In writing his novel The Rebel Son, Guy drew heavily on his life experiences in Africa, which include ownership of a cattle estate in Zambia. He owned and operated a real estate company in Salisbury (Harare City), Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and acquired a private pilot’s license for travel between cattle estates in Zambia and offices in Rhodesia. He was forced to cease operations due to the explosive Liberation War.

Learn more at: http://guyquigley.com/

Below is the author’s excerpt reading:

About the book:

When Jake Fallon, a Vietnam draftee recently discharged from the war, suggests a hunting trip to the politically unstable Rhodesia, his Philadelphia Main Line family objects. But as with everything in Jake’s life, he ultimately does exactly what he wants to do, the wishes of those who love him be damned.

Jake and his best friend Brian enjoy several memorable weeks on safari. But on the return flight home, they are confronted with the political unrest that Jake’s parents had warned him against. Jake has just gotten comfortable in his seat next to Sarah Malumbo, the most beautiful woman he has ever met, when a group of Zimbabwe freedom fighters shoots their Air Rhodesia commercial turbo prop aircraft out of the sky.

Besides making a political statement, this act of terror also launches a series of events that leads to Brian’s torture and death, the loss of Jake’s memory, and a most unlikely love affair between Jake Fallon, the rebel son, and Sarah Malumbo, a comely African ministry worker with a mysterious past. The two young lovers now must run for their lives. And as they flee, they will be forced to make many choices that will determine the fate of their family, both present and future.

Author interview:

Q. What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?

A. It’s a subject that knows no boundaries, physically or morally in the first and third world that’s I fully understand. It is the simple story of an American Caucasian male and an African colored girl thrown together in a world of terrorism, bigotry and prejudice. They learn to conquer all the obstacles they face, both in Africa and America.

Q. How long did the book take you from start to finish?

A. Approximately one year.

Q. What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?

A. Ensuring that geographical locations were correct and that distances between points were exacting. Research can be a pain.

Q. What surprised you the most about the book writing process?

A. Once one gets momentum, it surprising how quickly everything falls into place.

Q. Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?

A. Yes. My wife (who was born in Zambia, which she referred to as Northern Rhodesia) and I talked a lot in an African dialect. It was always amazing when I was lost a word in the dialect, it rolled off her tongue.

Q. What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?

A. A little history and facts of the era. Some sympathy for the plight of others. An understanding of race relationships. Love knows no boundaries. Vengeance is sweet.

Q. What projects are you currently working on?

A.  A movie script and a novel.

Q. Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do?

A. No. I’m retired and cannot sit down. I’m involved in a small way in the movie producing business.

Q. Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?

A. I wrote from experience, but researched my facts for clarity.

Q. How did you come up with your title?

A. That was simplest task. The title, The Rebel Son, encompasses the protagonist’s irresponsible urge for adventure, his playboy image, his desire for women and denial of advice and wisdom from his wealthy family.

Q. What books have influenced you the most?

A. In this genre: When the Lion Feeds – The Mercenaries – The Sound of Thunder.

Q. Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?

A. Infinity Publishing. I thought they seemed to surpass the various other self-Publishers, some of whom have checkered records.

Find out more: www.rebirthofisrael.com

Below is the author’s excerpt reading:

About the book:

Fleeing his anti-Semitic father, and American youth pursues love among a remnant of Jews struggling to regain their nation after 2000 years of persecution.

Rebirth begins in 1945, just months after Hitler died which ended WWII and freed apx. 500,000 Jews. The opening scene is one of the most under publicized atrocities since the war started. As Jews would board anything that floated, they’d sail the treacherous Mediterranean sea in pursuit of their “Promised Land” only have grappling hooks shot into their ships, and everyone on board were arrested by the political-driven British government.

The story ends on May 15th, 1948, on the day the Jews finally drove the mighty British forces out of Palestine and proclaimed Israel a nation—this is when the 5 surrounding Arab nations gave a public evacuation for all local Palestinians to flee so they wouldn’t be in the way of annihilating the Jews. The promise to these fleeing refugees? When we drive every Jew into the sea, you will shortly be able to come back to your farms and homes—of course that day never happened since the Jews had a miraculous victory with a disadvantage of at least 20:1 in troops, armory and supplies.

Author interview:

Q. What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?
A. Seeing the human spirit triumph from the lowest state of humanity (the Holocaust) and watch them rise to become a mighty superpower in the Middle East just a few years later, was the most inspiring thing I’ve ever learned and was thrilling to write about. Besides bringing us the cell phone and numerous other life-changing inventions, Israel has exceeded more achievements per capita than any other country in world history.

Q. How long did the book take you from start to finish?
A. Three intense years of research and writing.

Q. What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?
A. To take the reader on a historical journey through actual events without bogging them down with excessive “history” and “facts.” To make them laugh in one scene and cry in another just pages from each other.

