Interview with Paranormal Romance Writer, Marlene Dotterer, author of The Time Travel Journals

Let’s talk about your current book, The Time Travel Journals: Shipbuilder. First off, I have to ask you about the cover which I think is very eye catching. How much input did you have in the design?

Thank you. I love the cover! It was done by Laura Shinn, who is a graphic artist specializing in book covers. She used a public domain photo of Titanic and she added the clasped hands from another photo. I'm clueless about how to do this kind of thing, but I thought the cover captured the feel of the book.

There's a scene in the book when Tom finds out that Casey and Sam are from the future, using their cell phones and a calculator as proof. He gets dizzy and Casey grabs his hand to steady him. The cover reminds me of that scene. As a self-publisher, I had the final say in the book cover. Laura sent me several suggestions, and the final cover was a favorite for both of us.

What got you interested in writing a paranormal romance on the topic of the Titanic?

I became curious about Thomas Andrews while re-watching a video of James Cameron's movie, Titanic. I wondered, "What kind of man builds a ship like that? Where did he learn how to do it?" I began to research him, and simply fell in love with him.

All the documentation on him talks about what a kind, compassionate man he was. Everyone loved him. He was one of the most respected shipbuilders in the world.  It sounds melodramatic, but I had to write a book that would give him a second chance at life. I really mean that I "had" to. I would have been miserable if I had not written this book.

What made you decide on having as you say an Edwardian English gentleman and a Generation Y female as your leads?  

I knew it would be a time travel story, because I love time travel stories. I had some debate with myself about having Tom fall in love with Casey. After all, the real Thomas Andrews was married, and very much in love with his wife, Helen. They had a young daughter, too. But in my book, Sam and Casey go back to 1906, which was just before (or around the same time) Tom met Helen in real life. So when Casey meets him, he is single.

In my book, Tom's natural compassion draws him to Casey, whose life was turned upside-down when she was thrown back to 1906. He is attracted to her because of that, and also because of her strength and independence. In the end, I felt it best to simply leave Helen out of the story, and let Casey win her man. I don't ignore Helen - Sam knows about her, and he and Casey discuss the situation. But Casey feels if they are going to try and change history, then she has a right to change that, too.

When did you actually start writing this novel?

I started researching and writing in 2007. It took about a year to finish the first draft.

I see that this book takes place in Ireland and you have a sequel in the works as well as two other books with an Irish link. Why the interest in Ireland? 

I'm Irish/Italian, and although my looks favor my Italian side, I think my soul is all Irish. I feel like I belong there. I know I romanticize it, which probably drives true Irish citizens crazy. I'm drawn to the pagan aspects of Ireland's history, and in my other books (not the Time Travel Journals), I tend to include these aspects in the stories.

In your blog, you let your readers view cut scenes from the novel. What made you decide to show the discards from the book? 

Part of it is straight promotion. It's a way to provoke interest in the book. I really like these scenes, but they don't quite carry the plot forward. The book was originally 153,000 words, which is just too long for a debut novel. But these scenes show interesting parts of the world or the characters, so I thought it would be a fun way to let the readers learn more about the history of Titanic or Thomas Andrews, as we approach the centenary.

Your blog also shows that the book was a Semi Finalist in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel. Yet the publish date for CreateSpace shows 2011? Could you explain that for me? 

I finished the book in 2008. I spent a few years shopping it around to agents and publishers. The Amazon contest was part of that, and I was really pleased that it did so well. 

Did you try to get the book published through traditional publishers? If so how many did you send it out to for review? What made you decide to go with CreateSpace? 

Oh, gosh yes. A few years worth, as I said. I have about a hundred rejections. Several agents/publishers asked to see the full manuscript, and I had four offers. These all fell through for one reason or another. But none of the offers fell through because of problems with the story, so I felt it was truly good enough to publish. I wanted it out in time for the hundredth anniversary of Titanic's sinking, so I decided to go ahead and self-publish.

What are some of the most productive things you have done to promote your book? Marketing is not easy for me. It's hard to know what has worked best. I think it's having a variety of approaches that can feed off each other. For instance, I published a SF short story as an eBook, The Farm, on Smashwords and Amazon. At the end of that story, I include a blurb and the first chapter of Shipbuilder, along with links to where it could be bought. Then I put the story up for free. During the time it was free, and for a while after - downloads and sales of Shipbuilder spiked. 

What has surprised you the most (in a good or bad way) about the publishing process?

