Patrick David House
Patrick David House was born June 1st 1976 in South Saint Paul, Minniesota but spent most of his teenage years in Orlando Floirda in a nieghborhood called Pine Hills. He believed in the ways of not following the traditional ways of writing and had a plan of rebelling against how one should be when it came down to becoming an author. He traveled through the United States looking to find the true grit of the American Life. He then settled roots in Louisville KY in 2009 and in 2010 signed with Publish America for two books he had finished The Nevaha Chronicles Book One: The Sword of the Itains and STREET REBELS while waiting the birth of his daughter. He is currently working on his 3rd book The Conquistadores of Pine Hills.
Q. AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
Well as a child I always loved to create stories. I wrote my first script while in 6th grade which was a horror slasher flick set in Ireland called The St. Patrick's Day Massacre. It was only 20 pages but it was when I moved to Pine Hills meeting two friends in school that we got together and write stories with screen plays that were anti hollywood. It was birth of the path of writing stories that were different then what you would read. Reading the works of Hunter S Thompson, Frank Herbert, H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E Howard had set the path of things. Plus listening to heavy metal bands while staying up late while writing put my mind in motion. So in a sense I always loved writing and creating stories that in my best knowledge saying to myself that these would be books I want to read.
Q. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING?
Well coming from a place that when you were told constantly that no one would publish your works or the fact no one wants to read your work. It had set a mindful impact in my mind. When you come from a low economic back ground where you know that money is the one thing you can't dish out. You have to go with the fact that you have to do things yourself. The thing about self publishing is that you keep all your rights. Yes you have to promote yourself but its something that anyone who sells any product in this world even if you are backed by a corpuration in these times. So I am all for self publishing because you keep your rights and never loose them. So just to see my book in print was a dream come true. I personally couldn't care about the marketing conscept of things.
Q. WHAT KINDS OF BENEFITS COME FROM PARTICIPATING IN GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS?
It depends on the group or organizations you are for. As for me I am a huge supporter of stoping bulling in school as I am a former victim of such a thing. I am on a huge crusade also to all things that are stupid. I see pleanty of it going on today. In school I was apart of the Orlando Shakespare Young Company Actors Guild as well as apart of The Saw Dust Circle which was Clowns who entertain children both heathly and sick. I was active with the Drama Club and Theaspins. But as for today I am pretty much not much into groups unless its protecting the children.
Q. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF WITH YOUR WRITING IN FIVE YEARS?
Well I have actually a large plan in the next five years. I have to finish The Nevaha Chronicles Trilogy which I will be starting next year. Then I will start on my vampire series called The John Malek Journals. When that is finished I will be working on my sci fi series trilogy called The Black Star Birgade. When that is finished I will be working on a crime series set in the 1980's called Inside Electric Blue. I hope some one turns all my books into films. The one I would love to see is STREET REBELS be done well. After that I will probably do some prequels to Nevaha and some side stories to Nevaha as well as the John Malek Journals. Who knows.
Q. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GENRE OF WRITING?
Oh that is a tough one because I love all types of Genre. I guess thats why I dont follow the traditional ways of writing. I dont have a set genre when I write. I love all types of books when I find intresting. When I was younger I enjoyed sci fi and horror as well as reading fantasy. But as I got older I just stuck with the writers such as Hunter S Thompson, Robert E Howard, and others. So i really dont have a set genre of writing.
Q. HOW DOES WRITING HELP YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD?
Well I am hoping to be the voice for those who are different and who have been bullied through out life. For my books to have them stand up for themselves without violence to become one with their spirits and show that they can make a difference in this world and they can over come anything thrown at them.
Q. AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
Well as a child I always loved to create stories. I wrote my first script while in 6th grade which was a horror slasher flick set in Ireland called The St. Patrick's Day Massacre. It was only 20 pages but it was when I moved to Pine Hills meeting two friends in school that we got together and write stories with screen plays that were anti hollywood. It was birth of the path of writing stories that were different then what you would read. Reading the works of Hunter S Thompson, Frank Herbert, H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E Howard had set the path of things. Plus listening to heavy metal bands while staying up late while writing put my mind in motion. So in a sense I always loved writing and creating stories that in my best knowledge saying to myself that these would be books I want to read.
Q. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING?
Well coming from a place that when you were told constantly that no one would publish your works or the fact no one wants to read your work. It had set a mindful impact in my mind. When you come from a low economic back ground where you know that money is the one thing you can't dish out. You have to go with the fact that you have to do things yourself. The thing about self publishing is that you keep all your rights. Yes you have to promote yourself but its something that anyone who sells any product in this world even if you are backed by a corpuration in these times. So I am all for self publishing because you keep your rights and never loose them. So just to see my book in print was a dream come true. I personally couldn't care about the marketing conscept of things.
Q. WHAT KINDS OF BENEFITS COME FROM PARTICIPATING IN GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS?
It depends on the group or organizations you are for. As for me I am a huge supporter of stoping bulling in school as I am a former victim of such a thing. I am on a huge crusade also to all things that are stupid. I see pleanty of it going on today. In school I was apart of the Orlando Shakespare Young Company Actors Guild as well as apart of The Saw Dust Circle which was Clowns who entertain children both heathly and sick. I was active with the Drama Club and Theaspins. But as for today I am pretty much not much into groups unless its protecting the children.
Q. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF WITH YOUR WRITING IN FIVE YEARS?
Well I have actually a large plan in the next five years. I have to finish The Nevaha Chronicles Trilogy which I will be starting next year. Then I will start on my vampire series called The John Malek Journals. When that is finished I will be working on my sci fi series trilogy called The Black Star Birgade. When that is finished I will be working on a crime series set in the 1980's called Inside Electric Blue. I hope some one turns all my books into films. The one I would love to see is STREET REBELS be done well. After that I will probably do some prequels to Nevaha and some side stories to Nevaha as well as the John Malek Journals. Who knows.
Q. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GENRE OF WRITING?
Oh that is a tough one because I love all types of Genre. I guess thats why I dont follow the traditional ways of writing. I dont have a set genre when I write. I love all types of books when I find intresting. When I was younger I enjoyed sci fi and horror as well as reading fantasy. But as I got older I just stuck with the writers such as Hunter S Thompson, Robert E Howard, and others. So i really dont have a set genre of writing.
Q. HOW DOES WRITING HELP YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD?
Well I am hoping to be the voice for those who are different and who have been bullied through out life. For my books to have them stand up for themselves without violence to become one with their spirits and show that they can make a difference in this world and they can over come anything thrown at them.
Author Lillian Brummet
Boobie Babble Author Interview #4
Dave and Lillian Brummet have been writing professionally since 1999 - to date, they have written 3 published books. The main focus of their books, blogs, newsletter and radio program is to inspire hope in individuals, helping them realize the value of their efforts and encouraging them to become more positive, proactive in life.
