Gracious Living on Social Security – Author Interview – Valerie Kent

With today’s economy some of us can barely live on our regular income let alone even thinking about a retirement income or social security. However, Author Valerie Kent found that she must have been doing something right when so many of her friends remarked at how well she lived on a minimum income. Thus, the idea for her retirement memoir/self-help book was born Gracious Living on Social Security (Tree Farm Books).

ABOUT THE BOOKGracious Living is an easy-to-read decade-long journey that offers tips and suggestions on how senior citizens can stretch their dollar and get the most for their money. Eleven chapters cover every important aspect of living together, from the wedding preparations to where to live. Key considerations follow each chapter for quick reference: considerations like where and when to buy clothing, choosing a place to live and juggling your finances. Artist Jeff Nitzberg adds his unique touch with original drawings introducing each chapter.

ABOUT THE AUTHORAt eighty-eight, Valerie Kent is the survivor of a long lifetime spent adjusting to dramatically evolving worlds. She moved from Britain to the United States in 1933. Valerie began at the age of forty-six the drawn-out process of education – seven universities – that would generate, initially, a career as a drug and alcohol counselor for troubled women, then a decade as a celebrated college teacher and – ultimately – a final, exultant marriage. This is her story.

INTERVIEW

Hi, Valerie Kent.

Welcome to Paperback Writer.

Glad to be aboard.

Q: Would you share with us how you came up with the idea for your book?

A: The writer and publisher, Burton Hersh, a good social friend, remarked at how well we lived on a fundamentally minimum income. Out of that came Gracious Living on Social Security.

Q: How did you come up with the title?

A: The title recommended itself. So many people commented on our elegant life style and demanded to know our thousands of secrets that I embarked on Gracious Living.

Q: How did you find an agent and publisher?

A: The whole idea was a recommendation of the writer and publisher, Burton Hersh, who nurtured this project and oversaw the publication within his own enterprise, Tree Farm Books. No agent was involved.

Q: Who reads your work in progress?

A: My husband Rick and Mr. Hersh kept me on track.

Q: Who made a difference in the book’s quality?

A: Imaginative editing and design by Burton Hersh and George Pequignot kept us on course. We were impressed by the brilliant, biting, and hilarious illustrations by Jeff Nitzberg.

Q: How long did it take you to complete the first draft?

A: Perhaps a year.

Q: How long did it take from start to publication?

A: Almost two years.

Q: Do you have any advice for new authors?

A: Writing is hard work and the publication process is sometimes maddening. Sell insurance.

Thank you, Valerie Kent, for stopping by Paperback Writer on your virtual book tour. I wish you continued success through the rest of your tour.

Thanks for giving me a chance to share a few ideas. For more detail about Gracious Living and me, look at the Tree Farm Books website, www.treefarmbooks.com.

Valerie Kent’s GRACIOUS LIVING ON SOCIAL SECURITY VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR ‘09 officially began on July 6 and will end on July 31. You can visit Valerie’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com during the month of July to find out more about this great book and talented author!

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors’ blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.

First Night – A Jackie and Alex Adventure – Author Interview – Tom Weston

First Night Book Excerpt – A Jackie and Alex Adventure
“And to drink?” asked the waitress.

“I’ll have a beer, if I may?” replied Sarah.

“Can I see some ID please?” asked the waitress. “Sorry, but we have to check.”

“She’s just joking,” interrupted Alex. “She’ll have some water, like us.”

“Surely, you are not going to drink the water?” asked Sarah. This world differed so greatly from her world, but even these people must know the danger of drinking the water?

“Yes, why not?”

“Do you want to die of the colic or worms of the brain?”

“We have something called sanitation now,” sniped Alex. “If you’d had it in the seventeenth century, you might still be alive.”

“Or dead!” offered Jackie.

“Or dead, yes, absolutely,” amended Alex.

About The Book:
Alexandra O’Rourke, aged 16, is not a happy camper. It’s New Year’s Eve. She should be partying in San Diego with her friends, but instead she is stuck in Boston, with just her younger sister, Jackie, for company. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she is being haunted by Sarah, the ghost of a seventeenth century Puritan. Oh, and there is the small matter of the charge of witchcraft to be sorted out.

Armed only with big shiny buttons and a helping of Boston Cream Pie, the sisters set out to restore the Natural Order. Can Alex solve the mystery of the Devil’s Book? Can Jackie help Sarah beat the sorcery rap? And can they do it before the fireworks display at midnight? Because this is First Night – and this is an Alex and Jackie Adventure.

Interview:

It is a great pleasure to have our young adult author Tom Weston here at Paperback Writer.

Hi Tom Weston,

Welcome to Paperback Writer

Q: Will you share with us how you came up with the idea for this book?

A: I had just written a screenplay called Fission, based on the real-life story of the scientist Lise Meitner, and the race for the nuclear bomb. Now, that story began in 1906 and ended in 1968, and included two world wars and the collapse of an Empire. It was very much in the mold of the epic or mini-series genre: quite serious and dramatic and high-brow.

When that was completed, I thought that it would be fun to go in exactly the opposite direction, and see if I could come up with a story where all the action takes place in just one day, something light and whimsical. And I was in Downtown Boston on New Year’s Eve when I realized that Boston and the First Night Festival would make the perfect backdrop for the story.

First Night also began as a screenplay, but as it progressed, and the story began to take on a life of its own, I realized that it was becoming a bit darker and heavier than I originally planned. I needed to address that; so I put the screenplay on hold and turned to the novel.

Q: Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?

A: The simple answer is yes to both questions. I outline first, and then create a sketch that is about 20% of the finished work, so I can test it for continuity and pacing. But when it comes to fleshing it out, that’s when the characters take over and push the story in different directions than I expected.

So the mechanics of the plot: the ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’ and ‘when’ – those things are sketched before I begin writing in earnest. But once I’m deep into the text, I’m often surprised by the ‘why’. If there is a message in the story – that is not planned but evolves.

Q: Do you know the end of the story at the beginning?

A: Yes, I usually have a mental picture in my head, not of the words, but as if I was watching a movie. In the case of First Night, before I began writing we created a little five minute animation of the ending. I didn’t even have names for the characters yet, but I knew how the story would end.

So I start with the ending and then work out a route that takes me there. As I said, occasionally the characters like to take a detour, and I have to round them up and get them back on track. Sometimes, it’s like herding cats.

Q: Do you have a process for developing your characters?

A: I don’t do character profiling. I prefer to define my characters through dialogue and by what they are thinking. So although the book is written in the third person, much of what the characters are thinking is in the first person; and they will share their thoughts with the reader, but not necessarily with each other.

The interesting thing for me about the characters in First Night is the way in which the roles of Protagonist and Antagonist are interchangeable, depending on the preferences of the reader. The first protagonist was Sarah, as I wanted to tell a ghost story from the ghost’s point of view. But as the story progressed, there was quite a tug-of-war between Sarah and Alex for top billing. I’m still not quite sure who won.

But this is just how this book turned out – I can’t say that I have a consistent methodology.

Q: It is said that authors write themselves into their characters. Is there any part of you in your characters and what they would be?

A: They are all my alter-egos. The clinical term is Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), Fiction Writers are lucky that they have an outlet for this behavior.

My friends and family think that they see familiarities between the characters and other people – that is mostly imagined and coincidental. So they say, ‘ah, you are Uncle Jim’. And the answer is yes, but no more so than any other character.

If there was a character I related above all in First Night, it would be Alex. Going back to the question of character development, she was the one most changed by the experience. In this respect, she was the proxy for my own voyage of discovery.

Q: What is your most favorite part about this book?

A: The end (ha, ha). No, but really, I find the ending very moving. I did when I wrote it and still do every time I re-read it. Authors are supposed to be god-like when it comes to their characters, but I found that they had a destiny to fulfill, and that I couldn’t change or interfere with their destiny, as much as I may have wanted to.

The fun thing for me, apart from the logistics of the journey, is in presenting the readers with an ending that may surprise them, but also engages them.

Q: When in the process of writing your book did you begin to look for a publisher?

A: From my prior life as the head of a consulting company, I had written business books, and I had already gone down that road of finding an agent and a publisher, and failed miserably. It was no big deal because what I was writing was fairly niche stuff for people that were clients or potential clients, so I was able to circumvent the process and interact directly with the customer.

First Night was my first non-business book, so I repeated the hunt for an Agent/Publisher when I had the galley copies to send out, with equally miserable results. The cliché in publishing is that the first 99 rejections prepare you for the ultimate acceptance. I wasn’t prepared to wait that long. In many ways, First Night is also a niche book, being set in Boston during New Years Eve. So I knew that there was at least a local market for the book that I could tap into, even if a national market failed to materialize.

Q: What struggles have you had on the road to being published?

A: From the publisher’s perspective First Night is a difficult book to categorize. It is part ghost story and part history lesson – a History Mystery one reviewer called it. It’s a story with teenagers, but a lot of my feedback has been coming from parents. “Unique – like no other book I’ve read,” said another reviewer. So where to place it on the bookshelf is a problem that most publishers don’t want to deal with. They weren’t about to create a new category called tom weston.

So I created my own. We formed tom weston media to handle the publishing of not just the books, but also the audio and video projects that we are planning. With the new dynamics of the Internet, this isn’t necessarily a Don Quixote delusion; we already had the business acumen. And we have marketing at the local level that is aimed at Bostonians and visitors, as well as traditional book buyers.

Q: What has been the best part about being published?

A: The response from the readers has been fantastic. From people I would never otherwise meet. I had an email from an elderly lady, an octogenarian, who told me that she had been reading the novel in bed, unable to put it down, and at 2:00AM, when the ending was revealed, she ran around the bedroom, punching the air in jubilation. To realize that this little story has that kind of impact is just incredibly humbling and rewarding.

Q: What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your novel?

A: The book begins with a quote: ‘Everything is connected.” At its heart, First Night is about faith and trust, and things for which we have no tangible proof, but may still influence our actions; because there is a reason for everything, even when we do not understand the reason.

I’m hoping that my readers, while reading the book, are saying, “Why did that happen? I don’t understand it.” This was intentional on my part, not to confuse or misdirect them, but because I wanted them to trust that by the end of the book, they will come to see that everything is connected and makes sense after all.

Q: Do you have plans to write another book?

A: There is an Alex and Jackie sequel, The Elf of Luxembourg, which is planned for publication before the end of the year. Structurally, it has much in common with First Night, being another tale of the supernatural and lot of history, this time about Luxembourg. This one has vampires instead of ghosts. And it’s Jackie that is scheduled to be the protagonist, but I’m sure that Alex will put up a fight before then end.

Q: Would you care to share with us how the virtual book tour experience with Pump Up Your Book Promotion has been for you?

A: Two things have taken me my surprise, albeit pleasantly:

First, I was a little surprised at the amount of effort it has taken. Before turning to writing full time, I did a lot of public speaking, and I almost never prepared my remarks beyond a punch-line or two. My style is to improvise and be spontaneous. So I sort of had this idea that I could just turn up and chat. And of course it doesn’t work that way. The written and spoken words are different mediums, and I’m fully aware that what I write may remain in the blogosphere long after the tour is over. So, I’m trying to engage my brain before I speak, and that is a fairly new experience for me, but equally satisfying.

Second, I was surprised by the diversity of questions and approaches of my hosts. Some things at first seemed trivial or surreal, but when taken in the context of the whole tour, it all turned out to be both fun and educational (from my point of view). Not only did I get to chat about the book, but I also got to resurrect the characters for a while. I’m fond of my characters, so that was nice.

The Virtual Book Tour is a reflection of what I was saying about the dynamics of the Internet. Writing is a satisfying pastime in itself, but if we are to reach beyond our own four walls, we also have to think about this as a business. Most books, even those published by the large houses, will fail to turn a profit. To cut costs, publishers are taking fewer chances and shifting the responsibility for marketing a book back onto the author. So I think the lines are starting to blur between traditional publishing and self publishing. And the author, who wants to sell books as well as write them, has to put on the business hat.

Having access to things like the Virtual Book Tour helps to level the playing field for us little guys.

Q: Where can readers find a copy of your book?

A: The book is on sale on-line at places like Amazon and Barnes and Noble, as well as from our own web site. And as Ingram is the distributor, it can be ordered at practically any bricks and mortar book store that doesn’t have a copy on the shelf. We’ve also signed up for publishing via the Espresso Book Machine (EBM), which means you can go into any library or store that has an EBM machine and get a copy printed while you wait.

It is available in Hard Copy (ISBN 978-0-981-94130-1), Paperback (ISBN 978-0-981-94131-8) and e-Book (ISBN 978-0-981-94132-5), including Amazon Kindle.

Q: Do you have a website for readers to go to?

A: www.tom-weston.com

Thank you, Tom Weston, for sharing your book and characters with us today. It has been a pleasure and I hope you have had a successful virtual book tour.

Thank you.

Tom Weston’s FIRST NIGHT VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR ‘09 officially began on July 6th and end on July 31st. You can visit Tom’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com during the month of July to find out more about this great book and talented author!

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors’ blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.

Keys to Living Joyfully – Author Interview – Sheri Kaye Hoff

Paperback Writer welcomes author Sheri Kaye Hoff, author of the inspirational non-fiction book, Keys to Living Joyfully (Createspace, Aug. ‘08), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in March on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sheri Kaye Hoff resides in Parker, CO with her husband and three children. She is a Life Coach and owner of the Sheri K Hoff International Coaching Company. She teaches college classes as an adjunct faculty member and has earned her Master of Arts in Organizational Management. Her new book, Keys to Living Joyfully offers ways of living a meaningful, successful and joy filled life.
Ms. Hoff is a personal and executive life coach. Spirituality is a vital part of her life’s work. Prayer and meditation are integral pieces of her daily ritual, which enables her to pursue her life’s passions and live a truly joyful life.
Her words on faith are derived from her own Christian walk and spiritual self-discoveries. Her action steps mix faith and years of leadership training, mentoring, and management. Sheri Kaye Hoff suffered the tragic death of her younger brother when she was a teenager and struggled for years to rediscover the capacity to feel joy and to enjoy her successes. She has a heart felt desire to pass on her knowledge and discoveries that have led to a truly transformational life. Ms. Hoff publishes a free weekly inspiration newsletter, Coach Sheri’s Weekly Inspiration Tips. The Sheri K Hoff International Coaching Company also offers:

* Teleclasses.
* Webinars
* In person small and large group Coaching
* Corporate Training
* Keynote speaking
* Seminars
* Individual Career and Life Coaching (For a limited time- receive a free introductory one hour life coaching session)
You can visit her website at http://www.lifeisjoyful.org.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Keys to Living Joyfully is an inspirational book on experiencing joy, peace, passion, and energy in daily life. It is designed to demonstrate the powerful roles of thoughts, action, and faith. The book is a merging of Sheri Kaye Hoff’s spiritual life and lifelong interests in leadership and motivation. The ideas presented in the book are techniques and processes that have worked for the author and clients. Foreword is written by Michele Caron, creator of MyLIfeCoach.com
The book, Keys to Living Joyfully, was born out of a heartfelt desire to share the keys that lead to living a transformational life. Ms. Hoff is a personal and executive coach working with individuals, small businesses, and corporations. Her words on faith are derived from her own Christian walk and spiritual self-discoveries. Her action steps are a mix of faith, love, leadership skills, and management experience. Chapters include topics such as: Is your heart thinking right and how to tap into intrinsic motivation. This book, Keys to Living Joyfully, offers the techniques and insights that move people towards more peace, joy, energy, and passion in everyday life.

