Who Would I Write a Book About – Open Book Blog

‘Do you like to read? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the MMB Open Book Blog Hop each Wednesday and they will tell all. Every week we’ll answer questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.’
If you headed over here from P.J. Fiala’s blog, welcome. Did you check out her books while you were there? If not, you should. Just head over to  PJ’s books and then came back here! 
And now for this week’s question: If you had access to all the research in the world you would need, who is the person you would want to write a book about and why?
I really had to think about this one, because I didn’t want to go the obvious and easy route. I wanted to pick someone less obvious, less known, and yet still worthy of recognition.I thought back to people I’ve known and admire.

I had the good luck to have a number of exceptional teachers in high school. One of those, Sister Joan Chittister, went on to become the prioress of the order of nuns that taught at the school. I always knew she was special and unique, but until I started writing this piece, I didn’t realize how well-known she’s become.

When I was in high school, nuns were transition from their traditional garb to wearing either a more modern version or street clothes. I don’t remember her ever wearing the full version as in the picture above, I mostly remember her in street clothes.The next picture could have been taken straight from my yearbook.

She’s gone on become a voice for justice, especially for women and children. She’s published over 50 books. She’s been published in numerous publications, everything from the National Catholic Reporter to the Huffington Post. She’s won numerous awards and has her own website Sister Joan Chittister. I never expected that!

So although she’s already had books written about her, I’d like to write another one. In fact, since she’s still alive, I’d love to interview her. Her philosophies are not what you’d expect from a stereotypical nun. I feel honored to have known her.



To find out who Stephany Tullis would write about, head over to her blog at Stephanytullis.com/blog. And don’t forget to check out her books while you’re there.Stephany’s books.

What would you do if you were immortal?

If you came from Patti Fiala’s blog, hello!  Did you check out her books while you were there? If not, don’t forget to check them out at Patti’s books.



Do you like to read? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the MMB Open Book Blog Hop each Wednesday and they will tell all. Every week we’ll answer questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.
Question:
If you could be immortal for one day, what would you be and why?


On the face of it, this is a contradiction in terms.But that’s okay, because I don’t want to be immortal, Yes, I’ve actually thought about it. I decided a long time I wanted to age gracefully, But at the same time, when my time is up, I want to go quickly and not linger. Not asking for much, am I?


But what would I do if for one day, no matter what I happened, I knew I’d survive?


I’d start with bridge jumping. Yes, my mother asked me if everyone else jumped off a bridge, would I? For once I’d get to answer yes.In fact, I’d do it even if no one else did,


And then I’d move along to sky diving, because why not? I’ve always wanted to try it. I grew up near a hobbyist’s airport and we used to see people parachuting on weekends. In fact, if we got lucky, we’d find the streamers they dropped to check wind direction when we went for walks.




If I still had time in my day, I’d  find a fast car and a long stretch of flat, straight road and see how fast I could go. Or maybe I’d use a motorcycle instead. Or maybe both, just to test myself. Because sometimes it’s fun to break the rules.



To find out what Kelly Williams would do, check out her blog at Kelly Willams. You can find her books at K Williams on Amazon.

If you have questions you want the authors to answer, please leave them in the comments.

Guest Author: Sharleen Scott

I’m pleased to welcome Sharleen Scott and her new release Tangles to my blog today. (Release date May 14th)
Blurb:
Can tragedy mend a
wounded family? While faced with the challenge of his mother’s escalating
Alzheimer’s disease, Logan McKinnon discovers secret journals that leave him
questioning everything he knows about his family. With no one to ask, Logan
must find a man mentioned in the journals to discover a truth he may not want
to know.
Excerpt:
Logan exhausted the file
cabinets by 9:00 p.m. and still hadn’t located the insurance policies. Thinking
there could be more files in the closets, he poked around until he found a
locked box marked Personal in the top of the guest room closet. It was heavy
and locked. He didn’t find a key, but rather than give up, he jimmied it open
with a screwdriver. Hoping to find file folders, he was disappointed when the
contents were books and notebooks, all numbered and dated.
He sat on the floor and selected
a white book marked Number One. He opened it to the first page and was stunned
by what he found. The first entry, with its childish scrawl and misspelled
words, made him smile.
April 1936
Dear Jurnal, My name is Lois and I am six.
Mama says girls like to rite stuff so she gave you to me. I hope we can be
frends and I can tell you my secrets. Love, Lois
July 1936
Dear Jurnal, Larry called me a bad name
today. I dumped mud on his head. Daddy spanked me. It hurt. Big brothers are
icky, and I hate him. Don’t tell anyone. Love, Lois
Logan doubled over with laughter
as he read his mother’s diary. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t stop. The
entries were short but telling of Lois’ early life, and he found himself
engrossed. Hours passed as he read the entries detailing her fights with her
older brother, Larry, stories of her cat named Puffpuff, a dog named Hunter
though he was gun shy to the point of terror, and he sniffled when he read
about the day she stopped hating Larry.
April 1939
Dear friend, my grandpa died today and
I’m sad. When Mama told me, I ran to the barn and cried until my stomach hurt.
Puffpuff tried to make me feel better but it didn’t help. Larry found me and I
yelled at him to leave me alone. He said he was sad, too, and wanted to cry
with me where no one would see him. Boys aren’t supposed to cry. He held my
hand and we cried together. I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone he cried. I think
Larry is an okay brother after all, but don’t tell anyone I said that. Love,
Lois
Logan placed the journal in the
box and closed the lid. He stared at it, debating if he should return it to the
closet where it belonged and leave it alone. His curiosity won, and he shoved
the box in a corner and covered it with a blanket. The late hour caught up with
him, and he stripped off his clothes and climbed into bed. Blissful sleep came
quickly.
Buy links:
Amazon Kindle and Paperback:Amazon
Nook: http://tinyurl.com/kvoc797
Apple: Apple
Kobo: Kobo

Bio: Romantic-suspense author Sharleen Scott is taking a brief detour from her CAUGHT series with the release of Tangles, a novel dedicated to her mother-in-law who succumbed to Alzheimer

’s disease. Sharleen lives in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Brett, two college kids, and two spoiled cats.

www.sharleenscott.com

Helping Fellow Authors- Weekly Blog Hop






Do you like to read? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the MMB Open Book Blog Hop each Wednesday and they will tell all. Every week we’ll answer questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.

If you’re coming here from Christine Ardigo’s blog, welcome! Have you checked out her books yet? Her Amazon page is here.


This week we’re giving back with advice for fellow authors. I’m talking about my experience with a website for book advertising, RobinReads.


I’ve not had much luck with paid advertising, and as a result. I’m always shy about doing it. My last book launch, I hired a company to arrange a blog tour for me. They warned me up front they wouldn’t guarantee sales, I should look at it as a way to get my name out there. It was good they made the statement, because I didn’t see a jump in sales on any day I was featured on a blog stop.


But I’ve been hearing good things about RobinReads in various groups I’m a part of, and decided to give it a try. The cost was withing my budget, and I wanted to see if it would increase sales.


First off, it was incredibly easy to sign up. Their criteria for accepting a book is posted and easy to understand. Here’s what the sign-up page says is their criteria for a listing:



All the information they need is included in their short and simple sign up form. I got an email accepting my submission within a couple of days. Once I’d paid for my ad via PayPal, there was nothing else for me to do except to wait for the day it ran. (Saturday, May 3rd)

When I checked the web page early in the morning, I was disappointed to see my book was listed at the bottom of the page.I worried that the readers wouldn’t see it. I was wrong.

I’d thought about tracking sales hour by hour, but that didn’t work out. So here’s the statistics I have. All times listed are Mountain Time.

