Five Steps to C.A.L.M. by Robert Patterson

Join 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!

About the author:

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio Reverend Robert Patterson, Sr. is the father of six children (5 sons one daughter) and the loving husband of Mrs. Linda Patterson. He is a grandfather as well as a great grandfather.

As a member of Walker Chapel AME Church (The Fifth District), he has served in various capacities, from the Usher Board to the Steward and Trustee Boards. He has taught both Sunday School and Bible Study and has served in each department to the best of his abilities

His life reads like a road map, he is a Vietnam ERA Veteran (U.S.M.C 1961-1970), A Graduate of San Diego State University (Class of 1975). He has served as a Cable Television News Reporter, (Oceanside, CA.) Host of “Behind the Truth”, Employment Counselor Specialist, (Operation SER), Counselor-Testing Specialist, Metropolitan Area Advisory Committee (MAAC). Coordinator of Manpower, CETA Area Training Center (at Palomar Community College), Transitional Assistance Program Instructor (TAP) and was Director of Personal Affairs (Camp Pendleton, CA) and Coordinated the first ever Sickle Cell Anemia Testing in Oceanside, just to name a few of his many accomplishments.

Reverend Patterson is a strong advocate of education and cultural awareness. He likes teaching and having the interaction and discussion of both Bible Study and Sunday School with the congregation in order to get down to the nitty gritty and still be brief, be specific, and be seated.” As he is fond of saying, “The day that you stop seeking knowledge, is the day that you most surely are dead.”

You can visit his website at www.rpatters.com.

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 you on paper  Writing Your Resume. Then, later presenting “The Best” of you in person  Preparing for an Interview.

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.

Here is what the author had to say when asked the following questions:

Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?

There have been many that have influenced me in my life. Giving this one more thought before I commit to an answer. It is always important to put the credit squarely where it rightly belongs.

Do you write everyday?

Yes, I write just about everyday right after my morning meditation period.

What has been your greatest achievement as a writer?

I would say my greatest achievement, as a writer was to have people see themselves as a marketable product in global market place. I say that because we in this world are taught to market everything else but ourselves. Think about it for just a second. We are told all our young lives that we can grow-up to be anything that we want to be. However, when can you remember when you were ever told prissily step by step to accomplish that great feat? Don’t confuse what I am talking about with the old adage, work hard and everything else will follow.

Have you always wanted to be a writer, or did you aspire to be something else growing up?

No, I have not always wanted to be a writer. Actually, I aspired to be an actor.

Are you currently working on anything?

Yes, I am currently working on my follow-up book: "The Second Steps to Five Steps to enhancing (you) the (Product) in Career and Life Management.

What authors do you enjoy reading?

Stephen R. Covey
Lester Thurow
Mary Walton
Robert Rosenthal & Lenore Jacobson
John Naisbitt
Hans G. Furth
Sun Tzu (the art of war)
Khabil Gibran
Nechi

Is there a particular author/s (yourself excluded) who you feel don't get the recognition they deserve?

I am not aware of either the totality or the depth of vast number of author’s who are out there so I would not put myself into that level of answering that question lacking that knowledge.

What is your favorite book?

As you can see from above I vassalage through my reading and many authors. However, my first choice would be, Nechi and then Khabil Gibran ending with Sun Tzu.

What is a book that has been highly acclaimed but you haven't liked?

I am still working on that one. Rain check.


WIN PRIZES!

FIVE STEPS TO C.A.L.M. VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR '08 will officially begin on December 1 and end on January 30. You can visit Robert's blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in December and January to find out more about his new book!

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.

When Life Stinks, It's Time to Wash the Gym Clothes by Kelly Epperson

Join Kelly Epperson, author of the humor book, When Life Stinks, It's Time to Wash the Gym Clothes (RWG Press, Apr. '08), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in December on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion.

About the Author:

Kelly Epperson has been dubbed “Everywoman” and “Rare woman” in the same breath. Kelly’s style is uniquely her own, yet she can relate to all of us. Her weekly columns of life, real everyday life as well as travels through Europe, bring a warmth and a wit that we all long for.

Leaving her job at the IRS ten years ago (it was “sucking the life out of her”), she then embarked on a new career, and served as resident court jester, at a local nonprofit agency that taught English and reading to adults.

Kelly’s motto and quote that hangs over her desk is “To love what you do and feel that it matters – how could anything be more fun?!” After a year in France, Kelly returned to the states and launched a fulltime career of writer, ghostwriter, and speaker. Every day, she does the happy dance in her kitchen.

To maintain connection and spread a little joy with friends, family, and readers, Kelly recently started a weekly “happy mail” – When Life Stinks, Find Your Joy. To check it out, send Kelly an email to kel_epperson@yahoo.com.

Kelly lives in Loves Park, IL (city with a heart) with The Man of the Place, her two teenage sons, who are brilliant and witty of course, and a sweet dog Starburst who sheds like crazy. FYI-Kelly hates dog hair, hence, the essay, “It’s Not Easy Being Cruella DeVil.”

For more info, please visit http://www.whenlifestinks.com/.

I was lucky enough to get the author to agree to an interview. Here's what she had to say:

Could you please tell us a little about your book?

When Life Stinks, It’s Time to Wash the Gym Clothes is a collection of my weekly newspaper columns. I’m a fulltime freelancer and ghostwriter. My humor column is my chance to be me. I tackle the silly and the serious, and sometimes a comingling of the two. The book is a compilation of forty-three of these essays, each about three pages. Some readers tell me they like to enjoy a story a day. Others say they devour the whole book in one sitting.

Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?

Two things. Readers asked for it. (How cool is that!) My wonderful, loyal, treasured readers wanted a book of my columns. I started writing in May 2001; this book is a small sampling. If you want to read them all, my grandma and mom kept scrapbooks. You can borrow them.
The second thing that prompted the book was that as a ghostwriter, I have written several books for others and none for me. I wanted a book of my own. Does that make sense?

In the last year, have you learned or improved on any skills?

My writing skills improve every day. I also am a speaker now, which is crazy because I used to be terrified to speak in front of a group. Now it is my joy! I come alive in a way I never knew possible, and we – the audience and I – have so much fun. It’s a blast! My eternal thanks go to those kind hearted retired guys who gave me my start.

What are you currently working on?

I always have freelance and ghostwriting projects, but I’m doing more of my own stuff. I launched a JOY network – When Life Stinks, Find Joy. Sign up for free weekly joy dropping at www.whenlifestinks.com. I am creating cards and clothes and calendars and………. Ideas are popping like popcorn in my hot air popper. (I still have a hot air popper and I love it. With real butter. Yum.) The next book will be Joy or When Life Stinks, Go to France. I lived in France for a year and it awakened my joie de vivre.

What do you feel is your biggest strength?

I need very little sleep.

Biggest weakness?

I am addicted to Coca-Cola.

What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?

