Author Interview Sexual Confessional

How long have you been writing?

I started writing really young.  My father was military so we moved around a great deal, and making friends for me was difficult.  So my mother bought me a diary when I was 10 and I would scribble in it all the time. From that point on, I learned to live in my head and write everything down; my diary became more like a journal and collection of stories. So I guess I owe my mother for making me into a writer.

What was the most challenging part about writing your book?

I started my writing career doing fiction. With fiction you have to worry about tone, characters, settings, etc.  With nonfiction, it’s just you and your research. There’s no settings, no characters – literally nothing to hide behind. A book can still be great with a so-so setting or one mediocre character, but when it’s just you – it has to be great. For me, I knew my idea had merit because I had pitched it to a major publisher and they loved it. But when you’re not considered an ‘expert’ in your field, they won’t take a chance on you. Then, just because the idea is good, doesn’t mean that the voice works. So having faith in my own voice and what I was saying was traumatic for me.

DId you self-publish, or find a publisher? What made you go this route?

I initially looked for an agent and a publisher. I wanted to have the traditional book deal. I was lucky enough to submit it to one of the big 7 publishing houses, and while the editor liked my first incarnation of the piece, she didn’t agree with my view on the market for the book. I could have spent the time revamping and reworking the piece until it was exactly what the publisher wanted, but I had a vision for the piece and it was my voice. They didn’t agree with it, so I choose to self-publish. I had my own vision for the piece and I felt that there were too many things I had to give up to just get considered by a publishing house. In essence, I was giving up everything, my voice, my vision and there was still no guarantee that they would pick it up. I have faith in my piece, and in my target audience, so I decided that I would try it on my own and find my audience.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Never take no for an answer – your writing may not be one persons’ cup of tea, but the next person may think it’s the best thing they’ve ever read.  Writing and reading are subjective, think of readers like snowflakes. You have to find the right snowflake for your work and push the negative aside. Accept the constructive criticisms, they will make you a better writer, but let the negativity wash off. Most important, never give up, remember, Stephen King threw out Carrie before it got published.

Are you working on something right now?

One of the ways I combat writer’s block is to have several projects going on at the same time, so I have many in various states of readiness but the most complete are:  a non-fiction piece on Feminism and its effect on relationships; a non-fiction piece on religion and religious fervor; a fiction piece that can be considered either a horror or ghost story and lastly, a follow up to my first book which is YA supernatural.

 

About the Book

Title: Sexual Confessional: Confidential Admissions from Social Media

Author: Nicole Delacroix

Genre: Non-Fiction Humor / Essay

Discovering secrets is titillating.

Everyone wants to peek under the covers, be a fly on the bedroom wall, or read someone’s diary. The juicier the secret, the more people want to know it, and sex is the most taboo of all subjects.

It’s human nature to be curious about what everyone else is doing. What do people like about sex? What are their fantasies? How far are they willing to go to please the one they love? These questions and more are explored, where everyday people offer up their most intimate secrets about sex.

One part social experiment – one part personal journey mixed with a little shock value, a whole lot of confession, laugh-out-loud comedy, deceptively thought-provoking questions and answers, all in the name of self-awareness. A foray into the inappropriate Sexual Confessional is a brash, unfiltered look at sex in the new millennium as seen by social media. A cautionary tale that warns “be careful what you ask the internet for, you may just get it…”

Author Bio

Nicole Delacroix was raised with a deep love for words and literature. This appetite for reading was the foundation fuelling her creative passion for writing. With a strong will and precocious nature, she is the atypical Texan Southern belle, preferring the fantastical, science and reason. Growing up in the buckle of the Bible Belt, writing was her saving grace.

A fan of all genres, she will most often be found buried in fantasy, science fiction or nonfiction, favoring George RR Martin, Douglas Adams and Michio Kaku, while Joan Rivers, Mae West, Madonna and Audrey Hepburn are personal role-models, each possessing a strength she admires. Diversity extends to her writing as well, as she writes about anything that strikes her interest, with a keen eye for character and the absurd.

A blogger, author, and IT professional for a major ISP, she is consistently sought out to provide guest blogs and the oft-maligned tech manual, and receives many requests to review new works from fellow authors. She believes life is about possibilities, which challenges her to write outside her comfort zone, trying new projects and meeting new people.

Fiercely loyal to friends, family and pets, she is a proud member of the Atlanta Writer’s Club, avid Tweeter, and closet Anglophile with addictions to British Tea, Doctor Who and Soccer. Above all, she maintains sarcasm is a legitimate art form and strives to challenge conventional thinking.

Publishing History
Books:

Glimpse of Darkness, April 2014 – October 2014

Blog Posts:

Common Misconceptions About Literary Agents, January 21, 2015 Post Link

Guest Post: How Many Frogs Do I Have To Kiss?, January 19, 2015 Post Link

Guest Post: Books Vs. E-readers, December 21, 2014 Post Link

Guest Post: Using Createspace, December 21, 2014 Post Link

Guest Post: Author Social Media Checklist, December 6, 2014 Post Link

Links

www.nicole-delacroix.com
http://www.facebook.com/writer.nicoledelacroix
http://twitter.com/NicoleDelaCroix
http://www.google.com/+NicoleDelacroix
http://instagram.com/nicoledelacroix/
http://www.pinterest.com/wrtrndelacroix/
http://nicoledelacroix.tumblr.com/

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Author Interview Sexual Confessional

 

Author Interview

How long have you been writing?

I started writing really young.  My father was military so we moved around a great deal, and making friends for me was difficult.  So my mother bought me a diary when I was 10 and I would scribble in it all the time. From that point on, I learned to live in my head and write everything down; my diary became more like a journal and collection of stories. So I guess I owe my mother for making me into a writer.

What was the most challenging part about writing your book?

I started my writing career doing fiction. With fiction you have to worry about tone, characters, settings, etc.  With nonfiction, it’s just you and your research. There’s no settings, no characters – literally nothing to hide behind. A book can still be great with a so-so setting or one mediocre character, but when it’s just you – it has to be great. For me, I knew my idea had merit because I had pitched it to a major publisher and they loved it. But when you’re not considered an ‘expert’ in your field, they won’t take a chance on you. Then, just because the idea is good, doesn’t mean that the voice works. So having faith in my own voice and what I was saying was traumatic for me.

Did you self-publish, or find a publisher? What made you go this route?

I initially looked for an agent and a publisher. I wanted to have the traditional book deal. I was lucky enough to submit it to one of the big 7 publishing houses, and while the editor liked my first incarnation of the piece, she didn’t agree with my view on the market for the book. I could have spent the time revamping and reworking the piece until it was exactly what the publisher wanted, but I had a vision for the piece and it was my voice. They didn’t agree with it, so I choose to self-publish. I had my own vision for the piece and I felt that there were too many things I had to give up to just get considered by a publishing house. In essence, I was giving up everything, my voice, my vision and there was still no guarantee that they would pick it up. I have faith in my piece, and in my target audience, so I decided that I would try it on my own and find my audience.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Never take no for an answer – your writing may not be one persons’ cup of tea, but the next person may think it’s the best thing they’ve ever read.  Writing and reading are subjective, think of readers like snowflakes. You have to find the right snowflake for your work and push the negative aside. Accept the constructive criticisms, they will make you a better writer, but let the negativity wash off. Most important, never give up, remember, Stephen King threw out Carrie before it got published.

Are you working on something right now?

One of the ways I combat writer’s block is to have several projects going on at the same time, so I have many in various states of readiness but the most complete are:  a non-fiction piece on Feminism and its effect on relationships; a non-fiction piece on religion and religious fervor; a fiction piece that can be considered either a horror or ghost story and lastly, a follow up to my first book which is YA supernatural. 

About the Book

Title: Sexual Confessional: Confidential Admissions from Social Media

Author: Nicole Delacroix

Genre: Non-Fiction Humor / Essay

Discovering secrets is titillating.

