For this happy season, we are not going to talk about cancer. Instead, I am going to help you with your holiday shopping. Who doesn’t love a good book? Featuring the wonderful authors of Simon Publishing is a true pleasure. Joanne Simon Tailele Simon Publishing LLC
All of these books by Simon Publishing LLC are available on Amazon.com
Check them out. Buy them for a gift – for others or for yourself.
• Are you feeling like you are stuck on a treadmill and not
going anywhere?
• Are you tired of repeating your same old story?
• Needing clarity with relationships, finances or work?
• Lacking the confidence, you need to move forward?
• Are you feeling the need to let go of your old baggage?
• Is it time to find new direction in your life?
If you’ve answered “YES” to any one of these questions, this
book is for you! this book has various tools to assist you in
clarity and releasing what is no longer serving you.
~Happy Reading~ ox
Let’s give a big welcome to Lisa Ellis, Owner Operator of Boost Your Health Wellness Center and author of What’s Stopping Me From Being Happy.
You come to us with quite the resume.
Certified Life Skills Coach ~ Reiki Master/Teacher ~ NGH Certified Hypnotherapist ~ Energy Facilitator~ Ancient Black Pearl Technique ~ CCMBA (Complete Cellular Mind Body Alignment) and so much more.
JT: I believe everyone at one point in their lives have needed so boosting; whether that is because they are going through a slump, juggling too many life issues at once or suffering from true depression. You are a life safer to so many people.
Let’s talk a little about what people can expect from reading your book. What do you feel is the number one thing people need to learn about themselves to find true happiness?
Lisa: Clarity is the key to unlocking potential and recognition of personal drivers. Understanding and leveraging personal drivers can have a substantial positive impact on motivation and collaborative energy in our lives. I’ve assisted individuals with self-esteem challenges, overcome employment barriers and demonstrate the value of building bridges toward a healthier community through life skills coaching. I apply interaction and thought-provoking messages to guide an individual toward self-discovery and self-awareness. Each step increases confidence through a personalized program enabling participants to explore new opportunities with clarity. I share positive information/tools on how to declutter your mind, body and soul
JT: How did you get started in this field of work?
Lisa: I first started doing women’s shelters in Canada as a volunteer as soon as I left my abusive marriage 1988. They had helped me so much to get my strength and courage up at that time and I thought this is my time to now pay it forward as a volunteer- I use to help them with the children when they first arrived as they were so lost and scared as most of them ended in the shelters at night. I was also on the crisis line. I would sit with the moms and listen to their stories, Afterall we all have one, some worsts then others. I then realized this was my calling to help women, as I too knew where they came from and how difficult it could be when you are alone or think you are. I am happy to say I have kept my calling to this day, by assisting others with workshops and now my new book. Most of my clients/students have been women, but I just got a contract to now help Men in AA (alcoholics anonymous). I will be doing retreats and workshops for them in Canada, starting this June. I truly hope when I return to Fort Myers at the end of November, I will also be doing the same here for women and men. I have spent more than two decades assisting not-for-profit organization and developing programs for personal and professional enhancement.
JT: Fascinating. My daughter also teaches life lessons with her non-profit, Connection Coalition in Miami. Perhaps someday you can work together.
Let’s talk about your book. What did you like best about writing this book?
Lisa: Since the book is a culmination of many of my workshops, it was the perfect vehicle to provide these tools to more people in the comfort of their own home without the need to come to my own personal workshop/center.
JT: What about the cover? How much input did you have in the design?
Lisa: I designed my own, I painted my first cover 3 years ago- it was exactly what I had seen on my cover. They then put it in more professional look. Here is a copy of my original design.
JT: How do you market your book?
Lisa: People like you who are kind and take the time. I also offer my book at my workshops. It can also be found on my website, wwww.boostyourhealth.ca on my Facebook, Newspapers, press release, also sold online at most major retailers. I must say “finding the time to market is always my challenge. I truly appreciate this.
JT: If you were to give advice to a new author, what would it be?
Lisa: Find the right publisher, do the research, don’t rush on your first offer. A book with no regrets is how I feel mine is. I made changes right to last minute. I have no regrets.
JT: Thank you Lisa, for sharing your time with us. It has been a pleasure.
Readers: Below are all the links that you can find her book.
https://books.apple.com/us/book/whats-stopping-me-from-being-happy/id1588308083
https://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000181127008
Regardless of your profession, marketing is like a chess game. You need to know the right strategies to become a winner.
