Buying Time – Author Interview – Pamela Samuels Young

Paperback Writer is pleased to announce our author for today, Pamela Samuels Young, author of Buying Time as she continues on her virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book.

About the Book:
Buying Time is a scandalous tale of blackmail, murder and betrayal, evoking John Grisham with a dash of Terry McMillan. Waverly Sloan is a down-on-his-luck lawyer. But just when he’s about to hit rock bottom, he stumbles upon a business with the potential to solve all of his problems.
In Waverly’s new line of work, he comes to the aid of people in desperate need of cash. But there’s a catch. His clients must be terminally ill and willing to sign over rights to their life insurance policies before they can collect a dime. Waverly then finds investors eager to advance them thousands of dollars—including a hefty broker’s fee for himself—in exchange for a significant return on their investment once the clients take their last breath.
The stakes get higher when Waverly brokers the policy of the cancer-stricken wife of Lawrence Erickson, a high-powered lawyer who’s bucking to become the next U.S. Attorney General. When Waverly’s clients start dying sooner than they should, both Waverly and Erickson—who has some skeletons of his own to hide—are unwittingly drawn into a perilous web of greed, blackmail and murder.
Soon, a determined federal prosecutor is hot on Waverly’s trail. But when the prosecutor’s own life begins to unravel, she finds herself on the run—with Waverly at her side

Welcome to Paperback Writer, Pamela.
Thank you, it’s nice to be here.

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

A: The idea for Buying Time came to me while chatting with a friend at a party. I
knew he was in the insurance business, but when he explained that he was a
viatical broker, I started asking lots of questions because I’d never heard of
the viatical industry. When he finished explaining how he brokers the insurance
policies of terminally ill patients, I knew there was a thriller in there
someone.

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

A: It was definitely a light bulb moment. On the ride home from the party, I
thought to myself: What if a disbarred lawyer stumbles into the viatical
business and his clients start dying before their time and he becomes the prime
murder suspect? I knew this business would make a great setting for a mystery.

Q: How did you come up with the title?

A: I like to mull over possible book titles when I’m stuck in traffic. I was
driving to work and tossing around ideas in my head. When Buying Time came to
me, I knew immediately that it was a perfect fit for the story I was writing.

Q: How did you find an agent and publisher?

A: I was referred to my current agent at Trident Media Group from my former writing
coach. My agent, however, was unable to sell my third novel, Murder on the Down
Low. Rather than put the book on the shelf and begin writing another book, I
decided to create my own publishing company, Goldman House Publishing, and
publish the book myself. I received such positive feedback from my test readers
that I had every confidence that Murder on the Down Low would do well. And so
far, it has. Because of the success of that book, I decided to self-publish
Buying Time as well, without even bothering to submit it to traditional
publishers.

Q: Who reads your work in progress?

A: My writing group gets the first look at my work. Then once I have a decent
draft, I give the manuscript to at least one book club as well as a group of
friends and colleagues. Close to 50 people read the manuscript for Buying Time.
It was a very diverse group in terms of age, race, region of the country and
professions.

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

A: Each one of my test readers made the difference! I find it so interesting that
no one interprets a scene in exactly the same way. Each critique I received
helped me to improve the novel.

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

A: Depending on how much time I commit to writing, it takes me about six months to
complete a first draft. I still practice law, so I don’t have the opportunity to
write every day. As often as I can, I go away to write over a long weekend or
take a weeklong writing vacation where all I do is write for 10-plus hours a
day. I can get quite a bit of writing done when I hibernate like that. I power
through my first effort with little or no revising. Once I have a decent draft,
then I can really begin shaping the story. It takes me about a year to produce
a final product that I’m happy with.

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

A: Because I published Buying Time myself, it was in stores three months after I
finished it. That’s the positive side of self-publishing. With a traditional
publisher, the whole process can take up to two years. Since 2006, I’ve
published a book a year. My first two novels, Every Reasonable Doubt (2006)
and In Firm Pursuit (2007), were published by mainstream publishers, Harlequin
and BET Books. When Harlequin passed on my third novel, Murder on the Down Low
(2008), and my agent was unable to sell it to another publisher, I didn’t want
to lose the momentum of my growing fan base so I published the book myself. The
lengthy time frame that traditional publishing houses need to get a book on the
shelf is the primary reason I’ve decided to continue publishing my own novels.

Q: Do you have any advice for new authors?

A: First, diligently study the writing craft and solicit objective feedback to
ensure that there’s a market for your work.

Second, don’t let the naysayers discourage you. Agents and editors have
rejected lots of writers who went on to major success in the publishing world
(e.g., John Grisham, Terry McMillan, Stephanie Meyer). So when you get that
rejection letter, take a minute or two to lick your wounds, then move on. Your
day will come. Just don’t quit!

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

To find out more about Pamela or her book check out her website. http://www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com

Tales for Delicious Girls – author interview – Barbora Knobova

http://www.barboraknobova.com

What’s in a word? Anything you want there to be! D for daring, E for enchanting, L for loving, I for inspiring, C for captivating, I for intriguing, O for outgoing, U for unique, S for sophisticated: DELICIOUS.