Everyone wants to peek under the covers, be a fly on the bedroom wall, or read someone’s diary. The juicier the secret, the more people want to know it, and sex is the most taboo of all subjects.

It’s human nature to be curious about what everyone else is doing. What do people like about sex? What are their fantasies? How far are they willing to go to please the one they love? These questions and more are explored, where everyday people offer up their most intimate secrets about sex.

One part social experiment – one part personal journey mixed with a little shock value, a whole lot of confession, laugh-out-loud comedy, deceptively thought-provoking questions and answers, all in the name of self-awareness. A foray into the inappropriate Sexual Confessional is a brash, unfiltered look at sex in the new millennium as seen by social media. A cautionary tale that warns “be careful what you ask the internet for, you may just get it…”

Author Bio

Nicole Delacroix was raised with a deep love for words and literature. This appetite for reading was the foundation fuelling her creative passion for writing. With a strong will and precocious nature, she is the atypical Texan Southern belle, preferring the fantastical, science and reason. Growing up in the buckle of the Bible Belt, writing was her saving grace.

A fan of all genres, she will most often be found buried in fantasy, science fiction or nonfiction, favoring George RR Martin, Douglas Adams and Michio Kaku, while Joan Rivers, Mae West, Madonna and Audrey Hepburn are personal role-models, each possessing a strength she admires. Diversity extends to her writing as well, as she writes about anything that strikes her interest, with a keen eye for character and the absurd.

A blogger, author, and IT professional for a major ISP, she is consistently sought out to provide guest blogs and the oft-maligned tech manual, and receives many requests to review new works from fellow authors. She believes life is about possibilities, which challenges her to write outside her comfort zone, trying new projects and meeting new people.

Fiercely loyal to friends, family and pets, she is a proud member of the Atlanta Writer’s Club, avid Tweeter, and closet Anglophile with addictions to British Tea, Doctor Who and Soccer. Above all, she maintains sarcasm is a legitimate art form and strives to challenge conventional thinking.

Publishing History
Books:

Glimpse of Darkness, April 2014 – October 2014

Blog Posts:

Common Misconceptions About Literary Agents, January 21, 2015 Post Link

Guest Post: How Many Frogs Do I Have To Kiss?, January 19, 2015 Post Link

Guest Post: Books Vs. E-readers, December 21, 2014 Post Link

Guest Post: Using Createspace, December 21, 2014 Post Link

Guest Post: Author Social Media Checklist, December 6, 2014 Post Link

Links

www.nicole-delacroix.com
http://www.facebook.com/writer.nicoledelacroix
http://twitter.com/NicoleDelaCroix
http://www.google.com/+NicoleDelacroix
http://instagram.com/nicoledelacroix/
http://www.pinterest.com/wrtrndelacroix/
http://nicoledelacroix.tumblr.com/

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Release Day Party Sexual Confessional

About the Book

Title: Sexual Confessional: Confidential Admissions from Social Media

Author: Nicole Delacroix

Genre: Non-Fiction Humor / Essay

Discovering secrets is titillating.

Everyone wants to peek under the covers, be a fly on the bedroom wall, or read someone’s diary. The juicier the secret, the more people want to know it, and sex is the most taboo of all subjects.

It’s human nature to be curious about what everyone else is doing. What do people like about sex? What are their fantasies? How far are they willing to go to please the one they love? These questions and more are explored, where everyday people offer up their most intimate secrets about sex.

One part social experiment – one part personal journey mixed with a little shock value, a whole lot of confession, laugh-out-loud comedy, deceptively thought-provoking questions and answers, all in the name of self-awareness. A foray into the inappropriate Sexual Confessional is a brash, unfiltered look at sex in the new millennium as seen by social media. A cautionary tale that warns “be careful what you ask the internet for, you may just get it…”

Author Bio

Nicole Delacroix was raised with a deep love for words and literature. This appetite for reading was the foundation fuelling her creative passion for writing. With a strong will and precocious nature, she is the atypical Texan Southern belle, preferring the fantastical, science and reason. Growing up in the buckle of the Bible Belt, writing was her saving grace.

