Welcome Sheila Roberts on her Virtual Book Tour

I'd like to welcome Sheila Roberts, author of On Strike for Christmas

Thanks for dropping by. We learned a little about your book and about you yesterday. Today, you have agreed to answer some questions for us. Well, here we go.

1) If you could start over with your writing career, what if anything would you change? I would have started writing contemporary stories right from the get go. I got my beginnings writing Regency Romances - not surprising since I love them, but they have a limited readership. Plus although I tried hard, I really was terrible at research and it seemed I was always getting some historical detail wrong. Very embarrassing. I really think I would have done better writing about my own time period right from the get go. But, writing is a learning process, and I don't know any writers who ever got it all right at the beginning.

2) What was the best piece of advice you received regarding the life of a writer? Never give up.

3) If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be? Actually, that list is rather long. But, to name a few: Stephen King, Dr. Phil and his wife, Steve Martin, Dustin Hoffman, and Cliff Richard, the British singing star

4) If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be? Jane Austen's Elizabeth Darcy, Heathcliff from "Wuthering Heights" and Dickens's Mr. Fezziwigg

5) In the next century, what do you hope people will remember you for? That would be remarkable to be remembered in the next century. Down the road, I'd like to be remembered as a writer who inspired people to be their best.

6) How do you balance your personal and writing time? I write during the day, just like a job, but unless I'm under deadline, I don't write more than a couple hours at a stretch. Then I go do something else. Fitting in time to be with friends and get other work done is important.

7) How do you write? Do your characters come to you first or the plot or the world of the story? What usually comes to me first is a story idea - something following the words, "What if?"

8) What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write? I've been published under different names in Romance, but I've also written for gift books and written non-fiction. I love to write about things that are important to women. And I like to write humor. Everyone needs to laugh.

9) Out of all the characters that you've written, who is your favorite and why? Some of my favorite characters have never seen the light of day. They all made guest appearances in manuscripts that never sold. Right now my favorite character is in a book that will be coming out next summer. She's a ditz and I love her.

10) If you were writing a script for the big screen, who would you want to act in your movie? Hmmm. Maybe some of the angry housewife chicks.

11) What would you want readers to take away from your books? A smile.

12) Do you have any advice for beginning writers in regards to writing a book? Finish the book. Many writers spend more time talking about writing than they do actually writing. Being able to type "the end" on something you've created is hugely satisfying.

13) Where can readers buy a copy of your book? At their nearby Barnes and Noble or Borders. And, of course, there's always Amazon. It's a fun book and I hope readers will give it a try.

14) What other projects are you working on right now? I just turned in Bikini Season, my second book for St. Martin's Press. It's about diets, true love, cheating, and friendship. I should have an excerpt posted on my website (www.sheilasplace.com) in the new year.

Sheila Roberts Author of On Strike for Christmas

Introduce Sheila Roberts Author of On Strike for Christmas

Tomorrow Sheila Roberts is dropping by on a leg of her virtual book tour to talk about her book
On Strike for Christmas
So today I would like to introduce her to you.

Sheila Roberts lives in the Pacific Northwest. She's happily married and has three children. She's been writing since 1989, but she did lots of things before settling in to her writing career, including owning a singing telegram company and playing in a band. When she's not speaking to women's groups or at conferences or playing with her friends, she can be found writing about those things near and dear to women's hearts: family, friends, and chocolate.
Romantic Times Magazine Reviewed On Strike for Christmas and said:
ON STRIKE FOR CHRISTMASby Sheila Roberts
RT Rating: 4½ Stars
Category: MAINSTREAM FICTION
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Published: November 2007
Type: Mainstream Fiction
Roberts' witty and effervescently funny holiday novel will warm hearts. Realistic characters populate the pages of this captivating story, which is a great escape from holiday hustle and bustle.Summary: In the town of Holly, some of the members of the Stitch 'n Bitch knitting club have decided to teach their husbands a lesson. Led by Joy, one of the club's older members, the women have collectively decided to go on strike, forcing their husbands to provide all of the holiday preparations.As the men get together to complain, the women remain steadfast in their strike efforts. But Carol, a knitting club member whose husband and son are both deceased, thinks the women should be thankful for their husbands and hectic lives. And when Jerri, another knitting club member, suffers from the ill effects of chemotherapy, the women unite to support their friend. (St. Martin's griffin, Nov., 352 pp., $13.95)—Sheri Melnick

Boji Stones by Sandra Cox

Boji Stones by Sandra Cox

Review by Charlene Leatherman

Sandra Cox writes a suspense story that has you sitting on the edge of your seat.
Maureen or as her friends call her “Marnie” inherited a special bracelet from her mother. Someone wants it and is willing to kill her for it. The Boji Stones of the amulet give her the ability to heal. The person who wants to steal the amulet runs her off the road, injuring her to the point of death. She heals quickly and returns home with her friend and farm hand Hank.
Her healing attracts the attention of the police. She was a hit and run victim and discharged herself from the hospital much earlier than the doctor advised. She must be hiding something.
The day of her leaving the hospital, she met at her home by Jack Wolfe, author and horse owner. He has come to her ranch so she can heal his horse. Or at least that is what he says. It seems every time there is an attempt on Marnie’s life, Jack is just out of sight, or just stepped out of the room.
Could he be working for the person who wants the amulet?
The attraction between Marnie and Jack builds, yet the tension between them because of Marnie’s and Hank’s suspicion of Jack and his part in the threats make for good reading. If you like a good suspense with keep you on your toes romance, you will enjoy Boji Stones by Sandra Cox. Available at Cerridwen Press (http://www.cerridwenpress.com/)

Welcome Dyan Garris

WELCOME Dyan Garris to the blog on her Virtual Book Tour.

She has graciously agreed to an interview.

Hello Charlene. Here are the answers to your questions for the interview:

1) If you could start over with your writing career, what if anything would you change?
In high school and college when others cringed regarding creative writing assignments, I embraced them completely. I viewed writing as an interesting and effective way to create and communicate. If I could change anything, I would have perhaps written historical romance or mystery novels. I always appreciate a good story.

2) What was the best piece of advice you received regarding the life of a writer?
The best piece of advice I received regarding anything was from my mother and it was that I have the ability to create anything that I want if I hold myself responsible and accountable for creating it.

3) If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
I would like to meet everyone and anyone that I could because I believe that we learn something valuable from everyone. I am fascinated by what is on the inside of people and interested in what makes them unique. I am interested in the perceptions and ideas of others. There is so much to learn! I think Mother Theresa would have been a very interesting person to have been able to visit with. She had so much wisdom and compassion.

4) If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be?
I would like to meet Captain Kirk or Doctor Who. Imagine the interesting stories of life they would be able to tell!

5) In the next century, what do you hope people will remember you for?
I hope that people would remember the loving vibration that hopefully shines through my words, music and books. Someone told me once that the thing people remember most about you is the way you made them feel.

6) How do you balance your personal and writing time?
To me, so much is about rhythm and timing and balance. I like to adhere to a schedule, yet remain flexible enough to go with whatever comes along. So, I usually have a good idea of how I want my day to show up. Organization and setting priorities are key for me. But then I like to factor in the mood of the day and the unexpected elements that may crop up. If I need personal time during the day, I make time for it. If I feel I must write during the middle of the night, I do it. I find life easier if one simply goes with the flow and respects and honors their unique rhythms.

7) How do you write? Do your characters come to you first or the plot or the world of the story?
Whatever I write is based upon real life experiences. I weave real life into stories for teaching purposes. For example, I wrote a short story called, "Fish Tale of Woe - Lost at Sea." The plot is based upon people I have met and experiences that I've had or observed in real life. There is always a teaching element involved. The story always has a deeper meaning designed to teach the reader something valuable and about life. It is meant to be a catalyst to deeper examination of the reader's own life. In my cookbook I wrote twelve food related stories or messages. One of those is, "Johnny and Susie - Ode to Popcorn." This was based upon a story that my grandmother used to tell us, which really was rather a non-story in actuality. So wanting to honor her I simply embellished a bit. I based the character of Susie on a person that I knew in childhood. The plot is based on an event that really happened. It is a story about how two people can have an almost identical experience - in this case the experience was about learning how to make popcorn - and how circumstances and reactions and perceptions can have a quite different, life altering and lasting effect. I wove that all together and in the end, in addition to challenging me to look at the deeper meaning of things, it also made me laugh and that is always good! I also write a daily message on my website, which is meant to inspire and help the reader delve into the more mysterious and esoteric areas of life. It challenges one to examine their thinking and perceptions.