In today’s market, the King and Queen are most assuredly Social Media, but the mere mention of it sends chills down most entrepreneurs’ backs. As an author, I can safely say that many of us (writers) entered the literary world thinking, “if we write it, they will come.”
Ah, nope. Doesn’t happen that way. In today’s literary world, even if you are linked with one of the big five publishing houses, you are expected to do a lot of your own marketing – and that includes social media.
First, we need to understand how to find the RIGHT social media for our products, whether that is a book, a new dress line, a landscaping business… EVERYONE needs to market. With dozens (and I’m sure I will miss some) social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, where do you begin?
Start with demographics: What age group or social economic group would be most interested in your product? As an example, as a writer of women’s fiction, primarily with mother-daughter themes, my target audience is women of child bearing age or older (like Grandma’s). Although there is most definitely some within my bracket that would frequent other social media sites, the vast majority would fit into the Facebook, Pinterest, and a growing number on Instagram groups. The odds of large numbers of my target market using Snapchat, Twitter or Tumbler is much smaller. So I’ll stick with where I can reach the most of my audience.
Second, as discussed in my past blog post, Branding. Wouldn’t it be great to have a recognizable brand like the McDonald arches? We may never compete with the McDonald arches or the Nike check mark, but we can, become recognized in our own circle – for me – the literary circle. My goal is when someone thinks “mother-daughter stories”, they will think of Joanne Simon Tailele. How does that happen? Truthfully, very slowly. Use every opportunity you can to promote your brand – no- I did not say your product. No one is going to invest in your product until they’ve bought into your brand – that you are the go-to person for that subject.
Last, consistency. Whichever social marketing tool you decide works best for you, stick with it. Post often. Keep it short and entertaining. The place for longer posts are on blogs, such as this one. Social media is the fast lane. Don’t give up. Your followers will come, and your product will have its chance to shine.
Now it’s your turn. What business are you in and how do you use social media to promote it? What avenue works best for you and why? Leave a comment here and you’ll be automatically entered to win an e-book of your choice of mine. You can find them on my website; joannetailele.com Now, go out there and jump into the social media pool.
People have asked me why I chose the name, Writing Under Fire, for my blog. Many times, finding the time to write is near impossible with my busy life. Therefore, even though writing is my passion, I must put my “feet to the fire” and force myself not to let distractions like, eating, sleeping, working my day job, cleaning house, cooking (trust me, nobody want me to do that.) Who needs that stuff anyhow?
Are you burning the candle at both ends?
Writers, do you struggle to find the time to write? What is your secret to keep you writing? Do have a dedicated time every day to write? Do you scratch out words sitting in your car to pick up kids from school, or sitting on a bench during your child’s soccer practice?
Or if you are an avid reader, do you skip other essentials in order to read? I’d love to hear from you.
#writing #reading #passion
I’ll admit it. I got lost in the book vortex. It’s been two years since I’ve blogged, but I’m back. Truth be told, I’ve been a little busy. I published three books since my last post, all of which I’ll share with you later. I’ve become a grandmother again (for the 10th time) and moved twice. And I’ve probably read a couple of hundred books. Yea, I’m a book geek.
I’ve added a new look to this blog. Hopefully, you like it. Lots of great stuff happening in my near future, I ‘m back to share the journey with you. So, stay tuned.
It’s November 1st – that means another year of NANOWRIMO. No idea what that means? NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth.
Join hundreds of thousands of other authors in the writing challenge to write a complete novel in thirty days. That’s right. Thirty days. Criteria must be a minimum of 50,000 words. That’s it. Any genre, any style of writing.
For those of you already familiar with NANOWRIMO, you have probably been planning and outlining like crazy getting ready for this event. But even if you haven’t, you can still jump into the fun. Can you write 1667 words per day? You’ll never know unless you try.
My first novel, Accident, was a NANO book, squeaking through at 50,000 and a few words. By the time, it was ready to roll off the presses (two and half years later), it had grown into a grown-up novel of 80K.
A few things to keep in mind when you write your NANO book.
Good Luck and Happy Writing
As this search for and an agent continues, one phrase keeps popping into my head that my Grandmother used to say, “Who ever said life was fair.”
