Bloggin' Authors

Monday, March 18, 2019

Walking the Walk by Annette Leeds @find1cure #guest #biography #memoir #cancer

Walking the Walk

—Annette Leeds, author of

The Other Side of Cancer: Living Life with My Dying Sister and Founder of Find1Cure.com.

Cancer is not limited to those diagnosed. It affects family, friends, and even co-workers. I witnessed cancer up-close and personal. It is emotionless, unbiased, and destroys lives. After a long year of living with my sister, Theresa, who succumbed to advanced stage pancreatic cancer in 2016, I sat down with the journal I’d kept to keep track of every single day of the last year of her life and wrote The Other Side of Cancer: Living Life with My Dying Sister.

In one year, Theresa had endured so much pain and sickness from cancer. Yet, she forged through with laughter, determined not to let it steal her joy. Can you believe she planned her daughter’s wedding? As children, I looked up to her and as adults, I envied her. She made amends with people. Our one-hundred-pounds Boxer, Riley, became Theresa’s guard dog, remaining close by her side. I sensed he took his job very seriously, keeping an eye out for anyone trying to take her from us. When her bedroom door was ajar, I listened to her talking to him in a quiet voice, and I could hear his dog tags jingle when she rubbed the back of his neck. “Keep me safe, Riley,” she said. “Don’t leave me.” About Riley, she often said, “He’s coming with me.” She was right. Months after Theresa passed, Riley passed, too. He waited for her to go first.

When I reflect, I think about Dolly Parton’s song, “I Hope You Dance.” Theresa did just that, she danced to her own beat. To celebrate my sister’s life, I founded Find1Cure.com. My dream is to start a “comfort” home for people who have elevated to hospice care. I want to bring awareness and reassurance to those suffering from this callous disease and the loved ones who help fight the fight. I want to do whatever I can, not only in the name of my big sister, Theresa, but for the many men and women who valiantly and courageously fight the fight.

About the Author

Annette Leeds is a literary journalist. Born Annette Marie Guardino to her mother who is Belgian and father who is Sicilian, she is a native Californian and the youngest of six children. Being quite creative, Annette’s strong desire to write led her to her first book, a psychological drama, followed by two television comedy scripts. She has had other entrepreneurial ventures, including a logo sportswear clothing line.

Her latest book is her biography/memoir, The Other Side of Cancer: Living Life with My Dying Sister.

Email: annetteleedsauthor@gmail.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/find1cure

Instagram: https://linktr.ee/annetteleedsauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annetteleedsauthor

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/AnnetteLeads

FB Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/annetteleedsauthor

Pearl Page Reading: https://www.audioacrobat.com/note/CP8kxyzX

About the Book:

Title: THE OTHER SIDE OF CANCER: LIVING LIFE WITH MY DYING SISTER
Author: Annette Leads
Publisher: Find1Cure
Pages: 194
Genre: Biography/Memoir

BOOK BLURB:

The Other Side of Cancer: Living Life with My Dying Sister is a passionate story of two sisters and their extraordinary bond and friendship reignited in the face of cancer.

Theresa conquered many hurdles in her lifetime, with victorious highs and shattering lows, but at fifty-four years old, she took on the biggest challenge of her life: advanced stage pancreatic cancer. Like most families, there are those times when moments in life tend to strain or burden relationships. Theresa chose humor in the face of death. Confronting her fate with grace, she taught everyone the true meaning of living life without regret. To those who loved her, she gave an amazing gift—showing them how to move past the sadness and truly enjoy the precious time she had left.

Annette, her baby sister, didn’t realize her strength until she held her sister’s life in her hands. As a writer, she did the one thing she thought would have the most impact. She picked up a notebook and chronicled the journey with Theresa, revealing the strength and inspiration of an amazing woman.

The two siblings shared a room as kids, and in the end, it was the same. A week or so before Theresa died, she told Annette, “This has been the best year of my life.” Most people would have thought she was crazy, but her little sister knew exactly what she meant.

Read more and order your copy: http://annetteleeds.com/books

Available in hardcover and eBook on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com

# Guest Posts

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

#Interview with A.L. Bryant, Author of Blessed: The Prodigal Daughter @albryanthsw #supernatural #Christian #Thriller #Horror

thewriterslife 12:00 AM 0 Comments

“Glory sat up sharply. A full minute passed before she stopped gasping and coughing. She had made some progress in controlling the duration of her illusions. Standing, she dusted herself off and picked up her cellphone. From what she could tell, she was underground in a place that resembled a dungeon carved from the rock that the mansion had been built on. It was large and dark. There was no place for light to shine through, so even during the daytime, the room would still be pitch black.”