Not much out there like this little book. Get your happy on and give it a try.
It’s on amazon.com, www.whenlifestinks.com, at Borders, and Barnes & Noble.

Are you a different person now than you were 5 years ago? In what way/s?

I think I am becoming more me. I found a journal from long ago where I wrote, "I don’t let my real self out much." Now I am, and good things are happening. It’s okay to be silly. It’s okay to put pink flowers and peace signs on my smart car (my joy mobile). It’s okay to express myself. My boys are teenagers now and they think it’s cool that Mom is a writer and on YouTube. Instead of trying to be a perfect and proper mom, it’s okay to just be me.

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

Be yourself. Follow your heart. You don’t have to wait until you are 40. J
I give myself the Zen test. If a new place, person, or project makes the neon sign in my head flash BAD ZEN, I stay away. When Life Stinks, It’s Time To Wash the Gym Clothes is good for your zen. If you disagree, send it back to me. I love hearing from readers. Even the cranky ones. Write me at kel_epperson@yahoo.com or visit www.whenlifestinks.com. Thank you!


About the Book:

Kelly Epperson, former IRS agent turned English as Second Language teacher turned writer and speaker, unabashedly tells it like it is, heartwarming and hilarious. From tales of life in France to going blonde to buttwear, you'll bust out laughing, you'll get a little misty, and you’ll be sad when this little book comes to an end.

When Life Stinks, It’s Time to Wash the Gym Clothes is a collection of her newspaper columns and no topic is taboo. From the “Job Hazards of Parenting” to “Mysteries of IQ Testing Revealed” to “The Scary, Hairy French Doctor,” you’ll share a hearty laugh as Kelly’s conversational style makes you feel you are a part of the happenings. She also grabs your heart with poignant tales of walking the D-day landing beaches, Grandma O, and her reflections as the days in France come to a close.

Kelly’s fans call her writing “witty, pithy, and real.” A freelance columnist since 2001, Kelly viewed her writing gig as a soul-fulfilling side job. The year in France was a break from reality that propelled her into a new career, that of fulltime writer, ghostwriter and speaker.

In an interview, Kelly states, “Ghostwriting – writing for others under their name – is a fascinating job, and I’ve written for New York Times best selling authors. But to have a book in my own name with no confidentiality clauses is a joy.” Kelly, always the dreamer, may see her name on the New York Times list someday.

Loyal readers are already screaming for more. “Words can’t describe how great your writing makes others feel.” Kelly’s essays are called charming and delightful, and her favorite, “a hoot.”

Some people devour her debut book in one sitting and others savor an essay a day. When Life Stinks, It’s Time to Wash the Gym Clothes reads like a letter to a friend because that is how Kelly sees her readers. In fact, she is now organizing a trip to Ireland with her readers!

Beautiful, inspiring, funny, When Life Stinks defies categories. Certainly women feel a kindred soul, but men too are captivated by Kelly’s writing. All ages too find a warmth and a wit that they can relate to; if ever there was a perfect gift for anyone at any time of year, it is When Life Stinks, It’s Time to Wash the Gym Clothes.

Excerpt:

The Message Is: “Look At My Butt”They’re everywhere. I thought it was a passing fad, but this fashion statement is sticking around. Teenage girls wear sweat pants with words emblazoned across the rear end. No matter the word, “Cute,” “UCLA,” or “Pinch Me,” the real message is “look at my butt.”

I shake my head with envy. Do it while you can, girls.

My fashion consultants, my boys, tell me I could wear sweats like that. “BIG” or “WIDE LOAD” tickle their fancy. They think “Danger: Hazardous Gas” would be hilarious. I think “Made You Look” would be clever.

As women age, more words fit on the gluteus maximus. The classic, “Does this make my butt look fat?” could be popular. Depending upon my mood, I’d wear “Yeah, baby, I still got it,” or “Thanks! No one has checked out my butt since 8th grade.”

Mother-daughter sweats could become a trend. Daughter butt: CHEER. Mom butt: “Would you believe this butt used to fit into a cheerleader skirt?” Mess with minds by stating “Objects in sweat pants are smaller than they appear.” Just for fun, print in vertical letters: Cheek 2 Cheek.

Certain communities are banning billboards so I predict derriere advertising will be common in the future. Young girls can make bucks renting their rumps to Nike with a big swoosh on the tush. Your daughter could earn cash for college by plastering Heineken on her heinie. The Army could attract more recruits with “Be all you can be” brandished on All-American behinds.

It’s bumper stickers, plain and simple. My more mature bumper could work for Jell-o.™ See it wiggle; see it jiggle. Plastic surgeons could drum up business for lipo suction: 1-800-SUCK-FAT. Fitness clubs could do a dual campaign. Tight buns wear “Gold’s Gym.” Doughy buns wear “Gold’s Gym? Is that next to the donut shop?” Sort of the opposite of the old public service ad, “this is your brain/this is your brain on drugs.” This is your butt at Gold’s; this is your butt if you don’t go to Gold’s.

Certain songwriters think bigger is better regarding the backside. Their lyrics could result in size appropriate butt wear slogans. Small: “Bootylicious.” Medium: “I like big butts, and I cannot lie.” Large: “Fat bottom girls, you make the rockin’ world go round.”

“If you don’t use it, you lose it” does not apply to butts. If you don’t use it, you get a whole lot more of it. Sit on it and it will grow. My butt used to be a separate entity from my legs. Over time, they have merged into a new flesh I call the “bleg,” the combined area of drooping butt into upper leg.

I need a butt bra to lift and separate my butt from my leg, giving me back the fanny of my youth. Bleg be gone. Then I’ll wear words across the seat of my pants: “The butt stops here.”

Review:

Kelly Epperson proudly displays her dirty laundry on the pages of When Life Stinks, It's Time to Wash the Gym Clothes. A collection of her famed newspaper columns, the book is a series of heartfelt observations and a well-balanced start for a brilliant writer. This is the kind of book that could easily launch an entire series of collections. It's light and warm-hearted, yet unmistakably comprehensive and soulful.--R. Pulfer, Rockford Review

Win prizes!

WHEN LIFE STINKS VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on December 1 and end on December 23. You can visit Kelly's blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in December to find out where she is appearing!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 at the end of every month!

My Splendid Concubine by Lloyd Lofthouse

Join Lloyd Lofthouse, author of the historical fiction novel, My Splendid Concubine (iUniverse, Dec. '07), as he virtually tours the blogosphere in December and January on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!

About the author:

As a field radio operator, Lloyd Lofthouse was a walking target in Vietnam in 1966. He has skied in blizzards at forty below zero and climbed mountains in hip deep snow.

Lloyd earned a BA in journalism after fighting in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine. Later, while working days as an English teacher at a high school in California, he earned an MFA in writing. He enjoyed a job as a maitre d’ in a multimillion-dollar nightclub and tried his hand successfully at counting cards in Las Vegas for a few years. He now lives near San Francisco with his wife, with a second home in Shanghai, China. Lloyd says that snapshots of his life appear like multicolored ribbons flowing through many of his poems.