The reason I think of this so often is because we, as authors, must adhere to strict guidelines for our query, synopsis or manuscript. For example, always address the agent by his/her name, put Query in the subject line, no attachments, etc. for the query. Not that I mind these, but they are “industry standards.” Another standard; synopsis must be in present tense, even if your story is in past tense. And of course, don’t forget your manuscript – double spaced, one inch margins, Times anew Roman 12 pt.
That’s all fine and good, but there is NO industry standard for agents. They can ask for a million different combinations. (maybe not a million – but you get the picture). One agent wants a query and first five pages. The next wants a query, a 3-5 page synopsis and the first chapter. Agent number three wants a query, a “short” synopsis (Does that mean a one page or a 3-5 page?) and the first 25 pages. Most now want email with no attachments, but a few still want queries snail-mailed or they Havre an online form. There is absolutely no consistency. And if you get it wrong, it is an automatic into the circular file. 
Thank God for #Query Tracker. Wouldn’t it be nice if they had to adhere to “industry standards” like we, as writers do? I know. Quit whining. Buck up. #Who ever said like was fair?
As for an update, I am plugging along, adding more agents. Not up to 14 yet, but the week is not over. Still optimistic. Non word from any of the submissions yet. I’ll keep you posted.
This week I entered a new phase in my writing career. I would like to take you along on this journey with me. Are you already one of my fans? Thank You. Your belief in me spurs me on. A fellow writer? Come along on this ride with me. Perhaps we can learn together. Maybe . . . you ran across my blog site by accident or from a previous post. I hope you’ll stick around and follow my progress.
Up until this week, I have been a self-published author. I’ve experienced modest success. I know my writing improves with each book, and finally, I feel like stepping into the mysterious world of traditional publication.
If your are a reader outside of the industry you may not know the process, but I assure you, this is going to be a fun ride.
First things first. What are my goals? To find an agent that will sell my book to a reputable publisher. So . . . do I have a marketable book? I believe I do. My target audience is clear and defined – #women book-club readers that like stories that provoke debate, with current issues that they, as a reader could put themselves into and ask, “What would I do in that situation?”
My new book is about international adoption and the process called re-homing. Never heard of it? Well, as much as it is not illegal (except to advertise children for money), unbelievable to me, it is rather covert. Want an eye opener? Google re-homing children. Enough said.
So what’s my next step? Is it edited (and edited and edited) until it’s the best that it can be. Check and double check.
Now we are moving into the starting gate.
So with a helpful list from WFWA (Women’s Fiction Writers Association) and the online database, “Query Tracker” I started my search for an agent. Using the parameters of: a)agents accepting Women’s Fiction, b)were currently open to new submissions and c)were in the United States (not that I have anything against agents from other countries, but I thought I’d start local) I narrowed it down to only 122 agents. That’s all, you ask? That’s plenty, trust me.
My#goal is this – research agents every week and choose one a day to submit my query letter to. Seven queries a week until I get representation. Are you with me? This week I met my goal of seven queries. I should make it through the list by Christmas (If I haven’t received representation) I also know it takes 6-8 weeks before I should expect a response. So bear with me.
As my fans, my friends or even my stranger, I will share my struggles and my joys as I go down this new path. You will get an inside seat into the life of a struggling writer. And in the end, I know you will celebrate my victory with me. So grab your hat and hang on. It’s going to be a fun ride.
I don’t usually re=post things of this nature. I prefer to talk about what I love, writing, But this is worth sharing with anyone who will listen, Who knows, maybe it will save a life.
via I raised an addict – what could I have done differently?.
Tip# 7 Most Likely to Succeed
Many writers seem to have a rough time in high school – how else can you explain the frustrated teenager protagonists of novels like A Separate Peace or The Catcher in the Rye? The good news is, the most exhilarating – and embarrassing – moments of adolescence can be channeled into great fiction, and you can summon the memories just by opening your Senior Class yearbook.
Imagine what happened to “Most Likely to Succeed” and “Most Popular.” Write about the class clown who defied everyone’s expectations and became a celebrity. Tell us which of your former teachers initiated an affair with one of his or her students. Show us the secret life of the Cafeteria Lunch Lady. Relive the glacial passage of time in a high school detention session, or the petty jealousies involved I the planning of the school musical.
Use as many of your high school memories as you wish, but feel free to embellish or alter “the truth” as you go along. Personal revenge fantasies that involve “Most Popular” are permitted.
By Jason Rekulak
Can you recall a high school incident that you can twist into a storyline in your current WIP? Tell us about it – fully embellished – and please no real names of characters.
Writing Under Fire 