--From Blessed: The Prodigal Daughter by A.L. Bryant

A.L. Bryant was born and raised in St. Petersburg FL. She became interested in writing at an early age; an interest that depending on the circumstance brought punishment (detention for passing out the latest installment of her novella during class) and praise (being chosen for a youth writers conference at the Poynter Institute.) A.L. Bryant gets her inspiration from both her mother and her Great Grandmother. Her mother recently published an inspirational children’s book under a pseudonym and her great grandmother is South Carolina’s first published African-American female author and playwright.

Until recently writing had simply been a pastime for A.L. Bryant who although she attended several writing courses, graduated with a B.A. in International Business. It was shortly after her second job as a Financial Office Manager at a Goodwill correctional facility that she realized she loved writing more than anything else. It would still be some years before she would convert the short story she wrote in college into a novel.

Besides writing, A.L. Bryant loves traveling the world. God has blessed her with the opportunity to visit a total of seven countries. She has studied abroad in Seoul and has traveled throughout Kenya; two locations she researched for her Blessed series. Her dream is to visit every country in the world.

Her latest book is the supernatural Christian thriller horror novel, Blessed: The Prodigal Daughter.

Book Description:

On New Year’s Eve 2021 the staff at St. Ann’s Hospital witness a medical miracle when a semi-conscious woman walks into the emergency room. The Jane Doe has been stabbed multiple times and as the staff struggle to keep the woman alive in the end all they can do is stand back and watch as their mysterious patient revives herself.

Glory wakes up in St. Ann’s Hospital gravely injured from an attack she cannot remember. However, her memory loss is no ordinary amnesia and she is no ordinary patient. Much to the shock of the hospital staff Glory heals at three times the rate of an average person. Soon the administration hears of her unique case and waste no time convincing the recovering Glory to be a part of an experiment to discover the origins of her power.

Once outside the comforting walls of the hospital it becomes apparent that healing is just a small portion of Glory’s capabilities. Abilities that to Glory’s distress are becoming increasingly unstable. Deciding that the hospital’s experiments are in vain, Glory embarks on her own Journey to discover the source of her power, unaware that she is a major pawn in a war between two secret organizations.

The two syndicates continue to clash in their fight for control and their battles result in several casualties. The crimes of their warfare surface and draw the attention of Dennis Wilson, a NYPD Detective known for solving his cases in the first forty-eight hours. Dennis follows the trail of bodies out of curiosity. But when his curiosity causes the deaths of his loved ones Detective Dennis becomes obsessed with the case.

In his overzealous attempts to find the murderer Dennis becomes the syndicates’ next target. Now the Detective must run for his life and the only person capable of saving him is the very person he suspects.

Blessed: The Prodigal Daughter is a hybrid of government espionage and supernatural Thriller. This novel is intended for audiences 18+ that seek an edgier outlook on Christian fiction. Blessed: The Prodigal Daughter is the first installment of the Blessed trilogy.

Interview:

Welcome, A.L.! Your first installment of the Blessed series sounds exciting! Can you tell us how you came up with the idea?

A.L.: Thank you! I wanted to play around with the notion of a spiritual being (or someone more in tune with spirituality) living in a natural world. A world that only acknowledges the natural. What struggles would someone like that face? How would they cope? COULD they cope when, according to the world they live in, their very existence is a lie?

Can you tell us a little about the main characters in Blessed: The Prodigal Daughter?

A.L.: This is the first installment of a trilogy so it introduces a lot of Characters, but the main characters would have to be Glory and Detective Wilson. Glory is a Stoic character with a lot of layers beneath her deliberate nature. Her character starts out a bit dry. As the reader you get to see her slowly unravel as things happen to and around her that she doesn't fully understand.

Detective Wilson is a cynical NYPD cop that's very good at his job but by his own admittance his proficiency has more to do with his obsessive nature than anything else. He can be a little rough around the edges but he actually has a good heart.

They say all books of fiction have at least one pivotal point where the reader just can’t put the book down. What is one of the pivotal points in your book?

A.L.: Well If I am to be honest, I would love it if readers of Blessed would not want to put the book down from the beginning. But for me the pivotal moment is when Glory decides to go out on her own. This is when tensions are building in every story arch and there is a noticeable change in tone.

Do you proofread and edit your work on your own or pay someone to do it for you?

A.L.: Unless you are an editor yourself it is imperative that you hire someone. I've had three editors, and their catches and suggestions have been invaluable. It can get expensive, but typically it takes at least a year to write a full-on novel and usually more than that for your first novel, so... save your Pennies!

Do you believe a book cover plays an important role in the selling process?

A.L.: As much as I love the sentiment and the good advice of "Never judge a book by its cover," I am realistic and believe we as consumers do just that. Let's be honest in this day and age we're all very busy; the world moves at an accelerated pace. Because time is limited and more importantly choices are vast, people are looking for a quick way to determine if something is worth their time and money.

What did you want to become when you were a kid?

A.L.:

-A neurosurgeon - don't ask me why.

-A secretary – when I was younger I began reading my grandmother’s Harlequin Presents novels (which I still love to this day) dated in the 70s and the 80s and all the secretaries in those books got the dashing men.

