Meglena Ivanova's Blog, page 8

A moment to share with Jane A. Hobden

Hi everyone, I am very happy to introduce you the amazing Jane A. Hobden. She is the author of The Hartford Inheritance, published on 27.05.14. Intense, gripping, psychological thriller are the best words to describe this new book.

Hi Jane, thank you for answering all of my questions.

So, tell me a little about yourself and your background? What were you like at school? Were you good at English? What are your ambitions for your writing career?

I live in East Sussex on the coast in a fishing town called Hastings where I have lived all my life. I have never wanted to leave and am a real homely person. It���s where all my friends and family live. I���m married with two children, Harriet aged 11 and Toby aged 6. Harriet has the same passion that I do for reading and writing novels. Her school have identified her as ���Gifted��� in writing which makes me very proud. My background is criminal law and I���ve now moved to family law preparing bills which I do from home. This gives me the freedom to work on my writing ambitions. I would love to write all the time. I enjoy every part of the process and have so many ideas in my imagination! It���s just finding the time!!!

Which writers inspire you?

Philippa Gregory is my all-time favorite author. Her talent is inspiring! To be able to write about real people from history in the way that she does, in the style that she does is truly amazing.

What was your life like before becoming an author?

I still work in law and so my life hasn���t changed ��� except that only my husband knew that I was writing a book and when I then posted the link of my published book on Facebook, none of my friends could quite believe that I had written and published.

Which comes first – the character’s story or the idea for the novel?

With The Hartford Inheritance it was the idea of twins that it started from and I developed the character of Kitty Harmer with the plot of finding out about her past. I write a chapter guide but The Hartford Inheritance and the book I���m writing at the moment go off course quite considerably with ideas developing and changing course as I go along!

When did you decide to become a writer?

I would write books when I was a child much like I do now. I would shut myself into my bedroom and write. Now I shut myself in my office!!! I guess it���s something I���ve always wanted to do but didn���t get round to it until four years ago when I started writing The Hartford Inheritance. My daughter had told me just before I started writing that she wanted to be an author when she grows up. I told her I had wanted to be an author too and then she asked why I hadn���t. I couldn���t answer that and instead began to write.

Why do you write?

My imagination is brimming with ideas and I love to get it onto paper.

So, what have you written?

My only complete work is The Hartford Inheritance but I���ve just finished the first draft of the prequel The Hartford Beginnings and once I���ve published that hopefully in May this year I want to start on a sequel.

Where people can buy or see them?

Amazon kindle link ��� https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KME02EO

Give me an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

Kitty Harmer is trying to make the best of a life of loss. She has an identical twin who was sent away when the girls were 12 as her parents couldn���t cope with her twin���s behavior and Kitty has been feeling the loss ever since. She���s stuck in an unhappy relationship and when her mother dies, she hits rock bottom. Then she is given a lifeline in the form of an inheritance she didn���t know anything about. She���s very special to me as she has a lot of my characteristics and she is the first character I have built a book around.

What sparked the idea for your book?

The idea of twins and if love between twins is ever unconditional.��

����������������������� How do you market your book?

Facebook, Twitter and Book Bloggers.

Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books? What do you do to get book reviews?

Social media is the key and having the time to keep reaching out there. I contacted as many book bloggers as I can but it can be hard to persuade them to read an ���unknown���s��� debut work.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?

Just go for it!!! The process is so fulfilling and if you are bubbling over with a story to tell, then tell it. There are no wrongs or rights with storytelling it���s a complete blank canvas. With eBooks and self-publishing it has made the process so much easier.

Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven���t included?

Thank you for taking the time out to ask me questions. It���s been a real pleasure.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

Goodreads | Amazon | Facebook | Twitter | Website

GIVEAWAY

The author is giving away one paperback copy of THE HARTFORD INHERITANCE to a winner of the Rafflecopter. More information you can find here – A Rafflecopter giveaway!!!

A MOMENT TO SHARE with Gary L. Smith

Gary L. Smith is an author of The Shepherd and the Princess: 7 Keys to Conquering the Goliaths in Your Life; Achieving Unusual Greatness: Timeless Lessons from the Trail Already Blazed; and The Customer Conundrum: 9 Crucial Steps for Winning Customers and Outsmarting Your Competition. He is also consulting & interim management agent; personal & business coach; keynote speaker; and trainer.

Gary Smith

Hi Gary, thank you for agreeing to this interview.

Tell me a little about yourself and your background? What were you like at school? Were you good at English? What are your ambitions for your writing career?

I come from a background of 30+ years of technical and business operations management. I���ve run multiplication companies with up to $80M in sales and 250 employees. I didn���t really get into education until I was in college. I trained as an engineer and excelled at technical writing.

My writing style today is conversational. My goal is to inspire future achievers by wrapping the elements of business success in stories that make it easy to remember and apply key principles. I also use my technical writing skills to create easy, step by step systems for people to follow.

Which writers inspire you?

I have been inspired by writers and speakers like Zig Ziglar, Stephen Covey, Jim Rohn, and Tony Robbins. I appreciate their styles and have learned a great deal from them.

What was your life like before becoming an author?

Gary Smith’s Twitter Page

I was a successful business owner. I started writing blog posts and then moved into writing books. I just completed my third publication. My goal in all of my writing is to share my knowledge and experience with a broader audience.

When did you decide to become a writer?

I considered being an author for many years, but finally made the commitment in 2009. I wrote blog posts for about 4 years and published my first two books in 2013, and another book in October of 2014.

Why do you write?

I write to share my knowledge and experience and to help develop the next generation of personal and business leaders in the world.

So, what have you written?

I have written two weekly blogs, one on personal development and one on business success, for the past five years. I���ve also been a guest blogger on several websites, including YourPayHub.com. I���ve published three books.

The Shepherd and the Princess: 7 Keys to Conquering the Goliaths in Your Life
Achieving Unusual Greatness: Timeless Lessons from the Trail Already Blazed
The Customer Conundrum: 9 Crucial Steps for Winning Customers and Outsmarting Your Competition


Where people can buy or see them?


At my website: www.optechs.com/buy/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gary-L.-Smith/e/B00DAEG9TY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
At LULU.com: www.lulu.com/spotlight/optechs


Give me an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

The main character in the Shepherd and The Princess is David. He is a 16-year old boy, the runt of his family, who has been chosen to be Israel���s next king.

What sparked the idea for your book?

It was the subject of a talk that I had been giving for over 20 years.

How do you market your book?

Gary Smith’s Website Page

Through my website, via social media, and through trade shows.

Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books? What do you do to get book reviews?

I get books reviews by asking. Initially, I offered a free copy of the book to anyone who would agree to write a review.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?

Realize that it���s a lot of hard work. Writing takes time, it takes focus, and it takes project management skills if you are going to produce a worthwhile product.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?