8) What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?
I write fiction which is really non-fiction. It is based upon truths. I like to write short stories. I like to write messages that inspire the reader to grow and learn and think.

9) Out of all the characters that you've written, who is your favorite and why?
I don't really have characters per se because I'm writing mostly messages that are non-fiction. I like the mother in the Johnny and Susie story because when faced with a choice she inspired her child to grow and learn from experience, thus leading to an awesome adult. It could have gone either way, based on certain choices made in certain moments.

10) If you were writing a script for the big screen, who would you want to act in your movie?
Anyone who can make me laugh and make me cry, as well. Anyone who can naturally express the gamut of emotions that is the full range of being alive.

11) What would you want readers to take away from your books?
I would like my readers to take with them the feeling of satisfaction that comes with learning something new and applying it in a positive way that makes a difference in their lives.

12) Do you have any advice for beginning writers in regards to writing a book?
My advice is to focus, get and stay organized, have a plan, and keep a good solid vision of what you want to accomplish and what you want to impart.

13) Where can readers buy a copy of your book?

http://www.voiceoftheangels.com/page/65 or http://www.amazon.com/Voice-Angels-Cookbook-Talk-Intuitive-Cooking/dp/0977614026

14) What other projects are you working on right now?
I just finished my eleventh New Age music CD in my relaxation series for vibrational attunement of mind, body, and spirit. It's called "Release." I just finished "The Book of Daily Channeled Messages," which is a compilation of 180 inspirational messages from the last year. I am almost done with a line of greeting cards that are different, deep, and inspiring. I'm in the beginning stages of creating a meditation journal. I'm toying with the idea of doing another CD. It's always nice to have music to cook by!

Nanowrimo Word Count and Dyan Garris

:-( Sadly my word count is abysmal. I have 19,000 words and should be at 35,000. But all is not lost. This holiday weekend will hopefully give up some made typing time and I will be able to recover.

;-> Now for some great news. Guest Blogger Dyan Garris is going to be here tomorrow. She says about herself and her book:
I’m a psychic, clairvoyant, clairaudient, and clairsentient. I could say I was ordered by Divine guidance to write the book and that would be true. It was a natural segue. However, one of the main reasons I wrote it was because when my mother was dying she tried desperately to write all her recipes down and make them into a cookbook for her family. She mostly finished it, but I think it was not in the complete way that she really wanted to do it. What I wanted to with my own cookbook was to do it in a way that I know she would have done her own if she had had the time, energy, and opportunity to do so. I dedicated my book to her and that’s why. It’s a loving tribute to her.




5 STARS Simple, fun, and delicious, November 11, 2007
By
D. Campbell (Chicago) - This cookbook is a "10"! Dyan Garris is a master in the kitchen. I have tried many of the recipes and they have all been great. For a "non-cooker", I am now getting pretty comfortable in the kitchen. Most recently, the Chicken Cinnamon was very tasty and a big hit with my dinner group. The directions are all easy to follow and the pictures are excellent. I can't wait to try the desserts. A great addition to any cookbook collection.

Guest Blogger Dennis Griffin, Author of Cullotta

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Guest Blogger Dennis Griffin, Author of Cullotta

This review appeared on The Literary World site on July 17 2007.

July 17:Jim Agnew On Crime
Cullotta--The Life Of A Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster and Government Witness (Huntington Press Publishing)
This is the best book written on the Chicago crime syndicate and I've read them all. Virgil Petersen summed up the Chicago crime syndicate in the title of his 1950's book..."Barbarians In Our Midst".It's the best book because its all first person, gloves off and very rough.Frank Cullotta was a very active...bomber, killer, master burglar, fence, and criminal confidant to the mob lords of Chicago and Las Vegas. He describes these roles and capers as they happened with lots of play-by-play details.Cullotta also describes real prison life and the Witness Protection Program...up close and personal.I read Cullotta in one afternoon and so will any true-crime fan. Its just a real-good read about very dangerous professional criminals.

