Guest Blog Post: What Inspires Me by Anoop Judge

On July 12, 2024October 14, 2024 By authoranthonyavinablogIn Blog Tours, Book Events, Guest PostLeave a comment

Inspiration is a fascinating phenomenon. It strikes at unexpected moments, often when I least expect it, (sometimes even in the shower) and transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.

1. The Power of Stories

Every story holds a universe within it. From classic literature to contemporary novels, the power of storytelling has always captivated me. I remember being enchanted by the stories written by Enid Blyton and Nancy Drew I read as a child in New Delhi, India. These stories sparked my imagination and planted the seeds for my own writing journey. Whether it’s a book, a movie, or a personal anecdote, stories inspire me to create narratives that resonate with others.

2. Cooking

This might be an odd one, but hear me out. Cooking a dish or a meal has serious similarities to writing. You need to have a plan. If you don’t, you need to figure one out, either through experience (like burned curries) or through a template or a recipe. You’ve got to prep your ingredients. Sometimes making other side dishes, sauces, or seasonings. Then you have to put it in the oven and cook it just right. That same creative space that allows you to cook also bakes your creative ideas. Yum. “What’s for dinner?” “How about a little drama with a side of cliffhanger sauce?”

3. The World Around Me

Nature, with its boundless beauty and unpredictability, is a constant muse. A walk in the park, the sound of the ocean, or the changing seasons can ignite a spark of creativity. Similarly, urban landscapes, with their vibrant energy and diverse cultures, offer endless inspiration.

4. Art and Music

Art and music are powerful sources of inspiration. A painting can evoke a multitude of emotions, while a song can transport me to a different time and place. They provide a sensory experience that often translates into my writing. The works of great artists and musicians remind me of the limitless possibilities of creative expression. The old cliché that a picture is worth a thousand words is amplified tenfold. Imagine the wraparound stories of some of the greatest paintings and sculptures. Imagining these can be a great exercise. On the flip side? Drawing, painting, and sculpting again access a creative part of the brain that also can contain our writing thoughts. If you think of your mind like a muscle, it’s good to flex this area in other disciplines, as well, because they’re all ultimately connected

5. Teaching and Mentorship

Teaching creative writing has been incredibly inspiring. Whether at The Writers Grotto in San Francisco, Stanford University, or at Book Passage, interacting with students and seeing their growth and passion for writing has been a profound source of motivation. Mentorship programs, like The Write Team Mentorship, have also reinforced my belief in the power of guidance and community in fostering creativity.

6. My Cultural Heritage

My cultural heritage is a cornerstone of my inspiration. The rich traditions, languages, and history of India provide a deep well of material for my writing. My novels, such as ‘The Awakening of Meena Rawat’ and ‘Mercy and Grace,’ often draw from my cultural roots, blending them with contemporary themes to create stories that are both unique and universal.

Inspiration is everywhere if we choose to see it. It’s in the stories we hear, the experiences we live, and the people we meet. For me, it’s a continuous journey of discovery, one that I cherish deeply as I navigate the world of writing.

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Book Summary

Lena Sharma is a successful San Francisco restaurateur. An immigrant, she’s cultivated an image of
conservatism and tradition in her close-knit Indian community. But when Lena’s carefully constructed
world begins to crumble, her ties to her daughter, Maya, and son, Sameer—raised in thoroughly modern
California—slip further away.

Maya, divorced once, becomes engaged to a man twelve years her junior: Veer Kapoor, the son of
Lena’s longtime friend. Immediately, Maya feels her mother’s disgrace and the judgment of an insular
society she was born into but never chose, while Lena’s cherished friendship frays. Meanwhile, Maya’s
younger brother, Sameer, struggles with an addiction that reaches a devastating and very public turning
point, upending his already tenuous future.

As the mother, daughter, and son are compromised by tragedy, secrets, and misconceptions, they each
must determine what it will take to rebuild their bonds and salvage what’s left of their family.

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Print length: 335 pages

Purchase a copy of No Ordinary Thursday on
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/No-Ordinary-Thursday-Anoop-Judge/dp/1542037751/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-ordinary-thursday-anoop-judge/1140485124.
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/no-ordinary-thursday-anoop-judge/17746161

You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61214404-no-ordinary-thursday

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About the Author

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Born and raised in New Delhi, Anoop is the author of four novels, The Rummy Club which won the
2015 Beverly Hills Book Award, The Awakening of Meena Rawat, an excerpt of which was nominated for
the 2019 Pushcart Prize, No Ordinary Thursday, and Mercy and Grace.

Her essays and short stories have appeared in Green Hills Literary Lantern, Rigorous Journal, Lumiere
Review, DoubleBack Review, and the Ornament anthology, among others.

Anoop calls herself a “recovering litigator”—she worked in state and federal courts for many years
before she replaced legal briefs with fictional tales. She holds an MFA from St. Mary’s College of
California and was the recipient of the 2021 Advisory Board Award and the 2023 Alumni Scholarship.
She lives in Pleasanton, California, with her husband, and is the mother of two admirable young adults.

You can follow the author at:
Website: https://anoopjudge.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judgeanoop/?hl=en
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoop-ahuja-judge-94396743/

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Blog Tour Calendar

June 17th @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the launch of Anoop Judge’s book No Ordinary Thursday. Read an interview with
the author and enter to win a copy of her book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

June 19th @ Writer Advice
Novelist Anoop Judge stops by with a guest post about Ways To Begin a Story.
https://www.writeradvice.com

June 21st @ A Wonderful World of Words
Let’s have some fun with a book giveaway and a guest post from Anoop Judge tracing her journey
through four novels.
https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/

June 22nd @ A Storybook World

Make an addition to your TBR pile with this spotlight on No Ordinary Thursday.
https://www.astorybookworld.com/

June 24th @ My Beauty My Books
Author Anoop Judge visits with advice to her twenty year old self and a chance to win a copy of her
novel No Ordinary Thursday.
mybeautymybooks.com

June 25th @ Words by Webb
Read a review of No Ordinary Thursday at Words by Webb/
https://www.jodiwebbwriter.com/blog

June 28th @ What Is this Book About
Stop by for a spotlight on a new book for a new month: No Ordinary Thursday by Anoop
Judge.
http://www.whatisthatbookabout.com

June 30th @ Choices
Anoop Judges gives readers a peek at her writing life with today’s guest post.
http://madelinesharples.com

July 2nd @ Boys’ Mom Reads
Karen shares her review of No Ordinary Thursday, a novel of love, friendship and family.
karensiddall.wordpress.com

July 3rd @ The Faerie Review
Want to enjoy the July 4th holiday with a great book? The Faerie Review is spotlighting No Ordinary
Thursday by Anoop Judge.
https://www.thefaeriereview.com/

July 5th @ StoreyBook Reviews
Anoop Judge shares her thoughts on Crafting Dialogue: How Can You Best Give Voice to Your
Characters?
https://www.storeybookreviews.com

July 9th @ Word Magic
Fiona welcomes novelist Anoop Judge sharing a few things you didn’t know about her.
https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/

