Unsung Patriot by Virginia Vassallo

1. How did you get interested in the topic that's featured in your book?

My book, Unsung Patriot, is about my grandfather, Guy T. Viskniskki, and how he started The Stars and Stripes newspaper during World War I. The easy answer to how I got interested in the topic is that I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't know that my grandfather started the paper. Admittedly, for many years, I had no idea what the paper was. In fact, I remember asking my mom, “If Guydaddy started the paper, why don't we get it?” This was in the 1950s; there was no Internet and only the armed forces received The Stars and Stripes.

After my mom died and I found that I had inherited my grandfather's 437 page manuscript about his experiences trying to start the paper, I thought I should write up something for my grandchildren. It grew - because I had to know more and more. And finally it became a book.

2. Tell us a bit about your background. What have you done in the past that relates to your book and your topic?

Obviously, being the granddaughter of the man who started The Stars and Stripes and having information only the family had uniquely qualified me to write this book. On another level, I was a history major in college and then became an attorney so much of the writing that I had done has been on either historical topics or non-fiction, such as legal briefs. Since my topic is historical non-fiction combined with family information, I think I am a 'natural' to write Unsung Patriot.

3. What advise would you give to someone who is interested in your topic?

First of all, that person should read my book. Second, The Stars and Stripes Museum/Library in Bloomfield, Missouri, has exhibits covering the whole history of the newspaper and they also have a research library. Third, you can join the European-Pacific Stars and Stripes Association. Initially the group was composed of men and women who had worked for the paper during their time in the armed forces. However, they have recently expanded their membership to include people who are interested in The Stars and Stripes. The yearly dues are nominal and you get 4-6 issues of their newsletter a year plus they meet once a year in various locations. I am waiting for 2009 when they are meeting in Reno, NV, to go again.

Other than those suggestions there is no a tremendous amount of information out there about the newspaper during the First World War.

4. What do you see as the benefit of participating in groups and organizations? My first thought would be networking opportunities and the chance for personal and business growth. What are your reasons?

Certainly those are good reasons, Nikki, and they are some of the reasons I belong to various groups and organizations. Obviously belonging to the S&S Association is a plus for information about the paper today. I also belong to several genealogical groups because I have a real interest in tracing my family's origins and those of my husband. Some of those contacts have resulted in sales of my book - probably because of the similarity of interests among the participants. And, besides, some of them have monthly meetings nearby and it's fun to get together.

5. Who is the ideal person to read your book? If each person that reads this was going to recommend your book to one person, what sort of person would they want to choose?

Unsung Patriot would appeal to a person who is interested in history, a person who is interested in genealogy, a person interested in military history, a person interested in journalism and newspapers.

As one reader said, “Virginia, I finished reading your book about your grandfather and enjoyed it tremendously. I am so amazed at all your grandfather accomplished and love how he stood up to his military superiors to keep his promise to the regular soldiers. This book is such a memorable way to share his story and the accolades that he received during his lifetime.”

6. What do you think ignites a person's creativity?

First and foremost, I think a good imagination is necessary. Even when writing non-fiction, you have to be able to imagine or see how the book will flow together. This is especially true when you are gathering information from a variety of sources.

Believe it or not, for me walking in the woods and fields of our farm helps my creativity immensely. My mind is free-floating, looking at the world around me, wondering what my dogs are scenting, yet it seems I come back from a long walk refreshed and with new ideas. Yet I am not conscious of thinking about anything in particular.

7. What have you found to be the biggest stumbling block for people who want to start writing?

I think potential authors look to the end result - will someone publish this book? How do I get it published? Do I really want to have to do my own marketing?

It can be daunting and scary.

When I started writing Unsung Patriot, I started writing for my children and grandchildren so that they would know about my grandfather. I never thought I would actually write a book that would be sold at book fairs, in stores and on the Internet. That came much later. I believe I probably wouldn't have started writing if I had realized what I was really going to do with the end product. I had to work in to the idea of being a published author.

8. How would you suggest they can overcome that?

Write for your own enjoyment. Write for one other person - a spouse, a child, a grandchild. Don't think that what you write must be published. Think about just telling your story.

One of my neighbors is 80 something and tells wonderful stories about growing up in rural Kentucky. She has finally written down some of her memories and we are all elated. It brings this small part of the world to life - what it was really like to live here back in the Depression. And it's a very different that the story you hear of how the Depression affected city dwellers.

9. What do you find is the biggest motivator for people to succeed? Is it money, security, desire for fame or something else?

I think it varies from person to person. Some people want they approval of their readers. Others want to make lots of money from their books. Still others want to prove to themselves that they can do it.

