Archive for the ‘Art / Craft / Teaching’ Category

If you are looking for the live-blog experience on January 5, 2013 , 10:00am – 1:00pm PST, please go to  http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/please-help-me-welcome-author-wendy-d-walter-to-this-live-blog-appearance/  now.  Thanks!

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan here . . . wishing you a  Happy New Year!  Below is the  interview with delightful Wendy D. Walter, author of Ambril’s Tale, The Return of the Dullaith (compelling story for teens . . . any age really).

About Ambril’s Tale, The Return of the Dullaith

Fourteen-year-old Ambril struggles with the mystery surrounding her father’s death when she moves back to the mysterious town where she was born. When she accidentally uncovers a secret which threatens to destroy her entire family, she continues her quest, against all odds, to clear her father’s name. But will she be able to claim her magic and heal the rifts in her family?

Ambril’s Tale, The Return of the Dullaith has received great 4-5-star reviews. Readers are impatiently demanding Book Two, which will be out early Spring 2013.

Be sure to come back to this blog on January 5, 2013, 10:00am-1:00pm PST

Wendy will be giving away a prize — a copy of one of her books (paperback or e-book).

Also, you can enter her End-of-Tour Grand Prize Giveaway of a hand-painted gnome, hand-painted by Wendy herself!  Click on http://wendydwalter.com/blog-tour/

What to expect on January 5th?  Click here.

author Wendy D. Walter

Coach Teresa’s Interview-Questions for Author Wendy D. Walter

Ambril's Tale, Return of the Dullaith

Coach Teresa:   Wendy, what is the symbolism behind Ambril and the Dullaith?

Wendy:    When protagonist Ambril moves back to the weird, little town where she was born, she is immediately attacked by a smelly, smoky, demon called a Dullaith. But the demon is more than just a salivating monster who wants to make Ambril a bedtime snack. Ambril soon finds that there’s a connection between it and her father’s death.

Smoke swirls around the Dullaith, just as lies cloak the truth about her father’s death. Ambril realizes that she must choose between acceptance in her new home town, and shining a light on the dark truths surrounding her father’s mysterious death.

We, as humans, tend to protect the status quo, no matter how rotten, to avoid  destabilizing events. The Dullaith represents how a festering half-truth can balloon to demonic proportions. All it requires is for us to close our eyes, and look away. It’s so easy . . . until it turns around, shows its jaggle tooth grin, and chases us.

Coach Teresa:   What makes  fantasy tick?

Wendy:    It isn’t really about gnomes and fairies. Fantasy provides us with an opportunity to flex our creativity and dream big. It’s also the perfect platform for dealing with human flaws. In fact, we fantasy-writers have it easy. If it suits us, we can dress up our bullies and despots as demons, give them breath so bad that it singes everyone’s eyebrows, then trounce them in battle…soooo satisfying.

We get to the heart of the matter with less fuss this way. This allows us more time to spend showing, rather than telling, how to deal with the sometimes monstrous behavior of our fellow humans.

Coach Teresa:   Bullying behavior is a hot topic today, tell us how you deal with it in Ambril’s Tale.

Wendy:    I have to admit, bullying is overused in YA fantasy books. Why? Because it works so well, as we’re allowed to paint human emotions with a broad brush. Bullying is an obvious abuse of power, it works well within worlds where it’s clear who the good and bad guys are, most of the time. But because it’s overused, it has to be done…delicately. That’s why, when I chose to sprinkle bullies throughout Ambril’s Tale, I did so with caution. But I did it, because I wanted to use them to expose nastier forms of abuse.

Bullying is just as rampant in Ambril’s world as it is in our world. Lance, one of Ambril’s schoolmates, is a classic bully. He shoves kids around and gleefully abuses his brother. But Lance has a reason for doing this, his fate hinges on his relationship with his father and brother, and how his family relates to the village of Trelawnyd.  Because the abuse of power becomes especially bad if it’s allowed to fester, the secrets of Trelawnyd threaten to bring everyone to their knees.

The only method of ridding ourselves of bullies and despots of all shapes and sizes is through education, intervention, or by forcing the bully to live with the consequences of his/her behavior. Lance’s behavior sets in motion a power greater than his own, and it changes him. Whether it’s for better or for worse, you’ll have to keep reading!

Coach Teresa:  Ambril’s Tale has many references to ancient Celtic magic and nature based magic. Why is that?

Wendy:    A while back, I stumbled on a genealogy website. As a child of the melting pot, I had never thought past my American heritage. But I was intrigued, so I started clicking and soon found myself back in a small Welsh village. The place where my ancestors had stumped around in Wellies—and whatever came before Wellies—for nearly 500 years. It was a little place, a village called Trelawnyd.

Nature and magic. This is where it all began for us humans. Around the globe, religion started out as a way to tame the elements, and to minimize the damage nature often exacts. In honor of my newly found heritage, I named my fictional California town Trelawnyd. There, Ambril finds that nature based magic is alive and well.

We live under the threat of Global Warming, rising seas and raging storms. I thought that by using the ancient magic of the Celts, and their firm belief that a balance of nature must be maintained,  it might help us gain the courage to face our man-made demons and make some much needed changes.

There are little bits and pieces of Celtic magic everywhere in Ambril’s Tale. The  demons in Ambril’s Tale take the form of unbalanced nature. The Dullaith is made of noxious smoke and the big, bad guy in the series, Moroz, is something only a mad scientist would be proud of; a toxic mesh of humanity and tortured tree. I don’t want to say anymore as I’ll probably ruin it for you, Book 2, Riding the Cursed Shoots will be coming out in March!

