Towards Understanding by Lillian Brummet

Towards Understanding – a collection of 120 nonfiction poems (2005; Lillian Brummet)

1 - How did you get interested in the topic that’s featured in your book?
Lillian: Poetry was a healing tool for me that I used to crawl out of my own personal hell. You see, after growing up in an unstable, troubled and abusive home and never really experiencing the joy of a father, I found myself on my own when I was just under 14. I was angry, scared and determined to thrive despite it all. Poetry was key in the journey from just getting by to growing into myself, learning to move in with myself and reach some form of understanding about the past – but also about my value as an individual… the reason why I live and breathe today. So that is what Towards Understanding represents – I selected 120 poems and placed them in chronological order so readers can follow along on this journey.

2 - Tell us a bit about your background. What have you done in the past that relates to your book and that topic?
Lillian: Well, the pen and I have always had an intimate relationship. It was not necessarily taught to me by outside influences, although I did go to school like everyone else. It just seemed to be so natural to me, and I’ve always enjoyed it. Friends, who had read some of my poetry, began encouraging me to save it. So I did. Little scraps in shoeboxes under the bed. Then I began writing them out and storing them in photobooks, believe it or not… with little drawings that I had kept over the years. In the late ‘80’s, I became brave enough to enter a contest, and my writing career really began then – I suppose, though I didn’t start writing as a career until 1999.

3 - What advise would you give to someone who is interested in your topic?
Lillian: Write because your pen compels you to do so – not because you feel you should write about this or that. When your head pounds and words flow down the arm and into the pen… write, write, write. It does not matter if the item is ever published. You never know who you might influence long after you are gone because of something you wrote once. Family will have a better insight into the person you are because of the writings you do today. There are so many reasons to write, if not for your own sanity… then for the pure joy of it. Don’t worry about being educated in this or that – just do it.

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?
Lillian: The best place to reach readers now-a-days is on the Internet and this is where authors, storytellers and poets need to spend their time in both building name recognition, but also in interacting with potential readers and selling themselves first. As such, joining networking organizations is a great way to begin this journey, but it is only one step in many that writers will need to take. Too many writers find themselves chatting away in various networking sites and spending way too much time interacting online. Balance is the key.

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?
Lillian: Towards Understanding was written to speak to those who struggle with self-identity and for the people who are trying to give them support they need to get through this stage in their life journey.

6 - What do you think ignites a person’s creativity?
Lillian: There is only one word that I can think of – Passion.

7 - What have you found to be the biggest stumbling block for people who want to start writing?
Lillian: The inner critic is the harshest barrier to overcome… that little voice that says your work is not good enough, that the story has been told before so how could anyone want to read your book?. This is the voice that says you’ll never have the courage to approach a publisher, the media, an agent, or whatever the fear is. Sometimes we write with absolutely no intention of publishing it and making it available to the public – and that is okay too. Lack of support can also be another barrier, but if we have enough passion, if we really crave this – no one’s nay-saying can keep the pen out of our hands. Others find time is their constraint; but even parents with full time jobs that have a passion for writing will set the alarm early to get their words on paper. There really is no barrier if the passion is there – except one, sometimes it is not the right time for us to do that project. We can embrace that, and make a note to come back to that project at a later date.

9 - What do you find is the biggest motivator for people to succeed? Is it money, security, desire for fame or something else?
Lillian: I think for most people their motivation is money and security, honestly. But there are a growing number of writers who write because they really do believe in the message they are trying to relay to their readers. For us, that message is that the individual truly has value, that they can make a real and measurable positive impact on the planet and their communities, and that the past can be both embraced and released.

10 - Who is the “perfect” person to read your book?
Lillian: People who want to really feel a real-life journey of survival, of breaking the chains of inner demons, finding value and purpose in life and growing towards understanding of their inner selves.

11 - Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Lillian: I would love for your readers to visit me at: www.brummet.ca There people will find our free newsletter and blog, a long list of free resources for greening the office, the home and eco-crafts for families. They can also find more information about all the things my husband and I do, including our 3 non-fiction books and our 2 radio shows.

Start with the Facts About The Girl Who Fell

How did you get interested in the topic that’s featured in your book?

Music is a big part of my life – I’ve played various instruments since childhood. Working with other musicians was a major inspiration. Loss of memory, along with other mental phenomena have interested me since I minored in psychology at college.

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

I’m glad to say I have no first-hand experience of memory loss! Aside from the musical influences, this is very much an imaginary tale and bears very little resemblance to my own life.

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

Fantasy, music, mental chaos, mystery... if you like this sort of thing you could do a lot worse than read one of my books.

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?

Most of my inspiration comes from people I meet. The various groups I am in have given me opportunities to connect with some truly amazing people.

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?

People who like fantasy but don’t want another epic adventure with an unpronounceable barbarian hero on a quest to find a magical sword and kill the ultimate evil. My fantasy work is NOT epic, it’s about strange and wonderful people encountering strange and wonderful things. And terrible things. Plots, mysteries, adventures and magic all on a very human scale.

What do you think ignites a person’s creativity?

For me, all of life is an interplay between what I experience and what I imagine. In Druidry, there’s a concept called ‘awen’ – a free flowing force of inspiration that you can just reach out and engage with.

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

Having enough ideas. Plenty of people have ‘an idea for a book’. The trouble is, an idea will give you a short story. For a novel, you need dozens of good ideas that all mesh together into a coherent whole.

How would you suggest they can overcome that?

Either write short stories – which is a good way to develop your skills anyway, or wait, gather more ideas, do more research, plan more and then write.

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

I can’t speak for anyone else here, but for me its the desire to move and inspire others that keeps me writing.

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

My ideal reader for this one would be the lad who most inspired me, but he just doesn’t read all that much, sadly.

Shiva's Arms by Cheryl Snell

1 - How did you get interested in the topic that’s featured in your book?

When I married my Indian husband, I became fascinated by the dynamics of the Indian “joint-family.” Since an ocean separated me from my new in-laws, I thought I’d explore the “what ifs” in fiction. So I pitted Alice, an American “unsuitable” bride, against Shiva, a traditional Indian mother-in-law and the namesake of a god.

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

I come from a background of classical music and poetry. Each discipline feeds the other, and feed, in turn, the transition from image to scene that a novel demands. As far as subject matter goes, I was the child of immigrants, and the romance surrounding their struggles resonated with me, and gave me a frame of reference for my husband’s own emotional statelessness.

Although the set-up of Shiva’s Arms is drawn from my life—American girl finds Brahmin boy with seventeen opinionated relatives-- I am not Alice. She has my hair and my fashion sense, but her character is influenced by my fictional universe and the demands it makes on her. Even a true story is held hostage to memory and interpretation. When fictional truth wins over nostalgia, the story finds its own voice. I am not Alice, but I know her very well.

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

Read and listen. The Indian diaspora has given rise to many works of fiction that examine the question of divided loyalties. Lahiri, Desai, Divakaruni are all drawn to the stories of immigrant families thrashing in their domestic seas. It’s such a brave act, to move to a strange land. But here’s the thing-- when a person is part of two cultures, what part of the self goes, and what stays?

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?

There is a wonderful sense of community in a writer’s group, the chance to learn about the craft itself, the business of writing, and the chance to encourage growth in others. Online workshops have the extra advantage of semi-anonymity. It’s easier to tell the hard truths about someone’s writing if you don’t have cues in their expression or body language to influence your opinion.

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 cultural cross-pollination; anyone who relishes musical language; anyone who ever had a mother-in-law.

6 - What do you think ignites a person’s creativity?

Reading widely and deeply, noticing details, developing empathy.

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

They try to carve out enough of the ideal chunk of time. There is no such thing.

8 - How would you suggest they can overcome that?

Try to write every day. Routine may seem uninspiring, but you want to be at your desk if inspiration happens to strike! Think about what you’re writing when you’re doing other things—plot the next scene while you’re doing dishes, etc. Stay connected to your project, in other words. Leave your physical writing in the middle of a sentence. It will help jumpstart the next session.

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

Fantasies about money, security, fame don’t really help a person take the necessary one step after another to learn their craft, and build a success. I remember a sad story about a gifted new writer who submitted her first story to The New Yorker and was rejected. Her friends tried to shore her up by pointing out the many excellent lit journals in the world, but she said, “I had my heart set on The New Yorker,” and promptly quit writing.