This link takes you to Lloyd's 'Vietnam Experience' page filled with photos. He took many of them. Since Lloyd still has to edit the photos so they load faster, this page may load slow for older computers.

This link will take you to a media piece from a Southern California newspaper that Lloyd copied and posted on his Website that will give you an idea about his teaching years.

If you are interesting in learning more about Lloyd's teaching experience, you are welcome to read about it at AuthorsDen. 'Word Dancer' is a memoir of the 1994-1995 school year. He kept a daily journal that year. He is using that journal to write 'Word Dancer'. Everyday, when he arrived home, Lloyd wrote an entry in that journal. It sat on a shelf in his garage for fourteen years gathering dust. Spiders moved into the binder and built a nest. After all those years, Lloyd forgot he'd written it. When he was cleaning the garage, he found it again. Lloyd started reading, remembering and writing. Everything he writes in 'Word Dancer' happened. He's using a primary source as his guide. Memory may be faulty, but a daily journal written the day an event took place is as accurate as it can get from the author's point-of-view.

Accomplishments: Lloyd's short story "A Night at the Well of Purity" was named a finalist for the 2007 Chicago Literary Awards.As a teacher, Lloyd found satisfaction in the number of students that published nationally and internationally while attending his English and journalism classes.

You can visit his website at http://www.mysplendidconcubine.com/.

About the book:

Driven by a passion for his adopted country, Robert Hart became the “godfather of China’s modernism,” inspector general of China’s Customs Service, and the builder of China’s railroads, postal and telegraph systems, and schools, but his first real love is Ayaou, a young concubine.

Reviews

"Love for ones wives' sister is typically forbidden by most Western religions, but the most successful Westerner in Chinese history is faced with this conflict. "My Splendid Concubine" is the tale of Robert Hart who deals with matters of his lust and how to deal with them the Chinese way, which so conflcit with his upbringing. The Taiping Rebellion doesn't help matters, him making enemies of established and skilled mercenaries in the process of protecting his interest and the women he loves. "My Splendid Concubine" is packed cover to cover with intriguing characters and plot, a must read for historical fiction fans and a fine addition to any collection on the genre."--Midwest Book Reviews

"What makes this story something other than a cliched period piece is the fact that Lofthouse drew his narrative from fragments of Hart’s own diaries which Hart himself was supposed to have burned before his death. Hart was a prodigious correspondent, and the 40 odd volumes of letters he left behind became a foundational document for modern Sinologists-including John King Fairbank-who sought reasons for modern China’s highly problematic entrance into modernity.If even half of Lofthouse’s narrative is true, it’s a stunning work that enmeshes imperialism, modernity, miscegenation and plain old desire in a sweaty matrix of destruction and painful birth."--City Weekend Magazine

I was lucky enough to be able to ask the author some questions. Here's what he had to say:

Could you please tell us a little about your book?

I hope you don’t mind if I answer this question with a quote from the commentary a Writer’s Digest judge wrote about ‘My Splendid Concubine’. It came in the mail the last week in November:

"... A fascinating illumination of nineteenth-century Chinese culture and the complex Englishman Robert Hart, the father of China’s modernization. Hart’s struggles adapting to Chinese culture, always feeling the pull and force of his Victorian British background, are compelling. His relationships with his concubine and his concubine’s sister are poignant—the novel is as much a study of the complexities of love as it is anything else. A powerful novel whose beauty exceeds that of the book’s cover."

Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?

The summer of 1999, before we were married, my wife mentioned I might be interested in the life of Sir Robert Hart. I Googled Hart and discovered that Harvard’s Council on East Asian Studies had published four volumes of Hart’s journals and letters covering most of his years in China (1854-1908). I bought and read them and was hooked. I discovered a mystery linked to a love story. Near his death in 1911, Hart burned his journals that covered almost three years starting in 1855. It isn’t a coninceidnee that he met Ayaou, his concubine, in 1855. I wanted to know why? I also wanted to recreate that love story and the China Hart sailed to.

Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?

Love between a real man and woman is the inspiration behind this book. I wanted to recreate the world of Hart and Ayaou as I imagined it but not without knowing China and the Chinese culture.

Who is your biggest supporter?

My wife who wrote the Foreword for ‘My Splendid Concubine’.

Your biggest critic?

I would have to say my wife’s agent. Without her constructive criticism in 2001, ‘My Splendid Concubine’ would have probably stayed in the first person point-of-view. I also might not have spent another seven years revising the manuscript while I continued to build my knowledge of Chinese culture and weave what I learned into the story.

What cause are you most passionate about and why?

There are so many things I’m passionate about that I don’t know where to begin. My relationships are important. Evidently, writing is near the top of that list. I also love to ski. Hiking mountains is another passion. I don’t do those last two as much as I’d like. I love to read a good book and go out to see a good movie. I love to wake up each morning and start the day. How about a night sky in the Sierras full of stars?

In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?

I spent more than the last year studying the craft of characterization. I applied what I learned to the last revision of ‘My Splendid Concubine’ before editing the grammar and mechanics. Improving writing skills should never stop.

What is the most important thing in your life right now?

My relationship with my wife.

What are you currently working on?

I’m slowly completing the final draft of ‘Our Hart’, the sequel to ‘My Splendid Concubine’. I’m also writing poetry and posting those poems at Authors Den.

In addition, I’ve been writing a memoir called ‘Word Dancer’ about one year in my life as a teacher. I kept a journal in 1994-1995, and I’m converting that.

Since we returned from China in October, I’ve been editing the final draft of my wife’s next book too.

Do you have any advice for writers or readers?

I would tell writers that you are never good enough so keep learning the craft—never stop. If you love to write and tell a story, don’t give up.

Is there an author that inspired you to write?

Ray Bradbury. In 1968, after being discharged from the Marine Corps, I went to college on the GI Bill. Bradbury gave a lecture that year at that college and I went.

What are some of your long term goals?

First: to keep writing
Second: start my own small press and publish a few deserving authors that find it next to impossible to deal with the traditional publishing establishment that seems more interested in making loads of money instead of supporting worthwhile literature.

What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?

The fact that ‘My Splendid Concubine’ is a love story based on real people. Even Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet were not real. Hart and Ayaou were real. Also, the complexity of their love story since the two lovers came from such different and alien cultures.

You know the scenario – you’re stuck on an island. What book would you bring with you and why?

One Book.
My gosh!
I would beg for more. If my request were rejected, I’d probably take ‘The Lord of the Rings’ by Tolkien. I’ve read it and seen the movie three times. I doubt if I’ll ever grow tired of Tolkien’s masterpiece. I hope they’d let me take the movies too. There better be electricity and a good DVD player on that island.

Are you a different person now than you were 5 years ago? In what way/s?

Oh, yes! Five years ago I was still in the classroom teaching. I was frustrated, sick, angry and tired all the time. I left teaching three years ago after being part of the dysfunctional public educational system for thirty years. That anger has since dissipated and dissolved. Life is better.

