Linda Barnett-Johnson Editing and Virtual Assistance

What do Age, Experience and Wisdom have in common?

2012-03-13T11:05:00.004-07:00

LESSONS TO LIVE BY...OUR JOURNEY IN LIFE
This book launch starts March 14th. Please tell your friends.

Do you appreciate wisdom and experience?

Do you wish your kids were exposed to strong, positive values?

Do you long for simpler times?

Then this book is for you!
In his memoir, Doyle Barnes shares the most important lessons of his long life in a wonderfully positive allegorical way. Filled with powerful personal tales, his book Our Journey in Life, is great reading for anyone 8 to 80 years old. After regaling his children and grandchildren with his amazing stories for years, he was urged to take his message to the world. Now it's here and it's just right for bedtime reading, sharing with the family and bestowing upon our kids, this book puts a lifetime of success into a little book you’ll cherish. http://bit.ly/OurJIL

Barnes offers advice on:
how to get what you want through persistence
how to make a plan for life
how to maximize your abilities
how to reach top authorities to achieve results
how to set and achieve goals
and much, much more!

Barnes says, “Life is somewhat like a tree that branches out limb after limb. Some trees grow and are full-blown in every respect, while others are short without many limbs. branches out limb after limb. Some trees grow and are full-blown in every respect, while others are short without many limbs. http://bit.ly/OurJIL“Those that generally grow are constantly reaching out and gathering in nutrients in the way of sunshine and water. “Which one are you? Are you adding limbs and branching out? Watch a new small tree as it grows. It reaches out unto the heavens, gathering its nourishment from nature.

“What are you gathering?

“Are you still growing

And when you buy the book March 14, you'll download dozens of bonuses you'll love! http://bit.ly/OurJIL

2012-03-09T14:31:00.001-08:00

Please add Patricia Crandall, author, to your fb list: http://ping.fm/9WEdS

2012-03-09T14:12:00.001-08:00

Please join my blog: http://ping.fm/rWszM

2012-03-08T15:31:00.001-08:00

Love Interlude by Patricia Crandall, to be published 3/27/12 on Daily Love http://ping.fm/ErR50

2012-02-29T10:55:00.001-08:00

Please "Like" this book on Amazon. http://tinyurl.com/89uktx2
I'll return the favor. Thanks. Linda

The Dog Men by Patricia Crandall

2012-02-29T10:39:00.003-08:00

The Dog Men by Patricia Crandall

Ten-year-old Wyatt and eleven-year-old Hannah uncover the dark world of illegal dog fights when they trespass at a Vermont farm and peep through a barn window. And when crotchety old Lester Cranshaw’s dog, Paddy, turns up missing, there is no holding him back from investigating the situation and the kids join in. In the dead of night, after the trio are captured and held hostage at the Inglis farm, Wyatt will need all of his wits and courage to escape in order to save the lives of his friends. The Dog Men draws the reader into a tempest of animal abuse, lawlessness, and kidnapping within the confines of small-town happenings. A chilling plot and a peerless relationship between kids, adults and pets.

This is the third published book by Patricia Crandall. She has two books in print: Melrose, Then and Now, a historical volume, and I Passed This Way, a poetry book. She is currently working on an adventure/thriller novel and a book of bottle mining adventures. She lives with her husband, art, at Babcock lake in the Grafton Mountains near Petersburgh, New York.

Pick up your book today on Amazon.com

2012-02-06T13:56:00.001-08:00

Submit a poem or story to Long Story Short at http://ping.fm/or0Dr

2012-02-06T13:55:00.001-08:00

Advertise in Long Story Short Ezine. http://ping.fm/2kEbU

2012-02-06T13:42:00.001-08:00

On Valentine's Day, get your writer a course in writing at www.lsswritingschool.com It's a perfect and long lasting gift they'll love.

2012-01-26T13:55:00.001-08:00

Need editor? Need your social networks managed and prospering? Need your book(s) in the top 100 on Amazon? http://ht.ly/8F0R1

2012-01-24T13:43:00.001-08:00

Need editor? Need your social networks managed and prospering? Need your book(s) in the top 100 on Amazon? http://ht.ly/8F0R1

The Plus Size Woman's Guide to Nurturing Confidence and Self Esteem

2012-01-18T15:01:00.001-08:00

AWeber Yoga Template

Beautiful at Any Size:

The Plus Size Woman's Guide to Nurturing Confidence and Self-Esteem

BUY THE BOOK!
The Book:

This book will help heal your negative attitudes about body size and self-worth and provide new insights to raise your self-esteem and confidence. Women of ANY size will find comfort and inspiration in the cheerful and loving words of this motivational book based on the authors personal experience and deep emotional and spiritual wisdom about really seeing our own beauty and power and worth, regardless of body shape or size or weight.

From the Author

In the author's own words: "In my family, being fat was considered a sin. Well, to be honest, being overweight was a sin and fat--well THAT was just completely unacceptable! From a very early age, I got the message that something was wrong with my size and that it was all my fault. I learned very early in life that my body was something to be ashamed of, and I unconsciously adopted the belief that I, as a human being, was a failure because of how I looked. Of course, the bad news for me was that, at that time, food was the only sense of nurturing and comfort that was available to me. And, needing that nurturing and comfort as badly as I did, I "failed" every weekly weigh-in in my teenage years and didn't learn to drive until I was 22 and had been out of my parents' house for 5 years! It's taken me the better part of 50 years to finally get the message that my value as a human being is not defined by a number on the scale or the size of my clothes. And to also understand that my size is nothing to be ashamed of, and therefore -- neither is yours!"

FREE GIFTS

WITH BOOK PURCHASE

TODAY!

...

We we want to make your purchase of BEAUTIFUL AT ANY SIZE Kindle version a no-brainer on January 10, 2012! So we've lined up over 30 unique bonus gifts for you to immediately receive after your purchase of the book!

...

Just Click here to Buy the Book Today and after your purchase is complete, come back here and fill in the information on the right side of the page in the big pink box!

...

You'll be sent an email asking you to confirm your desire for your bonus gifts and then you will be given the link to download more than 30 FABULOUS, inspiring, motivational, and empowering gifts all to support you in leading a joyous, peaceful and prosperous life RIGHT NOW!

If you'd like to remove your email address from this list, you can

click here to unsubscribe.

10061 Riverside Drive, Suite 368, Toluca Lake, California 91602-2560, USA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?7GwcbMwctCxsDKzsrCwMtEa0jEycbMwsDOw=

2012-01-04T15:53:00.001-08:00

Move into the Magic gives you a technique to rewrite your life the way you want it to be. http://bit.ly/tFOQbu

2012-01-03T13:06:00.003-08:00

Join my blog for new books and author interviews: http://ping.fm/xxq5r

2012-01-03T13:06:00.001-08:00

New book: Move into the Magic by Maxine Taylor. Visit my blog for all the information: http://ping.fm/Wwtke

MOVE INTO THE MAGIC!

2012-01-03T11:48:00.001-08:00

Move into the Magic!

A Guide to Discovering Your Life's Mission

Amazon
Bestseller!

BUY THE BOOK!

Create the Life of Your Dreams Don't miss this book!
Finally there's a book that explains why we can't seem to break the family patterns that prevent us from moving forward into our life's mission to find true happiness - it's Move into the Magic, a Guide to Discovering Your Life's Mission by Maxine Taylor. What makes this book unique is that it gives you the whole picture. It shows you the cause of the problem and gives you the solution. It takes you from birth to the present and shows you, step by step, how to let go of the commitments that have run your life and created your life's story. In addition, it gives you a technique to rewrite your life the way you want it to be. This is empowering, and even better, you get more than 20 bonuses when you buy the book! http://bit.ly/tFOQbu

Buy the Book

PO Box 1223, Conifer, CO USA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?ThisIsATestEmail

2011-12-07T14:19:00.001-08:00

Follow my blog for book launches. http://ping.fm/nOPpR

Am I Really Hungry? 6th Sense Diet, Intuitive Eating by Jane Bernard

2011-12-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

I found an amazing “diet” book that’s not about dieting! It’s Am I Really Hungry? 6th Sense Diet, Intuitive Eating by Jane Bernard. The 6th Sense Diet is absolutely liberating! Thankfully, there's no counting calories or lists of forbidden foods, and no inner critic. Instead of calories and rules, you get 10 tools for eating intuitively. You’ll discover amazing new solutions for handling weight problems and begin to have long-term satisfaction with yourself and your body at last.

After you read this ground-breaking book, you’ll know what you want to eat just by listening to your 6th sense! You’ll learn about the different types of hunger and that by paying attention to your body, you’ll know what you want to eat. Intuition is your 6th sense. It's a grounding and arousal sense you can depend on to stay clear about food choices so you feel and look great. http://bit.ly/IE6th

If you’re tired of feeling guilty and frustrated around eating, this is the book for you! Am I Really Hungry? gives you bold insights into how emotional eating interferes with your real needs, and you will learn new intuitive tools to put an end to old habits. No more binging or bloating or mood swings! You’ll learn how to eat when you're hungry and stop when you're not. I know I’ll never buy another diet book again! By using intuitive tools, your emotional hot buttons around eating, diet and maintaining your healthy weight become a thing of the past. Bernard reveals how to take the pleasure of eating to a whole new level.

And she’s offering a host of other great bonuses, some of which are also about healthy eating. Now’s the time with the holidays coming to take charge of your life and your body! It's a great gift book, too, for that yo-yo dieter in your life. Happy Holidays! Check it out here: http://bit.ly/IE6th

2011-11-22T17:30:00.001-08:00

How often do you read a book that could change your life at a core level? Tapping Play. For you & your kids. http://bit.ly/sF21A6

2011-11-22T17:25:00.001-08:00

A positive self image book for kids that includes Singing and Tapping (EFT) - It's Tapping Play! http://bit.ly/sF21A6 Lots of bonuses too.

A positive self image book for kids that includes Singing and Tapping (EFT) - It's Tapping Play!

2011-11-22T17:18:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

I would like to introduce you to Debbie Teichmann’s new and exciting book for children called Tapping Play Creates Your Happy Rainbow Day. Tapping Play is a wonderful gift of love for children: love of self, love of their uniqueness, love of movement, love of singing, love of self expression, love of positive feelings, and love for life. This daily celebration of your beautiful and unique child, through the act of singing and tapping helps teach your child to love themselves and be able to verbalize it! http://bit.ly/sF21A6

The 7 songs, one for each day of the week, emphasize positive self-esteem verses, happy thoughts, I AM affirmations, joyful expressions of self-love and happy hugs. All SEVEN songs are FREE downloads with the purchase of this book. These upbeat songs of love and celebration have no age limit. They bring happiness and joy to all age groups – young and old.

Each day, Annabelle, the free-spirited tapping guide, expertly creates the happy rainbow word of the day. Franny and Billy proudly guide your child through the corresponding color coded tapping points and song words.

Meridian or Energy tapping is part of the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Tapping on meridian points can help reinforce our daily positive messages. There is no right or wrong way! Tapping on any point can have benefits and Tapping Play is designed to be fun and carefree. Young children learn from watching and repetition. Singing, dancing, hugging and/or tapping on any point is perfect. Your beautiful little free spirits know what feels good and happy and will create their own technique.http://bit.ly/sF21A6

Your child will deeply and completely love creating their happy rainbow day

This revolutionary book has just been released to the public and comes with a wide assortment of bonus gifts donated by Debbie Teichmann’s friends and colleagues. Give this special Christmas gift of love to the kids of all ages on your list. Check it out now: http://bit.ly/sF21A6

BOOK INTERVIEW WITH THOMAS WILSON

2011-11-20T20:03:00.000-08:00

1) Please tell us about what you like to write? List your websites, what you do and anything else you'd like our readers and writers to know about you. (Please list your accomplishments too).

I like to write! It is a rather new development in my life as I have only actually been doing it seriously with an end goal in mind since February 2010. I have an entire collection of stuff I plan to write over the next few years. If I had to categorize it, I would say mostly Science Fiction. I have a couple of books planned that are non-fiction, and a awesome series which would be Fiction but crosses multiple genres, but I will not start that project until I have surpassed the one million word mark, found my style and perfected my craft more.

