Allbooks Review November 2010 REMEMBER

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Submissions Wanted:
Urgently need cartoonists, for South African cartoon strips. I’m struggling to find artists who portray black characters. What’s needed are black heroes.... There are loads of possibilities. Eg; Where the subscriber can fill in the bubble captions thus writing the story board."Urgently need artists/authors who already do something like this or who might be capable of it. If this sounds like you, contact richie@theebooksale.com.

Myriad Editions is Looking for Books to Publish-----------------------------------------------Based in the UK, this independent publisher publishes atlases,graphic nonfiction and original fiction. They do not publishchildren's stories, poetry or plays. For more information visit:http://www.myriadeditions.com/submissionsGrantville Gazette Wants Short Sci-Fi and Fantasy-------------------------------------------------This appears to be a good magazine to break into if you want towrite fantasy. They have strict guidelines but a supportiveprocess. You need to submit your story as it progresses onto aforum board where it will be discussed and problems with it ironedout. If they decide to purchase your story you will get paid 5cents a word. For more information visit: http://www.grantvillegazette.com/submissionsTimeline Wants History Articles on Ohio---------------------------------------The editors of Timeline, the publication of the Ohio HistoricalSociety, are accepting manuscripts of 1,500 to 6,000 words relatedto the history, prehistory, and natural history of Ohio and to thebroader cultural and natural environments of which Ohio is a part.Articles with a significant regional or national focus also will beconsidered. Suitable topics include the traditional fields ofpolitical, economic, military, and social history; biography; thehistory of science and technology; archaeology and anthropology;architecture; the fine and decorative arts; and the naturalsciences including botany, geology, zoology, ecology, andpaleontology. In addition to full-length feature articles, shorter, more sharplyfocused vignettes of 500 to 1,000 words will be considered.For more information and writer's guidelines visit the website:http://www.ohiohistory.org/resource/publicat/timeline/ifc.htmlDelicious Living Call for

Submissions ------------------------------------- US-based healthy lifestyle magazine is open to submissions. Delicious Living was the first magazine of its kind, and it remains ahead of its time--a lifestyle magazine that meets new millennium needs with centuries-old health solutions, combined with contemporary natural health care methods and modalities.Delicious Living articles are lively, informative, andconversational in tone, and provide up-to-date health informationin a clear, easy-to-understand manner. Writers should consultvarious sources for their stories, including health professionalsand research journals. They require that writers make every attemptto reference current research. For more information visit: http://deliciouslivingmag.com/contact/

FEATURE
Need Book Promotion Ideas?Snoop at Other Authors' WebsitesBy Patricia FryWhether you've been promoting a book for years or for just a few weeks, you are aware of the enormity of the task and the many book promotion options available. Most of us soon settle into a level of comfort. We pursue the promotional activities we prefer, that are fairly easy to implement and that make sense to our project. After a while, however, we realize that we could be doing more, but what? I suggest seeking out some tried and true ideas by snooping on other authors.If you've been doing your homework, you have identified the other experts in your field. You know who your competition is. I suggest dropping in and eaves dropping on other authors with books in your genre/topic. Do an Internet search to see if you can find out how many books they are selling. Where does their book show up? Where has it been mentioned and reviewed? Where is it offered for sale? You could even sign up for Google Alerts using this author or the subject or title of the book as your keywords. Each day you will receive information about where this book is being featured, spoken about, reviewed, etc. Sign up for Google Alerts here: http://www.google.com/alerts. Visit other authors' websites and discover how they are selling their books. What methods are they using? Where are they speaking? Where are their articles appearing? Who is reviewing their books? What are they offering customers, etc.?Do they list their calendar of speaking events? Read their blogs. Check out their media, testimonials and appearances pages. Visit their resources page. They might have an article posted about an unusual promotional activity through which they sold numbers of copies of their book. Make contact with authors of books like yours and discuss promotional ideas. If you share your successes generously, the other author will probably give in return. -------------Patricia Fry is the author of 31 books including "The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book," http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html. She also works with other authors on their book projects: http://www.patriciafry.com.

SUCCESS STORIES
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Remember to post your book signing, guest speaker events on our Bookstore page. Simply send us an email with details of your events and we will be happy to post them. Just part of the Allbooks service to our authors.

Congratulations to:

Allbooks Reviews INTERVIEW:

Please state your name and location. (city and State or Province, Country)
Holly Weiss, New Hartford, NY 13413, USA

Tell us the title and publisher of your book:
Crestmont
Star Publish LLC
Historical fiction

Tell us about yourself:
I am a vocal instructor and retired professional singer. I have a BS from West Chester University and a Master of Music from Northwestern University. I am married, have four grandchildren, and live in upstate New York. I live with post-polio syndrome, which affects polio survivors when they reach their mid-50’s. My health concerns forced me to retire from performing on the stage. One voice led to another, so to speak when I found my “other” voice in writing. Crestmont is my first novel and I am grateful for this different means of creative expression.

When was the book released?
May 2011

Give us an overview of your book.

Crestmont is a look into the lives and loves of the staff at the Crestmont Inn during the 1920s in Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania.

“A dream, after all, needn’t be fueled by particulars, only by desire.”

So notes main character, Gracie Antes, who is determined to take control of her life. Gracie leaves her unhappy home in 1925 to pursue her dream of a singing career. On her way to the big city, she accepts a job as a housemaid at the bustling Crestmont Inn. Once there, Gracie finds a life-changing encounter with opera singer Rosa Ponselle, family she never imagined could be hers, and a man with a mysterious past. Relive the 1920s with a colorful cast of characters. Discover with Gracie that sometimes we must trade loss for happiness.

Set in Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania, the story is interwoven with details about the town, the rich history of The Crestmont Inn, and the family who passed ownership from one generation to the next. Many attempts have been made to explain how the mountaintop lake nestled in this tiny town came to be. Crestmont gives a new twist to an old Native American legend, setting the tone of grace around which the story is built.

Let the period of the Roaring Twenties spark your interest with its unique social mores, fashion, jazz and a little bootlegging thrown in for pizzazz.

What inspired you to write this book?
You may be familiar with the saying, “Barn burned down, now I can see the moon.” I was a professional singer whose career was decimated by the effects of post polio syndrome. I had lost my primary means of creative expression. Asking why wasn’t helpful. Asking how I could make use of it was. The back cover of Crestmont says, “Discover with Gracie how sometimes we must trade loss for happiness,” and that was my experience as well.

My husband and I stayed at the real Crestmont Inn in November of 2006. We stayed in a dormitory for staff built in 1926 that had been refurbished into luxury suites. I began to think of what life would have been like for staff there during the 1920s. A light switch turned on in my head for an idea for the book. The next day I went to the innkeepers and asked permission to write a novel based on their inn.

Because of my singing experience, the creation of characters came easily. When one plays an opera role, the singer must create a whole world for the character she sings. In a recital of 14 songs, 14 different characters must be refined to fit the poetry being sung. My experience as a singer and vocal instructor was instrumental in the decision to include opera singer, Rosa Ponselle, in the story and to infuse the main character, Gracie, with the desire to sing.

How is your book different from other books in this genre?
I have found very few historical fiction books set in the 1920s and Crestmont is firmly placed in that era. Also, the famous historical fiction authors such as Rutherford and Penman write with intensive historical detail which is impressive if that is what you are looking for. My reviewers have complimented me for weaving several plot lines and including the period detail without being overbearing. Several have said the reading of the book provided a mini-vacation or respite from everyday life.

Crestmont also could easily fit into the Young Adult or Historical Christian fiction genres. The goodness of people and theme of grace are emphasized.

Where can people buy your book?
Autographed copies with free shipping are available on my website
http://www.hollyweiss.com.
You may purchase Crestmont discounted at www.amazon.com
or take the ISBN (978-1-935188-10-0) to your favorite local bookstore and they can order it for you.

Are you working on another book? If so when do you expect it to be published?
I am toying with the idea of turning the “One Voice Led to Another” aspect into a novel. I find memoirs limiting. I would choose instead to use my personal experience as a basis for the main character in a novel.
Right now, I am very busy with public speaking opportunities to market Crestmont, and am writing articles and book reviews to keep my writing skills sharp.

If published traditionally, tell us how you benefited:
I chose a small, independent publisher, Star Publish LLC. Star offered me a complete package of editing, formatting, and marketing. They promised me a release date of May 2010 and they stuck to their timetable. As a result, I was able to take advantage of the summer tourist season in Eagles Mere to promote Crestmont.

Can you share one of your marketing successes with us?
I thought carefully about my target audience. The people of Eagles Mere, PA where the book is set, are passionate about their tiny, mountaintop town. Relatives of many town residents had worked at the Crestmont Inn in their younger days. I knew the community would love a refreshing look at a well-loved resort hotel. The “buzz” about Crestmont started this summer when I did several book signings in Eagles Mere and has spread from there.

How did you find Allbooks Reviews and what are you hoping for in your relationship with us?
I like to browse reviews on Amazon. I came upon several done by Allbooks and was impressed with the quality. Then I noticed you were one of Writer’s Digest’s 101 best sites. “The best was recommending the best,” so to speak. I was equally impressed that the Author Interview is posted in a wide variety of places, not just on the Allbooks website.

I hope to widen the reading audience of Crestmont through this interview with you and to gain some insight into further marketing techniques.

Was the low cost a surprise? What other things would you like Allbooks Reviews to offer writers?
Yes! I was delighted with the amount of service offered for the price. The greatest challenge for authors seems to be publicity. I thank you for directing me to iFOGO, a wonderful publicity service. It seems that Allbooks, a perfect resource to offer advice on how to best publicize our books, has covered it all.

Thank you for this interview and best of luck with your book.
Thank you for inviting me to do this author interview and for all of your help.