Guest Author and Publisher ~ Vivian Zabel to Visit April 10th

Join me on Friday, April 10th, when author and publisher, Vivan Zabel takes time out of her busy schedule to be my guest author and publisher.

Be sure to take the time out to visit and ask any questions you may have to Vivian ~ this is an grand opportunity! She will be checking-in periodically throughout the day to field your questions.

Don't miss out.

Looking forward to seeing you in cyberspace.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson ~ Guest Author Today!

I'm delighted to have Carolyn Howard-Johnson here today as my guest author. Carolyn's expertise will astound you. Don't miss this opportunity to ask any question you may have...you will surely walk away feeling pleased you asked away.

Using "I" As a Conceit

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success

I don't know when I learned the word "conceited." I was raised in Utah where most of us didn't use "conceit" in the sense of an elaborate or strained metaphor but rather to mean that someone thought they were extra-super special. The little girl across the street who snubbed me because I didn't wear long stockings with garters (which was an immediate tipoff that I was not her kind) was "conceited" rather than prejudiced. The kid who was quick to make a point of how bright he was when I made a mistake was "conceited" rather than arrogant (or insecure). Gawd! I loved the word "conceited." I could apply it to so many situations and avoid learning new vocabulary words.

Of course, in a culture where being extra-super humble was valued, I soon noticed that our English language is, indeed, "conceited."

I'm speaking of the way we capitalize the pronoun "I." None of the other pronouns are capped. So what about this "I," standing tall no matter where you find it in a sentence?

Recently as I tutored students in accent reduction and American culture I noticed that some languages (like Japanese) seem to do quite well without pronouns of any sort. I did a little research. Some languages like Hebrew and Arabic, don't capitalize any of their letters and some, like German, capitalize every darn noun. So, English—a Germanic language at its roots—just carried on the German proclivity for caps.

But the question remained. Why only the "I?" Why not "them" and "you" and all the others. Caroline Winter, a 2008 Fulbright scholar, says "England was where the capital "I" first reared its dotless head . . . .Apparently someone back then decided that just "i" after it had been diminished from the original Germanic 'ich' was not substantial enough to stand alone." It had to do with an artistic approach to fonts. The story goes that long ago in the days of handset type or even teletype machines little sticks and dots standing all alone looked like broken bits of lead or scrappy orphan letters.

Then there is the idea that religion played a part in capitalizing the "I." Rastafarians (and some others, too) think in terms of humankind as being one with God and therefore—one has to presume—it would be rather blasphemous not to capitalize "I" just as one does "God." Capitals, after all, are a way to honor a word or concept.

Which, of course, brings us back to the idea that we speakers of English are just plain "conceited."
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson is an instructor for UCLA Extension's world-renown Writers' Program. Her next class on promoting fiction and nonfiction is August 1, a one day seminar. She is author of the HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers including The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. It is a USA Book News award-winner as well as the winner of the Reader View's Literary Award and a finalist in the New Generation Book Awards. She is the recipient of both the California Legislature's Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award and is a popular speaker and actor. Her website is www.HowToDoItFrugally.com.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Website: http://www.HowToDoItFrugally.com

E-mail: HoJoNews@aol.com

Carolyn Howard-Johnson ~ Guest Author - March 23rd

Join me on Monday, March 23rd when Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Foot Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success will be my guest author.

Carolyn will check-in periodically to field your questions.

Simon Rose - Guest Author - March 12th

Join me on Thursday, March 12th when Simon Rose will be my guest author.

Don't miss this opportunity to interact with Simon and pick his brain (so to speak) with your questions.

Not only is Simon a well accomplished novelist, he offers writing workshops.

Stay tuned and learn more about Simon and his illustrious career.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Rebel in Blue Jeans - Character Visit

Author, Beverly Stowe McClure has unleashed two hysterical characters from her novel Rebel in Blue Jeans. Will and Sully insisted that they have a chance to tell their stories, since the puppies and Rebel have been the stars of the book so far. So here are the Garret cousins, Will and Sully, Rebel’s neighbors, who have agreed to answer a few questions. Ready, guys?

Will: You bet.

Sully: Always. (Said with a wicked grin.)

Q: Will, you and Sully are cousins, right?

Will: We are.

Q: Sully, why do you live with Will and his parents?

Sully: I was eleven when my folks were killed in a car accident. I’ve lived with cuz here (he gives Will a friendly shove) ever since.