           9:00 AM      3 books sold (All in the UK. The rest of the days sales were from the US)
        12:00  PM     19 total books sold
           2:00 PM     31 books
           5:00 PM     36 books
           6:00 PM     39 books
           7:00 PM     46 books
           8:00 PM     47 books
            9:00 PM    51 books

And that was the last sale I saw while I was up. One more copy was sold overnight, bringing the total to 52 books. The one thing I didn’t do was track my Amazon sales rank from the beginning. The highest my book ranked 5755 in the overall paid books. 

So I made the cost of the ad back with some to spare. As the book I listed is the first in a series, I’m hoping that selling it cheaply will result in sales of the second book. So far, I haven’t seen that happen, but I still have my fingers crossed.

So now to the important question—would I use RobinReads again? And the answer is yes, absolutely. It may not have propelled me into any top 100 lists, but it certainly introduced me to some new readers.

To find out what Stephany Tullis has to say, head on over to her blog.  http://www.stephanytullis.com/blog.  And don’t forget to check out her books too! Stephany Tullis

Guest Author- J.M. Maurer

Today I’m pleased to Welcome J.M. Maurer and her books

 Title: Seeking Love (Emerging From Darkness Book 1)
By: J.M. Maurer
Publish Date: April 2, 2015
Categories: Contemporary Romance, Humor, Woman’s Fiction

Giveaway:

J.M. Maurer is giving away 3 signed paperback copies of Seeking Love.
To enter, simply visit her website and sign up for her newsletter. Be
sure to drop her a quick hello. 
Blurb:

Every day, Jessica
Winters does what she does best—bury herself in patient care within
the walls of the neuro intensive care unit, keeping herself busy to
escape the dark sadness that controls her life. But the day she sees
Matthew Moi, the intriguing man seated at her new patient’s
bedside, her shattered heart begins to frantically beat once again. 

As Matthew pins his
mesmerizing gaze upon her, trying to distract her with his humorous
and playful banter, she does her best to ignore him. Somehow he
already knows a great deal about her, breaking down Jessica’s
barriers and awakening her soul, drawing her out of the darkness and
into his arms. 

When
her painful past resurfaces, revealing truths that threaten her
future, Jessica struggles through her issues and fights to stay on a
healing path . . . 
seeking
love
.

Buy
Links:

Amazon
US: bit.ly/SeekingLove

Barnes
& Noble: bit.ly/SeekingLoveBN

All
Romance: bit.ly/SeekingLoveARe

 Title: Seeking Redemption (Emerging From Darkness Book 2)
By: J.M. Maurer
Publish Date: May 2, 2015

Blurb:

After
surviving a bitter divorce and emerging from a darkness that became
all too familiar, Jessica finds herself on top of the world, her
soulful awakening allowing her to feel again, trust again, and even
love again. Her painful past, however, is relentless, both physically
and emotionally, bombarding her daily and not allowing her to
overcome the lingering demons that ultimately control her life.

As
Matthew lovingly guides her toward a healthy future, his own secrets
become known, threatening to destroy the trusting relationship that
had quickly grown between them. But despite what life throws her way,
Jessica pledges to put the past in the past, accepting that events
are often out of her control. She fights for a future with the man
who drew her out of the darkness, steering her onto a healing path
. . . seeking redemption.

Buy
Links:

Amazon
US: bit.ly/amznSkR

Amazon
UK: bit.ly/SkRamznUK

Amazon
CA: bit.ly/SkRamznCA
Barnes
& Noble: bit.ly/SkReBN

Smashwords:
bit.ly/SkRSW

Excerpt:

   Grandma O
flipped the light switch to what she called my office and
stood just inside the door, her soft features and gentle smile
inviting me in. I shivered, poised one step away, with a strange yet
familiar emotion rushing through me—an awareness that the instant I
entered, my life would be forever changed. Again.
   Was this Matthew’s plan all along? They all seemed in on it, the
thought making me feel railroaded and agitated, yet oddly aroused and
enchanted too. Unsure how to deal with such conflicting emotions, I
moved forward, looking to Grandma O for answers as I walked through.
   The office was spacious, slightly smaller than Matthew’s, with a
mahogany desk in the far corner and in front of an expansive bank of
floor-to-ceiling windows. I ran my fingertips along the colorful wall
of psychology books and periodicals as I walked along, passing a
leather couch on my way to the desk, my desk, and paused in
front of an empty nook within the bookcase.
   It struck me as odd, the cold wooden surface needing something to
spruce it up, make it mine. I had to think about that, my anxiety
making it difficult to ponder the issue, my restlessness preventing
me from staying in one place.
   I moved to the windows and stared out the tiny cracks between the
blinds, the world outside just as complicated as the one I had chosen
to live in.
   “We all read your master’s thesis,” Grandma O said, her voice
pulling me out of my thoughts. “It’s obvious you have a natural
gift for research and writing.”
   I turned and looked at her, questioning how they’d gotten their
hands on a copy.

   Sedation in the ICU: Patient Accounts of Their Dreams, Their Pain,
Their Fears
; I hadn’t published it. As it was, after countless
hours revisiting old charts and conducting hundreds of interviews,
I’d never been more nervous or scared the instant it was pulled
from my tight grip to be placed into the hands of someone who would
actually read it. There was no way I’d ever publish it, opening
myself up to a world filled with critics.

   “If you’re wondering, Dr. Moi is a personal friend of Professor
Marienetti. The sexual fantasies accounted for and described within
your research were fascinating, probably more so than Dr. Marienetti
could digest. We’re baffled as to why you chose not to publish. The
results, Jess, are far reaching, from ICUs to dentists’ offices.
You have a special gift; embrace it.”
   She walked toward me and leaned her back against the wall, her gaze
drinking in the room.
  “This office has been vacant, just waiting for you. You could do
great things here.” She patted my arm, her grandmotherly smile
telling me it would all be okay. “I’m next door if you need
anything.”
   Embrace it, I thought, watching as she walked out the door. I’d
heard that advice before—from Matthew. I sighed and looked down
upon the desk, the one I knew would take me a while to start calling
my own.
   My desk, my office, my couch, it all sounded quite foreign. I wasn’t
sure if I liked it or not.

About
the Author:

J.M. Maurer lives
with her family in Chicago. She makes it a point to never work on a
full moon and cringes when a coworker uses the “Q” word—never,
ever say, “It’s a quiet day today,” at her day job.

Known
for being overly superstitious, she can usually be found scraping at
the remnants of a Nutella container, screaming at a hockey game, or
putting pen to paper, allowing the “real” crazy voices in her
head to come alive. And after all this, it’s no wonder she’s an
incurable romantic and loves escaping the rat race of life to immerse
herself inside the world of a really good romance book . . .
because, after all, what’s better than a happily-ever-after?

Find
J.M. Maurer Here:

Amazon
Author Page: bit.ly/AmznJMMaurer


Seeking Hope (Emerging From
Darkness Book 3 ~ Fall/winter 2015)

The
conclusion
to the captivating romantic trilogy where love came easy, forgiveness
came with time, but healing from devastating loss proved daunting.
Together, Jessica and Matthew pursue an extraordinary future . . .
seeking
hope

Paranormal Experiences- Meet the Author

If you headed this way from Traci Wooden-Carlisle’s Blog, thanks for clicking the link! Did you check out her books? You can see them at Traci’s Amazon Page.
Do you like to read? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the MMB Open Book Blog Hop each Wednesday and they will tell all. Every week we’ll answer questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.
Question:
Have any of us had paranormal experiences? Maybe a brief description of one each of us may have had?


I’ve had a couple. I’ll tell you about one.


In high school, we were encouraged to pick intercultural topics for study and create a project based on our studies. Those projects were shared with our classmates and the rest of the school, and one night the public was invited to view our work. It wasn’t a competition, but it was a major portion of our grade for the semester.