Tales for Delicious Girls has twenty-five exhilarating real-life stories about delicious women, eccentric men and stubborn dogs. This book is meant to entertain you. It will make you laugh until there are tears in your eyes. It will become your faithful companion, and will help you find yourself. It was written for you because you’re delicious – the most delicious girl in the world.

Tales for Delicious Girls offers witty, refreshing, clever and ironic insight into relationships between men and women from all points of view. The book is a modern relationship manual, providing answers to the most pressing dating and friendship questions that strong, independent, modern women want to know. “Tales for Delicious Girls” deals with wishes, desires and dreams – as well as hilarious mishaps and dating disasters.
However, Tales for Delicious Girls is not simply a humorous book. In addition to entertaining the readers, the tales will inspire women to think about their own life and relationships, see themselves through different eyes and realize that they are their own best friend, the pillar of their own life, and the only person they can always count on. “Tales for Delicious Girls” encourages women to love, respect and appreciate themselves, to live the life they have always wanted, and become aware of their true uniqueness and deliciousness.
*****

Paperback Writer welcomes author Barbora Knobova today, for an exciting look at her book and she indulges us with answers to our questions of how she came up with the idea for her book and her road to publication.

Hi Barbora,

Welcome to Paperback Writer.

PBW: Would you share with us how you came up with the idea for your book? Was it a light bulb moment or something that you thought about for a very long time?

BK: It was actually my mum who came up with the idea. She said: “Your dating life is just insane. You should put these stories down on paper!” I was reluctant at first but then I wrote the first chapter, Beautiful Maxim (the charming Frenchman with sinfully sexy fingers). At the time I started to work as a relationship coach and I realized there was so much more to my stories and that Tales for Delicious Girls shouldn’t be just a humorous book, that the stories should go much deeper. And I think I managed because Tales for Delicious Girls is a hilarious book full of relationship and self-love advice that really makes you think about your life, friendships and relationships with men, which is quite unique.

PBW: How did you come up with the title?

BK: I wanted the title to be special, feminine and to express the message of the book. I chose the word “Delicious” because women are often described in many ways but rarely as “delicious” and I find this word very fitting. There is more to it, because the word “delicious” is an acronym: D for daring, E for enchanting, L for loving, I for inspiring, C for captivating, I for intriguing, O for outgoing, U for unique, S for sophisticated. It simply expresses what we women are like, because I believe that we all are Delicious.
PBW: How did you find an agent and publisher?

BK: To tell the truth, right now I don’t feel I need an agent – that’s why I’ve never even looked for one. I have a wonderful publisher in Europe that has published my four previous books. It’s a team of wonderful people who supported me when I came up with the idea of creating my own independent publishing company that would focus on talented female authors. I founded BK Publishing in New York and we are starting to work with some very exciting women writers. Naturally, I chose my own company to publish my new book so finding a publisher wasn’t an issue. I was lucky.

PBW: Who reads your work in progress?

BK: My mum is my first reader and my biggest critic. She is a professional editor (and a tough one) and although I don’t always like what she says, she tends to be right. However, I hire an outside editor to read my book before it’s published for thorough proofreading and unbiased editing.

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

BK: Definitely Nela, my illustrator. She illustrates all my books, she’s very talented and just amazing. I love the girl and her work. I think it’s very rare for an adult book to be fully illustrated and that’s one of the things that make Tales for Delicious Girls stand out. Nela understands me and the spirit of my book, her illustrations are edgy, unconventional, funny and very feminine, just like Tales for Delicious Girls, and they tell their own story.

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

BK: I’m a very instinctive writer and with Tales for Delicious Girls I simply carried on writing until the book was finished. I may have changed a few words during the editing process but there were no major changes so I think I never really had a draft. When I write I usually break all the “writing rules” but it seems to work for me.

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

BK: About a year with some delays and complications that I’m now very grateful for because they made me a better writer and publisher.

PBW: Do you have any advice for new authors?

BK: Yes. Writing is a wonderful career to pursue and an exciting venture. It may not always be easy but don’t give up! If you write a good book, sooner or later you will succeed. Just keep your love and passion for writing.

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

Thank you very much, it was a pleasure!

About the Author

Barbora Knobova is a writer, relationship coach and expert in Delicious Life. A world traveler, she is one of those rare world citizens who live everywhere and nowhere. Barbora is a firm believer in female friendship, loyalty and bonding. She writes hilarious, sharp-witted, caustically apt, ironic, moving, true books for strong, independent, smart, fearless women. Barbora has also written several self-improvement books and teaches women about the importance of self-love in relationships and life in general. Barbora speaks eight languages and has found her home away from home in New York, London and Milan. She is always on the move, accompanied by her beagle Brinkley, the nasty dog from Tales for Delicious Girls. You can visit her website at www.barboraknobova.com

Dispel the Mist – author interview – Marilyn Meredith

Happy Friday and thanks for stopping by Paperback Writer. If you haven’t seen our latest Thursday Thirteen, Thirteen Things to Know about Deputy Tempe Crabtree from the novel Dispel the Mist scroll down to below this post, but be sure to come back here and read the interview with the creator of Deputy Crabtree and find out how author Marilyn Meredith came up with the idea for her latest book.