-A business mogul - because someone told me they spend most of their lives travelling. For as long as I can remember my goal has been to visit every country in the world.

Do your novels carry a message?

A.L.: Yes. I believe most stories do, intentionally or unintentionally. It's very hard to write something and completely withhold yourself from the story; and every person is made up of opinions, alternative points of view, and life lessons. Some of that essence will make its way into your writing. I think it is more important to have that message, but allow every reader to take from your novel whatever speaks to them.

Is there anything you’d like to tell your readers and fans?

A.L.: Writing is truly a labor of love. I will never feel as though Blessed is done or can't be improved in some small way. For those who have taken the time to share in this Journey with me, I hope I entertained you and I appreciate each and every one of you!

# AUTHOR INTERVIEWS

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

The Morning Mind: Use Your Brain to Master Your Day and Supercharge Your Life

thewriterslife 12:00 AM 0 Comments

The Morning Mind: Use Your Brain to Master Your Day and Supercharge Your Life

A new day is dawning. As the sun rises, so do new opportunities to grow, develop, and improve. Are you raring to go in the morning, eager to jump out of bed and welcome a new day? Or are you hitting the snooze button, resentful of getting up to another day of tedium? Either way, how you start your morning is a decision you make every single day. What if you could become the master of your mornings and establish a routine that supports you not just in waking up but also in defining and creating the life you want? This book was written to help you make better choices about your mornings, wake up early and happy, and create the most fulfilling and empowering start to your day.

Building a solid foundation for beginning your day will help you achieve success in every area of your life. The hours of the morning are the most critical time of the day, and to optimize them we first must be aware of our internal 24-hour clock (circadian rhythm) and its role in our brain function. In fact, there is an ongoing biological battle between regions of our brain, senses, and nervous system that plays a vital role in determining whether we can successfully establish new and empowering morning routines. Our objective is to learn to master our morning and the rest of the day efficiently. Each brain region is vital to overall performance in life, and they are all interconnected and so are dependent on one another. Much of humanity is entirely unaware of the shortcomings of the structure and function of this most vital organ. Learning to master your psychology through a better understanding of neuroscience will empower you in more ways than you could ever imagine. To begin, you must become aware of the conflict between two internal forces in your brain. These two forces are the Lizard and the Wizard, and both of them live inside your head.

About the Authors

Dr. Rob Carter III, PhD, MPH, is a native of Lake Charles, LA, an US Army officer, an adjunct professor of emergency medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center, and an expert on human physiology and performance. Dr. Carter has a doctorate in biomedical sciences and medical physiology, and a master of public health in chronic disease epidemiology. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, abstracts, and technical reports, and his research has been covered in news outlets such as The Washington Post, Fox News and USA Today.

Kirti Salwe Carter, MBBS, MPH, received her medical education in India, where she practiced as an intensive-care physician before moving to Texas to complete postgraduate training in public health. In 2010, she received her master of public health in occupational health from The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. She also has done graduate studies in integrative physiology. Dr. Carter has more than 18 years of experience in meditation and breathing techniques and leads popular wellness seminars.

Dr. Robert Carter III, FACSM, FAIS was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He is a US Army officer, an expert in integrative human physiology and performance and has academic appointments in emergency medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, in public health and health sciences at Los Angeles Pacific University, and in nutrition at the University of Maryland, University College. Dr. Carter completed military assignments in Germany, France, Afghanistan, Washington, DC, and the White House as a military social aide for the Obama administration.

He holds a doctorate in biomedical sciences and medical physiology, and a master of public health in chronic disease epidemiology. Selected as a Yerby Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dr. Carter received his postgraduate training in environmental epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. He serves on several scientific editorial boards, is a reviewer for 14 scientific and medical journals, and is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (FACSM) and the American Institute of Stress (FAIS). Carter is also Thermal Councilor for the Exercise and Environmental Committee of the American Physiological Society.

He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, abstracts and technical reports on human performance, breath-based meditation, nutrition, human water needs, trauma, and environmental medicine in noted publications such as The New England Journal of Medicine, The Journal of the American Medical Association, Nutrition Reviews and the Journal of Applied Physiology.

Dr. Kirti Salwe Carter, FAIS, was born in Pune, India, and received her medical education in India, where she practiced as an intensive-care physician before moving to Texas to complete postgraduate training in public health. In 2010, she received her master of public health in occupational health from The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. She also has done graduate studies in integrative physiology.

Carter is a Fellow of the American Institute of Stress (FAIS). She has more than 18 years of experience in meditation and breathing techniques, and has been facilitating wellness seminars for the past decade. Her work has been instrumental in bringing stress-management and resilience programs not only to the general population but also to corporate employees, educators, middle school and university students, and to special populations such as refugees in violence-prone areas and victims of military sexual trauma.