A fan of all genres, she will most often be found buried in fantasy, science fiction or nonfiction, favoring George RR Martin, Douglas Adams and Michio Kaku, while Joan Rivers, Mae West, Madonna and Audrey Hepburn are personal role-models, each possessing a strength she admires. Diversity extends to her writing as well, as she writes about anything that strikes her interest, with a keen eye for character and the absurd.

A blogger, author, and IT professional for a major ISP, she is consistently sought out to provide guest blogs and the oft-maligned tech manual, and receives many requests to review new works from fellow authors. She believes life is about possibilities, which challenges her to write outside her comfort zone, trying new projects and meeting new people.

Fiercely loyal to friends, family and pets, she is a proud member of the Atlanta Writer’s Club, avid Tweeter, and closet Anglophile with addictions to British Tea, Doctor Who and Soccer. Above all, she maintains sarcasm is a legitimate art form and strives to challenge conventional thinking.

Publishing History Books:

Glimpse of Darkness, April 2014 – October 2014

Blog Posts:

Common Misconceptions About Literary Agents, January 21, 2015 Post Link

Guest Post: How Many Frogs Do I Have To Kiss?, January 19, 2015 Post Link

Guest Post: Books Vs. E-readers, December 21, 2014 Post Link

Guest Post: Using Createspace, December 21, 2014 Post Link

Guest Post: Author Social Media Checklist, December 6, 2014 Post Link

Links

www.nicole-delacroix.com http://www.facebook.com/writer.nicoledelacroix http://twitter.com/NicoleDelaCroix http://www.google.com/+NicoleDelacroix http://instagram.com/nicoledelacroix/ http://www.pinterest.com/wrtrndelacroix/ http://nicoledelacroix.tumblr.com/

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Book Excerpt from With New Eyes: The Power of Perspective

 

Book Excerpt

Just Let Go

With my heart racing and chilled to the bone, I gripped the edge of the airplane door. Harnessed between the long legs of a man I’d met only a half hour before, I had to focus on Randy’s words.

“Okay, Heidi, head back and cross your arms,” he commanded. “And . . . let’s . . . GO!”

Jumping at ten thousand feet—that was when I just let go. Arms extended and eyes wide open, I was free-falling through the frigid air. Everything was flapping, from my forehead to my cheeks and lips. I could hear the light blue material of my jumpsuit beating violently like a sail in an ocean storm’s wind gust. Suddenly, I focused in on a jumper nearby, the videographer filming us. In tandem, Randy and I were heading straight for him.

I watched the videographer falling flat-backed, his abdomen toward the sky, as if in an orchestrated scene in an action thriller. Then Randy quickly grabbed his legs. From there, the three of us—like synchronized swimmers—did circles in the air again and again and again. All of my fear and anxiety had been overtaken by these moments of dancing at high speeds. It felt effortless!

Totally in awe, I screamed, “Hoooooly shit!”

Within a matter of seconds, Randy released the videographer’s legs. We separated like magnets with similar poles, and I quickly lost sight of him. Then Randy pulled the parachute cord. Together, we jerked to a forced reduced speed, which didn’t feel all that slow to me. Although we had free-fallen for about sixty seconds, we still had a long way to go before hitting the flat field below. To give us more breathing room, he loosened the harness, creating a contrast to the intimate and intense contact of the past few minutes.

“This isn’t your first jump,” Randy shouted so I could hear.

“Oh yes, it is. And that was fuckin’ awesome.”

“But you didn’t seem afraid of it at all. You’re embracing the jump as if it were routine.”

“I’ve gone through one hell of a year. I broke my neck and got a divorce. Need I say more?”

Juggling Lots of Balls

Only a year prior to throwing myself out of that airplane, I was juggling a lot of balls: a happy marriage to a successful Brazilian chef; a home outside of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and a physically active lifestyle, partaking in all the outdoor sports that the sun, sand, and water of Florida have to offer. The most consuming “ball” was a sixty-hour-a-week career as an ambitious, globetrotting travel-industry executive.

