WILLIAM MALTESE AND BONNIE CLARK - SPECIAL GUESTS ON A GOOD STORY IS A GOOD STORY

Join host Marsha Cook on Tuesday August 2 at 2 PM EST 1PM CST 12 NOON MT 11AM PST and her co -host internationally best-selling author and chocoholic William Maltese, as they welcome Bonnie Clark, co-author with William of three cook books contracted by mainstream publisher Wildside/Borgo Press .BACK OF THE BOAT GOURMET COOKING, EVEN GOURMANDS HAVE TO DIET,THE GOURMET HUCKLEBERRY. The discussion begins with “Gourmet Food, Healthy Xocai® Chocolate, and Dieting (yes cookbook authors DO gain weight!)”, and how the authors have discovered a way to get thin, still eat gourmet food, drink fine wine, and still have their chocolate (albeit Xocai® healthy chocolate) and eat it, too.

Co-host William is an international best-selling author of close to 200 books. He travels constantly, wining and dining everywhere, which is possibly why his cook books and his WILLIAM MALTESE’S WINE TASTER’S DIARY series have such wide appeal. There are few places in the world he hasn’t been, and little he hasn’t done, including develop a passion for chocolate. Join in the fun as Marsha Willaim and Bonnie discuss dieting that includes gourmet food, fine wine, and decadent indulging in healthy chocolate.
SPECIAL EDITION - MOVIE REVIEW - MIDNIGHT IN PARIS - WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY WOODY ALLEN 4 star ****

Call in number - 714-242-5259

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2011/08/02/a-good-story-is-a-good-story-with-host-marsha-casper-cook

SPECIAL EDITION OF THE WRITING MAMA

Children and their tantrums!
LISTEN ON DEMAND FOR SOME EXPERT ADVICE -

Clayton Paul Thomas has worked with kids for about 16 years from three different settings. The first was at St. Joseph Children’s Home. This was a place abused kids went after being permanently separated from their parents. Most of his parenting skills were developed here. The kids Clayton worked with ranged from ages 3 to 15.
Afterwards, Clayton became an elementary public school teacher. He taught for 7 1/2 years from 1st through 4th grade. Finally, Clayton has two boys (Cameron age 7 and Luke age 3). He has been married for 9 years to his beautiful wife Lauren. Though his parenting skills were learned at St. Joseph, his wife’s has been the inspiration to writing “Tantrums, Troubles, and Treasures: A Parent Guide to Parenting in the 21st Century” and sharing insights with all of you. To her, Clayton is eternally thankful.
You can find out more about Clayton Paul Thomas’ World of Ink Author/Book Tour schedule at http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/ClaytonPThomas.aspx. There will be giveaways, reviews, interviews, guest posts and more. Make sure to stop by and interact with Clayton Paul Thomas and the hosts at the different stops by leaving comments and/or questions. Clayton Paul Thomas will be checking in throughout the tour and is offering an additional giveaway for those who leave comments throughout the tour.
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link to show
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2011/07/28/the-writing-mama-showemail


Tags:Clayton Paul Thomas,Trantrums Troubles and Treasures,The Writing Mama Show,VS Gren

TRACI L SLATTON - AUTHOR OF IMMORTAL - JOINS MARSHA COOK FOR A DISCUSSION ON HER BOOKS IMMORTAL, FALLEN AND THE BOTTICELLI AFFAIR

July 21, 2011 -- Please join host Marsha Cook for A GOOD STORY IS A GOOD STORY on July 22 at 1 PM EST 12 Noon CST

Author of IMMORTAL, Traci L Slatton, a Kindle special pick author, will be on Blog Talk Radio - WORLD OF INK NETWORK Friday July 22 at 1PM EST
Welcome Vist Our WebSite:

http://www,michiganavenuemedia.com 11 AM MT 10 AM PST

Join Marsha Cook when she welcomes Traci L.Slatton who will be discussing her very successful career as a writer. At the age of 16, upon completing her junior year of high school, Traci was accepted at Yale University. She graduated at the age of 20 with a B.A. in English. She received an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, Poetry, from Columbia University in 1988.As part of her spiritual quest, she attended the renowned four-year Barbara Brennan School of Healing, graduating in 1996.Her first novel IMMORTAL was very successful and her new novels FALLEN and THE BOTTICELLI AFFAIR will be the topic of discussion. It's going to be a great show and lots of fun.