What is the most important lesson you have learned from life so far?

That no matter how difficult or painful life can be, all things have an ending just like a good book does. I learned how to get in touch with my inner self. I also spend some quiet time alone each day keeping that connection alive.

WIN PRIZES!

MY SPLENDID CONCUBINE VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on December 1 and end on January 30. You can visit Lloyd's blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in December and January to find out where he is appearing!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 at the end of every month!

Grit for the Oyster

About the authors:

Joanna Bloss is the author of God's Gifts for the Grad (Barbour, 2009) and has written for a variety of publications including Today's Christian Woman and Discipleship Journal. She is a certified personal trainer, graphic artist, and currently working towards her master's degree in clinical psychology. She lives in the Midwest with her four children. Keep up with her busy life at http://joannabloss.blogspot.com/.

Debora M. Coty is a seasoned raconteur (storyteller), a raqueteer (tennis player) and a racketician (loud laughter). Also a freelance writer and newspaper columnist, she’s had over eighty works published in international magazines, newspapers, trade journals and anthologies. You can visit her webwsite at http://www.deboracoty.com/.

Suzanne Woods Fisher is a wife, mother, writer, lifelong student of the Bible, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a gardener and a cook...the latter two with sporadic results. A former contributing editor to Christian Parenting Today magazine, Suzanne's work has appeared in many magazines. Her first novel, Copper Star, a World War II love story, received three literary awards. Since then, she has published two more books and has five books under contract. Suzanne is a popular retreat speaker and teaches Precepts at her church. Find Suzanne on-line at: http://www.suzannewoodsfisher.com/.

Faith Tibbetts McDonald, a former contributing editor to Christian Parenting Today magazine, a newspaper columnist, freelance writer, professional speaker, and lecturer at Pennsylvania State University, received the Reader’s Pick award for an article published in Today’s Christian Woman magazine. Faith has contributed to numerous books including Women Ask, Women Answer: Questions Women Long to Ask, Answers They Need to Know (Thomas Nelson, 2008). Faith lives with her husband and three children in Pennsylvania. Visit Faith on Facebook.

About the book:

A powerful motivator for aspiring writers, Grit for the Oyster offers wit, wisdom, and inspiration to take that first step and persevere through the writing journey. More than a how-to, this confidence-building book is designed to draw readers to a closer relationship with God, to affirm their calling to write, and to offer pithy practical guidance from successful writers like Terri Blackstock, Martha Bolton, James Scott Bell, Liz Curtis Higgs, Dr. Gary Chapman, and Kavid Kopp.

I got the chance to ask them some questions, and this is what they had to say:

Could you please tell us a little about your book?

Grit for the Oyster: 250 Pearls of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers is a powerful motivator for aspiring and experienced writers, offering wit, wisdom and inspiration to take that first step and persevere through the writing journey. There are many books that address the mechanics of writing and getting published, but not about the heart of writing.

Bestselling author Terri Blackstock calls Grit for the Oyster “A great way to start each writing day…a treasure trove of encouraging words for writers.” Award-winning author Ruth Ellinger claims Grit is “like the Writer’s Bible.”

Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?

We were motivated to write this book to share our learning experiences with others who want to write their own stories…maybe a memoir, or precious family story, or even a novel that is aching to be told. And by the responses we’re getting, there are lots of them out there.

Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?

Our greatest inspiration was a scripture taped to each of our computer desks and included in the first page of Grit for the Oyster: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,” (Zechariah 4:10). When we hit bumps in the road while writing, or got stuck in potholes, we’d go back to this verse and break the intimidating task down into accomplishable, bite-size “small beginnings.” That’s great advice for writers, you know: write something every day; length doesn’t matter.

What are you currently working on?

Suzanne has a novel, For the Love of Dogs, due out in February. Following on its heels are four contracts with Revell/Baker, stacked up like airplanes waiting to take off. The first is non-fiction, Amish Peace in an English Life, and the following three are fiction books about the Amish (titles pending).

Debora is looking forward to the release of Billowing Sails (the sequel to The Distant Shore) in 12/08, and is totally excited about Mom Needs Chocolate: Hugs, Humor and Hope for Surviving Motherhood, Regal Books’ featured Mother’s Day release in 3/09. Everyday Hope (Barbour Publishing) will follow in 8/09 and Barbour has recently initiated discussion concerning a book project for 2010.

Joanna recently pitched a novel and a non-fiction series to publishers and is completing them while awaiting replies. She has learned to be as productive as possible in the waiting time—“It keeps me from camping out next to the mailbox and frightening our mail carrier.”

Faith is waiting for replies from magazines regarding articles submitted for publication. She uses her waiting time to work on an epistolary novel with a co-worker and is also writing a book of personal essays entitled “Lose Weep, Find Keep.”

Do you have any advice for writers or readers?

When writing, it’s wise to consider starting with small, achievable goals. Magazine articles, or a book with a small publishing house. Small presses can create wonderful opportunities to build your name, learn the ropes, etc. Many terrific books are published by small presses. Good things start small.

What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?

The creation of a lustrous literary pearl takes time. And a lot of friction in your oyster. You can’t rush the process but you can prepare by learning what to expect (how the industry works), and how to deal with the fluctuating tides (success and rejection).

We asked scores of successful authors, publishers, poets, agents, and editors to share inspiration, helpful hints and writing tips with those just starting out. We posed the question: What advice would have helped you the most in the early stages of your career?

Grit for the Oyster is a book we wish we’d had access to in those early days. It’s full of useful information, real emotion, lots of smiles and a few tears, and most of all, encouragement from those in the trenches right alongside you.

What is your favorite past-time?

We’re a cross-section of Americana. Suzanne writes full time and Deb, Faith and Jo work full or part-time. All of us are freelance writers for magazines, newspapers and anthologies. Suzanne raises puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Deb’s an orthopedic occupational therapist, piano teacher, and tennis addict, Faith’s a writing instructor at Penn State University, and Joanna is a certified personal trainer and graphics artist. We are all moms and squeeze precious writing moments from full schedules. As you no doubt know, writers write. Even when you’re not physically tapping at the keyboard, ideas are marinating in your brain.

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

All of us are speakers and would be delighted to share with writing groups, women’s events or civic organizations and can be reached via www.gritfortheoyster-book.blogspot.com, our dynamic writer’s blog that is brimming with awesome tips and applicable ideas.

Debora (for southeast regions) and Suzanne (west coast) conduct critically acclaimed writing workshops for schools (kids) and adults, which are listed with other speaking engagements on our websites, www.DeboraCoty.com and www.suzannewoodsfisher.com. While you’re there, be sure to sign up for our free newsletters, which will keep you abreast of special events, contests and upcoming books.

Thank you SO much for having us! May you find lustrous pearl-producing grit for your oyster.

WIN PRIZES!