Website: www.optechs.com
Blog: www.optechs.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/optechsonline
Twitter: www.twitter.com/optechs
Lnkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/optechs
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Gary-L.-Smith/e/B00DAEG9TY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Soundcloud.com: soundcloud.com/optechs

Thanks and best of luck Gary Smith!!!

Seth Mullins and What was his life like before becoming an author?

Think back, when you first started to write or aspired to write. What made you want to do it? For me, it was TV, movies and books because I loved the stories and read a bunch of them.
After social media came along and made it easier to find people with similar interests, I knew I had to start writing books. I started tiny with a short stories as essays and then wrote my first book
THE LEGEND OF THE MOONSTONE, a vibrant fiction-adventure,
telling the story of a powerful stone which is part of the ancient alien Sacred Stone.
The genre I chose was Fantasy & Magic . Those were the books that I read the most growing up.


So, this is how I started becoming an author, but how you started? What was your story?

Seth Mullins

Today I���m very lucky to share with you a video that Seth Mullins, author of What Casts the Shadow? (The Edge of the Known), Trust in the Unseen (The Edge of the Known) (Volume 2),�� *** NEW *** Humanity’s Way Forward (The Edge of the Known Book 3) and Song of the Twice Born: Book 1 The Mirror of Sirrus, made for us.

Hi��Seth, thank you for agreeing to answer this question.

What was your life like before becoming an author?

http://youtu.be/IBL5K_8cnI0

How can readers discover more about Seth Mullins and your work?


Website: http://www.humanityswayforward.com
Blog: http://frontiersofconsciousness.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhatCaststheShadow
Twitter: @SethMullins1��
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/sethmullins
What Casts the Shadow? (The Edge of the Known, Volume I) http://amzn.to/1rkhffS
Trust in the Unseen (The Edge of the Known, Volume II) http://amzn.to/UBw3bw
*** NEW *** Humanity’s Way Forward (The Edge of the Known, Volume III)��http://youtu.be/IBL5K_8cnI0��
oodreads:��https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1189710.Seth_Mullins

You can read more about Seth’s NEW BOOK here!!!

A MOMENT TO SHARE with Jerome Jay Isip

There is nothing more exciting than when a writer completes their first novel and Jerome Jay Isip has done this very thing. He finished his book and it’s now being formatted, published and in the hungry hands of readers everywhere. But, who is he? Let’s find out, shall we?

Jerome Jay Isip

Hi Jerome, thank you for agreeing to this interview.

Tell me a little about yourself and your background? What were you like at school? Were you good at English? What are your ambitions for your writing career? 

I am Filipino American, born and raised in Belleville NJ. I graduated high school late because I stayed back my senior year when I repeatedly failed classes and certain exams. I really didn’t care for the school work; I usually did just enough to be eligible to wrestle. I clowned around most of the time, and if I wasn’t causing mischief I was sleeping during class. I actually use to fail the placement tests on purpose so I could have an easier schedule. It eventually caught up and I repeated my senior year. I failed English class every year, by the time I was a Senior in high-school I had 3 English classes but since I was good at wrestling, my teachers would pass me just enough to wrestle. So always remember, it’s now what you know, it’s who you know and what you could do for them =). And I dropped out of college right at my placement test. After making that decision I became; a successful entrepreneur that co-owns 4 businesses, a professional MMA fighter for 11 years, and now author. So I think I made the correct decision for myself lol. As far as writing, I really don’t know where/how far I wanted to take it, I just knew I enjoyed writing and loved that fact I could possibly inspire others through words. So I just wrote, and wrote, and wrote and eventually published my first book in November. I loved the process. I loved the purpose behind my writing. I love the fact that others will be able to read my words and give them new insight in their personal life. Touching and connecting with other human beings, to help one another grow as individuals, and to create joy within ourselves through words – is why I write…

Which writers inspire you?

The writers that inspired me to write were Bob Proctor, Jack Canfield, Abraham Hicks. They inspired me to write my own book between their readings and seminars.

What was your life like before becoming an author?

My life before becoming an author was extremely hectic and strictly business. I was very stubborn, condescending, and kind of apathetic towards the world but more importantly myself. I lost who I originally was dealing with being “successful” I wasn’t happy, even though I believed I was. I was trapped inside the facade that has been created by the outside world of distractions. Chasing “things” to label my success and lifestyle, I was blinded by the light, which was actually my darkness. Before all of my “success” I had a list of goals I have accomplished some, but not all. The goals I wrote down before I saw any of the “success” I had accomplished was the most meaningful. They were pure and from the heart. I had accomplished certain things and created my financial success through certain practices that I share in my book. But, somewhere during the process I lost myself in the money, my goals changed once I created some financial freedom and the original list of goals was forgotten. Early this year I realized that something had went wrong because when I would look in the mirror, I did not recognize my reflection. I lived a rock star life style without being a rock star. I was poisoning myself with the fluff, alcohol, drugs, girls, gambling, street fights, materialistic things, selfishness, and not helping anyone become a greater person, including myself. Eventually I snapped out of my apathetic mind-set and mentally placed myself to the person I used to be before I saw any type of “success.” I went back to my old list from 2008 and saw that only 3 out of my main 6 goals were crossed off. That was my “AH-HAA” moments. The 3 goals left over were; 1. Travel to train MMA and compete in other parts of the world… 2. Fall in love… 3. WRITE A BOOK! So that’s what I did, I took all the money I have earned from my financial success and traveled to 9 different states this year and during my trip(s) I would focus and write my book. So I did. I also became a “Best Selling Author” with over 16k downloads on Kindle. And yes, I fell in love along the way =) Long story short, I can finally say, I am happy…

Which comes first – the character’s story or the idea for the novel? 

Character’s story (which is me) about the time I left college on the first day on the placement test. That’s when I made my life altering decision and changes my life forever.

When did you decide to become a writer?

Last year… 2014

Why do you write?

I write because it is very therapeutic to me. It helps clear my mind and put thoughts in order. I do this because I genuinely love writing, even though I may not spell well or have correct punctuation but that’s why we have editor’s haha. Writing to me is all about the message behind your words, the purpose underlying your thoughts, and the inspiration to help others that are lost or just want to be entertained. Connecting with like minded people or helping someone find their way in life. It’s about being yourself at all times and never, ever, masking who you truly are because of the outside world. Writing helps me express my true colors and I want to share who I am with everyone because who knows, you might just change someone’s life.

So, what have you written?

10 STACKS TO SUCCESS

I have only written 1 book so far (10 Stacks To Success) and am currently working on my next book. I do have a blog that I write on occasionally, I should actually start writing on it more (http://jayisip1.wordpress.com/). My blog has articles, short stories, poems, it’s kind of cool, check it out for yourself. On my first day of the book release, I was awarded Amazon “#1 Hot New Feature” in the Sales/Selling category. During my KDP select program I was awarded “#1Non-Fiction, #1 Self-Help, #1 Motivational, #1 Sales & Selling, #1 Marketing & Sales, #1 Business &Money, #8 Kindle Store, #8 Kindle E-book”. So it hasn’t been too shabby…

Where people can buy or see them?

My book is available on both e-book and paperback:

Press Release: http://www.expertclick.com/NRWire/Releasedetails.aspx?id=64219
http://www.northjersey.com/sports/high-school-sports/wrestling/former-wrestler-becomes-an-author-1.1142045?page=all
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/10-Stacks-Success-Achieve-Goal-ebook/dp/B00OX9V6BG/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/10-stacks-to-success-mr-jerome-jay-isip/1120688365?ean=9781502960269


Give me an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

Well the main character is me so… I’m not really sure if this question relates to my book… but I am no more special than the next person. We are all amazing people inside; we just have to find ourselves.

What sparked the idea for your book?

The idea came from my experiences in life and how I created my own personal success. I am still young and always learning but I feel I have been through a lot of shit, and wanted to share with others on how I crated the qualities that made me successful in my own eyes. So I narrowed it down to 10 segments which I believe will help anyone develop the attributes to create their own personal success. Many, Many people in my area would always ask me, “How do you do it?” or “Can I sit down and talk with you” So I wrote a book with all the information to share with others. That’s why I dedicated this book to my home town…

How do you market your book?

Jerome Jay Isip’s Blog Page!

There’s a lot to it. But “in-a-nutshell” I found a good publishing company that helped me setup my site, formatting the book, placing it on major platforms, and marketed it to their network, that also helped market. SOCIAL MEDIA! Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Linkedin, Instgram! Social media can turn you from zero-to-hero overnight. Do not underestimate the powers of social media. Yeah it may be cliché but, take advantage of the opportunity’s it has to offer. Get a professional PR person; they will get your book noticed to others in the book network and most likely get you book reviews. Search for other websites, bloggers, tweeters, that focus on “book promotions” It’s 2015 Google the key word “book promotions” I’m sure you’ll find 10,839,398 things that will help you market. Have local book signings at local businesses. In all honesty, you have to do a ton of “foot work” especially being an indie-author! No room for being lazy. Believe in your book and shove it in peoples mouths because you know it will go down smooth =) that’s only if you believe in your writings. If you don’t believe in your book, then why write at all…

Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books? What do you do to get book reviews?

I think I summed it up in the last question…

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?

My advice is to always be you, ALWAYS. Write down everything that’s on your mind, and I mean everything. It doesn’t have to make sense at first and doesn’t have to flow. Just write it all down and then organize your thoughts after. Stay focused on your goal for the book and the message you wish to deliver. Disregard any distractions! Don’t let ANYONE know you are writing except the people involved (editors, graphic designers, etc.). Not your family, friends, a bum on the street. NO BODY! I t will only distract you because they WILL voice their opinion and no matter what you think, it WILL alter your thought process during your writing. Keep it a secret, keep it to yourself, and don’t search for opinions until it’s completed and published. This will enable you to complete your book in a timely manner, and at its purest form.

Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?

If you wish to write a book, have a purpose. The truth is that we all die one day. What are you going to leave behind in this world after your time on earth has been served?

How can readers discover more about you and your work?


Website: www.10stackstosuccess.com; www.JayIsip.com
Blog: www.jayisip1.wordpresss.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/10stackstosuccess
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayIsip1
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Jerome-Jay-Isip/e/B00PB2P6SS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/10-Stacks-Success-Achieve-Goal-ebook/dp/B00OX9V6BG/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/10-stacks-to-success-mr-jerome-jay-isip/1120688365?ean=9781502960269
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/36418649-jerome-jay-isip

Thanks and best of luck with your novel Jerome!!!

A MOMENT TO SHARE with Hailey Rose Barrett

Hailey Rose Barrett

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing  Hailey Rose Barrett. She is author of the amazing book – Changing Lanes: from Hell to Heaven.   

Hi Hailey Rose, thank you for agreeing to this interview.

Tell me a little about yourself and your background?

I am one of seven children. I have two boys of my own, and I have been married three times. Professionally I have been a nurse for 30 years. I am passionate about living a healthy life and helping others do the same.

What were you like at school?

I was and continue to be very studious. I am organized and meticulous about lecture notes. I volunteered to lead projects and do extra assignments. I was the teacher’s pet.

Were you good at English?

Yes, I was good at English.

What are your ambitions for you’re writing career?

My ambitions for my writing career are to motivate and inspire others to live the best life they can by acknowledging and owning their mistakes, using their gift for a more meaningful life, and giving back in some way. Helping others dissect and analyze their past mistakes, makes them strong and clearer about a future positive path.

Which writers inspire you?

Maya Angelo, Mariann Williamson, Brian Weiss.

What was your life like before becoming an author?

Prior to writing my book, my life was hectic with tragedy and hardship. It wasn’t until I was willing to face the truth, and consciously decide not to be a victim, that my life begin to change for the better.

Which comes first – the character’s story or the idea for the novel?

The characters story.

When did you decide to become a writer?

There were so many times in my life that I shared personal stories with others and they would always tell the same thing; you have to write a book. And then I did……

Why do you write?

For me, writing is and was very therapeutic. Recalling painful life events helped me put things into perspective and encouraged personal growth.

So, what have you written?

My first book is an inspirational true story about my life. It has several powerful messages about forgiveness, humane love, and self-worth. It is a story about overcoming life’s obstacles against all odds. Also, I took the lessons of that book and scaled them down for a children’s book called Hailey’s Sunshine. It was important to me to somehow share my message with children, because I believe that is where we need to start; childhood.

Where people can buy or see them?

Hailey Rose Barrett’s Blog

www.haileyrosebarrett.com people can read the first chapter and read an interview to get a glimpse at what the book is about. It is available on all major online book venues (Amazon, B&N,Books 4 Less, ebook etc.) and Hailey’s Sunshine can be viewed for free at www.storyjumper.com, and can be purchased there as well.

Give me an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

She lives a life full of mistakes and tragedy until she decides; enough is enough.

What sparked the idea for your book?

Hailey Rose Barrett’s Twitter Page

After a major life event ensued, that’s when it occurred to me that I had to write the book.It was, and is, an unbelievable story.

How do you market your book?

Facebook, twitter, Pinterest,Goodreads, virtual book tours, radio interviews, you tube.

Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books?

Hailey Rose Barrett’s Pinterest Page

Don’t leave any stone unturned. Try any and every idea that you think will help you get exposure and sell your book.