Denise Spooner will be in the chat room to take calls. The phone number is 714-242-5259.

Listen on live or on demand

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2011/07/22/a-good-story-is-a-good-story



More information can be found online at http://www,michiganavenuemedia.com

READING WITH RIE Producer/Co-Host, R Jeffreys and co- host Marsha Cook sitting in for Rie

The guests on the show were wonderful and I had a great time. I actually didn't cut anyone off and things went very smoothly, except I was disconnected once - but got right back on Blog Talk Radio.

This is one of those shows that shouldn't be missed. The writers were all very honest and real and that is what helps other writers. The link to the show will be at the bottom of this blog and is available on demand.


First guest on the show was Michael Davis. Michael is a multi-published author. His recent release is the romantic suspense, SHADOW OF GUILT, and the off world romantic Science Fiction, TOUCH OF BLUE. In October his next suspense novel, WHISPERS OF INNOCENCE will be released.

The second guest was author, interviewer, editor, Bill Kenower. Bill is the Editor-in-Chief of Author magazine, a free on-line magazine for writers and readers. Bill also writes a daily column and conducts video and audio interviews with bestselling and award-winning authors of all genres. Added to his long list of credits, Bill is also a published novelist, poet and a produced playwright. He lives in Seattle, WA with his wife and two boys.

The final guest was poet, Jessica Kristie. Born and raised in the California Bay Area, Jessica discovered her passion to write at the young age of ten. She regurgitates her heart and mind, sometimes in structure and sometimes in free flow, as a way to heal and understand herself and those around her. “Poetry is my heart, anchors my soul and documents my journey,” is how Jessica Kristie best describes her passion as poet and person.

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http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rie_mcgaha/2011/07/13/reading-with-rieemail


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Tags:Rie McGaha,R Jeffreys,R Jeffrey Priddy,writers,books

Breaking In: Tips for Writing Children’s Films | Script Magazine

Breaking InColumnsCraftFeaturesBreaking In: Tips for Writing Children’s Films
July 1, 2011 5:00 amStaton Rabin5 Comments
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Disney Pixar's Cars 2
When I’m not reading scripts for writers like you, I’m writing screenplays and books of my own. Several of these could be categorized as “family films,” or books for kids or teens. But I find those designations not very useful at best and slightly demeaning at worst. There’s really no such thing as a children’s film or a kids’ book. There are just good movies and bad movies, good books and badly written books. And that is the most important secret of writing movies or books that children, tweens, or teens can enjoy. If you want to write this kind of entertainment, here are my best tips:

1) Don’t “write down” to children or teens. There is no difference between writing a book or movie for adults and writing one “for” children — except that, in the latter, a child or teen is usually (not always) the main character. Ask any successful author who writes books or movies marketed mainly to children or teens. They will tell you that they don’t write “for” young people. Pay attention to Pixar’s movies if you want to know how to write scripts that respect children’s intelligence and appeal to entire families and not just “the kiddies.”

2) Remember that most scripts that get optioned or sold in the children’s or “family film” category are based on successful franchises: best-selling graphic novels, comic books, novels, or the like. Harry Potter films and the Narnia films are two relatively recent examples of this. If your script is children’s fantasy material and it’s not based on an already-proven best-seller, you may have a difficult time selling it.

3) Watch recent, successful children’s or teen movies if you hope to write films that will be marketed to that audience. Too many writers “dash off” something aimed at kids or teens without having seen any movies of this kind in the past 20 years. You have to know what kids today are interested in, and what sells. For example, if you write a straightforward old-fashioned fairy tale, without even the slightest trace of humor, hipness, or irony, you will have a tough time selling it in today’s marketplace. Today, even Disney’s fairy tale adaptations for film are full of humor and have a high “hipness” and irony quotient (The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, etc.). And of course non-Disney animated films such as Shrek and Ice Age have humor and irony in abundance.