GRIT FOR THE OYSTER VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on November 3 and end on November 26. You can visit the authors' blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in November to find out more about their latest book!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 November 30!

The House On Tradd Street by Karen White

About the book:

Practical-minded Charleston realtor Melanie Middleton hates to admit that she can see ghosts—even to herself. But now she’s going to have to accept it. Because an old man she met only days ago has died, leaving Melanie his historic Tradd Street home, complete with housekeeper, dog—and a family of ghosts anxious to tell her something…

Enter Jack Trenholm, a gorgeous writer obsessed with unsolved mysteries. He has reason to believe that some diamonds that went missing from the Confederate Treasury a century ago are hidden in Melanie’s new home. So he decides to turn the charm on with the new tenant, only to discover that he’s suddenly the smitten one...

But it turns out that Jack’s search has caught the attention of a possibly malevolent ghostly presence. Now, Jack and Melanie must unravel a mystery of passion, heartbreak, and even murder. And they must hurry, for an evil force—either dead or alive—lies in wait…

Thanks so much for agreeing to an interview! I look forward to reading your responses!

Could you please tell us a little about your book?

It’s what I call my ‘Sixth Sense meets Moonlighting meets National Treasure’ book. An uptight Charleston realtor who inherits an historic and run-down home in Charleston’s historic district—along with a housekeeper, dog, and a host of ghosts eager to tell her their secrets. Oh, and she sees dead people---and teams up with a true-historical-crime mystery rider to solve the secrets of the old house.

In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?

Despite an abiding fear of deep water, I learned how to sail so I could write my last book, THE MEMORY OF WATER. I wouldn’t say I’m proficient at it, but I learned enough to understand what would draw my characters to the water on a boat.

What is the most important thing in your life right now?

Sleep! I’m the mother of two active children (and dog), my husband travels a lot, and I’m writing and promoting two novels a year. I really miss my sleep!!!

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on the sequel to THE HOUSE ON TRADD STREET. It’s entitled THE GIRL ON LEGARE and will be out in November 2009.

Do you have any advice for writers or readers?

To borrow words from Nike—JUST DO IT!! If you want to write, don’t find reasons why not. Just sit down at the computer and start writing. Really, it’s that easy! Remember—you’ll never sell a book that’s not written.

Is there an author that inspired you to write?

Diana Gabaldon. When I finished OUTLANDER I was truly inspired to create another world that would transport readers in the same way that I’d been transported by her work.

What do you feel has been your greatest achievement as an author?

Writing two full-length novels in a single year two years in a row. It’s just about killed me, but I think these books are my best work to date and I’ve seen a corresponding rise in my sales numbers.

What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?

What I feel REALLY sets this book apart is that it really is in its very own genre—or, what I’d like to think, is starting its own trend! Like all of my books, it could be considered Southern Women’s Fiction—with romance, mystery and a ghost story added to the mix.

Are you a different person now than you were 5 years ago? In what way/s?

Definitely. A lot of it comes with just getting older and with it the accompanying maturity and wisdom. I’m a lot more patient, I don’t sweat the small stuff so much, and I’m a lot easier on myself. Life is too short to worry about things I can’t change!

What is your favorite past-time?

Reading! I don’t think I could be a writers without being a voracious reader.

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

To read excerpts, enter my contest and find out more about me and my books, please visit my website at www.karen-white.com.

About the author:

Karen White marries her passion for Charleston, the architecture of the area, and its history and legends in her new novel THE HOUSE ON TRADD STREET, the story of a real estate agent who, though she specializes in homes in the city’s historic area, detests them. To do so, Karen had to conjure up and face a universal horror—renovation. Unlike her recent book, The Memory Of Water, for which she physically confronted her lifelong fear of deep water for the sake of research, this time out she enjoyed a metaphorical wallow in the joys associated with restoring a one hundred and fifty year old house and garden and let her characters deal with the pain.

White’s protagonists face everything from a leaky roof, old fountains, and cracked cornices to overgrown flowerbeds, paint chipped ceilings, disintegrating plaster and warped floorboards. For herself she saved the best. Her research included luxurious strolls on the streets of Charleston, sampling and choosing restaurants such as Magnolias, Gaulart & Malicelet, Cru Café, Blossom and Anson for her characters to enjoy. Rumor has it she also did a bit of shopping at RTW on King Street and spent an afternoon on the Battery visiting White Point Gardens. Relishing the architecture and choosing among Victorians, Federals, Colonial Revivals, Queen Anne, Dutch Colonials and others, along with the amazing range of colors and appointments, Karen eventually placed the house at the center of her story at “55 Tradd Street” in the downtown historic district and, inspired by an actual house on that street, imagined it as a Federal style single family home.

Italian and French by ancestry, a southerner and a story teller by birth, White has moved around quite a bit in her life. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she has also lived in Texas, New Jersey, Louisiana, Georgia, Venezuela and England, where she attended the American School in London. She returned to the states for college and graduated from New Orleans’ Tulane University. Hailing from a family with roots firmly set in Mississippi (the Delta and Biloxi), White notes that “searching for home brings me to the south again and again.” She and her family now live near Atlanta.

It was love at first sight when White first visited Charleston and South Carolina’s lowcountry in 1995. She says it was “inevitable” that she would set several novels in the area, as she did with 2005’s The Color of Light, which Booklist praises as “an accomplished novel about loss and renewal.” Three years later, she returned to the there with The Memory Of Water and, now, to Charleston with THE HOUSE ON TRADD STREET. Her love of the southern coast shows no sign of abating. Her next novel, The Lost Hours (May 09) is set in and around Savannah.

Karen White’s work has appeared on the South East Independent Booksellers best sellers list. Her recent novel The Memory of Water, was the Borders Books and Atlanta & Company’s Book Club Selection for May, topped off at the end of the month with their live, television interview with Karen. The Memory of Water, which is well reviewed in Atlanta Magazine and an array of other print and online book media, and was adopted by numerous independent booksellers as a book club recommendation and as a featured title in their store. It’s been back to press five times since its March 2008 publication, the first time within its first four weeks on sale. It is one of NAL/Accent’s fastest selling titles.

Adding to the excitement of The Memory of Water’s March 2008 debut, was the resounding, continued recognition achieved by White’s 2007 novel Learning to Breathe. This spring Learning to Breathe was honored with a National Readers’ Choice Award, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and the Virginia Romance Writers HOLT Medallion. It was also named a finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s Award for Best Novel, the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence and the Georgia Author of the Year Award.

White credits years spent listening to adults visiting in her grandmother’s Mississippi kitchen, sharing stories and gossiping while she played under the table, with starting her on the road to telling her own tales. The deal was sealed in the seventh grade when she skipped school and read Gone With The Wind. She knew—just knew—she was destined to grow up to be either Scarlet O’Hara or a writer.

In addition to THE HOUSE ON TRADD STREET, White’s previous novels include Learning to Breathe, Pieces of the Heart, and The Color of Light.

THE HOUSE ON TRADD STREET VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on November 3 and end on November 26. You can visit Karen's blog stops at www.virtualbooktoursforauthors.wordpress.com in November to find out more about her latest book!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 our main blog at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.wordpress.com on November 30!

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein Interview

About the Author:

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein is the originator of The Enchanted Self(R). She has been a positive psychologist in private practice and licensed in the states of New Jersey and Massachusetts since 1981. She is currently in private practice in Long Branch, New Jersey with her husband, Dr. Russell M. Holstein.

The magic of the human spirit, with its capacity for survival, growth and joy, has always intrigued Dr. Barbara. As years went by and her practice grew, she longed to explore adult development even further--specifically how to overcome obstacles and bring pleasure into one’s life while living a life of meaning and purpose.

She began to document certain steps necessary to rekindle our talents, strengths and lost potential which she teaches and has labeled The Enchanted Self. Her research on women (not in her practice) initially focused around the negative messages that these women had received in childhood from their families and environment. However, she soon discovered that there was a magical capacity within these women to reinvent themselves in adulthood even with childhood experiences of internalized negative messages.

Taking this information back to the treatment room, Dr. Holstein discovered that her clients thrived when she helped them glean from their memories what was positive in their past, rather than focusing on the negative elements. She also discovered that affirming her clients' talents, coping skills, interests, longings, wishes, and even dormant potential, ultimately led to each client flowering, regardless of real problems and issues. She has helped many, many clients and the public overcome adversity and discover that life is worth living. Her methods help people have more positive emotions while understanding how to cope with daily living, so that it is indeed a good life. Mental wellness combined with a true understanding of how to retrieve and recreate positive states of mind again and again are top goals for Dr. Holstein.

Dr. Barbara saw that she was committed, also, to bringing to the world the techniques she developed to help people access their Enchanted Selves. These core principles and techniques, called the Gateways To Happiness have brought insight and inspiration to countless women. Dr. Holstein believes that no one should be denied hope or a joyful life. Yes, happiness takes work, but no more work than living a life without hope, repeating negative thoughts and habits that lead to a life that feels less than inspiring.

Her book The Enchanted Self, A Positive Therapy was published in 1997 by Harwood Academic Publishers and is now in its second printing through Brunner-Routledge. This book is Dr. Holstein's pathfinder book where she outlines the best in Positive Psychology treatment techniques, two years before the term was coined!

Her second book Recipes for Enchantment, The Secret Ingredient is YOU! has received rave reviews as a wonderful inspirational story book with space to journal.

There Comes A Time In Every Woman's Life for DELIGHT is Dr. Holstein's third book. This book takes the reader on a spiritual adventure with Dr. Holstein. Reader's love this book, getting to experience first hand celebrations and adventures that rekindle their own spirit of adventure. In two versions, paperback and a CD-rom version that includes music, art, and Dr. Holstein's voice, either is sure to be a 'Delight.'

Dr. Barbara speaks regularly on radio programs around the country, and appears on television in New York and New Jersey. Her inspiring audio shows and podcasts can be found on the web. Her articles and stories appear on the web on hundreds of sites. She also gives lectures, seminars, and tele-classes on happiness. Listen to her e-radio show, The Enchanted Self on http://www.ladybuglive.com/. Also, listen to her e-radio show, Happiness for Women Only! on http://www.internetvoicesradio.com/

Her newest book, The Truth, I'm Ten, I'm Smart and I Know Everything! is another first in positive psychology. Written by a ten-year-old girl as a diary, Dr. Barbara has been able to imbed lots of positive truths that we all need to remember and live by, regardless of our age.

The girl's edition, titled: The Truth, (I'm a girl, I'm smart and I know everything)http://www.enchantedself.com/.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Barbara - here's what she had to say:

Could you please tell us a little about your book?

“The Truth: I'm a Girl, I'm Smart, and I Know Everything,” is written as a diary by a young girl. She starts off ten years old, and the book ends when she is almost twelve. Through the course of the book, the reader learns the girl’s thoughts on everything from bad language to her first love, from her parents’ fights to how she will stay true to her dreams as a grownup. The pages are filled with simple truths, wise and innocent at the same time. Girls, tweens, and teens love the reinforcement they gain from The Truth’s diary entries. They also enjoy really connecting to the girl and finding out how she solves a personal mystery involved in growing up. Parents love the opportunity to finally have a fun way to discuss with their kids so many issues around growing up.

Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?

Rather than something specific, it was a build up of all my knowledge and wisdom as a positive psychologist, as well as my own introspection. I began to realize that there is so much energy and wisdom in kids that goes by the wayside as we grow up. We forget who we were and what our own potential really is. We even forget the promises we have made to ourselves about correcting things when we grow up. I wanted to find a way to help kids feel safe and excited to hold on to the best of themselves and grown-ups to find a way to get back to the best of themselves from when they were kids. Fiction and a girl's voice began to emerge as the best way to do this.

Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?

The inspiration behind this book is the memories I carry of being 10 and 11, the memories shared by my clients of the child they were, and the actual children I have worked with over 25 years as a psychologist.

Who is your biggest supporter?

That is a good question. I guess myself. My husband is second. I say myself because I have carried these 'truths' inside of myself for 20 years and persisted in finding ways to bring them to the public. I have had to really believe in myself again and again and what I have to teach others. My husband because he has financially been there for me.

Your biggest critic?

Rather than being aware of a critic I am aware of people who are indifferent that I wish were interested in my books. My first book, The Enchanted Self, A Positive Therapy, is extremely well written and very deep. Many people that I had hoped would read it haven't. I think because it is dense. It has profound things to say and says them. I'm pleased that in The Truth (I'm a girl, I'm smart and I know everything) I have finally found ways to say profound things in simple ways.

What cause are you most passionate about and why?

I am most passionate about helping women feel good about themselves, seeing themselves in a positive light, taking time to meet their own needs and being proud of the story of their own lives. Of course, girls, tweens and teens get included, as that passionate response to one's own gifts has to be held on to from childhood on.

Do you have any rituals you follow when finishing a piece of work?

After my first book I bought a pair of earrings. Since then I haven't done anything special except breath a sigh of relief. I think I am due some treats!

Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?

I don't feel that there is one person who has most influenced me in my career as a writer. I've had some mentors and I've enjoyed reading books by certain authors, but my greatest insights and influences have come from my own introspection and my own spiritual and emotional journey. Now, that I've said the above, I would say my clients have been my greatest influence as a writer as they have shone me the pain, pleasures and passions of being a human being. They have also reminded me again and again of how many talents we each have, yet how easily we can get discouraged. Every day by just being themselves they help me stay focused on my life work to increase hope, resiliency, and happiness.

What is the most important thing in your life right now?

Aside from time with family and friends, good health ,personal happiness and peace in the world, I would say the most important thing in my life is the success of The Truth (I'm a girl, I'm smart and I know everything) and the anticipated sequels in the Truth Series. This book is a major part of my life's work, so it stays right in the forefront of everyday.