I thought I was Superwoman.

But despite my belief that I had things under control, it all came crashing down. Exactly one year before this skydiving adventure, all those balls I juggled—health, marriage, and career—dropped when a thousand-pound tree limb struck me down in New York’s Hudson River Valley. The limb broke my neck and left me unconscious for days.

If you have read my previous book When All Balls Drop, you followed me through the pain and frustration of recovery from such a traumatic injury while my marriage disintegrated and my career vanished. When I could, I returned to Poughkeepsie, New York, to revisit The Tree. Doing so sparked a shift in perspective that guided me to redesign my life. Standing in the same place with the same tree—but seeing it with new eyes—marked the end of one agonizing chapter of my recovery and the beginning of a wholesale life change.

That’s why on the anniversary of the traumatic tree accident, I was tied to another man’s waist, embracing life not close to the edge but off that edge, celebrating the gift of seeing the world with new eyes.

After that game-changing visit to The Tree, much healing still lay ahead. With New Eyes picks up where When All Balls Drop left off, starting with a pilgrimage back to my home town in Wisconsin.

 

About the Book

Title: With New Eyes: The Power of Perspective

Author: Heidi Siefkas

Genre: Memoir / Inspiration

Heidi Siefkas lost her health, her career, and her marriage after she was struck by a one thousand-pound tree branch. While she made great strides in her physical and emotional recovery in the months that followed—an arduous process that she chronicled in When All Balls Drop—Heidi wasn’t content to merely survive her setbacks. The time was right to build a new life. One she could live on her own terms.

But what would a redesigned life look like? In her quest for answers, Heidi returned to her childhood home in Wisconsin, dove into the South Florida dating scene, revisited old flames in New England, sold her first home, jumped out of a plane, and traveled alone to South America. Every leg of her journey provided a healthy dose of perspective.

 With New Eyes is full of mishaps and bold decisions, all seasoned with sassy humor. Through her signature down-to-earth vignettes, Heidi inspires you to conquer your fears, head for adventure, and be the captain of your own ship.

Author Bio

Heidi Siefkas is an author and adventurer. Originally from small-town Wisconsin, she lives in Kauai and also calls the Midwest and South Florida home. Heidi is currently writing her third book, Cubicle to Cuba, which features a humorous collection of stories about her travels to Cuba, Peru, New Zealand, Italy, and other far-flung places.

Heidi invites you to share photos on social media that show where you are enjoying With New Eyes (#withneweyes). You can connect with Heidi at http://www.heidisiefkas.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

Links

B&N

Goodreads

Amazon

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Promo Post Why Women Cheat

 

About the Book

Title: Why Women Cheat: Confessions of a Pickup Artist

Author: Daniel Gray

Genre: Non-Fiction / Relationships

Why do women keep falling for pickup artists?  I’ve seen it with my own eyes many times.  I’ve witnessed the inner transformation take place right in front of their significant others; unbeknownst to them.  it’s as if I, and people like me, exist in an alternate universe; like the Matrix.

This book is about:

*Lifting the veil of pickup artistry.

*Informing women about the most popular tactics.

*Teaching attached men how to use these tactics on their own women.

In truth, such a subject is difficult to explain in words.  Many guys, including myself, spend thousands of dollars to learn directly from someone who knows.  I attempt to bridge that gap with three anonymous female writers from around the world.  They are informative and entertaining.

After reading this book, women will have a clearer understanding about what motivates them, and men will recognize that unknown thing that has escaped them their entire lives.  Men and women, single or attached will find this book eye opening.

What are you waiting for?  Don’t you want to know why women cheat?

Buy the Book on Amazon

Author Bio

By the time Daniel Gray was 24 years old he had sex less than 30 times.  As a member of the world famous chess team, The Raging Rooks, and a professional chess coach he decided to study the subject of women intensely.

Writing “Why Women Cheat” was part therapy, part confession, and partly to share with others what he thinks is lacking in most relationships.

Though Daniel has had success with women, he has been celibate for the last 3 years.  Hopefully, not for much longer.