About the Book:

A Tulare County Supervisor, with both Native American and Mexican roots, dies under suspicious circumstances. Because of Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s own ties to the Bear Creek Indian Reservation, she’s asked to help with the investigation. To complicate matters, besides the supervisor’s husband, several others had reason to want the woman dead.

Tempe has unsettling dreams, dreams that may predict the future and bring back memories of her grandmother’s stories about the legend of the Hairy Man. Once again, Tempe’s life is threatened and this time, she fears no one will come to her rescue in time.

Hi Marilyn,

Welcome to Paperback Writer

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

A: While I was researching information for the previous Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery concerning Big Foot, I came across information about the Hairy Man on the Internet. As it turned out the Hairy Man is our local Indians legend similar to Big Foot. In a place called Painted Rock, there are pictographs (paintings) of the Hairy Man is wife and a child. Of course I was curious and was invited by the local college’s anthropology class to go with them on a field trip to the Painted Rock. That’s all it took, I knew Tempe would indeed have an encounter with the Hairy Man which happens in this latest mystery, Dispel the Mist.

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

A: Though I don’t do what someone might call an outline, I take a lot of notes before I begin. I did my research about the Hairy Man then I had to figure out how he could be in a mystery that Tempe would have to solve. There are several sub-plots in the story as well as the murder mystery.

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

A: I have a vague idea how the book will end, though often it doesn’t work out quite like what I had in my head. As I’m writing more ideas arise and I just them down as I go along so I don’t forget. Sometimes I get ideas in the night and I definitely need to write them down or I won’t have a clue in the morning.

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

A: Because I’m writing a series, I have ongoing characters I know a lot about. However, the ones I need to develop are the murder victim and the people important to the victim including the suspects, and of course the murderer. I come up with the names, descriptions, individual characteristics and write them all down before I ever begin.

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: Because my heroine is much younger than I am and part Indian, which I’m not, the only part of me that is in her character is how she feels about things. I’m a woman, a wife, and a mother, so those are things about her that I can relate to and write about.

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

A: You can probably tell that I am crazy about the Hairy Man. I found legends about him that I’ve included in the book. There have been fairly recent sightings by credible people—just like with Big Foot. Do I believe there really is a Hairy Man? Why not.

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

A: Mundania Press has been publishing all my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries so it was merely a matter of sending them a query and then the manuscript.

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

A: I’ve struggled mightily along the way. My first book was rejected nearly thirty times before finding a publisher. The editor who finally took it moved on to another publisher when I was ready to send in another book, and the new editor wasn’t interested. I’ve had two publishers die, been involved with three dishonest publishers, and had one publisher decide to give up the business.

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

A: When I’ve spent so much time writing a book, of course I want to have people read it. When a reader writes and tells me they loved the book, that makes it all worthwhile.

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

A: I hope that readers will like Tempe and understand her struggles as a female law enforcement officer in a male dominated profession—and the prejudice she faces as both a woman and an Indian. Tempe is as real to me as any of my relatives or friends and I hope she seems real to those who read about her.

Q: Do you have plans to write another book?

A: I already have another Tempe book finished and with the publisher. Because I write two series, the other is the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, I am always a year ahead and write two books a year.

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: I enjoy doing virtual book tours and have done several with Pump Up Your Book Promotion—the questions are fun to answer and of course I love talking about my book and my characters. I’ve always been well taken care of on these tours.

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

A: Dispel the Mist is both an e-book and a trade paperback. The book can be purchased directly from the publisher: http://www.mundaniapress.com or from any bookstore online or it can be ordered through your local bookstore.

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

A: My website is http://fictionforyou.com and my blog is http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com

Thank you, Marilyn Meredith 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.

About the Author:
Marilyn Meredith is the author of over twenty-five published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Dispel the Mist from Mundania Press. Under the name of F. M. Meredith she writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series. No Sanctuary is the newest from Oak Tree Press.

She is a member of EPIC, four chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, WOK, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She was an instructor for Writer’s Digest School for ten years, served as an instructor at the Maui Writer’s Retreat and many other writer’s conferences. She makes her home in Springville CA, much like Bear Creek where Deputy Tempe Crabtree lives. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com

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 http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in January to find out more about this talented author!

Five Steps to C.A.L.M. – Author Interview – Robert Patterson

Paperback Writer welcomes Robert Patterson, author of the business book, Five Steps to C.A.L.M. (Career and Life Management) (Booksurge, 2008), as he virtually tours the blogosphere in December and January on his 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

ABOUT THE BOOK:
A father once told his young son, who was going out into the world on his own, “Son, whatever you want to become, be The Best.” This course teaches you how to be “The Best.”

