I’m delighted to host author D. L. Finn on her latest blog tour. D.L. is not only a friend, she’s a talented author whose books I’ve read, enjoyed and highly recommend. I look forward to another great read in The Button. ~Bette A. Stevens
D.L. is offering some fun giveaways on her tour. If you leave a comment at any of The Button tour stops, you might win one.
“The Button” Tour Giveaway
2- “The Button” Kindle Format
1- $5 Amazon Gift Card
1- “The Button” Signed Paperback and Book Marker
I’m not an expert when it comes to creating a book video, but I’m determined to learn. I use my own photography; my daughter helps me blend the frames, and my husband provides the music. I’m thankful to have all that support—and for it being a family effort. ~D.L. Finn
Here’s the video for The Button:
D.L. Finn is an independent California local, who encourages everyone to
embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but
in 1990 relocated with her husband, kids, dogs and
cats to the Sierra foothills in Nevada City, CA. She immersed herself in
reading all types of books, but
especially loved romance, horror and
fantasy. She always treasured creating her own
reality on paper. Finally, being surrounded by towering pines, oaks and cedars,
her creativity was cradled until it bloomed. Her creations vary from children’s
books, young adult fantasy, adult paranormal romance to an autobiography with
poetry. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to her readers
to join her.
4WillsPublishing site. If you’d like to book your own blog tour and have your book promoted in similar grand fashion, please click HERE. Lastly, D.L. is a member of the best book club ever – RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB {#RRBC} and she’s also a member of the very elite, RAVE WRITERS -INT’L SOCIETY OF AUTHORS {RWISA}! If you’re looking for amazing support as an author, or if you simply love books,
The Indie publishing experience thrilled me because I saw a way to get my writing into readers’ hands and have control over the content and the look of the finished product.
2. What obstacles have you encountered?
I released The Master and the Maid prematurely in 2012. I did have the manuscript professionally formatted. That wasn’t the problem. The novel was also professionally edited but the editor and I were not a good fit. The book wasn’t all that it could have been. I was not happy with it at all.
3. How did you overcome those challenges?
These days, independent publishing has lots of different facets. I was very lucky to meet up with an independent small publisher. I extensively restructured and rewrote The Master and the Maid and we rereleased it with a new cover in 2016. Bathsheba Monk’s editing process has given me lots more confidence in the project. We both want this project to go in the same direction.
4. What has been the highlight of this journey?
The highlight of this journey is that I have finally made the room in my life to work steadily and progress in my writing. All of us are familiar with real life getting in the way of our writing but often real life has to take the priority. My writing has moved up to new levels and I am very excited that we have now released The Soldier’s Return.
5. What would you like to see in the future for Indie Authors?
Over the last ten years, indie authors have slowly lost that unprofessional connotation. It’s great to see indie authors get the recognition and the respect they deserve. We must continue to work for that by keeping our standards high. Our work must have a high quality, a proper professional edit and proper formatting. This greatly influences the value of the product. We must strive to offer a quality product for a price that reflects the true amount of work involved.
6. Any tips for someone considering going Indie vs Traditional Publishing?
When a writer begins the journey by writing that book, it is always useful to research agents and publishers, learn about the industry, write those query letters and send them around. In the meantime, research in the indie world is just as useful. No matter which way the road turns, it’s going to be a marathon not a sprint.
7. Have you found any online book clubs to help you on your journey?
I’ve found a few different ones and they are all great. The one I have really found a home in is the RRBC. Since I’ve been in the RRBC, my online author platform has built to a level I could have never done by myself. There’s a lot of great members and even though we live all over the world, we are so close via the internet. I am also now a part of the RWISA https://ravewriters.wordpress.com/ team, writers who are dedicated to the excellence of our craft. It is an honor to be a member of RWISA.
8. How do you think the club will benefit authors?
Indie authors writing genre fiction and non-fiction will have great exposure and support through the RRBC. The concept of ‘Pay it Forward,’ and promoting our fellow members is a great concept and it works.
9. Will you encourage your friends to join the club?
Of course, I would! RRBC authors (g)row together!
