Win Free Books Today!

There are two great book giveaways going on today!

C.W. Gortner is giving away a copy of his latest historical fiction novel, The Last Queen! Stop by Cafe of Dreams, leave a comment, and April will pick a winner! Is that the most beautiful cover you’ve ever seen?

Therese Fowler is giving away a copy of her latest women’s fiction novel, Reunion! Stop by Savvy Verse & Wit, leave a comment, and Serena will also pick a winner! Another beautiful cover from such talented authors!

Hurry, all you have to do is stop by and say hi, shoot the breeze, say hi to the authors, anything your heart desires. And, wait, there’s more!

Every month Pump Up Your Book Promotion chooses someone who has commented to win a free virtual book tour if you’re an author or a $50 gift certificate if you’re not! What do you have to lose???

Stop by, leave your comments on the appropriate blogs, and good luck!

Getting to Know Therese Fowler, author of REUNION l Q&A + Blog Tour

I am honored to have as my guest today Therese Fowler, author of Reunion, for which she is touring this month on a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion. Because Therese has been put through the wringer answering the same ol’ questions, I thought I’d do something a little different and ask her things not many people would know about her.

Thank you for this interview, Therese. You’re seen all over the web giving interviews and having your book reviewed, so I’m going to do something a little different. I’m going to ask you a few questions about Therese, the person. Is that okay?

Therese: That’s a lovely idea!

Let’s start with where were you born and what kind of childhood did you have? Did you come from a small family or large family?

Therese: I’m from a very small Illinois town called Milan (pronounced my-lan) which is on the northwestern edge of the state, not far from the Mississippi River. I’m the third of three kids and the only girl in the family; my brothers, who are less than a year apart in age, are roughly five and six years older than I am. I was an incorrigible tomboy, wore shoes only to school and in winter, and spent my free time roaming the cornfields and forests, often with a favorite comic book or novel to read once I found a perfect spot. I loved to sing, and to make up all sorts of stories to act out with my friends.

Did you show signs of wanting to write as a child?

Therese: I did, though not in the ways you might expect. I didn’t write stories–or if I did, they weren’t significant enough for me to recall now; I wrote lyrics and poems and essays. I loved to craft greeting cards and use calligraphy to write out verse. I didn’t start trying to write fiction until I was in high school, and then it was only single-page scenes, as exercises in an English class. My teachers must have seen the signs, though–many of them encouraged me to write.

As a teenager, were you a late bloomer or ahead of your time?

Therese: Oh, I think people who knew me then would say I was precocious–one of those fifteen-going-on-twenty-five sorts. Inquisitive, stubborn, impatient with all the supposed “rules” in life, ready to get on with things. I was so sure I knew what I was doing that I chose to get married at 18; not the smartest idea. That marriage lasted only twelve years but gave me two fabulous kids, so it’s not all bad.

Did you show signs of wanting to write as a teenager?

Therese: Yes; that’s when I began to recognize that novel-writing was a profession, and the people who were doing it were like rock stars to me. I thought being a novelist would be one of the coolest jobs ever, and got the first glimmer of what would grow into a full-fledged dream to write novels for a living.

Where did you and your family like to travel to on vacations?

Therese: When I was young, my family did a lot of camping–first in a big army-surplus tent, then in a pop-up camper–because we didn’t have the money to travel the way some families did. We mostly went to campgrounds within a few hours of home–northern Illinois and Wisconsin. One of our few non-camping trips was to St. Louis, to go to the Six Flags theme park. And my mom and I traveled to see her sister in Chicago a time or two. The couple of truly exotic trips were the times we drove to Florida to visit my dad’s parents. I fell deeply in love with the state, which may explain why my first two novels feature Florida settings. (Incidentally, my third one, which will be out next year, is set in northern Minnesota.)

As an adult, where do you like to travel?

Therese: I’m open to all kinds of places and experiences, but New York City is a favorite, and I love trips to coastal areas. The beach is always a joy, but I also like to hike or kayak and do some bird-watching. We’re only two hours from the North Carolina coast, so we’ve done a lot of day trips or overnights to places like Bald Head Island and Wrightsville Beach. I’m eager to see the Pacific northwest, and London and Rome are also high on my list of places I want to go.

In your book, Reunion, celebrity talk show host Blue Reynolds is the queen of daytime television. Are daytime talk shows a big part of your life in your off time?

