I am happy to report that both my mother and sister were released from the hospital yesterday. Although my other sister and I are still battling whatever we have. I am drinking lots of orange juice and staying hydrated, but I don't have an appetite or a voice. However, I will not let this illness, summer cold, summer flu or whatever I have, get me down.
I am happy to announce that I have been working with two others to get their books ready for distribution and both authors are being published by Absolute Author Publishing House. Here is the tricky part, BECOMING MISS IZZY written by Sue Zook and Mary Larsaski launches June 17, 2019, and C J Kruse's book HOW TO CALM YOURSELF DOWN is scheduled to launch June 18, 2019. Because I am an author myself, I know the nervousness that goes into launching a book, so I would be honored if my readers reach out to these authors and wish them success and support them by purchasing their books.
Here is a quick look at BECOMING MISS IZZY.
A GUIDE ON HOW TO CALM DOWN BY C J KRUSE
A GUIDE ON HOW TO CALM DOWN T is an awesome book filled with suggestions, exercises, and techniques to calm down. How do I know? Because I have read it and have used the techniques presented. This book comes just in time because June 18, 2019, is the national awareness day for panic attacks. I didn't make this up. Millions of people suffer from panic attacks and now Kruse is offering help. Take a look at the book trailer.
LAUNCH DATE JUNE 18, 2019
A GUIDE ON HOW TO CALM DOWN
TAKE A LOOK AT THE INSIDE OF THE BOOK
HOW TO CALM DOWN
BY C J KRUSE
SLOW DOWN!!!
Take a deep breath. Count to ten. Twirl your fidget spinner a few more times. Try to disguise your fury with another fake, forced smile. Is it helping? Or, does it all just feel like another futile attempt to stop that speeding freight train of emotions within you, threatening to flatten your peace of mind like a pancake?
You have a split second to decide how you’ll react. What will you do? Or, to put it a better way, how will it end? With you, victorious? Standing at the finish line, looking back on your course of action with pride and satisfaction? Or, with you, picking up the pieces of another relationship, project, or bridge that you’ve burnt down? Right now, you’re not sure. You just have one question:
WHY IS IT SO HARD TO CALM DOWN?
Why does it so often feel like an IMPOSSIBLE feat to regulate your emotions? Wouldn’t it be nice to be just a little more in control? Wouldn’t your life be better? Good news… it’s possible.
Think for just a moment about all the situations where this ability would come in oh-so-handy:
- When you’re at the supermarket, and your kids are screaming, causing a scene, and everyone in the store is looking at you like you’re a three-eyed Martian.
- When you’re late for work, and some idiot is driving slow in the fast lane, texting his buddy some stupid message that just can’t wait (probably, about what he’d like to have written on his tombstone).
- When you’re sitting behind your computer, which has just crashed for the fourth time this week, costing you HOURS of unsaved work.
- When your spouse is acting like a know-it-all, and everything in you’re tempted to give him the best speech you’ll ever regret.
Do you really want to keep swinging a giant wrecking ball into things that you’ve worked so hard to build? Probably not. It’s time to calm down. Quickly. Effectively. Before you DO or SAY something STUPID! This book will show you how that is done.
HERE, YOU WILL FIND:
- 30 strategies for calming down.
- Real-life stories and helpful, practical examples.
- Insights as to WHY we get worked-up, and why it’s SO HARD to actually calm down.
- Inspiration and incentives to CALM DOWN (when you’d rather stay upset).
- The benefits of being able to stay calm.
- The disadvantages of NOT being able to stay calm.
- Fun commentary and opportunities for personal discovery.
- Guidance to GET BACK IN CONTROL of your situation, your happiness, and your life!
- Much, much more!
If you’re looking for quick ways to calm down, then swallow your pride. Admit you have room for growth. It’s time to start sitting in the driver’s seat of your life, rather than allowing your emotions to take the wheel!
LET’S GO!!!
I have exciting news about another author, Angela Savide, and her book "Urban Fairy: A Modern Fantasy" that is available today. How exciting is that? This book is about A metaphysical journey through the history and magic of Los Angeles and a shining example of visionary fiction, Urban Faery: A Modern Fantasy embraces universal wisdom and ecological consciousness and makes it relevant to the twenty-first century.
Urban Faery: A Modern Fantasy
by Angela Savidge
Tell your readers a little about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them get to know the personal you.
