The End of the Road

It's so sad. The July authors are getting ready to leave and it's just so sad.

You know, one of the interesting things about doing what I do is the fact that you really really get to know these people. You can talk to them through groups and think you know them, but handle one of their tours. You REALLY get to know them then.

Elena Dorothy Bowman. Such a genteel lady. I have no idea if that's the way she is in real life, but she has been so easy going. If a tour was late, did she stress? Well, if she did, I didn't notice and, believe me, I've had some stressing and they'd let me have it.

Lindy Hudis. New mama. A California chick like me. Such a wonderful, wonderful woman. And she lives such an interesting life, too. Used to be a television star; bet you didn't know that. Sunset Beach. Isn't that just so freaking interesting?

Marilyn Morris. LOL, I've known her for ages, but to have her for a client, you would think she would tell me like it was being as she knew me, but nope. If a tour didn't show up on time, she might question it, but not one complaint.

Susan Gregg. Fantastic person who turned out to become one of my friends, too. No complaints from her either. Must be the new moon.

Judi Moreo. Judi Judi Judi. What a fantastic friend she's turned out to be. Told lots of people to sign up with us; in fact, one did. Not one complaint from her either. Don't know what's going on there...either I'm getting better at the business or I'm getting better at brainwashing, lol. Seriously, what a wonderful person she is. Thank God I've still got her another month.

Jane Green. What's not to say about Jane Green? Such a busy woman being a NY Times bestselling author and all and still we were able to put together a tour for her in two weeks. Wonderful, wonderful lady. She even gave us an endorsement!

Which brings me to Jamieson Wolf who was responsible for her tour. When she emailed me, I said, "Oh my, no way can we put together a tour in two weeks." So, I emailed Jamieson and asked him if he could do it. And he did, getting her great stops to boot.

Jamieson is gone, though. He and I had a little riff and things blew out of proportion. I'll miss him, but sometimes you have to put business first.

I love Pump Up.

Communicating with Dogs

Before I begin, let me remind you that I have three dogs. One, a female cocker named Cassie, two, a male cocker named Max, and three, a miniature collie named Skylar.

Skylar didn't come into the family until after the other dogs had been here a few years. It wasn't my choice to get third dog, but a friend of ours had a miniature collie that had just given puppies and he was giving them away. GIVING THEM AWAY.

It was my daughter's birthday and she wanted it. What a sucker. You could have asked when it it wasn't your birthday, couldn't you, and I would have mildly pointed out...no.

So we bring this little six-week old puppy into our home. Max, of course, loves it. He loves anything that he can eat. Cassie was a little standoffish as she was the first to live here and knew this puppy was just going to be an intrusion she would have to fight hard to get rid of. Of course, she knew Max could take care of that for her, the little queen she thought she was.

Well, as luck had it, they all got along. In fact, Skylar LOVES Max and still, two years later, tries to play with him, and Max, the stupid dog that he is that doesn't realize he's not a puppy anymore, plays with Skylar like he's a kid again.

Speaking of kids, this is what this blog post is all about.

As it turned out, Skylar is human in a dog's body. But, a child human. With wants and she lets her wants known. Ever had a kid stand in his play pen and drop a toy on purpose on the other side, then scream for you to pick it up and this happens over and over until you're screaming your head off?

That's Skylar.

Well, I love little Skylar to death and because she's the youngest, I have to admit I've spoiled her a little (why is that?). But, along with being spoiled comes whininess. And when you have whininess, something's gotta give.

I never thought much about it and really never thought I favored Skylar over either of my dogs since I love them all, but it was one particular afternoon (yesterday) when I realized I had become ONE OF THEM. Not a dog, mind you, but one of those grandmothers who spoil their grandchildren and you don't realize it until you've taken them out and they show you what they can do with grandma because they know grandma loves them. To pieces.

And it made me wonder when I realized this if this would be like it was if Skylar was a child. And I'm pretty sure this would be because even though Skylar is technically a dog, she's the grandchild I've never had as ridiculous as that sounds.

Well, let me tell you how I found all this out.

My daughter had come home from work and I told her I was never babysitting Skylar again. She rode me ragged.

My daughter laughed and of course being the MOTHER she thinks it's cute and, of course, wants every detail.

I told her I was sitting at the computer. I had tours go out in four days and I was scrambling. I had seven authors, a record with Pump Up Your Book Promotion...I mean I am a busy woman and have other things to do than cater to anyone's wishes at the moment.

I'm typing and I hear "Woof!"

I look over and I can't really figure out what is wrong with the dog except she might want a bone, so I get up and go give her one.

I'm typing and I hear "Woof!"

I look up and she's eaten the bone, so I get up and put a PILE of bones by her feet.

I'm okay with this at this point because it's afternoon and she might be starting to get a bit hungry.

I go back to what I was doing and I hear "Woof!"

I jerked up, ready to clobber her, and I see Cassie sitting at the pile of bones daring Skylar to come near them.

By this time, I've had it, but as she is my GRANDCHILD, I get up and put a pile of bones to her feet, too. So, Cassie and Skylar have a pile of bones and Cassie won't steal because she has her own and Skylar won't bother me for a while because she has her own, too.

Figuring I have solved the problem, I try to get back into work and get something done in the precious time I have.

I am typing and I'm feeling something move against my leg. Skylar is pushing her butt against my leg to scratch it. I refuse to take my eyes off the computer, so I reach down and rub her.

I've rubbed her for about five minutes, my arm is going numb, so I stop and concentrate on these tours.

I feel the rubbing again.

Well...

It.

Is.

Annoying.

I grabbed the dog and threw her in my lap and asked her "What in the hell are you bothering me for????"

And that's when it dawned on me. Skylar and I had connected just like a grandmother and grandaughter would.

I thought it was rather funny even as annoyed as I was. Neither one of the cockers really communicate well. Max will stare at me to go out; that's his way of communicating. Cassie will paw at her water dish to let me know it's empty and that's her way of communicating.

But, Skylar.

Skylar has learned how to bark a certain way to get me to jump and to do what she wants me to do and I do it. I've done it for years but it didn't occur to me that this communication thingee we had going on really was a neat thing. When I first realized what the barks meant, of course, I jumped up because communication between two species who don't talk the same language, there is such a barrier there. When you break that barrier, life becomes simpler.

Well, usually. That's if you don't let them become spoiled and start barking their demands to the point where you find yourself the dog and they the ruler of the roost.

But, I think that's just the way it is when you're a grandma and would you want it any other way?

Tags: boomer chick, Sheltie, Miniature Collie, Cocker Spaniel

Ya Gotta Have Faith

You know, in the years growing up, I never knew much about faith. I'd hear people saying, "Faith will get you through anything," and other similar quotes of that nature, but I never fully understood it. I associated it with church and church just wasn't doing it for me. Not that I didn't believe. Oh, far from it. There's someone or something out there that is way stronger, wiser and more powerful than we are, believe me.

But my little Baptist church which was the only thing I had to go by as far as learning about faith had its disappointments.

But, in all the fifty-three years I've been on this earth, yesterday was the first day I finally understood what faith is all about.

It's about believing.

But it's a personal kind of believing. What works for you might seem silly to me; thus, I can't have faith that what you believe in will work with me. If it ain't there, it ain't there. And my kind of believing might not be comprehensible to you, but that's okay, too.

I believe that we are all different organisms on this earth and each of our ideals are going to be different because what works for you works for you because it coincides with your personal spiritual makeup. This is why some people frown on others' ideals especially if they are being pushy about it. Again, if it ain't there, no one is going to convince you it's there unless you feel it there yourself.

I rambled on because I wanted to give you some backup information on what my beliefs are on the subject of faith so that you can understand what a miraculous thing happened yesterday that only confirmed the fact that, yes, Virginia, there is a thing called faith and it works.

Whenever you are at your lowest, what's the first thing you do?

Well, the first thing I do is try to connect with my spirit guides or loved ones who died long ago for help. Might seem a silly thing to do, but this method has been proven to work three times in my life. It might have worked more for me had I used it more, but I didn't want to take advantage of it.

The first time I used this, I was working at a restaurant where the boss was sexually harassing everything in a skirt. I did get smacked on the derriere in the walk-in, but the main brunt of harassment against me was in telling me (and my other co-worker) that we were too old for the job. He had hired a couple of young things to take over my co-worker's and my job and I knew something had to be done and fast.

I was outside on a smoke break. I couldn't take it anymore. I looked to the heavens and I said, "Please get me away from here. Somewhere. New York even!"

Now, New York happens to be five hours away and I pulled the state out of my head, not thinking, but not caring either. I'd go anywhere at that point. I was at my lowest and crying to someone, anyone, for help.

Two days later, my daughter walks up to me and says she has tickets to go to New York on a tour bus and would I like to go. I went.

I look back on that and for some odd reason, I kept it in my memory bank because it was so soul-strengthening for me. I knew something had happened. But what?

The second time this happened, I was walking the dogs behind the chicken houses out back. It's been so long ago that I did this, it's hard to remember exactly why I was really freaking out, but I needed to get away. I remembered the trip to New York, so I said out loud, "Please get me to California." Again, I don't know why I said this but I believe it was then that I realized I needed to go back to make a few closures.

Maybe less than a year later, one of my online friends offered to fund the trip so I could go back. I will be going the second week of September of this year.

Basically, what all this means is that when I was at my lowest, I seeked help from someone or something that was more powerful than I. But, what I never understood before and what makes this work is that you have to state your wants out loud. Your spirit guides, your loved ones, whatever, are not mind readers. It's bad enough they don't talk the same language, so reading minds is asking for a bit much.

I have told this story to a lot of people who had come to their end of the road, but whether they took advantage of it, I have no idea. But, that's where faith comes in. I truly believe and it works for me.

Two days ago, my daughter took her state boards to become a registered licensed practical nurse. She had passed nursing school July before last and worked for a little while at a nursing home until it was time to take her boards. When she did take her boards, she flunked. If you only knew how much my daughter really needed this. Nursing is her life and to not pass her boards was like the worse thing that could happen to her.

She was waiting tables all during nursing school and was planning on quitting as soon as she passed her boards, so you can imagine what heartbreak it was for her. Trust me, I live with her...she was a total miserable wreck.

A few months later, she took them again. The thing is, these things are hard. Real hard. And it doesn't help if you have computer anxiety attacks which she does. I can spend all of my waking hours on here, but if she sits here for a few minutes, she starts getting a headache.

Well, the nursing board test was all done by computer and she flunked it the second time.

Yeah, devastated again but she didn't care that it would cost another $400 to take it again, she was going to do it. But, when she was ready.

That ready didn't come for months and months later because of all the hurt she went through after flunking it twice before. She knew that it was the most important thing in her life to pass this thing and become a nurse, and she felt it was so close, and couldn't understand why it just was not happening for her.

I knew it was in her life's plan to be a nurse. When she worked at the nursing home for a short while, I could see the dedication. She had befriended one of the patients who was known for not communicating and hating everyone for putting her in that godforsaken place, but she found a way to get this woman to open up. The dedication was certainly there and I knew it in my heart that this girl needed to be a nurse.

Two days ago, she took the test again. This was her third try and they gave her computer #3. After she took the test and was doing the waiting game and crying because she thought she had flunked it again, I told her to look at that number. It's also the number of my son's birthday (June 3) and my twin soul's who died and had become very close to my daughter beforehand (May 3). Threes, number threes...they were all over the place. I told her it was a sign.

That still didn't help. She called out from work; she was that upset.

I knew I had to do something and decided to put this faith thing to the test again. I was hanging clothes out on the line and I walked over to the swing, sat down, and called on the beyond.

I told whoever would listen (out loud) that this is in her life's plan and that she needed a break. She had been through so much in her short life what with her father leaving and her mother trying to keep a roof over her head, but more than that, could they pull some strings and make this woman a nurse, something that the world really needed.

It was energy draining, but I sat there and talked for about a half hour about how she would make the best darn nurse you ever saw and could they please help. But, again, the spirit guides or those from the beyond are not mind readers, so I made my wants precise - when she calls tomorrow, have a positive answer on the other end. Had I just let it be with "Please help her to become a nurse," that's not exact enough. She could become a nurse next year, in another lifetime, so you have to make it pretty understandable.

Yesterday, I get a call at work and I picked up the phone. My daughter was crying.

"I passed."

Now, you can believe in your own faith and I will honor that with extreme reverance, but my own faith is something that is so unbelievable, it's so hard to put into words.

All I know is that faith has to be the most powerful thing in the world.

Living Life One Step at a Time

You know, life can be really something. You have people come into this life for various reasons and purposes, but some just stand out a little more than the others, you know?

I've preached about soul mates and explained the different kinds and this post today has to deal with one particular soul mate, a karmic soul mate, named Jamieson Wolf.

Now, Jamieson Wolf is a member of my online writing group and has many books out and coming out this year, and he's also one of my partners in Pump Up Your Book Promotion.

But, what people do not know is that Jamieson is fighting a disease called cerebral palsy. Although to converse with Jamieson, you'd never know it.

He directed me to his blog today, appropriately called One Step at a Time. Not because he wanted to complain or to have people feel sorry for him, but to show what life is like with the disease.

I'd like to quote a piece from his blog post today:

"I don’t want to be a bother to others, I don’t want to dampen them down, bring them down to my level. I don’t want them to have to feel what I feel; I need to keep it within my skin, to keep it to myself, rather than see the pain that is in their eyes."

Is that the most incredible writing you have ever seen?

Now, he probably doesn't want me mentioning this, but this blog touches on a memoir he is writing. I told him if this memoir is anything like the blog, he's got a bestseller on his hands.

But, the thing is, memoir writing is hard. I'm doing it myself and I'm finding that you are transported back to those times you'd just like to forget. But, that's what good memoir writing is all about. Put those words out on that paper and be done with it. You may go through many, many, months of feeling depressed while writing it, but if it is something that needs to be written and should be written, you've got to bite the bullet and just do it.

This is your legacy. This is what people are going to remember you by. If you don't put those facts that caused you great pain at the time, it's not worth writing. We don't want a glorified version of your life. We want to hear the real story because that's human nature. How many memoirs made you cry? These are the ones that you'll long remember, even years after putting the book down.

So, Jamieson, if you're reading this, you've got to keep on. Even as much as it pains you to do it, your story has to be told. I feel it and you know when I feel these things, things happen. ;o)

Everyone, go check out his blog at http://jamiesonwolf.wordpress.com/ and leave a comment for him. He's a wonderful person and someone you will hear a lot about very soon.

Boomer Chick, Jamieson Wolf, One Step at a Time, cerebral palsy, memoir writing

Can You Blog Your Dash?

Thanks to my dear friend, Kathy Holmes, who posted about this on her blog, I have found something called the Blogging Challenge which you can find out more right here. This is really neat because it not only gives you ideas on what to blog about but they really make you think.

This week's blogging challenge is called Blog Your Dash. According to Lorelle, this is what you're supposed to do:

"Everyone’s tombstone will have two dates separated by a dash. That little dash is your time on this planet measured against eternity. How do you plan to live out that dash?Your blogging challenge this week?Blog about your dash."

How absolutely neat, so being as it's the weekend and I'm taking a break from setting up tours, I thought I'd give it a go...

How do I plan to live out my dash? Well, I have found myself, now I have to find my space. What I will be doing is finding it.

Now, this brings up a pretty interesting, but complex situation. I have traveled all my life. I have lived on the Eastern Shore of Virginia (where I live now), Burbank, California and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I have vacationed in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and rode in the back of a sixteen wheeler to Canada. So, I have basically seen pretty much of the U.S., although that does leave out a lot of states I haven't put my foot in.

With all that traveling, though, you would think I would know where I wanted to live. I mean, I'm in my early fifties for gosh sakes and should know by now, don't you think?

But, I don't.

I had a phone call this afternoon from a woman whose son, Abraham, I used to talk about who was fighting cancer through unconventional means. I know you all have at least heard about him since he made the news and was a guest on many talk shows. There was a huge court battle because social services were charging the mother and father with neglect because they were letting their son refuse chemo which the doctors ordered. He ended up winning the court battle, but his troubles were only just beginning.

The family fell apart and the mother has full custody of the kids living in Floyd, Virginia.

Even though the family has been through so much, they are happy now. She was telling me how different Floyd was from the Eastern Shore. Among other things, every Friday, they have like this one huge block party in the middle of main street with people playing guitars and there's bluegrass music and just having a great time. When I asked her about crime, she said she never hears about any really.

Man, can you believe that? Where I am, there's a cop car with siren on every single day of life going by the house.

Anyway, I digressed a bit.

Her phone call hit that "I wanna find my place to live" button.

I have a friend who told me something I'll never forget. He said, "Find out what you want and what it takes to get it." I've done that in my professional life, but my personal life involves finding that oasis, that place where I can finally call home. Being an army brat does have its disadvantages because you never really know where home is.

So, my dash will be finding a home where I can feel rejuvenated and enriched and where I'll be able to breathe in peace. And I'm going to find it while I still have some dash left.

Anyway, I think I'm doing this wrong. You might have to leave your answer on the Blogging Challenge blog, but it really made me think about this, which I've been doing already for ages and never finding a solution.

The Fulfillment Factor

Interesting post I read on Kathy Holmes' blog today. She was interviewed by Adventures of a 30-Something Rebel and made some interesting comments in which it suddenly dawned on me how much fulfillment is the climax of life and fulfillment sometimes takes into the latter stages of life before you realize what it is, how to grab it and claim it for your very own.

There are very good reasons for this.

Your twenties are spent searching for just that right girl or guy to love, finding a job that will at least pay for that car you so desperately need to show off to your friends and exploring life. This is the time when you really don't know what you want or do you care in most cases. Adult life is new and you're trying to let things sink in, but having fun is still top priority.

Your thirties brings you a wake-up call when you start actively working toward your goals. But, it's also the time when you either go through several relationships to find that perfect one only to find out there is no perfect one, but that's another story for another time, and trying different jobs out to find that perfect fit. You may try marriage out a time or two, and even contemplate the fact that time might be running out to have children, so you're exporing that. You certainly know more than in your twenties; but still, something's missing. Even if you have the model marriage and your kids are doing great, there's still that fulfillment factor missing.

When you finally reach your forties, things are starting to shape into a pattern. By now, you know whether marriage is a good thing or a bad thing based on your own personal experiences and you pretty well know how parenthood goes (it's a trial and error thing no matter how many times you do it), and you're starting to really focus on you.

By the time your golden years rolls around, you pretty well know what your capabilities are. You can look at back and smile at your accomplishments and it is at this time where everything finally comes together.

I'm in my early fifties now and I do see a definite pattern that has evolved. I see where I started doing this way back when which led to what I'm doing now.

In my own experience, I realized that marriage is not for me, but a happy union between two people is more fulfilling. I realized that my kids aren't going to be rocket scientists, but I have eased back in demanding more from my son who has Marfans and has limited capabilities of his own and my daughter and I have grown from our pasts into very close friends.

I have come to terms with my father leaving me as a baby and even have been contacted by his family who sent me pictures of him. While his wife will not let me see him, I am fulfilled in the fact that he does know about me and I finally got to see a picture of what he looks like, not to mention have met wonderful people who are my aunts and uncles. I still have not contacted a brother I have not seen, but it will get to that point at some point in time.

As for my profession, I realized throughout everything I have done in the past how my past has actually shaped me into what I am doing now. If it weren't for everything I had been through, I would not have gotten that life knowledge to learn how to be what I am fulfilled in being.

And this did not take shape until I hit my fifties, but the pattern was taking shape all along, only I didn't know it.

Life is wonderful in that respect. Every life stage has a meaning and a purpose and just knowing that getting older does not mean your life is over, but that it has finally just begun.

Only, this time, I can finally say this is what fulfillment is all about.

Tags: boomer chick, self-fulfillment

YOU ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH Author Judi Moreo Chats with Boomer Chick!

Have you ever thought if you could just find that one thing that was missing from your life that your life would suddenly be made better? Have you ever wished you could be someone you're not? Did you ever think you've just never done enough in your life and are just never happy with the way you are?

Judi Moreo joins us today to help us realize we ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH. In her bestselling book, You Are More Than Enough: Every Woman’s Guide to Purpose, Passion, and Power, Judi explains how to accept yourself for who you are meant to be. What an empowering book this is, too!

Boomer Chick had the privilege of interviewing Judi and I really think that after listening to Judi's philosophies, it will give you a better understanding that you are more than enough.

Boomer Chick: Thank you for stopping by Boomer Chick on your virtual book tour, Judi! Can you start off by telling us what your book is all about?

Judi: This book is written to help the reader decide what it is she wants to achieve in order to accomplish that "something more" that she knows is her destiny. It will help the reader determine what changes need to be made in ordder to live a more fulfilling life...a life of purpose, passion, and power.

Boomer Chick: Your book is simply fascinating, Judi. What compelled you to write it?

Judi: After speaking to audiences of 50 to 3000 people each day for several years and have more than 75% of the audience reveal to me that they felt they should have been more by now -- done more by now -- accomplished more by now....I felt there was a big need for people to become more self aware. Women need to understand that their talents and abilities are so valuable and they must quit underestimating themselves and overestimating everyone else.

Boomer Chick: What kind of message are you trying to get across with your book?

Judi: It is my hope that the reader will find hope, encouragement, and support that will assist her in becoming the person she feels deep down that she should be.

Boomer Chick: I understand that you are a motivational speaker? Would you like to explain to us what it is you talk about?

Judi: I believe that I am more than a "motivational speaker". In addition, I am a teacher. I speak about Communication, Creativity, Managing Change and Customer Service, but the underlying message to all of it is "Attitude". If a person doesn't have the right attitude, success will never appear her life.

Boomer Chick: What is the secret of success in your opinion?

Judi: The secret to success is to know what you want, to go after it and to know what you may have to give up in order to achieve it.....and to be willing to give that up.

Boomer Chick: What’s next on the agenda? Do you have more books coming out?

Judi: Yes. I've completed the companion journal to "You Are More Than Enough" and it is currently being published by Stephens Press and should be on the market by the end of summer. In addition, I have just complete "Getting Things Done: Keys to Communication, Sales, and Service" which I have co-authored with Brian Tracy, Patricia Ball and Patricia Fripp.

Boomer Chick: Where can we purchase “You Are More Than Enough”?

Judi: "You Are More Than Enough" is available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon.com, and judimoreo.com. I am doing book signings in St. Peters, Missouri Banes & Noble on June 23rd, The Reading Room at Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas on July 7th, and Borders Book Store in Las Vegas on June 10th.

Boomer Chick: Thank you for coming, Judi, and good luck with the rest of your virtual book tour!

Judi: Thank you more....it's been my pleasure.

Tags: Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, online book promotion, author publicity, virtual book tour, book promotion, book publicity, author interview, Judi Moreo

SPECIAL GUEST: Elena Dorothy Bowman, Author of THE GATEKEEPER'S REALM

I have a great guest with us today. Her name is Elena Dorothy Bowman, author of The Gatekeeper's Realm!

Elena is a published author who writes in several genres including science fiction, mystery, romance and the paranormal. She has been writing for over thirty years. She actually started writing when she was a teenager, although she didn't submit any of it for publication. She started to write in earnest as a challenge to herself. She really wanted to see if she could write a full-length novel, not just short stories or the technical papers that were a part of her profession in the aerospace industry. Publication finally came after many years of perseverance.

You can visit her website here.

Boomer Chick: Welcome to Boomer Chick, Elena! It’s a pleasure to have you here!

Elena: Thank you, it's a pleasure to be here.

Boomer Chick: Would you like to tell us about yourself? And I understand you used to work in the space industry? What was that like?

Elena: I started out as a clerk-typist and worked my way up to Executive Secretary before becoming a software engineer. Thanks to the program my company had, I was able to attend Fitchburg State College and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering and Management. This I was able to do while working full time as an Executive Secretary, raising
four kids, taking care of a home and all the other things a wife and mother has to do. But I did have help. My husband took over cooking the meals. He couldn't wait for me to graduate to take that duty back. However, his wait was fruitless, he still has kitchen duty. But I must say he is a great cook. Working in the space industry was interesting, satisfying and fascinating. Running simulation tests on missiles and such was intriguing since the work we did contributed to the defense of our country.

Boomer Chick: I am so intrigued by the title of your book, The Gatekeeper’s Realm. How did you come up with a title so unique?

Elena: I had other titles in mind, but when I saw them typed up, they just didn't seem to fit. Wracking my brain for a title I could visualize, the Gatekeeper's Realm just appeared from out of the mist, so I grabbed hold and claimed it for my novel.

Boomer Chick: Would you like to tell us what your book is all about?

Elena: It's the second book in the series of a house one could say was enchanted. A house that appears to be alive because of a relic that dates back to the Crusades. In the second book, the appearance of uninvited and mysterious spirits from an earlier era causes the unusual
experiences that befall the guests. Some disappear into strange worlds, others into prehistoric times. The main characters do all they can to enlist the townspeople and the "local" ghosts, who have inhabited the house since the 17 Century, in searching for them. But since the house
has a mind of its own, and able to invoke visions that confuse and disorient the inhabitants to the point that no one can be sure where they looked was still in existence, the searchers feel frustrated.

Boomer Chick: Do you have more books in the works?

Elena: Yes, the Gatekeeper's Realm is the second book in the Legacy Series. The House On The Bluff is the first. Both books are now in print and available on amazon.com. My other series, is science fiction and entitled: The Sarah's Landing Series. Along with that is my stand alone
novel —Time-Rift. All of my books are available as ebooks with http://www.ebooksonthe.net/, www.fictionwise.com, www.mobipocket.com. My print books are available at www.amazon.com, and from my publisher, Write Words, Inc.'s imprint http://www.cambridgebooks.com. The last book in the Legacy Series will be in print in the coming months. And I am working on two other books. One I hope will be an historical one and the other fiction.

Boomer Chick: Thank you for stopping by, Elena, and good luck with the rest of your virtual book tour!

Elena: Thank you for inviting me. I enjoyed my visit.

Tags: Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, online book promotion, author publicity, virtual book tour, book promotion, book publicity, author interview, Elena Dorothy Bowman

And the Virtual Book Tours Are Still Going Strong!

Whew, these tours have been so much fun, but exhausting! We've got a full lineup next month: Marilyn Meredith, Judi Moreo (for her second month of tours), PG Forte, Kim Baccellia, CJ Maxx, Robin Jay and Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein! If you would like to find out more about them, go to http://www.virtualbooktoursforauthors.blogspot.com/ and look in the right hand sidebar. I can't wait for their tours to start!

In September, we have Hazel Statham, CJ Maxx (for a second book), Yvonne Perry, Robin Jay (for a second month) and Scott Zema!

October gives us Mayra Calvini and Shobhan Bantwal and in November, we have Sheila Roberts, Diane Wolfe and Maureen Fisher! Woohoo!

If you're in the need for a virtual book tour, leave a comment or email me at thewriterslife(at)yahoo.com. To find out more about our virtual book tours, visit http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com/.

Tags: virtual book tours

Britain's Got Talent - Connie

This is un-be-lievable.


Tags: Britain's Got Talent, American Idol

SPECIAL GUEST: Susan Gregg, Author of THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO SHORT MEDITATIONS

Woohoo...I thought the day would never get here! My special guest today is Susan Gregg, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Short Meditations (Alpha, April 3, 2007)!

Look, I'm all for trying to solve the crap that life throws at you by going into myself and seeking answers, so a book on short meditations (being as I'm such the busy bee) was right up my alley! So, who is Susan Gregg, you ask? Well, here's an interview I gave her as one of her many hosts on her Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tour!

BTW, if you click on the banner above, it'll take you right to Susan's tour page where you can see all the places she'll be visiting. If you'd like to go directly to her website, you can go to http://shortmeditations.com/ or her blogs at http://toltecinsights.blogspot.com/ and http://shortmeditations.blogspot.com/ and learn even more about Susan!

Well, I'm all excited, so let's begin!

Boomer Chick: Thank you for coming to Boomer Chick, Susan! Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Susan: Thanks so much for having me. I was born in NYC and the last thing I ever thought I'd be was a writer. My mom was a poet and in grade school I kept flunking English. She could never understand how I could do that. Thank goodness for computers and spellcheck. I've always had a deep connection to animals, nature and a profound curiosity about human nature.

I have blonde hair with just a touch of gray, striking blue eyes and I'll turned 58 in September. I absolutely love my life and every day when I wake up it feels like Christmas morning. I never cease to be amazed that this kid that grew up in Queens and was depressed most of the time is living my life. Some people think I'm a bit odd, but I believe that if life isn't full of magic and miracles we're shortchanging ourselves.

BOOMER CHICK: I just love the premise of your book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Short Mediations. Why did you choose meditation as your subject?

Susan: My agent asked me to write the book is the short answer. I've been meditating since the 70s and teaching people how to meditate since the 80s. Meditation is a big part of my life. It's changed my life and so many wonderful ways. I used to get migraines and those went away. I
used to have stress lines around my eyes those aren't there anymore. I feel better and look great! So writing this book was a wonderful opportunity for me to share the gift with others.

BOOMER CHICK: Uck. Migraines. You know, I used to have terrible migraines in my later twenties and on into my forties. When I hit fifty, they've almost disappeared (knock on wood), but I feel the reason why they are not one/tenth as bad as before is because I learned how to meditate them away when they do occur. Interesting. I understand that you studied with Sister Sarita and Don Miguel in the '80s in San Diego, California. Can you tell us who they are and how was that experience?

Susan: Studying with Don Miguel Ruiz and his mother Sister Sarita was an incredible experience. It changed my life. Many years later Don Miguel wrote the book The Four Agreements.

Boomer Chick: Interesting. Tell me, why did you move to Hawaii?

Susan: I moved to Hawaii because I love Hawaii. I had finished my studies with Miguel and completed my doctorate. I knew I wanted to live in Hawaii, I wasn't sure what I was do for living I knew it had something to do with my studies. I figured I'd moved to Hawaii first and
figure the rest out later.

Boomer Chick: You say that after you moved to Hawaii, you changed your inner landscape. Can you tell us what that means?

Susan: During my spiritual explorations I realized all of my emotions and my experience of life was created by what I tell myself not necessarily the events in my life. The more I took responsibility for my experience of life the more I made choices that generated happiness. So
in a sense my inner landscape resulted in my move to Hawaii. I'd come to Hawaii on vacation eight years before and just loved it. I knew I would be happy living here, but of course by then I'd be happy living wherever I lived.

My insides and my outsides became more congruent. So since I was happy and I loved Hawaii I moved here. That may sound a bit confusing, but it's really not!

Boomer Chick: Doesn't sound confusing at all. I feel that you can reach your inner self with certain locations and I believe Hawaii might be the place for you to do this! I understand you also run workshops. Can you tell us a little about them?

Susan: Most of my workshops focus on teaching people how to be happy no matter what is happening in their lives. I believe it's our birthright to be happy and that we truly can create whatever it is that we want.

Boomer Chick: I love it. You also run the popular podcast, Food for the Soul. Can you tell us about that?

Susan: In my podcast Food for the Soul I share lots of tools, give people food for thought and have a least one guided meditation. It is based on my studies with a wonderful Hawaiian elder, Sister Sarita, Don Miguel and a variety of physical and nonphysical mentors. I have gotten
incredible feedback and hope all of your readers will tune in.

Boomer Chick: We will definitely do that! BTW, if anyone wants to tune in, go to http://www.podcast.net/show/3109. Do you run the show by yourself or do you host guests?

Susan: Food for the Soul is a one-woman show that I create with the assistance of my wonderful producer Zack.

Boomer Chick: I have never been to Hawaii, but by pictures, it looks absolutely gorgeous. Do you feel an inner strength there? I mean, is there something about the area that really helps you find your inner self which, in turn, helps you in your teachings?

Susan: Hawaii truly is paradise. I feel a profound connection to these islands and I love living someplace where I am surrounded by such loving people. In Hawaii they talk about living aloha and that means living fully and lovingly with gratitude and joy.

I do feel a sense of inner strength and connectedness. And that sense of connection has changed my life totally. My life is filled with magic and miracles and I have learned to be happy no matter what is happening around me. And what a gift that is!

Boomer Chick: What’s next for you, Susan? Do you have more books coming out?

Susan: As a matter of fact I just got a contract to write a book about angels, Saints, deities and ascended Masters. I'm really excited about it. Writing about angels is something new for me. When I lived in California one of my friends used to say, "Angels on your shoulders." He had such impish smile when he said it that it warmed my heart. So now I get to write about angels.

Boomer Chick: Where can people purchase your book and can you give us your website information?

Susan: All of my books are available in bookstores and at Amazon.com. They can also go to my website http://susangregg.com/ to order them and I will send them a personally autographed copy.

Boomer Chick: Thank you for stopping by Boomer Chick, Susan, and good luck with the rest of your virtual book tour!

Susan: Thanks so much for having me. This virtual book tour sure is more fun than driving from bookstore to bookstore to bookstore. Aloha.

Tags: Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, online book promotion, author publicity, virtual book tour, book promotion, book publicity, author interview, Susan Gregg

SPECIAL GUEST: Marilyn Celeste Morris, Author of THE WOMEN OF CAMP SOBINGO

I have a super, super guest this morning. Let me tell you something...this woman is the bomb. I've known her for YEARS and I have read some of the books she has written and it just doesn't get any better than this. Her name is Marilyn Celeste Morris and maybe she's not a household name (yet!) and maybe she's not a bestselling author (YET!), but if the Boomer Chick can give her a little push, then ho-ney, watch out!

Marilyn is also one of my regulars on the virtual book tour trail as this is her second book out, and she is with us today to talk about this book which is titled The Women of Camp Sobingo. I read her other book, Once a Brat, and thoroughly fell in love with it because I am an army brat, also, which is what the book is about. The Women of Camp Sobingo also is about military life but this go around is about her mother's life as an army wife who is sent to join her husband in Seoul, Korea, in 1946. A definite must-read for history buffs. But, it is not a history book per say; it is a dramatic tale of four women who come together and bond during one of the most important times in the history of our nation. Pick up a copy of this wonderful book and see if I'm not right.

So, let's get down to it. I give you, the one, the only, Ms. Marilyn Celeste Morris!

Boomer Chick: Welcome to Boomer Chick, Marilyn! Would you like to tell us a little about yourself?

Marilyn: I'm a single writer living in Fort Worth TX and I've been writing since I was a little kid. Didn't start getting serious about it, though until I finally sent off my first novel, Sabbath's Room, and it was published in 2001. Closely behind that was my military brat book about my world travels with my army officer father from my birth in 1938 to his retirement in 1958. (Yes, you read that right....1938 is the year of my birth, which makes me real old.) My third book, Diagnosis Lupus: The Intimate Journal of a Lupus Patient details my years long struggle to be diagnosed and treated for this mysterious disease.

Boomer Chick: Would you like to tell us about your new book, The Women of Camp Sobingo?

Marilyn: It's the story of four women who meet aboard a ship bound for Korea in the days following the end of WWII. These women forge bonds that help them survive in a desolate military compound and each woman's background is explored as they grew up in Chicago, West Texas, Oklahoma and Oregon. After 25 years, they reunite to uncover secrets and sorrows of their days in Camp Sobingo.

Boomer Chick: The background of this story is really interesting. It’s actually based on your mother’s true experiences. Did you go mainly from memory as a child at that point of time or did your mother tell you much of the story?

Marilyn: Part of it is true. My mother actually said little about it, so the story is mostly imaginary, as are the women themselves. I would call them composites of women I have known.
Boomer Chick: One part I noticed really intrigued me. You say that one of the women committed suicide. What were the circumstances surrounding that? Why did she commit suicide?

Marilyn: My mother did mention a woman's suicide, but there were not many details given me as to how or why. I was only 8 or 9 years old at the time, but it always disturbed me that although the other women coped as best they could, what was it about that one woman's background that led her to believe she could no longer live with herself. I made up a background for her, as I did with the other women, and a reason she used to justify her suicide.

Boomer Chick: The four women that bonded during this time. What do you think was the bond they shared?

Marilyn: Loneliness. Isolation. The bitter cold winters and blazing summers. Their husbands would be away on maneuvers for days at a time, so they shared each others company, their hopes and dreams, and taught each other how to cope. With the one exception. Leah was doomed from the time she discovered in Oklahoma that she was adopted and half-Indian; therefore, different, and not worthy of love.

Boomer Chick: In your honest opinion, what do you think people will learn from The Women of Camp Sobingo?

Marilyn: Since one of the hurdles they must overcome is their loneliness, I hope readers will realize they have an inner strength that has yet to be tapped, or if it has been brought out by some kind of crisis, that they have coped, and will continue to survive whatever life has in store for them. Also, one of the more subtle sub-plots deals with assumptions that are not true, but carried within us can do much harm. One of the characters discovers that what she had assumed to be true was not what really happened, and the burden of guilt she has carried for 25 years is suddenly lifted when the other women tell her what they had already known about Leah's background.

Boomer Chick: Do you have more books in the works?

Marilyn: Oh, yes. (Grinning here) This is my second novel, and the works in progress are all novels. I'm working on a sequel to Sabbath's Room, to be called Sabbath's House, and it involves yet another mystery contained within the walls of an old house that has had only women owners. Another novel is Forces of Nature -- what happens when a B52 laden with jet fuel is flung by a tornado into a busy shopping mall -- who lives and who dies?

Another mystery is The Murders at 5400, and features a group of four women who meet regularly for a book club and they help solve two mysterious murders in a formerly plush condominium community. Also in the works is a Victorian romance, The Unexplored Heart.
And I'm putting together selected humor/human interest columns written during my ten years as a weekly columnist for a community newspaper, tentatively titled, My Ashes of Dead Lovers Garage Sale and Other Stories from a Single Woman of a Certain Age.

Boomer Chick: Where can our readers purchase The Women of Camp Sobingo?

Marilyn: It's from Mardi Gras Publishing, and the link is http://www.mardigraspublishing.com/womenofcampsogingo.html.

Boomer Chick: Thank you for coming, Marilyn, and good luck on the rest of your virtual book tour!

Marilyn: It's always a pleasure visiting with you, Dorothy. Thank you!

Tags: Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, online book promotion, author publicity, virtual book tour, book promotion, book publicity, author interview, Marilyn Celeste Morris, The Women of Camp Sobingo

SPECIAL GUEST: Lindy S. Hudis, Author of WEEKENDS

I've got another special guest at Boomer Chick! My dear friend, Lindy S. Hudis, author of the great romantic suspense, WEEKENDS (LBF Books, 2006), and who just happens to be on her first ever virtual book tour, has dropped in to tell us all about herself and her wonderful book!

I've gotten to know Lindy real well since she signed up at Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Tours and I've got to tell you a little secret. Not only is she touring the blogosphere on her virtual book tour, but it just so happens she's a new mama! Frankly, I don't know how she does it all. If I can remember back in the day, a newborn gives little time to do much of anything else, but Lindy seems to be managing great! Congratulations, Lindy!

Oh, but that's not all. Not only is Lindy a new mama, but she's also an actress! Anyone ever hear of the show, Sunset Beach? Well, I won't spoil it and I'll just let Lindy tell you. On with the show!

Boomer Chick: Welcome to Boomer Chick, Lindy! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Lindy: Well, I am a California girl at heart. I have lived all over, though. I grew up in Tennessee, then moved to New York to go to NYU, where I was a theater major. I came to Los Angeles to seek my fortune as an actress, then I met a hot stuntman, married him, and now I am a mom. I have a beautiful little girl named Veronica, and a 3 month old named Cameron Michael. I am also a beach bum, but that is another story, heehee.

Boomer Chick: LOL, beach bum? I wanna hear the story! Ah well, story for another time. Hey, I want to see a picture of this hot stuntman! Lindy, you have the life. Hot stuntman, two beautiful children...it can't get better than that. I noticed in your bio that you sent me for your tour that not only are you an author, but you are a screenwriter and filmmaker, too. Sounds like you are one busy lady! To be honest, of the three, which gives you more enjoyment?

Lindy: I just love to tell stories, and to get people to think. I love the entertainment industry. Working in the movie business has been my dream all of my life. My ultimate goal is, hopefully, to produce my books into movies. I love the excitement and the creativity. My husband and father-in-law both have worked in the movie industry for many years. My husband is a child actor turned stuntman, and my father-in-law is a television writer. Both have inspired me to pursue my dream and have given me the encouragement to do so.

Boomer Chick: I also understand that you are an actress, too, and have appeared on “Sunset Beach.” Can you tell us how you ended up on such a popular show?

Lindy:That was a fun time. I went to an audition, and booked the part. It was a small but recurring role as a nosy news reporter that wanted to get the "scoop". It was a storyline about a young woman who has an affair with a congressman, and I was hounding her.

Boomer Chick: Do you plan on appearing on anymore shows in the future?

Lindy: Who knows what the future hold? I don't want to tempt fate, but if the opportunity comes, maybe. A cameo in the movie version of one of my books? Now you are talking!

Boomer Chick: Hey, you never know! Now, your book, WEEKENDS. Can you tell us why you wrote it?

Lindy: WEEKENDS is about an innocent-sounding family reunion at an exclusive California beach resort turns into a weekend of murder, deceit, exposed secrets and unexpected intimate encounters. In other words, I wanted to write a sexy, romantic California story. I want to transport the reader as much as possible. I guess I am one of those writers who wants to take the reader away.

Boomer Chick: How about promoting it? How is that going?

Lindy: I have been promoting it like crazy! I go on MySpace, and do the best I can to get it reviewed. I have a wonderful publicist named LeeAnn Lessard. She is great about getting my book out there.

Boomer Chick: I love LeeAnn! You are in great hands! What made you decide on LBF books?
Lindy: I met Jackie Druga-Marchetti at the RWA convention in Reno in the summer of 2005. She was extremely friendly and professional. I do appreciate a smaller publisher because I don't feel "lost in the shuffle" like I would at a larger house.

Boomer Chick: Do you plan on more books coming out in the future?

Lindy: I sure do! My next book, CRASHERS is a crime mystery about a trio of young people who get caught up in the seamy world of auto insurance fraud. They stage car accidents to get insurance money, and events spiral out of control, of course. My husband is a professional stunt driver, so he helped me out a little. My other book, CITY OF TOYS, is based on my struggling actress days. It is about four beautiful women who live together in Hollywood. They are all aspiring actresses, and some pretty upsetting things happen to them, as they did to me. All my books are pretty edgy, but that is what I like to do. I like to shock people. I also have a short story on Amazon Shorts called SHE'S A WHORE. That is a very dark, dramatic story about child abuse in the deep south. You can download it off of my Amazon page.