For me, I think it's a combination. I wanted my family to know about my grandfather. Now that the book is out there, I would like to make at least enough money to pay for the cost of getting it published. And I am on my way to accomplishing that!

10. Who is the “perfect” person to read your book?

The “perfect” person would be anyone with an interest in, or a love, of history.

11. Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Nikki, I think you have been very comprehensive. I would just like to invite your readers to visit my websites - www.krazyduck.com and www.unsungpatriot.com.

Virginia G. Vassallo

www.krazyduck.com

www.unsungpatriot.com

Blog Tours - What Would You Like to Know

I'm doing a tele-seminar next week about blog tours and I would love input from you all.

There are many things to discuss about blog tours and I worked out some initial questions to get people thinking - they are:

Discover Ways to Promote Your Book on a Virtual Blog Tour to Gain Greater Visibility and Sales

• What are the benefits of doing a blog tour?

• Should you promote your book in a blog tour?

• Should fiction and non fiction books be promoted differently in a blog tour?

• Should you organize your own blog tour?

• Why hire a publicist to organize your tour?

• If you hire a publicist, will you still need to work on the tour?

• Can you use a blog tour to promote anything besides books?

• Is there a new option in book blog tours?

But, now I need to create a couple of handouts and I'd love your input. Is there any specific info about blog tours that any of you think would be most helpful? Some folks here have done tours, some have hosted touring authors and I bet some of you have thought about doing a tour. So, since many of the people here are authors, I figured it would be a great place to pose the question. What information would you suggest I offer in handouts? Thank you all for your thoughts. There will be plenty of blog tour info coming very soon .

Nikki Leigh

PS - The answer to the last question is - most definitely. Stay tuned for much more information about that option - SOON. Or, contact me to be added to the mailing list - nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com with Mailing List in the subject line.

Right to Recover by Yvonne Perry

Today, Yvonne Perry will share some background for her fascinating and very educational book about stem cell research. Does the subject confuse you? Then you need to read her book. Its hard to make an educated decision about such an important topic without the starting with the facts...

1 - How did you get interested in the topic that's featured in your book?
There are two people who influenced me to write RIGHT TO RECOVER Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America.

I met Reverend Dan Bloodworth in 2005 and immediately became intrigued by his enthusiasm regarding stem cell research. Dan's All-American athlete son, Brian, suffered a spinal cord injury when he was hit by lightning in 1987. Motivated by his desire to find a treatment that would allow his son to communicate and become mobile again, Dan has devoted 16 years of his life to learn everything he could about stem cell research and share that information with anyone willing to listen.

While working with Michael Davis on his book, FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH: A Personal Story about Living with Quadriplegia, I became keenly aware of, and very interested in, the healing potential that blastocyst (also known as embryonic) stem cell research offers victims of spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, cancer, renal failure, paralysis, heart disease, and many other illnesses.


2 - Tell us a bit about your background. What have you done in the past that relates to your book and that topic?
I enjoy doing research on just about any topic. I'm an encyclopedia junkie! I've written more than a dozen books and over 100 articles so writing is my background. I operate a freelance writing and editing services from my home. When the topic of stem cell research kept coming up for me, I naturally started researching. The next thing I knew I had gathered enough information to write a book, so I found a publisher, pitched my idea to her and started the manuscript.


3 - What advice would you give to someone who is interested in your topic? By all means, read my book, but also do some research on your own. Talk to the people in this field, and interview those who are doing the work.


4 - What do you see as the benefit to participating in groups and organizations? My first thought would be networking opportunities and the chance for personal and business growth. What are your reasons?
The benefits of being involved in groups are tremendous. Networking is a big part of my day. I am affiliated with about a six online groups for writing and marketing. We learn a lot from one another. We share information, give one another encouragement and helpful feedback. Not a day goes by that I don't correspond with someone in one of these groups. If I know someone who needs a service another person offers, I am going to refer them to someone in my network. It's a win-win for everyone involved. Some of my best friends are online acquaintances that I have never met in person.


5 - Who is the ideal person to read your book? If each person that reads this was going to recommend your book to one person, what sort of person would they want to chose? Someone who is on the fence regarding blastocystic (embryonic) stem cell research would be able to create their own informed opinion about the research after reading my book.


6 - What do you think ignites a person's creativity? I think we all have a muse or creative spirit inside us. The creativity can come any time or any place, like in the middle of the night. Then, there are times when I have to write something by a certain date and the inspiration is not there and I'm not really interested in doing the project. That when I have to make the effort and start a project anyway, and trust that the inspiration will follow. It usually does.