July 11th @ Knotty Needle
Read a review of No Ordinary Thursday, a novel about family and friendship.
http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/

July 12th @ Author Anthony Avina
Pop by the blog of Author Anthony Avina for a guest post about what inspires Anoop Judge.
https://authoranthonyavinablog.wordpress.com/

July 17th @ Chapter Break
Ready to head for the hammock (or your favorite reading spot) with an engrossing summer read? Learn
more about No Ordinary Thursday and author Anoop Judge.
https://chapterbreak.net/

July 20th @ Seaside Book Nook
Jilleen shares her thoughts on No Ordinary Thursday and a guest post on first memories from the author
Anoop Judge.
http://www.seasidebooknook.com/

Guest Post: LGBTQIA+ Pride and publishing by Dr. Angela Yarber

On July 2, 2024October 14, 2024 By authoranthonyavinablogIn Blog Tours, Book Events, Guest PostLeave a comment

The queer poet, Sappho, renowned for dubbing the term “lesbian” since she was from the island of Lesbos, is remembered for saying, “Someday, someone will remember us.”

A lot has transpired for queer folx in the two thousand years since Sappho dreamed our possible realities. And with 500 proposed bills against LGBTQ+ rights awaiting rulings across the United States, the world has never needed our wisdom more.

Did you know that LGBTQ+ authors only account for only 16% of published books?

As a queer woman, this isn’t simply a statistic, but my lived reality. And after I had my first seven books published with four different presses, it dawned on me that it didn’t have to be this way. I didn’t have to be the only one my publishers represented, or the one who made it to the final round with a publishing company only for them to respond, “We really believe in this book, but we don’t know how to market to queer audiences.”

I was sick and tired of seeing straight, white men thrive with mediocre books because their advances, royalties, and stories had an advantage from the very start, because when they looked around at the presses that represented their books, they saw a bunch of other straight, white cis dudes staring back at them. What about our queer dreams?

The world was missing out on the precise perspectives and stories we need most.

In writing and publishing Queering the American Dream, I was able to create and imagine a different world, a world where women, queer folx, and BIPOC have equitable access to publishing, to fulfilling our dreams.

Queering the American Dreambegins the day the Supreme Court ruled our marriage legal, my queer little family traversing the American landscape for two years in a camper named Freya, following in the footsteps of revolutionary women from history and myth. Amid our wanderings, I grappled with the loss of faith, addiction, death, and what it means to reimagine the so-called dream promised to so many. With unapologetic grief, humor, and radical imagination, I created a new dream, not just for myself, but for all marginalized people living in America.

One of my favorite writers, Gloria Anzaldúa, inspired this dream. This queer Chicana feminist claimed: “The world I create in my writing compensates for what the real world does not give me.”

The “real world” has given us, on the whole, an old-school, white, male, predatory publishing industry that, at best, doesn’t understand the nuances of queer and feminist writing, and at worst, preys upon us for capital gain. So, I created Tehom Center Publishing to compensate for what the real world has not given us. Tehom Center Publishing is a press publishing feminist and queer authors, with a commitment to elevate BIPOC writers.

Publishing Queering the American Dreamwith my own press was not only empowering, but it also galvanized me to coach other marginalized authors in the power of living the authorpreneur dream. Yes, Tehom Center publishes authors at absolutely no cost, but we also offer just and equitable coaching programs empowering authors in creating entire businesses aligned with their books, thereby sustaining a financially abundant life.

Traveling throughout the country with my queer little family taught me that the world not only needs queer authors to be published, but we deserve to live abundant lives. This is our iteration of the American dream.

*****

To join us in queering the American dream and stay connected with book and publishing events, visit www.tehomcenter.org/booktour

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Book Summary

Beginning the day the Supreme Court ruled her marriage legal, Angela Yarber’s queer little family traversed the American landscape for two years in a camper named Freya, following in the footsteps of revolutionary women from history and myth. Amid her wanderings, this queer clergywoman grapples with the loss of faith, addiction, death, parenting, and what it means to reimagine the so-called dream promised to so many. With unapologetic grief, humor, and radical imagination, she creates a new dream, not just for herself, but for all marginalized people living in America.

Publisher: Parson’s Porch

ISBN-10: 195558141X

ISBN-13: 978-1955581417

Print Length: 188 pages

Purchase a copy of the book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org. You can also add it to your list on Goodreads.

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About the Author

Rev. Dr. Angela Yarber is an award-winning author of eight books and a highly sought public speaker. She is the Founder of Tehom Center Publishing, an imprint publishing feminist and queer authors, with a commitment to elevate BIPOC writers. With a Ph.D. in Art and Religion and over a decade serving as a Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, five of her books were listed in QSpirit’s Top LGBTQ Religion Books. Her work has been featured in Forbes, HuffPo, Ms. Magazine, Tiny House Nation, and more at https://angelayarber.org

You can find her online at:

www.angelayarber.org

www.tehomcenter.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angela.yarber

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tehomcenter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tehomcenter/?hl=en

Blog Tour Calendar

June 3rd @ The Muffin

Join us at WOW’s blog The Muffin as we celebrate the launch of Dr. Angela Yarber’s memoir Queering the American Dream. You can read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of the book.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

June 5th @ Speaking of Spirit

Visit Linda’s blog for her review of Queering the American Dream. You can also win a copy of the book!

https://interfaithmoments.blogspot.com

June 7th @ One Writer’s Journey

Visit Sue’s blog for a review of Queering the American Dream.

https://suebe.wordpress.com

June 10th @ Choices

Visit Madeline’s blog for a guest post by Dr. Angela Yarber about how publishing a book can transform your business and life.

https://www.madelinesharples.com

June 12th @ Speaking of Spirit

Join Linda for a guest post by Rev. Dr. Angela Yarber about the importance of publishing marginalized authors.

https://interfaithmoments.blogspot.com

June 14th @ One Writer’s Journey

Visit Sue’s blog again for an interview with author Dr. Angela Yarber about her memoir.

https://suebe.wordpress.com

June 15th @ Boots, Shoes, and Fashion

Visit Linda’s blog for an in-depth interview with Dr. Angela Yarber.

https://bootsshoesandfashion.com

June 18th @ Writer Advice

Visit B. Lynn Goodwin’s site for a helpful guest post from Dr. Angela Yarber on the importance of mental health care in launching a book.

https://writeradvice.com

June 21st @ The Faerie Review

Visit Lily’s blog for a review of Queering the American Dream.

https://www.thefaeriereview.com

June 23rd @ A Wonderful World of Words

Visit Joy’s blog for a spotlight of Queering the American Dream. You can also win a copy of the book!

https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com

June 25th @ Editor 911

Visit Margo’s blog for her review of Queering the American Dream.

https://editor-911.com

June 28th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog

Visit Anthony’s blog for his review of Queering the American Dream.

https://atomic-temporary-124910902.wpcomstaging.com/

July 2nd @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog

Join Anthony for a guest post by Dr. Angela Yarber about LGBTQIA+ Pride and publishing.

https://atomic-temporary-124910902.wpcomstaging.com/

July 3rd @ Michelle Cornish’ blog

Visit Michelle’s blog for an interview with Dr. Angela Yarber about her memoir.

https://www.michellecornish.com

July 6th @ Coffee & Ink

You can visit Jan’s blog for her review of Queering the American Dream. Plus read a guest post by Dr. Angela Yarber about disenfranchised grief, particularly as it pertains to losing someone to addiction.

https://coffeeandinkbooks.wordpress.com

Guest Article: The Rabbit is Out by Julie Rogers

On May 23, 2024May 24, 2024 By authoranthonyavinablogIn Guest PostLeave a comment

The Rabbit is Out

So—some of the traditional lore around Lewis Carroll’s March Hare and the whole March Madness thing got me stewing.

