Mayra Calvani's Blog - Posts Tagged "inspirational"

“Internet famous” for her humorous and inspirational self-syndicated webcomics about surviving the insanity of life and parenthood,Tanya Masse, AKA: “Comic Strip Mama” is a mama, a writer, a cartoonist and an entrepreneur who has faced a tremendous amount of adversity throughout the challenges of her life and has risen above it all!

Enter the Comic Strip Mama™ Blog Tour of AWESOMENESS Extravaganza Giveaway for your chance to win some AWESOME prizes!

http://www.comicstripmama.com/STAIRWAY-TO-AWESOMENESS.html

Through her comics, award winning blog, social media platforms and literary works, she entertains and encourages others to: 

Make the best of the busyness, craziness, chaos, frustrations and challenges of life and parenthood!

Live on the AWESOME side!

STOP taking life SO SERIOUSLY!

Embrace the INSANITY!

Focus on the POSITIVE lessons!

Recognize the BLESSINGS!

Find the HUMOR whenever possible, and

CELEBRATE LIFE!

Connect with Comic Strip Mama at:

http://www.comicstripmama.com

http://www.facebook.com/ComicStripMama

http://www.twitter.com/ComicStripMama

Q: What’s inside the mind of a non-fiction, humor and self-improvement author?

A:  Life is HARD and it isn’t always fair. And sometimes, life is downright insane! I have experienced many of life’s seemingly insurmountable blows and for many years I struggled and lived a dark, disturbing, depressing, miserable and reckless existence as a result. Eventually, I discovered why I was struggling so much. That is when I changed my way of thinking and being and reinvented myself into the person that I am today...a strong, happy and positive person and parent who strives to achieve “awesomeness” every day, in every way!

In January of 2012, I embarked on a comic and writing hobby journey that eventually turned into a self-syndicated webcomic and writing business, Comic Strip Mama Enterprises Inc.. Since, I have been “stripping away” the insanity of life and parenthood in an effort to make people realize that life is better when you’re laughing and not taking it SO seriously! Ultimately, my mission as a person, a parent, a cartoonist, an author and an entrepreneur is to encourage and inspire others to embrace the insanity, focus on the positive, recognize the blessings and find the humor in life. I feel like I am obligated to share how I have learned to live this way as my positive contribution to the world. I do this by providing a daily dose of humor and inspiration to my readers through the power of social media and I hope that my book will reach and teach millions more worldwide!

Q: Tell us why readers should buy Stairway to Awesomeness.

A: Stairway to Awesomeness is not your average self-improvement book. It is the ultimate self-improvement book that goes against the grain of many self-help/self-improvement books out there. I take my readers on my very real tragedy-to-triumph life journey and explain HOW and WHY I changed my way of thinking about many things that so many of us are conditioned to believe. The 30 fundamental steps that I write and illustrate about are tried and true and life changing and I prove that achieving a life of awesomeness IS possible. There is also a very unique and humorous comic twist throughout the book that will make you smile as you make your own climb to awesomeness!

Q: What makes a good non-fiction, humor and self-improvement book?

A: An awesome self-improvement book should educate, inspire and motivate the reader to WANT to change and improve their life for the better. But most importantly, it should give the reader a sense of confidence that they can realistically achieve positive results.

Q: What is a regular writing day like for you?

A: If I’m meeting a deadline or have a goal in mind, I write with focus and intention. Otherwise, I write and illustrate about thoughts and experiences that effortlessly enter my scatterbrain mind and I usually have more than one writing projects on the go! I also use a smartphone app for my comic and writing ideas on the go!

Q: What do you find most rewarding about being an author?

A: The fact that I am able to reach, entertain, educate, encourage and inspire millions of people to be awesome!

Q: How did you celebrate the completion of your book?

A: I celebrated the completion of my book the same way that I celebrate any awesome milestone in life. I let out a big “Wooo Hooo!” with a fist pump, spent some quality time with my special ones, expressed my gratitude for everything awesome in my life and enjoyed a glass of wine... or two. ;)

Jay D Roberts MD is a board-certified physiatrist, specializing in the treatment of physical disabilities with a focus of adding quality to life. He is currently in private practice in California. He is a member and lecturer at national and international conferences related to his specialty, a contributing author to Current Trends in Physiatry, and author of various scientific papers. In addition to his career, Dr. Roberts volunteers as part of a Christian ministry in maximum security prisons. He and his wife, parents of two grown sons, live in Indian Wells, California. Break the Chains is Dr. Roberts’ first book. Following in the long tradition of doctors who combine their passion for saving lives with their passion for writing, Dr. Roberts is currently at work on a novel, concerning children forced to work in mines. Visit http://jdrobertsmd.com/

BUY BREAK THE CHAINS ON AMAZON /  B&N  / TATE PUBLISHING 

Q: Tell us about the title of your book and what it means?

A:  It is called Break the Chains, Transforming Shame into Forgiveness. Break the Chains has two means: 1.  Stopping the cycle of abuse from father to son.  2.  Breaking the chains that bind your heart with unforgiveness.

Q: Tell us why readers should read your book.

A:  Many need to forgive themselves, God, or others who have harmed them. They may also need to ask forgiveness from someone they have hurt or done wrong. I hope that my book will help them with forgiveness, break their chains, and set them free.

Q: What was the hardest part of writing this memoir?

A:  Telling the family secret and truly worried that my mother would die reading it.

Q: What has been the reaction so far from your friends, family and colleagues?

A:  Absolutely amazing. People have thanked me and blessed me for telling my story. They feel my book will help them or their loved ones.  The biggest overwhelming reaction was from my mother- after finishing my book she called me and asked me to forgive her for not protecting me as a child!

Q: In what way has this book been cathartic for you?

A:  Immensely.  I never had any form of therapy as a child. First, during my time you never revealed to anyone what went on inside your home. Second, only crazy people or those rich movie stars went to therapy. The process was painful, as I broke down the walls around my heart that had protected me for years and years. In fact, I stopped writing it for two years because of the pain.

Q: What last words would you like to say to my readers?

A:  I pray that my book will help them or someone they love. Then, all the pain it took to write it and the fear of my mother’s death, will be all worth it.

A native of Massachusetts, Sophia Bar-Lev divides her time between the Fort Worth, Texas area and Israel.  A former school teacher and adult education lecturer, Bar-Lev now devotes the majority of her time to writing.  Sophia Bar-Lev is also the author of Pasta, Poppy Fields, and Pearls and Pizza and Promises. The Silver Locket is her latest novel.

Connect with the author on the web:

http://www.sophiabarlev.com/

http://www.sophiabarlev.com/#!blog/cnf7

https://www.facebook.com/SophiaBarLevAuthor

Q: Congratulations on the release of your latest book, THE SILVER LOCKET. To begin with, can you gives us a brief summary of what the story is about and what compelled you to write it?   

A: This novel is celebrates the triumph of the human spirit over tragedy and heartache.  It chronicles the lives of two women whose lives are linked by a child that belongs to both of them but in different ways.  Their common devotion to motherhood and family ultimately leads to a powerful and fulfilling reunion. The power of a sensitive and difficult decision years earlier is realized as two families join their hearts and lives because of one special daughter they share. My inspiration came from the true story of a friend who wanted her story told and was delighted that I would write it for her.

Q: What do you think makes a good contemporary novel? Could you narrow it down to the three most important elements? Is it even possible to narrow it down?

A: A novel doesn’t deny reality; it interprets reality.  The novels I appreciate and enjoy reading relates to the contemporary reader in a way that adds value to his/her life. This what I endeavor to do in my writing.  The importance of character development cannot be overstated.  Imagination must blend seamlessly with realism to produce for the reader a sense of connection or identification with the personalities in the book.

Q: How did you go about plotting your story? Or did you discover it as you worked on the book?

A: In the case of THE SILVER LOCKET, I knew the basic story ahead of time so my primary task was to follow the real life plot as told to me by my friend.  However, in my other novels, I start with an idea which morphs into an overview but as I write, very often the characters pull me into directions I didn’t anticipate when I started the project.  Personally, I’ve never outlined a book ahead of time.  I tend to write more spontaneously and, as they say, ‘go with the flow’.

Q: Tell us something interesting about your protagonist and how you developed him or her. Did you do any character interviews or sketches prior to the actual writing?

A:  For this novel I invested considerable time in learning everything I could about the two women who are the primary characters throughout the novel.  My friend’s descriptions and insights into her birth mother and adopted mother were very helpful and gave me a solid basis for building the narrative.  Yes, I did write up two character interviews while I was writing the book and later revised them after the book was finished.  I found the practice very helpful not only for this novel but for my other novels as well.

Q: In the same light, how did you create your antagonist or villain? What steps did you take to make him or her realistic?

A: This took a bit more imagination than the development of the protagonists.  Actual information about this person was sketchy so I did some research into the general traits of the kind of person he needed to be in the story and received some advice from a local police officer as well, not only regarding the criminal but also about the types of laws applicable at the time.

Q: How did you keep your narrative exciting throughout the novel? Could you offer some practical, specific tips?

A: To keep a reader turning the pages requires enough mystery or suspense to create continual curiosity.  As a writer moves through the chapters, unexpected twists to the story act like bait to ‘hook’ the reader to keep going.  In this novel, I inserted events and conversations at strategic intervals to create or increase the suspense and add depth to the story.

Q: Setting is also quite important and in many cases it becomes like a character itself. What tools of the trade did you use in your writing to bring the setting to life?

A: Descriptions must be written in such a way that the reader can paint a picture in his/her mind of the various settings in the course of the novel.  Carefully chosen words, similies, analogies and references will all contribute to dynamic settings so that – in a manner of speaking – the book becomes a movie in the mind of the reader.

Q: Did you know the theme(s) of your novel from the start or is this something you discovered after completing the first draft? Is this theme(s) recurrent in your other work?

A: In this case, yes I knew the theme from the beginning.  In my other novels, I had a general idea but the themes developed as I wrote so that by the time I completed each novel, the theme was clear and distinct.

Q: Where does craft end and art begin? Do you think editing can destroy the initial creative thrust of an author?

A: Craft and art – art and craft: which comes first? Hard to say. I think the most successful novel is the result of free-flowing ‘art’ or creativity, which is later reviewed, revised and edited so that the level of the craft enhances the art contained within the novel itself.

Q: What three things, in your opinion, make a successful novelist?

A: Persistence, diligence and a passion for excellence are imperative for any writer to become a successful novelist.  Actually, I think these three qualities are essential for success in any area of life but as we’re discussing authors, I would add that every author has to be willing to throw away as much or more than they actually publish.  Writing is a ‘practice’ as well as an art.  I write every day and much of it ends up in the dust bin but it’s not wasted time; it’s practice and practice makes perfect.

Q: A famous writer once wrote that being an author is like having to do homework for the rest of your life. What do you think about that?

A:  I love writing so if this is homework for the rest of my life, bring it on!  I’m a firm believer in the maxim that if you love what you do, you won’t ‘work’ for the rest of your life.  Your ‘work’ becomes your joy.

Q: Are there any resources, books, workshops or sites about craft that you’ve found helpful during your writing career?

A:  Yes I regularly read postings from Writers’ Digest and subscribe to their magazine as well. I attend writers’ workshops as often as I can and read books about writing.  I found Stephen King’s book, ON WRITING and BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott helpful and inspiring.  I’m also a great fan of the series of books for writers by Julia Cameron.  Her works continue to be a resource I go back to frequently.

Q:  Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers about the craft of writing?

A: I have a small book on my desk which a friend recently sent me.  It’s entitled, YOU’RE A WRITER SO ACT LIKE IT.  I haven’t read the book yet but I love the title.  Anyone who aspires to be a writer needs to put in the time to develop the skills that a creative imagination requires in order to marry ideas to effective expression.  I daresay there are many potential writers who are not lacking in ideas but in the will and persistence to do the work required to turn their imaginations into printed material.  Great ideas are not enough; the mechanical skills for producing a winning manuscript are essential.  And that, my friends, takes work.

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Title:  THE SILVER LOCKET

Genre:  Women’s Fiction

Author:  Sophia Bar-Lev

Website:  www.sophiabarlev.com

Purchase on Amazon

About the Book:

When The Silver Locket opens, it’s July 1941 in Boston, Massachusetts. War is raging in Europe and the Pacific. But for two young women in a small town in New England waging their own personal battles, the struggle is way too close to home.

When extraordinary circumstances bring these two women together, one decision will alter the course of their lives.  And with that one decision, their lives will be forever changed…and forever intertwined.

Were these two women thrust together by happenstance—or fate?   A tragedy. A decision. A pact. Lives irretrievably changed. A baby girl will grow up in the shadow of a secret that must be kept at all costs. But will this secret ever see the light of day?  And what happens when—or if—a promise made must be broken?

Adopting a child is not for the feint of heart—but neither is being adopted…

A sweeping and suspenseful story that unfolds in a different time and a different place, The Silver Locket explores universal themes that ring true even today. Secrets. Unbreakable bonds. The healing power of love.  Deception. Anguish.  Redemption.

In this touching and tender tale, novelist Sophia Bar-Lev weaves a confident, quietly moving story about adoption, finding hope in the face of hopelessness, and how true love can overcome any obstacle. With its brilliant juxtaposition of the wars fought both on the battlefield and internally, The Silver Locket is a poignant novel, resplendent with drama.  Featuring an exceedingly real and relatable plot, and characters that will stay with readers long after the final page is turned, The Silver Locket is a sterling new read.