10. Rave Reviews Book Club has a mission to help Indie Authors get reviews. Why are reviews so important to an author?
Authors need reviews to help us get noticed and help boost our rankings. Peer reviews from other authors are important to give us credibility and a large quantity of reviews from consumers are important to get us noticed. The members of the RRBC are also reviewers. The club’s goal is to profile, promote and propel our fellow authors via book sales, honest reviews and name recognition. Go over and have a look at the club’s website and see for yourself! https://ravereviewsbynonniejules.wordpress.com/book-club-faq-frequently-asked-questions/
Laura Libricz’s Media Kit (Pictures, Book Covers, Links, Bios, Book Blurbs)
Laura Libricz was born and raised in Bethlehem PA and moved to Upstate New York when she was 22. After working a few years building Steinberger guitars, she received a scholarship to go to college. She tried to ‘do the right thing’ and study something useful, but spent all her time reading German literature.
She earned a BA in German at The College of New Paltz, NY in 1991 and moved to Germany, where she resides today. When she isn’t writing she can be found sifting through city archives, picking through castle ruins or aiding the steady flood of musical instruments into the world market.
Her first novel, The Master and the Maid, is the first book of the Heaven’s Pond Trilogy. The Soldier’s Return and Ash and Rubble are the second and third books in the series.
PLEASE CLICK the book cover to watch NEW Book Trailer for NOVY’S SON, The Selfish Genius on YouTube & leave a comment for Karen Ingalls. Thanks! ~ Bette
This amazing story has been penned by Author, Karen Ingalls. To find out more about Karen, please visit her blog tour page at 4WillsPublishing, where this event is being sponsored. We hope that you will enjoy this amazing story, told thru visuals, meaningful words and music.
BOOK BLURB
From his early childhood, Murray Clark sought love and acceptance from his father, who was raised as the bastard child of a famous artist. Murray struggled with jealousy toward his younger brothers, and he questioned the morals and values of people around him.
As an adult, Matthew lived life his way, with years of lying, womanizing, and heavy drinking. Though married four times, did he ever find unconditional love? Would Murray’s high intelligence, his love for his two daughters, and his unique philosophy of life help him rise above his demons?
Thanks so much for stopping by to check out Karen Ingalls’s début book trailer for NOVY’S SON: THE SELFISH GENIUS. I’ve watch the trailer, left my comment and now I’ve GOT to read the book—I invite you to join me if you haven’t already done so. Karen would love to hear from you on YouTube. Let us know what you think here as well. Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit.
Author Jan Hawke is on tour with her novel Milele Safari and she’s stopped by to tell us a bit about her book today. Hawke has included a fascinating excerpt from her novel as well. Welcome to 4writersandreaders, Jan. The page is yours and we’re looking forward to finding out more about you and Milele Safari, An Eternal Journey.
Part 5 – Zimbabwe
It’s almost a fairy tale really. Regrettably it’s mostly a Grimm one in terms of extremes of human rights, white on black and vice versa, black on black, economic, political affiliations—you name it, Zimbabwe’s most likely had a problem with it, or will have. From a safari point of view however, Zimbabwe’s almost peerless. A pearl of a tourist destination, even though it’s land-locked. Actually, scrap that— it doesn’t matter that it has no coastline, because Zimbabwe has the Zambezi and its ‘baby’ Lake Kariba. My third safari trip was to Zimbabwe and, a year after our hairy Tanzanian adventure, it was one that I had reservations with, which were more or less evaporated on starting out at Lake Kariba with our own private game guide. Harry Burton isn’t entirely based on that engaging young man, his backstory is an amalgam of several safari guides we met, as are his experiences, but the ethos for ‘high end’ quality safaris is right up there with only the decade being totally different. Our Zimbabwe holidays took place at the start of the 1990s ten years after the civil war ended and while there was still a reasonable amount of interracial amity about, before the program of white evictions began. To this day the safari trade still goes on regardless so ‘my’ Zimbabwe is still there, although some of the National Parks, like Gonarezhou remain mostly off the main tourist track (in the late 1980’s and 90’s it was still heavily mined and definitely a no-go area). Zimbabwe and its wildlife is truly beautiful though, and Harry’s Africa really needs no further embellishment from me in here. Lake Kariba remains high on the list of places I love most in this world and, if you’re prepared to live with the political exigencies and are careful who you travel with, I’d definitely recommend the country as one of those places to see before you die. From a wildlife perspective it’s still ‘last chance to see’ territory, as it’s one of the few countries to have black and white rhino in any significant numbers and, like other parts of southern Africa, it is enjoying some notable success with sustainable eco-tourism involving the indigenous people, and in running limited licensed hunting franchises to support conservation areas. Long may that continue…
Milele Safari back blurb—Milele Safari – An Eternal Journey …twines around a single day, in an unremarkable border village that snuffs out the lives of four people and shatters many others, only to draw the survivors back to a different time and, perhaps, a hope of atonement and peace. Step out on the journey and discover an Africa that could have been, is and might one day come to be.
