Retirement Life by Pamela Pope

Tell us the book title and your author name.

Book Title: Retirement Life by Design ~ Living Well with Health, Wisdom, & Authenticity (Achieve Aging in Place, Manage Elder Care, Master Caregiving) by Pamela D. Pope

What inspired the book? The book is inspired by my work as an elder care and aging in place specialist. What I found is that families do not get the information they need to make informed elder care decisions before they are in a crisis. Much of the information families get comes from TV advertisements. Retirement Life by Design provides the type of objective information seniors need. It also helps mid-life adults who are approaching retirement plan well for quality of life.

What makes this book special to you? The book was indeed a work of passion. It was easier to write than any of the other pieces I have written. The book is important to me because of the need for this type of practical and objective information from an experienced elder care specialist with experience in the areas that challenge families most.

What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY? What makes Retirement Life by Design different is that it is indeed a paradigm shift for readers. This book is not about “old people.” At the core, it is a message of consumer empowerment and authentic retirement living. At 35 you better believe, I have retirement on my mind.

What people NEED to read this book and WHY? The book reaches a broad audience. The book is ideal of older adults, mid-life adults who are caregivers to older adults, and people like me who are 35 years old, and no where near retirement but have family members who are near or post retirement. Retirement Life by Design ~ Living Well provides a wealth of guidance and how-to’s so families have the tools they need to weigh options. By weigh options, I mean to actually put a real plan in place for retirement that transcends the conventional wisdom of a mutual fund and 401k. This book is about quality of life and authentic retirement living. During our retirement years isn’t that what we ultimately want - to live well, which is far more elaborate than financial wealth?

What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?
What sparks my creativity? Passion. Passion and authenticity. For me there is not greater source of energy and motivation. After over a decade in elder care, I have seen the good, bad, and the ugly. I have always enjoyed working with older adults. I can listen to their stories for hours. It is literally painful to see what older adults experience due to lack of planning, lack of knowledge of about how “the system” works, and lack of consumer empowerment on how to cause a change.

What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems? I have to tell you writing the book was the easy part. Initially the book was 275 formatted pages (after 10 editings). Needless to say, I had to curb my motivation to inform! The difficult part was the tedium of editing. Suggestions I would have for those who experience stumbling books would be inline with what I wrote on my blog about lessons I learned my first year in business. Two tips I can offer with stumbling blocks in writing would be to

1). to stay in firm contact with your ultimate purpose in writing the book in the first place. Full flesh out what you want to accomplish with the book

2). Use your own authentic voice. If you are writing a book from an expert point of view, using your own authentic voice will differentiate you from the rest of the writers who author books about your topic. Your expertise will be more apparent when you are “selling yourself” via your own professional experience.

What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry? Perhaps the common motivation to become an author is the same force that propelled me. For me, becoming an author was a natural step, I have a message of value that is relevant for many people and the book is an extension of my professional expertise for the last 10+ years.

Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?
Requested advanced orders from friends and family.

NON FICTION - Why are you the BEST person to write this book? What in your background or in your research makes you qualified to do justice to this topic?
Over the last 10+ years I have worked in elder care. I have been a rehabilitation therapist and practiced in nursing home management. After Medicare Reform of the late 1990’s I studied Health Care Policy and Administration at NYU.

NON FICTION - If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn't interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I'm thinking something better than "Its the greatest book ever." Give me something more specific :)
In the book I speak to this issue of wearing blinders-“It will never happen to me. I’ll be fine.” This book is relevant for everyone. Everyone knows an elderly person that they love and care for. This is a unique opportunity for seniors and the people who care for them to get empowered and to make a difference in the elder care system of which they most certainly are or will be a part. If you walk away from this opportunity you are walking away from power, choice, and control. And the best part about the book is, you have the information before your family is in a crisis.

NON FICTION - Why does the topic of your book interest you? Why would it interest potential readers? Give us a hook to reel in new readers. Elder care has been my profession and I have an affinity for older adults. Baby Boomers are smart people, they want choice, control, and self-determination. That is what Retirement Life by Design ~ Living Well provides (and you get to take it home).

NON FICTION Is there a way to tie your book topic to current events? If so, tell us about how you could do that. I have a blog to feature information and examples about tying books into current events that might be a good place for you to promote your book. Every news outlet is discussing elder care and aging in place. With 77 million Baby Boomers approaching retirement age, this topic will be relevant for the next 20 years.

If there's anything else you would like to share, this is the time and place.
Support Pamela Pope's retirement plan by purchasing directly through the institute.

Thank you for visiting with me and in closing, give us your website address and a link to order your book.
Web: www.popeinstitute.com

In Detail With Mirella Patzer

Mirella Patzer is touring the blog-o-sphere this month to share information with people about her book - Bloodstone Castle. Today we'll dig into the details about Mirella and Bloodstone Castle...

