Tag: Guest author feature

New Book on the Shelves by Sally Cronin -In Interview – Size Always Matters #nonfiction

Published on by dgkaye132 Comments

Today I’m delighted to be featuring Sally Cronin and her latest book release -Size Always Matters. I’m pretty sure that those who follow this blog are well aware about Sally Cronin and her wonderful, always heartfelt books, and her infamous Smorgasbord Blog Magazine, but Sally is also a nutritional therapist and shares much about keeping good health on her blog – Smorgasbord Blog Magazine. And besides Sally’s informative articles, her blog offers a wealth of all sorts of information, entertainment, laughter, books, reviews, and more! Also, I am honored to have a guest writing column at Sally’s blog, this year’s topic is Life Lessons 101.

Sally says about her new book – “This book is about eating, not starving. No gimmicks, pills, or special diet foods,” just how to eat and live naturally.

.

.

About Sally

In her latest release, Sally shares the secrets of her past, and her venture into the world of natural healthcare and talks about bad eating habits. She begins her book explaining her journey into weightloss thirty years ago when she weighed in at 330 pounds and was told by her doctor, she’d be lucky to see the age of forty-five. This news inspired her to design her own weightloss program. Not just a fad diet, but one that became a life eating plan, and most importantly – about how to maintain the weightloss. This book covers a few genres – Self-Help, Memoir, and Health and Wellness.

Sally’s new book is a fourth edition of her original – Size Matters. As Sally felt it was important to make some updates from the last twenty years as the world progressed since she published the original version, and still maintains her healthy eating journey after thirty years ago when her quest to become healthy and fit began. Sally is not a diet expert, but more, a food, nutrient, and healthy diet expert. As she shares, her healthy eating plan that has been successful with over 1,000 people using her eating program, Sally also shares her own struggles and story of her success, and her stories will help guide us on our own healthy living journeys.

Sally will show us how to take back our power of eating in this book and as she said, “This program works – even for the ‘hopeless’ cases who have decided that enough is enough.” And that’s good enough for me! Sally Cronin is an inspiration for us all who strive to be in the best health we can be.

.

About the book

At age 41 in 1994 and weighing 330 lbs, Sally Cronin had two choices when she was told that she was unlikely to live to 45. Carry on eating or get her act together. She chose to study nutrition and change the way she approached the food she ate and her other lifestyle choices.

Her first book, Size Matters, told the story of her weight loss of 154 lbs and shared the programme she designed to both lose the weight and regain her health. Now, thirty years on from the start of that journey, having worked as a nutritional therapist with hundreds of clients as well as acting as a health consultant on radio for several years and on her blog, she shares an updated version of the programme.

Weight loss is not just about calories in and calories out. It is about identifying the physical, emotional and mental attachments we have to food and developing a deeper respect for the fuel we require to be healthy. As well as exploring the many elements involved in healthy weight loss, she also shares the nutritional balance we need to achieve to prevent many of the lifestyle issues that accompany obesity. This includes some easy to prepare recipes which provide nutrient dense dishes for the whole family.

In 2022, 2.5 billion adults aged 18 years and older were overweight, including over 890 million adults who were living with obesity. 37 million children under the age of 5 were overweight. Over 390 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 years were overweight, including 160 million who were living with obesity.

If you need to lose 10 lbs or 100 lbs you can adapt this programme to lose the weight healthily and to enjoy a better quality of life. Don’t be included in the statistics and start losing weight today.

.

Excerpt

Be prepared for some surprising reactions from the people around you when you start on your program. You are going to be making some major changes to your appearance, and some people will find this threatening. Changing from a plump, motherly, comfortable, predictable sort of person to a slim, sexy, confident and slightly surprising ‘new you’ can make the people you love uncomfortable. Most people are wary of change and, if their perception of your role in their life does not fit with your new image, a certain amount of emotional upheaval may ensue.

The last thing you want at this point is to feel tempted to hit the comfort food. So, as soon as you hear things like ‘Don’t lose too much weight; you’ll look gaunt’ or ‘You are beginning to look ill’ or ‘I liked you the way you were’, you will need to sit down and discuss your reasons for losing weight.

Husbands, especially, can feel a bit threatened if their wife and the mother of their children goes from being their ideal picture of how a mother should look to a slim and perhaps sexier looking woman, who is now getting compliments, particular from the opposite sex. Some men are delighted to have back the woman they married, but others may need some extra attention and reassurance the changes you are making will benefit both of you.

Mothers can always be relied on to pass comment on any changes you make to your weight, up or down. You are her baby at any age and she will interfere whether you want it or not. Mothers will spend all their time telling you to lose weight and then when you do, they will tell you to eat properly, don’t starve yourself and have another cake. ‘One more won’t do you any harm’. They are natural worriers, so just accept this and try to work with it. Involve them wherever possible, and, who knows, you may just change some of their habits of a lifetime.

