GUEST POST: Cindy Roesel, author of Viewer Discretion Advised

Today I'd like to welcome author Cindy Roesel by my blog. Cindy is the author of Viewer Discretion Advised, which I will be reviewing in the future. Today Cindy lets you in on a couple of her less-than-sterling moments...

Thank you HEATHER for inviting me and my novel, VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED to be a guest on your blog, CEREBRAL GIRL IN A REDNECK WORLD. This is my first published novel and it’s a very exciting time.

When you told me that I could visit, I was overwhelmed by the gift. There are many talented writers, so I really appreciate you focusing on me and VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED. Here’s a memory I want to share with you and your followers.

It’s something I remember as if it were yesterday, even though it was many years ago. In fact, I was still in middle school. A person publicly let me and everyone around us know that I had incorrectly used the words good and well. He made it his duty to make the entire school aware. It wasn’t good enough to correct me during gym class or even as I passed through the halls. It felt like he turned on the emergency broadcast system to inform the entire world that Cindy Roesel was clueless with the distinct differences between good and well. I ended up feeling quite stupid. I’m sure, that was his intention. I will never forget it, as I’m sure you can tell by my writing this now as an adult. I bet we’ve all had these moments, but I’m sharing mine with all of you to let you know what partially motivates my writing. I now know how to use the words good and well correctly.

I was the first one in my family to attend college and ultimately graduate with my Bachelor of Arts degree. From there I went into the television broadcast news Industry, becoming an anchor/reporter/producer eventually winning an Emmy Award. Before the Emmy, came my unspeakable act of using the word burst in the worst way possible. I would have a lovely blonde anchorwoman in Las Vegas rip a piece of script paper out of the teleprompter and screech so loudly every person from the Vegas strip to Los Angeles could hear, “There is no such word as bursted,” while my insides liquefied! Thank God I would be fired and put out of my misery several days later. Trust me I now know things burst on this earth as we know it!

Why did I take you down memory lane? What is the point of these stories? These are some of the reasons why I write and study and strive to do well: to do good work. I’m constantly reading other writer’s work, and writing reviews of other author’s novels. Those things keep me fresh while working on my own writing. Sure I make mistakes, but they are the exceptions. I’m vigilant and constantly on the lookout for the next potential good-well mistake or bursted disaster. One can only try to do their best, yet you can never become complacent. We don’t always have the luxury of having an editor. I can tell you where the word “of” is missing in my novel and I want to scream, but I had to let it go. I’m going to be more careful the next time around.

Writing and having VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED published was a dream come true. Writing is a hard job. Don’t be fooled. If you want to do anything else except write, I suggest you do it, because getting yourself to sit in the chair isn’t easy, but it’ll be the most gratifying thing you ever do. I’m completely humbled by the process.

If you want to write, I encourage you to move into your favorite chair with your pen and paper and just begin. Or create a happy place with room for your desktop and space for your special coffee cup, which you will be refilling a lot. It’s going to be the best experience of your life. Trust me.

I along with every writer am grateful for people like Heather and blogs like CEREBRAL GIRL IN A REDNECK WORLD who support and love writers and authors with their time and promotion! It’s such a blessing to be able to come on your blog and tell you about VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED and why I work. Thank you so much, Heather and to your bloggers, I appreciate all of you! Feel free to contact me at www.cindyroesel.blogspot.com or www.cindyroesel.com.

Thanks for stopping by Cindy! I look forward to reading your book in the upcoming weeks. Learn more about Cindy's book Viewer Discretion Advised.

GUEST POST: Allen Wyler, author of Dead End Deal

I've invited author Allen Wyler to stop by today to do a guest post, in effort to help promote his new book, Dead End Deal, which deals with the subject of Alzheimers. And without further delay, I give you Allen Wyler...

HOW DOES ALZHEIMERS RANK AS ONE OF THE MOST PRESSING DISEASES IN THE 21ST CENTURY?  WHY AND IF IT GOES UNCHECKED HOW WILL IT IMPACT OUR SOCIETY? (IS THERE ANY PROGRESS ON FINDING A CURE?)