One year, I chose to study Gypsies. I walked into the project with a fairly romanticized vision of Gypsy life, and most of the material I found back then reinforced that vision to a great extent. I also delved into the traditions of tarot cards and palm reading as a part of the project.


My presentation was based on that aspect of the culture I borrowed a set of tarot cards from a friend, and had a little area where people could come to have their fortunes told.



I never thought anyone would take it seriously. Certainly, I didn’t take myself seriously. 


But about two months later, I was approached by a girl I didn’t recognize in the public library. She remembered me. She definitely remembered her fortune. I’d read her fortune using tarot cards. One of the cards that came up for her was the mother card. Another was the death card.

She hadn’t known it the night I read her fortune, but she had been pregnant. She lost her baby shortly after I read her cards. All I could do was hug her and tell her how sorry I was. I didn’t cry until later.

I gave the tarot cards back to their owner as soon as I could, and I’ve never told anyone’s fortune since then. Not even for fun.

To find out what Stevie Turner has to say, head on over to her blog at Stevie Turner. And don’t forget to check out her books at Amazon Author Page- Stevie Turner


Do you have any questions you want the authors to answer? Leave a comment and let us know.


Do Photo-Shopped Images Make You feel Bad- Meet the Author

Thanks to Stephanie Tullis for sending you my way. Have you checked out her book? You can find it at The Master’s Plan.

Now on to this week’s question. Do photo-shopped images make you feel bad about yourself? Do you worry about the affect it has on teens?

I grew up before photoshop. (Yes, I’m that old.) I wasn’t bombarded with artificial images of pretend women. That was back in the day when the style was to be natural. Anybody remember Mama Cass Elliot? What a voice! And she wasn’t afraid of her size. That’s just the way she was.For many years I didn’t own a scale, and I never measured myself. Of course, I never had a “girlish figure.” I was athletic way back then, and I frequently bought men’s shirts because they fit me better. It never bothered me.I didn’t worry at all about modeling myself after anyone else’s ideal image.


But do I worry about the effect it has on teenagers? Absolutely. Both male and female. Males, because they are presented with unrealistic portrayals of what a woman should look like.If they think they’re going to find one of those overly processed pretend girls in real life, they are going to be disappointed.

And the girls? It starts long before they are teenagers. Take a look at the Disney princesses. You think those are realistic images to present to little girls?

And it only get worse as they get older. I remember hearing two young girls in the grocery store—they were maybe 12 or 12—worrying about being overweight. They were both at a perfectly appropriate weights for their age and height. And I stopped and told them so. I wasn’t sure they believed me, but maybe they will remember it down the line somewhere. So yes, I’m sure they were being influenced by the distorted images in magazines and movies and on television.

Truth is, the whole photoshop thing is one of my pet peeves. I’m much more a proponent of the idea that it’s what inside that makes a girl beautiful—what she thinks and feels, and how she treats herself and other people. Maybe that’s outdated thinking, or maybe it’s an idea coming back into popularity.

To find out what author Patti Fiala  has to say, head over to her blog at PJ Fiala. And don’t forget to check out her books.

Winning he Lottery-Meet the Author Week 6

Thanks to P.J. Fiala for sending folks my way. Have you read any of her books yet? You should check them outI think my favorite (so far) is Second Chances. You can find it here Second Chances.

Now on to this week’s question. What would I do if I won the lottery?

Funnily enough, I don’t play the lottery. Not any more, anyway. I used to play, but I rarely picked more than one right number. So I gave it up. Still, it’s fun to dream, isn’t it?

I’m going to assume I’ve won over a million dollars. More like ten million. After all, why play if you’re not playing for the big bucks.The first thing I’d want to buy is a log cabin up in the mountains somewhere. That shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. Think how much more productive I’ll be without the internet to distract me from my writing.