Can writing (or reading, for that matter) exist as a purely magical experience or in a purely magical space?

I’d like to think so, even for those text-book yawners or codified how-tos on industrial intelligence, for example.

It’s just too damn hard otherwise.

But before we go down that rabbit hole, what exactly compels any of us to learn to read or write at all?
The list, of course, grew longer than I anticipated, even after condensing all the reasons we read into an E-list:

Likely there are more, but those are a few of the big ones. And while the lifeblood of traditional publishing continues to require someone(s) to successfully predict which books we’ll read (and for which reasons), I like to think about reading trends another way.

Maybe I’m old school. I look at all those E’s and to me, it still comes back around to this: writing and reading must ultimately touch our hearts in some way. So, we can cite reading trends until the cows come home, but the stories that stay with us (as a reader or a writer) talk to our hearts. Heart-stuff, the way you feel after digesting what you just read.

Did it help you in any way?
Did it raise questions?
Did you feel joy?
Did you find peace?
Did you make a new or stronger connection with something important to you?

I can spew out statistics as quickly as the next guy. Here they are:

1. Kindle hit its stride with electronic books in 2010.
2. YA dystopian fare rebounded in 2014. (Hunger Games, anyone?)
3. Audiobooks surged (again) in 2016. (Age Spoiler: I read audiobooks as early as 1994, on cassette.)
4. Tik Tok became the next go-to book resource in 2022. (Move over, Amazon?)

There’s the rub, though. Even if the rabbit is out about tomorrow’s reading trends, this still doesn’t tell me how to reach inside someone’s heart. Or how to reach inside my own.

Part of reaching the heart begins with recognizing that the heart is more than just a blood mover, more than just a pump. It’s a seine that strains through measured amounts of logic and emotional undercurrents clickety-clack every freaking minute of the day. Sometimes it pitches the sieve aside while we dream. The old ticker is always factoring and fidgeting, and occasionally it puts up defenses (I just can’t take on one more thing!) and tries to declare the kitchen closed.

We get stuck when writing because we don’t have confidence about what our heart really wants to say in the first place. If we don’t feel like reading a particular book, it’s because . . . our heart’s not in it at the moment.

When writing and reading move beyond skill sets, innate creativity, or art appreciation though—they’re going toward the level of the heart.

And at that level, there is magic.

Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

The reason I think of writing as coming from a magical place is because it is an act of creating something from nothing.

Both the processes of writing and reading are entertaining ideas not yet manifest.

Until they are.

Pulling the rabbit out of the hat.

An activity that produces something living and viable outside of ourselves—that is creative magic. At times, we may even have to act as if in order to set the stage for what is, the reality we desire.

The part we can’t seem to get around: the magus inside also likes to imagine how life would be if anything could be done differently. As the magic in us stares down the daily mundane and those pesky, limiting laws of cause and effect, the heart is also innately considering how we might manipulate those realities for more desirable results . . . if we could.

What if we could?

What if?

Your heart holds the paradigm shift from just writing to real writing and just reading to real reading.

But before you try to pull a rabbit out of a hat, you need time to set the stage. And, no worries. Your heart already has the ability to see things not only as what they are, but also as what they can be.

Yep, there’s a rabbit down there. I see it.

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About the Author

Julie is a multi-genre author. Her articles and stories are featured in self-help, inspirational, trade, and fiction publications including Writer’s Digest, Coping With Cancer, Complete Woman, and Daily Meditation.

She is the 1999 Writer’s Digest Writing Competition Grand Prize Winner for her horror short story, “House Call.”

Her seventh novel, Falling Stars, is an eleven-time award winner, including the 2023 International Firebird Awards First Place in Urban Fantasy, the 2023 Pinnacle Book Awards Best Book in Fantasy, and the 2023 Outstanding Creator Awards First Place in Medical Fiction.

Other awards include Fade In magazine’s 2005 Screenplay Semi-Finalist for the thriller, Grave Jumper, and the 1998 Writer’s Digest Writing Competition First for her stage play comedy, Garage Sale.Julie works as a remote freelance ghostwriter and editor for julierogersbooks.com and authorsassistant.com in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, the setting of her seventh book, Falling Stars. She lives there with her husband, Jim, a primary care physician, their furry children Madison, Kate, Sukie, and mollusks Dewey, Decimal, and System. She has one son, Seth, who works as a video game level designer in Austin.

Tips for Writing Your First Sci-Fi Novel by Marcie Sullivan

On May 22, 2024October 14, 2024 By authoranthonyavinablogIn Guest PostLeave a comment

Photo via Pexels

Tips for Writing Your First Sci-Fi Novel

Embarking on the journey of writing your first science fiction novel is an exciting endeavor that blends imagination with storytelling. This genre, known for its boundless potential and exploration of the unknown, offers a unique canvas for writers. The key to success lies in understanding the nuances of the genre and mastering the craft of writing. Here’s a guide to set you on the right path.

Secure Your Creative Endeavors

In the process of crafting your first science fiction novel, prioritizing the security of your manuscript is essential. Your novel represents a unique blend of creativity and dedication, and it’s imperative to shield these intellectual efforts from potential compromise. Utilizing effective security measures, like password protection, is a practical approach to safeguard your documents. This strategy not only fortifies your work against unauthorized access but also provides the tranquility needed to concentrate on your creative endeavors. By learning how to password protect a PDF, you can ensure that your novel remains your exclusive creation. Remember, this novel is more than just a story; it also embodies valuable intellectual property that merits vigilant protection.

Anchor Your Novel in a Core Idea

A compelling science fiction novel is often anchored in a strong, clear core idea. This idea serves as the foundation of your story, guiding the narrative and giving it purpose. Whether it’s an exploration of an advanced technology, a unique take on time travel, or a vision of a dystopian future, your core concept should be intriguing and thought-provoking. It should captivate readers’ imaginations and set the stage for the narrative journey they are about to embark on.

Create Relatable Characters

Characters are the heart of any story, and in science fiction, they become the bridge between the reader and the fantastical elements of your world. Crafting well-rounded, relatable characters is essential. These characters, human or otherwise, should possess depth, flaws, and motivations that resonate with readers. They are the lenses through which your audience will experience the wonders and challenges of the sci-fi world you’ve created.