4) In general, don’t bother writing animated feature films unless you’re also an excellent director/filmmaker of animated films with a reel to show. An original, feature-length animated script might be a good writing sample if you want to break into this field as a screenwriter. So, I won’t discourage you if you have your heart set on writing animated movies. But your chances of selling your own, original, animated feature film script (as opposed to writing animation for TV or direct-to-video), if you aren’t also a proven writer or director of animated films, are extremely low. Yes, it’s a bit of a catch-22 in terms of how to break into this field. But if you have any artistic savvy, or know someone who does, you might explore some of the excellent animation software on the market.

5) Don’t copy other successful family or children’s films. That’s different from adapting successful material from other media to film (assuming you own or have optioned the rights to the original material).

6) Don’t preach. As movie mogul Sam Goldwyn used to say to screenwriters, “If you have a ‘message’, phone Western Union.” The purpose of a movie “for” children should not be to teach them how to behave better. In some sense, all great movies do have a message that makes us better human beings. But that message is subtle and in the subtext, not forced upon unwilling audiences.

7) If you don’t know what’s going on in the lives of children or teens today, find out. Research what young people care about the same way you would if you were writing instead about Ebola virus, tree kangaroos in New Guinea, or rocket launches by NASA.

8 ) If you’re not “hip,” don’t try to write snarky dialogue for children or teens. And avoid slang, which changes frequently anyway. Write about nerdy kids and teens. That’s what I do.

9) Know your audience. Even if you are not writing only “for” children or teens, you still need to know who will be coming to see your movie, just as you do when writing any other kind of script. If your main audience is teen girls, for example, and there’s a cute teen boy as one of the main characters in your story, if you don’t have a romance in your movie you’re probably going to have a lot of disappointed girls in the audience.

10) Any movie “for” kids or teens that doesn’t also entertain adults will probably “bomb” at the box office. Again, see Pixar’s films, which are great for all audiences. There’s one exception to this rule: If you are writing films for babies or toddlers, you don’t necessarily have to write entertainment that adults will “love” too. But keep in mind that there’s no such thing as a hit feature film whose main audience is 2-year-olds. If you’re writing for this market, you will probably be writing for TV or direct-to-video.

11) Don’t censor your writing for kids or teens. Don’t shy away from writing about challenging or serious topics, or using big words. Write honestly. It is possible to tackle any subject responsibly in a movie for kids. Even The Wizard of Oz dealt with the fact that evil and death exist in the world. How can you show what it means to be a moral person if you can’t show what evil is?

12) Please don’t write anything “cute.” Write something human and real. Children and young adults are discerning and savvy audiences.


I’ve held my ground to keep things in my books that I felt were emotionally honest and true to the characters and situations, but perhaps slightly risqué, “adult,” or emotionally challenging for children, by some people’s standards. I’ve never regretted those decisions and I’ve never received any letters from parents or kids who were upset by anything in any of my books. I’ll never forget, though, the day I got a moving letter from a Major in the Army, who thanked me because my book for kids — about a soldier fighting overseas in World War I and his little brother waiting for him back in Brooklyn — made it easier for him to tell his 4-year-old son that he was going back to Iraq for another tour of duty.

Keep pitching. See you next month.

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TAGS: animation writing, children's movies, Disney, family films, Harry Potter, kids, narnia, Pixar, teens, The Wizard of Oz Staton Rabin is a screenplay marketing consultant, script analyst, and "pitch coach" for screenwriters at all levels of experience. She is also a Senior Writer and story analyst for Script, has been a reader for Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema, and is a frequent guest lecturer at NYU. Staton's novel Betsy and the Emperor is in development as a movie with Al Pacino attached to star. Staton Rabin is available for script reading/analysis and consultations and can be reached at Cutebunion@aol.com or http://www.statonrabin.com. Previous Article
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SPECIAL DISCUSSION WITH WORLD CASTLE PUBLISHER - KAREN FULLER

Please join host Marsha Cook Tuesday July12 at 6 PM-EST-5 PM-CST MT-4PM-MT -3PM- PST for an entertaining and informative discussion on writing books.Marsha has a very special co- host Book Reviewer Sass Ashe.Sass is a professional web content writer and is the person behind S.A.Writing Services.There guest this week is Karen Fuller publisher of WORLD CASTLE PUBLISHING.

