Interview with author, Mosetta M. Penick Phillips-Crmak, Ph.D.

Dr. Mosetta Penick Phillips-Cermak is my guest today. She is the author
of the children's illustrated story, Rajah and the Big Blue Ball.


Thank you Penny, for allowing me to visit with you today.


1. Dr. Penick Phillips-Cermak, would you please tell us how you came to
write this particular story. I understand it was originally told to your
second grade students.

Yes, this story was originally told to one of my second grade classes. I loved each and every one of the students in that classroom. They were wonderful children.
Although I read to them, and with them every day, once a week I would bring them a treat, and tell them a story. They would sit on the floor around my chair. Eventually they started to ask for the adventures of Rajah. I come from a long line of oral storytellers. I did not put Rajah and the Big Blue Ball to paper until 2000.

2. Two of the characters in the book, Rajah and Chynna Blue are actually
your own animals. They were rescued through the Cleveland Animal
Protective League. Would you please tell us about the CAPL and how you
came to own these two particular animals.

The Cleveland Animal Protective League has been providing services to
animals since 1913. They are an independent, nonprofit humane society
located in Cleveland Ohio.

As a 501(c)(3) agency, The Cleveland APL provides shelter to homeless
animals relinquished by their guardians, animals that are rescued from abuse
or neglect, and stray or abandoned animals.

When I was a child, my parents adopted a Jack Russell Terrier from the
Cleveland APL to soften the blow of the arrival of my baby brother.
As we grew up, my father, brother, and I would take bags of dog food to the APL a couple of times per month. As an adult, I have continued the practice.
I loved to visit with the animals. I always want to take them all home with me.
Chynna and Rajah LeBeau were adopted at different times. Each after the death of another pet. I adopted Rajah LeBeau about 2 years after the death of Sultan.

3. Please tell us about the other animal characters in your book.

I have always had dogs and cats living in the same house. In reality, Christmas Parfait Sprinkles died in June of 1993. Nikki was so lonely, she would go around the house and would cry as she looked for her. One day, about a year after Parfait's death, I went down to the Cleveland APL on a whim, and I saw this little ball of fluff... this tiny kitten. I took her home and named her Chynna Blue. Chynna would follow Nikki all around the house and curl up to sleep with her. And, Chynna was fearless. She would play with Sultan all the time. She would even climb up on his back.

I don't think that Chynna was too happy when Rajah first came. She would walk up to him and smack him on the nose. Now she plays with Rajah everyday. He will even roll a ball to her. When he is lying down, she walks up to him and kisses him.
There are two Blue Jays that live in a tree in my backyard. They actually attacked Rajah when he went outside. They would dive-bomb him and drop sticks and pinecones on his head. He had to learn to not be afraid of them.

I have always had fish. They come to the top of the water when I go to feed them. I always imagine that they want to share some secret knowledge with me.

4. Your publisher, PM Moon Publishers, is a small publishing house. How
did you learn about them.

Yes, PM Moon Publishers, LLC is a very small family-oriented house. I was very blessed that two things happened in close proximity. One of my stories, The Wishing Flower, was published in a magazine. I was delighted. Once I received my rights back, I wanted the story turned into a book for use in the classroom. I wrote lesson plans to go along with the story.

In the meantime, I sent my brother, Eric A. Penick, Sr., (former full back
for the Denver Broncos, and running back for the University of Notre Dame), who is the CEO for Stored in Heaven Financial Consulting Firm, a copy of the magazine, which he showed to all his friends. One of his friends, in turn, showed it to his friends.

PM Moon was interested in publishing a book that could be used by teachers in the classroom.

5. Can you please tell us about your process of getting this book
published.

The process of getting Rajah and the Big Blue Ball published was less difficult than my other books. I submitted the story directly to my editor. She ordered me to rewrite the story and cut about 250 words, which I did. I had a contract for all six books based on the strength of the first two in the series.

6. What would you like children to take from this story when they read it?

This book is about not allowing a bully to take over your life. I want children to face their fears, seek appropriate advice, and learn to talk out their problems.
Fighting is never the answer.

7. What is your writing process? For example, how does a story come to
you? How do you plan the writing? Do you use an outline or do the
characters tell you their story?

My stories come to me from my environment, from history, Greek Literature, and from my dreams.

I love to watch my animals. They have such wonderful personalities.
With the animals, I do not use a traditional outline, but I literally look into their eyes, and I imagine what they are thinking. I allow the animal to drive the story, based on something that they did.

With my other books, I write a history of my characters. I detail everything about them from their birth date, to their favorite color, to what school they attended. Sometimes, I will write a plot outline. But, then the characters will often rebel and not follow the outline, so I will follow the character.

I write on a very strict schedule. During the summer and other vacations, I write from 7 a.m. until at least 2:30 in the afternoon, every day, except Sunday.
During the school year, I usually write on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 pm.
I write at least 1500 words per day. That is not a lot, but I never do less than that.

8. What are you doing to market your book?

I market Rajah and the Big Blue Ball on Facebook, My Space, and Twitter, as well as a number of on-line sites.
I schedule book signings, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner events. In addition, my publisher has provided wonderful media kits. They do mass mailings to schools, libraries, and bookstores. I go to various neighborhoods and give away my books. I take my books and literature everywhere I go. I always ask people to buy my book. If you want something, you have to ask for it. Rajah LeBeau has his own website (www.rajahbooks.com), email address, Facebook page, and Twitter account (www.twitter.com/RajahLeBeau). He loves to talk to his fans.

9. You've been writing since you were a child. What other stories have
you written?

When I was a child I wrote plays for my dolls and puppet actors to perform. Each summer I would write a new play and construct new puppets. My grandmother would help me to make the costumes. I would then stage a performance for my parents, and other relatives.

I also wrote The Pink Elephant. It was inspired by the Disney film "Dumbo". I remember that when my mother took me to see it, she also bought me the book "Dumbo, the Flying Elephant" written by Helen Aberson and illustrated by Harold Perl. I didn't understand how the book became a film, but I knew that I wanted one of my plays or books to become a film. That is still one of my goals.

At that time I fancied myself as a musician and composer, so I also wrote musicals...very bad musicals.

In second or third grade I wrote Inky and Me, my first dog story, featuring my Terrier...the one we got from the Cleveland APL.

As a pre-teen, or very young teen I wrote Once Upon a Time on the Moon. It was inspired by the launching of "Sputnik 1" in 1959, and I sure that it was influenced by H.G. Wells' First Men in the Moon. It was a very simple story of three teenagers trying to build a rocket to the moon, and instead, blowing a hole in the roof of their parent's house.

The Lavender Dress was inspired by a racial incident that happened when I was only five (5) years old. I think I was fourteen or fifteen when I wrote the first draft.

In addition I have written two teen/YA romances, Each Day I Die (circa 1966). Donald (circa 1971), The Typewriter (Sci-Fi), The Wishing Flower, The Magic of Laven-Rock (two fairy tales), The Cloud (Y/A fantasy), The Book of Moncoto ( Middle-Grade Chapter Book), The Viper and the Brown Barn Owl, My Grandma has Two Birthdays ( picture books), and the six Rajah books. Of course I wrote in college, and I have a number of professional academic papers that I have written, plus my master's thesis and my doctoral dissertation.

10. What are your favorite stories to write?

I am torn between my desire to teach my students' a helpful lesson and the magical world. I think I like anything with magic or myths and/or animals. If it cannot possibly happen, then I want to write about it.

11.What tips do you have for new authors who would like to write
children's books?

If you want to write children's books, then you must read, read, and read children's books. Buy or borrow other people's books. Try to figure out what makes a given book special. I always buy other people's books. Then you can write in them. And, they are tax deductible as research for your craft. Try to remember what it felt like to be whatever age you write. Talk to little people. Read to them. Ask them what they think about your story. Hone your craft. People seem to think that it is easy to write for children. It is not. It is very challenging!

12. Is there anything else you would like my readers to know about you
and your writing?

Once more I would like to thank you for allowing me to talk about my writing.
I will be at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Legacy Village on Thursday July 9, 2009 from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M., 24519 Cedar Road Lyndhurst, Ohio.
On Saturday July 18, 2009, Nela's Restaurant, 3553 West 117th Street, Cleveland Ohio, is sponsoring a Lunch with the Author event to benefit The Cleveland APL. The APL will have their adoption van on site. My publisher has generously provided door prizes for this venue.
I am an advocate of reading to children, and I believe that every child should have their own books.
I have two special causes.
First of all I am trying to raise money to sponsor a cage at the Cleveland APL. Cage sponsorship is $1500. A sponsored cage means that the lucky dog will live there safe until s/he is adopted.
For each Rajah book I sell I donate $1.00 to the Cleveland APL earmarked for a cage. That is about 28% of my royalties.
I ask that if a person doesn't want to buy my book, please donate to the Cleveland APL in the name of Rajah and the Big Blue Ball.
Working together we can save the life of a dog.
My second cause blends into the first one.
It is to try to get each person to buy a book to give to a child.
I encourage people to work together to buy a class set of books to donate to an inner city school. At the end of the school year, the children get to keep their book.
$400 for a set of 20 books is nothing when one considers that some people spend that on a gaming system or a cell phone.
I beg your readers to take up the cause and get twenty friends together to buy a class set of books.
Books change children's lives for the better.

Mosetta M. Penick Phillips-Cermak, Ph.D.

Thank you Dr. Penick Phillips-Cermak for being my guest today.

Deleted Comments

I want to apologize to a few people who stopped by and left a comment about Rajah and the Big Blue Ball. I inadvertently clicked on the delete button and those wonderful comments were lost. Apparently, blogger hasn't found a way to "undelete" deleted comments. It's a bug they're working on, but haven't fixed. If anyone has found a way to undelete, I'd love to know.

Review of Rajah and the Big Blue Ball

REVIEW

Rajah and the Big Blue Ball
By: Dr. Mosetta M. Penick Phillips-Cermak
Published by PM Moon Publishers, LLC
ISBN:0-9817777-4-0


Rajah and the Big Blue Ball is a delightful children's book. It can be read by elementary school children or read to younger readers. Filled with wonderful full-color photographs, each page is a delight to the senses.

Rajah is a black Labrador dog. He lives in a huge house which he shares with his mistress, Mommy Maia, and three Siamese cats: Christmas Parfait Sprinkles, Nikki-Nikki Small-enough, and Chynna Blue. In addition to the dog and three cats, sixteen yellow and blue fish live in a pond in the backyard of the house.

One day as Rajah is playing outside, a pinecone drops on his head. When he looks up, he sees a big blue ball. This is the mystery of Rajah and the Big Blue Ball. What is the blue ball? Why does it drop something on Rajah's head when he plays outside?

Children will be curious to see the steps Rajah takes to find the answer to the puzzle. Will the cats in the house be able to help him? Will Mr. and Mrs. Fish and their fourteen children be able to help him?

The resolution to the secret will bring a smile to the reader's face. Dr. Penick Phillips-Cermak has crafted a tale which will both educate and entertain. I plan to share this story with my own granddaughter. She adores puppies, and I know she'll love Rajah and the Big Blue Ball.

Interview with author Lisette Brodey

Lisette Brodey is our guest today. She is the author of the novel
Squalor, New Mexico. Lisette, would you answer a few questions for us about your novel and your writing career?

1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Hi, Penny. First, thanks so much for this opportunity. I began writing almost as soon as I learned how to print. My earliest recollection of fiddling around with the written word was probably around the age of six when I was crafting short poems. As I got older, I began writing stories, creating little magazines, and eventually writing to pen pals all over the world. Pretty much everything I did involved writing. That said, had you asked me during my childhood what I wanted to do with my life, I would have told you that I wanted to be an actress. When I was in the ninth grade, I wrote a letter to myself (to be read as an adult), begging myself not to give up on acting. I am very sure now that I wrote that letter because I knew in my heart that I would eventually seek out a writing career, and not one in acting.

2. Where do you think your desire to write comes from?

I really believe that most of us, if we are lucky, have the desire within to use the gifts we are given. Writing has always come completely naturally to me, and while I like writing some things better than others, I have always had a passion to paint “word pictures” with my “brush.” Additionally, being able to write one’s feelings out, whether as poetry or prose, is a great way to relieve stress and also to better understand oneself. For me, there is no better way to capture the world around me – to pay homage to what I find beautiful and often to rail against what disturbs me. Writing is a way to bring myself full circle, time and time again.

3. What steps did you take to become a published writer?

Though I have been writing for years, it was not until the late '90s when I actually tried to get published. Prior to then, I was writing plays and screenplays. I had actually begun several novels much earlier in my lifetime, but I was approaching the process entirely wrong and never got very far. I was very good at writing 100+ pages and then stopping dead in my tracks. So, years later, when I finally decided that I wanted to write novels and not plays (which are impossible to get produced), I was able to really give the process my all.

By the year 2000, I had completed two novels, Squalor, New Mexico and Crooked Moon. I spent many years reading guides to literary agents and submitting the two manuscripts. I got a lot of positive feedback from several top agents, but nobody took me on. One of the last agents that I contacted told me that she really wanted to accept my novel, Crooked Moon, but that she was turning me down simply because it was too difficult for her, as an agent, to sell fiction. Trying to get an agent was a very slow, painful process. I often got very depressed and stopped searching for long periods of time.

4. I understand you published Squalor, New Mexico yourself. Why did you choose to self-publish?

Well, it was a combination of two things, Penny: personal readiness and available technology. All of the efforts (to get published) that I explained in #3 were really debilitating to me. In 2007, when I began to learn that I could become my own publisher, I jumped at the chance. At the very least, rather than waiting for agents to respond, I could get my work out there. Not only had technology made self-publishing possible, but the Internet had already opened up amazing networking opportunities that simply had never existed before.


5. How do you come up with your ideas and settings?

The ideas just seem to find me. Sometimes they are just seeds that I water until they grow. Squalor, New Mexico began in just that way. Every time I heard the expression “He or she lives in squalor,” I always thought that it sounded as if squalor were a town or a city. I decided a great first line for a novel would be “My aunt lived in Squalor.” I had absolutely no idea what the story would be, but I wrote the line “My aunt Rebecca lived in Squalor,” and then I constructed a 445-page novel around those six words just because they intrigued me. As for settings, I believe it is important to write about places that you know. Sometimes I will write about a real place; other times I will use a fictitious name but will base it on a real place.

6. What is your writing process? Any rituals? Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I first write a rough outline, jot down massive notes, figure out all of the key elements of the story I think I want to tell, and then begin. There are some writers who will outline down to the tiniest detail. I’m not one of them. I do need to know where I’m going and have some pretty decent maps for getting there. However , whenever I write, my characters will always throw surprises at me that even I don’t see coming. For me, those surprises truly parallel real life.

One thing that I always do, meticulously so, is to keep what I call a time chart. Even if a specified time does not appear in my novel, as the writer, I need to know the day and time that all of the actions occur. This is imperative for me to maintain continuity, and it is also great when I need to review what I have written so far. The time chart helps me to see what I’ve written without rereading hundreds of pages every time I’m away from the book for a while.

And lastly, I start every day, as do most writers, by reviewing what I have done the day before. Doing so warms up the writing muscles and hopefully gets me into the “zone” where I need to go.

7. What have you been doing to market your books?

I try to maintain an active presence on as many networking sites as possible. I truly enjoy meeting people and learning about their lives and pursuits. I never go into a community expecting to simply promote my work and run. While I can’t always spend as much time communicating with people as I would like, I think that developing a personal connection is imperative to people caring about your work.

I also try to read as many blogs and articles about publishing and marketing as I can. Sometimes, there is not enough time in the day. Penny, one of the most difficult things for me is finding the time to market effectively and also have time to work on new projects. I’m pretty sure that is true for most writers.

8. Do you have any marketing tips for other struggling writers?

I think it’s really important for writers to connect with other writers. Being an author is hard work – especially if you are self-published. I never wanted to be a publisher or a publicist. But those are not only jobs I must do, they are jobs that I must strive to get better and better at as time goes on. I have discovered that every author learns something different in his or her travels. When we share what we know, it is a win/win situation for all. Every day, I try to throw more irons in the proverbial fire. No matter how thankless a task book promotion seems to be, I would advise all writers to keep plugging away at it, even when it seems as if we are walking uphill carrying two heavy buckets of water.

9. Tell us about your other work and future plans.

Squalor, New Mexico is my first-written novel. As you mentioned in your review, Penny, it is a book that can be read by young adults or adults. However, I am not a Young Adult author. For this reason (and others), I did not publish Squalor first. I was a bit afraid that readers would then expect all of my books to be YA, which is not the case.

In February 2008, I first published my second-written novel, Crooked Moon. It is the story of friendship, of love and lust, of betrayal and forgiveness, and the revelations of secrets. I enjoy writing strong, flawed, colorful, quirky, and oft-times humorous characters. I like compelling storylines that mirror real life with its twists and turns.

I’m currently 62,000 words into a third novel that is a comedy/drama. I’ve had to step away from it for a while to work on the promotion of my first two novels, so I look forward to returning to the writing and see where it takes me. I keep a journal that is filled with ideas for other books. Each idea is very different, so even I can’t tell you what I might publish the third or fourth time around.

10. Where can fans go to learn more about Lisette Brodey?

Readers are welcome to visit me at www.lisettebrodey.com. I always love to hear from people and hope visitors will sign my guestbook. On my site, there are synopses for both of my novels, an author bio, reviews of my work, and more. I am also on MySpace at www.myspace.com/justlisette, on Twitter @lisettebrodey, on Goodreads.com, AxisAvenue.com, and Facebook.

I would like to let everyone know that Squalor, New Mexico and Crooked Moon are available in both trade paperback and as Kindle versions on Amazon.com. Additionally, I am happy to announce that I will be selling Crooked Moon at a brand-new eBook boutique store called ireadiwrite.com. I'm very happy to be associated with this great new store as it enables readers all over the world to read eBooks in a variety of formats with no dedicated hardware necessary.

Thanks for stopping by and visiting with us today.

Penny, thank you so very much for having me. It was a pleasure speaking with you, and I look forward to reading your eBook, Ghost For Rent.

Review of Lisette Brodey's Squalor New Mexico

REVIEW
Squalor, New Mexico
By Lisette Brodey
ISBN:978-0-9815836-1-7

Squalor, New Mexico is a coming of age story which can be read by either young adults or adults. It is written as the memoir of a young girl, Darla McKendrick.

Darla's story begins when she is nine years old. Early in the story, she learns about her Aunt Rebecca. She has never met Aunt Rebecca, but this aunt continues to haunt her throughout the story. Darla's mom, Margaret, and her aunt, Didi, are very close, but there is a dark secret the two of them share. It has to do with Aunt Rebecca.

Darla and her three cousins, April, May, and June, decide to unravel the mystery of Aunt Rebecca. Their mothers, however, thwart their efforts at every turn. Yet, every time Darla gets into trouble, she's compared to Aunt Rebecca. As she becomes a teenager, her parents treat her as though she had become Aunt Rebecca. Of course, she rebels. But, Darla is basically a good kid; she's just searching for her own identity. Enter Victoria, an elderly woman who Darla befriends when she visits a nursing home with her cousin May. Victoria doesn't judge Darla and listens to her problems, offering sage advice that Darla soon realizes is worthwhile.

Darla's remarkable journey from childhood to young adulthood is fraught with hurdles, missteps, and poor judgment. Despite all of this, she finds her own path and harmony for her struggling family.

This is a sensitive story told with compassion and understanding. Be sure to read it through to the end. You'll be as surprised as I was.

You can purchase Squalor, New Mexico at the following site:
http://www.amazon.com/Squalor-New-Mexico-Lisette-Brodey/dp/098158361X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244911059&sr=1-2

What Should You Do?

Recently, there was a thread on a forum which I follow. The question was how many things should a writer become involved with? There is, of course, blogging like this. Then there are social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. There's Twitter, LinkedIn, and Ning. There's also Goodreads and a wealth of other sites where one can spend time, conceivably marketing their work.

When I first started this blog, I had every intention of posting every day. Soon, I felt like every three days would be good. Now, once again, life gets in the way and here it is a week later and I'm now posting.

Of course, I have a good excuse. I'm away from home and helping with child care for granddaughter. But is that a good excuse? There are certainly plenty of stay at home writing parents who somehow manage to get their work done despite changing diapers, playing with, reading to, and monitoring their children.

It is somewhat different since I don't have my own computer and my work is sitting there at home waiting for editing. I can keep up with email, but that's about all. I can, obviously blog and I did access Facebook. Was this really marketing? Not this time. It was a way to pass a few free minutes while my granddaughter napped.

Many writers on the forum feel like all this is too much and there are times I agree. It becomes personal choice and what you feel is good for you. Some writers feel blogging is part of their writing jobs. The other ways to network may not be as "work," but can be a way to have a little down time. If you're not sure about your own writing time, take a look at how much available time you do have. Are you getting your writing goals accomplished? If not, re-evaluate how much time you spend blogging or social networking.

I know I need to do what one of my writing friends does. Before she checks email or Facebook or any of her other social sites, she works for an hour on whatever writing project is current. By doing this, she knows she's accomplished her goal for the day. If she works for more than an hour, that's even better. Don't be a social networking junkie. Work first, then reward yourself with play time. Make your writing a job, not a pastime and you, too, will reap the rewards of completing your goals.

So Slow

As I mentioned the other day, I've been working on editing a collection of short stories. It's going much slower than I had hoped. Even though the collection has previously been published, I've decided to change some of the stories. The new publisher specializes in fantasy, sci fi, and horror. The original collection while containing some of those types of stories, also had some which were purely romance.

While going through the stories, I have found errors, both typos and grammatical. Many of these stories were written at the beginning of my "professional" career. I'm pleased to see that I've improved some since then, and I'm able to catch and change things. Still, the process is tedious. No one likes to edit.

A while back I read a post about how important it is to let your story sit for a few days before final edits. I can see the truth in this now as I reread my stories before sending off to the publisher. After sitting for several years, I can detach myself more readily than I can from a fresh story.

This has reinforced my belief that not hitting that send button as soon as you've finished your story is an excellent practice. Get in the habit of setting your story aside. The longer the story, the longer you should let it sit. A short story might sit a week, a novel should sit at least a month. When you read it after a period of time, you are more likely to catch those small errors that slip through at the early stages.

Happy editing.