Weave an Immersive Setting

The setting in a science fiction novel is not just a backdrop; it’s a character in its own right. Your setting should be richly detailed and fully realized, immersing readers in a world that is both fantastic and believable. Whether it’s a distant planet, a futuristic city, or an altered version of our own world, your setting should captivate the reader’s imagination. It should be so vividly described that readers can effortlessly visualize and lose themselves in it.

Maintain Logical Consistency

While science fiction is a genre that thrives on imaginative and sometimes outlandish concepts, maintaining internal consistency is crucial. Establish logical rules for the science or technology in your story and adhere to them. This consistency anchors your story in a semblance of reality, making the unbelievable, believable. It encourages readers to suspend their disbelief and fully engage with your narrative.

Fuel Your Story with Tension

High stakes and constant tension keep readers turning pages. Introduce challenges and obstacles that your characters must navigate. These trials not only drive the plot but also facilitate character development, revealing their strengths, weaknesses, and true nature. The tension can stem from external threats, internal conflicts, or the very elements that make your world unique. It’s this tension that transforms a story from a simple narrative into a compelling journey.

Engage with Beta Readers

Feedback is a vital element in refining your novel. LinkedIn suggests sharing your work with beta readers, writing groups, and even friends and family for fresh perspectives and invaluable insights. These early readers can highlight strengths, pinpoint weaknesses, and suggest improvements. Their feedback provides a glimpse into how your novel might be received by a broader audience, allowing you to make necessary adjustments before the final publication.

Writing your first science fiction novel is a journey filled with challenges and rewards. Every great journey begins with a single step, and yours starts here. Let your imagination guide you, and may your novel not only reach the stars but also touch the hearts and minds of your readers.

Home

Anthony Avina is an author, a journalist, and a blogger who seeks to use his creativity to entertain as well as inspire. He looks forward to hearing from you!

Guest Post: Breast Cancer Patient and Awareness Advocate by Lisa Braxton (Blog Tour for Author’s “Dancing Between the Raindrops”

On May 6, 2024May 6, 2024 By authoranthonyavinablogIn Blog Tours, Book Events, Guest PostLeave a comment

I had an appointment for a breast MRI and biopsy on my husband’s birthday, May 1, 2019. We spent that day at the imaging center. It was a cold, drizzly, gunmetal-gray day out. The rain was just spitting. I spent hours in the imaging machine, holding onto the panic button they give you, earplugs in my ears. I was praying the whole time with my eyes pressed shut: Please, please, please, God. Let me not have breast cancer.

The test was grueling. I was in the MRI machine for hours. They’d numbed my breasts; I could hear the biopsy machine making that whirring, drilling sound, and I was thinking, I cannot wait to get out of this thing. When they rolled me out, my back was killing me—you’re in there for so long with your arms stretched out in front of you. The surgeon who did the biopsy said, “I don’t like to let people wait around with false hope. Lisa, I want you to know that the area I saw had jagged edges around it. It looks like it’s cancer.”

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I could not believe it. I’ve been such a health nut my entire life, and I never thought it would happen to me. I work out a lot—tennis, the gym, ice skating. When she told me it looked like breast cancer, I felt like I was floating over myself and the doctor in the exam room, watching the conversation. All I could think about was dying. I wondered how much time I had.

Fast forward to now. After a lumpectomy and being prescribed a pill I take every day to rid my body of the hormone that fed my cancer, I’ve been cancer free for five years. In that time, without intending to, I’ve become a breast cancer awareness advocate. I appeared in a local television commercial celebrating the milestone anniversary of Dana Farber Cancer Institute. I walked in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer fundraiser sponsored by the American Cancer Society, wrote a column for a local magazine about my breast cancer journey, and participated in a photographic exhibit of cancer survivors focused on sharing stories of faith and survivorship to encourage the demystification of cancer.

One event I reflect upon the most is a “fireside chat” in which another survivor and I spoke to high school and college students who are doing internships at Dana Farber. I spoke about self-care, how I met the challenges of the disease and the importance of empathy on the part of health care providers. The future health care professionals were engaging, had many questions and indicated that they benefited in their learning process by hearing from us.

Now each May 1^st I focus on celebrating my husband’s birthday with him and he celebrates me for attending to my breast heath and advocating for awareness.

Book Summary

Dancing Between the Raindrops: A Daughter’s Reflections on Love and Loss, is a powerful meditation on grief, a deeply personal mosaic of a daughter’s remembrances of beautiful, challenging and heartbreaking moments of life with her family. It speaks to anyone who has lost a loved one and is trying to navigate the world without them while coming to terms with complicated emotions.

Lisa Braxton’s parents died within two years of each other—her mother from ovarian cancer, her father from prostate cancer. While caring for her mother she was stunned to find out that she, herself, had a life-threatening illness—breast cancer.

In this intimate, lyrical memoir-in-essays, Lisa Braxton takes us to the core of her loss and extends a lifeline of comfort to anyone who needs to be reminded that in their grief they are not alone.

Publisher: Sea Crow Press

Print length: 158 pages

Purchase a copy of Dancing Between the Raindrops on

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dancing-Between-Raindrops-Daughters-Reflections/dp/1961864088/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dancing-between-the-raindrops-lisa-braxton/1144935014?ean=9781961864085

You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208947069-dancing-between-the-raindrops?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=WYkO4vLd07&rank=2

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About the Author

Lisa Braxton is the author of the novel, The Talking Drum, winner of a 2021 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards Gold Medal, overall winner of Shelf Unbound book review magazine’s 2020 Independently Published Book Award, and winner of a 2020 Outstanding Literary Award from the National Association of Black Journalists and a Finalist for the International Book Awards. She is also an Emmy-nominated former television journalist, an essayist, and short story writer.

She is on the executive board of the Writers Room of Boston and a writing instructor at Grub Street Boston, and currently serves as President of the Greater Boston Section of the National Council of Negro Women and is a member of the Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

You can follow the author at:

Website: https://lisabraxton.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.a.braxton/

Twitter: @Lisaannbraxton OR @LisaReidbraxton

Instagram: @lisabraxton6186

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisabraxton/

Blog Tour Calendar

April 29th @ The Muffin

Join us at WOW as we celebrate the launch of Lisa Braxton’s memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops. Read an interview with the author and enter for a chance to win a copy of the book.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

May 1st @ Beverley Baird

Lisa Braxton, author of the memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops, shares the experience of being an adult orphan.

https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com

May 3rd @ A Storybook World

Start the month with a touching memoir. Read more about Lisa Braxton’s Dancing Between the Raindrops.

https://www.astorybookworld.com

May 3rd @ Beverley Baird

Bev reviews Dancing Between the Raindrops, a memoir by Lisa Braxton.

https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com

May 5th @ Choices

How important is it to be part of a writing group? Dancing Between the Raindrops author Lisa Braxton gives her opinion on writing groups.

http://madelinesharples.com

May 6th @ Anthony Avina

Stop by for a surprise guest post with Lisa Braxton, author of the memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops.

