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Cheryl D. Bannerman is CEO of a small, 14 year old, virtual training company based out of Central New Jersey. She works out of her home office and creates classroom training materials, e-Learning Flash modules, job aides and much more for corporate employees and their clients. She holds a Bachelors degree in Business Management and a Masters degree in Project Management. She is also the (divorced) single mother of a beautiful, twelve year old girl. In her spare time she loves to read murder mysteries, watch movies, try new restaurants and cuisines, shop with her daughter, and in the summer, walk the boardwalk and take in the sun on the beach.
Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, Cheryl. Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?
A:Yes, this is the first time I am published.
Q: What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?
A:This is my first book.
Q: For your first published book, how many rejections did you go through before you either found a mainstream publisher, self-published it, or paid a vanity press to publish it?
A: I am self-published through Authorhouse.
Q: How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?
A: I didn’t have any rejections
Q: When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?
A: I chose Authorhouse because they offered one-stop shopping from registering my book and ISBN number to marketing and promotions. It was a really nice package deal.
Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?
A: I felt like I had come full circle in my life. I had my new home, new car, own company, great kid…I just felt complete.
Q: What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?
A: I created a web site and Facebook account. Although I think my Dad and my daughter have been my most valuable promotion tools! They talk about my book to everyone, everywhere we go!
Q: If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?
A: Yes, unfortunately, I would have self-published through a smaller company. They seem to be more customer-service oriented and attentive. The larger companies have so many clients they cannot personally accommodate them all and you end up being just a number and waiting days for a callback.
Q: Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?
A: No I have not.
Q: Looking back since the early days when you were trying to get published, what do you think you could have done differently to speed things up? What kind of mistakes could you have avoided?
A: Since the company I selected was a one-stop shop I really did not make any mistakes since they took care of everything.
Q: What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?
A: Becoming more comfortable with talking about my accomplishments and the book itself. I was very shy about discussing the stories within the book, but now am becoming more open about it.
Q: If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?
A: I am right where I want to be, writing and I love it! I am an Instructional Designer and e-Learning developer and get to write stories about ‘mostly’ boring content and make it exciting for learners. And now I am a published author of fictional books. The match is perfect wouldn’t you say?
Q: Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?
A: As mentioned above, the match is perfect. I get to do the 2 things I love most: Be creative and write.
Q: How do you see yourself in ten years?
A: Doing the same thing I am doing now, but sitting by the window of a new home by the water typing on my laptop.
Q: Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?
A: Never give up if that is your dream. Don’t leave this life with ‘what ifs’; make it happen. Find a way and make it happen. Get a second job to cover the publishing costs if you have to.
Beyond the Books 
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