The Brummet's Conscious Blog:
The Brummet's Conscious Blog - where you will find the eco-tip of the day, quote of the day and many resources for green living. You will also see inspiring positive environmental news and updates on the Conscious Discussions and Authors Read radio shows. You'll also find an insider's view into the world of writing, and links to everything the Brummet's have to offer: http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com
Conscious Discussions Radio:
Conscious Discussions Radio is an hour long talk show that celebrates individuals around the world who are working to make the world a better place. Conscious Discussions is not about pointing fingers - it is about celebrating individuals who are stepping up and doing proactive things. www.brummet.ca/conscious.html
Trash Talk - An Inspirational Guide to Saving Time and Money through Better Waste and Resource Management discusses the 4-R’s of waste management and the proper order for them. This being Refuse, Reduce, Reuse Then Recycle… before we even consider sending the item to the trash bin. Trash Talk focuses on the third R, Reuse – which also saves people a lot of money (through reduced shopping, reduced utility bills...) and provides a way to make a real and measurable contribution towards a healthier planet. The book enables readers to feel more positive in life and leave a lasting legacy. Trash Talk is currently available in both paperback format & will soon be updated and released in the upcoming Trash Talk - Its Easy Being Green e-book series. Details at: www.brummet.ca/trashtalk.html
Towards Understanding, revised edition is a collection of 125 non-fiction poems written in chronological order. It is a true story of a young pre-teen female growing up on her own, struggling to survive, breaking the chains of inner demons and finally growing towards understanding of her value & purpose in life – but not quite reaching it. Thus the title… Towards Understanding. The reason behind the book was to show other victims of abuse, violence and neglect that they can live a wholesome life without baggage from the past. Second to that Lillian wanted to provide a roadmap that showed the healing process that victims go through, letting others know they are not alone. People who are involved with victims can learn what that person is going through or will go through and therefore they might be able to provide a better support system. The original version of this book (with 120 poems) is still available in paperback through most online and retail bookstores. The new revised edition offers 5 new poems, creating an ending the author is more comfortable with, and updated author information. Details at: www.brummet.ca/towards.html
Purple Snowflake Marketing - How To Make Your Book Stand Out In A Crowd, is a reference guide for self-marketing authors who want to be noticed in a snowstorm of writers. With 19 chapters and 25 appendices, this book is a means for authors to design an effective marketing plan and utilize frugal promotional tools with the click of their mouse. Whether it is utilized by order of chapters or randomly at the reader's discretion the book is a marketing plan in itself. Accelerate your marketing efforts far beyond your peers with the more than 900 resources available with the click of your mouse! Purple Snowflake Marketing provides reassurance to authors along with ample advice for avoiding pit-falls and setting a pace for marketing endeavors. Details at: www.brummet.ca/purple.html
Q: What is your idea of happiness?
A: Happiness to me is still a bit of a conundrum – Although I have been finding much more personal fulfillment since I became a writer, despite the incredibly long hours and the stresses it involves. Working for someone else was not fulfilling in any way – it was draining my reserves in fact. Writing has allowed me to educate, inspire, and motivate others to live a more conscious, proactive and green lifestyle. Knowing that readers actually use that knowledge in their lives is very encouraging to me. On a personal level - I find peace in working the soil; I’m big on gardening and love being a part of the life cycle there. Watching the amazing process that a seed goes through, and all the mirco-organisms, life in the soil, pollinators and beneficial life… When seeking some form of refuge from the stresses in this live I always turn to animals and wilderness.
Q: Are you doing what you really want to do in life?
A: Oh, absolutely. I wouldn’t change a thing… of course we are always evolving, growing – but I wouldn’t change the general direction of my life’s path. I really feel like I am making a difference – as a writer, radio show host, blog manager – with the topics I cover and highlighting the incredible work that others are doing. As a gardener, I participate in seed saving programs and share both seeds and produce with the needy, friends, organizations and neighbors. As a writer I’ve given back in many ways from book reviews to literacy organization donations.
Q: In your career as a writer - what do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
A: My greatest strengths would be determination and self-discipline. I am not afraid of hard work, and I am dedicated to the work we do – I really believe in it and having been a business manager/owner I know the work it takes to make a business like this work. My weaknesses involve impatience with delays from having to learn new technology to waiting for a book release – this is very hard for me. Normally I can be very methodical, practical… but I can also be impatient and moody at times due to frustrations. Luckily Dave (her co-writing husband) is a patient man, who doesn’t mind going behind the scenes to repair a computer problem… while I pace in the background.
Q: What are some of your favorite websites for writers?
A: There are so many! (She laughs) – Let’s see… RoseAndThornEzine.com, WritersJournal.com, WritersUnlimited.com, BeWrite.net, Once Written.com, AbsoluteWrite.com, Writer2writer.com, WritersAndBeyond.com, WritersGazette.com …I could go on and on with this one… Oh I mustn’t forget WritersInTheSky.com
Q: What are some of the tools you use for marketing?
A: I use every tool I can find, methodically utilizing each opportunity as it arises – or I’ll make a note of the opportunity for a future date. I feel it is important to experiment with different tools, since you never know when you will stumble upon an untapped audience. Currently my marketing seems to evolve around interviews, articles and social networking. I have a couple of blogs, a book tour page, an e-newsletter that goes out twice a month, a great website that is currently going through upgrades, a radio show… and these all take time to manage. If your readers have time, I would like to invite them to do an Internet Search on my name and they’ll see that more than 15,000 links come up – and often as many as 30,000 (depending on the search engine used; I tend to use Bing, DogPile or Google).
Q: Are you satisfied with your experiences as a published author? (things you’ve noticed that could be improved, what you’ve enjoyed, what you’ll do better next time…)
A: Being an author, as opposed to other writing genres, is much more of a challenge in that there is more marketing and record keeping involved. A book is sold over and over in one’s marketing campaign until the book no longer exists in the publishing industry - which can be 10 years or more. While an article is queried out to a magazine, who decides to publish it – and that is pretty much it. Sure you need to keep records as to when the article was published, when and how much you were paid and when you can use the article again. (Most have a 3 month waiting period before you can rewrite or reprint a published article). Authors need anywhere between 1 and 8 years to produce a book – an article can be written in a single day.
As to being satisfied – well, there is no doubt this is a challenge. Too many people want free books, and there are so many challenges from marketing costs, time management, public appearances… all this time put into the books only to sell a few hundred copies a year. It can be daunting and challenging, but it is worth it – none-the-less. You can see my author interview with Lillian at http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com/
Dave and Lillian Brummet have been writing professionally since 1999 - to date, they have written 3 published books. The main focus of their books, blogs, newsletter and radio program is to inspire hope in individuals, helping them realize the value of their efforts and encouraging them to become more positive, proactive in life.
