Rachel Thompson

Rachel Thompson

A LIFE LESS ORDINARY #Excerpt by @VicBernadine #AmReading #ChickLit

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Leah watched with amusement as Zeke paced around her boardroom.
“I’m telling you, she won’t last a week! A more…prudish, repressed woman I have yet to meet! I doubt she’s done anything just for fun in her life!”
“Doesn’t mean she won’t go the full six months,” Leah replied mildly.
“Oh, please! She wears her hair in a bun! A bun! And if her face has seen makeup in the last ten years, I’ll eat my socks! She’ll get scared at the first loud noise and skitter home to safety.” He shook his head. “This is a non-story. Trust me.”
“Well, I think you should still take the trip. You can write this blog you’re currently working on if you want to–but you’ll probably be wrong.” She frowned thoughtfully. “You know…I wonder if she’d be interested in writing a guest blog.”
Zeke stopped in his tracks. “What?”
“Sure,” Leah said, gaining enthusiasm. “That’s not a bad plan B. She could write updates of her journey–I mean, my subscribers are absolutely rabid about this–and absolutely passionate about you going with her if the poll results and the comments are anything to go by. Half want you to expose her as pathetic; the other half want you to be surprised and humbled and knocked off your high horse.”
“Hey!”
“Some love you; some love to hate you–but they all want you to document this woman’s adventure–no matter how long it lasts, or what you learn.”
“Well, it’s a non-story–I’m telling you. She probably won’t even make it out of town. I doubt she’s ever been anywhere!”
“That’s…actually kinda sad.”
Zeke shrugged. “Yeah, well–those were the choices she made.”
Leah frowned at him. “You don’t know what she’s faced in her life. You shouldn’t be so judgmental.”
Zeke grinned at her. “Hey, that’s why you pay me the big bucks, you know–because I’m so judgmental.”
“You know, if I didn’t know that sometimes you can actually be a really nice, understanding guy, I’d think you were the biggest jerk that ever walked the planet.”
He shrugged again. “People don’t want to read the blog of a nice guy.”
“But they would love to see you taken down a peg or two.”
“Oh, like any tightly wound old lady could do that!” he scoffed.
Leah gave him a reproving look as she stood and walked over to him, a hand cupped around her ear. “Do you hear that? That’s the sound of fate taking aim right–” she poked him hard in the middle of the forehead–“there.”

For the last fifteen years, Rose “Manny” Mankowski has been a very good girl. She turned her back on her youthful fancies and focused on her career. But now, at the age of 45, she’s questioning her choices and feeling more and more disconnected from her own life. When she’s passed over for promotion and her much younger new boss implies Manny’s life will never change, something snaps. In the blink of an eye, she’s quit her job, sold her house and cashed in her pension, and she’s leaving town on a six month road trip.
After placing a personal ad for a travelling companion, she’s joined in her mid-life crisis by Zeke Powell, the cynical, satirical, most-read – and most controversial – blogger for the e-magazine, What Women Want. Zeke’s true goal is to expose Manny’s journey as a pitiful and desperate attempt to reclaim her lost youth – and increase his readership at the same time. Leaving it all behind for six months is just an added bonus.
Now, armed with a bagful of destinations, a fistful of maps, and an out-spoken imaginary friend named Harvey, Manny’s on a quest to rediscover herself – and taking Zeke along for the ride.
Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords
Genre – ChickLit, Contemporary Fiction
Rating – PG-13
More details about the author
 Connect with Victoria Bernadine on Twitter

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Mikey D. B. on Writing, Books & Life #AmReading #Area38 #SagaoftheNine @mikeydbii

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How do you work through self-doubts and fear?
            Prayer, pondering, talking with trusted family and friends, observing the world around me.  If I know what I’m doing is right, I suck it up and push through whatever it is.  If I’m not so sure, I stop, and reevaluate myself because I’d rather have a direction in movement than mindlessly moving around.

What scares you the most?
            Not being strong enough.  Not not being the best, but not being strong enough to do what I feel I need to do to fulfill my purpose.

