My quest for blog-post domination has begun!

Today, I am in two places at once and you are just a click away from finding out where. First, head over to Serena's Savvy Verse & Wit for "Five Questions You Always Wanted To Ask A Writer." And then, got to Bermuda Onion's fancy pants blog where my post is called "Book Trailers: Helpful or Hurtful to the book-buying decision?"

If you aren't sick of me yet, you soon will be as I have more guest pimps, I mean, posts, coming up next week. See, I put up a little message on my blog, offering to guest post for the tired and weary masses in December. They have answered my call and now I will be ubiquitous. My apologies in advance.

Must...go....blog.

K. Harrington
author, Janeology
www.karenharringtonbooks.com

Part 2 of an interview with Betty Dravis, author of 1106 Grand Boulevard

Here is Part 2 of the interview with a lovely, great friend of mine, author Betty Dravis, who has interviewed such celebrities as Clint Eastwood and Jane Russell. Betty will be giving away one of her books, so be sure to read to the end of this interview to find out how you can enter. ~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of Whale Song

If you haven't read Part 1 yet, go HERE.

7. Betty, who have been or are now your mentors? What have you learned from them?

My mentor during my journalism career was then-County Supervisor Rod Diridon who now heads the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University. He taught me governmental politics that helped me immensely since the paper I owned was the "Official Voice of Labor in Silicon Valley and Beyond" and was very politically involved. I learned the political "ins and outs" from him, from the late California Senator Al Alquist and from then-Congressman Norm Mineta who went on to become Secretary of Transportation under President George W. Bush.

My mentors in the literary field are authors Chris Platt, Christy Tillery French and Victoria Taylor Murray. Chris taught me the ins-and-outs of the publishing industry, while Christy and Vicki taught me P.R. skills. And I've learned a lot about marketing from you, also, Cheryl.

My personal heroes who championed all my causes are my late parents, my children and grandchildren, and my best friend Linda Bulger who helps with all aspects of my writing, from proofreading to building a better website. She's a true inspiration. Of the many public role models, I admire the late great Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of our beloved President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She was a wise, caring, bright woman who inspired many women of my generation.

8. Can you tell us something that writers would be interested to know about you? What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

I think most writers would be interested to know that I managed to go from reporter to columnist to editor to publisher in my journalism career while raising six children alone, and that I never fulfilled my dream of being a published novelist until after my retirement. The advice I would give to an aspiring writer, whether in journalism or creative writing is this: If you enjoy writing, then write…even if it's a simple journal you write for yourself. Write! Write! Write! And when you have a complete manuscript, submit, submit, submit! Never give up! That's the same advice I would give to anyone attempting to accomplish any dream: Never give up!

9. I understand you're an honorary Kentucky Colonel. What is that exactly and how did that come about?

The highest honor awarded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky is that of Kentucky Colonel. Commissions for KC are given by the Governor and the Secretary of State to individuals in recognition of noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to a community, state or the nation. According to their website, a list of Kentucky Colonels is a Who's Who of outstanding men and women around the world.

Award of the title requires nomination from an existing colonel, and Colonel John Barger, my brother, nominated me. Originally in order to qualify, it was required for one parent of the nominee to have been born in Kentucky. In recent years, that has expanded to include noteworthy others.

10. What are the titles of your books, and tell us about each of them (who the audience is, brief plot outline and a review of each)?

MY THIRD BOOK (most recently published):
"1106 Grand Boulevard" is written for a general audience and I assumed women would be the main audience, but from reviews, I'm happy to say that men are enjoying it, also.

"Grand" is a highly dramatized version of the life of my beautiful older sister, Billie, her seven marriages and her search for true love and lasting happiness.

PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION (excerpt):
All her life, Billie Jean Sloane, a charismatic, exquisite, small-town beauty, has been desired and spoiled by men. At sixteen, following a tragedy involving her first husband--"the love of her life"--she is heartbroken. Unable to forgive or forget, her parents take drastic measures to keep them apart.…She is swept from her humble beginnings at 1106 Grand Boulevard in the Midwestern town of Hamilton, Ohio to a luxurious life-style…other fascinating locales... Then back to her hometown to search for her first husband.

"1106 Grand Boulevard" is the story of passions that last a lifetime; of family love and betrayal; of spousal abuse and sadistic child abuse; a story of Billie Jean's desperate search for happiness, self-worth, and maturity ... a story of people needing people and people using people.