Boomer Chick: Well, I still say I don't know how you do it all. That is fantastic! Where can people go to pick up a copy of your book, WEEKENDS?

Lindy: You can go to my website at http://directorbabe.tripod.com/. It has the link to Amazon, B&N, and other places, too.

Boomer Chick: Thank you for coming to Boomer Chick, Lindy, and good luck on the rest of your virtual book tour!

Lindy: Thank you for having me, it was fun!

If you'd like to visit Lindy's tour page to see where the rest of her virtual book tour takes her, click here!

Tags: Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, online book promotion, author publicity, virtual book tour, book promotion, book publicity, author interview, Lindy S. Hudis, Weekends, romantic suspense

NY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JANE GREEN VISITS BOOMER CHICK!

We have a very, very special guest with us at Boomer Chick today! I have NY Times Bestselling author, Jane Green, here with us today to talk about her latest book, Second Chance. I'm also pleased to announce she is touring the blogosphere on her virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotions! What an honor!



I do want to note that my assistant, Jamieson Wolf, has been responsible for her tour and has done a bangup job of putting this together. She will be appearing at Trashionista, Galley Cat and Beatrice, among other great blogs throughout the blogosphere. WTG, Jamieson!


Before we begin our interview, I'd like to tell you a little bit about Ms. Green, if you don't already know about her. For one thing, she is #12 on the NY Times Bestseller list! For those authors out there, we all know how wonderful that would be!



Jane lives in Connecticut with her four children and is the author of eight bestselling novels: SWAPPING LIVES, THE OTHER WOMAN, STRAIGHT TALKING, JEMIMA J, MR. MAYBE, BOOKENDS, BABYVILLE, AND TO HAVE AND TO HOLD. Her books are published in over thirty different languages, and Jemima J has recently been bought by Lifetime for a made-for-television movie.You can visit her website at http://www.janegreen.com/ or her blog at www.myspace.com/janegreenbooks.



You can buy Second Chance at Amazon by clicking here!


Boomer Chick: Hi Jane! It is such a pleasure to host you at Boomer Chick! Can you tell my readers a little bit about yourself?

Jane: I'm the author of nine novels, a mother of four, and a native Brit who has lived in Connecticut for almost seven years. I started life as a journalist, and signed my first book deal almost twelve years ago with Straight Talking. It went straight on the bestseller lists in
the UK, and I've been lucky enough to have continued success.

Boomer Chick: I have to tell you. I am so in awe of what you have accomplished. Did you ever envision yourself to be in the place you are today?

Jane: When I left my job all those years ago to write a book, I gave myself three months to write a book and get a publishing deal. Of course, looking back now, I can't believe how naive I was, but it never occured to me that it wouldn't happen. However, I never dreamed I would have a string of bestsellers - that part is, still, truly amazing.

Boomer Chick: I understand you’ve made the NY Times Bestseller list. Would you like to tell us about that? When did that happen and is this the first time you’ve made the list?

Jane: I've made the list a few times, and it is always incredibly exciting. Publishers will tell you it's not about the list, it's about the number of sales, but there's nothing quite like opening the Times on the weekend and seeing your name in there.

Boomer Chick: As a promoter, I’m always curious about what it takes to get on the NY Times Bestseller list. In a personal email to you, I asked that very same question and you said, “a lot of good luck and hard work.” What should authors do to aim for the list and do you think being in the list should be a goal? Naturally, it should be great for sales, but do you find that people are just in awe of those who make it?

Jane: It certainly helps with credibility, although I'm not sure how awed people are - most of the time my life is spent as a vaguely harrassed mother trying to juggle running the lives of four children, a household, and squeezing in the books in between. I don't think you can ever predict how to get on the list or what will work. The best advice I can give is never to write what you think will be commercial, but to write what is true for you.

Boomer Chick: On another subject, you are such a busy lady doing tours and giving speeches. Who sets these up for you?

Jane: I have a team at Penguin, and then an independent PR at Goldberg McDuffie who set them up. And a lot of people email me through the website so I'm able to direct them to the team. I'm also recently signed with a speakers bureau.

Boomer Chick: Do you have an agent and would you like to tell us who she/he is?

Jane: I am represented by Deborah Schneider at Gelfman Schneider.

Boomer Chick: Do you feel that authors, in order to get the most exposure they can for themselves and their books, should look for an agent to represent their books?

Jane: Absolutely. I would never suggest anyone attempt to be published without an agent. The commission fee is absolutely worth the work they put in, and frankly it's just about impossible to be noticed by a publisher if you just send in an unsolicited manuscript.

Boomer Chick: Jane, I’m going to honest with you. I hate booksignings. That’s why I promote almost entirely on the Internet. If I were to have a NY contract, would promoting offline be something that was inevitable and what would you tell someone who hates them so that she’ll learn to love them?

Jane: I adore them. Sometimes, particularly on tour, it's exhausting, but it's the one chance I get to really connect with my readers. Writing is so solitary, I rarely have a chance to see how my books affect people, so I love getting out there and meeting them at signings. Online promoting has become increasingly important, but I don't think, for the author, it ever quite replaces the thrill of standing up in front of a room full of people who have been touched by your work.

Boomer Chick: Okay, I have to ask. Hopefully, by now, everyone knows I, along with Jamieson Wolf, run Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours. Can you tell us how it’s been so far and would you recommend these to other authors to promote their books? Oh, btw, who recommended us to you or how did you find out about us?

Jane: I was surfing around the internet and stumbled upon you. I was fascinated because blogging has become such a huge part of promoting, but it's hard to find people who really know how to handle this type of viral marketing. So far it seems you have cast your net far and wide,
and I've been tremendously impressed.


Boomer Chick: Well, it’s been such a pleasure to host you. Not only are you a gifted writer, but such a wonderful person to know. What’s next for you, Jane? More books, I hope!

Jane: I'm starting novel number ten next week - this time more of a mystery and I'm itching to start writing again. Kids are in camp, the house is (relatively) quiet, so my fingers will start tapping again very shortly.

Boomer Chick: Okay, tell us where we can buy SECOND CHANCE, and give us your website link, too, just in case we want to check out your online home.

Jane: Second Chance is available at all good bookstores, and online at amazon and barnes & Noble etc. My website is www.janegreen.com, although I'm much better at updating the myspace page: www.myspace.com/janegreenbooks.

Boomer Chick: Well, good luck to you, Jane. It’s been such a pleasure to interview you here at Boomer Chick. Please don’t be a stranger and stop by often!

Jane: Thank you Boomer Chick - it was my pleasure!



Wasn't she the greatest? As a special treat, here is one of Jane's trailers where you can hear her talk about the writing process. Enjoy!








http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YzwTGkoQLo&eurl=

Tags: Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, online book promotion, author publicity, virtual book tour, book promotion, book publicity, author interview, Jane Green, Second Chance, chick lit

SPECIAL GUEST: Jamieson Wolf, Author of THE GHOST MIRROR

We have a real special guest today here at The Writer’s Life! Jamieson Wolf, my wonderful friend and working partner for Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Tours, joins us today and gives us insights into his own writing life!