Welcome

Welcome Sally, I am currently reading your book and making lots of notes from your excellent health tips. I’d just like to ask you a few questions to add to the feature.

Thanks very much Debby for inviting me over to get Size Always Matter a spotlight… your support is always appreciated.

My absolute pleasure Sally!

.

Sally, would you please share with us what inspired you to revise and update the original Size Matters?

Since I began my journey 30 years ago, I have continued to research both weight loss and the health issues obesity is responsible for. Combined with working with hundreds of clients this has provided me with even more determination to make sure others understand how vital food and its nutrients are for long term health. This new edition has more nutritional content and health related chapters as well as recipes that were not in the original version. The obesity statistics continue to rise at alarming rate across the age groups and I hope at least for those who read this book it will make a difference.

D.G. – Well, it’s been a while since I read the previous version, so I’m looking forward to refreshing my memory and learning some new tips!

.

I know your healthy eating habits have become a life plan, not a diet. Can you explain to us a summation about why fad diets don’t work and the benefits of slow and steady dieting?

The body in its current form has been evolving for many thousands of years and has a very strong survival instinct. It reacts very quickly to starvation and has a strong mechanism in place to counteract a lack of not just food, but the nutrients it needs which are essential for our health. Its response will be to go into storage mode. In my late teens through to my early 40s I completed many fad diets, cycling through four or five low calorie and very low fat periods of about six weeks duration each year. I would lose a lot of weight and then within another six weeks put the weight back on plus extra. This is the body’s insurance policy as it expects through experience there will be another famine soon. This yo-yo approach to dieting resulted in me weighing 330lbs and suffering from malnutrition! In the book I go through this in more detail with recommended calorie restriction limits and how the body utilises the calories we consume during the day and night.

D.G. – Thanks so much for explaining this Sally.

(Sally at 330 pounds)

.

Sally at large

.

.

Is there anything you can share with us about how to keep up the diet morale, and any tips of your own on any favorite low-cal tricks for when it comes to craving snacks?

Fruit is a good option for a snack and I always have a banana to hand, also a small pack of unsalted nuts is useful when on the go. In my programme there are three main meals a day and three snacks dependent on activity level, so hunger is not really an issue.

I believe in setting small targets and celebrating when they are achieved with non-food treats. I used to hang up a dress a size too small on the front of my closet and tried it on once a week until it fitted. Then out to the theatre or cinema.

Probably one tip I can offer from my own experience is our attitude to not just the food we eat for our main meals but our attitude to treats.

As small children when we do something simple we are rewarded, and if we graze our knees we also get a treat of some kind but usually sweet. This habit tends to carry over to adulthood and whether we have had a good day or a bad day, the response is to say…’I deserve a glass of wine, bar of chocolate, takeaway, tub of ice-cream, or all of the above!’ I had to learn to stop behaving like a five year old and instead think about what I was putting in my mouth and around my waistline like an adult. Like most things in life you cannot have it all, and if your health is being severely compromised by your actions, you need to change your language and think about what your long suffering body needs.

D.G. – I like the idea of hanging the smaller size dress in front of your closet, kind of like a vision board to remind you.

.

Okay, now a personal question for my own satisfaction, lol. Do you have any tricks up your sleeve to fire up metabolisms for those of us that have spent a good part of our younger years on silly yo-yo diets? Asking for a friend or twenty, lol.

One of the problems associated with yo-yo dieting is a confused metabolism. If your body is in starvation mode it is not going to give up its prized energy in the fat cells unless it is absolutely forced to. This is why eating nutrient dense meals and snacks steadily over the waking hours will encourage a better response and therefore weight loss.

Also activity is important, it does not have to be fast and furious and I have found these days two 30 minute walks a day keep the pounds moving for me based on my food intake. I know you do far more than that with your gym workouts and it is about finding the balance so you are eating the right nutrients for your particular level of activity.

As they say, age is not for the faint hearted, and our body and its operating systems do tend to slow down including our digestive system. This is why I have found smaller main meals with light snack between if I really need it, is the best way to keep the metabolism ticking over at a regular and effective speed. I also find exercising first thing in the morning before my breakfast works too, as by the time I get around to eating my breakfast an hour after getting up my body is ready for it. Green tea has a moderate caffeine hit and two or three cups a day help speed things up a little.

I have been working on some new posts later in the year based on my ongoing research in to anti-aging and there are some supplements and herbs which are proving interesting in studies. I am taking some of these before I write about them and I would say my energy levels, physically and mentally, are better than they were a year ago which translates into a general speed up of all the operating systems.

D.G. – Thank you so much for your valuable information Sally. I appreciate your tips and always look forward to your health posts. They are informative and just make good sense!

Thanks for the great questions Debby… as always you know just what to ask…💜

.

Visit Sally on her Blog and Socials:

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sally-Cronin/author/B003B7O0T6

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/%7E/e/B003B7O0T6

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7979187.Sally_Cronin

Blog : https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sgc58

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallycronin1/

.

©DGKaye2024

Guest Day at Marcia Meara’s – The Write Stuff, featuring D.G. Kaye

Published on by dgkaye23 Comments

I was thrilled to be Marcia’s guest this week at her book promo feature series, Guest Day Tuesday, with my latest book – Fifteen First Times.

x

#GuestDayTuesday – Featuring Author #D. G. Kaye

x

Today, it is my great pleasure to have author D. G. Kaye (known to many of us as Debby Gies) as my special guest. I know you are all going to enjoy Debby’s very interesting post, so I will let her have the floor without further ado. Debby, take it away! 

x

Thanks so much for having me over today Marcia to share my recent release of my new book, Fifteen First Times – Beginnings: A Collection of Indelible Firsts. After two years of no real production, I managed to get this book out just before Christmas 2022.

x

Thoughts

Do you ever think back on past events which have left an indelible impression on you or your life, or find that the incidents you’ve endured through life have helped shape the person you’ve become? Are your formed perceptions and values developed from experience, and have they consequently become incorporated into your daily life? Our experiences are steppingstones for much of what feed our character. We live, we experience, we learn, we become, and we overcome.

 Nobody sent me the memo on life, and most of the time, I had zero confidence to broach the subject of my conflictions and situations with anyone. All these events I experienced and share in my stories happened with little to no guidance or knowledge, making much of my young life experiences processes of trial and error. I was like the proverbial child who grew up in the wild, except I had parents and a comfortable home.

In these fifteen short stories, I’m fessing up to some firsts in my life, some of which turned out to serve as monumental lessons. These weren’t life-altering moments, but rather, moments of teaching to move my life forward, leaving me with scars and awakening moments, confirming my curiosities, and leading me in new directions of growth.

I finished writing this book just over three years ago. When it was ready for edits, I left it to marinate since it was late 2019 and I was getting ready for my winter escape with my husband in early 2020. By the time we returned in mid-March, Covid lockdowns began and so did my husband’s deterioration of his health. The book was the furthest from my mind, as I had no head for edits and publishing. The year got worse as it progressed, and I lost my husband early spring of 2021. Needless to say, I was in no state of mind for publishing. I pushed myself to get back to it summer 2022, along with many other projects I’d left on hold. And I kept my promise to myself that I’d publish this book before 2022 came to an end. Mission accomplished.

These short stories are a reminiscing back to some of the firsts in my life. They are moments that left an imprint and propelled me forward through life. Nothing that happens to us is insignificant – everything that happens is for a reason or for teaching us something to take forward with us.

Please head over to Marcia’s blog to read more – reviews and excerpt.

©DGKaye2023

Reblog and featuring

Epistolary Writing by DG Kaye | @No Wasted Ink

Published on by dgkaye22 Comments

I was recently invited over to Wendy Van Camp’s writing blog- Nowastedink, to share an article on writing. As I have been comtemplating writing my next book (now in very rough draft) in Epistolary writing style, I thought that would be the perfect topic to write about.

writing tips

..

Hi Wendy, thanks so much for inviting me over again to your blog. Today I want to talk about writing in Epistolary style. What is epistolary writing? As a nonfiction/memoir writer I’ve been exploring this form of writing for a book I’ve been drafting about grief. I am seriously considering presenting the book in this form.

Epistolary writing is a style that addresses the reader through a diary format (think Bridget Jones’ Diary) or in journal or letter format. In this era of digital life, epistolary writing can also include email and blog post entries, police reports, newspaper articles and transcripts. This style involves the writer speaking directly to another person, expressing the bond in a particular relationship through the content being written, which gives the reader an intimate peek into the writer’s private self and thoughts regarding the person she is writing to, and an inside scoop into that relationship between the writer and the character being spoken to. Journal and diary entries are more contemplative writings, but there is also the method of writing strictly in dialogue. Epistolary writing is in essence writing dialogue from one’s self. It is important that the writer let the reader know to whom they are writing to. Epistolary stories can involve one or more characters the writing conversation is being directed toward.

Often, in this form of writing, the focus is more on evoking emotion, more so than a dialogue driven story. Epistolary writing is also classified as a sort of confessional-like writing, also known as monophonic point of view, letters to one specific character. It is referred as ‘dialogic’ if two people are writing letters, or, ‘polyphonic’ with three or more characters writing and receiving the letters. It is ultimately, a first-person point of view that allows the reader to get inside the writer’s thoughts. It’s a correspondence between characters or to a character. This form is a different take from third person POV where the usual plots and characters are the driving force of the storyline. Instead, the reader gets to understand the character’s interactions through what is implied by the writer.

The word -Epistolary, is derived from the noun – Epistle, which is the Greek word meaning ‘letter’. This is an actual literary genre that pertains to letters written for delivering story through personal messages from the writer to her subject(s). This format can be used as context for a relationship, friendship or even a business relationship between the writer and receiver.

Because this method of writing is a person telling, it can be written in multiple tenses. For example, the writer might go back in time with an entry and bring it up to present to invite in some tension. In most stories in other points of view writing, they are written in the classic, ‘show more, tell less’. This could be challenging to write in epistolary form because there is no narrator building a scene. But description that paints a picture to the reader can still be done. The more ‘real’ a story feels to the reader, the more they will engage in the emotion. Epistolary stories can be written in both fiction or nonfiction. . . Please continue reading at Nowastedink

Source: Epistolary Writing by DG Kaye | No Wasted Ink

©DGKaye2022

Newsworthy notes

Updates: I’ve Been Featured in Romanceaholic’s Monthly Magazine and my Blog is Nominated for the #BloggersBash

Published on by 42 Comments

While I was away, the presses weren’t sleeping. I just scrolled through my saved drafts of articles I came across while briefly popping by blogworld.

 

I was delighted to find that once again my blog has been nominated again for the #BloggersBash awards. And I’d forgotten I was invited for interview as a guest writer for the 10th issue of Romanceaholic’s Magazine last fall. I will share the link to the magazine here, but I’m not sure anyone who isn’t a subscriber will get to view it. Just in case, I’ve included the questions I was asked to answer in short for my feature:

 

https://view.joomag.com/romanceaholic-magazine-10th-issue/0945729001541194013?short

 

 

What is an author goal you want to accomplish this year? *

I wanted to take a year off book writing and enter more writing contests and challenges and get myself more involved with marketing and brushing up on the ever-changing publishing industry.

 

What is something that keeps you motivated as an author? *

Blogging and being part of a blogging community with so many inspiring other writers. Being part of this community offers a lot of interaction and potential friendships with like-minded people and keeps us up-to-date in the publishing industry with the various newsletters and informative posts cultivated by other writers. When a writer needs help, the best place to go is to another writing friend.

 

Why is writing important to you? *

Writing is a powerful way of expressing ourselves and spreading our messages. Many people have a difficult time expressing themselves verbally. Writing is a wonderful medium to get our thoughts out of our heads and on to paper (or keyboards). We don’t necessarily have to publish everything we write. Sometimes it’s just therapeutic to write to sort our thoughts and get a new perspective on issues.

 

How much real life do you put into or influences your books? *

All my books are written as memoirs or nonfiction, so my truth and experiences in my writing is all real life.

 

What is the hardest part of writing for you? *

I can’t really say there is a hardest part. Some parts of the process are definitely more challenging than others. Revising and editing aren’t nearly as fun as writing is for me, but a necessary part of writing to clean up my stories.

 

What are your current projects? *

I previously mentioned I wasn’t writing a book this year, but that doesn’t mean I’m not working on ideas. I have an outline done and some rough chapters for my next book – a sequel to my Menowhat? A Memoir book – The Change After the Change, because ladies, the fun doesn’t end after menopause!

 

How do you go about choosing the title for your book(s)? *

I’ve always had a knack for titles, so I’m lucky I’ve never had to struggle for titles like many other writers seem to. A title is like writing sales ad copy – we pick out the core essence of our story and work a title around that. My books are often titled after I’ve written the theme and outline, and rarely do my titles get changed by the time a book is finished being written.

 

What is your favorite genre to write? *

My favorite genre to write in is nonfiction. I am a truth teller and a sharer of stories to inspire, which is at the heart of all of my books. I don’t feel the desire to hide behind a veil when I write. My position is I don’t feel the need to express my stories in fiction why not claim ownership?

 

Generally, how long does it take you to complete a book from idea to publishing? *

If I’m writing a book, I’m disciplined by my own self-imposed deadlines, which I adhere to. If I’m writing every day, I would say I could finish writing, revising and gone through editor and back in roughly 5 months then add another few weeks for the publishing (hair-tearing) part.

 

Do you ever use someone in your life as a sounding board for ideas or do you prefer to work alone? *

I prefer to work alone, in silence when I’m writing. But I always send my work to a few author friends for feedback before sending it to the editor. Any other nagging issues with my work, I always consult with author friends or within my blogging community.

 

How much research do you do for your books? *

I do research on my projects before I begin writing. I usually like to survey the books already available in my category, the audience, reviews, and the material offered. But as far as researching my stories, they all come from my own memory and experiences. Occasionally, in my memoirs, I’ve consulted with some of the people in my book for their perspective on certain incidents.

 

Did you learn anything while writing your book(s)? *

As long as we are writing and reading we are learning.

 

What would be your next best choice if not writing as a career? *

I couldn’t imagine not writing. I’m pretty sure I’d retire if not writing, then write for a hobby anyway. I don’t believe writers with the passion ever retire from writing.

 

Do you have any advice for new authors looking to make their own literary statement? *

Write every day. Use writing prompts or free-write daily to exercise the mind. You don’t have to be writing a book to write every day. Read lots of books in your genre, but read lots in other genres too. Reading sharpens our writing skills by seeing different writer styles, voice and phrasing. All these elements will help develop a style of your own. When you discover your style and voice, you can make your statement.

 

How many books have you written? Do you have a particular favorite? *

I have written six books. Each of my books holds a special place within me. But if I had to choose, I would have to say my favorite book is P.S. I Forgive You. The story is based on the upcoming, and ultimately, the death of my mother and the years it took to escape her narcissistic clutches and the decisions I made to remain estranged from her despite her dying and finding forgiveness for both her and myself.

 

Why did you choose to use a publisher instead of self-publishing?

I didn’t. I’m a self-published author and proud of my accomplishments.

 

Do you have a favorite Hero or Heroine from any of your books and why? *

My heroes are every day people. Because my books are memoir and self-help and written from my own experiences, I’d have to say that I am the heroine.

 

Share one thing about yourself that would surprise people who know you. *

I am very outgoing and a social butterfly, but I freeze up when it comes to public speaking.

 

If you could go anywhere at all on your next vacation where would you go? *

Back to Mexico. The weather is beautiful, the people are friendly, and I get the best value for my not so great, Canadian dollar.

 

Favorite social network and why? *

I would have to say Facebook. I get the most interaction there with other writers and my readers. I run a few writing groups with a few author friends and we’ve gained quite a readership. Groups are a great place to share our work, socialize, and run events and promotions.

 

What was your “dream” job as a child? *

Ha! I wanted to be a singer when I grew up. I did follow the path for awhile but gave it up when I was in my mid-twenties.

 

Do you have anything you would like to say to your current readers or to those that haven’t yet read your work(s)?

If you enjoy reading stories about real life situations and redemption, whether illness, growing up in dysfunction and overcoming self-esteem, finding the humor in menopause, or how to keep the love going in a marriage, I share those stories and many more in my various books.

 

Next . . .

 

I’m thrilled once again to be nominated for the #BloggersBash best blogging/writing blog award. Thank you to all who nominated me. If you haven’t voted yet for some of your favorite blogs, please click on Blogger’s Bash post to cast your votes. And thanks again to all who votes for my blog. ❤💋

 

Blogger's Bash nominated blog

 

And Last but Not Least . . .

 

I just wanted to mention here, since it is an update post, that I have joined MeWe.com. It’s a fairly new social media site geared at no privacy invasion, no data stealing and no fake news. It aims to compete with Facebook, where many seem to be leaving lately.

My good friend Colleen Chesebro has already left FB and laying the groundwork for our writing groups and growing a following. I am there still working out the kinks but I will soon be posting all posts I send to share to FB on Mewe once I get organized. Lately, many authors are being treated like spam on FB and having posts removed as am I and my good friend Sally Cronin, who wrote a post about the situation this past week.

Please feel free to friend me at mewe.com/i/debbygies if you decide to join, and hopefully we’ll get a bunch of us over there eventually. Hope to see you there. I haven’t left FB yet, but I’m planning on doing so if they don’t put back my posts. Also note, the mewe contact highlighted in red will not allow me to link here. Please copy and paste it in your browser and it will take you to a page to join and friend me.

Also, Sally Cronin, Colleen Chesebro and myself have set up a writers group there. Once you join mewe, please join our group hangout. Happy to say we only opened the page 2 days ago as of this writing and we’re almost 40 members. Yay! 😊

 

https://mewe.com/join/theliterarydivashangout

 

Literary Divas

 

 

Reblog and share

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Getting to Know You #Interview with D. G. Kaye | Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life

Published on by 12 Comments

 

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Getting to Know You #Interview with D. G. Kaye

 

 

 I’m delighted to share my latest interview over at Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord Invitation where Sally has kindly invited me over to reveal a few little known facts about me.

 

My guest today probably needs little introduction to most of you who are regulars to the blog. Debby Gies…D.G. Kaye is a very popular blogger and non-fiction author who generously supports us all across social media. We have been connected for nearly four years and that initial contact has turned into a friendship that is treasured. There is a lot of talk about online relationships not being as valid as offline friendships, but I disagree.

The wonder of our modern age is that when you meet someone like minded, who lives thousands of miles away, you can communicate both in writing and visually. Of course publicly on social media but also privately in direct messages, emails and face to face using Skype or similar.

For me that offers so many amazing ways to enjoy a friendship.

 

Now time to find out which of the questions Debby has chosen to respond to and more about her books later in the post.

How would you describe your fashion sense?

I love this question and love fashion. I’m very up to date on trends in fashion. I’ve been a fashionista since I was a young girl. That doesn’t mean that I would wear all the fashions I love, not everything looks good on everyone. There are plenty of styles and trends I adore, but know instinctively that not all styles are made for my body shape. Some trends are more suited toward a particular body type despite them being advertised in a wide array of sizes.

Fashion sense isn’t only about what’s on trend but being aware of what is stylish and knowing how to put ourselves together with what looks best on us. I’ve had several years of experience in the retail and wholesale end of the clothing business and besides what I learned in the biz, I am gifted with an eye for style. I have a style of my own. I wear what pleases me, and I look for styles that will accentuate my finer qualities and keep the eyes drawn off the maybe-not-so finer qualities. I’m often complimented on my outfits and flair for style. I love wearing bright and bold colors, which I can pull off with ease because I have a big personality that can carry it.

Sally here:  one of my favourite photos of Debby dressed for her Mexican vacation… fabulous. . . Continue reading

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Getting to Know You #Interview with D. G. Kaye | Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life

Friday blogshare

Writing Memoir [Expert Interview] – The Blogger’s Lifestyle

Published on by 33 Comments

Friday blogshare

 

Today I’d like to share a wonderful interview I had with Kathleen Aherne over at her generous blog – Bloggers Lifestyle. I was just ecstatic when Kathleen wanted to interview me on Writing Memoir. Kathleen also invites bloggers to add one of our blog post links to her Friday posts with a chance to meet and mingle with other writers and bloggers and asks that we click on any of the links on the list, go visit that post and meet a new blogger. I was also honored to have been chosen a few times for the Bloggers Pit Stop feature of the week on her blog. Please enjoy!

 

Writing Memoir with author Debby Gies

 

Debby Gies is an accomplished nonfiction memoir author, writing under the name of D.G. Kaye. She writes about life, matters of the heart and women’s issues. I have read her first book entitled Conflicted Hearts. Any good book will keep your interest; a great book feels like you are right there feeling what the characters are experiencing. Conflicted Hearts is such a book, and that is why I read it cover to cover in one day. The sequel to this book has just been published.

Emotions of Writing Memoir

Reading old journals and delving into the past can be an emotional rollercoaster. Do you have advice on how to use these emotions positively and not be swamped by them?

 

It’s hard to escape the emotions arising when we re-visit painful past hurts. Writing memoir is different from writing fiction because it’s hard to separate our feelings from our words. I like to dissect my memories and look at the reasoning behind the emotion.

I’m a truth-teller, always looking to resolve conflict. The way I process my thoughts about hurts that I harbor within is to find a release for them, usually through my writing. For me, writing helps analyze things and put them in a perspective. My writing isn’t to convict anyone, rather to expose the problem and share how I dealt with my problems; solving my own anxieties from my situations and hopefully leaving a message for others.I forgive you, Writing Memoir

This was why I wrote my newest book, the sequel to Conflicted Hearts, PS. I Forgive You, because I knew I had to find resolution and peace within myself for closure from the decision I made to finally abandon my narcissistic mother, and live with that decision after she died. I couldn’t write about it until I experienced the feelings I would go through.

 

Consulting Family Members

Do you consult with other family or friends to clarify your recollections of past events?

 

Yes I do. It’s funny though, writing in memoir is writing our truth, the truth as WE know it and remember it. I remember much more than my siblings do because I was the eldest and I took the brunt of my mother’s wrath for years.

I’m also an empath, very in-tune to other’s feelings. I was aware of the discord I grew up in while my siblings chose to tune out. I often spoke about incidents with my siblings and friends who were witness to situations I encountered in my younger life. In my newest book, I did many interviews with various family members.

 

Permissions and Disguising Identities

 

As a memoir writer do you need permission to name others mentioned in the story? Do you ever disguise people or place names to protect identities?

Please continue reading HERE

 

Blogger's Pit Stop feature winner

 

Source: Writing Memoir [Expert Interview] – The Blogger’s Lifestyle

Featured author of the week

Guest Author Feature – Lisa Thomson – Divorce Support Party

Published on by 67 Comments

Featured author of the week

 

 

Today I’m thrilled to introduce you to friend and fellow Canadian blogger/author, Lisa Thomson

Lisa’s blog – The Great Escape Divorce Support at Lisa Thomson Live offers tips on how to get through divorce by sharing her own journey through divorce and the hurdles she endured through the process, and she offers tips to help those experiencing the same issues in their own lives. Lisa welcomes everyone to her blog which she calls – The Divorce Support Party. Lisa also shares some of her intimate stories on her blog to inspire others with lessons learned and offers a wealth of information on topics on common divorce issues. She also has a series on her blog entitled The Wine Diaries where she shares intimate thoughts about situations she’s encountered and shares her thoughts with a bottle of wine, of course!

 

Lisa Thompson

 

About Lisa:

I graduated from the University of Alberta in 1990.  I was married for 18 years and was a stay at home mom after the birth of my daughter.  After my separation and trying to put my life back together, I returned to the University’s ‘Faculty of Extension’ and pursued a certificate in Residential Interiors. I live in Vancouver, B.C. Canada, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

I am a  Huffington Post  blogger and Featured Columnist for  Divorced Moms. I am currently in the editing phase of my soon to be released short story collection The Icing On The Cake. It’s all about love; finding it, losing it and trying to figure out this complex thing we call relationships. Stay tuned for release date.

I’ve been interviewed around the web.  If you want to know more about me and my book check out First Wives World and this interview with CBC Radio.

Motto I live by: “Happiness is found in the people in your life, not the things in your life.”

 

The Great Escape by Lisa Thompson

Get this book on Amazon

 

Blurb:

The Great Escape: A Girl’s Guide to Leaving a Marriage is not only a thought provoking, intimate account about how one woman left her marriage, but it’s an informative, self-help guide for women either contemplating or going through the divorce process right now. Ms Thomson gives honest advice and tips on related topics including; making the decision, parenting, legal issues, finances as well as the social changes to expect. If you are thinking about ending your marriage, this book is a must read.

 

Lisa Thompson - The Great Escape Blog

Get this book on Amazon

 

Blurb:

A Divorce Companion promises to be the compassionate friend you need during your divorce journey. It is the compilation of the very best and most popular blog posts written over the last five years at The Great Escape Divorce Support blog. Edited and organized for easy navigation, the book covers diverse topics from narcissism and co-parenting to sex, finances and lawyers. As well, it is filled with personal stories that will resonate with any reader navigating their own divorce journey. It is complementary to the original book by Ms. Thomson, The Great Escape; A Girl’s Guide to Leaving a Marriage.

 

Now let’s get to know a little bit more about Lisa and her writing!

 

I love that your blog isn’t specifically just for people of divorce, but much about what you post encompasses problems we may all encounter in our relationships on a variety of topics from character flaws, to reasons to be grateful, and finding the humor. Do you find your audience is a mix of male and female or mostly attracts women?

 

Thank you, Debby. I do try to encompass healing topics that may apply to not only divorce, but other life stresses. On the whole, my blog readers are female. I have a few male readers that remain quiet ?

 

 

What inspired you to want to share your journey through your divorce?

 

Great question. The primary inspiration was my difficulty in finding real stories, resources and books that spoke to me when I initiated my divorce. Because my divorce didn’t unfold the way I imagined (I don’t think anyone’s does), I searched for self help books that just didn’t exist. I wanted to hear it from women who’d “been there”, not from Dr. Phil.

So, I began writing a book based on my own difficulties and challenges of my divorce, to share an honest experience. In addition, I aimed to provide solutions to those common difficulties. Of course, this was in 2008 and blogs were not nearly as common as they are now. Divorce blogs essentially were non-existent.

My book came from the ashes of my journal, so to speak. In the early stages of my divorce I kept a journal to channel my frustration, outrage, pain, doubts, and the overall changes my divorce caused in my life.

I took excerpts from those early writings and put them into relevant chapters of my book. I really wanted to express the “real” experience, rather than write a sugar-coated divorce book.

 

 

You offer a section on your blog titled ‘Divorce Articles’. What type of helpful articles can we expect to find on those pages?

 

The ‘Divorce Articles’ is a section of my website where I share specific how-to’s regarding legal aspects of divorce. For example, I share a step by step process to attaining a child support order. I even share an example of an affidavit. I also share an article about weighing the pros and cons of self representation in court, and what to think about before deciding to go it alone. The articles also elaborate on my personal legal experiences in my divorce.

 

 

I know you also have a following on Youtube where you share segments on topics you write about. And I’ve noticed you have readers that write to you, sort of like a ‘Dear Abby’ column. Do you ever encounter any male readers who protest about some of the things you write about?

 

My youtube channel has a large following and interestingly, I have not promoted it one bit. Specifically, my video on Parental Alienation has been the most watched. Indeed, many negative comments have been posted by men. They want to make the issue of PA into a gender based war. It is not. Men and women (moms and dads) are equally vulnerable to being targeted by an ex for this terrible syndrome. Not to elaborate on the topic here, Deb, but just to give a general definition for those who have never heard of it, Parental Alienation is when a parent alienates their children from their other parent. It is more common during divorce. Although, in intact families there can be subtle alienation. It usually occurs when one parent is unstable, insecure and may suffer from a personality disorder.

 

What can we expect to learn from your first book – The Great Escape; A Girl’s Guide to Leaving a Marriage?

 

Basically, a woman who has been a stay-at-home wife and mother can learn what steps to take to end an unhappy or abusive marriage. She will learn how to get back on her own two feet and take the necessary steps to navigate a healthy divorce.

Topics range from financial management, how to hire a lawyer, legal terms to know, co-parenting tips, signs of Parental Alienation, social changes to expect, and finally, how to move on.

 

Your second book, A Divorce Companion contains edited versions of some of your most informative blogposts. What inspired that idea?

 

Well, one day I realized just how much writing I had accumulated on my blog over a four year time period. My most popular blog posts were just sitting there, kind of buried on my site. I thought, why not put all of these posts together into relevant sub-topics and create a new book?

So, that’s exactly what I did. It was a fairly laborious process though. You would think it would be simple because the writing had already been done. However, I had to edit out images, slang, any typos, to make it a cohesive, smooth read.

I think I succeeded though, in creating an e-book that truly reads as a companion for anyone navigating a divorce.

 

Please tell us about your newest upcoming book, Lost Hearts. Is that a novel or a self-help guide? Fiction or nonfiction?

 

Lost Hearts is a collection of short stories. The inspiration behind the story collection is losing love and finding it again. A universal theme, I believe, especially as we go through our life’s journey. This collection really resonates with hope, and the fact that in spite of our circumstances, we are capable of rising above the ruins of lost love, to find it once again.

I’ve always enjoyed reading a short story collection myself and hope my readers will enjoy the variety of characters, plot and settings in each one. They’re great for when you’re on the go and don’t have the time to immerse yourself into a full-on novel.

I hope this quote piques the reader’s interest:

“What do a young wife, a cheating spouse, and a widow have in common? Lost hearts. Will they be found again?”

 

 

Please share an excerpt of any one of your two published books, or from your upcoming book, your choice.

 

From my upcoming book, the short story titled “New York Dreams” (warning: this story deals with domestic violence);

 

…Jack’s lips tightened, the corners turned down.  This had the effect of showing his age. Another reason, Kora thought, he wasn’t snagging the prime acting roles as frequently as he once had. He turned to the bar table and refilled his glass.  Kora turned to go into the kitchen.  She had to create some distance and figure out how to deal with him.  She took a deep breath. She knew now, she was in grave danger. Put your cell phone in your pocket, a voice said.  Do it now! 

“Don’t you walk away from me.” He followed her into the kitchen.  She quickly grabbed her handbag that she always kept on the desk in the kitchen.  She blindly stuffed her hand in and felt for her cell phone, while keeping an eye on Jack.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He reached out to grab her purse and missed.

“I’m going to the bathroom, I’ll be right back.” Kora turned her back on him with false confidence and held her hand bag safely to her chest.

“Like Hell you are.”  He reached for her hair and missed. She walked down the hall.  Don’t react yet.  Stay calm. Stay brave.

She quickened her step at the end of the hall and quickly shut and locked the bathroom door.  Think.  She had to figure out how to get Jacqueline out with her, safely. It might not happen tonight. You might have to wait.  “I can’t.” She muttered under her breath.  Kora knew in an instant the risk of leaving was less than the danger of staying one more night. The alcohol fueled Jack’s volatility and there was no guarantee Jacqueline would be unscathed by his wrath. He hadn’t harmed her in any way before, but Kora could feel in her bones, he was escalating, just as Alice warned her he would.

She took her cell phone out and put it in her bra.  She took ID, cash and credit cards out of her billfold in case he took her handbag away from her. Keys! Get your keys! “Yes”.  Luckily her key ring was limited to a few important keys; the apartment, the building entrance and her mailbox…with her hands shaking she put her keys in her sock, the doorknob rattled.  Bang, bang, bang on the door. His fist came down hard and furious.  She flushed the toilet.  She stole a moment to think but the thoughts stopped coming.  She started to shake from the inside out.  She had to gain control or he would take over. Think fast.

God, no. The fog was coming. Should she put on a brave face or cower like a child?  Which persona would make him angrier than he already was? Bang, Bang, Bang.

“Get the fuck outta there! I’m talking to you! Fuckin’ bitch.  Show your face.” Kora could feel his angry energy through the bathroom door. She could hear him breathing. 

“Are you afraid?”  He asked.

She tried to control her shaking. Silence. Breathing. BAM. She thought his fist would come right through.  This was like out of a movie, not real life Kora thought. This can’t be happening. She heard Jack cursing and the door knob wiggled again. He was trying to pick the lock.”…

 

Deb, thank you so much for having me over to your blog. I always enjoy talking about my writing and appreciate this opportunity to share my work!

 

Lis, it was an absolute pleasure having you over today. Your writing is so insightful and although you talk about issues that aren’t always pretty, they are important and unfortunately, so relevant to so many people who live through stressful relationships today. It’s no surprise your books are inspiring to so many. And I look forward to your newest book, especially after that excerpt, which really hit home with me.

 

Follow Lisa and Connect with her at:

Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook , instagram, youtube and Goodreads.

Amazon Author Page: 

 

Blog:  LisaThomsonLive.com

 

The Great Escape; A Girl’s Guide To Leaving a Marriage http://amzn.to/2xPnK3M

A Divorce Companion http://amzn.to/2pZrNlB

 

 

http://www.lisathomsonlive.com

twitter.com@lisalisathom

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLr4UUFy1qewNkABB5jXMhw