But to answer your question, what do I like to write? I like to write what I like to read, and that is any and everything! I just love writing!

I don't have a website, but I do have a Blog where I write to exercise my mind and warm up for working on my novels.

http://thomaswilsonstoryteller.blogspot.com

List my accomplishments:

Literary accomplishments the list is short and not very dramatic.
I wrote the rough drafts of two novels in 2010.

Edited the first novel "Whisper" and self-published it in January 2011.
Re-wrote and Edited the second novel "No Rules Of Engagement" and self-published it in Aug/Oct 2011.

Have actually sold books and slowly building a following of fans with both books with no advertising or promotion.

Other accomplishments include:

Father of Three children, Found my true Passion and Calling in Life (Writing) and that’s a big one!

Anything else I want your readers to know.

I believe books sell by word of mouth, with the help of the internet, but people talking about what they are reading. If you want to sell more books, Write better Books!

Every aspiring author wonders if their work is any good. Through time, reviews and by sales you can judge the merit of your labors.

My first book is Good, selling like wild fire, but it will always be my first and worst book.

My second novel is Great. Coming out of the gates it is earning five out of five stars in ratings, and getting awesome reviews.

Currently I am writing the sequels to both books to hopefully have finished, polished, and published sometime in 2012.

To find my books:
"No Rules Of Engagement” By Thomas Wilson $4.99 US
For Amazon Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Rules-Engagement-Alexander-Hawk-ebook/dp/B005KG60US/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321559982&sr=1-1
For paperback
http://www.amazon.com/No-Rules-Engagement-Alexander-Novel/dp/1466275375/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321559982&sr=1-1-catcorr

For other E-book formats
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/85282
For eight-year-old orphan, Alexander Hawk, the question, "Is there other Intelligent life in the Universe?" has been answered with a resounding YES!

Plucked from a correctional facility for boys because of a test he never even finished, Alexander is sent to train for combat against an alien race of Alligators which is attacking another group of aliens, the Macktonics, who have allied with United States in return for advanced technology.

The United States' gathers an army of children so they will arrive at the perfect age for fighting. Alexander faces grueling training exercises as he struggles to rise to the challenge of preparing to save the placid Macktonic alien civilization from pending attack. Before his training is complete he comes face to face with the enemy. Alexander becomes student and teacher as they square off against a superior aggressor. Traveling through time portals crossing time and space to gain intelligence, and ultimately to hunt down their foe before they attack the Macktonics.

"Whisper” By Thomas Wilson .99 Cents US
For Amazon Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Whisper-Wiley-Randolph-Series-ebook/dp/B004NBZ962/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321560119&sr=1-1
For paperback
http://www.amazon.com/Whisper-Wiley-Randolph-Novel-1/dp/1466220031/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321560119&sr=1-2-catcorr
For other E-book formats
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/38922
The crew of the USS Whisper tries to get back to their rightful place in time after accidently being sent into the past over 200 years while testing a device to make the ship invisible. Captain Wiley Randolph and his crew fight against time, a 200-year-old frigate, a Japanese Zero, and a German Wolf Pack of submarines. Also a Love Story!

Linked-In http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top
Blog http://thomaswilsonstoryteller.blogspot.com/
Goodreads dot com http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4864013.Thomas_Wilson
Smashwords dot com https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/StorytellerTDW
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Wilson/e/B004NR37OW/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

2) Do you have any projects at the moment? What are they? I know that you are writing sequels to your two books, but do you have anything else in mind? Are you haunted by characters, stories and events, while trying to write the sequels?

The current projects are actually quite daunting in themselves.
The first book I wrote "Whisper" was supposed to be a action adventure Sci-Fi novel. It is that, but instead of people asking me about the time machine aspects of the ship, or the other elements of historical nature in regards to the book, all people ask about is the guy and girl. Apparently I wrote a romance novel to some degree without being aware of it.

Of the missions I have planned for Captain Wiley Randolph, I choose Whisper, his last mission to write first. Primarily because it was the weakest of the stories I had, and I knew being my first and worst book I will ever write, start with the weakest.

My plans originally were to come back with SAC Submersible Air Carrier, Wiley's training and first mission for the Navy. Because of the feedback from those who have read Whisper, the Sequel will pick up where Whisper left off. At some point in the book it will go back in time telling the story of Wiley's first mission. Essentially the readers are going to get two stories in one novel, which will set everything up for the third book in the series. It will be my first time writing a story of this nature.

No Rules Of Engagement involves the characters jumping through time and space through time gates. Trying to keep it all straight of who did what, where and When, has become a daunting task to say the least. The sequel has its own unique elements, which are different from NROE to keep it all fresh and interesting.
Am I haunted by future projects? Oh hell Yes! I have two series in particular which continually distract my attention and imagination.

Stolen Gangs – Where an undercover Federal agent investing gang activity gets kidnapped with the survivors of a gang. He is stuck in a secret training facility fighting for his very life and survival while being trained by a new criminal element unlike anything ever imagined.

The Seventh Service Of Yohovah – This is my 'Harry Potter Series'. It will appeal and attract an audience that crosses multiple genres. It will intrigue, delight, and entertain in an epic manner! I will not get any more specific than that. When I have written at least a million words, found my style and groove as a writer, and built a following of literary fans of my work I will do my version of Releasing the Kraken, so to speak.

3) Describe your writing environment. I am always interested in the environment of a writer.

These days starting out it is my recliner, in my living room, of a moderate, normal ranch style home. I kick back, with my lap top on my lap and type like a mad man! I always envision a study lined with book shelves, a grand wooden desk facing a bank of tall windows as where I will write in my dream house if I ever hit it big and get to stay home and write full time. When I am doing something important such as downloading a new book to a website, the formal formatting and downloading stuff, I take over the kitchen table late at night so I will not be disturbed.

4) What inspires you? Who inspires you?

Everything inspires me. I mean that quite literally. Social networking, television documentaries, the ton of stuff I read everywhere, every person I meet is elements of a potential character, history and the news are constant sources of mans frailties and short comings and the elements of the human condition we all live in together.

Authors who have made it to the point they can write at home inspire me. The thought that I won't always be in the horrible place I exist most of the time, that I someday will write for a living and live beyond paycheck to paycheck. That I might have some nice things for my family.

Author James Rollins inspires me with the break neck fashion of his adventure books. The great timeless Science Fiction writers, whose works are classics and read by multiple generations after they are gone, inspire me. I pray I reach a point where I am capable of writing eloquent, poetic life changing works that people will quote from, guard and cherish through their lives.

I want a swimming pool, a small rose garden, my study/writing room, a list of best sellers, to put my kids through school, and to live long enough to see them established as adults, maybe grandchildren. That inspires me enough I stay up almost every night to midnight to one in the morning and write, and get up every day at six to go to work.

5) Do you use characters of people that you know? How do you develop your characters?

I generally have an idea of what a character is going to be like. I try to make all characters flawed to some degree as we are all flawed in some way. I base characteristics of characters off of people I see in public, people in the news, people I know, and those from literature. I also feel in series such as “No Rules Of Engagement” where the U.S. Government rounds up an Army of orphans, which are not only children but expendable. The characters change as they grow which is what should happen. Real people should change as they grow and move through the different stages of their life.

6) What do you find challenging in your writing?

This kind of fits in with the next question. One of the quirks of my writing style that is emerging is that I routinely write myself into corners. Then I will work on something else while I try to think my way out of the situation I wrote myself into. The result of this can be experienced while reading my stories and going along with the characters while they get into problems with seemingly no way out and then the plot changes as they find an escape. If I can’t think my way out of it, which is rare, I just back up and go at it another way. I challenge myself, my mental abilities, and my creativity by writing this way. This lends itself to very twisty windy plots that make you constantly change your views of where the story is going and where it is going to end up.

7) Every writer uses a different method of formatting. Do you use an outline? Do you come up with a title first, and then a storyline? I have actually started writing, not knowing where I was going. Do you know the start and the ending before you write?

Yes and No. I do know where the main thrust of the story is going when I start. I write a main overall outline of where the story is going on a very general basis. As I write, and as above, get stuck and figure my way out, things change from chapter to chapter but stay on track to the overall outline direction. As the reader they don’t know the end goal, and subsequently are dragged, kicked, drug through a myriad of trials, adventures, and obstacles while being led to an elusive goal. In between I do come up with smaller outlines to keep myself on track and on point.

I sent No Rules Of Engagement to my friend and greatest fan, Phillip Woody, to read with the Title being “Not Titled Yet”. I had forgotten I hadn’t come up with a title. He read it and came up with the Title, No Rules Of Engagement, which truly is the perfect title for the book. I purposely haven’t titled the sequel yet to give Phillip the first crack at naming the sequel. Many times I rename a chapter after having finished writing it.

Usually the comic relief moments just arise out of my sick sense of humor. I feel you need a range of emotions to be realistic, true to life even though it is fiction, and memorably epic good writing. Think of the best movies you have ever seen, there are moments you want to cry, moments that upset you, and parts that make you laugh out loud. Elements of the Great Story.

8) Do you have any last words for us?

One of the elements I deal with in the sequel to No Rules Of Engagement is social issues from the squewed perspective of the growing and changing children fighting to save humanity, which from the dawn of time has been obsessed with killing each other.
As a writer getting older and my views of mans in humanity to man conflicting with my being Scottish and an ex-Army tank driver. I don’t believe I would be able to write these stories as well as I have if I had tried when I was younger. I think it took the years of reading, living, and experience of managing people, being a father, and a husband to mature to the level of understanding where I could write and convey my thoughts and feelings through a story and the characters.

The Frugal Book Promoter by Carolyn Howard-Johnson

2011-10-05T17:44:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends,

I just found out that Carolyn Howard-Johnson's book, The Frugal Book Promoter is out in an updated and revised edition! Now it's got even more cutting edge tools, techniques and information to help you promote your books without breaking the bank! She's just releasing it and when you buy it, you'll also get more than a dozen great bonuses! http://bit.ly/qHi6DZ

Here's what one author said, "Today's technology, social networking and marketing techniques are covered. Updated web resources abound. Advice in sync with today's Internet are incorporated:

* Blogging tips and pitfalls
* Obtaining reviews and avoiding scams
* Finding places to pitch your book
* Using the eBook explosion to promote sales
* Using Google alerts to full advantage
* Staying on top of current trends in the publishing industry
* Writing quality query, media release letters and scripts for telephone pitches
* Putting together power point and author talk presentations

Don't have deep pockets to pay a pricey publicist? Do you want your book to get maximum exposure? This book is a game-changer and the best investment in your book's future you can make. Carolyn Howard Johnson is an author who understands authors and generously shares her savvy about marketing. Highly recommended." http://bit.ly/qHi6DZ

Carolyn is an instructor for UCLA Extension Writers' Program. Her award winning stories and poems have appeared in anthologies like: Pass/Fail, and in journals like Pear Noir, Front Range, The Pedestal Magazine and many more. She was given the Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award by California Legislature members and she has published numerous award-winning, highly-acclaimed books.

THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T became an instant best seller as an e-book on ebookad and the paperback opened to rave reviews on Amazon. It is now the first in a the How To Do It Frugally series. THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS is the next. She then published a little book to go with it on word trippers and other gremlins lying in wait to trip you up. It is GREAT LITTLE LAST-MINUTE EDITING TIPS. http://bit.ly/qHi6DZ

If you're like most authors, short on money but desperately wanting to get the word on on your book, don't miss this!

Your friend,

Linda Barnett-Johnson
Editor/Virtual Assistant/Producer of Book Trailers

2011-10-05T17:27:00.001-07:00

Launches are the best event for books. Learn why in the new Frugal Book Promoter http://bit.ly/qHi6DZÿ

The Frugal Book Promoter by Carolyn Howard-Johnson

2011-10-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

The second edition of The Frugal Book Promoter is an updated version of the multi award-winning first edition. It has been expanded to include simple ways to promote books using newer technology--always considering promotion and marketing techniques that are easy on the pocketbook and frugal of time. It also includes a multitude of ways for authors and publishers to promote the so-called hard-to-promote genres. The award-winning author of poetry and fiction draws on a lifetime of experience in journalism, public relations, retailing, marketing, and the marketing of her own books to give authors the basics they need for do-it-yourself promotion and fun, effective approaches that haven't been stirred and warmed over, techniques that will help rocket their books to bestselling lists. You'll also learn to write media releases, query letters and a knock 'em dead media kit--all tools that help an author find a publisher and sell their book once it's in print.