Therese: What off time? No, seriously, I don’t watch a lot of TV, daytime or otherwise, but I used to watch a lot of talk shows when I was a teen. Donahue, Sally Jesse Raphael, Oprah Winfrey… And then when my sons were very young and I was home with them, I occasionally caught a talk show–when we weren’t watching Sesame Street, Barney, or Thomas the Tank Engine. We lived in Minnesota then, and there’s not so much to do when it’s twenty degrees below zero! These days, I enjoy the occasional opportunity to watch, say, Ellen or Oprah, if I happen to be somewhere like the car-repair shop or, recently, the E.R. while waiting to have stitches removed.

Therese, you are married with two young sons. How has your family life changed since you became a published author? Is your family supportive?

Therese: Actually, my sons are 15 and 18 now–and they’re entirely supportive of what I do, as is my husband. Not a lot about family life has changed since I was first published, except that we have a good second income now, which means we can do things we couldn’t afford to do in the past.

You have just opened a fortune cookie and it says, “Regenerate your system through diet and exercise. Save the cookies!” Is this fortune cookie meant for you or someone else?

Therese: That cookie is meant for me. Writing full-time is not an especially active occupation, so over the past three years I’ve managed to put on about ten pounds that I really don’t need. I don’t eat much in the way of sweets, so the cookies are safe–but French fries are another story.

What’s one thing you’d like to tell the world about Therese Fowler that no one else knows?

Therese: My husband, who also works from home, does a lot to keep our household running smoothly–cooking, laundry, vacuuming–but what I really love is that when I ask him to, he’ll paint my toenails for me.

Thank you for this interview, Therese. Good luck on the rest of your virtual book tour!

Here’s what a few kind folks have to say about Therese Fowler’s books:

“I have to say up front that if someone had briefly described this book to me…I’d be expecting a glib, shallow, formulaic story that would feel like a tired retread. Which makes it all the sweeter to say: I loved this book! Following the success of her debut novel, SOUVENIR, Therese Fowler infuses her characters with life, layering them until they could step off the page… Plot points that readers may predict far in advance are totally different from expected (and much better for it). Beautifully written and full of heart, REUNION is a satisfying tale perfect for a weekend escape from real life.”
~Bookreporter.com

“Fowler’s REUNION proves she’s the “Real Deal”. As she did with SOUVENIR, she tells a powerful story about family and love.” ~ Faye Dasen, The Pilot

“Therese Fowler’s sophomore book shows that she just keeps getting better and better… (A) very interesting read indeed, with a satisfying but teasing ending. Fowler is very good at creating multi-dimensional characters that stay with you long after the last page is turned.”
~Tattered Cover Book Store

“(A)n enjoyable, breezy escape.” Booklist

“REUNION is a marvelous look into the life of the celebrities people look up to… This is also a tale of finding love where you least expect it. Ms. Fowler writes such a beautiful story and it is one I hope you will pick up. I do not believe you will be disappointed.” ~Coffee Time Romance 5 CUPS

“Therese Fowler’s REUNION is well-written, engaging, and filled with characters who seem so real their voices echo in the readers’ mind. From the first line of this book, I was completely drawn in.

This is a multi-layered story… I felt fully involved in every step of this heroine’s journey and wanted nothing more than for her to find true happiness. And in turn, to find herself and her place in the world. Poignant and tender, REUNION is a true heart-warmer!” Kay James, Romance Reader at Heart TOP PICK

“I consider REUNION a ‘must read’ and great for book club discussions.” Anna Robinson, Anna’s Book Club

“Lovely… A moving novel that can’t fail to capture your attention and tug at your heartstrings.”
~The Whitehaven News (UK)

“Following her brilliant debut, Souvenir, Therese Fowler’s dazzling new novel will appeal to fans of Jodi Picoult and Barbara Delinsky.” Books on Tape

Getting to Know Tim Kellis, author of EQUALITY: THE QUEST FOR THE HAPPY MARRIAGE l Q&A + Blog Tour

I am honored to have as my guest today Tim Kellis, author of Equality: The Quest for the Happy Marriage, for which he has been touring this month and last month on a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion. What I would like to do is get to know the author behind the book more. Wouldn’t you?

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Thank you for this interview, Tim. Let’s start with your childhood. Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like for you?

I grew up in St. Louis, the second oldest of four. We grew up relatively poor. My dad worked as a cab driver and my mom a secretary during my entire upbringing.

And my parents were really strict with us. We used to get spanked on a regular basis and were really kept isolated from the rest of the world. We rarely went on vacation, really only to visit my parents relatives in Ohio and Kansas. Our outlet was a campsite outside of St. Louis where my parents had a trailer.

My mom had selected my career when I was a kid to be a priest, so I studied the bible. Yes, I was an altar boy, but I have not stories.

What I enjoyed most as a child was playing soccer, a sport I have played since I was 5. And I was actually pretty good. I even played in college, where we were Big 8 champs (the precursor to the Big 12) 2 of my 4 years in college.

What was most important about my childhood was a cathartic experience I had at 25, when I forgave my parents for my “terrible” upbringing, really the only reason I believe I am able to promote the path to a happy marriage, forgiving your parents. I believe the biggest key to success is really falling in love with your parents because of the detrimental influences form those imbalanced relationships with our parents.

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How about those teenage years? Good or bad?

What I remember most about my teenage years was always being in trouble. I was constantly grounded. And in high school I was the kid who was always trying to be accepted by the “in” crowd, so my classmates would always pick on me.

But I discovered that I was good in school. In junior high I was just an average student but my second semester of my Freshman year I scored a perfect 4.0 GPA and eventually graduated second in my class of 406 with a 4.1 GPA because of college prep classes.

I was also pretty active in sports, playing football and soccer. My dad, who was really into athletics, was always proud of our sports achievements, although my high school football team broke the record when I was there for the longest losing streak in the state of Missouri, where we lost every game my Junior and Senior year.

I also didn’t really date much in high school, not discovering girls until I went off to college. I actually didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 18, making dating really difficult, in another example of my parents “destroying” my childhood.

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Who was your first crush?

I didn’t meet my first love until after I graduated from college, when I moved to Kansas City to work for AT&T. We met about a month after graduation and I immediately fell in love. Her name was Marcia. There was just one problem in my young, immature mind, she had a child from a previous marriage. When AT&T offered me a promotion, requiring me to move to Blacksburg, VA, I couldn’t pull the trigger and marry Marcia. Soon after I moved she met someone else, whom she eventually married. I was crushed.

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How do you know love is for real?

To me the bottom line with love is when you meet someone that you cannot imagine ever living without. This is when you decide you have met your soul mate, someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, have children with, and grow old together.

The led to my absolute, utter confusion when at 36 I met someone I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with, only to see that relationship end. This led to me researching and writing my book.

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What’s the perfect romantic evening like for you?

Oh wow, excellent question. To me the most romantic evenings are those evenings while traveling. I love to travel. When you travel you get to step away from your daily existence, and what a wonderful time to spend with your love.

After a full day of activities, the perfect evening is returning back to the hotel room to get ready for a wonderful night out. First you find that romantic spot for dinner, and then you go out to a club for dancing.

And then you return back to the hotel room for an evening of passionate…

___________________

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Favorite romantic movie?

I’ve always thought Sleepless in Seattle is the most romantic movie, the notion that there is someone out there for you and all you need to do is find that person. The buildup to their meeting is timeless. The reality is we spend so much time today looking for that right person and when that person does eventually come along then you finally can become whole. We are not meant to live our lives as adults alone.

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What do you like to do for fun on Saturday afternoons?

Living in Florida I love anything to do with the water. The ocean is so accessible and there are pools everywhere. Maybe you spend the day on a boat, or at the beach, or just swimming at a pool. Saturday’s are so awesome because you don’t have the pressure of work to worry about. You get to take work off of your mind, if only for a short time.

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Of all the places you have traveled, which location did you fall in love with?

After graduate school I traveled to Europe, visiting 9 cities in 30 days, by myself. That was one of the most wonderful experiences I have ever had. And my favorite city by far was Rome. I am a huge history buff and there is no other city with such a culture of history as you find in Rome. I cannot wait to return.

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Of all the places you haven’t traveled, where would you most likely want to go more than anywhere else?

I love traveling so much, and have been to so many places, that you ask a tough question. I would probably have to answer a place more historic than Rome, and that would be Greece, the birthplace of philosophy.

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What’s the most favorite room of your house?

I would have to say the bedroom, where romance occurs. And I have finally discovered I love to study my dreams.

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Do you like to entertain?

I am really quite sociable so yes I love to entertain, whether during the day or night on weekends. There is nothing like having your friends around.

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Can you tell I’m running out of questions?

Nothing wrong with a lot of questions. The funny thing about that is I am almost done with my 2 month blog tour and have answered more questions than I could have ever imagined, but your questions have let me travel in my mind. Thank you for your questions.

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Would you like me to stop asking you questions?

No, ask away.

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LOL, okay, last question. Tell us one thing about Tim Kellis that no one knows and I’ll leave you alone.

One of the things I have really worked on recently is my emotional side. I have spent the last 20 years in a professional career filled with a logical approach to life that I have realized that I have missed out on another side of my mental life. The belief that a guy with feelings is gay is not true. In fact, having feelings is actually awesome. I hope someday to be as emotionally developed as I am logically developed.