AN EXCERPT FROM A REVIEW:
"There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so." This pithy comment by Hamlet is perhaps the very essence of this engaging, thought-provoking novel about family dynamics and some of the dysfunction that, essentially, touches all of us to some degree. The resiliency of Dravis' heroine, Billie Jean, is indeed refreshing, wonderfully antithetical to the all too common saccharine, off-putting portrayal of many of fiction's leading ladies….Bravo to Dravis for being bold enough to break free from the creative intransigence that plagues so many writers….Like all great fiction, 1106 Grand Boulevard holds up a mirror in which all of our reflections are cast, leading to introspection, self-analysis, identification, self-analysis and ultimately healing. This is a winner." – Frank Nappi, author of "The Legend of Mickey Tussler" (screenplay just completed)

MY SECOND BOOK:
"The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley" is written for young adults, but geared for adults, also. I'm pleased that many adults are enjoying and reviewing it.

"Toonies" is a fantasy sci-fi adventure about cartoon characters who live inside a Silicon Valley boy's computer. The fun and adventure begins when they escape from the computer into the real world.

PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION (excerpt):
Beware, citizens of Silicon Valley--the bad Toonies are on their way. Led by the evil ape-bird, Dab, the Mischief Makers have escaped from Computer Cartoon Land. They are skulking in the shadows, ready to pounce. Dab will do anything to stay in the real world, so makes plans to take over Orange Computer, then Grape Computer, Banana ... and then the world.

Thanks to Uncle Wom (Wise Old Man and leader of Cartoon Land), the good Toonies aren't far behind. Uncle Wom and a cartoon teen, Doog, have come to help Jeremy Kern, a young newspaper cartoonist--the only human who can save Silicon Valley. Steve "The Woz" Wozniak, co-founder of Orange Computer, gets involved when the bad Toonies take over the supply building at Orange headquarters. This is a story of good versus bad ... Doog versus Dab.

AN EXCERPT FROM TWO REVIEWS:
"Between the unique description of the Mischief Makers, and the distinctive "good guys", it was reminiscent of some of Baum's magnificent creations in his classic Oz series…" – T. Burger, Top 100 Amazon Reviewer

"Already a cult classic!...Combining the elements and themes of a classic fantasy with freshly imagined characters in a thoroughly modern setting, the author has created an engaging children's story that will hopefully become a series. I have to believe that most children in this computer-driven age would really get into this "animated" book. Parents will appreciate the message and underlying values. (I'd love to take my grandchildren to see the Toonies movie!)" – Linda Collison, author of "Star-Crossed"

MY FIRST BOOK:
"Millennium Babe: The Prophecy" is written for a general audience and I'm delighted with the broad section of society represented by the people reviewing it.

"Babe" is a mystery adventure with supernatural touches. It starts with a startling prophecy about the first baby to be born in the new millennium.

PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION:
World chaos erupts when David Wetterman--a popular Silicon Valley weatherman--makes a startling prophecy about the first baby to be born on January 1, 2001: Countries fight over "The Millennium Babe"; expectant mothers are terrified; abortion rates accelerate. "The Prophet" becomes an international celebrity, forced into hiding when some VIPs threaten his life. With his remarkable TV director, Bitsy Blodgett, by his side, the apocalyptic countdown to the third millennium begins.

AN EXCERPT FROM A REVIEW:
"...a kind of innocence reminiscent of Vonnegut, though not as acerbic....Ms Dravis grabs you with the skill of a surgeon who doesn't want you to know you're being operated on." - Chaz Thompson, author of "No One Ever Gets Sick in Springfield"

11. Where can people go to buy your books?

1106 GRAND BOULEVARD:
http://tinyurl.com/2b3rko

The TOONIES INVADE SILICON VALLEY, April 2005:
http://tinyurl.com/ywfvog

MILLENNIUM BABE: THE PROPHECY, December 2000, Xlibris:
http://tinyurl.com/ys9c23

"Amazon Shorts" Best-selling short stories:
http://tinyurl.com/2n7wmp


12. Please include URLs to your website, blog, MySpace page, Facebook page, etc.

WEBSITE:
http://bettydravisauthor.googlepages.com/

AMAZON PROFILE:
http://tinyurl.com/ytsb6c

INTERVIEW:
http://thesop.org/index.php?article=14013

GOODREADS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/344855.Betty_Dravis

MYSPACE:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=102629774

SHELFARI:
http://www.shelfari.com/bettydravis/lists/Wish?ec=7D8C031228CT4S18410

YA Y NOT (the official network for TeensReadToo.com):
http://yaynot.ning.com/profile/BettyDravis

CONTEST:
Enter to WIN a copy of Betty Dravis's 1106 GRAND BOULEVARD

To enter:
Please leave a comment on either Part 1 or Part 2 of Betty's interview. Be sure to include your email address so Betty can reach you if you're selected as the winner.

The winner will be selected at random by Betty from all comments posted on or before Thursday, December 18th, and the winner will be announced on Friday, December 19th, 2008. Good luck!

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Part 1 of an interview with Betty Dravis, author of 1106 Grand Boulevard

I am aways interested in other authors, how they got started and what their life has been like, and today I'm very pleased to introduce you to a lovely, great friend of mine, author Betty Dravis. Betty will be giving away one of her books, so be sure to read Parts 1 & 2 of her interview to find out how you can enter. ~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of Whale Song

1. Hi, Betty, and welcome to The Write Type ~ Multi-Author Musings. I'm glad you agreed to this interview because I have found you to be a very interesting person who has had some unique experiences. Please tell us when you first knew you wanted to be a writer and a little about your first paid writing job.

Thanks for the kind words, Cheryl. I'm happy to do an interview with such a talented, charming person as you. It's my pleasure. As for my writing, I started with a few poems in elementary school and was encouraged by my parents and teachers, so I began to take courses that helped in that field. I didn't take writing seriously until I had a few of my six children and sort of fell into a writing job for the Sacramento Sporting News. I wrote short articles about local athletes, so that was my first paid writing job. I received the huge sum of $15. per free-lance article.

2. I am very intrigued (and a bit jealous) that you interviewed the legendary actor, Clint Eastwood. I know you get asked about this a lot, but how did this interview come about? Can you recall some of your questions and Clint Eastwood's answers? How did you feel interviewing him?

Yes, I get asked about my famous (lol) interview with the great Clint Eastwood a lot. I met Clint through June Cheim, a woman he had gone to school with. It was after his role of Rowdy Yates for the TV series Rawhide and during his "Spaghetti Western" days when he was first becoming a major star. Clint was in town as June's houseguest and she asked him to grant me an interview because she enjoyed the story I'd done about her for a Halloween edition of the East San Jose Sun for whom I wrote a weekly column at the time. I asked Eastwood the general questions about his wife and career, such as how he enjoyed the "Spaghetti Westerns" and what movie he was currently working on. I can't recall what movie it was, but I do recall that he and his first wife, Maggie, were expecting their first child at the time. I met Maggie, too, but got no photos with her.

Now, Cheryl, I was a young woman interviewing a handsome, sexy movie star, so how do you think I felt interviewing him? I was aglow with pleasure, and nervous at first, but he put me at ease right away. He was so charming and down-to-earth, after five minutes with him I felt as though I'd known him all my life. I get teased a lot because he curled his long fingers around my neck in the photos June took and he's looking at me as though he adored me. I should be so lucky….lol…I treasure that memory and posted a story about my feelings before and after the interview on my website. In case any of your fans would like to read it, the link is: http://bettydravisauthor.googlepages.com/

3. Who else have you interviewed that we might recognize? Tell us a bit about that interview?

I've interviewed a number of celebrities during my pre-novelist journalism career, including another legend Jane Russell, a movie star of the forties/fifties era. It was about 1970 that I met Ms. Russell at Trader Vic's in San Francisco for the interview. I was editor of The Gilroy News Herald in Gilroy, California and was just as excited to meet her as I was Eastwood a few years earlier. The most memorable thing about the interview was that I ended up late due to a road spill and she graciously granted me extra time. I also write about that on my website (link above). In addition to Russell, I've interviewed actor Dale Robertson, singer/actress Tanya Tucker, and many politicians, including Senator Ted Kennedy, the late San Francisco Mayor Joe Alioto and the late Speaker of the House "Tip" O'Neill…the list goes on. Oh, one of my very favorites was the late Cesar Chavez whom I met on a number of occasions; he was the heroic founder of the United Farm Workers, as you know.

4. How long did it take you to write your first novel and what kept you going and motivated?

It took me a year to write my first novel, "1106 Grand Boulevard", which incidentally was the third to get published. It's my longest novel to date, coming in at over 100,000 words. It's a "faction" story, a highly dramatized version of the life of my beautiful older sister Billie and her seven marriages. It's my most recent release and is centered around our childhood home in Hamilton, Ohio…the actual address being the book's title. My sister's enthusiasm helped keep me going on that one, plus my own natural work ethic and "sticktoitiveness." Having owned my own newspaper until my retirement, I was geared to deadlines, so developed an ingrained habit of "keeping my nose to the grindstone." During my entire journalism career I always longed to write novels, so the determination to see my name on the cover of a book and to hold one in my hand kept me writing and writing and writing.