When you buy the book today, you'll receive more than a dozen great bonuses for writers. The Frugal Book Promoter

WHY HAVE A BOOK TRAILER?

2011-10-04T20:53:00.000-07:00

Linda Barnett-Johnson

WHY HAVE A BOOK TRAILER?

Most of you know me as one of the editors of Long Story Short, the ezine for writers. That's only part of what I do with and for writers. I also edit/proofread fiction and non-fiction; I promote books by helping authors as a virtual assistant arranging blog tours, radio interviews, social networking and just about anything you may need to promote your book. AND I CREATE BOOK TRAILERS!

Research shows that the more visual the input becomes, the more likely it is to be recognized and recalled. The phenomenon is so pervasive, it has been given its own name: the pictorial superiority effect, or PSE.

Here's a video I did for author Cal Orey's new book, The Healing Powers of Honey -

Not to be outdone by YouTube, most of the major search engines now allow uploading videos directly into their system. AOL, Yahoo and Google are only three of which have video sites. Most of the hugely popular social media networks such as MySpace, Facebook and even Twitter have a feature that lets you upload videos to their sites. By submitting the videos to other social bookmarking sites such a Digg or Stumbleupon, the videos reach another vast audience in a way the written word could never do. Get in on the video marketing boom and you'll increase your book sales with the use of a brand new tool!

Remember, the success of your book is highly dependent upon your ability to market. A popular way to reach your chosen audience is to have a book trailer.

Here's a fun Halloween video I created - you horror writers could use one of these!

SPECIAL OFFER!

For the month of October, I am offering you a discount of 20% on trailers over one minute in length. Not only will I give your trailer that "awesome" factor, but I will add original instrumental music for that special touch. Whether the genre is: action, adventure, crime, detective, fantasy, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, western, inspirational, self-help, memoir, thriller, Christian or poetry, I can deliver what you need. Please contact me by email or visit my website
www.lindabarnett-johnson.com. I look forward to working with you.

TESTIMONIALS

"Linda Barnett-Johnson is a terrific virtual assistant. She is an expert in networking amongst many other competencies. Diligent, friendly, on time and resourceful. I am so happy that our paths crossed and I am able to utilize her services.

~Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein,
Positive Psychologist and
Author of The Truth (I'm a girl, I'm smart and I know everything)

"I have been in partnership with Linda Barnett-Johnson for more than 8 years (though we've never met!) She is without a doubt the most reliable, steadfast, dutiful person I have ever known. She never lets you down and is a joy to work with. She has a vast business background which serves her very well in all endeavors. Her Internet marketing skills are excellent, she has a keen editor's eye and her proofreading is beyond compare! Do I think she is terrific? You bet!"

~Denise Cassino
Senior Editor, Long Story Short
JV Marketing Specialist

BOOK TRAILERS

30 SECOND
BOOK TRAILER

INCLUDES :

3 SLIDES OR VIDEOS
BOOK COVER
ORIGINAL MUSIC.

AUTHOR PROVIDES TEXT/COPY
$159

Video: Books for Education

45 - 90 SECOND BOOK TRAILER

INCLUDES

UP TO 10 IMAGES,
BOOK COVER,
PHOTO OF AUTHOR
ORIGINAL MUSIC

COLLABORATION ON TEXT/COPY
$259

Sample Video: Halloween Story by Linda Barnett-Johnson

2-MINUTE BOOK TRAILER

INCLUDES:

UP TO 20 IMAGES
BOOK COVER
AUTHOR PHOTO/BIO
TEXT CONSULTING
ORIGINAL MUSIC

COLLABORATION ON TEXT/COPY
$349

Sample Video: The Healing Powers of Honey by Cal Orey

EDITING/PROOFREADING

(books) Determined after project review. Rewriting of Book(s) will be the same per page agreement

Short Stories - $3.00 per page $10.00 minimum per story.

Rewriting of $3.00 per page

Copywriting for websites, newsletters, business letters, etc. - NO AD COPY - priced on a per project basis

Document design and layout - no Spreadsheets - priced on a per project basis

Contact me at writingfriend@yahoo.com

Thank you,

Linda

2011-09-15T18:44:00.001-07:00

Check out Cal Orey's new book trailer, The Healing Powers of Honey - http://tinyurl.com/6ajof6b

2011-09-15T18:28:00.001-07:00

Authors, do you need a book trailer created? http://ping.fm/8u6g2

2011-08-31T14:35:00.001-07:00

Book Interview with Patricia Crandall by Linda Barnett-Johnson - http://tinyurl.com/3nvplqz

Book Interview with Patricia Crandall

2011-08-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of editing one of her books and some short stories. Here is what she had to say about the writing process.

1) Please tell us about what you like to write? List your websites, what you do and anything else you'd like our readers and writers to know about you. (Please list your accomplishments too).

I write in all genres – thriller, mystery, general, humor, y/a, novels, short stories, flash fiction, essays and poetry. I do not like to be restricted by one particular type of story or a character. With one exception, I have two series characters in my popular Bottle Mining stories linking Gert Carver and Nina Westacott.

Gert and Nina, friends for many years, now share a common passion – bottle mining. They meet an eclectic variety of characters as they trade-off collectibles and old bottles at flea markets and solve gentle mysteries/problems involving neighbors, relatives, past students, farmers and hicks in and around the upstate New York community of Indian Falls. My short stories including Gert and Nina are The Crazy Jug, The Pink Victorian Lady, The Rescue, Hikers and Bottle Miners and The Conjurer.

I have published a vast number of poetry/haiku, numerous articles and short stories published in small press magazines, a variety of newspapers and presently on web sites. I have won poetry awards and have four books in print, ‘Melrose, Then and Now,’ a historical volume, ‘I Passed This Way,’ containing poetry, ‘The Dog Men,’ a thriller which draws the reader into a tempest of animal abuse, lawlessness, and kidnapping within the confines of small-town happenings, and ‘Tales of an Upstate New York Bottle Miner,’ – seeking adventure in abandoned dump sites and the challenges of entering flea markets.

I have recently had short stories published in four Phyllis Scott Publications – ‘The Pink Victorian Lady,’ in The Landing & Other Short Stories and Blue Eyes & Other Romantic Short Stories, ‘The Rescue,’ in All in the Game & Other Short Stories and ‘Not Suitable Viewing for Children,’ in The Fear Beast & Other Short Stories.

I live with my husband, Art, at Babcock Lake in the Grafton Mountains near Petersburgh, New York. My daughter and her family live nearby. Also living near us is our son. I have two granddaughters and one grandson. I devote time to my family, writing and community work. I enjoy reading, skiing, golfing, knitting, walking/hiking, swimming, exercising and traveling.

Websites:
Patriciacrandallauthor.homestead.com
Pcrandall123@yahoo.com
Authorstand.com
Beachfront Press
Facebook
Linkedin
www.coalition-independent-authors.com
www.phylisscottpublishing.com

2) You are a busy writer. What is the most challenging for you as a writer?

The most challenging for me as a writer is putting aside the time to complete a story, novel or poem. Writing the first stages of a story is easy. Words and ideas flow. Plots and characters take shape. Whereby, comes a moment of truth. There is too much ‘story.’ The masterpiece needs to be cut. I am challenged to be disciplined. Thus, the real work begins and it is tedious. Through persistence in weaving the story, the end result is generally satisfactory. Still, I find a professional edit is needed in order to send a finished story to a publisher. Challenges are ongoing. However, when the story is published, it is worth the time spent and the cost.

3) How do you manage your time?

Managing time: I write every day and the amount of time varies. Some days, I spend one half hour writing. Most of the time, I write or re-write three hours at a time. One hour in the morning and two in the evening. More talented writers than I am, who procrastinate writing their stories, ask, “how do you write as much as you do?” Simply, every day I write something and I work on several stories at once. This keeps my ideas fresh and the flow of writing consistent. I then set the work aside for a week or longer. When I reread it, my interest is revived and I am ready to continue until it falls flat again.

In good weather, I long to be outdoors with family and friends. After 6:00 p.m., I disappear and retire to my desk and computer to get my writing ‘fix.’ I will glance at the beautiful red sunset sinking over the lake and rivet my eyes back to that difficult sentence on the computer. A writer will find time to write no matter what the circumstances.

4) Can you describe your surroundings as you write?

This poem best describes my surroundings as I write;

THE EBONY DESK

Laden on an ell-desk, work-piles wait.
A cluster of photographs surrounds
a scratched and watermarked blotter.
One clear frame portrays
three school chums visiting
after twenty-odd years.
A hectic-electric typewriter clacks on,
spewing artful wordage.
Four male generations peer
from a silver antique frame
My father, a toddler,
sits on great-grandfather’s knee.
I swivel to a tape dispenser,
snip off a narrow adhesive
and seal an envelope bulging
with a manuscript.
A daughter framed by pastel hearts
smiles to celebrate graduation day.
A postal scale denotes
One Forever stamp will leave its mark.
Through a picture window,
denuded trees neighbor with green pines.
The lake beyond is calm.

The typewriter is now in a corner of the room. In its place on the desk are a computer and a printer. A copy machine for large manuscripts sits on a wall unit with numerous shelves filled with books and an old bottle collection. A rocking chair on a plush, oriental rug is inviting to a guest, but please guest, don’t stay too long as I have a pile of work to do. It is a perfect room for a writer…a view of a beautiful lake, pine trees and nature abounds.

5) Where do you get your inspirations? Who inspires you?

Writing inspirations are everywhere. Newspapers are a good source for material. Headline – ‘Pregnant wife and baby survive murder plot.’ What if…? While on vacation, ideas flow, particularly for the perfect character in my next novel or short story. Taking a walk down a wooded path provides great ideas for writing poetry and Haiku.

Inspirations for my writing career began with the ‘Nancy Drew’ series by Carolyn Keene when I was a pre-teen in the 1950’s. Each holiday, I would request the latest Nancy Drew title and upon receiving it, I would curl-up in an over-sized chair and begin reading the fast-paced adventure.

I dabbled at creating my own mystery stories at an early age. My first effort detailed a long, frightening chase by a sinister man. A dark tunnel appeared, leading to (of course) a haunted mansion. The not-so-brilliant ending had me saved by the man of my life at the time - my father.

I have been inspired by Agatha Christie. As a writer, I find Agatha Christie an excellent study, particularly in developing characters, descriptive scenes and her exceptional talent attributed to writing a variety of books including original mystery plays, romantic novels, a memoir of archaeological expeditions in Syria, poetry and her area of expertise, plotting mysteries.

As well as Agatha Christie, I like to write in the style of Mary Higgins Clark and the outstanding, “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee. Even though I like to read the fast-paced, violently descriptive, James Patterson and Patricia Cornwell novels, I am not comfortable writing in that mode.

Inspiration is found reading an advertisement on the side of a bus, reading a new author as well as old, familiar ones, stopping to listen to a street preacher shouting or a bag lady mumbling demonic prophecies, and in a child’s drawing. I seek and find inspiration everywhere.

6) Do you use any set formulas for writing? How do you develop your stories? Do you use an outline? What do you use, if anything?

I do not have any set formula for writing except to write something every day. My stories develop as a brainchild and the characters take shape at their own pace. I frequently ask ‘what’s next?’ I feel claustrophobic using an outline. I write helter-skelter and admittedly, it is the hard way.

7) How do you develop your characters?

My characters develop themselves. I create them using a combination of real and imagined people. I’ll admire one person’s hair color, another’s features, still another’s body type and put them together. Any attempt I make at molding a character does not work. If I force a character to act against his/her will, the story is all wrong. I will sit back and think it through, letting the character direct me. I have read other author’s essays confirming this dilemma. It is a fact. A character will lead and the writing flows until the next hurdle due to plot, scene description, etc.

8) Have you learned anything from other writers? Editors?

I consistently learn from the unique style of other writers. I pay attention to the voice they use. When a writer captivates me, I do not want to imitate his/her writing. I want to achieve what they have accomplished by leaving a reader satisfied and anxious to read more of their books.

A good editor is necessary to make the suggestions and corrections that will make a story the best it can be. At times I cringe at the slashing an editor does and/or the suggestions he/she makes to re-write the story when I believe I have created a masterpiece needing few corrections. The editor is usually right. There may be exceptions, but someone needs to keep the author in line so the work becomes acceptable for publication.

9) What kind of writing goals have you set for yourself?

My writing goals are varied. I write mainstream, mysteries, non-fiction, historical, flash fiction, young/adult and poetry. I work on several stories at the same time. This pace keeps my thoughts fresh. I continually submit my work for publication and enter contests. My ultimate goal is to write well.

10) Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Do you have any last comments or advice you want to give our readers and writers?

My pattern for a writer’s success is Winston Churchill’s famous quote: I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. Never, never, never give up!

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview. We know our readers will be able to get a clearer picture of what you write. Linda

2011-08-21T11:56:00.001-07:00

Disaster in the kitchen? Read my article: http://ping.fm/hHgHc

2011-08-17T11:49:00.001-07:00

New book interview with Barbara Ehrentreu by Linda Barnett-Johnson
http://ping.fm/QKLtT
Please join.

Book Interview with Barbara Ehrentreu

2011-08-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

1) Please tell us about what you like to write? List your websites, what you do and anything else you'd like our readers and writers to know about you. (Please list your accomplishments too).

I like to write almost anything, actually. When I start a new piece I never know in which genre it will be. I would say the majority of my novels that are still unpublished are YA. I like this time when everything is so fraught with problems that seem insurmountable for a teen. But I have written adult stories as well and one is a little bit erotic too.:)

What I have been doing for a year is private tutoring for a tutoring company. I like the one on one with students who really need the help and I love when they start to improve. I used to teach full time and my last full time job was a Literacy Specialist for grades K and 1 in a charter school. I am retired from teaching for a few years, but tutoring helps pay the bills. In addition to writing prose I write poetry and many of my poems are on my blog. I have been part of Poetic Asides where we write to a prompt and then post the poems on the website. Sometimes only a poem will do to express something.

I have a Masters in Reading and Writing K-12 and ended my graduate work as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. I have attended many writing workshops in addition to this. If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor is the first YA novel I ever wrote and it took five years to get it published. Also, I am an editor for 4RV Publishing and have edited everything from picture books to very long chapter books for adults. My book is being published by MuseItUp Publishing and I am very happy to be part of this unique and supportive group headed by Lea Schizas. Two of my stories are published online. One is a children's story and the other is an adult story. Here are the links:
"The Trouble with Follow the Leader" (children's story)

“Out on a Ledge”

You can find out more about me here:
Barbara's Meanderings
http://barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/behrentreu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/barbehr

2) You really are a busy lady. How do you make the time to write? What challenges do you face as a writer?

When I have something to write I write it. I would love to be able to write during the day, but usually my writing is done at night when everyone is asleep. I am in the middle of writing a new story and it is going slowly. I think about it at night in bed and when I have time I'll sit down and write a little more. I write my blogs mostly at night and when I'm in a time crunch for something I will just ignore everything else and write. This is only when I'm not working or there isn't any pressing family business I need to attend to.

An example of how I write happened this morning when I went over to a poetry website on which I used to post my poems. It's called Poetic Asides and Robert Brewer, the person who runs the blog offers prompts every week and during the month of April. Lots of poets post their poems in the comments section. I went over there today to give one of my friends the link and found I needed to write to the prompt for the day. So I stopped everything and wrote a poem. Writing poetry doesn't take me that long, because it always flows out of me and it's almost like relaxing for me to write a poem. Fifteen minutes later I sent my friend the link after realizing why I had come over there. Many of my novel manuscripts were written during NaNoWriMo, which is a full month devoted to creating a 50,000 word novel in only 30 days. You need to write at least 2000 words a day and almost every time I have taken part in it I have won, completing a full-length novel.

Did I mention that I am also an editor and when I'm working on a piece I try to do it during the day, but occasionally I will edit in the evening. It all depends on the deadline on how much of my day time will be spent editing. The challenges I face as a writer are mainly how to promote my book. I have a big online presence, but I want to get my book out there to people where I live. How do you promote an e-book is what I am dealing with and I am going to have a book signing. I have an IPad so that will work to display the book itself. Also, I am preparing my business cards and postcards as well as a few posters. My problem is that all promotion costs money and I don't want to spend much until I get some sales.:)

3) I am always curious about the working surroundings of a writer. Could you describe that for us? What do you see from your working station?

Right now I'm working on a pull out desk in my bedroom on an Apple laptop. Facing me is part of my collection of Betty Boop dolls and a few other figures, like sports announcer bobble heads and the Mets mascot. Also we have a dark bronze head of Honore de Balzac. Behind me are bookshelves holding all of the signed children's books I have. There’s a TV in here, but I sit with my back to it. Somewhere in front of me are a few photos of my family. If I want I can open my blinds and look out at the pool in the apartment complex's courtyard or beyond that to the water below near the parking area. Sometimes I walk along the boardwalk there and look at the birds that alight on the small beach there. When I walk down the path I sometimes see a bunny.:)

4) Where do you get your inspirations? Who inspires you?

Much of what has inspired me to write has come from my own life in one form or another. One of my daughters inspired my YA novel, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor. Of course I got her permission to use her story, though it was changed considerably. Sometimes, as was the case of my picture book WIP a sentence inspired me. I have been in movie theaters and someone walking by me has inspired me to write. I did actually try to write a poem in the dark car. I have been on the road and the fall foliage inspired me to write and I did write while driving.:) Any natural setting will inspire me too. We were once at a rock ledge overlooking the water and as I sat there watching the water and the people and feeling the sunshine on my face I had to write. I wound up writing two poems and a short story that day. My own experience as a child inspired me to write my children's story, "The Trouble with Follow the Leader" which is about a real event that happened to me. The story on which I am working now is about a real experience that happened to a child in my first grade class. So as you can see, almost anything can inspire me to write. Also, I have been known to write birthday poems in a few minutes to put on birthday cards for family and friends. Put me in front of a keyboard or give me a pen and paper and I will write something! As I put on my bio, writing is my life.:)

5) You are inspiring me to write again. I started out writing, and now editing for writers. What encouragement can you give to beginning writers? Is there a motto you live by?

I am so happy that I have inspired you to write. I think if you have something to say you should definitely keep writing. As for encouragement for beginning writers I think it's very important that you know your craft. Writing may seem easy to you, but knowing the skills you will need is very important. Once you have finished your first draft most of the time your writing is not ready for publishing. First of all leave it alone for awhile and then when you get back to it look at the work like it wasn't yours. Be an editor and cut anything that takes away from the story. Be ruthless, because it will only take away from your story. When you are happy with your draft then you should send it to a few people to have them read and critique it. With the book I am publishing now, it went through several revisions before I sent it to a critique group and then after that it went through nineteen revisions until it got to what I thought was my final copy. I kept sending it out and getting rejections. After a rejection I went back and tried to revise it again. Through all of this I never gave up my dream of being published. Even though my family was sure I was pursuing a dead end, I had wonderful support from my critique group and they gave me great suggestions. I also had several other writers read it and used their suggestions.

During this time I started a blog and began to gather friends on Facebook. I attended workshops both in person and online. I networked as much as I could. You should take every opportunity to make friends with writers and authors. Don't give up and don't get discouraged no matter how many rejections you get. Keep submitting your writing in any form you write. I had two short stories published online. So if you don't have an online presence you need to work on that. All you need is to be on Facebook and Twitter and have a blog.

6) Do you set goals for yourself? What goals do you have?

Well of course, my goal for over five years was to publish my book. Now that is done, I would like to publish another one. My short-term goal is letting as many people as possible know about my book and read it, of course.:) I am planning on submitting my second novel to my current publisher, since I am very happy here at MuseItUp Publishing. Of course, I have to look it over and get it ready. I am also an editor for 4RV Publishing and I hope to be editing more books as the year goes on.

7) How do you develop your characters?

Usually I'll sit down to write and then after a few chapters I'll realize I don't know much about my character. I use a character wheel, which is very handy for organizing character traits and finding out about your character. Besides the usual hair color, eye color, age, height, etc. you put in more specific things like what the character would have in their room, parents (if YA or MG), favorite color, favorite sport, favorite music, hobbies, and the one that allows you to know your character best and propels your story: what is the one thing they must have or do? It's the one thing they would do almost anything to get or achieve. With this goal in mind you can flesh out the plot of your main character. Also you want to add friends to this wheel and describe them too. Or if you want, you can make a separate wheel for the friends. For your secondary character or character you need to do the same kind of wheel. So you know what is the one thing each character must have or do. I did a whole blog post for the MuseItUp Publishing blog on this. You can go to the blog and learn more about this technique.

8) Do you have a set formula for writing? Do you do an outline? What do you do?

As I said in the last question, I just start to write. Many times I go on and continue writing as the words keep coming. I did this for all of my NaNoWriMo books and wrote them until I got to the end. With the YA novel I am about to publish I got stuck in the middle and then I had to find a way to tell the secondary character's story. I don't like to do outlines, but in this case I had to go back and do a plot outline. Also in the second YA novel I have not submitted but is ready, I stopped on one chapter and then had to go ahead and outline the chapter to make sure the events went in the way I wanted them to go. I just let my muse take me where it will and when it starts to rebel I stop and figure it out. I am really what is called a "pantser". I take a story idea and just write.

9) When you edit, what is the most common mistakes a writer makes?

Probably the most common mistakes I have found are run on sentences. The next one is passive verbs. Many people put in too many "that's". I am guilty of this myself.:) Another problem is writers tend to forget actions during dialogue. One writer had almost page long paragraphs of narrative and then in the dialogue had paragraphs of dialogue without any idea that the characters were talking to each other. One character talked, then another with no idea to the reader of where they were or what was happening during the conversation. Mostly, writers tend to assume you are thinking what they are and leave out important parts of the story. Or they overwrite and have to pare it down. Some put in too many tags. Also, of course, there are grammar and spelling errors.

10) Thank you for doing this interview. It’s been a pleasure. Do you have any last comments or advice for all of us?

Not really, your questions have been excellent, Linda and I am very pleased to be a guest on your blog. My only comments and they're not advice, because I am not a multi-published author with a lot of experience, are to not put yourself down as a writer. Too many new writers don't submit their work, because they feel it isn't good enough for anyone else to read. Since writing comes so easily to most of us we can't be objective about our own writing. What you have looked at and thought no one will read, might be the best thing someone else has ever read. I say this, because I felt this way for years. It took me five years to get my book published, but before that when I was writing it I never thought it could get published.

Maybe one piece of advice to the new writers. When you give your writing to someone to read be prepared for some good and some bad comments. I look for the bad ones, because this means the person who is reading my work is being honest with me. Do you want to accept all the bad ones? No, but at least keep an open mind about what needs to be changed in your writing. Your work is only as good as the amount of time you have put into it. If you really love your story, then make sure it is the best it can be. Join a critique group and get many different opinions. Send it to beta readers and when you have all the comments go back and revise it until you feel it is your best. I revised my first chapter so many times I can't count them. I added parts to my book when people suggested them if I felt they would work. Writing is constantly experimenting to see what works and what doesn't work. I am very glad that I took the plunge and sent out my work. Yes, you will get rejections, but there will be the one acceptance that will make a difference and I hope it will make you feel as excited as I did when I got my contract.

Thank you for your answers to this interview. I really enjoyed reading them. I especially liked the last one. We all have to be a little toughed-skinned in order to read an editors comments. You need to really take into consideration their feedback. If you can't take any constructive criticism, how can you possibly continue as a writer? Don't get mad, but get glad that someone is honest enough to tell you what they feel you should change, or suggestions for something they feel would make your story sing. Isn't that what we all want?

2011-07-29T13:08:00.001-07:00

Read book interview with Starr Reina by Linda Barnett-Johnson http://tinyurl.com/4y83sts

Book Interview with Starr Reina

2011-07-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

1) Please tell us about what you like to write? List your websites, what you do and anything else you'd like our readers and writers to know about you. (Please list your accomplishments too).