Coach Teresa:   Is there a particular human flaw that you most wanted to address in Ambril’s Tale?

Wendy:    Every writer has issues to put forth in their books. One of mine centers around my experience of moving to Utah from California at the age of ten.

Before I go any further, I have to say that this is a human problem, not a religious one. In fact, there are football fans who exhibit what we’re about to discuss.

Coming from California, Utah felt cold and closed. I found it hard to fit in. Why? Was I weird, were they, or was it something else? I’ve thought long and hard about this and, although I am a little weird, I think that it was something else. For when 90% of your neighbors, the kids at school, and your parent’s friends share a restrictive belief system, everything is just a bit skewed. People strive to cover up their idiosyncrasies, they hide away their family secrets and desperately pretend to be normal.

In Ambril’s Tale, Trelawnyd mirrors the environment I found in Utah. It is a village obsessed with pretending to be something it isn’t, normal. Magical beings are everywhere, in the forests, the skies and among the villagers. But no one ever talks about them. Keeping this secret has made the villagers fearful and suspicious of outsiders. Though Ambril has roots in Trelawnyd, most villagers regard her as an outsider. She has to tread lightly as she tries to unlock the secrets surrounding her father’s death.

Coach Teresa:  Tell us about Ambril’s source of power and why you created it.

Wendy:    Magical objects imbued with power, are a great way to showcase just how much power corrupts. In fantasy, we use them to convey power exchanges.  They get stolen, destroyed, ransomed, enslaved—etc. In real life, we exchange power in conversation, body language and transactions. But real life is complicated,  it is difficult to tell if someone behaved honorably when he’s caught holding your wallet. Did he really pick it up off the sidewalk or did he pick your pocket? Because he’s your cousin, exactly when do you ask him about the missing $100 bill? In front of the cops? At Thanksgiving?

It’s often a relief to see how well our moral compasses work when given clear choices. And with practice, perhaps it may even work better in real life, so that you can find a way to recover your $100 and remain friends with all of your cousins.

Coach Teresa:  Some believe that the violent nature of fantasy stories is too extreme. What are your thoughts?

Wendy:    Death, destruction, mayhem—it’s everywhere in fantasy stories. Without them, the good guys don’t shine nearly bright enough. Stories of all genres require a broad spectrum of life to ring true, particularly so with fantasy stories.

Physical violence and emotional abuse are all too common in our world. If we practice dealing with it in a world where we can’t personally get hurt, it helps us deal with real life bullies, thieves and people on the verge of going postal.

I have had my share of dragon bosses, ferrety friends and relatives who would give the Wicked Witch of the West pause. Fantasy characters may look different, but most of them are human inside.  Learning how to deal with monsters in a fantasy world such as Ambril’s might help everyone deal with the nasty’s in their life. I know it’s helped me. Practice, practice, practice.

Coach Teresa:  In your book Ambril’s Tale, Return of the Dullaith . . . Ambril heals her family.  Did you set out to write this familiar theme in your YA (young adult) novel?

Wendy:    All those with perfect families please raise your hand…Yeah, I thought so, are there any? Let’s face it, we all have family issues;  crazy uncles,  aunts who drink too much at Christmas, and the occasional incarcerated cousin. Kids fantasize about fixing these problems. If only Mom and Dad would fall in love again, then we would all live happily ever after…If only Dad stopped drinking…If only Mom wasn’t working so hard…if only, if only…

Ambril is no different than any other kid. There is a secret hidden in Ambril’s family, a secret that no one is willing to talk about. Ambril realizes that if she can drag this secret into the light, her family might begin to heal. She is desperate for this, and risks everything to reveal this one secret including: losing her friends, her future in Trelawnyd…even her life. All for the chance of knitting her family back together again.

Coach Teresa:  What specifically is empowering to women in Ambril’s Tale?

Wendy:    It’s electrifying to see through the eyes of a demon slayer and share the triumph when power is snatched from the hands of the evil overlord, isn’t it?

One of the things that I find thrilling is the proliferation of female warriors today. In our world, there are few outlets for women to be warrior-like as it counters our nurturing image. Secretly, I suspect that the women of the world would love to try it once in a while, and fantasize about it when they can.

I’m one of those secret warriors. Secret, because it never works in real life for me. When I take up a cause and go once more, into the breach, I usually find myself going off a cliff and into the mud…amidst laughter. It’s so humiliating. Fantasy books allow me to be physically adept and best the bad guys, occasionally.

In fantasy, the rules are clear and the tasks simple: save the universe or everyone dies. There is absolutely no ambiguity. It allows us to escape the shifty, gray edges of human morality. When we root for the good guys, it refreshes our view of reality. Because we all know we can’t slug our overbearing, bombastic bosses in real life. But besting demons in Ambril’s world feels almost as good. It’s exhilarating and empowering.

Be sure to come back to this blog on January 5, 2013, 10:00am-1:00pm PST

Reward Number 1 for showing up on this blog on January 5th:  Schmooze with Wendy D. Walter!

Another reward:  Wendy’s publisher will give away a prize — a copy of one of Wendy’s books (paperback or e-book).  The giveaway ends five days after my blog post goes live.

Another reward:  Over 6,000 readers visit my blog each month. Introduce yourselves and ask Wendy questions, so that everyone will get to meet you too.