Q. What surprised you the most about the book writing process?
A. Besides the unbelievable amount of time it takes to properly edit a book, the fact that publishers will not support any significant marketing for most authors.

Q. Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?
A. I learned that faith and determination can accomplish so much more than we are led to believe by writing about the extraordinary methods it took to build a nation from scratch. And when I read about Holocaust survivors bringing Nazi war criminals to trial instead of assassinating them, I was astonish and challenged at the level of integrity many battered people had.

Q. What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?
A. How miracles not only happen, but they can happen to us as well, and having faith is a key element in that hope and understanding—Rebirth highlights many miracles.

Q. What projects are you currently working on?
A. Another inspiring novel that I cannot divulge at this time.

Q. Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do?
A. My career is in the arts, which includes writing and multimedia productions of music, video, documentaries and graphic arts. This includes writing, editing and narrating Rebirth’s video trailer, the cover art and the multimedia presentation I’m working on to present Rebirth, which will be narrated live to graphic images, video and special effects.

Q. Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?
A. As mentioned earlier, mega research! And I always looked for a second source to verify what I’d include in Rebirth. My most fortunate revelation was meeting an actual eyewitness. I had the pleasure of corresponding with a woman who lived the story of Rebirth and is still alive to tell about it. Zipporah Porath was a major asset to be able to email and verify actual events and details since she was a volunteer in the Jewish paramilitary from 1947 through Israel’s independence in 1948, and she has endorsed Rebirth’s concept.

Q. How did you come up with your title?
A. Since it’s about the rebirth of Israel, it was a simple choice.

Q. What books have influenced you the most?
A. Definitely the world’s best selling book of all time—The Bible. I derived the backdrop of the story and used the prophecies that predicted Israel’s reestablishment as my source of inside information.

Q. Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?
A. Seven-7 publishing is my own company, part of my multimedia company, www.publicrecording.com

About the Author:

John Cooker is a partner in a real estate development LLC and writes occasionally when inspired. His earlier novel, THE GELWICK FAXES, is a terrorist thriller written the year before and presaging the terrible events of 9/11.

He lives among the rolling Appalachian mountains outside the DC/Baltimore metroplex with his wife Katherine. They own a dog kennel and breed Spinone Italianos.

In dire need, after living through the recent years of constipated political partisanship, he became inspired to react with the most powerful medicine: humor. In an effort to cheer himself and his friends up he wrote CURE YOUR DEMOCRACY.

Listen to a reading by the author:

About the Book:

As partisan passions between Conservatives and Liberals grow ever more heated under America’s current political climate – further intensifying global warming – the rancor of debate becomes more foul and divisive. The author of this new book, John Cooker, has discovered how to defuse the tension: with satirical humor.
Extreme partisanship can seem at times like some sort of infection of irrationality. This is exactly what Cooker discovers that is infecting both parties. The infection is viral and is being spread by politicians and pundits! This tongue-in-cheek metaphor offers the perfect opportunity for examination of what ails America and allows Cooker to give spot-on diagnoses and LOL observations as an effective remedy.
Cure Your Democracy satirizes both camps of the finger pointing, bumper sticker mentality, while offering thought provoking vantage points to view them.

Author Interview:

Q. What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?
A. Partisanship is the preeminent political problem of our time. Certainly there are problems that appear more critical, such as our burdensome national debt and finding out who Justin Bieber is dating, but without a consensus we cannot solve them – we can make no significant stride in tackling them, only incremental gains…and losses. And, with the parties warring, consensus is impossible.

Besides, this real-life comedy of errors is better than anything Hollywood could make up!

Q. How long did the book take you from start to finish?
A. One year writing it out; and one year re-writing to make sense of it.

Q. What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?
A. Since I lampoon both right and left, balance was a challenge. I found it particularly difficult to digest that some American voters believe that dinosaurs roamed the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve; and they think that fossils prove this. It was also not easy fitting into Michele Bachmann’s vision of moving Lexington and Concord to New Hampshire where her version of the Revolutionary War started.

Q. What surprised you the most about the book writing process?
A. How much I laughed at what I was writing.

Q. Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?
A. Hearing my wife laugh out loud from the room we have the PC on which I wrote the book, when I would ask her to read the newest chapter.

Q. What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?
A. First, a dose of light relief from the constant political bickering. Second, a higher vantage point to view the comedy and drama of our current politics.

Q. What projects are you currently working on?
A. I have sixty pages of this book’s sequel written and look forward to developing it further.

Q. Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do?
A. My wife and I have a dog kennel and breed Spinone Italiano; an Italian gun dog whose comic and emotional personality make them one of the family.

Q. Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?
A. I scoured the news every day and subjected myself to a daily viewing of The Daily Show and Colbert Report.