She is passionate about researching the effectiveness of breathing and meditation techniques to improve human performance. Dr. Carter has published her research on human performance, ergonomics, and breath-based meditation in periodicals such as the World Journal of Clinical Cases, the Journal of Visual Experiments and the Journal of Environmental and Public Health.

Website Address: http://www.themorningmind.com

Twitter Address: https://twitter.com/mind_morning

Facebook Address: https://www.facebook.com/MorningMindByCarters/

About the Book:

Title: THE MORNING MIND: USE YOUR BRAIN TO MASTER YOUR DAY AND SUPERCHARGE YOUR LIFE
Authors: Dr. Kirti Salwe Carter and Dr. Robert Carter III
Publisher: Harper Collins Leadership
Pages: 197
Genre: Self-Help

BOOK BLURB:

Unleash positive thinking and productive imagination, and flip negative thoughts and behaviors into a lifetime to improve every aspect of your life—each morning, one day at a time.
Bad habits. Bad feelings. Bad mornings that turn into regrettable days.
Banish them all with simple brain hacks that flip negative thoughts and behaviors into positive, productive ones. Instead of dragging through your day, learn to wake up refreshed, recharge regularly, and live better than ever.
The Morning Mind makes it easy. Based on findings from neuroscience and medicine, the book helps you tamp down on the fear-driven reptile brain and tap into the part linked to thinking and imagination.
With topics ranging from diet and hydration to exercise and meditation, you’ll find ideas for activating your brain—and improving every aspect of your life:

Restore healthy cycles of waking and sleeping
Block harmful cortisol hormones
Boost mental performance
Create calmer mornings
Develop self-discipline
Stimulate creativity
Improve your leadership skills
And more.

From the moment the alarm clock rings, The Morning Mind helps you greet each day with gusto.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Link to book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Morning-Mind-Brain-Master-Supercharge-ebook/dp/B07CCFV8BW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549638694&sr=8-1&keywords=morning+mind
Link to book on B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-morning-mind-dr-rob-carter-iii/1129374055?ean=9780814439852#/

# Guest Posts

The Inspiration Behind Material Things by Larry Spencer #guest #write #materialthings

thewriterslife 12:00 AM 0 Comments

The Inspiration Behind Material Things

By Larry Spencer

I believe the term goes something like this— “Truth is stranger than fiction.” Real life can be more remarkable than invented tales. Research tells me this old expression was invented by Byron, who used it in Don Juan (1833). I know, a useless fact. Anyway—it certainly relates to me living on the edge in Los Angeles in the nineteen sixties and seventies and being able to witness and tell this story firsthand.

As advertised, this book was conceived and raised from true-life events. This was, I thought, a story I always wanted to tell and a story I thought should be told. It had rattled around in my subconscious for years but I never could gather enough time or courage to tell it without being bias or seemingly outlandish.

See I virtually lived this story. I am a product of the 60s and 70s. And since we’re confessing inspiration—I just happen to be one of the characters who played an integral part as one of the owners in the Jon’s Drawer clothing store— A venue that is also a central character in the theme and prides itself as being the first to sell bellbottom jeans to the masses in Southern California. Maybe I’m cheating because I didn’t have to go far to come up with exciting, quirky, loveable, despicable people to portray in this cast of head shaking characters. I didn’t have to conjure up love interests because I knew them on a personal level. I didn’t have to make up the intrusion of the FBI and the Mafia because I was met and threatened by them face-to-face, while I nearly peed my pants.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told to pass this slice of life on and let people hear for themselves what went on in that pop-culture era in Southern California. It was fascinating, and when I looked back and while I was jotting down recollections, it was hard to believe I lived it. It was surreal how three semi-normal guys who just wanted to sell jeans were swallowed up in a fervor of sex, drugs and murder.

So I took a break from my twenty-year career as a TV comedy and feature film writer and tried my hand at writing novels. My first was The Tipping Point of Oliver Bass. I was told by reviewers that as a character, Oliver toed a curious line between Holden Caulfield and Philip Marlowe. I must’ve been doing something right, so I decided to dust off the cobwebs in my subconscious and take a crack at Material Things. To use an overworked cliché—the rest is history.

I self-published my first book and swore I’d never do that again because the result was less than an overwhelming success. It sucked actually. But failing to sign with a major publisher, I once again hit the self-publishing trail —but I think I’m taking more of a serious route this time and utilizing, sights, sounds and literary avenues that are offered to me that I didn’t take advantage of the first time. Fingers crossed. Right?

About the Author

LARRY SPENCER published his first novel, The Tipping Point Of Oliver Bass in the summer of 2017. A story that covered the life of a pathologically arrogant, wealthy young man who sets off on a journey of self-discovery, family tragedy, and sexual conquest in a modern California noir backdrop. Spencer has been a Writer’s Guild of America member since the late 70s, having written and produced a multitude of highly successful TV shows, which culminated into writing several feature films. He was then encouraged to pen his second book, Material Things, a story based on true events that takes place in the 60s &70s and tackles organized crime, drugs and embezzlement during a time when bellbottom pants ruled the fashion scene. He lives in Valley Village, California.

