Sunday, April 30, 2017

How Does The Decline In Liberal Arts Degrees Impact Writers Or Book Industry?




Only 1 in 17 college graduates in the Class of 2017 will earn a degree in liberal arts.  According to the National Center for Education Statistics this is the lowest rate since records have been kept (over the past 69 years).  Where will our writers, entertainers, philosophers, and creative thinkers come from if those earning college degrees are shunning a liberal arts education?

Although I don’t believe colleges create people that become journalists, artists, television producers, theater hands, movie actresses, or dancers, those higher institutions of learning certainly nurture and enhance the raw talent and abilities of the young minds that attend their schools.  If people are to pursue a career in the media, performing arts, book publishing, and other creative areas, they likely will need to earn a degree that supports that passion.

Instead, we’re seeing a steady decline in people majoring in the liberal arts, where only 6.1% of all college degrees are earned (as of 2014).  Some of it is just a reaction to the times – and the new economy.

Technology, security, engineering, health professions, and math are all growing – no, surging – fields of study for college students.  Those kids will graduate to fulfill areas in need – and that pay.  College loans continue to climb and students can’t pass off their debt as a struggling artist or writer.

What, if anything, could or should be done to stem this tide?

On the one hand, a college degree is a qualification for those seeking many jobs.  We have a functional society that has many needs.  We can’t all be writers – we need doctors, builders, traffic cops and every imaginable profession.  But, to see the fall of the creative class is disheartening.

Who knows, maybe we have a glut of writers and performance artists.  There is a shortage in areas like nursing.  It would be great if, regardless of what people major in – or what jobs and careers they end up pursuing – students can be exposed to a liberal arts education.  Not only would this help grow the skill set of the creative talent pool but it would also raise the level of appreciation for books and the arts by those who eventually earn a living in other fields.

Maybe the fact that more schools are moving to offer more courses and degrees to serve the areas of the new economy is a good thing.  We are, as a society, in need of having qualified people to perform the tasks our world requires.  And students need to get a degree, not as a hobby, but as a means to earn enough money to become self-sufficient or thrive financially.  But as a former English major it saddens me to think that what I had valued so highly three decades ago is now being downsized by our new class of students.

Some question whether college is for everyone, assuming they can even afford to go.  Others question if a college degree is enough to navigate the demands of our global economy.  Whether one goes to college or majors in the liberal arts – one thing is clear:  The key to growing our country is everyone must find a way to always learn and as individuals to always be open-minded.  There will naturally be enough writers, artists, and performers because nothing will stop those with talent and passion and drive to succeed at living out the potential of their gifts.  But if colleges continue to turn out fewer and fewer graduates of the liberal arts we will see a decline in our cultural literacy.

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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Interview with author Matthew Isaac Sobin


The Last Machine in the Solar System



1. What really inspired you to write your book, to force you from taking an idea or experience and conveying it into a book?
I first had the idea for the story while watching a show on the science channel. The program followed and analyzed the expected natural progression of the solar system, focusing on the life cycle of the sun and the impact on the earth and the other planets. It was fascinating. In my own mind, and perhaps for many people, the expectation is that humanity may be long gone by then. But what if it wasn’t? Or what if something from humanity, an intelligent creation, had been designed so that it survived and witnessed the end? That gave birth to the idea for The Last Machine. From there I was energized and motivated to get the story down, and as a novelette, I had a first draft in a little over one month.

2. What is it about and whom do you believe is your targeted reader?
This is the story of Jonathan, an android robot who has been conceived to outlive humanity by multiple billions of years with the goal of documenting the end of mankind and the ultimate destruction of the solar system by the sun. He also has a final mission set out for him by his long dead creator, Nikolai, which he may choose to accept. To some extent, “humanity” and the “sun” are their own characters in this book, and in different ways they represent antagonists to Nikolai, and eventually to Jonathan.  Because this is science fiction in the more classic sense - like it was back in the 1950s - there are some deep-thinking concepts. I delve into the science of the solar system and some astronomical hypotheticals. The story also explores aspects of human psychology and emotion through Nikolai and Jonathan. I’d like to think lovers of classic SciFi will find something to enjoy here.

3. What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book? What should remain with them long after putting it down?
One theme that I’d like readers to consider is the nature of human dependency. We’re dependent on food and food is dependent on solar energy. I’m intrigued by the idea of a species progressing to the point that it cuts the cord of dependency from the star to whom it owes its existence. An incredibly difficult task, which would require a great deal of cooperation by the species (maybe humanity). Potentially, it is the ultimate question of independence. But true independence is something that only gets achieved by motivated collectives. One of the final illustrations in the book, by the incredible graphic novelist Jack Katz, crystallizes Jonathan’s fate and the long sequence of events that brought him to his end. If readers reflect on our direction as a species, the book will have been a success.

4. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers?
Just to write. Creativity is a gift, maybe even a freak occurrence. Where does it come from? This is something that is explored deeply in The Last Machine and Nikolai comes up with a scientific approach to intellectual creativity. But in our world it’s something that you mostly have or don’t have, and the question is whether or not the creator harnesses their abilities. Sometimes I struggle with this myself; not writing for long periods of time even though I know it’s a mistake, a form of self-sabotage. Writing needs to be second nature, like brushing your teeth everyday. And of course, whether or not anybody reads your work (or buys it) is really immaterial to a writer’s personal progression. Unfortunately, we all seem to thirst for validation; it’s in our nature.  

5. What trends in the book world do you see and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?
Oh, I’m not really sure. This is my first published work and I’m just getting my feet wet. My publisher, Inkshares, may be part of that change in the industry. I crowdfunded my book during a contest, selling 350 copies in 6 weeks to win the Sword & Laser: The Sequel contest. I was intrigued because I felt that it put becoming a published author more under my control. I was no longer relying someone’s reaction to a query letter. It democratized the process. It was also very stressful for me, but ultimately exhilarating. It’s hard to predict where the future will take an industry. Of course, I take my best shot at predicting the next 3 billion years in The Last Machine in the Solar System!

6. What great challenges did you have in writing your book?
Writing this book was really exciting. I was on a mission right alongside Nikolai and Jonathan. Most of the writing wasn’t too difficult. I really got into a good zone with this novelette. I think the biggest concern for me was the science. I really wanted it to be highly accurate. Everything (OK, most things) in the book should be theoretically possible. I think it came out pretty well. But over billions of years, predicting what will be in our solar system, it’s very hard to say. We may need to create a robot to stick around and confirm whether the book was on target :-)

7. If people can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours?
If they love SciFi, particularly SciFi from the middle of the 20th century, then I hope the story will fascinate them and make them feel something they haven’t felt recently. The Last Machine in the Solar System is different from other books: The history of mankind in 80 pages, it’s illustrated, and it’s going where no machine has gone before!

Matthew Isaac Sobin grew up in Huntington, New York, and graduated from Tufts University with a bachelor's degree in history, with studies in astronomy and geology. He currently lives in Hayward, California, with his partner, sculptor Patricia Gonzalez, and works with the Peter Beren Literary Agency. The Last Machine in the Solar System is his first published work. For more info, please see: https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-last-machine-in-the-solar-system

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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs

Overcoming Your Book Marketing Phobia!



Phobia Relief Day is May 8th.  I saw a book advertised in Publishers Weekly, Phobia Relief: From Fear to Freedom, and it made me wonder if one can find a way to confront and overcome their fears as a writer, especially book marketing phobia.

WikiHow says a phobia “is actually an intense form of anxiety with a deep sense of fear to which the body reacts.”

I don’t know that most writers necessarily get full-fledged panic attacks or extreme twitches when they hear the term “book marketing” but I do know many have concerns or uncomfortable feelings associated with it.

Why?  Because it’s unfamiliar to them.  Because it requires certain skills they think they lack.  Because it may entail money or time they assume is not available to them. Or, because they are shy and fear talking to the media, or worse, they fear failure -- or success.

HelpGuide.org says:  “The most effective way to overcome a phobia is by gradually and repeatedly exposing yourself to what you fear in a safe and controlled way.  During this exposure process, you’ll learn to ride out the anxiety and fear until it inevitably passes.”

But it’s not that simple.

There’s a multi-billion-dollar industry of doctors, therapists, medications, therapies, books, seminars, and consultants seeking to resolve the stress – anxiety-phobia trifecta.

A phobia of books marketing is not often discussed publicly, though authors will grouse that they wish they didn’t have to put so much attention to it.

I’m not a doctor but it would seem to me that the fear of book marketing can be overcome in one of several ways:

Simply don’t do it – and hope that your book sells.  Unlikely scenario.

Hire someone to do it for you – if you have the resources, this is a no-brainer.

Do the things that you do like, and ignore or sub-contract out the rest.  This is your most productive and cost-effective approach.

Seek professional help from the mental health community and see if you can confront what’s holding you back.  Maybe you need to see a speaking coach.

Perhaps you just need a seminar to understand social media.  Or maybe your concerns have to do with your appearance or voice.  They have makeover artists and speech therapists to help there too.

The key to attacking a phobia or problem is to drill down into identifying the specific elements or aspects that concern you.  Are they physical or psychological?  Are they based in fact or fear?  What, if anything, can be done to fix or improve it?

PsychCentral.com suggests you try a shame-attacking exercise, saying:  “Purposely do something silly in public, in order to overcome your fear of appearing foolish.”  It is true that once the worst happens – or something that you fought have to avert happens – you begin to realize the world didn’t end and you become more resilient, tolerant, and confident. What doesn’t kill you actually does make you stronger.

Another suggestion from PsychCentral is to allow for positive imaging.  Its say: “substitute reassuring and peaceful images for the frightening daydreams and fantasies that make you feel excessively anxious.”

I recommend that you write a book about book marketing phobia.  It would be quite acceptable for you to not market it.

But in all seriousness, many writers experience some kind of discomfort when they are forced to address book marketing.  In some respects, the act of marketing runs counter to one’s desire to be a writer.  The writer likes to observe, watch, research, and analyze – not talk, do, or be the featured act.  The writer likes to communicate through the written word to be judged based on his or her ideas and not her looks, speaking style, or ability to share YouTube videos.

Book marketing however, should not seem foreign to writers.  A writer uses many of the same skills to promote a book as he does to write it.  S/he still needs to conduct research (of his market), write (to the media, on social media), and take part in interviews (be the subject of them, instead of being the interviewer).

Authors will have to confront their book marketing phobia in order to have a successful, long-term writing career.  It won’t be easy, but it is possible.  It certainly is necessary.

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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs

Friday, April 28, 2017

Interview with author Karen Trollope-Kumar



Cloud Messenger: Love and Loss in the Indian Himalayas

Karen Trollope-Kumar is a Canadian family physician who has worked in farflung parts of the world, from remote northern towns in Ontario to the Himalayan foothills of India. She is an associate professor of Family Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and she also holds a PhD in medical anthropology, the study of health in its social and environmental context. She and her husband Pradeep Kumar spent many years doing medical work in India, and they maintain close ties to that part of the world. Her interests include hiking, traveling, reading and writing. She recently published an award-winning memoir of the years they spent in India.  “Cloud Messenger” is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kindle and Kobo. She currently works as a family physician at Grand River Community Health Centre in Brantford, Ontario. For more info, please see: http://www.karentrollopekumar.com/

1. What really inspired you to write your book, to force you from taking an idea or experience and conveying it into a book? Cloud Messenger is a memoir about the most dramatic chapter in my life – the 11 years that I spent living and working as a doctor in the Indian Himalayas. I learned so much about medicine, about culture, and about the human journey itself, that I felt a deep need to share these experiences.

2. What is it about and whom do you believe is your targeted reader? “Cloud Messenger” begins when I first traveled to India and met the man who would become my husband. Pradeep was a young pediatrician who inspired me to marry him and move to the Himalayan foothills of north India. After our wedding, my husband and I began our medical work, a time of tremendous learning and exploration for both of us.  I learned about tropical diseases and also about how culture affects illness. I learned to speak Hindi and also about how to live in an entirely different culture.   Meanwhile, my husband and I had to build a lasting relationship and create a loving home for our growing family. Then, a series of dramatic crises occurred – an earthquake, an assassination and a political crisis – and suddenly our lives and ideals were at stake…  My target audience is older women with an interest in culture, spirituality or cross cultural experience. The book would also appeal to those interested in travel, anthropology, and medicine.

3. What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book? What should remain with them long after putting it down? The central message of my book is that it is possible to build bridges of the heart across the great divides of class, education and culture.  During the 11 years I spent in the Himalayan foothills, I established deep friendships with so many people – members of my Indian family, medical colleagues, the nurses who worked with us and the women of the villages of the Himalayas.

4. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers? I suffered from writer’s block for a long time because it seemed like such a difficult task to describe this extraordinary time in my life in words. Finally, I made a verbal commitment to complete the book to a large circle of my friends and acquaintances. They really kept me on task, and didn’t allow me to procrastinate any further! Once I got going, it was a real joy to write.

5. What trends in the book world do you see and where do you think it is heading? Definitelythe book publishing industry is undergoing some major shifts at present, with the Indie publishing trend growing by leaps and bounds. Overall, I think this is a positive development. Authors now have more decision-making power, although they do have to be much more involved in the marketing and promotion side of their books. 

6. What great challenges did you have in writing your book? My most difficult challenge was in finding my “narrative voice”. The first draft was a rather dry account of those years in India, with lots of medical and historical detail. But it just didn’t seem ring true. I think that a really good memoir has to be written in a personal voice, allowing the reader into the mind and heart of the author.  This is what happened when I wrote subsequent drafts of Cloud Messenger – it became a heartfelt and genuine story of that dramatic chapter in my life.

7. If people can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours? At its heart, Cloud Messenger is a love story of a young woman who marries a man from a very different cultural background and moves to the Himalayan foothills, where she and her husband work as doctors.  But it is much more than a love story, because it blends interesting insights into medicine and anthropology with a fascinating account of travel in a remote part of the Himalayas. At the deepest level, it is an exploration of the human journey: What inspires us? What challenges us? And when faced with disaster and disillusionment, how do we go on?

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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs

Interview with author Leah Guy:


The Fearless Path:
 A Radical Awakening to Emotional Healing and Inner Peace


1.      What really inspired you to write your book, to force you from taking an idea or experience and conveying it into a book? I have been working with clients for about 20 years. During that time I began to notice similar issues that were keeping people from true happiness and healing. Mainly, they were attempting to get rid of their pain by ignoring it, “letting go” or staying angry. After several years of research and seeing the positive effect that my method of healing was having on clients I decided it was time to reach a larger audience and try to help as many people as I could.

2.      What is it about and whom do you believe is your targeted reader? The Fearless Path is about having the courage to acknowledge and accept the ways in which we suffer and learn how to process our real feelings to find healing. The target audience is anyone who is emotionally mature enough to deal with their wellness or for those that have tried, but are still strangled by their suffering.

3.      What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book? What should remain with them long after putting it down? My hope is that the reader not only becomes inspired and empowered to look at their life differently, but brave enough to share their authentic self and purpose with others. The more truthful and expressive we become, the more connection with have within our personal lives and with others in the world. Then we don’t feel separate or disconnected, and the anxiety and fear lessons.

4.      What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers? Just write. It sounds trite and corny, but you can always change words and structure and content (until it’s published that is!) but you need to get the energy moving and the words flowing onto the page in order to have anything to work with. I also gave myself a five minute prep time before sitting down to write to do a meditation or be in quiet and listen. It helps a lot.

5.      What trends in the book world do you see and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? I have an inclination that the publishing world is going to continue to see a slight comeback, be it digital or hard copy. As a commuter around NYC, I am encouraged daily to see the vast amount of knowledge-hungry people with their heads in a reader or paper product. I don’t think there will ever be a time of saturation, although topic matter needs to continue to evolve and vary.

6.      What great challenges did you have in writing your book? Writing! I don’t feel like a natural writer. Storytelling and on-camera media I am comfortable with, but writing is a challenge. I’m glad I had the deadline from a publisher, otherwise I may not be writing these words right now!

7.      If people can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours? What an intense question! I believe the people that are meant to read my book will find it and will be compelled to purchase. There are not only stories in the book, but compelling information about our energy system and overall wellness that I think is necessary for anyone on the self-care journey to understand. It’s a practical book, easy to understand and useful no matter the pain or suffering one is enduring. Addiction, weight issues, heartache, anxiety, sexual assault or behavioral issues…the information is applicable and relatable.

      For more info, please see: www.leahguy.com.

     Leah Guy is an intuitive transpersonal healer, spiritual teacher, professional speaker, and media personality. She offers wisdom from a lifetime of personal triumphs and more than 22 years helping clients transform their lives from fear and disconnection to heart-centered, soulful living. She is a sought-after inspirational speaker who has appeared on numerous television and radio shows on topics such as meditation, the mind-body connection, energy medicine, intuition, and addiction, as well as emotional and spiritual healing. Also known at The Modern Sage, she owns the Modern Sage Healing Center and product line, and A Girl Named Guy Productions, LLC. Leah lives in Jersey City, New Jersey.

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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs

Why Selling A Home & Promoting A Book Are Similar



Selling a home and promoting a book are very similar in nature.  I can say they both come down to presentation and perceived value.

It would seem the stakes are higher when selling a home, for it can be worth hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars but the same approach to selling a house works the same as promoting a book.

To sell a home, one usually uses a broker or realtor.  To promote a book, an author may hire a book promoter.

A lot of time, money and effort – and emotional agony – goes into selling a home.  Same for promoting your book.

Both have a lot of competition – people can buy any house, anywhere.  They can also buy any book, any time.  People can buy a new book or an old one, just as they can buy a new house or an old one.

To sell a home today the process is pretty streamlined.  One hires a broker and that person puts it on a computerized database, the MLS.  This is where all of the home-buying traffic filters through.  One can do open houses, advertise online or in local publications, hand out fliers, post signs, and contact groups or businesses that may need a place to relocate an employee.

To promote a book, one uses a publicist and that person needs to go through the news media – book reviews, social media, interviews with television and radio, feature stories in newspapers, magazines and websites – and one can also hold press conferences, advertise online or in local publications, hand out fliers, put up posters, and contact organizations that may want to purchase the book.

In both scenarios – marketing a book or a home – you get a select window of time to get the job done.  A house that fails to sell after several months looks stale and gets forgotten.  A book that fails to make a splash during the first few months prior to or following a book launch means death is certain.

But what they both really have in common is that both succeed based on the narrative one uses to describe them.  Homes are sold when they get potential buyers to come see a house, but that won’t happen unless the listing sounds exciting and inviting.  The listing shows images and provides core facts about the home and uses descriptive text to make your mouth water.  Do you want to live in a charming, well-maintained, spacious home “or do you want to reside in a “tidy dwelling?” Once you get to the house, you are given a prospectus that again seeks to sell you.  Some real estate agencies offer drone-shot images or video on dedicated websites.  All of this plays into one’s perceptions of what’s being offered.

With books, the press releases, a marketing kit, web site, or your social media. – present a picture and feel for who you are and what you and your book have to offer.  If you don’t make a good presentation with these items, the media won’t look any further.  Like a realtor's prospectus, a book has back cover copy that also serves to draw a buyer in.

The media makes all kinds of snap judgments, assumptions and conclusions based on what you reveal and share in a press release.  If the headline doesn’t grab them, they move on.  If the bullet points don’t sound interesting, they’re done.  If the facts provided don’t sound substantial, they toss it.  The same is true for people scrutinizing a real estate listing.  Once they sift through a search with certain parameters – location, price, inclusion, or exclusion of particular features or styles – they want to hear a story that leaves them with only one conclusion:  you must have this house! 