Excerpt from Trophies
It was money for old rope almost and the client paid through the nose for literally everything – the pro hunter’s fee being almost the least of it. Silly prices, and paid at source, where it did most good and everyone, including the precious animals, benefitted in some way. Gun hunting was just not something he enjoyed doing anymore, however great it was for easy money. It was too crude and if the client was a bad shot it could get very distressing, especially if they didn’t miss but botched the shot and hit a non-fatal area… … He was swearing under his breath as he tried to balance himself to take yet another shot at this bloody buff. Bloody client more like! Big Mr. ‘I am’, and he was ‘gonna git himself one of them big motherfuckin’ Cape bufferloes’… Flaming idiot! He should have listened to his instincts and refused to go out with Marjulies today – the amount the man’d put away last night it was a wonder he made it to lunch, let alone breakfast, but there were only two full days left of their stay here and the old dugga bull they’d found down by the river should’ve been feeling sluggish so late in the day…… ‘Shit!’ The blasted animal had literally charged and nutted the tree trunk so hard he’d nearly fallen out and his shot had missed by miles. Harry reloaded quickly, his face grim. He’d have to chance it and get back on the ground because he sure as hell wasn’t going to get a good killing shot in sitting up in a tree bole with this useless clot of a client, who’d managed to drop his weapon even before they’d both had to take shelter from the maddened buff in this ruddy tree. He looked up at Marjulies, who was rustling the leaves on the next branch up he was so shit-scared. ‘Stay put and try to be quiet – I’ll have to get down if it backs off again.’ Dear God, the man was actually crying now… ‘I mean it! Stay there.’ The old bull was puffing and blowing again. This one wasn’t going to let things lie and not because by rights it should be lying dead several yards off. All they’d done so far was get it so pumped up with adrenalin it was literally running on spite now. It had moved off a little at last, but was still glaring up at them in the tree. Harry raised his rifle and used the telescopic sight to assess the damage he’d inflicted so far. Despite himself he was impressed – there was blood everywhere down the forequarters, so he’d got it in the chest at least once and judging from the way it was spurting blood he’d hit a major vein, if not the heart. That was buffs for you – mean as hell and long on retribution. This old boy wasn’t too far past his prime either. He’d hate to meet up with the new guy who kicked him out – must’ve been bloody monstrous.Very, very slowly he put his weight on the right leg and slid his left down and behind the trunk until his foot rested on the stub of an old branch, still looking at the bull. Finally it turned away and trotted off for fifty yards or so, breathing hard now. He only needed those few moments to drop lightly to the ground with most of his body hidden by the tree trunk. The buff had stopped, its chest heaving with the effort of its final strength, but it looked back at them, angling around so he had a choice of a head shot or one more to the chest. He had four shots and those should do it he thought as he raised the Browning.‘Burton! Behind us!’ Marjulies hissed at him loud enough for the buff to bellow out its anger and turn full on again. Harry slewed his head towards the slight movements from nearby mopane brush in time to see a battery bird fly away. ‘Shut the fuck up!’ he growled viciously as he swung back and revised the low shot he’d contemplated in favour of the head. The wounded buffalo snorted aggressively and its muscles bunched in obedience to its final crack at vengeance. Hold tight Harry… Keep your focus… but this had gone beyond rationality now. He let off two shots in quick succession and still it came, even though both times he saw skin and blood flying away and the white of bone between the buff’s eyes. Another shot, another hit, into the eye itself this time and at last it stumbled as he began to lower the Browning. There was a scream above him from Marjulies that joined the echoing gunshots reverberating in his ears as, unbelievably, the animal heaved itself back into the charge. Harry inhaled and held it in a mixture of fury and fear as he took careful aim with his last shot, knowing he’d need to be bloody lucky to have time to reload if it didn’t go down this time. Wait. Wait. Make it count. Let it get close. He fired.He breathed out and stood his ground as the old buffalo finally crumpled forwards onto its knees and slowly fell onto its side as the rear legs splayed and faltered and then were still. It was about two yards away from him. He could smell its blood and sweat, saw the ever-present flies rise up with a buzz, then fall back onto its face, feasting on fresh blood and brains. His legs were shaking now and he breathed in sharply, squatted down on his haunches and bowed his head, trying not to throw up.‘Why’d ya shoot the bastid inna head! Ya could’ve spoilt ma trophy!’ The punch he landed on Marjulies’ ugly yellow mug smashed his nose almost to a right angle. It was worth breaking two of his own fingers and the mocking laughter back at the Lodge when the trackers asked him which one of them had really shot the buff’s tail off… ‘First rule in the Pro Hunter’s manual – follow up the client’s shot PDQ and be prepared to say yours was the one that missed, if you want your tip.’
Other Zimbabwean chapters
Perfect Day – Harry hosts a full day’s game excursion by boat and open land cruiser to view bathing elephants, threatened rhino, buffalo, not to mention a wealth of birdlife and crocodiles. The Gathering of Water – the group are dropped off at the lake and dam where they hear the strange tale, half myth, half mystery of Nyaminyami, the Spirit Guardian of the Zambezi and meet Harry’s nephew, Luey who explains the legend more prosaically.
MEET THE AUTHOR: Jan Hawke
I live near Launceston in Cornwall, UK with Toby and Benji the Springer Spaniels – it’s a tie between us all as to who’s maddest, but as I outrank them in being weird anyway it’s not open to debate really. I’m physically lazy with things that don’t hold much interest for me (so that’s mostly housework and, increasingly, cooking…), but I love where we live, mainly because I chose it for being so quiet and off the beaten track, very close to the moors and quite near to the sea. I also love books, both to write and to read, the latter of which can be very eclectic (I enjoy Julian Barnes, Kate Atkinson, Jeanette Winterson and will happily admit to Jilly Cooper too) but in the main I’m heavily into SF&F, particularly Tolkien, Terry Pratchett and Julian May, although I can pass on Zombie Apocalypses fairly easily… …how I’ve chosen to write about Africa for my first novel may be something of a surprise to my friends, but if you read it you may find that all of the above information manifests in there somehow! Future projects include a futuristic fantasy series, loosely grounded in Celtic myth – The Shadow Chronica (http://havenlands.blogspot.co.uk/), which is kind of stalled at present, but I’ll be dusting it off as summer gets in full flood with the first novel hopefully available at the tail end of 2016.
Thanks for stopping by, friends. Jan and I would love to hear from you (comments below). Milele Safari is now on my TBR list and I’m definitely looking forward to the read. ~ Bette A. Stevens at http://www.4writersandreaders.com
I’m grateful to Bette A. Stevens, my host of this fifth post of THEHEART OF TEACHING TOUR, and to Nonnie Jules of 4WillsPublishing who arranged it all! The full lineup for this tour can be found @ 4WillsPublishing Events Page
“Their success and their well-being became important to me personally. It had become less about me and my struggles, and more about them and theirs.”
At the very beginning of my career, my fear of failure set the priorities for my day-to-day work in the classroom. As my hard work began to reap dividends, it became easier to control the fear and the anxiety. That made it easier for me to focus more of my attention on my students—as individuals with unique personalities, gifts, and needs.
I had always been focused on their academic success. I realized that their success, or lack of it, was at least partially attributable to my teaching. As I became a father myself, I was able to see these students as something other than just students. They were sons and daughters and I began to look at them differently—in a more caring way.
Rightly or wrongly, I was not the kind of teacher who dealt with academic or behavioural issues in a confrontational way. I had tried that on more than one occasion, and found it to end in a lose-lose scenario. It was really a bad scene if I tried it in front of the class. At some point, it twigged on me to deal with the more serious issues privately with a student.
Since it is next to impossible to discuss something privately with a student inside the classroom, I would give the class some seatwork, take the student into the hallway, and close the door. I would smile, motion the student to the middle of the corridor, while I leaned my back against the wall. I arranged us this way so the student wouldn’t feel boxed in or threatened. I would then ask, in a kindly tone, what was causing the issue? I could tell by the surprised look I often got, that they were expecting a tongue-lashing. I discovered that my approach worked for me. Even if the student didn’t want to disclose the problem, they knew that I cared enough to ask, and that I was expecting an improved performance from them.
To me, confrontation between a teacher and student is all about power. A power struggle of this nature always ends badly. I’ve seen it too many times. I don’t think we should teach young people to solve issues of conflict by way of confrontation. Conflict is inevitable, and I believe that people can keep cool heads so that solutions can be found that turn a conflict situation into a “win-win” for everyone. This is what we need to teach young people.
Author Bio:
Author John Fioravanti
John Fioravanti is a retired secondary school educator who completed his thirty-five year career in the classroom in June, 2008.
Throughout his career, John focused on developing research, analysis, and essay writing skills in his History Classroom. This led to the publication of his first non-fiction work for student use, Getting It Right in History Class. A Personal Journey to the Heart of Teaching is his second non-fiction work; it attempts to crystallize the struggles, accomplishments, and setbacks experienced in more than three decades of effort to achieve excellence in his chosen field.
John’s first work of fiction is Passion & Struggle, Book One of The Genesis Saga, and is set within Kenneth Tam’s Equations universe (Iceberg Publishing). He claims that, after two non-fiction books, he’s having the time of his life bringing new stories and characters to life!
At present, John lives in Waterloo, Ontario with Anne, his bride of forty-one years. They have three children and three grandchildren. In December of 2013, John and Anne founded Fiora Books for the express purpose of publishing John’s books.
Hello and thanks for stopping by! I would like to thank Bette Stevens, my host for today at 4readersandwriters blog , for letting me invade their space. And a big thanks also to 4Wills Publishing for setting up this blog tour for me. For my previous tour stops, please check out the 4Wills current events page.
I am so excited to be able to share my book trailer video with you today for my latest book, Finding Katie.
Who would’ve thought that hospital would be easier than home? Kate hadn’t planned on things turning out how they did, but now they have she has no choice but to suck it up.
Excerpt from Chapter Three:
Out of habit, I creep around quietly, walking on my toes. I ease open each door and peek into the room before going in. Once I’ve satisfied myself that the house is empty for real, I head up to my room. Melanie follows. She doesn’t say a word—just watches me.
Self-conscious, I force myself to walk normally, instead of on my tiptoes. Sure enough, my bedroom’s cleaner than the proverbial whistle. My mother needs the psych eval, not me. I hate all the flowers: floral wall-paper, floral bedding, and floral carpet. OMG. You guessed it: … Mother.
Melanie watches while I pack my stuff and shove it into a tatty holdall. She brought the bag along for me. I surprised her yesterday when I mumbled that I didn’t own a suitcase or anything. But she didn’t comment—just raised her eyebrows. And this morning, she turned up with the requisites.
I feel tacky in these clothes. The psych nurse gives me privacy to change, but only after I’ve handed over the bag with my stuff. Is she scared I’ll pack something extra? Does she seriously think I’m thick enough to try and smuggle anything onto the unit?
She pats me down before we leave the house. Gawd, they really do mean business at The Everglades. It feels more like I’m heading for juvie than a mental hospital.
Book Blurb:
I killed someone, you see. I killed the girl, who used to be me.
I’m Kate … Kate Charlesworth. I’m seventeen, and self-harming. This time I cut too deep, and I’m in hospital. I hadn’t meant for it to be so bad—it just sort of happened. I needed a lot of distraction that day.
You’ve had bad days, right? Days it hurts too much to think. Days you just wanna stay in bed. Days when the world needs to go away for a while. Right?
What do you do when you’ve hit rock bottom? When there’s nowhere left to turn?