About The Author:  Wendy D. Walter

Writing was an early passion for Wendy. As a kid, she wrote lots of stories, but being shy, those  usually ended up under the mattress. When she finally set out to tell Ambril’s Tale, she decided not to write a story but a world, full with her own marvelous illustrations. She considers The Return of the Dullaith as just the curly tip of the fairy boot. Wendy lives near San Francisco with her husband, daughters, cat and border collie. More information about Wendy’s book and art, check her site: http://wendydwalter.com

Ambril's Tale, Return of the Dullaith

Where to Find the book Ambril’s Tale, Return of the Dullaith:

http://www.amazon.com/Ambrils-Tale-Return-Dullaith-ebook/dp/B008EALE3A/

Ambril’s Tale, Return of the Dullaith at Barnes and Noble

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/174750

See you on January 5th!

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan says: “Reach out, not stress out, to materialize your dearest dreams.”
http://writingcoachteresa.com

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan here, with exciting news!

 Wendy D. Walter uses her new book Ambril’s Tale, Return of the Dullaith to:

*  help young adults transform grief into courage

*  inspire readers to step into their unique inherent gifts

* show teens how to overcome obstacles, including battling foul-breath monsters (and bullies in any human form), and find their way home

Ambril's Tale, Return of the Dullaith by Wendy D. Walter

Please mark your calendars.  Come by my blog  http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog on January 3rd and 5th, 2013.

On January 3, 2013  I will publish my interview with delightful author Wendy D. Walter!

author Wendy D. Walter

Then, on January 5th, 2013, 10:00am – 1:00pm Pacific Standard Time -  Wendy D. Walter will be here, live on my blog!

What does that mean?  That morning, I will publish a post at http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog with instructions for you to submit comments.  Your submitting comments is how you would “show up” to greet my guest-author and ask her questions.  I will be at my computer, publishing your comments (making your comments “live”) . . .  so that you, Wendy, and everyone who submit comments (“showing up” during those hours) will see what everyone else is saying.  Wendy will be at her computer, submitting comments too . . . that’s how she would “show up” to say hello to you and answer your questions.

You might be asking:  “Coach Teresa, what if I cannot be at my computer during those hours on January 5th to greet Wendy?”

Answer:  “You can participate anyway . . . by submitting your comments when you do show up after Jan. 5th 1:00pm PST; I will check my blog within 48 hours after the event, publish your comments, and notify Wendy that there were guests who showed up after the live-event . . . then she will respond by submitting her comments . . . I will publish within 48 hours.”

Reward Number 1 for submitting comments:  Schmooze with Wendy D. Walter!

Another reward for submitting comments:  Wendy’s publisher will give away a prize — a copy of one of Wendy’s books (paperback or e-book).  The giveaway ends five days after my blog post goes live.

Another reward for submitting comments:  Over 6,000 readers visit my blog each month. Introduce yourselves and ask Wendy questions, so that my fans will get to meet you too.

Where to Find the book Ambril’s Tale, Return of the Dullaith :

http://www.amazon.com/Ambrils-Tale-Return-Dullaith-ebook/dp/B008EALE3A/

Ambril’s Tale, Return of the Dullaith at Barnes and Noble

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/174750

What is Kirkus Review saying about Ambril’s Tale, Return of the Dullaith ?

Normal teenagers are thrust into a world of magic in this heartfelt, occasionally hair-raising story for the Harry Potter set…The cliff-hanger ending will leave readers craving the next installment. Bound to satisfy young readers hungry for tales of magic, adventure and friendship.  – Kirkus Review

To see complete schedule of Wendy’s blog tour:  http://ambrils-tale.com

I am very happy for Wendy and so excited that she will be here on January 5th!

See you all then!

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

Teresa LeYung-Ryan at LinkedIn

http://www.facebook.com/Teresa.LeYung.Ryan

http://www.youtube.com/teresaleyung

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan here to thank Margie Yee Webb for telling me about Laurie Hoirup’s orchestrating the authors’ event at Carvalho Family Winery on Dec. 15 & 16, 2012, 1:00-5:00pm, and Amy Gorman for saying “yes” to going too!  Margie, Amy and I will be there Saturday Dec. 15th only.

authors Margie Yee Webb, Teresa LeYung-Ryan, Amy Gorman

Click here for updated list of authors.

Click here for directions to the winery.

 Carvalho Family Winery

at Old Sugar Mill
35265 Willow Avenue
Clarksburg, CA 95612

December 15 & 16, 2012, 1:00pm to 5:00pm both days
“Gifts of Wine & Words!”

Come out and enjoy a glass of wine (or two) while buying a new book signed by the author! Over 40 authors–representing a multitude of genres. Pair the perfect wine with your new favorite book.  No charge to attend this event.