WELCOME DENNIS GRIFFIN.
Thank you for dropping by on your Virtual Book Tour. Our readers are interested not only in your book but in you as an author as well. Thanks for taking your time to answer some questions.

1) If you could start over with your writing career, what if anything would you change?1 – For one thing, I’d have started much earlier in life rather than waiting until after retirement. I would also have done a lot more research about the writing business — including publishing options and marketing — while working on my first manuscript.

2) What was the best piece of advice you received regarding the life of a writer?2 – Try to do something writing-related every day. That can include the actual writing, conducting interviews, doing research, and marketing.

3) If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be?3 – I’m a World War II buff and would have enjoyed discussing those times with President Franklin Roosevelt.

4) If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be?4 – I’d like to meet Superman.

5) In the next century, what do you hope people will remember you for?5 – I’d like to be recognized as a good researcher who produced accurate books regarding the Tony Spilotro era in Las Vegas.

6) How do you balance your personal and writing time?6 – Although I’m retired, I treat my writing as a job that requires a minimum of three hours per day.

7) How do you write? Do your characters come to you first or the plot or the world of the story?7 – For my fictions the plot comes first. For non-fiction I take an interest in either a character or an event.

8) What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?8 – I write mystery/thriller fiction and true crime non-fiction. I imagine my prior career in investigations and law enforcement was the primary influence for those choices.

9) Out of all the characters that you've written, who is your favorite and why?9 – My favorite character that I’ve created is Steve Garneau, a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department homicide detective.

10) If you were writing a script for the big screen, who would you want to act in your movie?10 – I’m partial to the movies Casino and Goodfellas. I think Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro did outstanding jobs in those films and I’d like them in my movie.

11) What would you want readers to take away from your books?11 – For my non-fictions I want the reader to come away knowing they learned the true story of the people and events in the book.

12) Do you have any advice for beginning writers in regards to writing a book?12 – I’d tell beginners to do their homework before they start. Learn what’s involved to be a successful writer. Know what publishing options are available and study marketing and promotion methods. The more knowledge a writer has, the better the decisions he or she will make.

13) Where can readers buy a copy of your book?13 – My books are available through the online sites such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble. They can be purchased at or ordered through the brick and mortal outlets as well.I also have purchase links on my site, http://www.authorsden.com/dennisngriffin.

14) What other projects are you working on right now?14 – I’m currently finishing the third book in my Las Vegas trilogy featuring Detective Garneau. I’m also looking at three true crime stories and will soon make my decision on which one to write.

Nanowrimo and Visiting Author Dennis Griffin

Last post for Nanowrimo I was ahead. Life, the Universe and trying to finish a wip has put me behind word count. Ah, well, that just means burning the midnight oil to catch up.

Now, for an Introduction:

Dennis Griffin will be visiting my blogs for an interview on his Virtual Book Tour.

I'd like to give you a little background information from Mr. Griffin himself.

Mr. Dennis Griffin said:
I began my investigative career with Pinkerton's Inc. and finished with the Dept. of Health. There were stops as a Sr. Child Support Investigator and deputy sheriff in Madison County, New York in between.
I started writing in 1996 to tell the story of what I learned while investigating the operation of a medical examiner's office. It was an eye-opening experience for me and I felt compelled to share it with others. I eventually produced a fictionalized account called The Morgue. I found to my chagrin that readers didn't believe anything in the book could actually happen, but they liked the story and my style; rough edges and all. That response caused me to write Red Gold, also based on personal experience. I now have a total of six fictions in print.
In January 2002, I decided to try my hand at non-ficton and began writing Policing Las Vegas. This book covers the history of law enforcement in Las Vegas and Clark County from 1905 thru 2004. Policing was released in April 2005.
My second non-fiction, The Battle for Las Vegas, is the story of the Vegas reign of Chicago mob enforcer Tony Spilotro. In the movie Casino, actor Joe Pesci played a character based on Spilotro. Battle was released nationally on July 1, 2006.
My third Vegas-based non-fiction, CULLOTTA - The Life of a Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster, and Government Witness was released nationally in July 2007.
If you try one of my books I sincerely hope you enjoy it.