations of the chracters. It lends many
twists and turns to the plot with their underhanded schemes!

If there's anything else you would like to share, this is the time and
place. After a year on dialysis, I was told I could have a kidney
transplant. My wonderful brother stepped forward and gave me the gift of
life. From that moment on, my whole world changed for the better and I
eagerly embraced this second chance at life. When I felt well enough,
I set about getting my romance story published, so I could be an
inspirational example of what can be accomplished when life seems
overwhelmingly

Thank you for visiting with me and in closing, give us your website
address and a link to order your book.

http://www.lmstephenson.com

http://www.amazon.com/Prescription-Love-Leeanne-Marie-Stephenson/dp/1424165075/sr=8-12/qid=1172424584/ref=sr_1_12/104-7067955-3361511?ie=UTF8&s=books