The Brummet's Conscious Blog:
The Brummet's Conscious Blog - where you will find the eco-tip of the day, quote of the day and many resources for green living. You will also see inspiring positive environmental news and updates on the Conscious Discussions and Authors Read radio shows. You'll also find an insider's view into the world of writing, and links to everything the Brummet's have to offer: http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com
Conscious Discussions Radio:
Conscious Discussions Radio is an hour long talk show that celebrates individuals around the world who are working to make the world a better place. Conscious Discussions is not about pointing fingers - it is about celebrating individuals who are stepping up and doing proactive things. www.brummet.ca/conscious.html
Trash Talk - An Inspirational Guide to Saving Time and Money through Better Waste and Resource Management discusses the 4-R’s of waste management and the proper order for them. This being Refuse, Reduce, Reuse Then Recycle… before we even consider sending the item to the trash bin. Trash Talk focuses on the third R, Reuse – which also saves people a lot of money (through reduced shopping, reduced utility bills...) and provides a way to make a real and measurable contribution towards a healthier planet. The book enables readers to feel more positive in life and leave a lasting legacy. Trash Talk is currently available in both paperback format & will soon be updated and released in the upcoming Trash Talk - Its Easy Being Green e-book series. Details at: www.brummet.ca/trashtalk.html
Towards Understanding, revised edition is a collection of 125 non-fiction poems written in chronological order. It is a true story of a young pre-teen female growing up on her own, struggling to survive, breaking the chains of inner demons and finally growing towards understanding of her value & purpose in life – but not quite reaching it. Thus the title… Towards Understanding. The reason behind the book was to show other victims of abuse, violence and neglect that they can live a wholesome life without baggage from the past. Second to that Lillian wanted to provide a roadmap that showed the healing process that victims go through, letting others know they are not alone. People who are involved with victims can learn what that person is going through or will go through and therefore they might be able to provide a better support system. The original version of this book (with 120 poems) is still available in paperback through most online and retail bookstores. The new revised edition offers 5 new poems, creating an ending the author is more comfortable with, and updated author information. Details at: www.brummet.ca/towards.html
Purple Snowflake Marketing - How To Make Your Book Stand Out In A Crowd, is a reference guide for self-marketing authors who want to be noticed in a snowstorm of writers. With 19 chapters and 25 appendices, this book is a means for authors to design an effective marketing plan and utilize frugal promotional tools with the click of their mouse. Whether it is utilized by order of chapters or randomly at the reader's discretion the book is a marketing plan in itself. Accelerate your marketing efforts far beyond your peers with the more than 900 resources available with the click of your mouse! Purple Snowflake Marketing provides reassurance to authors along with ample advice for avoiding pit-falls and setting a pace for marketing endeavors. Details at: www.brummet.ca/purple.html
Q: What is your idea of happiness?
A: Happiness to me is still a bit of a conundrum – Although I have been finding much more personal fulfillment since I became a writer, despite the incredibly long hours and the stresses it involves. Working for someone else was not fulfilling in any way – it was draining my reserves in fact. Writing has allowed me to educate, inspire, and motivate others to live a more conscious, proactive and green lifestyle. Knowing that readers actually use that knowledge in their lives is very encouraging to me. On a personal level - I find peace in working the soil; I’m big on gardening and love being a part of the life cycle there. Watching the amazing process that a seed goes through, and all the mirco-organisms, life in the soil, pollinators and beneficial life… When seeking some form of refuge from the stresses in this live I always turn to animals and wilderness.
Q: Are you doing what you really want to do in life?
A: Oh, absolutely. I wouldn’t change a thing… of course we are always evolving, growing – but I wouldn’t change the general direction of my life’s path. I really feel like I am making a difference – as a writer, radio show host, blog manager – with the topics I cover and highlighting the incredible work that others are doing. As a gardener, I participate in seed saving programs and share both seeds and produce with the needy, friends, organizations and neighbors. As a writer I’ve given back in many ways from book reviews to literacy organization donations.
Q: In your career as a writer - what do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
A: My greatest strengths would be determination and self-discipline. I am not afraid of hard work, and I am dedicated to the work we do – I really believe in it and having been a business manager/owner I know the work it takes to make a business like this work. My weaknesses involve impatience with delays from having to learn new technology to waiting for a book release – this is very hard for me. Normally I can be very methodical, practical… but I can also be impatient and moody at times due to frustrations. Luckily Dave (her co-writing husband) is a patient man, who doesn’t mind going behind the scenes to repair a computer problem… while I pace in the background.
Q: What are some of your favorite websites for writers?
A: There are so many! (She laughs) – Let’s see… RoseAndThornEzine.com, WritersJournal.com, WritersUnlimited.com, BeWrite.net, Once Written.com, AbsoluteWrite.com, Writer2writer.com, WritersAndBeyond.com, WritersGazette.com …I could go on and on with this one… Oh I mustn’t forget WritersInTheSky.com
Q: What are some of the tools you use for marketing?
A: I use every tool I can find, methodically utilizing each opportunity as it arises – or I’ll make a note of the opportunity for a future date. I feel it is important to experiment with different tools, since you never know when you will stumble upon an untapped audience. Currently my marketing seems to evolve around interviews, articles and social networking. I have a couple of blogs, a book tour page, an e-newsletter that goes out twice a month, a great website that is currently going through upgrades, a radio show… and these all take time to manage. If your readers have time, I would like to invite them to do an Internet Search on my name and they’ll see that more than 15,000 links come up – and often as many as 30,000 (depending on the search engine used; I tend to use Bing, DogPile or Google).
Q: Are you satisfied with your experiences as a published author? (things you’ve noticed that could be improved, what you’ve enjoyed, what you’ll do better next time…)
A: Being an author, as opposed to other writing genres, is much more of a challenge in that there is more marketing and record keeping involved. A book is sold over and over in one’s marketing campaign until the book no longer exists in the publishing industry - which can be 10 years or more. While an article is queried out to a magazine, who decides to publish it – and that is pretty much it. Sure you need to keep records as to when the article was published, when and how much you were paid and when you can use the article again. (Most have a 3 month waiting period before you can rewrite or reprint a published article). Authors need anywhere between 1 and 8 years to produce a book – an article can be written in a single day.
As to being satisfied – well, there is no doubt this is a challenge. Too many people want free books, and there are so many challenges from marketing costs, time management, public appearances… all this time put into the books only to sell a few hundred copies a year. It can be daunting and challenging, but it is worth it – none-the-less. You can see my author interview with Lillian at http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com/
My Interview as it appears on Lillian Brummet's Blog
-- World of Writing Interview # 31 Rachel Jeanette Hall Stolle was born and raised in a little town called Jefferson, in North East Texas. As an individual, she has endured economic hardships, sexual abuse by a internal strife. Today Rachel is a 29 year old Baylor University, Texas. graduate, teacher, poetic monthly staff writer, and a budget-conscious stay-at-home mom in Waco Rachel's first Christian Children's Picture book is set to be released September 12, 2010: Why Did This Happen to Me, Aunt Lou?, and has many other books planned for this series. Find Rachel at: http://auntloubooks.weebly.com @font-face { font-family: Times New Roman; } @font-face { font-family: Times-Roman; } @font-face { font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; } @font-face { font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT; } P.MsoNormal { MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times; FONT-SIZE: 12pt } LI.MsoNormal { MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times; FONT-SIZE: 12pt } DIV.MsoNormal { MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times; FONT-SIZE: 12pt } A:link { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlink { COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } A:visited { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline } TABLE.MsoNormalTable { FONT-FAMILY: "Times New Roman"; FONT-SIZE: 10pt } SPAN.yshortcuts { } DIV.Section1 { page: Section1 } Q: How would a good friend describe you? A: My husband of eight years, Jason, is my best friend in the world. I sat here pondering this question and I realized, "JUST ASK JASON!!", so I did. He sat pensive for a moment and his first adjective made me grin from ear to ear--beautiful. I absolutely adore how our relationship has grown and changed with the years. After birthing two children (80lb pregnancies each) one of which ended with an impromptu c-section and an eleven pound (10lb 14oz, i give myself the other 2 oz) baby, he still truly sees me as being as beautiful as the day we met. I giggled at his response and said, "no, really". This is what he came up with. A good friend would describe me as loyal, kind-hearted, thoughtful, and dependable. Q: What are your long-range and short-range goals and objectives? How do you plan to accomplish your goals? A: My long-range goals as a Christian Children's Book Author are to create a series of picture books that help parents incorporate scriptures, and bible stories, into the every-day explanations they give their children. I am a stay-at-home mom to two beautiful girls. My oldest is four, and very inquisitive. I find myself daily responding to her insightful, innocent questions with the best intentions, but sometimes I fall short and talking to her in a way that she finds engaging. This book series is my attempt to do both. My short-term goals are to successfully complete the five books that I have already written. I write when I feel led, and through the years I have created five wholesome children's stories in anticipation of sharing them with my children and family. Q: How do you determine or evaluate success? A: I find it so very ironic that this question appears here. I just days ago wrote my very first one-page article for Poetic Monthly Magazine with this very title. It will appear in the October issue. Feel free to see more of my work in future months at poeticmonthly.com Here I sit enjoying a calm evening with the hubby, after a long and crazy day. The television is blaring a home improvement show, and we sit anxiously hoping for the phone to ring with an offer on our home of seven years. The girls are settled into bed after a day at pre-school, and two long and torturous hours driving around the area waiting for our home to be viewed. Finally my mind slowly relaxes, forgetting about the worries of the day. This is where I find myself, contemplating success. There have been many benchmarks in my life that I believed I would experience success once I met them—today I realize that success is something you define for yourself, not something that can be achieved by checking the traditional ‘life-steps’ off a list given to you by this world. Granted, some things on my checklist are far from average, but it is a checklist nonetheless. I am a childhood sexual abuse survivor, check. I am a nationally ranked HS mascot, check (had to throw this in there just for its sheer randomness). I am a HS graduate within the top 10% of my class, check. I am a college graduate, check. I am a violent crime survivor, check. I am a wife, check. I am a homeowner, check. I am a teacher, check. I am a mom, check. I am a stay-at-home mom, check, check, check, check, and check (that one counts more!). And now I am a published children’s book author and illustrator, check. These are all things that I am proud of, and at a time in my life I would have thought that these things defined me and/or my ‘success’. I felt a tug on my heartstrings today as I listened to my first radio interview (with poetic monthly blog radio mind you), plus found my book listed at both Barnes and Nobel, and Books-a-Million—success for me is allowing all of the bad and nasty things I have ever experienced to be turned beautiful. I realize now that I have a mission, not just a checklist. I have a mission to reach others with my message of hope, faith, peace and love. I have a mission to teach my children, and hopefully others via my books, that there are things so vastly more important than just income, or status, or degrees. I define my success by my faith. This world is fleeting, but if I can reach one heart and one soul with my message of healing, and lead them to find their home—what better thing could I ever do? So this is my commission to you, aspiring or current authors—just start. Start looking over your checklist, and your life. Decide for yourself what your definition of success is and go for it. Find your story and share it. You never know, it just might lead someone home. Q: What inspires you? A: My life experiences, and a very strong Christian role model in my childhood inspire me to write. I credit my earliest foundations in Christianity to a wonderful woman named Lousie Ritche. Aunt Lou, as everyone knew her, was a caring, Godly woman who devoted her life to service, and passed away in 2009 from Alzheimer disease .
“Why Did This Happen to Me, Aunt Lou?” is my first published work. It aims to help children who have experienced hardships or trauma in their lives to understand that God is by their side. I am a childhood sexual abuse survivor. I experienced eleven years of intermittent abuse at the hand of a distant family member. I am also an adult attempted kidnapping turned carjacking survivor. You can see my account of that terrible day at http://auntloubooks.weebly.com/the-day-i-was-nearly-kidnapped-and-carjacked.html. I truly felt led to make "Why Did This Happen to Me, Aunt Lou?" my first and most-important work. Q: What is your opinion of the world today? A: This is such a very loaded question and I have very mixed feelings on this topic. As a Christian I see hope, peace and love present in our world today in so very many ways. There are wonderful people living among us today, just as there are the truly hurting and lost. While there is great good taking place and many people still willing to help a fellow neighbor, there is also great evil, self-centeredness, destruction and perversion. I do not, however, believe that any of this sets our world of 'today' apart from our world of 'yesterday'. I just think we hear more about the negative than ever before. I guess my most accurate and direct answer would be that I see great unmet potential in the world today just as at anytime in our history. Q: What is your contribution to society? A: My books. My honesty. My heart. ...I desire to be as transparent and honest about my life as possible. I believe that this action alone will facilitate healing and change. If I can reach one child with the message of salvation and healing then I feel that I will have accomplished my life goal.
Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!
Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blogs, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or purchasing a book - each book sold raises funds for charity as well!
Author Shunkedra Zachery
Author Interview #3 Shunkedra Zachery
Shunkedra has been captivated by romance and storytelling since she was a young girl growing up in East Texas. Devoted to the ART of reading, she became an Elementary Reading Teacher to inspire children to read. Creating stories about love, whether in book format or script has been a lifelong dream of hers. Shunkedra’s first novel “To Love Again?” encompasses love, forgiveness, faith, and family. The important things in life!!!
Shunkedra is a self-taught fiction novelist and screenplay writer from Texas. She graduated with honors from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX and has a BA in Communication with emphasis on Radio/TV. She is also a certified Public School Teacher. She taught in the classroom 4 years before deciding to venture out to pursue her dreams of becoming a writer. She currently resides in Georgia where she spends the majority of her time writing and learning daily about her craft.
Q. AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
Although I dabbled with the idea of becoming a doctor or lawyer, for as long as I can remember, I dreamed of becoming a writer. In fact, I wanted to write for the Soap Opera General Hospital. Which is kind of peculiar for a young child, but I was so use to my mom watching All My Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital every day. The characters were a part of my life. However, as I grew older, the realization that people would criticize my work steered me into another direction. Today, I realize the only opinion that matters is mine. If I enjoy my work, then that’s what counts. I am truly my harshest critic.
