Interview - Lisa Daily, author of Fifteen Minutes of Shame

Today's 5 Q&A is with Lisa Daily, author of Fifteen Minutes of Shame.

1.) Who are you?
About me:
I'm the author of STOP GETTING DUMPED!, a columnist, and real-life TV dating expert on DAYTIME, a syndicated morning TV show.

Official bio:
Lisa Daily can tell you why he didn’t call, the color you should never wear on a first date, and even where to snoop for evidence if you think your guy’s been fooling around. Millions read her dating advice column or tune in to see her every week on Daytime, and the early buzz on her debut novel Fifteen Minutes of Shame says it pops with the same signature quirky humor and fresh, irreverent voice that made her dating advice book, Stop Getting Dumped! a bestseller.

Women from 16-60 flock to Lisa’s popular Dream Girl Academy at the Learning Annex in New York City and events across the US. Lisa is a dating coach, speaker and popular media guest -- she has done more than 2000 interviews on top radio and television shows, including iVillage Live, MTV Live, Entertainment Tonight and she appears as a real-life dating expert on the HITCH movie DVD starring Will Smith. A frequent source for reporters, Lisa has been quoted in hundreds of publications, from the New York Times, Washington Post and Chicago Tribune to Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Men’s Health, Christian Science Monitor and US Weekly Magazine. For more on Lisa, visit www.lisadaily.com

2.) How did you come to write Fifteen Minutes of Shame?
Right before my dating advice book, STOP GETTING DUMPED! was being published, a really prominent dating expert was going through a very nasty divorce, and the media was really going after her. I remember having two simultaneous thoughts -- first, it really hit me that any of us are one step away from public humiliation, and second, how painful and challenging it would be to go through one of the most difficult times in your life with the whole world watching -- some of them rooting for you to go down in flames.

I thought it would make an interesting start to a novel -- what happens when America's favorite relationships expert finds out her husband is cheating on live television? And how do you come back from that?

3.) One of the things that really stuck with me about the book is Darby is incredibly strong in the face of adversity. Do you think that women are born with an inner reserve of tenacity that only shows itself when the going gets tough?
I do think most of us are stronger than we know, and usually it takes something really awful to bring out that inner strength. But some people are weaker than they expect -- adversity hits and they end up in a puddle. Those people make pretty interesting characters too. (Although you don't really want them in charge when the going gets tough.)

4.) Tell us about Dreamgirl Academy.
The Dreamgirl Academy is a class I teach for women that is a fun mix of dating strategy and female bonding. What's always been interesting to me are the women who attend -- they're everyone from 16-70, at every stage of their lives. I love meeting the women, helping them spot problems in their love lives.

5.) What's next?
I've just finished a new non-fiction book, HOW TO DATE LIKE A GROWNUP, which will be out in January 2009, and once I'm back from my tour, I'll be working on my new novel, THE TRUTH ABOUT GOSSIP.

Thank you, Lisa!

Interview - Sheila Roberts, author of Bikini Season

Sheila Roberts is back, visiting us today with a 5 Q&A about her new book, Bikini Season

1.) What's been happening with you since On Strike For Christmas was released?
I have been busy. I am really enjoying being at St. Martin's. It's a great publishing house and my editor, Rose Hilliard, is simply fabulous. We've worked hard on getting Bikini Season ready for public consumption and I'm happy to say it's an April selection for Target's breakout author program. So, that's exciting. I'm almost ready to turn in another book and then it will be time to start book number four. Wow, I'm making myself tired just reading this! But it's a good kind of tired, the kind you have after you exercised.

2.) If you say "bikini shopping" to a group of ten women who are in their 30's, odds are at least 9 of them will groan and respond negatively. What prompted you to write Bikini Season?
My editor actually suggested writing a book that deals with that famous four letter word: diet. And I was all over that because most of us women can identify with weight issues. I deliberately included one character who saw herself as less because of her weight, since I think we women often beat up on ourselves needlessly. While I believe it's important to stay healthy, ten or twenty extra pounds doesn't make us ugly. Now, having said that, it is easy to fall into bad eating and exercise (or lack of exercise) habits and drift along fat and happy and unhealthy. And that's not good. This is the only body we get. We can't turn it in for a newer model. So it's important to take care of it. Not easy, that's for sure, but important.

3.) Which do you prefer - one piece or two?
One piece. One very big piece.

4.) You seem to have a really good understanding of the friendships among women. Are your books based on your circle of friends?
I think girlfriends are the best asset a woman can have. I am rich with amazing friends, but in my books most of the characters simply spring from my imagination. There are some that bear a resemblance to a real person, though: me. And this book is no exception. The chocolate cravings, giving in to that ice cream temptation, diet pill disasters - those are all me. But probably many other women, too! For the last year I've been fighting the battle of the bulge with two girlfriends. It's a slow, hard fight, and with three weeks left to go before the big book signing party where we were going to appear all hot and skinny, well, let's just say that there's a lot of panic going on right now.


5.) What's next?
Next spring, watch for my book "Love in Bloom" about three women who meet at a community garden and become friends. Pretty ironic that I'm writing a book centered in a garden since I have the world's biggest black thumb, but with a new house to landscape I have caught the gardening bug big time. I'm hoping I get the hang of this gardening thing before I kill everything I've planted. But that's the beauty of fiction, isn't it? You can do things in a book you'd never be able to manage in real life. And maybe that's why I enjoy writing so much.

Thank you, Sheila.

Interview - Christine Norris, author of The Crown of Zeus

Today's 5 Q&A is with Christine Norris, author of The Crown of Zeus

1.) Who are you?
I'm a substitute teacher looking for a permanent teaching job who writes because she loves it, living in New Jersey. I also love reading and making crafts and movies and Ugly Betty.

2.) Have you always had an interest in Greek mythology?
Pretty much. Not just Greek mythology, but all mythology appeals to me. My next book relies on the mythology of Ancient Egypt, and I've been researching ancient China lately for the third book in the series. I love to see how the mythology is woven throughout the culture that supports it.

It's not just mythology, but folktales too - I'm a huge fairy tale fan.

3.) How did the idea come to you to incorporate magic, adventure and mythology for young adults?
I love fantasy, and I wanted to do something different. I'd written two 'high-fantasy' books already - plenty of wizards, dragons and fairies - and I was looking for something outside the usual 'stuff' that's in the bookstores now. I started with the idea of the big manor and the secret library, and the rest sort of fell into place. I'm not an outliner, I let the story come to me. But once I started, I couldn't stop. I have ideas for the rest of the series, and I can honestly say I know how the last book will end. I don't know everything, but I do know that.

4.) Have you received any feedback from kids who have read your book?
Not yet, mostly because e-books are still sort of new, and I don't know that many kids read them. I like e-books, almost as much as paper, and I think kids, who are always into the techno stuff, would like them too.

But I know at least one YA reviewer has a copy and I'm waiting to hear what she thinks. All the adults who've read it have liked it, which really makes me think I've hit the mark. My first two books were well received by kids, though, so I'm hoping this one is as well.

5.) What's next?
The Ankh of Isis. Tentatively scheduled to be released in e-book by Samhain in July. It's the second in the series. I'm working on the third as we speak.

The Crown of Zeus will be out in trade paperback on Dec. 29, 2008.

Thanks so much, Christine!

Interview - Dyan Garris, author of Money and Manifesting

Dyan Garris is back to visit with us and to talk about her new book, Money and Manifesting.




1.) What's been happening with you since we last spoke?
Thank you for the interview, Mary, and the opportunity to connect with your readers. I'm excited to be here again. So much has been happening. I've been working on putting the finishing touches on the tools that I'm building for people to use for self-empowerment.

2.) Why write a spiritual book about money?
There are many reasons why I wrote this book. The first reason is that is the next logical step in the toolbox that Spirit has asked me to build. Next, The Secret gave us part of the story. The Law of Attraction and the power of positive thinking are not secrets. These principles have been around forever. What was different about The Secret was the slick marketing. However, these very important principles needed to be accepted now into collective consciousness on a mass scale. The timing was right for that to happen and people were open to accepting these truths. It has set the foundation for what is to come spiritually and transformationally. However, The Secret only gave people part of the story. So now we have a lot of people out there trying to apply the laws of attraction and the power of positive thinking and they're manifesting absolutely nothing. There is a lot of frustration out there. I wrote the book to teach people how to manifest. It isn't hard. It doesn't have to take years. But it is way beyond just applying the laws of attraction and the power of positive thinking. It teaches people not only how to go from A to B, but from A to B to C to Z. You already know now about the laws of attraction. Why tell you what you already know?

3.) Do you find that people have strong preconceived notions when it comes to their finances?
Yes. People have ingrained and learned belief systems about money. These underlying belief systems were learned. Babies don’t come in here with any preconceived notions about money. Children are taught these things based on their caretaker’s beliefs about money. People's self-worth is intertwined with their money and beliefs about money. Sometimes, this is all that is in the way of someone being able to manifest. Clear up those limiting belief systems and you've effectively cleared a pathway for the energy of money. It’s a start.

4.) Do you think credit cards are a good or a bad thing?
We live in a world where credit cards have become necessary. However, it is people’s distortions about credit and about debt that get them into financial trouble.

5.) Your last book focused on food, this one on money, what's next?
All of my work, including the cookbook, is about transformation. So, while it may appear as if there are a just bunch of unrelated products, this is not so. They all work together as a “healing journey,” hence, “Voice of the Angels – A Healing Journey,” which is at the base of the body of work. Money and Manifesting is at the top. It’s part of the roof. My entire body of work is about clearing blockages to whatever is in your way so you can move forward on the path. The cookbook teaches people to take raw ingredients and use them to transform food into what truly nourishes your whole self – your mind, body, and spirit. That is accomplished basically by focusing on what you're doing, integrating your thoughts and feelings about food and then taking action to make something that really “feeds” you. My cookbook is a method for practicing integration – in a fun and creative way – which is a necessary step and prelude to learning to manifest. Also, the energy of both food and money resides in the root or base chakra. In order to manifest anything, we must first understand that this is the seat of creation. It’s where the power of creation lives. We don’t create with our minds. Although using the power of the mind is part of creating, we can’t create anything if we are blocked at the base. It’s like building a house on a non-solid foundation and then years later wondering why the house is crumbling. You built the house on a faulty foundation.

There are two more items that go in this toolbox that I’m almost done building. One is a DVD for relaxation and chakra balance. You may already know that I have a series of relaxation music and meditation CDs for this. However, meditation is still seen as somewhat of an effort. So the purpose of the DVD is to remove the “work” aspect. The CDs and of course the new DVD are Automatic Chakra Balance™. My most recent CD “Release” is all music that vibrates to and clears the seventh or crown chakra. The final product that goes into the toolbox is another CD of music that vibrates to and clears the eighth chakra. That’s a chakra that no one ever really talks about. We are still all focused on having seven of them, which is a very limited schematic. Then this will be a complete set of tools for self-empowerment. I’ll probably go around the country and help people in person learn to manifest and clear and balance themselves so they can move forward. But, I’ll have to see what Spirit has in mind for me after I get through building the whole house.

Thanks so much for coming by, Dyan!

Interview - Marianne Arkins, author of One Love For Liv

Today's 5 Q&A is with Marianne Arkins, author of One Love For Liv

1.) Who are you?
Marianne was born in California, met her husband in Colorado, got a puppy and got pregnant, then moved with the group of them to the frozen north of New Hampshire where her thin blood keeps her indoors six months of the year. It's the perfect scenario for writing! She has seven sweet, sassy stories with The Wild Rose Press, and has a novel, "One Love For Liv" from Samhain Publishing. Check out her website or blog for more information or to see what's going on inside her brain. If you dare.

2.) Have you always known you wanted to be a writer?
For the most part, I've always written, which isn't exactly the same thing as being a "writer". I toyed with the idea of publication as a teen, but didn't really take myself seriously until my early thirties. Still, writing was something I couldn't NOT do. If I wasn't writing stories, I wrote poetry or song lyrics, or even just my journal.

Maybe the question should have been, "Have you always known you wanted to be a published author?" My answer in that case would have been--No.

3.) Why did you choose the Romance genre?
I like to read happy things. Romance novels by definition are always happy. Additionally, I love LOVE. What makes two people click? How can they get past their differences and find a HEA? Nothing in society drives human beings as much as the search for love. Often, it's mixed up with sex, but love is what moves us. Why would I NOT want to write about it?

4.) How was it working with Samhain Publishing?
Working with Samhain has been a joy. My editor was wonderful, the staff was helpful and responsive and even the other authors are right there to help each other. They're very professional and they do everything in their power to help me be successful. I can't wait to work with them again!

5.) What's next?
I have a 20,000 word story coming out with The Wild Rose Press soon -- I'm proofreading the galley right now, so it should be out fairly soon. I have a short story (about 12,000 words) with Samhain, though my editor resigned and I'm being reassigned to someone new, so it's taking a bit of time. I have a mystery that I'm focusing on finishing -- I'm about three-quarters of the way through, and I have two other romantic comedies that are either done (and in need of going through revisions) or nearly done. Can't let the moss grow on me!

Thank you, Marianne.

Interview - Amanda Ford, author of Kiss Me, I'm Single: An Ode to the Solo Life

Today's 5 Q&A is with Amanda Ford, author of Kiss Me, I'm Single: An Ode to the Solo Life

1.) Who are you?
Love this question! It reminds me of that moment in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland when the hookah smoking caterpillar asks Alice, "Who are you?" and she responds, "I hardly know, sir, just at present--at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then."

Who am I? Mostly I'm not sure. But there are a few things I can say for certain. I love to write. I have written a few small, books that fit somewhere in that indefinable category where self-help collides with memoir and marries philosophical pontification. I write freelance articles for newspapers, magazines and websites. You can see a sample of my work at www.oholive.com.

I also love to bike ride, cook, host tea parties, flirt and Lindy Hop.

2.) Why did you write this book?
When I was 22 I married my college sweetheart only to file for divorce two years later. We were too young and despite the fact that we really did love one another, my ex husband and I needed to live our lives as adults before settling down. We needed to "find ourselves" if you will. I knew pretty early on in our marriage that we had made a mistake. I often joke that as soon as the honeymoon ended, our marriage ended. This isn't far from the truth, although I didn't want to admit it at the time. It's scary to be a young newlywed filled with regret. I ignored my gut for nearly two years and worked really hard to make my marriage work, but in the end it wasn't right. My epiphany came one afternoon in the form of a daydream about myself in my 40s with daughters in their late teens. I imagined myself telling my girls, "Don't get married young like I did. Live alone. Travel the world. Date many, many men. Experience everything before getting married." It was a hard slap in the face to see myself already living vicariously through daughters that hadn't even been conceived. That daydream made me realize that if I didn't leave my marriage I would regret it for the rest of my life.

So I got divorced. And getting divorced was one of the biggest acts of bravery and self-care I had ever performed. I had been without-a-doubt certain that marriage was what I wanted, yet shortly after my wedding I realized that I did not want it at all. It scared me to see that something could feel so right in one moment and then so wrong in the next. I was embarrassed, disappointed, humbled. I was excited by the new possibilities that came with being single, but also scared by the uncertainty of it all.

In order to make sense of my new position in life, I did what I know best: I wrote. I have always used writing as a way of grounding me during chaotic times. For me the best writing comes from uncertainty rather than certainty, from a question rather than an answer.

Kiss Me, I'm Single is what came out of those years of writing after my divorce. I did not want to write a book that was anti-marriage or even a book that was pro-single. These slants bore me. I am interested the universal, in what transcends circumstance. Existential crises seem to be forever erupting within us, sometimes because of specific events, sometimes for no apparent reason. This is what interests me. Why am I here? How can I make the most of my time on this planet? Why am I happy one moment and sad the next?

3.) Your mom is also a writer. Will you be collaborating with her on any future projects?

My mother and I have been writing together for a long time. She got her first publishing contract when I was in 9th grade and I remember her working on the book at night and calling me into her office to read passages to me. I would correct her grammar and offer my opinion of her stories. When I was 19, she and I co-authored a book together called Between Mother and Daughter. It was a remarkable experience and a great way for me to get exposure to the publishing world.

I don't think my mother really considers herself a writer despite the fact that she has written nearly a dozen books. She considers herself a therapist (she has a private practice as a family counselor). I, on the other hand, am a writer. I don't think my mom has the desire to write another book, and I'm not sure that I want to share the page with another voice.

My mother will definitely remain a character in my work and a muse of my work. She is my biggest inspiration. She asks me daily, "Did you write anything new today?" When the answer is yes, she insists that I read to her, no matter how small or rough. My mom insists that every word I write is brilliant. I wouldn't be where I am without her.

4.) How do you celebrate your singleness?
I don't really view my life in terms of single or coupled, so I don't really celebrate my singleness so much as I simply celebrate my life. I try to savor every moment, to be aware, to notice details as I go about my day. I remain open to possibility. I flirt. I dance. I ride my bicycle. I pray. I laugh. I pour myself into my creativity. I love my friends and family with every ounce of my being. I get a kick out of life. I don't take any of it too seriously. I try to enjoy what comes to me rather than stress about making things happen as I think they should be.

5.) What's next?
I'm working on a book about my mother's childhood and her adulthood and how her life has influenced my childhood and my adulthood. I've been describing it as Joy Luck Club meets Eat, Pray, Love meets A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius meets House on Mango Street meets something utterly indescribable that is uniquely Amanda Ford. When the book is done, I'm going to adapt it to a screenplay. Jason Reitman is going to direct the film and Reese Witherspoon is going to star in it. That part about Jason Reitman and Reese Witherspoon is wishful speaking, but I feel pretty confident that I will make it happen.

Thanks so much, Amanda!

Interview - Catherine Delors, author of Mistress of the Revolution

Today's 5 Q&A is with Catherine Delors, author of Mistress of the Revolution.






1.) Who are you?
I was born and raised in France. I got my law degree at the Sorbonne and became an attorney in Paris at the age of twenty-one.

Later I moved to the United States and became a member of the State Bar of California. I worked at a few large law firms, then, after the birth of my son, set up my own practice. I now split my time between Los Angeles and Paris, two wonderful cities, each in its own right.

2.) How much fun was it to write this book?
A lot. Indeed for over a year, most of the fun in my life was focused on writing Mistress of the Revolution. It was a time when I was very unhappy and many things seemed hopeless. I discovered that writing brought me the joy, the freedom, the security, the sense of purpose I was otherwise missing. Once I began to find those things again outside my novel, I was hooked! Now I cannot imagine life without writing.

3.) Did you come to love your characters, as they developed?
Absolutely. I love those characters, even those who are not very nice. I enjoyed creating them all. I am thinking in particular of Gabrielle’s atrocious first husband, and also of the Count de Villers, a great favorite with my early readers. In a way, I even felt that those fictional people had too much of a grip on my mind after I stopped writing Mistress of the Revolution. The cure was easy: get run along with a new set of characters, those of my second book.

4.)Did you go to the geographical locations you describe in Mistress of the Revolution?
I know and love those places. I could not write about them otherwise. As a child, I spent all of my summers in the little mountain town of Vic, where Gabrielle, my heroine, grew up. Also, like Gabrielle, I fell in love with Paris as a teenager, and I am still in love today.

5.)What's next?
I am currently putting the finishing touches to my second novel, a historical thriller about a terrorist attack in 1800 Paris, at the beginning of Bonaparte's reign. And of course, beginning to work on Book 3, a prequel to Mistress of the Revolution.

Thanks so much, Catherine!

Interview - Susan Breen, author of The Fiction Class

Today's 5 Q&A is with Susan Breen, author of The Fiction Class






1.) Who are you?
I teach creative writing for Gotham Writers' Workshop in Manhattan. THE FICTION CLASS is my first published novel (but there are two other ones under my bed). I started off as a short story writer and a number of my stories have been published by literary magazines, among them www.anderbo.com and The Chattahoochee Review. My husband and I have been married twenty-five years and we live with our children in Irvington, which is a suburb of Manhattan.

2.) What is your all time favorite story about one of your students?
My favorite students are those who commit one hundred per cent. (If you want to get me crazy, tell me you're writing as a hobby.) So my favorite student story involves a young man who took his first class with me six years ago. He was working sixteen hours as a manager of a store and he did not have much money or formal education, though he was always reading. I used to cringe whenever his work would come up for critique, because the reviews would be so harsh. But he didn't give up, and now, his stories are very well-received and I think he will be published very soon. Best of all, he has a unique voice and a great story to tell.

3.) What is your writing space like (office, kitchen table, nook) ?
I have a small office with a computer and a desk that I assembled myself one insane day along time ago. I've stacked my favorite books on top of the desk and I've papered the walls with every encouraging note I've ever received from anyone.

4.) What is your favorite book?
This changes from day to day, but at the moment it's The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens. I feel like that book has everything in it--tragedy, joy, laughter, tears.

5.) What's next?
I just gave my agent a synopsis for my new novel. It is tentatively titled The Dickens Affair and it is the story of a woman and her teenaged son and a traveling troupe of actors.


Thank you, Susan!

Interview - Aram Schefrin, author of Marwan: The Autobiography of a 9/11 Terrorist

Today's 5 Q&A is with Aram Schefrin, author of Marwan: The Autobiography of a 9/11 Terrorist

1.) Who are you?
I'm the author of four novels. After studying with Stephen Sondheim and Carlos Montoya, I co-founded and was the lyricist and guitarist for the jazz/rock group Ten Wheel Drive, which had its standing ovations in the late '60's and early seventies. After five years on the road, I retired to the studio where I produced several early disco hits. A graduate of Columbia College and Harvard Law School, I returned to the practice of law in 1977. I now practice in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Florida, and live in Wellington, Florida with my wife, two dogs, four cats and three polo ponies. You can learn about me at aramschefrin.com. Right now, I'm writing an opera.

2.) Why did you write this book?
After 9/11, I realized that I knew nothing of the people who had attacked us, or the reasons why they had done it. I did some general reading for research on Islam. On the internet I read the coverage in the Florida papers, because much of the plot took place in Florida. I went to the places the hijackers had stayed. And after all that, I came to two conclusions: first, the plot of the pre 9/11 events, and the characters involved in it, made for really engrossing fiction; and second, Americans don't really understand what happened to us, and why, and I think it's critical that we do understand, to prepare for what may yet be coming and to do what we can to prevent it. We must understand the enemy to protect ourselves, and that particularly includes understanding what drove them personally - their frustrations, their humiliations, their unmet needs, etc. Because it wasn't just their religion that drove them to do what they did.

3.) Have you had any negative feedback due to its subject matter?
You bet. When I circulated the book in 2003, New York publishing houses considered it insulting and outrageous to present a book about 9/11 which was written (more or less) from the terrorists’ point of view – even though the book made no attempt to excuse their conduct.

4.) Have you been to Ground Zero, and if so, how did you feel while you were there? If not, do you intend to go?
No, I haven't and I don't intend to. Frankly, I don't think it's helpful to mythologize 9/11. It keeps us from comprehending what it was about.

5.) What's next?
I have a new book coming out in April. It's called "The Tenth Cow," it's on religious themes, and you can find out all about it at www.tenthcow.com.

Thank you so much, Aram.

Interview - Camille Marchetta, author of The River, By Moonlight

Today's 5 Q&A is with Camille Marchetta, author of The River, By Moonlight








1.) Who are you?
Who I am at any given moment depends on the time of day and my frame of mind and what's going on around me. I'm a sister, an aunt, a cousin, a friend, a reader, a film-goer, a ballet-lover, an art museum junkie, an avid traveler, and maybe other things as well. But not a daughter any more, alas. My parents have both died. If I were asked the question at a cocktail party, I'd just give my name. But as you ask it, and I know how deeply you care about books, I'll say that I'm a writer and that's as true as any other reply I might offer. I've written for television. In addition to various episodes and TV movies, I was story-editor on Dallas its first two seasons, watching as it climbed from obscurity to international hit. I wrote and produced the series Nurse, which won Michael Learned an Emmy, and Dynasty the year it reached the top of the ratings. I co-executive produced Falcon Crest and was story consultant on Central Park West. I co-authored two best-selling novels with Ivana Trump, and have written three of my own: Lovers and Friends, The Wives of Frankie Ferraro, and, now, The River, By Moonlight.

2.) What was the inspiration behind The River, By Moonlight?
Friends told me about an exhibition of paintings they'd seen by a young woman artist who had died in mysterious circumstances. I couldn't get what they told me out of my head. Eventually, I decided to write a novel, not about that particular artist as it happened, but to deal with the issues raised for me by her story – despair, death, grief, how people deal with them, and how some indomitable spirits manage not only to heal, but to thrive.

3.) How much research was required to write the book?
An enormous amount. For one thing, the novel is set in 1917, at the start of the First World War, and I had to make myself comfortable in that period of history. I had to find out about New York City then and the Hudson River Valley, where the story takes place. There were so many things I didn't know. What did people eat? What did they wear? Where did they go? How did they get there? And then, the main character is a painter, and I'm not, so I had to learn not only about how to paint, but the state of the art world at that time. I think I started researching two years before I began writing, and I continued on through the last draft.

4.) Having been a writer for the television series, Dallas, what are you thoughts regarding the writers strike?
I support it completely. It's unfortunate, yes. There are so many people who are affected who really can't do without a paycheck. That's awful. But the strike is absolutely necessary. Some like to paint it as rich writers being greedy. But that's far from the case. The majority of writers aren't rich at all. And all writers deserve to share in the profits that come from their work. And what they're asking for isn't a fortune, but a tiny sliver, a small taste, of a pie that wouldn't exist at all without the long hours they invest in writing scripts - for television, for film, for DVD, for internet downloads that wouldn't exist without them.

5.) What's next for you?
I've been so busy with the publication and promotion of The River, By Moonlight that I really haven't made up my mind about what to do next. But I do have several projects in mind. At the moment, I seem inclined to do a family memoir. There's so much about my childhood in Brooklyn, about my parents and grandparents, my aunts and uncles, that I want to write about. Well, whatever I decide on, I hope to start soon.

Thanks so much, Camille!

Interview - Judy Ford and Rachel Green Baldino, authors of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Enhancing Sexual Desire

Today's 5 Q&A is with Judy Ford, MSW, LCSW and Rachel Greene Baldino, MSW, LCSW - authors of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Enhancing Sexual Desire

1.) Who are you?

J.F. - I’ve been in private practice as family therapist for over twenty-five years. Before that I worked with couples and families in various settings—from gang turf in the inner city to crisis intervention in hospitals, to community mental health clinics. I’m the author of 10 books including Wonderful Ways to Love a Child, which, by the way, lead to my appearance on Oprah! That was exciting.

Recently I’ve discovered my artistic side. I adore painting, cutting, and pasting and can testify to the fact that by developing our creative inspirations we fall more in touch with our sensuous side and that’s definitely good for romance.

I am the mother of a twenty-nine year old daughter, Amanda Ford who is also a writer.

R.G.B. - Right now I am a freelance writer and stay-at-home mother of two young children. I also have a professional background as a clinical social worker. Before writing this book, I was a relationship columnist for the online health and wellness newsletter SixWise.com, and I have also written two other books.

2.) What prompted the idea for this book?

J.F. - I’ve been studying relationships for over 30 years, I counseled thousands of couples and dedicated my professional work to family healing and wholeness. When I was approached to contribute to this book, I was delighted to participate as the focus of the book was in sync with my philosophy of taking good and gentle care of your relationship.

R.G.B. - What prompted the idea for The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Enhancing Sexual Desire was an invitation from our literary agent, Andrea Hurst, to submit a proposal on the book’s topic to the appropriate editor.

3.) How did you decide to co-write it?

J.F. - A literary agent suggested that we work together. It was a good match and even though we never met in person the writing process went smoothly.

R.G.B. - Regarding the co-writing of the book, once again, our literary agent Andrea Hurst introduced us. We hit it off really well, and decided that we would be a great co-authoring team.

4.) What's your favorite romantic night with your significant other like?

J.F. - I am widowed and currently not in a committed relationship, but that does not mean that there is no romance in my life. On the contrary, February is the love month and I adore celebrating love. At this stage in my life, romance is better than ever. Romance for me must include a playful attitude, a twinkle in the eye and a spring in the step. I intend have many romantic evenings this month and that will include hand holding with a man who thinks I’m funny. That’s a turn on. I think he’s smart and handsome and that’s a turn on for him. We “get” each other and that makes almost any evening together fun and romantic. Before the evening is over we will probably go for a long walk, hug, eat dinner, laugh a lot and find out where the energy takes us.

R.G.B. - Regarding my idea of a really romantic night: Because of the stage of life that my husband and I are in right now (as the parents of a 5-year-old and a 2-year-old), one of our favorite types of romantic nights is when the grandparents take care of the kids and we get to go out to eat in a nice, quiet restaurant (quiet being the operative word here). Our day-to-day lives with our kids are very joyful, hectic and action-packed, and the overall decibel level is also quite high! So, these days, for us, being in a quiet restaurant, where the pace is leisurely, the music is soft, and the lights are low and romantic (and all the people around us are also speaking softly), is utter paradise! We can actually have a wonderful (and uninterrupted!) conversation about anything and everything under the sun! We have always enjoyed talking and laughing together, ever since the day we first met back in January of 1988. In fact, I have always thought that great conversation is one of the best aphrodisiacs around, one of the best ways for close, loving, committed couples to feel even closer and to “get in the mood” for romance.


5.) What's next?

J.F. - Rachel and I have ideas for another project and I am working on two more books.

R.G.B. - Switching gears, the project I am working on right now has to do with my ongoing interest in social work-related issues. With the same agent and editorial team, and also with the staff of the National Foster Parent Association (NFPA), I am working on a guide book for people who are thinking seriously about becoming foster parents. And, as Judy mentioned, she and I are making plans to collaborate on another project, and I am very excited about that!

Thank you so much, ladies!

Interview - Judy Gregerson, author of Bad Girls Club

Today's 5 Q&A is with Judy Gregerson, author of Bad Girls Club




1.) Who are you?
Well, I grew up on Long Island, at the very eastern end which is very much like Cape Cod. When I graduated from high school, I went to the State University of New York at Oswego and Stony Brook and then worked in Manhattan for four years. That’s when I published my first book, Save Me! A Young Woman’s Journey Through Schizophrenia to Health. I also worked in advertising and publishing and then I moved to the Pacific Northwest where I raised two girls (now college age) and started on my next book. I am a parentification survivor, meaning that I was a child who became the parent and took care of my mother and my sister as my family spiraled out of control.

2.) Do you think it's possible to ever totally heal from the damage caused by child abuse?
That’s a good question! I think that research now shows that abuse or trauma do make changes to the brains of young children. My understanding is that it imprints on the brain somehow. But more importantly, I think that living in a situation like that teaches kids patterns of thinking and behaving that can be overcome but are very difficult to change. When a child has been beat down like that, it’s very hard to change their self-image. It requires a lot of work and the desire to truly change your life.

Most adults I talk to who were abused have digestive problems and auto-immune problems, which I find interesting, but I’ve never seen a study on what percentage do or don’t. But that tells me that so much has been internalized and the body has turned on itself, which is really sad.

Totally heal? I’m not sure. I think you can overcome a lot of it. With work and help, I think you can go on to lead a happy, fulfilling life. But there’s much to overcome and many people won’t look back or won’t look inside at what they’ve pushed down and many people I talk to who suffered from some form of abuse have anxiety problems, experience dissociative episodes, or are depressed as adults. Those are all good reasons to get help when you’re young and escape abuse as quickly as you can.

3.) What advice would you give a child who is being abused and is old enough to ask for help, but is afraid?
I would suggest that they find an adult they trust, someone they can tell the truth. Abused kids are afraid of losing their parents and families. Any child would be afraid of losing their family, but for an abused child, it’s more dire because they can tend to be protective of the abusing parent. But if they have someone they trust—a teacher, a nurse, an aunt, a grandparent—someone who will help them and listen to them, I think they can get help.

4.) What can the average American do to help regarding the issue of child abuse?
Be aware. I’m not talking about calling CPS on mothers who have stern words with their children in grocery stores because I’ve seen that and I think it’s ridiculous. I’m talking about being aware in your own community. We all come in contact with kids all the time. People ask for help in nonverbal ways.

We used to have a neighbor kid who talked about how he dreamed about being sexually abused. My kid told me about that and at the time, I was suspicious, but I didn’t know what to do. I surely didn’t want to go accuse the parents. What I should have done was talk to a professional and ask them how to handle it. I did nothing because I was afraid of interfering. And I think that most people feel that way. We’re afraid of interfering, being wrong, and being humiliated for jumping into someone’s business. But if you watch nonverbal cues, if you ask kids who are at-risk if they need help, you are making yourself available and they might jump at the chance to tell someone what is going on. Open your eyes.

5.) What's next?
I’m working on a new book, putting together a radio talk show, and trying to get both my kids through college. I do some freelance marketing work and I try to have some fun along the way.

If anyone is interested in my book BAD GIRLS CLUB, they can find out more about it at www.judygregerson.com.


Thanks so much, Judy!

Interview - Carole Whang Schutter, author of September Dawn

Today's 5 Q&A is with Carole Whang Schutter, author of September Dawn






1.) Who are you?
I’m a romantic who has had the good fortune to live in romantic places. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii with its enormous diversity of culture filled me with stories from around the world and nurtured my love of history and the people who came before us. From there, I moved to Aspen, Colorado which is completely unique and different from almost any place on earth. Again, I experienced a world of glamour, excitement, and tragedy.

Now, at a time when most people are heading for retirement, I have finally jump-started the writing career I always dreamed of. Thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ, I became part of the 1.1% of all screenwriters that ever get a movie made. The book, by the same name, was based on the movie, “September Dawn.”

2.) What motivated you to write the screenplay (which led to the book) for September Dawn?
One day while driving through Colorado, I got to thinking about the fact that I was already in my fifties and had never achieved my dream to become a writer. While passing through a site that I was later to discover looked remarkably like Mountain Meadows, a story about a girl going to the California Gold Rush popped into my head. I imagined a band of Mormons, dressed as Indians, attacking the wagon train and killing almost everyone. The girl was the daughter of a pastor who fell in love with the son of a Mormon Bishop. The idea wouldn’t leave me. Finally, I did research on the Internet and found the story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. I was astounded. I knew it had to be a screenplay except I didn’t know how to write a screenplay. Well, God opened all the doors through my good friend, director/producer Christopher Cain. My dream of becoming a writer was restored through the grace of God.

3.) What was your research process like? And how much of what happens in the book is factual?
Tedious and painstaking. One would have to either love research or be semi-obsessed with the story and finding the truth. I can’t put a number on how much is factual but 60% sounds good. The love story, and the families involved in that love story are fictional. However, the facts surrounding the love story, the sermons and words of Brigham Young, Joseph Smith and many of the other historic figures were derived after tremendous research and cross-referencing with various sources. A lot of the evidence exists in the journals and confessions of various Mormans from a wife of Brigham Young to his chief assassin, the Danite Chief of Utah, Wild Bill Hickman. Then there are the confessions of John D. Lee, the only man executed for the crime. We researched depositions, Congressional records, Presidential speeches, sermons preserved by the LDS church itself, newspaper stories, reports by Federal Court Judges, as well as well documented and highly thought of history books by esteemed professors like Will Bagley who wrote, “Blood of the Prophets.”

4. Have you had any negative repercussions due to writing about such a controversial topic?
Extraordinary repercussions. We were accused of creating this movie to sabotage Mitt Romney’s campaign. When I first heard the accusation I said, “Who’s Mitt Romney?” I hate to admit that, but it’s true. We were also accused of stealing the idea from a documentary and so I produced copyrights that preceded the documentary. We were called historically incorrect Mormon bashers. I found it interesting that what took us two years, thousands of pages, and tremendous cross referencing to make sure we were not being unfair, somehow movie reviewers knew we were historically incorrect after seeing the movie one time. It is unfortunate because the movie and book were not made to bash anyone. Truth is often ugly and no religion or country is innocent. However, it is important to preserve truth in order to learn lessons from it. The book is even more ambitious and forthright. The message I wanted to send was forgiveness. That we are to forgive the way Jesus forgave, completely. Love is the only way to world peace. And, I point out in the book that people aren’t the enemy. The Bible says the real enemy is principalities and powers of darkness. If I can be so bold as to set forth my opinion of what that means, the real enemy is hatred, unforgiveness, and intolerance. Who of us has not been guilty of that at one time or another? I also sought to teach that we have to make our own moral decisions. Fanaticism springs from blindness of the spirit. We cannot accept everything we hear on the pulpit or on the screen. We must be seekers of knowledge ourselves and we must not blindly follow any leader. In the end, we cannot face God or ourselves and simply say, “I was just following orders.” From what I heard from some of the descendents of the perpetrators, in particular Wayne Capurro whose great great grandfather was the real Bishop of Cedar City and who wrote his own book on the subject, the agony of some of the Mormons involved lasted the rest of their lives. So, in a sense, many of them were victims too.

5.) What's next?
I’ve optioned a romantic family movie about a historical character. She is a wonderful character and I write about her as a young girl and teenager. She is Granuaile O’Malley, otherwise known as the pirate queen of Ireland. She is my Pirate Princess. We hope to begin production sometime next year.

I am also redoing a historical family saga I started years ago called “The Ohana,” which means family in Hawaii. It covers three generations of three immigrant families to Hawaii. A Korean family, a Japanese family, and an Irish family. It is the story of how their lives merge against the backdrop of Hawaiian history, the Great Depression, World War II and the Vietnam War. Quite a project. Maybe someday it will become a mini-series, for now it is a novel.

I am also working on other screenplays. One is directly from the Bible. I will be collaborating with another writer on the books created from the screenplays as I need the help! I have too many projects.

Thanks so much, Carole!

Interview - Judi Romeo author of You Are More Than Enough Achievement Journal

Today's 5 Q&A is with Judi Moreo, author of You Are More Than Enough Achievement Journal






1.) Who are you?
President of Turning Point International, a training and development company with offices in Las Vegas, Nevada and Johannesburg, South Africa. She is a sought after keynote speaker at corporate seminars, leadership conferences, and conventions.

Author of seven books, the most recent being "You Are More Than Enough: Every Woman's Guide to Purpose, Passion and Power" and it's companion "Achievement Journal"

I have two Burmese cats that are terribly spoiled, Shotsie and Brut.

2.) What was your childhood dream (that's where dreams begin, right) ?
I dreamed of becoming a model and/or a journalist. They both came true.

3.) What is your favorite success story out of all the people you've worked with?
There are so many. I guess my all time favorite is my friend, Fiona. I met her many years ago, when she was in my audience in South Africa. She was a refugee from Rhodesia and had just come to South Africa. She sat in the audience and hung on my every word. Afterward she came up and introduced herself to me and told me her story of leaving Rhodesia with her two babies and working at a job while educating herself. She asked if I would send her a book from America, which I did. Our paths did not cross again for five years. When I moved to South Africa, we became friends. Then I encouraged her to join Toastmasters which she did. She encouraged me to start a training company. We became business partners. She found out she had cancer and fought that battle for a couple of years. Today she is a motivational speaker, author, and has two very successful grown sons. She also lives in America and is studying to become a citizen.

4.) What is/was your biggest fear?
My biggest fear was to fly over the ocean, but now that I've done it so many times, it doesn't bother me any more. I've always forced myself to do what I feared.

5.) What's next?
Another book. This one is for men and women both. And for a hobby, photography!

Thanks so much, Judi!

Interview - Michael A. Banks, author of Blogging Heroes

Today's 5 Q&A is with Michael A. Banks, author of Blogging Heroes.





1.) Who are you?
Michael A. Banks got his first glimpse of the online world in 1979. By 1984 he was so involved with the early online services that he was forced to write about them in books and magazines to justify the connect time. In addition to Blogging Heroes, he is the author of three dozen other non-fiction books, plus several novels. He has written for Byte, PC, PC World, and a couple dozen other computing magazines, and served as a columnist for Windows Magazine and Computer Shopper. His next book is On the Way to the Web: The Secret History of the Internet (APress, June, 2008). He can be contacted through his Web site http://www.michaelabanks.com, or any of his blogs.

2.) Where did the idea for Blogging Heroes come from?
Joe Wikert (a Vice President and Executive Publisher at John Wiley & Sons) came up with the idea of interviewing the world’s top bloggers in a book. The basic idea was to find out how they got started, why they are successful, and how other bloggers might emulate them.

From my viewpoint, each interview had to be more than “Why are you blogging, and how do you get so many readers?” I worked to personalize each interview with the backgrounders I wrote, and through the flow of conversation during the interviews. With some bloggers, the why of blogging was more important than the how. With others, the reverse was true, and each interview emphasizes what is more important to the subject.

3.) It would seem that the bloggers you interviewed were both generous and forthcoming with their time and answers. Did this surprise you?
Yes and no. “Yes,” because most of the people I interviewed were extremely busy and breaking away from their schedules was often a sacrifice. Chris Anderson was running Wired, traveling, keeping up The Long Tail blog, and experimenting with UAVs and who knows what else. Mark Frauenfelder was of course very busy with BoingBoing.net, family life, and MAKE magazine; most of his interview was conducted as he was driving to visit a friend in the hospital.

These things and the fact that a couple dozen others were, as Owen Thomas of Valleywag put it, “too busy blogging to talk about blogging” made me appreciate those who did take the time to be interviewed. Getting a complete interview with several bloggers required multiple contacts because their lives kept intruding on our conversations. (I interviewed Robert Scoble the day after the iPhone was released, so he was very busy with that. And in the middle of things he had to break away to dash to the market. We wrapped up the interview as he completed preparations for a child’s birthday party.)

“No,” because just about everyone’s favorite subject is their job or hobby. Getting people to talk about something that fascinates them--and blogging by definition is a fascination--isn't difficult, as long as you can get them to stop blogging to talk at all.

Incidentally, more than one person has asked me how I selected the bloggers I interviewed. I had several criteria. I wanted bloggers who had a lot of traffic, but I didn’t want them all to be from one field (gadgets and computers, for instance). So I intentionally chose some bloggers who didn’t show up on Technorati or Digg, but who were interesting and popular nonetheless. A few bloggers were selected because of what they were doing, the subjects they were covering. Not all are making big money, though many are. And, as you might guess from my earlier remark, answering my email was a major factor in selection. Lots of people didn’t.

4.) Why do you blog? What do you get out of it? What advice do you have for bloggers?
I started blogging for the same reason I write: because I’m a compulsive communicator. I always have something to say, but it’s not always something a magazine would publish, and usually not important enough for a book. It could be a comment on how screwed-up AM radio is today, or a mini-review of a book. Or maybe I want to share a dialogue technique, but don’t want to build a full-length magazine article around it. So I drop it into one of my blogs.

I also use blogs to promote my books. I don’t know how many books blogging sells, but that’s okay. I get a lot from just putting my thoughts out there and knowing that they’re being considered. If I get a comment or an email from a reader, it’s a bonus.

When I sell a short story or an article to a magazine, I get paid, and that’s good, but what I get from blogging fills a need. Before blogging, I fulfilled that need through posts on online BBSes and Forums (like those on CompuServe, The Source, BIX, and DELPHI). Before the online world existed, I wrote letters to the editors of newspapers and magazines, and wrote for and published science fiction fanzines. Each of these venues has in common with blogging the fact that they are a personal mode of communication. People expect to see material in blogs that they’d never see in traditional public media.

Advice ... as most of the most popular bloggers say: blog about something for which you have passion. Post regularly; don’t disappear for a month and expect readers to still be there when you come back.

And pay attention to what you write. Make sure your writing reads well, and says what you mean in the way you want to say it. I suggest that you print out a blog post, read it, then wait a day and read it again. Then edit and re-read it before you post.

I of course don’t do that every time--which is why you’re likely to find different versions of my posts in Google’s cache. I get excited about a subject and want to post right now; I often compose online, hit the post button, and then have to go back and change something. Mark Frauenfelder tells me he has the same problem. But it’s still better to let a post age for a little while before letting it go.

5.) What's next?
Well, I’ll continue blogging, focusing on my blog The REAL Writing Life (http://mikebanks.blogspot.com). I have another blog that started out as an extension of a book I wrote (the biography of radio pioneer Powel Crosley, Jr., at http://crosleybook.blogspot.com). That one has evolved into sort of a chronicle of broadcast history, and a hobby. Both promote my books, and this summer I’ll have another one up to support a new book (a business history of the Internet).

I would like to do another book like Blogging Heroes. If it sells well enough, I suppose there could be a Blogging Heroes II. If I have time, I may put some interviews that aren’t in the book online, too.

Thank you so much, Michael!

January 2008 Book Reviews/Interviews

Here's what is coming up this month.

• Review of Blogging Heroes by Michael A. Banks - 1/1
• Interview with Michael A. Banks - 1/3
• Review of You Are More Than Enough Achievement Journal by Judi Moreo - 1/7
• Interview with Judi Moreo - 1/9
• Review of September Dawn by Carole A. Schutter - 1/14
• Interview with Carole A. Schutter - 1/16
• Review of Bad Girls Club by Judy Gregorson - 1/21
• Interview with Judy Gregorson - 1/24
• Review of Silent Prisoner by Amanda Young - 1/28
• Interview with Amanda Young - 1/30
  

Interview - Lynn Brittney, author of Christine Kringle

Today's 5 Q&A is with Lynn Brittney, author of Christine Kringle





1.) Who are you?
Well, I've been a professional writer for about thirty years *(gosh that makes me sound old!) but my career seems to have gone in definite phases. In my twenties I was a journalist; in my thirties I wrote about thirteen non-fiction books for both adults and children; in my forties I wrote plays for adults and children and, now, in my fifties, I write novels. I guess I can only spend about a decade in one particular genre before I have to move on! I still write plays (see www.schoolplaysandpantos.com) but, maybe, in my sixties, I'll try my hand at screenplays - who knows? Anyway, I wrote my first YA novel Nathan Fox: Dangerous Times (a historical spy thriller) when I hit fifty (it was cheaper than plastic surgery or a fast car) and Christine Kringle is my fourth novel to date.

2.) Where did the idea for Christine Kringle come from?
Oh I was depressed by the death of Christmas in the UK. Readers of the book may think that a town in England banning Christmas is far-fetched, but it isn't. Every year, for the past five years (at least) the Government and the local authorities have tried to eradicate Christmas as much as possible. It has started here again this year. National newspapers ran stories last week about nativity plays not being performed, even in faith schools; if they are performed, then wings have been banned on angels as they are a fire hazard (!! How we managed for a hundred years doing school nativity plays without any fatalities is a mystery to me); one town has banned Christmas lights from being strung across the street; several Santas have been told that they will not be insured if they don't have seat belts on their sleighs - and on and on. It's become so Bah! Humbug! in the UK that I felt moved to write something that would point out the stupidity of it all. And, also, writing Christine Kringle books is a) a way of putting myself in a Christmassy frame of mind and b) its a bit of light relief from my other books which are quite dramatic and require a lot of research.

3.) What is your favorite thing about Christmas?
My favourite thing about Christmasses past was the creativity of it all. When my son was small we would make lots of decorations and other bits of craft work for his school Christmas fair. It was all about the lead-up to Christmas really. The excitement of children and, of course, I was working as a drama teacher when my son was small and I was always doing the school nativity play. Now he is a man really (17) but my daughter, who is 11, and I manage to sew a few Christmas decorations, make cookies and do cakes etc. I am grimly determined to keep the spirit of Christmas endeavour alive! I expect that, even when I'm an old lady, I will still feel the need to make a Christmas pillow every year, or something.

4.) What are you asking Santa to leave under your tree?
I think that I am going to ask Santa to leave me a little commonsense and tranquility this year. I think I really over-extended myself in 2007. Nathan Fox was published in the UK in January 2007 and it was promptly nominated for the Waterstone's Prize, which was very exciting. A US publisher and German publisher bought the book and are releasing it next year. I wrote two other novels and decided to self-publish Christine Kringle, as well as adding some more plays to my catalogue for children. Add to that the emotional rollercoaster of family life (I have two teenagers - daily life is a drama!) and I feel a little exhausted now as I wind down to the end of the year. Of course, I find it difficult to stop writing (so many ideas - so little time) but I shall pace myself better next year. So, if Santa leaves me a nice little note saying "Thanks for the PR work on behalf of the Yule Dynasty, now put your feet up for a bit", I shall be more than pleased.

5.) What's next?
Well, Nathan Fox 1 comes out in the US and Germany; Nathan Fox 2 comes out in the UK in March; my agent is nagging me to finish Nathan Fox 3; and the many friends of Christine Kringle will be expecting a sequel. I have also, recently, re-acquired the rights of some of my adult plays from Samuel French and I am thinking of setting up an adult play website where amateur societies can purchase plays. I'm sure that somewhere in there I will finish another novel I have been working on. Oops! There I go again - we haven't got to 2008 and I'm already overbooked (no pun intended).

I would just like to say thank you to all the literary bloggers who have been so supportive of my books during 2007. I hope that I have thanked you all personally for the great reviews - if I haven't then it's a terrible oversight on my part. But I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and you can congratulate yourselves on doing such a wonderful job for the world of books.

--Lynn xx

Interview - Roberta Isleib, author of Preaching to the Corpse: An Advice Column Mystery

Today's 5 Q&A is with Roberta Isleib, author of Preaching to the Corpse: An Advice Column Mystery





1.) Who are you?
I'm a clinical psychologist and the author of seven mysteries, the latest just out this month: PREACHING TO THE CORPSE. The first five books starred a neurotic lady golfer. The new series features a psychologist living in Connecticut who writes an advice column--not that she's an expert on her own life! DEADLY ADVICE was published this past March.

2.) Have you always known you wanted to be an author?
No. I've always been a voracious reader. And having spent half a lifetime in school, I've had a ton of experience writing. But the last time I wrote fiction was probably a short story in junior high school about the English rock group, the Monkeys! Somehow everything intersected in my forties and I began to realize that I'd like to "take a stab" at writing.

3.) Did you intend to be a mystery writer or is it something that naturally evolved?
I've always read mysteries--I enjoy the puzzle, but especially the evolution of the characters. So when I sat down to peck away at my first manuscript, writing a mystery seemed quite natural to me. I don't think I even considered anything else!

4.) Do you know "Who done it?" from the beginning?
I have a pretty good idea about the bad guy from the start. That gives me something to point toward as I write. And I'm finding that a more detailed outline makes for easier writing, something my husband has been nagging me about for years! But it's hard work to figure out the story before writing it, so I do a little of each. Outline, write, outline, write... And of course, storylines and characters evolve as the book takes shape.

5.) What's next?
I have just finished and mailed off the third book in the Rebecca Butterman advice column series. The working title is LINE IN THE SAND, though I have a feeling that will change. Rebecca's good friend, a social worker who does sandplay therapy, is found beaten and left for dead. Rebecca searches for clues in the sand trays to track a would-be killer. The book should be out next September. Then I'll try to take the month of January to think about what the next project will be. I'm looking forward to that! I will keep updating my website about what's coming and when:
http://www.robertaisleib.com

Thanks for hosting me Lynn!

Interview - Holly Fretwell, author of The Sky's Not Falling!: Why It's Ok to Chill About Global Warming

Today's 5 Q&A is with Holly Fretwell, author of The Sky's Not Falling!: Why It's Ok to Chill About Global Warming






1.) Who are you?
I am an Adjunct Professor of Economics at Montana
State University where I teach economic principles,
microeconomics, and natural resource and environmental
economics. I am also a research fellow at PERC, the
Property and Environment Research Center. I attended
Montana State University earning a bachelor's degree
in Political Science and master's degree in resource
economics. I worked with Northwest Economics
Associates in Vancouver, Washington, examining timber
export regulation in the Pacific Northwest and have
consulted for organizations including Plum Creek
Timber and the Center for International Trade in
Forest Products (CINTRAFOR). As author and co-author
of numerous articles on natural resource issues, my
current emphasis is on public lands management and
climate change policy. My research has been published
in professional journals and the popular press
including the Wall Street Journal, Journal for
Environmental Economics and Management, Duke
Environmental Law and Policy Forum, Journal of
Forestry, and Consumer's Research. In addition, I have
presented papers promoting the use of markets in
public land management and have provided expert
testimony on the state of our national parks and the
future of the Forest Service.

My interest in global warming came from an economic
policy investigation that was getting really scary as
I realized the implications and huge costs that would
arise if we were to attempt to prevent global warming
through government intervention and regulation on CO2
emissions. My expertise is not in climate science,
rather in the economic and policy implications of a
warmer earth.

Think about it, if we assume that the earth is
warming, it is human caused, and we can do something
about it the potential actions, as we’ve seen in many
proposals are extremely costly. The real catch,
however, is the benefits from those costly actions are
tiny.

2.) Why did you write this book?
Like so many other people I was confused about the
information I was hearing about global warming. The
popular press says it's human caused, there is far
less concensus in the scientific journals where a
multitude of factors that influence climate are
examined. That confusion followed by the costly policy
recommendations encouraged me to look further. In that
search I found lots of great material, and some not so
great. Some of the most disappointing material I found
was propaganda to scare our children into making
uninformed choices. There is so much information
available today, via internet, TV, radio, etc., that I
believe it is vitally important to teach our children
how to think critically and be able to decipher fact
from fiction. That is why I wrote The Sky's Not
Falling, and that is why I wrote it in simple enough
terms for children, parents, and all adults to read.>

3.) Have you experienced any negative reactions regarding your book?
I have been pleasantly surprised by the small amount
of negative criticism. There are certainly those that
say I have been funded and influenced by industry; if
only I could be so fortunate as to have some financial
backing for the time investment I have put into my
studies on global warming. My only earnings are
royalties from the book. I wrote the book from my
heart and for the children, their parents, and others
interested in a better understanding of climate
change. I wrote the book because I was worried about
the grave problem that I was hearing about. I am now
relieved to know the facts. Readers of "The Sky's Not
Falling" will feel that same relief by understanding
what is really happening around the Earth.

4.) What do you do to be more "green"?
For starters I live in Montana because I love the
wilderness and the outdoors. And I do those typical
things we were all taught as kids to help conserve the
environment -- like turning off the lights when
leaving the room and the water off when brushing teeth
-- we are also conscious of the power we use for heat
in our home and have remodeled our home to take
advantage of solar energy. Most importantly, perhaps,
is my efforts to help people better understand the
value of property rights and incentives for
environmental protection. As a professor of economics
I try to teach students the value of resources and
help them develop a sense of how we can better protect
the environment.

5.) What's next?
I have recently finished a book on public lands
management, though I am still awaiting its
publication. I have, in the past, thought of other
middle-school aged books about the environment. The
success of this book will be a good indicator of the
likely acceptance of others.

Thank you so much, Holly!

Thank you. I hope everyone enjoys the book and shares
it by instigating more discussion about what is really
happening in our world and the possible responses to
those constant changes. It is freedom and markets that
will help spark the innovative ideas that solve the
many problems we meet.

Interview - Diana Holquist, author of Sexiest Man Alive

Today's 5 Q&A is with Diana Holquist, author of Sexiest Man Alive.











1.) Who are you?
I love to write. That's pretty much all I do. Ask my family about the undone laundry, the un-bought groceries, and the fact that I rarely find time to get dressed in the morning. Actually, if you train your family right, they won't notice any of these things. "Popcorn for dinner again, mom! Cool," say my filthy children. God bless them, they don't know what panty hose are.

Oh, my poor husband.What else do you want to know about me? I love kids. I love cats. I love chocolate. (Not necessarily in that order.) I live outside of Philadelphia now with my husband, two kids, and one cat.

2.) The main character of Sexiest Man Alive is cripplingly shy, at least when it comes to breathtakingly handsome men. Are you shy?
I can be shy, but not around sexy men. I do have a bit of a phobic shyness around a certain kind of person just like Jasmine does, so I understand the panic. I won’t tell you who or what, though; it’s too personal. But if you know me, and you’re that kind of person, you think I’m INSANE. If you’re not that kind of person, you think I’m completely normal. (Hah!) It’s a kind of phobia—like of snakes or heights…only for Jasmine, it’s sexy men. It’s actually surprisingly common.

3.) How did you come to write romances?
I lived in New York City with a great job and wild life…and then my husband got a job in Ithaca, New York. Well, I wept when I saw the place—a tiny town. No work. But after a while (and two kids), I grew to love Ithaca. The town is packed with writers, so writing a novel seemed like something that was no big deal, everyone was doing it. Then, by chance, I picked up Susan Elizabeth Phillips’s First Lady, and that was it. I knew what I wanted to do: write something as fun as that. I’m still working on it!

4.) Who is your sexiest man alive?
Oh, that’s easy, Sexiest Man Alive was inspired by my husband. Hi, Honey!

Okay, is he gone?

Right then. Sexiest Man Alive was really inspired by a famous guy whose name I will not mention. I used to work for his father. Famous guy would show up in the office every now and then and stroll about and we’d all swoon and try to catch him bending over the water fountain in the hall….

5.) What's next?
Hungry for More will be out next fall. It’s Amy’s story, the Gypsy psychic who has been messing up everyone else’s lives with her soul mate prophecies in Make Me a Match and Sexiest Man Alive. She loses her power and has to take a job in a restaurant to support herself. Wouldn’t you know, the chef is one sexy dude….

Thank you so much, Diana!