Saturday, October 29, 2016

Pump Up Your Book Announces Your Body, Your Style Virtual Book Tour

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Pump Up Your Book! is proud to announce Rani St. Pucchi’s Your Body, Your Style: Simple Tips on Dressing to Flatter virtual book tour starting November 1 and ending February 10.  Rani will be guest appearing at blogs throughout the U.S. and international regions talking about her phenomenal new book that will help the average woman in America which is size 14 and that relationship starts with an individual’s relationship to self..

Thirty years ago, Rani St. Pucchi took the bridal world by storm, despite having no formal training in fashion. She is an award winning couture fashion designer and founder of the world-renowned bridal house St. Pucchi. A passionate and dynamic entrepreneur who launched her global empire in the United States in 1985, Rani’s vision was to create an avant-garde bridal and evening couture line with modern styling and classic details. That vision has been realized today.

Renowned for infusing her creations with touches of magnificently colored jewels, exquisite hand embroidery, delicate beading and sparkling crystals on the finest silks and laces, these inspired designs with innovative draping evoke the timeless elegance every woman desires. As one of the foremost designers to introduce exotic silk fabrics and hand embroidery, Rani is applauded for being a pioneer in bringing color to the United States bridal scene, having learned that white does not flatter everyone.

Rani has been recognized and nominated on multiple occasions for her design talent and won numerous awards as a Style Innovator. In addition, she has been honored with the Best Bridal Designer Award at the prestigious Chicago Apparel Center’s DEBI Awards (Distinctive Excellence in Bridal Industry).

Rani is famous for designing the wedding dress worn by “Phoebe” as she captured the hearts of millions when she said “I Do” in a unique St. Pucchi Lilac corset bodice A-line gown on the finale of the hit television show Friends.

Her range of avant-garde designs are worn by the world’s most discerning brides, including celebrities and style icons such as New York Giants’ player Aaron Ross’ wife, Olympic gold medalist Sanya Richards; Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo’s wife Candice Crawford; Actress Tara Reid; Jason Priestley’s wife Naomi Lowde; actress Candice Cameron and Grammy Award winning country music singer Alison Krauss, who donned a specially designed Chantilly lace and silk gown at the Country Music Awards.

Rani has enjoyed much media attention. Her signature designs have been recognized in high profile media such as Entertainment Tonight, Harper’s Bazaar, WWD, Town and Country, Bride’s, Cosmopolitan Brides, Inside Weddings, Martha Stewart Weddings and The Knot. 

Rani’s real passion other than the world of design is to help women who have suffered abuse and those who are struggling to find themselves. On her quest to empower women to be their best selves, she is passionate about helping them find their voice through building their self-confidence. She believes that confidence must start with a woman’s love and acceptance of her body.

Renowned for her savvy knowledge of a woman’s form and fit, Rani is eager to share her knowledge of more than three decades with all women so they can make better styling choices. In addition to the book you are reading now, Rani is the author of four upcoming books: The SoulMate Checklist: Key Questions To help You Choose Your Perfect Partner; Seven Types of Men To Avoid: Recognizing Relationship Red Flags; Designing with Heart: A to Z Guide to Bridal Designing; and Unveiling: A Celebrity Fashion Designer’s Story, a Memoir of her Life Journey.

In Your Body, Your Style, Rani shares with you her knowledge of the female form and guides you to find simple solutions to your most pressing body concerns. The focus is on you — and how you can make yourself more confident and appealing in almost every situation — simply by making a few changes and different choices in planning your wardrobe.

Once you embrace your unique attributes and dissolve your bad relationship with your body, you’ll be amazed to find how irresistible you are to others!

This simple and friendly guide reveals:

* What clothes and silhouettes are best for your specific body type
* Simple techniques to determine which colors flatter you most
* Solutions to common lingerie issues and the importance of fit
* The one dress that is a chameleon, and how to transform it into different looks
* How to travel stress free by planning your wardrobe well
* 101 styling secrets, professional tricks and fashion tips

RANI ST. PUCCHI is an award-winning fashion designer, an author and relationship expert. She is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post.

If you’d like to follow her tour, visit http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2016/08/01/pump-up-your-book-presents-23-minutes-past-1-a-m-virtual-book-publicity-tour/.  Please leave a comment or question at each of her tour stops to let him know you stopped by!

Pump Up Your Book! is an award-winning virtual book tour agency for authors who want quality service at an affordable price.  More information can be found on our website at www.pumpupyourbook.com

While there, check out our Authors on Tour page to see what we have coming up in the months ahead. We’re always looking for new bloggers to join our team. 

Contact Information:
Dorothy Thompson
Founder of Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Tours
P.O. Box 643
Chincoteague, Virginia  23336
Email:  thewriterslife@gmail.com

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Book Publishing Secrets: Robynn E. Sheahan, author of 'Storm of Arranon'



I have always been a reader. I love books. When I’m not able to read, I listen to audio books. I started writing while working as a Paramedic/Firefighter in Northern California. Trust me, it’s not like it appears on TV. There was plenty of time for books, mostly reading them. I didn't seriously start writing until I moved to my ranch in Oregon. While waiting for lambs to be born in the middle of the night, I would head back to the house for an hour or two and sit down at the computer. Before I knew it, I had a manuscript. Not a good one, but a start.I joined critique groups and attended writer's conferences. I was on the fast track to learning. 

In 2013, I received an honorable mention in Writer’s Digest’s Self Published book awards for MG/YA. I guess I am learning something!

Ideas from dreams follow me into warm sunny days or the quiet of falling snow. “What ifs” feed a vivid imagination. Even mistyped phrases may lead to an "aha" moment. Brain storming sessions standing in windy, dark parking lots with fellow writers release thoughts that pry at the corners of my mind, grasping for purchase. Sometimes the ideas pursue me, with persistence.

For More Information
About the Book:

 A forbidden birth. A remarkable young woman. A marauding alien society. The battle begins.
 A brutal alien society invades Korin and Arranon, intent on destroying the two worlds that make up Cadet Erynn Yager's home. Forced to expose her strange abilities and reveal her forbidden birth, a guarded web of secrets unravels.

Stranded on an unfamiliar planet of eternal winter and predatory wildlife, the mysterious living consciousness of Arranon intervenes, leading Erynn on a mystical journey. 

Aware of Erynn's potential, the alien enemy pursues her. She struggles to gain control of her growing powers while in a constant race to elude the invaders, and join the forces preparing to fight a mounting occupation. 

Erynn’s secret may be her worlds' only hope, but at the cost of her life. Swept up in a chain reaction of events, Erynn's dedication extends far beyond service and duty. She learns the true meaning of sacrifice. 

Along with courage and hope, Erynn finds something unexpected on her journey of awareness and growth.

Love.

For More Information

  • Storm of Arranon is available at Amazon.
  • Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Thank you for your time in answering our questions about getting published.  Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
Robynn:  For me, becoming an author wasn’t a decision, not like I woke up one morning and said, I’m going to be an author. After years of starting stories I’d never finish, and just kinda messing around with a little fan fiction, a certain group of characters, Erynn and Jaer, started demanding more of my time. They had a story and they wanted it told. So, I did, and I love writing. I’ll start book five in the series this November during NaNoWriMo.

Is this your first book?
Robynn:  Yes and no. It is a second edition of my first book with some added scenes and a new spine and back cover. I have written and self-published books two and three in the series. Book four, picked up by a publisher, will be published later this year.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Robynn:  I pursued traditional publishing and after a year of rejection letters, I opted to self-publish. I continued to submit to publishers and I signed with a small press this year, 2016.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
Robynn:  Overall, I’m happy with self-publishing through CreateSpace. I’ve heard Lightning Source is a good route, also. CreateSpace was easy to work with and they made sure I was happy with my book before I hit the publish button. They will do as much or as little as you want regarding formatting, interior design, and cover. I let them take care of formatting and interior design and their prices are reasonable. My cost for print books is quite affordable. A friend of mine did all his own formatting and interior design with CreateSpace. He’s good at this while I’m easily frustrated and turn into Kylo Ren throwing a temper tantrum. He paid only for the print books he purchased.
I also published eBooks through Smashwords and their site is very simple. You can be up and running in minutes.
I’m looking forward to experiencing working with a publisher on book four in the series.

What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Robynn:  First, be careful when it comes to subsidy presses and vanity presses. In fact, my opinion only, run away. Money doesn’t flow from the author to the publisher. It’s flows from the publisher to the author. Second, make sure you have your work professionally edited and proof read. Critique groups are a great resource as are writer’s conferences.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Robynn:  Yes. I can only recommend CreateSpace and Smashwords, but I have heard good things from other self-published authors about Lightning Source.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Robynn:  Write. Read. Read books about writing. Join critique groups. Don’t give up. Keep submitting. Keep learning.
Some writing books I recommend-
Any of James Scott Bells’ books on writing
The Elements Of Style by Strunk and White
The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
Angela Ackerman’s and Becca Puglisi’s books, The Positive Trait Thesaurus, The Negative Trait Thesaurus, and The Emotion Thesaurus
On Writing by Stephen King

Monday, October 17, 2016

Book Publishing Secrets with John DeDakis, Author of 'Bullet in the Chamber'

Name: John DeDakis
Book Title: Bullet in the Chamber
Genre: Mystery-Suspense-Thriller
Publisher: Strategic Media Books
Thank you for your time in answering our questions about getting published.  Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
John: I came up with the title and the image for the cover a few days after my youngest son Stephen, 22, went missing in 2011.  He was found dead in my car a week later, the victim of an accidental heroin overdose. The image of a bullet in a syringe is my way of conveying the Russian-roulette dangerousness of injecting heroin even once.
But Bullet in the Chamber merely fictionalizes Stephen’s story, and folds it into a bigger picture. My protagonist, Lark Chadwick, 28, is a White House correspondent for the Associated Press.  It’s her first day on the beat when the executive mansion is attacked, the president is missing, the first lady’s life is in danger, and the man Lark loves disappears. So, in addition to being about drugs, it’s also about drones and journalism.
My decision to become a writer goes back to when God was a boy, or at least an adolescent.
I’d been a reporter for many years, including a stint as a White House correspondent during the last three years of Ronald Reagan’s presidency, but then I went behind the camera as an editor at CNN.  It paid well, but it was tedious, not creative.  That’s when I turned to writing.
At first, the project was a biography about a friend who’d been murdered.  But the research was time-consuming, expensive, and the information I was digging up caused his family much consternation.  So, I segued to fiction and rolled some of that research into my first novel.
Is Bullet in the Chamber your first book?
John: It’s my fourth in the Lark Chadwick series.  Each book stands alone, so you can begin reading the series with “Bullet” and not feel lost. But I hope “Bullet” entices you to read the others.  You can find out more about the series on my website: www.johndedakis.com 
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
John:  My first two novels were published by ArcheBooks, a small indie house. The books are print-on-demand, so they’re often mistakenly presumed to be self-published.  My agent, Barbara Casey, found a new home for my next two novels at Strategic Media Books, another small indie that takes a more traditional approach.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
John: I was a just-the-facts-ma’am journalist for forty-five years (25 at CNN), so when I turned to writing fiction, I decided to try the traditional route of getting an agent.  That’s because I felt I needed someone other than my mother or my wife to fall in love with my writing. I reasoned that if a stranger who’s a professional loves my work, then I must be doing something right.
My first novel went through fourteen major revisions over ten years before I found Barbarathe 39th agent I queried. For me, going the self-publishing route would have been a last resort.
The pros far outweigh the cons.  Barbara’s been my agent since 2004. She’s an author and an editor, plus she knows the business. Whenever I need to talk with her, she’s available with wise and helpful counsel.
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
John: Perhaps the biggest surprise for me was learning that all publishers now expect the author to take the primary (and sometimes the exclusive) responsibility to promote their work.  The good news for me is that I actually enjoy the marketing side. But the downside of that is that it can be a time suck and heavily encroach on the writing process.
I’ve also come to see that self-publishing is a worthy pursuit, especially if you’re writing something that might appeal only to a sliver of the population.  All too often, however, I feel that people turn to self-publishing prematurely, before they’ve taken enough time to buff and polish their initial drafts.  Their impatience to get published (or perhaps insecurity about the quality of their work) causes them to shunt themselves down a path that might be a discouraging dead end.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
John:  I recommend that before you pursue getting published at all you become as good a writer as you can possibly be.  That means you should:
  1. Read
  2. Read books about writing
  3. Go to writer’s conferences to learn about the writing craft, the publishing industry, and to meet authors, agents, and publishers
  4. Write
  5. REwrite!!
  6. Get honest feedback on your writing from people who will tell you the truth about what isn’t working (but who’ll encourage you, too)
Only after you’ve done all of the above should you even consider trying to get published. That’s because if you prematurely send out shoddy, unprofessional work, you won’t be taken seriously as a writerand, consequently, you won’t get published.
When you’re ready to find a home for your writing, I strongly suggest you get a directory of literary agents (type “literary agents” in the Amazon browser and you’ll get a long list of books). A good directory will tell you which agents are interested in your genre and how they want to be approached.
I feel trying to get an agent is more effective than querying a publisher directly because most publishers prefer to deal with agents they already know and whose judgment they trust.    
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?

John:  Don’t give up.  If you do, you’re guaranteed not to be published. If you keep trying, there’s always a chance. And, with self-publishing, getting your book into print is a certainty, but it might not be a good book if it doesn’t get the editorial oversight that comes via the more traditional route.

Monday, October 10, 2016

Book Publishing Secrets with Sally Fernandez, Author of 'Climatized'

Genre: Political fiction
Publisher: Dunham Books
Thank you for your time in answering our questions about getting published.  Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to become an author and pen this book?
Sally: I’m not an English Lit major and never considered a writing career, although I did write technical manuals and user guides in my prior business career. But writing a novel was a bit of a fluke and started with a challenge during the lead-up to the 2008 presidential election. As the endless pap rained down from the media, I began to question some of the frightening possibilities. According to my husband, who is now my editor, my questioning was more reminiscent of a rant. That is when he suggested I write about it instead of incessantly talking about it. So in a stream of consciousness, I sat down at the computer, grabbed one news event that was repeated ad nauseam and attempted to create a “what if?” mentality and ended up with a fifty-page scenario. It required a shift from business writing to turning out fiction and in the process I discovered I loved it. I equally enjoyed the research, and employing factual details, weaving them into the plot…all very much to my surprise.
The storyline for Climatized, my latest release, came from the research I conducted for my third and fourth novels that touched upon the topic of global warming. I discovered at the time that the scientific data did not coincide with public policy. I felt it would be the perfect scenario for Maxine Ford, my female protagonist, to debut as a private investigator.
Is this your first book?
Sally: Climatized is my fifth novel, the first in the new “Max Ford Thriller” series. My prior series, “The Simon Tetralogy” is comprised of Brotherhood Beyond the Yard, Noble’s Quest, The Ultimate Revenge, and Redemption.
With this particular book, how did you publish – traditional, small press, Indie, etc. – and why did you choose this method?
Sally: Climatized is published by Dunham Books, a boutique publishing firm. But that is not how I started out.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?  The pros and cons?
Sally: After a year and a half from inception to completion of my first novel, Brotherhood Beyond the Yard, I was finally ready to publish. I weighed my options between self-publishing or waiting it out with the big houses and accumulating a pile of rejection slips. Finally, I opted to go with CreateSpace, a self-publishing company under Amazon, an experience that was nothing but positive. Then the unbelievable occurred. Four months after publishing my first novel, I was approached by David Dunham of Dunham Books who offered me a contract to republish my novel under their brand. They have published all my novels since.
What lessons do you feel you learned about your particular publishing journey and about the publishing industry as a whole?
Sally: It’s a minefield and almost impossible to navigate unless you have massive amount of time, money, and patience. While self-publishing has been tarnished with the vanity press label, it afforded a great opportunity to learn the publishing process step-by-step; from copyediting to formatting to cover design to book trailers. When Dunham came along, I was well prepared.
Would you recommend this method of publishing to other authors?
Sally: My situation was extremely rare, so for any first-time author I wouldn’t hesitate to use a self-publishing firm. Forget the vanity label…the quality of your book will stand on its own.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Sally: Write, write, and write. Don’t get caught up in grammar, editing, and organizing along the way; that is why cut and paste was invented. I have lots of great narrative and dialogue I have stripped out of my manuscripts and have saved for another day. Let your thoughts flow, they can be shaped later.