INTERVIEW:

Hi Sheri,

Welcome to Paperback Writer.

Thank you. I am happy to be here.

Would you share with us how you came up with the idea for your book?

I lost my brother when we were teenagers. For years after my brother’s death, I felt numb and thought I did not deserve to be truly happy ever again. I read hundreds of books on leadership and motivation. When I went deeper into my spiritual life, I experienced a way to merge my personal leadership skills and my spirituality. My life clicked into place. I became truly happy, and I felt so free. I wanted to share my keys with others. I hoped that people would be inspired to tap their sources of joy. This desire eventually became my book idea, though it took me awhile to recognize that it was a book idea.

Was it a light bulb moment or something that you thought about for a very long time?

The topic of living joyfully is something that I thought about for a long time and I always knew that I would write a book someday. In the spring of 2008, I lessened my workload to devote time to work on a book idea. I thought I would write a fiction novel and had a few ideas. Every time I thought about it, though, I felt blocked. I went to bed one night thinking about different book ideas and I woke up in the middle of the night realizing that I needed to write an inspirational book and I knew what my approach would be. I would mix my personal quest in finding more joy with sound personal leadership techniques. I knew I wanted to write in a way where readers felt like I was talking directly to them in a personal way, kind of like the way that I talk with my coaching clients or friends. The true inspiration did seem to be a light bulb moment.

How did you come up with the title?

Again, this seems to be a similar pattern for me, I had fallen asleep at night thinking and praying about several different ideas. My primary thought was to call it Life is Joyful, which is my website name (www.lifeisjoyful.org). When I woke up the next morning, I knew it should be Keys to Living Joyfully. Then, I googled the name and searched on Amazon to make sure that no other book had exactly that same title. I could not find any matches, so I kept it and it never changed after that.

How did you find an agent and publisher?

I journaled and prayed about how I should have my book published. I researched several different methods. I bought Dan Poynter’s Self Publishing Manual. I decided that I wanted to have my book available fast, so I chose self-publishing and then researched print on demand options. I decided to go with createspace.com. They are a subsidiary of Amazon. I ordered a proof copy and was impressed with quality. Overall, I have been very happy with createspace.

Who reads your work in progress?

I have a few trusted people. Michele Caron, owner of mylifecoach.com is one of the people that I trust to read works in progress. I also have some friends who are highly regarded professionals. I trust them to give me their honest opinions.

Who made a difference in the book’s quality?

I have a friend who is the head of the visual media program at a college and she gave me great book cover advice and referred me to a superb graphic designer. I also had toyed with idea of putting my picture on the cover, since I have seen so many people do this. My friend’s advice to me was to not do it, unless I was Oprah. I laughed at that advice, but decided not to put my picture on the cover. I have nothing against people who do have their pictures on the cover; it just seemed to be the right choice for the message in my book. For future books, I may change my mind. I also had my friend look over my template for the book’s interior to make sure that it was professional quality. Before I designed the interior of the book, I studied many different book interiors for things that I liked and did not like. Once she gave her nod of approval, I knew that I had a high quality piece. My friend gave me all of this help at no cost. The graphic designer who designed the book cover cost about $700. It was well worth the money. I wanted a book cover that was as high quality as my message, and I wanted to be very proud of it.

How long did it take you to complete the first draft?

The first draft took about three weeks. Then, I edited it for content for another two and one half weeks. When I was getting ready to publish, I edited carefully for typos and other errors. Still, though when I ordered my first proof copy, I found many errors. It is quite different to be looking at something in your hand than it is to be looking at it on a computer screen. I spent hours and made the appropriate changes. My second proof copy was the final that ended up being published.

How long did it take from start to publication?

My book, Keys to Living Joyfully, from start to publication, took five and half months.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I say go for it. Write about something you love and something that inspires you. Do it because you love to do it, not because you think you should do it. If you have a great story or message, the world needs to read it. You are giving the world a great gift. Along the way, mastermind with a few really good people to make sure you don’t develop tunnel vision and miss something important. Enjoy the process.

Thank you, Sheri, for stopping by Paperback Writer on your virtual book tour. I wish you continued success through the rest of your tour.

KEYS TO LIVING JOYFULLY VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR ‘09 officially begin on March 2 and end on April 29. You can visit Sheri’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in April to find out more about this talented author!

A Pure Double Cross – Author Interview- John Knoerle

Paperback Writer is pleased to announce the visiting author for today is, John Knoerle. Author of Join John Knoerle, author of the mystery/thriller novel, A Pure Double Cross: Book One of the American Spy Trilogy (Blue Steel Press), on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

WIN PRIZES: As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors’ blog stops.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:John Knoerle’s first novel, “Crystal Meth Cowboys,” was optioned by Fox for a TV series. His second novel, “The Violin Player,” won the Mayhaven Award for Fiction. His new novel, “A Pure Double Cross,” is Book One of the American Spy Trilogy. John lives with his wife in Chicago. You can learn more about John Knoerle at www.bluesteelpress.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK:Cleveland, Ohio, 1945. Hal Schroeder returns from a two-year stint behind German lines as an undercover agent for the OSS. The horrors of war have left him bitter and cynical. He is recruited by the FBI to infiltrate a local mob that is pulling bank heists. The feds have concocted a sting operation to capture the head of the gang and they want Hal to execute it. He agrees. But Hal Schroeder is no longer interested in being a hero. Hal Schroeder is interested in a fat payday.

INTERVIEW:
Hi John Knoerle,

Welcome to Paperback Writer

PBW: Will you share with us how you came up with the idea for this book, “A Pure Double Cross”?

JK: I read a book about the British intelligence service in World War II titled “The Double Cross System” by Sir John Masterman. It was fascinating, and inspired me explore the world, and the methods, of the double agent.

PBW: Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?

JK: Mysteries and thrillers, in my opinion, require an outline because the plot is so important.

PBW: Do you know the end of the story at the beginning?

JK: Yes.

PBW: Do you have a process for developing your characters?

JK: Nothing formulaic, though I might borrow physical characteristics and odd quirks from friends and family members.

PBW: It is said that authors write themselves into their characters. Is there any part of you in your characters and what they would be?

JK: The lead character, Hal Schroeder, is a wiseacre, just like me.

PBW: What is your most favorite part about this book?

JK: That’s like asking a parent which child they like best.

PBW: When in the process of writing your book did you begin to look for a publisher?

JK: I waited until the book was completed.

PBW: What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your novel?

JK: There’s no deep-dish message, just a little rumination on the difference between trust and loyalty. Mostly I want readers to have fun.

PBW: Do you have plans to write another book?

JK: “A Despicable Profession: Book Two of the American Spy Trilogy” is already completed and will be published later this year or early next year. I’m at work on Book Three.

PBW: Where can readers find a copy of your book?

JK: It’s available at bookstores and Amazon.