7 - What have you found to be the biggest stumbling block for people who want to start writing? Procrastination and low self-esteem are the two biggest reasons people do not follow their hearts. If you do not have confidence that you are a good writer, you may not even try. But, trying is part of the process even if you are not good at it. You can always take writing courses. The more we write, the more we improve our writing skills. The more we improve, the more confidence we gain.

8 - How would you suggest they can overcome that? Writing for the fun of writing is the best remedy. When you can write without fear of being judged or feeling like your writing isn't good enough, you will find it a healing process. Enjoy each step you take no matter where you are on the journey.


9 - What do you find is the biggest motivator for people to succeed? Is it money, security, desire for fame or something else? That's different for each person. Some are motivated by money and fame. My definition of success is balance. If I enjoy what I do and make enough money to live comfortably, I am successful.


10 - Who is the “perfect” person to read your book? A person who can appreciate the amount of research time and effort that went into it! I would love to have each member of Congress read my book.


11 - Is there anything else you would like to share with us? I want to thank you for allowing me to be on your blog. You are doing a great job and I've enjoyed sharing with you.

Affordable Paradise -

Affordable Paradise, ISBN: 0971853, Skip Thomsen

1 - How did you get interested in the topic that's featured in your book?
I live in Hawaii, and for many years, my wife and I have been fielding certain questions from just about every contact we made on the Mainland. Most start out with, "I'm sooo jealous, but I could never afford to live in Hawaii." So we would go into our little speech about how it isn't that all expensive to live in Hawaii, and that we're living here on less than we spent on the Mainland. "No way," they'd exclaim, and then there began all the questions: What about jobs? Schools? Day-to-day living expenses? Medical care? Bringing pets? And on and on . . .

So one day, my wife suggested that since I am a writer and have a small publishing company, why not write a book that answers all of these continual questions? Good idea!

I wrote the First Edition of "Affordable Paradise" and no sooner had it hit the bookstores when Hawaii experienced one of the biggest real estate price increases ever. I soon started getting reviews about the obsolete values quoted in the book. The Second Edition timing was a repeat of the first, as the price increases were still going on. People were moving here in droves, buying up everything in sight.

The Third Edition was written just before the peak and came off the press right after, so those values are still pretty much in line with reality.

Such are the problems of writing a book that contains time-sensitive info! With each edition, I revised some info and added a lot more, mostly in response to reader's inquiries and suggestions. I'm actually considering avoiding actual real estate values entirely in the Fourth Edition, just to give it a bit longer shelf life! There is a lot of info in the book that has nothing to do with real estate, and that's what should be carrying the book anyway. Much of the new material is also in response to the rapidly changing demographic here on the Big Island, and how that was - and is - altering our beloved lifestyle.

2 - Tell us a bit about your background. What have you done in the past that relates to your book and that topic?
I've lived in Hawaii for 14 years and managed to do it within a budget that was no more than I would have needed where I lived in Oregon, and certainly a lot less than where my wife (of ten years) lived in California. Certainly one can spend millions to live in Hawaii, and many do. But the point of my book was originally that it isn't necessary, and why all the hype about how expensive it is to live here doesn't apply if you are really looking for an affordable lifestyle. I've lived all my adult life by creating my own reality, earning my own keep without the benefit of a "job," and doing well at it. That's how to thrive in Hawaii, and I like to share what I've learned in all these years so that others can move forward without stepping (falling?) into all the same holes I've had to. The focus of the new edition will be leaning heavily toward the concept of "living aloha," and how this is essential if we are to keep Hawaii the place that's attracting all of these people to begin with.

3 - What advice would you give to someone who is interested in your topic?
Read my book, of course! Plan your move. Learn all you can learn. Moving to Hawaii from the Mainland is not like moving from one Mainland state to another. It is way more like moving to a foreign country with foreign culture and foreign lifestyles.

4 - What do you see as the benefit to participating in groups and organizations? My first thought would be networking opportunities and the chance for personal and business growth. What are your reasons?
What you pointed out, and again, the opportunity to learn from the experiences, good or bad of others. Also, there's a lot of power in numbers, and groups can get things done that would be insurmountable for individuals. Groups have clout.
I don't know what I'd do without Greenleaf Book Group, for example. Without them (or a similar organization), I would not have my small-publisher relationship with Ingram, and that would cost me a lot of sales.

5 - Who is the ideal person to read your book? If each person that reads this was going to recommend your book to one person, what sort of person would they want to chose?
Anyone interested in moving to or living in Hawaii. Anyone already living here and feeling they can't afford to stay. The book has had reviews that pointed out it is also of value to those seeking an affordable vacation in Hawaii. It is especially useful to folks who aren't sure of how well they will be able to deal with such a different culture. Matter of fact, there's a whole chapter devoted to reasons why one might not want to live in Hawaii.

6 - What do you think ignites a person's creativity?Passion, passion, and did I say passion?

7 - What have you found to be the biggest stumbling block for people who want to start writing?
Starting to write, oddly enough. What I recommend to folks who tell me that have something to say and are having trouble getting started, is this: Just start writing down anything that comes to mind. Don't ever fret about a "proper start" to a book, or even an article. Once you get a few thoughts down (hopefully into a word processor), they'll expand almost automatically. Reread what you have written. Edit it. Flesh it out. Each topic you put down will inspire others, until finally you'll have enough (often way too much!) for what you want to end up with.

Once you have all your thoughts down, create a folder for each topic. Then read what you have again, carefully, and proceed to cut-and-paste each piece of it into the right folder until there's nothing left that is not categorized.

Now you get to go into each folder and sort out those thoughts. Make them flow. Start out with a "hook," a line that makes the reader want to read the rest of the paragraph. Each paragraph should start with an interesting sentence and then the rest of the paragraph elaborates on that sentence. At this point, you can start to cut-and-paste each subject into your first-draft manuscript and create chapters. It's so important to have it all flow.

Hey, I was only supposed to offer a suggestion on getting started. But the deal is, it's this kind of structure that works for many writers to get them going and more importantly, keep them going. Lots of great writing has been abandoned just because the writer got so far lost in an unstructured manuscript. It's easy to get overwhelmed. Quite frankly, I have to really admire the writers who could put together a beautifully flowing, cohesive novel - and do it with a typewriter! How did they do that?!

8 - How would you suggest they can overcome that?See above!

9 - What do you find is the biggest motivator for people to succeed? Is it money, security, desire for fame or something else?
My favorite saying is, "What we truly value, we do." That kind of invalidates all the excuses in the world for not doing what we say we'd really like to do. If we really, truly liked doing it, we would have a passion for doing it, and we would be doing it. It comes back to passion. It always does.

Money? Right. For most of us, I'm afraid writing is a labor of love. I feel blessed because I'm actually making a profit from my writing. Even when that happens, it's good to have another source of income. Remember, I said most of us. There are, of course, exceptions.

10 - Who is the "perfect" person to read your book?

This may sound really strange, but to date, the most rewarding emails I receive from readers are those from people who tell me they were fully ready to sell everything and move to Hawaii, and after reading my book they changed their minds. We see the heartbreak (and sometimes financial disaster) of people who move here without knowing what they will be encountering. That's the real reason for "Affordable Paradise." The affordable part finds the audience I'm after and then I share with them what it will really be like living in Paradise. Hawaii is truly Paradise to some, but it is clearly not to everyone.

11 - Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Just that I'm glad to have this new forum in which to hopefully be able to network with others of similar interests and concerns. I wish I had had something like this when I started back in 1980. What I wouldn't have given for a mentor!

So mahalo and aloha!

Judi Moreo and Kim Baccelia - Virtual Tour Stops

Promotional Interview with Judi Moreo

This is the first author promotional interview that I've posted on my Self Promotion blog on the Inspired Author site. This is the first interview in a series that I'm doing with Kathleen Gage. She is posting some on her blog and I'll be posting all of the interviews on my site. To read about Judi Moreo's promotion - visit http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/promotional-interview-judi-moreo-0

~ and ~

Kim Baccellia - Young Adult Author - Earrings of Ixtumea

Join Nikki Leigh and Muze as they interview young adult author Kim Baccelia about her book - Earrings of Ixtumea.

This is the opening question of the interview -

Nikki & Muze – I was reading the synopsis for your book and was intrigued by the inner struggle that your character faces. It’s also interesting that she is confronted by the same cultural problems in the fantasy world. Can you give us some information about how you came up with this idea and what sort of problems she deals with in the story?

Kim –As a bilingual teacher in the later ‘80’s and early ‘90’s, I saw a lot with my second language students. I taught in a LA county school district, close to East LA. I also was researching my own family history at this time. I was bothered how each year my students would draw themselves blond, blue-eyed, and fair skinned. Click here to learn more about Kim and Earrings of Iztumeahttp://muzesmusings.blogspot.com/

Nikki Leigh – Fiction Author – www.nikkileigh.com
Book Promo 101 – www.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_101.htm
“Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance”