Author Tamara McClintock Greenberg: Surprises In Writing And A Giveaway

As someone providing care for a family member with Alzheimer’s Disease, I was interested to see the latest book by Author Tamara McClintock Greenberg, WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE HAS A CHRONIC ILLNESS: HOPE AND HELP FOR THOSE PROVIDING SUPPORT.

I’m also pleased to welcome Tamara here today as she makes a stop on her Nurture Virtual Book Tourz™.

Tamara, Psy.D., M.S., a licensed clinical psychologist, works with patients and family members affected by acute or chronic illness. She is an associate clinical professor and clinical supervisor at the University of California, San Francisco Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute. Tamara has written three books and numerous chapters and articles on aging, illness, as well as issues pertaining to women. She writes for Psychology Today online and The Huffington Post. She also speaks to medical, psychological, and public audiences on the impact of illness, caregiving issues, and dealing with the modern medical system as a patient or loved one. She is in private practice in San Francisco.

Tamara joins us today to talk about the writing process. In addition, thanks to Tamara and the great folks at Nurture, I have a print copy of WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE HAS A CHRONIC ILLNESS to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for the guidelines.

Now Tamara answers “What surprised you the most about the writing and publishing process?”

WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE HAS A CHRONIC ILLNESS is my third book, so I have been surprised for some time about the idiosyncrasies of publishing in general! 

Authors have a better experience when they try to figure out what a particular publisher aims for and then try to meet it. That does not mean giving up central ideas, but each publisher is a unique culture and I try to be sensitive to what the norms are. I am totally fine with compromising when an editor has questions; I just choose to argue about only points that I think are crucial. I never try to get overly attached to one idea. Editors and agents have much more experience in the writing world, so I work hard to incorporate feedback.  

Another surprise that I have experienced in the last couple of years is that of writers block. This was never an issue for me—I just felt passionate and wrote. Even if I changed a piece later, or realized it did not work, I felt kind of uninhibited about my writing.  

As I have aged and now am in mid-life, creativity takes on a different form. I work slower and more methodically. It takes me longer to write things, but I am often happier with what I write. I still look back at some of my writing and cringe, but I can usually try to be more sympathetic with myself about where I was coming from, even if I wrote something that I would change. This is the hard thing about blogging, by the way, because there is a quick ability to put stuff out there! Impulse control when blogging is often a good thing!

The biggest surprise is that publishing a book is not that difficult, though there are some caveats. 

For me, all it took was a good proposal, and regarding this current book, a good agent. To publish outside of academia, one needs an agent they can have a comfortable relationship with. I was lucky in that I found an agent who wanted to work with me on the development of the idea for the book.  

This is not often the case. After publishing for academic presses, I was surprised regarding how hard it was to find an agent. This seemed to be the hardest part of publishing for the popular press. So while agents can seem hungry, as authors, we need them more than they need us. They have people pitching them all of the time! Good agents are very busy. Spending the time to find someone who is really interested in your project means a lot. 

One final thing about this: it is really important to be willing to alter your ideas and plan for your book. Agents know this business really well; I think it is reasonable to trust them.

Tamara, thanks for visiting today and for this insight into the publishing field. I would have thought finding an agent wouldn’t be as hard as it once was.

For more on Tamara and her writing, visit her website, check out her blog or find her on Twitter.  

Tamara earned a bachelor's degree in psychology at Hamline University in Minnesota and was awarded the prestigious Jacob Markovitz Memorial Scholarship to continue in the doctoral program at the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology. She graduated in 1997 with a doctorate in clinical psychology with a specialty in clinical health psychology.

Thanks to advances in science and medicine the lifespan of the average American is now longer than ever and many illnesses that once would have proven fatal have become manageable, chronic conditions. Great news, right? Sure, but there is another side to the 21st Century health picture—and it is increasingly becoming part of the lives of Americans. Many more people are living with chronic illness and that means that more than ever family members, friends, and partners are needed to provide formal or informal support.

That’s why Tamara, a clinical psychologist who specializes in treating individuals with chronic illness and their families, wrote WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE HAS A CHRONIC ILLNESS: HOPE AND HELP FOR THOSE PROVIDING SUPPORT (Cedar Fort Books, ISBN: 978-1-59955-939-1, Trade Paper). In this groundbreaking book Tamara shows readers how to provide the best care for their loved ones, without losing themselves.

So, how can caregivers meet the demands of care giving without sacrificing self-care? Throughout WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE HAS A CHRONIC ILLNESS: HOPE AND HELP FOR THOSE PROVIDING SUPPORT Tamara offers compassionate, authoritative, and step-by-step help for striking this critical balance. At the end of each chapter readers find a “coping checklist” that provides helpful, no-nonsense guidance on how to best address their loved ones’ needs and their own.

To enter the giveaway for a copy of this book, send me an e-mail (mcbookshelf@gmail.com) with the subject line, “Win When Someone You Love.” Your message should include your name and mailing address. The contest is open to residents of the U.S., U.K and Canada only. And, just so you know, I don’t share this information with anyone other than the publisher nor use it for any other purpose. The deadline to enter this giveaway for a chance at a copy of WHEN SOMEONE YOU LOVE HAS A CHRONIC ILLNESS will be 8 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, Oct. 4.

Tamara’s tour continues this week as she visits with the following bloggers:
Thursday, Sept. 27th - Tori Pe. @ Mommy’s Musings (an eBook giveaway will be included).
Thursday, Sept. 27th – Kristina Ha. @ Kristina’s Books & More (an eBook giveaway will be included).
Friday, Sept. 28th – Bobbie @ Nurture Virtual Book Tourz™ Blog.

Have you had to provide care for a family member or friend? Do you know someone who is a caregiver? Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Author Katy Walters: Be Disciplined Writing

I’m delighted to be a part of author Katy Walters’ Nurture Virtual Book Tour today for her book, STONE RELICS.

Here’s a brief synopsis of STONE RELICS: Hiding his true identity, Detective Chief Superintendent Ben Tobin leads an investigation into a spate of horrific killings in the south of England. Similar atrocities are occurring in New York, Paris and Dusseldorf. Forensic evidence reveals young women raped, bitten to death by vipers. The only clue is a Stone Relic of a Snake-Bird Goddess left with the body. The investigation is threatened as Ben develops a crippling phobia of snakes. Desperate, he turns to American psychologist, Dr. Lucy Roberts. Can she help him fight the phobia? If she discovers who and what he is, will she report him? 

Deeply attracted but also repelled by him, Lucy agrees to profile the killers. Can Lucy get into the mind of these venomous murderers? Archaeologists suspect a sinister cult. Is this conjecture or the terrifying truth? Time is running out. More victims are dying. Can Ben save the victims from these cold-blooded killers – can he save Lucy? 

Thanks to Katy and the good folks at Nurture, I have 1 print copy of STONE RELICS to giveaway to a lucky visitor who comments on this post by 8 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday, March 13. The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S., the U.K, and Canada only. Be sure to leave your email address with your comment, if it’s not included in your profile.

Katy has been kind enough to answer some questions for me about her writing.

Mason - Have you always wanted to write or was there an event that leads you to writing? 

KATY - I have always written from a child, short stories and poetry, mainly. I decided to take courses in writing, which led me to take a degree in Eng. Lit and Creative Writing. There were the introductory and then first-level courses which I loved. I then jumped at the chance of doing the advanced course which I found so exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed, learning about how to structure a story and the chapters within the story, also techniques and patterns of writing which are so useful to me now. Yet, within the courses, we could only ever write short stories. I found that with some of the shorts, I felt so frustrated with the word limitation. I wanted to expand, to carry the idea or the characters further. So on finishing the courses, I decided to attempt a novel. STONE RELICS is the result.

Mason - What advice have you received writing that you pass on to other inspiring writers? 

KATY - Be disciplined, and try to write every day. Carry a notebook around or mini-recorder in order to write down or record ideas or images that come to mind. I remember sitting waiting for a flight in an airport lounge. On looking around me, I could see so much going on in different sections of the airport. So I got out the notepad and started writing – just notes of what different people were doing, their clothes, expressions, whether they were  sitting, talking together, arguing, laughing, reading newspapers, or eating, drinking, buying at the bookstore and so on. I was able to use that in the latest novel, I am writing. So I had that stored really for a couple of years. It made whole chapter in the book with characters interwoven. 

Another bit of sound advice is to read, preferably eclectic reading, so that you can cover a few genres. That helps with textures and depth within a novel.

Mason - How do you go about doing research for your writing? Is it a process you enjoy or just find it necessary? 