This one little mistake lands me back on a psych unit—the last place I wanna be. Only this time, the nurse I end up with isn’t content to stick on a band-aid and send me home. She wants me to face my demons. But to do that, I’ll have to face who I am … who I used to be … I’ll have to find Katie.
Harmony Kent is famous for her laughter, and has made quite the name for herself … she’s also, um, a writer … and fairly well known for that too. She lives in rural Cornwall with her ever-present sense of humour and quirky neighbours. She is single and not admitting to her age.
Here are ten things she thinks you ought to know about her …
Thanks so much for joining us for Harmony Kent’s Blog Tour today. We would love to hear from you (comments below). ~ Bette A. Stevens at 4writersandreaders blog.
Lisa Mauro, author of The Places We Went to Yesterday
I’d like to thank today’s host, author Bette A. Stevens at 4writersandreaders blog for hosting, and 4Wills Publishing for organizing this amazing opportunity. I hope you all enjoy the tour!
One of the things I’m often asked—from both writers and non-writers alike—is how I manage my time. “You’re all over the place,” I’ll hear, “how do you do it all?” By day, I’m a pharmaceutical consultant with hours that vary greatly and by night, I’m everything else. That everything else includes being a girlfriend, an aunt raising a teenager, a writer, a reviewer, a singer, a photographer, a Board member for The Women Fiction Writers Association, an active member of Rave Review Book Club and a host of other oddball hats I tend to wear.
Well, I’m here to tell you that there’s not really a secret to it. We’re all given the same number of hours in a day, right? It all boils down to how effectively you do what you do. So then the question becomes “How can I do things better?” Here are some of my tips:
Answer Those Emails
I’ve read countless articles on time management, and most advise that you should allocate one or two times a day only to respond to emails. I tried that and all it did was make responding to emails even more overwhelming. By only setting time aside once or twice a day, you run the risk of not responding to things in a timely manner.
Instead, I stay logged into my primary email (I have multiple accounts) as long as I’m in work mode and respond to emails as they come in. I’ve set up labels in Gmail and I prioritize items as they arrive. For instance, I’m currently working on a launch project for the Writers Association, so those emails get answered above just about anything else. As soon as I’ve responded, I apply the label and move them out of the view of my inbox. I only keep things that need my attention in my main view; everything else is filed.
Also, remember that not every email needs a response. If something is sent just to notify you and doesn’t require an action, file it immediately so it’s not getting in the way of the things you actually need to get done.
Learn Those Programs
Having spent “A Very Long Time” as an administrative assistant, I had a lot of time to get familiar with MS Office. Because of this, I’m now an expert of sorts in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, One Note and Access. All of these have their pros and cons, but they’ve made my life so much easier. I use Word for my writing (versus a program like Scrivener) because it’s so straightforward and I’ve learned the shortcuts. I use Excel to track sales and build ROI models for my promos. One Note is where I keep my project ideas. And believe it or not, my first stab at making my own book trailer was done in PowerPoint. They’re an integrated system and I’ve found that taking the time to master them has drastically increased my efficiency.
Be Honest With Yourself
If you’re not a morning person, then don’t try to set goals or schedule the important stuff in that time frame. This might sound like silly advice, but I know so many people who try to force themselves into a pattern that isn’t conducive to their own biological clock. And in the long run, it doesn’t work.
I am a morning person, so I try to get at least a half hour of writing done in the morning. During the weekday, that’s all I can spare. On weekends, that usually expands to no less than four hours. But the important thing for me is that I have a quiet time set aside to do it. By the evening, I can’t focus on the things that require the creative side of my brain, so I use that time to work on promotional plans and plow through my read/review list.
Go on Autopilot
This is probably going to sound crazy, but I eat the same exact thing for breakfast and lunch on weekdays. Not having to stand in the cafeteria, faced with overwhelming choices and struggling to make a decision means that I can get in, get out and get fed as quickly as possible. If the idea of this bores you to death, then narrow it down to a few items so you’ll still save time making the decision. Also, I don’t bother making elaborate meals anymore unless I’m entertaining. Dinner is something quick or made in the crock pot. I’d rather invest that time elsewhere.