What are you currently working on?

I am working on the sequel in which the girl goes from 12-14. I am also working on a Chinese version for China, which is a little different. The girl ages from 11-14 in the book and a lot of the diary focuses on her schooling and other related interests, such as playing the violin, which I didn't incorporate in the American version.

Do you have any advice for writers or readers?

If you are a writer-keep writing. Never let it go. If you are a reader, be selective and truly enjoy what you read for pleasure. If you don't like a book, unless you are reading it for a course, don't always finish it. Find another one. There are plenty out there.

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

Please come and find me at

www.enchantedself.com, www.enchantedself.com/blog, www.thetruthforgirls.com and www.positivepsychologyforwomen.com I'm delighted to be interviewed by you. Your questions were great. Thanks so much. And to everyone-never let go of your passion!

About the Book:

My new book, THE TRUTH, (I’m a girl, I’m smart and I know everything) is a delightful, humorous secret diary, written by a girl who is 10-11years of age. She is wise and yet so innocent. She makes us laugh and cry and know that we are secretly heroines. This easy read for girls, (the mother’s edition has a different introduction, different questions at the end, and some pages that are slightly more sophisticated) has within it a psychological message for girls, that they can and must hold on to the best of themselves as they grow up. Girls love the book and so do their mothers. Girls recognize themselves and finally feel totally understood while their moms remember themselves, feel closer to their daughters and everyone has lots to talk about.


THE TRUTH VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR NOV '08 will officially begin on November 3 and end on November 26. You can visit Dr. Barbara's blog stops at http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in November to find out more about their latest book!

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 will be announced on November 30 at http://pumpupyourbookpromotion.wordpress.com/!

Interview with Dianne Ascroft, author of Hitler and Mars Bars

Paperback: 340 pages
Publisher: Trafford Publishing (March 20, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1425145914
ISBN-13: 978-1425145910



About the book:



Erich's first home is Goldschmidthaus, a Children's Home near Essen. He lives for visits with his beloved mother and longs for the day he will live with her. He is distraught when, after a heavy bombing raid, her visits abruptly cease.



After the war he finds himself, with hundreds of other German children, transported across Europe to escape the appalling conditions in their homeland. Operation Shamrock brings Erich and his brother, Hans, to a new life in Ireland but with different families.



During the next few years Erich experiences the best and worst of Irish life. Living in a string of foster families, he finds love and acceptance in some and indifference and brutality in others. At Daddy Davy's he finds a loving home and is re-united with his brother. But his brief taste of happiness is dashed by circumstances he cannot control.



This is the story of a German boy growing up alone in Ireland. He dreams of finding his mother. He yearns for a family who will love and keep him forever. He learns his brother is his ally not his rival. Plucky and resilient he surmounts the challenges his ever changing world presents.



Set in Germany's industrialised Ruhr Valley during the Second World War and post-war rural Ireland this book evokes a little known episode in German and Irish history. It is a moving tale of a German child caught in war's vicelike grip and flung into a new land to grow and forge a new life.



I was fortunate enough to be able to interview Diane, and pick her brain a little. Here's what she had to say.



Could you please tell us a little about your book?



‘Hitler and Mars Bars’ is the story of a German boy, Erich, growing up in war-torn Germany and post-war rural Ireland. It’s set against the backdrop of Operation Shamrock, a little known Irish Red Cross project which aided German children after World War II. It’s a fascinating look at a previously hidden slice of Irish and German history.



Erich, growing up in Germany’s embattled Ruhr area during World War II, knows only war and deprivation. His mother disappears after a heavy bombing raid and he is left responsible for his younger brother, Hans. After the war the Red Cross transports the boys to Ireland, along with hundreds of other children, to recuperate from the devastating conditions in their homeland. During the next few years Erich moves around Ireland, through a string of foster families. He experiences indifference, brutality, love and acceptance in varying degrees. Plucky and resilient, Erich confronts head on every challenge he meets.



Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?



Yes - I met a man who told me about his unusual childhood. This man was one of the German children helped by Operation Shamrock. He was brought to Ireland when he was very young and Irish foster families reared him. His life story opened up a new aspect of Irish and German history for me - one that has been overlooked in history books. I was very curious about Operation Shamrock and began researching it. I searched every source I could find and spoke to people who had participated in the project - the children themselves, their foster families, neighbours, friends and classmates. When I finished my research I wrote an article for an Irish magazine, Ireland’s Own, about the experiences of one child who participated in the endeavour. I intended to leave it there but family members urged me to use my research to create a novel.



Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?



The people who participated in Operation Shamrock were the inspiration behind my writing. I spent a lot of time researching the project and acquired quite a bit of material. For a history lover, like me, it was exciting to uncover little known facts but I also encountered amazing people (in person and in others’ recollections) - men and women who had survived the horrendous conditions in World War II Germany and kind, generous people who opened their homes to them. It was these individual’s stories that moved me and captured my imagination. After I’d written the article for Ireland’s Own and I thought I was finished with my research, I still had impressions and images of these people filling my head. So, a little prompting from my family set the wheels in motion and I began writing. BBC broadcaster and journalist, Brian D’Arcy, when he reviewed my book, understood that individuals’ experiences were the foundation for my story. He commented that the book was ‘beautifully written with a strong human element running through it’.



Who is your biggest supporter?



My mother was my biggest supporter. She was always quietly confident that I could do anything I set my mind to, including writing. While I was writing ‘Hitler and Mars Bars’ she would often urge me to hurry up and finish the book so she could show it to her friends at the nursing home where she lived. She died a couple months before the final edit was completed; I’ve dedicated the book to her.



Your biggest critic?



My husband is never afraid to give an honest opinion - praise or criticism. I can always trust him to tell me what he really thinks of any piece of writing.



Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?



Writers who capture the humanity of their characters have the greatest impact on me. Maeve Binchy, Adriana Trigiani, Jodi Picoult and Diana Gabaldon create believable characters who I would like to meet in real life. I enjoy reading their stories because they bring their characters to life and they have inspired me to aim for this in my own writing. Hopefully I have learned from reading the work of these writers and the ‘strong human element’ Brian D’Arcy referred to, in his review of my book, is evident in all my writing.



What is the most important thing in your life right now?



Finding a balance between my writing and my relationships is my priority at this point in my life. Writing takes a lot of time and I want to devote the time to it. I have so many ideas and I want to work on them. But I also have a supportive husband and I need to spend adequate time with him. There’s also my good friends, who have backed my book wholeheartedly, and I don’t want to neglect them either. More hours in each day would definitely help!



What are you currently working on?



I recently completed a short story, ‘A World Apart’, about moving from the city to the country and adapting to a new lifestyle. Although it’s fiction, it draws on my own experiences of moving from Toronto, a metropolis, to a small farm in Northern Ireland. It will be published in the Fermanagh Miscellany 2 due to be released in December.