1. Laurie Hoirup - I Can Dance: My Life with a Disability
2.  A. K. Buckroth - My Diabetic Soul
3. Cindy Sample – Dying for a Date
4.  Theodora Graves – Through Phantom Eyes
5. Amy Rogers – Petroplague
6. Jeannie Nishikawa – Dreaming in English: A Memoir
7. Margie Yee Webb – Cat Mulan’s Mindful Musings: Insight and Inspiration for a Wonderful Life
   
8. Penny Callmeyer, co-author Villa of  Youth
9. TE Watson – The Man Who Spoke With Cats
10. Shelley Buck – Floating Point
11. Teresa LeYung-Ryan – Love Made of Heart; Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days
12. Amy Gorman – Aging Artfully: 12 Profiles of Visual and Performing Women Artists 85-105
13. Liz Allenby – Appearances Deceive
14. Cheryl Stapp – Disaster & Triumph: Sacramento Women-Gold Rush through Civil War
15. Murray Stapp – Those Radio Days
16. Loraine Holden – Don’t Get Thin, Get Healthy
17. Norma Thorton - Nonie’s  1st Big Bottom Girls’ Rio Linda Cookbook
18. Marsha Robinson – Rescuing Humphrey
19. Sheri Cockrell - contributor to Mom Entrepreneur Extraordinaire
20. Judith Horstman – Scientific American brain books
21. Phil Silver – Andi the Bee
22. Naida West - California Gold Trilogy
23. Peggy  Dulle – Saddle Up
24. Owen Sullivan - The House’s Money
25. Nan  Mahon – Blind Buddies
26. Linda  Lohman – contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul
27. Robert M Pacholik – Crab Louie
28. Mort  Rumberg – Codename: Snake
29. Denise Lee Branco - Horse at the Corner Post
30. Jen Barton - Fiona Thorn and the Carapacem Spell
31. Marilyn Reynolds – Over 70 and I Don’t Mean MPH
32. Anara Guard - Late Peaches
33. Frank Luna – Red Storm
34. Mary Weins - Bootstrap Your Way to a Successful Business
35. Lonon Smith - Wise Men
36. Frank Leek – Shared Parenting; Beyond the Great Divide
37. Shirley Parenteau - Bears in Beds
38. Margaret Murray - Dreamers, A Coming of Age Love Story of the 60s
39. Elaine Macko – Armed
40. Joyce Mikal-Flynn – Turning Tragedy Into Triumph, Metahabilitation; A Contemporary Model of Rehabilitation

Meet authors at “Gifts of Wine & Words” Dec. 15 & 16, 2012 near Sacramento, CA

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Teresa LeYung-Ryan at LinkedIn

http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

http://www.facebook.com/Teresa.LeYung.Ryan

http://www.youtube.com/teresaleyung

October 25, 2012 through December 6, 2012

Platform-Building and Writing Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan says: “My deep gratitude to colleagues who have endorsed me on LinkedIn in October, November, December 2012.  If other colleagues / clients have endorsed me but I haven’t received notification, please let me know by emailing me or submitting a comment to this post.  Thank you so much! Anyone who reads this post can submit a comment – please brag about your own work / specialties; let my fans know what you are doing in the writing / publishing world.”

To submit a comment: click on the headline/title bar of this post, scroll down to the end of this post, fill in the boxes, and press the [submit comment] button.

I thank these colleagues for endorsing my services relating to: blogging; book publishing; editing; writer’s platform-building; Search Engine Optimization “SEO” for websites/blogs; creative-writing coaching; social media

• Suzanne Corson – email marketing manager; newsletter project manager; freelance editor; writer; business owner; bookseller; independent bookstores

• Nancy Suib- 30+ years in publishing industry. Book retail experience. In-house publishing sales and marketing. Owner of sales and marketing independent rep organization selling to 13 western states
• Carole Bumpus – author of A Cup of Redemption- Carole has been researching family life in both France and Italy, regarding women who have suffered the ‘collateral damages’ of war.
• Patricia Chan-Miller- Organized coordinator; Expert negotiator; Skilled compiling information/data into reports and spreadsheets

• Steve (Fredericks) Liddick – book publishing; book promoting; California Writers Club; Top Cat Publications; retired from radio business

• Linda C. McCabe – author of  Quest of the Warrior Maiden- Book One in the Bradamante and Ruggiero series
• Thonie Hevron - author of By Force Or Fear  “Giving writers–and readers–an authentic cop experience.”
• Kim McMillon- interviews artists, writers, those interested in the healing arts and theater arts.  Playwright; teacher; member of PEN Oakland;  radio show host & promoter of San Joaquin and Northern California events.
• Kathryn (Kay) Mehl Miller, Ph.D. -  interested in living as an aging woman and writing about the subject; author of  Living with the Stranger in Me: An Exploration of Aging
• Marcia Naomi Berger- The Marriage Maven; creator of The Marriage Meeting Starter Kit.  “I am an experienced psychotherapist who is well-trained in both cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic approaches. I love drawing on my knowledge of many treatment approaches so that I can customize my work for each client and situation. My mission is to help people get the marriage they’ve always wanted; a loving one that fosters the growth and vitality of both partners, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.”
• Julaina Kleist-Corwin- award-winning writer, school teacher, and field supervisor
• Linda Joy Myers – writing teacher; founder of the National Association of Memoir Writers; author of multiple books, including The Power of Memoir
• Carol Sheldon – award-winning author of Mother Lode, playwright, director, actress, poet, educator
• Elaine Webster -  author of Heartfelt: A Caregivers Guide to Cardiomyopathy and Mitral Valve Surgery;  Jesse’s Tale: Overcoming Fear Aggression and Separation Anxiety in an Adopted Greyhound  president of California Writers Club–Redwood Branch
• Barbara Santos – Created, developed and publicized signature events on Maui and in California both non-profit and for profit. Transitioned small grass-roots events into multi-million dollar budgeted events; marketing director for San Francisco Writers Conference; author of Practice Aloha Book: Secrets to Living Life Hawaiian Style;
• Tory Hartmann – Tory is a writer who has sold articles to San Francisco Chronicle, San Mateo Times, Parenting on the Peninsula, as well as many other publications; Editor at Sand Hill Review Press
• Martha Alderson – The Plot Whisperer is an international plot consultant for writers. Her clients include best-selling authors, screenwriters, writing teachers and fiction editors. As the author of  The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master, and the workbook, and Blockbuster Plots Pure & Simple, she created a unique line of plot tools for writers, including the Scene Tracker Kit, and the Plot Planner DVDs
• Susan Novak- botanist; gardener; plant identifying
• Diane Warner- memoirist; doll maker; artist; retired clown
• Sandy Baker – author of Mrs. Feeny and the Grubby Garden Gang;  Zack’s Zany Zucchiniland; The Tehran Triangle; a master gardener
• Mona Mechling – Writer;  creator of The Fridge Magnet Chronicles(collection of short stories)
• Barbara Toboni – writer; bookkeeper. Barbara writes short stories, poetry, memoir, and picture books. Her poetry and essays have been published in literary journals and newspapers including Alura Poetry and the Napa Valley Register. Her short stories have been published in anthologies, including Wisdom Has a Voice, Vintage Voices, and Cup of Comfort. Undertow, a chapbook of poetry, was published in 2011