Q. How did you come up with your title?
A. It was a natural for the contents.

Q. What books have influenced you the most?
A. A Modest Proposal essay by Jonathan Swift, Democracy in America by de Tocqueville, stories and plays of Chekhov

Q. Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?
A. Spin Doctor Press which is my company. I chose this way to retain the rights and control promotion.

About the Author:

My name is Ellie Bushweller. I have a BSN degree in Nursing and an M.S. degree in Counseling. My work experience, in both fields, dealt with families, including abused/neglected children, teenage, single moms and families at risk. I developed a series of workshops for work groups and presented them to businesses around Vermont.

Now in retirement, I am able to devote more time to writing, with a focus on children’s picture books and memoir writing. Presently, I also enjoy writing a monthly column for our local community paper.

Through the years, I have been published in several magazines, i.e. Releasing Times, Cats, EAP Digest, Professional Nurses Quarterly, R.N. A complete list of publications is included.

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the National Association of Women Writers are two organizations I have belonged to for a number of years.

When not writing, I love doing some therapeutic clowning “Ms. Pizzazy” has made several playful appearances locally. Also enjoy kayaking, swimming, snowshoeing, ice skating and reading.

To Learn More Please Visit: http://www.100handsproject.com/

Listen to a reading by the author:

About the Book:

The principal character in this children’s picture book, The Tree With A Hundred Hands, is Tommy. Tommy is a young boy challenged by one weak leg and the task of adjusting to a new school, where some of his classmates make fun of him.
In an unexpected way, an unusual tree helps Tommy develop a talent he did not know he had. This story is about the triumph of courage, determination and compassion.
The book was written and illustrated by two grandmothers who share two of the same grandchildren. It was inspired by one of the author’s grandsons, to whom this book is dedicated. Parents, grandparents, pre-school and elementary grade teachers will find it most helpful in initiating discussions with children on issues of being different, bullying, the challenges of a new school and fears related to trying something new.

Author Interview:

Q. What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?
A. I love the imaginative images it presents as it tells the story. My grandson, Nathan, was the inspiration for the title and theme of the book. It has some positive lessons to be learned in a unique and imaginative way.

Q. How long did the book take you from start to finish?
A.I started writing it a year after I first wrote down the imaginative comment my grandson made to me in a conversation over the phone when he was six years old. From the initial writing, editing, collaborating with an illustrator and ultimate publication, it was a full three years.

Q. What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?
A. Keeping it simple.

Q. What surprised you the most about the book writing process?
A. How long it took to get it completed

Q. Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?
A. Collaborating with the illustrator, Sally Markey, was a lot of work but also a lot of fun

Q. What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?
A. The lessons of courage, perseverance and determination, challenging the fear of trying something new and what an effective teaching tool fantasy can be.

Q. What projects are you currently working on?
A. Two children’s picture books: The Ice Princess and Ellie Otter’s Odyssey and a memoir titled, My Mother’s Hands

Q. Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do?
A. I worked for twenty five years as a registered nurse, mostly in community nursing. I then worked for thirteen more years as a psychotherapist in a mental health center. Presently, I am retired from both those careers and happily devoting my time to another long term passion, freelance writing. I have a monthly column in our local South Burlington, VT paper, The Other Paper. The name of my column is The Realistic Optimist.

Q. Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?
A. I wrote from experience as a mother, grandmother, nurse, psychotherapist, lover of books and reading. I spent years working closely with families and children.

Q. How did you come up with your title?
A. My very imaginative grandson gave me the title in a conversation we had several years ago. I wrote it down on a napkin at the time and kept it to refer to when I began to write the story.

Q. What books have influenced you the most?
A. I love well written books, both fiction and non-fiction, with well developed characters which make the story come alive on the pages. I also value stories that have a positive message that is either obvious or embedded in the story line itself for the reader to discover.

Q. Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?
A. Lu Lu.com. I read about the perils of finding a known publisher in the children’s book area unless you have some name recognition, etc. I had also heard those publishers like to choose their own illustrators and I had happily collaborated with someone already. Several people spoke to me about the growing industry known as the self-publishing book industry. It had always been considered a second class citizen but of late had come into its own so I chose that route to publish the book.

About the Author:
Linda Lee Smigel was born a full breech baby in Des Moines, Iowa, at Christmas time. She has been jumping into life feet first ever since. Linda graduated from Drake University with a major in Journalism and returned to Drake for a law degree, passed the bar in Iowa and Florida in 1980. She obtained her MBA in 1982, applying her legal skills to practice in business, insurance and corporate ventures.

The first Tarot reader she met predicted she would fall in love with a man in a gray, three-piece suit. She met that man on Valentine’s Day 1982. They were married within the year. After a few more tarot readings, which accurately predicted events in her life, Linda Lee applied her life-long interest in spiritualism to the study and practice of the metaphysical arts. A student for more than twenty years, she has studied at the Lily Dale Assembly in New York, and counts some of America’s leading psychics and spiritualists among her friends and advisors.

A voracious reader, Linda sought works of fiction that combined the metaphysical arts with memorable characters and compelling stories that demonstrate the power of the human heart and mind. After searching in vain for years, she returned to writing, her first love, and created Once Upon a Choice. Linda draws on her personal experience and education to illustrate, through plot and character, the significance of life’s interconnectivity and the power of the human spirit. Four more works in the series are now in progress.

When she isn’t writing, traveling, entertaining or fundraising, Linda spends her time at homes in Ohio and Florida with her children and the man in the three-piece suit, Bob, her loving husband.
To Learn More Please Visit: http://onceuponachoice.com/

Listen to a reading by the author:

About the Book:
Once Upon a Choice, a spellbinding fictional story, combines fascinating characters with metaphysical components, anchored by the infamous Tarot cards. Meagan Hamilton’s world seems to be unraveling overnight. A young wife and mother, Meagan begins to realize that her husband, Ross, an international business man, may not be who he seems. His strange behavior, secretive meetings and sudden trips lead her to believe that he is living another life, one which may eventually prove harmful to her.

Enjoy the wild ride with Meagan as she embraces life’s challenges as well as joys, and uncovers the synchronicity among seemingly random events.

Author Interview:
Q. What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?
A. My whole life I have been intrigued with psychic phenomenon and the Tarot cards. I find the whole psychic process fascinating. Thirty years ago, I met Lois Tinner Brown, a local psychic in the Cleveland area. My husband—a total skeptic—and I made an appointment to see her and she blew us away with her predictions. My husband became a believer and Lois and I became dear friends. Her whole aura intrigued me and her life story fascinated me to the point where I felt compelled to write about the subject. I have many friends who are mediums and psychics. I find their whole modem of thinking very interesting and uplifting. I created a story to incorporate what I have seen and learned from them.

Q. How long did the book take you from start to finish?
A. I started writing this book in the fall of 2004, but the storyline had been floating around in my head for years. Within a year, the book was finished, with over 1000-typed pages, full of multiple characters and multiple plots. I spent the next couple years working with an editor. We revamped, rehashed, recast characters and plot, restructuring the book to its present state. A firm in New York City completed the final edit in 2009. Nothing was easy and nothing was fast. It was a long process, but so worth it!

Q. What surprised you the most about the book writing process?
A. That the process took so long. That it is by no means a cut-and-dry process. But it is worth it, especially when feedback from friends and strangers alike—-those who have read the book—- is so astoundingly positive!

Q. What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?
A. That life is nothing more than a series of choices. That the sum of those choices create the person you are. That you have to listen to your heart when making those choices, instead of choosing inappropriately. That you have to follow your intuition, feel your way through life, let your spirit lead, rather than ignoring the signs and blasting through with misguided choices. Also, hopefully many readers will gain an appreciation of, and an open mind to, the substantive value of the Tarot as an actual tool in every-day living.

Q. What projects are you currently working on?
A. I’m in the process of writing other sequels to “Once Upon a Choice.” The next one is titled “Once Upon a Chance”, a fictional suspense story which occurs within a 24-hour period and highlights many metaphysical components, such as hands-on healings and telepathy. The third one, “Once Upon a Coincidence”, centers upon a medium’s ability to see beyond our world and into the next. The fourth one is “Once Upon a Circumstance” and the last one—so far— is “Once Upon a Possibility.”

Q. How did you come up with your title?
A. Funny thing…While I was driving to Lily Dale, NY, to visit my psychic friend, Sharon Klingler, several years ago, I was racking my brain trying to think of a title for this book. Nothing was striking me. I started looking at the billboards for a “sign”, you might say. And—wham—there it was. A small blue sign with a big star on it that said “Once Upon a Star”. The word “choice” immediately popped into my head. There it was—“Once Upon a Choice”.

About the Author:
Carol Snow is an American author of humorous, heartfelt women’s fiction. Called “an author to watch” by Booklist, Snow’s titles include Been There, Done That (2006), Getting Warmer (2007), Here Today, Gone to Maui (2009), Just Like Me, Only Better (2010), and the upcoming What Came First (October 2011), about which Laura Fitzgerald, bestselling author of Veil of Roses, said, “Carol Snow mixes her trademark humor with tenderness and understanding in this good-mom/bad-mom tale of unexpected twists and turns.” Carol has also written two novels for young adults, Switch (2008), an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, and Snap (2009). Foreign rights to her books have sold to publishers in Germany, Norway, and Romania.

Carol Snow holds a bachelor’s from Brown University and a master’s from Boston College. Originally from New Jersey, she now lives in southern California with her husband and two children.