5. How did you find a publisher? How was the publishing experience and how did it feel to hold your first book.

The first novel I published was "Millennium Babe: The Prophecy." Since it was a new millennium book with a timely topic that for commercial reasons needed to be out before January 1, 2001, I had no time to go the traditional route of submitting to mainstream publishers, so my daughter had that one published with Xlibris, a POD publisher which is a subsidiary of Random House.

OMG, Cheryl, it felt wonderful holding "Babe" in my hand. I was as proud as I was when I had each of my children and held them in my hands. It's an awesome feeling, as you know, being an author yourself. I was like a little kid with a brand new toy, and I thought my blue-and-white cover was the prettiest in the world….lol

6. Please share with us your writing and promoting routine? When and where do you write?

I write anywhere and everywhere I can. The same with promo! I always write on my computer and I write about three hours daily. Since I have a large family and also write reviews for Midwest Book Review and Amazon, I write in between a variety of "real life" happenings, but I try to devote at least two hours daily to writing on one of my WIPs (works in progress, as you know).

My promoting is mostly on the Internet with various writers' groups, such as YA Y Not?, Teen Lit Authors, The Red Room, and readers' groups like GoodReads, Shelfari, Student Operated Press and Amazon. I also visit local bookstores, libraries, TV and radio stations to acquaint them with my books. And mustn't forget your very own BookAdz.com…lol

...

Read Part 2 to find out more about the intriguing Betty Dravis.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Register for Bloody Words 2009

Canada’s premier mystery writers' and fan conference Bloody Words will be in Ottawa from June 5-7, 2009.

Confirmed guests of honour include Denise Mina, Louise Penny and Barbara Fradkin with Mary Jane Maffini as Mistress of Ceremonies.

For more information and registration forms, please visit:

http://www.bloodywords2009.com/

Blog Winter

It is winter, the Solstice will herald the official arrival on December 21st. Outside my window there is evidence of this coming event, a fine layer of snow covers the ground, the wind has a deep chill and the dog goes out and comes in without being called. For some the weather is not a factor on the longest day of the year, perhaps where you are the temperature will remain mild...lucky you. I was reminded, once again, that plans can change on-the-turn-of-a-dime. That's the same lesson twice in as many weeks. Perhaps the universe is telling me something...I've promised myself that I will slow down, beginning today,reducing my speed will allow me to see what is around me, to listen better and to appreciate the small stuff.

The Aries Moon will be reflecting on us until 4:30pm. So the day until then is a Good one. The week will get off to a fast start and the suggestion is to watch tempers around you. Short fuse people can explode. The Taurus Moon joins us for about two days beginning early on Tuesday morning. Tuesday and Wednesday are very Good Days. These are the days that you can ask for what you need. You are deserving and should be successful. You may be tempted to milk the Good Day Moon on Wednesday past 5:30pm and you might be safe to do so. However the moon changes hats and goes off radar until early in the morning on Thursday so do not put too much expectation into those final Taurus Moon hours. There will be a Full Moon in Gemini on Friday which will insure God Days for Thursday and Friday morning. After 1pm and for the next twelve hours the moon will say No Day. Keep the No Day rules for the balance of Friday.

The television show 'Extreme Makeover" takes people out of their home, on vacation and then home again to a completely new house. Not a TV watcher I spent a few hours watching in awe what this show accomplishes. In the spirit of giving at this time of year and all year round we can all practice some kind of generosity. Reduce the scale of what TV manages and go out as an individual and make a difference.

Have the best day everyday.
Linda

No Snowflake

There’s a wonderful Zen expression that says, “No snowflake ever fell in the wrong place”.

I first read it in The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen and from that moment I was struck by the poignancy of those words. The saying could be interpreted a number of different ways, but for me it means that everything happens for a reason. There are no mistakes despite obstacles, failure, or even tragedy. I know this is difficult to fathom when a toddler dies from cancer or a person is killed simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But things do happen for a reason. Events—good and bad—are meant to teach us something about ourselves and about life . . . experiences we share with our children, students, friends, and strangers so that they to0 may learn.

What I love most about this expression is that it also applies to my writing life. Heaven knows writers have setbacks in many forms, but I’ve mentioned before that being a writer is a tremendous learning process for me. Sometimes, though, expectation takes control over reality and defeat sets in.

But then I remember the snowflakes and I push on, knowing that I’m learning something every day. The reasons for these particular lessons might be beyond my understanding, but I have faith that the purpose is out there, as ubiquitous as those gently falling flakes.

To read excerpts of Fatal Encryption and Taxed to Death visit, http://www.debrapurdykong.com/