Here are some organizations that connect these colleagues to me:

San Francisco Writers Conference

California Writers Club – San Francisco Peninsula Branch

California Writers Club – Santa Rosa Branch aka Redwood Writers

California Writers Club – Berkeley Branch

California Writers Club – Marin Branch

California Writers Club – Sacramento Branch

California Writers Club – South Bay Branch

For all branches of  California Writers Club http://calwriters.org

Writers Forum Petaluma

Wisdom Has A Voice

National Association of Memoir Writers

Women’s National Book Association-San Francisco Chapter

For all chapters of Women’s National Book Association http://www.wnba-books.org

Have you seen Coach Teresa interviewed by Frank Mallicoat on CBS Channel 5?

Cheering for writers and readers and everyone who has a story in her/his heart!

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Teresa LeYung-Ryan at LinkedIn

http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

http://www.facebook.com/Teresa.LeYung.Ryan
http://www.youtube.com/teresaleyung

Thanksgiving Day for me (Coach Teresa) marks the beginning of “the season for wonderment.”  I especially like this time of year – rainy days; pumpkin pies, sweet potato pies; leaves turning yellow, orange, red; cards from friends; more rain.

It’s also bittersweet – the ending of a year; what projects didn’t get done?

It’s also extremely sad – people we care about getting sick, suffering, dying.

As I give thanks to every living being who has helped me come this far in life, I give thanks to every angel who has inspired me to find joy in work.

This year, I am extremely sad for these heroes who have suffered and died. These dear hearts are: Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Jacquelyn Amira Hayes, Dr. Pamela Rogers, Miriam May Meyer Pollock, and Lori Hope.  Thank you, Kathi, Amira, Pamela, Miriam, and Lori, for all that you did to help people and for the legacies you leave behind.

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Did you know that the City of San Francisco had declared Nov. 8, 2008 as "Kathi Kamen Goldmark Day"? That same day, Kathi received the Women's National Book Association (WNBA) Award.

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On her facebook profile, beautiful Amira Hayes's response to "Religious Views" was: "Love"

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Vibrant Dr. Pamela D. Rogers helped women understand and enjoy their own sexuality

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A smile from Miriam Pollock would make one's whole day bright.

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Author Lori Hope would ask: "What do you say to someone with cancer — how do you show how much you care?"

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Two other beautiful hearts have left for their next journeys – my husband’s cousin Sue and twenty-three year old Leah.

I miss you all so much; and, I am so sad for your loved ones.

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

As author of Love Made of Heart, creator of Love Made of Heart gift items and the “Talking to My Dead Mom Monologues,” Teresa encourages writers to speak out (in print) for those who cannot speak for themselves.

As coach and author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW , Teresa says: “Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, make your name synonymous with the issues you write about.”

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Literacy Advocate Kim McMillon invites us to:

PEN OAKLAND National Literary Awards

Saturday, December 1, 2012, 2:00pm to 5:00pm

Oakland Public Library – Rockridge Branch, Oakland, CA

PEN OAKLAND “The Blue-Collar PEN”

The 22nd Annual PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles National Literary Awards will take place on Saturday, December 1, 2012, at the Oakland Public Library, Rockridge Branch, 5366 College Avenue from 2 to 5 p.m. The ceremony is free and open to the public, and will be followed by a reception and book signings.

THE 2012 PEN OAKLAND-JOSEPHINE MILES LITERARY AWARD WINNERS

Ocotillo Dreams by Melinda Palacio.
Bilingual Review Press. (novel)

The Armageddon of Funk by Michael Warr.
Tia Chucha Press. (poetry)

Solitude of Five Black Moons by Aurora Harris.
Broadside Press/University of Detroit Mercy Press. (poetry)

La Negra y Blanca: Fugue & Commentary by Deena Metzger.
Hand to Hand Press. (novel)

Fug You by Ed Sanders.
Da Capo Press. (memoir)

Sugar Zone by Mary Mackey.
Marsh Hawk Press (poetry)

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward.
Bloomsbury. (novel)

CENSORSHIP AND LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Alexander Cockburn is the winner of the 2012 Censorship Award.

Q.R. Hand will receive the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Hearty congratulations to all the winners and everyone at PEN Oakland !

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

As coach and author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW , Teresa says: “Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, make your name synonymous with the issues you write about.”

After Thanksgiving Day . . . Events for Writers & Readers in Placerville, Fremont, El Dorado Hills, Pleasant Hill, Pleasanton, CA

Friday, November 23, 2012,  11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Award-winning authors at Placerville News Company!

409 Main Street
Placerville, CA 95667
530-622-4510

Author/photographer Margie Yee Webb, Cat Mulan’s Mindful Musings: Insight and Inspiration for a Wonderful Life; and author Cindy Sample, Dying For A Date and Dying For A Dance, during Merchants Open House on Historic Main Street.  Just in time to start your Christmas shopping!

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Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012, 2:00-4:00pm  California Writers Club–Fremont Branch

For details: http://www.cwc-fremontareawriters.org/

Get ready to put aside the Thanksgiving leftovers, and dine on Fremont Area Writers’ Two for One Turkey Time Treat!

No, not food—food for thought.

We’re planning a revival of Open Mic, followed by a panel discussion in which three intrepid FAW members will attempt to answer your questions about writing, editing, marketing…you name it!

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Authors Dahlynn McKowen & Ken McKowen at Face In A Book

Book Signing
FACE IN A BOOK Bookstore and Gifts
El Dorado Hills Town Center, El Dorado Hills, CA

Come meet local authors Dahlynn and Ken McKowen, creators of the Not Your Mother’s Book anthology series, at this special Small Business Saturday event. Also joining them will be Granite Bay resident Nancy Withers, who contributed a story to the On Being a Woman title. Light refreshments will be served.

The McKowens spent 10 years creating Chicken Soup for the Soul books with Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen before launching the NYMB series. NYMB books are contemporary, fun and even daring! No sad, sappy or death and dying stories—EVER! They are looking for stories for 30-plus new NYMB titles. Submission guidelines can be found at www.PublishingSyndicate.com

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Saturday, December 8, 2012  California Writers Club–Mt. Diablo Branch in Pleasant Hill, CA

For details: http://cwcmtdiablowriters.wordpress.com/next-program/

Special End-of-Year Luncheon

with “Two of Our Own”

Susan Pace-Koch

Susan will discuss Get Out of My Head, I Should Go to Bed, illustrated by award-winning Jeremy Kwan, and her latest children’s book, In One Ear and Out the Other, illustrated by Jack Wiens.  Her books will be available for sale for those special children on your “list.”

Kathleen Curtis Wilson

Kathleen will speak of her twenty years of writing set-backs, successes, and opportunities.  She will describe two years of photography, three years of research, and four years to find a publisher for her third book, Irish People, Irish Linen.

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Saturday, December 15, 2012  California Writers Club–Tri-Valley Branch in Pleasanton, CA

For details:  http://trivalleywriters.org/

Meg Waite Clayton is the national bestselling author of The Four Ms. Bradwells, The Wednesday Sisters, and the Bellwether Prize finalist The Language of Light, published by Ballantine Books, a Random House imprint, and acclaimed by all major national book club picks.

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Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

As coach and author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW , Teresa says: “Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, make your name synonymous with the issues you write about.”

Do you know anyone ages 13-21 in Sacramento County, CA who likes to make movies?  Videographers called to create videos addressing mental illness stigma and discrimination–entries due December 21, 2012.

Press release:   Video Contest for Mental Health Stigma – Entries Due December 21, 2012

Love Made of Heart (mother-daughter love story) by Teresa LeYung-Ryan

What Is Happening this Weekend November 16, 17, 18, 2012 for Writers and Readers in northern California?

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The award-winning guidebook TellTale Souls Writing the Mother Memoir: How to Tap Memory and Write Your Story Capturing Character & Spirit

If you could tell just one  small story that would reveal the essence of your mother’s character and keep her spirit alive, what would it be?

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Saturday, November 17, 2012, 9:30 am–1:30 pm

“The Narrator’s Tale: All About Point of View” Workshop at Redwood Writers

Presented by Ana Manwaring

Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa,
2777 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95405  

$25 members, $35 non-members

Register: http://redwoodwriters.org/workshops/november-2012-workshop/

A workshop on the intricacies of Point of View. This will be a hands on workshop so come prepared with pen, paper, and a scene from your original writing (double spaced) that includes plenty of narration.

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Saturday, November 17, 2012 10:00am Belmont, CA Library

San Francisco Peninsula Branch of California Writers Club presents:
Tanya Egan Gibson: Author, Editor, Writing Coach

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Learn the various ways you can get the details of places right (even without a travel budget), how to make your world exciting, and and how to use your world to strengthen both plot and characterization. For more: tanyaegangibson.com  Tanya is the author of How To Buy a Love of Reading.

Members $15, Non-Members $18, Students $10 with ID
http://www.cwc-peninsula.org/events_pay.html

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Saturday, November 17th, 2012 11:00 AM-1:00 PM

Sacramento Branch of California Writers Club

Luncheon November 2012: Karl Palachuk, publisher

Topic: Publishing Your Own Book: What’s new, what’s important, what’s essential?

Members $12.00,  Non-Members $14.00

Meetings are held at:

Tokyo Buffet restaurant
7217 Greenback Ln., Citrus Heights, CA 95621

http://www.cwcsacramentowriters.org

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Nov. 2 – 18, 2012  Fringe of Marin Festival of New Bay Area One-Act Plays and Solos

http://www.fringeofmarin.com/index.html

http://www.fringeofmarin.com/performanceschedule.html

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan and author Lynn Scott will catch a show in Program 2 to cheer for playwrights Carol Sheldon (On With the Wind) and Ollie Mae Trost Welch (Shaw).  Annette Lust, I cheer for you always!