PBW: Do you have a website for readers to go to?

www.bluesteelpress.com

Thank you, John, for sharing your book and characters with us today. It has been a pleasure and I hope you have had a successful virtual book tour.

A PURE DOUBLE CROSS VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR ‘09 officially begin on March 2 and will end on March 27, ‘09. You can visit John’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in March to find out more about this talented author!

Avenging Angel – Author Interview – Kim Smith

Paperback Writer would like to introduce author Kim Smith, author of the mystery novel, Avenging Angel, A Shannon Wallace Mystery (Red Rose Publishing, Dec. ‘08). This is the final day for Kim’s tour and if you missed any part of it be sure to check out the authors website where you can read an excerpt of her book. http://www.mkimsmith.com

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Shannon Wallace is having a bad hair week.

She’s been ditched by her job, dumped by her boyfriend, and implicated in his murder.
When she finds out her very private video collection is missing from the crime scene, it is all out war to find the disks before the cops do. The problem is, the killer has them. And he’s watched them.

Now Shannon’s at the top of his most wanted list.

Hi Kim,

Welcome to Paperback Writer

Will you share with us how you came up with the idea for this book?
Avenging Angel was a sort of amalgamation of Charlie’s Angels and the desire to write chick-lit. I thought of a plot where a young woman would fall on hard times and be hired by her newly badged private detective friend. But once I began writing it, the book took on a life of its own.

Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?
I am totally a pantser sort of writer. No outline, nothing but an idea and some characters. It’s a bit constraining to my Muse for me to work in the confines of an outline.

Do you know the end of the story at the beginning?
No. Isn’t that odd? But honestly, I don’t. It comes to me through the crafting of the story and the character’s interaction. I usually have it by the last third.

Do you have a process for developing your characters?
I love writing characters, the more different and quirky the better. My process is sort of like throwing paint on a wall; whatever wears the longest and looks the best is what I go with.

It is said that authors write themselves into their characters. Is there any part of you in your characters and what they would be?
Oh definitely. I believe my naïveté about the world after college is who Shannon is, and my love of good things in life, such as good food, good friends, and good times is where Dwayne lives.

What is your most favorite part about this book? My favorite part about this book is the fact that I have had so many people to read it and comment on how much they love it. That makes a writer’s heart sing! I love to know that someone “got” the writing and loved it.

When in the process of writing your book did you begin to look for a publisher?
After I had finished editing it myself, and hiring an editor for a professional polish, and making sure it was as good as I could make it, then I began the long trek to publishing. I do not recommend to anyone to write a first or second draft and send it off.

What struggles have you had on the road to being published?
I found that it is not as easy as everyone makes it out to be. Getting published is not for the easily discouraged. I had to endure a lot of patience-trying before landing the deal I have. It’s a very tough world.

What has been the best part about being published?
The promotions, believe it or not. I love when someone unfamiliar with my work comments positively about a blurb or excerpt. I wrote it for the readers, and I love to hear from them.

What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your novel?
I want them to close the book and go ahhhh and immediately go out and look for the next one – and yes, there will be one!

Do you have plans to write another book?
Actually I have several things coming out. Here is the list: In March, a short story about friends called Three Amigos in Long Story Short. In September, a short story in an anthology called Love Waltzes and it is a romance. And I also have had a romance novella accepted called A Will to Love, and the next book in the Shannon Wallace series, Buried Angel, will be out in December of this year.

Would you care to share with us how the virtual book tour experience with Pump Up Your Book Promotion has been for you? Oh my. How can I say it? This has been the best thing I have ever done, hands down. Hey y’all, if you want to get the word out that you have a book—HIRE PUYBP!

Where can readers find a copy of your book?
My book at the time of this writing is available at http://www.redrosepublishing.com and is supposed to be going to Fictionwise just any day.

Do you have a website for readers to go to? I do! http://www.mkimsmith.com

Thank you, Kim for sharing your book and characters with us today. It has been a pleasure and I hope you have had a successful virtual book tour.

No Experts Needed – Author Interviews – Louise Lewis

Paperback Writer welcomes author Louise Lewis, author of the inspirational book, No Experts Needed: The Meaning of Life According to You! (iUniverse, Inc., May ‘07), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in January on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

WIN PRIZES!
As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors’ blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.

About the book:
Losing a job always delivers a hard blow, but it was especially hard for forty-something author Louise Lewis, one of many victims of the technology industry’s dotcom implosion. No Experts Needed: The Meaning of Life According to You! tells the story of how she pulled herself together and discovered a new life of meaning.

Just minutes after being “set free”, Lewis, a single woman with a mortgage to pay, sits in the San Jose, California, airport panicking over her future. While toying with the option of giving into depression, she receives a powerful message from God that instantly releases the weight of her worries. “This is just a new chapter in your life. You hold the pen, I’ll guide your hand, and together we’ll write one hell of a chapter.” Through Spirit’s continued involvement, Lewis is inspired to ask normal, everyday people to answer Spirit’s question: what is the meaning of life?

No Experts Needed: The Meaning of Life According to You! weaves through a vast collection of spontaneous, thought-provoking answers and inspirational stories that demonstrate how the simple act of listening to Spirit can add meaning to every moment of your life.

Hi Louise,

Welcome to Paperback Writer.

Would you share with us how you came up with the idea for your book?

The idea of asking people to answer one question during my travels
around the world (and my own backyard) came from Oprah. One
particular show aired just a few weeks after I got “set free” (laid off)
from my job. …No accidents in life!

Was it a light bulb moment or something that you thought about for a very long time?

More like a thunderbolt! While watching that Oprah episode, I got so
excited that my toes couldn’t stop wiggling in my shoes! Never before
watching that episode had I ever thought of doing a project like this.
And the even better story is when Spirit told me what question to ask.

How did you come up with the title?

I asked an ex-coworker to participate in the book. After asking
her the ‘meaning of life’ question, she replied: “If Plato and
Socrates and those guys couldn’t come up with an answer, “who
am I to even try?” In hearing her reply, the hair on the back of my neck stood on
end. “Oh, noooooo!” I thought, “You don’t need an expert to tell
you your own meaning of life!”

Now don’t get me wrong, reading about what the “experts” have
to say is okay. There are many great minds in our world (past
and present.) But I think to find contentment, peace in life, you
must learn to think for yourself…rely on yourself and trust the
Truth you hold in the silence of your heart.

How did you find an agent and publisher?

I tried for a bit the agent/publisher route. But when I received
enough “Dear Author” letters to wallpaper my office, I knew I
had two choices, to keep up the search, which may take
forever to never or publish it myself.

The driving force for me to self-publish was that I wanted my
Mom to see it in print before she would pass away. (Thank God,
the old girl is still with us!)

Who reads you work in progress?

Mostly my family and close friends.

Who made a difference in the book’s quality?

It was a joint effort with my relationship with the publisher.

How long did it take you to complete the first draft?

Forever!

How long did it take from start to publication?

About six years. Since No Experts Needed tells the story of
my Spirit-led adventure, I had to first live it and then write about it.

Do you have any advice for new authors?

Always follow your Spirit. It will answer all the how/what/when
questions that arise.

Thank you, Louise for stopping by Paperback Writer on your virtual book tour. I wish you continued success through the rest of you tour.

NO EXPERTS NEEDED VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR ‘09 will officially begin on January 5 and end on January 30. You can visit Louise’s blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in January to find out more about this talented lady!

Rebel in Blue Jeans – Author Interview – Beverly Stowe McClure

Paperback Writer would like to welcome Beverly Stowe McClure, author of the young adult novel, Rebel in Blue Jeans (Twilight Times Books, Oct ‘08), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in January on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

LEAVE A COMMENT AND YOU MIGHT JUST BE A WINNER!

