Featured Authors

Despite the media claiming children no longer play or are as imaginative in this age of video games and computers, one eight-year old boy knows how to use imagination and follow through to create a dream few children realize: Jared Tinlin has published his first children’s book “Hey…Hey…Think Out Loud!”

After watching the film “Walking the Line,” Jared Tinlin was inspired to try writing a Johnny Cash style song, so his parents bought him a guitar and taught him some chords. Soon Jared was asking Mom for help with spelling words for the lyrics and he had written down verses about a train and the yellow sun along with simple guitar chords over some words. When his mother, Sandra Tinlin, suggested they compile his words into a book, Jared was excited to begin the process.

As Jared wrote, he talked out loud to come up with ideas. The musical rhythm he created and his brainstorming writing process are reflected in the book’s title “Hey…Hey…Think Out Loud!” Expanding upon the Fundations process he learned in kindergarten and first grade, Jared ran through the alphabet to create fun rhyming words. “I wanted to write about things outside,” said Jared in a recent interview. The subjects explored in the book include the sun, a flower, a cloud, a train and a race car.  A farmer and a dog are the next animals questioned.  Other subjects examined in the book are a standup bass, guitar and a drum set. The book is concluded with a t-shirt, socks and all the subjects of the day. 

Guest post by Stephanie Rose Bird

Interviews can be fun and interesting.  In preparing for an interview, I often try to prepare beforehand by figuring out what the questions will be.  Sometimes I’m dead on with a few questions but there is always the stumper.  Recently, I had an interview wherein the interviewer successfully baffled me.  I think she was playing devil’s advocate but I can’t be sure.  Her question was very thought-provoking; it was something to the effect of: With so many ready-made herbal products available why on earth would anyone want to go through all the trouble of creating their own herbal formulations? 

The question was provocative.  I thought long and hard about it.  I thought for others not myself because I am an herbalist and aromatherapist and that’s not about to change in the foreseeable future.  What came to mind as being implicit in the question: Is Herbalism dead or is it a dieing art form?  My answer is an emphatic “no.”

Guest Post by Marnie Swedberg

Social Networking (SN) is no longer an optional activity for authors. The time has come for you to make friends on Facebook, tweet on Twitter or connect on LinkedIn.

Pick your poison, swallow that frog or tackle that tiger, but take action today!

I was never going to get caught up in this SN thing, but thanks to a business coach, I decided to do a test. Within a couple months, income from SN interactions had replaced that of my Google Ads, despite the fact that I was only spending 15 minutes a day working on it. I now maintain groups of hundreds or thousands at several SN sites and you can it, too!

Here are five time-saving tips that will help you fit SN it into your busy schedule.

1. Choose a winner. There are dozens of social networking sites, but you probably only need to join one. Think back to your previously ignored SN invitations to learn where your friends, family and associates are hanging out, and join them there.

2. Publish your profile. Each site has different requirements and options. You will be able to complete the sign-up forms at most sites easily, but some will require you to tap into the contents of a recent resume.

3. Post a current photo. As a professional author, your head shot must capture your personality and support your career. Ask yourself: “If I was a media rep from Good Morning America, would I call this person?”

Guest Post by Victor Pross

An ‘icon’ is an image, depiction, representation, pictogram or likeness that stands for an object by representing it by analogy. By extension, the word ‘icon’ is also used, as seen in popular culture, in the general sense of symbol--such as a name, face or edifice.

In the Christian religion, idolatry is considered a sin, being defined as worship of any cult image or object as opposed to the worship of God. The modern era worships gods of a different kind--celebrities. The modern cult of celebrity and popular culture is saturated with both icons and idols.

Who are the biggest worshippers? Stanch religionists, of course. I admire many of the individuals I capture in art, but I don’t worship them. There is a big difference between admiration and worship. Worship is like admiration wearing blinders. Admiration is quality-oriented, not person-oriented. 

Said Albert Einstein: “It strikes me as unfair, and even in bad taste, to select a few individuals for boundless admiration, attributing superhuman powers of mind and character to them. This has been my fate, and the contrast between the popular estimate of me and the reality is simply grotesque.” 

This culture is a culture of worship, and it is celebrity that is worshiped. It is an epoch where celebrity is a modern mythos. This is prime fodder for satire.

Critics have responded to my art as though I was sui generis, a self-created eccentric without discernable origins. Very much the opposite is the truth.

Topics of conversation:

• What is Sensory Processing Disorder?  Signs, symptoms, and potential causes.
• Laird candidly talks about daughter Jamie's experience with SPD.
• Helpful resources for parents, plus inspiring advice and support from Laird.
• Current medical understanding of SPD, treatment protocols, public awareness.
• Lairds experience writing a memoir, publishing a book with a niche market, future projects including new book "Sensory Diet."

Listen to interview

Guest Post by Kaylin McFarren

Everyone during their lifetime is faced with the possibility of losing a dear friend, family member or loved one. Each of us along with terminally-ill patients has been known to experience the same steps of grief before coming to terms with acceptance.

1 – Denial

Upon hearing a disheartening report, the recipient immediately retaliates with a conscious or unconscious refusal to accept facts, information, or the reality of the given situation. It's a defense mechanism and perfectly natural. Some people can become locked in this stage when dealing with traumatic change and simply refuse to move on.

2 – Anger

Frustration can manifest itself in different ways. People dealing with emotional upset can be angry with themselves or with others – especially anyone close to them. Some lash out at God, avoid their workplaces, and even isolate themselves.

3 - Bargaining

This stage often involves attempting to bargain with a religious deity. Some individuals are driven to convert and others offer themselves in trade to save a dying loved one.

4 - Depression

This is the dress rehearsal or the practice run for the 'aftermath' although this stage means different things depending on whom it involves. It's a sort of acceptance with emotional attachment. It's natural to feel sadness and regret, fear and uncertainty. It demonstrates that the person has begun to accept the reality or brutal truth.

5 - Acceptance

Paula Shene
PublishAmerica (2009)
ISBN 9781608367108

Mandy: The Alpha Dog features Mandy, the smallest Beagle in the pack, and Shadow, the youngest and only non-rescue dog in the pack. Mandy tells the story of her beginning and her overcoming the obstacles of her plight. Shadow the dalmatian hangs out with.