An Interview with Kanta Bosniak, Author of "Abundance Triggers"

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Pump Up Your Book Tours. Although payment may have been received by Pump Up Your Book Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this publication. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

ABOUT ABUNDANCE TRIGGERS

Most people get that “happy” is the launch pad for personal and professional success. But, where’s the “happy button?” Author, minister and coach Kanta Bosniak has made a lifetime study of state-shifting and offers readers a whole toolbox of happy buttons she calls abundance triggers.” “Abundance Triggers is a practical how-to for shifting negative thoughts and the emotions they produce to those good feelings which boost energy and support well-being. Bosniak begins with simple yet efficient physical awareness techniques and guides readers through a process of how to build their own more advanced and personalized triggers for relaxation, increased energy and sense of purpose. Once the toolbox is built, she then delves deeper into disengaging those limiting beliefs and the habitual negative emotions they generate and replacing the old sad “stories” with more resourceful ones. Bosniak also shares entertaining anecdotes and personal stories. Her writing voice is warm, conversational and engaging and the book is filled with refreshingly lighthearted and whimsical doodle art as well as creative journaling exercises to help the reader anchor and habituate a feel-good new “normal.”  

Interview with Cynthia Dagnal-Myron, Author of "The Keka Collection"

Cynthia Dagnal-Myron is an award-winning former reporter for both the "Chicago Sun Times" and "Arizona Daily Star." She is also the first black woman to become a rock critic for a "major metropolitan daily," and her articles have appeared in "Rolling Stone" and "Creem"--the latter under the tutelage of legendary rock critic Lester Bangs.

For five wild years she traveled with, interviewed and reviewed 70's and 80's legends like Kiss, Queen, the Who, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Traffic Rod Stewart, Cheap Trick, Peter Frampton, Todd Rundgren and Brian Eno.

She also interviewed stars like John Travolta, Kirk Douglas, Richard Pryor and the then unknown cast of "Star Wars--and dated Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Once.

And then one day...she walked away from all of it.

And never looked back.

After moving to the Southwest in the early 80's, she became a public relations liaison for The Hopi Tribe, and moved to their reservation where she eventually returned to her first career, teaching. Three years later, she married a Hopi artist and became part of his proud-and very large-family.

She continued to publish regularly in Working Mother and elsewhere, but only when spirit moved. With a daughter to raise, children to teach and the wide turquoise skies of the Hopi reservation to gaze upon, her spirit was otherwise occupied most of the time.

Over 20 years later, left free to "just be," having retired early to do precisely that, she started a blog on Open Salon to take stock of what had gone before and ponder what might come next. She wrote of the triumphs and challenges of midlife, celebrating family, friends and the Southwestern way of life she'd grown to love.

But she gradually began to chronicle and comment upon the times she lived in--sometimes with deep affection, sometimes with righteous indignation. Salon editors took note, placing her blog posts on the covers of Open Salon and Salon itself. A British magazine reprinted one of her most popular posts about her "rock and roll summers" in London.

A controversial post about the Trayvon Martin shooting prompted the producers of the TV and radio show Democracy Now, to invite her discuss her own experiences "walking while black" and to celebrate her 5th grade teacher and beloved role model, Mamie Till Mobley, the mother of Emmett Till, the 16-year-old boy whose lynching was one of the watershed events leading to the Civil Rights Movement.

Soon an old Sun Times colleague, Roger Ebert, discovered that the young woman with the infectious laugh with whom he'd sat "desk-to-desk" for five years was doing some of the best writing of her life. Supportive as ever, he began to Tweet and Facebook her articles regularly. And the "hits" catapulted her to the top of the Open Salon popularity charts each time.

Week after week, readers urged her to "...make a book out of all this!"

This...is their book.

And the story of her life.

Interview:

1.      Why was writing The Keka Collection so important to you?

I had amassed a big, supportive circle of readers at Open Salon who, like my friends and family before them, felt that I should turn some of my blog posts into a book that would let other people unfamiliar with my blog read my writing.  When my old Sun Times pal Roger Ebert chimed in, I knew it was time to do it.

2.      What was the writing/creative process like?  

Writing, for me, is always more like transcribing.   So I rarely outline, though some would say that the outlining process goes on in my head before I begin to write.  But it begins with an idea that won’t stop nagging me or that is almost completely “ready” to be downloaded onto the page.   I tell people the first draft just writes itself, and then I tweak it.  I never write unless it’s “urgent.” 

3.      How did you come up with the title?

For this book, it was a “no brainer.”  It’s a collection of my blog posts from my Keka’s Blog page on Open Salon.

4.      When did you first consider yourself a writer?  I’ve been writing since I could first hold a pencil, and I considered myself a writer even back then when I made up little stories and pretended to be “writing” them down.  Even in middle school, when I wrote and helped edit the school newspaper, people urged me to become some kind of writer or journalist.

5.      What books do you believe influenced you in your life?

Soooooo many books.  But I most vividly remember these:  The Catcher in the Rye, The Sound and the Fury, The Beautiful and the Damned, The Grapes of Wrath, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Tennessee Williams’ plays, Tom Stoppard’s plays, everything by Ernest Hemingway, Lord Byron, Oscar Wilde and Rimbaud.

6.      How much influence did you have in the cover of your book?

Did you initially have a different idea of how it would look?  I created it on Createspace, so I had lots of templates to tinker with.  I only knew that the picture I use on my blog, of me at one of my birthday parties, had to be part of it.

7.      Can you describe a typical day for you?

I get up, grab the laptop on my bed or go to my “mothership” PC and check in with my online students.   Then, I make a “portable” breakfast and go back to my computer to do some work on the 12th grade critical reading and writing curriculum I’m creating for a virtual high school being launched next fall.   After I exercise, shower and get dressed for the day, I write for about three or four hours.  Then I have dinner, watch some TV or read for a while…and go back to do some more writing just before I go to bed.  On occasion, I’ll have a lunch with one of my wonderful women friends, to get out of the house and away from the daily routine.

8.      What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?   I watch my favorite movies or discover new ones that become favorites, or I read.  I’ve also begun to create beaded jewelry, just for myself, because I’ve found out how easy it is to make what I like.

9.      What do your family and friends think of your writing?

They’re my biggest fans, and are constantly pushing me to write more.  So I have a great support group.

10.  What do you think is more important – a good plot, or good characters?  Why did you choose the one you did?  

This isn’t a novel, but I’m writing one.  And for me, it all begins with good characters who nudge me into telling their stories.  I’m not a plotter—I think I did well in the Project Greenlight competitions created by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck a few years ago because they, too, are not “plotters” by nature.  If I wait ‘til the characters are just chomping at the bit to be “born,” they take me through all the right twists and turns when I start writing.  So the actual writing process doesn’t take very long at all.

The kid I’m writing about right now is from a script that several of my screenwriting gurus and two producers said should have a novel written about him.  They felt that confining him to a script wouldn’t do him justice.  So I’ve finally decided to act on that advice, and he is just running me ragged.  I can hardly keep up!

Connect with Cynthia:

Website/Blog

Goodreads

Purchase the book:

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* Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Pump Up Your Book. Although payment may have been received by Pump Up Your Book, no payment was received by me in exchange for this publication.  This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

"Dear God, He's Home" by Janet Thompson {Author Interview}

Book Description:

A husband is now home 24/7 and the wife needs help ASAP!

Regardless of the reason he’s home—out of work . . . retired . . . home office . . . returned from military deployment . . . disability or illness . . . whatever—wives of stay-at-home husbands share many of the same transitional and heart adjustments.

Dear God, He’s Home! is a practical and raw look at issues couples go through when a husband is suddenly home full time. Sharing openly from personal experience and through Scripture, Janet Thompson encourages wives to joyfully embrace their God-ordained marriages.

The book also includes personal thought questions, discussion questions for couples, and a small-group or book club discussion guide.

"Dog-ma the Zen of Slobber" by Barbara Boswell Brunner {Author Interview}

 

Author Interview

with author of Dog-Ma, the zen of slobber, Barbara Boswell Brunner 

What inspires you when you write? 
Humor and my dogs are my writing inspiration. They can do the funniest things that I MUST share! I first started keeping notes of their crazy antics many years ago. You just can’t make up some of the stuff they do. I write a blog for Izzy, our blind terrier, Zen And A Blind dog where I try to document some of the more entertaining challenges she has being blind. She is such a trooper.

Do you have a favorite spot to write?

Yes, absolutely. My husband likes to fish. When we take our boat out into the Gulf of Mexico, I can sit in the cabin with total silence except for the lapping of water on the hull. For me, this is ideal writing time.

Who is your favorite author(s)?

That is like asking which is my favorite dog or favorite child. There is no right answer and there are way too many people who would be left in a turbulent wake.  I like all genres and enjoy some very diverse authors. My preference is for a writing style that is not too wordy or overly descriptive. I love writers who give just enough of a description so that you understand the character or situation and let your imagination fill in the blanks.

What are you reading now?

I have two books going at the same time right now. Mary Metcalfe’s ROAD TO TOMORROW, which is the third in her Look To The Future series. I love Mary’s writing style. I also just started Chandler McGrew’s ‘TRUDERS which has me glued to the edge of my seat. His books scare the bejesus out of me.

Any tips to new writers out there?

Keep at it, write as often as you can and don’t be discouraged by rejection letters. I have enough to start a good size bonfire!

About Barbara Boswell Brunner 

Barbara grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with her parents, sister and always a dog, or two or three. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from a small women's college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Meeting her husband in Washington, DC, they continued together on a journey as self-proclaimed dog addicts. In the ensuing years, she founded three successful businesses in the Pacific Northwest and is a prolific fundraiser for breast cancer research. She and her husband are retired and now reside in Southwest Florida with two dogs and copious amounts of dog fur. She is currently working on indulging her well known flip flop addiction.  
 

Author on Facebook          Author's Website          Author on Twitter 

About the Book 

For dog lovers everywhere.......Barbara's vivid and dramatic stories, told with a wicked sense of humor, will make you laugh out loud. She definitely gets what living with rescued dogs (nine of them!) is all about. This book will inspire you with the couple's unstinting love, devotion, and respect for dogs as family members. You'll be glad to include it in your treasured collection of great dog books.

When Barbara meets her future husband, Ray, it is love-and dog-at first sight. Over the course of thirty-two years, seventeen relocations and nine dogs, their mutual love of dogs guides them on their unconventional path. The love that Barbara and Ray get in return is literally lifesaving, with one dog attacking a lethal intruder and another discovering Barbara’s cancer. Her own survival story underscores the story of how her dogs become survivors themselves. 

Each new dog adds its own dynamic to the family, sometimes upending it. From Turbo (whose Spock-like ears may have provided super powers), Barbara learns about the will to live; Lexington demonstrates incredible patience and an inexplicable love of golf; Madison teaches that laughter is truly the best medicine and that the whole “nine lives thing” is not reserved just for cats; Morgan should be sainted for tolerating Izzy, who is as cute as she is bad. Barbara is certain that somewhere in doggie heaven there is a poster that says “If you are sick, injured or in need of really expensive medical care, FIND THESE HUMANS!” 

Buy the book from ....

Author's Website

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Barnes and Noble

   

printed version           ebook version 

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Beck Valley Book Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Beck Valley Books, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

"Dangerous Past" by A.F. Ebbers {Author Interview}

Synopsis: 

Airline Captain Frank Braden and his wife Nicole are suddenly stalked by professional assassins who have a deadline to make their deaths look like an accident or a suicide. And the couple doesn't know why they are being targeted. They don't realize that they stand in the way of a deadly conspiracy. Little by little they are pulled into a dangerous web of intrigue by a murderous criminal network that deceptvely offers the pilot his wife's life if he will concede to their demands. This is a thriller that rocks the highest levels of Washington.

"Where the Heart Lives" by Mara Purl {Author Interview/Giveaway}

Where the Heart Lives not only offers readers a rich array of cross-connecting storylines, but also an array of themes.

Excerpt:

• Mystery Missing Person Investigation

Deputy Delmar Johnson—recently promoted to Senior Deputy, and still the only African-American member
of the Sheriff Department’s Special Problems Unit—tracks the missing journalist Christina Christian, a case
that’s beginning to fascinate him beyond all his other cases. The missing woman was scheduled to conduct
interviews in San Francisco, then in Tokyo, but has failed to show up. Del hopes against hope she’ll still turn
up, and his investigation brings him to the sumptuous Calvin estate where he meets oil baron Joseph Calvin,
who admits to dating Chris but claims to know nothing about her unexplained absence.

"Bad Juju" by Dina Rae {Author Interview}

Book Description:

Lucien Nazaire flees his Haitian homeland and meanders around the United States for decades.  He settles in a Wisconsin trailer park filled with elderly tenants.  He meets Jake, his teenage neighbor, and hires him for odd household jobs.  As their relationship progresses, Lucien invites the boy into the world of Voodoo.

Jake LaRue lives in foster care with his abusive uncle.  The Voodoo lessons give him a sense of power within an otherwise helpless situation.  Although the boy is a loner, he feels an instant connection with his classmate, Henry, and introduces him to Lucien.
Henry Novak has Asperger’s Syndrome.  He fixates on historical events, most recently the 2010 Haitian earthquake.  Like Jake, he becomes passionate about the dark side of Voodoo.  They learn how to cast spells on those they hate and lust, leading up to dire consequences.

Several months after the Haitian earthquake, Henry convinces his family to volunteer with their church in the island's reconstruction.  Their mission turns into a nightmare when he mysteriously walks off of the campsite.

Bad Juju is a balance of horror, romance, and literary fiction intended for ages fifteen and up.   Research about the Voodoo religion, shapeshifting, zombies, and possession and themes of redemption and loneliness emerge throughout the plot.

"Free Fall" by Susan Rae {Review, Interview & Giveaway - Ends 9/3}

Synopsis: 

Freak accident, or attempted murder? Kate needs answers to her brother’s plane crash, but can she trust undercover DEA agent “Spike” Larsen to deliver them?

Kate Reynolds’s quest to unravel the mystery of her brother’s plane crash throws her into the turbulent wake  of suave pilot/mechanic Everett Larsen. His gray gaze ignites in her a passion as powerful as a jet stream, but  it also sparks a memory—one she can’t quite reel in. A bitter divorce has taught her to trust no man, so how can she trust Larsen?

"Riser" By Becca C. Smith {Author Interview}

Synopsis:

Black swirling holes churning madly in the center of every corpse.This is how eighteen-year-old Chelsan Derée sees the deceased.Her ability to connect to the black spinning holes allows her to control every dead thing within a four-mile radius.

But that’s the least of her problems. It’s 2320 and Chelsan Derée has to survive another year of high school, which for her is pure and utter torture, mainly due to the fact that her schoolmate Jill Forester’s favorite activity is making Chelsan’s life a living hell. If that isn’t enough, Chelsan’s impossible crush on Ryan Vaughn makes her brain do somersaults on a regular basis, especially since she is positive he doesn’t know she exists. And being eighteen Chelsan has to deal with the pressure of whether or not she should take a little pill called Age-pro, which cures aging, making the world eighteen forever and highly over-populated.

When Chelsan’s mother, Janet, is brutally killed, along with everyone else in her trailer park, Chelsan finds out that she was the intended target.

Chelsan must use her power to raise and control the dead to save herself, protect her friends and take down the man responsible for murdering her mother.

Interview with Becca C. Smith:

1. I see you have a film degree and have been working in the film/television industry, can you give us a bit more detail as to what you do?

I’m back in school right now working towards my second degree in entertainment business, but I’ve had a wide variety of jobs in the industry. I worked on the television show Ghost Whisperer for a couple of seasons and for the last six years I worked on and off as a digital film restorationist for Lowry Digital. 


2. I understand this is your first book and it is self-published, was it easier to get the book self-published than go through a publishing agency?

There used to be (and still is to a certain degree) a stigma against self-publishing. People figure that if the book is self-published it isn’t any good. But let’s be honest I can give you a long list of published books that aren’t very good. Books are books, stories are stories. If they interest you and you are entertained when reading them, then the author has done their job. As a self-published author I make sure that professionals edit my books, so there aren’t any typos or grammatical errors. In my experience publishing houses are a closed off group. If you don’t have an agent, they’re not going to read your book. I just wanted to tell a fun story and share it with anyone that was interested.


3. What or who, if anything, influences your writing?

A lot of things influence my writing. I have favorite authors such as Terry Brooks, Rick Riordan and Cassandra Clare to name a few. I love fantasy and science fiction. I grew up on it and it definitely influences who I am today. Modern sciences also inspire me. In fact, reading an article on a scientist at Cambridge University who believes he’ll have “the cure” for aging in ten years, is what inspired me to have a drug called Age-pro in my book Riser. Basically, it’s a pill that stops the aging process and allows you to live forever.

4. Riser is part 1 of a series, any idea how many more will follow?

There will be three parts. The second book Reaper is already out and the third book should be out by the end of September. After that, I’ll be writing another trilogy in the same universe. They’ll all be under the same Riser Saga banner.

5. Do you have any other books in the works or just working on the Riser series?

I do have another book series. The first book I released in February. It’s for younger audiences around the ages of 7-12 called Alexis Tappendorf and the Search for Beale’s Treasure. It’s an action adventure with code breaking and pirate treasure, lol. It’s a lot of fun.

You can learn more about Becca C. Smith and her books on her:

 Website

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You can purchase "Riser" on:

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* Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Awaited by Lynn Rush {Interview/Book Tour}

About The Book:

Russell Leonard is a centuries-old Guardian who's lost faith in his purpose. So when he's charged with procuring the first female Guardian in over two centuries, he can only hope it's the red-headed beauty who's been haunting his dreams for months. And if it is, he intends to claim her as his. But when he finds his dream woman, Annabelle is mute and bears no Guardian's Mark. He soon realizes she's been tainted by an ancient evil. Russell must somehow release the secrets trapped within this delicate soul to help her tap into the only weapon powerful enough to silence a millennia-old demon-her voice.

About the Author:

LYNN RUSH – In her own words:

“When I started out on this writing journey, it felt like such a far away dream. I constantly asked myself, ‘Really? Me? A writer?’ Then when I was published I still asked, ‘Really? Me? An author?’ Along the way things inspired me, obstacles shot up, and doors both opened and closed…but through my faith, family, and friends, I found motivation to continue on my dream – dreams of something bigger than all of us. Whether it’s writing, music, dancing …”

Read more about Lynn Rush HERE

Interview with Author Lynn Rush:

1. Where do you get your ideas, I love them?

Thanks. Oh, my story ideas come from anywhere and everywhere. I once woke up from a deep sleep with the first line of story on the tip of my tongue. I had to roll over and write it down. I get tons of ideas while cycling. Four hours on a road bike allots for time to let the mind wander. The main thing, though, is to always be asking yourself: What if? Yep, you’ll be surprised at what that frame-of-mind opens your eyes to and ideas to form.

2. Why the paranormal, is there a reason behind it?

I grew up loving all things beyond reality. Watching the Hulk, Wonder Woman, and then when I was older it was Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Supernatural…Got to love Sammy and Dean, right? **le sigh** So, I’m not surprised I fell into the Paranormal Genre for my writing. It’s just a fun escape.

3. Did you ever have any paranormal experiences yourself that you have written about?

I haven’t actually. But I sure love thinking up new ways to create paranormal experiences for my characters.

4. What comes after Awaited, any new projects?

Tainted is the third book in the Wasteland Trilogy, but it’s not slated to released until Winter of 2013, so I’ve got something else planned for this fall! The first book in a new—and completely different Trilogy called Violet Midnight will release in October! I’m super excited to introduce Emma and Jake’s love story to the world. Violet Midnight features Emma, a reluctant Vampire Hunter, trying to make it on a college campus. But it’s kind of hard to fit in when your body temperature is a constant 74.7, you don’t need to eat or sleep, and you’ve got this tattoo on your wrist that glows when Vamps are near. It’s a fun trilogy and I can’t wait for this October…

5. And, on a personal note, do you have any "fur-people" (pets) living with you?

Oh yes. Two dogs. Both Shetland Sheep Dogs. Maddux is seven and Herky is fourteen. At least I think … I’m horrible about remembering. Maddux is my little running buddy. We go out and do about five miles together twice a week. He’s awesome!


You can download a FREE copy of Prelude to Darkness the prequel to the Wasteland Trilogy HERE.

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