Visit his website at www.larryspencerauthor.com.

About the Book:

Title: MATERIAL THINGS
Author: Larry Spencer
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 367
Genre: Fiction

BOOK BLURB:

Larry Spencer’s riveting, interlocking narratives circle the lives of Matthew Street, Jon Lewis and Christopher Styles, in a 1970s California backdrop that takes them from owning and operating a fashionable clothing boutique into the gripping world of an FBI under cover operation, drug trafficking, prostitution and a nefarious criminal element, that brings to light a Mafia contract killer, who’s out to bump off a stoolie in their midst.

Material Things is based on true events surrounding the store that introduced bellbottom jeans to a hip Southern California crowd and how it became, not only a cottage industry but also an arena fraught with danger and moral strife that put the store and it’s owners under close scrutiny after an alarming number of felonious activities surface.

The climax is anything but conventional as Matthew, Jon and Christopher are confronted with a life threatening reality that they never imagined could happen just by selling bellbottom pants.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon

# Guest Posts # WRITING

Monday, March 4, 2019

A Bookish Conversation with 'Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series' Author Mike Martin @mike54martin #interview

thewriterslife 12:00 AM 0 Comments

““He started to stroke her when his cell phone rang. “Boss, it’s Jones. We’ve got a situation. We got a call about a shooting up near the seniors’ club.”
“Injuries?” asked Windflower.
“A teenager,” said Jones. “I’m on my way.”
“I’ll be over in a sec,” said Windflower.
“Bad news?” asked Sheila.
“I’ll call you,” was all he said back.
Sheila didn’t ask any more questions. They liked a layer of insulation between his police work and their personal lives. He gave her a peck on the cheek and patted Lady as he left to drive to the seniors’ club, hoping for the best and fearing the worst.
The reality was somewhere in between.”

–From Darkest Before the Dawn by Mike Martin

Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the author of Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine.

The Walker on the Cape was his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. Other books in the series include The Body on the T, Beneath the Surface, A Twist of Fortune and A Long Ways from Home, which was shortlisted for the Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award as the best light mystery of the year. A Tangled Web was released in 2017 and the newest book in the series is Darkest Before the Dawn.

Book Description:

Darkest Before the Dawn is the latest adventure of Sgt. Winston Windflower, a Mountie who finds himself surrounded by a new family and a new life in tiny Grand Bank, Newfoundland. There are signs of trouble that may disturb his pleasant life, including a series of unsolved break-ins and the lack of supports for young people in the most trying time of their lives. But there are always good friends, good food and the sense that if we all pull together, we can find a way to get through even the darkest days.

Ghosts, mysterious deaths, and a new character enliven the pages as Windflower and Tizzard and the other police officers awaken the secrets that have been lying dormant in this sleepy little town. The deeper they dig the more they find as the criminals they seek dive deeper behind the curtains of anonymity and technology. But more than anything, this is a story of love and loss, of growing up and learning how to grow old gracefully. It is also about family and community and looking after each other. Of not giving up hope just before the dawn.

Interview:

Welcome Mike! It’s interesting to find out how versatile a writer you are – can you tell us a little bit about your Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series and why you wrote it?

Mike: The Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series is truly a labour of love. It is set in my home province of Newfoundland, on the eastern most tip of Canada. It has allowed me to write about that part fo the world and to populate it with wonderful stories and characters from that part of the world. Sgt. Windflower came out of the fog in Grand Bank one night and started telling me his story. I was happy to write it down and share with others.

I am so excited about your latest in the series, Darkest Before the Dawn. Can you re-acquaint us with the characters for those who haven’t read your series before?

Mike: Sgt. Winston Windflower is a Mountie who is originally from northern Alberta who finds himself stationed in tiny Grand Bank. He finds the woman of his dreams, Sheila Hillier, who is the Mayor of Grand Bank, and a cadre of friends and co-workers that share his love of good food and good times. And then they have to deal with the crime and a few dead bodies along the way.

Are you a detail freak when it comes to writing your novels?

Mike: No. I am probably the exact opposite. I do some research to get the facts right and I have beta readers to guide me back to the path when I stray. But I write from the creative flow and let the words stream out. Then, of course, I have to go back and straighten out the mess.

How hard for you was it to sit down and start writing your novel? Did you have all these ideas swirling around your head or did it take some time before you were actually ready to sit down and begin?

Mike: Starting a book is easy. Finishing it takes time and determination and discipline. There are always a million ideas but getting them out of your head and onto the page is difficult. But once I have the beginning of the story, the rest seems to follow. As long as I stay with and write 1,500 to 2,000 words a day for a couple of months.