Will: (Shoves back) He’s more like a brother than a cousin, annoying at times.

Sully: Ah, you’re just jealous ’cause I’m a chick magnet and you’re not.

Will: Ha! In your dreams.

Q: OK, guys. I get the picture. Let’s talk about Rebel. How did you meet her?

Will: We’ve known Rebel all our lives. The Ferguson Ranch borders our Rockin’ G Ranch.

Q: You’re childhood friends then.

Sully: Reb was more like a childhood pest.

Q: How was she a pest?

Will: I wouldn’t exactly call her a pest; she just liked to tag along with us. Wherever we went, she was there.

Sully: We’d go fishing, and she’d bring her pole. She always managed to hook my shirt or a tree limb, instead of a fish. I spent most of the time untangling her line.

Will: Yeah, but she doesn’t have brothers or sisters so she gets lonesome. We sort of adopted her as our little sis.

Q: When did your attitudes about Rebel change?

Will: (Looks at Sully, who looks back) I don’t know exactly. One day she was this skinny kid wearing braces.

Sully: The next day, the braces were gone, and she had curves.

Will: Sully! You’re talking about our Rebel.

Sully: Absolutely.

Q: All right, boys. This is a friendly conversation. Why do you call her “our Rebel”?

Will: (Clears his throat.) Other guys are getting interested in her.

Sully: And we have to check them out to be sure they’re (he throws Will a quick glance) gentlemen.

Q: What does Rebel think about this?

Will: (Grins) She loves us.

Sully: And forgives us.

Q: Forgives you for what?

Will: For running the guys off.

Q: I see. She’s having a pretty rough time now, with her mother leaving home.

Sully: Reb’s tough. She’ll survive.

Will: Which reminds me, we promised to take her to the movies this afternoon, so we gotta go. Thanks for talking to us.

Q: Thank you for your insight into Rebel’s life.

Will: You’re welcome.

Sully: Bye.

To learn more about Beverly's exciting writing career visit: http://rebelinbluejeans.wordpress.com or http://beverlystowemcclure.wordpress.com

James D. Adams - Guest Author

Hello All...please welcome author, James D. Adams as my guest author today. James talks about what inspires him to write. Be sure to stop back tomorrow to read my interview with James.

My kids really inspire me a lot to write my children’s titles.

It was when I found we were going to have a son after our year battle with infertility, that I started writing children’s stories. 3 years at Scholastic helped this along too. I had written adult stuff under a another name for years, but I wanted a break from that and wanted to tackle the challenge of kids and YA fiction.

A 32 page picture book is nearly as tough to do well as a 300 page novel. I had read hundreds of books while at Scholastic, so I had a fresh mind as to what was in the market. I always felt a sense of accomplishment from writing that other things just don’t povide. I worked at Scholastic for 3 years as an example, and all I really have to show for it is a few awards. Sure, it paid bills and so forth, but I don’t look at my desk and go “That was bought with money I earned at Scholastic”. But everytime I see one of my books on the shelf here in my study or at a book store, I think “That’s what I accomplished in 2006, 2007, etc.” It’s like something solid to show for your time. Most people don’t really get me on this. They feel after 40 years on a job, if they get a good pension, they are satisfied. But the way my mind works, I would feel like all I had to show for all those years was a monthly check. It sounds strange I know, but I’d rather see 2 shelves full of books with my name on them.

So this sense of leaving something behind for future generations hopefully, really drives me to write on days when I don’t feel like it. Also, after having started speaking in public, I have fallen in love with that audience connection, with doing book signings and meeting the people who read my books. It feels like having a new family, like I am now somehow connected to all these new people.

Doing this post to your wonderful blog is inspiring to me, as I love the notion someone would take the time to connect with me and my work in this way. But mostly, I just feel like I have all these different worlds swirling around in my head and I need to show them to everyone, because maybe there is someone who has been waiting a long time to meet these people. Maybe somehow I can make a new connection with a fellow human being by telling their story. Isn’t that what the arts are really about after all? Making a connection is everything to me.

Thanks for reading,

James D. Adams

Internationally published Author of Creepy Campfire Tales, Hopper's Pond, & The upcoming Dark Valley Ohio Novel Series and October 31st Poems and Stories.

http://www.jamesdadams.com/ for complete media kit, to learn more about upcoming releases, join the nightfire fan club, or to book an author visit.

http://www.creepycampfiretales.com/ to order books and learn more about this hit series.

http://www.owlcreekmedia.com/ to place wholesale orders for campground stores, gift stores, haunted attractions, or book stores.

www.myspace.com/jamesdadamsauthor visit my space for forums and chat. Invite me as a friend and we'll grow a community together.

http://www.youtube.com/jamesdadamsauthor
Visit here to see all my talked about videos, book trailers, interviews, readings, and sneak peeks at future titles. Many are finding this more entertaining than TV.

Buy Creepy on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Creepy-Campfire-Tales-Vol-Halloween/dp/160404103X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204650151&sr=8-1
Any good reviews are appreciated and prizes are awarded for the best reviews each year. Also available at Barnes & Noble and your local bookstore, and in bookstores and on Amazon in the U.K.

James D. Adams - Visits Write What Inspires You

Join me when author James D. Adams joins me on the following dates:

Guest Author Post: July 7th
Author Interview: July 9th
Book Review: July 14th

A major announcement will be made during these events concerning all writers, painters & art lovers...be sure to check back!

Internationally published Author of Creepy Campfire Tales, Hopper's Pond, & The upcoming Dark Valley Ohio Novel Series and October 31st Poems and Stories.

http://www.jamesdadams.com for complete media kit, to learn more about upcoming releases, join the nightfire fan club, or to book an author visit.

http://www.creepycampfiretales.com to order books and learn more about this hit series.

http://www.owlcreekmedia.com to place wholesale orders for campground stores, gift stores, haunted attractions, or book stores.

www.myspace.com/jamesdadamsauthor visit my space for forums and chat. Invite me as a friend and we'll grow a community together.

http://www.youtube.com/jamesdadamsauthor
Visit here to see all my talked about videos, book trailers, interviews, readings, and sneak peeks at future titles. Many are finding this more entertaining than TV.

Buy Creepy on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Creepy-Campfire-Tales-Vol-Halloween/dp/160404103X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204650151&sr=8-1
Any good reviews are appreciated and prizes are awarded for the best reviews each year. Also available at Barnes & Noble and your local bookstore, and in bookstores and on Amazon in the U.K.

Guest Author ~ V.B. Rosendahl

What Inspires You to Write?

By VB Rosendahl
Guest Blogger


Hi everyone! I’m honored to be guest blogger today and want to say thanks so much for the invite.

When I saw the topic … inspiration… I had to sit down for a minute and think. It’s kind of an ethereal subject, really. Its substance can be both filmy and light and then heavy as a 100 pound block of concrete.

I write stories because, well, that’s what I’ve always done. I wrote when my parents were getting divorced and I was a 13 year old in 1969 (stories about a girl in a happy family), when they both died when I was 18, and when I was searching for more meaning in my life.

Where the real inspiration part comes in, I think, is in linking ideas and possibilities and molding them into something someone else might be interested in reading. Sometimes it’s the details – a character with a deformity, a school with sand in its front yard, a cool little out of the way island restaurant with a huge kitchen garden – that increase inspiration for me.

Bitter Tastes, my first mystery for kids, came from a short story I originally wrote back in 1995. I love the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the way of life on Ocracoke in particular. I wondered what it would be like growing up there and going to a school that had all 12 grades in one small building. Then I thought about what it would be like to be in a new school (where they get maybe one new kid every 5 years or so) and have a secret you’re desperate to keep hidden.

Once in a while inspiration is churning along just fine but momentum grinds its gears and all you can do is wait. That’s what’s happening to me right now. I’ve been working on a rewrite of Mudder, the second book in the Kathy & Martha Mystery Series, for over a year. Yeah, you read that right. About 15 months now.

Some would say it’s writer’s block but I don’t believe in that. I’m right at that crucial point where everything in the mystery needs to pick up to a furious pace but I wasn’t sure how to do that – until this past Sunday when I saw an article in my local paper.

Then inspiration and the muse joined up and started dancing on my head again. Let me explain: the climax of my new novel revolves around a treasure hunt. But I didn’t want it to be just any treasure hunt. Then I saw the article in the paper about a local treasure hunt that included brain teasers as well. Ah! Now I have something.

See? That’s what inspiration is for me. The neat part is that I’m never sure when it’ll happen, it just always does.

What inspires you to write?