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Sunday, November 18, 2012, 2:00pm

Berkeley Branch of California Writers Club

Speaker — “Scenes for the Novel and the Screen” with James Dalessandro

at the Oakland Main Library, Bradley C. Walters Community Room, also known as the West Auditorium, Oakland, CA

Monthly Speaker Programs (FREE)

http://cwc-berkeley.org/

1:05 p.m. Doors Open, Marketing Group

1:30-2:00 pm Social Time

2:00  to 4:30 pm Announcements, Program & More Social Time

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Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! 

print edition ISBN: 978-0983010005

Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

As coach and author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW,  Teresa says: “Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, make your name synonymous with the issues you write about.”

(Clicking on underscored text in this post will open a new window to get to referenced site.)

Meet Teresa LeYung-Ryan, Book Marketing Coach!

1. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about your background in the industry?
My name is Teresa LeYung-Ryan and my clients call me Writing-and-Platform-Building Coach Teresa. I wish to thank Christy Pinheiro-Silva of www.StepByStepSelfPublishing.net for this interview, and, I encourage everyone to look for the core messages in my responses—which are:  Reach out, not stress out, to material your dreams;  and, wear your two hats as a writer and be happy (whether you’re writing fiction, narrative nonfiction, or prescription nonfiction also known as “how to” books/articles).

This is what happened to me, over ten years ago, and the choices I’ve made.

I had a dream—a dream of connecting with readers the way Maxine Hong Kingston touched me with her memoir The Woman Warrior.  My writer’s journey started with learning the components of a story in a ten-week course Writing Children’s Literature at the community center and forming a critique group with three classmates after the course ended.

Fast forward.  After seven years of writing and rewriting, showing up at critique meetings twice a month,  I received a gift from a friend—a brochure for the Jack London Writers’ Conference with an entry form for their writing contest.   Two months later, at the conference, I met members from California Writers’ Club and I received “Second Prize” in the Novel Category in the writing contest. I thought that by being a winner in a contest, surely I would attract mentors and be “discovered” by an agent the following week.  (Are you laughing?)

Fast forward.  After sending query letters and the first two chapters of my novel to dozens of agents over a year, and, receiving “rejection letters” and getting very depressed, I took a friend’s advice and registered for a workshop “How to Get Published.” Also, I got together with two other contest-winners (Luisa Adams and Martha Alderson) and we pledged to help each other on our writers’ journeys.

I took a six-week leave of absence from my job to perform the last big rewrite of my manuscript.  (Note: Surround yourself with people who really support your dreams. My husband and my friends were cheering for me.)

Fast forward.  My first novel Love Made of Heart (a mother-daughter love story) is used in college composition classes; available at public libraries; recommended by the CA School Library Association and the CA Reading Association; and archived at the San Francisco History Center.   October 2012 marks the tenth anniversary of Love Made of Heart.  The book is still in print, and, I continue to meet new fans.

For the past nine years, through my coaching  and my workbook Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days, I have been helping writers reach out, not stress out, to attract agents, editors, publishers, readers, and media attention.

2. What is your opinion on self-publishing vs. traditional publishing and represented by an agent?

The advantage of identifying the right agent who will pitch your intellectual property to the right publishers— agents have their specialties and their relationships with acquisition editors at publishing houses; established publishers have relationships with book distributors.

Note: An agent gets 15% of what the author receives from the publisher (similar to a finder’s fee). Agents are not publicists, marketing managers or promoters.  The publisher, not the agent, offers you the contract (to buy the rights to publish your book).

Note: Hire a literary attorney to interpret and negotiate the contract for you if your agent doesn’t have access to legal counsel. Know what rights you are selling to the publisher.

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The advantage of being your own publisher—you have full control regarding:

• rights to publish and re-print
• how to promote your book, when, and to whom
• publication date and publication format
• book layout, cover design, jacket copy
• cover price; discounts to booksellers
• budget and profits

Consider Your and Other People’s Timetables:
It might take years to find your agent; it might take years before your agent finds the publisher.  By the way, my super-agent Stacey Glick tells me that only 2% of her clients would receive contracts from publishers.  When Stacey negotiated the deal with acquisition editor John Scognamiglio at Kensington Publishing Corp. New York (a publisher who releases 500+ new titles each year) for my  mother-daughter novel Love Made of Heart, my book title got onto the “conveyor belt” (it would take 18 months from when I sign the contract to when the book would show up in bookstores).

Note: A publisher could “fast track” a new title,  releasing the book within months or even weeks.  An example of releasing a book within weeks would be when a super-famous person dies and big publishers would forego some of the stops in the conveyor belt process.

How much attention are you going to get and give?
The bigger the publisher, the more new titles they release each year, the less attention each author gets.  Their best-selling authors, celebrity-authors, and new authors to whom they have given huge advances would get the most attention of course.

A decade ago when John Scognamiglio told me “You have six weeks to get on the radar”  I thought I knew what that meant.  You see, I was one of the lucky authors.  Kensington had bought “front of the store” shelf space at chain-stores for Love Made of Heart.  Chain-stores would rotate inventory every six weeks.  If a book sells during those six weeks, then the store would order more copies through their distributor.  Independent sales representatives (especially Nancy Suib and Anne Shulenberger) introduced Love Made of Heart to their accounts (independent booksellers).  “Indies” also had to rotate their inventory every few weeks.  What does this mean?  Unsold books are returned to the distributors (warehouses).  Publishers have to pay taxes on inventory—it is a costly business—selling printed books.