Writers are often associated with loner tendencies. Is there any truth to that? And do you need background sounds or silence when writing your books?

Mike: I need almost silence, but not a vacuum seal. I write my best first thing in the morning, before the distractions of the day take me away. I have a routine and a schedule, and I try and stick with it. If I don’t meet my word count in the morning, I have to pick it up later in the day. And I could never write at Starbucks!! That is way too much stimuli for me.

What makes writing mysteries so special to you? Is there another genre you’ve toyed around with writing?

Mike: I have written non-fiction as a freelance writer and some short personal experience stories. But I love the gentle confines of the mystery genre. There is enough room in there for just about anybody and I like the pattern and flow of identifying a problem or a crime and then proceeding to solve it over the next 300 pages.

They say all books of fiction have at least one pivotal point when the reader just can’t put the book down. What is one of the pivotal points in Darkest Before the Dawn?

Mike: There are a couple. But I would say that the Jerimiah Parsons accident is one place where the story starts to grab hold and you have to keep reading until you know what will happen. What does happen is a little mystical and certainly mysterious.

What’s next for you?

Mike: Enjoy the book launch of Darkest Before the Dawn. Every book is like a child to an author. We send it out into the world with good intentions and then we watch its progress. Once this book is safely on its journey, it will be time to start thinking about the next Sgt. Windflower Mystery.

# AUTHOR INTERVIEWS

Monday, February 18, 2019

By Jove’s Beard, What is a Djinni Anyway? By Claudia Herring @claudiaherring #romantic #fantasy #writing

thewriterslife 7:32 AM 0 Comments

By Jove’s Beard, What is a Djinni Anyway?

By Claudia Herring

Read About a Curse Involving an Ancient Urn, a Wealthy Lord, and His Young Bride

What would happen if a magical being had his powers compromised? Could he survive through wit, subterfuge, and what little of his magic he could revive? That’s what I began discovering as the words flowed onto the page when I was writing Obsessions of a Djinni.

The story came in fits and spurts of inspiration as Lord Peter Bramley, a wealthy aristocrat in Regency England, traveled to Egypt searching for ancient artifacts — tomb robbing was what it amounted to in the early eighteenth century. Lord Bramley found what he was looking for, and so much more, only he didn’t know it at the time. This is what happens when you possess something extraordinary that shouldn’t belong to you.

When he returns to his lovely naïve new bride, they are both surprised at the change in him. Magic frequently creates a warp in ordinary day-to-day life, and not always for the best.

Imprisoned in the urn by a jealous magician, the djinni Yasir spends centuries searching for his lost love, even though he is impeded by the curse — whoever opens the urn is Yasir’s master. When the djinni finds his love, he discovers she is his new master’s bride. And his new master is Lord Peter Bramley.

In a world of mysterious powers, the love triangle of Lord Bramley, his bride and Yasir develops under the pall of the djinni’s dark secret.

Did I explore my questions to the full extent? No. As I wrote, the characters became more complex, their interactions more weighted with deceit and passion and also heart-breaking honesty.

That is why Ties of Smoke is the second in the series, and Whispers of Deceit, the third. That is why I am still exploring the tumultuous intrigues that Yasir creates.

When you are dealing with a djinni, by his or her very nature, things happen which you never dreamed of. What can you expect from a shape-changing spirit, created at the same time as angels, who can be as good or evil as they please?

About the Author

Claudia Herring writes romantic fantasy novels. Her Djinn Chronicles series are set in a world of mysterious powers and tumultuous intrigues fraught with subterfuge. They begin in Regency England where sensible mortals interact in disbelief with djinnis, magicians, sorceresses, and soothsayers.

She would live in a library if she could.

Is afraid of her cat.

If you like Diana Gabaldon or Carol Berg, you'll love Obsessions of a Djinni.

Website: https://claudiaherring.com/

Twitter: @claudiakherring

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About the Book:

Title: OBSESSIONS OF A DJINNI
Author: Claudia Herring
Publisher: Caravanserai Publishing
Pages: 374
Genre: Romantic Fantasy

BOOK BLURB:

A djinni seduces his master’s young bride, forcing her to make a fateful choice.

A world of mysterious powers and tumultuous intrigues comes to life in Regency England as a djinni, burdened with a dark secret, is thrown into a love triangle fraught with subterfuge.

Will he defeat his nemesis or be betrayed?

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Six Things You May Not Know About 'People Skills' by Kerry C. O'Hallaron @ps101_book #guest #peopleskills

thewriterslife 12:00 AM 0 Comments

Six Things You May Not Know About “People Skills”

Kerry C. O’Hallaron

So picture this.

You walk into a room – any room – a social gathering, a business meeting, cocktail hour, or even an online “room.”

You see the heads turn your way in affirmative recognition. You feel them breaking from their conversations to send a smile your way. The mood in the room turns just a little lighter, as you feel a wave of warmth caused by your presence. You’re there now – you own that room; everyone’s happy; and life is good.