It begins with instructions on how to put “The Best” of Writing Your Resume. Then, later presenting “The Best” of you inyou on paper, Preparing for an Interview.person

You’ll begin with the basic Resume Content, noting what should and should not be included in your Resume. After mastering the content, then begins the formatting of the Resume.

The author has thoughtfully provided you with a Resume checklist. Some of the questions are as follows:

Is the Resume two pages or less?
(Do you realize the importance of this question?)
Are the dates consistent on the left (or right) side, and limited to years?
Does the language “flow” (neither stiff nor stilted)?
Are Action Verbs used to your full advantage?

I would like to make a comment here; this is one of the many sections that you will utilize not only in your job search but also in your everyday associations.

C.A.L.M. gives you access to nine different categories for Action Verbs. They are listed under the headings of:

Communication Skills
Creative Skills
Detailed Skills
Financial Skills
Helping Skills
Management Skills
Manual Skills
Research Skills
Teaching Skills

You’ll be surprised how many Action Verbs from this section you will be able to include in your Resume, which will help make it more impressive to your employer.

Didn’t I tell you that employers would be impressed with your Resume? Now, you have been called for an interview! The next section of the book takes you into “Interviewing Techniques.” What other book walks you through an all-inclusive “Pre-Interview” session? Well, C.A.L.M. does, and once you have completed this lesson, you will indeed be CALM during your interview, no matter how many people may be on the panel of interviewers.

Included in the “Interviewing Techniques” section are Fashion Recommendations, which takes you step by step through the protocol for the business interview dress code, how both men and women should dress when going to an interview. Remember, your Resume may have “opened” the door, now your personal appearance may get a “foot” in that door. Here is where you put the lessons you have learned from C.A.L.M. into practice. Here’s where you sell The Product – Yourself! Don’t worry. C.A.L.M. has fully prepared you for any of the possible questions that you may be asked during the interview. You are ready for them, and you will remain CALM.

C.A.L.M. guides you step-by-step through the entire interview: from the Beginning of the Interview, during the Interview, and through the Closure of the Interview. After completing this course of study, you will glide through your interview with confidence and a sense of achievement. You will have left a favorable impression with the employer, and all because you put into practice your C.A.L.M. course of study.

While the employer is checking you out, C.A.L.M. also instructs you on how to compile a checklist of pertinent company information. Information that is important to you in helping you decide whether or not you would want to work for this firm or company.

The author has thought of everything in preparing you for the job search. He has included a web-site listing for those of you who want to do your job-hunting via the Internet.

C.A.L.M. answers all the questions you may have ever had in your previous job search. The “Who,” the “What,” the “Where,” and the “How.”

If you are willing to strike a Faustian Bargain, that is, willing to sacrifice anything to satisfy a limitless desire for knowledge, then C.A.L.M. is, without a doubt, the course of study for you.

Hi Robert Patterson Sr.,

Welcome to Paperback Writer.

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

Robert: The idea for my book came to me while teaching Job Search Seminars. I wanted to simplify the process, so I arranged the Job Search Workshop seminar into five lessons and called it Five Steps to C.A.L.M. (Career and Life Management). This did not happen over night, it took fifteen years of trial and error to come up with my final plan.

PBW: How did you come up with the title?

Robert: I wanted the Job Search process to be a less stressful procedure and have people be calmer while undergoing the entire process of either changing from one job to another or seeking a job.

PBW: How did you find an agent and publisher?

Robert: This was my first book and being new to writing the first place I went looking was the Internet.

PBW: Who reads you work in progress?

Robert: That task goes to my wife and my very close friends.

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

PBW: There is no way that any good author can put a quality well written book out without a good editor.

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

Robert: I worked on my first book for about five years. Give or take.

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

Robert: Around eighteen months.

PBW: Do you have any advice for new authors?

Robert: Advice for new authors would be to study your craft. What I mean by that is to do your research. Make certain that you are not putting something out there that already exists. There are plenty of books out there about resumes or Cover Letters made easy, howeverI wanted my work to relate to the whole person. Have them find-out more about themselves and everything they had done in the way of the job market, skills, accomplishments, work related values, work related preferences. All of these things are necessary prior to planning and forming a serious job search strategy, and being successful at the end of your efforts, landing that job that is right for you.

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

’09 officially began on January 5 and end on January 30. You can visit Robert’s blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in January to find out more.

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 http://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 http://www.shechinahthirdtemple.org or http://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!

Perfect on Paper – Author Interview – Maria Murnane

Paperback Writer is joined today by Maria Murnane, author of the romantic comedy, Perfect on Paper (Wink’s Ink, February 2008), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in December and 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. The winner(s) will be announced on December 31!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Maria Murnane is currently an independent business writer and works mostly with technology and financial services companies, but like the main character in her book, she used to work in sports PR. One day she quit her job and ended up in Argentina for a year, where she played semi-pro soccer and also wrote the first draft of what would eventually become “Perfect on Paper”. She has dedicated the book to any woman who has ever been on a really bad date or realized halfway through the workday that her skirt is on backwards.
Maria graduated with high honors in English and Spanish from UC Berkeley and received a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She lives in San Francisco and can be reached at maria@mariamurnane.com
Visit Maria’s website at http://www.mariamurnane.com/

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Anything can look perfect…on paper.