Batch Similar Tasks
I try to batch similar tasks. For instance, I’ll block time specifically for writing and I try not to have to switch to something analytical immediately afterwards. Since I have a long commute, I try to do the majority of my calls in the car – whether they are work-related or simply connecting with friends. If I’m headed out for an errand, I try to do them all at once.
The exception to this—for me—is that I can be involved in social media throughout the day and still manage to deliver my other projects on time.
How Does It Actually Look?
When my consulting job falls into the 40-hour a week range, here’s how my week typically looks:
Task/Item
Hours Per Week
Weekly Balance
Work
40
128
Sleep
56
72
Commute
15
57
TV
25
32
Writing (Novels)
10
22
Writing (All others)
5
17
Read/Reviews
5
12
Music
5
7
Photography
2
5
Miscellaneous
5
0
Now, there are weeks when my consulting schedule is more than 40 hours and I have to “steal” time from some other bucket. There are weeks when I don’t do photography at all. There are weeks when my time for music (i.e. practicing, etc.) is done during my commute to maximize the time. And yeah, I could spend less time watching television, but I don’t feel guilty about it because (a) we all need downtime and (b) I use the excuse that it helps me be a better writer and build more believable characters so really, it’s research, right? And sometimes, I’m reading such a great book that I take that time away from my “sleep” bucket. We’ve all been there.
At the end of the day, you’ve got to understand yourself and how/when you work best. Then create an environment in which you can thrive so you can get the most out of your time.
Author Bio:
Lisa Mauro is a novelist, blogger and pharmaceutical consultant. She is the Secretary of the Board of The Women Fiction Writers Association. The Place We Went to Yesterday is her first novel, published by Heartless Press. She lives in Boston, MA with her better half, Brian, and an obnoxiously cute kitten, Harper.
Hello, and welcome to the 4th day of my BETTER PARENTING, BETTER KIDS Blog Tour! I’m so happy to be here today with Bette Stevens as she is a favorite of mine from Rave Reviews Book Club, where she serves as one of our most supportive members! Thanks for having me, Bette! I’m excited to be here!
My tour this week has been designed to bring more, desperately needed attention to the plight of today’s children. We have children killing children. We have children raping, joining gangs and blowing up buildings, at an alarming rate. This is our wake-up call! This is the moment that we must all stand and band together and say, “OK, enough’s enough!” If we want to make a positive change in society, which will make a huge impact on our children, we, as adults need to be willing to engage in a discussion for this change. We, as adults, must not be afraid to speak on that, which is destroying our society as we have known it. We must make this growing epidemic of “poorly parented” children our top priority as we work to make it a thing of the past. WE MUST BE THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE IN THIS WORLD.
Today I’m going to do something a little differently from my other stops. I am going to answer the TWO questions I get asked the most as a Parenting Expert and it is my wish that it gives you a bit more insight as to why this mission is my top mission. Here goes:
1. What made you want to write a book about guiding parents who are raising kids?
My daughters are both so very well-behaved, kind and manner-able, the epitome of (almost) perfect daughters, and I pray that a world left behind by me would be filled with more people just like them. The only way that this will ever happen, is for each of us, parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, adults in general, to band together and work from the same blueprint. Only then can we build a world free of hatred, jealousy, greed, selfishness and just plain ugly. So, although my reasons initially were very selfish for writing this guide, I look around and the majority of the poor behavior that we see adults exhibiting today, is probably because there was a lack of proper parenting when they were kids. So for that reason, I’m glad this book is out there now. And I have to say, it’s doing very well on its own merit. Hopefully, we can get even more attention to it if we all just care enough to spread the word about it. There are so many parenting guides on the market, but we needed one that was easy to understand and one that has been actually PROVEN to be extremely effective. THE GOOD MOMMIES’ GUIDE TO RAISING (ALMOST) PERFECT DAUGHTERS,” 100 Tips On Raising Daughters Everyone Can’t Help But Love! is that guide.
2. Do you have parents contacting you for advice?
Parents contact me for advice ALL the time. I am so honored when they do and I am very humbled when parents expect that their kids behave in a certain manner around me. That to me says that they respect my opinions, but I think it’s more of the fact that they see my children and the way they are and behave, and on some level, as I have been told by many parents, they wish their kids could be more like mine. This is a top of the line compliment for me and I thank GOD that he has put me in the position to where my influence and opinion matters to parents who want the best for their kids, and who want THE BEST kids. I can say from my deepest place, that I love all children and it warms my heart immensely when I see or hear of some child excelling and doing well. We all have a purpose for being here, and GOD made children my purpose.
* Side note: Parents have asked for a forum where they can ask questions directly and so I’d like to invite you all to my blog called “ASK THE MOMMY”where parents are able to direct questions and have them answered. Do take a look around there once you land!
Enjoy this EXCERPT from the book:
“So many times, when our daughters take the wrong path, we wonder…”What is wrong with HER? What is SHE doing wrong?” We fail to look inside at our own parenting skills where sometimes, the majority of the blame just might lie. Have you ever stopped to think, “What did I do wrong?” “What could I have done better?” and going a step further, “Where did I fail her?” So many Moms are busy focusing on themselves these days, when what they should really be focused on, are their kids…especially their daughters. I was blessed enough to be a stay/work-at-home Mom for both of my Angel Daughters. They never had to attend daycare, they were never latch-key kids, and I was always, always there for them. But, even if I had not been there, even if I had no choice but to go out and become a part of the workforce again, I would have still made them my top priority. It is my deepest belief that if we spend more time nurturing, focusing and guiding our children, and less time trying to amass material things which will never be a direct reflection of us as parents, we would have more daughters and sons who are (“Almost”) perfect.”
Do the world a favor and pick up your copy of “THE GOOD MOMMIE’S GUIDE TO RAISING ALMOST (PERFECT) DAUGHTERS.” If your kids are grown and gone, gift it to them for their kids. If you don’t have kids, gift it to the young mom next door or down the hall who could use the wisdom between the covers of this life-changing little book. And, if you’re just in the mood for a really good read, I can guarantee, this one is a joy! It has been said over and over again, that the tips inside the covers of this guide work just as well for sons.
Thanks so much for stopping by. LET’S CHANGE THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT AND MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE!
AUTHOR BIO:
Nonnie Jules is the mother of two beautifully kind daughters, who along with the help of her husband, have turned out to be two of the greatest assets to this world. THE GOOD MOMMIES’ GUIDE TO RAISING (ALMOST) PERFECT DAUGHTERS is her first published piece of work and two weeks after publication, it hit Amazon’s Top 100 list, where it reached the #7 mark. With all the violence which is being exhibited by some children today, it is her vision and goal to get THE GOOD MOMMIES’ GUIDE…into the hands of everyone who breathes around a child. She feels the only way we can make this happen, is if we are all working from a common blueprint. Ms. Jules strongly believes that every opportunity we are given with a child, should be a teaching one for us and a learning one for them.
So far, Nonnie has authored two other books: a novel which she released in November of 2013, entitled “DAYDREAM’S DAUGHTER, NIGHTMARE’S FRIEND” and “SUGARCOATIN’ IS FOR CANDY & PACIFYIN’ IS FOR KIDS!” where she shares her no-holds-barred style of teaching us all about support and social media. Her second parenting guide {THE GOOD MOMMIES’ GUIDE TO BULLY-PROOF KIDS} is due for release the beginning of January, 2015 and the sequel to her debut novel, DAYDREAM’S DAUGHTER, shortly after. (Both have been delayed due to her extensive workload with RRBC).
She is a fan of the well-written word, and so along with 3 partners, she started 4WillsPublishing Co. in November, 2013 to assist other writers in putting out their best work ever. By December, 2013, she had founded the RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB where in less than a year, the membership has rapidly grown to well over 500. If you’re not a member yet, this is your personal invitation to JOIN US!
As you can see, she is an Author on the move and if you’re interested in keeping up with her, here is her contact info (and a good pair of running shoes would help as well):
Welcome to 4writersandreaders
I’m a writer inspired by nature and human nature. You’ll find great books, authors, writing tips and more right here. I advocate for kids & families, childhood literacy and the protection of monarch butterflies and their habitat.Happy reading & writing!~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author
About the Author
Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author 
Written
on 10/06/2017