To Learn More Please Visit: http://www.carolsnow.com/what-came-first

Listen to a reading by the author:

About the Book:
Who says you need a man to have a baby? Single mother and successful lawyer Laura longs to give her son a sibling — but first she must track down the sperm donor she used nine years earlier. Her search will lead her to Wendy, a scrapbooking, cookie-bingeing housewife with out-of-control twins, and Vanessa, a young woman so frustrated with her boyfriend’s commitment issues that she’s switched from checking out shoes on eBay to cruising men on donor sites. As the three women’s lives intertwine, they reevaluate their beliefs about motherhood, fatherhood — and what it means to be a family.

Author Interview:
Q. How long did the book take you from start to finish?
A. The draft took nine months – which is quite appropriate, considering the subject matter! Revisions took another month or so.

Q. What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?
A. This is the first time I’ve written from more than one perspective. It was a really challenge to create three distinct voices, but I think (hope) I pulled it off.

Q. What surprised you the most about the book writing process?
A. That it’s still so darn hard! This is my seventh book. Shouldn’t writing be easy by now?

Q. Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?
A. One day my husband and I had to see our accountant around noon. There was a Hooter’s next to the office, and my husband joked, “Do you want to have lunch there?” My response: “I’ve got a Hooter’s scene in my book, so I really should check it out.” To his credit, his eyes barely strayed from my face for the entire meal. (He’s no fool.)

Q. What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?
A. Mostly, I’m just looking to provide a fun reading experience and an escape from everyday life. Also, I hope to connect to current and future mothers on a deeper level.

Q. What projects are you currently working on?
A. I’ve got a teen book in the works. It will be out in the spring of 2013.

Q. Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do?
A. I write books, take care of my kids, cook dinner and sleep. That’s about all the time I’ve got!

Q. Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?
A. I spent a lot of time reading about infertility and assisted reproduction. I googled “sperm” a lot. Also, I checked out locations and interviewed some people to fill in the details and (hopefully) get things right. The bits about scrapbooking, grocery shopping, and restaurants evolved from my personal experience, as did lots of the motherhood stuff.

Q. How did you come up with your title?
A. As I wrote, I referred to this as “The Sperm Book.” And then I’d say, “I have to stop calling it that.” I knew I wanted a chicken-related title because a main character keeps chickens and because the unfertilized chicken eggs served as a metaphor for infertility. And because eggs are just nicer than sperm. I ran through The Chicken Chronicles, The Sky is Falling and To Get to the Other Side before finally coming up with What Came First.

Q. What books have influenced you the most?
A. My writing style is probably most influenced by Elinor Lipman, Sue Grafton, and Susan Isaacs. But really, I’ve inhaled so many books over the years, it’s hard to say which ones mattered the most.

Q. Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?
A. This is my fifth book with Berkley/Penguin, and they’ve been a delight to work with.

About the Author:

A graduate of UC San Diego (BA and MA), R. E. Sherman was a principal with PricewaterhouseCoopers and an expert witness in many major cases. He has authored 10 professional papers, including two national prize winners, 70 articles in a national trade publication and a book (10,000 copies sold). He has been a student of comparative religion for 40 years.

Mr. Sherman has been married for thirty-five years. He and his wife have two adult children who share his beliefs and seek to practice their faith. His daughter has been actively engaged in a non-profit organization that helps homeless children in a major U.S. city. He lives in a vibrant, eclectic college town, which is home to a large number of Buddhists, Jews, and Christians. He is a follower of Christ who respects and appreciates sincere followers of other major religions. He has many Buddhist and Jewish friends. He has been a serious student of the Bible for the past thirty-nine years. In this book he has tried to present each religion objectively and (whenever possible) positively, honoring the literal claims of its followers.

For the past decade Mr. Sherman has worked with an Israeli physicist in examining claims about codes in the Hebrew Bible. He authored a book on their findings, Bible Code Bombshell (New Leaf Press, 2005), which has sold 10,000 copies.

To Learn More Please Visit: http://www.buddha-christ.info/

Listen to a reading by the author:

About the Book:

Why does Buddhism, an eastern religion, resonate with many westerners? Did Buddha create it by blending the practices of an eastern religion (Jainism*) with the ethics of a western one (Judaism)? Few people realize that the first colony of Jews settled in India when Buddha was born. Perhaps he interacted with one of these settlers? If true, this would explain numerous similarities between the teachings of Jesus (AD 30) and Buddha (525 BC). Perhaps each was significantly influenced by a mutual predecessor, Solomon (950 BC).
Buddha and Solomon each wrote several hundred proverbs. Over 100 direct comparisons of very similar proverbs are scrutinized. These are grouped topically and touch on every key aspect of Buddhism.
An extensive, topically arranged review of similarities and differences in the teachings of Jesus and Buddha is also presented. The extensive, comprehensive side-by-side comparisons in this book are especially illuminating and thought provoking, making it an indispensable resource. The strengths and weaknesses of each religion are covered. (Each strength has a corresponding weakness.) This unflinching, challenging book is a must read for anyone interested in Buddhism and how it compares with Christianity and Judaism.
*A protest movement against Hinduism that Buddha joined before his enlightenment.

