I N SI GH T

ISSUENO.1 MAY2018

Poetry in Motion p.13

FEATUREDAUTHOR:

V I D EOM ar k et i n g10 1p.4 ARNIE

H owRunningMakesYouMoreCreativep.30
B O O KPRO M O T I OTNi p sp.34
TurningYour Bookintoan Audiobookp.72
JOURN EYSfor CREATI VEI N SPI RATI ONp.21
ZIMBELMAN
PL U S N EW T I T L ES: FINDING
U NCONDITIONAL LOVE, CREATING N OW,
THE CRACKED M IRROR, AND MORE.
 Tableof Contents
POETRYINMOTION OKIRMEDIAFEATURE
Bringing Poet ry Books Back t o t he 13 Why Video M arket ing Is t he Nex t 4
M ainst ream Best Thing for Your Book

BOOKPROMOTIONTIPS DIGITALMARKETING
7 Winning M oves for Indie Aut hors for 13
a Successful Self-Prom ot ion Non-Fict ion Aut hors Ask: Why Is It 26
Im port ant t o Have a Blog?
How t o Apply t he Basics of Branding t o 54
Your Aut horship 3 Sim ple and Effect ive SEO Tips Every 60
Aut hor Needs t o Know
Five Brilliant Book Prom ot ion Tips for 36 5 Days t o Sm art er Social M edia 64
Busy Aut hors
M arket ing for Aut hors
How Indie Aut hors Can Overcom e t he 82
Fear of Self-Prom ot ion in 5 Sim ple
St eps

9 HABITS&RITUALS HEALTH&WELLNESS 30
CAN YOU I M AGI N E A H OW RUN N I N G CAN H ELP
D AY W I TH OUT COFFEE? YOU W RI TE B ETTER

21 TRAVEL HOW-TO 72
10 M UST - T AKE SH OULD YOU T URN
JOURN EYS FOR CREATI VE YOUR BOOK I N TO AN
I N SPI RATI ON AUDI OBOOK ?
 Okir Publishing presents Edit or ?s Not e
I am delighted to welcome you to the first issue of
INSIGHT Insight Magazine, which is brought to you by Okir
Publishing.
May 2018 | Issue No. 1
At Okir, no book is ever too small - a book drafted for
Published by 10 holds the same weight as one written for legions.
Our mission has always been about inspiring authors to
Okir Publishing Inc. | Okir Media aspire for success, a legacy, or a better world.
1718 Capitol Avenue Cheyenne, We believe in the power of authors to effect change,
Wyoming, 82001 transform lives, and leave the world a better place.
Tel: 1-307-201-6153 That?s why our innovative publishing solutions are
https://www.okir-publishing.com rooted in empowering authors, big and small, to share
info@okir-publishing.com their work with the world.
When we announced Insight last February this year, we
Editor envisioned a magazine that would celebrate the
Aiman Usman outstanding work of novice and veteran authors, tackle
the challenges of publishing and marketing, and get
Contributing Editor everyone excited about the future trends in media
Eve Gilbert consumption.
Staff Writers In this first issue, we have lined up articles and features
Maria Fe Lapitan-Realista about health and wellness, book promotion, digital
Carissa Bongalosa marketing, travel, and more. You will also find plenty of
Lance Mendoza interesting author interviews and timely book
Vin Peterson recommendations. Arnie Zimbelman, who wrote Exile
from Jamestown, Betrayal at Popham, and
Graphics Department
Recompense: Return to Oberammergau, is our featured
Alan Khouneborinh
author in this issue. Despite having written three
Circulation Manager historical fiction books, Arnie has never really
William Grant considered himself as an expert novelist, but rather a
retired teacher who likes to write.
Ad Sales Manager
I?d like to invite you to check out our website,
Isabella Lopez
okir-publishing.com, which offers the latest and the
Photography and Artwork greatest in publishing, a collection of books across
Brian Torreon genres, upcoming new titles, as well as up-to-date blog
posts.
Bobby Thongkham
Josef Villarama Thank you very much for becoming a part of our
With thanks to Unsplash inaugural magazine. I encourage and appreciate your
unwavering support for our printed publication, which
you show by reading and telling people you know about
Insight Magazine. If you have any questions, feedback,
ideas, or concerns, please contact me at
Okir Publishing reserves the right to publish letters, stories,
and articles emailed to Okir for possible publication in future
aimanusman@okir-publishing.com.
issues.

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be Aiman Usman

reproduced in any form without the written consent of Editor-in-Chief, Insight Magazine
author(s) and Editor-in-Chief. For advertising information,
contact aimanusman@okir-publishing.com.
 WhyVideoM arketing
Is theNext Best Thing
For Your Book
BY evegil bert

How do publishing and marketing services providers decide on what to offer to their authors? The common-sense
response would be: the ones that give the most value in terms of revenue. But as James Rouse put it, ?Profit is not
the legitimate purpose of business. The legitimate purpose of business is to provide a service that people need
and do it so well that it?s profitable.?

Okir ?s mission states in part:

?... toprovideoutstanding, innovative, and results-driven services for our

authors whileensuringthat each of themis given individualized and
needs-based solutions for their publishingendeavor.?
Hence, Okir Publishing maintains the following criteria in selecting the services it offers to its authors:
- Relevance
- Effectiveness
- Suitability

En t er : Ok i r M edi a, You r N ew Hom e of Qu al i t y Book Tr ai l er s, Au t h or Vi deos, an d M or e

In line with its mission, Okir introduces Okir Media, its own brand of video marketing service that caters to
the ever-increasing need of authors, audience, entrepreneurs, and consumers for well-crafted, captivating videos.

Wh y video?
If the following charts showing Market Fodo?s findings do not convince you of the relevance and
effectiveness of video marketing, we don?t know what will. Apart from their tv ads, trusted brands going out of
their way to invest in well-crafted marketing videos to be distributed to Facebook and Youtube should give you a
hint that video is indeed here to stay.
 The statistic below show that video is now the most preferred type of content and that it is the most
effective way to boost brand retention. These results tick off both relevance and effectiveness in Okir ?s criteria in
selecting the services it offers to its authors.
Photo By Sam Mcghee
Wh at m ak es v i deo m ar k et i n g r el ev an t
an d ef f ect i v e?
This question answers the why behind the why. Why
do people prefer video content? And why is video
content considered the most effective in making your
audience remember your brand? These three reasons
work together as a system, making video marketing
more relevant and effective than ever:
(1) Humans are largely visual in nature. Remember The
Buggles?song, ?Video Killed The Radio Star?? Many cry
for the death of radio, but it is the way it is. Evolution
has always been unforgivingly sacrificial in nature. The
song lyrics goes on to reiterate:
?Pictu r es cam e an d br ok e you r h ear t.
Pu t down th e bl am e on VCR.?
(2) The digital age, which spells convenience and
flexibility, is here. It is just the way American writer and
futurist Alvin Toffler had predicted in his books. The
impact the digital age has in our lives may be obvious,
but not so much some decades ago, when economies
were purely agricultural, industrial, or a combination of
both. Recent research by Common Sense Media has
shown that parents?average screen time is nine hours
and 22 minutes per day. That?s way more than our
average working hours.
The tv-versus-radio tussle has now gradually evolved
to the internet-versus-tv battle. One of the significant
reasons why The Bigbang Theory?s ratings have
dropped is the fact that CBS shows are hard to stream.
Viewers now prefer movies and tv show streaming that
allows them the flexibility of watching their favorite
shows anytime, anywhere.
(3) People want to be entertained without taking too
much of their time. Our selective nature of retaining
information dictates that we tend to absorb and
remember the types of information that forge a strong
emotional connection with our insatiable inner beings.
But as we all know, watching our favorite TV shows or
movies is a day?s major decision to make. Five minutes
of unplanned entertainment is too much to ask. But
it?s also true that we crave every small opportunity for
a quick laugh. We want to be moved and get inspired
without having to sit for hours. This is why expert
video marketers make sure that the first three seconds
of a two-minute video is compelling and intriguing
enough. Otherwise, you lose the interest of a
distracted audience whose attention is ever-dwindling.
Wh at t y pe of v i deo i s m ost su i t abl e f or
y ou ?
The suitability question is addressed after we
determine the type of video that is fitted for your book
and budget. This is where Okir ?s mission to create
services tailor-fitted to authors?needs come in the
picture. Sure, creating a high-budget movie-like book
trailer is more revenue-generating, but is it suitable for
a non-fiction inspirational book like yours?
There may be no limit to creativity, but there may be a
limit to budget and feasibility. An engaging author
video, which would give you an opportunity to give
your readers a glimpse of your interesting personality,
may just be the right fit. As an example, go check Jule
Gaige?s author video, one of Okir Media?s early video
marketing projects, and be inspired to create one of
yours.
Do you feel the need to concretize your poetry and
expand its meaning to the ordinary lives of your
readers? Check out the video of Gloria Blakeney?s
poem, Visit from an Angel, and see how Okir Media,
through the direction of Bobby Thongkham, brings the
poem to life. With the right amount of research,
creativity, and budget, you too can make your own
book trailer, author video or any marketing video for
your product. Just remember that your video
marketing will not be complete if not combined with
your other marketing strategies, such as Social Media
marketing. If you need expert help, contact Okir Media
today.
CANYOU
IMAGINE
A

DAY
WITHOUT
COFFEE?
BYCARISSABONGALOSA
oncoffee& Creativity On average, it takes about 20 minutes for caffeine to
kick in. Once it does, you can enjoy the jolt of energy
that this chemical brings.
Whether you?re a published author or a budding writer,
you likely begin each day with this beloved beverage, your
favorite notebook, and a pen. Without this fuel, it would
Here?s aBetter W
aytoDrink Your Coffee
be a challenge to string words, build worlds, and churn Do you whip a pot of coffee as soon as you wake up at
out page-turners. around 8 or 9 in the morning? You might want to
pause and consider circadian rhythm or your body?s
In Mason Currey?s book titled Daily Rituals, the most
internal clock for a moment.
frequently used word in the biographies of the world?s
greatest writers and artists is coffee. Remember L.
Frank Baum and Voltaire? They kicked their brains into
action by drinking up insane amount of coffee a day.
For instance, Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum
could not start his day without a big breakfast and
four to five cups of strong coffee while the genius
Voltaire was rumored to down 40-50 cups of coffee a
day to boost his productivity. It makes us all wonder, is
there a connection between coffee and creativity?

Does agoodcupof j oeaidthewriting

process?
Ask Margaret Atwood who lent her name to a
bird-friendly brand (?Atwood Blend?) or J. K. Rowling
"
"Getting your timing right is key to getting the
most, not the worst, out of your coffee."
Research has shown that if you consume coffee when
your body?s stress-related hormone called cortisol is
who wrote for long hours in cafes in Portugal, England
at its peak production, the wakefulness effect of
and more. If you think actions speak louder than
caffeine diminishes. Your body will build a tolerance
words, then the daily ritual of drinking coffee has

helped many well-known artists, past and present, get
their creative juices flowing.
Prior to research and studies that caffeine stimulates
the senses and boosts alertness, acclaimed and
prolific authors have been avid fans of the beverage.
So what properties of coffee have made it widely
popular among artists?
HowCoffeeAffects Your Brain?
Adenosine, a chemical in your body, accumulates in
your brain when you are awake. The more adenosines
collect in your brain receptors, the more you feel
drowsy. In short, the longer you are awake, the more
fatigued or tired you feel.
The caffeine in your coffee happens to have a similar
molecular structure as adenosine. So when caffeine
enters your bloodstream and reaches your brain, it
binds with the receptors meant for adenosine. This
process blocks the adenosine from binding with your
brain?s receptors, preventing the calming effects of
adenosine and promoting wakefulness from caffeine.
"
to caffeine, making drinking coffee less effective in
keeping you alert in the long run.
Once you build up a tolerance to caffeine, you would
need more cups of coffee (remember Voltaire?s
rumored 40-50 cups a day?) to get a buzz from the
drink.
So how can you fix it? Researchers suggest that
cortisol (stress hormone) production peaks at 9am,12
to 1pm, and 5:30 to 6:30 pm so drink your Starbucks
or home-brewed coffee between these periods.
Besides right timing, napping after sipping a cup of
coffee is said to be more effective. By doing so, you
don?t need to artificially block the adenosine with
caffeine. Since it takes caffeine at least 20 minutes to
reach your brain receptors for adenosine, taking a 15
to 20-minute nap after drinking coffee is good for
your brain.Coffee nap is not a trend but a
science-backed practice to get the most out of your
coffee breaks.
So indulge in your favorite cup to get creative the right
way. You could only be 50 cups and naps away to
finishing your next best-selling novel.
9
FINDING UNCONDITIONAL
LOVE ALITTLEPEACEAT ATIME
BYJEANNESANNER
Can you def in e ?u n con dit ion al love? in a Ar e t h er e ot h er book s or au t h or s t h at you
sen t en ce or t w o? con sider as you r in spir at ion in you r ow n book s?
My personal definition of unconditional love is Eckhart Tolle, Khalil Gibran, Matthew, Mark, Luke
thought that is without condemnation, founded and especially John who wrote the four Gospels of
on faith that is without doubt, fueled by the Bible. ...
emotion that is without fear, fused with
Fu ll In t er view at w w w.Ok ir -Pu blish in g.com
kindness that is without boundary.
Wh at is you r gr eat est ch allen ge in w r it in g
Unconditional Love a Little Peace at a Time?
Jeannesanner.love
Reliving some of the more difficult memories,
but the process helped in the healing.
If you ar e t o com e u p w it h a cat ch y on e- or
t w o-lin er qu ot e or excer pt f r om
Unconditional Love a Little Peace at a Time,
w h at w ou ld it be?
Finding Unconditional Love a Little ?Peace?at a
Time is a treasure hunt. The treasure is love, joy,
and peace. The treasure is real and will be found
if you merely seek in the place where it lies
waiting for discovery.
In w r it in g Unconditional Love a Little Peace at
a Time, h ow w as you r w r it in g jou r n ey
dif f er en t f r om t h at of t h e f ir st book ?
Each book has a different purpose. The Spirit of
Unconditional Love was written for the reader to
study, possibly in a group; Finding
Unconditional Love a Little Peace at a Time was
written to encourage personal reflection.
PRESENTINGFRANKSOUSA'S TREETRILOGY
Brought up in the Depression, Johnny DaSilva is leader of a
fun and imaginative gang that lives out their dreams in the Big
Tree, in which each has a branch that serves as the Lone Ranger's
Silver, the race car of Morey Amsterdam, the rocket ship of Buck
Rogers, and the crow's nest for Black Bart the Pirate. When World
War II broke out, they tried every ruse their young imaginations
could think of to get into the marines, army, and navy but had to
settle for the Boy Scouts. But the faux pas war to end all wars
came too soon for the Big Tree Gang. Johnny is best described by
an aunt as having the millstone around the neck of having a strict
English Episcopalian conscience and bucking bronco Portuguese
sexual proclivities. Two girls are in love with him, one wealthy and
popular, the other sexually abused and who considered herself a
worthless toy, until she met Johnny. Whatever they knew about
the facts of life, male and female, were learned pretty much by
trial and error.

The Tree of Lost Dreams takes Johnny DaSilva and his Big
Tree buddies from youths, who lived out their fantasies of
heroism high on the towering limbs of the Big Tree, to the
real world. While trying and failing to enter WWII because of
their youth, they were greeted with the Korean War. In
Johnny's words, "Now we have our own war, were received
with some standing tall on their high limb while others
deciding to instead abandon the heights and place their two
feet squarely on the ground." Johnny, Righty, Scoff, Rhesus,
and others bought into Johnny's words, "If we don't fight
them there, we will fight them here."

Frank Sousa was born in Stoneham, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. Married to

his high school sweetheart, they live in a small Western Massachusetts town. His Large
family is everything to him and also includes English setters Chumley and Elmer and
every stray, dropped-off waif on their country road. His college creative writing
professor was Ted Hughes of The Hawk in the Rain, later poet laureate of Great Britain.
Sylvia Plath of The Bell Jar was his great promoter in encouraging Frank, believing his
writing was "Wonderful" although she confessesd she did not understand it as he
"wrote in American"

COMINGSOON! ! ! THETREEOF NEWROOTS

 POETRYINMOTION: BRINGINGPOETRYBOOKS
BACKTOTHEMAINSTREAM
BYMARIAFELAPITAN- REALISTA

Is it t r u e, w h at t h ey say, t h at poet r y is dyin g?

Ar e poet r y book s bein g pu sh ed back t o t h e obscu r e cor n er s of libr ar y an d book st or e sh elves?
Th er e is an on goin g, u n declar ed debat e abou t t h e popu lar it y of poet r y in t h e m oder n w or ld. Wh ile w e ar e
bein g pr esen t ed w it h st at ist ics t h at r eader s of poet r y ar e gr adu ally dw in dlin g, w e cou ld n ot h elp bu t
n ot ice t h e soar in g book sales of m oder n poet r y book au t h or s su ch as Lan g Leav an d Ru pi Kau r .
Ru pi Kau r ?s M ilk an d Hon ey h as sold m or e t h an 2.5 m illion copies sin ce it s r elease in Novem ber 2014,
w h ile t h e f ir st 10,000-copy pr in t r u n of Lan g Leav ?s Love & M isadven t u r e sold ou t w it h in a w eek ,
accor din g t o Pu blish er ?s Week ly. Bu t t h en , as you m igh t say, Leav an d Kau r r epr esen t on ly a ver y sm all
m in or it y of poet r y book au t h or s, m ost of w h om r em ain f aceless an d u n k n ow n .
It is, h ow ever , in t er est in g t o n ot e t h at bot h Lan g Leav an d Ru pi Kau r ar e n eit h er passive n or r eclu sive
au t h or s. In f act , Lan g Leav st ar t ed ou t self -pu blish in g h er w or k an d h ad of f er ed poet r y cr it iqu in g t o h er
f an s?poem s. Ru pi Kau r , on t h e ot h er h an d, w as u n st oppable w it h h er cam pu s t ou r s. Bot h seem t o h ave
in exh au st ible en er gy in en gagin g w it h t h eir r eader s via social m edia ch an n els.
`
Photo By Kobe Subramaniam

Th e Cu r r en t Tr en d: Spok en -Wor d Poet r y
Th e su ccess of Lan g Leav an d Ru pi Kau r is
appar en t ly associat ed w it h spoken w or d poet r y,
accor din g t o Kr ist y M elville, pr esiden t of An dr ew s
M cM eel Pu blish in g (AM P). As t old by Pu blish er ?s
Week ly, M elville said, ?We saw t h at t h er e w as t h is
gen er at ion of you n g w om en , m ost ly in t h at
ear ly-20s age gr ou p, w h o w er e r espon din g t o t h is
f or m of expr ession .?
To t h ose w h o ar e u n f am iliar or u n con vin ced of
t h e popu lar it y of spoken w or d poet r y, ch eck ou t
Sar ah an d Ph il Kaye?s Wh en Love Ar r ives, t h at h as
a w h oppin g 4M view s, or Blyt h e Bair d?s Wh en t h e
Fat Gir l Get s Sk in n y. Th e qu est ion lin ger s as t o
w h et h er people w h o love poem s also bu y poet r y
book s. Bu t t h is is a discu ssion f or an ot h er t im e.
POEMTOFILM
Has poet r y in spir ed an y f ilm ? We get t o ask t h is
qu est ion sin ce w e ar e aw ar e h ow cou n t less
n u m ber of box of f ice h it s w er e der ived f r om
f ict ion an d n on -f ict ion n ovels. Bu t h ow m an y
m ovies w er e based on poet r y book s? Do you
k n ow t h at t h er e?s a t on ?
It is t h en h igh t im e t h at w e r ecou n t at least 15
f ilm s t h at w er e der ived f r om or in spir ed by gr eat
poem s. Th is sh or t list m ay com e as n o su r pr ise,
bu t t h er e ar e a f ew t h at cou ld t r u ly r aise an
eyebr ow :
- The Raven (1915, 1935 ,1963, and 1912,
based on Edgar Allan Poe?s poem of the same
title)
- Jabberwocky (1977, based on Lewis Carroll?s
poem of the same name)
- Dead Poets Society (1989, a tribute to Walt
Whitman?s O Captain! My Captain!)
- Much Ado About Nothing and so many other
films (1993 and 2012, based on the poem of
the same title by William Shakespeare, who
has so many other poems to mention that
were turned into film)
- Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990, quoted Pablo
Neruda?s The Dead Woman)
- Dennis the Menace (1993, quoted Eugene
Field?s Wynken, Blynken, and Nod)
- Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994, quoted
W. H. Auden?s Funeral Blues)
- Before Sunrise (1995, quoted W. H. Auden?s
As I Walked Out One Evening)
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000, loosely
based on The Odyssey)
- Troy (2004, loosely based on Homer ?s The
Illiad)
- Beowulf (2007, based on the old English epic
poem of the same name)
- Howl (2010, based on Allen Ginsberg?s poem
of the same title)
- Braveheart (1995, based on bard Blind
Harry's epic poem The Actes and Deidis of
the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir
William Wallace)
- Mulan (1998, based on the ancient Chinese
epic, The Ballad of Mulan)
- Bright Star (2009, based on John Keats?poem
of the same title)
- Poetry in Motion: Okir ?s Combo of Spoken
Word Poetry and Poem-to-Film
Ah , it ?s t im e t o get t o t h e bot t om of t h in gs. If it is
t r u e t h at poet r y book r eader s ar e a dyin g br eed,
w ou ldn?t it be a t r agic en din g t o on e of t h e oldest
f or m s of lit er at u r e? Wou ld you allow poet r y t o die
a n at u r al deat h like Lat in ? Well, n ot on ou r
w at ch . We?d r at h er n ot leave t h e f at e of poet r y in
t h e h an ds of , n o of f en se, Lan g Leav, Ru pi Kau r ,
an d all t h ose spoken -w or d poet r y per f or m er s
w h o m igh t f in d ot h er in t er est s lat er on in ot h er
gen r es. Wh o k n ow s?
Ok ir M edia in t r odu ces Poet r y in M ot ion , it s br an d
of video m ar ket in g ser vice t h at aim s t o br in g t o
lif e t h e poem s of ou r pu blish ed poet r y book
au t h or s t h r ou gh sh or t f ilm s. As an exam ple, t ake
t h e t im e t o view Visit Fr om an An gel by Glor ia G.
Blaken ey.
Wit n ess h ow t h e poem in spir es ar t ist r y in
w alk in g a balan ced lif e an d cr eat ivit y in f in din g
m ean in g f r om t h e seem in gly or din ar y.
Th in k you h ave a f ilm -w or t h y poem ? Con t act Ok ir
n ow !
 5. Wh at ot h er passion s do you h ave aside
f r om poet r y an d w r it in g?
Traveling, watching good movies, spending time
with family and friends
6. Have you ever con sider ed w r it in g a f ict ion
n ovel? Or a ch ildr en?s book ?
Fiction novel, no. A children's book, YES.
7. Do you h ave daily w r it in g h abit s? How
m an y h ou r s do you devot e t o w r it in g each
day? Wr it in g h abit s?
I write only when I feel led to write. Many hours
have been written during the night but not for
long periods of time, just maybe an hour or so.
8. Do you believe in w r it er ?s block ? YES.
9. Wh ich par t of you r book w as t h e h ar dest t o
w r it e? The Story of Ester
10. Tell u s abou t you r n ext book . I have no
plans for another book at this time, although I do
have some thoughts about a children' s book. But
it is only a vague thought.

1. How lon g does it n or m ally t ak e you t o f in ish

a sin gle poem ? POETRY IN M OTION
There is no specific time limit. One was written in
30 minutes, some took an hour, and one or two
" VISIT FROM AN ANGEL"
took a couple of days. A Short Film inspired by Gloria G. Blakeney 's Poems

2. Wh at is t h e f ir st book t h at t ou ch ed you
deeply? Wh y do you t h in k it sh ou ld be r ead by
ot h er s t oo?
The Bible. My favorite book of the Bible has always
been the Book of Ruth, which I wrote a short story
about.
3. How do you def in e su ccess as a w r it er ?
A writer who can catch and hold another person's
interest. I don't think it has to be the amount of H TTPS:/ / YOUTU.BE/ 3M 4XCGM ER6A
money he/she makes. It is the impact that he/she
makes on someone's life.
4. If you cou ld advise you r you n ger self
an yt h in g w h at w ou ld it be?
Pay closer attention to Literature class.
M ixin g r om an ce, m yster y an d
in tr igu e, H ELP W ANTED is a stor y
abou t two peopl e wh o fal l in l ove
wh il e pu r su in g a ser ial k il l er. Dar cy,
a pol ice an al yst, an d Peter ,a spor ts
wr iter ,ar e th r u st in to in vestigatin g
col d case h om icides in vol vin g an
el u sive k il l er. W il l th is u n l ik el y
cr im e figh tin g du o catch th e k il l er
befor e h e str ik es again ? Fin d th e
an swer s in H ELP W ANTED.
A m azon .com : Use k eywor ds
Da vi d Scot t H elp Wa nt ed
W ebsi t e:www.davidscotth el pwan ted.com
You Tu be: h ttp:/ / you tu .be/ w5Rr DYYysTA
Dar cy Gar cia an d Peter Dal e ar e
at it again sol vin g th e biggest
cr im e of th eir car eer s.
Th e fu tu r e of Los An gel es h an gs
in th e bal an ce.
Can th ey figu r e ou t wh at wil l
h appen an d wh en it wil l h appen
in en ou gh tim e to stop it?
Fin d ou t in SIG ALERT!
Am azon .com : Use k eywor ds
Da vi d Scot t Si g Aler t
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 7W
inningMoves for IndieAuthors for a
Successful Sel f- Promotion
BYMARIAFELAPITAN-REALISTA

There is no sham e in self-prom ot ion. The HaveI, with my knowledge, talents, and
ever-changing publishing landscape, grow ing
com pet it ion in t he book m arket , and dw indling
experience, given this book my all?
prom ot ional budget of t radit ional publishing If t he answ er is yes, t hen read on.
com panies have paved t he w ay for aut hors, old and
new , t o go out int o t he m arket ing field and get t heir M ak e i t a w i n n i n g f r on t an d back cov er .
hands dirt y. To know ex act ly w hat w e?re t alking
What aspect s of your front cover design give your
about , check out t he social m edia account s of
st ory just ice? Is it a st riking visual? An int riguing
M argaret At w ood, Dean Koont z, St ephen King,
illust rat ion?
Haruki M urakam i, John Green, Neil Gaim an, and
An arrest ing
m any m ore. Here?s t he new bot t om line:
font st yle? By
all m eans, go
Whenit comestotheneedfor self-promotion, thequestionof for it . But also
whether youareatraditionallypublishedor aself-published pay at t ent ion
author hasbecomeirrelevant. t o w hat you
w rit e on t he
M any indie aut hors, how ever, are st ill in t he dark in
back cover.
t erm s of self-prom ot ion. Not know ing how is
Im agine
com plet ely norm al. But not t aking act ion m anifest s
having a book
lack of confidence. If you say you are confident w it h
t railer. Your synopsis is t he 150-w ord version of it so
your aut horship and w it h t he w ork t hat you?ve
m ake it readable and m ake every w ord count .
dedicat ed a significant part of your life t o, t hen t ake
t his as a challenge. Ent ice your reader w it h your 50-w ord aut hor bio and
inspire act ion in t he last paragraph of your synopsis.
Not e, how ever, t hat t he follow ing is not a
Be guided by t he synopses of best selling books
st ep-by-st ep form ula for a successful book prom ot ion.
sim ilar t o yours, but don?t forget t o m ake yours
Inst ead, t hese are key it em s t o consider int egrat ing
unique. Last ly, m ake sure your edit or doesn?t m iss
int o your current m arket ing cam paign. You w ill find
copyedit ing your book?s back cover t ex t . Every w ord,
t hat not all m arket ing m oves have t o cost m oney. If
art icle, com m a, or punct uat ion is crit ical.
you need help setting up a marketing campaign for
your book, feel free to talk to any of Okir?s marketing
Low er your paper back an d h ar dback pr i ce
consultants.
( l i k e, REALLY l ow er i t ) , an d pr i ce your
Now , before braving t he w orld of m arket ing and e- book at $0 .99.
prom ot ion, grab a copy of your book and ask yourself Aren?t you supposed t o t est t he w at ers? Why t urn
t his quest ion in front of a m irror: your readers off w it h your out rageous paperback
ret ail price? If you didn?t set it , t hen bring it up t o
your publishing services provider. Rem em ber t hat great er chances of being picked up.
ow ning t he right s t o your book should include libert y
Sol i ci t book r ev i ew s.
in pricing. If not , t hen it ?s t im e t o quest ion if indeed,
you really do ow n t he right s t o your book. This is When you search a book at Am azon or a part icular
supposedly one of t hose rare, glorious circum st ances m ovie at IM DB, you'd norm ally check out cust om ers
w here self-published or indie aut hors have a head rat ings and feedback. That ?s because posit ive book
st art over t radit ionally published ones. If you haven?t review s build t rust . And t rust ed brands generat e
claim ed your pricing libert y yet , now w ould be t he m ore sales.
perfect t im e t o do so. Book review s also inform ot hers of reader
Con si der gi v i n g aw ay sam pl e ch apt er s or im pressions t hat are not covered in your blurb. Wit h
v ol um es of your ser i es. t he right m ix of st rat egy and creat ivit y via your
Facebook, Tw it t er, and Goodreads com m unit y, you
We are not just t alking about Am azon?s ?Look
w ill gat her your m uch needed book review s from
Inside? feat ure. We m ean m aking your sam ple books
sat isfied readers. You can also check out book review
or chapt ers a prize t o be w on via Goodreads or
services by professional book review ers w ho are
Am azon or get t ing a valid em ail address in ex change
deem ed as t he ?aut horit ies? in t he indust ry. Their
of a free e-book version of your w ork. You m ay t hink
book review s usually com m and at t ent ion from
of giveaw ays as unprofit able, but if used w isely, t hey
ordinary readers, bookst ore ow ners, libraries, and
could m ake your books desirable and help it get t he
t radit ional publishers.
at t ent ion it t ruly deserves.
Al l ow v i deo m ar k et i n g t o w or k w on der s.
Par t i ci pat e i n l i v e book ev en t s an d book
si gn i n gs.
Em brace t he digit al age. Accept t hat people have
becom e m ore visual t han ever. Video your This is how you m ust have envisioned yourself as an
int erview s, creat e book t railers, do Facebook Live aut hor: you sit t ing on a dedicat ed chair, reading a
about your book signings and ot her aut hor event s. few lines from your book, ent ert aining quest ions
from eager readers, signing copies of your book. The
Researches have confirm ed t hat video cont ent good new s is, good ol? book signings are st ill big even
garners t he m ost consum er ret ent ion and brand in t his digit al age. What ?s m ore, local libraries and
recall. Indeed, video m arket ing is here t o say. Talk t o bookst ores t end t o pat ronize local aut hors so bet t er
your video-m aking dream t eam at Okir Publishing so bring a couple books and post ers w it h you as you
you can get a head st art m aking t he m ost com pelling w alk around t ow n.
aut hor videos and book t railers for your book.
While book signings give you an opport unit y t o
Use soci al m edi a t o bui l d a f ol l ow i n g. physically m eet and greet readers of your genre, book
Wouldn?t it be a t reat t o know t hat one of your event s, such as t he highly acclaim ed BookEx po
favorit e aut hors is equally im pressed w it h t hat Am erica, let you rub elbow s w it h decision m akers in
t hriller film you couldn?t st op raving about ? Social t he book indust ry: t radit ional publishers, agent s,
m edia is a haven for avid readers. It ?s t he happy place librarians, book crit ics, and bookst ore ow ners.
for aut hors w ho are confident w it h t heir craft . It ?s
w here t he m eet ing of t he m inds ideally t ake place.
But t here?s a fine line bet w een being confident and
being insensit ive. As long as you follow t he 80-20
rule ( 80% of your post s being about ot hers and only
20% about you) , you're going t o do just fine. If you
are unsure about t he right plat form s you should be
on, have a t eam of social m edia ex pert s help you
w ork out a cam paign t hat is consist ent w it h your
branding.
Given enough t im e, w hen you?ve becom e am ong
t hose successful aut hors w ho get it right , social
m edia w ill help you achieve your ult im at e goal: gain a
large readership. Besides, w ho doesn?t w ant t o have
an agent and be published by a t rad pub? If t hey see
t hat you?ve already built your lit t le em pire of
Facebook or Inst agram follow ers, t hen your book has
"Daddy, what did you do when you were young?" Many children ask this question. My
daughter would say back, "Daddy, you're kidding me!" I did much thinking and decided,
before I became too old to think, to write an ac-count of my "growing up". I wanted my
father to do the same but his story was never written. In one town, there was an elder,
Clayton Mack, who had a stroke. While under care, he told his nurses' many stories. These
ramblings were written and placed in order. Two books were then published. I suppose
Clayton was the reason I attempted the same. Therefore, here I am, writing away. As my
thoughts are put to prose, another purpose of doing this comes forward. Composing, the
process of story writing makes one think much more of what makes a person who he is.

I live in the Cowichan Valley, which is a bit north of Victoria on Vancouver

Island. I was the computer resource teacher of the Cowichan School District.
That was 20 years ago. I still fix the odd computer and keep my machines in
running order. I have an iMac, MacBook, iPad, iPhone and an ancient Apple. My
family consists of a boy, Rodger and grandson Dallas, a girl, Cordelia, her
husband Graham and granddaughter Anna. My wife, Coral, has passed on. I
have moved into a condominium in the town of Duncan. I keep my self-busy
doing printing projects for the Masons and Shriners. I travel a bit and DVD's are
made of most journeys. My website, "www.engelson.ca" contains an early
history of British Columbia as our Engelson ancestors left many footprints. This
book would be one of those "footprints".
 10 MUST-TAKE JOURNEYS FOR
CREA TI V E I NSPI RA TI ON
BYCARISSABONGALOSA

JOURN EYS are oft en t aken for grant ed.

Enduring airport queues, driving t hrough heavy t raffic, or sailing on a boat for t w o
hours t o a holiday dest inat ion seem s m undane, if not m ildly annoying.

But not all journeys are creat ed equal, and som e can bring pleasure t hat ?s
t ant am ount t o t he delight of reaching your dest inat ion.

From classic t o lit t le-know n ex pedit ions, here are t he t op t en journeys t hat w ould
spark your im aginat ion, inspire your inner art ist , and sat isfy your w anderlust .

Whet her you w ish t o be one w it h nat ure, t ake a pilgrim age, or discover a t rip t hat
speaks t o your soul, know t hat t he m ost fascinat ing t ravels st art w it h a w ish.

So read on, and sur pr i se your sel f .

Photo By Adrian
 W ALK acr oss t h e Gr eat W al l of Ch i n a.
Walking the 7,200-kilometer-long Great Wall of China
would take about 18 months to accomplish. Most of us
don?t have the luxury of time for this journey so it pays to
choose well the best sections of the wall to visit. Luckily,
you can cherry-pick the greatest, most beautiful, and
most fully-restored sections. Whats more, they are quite
near Beijing. A trip to Mutianyu, Jinshanling, and
Juyongguan can reveal spectacular architectural marvels,
Photo by rare archaeological treasures, and China's rich and
Manuel Joseph complex history.

FLY abov e t h e H or sesh oe Ben d.

Head over to the small town of Page in Arizona, and take a
scenic flight above the Horseshoe Bend. This 30-minute
aerial tour of the massive Glen Canyon Dam, mysterious
Horseshoe Bend, and charming Lake Powell has captivated
the hearts of travelers who seek unusual angles and new
perspectives of this popular tourist destination. The pricey
flight is worth it as you circle above the tremendous views
below - a trip that is bound to stay in your memory.
Photo by Ke Yang

FLOAT abov e Bagan on a H ot Ai r

Bal oon .
The plains of Bagan are dotted by Buddhist temples in
disrepair. While it?s amazing to look up at hot air balloons
floating on top of the plain, being a passenger is a totally
different story. Each balloon carries a maximum of 12
passengers, and the rate per person starts at $300. That
seems exorbitant by Southeast Asia?s standards,but the
crew is composed of professionals and experts in the
industry. The insurance for each passenger also increases
the fee. Whether you want a glimpse of Bagan plains from
Photo by Chinh Le Duc above or fancy shooting the most romantic sights, sunrise
or sunset in Myanmar, this is a ride you can?t miss.

RI DE a cabl e car i n Sw i t zer l an d. Photo by Leila Azevedo

Heidi, a novel by Johanna Spyri about a girl who lives with her
uncle in Alps, Switzerland, brought both young and old
readers unforgettable stories and settings. So it?s been a
dream for many travelers who have watched the movie or
read the book to visit these famed Swiss mountains. While
hiking is an option, taking a gondola or cable car ride to the
mountains of Alps sounds more appealing to time-strapped,
moderately fit travelers. So, hop into a cable car and soak in
the view of ragged, snow-capped peaks and lush forests on
Switzerland?s highest summits.
 VOYAGE t o t h e N i agar a Fal l s
Niagara Falls, a magnificent collection of three
waterfalls that sit between the border of New York
and Ontario, can be seen and photographed from a
viewing area. But if you?re one of those who desire a
closer look for a more intimate experience, take a
boat tour. As you sail with a few brave souls, you will
be able to take in the amazing beauty, power, and
might of three combined waterfalls: the American
Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Horseshoe Falls. Though
this tour takes only 20 minutes, the impression it
Photo by Shlomo Shalev leaves could last a lifetime, especially if you record
your memories in a feature article, a book, or a
movie script.

GO i sl an d h oppi n g i n El N i do.
Fly to El Nido, Palawan in the Philippines and
experience an island hopping trip like no other. Get
on board an outrigger boat, a kayak or a yacht, and
glide past beautiful limestone landscapes that look
more gorgeous than photoshopped images online.
El Nido was described as ?sheer perfection? and ?true
paradise,? while famous travel magazines go as far as
say it was the ?best island in the world.? A journey
through the islands and islets off El Nido is known to
have inspired masterpieces like the novel, The Beach
by Alex Garland as well as the movie, The Bourne
Legacy. Not only are the rock formations Photo by Cris Tagupa
monumental and unique, the beaches boast fine
white sand, deep blue to green seawater, and rich

TREK t o M ach u Pi cch u.

It would not matter if you share the Inca Trail with
hordes of tourists once you reach the Inti Punku, the
Gateway of the Sun. A typical tour will take you at this
point before dawn, dramatically unveiling the
magnificent ruins of Machu Picchu as the sun rises.
Except in February, the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is
open to hikers year-round.
The classic journey to the ?Lost City of the Incas? takes
about four days, yet the preparation for this
once-in-a-lifetime trek has to be done months ahead of
your planned visit. Trail permits tend to sell out fast, so
secure them well in advance. Successful explorers earn
Photo by Giacomo Buzzao their rewards in the form of epic mountain scenery,
forest, and the unbeatable majesty of Machu Picchu.
 TAKE a dogsl ed t our t o ex pl or e t h e
N or w egi an w i l der n ess.
If you?re a fan of Jack London?s adventure novels, Call
of the Wild and White Fang, then you would have
fancied a journey through the Norwegian wilderness
on a dogsled.
The landscape encompasses snow-covered plains and
mountains while the skyscape is a playful
combination of glowing green and deep blue.
Add to this magical winter picture are the huskies
taking you to remote and remarkable places, making
you realize how much of the world you are yet to
explore.

Photo by Sam Ekpil

GET on boar d t h e H ar r y Pot t er Tr ai n .

Dubbed as the World?s Greatest Railway Journey
(which Harry Potter fans would surely agree with),
the Jacobite Steam Train can give you a glimpse of
Britain?s most picturesque towns, villages, and
beaches.
As you board the train from Fort William and begin
the 84-mile journey, you will find that the landscape
is always changing. Of course, no steam train ride is
complete without cheese and high tea served on
board. Savoring these treats as well as Western
Britain?s views might be just the right combination
for a richer imagination of tales of magic or of a
whole new world for your next fantasy series.
Photo by Keith Bremner

Photo by Brian Kairuz

W AN DER around t he red-rose, ancient
cit y of Pet ra.
What do Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989),
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) and The
Mummy Returns (2001) have in common? You guessed
it right: These adventure-filled, action-packed movies
were filmed in Petra, Jordan. Though a day is enough to
explore the highlights of Petra, there are more
undiscovered tombs, temples, waterways, ancient
buildings and more that are yet to be excavated within
this Lost (and Found) Ancient City. Visitors can also
camp inside, but the true marvel in exploring Petra
comes before sundown, when the playful colors of
sunset bathe the gigantic rocks. A heart-stopping view.
 Th is is t h e secon d st or y in t h e ser ies,
Tales From t he Lit t le Brown
House on t he Hill , by au t h or Lyn n
Dom en ick M cKen zie. Th e st or y is abou t t h e
ch ildr en , Dou g an d Gin a, w h o discover a
cu r iou s even t h appen in g in t h e m ar sh n ext
t o t h eir h ou se. Wh ile ou t playin g in t h eir
yar d on t op of t h e h ill, t h ey h ear a
bellow in g sou n d an d f ollow it s sou r ce.
En joy t h e adven t u r e t h at u n f olds!

Toby Th e Tr u st in g Tu r t le is t h e st or y t h at
t ak es place in Br ow n t ow n , a f ar m
cou n t r y in Sou t h er n Wiscon sin . Th e
ch ildr en , Dou g an d Gin a, h ave m oved
t h er e f r om t h e su bu r b of Ch icago. On e
day, w h ile w alk in g alon g t h e edge of t h e
m ar sh below t h eir h ou se, t h ey en cou n t er
a box t u r t le w h o is in n eed of h elp.
He h as f allen an d lan ded on h is back
u n able t o t u r n h im self u pr igh t . Th e
ch ildr en com e t o h is r escu e an d in doin g
so, bef r ien d t h e t u r t le. Th e st or y of t h at
f r ien dsh ip is t h e basis of t h e book .

Book s Available at

?W hy blogging
m atter s for
author s??is a
qu estion we get ask ed a
l ot at Ok ir Pu bl ish in g.
W h at is th e poin t of
bl oggin g? W h y do
best-sel l in g n on -fiction
au th or s l ik e Seth Godin
an d M ar k M an son stil l
k eep a bl og? Do you
ever won der h ow th ey
m an age to u pdate th eir
bl ogs r egu l ar l y?
Between fin ish in g you r
m an u scr ipt an d
m an agin g dom estic
du ties, a day job, or a
post-gr ad degr ee, it can
be dau n tin g to add
bl oggin g to you r dail y
or week l y r ou tin e. Bu t it
doesn ?t h ave to feel l ik e
a ch or e.
It?s tem ptin g to th in k
Seth an d M ar k h ave a
su per n atu r al abil ity
NON- FICTIONAUTHORS ASK:
WHYIS ITIMPORTANT TOHAVEABLOG?
(can ?t r u l e th is ou t) to
ju ggl e task s or th at th ey
h ave h ir ed sk il l ed wr iter s
(h igh l y u n l ik el y) to u pdate
th eir bl ogs. W h en ever you
r ead th eir bl og u pdates, it?s
im possibl e to l eave th eir
sites with ou t pick in g u p a
n u gget of wisdom or a k ey
tak eaway.
So, w er e t h er e an y t r i ck s
or t i p s au t h or s can get
f r om Set h an d M ar k ?
Gl ad you ask ed. Seth an d
M ar k didn ?t car e m u ch
abou t post l en gth . Th ey
h ave al m ost ign or ed SEO
or k eywor d r esear ch an d
con cen tr ated th eir effor ts
on cr eatin g en gagin g
con ten t. It?s appar en t th at
th ey str ive to com e u p with
fr esh per spectives or gr eat
ideas for ever y sin gl e bl og
post.
W h il e som e of th eir ideas
don ?t catch on , th e best
on es get r ead an d sh ar ed
by a l ot of peopl e. An d it
h appen ed becau se of th eir
in gr ain ed, r egu l ar h abit of
ceasel ess idea gen er ation .
W h eth er bl ogger s becom e
th ou gh t l eader s or th e
oth er way ar ou n d, th er e is
an obviou s con n ection .
Bl oggin g h as h el ped
establ ish Seth Godin as an
au th or ity in th e digital
m ar k etin g space. M ar k
M an son , m ean tim e, was
abl e to attr act a sizabl e
au dien ce an d bu il d a l oyal
fan base by m axim izin g th e
power of a sim pl e
pl atfor m . Both bl oggin g
au th or s pr om ote th eir
book s on th eir bl ogs for
fr ee.
Do you need m or e
r easons to star t blogging?
Th e I m p or t an ce of
Bl oggi n g f or
N on -Fi ct i on Au t h or s
W an t to con tr ol wh at
BYVINPETERSON
peopl e fin d ou t on l in e
abou t you ? Stop beggin g
?au th or ities?wh o ch ar ge
a ton to featu r e you r
book an d beat W ik ipedia
by r u n n in g you r own
on l in e pu bl ication
th r ou gh you r bl og.
Focu s on con n ectin g with
you r favor ite r eader s an d
pr ospects. Even with ou t
tar getin g specific
k eywor ds on you r bl og,
you wil l stil l r an k h igh er
th an th e bl an d W ik i
ar ticl e abou t you an d
you r book s as l on g if you
ar e cl ear abou t th e
au dien ce you ar e tr yin g
to r each .
W h at m or e, if you feel
l ik e you r book ?s
ack n owl edgem en t
section is n ot en ou gh to
th an k ever yon e wh o h as
been a par t of you r
book ?s su ccess, you can
m en tion th ese awesom e
peopl e in you r bl og.

Sh or editch , Lon don , Un ited Kin gdom (Ph oto by Toa H eftiba)
Sh owin g appr eciation
to you r r eader s an d
fan s pu bl icl y bu il ds
l oyal ty an d k eeps a
com m u n ity str on g.
An oth er gr eat r eason to
star t bl oggin g is
con n ectin g with
r eader s dir ectl y as wel l
as fel l ow bl ogger s an d
au th or s. Th e in ter n et
er a h as cr eated aven u es
an d oppor tu n ities for
book pr om otion th at
didn ?t exist decades
ago.
Now you can stan d ou t
an d attr act th e m ost
su ppor tive cr owd l ik e
n ever befor e.
Reviewer s ar e easier to
fin d; h igh l y-en gaged
beta r eader s ar e m or e
accessibl e; an d book
bl ogger s ar e
appr oach abl e an d
h el pfu l wh en you h ave
a bl og. Bl oggin g cou l d
be you r best book
m ar k etin g tool .
It m ak es u s won der ,wh at?s
stoppin g you fr om divin g
in ?
A u t h or ?s Bl og Post s
t h at Read er s L ov e
M an y au th or s star t a bl og
an d don ?t fol l ow th r ou gh .
Th is is a com m on m istak e
th at m an y begin n er s
m ak e. Bu t don ?t wor r y,it is
easil y fixed by good
pl an n in g. H er e ar e som e
qu ick tips:
L i st at l east 20 bl og p ost
i d eas t o w r i t e abou t
bef or e l au n ch i n g y ou r
bl og. Th is wil l k eep you
goin g du r in g th ose days
wh en you n eed an
in spir ation or a wr itin g
pr om pt befor e you can
begin bl oggin g. It al so
h el ps to h ave a r egu l ar
sch edu l e to tr ain you r
br ain to stick to th e task .
Fi n d a com m on i n t er est
bet w een y ou an d y ou r
r ead er s t h at ?s u sef u l ,
" SHOWINGAPPRECIATIONTO
YOURREADERS ANDFANS
PUBLICLYBUILDS LOYALTYAND
KEEPS ACOMMUNITYSTRONG.
ed u cat i on al , or
en t er t ai n i n g.
Decidin g on wh at topics to
wr ite abou t is l ar gel y
depen den t on you an d th e
peopl e you wan t to r each
ou t to. Ideal l y,th e su bject
m u st be in ter estin g, fu n n y,
or r el atabl e. W r ite down
th e th in gs th at excite you
an d you r r eader s, th en
sel ect th e best on es.
A l w ay s h av e a
cal l -t o-act i on i n each
p ost .
H avin g a sin gl e
pr om otion al m essage for
ever y post you pu bl ish can
dir ectl y or in dir ectl y boost
you r on l in e in fl u en ce an d
book sal es. Ask th em to
su bscr ibe to you r
n ewsl etter ,fol l ow you on
Twitter or Facebook , sh ar e
you r ar ticl es, or bu y you r
book , etc. W h en you wr ite
a ph en om en al (fr ee) bl og
post, m ost r eader s wou l d
be su ppor tive an d h appy to
h el p.
"
Be r eal i st i c abou t t h e
t i m e y ou ar e w i l l i n g t o
sp en d w r i t i n g each
bl og p ost .
If n o on e is editin g you r
dr aft oth er th an you , l et
it sit for a day or two
befor e r evisitin g it for
pr oofr eadin g an d
editin g. Give bl oggin g a
test r u n an d for you r
san ity,figu r e ou t wh at is
a su stain abl e
pu bl ish in g sch edu l e.
Keen to star t bl oggin g
n ow, bu t n ot su r e h ow
to begin ? Ok ir h as been
h el pin g its au th or s set
u p th eir bl ogs for som e
tim e n ow, so con tact u s
if you n eed h el p
star tin g ou t a bl og or
cr eatin g a h ol istic book
pr om otion str ategy
th r ou gh th is essen tial
m ar k etin g ch an n el .
Edit th at ?H el l o
W or l d!? post, an d h it
?Pu bl ish ? today.
 Black Americans have been an
integral part of the American Scene
for hundred of years. Those that you
will read about here are the phoenixes
that arose from the depths of slavery,
or a segregated society. Against all
odds, through perseverance,
drive and commitment they
accomplished greatness.
Their dedication and hard work
allowed them to rise
above adversity with pride and dignity
-Jean V. Hurst
Photo By Ellen Auer
 HOW
RUN N IN G
CANHELPYOU
WRITE
BETTER
Th e FEELINGof ligh t n ess w h en you h ave r each ed you r com f or t able st r ide,
""
w h en t h e m u scles n o lon ger h u r t f r om u t t er sh ock , an d w h en you f eel lik e you can
go on f or ever lik e you ?r e FORREST GUMPis in com par able.
BY M ARIA FE LAPITAN-REALISTA

What do Homer, Louisa May Alcott, Joyce Carol Oates, Haruki Murakami, and Malcolm Gladwell have in
common, apart from the fact that they are renowned writers?

Oh well, Murakami and Oates are such giveaways. So yes, you?re right. They are earnest runners. They and
many other writers have given credence to the distinct connection running has with writing.

Let?s move past the celebrated fact that running, like swimming or brisk walking, is good for the brain, not to
mention beneficial to our health and well-being. Instead, let?s look into the surprisingly unique ways running
can bring out the height of adeptness in every writer.

Runninggives youyour much- neededsol itude

When you run, all else are lowered to the status of being mere distractions ? deadlines, social media,
endless chores, emails, your book?s next chapter, sex or the lack of it, bills, what?s for dinner? all irrelevant at
your solitary moment.

The feeling of lightness when you have reached your comfortable stride, when the
muscles no longer hurt from utter shock, and when you feel like you can go on forever
like you?re Forrest Gump is incomparable.

Feeling guilty yet? You don?t have to. You owe it to yourself. Besides, your alone time has a purpose: your
limitless self-discovery that you can only achieve by listening to yourself. This is how you attune to your
sensitivity, which serves as a portal to your creativity.
Runningl ets youdiscover newthings, startingwithyour body
Writers and creatives are good at observing and absorbing. Your creative spirit drives you to seek fresh ideas and
new experiences. Where else to start than in your own body? If you haven?t run for thirty minutes straight before,
wouldn?t it be worth finding out if you can do it like they can? After all, the human body has innumerable
capacities and functionalities that are unknown even to scientists. For instance, do you know that your eyes can
distinguish millions of different colors and that your nose is capable of detecting a trillion different smells?

Runningtrains youtofocus andtapintothesubconscious

One thing leads to another. As your mind switches off unnecessary conscious thoughts when you run, it
deliberately trains itself to focus. When you run, you focus on your own breathing. This allows you to enter into a
meditative state or a deeper state of mind that occurs when you shower or before drifting off to sleep, when you
are supposed to have a pen and paper handy to capture Eureka moments. Before you know it, you have come
face to face with your best ideas.

Runningteaches youimportant val ues of asuccessful writer: mental toughness,

perseverance, andconfidence
Having made running a habit implies that you have maintained the rare discipline and the fortitude of mind
needed to keep going despite the grueling exercise. It means that despite your excuses, limitations and
frustrations, you persisted. And just like being creative, you accept that at times you fall short of your own and
other people?s expectations.

" Youwil l haveshittyruns

inthesamewaythat youwil l haveshittydrafts. "

Synopsis
The Cracked Mirror is narrated in large part by Paul
Cantor, a Los Angeles hustler, who, once he begins
to lose many of his friends, their murdered and
mutilated bodies mount up. Paul finds a way to
blackmail a corrupt police officer to hand him
information about the case so he could begin his
own manhunt. Little does he know that this journey
will force him to confront his past in a way he has
never imagined. Paul?s anonymous letters to a local
newspaper begin a series of mysterious phone calls
with equal parts threats and lures. The death of his
lover, and the threat of being the Falcon?s next
victim. After police apprehend the wrong suspect,
Paul sets out to find the Falcon himself; Paul follows
the trail to Block Cove Santa Barbara. A trail that
leads him on a bone-chilling journey with a
disturbing past. Eventually Paul comes face to face
both with the sadistic violence of the Falcon and a
past that he is linked to by blood and that changes
his whole perspective on the manner that he has
lived his life, at once empowering him and forcing
the birth of a new self.
Readers looking for a mastermind of action and
mystery won?t be let down by Joseph Freeman?s
crime thriller, The Cracked Mirror. With twists and
turns lurking along every chapter, readers are left
asking ?Who is the Falcon?? right down to the
Q: How do you develop you r plot s an d
ch ar act er s?
A: I already have an idea of the story outline in
mind: Act I, Act II, and Act III. I like to start with a
stream of thought on paper as the story comes to
me. I see the story visually then write down what I
see. I'll write three or so chapters, then stop and
come back to it later. I re-read and edit, then I write
three or so more sections, and repeat the process.
Character development to me is layers. First, the
bones (general outline), then the muscles (general
philosophy), then the skin (the little quirks).
Q: How did you begin w r it in g? Did you in t en d t o
becom e a w r it er , or do you h ave a specif ic r eason
or r eason s f or w r it in g t h e book ?
A: When I was younger, I wrote songs. In high
school, I wrote a play The Once Living Planet (Sci-fi).
The Cracked Mirror is my first novel, and I have
recently adapted it to a screenplay. My second
screenplay Sunrise (Western). Currently developing an
idea about a serial killer with Alzheimer 's who
victimizes a retired cop.
Q: Is t h er e an yt h in g you f in d par t icu lar ly
ch allen gin g in you r w r it in g?
A: Yes. Getting started.
Q: Wh en you develop a ch ar act er , do you
alr eady k n ow w h o t h ey ar e bef or e you begin
w r it in g, or do you let t h em gr ow as you go?
A: I have a general outline-- male, female,
protagonist, etc.. Then I let them develop on their
own, such as age, looks, personality. When I'm in the
zone, I can hear the characters, and I write what they
say as the plot thickens.
Q: Wh at w as t h e h ar dest par t of w r it in g t h is
book ?
A: Proofreading your work and getting the voice
right. When you already know what you want to say,
it's easy to miss errors and typos.
Q: Wh o is t h e m ost im por t an t ch ar act er ?
A: They all are because they all have a point of view:
Paul, and his journey of self-exploration, Randel and
his inability to emotionally connect, forever lost in his
violent childhood.
joeman@jrfreeman.net
 Scr een play
Qu est ion s
Q: Sin ce you r scr een play is der ived f r om
you r n ovel, Th e Cr acked M ir r or , w h er e did
t h e idea abou t you r n ovel?s st or y com e
f r om ?
A: I started The Cracked Mirror after reading
in the newspapers about a resh of freeway
murders. Where the bodies were found
mutilated by freeway offramps, I couldn't get
the images or story ideas out of my head. So I
started writing. Writing The Cracked Mirror
was a journey unto itself with a few revisions I
finally had something I liked. That was slightly
different from the book.
Q: Wh at m akes Pau l, you r m ain
ch ar act er , u n iqu e?
A: Paul is a person that looks out for,
number one, himself. But after seeing
firsthand, the death left in the Falcons wake.
He realizes that we are all connected to each
other in some way, and in that realization, he
starts to understand that he is his brother 's
keeper. He sets out on a journey to find the
Falcon.
Q: Wh ich is m or e en joyable t o w r it e? t h e
n ovel or t h e scr een play? Wh at ?s t h e m ost
en joyable or r ew ar din g par t ?
A: For me, its a screenplay visually telling a
story.
Q: Wh at k in d of sk ills an d exper ien ce do
you h ave t h at you t h in k h ave m ade you
r ipe f or scr een w r it in g?
A: I view a lot of films, of different genres,
film noir, silent movies, shorts, and
contemporary works. I feel that this gives me
a good foundation. That, coupled with a knack
for storytelling, I think helps me.
Q: As a t ip t o aspir in g scr een w r it er s, t ell
u s abou t you r w r it in g pr ocess. Do you
ou t lin e bef or e you st ar t w r it in g? Or do you
ju st let it all f low ?
A: I outline before I start writing, then just let
it flow.
Q: Tell u s abou t you r ot h er scr een play, ?Su n r ise.?
A: JOHN ROUNDPOINT and his brother DAN are two
of the fiercest fighters in the Civil War. They are the
men the Confederacy turns to for the most dangerous
missions.
But years of brutal warfare have made John
disillusioned with their cause, and weary of violence.
He deserts. Dan ? who has a harder heart ? swears to
kill his brother if ever their paths again cross.
John makes his way to Texas, looking for peaceful
work. He finds a job working on the farms of black and
Indian homesteaders who have been awarded land by
the government.
But that desert land suddenly becomes valuable to
the railroads looking to connect the coasts. They
employ a crew of corrupt Texas Rangers to ?persuade?
the homesteaders to sell a team that includes Dan
Roundpoint, newly hired as a scout.
John has had enough. Despite his aversion to
bloodshed, he realizes there is no other choice. John
again takes up the pistol, this time to protect the
innocent. Outnumbered and outgunned, John is in for
the fight of his life. A classic Western in the tradition of
TRUE GRIT and 3:10 TO YUMA.
Q: How do you deal w it h cr it icism abou t you r
w or k s?
A: I love criticism. It helps me and allows the work to
grow into all it can be.
Q: Nam e you r t op t h r ee f avor it e m ovies t h at you
t h in k h ave t h e m ost w ell-w r it t en scr ipt s.
A: The Maltese Falcon (1941), Defending Your Life
(1991), and Conspiracy (2001)
Q: Tell u s som et h in g in t er est in g abou t you r self
t h at isn?t r elat ed t o w r it in g.
A: I am an avid Epee fencer. I have been fencing for
over 15 years in local and national fencing events.
Touché!
@joseph r f r eem an 1
w w w.f r eem an cr ack edm ir r or .com
 Peggy War r en h as accom plish ed on e of
f ict ion's m ost delicat e h igh -w ir e act s:
w r it in g in t h e voice of a ch ild, f or adu lt s.
Th e in n ocen ce of ch ildh ood is def t ly evok ed
in a bold gir l's sear ch f or t h e h ar dest k in d of
gif t f or h er f at h er , peace an d qu iet an d a
ch an ged lif e t o boot . A galler y of f ascin at in g
ch ar act er s, each of f er s som e t r u t h in you n g
Zoey 's jou r n ey, an d by book 's en d w e
u n der st an d t h at , w it h ou t even r ealizin g it ,
ou r lives h ave ch an ged t oo.