Book Trailer

Watch the trailer

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Book Review Mothering Through Bipolar

Title: Mothering Through Bipolar

Author: Rebecca Moore

Genre: Memoir

Mothering Through Bipolar is Rebecca’s journey of living with Bipolar Disorder while raising a family of seven children. She takes her readers on an adventure through depression, mania, legal issues, relationship problems and other difficulties. Rebecca offers her readers encouragement, comfort and support; always with a message of hope.

One of my closest friends was diagnosed with bipolar disorder a few years ago. Now, she has a baby on the way, so I wanted to read this book, not just for me, but for her too, so that I  could recommend it. I definitely will, and I hope she picks it up. She's not an avid reader, but considering her situation, I think she should read this book. 

The book is well-written and offers tips for people who suffer from bipolar disorder too. The writing conveys what the author feels and what she went through in an honest way, making it easy for the reader to relate to her struggle. 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Book Excerpt from Learning to Float

Book Excerpt

Excerpted from “Tears on My Pillow”

I spent that first week at the hospital, returning each evening to our Whidbey Island home to recharge. I needed to gaze at the water and mountains visible from the house and yard. I needed to re-energize myself in the quiet of our neighborhood and cuddle with our cat Lydia. My first night alone, however, was not a peaceful experience. The house felt abandoned, empty of a part of its life energy. I was qualitatively different from the person who left the house earlier that day. I don’t remember how I got home that first night. I must have been on automatic pilot, pointing the car in what I thought was the right direction and hoping that it, like a well-trained horse, would find its way back to the ferry terminal and then to its garage. When I left her hospital room, Deloris was asleep, looking nothing like the vibrant and beautiful woman with whom I had shared two decades of life. Granted no one looks their best in a hospital gown with wires and IV tubes extending from their body. Yet as I watched her lie there, slack-jawed, pale, expressionless, in a drug- and stroke-induced unconsciousness, the enormity and uncertainty of the situation swamped my mind. Not knowing was awful. I could not help but grieve and imagine the worst possible futures.

Once home, after feeding the cat and eating some dinner, I sat on the deck with a glass of wine. I hoped the silent beauty of the star-filled late summer night might calm me. It didn't.

Later, alone and lonely in bed, I cried myself to sleep, the first of many such nights.

 

About The Book

Title: Learning to Float

Author: Allan Ament

Genre: Memoir

Allan and Deloris Ament’s lives take a dramatic turn when Deloris suffers a debilitating stroke. No longer an equal partner in marriage, Allan becomes Deloris’s primary caregiver, responsible for maintaining their household and her well-being. Learning to Float describes Allan’s transformation from a criminal defense attorney to a compassionate, emotionally vulnerable caregiver. Drawing on contemporaneously written emails and private journal entries, Ament unflinchingly exposes his emotional, mental, and physical ups and downs, consistently focusing on the love, humor, and opportunities for personal and spiritual growth he experiences on this journey. Anyone with the possibility of becoming a caregiver for a loved one, now or in the future, will benefit from the insights Ament shares. Everyone will be buoyed by the love Allan and Deloris experience as they face their new normal.

Author Bio

After successful careers as a criminal defense attorney, higher education administrator and instructor, and day spa manager, Allan Ament now enjoys retirement with his wife, an award-winning journalist and author, and their semi-neurotic cat (are there other kinds?) They live on an island in Puget Sound, north of Seattle, where, in addition to writing and being his wife’s primary caregiver, Ament serves as board chair for the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts (nila.edu).  His work has previously appeared in academic, professional, and literary journals, and is included in an upcoming anthology, Being: What Makes a Man. Learning to Float is his first book-length work.

Links

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Allan-Ament-Author/748062721931129

Blog:  allanament.com

Twitter:  @allanament

Purchase Links:

bit.ly/LTFamazon

bit.ly/LTFBarnesN

Giveaway

Win a signed paperback copy of the book along with a Whidbey Island, WA goodie basket with bonus Seattle coffee and mug.

Go here to participate in the giveaway.

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