What surprised me about traditional publishing is how slow it is. Sending a query to an agent is fast, but it takes weeks or months before you get a response. Even once a book is bought by a publisher it takes about two years before it's actually published. 

What is some of the best advice you’ve been given on writing? Do you have any special advice you’d like to give other writers? 

Something I learned early, was about point of view. My first attempts were full of head-hopping, and this was immediately pointed out to me by critiquers. When I first joined the Online Writing Workshop for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, my learning curve shot up. I learned more in two months than I ever did in a writing course. 

So my advice to new writers is to join a critique group. Join two. Find people who will tell you the truth about your work. 

I also understand you will be going on a cruise will trace the path of Titanic as they celebrate the 100th anniversary of the sinking. And the cruise will have the same number of passengers that sailed on Titanic. Are you tempting fate? Would you be willing to come back and do another post for me about the cruise? 

I absolutely do not think we're tempting fate. The universe just does not work that way. In my book, Casey tells Sam that "the universe does not have it in for Titanic." I really believe that.

I think the cruise will be, by turns, a huge learning experience, a lot of fun, and a solemn memorial. Many of the passengers have already been in touch with each other through Facebook pages, and we are all looking forward to finally meeting. I hope to meet people who will remain friends for the rest of our lives. 

Would you be willing to come back and do another post for me about the cruise? 

I'd be happy to come back and post about it on your blog. I will also be posting about it during the trip as much as I can.

That's all for today's interview. If you would like to learn more about Marlene's writing and her books just click here. This book is the first in the series. You can read the first chapter of the second book, The Time Travel Journals: Bridgebuilders on her blog.  Or contact her on Facebook.

You can buy her book, by clicking on Amazon or Smashwords for a direct link

Interview with Will Allison, author of best selling books, "Long Drive Home" and "What You Have Left"

On Tuesday we chatted about being an editor with Will Allison. Today we will be  following up with him as being an author.  He has now published two books with both with high acclaim and becoming New York Times bestsellers. 

After spending much time on the editing side, you wrote your first novel. Or was it just the first one published?

What You Have Left was the first book I ever finished, though I started and gave up on a couple of others.

How did you handle the change of hats from being the editor to being the one being edited? How good are you at taking criticism? 

My friend Max Steele once told me, "I have never seen a piece of fiction that couldn't be improved by editing." I feel the same way, as both an editor and writer. I'm lucky to be married to a brilliant editor who gives all of my fiction a good, hard scrub.

How long did you work on the book before you sent it out to publishers? Did you go through the rounds of finding a publisher like the usual first time author, or did you have an inside track to agents and editors because of your background?

The book took me seven or so years to write. Along the way, I ended up publishing all of the chapters as stories in literary magazines. By the time the book was done, I was fortunate enough to be working with a terrific agent, Julie Barer, who sent it around to publishers.

Both your books are relatively short by most fiction standards today, with the first at 240 pages and the second coming in at 224 pages. Did your editors suggest you lengthen it at all? Or was the book judiciously cut?

Neither book was cut. They're just short.

When your first saw your book in a book store what was the feeling like for you?

It felt great!

How do you handle seeing a review of your books that may be less than stellar?

I try not to take reviews personally. My job is to write the book; once it's out in the world, the reviewers get to do their job. Mostly I'm just grateful for the attention that comes with any review.

Both your books deal with broken relationships between a father and a daughter where they become estranged. How is your relationship with your daughter?

Sadly, my nine-year-old daughter, Hazel, and I haven't spoken since she learned to talk . . . Just kidding. Like a lot of parents, I can't help imagining worst-case parenting scenarios. The difference for me is, they get turned into stories.

Your books also deal with ethical questions about life, death, suicide and how one’s ill guided thinking can have a deep ripple effect. How do you leave these kinds of stories on the computer and not let them affect your own life and family?   

They do affect my life and family, in that I hope I'm able to learn from my characters' mistakes.

It was four years between your debut novel and your second book. Did you have the second book in the works at the time of the first publishing? Or did it come later?

I started Long Drive Home about six months after What You Have Left was published. In the interim, I started and abandoned another novel.

Why did you give up on these other novels that were in the works?

I dropped them because I lost interest in them, and I felt that I couldn't expect readers to be interested in a story I wasn't excited about writing. But I suppose if I saw one of them in a newly exciting light, sure, I might pick it up again.

Was getting your book published what you expected it would be?