Wh at does it t ak e t o h ear a f r esh w or d f r om

God? Per h aps it is m an y t h in gs. Som eon e
w it h t h e poet -ph ilosoph er h ear t of a
Th or eau , ch oosin g t o live a qu iet , even
r eclu sive lif e, in or der t o h ear t h at st ill sm all
voice.
Som eon e w it h a gr eat love of t h e Scr ipt u r es
an d a r elen t less h u n ger f or t r u t h . Per h aps
even som eon e w it h a deep love of n at u r e
an d a lon gin g af t er beau t y. Lear n in g lesson s
f r om h er Fat h er f r om a t r io of cat s, or even
a baby t u r t le.
For t h is is h ow Seek er s of His Hear t cam e t o
be w r it t en .
 Nanette Cri gh ton
tmasJoy by

Chris Santa doesn?t bring presents to children who

misbehave. And one young girl is displaying
behavior that is the worst! In fact, on Christmas
Eve her horrible actions trigger a visit from Glynt
P. Spryte, a behavioral elf, who tells her she?s
been marked off the Nice List! Time is running
out, and she must change her miserable manners
before Christmas morning, or she will not receive
any presents! Can she possibly become a nice girl
by Christmas?

Christmas presents under the tree are not to be

touched until Christmas morning. But a boy
named Patrick continues to hide beneath the
branches of the Christmas tree and tear open
packages to see what is inside? until the
Peeking Police pay him a rather harsh visit to
tell him he will only get a bundle of switches for
Christmas unless he can leave the presents
alone. Can Patrick stop peeking? Caution: This
story contains magic and fairy dust!

A young boy is terrified each year when he must

get his picture taken with Santa. See how he
manages to conquer his fear after a visit from a
tiny elf named Ella S. Pluck. She not only lists
things he can do to lessen his anxiety, but she
sends him a valuable gift when he concentrates
and thinks of her.

Look up the word ?pluck? in your dictionary and

understand why this name fits Ella perfectly.
 Tips For
t i on
mo
o
k Pr
o
Bo

BRILLIANT

BUSY
AUTHORS byaimanusman
Ti me i s money . That means, if you have to spend all your spare time promoting your
book, you lose money. So it makes sense to ask yourself, ?what?s the best way to reach more potential readers
with the least amount of time??
Book promotion can be time-consuming, but it is a necessary step to get your book in front of your target
readers. Whether you wish to touch or transform the lives of more people with your work, your most pressing
task is to get the word out.
You can?t afford to waste time on ineffective book promotional efforts so you have to choose well. Maybe you?ve
heard of the 80/20 Rule or the Pareto Principle after Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist who put forward the
idea that you can spend 20% of your time on something that will yield 80% of your desired results. It?s a popular
principle for a good reason: it works.
Isn?t it worth testing? If you?re ready, let?s dive in.
Below, you can follow five effective tips to promote your book even if you don?t have a lot of time.

1. Be f ul l y engaged i n th e promoti onal task you deci ded

to try.
It?s so easy to get distracted these days. But authors are better at shutting out distractions than any other
professionals. That?s how you managed to write a book according to schedule in the first place. Apply the same
mindset to book promotion. Block a few minutes a day in your schedule to explore one promotional
Photo By Brian Torreon
technique or channel at a time. For instance, if you decide to learn how you can promote yourself via
Goodreads, spend at least 30 minutes learning how the platform works.
You can claim your Goodreads profile in less than 10 minutes. You can complete your Facebook page profile in
30 minutes. And you can follow 50 people, update your status and chat with other users on Twitter in 20
minutes. Whatever book promotion tactic you decide to tackle, give it your full attention so unfinished tasks
don?t pile up. Once you have read and completely understood an FAQ section or a user guide, you won?t have
to go over it again later.

2. Contri bute to a communi ty of w ri ters or ni ch e th at

your book serv es.
Quora, Reddit, Goodreads forums, Wattpad forums, and Tumblr blogs have communities and target audiences
that you can attract by sharing your expertise or experience. The Young Adult fiction author Veronica Roth is
active on Tumblr because she knows that it?s the place where most of her target readers hang out online.

Select the community that best fits what you

have to offer. For example, Guy Kawasaki, the
author of non-fiction marketing books, regularly
answers questions on Quora, which helped
build his online presence and establish his
authority in his chosen field.
Whether you want to connect with fellow
authors by sharing mutual challenges or solve
problems or issues discussed in these online
forums through your book, your active
participation can bring you new connections,
leads, and traffic to your website that you?d
otherwise miss. Whatever you do in these
forums, find a way to position yourself as an
expert in your field.

3. A sk to be i nterv i ew ed
by popul ar bl oggers i n
your target ni ch e.
Even if you?re not a big shot, you can still try to
get an interview from a popular blogger,
podcaster, or social media influencer. As an
expert in your field, you can offer your ideas for
free for a chance to get
featured on well-known sites. Your goal is to gain
exposure and be recognized as an authority in a
field you want to be known for.
Cross promotion is a great strategy to find new
audience for your book. This is quick and
painless, yet it?s super effective, which is exactly
the reason why a lot of veteran authors seek out
opportunities to be interviewed. Serving the
need of a fellow writer ?s audience can increase
PAGE6
your chances of getting more site visits that can potentially generate more sales for your book.
It?s a common mistake to approach influencers only in time of need. The better way is to build a relationship with
famous bloggers, vloggers, or podcasters before you even need to ask them any favor. Win their favor early on
by posting a comment or two on their blog or most active social media channel, and share their content on your
social media channels, too.
In general, people reciprocate good deeds like these. If they don?t, you can simply give them a nudge and
volunteer to add valuable content by offering to be interviewed. Show them how it would benefit their audience
at no cost to them. It?s a win-win.

4. Create a h ype around your book ev en bef ore i t?s

publ i sh ed.
It takes a while for a plant to grow. Sow your seeds today, and you can expect a harvest after a couple of weeks
or months. Similarly, gathering leads, taking pre-orders, and building a buzz around your work months before
your book launch are a must.
Movies with million-dollar investments create a buzz months before they hit the theaters. While you don?t have
the same budget for marketing your book, you can plan ahead. For instance, the author of Mistborn series,
Brandon Sanderson, posts the target release dates of his books on his website to create anticipation and whet
the appetites of his readers.
What a great way to gather feedback directly from the readers you wish to reach with your book. Build a solid
online presence even before you have a book that?s ready to launch. When you plant seeds early, you will
harvest the sweet fruit of your labor just in time for your book?s official release date.

5. K eep a l i st of promoti onal strategi es you w ant to try

and ex peri ment on each one.
With so many avenues to market your work, you have to keep up with the changing times and learn as fast as
you can about websites, applications and avenues that will widen your reach and increase your book sales. Stay
in the know and keep track of emerging platforms that present opportunities for you to promote your books.
Consulting experts in the field of book promotion simplifies your work and set you on the right track. Whether
you choose to listen to a mentor or prefer to hire professionals to lay the groundwork for you, be sure to focus
on promotional techniques, tactics, and strategies that bring you closer to your goals.

Th e Truth A bout Promoti ng Your Book Ef f ecti v el y

We want to tell you that promoting your book is easy. But the reality is, reaching the right audience for your
book at the right time is hard. Fortunately, you don?t need a fancy degree to stand out. You h ave w r it t en a
r em ar k able book .
Now, give it the justice it deserves by doing the best you can to share it to as many potential readers as possible.
Ch oose pr om ot ion al t ech n iqu es w isely.
M an age you r t im e w ell. Bu ild a bu zz ar ou n d you r m ast er piece an d f or ge con n ect ion s w it h in f lu en t ial
people bef or e you n eed t h em .
Need h elp cr eat in g you r social m edia pr of iles, au t h or w ebsit e, or book t r ailer ? Get exper t h elp f r om on e
of ou r book agen t s t oday!

PAGE6
Tell u s abou t you r lat est book . Oliver Owl?s
Character Tales: The Otter Learns About
Responsibility ? A river otter named Otis is asked by
his parents to look after his sister Olivia and does not
do this well and learns about obedience.
How did you get st ar t ed w r it in g f or k ids? I
reviewed the books my children were reading and
then I asked ?what life lessons are they learning? and
then determined they needed something more.
Wh er e do you get you r st or y ideas? I own three
books entitled ?Character Sketches? that highlight
animals and contain all the information regarding its
habitat, along with the character trait it exhibits, and
then compares it to a Biblical character. I then took an
animal and the character trait and built a story
around that.
How w ou ld you def in e cr eat ivit y? Taking an idea or
a story and developing it so that adults or children
identify with the characters in the story and learn a
lesson.

For more interviews, articles, & video, please

visit: www.mikegreyson.ca.

Au t h or In t er view w it h Clif f Joseph :
"Art shoul dbemorethan
entertainment. It shoul d
hel pus understand
ourselves andour worl d. "
Wh at does M ar k DeLou ise, you r pr ot agon ist in Th e
Revelat ion of Nu m ber 10, st an d f or (h is sym bolism ),
an d w h at does h e st an d u p f or in you r n ovel?
Mark stands for persons of conscience who are
motivated to communicate what they believe is essential
for peace and justice. He soon, however, learns that
there is a force beyond his understanding that demands
new levels of struggle. He thus represents such persons
as Edward Snowden, Steve Biko, Mumia Abu Jamal, and
especially the many other individuals and groups whose
names we may not know, who have confronted corrupt
power for the sake of truth. He exemplifies the words of
You r bio says you ar e a com m u n it y act ivist
st r ivin g f or cu lt u r al ch an ge. How do you br ief ly
t ell you r r eader s, especially m illen n ials, as t o w h y
t h er e is a n eed f or cu lt u r al ch an ge?
Humanity has developed the technology that has
made it possible to provide for all. We have also
developed the technology that can destroy us all.
Our economic system is in crisis. The Obama
Administration bailed out the banks in 2008, but now
we have created another bubble. The military
industrial complex (which provides nothing for the
common good) thrives, while many of us suffer.
Student debt consumes the earnings of our best and
brightest. Those who rule the world work to maintain
their power by any means necessary. The wealthy
buy off our politicians, who, in turn, buy off the
leaders of dependent nations. If this corruption fails,
military action is threatened and sometimes carried
out.
Instead of seeing that the system is rigged against
them, many allow themselves to be distracted by
empty media entertainment, sports and
consumerism.
Wh en did you st ar t becom in g an act ivist ?
When my wife and I went to the March on Washington
and heard Martin Luther King, as well as other
important speakers, we experienced the energy of the
crowd. That?s when we knew that we had to become
part of the struggle for change.
Wh at ar e you f igh t in g f or ?
I am fighting to build a world based on cooperation
and love, a world in which we can learn from each
other instead of exploiting and destroying, a world
that respects creation.
Wer e t h e issu es t h at you w er e f igh t in g f or back in
t h e 60s an d 70s st ill r elevan t t oday?
Yes. Racism, inequality, imperialism and war.
Wh at ar e t h e m ajor dif f er en ces of t h e issu es back
t h en an d n ow ? (You m ay cit e on e par t icu lar social
issu e t o dif f er en t iat e.)
I have become more focused on climate change, but
at the root of this all is our economic system.
For t h e com plet e au t h or in t er view , please go t o:

Eph u s, w h ile h e st an ds w or k in g h is m in ist r y in t h e st r eet s
of Jer u salem , t ells t h e st or y of t h e r esu r r ect ion . As h e t ells
t h e st or ies, Eph u s w eaves a t apest r y of h is exper ien ces in
an d ar ou n d f ir st -cen t u r y Isr ael an d h is k n ow ledge of Jesu s
bef or e f in ally r evealin g w h at h e k n ow s abou t t h e f ir st
East er .
r ober t 6ber r y@yah oo.com
Syn opsis
Miranda has the greatest problem on her
shoulders. Her poor mother is very sick, and the
doctor tells Miranda?s father that only a miracle
could save her. As Miranda searches through
the forest for the Magic Wishing Well, which she
hopes will grant her the miracle she needs, she
encounters many furry friends who help her on
her way. From Ollie the wise owl to Allie the tiny
bunny and even Tommy the Tortoise, Miranda is
very fortunate to find such warm, affectionate
creatures who led her to the special place,
which until now only existed in her imagination.
The fantastic presence of Solana the Sun Fairy
guides Miranda through the conclusion of her
quest. Will Miranda find the miracle she seeks?
Will her mother be re-energized by the spiritual
world of Miranda?s adventurous quest? Only the
mysteries of the forest hold answers to these
burning questions.
m m an iser o@aol.com
Syn opsis
The book introduces the character, Ephus bar
Isaiah, Cushitic Jew, well-known vine tender,
and, wine, grape, and, raisin merchant: the
great storyteller of the near-eastern caravan
ways. As Ephus is on one of his mercantile
excursions, he runs into the multitude that is
following Jesus, the Nazarene, as he preaches
and teaches in Galilee and Jerusalem. Ephus
becomes a follower of Jesus, and then, in a
series of sometimes humorous but always
instructive incidents and adventures, attempts
to imitate what he sees Jesus doing? he starts
a ministry, feeding the hungry of Jerusalem
with bread from his own hearth oven.
It is during these ministry efforts that Ephus
learns that ?it is,? as he says ?very difficult to
walk with Jesus...? But Ephus learns and grows,
until Jesus returns to Jerusalem, is arrested,
and crucified. Then, Ephus, with the help of a
bushel-sized harvest basket, must overcome
his fear of persecution, when he joins with
Jesus? grieving followers before the
Resurrection.
 Syn opsis
Nature holds with an iron grip
inside of her fragile hands an
immutable balance. When a
threat appears anywhere, she
presents a cure somewhere, not
to take sides, but solely to
preserve the scales. So, when
Peter Harman, soldier,
mercenary, hunter, and killer
offends her, she puts into the
darkest of places on Earth, the
Sundarbans, her remedy and
draws him to it. There is a tiger,
part real and part magic, the
unseen part to restore the
whole. Monster of the
Sundarbans, part adventure and
part mystical, is a story of a man
both volatile and destructive,
pestilent and pernicious, too
bitter in the extreme to abide in
her heart and of nature healing
herself.

Q: We didn?t f in d an au t h or biogr aph y in you r book . Can you please t ell u s

abou t you r self in 3-5 sen t en ces? I have a masters in Math and a background in
the Martial Arts. I live in the contiguous 48 states of the United States.

Q:Wh at m ade you w r it e abou t t h e Su n dar ban s? I have always liked tigers, and
once there was a news story about a tiger jumping on the back of an elephant to
get at the hunter. The story just wrote itself from there.

Q: Wh at ?s you r in spir at ion w h en you cr eat ed you r cen t r al ch ar act er , Pet er

Har m an ? Peter Harman is really all of us who abuse nature, whether driving its
species into Extinction, or carelessly causing them to suffer for cosmetics and fur
coats. He is the worst of us.

Q: Wh at ?s in st or e f or you r r eader s w h en t h ey r ead you r book ? I think the story

touches on several unstated, but undeniable truths.

Q: Wou ld it be t oo m u ch of a giveaw ay if you r eveal w h o t h e r eal M on st er of

t h e Su n dar ban s is? The Monster of the Sundarbans in not a tiger. t on ycar an gi@gm ail.com
Q: If you w er e t o w r it e an ot h er book , w h at w ou ld it be abou t ? My first novel is
the story of two people who meet and are reincarnated lifetime after lifetime on
their way to enlightenment.
Cr eat in g Now : Your Guide to
Creative Thinking, Insightful Living and Comprehensive DR.ADRIANHARRISON
Success

Th e m ain t h em e of Cr eat in g Now is understanding the

conscious and subconscious components of the mind,
showing readers how to use them more effectively and
efficiently.
Readers are shown a comprehensive way to create a life of
purpose, joy and genuine satisfaction.
Creating Now is perfect for readers who are motivated, or
want motivation to produce amazing success in every aspect
of life.

- Th e su bcon sciou s m in d is a goldmine of valu able in f or m at ion . Dr. Adrian Harrison

How t o access an d u se t h at is on e of t h e secr et s r evealed in graduated in Medicine at the
t h is ext r aor din ar y book .
University of Adelaide, and
he has been a Chest
- Kn ow in g m or e isn?t en ou gh . Th at ?s w h y t h is book ?s f ocu s is on
Physician in Auckland for
practical m at t er s. Th u s, each ch apt er con t ain s n ot ju st a
more than three decades.
su m m ar y, bu t also a sect ion w it h su ggest ed act ion s an d
For 25 years Adrian?s passion
pr act ic has been personal
- You ?ll also f in d h er e a r eally ef f ect ive syst em f or m an agin g development, focusing
ever y aspect of you r lif e. Bu sy people need t h is k in d of syst em , particularly on how people
an d yet m ost don?t h ave on e. Th ey r ely on au t o-pilot t o get think, feel and create.
t h em t h r ou gh ? an d t h at car r ies a h igh r isk .
- Pr oblem s can be a sou r ce of f r u st r at ion an d st r on g em ot ion al
He is especially interested in
r eact ion s.
practical things people can
- Th is book t each es a f ou r -st ep appr oach t o r esolvin g an d
do to move ahead in their
lear n in g f r om t h em .
lives. He has created new
- Pr even t in g pr oblem s t h at st op u s m ovin g f or w ar d is an ot h er techniques and refined
im por t an t sk ill t h is book t each es. others, tested them, and
- Som e h abit s w or k , ot h er s don?t . In Creating Now you ?ll lear n incorporated them into
h ow t o u n cover an d r eplace t h e belief s beh in d h abit s t h at effective systems he now
pr even t people f r om m ovin g f or w ar d. teaches to clients. He is an
- Ach ievin g a h igh er level of ser vice, sat isf act ion an d su ccess is experienced Life Coach, and
com plet ely do-able. a Certified High Performance
Coach. He is the founder of
- Fr eein g u p ou r h ear t s an d m in ds open s t h e door t o t h is. Lear n
Spindoctor Life Coaching.
h ow in Creating Now.
Learn more at
15 Qu est i on s f or Dr . Adr i an
Har r i son
An Interview with the author of Creating Now: Your Guide
to Creative Thinking, Insightful Living and Comprehensive
Success.
Wh at t y pe of m edi a do y ou con su m e ev er y
m or n i n g? (Wh er e do y ou get y ou r n ew s?) National
radio. I don?t read newspapers or online news sources.
?The news?is 99% rubbish; I?m only interested in news
about positive contributions to humanity.
Do y ou h av e an y bad i n t el l ect u al h abi t s? N am e at
l east on e. I don?t visualize frequently enough, seeing
my business operating with fantastic success.
Wh at per son al qu al i t i es ar e y ou secr et l y pr ou d of ?
My ability to work consistently on big projects and see
them through to completion.
How do y ou con t r ol y ou r t h ou gh t s an d f eel i n gs? Is
i t r eal l y possi bl e f or an y on e t o m ast er
sel f -con t r ol ?
Absolutely Yes! The important things here are:
- Knowing the sort of person you?re determined
to be.
- Having a system to keeping track of life ?out
there.
- Having a system to keep track of emotional
reactions, fears, beliefs, strengths and
weaknesses, for instance.
- Identifying and accepting the factors behind
existing fears and negative beliefs, and then
replacing the negatives with positives. For
instance, why you feel insecure or not confident
with certain people or with money.
I u n der st an d t h at y ou ar e t h e au t h or of Creat ing
Now: Your Guide t o Creat ive Thinking, Insight ful
Living and Comprehensive Success. How di d t h i s
book com e abou t ?
I?ve been studying self-improvement and doing courses
for at least 30 years. About 10 years ago, I decided to
become a life coach. I love writing, and creating this
book was a way to make everything I?ve learned
accessible to me and to others.
You r book h as sh ow n t h at i t 's possi bl e t o sol v e
pr obl em s w i t h ou t st r ess. Tel l u s a l i t t l e bi t abou t
h ow t h at w or k s ex act l y.
These are my top 4 tips for dealing with problems:
- Dealing with problems during heated stress
doesn?t work because strong emotions ?freeze?
the conscious, analytical part of the mind.
- When the emotions have settled, find the
different parts of the problem (e.g. who?s
involved in causing, and who is affected by the
problem; how are they affected; what are the
upsides and downsides to the problem).
- Decide what you want, or what would make you
feel satisfied, for the problem (and its main
components) to be resolved. When you do this,
you are able to focus on finding solutions to
what you want. If you just focus on ?the
problem?? i.e. ?what?s wrong?? solutions are
much harder to find.
- Lastly, be open-minded about your problems.
- Look for everybody?s contribution to the causes
of the problem (including yours), not just how
the apparent perpetrator caused it.
- Many problems have been created with good
intentions. What were those intentions, and
how did they go astray?
Wh at ?s y ou r def i n i t i on of an i deal l i f e?
My own definition is a life that brings opportunities,
achievements, and satisfaction.
You?ll notice I left out ?happiness.?That?s because
happiness is something we have to add: if you rely on
circumstances to make you happy, you?re always living
in reaction to life. We should be leading, not reacting, to
life.
How do y ou m easu r e ch an ge or su ccess?
I measure success and change by keeping track of
achievements and the things for which I?m grateful. I
record these each week. It doesn?t take long ? maybe
15-20 minutes, if that. But it allows me to stay in touch
with the progress and the contributions I?m making, and
contributions others have made to me. This adds to my
appreciation of people and of the small and large
changes I?m achieving.
How h as becom i n g an au t h or an d m ot i v at or
h el ped y ou su cceed i n y ou r ow n l i f e?
- I understand people so much more, and I
 appreciate their complexities, too. This has can improve the world.
helped me become less judgmental. - Minimal electronic teaching until mid-secondary
- I recognize the ?hidden forces?at work in our school level: develop people-skills and written
lives ? the cyclical nature of life, and the ways skills first.
we attract change, for instance.
Wh at 's t h e best adv i ce y ou can gi v e t o som eon e
- I am also aware of the ?hidden goldmine?we all w h o w an t s t o t u r n h i s/ h er l i f e ar ou n d?
have: it?s called the subconscious mind. Training
- Decide the elements of what you want. Then,
people to access that has brought me great joy
keep asking yourself ?What do I want next??.
and satisfaction.
- Keep looking for the next actions to take.
Wh at w ou l d i t t ak e t o ach i ev e l ast i n g peace an d - Stay single-minded and happy: there are no
h appi n ess? A strong vision, the courage to pursue it failures, only learning opportunities.
single-mindedly, and the ability to create a powerful
- Document everything you want and are doing:
movement to achieve it.
documents provide the structure that put your
Wh o h as i n f l u en ced y ou t h e m ost i n y ou r l i f e? conscious mind in charge. If you don?t do this,
Ghandi. Paul Foster Case. Esther & Jerry Hicks. Brendon
you?re on auto-pilot.
Burchard. Bentinho Massaro.
- Fast-track yourself to success by having a coach.
That?s the historical order; I can?t rate the degree to
which each has influenced me so easily.
Wh at per son al dev el opm en t / t r an sf or m at i on book
h av e y ou r ecom m en ded t h e m ost ?
High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard.
Wh o do y ou t h i n k sh ou l d r ead y ou r book ? Can y ou
gi v e u s a t y pi cal psy ch ol ogi cal pr of i l e of t h e
r eader w h o w ou l d be i n t er est ed i n y ou r r esear ch ?
Creating Now is perfect for readers who want more from
life. The ideal reader is motivated, or they want help
with motivation. Basically, they?re keenly after amazing
success in a particular part of life, or in every aspect of
life.
This book is ideal for people who are prepared to take
some of the actions suggested in the book. Every
chapter has a summary and a section entitled Practice,
in which there are questions and exercises to train
people how to think. ?A coach telling you the moves isn?t
enough: it?s only when you practice the moves that your
game improves.? (This is an A C Harrison original quote.)
How do y ou t h i n k ou r edu cat i on sy st em cou l d
pr odu ce peopl e w h o ar e cr eat i v e, i n si gh t f u l ,
per si st en t , an d h appy ?
- Have a strong focus on creative activities,
learning life skills, and less on the traditional
subjects.
- Teach ?Big History?(see David Christian):
educators need to show the next generation the
world view ? how their lives affect the world and
Q: How lon g did it t ak e you t o w r it e Exile from Q: Wh ich par t of t h e st or y w as t h e m ost ch allen gin g
Jamestown? t o w r it e?

A: It took roughly six months to write this novel, A: No part that I especially recall, though this might be a
considering my sporadic writing habits. good place to mention a very special ?contribution? made
by my wife Iris (now deceased, after sixty-five years of a
most wonderful, happy marriage!). I had finished writing
Q: How did you com e u p w it h t h e idea f or t h e plot ? Exile from Jamestown, trying to heed typist Iris?s most
useful suggestions wherever possible --- including getting
A: As a teacher of American History classes for more
Geoffrey and Priscilla back to see again the little cabin in
than thirty years, I was of course quite familiar with the
Jamestown built by Geoffrey and Billy --- and had already
historic time period. But when I decided to write this
submitted the manuscript to the printer (iUniverse) for
novel, I actually planned to concentrate primarily on the
publication when Iris awoke in the middle of one night to
?Starving Time? in Virginia, a time when the entire
tell me, ?Arnie, you?ve just got to resolve the problem of
colony came very close to complete failure. However, I
Billy?s ?Mum,? and Geoffrey?s promise to Billy.? She then
soon realized that a book dealing largely with the eating
mentioned some possible scenarios to accomplish this. I
of rats, snakes, tree-bark, even exhumed human bodies
immediately saw the wisdom of her suggestion, and the
purely for the sake of survival wasn?t what I wanted to
next morning wrote the final chapter of Exile. I then called
write after all, and so the story gradually ?morphed? into
iUniverse Publishing, to see if it was too late to include
its present format.
the new ending. They graciously consented to include it,
Q: Wh at ar e t h e r ecu r r in g t h em es in t h is n ovel? and so the book was finally completed as it currently
appears.
A: ?Recurring themes? might well be: (1) the futility of an
emphasis on ?social superiority? based purely on Q: Wh ich of t h e ch ar act er s in t h e n ovel can you m ost
ingrained ?social status?; (2) that in America, ?success? r elat e t o?
tends to be based far more on one?s ability than on
A: Personally, I would probably most prefer to be like
background, class, or inherited wealth; and (3) that the
Geoffrey Payne, because of his fierce sense of
general disdain exhibited for both natives and native
independence and social justice.
cultures, rather than learning from them ?what works,?
proved to be extremely detrimental in the long run. Q: Wh at w ou ld you con sider as you r sign at u r e w r it in g
st yle?
Q: Ar e t h ese t h em es pr esen t in you r ot h er t it les?
A: I?ve never really tried to develop a particular ?style? of
A: Hopefully, I?ve been able to encourage, no matter
writing; rather, I?d consider myself to be more of a
how slightly, the general need for tolerance of ideas
?story-teller.?
different from our own, for acceptance of ?different?
ways of doing things. Q: Is addin g a t ou ch of r om an ce com m on in all of you r
n ovels?
Q: Wh at m akes t h is book special f r om you r ot h er
book s? A: As I look back, I realize that all of my novels do contain
at least an element of ?romance,? perhaps because my
A: Nothing really, but it did require a little less basic
own marriage was such a very pleasant experience.
research.

Q: If Exile for Jamestown w er e t o be t u r n ed in t o a

Q: Wh ich par t s of Exile from Jamestown ar e
m ovie, w h ich Hollyw ood act or s w ou ld be you r best
h ist or ical, an d w h ich par t s ar e f ict ion ?
pick s as Geof f r y Payn e an d Pr iscilla?
A: As much as possible, the entire concept of the book
A: I would leave this to your ?better judgment.?
is based on actual historic events and people (Captain
John Smith, Gabriel Archer, Powhaton, Mataoka or Q: Wh ich au t h or s or book s h ave h ad a st r on g
Pocahantes, for example). Other characters are in f lu en ce on you r st yle of w r it in g?
completely fictional: Geoffrey Payne, Billy Bascomb, his A: The most ?influential? authors have probably been
?Mum,? Priscilla, Chief Lagoda, etc., as are the writers like James Michener or John Grisham.
?connections? with the ?Lost Colony of Roanoke ( though
finding ?survivors? of that rather mysterious Colony
remained a ?goal? for many years).
Q: Descr ibe t h e m u n dan e det ails of you r w r it in g
pr ocess. Do you devot e cer t ain h ou r s each day t o
w r it in g?
A: As I?ve indicated earlier, my writing style is probably more
erratic than traditional. For me, writing has always been ?for
fun,? never as a ?job? that must be worked at. I just enjoy
the process of writing, especially the editing and fine-tuning
once the main work is completed, which I understand many
writers totally dislike. Nor have I ever sat down just to write
for prolonged periods of time. Anytime I had fifteen
minutes to spare, I might complete at least a few
paragraphs. Fortunately, I?ve always been able to continue a
thought or a conversation without needing a long period to
?get into the proper mood?; days may go by between
writing jags, but luckily the ?flow? of the story continues.
Q: Descr ibe you r ideal w or k in g en vir on m en t w h en you
w r it e.
A: Ideally, I suppose I prefer a quiet, unhurried atmosphere,
with classical music playing softly in the background, and
with absolutely no ?deadlines? or time restraints.

Q: Do you w r it e you r dr af t s on paper or on you r

com pu t er ?
A:Since my only typing ?skills? consist of the old ?hunt and
peck? or ?Scripture? method (?Seek until you find?), I realize
how extremely fortunate I was to have a skilled typist like
Iris as my partner. I wrote all of my manuscripts in
long-hand, with the writing becoming increasingly sloppy
and illegible as time went on. Then later, if I wanted to add
an idea or factor to the narrative, I would jot this on a
separate scrap of paper and mark with an arrow where it
should be ?inserted.? As chaotic as all of this sounds , I don?t
remember a single instance where Iris was unable to
decipher my thoughts and put everything in the proper
order (though I?m not always sure how she was able to keep
her sanity --- as well as her fabulous smile!). And in the
process, Iris?s ?editorial skills? proved to be invaluable. As
she typed , she would make ?suggestions? in red ink (?too
wordy,? or ?unclear here,?etc.). She was also just as free with
her praise when she came across a phrase or paragraph
she especially liked. Once everything was on the computer,
I could then slowly edit the narrative further, making
changes as necessary.
Q: Do you like en gagin g w it h you r r eader s in book
sign in gs, con ven t ion s, an d ot h er book even t s? Wh y, or
w h y n ot ?
A: I have done quite a few book-signings through the years,
including being invited to do one for Exile from Jamestown at
the Williamsburg Visitor ?s Center Library during
Virginia?s Quadricentennial Celebration of the
founding of Jamestown in 2007. While I find the
interactions enjoyable enough personally, none has
ever proved to be very ?productive.? And as I advance
in age, I have less and less desire to engage in such
enterprises in the future.
Q: Wh ich of you r st or ies is you r best bet t o be
adapt ed t o f ilm ? Wh y?
A: Personally, I would bet on Betrayal at Popham,
because I feel that it is a more unique, though
unknown, story.
Q: Do you h ave plan s of w r it in g ot h er book s t h at
ar e n ot h ist or ical f ict ion ?
A: At present, I have no such plans nor actual ideas
(especially since I lost my my ?special assistant?).
Q: Wh en did you f ir st r ealize t h at you w an t ed t o
be a n ovelist ?
A: I have never really considered myself to be a
?novelist? of any kind. I?m just a retired teacher who
likes to write!
 Recompense:
Ret ur n t o Ober ammer gau
Q: It w as w ay back 2000 w h en you r debu t n ovel,
Recompense, w as r eleased. Do you st ill r em em ber
h ow it f elt w h en you of f icially becam e an au t h or ?
A: I remember very well the ?thrill? of holding that first
copy of Recompense in my hands, of showing it to family
members and friends, of holding my first book-signing,
etc. It really was a rather ?magical moment.?
Q: Aside f r om it bein g h ist or ical f ict ion , w ou ld you
also con sider Recompense an adven t u r e n ovel?
A: As I view it now, the first part of Recompense is
actually more of a ?travelogue? of Western Europe
(which may be why Globus Travel Company placed it on
their ?recommended reading list,? especially for travelers
to the Alpine areas of Europe). Most readers seem to
especially enjoy the second part , the more ?mystical?
elements involved in Brandon?s ?return? to
Oberammergau as a young boy.
Q: If Recompense w er e t o be t u r n ed in t o a m ovie, the college level, I had to admit that until then I had never
w h ich Hollyw ood act or w ou ld be you r best pick as
Br an don St . Clair ?
A: Once again, I?m not familiar enough with current
actors to choose.
Q: Wh at w er e t h e valu able lesson s t h at you lear n ed
f r om w r it in g Recompense, it bein g you r f ir st n ovel?
A: One thing I learned is that a story won?t just ?go away?
when it wants to be told. After my wife and I had viewed
a special performance of the Oberammergau Passion
Play, the Recompense tale began to form in my mind,
where it just ?rattled around? for twelve years before I
retired and was finally able to write it down.
Q: Do you h ave an y advice you w ou ld give t o you r
you n ger self t h at w ou ld h ave m ade a dif f er en ce tale,? as well as for providing a possible means of
w h en you w r ot e you r debu t n ovel?
A; About the only advice I could give, either to myself or
to others, is (1) don?t give up your ?day job,? expecting
immediate wealth from your new ?masterpiece?; and (2)
what was ?hammered? into us by my major Education
professor way back in college: ?Always know your
material. The kids will quickly spot a phony.? (This is
probably just as true in writing, which is why beginners
are so often urged to write about what is ?familiar ? to
them, such as their own ?life story?).
Bet r ayal at Popham
Q: You or igin ally pu blish ed Betrayal at Popham in
2009. Ar e t h er e sign if ican t ch an ges in t h e 2018
edit ion ?
A: Actually, the new edition of Betrayal at Popham is
identical to the original edition in its content; however, it
does have a new more colorful cover, a lower price, and
more availability.
Q: Wh at m ade you ch oose t h e Poph am Colon y as a
cen t r al elem en t in you r n ovel?
A: As I explained in the Introduction for Betrayal at
Popham, the idea of writing a novel about the Popham
Colony was first suggested by our son-in-law, Dr. Theo
Omtzigt. He and our daughter, Terrie, had recently
moved to Maine and had visited the Popham site soon
after I had completed Exile from Jamestown, which
chronicles settlement of the Jamestown Settlement
Theo?s proposal was this: ?Now that you?ve written about
Jamestown, why don?t you write a novel about the
Popham colony?? Though I had taught classes in
American History for more than thirty years, primarily at
even heard mention of the ?Lost Colony of Maine.? I was
intrigued, and Betrayal at Popham is the result.
Q: In Betrayal at Popham, is t h e m ain ch ar act er , Du ke
Est eban M en dez, based on a h ist or ical f igu r e in t h e
sh or t -lived Poph am Colon y?
A: No, I?m afraid that Duke Esteban Menendez is purely a
product of my imagination. There have long been rumors
about Spanish spies sent to ?sabotage? all British efforts
to establish settlements in what Spain considered to be
?her ? territory (granted by the Pope in 1497). And the
famous ?Hunt Map? (actually a drawing of Fort St.George,
built by British settlers at Popham) was later found,
inexplicably, in Spanish archives in Madrid in 1888. So I
?created?? Duke Menendez as my?vehicle? for ?telling my
acquiring that Hunt Map.
Q: If Betrayal at Popham w er e t o be t u r n ed in t o a
m ovie, w h ich Hollyw ood act or w ou ld be you r best
pick as Du ke Est eban M en dez?How abou t f or Reggie
Pat t er son an d An geliqu e?
A: Again, I defer to your better judgment ( though I think
that Tom Hanks might make an excellent Duke
Menendez).
How t o Apply t he Basics of Branding t o Your Aut hor ship
by Aim an Usm an
Photo By Brad Neathery