"I am an award winning author for my short story "Cut" and have penned the Ivanovich Series, in the thriller/crime genre, featuring Pavel Ivanovich. The first is “In the Name of Revenge”, the second, “Deadly Decisions” and I am working on the third as you read this. I enjoy making every character stand out.

Flanking Ivanovich's side in "Deadly Decisions" is Teresa Mancini, who vies with Ivanovich for readers' attention. According to J.M. DeLuc, who was "raised in an Italian family", Teresa "is perfect...like all your characters". I am also the author of young adult novella "Cruel Whispers" and its sequel novel "Cruel Past".

Additionally, I am an executive editor for Suspense Magazine. I have been interviewed in the newspaper and on the radio with relation to my fiction work and have been a co-host on Suspense Radio.

I have won three Best Speaker awards as well as Best Evaluator at the Voice Ambassadors chapter of Toastmasters. I am a member of Sisters in Crime, Los Angeles Chapter and nationally.

I have a free quarterly newsletter called "WhoDunIt" that has many benefits for not only authors but readers as well and can be subscribed to at: www.QueenWriter.com

2) You are a very accomplished author. Which accomplishment are you most proud of? Can you tell us about your writing schedule? When do you write?

I can't choose one accomplishment over the other that I'm proud of. Each time I pen a good story, short or novel-length, that readers enjoy, is an accomplishment. As to my writing schedule, truthfully, I do so when I get the time. Since I work a full time job, it's generally done in the evenings and on weekends. However, once in a while, I take a 'sanity saver' long weekend somewhere alone. I usually spend that time writing, uninterrupted.

3) I see you like to writer thriller/crime novels. What started the path in that direction? When did you start writing?

When I was around thirteen years old, I began reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys mystery series. They enthralled me enough to make me think I could write something like that. And so I tried. I wrote about four chapters of which I was very proud. I offered up my prose to my father, the biggest fan of reading in our family. He sat down and read every word then proceeded to give me a half hour lecture on plagiarism. I was crushed because they were my words and being at a very influential age, it dashed my hopes of ever writing, so I stopped. I didn't put pen to paper again until I was an adult. Ironically, the first in my young adult series, "Cruel Whispers" was released on Father's Day. How fitting.

4) Well, I am glad that you didn’t stop writing. Our families can either be our biggest fans, or our biggest critics. We should encourage, not discourage. Can you tell us a bit about your novel, Cruel Whispers?

Absolutely, we should only encourage in that respect. "Cruel Whispers" and "Cruel Past" are young adult books. I've since changed gears to more older readers. "In the Name of Revenge" is the first in my Ivanovich series, followed by "Deadly Decisions" and coming soon, "One Major Mistake." Although the latter is a working title since it’s unpublished and subject to change. This new thriller series is abound with crime and action.

5) Do you usually have more than one story going at a time? If so, how do you manage your time?

Actually, yes. At present, I have two different series I'm working on. I can't say that I divide my day up in equal parts. I write in the manuscript that 'talks' to me the most at the moment.

6) Is there a message in your novel(s) that you’d like our readers to grasp?

No particular message in my novels themselves, but I do have one. Well, it's more of an inspirational theory. When children are young and at impressionable ages, never should a parent discourage their ideals or thwart their aspirations. You never know where they may lead.

7) Do you use characters of people that you know? How do you develop your characters?

My characters are a mix of fictional composition. They don't come from one person I know, but a menagerie. They may have traits derived from some I've met, but they are their own 'persons'.

8) What do you find challenging in your writing?

The most challenging thing I face really is time. Because I work full time, it's not always easy to carve out a section of my day, but when I do, it's not necessarily when my creative juices are flowing. To help with that, I try and write something everyday. It doesn't matter what it is, just anything.

9) Every writer uses a different method of formatting. Do you use an outline? Do you come up with a title first, and then a storyline? I have actually started writing, not knowing where I was going. Do you know the start and the ending before you write?

Those are very loaded questions! I'll try and address each. I don't per se, use an outline. I get an idea and begin putting it on paper. As the story progresses, I find mapping out what is happening in each chapter aids with what I want to happen next. I don't think about titles. They are secondary to any story. The main reason for a good title is to appeal to the reader and of course, it must have something to do with the context of your story. The alpha and omega...the beginning and the end... So many, many times I've began chapter one only to go back and change it completely. As a matter of fact, that is just what happened in "One Major Mistake", a third in the Ivanovich series I'm currently writing. As to the ending, toward the first third or so of the book, I begin forming an ending in my mind. Unfortunately, that ending typically ends up changing by the time I actually get there.

10) Do you have any last words for us?

Writing is my passion. It's not a hobby and unfortunately, I haven't been able to call it a career yet. But no matter, writing for me is in my soul. I have to tell stories. There are millions of ideas in my mind screaming to get onto paper. Some make it, some don't. Regardless, I can't stop creating yarns for readers to enjoy. If anyone wishes to contact me, please feel free to email me at sreina@queenwriter.com. You can visit my website at www.QueenWriter.com as well. There, you can sign up for my free e-newsletter WhoDunIt that keeps everyone updated on what I'm doing as well as what other authors are doing. Thank you for your time and for this interview.

Starr, than you for taking the time to do the interview. I know our readers and writers will learn much from you. Go out and buy her books, you'll be glad you did.

2011-07-25T13:16:00.001-07:00

Want to know more about Linda Barnett-Johnson, Editor and Virtual Assistant? Read interview by C.K. Volnek: http://tinyurl.com/3pjpg6r

2011-07-24T12:02:00.001-07:00

Read interview with C.K. Volnek - children, middle and youth author - http://tinyurl.com/3nr5msd

Interview With C.K. Volnek

2011-07-24T11:44:00.000-07:00

INTERVIEW WITH C.K. VOLNEK - JUNE 22,2011
Please tell us about you, your books, and list any websites you have and any information you'd like to share with our readers and writers.

Hi Linda,

Thanks for this gracious offer to tell you a little about me and my books. My name is C.K. Volnek and I write for children, middle grade and young adult. I love the curious minds and passion with which our youth live by, so open and ready to embrace to the possibilities of today. My goal in life is to never truly grow up where I lose that wonder. I live in the wide open state of Nebraska. A recent visitor commented that she thought she could see five states from here. Maybe not quite. But I do love the openness and space. Spring is my absolute favorite time of the year as I look out over the big blue sky and rolling hills of green dotted with baby calves.

My first novel, Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island, is a tween mystery/adventure/ghost story coupled with Native American folklore and the history and mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island.

Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island

Evil haunts Roanoke Island and it’s up to young Jack Dahlgren to destroy it, before it destroys him.
In 1587, 117 colonists disappeared from Roanoke Island without a trace, leaving behind not only unanswered questions, but a terrifying evil.

Now it’s up to twelve year-old Jack Dahlgren to unravel the age-old mystery and save his family from the hateful beast that haunts the island.

With the help of newfound friend, Manny, a Native American sage, and an elusive Giant Mastiff, Jack must piece together the clues of the Lost Colony to discover what this evil is and where it came from. Shrouded in ancient Native American folklore, Jack must uncover why the evil haunts his island, but can he destroy it ... before it destroys him?

Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island, by C.K. Volnek, is due to be released September, 2011 through MuseItUp Publishing

****

My second novel, A Horse Called Trouble, is a tween horse story. Having grown up with horses, I have been lucky to experience first-hand the love and trust a horse can give, and can pull from you in return. After visiting a troubled youth horse therapy program, this novel was born. It a story where the reader can empathize with the misfortunates of thirteen year-old Tara and root for her and a horse called Trouble.

A Horse Called Trouble

A troubled tween must overcome her abusive past to save the defiant horse that has taught her to love and trust again.

Tara Cummings hasn’t had an easy life. Abandoned by her mother at the young age of seven she’s been passed from foster home to foster home; not wanted anywhere by anyone. At thirteen she finds herself skeptic and suspicious, with no family, no friends, and forced to participate in horse therapy.

Horse therapy “will teach trust, perseverance, respect and the value of teamwork,” or so says the program’s instructor. Tara is unconvinced. Trust only got her heart broken, perseverance only gets her put down, and no one respects or wants to team up with the misfit foster kid.

At the therapy horse farm, Tara meets Trouble, an angry and defiant horse, bent on destroying everything and everyone around him. At first she’s afraid of Trouble, until she realizes he’s as misunderstood and untrusting as she is. She pushes aside her fear and a special relationship is formed as she alone manages to calm him, much to the surprise of everyone at the farm. Trouble trusts Tara, and Tara in turn finds hope and acceptance as well as the will to love and trust again herself.

Tara’s self-esteem grows through the therapy program as she begins to work through her shyness and reservations. But her confidence is shaken as an even greater challenge looms ahead. Trouble’s manipulative owner is determined to have him destroyed because of his ‘dangerous’ nature. Tara must overcome her own limitations and fight to save the horse that has freed her heart and given her life value and meaning.

A Horse Called Trouble will be published in December, 2011 by MuseItUp Publishing.

Visitors can find me at:
Website: www.ckvolnek.com Blog: www.ckvolnek.com/blog.html
e-mail: ckvolnek@yahoo.com twitter: CKVolnek
GoodReads
JacketFlap

2) I see you like to write for the young adult and children. What do you find most challenging about writing for that age group? Is there a message you want readers to grasp?
I do love writing for children. They are fun and so full of life. My own children are the apple of my eye. My middle son hates to read and I took it as a challenge to create stories children would be interested in and want to read. And if they learn something along the way, whether it’s history, something about themselves, or something to make their world a little better, then that’s a bonus.

3) As a lover of history, what kind of research do you do for weaving history and folklore into your books?
My story Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island is based on the history of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island. It is such a mystery. What did happen to the 117 colonists? Did they die in a storm, or at the hand of others? Did they move inland and join the Native American tribes? Will we ever know?

I did quite a bit of research when I was writing my story, complete with uncovering the manifest of the actual colonists and using some of their names in my story to keep it as authentic as I could. My reader will get to understand a little of what life might have been like back then. They will get to know the characters, good and bad and hopefully take some lessons away to make the world a better place. I also added a mythical monster from Native American folklore.

4) Do you usually have more than one story going at a time? If so, how do you manage your time?
My muse is a pesky creature. I have three works-in-progress going at the moment, plus several more pleading in the back of my mind to be able to come out. I never have trouble finding something to write, it’s more, which story am I going to write today?

5) How do you develop your characters? Do you use people that you know?

I do tend to use many elements of people I know…good and bad. I draw from all experiences in my life, remembering those people that have had the most affect on me…good and bad.

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

Most of the experiences in my book are purely fictional, but many elements are from personal experiences. Life can throw some pretty crazy curves. Happy memories, sad memories all blend into the patchwork quilt of our life.

7) Did you learn anything from writing your books? If so, what are they?
I did learn a lot about the history of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island when I wrote this book. The mystery still baffles me and I find myself both angry and proud of this venture. I am proud of the colonists for their bravery to come to a new world to try and make a new life. But I am angry at Sir Richard Grenville for burning an entire Native American village just because he thought a native stole a silver cup. It was because of this I wove the lessons of tolerance and forgiveness into the story of Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island.

8) How do you manage your time?

Time is a brutal creature. I still have a day job and will continue to keep it until my writing provides for me, which I hope to be sooner than later. J Even though my children are older and mostly out on their own, there are still many things that take demand of my time. Family, friends, church, hobbies…but I always try to keep my evening for my writing. I kick my feet up in my comfy big chair and have at least two to three of my puppies laying on the chair or ottoman with me and write into the wee hours of the night.

9) Do you have a set format for writing? Do you use an outline? Do you know the beginning to the ending before you sit down to write? I have written short stories where I didn’t know how it was going to end. Has that happened to you?
Most of the time when I start a book I have the basic idea of the story complete from beginning to end. But I dare not plot the whole thing out because my muse will ultimately change it. I have a basic outline, write and research along, making tons of notes for my muse to take into future chapters. There are usually many twists and turns I never expected when I first sat down to write the book.

10) Do you have any last words for our readers and authors? What would to tell a beginning writer?
I would tell a beginning writer over and over again, to always believe in themselves and never give up. Everyone has a story to tell and it won’t get told if you don’t tell it. And it just may be the story to save someone’s life in one way or another.