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

I’m hoping South Indians will enjoy the inside jokes and cultural references. The recipes in the companion booklet, too.

A reader who learns how to understand an “other” through this story would be just about perfect.

11 - Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
One reader asked me how I can write about the ‘other’. I can write about this community because I do not truly belong to it. Being a perpetual outsider, standing in the doorway, is a good place to eavesdrop. I’ll leave you with a bit of Mr. Faulkner’s wisdom: "I never know what I think about something until I read what I've written on it."

Start With the Facts for Todd Rhoad's New Book

1 - How did you get interested in the topic that’s featured in your book?

When I saw my friends struggling to achieve their desired career success, no matter what they tried (e.g. hard work, advanced college degrees).

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

Todd Rhoad’s expertise is drawn from twenty years of experience as an engineer struggling to climb the corporate ladder through government, private, public, profit and non-profit organizations. Thinking education alone would be sufficient to climb the ladder, Todd obtained both a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and Business Administration. He has worked in numerous industries from consumer products to high technology research and development while serving in roles from engineer to finally reaching the managerial ranks. He is currently a Managing Director at Bt Consulting in Austin, TX. With over 30 publications in journals, books and conferences, he is a frequent speaker and presenter at high schools, colleges and conferences.

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

It’s a constant battle against global forces now. Staying ahead of the career game requires a lot of work and networking.

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?

I teach a team-based approach to career success. I truly believe greater things are accomplished by the many, not the few.

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?
The ideal person is the young professional seeking to make his mark in the world. Not having been trained or educated on what the corporate world is really like or how the corporate landscape is changing, they’ll struggle to understand it. The book will teach them a great way to capture success without worrying about competition or the endless barrage of organizational restructuring.

6 - What do you think ignites a person’s creativity?

A simple idea. That’s exactly what was developed with the Blitz Approach. I saw a problem, came up with an idea that could resolve it and then took 3 years to prove it.

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

Knowing how.

8 - How would you suggest they can overcome that?

Just write. Get all your ideas down on paper. Then, get help make it read better. Learn from others.

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

It’s not one thing. As a need gets filled, it becomes something else. As we grow and change, so does the brass ring.

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

Anyone who wants more success in their career but can’t seem to get it.

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

The purpose behind publishing this book is to provide the many young professionals entering the business world a realistic view of how business is done and what they can expect to encounter. It will also help those individuals that display the skills and talents needed to progress up the ladder but somehow never seem to get the opportunity. The blitz method will hopefully convince readers they can put significant control of their career in their own hands despite the numerous forces that hold them back.

The approach presented will be from an insider’s point of view. The concepts are current and relevant to situations individuals will face in today’s business world. Typically strategies for career advancement are presented from academics or consultants. These authors typically work with individuals at the higher levels of the organization that are considerably removed from the trials and tribulations in climbing the ladder. This book presents the story from the soldier who just stepped off the field of battle when the echo of the bombs, the smell of the powder and the heat from the wounds are still fresh in his mind.

Start with the Facts About Mirella Patzer & Bloodstone Castle

Mirella Patzer visits with us and we're going to dig into some of the details about her latest book Bloodstone Castle.

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

Because I’m first generation Italian Canadian, I’ve always been interested in my roots and in Italian folklore and superstitions. I am also passionate about history, especially the medieval era. I love to tell stories about strong historical women. So I put my passions together and came up with Bloodstone Castle.

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

I have travelled to Italy several times in my life and I am always fascinated with its many castles, easy accessibility to the sea, and warm climate. It is only natural that I wrote a story about some fictional characters in a land I love so much. I have done extensive research into the medieval times, specifically the 10^th century in order to write a family saga trilogy about Otto the Great and his family.

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

If you have a strong interest or passion, then by all means you must pursue it. One can gain expertise in almost anything as long as you are willing to do the work and keep honing and practicing what you learn. In my case, I have extensively researched the 10^th century and honed my writing skills through the years. If you set your mind to it, you can achieve.