Chances are you know someone among who either has Alzheimer’s Disease or is directly connected—by relation or care—to someone who has it.  As of this year an estimated 5.4 million Americans are living with AD. That translates to roughly one in eight older Americans.  That’s a staggering number, but yet in the public consciousness, AD isn’t as widely considered (“top of mind”) as the dangerous killer that it is; not like say, cancer or heart failure.  (AD is the sixth leading cause of death in the US).

The fact is, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease are becoming more prevalent as the average life span of individuals increase and the more common health care problems ARE better treated. It’s predicted that by 2020, thanks to drugs like Lipitor, mortality from heart disease and stroke will be way down, making Alzheimer’s the leading cause of death in our time.  The personal consequences to individuals or families is devastating, but the general consequence to society as a whole is great as well.  That’s because AD patients often live a long time, their care is very expensive and will become a major health issue (both in cost and quality of life) that our society will have to bear.

There is hope in some novel drugs to treat AD. Because the disease results from the build up of Amyloid in nerve cells, a promising approach is to block the production of this protein. In addition, there is intriguing research into the concept of surgically implanting stem cells into especially damaged brain areas.  This possible cure is a central element that I used in the plot for my new novel, Dead End Deal.

Cures and treatments for diseases like AD are very expensive to develop, (millions upon tens of millions of dollars of R&D) with the resulting payoff even greater (billions of dollars of revenue for the “drug” or the “procedure”) often creating entire new branches of medicine, with thousands upon thousands of new jobs.  This high risk / high reward fact of life for medical researchers and practitioners like me is a natural stage for heroes, villains and high-stakes drama.  I try to capture that in my Thrillers, but the true high-stakes drama on the medical treatment/development stage is much more exciting than any fiction; the heroes are by far much more worthy of praise (though they often go unnoticed).  I like to see my books as homage to them, at least in some small way.

THE CHALLENGES OF WRITING A MEDICAL THRILLER

People who read medical thrillers are usually interested in medical details, just as readers of legal thrillers find law interesting. What is difficult is adding sufficient medical detail to satisfy a reader without making descriptions or facts boring. This is one reason I try to move my stories along at a fast clip. Thrillers are intended to thrill, not lecture. Fast pace, good plot, interesting characters are the elements that should be in a medical thriller.

THE RESEARCH BEHIND DEAD END DEAL

This is a blitz-pace thriller about a Seattle neurosurgeon who, while in Korea, is framed for a murder. Now hunted by police he must evade a professional hit man while trying to find a way back to the United States. I figure it’s Three Days of The Condor meets Michael Crichton.

I got the idea for the story when I was a guest lecturer at a medical school in Seoul, South Korea. I was staying at the Walker Hill Sheraton hotel across the Han river from the hospital. So all the scenes (hotel, downtown Seoul, and the Korean hospital) were from notes and snapshots I took while there. (I always travel with a small point and shoot camera in my pocket). The brief description of the surgical procedure comes from my own experience.

My neurosurgeon protagonist, Jon Ritter, escapes via a route I personally took when figuring out how he might return to the United States without a passport. Again, the scenes were written with the help of snapshots. So, the short answer to the question is that all the research for the story came from personal experience. By the way, I find digital photography a great help when writing. I view a relevant snapshot on the screen as I write. This help me accurately describe what I’m seeing.

MY PATH FROM NEUROSURGEON TO AUTHOR

Writing always interested me. Even in grade school I read like a fiend. So it seemed like a good idea to major in English instead of the traditional chemistry or zoology when I was taking my premed courses. This caused me considerable grief because it was difficult to get in all my required credits. But I figured once I got into medical school I’d never have another shot at the literature courses. And that’s exactly what happened —medical school and post graduate training consumed all my time. Then one Saturday, after starting practice, I came home from making rounds at the hospital and decided to start writing. Just like that. I began a novel that ended up to be really awful. Then I wrote another one, which was better but still not ready for prime time. At that point I started trolling for an agent and finally secured one, but could not sell my work. Years later, I got the call I’d been waiting for. It was quite a thrill. I guess, in the end, my biggest challenge was finding enough time to devote to writing. For me the writing process is difficult and requires a ton of work. I now enjoy the luxury of having sufficient time to work on my craft. It’s a dream come true.

Thanks to Allen Wyler for stopping by. You may learn more about his book Dead End Deal from my introduction yesterday, or from the publishers site.

GUEST POST: Mary Pauline Lowry, author of The Earthquake Machine

I am so happy to welcome Mary Pauline Lowry today, author of The Earthquake Machine. I haven't had a chance to read her book yet, but I really look forward to the opportunity.

But for now, I will turn the floor over to Mary...

Guest Post for Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World

First I want to thank Heather for hosting me here at Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World. I love the title of her blog and can really relate to the idea it conveys. I’ve worked as a forest firefighter and a construction worker so I’ve spent plenty of time being a bookish grrrl surrounded by folks not quite so taken with literature.

Top Six Reasons

THE EARTHQUAKE MACHINE

Will Rock Your World

1.    It’s an adventure story that features a brave and brazen female protagonist.


2.    The main character Rhonda runs away from home and travels alone into interior Mexico.


3.    It’s an honest (and disturbing) tale about a young girl’s sexual awakening.


4.    It shows how women can be awesome criminals.


5.    Insatiable Booksluts call it “Huck Finn with vibrators!”


6.    It’s like nothing you’ve ever read before; and it’s all about Girl Power!



Book synopsis:

The Earthquake Machine

The book every girl should read,

and every girl’s parents hope she’ll never read.

The Earthquake Machine tells the story of 14 year-old Rhonda. On the outside, everything looks perfect in Rhonda’s world, but at home Rhonda has to deal with a manipulative father who keeps her mentally ill mother hooked on pharmaceuticals. The only reliable person in Rhonda’s life is her family’s Mexican yardman, Jesús. But when the INS deports Jesús back to his home state of Oaxaca, Rhonda is left alone with her increasingly painful family situation.

Determined to find her friend Jésus, Rhonda seizes an opportunity to run away during a camping trip with friends to Big Bend National Park. She swims to the Mexican side of the Rio Grande and makes her way to the border town of Milagros, Mexico. There a peyote- addled bartender convinces her she won’t be safe traveling alone into the country’s interior. So with the bartender’s help, Rhonda cuts her hair and assumes the identity of a Mexican boy named Angel. She then sets off on a burro across the desert to look for Jesús. Thus begins a wild adventure that fulfills the longing of readers eager for a brave and brazen female protagonist.

Author bio:

Mary Pauline Lowry has worked as a forest firefighter, screenwriter, open water lifeguard, construction worker, and advocate in the movement to end violence against women. Due to no fault of her sweet parents, at 15 she ran away from home and made it all the way to Matamoros, Mexico. She believes girls should make art, have adventures, and read books that show them the way.



I would like to thank Mary for stopping by today! Stop back by on Saturday for a giveaway of her book The Earthquake Machine, as part of the Lucky Leprechauns Giveaway Hop!

Guest Blog: Gabrielle Bernstein, author of Spirit Junkie

I'm happy to welcome author Gabrielle Bernstein, whose new book Spirit Junkie releases today...

BECOME A SPIRIT JUNKIE
By Gabrielle Bernstein

For twenty years I kept a journal. I wrote about heartbreak, anxiety, and eating disorders. I wrote about trying to quit drugs while high on drugs. Pages and pages are filled with self-loathing and self-doubt. My journal was my only outlet from the turmoil and deep-rooted pain I felt every day. I’d release my fears onto the page and get honest about my sadness as I scribbled over my tears.

Today my journal entries are much different. They reflect an empowered woman who is happy and bleeds authenticity. The words on the page are tinged with pride and compassion. I’ve overcome my addictions to love, drugs, food, work, and fear. I worked hard, and man, was it worth it. My journal shows a deep desire to continue growing from the inside out.

My primary guide on my journey to self-love has been the metaphysical text A Course in Miracles. The Course is a self-study curriculum emphasizing practical applications for relinquishing fear in all areas of life. The Course’s unique thought system uses forgiveness as the road to inner peace and happiness.

Admittedly, when I first began reading the Course, the language and many of the concepts were extremely foreign to me. But, ultimately, I realized that getting bogged down in semantics was a silly distraction. What really mattered was how relevant the Course’s teachings were to my life, and my absolute willingness to be guided to change.

It was with that burning desire for change that I set out to purchase the Course to begin with. Upon entering the bookstore, I noticed the dark blue hardback with the title A Course in Miracles scrawled in illuminating gold print across the cover. I found the thickness of the volume inviting and reassuring, and as I grabbed the book off the shelf I smiled as if I had received a wink from the Universe. Then the most auspicious thing happened—the book literally dragged me to the counter. It felt strange and yet, oddly comforting. Intuitively, I knew I was in for something good.

Afterward, as I stood on a busy New York City street corner, I flipped the book open to its Introduction and read, “This is a course in miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take is voluntary. The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance.” This passage sent chills down my spine. In that moment I made a commitment to myself to become a student and a teacher of the Course—a sacred contract that would change my life.

One year later, I went to a lecture by the renowned spiritual teacher Marianne Williamson, who first introduced me to the Course. Afterward, I asked her advice on how I could spread the Course’s message to my generation. She said, “Read the Text, do the Workbook and study the Manual for Teachers. Then get on your knees and ask God how you should share this work with your generation.” I did just that.

Through reading the Text I was guided to understand the Course’s mission. Simply and succinctly, the Course states that “its goal for you is happiness and peace.” The Text also gave me a deep understanding of the basis for my fear and guilt, and how I could overcome them. Finally, it taught me the meaning of “the miracle,” which is the shift in perception from fear to love.

Then I embarked on the Workbook for Students, which consists of an exercise for each day of the year. The Workbook guided me to know a relationship with what I call my ~ing, an inner guide. This relationship with my ~ing became my primary tool for restoring my mind. When I was ready, I began to practice the Manual for Teachers. This section of the Course prepared me to share its lessons in a way that was authentic to me. My dedication blasted me open to reconnect with my true inner spirit, which is love.

The Course teaches that each time we shift our perception from fear to love we create a miracle. Your internal shifts enhance your external experiences and all your relationships. Serenity kicks in, fear subsides and once and for all you’ll know that all the love you need is inside you.

Sounds like I’ve got the keys to heaven, doesn’t it? That’s right, I do! And I can testify to these tools because I work them like a full-time job. The Course suggests that to teach is to learn, so I’m here to
guide and inspire others to turn inward for happiness. If you’re looking for direction and guidance on your own spiritual journey, I’m here to help! I’ve just launched my new book, Spirit Junkie: A Radical Road to Self-Love and Miracles. With this book I can act as a container for you to take right actions to grow a spiritual relationship of your own understanding. Trust, breathe, be willing and show up for the suggestions along the way. Even if fear has you in a headlock, I’m here to remind you that happiness always wins. You too can be a Spirit Junkie!

---------------------------------------

Congratulations on your new release, Gabrielle! And you, readers, can get your copy now! Spirit Junkie releases today!

GUEST POST: Author Wendy Wax

Today I am happy to welcome author Wendy Wax, whose latest book Ten Beach Road hits the shelves tomorrow. I am currently reading the book, and am really enjoying it. Please stay tuned for my forthcoming review. For now, please join me in welcoming Wendy!

Bernie Madoff Made Me Do It;
the Ponzi Scheme that inspired TEN BEACH ROAD
Wendy Wax

The most asked question by far at talks and book clubs is ‘where do your ideas come from?’ The quick answer is anywhere—and everywhere.

Sometimes an idea begins as a tiny seed of…something…that springs up in your brain and refuses to go away.  Sometimes a character simply presents itself, demanding attention, and … once again, refusing to go away.  Other times it’s a television show or a headline. Or a line in a song that trips through your mind and starts your thoughts down some unimagined path.  It can get really crowded up there with all those seeds and images sprouting up, vying for space.

In the case of Ten Beach Road, my latest novel, it was Bernie Madoff and his Ponzi scheme that leaped from the headlines and forced me to pay attention. Like most people, I was horrified that someone could abuse his client’s trust on such a mammoth scale. I was fascinated by how this wolf had dressed up in sheep’s clothing, playing hard to get to reel in clients and, ultimately, offering returns that were far too good to be true.

As I inhaled the articles and books and television specials, I was appalled by how much he stole and from how many people. Entire life savings disappeared. Charities were bankrupted. Even more terrifying, people and institutions that didn’t even realize their money had ended up with Madoff, lost everything they owned.

How could a person sink so low or live with himself afterward?

At first I was consumed by the details of how he did it. I read about other Ponzi schemes—Madoff was not the first or the last—and I was surprised to discover how many of them were perpetrated on friends and close family.

And then the inevitable happened—at least in my writer’s world. I started imagining what that kind of loss would feel like. What it would do to my life, my family. How it would feel to lose absolutely everything.

After I finished shuddering, the words ‘what if’’ formed in my brain. “What if that happened to us?” And then, more specifically, ‘What if I wasn’t even involved and it still happened to me?  Which was followed by, “What if my husband lost everything we had, including his job, and then didn’t have the nerve to tell me?” With this first series of ‘what ifs’ Madeline Singer, the primary protagonist of Ten Beach Road, and her husband Steve, were born.

I thought about them a lot. I gave them two children who would have to face this loss, too. And a mother-in-law whose money disappeared along with theirs. 

And then, because I typically write books that involve multiple female protagonists whose stories are interwoven, I began to imagine others fleeced by this same thief.

I thought, ‘what if I was a woman who’d escaped poverty and then lost everything?  And what if the person who stole it from me was the younger brother I’d raised and bankrolled, whom I’d trusted more than anyone, and who the FBI was now looking for? How awful would that feel?  And what would I do? With that Nicole Grant, well known dating guru and matchmaker was born.

Or… what if I lost the father who raised me after my mother walked out on us and then lost that father’s estate before I ever received it? And what if this happened right after my marriage and my career collapsed?  Before I knew it Avery Lawford, whose now ex-husband has just pushed her out of their HGTV show, sprang to life.

I worked with my ‘what ifs’ for a while, finally coming up with three very different women, who begin as strangers who’ve lost everything except co-ownership of a dilapidated beachfront mansion, which they’ll spend a long, hot summer trying to rebuild.

Of course, each author approaches this process in his or her own way. And although a well plotted book will seem exactly as it ‘should’ be, in reality any book can go in any number of directions.

I don’t want to spoil the story by telling you too many of the things I decided or which possible paths I ultimately followed. But there’s no doubt in my over-crowded mind that Bernie Madoff made me ask that very first ‘what if…’ 


Thanks so much for stopping by, Wendy! I have personally experienced what you describe, and am even "suffering" through it right now. Storylines that just get stuck in my head. I have a friend who uses the image of a toy car hitting a Tic Tac on the floor and getting stuck on it. I know that feeling!

I'm sure everyone joins me in thanking Wendy for stopping by, and congratulates her on the release of her latest book Ten Beach Road. Here's to your continued success!

GUEST POST: Author Kelly Moran

I'm thrilled today to welcome author Kelly Moran, who has a new book Summer's Road due out on March 25th. Let's all please give her a warm welcome! Kelly, take it away!

First, I'd like to sincerely thank Heather for letting me guest today. She's got a great group of followers and I'm honored. Don't forget to leave a comment or feel free to ask me any questions you may have. One commenter will win a FREE eBook copy of my upcoming release, Summer's Road, due out March 25th wherever books are sold.

If interested, you can find trailers, reviews, my books, and more on my Web site at www.authorkellymoran.com, or my Blog at www.authorkellymoran.blogspot.com. I'm also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorkellymoran, Myspace at www.myspace.com/authorkellymoran, Goodreads at www.goodreads.com/authorkellymoran, and Twitter at www.twitter.com/authorkmoran.

SUMMER'S ROAD is a book very dear to me. Most people don't know this, but the first draft was written when I was sixteen. It started out as a creative writing assignment where I had to write a short scene from a play. A year later, it inspired me to write a novella about it, which was later published under a different title and pen name. It was horrible, but had promise. I've published five books since then, and couldn't let my first baby go.

So, onward I slaved. I got three great critique partners through the Romance Writers of America where I'm a member, and they helped me turn a cute story into a memorable one. I'm eternally grateful to them, and The Wild Rose Press (publisher) for helping me. Seventeen years after I first penned the book, it's getting it's full glory.

Moral? Never give up!

Blurb:

After her father’s death, Summer Quinn realizes just how alone she feels in the world. With no family to fill her life now, she finds comfort among friends, but yearns for true love, contentment, and family. When her boyfriend, Matt, suggests they raise their relationship to a higher level, Summer jumps at the chance to get everything she’s  always wanted. Only, she doesn’t expect the heat arising between her and her best friend, Ian – a man who never seems to settle down. A man the complete opposite of what she’s looking for. But when her estranged mother reappears after twenty-eight years, Summer’s world completely flips upside down. As secrets from her family’s past and Ian’s true feelings for her emerge, Summer’s now faced with choices she’s not sure she can make. The rest of her life’s happiness hinges on her confronting a past she’d rather deny and legitimately opening her heart to love, even if it’s not where she expected to find it.

Excerpt:

Summer stepped onto the pier and gazed out over the ocean. Nighttime here was different than back home. There weren’t any city lights to disguise the stars. The ocean looked black, as dark as the sky above, so that across the horizon, she couldn’t tell where the sky ended and the water began. It was kind of like looking into heaven, like looking into the earth’s soul. 

The drum of footsteps behind her broke her from her reverie. Turning, she saw Ian coming toward her. Shirtless, he hadn’t even bothered with the button on his jeans, he strode closer in bare feet with a bottle of wine in one hand and glasses in the other. 

All she could think was how damn delicious he looked in the moonlight. Heat pooled in her belly and spread throughout her body like a wildfire. Ian Memmer. Not good. 

"You shouldn’t be out here by yourself,” he said, pouring a glass of white wine and handing it to her, the look in his eyes saying it looks like you need this. 

She took the glass from him and sipped before answering. “That’s the point, to be by myself.” 

He raked a gaze over her. “And if you fell in?” 

Maybe it was the moonlight. Maybe it was the call of the ocean. Whatever it was, something made her want to test the boundaries between them again. Matt or not. Friendship or not. Consequences be damned. “Then you’d save me. You always do.”

Thanks again to Heather. Can't wait to hear what you guys think! Best always. XO

Thanks so much for stopping by, Kelly! Any questions or comments for Kelly? One commenter will win a free e-book copy of Kelly's new book Summer's Road, due out March 25th! Just leave a little love below to be entered! Enter by March 27th.

NOTE: Kelly's blog was supposedly hacked and wiped out. If you used to follow her blog, please check in and make sure you still are, as she had to recreate the blog again! 

Guest Blog Post by Reviewer Sarah Johnson

Sarah Johnson of Historical Novels Review will be stopping over by literary publicist Stephanie Barko's blog on Monday, October 4 to do a guest blog post addressing how she selects titles for review. Stephanie says, "The post will be especially useful for writers who are trying to figure out what it takes to get reviewed and for historical fiction writers and readers."

Sarah will be inviting visitors to comment on what they look for in historical fiction, and a winning commenter will be randomly selected from those who respond to her question by midnight PDT, and will win a signed copy of John Pipkin's award-winning historical Woodsburner (Random House).

Set against the backdrop of a devastating forest fire that Henry David Thoreau accidentally set in 1844, John Pipkin's novel brilliantly illuminates the mind of the young philosopher at a formative moment in his life and in the life of the young nation.

The Thoreau of Woodsburner is a lost soul, resigned to a career designing pencils for his father's factory while dreaming of better things. On the day of the fire, his path crosses those of three very different people, each of whom also harbors a secret dream. Oddmund Hus, a shy Norwegian farmhand, pines for the wife of his brutal employer. Eliot Calvert, a prosperous bookseller, is also a hilariously inept aspiring playwright. Caleb Dowdy preaches fire and brimstone to his followers through an opium haze. Each of their lives, like Thoreau's, will be changed forever by the fire.

 I think I need to add that book to my Wish List! I hope to see you over at Stephanie's place on Monday!