KATY - I really do enjoy researching. It is surprising how much a writer can enrich a story with research, sometimes writing about things they hadn’t intended putting into the book. I do most of my research on the internet - Wikipedia is great for that.  But I also use the library and often buy books from Amazon, for example, for the Goddess in the story. I purchased three books on Goddesses throughout the ages. This gave me a much richer appreciation of a Goddess and a lot of rich material about her and her role in the religious rituals of a particular society. From this knowledge, I was able to jump from reality into fantasy and imagine the Goddess now in the book. So research is vital to my work. I often come across some wonderful ideas which I can then work on.

Mason - Of all the authors (past and present) you enjoy reading, has any one (or more) been an influence in your writing?

 

KATY - Yes Phillip K. Dick. I think his work is fantastic. He was way ahead of his time as well.

Mason - What is next on the agenda for you?

 

KATY - After STONE RELICS I began a trilogy, a tempestuous romance set against the Great Irish Famine of 1846 - 49. It stretches across two centuries involving two couples. I have at present finished the first book and am half-way through the second. I shall be bringing that out very soon now.

Thank you so much for having me as a guest here. I have really enjoyed it.

 

Katy, thank you for guest blogging. I always enjoy learning more about the behind-the-scenes aspect of a writer’s work.

Now to learn a bit more about Katy. She lives on the South Coast with her hubby and her golden retriever, Lily. Her children are grown and have flown leaving her space to write full time. Science fiction and paranormal romance have always fascinated her. 

Katy started off as a singer but touring England and Europe, took her away so much from her husband and home. She went back to university and studied psychology. She has a. B.A. Hons in Psychology and another B.A. in Eng. Lit and Creative Writing. She also attained an M.A. in Mysticism and Religious Experience. Later she was awarded an Hon.Dr.Sc. for research into pain control using altered states of consciousness and complementary healing techniques.  

For more on Katy and her writing, visit her website and her blog. She can also be found on Twitter. 

Here’s a bit more information on STONE RELICS (ISBN: 978-0615536644). It’s listed in the fiction/science fiction genre and published by Dam Good Publishing. It’s age restriction is listed as age 19 and up with erotic/adult content with warnings that it contains erotic and mild violence elements. It is available in eBook and mass market paperback (350 pages).

Do you enjoy reading science fiction from time to time? Be sure to comment for a chance to win a copy of STONE RELICS. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Author Barbara Kyle: A Day At My Desk And A Giveaway

It’s my pleasure to welcome author Barbara Kyle here today as she makes a stop on her Nurture Virtual Book Tourz.

Barbara’s latest release is a thriller/suspense, ENTRAPPED. Here’s a brief description of it: Set in Alberta, Canada, ENTRAPPED is the story of Liv Gardner, an ambitious young oil executive intent on stopping farmer Tom Wainwright who is sabotaging her rigs after a spill of lethal “sour” gas poisoned his wife. Desperate to save the company she built, Liv plants evidence to frame Tom. But when the evidence is used to indict him for a murder he didn’t commit, only Liv can save him. 

Thanks to Barbara, Jaidis and the good folks at Nurture, I have 1 eBook copy of ENTRAPPED to give away to a luck visitor who comments on this post between now and 8 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, Dec. 1. The giveaway is open internationally. Be sure to leave your e-mail address in your comment if it’s not included in your profile. 

Barbara has answered an age-old questions for me, “What is a typical writing day for you?”

I thrive on routine. Early morning, around 7:30, is for answering emails. It’s a joy to hear how my books have touched readers, and to hear what they’re up to. I happily reply to each email. This is also the time when I post updates on my Facebook Author Page and post on Twitter. I like Twitter, like checking out the fascinating links that other authors and book-business people post, so I have to cut myself off at 9:00 a.m.

The rest of the morning I spend on “fixing” – that is, re-writing – whatever scene I wrote the day before. I enjoy this process and could fix all day, so again I have to cut myself off, at noon.

The afternoon is the challenging part of my day: it’s for creating the next “bit.” I need that morning of re-writing to build up momentum for the afternoon’s creating. I strive to write 5 new pages a day, but I rarely accomplish that. Usually it’s 3 to 4.

At around 4:00 I’m pretty drained. That’s when I go to the gym, or, in summer, go for a long walk. 

Throughout the day, I constantly jot down notes about anything and everything, big and small: from a change of one word in a dialogue exchange, to a change of the turning point in a whole scene. I keep these hand-written notes in a folder on my desk and continually re-read them, discarding each one as I’ve incorporated the note into the draft.

