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.

Ingrid King is the author of Buckley’s Story – Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher. A former veterinary hospital manager turned writer, Ingrid publishes the online magazine News for You and Your Pet, covering topics ranging from conscious living to holistic and alternative health.  She shares her experiences with consciously creating a joyful, happy and healthy life for pets and people on her popular blog, The Conscious Cat. Ingrid lives in Northern Virginia with her tortoiseshell cat Amber.  For more information, please visit Ingrid’s website at www.ingridking.com.  You can also find Ingrid on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ingrid.king) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/consciouscats)

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

Buckley’s Story 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?

I choose not to go the traditional route of finding an agent and dealing with the inevitable rejections that come with following this route.  I just wanted to get Buckley’s Story out to the world.  It was also important to me to share her story before the first anniversary of her passing, which was this past Thanksgiving weekend.  So rather than going the traditional route, I thoroughly researched other publishing options.

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

There are a lot of options for authors looking to self-publish. It’s important to be clear about what your goals are.  Do you want just a few copies of your book for family and friends?  Do you want to handle most aspects of the production and publishing process yourself?  I knew that I wanted more than just a vanity press.  I wanted mainstream distribution for the book, and I wanted the book to look really good.  After months of research, I choose iUniverse.  They offer what is considered assisted self-publishing.  I had professional help all along the way – from content editing to copy editing to cover design to interior design, and since my book received an Editor’s Choice and Rising Star designation from iUniverse, I even receive marketing support. I could not have been happier with my experience with them.

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

Publishing Buckley’s Story is a dream come true for me.  I wanted to write a book all my life, but I always had excuses for why I wasn’t doing it – too busy, not enough time, no good ideas, etc.  Then Buckley came along, and I had a subject that was so compelling that all the excuses went away.  Holding the book in my hand for the first time was an indescribably joyful feeling.   I threw a big launch party to celebrate and it was a wonderful experience to have people from different parts and eras of my life come together to help me celebrate the realization of my dream.

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

I began promoting Buckley’s Story long before it was published.  I created buzz for the book on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter months in advance of publication.  I’ve found social media to be the single most effective tool to build an author platform, bar none.  Additionally, I built relationships with book bloggers and pet bloggers, which also helped spread the word about the book.

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

Given that I wanted the book to be out in time for Buckley’s first anniversary, I would not have chosen a different route.

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

I’ve had several book reviews published in a print magazine, and I continue to write and publish my own online magazine as well as my blog.  Writing and publishing Buckley’s Story has solidified for me that writing is my true passion, and I’m actively pursuing other options for being published.

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?

Since I choose to self-publish, I can’t really say I would have done anything differently at this stage.

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

I’ve become better at public speaking.  One aspect of publishing a book that I didn’t really consider ahead of time (and that’s probably a good thing that I didn’t!) is that I would be speaking at various events to promote the book.  It’s not something that comes naturally to me, but getting word out about the book matters so much to me that I’ve had to overcome my reluctance to speak in front of groups of people.  Much to my surprise, I found that my passion for the book and what it stands for has made it fairly easy to get over the initial nervousness that comes with these situations to where I actually look forward to these events now.

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

I might have become a veterinarian.  I worked in various facets of the veterinary profession for twelve years, and always admired the vets I worked with.

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

I think I have combined the best of both worlds!  I get to write, and I get to write about cats, pets in general, and pet health topics.

Q: How do you see yourself in ten years?

I honestly don’t plan that far ahead.  I’m a big believer in living in the moment, and making long term plans feels counter-intuitive to that philosophy to me.

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

Don’t give up on your dream.  Keep writing, and investigate different options toward making your dream come true.  Everyone is different and has different reasons for being published.  There have never been more options to achieve this dream for writers than there are now.

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.

Lynda Drews, a Wisconsin native and dedicated runner, recently gave the commencement speech at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, her college Alma mater. One lesson she shared with the graduates was: “to journal your life.”

When Lynda, a marketing executive, made the decision to retire after her thirty-year career, she returned to an earlier passion. Run at Destruction is the outcome.

Lynda and her husband, Jim, a retired guidance counselor and an accomplished runner, have two sons, Collin and Chris, and a golden retriever named Bailey. The family has lived in Green Bay since the mid-seventies and helped launch the local running movement. The city now hosts the nation’s fourth largest 10K, the Bellin Run.

www.lyndadrews.com

www.lmdrews.wordpress.com

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

A: In August of 2009, I was published for the first time.

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

A: Run at Destruction: A True Fatal Love Triangle

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 utilized Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents to come up with my submission list. I also attended a New York Pitch conference that helped me develop a good query letter. This is what I then e-mailed to about fifty agents/publishers. From this, I received about 30 rejections and 6 requests for my book proposal and/or manuscript. This process started in December of 2006 and by February of 2008, I finally secured a mainstream publisher.  

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

A: Honestly, it was difficult receiving rejection after rejection, especially with the subset that had requested my book proposal/manuscript. One agent that I’d hoped to sign with was like me, a marathon runner, and since my true crime book, about my best friend’s mysterious bathtub drowning, takes place within a tight-knit running group I felt there might be a good match.

She initially thought so, too, but once she realized the story took place in the 80s, she said, “even though the story is fascinating, I don’t feel it would be relevant today.” Her statement became a challenge and I repositioned my book proposal, highlighting this historical U.S. time-period, the running boom of the 80s, when the “average Jane or Joe” started to jog.

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

A: I was ecstatic when I finally secured a contract directly with TitleTown Publishing that specializes in the True Crime genre. TitleTown is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where I live and has a dynamic owner, Tracy Ertl. I was the third title she’d signed, so I felt my book would not get lost in the shuffle of a larger publishing house. I also liked being included on all the workings of getting my book into print. We could meet in person over coffee to work out the details.

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

A: It was amazing to see my name printed on the cover of Run at Destruction and to see the photo of my best friend and running partner on the back. This book has been a labor of love to honor Pamela Bulik’s memory. My excitement was multiplied when my publisher, TitleTown Publishing also released Torture at the Back Forty, a book written by my friend, Mike Dauplaise, on the same day – August 7, 2009. Tracy hosted a book launch party for the two of us at, appropriately, the TitleTown Brewing Company. This blog highlights that particular celebration: http://tinyurl.com/mz62tg

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

A: My true crime book is centered around a three teacher love triangle, from within Green Bay’s running community, that lead to one of the most heavily attended homicide trials in the city’s history.  My publisher was able to ship about 800 books to Green Bay before it’s official release date.

This enabled me to promote my book at the Bellin Run in June, which attracted more than 16,000 participants. I was interviewed by the Press-Gazette, and was included in press releases about the pre-race event where I talked about Run at Destruction, sharing the stage with two former Olympians, Joan Benoit Samuelson and Bill Rodgers. I was also provided an expo booth where I sold and signed books. This provided both local and national exposure since the Bellin Run draws participants from across the U.S.

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

A: No. This has worked out perfectly. I know TitleTown is small, but inside a larger publishing house I don’t feel there would be that intimate relationship between publisher and author. I want to be successful so TitleTown is successful.

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

A: Run at Destruction was just released in August 2009. So far, it is my only title.

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 believe I spent too much time fine-tuning my book proposal chapter synopsizes before e-mailing off my query letter. I lost about six-months. Also, in addition to having a good cover design, blurbs are key to having the reader select your book. Before submitting my queries, I was able to contact the best-selling true crime author Ann Rule who said that if I found a publisher she’d read my galley and if she felt my book was something her readers would like, she’d give me a quote. I should have done the same for my running blurbs.

After finding a publisher, and nearing print date I finally secured three, the race directors from the Boston Marathon and the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon, and from a U.S. correspondent for Track & Field News. In hindsight, having these available in the proposal stage might have sped up my publisher search since the running endorsements helped validate my book’s relevance.

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

A: The week after my book’s release I received a Publisher’s Weekly review that said: “this title… relies on the strong bond between author and victim for emotional weight; passages about their shared moments, and Drews’s feelings of emptiness in the decades since, are remarkable.”  You can’t help but love the word “remarkable!” That same week I drove up to our local Barnes & Noble Bookstore and in the front window was a display of my books. Usually, this is reserved for authors like Dan Browne or Nicolas Sparks! My book then zoomed to the store’s #1 position.

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

A: This is actually my second career. I first spent thirty years honing my technical, sales, and marketing skills at IBM. This background certainly aided me in my writing career. I’d always been comfortable with such things as computers, research, creating brochure and web copy, and speaking in front of large groups. But another career that’s forever peeked my interest was that of a criminal or prosecuting attorney. Any book, movie, or TV show that contained a trial had always drawn me in.

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

A: Surprisingly, I have combined the best of both worlds while also utilizing significant elements from my IBM career to write and now market Run at Destruction. The research I conducted gave me new insight into the criminal attorney career that I never pursued. I immersed myself in boxes of court and police records that pertained to my best friend’s death and the subsequent first-degree murder trial of her husband.

I also gained knowledge by interviewing the detectives, attorneys, judge, coroner, and jurors. Then my IBM background helped me scan and organize the records and voice files that became invaluable as I searched for the truth about my best friend’s death.

Now that I’m published, I’ve become a marketing demon, again drawing on my IBM experience. This phase is key for a first-time author otherwise there will be a slim chance of success!  It’s been non-stop, giving television and radio interviews, doing book talks and readings, sending out press releases, arranging reviews, doing e-mail blasts, blogging, twittering, and, of course, social networking through facebook. Who would have figured?

Q: How do you see yourself in ten years?

A: My blog and twitter name says it all: @runnerwritergal. Since I’m officially retired, in addition to enjoying my family, reading, knitting, playing bridge, volunteering and vacationing – running and writing is what I see doing for the rest of my life.

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

A: In addition to determination and enhancing your writing skills to create the perfect manuscript, it’s important to better understand the steps to secure a publisher. One of the workshops I attended allowed me to pitch my book to selected agents and publishing editors. This gave me a much needed reality check and helped guide me down the path to finally realize my dream of becoming a publisher author.

James Diehl is an award-winning journalist who has covered Sussex County, Delaware for various media outlets since 1998. Since 2007, he has owned and operated a freelance writing company based in Seaford, Delaware and is also a partner in a Lewes, Delaware-based public relations and marketing firm. He is the author of one other work of non-fiction – Remembering Sussex County, from Zwaanendael to King Chicken, published in 2009 by The History Press.

James can be found online at www.twitter.com/sussexwriter, at www.facebook.com/sussexwriter or via www.ww2-heroes.com.

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

World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware is my second book, both of which have been published in 2009. I’ve been writing for magazines and newspapers for several years, but I just entered into the world of books within the last year or so.

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

My first book was titled Remembering Sussex County: from Zwaanendael to King Chicken. It’s a series of 33 vignettes from my home county in Delaware, ranging from when the Dutch first settled the area in 1631 to the mid 20^th century. It was published in May, 2009, by The History Press.

World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware (click on cover to purchase)

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?

I was very, very lucky. I had been writing historical pieces for a couple of regional magazines and my articles caught the eye of someone from the local historical society. He contacted me and, in turn, put me in touch with someone he knew in the publishing world. Within seven months, Remembering Sussex County was on the shelves.

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

Fortunately, I have not had to deal with that aspect of the publishing world yet, though I’m sure I will at some point. No writer wants to hear that their work is not good enough, but you just have to believe in yourself and in your abilities. Take the constructive criticism, if it is constructive that is, and learn from it.

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

Remembering Sussex County was published by The History Press. I was referred by a colleague of mine.

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

I’ve been in the field of journalism for many years now and had long since lost the excitement that comes with seeing your byline on a story. I must say, however, that I regained that excitement when I saw my name splashed in big letters across the front cover of my very own book. It was very, very exciting! I celebrated by taking my wife and kids out for ice cream.

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

The very first thing I did with Remembering Sussex County was have a book signing at a history-themed Memorial Day event in my hometown. It was the first of many such appearances over the spring, summer and early fall. It was a very good marketing tool for me as, after many years as a reporter in the area, my name has become somewhat recognizable in southern Delaware.

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

I would have to say no. I was very, very lucky, but I did take full advantage of the opportunity when it came my way. Life is all about making the most of the chances and opportunities you are given. Remembering Sussex County was my first experience with book publishing, but it piqued my interest for much more. It was an experience that eventually led to World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware.

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

I’ve had the two books published this year and am in the early stages of a third. As far as the growing process is concerned, the biggest thing for me was making the transition from a magazine and newspaper writer to a book author. It’s a completely different mindset, and one that takes a little while to get accustomed to.

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?

Again, I was extremely lucky. I was not even considering a book when the opportunity to write one kind of fell in my lap. I feel a little guilty even uttering those words, because I know very well that’s not how things generally work out in this business. I was very fortunate, and I realize that.

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

When I had just begun writing the stories that would later become World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware, I received a first place award from the Maryland/Delaware/D.C. Press Association for the series. I have claimed several awards from the organization in the past, but this one was extra special; it laid the foundation for what later became my second book.

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

I would love to have Samantha Brown’s job on The Travel Channel, jet-setting around the world to take in different cultures and explore new worlds. How great would that be?

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

I wouldn’t change a thing in my life right now. I live in one of the most beautiful areas of the country, I have a wonderful family and I have the pleasure of working at home most of the time. Sometimes, I would like to take a step back and not be quite so busy, but other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

Well, let’s see. I’ll have two teenage girls in the house, so I’m sure that will add a new level of chaos to my life. Professionally, I hope to have completed a series of books honoring our World War II veterans and the sacrifices they made more than a half-century ago so we may live as we do today in the greatest country in the world. I realize the window is closing rapidly on getting such a project done, but I hope to devote a good deal of time to that over the next few years.

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

Just keeping plugging away. Keep an open mind and be willing to take advice, as well as constructive criticism. Don’t become so “married” to doing things one way that you lose the ability to make changes mid-stream. Remember that most of the people giving you advice are people who have been down the very road you are now traveling. Above all, do whatever it takes to keep your dreams alive.

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.

Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the ebook What You Should Know About the Launch of an Online Information Product, which is based on her National Internet Business Examiner column at http://www.InternetBizBlogger.com .  Her company has just launched the monthly program http://www.WeTeachWebMarketing.com to help people promote their brand, book or business online.  Phyllis is also the author of the novel Mrs. Lieutenant (see http://www.MrsLieutenant.com), the co-author of the Jewish holiday book Seasons for Celebration, and the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show http://www.YourMilitaryLife.com .  Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ZimblerMiller .

Q: Welcome to Beyond the Books, Phyllis.  Can we start out by asking you how you became interested in Internet marketing?

A:  I fell into Internet marketing when the novel I was in the process of self-publishing, Mrs. Lieutenant, was named a semi-finalist in the 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.  Amazon gave each of us semi-finalists a page on Amazon, and someone had something I didn’t -– a blog (I didn’t even know what a blog was at that moment in January of 2008).  But I said to myself, said I, I have to have this too.  And I was off and running to learn everything I could about Internet marketing.

Q: Can you share some of your favorite Internet marketing strategies?

A:  Not necessarily my favorite but the most important is having your own website that has been developed for marketing purposes and for which you yourself can make changes in a few minutes.  I became so frustrated having to wait for a web designer to make the smallest of changes that my business partner Yael K. Miller learned how to make WordPress websites that people can manage themselves, and now we build such websites for other book authors (see http://www.millermosaicllc.com/call-to-action-websites/ )

Probably my personal favorite Internet marketing tool is using Twitter strategically.  I’ve found that, with a marketing plan in mind, Twitter can be extremely effective in sharing information, learning new info, and developing collaborative relationships.

Q: Name one thing that would be considered “ineffective” Internet marketing.

A: I’ve found that paying, for example, $25 a year to have my novel listed on a book website has not been effective.  There’s no relationship there to help my book stand out from all the other books listed on the same site.

Q: Can you tell us what your new ebook, Anatomy of an Information Product Launch: What You Should Know About the Launch of an Online Information Product, is all about?

A:  It’s based on blog posts I did for my National Internet Business Examiner column taking my readers step-by-step through my trials and tribulations launching an online information product.  I put the posts together into an ebook to provide a blueprint for others so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel.  And the ebook is good for people to learn Internet marketing in general even if they aren’t interested in launching their own online information product.

Q: There are a lot of Internet marketing books and manuals on the Internet.  What makes yours different?

A:  This is a good question and here’s the answer:  One of my strengths has always been to make things clear –- to keep revising my writing until I’m sure that people can follow what I’m saying.  I read Internet marketing books and special reports all the time that inadvertently skip over important info because the writers know the info so well that they don’t realize that newcomers won’t be able to follow.  (I think my ability comes from being the feature editor of the Michigan State News at the age of 20 and having to work with my reporters to make their writing crystal clear.)

Q: Can you tell us more about your company, Miller Mosaic, and why you started it?

A:  I started Miller Mosaic, LLC after I offered my daughter Yael K. Miller a partnership to work with me on finding solutions to my online marketing obstacles (such as websites I couldn’t manage myself).  As Yael and I learned more and more (and saw how complicated things could be), we decided to share our hard-learned info with others.  Thus we have been developing services from Miller Mosaic (http://www.millermosaicllc.com)that we wish we’d had when we started out.

Q: With the explosion of the microblogging medium to promote your books, do you see blogging on its way out?

A:  No, I do not see blogging on its way out, especially not on its way out for writers.  (Writers write.)  While I love Twitter, this microblogging platform is not long enough for conveying valuable info around a specific topic.  In fact, some of the tweets I find most useful are the ones with links to a specific blog post.

Q: On your blog at Examiner.com, you mention video marketing.  What’s that all about?

A:  People love to watch SHORT videos.  The ability to upload videos to YouTube and other free video-sharing sites provides a great opportunity for book authors to make short videos to connect more personally with their potential readers.  While I have a terrific Mrs. Lieutenant book trailer done by PumpUpYourBookPromotion.com at http://www.mrslieutenant.com/history-through-the-arts, I also have a two-minute video that Yael did of me talking about why Mrs. Lieutenant is excellent for book clubs to discuss — see http://www.mrslieutenant.com/book-discussion-questions

Q: What does the future hold for you, Phyllis?

A: Two weeks ago a movie producer found MRS. LIEUTENANT on the web, so I’ve been in discussions on a possible movie project, and I’m hoping to develop the graphic novel series LT. COMMANDER MOLLIE SANDERS – see www.MollieSanders.com – plus connect with middle school and high school social studies and history teachers for using MRS. LIEUTENANT as part of my proposed program History Through the Arts.

I also keep promising myself to return to working on the novel’s sequel – MRS. LIEUTENANT IN EUROPE – which will focus on being part of an occupying force in Germany only 25 years after the end of World War II.

And every single day I strive to learn new effective Internet marketing techniques.  I keep buying more and more plastic file boxes to store all my accumulating information.

Q: Thank you so much for this interview and much success to you!

A: And thank you for the opportunity to visit this blog -– I’ve really enjoyed the interview.

Kathy Balland, an expert in the mind-body-soul connection, teaches people how to tap into their own inner power for success. Clinically certified in hypnotherapy, her publications and seminars provide deep insights into the true causes and their remedies that prevent people from achieving their goals. As president of Blissful Publications and author of LOSE THE DIET: Transform your body by connecting with your soul, Balland provides information to enrich and empower people to achieve happiness and success. Her website and blog are at: www.LosetheDiet.com. Twitter: http://twitter.com/LosetheDiet

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

A: I have written many articles and published spoken word CDs, 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: Lose the Diet is my first book, and it was published this year.

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: None. I published Lose the Diet through my own publishing company: Blissful Publications, LLC. I chose to publish it that way because I wanted to maintain control of the book, in addition to the entire publishing process.

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

A: I did not experience rejections, as I did not try to secure a publisher.

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

A: There is a great sense of satisfaction to see your book in print. Sharing the news with family and friends was the best celebration of all.

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

A: The first thing I did was send the book out to book reviewers.

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

A: No, I would not choose a different route. I enjoyed the entire process.

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

A: At this time, I have been focusing on book marketing. However, I do have an idea for another book. Working with an editor has helped me to grow, and understand how an editor perceives the written word.

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 started marketing the book sooner. In my opinion, you can never do too much book marketing.

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

A: Lose the Diet has won several awards. You can see them here: http://www.losethediet.com/_site/pages/Resources.aspx. Winning awards is one of the biggest accomplishments that I have experienced since becoming published.

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

A: I would like to do public speaking to spread the message of the book. I will be speaking at the Ultimate Girls Getaway in October, but would like to do more speaking.

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

A: I definitely plan on combining both worlds: Author and speaker.

Q: How do you see yourself in ten years?

A: I see myself as a best selling author that has successfully helped many people around the world.

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

A: Go for it. As Joseph Campbell said; Follow your bliss, and the world will open doors for you where there were only walls.

Eddie Godshalk bought his first investment houses in 1987, where he was a licensed agent in the Eastern U.S. From those humble beginnings, Eddie has gained more than 20 years of real estate investment, business development and mortgage experience. Eddie received his MBA from San Francisco State University (SFSU) with a focus on building automated valuation models (AVM’s) and real estate finance.   What began as a graduate school project quickly turned into an obsession that has inspired for the past several years.  After collecting more than four years’ worth of micro block data, Eddie and a team of SFSU and Berkeley PhD’s tested and back-tested algorithms and built the Home Value Predictor™ system.   Eddie is committed to bringing the most accurate, reliable and relevant information to the real estate market Home Value Predictor™ is poised to redefine the way we think of real estate in the 21st century.

Title:  The Missing Keys to Thriving in Any Real Estate Market

Website: www.HomeValuePredictor.com

Blog: http://homevaluepredictor.com/blog

Twitter: http://twitter.com/EddieGodshalk and http://twitter.com/valuepredictor

Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Eddie-Godshalk/655477353

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

A:  My first book was titled The Missing Keys to Thriving in Any Real Estate Market. It has been a while in writing, since my software at www.HomeValuePredictor.com is just getting ready to launch, which will deliver the missing keys.

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 The Missing Keys to Thriving in Any Real Estate Market was published, and I am currently updating, the updated book should be done in early August.  My focus is developing and delivering quality current information to everyone who wants it, at the hyper local market level.  And all this information is currently missing at the Block Level and Zip Code level.

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 did not approach any high level publisher, but was referred to Aviva Publishing by a good friend.  My real focus is and has been in developing the back end software and delivering current local information on the over 350,000 hyper local markets in the USA.

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

A:  I felt great, since I was focusing on what is most important.   Our first launch of www.HomeValuePredictor.com had rather complex maps, which many members did not understand why the colors of the Census Block Groups changed.  So we had to make a simpler interface and improve our maps and reports, so that they deliver more relevant and understandable local information to the Block level.

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

A:  Aviva Publishing out of New York published my first and current book.   I choose them since I was referred to them by a good friend, Patrick Snow from www.CEOSpace.net.

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

A:  I felt very good.  My first book is based upon years of work, and deep analysis on data and examining housing variables that matter.   And a lot of friends and fellow real estate investors and Realtors have been helping and advising me along the way.   So far, I still have not celebrated, since www.HomeValuePredictor.com has not launched at this time.  Should be very soon.  Then, can you spell Cancun?

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

A:   For my first book The Missing Keys to Thriving in Any Real Estate Market I am just beginning to promote, initially through social media.  Then as soon as www.HomeValuePredictor.com launches, I will start a more elaborate marketing campaign.  I feel very strongly that once people know what is missing, and where to find the missing information, that my book and new Web site will be successful.  It is just a matter of getting the word out, and educating people, since a lot of the new “keys” are not mentioned by other real estate people, since they do not buy or compile local data or information.

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

A:  Maybe.  Maybe if I had a publisher who was more involved with marketing.  But as an entrepreneur, I am OK with the way things worked out so far.  Soon, it will be just a matter of getting the word out and getting feedback from people.  The beauty of blogging and software development, is that they are easy to change and adapt to what people want. So I look forward to getting feedback on my books, and updates and comments from readers at by blog at http://homevaluepredictor.com/blog.

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

A:  I have very much grown as a writer and speaker.  Originally I was so involved in data analysis and complex systems, that many people, who understand real estate, did not know what I was talking about, since they have been so engulfed into false beliefs that want matters in real estate in property information.   Today I just say things like, would you be interested in finding the missing keys to the lockbox, or does current local information matter to you?   I have learned to not speak or write in detailed numbers, and if people want better information, I am just the provider. And they can seek, and find critical information and answers, which currently they cannot.  It will soon be up to people if they want to access quality local information, and prior to the launch of www.HomeValuePredictor.com the people have access to hardly any current local information at the Census Block level.  So I am pretty excited about the future.

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:  Probably the most important thing I have learned over the past years is to only work with local quality people.   After going to India for less expensive programmers, I have learned to work only with qualified local people who I can trust.   I knew from being a builder, that if I hired to lower waged person outside a Home Depot, that I would have to monitor there quality of work.  I did not apply this idea to overseas programmers, and figured if they said they could do something, they could.  If I just hired and worked with local experts, my site would have launched a while ago.  But this is really OK, since now my book is a lot better written, and I have a lot of feedback from real estate investors, so now our maps and local reports deliver better information to members.

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

A:  Well, hopefully the biggest accomplishment has not happened so far, since I am just starting out the gate.   A friend of mine, paid me a nice complement a few weeks ago and said, you know Eddie, I do not know anyone as passionate and dedicated as you, except for Barack Obama.  And this is sort of true, not to many people would buy and compile expensive data, and have the dedicated drive it took, to figure out what is missing in the real estate market, and hire PhD’s to help develop predictive models down to the Census Block Group.  Most people just take the easy way out, and get a “job” of sell something.   So I guess my biggest accomplishment is an ongoing dedicated spirit, and I am dedicated to helping others and discovering and delivering the truth, this is what keeps me going, and my passion.

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

A:  Sometimes I get rather heavily involved in data analysis and projects, but I am really a part time hedonist and X rugby player, hippy, and surfing beach bum who enjoys travel, socializing, sports, and adventure more than most people.  When I first went to college at St Mary’s College in Maryland, this was partly because I wanted to study and be an oceanographer, and partly because St Mary’s just changed from being an all girl’s school.  So I guess, being an oceanographer, since I love the water, surf, bikinis, and I know our planet needs some help and assistance.

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

A:  Have not combined them yet. Will see what shakes out after www.HomeValuePredictor.com launches.  Nice thing about having a web site, is that I can move and be mobile.  General plan is to travel to various real estate events and start speaking too.  And I really look forward to this, since I know my service can help a lot of real estate professionals, real estate investors, and consumers.

Q: How do you see yourself in ten years?

A:  Well with God’s grace, and taking the right actions, alive and healthy first.   A good friend of mine Clinton Swine, from www.FrontierTranings.com once said, Eddie just get it done, www.HomeValuePredictor.com and the relationships that will evolve alone will be worth the effort.  So I expect to grow within the real estate community, and still be involved as a smart real estate investor, and helping other make smart investment decisions.  Within the real estate industry, there are a lot of avenues and niches that need quality forecasting and information.

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

A:  For me content is king.  So either work with very high quality of content and be an expert in your field, or work in a niche that is very high in demand, or just be passionate and non-stoppable in your dream and never give up until you reach your dream.  And if your dream is to be published, seek advice and information, so you take the right steps along the road.

HBF Teacher has been a public school Middle grades teacher for three years. Before that, she substitute taught for two years.

Because of the many years teaching and seeing what really goes on in the school system, she decided to write a book about it, going incognito of course.

We interviewed her to find out about her new book, No Teachers Left Behind, a fictional yet realistic look at the frustrations of middle school staff.  If you’d like to find out more about her, visit www.noteachersleftbehind.info.

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

No Teachers Left Behind is not my first novel. I also have had an e-book published so I would definitely consider myself to be multi-published.

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

Summer’s Love was the name of the romance novel.

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?

Well I can’t honestly recall all the rejections I received for Summer’s Love. Probably enough to fill a storage locker. Eventually I self-published the novel, did another rewrite, and it the story was picked up by an e-book publisher.

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

Rejection hurts. There’s no doubt about it, and I think the more you get, the more it hurts. Of course, I was depressed, probably honestly cried a little bit, but I tried to use the rejections constructively. Why was I being rejected? Was my query not written well? Was my story not unique, etc?

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

iUniverse was the company I used to help me self-publish my novel. At the time, their publishing program was easy and affordable.

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

Even though I self-published the novel, I was still overjoyed when I received the first copy in my hand. There’s nothing like holding a copy of the object that you sweated and toiled over for a year and a half.

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

I told everyone I knew that I had published a book, and I asked them to tell their friends. Social Networking is very important these days.

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

Self-publishing was my choice. The only other route would have been for me to not publish, and I just had to see my story published. I’m happy with the way things have turned out so far.

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

I have been published again, and the name of my new novel is No Teachers Left Behind. My previous publishing experience taught me a great deal, and that knowledge has been beneficial to me.

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?

I probably would have worked a bit harder on my query letter and my book synopsis. Those things are so very important. You won’t get your foot in even the smallest door if they aren’t written well.

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

I’ve received some great reviews, and I’ve also been nominated for a couple of awards. It’s an achievement to have my writing recognized.

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

Well I’m already a writer, a teacher, and last but not least, a mother. If I could add one more profession to my resume, what would that be? I think I would choose to be a psychologist. I really enjoy listening to people talk, and people often tell me that they feel better after talking to me.

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

I would never give up my writing for anything. It’s a part of who I am. As far as combining the two professions together, sometimes I feel like I do help people by writing. Often I will have a reader come up to me and say that I’ve made them smile or laugh or simply reflect about a part of his/her life. With that said, perhaps there is some psychiatry in what I do.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

Still creating stories about life.

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

Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Your desire determines your reach.