Tell us the book title and your author name.

Hello, my name is Mirella Patzer and the title of my novel is Bloodstone Castle.

What inspired the book?

After years of research and writing a novel about the 10^th century, I needed a diversion, one that would release me from the confines of sticking to the facts and which would allow me to let my creativity run free. Bloodstone Castle is the result.

What makes this book special to you?

This book is special because it is the first novel that I created from start to finish. The characters, the castle, the plot,

it is all developed from my imagination. The only thing that is not fictional in the novel is the locations – Genoa, Portovenere, and Savona are actual locations in Italy.

What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY?

I worked very hard to give people something different than the usual romance novel. I wanted it to be suspenseful, mysterious, funny, and full of new ideas and scenes. I added a bit of the odd and unusual too. I wanted it to be a unique experience, a novel away from the mainstream historical romances.

What people NEED to read this book and WHY?

Bloodstone Castle is meant to be pure escapism and fun. I want the book to entertain, to allow my reader to escape life’s little stressors and discover a new heroine, a new hero, and an exotic setting.

What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?

There is inspiration everywhere – on tv, in persons we know, in books we read. I often stumble on a tidbit of research that sparks a new idea for a novel or a scene I can put my characters in. Or I sit and watch a movie that makes me think about my own novels. Many times, I dream at night about my characters and in the morning, I have a new idea.

What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems?

Work / life balance is what I personally always struggle with. During the day, I care for my 2 year old grandson while my daughter is in law school. When he naps, or before he wakes up in the morning, or after he goes to bed at night is when I manage to get to work on my email and blogs, or write book reviews, or work on promoting my novel. On the weekends, I try to focus on working on my current works in progress or focusing on critiquing the work of fellow authors who belong to my critique group. It is a daily struggle but I have found keeping to a basic schedule such as what I’ve described immensely helpful. Keep aside time to write, no matter how small. For me, at this stage of my life, writing occurs on the weekened.

What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry?

I never aspired to be a writer. And to make matters worse, I never believed I could write even though I’ve been an avid reader all my life. It wasn’t until the mid 1990’s when I learned about my family’s history during World War II that the spark to write was born.

The Battle of the Moro River occurred on my grandfather’s vineyards in Italy. Hundreds of Canadian and America soldiers died there. My mother and her family lost everything because of the German occupation of their tiny town. They survived by living in caves throughout the battle and for eight months afterward while they tried to rebuild their bombed home. So before I can write this story, I need to walk that land, breathe the air in that cave, walk the past the grave stones of the Moro River War cemetary to honor the soldiers who lost their lives on my family’s vineyards. Only then can I do justice to my mother’s story. In the meantime, I hone my skills and practice my art by researching and writing my current works in progress.

Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books?

I have learned a lot about promoting books. The funnest experience I had was working with seventeen other Italian Canadian women to promote our book, Mamma Mia: Good Italian Girls Talk back. This was a sometimes sad, sometimes humorous anthology about growing up as Italian Canadian women. We fed the masses with espresso coffee and cookies. We invaded every Chapter’s store within the vicinity of where we lived. We held a book launch at Pier 21 to honor the immigration experience our parents endured.

I’m also learning to blog, to create websites, and to join writer’s groups and reader’s groups. I’ve also learned to make a book trailer. Now, I’m learning about virtual tours. I spend hours every day updating information, blogging, writing book reviews, and working hard at participating in the writing community in any way I can.

I think I must be doing something right, because the local media is contacting me this time, and not the other way around. Who says hard work doesn’t pay off?

FICTION - If there is a setting, tell us how you decided on that setting and what you did to create a complete and vivid setting for your readers?

When I decided to write an historical romance, I didn’t have a plot in mind. I wanted to set my story in Italy because of my Italian heritage. And I wanted the story to be centered around a castle. A Google Image search for Italian castles provided me with a picture of a castle in Portovenere. As I began to develop the plot, I researched the vicinity of Portovenere and I included Savona and Genoa into the story.

FICTION - What inspires you about the hero or heroine in your book? What makes them memorable for the reader? What motivates the hero and/or heroine? You can include information about both if you want.

Both the hero and heroine understand their duty and responsibility to their family. Both Amoro and Morena have loving family backgrounds with positive relationships with their parents. It is the outside influences and people that bring conflict in their lives.

My hero, Amoro, knows he will be duke of Genoa one day and when his father is murdered and he learns his father’s last wish was for him to marry the daughter of their family’s enemy, Morena. Even though Amoro feels honor-bound to grant his father’s wish, he makes the best of the situation and does his best to win her heart and make it a love match. He treats people fairly and with dignity. I admire that quality in people.

Morena is also a woman raised to do her duty. Her mother died in childbirth so her father doted on her. Despite Amoro’s attempts to convince her otherwise, she struggles with abandoning a betrothal agreement entered into by her father with the villain. She is willing to sacrifice all to protect Amoro, her true love.

FICTION - Is there a villain or something that causes friction in your story? Tell us about what or who it is and how that contributes to the story. Any details about conflict and friction is good information to know.

The villain in my story is Duke Ernesto of Savona. He is the spoiled son of an impoverished duke whose gambling habits force him to take extreme action. Ernesto is pure evil and his deeds create most of the tension from start to finish in my story.

~*~

The Complete Tour Schedule – http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/05/mirella-patzer-virtual-book-tour.html

During the tour, we encourage people to visit each tour stop shown on the schedule. Each comment on any of the tour stops is an entry in the book giveaway. Several copies of Bloodstone Castle will be given away at the end of the month. One will be given to the “best” comment, one for the “most unique and relevant” question. In addition, the blog host where the winning comments were posted will also win a copy of the book. So, visit Mirella, learn more about Bloodstone Castle and post comments. Mirella looks forward to getting to know her readers.

In Detail With Debbie Williamson - Author of Stand

Tell us the book title and your author name. Stand by Debbie Williamson

What inspired the book? I had a dream that I could stop abuse from spreading to the next generation. My own healing through forgiveness was working with my children and I knew with all my heart that my grandchildren would never have abuse like my families in their lives.

What makes this book special to you? It’s my life and my family and a belief that I hold dear to my heart. My mom was a child advocate, all of her life she devoted herself to making this world better for children that are abused. When I shared my beliefs with her and what I had accomplished with my own family she was very interested in the idea of healing to stop abuse from spreading. It was after a visit from my grandmother on the other side that my mother agreed to help with the book. Mom passed away before she could start with me on the book but she left me her journals and made me promise to finish the book.

What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY? The statistics on abuse are alarming; it has always spread to the next generation and it is awareness that will stop it. Not just talking about it, although, that is the first step. But if every abused adult chose to heal through forgiveness and give their pain back to their abuser would it not make sense that abuse would stop at that generation? Everyone knows someone like this in their past; you might not know about it, but they do.

What people NEED to read this book and WHY? Everyone, because abuse affects all of us; not just the ones who live with it.

What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity? I have stories that I want to share, I love to tell them. Usually life sparks my creativity, sharing with people, meeting new people. Yes, get out there with people and enjoy them. They can teach you a lot about life.

What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems? Trying to put thoughts into words is frustrating for me. I have to take notes and rewrite over and over again. I have good ideas for stories and they do not always flow that well.

What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry? I believe it is the need to share. Authors are very creative people with stories and to share them with others is a dream. It makes you feel accomplished; like you have made a difference to someone you don’t know. I have other books I am working on and they are stories that I want to share. I want to make a difference in someone’s life by sharing my stories.

Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books? I am not big on selling myself I get intimidated and embarrassed easily. This book is very important though so I have been out there on my own trying to promote my message. I let go of most of my issues and just get out there doing book signings and asking for them. This book has been bigger than me from the start so I go with it.

Why are you the BEST person to write this book? What in your background or in your research makes you qualified to do justice to this topic? My family has a history of rape and abuse. My research went back five generations and I found that all my great-grandfathers were all guilty of raping their daughters and sons and there were children born to them from their own daughters. It was never talked about because of the shame the family felt for generations. I did not want any part of this to spread to my children. I was raped at the age of nine by my uncle, not my father. My mother fought to keep her children safe from the abuse, but through keeping secrets it spreads through different avenues. I was the first family member to speak out about the abuse.

If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn't interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I'm thinking something better than "It’s the greatest book ever." Give me something more specific :) I would tell them to open their heart and their mind for an idea that might help stop abuse in our world. It is all of us together that will make this change and it is also a very touching book. It’s a very good read.

Why does the topic of your book interest you? Why would it interest potential readers? Give us a hook to reel in new readers. I believe that this world needs to change and some things hurt all of us. We see the pictures of children that have been hurt by family members everyday in the news, and it hurts. But do we ever see an answer, a way to stop this. Do we as a community need to stop it together? Or is it not our problem. Yes, it is my family, but I am not alone and I don’t believe there is anyone that would turn away from a child that has been hurt. I believe the message can spread instead of the abuse. That is why the book is important. It is an answer!

Is there a way to tie your book topic to current events? If so, tell us about how you could do that. I have a blog to feature information and examples about tying books into current events that might be a good place for you to promote your book. How many stories in the news are there about parents that have murdered their children lately? The woman they found in a cement room in Great Britain that had never been out of that room, the one that her father had raped for years. I could go on and on. It affects all of us.

If there's anything else you would like to share, this is the time and place. Yes, I would like to tell people that change starts with a dream you have to follow your dreams and believe in them.