When her fiance calls off their wedding at the last minute, Waverly Bryson wonders if her life will ever turn out the way she though it would…or should. Her high-powered job in sports PR? Not so perfect. Her relationship with her dad? Far from it. Her perfect marriage? Enough said.

“Perfect on Paper” is a humorous tale of Waverly’s efforts to cobble the pieces of a broken yesterday into a brand new tomorrow. What does the future have in store for her? Will she finally find what she’s looking for?

Her dates? Cringe-inducing at times, definitely entertaining.

Her friends? Often amused, definitely supportive.

Her new crush? Possibly intrigued, definitely a catch.

The results? Hardly perfect, definitely just right.

 

The Interview

Hi Maria,
Welcome to Paperback Writer. Thank you for having me.

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

Maria Murnane: When we used to live in the same neighborhood, my good friend Alison and I would get together before work semi-regularly to go for a long walk, about an hour, which in the steep hills of San Francisco can be a great workout! Anyhow, we’d talk about everything under the sun and always referred to it as “free therapy”. A lot of the things we talked about on those walks were pretty funny, and eventually there was just so much material there that we started talking about trying to turn it all into a book about life as a single professional woman in San Francisco. I think part of me always thought it would be cool to write a book, but it was those walks with Alison that really got me thinking about doing it for real.

PBW: Do you plan your stories first with an outline or does it come to you as write it?
MM: When I first decided that I was going to write a book, I sat down and sketched out notes on what the main character would be like, who her friends would be, what her job would be , etc. Then I made some notes about other things I wanted to include in the book, including somehow weaving the greeting card idea into them, the infamous Brad Cantor character, funny bad dates, etc. Then I started making a brief outline for the plot, or at least the first part of the plot, because I honestly didn’t know where it was going to end up. But I knew enough about what I wanted to write to get me from about A to D (assuming an entire book was A to Z), so I just started writing and figured that I would figure it out as I went along.
Once I got going, the writing process was pretty regular. I was living in Argentina at the time and playing on a soccer team that took up most of my time during the day, so I would write for a couple hours every morning, and then a couple hours every evening. And in between I would jot down a lot of notes to myself on a little notepad. Many times I’d wake up in the middle of the night with an idea for something I wanted to include in the book, so I’d keep the notepad by my bed. I remember being on the bus when it hit me how I wanted to end the book, so I scribbled it down in another little notebook I had in my backpack, right there on the bus on the way to soccer practice. I think I was even standing up at the time.

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

MM: I knew in general, not with any detail at all. (See above)

PBW: Do you have a process for developing your characters?
MM: Not so much a process, more a style. I’ve realized how important it is for characters to show their personality through what they say, as opposed to telling the reader what a character’s personality is. As a writer, when you’re able to look at a line you’ve written and think “hmm, that doesn’t sound like something so and so would say,” then you know you’ve created a real character.

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?

MM: Oh yes, that would be Waverly (the main character). My friends all say that reading “Perfect on Paper” is like listening to me talk for 320 pages, so that should answer the question! I like to say that Waverly Bryson’s life is essentially my life—if my life were more exciting. Personality-wise we are very similar. For example, I tend to care too much about what other people think of me and of what I’m doing with my life, and I’m always making random observations like she does. I also tend to stick my foot in my mouth when I get nervous. But in other ways we are very different. My family situation is a good example of that—my parents are happily married and are extremely supportive of me, and I have two sisters and a brother who are awesome, as are their spouses and kids. Waverly missed out on the big family thing, but I felt it made the story more interesting to have her as an only child with a less-than-perfect relationship with her dad.

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

MM: Wow, love this question! I think it’s that there is so much of me and my life in the book—many of the funny things that happen to Waverly and her friends happened first in my real life, and it’s neat to see them as part of the story. I also put some small things in there just for fun. For example, the name of Waverly’s company is called KA Marketing. That’s short for “kick- ass marketing,” which is a total inside joke between me and Alison. A guy I once dated used to say that he had come up with a “kick-ass marketing plan” for his company, which made us cringe. So I put it in the book. And the whole scene about “dating disqualifiers” came from a time I had pizza with a soccer team I’d played for as a guest—and speaking of that team, it’s called the Rookies, which is also the name of the drink that dooms Waverly at the SuperShow. It was really fun putting little things like that in the book.