Q. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING?
My opinion of self-publishing varies, because it has its pros and cons. I will never regret self-publishing my first novel with Xlibris because it went beyond my expectations. For years I had been sitting on my story, unable to decide what to do with it. It wasn’t until I made contact with the company that I actually finished my book. To say the least, they drove me crazy, but I needed that. If I’m not mistaken, it took almost a year for them to finally convince me to submit my material. Every month like clockwork I got a call. Miss Zachery, are you ready to submit. What are you waiting on? If your work is done, why haven’t you submitted it? Finally, I just sent it. And in 2 weeks I had the finished product in my hand, and it felt wonderful.
The biggest fault of most self-publishing companies is they often charge outrageous amounts for their product. If you are a struggling writer, you can’t afford the cost of copy-editing, publicity, and many of the other things needed to make your book a success. And, after you pay all of this money, there is no guarantee that your book will swarm the market. So considering I just wanted to see my book in print, I decided against the extra things. Fortunately for me, the longer I held out, the more free perks they offered.
Q. WHAT KINDS OF BENEFITS COME FROM PARTICIPATING IN GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS?
I believe groups are an excellent motivator. I am a member of the Georgia Writers Association, and I try to attend as many workshops as I can at Kennesaw State University. Because I didn’t technically go to school for writing, I feel the need to learn as much as I can from people who are in the industry. I like to know how they got their start, and what steps they took. No artist path is the same, but it’s always great to have someone to map and model. It’s also great to simply get out and meet other people. US writers have the tendency to find a safe haven and hide away from the world. Being a part of a group, keeps you connected.
Q. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF WITH YOUR WRITING IN FIVE YEARS?
Where do I see myself in five years???Hum… Honestly, I have no clue. I know that writing will always be a part of my life from now on. There was a 10 year span in my life, in which the only writing I did was for class assignments. Now that I have rediscovered my love for words, the sky is the limit. I can say that I would like for my first screenplay “Gone, Not Forgotten” to be put on film. I also have a children’s book that I am working on, and at least complete one screen play a year during that 5 year period. I would also like to be a part of a writing team for a primetime television show. One thing that I have learned in my research is that there are opportunities out there. They may be hard to obtain, but they are out there. As you know, I wanted to write for soap operas when I was a child. There are actually contest with the ABC network that give you the opportunity to do just that. I didn’t know that when I was younger, and I probably would have spent the last 15 years of my life entering those contest and fellowship programs. I may not can say with specifics what will happen in 5 years, but I know that I will spend the next 5 years focusing on getting my work into the hands of people that can help me accomplish those goals.
Q. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GENRE OF WRITING?
I love stories about love. I grew up reading romance novels at an early age, and I was always captivated by how the characters fell in love. What steps, or process, led the characters to discover that their life would be better off having this particular person in it… Authors like Nora Roberts and Julie Garwood were always outlets when I wanted to read a good story about love. As a Christian based writer, I try to forgo the steamy, and focus on the characters relationship. I hope with time and experience, I will become a great story teller like these ladies.
Q. HOW DOES WRITING HELP YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD?
I pray that my writing makes a difference in the lives of my former students. I want these children to realize that it’s okay to want more in life. I want them to dare to dream. I want to generate in others the desire to not give up on something you love. For so long, I had given up on writing. Whether or not my first book sells 1,000,000 copies or 100 copies, I am more proud of myself now than I have ever been.
www.shunkedra.com
www.amazon.com
[email protected]
If you are in the East Texas Area, you can purchase a book at Williams Collision Repair off Hwy 59 in Jefferson, TX. Contact Sherry Williams at 903-665-3542
Shunkedra has been captivated by romance and storytelling since she was a young girl growing up in East Texas. Devoted to the ART of reading, she became an Elementary Reading Teacher to inspire children to read. Creating stories about love, whether in book format or script has been a lifelong dream of hers. Shunkedra’s first novel “To Love Again?” encompasses love, forgiveness, faith, and family. The important things in life!!!
Shunkedra is a self-taught fiction novelist and screenplay writer from Texas. She graduated with honors from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX and has a BA in Communication with emphasis on Radio/TV. She is also a certified Public School Teacher. She taught in the classroom 4 years before deciding to venture out to pursue her dreams of becoming a writer. She currently resides in Georgia where she spends the majority of her time writing and learning daily about her craft.
Q. AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
Although I dabbled with the idea of becoming a doctor or lawyer, for as long as I can remember, I dreamed of becoming a writer. In fact, I wanted to write for the Soap Opera General Hospital. Which is kind of peculiar for a young child, but I was so use to my mom watching All My Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital every day. The characters were a part of my life. However, as I grew older, the realization that people would criticize my work steered me into another direction. Today, I realize the only opinion that matters is mine. If I enjoy my work, then that’s what counts. I am truly my harshest critic.
Q. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING?
My opinion of self-publishing varies, because it has its pros and cons. I will never regret self-publishing my first novel with Xlibris because it went beyond my expectations. For years I had been sitting on my story, unable to decide what to do with it. It wasn’t until I made contact with the company that I actually finished my book. To say the least, they drove me crazy, but I needed that. If I’m not mistaken, it took almost a year for them to finally convince me to submit my material. Every month like clockwork I got a call. Miss Zachery, are you ready to submit. What are you waiting on? If your work is done, why haven’t you submitted it? Finally, I just sent it. And in 2 weeks I had the finished product in my hand, and it felt wonderful.
The biggest fault of most self-publishing companies is they often charge outrageous amounts for their product. If you are a struggling writer, you can’t afford the cost of copy-editing, publicity, and many of the other things needed to make your book a success. And, after you pay all of this money, there is no guarantee that your book will swarm the market. So considering I just wanted to see my book in print, I decided against the extra things. Fortunately for me, the longer I held out, the more free perks they offered.
Q. WHAT KINDS OF BENEFITS COME FROM PARTICIPATING IN GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS?
I believe groups are an excellent motivator. I am a member of the Georgia Writers Association, and I try to attend as many workshops as I can at Kennesaw State University. Because I didn’t technically go to school for writing, I feel the need to learn as much as I can from people who are in the industry. I like to know how they got their start, and what steps they took. No artist path is the same, but it’s always great to have someone to map and model. It’s also great to simply get out and meet other people. US writers have the tendency to find a safe haven and hide away from the world. Being a part of a group, keeps you connected.
Q. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF WITH YOUR WRITING IN FIVE YEARS?
Where do I see myself in five years???Hum… Honestly, I have no clue. I know that writing will always be a part of my life from now on. There was a 10 year span in my life, in which the only writing I did was for class assignments. Now that I have rediscovered my love for words, the sky is the limit. I can say that I would like for my first screenplay “Gone, Not Forgotten” to be put on film. I also have a children’s book that I am working on, and at least complete one screen play a year during that 5 year period. I would also like to be a part of a writing team for a primetime television show. One thing that I have learned in my research is that there are opportunities out there. They may be hard to obtain, but they are out there. As you know, I wanted to write for soap operas when I was a child. There are actually contest with the ABC network that give you the opportunity to do just that. I didn’t know that when I was younger, and I probably would have spent the last 15 years of my life entering those contest and fellowship programs. I may not can say with specifics what will happen in 5 years, but I know that I will spend the next 5 years focusing on getting my work into the hands of people that can help me accomplish those goals.