As a special promotion for all our authors and commentors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comment on our authors’ blog stops. Your name will be entered into the raffle and a luck winner will receive a winners notice at the end of the month.

About the Book:

What’s a girl to do when her mother runs away with the drummer in a rock band, her friendly relationship with the boys on the neighboring ranch starts to change, and a handsome college guy takes an interest in her? Sixteen-year-old Rebel Ferguson faces these challenges with courage and humor and decides to do three things:
1. Bring her mother home where she belongs.
2. Show her neighbors, Will and Sully Garret, she’s not interested in a serious relationship with either of them.
3. Prove to the Garrets, and to herself, that Rick, the cute college guy, is a gentleman.
Nothing turns out the way Rebel plans, however, and she discovers that people are not always what they seem, and she’s a lousy judge of character. If only humans were as trustworthy and dependable as her puppies, cat, and horses. Can she forgive everyone who has disappointed her?

Hi Beverly,

Welcome to Paperback Writer

Thank you for inviting me. I’m happy to be here.

PBW: Will you share with us how you came up with the idea for this book?

BSM: You bet. In today’s world many children and teens live in single parent homes. We hear a lot about how children are affected. We tend to think that teens are older and can deal with grown-up situations. The teen years, though, are hard, and teens face many challenges in their lives, one of them being torn between a mother and a father they love, but sometimes have to choose between. Rebel faces such a dilemma.

PBW: Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?

BSM: I seldom outline, but like to let the story flow naturally. The way the characters act, the things they say and do sometimes surprise me. If I get stuck in a story, I might type possible scenes of what could happen in the next chapters, but no strict outline.

PBW: Do you know the end of the story at the beginning?

BSM: I generally have a rough idea of how I want the story to end, but my characters often take me in a different direction. I’m very flexible.

PBW: Do you have a process for developing your characters?

BSM: I usually fill out profile sheets for them, basic stuff at first: hair color, eyes, age, etc. Then as I write I get to know my characters better and add more detailed information, like things they like, things they hate, their family life, their goals, etc. For my latest work-in-progress, I’m letting the characters write in journals to tell me their thoughts and what’s going on in their lives. I found this idea on a message board and really like it.

PBW: It is said that authors write themselves into their characters. Is there any part of you in your characters and what they would be?

BSM: Consciously, I don’t pattern my characters after me, but in looking at some of them, I’d have to say they might be a little like me. If my main character is shy, that’s me, and I try to make her brave and outgoing the way I wish I had been. My latest heroine, Rebel, is me in that she loves animals, which I do.

PBW: What is your most favorite part about this book?

BSM: One of my favorite parts (I have many) is the scene where Rebel is visiting her mother and new boyfriend and what Rebel discovers while she’s there. I’m not telling what because you have to read the story to find out.

PBW: When in the process of writing your book did you begin to look for a publisher?

BSM: When the book was complete.

PBW: What struggles have you had on the road to being published?

BSM: It’s been a long and discouraging road, as it is for many writers. I started my career by writing magazine articles for children and a few of them were published. My book manuscripts were rejected, over and over and over. The big New York publishers were not interested. I was encouraged, however, when a couple of my stories received nice letters and the editors asked for revisions and then a second look. After months of rewriting and resubmitting, each of them was returned. I just was not querying the right publishers, I decided. It took awhile, but I finally found the perfect home for my first young-adult novel, Twilight Times Books. Lida has published two of my books, with two more under contract. Also, and this is cool, the chapter book I’ve revised for several different editors now has a home. It will be published in 2010.

PBW: What has been the best part about being published?

BSM: For me, I think having a reader tell me how much she liked the book and when is the next book coming out, and I should write a sequel made all the years of frustration and hard work worthwhile. (I haven’t written a sequel, but may someday.)

PBW: What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your novel?

BSM: I think I’d like for readers to remember that for every situation in our life we have choices. Like Rebel says “What was that serenity prayer? Something about accepting the things you cannot change….”

PBW: Do you have plans to write another book?

BSM: Oh, yes. In fact I’ve just finished a young-adult contemporary that I’m shopping to agents. I’m also working on another young-adult contemporary and a middle-grade ghost story.

PBW: Would you care to share with us how the virtual book tour experience with Pump Up Your Book Promotion has been for you?

BSM: It has been fantastic. Cheryl has lined up some awesome blog visits. The interviews have been great. And I hope my guest posts have given readers a small glance into why and how I write. I don’t consider my books just for teens, but for everyone from 12 to 100 that likes to read.

PBW: Where can readers find a copy of your book?

BSM: Amazon.com and Twilight Times Books

PBW: Do you have a website for readers to go to?

BSM: Yes. Please visit me at http://beverlystowemcclure.wordpress.com
http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com
And Rebel has a blog: http://rebelinbluejeans.wordpress.com

Thank you, Beverly for sharing your book and characters with us today. It has been a pleasure and I hope you have had a successful virtual book tour.

My pleasure. Rebel and I have enjoyed every moment of chatting with you, and we’re always glad to answer your questions.

The Rebel In Blue Jeans Virtual Book Tour ‘09 officially began on January 5 and will end on January 30. You can visit Beverly’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in January to find out more about this talented author!

Recovering Me, Discovering Joy – Author Interview – Vivian Eisenecher

Paperback Writer welcomes Vivian Eisenecher, author of the how to book, Recovering Me, Discovering Joy: Uplifting Wisdom for Everyday Greatness (KTW Publishing, Nov. ‘08), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in January on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion

Leave a Comment win a Prize:

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors’ blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.

Book Excerpt:

Recovering Me, Discovering Joy is for anyone who has ever had to forge ahead after a negative life event. If you have ever had to bounce back from a failed relationship, convalesce from an illness, recoup any kind of loss, or just recover from a bad day, then this book will be beneficial. It will help you with your recoveries, and it will help you move on to live a richer, easier and happier life.

Recovering Me, Discovering Joy takes a good honest look at how I, my husband and countless others have used recovery not as a disadvantage, but as an opportunity and springboard to an improved life. We learned that it’s not about recovering to normal – it’s about recovering to a better normal…from anything.

This book is about my transformation from a depressed, anxiety-laden alcoholic to a successful, grateful and joyful woman. For me, it took my total collapse and complete failure to finally understand that I wasn’t just battling alcoholism, I was fighting two other distinct disorders as well. Believe it or not, this realization paved the way for me to finally enjoy life. Until then, my life had been a struggle, an uphill climb within the grim-looking landscape of my mind. My newfound love for life was such a complete turnaround that, to benefit others, I wanted to commit to paper pivotal parts of my journey. It took the diagnosis and successful treatment of not only alcoholism but also my chronic low-grade depression, called dysthymia, and my social phobia or S.A.D. (Social Anxiety Disorder) for me to recognize that these two lifelong disorders were ‘triggers’ for my alcoholism. They were the ugly underbelly of the beast. Substance abuse was a mere symptom of two underlying disorders that were not discernible to anyone, not even me.

All my life, I had wondered why everything seemed so hopeless, why my life seemed so meaningless, and why I was unable to experience any real joy. Along with that, I had a deep, lifelong fear of encountering people who I deemed ‘better’ than me (anyone with more money, better educated, etc.). Even though I had never known anything different, somehow I knew the way I felt wasn’t right. I had no idea that I was depressed and anxiety-ridden until I was curiously (and serendipitously) treated for both conditions.

Hi Vivian!

Welcome to Paperback Writer.

PBW: Would you share with us how you came up with the idea for your book?

VE: I had an incredible life transformation and I wanted to give other alcoholics a chance for a better life, too. I had suffered from dysthymia (a chronic low-grade depression) and social anxiety most of my life and it compromised my goals, my habits, and my attitude which severely impacted my life. These ailments developed into full blown alcoholism and it took months in various rehabs for me to realize that I suffered from co-occurring, diagnosable and treatable illnesses. It took the sudden clarity of thought in recovery for me to realize that I had a tremendous amount of experience to share. And I knew others would benefit from my discernment.

PBW:Was it a light bulb moment or something that you thought about for a very long time?

VE: I thought about it for a very long time because I had to make sure I could explain to others what happened to me in a way that would make sense. In rehab, it was suggested that we journal and I’ve always loved words. I started reading and researching and found my experiences validated by everything I read.

PBW: How did you come up with the title?

VE: For the longest time the title was going to be: All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Recovery. But as I continued to write, joy had become such a big part of my life that I felt it was important to include it in the title. Also, as I worked on the book, it became more and more evident that there were really two parts. 1) about my recovery from anxiety, depression and alcoholism and 2) about how I’d found a much better way to live.

PBW: How did you find an agent and publisher?

VE: I searched for both an agent and a publisher and when that didn’t work out, I realized that what I had written was important enough for me to move forward and self-publish. My passion is to help reduce the stigma of substance abuse and mental illness. So, I knew I had to get my book out to the public.

PBW: Who reads you work in progress?

VE: Recovering Me, Discovering Joy is broken down into a number of different parts so it was really easy for me to take various sections to three different writers’ groups. My writing was well received and that encouraged me to keep it up.

PBW: Who made a difference in the book’s quality?

VE: Just off the top of my head, I would say that the person most responsible for improving the quality of my book was Geoff Whyte (www.whyteink.com.au). He lives in Australia but even being on the other side of the world he was a terrific find.

PBW: How long did it take you to complete the first draft?

VE: About a year. It took that long because I wasn’t exactly sure how the whole idea would shake out.

PBW: How long did it take from start to publication?

VE: About three years. I had to set it down for awhile to make sure that I was comfortable enough in my sobriety to become vulnerable to criticism.

PBW: Do you have any advice for new authors?

VE: Writing a book is a great accomplishment but an equally important part of publishing is the marketing. Be sure and save enough of your time talent and treasure to make sure that your voice is heard.

Thank you, Vivian for stopping by Paperback Writer on your virtual book tour. I wish you continued success through the rest of you tour.

RECOVERING ME, DISCOVERING JOY VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR ‘09 officially began on January 5 and end on January 30. You can visit Vivian’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in January to find out more about this talented lady!

Amazing Grays: A Woman’s Guide to Making the Next 50 the Best 50 – author interview- Maggie Rose Crane

Paperback Writer welcomes Maggie Rose Crane, author of the self-help book, Amazing Grays: A Woman’s Guide to Making the Next 50 the Best 50 (FTA Press, April ‘08), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in January on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

WIN PRIZES!
As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors’ blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Maggie Rose Crane has written an informative and engaging book for boomers who are unwilling to become feeble old women with boobs in their laps, dreams on the shelf, and “Memory Lane” their only destination. This book is for maturing women who are staking their claim as part of a dynamic and growing movement of ‘Amazing Grays’, women who want to challenge stereotypes about aging and create a fresh start for the second half of life – but aren’t quite sure how to pull it off.

When an epiphany in the hair salon convinced Maggie to try life without hair dye, she found herself face to face with the fears and questions that unsettle many maturing women living in a culture obsessed with youth and manufactured beauty…

Who am I now that I’m no longer young and fertile? Will I still be desirable as I age? Will I be invisible? Is this the beginning of the end? Is it too late to make a difference? And how on earth do I stop coloring my hair if I want to?

Balanced somewhere between a memoir and a how-to, Maggie uses her personal journey as a springboard to shatter stereotypes about aging. She shares her most poignant insights and experiences on what it means to be a woman “of a certain age,” and offers suggestions on how to mindfully chart a graceful course through the physical changes, emotional challenges and mental gauntlet of aging. With honesty, humor and plenty of research, Maggie lights the way for women who want to live with vibrancy and joy – regardless of their hair color!

Hi Maggie

Welcome to Paperback Writer.

Would you share with us how you came up with the idea for your book?

Maggie: Sure. After kicking, screaming and sweating my way through menopause and the big 5-0, (and eventually coming to peace with it all) it occurred to me that I might be able to lend the baby boomer women coming up behind me a helping hand. Being a leading-edge baby boomer I’d didn’t have a lot of modern role models or new information to draw upon. Needing answers, I read every book and article I could get my sweaty hands on, walked the walk, confronted my fears about aging, learned to laugh about it all and confirmed that what’s inside us is so much more beauty-full than the package that carries us. Sharing all that just seemed like the right thing to do. My intention is to give women a roadmap so that they might age with more grace (and humor) than I did.

Was it a light bulb moment or something that you thought about for a very long time?

Maggie: It was kind of a soft light bulb moment. Writing a book was never on my list of “things to do”. The idea presented itself to me while I was on a 3-month silent spiritual retreat. (And yes – it’s rarely silent inside ones head) My focus was on practicing mindfulness and allowing life to unfold. One day, while sitting quietly in a meadow, it occurred to me that I could put all my hard won lessons, insights and experiences about my journey through midlife into a book to help women who were just beginning their own journey. Of course, my inner voices immediately proclaimed that that was a ridiculous idea – but then, I’ve learned not to believe those inner voices!

How did you come up with the title?

Maggie: I wrestled with this for a long time. In fact, this is a great lesson for all writers. My book was already at the printers titled: Going Gray Gracefully: A Fresh Perspective when another book was released called Going Gray. I panicked, got upset and eventually decided that the titles and focus of the two books were too similar to be published with almost the same title. Regrettably, I called the book back from the printers.

I hired a marketing specialist to help me. He pointed out that my book was much more dynamic than my original title suggested and didn’t suit it at all. He went so far as to suggest it was good that that other book had been published so I had the opportunity to change my title!

Together we hammered out the subtitle, “Making the Next 50 the BEST 50” but were stuck on coming up with the main title. One day, sitting at my desk – it just came to me…AMAZING GRAYS! It said everything I intended. I also added the addendum (Regardless of your hair color!) as I didn’t want women to think it was a book only for gray-haired women. Gray was a metaphor for aging, as well as hair color. I rewrote some of my content to reflect the new focus and, in retrospect, am SO pleased that other book was published when it was. If not, I may have been stuck with that misleading title. So, don’t be dismayed when things don’t go as planned. It could turn out even better!

How did you find an agent and publisher?

Maggie: I don’t have an agent and I made a conscious decision to self-publish. We had published my husband’s book, which has done quite well, so I knew what to expect. I wanted control over my content, cover, marketing and profits and knew self-publishing was the way to go. I did not take short cuts. I hired a professional editor; proofreader; cover designer and book layout designer. I had it professionally printed. As a result, I am very pleased with the quality and presentation of the book.

Who reads your work in progress?

Maggie: My editor. I also had a wonderful and willing group of boomer aged women who gave me feedback on my first draft. They helped me hone and clarify my message and I am forever grateful.

Who made a difference in the book’s quality?

Maggie: Again, it was the group effort, my editor and my willingness to listen to feedback.

How long did it take you to complete the first draft?

Maggie: I wrote very part time the first couple of years, taking time to enjoy becoming a grandparent for the first time. I think it was about 2 years before I finally had a draft ready for review.

How long did it take from start to publication?

Maggie: Again, because I wrote very part time it took my almost 3 ½ years from inception to book in hand. Time well spent.

Do you have any advice for new authors?

Maggie: While it’s valuable to get feedback from others, pay attention to your own intuition. Remember, it’s your name on the cover. Hire a good editor, have your manuscript proofed and plan your publicity campaign well in advance. Believe in yourself – you are the messenger of the gift you have been given.

Thank you, Maggie, for stopping by Paperback Writer on your virtual book tour. I wish you continued success through the rest of you tour.

Thanks for having me! I’d love to make a special offer to your readers. Anyone who purchases Amazing Grays from www.maggiecrane.com during the month of January will receive an autographed copy, FREE shipping and a FREE bookmark with a quote affirming the powerful and amazing woman we’ve become.

AMAZING GRAYS VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR ‘09 officially began on January 5 and end on January 30. You can visit Maggie’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in January to find out more about this talented lady!

Messiah Interviews: Belonging to God – Author Interview – Jerry Pollock

Paperback Writer welcomes the New Year with our special guest Jerry Pollock, author of the spiritual/religious novel, Messiah Interviews: Belonging to God (Shechinah Third Temple, Inc., Jan 09). Jerry is promoting his book by way of a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion and they are offering a way to WIN PRIZES!!!!
As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors’ blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Ever since the Creation of Adam and Eve, man has grappled with knowing whether life exists after death. Because humans achieve the possible, while God accomplishes the impossible, only the Creator knows our fate and destiny at the End of Days. Scientist Jerry Pollock weaves his MESSIAH INTERVIEWS story of an imperfect life on Earth with an imaginative account of being interviewed in Heaven to be the Messiah. The writing becomes a testament to Divine morality, and to finding truth and sincerity in one’s heart.

As readers embark on a journey of knowledge and understanding, they’ll join Jerry on an exploration of the implications of biblical history on our modern world. Through a series of unexplainable events, Jerry empowers readers to decide if an additional personal spiritual effort is worth making in this life, in order to possibly gain entrance to an uncertain futuristic Garden of Eden, the Messianic Age. In a process of the dreamlike interviews with biblical personalities―the angel Gabriel, Methuselah, Chanoch, Seth, King David, Moses, Jacob, Abraham and the prophet Isaiah―Jerry is forced to bear his soul and his own hidden demons.

As human beings, we are all flawed. That’s how the Creator made us. During the course of reading the book, readers have the opportunity to ponder the improvement of their own imperfections, in order to meet the requirements set out in the Messiah Interviews for admission into a future blissful life at the End of Days. The book is God-centered and discusses, briefly or at length, various topics, including The Ten Commandments, Creation, Evolution, Good and Evil, Primal Therapy, Bipolar Disorder, Resurrection, Aging, Twelve Tribes of Israel, Monotheistic Religions, Third Temple, Messiah, and the Messianic Age.

EXCERPT:
The Archangel Michael is speaking in Heaven:

“We have deliberately chosen a sinner: you, Yoseph, who has knowingly cheated in science. Yet, you have publicly repented and confessed your sins to your Stony Brook University administration; and sent letters of apology to the former institutions that you attended. Moreover, you have expressed your heartfelt remorse and your sincere regrets for all of your sinful actions in your published book, Divinely Inspired: Spiritual Awakening of a Soul, for all to see. We have intentionally chosen someone who has suffered horrifically, yet has the potential through his suffering to look inside and understand human nature. We also have especially not chosen a tzaddik, the wisest, most righteous, and perfect of men. We are testing the potential of a simple imperfect man. If you succeed in answering our questions, you will become King Messiah, and return to earth to take your place at the End of Days. If our assessment of you is that you are not the person, we had in mind, then we will have failed once again in finding the true Messiah.”

Hi Jerry,

Welcome to Paperback Writer

Will you share with us how you came up with the idea for this book?

Thank you for your welcome. I am happy to talk about the Messiah Interviews. This answer is going to be a long one, so brace yourself.

I think that I need to provide you with some background before I can answer your question. You might say that the idea to write the book dates back to 1982. I am going to include The Voice chapter (it’s relatively short) to kick off my answer. I wrote the following words in my first Title, Divinely Inspired: Spiritual Awakening of a Soul which was published in 2003 and will come out as a paperback second edition on January 1, 2009. Because, I talk about additional Divine experiences in Messiah Interviews, I include this Voice happening in the Messiah Interviews, due out also on January 1, 2009).

“By the late fall of 1982, I had divorced Rhea, been promoted to full professor at Stony Brook University, and was planning to marry Marcia on Christmas Eve of the following year. My life focused around Marcia, our five children, scientific research, and Primal Therapy. I was heavy into my feelings, now that the therapy was so much a part of me. For the previous year, I had recorded all of my feelings, and by the fall of 1982, I had filled up seven research laboratory notebooks with my handwriting, each book consisting of three hundred pages. There was a lot of repetition and I seemed to have reached a plateau in terms of making further progress. In an unusual display of frustration, I brought the seven notebooks to the edge of my Poquott loft and proceeded to throw all of them in one thrust onto the floor below. I felt like Moses smashing the first set of Tablets on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed. Moses had become enraged when he came down Mount Sinai and discovered that the Israelites had built the Golden Calf. The sounds of the books crashing were subdued by a loud and strong male voice that was definitely external.

I heard the words very clearly, ‘And you shall be Mine.’ I remember being both startled and afraid, because I neither knew whose voice this was nor could I figure out how the voice got into my cottage. There was no bipolar disorder or manic depression back then, so I couldn’t blame the voice on the illness. It was about two weeks later when I heard the voice again. This time the words were slightly different: ‘And you shall have.’ Could this be the true voice of God, I thought. However, I didn’t dare tell anyone what had happened, not even Marcia, until ten years later. I simply ignored these mysterious events and went on with my life, but the words of the voice never left me. Why did this happen? I had no explanation. I kept the books, recording my Primal feelings, for many additional years before dumping them in the garbage along with my three Primal Therapy textbooks. I was to discover twenty years later that I would need these books again.”

In late 1998 and early 1999, as well as scattered visualizations for several years subsequently, I was blessed with incredible Divine experiences that prompted me to write Divinely Inspired in 2003. The Voice that I heard twice in 1982, I heard a third time in January of 1999. I won’t give you the details and spoil your fun but the Voice said, ‘This is not of me.’ For some of the other spiritual experiences I did not understand in 2003, I bring you new interpretations in 2009 in the Messiah Interviews. Divinely Inspired is like a prequel for the Messiah Interviews and I would recommend reading Messiah Interviews first. During womb regression in 2007, I was blown away when I experienced surviving my own abortion. I was saved by Divine intervention which you can read about in the Messiah Interviews.

Although Divinely Inspired, a spiritual memoir, was prompted by these spiritual experiences, Messiah Interviews was not. Once I had those experiences in late 1998 and early 1999 in both Long Island, NY and in South Florida, I began my spiritual journey. I have been crawling up the spiritual ladder and as my knowledge and creativity has grown and developed, I saw a need to write the Messiah Interviews. The book allowed me to bring the Bible to life and to relate it to our modern world and the future world of the Messianic Age. I did not want to use the Messiah Interviews as a platform to preach. Rather, I wanted to empower the reader to improve his character in this life in order to be admitted into a second Garden of Eden, the Messianic Age. I wanted the reader right there with me answering the same question as Yoseph, the main character being interviewed to be the Messiah.

I am a Professor. I am never short on words. My apologies to the reader and to Paperback Writer.

Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?

It comes to me as I write it. I never thought of it this way, but that’s exactly what happens. My mind is turning as I write and I’m connecting and interrelating. My first draft is very close to my final draft. In my former life, I was a research scientist and I had to write research grants and scientific publications. Sometimes, I would jot things down and then bring the pieces together. I kind of did this with the Messiah Interviews as I had about ten years of spiritual research to condense and draw from. But I have no outline. I am very much a mental person though after 25 years of Primal Therapy, I am very much a feeling person.

Do you know the end of the story at the beginning?

Not at all. My mind is continually turning and the writing comes naturally.

Do you have a process for developing your characters?

Yes, I did in the Messiah Interviews. The two main characters, Yoseph and Yinnon, are based upon my life and the biblical interviewers, like Moses and King David, are portrayed the way I interpret them upon my readings of the Bible. Sometimes, I surprise myself about what I write about them. It’s a mixed bag, but I hope that the reader gets a pretty good idea about the characters in the dialogue exchange of the Messiah Interviews. The book by the way would be well suited as a theatrical play.

It is said that authors write themselves into their characters. Is there any part of you in your characters and what they would be?

Absolutely true. I think that this makes many books interesting. All of me is in the main characters and I would like to think that some of me is even in the biblical interviewers. For example, when Moses interviews the main character Yoseph, his topic is mainly the Ten Commandments. In the book, there is a Time Line Therapy where Yoseph regresses to a past life and becomes Moses carrying the Tablets of the Ten Commandments down Mount Sinai. I struggle with following the Ten Commandments, but inch by inch I crawl up the spiritual ladder. It’s interesting that man thinks he doesn’t have to follow the Ten Commandments. However, man cannot nullify what God has commanded him to do. He can at his own risk choose not to follow these commandments, but be aware that we are all accountable to God.
What is your most favorite part about this book?

In the first quarter of the book, I write about the past and the present. My favorite though is the rest of the book when the Interviews to be the Messiah actually take place. Yoseph is interviewed by the angel Gabriel, the seven shepherds – Methuselah, Chanoch, Seth, King David, Moses, Jacob, and Abraham- with the final interview going to the Prophet Isaiah. All interviewers are actually real characters of the Bible. The plot of course is fictional. It is thought that the seven shepherds or the seven princes will assist the Messiah at the End of Days. The first eight interviews take place in the Third Temple in Heaven while the last interview takes place in the future Third Temple on earth to be built at the End of Days. Our past, present and future will come to a screeching halt at the End of Days and then a second Garden of Eden life begins again in the Messianic Age with a Christian (Jesus) or Jewish Messiah.

When in the process of writing your book did you begin to look for a publisher?

On this book, I decided from the start that our nonprofit organization, Shechinah Third Temple, Inc. should be the publisher. In my first title, Divinely Inspired, I unsuccessfully sought out a publisher but wound up self-publishing for lack of interest in Divinely Inspired, a spiritual memoir. My own personal belief is that an author can do everything he needs to market his book without a publisher except get himself into the Chain Bookstores. For that you need a publisher or distributor. I won’t kid you. It’s expensive and time consuming to do it yourself, but you do maintain control of your book.

What struggles have you had on the road to being published?

None, now that I go through our own publishing company.

What has been the best part about being published?

Well, it’s not the money because you lose big time unless you are a best selling author, which I am not. You have to do things in life that are for your personal satisfaction. We all need praise and recognition to varying degrees. In my case, I’m able to be proud of my accomplishments and also feel that I have given back to the Creator for his Divine Intervention in my life. I am lucky to be here and wouldn’t be without God’s Divine Providence. As time progresses, I am more and more on a spiritual high.

What do you want readers to remember and carry with them after reading your novel?

Several things related to improving your moral character. Human morality is different than Divine morality. God values truth in your heart most of all. God can see into your heart and into the crevices of your mind and He is the keeper of the scorecard. If you want to enter the second Garden of Eden in the End Times, then you are accountable to God. We all know the difference between right and wrong. It’s choosing right over wrong that is the problem. The subtitle of the Messiah Interviews is Belonging to God. Belonging to God means being a Holy person. What do I mean by Holy? It’s in the Messiah Interviews, but it means to follow the Ten Commandments, don’t hurt anyone physically, emotionally or intellectually, show kindness and mercy, act with humility, stand up for justice, strive for righteousness, do kind deeds for others, honor your ancestors who went before you, and give your praise to the One God. God has always had Covenants between Himself and man since the Creation of Adam and Eve. God has held up His end of the bargain but man has broken the Covenant many times over. It is up to man to restore the Covenant.

Do you have plans to write another book?

Not right now. I’m too busy with the marketing of the two titles. One should read the Messiah Interviews first and then the prequel, my spiritual memoir, Divinely Inspired. I would like to write another book to complete the trilogy. I’ll need God’s help to do it because it would be his biography dictated to me. I can dream.

Would you care to share with us how the virtual book tour experience with Pump Up Your Book Promotion has been for you?

Well I haven’t done the whole tour but I love answering questions. It gives me a chance to explore my creativity. Sometimes, I’ll give the same answers to the same question, but for the most part I try and come up with unique answers. One thing you will get with me is honesty and truth. With the publishing of Divinely Inspired, my life is an open book. Some of it is pretty ugly and pretty scary. Publicly discussing my imperfections is gut wrenching and talking about my suicide attempts still sends chills down my back. Couple that with abortion survival, neurosis in a dysfunctional family, migraine headaches, unyielding anxiety, muscle pain, adult Bipolar Disorder and Divine miracles and you’ve got one hell of a story published.
The Messiah Interviews is more about the future while Divinely Inspired focuses on the past and present. The bible comes alive in the Messiah Interviews and the reader is empowered right alongside Yoseph to answer the questions being posed by the biblical interviewers. I wanted also to give the reader knowledge that he or she might not have about Jewish spirituality, which I feel is the Ten Commandments. The religion of Judaism incorporates these Ten Commandments but in my humble opinion, the Ten Commandments are not religious.

Where can readers find a copy of your book?

Well eBooks for both titles are already published as Kindle, Mobipocket, Adobe Digital Editions and Microsoft. The paperbacks come out officially on January 1, 2009, but you can already purchase these on Amazon, Barnes and Noble.com, the Authors Bookshop, the Authors Den, and also the paperbacks can be ordered at any bookstore. We will have an audio book of the Messiah Interviews by the end of January. You can find links on our website and blog. There is also an interview with Reader Views on the Blog as well as a Radio Show with Inside Scoop Live. You will have to forgive me. I’m 67 and am just now learning how to Blog. If readers have trouble in this economy purchasing the books, please email me at jerrypollock@bellsouth.net and we shall work something out. I can send signed books.

Do you have a website for readers to go to?

Yes. You can enter either through www.shechinahthirdtemple.org or www.thirdtempleinfo.com Shechinah means Divine Presence. We are a nonprofit committed to the brotherhood of man through God’s Third Temple. As the prophet Isaiah said, “My Temple shall be a House of Prayer for all peoples.”

Thank you, Jerry for sharing your book and characters with us today. It has been a pleasure and I hope you have had a successful virtual book tour.

And thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to have a dialogue. I feel that I am reliving the writing of the Messiah Interviews all over again with your questions. Be well and take care.

The MESSIAH INTERVIEWS VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ‘09 officially begin on January 5 and end on January 30. You can visit Jerry’s blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in January to find out more about this great book and talented author!