VB Rosendahl

Kim Chatel ~ Author of Rainbow Sheep

Kim Chatel, author of "Rainbow Sheep" will be my guest author at my blog - http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com on Thursday, May 29th.Check back in the near future for my book review of "Rainbow Sheep."

Guest Author ~ Tony Robles

Children's Author, Tony Robles, will be my guest author at my blog - http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com/ on April 14th and be sure to come back on April 16th to read my book review of "Joey Gonzalez, Great American."

Guest Author ~ Thomas Wade Bounds

What inspires you to write?

My kids inspire me to write. They are so incredible, with tremendous talent, smiles, laughter and wonder within their mind that is still in the developmental stages. They are so happy, loving, kind and so curious with questions of innocents one moment and then the next they can be so bold and ready to conquer each other and attempt to topple us.

We parents hold the love to guide, to discipline and to know when to let go. What comes to my mind is how to put this to rest or ask the question without worry of having I done enough? What can I do to help resolve the explosion of the moment? What if the explosion of the moment is too big for them to handle and we are not there?

What does it take to calm them and prepare them for that instant? Will they be safe and out of harms way? When do they understand the lesson from the path of which they have just traveled? Or do they get a second chance? They seem to know everything, but then ask why? Why should I do that? They ask why because their minds are still developing and gaining information for them to act on and not react to. How to make a choice right or wrong or even how to understand what is right or wrong.

Today Hollywood and the media have made life seem so unreal; you can make choices and then there are no real consequences from them. Kids accept that, then do not relate to or understand how to identify what the real right choice should be.

Only a parent holds the answers to what they want their child to do, and we must depend upon God’s Wisdom and Guidance to get that right.

To help a mind grow and achieve is wonderful and beautiful. To me watching kids learn something that was once a challenge is more than exciting; it is the impact of love you have for your child and the love your child is learning to have for you, with respect and understanding.

To give a gift of reason and wisdom is a gift that gives back trust. That leads to building a strong parent/child relationship through the years when they may have a tendency to rebel.

I was once told by a minister that he wrote down all of the mistakes that he made during his teen years and then gave it to his child and said, “These are my mistakes, read them learn them, now go make your own.” Passing knowledge on to our kids is giving them the power of an experience that can stand strong against peer pressure and other interferences. When they are preparing for a test, do they just show up and take it, and then hope for the best?

Well, kids today have tests everyday and we should stand up and prepare them for the tests of life. We never know when our kids or even other kids that we do not even know will put our kids in positions that can have serious consequences and life threatening or even fatal situations. I believe that as a parent I need to arm my kids with an experience that they can turn to and relate to when in tights spots. They will not be able to turn and ask for guidance from us when these situations are occurring, even cell phones—though good lines of communication between kids and parents—do not always work in these troubled times. Developing your kids to come up with solutions and to have wisdom of today’s issues is the best preparation for tomorrow’s troubles.

My son asked me, “Dad, why do you write these books?” Well, we then sat down to read them. He turned to me and said, “Now I know why.” He said to me, “Thanks Dad.” We have had many conversations about issues that would normally not come up.

My daughter has read the other series that I am working on that is for the younger child and parent. She has grown so much and asks questions that are truly eye opening to me. Again conversations that are wonderful and graceful allow the child and parent to connect and both can develop kindness, patience, honor, and trust with each other that builds wisdom for kids they otherwise would not have. Together a family becomes open with each other in more ways than by just saying I love you. You will be amazed at the conversations that you can have through questions that our kids long to ask.

I write to inspire my kids; to fill them with more than love; to give them solid thinking power; to open their minds to questions that can only be answered with wisdom by loving parents and power to help them find the messages that God intends for them to find and hold with understanding; to equip them, so when in trouble they are in a position to act, not react. This I pray will help others as well.

I thank God for the wisdom He teaches and provides for us to learn and pass on.

Visit Thomas Wade Bounds at: http://www.authorsden.com/wwwthomaswadebounds

Guest Author, Dyan Garris ~ Beyond The Secret

Join me today along with Guest Author, Dyan Garris ~

You will walk away feeling inspired!

I’ve spent a lifetime helping people unblock what’s in their way so they can move forward on the path. And in late 2005 I began building an entire CD series of music and meditation to help people do exactly that in an easy and enjoyable way. So when The Secret came out, I chuckled to myself, shrugged my shoulders and said, “This isn’t a secret.”

The power of positive thinking and the laws of attraction are valid truths that have been around for years. What The Secret did was get these truths into the lives of millions, setting the stage for real and necessary transformation. Because of that, positive thinking and the laws of attraction now resonate as truth in collective consciousness. It’s a good start.

As important as that is, many have recently discovered that these are not enough to create what they really desire. The Secret has left many disillusioned and as unhappy as before they came in contact with it. There are missing pieces of the puzzle. So, as part of the next logical step to the building of a set of tools for people to use for real transformation, I wrote Money and Manifesting. It isn’t just about manifesting money. It’s definitely about money, but also about manifesting all of your desires.

Now I will let you in on a little secret. While positive thinking and the laws of attraction are part of the equation, we must learn to integrate them into our daily lives. The positive thoughts must resonate as truth, not only in our minds but also in our root chakra, because that is where the power of creation lives. If you are blocked there in your base, you won’t be able to create much of anything. And if you do manage to create something, you’ll have trouble keeping it unless you heal and unblock whatever it is that is blocking you in your very core.

I can hear some of you asking, “What is a root chakra?” Because not everyone knows what that is, I’ve fictionalized parts of the book with characters that each have root chakra blocks. These are interesting people that everyone can relate with. There is a story here as well as information on what stands in your way and how exactly to create what you desire. If we can identify with something or someone, if we can see ourselves reflected, we have an opportunity for change and subsequent transformation.

What I’m really excited about is that simply by virtue of the way this is written you’re engaging both your left brain and right brain, and you’re already learning to integrate. When you get done reading you’ve already taken the first step toward manifesting. You will feel the shift immediately.

If you want to go way beyond The Secret, you need to learn how energy works and how it flows. You need to learn exactly how to unblock the energy of money and how to create something out of nothing. You need to learn how to not only clear your limiting belief systems but how to implement and integrate this learning. You need the real secrets.

Dyan Garris is the author of "Money and Manifesting," "Voice of the Angels – A Healing Journey Spiritual Cards," "The Book of Daily Channeled Messages," "Talk To Your Food! Intuitive Cooking," and "Fish Tale of Woe – Lost At Sea." She publishes a Daily Channeled Message at http://www.voiceoftheangels.com/

In 2005 she created a series of music and meditation CDs for healing, Automatic Chakra Balance,™ help in sleeping, relaxation, and vibrational attunement of mind, body, and spirit.

Don't forget to surf on back on Friday, March 7th ~ when I post my review of, "Money and Manifesting"

Guest Author's ~ Pump Up Your Book Promotion

Dyan Garris will be my guest author on March 4th and I will post my book review both at my blog: http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com/ and website: http://www.donnamcdine.com/ of "Money and Manifesting," March 7th ~ "You think positive thoughts. You apply the laws of attraction. You visualize. You even clear pathways to abundance. And you manifest nothing. Now you want to find out exactly what to do about it. You want wealth. You want prosperity. You want transformation. You want the truth. Here you will discover the real secrets to money and manifesting. What you learn will change your life forever.

Thomas Wade Bounds will be my guest author on March 18th and I will post my book review on March 19th ~ both at my blog: http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com/ and website: http://www.donnamcdine.com/

Book Aimed at Fostering Parent Child Discussions on Teen Choices Charlotte, NC, Jan 2, 2008 - Today's news is filled with stories of concern for teens and parents as a teen celebrity announces her pregnancy at age 16 and how schools and other organizations are supporting overly permissive behavior by teens. The media is pushing the wrong message just use birth control. That is not the answer or the right choice for teens. Parents impact your teen's choices while you can. Thomas Wade Bounds' Choices, My Secrets ($9.99, paperback, 978-1-60477-369-9) is an interactive way to help parents and teens come together and discuss openly the consequences some choices made without consideration can have on a teen and their family's life. It is a tool to help set a better understanding of their choices, relationship expectations and positive, godly goals toward their family values which may help prevent similar choices. This is the first in a series that Tom is writing on choices for young teens and their parents. You can find out more here: http://www.heritagevalues.com/

In April, positive psychologist Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein is touring with us again for the girl’s version of her book The Truth. She will be my guest author on April 18th and I will post my book review on April 21st ~ both at my blog: http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com/ and website: http://www.donnamcdine.com/

Dorothy Thompson reviewed the adult version ate: http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2007/08/truth-by-dr-barbara-becker-holstein.html. This book has been slightly altered to appeal to the pre-teen and early teen market and it has a brilliant new cover.