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

MM: After I finished the first draft, I came back from Argentina and was lucky enough to sign with an agent pretty quickly. She told me that she’d been waiting fora book like mine for years, and that mine was the funniest voice she’d heard in ages. She was pretty sure we’d get a two-book deal, so needless to say I was pretty exited. At that point it was all like a dream come true. I thought maybe I would even be on Oprah!
But when my agent shopped it to all the major publishing houses, the reply was pretty unanimous—no thanks. Apparently “chick lit” wasn’t selling well, so no one wanted to touch it unless it sounded really unique. And apparently mine didn’t.
Then my agent basically fired me. From Oprah to fired. Talk about an emotional roller coaster.
I cried for about three days, then spent about six months rewriting the book. Then I went to a writers conference and pitched it myself to four publishing houses and three agents, and they all said it sounded great and wanted to read it. So I was pretty excited again!
Then after a few more months I finally heard back from all of them with more or less the same story I’d heard the first time around: Great read. Great writing. Great dialogue, Great humor. Doesn’t stand out enough for us to gamble on though– sorry. In other words, no thanks.
I didn’t know what to do at that point, so for about six months I left the book sitting on my computer and started doing freelance writing for technology companies to start earning a decent living again. Then one day my dad (perhaps the nicest man on the planet) sat me down and handed me a book on self-publishing that he had read, along with a little plan he’d written for what I needed to do to publish on my own. He told me he loved my book and that I couldn’t let it go, so he was going to help me publish it myself. It nearly made me cry.
So I found a designer to do the interior and cover for me (www.authorsupport.com), got Alison and my other friends Somill and Christine to proofread the manuscript, wrote the back cover copy, had a family friend take my photo, and then finally submitted it all for publication to a “print-on-demand” company (Booksurge).
And now here we are! It’s been a long haul, and very difficult at times, but wonderful too because I truly have done it all on my own (with a LOT of help from my highly underpaid administrative assistant/PR rep, aka my dad). I remember telling my mom a couple years ago that if even ONE PERSON I wasn’t related to bought and enjoyed my book, it would make it all worth while. And now I’m getting emails pretty regularly from people I’ve never met telling me how much they loved my book. A couple months ago I saw a random girl at a café reading it—I seriously nearly had a heart attack.
So that is a very long answer to your question—I hope it wasn’t too long!
PBW: Not to long at all, in fact, I think it helps us to get to know you better as an author by elaborating on the process and your struggles on the road to being published.

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

MM: The response to my book so far has been amazing, so I am very hopeful that a publisher might pick it up. So if any of your readers out there who have enjoyed my book would like to help, here are three quick things they can do to help prove that there is an audience for my writing:
1) Write a review on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/098004250X
2) Become a fan on Facebook and write something on the wall (you can use the “share with friends” link here too if you want: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Perfect-on-Paper/26239620721
3) Post a comment on my Web site: http://mariamurnane.com/reader-comments/
Doing those three things would be fantastic—so thank you in advance to any of your readers who take a few minutes to help out!

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

MM: I hope readers enjoyed living Waverly’s world for a little while, and that the book made them laugh. I also hope they remember to tell their friends about it!

PBW: Do you have plans to write another book?

MM: A lot of people have asked me if I’m going to write a sequel—everyone seems to want to know what happens to Waverly! I would love to write another book, but it’s a ton of work, especially when you have to do all the marketing on your own– on top of the writing itself. So right now I’m focusing on trying to get “Perfect on Paper” picked up by a publisher. If your readers are interested in a sequel, please tell them to email me! I can be reached through my site at http://www.mariamurnane.com

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

MM: It’s been great! Fun way to reach a lot of potential readers, and everyone has been super nice.

PBW: Where can readers find a copy of your book?
MM: At http://www.mariamurnane.com or on Amazon. It’s also being sold at a few stores in San Francisco—they are listed on my Web site.
PBW: Do you have a website for readers to go to?
http://www.mariamurnane.com

Thank you, Maria 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.
The pleasure was mine. Thank you!

PERFECT ON PAPER VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ’08 officially begAn on December 1 and end on December 23. You can visit Maria’s blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in December to find out more about her latest book!

Discovery in Passion – Author Interview – Sheila Stewart

Paperback Writer welcomes author Sheila Stewart, author of Discovery in Passion a paranormal romance.

About the Book:

Wanting to start fresh, Cassie Evans relocates to the small town of Passion where she moves into the home of her dreams, complete with dreamy next door neighbor, artist, and handyman Thomas Healy. The only problem is, the house she bought just might be haunted.Thomas Healy lives a life of solitude and that suits him just fine. Then Cassie Evans moves in next door and begins to turn his peaceful live upside down. He tries to ignore her, but ignoring a woman as beautiful as Cassie isn’t so easy, especially when she shows up at your door, naked, begging for you to paint her. Thomas’ first mistake was to agree to it, his second was to take Cassie to bed, now she’s all he can think about.

When their blossoming love is overshadowed by a ghostly haunting, the curious Cassie launches an investigation into the life and death of her home’s previous owner, uncovering a mystery and attracting the attention of a killer. Where will Cassie’s discovery lead her, to the love of her life or to death itself?

 

 

Welcome to the town of Passion.

 

 

 

Hi Shiela Stewart

 

Welcome to Paperback Writer

 

It’s my pleasure and thank you for having me here today!