Why do you write?
            It may seem like a generic answer, but I write because I want to make a difference in the world.  I want to help make the world a less tragic place.  I’m not the best at explaining myself with facts, proving what I know to be right.  I may know of a good way to be happy, but I can’t always persuade people.  I can live those principles though.  I can live them and I can write about them in the form of fiction.

Have you always enjoyed writing?
            I’m not sure if I’ve always enjoyed it, but it has never been a burden.  In school it was always difficult to write a paper on a subject I was forced to, but I’ve never detested writing.  Now, I love it.  Give me a topic, and I’ll learn all I can and then I’ll write about it.

What motivates you to write?
            Hate and despair.  Sounds emo, but when I see what’s wrong in the world, I want to write because I want to fix it.  I’m not the most educated or well versed in how the world works.  I have a simple belief of what is right and what is wrong, and because of that, I have a hard time proving what I’m saying is true.  I am not a sophisticated scholar.  With writing though, I can put my truth, my beliefs into metaphors and parables that aren’t blatantly thrown out the window because of biased opinions of my faith and simple nature.

What are you most proud of in your personal life?
            It’s not so much as what, but who and that who is my wife.  She’s from Arizona and when she moved up to Utah (which is where we met) she came knowing a handful of people, and less than $300 to her name.  She did it because she felt it was where she needed to be.  Not to mention, she is the one that chased me down.  She saw how much I cared about her roommate, whom I had a huge crush on, and she was like “I want to marry that guy.”  How much faith does that take?  When she knows what’s right, there’s no stopping her.

What books did you love growing up?
            I loved the “Great Brain” series by the American author: John D. Fitzgerald.  My mom started reading them to me when I was little, and when I was old enough, I finished the series.  I love them because they’re about this kid, The Great Brain, who outsmarts all the educated adults in this small time with swindles and solving mysteries.  No one ever takes him seriously, but he continues to trust his Great Brain and makes a difference in this small town as a result.

Who is your favorite author?
            I wouldn’t say that I have a favorite author, but there are some writers that I love.  Vince Gilligan, Christopher Nolan, J.J. Abrams, they all are great writers and artists in my book.  The way they tell a story is so unique and if there are any writers I want to impress, it’d be these guys.

What book should everybody read at least once?
            This will sound a bit nerdy, even preachy possibly, and I know that there’ll be some back lash, but it’s the first answer that came to my head.  The Book of Mormon.  It’s a book that has changed my life.  I’ve read it multiple times in English, twice in French and read sections here and there from the book in Tahitian.  The story structure is fascinating, there is so much hard core doctrine and life changing principles in it, and above all, it’s true.  It has been and still is a keystone to my beliefs and has solidified my beliefs in Christ.

Location and life experiences can really influence writing, tell us where you grew up and where you now live?
            I was born in raised in Orem, Utah, smack dab in the middle of Mormonville.  I now live in Provo, the next city over, and you know what?  I love it!  Although I grew up in a place a lot think is a giant bubble, my parents didn’t shelter me.  They protected me of course when I needed it, like all good parents would, but they didn’t shelter me.  “Suck it up”, that’s what my mom would always tell me.  She still does in fact.  “Work hard”, that’s the principle my dad lives by and naturally he raised me always doing 110% in whatever my responsibilities were and are.  Those two things have forced me to write, work, and believe when I haven’t wanted to.

Saga of the Nine

Change affects everyone and it is no different for Jackson. Living in Area 38 for as long as he can remember, he knows of no better way to exist than under the tyrannical rule of Christopher Stone, son of Stewart Stone from The Nine of The United Governmental Areas, aka The UGA. This all takes a dramatic turn when Jackson finds a red, metal box buried in his yard, filled with illegal artifacts—journals, a Bible, CDs, etc.—that are from a man of whom he has no recollection of: Mica Rouge.

 The year is 2036 and Mica, unlike Jackson, does know of a better way of life but is torn apart as he sees his country, The United States of America, crumbling from within by group known as The Political Mafia. The Mafia has infiltrated levels upon levels of governmental resources and it is up to Mica and a vigilante group known as The USA Division to stop them and their dark Utopian vision. To their demise, and at the country's expense, The Division fails and has no choice but to watch The Constitution dissolve and transform into The UGA.

 In a final stand, having not given up hope, Mica and what is left of The Division, give one final fight in Colorado, or better known as Area 38. However, all is lost as The Division is betrayed by one of their own, Stewart Stone. Mica is left with no choice but to hide in exile, leaving what little history he can of himself and the great United States of America, with his wife, long time friends, and newly born son in hopes that they will one day finish what he could not.

 Jackson, having found this legacy twenty-seven years later, decides to start the war that will end The Nine, and he with an outcast group known as The Raiders, begins his fight with Christopher Stone in Area 38. Filled with betrayal, unity, despair, hope, hate and love Area 38 follows both Mica and Jackson in their attempts to restore what they believe to be true freedom, and where one fails, the other rises to the seemingly impossible challenge.

Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Dystopian Thriller
Rating – PG13
More details about the author
Connect with Mikey D. B. on Facebook & Twitter
Website www.mikeydb.com

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John Smith Speaks the Truth or Does He? by Roland Hughes #AmReading #Dystopian #Fiction

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SK:  I ask again, what was the truth according to John Smith?
JS:    Later in life, when people were counting the number of wells and starting to not buy the “dead Dino” story, scientists made an even more ludicrous claim.  They claimed the jungle and forest, which covered all of the land during the age of the dinosaur, was also decomposing and creating large pools of oil.
SK:  Why was this so ludicrous?
JS:    Admittedly, plant and animal life will share some mineral content, and all things will create some kind of goo when they reach that liquefying stage of decomposition.  However, I do find it a stretch that both would end up creating crude oil, no matter how much heat and time were applied, unless crude is a very tiny subset of minerals that survive decomposition. 
Eventually, scientists started claiming crude was caused by decaying plant and animal life.  I guess fish never played into the formula.  Scientists really had no choice.  They had to explain to an increasingly skeptical public why some crude was yellow and some black.  Some crude was fast-flowing liquid and other crude was a solid brick.
SK:  I ask again, what was the truth according to John Smith?
JS:    Crude oil is decomposing humans from earlier cycles.  Each cycle lasts an unbelievably long time, as far as human life  is concerned.  Humans, by and large, have a need to build communities.  As the cycle progresses, these communities become cities of a massive scale.  When the earth shifts and heaves its continents around, these cities are buried deep in a matter of hours, if not seconds.  They are buried deep without air or the nutrients needed for bacterial decomposition.
The steel eventually reverts back to iron and carbon; the concrete, to limestone and sand.  I’m not certain what happens to the glass other than the fact it is crushed into pieces so tiny one wouldn’t notice them coming up with the drilling mud.  The humans and their pets, though—they are crushed and eventually, the heat of the earth cooks them into crude.
SK:  That is a disgusting thing to say.  We have one of those oil sites oozing stuff out of the ground near our city! People use it for all kinds of things.
JS:    Humans are useful in a variety of forms.  Have they invented a product called petroleum jelly yet?  It’s kind of greasy, helps cuts heal and looks a lot like animal fat.
SK:  Oh!  I cannot believe I’m being forced to sit here and listen to this!
JS:    Do you think I’m the first to point something like this out?  I suppose you have never heard of cannibalism either?
SK:  Another disgusting tale to frighten children!
JS:    Oh no.  It was real and existed in various forms around the globe.  Even in large cities, where everybody claimed it never happened, you would see the occasional news report that someone had been arrested with pieces of humans in their fridge or freezer.  There was even a movie about the earth running out of food and governments taking it upon themselves to make cannibalism palatable to the masses.
SK:  I simply cannot accept the premise anybody would believe such a story.
JS:    The story became a legend.  They would simply herd people to different areas of each city.  One area would be selected for recycling.  The people would be processed and turned into little food squares of “Soylent Green.”  There were lots of different colors of food squares made from the various forms of food still available but there wasn’t enough to go around.

“John Smith: Last Known Survivor of the Microsoft Wars” is one big interview. It is a transcript of a dialogue between “John Smith” (who, as the title of the book implies is the last known survivor of the Microsoft wars) and the interviewer for a prominent news organization.
Buy Now @ Amazon & B&N
Genre – Dystopian Fiction
Rating – PG
More details about the author

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Host Chronicles: The Devil’s Offspring (Vol. 1) by D L Cox #Fantasy #AmReading #TBR

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The lobby seemed deserted except for an elderly receptionist who greeted Sheba when she walked in. The woman led Sheba to a cramped conference room where three middle-aged men awaited her. The men all sat on one side of a long conference table.
The receptionist left and the man in the middle stood and said, “We weren’t expecting a new negotiator.”
Sheba replied, “My employer thought it was time for a fresh perspective.”
“I’m Tony Taylor, and this is,” he nodded to his right, “Sam Keens,” then to his left, “and Tim Mathews.”
The men stood and Sheba shook each of their hands, looking them each in the eyes.
“Have a seat,” Tony told Sheba as he and his partners sat.
Sheba remained standing and cut her eyes at a clock on the wall behind the men. “My employer feels like you’ve smacked him in the face.”
Tony laughed. “I don’t think your client wants to know how it feels for us to slap him in the face. We have very hard hands.”
Sheba scanned the room. “When was the last time this building was used for anything but storage?”
Tony tapped his fingers on the table. “A dead building for a dead situation.”
“I can’t argue with you there,” Sheba said and pulled a silenced .9mm Glock from her handbag.
Before the men could react, she sent a bullet into Tony’s forehead.

In this Urban Fantasy, the devil’s daughter, SALEENA, and her reaper boyfriend, IZZY, elope to earth and seek to overthrow her estranged brother, SIMON CLASH, as the devil’s heir apparent on earth, but Simon is head of a powerful conglomerate, and he’s not going out without a fight. As the rivalry turns bloody, the warring siblings discover the devil has been manipulating their feud to advance his secret agenda and is using them as decoys to draw out a sword-wielding champion of humanity called the HOST, whom must be slain before the devil can unleash a reign of terror on earth.
Legend says the Host will emerge when humanity plunges into hopelessness and despair, and NATHANIEL BRENNER, the young man responsible for delivering a magic sword to the Host, hopes that is soon. Nathaniel has spent the last six years searching for the Host to no avail and has recently seen a drastic rise in demon activity on earth, which he knows could only mean one thing: humanity is running out of time. Saleena and Simon unite to save their own hides, but it may be too late—not only for the devil’s offspring, but for humanity too! The future of humanity hangs in the balance, and Nathaniel is determined to thwart the devil’s plans and find the Host.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre - Urban Fantasy
Rating - PG-13
More details about the author
Connect with D L Cox on Facebook & Email

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S.A. Snow on Why She Writes and #BookMarketing - #SciFi #AmWriting

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Why do you write?
I write solely for the fact that it is fun and entertaining to me. I write it to challenge myself into worlds that have not yet been created and for personal relaxation time. Across Worlds: Collision was written as an adventure to see how far I could push my comfort zones and to see how I could make it into an enjoyable process. I continue to write for those same reasons: challenge and enjoyment.

What books did you love growing up?
My favorite books growing up were The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. I could not get enough of those books, and I used to read them out loud to the alpacas on my farm growing up. Those were some of the best read alpacas around.

What do you hope your obituary will say about you?
S. A. Snow was a recluse that we had barely begun to know. She was just coming out of her shell, into her own when tragedy struck. The alpaca’s revolted, and well, it was bloody. There is nothing left of her body, only blood. There has been conspiracies that S. A. is truly still alive and living under a false identity in the remote villages of the Amazon, but we assure you that is not true. S. A. has passed into the next emanation from this one and continues to spin her tales and stories, creating webs of creation in her path. We will sorely miss seeing the product and what got caught in the web itself.
  
What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing?
Marketing, hands down. Writing is something that comes naturally. Even when the plot or characters aren’t cooperating, you know that it will. With publishing, once you’ve found one, you’re done. Marketing is the job that never ends. You always need to expand your audience, find new people to buy the book, get it into a new store or onto a new blog.

How do you work through self-doubts and fear?
I just stay true to the story. Writing this book was a risk. It’s not a common theme, and it’s not a topic that’s often written about so there are a lot of people out there who won’t like it or will think it’s too weird and that’s okay. Realizing that and just letting the characters tell their story helps with the doubt. It’s not my story. It’s theirs, and I’m just the one who gets to tell it.

Do you plan to publish more books?
I absolutely plan on publishing more books. I’m planning out and working on a werewolf dystopia with a few fantastical twists. My hope is to have this novel finished by the end of this year. At least with the writing of it.

What marketing works for you?
This is always a matter of how you look at it. This is my debut novel, and thus it is far more important that I look at marketing as a strategy. For this particular book, I have set up only two social media sites. This is due to limited time. I want to make sure writing is my focus and not marketing. I also set up a cover reveal on June 14th, 6 weeks before the release day. This is the earliest I would ever do it. I had over 40 people sign up for the cover reveal!

For future marketing, I have also set up a Goodreads account with the novel already there. I’ve also set up a book blog tour a week or so before the release, and this one the month of release. I used two separate tour companies, in hopes to reach more bloggers and more readers. The goal is get some reviews in before the release as well as reviews throughout the month afterward.

Reviews are helpful, but they are not everything. I still have to make an impact, still have to be seen. In order to do that, I must be present online. Since I do not live in a location suitable to foot marketing, online is the way to go.

What other jobs have you had in your life?
I’ve had a lot of random jobs here and there. A lot of online jobs that I can do from home, a lot of schooling which involved many papers and much travel. You wouldn’t believe the number of degrees I have. Anyway, I’ve worked at the starter jobs too. Grocery stores, fast food joints, clothing stores. If you name it, I’ve probably done something close to it if not it itself.

Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge and thank for their support?
Absolutely. A. M. Leibowitz was there from the start of this project. She was definitely a support while I tried to write, and the best support while I tried to edit. She calmed me down when I thought the plot was going to explode, and laughed at all the right places when I tried to tell a funny. A. M. has honestly been the best support there could possibly be.

Tell us about your new book? What’s it about and why did you write it?
My newest creation is about a CIA agent who is going on a very special mission. This novel is definitely a blend of genre fiction and erotica. Jane Butler is sent on a mission to an alien space station under the ruse of being mated with Usnavi, a Xanthian. The Xanthians landed on Earth nine months prior in search of ways to reproduce. Since the US is advanced in reproduction technologies, they spent most of their time there. An interesting fact about Xanthians is that they are all genderless and sexless. They shift between being male and female at will.

I wrote this story simply because I got drunk. This will teach me to drink and write again. I was laughing at an editing mistake in a friends WIP, where she had changed the sex of an alien and missed a few lines. I was laughing so hard I must have hit my head in the process and decided to write this lovely tale.


AcrossWorldsCollision

Jane expected six months undercover to be hard; she expected it to be lonely and bleak. She didn’t expect to find love. 

Jane Butler, a CIA operative, is assigned the task of infiltrating the Xanthians and determining if they’re a threat to humanity. Going undercover as a Xanthian mate, she boards the transport ship and meets Usnavi—her new mate. After spending six days traveling through space, Jane is ecstatic to explore the Xanthian station and soon sets out to complete her mission. The only problem? Usnavi—and the feelings she is quickly developing. 

Fumbling their way through varying sexual expectations, cooking catastrophes, and cultural differences, they soon discover life together is never boring. As Jane and Usnavi careen into a relationship neither of them expected, Jane uncovers dark secrets about the Xanthians and realizes she may no longer be safe. When it becomes clear she’s on her own, Jane is forced to trust and rely on Usnavi. Simultaneously struggling with her mission, her feelings for Usnavi, and homesickness, Jane faces questions she never imagined she would have to answer.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords
Genre – Blended Science Fiction, Erotica
Rating – NC17
More details about the author
Connect with S. A. Snow on Facebook

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Erin Sands on #SelfPub, Inspiration & THE DUNES #AmReading #NonFiction

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Born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in the Bay Area of Northern California, Erin grew up with an innate love for dance, theatre and the written word. A graduate of Loyola Marymount University, Erin began her career in the arts as an actress and choreographer. After booking several notable roles in television and film, Erin began to use her gift of writing in blogs featuring political and social commentary, as well as developing content for theatrical use.

Although The Dunes, is a divine departure from Erin’s previous writings it is by far her most cherished work to date. “I wrote The Dunes initially as self therapy because I needed to release some painful experiences and disappointments from my past. I had this thirst to walk in the complete fullness of life with joy as my constant companion. I had no idea what effect it would have on other people. But when I saw people read it and be released from fears that had held them back for years…when I saw people forgive and be able to walk in the freedom forgiveness brings…when I saw people commit and serve and how those things opened up new opportunities in their life, I was just humbled. Humbled by the awesome power of God and humbled that I had been allowed to go along for the ride”.

When asked why she writes, Erin pauses and reflects on the truth of her heart. “I write because although I am only now beginning to truly love the process, I have always loved the outcome. Like a composer, words become my notes. I string them together in song eliciting the response of my reader, grafting a picture of my soul. Where besides the written word can you effect change so utterly and so succinctly? What besides the written word can pierce the universal collective mind? Everything begins with a thought, but it isn’t until that thought is articulated in written word and those words passed down can life changing movement happen. It must be written, it must be expressed on tablet, and when it is, we all become greater, whether the writing be genius or fatuity, it has evoked thought and debate. Why wouldn’t I want to be apart of that phenomenon? Why wouldn’t I want to share my story, give my testimony…add my paradigm to the mix? Whether it is a novel, a poem, an essay or an article, it is humanity visited. An insight into a new or sometimes shared truth. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God. And with that I live my life”.

What makes you happiest?
Moments spent with family and friends bring me the greatest joy. I recently went out of town to Las Vegas to celebrate my best friends birthday. It was a reunion of sorts, about twenty of us who have known each other for years and I enjoyed it immensely. After I came home I realized that I felt richer in an emotional and spiritual way and it was because I had spent time laughing and enjoying the company of friends. Those are the moments in life that mean the most to me, the moments spent surrounded by love, laughter and unconditional acceptance.

Why do you write?
 I write because although I am only now beginning to truly love the process, I have always loved the outcome. Like a composer, words become my notes. I string them together in song eliciting the response of my reader, grafting a picture of my soul. Where besides the written word can you effect change so utterly and so succinctly? What besides the written word can pierce the universal collective mind? Everything begins with a thought, but it isn’t until that thought is articulated in written word and those words passed down can life changing movement happen. It must be written, it must be expressed on tablet, and when it is, we all become greater, whether the writing be genius or fatuity, it has evoked thought and debate. Whether it is a novel, a poem, an essay or an article, it is humanity visited. An insight into a new or sometimes shared truth. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God. And with that I live my life. http://bit.ly/1pwryZK

What writing are you most proud of?
 I am proud of all of the writing I have done because each topic required an earnest amount of soul searching. Whether it was political or social commentary or even theatrically based, it came from an authentic place. That said, The Dunes is by far my most cherished work to date and not primarily because of the writing, but because of the affect the writing has had in peoples lives. I share my journey in a very personal way in The Dunes and it seems to have resonated with readers. God used it to help bring about positive changes in other peoples lives and I will always be very humbled by that. http://bit.ly/1hxaOC1

What books did you love growing up?
 I loved the Beverly Cleary “Ramona the Brave” book series. I loved all of the “Ramona” books. They were an escape for me. As a child, I could relate to Ramona’s curiosity about life and her adventurous spirit.

What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing?
Each is equally challenging in different ways and requires ALL of you. When you are in the process of writing your book you are consistently rewriting and working on your manuscript to make it the best that it can be. When you have completed that process you are working with others like cover designers and interior designers to bring your vision to life. That aspect alone requires a great deal of patience and focus because you are bringing other people and their talents to the table to manifest the vision you have for your book. After your book actually becomes a “thing” and an entity, then a whole new journey begins about how to most effectively get the word out about your book and not only that but how to share with readers why your book and what you want to share with them is worth their time. So each element of the process is equally challenging but I am enjoying the journey immensely. http://bit.ly/1pwryZK

Where do you get your inspiration from?
I get my inspiration from my mother. She is the most remarkable woman I know. She is beautiful inside and out. She has a huge heart, a fierce wit and a pure joy for life and living every moment to the fullest. This year she celebrates her 65th birthday and she wants to go zip lining for her birthday. You don’t hear many 65year olds saying that. My mom is an awesome woman and she inspires me daily.

Tell us about your new book? What is it about and why did you write it?
I initially wrote The Dunes because I was journaling. I was going through a very tough time emotionally and I decided to turn what I was feeling into an allegory. I never intended for anyone else to read it. It was purely a creative form of self-therapy for me. After I was done writing it I put it away and did not look at it for years. Then one day I was going through an old box and I found it and read it. That same day, God put it on my heart to expand what I wrote and make it a book. I began to broaden the allegorical aspect of the story along with adding personal testimonies from my own life experiences that correlated with the direction the book was taking. I added a journal section and at the end of each journal section I added a “challenge” for the reader. I have always believed that it is one thing to make a life change in your heart and your mind but it doesn’t become real or a part of your life until you put it into practice; that is what the “challenge” section is all about. When I completed The Dunes, it contained seven chapters that I refer to as “Revelations” because that is what they were for me, revelations about life, joy, freedom and forgiveness. Each revelation begins with an allegory, followed by my personal testimony, then journal questions and finally a challenge for the reader. I had no idea if what I wrote would resonate with readers or have any affect outside of my personal life. I did know, however, that I was willing to put it to the test. I put an ad on Craigslist asking for strangers to read my book, answer the journal questions and do the challenges while I chronicled their journey on film. The results amazed me! I witnessed peoples lives literally transform. That was when I knew I had something special and that I had to get it published. http://bit.ly/U9LRSz

If you could have a dinner party and invite anyone dead or alive, who would you ask?
I watched this program on television called Iconoclast. The concept was very interesting. They paired an icon with a newly famous, younger celebrity, who had found success in a completely different industry and filmed their conversation. What was unique about it was that both of them had something they could learn from each other. What was surprising about it was that they had more in common than anyone would have guessed. With that in mind, if I could invite anyone dead or alive to a dinner party I would invite former US president Abraham Lincoln, the musical artist Prince and Marilyn Monroe.

How do you feel about self-publishing?
I love that self-publishing is consistently growing and providing more opportunities for indie authors like myself. It is definitely a lot of hard work because you do not have the resources that I imagine comes with being backed by a big publishing house. What you do have, however, is independence, freedom of expression and the opportunity to execute the vision you have for your book uninterrupted. http://bit.ly/1pwryZK

Dune

If there was a journey that could masterfully change your life in seven revelations...would you take it? 

In life, sometimes the kernels of wisdom and the richness of revelation can be found in the most innocent of stories; and so it is with The Dunes. Join one man and one woman in an exquisitely simple yet remarkably profound journey as you discover with them that the mountain you must climb in order to live the abundant life of your dreams is located squarely within your heart. 

Illuminated in seven revelations; The Dunes carries the reader on a journey to not only examine the obstacles that are holding them back in life but to conquer and over come them as well. With each revelation The Dunes intimately calls on the reader as the journey companion to face a challenge…a dare if you will that requires an uncompromising commitment to change. In the family of faith-based self help books, The Dunes stands alone, simultaneously taking the reader from fiction to life and back again, equipped with a tailor made journal for the readers inner most secrets and reflections. The Dunes is part allegory, part testimony and part journal, but the best part is the healing it offers your heart. When you’re ready to step out of your comfort zone and step into the miracle of your life…The Dunes awaits. 

CAUTION: Readers of this book are subject to significant changes for the better. Side effects may include frequent smiling and enjoying life in every season.

Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Non-fiction
Rating – G
More details about the author
Connect with Erin Sands on Facebook & Twitter

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