Publishing a book was a wonderful experience. It's been almost five years since What You Have Left first came out, and the glow still hasn't worn off. Publishing Long Drive Home was like bonus glow.

Obviously, you don't have to publish a book to be a writer; you just have to write. But in publishing a book, I gained a much larger audience--actual readers! That's the payoff.

Was it easier to get the second book published? Do you have any other books in the process now?

I had a two-book deal with Free Press, so the question is whether it will be easier to get a third novel published. But that's what I'm aiming for. I've recently started work on a book about a band of outlaw children who take up residence in the industrial marsh wasteland of the New Jersey Meadowlands.

That’s all for the interview today. If you would like to know more about Will and perhaps hire him as an editor, here’s the way to do that. Here’s his Web page and his Facebook info.

Learning from an Editor, an Interview with Will Allison

You’ve worn a few different editor hats from being an executive editor to and editor at large and also a freelance editor. What makes you so in demand as an editor?

I guess I've been lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time several times. Back in the fall, I joined the staff of One Story as a contributing editor. It's been great working on a magazine again, especially one I admire so much.

One of your editorial jobs was for the annual research publication, Novel & Short Story Writer's Market. How did you get involved in that? What were your duties?

I moved to NSSWM after STORY ceased publication. Both were part of F&W Publications, in Cincinnati. My duties involved making editorial assignments and putting together the listings. It was an eye-opener to see how many magazines were publishing fiction. And that was in the early days of the Internet, before online magazines really took off.

You also did editorial work for Zoetrope: All-Story which is a quarterly literary publication founded by Francis Ford Coppola. On their website it says they receive 12,000 submissions annually. Did you read the submissions?

For Zoetrope: All-Story, I solicited stories and read the stories that made it to the editorial board; I didn't read unsolicited manuscripts, which had been one of my duties at Story, where we received about 20,000 submissions a year.

Many writers are unsure of how to submit to literary magazines. Can you give any tips as to what worked here and what didn’t?

My tip for submitting to magazines is: Try not to get discouraged. Getting a story published is often a matter of sending the right story to the right editor at the right time (i.e., there's some luck involved). The only part that we writers can control is the quality of the story itself, so that's where our energies should go.

In your experience in being an editor, what is the most common error or most repetitious problem you’ve seen in manuscripts? What do you want to see in the first page of the manuscript?

I think a lot of writers tend to overwrite and could benefit from what I call "editing by subtraction."

On the first page of a manuscript, I want some sense of what's at stake in the story, and I want to feel like I'm in the hands of a storyteller who knows what she's doing.

I’ve heard agents say they want something with impact, but they are at a loss as to how to explain it. What would you say makes for impact?

Not necessarily the sort of life-and-death things that might first spring to mind. I think impact has to do with the degree to which a reader cares about the characters and situations on the page.

From all the editorial duties you’ve handled, which do you think that most beginning writers fall short on – setting a scene, dialog design, choppy story line or something else?

All of the above? Certainly that was true for me, and often still is.

In teaching creative writing, what were the most important points that you wanted your students to learn and use in their writing?

I think it's important that students understand stories as a form and develop a working knowledge of the conventions that most successful stories share.

You’ve also been the recipient of grants, fellowships, and scholarships. I know many writers freeze when they look at the application forms and then wonder what to send for writing samples. How did you choose what to send for your sample?  

 I choose my writing samples based on feedback from my main reader, i.e., my wife.

What did you learn in these programs that really made an impact on you? 

I've learned not to take rejection personally. Of course, anyone who has ever submitted to magazines or contests learns this lesson very quickly. 

That's it for today's interview with Will. On Thursday we will continue with the interview and learn about the books he's written. If you would like to know more about Will and perhaps hire him as an editor, here’s the way to do that.  Website  or  Facebook

Update with Author, Lisa Grace on Books and Movies

It’s been about a year since my previous interview with you. At that time it was before the book, Angel in the Shadows, was published in the eBook format. How have the sales been for the eBook as opposed to the print edition?

At the end of 2010, I was named to Strategic Publishing’s Top 50 authors group for having high sales. I released Angel in the Shadows, Book 1 as an eBook on Amazon May 23rd, 2011 and followed with Angel in the Storm, Book 2 on July 1, 2011.

Was there a big surge in sales or just moderate?

Sales were great from the beginning with several hundred being bought every month. By August, Book 1 made it to #1 on the Teen Horror bestseller’s list on Amazon where it stayed for several weeks. I took a screen shot of that.