It has been my pleasure interviewing C.K. Volnek, and hope to continue to be friends long after this interview. Order her books today and let me know what you think. Charlotte, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule, to do this interview. It was really an honor.

2011-07-24T11:33:00.001-07:00

Ignite the Genius Within by Dr. Ranck - See my blog and sign-up for future reviews: http://ping.fm/vycTR

Ignite the Genius Within by Dr. Christine Ranck and Christopher Lee Nutter

2011-07-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

OPEN THIS BOOK,
AND PREPARE TO BE STRUCK
BY YOUR OWN INCREDIBLE POWER!

Jump start hope,

kick your creativity into gear,

and explode your definition

of what's possible.

Using a revolutionary system based on the latest in brain science and technology,

this utterly unique book/soundtrack combo will help you uncover and then

release the deeply-held, secret blocks and beliefs

that stop you from getting what you want in life.

Ignite the Genius Within combines adaptations of two new and powerful therapy treatments--EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and BrainspottingTM.

Dr. Ranck, a psychotherapist in NYC, who, along with her traditional practice, specializes in creativity and performance enhancement. She witnessed many astonishing and "impossible" while using these fast and effective mind/body techniques and wanted to provide the experience and results in a book for the general public.

Your genius brain and system already have all the answers you need inside you--
you just haven't had easy access to them...until now.

Ignite the Genius Within is a different kind of book altogether.
It's a book that works from the inside out.

It is mostly a doing book rather than a reading book that works on two levels:
•Powerful color images and artwork, accompanied by penetrating questions guide you to deep-brain processing. A picture paints a thousand words. Pictures are a short-cut into you.

•A BILATERAL SOUNDTRACK with music and nature sounds that oscillate back and forth (instead of stereo), stimulates both sides of the brain, distracting the thinking brain, and giving access to dream processing--which usually happens while we're sleeping. Proven to enhance creativity, this soundtrack allows you to travel through space and time--and sometimes to take a trip into yourself unlike anything you've experienced before.

By forcing the brain to process information differently, we can begin to see and experience events and ideas differently. A new perspective can potentially change everything.

Ignite's powerful elements uncover and deliver the answers --the answers that are already there--in order to make change happen within the deepest part of you.

Get Ignited!

A Gypsy in New York by Juliette de Bairacli Levy,

2011-07-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

It is at once an herbal, a travel book and a compendium of Gypsy lore and Gypsy ways.

Juliette gives us river winds, strange characters in the streets by day, rats scurrying by at night, and legions of cockroaches in the apartments, against whose window the blossoms of apple and pear trees toss, even in the great city’s cement heart. Order your copy of A Gypsy in New York
Juliette de Bairacli Levy (1911-2009) is honored as the grandmother of modern American herbalism. She has devoted her life to the health and well being of domesticated animals, especially dogs. Her herbals and memoirs have been in print, and in use, for over fifty years.

2011-06-01T10:31:00.001-07:00

Are you a writer that needs constructive criticism? Join my private writing forums free. Send a self introduction to writingfriend@yahoo.com.

2011-05-31T15:45:00.001-07:00

When things feel like they will never improvehttp://ping.fm/haCGu
Free videos and more.

When things feel like they will never improve

2011-05-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those times when it all felt
completely useless?

Where everything you tried seemed to end in failure.

One bad thing happening right after another.

It's like life has a personal vendetta on making you feel
miserable.

The past couple of years has been tough on people...

...financial problems
...lack of employment
...relationship difficulties
...health issues

It seems like almost everyone is going through something
challenging these days...

My good friend (and bestselling author) Sonia Ricotti
went through a NASTY phase herself.

• A potentially deadly blood clot shattered her health
• Financial devastation stole her lifestyle and home out
from under her
• An important relationship ended (which, to make matters
worse, involved an alcoholic)

...all of it hitting her AT ONCE.

Losing your home, your health, and your love all at once!

Something like that could destroy most people, but Sonia
knew what to do and did it in style.

She became "Unsinkable" in mind, body and spirit.

She bounced back on a grand scale…and rebuilt a thriving
business and a beautiful life.

The best part?
;
She is giving back. At no charge, she’s giving you:

1) A series of (free) videos on how you can bounce back
from nearly anything, and...
2) An impressive series of 24 interviews from some
of the world's most successful (and unsinkable)
coaches, mentors, and visionaries!

Click here to check it out
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1115613 Why?

Sonia has just launched a brand new book that’ll show you or
anyone you know going through tough times, how to emerge
victorious from almost any kind of personal disaster.

The book is titled “Unsinkable: How to Bounce Back Quickly when
Life Knocks You Down.”

You don't have to buy the book to collect all the (free) gifts
she has for you today—although I highly recommend getting the
book too!

Get your gifts now
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1115613

Enjoy!

Linda

PS: These are wonderful gifts Sonia’s offering (and it won’t cost
you a thing!), so feel free to share it with others. You just never
know who needs a quick “picker-upper” right at this very moment.
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1115613

2011-05-19T17:10:00.001-07:00

Offering a discount of $40.00 to new clients for editing their books over 200 pages. I charge $2.00 per/page. Good until June 18, 2011. http://ping.fm/K2jUi

2011-05-19T15:27:00.001-07:00

Long Story Short ezine has been named a winner in Writer's Digest best 101 websites for 2011. It's our 8th time. We are honored. www.alongstoryshort.net

2011-05-17T17:24:00.001-07:00

Take a look at my new profile page. You can stop by & refer new clients anytime. http://ping.fm/sDTEg

2011-04-27T16:21:00.001-07:00

Anxiety Disorders - The Go-To Guide for Clients and Therapists - read my blog here -
http://ping.fm/WXb3F

Anxiety Disorders: The Go-To Guide for Clients and Therapists

2011-04-27T16:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

I found this book and had to share it. Millions of people worldwide suffer from anxiety disorders. In fact, anxiety disorders are the number-one psychiatric problem in the United States, yet many people who suffer from anxiety don’t get effective counseling. But there are many, many effective treatments for anxiety disorders out there. Carolyn Daitch, a seasoned therapist and award-winning author, covers the ins and outs of anxiety disorders and their treatment in her new book Anxiety Disorders: The Go-To Guide for Clients and Therapists. For five of the anxiety disorders—Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Specific Phobias, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder— she details speciﬁc treatment options and techniques, explaining which are best suited to individual use, and which are better done in collaboration with a therapist or a team of treatment professionals. Engaging, comprehensive, and reassuring, this is an essential Go-To Guide. Make sure not to miss it!

Here’s what renowned clinician Michael Yapko had to say about Dr. Daitch’s newest book: "Daitch has written an exceptionally clear and multi-faceted consideration of anxiety disorders and their treatment. Her kind tone is matched by her clinical skill, as she engages her intended audience of both therapists and people suffering with anxiety issues. She teaches readers that anxiety has multiple causes and multiple treatments, and liberally sprinkles the text with examples and potential paths to recovery. This really is the guide to go to!"

Those struggling with the many challenges of anxiety disorders will benefit enormously from this book—and so will their friends, family, medical doctors, complimentary health practitioners, and therapists. I hope this book is beneficial to you and yours. Please share it and enjoy the more than 80 downloadable bonus gifts offered by Carolyn's friends and colleagues! Check it out here. Anxiety Disorders

2011-04-15T14:11:00.001-07:00

Taking short stories and books for editing. www.lindabarnett-johnson.com

2011-04-05T14:13:00.001-07:00

Love poetry? Follow this blog: http://ping.fm/RFggP

Writer's Rainbow Blog

2011-02-16T11:28:00.000-08:00

I would like to share a wonderful new blog that has everything you need regarding services for writers and authors. Check out Writer's Rainbow

2011-01-20T12:32:00.001-08:00

A secret known only 2 a lovely young blind woman drives him deeper into the snowy infinite wilderness-.Montana Mist http://bit.ly/e0hWKz

Montana Mist, Winter of the White Wolf.

2011-01-20T12:25:00.000-08:00

I found a novel I loved and had to share it with you. You can almost taste the wilderness and the life springing from the pages of it! It’s bestselling author, Doug Hiser’s new novel, Montana Mist, Winter of the White Wolf. Set in the town of Rime, Montana the pages are replete with loners, free spirits and those simply looking for a place to lose themselves for awhile.

Here’s what reviewer Tracy Riva said, “The scenery in Montana Mist vividly springs to life bringing the mountain town and its surroundings into keen view as you peruse the pages of this piece of modern folklore. Hiser brings not only the people of Rime, but also the wild inhabitants of its nearby mountains to boldly dance across the screen of your mind.

“What follows is one of my favorite passages from the book, a tall tale that I suppose could have happened somewhere, at sometime but probably takes place only in our fascinated imaginations. It is the tale of a one-eyed wolf appropriately named Cyclops and a huge bull moose which no wolf in his right mind would normally dare to attack alone:

“Suddenly Cyclops darted in and snapped at the moose’s hind leg. The wolf was fast and quick and he had drawn first blood. The moose grunted and bellowed in rage, snot flung from his large nostrils as he twisted in response to the biting pain in his rear leg. Cyclops rushed in again and the moose was slower. The one-eyed wolf bit the moose in the other hind leg. Throughout the entire engagement Cyclops had been silent but the moose groaned and grunted and snorted in anger. The moose’s shoulders quivered and his mouth opened and closed as oxygen was sucked in. Cyclops had one more trick to play against the big Bull Moose. This is the part where I wish you could have been there…that one-eyed wolf ran around the staggered moose and got behind him again. Cyclops was too quick for that big engine of power. The moose was caught off guard as the one-eyed wolf leapt high and far from behind. That wolf jumped on the moose’s back.”

“ …At first the moose just stood still, breathing hard and tossing his antlers back and forth. Finally realizing there was a wolf sitting on his back the moose started to jump and run. I saw that crazy one-eyed wolf straddling that wild moose and clinging with all four paws and biting a clump of thick hair on the moose’s neck. Cyclops didn’t try to attack the moose. He was just trying to stay on for the ride. That moose jumped and ran all over that clearing trying to dislodge Cyclops. That was the strangest thing you ever saw, a crazy one-eyed wolf riding on a bucking moose.”

Hiser knows how to tell a story and he uses masterful prose to bring his work to life for you to enjoy. I highly recommend Montana Mist, Winter of the White Wolf- reading it will leave an indelible impression on you. Get it today with loads of bonuses! Montana Mist, Winter of the White Wolf.

2011-01-11T19:38:00.001-08:00

A must read for anyone struggling with the painful issue of infertility and those who care about them. http://bit.ly/fAWsAm

2011-01-11T13:42:00.001-08:00

On Fertile Ground: Healing Infertility - Read my blog: http://ow.ly/3C74f and Sign up.

On Fertile Ground: Healing Infertility

2011-01-11T13:37:00.000-08:00

Dear Friend,

I found this book and had to share it. Millions of people worldwide suffer from infertility, which you may not realize is a biological, psychological, social and spiritual crisis that can take years to come to resolution. Helen Adrienne’s new book, On Fertile Ground: Healing Infertility is not only a explanation of the infertility experience, but it also puts the challenge in perspective, provides a mind/body program to deal with this adversity and reframes the situation in ways that allow for enormous growth. http://bit.ly/fAWsAm

We all know someone experiencing infertility. This holiday time was especially difficult for them. Those struggling with infertility will benefit enormously from this book—but so will their friends, family, doctors and therapists. On Fertile Ground will be a great gift to all who read it because it offers tools and teaches skills for coping with difficult situations.

Here’s what the author, Helen Adrienne, LCSW (psychotherapist) says: “This book springs from a well deep within me. It is my well but it is fed by a universal well originating from the pure waters of womanhood and motherhood. I wrote it from a tide of compassion for the infertile patient, with whom I have had the privilege of working for over three decades as a psychotherapist. http://bit.ly/fAWsAm

I called the book On Fertile Ground because our emotional nightmares are our teachers. If we look the infertility nightmare in the eye, it is fertile with possibilities for growth. Nightmares can free us to discover our higher potential. On Fertile Ground teaches readers how to build self-awareness, allowing them to respond to the enormous stress of infertility rather than react to it. Absence ofself-awareness can result in the loss of opportunity to adapt to and grow from this unwanted change.

I knew from my own nightmares that nurturing self-awareness was central to healing. My training and experience in mind/body therapy and clinical hypnotherapy has allowed me to guide patients in a mind/body quest with mind/body interventions. On Fertile Ground promises to open a path to enhanced growth and satisfaction in the midst of this difficult time.

I hope this book is beneficial to your and yours - please share it and enjoy the more than 80 wonderful downloadable bonsu gifts offered by Helne's friends and colleagues! Check it out: On Fertile Ground: Healing Infertility

On Fertile Ground, Healing Infertility by Helen Adrienne

2011-01-07T14:12:00.000-08:00

In her book, On Fertile Ground, Healing Infertility, Helen Adrienne writes with great sensitivity and compassion using poetic metaphors and common sense. She includes practical exercises using self-hypnosis, guided imagery and mindfulness. Because she approaches the mind/body experience of infertility with mind/body interventions, her approach provides far-reaching and inspiring benefits. By giving men, women and couples the tools to explore core issues around infertility, she gives them the opportunity to heal and transform. Buy it now for yourself or anyone you know suffering from infertility. http://bit.ly/fAWsAm

As a personal note, I know all too well how it feels to try and try to have a baby, only to fail. This is one of those books you'll want to read if you are having those problmes or know of someone that is. - Linda

2011-01-02T19:56:00.001-08:00

Varola is a good place to put your ads. Check out the tour here: http://ping.fm/eBwsO

2011-01-02T19:44:00.001-08:00

You can now start making some money by watching ads. It just opened: http://ping.fm/5OmJv

2010-12-13T14:05:00.001-08:00

Love Poetry? Please follow Long Story Short's blog: http://ping.fm/3kH5P

2010-12-13T12:36:00.001-08:00

I am being rewarded for being an earlybird user on PayBox.Me. You can too: http://ping.fm/bLvU6

Interview with Brandi Heather, Book Reviewer

2010-12-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

1) Please tell us a little about yourself. Share any websites or blogs you have. Also, how did you get into book reviewing?

My name is Brandi, and I'm a twenty something girl just living the dream. I'm an avid reader with a desk job, however I wish I could read for a living! Currently I live in Atlanta, GA with my amazing boyfriend of 7 years, and our sweet mini poodle, Molly. My family is my rock -- they are down in Florida, which saddens me, but it is truly only a hop, skip and jump away. I have always been obsessed with reading, as my mom read books to me every night as a child. My favorites were Mickey and the Beanstalk, Goodnight Moon and Mouse Soup. Recently, my mom was telling me about all the books on tape I used to have. She said that I would listen to them over and over again while I had the book in front of me. I guess this was how I taught myself to read, or at least this helped in my love of reading.

I started my blog, A Writer's Review back in January 2010. I wanted to use it as an outlet to keep track of the books that I read. I challenged myself to read 100 books this year, and thought a blog would be a good place to document it all. I had no idea that there was a whole cyber-world of book bloggers out there, but when I discovered this in September I couldn't get enough. I've been blogging and following people ever since. I've definitely found my niche!

2) I'm curious to know if you've ever written a story? If so, what kind of stories do you like to write?

I really love writing, hence the name of my blog, "A Writer's Review". I find that it is a great way to get out feelings and to create an alternate world that my daily troubles have no part in. I've started many, many stories, but never gotten around to completing any of them because halfway through I start to think that they might be boring and not something that others would really like to read. As I said before, I'm new to the world of blogging, and I found out a little late in the game about NaNoWriMo, which I definitely want to participate in next year. Maybe that will motivate me to actually finish writing a book. Most of what I've started are mysteries. I've been working on a sort of autobiography that is mostly fictitious, however extremely intense. It is very personal and loosely based on my life. I really think that it has brought up a lot of emotions that I had hidden away. Hopefully one day I will get around to finishing that and get it published!

3) As a reader and writer, I enjoy Christian author writers. Is there a particular genre you enjoy over another?

My very favorite novels are murder mystery novels. I've always secretly wanted to be in the FBI or the CIA and be some mastermind secret agent. Reading murder mysteries is the closest I think I will really get to it, but it suits me just fine! I love the adventure and enjoy trying to solve the mystery before the book ends. I'm also a lush for chick-lit. I love a happy ending, and swoon over all the wonderful, non-existent male characters.

4) Can you tell us a little about the book(s) you are reading for review right now, and who the author(s) are?

I just finished reading Hope Burned by Brent LaPorte and will be posting my review sometime later tonight. This is the synopsis from GoodReads.com:
A father sits down to write a letter to his son explaining why his hands are covered in blood. He journeys back through his childhood on the farm, through the captivity, torture, and brutality that he suffered from the men he just killed—his father and his grandfather. A reflection on a solitary landscape, this bleak yet moving family tragedy details three generations of abuse, where the birth of a newborn forces the question, Is it better to live or die?

This was a fantastic book that read like a memoir, even though it was fiction. This was Brent LaPorte's first novel and I'm quite eager to see what else he has in store for us. I received this book from NetGalley.com where I receive most of my ARC copies of books.

5) How do you rate a book review? What is good? What is bad?

I think that I am pretty hard on books. I really expect for a book to grab me from the beginning and hold me until the very last page. On my blog I use a five star rating system, with 1 star being a book that just didn't really peak my interest and 5 stars being a book that just blew me away. I really enjoy reading and reviewing books, but I find it so hard to rate a book using such a small scale of 1 - 5. I think that some books deserve a lot more, while others deserve less, but each book on its own can be something special too. I don't really believe that there can be a good review or a bad review, just an honest review. I think that books touch every person a little bit differently, so a book that really relates to me could be something completely meaningless to someone else.

6) What is your typical reading day like? Do you have a particular place you like to read?

If I am lucky and have a whole day to myself, I can spend the whole day reading in my big comfy lounge chair. I love to get snuggled up tight underneath a blanket with my puppy on one side and a hot cup of coffee on the other.

7) You said you wanted to reach a goal of reading 100 books. Have you reached that goal?

I am getting closer and closer to the goal every day! So far I've read 76, I know I've only got a few weeks left, but I am participating in a few holiday readathons on my blog so hopefully setting aside specific time just for reading will be helpful to reaching the goal. I've actually decided that for next year I want to read 10 more books than I read this year, so if I only end up with 85 books I will set my 2011 goal to be 95 books. We will see, life is hectic and always finds some way to get in the way.

8) What was your favorite book you’ve read for review, and who is the author?

I don't have a favorite but I've reviewed some really fun, great books. I really enjoyed reading Francis, Not the Saint by Floriana Hall because it was the first book I'd been sent from a fellow blogger that was to be reviewed for the author. All of the other books I've read and reviewed were books that I picked out myself. It was a great experience, and I really enjoyed the book! I just finished reading and reviewing the ARC copy of Delirium by Lauren Oliver and I thought that was a great read as well.

9) Is there a book that stands out in your mind that you’d like to share with our readers?

My favorite book of all times is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I think this is a great coming of age book that everyone should read at least once. It has probably been over 5 years since I've read the book last but there are still scenes and quotes from the book that I think about all the time.

10) What advice would you give to anyone wanting to be a book reviewer?

I would definitely encourage all readers to review the books they read! I think this is a great way for other readers to find books that they would enjoy reading. I was a little nervous about it at first because I wasn't sure about how to get my name out there. I've found that using sites like Facebook and Twitter have really helped me to spread the word about my blog. I am still new to it all and am having a ball trying to figure out the ins and outs of blogging, but I think that I've found a great community of bloggers that are willing to help. I encourage others to always follow their dreams because you never know when your big break will happen.

11) Any last thoughts or comments?

I'm really enjoying all of the blogging that I am doing, and I hope in the future that I am able to get more and more books from authors to build up my already exploding TBR shelf. My dream is to read for a living...is that possible? I sure hope so!

I would like to thank Brandi for this interview. If anyone is interested in sending her your book for an honest reading, please visit her website and let her know. You can reach her here: A WRITER'S REVIEW I believe she has a great future ahead of her.

2010-12-03T14:30:00.001-08:00

I have over $900.00 in my paybox.me account. Join for free - http://ping.fm/UsROQ

2010-12-01T14:57:00.001-08:00

Love poetry: http://ping.fm/PIHkJ

2010-12-01T14:17:00.001-08:00

Spirit of the Season Catalog

2010-12-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

GET A FREE GIFT WHEN YOU VISIT SPIRIT OF THE SEASON CATALOG – UNIQUE GIFTS FOR THE HOLIDAYS: For the first time ever, this online catalog offers a life-enriching shopping experience and features bestselling books, unusual and personally empowering, self enriching products and services in a varied collection from amazing authors, coaches, gurus and mentors.

Give gifts of empowerment from the Spirit of the Season Catalog in the following categories: wealth building, health and energy healing, Law of Attraction workshops, intuitive healing, CD programs, inspirational, motivational, transformational, seasonal, art, self-help, all genres of fiction and a variety of non-fiction to empowering products that will light anyone’s life. Check it out at www.spiritoftheseasoncatalog.com or http://tinyurl.com/yeja516

2010-12-01T12:23:00.001-08:00

Free gift when you visit Spirit of the Season Catalog. Share it with your friends & family. http://tinyurl.com/yeja516

Book Review - Francis, Not The Saint

2010-11-18T12:52:00.000-08:00

If you want to find out more about the memoir, Francis, Not the Saint by Floriana Hall, please read the new review by Brandi Heather http://brandiheathersreviews.blogspot.com/

It's a must read for everyone, young and old.

Linda

2010-11-16T16:41:00.001-08:00

Please join my social website: Sokule - http://ping.fm/u17Wh

2010-11-16T13:43:00.001-08:00

Varolo is about to go live for testing. Join and receive money. http://ping.fm/KoqlQ

2010-11-11T17:02:00.001-08:00

The early bird really does get the worm at Varolo. Join me today and earn money: http://ht.ly/38vAx

2010-11-11T16:51:00.001-08:00

PayBox is a rapidly growing online currency and payment processing service. Be an early bird and receive money: http://ping.fm/dEe68

2010-11-11T16:03:00.001-08:00

Join my blog for interviews, writing/marketing tips, affiliates and more - http://ping.fm/WvYj4

2010-11-11T16:02:00.001-08:00

Super World of Marketing (SWOM). Join me today - http://ping.fm/spgfQ

Super World of Marketing - SWOM

2010-11-11T15:56:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends,

I wanted to let you know about a POWERFUL new marketing system that is about to see people FLOCK to get it...

Did you know that the #1 reason why 95% of network marketers fail is because they lack duplication and mentoring?

Lack of duplication is like a DISEASE in our industry and something needs to be done!

Introducing... Swom!

It stands for 'Super World of Marketing' and it's set to ROCK the industry!

This system will work for you 24/7 for ANY & ALL of your opportunities!

It also generates prospects and leads for you like there's no tomorrow.

Lock in your position right now free!

But hurry... before your downline beats you to it!

SWOM
See you in the members area!

Linda Barnett Johnson

2010-11-02T20:03:00.001-07:00

Please join my village at Varolo. There's money to be earned: http://ping.fm/zBCTZ

2010-11-01T10:41:00.001-07:00

Check out PayBox.me today: http://ping.fm/sZbOO

2010-10-29T00:28:00.001-07:00

Please join my Varolo Village to earn money. http://ping.fm/mXc3o

Interview With Author Floriana Hall

2010-10-21T21:18:00.000-07:00

Q. Please tell us a little about yourself, your background and any important accomplishments. (If you have a website, book(s), etc., please list them and tell us about them.)