Author Interview:

Q. What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?
A. That the majority of people I talk to find it a very important and intriguing subject. And there are significant gaps in the literature regarding the subject matter of my book.

Q. How long did the book take you from start to finish?
A. One year researching its feasibility and 2 ½ more years completing it.

Q. What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?
A. Comparing the 423 proverbs of Buddha (topically arranged) with the 600 (disorganized) proverbs of Solomon.

Q. What surprised you the most about the book writing process?
A. Each step requires very different aptitudes. Initially, creativity is king. Then, brutal objectivity in critiquing and improving your writing. Then, unrelenting discipline in recording 1,000 footnotes. Finally, after years of introversion during the first three phases, engaging in marathon extroversion in promoting the book.

Q. Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?
A. I had an “Ah Ha” moment when I reached the point where, for every key part of Buddhism, there was one or more of Solomon’s sayings that said virtually the same thing.

Q. What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?
A. A much more complete, deeper understanding of the similarities and differences between Buddhism and Christianity.

Q. What projects are you currently working on?
A. A much shorter version of the current book (e.g., 100 vs. 352 pages), entitled, Buddha & Jesus—Simplified.

Q. Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do?
A. Definitely not. Have been a management consultant (actuary) for 38 years. I advise public entities and large corporations on the management of their self-insurance programs for workers’ compensation and/or liability claims.

Q. Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?
A. Over 500 hours of research was involved.

Q. How did you come up with your title?
A. The title had to include three names (i.e., Buddha, Jesus and Solomon). The phrase “missing link” added an element to peak curiosity.

Q. What books have influenced you the most?
A. The proverbs of Buddha and Solomon, as well as Solomon’s Ecclesiastes.

Q. Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?
A. CreateSpace. They have published 6,000 titles on an on-demand basis. I liked their close ties with Amazon and a graphic artists website, www.CrowdSpring.com.

About the Author:

Tina Ruggiero, M.S., R.D., L.D., is a sought-after nutritionist, spokesperson and author. Fondly called The Gourmet Nutritionist, Tina is heard on TV and radio and her writing and interviews have appeared in magazines such as Family, Men’s Health and First for Women. Tina is founder of her own nutrition-consulting firm where she helps both corporations and consumers achieve their wellness goals. She is a nutrition correspondent for NBC’s syndicated television show Daytime, where 65 million viewers see her regularly. Tina is also a nutrition and health correspondent for FOX-TAMPA. Her blog, www.voiceofreason.net, is often sited in magazines, newspapers and on the Internet for its reliable, accurate and inspiring content. Her first book, The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet, was just released to critical and popular acclaim.
To Learn More Please Visit: http://gourmetnutritionist.com/

Listen to a reading by the author:

About the Book:

Busy parents might think they don’t have time to make their own baby food, but The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet by Tina Ruggiero proves otherwise, helping moms and dads develop a perspective about infant feeding that will prepare their child for a lifetime of wellness.

Filled with recipes that take 10 minutes or less to prepare, The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet is a trusted resource when it comes to establishing a child’s preferences for healthy, nourishing foods. The book’s recipes not only save time, but parents will be thrilled to learn that preparing baby food at home costs pennies compared to purchasing ready-made baby food.

Inside readers will find:
• Recipes from baby’s first purees to meals for active toddlers
• Beautiful full-color photographs
• An easy-to-spot snowflake symbol next to recipes which can be frozen
• The latest information about infant nutrition, oral care, intolerances and optimal development
• A fun recipe evaluation chart, so parents can rate what meals their little one likes best

The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet is an essential resource that will educate parents about ways to help their children embrace healthy eating habits from day one.

Author Interview:

Q. What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?
A. There’s never been more demand for accessible, empowering information about infant feeding and nutrition. Obesity is beginning to effect children as early as 10 months of age; food safety is in question; there’s a renaissance in preparing food from scratch, and the economy makes it appealing to prepare food at home vs. buying expensive, commercially-prepared baby food. Parents need nutrition, cooking and feeding guidance, and this book provides the best of it. The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet was written to positively impact a child’s growth and development and prepare him for a lifetime of wellness.

Q. How long did the book take you from start to finish?
A. Nine months

Q. What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?
A. Communicating complex nutrition information in simple terms without diluting the overall message.

Q. What surprised you the most about the book writing process?
A. How complex it was to write a recipe!

Q. Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?
A. Every recipe was tested on babies or toddlers, and it was this process that was most fulfilling. It’s a coup to see babies gobbling up veggies, fresh fruit and enjoying savory, healthy meals!

Q. What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?
A. This book will change a reader’s life. It will change the way they think about food, prepare food and serve it. The book will positively impact the health of a baby as well as the health of the family.