By the way, I always work from an outline. I can’t imagine working any other way – it would be like building a house without a blueprint. In fact, the most helpful tip I can offer any emerging writer is: take the time to write an outline. Take a long time. The outline is where the heavy lifting of creation takes place: the invention of your characters and plot. I spend four or five months writing my outlines, while concurrently doing research. 

I call the outline a “storyline,” because as writers we must never forget that we’re telling a story. In the workshops for writers that I give, I enjoy teaching the principles of outlining. I did a video on this subject in my online video series called “Writing Fiction That Sells.” Anyone interested can watch a clip on my website: www.barbarakyle.com.

Barbara, thanks so much for guest blogging. You do put in a full day of writing. I like your comparison of an outline to a blueprint. That’s interesting.

Now for a bit of background on Barbara. She is the author of the Tudor-era “Thornleigh” novels including THE QUEEN’S LADY, THE KING’S DAUGHTER, THE QUEEN’S CAPTIVE, and THE QUEEN’S GAMBLE, all published internationally. Barbara previously won acclaim for her contemporary thrillers under pen name ‘Stephen Kyle,’ including BEYOND RECALL (a Literary Guild Selection), AFTER SHOCK and THE EXPERIMENT. Over 400,000 copies of her books have been sold. 

Barbara is passionate about helping emerging writers. She has taught her “Writers Boot Camp” for the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, and is known for her dynamic workshops for many writers organizations. She offers twice-yearly Master Classes that focus on work-shopping each participant’s novel-in-progress. Her popular series of videos “Writing Fiction That Sells” offers 10 hours of tips, techniques, and inspiration, and is available online via her website. Before becoming an author Barbara enjoyed a twenty-year acting career in television, film, and stage productions in Canada and the U.S.

For more on Barbara and her writing, visit her website, find her on Twitter, visit her at Goodreads, find her on Facebook, or visit her author's tour page.

You can also follow the remainder of Barbara’s tour at the following sites:
Nov. 24th – @ NURTURE Virtual BOOK Tourz™ Blog

  Nov. 25th – @ Everyday Is An Adventure

  Nov. 29th – @ Purple Jelly Bean Chair Reviews

  Nov. 29th – @ Everyday Is An Adventure

  Nov. 30th – @ Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Are you a morning or an evening person? Which time is most productive for you?

 

Author G.G. Vandagriff On Writing And A Giveaway

Please join me in welcoming author G.G. Vandagriff to Thoughts in Progress today as she makes a stop on her Nurture Virtual Book Tourz.

G.G. is the author of 4 very diverse books. They include THE ONLY WAY TO PARADISE, a women’s fiction/romance; THE ARTHURIAN OMEN, a fiction-suspense; THE LAST WALTZ: A NOVEL OF LOVE AND WAR, a historical romance; and CANKERED ROOTS, a fiction-mystery.

Thanks to G.G., Jaidis, and the good folks at Nurture, I have one print copy of THE ARTHURIAN OMEN to giveaway to one lucky winner who comments on this post between now and 8 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, Nov. 30. The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S., U.K. and Canada only. Be sure to include your e-mail address if it’s not included in your profile.

G.G. has joined us today to answer some questions about her writing.

Mason - Do you have a writing pattern (place, time, etc.) that you follow each day or does the writing decide what type of day it will be?
   
G.G. - I almost always write every day. WHERE I write depends on two things: the weather and my joint health. In the winter, spring, or fall, if my hip joints are healthy, I love to write in my west facing office which has a gorgeous view of the Utah Valley, Utah Lake, and the Oquirrh Mountains beyond. In the summer, or if my hips are complaining from too much sitting, I write in the basement where it's always cool and sit in my zero-gravity chair with my laptop.

Mason - If you could change places with any of your characters for a day, who would it be and why? 

   
G.G. - I would trade places for a day (if she was having a good day) with Roxie from THE ONLY WAY TO PARADISE. She is vacationing in my favorite place in the world--Florence. And  she is a gifted writer, obviously more so than I am. She also knows how to have a good time, being a fun-loving Cubana. Roxie deals with her anxiety in intriguing ways--mostly by Salsa dancing and singing "Mambo Gelato." She has also been known to do cartwheels. 

   
Mason - What inspired such diverse books?

G.G - Well, I write mystery and suspense, because it comes easily to me since that is what I read when I relax. I call those my "potato chip" books, and a lot of people like to read them to relax. My "real fiction" chose me, I didn't choose it. THE LAST WALTZ was the culmination of a 40 year project I undertook at age 27 when I was determined to write the almost unknown history of Austria between the World Wars. PIECES OF PARIS was inspired by the off-beat place I lived at the time--the Missouri Ozarks--but mostly by my PTSD over the death of a fiancé in Vietnam. I didn't know about PTSD when I wrote it. Paradise was apparently conceived in my sleep. I work in the morning with all four characters and their challenges in my head. Florence itself provided the setting and the solution--the pure, joyous, selfless love of the Italians.

G.G., thanks so much for guest blogging. Your inspiration for writing such diverse books is interesting.

When asked about  her background, this is what G.G. had to say: “I realize that I am one of those rare people in the world who gets to live a life full of passion, suspense, angst, fulfillment, humor, and mystery. I am a writer. Everyday when I sit down to my computer, I enter into a world of my own making. I am in the head of a panoply of characters ranging from a 19-year-old Austrian debutante (THE LAST WALTZ) to a raging psychopath (THE ARTHURIAN OMEN) and four women at once in THE ONLY WAY TO PARADISE.
 
How did this come about? I think I was wired to be a writer when I was born. Even though my formal career was in finance, writing was all I really wanted to do. There were a lot of things about my surroundings that I couldn't control during my growing up years, so I retreated to whatever alternate existence I was creating. The habit stuck, and now my family finds themselves living in my current reality during dinnertime as I overflow with enthusiasm about Wales or Italy.

I do genre-hop a lot, but I firmly believe that any endeavor that enables us to further understand ourselves, our world, and our loved ones is never wasted. I have chronicled much of what I have learned about PTSD from “Pieces” and “Paradise” on my new website. I welcome comments.”

G.G. won first place in the Ozark Writer's League's annual writing contest in 1988. For more about G.G. and her writing, stop by her website, visit her blog, find her on Twitter @ggvandagriff, on Facebook, and on her author’s tour page. 

Here’s a brief synopsis on each of G.G.’s books:
THE ONLY WAY TO PARADISE - After watching a romantic Italian movie together, four women in a therapy group discuss the question, “If Italy is so wonderful and therapeutic, what are we doing in Ohio?” Dubbing themselves “The Crazy Ladies of Oakwood,” they all take off for Florence, packing their worries with them. 

THE ARTHURIAN OMEN - In the tradition of Mary Higgins Clark, The Arthurian Omen takes Maren Southcott to Wales on a hunt for an ancient manuscript that precipitated her sister’s murder. Her own life in peril, she is also dodging a stalker/psychopath who is fomenting a Welsh revolution. Darting from castle to monastery in search of this relic that could prove the identity of King Arthur, she is unprepared for tragedy to strike at the heart of her family, impelling her to find the manuscript before MI5, Scotland Yard, her former husband, and a Celtic professor with extraordinary eyes. 

THE LAST WALTZ - In December 1913, the city of Vienna glitters with promises of the future for nineteen-year-old Amalia Faulhaber. Daughter of a prominent merchant, she is schooled in the fine art of flirtation by her aristocratic grandmother and in issues of conscience by her socialist uncle. Then, almost without warning, life takes a dramatic turn as simmering political unrest escalates into World War I, the most deadly war the world has yet known. 

CANKERED ROOTS - Combine a rifle-toting widowed grandmother with an angst-driven young widow struggling to find what went wrong in her family's past, and you come up with Cankered Roots, the first volume in a series of five about the adventures of genealogists Briggie and Alex, aka RootSearch, Inc. Who knew genealogy could be sure a dangerous hobby? No sooner has Alex confronted the father who sent her packing as soon as she graduated from high school, than he is murdered. What is the dangerous secret that has destroyed her family? The truth lies in the unexpected, secret-laden genealogy of Alex's father's family, that the brilliant sleuths uncover admidst comedy  and danger. 

You can also follow G.G. on her tour at the following sites:
Nov. 23rd - @ Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews Nov. 24th - @ News and Reviews from the Heart of the Dragons Den Nov. 25th - @ Stitch – Read – Cook Nov. 28th - @ Everyday Is An Adventure Nov. 29th - @ The Dark Circle Nov. 30th - @ News and Reviews from the Heart of the Dragons Den

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today. If you could change places with a character in a book, who would it be and why? 

Author Gerald G. Griffin: A Novel Is Like A Smorgasbord

It’s my pleasure to welcome ‘new-to-me’ author Gerald G. Griffin here today as he makes a stop on his Nurture Virtual Book Tourz with his latest suspense thriller.

Gerald’s current release, OF GOOD AND EVIL, is available in eBook and paperback. Here’s a synopsis of it: A timely, quick-paced, action-packed story with vivid, vibrant characters and international locales, and villains both fictional and ripped from international headlines. 

Ron Sheffield, a gifted but tormented Green Beret, plagued by suicidal guilt because of his “special” abilities, is discharged from the army for going “crazy.” Immediately, he is brutally beaten and shot by the Mafia, and is hospitalized near death. His life is dramatically saved by Amber Ash, who also possesses “special” abilities; and from there the two are propelled against mobsters, terrorists, and a government cell out to kill them over Iraqi documents Ron possesses from his army service. Ron becomes a Mafia hit man, targeting fallen mobsters. This brings Ron and Amber into contact with the powerful and humane gifted secret society, Eros; this contact eventually actualizing Ron’s mental gifts to a point beyond his imagination. Ron is confronted with the imminent nuclear obliteration of a major American city by a suicidal terrorist cell that only he can stop. But will he be able to do it in time? Of Good and Evil is a spiritual fight against tyranny. 

Gerald is here to answer an age old question for me…What would you like your readers to take away from your book? 

My first thought is: What they please. But I know you're looking for a more extensive answer. There's so much that can be taken away from the novel, on so many different levels. It's like a huge smorgasbord. But what would I like readers to take away? 

Well, on the broadest scale, I'd like then to take away that they had a spectacular read unlike any before! A read timely, exciting, compelling, thought-provoking and entertaining from the first page, feeling the presentation was so crisp, clean and clear as to leave them in awe of the main characters and the story they have just read.

More specifically, then I'd like them to take away the nobility of the story; the nobility of spirit in the fight against tyranny. 

Then question rote notions of good versus evil, from perspectives personal to geopolitical.

The value of love, friendship and family. and the trials attendant to each.

The humanity of living and survival amid the conflicted possibilities of living skewed by the possible anomalies of the life force.

The ingenuity of the human spirit in facing flawed government and failing politics in a threatening nuclear world.

Respect for the military. They should be valued for protection against external enemies out to destroy us. Internal enemies will have to be dealt with by an equally valiant breed.

These are but some of the important things I would like readers to take away from the book. But like I say, when it comes to what is important, the novel is like a smorgasbord. There's plenty left to eat!

Gerald, thanks so much for guest blogging. There is so much we can take away from a story when we stop and think about it. It is a smorgasbord.

Now let me tell you a bit about Gerald. He was born in Flint, Michigan, and received his MA and Ph.D. in psychology from Michigan State University. He set up private practice in Atlanta, Georgia, as a Consulting Psychologist, a practice of 18 years doing psychotherapy, counseling, diagnostics and executive consultation. From there he moved to Gainesville, Georgia, to enter writing full-time, at first doing ghost-writing and screenplays before turning back to novels. At present, he is putting the final touches to A TIME OF RECKONING, the sequel to OF GOOD OR EVIL.

For more on Gerald and his writing, visit his website at http://www.authorgeraldgriffin.com, drop by his blog at http://www.geraldggriffin.blogspot.com, find him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/#!/GeraldGGriffin, or stop by his tour page at http://nurtureyourbooks.com/vbtblog/?p=2270.

You can also follow the remainder of Gerald’s tour at these sites:
November 17th – @ Everyone Loves A SiNner
November 18th - @ News and Reviews from the Heart of the Dragons Den

 

As a writer, do you want readers to take more than one thing from your work? As a reader, do you normally find more than one thing you take away from a book? Thanks so much for stopping by today. 

 

Author Jay Rankin On Writing And A Giveaway

It’s my pleasure to welcome author Jay Rankin here today as he makes a stop on his Nurture Virtual Book Tourz for his memoir, UNDER THE NEON SKY: A LAS VEGAS DOORMAN’S STORY.

Here’s a brief description of the book: UNDER THE NEON SKY is a gripping, true story about a Las Vegas Doorman who worked the graveyard shift at one of the major hotels on the Strip. The sights, smells, and page popping characters are unforgettable as we take a journey that will transform how we used to envision the city that never sleeps. We watch as this doorman begins to emotionally break and wonder if he will become broken seeing his friends, his wife, hotel guests, and himself cross too many boundaries in this riveting, page turning story. 

Thanks to Jay, Jaidis, and the great folks at Nurture, I have 1 eBook copy of UNDER THE NEON SKY to offer to a lucky visitor who comments on this post between now and 8 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, Nov. 24. The giveaway is open internationally.

Jay’s here to talk his writing.

Although I didn't know it in the beginning, I realized later how important it was to not just be an expert on what I actually wrote, but to be an expert on what I didn't write. I had done a great deal of marketing and had the opportunity to be a guest on radio and TV throughout the country. Although my book was about my experience as a doorman on the Las Vegas Strip, most of the questions I was asked had to do with subjects that were never in the story. 

I was asked about the best dance clubs, best topless clubs, Vegas history, celebrities, mobsters and a multitude of subjects pertaining to Las Vegas I never wrote about. But I did have a great deal of knowledge about Las Vegas. 

Luckily I lived in Vegas for many years and knew a lot about the city. My father lived in Vegas when I was a kid and he knew a lot of the old time ‘bosses’. I had been good friends with the mayor of Las Vegas so I was very aware of many things Las Vegas used to be and was now.  

Within no time I was asked to be on panels with some mobsters. I was invited to be a guest on a talk show discussing customer service, comparing Las Vegas when the Italians ran the city to today’s corporate run Vegas. My research and homework was what I actually lived and witnessed. 

The point is, anyone who wants to write a non fiction book must do the homework. Try to become an expert in the field you are writing about. Also, see what is already out there that is of similar writing to your book which begs the question, “Why is your book better?”

One of the things I decided to inject in my story was some Vegas history. The city had so much colorful history, it was sometimes difficult to decide. I did a lot of research trying to decide which piece of history was relevant to what I was writing.

Jay, thanks so much for guest blogging. I can see where you might get asked all types of questions about Las Vegas. It is an intriguing town.

A little background on Jay. He was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Hollywood, CA. He worked his way through college inside the locked unit of a psychiatric hospital. He was a Los Angeles County Probation Officer and worked at several detention camps. He received his Master's Degree in clinical psychology. He was a bouncer at a country and western nightclub in Los Angeles and built custom homes in Connecticut and Las Vegas. He now resides in Los Angeles with his 9-year-old son. 

Jay’s book has won the National Best Books 2010 Award, the Indie Excellence book award in the memoir category, and was the 2011 International Book Award as finalist in the Autobiography/Memoir category. 

For more on Jay and his writing, visit his website at http://www.JaysLasVegas.com or his tour page at http://nurtureyourbooks.com/vbtblog/?p=2682. You can also find Jay on tour at the following sites:
November 17th – @ Kritters Ramblings
November 18th – @ Hubpages
November 22nd – @Sugarpeach
November 23rd – @ Journey Reader

November 25th – @ The Book Faery Reviews
November 29th – @ NURTURE Virtual BOOK Tourz™ Blog
November 30th – @ Everyday Is An Adventure

If you’re a writer, do you also get questions not pertaining to your book at signings and such? If you’re a reader, would you question an author just about their book or various topics? Thanks so much for stopping by. Be sure to include your e-mail address if it’s not in your profile. 

Author Kyle Garret: Writing Non-Fiction And A Giveaway

Kyle Garret is a writer from the Midwest living on the West Coast by way of the South and he’s here today on his NURTURE Virtual Book Tourz. He’ll talk about writing his current release, I PRAY HARDEST WHEN I’M BEING SHOT AT.

In addition, Kyle and the good folks at NURTURE are giving away 1 e-copy of I PRAY HARDEST WHEN I’M BEING SHOT AT. For a chance to win just comment on Kyle’s post between now and 8 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, Oct. 12. Be sure to include your e-mail address in your comment if it’s not included in your profile. The giveaway is open internationally.

This non-fiction account is based on Kyle’s family history. Here’s a brief synopsis: After the attack on Pearl Harbor, eighteen-year-old Robert Stuart had a decision to make: keep working at the steel mill in Warren, Ohio, or volunteer to serve his country. Stuart's father had served in the first World War, and service was in his blood, so he enlisted in the Marines. 

