Apr 16, 2024 | Editors' Blog, Interviews
Today, we’re talking with Jacqueline Johnson about her book, Women and Gut Health: Stop Living In Silence, Suffering, And Stigmas With Your Gastrointestinal Issues And Plan For Improved, Sympton Free Digestion And Overall Wellbeing.
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
At the retirement stage of life though not retired, continue to love what I do—40 plus Nursing career.
Why do you write?
Writing was a way I could use what I know from my nursing experience to help people.
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
Inspiration came from observations in day surgery where I currently work. More women were coming in for gut issues than men.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
It allows you to share information, educate/teach, allow/provide feedback.
How would you describe your writing process?
Under the publishing platform I was in keeping to tasks and not giving up was highly emphasized. I followed everything to the letter in spite of not being tech savvy. Any challenges I would seek help from support coach, family/friend. I took my time writing to ensure everything was proper.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
More awareness of your book resulting in more book sales.
What advice would you have for other writers?
Never give up on your goal of having something to say through writing.
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
Book title was selected from categories/genres of books already listed in Amazon. Your book title had to be unique from other books in your same genre. I used a paid service to come with a book design and a contest to see which book cover would be most popular.
What's your next step?
Keep promoting/advertising my book.
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
Happy because it adds to social proof for my book.
FIND JACQUELINE'S BOOK ON AMAZON
Apr 16, 2024 | Editors' Blog, Interviews
Today, we’re talking with Santi Limonche about his book, The Staff of Karanos: an epic fantasy adventure.
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
I studied mathematics at university and my hobby is to study ancient Greek and Latin with my aunt (a retired high school professor).
Why do you write?
One morning, a few years ago, I woke up with the need to write and it was getting stronger and stronger. So, I got down to it. In three weeks I planned the architecture of my first novel and in four months I wrote the first draft. Since then, I have learned to enjoy the process of writing after taking courses in narrative techniques.
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
Undoubtedly: the muses. They have received many names over the centuries. Inspiration guides you and whispers what you should write. It helps me to listen to classical or epic music, depending on my mood.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
Fantasy allows you to escape from reality, while at the same time reflecting the same problems that happen in the real world. Also, it is true that magic can be seen with the phrase that Arthur C. Clarke said: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”.
How would you describe your writing process?
First I sketch a brief outline of the skeleton of the novel and then I start writing. You could say I'm a cross between a writer-architect and a gardener: not much planning, but I don't leave everything to chance either. And if something struggles, I start with another scene. And, very importantly, I write every day.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
I believe that there are as many paths as there are writers. If social networks work for them, I'm happy for them. The hard part is finding the perfect path for us. It has been said so many times that what works for one person, doesn't work for another…
What advice would you have for other writers?
Don't be afraid to write and don't think about what others will say. Comparisons do not help. Also, I recommend sitting down to write every day, even if it's just a paragraph. You have to look for the muses!
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
The title came to mind when I wrote the last word of the first draft of the novel. Up to that time, it was simply “novel”. However, for the prequel, I already had a clear title about the origin of the bimbairi before I started writing.
What's your next step?
Writing the sequel to The Staff of Karanos. I have some ideas to explain the origin of the bimbairi thanks to a question a friend asked me.
What book do you wish you had written?
Good question… There are so many good writers and wonderful books out there that it's hard to choose. My heart is torn between Lord of the Rings and Don Quixote.
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
I react with gratitude and joy upon receiving a new review. Although, my aspiration would be if I could get someone hooked on literature like I am. I think there is the perfect book for everyone: I found it with “…en un lugar llamado Tierra” by Jordi Sierra i Fabra. Literature has given me so much that I would like to give something back.
VISIT SANTI'S WEBSITE
FIND SANTI'S BOOK ON AMAZON
Apr 16, 2024 | Editors' Blog, Interviews
Today, we’re talking with Jeff Burlingame about his book, George Varnell: The Life and Times of a Pioneering Sportsman.
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
My books have twice been featured as questions on Jeopardy!
Why do you write?
To share stories about unique and interesting people, places, and things.
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
From the subject’s family. It also involves Gonzaga University’s successful basketball team (George Varnell was their first-ever coach), The Boys in the Boat (George Varnell was like a member of their squad), and the Olympics (George Varnell was a competitor in two events). He was one well-known person that I had never heard of until I spoke with his family.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
That truth (nonfiction) can be just as interesting as fiction, or even more so, if done properly.
How would you describe your writing process?
Research, sketch, edit. Repeat.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
They can discover an audience of like-minded individuals.
What advice would you have for other writers?
Be sure that at its core, you're writing for the right reason… and that right reason is not any potential monetary gain.
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
I have been fortunate enough that all my publishers have allowed me to have at least some creative input in the cover-selection process. Some more than others, but I've always had a say. I love working with talented designers to see what they come up with.
What's your next step?
I am working on writing and publishing my next book. That's something I've fortunately been able to say for almost 20 years now since my first one was published.
What book do you wish you had written?
The River Why by David James Duncan.
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
I'm glad someone read it and felt strongly enough to form a written opinion… good or bad (but mostly good!).
VISIT JEFF'S WEBSITE
FIND JEFF'S BOOK ON AMAZON
Apr 16, 2024 | Editors' Blog, Interviews
Today, we’re talking with M.J. Polelle about his book, The Mithras Conspiracy.
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
I'm a former law professor turned novelist in my “second act” of life.
Why do you write?
To be a creator who sets characters loose in the world around me.
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
Reading The Da Vinci Code and soon after spending a honeymoon in Italy.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
It forces me to write plot and engage actively with issues in the world.
How would you describe your writing process?
Rhythmic. I don't believe in daily word counts or obsessive rituals.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
Not much. It drains time and energy from the creative task. Writers write, something different from social media.
What advice would you have for other writers?
If you write to fulfill an inner urge, you'll keep going no matter the headwinds.
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
Carefully.
What's your next step?
Over cappuccinos, I'm thinking of another thriller novel involving southwest Florida where I live.
What book do you wish you had written?
Farewell to Arms.
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
Depends on the review. If the reviewer “gets it,” I'm delighted. If there's a criticism, I try to learn from it if I think it's valid.
VISIT M.J.'S WEBSITE
FIND M.J.'S BOOK ON AMAZON
Apr 16, 2024 | Editors' Blog, Interviews
Today, we’re talking with Anka B. Troitsky about her book, Object & Vist: Book 1 in the Vist series (Who is Vist).
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
I came to the UK from Kazakhstan over 30 years ago. I am an old scholar, and although I left my profession to my past, I still look at the world and people as scientists. I am not a big fan of people, but I love animals and plants, video games, and beautiful things that good people can create.
Why do you write?
I started writing recently, but I have been a storyteller all my life. I love entertaining people by taking them on a journey to a different world, asking them questions within my narrative and hoping they will think of an answer. My characters are fictional, but their story is still about us. Who else?
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
My father. He was a man who took me on the reading journey and showed me the wonders of sci-fi and fantasy. His book collection now gives me the courage to write my books. As soon as I start, the manuscript seems to be writing itself, and I love being there with my characters, having an adventure.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
I don't like how our world is going, so I created a new one in my fantasy and welcome you there. There is a whole universe full of possibilities and wonders to explore that my favourite genre allows.
How would you describe your writing process?
The hardest part is to get to my desk. Life always gets in the way. However, once I am here, I am gone from this world. I lock the door and turn my phone off; only my cats are allowed to stay with me. Sometimes, it feels like the story is controlling me rather than me creating it. I lose myself in the narrative, and time flies.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
I have a great respect for self-publishing authors. I have my reasons. Marketing has become our second most time-consuming job, so any honest means are good enough. Social media can help, but there are lots of things to avoid.
What advice would you have for other writers?
Write, write, write, as much as you can. Read a lot, and never skip professional editing. Find your readers and be one big family.
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
I am still learning to come up with a good title, and I try a few before I pick one. Sometimes I ask for help. But the cover is completely down to me.
What's your next step?
To finish book 4 in the series.
What book do you wish you had written?
I love all the books of Terry Pratchett, but there is a one I wish was mine: NATION
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
Every review is precious. I am grateful for everyone's opinion, even a critical one. I would love to be able to respond with my gratitude. I love all my readers because they are my guests, and I must become a gracious hostess.
VISIT ANKA'S WEBSITE
FIND ANKA'S BOOK ON AMAZON
Mar 27, 2024 | Editors' Blog
In the quest for financial freedom and success, many are drawn to the seductive allure of Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) opportunities. Promising significant earnings, personal development, and the chance to be part of a community, MLMs have woven themselves into the fabric of many economic dreams.
But beneath the glossy exterior lies a complex and often perilous reality. This post delves into the hidden dangers of MLM schemes, exploring real-life horror stories and the fine line separating legal MLM businesses from illegal pyramid schemes.
The Allure of MLMs
MLMs, sometimes known as network marketing, operate on a business model that rewards individuals for selling products and, more lucratively, for recruiting others into the business. The promise of passive income through a downline of recruits is the cornerstone of the MLM pitch.
However, the structure is such that it often benefits those at the top disproportionately, leaving many at the bottom struggling to make any significant income.
The Fine Line: MLMs and Pyramid Schemes
The distinction between a legitimate MLM and a pyramid scheme can be murky. MLMs are required to generate revenue through the actual sale of products or services to consumers, not just from the fees paid by new recruits. See the FTC guidelines on MLMs here.
Conversely, pyramid schemes primarily generate revenue from recruitment, often offering no real product or service of value. This distinction, while clear on paper, becomes blurred in practice, with many MLMs operating dangerously close to pyramid scheme territory.
Horror Stories: Dreams and Nightmares
The internet and social media platforms are rife with testimonies from individuals who have suffered significant financial and emotional distress due to their involvement in MLMs. Here are a few examples:
- A mom who chose the MLM over her children: Reddit is full of MLM horror stories. Here is one to turn your stomach.
- Here is a post on HuffPost describing the low success rate and many other tales of people being duped by MLMs.
- The Utah MLM industry. Many MLM companies have a presence in Utah because the state has a high percentage of stay-at-home moms and is home to many practicing Mormons who value community highly. Perhaps the Church of Latter Day Saints needs to look at itself in the mirror over this.
- Why? A journalist at Buzzfeed here explains how many people get tricked by MLMs.
Do people deserve what they get? Or should the law protect people from vultures who take advantage of the weak and the powerless?
The Psychological Trap
One of the most insidious aspects of MLMs is the psychological manipulation employed to keep participants engaged and spending. The use of cult-like tactics, including love bombing, isolation from non-supportive friends and family, and gaslighting, creates an environment where leaving feels like failure. Participants are often told that any lack of success is solely due to their own lack of effort, not the inherently flawed system.
The Cost Beyond Money
While the financial losses can be devastating, the emotional and social costs are often just as significant. Relationships are strained or broken under the pressure of constant recruitment and sales efforts. Personal well-being is compromised as the line between work and personal life blurs, with participants encouraged to see every social interaction as a potential sales opportunity.
Navigating the Minefield
For those considering an MLM opportunity, caution cannot be overstated. It's crucial to research thoroughly, be skeptical of promises of easy money, and understand the high likelihood of financial loss. Seeking out unbiased information and testimonials from former participants can provide a clearer picture of the reality behind the MLM facade.
The allure of MLMs is undeniable, offering a dream of financial independence and belonging.
However, the reality for most is often a far cry from the promise, with the potential for significant financial and emotional harm. The line between a legitimate MLM and an illegal pyramid scheme is not always clear too, making caution essential.
By sharing the real-life horror stories of those who have suffered, I hope to shed light on the hidden dangers of MLM schemes and encourage individuals to tread carefully on their path to success.
Jon Fredrik Fikse is a Norwegian author whose first novel, The Law of Excess, is about the dirty underside of the MLM industry. It is based on the true story of “The five percent community”, which looked very tempting in the beginning but ended up with fooling tens of thousands of people. See the book here.
