Interview With International Best-Selling Author & Award-Winning Filmmaker Cali Gilbert

                                           

1. What inspired you to write this book? In 2017 my partner and I decided to share our personal story of reincarnation via my 8th book, TIMING THE TIDES. He's also a gifted writer so we enjoyed the collaboration. Book One of the TIMING Series was written from memory of our past life together aboard Titanic, yet fictionalized throughout certain parts to give the story some flavor since we included a modern- day scenario as well. Book Two, SHUFFLING THE TIDES is complete fiction as the real-life male protagonist from Titanic died in 1927. We thought, what would it be like if he had lived and they met again 24 years later during the maiden voyage of the R.M.S Queen Mary?  

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? It is a love story about second chances and is written for those who enjoy history, romance, a bit of mystery, and those curious about what they would do if they had a second chance at life and love.  

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I hope readers will enjoy the love story, but also take time to look at their own relationships and realize that everything that happens, regardless of whether it's good or bad, is all part of the journey, all part of learning and growing. Perhaps they'll think of words not spoken and take the time to heal any relationships that need some sort of closure so they can come together or move on. It's all about understanding that everyone is on their own unique journey in this thing called life.  

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? This particular story includes the gambling ships of the 1930s, so I chose SHUFFLING (as in shuffling playing cards) for this particular book. I also personally designed the cover utilizing the R.M.S. Queen Mary and a photo of my partner and I that was also included in Book One. 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Simply write and create your work in a way that works best for YOU. I believe every writer is unique in terms of writing style, structure, practices, etc., so just choose things in the process of writing that makes you enjoy the process. For instance, I love writing at the beach. It's my happy place. I take my notebook and I'm always jotting down ideas. It's also where I get the best downloads for material to include in my books. So just do YOU!  

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? Self-publishing is no longer frowned upon. It's becoming more and more the norm and I feel will continue to do so. This is my eleventh book, and I've self-published all of them. I do have another book currently with a traditional publisher simply because I have bigger plans for that book, but I've enjoyed self-publishing as it allows me to retain my creative control and publish whenever I like. 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Oh absolutely. Since the book is the sequel to a true story from my personal life, I have a better understanding of the time period. It has also made the journey of writing more enjoyable when it came to research. I wrote a lot of the first book on the R.M.S. Queen Mary and it was during that time that I came up with the idea of using the ship as the backdrop for the sequel. 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? My writing style is based on authenticity. It's simply me. I don't really look at others in comparison. As mentioned earlier, I feel every writer is unique. I enjoy taking my readers on a journey of discovery when I write, allowing them to place themselves in the scenes and ask themselves how they would react to certain situations, circumstances. I like to challenge my readers to look within.  

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? This book has been on quite some journey. Book One was released in 2017 and this book was initially slated to come out in 2019. Yet the story wasn't coming together as I had hoped, so I decided to shelve it. I then began working on the film script as a combination of both Book One and Two, yet that stalled out when I realized I didn't really enjoy the process of screenwriting as much as I do book writing. The gift however throughout that process was coming up with a more intriguing plot for Book Two than I had initially planned, so I'm very grateful for that.   

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? First off, I would suggest reading Book One, TIMING THE TIDES (if they haven't already) to better understand the journey of the couple. Then I feel it would make this book more enjoyable. Readers who enjoy historical fiction, love stories, and a bit of mystery, will enjoy this book.  Mark your calendars - May 27, 2023 Release Day!  

Cali Gilbert is an international bestselling author, award winning filmmaker and transformational coach. As the creator of the IT’S SIMPLY book series, Cali has published several bestselling books of her own and now coaches other writers through the publishing process. As Founder & CEO of Tower 15 Productions, Cali is passionate about writing and directing social impact films and supporting other creatives through education and collaboration. Cali has a passion for supporting creative women in transition and shares her personal story of transformation as an inspirational speaker. Cali resides in Los Angeles, California. For more information, please see: www.caligilbert.com 

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.3 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.