I’ve also been busy promoting ‘Hitler and Mars Bars’ since it was released in March. So most of my writing has centred on answering interview questions and writing guest posts for other people’s websites. But I have some ideas in my head for a sequel to the book. I will have to start jotting them down, get organised and start writing.



What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?



‘Hitler and Mars Bars’ is different from other historical fiction novels, set during the Second World War era, because it is based on a slice of history that, as far as I’m aware, has never been written about before. The Irish Red Cross project, Operation Shamrock, has never featured in any other novel. Also, no other novel explores Irish life in quite the same way. There have been many books written that nostalgically recall the people and way of life in rural Ireland half a century ago. Maeve Binchy in ‘Light a Penny Candle’, Alice Taylor and Michael McLaverty all capture country and village life well. But none of them look at Ireland from the point of view of an outsider who does not speak English when he first arrives. My novel looks at the same people and places but through a foreign child’s eyes. It’s a unique window into this bygone era.



If you could go back and change one day, what would it be?



I don’t think I’d want to mess with world events - I wouldn’t know where to start. But, on a personal level, I would change the day my mother died. She would have been pleased if she had lived to see ‘Hitler and Mars Bars’ in print.



Are you a different person now than you were 5 years ago? In what way/s?



Five years ago we moved from an urban area to a small farm in Northern Ireland. In those five years I’ve been learning to live in a small, close knit community. I haven’t discarded my own ethos but I’ve added to it. I’ve slowed down a bit and discovered a more relaxed, people centred lifestyle. I’m not amazed anymore when I walk down the street in the nearest market town and meet someone I know. And I know my workmates will understand if I stop to talk and am late back to work after lunch. It’s a less stressful way to live and I like it.



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



I’d like to briefly introduce you to Erich, the main character in ‘Hitler and Mars Bars’. Irrepressible is a good word to describe him. He gets into mischief but he doesn’t mean any harm. Dennis the Menace and Erich would be best friends if they met. Readers have told me that they like Erich because he isn’t romanticised; he behaves like a real child. Erich is a fighter but not in the brawling sense of the word. Before he’s even school age he has already survived a war and circumstances that most adults never face yet he is hopeful and resilient. He’s not easily cowed and doesn’t give up, even in the times when life just seems to get worse. Erich is fiercely loyal to the people he loves. Because he feels so deeply, he is also easily hurt by any perceived betrayals. He finds it hard to forgive and can hate as intensely as he loves. Impassivity is not part of his character. Erich will awaken the reader’s parental instincts to love and discipline him in equal measures. If you have not met Erich yet, please make his acquaintance in ‘Hitler and Mars Bars’.






To learn more about Dianne, please visit her blog at http://dianneascroft.wordpress.com

Lisa Jackson Book Spotlight and Author Interview

Book Synopsis:

NOTHING'S MORE TERRIFYING...
One by one, the victims are carefully captured, toyed with, then subjected to a slow and agonizing death. Piece by piece, his exquisite plan takes shape. The police can't yet see the beauty in his work--but soon, very soon, they will...

THAN BEING LEFT ALONE...
In the lonely woods around Grizzly Falls, Montana, four bodies have been discovered. Detectives Selena Alvarez and Regan Pescoli have been hoping for a career-making case, but this is a nightmare. Even with the FBI involved, Selena and Regan have nothing to go on but a killer's cryptic notes, and the unsettling knowledge that there is much worse to come...

TO DIE...
When Jillian Rivers opens her eyes, she's trapped in a mangled car. Then a stranger, claiming to be a trail guide named Zane MacGregor, pries her free. Though she's grateful, something about him sets Jillian on edge. And if she knew what lay out there in the woods of Montana, she'd be truly terrified. Because someone is waiting...watching...poised to strike and make Jillian the next victim...

To read my review of this book, please click here.

I was fortunate to be able to ask this New York Times Bestselling author some questions...what a treat!


Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer? In what way?

My sister got me started. She had the wild idea that we could write romance novels. Originally I thought she was crazy, but we gave it a shot. I was influenced more by inner ambition and the need to keep the wolf away from the door than any one person.

Do you write everyday?

Almost every day. Depends on where I am in the book and what else is going on in my life. But yes, especially when I'm under deadline, then it's almost round the clock.

What has been your greatest achievement as a writer?

As a writer? Hmmm. Maybe hitting the #1 New York Times position. It's been a real thrill.

Have you always wanted to be a writer, or did you aspire to be something else growing up?

I wanted to be a writer, but thought it was a pipe dream. I was an English major in college and worked in banks. I thought I'd be a teacher, but that didn't work out and the writing thing took precedence.

Are you currently working on anything?

I'm finishing my next hardcover, MALICE, for Kensington Publishing. It's the sequel to LOST SOULS and features one of my most popular characters, Rick Bentz of the New Orleans Police Department. After a near-fatal accident, Bentz believes that his dead first wife is alive. MALICE will be available in April 2009, right after WICKED GAME, a romantic suspense novel I co-wrote with my sister, Nancy Bush.

What authors do you enjoy reading?

I read my sister, Nancy Bush, Tami Hoag, Dan Brown, Michael Connelly, Harlan Coben, Stephen King, Sue Monk Kidd, William Lashner, John Grogan, whatever or whoever strikes my fancy.

Is there a particular author/s (yourself excluded) who you feel don't get the recognition they deserve?

I don't know.

What is your favorite book?

I've got several: The Stand, by Stephen King, MARLEY AND ME by John Grogan, FATAL FLAW by William Lashner, REBECCA by Daphne duMaurier, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and most of Harlan Coben's stand alones, THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hosseini was incredible. I look for anything that lasts a long time on the bestseller lists.

What is a book that has been highly acclaimed but you haven't liked (I know, this is a tough one to answer)?

Not tough at all for me. WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Bronte. . . never did "get" it. Loved JANE EYRE by her sister Charlotte.

What word or phrase do you feel is overused?

"Like" as "Said." For example, "He was 'like' "no way."

Growing up in the era you did, do you have a favorite song that reflects on your beliefs/feelings?

What? Are you kidding? Just about every protest song. "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" is great or "Blowin' In The Wind" or "Turn, Turn, Turn." I also think "Forever Young" has a great message. Yeah, that would have to be it. Incredible lyrics. However, these are not my favorite dance tunes.

Is there a show on tv that you feel is really must see?

LOST!! Love the characters and I'm not into sci-fi!

Is there a character in a book or movie that you can relate to?

Oh, lots, but I love Jane Kelly in the Jane Kelly Mystery Series . . . written by Nancy Bush, my sister.

If you could trade spots with anyone and live the life they lived, who would it be?

No one.

75 books...WOW! Do you have any hobbies?

I'm old. Been doin' this a while. Hanging with friends, crossword puzzles, dogs, walks.

Do you work on more than one book at a time? If so, is it difficult to keep the stories straight?

I write one book at a time but sometimes plot others. It's very difficult to keep all the characters straight.




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