What do you do to get book reviews?

I joined a Facebook group that does book reviews. I review their book and they review mine. I asked friends that purchased the book to write a review on Amazon. I have paid for a few reviews at the beginning, which were posted on various websites and personal pages.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?

It is an exciting and challenging endeavor. Perseverance is the key as well as educates yourself on the process. There are many people and businesses that are willing to take your money for services that will not really benefit you in the long run. You have to be selective. I highly recommend a professional service for editing and grammar. This will make or break your sales and reviews.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?


       Website: www.haileyrosebarrett.com
       Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Haileyrose
       Twitter: @haileyhrb
       Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/Haileyhrb
       Amazon Author Page: Hailey Rose Barrett
       Goodreads: Hailey Rose Barrett

It was a great privilege for me to get to interview Hailey Rose Barrett, who has inspired me in many different ways. Thank you Hailey Rose!!! Good Luck with everything!

A MOMENT TO SHARE with Seth Mullins

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Seth Mullins, author of What Casts the Shadow? (The Edge of the Known), Trust in the Unseen (The Edge of the Known) (Volume 2) and Song of the Twice Born: Book 1 The Mirror of Sirrus. He draws upon personal experience with methods of inner exploration such as dream-work and shamanism to lay a visionary substratum to his fiction. The Edge of the Known series is also inspired by his years spent as a songwriter and performing musician. He has lived in Connecticut, New Mexico, Oregon and (currently) Vermont.

Seth Mullins

Hi Seth, thank you for agreeing to this interview.

Tell me a little about yourself and your background? What were you like at school? Were you good at English? What are your ambitions for your writing career?

Ironically, I needed tutoring for writing and spelling in the first grade; but I think this was a matter of socialization more than anything else. It soon became obvious to me that my real aptitude was for language, particularly the written word. It didn’t feel as if I even had any homework in my A.P. Language Arts class senior year: It was all just writing prompts, to me. I studied creative writing further at two community colleges, in Santa Fe, NM. and Eugene, OR.

At the same time, writing was always my refuge. I was pretty reclusive during my school years. It took a long time for me to begin coming out of my shell. I had this idea that I could somehow keep myself safe by tiptoeing my way through existence, slipping under the radar. Writing became my way of reconnecting with the world around me.

Which writers inspire you?

Jane Roberts, Jack Kerouac, Stephen R. Donaldson, Charles Bukowski, Arthur Rimbaud.

What was your life like before becoming an author?

Humanity’s Way Forward, Seth’s website!

When I was young, the idea took root in me that the world was unsafe, and that the best way to stay safe was to be small. Just slip by unnoticed: That was my child’s approach to the uncertainty of existence. Don’t draw attention and you’ll be all right. So, unfortunately, this translated into low-paying jobs in adulthood with responsibilities that didn’t challenge me in any meaningful way or call upon my real gifts and abilities. It’s the belief that kept me from attaining much recognition and success as a writer, and took a long time to work through. At the same time, it left me well prepared for telling the story of a struggling young artist.

Which comes first – the character’s story or the idea for the novel?

In this case, the two were inseparable. Generally, though, my understanding of the central character comes first. If I don’t really care about the protagonist then it doesn’t much matter what happens to him or her.

When did you decide to become a writer?

When I discovered “The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever” at age 11. I suddenly realized that these books, for all of their fantastical trappings, were not mere escapism. They reflected a deeper layer of life; of the inside of the world, so to speak. It completely redefined my concept of what a story was and how deep it could go. To communicate on that level, through stories that might touch others with the same sense of wonder…this was unquestionably the one sacred direction of my life from that point on. Then I read James Michener’s “How to Write a Novel” at fifteen, and that further cemented the dream, convincing me that there were actual steps one could take to realize it.

Why do you write?

I am an incurable dreamer; I’ve made my peace with that, and it doesn’t concern me so much anymore if my beliefs come across as naive. Creativity is life. It not only holds the answers to all the questions within our minds but also presents answers to questions that we’ve never even thought to ask. It arises from a deeper part of our being that is aware of the bigger picture, the greater context, of our lives. The creative impulse shows the forest whilst we’re wandering among the trees. Writing illuminates the whole world for me.

So, what have you written?

I started out writing epic fantasies: “Song of an Untamed Land” (2005) and “Song of the Twice Born” (2010). I have two ongoing blogs: Humanity’s Way Forward and The Edge of the Known, both of which mainly explore themes relating to my fiction. I do write poetry occasionally, posting on a blog called The Light That Can’t Be Extinguished, and also write about my own exploration of dreams, a longtime interest, on another one entitled Awake Inside a Dream. But visionary fiction is my greatest love.

Where people can buy or see them?

            My books:

What Casts the Shadow? (The Edge of the Known, Volume I) http://amzn.to/1rkhffS

Trust in the Unseen (The Edge of the Known, Volume II) http://amzn.to/UBw3bw

Humanity’s Way Forward: http://www.humanityswayforward.com

The Edge of the Known blog: http://frontiersofconsciousness.blogspot.com

(Links to my poetry and dream pages can be found there also!)

Give me an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

At the onset of this tale, Brandon Chane is the archetypal self-destructive artistic genius: the hyper-sensitive; the wounded but gifted. He belongs to the pantheon of those who drink deeply from the well of life, feeling too much of it too often. Luckily, he finds possible salvation in the form of Saul Mason. Saul works as a counselor to people in crisis. He’s really more akin to a mystic thinker and an intuitive healer, though. He tries to show Brandon how his life is his own creation – that, because he has made for himself a life full of suffering he therefore also has the power to choose a new path.

Brandon, in turn, is able to absorb Saul’s teachings – which, like those of many spiritual teachers, can veer off into the realm of the esoteric – and reflect them back in his own way, in a kind of street vernacular that his audience relates to. So his own healing journey essentially becomes also a message of hope to others.

What sparked the idea for your book?

The Edge of the Known by Seth Mullins, Seth’s Blog!

A lifelong love of music and artistic expression, for one thing. I used to be addicted to the biographies (and the various myths that grew up around them) of artistic visionaries throughout history. So I spun the core of the novel around a young artist both brilliant and (seemingly) doomed. I wanted to explore the question of whether or not he could be ‘saved’. Could he somehow keep his vision intact and yet still enjoy a balanced and fulfilling earthly life? Could he sidestep the ‘live fast, die young’ credo and cliché of rock’n’roll?

How do you market your book?

I’m still learning, and I often feel myself in the dark around the whole process. The approach I’ve found most effective thus far is to maintain my blogs and tie their content in as closely as possible with the themes that I explore in my novels. This helps to define the niche that readers can then associate with me.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?