L it er ar ies w h o h aven?t accept ed t h e f act t h at au t h or s t h ese days also n eed t o

be en t r epr en eu r s an d m ar k et er s m ay f in d t h e con cept of br an din g 'ot h er w or ldly.?
Wh et h er you ?r e a t r adit ion ally- or self -pu blish ed au t h or , m ar k et in g is n o lon ger a qu est ion
of w h y, bu t h ow. Th is is w h er e br an din g com es in t h e pict u r e.
Ch an ces ar e, you alr eady h ave an au t h or w ebsit e or social m edia pages design ed t o cr eat e
aw ar en ess abou t you r book . On lin e pr esen ce is par t of br an din g, t h ou gh you m ay n ot
k n ow it . An d sin ce you ?r e alr eady on it , w h y n ot do it r igh t ?
But first: Is Branding applicable to authors? arguably t he em ot ional appeal of t he said brand.
It ?s t he sam e w ay w it h aut hor branding. It ?s a
Yes, w e st ill need t o t ackle t his quest ion. To t hose represent at ion of w hat you do and how your
w ho cringe at t he t hought of ?becom ing a books and t he ideas you?re w rit ing about relat e t o
brand,? let us revisit t he t rue m eaning of your readers.
branding. Here are som e branding basics you need t o know ,
You don?t need t o look far t o find ex am ples. St art underst and, and apply t o get bet t er at aut hor
w it h your preferred brands of product s or branding.
services. Think about for a second... w hy do you 1. Det erm ine your aut hor ident it y.
st ick t o your favorit e brand of coffee, t oot hpast e
There?s a reason w hy St ephen King, J.K.
or gadget ?
Row ling, Nicholas Sparks, and Paulo Coelho have
Ot her t han t he product ?s qualit y and becom e such cliches w hen it com es t o aut hor
cost -effect iveness, t he m ost com pelling reason is
Photo By Lubo Minar
branding. They have consist ent , dist inct ive, and
int riguing aut hor brands.
Here are a few quest ions w ort h pondering so you
can have a firm er grasp of your ow n aut hor
ident it y:
-How do you w ant t o be ident ified as an aut hor?
-Do you w ish t o be know n as an aut hor of t he
m acabre or of t he sw eep-m e-off-m y-feet kind of
st ories?
-Do you have a com m on prot agonist in your
books? Or a com m on set t ing?
-Why do you w rit e t he kind of st ories you w rit e?
-What do you w ant t o achieve in your w rit ings?
-Who is your t arget audience?
2. Find your voice.
Your voice is t he t one you use t o com m unicat e
w it h your t arget readers.
If you are a children?s book aut hor, for inst ance,
your t one should be one t hat parent s and
t eachers t rust so t hat t hey?d be int erest ed in
brow sing sam ple pages of your book.
If you w rit e for young adult s, your t one should be
one t hat t eenagers can ident ify w it h, even
t hough you are are not a t eenager yourself. If you
happen t o be a t alent ed young aut hor w rit ing for
t he YA audience, t hen it w ill be a breeze t o find a
voice t hat represent s your aut hor brand.
3. Decide on a t hem e.
Your t hem e set s t he m ood t hroughout t he places
w here you w ish t o m ake your presence felt ? your
w ebsit e, social m edia account s, and print ed
m at erials. It covers t he t iniest det ails from logo,
font s, icons, pat t erns, color palet t es, t aglines or
cat ch phrases, and graphics in your cover design,
w ebsit e, and social m edia profiles.
m ay choose t o do it on your ow n, or you can also
check out Okir?s host of services such as w eb
design, m arket ing, and social m edia account
m anagem ent .
Rem em ber t hat your w ebsit e and social m edia
pages are not supposed t o be direct ly geared
t ow ard book selling. You use t hese channels t o
creat e aw areness about your brand ( your
aut horship) and at t ract readers w ho w ould like
and t rust you enough t o buy your books and
share t hem w it h ot hers.
There is an 80/ 20 rule on w hat t o post or share:
Eight y percent should be about ot her aut hors,
books, or causes in line w it h your brand; only
t w ent y percent should be about your prom ot ion
and book selling. If you do t his right , your
readers w ill begin t o see you as a t rust w ort hy
source and creat or of cont ent t hat m at t ers t o
t hem .
5. Be consist ent .
Consist ency is sim ply t he key t o m ake your brand
st ick. Wit hout it , all t he effort you?ve put int o
building a good aut hor brand w ill be like ashes in
t he w ind.
When in doubt , you sim ply have t o go back t o t he
basics of branding? it ?s m ore about your readers
t han about you. Before your readers can decide if
t hey can t rust you w it h t heir t im e and m oney,
you need t o be clear about w ho you are and w hat
you w rit e about .
That , m y friend, is w hat aut hor branding is all
about . Cont act Okir Publishing and t alk t o a
m arket ing specialist t o help you develop branding
st rat egies for your book m arket ing success.

4. Est ablish online and m edia presence.

Once you have answ ered t he quest ions regarding

aut hor ident it y, figured out w hat voice t o use,
and decided on a t hem e, it w ill be easier t o set up
your w ebsit e and your social m edia profiles. You
Photo By Brian Torreon
 Synopsis
The ETi Grail provides scientifically
verified details and translation of
communications dispatched via three
unprecedented events, two of which
occurred within our atmosphere, the
third occurring further out. Revealed
here for the first time is rock-solid
evidence of non-human activity and
an "intelligence" never before
dreamed of.

Synopsis
19th Century Calcutta, the decadent,
bleached capital built to house the
bureaucracy of one of the most
powerful and complex Empires in
world history, makes strange
bedfellows of the glamorous and
dangerous, as represented by the
elite, unconventional Moran family,
their colourful acquaintances, and
their by-blows. One must be mad to
like Calcutta. It is an enigma wrapped
in decay and a good place to go insane
unnoticed. Delia Moran liked Calcutta
very much.
Monarchs of the Ocean is the story of Scar
the Sperm Whale, who was born to the calls of a
distressed pod, fending off the attacks of sharks.
Surviving this, the Killer Whales, and his youth, he
was transformed into one of the ocean's majestic
giants challenged only by his own kind and the
nemesis of all man. Even for these he was a
formidable opponent. This is his life.

Do you have an author website? Did you opt for a DIY or did
you hire a marketing agency to do all the Search Engine
Optimization (SEO) work for you? If you are searching for
SEO best practices, Google provides a helpful, albeit
lengthy, Starter Guide. But if you want a short,
beginner-friendly version with examples from our hands-on
experience optimizing our company website and the author
websites we manage, keep reading.
Wh at SEO m ean s
SEO or Search Engine Optimization refers to content and
technical modifications you implement on your website to
improve its visibility online.
Wh y sh ou ld you car e abou t SEO?
Because you have already invested time and money on
creating your book and author website. You want them to
be found and get noticed on the web. You want traffic that
can potentially lead to a book sale.
When searchers type your name or your book?s title, you
want them to see your website first so they visit your
homepage, engage with your content, subscribe to your
newsletter, and most importantly, buy your book.
Majority of readers make buying decisions based on the
results of their online search so your goal is to appear on
the first page of the SERP (Search Engine Results Page).
Improving your search ranking entails a lot of work
SIMPLE
&S E O
EFFECTIVE
Tips Ever y Au t h or Needs t o Kn ow
by Lan ce M en doza
including site reorganization, crafting interesting
titles and useful content (e.g. blog posts), correctly
labeling pictures, and more.
Even if you are hiring a specialist to enhance your
online presence, knowing as much as you can
about SEO will help you make informed decisions
in choosing the right people to work with.
Top 3 SEO t ips f or au t h or s
Wondering how to optimize your author website
for search engine discovery? Here are three quick
yet solid SEO tips:
Fir st , study the site structure that makes
sense to search engine crawlers and users.
Create a site structure that is easy for robots
(Google crawlers or bots) and online visitors to
find and understand. This requires technical
expertise including but not limited to building and
submitting a sitemap, designing effective website
navigation, Google Search Console know-how,
following the Basic Visibility Checklist from Google
and more.
Among the easiest steps you can do to enhance
your site?s visibility are: 1) ensure that your
website is showing up on the search results page
by typing ?site:yourdomainname.com? (2) check
your site?s appearance and speed on different
devices, and (3) secure your website?s connection
(i.e. get ?https?).
For a more detailed guide, the biggest search
engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing provide free
webmaster guidelines that you can review and
follow.

Secon d , create valuable, educational, or
entertaining content.
Here?s the bad news: there are over 200 ranking factors
that search engine bots use to judge your website?s
content. That?s why it pays to read the content
guidelines provided by search engines and follow them
carefully to avoid penalty. Once that?s done, you?re
ready for the actual work. Shall we start?
Now the good news: great content still wins on the web.
Well-written articles, evergreen blog posts, high-quality
images, well-researched infographics, engaging videos,
and more are valuable content assets that will improve
your search engine ranking. But how do you rank for
important keywords?
If you don?t like guessing and instead, prefer
investigating the keywords that your target customers
actually use, go to Google?s free Keyword Planner or get
a free trial account on ahrefs or SEMrush and do your
research. After you discover the keywords you need to
target with your post, incorporate them naturally in
your content?s title, description, and outline. Make a
habit of listing content ideas and create content that
shows your expertise, helps readers, and builds a
trust-based relationship.
Last ly , attract (or obtain) high-quality links.
Do you know that you can use social media channels
to influence your website?s SEO performance? Social
media may not affect your website ranking
immediately but there is an undeniable connection.
For example, if you share your blog post on Facebook
and people start reacting, commenting, and
re-sharing your post, that page gets more visits, which
will boost your website?s traffic and influence.
Moreover, if your content serves the need of your
target readers, they might link to it (through their
blogs or websites), which could improve your page
ranking on the search results. Search engines favor
websites that get authoritative links. So do your best
to create posts or pages that .edu and .gov sites love
to link to. Links from these high-authority websites
can effectively increase your overall web ranking.
You?re now brimming with ideas on how to improve
your website?s visibility through these proven tips.
What are you waiting for? Get to work and start
seeing great results from your improved SEO efforts.
Code Name: William Tell is an adventure
story that starts with an idea by the
president of the United States, from which
a hero emerges. A story of Good's triumph
over evil, as told by a famous historian who
himself is a retired army lieutenant colonel.
The story traces the life of our hero from
boyhood to manhood and then to a leader
of men fighting a secret cold war. Our
villain is known to the free world's
intelligence community only by the code
name KRAIT, a deadly viper.
One day, near the end of an unsuccessful
term, a president in the solitude of the
Oval Office found time to think of some
way to make amends for his failures. He
gave his imagination free rein. Soon an
idea began to grow into a solution to a
serious problem: a solution which would
become the closest-held secret since the
atomic bomb. From this secret would come
a remarkable man, code name William Tell.
Th is book is a sequ el t o Code Name: William
Tell, completing the fast-paced action
adventure story of an amazing man working in
the shadows of secret service to our country.
It is written in the hope that our beloved
nation will return and remain true to the
vision of our Founding Fathers and live out
our noble motto In God We Trust, thereby
receiving the blessing of Almighty God. As an
undercurrent in this story there is also a
blueprint for the moral, spiritual and
economic recovery of our ailing nation.
One day, near the end of what he thought to
be an unsuccessful term, a president in the
solitude of the Oval Office found time to think
of some way to make amends for his failures.
He gave his imagination free rein. Soon an
idea took form and began to grow into a
solution to a serious problem: a solution that
would become the closest held secret since
the atomic bomb. From this secret would
come a remarkable man, code named William
Tell. For security reasons, his code name
would later be changed to Spirit.
Q: Wh at w as an ear ly exper ien ce w h er e you lear n ed t h at
lan gu age h ad pow er ?
A: From Pearl Harbor until Japan?s surrender, I was 11 to 15 years of
age and was an avid reader of books covering the war. During that
time I had two newspaper routes, delivering some 80 papers to
private residents and apartments. I faithfully read the latest war
news and at that age was very impressionable. The ?Golden Days of
Radio? became the ?theater of my mind? and contributed in no
small way to my education. Later in 1949, I joined the army as a
high school graduate and to my astonishment, a GED test gave me
a two-year college equivalent.
bu ildin g of you r book ?
A: My greatest inspiration was and is my father. As a naval officer, he
chose not to raise a boy but to build a man. Strict discipline set my
boundaries of behavior and I was comfortable within them. Next was
my relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, thanks to my dad.
These were factors affecting my attitude by opening doors for
advancement.
Q: Do you h ide an y secr et s in you r book t h at on ly a f ew people
m igh t f in d?
A: Yes, we are what we think. Attitude is everything in life; a positive
attitude conquers all; a negative attitude destroys.

Q: Wh at w as t h e h ar dest par t of w r it in g t h is book ?

Q: How did you begin w r it in g? Did you in t en d t o becom e a
w r it er , or do you h ave a specif ic r eason or r eason s f or w r it in g
each book ?
A: I did not intend to become a writer. As a commander, I wrote
many reports, and as Assistant Inspector General I investigated and
answered congressional inquiries. An army base is a city unto itself,
with private quarters, a supermarket, (commissary) department
store, (Post Exchange) theaters, public schools and chapels. It is
quite possible to complete an assignment comfortably without ever
leaving the base. It is a cloistered existence. One works side by side
with men and women of honesty and integrity; we trust one
another. When I retired after 23 years in this environment, I was ill
prepared, shocked if you will, to face the violent and immoral world
I was stepping into, which quickly turned my trust into suspicion. It
was then I started my web log. A follower friend at church gave me
a book, ?America?s God and Country,? an encyclopedia of quotes
from the giants of our history. It was that book which inspired me
to write my first book, ?The Antibiotic an Ailing America Needs?; a
compilation of 34 articles from my blog plus The Sermon on the
Mount and the Bill of Rights with commentary. Then it occurred to
me to follow the example of Jesus who got his message across
using parables. I decided to write an adventure novel with an
underlying Christian message to inform and inspire; ?Code Name:
William Tell? which inspired a sequel ?Code Name: Spirit.?
Q: How did pu blish in g you r f ir st book ch an ge you r pr ocess of
w r it in g?
A: I enjoyed writing. I thought about some advice vital to become a
successful write; ?Write about something you know.? As a
professional soldier and devoted Christian I could use my
experience to write an adventure novel to help the medicine go
down without preaching.
A: Proofreading your own work. When you already know what you want
to say, it is easy to miss errors and typos.
Q: Wh o is t h e m ost im por t an t ch ar act er ? Wh y?
A: Hunter William Bowman, alias/codenamed William Tell. It is his story,
his battle with evil and the greatest temptation of his life, Antonia Lopez
(Toni), a wealthy widow who fell in love with Bowman and longed to
have a sexual relationship with him.
Q: We all n eed a h er o! Tell u s abou t you r pr ot agon ist (s)?
A: Up until Captain Bowman is recruited into a top secret organization,
the events, locales, and experiences are mine, slightly exaggerated for
the sake of entertainment and character-building. Once in a clandestine
service, all is pure fiction. His opponent is a KGB agent code-named
?Krait,?a deadly viper best described as the devil?s disciple. Unknown to
Bowman, Antonia is also a KGB agent code-named ?Swallow?who has
come to regret that role.
Q: Com par e an d con t r ast t h e m ain ch ar act er w it h you r self .
A: His beliefs are my beliefs. I am a veteran of combat in the Korean War
and Vietnam, serving 23 years on active duty.
Q: A good villain is h ar d t o w r it e. How did you get in t ou ch w it h
you r in n er villain t o w r it e t h is book ? Was t h er e an in spir at ion f or
h im ?
A: There is no good villain. My upbringing and faith gives me clear
division between good and evil. I merely dwelt in evil for a while.
don aldst h ou gh t san dr em edies.com
@Tu sk egeeAir m en DWilson

Q: How do you develop you r plot s an d ch ar act er s? @Au t h or colon el

A: First, I make notes on the overall message I will try to convey, and
then continue my notes on the storyline. Characters are created
from people I knew well.

Q: Is t h er e an yt h in g you f in d par t icu lar ly ch allen gin g?

A: Yes. Any story must have three parts: the beginning, the middle,
and the end. I had to pay particular attention to the transition one
to the other without interrupting the flow of story.

Q: Wh en you develop ch ar act er s, do you alr eady k n ow w h o

t h ey ar e bef or e you begin w r it in g or do you let t h em develop
as you go?

A: I knew who?d be who in some cases knowing more would be

created as the plot thickens.

Q: Wh at r eal lif e in spir at ion s do you dr aw f r om f or t h e w or ld


DAYS
TOSMARTER
SOCIAL MEDIA
MARKETING
for Authors
byCarissaBongal osa
Do you often hear about social media marketing,
but aren?t sure how it can help you sell more
books?
Or do you know how valuable social media sites
are to your book marketing efforts, but aren?t sure
where to begin?
Learn about the nuts and bolts of various social
channels so you can successfully come up with
effective promotional strategies for your book and
author brand.
Get access to resources and practical
recommendations to improve the engagement
and return on investment, or ROI, of your social
media pages.
In just five days, you will grasp the meaning of
important social media concepts, gain insights
about your target audience, and refine your
strategy based on the results of your experiments.
Give yourself five days to cover the basics of social
media marketing. If you follow these steps, you
can get better results from your social media
marketing efforts.
Day 1: Con n ect w it h you r f avor it e cr ow d.
Why are you on social media? When you know who
your favorite crowd is (the readers you wrote your book
for) and where they like to hang out online, you can
explore these spaces and build connections.
So, your first task is to understand the target crowds of
each social channel. And then, decide which site can
best help you meet your marketing goal. Here are some
helpful statistical data regarding the users at popular
social media sites:
- Of the 1.57 billion YouTube users, 62% of them are
males. Note that 80% of YouTube viewers are from
-
outside the US.
Facebook boasts a user base of 2.2 billion (source:
statista) yet the network admitted that more than 270
-
-
million of its users are fake or clone accounts.
Instagram has reached 800 million users; 120 million
of its monthly active users are from the US.
Twitter has about 330 million users, of which 67
million are from the US and 13 million from the UK.
- Pinterest has about 175 million users who are mostly
based outside the US. Eighty-one percent of the site?s
users are female.
If you want more details about the demographics of
each social channel, check out Omnicore Agency and
Statista.
Day 2: Focu s on social ch an n els t h at you
alr eady lik e or w ish t o explor e.
Social channels - that ?s? was not a typo. Two is a good
number. Three might be spreading yourself thin.
Authors have different quirks, strengths, and
weaknesses. Knowing yourself as a person and an
author can help you decide which social channel you
like and consistently use to interact with your fans and
future readers.
If you are curious, give the major social media platforms
a test run. If you already have some favorites, find ways
to improve the engagement in those platforms. For
instance, if you have a YouTube channel and you are
comfortable Vlogging, do more of that. Meanwhile, a lot
of new authors prefer to test Twitter.
This social site offers endless possibilities for
connecting with readers and fellow writers. New
authors can reach out to their favorite veteran novelists
for advice or a retweet (if they?re feeling bold) and
Twitter posts appear on Google Search (yes, Google
indexes Twitter content). It?s like a form of
micro-blogging, which means your tweets can gain
Photo By Brian Torreon
more exposure and visits from
potential book buyers.
Day 3: Play ar ou n d w it h
social m edia m an agem en t
t ools lik e Bu f f er an d
Hoot su it e.
Tools for automating posts on
social channels are heaven-sent.
They have been saving authors
from marketing hell for years.
While many of these social media
management tools require
payment, some companies such as
Buffer and Hootsuite have free
versions with limited features.
Take advantage of the free trial for
Pro version of these tools. Then try
them for a month.
Schedule posts (e.g. your blog
articles, an NY Times article, etc.)
and update your status by bulk. For
instance, you can manage your
Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
Page in one go via Hootsuite.
This does not only improve your
efficiency but also helps you
analyze the performance of your
social media posts.
Detailed analytics features are
available for paid accounts, so if
you like a specific tool after a few
TOSMARTER
SOCIAL MEDIAMARKETINGfor Authors
weeks of trial, subscribe to a yearly
plan to get a discounted price.
Day 4: Get u p t o speed w it h
t h e cu r r en t t r en ds in you r
in du st r y, an d sh ar e
valu able n ew s an d t ips
u sin g Feedly.
Do you like to read sales messages
on your social media feeds?
If you are like most people, you
don?t enjoy seeing advertorials on
your feeds all the time. To win the
affection, respect, and trust of your
target audience, start learning how
to use Feedly.
Feedly is a life saver if you know
how to use its power to its fullest
potential. This application helps you
gather, organize, and share
interesting, highly-relevant, and
much-talked about industry news.
Effective curation is the secret of
top content providers like Netflix
and Amazon, if you haven?t noticed
yet.
If you become the go-to person for
the latest trends and coolest news
in your niche, you carve yourself a
valuable position in a noisy social
media space.
So vary your social media posts
using the power of this aggregator.
Practice until you perfect the art of
curation.
Day 5: M easu r e an d r eview
you r su ccess, an d k eep
r ef in in g you r social m edia
st r at egy.
Make measurement a habit. It?s a
great motivator to keep refining
your tactics and strategies.
Each channel has its own analytics
that you can review and learn from.
No matter how many posts about
social media management you read
online, nothing beats the insights
that you gain from your own
experience.
You will struggle at the beginning,
so expect it. But if you keep at it,
improving the process,
experimenting with new ideas, or
showing more of your authentic self
online, you can find a social media
strategy that suits your style and
offers the highest ROI.
Devot e at least five
days t o cover t he basics
of online promot ion
t hrough social channels,
and reap t he benefit s of
informed,
goal-orient ed, and
efficient social

Th is f ict ion al st or y abou t an Au st r alian Secr et
Ser vice agen t is set in t h e pr esen t . How ever , it
con t ain s excit in g f lash back s t o h is ear lier w ar t im e
exploit s in Kor ea an d Japan an d a lost love. He
bat t les, alm ost sin gle-h an dedly again st in t er n al
sk u ldu gger y w h ilst t r yin g t o f oil a t er r or ist plot t o
at t ack a f or eign em bassy. His adven t u r es t ake h im
f r om capit al cit ies, in t o t h e Au st r alian bu sh an d
even t u ally t o Tu r key.
Q: Which of your main character ?s exploits are based
on your experiences? M ain ly t h e w ar t im e
exper ien ces.
Q: Your flying career spanned for 52 years if we?re not
mistaken. How did it make you feel when you retired?
I h ad som e w it h dr aw al sym pt om s an d st ill h ave
t o look u p at an over f lyin g h elicopt er .
Q: When did you start writing Rainbow, No End? You
were at what stage of your life when you started
writing? How long did it to take you to complete it?
1998. I w as w or k in g f u ll t im e as Exam in er of
Air m en w it h CASA (ou r FAA). Abou t 5 year s.
Q: What sparked your desire to write your book? I
h ad w r it t en a f ew sh or t st or ies an d f elt a n eed t o
go f u r t h er .
Q: What is the most challenging aspect of writing
Rainbow, No End? Fin din g t h e t im e t o com plet e it .
Q; Is there a message that you want readers to take
away from your book? What is it?
Yes. To pr ess on again st an y adver sit y an d t o
r espect f or lif e, liber t y an d t h e pu r su it of
h appin ess.
Q: If your book is to be turned into film, which
Hollywood actor would you pick to portray your main
character? Hu gh Jack m an .
Q: What?s the book or film that closely resembles the
character or plot of your book? I t r ied t o m ake it
u n iqu e.
Q:Describe your daily routine ever since you retired.
In it ially, t o car e f or m y st r oke su r vivor w if e. Sin ce
sh e died in 2015, I h ave con t in u ed t o be h eavily
in volve in St r oke Su ppor t an d Rot ar y
In t er n at ion al an d w r it in g.
Q: If you were to write another book, what would be
its genre, and what would it be about? I plan n ed a
sequ el t o Rain bow ? .
Q: Name two or three habits of yours that made you
successful in your flying career and in life.
M ain t ain in g a posit ive m en t al at t it u de, keepin g
h ealt h y an d above all, r espect in g ot h er s.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you have ever
been given that made you get to where you are now?
Never give u p!
Q: What is your best piece of life advice? See
an sw er s 11 an d 12.
Q: Do you have new passions or interests that you
discovered when you retired? What are they? New
f r ien ds.
Q: What great destinations have you gone to these
days that you could recommend to anyone needing a
good vacation? Cam bodia, An gkor Wat an d a
cr u ise dow n t h e M ekon g r iver .
This book is the author 's personal journey o a
spiritual transformation. She describes her first
encounters with orbs and shares astounding,
colorful photographs. This book is a colorful
journey into what could be an ethereal dimension
currently with us. You be the judge!

ORBS
Believing in the unseen; Capturing the Light, the
Love, and the Peace that Surrounds Us
Encounter a colorful explosion of divine love from
an ethereal dimension that will propel your spirit
into a vibration of Peace. Focus on the colors of the
Orbs and witness for yourself, the awakening you
experience with over 50 photographs.
This book invites you to explore a Phenomenon.
Watch out, you may find that you enjoy indulging
your senses with it every day!

Alien Memos provides scientifically verified

details and evidence of what certainly appears to
be extraterrestrial activity of a very high order.
Revealed in this book are four semiotic
communications from an advanced (presumably)
extraterrestrial intelligence. Here is a
comprehensive account of these miraculous, yet
well-documented, events that took place just
before and after mankind's first (and only) major,
congressionally-funded search for extraterrestrial
intelligence. One of them was the most energetic
event of any kind ever witnessed by man in his
solar system. But miracles are rare, and they often
have rational explanations. The events covered in
this book are no different. Fasten your seatbelt,
because Kansas is going bye-bye.
Take a moment to visit Thomas Hackney's website:
w w w.set if act s.com
Photo By Brian Torreon
 ADVERTISEWITH
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adver t ised on Ok ir ?s in au gu r al pr in t edit ion of
Am plif y you r r each w it h ou t spen din g t oo m u ch
In sigh t .
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 El Nido, Palawan

Phot o By Just in Kauffman

 SHOULDYOU
TURNYOURBOOK
INTOAN
AUDIOBOOK? BYVINPETERSON

Th e qu i ck an sw er i s YES. N ow i s t h e per f ect t i m e t o cash i n on t h e boom i n g

au di obook m ar k et . In 2016, t h e au di obook i n du st r y w as w or t h 2.1 bi l l i on dol l ar s i n t h e
US al on e, accor di n g t o t h e i n t er n et ?s l eadi n g st at i st i cs dat abase, St at i st a.

Morethan 50,000audiobook titles werepublished in theUnited

States thesameyear and 76%of thesales werefiction
audiobooks.
Recently, Google has launched audiobooks in Australia,
which only goes to show that more and more people are
listening to books.
Ar e Au di obook s t h e Fu t u r e of Readi n g?
This new format has been questioned by advocates of
traditional print books. They say, it?s not real reading if
you don?t consume a page. However, studies have shown
that reading comprehension is strongly correlated with
listening comprehension. The brain apparently processes
the information from books that were read or listened to
in much the same manner.
People with reading disability or poor eyesight also find
listening to audiobooks a great way to still enjoy books.
Verbal (linguistic) learners decode print book well while
auditory learners process information better when they
hear them. Ergo, an audiobook version of your printed or
digital book is one way to cater to struggling readers or
people with auditory inclination.
As people get busier managing career, study, and family
life, it can be hard to find time to read a book, both
digital or print. Fitting reading in our lifestyle has been
on everyone?s New Year ?s Resolution, but we often fail
to keep this promise because of our busy lives.
Audiobooks provide a solution to this dilemma.
Listening to audiobooks is a great way to catch up on
your reading. Whether you?re at the gym working out,
commuting to work on a bus or train, or cooking dinner
for your family, audiobooks meld perfectly with your
everyday life.
As of 2016, there were about 67 million listeners to
audiobooks in the United States. So why haven?t you
recorded an audiobook version of your work to tap into
this market?
How t o M ak e a Book i n t o an Au di obook
Publisher ?s Weekly has cited a few companies that can
help you find professional narrators for your work. Just
like movie auditions, you can screen voice actors who
are applying to read your books.
Photo By Brian Torreon
Professionally narrated audiobooks don?t come cheap. If
your novel has 90,000 words, for instance, this would take
about eight hours of narration. New voice talents would
normally accept $100 an hour while seasoned narrators
command around $500 an hour.
If you?re writing a book with a lot of characters, you want
to make sure that the narrator is flexible enough to adapt
her or his voice to each of the characters. If you have a
non-fiction book, it only needs one voice personality so it
is easier and usually cheaper to produce than an
audiobook with multiple characters.
Th i n k i n g of M ak i n g You r Ow n Au di obook ?
Recording your voice reading you own book is, of course,
an option. As long as you are confident with your skills
and you are willing to carve out time learning the craft,
you can definitely go for it. \
However, note that the learning curve can be quite steep.
You also need to invest in specific tools, a quiet
environment, and about a month or so of deliberate
practice to hone your voice and narrative skills. Like all
skills, there are a lot to learn when recording an
audiobook so either you record your own voice or you
hire someone else to do it for you.
While it?s tempting to just produce a machine-read
book, human readings usually have a better quality. Try
to learn from the best, visit Audible or Youtube, and
listen to dozens of excellent audiobook samples. Look
for best-sellers, take note of the things they do well, and
put these pointers into practice on the actual recording
of your book. You may also volunteer to read classic
books for LibriVox and get feedback for improvement.
Audiobook publishing is a trend that won?t likely go
away anytime soon and will just keep growing, so jump
into the chance while you can and reap the benefits
such as word-of-mouth marketing, sales growth, and a
potential lucrative second career. If you?re simply
intrigued by the idea of making your own audiobook,
follow your curiosity, and you might end up having a
great time in the process.

Im agin e w h ile w at ch in g you r f avor it e

t elevision sh ow you get an over w h elm in g
t ast e f or you r f avor it e sn ack . Bu t , m u ch t o
you r am azem en t you discover t h at you r
f avor it e sn ack is gon e! Wh at do you do? See
w h at h appen s t o Pean u t Bu t t er w h en h e
m akes t h is discover y.

Evet t a Blou n t -Jack son is an

exper ien ced edu cat or w h o h as been
t each in g ch ildr en ages 3 - 11 f or m or e t h an
15 year s. Sh e en joys br in gin g a sm ile t o
ch ildr en's f aces w it h h er dr am at ic r eadin gs
an d w r it in g. Sh e n ow r esides w it h h er
h u sban d an d son in New por t New s, Vir gin ia.

sew f in e51.ebj@gm ail.com

Obsessive-compulsive disorder(or OCD)is
identifiedas a mentalillness.Thosewhohave
OCDexperience obsessions,compulsions, or
both,whichmaycausea lot of distress.
Mayis #MentalHealthMonth so oneof Okir's
recommended readsis ?Howto LivewithOCD
Naturally? by MariaM. Flaherty.

It's an engaging,helpful,andtimelybookfor
thosewhohaveOCDandwantto copewithit
naturally.
GRABA COPYON
My name is Paul C. Markland. I grew up in Akron, Ohio. I graduated from Akron East High
School. I attended the University of Akron and earned my BA in sociology and criminology.
I was planning to attend law school when I felt called to the ministry. I pursued my
studies at Malone University. I acquired my MA in Christian leadership and ministries. For
over twenty-two years, I faithfully served the Lord as I pastored at two churches and
directed a nonprofit organization. I stepped down on June 8, 2014. My family and friends
encouraged me to start writing. Since June, I have published two books, All Things Work
Together For Good (Romans 8:28) and Winds of Change. I used my father's name to
publish both books. I did so for several reasons but the greatest one was to establish a
new identity. For the past twenty years, people have referred me to as Pastor, and I am
still remembered for the position I once humbly held. Now, a new chapter begins, and I
am blessed to have the opportunity to help rewrite it. I have been married to Judy for
over twenty-seven years. We have two daughters, Ashley and Samantha.
DANCE
AMONG
ELEPHANTS
M y n am e is Kr ysada Ph ou n sir i. To m an y, I go by Bin ly.
I am a Lao Am er ican ar t ist . Bor n in Hu ay Xai, Laos an d
r aised in San Diego, CA. I im m igr at ed w it h m y f am ily
close t o t h e age of 2. Am er ica is m y h om e.
Through the years, I have accumulated experiences that
lead me to the various mediums of art I practice. My main
3 passions are writing, dancing, and photography. For the
purpose of this article, I will dive into how I got into
writing.
I started at age 11, with a blank book in my hand from a
White Elephant Gift exchange in Elementary School. I
hated that I ended up with a blank book. Reading and
writing were the last of my worries at the time; I did not
enjoy them much. But since I was stuck with this book, I
started writing in it. At first, I thought I'd use it as a
journal, but instantly changed my mind and wanted to
dive into poetry to be more creative. It was a means to
express myself and my sentiments. It became therapeutic
as I immersed myself further in the act of writing. It was a
pocket of space that I returned to when I wanted to zone
out from the world. Creating metaphorical dimensions
where I can escape to have been a recurring theme in my
life. It's a driving force for many of my personal projects.
I dabbed into writing over the years from middle school
to high school. These typically were in the form scripts for
plays, short stories, and poems here and there. In 2006, I
began my journey as a university student at UC Berkeley.
In 2007, I found my true voice in writing. I took a Poetry
course under a program called Poetry for the People,
created by the late poet June Jordan. Her legacy and
approach as a poet acted as the foundation for the
program and its teachers. With the help of the program
and my mentor, Marcos Ramirez, I was able to sharpen
my poetic techniques and find purpose in my writing. The
motto that was stressed on the first day of class, "Write or
be Written", struck chord in me. I realized that if I do not
write my story, someone would come along and do it,
unjustly.
I always had an itch to go deeper, but finding my voice
was a challenging endeavor. Then it hit me - no one was
writing about my experience and the history of my family.
No one was writing about the Lao American Community's
experience; both of happiness and sorrow through the
decades of resettling from the Secret War.
This is especially true when discourse surrounding the
Lao / Lao American Diaspora is brought up in literature. I
barely studied anything regarding Laos. By the time
history class in high school got to Southeast Asia, there
were barely a few pages on the Vietnam War. That was it.
We do not often hear about the Lao / Lao American
Experiences regarding refugee stories, the Secret War,
and the challenges of integrating in America. We do not
often hear about the trauma our elders faced, nor the
apparent presence of gang violence and the hopeless
feeling of coming up through the hood as a Lao
American. These themes parallel with the broader
Southeast Asian American experience as well. Growing
up through many of these themes, I had to write about
them. I wanted our collective experience, as much as
my own, to exist on paper. Poetry finds a home in
telling the truth, it becomes a political act whether we
like it or not. I would rather show my conviction and
write about these stories as poems. It is a way for me to
represent and express myself as an artist in a medium
that many felt discouraged from participating in. Writing
is quite the vulnerable experience. As I began writing
more poems, the momentum and motivation pushed
me.
A few years after that, I wrote enough to compile a
manuscript of poems. My goal was to be published. The
purpose of existing on paper needed to be recognized
in a legitimate manner. I met Academy Award winning
filmmaker Thavisouk Phrasavath when he debuted his
film " The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)" at Berkeley. Through
him, I met award winning Lao American Poet, Bryan
Thao Worra. We became Internet buddies for a good 4
years until finally meeting in person. He told me, in the
last 40 years of Lao people living in America, less than
40 books were published in our own words and in our
own terms. I knew I had to try. Bryan gave me a few
options in submitting work. I had been published by
journals and magazines before, but never a full-length
book. I submitted my manuscript to many Publishing
Presses with no success in a book deal.
It was around 2013 / 2014 when Bryan gave me an offer
to get published by a Lao American Press. It was new,
and I would be the 2nd Book in their stable. After the
many attempts of submitting my work to other Presses,
I felt it would be the best move for me. I am not out
here trying to sell a million copies of my poetry book.
Though it would be nice, my purpose was to bring
visibility about the Lao American experience. I would
use my book as a platform to teach workshops,
organize community events, and encourage the youth
to invest in their passions. With that in mind, I agreed to
do a book deal with Sahtu Press. It took me a year to
turn the manuscript into an actual full book with a cover
design and legal stuff out the way. When I met the
founder, Nor Sanavongsay, we instantly clicked and
were tuning into the same wavelength. With Nor and
Bryan, my debut book of poetry, "Dance Among
Elephants", came to fruition. I made my first
appearance as a published poet at the Minneapolis Lao
American Writers Summit in 2015. This led me to
leading the planning effort for the Lao American Writers
Summit in San Diego. This summit originated in
Minneapolis with a powerful group of Lao American
writers. I felt like I had to bring that energy to the West
Coast. I truly believe we are in a renaissance phase for
Lao American Artist, Entrepreneurs, Educators, and
Chefs. I have been traveling around the US to support
and connect folks, while performing and teaching
workshops. We are doing our best to spotlight one
another and to support each other. The rest is history.