I was born on an American military base in Germany and raised in a deeply entrenched southern Baptist community in rural North Carolina. Overall, I do feel it was a safe and good upbringing, although I have always been more spiritual than religious. I was an only child and spent a great deal of time in a densely wooded forest near my home. And otherwise, I was very involved in the theater department at the local University. I lived in my imagination and loved the stage, but I was admittedly not a very good actress, so I navigated into production instead. I attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and graduated as a Theatrical Production Stage Manager. After college, I bravely took the train to New York City with only $300 in my pocket to take an assistant position in film production. That job eventually ushered me through the gates of Universal Pictures in Los Angeles. I spent more than a decade in LA, but for the last five years, I’ve lived in Portland, Oregon and Saint Petersburg, Florida. Like my main character, Cate, I had grown disillusioned by everything around me in a predominately material-obsessed environment, and I needed to live somewhere more grounded for a while. That being said, publishing this book has been very cathartic, and I am pleasantly surprised that I am missing Los Angeles now. I can’t wait to get back and have a regular presence there again.
What is visionary fiction?
I have recently joined the Visionary Fiction Alliance and its founder, Jodine Turner, describes it best. “Visionary Fiction embraces spiritual and esoteric wisdom, often from ancient sources, and makes it relevant for our modern life. Gems of this spiritual wisdom are brought forth in story form so that readers can experience the wisdom from within themselves. Visionary fiction emphasizes the future and envisions humanity’s transition into evolved consciousness. While there is a strong spiritual theme, it in no way proselytizes or preaches. Visionary fiction speaks the language of the soul. It offers a vision of humanity as we dream it could be.”
What inspired you to author this book?
My first introduction to the visionary fiction genre was back in the late 90s when I read The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. It’s an adventure story that discusses various psychological and spiritual ideas rooted in multiple ancient Eastern traditions and New Age spirituality. The main character undertakes a journey to find and understand a series of nine spiritual insights in an ancient manuscript in Peru. After I read it, I thought to myself—if I were to ever write a book, it would be in this genre. Many years later, on a soul-searching sojourn to the rain forests of Oregon, I serendipitously discovered a book entitled Faery Tale: One Woman’s Search for Enchantment in a Modern World by Signe Pike. Signe’s brave attempt to engage with the spirit world and her courageous search for humans who still believe in the elusive beings we call faeries, inspired me to embark on a journey of my own through the trials, ordeals, and rewards of reconnecting with oneself—a process that leads to the initial inception of this story.
Where did you get the inspiration for your book’s cover?
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The elusive being in my story, Luc, is a modern-day descendant of the ancient Fae race. He is also a shapeshifter, as most Fae are. I chose the raven as his spirit animal and placed one on the front cover because ravens are known throughout history to be mediators between the astral and physical planes. Many Native Americans believed them to be magical creatures who could take human form, and they were the keepers of ancient secrets. Also, I was very captivated by the true magic underlying Hollywood. By the way, I am fully aware that the sun does not set behind the Hollywood sign, but it made for a better cover.
Who has been the most significant influence on you personally and as a writer?
For sure, Joseph Campbell. Both personally and as a writer. I first read The Power of Myth in college and was so moved by it. The ideas he presents became my philosophy. Later in life, when I began dabbling in writing, I really delved into all of his work, and I am still a self-motivated student of his to this day. There are so many quotes that I call my favorites, but one that is particularly potent for me is, “We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” Also, “The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.” That one brings tears to my eyes.
What were your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?
That is a perfect question to follow the one above. When I first started writing, it was primarily in screenplay format. And as a student of Joseph Campbell, I discovered a book called The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler, a veteran story consultant for major Hollywood film companies. His framework for storytelling is shaped by the thinking of Joseph Campbell, and in one of the last chapters in his book, he addresses the tests, trials, ordeals, and joys of completing a story. “Writing is often a perilous journey,” he says. “Low self-esteem or confusion about goals may be the Shadows that chill our work, an editor or one’s own judgmental side may be the Threshold Guardians that block our way. Accidents, computer problems, and difficulties with time and discipline may torment us and taunt like Tricksters. Unrealistic dreams of success or distractions may be the Shapeshifters who tempt, confuse, and dazzle us. Deadlines, editorial decisions, or the struggle to sell our work may be the Tests and Ordeals from which we seem to die but are Resurrected to write again.” I can honestly say that I have experienced every single one of those challenges. Getting a book written, especially a first book, is indeed a Hero’s Journey.
