Natural Treatment Solutions For Hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease Online Book Tour December 2011

Join Dr. Eric M. Osansky, author of the nonfiction book Natural Treatment Solutions For Hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease as he virtually tours the blogosphere in December 2011 on his first tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About Dr. Eric M. Osansky

Dr. Eric Osansky is a licensed healthcare professional who personally restored his health back to normal through natural treatment methods after being diagnosed with Graves’ Disease. He has also helped many others with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease restore their health naturally, and is author of the book Natural Treatment Solutions For Hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease.

He also offers a free 42-page guide called “The 6 Steps On How To Treat Hyperthyroidism & Graves’ Disease Through Natural Methods”, which you can get by visiting www.GravesDiseaseBook.com.

You can visit his website at: www.NaturalEndocrineSolutions.com

About Natural Treatment Solutions For Hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease

If you have hyperthyroidism or Graves’ Disease and are looking for a natural treatment solution to get to the underlying cause of your condition, then this book will show you how to restore your health naturally…and avoid radioactive iodine.

In the United States, radioactive iodine is commonly recommended as the first line of treatment for hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease. While radioactive iodine is necessary at times, in most cases it should be the last resort. Antithyroid drugs may be necessary to manage the symptoms, but they of course do nothing for the actual cause of the disorder.

The author of the book, Dr. Eric Osansky, was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease and restored his health back to normal after following a natural treatment protocol. Ever since then he has been helping other people with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease use natural thyroid treatment methods restore their health.

By reading this book you will discover the following:

* How natural treatment methods help with the actual cause of the disorder, rather than temporarily manage the symptoms
* Whether or not natural treatment methods offer a permanent cure
* Why Radioactive Iodine treatment should usually be the LAST resort
* Hyperthyroid diet tips which are essential to your recovery
* Nutritional supplements and herbs which are important for any hyperthyroid condition
* The truth about hyperthyroidism and iodine supplementation
* Why many people who have genetic markers for hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease can still have their health restored naturally
* Are natural treatment methods safe during pregnancy and lactation?
* How to find a holistic doctor who focuses on endocrine disorders

Read an Excerpt

Many people who have hyperthyroidism or Graves’ Disease might wonder why they should consider natural treatment methods. After all, if their endocrinologist or general medical practitioner has recommended antithyroid drugs or radioactive iodine therapy, then why question these conventional treatment methods? Since these doctors have been trained to help people with endocrine disorders it might seem to be foolish to attempt treating such a condition naturally.Plus, most endocrinologists label hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease as being incurable. Let’s not forget we’re talking about specialists who have received many years of training. So shouldn’t they know better than some “wacky” holistic practitioner who claims that someone with a hyperthyroid condition can have their health restored back to normal through a natural treatment protocol?

While it might make complete sense to follow the advice of your medical doctor without considering alternative treatment methods, one needs to keep a few things in mind. First of all, the reason why most endocrinologists advise their patients with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease to take prescription drugs or receive radioactive iodine treatment is because this is how they have been trained. As you might have guessed, there is no holistic training class in medical school, as doctors are taught to treat most conditions through drugs, surgery, and other conventional methods. And the same concept applies with the endocrinologist specialty, as they go through extensive training to obtain these credentials, but they are taught to treat most hyperthyroid conditions with antithyroid medication, radioactive iodine, or thyroid surgery.

Of course there are times when conventional medical treatment is necessary. So I’m not suggesting that everyone with Graves’ Disease or other types of hyperthyroidism shouldn’t take antithyroid drugs, or receive radioactive iodine. Without question some people with hyperthyroid conditions do need to take medication to manage the symptoms, and some also will need to receive RAI. And sometimes even surgery is required. But the reason why I wrote this book is because while some people do need to receive conventional medical treatment, many people with primary hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease can restore their health back to normal through natural treatment methods. And many people who can’t have their health completely restored back to normal can still benefit from following a natural treatment protocol.

There Is No Official “Hyperthyroid Specialist”

While it’s safe to say that many endocrinologists see a fair share of people with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease, they also focus on other endocrine disorders as well. This includes hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, diabetes, and numerous other endocrine disorders. This isn’t to suggest that these doctors aren’t competent with hyperthyroid conditions, but my point is that they have to deal with many different endocrine disorders, and as a result most don’t have the time to look into holistic methods to help their patients. And to be frank, most of these doctors probably don’t have the desire to use natural treatment methods on their patients.

Once again, these doctors simply aren’t trained in medical school to treat any endocrine disorders naturally. So when someone comes into their office with a hyperthyroid condition, or any other endocrine disorder, they don’t think to themselves, “what is the actual cause of this condition?” Instead, they will run their set of tests, and then based on the test results they will put the person on the necessary medical protocol. For diabetes, this frequently involves telling the person they will need to take insulin daily for the rest of their life, although they will also need to inform the person of modifying what they can eat and drink. For hypothyroidism, they will almost always recommend the patient to take synthetic thyroid hormone, rather than trying to find out why the person became hypothyroid to begin with (yes, natural treatment methods can benefit many of these people too!). And with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease, they will either have the patient take prescription drugs to put the condition into a state of remission, which is usually temporary, or they will right off the bat advise the patient to receive radioactive iodine treatment.

Why Not Find The Underlying Cause Of The Disorder?

On the other hand, many holistic doctors take the opposite approach. While they might order the same thyroid blood tests and recommend other similar tests, a good holistic doctor will also try to determine the cause of the condition. Because by looking into the cause of the disorder, many people with a hyperthyroid condition can have their health restored back to normal by addressing that cause. And as I have already mentioned, for those people who can’t have their health restored back to normal, many can still receive some great benefits from natural treatment methods, and at the very least prevent their condition from worsening over time.

For example, it is agreed by numerous healthcare professionals that stress is a potential cause of hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease. And while there is no definitive way to determine whether stress has caused someone’s condition, one can get a good idea of whether stress is a factor by looking at the patient’s history, and also by measuring the health of the patient’s adrenal glands, which is almost never done by most medical doctors. And when they do recommend a test to determine the health of the adrenal glands, it is almost always a one-sample blood test of the morning cortisol levels, which in most cases isn’t sufficient.

In any case, if it was determined that stress was a probable cause of someone’s hyperthyroid condition, or at least a contributing factor, then one can help the patient to better cope with the stress in their life. Doing this alone probably wouldn’t cure their hyperthyroid condition, but without question it is an important factor in restoring someone’s health back to normal. And of course helping them cope with stress better can also prevent their condition from becoming worse over time.

The United States vs. Other Countries

The truth is that when compared to other countries, many medical doctors in the United States use invasive procedures on a more frequent basis. I’m not just talking about hyperthyroid conditions, but many other conditions as well. This would be fine if it led to a better outcome when compared to other countries, but this usually isn’t the case. For example, the most common surgery in the United States is the Caesarean section, which no doubt can save lives in many pregnant women. But the C-Section rate is much higher when compared to some other countries that have a much lower mortality rate. In other words, while some C-sections are without question necessary, many are done unnecessarily.

In fact, according to an article written in the New York Times, “The Caesarean section rate in the United States reached 32 percent in 2007, the country’s highest rate ever”. 1 A rate of around 15 percent would be ideal according to The World Health Organization. The article also states, “When needed, a Caesarean can save the mother and her child from injury or death, but most experts doubt that one in three women need surgery to give birth. Critics say the operation is being performed too often, needlessly exposing women and babies to the risks of major surgery.” 2

The same concept applies with the hysterectomy, as while this type of surgery is also necessary in some women, in many women this procedure is performed unnecessarily. Over 500,000 women receive this procedure each year. Don’t get me wrong, as in the case of uterine cancer or other serious health issues, a hysterectomy may be warranted. But just as is the case with C-sections, many women receive a hysterectomy when there are alternative options.

According to Elizabeth Plourde, author of the book “Your Guide to Hysterectomy, Ovary Removal, & Hormone Replacement”, “Though the first hysterectomies were implemented to save women’s lives, now only 10% are the result of cancer, and less than 1% for obstetrical emergencies. The other, approximately 89%, are classified as “elective” surgery, and are performed for conditions that are not life-threatening. 3

It’s a similar situation with the thyroid gland. And one can argue that the thyroid gland is much more important than the uterus, or any other gland or organ frequently removed (gallbladder, appendix, etc.). While one can live without a uterus, gallbladder, tonsils, appendix, etc., nobody can live without a thyroid gland. So while nobody wants to have any gland or organ removed, one can argue that the thyroid gland is one of the LAST parts of the body you would want removed.

Try To Keep An Open Mind

In order to benefit from this book, it is important for you to keep an open mind. I of course don’t expect you to agree with everything I say. In fact, I expect you to be skeptical. Just keep in mind that my goal isn’t to convince you to choose natural treatment methods and avoid conventional medical treatment protocols. Instead, my goal is to show you the benefits of natural treatment methods, including how such treatment methods helped with my autoimmune hyperthyroid condition, and at the same time discuss the different benefits and risks of all of the different treatment options out there.

While I’m obviously biased towards natural treatment methods, I once again do realize that there is a time and place for conventional medical treatment, and I ultimately want to provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision. If after reading this book you decide to choose a natural treatment protocol then that’s great. On the other hand, if you decide that conventional medical treatment methods are the best option for you, then that’s fine too. But as long as you have explored all of your options and feel comfortable with your decision, then I’ll feel as if I did my job.

Natural Treatment Solutions For Hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease Tour Schedule

Monday, December 5th
Interview at Broowaha

Tuesday, December 6th
Guest Post at Books, Products and More

Wednesday, December 7th
Interview at Divine Caroline

Thursday, December 8th
Interview at The Examiner

Friday, December 9th
Review at Country Bookshelf

Monday, December 12th
Guest Post at Book Spark

Tuesday, December 13th
Guest Post at The Book Connection

Wednesday, December 14th
Interview at Paperback Writer

Thursday, December 15th
Review at Bless Their Hearts Mom

Friday, December 16th
Interview at Pump Up Your Book

Guest Blogger: Five Things You Need to Know About My Seductive Cuba by Chen Lizra

Five Things You Need to Know About My Seductive Cuba

By Chen Lizra

• My Seductive Cuba has QR codes incorporated into the book that allow owners of smart-phones to use their built-in cameras with free software to go directly to a website listed in the book. The QR codes add another dimension to the book by taking you to recommended sites, videos of dance styles discussed, or photos of a location. You really get the full lifestyle experience using the various senses. The book is also printed in full colour and offers high quality paper to make the intriguing pictures pop out. And if this is not enough, there are different types of fonts used in the design to differentiate between travel guide sections and personal stories, allowing for an extra enjoyable reading experience. http://qrmedia.us/qr-codes-thinking-beyond-the-covers/
• My Seductive Cuba is a unique travel guide because it combines personal stories like in “Eat, Pray, Love” with a practical travel guide like a “Lonely Planet.” Yet this guide doesn’t just tell you where to go, but teaches you how Cubans think. It’s a new way of creating travel guides, one that makes you want to read the whole thing, not just skip to information you might need.
• My Seductive Cuba is full of deeply personal and engaging stories by author, Chen Lizra, with her Cuban friends in Cuba. The book unfolds aspects of the culture which will really draw you in. You will get an insider view as if your best friend met you and showed you around. You will also get a glimpse from the inside at African ceremonies where people get possessed, one in particular where Chen Lizra’s best friend got possessed by a dead spirit and Chen’s personal secrets were exposed in front of everyone. It provides for a spiritual and anthropological journey inside the Santeria religion, the kind you will not find in any other travel guide.
• My Seductive Cuba is both for those wanting to travel to Cuba as well as those who just want to learn about the culture from the comfort of their own seat. One thing for sure, it will show you a different world full of fun, complexities, warmth, seduction, and rhythm. It just might make you rethink your life and what makes you happy.
• My Seductive Cuba will teach even the avid traveler to Cuba new things about the culture.

 

CHEN LIZRA started traveling to Cuba in 2005 in order to train with the island’s best professional dancers. Each year she finds more excuses to visit Cuba, discovering the culture from within and hanging out with her close friends.

Chen grew up in Israel and later moved to Canada. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in marketing, which allowed her to turn her passion — Cuban dance and music — into an inspiring lifestyle for others through her company, Latidos Productions®.

Chen was selected as the Student Entrepreneur Champion for British Columbia in 2008. The following year, she was nominated as one of the “Women of Distinction in Vancouver,” and in 2010, she was named “Woman of the Month” by Modern Working Woman Magazine. In addition, the Australian government has honoured Chen with a distinguished talent permanent visa. She’s also been featured in numerous newspaper articles and TV shows.

Her latest book is My Seductive Cuba – A Unique Travel Guide.

Visit her website at www.chenlizra.com or www.myseductivecuba.com.  Connect with her at Twitter at www.twitter.com/#!/MySeductiveCuba, www.twitter.com/#!/ChenLizra and Facebook at www.facebook.com/MySeductiveCuba.

Mother Goddess Speaks by Blanca Beyar

Join Blanca Beyar, author of the Mind/Body/Spirit book Mother Goddess Speaks as she virtually tours the blogosphere in July 2011 on her first tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About Blanca Beyar

Blanca, also known as (Lavanya) wears many hats. She is a Doctor of Natural Health, a Reiki Master, Shaman, Spiritual Counselor and beloved Guru. Her purpose and passion in life is to assist humanity in raising their consciousness, to help them unveil their divine radiance and achieve spiritual and emotional wholeness. Blanca honors her calling for service through her healing work and also through her writing.

Her latest book, “The Goddess Speaks” is a sacred dictation that she received from the Mother Goddess that lovingly reaches out to humanity as only a Mother could. Each page is filled with inspiration, spiritual history and a promise for a brighter and wholesome tomorrow. This is a must read for all spiritual beings!

Blanca also produces and hosts her own cable television show, “Spiritual Teachings With Lavanya” where she offers insight and guidance on spiritual principles. She has authored four other self-help/spiritual books and maintains a private holistic practice in Staten Island, New York.

You can visit her website at SpiritAscend.com

About Goddess Mother Speaks

The Goddess Mother is speaking to us in a way she has never done so before!

The Omega aspect of the GodHead shares with us vital information about the changing times we are living in, the future creation, the Children of the Light, Sacred Relationships and so many other vital areas of our lives.

In this incredible and divine dialogue from the Goddess Mother, she reaches out to all the children of the world with a spark of hope, of healing and renewal.

In this epic time of change and transformation, our beloved Goddess provides vital insight, guidance and love that will assist each of us to heal our spirit and to become part of the collective whole that will lead the new ascension of earth!

Read an Excerpt

There is no denying that Earth has gone through many changes; primarily due to the condition in which this sacred “womb” has been treated and neglected. The Mother Earth has been punctured and injured through the ages as she has been severely neglected and abused with both external toxicity and energetic poison. Many eons ago, the children completely forgot that the Earth was a breathing and living vessel that was literally sustaining, supporting and nourishing every molecule of existence. Gone, became the days and rituals that many of the Ancient Ones sacredly offered to the Earth in gratitude for all of her love and blessings.With time, there was no longer even a subtle recognition to all that the children had to be thankful for. As technology and the desire to expand external development grew, the Earth slowly became an experimental ground for many toxic energies and waste. The greatest violation occurred in the lack of reverence and nourishment that a once healthy Earth received from the many Ancient Ones and Shamans that has almost ceased to exist now. The consequences of these actions and neglect are now sorely being felt in the future of the Earth’s atmosphere and core.

The Ancient Ones were precise when they predicted that in a time near, there would be great shifts and changes in the Cosmos and on Earth. These predictions have been known to the Ancient Ones for all eternity and the original blueprint of this shift was considered to be a “natural and normal” shift in the Galatia sense of the word. However, filled with wisdom and knowingness, the Ancient Ones also sensed that the predominating energies that would exist on Earth during the shift would surely engage with the natural course of events and would also have a monumental impact on Earth.

Still, true masters that they were, the Ancient Ones did not completely reveal all that they knew and for many today, this mystery is most intriguing as the masses are anxiously searching and waiting for the rest of the mysteries to be unveiled. What the Ancients Ones did not share—and what the little ones are waiting to discover regarding the approaching time of 2012, lays dormant and silently within each of you!

Mother Goddess Speaks Tour Schedule

Tuesday July 5th
Interview at Pump Up Your Book

Wednesday July 6th
Review at One Day at a Time

Thursday July 7th
Interview at Paperback Writer

Friday July 8th
Guest Post at The Story Behind the Book

Monday July 11th
Guest Post at Coffee and a Keyboard

Tuesday July 12th
Interview at The Writer’s Life

Wednesday July 13th
Interview at The Examiner

Thursday July 14th
Interview at Divine Caroline

Friday July 15th
Book Panel interview at Literarily Speaking
Review at Eclectic, Eccentric Woman

Tips on Making Dinner for a Diabetic Friend

Tips on Making Dinner for a Diabetic Friend
by Cherie Burbach

Having a friend over for dinner who is diabetic?  Not sure what to serve or what they can have?  Think you need to whip up a sugar-free dessert especially for them?   Relax.  I’ve got some answers.

Diabetic Meals are Healthy Meals

The first thing you must remember is that diabetic meals are simply balanced and healthy.  You don’t need special food or to serve something healthy but inedible.  While it’s always a good idea to see if your friend has special dietary considerations, the diabetic meal is one that has limited fat content, and balanced carbs and protein.  Chances are your diabetic friend will be able to figure out what works best for them once you serve dinner.  They may leave a portion of the carbs or protein on the plate, and that’s okay.  Serve them as you normally would anyone else.  They’ll figure out what they need.

Desserts?

Diabetics can have treats on occasional, depending on what your friend’s meal plan is with his or her doctor or dietician.  Sometimes one of my friends will attempt a sugar-free dessert, and while eating less sugar is good for everyone, you don’t need to make something special just for the diabetic.  A diabetic will eat dessert, have a smaller portion, or skip it.  This is all depending on what their blood sugars have been like, what their goals are, and what their doctor says.

Sugar-Free Beverages

While diabetics can maneuver a dinner just fine, they absolutely need sugar-free beverages to drink throughout the night.  Having immediate sugar in the form of soda or alcohol will generally raise their blood sugar too much and too fast, so make sure you have plenty of sugar-free sodas or water on hand.

You don’t need to treat your diabetic friend that differently.  Some sugar-free options for drinks and your friend can relax and enjoy the party.

Cherie Burbach is an author, blogger, poet, crocheter, and geek.  She loves football and is obsessed with anything having to do with the Green Bay Packers or Tudor history.

A passionate diabetes advocate, Cherie has written the book, 21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes.

Cherie used her experience with meeting her husband online to pen At the Coffee Shop, a humorous look at the world of Internet dating. Cherie went on over 60 coffee dates in just six months. She met lots of great people and one of those turned out to be the guy she would marry just one year later. Cherie’s new dating book, Internet Dating is Not Like Ordering a Pizza is available now.

She is a staff writer for b5media, and also the author of three poetry books, including A New Dish and The Difference Now.  Her latest, Father’s Eyes, has received the 2008 Editor’s Choice Award by Allbooks Review.

Readers have resonated with Cherie’s honest and inspirational ”This I Believe” essay, which is the second-most popular out of over 40,000 entries on the NPR website. For more information, please visit Cherie’s website, www.cherieburbach.com, her personal blogs, or follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/brrbach.

Book Giveaway: The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer by Dr. Jonny Bowden

We’ve got a free book giveaway going on at The Writer’s Life!

Dr. Jonny Bowden, author of the health and anti-aging book, The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer, will be giving away a free copy from now until Jan. 22.

Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, a board-certified nutrition specialist with a master’s degree in psychology, is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition, and health. A popular speaker and a former personal trainer with six national certifications in exercise, he was the acclaimed “Weight Loss Coach” on iVillage for twelve years, and is now a regular contributor to AOL, a columnist for Better Nutrition and Clean Eating magazines and a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Men’s Health. He’s also the nutritionist for the popular website, www.eatdrinkordie.com, where his entertaining videos on food and nutrition can be seen daily.

His books have been acclaimed by a virtual who’s who in the field of nutritional medicine, garnering endorsements by Christiane Northrup, MD, Mehmet Oz, MD, Barry Sears, PhD. (who calls him “one of the best”), Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD (who calls him “the personal health coach I would want in my corner no matter what”), and many others. His book, Living Low Carb: Controlled Carbohydrate Eating for Long-Term Weight Loss has more than 100,000 copies in print. He is also the author of the Amazon best-seller, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising Truth About What to Eat as well as The Healthiest Meals on Earth and The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth and The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy.

He has been featured in The New York Times, The New York Post, Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Tribune, Time, GQ, Cosmopolitan, Oxygen, Remedy, Family Circle, Self, Fitness, Allure, Essence, Men’s Health, Pilates Style, Prevention, Woman’s World, In Style, Fitness, Natural Health and Shape and has appeared on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC and CBS as an expert on nutrition, weight loss, and health..

Dr. Bowden is a member of the American Society for Nutrition and the American College of Nutrition and is adjunct faculty for Clayton College of Natural Health. He lives in the Topanga Canyon area of Southern California with his three dogs, Woodstock, Emily and Lucy.

His DVD “The Truth About Weight Loss” as well as his popular motivational CDs, programs and free newsletter can be found at www.jonnybowden.com.

To win your free copy, click here for details!

Beyond the Books with Jay Slosar, author of “Culture of Excess”

Jay Slosar, Ph.D., is the author of a provocative new book The Culture of Excess: How Americans Lost Self-Control and Why We Need to Redefine Success (ABC-CLIO, LLC, November 2009). For the past quarter-century he has run a successful private practice as a licensed psychologist and has provided direct clinical and consulting services in a variety of diverse settings. Currently, Dr. Slosar is also an adjunct assistant professor at Chapman University in Orange County, California. He also provides forensic evaluations from court referrals, specializing in evaluating teenagers. His web site and blog is at www.cultureofexcess.com

Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, (Jay). Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

A: I have published professional articles and a training manual. But this is my first book.

Q: What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

A: A training Manual for Residential Treatment Services for Children. Eventually was published. But small publisher didn’t sell as many as I did from the trunk of my car.

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: Many. This went on for 2 years. I finally got an offer from what I thought was a legit publisher and they offered such a low royalty rate I turned it down. Everyone thought I was crazy. But I held out and the publisher that has taken my book initially rejected it. But I went back to a different editor and she liked it and moved it forward. In the meantime, I kept improving the work and getting as much feedback as I could. It was a very long process—I would say a struggle.

Q: How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

A: I am the type of person that takes a rejection and sulks for a while. But eventually, I regroup and then take a different course. What kept me going was that there was high interest in what I was writing about. Whenever I would talk about it—others responded very positively.

Q: When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

A: Praeger publishers, now part of ABC-CLIO. I chose them because they handle books that are “tweeners”—not full academic books, but not trade and self-help either. That is books that are in between the two and for the bookstore and general educated public.

Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

A: I was happy but had to dampen my expectations—quickly realizing—how many books there are out there. I can’t say I really celebrated yet—its too soon—I have been spending all my time marketing.

Q: What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

A: Notified everyone I knew and all organizations and places I am associated with.

Q: If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

A: I don’t think I had any other choices except self publish—and I knew that wasn’t very desirable.

Q: Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

A: Always growing—planning next book already, but trying hard to make this one successful to use as a platform to continue.

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: Develop my writing style sooner, my early drafts were rants.

Q: What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

A: Praise/compliments from others. I hope more accolades come but book is just out.

Q: If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

A: I am a psychologist and happy with it. Maybe Sociology. Of course, a musician.

Q: Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

A: I am a psychologist and author.

Q: How do you see yourself in ten years?

A: Continuing to write.

Q: Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

A: Rejection and failure are part of growth. I write about this in Chapter 3 of my book. “Chance benefits only the prepared mind.” (Louie Pasteur) That is, opportunity comes your way, but you have to be prepared and ready to recognize and jump on it.

Beyond the Books with Michael Anthony, author of “Mass Casualties”

They say the Army makes a man out of you, but for eighteen-year-old SPC Michael Anthony, this fabled rite of passage is instead a dark and dangerous journey. After obtaining his parents’ approval to enlist at seventeen, Anthony begins this journey with an unshakeable faith in the military based on his family’s long tradition of service. But when he finds himself in a medical unit of misfits as lost as he is, Anthony not only witnesses firsthand the unspeakable horror of war, he experiences the undeniable misconduct of the military. Everything he’s ever believed in dissolves, forcing Anthony to rethink his ideals and ultimately risk his career—and his freedom—to challenge the military that once commanded his loyalty.

For more information please visit www.masscasualties.com

Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, Michael Anthony. Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

A: This is my first book.

Q: What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

A: My first book is this book, ‘Mass Casualties: A Young Medic’s True Story of Death, Deception, and Dishonor in Iraq.’

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: Well, a lot of authors hate me for this, but I was able to get the book deal on my first try. I had initially planned on self-publishing and then just handing copies of the book out, but then my girlfriend told me to try at least one place out, I did, and the rest is history.

Q: How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

A: Well, I hadn’t gotten rejected, but I was angered when I had gotten the book deal on the first try, I had wanted to be a writer since I was sixteen, but I had never really believed I could have been one, everyone told me it was too hard, and then to get a book deal on my first try, I was angered at myself, for not believing I could do something.

Q: When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

A: The Publisher is Adams Media, they are an Imprint of F&W Media. I chose them, because they are the only people I had written to, and I didn’t want to spend time shopping it around, I just wanted to write.

Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

A: It felt amazing, as if waking from a dream. I still haven’t really celebrated; I’ve just been working since then.

Q: What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

A: I went on facebook and requested everyone I’d ever known, as a friend.

Q: If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

A: No. I thought it was a great journey to see the book come to fruition, from what it was.

Q: Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

A: That’s a tough question, because to grow, you’ve got to have roots and know where you are, since returning from Iraq, I’m still working on finding myself and where my roots are.

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: I would have tried earlier, I didn’t try immediately, because I had listened to other people who told me it was hard, so I did nothing, but once I tried, I realized that things aren’t that hard, as long as you put in the time and effort.

Q: What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

A: Since returning home and writing the book, I’ve been very active with veterans issues and helping suicidal veterans, and veterans with PTSD. The biggest accomplishment, is just that I can say I’m at least out there and trying to help out, and I liked to think through my efforts and the combined efforts of those I’ve worked with, that we’ve at least saved a few lives.

Q: If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

A: A profession other than writer. I guess if I could have anything, I would want to play for the Boston Celtics.

Q: Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

A: I haven’t combined the best of both worlds, and I don’t know if I’d give it up, I’d make more money playing for the Celtics and I love basketball, but I don’t know if I’d be as fulfilled and able to help and touch as many people, so I guess I’d have to stay where I am.

Q: How do you see yourself in ten years?

A: I would love to be still writing books, but especially writing movies, maybe movies and books!

Q: Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

A: Be patient, and put in a lot of hard work, and do ten times what you think is enough.

The Second-Half Adventure by Kay Marshall Strom l Q&A + Blog Tour

Kay Marshall Strom is the author of thirty-six published books, including her most recent, The Second-Half Adventure: Don’t Just Retire-Use Your Time, Skills & Resources to Change the World.  Her writing credits also include numerous magazine articles, short stories, curriculum, stories for children, two prize-winning screenplays, and booklets for writers.  Kay speaks at seminars, retreats, and special events throughout the country.  She and her husband Dan Kline love to travel, and more and more Kay’s writing and speaking take her around the word.  To find out more about Kay, or for contact information, check her website at www.kaystrom.com.

Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, Kay.  Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

This is book number 34 for me.  I have two others finished and scheduled for release, and am under contract for another fiction trilogy, that one set in India.

Q: What was the name of your very first book regardless of whether it was published or not and, if not published, why?

Special Women of the Bible, a book of 10 Bible stories for children featuring Bible women.  It was published by Concordia in the 1980s.

The Second-Half Adventure by Kay Marshall Strom (click on cover to purchase)

Actually, it was accepted by the first editor who saw it.  But here is why… I took the rough (and I mean rough!) manuscript to a writers’ conference, and while I was there, I learned much of what I should have known before I ever started. I rewrote the proposal and proposal chapters and got a second chance.  That’s part of the reason I’m such a proponent of good writers conferences.

Q: How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

Although I had that first book published right off, I certainly have experienced my share of rejection slips—so many I refuse to count them!  I always say it’s not time to give up until you have collected enough rejection slips to paper your bathroom.  Even the word “rejection” is too disheartening to remain in a writer’s vocabulary.  Writers absolutely must develop elephant-tough skin!

Q: When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

Concordia had a series of children’s books I just loved (the Arch books) and I longed to have my book be in that series.  It wasn’t, but I was very pleased with what they with it.

Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

I really thought I had achieved my ultimate dream.  My family and I celebrated by going out to a Chinese restaurant for dinner.  That’s became a tradition, by the way.  Still today, when a new book comes out, we go out to a Chinese restaurant to celebrate.  Now, with a higher advance, I can also get egg rolls!

Q: What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

My mother-in-law arranged for a book signing at a huge Christian bookstore in San Diego, California, where she lived.  I took four outfits to the book signing, because I could not decide what to wear.   Also, I wrote up a press release for our local newspaper, which resulted in my first ever speaking engagement.

Q: If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

Nope!  Writers conference is the route I suggest to writers all the time.

Q: Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

Oh, let me count the ways!  My first three books were all written in long hand.  Can you believe it?  But here’s the main way I’ve grown as an author:  Back then, I said to an editor, “Tell me what you will publish and I will write it.”  Now I say, “I am writing from my own burning passion.  I’d love to have you publish it, but if you say no, I shall write it anyway.”

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?

In my urgency to stay published, I tried hard to be all things for all editors.  I wasn’t and never can be.  It took many years for me to find my own passions and write to them.

Q: What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

My last ten or so books concern the general theme of calling the Church in the U.S. to find it’s place in the worldwide body of Christ.  When I first started this—right after September 11, 2001—one publisher after another told me, “Face it, Kay, Christians in American simply don’t care about people outside our borders.”  My biggest achievement is helping to prove them wrong.

Q: If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

Well, my original profession was elementary school teacher.  That was pretty cool.  One time a little boy in my class was making a safety poster and he drew his house with a bunch of old wood piled up in back.  Then, with typical third grade spelling, he wrote his caption:  Old broads are dangerous.  I loved that poster!  Whether writer, teacher, or whatever, I want to be a dangerous old broad!

Q: Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

I have been able to combine the two, because I’ve had the opportunity to teach writing.  I love that!

Q: How do you see yourself in ten years?

Well, about three years older, but otherwise, just about the same as now: Still pumping out the books and still loving every minute of it.

Q: Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

Never give up!  Keep on writing. Everyone gets better and better; no one gets worse and worse.

Kay Marshall Strom is on a virtual book tour throughout the months of January and February 2010.  If you’d like to see her official tour page, click here.

Beyond the Books with Lisa A. Shiel – Author of The Evolution Conspiracy, Vol. 1: Exposing Life’s Inexplicable Origins and the Cult of Darwin

Lisa A. Shiel researches and writes about everything strange, from Bigfoot and UFOs to alternative history. She has been interviewed for big-city newspapers, national magazines, drive-time talk radio shows, and TV news.

Lisa has a master’s degree in library science and was previously the chief investigator for Michigan’s chapter of the Mutual UFO Network as well as past president of Michigan’s  Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA).

As a fiction writer, Lisa developed the Human Origins Series—which includes the novels The Hunt for Bigfoot and Lord of the Dead. Lisa’s other nonfiction books are Backyard Bigfoot: The True Story of Stick Signs, UFOs & the Sasquatch (a finalist in ForeWord Magazine’s 2006 Book of the Year Awards) and Strange Michigan. Her latest book, The Evolution Conspiracy, Vol. 1, marks the initial release in a planned three-book series.

Find Lisa online at EvolutionConspiracy.com, Twitter.com/LAShiel, or on Facebook.

 

Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, Lisa.  Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

 

A: My new book, The Evolution Conspiracy, is my fifth published book.

Q: Can you tell us about your new book?

A: Controversial topics are my forte, but in The Evolution Conspiracy I tackle the most controversial topic of all—evolution. Scientists tell us life has evolved for billions of years, from tiny bacteria to the menagerie of life-forms we see today. But does the evidence support this assertion? Rather than overlaying my personal beliefs on the evidence, I reveal all the facts along with the various interpretations of it. See the evidence, read my analysis of it, think about it, and decide for yourself.

Q: When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

A: I had an agent for awhile but I found the mainstream publishing process too long and uncertain. Most of my books have been published by a family-owned company, Slipdown Mountain Publications, in which I am a partner. Independent publishers are more open to new authors and ideas. My first book, the novel The Hunt for Bigfoot, centered around an adventure story with a science fiction twist—definitely not your mainstream fare. One of my books (Strange Michigan) was published by a different company but my new book, The Evolution Conspiracy, comes from Slipdown Mountain. We wanted to get the book out during 2009 because it’s both the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of his book The Origin of Species. I find that a smaller company can get a book to print faster.

Q: Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

A: The Evolution Conspiracy is my fifth published book. Along the way I’ve learned the importance of promotion. People won’t read your books if they don’t know they exist! You can just sit back and wait for people to find your book because, after all, your book is wonderful…or you can make sure people hear about your work. That’s why I chose to do a virtual book tour this time around. I’m proud of The Evolution Conspiracy, with its message of empowerment, and I’ll work hard to spread the word.

Q: What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

A: I’m proudest of the acclaim The Evolution Conspiracy has received, from scientists and book reviewers. A microbiologist even wrote the foreword for the book. My previous books received good reviews, and Backyard Bigfoot was a finalist in ForeWord Magazine‘s 2006 Book of the Year Awards, but I find the most satisfaction in what I’ve accomplished with The Evolution Conspiracy.

Q: What is the biggest problem facing evolutionists?

A: No one can define the term species. Charles Darwin lamented that the term was used arbitrarily for any group of organisms that looked similar. Despite centuries of trying scientists still cannot define what a species is. None of the species concepts, whether they rely on reproductive ability or genetics, can accommodate what happens in the natural world. Animals assigned to different species interbreed whenever they feel like it, and no one yet understands how or if genes influence the creation of vastly new types of life. We simply don’t understand how organisms are related to one another, if at all.

Q: Since you don’t believe in evolution, do you believe in creationism or intelligent design?

A. I don’t subscribe to any particular alternative idea. I like to speculate and explore the possibilities but the only absolute fact in relation to life’s origins is that no one can prove anything or even elevate a hypothesis to a theory. The only certainty is uncertainty.

Q: Don’t fossils prove that life evolved?

A. No, fossils prove one thing and one thing alone—many living things that once existed have since disappeared. Complete, intact fossils are uncommon. Most fossils turn up shattered and scattered with big chunks missing. The fragmented remains of Lucy, a presumed human ancestor from several million years ago, were found spread out over a hillside. Her skeleton is less than half complete. The fossils also suffer from the vagaries of interpretation. The team who discovered a primate fossil nicknamed Ida lumped her in the same category as humans and apes, but recently another team of scientists has reinterpreted the fossil and placed her in a different category altogether. And these are just two examples. When we talk about fossils, most of our sentences end in question marks.

Q: Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

A: I have two words actually—read and learn. The two go together, especially for authors. Everyone wants to write a book but few people want to spend the time honing their skills and learning how the publishing industry works. Whether you want to self-publish or go the traditional route, you must understand what lies ahead so you can avoid the pitfalls that trip up many aspiring authors. Everyone makes mistakes, but wouldn’t you rather learn from other people’s screw-ups rather than repeating the same old mistakes? The secret to becoming a published writer is simple—read, learn, and work hard.

Interview with Nonfiction Humor Authors Bob Brooker and Kaye O’Doughtery

Bob is an old saloon singer who, as Bobby Brookes, recorded for RCA Victor and Capital back in the day. Kaye has trouble carrying a tune in a bucket.

Nevertheless, after they met at a recording studio on 42nd Street (yes, that 42nd Street), they teamed up as Brooker and O’Dougherty and began a decades-long collaboration on a variety of theater, film, TV and video projects, performing, writing, directing, managing, and producing.

Football is for Lovers (which can be found at http://www.footballforlovers.com) marks Bob and Kaye’s debut as book authors.

Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, Bob and Kaye.  Can we start out by telling us whether you are published for the first time or are you multi-published?

A:  Although we’ve been writing performance-oriented stuff – like scripts and songs and skits – for many years, this is the only book we’ve had 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 book – Football is for Lovers – is not only the first we’ve had published.  It’s the first we’ve ever written.  But it’s been so much fun; you can bet it won’t be our last.  In fact, we’re already at work on our second.

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:  When we decided to write Football is for Lovers, it was really not about finding a publisher.  One week, we were getting ready to go into a studio to complete work on a new album Bob was recording.  The next week, we were in a local hospital with Bob recovering from a stroke.  His left side – including his left vocal chord – was paralyzed.  Hmmmm.  Time to reinvent ourselves, yes?  So, since we’d been writing as a team for years – although mostly for the stage – we decided to convert ourselves into authors.  Once we’d gotten the book underway, we just went online and found ourselves a publisher.

Q: How did the rejections make you feel and what did you do to overcome the blows?

A:  We were about to say, since we didn’t look for a publisher, we were never rejected.  But heaven knows, we had our share of hard knocks when we were writing for the stage.  Probably the worst was when we had written a musical, Harlem Sweet, based on the works of the Poet Laureate of Harlem, Langston Hughes.  Since Langston wrote by walking through Harlem and listening to the people, much of his poetry was really conversation.  And since he was very much involved with music, his poetry also translated well into songs.

We saw his work as a musical waiting to happen.  It required a lot of research – which was a joy – but it did take years to complete. Still, it was worth it and, when it was finished, the executor of the Langston Hughes Estate loved it.  He told us he couldn’t wait for our off-Broadway debut.  Now, although we had obtained rights to the works before we started on the project, there turned out to be additional legal issues that had to be resolved.  Only problem was, the lawyer for the theatre group who was producing our musical and the lawyer for the Hughes Estate hated each other’s guts.

Still, the executor was completely on our side, and told us not to worry even though he had not yet gotten the final papers to sign.  So we began auditions in a little theatre on Forty-Second Street.  It was the most glorious blue-sky October day you could imagine when we got the call from our lawyer: the estate executor – a man in his fifties – had suddenly dropped dead.  The ensuing legal hassle put an end to the production.  So.  Maybe you can see why we didn’t try to find a publisher for our book.  After that experience, keeping things in our own hands always seems like a good idea.

Q: When your first book was published, who published it and why did you choose them?

A:  We chose Mill City Press because, after researching possibilities online, we decided they offered the most bang for the buck.  And we haven’t been disappointed.  As we said, we’ve begun work on our second book – also non-fiction humor – He’s Not the Guy (God Didn’t Do It!), and we intend to work with Mill City once again.

Q: How did it make you feel to become published for the first time and how did you celebrate?

A: Actually, the biggest thrill was when we began writing for the stage.  Hearing actors saying the lines we had written, bringing our characters to life, was pretty awesome.  But – holding that first physical copy of Football is for Lovers had us grinning big time, too.  Like they say in that beer commercial: it’s all good!

Q: What was the first thing you did as for as promotion when you were published for the first time?

A: We set up a website, studied the whole site optimization thing, wrote promotional articles . . . and kept thinking how great it would be if we could just write and have someone else do the selling.

Q: If you had to do it over again, would you have chosen another route to be published?

A: No.  We were set on the self-publishing route from the beginning.  We wanted to get going, not wait for someone to ‘choose’ us.

Q: Have you been published since then and how have you grown as an author?

A:  We’re still working on our second book, He’s Not the Guy (God Didn’t Do It!). Of course, Football is for Lovers is certainly about two subjects we have a real feeling for – love and football.   But the opportunity to put our ideas – in fact, our ideology – down on paper is a pretty exciting thing.  And since our ideology extends beyond football, we figure we’ll be writing for a long, long time.  The love part?  Well, that pretty much is our ideology . . .

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:  Writing a book and selling a book are two different things.  Writing has always been almost as natural as breathing.  Marketing . . . well, we might have been better served if we’d taken a few marketing courses . . .

Q: What has been the biggest accomplishment you have achieved since becoming published?

A:  Our biggest accomplishment since becoming published has nothing to do with our book.  Since Bob’s stroke, besides our writing goals, we’ve been into the walking and talking thing.  Bob’s making it around the track at the local football field, using his left hand on the computer keyboard (well, at least the shift key for capitals), and almost being able to carry a tune again have been our greatest accomplishments.  We do like to drink to that!  Often!

Q: If you could have chosen another profession, what would that profession be?

A:  Well, of course, we did choose another profession.  So this already is the ‘other profession.’   Although, to some degree, they both involve writing of one kind or another.  So if it could be neither of those, that is, writing for the stage or writing a book . . .  I guess we’d just find another form of writing.  Political commentary comes to mind . . . The questions that, to us, scream to be asked by TV interviewers, but aren’t, just about drive us around the bend . . .

Q: Would you give up being an author for that profession or have you combined the best of both worlds?

A:  Funny.  It just occurred to us.  In the end, it keeps coming back to the words.  Writing has always been . . . well, what we do.  Stringing words together.  Giving them to actors to speak.  Putting them down on paper.  And for Bob, for most of his life, singing them.  So for us it would always be a combination of whatever we were up to at the moment – sports or politics or music – and the words that expressed our beliefs about the current subject of choice.

Q: How do you see yourself in ten years?

A:  Still writing humorous non-fiction.  But by then, we’ll have become well-enough established so that we can just do the writing and leave the marketing to someone else.

Any final words for writers who dream of being published one day?

A:  It’s so corny we almost hate to say it.  But we will anyway: do what you love.  And that applies to everyone, not just writers.  We’ve been around a long time, and it seems to us that one of the most crucial elements for a joyful life is having a sense of purpose.  Figure out what that purpose is – or maybe it’s more like choosing it . . . In any case, stay with it.  Sorry.  We can’t resist.

Did you by any chance see the Steve Martin movie, The Jerk? Much as we believe in this whole ‘purpose’ thing, it’s hard for us to write down the word without giving a little smirk to Mr. Martin.  In case you haven’t seen the movie, our hero, a country bumpkin, sets out to find his place in the world, armed only with his family’s advice to ‘find his purpose.’   When he hooks up with a tattooed biker chick and discovers the . . . uh . . . joys of the flesh, he believes he has found his purpose.

So don’t worry if it takes you a few tries to get this purpose thing right.  There will probably be distractions along the way.  Enjoy them.