Question: Does actual happen to you? If not, it can; it should; and it’s easy to learn how. The secret is to learn how to attract people to you one at a time, so that when you do walk into that room they all will be magnetically attracted to you.

Read on and I’ll show you how. These are Six things you may not know about how to improve your people skills. Here’s a secret – my thesis is that you only need to master any three of them to start making more friends, minimizing conflicts, and improving all of your relationships.

· A Smile is Just a Smile – NOT!

Everyone loves babies, right? We talk to them in funny tones; we try to get them to play with our finger, maybe we tickle them gently – and if we’re really, really lucky, we get that big, beautiful baby smile out of them. Babies and politicians seem to know intuitively the power of a smile. The rest of us have to learn it, and for many of us the lesson never sinks in. I hope it does to you. Watch for the next five people who smile at you, and notice the powerful impact it has on you. Then practice your most genuine smile, and give it to five people a day. Same thing – watch the powerful impact it has on them. Politicians know that a fake smile is vastly more valuable than blank stare. Imagine the positive influence your genuine smile will have!

· It’s OK to be an Introvert.

By way of quick introduction, I’m a lifelong business executive with a fairly successful track record. I was also born shy, and am the founder and president of the American Society of Introverts. (OK, I made that last part up, but it would be true if such a society existed.) I would never have had much success in business if I’d continued to hang on to the “shy” thing. It turns out that’s separate and distinct from being an introvert. It was actually pretty easy to learn the skills to overcome shyness. In fact, I still don’t say much, but people these days think of me as a brilliant conversationalist. Why? I’ve learned how to drive the conversation but let them do all the talking – about what interests them! Somehow that makes me a brilliant conversationalist. I just ask, from a perspective of genuine interest, leading questions such as who, what, when, where, why, and how – and let them talk. It works beautifully.

The “introvert” thing is different, though. If I were a golfer, I could go out on the course with three strangers, hold up my end of the conversation, have a couple of cocktails afterwards, and leave with three new friends. But as an introvert I would then go home completely exhausted and drained, whereas extroverts would go home energized and ready for more. That’s the only real difference between extroverts and introverts. Regardless of which one you are, mastering that difference will help you interact better with people from both groups.

· You Will be Famous for at Least 15 Minutes.

It’s going to happen. You’ll get elected to something, get a big promotion, win the lottery – something will happen to win you your “fifteen minutes of fame.” Even if it’s completely fortuitous (like winning the lottery), one or more people will have supported you (financially or otherwise) along the way. It’s very, very important that you keep them in your network while you’re riding your “fame wave.” There are only two real options for the future. Your fame and fortune may actually continue to grow, in which case those “common folk” will help keep you grounded and not let you get a big head. OR, your fame may actually only last fifteen minutes or so before you come crashing back to earth. In that case, if you’ve taken care to maintain those old relationships during your “fifteen minutes,” hopefully they will still be there for you after your time ends.

Either way, what we’re talking about here is to craft a new, more influential, more likeable YOU. Be careful to hang on to relationships that helped you rise. You need them!

· Do This and I Guarantee You Will Win Every Argument Ever

If you want to be more influential, more likeable, more “nice,” you just can’t afford to do anything that will result in anyone disliking you. Assume that you don’t have enough friends to lose even one.

One of the quickest ways to turn someone against you is to “win” an argument. I put “win” in quotes because it’s an oxymoron – nobody can win an argument.

You can win a debate, because that’s a structured verbal sparring match with a fixed methodology for grading effectiveness. The person with the higher grade wins.

With an argument, there is no fixed grading system. If you wear your opponent down through persistence (and maybe even through sound logic), he/she will still think less of you when the argument is over. If you win through shouting and anger, the damage could be even worse. If you “win,” you lose; if you “lose,” you lose. It’s one time in life when a “draw” can be a mutual win. Agree to disagree, with a handshake, a hug, or whatever is appropriate, and move on. It’s a powerful tool that will make winners out of both of you.

· How to Get What You Need, and Have the Giver be Grateful

I know I’m dating myself, but before GPS (yeah, really, there WAS a “before GPS”), did you ever ask for directions? In spite of being male, I used to do it all the time. It would create an instant connection with the other person, by making them feel important, knowledgeable, useful, and appreciated all at once. Even though I’d probably never see that person again, it was great “people skills” practice to humbly ask them for help.

My neighbor came by the other day asking to borrow a gas can because the tank inn his car was empty. It turns out I had a can with a couple of gallons in it. I told him to take what he needed. He insisted on paying for it. I insisted on not being paid. I felt appreciated, needed, and valued because I was able to help my friend and neighbor with his issue. Being reimbursed for the fuel would have taken away the sense of importance he had given me.

People like having the opportunity to help, when doing so makes them feel uniquely needed, valued, and important. If you’re sincere and humble, you can often do others a favor by asking them to help you. Isn’t life great?