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Thank you for coming, Tim, and good luck with Equality: The Quest for the Happy Marriage!

About the Book:

The journey through “Equality: The Quest for the Happy Marriage” includes a trip through history, where the most significant lessons civilization has learned over the last few thousand years are used to demonstrate not only the way to set up a positive relationship, but the causes of that relationship turning negative.

Additionally, I dive into the science of psychology to answer the most basic question anyone asks who goes through the pain of divorce, “why didn’t we work out”?

The basic premise of the book is that we have a 50% divorce rate yet there doesn’t appear to be anything happening to help solve this problem. Just because divorce has become a significant part of our culture doesn’t mean we should simply sit back while countless families suffer through the agony of splitting up.

The toll to society tomorrow because of our culture of divorce today is impossible to determine but future generations will have to deal with this change to the culture that has occurred over the last two generations.

For the first time in history I elaborate on a psychological solution to our psychological problems so that couples can learn how to change the direction of their negative relationships. In essence, the psychological objective is to understand what happens mentally between two people who make one of the most important decisions of their lives, to get married.

The objective of this book is to provide real, logical help to couples so that they can learn how to stay out of the divorce trap. The bottom line is to learn how to set up your relationship so that you can maintain a happy, healthy, harmonious, loving, affectionate, intimate marriage.

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You can purchase Tim Kellis’ Equality: The Quest for the Happy Marriage by clicking here!

Book Review: MAKING LIGHT OF BEING HEAVY by Kandy Siahaya

Author: Kandy Siahaya
Title: Making Light of Being Heavy
Paperback: 90 pages
Publisher: Aardvark Publishing
Genre: Humor, Nonfiction
Language: English
Purchase at author’s website here.

About the Book:

These days everyone has a society-driven mindset and totally forget to laugh, especially at themselves. This may be cliche but Kandy truly believes that laughter is the best medicine. Period. Over the years as a person blessed with the fat gene, Kandy has been in many situations where if she could not find humor she probably would end up on the couch in the psychiatrist’s office. This book is about as politically incorrect as it gets for such a subject but it is also based on reality. This is a reality that many women have just like Kandy, but do not think they can (or should) at times just laugh about it.

Kandy’s intention when she started writing this book was to hopefully give insight to many who could never relate but at the same time perhaps provide a different perspective to women just like her. It is a point of view that has given her the strength to live her life happily and project these feelings onto everyone she comes in contact with. She has a great sense of humor and a quick with and guarantees you will be laughing (and thinking) with each chapter of Making Light of Being Heavy.

Review:

Kandy Siahaya is like a breath of fresh air. When Tracee Gleichner asked me to review this book, I knew I was in for a treat. Kandy opens up our eyes to the fact that heavy people are people, too, and if you can’t laugh at the situation, you’re going down the wrong path.

“I love life and I love to eat” is one of the frank comments she makes about her experiences being overweight and wouldn’t we all love to be able to say that if we’re fighting the battle of the bulge?

Kandy tried the Scarsdale diet in high school and lost 17 pounds, but still, she didn’t see it as a realistic way to eat on an every day diet. “On an every day basis,” she says, “people do have to have a Big Mac.”

Come on, people, you know she’s right! At least a few fries?

What I loved about this book is Kandy’s sense of humor. She touched on things such as:

• getting a ticket for wearing no seat belt because she couldn’t fit into one
• fitting into booths at restaurants
• fitting into plastic chairs at special events
• how public restrooms, plane bathrooms and cruise ship bathrooms can be so heavy people unfriendly
• getting stuck in those little turnstiles they have at amusement parks

Kandy has accepted her fate – she’s overweight and still loves life. “I would rather know that I have lived happily,” she says, “rather than lived on edge constantly trying to be politically correct just because. If you mess up one day, just start over the next and keep moving.”

Kandy debunks such myths as:

• If fat people really wanted to lose fat, they could.
• All fat people are overeaters.

My favorite?

• It is not healthy to be fat.

Wowzers. Bottom line? You are what you are if you are happy. As Kandy says in her final chapter, “Once we let go of unrealistic expectations and just get fixated on being happy things will fall into place.”

Although Making Light of Being Heavy is a humorous take on being overweight, it is also a serious look at the misconceptions people have about people who are overweight and helps to clear them up. This isn’t a rant book; this is a book that is a fact of life for overweight people everywhere. I’m so glad there’s a book like this out there and so proud that Kandy has the chutzpa to come out and tell us like it really is.

Guest Blogger: Kandy Siahaya, Author of Making Light of Being Heavy l Virtual Book Tour

Kandy Siahaya, author of Making Light of Being Heavy, is here today in part 2 of her 3-day promotional extravaganza with a fantastic guest post. When I asked her to give me tips on how to make light of being heavy, her approach was different and didn’t surprise me at all!

Stay tuned tomorrow and I’ll give you my review of her humorous (but serious, too) book, Making Light of Being Heavy.

Tips on How to Make Light of Being Heavy

Tips for Making Light of Being Heavy. I do not think there is a number of different ways to do this, actually only one. Change your reaction to whatever the incidence may be. Sounds vague but it really isn’t. Let me give you a couple of examples not really related to being fat but same concept. About 10 years ago my stepdaughters Nadia, age 10, and Natasha, age 12, and I were driving to the mall when the teenage kids in the back seat of the car in front of us made obscene gestures to us…. you guessed it, they stuck their middle fingers up at us. Well of course the girls were horrified and were like, “Kandy did you see that!!” and I started laughing. I told them to start waving and smiling at them like they knew them and so they did. Needless to say the teenagers turned back around seeing that their instigation did nothing to upset us. As we were walking into the mall the girls were laughing and commenting about how fun that was no longer the least bit concerned about the rudeness of the other people. Another example would be my son who is 11 and plays the saxophone in the school band. He was getting upset about this boy in front of him who would always turn around and scowl at him if a loud “squeak” was made during the music, basically insinuating it was my son that made the annoying noise with his instrument. After he mentioned it a couple of times I told him that every time that boy turned around to scowl at him to just wink at him and give him a little nod and smile. Nick started laughing when I said this but did do this the next time it happened and the other boy no longer turns around to scowl. Relating to fat one incidence comes to mind a couple of summers ago when my son and I were at the beach walking down the sidewalk to the pier. The area was really crowded because it was the 4th of July and everyone was in good spirits and having a great time. All of a sudden some guy obviously under the influence of something leaned out his window in his truck and yells sarcastically to me. “Hey beautiful!! I love you!! Please marry me!!” I blew him a kiss and yelled, “I love you too baby!!” We cannot control the actions of other people but we can control our reaction.

Kandy Siahaya was raised in a small town in Maine where she graduated from high school in 1984. She worked her way up from her first job as CSW to Manager of Kentucky Fried Chicken and ended up in Brunswick, Maine. When she decided to leave the fried chicken business at age 22, she packed up her little Chevy Chevette and moved to Fort Myers, Florida where she worked as a waitress and had a great time as a single girl in her 20’s. Reality hit when she was 25 years old and went back to Maine and received her Associates Degree at Beal College and promptly moved back to Florida and started a career in medical transcription. In 1995 at age 29, she met her future husband and moved to North Miami Beach, Florida, and continued with transcription starting her own business.
In 2002, Kandy left North Miami Beach and moved back to Maine with her five year old son and eventually divorced in 2005. Kandy still does medical transcription but had an unexpected decline in work which left her with a lot of time on her hands. This is when she decided to write a book. this is something she had been thinking about for a few years but never had the time because she was always so busy with her business. It was meant to be a quick and funny read, something to brighten the outlook of many that really do not see the light through their own tunnel vision. It was also intended to be insightful for those that could never possibly relate to this specific subject. Kandy has succeeded in doing just that with Light of Being Heavy.

For more information please visit http://www.makinglightofbeingheavy.com/

Interview with Kandy Siahaya, Author of Making Light of Being Heavy

Today starts my 3-day virtual promotional extravaganza with Kandy Kiahaya, author of the humorous book, Making Light of Being Heavy!

After reading her book a few weeks ago, I asked her tour coordinator at Pump Up Your Book Promotion, Tracee Gleichner, if I could host her on my blog but do it up right.

First, let me begin by saying although I do call it a humor book, it actually takes a very serious look at what over half (I’m sure the statistics are much higher) of today’s men and women are facing – the fact that we just might be born this way and once we tell the world how it is from our point of view, maybe they’ll understand and not ostracize us for being that way.

I was a skinny person for years and years. I was made fun of for being skinny. If they only could see me now. Two kids and menopause sure did change things.

Making Light of Being Heavy is for all you gals and guys out there who aren’t model thin and would like to find out how they, too, can make light of being heavy.

Today I introduce to you Kandy Siahaya who can change your world. Tomorrow, Kandy will be back with “10 Tips on How to Make Light on Being Heavy” and we’ll wrap it up on Friday with a review!

Q: What made you decide to write a book making fun of being fat?