4. What do you see as the benefit to participating in groups and organizations?

I am a strong proponent of critique groups for authors. Friends and family are okay to share your books with, however, they are not experts or trained as writers. All authors are blind to their own work. So when you work with other authors and help each other perfect their manuscripts through line and content edits, you will produce a far superior product than an author who works in isolation. I run a very successful on-line critique group for historical fiction at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Historical-Fiction-Writers-Critique-Group/

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?

I recommend my novel to both men and women who love a suspenseful tale told with a sprinkling of love and adventure which is a little on the dark side.

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

Creativity can arise from any source. It could come from people watching, or emotion, or a picture, or from one’s own life. When a small thought enters into your mind, don’t push it aside. Instead, examine the thought, expand upon it, let it take you where it wants to go. Then you can realize its full potential. And do not be afraid to push forward to make it real.

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

The biggest stumbling block for aspiring writers is that they think about it but never actually sit down to do it. To write, one must write. Even if you think you can’t, only by writing will you achieve. So just do it!

Then you must immerse yourself in the writing world. Join authors groups on-line and in person. This is necessary to pull us out of our isolating work and learn about the industry and opportunities that exist.

8. How would you suggest they can overcome that?

Start small. If you write one page a day, you will have the first draft of a novel completed in less than a year. Then it will take several more months of self-editing to polish it. Think big, but take baby steps. That is the secret.

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

Money is most definitely a motivator but not a major one. I think it is the desire to succeed or the desire to be recognized and acknowledged as human beings that drives us.

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

I wrote my book for pure escape. For those who work hard every day or who have stress in their lives. My novel can sweep you away into another place and time and I hope it can help you forget your troubles for a few hours. I have sold my book to both men and women and both sexes seem to enjoy it.

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

I am currently working on another Italian Medieval romance entitled Orphan of the Olive Tree. Also, I’m working on the Ottonian family saga – the first book in the series will be called A Crimson Mantle. I hope to see them on the shelves in two years.

The Complete Tour Schedule – http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/05/mirella-patzer-virtual-book-tour.html

During the tour, we encourage people to visit each tour stop shown on the schedule. Each comment on any of the tour stops is an entry in the book giveaway. Several copies of Bloodstone Castle will be given away at the end of the month. One will be given to the “best” comment, one for the “most unique and relevant” question. In addition, the blog host where the winning comments were posted will also win a copy of the book. So, visit Mirella, learn more about Bloodstone Castle and post comments. Mirella looks forward to getting to know her readers.

Russell Vassallo Gives Us the Facts

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

A: As a child I was plagued with bronchial asthma. Each winter I spent months in bed, coughing, struggling to breathe. I didn't have much company but, when I was well enough, my dad would bring my Pomeranian, Palsy, up to see me

It was eight years before I actually got outside to play with friends. I lost so much time in school I was always inside either coughing or learning. The boys on my block weren't so nice when I tried to join in. Only stray animals seemed to offer me any comfort or friendship. I always had an intense love of animals so when I retired, we began adopting and rescuing animals. When I contracted colon cancer, my drive to be back with my animals fueled not only my will to live, but my animal stories as well.

My first book, Tears and Tales, is really about letting go. I had lost several animals by the time I knew about my colon cancer. Our dog, Nikki, died on the very morning I went in for emergency surgery. I just could not stop grieving for her. I had a lot of time to be depressed sitting in bed recovering. I guess it reminded me of my childhood. . If anyone reads The Cardinal, one of the stories in my first book, they'll understand that my animal friends helped me through a very bad period in my life. The story resonates because it seemed like a message from my animal friend that came from beyond the grave. Who says they aren't waiting?

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

A: I guess I've done a little bit of everything. By the time I was eleven, I was self-supporting selling firecrackers to the rich kids on the hill. I worked in a bakery for a number of years and spent twenty-five years practicing law. I think the urge to write was always with me, but I needed to earn a living. I did have pets, though, a wonderful Dobe named Saber and several of her offspring.

Throughout the years, I wrote short stories for many of my school friends who just couldn't get the hang of writing. As a lawyer, of course, I was always writing affidavits and briefs. I tried a writing course but learned that writing is one of the toughest professions to earn a living at so I pretty well stuck to law. None of this dealt with animals but there always seemed to be an animal in my life somewhere. I just cannot think of a time when I did not have an animal in my life. I'm comfortable around them. Still, I don't want to be labeled as a writer of animal stories. My stories use animals as metaphors, symbols of the ability to struggle against the tide and succeed.