Q. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GENRE OF WRITING?
I love stories about love. I grew up reading romance novels at an early age, and I was always captivated by how the characters fell in love. What steps, or process, led the characters to discover that their life would be better off having this particular person in it… Authors like Nora Roberts and Julie Garwood were always outlets when I wanted to read a good story about love. As a Christian based writer, I try to forgo the steamy, and focus on the characters relationship. I hope with time and experience, I will become a great story teller like these ladies.
Q. HOW DOES WRITING HELP YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD?
I pray that my writing makes a difference in the lives of my former students. I want these children to realize that it’s okay to want more in life. I want them to dare to dream. I want to generate in others the desire to not give up on something you love. For so long, I had given up on writing. Whether or not my first book sells 1,000,000 copies or 100 copies, I am more proud of myself now than I have ever been.
www.shunkedra.com
www.amazon.com
[email protected]
If you are in the East Texas Area, you can purchase a book at Williams Collision Repair off Hwy 59 in Jefferson, TX. Contact Sherry Williams at 903-665-3542
Author DJ Ashton
Author Interview #2
Today we welcome author DJ Ashton. D.J. Ashton was born in Baltimore, Maryland on July 3, 1964, at Union Memorial Hospital.
She holds an Associate in Science degree in the field of Criminal Justice and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Florida Metropolitan University.
Having attended the Medix School in Towson, Maryland, she has a certificate of completion in Medical Assisting. She graduated earning the Alpha Beta Cappa award. Upon completion of her externship from the program, she was hired on the spot by the Obstetrician/Gynecologist she worked for during that time, and remained with him until a divorce necessitated a move further than she could travel for work.
Ms. Ashton has one son, who has followed in her footsteps and serves his country proudly in the United States Army. She has one daughter currently enrolled in college as a Psychology major and another daughter who recently graduated beauty school. She also has one granddaughter who she proudly calls "Nana's girl".
Infatuated by and intrigued with vampires, Ms. Ashton began researching and writing about them approximately twenty years ago. In the last seven years, she has been actively writing for publication and is currently in search of a literary agent to represent her work. While she dabbles in other genres, her main focus is always Paranormal Romance.
She has been an active member of the Romance Writers of America organization since April 2005.
To her writing credit, she has written several short stories (in various genres), begun an autobiography, and has also begun writing a whimsical memoir, of sorts, based on little things she observes as she haunts coffee shops, family diners, and the local Barnes & Noble. She is an avid "people-watcher" and gets some of her best story ideas and characters from those unsuspecting people she "accidentally" and "non-chalantly" eavesdrops on.
When not engaged in writing, edits, and people-watching, she likes to unwind on the Internet where she meets with friends to chat. She plays World of Warcraft having left EverQuest after years of play. She also enjoys such "offline" PC games as Doom 3, Half Life, and Quake (4).
Other hobbies include cooking, crocheting, and holding the couch in place while she flips through the cable channels, occasionally coming to rest on programs such as Forensic Files, Law & Order (CI and SVU), Ghost Hunters, and True Blood.
http://djashton.webs.com/
http://djashtonimmdes.blogspot.com/
Q. How do your friends and family feel about your writing venture in general? (how have you handled the situation?)
A. In general, they are okay with my writing and they like to read my books, but they feel I need “a real job” until I get famous (Insert laughing here). I simply tell them my writing is a real job and that I am happy doing it and I’ll keep doing it until I don’t want to do it anymore, which I don’t see happening in the near future.
Q. What do you do to unwind and relax?
A. Sometimes I will just take a nap and other times I will curl up with a good book, or I’ll take a candlelight bubble bath with soft music on in the background.
Q. What is your favorite book?
A. Hard to say because I like so many but I guess one of my favorites of all time is “Rage of Angels” by Sidney Sheldon. Oh, and “Acheron” by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
Q. What do you want to accomplish with your books?
A. I want to secure myself in the world of writing. I just want my books on the shelves of the major bookstores so I can leave a sort of legacy for my children and grandchildren.
Q. How long does it take you to write a completed book manuscript?
A. It depends on what I’m writing and how intense it gets. The first book I ever wrote took 3 years. The one I just had published took almost 2 years. I finished another book in just two months’ time. And the one I’m working on now, I hope to have done in the next 2-3 weeks. I figure if I do a chapter a day, I’ll accomplish that goal.
Q. What successes has your current book done for you?
A. My book got me published. I wanted to be a successfully published author and I have achieved that. Now I want to go further and be recognized when people see my name on the cover of one of my works.
You can also find this boobie babble blog interview at auntloubooks.weebly.com
Please check out my interview on DJ's blog at http://djashtonimmdes.blogspot.com/
Today we welcome author DJ Ashton. D.J. Ashton was born in Baltimore, Maryland on July 3, 1964, at Union Memorial Hospital.
She holds an Associate in Science degree in the field of Criminal Justice and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Florida Metropolitan University.
Having attended the Medix School in Towson, Maryland, she has a certificate of completion in Medical Assisting. She graduated earning the Alpha Beta Cappa award. Upon completion of her externship from the program, she was hired on the spot by the Obstetrician/Gynecologist she worked for during that time, and remained with him until a divorce necessitated a move further than she could travel for work.
Ms. Ashton has one son, who has followed in her footsteps and serves his country proudly in the United States Army. She has one daughter currently enrolled in college as a Psychology major and another daughter who recently graduated beauty school. She also has one granddaughter who she proudly calls "Nana's girl".
Infatuated by and intrigued with vampires, Ms. Ashton began researching and writing about them approximately twenty years ago. In the last seven years, she has been actively writing for publication and is currently in search of a literary agent to represent her work. While she dabbles in other genres, her main focus is always Paranormal Romance.
She has been an active member of the Romance Writers of America organization since April 2005.
To her writing credit, she has written several short stories (in various genres), begun an autobiography, and has also begun writing a whimsical memoir, of sorts, based on little things she observes as she haunts coffee shops, family diners, and the local Barnes & Noble. She is an avid "people-watcher" and gets some of her best story ideas and characters from those unsuspecting people she "accidentally" and "non-chalantly" eavesdrops on.
When not engaged in writing, edits, and people-watching, she likes to unwind on the Internet where she meets with friends to chat. She plays World of Warcraft having left EverQuest after years of play. She also enjoys such "offline" PC games as Doom 3, Half Life, and Quake (4).
