Welcome to the Weekend With... Sheldon Greene

Last week I reviewed a wonderful book called Prodigal Sons written by Sheldon Greene. In my research of the author I discovered a man who is even more interesting and diverse than the characters and spies he writes about in his book. I consider it an honor that Mr Greene agreed to today's interview.

Tell us a little about yourself (where you grew up, family, etc.).

Greene: I’m a Mid Westerner, born in Pennsylvania and raised and educated in Cleveland Ohio; one of those “first in the family to get a college education” Americans. Cleveland gave me a great foundation for a life of learning and thought. They had an elementary school program called Major Work, which taught promising kids to think and be creative. I learned early on how important the character and quality of education is in making us what we are. I’m married to a psychotherapist, my one and only mate. We have a daughter, an artist who is married to a philosopher. They live in Philadelphia and are both educators.

You have an impressive background as an attorney, an author and as an executive of a wind energy company. I have a feeling that is just the tip of the iceberg.. Having served on Obama's national policy team for energy and as the world focuses on becoming more 'green', please tell us about wind energy. What advice would you offer the average person about using energy more efficiently or how we as individuals can make a difference?

At this time wind is the most economically viable alternative energy source. Coal fired plants are still the cheapest until you factor in the indirect costs of their impact on the environment and health. The problem with renewable energy is that it is not constant, because the wind varies. Wind and solar energy can’t be the dominant energy source, at least not until the cost of storing energy is significantly reduced. If and when that happens we will be able to capture the wind based energy, hold it and release it when is needed. One big problem is that while we have a national highway system, our energy highway, the grid, is antiquated and feudal. The Obama administration’s energy policy includes money for an energy super-highway system that is smart enough to deliver energy as needed. Hopefully we’ll have that in the next ten years.


As individuals we can help in two ways. The first is saving energy; turning off the lights, lowering the thermostat, buying energy efficient light bulbs and fuel efficient cars. The second is supporting our government’s efforts to achieve energy independence. This costs money, tax dollars and even somewhat higher energy costs, but money we spend now will in the long run create two million permanent, well paid jobs, reduce our dependency on foreign oil, and help to make us competitive globally.


Politics and immigration are probably not topics most book reviewers/bloggers would approach, but I'm always intrigued by the subject and so more willing to broach the subject. Having also served on Obama's policy team for immigration, and being well versed in government health and labor policies, what advice would you give to those who want to make a difference and be part of a change for the better for our country? And as many Americans have grown apathetic where government/politics is concerned, in your opinion can we as individuals really make a difference?


A sense of powerlessness and mistrust of government afflict much of our American society. There’s a reason for that. Our governments, state, federal, and local, do often spend too much money with too little result and the media magnify the failures. Even so, too many of us don’t make an effort to develop an understanding of the complex and interrelated issues that confront our country. (The subject of immigration, for example, touches every sensitive element of what makes up our society. The impact ranges from the insatiable demand for cheap, unskilled labor to the challenge of integrating and educating people of varied social and economic diversity. That just scratches the surface.


Lots of people relate strongly to a single issue but don’t integrate their personal concerns into a broader perspective. Others are satisfied just to get canned buzz-word opinions from the 24/7 TV media.) More of us need to engage and participate in ongoing political action movements. And we need make a habit of tapping the resources of the internet and the print media to develop a deeper comprehension of the issues; health delivery, education, energy, just to mention the ones currently on the front burner. We need to become an informed, participating electorate.

In your books you write about characters and times that are in transition, it is said that history often repeats and one can easily see cycles in history. One always hopes that we will never see another world war, yet one can see similarities in the past and the current climate. With the complex and compelling character's you have created, what wisdom do you think they would have for us?

The overriding message of Prodigal Sons is that we humans are blinded by ideology. Ideology is a distorted lens through which people view the world. Reality is kaleidoscopic. If people are to cope effectively with reality as it changes they need to look at it and sift it without preconceptions.

Prodigal Sons isn't your first book to deal with a post WWII, why is that time period and the people of that era inspiring for you?

The Twentieth Century alternated between colossal technological achievement and cataclysmic destruction. We experienced two World Wars, genocide, hundreds of smaller conflicts, the implosion of the colonial era, the rise and fall of Communism and Fascism, population explosion, the degradation of the world’s environment on the one hand and a multitude of life changing advances in health, communication, technology on the other hand.


What particularly interested me about Post War Germany, was the intersection of conflicting ideologies; Neo-Nazism, Zionism, Capitalism and Communism and the way the clash informed and animated the characters. The change agent in the book is love. If that sounds like a cliché, so be it. But for me, love, of other people, of the world, is the seminal component of the life force. It’s social gravity.

I haven't had the opportunity to read Lost and Found yet. Can you tell us what it's about?