World Castle is a new publisher of ebooks, and trade paperback novels. They opened their doors in March of this year and have well over thirty authors who have published with them. The discussion will center around e- books and how the book market is changing. As a publisher Karen recognizes how important choosing the right authors can be in this over crowded market. She is doing a fabulous job of choosing unique projects to publish.Kathi Barton will be joining the conversation.

Kathi is doing very well with her books and we will be discussing how she got into the business and her new found success with World Castle Publishing. Also on the show we have Michelle and Nicole Izmaylov, a sister team - writer and illustrator. The phone lines and chat room will be open.

This is a live show and will also be available on demand. The call in number is 714-242-5259. 714) 242-5259

J.D. HOLIDAY - INTERVIEW MANIC NETWORK

Manic Network Interviews


Thursday, July 7, 2011An Interview with J.D. Holiday

J.D. Holiday is the author and illustrator of two children’s books: Janoose the Goose, picture book and a chapter book for six to eight year olds, THE GREAT SNOWBALL ESCAPADE. A chapbook of her short stories called, Trespasses was published in 1994 and she has had short stories printed in literary magazines and numerous articles about writing and publishing published. She is a member of both The Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators, (SCBWI) Small Publishers of North America, (SPAN) and a c-host on The Writing Mama Show on BLOG TALK RADIO’S World Of Ink Network.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/WorldOfInkNetwork

As well as being an author you're also an illustrator. Does this effect the way you write your books?

I think so. I see everything I write as a picture or scene and I find it easy to tell what scenes should be pictures for my children’s picture books.


How did you get started writing and how long have you been drawing and painting?
My father wrote every weekend for as long as I can remember though I never thought of writing myself while he was alive.

I had problems reading and spelling as a child which didn’t start to improve until high school. Also I was so self-conscious about my spelling difficulties that I didn't think I could write seriously. But in the sixth grade I did write a story on a rainy afternoon by myself and loved it.

It wasn’t until 1983, years later that I started writing when a friend asked me to read a few pages from a historical romance she was writing. I told her what I thought about it and she asked me to help her write the book. We did finish it and sent it to an agent who was kind and sent the manuscript back with a detailed account of what was wrong with it. My friend went on to other things while I found that I loved writing and did not want to stop. I’ve been writing for years now.
I started drawing and painting in high school! I had a teacher who saw something in my artwork I didn’t know myself and encouraged me to draw and paint.


What's the hardest thing for you to draw?
People. I have to study faces for a long time and even then I might get them wrong.


How long does it take you to write and illustrate a book?
That always depends on what is going on around me. Most of my stories I wrote years ago, but I think most of them took a few months to write and even up to eight months for the longer stories.

My latest published book, The Great Snowball Escapade, is a chapter book for 6 to 8 year olds which I wrote in 1989. The illustrations took about 6 months fitting them in around my family, work, cooking and pets who all come first.


Do you illustrate other peoples books too or just your own?
So far I’m only doing my own books because I have about 10 more manuscripts of my own to illustrate. I don’t have plans of doing illustrations for others.

Why do you write children's books?
I have many stories to tell for children. I had a fun childhood and many stories have come out of it.

Do you feel that fewer children are reading today--or is it about the same?

I think that more children are reading and it has become somewhat important to kids today because of the use of computers. Kids have to know how to read to use them. Kids wanting to use them to play games and keeping in touch with their friends as well are looking up information on things they just want to know about.


When you write, do you plot or do you write by off the top of your head?
I plot all my stories heavily. I write detailed outlines of about four pages and make notes on anything available to scribble on as things come to me. The notes are clipped, stapled or taped in a binder that no one else would want to try and read through. But I wade on through the mess to write out my story on loose leaf paper that is then added to the binder until the story is done. That’s the first draft. Then I type it on the computer and begin again to edit. This can not be changed, I’ve tried. This is what works for me!


Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?
Yes. Besides the two books I mentioned, I have about four other picture book manuscript already written that I have to do the illustrations for, and a second young adult novel that needs to be written.

What was your road to publications like?

It wasn’t easy. For many years I submitted my manuscripts to the big publishers getting many rejection letters. Though during all that time I had some short stories and a Chapbook published, some editors were interested in my children’s stories, and I even had an agent for a time, but none of my children’s books made it into print.
In 2002, I decided to try one of those print services, which for me, was a disaster. I had my publicity plan ready to go but the print service had made a mess of my book and the galley was not ready for printing. I tried working with them to fix it, but the next galley had the same problems and the deal collapsed.
At that point, POD publishing, or Print On Demand had come along and was affordable to get books into print. That was when I decided I could do the job better myself and I started my own publishing company, Book Garden Publishing, LLC.


Why did you pick the publisher that ultimately published your book?
That’s easy. My publisher is me! After years of submitting manuscripts to the big publishers and waiting for the rejection letters I was giving up on getting published. I had a agent and editors along the way that were interested in my work, but no books published. Then, POD publishing, or
Print On Demand came along and was affordable to get books into print. I decided that was what I was going to do.I tried one of those print services, which for me, was a disaster. I had my publicity plan ready to go but the print service had made a mess of my book and the galley was not ready for printing. I tried working with them to fix it, but the next galley had the same problems and the deal collapsed. That was when I decided I could do the job better myself and I started my own publishing company, Book Garden Publishing, LLC.


What’s your next project?
I have three book manuscripts I’m working on at the moment. One is a picture book I have done the drawings for and am now digitally painting them in Painter Essentials 4 which I love. It is a story about a boy who wants a puppy but gets a dog that is older. It's what they do together that makes them pals.

The other book is a young adult novel titled, ‘Christmas in the City.’ This story about two girls, one with a family and one without and both searching for what is important to them.

And my third project is a sequel to my first children’s picture book, Janoose The Goose which I’m still in the writing stage.

Lots of people make dire predictions about kids & reading & new media. Can you offer one *counter* prediction for where your current readers might be 10 or 15 years from now?

This is a hard one! It’s hard to tell how things will be in the future. I went to the 1960’s Worlds Fair where many predictions where made on the future. Some of their predictions were correction but many were not and some we have surpassed.
I do know that we are in the e-book reader future now and see that continuing. As for books themselves, I think, they will always be around. I can’t see a world without books, though they may be printing less and/or for special reasons. And with the invention of machines like the Espresso Book Machine where a whole book can be printed on demand, in fifteen minutes!, one at a time, just because you want to have that favorite in your own book library.

Where can members and visitors to Manic Network find out more about you and your work?
People can find out mostly everything about me on my website:

http://www.thebookgarden.net and my blogs: http://jdswritersblog.blogspot.com & http://ipubnews.blogspot.com

Thank you so much Michelle for having me as the first interview on Manic Network. I enjoyed it!
~J.D. Holiday


J.D. Holiday’s two books, 'The Great Snowball Escapade,' a chapter book for 6 to 8 year olds, and ‘Janoose the Goose‘, a children’s picture book, are both available online at B&N and Amazon or order in bookstores as well as order in bookstores everwhere.


‘Janoose the Goose‘ is $10.00 at:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0981861407/ref=nosim?tag=bookgardpubl-20


'The Great Snowball Escapade' is $5.99 at:
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Snowball-Escapade-J-Holiday/dp/0981861423/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1



Read an excerpt from the children's chapter book,
The Great Snowball Escapade at: http://jdswritersblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/great-snowball-escapade.html


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