I was born in Pittsburgh, Pa. to a saintly mother and a father who I remember as loving the first seven years of my life. When I was five years old, he was hit by a streetcar and told us he had a tumor on the brain. There were other circumstances involved but he changed after that accident. Of course, the Great Depression had something to do with us moving eleven times to different cities and changing schools. We were all happy children regardless of the lack of food and the necessities of life when our father was gone for weeks at a time. Our mother baked homemade bread and even though there was not much else to eat, we never starved. She gave us her share of food when needed.
Throughout the years, she was our rock who taught us manners, morals, character and cleanliness. She taught us to forgive. And there were many things to forgive our father for, such as his lies about our Christmas gifts, his lies about his life and about us - the complex life of trying to juggle three families at the same time which he could not do. His letters of remorse to me in later years are very touching, but were they true? Or more lies? Only God knows!
One of my earlier accomplishments was that I was almost always the head of my classes and I always had many friends wherever we moved. I graduated from high school at the age of 17 and was ranked 11th in a class of 167 in June 1945. As a senior, I wrote articles for the high school newspaper. In later years, I was honored as a Distinguished Alumna of Cuyahoga Falls High School. I am recognized by several WHO'S WHO.

My family of five children, nine grandchildren and two great-granddaughters are my most important accomplishment. My husband and I have been married for 61 years.

I founded and coordinate THE POET'S NOOK each month at Cuyahoga Falls Library. I have edited and published four books for my nonprofit group of 23 talented poets. We hold a Children's Poetry Contest each April and have a donor for the monetary prizes which will help continue the art of poetry in the future.

God, family, friends and service are very important to me. You might call me a philanthropist. Because I did not have much, I want others to have more and I love to help people, sometimes anonymously.

Here are the books I have written:
THE SANDS OF RHYME - Inspirational Poetry, out of print
SMALL CHANGE - True story of my life as a child during THE GREAT DEPRESSION, out of print
DADDY WAS A BAD BOY - My Memoir (to be bought from me)
OUT OF THE ORDINARY SHORT STORIES - Inspirational stories about Angels and God-Incidences. I had an out of body experience as a child or seven. www.Authorhouse.com
HEARTS ON THE MEND - 12 different stories about heart disease and the aftermath. www.PublishAmerica.com
FRANCIS, NOT THE SAINT - Memoir with a surprise ending, www.Amazon.com, www.CreateSpace.com, www.BooksofExcellence.com
THE ADVENTURES OF FLOSSIE, ROBBIE, AND JUNEY During the Great Depression www.Amazon.com, www.CreateSpace.com
FRANCISO, NO EL SANTO - Spanish translation of FRANCIS, NOT THE SAINT, CCB Publishing, Canada, www.Amazon.com
GATHERING GRACES - Winning poetry - www.Cyberwit.net
SELECT SANDS OF RHYME AND REASON, Poetry and Short Stories - www.Cyberwit.net
SIMPLE PLEASURES - a young children's book - www.Cyberwit.net

Websites: http://alongstoryshort.net/FlorianaHall.html
www.LSSWritingSchool.com under YOU, ME, AND POETRY
www.BooksofExcellence.com

Q. How long have you been writing? What made you put those first words down on paper?

I have been writing since I was a child of seven, but the poems were lost in our many moves during The Great Depression. I always loved nursery rhymes as a child and tried to write my own.

Q. Do you write in a particular genre? If so, what genre is it?

Mostly family and poetry

Q. Have you been published?

Yes, all twelve books, and in many magazines and poetry books. Special is my story THE ROCKING CHAIR in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL - Living Catholic Faith.

Q. How long did it take to write and publish?

Each book took about a year to write.

Q. What was the process?

When my daughter, Cindy, who teaches fifth grade in another state, asked me to write SMALL CHANGE, my life flashed before me like a TV screen. I wrote it down, typed it and edited the true story, found a printer, and typed it myself on the printing machine. The printer passed away a long time ago and that is why I published THE ADVENTURES OF FLOSSIE, ROBBIE, AND JUNEY During The Great Depression.

Q. Who’s your favorite author and why?

One of my favorite authors is Maeve Binchy because she writes in a wholesome manner, which I always try to do.

Q. How did you deal with rejection letters, if you received any?

Actually, I have never had a rejection letter except some poetry websites have not accepted my rhyming poetry because I presume they like free verse. I also write free verse but prefer rhyme.

Q. What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?

In my opinion, writing in an easy to understand manner is important because the 75% of people who do read do not comprehend beyond the eighth grade level.

Q. How do you develop your plots/characters, ideas/concepts ? Do you use any set formula?

It seems that most of what I write has happened. Of course, I change names and add some fiction to the nonfiction. However, I have found that truth is stranger than fiction.

Q. What do you do to unwind and relax?

I do water exercise at the local Natatorium at least three times every week. I sit in the sun and meditate. I love to attend church and find it spiritually inspiring.

Q. What do you like to read?

Mostly, I like to read the Bible, the newspapers and biographies.

Q. What does your family feel about your writing? Are they supportive?

Some of them are very supportive, and a few do not read books.

Q. What inspires you? Who inspires you?
I have been inspired in church and at five AM some mornings. Poetry literally pops into my head upon waking. I have to type it up on the computer immediately just so I do not forget it. It is sometimes said that angels come at five AM. Credit for my poetry belongs to God.

Q. Are you working on any projects right now?

Yes, I am starting to write a sequel to my small children's book, a SIMPLE PLEASURES 2.

Q. How do you handle Writer’s Block?

Take it with a grain of salt because it does not last long. I am so busy trying to fulfill my mission of making a difference in the world with my stories and poetry that I never dwell on negatives. I have been that way since my childhood. It is a waste of time to dwell on anything in the past or to worry about anything, especially writer's block. Today is what counts.

Q. What is most frustrating about writing? Most rewarding?

The most frustrating thing about writing is when my computer freezes or acts up. The most rewarding thing about writing is when I receive letters from fifth grade students telling me they learned to appreciate what they have after they or their teachers read my book THE ADVENTURES OF FLOSSIE, ROBBIE, AND JUNEY During The Great Depression. I love speaking at schools and answering the student's questions.

Q. Do you have any kind of writing schedule?

I tend to write in the morning before I go to water exercise. I spend about one and one half hours a day on the computer.

Q. What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given as a writer? What’s the worst?

Best advice - to write with feeling and use some metaphor, but not too much.
Worst advice - to change one of my winning poems into free verse.

Q. If I were sitting down to write my very first story, what would your advice be?

Perhaps the best way is to make a draft and/or outline and decide which tense works best for the particular book. Start with an eye catching first sentence.

Q. What is your best advice for getting published?

For a first book, my personal opinion is to self publish and get your name out there. If you are young, perhaps it is a good idea to send out manuscripts. At my age, time is an important element.

Q. What has been the single most important part of your success?

If I am successful, it has been at living my life in the best way possible, to be of service to others, smile and always be kind. My motto is 'The secret of life is not to take it personally.'

MEASURE OF SUCCESS

Success can mean so many things,
Diplomas high school or college bring.
A job obtained, a job well done
Means satisfaction for everyone.
A chance meeting, the person of your dreams
A happy ending to any schemes,
A perfect party without any glitches,
A singing voice without stray pitches.
Putting puzzles together with all the pieces,
Solving a problem, war that ceases,
Listening to others with empathy,
Saying right words of sympathy,
Smiles as warm as the sun above,
Hugs and kisses to show true love.
A pleasant greeting, a pleasant time
Though there are many mountains to climb.
Success is meeting opportunity half way,
Doing your best, with dues to pay.
A prayer answered, return to health,
Making ends meet, spiritual wealth.
Success is coping despite adversity,
Making the most of diversity.
Success can come to everyone
Like sleep refreshes when day is done.

Floriana Hall – June 18, 2006

2010-10-21T12:56:00.001-07:00

Visit Viewsline for Linda Barnett-Johnson's Interview by Margaret Fieland - http://ht.ly/2XlPD

2010-10-20T21:13:00.001-07:00

Read the interview about Linda Barnett-Johnson, editor and virtual assistant at Margaret Fielands' Poetry and Prose site: http://ping.fm/hEo2x

Varolo Village

2010-10-19T17:55:00.001-07:00

Hello friends,

I would love for you to join me on Varolo Village. Watch the short video and then sign up, it's free. You have a good chance of making some money with me. Check it out and see what you think.

Have a great day,

Linda Barnett-Johnson
Editor/Virtual Assistant
www.lindabarnett-johnson.com

Author and Writer Interviews

2010-10-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I will be doing author and writer interviews on this blog page. Anyone that joins, will be asked to be interviewed. Of course, you can decline. But it's a place where you can share with your friends and link to your websites.

You will be asked individually and the interviews will stay in the archives for at least, one year, if not more. I will make that decision.

I will send you an email asking - "I would like to interview you."

Thank you all.

Linda Barnett-Johnson
Editor/Virtual Assistant
www.lindabarnett-johnson.com

PS I will probably link that to my own website too. www.lindabarnett-johnson.com
I will also ping it and get the word out about the interview. Hopefully it will draw others here to read about your writing and book(s).

2010-10-15T16:31:00.001-07:00

Long Story Short School of Writing www.lsswritingschool.com Take a writing course today.

PayBox

2010-10-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

PayBox This is really going to be big. Get in on the ground floor of this new enterprise. I started with $50.00 in my bank when I joined (free), and now I have over $112.00! There are jobs too. All you have to do is take some very simple surveys and tell your friends. How easy is that?

Linda

Affiliate Programs You Might Want to Check Out

2010-10-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,

I have been delving into joining some affiliates that would help me and you to receive an income. I have found a couple you can check out right now.

1) PayBox.Me (You get $50.00 right up front and can make extra money when you do some easy projects and invite friends.) Get in on the ground floor today. You may not get a second chance at this one.

2) MyTeamBuild - Where Internet Income and Social Networking Collide! (Lots of affiliates to join on this one.) There is a one-time membership fee of $19.95. I went ahead an joined. You can use credit cards or paypal.

3) Cha-Ching - Got ChaChing is a T.E.A.M. Social Networking Site. Got ChaChing Educates, Markets, Advertises and Promote YOU and Your Business(es).

I will share more with you as I go about my research. I am also looking for social networks to join. I'll share those at a later date.

Have a great day.

Linda

2010-10-11T14:24:00.001-07:00

Something exciting. Check it out: http://ping.fm/bjszz

2010-10-11T13:31:00.001-07:00

Join a bunch of affiliate programs: http://ping.fm/sRJk4

2010-10-11T13:30:00.001-07:00

Check this out and join with me: http://ping.fm/AmCIk

2010-10-10T17:52:00.001-07:00

Read the interview by Floriana Hall with Roseanne Dowell - http://ping.fm/r8YZ3

2010-10-06T17:23:00.001-07:00

Join me on MyTeamBuild - http://ping.fm/HFMi1

2010-10-06T17:05:00.001-07:00

Interview on 10/10 with Floriana Hall by Roseanne Dowell http://ping.fm/nHKFg

2010-10-06T12:53:00.001-07:00

MYTEAMBUILD - Where Internet Income and Social Networking Collide - http://ping.fm/HefJf

You're Officially Invited!

2010-10-05T23:55:00.000-07:00

Great News!

Linda Barnett-Johnson has personally invited you to one of
the most spectacular events in Internet History.

Watch the breaking news report from
Internet News Live.

Here: http://www.myteambuild.com/autores02.php?r=writingfriend

Pretty cool huh?

It's predicted this team-based social network
to grow much like Twitter & Facebook did.

How would have liked to have joined Facebook in
the beginning, and been paid for all the members
who joined after you? (500+ mil. members now)

That's what we are talking about here.

Watch the Internet News Live report for
instant access.

Live Report: http://www.myteambuild.com/autores02.php?r=writingfriend

See you on the inside ;)
Linda Barnett-Johnson

I joined yesterday.

2010-10-05T23:53:00.001-07:00

You've got to see this. Internet breaking news:
http://ping.fm/7EtJV

2010-10-05T15:40:00.001-07:00

10/10/10 - Interview with author, Floriana Hall - Francis Not the Saint - http://ping.fm/nHKFg

2010-09-30T22:29:00.001-07:00

Do you have a great blog you use for author interviews? I would love to view it. writingfriend@yahoo.com
http://ping.fm/SoFO1

2010-09-30T22:24:00.001-07:00

Looking for interviewers for blog/radio-to interview Floriana Hall, author of Francis Not The Saint. Contact me: writingfriend@yahoo.com

2010-09-30T22:20:00.001-07:00

Has anyone had any association with: National Association of Independent Writers and Editors? Write to me: writingfriend@yahoo.com