· Why Empathy is the Most Important of People Skills

Remember the Golden Rule? It’s translated various ways, but the most common is “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Some people interpret that to mean, simply, “Treat others the way you want to be treated.”

Maybe. It’s at least on the right track.

I’m stretching it a little, though. I think it means, “You want to be treated the way you want to be treated; but they want to be treated the way they want to be treated. So figure out how they want to be treated, and do that to them without expecting anything in return. Lather, rinse, repeat.”

Yes, that’s right – I’ve just modified the Golden Rule, a little, but hopefully for the better.

It’s pretty simple, really. If you want people to like you more; if you want to have more influence; if you want to have better relationships; you have got to play by their rules, not yours.

Early we talked about the value of a smile. This assumes the other person would rather see you smile that see your sour puss. Trust me, they would. Give them what they want and you’ll be rewarded.d

We talked about how an introvert can thrive among extroverts, and vice versa. People like people who are like them (or are like how they want to be). Act more like them and they will like you more.

We talked about avoiding arguments, because nobody wants to be on the (alleged) losing side of an argument. Avoid the argument, agree to disagree, and they think more highly of you.

We talked about GIVING people the opportunity to help you. Your request, and your appreciation, must be genuine, and it helps to ask the right person. Giving them the opportunity to fill their needs while helping you is a win-win.

The examples of how empathy will help you craft a “new you” are endless and are each more important than the previous.

So as it turns out, the whole “people skills” thing is not rocket science. It is, however, a science; one that is easily learned and applied, and one that I have had the great honor of teaching to many people.

Kerry O’Hallaron is an author, speaker, trainer, and successful business executive. His latest book is People Skills 101-tm: How to Have More Friends, Fewer Conflicts and Better Relationships. In its recent launch, it catapulted to #1 in the Self Development category. It’s been called a life-changing twist on Dale Carnegie’s timeless classic. You can buy it today in Kindle and paperback versions on Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/People-Skills-101-Conflicts-Relationships-ebook/dp/B07KXDBMX8

About the Author

Kerry O'Hallaron was born in St. Louis, MO. He attended college at the University of Missouri, and later "emigrated" to Florida. His passion in life is to help others maximize their own potential.

His latest book, "People Skills 101 - tm: How to Have More Friends, Fewer Conflicts, and Better Relationships," is a compelling and life-changing new spin on one of the oldest "self-development" books in print. In it, he adds new color the art and science of people skills, which wealthy industrialist John D. Rockefeller called the most valuable asset under the sun. O'Hallaron teaches us in a humorous way how to use time-tested principles in our quest for friendships and positive business and personal relationships. The teachings aren't new - but O'Hallaron's unique twist on them certainly is. Whether you're a shy, reserved introvert or a bubbly, outgoing extrovert, "People Skills 101" could be the only book you need to understand the simple tools that will help you both create and manage the perceptions people have of you.

You will be amazed how a few, subtle changes you can learn from this book will craft a new, more influential, more charismatic, more likable, YOU!

O'Hallaron lives in Tampa with his wife, Carol, and can't seem to get away from spending significant parts of each year in his home town of St. Louis.

Website Address: www.peopleskills.training

Twitter Address: @ps101_book

Facebook Address: https://www.facebook.com/PeopleSkills101/

About the Book:

Title: PEOPLE SKILLS 101: HOW TO HAVE MORE FRIENDS, FEWER CONFLICTS AND BETTER RELATIONSPS
Author: Kerry O’Hallaron
Publisher: Shamrock Publications
Pages: 301
Genre: Nonfiction/Self-Help/Self-Development

BOOK BLURB:

A life changing modern-day twist on Dale Carnegie’s timeless classic – learn how to have more friends, show more charisma, and better manage every relationship – all in the comfort of your home.

“Kerry O’Hallaron simply nailed it with People Skills 101,” says Jason Broadman, international book critic. “He took something everyone needs to know, which nobody teaches, and made it interesting, eminently readable, entertaining, and exceptionally useful to just about everyone.”

Do you remember that course you took in school called “Basic People Skills?” You don’t, do you – because nobody, anywhere, teaches such a course. Whether grade school, high school, or beyond, NOBODY thought it was important to teach us how to interact. NOBODY thought it was important enough to teach us interpersonal skills – how to get people to like us, how to get them to see us the way we want to be seen, how to manage our relationships.Apparently they just assumed that we are either born with “people skills” – or we weren’t!

People Skills 101 offers an elegantly simple and completely unique solution. It works, whether you are a shy and reserved introvert, a bubbly and outgoing extrovert, or anywhere in between. Simply choose any three of the twenty-one “GoldenRules” offered in the book, begin to use them faithfully, and watch the results with awe. You will be amazed how a few, subtle changes will quickly craft a new, more influential, more charismatic, more likable, YOU!