Next would be a house on the ocean. Two, actually. One on the Oregon Coast for my hubby, one on Florida for my daughter. We’d split winters between the three places. I actually like snow!

I’ll also need to set up a trust fund to pay for my grandson’s college. While all that’s going on, I’ll be making a list of what charities I want to make a donation to. So many marvelous organizations out there doing important work. I believe the local food bank will top the list. Maybe two food banks- one near the cabin location, and one near the ocean residence.

And that’s about it. I’m set. Sure, If you forced me to spend it all, I could find ways to do it. But it would feel pretty good to have the rest of it tucked away in a bank for emergencies.

To find out what author Kelly Williams would do if she won the lottery, check out her blog at
Kelly Williams. And check out her books at Amazon K. Williams

What Actor Would Play You- Meet the Author



This week’s question was “In the story of your life, who would play you? Who would play your family?”


I’ve said this before- I rarely watch TV, and hardly ever go to the movies. I don’t keep up with the latest news from Hollywood. So I decided to answer this question backwards- if I was an actress, what role would I play? And what roles would my family play?



I’ll start with the easy answer- my brothers, sisters, parents and I would play the Walton’s. There were 9 of us siblings- yes, nine. (We actually beat the Walton’s by one!) Now, I would post one of our group portraits, but one of my brothers doesn’t like to have his picture on the internet. So here’s a picture of the Walton’s instead.




And yes, we were more than a handful for our parents. There were trips to the ER for most of us, and I believe all of us had at least one turn standing in the corner as punishment for some infraction. But we also gave my folks opportunities to be proud with awards earned in school and through volunteer work.


But now we’re all grown and most of us have families of our own. So here’s the second part of the question. What roles would my husband. kids, and I play?


My husband would be an sheriff in the Old West. He very protective of women and children, has a keen sense of righteousness, and just looks like a character out of a Western. The character Matt Dillon comes to mind.





 My daughter would be a surfer chick from any beach movie, and my son would be the computer genius on a CSI show. And me? 


Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote. Not that I look anything like Angela Lansbury, or am half as talented, but the character is a great match. A mystery writer actually solving mysteries in “real” life. I enjoyed the show long before I ever found myself writing my own mysteries.





So that’s my take on this week’s question. To find out what author Ann Popp has to say, head over to her blog. at Ann Popp. And if you have a question you want answered, please leave it in the comments.





Life Lessons- Meet the Author Week 5








Do you like to read? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the MMB Open Book Blog Hop each Wednesday and they will tell all. Every week we’ll answer questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.’


This week’s question is: Who is the person you have learned the most valuable lesson in life from and what was the lesson?


This may seem trite, but it’s my mother. The woman amazes me. She is a wonderfully strong woman who shared her strength with her nine children. Yes, nine. Although in some ways we are similar—her genes run strong, especially among the four girls in the family—she allowed us to grow into our own personalities.We were permitted and encouraged to pursue different interests and goals.


I know that it was sometimes hard on her as we grew up and went our own ways. I was probably one of the more challenging of her children, but we all had our moments as we struggled to become adults.


This is one of my favorite pictures of her, taken the first Christmas after she and Dad got married.





And the lesson she taught me? Don’t give up. I won’t tell you how old she is, I’ll just say she’s lived a long and full life. Yet she volunteers at a Salvation Army meal center once week, depending on the weather. She remains active in church activities. The card club she belonged to even before I was born? Most of it’s members are dead now, but the remaining ladies get together to play dominoes and chat whenever they can. 


So when I changed careers yet again, she encouraged me. And when i released my first book, she couldn’t wait to read it. That was an adventure because it wasn’t in paperback and she read it on a borrowed Kindle- a first for her. That first book was dedicated to her. And she’s waiting anxiously for the release of my next book, coming April 14th. ( I had to get that promo in there!) Although none of my books have made the best seller list yet, I’m still trying. I’m not giving up.


To find out what another author has to say, head over to Stevie Turner’s blog. Stevie Turner