About five years ago a friend and I were walking with our kids along the sidewalks of Old Orchard Beach in the summer when a cute guy driving a pedicab stopped beside us waiting for the light. Joking around with him I asked him if there was a weight limit on that ride. My friend and I both were over 300 pounds and he was looking at us I think trying to come up with a “safe” number and he said “500 pounds” smiling. My friend and I started laughing and I jokingly said that we would have to have individual rides. While walking away we started talking about all kinds of instances like that one that we could laugh off and my friend said we should write a book.

Q: Since this book is based on life experiences, can you tell us what it was like when others made fun of your weight and how did you handle it?

Growing up my mother always had a saying, “Pretty is as pretty does” and I can remember consciously deciding that I was not going to let what other people say affect me and I never have.

Q: What do people love most about you?

My personality and sense of humor.

Q: Of all the diet programs you have been on, which one would you recommend for others still fighting the battle of the bulge?

That is a hard one because everybody is different but I have always had good luck with the Scarsdale diet.

Q: Do you think that society can be partially blamed for people not loving the weight they are?

Yes, to some degree. I am just thankful that I have the perspective that I have because I know so many don’t and it is not something you can just take a pill for and change.

Q: What about genes? Do you believe genetics has a lot to do with people being overweight?

Absolutely. Like I said in my book, if everybody in the world fit into the proposed weight parameters based on height, age, and body structure we would all be the same size. Is that even possible with genetics? People don’t find it odd that a child has blonde hair if there mother has blonde hair or that little Joey grew to be 6 feet tall when his father is that height. Weight is not any different.

Q: Healthy foods cost more as stated in your book and is very true. Does that make sense to you?

Yes, even as unfortunate as it is because of the process necessary for fresh produce, whole grains, etc. But I truly do not believe that if you eat canned vegetables you are destined to be unhealthy.

Q: How can family and friends be supportive?

Just by being our friends and family. My mother is funny though because if she knows I am on my “diet” and she cooks something she knows I love she will not call to let me know because she doesn’t want to tempt me. Most times that backfires because I may go over later in the week and check out what is in her fridge and find the leftovers and eat them anyway :)

Q: Can you give us an example of your typical day’s intake of calories?

Well I don’t know about caloric intake but I will tell you what I had today – After dropping my son off at school I went through Tim Hortons and got a large coffee with extra cream and seven Equal, came home and had a bowel of Honey Nut Cheerios, mid morning had one piece of 12-grain bread with peanut butter, around 3 or so had a bologna sandwich with Miracle Whip, drank about three glasses of sugar-free grape drink throughout the day, and then for dinner around 7:00 with my son had chicken breast with noodles with some Alfredo sauce, whole kernel corn, and two pieces of garlic bread and a Diet Pepsi.

Q: Thank you for this interview, Kandy. Can you tell us where we can find out more about you and your wonderful new book?

www.makinglightofbeingheavy.com

Thank you!!

THE NEW IQ by Dr. David Gruder l V-Log & Blog Tour

As promised, Dr. David Gruder is back with us! If you loved his guest post yesterday, you’ll really love his first v-log he made for us! Take it away, David!

About Dr. David Gruder:

David Gruder, PhD, DCEP, is perhaps the world’s only clinical-organizational psychologist specializing in integrity development. Known as “The Integritizer,” he is the leader in transpartisan nondenominational strategies for solving the massive integrity deficits that have caused today’s vast social, economic, and political challenges. Dr. Gruder founded the “Integritize America Campaign,” an integrity stimulus plan for renewing personal, relationship and societal integrity so we can finally co-create sustainable solutions to today’s most challenging issues. His latest book, “THE NEW IQ: How Integrity Intelligence Serves You, Your Relationships and our World,” is the world’s first step-by-step guide to attaining personal, relationship, and career fulfillment during difficult times without sacrificing ethics and integrity. It has won five book awards in the areas of “social change,” (book of the year), “current events in politics and society” (honorable mention), “health & wellness” (book of the year), “self-help” (bronze medal) and “metapsychology” (book of the year). A professional speaker and trainer for almost three decades, Dr. Gruder speaks, trains, consults worldwide on how to “Integritize” citizens, government, communities, businesses, health care, education, religion, journalism, advocacy groups, and leadership. His clients have ranged from family-owned businesses to American Express work teams, from the Sanoviv Medical Institute to the San Diego Office of Education Management Academy, and from local politicians and executives to World Trade Organization ambassadors. His main website is www.TheNewIQ.com.

About the Book:

From the White House, to the board room, to the privacy of our own bedrooms, and virtually everywhere in between, integrity deficits are destroying our personal lives, our businesses, our economy, our healthcare, our society, and our planet.