Tell your readers about your book.
Predominately set in Southern California’s iconic neighborhoods of West Hollywood and Malibu, my book follows the remarkable journey of a rising actress, Cate, as she attempts to find more meaning in life. Desperate to reconnect with the natural world, she wades into the ocean at one of Malibu’s most notorious surf breaks but is unaware that a powerful swell has moved in putting her in the direct path of danger. When Cate is rescued by a mysterious surfer named Luc, an alluring Welsh renegade and a modern-day descendant of the ancient Fae race, she is propelled into a new era of self-discovery and a total re-evaluation of the world around her.
Who is your target audience, and why?
The obvious target audience is readers of Fae romance and new age fiction, but I do believe that this book will appeal to a much wider audience. It’s a unique blend of Southern California’s surf culture, environmental spirituality, and urban fantasy. I think surfers and anyone concerned about the environment will really enjoy reading it, particularly Angelenos and anyone living and pursuing careers in Hollywood. Also, the elusive Fae, Luc, is from the Pembrokeshire coast of Wales, and the book touches on a bit of Welsh history and mythology. As the series continues, Wales will feature much more prominently.
If you were going to give one reason for anyone looking at your book to read, why should they buy it?
It is absolutely unique. I don’t think anyone has ever written anything remotely like it.
What do you consider your greatest success in life?
The completion and publication of this book. I feel as though my entire life has been leading up to it.
What one unique thing sets you apart from other writers in your genre?
I believe my experience in the film industry is quite unusual for writers in my genre. I hope that I will be able to use that in the future to bring visionary fiction stories to the screen in a commercial yet mindful way.
Tell me about your upcoming events.
I love photography and I am a somewhat reluctant model as well. Currently, I am working on a series of Urban Faery-inspired photo shoots in which I will be transforming myself into a magical raven. And then, in the fall of this year, I will be traveling from Los Angeles to Wales and England where I will be attending book signings and a variety of magical festivals including the Glastonbury Faery Ball. My tour will cumulate in November at International FaeryCon in Baltimore, Maryland.
What is your next book on the horizon?
It’s up in the air now if I will carry on writing the Urban Faery series in novella format, or if I will develop it directly as a television series. Maybe both. I feel I could carry on with this story for quite a long time. Otherwise, I do have several full-length novels that I have begun work on, but those are at least a few years from completion.
How do you overcome writer’s block?
I literally sit and stare at the page. It’s work. There’s no running away from it, no magical cure. I sit and sit and sit. The discipline to do that is intense, but after a while, a few words might come…and then a few more…and then I’m off!
What one piece of advice do you have for new authors.
My main character, Cate, is in essence myself. There is a piece of advice floating around the writing world that you should always make yourself the main character. Not every author does this, but it felt right in my case, and I feel it made this story much more authentic. Although I am not an actress, I’ve always daydreamed about it. Also, while living in Los Angeles I spent a good amount of time in Malibu, and I really envied that extraordinary connection surfers have with nature. I surf sometimes, but I’m not very good. So, this story is very much a fantasy of mine. It’s fun that way.
I am donating 10% of all proceeds from this book to the Surfrider Foundation, an organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves, and beaches. http://surfrider.org
FOLLOW ANGELA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urbanfaerylife/
Author website: https://angelasavidge.com/
Blog coming soon: https://angelasavidge.com/blog
ISBN - WHERE SHOULD YOU PURCHASE?
Let's face it. Most authors are broke and until your book makes it to the best-seller list you are not going to get rich. With that said, authors must maximize their book's potential by purchasing an ISBN from a legitimate source. As enticing as a free ISBN is from any site such as KDP, you must read the fine print on the KDP site. First, Amazon will be listed as the publisher, not you. To top that off, KDP's policy states: "This free ISBN can only be used on KDP for distribution to Amazon and its distribution partners. It cannot be used with another publisher or self-publishing services." Whoa! What does that mean? Simply put, you cannot distribute your book through Ingramspark, Itunes and so much more because of this policy. That means you lose potential sales channels on the global market. I want to clarify that even more. When you accept the free ISBN from KDP, Amazon owns that ISBN and you do not have distribution rights. Amazon does. Now what?
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If you would like to purchase an ISBN from Absolute Author Publishing House contact Dr. Carol Michaels, CEO, at carol.absoluteauthor@gmail.com.