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

May 8th @ The Shaggy Shepherd

How to answer the question “Do You Have Kids?” with guest post Lisa Braxton, author of the memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops.

https://theshaggyshepherd.wordpress.com

May 9th @ Boys’ Mom Reads!

Find out how a Boys’ Mom feels about the memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops with today’s review.

https://karensiddall.wordpress.com

May 13th @ Word Magic

Stop by for a guest post about growing up in the family business by Lisa Braxton, author of the memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops.

https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com

May 14th @ What Is That Book About

Looking for a new book for your TBR pile? Stop by for a spotlight on Lisa Braxton’s memoir Dancing Between the Raindrops.

www.whatisthatbookabout.com

May 15th @ From the TBR Pile

Dancing Between the Raindrops author Lisa Braxton will be visiting with a guest post today.

https://fromthetbrpile.blogspot.com

May 16th @ Fancy That!

Lisa Braxton, author of Dancing Between the Raindrops, is at Fancy That today writing about grieving the death of elderly parents.

https://fancythatblog.com

May 23rd at Words by Webb

Read a review of Lisa Braxton’s Dancing Between the Raindrops today.

https://www.jodiwebbwriter.com/blog

May 24th @ World of My Imagination

Enjoy Nicole’s review of Dancing Between the Raindrops, a memoir by Lisa Braxton.

Welcome! I’m Glad You’re Here.

Guest Blog Post: Writing Historical Fiction by Margarita Barresi, Author of “A Delicate Marriage”

On December 7, 2023 By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

Writing Historical Fiction

There’s nothing like getting lost in a good historical fiction tale. When done right, historical fiction transports us to a past time and lets us imagine ourselves living there. History provides the framework for the story, but the book should not read like a history text. Rather it should be a wonderful story that happens to take place during another time and perhaps teaches something new about that time.

To be effective, historical fiction must be accurate. Nothing takes a reader out of a story like an anachronism or citing a wrong fact. For example, Henry VIII wouldn’t say “okay”, because the word did not exist during his time. Or a character in a pre-World War II novel would refer to World War I only as “The Great War”, never World War I.

When I set out to write “A Delicate Marriage”, historical fiction set in Puerto Rico during the 1930s to ‘50s, I was determined to get it right. Here are some lessons about writing 20^th century historical fiction I learned along the way.

Absorb as much as you can about the history of the time. Start with an overview and then drill down into specific events.
Use primary sources whenever possible—letters, speeches, books written by the characters you are portraying, photos taken during the time.
Newspapers and magazines bring facts to life and humanize the players. Ads are a font of information for question like what people wore or how much renting an apartment cost.
If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in a book or online, contact an expert in that field. Academics and archivists are generally happy to help. For example, when researching my book, I consulted a Puerto Rican food historian and a historian for the El Yunque Rain Forest, among others.
If you can’t verify a fact, leave it out. Even after consulting a Puerto Rican movie history expert, I could not confirm whether Puerto Rican theaters served popcorn in the 1930s, so my characters do not eat popcorn on their movie date.
Bring history alive through the details—names of restaurants, books people were reading, popular songs, types of cars, the latest washing machine technology.
You don’t have to include every historic event in detail. Pick and choose those that best serve the story and summarize others.
First decide on the story you want to tell and then weave in the history. An agent critiqued an early draft of my manuscript, telling me “I would have liked to see the story and the historical details woven together a bit more seamlessly. Ideally, the reader will feel like we’re reading a love story within the historical context, instead of a love story with specific details about Puerto Rico during that time.” You bet I fixed that!
Research is fun, but you need to know when to stop digging and when to start writing. Other writers advised me not to worry about the small details during the first draft, like what the character is wearing or what song is playing. You can add those later.
Don’t have too rigid of an outline. Sometimes my research led the story in a new direction. For example, when I read about the opening gala for the Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan, I knew I had to set a scene during that party.

So why not try your hand at historical fiction? Pick an era that fascinates you and see what stories you can concoct. Spend time in 17^th century France, Cleopatra’s Egypt, or even the Ice Age. And learn a little something along the way.

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About the Book

From glittering ballrooms to verdant mountains to poverty-stricken slums, A Delicate Marriage takes the reader on a vivid tour of Puerto Rico forty years after becoming a U.S. colony, a time of great change and political turmoil on the island.

Isabela, a wealthy woman, sacrifices her artistic aspirations to marry Marco, a penniless man dedicated to improving conditions on the island. As the island’s insular government enacts pro-U.S. policies, Marco builds a real estate empire while struggling to maintain his populist principles. Meanwhile, Isabela feels unfulfilled in her traditional role as a wife and mother and becomes disillusioned with Marco’s shifting moral compass. She begins to identify with anti-U.S. factions, leading a dangerous double life that puts her family in peril.

As political violence threatens their paradise, Isabela and Marco question whether their marriage, like the island’s relationship with the U.S., should continue. Margarita Barresi’s debut novel celebrates Puerto Rican culture while delving into themes of class, oppression, and the effects of colonialism through the lens of a marriage.

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

ISBN-10: 1639889302

ISBN-13: 978-1639889303

Print length: 352 pages

Purchase a copy of the book at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Bookshop.org and add it to your Goodreads reading list.

Praise for A Delicate Marriage

“Margarita Barresi’s A Delicate Marriage is an electrifying debut … smart, heartfelt and timely… a trenchant portrait of an island and a marriage pushed to the breaking point.”

— Junot Diaz, author of This is When You Lose Her

“Immersive and interesting, empathetic, and expansive, Barresi skillfully interweaves a love story with the history of Puerto Rico politics. An impressive debut!”

— Susie Orman Schnall, author of We Came Here to Shine

“Barresi is a naturally gifted storyteller with a talent for narrative structure…What emerges is a fully three-dimensional portrait of a couple trying to find a way forward in a time of political and social upheaval…An absorbing and deeply nuanced romance.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Barresi expertly weaves captivating details of Puerto Rican history into this gripping love story.”

— Independent Book Review

“A Delicate Marriage, with its blend of glamour, charm, and a nostalgic nod to a bygone era, promises to uplift readers’ spirits on even the dreariest of days, inviting them to revisit the tempestuous yet enchanting landscape of Puerto Rico.”

— Literary Titan

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About Author Margarita Barresi

Raised in Puerto Rico by her grandparents, Margarita Barresi grew up hearing stories about the “good old days”—the genesis for this, her first novel. She studied public relations at Boston University, and after

a successful career in marketing communications, now devotes her time to writing. Her essays have been published in several literary magazines and compilations. Margarita lives in the suburbs north of Boston with her husband and two Puerto Rican cats, Luna and Rico.

Learn more at www.margaritabarresi.com.
Instagram: @margaritabarresi https://www.instagram.com/margaritabarresi/
X/Twitter: @Barresi_Writes https://twitter.com/Barresi_Writes
Facebook: Margarita Barresi

Blog Tour Calendar

November 10th @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the blog tour launch of A Delicate Marriage by Margarita Barresi. You’ll have the chance to read an interview with the author and win a copy of the book.