Jamieson is on his own virtual book tour thoughout the whole month of July which he calls "The Haunted Walk," touring blogs around the world to talk about his book, The Ghost Mirror! Click on banner to the left to visit his tour page where you can follow along on The Haunted Walk. Oooooh...spooky!

Jamieson has been writing since a young age when he realized he could be writing instead of paying attention in school. Since then, he has created many worlds in which to live his fantasies and live out his dreams. As well as being a novelist, he is an accomoplished non fiction writer. He writes book reviews for Linear Reflections, The Gotta Write Network and his book review web site The Book Pedler. As well, he writes non-fiction pieces for The American Chronicle. You can also read his blog, One Step at a Time, where he writes about living with Cerebral Palsy.

He is the author of several novels and two non fiction works which include THE GHOST MIRROR, HUNTED, GARDEN CITY, ELECTRIC PINK, ELECTRIC BLUE, WRITE NOW: EXERCISES FOR THE ASPIRING WRITER and THE MUSE: LEARNING TO WRITE FROM INSPIRATION.

You can find out more about Jamieson at http://www.jamiesonwolf.com/!

Boomer Chick: Welcome to Boomer Chick, Jamieson! Can you tell us a little about yourself and your book?

Jamieson: The Ghost Mirror is about Mave Mallory. When she is thirteen years old, she goes to live with her Grandmother, Mona Mallory. There, she finds an old mirror in the attic that her Grandmother warns her not to touch.

But things don't go as planned.

While trying to save a friend, she falls through the mirror and finds herself in the Town of Elements.

There, magic is real and so are nightmares. An eater of souls, Mr. Lavender, knows that Mave is the Last Witch and wants her soul for his own.

Mave must learn to use the magic she has, and defeat Mr. Lavender, if she is to stay alive...

Boomer Chick: Why did you write it? Was it for fun or was it a calling sort of thing?

Jamieson: I have always wanted to write a children's book in the style of the Brothers Grimm; something dark and beautiful. The Ghost Mirror came into my head almost fully formed once I knew that it was Mave I was writing about. I think it was a calling of sorts. I was out of work for the three weeks it took to write it. As soon as I finished writing it, I got work again.

Boomer Chick: Does paranormal come natural to you? Is it your preferred genre to write?

Jamieson: Paranormal or speculative fiction seems to be what I enjoy writing most. I always try to write different things but I keep coming back to fantasy and paranormal fiction. It's where I have the most fun.

Boomer Chick: Tell us how you got your book published. Who is it with and how has your experiences been so far with them?

Jamieson: The Ghost Mirror took a long time to get published. I submitted the manuscript to almost thirty different publishers before I was lucky enough to have Vickie Kennedy at e Treasures Publishing accept it for publication. e Treasures has been a dream; everyone there has been fantastic to work with and it's wonderful to have my book in the hands of someone who loves it so much! She's already accepted the next two books in the series. I just have to write them first. LOL

Boomer Chick: Where can we go to buy your book?

Jamieson: Well, you can buy it from the publisher at www.etreasurespublishing.com or, once the book comes out in paperback at the end of July, from Amazon.

Boomer Chick: What's next on the agenda? Do you have any books coming out after The Ghost Mirror?

Jamieson: After The Ghost Mirror came out, my novel Hunted was published by Write Words Inc. They're also going to be publishing the other three novels in the series. Hope Falls will be out in August, Eagle Valley in September and Dragons Cove in October. I also have a memoir coming out from The Friday Project in the summer of 2008, so it's been a busy but productive year so far!

Boomer Chick: Thank you for stopping by, Jamieson, and good luck with the rest of your virtual book tour!

Jamieson: Thank you so much, Dorothy! It's been wonderful so far!

Tags: Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, online book promotion, author publicity, virtual book tour, book promotion, book publicity, author interview, Jamieson Wolf

A Special Gift from Robin Jay, Author of THE ART OF THE BUSINESS LUNCH

As everyone knows, I run Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours. And I'm sure everyone knows how much heart and sweat and blood and tears I put into my little business on the net. And everyone knows by now that this is my life.

I was slaving away yesterday doing my "trying to get everything organized as it was the first day for the July authors to go on tour" thing and I got a very special package in the mail.

I was expecting Robin Jay to send me her book, The Art of the Business Lunch, so I knew immediately what it was. However, there was a little special something in there that really made an impact on me.

I knew she either made jewelry or franchised on her website at http://www.robinjay.com/, but never in all my dreams would I have thought she would have thought of me to include one of her pieces of jewelry in this package. Actually, it was two pieces of jewelry - one was a beautiful silver and copper(?) bracelet that had hearts running all around it (exquisite) and, another one, and this is the reason for my blog post today.

This other bracelet was silver and had a little smiling sun charm hanging off of it and is just the most beautiful thing, but it is the engraving that really made it super special.

Running around the entire length of the bracelet were the words, "Let go of yesterday, work on today and dream of tomorrow."

You know, as a writer and now as a tour coordinator, it's hard to stop and smell the roses. And, I think that's what a lot of writers experience so I know I'm not alone. But, these words really did make me feel great because I know I am living this philosophy. I have already let go of yesterday (with the exception of coming to terms with my mother's death many, many years ago and which I hope to solve when I go to California in September), and I still have dreams of tomorrow because I have goals which everyone should have to keep them motivated, and I am definitely working on today to achieve those goals.

My goals are simple. I want to be financially independent.

What that means is that I don't want to be an ordinary Joe Blow, trudging to that 9-5 job. I want to be that woman who is control of everything. And, I know it takes time and a lot of work to get there, but that is the goal I am working on.

Robin Jay's book, The Art of the Business Lunch, while I daresay I'll have those business lunches (of course, who's to say I won't?), teaches me how to take control and that's how you become the best you can be. I can't wait to start in it.

She also sent a book, The Power of Mentorship: The Millionaire Within by Don Boyer. Definitely a must-read sitting out under the trees in my swing this afternoon.

And, you know, this is what life is about. It's about happiness and striving to find that ticket to happiness that is there, only you just have to find out where you put it last. You used to be happy. I know you did. We all can look into our past and our present and remember what really made us so damn happy, we didn't know what to do with ourselves.

Capture that again.

Anyway, Robin Jay will be visiting Boomer Chick next month and I cannot wait.

If you want to visit her tour page (she's a wonderful and kind-hearted soul who knows what she wants and goes out to get it), visit http://virtualbooktoursforauthors.blogspot.com/2007/06/art-of-art-of-business-lunch-virtual.html.

Meanwhile, head over to www.robinjay.com/media/Robin_video.wmv and watch this classy lady in action.

Tags: boomer chick, virtual book tour, Robin Jay

Dracula's Castle Up For Sale

O.M.G. Can you imagine what you could do with this? A writer's retreat, perhaps?

According to Associated Press today, Dracula's castle is officially up for sale. Man, Henri would have a field day with this one. It seems the heirs to the castle just don't want it anymore, but they only will sell it to those who "who will treat the property and its history with appropriate respect."

It's downright spooky, isn't it? Can you imagine sleeping in that thing?

Tags: Dracula's Castle, Dracula, writer's retreat