Although one buys a house with functionality in mind – to support the needs and demands of who lives there – a house is also like a piece of art.  You develop an attachment to it.  The house comes to represent you and state who you are.  Books, too, serve a purpose – whether it’s to inform, inspire, entertain, or enlighten you – and it also represents your passions, style, values and desires.  You are what you read – and you read what you are.

Selling a home and promoting a book can come down to human relationships and connections.  Who does your broker know –and how convincing and persuasive do they come across in these interactions and communications?  Who does your publicist know – and how passionate and persevering are they in their interactions and communications?

To promote a book or sell a home you need to provide and show value, differentiation, and confidence in what you offer.  Book promoters and realtors know the competition is fierce and that a sense of urgency must push their every move.  The next time you see a home listing or read a book’s press release, realize that behind every home and book is a truth – and behind it is a publicist or broker seeing to shape the truth and tell a new story.

When you promote a book, think of it is as a piece of real estate.  How would you market a home?  Employ those tactics to promoting your book.  You may just end up with a best-seller – or a new home!

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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Interview with Movie Actress & Author Diane Sherry Case



1. What really inspired you to write your book, to force you from taking an idea or experience and conveying it into a book? I was originally inspired by a Tibetan monk who was such a colorful character, witty and playful, that I want to write about him. I had planned to go with him on a trek in the Himalaya, until I met a mother and daughter who had gone with him on a previous trip and barely came back alive! Somehow he ended up in a story influenced by the worst tragedy in my life, the death of my only sister who died of an accidental overdose from opiates.  My kids also inspire me - my relationship with them echoes throughout the book and I suppose the wacky mother resembles me! So there’s the adventure, the tragedy and then there’s the romance!  Both my own love life and my kids' reverberate throughout the story.  

2. What is it about and whom do you believe is your targeted reader? I believe this is for anyone over fifteen - adults seem to like it because it’s a quick satisfying read and it is a terrific conversation starter between teens and their parents about the dangers of experimenting with drugs and about an even bigger topic of how to deal with the death of a loved one.   Anyone who likes drama with humor, adventure with tragedy and of course romance (as both the mother and daughter in the story find love) will enjoy this book. 

3. What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book? What should remain with them long after putting it down? The young girl in the story asks big questions, like why were we born, what are we doing here and what is life for.  The monk has the ultimate answer, “To love, to love, to love."

4. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers? READ.  And then read some more.  Try writing as fast as you can at first - just let you pen flow free without worrying about punctuation or spelling or grammar, and without thinking before you write.  You can fix it later!  The idea is not to think!  Bypass your intellect because your subconscious is smarter and more interesting and insightful than your conscious mind.  Just look at dreams!  

5. What trends in the book world do you see and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? I don’t pay attention to trends in publishing except that I know many people are self-publishing and I think that’s terrific!

6. What great challenges did you have in writing your book? Writing a novel is just a long boat race!  My biggest challenge was weaving together two diverse stories, a poignant friendship and the death of a loved one and a trek in the Himalaya to rescue two orphans.  But I did it and it works!

7. If people can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours? Because it will make them laugh and cry...

About Diane Sherry Case: As a young adult Diane played Lana Lang in Superman, the movie, appeared in countless television shows and two Super Bowl commercials. She attributes her ability to write complex and lovable characters, as well as dynamic dialogue, from her training as an actor. Diane also wrote, directed and acted in the series House Poor (also on Amazon).  She is the mother of two young adults and lives in Santa Monica, California where she teaches therapeutic writing.  

Her book, Write For Recovery, Exercises for Heart, Mind and Spirit, will be out in May 2017.EARTH TO SKYE https://www.amazon.com/Earth-Skye-Diane-Sherry-Case/dp/1943492239/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490485337&sr=8-1&keywords=earth+to+skyeis by Diane Sherry Case, who also wrote Elephant Milk , winner of the best novel award with the Next Generation Indie Awards.

Here’s a link to the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/earthtoskye/  and the trailer  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBjNC0XtxkU

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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs