Cyrus Webb Presents...

Brotha Magazine Prepares To Recognize 2012's 40 Under 40

2012-02-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

Brotha Magazine Prepares To Recognize 2012's 40 Under 40

As part of its continuing effort to recognize those who are not only giving back as part of their Christian responsibilities but in the community as well, Nebo Publishing and Brotha Magazine are pleased to announce the formation of its 'Brothahood of 40'. This will be a yearly celebration of 40 brothas under the age of 40 that are raising the bar by their example.

"This is not a competition," says Charles Clark, President and Founder of Brotha Magazine. "I see it as a way for our readers to celebrate those brothas whose hard work and dedication may have seemingly gone unnoticed. This is a way for us to shine a spotlight on those who in their professional and Christian lives are reaching for a higher standard."

The nominating process is simple. An email should be sent to forty@brothaonline.com with the name, age, city/state and head shot of the person being considered. The email should also include a paragraph which shares how the nominee is meeting the following criteria: their vision and leadership; innovation and achievement; community impact; growth/development strategy as well as faith based involvement.

The deadline for the nominating process is June 1, 2012, which this year's honorees being announced in the October/November issue of Brotha Magazine. For more information email forty@brothaonline.com.

(Sat. Feb. 4, 2012) Cyrus Webb Presents A Showing Of PRINCE AMONG SLAVES

2012-01-23T13:27:00.001-08:00

Join Cyrus Webb as he presents the documentary PRINCE AMONG SLAVES at the Pearl Public Library (2416 Old Brandon Road * Pearl, MS) on Sat. February 4, 2012 beginning at 1p.m.
Based on the book by Terry Alford, Webb will also share his interviews with the author and the director of the project Andrea Kalin from his radio show Conversations LIVE. Admission free. For details contact Cyrus Webb at cawebb4@juno.com or 601.896.5616. You can also visit www.cyruswebbpresents.com.

Rankin County's ONLY Weekly Open Mic Returns Sat. Jan. 21st

2012-01-21T06:19:00.000-08:00

After a year hiatus award-winning spoken word artist and Rankin County native Cyrus Webb (aka C. A. Webb) is pleased to announce the return of Rankin County's only weekly spoken word night!

"Spoken Word Saturdays" returns on Sat. Jan. 21st and will continue each Saturday at a new location (J& J Deli* 118 Service Drive, Suites 17 * Brandon, MS-- behind Mazzio's) @ 7p.m. et featuring spoken word poem, singing and other creative expressions that are appropriate for a family-friendly event.

"I've missed hosting poetry night," says Webb, 36, who has published 4 poetry chapbooks and produced 2 spoken word cds over the past decade and toured the country with other poets as well. "I'm glad to be back home in Rankin County, and I am excited about giving people a platform to share their work."

"Spoken Word Saturdays" is open to anyone who loves to share their talent or just want to enjoy the experience. J & J Deli will be open with their regular specials, and there is no admission to attend. For details contact Cyrus Webb at cawebb4@juno.com or 601.896.5616. You can also visit www.cyruswebbpresents.com.

(Thurs. Jan. 19, 2012) Race and Rankin County Town-Hall Style Meeting @ Pearl Public Library

2012-01-13T04:06:00.000-08:00

(Thursday, January 19, 2012) Join Conversations LIVE radio host Cyrus Webb as he hosts a conversation about the state of race relations in Rankin County, Mississippi.

How have things changed? Does the recent alleged hate crime in the state show that more progress and dialogue is needed? What about where the state stands on inter-racial relationships? All of this and more will be a topic for the discussion.

"We shouldn't allow others to define the kind of people we are," says Webb,36. He has hosted forums like this one over the past 5 years to discuss issues such as the sate flag, blacks and the Obama candidacy and the impact of Hip Hop on the black community. It is Webb's hope that citizens of Rankin County and others in the state can come together and find ways that we can better work together to achieve what we want for the future.

Admission is free. The public is encouraged to attend. For more information visit www.cyruswebbpresents.com. You can contact Cyrus Webb at cawebb4@juno.com or 601.896.5616.

(Friday Jan. 20, 2012) Cyrus Webb Presents "America Under Obama: 3 Years Later"

2012-01-12T05:54:00.000-08:00

On Friday, January 20, 2012 Conversations LIVE host Cyrus Webb presents "America Under Obama: Three Years Later". His panel consisting of Journalist Billy Hallowell, Gary Dorrien (author of The Obama Question: A Progressive Perspective), Author Stephen M. Grimble (For Love & Liberty) & author John Maher (Learning From The Sixties) discusses what they think of Obama's re-election chances, the GOP field and what it will take to get America turned around and back to work. This is one conversation you don't want to miss.

The show begins at 8p.m. et (7p.m. ct/5p.m. pt) Listen live at www.tinyurl.com/americaunderobama3.

TAKE TEN: Author Patricia Neely-Dorsey

2012-01-02T21:09:00.000-08:00

(REPRINT) Patricia Neely-Dorsey's book Refections of a Mississippi Magnolia was released in 2008 to glowing reviews, and she will be spending her time getting it out to the world in the coming months while writing on her next project. Patricia took out time recently to talk with Conversations about her beginnings as a writer, the book and what keeps her going.

Happy New Year to you, Patricia, and thank you for taking out time to participate in Conversations' "Take Ten". Before we talk about your book Reflections of A Mississippi Magnolia I want you to talk about you. How would you describe yourself and your evolution over the years?
Happy New Year to you, Cyrus, and Thank You for this wonderful opportunity to share with you about my book. In answer to your question, I would say that I have always thought of myself as very interesting and unique. On all of the questionnaires that I ever filled out since I was in grade school, I always described myself as that. Everyone also tells me that I am very funny.. so I guess I am that , too. People are always commenting on how funny some of my poems are. Evolution? Although ,I felt that I really knew myself inside and out and that everything was pretty much set with me, I think a real evolution began in me and with me when I turned 40. All of a sudden, it seemed that I just had all of these new revelations about myself and the world around me. It was like a new lease on life. The forties have truly been fabulous. and very eye-opening thus far. I feel that I know myself so much better and that I am so much more comfortable in the skin I’m in.

Growing up, I believe everyone has a dream about what they see themselves doing. For you how would were you answering the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
As far as what I dreamed of and wanted to be when I grew up , I never really had a realistic, concrete idea of that. In grade school, my idol was Beverly Johnson, one of the first black “supermodels”, so naturally I wanted to be a supermodel …but being 5’6 (not quite tall enough) and living in Tupelo, MS. I started to realize that probably wouldn’t happen ...But, then again, Elvis Presley came from Tupelo…so anything is possible (LOL). Obama validated that for all of us.

Are you surprised at the path your life has taken over the past five years?
I am very surprised at the path my life has taken, especially in the last two years. I wrote my very first poem at the age of 43 (February 2007) and had my first published work (Reflections)the following year (February 2008). Since then, it has been a whirlwind of new opportunities, experiences and adventures. I didn't even know how to log on to the computer and
e-mail until January 2008. I think that there is something to be said about late bloomers. (LOL)

Your poetry book seems to walk us through your life and those who have played a significant part in it. Why did you decide to share your talent with the world now and what led up to the publishing of the book?
Well actually the “talent” is all so new to me and I never wrote them with any intentions of publishing a book. Although I have always loved poetry, I never wrote a poem before 2007..except maybe a haiku that I attempted to write as an assignment in the sixth grade (LOL) I woke up on Valentine’s Day 2007 with this poem swirling around in my head. I got up and quickly scribbled it down. After that first poem, others started to flow in rapid succession.. In a couple of months, I had over 200 poems. A friend of mine encouraged me to publish them and I did. Because of how they were given/“gifted” to me in the manner that they were, I began to think that it was just meant for me to get them out there.

Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia is really a poetic autobiography.. Were you in any way hesitant to share so much of yourself this way?
It’s still very surprising to me when people say that I am sharing so much of myself because the things in the book are stories that I have told and things that I have shared with friends and the people around me over and over for years, just not in written or poetic form. So, I was not hesitant at all to share them with others in my book. It was very natural… just telling my same old stories to a newer, bigger audience (smile)

In your poem Bookworm (p.72) you give us an idea of how the love of words has been passed on through the generations in your family. As you know Mississippi has ranked the highest in the nation when it comes to illiteracy over the past few years. As a wife and mother who understands the pressures that many are dealing with from day to day, how do you think we can begin the journey back to finding time for reading?
I think that it is very important for parents to instill in their child/children a love for reading, for books and for the written word from a very early age. It has always been a tradition throughout my family that children in the family were given a book on any gift giving occasion. Along with any other gift that we might receive from our parents, aunts, uncles we also got a book. I have always made sure that there were lots of age-appropriate books around for my son from the time he was born. The day that he came up to me and said “I just love to read” was one of the best days of my life. I hugged him, and told him, with tears in my eyes, that he had just made his mother very happy. I feel that we must make reading a part of who we are (readers) not just what we do. To me reading is like breathing. You don’t have to ask a person to find time to breathe.. It’s what they do to live.

I found your book to be an easy read that can be gone through in an afternoon, but there are definitely some things in there that you want to not only reread but share with others. That was my personal experience. What was your hope readers would get from your book?
I love when people say my book is an easy read. That is the greatest compliment to me. To be an easy read it has to flow and be enjoyable. When readers read my book ,I want the words to transcend my life and my story and remind /connect them with their own wonderful childhood memories and common life experiences. It is so fulfilling for me to get letters and e-mails that tell me that what the readers have gotten out of the book is not so much about me but about them. One woman who was born and raised in Paris France and of European descent, e-mailed me and said that my Country Life poems really struck a chord with her and reminded her of some of the best memories of her life when she would visit her aunt’s farm in the country. That’s incredible!! As a writer,it is so gratifying to hear of those kinds of connections!

As a first-time author were you prepared for all the work that goes into not only publishing a book but marketing it as well?
I was TOTALLY unprepared. I have been told over and over and have found it to be true.. The REAL work of publishing a book is not in the writing or publishing but in the marketing and promoting. It can all be very overwhelming! It is vital to have good people around you who know the business for direction, advice, resources and pointing you in the write direction . Networking is KEY!!

Using your own experience as a guide, what advice would you give others who are thinking of birthing their own literary work?
I always emphasize what I call Patricia’s P-Attitudes..1) Positivity- be positive, believe in yourself and your book, 2)Persistence-Be relentless. Never take “NO” as a final answer. Keep knocking. If you can’t get in through the door, go in through the window. 3)Perseverance-Never give up 4) Patience. .Hold on. Hold tight. Sometimes, the answer or outcome that you seek might take a minute ( days, weeks or months) but keep the faith. It will come.

Thank you again for giving us a few minutes to discuss your beginnings as a writer. If our readers want to find out more about you, how can they find you online?
Thank you so much for providing this opportunity to connect with readers. My website is www.patricianeelydorsey.webs.com or they can Goggle my name Patricia Neely-Dorsey and find more about the book and some of the social networking sites I am involved in.

Introducing "Cyrus Webb Presents..."

2011-12-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

Since 1999, artist/author/columnist, radio and television show host Cyrus A. Webb has been hosting events that have kept people talking. You are now invited to join him for a special series of discussions geared towards sparking conversation and addressing hot button issues. "Cyrus Webb Presents..." will have something for everyone, but more importantly, it will allow the public to be involved. Using an interactive chat room and taking calls, the entire program will let you be heard.

Below is a listing of topics discussed and events centered around them:

* (MISSION ACCOMPLISHED) Thurs. July 16, 2009: "Hip Hop Under Obama: Change We Can Believe In?",Part One with Taj Longino of Hype Magazine

* (MISSION ACCOMPLISHED) Sun. July 26, 2009: "A Tribute To E. Lynn Harris"

* Mon. Aug. 10, 2009 - "Faith & Literature" / Bestselling authors Evie Rhodes, Kenneth Worth and Don Greco discuss the role that their faith plays in the books they write.

* Thurs. Aug. 20, 2009 - "RACIAL PRIDE: A Thin Line Between Love & Hate"

* Thurs. Aug. 27, 2009 -"HOW SPORTS LOVERS BALL WITH BOOKS" Featuring guest authors Kurtis Scaletta, Sherry Hill and more!

* Thurs. Sept. 3, 2009 - "Discussion of the book 'Unsigned Hype'" with special guest author Booker T. Mattison

* Sun. Sept. 6, 2009 --- "SEPARATE BUT EQUAL: African American Authors in Today's Bookstores, Part 1" with authors Gloria Mallette, Bernice McFadden and Margaret Johnson Hodge

* Sun. Sept. 13, 2009 --- "SEPARATE BUT EQUAL: African American Authors In Today's Bookstores, Part 2" featuring authors Carleen Brice, Evie Rhodes, Roy Glenn and Tony Lindsay

* Thurs. Sept. 17, 2009 - "Raising Good Kids and Saving The World" with special guest author Nesta Aharoni

* Tues. January 19, 2010 --- "America Under Obama: One Year Later" --- featuring guests Anzour Jallouqa (founder of Global Outreach and host of IGMG Radio), H. Michael Harvey (political commentator and author of Paper Puzzle), Sasha Abramsky (journalist and author of Inside Obama's Brain), Billy Hallowell (political commentator and host of RENEW TV), Matt Harrison (author of The American Evolution) and Ricky Spann (author of Man-Up).

* Sunday, February 21, 2010 --- "Black History and Me" Featuring guests Justina Wheelock (WHERE LOYALTIES LIE), Dr. Neal Hall (NIGGER FOR LIFE) and W. James Richardson (THE ECLIPSE BLUES).

* Tues. Feb. 23, 2010 --- "HIP HOP UNDER OBAMA: One Year Later" featuring guests Jameelah Wilkerson (Hype Magazine and Hype Radio), author Pretty Tony (Playa Step Your Game Up), author Jela (How To Deal With White People), recording artist Chamber, Konata J of Hip Hop Gives Back and author D. D. Turner (Chronicles of a Hip Hop Legend).

* Thurs. Feb. 25, 2010 --- "To Self Publish Or Not To Self Publish" with guests Gary Kaschak and Justina Wheelock

* Sun. March 21, 2010 --- "Cyrus Webb Presents The Herschel Dixon Story"

* Tues. April 27, 2010 --- Cyrus Webb Presents... "THE RHONDA TEAGUE STORY: Invisible No More"

* Thurs. April 29, 2010 --- Cyrus Webb Presents "The Patricia Singleton Story"

* Thurs. Jan. 20, 2011 -- "America Under Obama: Two Years Later" with authors Sasha Abramsky and Harold Michael Harvey, http://tobtr.com/s/1458303

* Sun. May 22, 2011 --- "Through My Eyes Only: The Marilyn Dixon Story" http://www.blogtalkradio.com/conversationslive/2011/05/22/marilyn-dixon-and-singer-dorothy-kersh-on-conversations-live

* Sun. May 29, 2011 --- "A Look At Interracial Relationships" featuring author Skip Masters and family counselors Jessica Stebbins and R. Joyce Morley http://www.blogtalkradio.com/conversationslive/2011/05/29/cyrus-webb-presents-a-look-at-interracial-relationships

* Tues. May 31, 2011 --- "You Are Not Alone" with abuse survivors Patricia Singleton, Brad Rickerby and Darlene Ouimet, www.tinyurl.com/youarenotaloneanymore

* On Saturday, October 15, 2011 Cyrus Webb hosted "Should Love Ever Hurt? A Look At Abuse" Listen here.

* On Thurday, October 27, 2011 and Friday, October 28, 2011 Cyrus Webb featured individuals who he believes are changing the way we look at fashion. Latifa & Moriamo, Liz Fields, Jeannine Benoit, Carolina Mejia, Niiamar, Linda Gail, Myrda Monasterial & Eloisa Serrano & Jessica McMahon were all part of what was called "Gifted By Design". Listen to the shows here: Gifted By Design, Part 1 Gifted By Design, Part 2.

* Saturday, December 3, 2011 --- Cyrus Webb Presents the film The Hammer (Read the review here)

* Tuesday, December 6, 2011 --- Cyrus Webb Presents "A Look At Abortion, Part 1" with Reiko Brown, author of PRODUCT OF MY ENVIRONMENT.

* Saturday, December 10, 2011 --- Cyrus Webb Presents "A Conversations Holiday Special" featuring music from recording artists Estee, Abraham McDonald, Fiya and Ju-Taun. Listen here.

* Friday, December 16, 2011 --- Cyrus Webb Presents "A Look At Abortion, Part 2" with Sheryl Sorrentino, author of LATER WITH MYSELF.

After one of Webb's thought-provoking discussions was featured by USA Today Newspaper there has been national attention on each topic he discusses. Join the conversation...

Have a story you want to share? For more information contact Cyrus A. Webb at cawebb4@juno.com or 601.896.5616.

(Review) THE HAMMER's Message Of Enduring In Spite of Challenges Hits Home

2011-12-12T09:51:00.000-08:00

by Cyrus Webb

***** (5 out of 5 stars)
TapOut Films/ Fifth Year Productions
A Film Harvest Production

On Saturday, December 3, 2011 I was allowed the opportunity to have the new movie THE HAMMER shown in Central Mississippi to an audience at the Pearl Public Library in Pearl, MS. I have to admit that before being introduced to the project I had never heard of Matt Hamill or his story, but after reading about him and watching the film, I can't say he is a person I will find easy to forget.

Written and produced by Joseph McKelheer and Eben Kostbar and directed by Oren Kaplan, THE HAMMER (rated PG-13) takes you not only into the extraordinary accomplishments of Matt Hamill but the challenges that made them possible as well. We see from the very beginning when it is discovered that he is deaf that his grandfather was not going to allow him to be anything but the best person that he could be. Instead of allowing Matt to go someone that he might more easily fit it, his family pushed him to learn that which he did not know and become a part of the world that some might have wanted to shut him out it.

It wasn't always an easy adjustment. We see in the film that Matt (played by Russell Harvard) could be stubborn and throw a fit when he got frustrated or things didn't go his way. One of the first things we see his grandfather really instill in him was this: "If you're not gonna believe in yourself, I'm not going to." That was really all it took.

The lessons that I took away from THE HAMMER are many, and I think that people of all walks of life could appreciate them as well. When it comes to focusing on the objective at hand, I think we can all learn a little something from Matt. Before competition we see him go off to himself,sit down and close his eyes. This, in effect, shuts the world out and allows him to focus. When asked by Kristi, the woman who would become his wife, how he was able to beat so many people, he answered by saying: 'I just block everything out.' That is what it takes when we are going to be targeting our own objectives. We have to go into our quiet place and be able to shut out the rest of the world so we can focus on the objective at hand. What a priceless lesson!

Another great one came from his grandfather, and it was when Matt felt down in the dumps and like nothing was going his way. "Why do you think you have a right to feel sorry for yourself," his grandfather asked him. For us there are times when we want to throw a pity party for ourselves because something didn't happen the way we thought it should. If we can only remember what Matt was told and how he had to rise above it, we can find a way to do it in our own lives as well.

Wonderfully produced and directed, this is the kind of film that will remind us of the importance of enduring in spite of challenges and give us motivation to tackle the mountains in our own lives.

Find out more about the film and the real-life counterparts at www.thehammerfilm.com

(Sat. Dec. 3, 2011) Cyrus Webb Presents THE HAMMER

2011-11-28T08:58:00.000-08:00

Conversations Book Club President and host of Conversations LIVE Cyrus Webb presents a free showing of the movie THE HAMMER.
Based on the life of UFC fighter Matt Hamill, THE HAMMER is a coming-of-age-drama about the first deaf wrestler's journey to win a National Collegi...ate Championship. Raised among those with the ability to hear, Matt finds himself no less an outsider amidst the Deaf community. But through sheer determination, he turns what could be a disability into an asset, and in the process, serves as an inspiration for both those who can hear and those who can't.

The film stars deaf actors Russell Harvard (There Will Be Blood) and Shoshannah Stern (Lie To Me, Weeds, Jericho) as Matt Hamill and Kristi Hammill. Written and produced by Joseph McKelheer (Godspeed) the film has swept its festival run, receiving awards at 8 out of 8 festivals.

Webb will be showing the movie at the Pearl Public Library (2416 Old Brandon Road * Pearl, MS ) on Sat. Dec. 3rd beginning at 1p.m. et. The admission is free and attendees are welcome to bring refreshments for themselves. Following the movie, Webb will hold a brief Q&A to discuss what we can learn from the journey of Matt Hamill as we strive to overcome challenges in our own lives.

This is one event you don't want to miss. Find out more about the film at www.thehammerfilm.com. For more information contact Cyrus Webb at cawebb4@juno.com or 601.896.5616. You can also visit www.cyruswebbpresents.com.

Conversations Book Club's Online Chapter Returns In Oct. 2011

2011-09-14T10:39:00.001-07:00

When Conversations Book Club began in November 2006 it was with three members and a telephone. The co-ed reading group started in Mississippi by Cyrus Webb and founding member Stanley Clark was designed as a place where readers of all backgrounds could come together and discuss books directly with the author present either on a conference call or in person. It quickly grew from there to meetings in Memphis, New Orleans and Montgomery, all following the same pattern.

Cyrus Webb is pleased to announce the return of such book discussion with the re-launch of the online chapter of Conversations Book Club in October. The weekly meetings will be Saturdays @ 7p.m. et(6p.m. ct/4p.m. pt) beginning Sat. October 1, 2011, and will be open to anyone who would like to join the conversation. At the scheduled time interested parties will simply visit www.blogtalkradio.com/conversationslive to talk with the author via the message board or join the discussion over the phone by calling 347.426.3645. The author of the book will be a part of the discussion the entire hour and answer YOUR QUESTIONS with Webb serving as the moderator.

The first book the reading group will discuss is GEORGIA JUSTICE by author Jackie Carpenter. Below are the books and authors joining this special book club in the upcoming weeks:

10/01 --- "Georgia Justice" by Jackie Carpenter
10/08 --- "Destined To Live, Despite Me" by Yolanda Shanks
10/15 --- "Something Inside Of Me" by Chitoka Webb
10/22 --- "Teenie" by Christopher Grant
10/29 --- "My Daddy The Devil and Me" by Debra Ann Brown-Davis
11/05 --- "The Playful and Powerful Warrior Within You!" by GJ Reynolds
11/12 --- "What A Wonderful World" by Ricki Riccardi
11/19 --- "Incognito" by Michael Sidney Fosberg
11/26 --- "Manufacturing Hysteria" by Jay Feldman
12/17 --- "Louisa" by Richard Emmel

Make plans now to attend these special meetings either online or by phone. It is the hope of Cyrus Webb and Conversations Book Club that each week will be an opportunity for you not only to get your questions answered but to introduce those who "attend" to new authors and fellow readers.

For more information contact Cyrus Webb at cawebb4@juno.com or 601.896.5616. You can also visit www.thebestbookclub.info.

TAKE TEN: Author T. R. Foster

2011-07-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

by Cyrus Webb

Author Tom "T. R." Foster knows how to tell a great story. I had the opportunity of interviewing the New York native on Conversations LIVE and he was able to share the events of his life that led him to his new path as a published author. You wouldn't know it unless he told you, but ANGELS OF VENICE is his first published novel--even thought it doesn't read like it. With an active imagination and characters that pop right off the page Foster shows himself to be someone skilled at drawing in his audience and holding them until the last page.

In this interview for Take Ten and Conversations Magazine he talks about how he got to this point, what message he hopes we take about from ANGELS and what's next for the man who has a lot to say.

Tom, your journey to being a published author is an interesting one. Before we get into your debut novel ANGELS OF VENICE, I want to talk about your love of creating. Can you share when you first became aware of your love of how things worked?

This is almost embarrassing, but my earliest memory of trying to figure out how something worked was probably when I was 4 or 5 years old. I was curious about electric motors. I imagined them as a collection of gears and wires. Somehow sparks would spring from the end of a wire, hit the gear teeth and make them turn. You know, like a transfer of momentum. I've always had crazy ideas. Not so good for science and engineering—but great for writing.

I think growing up to question things going on around us is almost a normal process. As a writer you do it more as you construct the storyline and the characters. Do you remember when you first started to write your thoughts down and how those around you percieved it?

Questioning things that are going around us maybe normal but too often we're satisfied with the superficial answer, the one that doesn't require much in the way of critical thinking. If you're honest, writing will drive you to that critical level. I first started to question my entire life when I was in college in the late '60s. A lot going on then. But it wasn't until I started writing—maybe twenty years ago—that the questioning became organized and focused. Then my friends found out I wasn't as quiet and mild mannered as I appeared. My early storylines and characters were dark and violent and have generally remained so, even in my most recent writing. Why is this? Or more to the point, why are we, as individuals and as a society, so fascinated by violence—even as we are repelled by it? This is a question I keep going back to over and over. I still don't have a good answer answer.

At the heart of ANGELS OF VENICE is the seen and unseen battle going on in the world between Good and Evil. For many this is not just a physical fight but a spirtiual one as well. What role would you say your view and personal ideals, when it comes to the issue of faith and the future, played in the writing of the book?

My personal view of the future (at the moment) is somewhat bleak, yet I don't doubt our survival. Angels of Venice is certainly about good and evil, but it's also about choice. Without giving away too much, the "Angels" give certain individuals tokens of friendship. With these tokens, people can accomplish anything they liked. Do evil or do good. And of course there's Eliza's choice at the end. The balance between good and evil depends on our individual choices—on our free will. It's my faith in the existence of free will in a world where choice does not always appear to be an option that really drove this book to completion.

For me one of the biggest reminders in your book is that all is not lost. There is good still around us. Is that something that developed organically in the story or was it one of the main lessons you hoped readers would glean from it?

I'd like to say it was an intended lesson but that would mean I know how my stories are going to turnout as I write them—which is never the case. The key thing is to start with an honest problem and characters with real desires and emotions, then turn them loose. So it's very much an organic thing. In Angels of Venice most people are allowed choices based on their feeling and perceived needs, just as in real life. Many of the choices turn out to be bad, but others are good or at least mixed. So at the end of the story some good remains, as it must. There is a continual dynamic and balance between good and evil in the real world because the whole process is driven by a multitude of personal choices. I think this was of the main points to come out of Angels of Venice.

Writing can sometimes be a rather personal and lonely profession, Tom. What has it been like for you to get feedback about the book and how does that make you feel as you move forward in your literary career?

It's really cool to get compliments from readers. I'm a big compliment junky—truth be told. And while it shouldn't be the case, it is also a validation. Almost anyone can write a set of good sentences. Sentences that are grammatically correct with just the right number of nouns, adjectives and verbs. But telling a story is an entirely different matter. And very few can do it well. So when you get it in your head that you can be a writer and create powerful visions from mere words, you're taking a big risk. So that one positive review re-enforces the belief that you weren't deluding yourself. You are a writer. Now you're justified in writing another one—even though you were going to do it anyway.

Can you tell us what we can expect next from you?

The novel I'm finishing now is called Kool Blood. Though it takes place twenty or thirty years in the future, I don't consider it science fiction. It's more of a dark satirical commentary on the greed and violence that's so prevalent in our culture right now. See? There's violence question again! I'm still trying to get an agent for it. If that doesn't pan out, I will self publish it, hopefully by early fall.

Shifting gears just a bit, Tom, I want to ask you about the internet and how it has helped you in your writing career. How have you used it to promote yourself and your work?

The main thing has been setting up a website. In fact I have 2. My ideas are that big! It's a great way to get my face out there and to let everyone in on my latest projects and crazy ideas. I also use Facebook, particularly if there is an event coming up that I want everyone to know about.

Do you find yourself having to promote and market more than you actually write these days?

Recently that seems to be the case. Even if I'm actually not promoting the book, I find myself wondering what other things I should be doing to get T. R. Foster out there. What's even worse, I'm already thinking about how to market Kool Blood. Even as I finish word-smithing it, I find myself wondering how a few scenes might be changed so more people will like the novel. If you have these kinds of thoughts, creatively speaking, you might as well put a gun to your head.

Using your own experiences as a marker, do you have any advice for those individuals out there wondering if the effort is worth it when it comes to pursuing their own dreams?

Not to sound cold, but I think if you have to ask about the effort, you shouldn't even start. There isn't anything rational about acting on your dreams or creative desires. You won't make much money, most people won't want to look at your stuff, read your writing or even care much about you one way or the other. The good news is that a few people will care. And they will care very deeply. So you need to work extremely hard on your craft and push on your dreams—always be honest about this. That way when those few people arrive, you're ready to give them something that enriches their lives as well as your own.

Thanks again, Tom, for taking out this time with us. How can our readers keep in touch with you online?

Come visit me at www.trfoster.com.

TAKE TEN: Author Stephen Jay Schwartz

2011-01-12T11:57:00.001-08:00

by Cyrus Webb for Conversations Magazine

Stephen, when would you say you realized that writing was something you were not only good at but wanted to pursue?
I intended to be a filmmaker, and I made Super 8 films with friends growing up in Albuquerque – crazy James Bond stuff, where I learned to ski backwards, without poles, so I could hold the camera and cover the action. I was always the villain because I loved to ski down enormous moguls with a plastic machine gun in my hands and, after getting “shot,” take a two-story, slow motion wipe-out into a tree. Fun stuff. But when I was in college I wrote a short story that was heavily influenced by my father’s suicide and it won two national contests. That was the moment I realized I had something unique to say as a writer.

Having interviewed you on Conversations LIVE after the release of your second book BEAT, it seems obvious that you put a great deal of yourself in your work. Has than been an easy decision for you to do, and do you feel as though this adds to the realness readers get from your books?
I’ve always put my personal life into my writing and my films. The first short film I made was called Meditations on a Suicide, and I opened up entirely about the relationship I had with my father before his death. For me, art is about exploring the meaning of life, my life in particular, since I’ve got a front-row seat in the theater of my own mind. I like to explore what it means to struggle, to sometimes fail. Failure and success are part of the same cycle, but sometimes people fall deep into the failure hole, they take a long time to hit bottom before starting that long climb towards the top. I had my own struggle with sex-addiction and it nearly ended my marriage, which would’ve had a profound effect on my children. My wife and I worked hard together through therapy and Twelve Step meetings to overcome my addiction and my novels became the catharsis borne from our efforts. The whole reason to write the books was to be open about my experiences, so that people who might be caught in a similar cycle of sex addiction, people like Hayden Glass, might recognize themselves within the pages and seek help. I think my personal experience gives the character a three-dimensional realness that might not have existed if I’d only done traditional research.

You have been praised not just by avid readers and critics but fellow authors as well. What has that been like to see those you respect in the industry enjoy your work as well?
It’s been heavenly. It’s hard for me to express the gratitude I feel when authors—who I consider mentors and heroes—have chosen to address me as a peer. The praise has given me the confidence necessary to “stick to it,” to keep writing no matter what obstacles I might face along the way.

In BEAT we are taken into the life of Hayden Glass who is a hero to so many but a complex individual even to himself. If you don't mind, take us into the creation of Glass and what you hope we the reader learn from him and the way he handles his weaknesses.
Hayden is complex in that he wants to be good, he wants to be normal, but his actions defy his intentions. He has a sponsor, he goes to the Twelve Step meetings. He’ll get 30, 60 or 90 days of sobriety and then he’ll slip. He has so much potential, if only he could pull himself together. And his addiction seems so ambiguous—what does it mean to be addicted to sex? Most people don’t believe his addiction even exists. And yet he’s ruled by it. In BEAT he meets his “counterpart,” San Francisco Homicide Inspector Anthony Locatelli, who is what Hayden would be if Hayden had his act together. And yet we learn that Hayden has a talent, a “gift,” that others like Locatelli don’t. Maybe Hayden’s weakness, his addiction, is behind it. Maybe he knows a little more than the rest of us through his struggles.

Stephen, you write your books in a way that we can picture the words coming alive in front of us. I think it's important for our readers to remember that you do have a history in film. How do you feel as though that background enhances your storytelling abilities?
I do love film. I love the visual language. I try to tap into visual imagery when I write. And I love great cinematography, the kind you see in films like The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Schindler’s List, Searching for Bobby Fischer, The Seven Samurai, Taxi Driver…the list goes on. I spent a number of years as the Director of Development for filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen and I watched a lot of great films and read a lot of thriller scripts. A good screenplay is tight, like a poem, with well-defined acts and escalating action. Screenplays are plot-driven—there’s not a lot of room for much else. So, having written screenplays, I understand that my novels must have a well-defined three-act structure and the kind of pacing that makes the reader want to turn pages.

With that being said, what can we expect from Hayden Glass and you this year?
2011 is going to be a quiet year for me. I won’t have anything on the shelves, since I’ve just started writing my next novel. I’m putting Hayden aside for a while and concentrating on a dark, international thriller set in the U.S. and Europe. I’ve done most of my research and I’m having fun writing the book. I’m also juggling this with a screenwriting assignment—a big, 3-D zombie-type thriller. Pretty fun stuff, and it’ll get me back into the film biz a bit. I still have plans for another Hayden novel—I think I’ll place him in the San Fernando Valley next; the heart of the porn industry. That ought to tickle his addiction. Poor Hayden, I don’t give the guy a break.

Any words of encouragement you want to give to aspiring writers that want to make the new year their time to get published or at least move in that direction?
My standard advice, the advice that was given to me: Finish the Book. Just get it done. Write “The End,” take some time off, then go back and read it from the beginning, and do the rewrite. Repeat. And then, when you have something that looks pretty good, have four or five people with a little experience give you feedback. Listen to the feedback. Find the common denominator—what is everyone saying? Do they agree on certain criticisms? If so, you probably have a problem with that. Go back in for another couple rewrites. You’ve got to learn the craft. It’s about the writing, not the selling, not the “fame.” You’ve got to love the process.

I would be remiss in not asking about your use of social networking sites when it comes to not just promoting your brand but keeping in touch with your fans. What do you enjoy the most about sites like Facebook when promoting a new book?
Facebook is perfect for promoting my books and upcoming events. I love being able to send a sharp-looking invitation to dozens of readers at once. I love being able to quickly update my activities. But you can get lost in it, addicted to it even, and then the writing day (or night) is gone. Facebook has definitely slowed my writing schedule. It’s a necessary balancing act.

I'm always interested in how people who are living their dreams personally see success. How do you define what success is for you today and has it changed any from when you first began your career as an author?
I said once that a writer is successful if he is writing. Everyone has excuses for not writing, and all the excuses are valid. Still, you have to write, despite all the obstacles. It must be done. And, if you manage to slip in an hour or two every day…you’ve succeeded.
Now that I have two published novels, I’m defining success a bit differently. If I can support myself as a writer, I’m successful. If I can just do this full-time. Juggling my writing career with a day job has become counter-productive. But I have overhead and I’m responsible for the lives of my wife and kids. I don’t want to drag them through the trenches just so I can feel like a “real” writer. Again, it’s the balancing act. I’m about to jump into it full-time, for the first time in ten years. I hope this time it’s permanent.

We appreciate your time, Stephen. Happy New Years to you. How can our readers stay in contact with you and find out more about your books?
You can find me at www.stephenjayschwartz.com or friend me on Facebook. If you come to my website you can get a free download of my short story prequel to Boulevard, called CROSSING THE LINE.

TAKE TEN: Author Charles Yu

2010-12-02T05:28:00.000-08:00

For most of us, the future is something that is to be looked at with excitement and wonder, not knowing what can happen next. But what if you did know what was going to happen and how your own actions could alter it for the good or the bad? That is one of the lines of thought in author Charles Yu's book HOW TO LIVE SAFELY IN A SCIENCE FICTIONAL UNIVERSE*, however, you might be surprised that it's not the only one that readers will pick up on---and Charles wouldn't have it any other way.

After a fascinating interview with Cyrus Webb on Conversations LIVE Radio, Charles Yu gave more of his time to Webb for this Take Ten interview to talk about the premise of the book, how the main character got to share his name and what he hopes is the legacy his children will take away from what he is accomplishing as a writer.

This is their conversation...

Charles, what makes you feel better about being a published author: the response of the readers or how it makes you feel as a writer?

That's a really hard question. On the one hand, the work is the work, and regardless of whether ten people or ten thousand people have read it, at the time I finished it, I felt like it was a real thing. Not a perfect thing, but something that I had unearthed, relatively intact, from wherever books come from: The ether? My heart? The collective unconscious? On the other hand, I would be lying if I said that the response of the readers wasn't invigorating. And I mean both the positive and the negative ones. To be engaged with people, to have written something that they are responding to emotionally, critically, etc., that connection is sustaining for me.

Are you in any way surprised by the way people are responding to your debut novel HOW TO LIVE SAFELY IN A SCIENCE FICTIONAL UNIVERSE?

I think I'm most surprised at how different people's readings of the novel have been. Some people focus on only the time travel, others on the quantum mechanics/parallel universes, others on the immigrant story, others on the father-son story, others on the fact that it is, in large part, also a story about writing. It's really been great to hear from people, and to see how varied their responses are.

Take us into the writing of the book. I had the pleasure of interviewing you for Conversations LIVE on the radio and you shared part of your story there. Why did you decide to name the main character after yourself?

Well, the truth really is that I put my own name in as a placeholder, and the story started to develop from there. After a while, I thought about changing the name, but it felt wrong, like I'd be ripping something out of the fabric of the novel that was too tightly sewn in there. Plus, it's another layer to the meta-fictional nature of teh story. Which is not to say it's all (or even mostly) an autobiographical story. "Charles Yu" and his parents are definitely fictional characters.

Relationships between people are an important aspect of the book, but so are relationships between man and technology. Do you feel that the advancements we have made in the world have somehow adversely affected the way we deal wih one another?

At the risk of sounding like I'm saying nothing, I'd say that technology can isolate people, can create environments, social, physical, and mental environments, whose net effect is to decrease empathy. On the other hand, there are technological innovations (maybe some of the same ones) that allow for modes of communication, connection and collaboration that feel new. Yes, I straddled the fence pretty well there, I think!

Charles, we sometime hear people talk about if they could go back and undo something in their own lives they would. Have you had that thought, and what would you like to do over if given the chance?

It's hard to say, now that I'm married to the woman of my dreams, and we have two kids. If I changed anything from before the moment I met my wife, maybe I wouldn't have met her, you know? What I think about now, on a semi-frequent basis, is how I'm acting today toward people close to me, how I want to act in a way that I'll be happy with at some point in the future looking back. You know, like making sure I'm taking the time to maintain my relationships with family and friends, that I'm never taking anything, including the luxury of time, for granted. I know that sounds like a Hallmark card, but I'm for real about this. Maybe a less cheesy way to say it is that I try to live in a mode of Anticipatory Regret Avoidance.

I have shared with you some of the points I got from the book. As the story's creator, what do you hope people take away from it?

I don't know, really, because I wouldn't want to limit what's in there. Even though I wrote it, I'm not sure I have any privileged access to the contents of the story or even my own mind. Readers have repeatedly surprised me with takes on the book that are so insightful and creative that I almost feel like they're doing more of the work in reading than I did in the writing. It's a family story about time, memory and regret, that's about all I feel comfortable saying!

As you mentioned, you are also a husband and father, Charles. When you look at your children and they see what their dad is doing with your talent,what do you hope that inspires in them?

Above all, I hope that I'm teaching them how to be empathetic, how to see other people. A lot comes from just that one thing, empathy, right? Both in terms of how we live and work with other people, and also in terms of producing creative work. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm moralizing, although maybe that is what I'm doing.

As a published author you are seen as an authority on topics. One of course is the matter of success. What do you say to aspiring writers who want advice about their own careers?

That's kind of you to say, but I hope no one is really looking to me as an authority on anything other than perhaps how to feed a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old at the same time. And even on that topic, I'm not really an expert (that would be my wife). My advice for writers starting out is to only work on things that feel absolutely necessary to you, and to do it with conviction. And lots of rewriting.

What's next for you?

I've got a couple of things I'm kicking around, but mostly I'm working on another novel. Too early to say much about it, as it's changing on a daily (or hourly) basis!

Thanks again for this opportunity, Charles. If our readers want more information about you, where can they find you?

Well, speaking of technology, I'm reachable on any number of social networks, including Facebook (www.facebook.com/authorcharlesyu31 ) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/charles_yu ). Thank you very much for allowing me this opportunity, Cyrus. It's been a pleasure.

* To listen to Webb's interview with author Charles Yu about the book on Conversations LIVE, visit this link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/conversationslive/2010/09/20/author-charles-yu-on-conversations-live. Yu's title was also chosen by Conversations as one of its Top 100 books of 2010. To see the complete listing, visit www.thebestbookclub.info.

TAKE TEN: Author K. D. Koratsky

2010-11-29T10:22:00.000-08:00

When you have an idea, it's important to never let anything stop you from pursuing it. Ask author K. D. Koratsky. He has been able to take a seed that was planted in him at the age of eleven and almost two decades later transform it into the book LIVING WITH EVOLUTION OR DYING WITHOUT IT. A native of Redwood City, CA, he talks with Conversations' own Cyrus Webb about the events that shaped his youth, why the word evolution can spark raging debates, and what he hopes readers of his book take away from it.

LIVING WITH EVOLUTION OR DYING WITHOUT IT was chosen as one of Conversations' Top 100 Books of 2010. Here is their conversation...

K. D., thanks for spending a few moments with us. Your first book LIVING WITH EVOLUTION OR DYING WITHOUT IT has been many many years in the making. We will talk about it in a moment. First, I want to discuss your evolution. How has your way of approaching the project changed since the idea for it was born to the time it was published?
My way of approaching the project actually has not changed at all. I began by committing myself to following the evidence wherever it took me, and that will never change. Indeed, I want readers to show me where my conclusions are wrong, so we can all get closer to the truth, and therefore closer to optimal solutions for dealing with life's challenges.

The word evolution has become somewhat of a bad thing to many people, especially people of faith. What do you think is the cause of that?
Generally speaking, people of faith have the same problem with evolution today as they have had with reason and science in centuries past. Ongoing discoveries concerning the natural world have increasingly challenged the traditional religious descriptions of reality that people like and have grown comfortable with. However, specifically speaking, evolution theory is now invading the areas that had been the cordoned-off preserve of the church, including the essences of consciousness and morality. This is a particular problem for people of faith not just because it threatens the last bastions of the theological, but because most fear they will not like the reality that evolution theory defines, in both the existential and social realms.

But, ironically, it is those on the far Left that hold beliefs most defiant of evolutionary principles especially in terms of relativism. Here is it held that there can be no better or worse when it comes to anything involving humankind, including perceptions of what it real. This logically means anything can be considered true, which means that everything can be considered true, or nothing can be considered true; in effect, truth in the eye of the beholder, which means that humans can create a world of their choosing. Needless to say, this concept is at serious odds with the institution of science that assumes there can only be one truth to discover and make use of to the greatest degree possible.

When I was reading the book, K. D., I couldn't help but think that man's evolution has been for the good and the bad. What has struck you the most about how the rise of technology has affected mankind?
What struck me the most about human technological advancement is how it is merely an extension of the technological advancement trends for species overall, and how along the way humans have reproduced, in many cases consciously copying, the technologies possessed by many other species that have been produced in one form or another many times over by natural selection.

This serves as confirmation for what would become the central theme of my book: that there are universal and timeless evolutionary principles that not only dictate all species follow the same basic set of priorities, but that technological advancement will inevitably follow along certain lines in tending to these priorities. Humankind has indeed accelerated these trends, as higher intelligence has allowed for particularly rapid and sophisticated technological development, but the trends have remained fundamentally unchanged.

Let's get to the book. What was your goal when you initially started to write it, and did you see that evolving during the process?
I was born to and raised by a Jewish father and Catholic mother who decided to keep religion out of the family equation to avoid conflict. I was taken to a multi-denominational church once when I was about nine, so I could see what it was like. It was shortly thereafter that some friends asked if I would like to join them in attending Sunday school. While listening to the teacher as she was describing a story in the Bible she came to a part that did not make any sense to me, and I told her so. She told me that was the part I had to take on faith. I asked if that meant that something became true if someone believed it to be true. She said yes, and I knew at that very moment that religion would not be for me, as I simply was not capable of the faith that was required. Even at the ripe old age of nine I sensed that one should have a reason to draw a conclusion about something.

Then it was over the next couple of years that I noticed disagreements on faith were leading to death and destruction all over the planet. And it was around the age of eleven that I concluded there had to be a better way, and I promised myself that someday I would write a book that described rules for human interaction based only on the best evidence available, so that faith-based differences could be transcended and global cooperation could be established using something tangible.

When it was time to begin researching and writing the book some 19 years later, the goal remained the same. I decided upon the history of religion as a jumping-off point since religions of various kinds claimed to have monopolies on the knowledge related to greater truth and morality. Then, it was while reading A History of Religious Ideas, by Mircea Eliade, that I found the history of religion, most ironically, had all the earmarks of an evolutionary progression my first real eureka moment. For while religion became transformed through the ages, most spectacularly with the dawn of agriculture and the rise of tribal mergers, the core principles and themes remained constant throughout the process.

With this I added the works of leading evolution theorists to my research agenda. Certain seemingly workable themes began to materialize right away. But I had another eureka moment a year or so later, when my contemplation surrounding the essence of natural selection paid off while I was dead asleep early one morning (unfortunately my mind works on this stuff 24/7). It came to me that logically natural selection must apply to all that exists including all the features biological structures possess, and all non-biological structures as well because all exists by virtue of its capacity to repel surrounding threats as material self-organization runs its course, as it has from the beginning of time. My project instantly become much more than a quest for rules for human interaction: it became a search for the proverbial big picture by which I could also tease out the optimal rules for human interaction. From here I had to delve into all serious disciplines to see how they would fit into the framework provided by my new grandiose insight. I then spent around 10 years piecing it all together, and another 10 years attempting to tear the thesis apart, so no one else would be allowed the pleasure after publication. The current product is what has been left standing.

How have those in your family and even your friends responded to your finally writing the book?
It has been such an over-the-top undertaking, which has taken so long, I am sure that most everyone figured I would never complete it. My wife has never understood what could possess me to take on such a project and not give up on it. I suppose most are amazed that I made it happen, and to tell you the truth, so am I as I look back on what the entire process has entailed.

Speaking of technology, one of the things that have really taken off over the past few years is social networking, especially sites like Facebook and Twitter. How have they helped you in getting the word out about your book and yourself?
I have not made use of Facebook and Twitter as of yet, but I did just start up my blog which will have posts that show how the vast majority of, if not all, current events and cultural topics can be explained generally using just handful of evolutionary principles. My blog is also designed to be a forum for all to contribute to the cause of creating the most functional policies possible for human groups and individuals alike.

What has surprised you the most about the response to the book, K. D.?
On the positive side, I am surprised by how well reviewers have received it, as I thought its controversial nature would put many off, even though I attempted to be as diplomatic as possible in the presentation of the material considered taboo by most.

On the negative side, the level of reception for certain segments of the population has left me aware of just how polarized American society is. At one end of the spectrum are those on the fiscal and/or social right who are religious to one degree or another. They not only see evolution theory as a threat to their religious sensibilities, but to the American way of life as a whole. For most see socialism/communism, godlessness/atheism, and evolutionism as part of the same package. Meanwhile, the leftists at the other end of the spectrum including progressives, socialists and communists think they are in line with evolutionary reality but they are not, as evolutionary principles very much support the vision of the European Enlightenment thinkers and the founding principles of the U.S. including limited government, free-market capitalism, the standard of merit, and personal responsibility, as my website clearly expresses. So I have quite a marketing challenge on my hands with regard to getting past such perceptions. But overall I am confident that with a little persistence I will be able to break through before long.

I mentioned faith earlier. When a person of faith ask you what they could get from the book, what do you say?
A person of faith will get the same thing from this book as any other: a better understanding of the world around him or her, including the principles that have dictated and will continue to dictate what occurs, including competitive outcomes. Many will choose to reject this knowledge, but this will occur to their detriment, as one will always make better decisions using the best information at hand. So, overall, those who embrace the ideas in my book at some level will likely leave their bloodlines in better shape than they found them. In short, I think people of faith who read my book will feel they have gained more in practical benefits than they have lost in emotional satisfaction and/or in having to question the basis for one belief or another.

Like yourself there have been many individuals who have held on to a dream or goal for some time. What would you say to them about pursuing it?
I have declared many times that I still have trouble wrapping my head around the odyssey I embarked upon so long ago and persisted in for so long thereafter, all while having only fleeting doubts that I would someday be successful. The whole thing probably qualifies as bizarre in any number of ways. And while I won't recommend that others attempt feats so extreme, the result certainly proves that dedication and industriousness can pay off for those who wish to accomplish something significant, even against long odds.

Thanks for your time. How can our readers find out more about you, the book and even how to get their own copy?
All who are interested can find more information about my book, my event schedule, etc., at www.LivingWithEvolution.com. In addition, the latest reviews can be found at Amazon.com. Books can be purchased from all major booksellers.

TAKE TEN: Author Kristina Kilbourne

2010-11-29T10:21:00.001-08:00

California native Kristina Kilbourne* has taken a life-long love of reading and books and transformed it into her own literary series. Her first book SHADOWS OF TRUTH is a tale of love, lies and deception that culminate in death and the revealing of secrets. The author spoke with Conversations' Cyrus Webb about her upbringing with books, what guided her to writing and her advice for those who believe they have their own story to tell.

Here is their conversation...

Kristina, when did you realize that you enjoyed books?
I have enjoyed books since I was a little girl. Every night my mom would read to me and I never wanted her to stop.

If I were to have visited you at home 5 years ago, what would I have found on your bookshelf?
The Bible first and foremost, but you would have seen Melody Carson¡¦s "Guitar Girl," "Stephanie Meyer¡¦s "Twilight," and Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins series "Left Behind, The Teen Series"

I should let our readers know that you are involved in other areas of entertainment as well. How important is it for you to find avenues to share your talents?
It is very important especially with my music and my plays. The Industry is in this "Do It Yourself" phase and whether you like it or not it is the best opportunity for an artist to have control over who they are and how they are portrayed. For me I like to find ways to incorporate my music, my books, and information about my plays within the same venue or event. If you don¡¦t find avenue¡¦s to be heard then you won¡¦t be.

For many writers the idea for their first book comes from things they have heard about or personally experienced. What about you? How did Shadows of Truth come about?
Shadows of Truth came to me about two years ago. These characters kind of flooded my mind all at once. Honestly, I know that it was God birthing this great seven book series in me, because it was as if I was watching a movie as I was writing it out.

Were people close to you surprised that you were writing a book?
Some were but not my parents. I have been writing since I was a little girl probably just as long as I have been singing.

Writing for many is one thing, but sharing it with the public is sometimes a bigger challenge. How did you make the decision to publish your book?
It took me a while to put Shadows of Truth out because of the fear of sharing it but it got to the point when God had to sit me down and say "Your gifts and talents aren¡¦t about you. You are the vessel carrying them but they¡¦re for the people." I started to realize I was horting stuff that wasn¡¦t mine and that¡¦s pretty selfish so I just stepped out on faith and did it.

Kristina, there are some authors who enjoy the writing process but aren't as excited about the marketing and promotion involved in a book's success. How have you balanced the creative side of writing with the business side?
What a lot of authors don't understand is that they are really one in the same. No one will be a better promoter than the author. Its totally in our hands to set the tone for the promotion and what is great about being creative is it doesn¡¦t have to stop with the last page of a book. Its up to us and should be fun for us to find creative ways to make our books come alive through promotion.

What do you hope people take away from your debut novel?
I hope that people can see a piece of themselves in Shadows of Truth, I hope they laugh, I hope they cry, I hope to inspire forgiveness and spark even the smallest amount of change. It was and is my continued prayer that readers are affected and infected by Shadows of Truth.

Any advice for those interested in getting into print or publishing in 2011?
Do it. If you have a voice that you want heard there is nothing more powerful then a pen and a piece of paper.

Thank you for your time, Kristina, and continued success to you. How can our readers find out more about you?
I am available on my website www.shadowsoftruth.info

* Kristina Kilbourne was also a guest on Conversations LIVE Radio with Cyrus Webb. Listen to her discussion about Shadows of Truth here: http://tobtr.com/s/1384313

TAKE TEN: Author Mikki Zimmerman

2010-10-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

by Cyrus Webb for Conversations Magazine (www.conversationsmag.com)

If you are looking for a book that is sure to be a discussion piece, I would suggest you take a look at Monroe, LA native Mikki Zimmerman's "CAN I GET A WITNESS? 21 Frustrations of Black Women (Including Me)". Packed with issues that people around the world are dealing with, Zimmerman takes her conversations with black women from across the United States and addresses issues that she feels need to be addressed.

In this conversation she talks about her direct approach, why she singled out black women for her subject matter and how the internet is helping her to spread the word and reach a new audience.

Mikki, thank you for taking out the time to talk with Conversations Magazine. First, when did you realize that you had an interest in writing?

I would have to say my freshman year in college - Fall '91. My professors always complimented me on my writing skills and a few even suggested that I pursue writing as a career. The interest was there but I eventually took the business route. Even though I stumbled back to writing a few years ago.

Have you always been a person who didn't mind sharing their opinions on issues?

Always! I have never been shy about giving my opinion. I've been called "judgmental" quite a few times in my life; but my family and real friends know that I am a very passionate person. Not judgmental at all. Just real passionate about my beliefs.

Of all the things you could have written about, why the issues of frustrations for women of color?

Great question Cyrus! Keep in mind, I conducted the research for the book in 2006. This was one year after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast. Talk about frustrations! You could see it in the faces of African-American women everywhere. Even through my online research. They vented to anyone who would listen. Basically, the need was far too great for me to ignore the subject. And I had a few frustrations of my own, so I threw those in the book as well.

Mikki, you and I had the opportunity to talk on Conversations LIVE about your book and the topics you address. I mentioned to you that I thought men and women of any race could appreciate what you had to say. Have you heard similar things from others?

Actually, I've heard it from a few people. My mom's physician, who is white, was intrigued after a 30 minute conversation about the book and he stated, "You could have deleted the word 'Black' because white women have the same frustrations too". I chatted with a few of my white readers as well. And they echoed the same setiments.

Now that the book is out and people are talking about it, what would be success for you in the way the book is received?

Being recognized as an author and getting lots of attention from readers is great but that is not the reason I wrote the book. Success for me is getting people to really understand black women. I mean fully understand us. Like I said in the book, everyone is so quick to talk about angry black women. But no one is willing to take the time to find out why many of us (not all) are so frustrated. Getting readers - men and women of all races - to see black women in a different light after reading my book would definetly fullfill the purpose of my writing this book.

Outside the traditional booksignings and literary events, do you see yourself doing speaking engagements about the topics in the book or hosting panels to create some real dialoge about the topic?

Defintely. I have already spoken to administators with public libraries throughtout Northeast Louisiana to do workshops on this topic as well as others. I've also been asked to do a workshop at my church for our Annual Women's Day Conference. I've spoken to a few radio personalities about appearances. So yeah, I have a few speaking engagements lined up in the near future.

I want to talk about your promotional campaign for the book for moment. How effective have social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter been in getting the word out about your book as well as just meeting new people, whether its readers or fellow authors?

For me, social networking has been great! I don't have a Twitter account but I live on Facebook! My book sales have increased dramatically since advertising on Facebook. And I have connected with so many authors and old friends and classmates. I just love it!

There were many topics you didn't get a chance to address in your first book, Mikki, so is that your setup for the second one or do you plan on going in another direction?

Actually, I am working on my second book. This one is geared toward teens and young adults. It's more a manual than a book and it addresses conflict resolution. I am so tired of seeing young black men waste their lives behind bars or buried six feet under prematurely. I am a single mother to a young black male so this subject is near and dear to my heart. So again, I will pour all of my passion and emotions into this one as well. Stay tuned!

Any advice for aspiring writers that you would like to share based on your own experience with publishing?

Wow, where do I began? I would start by saying this publishing business is RUTHLESS! If you cannot handle rejection, you are in the wrong business. You must learn to take rejection first. . .because you will receive it. And it may come from family members or even friends. So be prepared to face it. Secondly, never give up! I don't care if no one else believes in your project except you. Never give up! Your dream of becoming a published author will come true. Keep believing and continue to move forward.

Thanks again, Mikki for this opportunity. How can our readers keep in touch with you online?
Thank you Cyrus for everything you have done in helping promote my book. May God continue to bless you! I can be found on Facebook, of course. My book is available at Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com. It can also be purchased at the publisher website which is Xlibris.com or by calling 888-795-4274. And you can catch my bi-monthly column - Back and Forth with Mikki - on ForHarriet.com. Thanks again!

TAKE TEN: Author Nancy Taylor Rosenberg

2010-10-04T03:57:00.000-07:00

I have been a fan of New York Times bestselling author Nancy Taylor Rosenberg for quite some time, so I saw it as a privilege to have the opportunity to interview her not just for my radio show but Authors Take Ten as well. Over the years she has captivated readers of both sexes, giving the world stories that are as intriguing as they are addictive. The Dallas, Texas native moved to West Hills, CA this year and also released her latest page-turner called MY LOST DAUGHTER.

She talked with me about her writing career, what inspired one of the themes of the new book and had a surprising response to what she would tell aspiring writers today.

Here is our conversation:
Nancy, it is an honor to have this time to talk with you. I want to first ask you if you are at all surprised about the fact that you have been able to transition so well from a fulfilling legal career to a literary one?
I always thought I could write a book, but I never dreamed I would actually be published and that my first novel would hit the New York Times Bestseller list. As far as transitioning, as a criminal investigator I wrote what could be referred to as mini novellas. A prosecutor once said I could "write a man into prison."

Do you remember when you realized that you had a book in you that you wanted to share with the world?
About ten years before my first novel, MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES, was published I wrote a novel in longhand. After asking a few friends to read it, I became discouraged and the book was never published. I knew MITIGATING was something special because I stood up to type the ending, which in itself isn't an easy thing to accomplish.

What about support? How has it changed from your beginning of your decision to pursue writing until now?
I took a “Novels in Progress” course at UCLA and had a brilliant professor named Leonardo Bercovici. He told me I could write a good book and I believed him. My husband and family didn't support me until the money started coming in. I wrote my first book on a Smith Corona word processor. As soon as I got my first contract, my husband bought me a new computer, a new printer, and a fax machine.

For five years I have been a fan of yours, and it seems as though men and women are enthralled by your work. Was there any expectation of that in the beginning?
I suspected I might attract both male and female readers because my books are somewhat of a hybrid. Because of my background in the criminal justice system, my thrillers are very authentic and at that time women were mainly writing softer books. But I always incorporate romance as my characters have real lives. I also write sex scenes.

Nancy, you have catapulted into one of our most respected authors in the industry. What does that level of success mean to you, and what kind of pressure does it bring with it?
I enjoyed having my books on the bestseller list, but it was terribly stressful. We would get a copy of the list every Wednesday and if my book had fallen off, I would run to my room and sob. I also wrote fifteen hours a day, which was exhausting and later damaging to my spine.

Publishing has changed quite a bit since you first burst onto the scene. Some who were around when you first were published aren't still in demand as they once were. What do you think has been the key to your fans and new readers gravitating to you?
I’m not certain they have as my numbers have steadily fallen. But I’ve written thirteen novels, and had my big successes. It’s all about how much a publisher is willing to spend promoting you, and right now, they’re not willing to spend big money. The recession has hit the publishing industry hard.

Talk to us about the new book.
MY LOST DAUGHTER is a thriller, but it also deals with the greed and corruption in the private psychiatric industry.

Are parts of MY LOST DAUGHTER based on your own experiences?
In 1990, I went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. After waiting all night to see the doctor, someone in a uniform came to get me in an ambulance and took me out of the hospital with a blanket over my head. I later realized I had been kidnapped by an unscrupulous and corrupt private mental hospital who received kickbacks from various ER doctors for referring patients. The only requirement was that they had insurance. When I got to the hospital, they administered dangerous, mind altering drugs. I was restricted from making phone calls to my family and friends, and they were in turn told that I refused to speak to them or see them.

Since I was a probation officer at the time, I was horrified that something like this could happen and that a patient in a mental hospital had fewer rights than a prisoner. The hospital was later investigated by the attorney general's office for what they called "patient snatching." At the time, unknown to me when I was kidnapped, this was common practice throughout Texas.

There are men and women who are in one profession, have a true love for writing but don't know if they have what it takes to make it. What advice would you give them?
Many agents say they are looking for people who feel “compelled to write.” I think this is a good sign of talent. I felt this way. I simply couldn’t stop writing. With the recession and the state of the book business right now, I wouldn’t recommend that anyone try to break into the business. On the other hand, a person who has never been published who writes a terrific book might be more appealing than someone who has had a few flops. It’s all about the numbers.

Since books becoming movies is the dream of so many authors today, which one of your books would you like to see brought to be big screen if you had your way?
They made one of my novels into a movie and it was awful. My name wasn’t on it, so I was lucky. Most novelists don’t like the way Hollywood adapts their novels.

Find out more information about Nancy by visiting her website: www.nancytrosenberg.com.

TAKE TEN: Director/Author Gary Hardwick

2010-09-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

Gary Hardwick is the very definition of a creative powerhouse. The Detroit native is the man behind some of the great movies of the past decade including The Brothers and Deliver Us From Eva and hit tv shows like Hangin' With Mr. Cooper, but there is more to him than what you see. He has even been an integral part of what we read as well, producing several books over the years that have sparked conversation and satisfied readers.

Candid, approachable yet undeniably a force to be reckoned with, the Los Angeles, CA resident talks to Cyrus Webb of Conversations Magazine about his career in entertainment, how he balances his various roles and what all aspiring creatives need to know about the business.

Gary, thanks for talking with Conversations. Let's talk first about your career in the arts and entertainment as a whole. What has surprised you the most about what you have accomplished?
That I actually accomplished it. I was very naive about Hollywood. I thought it was a place where all you had to have was talent. There is so much more to it, like hard work, perseverance, politics and yes, luck.

Take us back. When did you realize that you were good at telling a story?
I was 12 and one of my teachers read one of my stories in class and there was silence. All these knucklehead kids just shut up and listened.

Was it something that was encouraged by your family and those around you?
No and you'll hear this from most writers. No family wants their son to be a writer because it seems like a pipedream. And your friends? They never want anyone to achieve more than they have. I hate to sound cynical but it is hard to have a public dream. Most of us kept it quiet until we couldn't anymore.

When it comes to a big break, Gary, what would you say it was for you? This is a tough one because looking back it could have been many things.
But I'd have to say it was being selected by the Walt Disney Writing Fellowship Program. There were 1,000 or so entrants and only four of us made it in.

Some know you because of your work on movies, but you have had a great deal of success as an author as well. Have you found that your being diversified as also brought you different fans for each project?
Yes and I am trying to get them to consolidate! My film fans say "You wrote a book?" and I say "I've written eight." Book fans never quite put me together with the movies. I've spent so much time trying to get one of my books made into a film. So far, I've sold three but none have made it to the screen. I think that when it happens the two camps will come together.

All of us experience highs and lows. How do you stay motivated when things don't go our way?
I write. I just sit down and create something new. Writers are the only people who don't need anyone else to get their job done. We are self-originating you could say. Fan emails and posts on Facebook also help.

Talk to us about the next book you are getting ready to release.
It's titled Darktown Redemption and it's a mystery thriller set in 1967 and '68. There was a riot in Detroit in 1967 then Dr. King and Robert Kennedy were assassinated and the Black militants came into the city to stir up a violent revolution. In my novel, a boy is killed after the riots and his brother a Vietnam Vet turns detective to find the killers while history swirls around him. The book is based in part on true events and I hope everyone will read it in Black History Month 2011.

What advice do you have, Gary, for individuals wanting to break into Hollywood?
Go to college, become educated, get married have a life. Experience life and have something to write about. These days everyone wants to write a screenplay and cash out. It just doesn't work that way no matter what you've read. They make up so many b.s. success stories out here. No one stumbles into success. You work for it or it's given to you because of who your parents are. That's just the plain honest truth.

What about for writers? What do you normally tell those who want to know the secret of being published?
There is no secret anymore. The publishing business is a wreck. Self-publishing, regional publishing, digital books, e-readers are the future of our medium. The publishers are trying to compete with Hollywood by creating franchises and bastardizing our most artistic undertaking. If you want to get published the best way now is to prove it to them by doing it yourself. Point of fact, Darktown Redemption caught the fancy of two major publishers but both wanted me to change the story in opposing ways. So, having already had success in publishing a novel under my own imprint, I decided to do it again and keep all the money.

Thanks again for your time. How can our readers keep up with everything you have going on?
They can go to my website www.garyhardwick.com and look under the title "What's Going On." they can also join my FaceBook page and read my blog at http://garyhardwick.blogspot.com.

TAKE TEN: Actress/Author/Entreprenuer Cherie Johnson

2010-09-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

There is only one word that truly describes the young woman that is Cherie Johnson: Driven. After starring on shows like Punky Brewster and Family Matters as a chid, she has blossomed into a creative force to be reckoned with, not only acting, but executive producing, writing songs and balancing her love of work in front of and behind the camera.

In 2010, Cherie added a new title to her name, that of author. And if the rest of her life is any indication of what will happen in this new arena, the world better watch out.

On Tuesday, September 7, 2010, Cherie joined Shadow Play Entertainment's literacy campaign called TAKE TIME TO READ as the national spokesperson, sharing her thoughts on why reading is so important no matter what your career. She took out time out of promoting her first book Around The World Twice to talk with Cyrus Webb of Conversations Magazine about her journey, her success and what's next for her.

Cherie, I know you are busy, so I really appreciate your taking out the time to speak with us. Many of our readers will know you from television, so let's start there. Looking back on it all, what has surprised you the most about where you came from and where you are today?

Thank you so much for the interview. I think what surprises me most is this right here. The fact that people would want to interview me, that what I did 27 years ago on Punky Brewster would turn into a career. I honestly did not realize that I was working, or I was what people call "famous". I was just having fun doing what I love and feel so blessed that I have continued that.

Did you expect the road of success that you have been blessed with while growing up?

I knew very early on I was going to strive to be successful. I didn't know it would come through entertainment. I had plans on becoming an architect, and an author.

When did the stars seem to align for you? What project seemed to be your big break and what happened next?

For me the realization click in 2005 while I was Co-executive producing and acting in a film called "Dead Tone". I have loved horror films since I was a small child, and here I was on set not just acting but producing. I was tickled. I went through a major reflection period on my life. From there on out it was simple I have the power to make all my dreams come true. Since then I have produced 5 other projects and wrote 1.

With some child stars it seems as though we always want to remember them that way and don't expect them to really grow up. Did you have any fear of what would happen to you as time went by and you got older?

Never a fear but definitely have a point to prove to make people see me as the 34-year-old woman I am. When I was working on Punky Brewter and Family Matters I never thought about it at all. I was a kid I didn't even realize I was working much less the impact that I was making on my own life as well as the life of other peoples. I never got into the habit of being an avid TV watcher so I didn't understand fully the impact it has on other people lives. I still don't think I fully comprehend it and I am floored daily when approached by people who either liked or disliked characters that I have played and the fact that people have a really hard time depicting between what is fact and fiction. People believe I am the character's I get paid to play. "Its crazy" but it's a compliment because it means I am doing my job well.

Being in the public eye at any age is not easy. How did you avoid some of the pitfalls that have overtaken so many throughout the years?

My job doesn't define who I am as a person. Fame is one of the most addicting drugs ever. I have never sought fame nor am I addicted to anything! I love what I do its my passion, if my passion is ever taken away God forbid I have many other goals. My mom told me early on the only stars in the world are in the sky.

The reason we are speaking to you know is because of a new career you have begun this year, that of author. How did this come about, and when did you realize that writing was something you were interested in?

When I was 5 years old I made my mother a book out of paper and yarn. She told me it was the best book she had ever read! I promised her that one day I was going to have books in the library. See the library was really important to me when I was little. We didn't have one in my hometown Duquesne PA because white people burnt it down in 1968 because they didn't want black people to swim in their pool.

My mother would take me two towns over every week to check out a book. I was in love with the building. It was huge, white with pillars and had more books than I could count. The library was the most beautiful place I had ever seen (I'm from the hood). I always knew I wanted a piece of me to live in that building. 30 years later my dream is coming true.

The first book was recently released. What is the title and tell us what it is about?

Around The World Twice is a story about two best friends whose lives are synonymous, despite the different social circles they traveled in. It is a story of true friendship in which both ladies, together, contribute to building each other up in order to become better and stronger women, as well as triumphant for love of self and one another.

Ashley is a successful half Black-half Latina female living a glamorous lifestyle of a Hollywood movie star, or so it would seem, if you were on the outside looking in. Truth is, she is tired of failed relationships and is fearful of being alone. She struggles to find love and begins to question herself.

Lillian cashed in on the normal life of a housewife early...marrying the guy all the girls wanted back in high school, house, white picket fence, etc..she was living the American Dream. Her dream life soon becomes one that resembles a nightmare, leaving her vulnerable.

After an invitation and a lot of persuasion from her friend Ashley, Lillian decides to leave the security of her long time home in New York and move to Los Angeles. It is there that she realizes maybe she has more in her life to change than she may have initially thought...

From what I understand, you have been signed to publish seven books. Some aspiring writers would be happy with just one. Do you feel any pressure for this phase of your life to be a success?

I don't feel pressure; I think success comes when you love what you do. I love writing and the power if gives me to convey my story to an audience. The reward for me is then receiving their feedback. It's all about having fun and I enjoying being able to share my life with others. The real success is when I get to hear I have touched someone else's soul because a piece of my work stays with them forever.

Outside of the writing, what's next for you?

I have more films I will be producing and a TV show in development. This new chapter in my life is providing lots of opportunity that I will not let slip by. Sky is the limit!

Thanks again for the time, Cherie. How can our readers stay updated on everything you are doing today?

Thank you so much I appreciate you for giving me this platform. I keep everything updated regularly. I can be found on www.twitter.com/cheriejohnson75 or www.Facebook.com/CherieJohnson75 .

TAKE TEN: Author Nigel Barto

2010-08-19T04:11:00.000-07:00

Though he has been writing for some time, Silver Spring, MD native Nigel Barto is enjoying incredible success and recognition with his second novel Nick, Dontae, Gus and Jack.The book deals with the lives of friends who are still discovering things about themselves and each other as they pursue success and happiness---yet there are also personal demons they have to overcome along the way. The author can relate to the plight of his characters as he strives to live authentically in his own life from day to day.

In this interview with Cyrus Webb of Conversations Magazine, Nigel talks about all of this and even gives some advice for aspiring writers as well.

Nigel, thanks for taking out time to talk with us. Before we get into the new book, I want to give our readers a little background. When did you realize that writing was something you were interested in?

I think writing was always my thing but I didn't realize it until much later. In the second grade, I began writing "Rose are Red, Violets are Blue" poems to my mom. As time went on, I wrote little stories and poems, and jotted notes and ideas down in books and journals. After college, I took a trip to Paris to study for a few months. I was a "starving student" (laughs) living on little, and did some travelling outside of Paris, but was naive about getting in and around countries. When it was time to leave France to return to the US, I decided to visit family in London before attempting to fly from Belgium back to Washington, DC. With visa issues, no money, heavy luggage, and no return ticket in hand, it was to be picked up in Belgium, my journey turned into quite an ordeal. When I made it back and saw my mom, a flood of words spilled out about my experiences. I recounted the whole trip and she said, you know Nigel, you should write a story about it. And so I began. I wrote a piece called "Returning Home", and fell in love with creating stories. I eventually wanted to write novels, but also at times it was a good enough release to write anything whether it was an email to a friend, a note to myself, or just writing about what I saw and heard on the bus or in the streets.

Was there a thought in the beginning that you would take that love of words and actually translate that into books that people would buy?

Books that people would buy...calling myself a writer and an author...you know, I'm still stepping up to that plate. Sure, folks have bought my books and I am an author. But did I imagine when and how I would be here? Not exactly. I'm a dreamer and I hoped I would still be writing, but where that would take me I wasn't sure. Firstly, I write for me, and I try to embrace what comes. You know, I have a few plays sitting in a trunk still to be produced, and a bunch of ideas and no stories yet. So I experience the world around me until words come and take over.

Alot of people talk about writing a book. You have actually done it twice. What do you think separates you from people who just talk about doing something instead of actually doing it?

Well you have to want to see it through to the end. It's creative and rewarding and cathartic, but it's work nonetheless. You have to give time and discipline to it. It's you by yourself with your characters. That's not always a fun night (laughs). You also need to balance that with social interaction and living outside of your home or the place where you write. And of course life can get in the way, right?

I have read your second book Nick, Dontae, Gus and Jack, and there are quite a few social issues that you address in it. What was your first book called, and what led you to write it?

My first book is called, "Private Sessions". I was living in Los Angeles when I began writing it. I used moody, lonely, out of control, not in control, and striving to succeed feelings I had bottled up, and channeled those energies into writing and this story took over. I used to listen to other authors being interviewed on like Oprah or some other show. They would talk about their characters as though they were real people outside of themselves and say how a character wanted to do this and a character decided to do that, etc, and I used to think how crazy. Didn't they write the story? How do they not know the whole story? The characters are talking to them? But, I have to say I had that experience time and time again with "Private Sessions". I would wake up in the middle of the night and think, omg, Jordy is about to do this or this thing is about to happen to him. Jordy Blackwell is the main character in the book. He experiences death, loss, pines for the girl he loves, and finds himself in between careers. Besides my mom, I had a couple motivators along the way. A small publisher in Florida wrote me a two page letter giving me positive feedback on the story and that was inspiring. And an editor in Atlanta made me dig deeper. She said to me, Who gives a f*ck about Jordy?, why do we want to know him?"

Recording artists talk alot about the sophomore jinx, especially when their first product seemed to do well. Did you worry about that yourself?

No I didn't worry about the sophomore jinx with my second novel. It's just a different story I wanted to share.

Tell our readers about Nick, Dontae, Gus and Jack.

My second novel is about friendships, relationships, and choices we make in life. Nick, Dontae, Gus and Jack are friends who met years ago in school. They've graduated, and they're working and living on their own. It's summertime, and while folks want to get away to the beach, the friends are grappling with live, love, career, and being true to who they are. Nick dreams of having his first love Manny again like the first time. Dontae tries to hold on to his current love Drew while working in the entertainment industry. Gus wants to find love and his mother, and in the meantime writes songs and pursues a career in music. And Jack strives to balance work and home life by doing things that hopefully makes her partner Piere happy. The friends live, hope, dream, and try to be true to themselves.

Nigel, one of the biggest points I got from the new book is the importance of knowing who you are inspite of what you might achieve or happens around you. How do you apply that principle in your own life, and why is that something readers should consider as well?

I'm definitely a work in progress. That sounds cliche but it's true. I change my mind and sometimes I'm unpredictable or I'd like to think so. But that being said, my journey is still to live authentically, to be me, and live as me: the best me I can. I think we should strive for that. We need to figure out what we want and need, what our likes and dislikes are, and love ourselves first.

What else do you hope people take away from the new book?

Love isn't easy but it's worth it. You have to work at life and relationships. And also, I hope for more acceptance and openness as LGBT and straight lives evolve. It's different and the same, it's everything and anything, and for some, nothing at all. It just is. It's a part of everyday life, often times smoothly and seemlessly showing up among the living and the dare to live.

Any advice you want to share with aspiring writers who might be reading this conversation?

Write! Start writing! Keep writing! It's a message I heard years ago and I believe it. Practice your craft and do what you love to do.

Thanks again for taking out this time, Nigel. If our readers want to find out more about you or keep up with you online, how can they do so?

I welcome readers to find me on Facebook or send me a tweet on Twitter.

(NOTE: Listen to Nigel Barto discuss his career as an author and his new book on Conversations Magazine here: http://www.esnips.com/web/AuthorNigelBartoInterview)

TAKE TEN: Author Juan Gomez-Jurado

2010-08-18T08:37:00.001-07:00

International bestselling author Juan Gomez-Jurado is living the dream of many aspiring writers at this point in his life. His first book GOD'S SPY was a runaway success, garnering the attention of critics and eager readers. Now his second novel THE MOSES EXPEDITION is mesmerizing some of the biggest names in the literary world along with others who are finding out about this skilled wordsmith.

Conversations' own Cyrus Webb had a chance to ask a few questions of the author* just as the book was being released in August 2010, covering how he feels about what he has accomplished, what it feels like to be so well-received and even what he would say to those who feel as though they have a book inside of them but haven't taken the steps to bring it to life.

Juan, thanks for taking out the time to talk with us. Before we talk about your latest book, I want to first of all congratulate you on your success.Are you surprised at how your work has been received all around the world?

Thanks a lot and yes, actually! When I finished writing my first novel I thought that my wife and my parents would be my only audience. That feeling was fortunately wrong.

I know that before you were a published author you were a journalist. When did you realize that writing was something you were interested in and that you had a love affair with words?

When I was a small kid I always said that I wanted to become a journalist. When people asked "Why?" I always said "Because Clark Kent is one". In Spain there's an old refrain for that kind of situations: God writes straight with twisted lines.

Was writing something that those around you initially supported?

Yes, actually I would be nothing without my father. I grew up in a very poor family. When he came back home from his second job, he found me in bed. He was so tired that he always had black circles around his eyes, but even so he always came to my room and told me a story that he invented on spot. A different one, everyday, since I was born till the moment I was able to read by myself. He never repeated a plot. I think that my father was the biggest narrator I've ever met.

With your first book taking off the way it did, were there any worries with the release of the new book when it came to the expectations game?

Great question! There were worries. Tons of them. I'm still worried! You know, I met once the Nobel Prize Camilo José Cela. He was in his eighties and was literally swimming in money and awards. After a couple of hours of conversation I asked him about his new novel, coming out the following week. He told me that he was scared to the bone about it. How do you think that a 32 years old author can feel about his sophomore book?

The newest release is called THE MOSES EXPEDITION. Tell our readers about it.

It's the biggest adventure novel since War and Peace. No, seriously, it's a thriller about an expedition to the Jordan Desert in search of a big secret buried in the sand for centuries. Let me tell you something: this Expedition is based in a thorough research and many real facts. And I will tell no more!

The discussion of religion and politics is one that all of us are involved in from day to day. How much do your own personal views of the two influence the world you create for your characters?

I've visited 37 countries and counting. I've lived in tents in the desert with bedouins, eat rats in the Amazon, rode camels in Saudi Arabia, prayed in the Ganges and watched the Jerry Springer Show. I had a full life! I mean, the more you travel and see other people and cultures you discover that we are all the same. Finding differences between a bedouin and a Manhattan lawyer is harder than it seems. I think that a little bit of this can be found in the book, along with explosions and SUV chases in the dunes.

Like the first novel, it seems as though THE MOSES EXPEDITION is garnering great reviews from not just critics and avid readers. Your own literary peers are singing your praises, too. What does that feel like to have authors you respect enjoying your work?

That means I have a lot of dinners to pay. Just joking! I think that Atria Books, and specially Johanna Castillo and David Brown did an amazing job asking well stablished authors to read The Moses Expedition. It happens that months ago I was a mere fan of people like Brad Thor, Matthew Pearl or Steve Berry. When I see their names in the cover of the book I still feel amazed.

Aspiring writers are always wondering what advice authors like you have for them in their careers. What do you normally tell them?

Write, write and write. What elsa can be said? The only way to publish a book is to write a good book. If your first book don't find an audience, write another one and so on. Obviously is easy to say than to accomplish. But hey, who said that good things in life were free.

For some success would have been having one book published and available in stores. You now have two. How have your ideas about success evolved, and what is the definition of success for you now?

I think that books are a success of their own. I mean, I have a good idea and write a good story. That's nice. But then it cames an incredible process in which you have very little to say. Editing, designing, promoting, distributing... and if you are very very lucky, the book, one between thousands, it happens to sell. And that's why I always say that success is not mine, but reader's. There are 3 million of them out there, and I only can give them a big THANK YOU!

Thanks again, Juan. How can our listeners keep up with you and your upcoming work online?
Thanks to you Cyrus! You can always follow me in Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Juan-Gomez-Jurado/17251929625?ref=mf or check The Moses Expedition website (www.themosesexpedition.com). I would like to share with you also the booktrailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AqaObDD7nA) and the making of The Moses Expedition: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Elwss3JqE8)

*Thanks to David Brown at Simon & Schuster for making this interview with the author possible.

TAKE TEN: Author Electa Rome Parks

2010-08-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

Bestselling author Electa Rome Parks has been thrilling readers for years, yet her newest book is not only causing a buzz because of her incredibe writing, but for the issues it raises as well. The Atlanta native talked with Cyrus Webb of Conversations Book Club and Conversations Magazine about her journey in the literary world, the messages of her new book DIARY OF A STALKER, how sex is used today in selling readers on a book and what's next for her.

Here is their conversation:

Electa, thanks for taking out the time to talk with Conversations. I want to start off by talking with you about your journey as an author. What has surprised you the most about your success over the years?

Thank you for having me. Wow, Cyrus! This is a hard question and I have thought about how to answer it for a few days now. I have never, ever, been thrown by an interview question before:} I guess there is a first for everything.

I think my biggest surprise about my success has been how deeply readers embrace and react to my characters. My imperfect, flawed characters become real to them and readers ask about them at signings or via email as if they are real people. That connection, that bond of my readers to my characters is magical to me. Absolutely priceless!

Your newest book DIARY OF A STALKER is just the latest in what has been an amazing career for you. For those who might not know your other titles, run them down for them.

My titles are The Ties That Bind, Loose Ends, Almost Doesn't Count, Ladies' Night Out, These Are My Confessions, Diary of a Stalker and coming soon, True Confessions (January 2011)

I think you would agree, Electa, that with each new challenge we face, there is some form of uncertainty. When it comes to the road you have travelled as a writer, has there ever been a time when you thought that maybe this wasn't going to work for you?

I admit I have questioned the politics of the literary industry but I have never, ever questioned my strong desire to write. Failure has never been an option.

Cyrus, this is a great, timely question because I have discovered or should I say confirmed many facts about myself during the course of writing and completing Diary of a Stalker. First of all, let me say, I think this was one of the quickest books I have ever written. It was like there was a passion and fire lit underneath me that consumed me, that burned from within and I couldn't tell the story fast enough.

Lessons learned: I've learned that writing is a critical part of my very being, much like breathing. No matter what changes the industry may bring, I'm still going to write. That's an absolute, undeniable fact. I've learned that I truly do love writing and it loves me back ten-fold. I'm faithful to it and it rewards me by bringing unbridled joy and happiness to my life.

I've learned that I can try to run and hide, but it's always going to seek me out, find me, much like a stalker, and remind me who and what I really am. That can't be denied or taken away or diminished. Just like I'll die an African American woman, I'll also die with the spirit and soul of a writer.

I've learned that writing speaks to me like no other regardless of whatever goes down, even if I have to write for free and for my eyes only, I'll still rise because if you know who you are---all the rest doesn't even matter. What's meant for me is meant for me and no one or any entity can take that away. With a strong voice meant to be heard, I'll strive and survive.

With every book there seems to be not just a great read but a message that the reader can take away. In DIARY OF A STALKER there are many messages. Where did the idea for the book come from?

Diary of a Stalker: a best-selling male author gets more than he bargained for when he meets a fanatical female fan. What starts out as a one-night stand quickly spirals out of control and into a dangerous game of obsession and pain. �@

Since it had been a couple of years since my last novel, Ladies�f Night Out, dropped, I wanted this new release to be something a little different from my previous novels. Yet, I wanted to maintain the core elements that my books are known for. So the drama, the fast-paced nature, the steamy relationship-based elements are still alive and well.

I attend a lot of literary events such as conferences, signings, workshops, etc. After awhile, I started to notice a pattern no matter what city or state I was in. Even though the avid readers, mostly female, poured much love my way, I noticed the male authors received an extra dose. Maybe because there aren�ft as many male authors? And I noticed, if I attended a large event, I would see some of the same female readers around the same male authors. Hmmmm. So then, I started thinking about how groupies follow rock banks, rappers, professional athletics and entertainers. Why wouldn�ft this exist in the literary arena as well? Throw a few over the top "what if questions" into the mix and Diary of a Stalker was born.

It is hard to find one of the main characters in DIARY that doesn't have some form of baggage and is�@without fault. Was one of the messages you wanted to get across, that no matter what our backgrounds or what we have that we still have the same problems?

No, that wasn't one of my intentional messages, but it certainly could be a message pulled from Diary of a Stalker. I feel Diary of a Stalker had so many messages, much like all of my books. My main point was that men and women shouldn't be so eager to immediately have an intimate relationship without really getting to know a person first.

Your book also touches on an issue with the writer Xavier Preston that is discussed quite a bit in the entertainment industry: the using of sex and sex appeal to push products. Have you found that to be something that readers have picked up on and that has resonated with them?

Yes, it has resonated with many readers. My readers went into reading Diary of a Stalker, I think, feeling that the storyline was going to be cut and dry. Xavier was good and Pilar was going to be bad. However, that wasn't necessarily the case; it wasn't that black and white. Many thought Xavier received exactly what he deserved.

Writing about sex is one thing, but I'm curious as to what�@your personal thoughts about authors using their own sexuality to get attention.

The old adage that sex sells is very true, even in the literary industry. Literally. I have seen it up close and personal at various literary events and conferences I have attended over the years. Personally, I have never used my sex appeal or sexuality to get attention. I believe an author's talent or an interesting storyline should be the lure to encourage a reader to pick up a book. That should speak for itself. The literary industry is similar to the music industry in many ways; after all, both are part of the entertainment industry. These days authors have to have the total package (good looks and charm doesn't hurt) to stand out from the overly saturated marketplace.

However, I try not to be judgmental, so I say to each his own.

I want to shift to your role as an example and mentor for others. What would you say to authors that are just starting out and wondering how they can mirror the success and longevity of someone like yourself?

I know this is going to sound sappy, but so be it. Follow your dreams, believe in yourself and never give up. Picture where you want to be a year from now, five years from now and claim that space. We all have stories to tell, but there are only a few of us who actually sit down and put pen to paper. That makes you unique in itself.

Believe in your gift and use it every day. Network and surround yourself with people and places that uplift and promote your creativity. Listen to your inner spirit. The only place where your dream becomes impossible is in your own thinking.

And last, but certainly not least, write "something" every day. And remember, it's true; you can't please all the people all the time. If you believe in what you write and you're passionate about what you write, readers will pick up on that aura.

Keep the faith and it will come.

Success definitely comes in different forms. What does success look like for Electa Rome Parks today?

Good question. Personally, I define success as being able to do something you truly love on a day to day basis, getting paid for it in the process, giving back to the community (to whom much is given, much is expected) and being the best person you can be which enables you to sleep peacefully at night. To me, those combined elements make you a successful person. And if you place God and your family first, the sky's the limit!

Thank you for your time, Electa. If our readers want to keep in touch with you, what is the best way to reach you online?

My readers (I'm so possessive) can stay abreast of my world at any of my sites below. I also adore chatting with my readers because I greatly value and appreciate their feedback and support. They can drop me a note at novelideal@aol.com.www.electaromeparks.com

TAKE TEN: Author Michael Dillon Scott

2010-08-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

He might be one of Ireland's favorite sons, but international bestselling author Michael Dillon Scott has become a worldwide phenomenon. With over 100 titles in print over the past two decades, he has managed to garner a readership that expands the young and old, male and female, and it's obvious that in the process he is loving it just as must as those who buy his books. While in the states promoting his latest release, Scott took out some time to answer some questions from Conversations' Cyrus Webb discussing not only his beginnings as a writer, how he has kept himself going over the years and also gives advice for aspiring writers. This interview truly has something for everyone.

Michael, first of all thank you for taking out time out of your busy schedule to talk with us. You have been a piece of the world's literature for over two decades. Are you surprised at the body of work you have amassed over the years?

It constantly surprises me. I never set out to create a body of work. It sort of crept up on me over the years. Twenty-five years ago I wanted to tell a series of Irish folklore and legends which had not been told for a very long time. That collection became Irish Folk & Fairy Tales. It led to a second collection and then a third. I think all my work has flowed naturally from the previous books. Folklore leading to fantasy fiction, then into historical fiction and horror, before ultimately leading to the new series which is a mixture of just about everything I've read and studied over the past twenty-five years.

Your journey as an author began in the early 80s. What was it that first drew you into writing in the first place?

There were really three factors. I was working as a bookseller in Dublin, Ireland. Every day boxes of books arrived, most of them by authors people never hear of. It was those writers, who did book after book, year after year, who really brought it home to me that it was possible to write successfully for a living.

The second reason was that I had become aware of a vast body of Irish folklore that was either not available or only available in out-of-print Victorian collections. I wanted to bring those stories to a modern audience. In my rather youthful ignorance (or maybe arrogance), I thought I could do that. I mean – how hard could it be? I discovered just how hard very quickly!

Thirdly, I was a reader, a voracious reader and if you are a reader, then sooner or later, you will want to try to tell your own stories.

At the time when you started writing there were still a number of people especially in the states that believed you couldn't achieve real success as a writer until after you were dead. Did you have people telling you in the beginning that it wouldn't work out well for you, and if so, what kept you going?

People said that all the time, indeed, some still say it. Really it is how you define success. I would suggest that getting one book published is a success. For others, it can be just completing a book.

However, it did take me a long time to make the huge leap into earning my living as a writer. That's the big step. That is when the safety net is removed and suddenly not only do you HAVE to write, it has to sell. It changes how you write and I do believe it even changes what you write.

When you are writing, there will always be people who tell you that it is an impossible dream, but every day, every week, every month, more and more books are published. And someone has to write them. The trick is to ignore the nay-sayers and keep writing.

One of the problems some writers grapple with, Michael, is that of staying relevant. Do you believe that your writing in various genres has kept you in front of fresh eyes and your loyal readers coming back for more?

Absolutely. I have always fought against being categorized as particular type of writer. The problem is, of course, that some publishers want you to write in a particular genre, especially if your last book sold well. Then you become a "horror" writer or a "romance" writer, and once that label is applied, it becomes difficult to remove it.

I've written across several genres - folklore, fantasy, horror, romance, both adult and young adult. I've published both fiction and non-fiction. I tend to write what interests me and lots of things interest me. Often there is no cross-over between readers of my work, though it is true that readers of my Young Adult fantasy writing will move onto my adult fantasy.

I was introduced to your work last year, but I just began following you regularly this year because of the social networking site Twitter. Have sites like Youtube, Facebook and Twitter help you connect with fans and prospective readers?

Yes, absolutely. I am of the generation of writers who have instant access to their readers – in exactly the same way that readers have access to their favourite authors. Previously writers would have waited weeks or months for reviews and comments about their books to arrive. Now, it happens within hours of publication. If you write to me on Twitter or Facebook or through the fan site, there is a very good chance I will respond – especially if you're asking me an interesting question.

On the fan site, for example, readers spend a lot of time dissecting the stories and doing their own research into the characters. That is incredibly gratifying, but also a little bit scary: if I get it wrong or make a mistake, then they'll tell me!

Also, because I write everything to music and I often tweet about the music I'm listening to (right now it's Stream of Passion's album, Embrace the Storm), readers recommend music to me all the time. I've been introduced to music I would never have encountered through my fans online.

There is a downside of course. If is often very frustrating to find full synopses of the books on Wikipedia, revealing all of the carefully placed revelations and clues.

The latest book in your new series is The Necromancer. Tell us about it and what readers can expect.

This is the fourth book in the six book sequence. I really recommend that you read the first three, which sets up the story, because this is really a book where everything you've learned thus far is turned on its head. As in the rest of the series, the only two created characters are Sophie and Josh, two ordinary fifteen year old American twins. All the other characters are drawn from history and all the creatures from mythology.

You are read all around the world now, and in the eyes of many you have a successful career. I'm curious how after 20-plus years in business you measure success for yourself.

Very simply: being able to earn my living as a writer. For most of my writing life I had other jobs, which was the safety net, but now there is no safety net.

I also believe you are only as good as your last book. Every book I write has to be better than the last. As a bookseller one of the most interesting lessons you learn is about the often short writing careers of many writers. Authors who were huge even ten years ago, are unknown now.

Along the line of the last question, Michael, what is it like to have readers tell you how much your work as meant to them? Has it really sunk in the influence you have on some just doing what you love?

Having someone tell you that your book inspired them to be a writer is an incredible tribute. When people write and tell me that one of my books encouraged them to read again is also extraordinary. It is one of the great advantages of being a Young Adult writer: fans write. And I try and answer them all.

Writing is an incredibly private job. You spent six or nine or twelve months sitting staring at a screen, with no idea (or very little idea) of what's happening to your books in the real world. And then, for a few weeks you go on tour, and suddenly you realize what's been happening to that book.

Two weeks ago I had the honor to be a guest at the 100^th Boy Scouts Jamboree. Young men lined up for two hours to get their books signed and many had brought all their books for signing. Now, given that they were carrying their tents, clothes, boots and kit, it was an huge compliment to discover that they'd also carried 3 or 4 heavy hardbacks with them.

There are aspiring writers who look to authors like you for guidance. What would you say to someone who loves to write but hasn't taken any steps to see themselves in print?

The rules are very simple. You have to read. Then read some more and then, do a little more reading. I have never met a writer who was not a reader.

You have to write. Every day. It doesn't matter if you throw it away the following day, but you have to write. Start with something small – a short story. And finish it. So many writers never progress because they fail to finish a piece. I always find it's incredibly useful to write the ending first. That gives you a destination. Once you've completed a short piece, then begin a longer piece – a novella – then a novel.

Do your research. Find out how long a novel should be (The Necromancer is 90,000 words for example, The Sorceress a little bigger at 100,000). See who is publishing your type of book. Do not, for example, send a romance novel to a science fiction publisher.

And be patient and persevere. Every writer is rejected. Some have been rejected many, many times. If one publisher rejects your work, it just means it was not right for that house at that particular time.

I always add that you should get a really comfortably chair – you're going to spent a long time sitting in it!

Thanks again, Michael, and we wish you continued success. How can our readers stay in contact with you.

Thank you so much. My website is a good jumping off place: www.dillonscott.com. I post on Twitter just about every day as @flamelauthor and I'm on Facebook with the same name. But the best place for information about me and the books (and they often have information even before I have it) is the official fan forum: Flamel's Secret: http://flamelssecret.9.forumer.com/ and the portal site: Flamel's Immortal Portal: http://www.flamels-immortal-portal.com/. I'm on the fan site just about every day and I usually answer the questions posted there.

TAKE TEN: Author Randy Kearse

2010-07-26T04:33:00.000-07:00

When it comes to thinking outside the box, we could all learn a thing or two from author and motivational speaker Randy Kearse. The Brooklyn, NY native is a self-described "Book Hustler Extraordinaire" that has allowed learning from his personal experiences to transform him into a succss story that people all around the world are reading about...literally.He talked with Conversations Magazine about how the choices he has made have changed him and his thinking about everything from the meaning of life and even the definition of success.

In less than a decade, he has gone from prison to being featured and praised in the New York Times. Kearse's story will inspire not just aspiring writers and those already in the literary world, but anyone who has a dream that seems too impossible to make come true.

Randy, first of all let me just say congratulations on all of your success with your career as an author. Let's start there. Would you have believed just 10 years ago that you would be talked about all over the world and featured in such prominent papers like The New York Times?

(Smiling)... Thank you. Not in a millions years would I have imagined anyone would be talking about Randy Kearse, at least not in a positive way. I mean my life had taken so many twists and turns, 10 years ago I was just trying to figure out a plan that would keep me outta prison once I got out. 10 years ago, I was more then halfway through a 15 year federal prison sentence that I had received. In prison you're just dreaming of getting out and hopefully staying out. I was working on my first book Street Talk: Da Official Guide to Hip-Hop & Urban Slanguage 10 years ago. I dreamed of having a successful book but not actually being a successful author. It's been great.

For our readers that are just hearing about you and your accomplishments for the first time now, let's give them some background. How did you go from someone seen as another statistic headed in the wrong direction to now building your own brand as an author and entrepreneur?

Well not intentionally plugging the titles of one of my books, but the title says it all. I changed my game plan. While in prison and the years are slowly adding up, I'm getting older and life seems to be passing me by, I decided I needed to make some serious changes if I was gonna make it back in society. I had to take a real hard look at myself, my life thus far and the mindset that landed me in prison in the first place. I slowly began to strip away that "street mentality" that is so destructive and slowly began to re-learn the positive things that I had been taught as a youngster and began reshaping my life, the way I seen myself life and the way I perceived my situation. My incarceration could be two things now, a crutch or a stepping stone to something greater, that was the challenge I set for myself. Incorporating some of the things I learned while living a street lifestyle, I knew your greatest asset in most the things we do is the ability to sell yourself. I was good at selling at things, (small chuckle) so it was a natural extension from what I used to sell that landed me in prison to my ability to sell and move books now as an author.

Courage is not always easy to come by. You seem almost fearless in the way you promote yourself. Where does that courage come from and how did you develop it?

When you have traveled some of the roads I have fear is something you deal with on a regular basis. It's just part of the street lifestyle. I have friends who have been killed or sent to prison for the rest of their lives. I have had occasions where I had to literally fight for my life, so I say all that to say this: If I can face down my fear during that part of my, fear of dying, fear or going to jail and still do what I was doing, how can I fear approaching the book business like I mean business. I remember when Changin' Your Game Plan came out, I was so excited and I picked up over a 1,000 copies of the books from the printer and the reality set it, I said to myself, "Yo you have to move this books." (Laughing). The first day I had set up a table downtown Brooklyn had books set out all professional and stuff and nobody was paying me attention. So I came from behind the table with books in hand and at first I was a lil' shy to approach people, but then I had a thought, and the thought said, "you weren't shy when you was selling that other stuff so how you so shy now?" From that moment to this day I have never been shy or scared to approach anyone about my books, I mean the worst they tell you is "beat it" it's not like they're gonna shoot you.

Tell us about your first book.

My first books is actually titled, Street Talk. It's a 750 page lexicon that interprets the whole hip-ho and urban slang vernacular. I POD it 30 days out of prison. Not to make any money but to have a tangible book when I approached publishers. I felt it would be more impressive in book form apposed to sending a 1,000 page manuscript. Took the POD to a small book press fair in NYC and started showing all the different publishers the book and walked out there with a book deal.

The book I'm most known for is Changin' Your Game Plan: How to use incarceration as a stepping stone for SUCCESS. Its a very deep thought provoking books that challenges you to re-evaluate who you are. It's not about prison so much its about life, just written from the experience of being in prison and deciding where I wanted to go from there.

Did you have any plans for a second book or think ahead as to what would come from it?

Street Talk had taken like 5 years to complete and I never really thought of writing anything after that, Street Talk was just a project I worked on as a means to stay sane in prison #1 and hopefully help generate some revenue when I got out to help rebuild my life. Changin' Your Game Plan started as a series of letters I was writing to my brother who had just gotten arrested a year before I was due to be released and I was trying to guide him on how to do time productively.

How did you come up with the way you were going to get the word out about what you had written?

Well with no major marketing and promotion machine behind me, I did things the old fashioned way, handed out thousands and thousands and thousands of flyers that I printed on a used laserjet printer and stayed on the internet day and night, emailing people. Just getting out there in front of people. A lot of writers think just cause you write a book it's gonna sell. No! You have to get out there and sell it. I'm what you call a "flat-foot" hustler. I can walk from one end of town to the other end and back to promote my product. I came into this business with the same work ethics I had when I was standing on the corner. Up early, out in the street early, out most the day meeting people, pitching the book to whoever will listen. If I can get the media exposure I have on my own, Imagine what I could do with a major marketing machine backing me.

We all look at success different ways, Randy. You have already been featured prominently in print and online.Going through what you have, how has your view of success changed?

I used to think success was having lots of money. Success today is knowing that you're doing something that's impacting someone's life in a positive way. That people are recognizing that you're not that person you once were. That people believe your story is worth telling.

From each situation in life, both good and bad, we have moments where lessons are learned. I'm curious as to what lessons your experiences have taught you that you share with others.

Man I have so many life's lessons I wouldn't know where to begin. So I'll just give one of the most prominent lessons that sticks wit me, CRIME DOESN'T PAY (laughing). Seriously though, my experiences have thought me to appreciate life, freedom, to be humble and enjoy the beauty and wonders of life itself.

What advice would you give to anyone who has a dream but is not doing everything they can to pursue it?

If you don't pursue your dreams, there's always going to be times when you're going to wonder what could have been. Go for it, so at least you'll know the answer to that question of what could have been.

Thanks again for taking out this time, Randy. If our readers want to catch up on everything you are doing, where can they find you online?

Man, Thank you. It's been great because now you're part of my story. (smiling).. People can catch me at www.randykearse.com facebook, linkedin, twitter, digg, blackplanet and on a subway train near you.

TAKE TEN: Author Nesrine Joseph

2010-07-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

Australia's own Nesrine Joseph might be the quiet type, but she has gotten people talking with her debut novel DANGEROUSLY INNOCENT. Listening to the characters as they spoke to her, she has woven together a story that is full of mystery and intrigue. She talked with Cyrus Webb of Conversations about the process of writing the book, how she balancing the creative and business side of publishing and what's next for her.

Nesrine, thank you for speaking with Conversations and Take Ten. Before we get into your book DANGEROUSLY INNOCENT, let's talk about you. How would you describe yourself?

I am a fairly quiet person. I do enjoy getting out into the world by exploring it and expanding my horizons with various things, but at this precise moment my main focus is on my career and with my up coming new novel.

When did you realize that writing was something you were interested in?

I have been fond of writing since high school where I personally feel I excelled in English, but I realized I could become a writer a few years back when I found several of my old journals and read the many stories I had written during my late teens.

It was fascinating to know how different time and I was then. You could say I was intrigued to write about my adventures after my sisters had encouraged me.

Has your family and those who grew up around you been surprised about your literary career?

Indeed, they have been surprised, particularly since they only found out about my book after it had been published. They were also shocked at my decision to write a thriller and with my choice of graphic context which was portrayed in the novel, DANGEROUSLY INNOCENT.

Tell us about your novel and what inspired it.

DANGEROUSLY INNOCENT is a novel set in Sydney, Australia in the new millennium and it reflects on two detectives who are out to capture a killer that is using gruesome force to take the lives of innocent men . . . or so it seems the men being murdered are innocent.

Detectives James (Luther) and Trevelyan (Rochelle) are partners and at the beginning of the novel when readers are first introduced to the pair, they are in conversation about their current case, which has been dubbed the 'Slicer' case. As they continue to chatter, they receive a phone call stating their killer had struck again and so the mystery continues, only this time linked with their latest married victim is his mistress (Marissa) who suddenly becomes their killers' next target and the detectives' new suspect.

As the 'Slicer' case becomes national headlines with more fatalities, Luther and Rochelle find themselves linked to another case from a years prior which had been ruled an accident, return and unfold before their very eyes into what it really is. With a surprising conclusion, I cannot reveal who will survive and who will not.

I have always been a fan of various crime shows such as CSI and NCIS, among others. I guess my inspiration also comes from reading about the worlds true crime stories such as the Tate/LaBianca murders, Jack the Ripper and the Green River killer.

I suddenly wondered what would happen if I combined the innocent appearances of the real-life Tate/LaBianca murderers with the horrifying methods Jack the Ripper used to kill his victims and the determination of Dave Reichert, the man responsible for apprehending the Green River killer all into one book.

Suddenly it happened and DANGEROUSLY INNOCENT was created.

I have heard authors say that the characters speak to them about the direction of their story. Was that true for you?

Definitely! Not only was I thinking about Detectives James and Trevelyan in my waking hours, but even in my sleep I felt as though I was present at each crime scene and the law enforcers were explaining the whole ordeal to me.

When authors say their characters speak to them, trust me they're not lying.

What has surprised you the most about the reaction to the book?

The thing that has surprised me the most is the good feedback I have received from the many people who have purchased and read my book. Although there have been a few negative reviews, it has mainly been positive news.

When people come up to me and tell me they adored reading 'Dangerously Innocent', and that the ending was not as they had expected, it is a satisfying feeling to know that I wrote something which was not predictable, yet enjoyable.

Many authors find the writing process to be easier than the marketing aspect. What about you?

I would have to agree with them. Although writing could be difficult, marketing the book can be a real nightmare. First of all, your book may not meet the expectations of many readers, therefore they will certainly choose to boycott your future ones when they are launched.

Secondly, if you don't have the right person publicizing your book, then all your hard work is suddenly placed onto a shelf until one day the right person picks it up or you write another manuscript that will suddenly capture peoples' imagination and curiosity about your prior projects.

With the first book on the market, what is next for you?

As I had stated before, I do enjoy expanding my horizons therefore with that said, I am in the process of writing a drama. The title has not been set yet, but it is almost complete and will be out soon, God-willing.

Without giving too much away, the new novel will be set over three decades and introduces various characters, all of whom find themselves living in sin and carrying a secret too much for anyone to handle. Once their secrets get out- all hell will break loose.

Nesrine, what advice do you have for aspiring writers that are reading your interview now about how they can be successful?

Don't give up! Just because someone thinks you're not good enough, it doesn't mean they are right. If you have a dream, make it real because in the end the only person you are meant to satisfy is yourself because only you know what you really want in life.

If you choose to write, just make sure you get a good editor, literary agent, publisher and PR. Trust me, when you have the right people who've got your back, you certainly won't fall and definitely won't fail.

Thanks for your time. How can our readers keep up with you online?

I can be reached on www.nesrinejoseph.com, www.nesrinejoseph.blogspot.com and FaceBook. I would sincerely like to thank you very much for having me. It has been a great pleasure.

TAKE TEN: Author D. D. Turner

2010-06-06T11:26:00.001-07:00

by Cyrus Webb for Conversations Magazine/Crunk Magazine

At a time when the influcene of Hip Hop is painted with a largely negative brush, author D. D. Turner is hoping to not only change that image but use his love of the culture and music to encourage reading. Born Derrick Turner, the 32 year old is originally from Brooklyn, NY but now calls Houston, TX home. His first book CHRONICLES OF A HIP HOP LEGEND creates a marriage of his two loves, writing and Hip Hop, and creates a literary series that he hopes will be talked about for some time.

In this interview he discusses his beginnings with music and words, what you can expect from Chronicles and his advice for aspiring writers.

Derrick, thank you for taking out the time to talk with Crunk. First of all, when did you realize that writing was something you were interested in?
Prior to the release of Chronicles of a Hip Hop Legend, I had been writing for quite some time but it was never creative in terms of the output. I had the opportunity to do artist reviews/bios and editorial contributions for small, start-up publications in the New York City area. Even back then, I found gratification in being able to offer perspective using the written word as a medium...I quickly became hooked.

For many music is the soundtrack of their lives. What about for you? What role does music play in your life?
I am largely inspired by music. In fact, LL Cool J's 'Hip Hop' song off of the 'Mr. Smith' album provided inspiration for The Chronicles of a Hip Hop Legend, as did The Roots' song 'Act Too' off of the 'Things Fall Apart' album. I often find that my writing is at its best after I listen to some impactful rap music. In fact, I'm in the process of closing a chapter (second installment of The Chronicles of a Hip Hop Legend) that was largely influenced by some great music.The second installment of Chronicles of a Hip Hop Legend is going to be crazy!

Your debut novel is called CHRONICLES OF A HIP HOP LEGEND. The title could lead a reader in different directions. What is the book about and what led you to write it?
What led me to write the book was simply a desire to combine both Hip Hop and the literary genre of fantasy-fiction into an entertaining and worthwhile reading experience. Beyond that and even more important, I realized that this was an opportunity for me to be socially responsible and create a literary series that could provide inspiration to young adults and also, address the literacy problems that are plaguing many communities across our nation.

Who would you say your book is written for, and what do u hope they get from it?
The series is primarily for the young adult audience. However, adults have also been responding well to the series. I credit this to the story being a classic good vs. evil tale. Also, although the main characters are Wizards and Sorcerers, they have very real characteristics that people can identify with. Ultimately, I want people to allow themselves to exist behind the words on the page; invision themselves being apart of the story as it continues to unfold.

For many the writing of the book is the easy part. It is the marketing and promotion of the book that is more difficult for some. What about for you? How do you balance the creative side versus the business side?
It is tough but it can be managed. I found out early on that it is important to strike a balance between that which is necessary to maintain progression and the obligation to grant sufficient time to that which got you to this point. I generally try to handle business matters during the day and commit to writing at night.

Social networking is an avenue that many readers and writers are using to network and promote themselves. How have Twitter and Facebook along with others helped you?
Social networking is extremely helpful. I primarily use facebook and twitter and found they have been great in communicating the release/arrival of the series. I receive new friends and followers often.

If I had visited your home 10 years ago and told you that you would have a book available in stores, would you have believed me?
No way. At the age of 22, I enjoyed writing but not extensively. Therefore, at that time, the thought of writing a novel would have been extremely far-fetched.

What about reading? What books did you grow up reading and how has your interest in books evolved over the years?
Early on, I wasn't much of a casual reader. The exception to this however was works that covered topics that I was interested in; mostly historical references and science. As I 've gotten older, I have come to enjoy those works that offer a biographical glance into the author's life with the overall theme of the work being triumphant in nature...This type of story inspires me.

Can you tell us what's next for you?
Including COHH, I have several literary projects in development. The first of those to be released will be the second installment of COHH which is set to be released in November. Beyond that, I am looking to continue to communicate the arrival of this unique literary series and push it to markets beyond our nation.

What advice would you have for aspiring writers that hear or read about your experience?
Please feel free to use my experiences as inspiration; know that you too are capable of doing whatever you set your mind to...Passion feeds the flames of success. Lastly, never allow yourself to be inhibited while writing. The paper/computer monitor knows not of the tool of restriction. Therefore, give into the absence of constraint and allow your creativity to ravage the page.

Find out more about D. D. Turner and the series by visiting www.chroniclesofahiphoplegend.com.

TAKE TEN: Author Maria Stewart

2010-04-04T07:22:00.000-07:00

The family of Theresa Ferrara has had to deal with the nightmare that so many know all too well: losing a loved one to a tragic yet senseless act of violence. For some time the media and the public at large speculated as to what could have happened to this beautiful Long Island (New York) woman. In 2009, however, Theresa's neice Maria Stewart, decided to write a book about the aunt that she knew and dispel some of the falsehoods that hovered around her disappearance. LOOKING FOR CLOSURE is that book, and since its release, people have been able to look at the facts of the case with a fresh eye and can make their own judgments after doing so.

Maria talked with Cyrus Webb of Conversations about the book, her aunt and what she hopes readers get from it. The two also tackle the topic of how crime elements are portrayed in the world of entertainment, and how this can distort our view of them.

(NOTE: Maria Stewart talked to Webb on Conversations LIVE! about her experience and the book. Listen to the show here, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/conversationslive/2009/11/17/author-maria-stewart-o-conversations-live-radio)

This is their conversation.

Tell the readers a little about yourself
I was born and raised on Long Island New York. I presently still live on Long Island. I am a hair stylist and have three children.

Maria, if it had not been for the tragedy that your family suffered, do you think you would have become an author?
Although I always loved writing , I don't think I would of become a writer. I think if you have a story that you think should be told you should tell it. I also found out by writing how healing it can be to get out things in your soul that have been preventing you from living life properly.

Talk about your relationship with Theresa, the focus of your book LOOKING FOR CLOSURE.
Theresa was my Aunt and closest family member to me. She was my mother's youngest sister. I worked with her, partied with her and just was very close to her. She was more like a big sister, not so much like the normal aunt/niece relationship. She looked out for me and taught me many things .

Maria, take us into the night that Theresa disappeared.
On Feb 10, 1979 at the end of a busy Saturday in our hair salon, Theresa got a phone call.The male on the phone asked to speak to Theresa and offered her an easy ten thousand dollars to lure her to the diner next store. She was under the dryer drying her hair, got the phone call and told me to hold her bag with the weeks receipts. She said if I am not back in 10 minutes to come and get her. That was the last time I saw her alive and well.

There's been alot of speculation as to what happened, and your family had to deal with the stories in the press about the case. Why did you feel it was important to go into the story yourself and write what would become LOOKING FOR CLUSURE?
I believe it is a story that should be told. There were over thirteen news articles she was in. She had a double life my family and I did not know about. I needed to talk about what really happened and what my family went through . The truth! No one ever hears the family's version and the truth to all the fabricated stories that were told. Although she did get involved with the wrong people, she was a hero to me. She helped put alot of bad people behind bars. I'm sure she prevented some murders and some children from doing drugs, from being an informant. A little different from this sexual tigress the papers portray her to be.

I also can help many people through my writing. Possibly people who lost a loved on through a murder or kid napping,or abused.My faith in god got me through it all. I give him all the credit. I also wanted to leave something for Theresa .Like a legacy. She didn't have any children. And I wanted to talk about what she had gone through in her life, the good and bad. She was a great person that made some mistakes .Maybe she was put on earth to put some bad people behind bars. I want the audience to see that there are some good things that can come out of a bad situation.If you don't look at life that way you probably wouldn't be able to get through it.

Can you give us an idea of what surprised or shocked you the most after you began your search for the truth?
What surprised and shocked me most was alot of things. Most of it was a shock to me. From the moment of her disappearance, her being an FBI informant, her involvement in the mob...right down to the DNA test results.

Since the book was released in mid 2009 what was the over all response to you telling Theresa's story?
The overall response has been overwhelming! Everyone loves my story. They can not believe what my family and I went through. Most of all ,they all tell me they could not put it down once they picked it up. They like the fact that I get right to the point without long drawn out chapters. All tell me also that it sounds like a movie.

Many times we as society sometimes glamorize crime family and stories about the mob. What do you think we should be mindful of about the the life we see on tv and in the movies?
I do think that tv and the movies glamorize and fabricate the stories about the mob crime families do how ever think the part of which how barbaric these men are in the way they think and kill people are all true. For instance in the Sopranos.The way those men killed people and covered it up and turned on one another ,along with the crooked cops and the FBI bugging them and all that is not far off from the truth .I've experienced all that in real life. That's not glamorized.Stuff like that really happens. These men are nuts!!

What is next for you now that your book has been published?
I actually have a script prepared from my story .I'm presently looking for representation. An agent ,producer or director that might be interested in a true crime non fiction mafia story. I decided to do this after numerous amounts of people told me I should. I worked on it with a friend that writes screenplays.He loved the story and thought it would make a great movie.

At the end of the day what do you hope people take away with them from your journey or truth from your aunts story?
I hope that people take away with them the fact that life is really hard. People make mistakes and sometimes its hard to get the bottom of what really is the truth.And that its hard to come to terms with sometimes you may never know all their is to know. And when that happens, you just have to let go and trust God .Even when you are not happy with the results and out come..I personally love a happy ending.To a movie ,book etc... Unfortunately, real life is not like that.

For more information about Maria Stewart's book LOOKING FOR CLOSURE, visit www.outskirtspress.com/lookingforclosure.
To schedule interviews or appearances with the author, contact Cyrus Webb at cawebb4@juno.com or 601.896.5616.

TAKE TEN: Author J. Nicole Spencer

2010-03-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

She has overcome challenges that would have broken the average man or woman, but author and entreprenuer J. Nicole Spencer is by no means average. A native of Houston, TX, Spencer is building a multi-media brand that is reaching across the globe with the aim of helping others in their day-to-day lives. During her conversation with Cyrus Webb of Conversations, she talks about her beginnings, the foundation of her faith and success and what advice she has for anyone who wants to live a better life.

First of all, Nicole, thank you for taking some time to talk to us about your organization. Before we get too far into the business side of your life, why don't you tell our readers a little about yourself.
I am a native Houstonian raised by my mother the first half of my youth and my father the second half. I have been on my own since the age of seventeen. I joined the US Army at age eighteen with an attempt to escape a street life of drugs, alcohol and abuse. Running from the calling I heard on my life even as a young child I ran right in the hands of God. Although I made up my mind that I would have fun first then when I got older I would I turn to God, He had other plans for me. While serving in Korea I clearly heard the voice of God say, it’s time. November 2002 I rededicated my life to God and took off running.

Undergoing a dramatic transformation I developed an understanding of my calling to evangelize and serve the people of the very streets I was trying to escape. I returned home with a goal to do just that by starting a non-profit organization, United Soul Seekers, bringing many to Christ in the same community I once sold drugs in. Despite the success of my ministry my marriage brought about pain and low self-esteem. Struggling to keep together a marriage based on abuse and control I slowly drifted away from ministry while pregnant with my first child. After surviving a near death experience by the hands of my husband, my child and I relocated to the Dallas Fort Worth area. Frustrated with having to work full time and ask for donations to raise money to support my organization I decided to start my own business which will allow me to manage my own time and have an opportunity to make an unlimited amount of money to pour back into the kingdom. The birth of Christian Touch Media came from this frustration.

Do you think those who grew up around you are surprised about all the things you have done in such a short period of time?
Of course! I have always been a leader but I lead people straight to hell. I have always been a dreamer but my dreams had nothing to do with serving God. People in the Army and from my hometown could not believe the girl that was once the life of the party, was now talking about a man name Jesus. You know like the woman at the well, well that was me. From a youth I knew that I wanted to change the world but I didn’t know how. Once I sold out to the gospel I was ready for others to do the same. His love is where the passion of everything that God has allowed me to prosper.

There are many people, Nicole, who have goals of doing things in life. Some of them never achieve the level of success that you have. What do you think separates you from them?
Nothing! The same God I serve has predestined every believer for His good works. If we seek what He desires in due time success will follow. If we align our goals and desires to his plan and are diligent they shall come to pass. I give all glory to Him and Him alone. Yes there are principles that I follow but everyone has access to these same principles….. The Bible.

A great deal of what you do today comes under the umbrella of your business Christian Touch Media. Talk to us about where the idea for it came from and what it does.
A man once told me that he who dominates the media dominates the mind of man. I thought about that and said the quickest way for me to get the gospel out in this society is through the media. Think about it, texting, internet, TV, radio, books, newspapers, and magazines. Even marketing products, clothing and music influence people in the most powerful way. One day I thought to my self the church needs help in dominating media. Wouldn’t it be great if the Christian community could walk into a place where everything they needed to be effective for Christ was in one place? You know a one-stop shop? If you were a writer and needed assistance in publishing or selling your book. Or if you were an artist and you need to record. Or a teacher and you needed study tools. What about a business owner and you needed business cards? Well welcome to the world of Christian Touch Media. We create multiple outlets of marketing and media for the Christian community.

It would seem that a great deal of what you do, Nicole, is centered around your faith---even your work in the community. Talk to us about the role of faith in your life and how it has grown over the years.

I laugh because I do nothing, absolutely nothing without faith in Jesus! I am a simple woman with a back ground that doesn’t agree with my current circumstances. I should be dead or in jail right now. Instead God allowed me to write a book. God allowed me to raise my child with a clear mind. God allowed me to have a business when I was once a slave to corporate America. With out Him I am nothing. Every moment of my life is depended upon His grace.

We are living in a time when people are afraid because of everything that is going on in the world around them. How do you keep such fear from keeping you from achieving your goals?
I am not of this world or its economy. I started a business with faith and three thousand dollars in the middle of a recession and have profited 4 times over. In the economy I operate in faith is like a million dollars. I am rich not by the balance in my account but by the faith that God brings me to through every level of knowing Him more. Even if I fall flat on my face today I am still rich because I serve a God who can flip $1 into a million if I have enough faith to let it flow into my life.

One of your latest projects is the release of　the book "Sarah's Secrets". Can you tell us about the inspiration for it and what you hope readers take away from the book or the audio version?
Honestly I feel like I had no choice. I really wanted to write a book but not this book. Sarah’s Secrets Exposing the Fear of Submission is a book that teaches women about biblical submission. This was a topic that I fought with for a long time, as due many women today. Submission is a topic that society has rejected time and time again, yet our Bible teaches it. How can we as Christian reject a mandate from God? In this book I reveal three simple but powerful secrets that will help women submit to God first then to godly authority in their lives. Sarah Abraham’s wife is our teacher and four women grow to learn how these secrets can benefit them. It was a book that I had to write because God instructed me to.

Here we are in a new year with many possibilities ahead. What are your goals for your business and yourself personally in 2010?
As for myself I desire Gods righteousness more than anything else right now. I have salvation but now I want to be like Christ. In 2010 I’m asking Him clean, restore, and grow me in Him. As for my business, my record label, clothing line and several more store locations are on my plate to develop in 2010.

Nicole, any advice you want to give to those who might hear your story and want to find out how to make their dreams come true?
Do not live your life in vain. What ever time you have left on this earth help someone by being all that God called you to be.

Thank you again for your time, Nicole, and continued success to you. For those who might want to keep up with you online, how can they do so?
Thank you. I have several websites in which they can find information www.christiantouchmedia.com, www.sarahssecerts.net, www.warcallrecords.com and www.redeemedplatinumwear.com.

TAKE TEN: Author Deborah Gary

2010-02-24T16:34:00.000-08:00

She was eighteen and pregnant, but for Deborah Gary, that did not mean that her dreams had to be shelved or dismissed. Born in a small coaling mining town on the other side of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she decided it was important to stay true to her goal of being a published author---and she has done just that. Now residing in Columbus, Ohio, Gary is the author of two books (including TEENAGE MOTHER'S GUIDE TO SURVIVAL: Rising Above The Odds, the story of her life) and is using her experience as a teenage mother as a way to show other young women they don't have to give up on life because they have a child.

Deborah Gary talks to Cyrus Webb of Conversations Book Club and Conversations LIVE! Radio about this and more.(Listen to her interview with Cyrus with Conversations LIVE! Radio here: http://tobtr.com/s/925432 ) Here is their conversation.

Deborah, thank you for your time. I want to talk to you about your career as a writer, but first tell me this: Does it surprise you that out of all of the things you have been through that you are now a published author?
No, I am not surprised to find myself to be a published author and I say that with humbleness. I have always had more than one iron in the fire in life. I started out writing for the local black owned newspaper regarding local people and issues. Then my career snow balled. I found myself interviewing celebrities, which I continued to do for over twenty years. Then I was an editor for another newspaper that emerged in the area that was owned by Boxing Promoter Don King. I finally became an editorial columnist for the major newspaper in Warren, I was the first and only Black person to do so. I knew I would write a book someday, but, I had no idea that it would be a motivational book for teenage mothers. I thought I would write a romance novel, which still may happen.

When did you realize that writing was something you were interested in?
My interest in writing actually came from a 5th grade homework assignment. The class was given an assignment of writing a poem within 2 weeks. I struggled to write the poem until the night before the assignment was due. I was the teacher's pet and did not want to disappointment him, but, I had no poem. I told my mother of my dilemma and she, being from the generation of black people that did not go far in school, gave me a signal with her eyes that she understood that black people can't do things like that. I went to bed that night, sleepless and staring out of the window, thinking of what explanation I would give my teacher for my failure. The end result, I wrote a poem about the stars I had been staring at and it was chosen as one of the best written. Much to the surprise to both my mother and myself. I have been writing ever since I was ten years old.

Your book TEENAGE MOTHER'S GUIDE TO SURVIVAL (Rising Above The Odds) is something very personal to you. Tell us about your experience as a teenage mother?
Teenage Mother's Guide To Survival, Rising Above The Odds is very important to me. It is my story of growing up raising two children alone. To quote Maya Angelo "I wouldn't take nothing for my journey". I chose not to enforce child support because as my children grew, I realized quickly as a young woman that I did not want their father to be a contributor to their upbringing. I would rather struggle than to have his input into their mindset. In essence, I did not want them to suffer because of bad decisions I made at a time I had more hormones and curiosity than brain cells. I was fortunate to have a job that enabled me to take care of my children without them feeling the effects of a single parent household. Those high paying jobs do not exist anymore. There were times I did not know how we were going to make it sometimes because of life's unexpected happenings. I remember selling my ten speed bike that I loved, to pay the electric bill. I worked a lot of overtime and we survived. Dating was difficult, there were young men that would not want to be involved because I had children, then there were those who pretended to care about my children as an attempt to get next to me. I learned a lot about life much quicker by having two children than my peers that were childless at a young age. I think the most difficult part of my journey as a teenage and single mother was the judgmental comments and accusations society imposes on teenage mothers. My kids were my family and my love for them made being their mother a labor of love regardless of my age or marital status.

A recent study showed that teenage pregnancies are back on the rise in the United States. I'm curious as to how much of a role you think peer pressure plays in schools today versus 10 years ago?
Teenage motherhood being at a ten year high, in my opinion, does not derive as much from peer pressure as it did when I was a teenager or even ten years ago. The world we live in has changed drastically. Some of these young girls live in environments that did not exist as prominently years ago. They are dealing more with their mothers addicted to drugs, ignoring sex abuse, like in the movie Precious, physical abuse, being awakened in their own homes by gun shots in the neighborhood. I personally think sex acts as the catalyst for their attempt to find happiness just as adults seek that same solace. I am not trying to downplay the presence of raging hormones; I just think that the condition of today's society contributes greatly to the rise in teenage pregnancies. Also, they are constantly faced with sexual implications through the media, music, and advertizing. Those combinations elevate sexual touristy more so than peer pressure.

When you travel into schools and do events to tell your story, are you surprised at how many can relate to your experience?
When I first began to talk to people about my book Teenage Mother's Guide To Survival, Rising Above The Odds, I met so many women in various professionals admitting that they were also teenage mothers. I have met pastors, social worker, politicians, nurses and many women in respected professions that were also teenage mothers that continued to reach for and attain their goals. That is why I find it vitally important to reach back and help another generation that needs to reach that same level of determination. This generation of teenage mothers has to be convinced that continuing their education is vital to their survival and the survival of their child.

What do you hope they get from not just hearing from you but reading the book?
I hope that teenage mothers that I encounter would use my book as a point of reference. The book talks about identifying with the young mother's emotions when the baby's father disappears, when people make hurtful comments, the importance of achieving a triumphant lifestyle because children are imitators, if they are achievers, their children will be also. I speak from my book which is really an asset to have on hand after the speech or seminar has ended.

The GUIDE TO SURVIVAL is not the only thing you are writing and promoting. Tell our readers about your other projects.
I have another book coming out soon entitled Info Ivan Discovers Black Inventions. Info Ivan is a character I created, whose image is similar to children today. The books teaches about such inventions by Black people such as the golf tee, the super soaker, the suitcase on wheels, the fact that Jack Johnson, the first Black heavyweight boxing champion, invented the hatchet wrench. I want the image of Info Ivan to convince young students that it really cool to use your brain power when their peers tease them for doing so. Young people often tend to downplay their intelligence and try to be cool to fit in with the so called in crowd. That book will be released within the next month or so. Also, I will be a March contender for The Pepsi Refresh Project, 10 companies with the most votes will receive a grant from Pepsi for funding their project. So, I am asking your listeners to mark the date of March 1st on their colanders and give my project their vote, search words are motivating teenage mothers and teenage mothers into independent lifestyles. I am thanking all who support my project in advance.

Some would say that you your experience of being a teenage mother and finding success is not the norm but the exeception. What do you think?
I have always felt that failure as a teenage or single parent is an excuse more so than a reason. I have met many such parents who not only are successful, but their children are as well. I have a son and daughter who are both very successful adults that I am extremely proud of. I do consider my journey as my destiny, if it were not for my journey, I would not be doing the things I am doing now to reach back and help someone else. Sometimes the absentee parent can actually be a hindrance to the child . Success depends upon the mindset of an individual, more so than their marital status or whether or not they have children. There are a lot of under achievers that are single and childless. I do not consider my situation as an exception to the norm, it was just my journey, and think that journey and my desire to achieve made me stronger and allowed me to achieve goals. I have met too many women with similar journeys that are also successful to consider myself an exception.

If you could give some advice to aspiring writers about there interested in telling their story, what would it be?
I was once asked by an aspiring writer what was the most difficult part of writing. My answer to her was my struggle with myself. I have learned as a writer to just write and not try to make it right the first time. As an editorial columnist, I wrote about issues I was passionate about regarding the betterment of our world. But writing a book was a whole new ball game. My advice to aspiring writers is to find your comfort zone, what you want to write about, where you want to write, and the best time to write and just write until it no longer flows easily. Good things take time. And most importantly, don't become discouraged by writer's block, it does not mean you are not a writer, it only means it is not time to write, but, do not allow to last too long in your mind.

Thank you for your time, Deborah, and continued success to you. How can our readers find out more information about you and your projects?
Thank you for having me Cyrus, I have enjoyed it. I have a web site www.writingitright.com. There excerpts from both books and information regarding my teenage mothers consulting firm, Hannah Rose Consulting Firm. Teenage Mother's Guide To Survival, Rising Above The Odds can be purchased on the web site and will soon be available @ Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com

TAKE TEN: Author Paulette Harper

2010-02-14T10:01:00.000-08:00

At a time when all of us are dealing with challenges and trying to make sense of what is going on in the world. author Paulette Harper is helping readers to deal with today's trials through words. A native of PIttsburg, CA, Harper believes her faith and personal relationship with God are more responsible for her career as a writer than she is, but she is aware of the difference her words are making with others.

During her conversation with Cyrus Webb of Conversations Magazine and host of Conversations LIVE! Radio, Paulette talks about how her literary journey began, the book THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW, the role of faith in her life and gives you an idea of what is next for her in the near future.

(Listen to author Paulette Harper's interview on Conversations LIVE! Radio here: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/conversationslive/2009/12/16/author-benjamin-shultz-on-conversations-live-radio.)

Paulette, thank you for join us for Authors Take Ten. Let's start in the beginning. For those who might have missed your radio interview on Conversations LIVE! Radio, tell our readers a little about yourself?

Thanks Cy for the opportunity to connect with more readers. I am an Inspirational and motivational speaker, freelance writer, literary coach and minister. I'm the author of two books That Was Then, This Is Now and Co-author of Victorious Living for Women. I write Christian non-fiction inspirational. I am the youngest of 8 and currently reside in Northern California.

You have found success as an author, but your faith plays a big part in what you write. Tell us when you realized you were in love with words?

Yes, my faith does play a major role in my writing. My writing career began in Jan 2007. With a desire to write about my own personal experiences I found that writing was a type of therapy for me. Realizing that my first book was making an impact on the lives of people spiritually I continued pursuing writing as a means to empower, inspire and encourage readers.

Would it surprised those who grew up with you, Paulette, that you are now writing?

Yes. People that I grew up with are pleasantly surprised and proud. This includes my family and friends. To have someone write a book and have it published is one of the greatest accomplishments one can achieve. People look at me differently like I'm some type of celebrity.

The book I read and enjoyed of yours is THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW. Tell us what inspired it.

I believe it was a decision that God made for me. Actually becoming an author was far from what I anticipated for my life. I didn't wake up one day saying I'm going to be author nor did I grow up with the desire to write. It was through my personal experiences in life, which drew me into this profession. While writing my first book That Was Then, This Is Now, I begin to see how God healed and restored my life and what He did for me I felt I needed to share with people. It was at that moment that I realized that God wanted my writing to be used as a ministry. The books that I write are focused on inspiration and encouragement. These books can be used as pathways and guides for the readers to grow spiritually.

Have you been surprised that something as personal as what you have written is being enjoyed by people around the world?

No. With technology and how publishing is done today, reaching readers across the world has become quite easy. Tate Publishing has made That Was Then, This Is Now easier for people to get a copy either by digital download, CD and e-book. It encourages me when I hear from readers in other states that they are enjoying and benefiting from my ministry.

Talk to us for a moment about faith. Where does yours come from and how do you deal with the test and trials that we all go through.

I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ which allows me to deal with test and trials in a different manner. My faith has carried me through all of my life's challenges. I have learned over the course of my life that Christ is the only person who will be with me through all the ups and downs of life. My faith in Christ brings my life into purpose and fulfillment. Considering the times in which we live today, I don't understand how anyone could live apart from have a personal relationship with Christ.

Paulette there is quite a bit of competition in the world of books, Paulette. What do you think separates you from other inspirational authors.

I'll share with you a review from a reader: "To her credit, what separates Harper's tome from many other inspirational titles is her sound reliance on biblical scripture. Instead of depending on cliched platitudes and generalized, one-size-fits-all aphorisms, Harper provides the reader with detailed analysis and explanation of numerous biblical passages, shedding much needed light on their significance in our everyday lives, and ultimately revealing the true purposes of the trials and tribulations that distract us along the road to spiritual victory (Reviewed By Cary Merriman: Official Apex Reviews)."

Aside from writing your own books, you have also participated in anthologies as well. Tell us about the latest project you were involved in.

Victorious Living for Women is filled with the inspiration, wisdom and pathways to victory of 40 incredible women who share stories of their life experiences, from their heart to yours. They have endured personal pain and have come through empowered, encouraged and victorious. As they take you on their personal journeys you will find inspiration, encouragement and blueprints for victory embedded in each chapter. You will discover principles for transforming your life. You can learn how to overcome fear, find you purpose, define your destiny, recover from divorce, heal your heart, physical healing, dealing with the loss of loved ones and so much more. This stellar assembly of women with inspiring true-life stories will captivate you throughout each page as you read how their lives were transformed from anger to joy, disappointment to destiny and trial to victory. Their candor, wisdom and inspiration can help you to pursue your path of becoming a victorious woman. Victorious Living was released on Nov 4, 2010.

We are living in a time when people are hurting physically, mentally and spiritually. What advice do you give that would give some of them hope?

My book clearly lays out the practical applications of scriptures that will deliver anyone from what ever dilemma they are facing be it divorce, distrust, suicide, physical and or mental issues. We may live in uncertain times but we serve a God who we can depend on, trust and rely on in times like these. When everything else is uncertain and chaos is all around us God remains true to His Word which tell us that He is the rock of our salvation in which our foundation must be built on.

Thanks again for talking with us, Paulette. Where would you suggest our readers go for more information about you and your upcoming projects?

You are so welcome. People can reach me at the following places: www.pauletteharper.com and http://www.facebook.com/paulette.harper2.

TAKE TEN: Author Tracy L. Bell

2010-01-30T14:46:00.000-08:00

She is by far one of the most out-spoken, passionate individuals that Conversations has featured, however, Tracy L. Bell is true to who she is and doesn't mind letting you know what she thinks. As the author of the book CONVERSATIONS OF A SISTAH, she uses it as a way to give advice to friends as well as let us into her own life. In this revised interview, she talks with us about her personality, what we will find in her book and what she hopes readers get from it.

(NOTE: On Wed. Jan. 20, 2010, Tracy appeared on Conversations LIVE! Radio to catch us up on what she has been doing. You can listen to the discussion here Click here to read Cyrus Webb's review of the book.)

Here is our conversation.

Tracy, thank you for talking with Conversations. Before we get into your book CONVERSATIONS OF A SISTAH, tell our readers a little about yourself.

I'm stubborn but reliable, faithful, confident, dedicated, determined and spiritually intuitive. A hard worker and homebody, I religiously tune in to watch "I love Lucy"; I'm a sucker for old movies and love stories. I'm a stone cold vegetarian with a weakness for pizza and decaffeinated green teas. I know there is a God, and I believe in happy endings. I'm best when I'm busy and happy when I'm helpful. I love eating out, entertaining and spending time with my family.

This is your first book to be published, but I'm sure it isn't your first thing to write. What did you experiment with in your writing growing up?

Yes, Conversations Of A SISTAH – The Truth And The Myth About Praying For A Mate is my first book but surprisingly as a youngster I delved more into poetry.Poetry is carefree writing to me; it's an inner gift and talent that comes from deep within.

What made you decide to go from writing for yourself to wanting to share it with other people in book form?

Wow great question…I wanted to expose my experiences, therefore writing became a strong antidote for pain; it was my outlet and my therapy. We all respond to anger, hurt and disappointment differently; I just learned to redirect this energy through a keyboard. I would write letters everyday to a girlfriend of mine who lived in Baltimore, MD and in these letters we talked about most of the trifling things that were happening in the church, that were happening in relationships; and that had happened to me. My letters were raw with emotion and sharp with hostility. My girlfriend thought my letters were so moving; she constantly encouraged me to put these letters and experiences in book form. I couldn't fathom her vision, until one evening I was sitting in a church service, when a Prophet of God (the speaker) looked at me and said, "Did you know that your misery is your ministry?" "That your misery will deliver and save someone else the heartache". At that moment, as the prophet elaborated on his message, I realized it was only a confirmation of God's plan for me. So after that message, that night, my letters and my correspondence filled with misery but wrapped up in all of God's splendor, gave birth to the book; "Conversations Of A SISTAH" The Truth And The Myth About Praying For A Mate.

How did your personal beliefs shape the way you approached the writing of the book?

I'm a little tearful as I think about your question here, because God will only use us, when we can truly be ourselves. My biggest challenge was the language I used in the book, the curse words. Nothing justifies cursing but I thought about how God said, "He knew me before I even knew myself, how He had formed me when I was yet in my mother's womb" (Jeremiah 1:5). I thought about the book of Psalm chapter 139, when God said, "He knows me and is acquainted with all of my ways; and how I could never flee from his presence". I knew God was there throughout my pain, inspired my thoughts and was already aware of what came out of my mouth. Although I'm a believer, I'm also human, one who could never pretend. I'd rather have women read my emotions raw, than be phony and pompous and not genuine about my emotions; anything less would be fake, which is, so not me. That is why I love that line in the Color Purple when Sophia said to Celey (after being beaten by Harpo) "You better Knock the hell out of mister and think about heaven later".

One of the fascinating things about you is your desire to stand up for your principles. Tell our readers about what you did in the 1990s to address the issue of condoms being available in public schools.

Because teenage pregnancy and the HIV virus was at an all-time high throughout Passaic High School, the Passaic Board of Education felt, the solution to this issue was to have condoms available through the nurses office. This solution and intent was publicized in the local newspaper. Well, I was not only insulted and appalled but knew I had to speak out against this issue, especially since the majority of my Sunday school students attended Passaic High School. I wrote an in-depth letter to the superintendent of schools, denouncing the school board's plan and expressed my strong beliefs for abstinence instead. I felt their (the board of education's) intent; compromised my teaching and contradicted God's Word. I was adamant about such actions; and had a strong passion concerning the moral degradation of our young people. As a result, I was chosen to serve on the Superintendent's committee to support abstinence instead.

For America to say it is "One nation under God", does it surprise you at how much we have compromised on moral issues in this country?

Not at all, America's compromise regarding moral issues were written and predestined long ago. There are generational curses constantly being repeated, when many are not aware of how to break these cycles. It's about right and wrong, this is why future generations suffer; the choices you make today, will affect you tomorrow.

Did you have a certain market in mind when you finished it?

I thought my book would compel to the Christian circuit and church folk (I'm laughing), but not so much. I discovered that SOME church folk have a problem with the truth. In my very first book discussions and interviews, I drew more non-believers than believers. I had a lot of young women and teenage girls telling me how my book changed their lives. So I stopped concentrating on the market and focused more on the message.

A lot of authors talk to me about loving the writing process but dreading the business side of the industry. What about you?

This is definitely not the case with me; I'm a full fledged business entity. It's all about a professional presentation in every aspect of my production. I want to be taken seriously therefore I present myself proficiently on every side. Books tell a story but business builds alliances.

What has been the response from readers, and how has the internet helped you to get the word out about the book and issues you are passionate about?

Some of the response from readers can be found on my webpage "The Talk" located at www.truthandmyth.com. The internet is a great source but with strong force, I have two websites and make that known throughout my travels in doing seminars, workshops and speaking engagements however, not everyone have access to the internet. My passions and issues are expressed in my bi-annual newsletter, which my goal is, to transform into a magazine. These are sources I us to publicize the books and future endeavors.

How can readers find out more about you and the book?

Your readers can visit my websites at www.readywriterproductioncompany.com and www.truthandmyth.com

TAKE TEN: Author Anthony Littlefield

2010-01-24T13:06:00.001-08:00

We all have a past, whether we are aware of it or not. Some make the decision not to pursue knowing about it, but others make it a goal or a pursuit to find out all that they can. Author Anthony Littlefield chose the latter. He chronicles his journey and those with him in the book BITTERSWEET JOURNEY. He talks with Cyrus Webb about the experience, the hard work that goes into marketing and promoting a book and his advice for aspiring writers.

Anthony, thanks for taking out the time to talk with us. Before we get into your book BITTERSWEET JOURNEY, why don't you tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in Los Angeles, California in 1954. My father is from Columbus and my mother is from Jackson, MS. Unfortunately, my parents were divorced when I was five years old. After my parent's divorce, my younger brother Ron and I were sent to live with my father's mother, Juanita in Columbus. I attended Columbus public schools and attended classes at Franklin University. During my formative years I developed a passion for history, especially, black history here in America. I just completed my 37th year with my employer. Thankfully, with the publishing of Bittersweet Journey, I'm at the beginning of a second career.

If I had grown up with you, would your journey to being a published author be a surprised to me?
Yes, by that I mean I never really talked about becoming a writer or even thought that I had a talent for writing, especially since English was one of my more difficult subjects in school.

When did you know that you had a book that you felt like needed to be written?
When we first began our journey of discovery, my intention was to keep a small journal. But after our first initial visit to Black Mountain, it occurred to me that we had a fascinating story about our family and the incredibly beautiful land they called home. I think this was because we knew so little about our family that every discovery of relatives and the events surrounding their lives meant more and more to us.

Tony, your book BITTERSWEET JOURNEY is about your trek to find out more about your family, but it is about a journey to better know you as well. What was the most surprising element that came from the journey for you?
If I had to pick one thing it would be that I learned how much my family's past really has meant to me personally. Learning how some of them adapted to life after slavery and becoming prosperous and leaders of their communities despite incredible odds. That has sustained many times when I ran into 'brick walls' along the way, keeping me going when there were times when it became difficult or I wanted to quit. Whenever those situations arose, I thought of the obstacles my ancestors overcame. And my journey has given me an opportunity to see up close and personal how race relations still matter in how we sometimes see each other.

You really made it a family affair. Do you think it would have meant as much if you didn't have them with you along the way?
I can't even imagine traveling down this road alone. Having various family members with me along the way at different times has brought us closer together as a family with our experiences as we have struggles to put the pieces together of our history. The relationship that I have appreciated the most is my relationship with my father. I hope that readers see a lot of the story through his eyes based on his life's experiences as a black man in a world that has changed for the better over a period of time.

For individuals who believe the past should be left in the past, why would you tell them that maybe they should rethink that ideal?
I think it goes without saying that "to know where you are going you have to know you have been." So much of who and what we are today is a result of our shared past. I can understand why some do not want to remember the mistakes and hurt of the past. But I think we owe it to our ancestors to remember them for what they overcame to make life better for us today. I believe that we can draw strength from the triumphs of the past.

Putting on your marketing hat for a moment, Anthony, did it surprise you as to how much work it took to let others know about your book?
Not really. With thousand of books on the market at any given time, I knew getting my story out would be a monumental challenge-and it has been just that. Working with a small ad budget, and this being a first-time experience for me, identifying and reaching the audience I wish to has been difficult. Thankfully, with the explosion of the internet I have the ability to reach out to readers around the world.

You and I spoke recently, and you told me that some have wondered aloud who outside your family would be interested in your journey. Tell us about that conversation and what happened to you that let you know that others were benefiting.
Several months ago I had the good fortune of being contacted by family members in the South that I was unaware of, but they knew about my book. We began sharing information, and I was later told that another relative had recently published a 'picture book' about another branch of the family tree, with the intentions of distributing her book to family members only. Her reasoning for family only was that she felt that the general public would not be interested in reading or seeing our family history. I took the opposite approach because I knew that millions of people around the world are devoted to preserving cultural and family history. I think that nothing garners attention more than literature about country, home and family, and that is what Bittersweet Journey is about, country, home and family. Whenever I'm contacted by perfect strangers who are either intrigued by the subject matter, or have read the book and found my story a great read and inspirational, I'm simply thrilled.

Anthony, for those who might be aspiring writers out there, and are wanting to make 2010 the year they get something done, what advice would you give them?
My advice to potential writers is that every book begins with the first page. You haven't done anything until you actually write the first words. And when contemplating what to write about, keep in mind, does the story have a hook, and is it worth a book? Look for a writer's group in your city, sharing your thoughts with others pursuing the same goals as you is invaluable.

Thanks again for your time, Anthony. If our readers want to find out more information about you, where can they find you online?The pleasure has been mine. Readers can learn more about me at my website, www.anthonylittlefield.com

TAKE TEN: Author Ricky Spann

2009-12-21T07:55:00.000-08:00

Of all of the books Conversations Book Club President Cyrus Webb has read in 2009, few had the power to affect him personally like MAN-UP by Ricky Spann. A native of Michigan, Spann now calls Stone Mountain, GA home and has put a lot of thought into his first printed work. His book was chosen as one of Conversations Book Club's Top 100 Books of 2009, but why? What was his objective in writing this book about the roles of black men in America and how all races have to work together? Webb and Spann discuss this and more. Here is their conversation...

Rick, thanks for talking with Conversations for our Take Ten segment. Before we get into your book MAN-UP I want to say it has been great having you on the radio show in 2009 to address some of the issues of the day. Have you always found it easy or in your nature to express yourself the way you do?

First of all Cyrus it is good to be on your show and I definitely appreciated the opportunity to come and share my views. It's always been easy to express myself, especially in a small setting and regarding what I am most passionate about – the social, political and economic issues as they relate to the black community. I enjoy discussions surrounding black leadership past and present, and where we have failed our community as black Americans. I also find it very easy to talk on a spiritual basis, which is a theme for another book idea that I am drafting.

When did you realize that you had a book you wanted to write, and was there any fear about the subject matter?

Since I was in high school I have always had something to say and wanted to put it down on paper. I remember English literature and all the classes where you have to do interpretive reading; and I always admired how the people were able to take what was near and dear to them and put it in the written word. From that time on I've always wanted to write. I've always had certain fear and reservations because in my mind only great grammarians and English majors could write. Then I realized that it's about those who have something to say…that what a writer is someone who can take their ideals and thoughts and put them on paper. Once you put them on paper there was always the fear that the subject matter might be too hard for the day. At a time for political correctness, I thought my word might be too hard because the topic would cause black people to look at the truth of our responsibility of ourselves. I believe that this is something that we haven't quite dealt with historically and I think we have a tendency to blame others for our plight…though others are truly at fault to some degree. My message places a large responsibility on the black people to understand the root causes and solve our own issues. I didn't think that message would go over real well and so I was a bit apprehensive and uncertain as to how it would go over in the black community.

Rick, many say that in order to be a good writer you have to be a good reader. What role has books played in your life over the years?

Well books have had a very important role in my life. I can remember one of my first experiences with realizing that I enjoyed reading was when I was transferred from the 3^rd to the 4^th grade and my homeroom teacher happened to be the librarian, Ms. Henderson. She noticed that I always liked to read the titles of the books and open up books and read passages, and would always volunteer to stand up and read out loud in class. So Ms. Henderson really encouraged me. Unfortunately, being a new student in that school I would often get laughed at and picked on for always wanting to stand up and read before the class. As a young man new to the school, my tendency was to succumb to the peer pressure and not volunteer to read and let anyone know that I really enjoyed reading. Once Ms. Henderson detected my phobia, she took me aside and said don't let the other boys influence you and cause you to stop reading or reading in class. She explained to me that reading is a gift and more people should do more of it, and that reading would truly lead to greater understanding and greater wisdom. She explained that most of your great readers where avid readers such as Malcom X, Martin Luther King and Gaundi, etc.

We are living in a new time in America right now with the country electing its first black President. How has that changed your perception of the work that blacks have ahead of them if at all?

Personally, it hasn't changed my perception at all. In fact, I think the fact that America has elected a black president can actually be a setback to the challenges that face the black community. What I mean by that is that so often blacks tend to get emotionally involved in issues without understanding why or being not deeply emerged enough into issues to prevent them. Actually I think that electing a black president has given black people a sense of arrival, and that is not the case. I think that black people have a tendency to become complacent once an emotional hurdle has been achieved and they take their eyes off the larger issues of future political, social, economic and spiritual parody with all of mankind. So I think that blacks don't want to hear the message that electing a black president at the wrong time is tantamount to racial demise. By that I mean the entire black community's future seems to rest on whether or not the current president can solve everyone's problems. The favor that a white president would get, President Obama will not get; and consequently his failures will be failures of the black community. An analogy that I use is that in sports, such as the NFL, the argument is that black athletes do not make great quarterbacks, when in reality as black athletes become more and more comfortable playing the position of quarterback from little league to the pros, then their performance of quarterback will be as great as any other race.

Do you think that some minorities will take success for granted since there is a man of color in the White House?

I don't think they'll take it for granted. In a broader since I don't think most minorities understand what success is. Black America tends to think that success is getting a good paying job or a descent business and making a lot of money from an individual standpoint. They fail to realize that success on such a small scale as an individual form of achievement is short-lived and serves no purpose in perpetuating the successful survivability of the race. So the message that blacks get having a black president is that we as black individuals can achieve great heights is such a shallow message, and vastly overrated and misunderstood.

Rick for those who haven't read the book, tell us what Man-Up is about.

Man-Up is about mankind, and specifically black americans' position in the scheme of creation. It's not about racial divide or prejudice. It's about all men are created equal and all men's responsibility is to do the best they can do the greater good of all mankind. It gives a spiritual road map for the healing that must occur and the forgiveness that must occur before blacks as a people can transcend a carnal existence to the spiritual existence, and become true cohabitants of this world and worlds to come.

If you had to decide on a particular group of people that your book is most targeted towards, who would it be and why?

First and foremost it is targeted toward the black community. It's a how-to self-help book of developing strategies and subsequent plans to solve the social, political, economic and spiritual problems that are currently inhibiting the advancement of the black race, and fulfilling our God-giveen purpose.

Have you been surprised at the response you have gotten so far?

No. I expected the responses to be mixed and they have. Some blacks, even prominent blacks think that the book is too harsh on black people. Other blacks think that it's about time someone gives a how-to as oppose to a what's wrong with us approach to addressing the political, social, economic and spiritual ills of the black community.

What message do you hope readers get from the book overall, and how do you hope they can apply what you share?

That whether we succeed or whether we fail, we have to take responsibility for our own success and survival and also we have to realize that we are only a part of God's plan and not the totality. As such, we have a duty and obligation to seek our role in the universe as it relates to other races and other creatures that God has created. I think that we cheat ourselves when we denigrate God's creation along racial divide.

Now that you have one book under your belt, what's next for you?

The goal is to write 10 books with various themes around the spiritual, social, economic development of the black community. Each book will give a more finite plan, milestones and phased approach to becoming self sufficient and globally relevant and justifiably equal to all mankind.

Rick, thanks again for talking with us. Continued success to you. How can our readers keep up with you online and through the social networks?

I'm on FB and also have a webpage at www.rickyspann.com and my twitter site. You can email me directly via my webpage. You can also order my Man-Up: A Plan for the Organization and Spiritual Retooling of Black America at www.iuniverse.com or www.amazon.com

In The U.K? Take Advantage of Qype

2009-12-07T09:34:00.001-08:00

Visiting London, England for the first time are just using for the best site to find out what to see or experience in the U. K.? Already in the U.K. and want to find something different for you, your family or friends? Then Qype was designed for you.

It is your online source for where to go for the best in entertainment, dining, lodging or whatever your interest might be. It also leads you in the right direction when it comes to finding places you might frequent on a regular bases. Visit http://www.qype.co.uk and explore categories that fit your need and then enjoy the opportunity to read what real consumers like yourself have to say about locations across the country. Want to find a nice event for the entire family to enjoy during the holidays? Simply click on the ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT section and then the FESTIVALS AND FAIRS link http://www.qype.co.uk/uki/categories/129-festivals-and-fairs-in-london. You can then find out what is coming up or is an ongoing event that each member of your family can enjoy, in addition to find out what others have to say about their experience. This is also a perfect way of letting others know how you felt after your own trip or visit to a restaurant http://www.qype.co.uk/uki/categories/1-restaurants . Having to deal with the unforeseen illness of a child? A quick search on Qype will give you a listing of the closest hospitals, what they specialize in and what to expect http://www.qype.co.uk/uki/categories/171-hospitals-in-london?from_search=hospital . Found something that has caught your attention and not sure how to get there? Take advantage of the map and directions provided on the site.

So traveling to the U. K. or want to share something useful with your friends that live there? Make sure to bookmark Qype and take advantage of the opportunity to not just go by what commercials tell you. Get the truth directly from someone who knows the experience firsthand. Restaurants Restaurants London Pubs London

TAKE TEN: Author T. C. Alexander

2009-12-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

(Listen to author T. C. Alexander's interview with Conversations LIVE! Radio here.)

There are many authors who are trying to make their mark and let readers know they are on the scene, but one of the authors that got the attention of Conversations in 2009 was T. C. Alexander. The 36 year old Dade City, FL native got involved with words at a young age, and that love has now grown into her releasing the novel CONSEQUENCES OF ADULTERY. Cyrus Webb of Conversations talked with her about her beginnings, how she transitions between writing and marketing herself, and what she would tell aspiring writers about the lessons she has learned.

Here is their conversation...

T. C., thank you for taking out time out of your schedule to talk with Conversations. We have a lot to cover, but I want to start by asking when did you realize that you loved to read?
Thank you, Cyrus, for letting me share my story. To answer your question, though, I fell in love with words when I was a very small child.

What did books do for you, and what keeps you reading today?
Well, I love words and I love imagination. I love to imagine being in that particular scene, situation or just being that particular character

Writing is something that many authors pick up on at an early age. Is that true of you as well?
Very true. I wrote this book at 35 and my 12th grade English teacher told me to pursue a writing career in high school and she was also an accomplished author.

Your first book is called CONSEQUENCES OF ADULTERY. Tell us about it.
In life we must all come to the realization that to every action there's an equal and opposite reaction and we shape our lives based on our decision and if you make good decisions then good things will arise. If we make not so good decisions then we have to deal with that. We have to deal with the consequences, and in this situation, in the book this wonderful man; husband, father and hard worker made a poor decision, but it was based on his wife's bitterness from past indiscretions and not being the wife that he deserved and him just crying out for help. This book will hit every end of the spectrum in dealing with adulterous relationships, friendships and how divorce effects the children.

Although, the title makes the book seem a bit more religious than it is, I also included some spiritual knowledge in it as well with a bit of a twist at the end.

Readers will wonder how much of yourself is in the book. What would you say about that?
Wow!! Probably 50%. I have had similar situations in my life in dealing with marriage, kids and friendship. Although, some of the situations, I would have handled a lot differently.

What do you hope that people get from the book?
I really hope that the women whom are married will come to the realization that when a man goes out and cheats it's not always just his fault and a lot of times we wives do play a role in that, whether that means not being submissive sexually and meeting his needs or not supporting him emotionally, psychologically, financially and physically.

Writing a book is one thing. Promoting it is another. Have you been surprised at the amount of work that goes into letting people know about your book?
Very. I am still astounded. I thought that once I finished the book and got it published everything would be golden from there. Well, I got a wake up call. As far as selling it locally hand-to-hand or word of mouth I did wonderful, but when it comes to actually marketing it for the world to see, that's another story. It's almost like, where do you start, because books are not like CD's or other forms of entertainment, you have to target a specific audience that enjoys fictional reading and mine has such a unique genre.

What has been the biggest reward for you as an author?
Accomplishment. That is the biggest reward. I feel that if I can write and publish a book and actually sell it, I can do anything.

Aspiring writers will look to you as an example of what they can do. What advice would you give those who feel like they have a book inside of them?
First of all, you need to decide what type of writer you are going to be and if writing is your niche. When people read my book, they always ask, how do you know that. Well, it's all about imagination and creativity if you're aspiring to be a fictional writer. I have both inside me; fictional and non-fictional because the book that I am currently writing is a self-improvement book from within and you have to also consider what type of book it will be, meaning how will you write it, in storybook type format or character type expression format.

How can readers find out more about you online?
I am on Twitter (www.twitter.com/talex0815) and my email is talex0815@aol.com. I also have a website at http://tcalexander.webs.com

TAKE TEN: Author Cheryl Pillsbury

2009-11-24T03:36:00.000-08:00

Author and Publisher Cheryl Pillsbury has been a friend of the Conversations Brand and more specifically The Write Stuff Literacy Campaign for over a year. What she has accomplished as a wife, mother, author and publisher is a testament to what can be done with hard work and the desire to make a difference.

In this interview she shares what caused her to start her publishing company AG Press, what she hopes it does for aspiring writers, how she is surviving inspite of the tough economic times and what's next for her.

Here is our conversation:

What got you interest in books?
My mother made sure we had all worlds growing up. School, television, outside playing and reading.

Did you always think you would be a published writer?
No, I studied Engineering and Computer Design; I have an Associate Degree in the subject. Writing and publishing found me and the rest is history. I love telling stories.

What titles have you currently released yourself?
Several. Angus Grady, The Beginning, Amie and The Purple Butterfly, Bradley & Farley; 33rd District Case Files One & Two, Peleport, and more coming.

Tell us about AG Press. What made you decide to form your own publishing company?
I published my first book in May of 2005 with a traditional publisher. BIG MISTAKE. They never edited my book, didn’t create the cover I wanted and did nothing in the marketing department, plus the cost of the book was way too high. I published book 2 with a POD and they didn’t edit, I supplied the cover. They never marketed it and hidden fees on my own book. I got angry knowing what they were doing to me but mostly others, so I developed a simple POD, with prices reasonable and things they don’t do that we do.

What separates you from some of the other independent publishers out there?
One, we truly care what the author wants for their dream. We have them work one on one with their team to create the book or project they want. We fully market each book every day as well the author showing off their project. They talk to people as well as emails.

How many authors have you currently published?
We have had the honor of working with 20 authors releasing their dreams and new dreamers come in about 2 a month or so.

What is your greatest reward as a writer and publisher?
Money is very important to pay bills, food and whatever else. As a writer, for me, when a person comes to me and says 'great story', they tell me what they experience and ask if there will be more.
As a publisher, it's hearing and seeing the smiles of dreamer's dreams coming true and they become storytellers. My payment is 2 words: THANK YOU.

What do you think is the greatest misconceptions of the publishing business?
Authors do pay us for their books, but that pays for the supplies, printing, ink, etc. But working as a team with them to advertise and display their dream for everyone to enjoy, no price for that. Most publishers see the dollar signs. I see and hear a dream of a story that is aching to be told and shared. The others don’t see that or can’t.

Everyone is dealing with challenges now because of the economy. What advice would you give to aspiring writers as to why they should still pursue their dreams inspite of the hard times?
The recession/depression hit us hard and we’re still trying to climb out. We seem to be still here, and plus I am not a quitter.
Be kind and work together as a team. Some things may run slow, but never surrender your dream. You may be the one to inspire someone, give smiles to a child that’s sad, etc. Dreams should never fade, but given a boost of energy. Work with the publisher to help.

AG Press has 3 payment plans because of this, assist the writer to finish their dream and someday they will remember you and return, also tell friends that want to do the same. Many of our authors are returning with new books, bigger and better, including myself.

Cheryl, what’s next for you?
Finish my vampire books for releasing, plus other books. I am writing a romance novel with a close friend and we’ll have that next year and publish new dreams for others.

AG Press has joined the cause for Desert Swap to support our troops. Authors can go to www.operationdesertswap.webs.com join in on the cause and you will be assigned a soldier to write to and send books to them to read and share with the others.
Also, Tuck-In with Sprout Online, for children who need pajamas and they receive a children’s book for bedtime. Wonderful cause and a personal one for me.
Organizations that support Autism is also a priority of mine. My daughter is Autistic. It is now 1 in 91 and growing very fast. My book, ‘Amie and the Purple Butterfly,’ and the series is a fundraiser book for research and programs for Autism.

It's been great getting to know you over the past year, Cheryl. Continued success to you and your organization. How can readers find out more about you and AG Press?
The website for AG Press is www.agpress.8m.net. It has all of our information, but if they need more I can always be reached at 978-300-5178.

TAKE TEN: Author G-Starr

2009-11-24T03:10:00.000-08:00

When it comes to being open and honest with self and growing into your own skin, there are few examples as pure as author G-Starr of Urban L Publishing. Cyrus Webb of the Conversations brand was introduced to the talented author/co-owner of Urban L through Dawn Michelle of Dream Relations, Inc., and it led to the reading of her debut novel PULLING ME BACK. What we found through the book and the author is a woman who knows how to tell a story and get her point across in a way that everyone could understand and appreciate.

In October 2009 G-Starr appeared on Conversations LIVE! Radio and shared her story with the world ( see http://tobtr.com/s/746628 ). In November 2009 it was announced that her book PULLING ME BACK was chosen as one of Conversations Book Club's Top 100 Books of 2009. One read and you will see that this author and her savy business sense aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Here is our conversation:

Thank you, GStarr, for talking with us. You are involved in a lot of new endeavors including not just a debut novel but a publishing company as well. Is this a world you saw for yourself growing up?

I didn't see myself as a publisher back then, but YES, I always said I was going to write a book in my lifetime.

When did you realize that you had a love affair with words?

It sucks to say this but I knew I had a way with words when I realized I got people to believe anything I said…when I was tween, I was good at not telling the truth.

The book PULLING ME BACK chronicles the challenges that many people face when it comes to sexuality and how people deal with relationships in general. I guess the obvious question would be to ask how much of the characters can you identify with?

Honestly, all the characters are pieces of my personality. For instance Kenya is the "homegirl" in me. The one you can talk to when you're feeling down. Bre is the vulnerable woman in me and Sean is the "jerk" side of me. Sometimes I can be unkind; it's a flaw… we all have it. All the characters make up most of who I am.

Talking about sexuality, even though in entertainment gay and lesbian themes seem more acceptable, that is not always the case when it comes to real life, especially in the black community. What do you hope books like yours do to encourage dialog about the subject of same-gender-loving individuals?

My main objective is that readers will understand that same sex relationships are the same as heterosexual ones. We get cheated on, fall in and out of love and we want to start a family like anyone else.

Tell our readers about the storyline of the book.

Pulling Me Back is about two female friends who discover intimate love in the midst of their own personal issues of live. Beginning a lesbian affair, each women is risking the fate of their friendships, family acceptance and careers—if and when outed. In the end they will discover if they ruined a perfectly good friendship or found true love.

One of the things I got from the book personally is how on the surface it would appear that the message is that all relationships---whether they are gay or straight---come with their highs and lows. Was that something you wanted to convey?

Absolutely, but I also wanted to touch the subject of friends becoming lovers. Many friends have crossed that line or thought about it. Pulling Me Back shows one of many possible outcomes.

Put on your publishing hat for a moment. Do you think there is a larger market for books like PULLING ME BACK outside of the gay community and how are you going about reaching them?

Pulling Me Back does not only focus on gay relationships. It also touches issues that some families have, married couples, problems at work, and money issues, anyone can relate to this book— gay or straight. I'm promoting my book to avid book readers of urban, contemporary and chick-lit. If you love relationship drama type novels you will enjoy my book.

Has it been difficult for you, GStarr to balance the marketing and promoting of the book and your love of just the craft of writing?

I feel its one of the most difficult parts. Aside from being a full time mom, I'm also trying to establish a successful business and on top of that complete my next novel. Marketing and promoting requires a huge amount of attention and not just anyone can promote your work. You need someone who is as passionate about your work as you. They have to know the business as well. Finding that person is rare. Sometimes you have to wear four hats to get the ball rolling.

What advice would you give for others who are taking their writing careers into their own hands like you did?

If you are looking for instant gratification, then you should choose a different route. This business requires a lot of patience and knowledge of the field. You will definitely put out money before you reap the benefits of self-publishing.

Thank you for your time and continued success to you. Let our readers know where they can keep up with you and your company on line.

Thank you for this opportunity. All upcoming events and new releases can be viewed on my website www.UrbanLPublishing.com and follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/urbanlpublish.

TAKE TEN: Author Johnny Rico

2009-10-05T01:48:00.000-07:00

Author Johnny Rico seems to live his life moreso in the moment than by a regimented calculation like some. The 33 year old American who now lives in Longdon,England is a self-professed Athiest who finds himself fascinated by Religion, doesn't consider his style of writing that of a journalist but of someone just recording what he has experienced. Of his three acclaimed titles, BORDER CROSSER caught my attention the most because of its addressing a controversial issue that divides people of all backgrounds and political affilliations.

Conversations' wide-ranging discussion with Rico both surprised and impressed me. He talks about 1)how he views his work as opposed to how others characterize it, 2)why he does what he does, 3)the things Americans might not appreciate about those who try to enter the country illegally, 4)what readers can expect next from him, and 5)why aspiring writers should be careful about what they choose to write about.

Thank you for taking out the time to talk with Conversations. Before we get into your latest book BORDER CROSSER, let's talk a little about yourself. How would you describe Johnny Rico?

I'm someone with fairly bad people skills which is, I think, why I was attracted to being a writer. I'm an intense introvert and wouldn't have it any other way. Spiritually I'm an atheist. Politically I'm a hybrid mix of Libertarian and far-left liberal.

I'm fascinated by a myriad of topics, but what really captivates me is studying the human condition and the depths of its dysfunction. I'm enthralled by religious cults, serial killers, criminal behaviour, mass hysteria, politics - and by the way, I include myself within that dysfunction, my interest isn't as one who considers himself immune to the behaviour I study.

When you look at the impact you have had around the world just through your words can you believe you have been given such a powerful gift?

Let's get two things straight. First, my words have not had any impact whatsoever. There's dozens of books released each day, week after week, month after month, year after year. I've been fortunate enough to have authored two of them. But that doesn't mean that I've made an impact on the world in any meaningful way. I'm quite sure that, like most modern forms of communication, my own message, whatever it was, got lost in the tsunami of information overload like almost everything else that we consume these days. Do you remember a blog you read last week or a book you read last year? I don't. I consume too much information to remember the particulars unless a book was exceptionally spectacular.

Second, I think I can be a decent writer at times with brief explosions of artistic genius, but by and large, I'm sure there are thousands of writers out there, yet undiscovered, that are infinitely more talented than I am.

I have always believed, Johnny, that the mark of a great writer is someone who is an avid reader. When did you first realize you had a love affair with words?

I don't know if it was ever a love affair with words. To be honest, I'm more attracted to the hours that the working writer keeps than any love of words. But I would say that I owe my appreciation for words to my parents. When I was born, my parents got rid of the family television and started reading to me almost as soon as I was born. So, as a child, reading was a pretty big staple in my household. I remember being in the first grade and while other children were still learning to read, I was re-reading Tolkien for the third time. Doesn't mean I was exceptionally intellectually gifted, just that my parents made it a priority for their children to be readers.

BORDER CROSSER tackles some topics that are ripped directly from the headlines with one of the major themes being the politics of imigration. What inspired the interest in the topic and the decision to write the book?

I'm fascinated with the difference between subjective and objective perspectives on what are otherwise normative human processes. Illegal immigration, for example, is a normative human behaviour. Humans have always and will always seek to migrate from poor conditions to better conditions. Similarly, those who live on the other side of the fence, in the place where the migrants aspire to arrive at, have always and will always become protectionist, feel violated, attempt to defend and secure themselves. Which, ultimately, is a futile gesture. Any fair examination of history tells us that countries change, cultures change, ethnicities change, demographics change and it's something we can't stop. What I think is fascinating about the issue of illegal immigration in America is that the opponents of illegal immigration, the virulent ones, the Minutemen and such, they're angry about illegal immigration, but they're also angry about a changing culture, about a world of complex economics and globalization that they don't understand, they're worried about changing cultural norms like gay marriage. Illegal immigration is only one facet of their worldview that seems tangible, that they feel they can make a difference in affecting. So there were interesting actors on the periphery of this issue, and that's just on the U.S. side! And in Mexico you have poor migrants dying in the desert and drug cartels. It's an issue that's political, economic, racial, social and it cuts a lot of interesting ways. My job was just to drive through the middle pointing out interesting observations wherever I could.

When looking at what is said about illegal immigration today, what do you think is the major misconception about those who choose to enter a country illegally?

In the U.S. I think we tend to forget how dangerous it is for so many of the migrants to come here. We forget that they have to save for years to pay the coyote to take them across the border, and that they have to make multiple attempts, and leave behind all the family they know, and risk life and death in the desert, and the fact that they would risk so much is testament to how bad economic conditions were or are in Central America.

What has surprised you the most about the response you have gotten from the book?

I've been pleasantly surprised that everyone has found it to be so funny. Yes, I am writing about intense issues of life and death, but that's no reason not to make it funny, and people seemed to have responded well to the humour.

Johnny, it seems from reading the book that you seem to think just as much about getting to the bottom of the story as you do about your safety. Would you agree with that assessment, and if so, do you think that is a quality that we don't always see in journalism today?

I don't know if my desire for safety has anything to do with getting to the bottom of a story as much as just a basic need for survival. I also don't feel qualified to speak about journalism as I never claimed to be a journalist, I never studied journalism, or was trained in journalism. I was just a guy who wrote about a crazy combat tour in Afghanistan in Blood Makes the Grass Grow Green and was suddenly given this label of immersive journalist. Which, technically, I don't know if that's even journalism. I just like to immerse myself in an experience, write about it in a colourful and interesting way, and hopefully along the way tell a funny and amusing story. My aspirations extend no further than that.

What do you have planned next for your readers?

I'm working on a book where I spend a year infiltrating and joining religious cults. I just got back from a cult in Slovenia and it was a terrifying and exhilarating experience, one that ended in an episode of mass hysteria. Crazy. Religion is my true passion, so of all the projects I've done, this is the one I'm looking forward to the most.

Because of your success, I know that aspiring writers must contact you all the time looking for suggestions that they can apply to their own careers. What advice would you give someone looking to write a book about a subject that interests them?

I joined a local writer's group here in London and while some of them are very talented, they're each attempting to break into publishing by writing that next great literary novel which, of course, means that they will all fail. There's just not that much room within the marketplace or that much demand for literature, and to be successful with literature, you have to be really good. You're, in essence, relying on your imagination to provide the story, the characters, the plot, the pacing, and the central crisis. My recommendation is to instead live a real life story. The world is filled with potential stories just waiting to happen as long as you're willing to put yourself in the wrong situation. And I think that is the key to finding great stories, too many of us live life attempting to make safe decisions, and that just doesn't typically lead to great stories.

Last summer, some friends of mine and I drove from London to Mongolia for an article for Penthouse magazine. I didn't have to imagine or create a single part of the story, the story, and it was an amazing story, told itself. One of these same friends, despite being married and straight, worked in a gay sauna, he got an article out of that. There's a big demand at the moment for stories of journalistic immersion, stories where people tell an unusual story, or approach a news story through personal experience.

So my advice to your aspiring writers would be to go and become homeless for a year, or track down the family members of serial killers and interview them as you visit all the places where the crimes occurred. Just don't pick crossing the border illegally from Mexico into the United States, because I already did it.

It's a pleasure to talk with you, Johnny. How can our readers find out more information about you online?

They can't. I try to remain as obscure as possible. Although, I have recently signed onto Twitter (http://twitter.com/johnny_rico99) , but no promises, I don't really Twitter much.

TAKE TEN: Author Nesta Aharoni

2009-09-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

Award-winning author/activist Nesta Aharoni is doing her part in not only encouraging young people but their parents as well. Her book MY GOODNESS: MY KIDS has been well-received from coast to coast, and she can be found throughout the country promoting her message of helping children reach their individual levels of success.

Cyrus Webb of Conversations spoke with Nesta about the book, the key to her success and why she felt like it was important to get her message out to the world. (Nesta was also a gust on Conversations LIVE! Radio in Sept. 2009. Listen to the interview here: http://tobtr.com/s/673438 )

Nesta, I appreciate your talking with us about your book MY GOODNESS: MY KIDS, CULTIVATING DECENCY IN A DANGEROUS WORLD. Before we get into the book, though, let's give our readers some background. Tell us a little about yourself. I am proud to be the author of a two-time award-winning book. My Goodness: My Kids has been honored with a 2009 Mom's Choice Award and a 2009 Living Now Award. I am a writer, editor, and magazine/book publisher. I am a past college instructor and department head. I have made many guest appearances on radio, TV, and Internet talk programs, and my book has been highlighted in numerous print publications. I am the mother of three grown, children. I live in Carlsbad, California, with my husband. In addition to my work as a writer, I enjoy public speaking engagements where I can share my message of raising honorable children to live audiences.

A lot of people say that they should write a book. You actually did it. What made you feel as though you had something to say? One day I was sitting around a large table with nine friends. Each one spontaneously and in an ordered pattern started to share stories of the challenges they were having with their children. Some of the stories were humorous, like the young boy whose homework accidently caught on fire. But others were not. I heard stories of cruelty to animals and other children, prison time for drug offenses, a pregnant 15-year-olds, a DUI offense, and on and on. Then it came to be my turn. All eyes were on me. But before I could open my mouth, one woman announced, "We are skipping you because you have never had a problem with your children." At first I felt a little stunned at the rebuff, but I soon realized what an honor it was to be skipped. She was right. I had never suffered a sleepless night because of my children…not in elementary school, junior high, high school, or beyond. According to this informal poll around a dining room table, I represented a small percentage of the population—10 percent of the population. It was then that I knew I had something to share.

When it comes to something as personal and sensitive as children some people don't take kindly to advice and suggestions. When you were thinking of your own experiences as a parent, why did you think people would respond well to what you had to say? Because the information I share is not theoretical. I offer real-life advice and techniques that actually worked for me. I have raised three decent, honorable, and responsible children who contribute generously to society. My Goodness: My Kids is a tribute to lay wisdom—parental lay wisdom. How do I define "lay wisdom"? It is the insight that is gained through living in, struggling with, and experiencing the world around us. It is grounded in real life. Lay wisdom is incorporated into our knowledge base after we grapple with situations, choices, and dilemmas. In My Goodness: My Kids, I offer the end product of 30 years of common sense child rearing—philosophies and methods that worked to build decency and character in my children. I expose my tools, including some unpopular methods and unconventional ideas, in the hope that others will be inspired to focus—first and foremost—on goodness and character building while they are raising their children. In the back of my book, I have a "Family Feedback" section where my husband and three grown children get the opportunity to make comments on the previous chapters. Readers find this section to be validating of my remarks.

I believe that part of your success as an author is the fact that you are very hands on with your career, traveling and doing whatever it takes to get the word out. Do you think one of the keys to that success is that you take advantage of every opportunity to share your message? Absolutely! The biggest challenge for authors is to research and discover all of the many ways available to them to promote their books. First, new authors must read books on book publishing and book marketing. Many promotional ideas are described in these books. Next, they must move into action. Here are some of the things I did to promote my book: web site with opt-in to collect e-mail addresses and build a platform, blog site with entries focused on my topic—raising honorable and responsible kids, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, article writing and distribution to other sites, book reviews, library mailings, foreign rights programs, premium sales programs, newsletters, press releases, radio interviews, TV interviews, speaking engagements, publishers groups, list-serves. And the list goes on.

If you had to summarize the overall message of the book, what would you say it was? Evil exists in our world. We can try to fight it, treat it, and punish it. But we can also avoid a lot of it if we focus our parenting on raising honorable and responsible children. It is a parent's obligation, for society's sake, to focus first and foremost on building honor and integrity in their children—above and beyond all of the other things parents focus on today, like grades, success, talent, sports, popularity, happiness, et cetera. Parents can instill goodness by learning to recognize the many character-building opportunities that occur in their homes every single day. If a child shares a cookie with another child, that is a character-building opportunity. If that same child takes a cookie away from another child, that is also a character-building opportunity. The world will benefit most from children who are raised primarily to be good. Good children grow into individuals who bring humanity and security to a fragile world.

What has surprised you the most about the response of MY GOODNESS? What surprised me most is how quickly and enthusiastically parents have incorporated my ideas into their parenting plans. When I went to a recent medical appointment, my doctor told me that she had used my suggestions on how to control unruly children in a restaurant setting, and she was thrilled at how fun and easy it was and how successful the results were. She continues to use those techniques to this day. Many people have told me that my common sense, easy to comprehend approach has helped them more than their visits to professionals. It has been very rewarding to contribute to a develop generation in this way.

Did you have any expectations in particular with how you would measure whether or not the book met its intended purpose? I have two expectations. One is to inspire parents to take goodness seriously. When an event happens, like Michael Phelps losing an endorsement or Bernie Madoff cheating thousands of people, I want parents to recognize that these are teaching moments; further, I want them to develop the spirit and know-how to act on those moments. According to all of the feedback I have been receiving from readers, I would consider my mission successful. My other expectation is to have fun in the process. My speaking engagements and radio and TV appearances have helped me to grow professionally and to engage in some fascinating conversation with interesting people.

We all grow up differently, Nesta, so no one's children is exactly like any one else's. With that being said, what would you say is the common factor that all parents and their children deal with? Yes, there are some universal factors. One is that parents must maintain their position as the alpha dogs of their family units. If children do not learn to respect the authority of their parents, they will have a difficult time learning to respect their teachers, employers, et cetera. I have a whole chapter in My Goodness: My Kids devoted to this topic. The bottom line is that parents must enforce consequences to unwise actions. Without consequences to teach them their limits, kids can quickly get out of hand. If you look at my "Punishment" chapter, you will see some creative and successful ways to ensure consequences and reduce rebellion at the same time. Another universal factor is consistency. Parents can never put their guard down. Kids must be taught that you mean what you say every single time there is an episode to deal with. Another common thread is the importance of teaching empathy to our children. I consider empathy to be the most important quality we can instill in them. The Columbine shooters took a lack of empathy to the extreme. If our kids can learn to feel other people's pain in their hearts, the world would be a kinder place.

Aspiring writers and those just getting started in the business will read this and wonder how they get to where you are. What would you say to them? Research, research, and more research. Book publishing is not for the lazy or faint at heart. Become a self-didactic learner. Learn to improve your writing. Learn all about the book publishing process. Then teach yourself about all of the avenues open to you for promotion. Join local publishers and writers groups. Build a support system. Don't be shy about e-mailing contacts and asking for guidance.

Thank you for your time, Nesta. How can our readers find out more about you and your book? Readers can visit my Web site at www.MyGoodnessMyKids.com . They can also check out Amazon.com.

TAKE TEN: Author Sean Gardner

2009-09-25T04:12:00.000-07:00

If there are women who still believe that men don't read or like to communicate then they haven't met the likes of Sean Gardner. A big fan of sports growing up, Gardner has always been known for pursuing what he wanted to do. Originally form Baltimore, MD, he now calls Los Angeles, CA home, and it is there that he has penned his first book EXCESS BAGGAGE.

Doing away with the stereotypical ideals of manhood, the book allows you into the thoughts and motivations of men who find themselves in challenging situations while balancing the day-to-day aspects of their lives. Does the author think books like his will bring the sexes together more to discuss issues they face? What was more difficult, the writing of the book or the marketing that came later? Gardner talks about this and more in this exclusive interview with Cyrus Webb of Conversations Magazine/Conversations Book Club. (Note: Sean Gardner was a guest on Conversations LIVE! Radio on Tues. Sept. 22, 2009. Listen to the interview here: http://tobtr.com/s/703761)

Congratulations, Sean, on your book EXCESS BAGGAGE. It is definitely a great read for readers of both sexes to enjoy. Before we get into the story, tell our readers a bit about yourself.

For anyone that knows me, they'll tell you that I'm a very positive person. On one side of my family, I'm just two generations removed from sharecropping. My father was first in our family to attend & graduate from college, so I think this inspired in me the belief in our ability to improve our personal circumstances, whatever those may be. It's through these individual efforts that we lift up our community as a whole. To the extent that I have these throw-back values, I'm all about this notion that our collective success really is dependent upon our being our "brother's keeper", rather than the hyper emphasis on individual materialism that is put forth today by the mainstream media.

When you look at the finished product of your book are you surprised that you are now an author with a book available nationwide?

No, I wouldn't say "surprised" necessarily. For me, the words that come to mind more frequently are "awed" or "humbled". It is an amazing thing that people want to buy and like something that was once just a thought in my head. That God blessed me with the ability to turn this idea into something that I could share with the world and have it be well-received is mind-blowing. I know some people think I say "thank you" too much, but that's how I feel. I really am blessed.

If I had grown up with you what would have been your interests and are those who have known you most of our life surprised at your writing a book?

Growing up, I was a big sports fan and participated in pretty much everything. I played football, baseball and basketball, with basketball becoming my greatest childhood love. Like the characters in my book and the rest of us in the real world, I had my share of family and personal "issues" coming up. Sports saved my life from addiction, crime and violence that I might not have otherwise avoided. For example, I lived in ATL during the "Atlanta Child Murders" and subsequently in urban areas of Baltimore, New Jersey and Los Angeles as heroin and crack cocaine flooded into our neighbors & replaced alcohol as the drugs of choice for a new generation. Sports allowed me to turn away from such temptations because as an "aspiring" pro athlete, I didn't want to put anything in my body that would not allow me to run faster or jump higher.

I think some might be surprised by my writing a book because they were not aware of my interest in or gift for the written word, especially given my intense love for sports at that time. However, those that knew me wouldn't be totally surprised because I've always been a person that did what I set out to do. Some of my friends were told that I "wanted to write" a book.

Sean, for our readers that haven't read the book tell them about the general premise of the story.

Excess Baggage is a story about redemption from whatever holes in our soul that might have developed during our childhood. Rather than beat the reader over the head with the blunt message about the importance of confronting our shortcomings, he or she gets to "live" vicariously through the experiences of 2 couples that are busy juggling professional careers, their social lives and other responsibilities; as they try to connect with their one true soul mate. These characters are valuable because they remind us that communication is at the core of the difficulty in establishing relationships, especially new ones. And our communication is affected by past experiences that we bring to any interaction with someone that we're romantically involved with. Some of these experiences are good and can help a relationship, but some are bad. That's the reason for the title, Excess Baggage.

To add flava' to the story, this message is set upon a "canvas" where an attorney falls in love with a witness during a high profile trial in which the opposing side has vowed to win at all costs, including murder, in one story. In the other, an advertising director falls in love with a record exec only to have their relationship interrupted by the appearance of a mysterious and dangerous person from their past. The stories are linked by the guys, who are long-term friends and share a common childhood tragedy. The ladies also have more in common than they would like to share. Before the tale ends, the quartet must re-examine their priorities in order to save their love & their lives.

Alot of authors find the writing process to be a great deal easier than the marketing aspect. What about you?

Yes & no. I think that it's really a matter of perspective. When you're writing your masterpiece and you're fighting against the blank page, that part of the process feels like it's the hardest. However, once you're done and working on marketing your work, you discover a new definition for "hard." There's definitely a lot of truth to the idea that marketing is harder than writing. It may have something to do with the perception that work that does not come from one of the big publishing houses is of lesser quality. Aside from being untrue, it is a strange paradox, given how difficult major houses make it for non-celebrity first-time authors to get a deal. I think the good news, though, is that this perception will continue to change, especially as publishing company restructure and seek more ways to be profitable. Eventually, authors will be evaluated by the quality of their work, not where they're coming from.

Have you been surprised that your book has gotten the attention of men and women?

No, not at all. One of compliments that I receive most often is that these characters are so real, they seem like people we all know. So, the men in story are both easy to relate to in terms of their motivations, behaviors and dialogue.

As you probably know, Sean, most book clubs are made of mostly women. What do you think we can do to get more men to reading and discussing the books they have read?

(laughs) That's a great question. Fortunately, the economy is helping us with this one already. As couples look for more cost-effective entertainment, I think we're seeing a lot of couples getting back to the things folks did in ole' school courting like grabbing a basket of food, a blanket, some wine, a good book and are heading to some scenic location to read to one another.

In terms of men reading on their own, it's a matter of perception. 1) We're socialized to be breadwinners, so men are suppose to be out figuring a way to make more money to provide for their loved ones, not reading a book. And 2) we seem to be going through a period where definitions of manhood and masculinity are shrunk down to fit into the perception of a "thug." This is especially true for younger people. Unfortunately, while it is portrayed as the whole or complete emotional make-up of a man, this is not true. It is only one side of our complexity. We have to educate our community on the importance of embracing the diversity of our character, as doing so allows us to live richer lives. Also, since we all have limits on time & resources, books allow us to improve our own lives by learning from the experiences of others, without having to go through such trials & tribulations ourselves.

What do you hope people get from EXCESS BAGGAGE?

We will all be in a much better place when we understand that before we can truly love others, we have to be able to love ourselves. Sometimes, in order to do this, we have to forgive past shortcomings. And it's okay to do that.

Sean, now that you have one book under your belt you have the experience that many aspiring writers dream of. What advice would you give them?

Writing is all about the power of revision. Too frequently, people tell me that they could never write as good or that they gave up because whatever they were writing didn't seem perfect. Well, it rarely ever does the first time you get in on paper. Like the characters in my story, I was really busy with life, work and responsibilities when I wrote this book. I wrote it mostly "in-between time" and "in the meantime" for three years. In that time, I revised it several times, in addition to having it edited. So, I tell every aspiring writer that the world is waiting for your unique voice. Don't quit! Just get your idea(s) down on paper first, before you evaluate them.

Thank you for your time. How can our readers find out more about you and your book online?

Thanks for having me. It's been a pleasure. The book is available on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble's website. However, the best place to get update info about me, promotions and my calendar are at my website, www.excessbaggagethenovel.com.

TAKE TEN: Author Patricia A. Thomas

2009-09-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard of Author and Minister Patricia A. Thomas before, after this interview you won't be able to forget her. The native of Arcadia, Louisiana now resides in Columbus, Ohio but has penned a book that will have people talking all around the world. GOD REVEALS A MYSTERY is more than likely one of the most intriguing books that Conversations has read thus far. Addressing issues that involve science, religion and faith, the book will cause you to examine what it says closely and measure it against what you already believe.

(NOTE: Author Patricia A. Thomas discussed her book on Conversations LIVE! Radio recently with host Cyrus Webb. Listen to it here, http://tobtr.com/s/701195)

In this exclusive interview, Thomas talks about what her intentions are with the book and how she hopes to get people talking and reading for themselves before they make a decision. Here is our conversation.

Patricia, thanks for taking the time to talk with us about your new book GOD REVEALS A MYSTERY. Before we get into what the book is about, tell our listeners a little about yourself.
Cyrus, I first want to thank you for this great opportunity to share the love of God, through Jesus Christ, and the truth that is in my book. I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana weighing in at exactly 10 pounds (thank you God for giving my dear mother the strength to deliver me with NO medication). I was raised primarily in a small rural town called Arcadia. I was very active at my high school with playing basketball, being a cheerleader, being on the drill team, and participating in other school activities to keep me busy.

After graduating from my high school, I was accepted to attend The Ohio State University in Columbus,Ohio, where I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in English. I am also a Licensed Missionary Evangelist who has been blessed by God to do Radio Ministry, in the past, for a few years, and I have been able to deliver messages of love and conviction from God to youth, adults, and to those who are incarcerated.

One thing that is clear from the book is your love of scripture. Is that something that has always been the case?
Yes, I have always loved the holy scriptures. But like many young people, I didn't read and study the entire Holy Bible until I became an adult. I began to seriously study and read the Holy Bible, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, around the age of 30 and I have read the entire Bible and I continue to read and study, which is God's will for every Christian.

I'm curious as to how your faith has guided you in making decisions in your life, and why you think you have followed your faith with so many have not.
With the ministry that I have been chosen to do, along with my unique book, God has allowed me to experience things to prepare me to build up my faith walk, which is necessary. With that being said, since God has given me a lot (compared to others) He expects a lot from me. With me being a visionary, God has guided me to do His will and with me being imperfect, I sometimes fail God. However, God is faithful and
He has remained with me as a true spiritual Father would do. I am honored and humbled of God's faithfulness to continue to guide and lead me in my imperfect life.

Can you tell us when you first got the idea to write the book?
God first opened my spiritual eyes to the truth and spoke this revelation knowledge to me, concerning the demise of the “dinosaur”, in 1997 and from that I wrote a poem, with the foundation being that the name “dinosaur” was coined or made-up in 1842 and the real animal's name is serpent or dragon (both names mean the same thing in Greek) and that they still exist- in its cursed form according to Genesis 3:14. It only took me a few months to write the manuscript and in 2006, God gave me scientific information to write in my book to prove that my theory would eventually become a fact, at the appointed time, unlike other theories that will never be proven. That year, in 2006, my book was published.

There are some who will say, Patricia, is that you using scriptures to justify your own thoughts about science. How would you respond to that?
My response would be that not only do I know the God-given truth, but others do too. There are people who know this truth concerning the demise of the “dinosaurs”, who don't have my book and the truth is growing. But, I am the only person to have the scientific or concrete information in my copyrighted book to prove that the DNA in the spine of the cursed serpent (commonly called a snake) will match
the fossil of the serpent or dragon that have been found in many places on the earth. This DNA testing has never been done before in the world and it will prove that they are synonymous. One truth can silence many lies. Therefore, I must stay in my lane and finish my God-ordained race and not worry about what some people will say about my book or me. God has a great plan to unveil and I am excited about the outcome! God will always win!

Do you think that it is possible for faith and science to co-exist when it comes to the universe and what the earth was like many years ago?
Absolutely! Science is defined, by some, as the process or technique of how things are done. God created everything and He has recorded the beginning of things in the book of Genesis and He continues to show us His power daily with things that are evident, such as the earth being suspended on nothing without falling or the WIND- we can physically feel it; but, we can't physically see the wind. Only God has the scientific knowledge and wisdom to explain His creations and my faith believes in Him and not in the Evolution Theory, which are a set of assumptions that have NOT been proven, but this guess can be taught to our youth in public schools, who are our most vulnerable.

Can you tell us about the response you have gotten so far to the book?
So far, the majority of the responses have been good, God has opened the spiritual eyes of some people to see the truth. Some have told me that it is so obvious and wondered why they couldn't see it before until they read my book, God Reveals a Mystery! As my book continues to grow, it will be controversial to some people. I will accept the cheering and jeering to do God's will, because many other faithful servants before me have too, including Jesus Christ. I will not be afraid in what I know God will do.

With it being such a hot button topic, do you plan on holding events around the book to discuss it?
Definitely, I know that my unique book will continue to grow and the doors that God will open for me, no man can shut. I will continue to tell others the absolute truth, with using tolerance and love.

What advice would you give individuals who feel they have been given a story to tell but haven't taken the steps to share it?
My simple advice that I would give, as I have given to others is: “If you put forth the effort, you will see the results.” Also, please stay focused and do research before pursuing your goals, because knowledge applied is power, it means nothing if you don't use it.

Thank you for your time, Patricia. How can our readers find out more about you, your book and what is next for you?
Again, Cyrus thank you for this great opportunity to share the love of God, through Jesus Christ, and the truth that is in my book. Please know that my book is available on the world-wide web at thousands of websites, including my preferred site, Barnes and Noble. Anyone can find out some information about me,
my book, and my upcoming events at: www.MYSPACE.com/WordsOfVision or
www.TWITTER.com/WordsOfVision.