December 2011 was a great month with over 12,000 people downloading Angel in the Shadows. That’s my record to beat right now. Self-publishing eBooks is one of the best decisions I ever made.

Was it easier to write the second book?

Yes. And I’ve gotten better as an author. It’s a better book.

Is this a stand alone book or would you have to read book 1 to understand who the characters are?

It helps to read book 1 first as it is a continuing saga.

You’ve also got the 3rd installment coming out soon, Angel in the Ice. How do you find time to write 3 books in so short a time?

Well, I wrote book 1 in 2009. I did add 2,000 words and re-edited it before I put it up as an eBook in 2010, so it is a better read than the hardcover. I write full time, so four books in three years, isn’t that much.

I also have a collection of flash fiction I’m putting up this summer. I write flash fiction for fun when I need a break from writing novels.

I also participated in Nichol O’Dell’s cookbook, Novel Morsels. It’s based on sixty two different books and contains original recipes the characters may have eaten. It’s only 99 cents.

What book or books do you have in the works?

Several. I’m finishing edits on Angel in the Ice, which should be up for sale by the second week in February 2012. I plan on releasing The 15th Star in March. That one took a year to write. My flash fiction book I’ll release in April.

I have three more in the works -- a non-fiction author marketing book, the first in my YA Feudal Land series, and the first in Society of the D. E. A. D.

Then in my history-mystery line I have a second one tentatively titled The Devonshire Treasure. If I write 2,000 words a day, I can complete them all, and have time to edit.

I understand the first two books have been optioned for a movie. How did that come about? Where are you in the process? Who handled the negotiations – you or an agent?

When I made it to #1 in Teen Horror on Amazon and stayed there for several weeks, I had two movie producers call who had read the books. I went with the larger one. We’re in the final stages of negotiation so now it’s just a matter of finalizing the paperwork.. I asked Elaine P. English, an entertainment lawyer out of Washington D. C., (who came highly recommended from other authors) to represent me. She also works as a literary agent, (although not for me) so she is familiar with both ends of the deal.

What surprised you most about the process good/bad?

I was shocked I still couldn’t get an agent even with a legitimate movie contract in hand from a production company that has worked for Steven Spielberg as well as five academy award winning movies.

I was also surprised at how my contract is so different from the ones I saw on the internet. Mine is twenty-five pages long. Of course it is for two books with a possibility for the third. As a result, I am writing a book about my experiences to help other authors attract movie deals and then to know what to expect along the way.

Do you first do an outline for your books or are you write more “seat of the pants” writer?

Oh, I’m a planner. I write an outline, then plan scenes, one for each eight hundred words. You can read more about my process and sixteen other authors’ by buying K. M. Weiland’s book entitled, Outlining Your Novel Map Your Way To Success. It’s only $2.99 and the link is in the title. I have a cover credit on that as a contributing author

I couldn’t write 2,000 words a day if I didn’t know where I was going. Now characters do cause me to deviate, but with an outline, I always know how to get back on track.

Three years ago would you have thought you would be this far in your writing process now? What plans do you have for the future with your books? Anything else you’d like to add?

The most exciting thing, of course, is the movie deal. Yes, in my wildest dreams I could see things like this happening. I have to pinch myself that it’s real. My goal now is to write such exciting books I can get movie deals for all of them.

I would like to get a traditional paperback contract for all my series too, with a nice advance. I would like to make enough so I can retire my husband. I’m not quite there yet.

I plan on writing enough high quality books until I get there. I have so many tales to tell.

That's is for today's interview, but if you would like to buy Lisa's books or learn more about her writing, click here.

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue

Today I am channeling my inner child and I have written a poem to celebrate Valentine's Day. I don't claim to be a wonderful poet or even a fair one, this is done just in fun. 

As a child, gave valentines to all my class

Thinking I was such a lucky lass

When new cards came en masse

As a teen, gave cards now to just a few,

It was my way to say a thank you

For being a friend true blue

Things changed, just wanted to exchange, only one card

For the special one whom I held in love and high regard

Now the cards, were no longer sent for fun

Only wanted a card from that special one

Shedding tears when I received none

Valentine love began anew, when I found my sweet babu

With eyes of blue whose love would carry me through

Now on that special day, words are easy to say

We know this love is here to stay

As each day is a Valentine’s day

My wish for you on this day of love and kisses

That one day you will get your wishes

To find your own Mister or Mrs.

The Liebster Award for Blogging

It's always nice when someone lets you know that you are appreciated. That's what recently happened to me. I was just given this award by a fellow blogger and writer to show her appreciation for my blog and the work I do on it. It came from Terrie Thorpe and to her I say, thank you most kindly. You will notice that she is part of the CW blog chain on the right. That is where I first got to know her. Then we did an interview together which you can read by clicking here.

Now it is my turn to pass the award on to other worthy recipients. This award is to be given to five other bloggers who are growing their following list and currently have under 200 followers. As you can see, I currently fit that category, but I hope that will soon be exploding. In return the recipients are to pass the award on to five other notable bloggers as well.

Drum roll please. Here are the bloggers that I have chosen.They are in no particular order of preference as I am impressed with all these bloggers and would love for others to know them as well. If you click on the names of the bloggers, you'll also be linked back to the interview I have done with them.

The first would be Gayle Carline who is a wonderful, humorous writer. If you haven’t picked up one of her books or read her blog you are definitely in for a treat when you do.

http://gaylecarline.blogspot.com

The next is Darian Wilk who has written a paranormal romance book and has encouraged me to write mine as well. Do stop by her site to learn more about her writing.

http://crazyladywithapen.blogspot.com 

I’d like to give the award to one of my followers, Brenda Spalding, and wish I could give it to all of my followers. Her blog deals with book reviews and she has a ton of them. If you are looking for something on the romantic side, you’ll get some great tips here. http://www.curlingupwithagoodbook.com/

I wanted to give this author an award before, but didn’t have one that fit.You'll need to scroll down from his picture to get to the blog.  Teric Darken does speculative fiction and you have to check him out. In addition, he's up for a Grace Award (it's a big thing) for one of his books and needs your vote. http://tericdarken.blogspot.com/

Then there is Michael Scott who writes suspense thrillers that will keep you turning the page. You’ve got to read him at http://michaeljscott.wordpress.com/.

Interview with Children's Picture Book Writer, Margo Sorenson

Today we will continue with my interview with children's writer, Margo Sorenson. If you've just come to my blog for the first time, I hope you will read Part 1 of this interview which was Tuesday's post.

You’ve won several awards for your writing. Is there one that means more to you than the others?

Having FUNNY MAN named a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award in Young Adult Fiction was pretty special, but it also meant a lot to be nominated for the Quick Picks by YALSA, also, because that validated my writing for reluctant readers.

You’ve also written two books about a mouse and his adventures in a cathedral for Liturgical Press. This is not a “religious” book. How did it come about?

Many, many years ago, I majored in medieval history, and my favorite professor was so inspiring that I had an idea about a little mouse who wanted to help build a cathedral, AMBROSE AND THE CATHEDRAL DREAM. The building of a cathedral fascinated me, and I thought children could relate to a small mouse who wanted to be part of a grand scheme.  

I wrote the first draft twenty years ago, and when I read that Liturgical Press was going to start publishing children’s fiction (which they no longer do), I thought they’d be a good match for a book about a cathedral, since they are headquartered at St. John’s Abbey, in Collegeville, MN. 

Did you do any specific research in writing that book?

When the Liturgical Press children’s editor, the wonderful Father Tony Gorman, a Benedictine monk, decided to acquire AMBROSE AND THE CATHEDRAL DREAM, I asked my former professor, with whom I was still corresponding, (now a professor at the university our daughters were attending) to read the manuscript and correct any historical inaccuracies, which he did with delight.  Then, Fr. Gorman at Liturgical Press wanted another mouse book, so I wrote AMBROSE AND THE PRINCESS, and my professor read that one, as well. 

These books called for a lot of research; I wanted everything to be a completely accurate representation of medieval life in 1272.  What was special to me was that my professor was tickled to have the books dedicated to him (along with my family and my editor, of course!) – “Possibly the only medieval history professor to have a children’s book dedication,” he said – and that he had the finished books in his hands before he passed away. 

Any differences in writing for this publisher and Perfection Learning?

The main difference in writing the Ambrose books (and I have ideas for more!) and writing for Perfection Learning is that the Ambrose manuscripts are written at grade level and not for reluctant readers.  Also, because they’re picture books, the illustrator, the wonderful and talented Katalin Szegedi, was able to make the text come alive and take it to the next level.  My editor was absolutely excellent; he really believed in Ambrose – and still does!

Your most recent book is called, Aloha for Carol Ann and is set in Hawaii. This book is published by Marimba Books. How did you get started with them? I read about Marimba’s founding as a multicultural publisher and thought they sounded like a good fit for this manuscript, the first draft of which I’d written in 1989.  Forty revisions and many years later, I subbed to Marimba, this new publishing company, and they accepted, much to my joy.  They are a wonderful company to work with, and they found a fabulous illustrator, the nationally-recognized and talented Priscilla Garcia Burris, to bring Carol Ann to life, right down to the mango shortbread and spam musubi! 

Do you have other books in the works with them?

Right now, there are no plans to do something else with them; they’re not accepting submissions from anyone at the moment, but I’d love to work with them again.  They’re very supportive, helpful, professional, and enthusiastic. 

What is your next writing project?

My next writing project, ISLAND DANGER, a middle grade novel set in Hawaii, is actually being released in June 2012 as an e-book by Canadian e-publisher Muse Publishing.  I’m excited to see how this will work!  I also have a number of picture book manuscripts and middle grade novels that I’m submitting to various publishers and have several out by request with editors.  There’s always something cooking!

What is the best guidance an editor or agent has ever given you?

The best guidance someone has ever given me is from my critique partner, children’s author Bonnie Graves.  She always says, “Spare!  Spare!”  which helps me a lot, because I tend to overwrite.

What do you know now about publishing that you wished you had known earlier in your writing career? 

I wish I’d been more patient and taken more time with revisions.  The first commandment for writers is “Thou Shalt Not Fall in Love with Thine Own Words,” and that is so true!

What advice would you give someone who wants to write children’s books? 

I guess it would be the above – aspiring writers think they’ve written golden words, just as I always think *I* do, but put that manuscript away in a drawer for a while and then take it out and look at it with a clear eye – and have a good critique partner who understands your style and your aims.  Be willing and ready to revise!

That's all for today's interview. If you would like to learn more about Margo's writing and her books just click here.

Writing for the School Market -- Interview with Children's Writer, Margo Sorenson

You’ve written several books in a series called Cover-to-Cover Book Series. Could you explain for my readers what exactly that is?

The idea for these books was generated by the publisher, because they wanted to appeal to reluctant readers. The name of the series suggests that reluctant readers would actually finally read a book “cover to cover,” which most reluctant readers don’t do.  It’s always so much fun when I open a letter and have a young reader tell me that one of my Cover-to-Cover books is the first book he or she ever finished!

How did you first get involved with writing for this publisher?

Perfection Learning, the publisher, had published a reading record book of mine (HOW TO SNEAK UP ON A GOOD BOOK) that I co-authored with my school librarian, and they asked if I thought I could write for reluctant readers. I agreed to try, and in the planning process, they did a lot of focus groups in inner-city schools, using titles I cooked up, and the kids actually picked the titles they thought they’d like to read.

How then did the actual books evolve?

I wrote the manuscripts to match the titles, after studying Grisham and DeMille and working on suspense and “turn-the-page hooks.”  Some of the titles were DANGER CANYON, THE HIDDEN DAGGER, and SOCCER BLASTER.  Doing many school visits with disadvantaged kids and reluctant readers helped me a great deal to hone in on what would hook them and keep them reading.  They were fun to work with!

Prior to writing for them, what writing credits did you have that might have enticed them to consider your writing?

Bantam Sweet Dreams had just published my squeaky-clean teen romance, ALOHA LOVE, but I don’t think Perfection Learning thought that would qualify me to write for reluctant readers, primarily boys ages 9-14!  I also taught students those ages and, as an English teacher, had been teaching writing for many years, so I guess they thought I might have some of the mechanics down! 

Perfection liked the idea and concept behind the reading record book (HOW TO SNEAK UP ON A GOOD BOOK) and thought I could write reluctant readers and work with them on a timely, contractual basis.  Although these books began as “work-for-hire,” I do get royalties on them.  Additionally, I’d published articles in scholarly journals (such as the English Journal) about hooking kids into writing and talking about literature, so they knew it was important to me to connect young readers with books.

Since you’ve done so many books for them, have you seen any changes in what they wanted from the books?

Yes, they’re not interested in acquiring new supplementary fiction for the classroom, because they’re very involved in and successful with publishing books that work for the educational climate of testing and correlating with national and state standards these days. 

My books with them are still selling well in schools across the country, however, and they are very supportive of my signings and other publicity events and conferences.  They are interested in non-fiction and if someone wants to query them, the website has information for would-be authors.

If someone wanted to write for this type of company what suggestions would you give to get them started?