A Holocaust survivor chooses between life in a small Western Pennsylvania town and reparations in Israel. Reviewers described it as gentle, funny, poignant, magical and deceptively simple. The book celebrates the small miracles of ordinary life. A rabbi discovers he can heal. Sterile people give birth. A mysterious bookstore burns. A cookbook divides the sisterhood. A stranger drops some money on a needy philanthropist. The Los Angeles Times Book Review gave it a Critics Commendation and said, "Greene is a born storyteller."

Your work is very complex yet seems so effortless. How much research and what types of research do you do?

Thanks. That’s a great compliment. I do lots of research so that the historical matrix underpinning the fiction is accurate. For example, the newspaper articles about Post War Nazi activities, the battle of Degania Aleph during the Israeli War of Independence are faithful to the contemporary accounts, to mention a few. I use whatever source is available; contemporary journalistic accounts, books, and of course the internet.

When did you first decide to start writing?

I started writing fiction in Law School and never stopped.

How do you navigate the actual story? (e.g. do you pre-plot it all out, get the main details and then flesh it out, divide up chapters, let the characters tell you their path, etc.) How long does it take you to complete one of your novels?

The novels germinate with a single image or notion. For example, one time I was having dinner in an Italian restaurant. Beside our table on a shelf was a sculpture. My interest in it evolved into my novel, Burnt Umber, about ten years later.


I start with a story, then progress to a detailed outline of the book embellished with historical background and character bios including their basic personality traits. Once the characters are alive in my head, they seem to do and say things their own way, and I become the medium for them. It’s a bit supernatural, like conjuring up a spirit.

When you get stuck on writing, what do you do to clear your mind and get back on track?

I take a nap.
Most great authors are also avid readers. While it is hard for us to imagine you have any free time with all that you do, are you an avid reader and if so, who do you enjoy reading?

I am an avid fiction reader and my tastes are varied. I could name at least fifty authors, each one different in style and subject matter. I’ve read every Le Carre and every Patrick O’Brian. A couple of recently read books that are quite different but equally compelling are; The Painter of Battles, by Arturo Perez-Reverte, and Olive Kittredge, by Elizabeth Strout.

Hope my questions aren't too different for you. I have found that while my readers want to know about an author's book they also like to know the person behind the writing and are often compelled to follow authors who are as intriguing as the characters they write. You definitely fit that bill.

These questions were great fun.

I want to thank Sheldon Greene for taking the time to answer my questions and sharing some of his insights with us. Please check out his website, http://www.sheldongreene.net/

And to read the review of his book, click here.

Book Reviews - Oracle's Legacy by R. B. Holbrook

What if since the dawn of time, there were people living among us with special powers? Powers based on the ability to manipulate energy- telekinesis, mind-control, control over nature, etc. In R.B. Holbrook’s Oracle’s Legacy, those people walk among us.

Oracle’s Legacy is a trilogy that started with Children of Sun and continues with the recently released, Shadows of Fate. Around 12,000 BC, Tesen was the first human to discover the ability to manipulate energy and with others who had this same ability, he established the first tribe, called Uni’Ki. That first tribe was destroyed nearly 6,000 years later, when they began abusing their powers and using them against the powerless humans. It was then that Structure was established. Structure divided those with power into eight houses depending on how they controlled energy: Blade, Breath, Flame, Heart, River, Stone, Sun and the nearly now extinct, Moon. Those with powers bear a tattoo-like Seal. How much of their bodies the Seal covers depends on the level of Enlightenment they have achieved. One progresses higher in Enlightenment and gains more power as they master an understanding of the balance their individual power requires. There is a Grand House, made up of selected members of the different Houses, that governs Structure and one Oracle, that has the most power of all and is chosen to give guidance to their people.

Children of Sun centers around a dysfunctional Structure family of nineteen brothers and sisters, who share a common biological father and have all been taken in by the two oldest son’s Mama. The story itself is driven by twins, Ollie and Ellis. Ollie is a ruthless killer you can’t help but love. While she is a skilled assassin and knows her way around weapons, part of her power gives her the ability to make others turn on themselves. She is brash, over the top, often out of control, and the only thing she is as devoted to as job is protecting the family she loves. Ellis is the yin to her yang. He is the quiet scholarly one that does his best to keep her grounded, until Granger appears and then he must decide whether to trust his sister’s instincts or continue to be her over-protective brother. R.B. Holbrook builds her characters and their world over the course of this first book with a sensory overload (in a good way) of non-stop action. By the end of the first book, when the Oracle starts to die, all the Houses will be trying to have their candidate chosen to be the new Oracle. Ollie and her family will be put to the test trying to protect the Oracle and survive the struggle for power.

Shadows of Fate picks up where Children of the Sun leaves off and instead of losing speed as some second books do, Holbrook continues to deliver even more non-stop action and further insight into the characters, book one introduced us to. In this second volume, we learn the fate of the Oracle and her family of protectors. Shadows of Fate is an even better book than it’s predecessor, however it is hard to tantalize you with details that won’t give away the cliffhanger ending of book one. Although this book is a lot longer than the first, because Holbrook sets such a good pace, it never feels too long. I think the best way I can describe it for sci-fi fans out there, is in terms of a blockbuster movie. Remember how when the first Harry Potter or Transformer movie came out, how unique it was and how the action was so great you couldn’t believe it when the credits started rolling. Then around the 4th Harry Potter or the recent sequel to Transformer, halfway through you were fidgeting and checking the time. Not because the movie was interesting or action packed, but because the film makers had just drawn things out a little too long. Well Holbrook has created the anti-thesis to that. Her books get better with each volume. In fact, when you get to the end the only negative you can think of is, “What?!? I have to wait for the final volume!” In Shadows of Fate, you will learn more about the dark and often hidden members of the House of Moon. Some characters will be revealed to be more harmless than they previously appeared and some seemingly innocent, helpful characters will be revealed to be truly evil. Although, I’m dying to tell you more, I will refrain, because this trilogy is excellent and I highly recommend it to sci-fi/fantasy readers.

If you love a story that gives you everything, love, romance, murder, mayhem, corruption, deception,….. then you will be hooked on these books. If you love comic books, the words in these books will come to life before your eyes. If you like Heroes, but wish they would stop introducing new characters, wrecking the storylines and just wandering off, then Oracle’s Legacy will give a new set of heroes to follow that won’t leave you hanging or confused. 4.5 out of 5 energy spikes.


These books were provided by the author. Come back in December for an interview with her.

This post is part of the Book Review Blog Party on Cym Lowell's site.

The Good The Bad & The Ugly Wednesday

Welcome to another week of The Good The Bad & The Ugly. For those of you that are discovering this weekly feature for the first time, let me tell you what it is. Every Wednesday, I introduce you to three sites or blogs I have discovered. Generally, the three sites will follow a similar theme. Don't let the ominous title fool you, all the sites are great in their own way and worthy of following and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly are just titles with twisted meanings. The Good is a site that is intriguing and you should check it out if you get a chance. The Bad is a site that will surprise you and you may find yourself checking out more than once. The Ugly is so fabulous you may find yourself addicted. This week we take a look at some author blogs and hopefully you will not only discover a new blog you like but also a new author.

The Good- is a blog I only discovered on Monday after reading an interview on Spunk on a Stick Tips.  Jamieson Wolf's self titled bloghas the subtitle "Words that satisfy every need..." I haven't had a chance to read many of his post yet, but they are very candid and give you the feel of sitting in a coffee shop or at a friends house and listening to that friend talk. The post that struck me when I first checked out the blog is last Thursday's Blind Karma. As a big believer in Karma, this post is an excellent example of what our society today is like and how doing a small thing for someone else can make your day. Hopefully it will inspire you to go out an do your own good deeds.

The Bad- is Creations by Laurel-Rain Snow. I discovered this one last week after checking out one of my commenters. Actually she has many blogs, and I haven't had a chance to look at them all yet so I decided to go withthe first one that caught me attention. Make sure when you check out her page that you click on her profile and go visit some of her others as well. I'm sure they are equally as wonderful. This blog is a mixture of reviews, meme's and musings. Those musings are short stories that are nice little pick-me-ups or distractions when you need a little break from the same old sites. With Thanksgiving being next week, check out this post.

The Ugly- is Belle Karper's Beauties and Beasts.......... Blog! Baby! Blog! . What can I say, I love this woman's style. If a man ever wanted to know what goes on in a woman's mind then he should go to this site. Karper's blog is like a running narrative of thoughts.  She is witty and sometimes sarcastic and the way she puts it down in her post has almost a random yet not disjointed feel. Just like that little voice in our heads. You know the one where we are talking to ourselves only we are glad no one can really hear us because we might sound a little nutty or maybe occasionally spastic. Only Karper doesn't sound funny or spastic, she will make you smile and often even laugh. In my book, we definitely need more sites like that. One of the first post I read on this site was This is one of the things I want to be when I grow up....

Book Review - Letters to Rosy

When I first got the email to review C. Ellene Bartlett’s Letters to Rosy, I jumped at the chance. Yes, I love the internet and email as much as the next person, maybe more and it has allowed me to reconnect with many people from my past, but there is just something special about writing letters. It may seem old-fashioned and impractical to modern generations (and no, I’m not that old). In an age where everyone is in a hurry, wants instant gratification and doesn’t have time to wait for the sometimes inefficient and increasingly expensive postal system, the thought of a book about two ladies an ocean apart who still connect through “snail mail” is delightful. That is exactly what Letters to Rosy is. It’s delightful and yet it’s also so much more. This isn’t your typical story and it’s not your typical compilation of letters. It's a story about friendship, mystery, kidnappings, forbidden love, obsession, and more.


Letters to Rosy starts out with a letter Rene in Germany writes to her childhood friend Rosy after decades spent apart. As teens Rene, Rosy and Mendy were the ‘terrible three’ who spent their teens years together in the small town of Bartsville, Georgia. Although they had lost touch with each other over the years, Rene and Rosy renew their special bond as they write letters back and forth, filling each other in on their lives and ailments and each telling a story from the past of someone they knew. By the end of the book you feel like you have lived vicariously through these women and you want to run to buy stationary and reconnect with your own long lost friends.

Once I started reading this book, I found it was not at all what I was expecting. Rene and Rosy take you on a rollercoaster ride. Building up the suspense and then leaving you dangling until the next letter arrives. Needless to say I read this book, in one sitting and in just over two hours. I could not put it down, like each of the women waiting for the next letter, I could not wait for the next part of the story. I had no trouble visualizing their postmen being afraid of being mugged every day in search of the next letter. You see, that is one of the things that makes this book so wonderful, it makes you feel. With Letters to Rosy, Bartlett has succeeded in making the reader feel a gamut of emotions. She makes you laugh when Rene and Rosy are writing back and forth and telling you about their postal carriers. She makes so sad when you hear of the family whose little girl goes missing and then the wife goes crazy with grief and ends up accidentally killing herself. She makes you anxious when Mendy and her daughter are kidnapped. She makes you anger, even a little enraged at various characters (sorry, can’t explain that with out giving too much of the story away). And she shocks you at the end with a few twist you don’t expect. The story of these two women and the stories they are telling to each other make you feel. When was the last time a book did that? I’m not talking about just getting caught up in a story, lots of books can do that, but this one really makes you feel. By the time, I finished this book I had tears in my eyes. For those of you who don’t know me that probably doesn’t mean much. For those of you who do, you know how rare that is. You see, I’m not one of those sentimental, cry at sad movies and stories kind of woman. I was raised to be tough. Although, as I get older more things get to me than they used to, I am not one to cry. I just don’t. So when something makes me cry, you can bet it has really moved me. This book is five out of five postage stamps.

To watch the trailer for the book, click here.

Come back on Friday, November 27th for an interview with Bartlett and a chance to win a letter writing prize package (a copy of her book, a leather bound journal, note card stationary set and a custom made pen).

This book was provided by the author.

Book Review - The Guilt Gene by Diana M. Raab

The Guilt Gene is a delightful collection of poems that follow the stages of Diana M. Raab's life. Like life some of her poems are simple and some are complex. Some are sad and some are funny. Some are full of despair and some full of hope. Raab takes you on a journey thru her life and in the process takes you down your own memeory lane. The reader is given an inside glimpse into Roob's mind and can rejoice with her when she figures aspects of life out and feel a kinship with her when other aspects leave her confused and humbled. The book is a small collection and can easily be read in one sitting, even while waiting in line or for an appointment, but the memories it invokes will linger.

This book was provided by the author and will be given to a commenter.

Welcome to the Weekend With.... Betty Dravis

A few months back I reviewed a delightful book called Dream Reachers. Click here to read that review. Since then I've gotten to know a little bit more about the fascinating lady behind  the book. Her name is Betty Dravis and like her book, she is a dream. It is a pleasure to have her as my guest to start off our weekend.

C. CARTER(CC): Betty, Thank you for joining us today.

BETTY DRAVIS (BD): Thanks for interviewing me on your popular Chronicles, Carter. It’s an honor to be here and there’s nothing I like better than sharing information about my ideas, my dreams and my dear family and friends.

CC: First, can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself? (Where you’re from, grew up, that sort of thing)

BD: I’m originally from Hamilton, Ohio, but left there after graduation to visit my older sister in Sunny California. I liked it so well, I stayed on and fifty years later, I’m still here. I now live in the Central Valley but spent forty years in Silicon Valley. Since most of my children live there, my heart is still there. Fortunately, it’s less than two hours away, so I get to see them often.


I’ve written four books since I retired, but before retirement I was a journalist. I started that career doing weekly columns for local newspapers, went on to interview various people, including some movie icons and famous politicians, and eventually founded my own newspaper that was based in San Jose.

Along the way, I edited several California city and regional papers, hosted a Cable TV talk show and did a variety of interesting things. I did all that as a single parent raising six children…and please don’t ask me where I got the strength… Through the Grace of God… sigh…

Here is a slide show of some of the people Betty has met:

CC: I know you have interviewed so many people. Is this something you always wanted to do or did you have different goals when you started out?

BD: I always wanted to be a writer and started writing a few poems when I was about eleven. My school didn’t have creative writing, so I took journalism. Fortunately, the teacher was an individualist and introduced her students to creative writing too. I was stunned when she chose each of my assignments as “best in class.” Writing came so easy for me; I must have had a God-given talent, for which I am grateful. Needless to say, that teacher’s positive input encouraged me and planted the seeds of my writing career. Hamilton had a great school system and my family was very supportive of all seven of us children in our individual ambitions.

Since I married and had six children, I had little time for writing novels, but I did manage to get hired as a free-lancer by many small city papers. In that capacity I found myself interviewing prominent local citizens, but often a movie star “fell” my way.

But to answer your question, NO, I never ever thought about being an interviewer; it evolved as a natural part of my newspaper work.

CC: How do you choose whom you are going to interview?

BD: In my newspaper days, I chose a person who was either currently in the news or who fit a particular upcoming holiday. Usually, one interview led to another. For example, I interviewed a local San Jose woman who put on such a fabulous Halloween presentation at her home that I knew she would make a great feature for our Halloween edition. That story was for the East San Jose Sun.

Her name was June Cheim and she enjoyed her story so much that when the popular movie star of the day, Clint Eastwood, visited her she arranged for me to interview him. I won’t say more about that because I think you will ask about him later. Everyone does…LOL…

CC: Do you have a process you use when you are conducting an interview? Is it different for an online interview as opposed to an in person?

BD: During my journalism career, computers weren’t in common usage, so I always met the interviewee in person, but now you are speaking of my more recent interviews, so I’ll switch to recent writings.

To answer your question, an in-person interview is much more fun and exciting because it’s always great to meet people. I am a people person! However, I’m so used to computers now that I feel like I “know” a person even though we never meet “live.”

My process for doing computer interviews is different from “live” ones in some ways, but not entirely. You line up your subject and prepare your questions ahead of time for both interview styles, but there the similarity ends. While interviewing a live person, you refer to your notes, take additional notes by hand, while recording the answers, also. You often have to arrange for a newspaper photographer to meet you at your destination too. At the end of this kind of interview you generally get a photo op with the person and a nice hug or handshake, depending on the personalities and the occasion.

My process for reviews I plan to use for various Internet blogs is the same one you use, Carter. I type my questions and send them to the interview subject via email and/or a Words document, often both so they can choose which they prefer. When they finish answering the questions they return them to me along with some photos of themselves. I then edit it into proper format and post it to one of my Internet sites.

CC: You may cover this in your process... do you research your subject before you interview them or do you just let the interview flow?

BD: I always research my subject because the information helps formulate the questions; fortunately, almost everyone has a website now, so research is easy. However, if when the person returns the answers to me and something catches my eye on which I’d like to elaborate, I shoot an email to them with another question. That’s about the only flow you can really expect from this type of “high-tech” interview.

CC: I loved your story about meeting and interviewing Clint Eastwood. Do you have a favorite interview or a fun story that relates to an interview?

BD: Carter, I knew you were going to get around to everyone’s favorite living legend, the multi-talented Clint Eastwood. LOL… Well, even though I interviewed Senator Ted Kennedy, Jane Russell and Tanya Tucker––all great––I must say that Clint is my all-time favorite “live” interview.

As for fun things that happened during an interview, I have a lot of those stories, but I had such a “Bad Hair Day” on the day I met Clint that I couldn’t resist writing a humorous anecdote about it in my latest book Dream Reachers. Your readers can get a free sample of chapter one of Dream Reachers, which is the story about Eastwood, by going to this link on my website: http://www.bettydravis.com/excerpt-dr/

CC: What inspired you to write Dream Reachers?

BD: Like most good things, the idea occurred in a natural way. Author and Celebrity Interviewer Chase Von interviewed me for his blog on Student Operated Press (SOP) and while we were chatting, I suggested that his interviews with talented new entertainers, authors and other artists would make a very inspiring book. He thought about it and told me he would do it if I went in it with him. He wanted my stories of Clint Eastwood and five others to be in the book. One thing led to another and Dream Reachers (Vol. One) was born.

Creating it was hard work but a fun project, also, because during the course of editing the book, I met many of the subjects of his interviews and formed some new, lasting relationships. Now, in addition to working on another fiction book, I am inspired to interview some up-and-coming entertainers myself. I publish them on Dames of Dialogue, which is a group of five women authors who promote our books and blog together. The site’s founder, author Christy Tillery French, appointed me as their official celebrity interviewer; the other Dames interview authors, publishers, agents…all book-related people.

CC: I know you have also written a mystery (Millennium Babe: The Prophecy); a romantic family thriller (1106 Grand Boulevard); and a fantasy adventure (The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley). And from your bio, I know that you are working on a horror, a serial-killer thriller and children's books. That's quite diverse. How do you transition or switch from one genre to another? What genre do you enjoy writing the most?

BD: Even though I’m at an advanced age (think Eastwood’s age), I’m just a big kid at heart, so writing children’s fiction is my favorite. I had more fun writing my The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley than any other. I find that my imagination soars where it wants to go when writing for kids; they have such vivid imaginations and are so open-minded…

Now this may be hard to comprehend, knowing my first choice, but writing horror is my second love. As much as I enjoy delving into the innocent realm of children’s fantasy, I also enjoy the dark side of writing. I think this is because I read so much of John Saul, Dean Koontz and Stephen King.

As for switching from one genre to another, I don’t think too much about it, I just do it. I’ve always been adaptable, so that probably helps. Also, I have read many, many books in all genres, so that stimulates my imagination.

CC: How do you organize the sparks of creativity and plot faeries running around in your mind into a provocative tale?

BD: When I get an idea for a new book or even a short story, I go to my computer and type whatever comes into my mind. This becomes the basis for my story. If I’m busy on another project, I may leave the notes and come back to them at another time. When later I decide the idea is powerful enough for me to develop, I sit down and start typing, formulating the plot as I go along.

I never make a complete outline, preferring to work off the top of my head, but I do make notes as scenes tend to pop into my head at the oddest times; often in bed at night, but sometimes while reading a newspaper where a particular word will trigger a scene for my new story.

I’m fortunate to have a good memory, so I have easy recall of what I’ve written so far in a work in progress (WIP). I visualize my books in my mind like a movie and manage to keep it all sorted out in my head without need for extensive notes. I think my many years of journalism helped develop a mind that can see the beginning, middle and end of any story with easy recall.

I haven’t had a big problem with extensive note taking because most of my books have been contemporary, written in familiar settings. The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley is a fantasy adventure with the main action being in Silicon Valley, an area I know well. The cartoon characters live inside a boy’s computer, but since they are in Silicon Valley 95% of the time, Computer Cartoon Land is only described briefly. It was easy imagining what it was like because I gave my imagination free reign, and then described it from a Toonie’s viewpoint. If ever I have a complex location or locations, I would definitely make charts or detailed notes to keep me on track.

Betty Talking Toonies With Kids At A Local Bookstore

Carter, my dark Muse is the one who gives me my thriller and horror material. She’s on the wild side, and comes screeching through my mind, riding a bright pink Harley. She shouts ideas at me and as she streaks by, she has sentences and words written on banners streaming from her long, golden hair. I haven’t named her yet, and may have a contest, letting my readers name her.

I actually have two muses––one for both styles of my writing. Ideas for my more innocent sweet stories (usually comedies) are given to me by a man who comes riding on a big white horse, wearing a white cowboy hat. I call him Billy Wayne because he’s strong and manly like John Wayne but honest and caring like the late Reverend Billy Graham. That may sound odd to you, but who has more fun?

CC: I love what you have on your website and it has become one of my favorite quotes: "Writing a book is like sliding down a rainbow; marketing it is like trudging through a field of 'chewed' bubblegum on a hot, sticky day."

BD: Thanks, Carter… I’m glad you like that, since I wrote it myself. A lot of people like it and I’m pleased that they post it on some of their own websites. Feel free to use it on your site, if you wish. I would consider that the highest compliment.

CC: How much marketing do you do before your books come out? What is your process and what advice would you offer to new writers?

BD: Sadly, I don’t have time do any marketing before a new book is released. Whenever I’m writing a book, I devote all my time to that; otherwise it would never get written. I’m sure you, as a writer yourself, know that.

But after the book is out, my publishers send out press releases to various newspapers. Since I have used small, independent publishers who don’t have the monetary resources of the large New York houses, that’s about all the publisher does for the book. As for me, during the course of three previous books I’ve built up a network of newspapers, bookstores and websites that have featured my books in the past. So I email the book description and all the stats to them, hoping for continued press. I also inform all my friends, family, and my entire network of bloggers, book reviewers and website owners.

I had an advantage in Silicon Valley since I was already known there for my newspaper work and public service. Due to close proximity I was able to arrange book signings and other public appearances. I admit, it’s been much harder with Dream Reachers because my current city is much smaller and there aren’t many bookstores in the area. Making up the difference, though, is the fact that many of the subjects in this book have their own fan bases and all are helping promote it. Actress and pop star Darcy Donavan, who’s on the front cover of D R, is offering an autographed copy on eBay and has the cover on her website. Dream Reachers also has two fan clubs started by a fantastic admirer Jessica Gilbert.

For more publicity, I take advantage of Amazon’s author assists, namely Author Central, Amazon Associates program, Guides and Listmanias, listing my books along with other recommendations.

With Dream Reachers, I did something I had wanted to do for ages: my co-author and I commissioned a trailer/video (made for YouTube). We’re very pleased with it and it’s getting a lot of views, so I am considering that for my other books. In case your readers would like to see it, the link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYqmZU1b29s It was designed by Kelly Komm and I think she’s a graphic genius.

For new writers, my advice is to learn all you can about your craft, study hard, write hard and never give up. It took me eight years to get my first novel published, so perseverance is the name of the game. The publishing industry is a tough business. It’s not for sissies! But if a person has a burning desire to write, nothing will stop him or her. Dream Big and remember our Dream Reachers’ slogan: Only those who stretch to reach their dreams find themselves living them.

CC: I've read that you come from a large family. How much do you feel that has helped or hindered you as an interviewer and writer?

BD: Yes, I had six siblings and I’m all for large families! It’s actually great preparation for getting out into the world; one learns a lot from interaction with siblings. How the parents keep a handle on running the home and keeping peace with a lot of children is almost like a mini-world. In a large family, you learn to give and take, to know when to push and when to cave in and many other valuable life lessons. If you are shy, you tend to get lost in the shuffle, so I think it all helped me in all phases of my life.

But even more than the size of my family, I credit the moral fiber of our parents for the success of all of us. They taught us good Christian values that have served us well––while raising our own children and in the workforce.

CC: How often do traits from people you know in real life find their way into your fictional characters?

BD: I think everything an author has ever seen, read, done, heard––or even sensed––finds its way into their writing, whether consciously or subconsciously. A character I write about, for instance, might have traits or features from more than one person I’ve seen or known.

CC: You have so many talents: newspaper publisher, journalist, reviewer, writer, mother… What is your favorite and least favorite part of these many roles you have filled?

BD: My least favorite part of being a mother while my kids were growing up was the constant struggle to make ends meet and settling the arguments between them in a fair manner. My favorite part was watching them grow into responsible, caring, honest adults with fine husbands and children of their own.

I’ll lump the writing, journalism, reviewing and publishing into one since it was all part of my career. The least favorite aspect of all that was the pressure of deadlines; like being on a constant merry-go-round... My favorite part was that I loved writing and meeting a wide range of people, so I felt blessed and happy working in a field I truly loved. I can imagine nothing worse than being stuck doing something one disliked. That would be a living hell…

CC: If they were making a movie of your life, what would it be called? What type of movie would it be (live action, animated, drama, comedy, etc.)? And who would you want to direct it?

BD: OMG, Carter, that is a very hard question to answer. Like a true journalist, you saved the hardest for last. LOL… People got a glimpse of my life when I wrote my sister’s story in 1106 Grand Boulevard, and many asked me to write my life story. That’s something I don’t feel objective enough, or emotionally equipped to do, so someone else would have to do that. But IF my life ever became a movie it would have to be a dramatic comedy, if there is such a genre. The title… hmmmm … All My Children?… Nope, that’s already been taken… How about Betty’s Dreams or Through Betty Dravis Eyes? … Oh, I don’t know…

As for director, I would like either Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, but who doesn’t want them? Oh, I know!!! I want an up-and-coming new director that I met through actress Jenny McShane; his name is Jonathan Brayley and I hear he’s starting to make his mark in Hollywood. A movie about my life would be fun and my crowning glory, I suppose, but I’m not certain I wish to divulge all my secrets to the entire world (or even to my children, for that matter…).

CC: Thank you so much for agreeing to do an interview. I think my readers will find you fascinating.

BD: Thanks for the compliment, Carter, and for inviting me. It’s an honor to meet your readers on CC Chronicles. If they want to learn more about me, they can visit my website at http://www.bettydravis.com/

For more Betty, check out her links:

BETTY DRAVIS

Author/Reviewer/Journalist/Editor/Columnist/Newspaper Publisher/Talk Show Hostess

MAIN WEBSITE:

http://www.bettydravis.com/

DREAM REACHERS VIDEO/TRAILER:

http://www.youtube.com/user/bettydravis

DREAM REACHERS FAN CLUB:

http://tinyurl.com/DreamRFanClub

AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE RADIO INTERVIEW:

http://thesop.org/art/2009/08/22/judyth-piazza-chats-with-betty-dravis-co-author-of-dream-reachers

Book Review - A Walk for Sunshine by Jeff Alt

Let's follow Jeff Alt on his 2,160 mile journey through 14 states as he hikes the Appalachain Trail. The 'sunshine' of the title is the Sunshine Home. Sunshine Inc. provides services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and mental retardation. Jeff has an even more personal reason to undertake this journey. His brother, Aaron was born with cerebal palsy and mental retardation. Sunshine has been there for Aaron and his family. At a time when people are struggling to stay afloat and are often obsessed with their own lives and what other can do for them, it is heartwarming to come across a book that displays one man's journey to give something back.

Call it my background in the film and TV industry, but one of my first thoughts when starting this book was the disclaimer, "now, don't try this at home". The thing is, A Walk for Sunshine doesn't need such a disclaimer. Not that I would try it, Alt made me tired just reading it. Alt does such a wonderful job of sharing how he prepared for and fulfilled his journey, that one does feel as though he has given you the formula to undertake your own 2,160 mile hike. While this is a great book about hiking the Appalachain Trail in all its glory and with its challenges, this book is also a look at the people you meet, the generosity of others and how the ability to laugh at oneself can see you through.

If you want a book to motivate you to reach for your dreams and achieve your goals, this is one you want to pick up. I give it 3.5 out of 5 walking sticks.

This book was provided by the author and will be passed on to one lucky commenter.

The Good The Bad and The Ugly Wednesday

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This week, The Good The Bad and The Ugly is going to highlight new bloggers and in addition to introducing you to these three great new 2009 blogs, I’m awarding each of these bloggers The Quest Award, which celebrates those blogs that may still be in their infancy but are growing. The three I’ve chosen today are not just growing but leaping into adolescence. And while this post usually ranks from The Good- ‘you should check it out if you get a chance’ to The Ugly- ‘you must visit this site’, all of today’s sites are equally compelling. So go check out these wonderful blogs and be sure to leave some comment love.

The Good- The Quiddity of Delusion was started in July. The title alone made me want to check it out. His blog is mostly short stories and flash fiction with some book reviews thrown in. His post are unique and as his profile hopes, “vicariously diverting’. His blog would not be classified as mainstream or his stories typical. His view is slightly askew of that and that is what makes his blog so refreshing and a little bit addicting. Make sure you stop by and read some of his work. While I can’t tell you what emotions will be invoked, I can almost guarantee an emotion will be.

The Bad- Writing Mommies was started in May and is written by four blogging moms. Here what you’ll find in addition to writing tips, links to writing contest/paying jobs/resources/opportunities, marketing and networking advice, you’ll find interviews and amusing anecdotes. In their side bar, they have some great gadgets such as an Autocrit Editing Wizard, The Writer’s Idea Bank and a Writer’s Quote of the Day. I discovered them through Linked-In and their post ‘The Best Writing Advice I Ever Received’ and was shocked and amused at the picture that greeted me with that post. Of course, I love that they have an email subscriber box. Being super busy, I love to follow my fellow bloggers but often don’t have time to visit, however, being able to get the latest post in my inbox is a guarantee that I’ll read every post.

The Ugly- Confessions of a Watery Tart, Hart Johnson or as her bloggers know her, Watery Tart, started her blog in June. Her ‘confessions’ are a wonderfully colorful hodge-podge of writing/publishing insights, random news & thoughts, and often humorous bits that flow from the enigmatic mind of hers. Ok, I’ll admit, I also love that she was one of the brave bloggers who took on part of Ember’s journey. And let me tell you, it was a somewhat hedonistic delight! The only negative is she doesn’t have an email subscribe button, please I beg you, I need this option. Ok, enough of my whining… but seriously, get one. This blog is one you must check out. It’s my guilty pleasure and when go there make sure you check out her Monday, Nov 2nd post ‘Dear Blog’.

Book Review - The Code of Destiny by Sara Enochs

What if we could have the events of our lives play out the way we want by reliving our past while remaining in the present. In Sara Enochs’ The Code of Destiny, Ava Ballantyne has learned how to do just that.

Ava comes from a long line of strong Ballantyne women. Women who revel in being mothers and taking care of their large families while never uttering a single complaint. They sound supernatural, don’t they? Oh, sure the mothering and taking care of large families we can believe, but never complaining? Not even once? Yeah right. This is what Ava is thinking also as she struggles to adjust to becoming a new mother and live up to this legacy.

Ava is your typical type ‘A’ modern woman. She always has a plan, everything in it’s place and according to a well thought out schedule. Motherhood has just thrown a monkey wrench into all of that. She is struggling to adjust to the new changes the arrival of her son, Eli, has brought. Feeling she is losing herself, she embarks on a journey across the country with her mother and son. Throughout the journey, Ava takes side journeys into her daydreams. While most of us daydream about the future. Our daydreams filled with our hopes for that future. Ava’s daydreams are mostly of the past, of the way she wishes things had played out as well as of the present as she puts herself in the center of a conspiracy. Don’t misunderstand, she is not one of those neurotic ‘the world is out to get me’ types. She has a mysterious gift, that the author teases us with, without ever telling us what it is. It is infuriating! And at the same time brilliant. She has insured that we will read the next book, if only to find out what is the darn ‘gift’. Well, we will also read the next one to see where Ava’s daydreams are headed and if she has the courage to pursue her dreams. This book gets three out of five daydreams.