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

November 12th @ World of My Imagination

Stop by to read Nicole’s review of A Delicate Marriage.

https://worldofmyimagination.com

November 14th @ Michelle Cornish’s blog

Read a guest post by Margarita Barresi about the evolution of her writing process.

https://www.michellecornish.com/blog

November 16th @ Deborah Adams’s blog

Check out Deborah’s spotlight of A Delicate Marriage, read a guest post about Puerto Rico by Margarita Barresi, and enter a giveaway.

http://www.deborah-adams.com/blog

November 17th @ A Story Book World

Visit Deirdra’s blog to view a spotlight of A Delicate Marriage.

https://www.astorybookworld.com/

November 19th @ What is That Book About?

Stop by Michelle’s blog while she spotlights A Delicate Marriage.

www.whatisthatbookabout.com

November 20th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog

Check out Anthony’s blog where he shares a spotlight of A Delicate Marriage.

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

November 21st @ Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews blog

Join Lisa for an interview with Margarita Barresi.

https://lisahaselton.com/blog/

November 23rd @ World of My Imagination

Return to Nicole’s blog to read a guest post by Margarita Barresi about writing based on reality.

https://worldofmyimagination.com

November 25th @ Boots, Shoes & Fashion

Join Linda as she interviews author Margarita Barresi.

https://bootsshoesandfashion.com

November 27th @ Author Michelle Cornish’s blog

Stop by to read Michelle’s review of A Delicate Marriage.

https://www.michellecornishauthor.com/book-reviews

November 30th @ The Knotty Needle

Visit Judy’s blog to read a review of A Delicate Marriage.

http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com

December 2nd @ Reading is My Remedy

Stop by Chelsie’s Instagram to read her review of A Delicate Marriage.

https://www.instagram.com/reading_is_my_remedy/

December 4th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog

Check out Anthony’s blog where he shares a guest post by Margarita Barresi about writing historical fiction.

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

December 5th @ Nikki’s Book Reviews

Stop by to read Nicole’s review of A Delicate Marriage.

https://nikkitsbookreviews.wordpress.com/

December 6th @ StoreyBook Reviews

Join Leslie as she spotlights A Delicate Marriage and shares a guest post by Margarita Barresi about writing characters based on people you know.

https://www.storeybookreviews.com

Guest Blog Post: The Trick To A Great Interview: Interviewer And Interviewee by Claudine Wolk

On October 4, 2023 By authoranthonyavinablogIn Blog Tours, Book EventsLeave a comment

The Interviewer

Interviews are so much fun. The opportunity to chat with an expert or an author and to share what they know with your audience is exhilarating and can be great fun. A few tricks will polish your interview to keep your listeners coming back for more.

Be Prepared and Pay Attention. Consider what you would want to learn from this guest as a listener when preparing questions but understand also that the interview can veer in a completely different direction. Many times, that new direction is exactly where the interview was meant to go.

Prepare A Great Intro. Make sure the information in your prepared intro is up to date by sharing it with your guest before recording.

Keep YOUR talking to a minimum. The interview is not about you, it’s about imparting the guest’s wisdom to your listeners. Let your guest talk. You brought them in for an interview for a reason. Consider yourself the bumpers in a bowling lane where you nudge the conversation this way and that to keep it on point.

Finally, most guests are more than happy to talk and your job will be to keep them on track but rarely you may have a guest who simply does not like to talk. Keep them moving by getting them comfortable with your questions… start a statement and then pause… give them a chance to pick up the thread and show their stuff.

The Interviewee

Interviews are a great way for you to promote your book or your business. The trick as the interviewee is to remember to avoid a “hard-sell” of your product or service. Instead, provide valuable expertise/entertainment to the audience. Resist the urge to openly sell. i.e., “buy my book!” Here are a few more tips for a well-rounded, informative and entertaining interview.

Offer great content to the audience so they take away fun, helpful nuggets that show off your expertise. If you are the author of a fiction book and are asked to describe it, give a quick synopsis that doesn’t give away the ending.

Answer the interviewer’s questions thoughtfully and succinctly. Many interviewers have a whole list of questions with which to relay valuable information to their audience and if you pontificate on one question, they won’t get the chance to ask any others.

Some interviewers are more than happy to let you chat away. If you pause and the interviewer is encouraging you to continue with your train of thought, oblige them. Having a list of interesting points that you curate before the interview is a great idea to keep you on point.

Finally, make sure that you remember to let people know where to find you on social media for more information. One social media channel that is easy to remember is the best bet because people are listening and could be in a car on a walk. Off air, you may ask the interviewer to add your social media links and a link to your book, of course, in their show notes. Most likely, the interviewer will ask where to find your book on air!

Remember to thank the interviewer and off-air, ask for a copy of the audio so that you can promote it across your social media and website.

Most of all, have fun and consider the interview a conversation for the most enjoyable experience for you, the interviewer and the audience. Good Luck!

Claudine Wolk is the co-author, with Julie Murkette, of Get Your Book Seen and Sold: The Essential Book Marketing and Publishing Guide and a book marketing coach. Find her writing/podcast at claudinewolk.substack.com.

Book Summary

It is easier than ever to publish a book, but many authors find out too late about the actual work-the book marketing-that needs to be done to achieve sizable book sales. Instead of embracing the opportunities to promote their books, authors are intimidated and shut down. Those days are over. This is the book authors MUST HAVE to give their books the best chance to be seen and sold.

In this essential, easy-to-read, and easy-to-understand guide, the author will work through the graphs, examples, and exercises in the book and learn:

The fundamentals of book marketing: Message, Audience, and Hook
How the book marketing fundamentals effortlessly feed into every aspect of book marketing
The breadth of book marketing options and how book marketing works, with examples
How book distribution IS a crucial part of book marketing
To develop an elevator pitch and a formal pitch to media contacts
To develop with a doable book marketing plan
To develop media kit items for their book publicity efforts: Press Release, Author Bio, etc.
The types of book reviews and how to get them
To create a list of media contacts and how to use them
To organize their new entrepreneurial business as book marketer/author
Ideas to “shake their tree” to develop unique book marketing opportunities
To examine the best social media channels to promote their books
Where to put their book promotion dollars
Most importantly, authors will learn something priceless…the correct starting point!

Authors, You CAN do right by your book! Go on and reach the book buyers that you had in mind when wrote your treasured manuscript and Get Your Book Seen and Sold today.

Publisher: Lost Valley Press (September 2023)

ISBN-10: 1935874446

ISBN-13: 978-1935874446

Print length: 122 pages

Purchase your copy on Amazon, Bookshop.org, or Barnes and Noble. Make sure you add it to your GoodReads list too.

About the Author

Claudine Wolk and Julie Murkette are experienced in sharing their knowledge of the publishing industry to give books the BEST chance to be sold. Julie is the long-time owner of Satya House Publications, which published and marketed the award-winning I See the Sun series of books, among others. Claudine Wolk is a published author, journalist, podcast host and book marketing consultant. You can find her writing in her weekly newsletter on Substack: Get Your Book Seen and Sold. Her book, It Gets Easier and Other Lies We Tell New Mothers, (Harper Collins) is translated into three languages and was released as an audiobook (Nov. 2022).

Find Claudine online at:

Substack: https://ClaudineWolk.Substack.com

Website: ClaudineWolk.com

Instagram: @ClaudineWolk

Facebook: Facebook.com/ClaudineWolk

Twitter: @help4newmoms

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Blog Tour Calendar

September 18th @ The Muffin

Join us on The Muffin as we celebrate the launch of Claudine Wolk and Julie Murkette’s book Get Your Book Seen and Sold. You can also enter to win a copy for yourself!

https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

September 19th @ Karen Brown Tyson’s blog

Join Karen as she reviews Get Your Book Seen and Sold. You can also win a copy for yourself!

https://karenbrowntyson.com/blog/

September 20th @ My Beauty, My Books

Join Nikki for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.

https://mybeautymybooks.com/

September 21st @ Knotty Needle

Join Judy for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.

https://knottyneedle.blogspot.com

September 22nd @ Word Magic

Visit Fiona’s blog for a guest post by Claudine about creating a list of media contacts and how to use them.

https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com

September 23rd @ Chapter Break

Visit Julie’s blog for a guest post by Claudine about how to pick and choose where to focus your book marketing.

https://chapterbreak.net/

September 25th @ My Heart is Booked

Don’t miss Danielle’s book review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold. You can also win a copy for yourself!

Home

September 28th @ Deborah Zenha-Adams’ blog

Deborah shares an excerpt from Get Your Book Seen and Sold. You also have a chance to win a copy of the book, too!

http://www.deborah-adams.com/blog/

September 29th @ Margay Leah Justice

Join Margay as she reviews Get Your Book Seen and Sold.

https://margayleahjustice.blogspot.com/

October 1st @ Balance and Joy

Join Sheri for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.

https://www.balanceandjoy.com/

October 4th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog

Join Anthony for a guest post by Claudine about the trick to a great interview.

https://atomic-temporary-124910902.wpcomstaging.com/category/blog-tours/

October 6th @ Carole Writes

Join Carole for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.

https://carolemertz.com/

October 7th @ A Wonderful World of Books

Visit Joy’s blog for a guest post by Claudine Wolk about a popular book marketing roadmap.

https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/

October 7th @ Of History and Kings

Join Hellen for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.

https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/

October 10th @ What is That Book About

Visit Michelle’s blog for an excerpt from Get Your Book Seen and Sold.

https://www.whatisthatbookabout.com

October 13th @ CK Sorens

Visit Carrie’s page for her insights into Get Your Book Seen and Sold. You can also win a copy for yourself too.

https://www.instagram.com/ck_sorens/

October 15th @ Madeline Sharples’ blog

Join Madeline for a guest post by Claudine about how you can’t do everything. Don’t miss it!

https://www.madelinesharples.com/

October 15th @ The Mommies Review

Visit Glenda’s blog for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.

http://www.themommiesreviews.com/

October 17th @ One Writer’s Journey

Join Sue for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.

https://suebe.wordpress.com/

October 17th @ Just Katherine

Visit Katherine’s blog for a guest post by Claudine Wolk about how writing and book marketing are related.

https://justkatherineblog.wordpress.com/

October 18th @ A Storybook World

Visit Deirdra’s blog for a spotlight of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.

https://www.astorybookworld.com/

October 19th @ Pick a Good Book

Join Debbie for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.

https://instagram.com/pickagoodbook

October 19th @ Book Reviews from an Avid Reader

Visit Joan’s blog for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.

http://bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com/

October 20th @ Beverley A. Baird’s Blog

Join Beverley for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold by Claudine Wolk and Julie Murkette.

https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

October 21st @ Free to be Me

Join Leslie for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.

https://lesliesvoice.com/

October 21st @ Editor 911

Visit Margo’s blog for a review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.

https://www.editor-911.com

October 22nd @ Beverley A. Baird’s Blog

Visit Beverley’s blog again for a guest post by Claudine Wolk about the top ten insider tips for self-publishing and book promotion.

https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

October 22nd @ Jill Sheets’ blog

Visit Jill’s blog for her interview with author Claudine Wolk about her book Get Your Book Seen and Sold.

https://jillsheets.blogspot.com/

Guest Blog Post: The Unempty Spaces Between by Louis Efron

On August 16, 2023October 14, 2024 By authoranthonyavinablogIn Guest Post1 Comment

Creative writing and poetry have been a part of my life since childhood; seeing my first poetry collection, The Unempty Spaces Between, come to life has been a dream come true.

From the time I first held a pen to write simple rhymes for both my grandmothers, I appreciated the power and beauty of the written word to move readers to laughter, tears, reflection, and action.

While the poems in The Unempty Spaces Between are all part of me, they are not unique to me. Rather, they reflect what it means to be human through an expression of purposeful words, vivid images, and intense emotions.

Some of the poems in this collection were seeded or written years ago, and others completed within weeks of publication. Collectively, they tell a story of fear, pain, loss, beauty, love, and the environment surrounding us.

My goal in poetry, writing, and this book is to bring to light the details and mechanics of the human experience missed in the process of living. My desire is to give readers a chance to stop and look between the distractions to appreciate all that exists in the spaces between, the essence and roots of life, drawing light through darkness.

While the poems in this collection grew out of my experiences and capture how they moved me at the time, our unique human experience is defined by how we each see what is before us. This is another beautiful element of the universality of art and why no two readers will be touched by the poetry in my book in the same way.

Whether “Reflection” capturing an unimaginable pandemic world, “God’s Garden” moved by a tear rolling down the cheek of a young woman, the elusive exploration of universal perfection “In the Eye of the Beholder,” or the serene yet tragic romance of two dancing flames in “A Candle with Two Wicks,” my collection is aimed at viewing the world in a profound way.

I hope The Unempty Spaces Between will meaningfully move you and bridge the plentiful void between us.

About the Author

Louis Efron is a poet and writer who has been featured in Forbes, Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune, POETiCA REViEW, The Orchards Poetry Journal, Academy of the Heart and Mind, Literary Yard, New Reader Magazine and over 100 other national and global publications. He is also the author of five books, including The Unempty Spaces Between, How to Find a Job, Career and Life You Love; Purpose Meets Execution; Beyond the Ink; as well as the children’s book What Kind of Bee Can I Be?

Available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/42b0SF3

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124079828-the-unempty-spaces-between

Blog Tour: Try the Tofu (Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat Book 4) by Karenna Colcroft Guest Post + Promotional Post

On July 18, 2023October 14, 2024 By authoranthonyavinablogIn Blog Tours, Book Events, Guest PostLeave a comment

My Co-Writers

Some writers have human co-writers with whom they work on books, or at least are friends with other humans who help them with the writing process. I do have human writing friends.

I also have cats. Two of them. Both of whom watch me judgmentally every time I sit down to write anything. Or look at social media. Or watch TV. Actually, they watch me judgmentally anytime I do anything other than feeding them…

In the photo you can see them judging me for wanting to take their picture. The tortoiseshell is Shinobi; the tuxedo cat is Moony. Shinobi is as old as my writing career; we got her as a kitten in May 2009, while my first book was published in March of that year. We’ve had Moony since March 2014. (NOTE to blog host: Insert attached photo here and delete this sentence, please.)

Like many pet owners, I talk to my cats. Including about plot points in my books. They aren’t usually very helpful in figuring things out, though. Their ideas simply aren’t useful.

Writing can be a very solitary profession. One sits at their computer day after day hoping coherent words come out of their fingers and onto the screen. As a writer, I wrangled with plots, with the characters—who can be even more stubborn and judgmental than my cats sometimes—and with the realization that once I finish writing, I have to edit the dang thing. While I do have friends, and know other writers, and have friends who are writers, most of the time I’m on my own doing this.

Except for the cats. While they do occasionally wander off to chase each other, grab a snack, or, in Moony’s case, chirp at the birds congregating outside my window, they’re always here. They aren’t big fans of the fact that I write about werewolves, though they give me disdainful looks when I suggest werecats instead, but nonetheless they stick by me, as long as I remember to feed them.

I wonder if Kyle Slidell, the vegan werewolf in my Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat series, would want a pet cat? Then again, his mate Tobias probably wouldn’t let him have one…

As with all of my books, my revising and re-editing of the just-released updated version of Try the Tofu (Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat 4) was accomplished with the help and encouragement of Moony and Shinobi. I hope their fur didn’t get stuck in the pages.

Karenna Colcroft has a new MM paranormal romance out, Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat book 4: Try the Tofu. And there’s a giveaway.

As Alpha Tobias Rogan and his mate Kyle Slidell prepare to travel to the regional Alpha gathering, Tobias receives a threatening phone call. If he brings his mate to the gathering, Kyle will not return to Boston. But stubborn Kyle, believing the threat is actually against Tobias, refuses to stay home.

Tobias’s foreboding is proven correct when a visiting stranger challenges Zane Wolfskin, Arkhon of the Northeast Region, to a fight for rank–and wins. Tobias and his allies learn that the challenge was part of a larger plan to destroy their region, something Tobias will not allow. To prevent disaster, Tobias must challenge the new Arkhon himself. But can he survive the attempt?

Warnings: reference to past sexual abuse and trauma, PTSD, violence

About the Series:

Kyle Slidell didn’t move to Boston expecting to be changed into a werewolf. But that’s what happened. He can’t control whether he shifts at the full moon, but he can damn sure continue being vegan–even in wolf form.

Tobias Rogan, Alpha of Boston North Pack, never expected to fall in love with anyone, let alone a man. A male Alpha is not supposed to have a male partner. But when he meets Kyle, he’s immediately attracted. And after Kyle is changed, Tobias realizes the truth: Kyle is not only his partner, but his mate.

The werewolf world isn’t a simple place, and Kyle and Tobias are thrown into the middle of conflict within and among the packs of the United States–a conflict that extends all the way to the top of the werewolf hierarchy. Can they and their love survive what they face?

Get It On Amazon

Giveaway

Karenna is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card with this tour:

a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47290/?

Excerpt

I entered our room and closed the door. Kyle flopped down on the bed again. “Sleep.”

“Food,” I said. “Plus our bags will be here any second, so you wouldn’t be able to get much sleep.” I sat on the bed beside him. “What you said earlier.”

“Yeah.” He sat up and took my hand. “I love you. Things have been rough as hell on both of us the past few months, and sometimes it’s hard not to think that they’ve been rough because of us. But we didn’t make bad things happen, and I wouldn’t have gotten through everything if it hadn’t been for you. I don’t want to lose you.”

“I love you too.” My heart melted. No matter how much I wanted to shut him out, I didn’t know whether I would ever actually be able to do it. We had been through hell, no question, with all the times I’d almost lost him, not to mention my own brush with death. But we’d faced it together. He’d brought back a part of me I hadn’t even realized existed, let alone missed, until he made me aware of how long I’d lived without it.

That didn’t mean I was ready to let go of the idea that we might be better off apart. A lot would depend on what happened over the next several days. I couldn’t stand the prospect of him being in danger, and if things went as badly as they had the last time we’d come to Zane’s, I would have some serious decisions to make.

“Tobias, don’t,” he said softly. “Please don’t think about the bad things. We’re here together in our honeymoon suite.” He chuckled. “Zane put us here for a reason, you know. I don’t know if you’ve talked to him about us or if he just figured something out the way he seems to do, but he had an ulterior motive for giving us this room.”

“Yeah, he probably did.” I had to smile at that. Zane was not only tolerant of one of his alphas having a male mate, he wholeheartedly supported the idea. In September, he’d treated Kyle and me the same as any other mated pair, and that meant more than I could express. Just as some werewolves were stuck in the past when it came to the idea of a woman being in charge, some were mired in prejudice and hatred of those who were “different.” Pretty ironic considering that werewolves were different by definition.

But for Zane, Kyle and I weren’t different. He wouldn’t accept any hatred toward us from any other attendees of the gathering, and if he suspected Kyle and I were having problems, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to try to fix them.

“There’s going to be a lot going on.” Kyle moved closer against me. “I know you’ll be busy with all the meetings and things, and I know you have a lot on your mind. But please, Tobias, while we’re here, let’s try to spend some time on us. I want things to be good again.”

“Yeah, me too.”

I put my arm around him and held him tightly. My mate. My lover. The man who had changed my life for the better, bringing me so many good things I’d been missing without even realizing it. I loved him, even if things weren’t great between us right then. He was right to have insisted on coming with me. We could spend time together and try to make things better.

Back in Boston, I had to attend to the pack’s needs. Here, even though I would have to sit in meetings that dealt with anything from changes in protocol to sorting out which pack had the right to hunt deer near the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire, I didn’t have to be in charge, and that meant I might have time to actually talk to Kyle. And to listen.

We both turned at the same time and our mouths were together before we had time to think. His tongue touched my lips, and I opened to let him in. The kiss was both tender and rough and sent heat and arousal through to my core.

Author Bio

Karenna Colcroft lives just north of Boston, Massachusetts, and has been in love with the city since childhood, though she has yet to encounter any werewolves, vampires, or other paranormal beings in her travels. At least none that she knows of. Though since in her non-writing life, under another name, she offers services as a channel and energy healing practitioner, it could be said that she herself is a paranormal being. The jury’s still out on that.

Karenna is a polyamorous, nonbinary human who splits time between the home she shares with her husband and the one she shares with her committed partner. She also has two adult children and a bonus son, three grandchildren, and two and a half cats. (Half in terms of time the cat lives with her, not in terms of the cat itself…)

Find out more about Karenna online at http://www.karennacolcroft.com or https://www.facebook.com/KarennaColcroft. You can also sign up to receive a free short story, and be added to Karenna’s mailing list, at https://karennacolcroft.com/get-your-free-short-story/.

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