Study what else they publish and come up with innovative, fresh ideas – or a twist on old ones.  Listen to kids and find out what they’re interested in reading or finding out about.  Ask librarians what kinds of topics they get asked about all the time.  Find out from teachers what they’d like to see, book-wise, for the classroom.

The series of children’s books you’ve written cover anything from stories about ordinary kids to famous people and topics such as hurricanes. How do you prepare to write such a variety of stories?

I’m pretty old, so I’ve had a lot of experiences on which to draw!  Also, reading widely, teaching school, listening to kids’ hopes and dreams, traveling, raising a family, and being involved in sports with our kids help generate a lot of ideas. 

Have you pitched specific stories to editors or have they given you lists of topics they might want to cover?

I pitched specific stories to editors for the fiction.For the two non-fiction books, they asked me to choose which topics I wanted to write about.  Because we’d lived in Hawaii, I picked hurricanes and tsunamis. 

When the time-travel adventure biography TIME TRAP: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was such a good seller, they asked me to write five more, giving me the latitude to pick the subjects, so that’s how FIGHT IN THE FIELDS: Cesar Chavez, LEAP INTO THE UNKNOWN: Albert Einstein, DANGER MARCHES TO THE PALACE: Queen Lili’uokalani, DEATH OF LIES: Socrates, and SHATTER WITH WORDS: Langston Hughes came about.   It was funny how that worked, because when I began writing TIME TRAP, I didn’t know that my main characters were going to travel back in time to try and save Dr. King!  Perfection has been super to work with – perfection, actually!

That's it for today's interview. I will be continuing on to part 2 of the interview where she talks about her children's picture books and her writing tips. I hope you will come back again to read her continuing story. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about her writing, just click here. 

Interview with author Bryan Cohen and the Quest for Happiness

Your most current book is The Post-College Guide to Happiness. You’ve now been out of college for 6 years. When you first entered college what did you think would happen when you graduated? What did you expect your career path would be when you did graduate?

 Haha, I probably thought what everybody thinks right after college. That my magical talents would be realized right away and that I'd be an automatic success. I thought that I would find a part-time job and that my acting and improv comedy skills would push me to the top.

What are your goals now? How do you define the term happiness?

Now, I'd much rather create freedom for myself through my writing to be able to do whatever I want. Just in the last two years, I've acted in an award winning play, produced a play, directed a commercial parody, written some books, run in a 10 mile race and done a ton of other crazy things. That freedom for me is directly connected to my happiness. I think in general, happiness is pursuing your passions while keeping yourself centered on the person you want to be. Of course, it's more complicated than that and you'll have to read my book to get my entire opinion :).

Statistically speaking college grads today are expected to have 5 to 7 different careers as opposed to your grandparents who might have that many jobs on the same career path. Do you think this causes more stress or is more freeing in trying something new in a career? 

There are so many more opportunities now in fields that are just getting started. As technology moves ahead faster than ever, people are moving on from one career field to another out of necessity. I think it's stressful, but not all of it is bad stress. I think people who have the same job for 40 years can still love their jobs and be happy, but if they aren't happy in the first place, it's going to be a tough road.

How much company loyalty do you see with your friends who are starting out in their careers? How much fulfillment do you think your peers currently get out of their work?

I definitely see my peers in their 20s and early 30s being pretty laid back about company loyalty, though some of them still seem to have the old-world mentality. Good for them, I say, if they love what they do. I'm glad to say that most of the people I'm close with really love their jobs. For those who don't, I think it's partially a matter of not figuring out what they want from life. Once they get that nailed down, they're in a much better position.

How do you decide when to quit a job?

There are so many different cases about when you should or shouldn't quit a job. I think if it fulfills you and provides you with the money you need to live a good life, stick with it. If you have a conflict with a boss or a co-worker, don't stew over it, deal with it. I have several exercises in the book that deal with how to connect more effectively with people, even the annoying ones.

What would you describe as the perfect work environment realistically?

The perfect work environment is one in which people are both trying to help themselves and others, neither of which being at the expense of anybody else's feelings or career. I think it is possible to have something like that, most people just need to get their heads out of their butts :). The best way to survive people lashing out at you is to control your own emotions. The space between stimulus and response as Viktor Frankl pointed out in Man's Search for Meaning, is one that can be worked on and grown. Frankl used this to handle the torture of Nazi Germany in the concentration camps. If he can do that, I think you can handle a little tiff at work. 

Does your book cover balancing work and play time? If so what is one idea to create a balance.

I have an entire chapter on "play time," though it's more the immediate gratification type play. There are so many games and websites out there and it's nearly impossible to resist how fun they are. The only issue is that by spending so much time on tiny bits of fun, we miss out on the time needed to develop something much bigger and more fulfilling, life writing that novel or starting that business. The trick in my opinion is to really establish what your purpose in life is. Once you have that in place, you are much less likely to waste time on frivolous pursuits.

One of the topics you cover in this book is how to embrace silence in a world overrun by digital doohickeys. How do people wean themselves away from the constant quest for newer and better tech gadgets?

I think we come back to the fulfillment factor when you bring digital doohickeys into play. I love my phone and my laptop, but I know that nothing I can find on them will bring me true happiness. That comes from the work I put in day in and day out and the people I have around me. The more I tell myself that and the more I believe it, the less inclined I am to waste my time on these devices. If more people lock down their purposes at a younger age, they are less likely to become as technically addicted.

Another topic you cover is making your beliefs inclusive and turning to spirituality for health and wealth. What do you mean about having inclusive beliefs? Do you want your readers to create a belief system by culling through various religions and picking and choosing the parts they like or fit with their lifestyle?

In a way, I think you're right that I'd like readers to create their own belief system to make a sort of buffet of what they like, but I also don't want to mess with the beliefs of my readers. Making beliefs inclusive means getting rid of the "fighting words" aspects of a religion and getting back to the loving and happiness parts.

You can interpret passages of a thousand plus year old document all you want, but do you really think that God would want us committing hate crimes on each other? We need to connect better with each other on multiple levels. Using religion to get in the way of that connection is silly, but I think belief can be used to foster love instead of hate. Like everything else, it just takes a bit of practice.

Your book also talks about turning to spirituality for wealth. My first thoughts in reading that statement makes me think of a charlatan using spirituality for profit but I don’t think that’s your intent. What did you mean?

I think God wants us to have everything we need. Do we need three boats and six cars? No. I think that there are certain types of prayer that are more effective than others. If we are extremely grateful of what we have and put that into a prayer, we are much more likely to receive what we need, as opposed to a prayer in which we wine and moan about our suffering.

There's always someone worse off than you. If you praise God for keeping you from being that person, you may improve your financial situation. Add that up to all of the other positive traits you can gain from studying this book and books like it, and your entire life may be more rich.

That's all for today's interview. If you would like to learn more about Bryan Cohen and his writing, here are the links to do just that...

Website,  Blog,  Amazon,  Facebook,  Twitter

Taking a Leap...

It's the beginning of a new month, which means the start of a new CW blog chain which I will be leading off...or maybe I should saying taking a leap as that is the topic for this month's chain of writing.

For my start of the chain, I would like to do a book review on a story that is a true leap of faith. The book is a Southern novel (which means there's going to be a lot of talk about food, family, and gossip). The story begins with the lead character, Mattie, a spirited 76 year old, preparing lunch for her son who is coming to visit. She is still living on her own despite her son's thoughts that she should be in a nice old folks home as the upkeep of the house is too much for her. Her son doesn't like the fact that she's taken in a mangy stray dog and is even more upset when she takes in a runaway who is also a bit of a juvenile delinquent.

She thinks taking care of them is what she should do as she follows the words of the Bible which say we are to take care of "the least of these" referring to the dog and the young boy. Caring for these two of God's creatures gets Mattie a lot of grief not only from her son but the local townsfolk as well. There's some interesting scenes with the local church folk also who seem to miss the point in the Bible of caring for one another. Mattie doesn't care what others think. She has taken a leap of faith that with God's help she can do some good for both neglected and unwanted creatures.

The title of the book (and later a movie) is "Walking Across Egypt" by Clyde Edgerton and was written about 20 years ago. It rings true today as it did when it was first written. The title refers to the Israelites walk through the desert looking for a new home that God promised them. This is also comes into play with a current sermon series by Max Lucado at my church entitled "You'll Get Through This." In both cases they deal with taking a leap of faith when times are rough and looking to God for direction. Each reminds us that life can dry out our spirit and we can be in for a lot of frustration along the way. Still we've got to look past our here and now...to what can be... with a little leap of faith.

If you would like to learn more about the book and it's author, click here for a link to my interview with him. If you'd like to hear all or part of Max Lucado's series, click here. Then be sure to click on each of the daily posts this month to the right for others thoughts on taking a leap of sorts.