Anne Davis had a decision of her own to make. The girls in her high school were going to send letters to alumni who were going off to war. She looked at the list of soldiers and saw a familiar name: Robert Stuart. 

The letters Anne sent would mark the beginning of a relationship that would span 60 years, two marriages, two children, and three wars. Over half a century after those first letters were sent, the Stuart's grandson, Kyle, began chronicling their life together. He would discover pieces of a family history that only he dug deep enough to learn. But in the back of his mind, one concern lingered: the story of a person's life can only have one ending, and his grandfather's health was deteriorating. I PRAY HARDEST WHEN I’M BEING SHOT AT is a true story of love and war, of three generations and two romances, one of 60 years, the other of just a few months. PRAY deals with one generation trying to connect with another and how it affected them both. 

Kyle talks about the benefits and difficulties of writing a family memoir.

There’s a song, by the rather morbidly named band “And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead,” called “Will You Smile Again For Me” that, as far as I can tell, is about writing. I don’t actually know that; it’s just how I interpret the song. There’s one section of the song, in particular, that I connect with:

And just how long did it take for you to understand
Where your feelings stopped and writing began

This is a big issue when writing non-fiction. It was, for me, compounded by the fact that my book focused on my family. When I decided to tell the story of my grandparents’ life together, I knew that I had to do it in a way that would make it relatable to others, not to mention in a way that would allow me to convey my feelings. I chose to write it as the story of me writing the story of my grandparents’ lives, following the journey and discoveries that came as I delved into their history.

My wife, Nicole, discovered my problem before I did. I like to call her my in-house editor, as she’s the first person to look at any of my work. Honestly, I owe a lot to her, but that transcends my writing (and, oddly enough, is featured in the book). Because I was writing about a subject I knew really well – in this case both my family and myself – I went into great detail about every little thing. I had no filter. If, while doing the research for this book, I discovered a story about some distant relative, I included it. I felt like if I knew this information, then I should use it.

The problem is that not all of the information I was sharing was particularly relevant to the story. And that is the hardest part when writing about true events: knowing what matters and what doesn’t. Unlike writing fiction, you have no control over the plot (although, really, fiction tends to take you where it will, no matter what you might want): it either happened or it didn’t. But a story isn’t just a compilation of events. A story needs a thematic connection. The things you choose to write about have to mean something, at the very least as a part of the whole.

The version of I PRAY HARDEST WHEN I‘M BEING SHOT AT that I gave to my wife was a good 50 pages longer than the version that was accepted and published by Hellgate Press. At one point, I spent three pages talking about my first car, a 1972 Ford Pinto. It was all very meaningful to me, but the note Nicole gave me was something along the lines of “all of this about a car??” And she had a point.

It turns out that the easiest thing about writing about true events is also the hardest thing about writing about true events: there’s a lot of material. I was never at a loss for something to write about. My grandfather was a three war veteran and he began his relationship with my grandmother through letters during World War II. They were together for over 60 years. If I was unable to find things to write about given the lives they lead then I had no business writing a book to begin with!

I had to focus on the major points of my grandparents’ life, as well as the moments that I thought were universal. The book very easily could have been a family history, but that would only have been of interest to my family, and even then only one particular branch of that tree. While I wanted to stay true to their story, I also wanted it to be read by a wide range of people.

In the end, the things I left out where ultimately irrelevant. They were obscure details of moments that didn’t connect with the main story. What was left was streamlined and concentrated, a story that can connect with readers from all walks of life, no matter their family history.

I PRAY HARDEST WHEN I’M BEING SHOT AT is a true story of love and war, and it’s one I think everyone can appreciate.

Kyle, your book sounds like it’s a wonderful tribute to your grandparents and their love. Finding the right things to leave in while taking out others could be a difficult task. Wishing you much success with your book.

Now a bit of background on Kyle. He was born and raised in Kent, Ohio, and attended Ohio University where he received his Master's Degree in Creative Writing. After a few years in Atlanta, he moved out West. He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Nicole, and their two cats. He is currently finishing work on a novel and a young adult book. 

For more on Kyle and his writing, visit his website at http://www.kylegarret.com, stop by his blog at http://www.iprayhardest.com, find him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/kylegarret, or stop by his author’s tour page at http://nurtureyourbooks.com/vbtblog/?p=2151.

Have you ever considered writing a book about your family? Would it be more difficult to leave things out or put things in?