Other hobbies include cooking, crocheting, and holding the couch in place while she flips through the cable channels, occasionally coming to rest on programs such as Forensic Files, Law & Order (CI and SVU), Ghost Hunters, and True Blood.
http://djashton.webs.com/
http://djashtonimmdes.blogspot.com/
Q. How do your friends and family feel about your writing venture in general? (how have you handled the situation?)
A. In general, they are okay with my writing and they like to read my books, but they feel I need “a real job” until I get famous (Insert laughing here). I simply tell them my writing is a real job and that I am happy doing it and I’ll keep doing it until I don’t want to do it anymore, which I don’t see happening in the near future.
Q. What do you do to unwind and relax?
A. Sometimes I will just take a nap and other times I will curl up with a good book, or I’ll take a candlelight bubble bath with soft music on in the background.
Q. What is your favorite book?
A. Hard to say because I like so many but I guess one of my favorites of all time is “Rage of Angels” by Sidney Sheldon. Oh, and “Acheron” by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
Q. What do you want to accomplish with your books?
A. I want to secure myself in the world of writing. I just want my books on the shelves of the major bookstores so I can leave a sort of legacy for my children and grandchildren.
Q. How long does it take you to write a completed book manuscript?
A. It depends on what I’m writing and how intense it gets. The first book I ever wrote took 3 years. The one I just had published took almost 2 years. I finished another book in just two months’ time. And the one I’m working on now, I hope to have done in the next 2-3 weeks. I figure if I do a chapter a day, I’ll accomplish that goal.
Q. What successes has your current book done for you?
A. My book got me published. I wanted to be a successfully published author and I have achieved that. Now I want to go further and be recognized when people see my name on the cover of one of my works.
You can also find this boobie babble blog interview at auntloubooks.weebly.com
Please check out my interview on DJ's blog at http://djashtonimmdes.blogspot.com/
Author Annie Eskeldson
Author Interview #1
Annie Eskeldson Joins us tonight to share with us some wonderful information about her first published and second soon-to-be released childrens books inspired by her experiences with Austic Daughter, Ashi.
After 50,000 hours of providing therapy for her Autistic daughter, she felt inspired to write Children's Books for families overcoming Autism. She'd like to reach out to that Mom or Dad who is really struggling today and let them know that as an Autist, your child is wonderful, and you are not alone! "Ashi's Gift" is book number one of a three part set. Look for "Ashi - In a Class all by Myself" and "Ashi - Birthdays and Other Dreaded Days" to come out next year.
Annie is a married mom with a degree in Biotechnology and studied Chemistry. Her husband, Bart, and she have two children, daughter, Ashli-Meghan 6, and son, Izaiah, is 11 months. They own their own business in a small city. Her daughter, Ashli-Meghan, whom they call Ashi for short, is Autistic. Annie knew the day she was born that there was something different about her, she didn't know at the time that it was Autism, but she knew something about her was definately not typical. By the age of about 16 months she was diagnosed with Autism. They were lucky we had a pediatrician experienced in this area. They have also been blessed to have always been able to stay home with Ashi. Since Annie had known something was not right in the beginning, she had begun to work with Ashi in special ways and learned to pay very close attention to her behaviors, her characteristics, her mannerisms, and in this way began to learn about her needs and wants and later of course, her gifts. Annie's children's book, Ashi's Gift, is a short narrative of this journey, told through the eyes of Ashi - beginning about the age of 2.
Q. Who inspired you to pursue a career in writing?
A.I have provided about 50,000 hours worth of therapy and homeschooling for our autistic daughter, Ashli-Meghan. We had very bad experiences with nearly every so called "professional" and so called "therapist" in our area. We left those "experts" behind and have happily moved forward without them. My daughter has worked so hard, she has come so far and she is my inspiration for writing. One other inspiration was that we couldn't find hardly any children's books about Autism. Now my book is in our Public Library!
Q. How does writing help you make a difference in the world?
A. My only goal with my writing is that my book will land into the lap of a mother or father who is in desperate need of hope and healing. My books are unique in that they provide an autistic character, Ashi, who an autistic child can relate to. Also, as Ashi reveals the feelings of her Mommy, she provides great comfort to the reader as they read the book to their child. It is to inspire hope, healing, a chance to laugh when they know others are going through the same struggle. It is to give strength to go one more day. Also, very subtle therapy hints can be picked up on.
Q. Can you tell us what editors typically look for in a query letter or project proposal?
A.I am not an editor; however, I received several responses from my query letters I sent to publishers. I think the reason is because it was obvious my writing came from a place that is real, a situation that is tough, and is highly charged with emotion for both the writer and the reader. My story also is not just a story about our experience. It is one that any family with a child on the Autism Spectrum, or PDD spectrum can relate to.
Q.What do you do when you are not writing?
A.I am a homeschooler. My daughter, while autistic, is exceptionally bright. We homeschool because, and this is very important, we do not want her in public school, medicated and in the resource room. My daughter can learn just as any child her own age, and is actually very advanced, but she cannot function in a typical classroom. She completed the 2nd grade at age 6. The very best classroom in the world can be the worst place for an autist. I address these issues in my 2nd book, Ashi- In a Class all by Myself, to be released in the Spring. In addition to homeschooling 6 - 8 hours/day, my husband and I own a donut shop for which I do all the accounting. We also have a baby who is 11 months at this time. And of course, I write.
Q.What gave you the idea for this book?
A. I had considered writing about our challenges with Autism some time ago. As you can see from the above question, I am generally pressed for time. However, one morning when my son was about 4 months old and had gotten me up at 3 am to nurse, I just felt something come over my heart that said, in my mind, "Get that book written!" I began that very morning. Today, it is 7 months later and I have a published book, I have my second book just being finished, and a third is in the wings.
Q. What were some of the challenges you faced in writing your non-fiction books?
A. My biggest challenge and another reason for waiting so long is because I cannot draw. I am extremely analytical and just cannot draw a picture to save my life. After researching, I found that illustrators would do that part for me - duh! But I didn't realize it at the time. Just by chance, my Mom put me in touch with Susan Sader, a young lady who goes to her church. Susan is a fabulous artist gifted in realism. To put the icing on the cake, Susan has 2 autistic brothers. So when I explain to her what I need in my pictures: the facial expressions, the hand movements, the behaviors etc. she completely understands in a way that no other artist would be able to because of her experience with her brothers. To date, she and I have not yet met; but, looking at her drawings and my writing, I don't think anyone would guess that. It is a match made in Heaven. And there is no doubt that it has always been intended for me to go through this struggle in order to turn back and help others.
You can find out more about these works and Author Annie Eskeldson at these sites:
www.authorannie.com
www.authorsden.com/anniemeskeldson
www.authornation.com/authorannie
Annie Eskeldson Joins us tonight to share with us some wonderful information about her first published and second soon-to-be released childrens books inspired by her experiences with Austic Daughter, Ashi.