I enjoy working with Sahtu Press and will continue
building with them. I am currently writing poems for my
second book, along with pushing my other endeavors. It
has been a long difficult journey to sail the many ships
on my fleet, but I love all that I do. The grind is
exhausting, so lately I have been making time to reflect
and recover. The broader scope is to encourage anyone
to live fiercely and fearlessly. We should be giving love
to our passions, it does not matter who we are. Often
times for Lao American youth, we get discouraged in
trying anything outside of our immediate world. Now is
the time to say, it is possible; I am possible. I hope that
that message propels in any community you are
involved in. There is so much more to create, so many
worlds we can build.
Bio
Krysada Phounsiri is a professional dancer, an award
winning poet, and an avid photographer. He
immigrated to the U.S. at the age of two from the
country of Laos. Krysada is a San Diego based artist
who began writing poetry at age 11, but fell in love with
poetry when he attended UC Berkeley. He is a
Physics/Astrophysics double major, with a minor in
Creative Writing. Dancing for 15 years, his resume
includes various competition wins around the globe,
performing a yearlong stint in Las Vegas, dancing /
choreographing on movie sets, and other numerous
creative projects. His work has appeared previously in
publications such as the Journal of Southeast Asian
American Education and Advancement and the
Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center ?s national
photo project ?A Day In the Life of Asian America?. His
recent series "Beauty Beyond Scars" is featured in
various blogs/content sites including The Getty and The
Phoblographer. He debuted his first book of poetry in
April 2015, titled "Dance Among Elephants". The book is
a poetic journey of identity, family, homeland, love, and
dance.
For more info:
Photography Website: www.snappilots.com
Social Media: Instagram & Twitter - @bboylancer &
@snappilots

Peace,
Krysada
Photo By Brian Torreon
D r . Step h en V. Pr escod 's back gr ou n d
i n cl u d es A ssi stan t sh i p at th e St ate
U n i ver si ty of N ew Yor k , an A ssoci at e
Pr of essor sh i p at A n d r ew s U n i ver si t y,
Sau d i A r abi a. H e h ol d s a d ou bl e
M aster 's d egr ee i n Ed u cati on an d
Cl i n i cal Au d i ol ogy as w el l as a PH D .
H i s l atest w or k "T h e l i st en i n g Ch i l d "
attem p ts to ad d r ess th e p r obl em of
p oor ly d evel op ed L i st en i n g Sk i l l s i n
ch i l d r en w h i ch can cr i ti cal to th e
d evel op m en t of l ear n i n g th r ou gh
t h e sp oken w or d .

st ep h en .p r esco d @r o ger s.co m

Av ai l ab l e o n
 How Indie Aut hors Can Overcom e
t he Fear of Self-Prom ot ion
in 5 Sim ple St eps

by Eve Gilber t
Photo by Filippo Ruffini on Unsplash

Y ou probably belong t o t he com m on st ereot ype of a w rit er w ho is a recluse and is proud t o be one. If not ,

you m ight not have im agined yourself act ively prom ot ing your ow n w ork.
You know t here?s not hing w rong w it h refusing self-prom ot ion, ex cept t hat your gem is get t ing buried
fart her and furt her dow n t he t hick pile of m illions of books being published every year.
By now , you already know t hat t he chances of being picked up by t op lit erary agent s are slim t o none.
Hence, you have m ade t he decision t o w rit e your book and self-publish it . Self-prom ot ion m ay m ake sense t o you,
but part of you t hinks it just doesn?t feel right . Or, you sim ply don?t know w here t o st art .
Let us find out w hat inner obst acles prevent you from effect ively prom ot ing your w ork and follow som e
sim ple st eps t o overcom e t his real yet irrat ional fear of self-prom ot ion.
Recogn i ze t h e f ear of r ej ect i on , an d br eak f r ee f r om i t s par al ysi s.

Fear, being a prim al, pow erful em ot ion is st ill at t he root of w hy you are st uck w it h hundreds of unsold copies of
your ow n book at hom e. The fear of reject ion paralyzes, causing you t o shy aw ay from every opport unit y t o t ell
people about your book. If you failed at self-prom ot ion before, t hen you need t o overcom e your pist ant hrophobic
t endencies and give w ay for second or t hird chances. Recognizing t he fear of reject ion brings w it h it a challenge
of assert iveness, w hich in t he process, allow s you t o find t hat inner st rengt h t o break free from t he crippling
effect of fear. It ?s very m uch like how you faced your fear of falling before pedaling your w ay w it hout your
t raining w heels.
Photo By Kunj Parekh
Ex pl or e t h e pow er t h at com es f r om ask i n g .
Even preschoolers have t he courage t o ask. Walk up t o
your local bookst ore?s m anager and ask if t hey?d be
w illing t o give you an hour or t w o for a book signing.
Ask friends and acquaint ances w ho are int erest ed in
your book t o get t hem selves a copy and post a posit ive
review on Am azon or Goodreads. The universe
doesn?t need your ex cuses. It needs you t o boldly ask
for w hat you w ant so it can give you w hat you w ant .
Let t h em h ear you pl ay.
Your job as a w rit er did not end w hen you finished t hat
book. Allow yourself t o be seen and be int erview ed.
M usicians play som e gigs for free t o grow t heir
fanbase. Som e upload free sam ples of t heir m usic on
YouTube or Vim eo. Like successful m usicians, you
have t o be creat ive, persist ent , and st rat egic about
prom ot ing your book. Look for opport unit ies t o read
your book t o a sizable audience in a library, a
bookst ore, or a classroom full of pot ent ial fans,
readers, and buyers
Be m or e open t o n ew possi bi l i t i es.
Learn w hile you st ill can, and em brace t he fact t hat
anyt hing is possible in t his day and age.
When prom ot ing your book, find out everyt hing t here
is t o know about get t ing follow ers and t urning t hose
follow ers int o avid readers. Okir?s M arket ing Team can
set up your social m edia account s for you, if you need
help get t ing st art ed. You can t hen cont inue it on your
ow n once you have learned t he ropes.
Go back t o appr eci at i n g your w or k .
Aft er seeing how a few t hings don?t seem t o w ork out
t he w ay w e ant icipat ed, it ?s easy t o give in t o burnout .
We?re not saying you should fight your ex haust ion.
Take a rest , if you m ust . Then, t ry your best t o shift
your focus back t o your w ork. Aft er all, it ?s your
self-prom ot ion effort s? raison d?êt re. List all t he
posit ive feedback you?re get t ing from your ow n w ork,
and be rem inded of w hat you have t o offer t o your
readers.
At w h at age did you st ar t w r it in g poem s?I
started writing poems in junior high. In Grade 7 I
started writing poems after coming across an old
journal from my childhood. I would also write
poems after an English assignment.
Wh at does poet r y m ean t o you ? Has it alw ays
been an ou t let , an escape,
et c?
Poetry has been an outlet for
me to express how I?ve felt in
the past and what I?m going
through in the moment. I?ve
also always enjoyed music,
letting it take me somewhere
else in my mind of
imagination.
Wh o ar e t h e poet s or w r it er s
w h o h ave in f lu en ced you r
w r it in g?
My favourite author is Stephen
King. I haven?t written any
poems from his stories, but I
really enjoy his books. I also
enjoyed reading Christopher
Pike and R.L. Stein as a
teenager.
Descr ibe you r st yle of
poet r y.
My style of poetry is very
rhythmical. I like to have it rhyme and flow in a
steady beat. I also like to have the lines in the
stanzas usually close to the same size.
Do you believe in vagu en ess or obscu r it y in
poet r y?
No, I believe in sharing a story that people can
relate to and understand in the art of poetry. Like
artwork, poems can mean something different to
many people, but I like to have a story or purpose
come across through my poems.
Do you st ill r em em ber w h en you w er e
diagn osed w it h ADHD? How old w er e you ?
I don?t remember being diagnosed with ADHD. I
know I was around 2-3 years old. I know I was
taken to many doctors before a diagnosis was
made.
How did it m ake you f eel t h en ?
As a very young child, I remember going through
?fits? or ?episodes?. I would bang my head against
walls or floors, I would bite my arm until it bled.
And then keep on biting. I used to have red and
swollen bite marks on my arms. There would be
times when I did not remember biting myself. I
knew there was something wrong with me. But I
didn?t know what it was or how I wasn?t supposed
to be the way I was. I knew I had
to take Ritalin when I was at
school. But I did not know how
to control my ?fits? or ?episodes?.
Wh at ar e t h e m ost com m on
m iscon cept ion s people h ave
of ADHD t h at you k n ow of ?
One of the misconceptions in
the early years was that
supposedly girls didn?t have
ADD/ADHD, that it was a boy
thing. Not true. It is very much
more dominant in boys than
girls, but not exclusively so.
Another misconception was the
initial diagnosis and the parents
comparing their ADD child with
another. ?Your child can?t have
ADD, my son has it, and he
doesn?t act anything like yours.?
Little did they know, there are
many different types of ADD.
Another misconception that I
would like to go over is the medication. Yes, I was
on Ritalin, but only for school. The purpose of the
Ritalin was to bring me down to planet Earth so
that I could be taught school lessons, coping
lessons, and such. It was helpful because it was
combined with life coaching and strategies.
Ritalin, or the other drugs alone, is not a cure.
Poet s ar e gen er ally k n ow n t o be sen sit ive an d
r ecept ive. Wou ld you say t h e sam e of
you r self ? In w h at sen se?
I?m empathetic to people and how they feel. I?m
usually pretty good at knowing when people are
being sarcastic or hiding feelings when they are
upset.
How h as w r it in g poem s h elped you in you r
st r u ggles?
I find that writing poems helps me release stress,
anger, sadness, or just lets me tell a story.
Whether that is by writing about a bad
experience or by writing to escape into another
world.
If you w er e t o w r it e an ot h er book t h at ?s n ot
a poet r y book , w h at gen r e w ou ld it be?
In the future I would like to write a book about
the different ADD?s and the drugs
recommended. These drugs change the
chemical make-up in the brain and can cause
more damage than good when diagnosed
wrong. I also would like to write a type of
mystery novel. My Dad would like a ?happy
story,? so I will have to work on that.
Wh at is t h e m ost r em ar k able r eact ion f r om
som eon e af t er r eadin g a poem you ?ve
w r it t en ?
?That?s so true,? people have said. Tapping on a
poem inside my book. They then shared with
me their personal stories when they have felt
similar to a poem or a side note in my book.
?Purpose,? ?A Child?s Night,? and the brief
author biography on the back of the book, have
touched peoples hearts, and they can relate to
these stories.
Wh at w ou ld you con sider as a
poor ly-w r it t en poem ?
I consider a poorly-written poem as something
that I have no understanding what the poem
was about or what the author was trying to get
across as a message.
Wh at w ou ld you con sider as a w ell-w r it t en
poem ?
What I consider a well-written poem is one that
makes you feel something after reading it. If
you can picture a story or a narrative in your
head, I believe the author has written a good
poem.
Wh at book ar e you r eadin g r igh t n ow ?
Right now I am reading ?The Naked Eye? written
by a mom and a son, Iris Johansen and Roy
Johansen.
Soon to be read is ?Deranged? written by
Michael Kent, whom I met at the L.A. Times
Festival of Books. I also have ?Dreamcatch? to
read written by Emma. We were book signing at
the same time while in L.A.
How do you begin w r it in g a poem ?
Usually I get an idea in my head, then as I am
writing, more words and ideas come popping
in. Sometimes after watching a movie or a TV
show, I?ll have a different version of it.
Ar e you on Social M edia (Facebook ,
In st agr am , or Tw it t er ? If so, w h ich on e? An d
h ow does it f it you r au t h or sh ip an d ot h er
advocacies?
Not on social media yet. You can visit my web
page at: www.sarawilsonbooks.com
Or you can email me at:
Sarawilsonbooks@gmail.com
Nam e a m ovie or t w o t h at you can m ost
r elat e t o.
I really like the movies:
A) ?The Good Son? with Macaulay Culkin and
Elijah Wood
B) ?Powder ? with Jeremy Reed
C) ?A League of Their Own? with Geena Davis,
Madonna, and Tom Hanks
If you w er e asked t o r ead on e of you r poem s
in a poet r y r eadin g session , w h ich on e w ou ld
it be?
If I were to read a poem from my book in a
poetry reading session, it would be ?Home-Free?.
Can you n am e a son g t h at you f in d poet ic an d
speak s t o you ?
Five Finger Death Punch is my favourite band.
With Ivan Moody, Jeremy Spencer, Zoltan
Bathory, Jason Hook, and Chris Kael. They have
many of their songs I can relate to, such as ?My
Own Hell?, ?Tragic Truth?, ?The Wrong Side of
Heaven?, and ?Wash It All Away?. The list can go
on forever. Their drummer, Jeremy Spencer, also
wrote a book, and it touched base with his
childhood and having ADD and how that affected
him as a drummer. They have a new album just
coming out on May 18, ?And Justice for None?.
Sixx: A.M. is my second favourite band with Nikki
Sixx, James Michael, and DJ Ashba. James signed
one of my poems in a fan autograph session in
Edmonton. He even read the poem, ?Fire, Fire,?
and said it was pretty good. At the same signing,
FFDP was also there, but I was too chicken to
have Ivan Moody read ?Here?s to the Life?. Maybe
one day he?ll read it in my book.
~End~
The Healt hy Way is an
amazing book. It covers
t opics such as how t o
st art cooking fresh and
eat ing small port ions, and
it t eachers beginner and
advanced recipes.

Elvira Carranza said:

1. Change your negat ive
mind for posit ive mind.
2. Discipline and love
yourself and ot hers.
3. Fait h, laugh, exercise
are ingredient s for life!

This prevent s you from

having medical and
hospit al bills and gives
you a longer life.
 Syn opsis
Mimi lives a life of seclusion, not only from the world but
from her own feelings. She lost her parents and husband in
a fatal car crash years earlier in Pakistan and has since
closed herself off from life and feelings. Now, all she has
left is a collection of rare sacred objects and art? gifts from
her parents. When she returns home one day to find her
home and beloved dog savaged by burglars, her shock is so
great that she can?t see the crime as more than what it is? a
simple home invasion. But what Mimi doesn?t yet know is
that the break-in is a targeted attack by a vicious cult whose
members are determined to recover an ancient piece of
sculpture Mimi inherited from her father. They believe that
the sculpture of the hand of the goddess Kali, holding a
sickle and noose, has supernatural powers? and they will
stop at nothing to recover it from Mimi?s collection. Mimi?s
solitude and peace of mind are threatened by these
attacks, but ironically, this may be just what she needs to
regain control of her life.

The hidden Son of Man is inside of us all, but we

have to realize that we are losing the ability to T I MEL ESS K I NGDOM
visualize the immeasurable, infinite source of
spirituality. Traditional religions state that Adam is a
fallen, debased creature, and science says we can A ST UDY I N SON OF MAN,
recreate ourselves in the image of science in order SCI ENCE AND SEFER YET ZI RAH
to rise and evolve. Ancient mystic scientists once
complemented spirituality with scientific
observations and discoveries. Can we learn how to
live in higher dimensions through divine symbols
and scientific discoveries? Einstein's theories
change the way scientists view the nature of Time,
and the origin of the Universe is alive and that
'science mystics' recorded their scientific theories in
the Sefer Yetzirah [Book of Creation]. New
Superstring theories actually confirm what ancient
mystics discovered through spiritual journeys to the
dimensions of higher space. BET T I NA MOREL L O
f i l ms@ok i r-publ i sh i ng.com
 Here we are now. We named our coffee business after
our two daughters, MEna and & KAya, hence the
company name MeKa.
Truly, we started this journey for our family. We wanted
to serve as an example that if you just do the things that
you want to do, you can really (as cliche as it sounds)
create your own dream. We want to have more time
with our girls and have the flexibility to bring our girls to
events or times we are open. We truly believe, one
action can spark a beginning to something great.

Ou r St or y We are here working to get there. Hope we do a great

service and provide something positive to our customers.
As a couple and now a family of four, we just love to
Thank you for all of your support.
travel and search for great coffee wherever we go.
We just love coffee. On our wedding day, we looked
and looked for a company that can serve a full-on Pop up coffee in Downtown- Collaboration with Andaz
espresso bar but we couldn't find any. Even after Hyatt and Sandbox Event Venue
baby showers and our daughter's first birthday, we Pop up coffee in San Diego-Catering County Wide -
still couldn't find a coffee company that provides
catering services. Until, one day, my wife found a
retiring mobile coffee company selling their cart and
-Stay Blessed-
we decided to take over.
@m ek acof f eesd m ek acof f eesd.com
Born Bobby Thongkham, a self-taught
cinematographer from National City, San
Diego, CA, earned the moniker ?CVSHXNLY?.
He was born in a refugee camp in Thailand
during the Vietnam War after his family fled
the war-torn country of Laos.
As a refugee in the United States, his
background was in Social Work, dedicating
his time and efforts helping his community.
Like it's the most natural thing in the world
for him, Bobby later found himself
engrossed in learning how to film music
videos and how to take captivating photos.
His passion for the art grew everyday, like a
fire that kept on building. Cvshxnly would
stay up late at night, directing music videos
and editing, spending countless hours in
the studio. He embraced the necessity of
sometimes having to sacrifice sleep in
order to pursue his passion while working
a 9 - 5 job.
After several years of juggling his job and
nurturing his art on the side, Cvshxnly
finally made a decision to pursue his
passion and go after his dreams. He quit
his job as a Social Worker at the county
and now spends his time creating and
pursuing his dreams. After years of doing
free work for other artists, he is finally in a
position to further his career in the film
industry.
CVSHXNLY
CVSHXNLY
CVSHXNLY.com
Collective Society is composed of
Josef Villarama, Talksikk, Eranetik,
Datsspeed, Rhyme Influx, Louvina
Cruz, and Cvshxnly. They all come
together for their love of music
and their individual passion. Each
member brings their own set of
unique skills to the table to create
beautiful and lasting music.
Talksikk, with his versatile flow and
natural punchlines, demonstrates
smooth vocals when he starts to
sing. Joseph Villarama is an expert
at producing, mixing, and
engineering the session for each
individual artist in the team,
Datsspeed is the main
producer/engineer of the group,
producing for the entire group with
his melodic keys and mastery of the
piano. Eranetik/Bboy is the group's
multi - talented rapper with his own
signature flavor and flare. Rhyme
Influx brings the delivery, flow, and
cadence of an aggressive vocal style
that is refreshing and is proven a
necessity in today's rap game.
Louvina Cruz is one of the
singer/songwriters in the group with
an amazing talent for melodies. The
soulful island vibes make her songs
unique.
 For fur ther info about Okir and
I t?s a party! its par ticipation at the Miami
Book Fair, give us a call at
But not your ordinary.
307- 201- 6153, or email:
Where? info@okir- publishing.com.
At the M iami Book Fair!

L et us recall, if we may,
I t?s old name, Books by the Bay
And picture beach and jamboree
M ade lively by all things literary.

But this global city isn?t South Beach at all

So come one, come all
Who would dare miss
Eight days of the nation?s f inest?

Okir Publishing will represent

Y our book at the Street Fair weekend
November 11-18, save the date.
L et?s sell copies, don?t be late!