Well the challenge nowadays differs greatly from that of previous generations, thanks to the changes that technology has wrought. It’s much easier for a book to see print but, for that very reason, harder for a printed book to find readers. The average person is confronted with many more options, and less clearly defined reasons for choosing any of them. So the first task is a daunting one: Envisioning your particular, potential readership and then figuring out how to reach those people.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?


Website: http://www.humanityswayforward.com
Blog: http://frontiersofconsciousness.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhatCaststheShadow
Twitter: @SethMullins1 
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/sethmullins
What Casts the Shadow? (The Edge of the Known, Volume I) http://amzn.to/1rkhffS
Trust in the Unseen (The Edge of the Known, Volume II) http://amzn.to/UBw3bw
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1189710.Seth_Mullins

It was a great privilege for me to get to interview Seth Mullins, who has inspired me in many different ways. Thank you Seth!!! Good Luck with everything!

A MOMENT TO SHARE with Pamela Hamilton & W. T. Hamilton

W. T. Hamilton and Pamela Hamilton

The law of attraction works in our lives all of the time and has been written about in many books, giving us various views on the way we interpret this subject. Pamela Hamilton and W. T. Hamilton, who are mother and son, clearly write with different views. W. T. offers his ideas with a light humor attached to his life experiences and offers you inside depth to help you succeed in business as well as your personal goals. Pamela writes with more exploratory details and uses particular points from the inside info she has examined and learned on the way. The differing approaches the authors present in their amazing book – Your Invincible Power: Open the Door to Unlimited Wealth, Health and Joy, complement each others vision and opinion of this subject in ways that can bring you to the ultimate goal in your life successfully. Within the books pages you can find clear insight to change those distinguishable parts of you that get in your way. You can change your perspective and the way you think by using spot-on concepts, creative plans and ideas that can move you forward through your own desired intention. W. T. and Pamela’s wish is that you have fun with these ideas, because life is exciting.

Hello dear friends, thank you for agreeing to this interview.

Tell me about yourself?

Pamela - I immigrated to Canada from England when I was 24 yrs old. I loved to write from a young child and wrote my first novel when I was around 42 yrs. I read constantly and feel lost without a book close by. I love having get-together and family events, which I do quite often. I believe in family and I believe in building peoples self-worth.

W.T. – I am a skeptic at heart. I grew up only believing what I could see and touch. I only started to change the way I looked at things and how I handled things because of a need. I write about it in the book. I try not to take anything too seriously, I believe I am here to have fun and enjoy myself so that’s what I try to do.

What where you like on school?

Pamela Hamilton

Pamela - I write about my formative years in our book because I come from a generation where has a female education was never pushed in school in England. However, I loved school and loved English and had many friends who I am still friends with.

W.T. - I never liked school too much. I liked the girls; I concentrated more on the girls and being cool than I did in learning. It’s ironic because now I am all about learning and growing. I know that knowledge is powerful and an asset.

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

Pamela - W.T and I have many ideas in helping people to really see their own value. I believe the majority of us feel vulnerable, susceptible and very insecure. This is what stops us from reaching the goals in life that maybe we would long for. I have been there and have a need to share what I have learned to move people away from the fear of feeling insignificant in this world because each one of us are important.

Website Page!

W.T. – I plan to build a business around learning the law of attraction and how to use it in your everyday life. I really want to connect with people that are tired of doing things the same way for the same results. I plan to write a few books with my Mom as well as do coaching and training.

My goal is to help people see that you don’t have to believe in everything to work with this. It is a new and better way of thinking. For me, that’s what it is. A way to focus your thoughts to get the results you want. This is where I and my Mom have some great discussions as we are not always on the same page.

Why do you write?

 Pamela - I write because I love to connect with people. When I became interested in the Law of Attraction and found out what it could do for me I felt the need to spread the word about this wonderful universal law. What better way to do this than write about it. My belief is that the more of us that spread the word the more people can come to a better understanding of how powerful they are. What could be more motivating than this?

W.T. – I honestly started writing to help me understand how I could use the law of attraction. It was a little too way out there for me and I found that a lot of the material was way out there. I wrote first for myself and then I wanted to write for my kids so that they could have a head start in this. My goal was to speak to people like me that didn’t want all the extras that surround the law of attraction.

What have you wrote?

Pamela – I co-wrote Your Invincible Power with my son W.T. I had written two novels prior but have never published them.

I had decided to start a web site because I wanted to share this wonderful journey. After six months of just writing articles I had thousands of people telling me that they wanted more and why didn’t I write an e-book. My IT guy also suggested this and when I was into the first couple of chapters W.T said that he had been writing some stuff for himself and did I want to take a look at it. He emailed me what I could see as chapters in my book and we joined forces, so to speak

W.T – I have co-wrote the book “Your Invincible Power” with my Mom. I have also written many articles on our website www.wherethewindblows.ca. I enjoy writing about focused thought and getting to share with fans.

Where can you get our book?

W.T. – Our book is on Amazon, Google books, Chapter online, Balbao Press, and other online sites. We also do give always on good reads. We are doing another giveaway in December. You can also connect with us on Twitter – @w_t_hamilton and on FaceBook/pages/yourinvinciblepower and our website.

What is the main message of your book?

Facebook Page!

W.T. – the main message is the message of self-empowerment. It is about taking charge of any aspect of your life – your financial life, your home life, your work life, your health and your happiness. I take about my real life situations and how I used this knowledge to create a better life and better opportunities. Our book is the beginning of our journey. It gives you the foundation to start learning this great gift.

How do you market your book?

W.T. - We focus on growth for our book. We use Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to promote our book. We work with companies like Elite Book Promotions to get the work out. Elite Book Promotions has done an awesome job at helping to build up the buzz and support for the book and website.

We are also developing a video training series that will support our book. We do give always and we are planning to do some more book signings. Our plan is based on bench marks; each time we reach a bench mark it triggers another step in our marketing. It is working really well.

Advice for authors?

W.T. – I think you should start thinking about marketing and your message as you start to write your book. This is something that we didn’t do so we are playing catch up. The earlier you can develop your social media sites and website the better. You can build up a lot of excitement for your book while you are writing it and you can use benchmarks to trigger when you should even publish the book. I suggest you learn about as many aspects as you can about promoting your book and then when your book is ready, try to find people that can do the promoting for you. This way you can work on it and have a company like Elite Book Promotions work on it too.

Where people can find you?


Website: http://www.wherethewindblows.ca
Youtube: http://youtu.be/w7d5PY-mYx0
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2844839.Pamela_Hamilton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourinvinciblepower?ref=hl
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Your-Invincible-Power-Unlimited-Wealth-ebook/dp/B00IJSAM12/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1416276624&sr=1-1

 It was a great privilege for me to get to interview both of you. Good Luck with everything!

 

A MOMENT TO SHARE with DR. HANK SEITZ

Today I’m truly grateful to have Dr. Hank Seitz as a Guest Author for this week’s blog to interview. He is the author of “CONSCIOUS MIND TREATEMENT“, “THINK FEEL AND GROW RICH“, “ENCOURAGEMENT FROM DR. HANK“, “INSPIRING QUOTES BY DR. HANK“ and many short stories published in his blog “ENCOUARGEMENT BY DR. HANK“.

Dr. Hank Seitz is an International Speaker and Author, and works with Business Teams to measurably increase their business results. He has his undergraduate degree in Business from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Master’s Degree in Human Behavior, and PhD in Mental Science. He is also one of the most beloved and celebrated experts in the area of personal improvement and mental development.

Dr. Hank Seitz

Hi Dr. Hank Seitz, thank you for agreeing to this interview.

Tell me a little about yourself and your background?

I ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AND HAVE MY UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE IN BUSINESS, MASTERS IN PSYCHOLOGY AND MY PHD IN MENTAL SCIENCE.

What were you like at school?

IN HIGH SCHOOL I WAS VERY POPULAR AND HAD A TON OF FUN. IN COLLEGE I STUDIED FREQUENTLY AND HAD A TON OF FUN.

Were you good at English?

I WAS AVERAGE IN EVERY SUBJECT DURING HIGH SCHOOL AND EXCELLED IN COLLEGE.

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

I WANT TO SHARE WITH THE WORLD MY TEACHINGS OF HOW TO BE A DELIBERATE CREATOR.

Which writers inspire you?

IN HIGH SCHOOL I WAS INSPIRED BY DAVID THOREAU AND HIS BOOK “WALDEN’S POND”. OTHER BOOKS THAT HAVE INSPIRED ME INCLUDE “CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD” AND “THINK AND GROW RICH”.

What was your life like before becoming an author?

MY LIFE BEFORE AND NOW HAS BEEN HAPPY AND I NOW WRITE EVERY DAY SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE DAY AS I STREAM INFORMATION FROM INFINITE INTELLIGENCE.

Which comes first – the character’s story or the idea for the novel?

THE CHARACTER IN THE STORY AND MY CHARACTER IS ALWAYS “SOURCE ENERGY” THAT PROVIDES ME THE FEELINGS, THOUGHTS AND WORDS THAT FIND THEMSELVES ON THE PAGE I AM WRITING ON.

When did you decide to become a writer?

ABOUT 7 YEARS AGO I REALIZED THAT I UNDERSTOOD HOW LIFE WORKS AND I FELT IT WOULD BE AN UPLIFTMENT FOR THE WORLD TO BE ABLE TO READ THESE TRUTHS OF LIFE.

Why do you write?

TO INSPIRE, UPLIFT AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO BECOME THEIR GREATEST POSSIBILITY.

So, what have you written?

BOOKS: “CONSCIOUS MIND TREATEMENT“, “THINK FEEL AND GROW RICH“, “ENCOURAGEMENT FROM DR. HANK“ AND “INSPIRING QUOTES BY DR. HANK“.

SHORT STORIES: WEEKLY IN MY “ENCOUARGEMENT BY DR. HANK” THAT I SEND OUT TO MY LIST OF ABOUT 42,000.

BLOGS: TOPPERFORMERBLOG.COM

Where people can buy or see them?

MY BOOKS ARE ALL AVAILABLE AT AMAZON.COM AND KINDLE.COM YOU CAN RECEIVE MY WEEKLY “ENCOURAGEMENT FROM DR. HANK” VIA EMAIL BY SIMPLY SIGNING UP AT WWW.FEELRICH.US

Give me an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

THE MAIN CHARACTER IS SOURCE ENERGY THAT “IT” CAN BE, DO AND HAVE ANYTHING THAT ONE DESIRES. MIRACLES HAPPEN REGULARLY TO THOSE THAT ARE EXPOSED TO MY TEACHINGS.

What sparked the idea for your book?

Dr. Hank Seitz’s Website

THE IDEA FOR MY BOOK WAS SPARKED BY KNOWING THAT I HAD A PATH THAT COULD LEAD TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE’S DESIRES. I WANTED TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS. :)

How do you market your book?

MAINLY THROUGH MY KEYNOTE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS AND THE LIST I HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS OF 42,000 AND GROWING.

Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books? What do you do to get book reviews?

MY BOOKS HAVE BEEN BEST USED AS A “BUSINESS CARD” THAT CREATES CREDIBILITY AND INTEREST IN MY TEACHINGS. SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MOST SUCCESSFUL FOR ME AND THEN THE BUILDING OF ONES LIST. MY READERS PROVIDE ME BOOK REVIEWS.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?

START WRITING!

Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?

I HELP PEOPLE BECOME THEIR GREATEST POSSIBILITY AND MY TEACHINGS RESONATE WITHIN EVERYONE THAT COMES WITH AN OPEN HEART AND MIND. EVERY STUDENT THAT COMES TO EXPECT MORE OF WHAT THEY DESIRE ALWAYS RECEIVES THEIR WISH :)

How can readers discover more about you and your work?  

MY BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM OR CONTACT ME DIRECTLY TO SPEAK OR UPLIFT THE INDIVIDUAL, COMPANY OR ORGANZATION. DRHANK@FEELRICH.US

I ALSO HAVE SEVERAL PRODUCTS THAT INCLUDE “THE JOY SHOP”, “LIVING IN THE GREEN ZONE” AND “THE MAGIC BULLET”. AVAILABLE AT WWW.VERVANTE.COM OR DIRECTLY THROUGH ME.

Website: http://thinkfeelandgrowrich.us/ & http://www.drhankseitz.com/
Blog: http://topperformer.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrHankSeitz?fref=ts
Twitter: @DrHankSeitz
LInkedin: DR. HANK SEITZ
Pinterest: DRHANKSEITZ
Amazon Author Page: DR. HANK SEITZ

     It was a great privilege for me to get to interview Dr. Hank Seitz, who has inspired me in many different ways. Thank you Dr. Hank!!! Good Luck with everything!

INSIDE WITH SUSAN WINGATE and her NEW book – THE DEER EFFECT!

Susan Wingate

NEW BOOK From the author of DROWNING – winner of the 2011 Forward National Literature Award for Drama and #1 Amazon bestseller.

“THE DEER EFFECT is a story of loss, redemption and forgiveness.”

Hi Susan, thank you for answering my questions! So let’s begin the interview!

What inspired you to write your new book?

It’s funny you should ask. I just wrote a post about it on my blog, WRITING FROM THE COUCH. This is what happened. It was a chilly fall morning and I decided to take my dog, Robert for a walk. Were my husband and I fighting? I really cannot remember but what happened spurred on the story. Robert and I turned a corner and saw a downed deer. She had been hit by a car near another turn a ways down. She was long dead by the time we got there. Thank God. But I bent down to touch her. To somehow soothe the incident if that were at all possible. I placed my thumb on her forehead and softly rubbed the sign of the cross on her. It was so sad. She may have been one of my deer. I feed them. They come, all seventeen or so, each morning for oats, corn and barley and to loll about in our pasture out back.

It was while I bent to console her that I thought, Robert and I could get hit by a car too if we don’t get off the road.

Anyway, the story flooded my every thought and before I knew it, I’d written THE DEER EFFECT.

Book Details:

File Size: 851 KB
Print Length: 194 pages
Publisher: Eye of the Needle Press (November 5, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00MRPKZ2O



How did you come up with the title & who designed the covers?

I came up with the title for THE DEER EFFECT and gave images to the graphic artist and she came up with the cover. Isn’t it gorgeous? I think it lends a sense of mystery and is quite evocative.

How much of the book is realistic?

Well, one of the main characters – Bobby is fashioned after my little Westie, Robert. And the scene where Hannah and Bobby find the fawn dead on the side of the road is from the actual event I described above. Everything else is fiction.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Not crying while I was writing. Many scenes are heartbreaking and as an emotional person, writing the story through tears was difficult. Plus, I had to stop so much to keep getting tissue to blow my nose! LOL. But it’s true. This story is what I would describe as tender and it should be since a good part of the story is about loss and grief.

What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

I had to call some local law enforcement agencies and getting them to open up is never easy. Once they know you’re light though they will pretty much give you whatever information they can.

Honestly, I can’t think of anything that was too difficult. I didn’t have to research deer because we have a small herd of seventeen who come everyday for corn, oats and barley. I feed them and go out walking about through them. It’s awesome to be that close to antlered bucks and pregnant does who are supposed to be aggressive because of mating but in fact are tender and serene. I love my deer.

As for relationship research and psychological aspects of THE DEER EFFECT, the hardest part was to envision not being around for my pets. In the very first scene, Hannah is killed while taking her dog, Bobby for a walk. Bobby lives but can still sense her presence. He still feels her with him but cannot spot her. These are moments of anguish not only for the dog but for me while I was writing the scenes.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Always. I can’t imagine writing a story where readers won’t learn something from my heart.

The logline is “…between Heaven and earth lies The Deer Effect…”

I think the logline gives a mysterious quality to our existence here on Earth. But I go further with the question: How would you feel if the last words you spoke to a loved one were cruel words?

This goes to the heart of the story. How we treat people we love.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

In part. Yes. I had a girlfriend way back about 25 years ago who had a fight with her husband and he left angry for the store. He was killed in an automobile accident. Wrapped his car around a telephone pole and was killed instantly. I remember how morose she was because of their last fight.

That event has stayed with me for a long time, informing me. And, honestly, I can’t imagine the horrible irrevocably of such a final conversation. It’s too sad to comprehend.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in this book?

I don’t write from an outline any more. I used to and I can say that those books I could go back and tweak plot and change circumstances for the character. However, with THE DEER EFFECT it came so naturally, so honestly that to change anything would make it false. I don’t think I would change a thing in this story.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

I’d love to. This is the scene where Hannah and Bobby find the downed deer.

Though blue skies played peek-a-boo behind a bank of scudding billowy clouds, the air felt moist. Bobby stopped and shook his coat out hard. A halo of silvery mist jettisoned off him in all directions. And when he stopped, he didn’t continue forward but, instead, he dug in his feet, anchoring himself to the ground.

I walked past, assuming he’d catch up.

When he didn’t, I had to stop.

“Come on.” I pumped my arm at the words. But he wouldn’t move. His snout remained forward, popping up, sniffing the air. The hum of the motorcycle engines seemed to be growing louder but I figured it was my mind still playing tricks on me.

But, Bobby remained frozen. Locked his legs and wouldn’t budge.

“Come on.” Still he refused. I pulled harder at his leash. “Come on, Bobby. Now.”

Then he bolted, jarring my arm forward with him.

“Bobby. Good Lord. Stop!”

I finally got close enough to make him stop and see what he had seen, to smell what he had smelled. Bobby continued to pull hard.

My focus locked onto the object.

It was still breathing.

Mist around its nose formed delicate clouds of rapid fire vapor.

I didn’t feel my legs jump into a lope but there I was, there we were, running toward a deer that had been hit.

Nearing it, I saw it was no more than six months old, with fading spots in a series of lines on its side.

Someone had hit a fawn.

Someone…

Those bastards. The motorcyclists, when the engines cut.

As I got closer, it struggled to get up. As if it had fallen on ice it flailed.

The jagged formation of its hip told me they’d busted its spine.

The energy the fawn expended dealt its final blow. The animal fell back, resting its head, straining to breathe. Seeming to understand its fate.

Blood pooled out from under the fawn, forming a widening circle. I put my hands onto the ground, then my elbows, trying to form a boom around it, as though surrounding the blood, capturing its outflow would help.

“Oh. God. Please. No.”

Garnet continued to flow from somewhere near its head.

The fawn tried to scramble up one last time. It bayed like a calf, making a sound like “maa,” and settled its head onto the ground.

Her breathing sounded raspy. The distinct smell of fired iron filled the air as blood continued to leach out of her body. The baby deer was going to die. There was no turning this around.

My heart cramped at the knowledge.

I believe it was then I should have heard the engines gunning too close but nothing else mattered except for this dying fawn. My eyes, my heart, my soul, my total energy was riveted by this animal.

Half on, half off the road, head slumped into the ditch, her eyes began glazing over, fast.

Bobby ran into the street next to the fawn. I pointed and yelled to him to move off the road and to go down into the ditch where he stood with his face toward hers. He whiffled his snout around hers and then, once, licked her. Gently.

She continued to pant but more quietly now.

I laid my hand on her.

“Oh baby,” I said.

That’s when it happened. A flash, blazing around the corner. The same two bikers. Startling me once again back to the world around me, the world outside this small dying deer, to the living world.

But I didn’t react fast enough.

My hands flew off the fawn as if surrendering.

The pain came next.

My head flipped back as a handlebar cracked me square in the forehead. Behind it, the second motorcycle appeared, landing a death blow to the fawn. The bike bumped up onto my pelvis and over my chest, crushing my ribcage and snapping my neck as it rolled on and off and over my head.

When my neck broke, it spun my head to the right, toward the deer. My hand fell limp landing over the fawn’s spots, across its rib cage.

Our eyes locked.

bobby go home.

It was no more than a thought, but perhaps I spoke the words to him. I couldn’t tell from the noise of the fleeing motorcycles.

After that, all my energy seemed connected to the deer lying next to me. And, as our stayed eyes connected, its breathing slowed with mine.

Hazy clouds of fog ghosting from our mouths slackened, then dissipated, and, finally came to a stop.

So, I hope that gives you a little idea of where the story ends and where it will go. Thank you, Meglena! Your questions are great. They go to the core of the story.

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog. I appreciate it.

Website: www.susanwingate.com
You can find THE DEER EFFECT on Amazon at: http://amzn.to/1usmKKm
Blog: http://susanwingate.wordpress.com/writing-quirk-fiction-from-the-couch-with-susan-wingate/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/susanwingate
Facebook Author page: www.facebook.com/authorsusanwingate

A MOMENT TO SHARE with Spiros Gratsias

Hey everyone, today I am very happy to introduce Spiros Gratsias, the author of “The C Enigma”. Spiros is a native of Montreal, Canada, born to Greek immigrants. He moved back to Greece twenty years ago and has been living there ever since. Gratsias has a master’s degree in manufacturing technology and thirty-five years’ experience in the aerospace and consumer goods industries. An amateur painter and dedicated student of history, he devotes much of his time to reading and writing.

Spiros Gratsias

Hi Spiros, thank you for agreeing to this interview.

Tell me a little about yourself and your background? What were you like at school? Were you good at English? What are your ambitions for your writing career?

I grew up in Montreal more specifically Park Extension an area that was primarily populated by Greek immigrants, very similar to little Italy in New York. We were all second generation Greek Canadians and basically living and balancing between two worlds. One reality was the typical and traditional Greek family upbringing and the other was our Canadian schooling and identity. This created many conflicts of identity and behavior that resulted in trouble at school and at home. Therefore I was a below average student except for the subjects I really liked, Literature, History and the Arts. My teachers would not believe that I finished university and build a 35 year professional career.

My love for literature helped me a great deal in developing an above average level of the English language.

I aspire to continue writing now that I have finally completed my first book.

Which writers inspire you?

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. I consider the writing and expression of the struggles and experience of redemption incredible.

The Brothers Karamazov Fyodor Dostoyevsky. A supreme achievement of literature, an emotional intelligence manual regarding human faith, reason, and doubt.

The Bourne Identity Series (Ludlum) —Complex, intelligent, fast, a foundation of international thrillers.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown. A perfect combination of reality and fiction, the multiple literary elements such as secret societies, Ancient history, the Church, architecture, and symbolism are masterfully balanced.

What was your life like before becoming an author?

I have a very full professional life with many obligations and challenges now that I have published I look back and realize that I am more balanced in regards to my need to express and create.

Which comes first – the character’s story or the idea for the novel?

Spiros’s Facebook Page

The character’s story is the inspiration and energy behind the idea for a novel, in other words the character is the foundation and the idea is the façade.

When did you decide to become a writer?

I have always felt the need to write but my career and painting was always an excuse for not actually trying. About six years ago my need to write overwhelmed all of the excuses and I began the journey.

Why do you write?

Thinking about it now I believe that painting for me has been a lifetime path of discovery and the vehicle that led me to a new need of expression: writing! Looking back it feels as though I had no choice, the moment had come and I just had to try, I think Picasso expressed this moment when he said; “Every now and then one paints a picture that seems to have opened a door and serves as a stepping stone to other things.”

So, what have you written?

“The C Enigma” is my first published work.

Give me an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

The main character Matthias Adkins begins a journey of family and self-discovery that explores the premise that each and every one of us has the personal responsibility to fight for freedom, justice, and the forces of good. Step by step the realization of individual sacrifices of the past transforms him into a warrior of good versus evil. He finds the strength to fight the most powerful enemy man has, his personal fears thus proving that an individual’s actions can have a drastic impact on the outcome of any battle, war, or campaign.

What sparked the idea for your book?

Reading the biography of Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, the head of the German secret service during WWII was the fundamental inspiration for The C ENIGMA. His amazing personal fight against the dark evil that Hitler’s Nazism represented compelled me to try to understand this man as best as possible. My research identified other actual heroes who gave their lives for freedom and compelled me to tell their story but furthermore to explore the premise that each and every one of us has the personal responsibility to fight for freedom, justice, and the forces of good. An individual’s actions can have a drastic impact on the outcome of any battle, war, or campaign.

Spiros’s Website!

This personal responsibility always existed throughout history and it seems like the world once again is trying to tear itself apart… Economic crisis, wars, uncontrolled poverty and hunger, fanatical self-destruction and most importantly once again enormous public opinion control systems. Our only weapon in defending ourselves, our families and society is to have as must knowledge us possible in order to decide what we should accept and what we should challenge, and our only weapon is KNOWLEDGE of history!

I do not dare to pretend that I know who and what is pulling the strings of our collective destiny but I do know that knowing our world history is important in molding our future. This was the primary motivation that drove me in writing a historical fiction. My objective was simple, give a historical example, make people ask why and stimulate them into investigating as single individuals the truths and the lies!

Our most powerful weapon is our vote but this weapon necessitates having as must knowledge as possible in why we choose to put our future in the hands of someone we believe represents and controls our dreams and future. This is our continuous obligation and the heroes described in The C ENIGMA are a testament of the power that a single individual actions can have against the darkness of our world.

How do you market your book?

I am trying to utilize as best as possible the tools available, such as Facebook and Twitter plus any available promotion services such as, EliteBookPromotions.

Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books? What do you do to get book reviews?

Spiros’s Goodreads Page!

I believe that creating a personal authors website is fundamental in marketing your book and sharing news and reviews that generate new reviews.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?

The C Enigma voyage took Six years to complete and with every step I entered deeper into a new world of emotions. I wrote in the strangest places motivated and inspired by the surrounding energy, sometimes a paragraph other times a chapter. My sails would sometimes fill with strong gusts of inspiration and in other moments would fall motionless with no wind, simmering under the sun with despair that the next page would never come. My advice is simple “set a destination and stay the course” with every step comes a thought, an expression a connection to what is inside you. In the end I truly believe that every story pre-exists in its entirety inside each author, the decision to begin the journey simply transforms it into a book.

Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?

“The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.”- Aristotle

How can readers discover more about you and your work?


Website: http://authorspirosgratsias.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spiros.gratsias.7
Twitter: http://authorspirosgratsias.com/
Lnkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=28318531&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile&_mSplash=1
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Spiros-Gratsias/e/B00MDM7TSY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MIWE734
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-C-ENIGMA-Spiros-Gratsias/dp/149962560X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1407020738&sr=8-2&keywords=The+c+enigma
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22969112-the-c-enigma?from_search=true

It was a great privilege for me to get to interview Spiros Gratsias , who has inspired me in many different ways. Thank you Spiros!!! Good Luck with everything! :)