After 50,000 hours of providing therapy for her Autistic daughter, she felt inspired to write Children's Books for families overcoming Autism. She'd like to reach out to that Mom or Dad who is really struggling today and let them know that as an Autist, your child is wonderful, and you are not alone! "Ashi's Gift" is book number one of a three part set. Look for "Ashi - In a Class all by Myself" and "Ashi - Birthdays and Other Dreaded Days" to come out next year.
Annie is a married mom with a degree in Biotechnology and studied Chemistry. Her husband, Bart, and she have two children, daughter, Ashli-Meghan 6, and son, Izaiah, is 11 months. They own their own business in a small city. Her daughter, Ashli-Meghan, whom they call Ashi for short, is Autistic. Annie knew the day she was born that there was something different about her, she didn't know at the time that it was Autism, but she knew something about her was definately not typical. By the age of about 16 months she was diagnosed with Autism. They were lucky we had a pediatrician experienced in this area. They have also been blessed to have always been able to stay home with Ashi. Since Annie had known something was not right in the beginning, she had begun to work with Ashi in special ways and learned to pay very close attention to her behaviors, her characteristics, her mannerisms, and in this way began to learn about her needs and wants and later of course, her gifts. Annie's children's book, Ashi's Gift, is a short narrative of this journey, told through the eyes of Ashi - beginning about the age of 2.
Q. Who inspired you to pursue a career in writing?
A.I have provided about 50,000 hours worth of therapy and homeschooling for our autistic daughter, Ashli-Meghan. We had very bad experiences with nearly every so called "professional" and so called "therapist" in our area. We left those "experts" behind and have happily moved forward without them. My daughter has worked so hard, she has come so far and she is my inspiration for writing. One other inspiration was that we couldn't find hardly any children's books about Autism. Now my book is in our Public Library!
Q. How does writing help you make a difference in the world?
A. My only goal with my writing is that my book will land into the lap of a mother or father who is in desperate need of hope and healing. My books are unique in that they provide an autistic character, Ashi, who an autistic child can relate to. Also, as Ashi reveals the feelings of her Mommy, she provides great comfort to the reader as they read the book to their child. It is to inspire hope, healing, a chance to laugh when they know others are going through the same struggle. It is to give strength to go one more day. Also, very subtle therapy hints can be picked up on.
Q. Can you tell us what editors typically look for in a query letter or project proposal?
A.I am not an editor; however, I received several responses from my query letters I sent to publishers. I think the reason is because it was obvious my writing came from a place that is real, a situation that is tough, and is highly charged with emotion for both the writer and the reader. My story also is not just a story about our experience. It is one that any family with a child on the Autism Spectrum, or PDD spectrum can relate to.
Q.What do you do when you are not writing?
A.I am a homeschooler. My daughter, while autistic, is exceptionally bright. We homeschool because, and this is very important, we do not want her in public school, medicated and in the resource room. My daughter can learn just as any child her own age, and is actually very advanced, but she cannot function in a typical classroom. She completed the 2nd grade at age 6. The very best classroom in the world can be the worst place for an autist. I address these issues in my 2nd book, Ashi- In a Class all by Myself, to be released in the Spring. In addition to homeschooling 6 - 8 hours/day, my husband and I own a donut shop for which I do all the accounting. We also have a baby who is 11 months at this time. And of course, I write.
Q.What gave you the idea for this book?
A. I had considered writing about our challenges with Autism some time ago. As you can see from the above question, I am generally pressed for time. However, one morning when my son was about 4 months old and had gotten me up at 3 am to nurse, I just felt something come over my heart that said, in my mind, "Get that book written!" I began that very morning. Today, it is 7 months later and I have a published book, I have my second book just being finished, and a third is in the wings.
Q. What were some of the challenges you faced in writing your non-fiction books?
A. My biggest challenge and another reason for waiting so long is because I cannot draw. I am extremely analytical and just cannot draw a picture to save my life. After researching, I found that illustrators would do that part for me - duh! But I didn't realize it at the time. Just by chance, my Mom put me in touch with Susan Sader, a young lady who goes to her church. Susan is a fabulous artist gifted in realism. To put the icing on the cake, Susan has 2 autistic brothers. So when I explain to her what I need in my pictures: the facial expressions, the hand movements, the behaviors etc. she completely understands in a way that no other artist would be able to because of her experience with her brothers. To date, she and I have not yet met; but, looking at her drawings and my writing, I don't think anyone would guess that. It is a match made in Heaven. And there is no doubt that it has always been intended for me to go through this struggle in order to turn back and help others.
You can find out more about these works and Author Annie Eskeldson at these sites:
www.authorannie.com
www.authorsden.com/anniemeskeldson
www.authornation.com/authorannie
![ally go to school for writing, I feel the need to learn as much as I can from people who are in the industry. I like to know how they got their start, and what steps they took. No artist path is the same, but it’s always great to have someone to map and model. It’s also great to simply get out and meet other people. US writers have the tendency to find a safe haven and hide away from the world. Being a part of a group, keeps you connected.Q. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF WITH YOUR WRITING IN FIVE YEARS?Where do I see myself in five years???Hum… Honestly, I have no clue. I know that writing will always be a part of my life from now on. There was a 10 year span in my life, in which the only writing I did was for class assignments. Now that I have rediscovered my love for words, the sky is the limit. I can say that I would like for my first screenplay “Gone, Not Forgotten” to be put on film. I also have a children’s book that I am working on, and at least complete one screen play a year during that 5 year period. I would also like to be a part of a writing team for a primetime television show. One thing that I have learned in my research is that there are opportunities out there. They may be hard to obtain, but they are out there. As you know, I wanted to write for soap operas when I was a child. There are actually contest with the ABC network that give you the opportunity to do just that. I didn’t know that when I was younger, and I probably would have spent the last 15 years of my life entering those contest and fellowship programs. I may not can say with specifics what will happen in 5 years, but I know that I will spend the next 5 years focusing on getting my work into the hands of people that can help me accomplish those goals.Q. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GENRE OF WRITING?I love stories about love. I grew up reading romance novels at an early age, and I was always captivated by how the characters fell in love. What steps, or process, led the characters to discover that their life would be better off having this particular person in it… Authors like Nora Roberts and Julie Garwood were always outlets when I wanted to read a good story about love. As a Christian based writer, I try to forgo the steamy, and focus on the characters relationship. I hope with time and experience, I will become a great story teller like these ladies.Q. HOW DOES WRITING HELP YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD?I pray that my writing makes a difference in the lives of my former students. I want these children to realize that it’s okay to want more in life. I want them to dare to dream. I want to generate in others the desire to not give up on something you love. For so long, I had given up on writing. Whether or not my first book sells 1,000,000 copies or 100 copies, I am more proud of myself now than I have ever been.www.shunkedra.comwww.amazon.com[email protected]If you are in the East Texas Area, you can purchase a book at Williams Collision Repair off Hwy 59 in Jefferson, TX. Contact Sherry Williams at 903-665-3542](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NYbjvWEkVsg/TKJLMHzEzqI/AAAAAAAAApI/CZefOaf_r7w/s1600/toloveagain.jpg){kind=link}