Q. What projects are you currently working on?
A. I’m in the process of writing my next book; I’m doing lots of television work, and I’m very busy with my private practice.

Q. Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do?
A. I’m a writer, a consultant to individuals and corporations, a spokesperson, TV correspondent and author.

Q. Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?
A. It was essential to do both, given the subject matter of this book.

Q. How did you come up with your title?
A. It was a collaborative effort between me and my publisher.

Q. What books have influenced you the most?
A. None. I try to make my books unique.

Q. Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?
A. Fair Winds Press.

About the Author:
David Fraser, PhD, is a leading authority on relationship skills in professional and personal life. He is a business owner, chartered engineer, certified mediator, NLP master practitioner, and family man. David is a public speaker, broadcaster, and author of Relationships Made Easy: How to get on with the people you need to get on with… and stay friends with everyone else, published in the UK, and the ebook Relationships Made Easy for the Business Professional, available on Kindle and iPad. David has a track record of pioneering new approaches to old problems. He has delivered major projects for government and private sector clients in challenging situations and set up a number of entrepreneurial ventures. In addition to his work on relationship management with corporate clients, David runs workshop and coaching programs on relationship skills for both organizations and individuals, focusing on the potential to leverage results. David also finds the approach set out in Relationship Mastery: A Business Professional’s Guide to be extremely helpful in his home and family environment.
To Learn More Please Visit: http://www.davidfraser.com/

Listen to a reading by the author:



About the Book:
We could do a far better job of relating to other people and this book shows you how. The ability to relate to other people is the most critical skill a person can ever have—at work, at home, or anywhere else—and strong relationship skills simply make everything else easier. Relationship Mastery: A Business Professional’s Guide provides a reliable route to success you can apply over and over to improve your life in every area. Drawing on practical psychology, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), ancient wisdom, and first-hand experience of organizational life at all levels, David Fraser, PhD, reveals his powerful, systematic, and easy-to-learn formula for transforming your results with people—as used by the best in the business.

Author Interview:

Q. What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?
A. What excites me is the scale of the difference that can be made – to our individual outcomes and to outcomes for the world at large. I didn’t really choose the topic; it chose me, by which I mean I had a powerful sense that I was in a unique position to tell an important story, and that really was my calling – what I was here to do – tell the story of some very special insights applied to a subject that is a challenge for many of us, and make a complex subject simple.

Q. How long did the book take you from start to finish?
A. I started in 2005 and the first edition was published in 2010, so five years, but I’ve taken a further year to refine the book a little and publish it with international availability.

Q. What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?
A. Getting the structure right was probably the most challenging aspect, but also in the end, the most useful part for the reader. Much of the value of the work is in the framework or formula that I provide. I also found it challenging writing a final chapter about some of the deeper aspects – how love and a sense of life’s journey touch on relationships. I didn’t feel particularly qualified, but readers value what I’ve done in that area nevertheless.

Q. What surprised you the most about the book writing process?
A. I found I grew spiritually in writing the book and I didn’t expect that. I set out to write a very practical resource and learned that an in-depth practical capability is best balanced by a sense of humanity, and indeed that to fully understand any kind of human relationship, you need to be able to work at the deeper levels of love and the finiteness of life. That’s the most powerful place to operate.

Q. Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?
A. In the last year or so of writing my book, I started getting some of my friends to review some of what I’d written. That was a very empowering experience because somewhat to my surprise they valued what I’d done and found it both useful and easy to read. I also saw that they cared not just about the book, but about me. That was profoundly moving, and caused me to deepen the message of the book as I brought it to a conclusion.

Q. What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?
A. I hope my readers will gain real practical benefit in their lives both at home and at work specifically by helping them be more effective – much more effective – in how they handle their relationships. I already know my readers do gain these benefits.

Q. What projects are you currently working on?
A. I am working on taking the philosophy expressed in my book into the world. That is my main focus, but I’m also devoting attention to how my subject links up with organizational learning. High quality interpersonal relationships in and between organizations are the key to learning and change by the organizations themselves and the enterprises or industries of which they form part. Without effective and honest relationships, organizations, industries and indeed countries stagnate.

Q. Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do?
A. No. I have a background in engineering and project and program management. Nowadays, I help organizations change and grow through a blend of leadership, management, projects and relationship expertise. Often the missing element is an insight into the people side of things, and that’s what I provide, because the rest of my expertise allows me to see the issues clearly. I also give talks and help individuals with their interpersonal skills in one-to-one and workshop settings.

Q. Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?
A. Both. I mostly wrote from my own learning and my own direct experience, but I also read extensively around the subject and still do.