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

A: That's a tough question to answer. I don't have a particular topic. Tears and Tales was pretty much about the animals in my life, past and present. The Horse with the Golden Mane was animal related, but it dealt with people and relationships.

My third book, due out in July or August, is Streetwise: Mafia Memoirs and that is hardly an animal book, though some people quip it's about two-legged animals.

If I had to give someone advice on any topic, I'd say to write from the heart. Then, go back and write from the head. Put the two of them together and then learn how to market and sell your own work. This works for any topic. If you are writing about animals, talk to animal owners and pet lovers. The stories are endless. One of mine made it into the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Magazine.

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?

A: My wife is the joiner. I am not. I see a benefit to networking and participating in group discussions, but I prefer to work alone. If I do good work, others, in or out of a group, will tell me that. I am not knocking working in groups. I think they are great for those who need support and encouragement. They're a good way to learn about upcoming events, new techniques, new markets, but I have this loner-attitude that I have to succeed on my own. Since I've been doing that from age eleven, it's something that has worked for me. Still, I enjoy helping others. I don't know how much marketing material I have sent out of here to help fledgling writers or those entering the marketing phase of writing.

The disadvantage to working with writer groups is that the wrong group can be very destructive to the creative process. Everyone wants to write something his or her own way. I had to fire my second editor because she insisted on rewriting my material. And she was a professional who should have known better.

Now I do use people with marketing experience to network my books on the Internet. My wife does a truly great job of promoting us online. I don't know how successful that is because it's practically impossible to trace a sale or an order to a particular internet source. We link with anyone we can, but because I am a true klutz at using the internet, my wife has a hands-off policy where I am concerned. By that, I mean she wants my hands off her computer. Well, I can't blame her. I single-handedly managed to violate some rule about bulk mailings and AOL cancelled our privilege. I was only trying to send eight people the same document. Somehow it expanded to eight hundred and sixty four.

My strongest point is talking. If I can gather a group of people around me, I'll sell books. We went on a seven day tour and in the first two stops we sold one-hundred nineteen books. The advantage, of course, is that I know where and how my books sold. Many authors simply sit and wait for people to look at their books. Virginia and I openly and politely solicit with objects that attract attention long enough for you to start talking.

“Do you know anyone who loves animals?” is my favorite person stopper.

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?

A: Tears and Tales has had a wide appeal to women and children. It's a book with a lot of emotion. Children love the animal part of the stories whereas women see the sensitivity of a man and wife struggling to stay a family. Because of that appeal it's won three awards.

The Horse with the Golden Mane is resonating well with adolescents, women and over-forty males. It's also won three awards. Anyone who loves adventure, romance or people will enjoy Horse. We recently went to a gun show in Louisville and sold a fair number of books and a goodly amount were to men.

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

A: The ability to immerse yourself in a situation just as an actor immerses himself in a role. He or she is no longer the same person. They become the character. When I write about animals, I become that animal. I inherit its senses, sight, sound, smell. I experience the same emotions the animal experiences. One famous critic wrote of my work that only Jack London could see inside an animal well enough to write about it. Another judge in the same contest told me I had a fantastic ability to see inside an animal. Go figure what appeals to subjective judges.

What ignites it may simply be a random thought that builds into something. For example, when I wrote the final story in The Horse with the Golden Mane, what inspired it was my wife's habit of slipping out of bed so quietly it's almost ghost-like. That inspired me to write about a man who . . . well, I'm not going to tell you that. You'll have to buy the book and see what I did with that random thought.

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

A: Lack of knowledge. They have to learn writing techniques, grammar and that kind of thing and then they have to learn about an industry that has been operating for thousands of years . . . without them. If you want to make money at writing become a person who promises much to the aspiring writer, but for God's sake, don't become a writer.

8. How would you suggest they overcome that?

A: Go to the experts. People like Dan Poynter, John Kremer. Learn what you are in for before you ever set a single word on paper. Monitor every ad that seems to have appeal. What are you really getting for your money? How can you judge the results? Then select the market you want to reach, the amount of budget you have to reach them, the resources at your disposal. There is a lot of advice out there, some good, some bad. Experience will teach you some of it, but caution can prevent mistakes.

If you think some big publisher is going to risk money on you as opposed to someone with a name, take up golf or billiards. Don't write!

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

A: I think it's the desire to be recognized. Just about the time I'm ready to give up writing, someone comes along and tells me what a wonderful writer I am; or how much they enjoyed my story, so-and-so. We all need praise. Some of us more than others. I don't think I could handle fame. And very few make money at writing so it's not money. No, I think people write because they simply cannot not write.

I'll be driving along and a thought strikes me. I've got to jot it down and get to my computer (non-internet) and start writing. After a hundred edits, I sit back and tell myself that it's good. Then, others tell me the same thing. It doesn't seem to matter then that it cost me money to actually sell my book. It's just not something I can put aside. I have to write, like it or not. And once you've published that book, you need for others to read it and only then are you satisfied.

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

A: There isn't any “perfect” person to read my books. They have wide and general appeal to all readers. If I had to pick one type of person, I'd say it would have to be someone who enjoys an emotional story and who can accept that not every story has a happy ending. It would also have to be someone who believes there is some kind of existence after death. So all my animals are still with me . . . in my books . . . in my thoughts . . . in my hopes that they are waiting for me just over the horizon.

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

A: Yes. Whatever knowledge I have acquired in the three years since I wrote my first book, I'd share with anyone who takes the time to write and ask. Only one man's opinion, and it cost me nearly twenty thousand dollars to learn, but I'm willing to answer questions from anyone with a sincere interest in learning. And, I'm willing to learn from anyone who can teach me.

I'd also like to share some laughter because I thought I'd write a wonderful collection of inspiring short stories and some publisher would just snap them up.

Even I am still laughing at that one. Write because it pleases you to do something truly worthwhile. Write because you feel something for it. Write because you cry when you finish and you have nothing more to do with your character. Write mostly because it is “you.”

Russell A Vassallo

www.krazyduck.com

www.maneofgold.com

KRAZY DUCK PRODUCTIONS

Russell A. Vassallo, Author

Box 105, Danville, KY 40423

606-787-2571 fax 606-787-8207

www.krazyduck.com Russ@ krazyduck.co

SInbad's Last Voyage by Toni Sweeeney

1 - How did you get interested in the topic that’s featured in your book?

I've always liked adventure stories and movies, as well as SF and fantasy.

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 certainly never been to another planet, or had a husband arrested for being a spy or anything like what happens to Andi! The only things we have in common are our physical descriptions and the fact that we live in California. I was born in the South, lived there the first 30 years of my life, moved to Nebraska with my son in 1975, lived knee-deep in snow for 25 years, and then lit out for sunny Orange County. I have a major in Art, English, and Drama, and was a dancer for 13 years, as well as acting in college drama productions. I think those two facts helped me write my books.

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

Enjoy it!

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?

Those things do help. Participating also gives one a chance to share ideas, and seek inspiration and assistance in writing, especially if when having problems with a chapter or subject matter.

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?

I think anyone who likes science fiction--a Sci-Fi Channel devotee--with a little romance thrown in, will like this book.

6 - What do you think ignites a person’s creativity?

For me, it's seeing or hearing something that I can't get out of my head...a phrase, an idea. I have a rule--if I think about it, and it comes back into my mind three times, I know I have to write about it.

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

Thinking that after writing a novel--and editing it, and refining it, and proofing it--that they're just going to send it off and--wham!--it's going to be accepted somewhere immediately.

8 - How would you suggest they can overcome that?

Acknowledge that it may take numerous failures and numerous rejections before anything is accepted anywhere. What you consider your best work may not be the one to actually be published first. Someone you think is trivial and ridiculous may be what catches the publisher's fancy.

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

For me, it was to earn approval. To have people see that I could accomplish something. I also wanted to share my stories because I thought other people would enjoy them, too. For others--I'd imagine it's either for fame or money, not necessarily in that order.

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

Someone who likes a romantic adventure with fantasy elements.