 

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

 

Discovery in Passion, the tale of a haunted house, comes from a home I lived in when I was eight years old. I didn’t learn a great deal of details until years later and pieces of it have wound its way into my story.

The house I lived in was rumored to be haunted by a woman who…things get sketchy here…either was starved to death by her cruel husband or died from a long suffering illness. Either way she dies, the rumor was, she remained in ghost form long after her death. Tales of her range from her ghostly image having coffee or tea in the early morning in the kitchen, her banging around in the kitchen, opening and closing cupboard doors, opening the living room curtains to let in the early morning sunlight, and supplying my baby sister with her mid night bottle.

Did I ever see the supposed ghost? I did indeed, on the day the house went up in flames due to faulty wiring. She stood with me and my little sister and kept me calm while everything I knew and loved went up in flames. My family was saved, but our belongings were not. That woman stayed with me then and has been a part of me ever since.

And so, Discovery in Passion was born.

I mirror the house in Discovery in Passion after that house I lived in during the first part of my childhood. Before the fire I have a great deal of pleasant memories. Times my siblings and I would run and play on the large yard, when my baby sister and I would dress up baby pigs in doll clothes, watching my parents tend to the many cows and pigs that earned them their living. The fire was a traumatic time in my life, one that took years for me to overcome. I always found writing was a form of release for me, and so I sat to write her tale.

I took the idea of a ghostly woman, haunting her home and embellished it. I created Luanne Talbot with her in mind, changing the circumstances of her death to murder suicide which has always been attributed to her son. Because I never really knew how the woman in my house died, my mind raced with ideas. I wanted to create a haunting story that would intrigue the reader and keep them turning the page for more. But more so, I wanted to give the reader a love story that develops around the haunting.

Everything in our life happens for a reason, or so I believe. Through the trauma of a horrific ordeal in my childhood, I’ve created something beautiful.

 

  

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

 

I’ve done both, actually. There have been times when I’ve thought of a good idea for a book and jotted things down. But I usually stray halfway through the book and change things up and by the time the story has concluded, it’s completely different than the original plan. Mostly, I fly by the seat of my pants. I’ll get an idea for a story then just sit down and write. Quite a few of my stories have come from my dreams. I usually keep a pad and pen by my bed for those occasions and quickly jot down the idea. Then, when I wake up, I get started on the story. Or…if the story nags at me too much I’ll get up and start on it.

 

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

 

I have a rough idea how I would like the story to end. Because I write romance, there is always a happy ending which means the hero and heroine will come together in the end. But everything in between has to work its way out before the end is concluded. Not always do I know the specifics, but I have a general idea. When I get in the story, really into it, everything just works its way out by the end.

 

Do you have a process for developing your characters?

 

I’m kind of an oddball as a writer. I don’t really plot out my story lines and I don’t plot out my characters. When an idea for a story comes to me, it’s so clear that the characters already have their own personalities. As soon as I give them a name, they are their own beings. Each one is unique in their own way.

 

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 sure, there is definitely parts of me in all my characters. For instance, the hero in Discovery in Passion has a lot of me in him. Now, some may think it’s odd that I wrote myself into a male character but there you go. I’m odd. LOL
Thomas Healy is an artist. I love to create. I have a talent for drawing, painting and sculpting. I’ve painted some beautiful murals in my home that I’m quite proud of. So Thomas got my talent.

Cassie, well, she got my sense of humor and the blonde hair I once had. I also incorporated my ability to be a real tease when I want to be. I only wish I had a figure like her. Cassie was modeled after Marilynn Monroe, and woman that has always fascinated me.

Victor Davis in Escape in Passion, book two in the Passion series has my sense of humor where Julia Wilson, the heroine, got my once boyish figure.

Beth Healy in book three of the Passion series has the part of me that closes off her emotions when in the face of danger or emergency in order to get the job done. Feelings come later.

In my latest’s release, Seducing the Darkness, the lead heroine, Trinity Ford has some of my attributes. Her red hair, her take charge attitude and the fact that she’s more comfortable around men than she is women are all aspects of me.

 

What is your most favorite part about this book?

 

I wouldn’t say I have one specific favorite part in Discovery in Passion, more so I would say there are several. For example, some of my favorite parts are the moments between Thomas and his best friend Vic and how close they are. This is one of my favorite scenes.

 

Thomas rested his beer on the coffee table before walking to the living room window. There had never been any secrets between him and Vic, but to tell him that his girlfriend thought her place was haunted, and he believed her, might be a bit too much for Vic to handle.

Or…he could go with it and deal with whatever came at him. Turning, Thomas faced his friend and let it roll.

“Her house is haunted.” The snort of laughter from Vic was completely expected. “And I’ve seen the proof.”

“You’re worrying me, pal.”

“Edward Talbot was laying face up, his eyes wide, his chest covered in blood from the gunshot wound that entered right below his heart. His wife, Luanne, was beside him, her left arm draped over his abdomen; she was face down, gunshot to the face which blew out the back of her head.” He saw it register on Vic’s face.

“Edward wore a faded red plaid shirt and dark blue jeans.

He was wearing scarred work boots in tan. His hair was brown and graying at the temples. His wife—”

“How the hell do you know all of this?”

“I saw them.”

“In the crime scene photos?”

“How the hell would I get the crime scene photos? In living color—well, they weren’t alive—but it sure seemed like I was there. I saw them, Vic, on the floor in Cassie’s house, and it scared the living shit out of me.”

 “Should I call a shrink?”

“I’m not crazy. How long have you known me?”

“Since we were two; so, twenty eight years.” Vic supplied.

“Then you know I wouldn’t lie to you about this. Her place is haunted by the Talbots.”

“No fucking way.”

Thomas simply nodded.

“Shit.” Vic wiped a hand across his face. “Okay, this

I have to see. But first, I need the little boy’s room.”

Thomas moved to the window, wondering how

Cassie was doing and decided he needed to go over and make sure she was okay. He was about to call out to Vic and tell him he would be right back when he heard Vic let out a loud whoop.

“Jesus, man, you are one lucky son of a bitch.”

“Where are you?” Thomas followed Vic’s laughter and entered his office studio. And then he saw what his friend was preoccupied with. “Oh, shit.”

“Sweet God, she is one fine looking woman. Damn, you’re lucky.”

Thomas hurried to the nude portrait of Cassie and quickly draped a cloth over it. “Stop drooling.”

“Oh, I’m doing more than drooling, pal. I am so damn jealous. Does she have a sister?”

“No.” He looked at Vic, his eyes narrowing “Stop thinking about her; just wipe her out of your mind.”

“Can’t. Oh, am I going to have pleasant dreams tonight.”

“Victor,” Thomas warned.

“Come on, one more peek.” He reached out for the cloth and received a nasty slap to his hand. “Party pooper.”

“Damn straight. She’s mine, and don’t you forget it.”

 

 

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

 

I’d already had two books published with Linden Bay Romance when I began rewriting Discovery in Passion. I’d written Discovery several years ago and it was in need of a thorough work over in order for it to be published. I knew I wanted the book to be published, along with its partners in the series, Escape in Passion and Mercy in Passion and Linden Bay was the first publisher that came to mind, since I’d already had two books through them. I knew what they wanted in a story and I reworked Discovery to fit their criteria. There was never any question that they would get first dibs on it.

 

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

 

Oh, there have been plenty. My lack of knowledge in regards to the proper etiquette of writing was a major struggle. I’d had no formal training and knew very little of what a true novel required. I wrote plenty of tales in my lifetime, but they were very raw in grammar and plotline. My lack of education showed in my work. But then I stumbled upon Linden Bay Romance and the senior editor, Barbra Perfetti sort of took me under her wing, showed me how to mold my story into a great read, gave me plenty of suggestions on reading material and websites to hone in on my skill and with her patience, I’ve learned a great deal in the two years since I was first published.

 

 

What has been the best part about being published?

Holding my very own book in my hand. There is nothing can that compare to that. I never thought I had what it took to become and author and with the not so gentle coaxing of my husband, I finally began submitting my work. Never did I imagine I would be holding one of my very own books in my hand. And it is an utter joy to hear a person speak of my books and talk about looking forward to my next novel.

 

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

All I can really hope for when a reader closes the book after reading “The End” is to feel warmth and joy at having read my tale.

 

Do you have plans to write another book?

There is always another book in the works for me. My brain never lets up. I have over fifty novels, hand written, still waiting to be brought to life on my computer. So even if I dry up, I have something to fall back on.

Right now I’m working on book four in my Darkness series. It’s a tale of vampires, their friends and the city they live in that’s been encased in darkness due to an evil vampire’s ritual to raise the king of all vampires. In total there are five books in the series but with me, who knows. The sixth one is already tickling my brain and begging me to get started on it.

 

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

 

Dorothy Thompson is a peach! I’ve been working with her for a few months now. I run a blog that hosts other author’s book covers and information as to where they can be purchased. It’s called, Book Cover Lovers. http://bookcoverlovers.blogspot.com/

Dorothy has been gracious enough to include me in her list of places to send authors for their book tours. So when the opportunity arose for me to take part in the virtual tour, I was pleased to be once again, working with Dorothy. She is a delight and makes my job as an author trying to promote myself so much easier. She’s been so patient, even through the struggles of our mail servers despising each other. J

 

Where can readers find a copy of your book?

My books are available in book Print and Ebook format and can be found at www.lindenbayromance.com www.allromanceebooks.com and on Amazon.

If you’re in the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan area, my books can be found at McNally Robinson in the romance section. 

 

 

Do you have a website for readers to go to?

 

I most definitely do have a website and I’m proud to say I created it and maintain it all on my very own. It’s another one of my passions. You can find it at: www.shielasbooks.ca 

 

Thank you, Shiela Stewart 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 very much for hosting me today!