Q. How did you come up with your title?
A. After years of effort. It’s one of the hardest things, coming up with the right title. It was for me anyway. The issue in titling my book is conveying that it is about relationships in general, not just those with life partners. My first attempts didn’t achieve that very well. “Relationship Mastery: A Business Professional’s Guide” does the job though. The word “mastery” is important because it conveys a sense of a high level of skill, something to excel with and also something to rely on in difficult situations. It also conveys a sense of continual learning and openness to growth, which is an important aspect. That, in a way, is the first message of the book: Be open to learning.

Q. What books have influenced you the most?
A. Parker J. Palmer’s “The Courage to Teach”, Seth Godin’s “Linchpin”, Peter Senge’s “The Fifth Discipline”, Wayne Dyer’s “Manifest Your Destiny” and their work in general has been very influential with me, partly about my subject matter, but also more importantly in getting clear about how to undertake what is in fact a huge project – taking a new and powerful philosophy of interpersonal relationships out into the world.

Q. Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?
A. Shelley Lieber and Visual Impressions Publishing. I needed assistance in the US and also a publishing route. I chose Shelley because I sensed that she had a very good take on the strategy needed to publish at the present time and also the interdependence with social media and blogging. I felt she was very well placed to help me navigate the complexities of publishing in the digital age, and also to help with more everyday tasks like improving the text of my book. We also connected about the subject matter, and her belief in the project has been very important to me throughout the journey.

Frederick (Rick) Alimonti is a lawyer living in Armonk, New York. The Fix-It Shop is his third published work. Rick is married with three children and his been writing since College, where he was active in various literary magazines. Rick’s other publications address such issues as “stranger danger” and the value of diversity. Additional titles are complete and accepted for publications.
To Learn More Please Visit: http://www.alimontibooks.com/

Listen to a reading by the author:

About the Book:

Taconic New York is a sleepy town. In fact, it’s practically dead. Tommy Jameson wonders what has happened to “his town.” One day, and odd little man opens Ed’s Fix-It Shop. Ed Lunden, its mysterious owner, seems able to fix everything – even a hopelessly cracked baseball bat is returned to its Tommy;s best friend “better than new.” These amazing repairs seem to defy any ordinary explanation. Ed strangely insists that the owners of various broken items presented to him tell them the whole story behind these “ordinary” objects – objects that turn out never to be ordinary after all. Only after knowing the whole story behind an object can they really be fixed, Ed insists.

After getting to know Ed and his amazing Fix-It Shop, Tommy, who has cerebral palsy, becomes convinced that Ed can even fix Tommy right “out of his wheelchair.” Ed insists that he can do no such thing and that Tommy “does not need any fixing in the first place.” Tommy refuses to believe him and wakes up every morning expecting a miracle care of Ed and the Fix-It Shop. Tommy life will indeed be altered dramatically by the close or our story. Magic? Miracle? You decide.

Author Interview:

Q. What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?
A. I am most excited about the subtlety of the “magic” in the book. I grew up with a sense of magic and wonder, of possibilities. I hope my reader will feel the same way and decide for themselves if there is magic here and perhaps even that there is magic everywhere if they just open their eyes and minds to it.

Q. How long did the book take you from start to finish?
A. The first draft took about two months.

Q. What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?
A. The proper ending. When I began the book, I had a completely different ending in mind. As the story evolved, I found my intended ending to be hollow and unsatisfying. I am really happy with the ending I chose.

Q. What surprised you the most about the book writing process?
A. I am always surprised at how the act of writing spawns more ideas and writing. I love the directions that a story can take me. It is full of splendid and unplanned twists and turns.

Q. Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?
A. I can get very emotional while writing. When writing the chapter, A Day Home Alone, I’m quite sure that I teared up. I can get lost in the characters at times.

Q. What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?
A. I hope they will look into and appreciate the well of potential within them; learn to look deeper into people and things and open themselves to the wonder in the world around them.

Q. What projects are you currently working on?
A. I have just finished a story poem, Inside Out that I am really excited about. I have also written about twenty chapters of an adult fiction novel that I hope to return to.

Q. Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do?
A. My main career is a lawyer. I represent the aviation and aerospace industries in litigation.

Q. Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?
A. I try to minimize research so I can write more. If time allows, I would love to write a period piece. I am particularly intrigued by the American Civil War.

Q. How did you come up with your title?
A. The Fix-It Shop part was easy. The subtitle (A story of music, magic, a baseball bat, and a toaster) was more of a challenge. I wanted to pique a reader’s interest and present a list that might have a wide range of appeal. All of these items are in the story, including of course the toaster. I hope a child or parent might catch that subtitle and want to pick it up for a closer look. I also wanted the title to have a bit of humor to it. Come on, a toaster?

Q. What books have influenced you the most?
A. As to children’s fiction, certainly The Velveteen Rabbit and Bride to Tarabithia. I actually tend to read mostly non-fiction and classics.

Q. Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?
A. I chose Tate Publishing because they most wanted to engage me in the creative process of the book –layout, cover, all of it. Other publishers have been far less caring. It has been a great experience working with Tate.