Creating sustainable integrity-centered solutions to today’s vast array of major challenges requires us, as individuals and as a society, to take a fresh look at what creates life fulfillment. It requires us as citizens to develop a new integrity-centered vision of what we need to require from our leaders in government, business, advocacy groups, community organizations and the media.

The New IQ is the world’s first road-tested guide to integrity-centered living, working, loving, and serving. Hailed as a “once-in-a-generation book,” it provides the first step-by-step road map for restoring the vanishing virtue of integrity… for the sake of our loved ones, our communities, our businesses, our society, and our own personal wellbeing.
Going far beyond being a self-help book, this critically acclaimed five-award-winning action plan offers a socially responsible way to attain personal, relationship, and career fulfillment during difficult times, without sacrificing ethics and integrity. Here at last is your complete guide to “personal development that serves us all.”

THE NEW IQ by Dr. David Gruder l Guest Blogger & Blog Tour

I am honored to have as my guest today Dr. David Gruder, author of The New IQ, for which he is touring this month on a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion.

I have gotten to know David pretty well by now, but something has to be said about his own integrity, which just so happens to be the topic of his book. Let me tell you, David walks the walk. I asked him to write a guest post for As the Page Turns and little did I know how thought-provoking it would turn out to be. I’ll let you be the judge. And stay tuned tomorrow when we’ll be hosting David’s very first v-log he made especially for us!

A Few Things I Learned About Social Responsibility, by David Gruder, PhD

Since the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock music festival is this August (2009), now is a good time make a confession: what I know about social responsibility was forever changed by Woodstock..

I was fifteen and music was my first love. My parents were kind enough to allow me to spend my summers at the Roaring Brook Camp for the Performing Arts in the Massachusetts Berkshire Mountains. In the summer of 1969 the camp offered an optional field trip to a music and arts festival in upstate New York. My parents naively signed me up. They later watched the live news coverage as this history-making event unfolded. My father was utterly aghast over having sent his son to what turned out to be the infamous Woodstock music festival. If he could have helicoptered in to pull me out of there, you can be sure that he would have!

Woodstock’s organizers had anticipated a crowd of maybe 30,000, but approximately a half-million people showed up. I invite you to imagine the implications of sharing among 500,000 people enough toilets, food and water for 30,000. Imagine as well knowing that the world’s eyes were on us through extensive live television updates the media was providing throughout this extraordinary festival.

We realized we had a chance to model to the world the lessons we were learning about social responsibility. We joined together demonstrate to the world that a city of a half-million strangers could be crime-free despite a dangerously inadequate infrastructure. We were excited to show the world that it was possible to have each other’s backs under challenging circumstances.

I arrived at Woodstock a fifteen-year-old drug-free virgin and that’s how I left Woodstock. The music during those three days was over-the-moon amazing. But, the social responsibility lessons I absorbed at Woodstock were the real highlight for me. It would take me more than three decades to fully articulate what Woodstock taught me about integrity and social responsibility. The rest of this post contains a brief summary of the three biggest social responsibility lessons I wrote about in my five-award-winning book, “The New IQ: How Integrity Intelligence Serves You, Your Relationships and Our World.”

EVERYDAY STEWARDSHIP: I learned at Woodstock that it’s impossible to not have impact, that we’re always role-modeling something, and that small things make big differences. Here’s an everyday example: think about a car that’s parked over the line in a crowded parking lot. The person who parked this car has had two significant impacts on complete strangers, including those s/he didn’t even interact with. The driver prevented someone else from parking in the spot next door. The driver role-modeled that it’s perfectly okay to be self-centered and to not care about the common good. Now imagine how the world would be if all of us considered our impact on others and took responsibility for the messages we model to others about the benefits of caring about the common good. That’s what I call “everyday stewardship.” These are profoundly narcissistic times. I invite you to join me in helping to restore social responsibility by stepping into being more of an everyday steward.

CITIZEN FREESPONSIBILITY: I learned at Woodstock that it is possible for everyday people to have significant positive impact when they join together in that intention. Governments of democracy-centered republics like the United States are charged with being a servant to its citizens and governing at the intersection of preserving individual freedom and promoting the common good. We live in ideologically fanatical times. Special interest narcissism dominates politics, business and the media. Citizens in democracy-centered republics have a responsibility to role-model freesponsibility and to demand the same from our government, the companies we do business with, and the media. I invite you to join me in helping to restore social responsibility by stepping into being more of a freesponsible citizen.