To stay on that “radar” meant making one’s name and the subject matter/issues/themes in one’s book visible in media attention over those precious six weeks. Which also meant having lined up interviews—in print, radio, television.  You’re probably saying . . . Wouldn’t the publisher handle all that?  Yes, if you are one of their best-selling authors, a celebrity, or a new author who has been given a huge advance.

Note:  Cyberspace magic provides opportunities galore for authors to broadcast ourselves (build our platforms and fanbases). What is a platform?  The definition is on page 1 from my workbook  Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: “Making your name stand for something—to attract targeted consumers—who are likely to buy what you have to sell.”

3. What do you feel is the most important thing that authors can do to promote their books?
The simple yet powerful tool is:  Making your name synonymous with the  themes/subject matter/issues in your literary works.

In my interview on CBS Channel 5, I talked about:  “What I care about … leads to my writing about those themes/subject matters/issues.  What I write about …   attracts my fans because they also care about what I care about.  Help your fans find you.”

Introduce yourself with your full name.  Then use these three words:  “I care about . . . ”

Example: (as a writer of fiction, narrative nonfiction, including memoirs )
I am Teresa LeYung-Ryan, author of Love Made of Heart (a mother-daughter love story).   I care about helping adult-children (of mentally-ill parents) speak openly about the stigmas and find resources for their loved ones.
Example: (as a writer of prescriptive nonfiction  a.k.a. “how to” )
I am Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan, author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW.   I care about helping writers thrive in today’s publishing arena.

I call these self-introductions my platform-statement.
Where to “show” your platform-statement? 

• Your email signature-block! 
• Your letterhead! 
• Your website and blog slogan/tagline/description! 
• Your bio! 
• Your business cards! 
• The caption for your photographs! 
• Headline for press releases!
• Social media pages! 
• And, let’s hear it on your voicemail!

Even when I’m emailing my loved ones (my biggest fans), I show them my platform-statement in my signature block.  Help your fans brag about you with ease.

4. What are your feelings on Social Media? (Facebook, Google+, Twitter, etc)
I thank creators and users of social media.  How else could our fans from faraway places find us?  Be consistent.  Update your bio in all these forums to reflect your current platform-statement. A picture speaks a thousand words; be sure to rename photo-files (show your full name and book title, and even keywords from your platform-statement)

5. Do you feel that book marketing for fiction is different than book marketing for non-fiction?
No difference in today’s markets.
How do I choose books as a consumer?
As Teresa-the-consumer, I pay attention when:

• friends recommend a book
• I read about or hear or meet the author and I appreciate what the author has to say
• I need information on a particular subject, so  I use a search engine (like Google.com) to find those books or I ask my favorite booksellers and librarians.

How would I help these consumers find me if I am an author?
Please see the answers to Question # 3—“What do you feel is the most important thing that authors can do to promote their books?”

6. What are some of the biggest mistakes that authors make when trying to promote their books?

• One big mistake is misdirecting your energy pitching to book reviewers or radio or television producers who are not interested in the subject matter /issues/ themes that you are promoting.  Do your homework; seek advice from mentors, colleagues, and yours truly Coach Teresa; use The Book Reviewer Yellow Pages; listen and watch shows you’d like to be invited to, and, please study their format
• Another common mistake is what my colleague Elisa Sasa Southard calls “killing a marketing moment.”   Her book Break Through the Noise shows you the 9 tools to propel your marketing message.
• The third common mistake is tiring yourself out when promoting at events where there is traveling, schlepping, and setting up involved. I have lots of fun with colleagues/co-presenters at writers’ conferences, book festivals, and community events. Recently I shared a booth with Margie Yee Webb and Rita Lakin at the Sonoma County Book Festival.  Every year I join forces with co-presenters Sasa Southard and Mary E. Knippel at the San Francisco Writers Conference.  On December 15, 2012 I’ll be sharing a table with Margie Yee Webb (she’s the author of the gift-book Cat Mulan’s Mindful Musings) at a Local Authors event.  Please check my events page.

7. Do you have any other useful advice for beginning authors?

• Get yourself a calendar (month at a glance) with big squares to write in, and, schedule time to work on your craft and your platform.
• Get to know members in writers’ organizations (my favorite ones are California Writers Club and Women’s National Book Association)
• Please read my blog post:  Wear Two Hats as a Writer and Be Happy

8. How can authors contact you if they have any questions?
I encourage you to ask me question by posting a comment on any of my blog posts. That way, my fans will see your name and questions (so, promote yourself).  To submit a comment: click on the headline/blue title bar of the post, scroll down to the end of the post, fill in the boxes, and press the [submit comment] button.

Here’s a blog post you might like to submit a comment/question:  Who Really Is the Most Qualified Person to Build the Author’s Platform and Fanbase?

My email address:   WritingCoachTeresag   at    gmail.com

You will find links to the organizations referenced in this interview on my “Writers’ Resources” page at  http://writingcoachteresa.com

In closing, I wish to reiterate my thanks to Christy Pinheiro and to say “I cheer for all writers!”

Reach out, not stress out!
Sincerely,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

http://writingcoachTeresa.com

Christy Pinheiro-Silva of www.StepByStepSelfPublishing.net  says:

“Thanks, Teresa, for a great interview!!!”