BUSINESS FREESPONSIBILITY: I learned at Woodstock that good money can be made by providing products and services that serve people and safeguard the environment. Pressuring profits to single-handedly provide life fulfillment has created our culture of greed and entitlement. This is what caused our economic system to shift from true capitalism to Debtism: borrowing extensively against an uncertain future in order to create an illusion of profitability and wealth today. We are witnessing the crumbling of a fraudulent economic system that was created by financial greed and narcissistic disregard for the common good, masquerading as personal and corporate freedom. The damage that this greed and entitlement has caused has finally caught up with all of us. The solution is socially responsible profitability. Whether you are an employee, an entrepreneur, a business leader, or a consumer, I invite you to join me in supporting businesses that function at the intersection of profitability and social responsibility.

Together we can spark an integrity revolution. You can learn more about social responsibility and freesponsibility by visiting www.IntegrityStimulusPlan.org

Book Trivia: Interview with Fantasy Erotic Romance Author Rie McGaha

It’s time to play Book Trivia! Periodically, we scour the Internet for interesting authors who would like to play Book Trivia with us. By answering our book trivia questions, we get to learn things about the author no one else knows! So, let’s get ready…let’s play…Book Trivia!

Today our guest author is Rie McGaha, author of the fantasy erotic romance, Blood Line. She is a multi-published author who lives in the Kiamichi Wilderness in SE Oklahoma with her husband, Nathan. Rie rescues abandoned and abused animals and tries to find new homes for them, those that don’t go to new homes remain with Rie’s family. In her spare time, she tries to write new novels! Rie McGaha…fantasy that keeps you up www.riemcgaha.com.

Thank you for playing Book Trivia with us, Rie! Here are your questions:

If Tom Hanks, in the movie Cast Away, unearthed a copy of Blood Line, how would that help Tom find a way off the island?

There would be two ways Blood Line could help Tom. First, he could meet Josh and Jessie and either one could turn him into a werewolf and with that super strength, he could swim to civilization—or he could get real chummy with Ganda, who is half wolf and half witch and she could make a little magic with him!

Everyone knows rock star idol Britney Spears is always in trouble with everything you can think of. In what way could your book help her and set her life back on track?

Oh my…if Brit met one of the werewolves when they weren’t in a good mood, I suppose they could scare her straight!

You have a chance to appear on the hit talent show for authors, American Book Idol, with judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and Kara DioGuardi determining whether your book will make it to Hollywood and become a big screenplay. What would impress them more – your book cover, an excerpt or your best review – and why?

I would make the biggest impression on them because I embody my stories and I usually agree with Simon about things, so no one has been more critical of my work than I’ve been.

Hulk Hogan, the famous wrestler and star of his own reality show, has invited you and your book to appear on his show. One catch. You have to read a passage out of it to convince him you are star material. What part would you read?

I’ve found that the he-man types tend to blush the most when faced with something hot, sexy, and tempting, so I’d read one of the erotic sex scenes.

They’ve invented a board game using the theme of your book. What would the title of it be that would be different from your book and which retail store would they place it to make the most sales?

Fantasy Nights…and it would be a Victoria’s Secret exclusive!

The Arbor Day Foundation has decided to pick one tree in your honor because of your writing brilliance. What kind of tree is it and why did they choose that tree in relation to your book?

The mighty oak tree because some things just stand the test of time and stories like this one are read over and over again.

President Barack Obama has become the author of several books and he has requested your presence at a special hush hush meeting to discuss ways to promote it. Through luck of the draw, you were chosen. What would be the first thing you would tell Barack?
ROFL…do we really want to go there?

Finally, you just got word that your book has received the 2009 NY Times Bestselling Book Award and you have to attend the ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan. Anyone who’s anyone will be there and it’s your shot for stardom. On stage, you must give an acceptance speech. What would you say and who would you thank?

Oh my goodness, I truly never expected to be standing here tonight in front of so many people who I’ve admired for so many years. This is such an honor and I really think someone needs to check the envelope and make sure they didn’t get the name wrong! Thank you so much, I’m nearly speechless, but I would like to thank my family for their support. My husband, Nathan, for his support and having the goofy dream that became Blood Line. My daughter, Lisa, for insisting I submit my first novel for publication; my daughter, Rocky, for keeping me laughing through all the rejections; my son, Michael, who never read a book until mine was published and said he was just waiting for something really good to come out; and my United States Marine son, Cody, for helping me with some of the scenes in Calen-My Soul To Keep Trilogy that allowed me to finish the book. Also, thank you, Jill Noble, my editor who has encouraged me and actually said she has “never seen so much raw talent”, and Fiona Jayde, who designs the cover art and does a spectacular job at it. And
last, but not least, my buddy and fellow author, Bryl Tyne, for making me laugh! Thank you all very much.