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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

WOI Special: Mark Coker founder of Smashwords

Welcome to The World of Ink Network show on Blog Talk Radio. Our goal is to bring informative and entertaining shows to our listners.The mission of the World of Ink Network is to share resources that introduce tips, products and services to help strengthen, support and challenge those who love writing and the written word. The World of Ink Network hopes not only to bring authors, illustrators and publishers together, but also help them reach their readership.


Please join Marsha Casper Cook and VS Grenier on Wednesday at Noon EST 11CST 10MT 9PST as they welcome  Mark Coker, Founder, CEO and Chief Author Advocate. Mark Coker founded Smashwords in 2008 to change the way books are published.Mark and his wife Lesleyann co-authored Boob Tube, a novel that explores the wacky world of daytime television soap operas. Their book was rejected by every major New York publisher of commercial women’s fiction, despite representation by a top NYC literary agency. The experience inspired him to start Smashwords, a free publishing platform that allows authors to instantly publish their work online.


Today, Smashwords is the world's largest distributor of self-published ebooks. The company has helped over 50,000 authors around the world publish and distribute over 200,000 ebooks to major retailers such as the Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony and Kobo.

This is going to be a great show listen live or on demand at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2014/07/30/woi-special-mark-coker-founder-of-smashwords--hosts-marsha-and-virginia

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Smashwords
http://www.smashwords.com

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

A Good Story Is A Good Story -Host Marsha Casper Cook

Welcome to The World of Ink Network show on Blog Talk Radio. Our goal is to bring informative and entertaining shows to our listners.The mission of the World of Ink Network is to share resources that introduce tips, products and services to help strengthen, support and challenge those who love writing and the written word. The World of Ink Network hopes not only to bring authors, illustrators and publishers together, but also help them reach their readership.

Please join Marsha Casper Cook on July 29 as she welcomes Secret Cravings Owner Sandy Sullivan at 8 PM CST 9 PM EST with several of her authors, Melissa Keir and Violet Ingram are two of the authors and there will be more. It's going to be a lot of fun and also very informative. Sandy has terrific authors but most importantly she spends time making sure their books are promoted and every author has all the help they need to get the job done right. How great is that!

Feel free to call in or join us in the chat room. (714) 242-5259 - Bethany Cross is back  and she will be in the chat room !

Listen in at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2014/07/30/a-good-story-is-a-good-story-host-marsha-casper-cook

For more info  http://www.michiganavenuemedia.com or http://www.worldofinknetwork.com
Find great books and articles on our blog or follow us on our Facebook Fanpage!  

Monday, July 28, 2014

Summer Reading Programs on The Stories for Children Show

Listen to the Stories for Children Show Monday July 28, 2014 at 6pm Eastern - 5pm Central - 4pm Mountain - 3pm Pacific for a special on Summer Reading Programs and Book Clubs. Mom's Choice & Award-winning Author Virginia S Grenier will be talking about the importance of children and teens reading through the summer months.

Our guest today is Rebecca Kelley, the National Director of Achievement Gap Initiatives of the YMCA. During 12 years with the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, Rebecca co-led a multi-sector community team that developed the award-winning Cincinnati Community Learning Center initiative and academic enrichment programs, including CincyAfterSchool, a 2013 nominee for National Summer Learning Association’s Award of Excellence. Through school-community partnership, Cincinnati produced a rise in graduation rates during the past decade from 50 percent to 82 percent, and a reduction in the achievement gap from 14.5 percent to 4.5 percent. Prior to joining the YMCA, Rebecca served as the director of knowledge and innovation for Strive’s National Network at the KnowledgeWorks Foundation, she supported more than 90 cradle to career collective impact initiatives.

Grenier, with her guest Rebecca Kelley, hope to not only share their love of the written word, but also what makes a good book for young readers and much more.

Learn more about our network at http://worldofinknetwork.com
Find great books and articles on our blog or follow us on our Facebook Fanpage!

Join the conversation at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2014/07/28/summer-reading-programs-on-the-stories-for-children-show-with-virginia-s-grenier

Saturday, July 26, 2014

WOI Show: ANOTHER ANYTHING GOES with Bennet Pomerantz

Join Bennet Pomerantz at 9pm Eastern - 8pm Central - 7pm Mountian - 6pm Pacific on Blog Talk Radio's Featured World of Ink Network.

Tonight's show Another Anything Goes is a 90 minute open discussion and chat with four guests, and your host Bennet Pomerantz. The conversation tonight will be full of talk and fun--you never know what happens as host Pomerantz says, "Anything Goes!"

Our guest's tonight are Valerie Douglas (a novelist), Deb Julienne (author of "Sex, Lies and Beauty Aides"), Soledad Modrano (freelance writer), Michel Prince (author of "Crystalis, Shared Redemption"), and Megean Provan (novelist).

The World of Ink Network brings you shows each week on topics such as books, writing, author interviews, self-help and much more. You can also follow us at http://worldofinknetwork.com, our blog http://worldofinknetwork.blogspot.com, and on Facebook and Twitter.

Listen to the show here!

Friday, July 25, 2014

The Empowerment Show with Irene Roth - How Important is it to Empower Our Teens?

Join Host Irene Roth Today at 6pm Eastern - 5pm Central - 4pm Mountain - 3pm Pacific for a discussion about families, communication and much more. The discussion is open to callers and comments/questions in the chatroom.

The World of Ink Network brings you shows each week on topics such as books, writing, author interviews, self-help and much more. Today on The Empowerment Show, Host Irene Roth will be discussing the importance of empowering teens and how it is very important for parents to empower teens to be their best. Teens struggle quite a bit nowadays and they have many problems adults didn't have when they were adolescents. The culture demands certain things from adolescent girls and boys. But it is important for them to do more than mimic what their peers and culture is saying and doing. They need to become authentic individuals.

By taking these steps and joining in on today's discussion, parents could help their children become the best they can be. Call in or post comments in the chatroom, along with your questions, because we know as parents, you want help your children be authentic adults as well--individuals who know what they like and dislike, by following their inner voice.

Want more tips? Follow us at http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com  and on Facebook and Twitter - Families Matter.

Catch news about the World of Ink Network at our website and blog; along with Facebook and Twitter.

Listen to the show here!

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

BlogTalkRadio: Guerrilla Marketing with Tom Garrison on The What IS Success Show

Join Host Virginia S Grenier on the Wed. July 23rd for Blog Talk Radio's Featured World of Ink Network show What is Success where she will talk with guests, share tips and talk about the film and publishing industry.

This month's guest is Author Tom Garrison, who for 15 years had a “career” (along with a full time job editing a political science journal) as a socialist in Santa Barbara, CA. Since then he now puts his mind to work writing opinion and hiking/travel essays for the local newspaper, The Spectrum and the Salt Lake Tribune in Southern Utah.

The World of Ink Network brings you shows each week on topics such as books, writing, author interviews, self-help and much more. You can follow us at http://worldofinknetwork.com, our blog http://worldofinknetwork.blogspot.com, and on Facebook and Twitter. 



Listen to the show here!

Friday, July 18, 2014

Special World Of Ink Network



Welcome to a special World of Ink Network show here on Blog Talk Radio. Our goal is to bring informitive and entertaining shows to our listners.

The mission of the World of Ink Network is to share resources that introduce tips, products and services to help strengthen, support and challenge those who love writing and the written word.





 Link to the show


 The World of Ink Network hopes not only to bring authors, illustrators and publishers together, but also help them reach their readership.

We invite you to join Virginia S Grenier and Marsha Casper Cook on Monday July 21 at 5PM EST 4 PM CST 3 PM MT 2PM PST when they welcome back their very special guest Emma Dryden. Emma has over twenty- five years of experience editing and publishing Children’s books. She works with authors to help define, enrich, and craft their work to make it viable for the current marketplace. She is there for writers as she has always been and her interests range from picture books and graphic novels to humorous middle grade, high fantasy, and edgy teen fiction. You can learn more about Emma at http://www.drydenbks.com/

Learn more about our shows and network at our website http://worldofinknetwork.com
You can find great books and articles on our blog or follow us on our Facebook Fanpage!



   





Monday, July 14, 2014

Indie Author Lynn Steward Joins VS Grenier on The Writing Mama Show

The Writing Mama show is on every Monday and is hosted by Mom's Choice and Award-winning Author Virginia S Grenier, who is joined weekly by guest authors to talk about the publishing and writing industry. Grenier, with her guests, hope to not only share their love of the written word, but also tips on writing, what makes a good book and much more.

This weeks guest is indie author Lynn Steward, a successful business woman who spent many years in New York City’s fashion industry in marketing and merchandising, including the development of the first women’s department at a famous men’s clothing store. Through extensive research, and an intimate knowledge of the period, Steward created the characters and stories for a series of five authentic and heartwarming novels about New York in the seventies. A Very Good Life is the first in the series featuring Dana McGarry.

These two women will not only be talking about writing, Steward's series, but also their love of the fashion world and the romance one can find within.

Learn more about our shows and network at our website http://worldofinknetwork.com
You can find great books and articles on our blog or follow us on our Facebook Fanpage!

Listen to the interview and show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2014/07/14/indie-author-lynn-steward-joins-vs-grenier-on-the-writing-mama-show

Friday, July 11, 2014

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Midnight Musing with Author Lori Benton



Lori Benton, author of the acclaimed Burning Sky, was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American and family history going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the 18th century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history, creating a melting pot of characters drawn from both sides of a turbulent and shifting frontier, brought together in the bonds of God's transforming grace. When she isn’t writing, Lori enjoys exploring beautiful Oregon with her husband.

When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer? 

I remember well the moment. It was 1978, I was nine years old, and my best friend announced that she’d written a story. Although an avid reader by then, it hadn’t occurred to me, I suppose, that I could also write a story. It was too wonderful a notion not to try it. So I did. I dabbled with writing off and on until I my early twenties. In 1991 I decided to try writing a full length novel and, if I finished it and thought it good, I’d figure out how to attempt to get it published. By the time I finished that novel I knew I wanted to keep on being what I’d become in the process, a writer.

Where did the inspiration for The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn come from?

Straight from the pages of history. I’d written two previous novels set during the late 18th century. In the course of researching one of those novels I came across the mention of the State of Franklin, which almost became the fourteenth state added to the Union in the late 1780s. That stopped me in my tracks. I’d never heard of the State of Franklin, but as I delved into the incredible conflict that occurred just after the Revolutionary War, west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in what was then western North Carolina and today eastern Tennessee, I couldn’t resist setting a story against this historical backdrop.

What made you choose to write a novel?

I’d written a few chapter books before my early twenties, in emulation of books I enjoyed reading at various ages, but as I became an adult, I wanted to do for readers what so many writers of full length novels had done for me, transport them to another place and time and make them see and hear and smell and feel that other world through the senses of a character I created. It was a joy I’d experienced so many times, and a challenge to discover whether I could make it happen myself.

What is the main message or theme that you hope readers of this book come away from it with?

That love—God’s love and the type of sacrificial love we are sometimes able to show each other—can endure whatever tests life throws at it.

Who is your favorite author?

Always a hard question to answer. I like many authors for different reasons. Several writers whose books I return to repeatedly are Ellis Peters, James Alexander Thom, Diana Gabaldon, Jan Karon, and Connie Willis.  

Do you have a writing routine? A special pen, a certain type of music, time limits?

I’m most productive if I write at the same time each day. For me that’s 9am to 12pm. I usually put in another few hours after lunch. But those morning hours are the ones when I don’t answer the phone, and turn off email, to focus on the writing. I also need it quiet when I write, and wear earplugs in a house I share only with the dog during the day. But I find certain movie soundtracks like Last of the Mohicans to be inspiring when I’m not actually writing.

 Do you enjoy edits/rewrites, or not?

Yes and no. Writing a first draft is the hardest part of this job for me, but once the words are down, no matter how clunky, then I can have fun going deeper into the scene, or the character’s emotions, or the setting (usually all three). Polishing prose, toward the end stages of editing, is a joy.

Editing that comes to me from my in-house editor is tougher, at least the first go-around. It often includes a lot of first draft rewriting with a very tight deadline attached. But in the end, it’s always proved worth the work.

Please tell us a little bit about your journey to publication:

It was long and winding. I began writing with the goal of being published in December 1991. There was no internet or email in my life. I didn’t own a computer. Those things came eventually, as did the rejection letters for the first several novels I wrote. Aside from a few contest placements, my writing received nothing but rejections until I signed with my literary agent, Wendy Lawton, in 2010. My first contract offer came in December 2011, from WaterBrook Multnomah, a publisher I had dreamed of working with. It was a twenty year apprenticeship. My debut novel Burning Sky (a three-time Christy Award winner) released in 2013. The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn released this past April 2014.

What is the hardest part of being a writer?

At the stage I’m at, learning to juggle working on multiple projects at various stages. There’s the one I’m promoting, the one I’m editing, the one I’m researching and writing, and the one that needs to be brainstormed and plotted next. For most of those twenty apprenticeship years I focused on one novel until it was finished, before thinking much about the next. That’s a luxury that vanishes swiftly once a publishing contract is signed.

If you are enjoying that luxury now… really enjoy it!

Are there any common themes that you feel are particularly important to write about?

I’m glad different themes choose different writers, and we’re all passionate about our own themes (and no doubt think them most important!). I say “choose the writer” because I think sometimes themes do that. For instance, I’m drawn to themes of the middle ground where people from different cultures or walks of life meet—in the case of my novels that happens most often on the 18th century frontier. I love a good adventure story, with physical peril thrown in, but I’m just as fascinated by what happens emotionally, how it changes a person, what risks they are willing to take, what frightens them, what draws and intrigues them, how they adapt or don’t, by crossing that middle ground line. I don’t know where that passion comes from.

Another theme that seems to crop up in my writing has to do with conflicts between fathers and sons. I’m obviously not a father or a son. I had a good relationship with my father. Where does that abiding interest come from? It’s a mystery.

When you're not writing, what are your other hobbies/passions?

I like to get out of the house one day a week and into the mountains with my husband and our dog—where we pick huckleberries, have had run-ins with bears, found a matching pair of shed elk antlers, and once (O frabjous day!) were looked at for a few startling seconds by southern Oregon’s first resident wolf in decades, who goes by the name of OR7. Most of the time it’s a lot less exciting, just a bunch of tall trees, rolling views, climbing trails, rushing streams, and clear air to breathe. It’s a mental and physical rest and recharge so I can spend the next six days inside at the computer, creating other worlds with words.

I also enjoy baking, cooking, and, of course, I read a great deal. I’m also an artist, but these days I have no extra time to pursue the wildlife painting I used to dabble in.

Are you working on any new projects?

I am. I recently signed a two-book contract with my publisher, WaterBrook Multnomah (Random House). I’ll be returning to an 18th century setting similar to my debut novel: the Mohawk Valley of New York. In these books I plan to tell the story of the Oneida Nation’s struggles and choices leading up to and during the Revolutionary War. I will tell it through the eyes of two families, one white, the other Oneida, whose lives become irrevocably intertwined through tragedy, deceit, betrayal, friendship, love, and redemption.

The title of the first novel is The Wood’s Edge. It will release sometime in 2015.

Quick Fire round:

Coke or Pepsi? Coke.
Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
Rainy winter days or blazing hot summer days? Rainy winter days.
Hard Copy or e-book? Hard copy. I don’t own an e-reader.
Favorite book? This answer changes nearly every time I’m asked, but I always answer it anyway. The Red Heart by James Alexander Thom.
Last book you read? Written In My Own Heart’s Blood, by Diana Gabaldon.
What's your favorite comfort food? Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and peas, with gravy over all. 

Lori Benton's Books:

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn
WaterBrook Press (Random House)
April 15 2014  
ISBN-10: 0307731499
ISBN-13: 978-0307731494
Frontier dangers cannot hold a candle to the risks one woman takes by falling in love

In an act of brave defiance, Tamsen Littlejohn escapes the life her harsh stepfather has forced upon her. Forsaking security and an arranged marriage, she enlists frontiersman Jesse Bird to guide her to the Watauga settlement in western North Carolina. But shedding her old life doesn’t come without cost. As the two cross a vast mountain wilderness, Tamsen faces hardships that test the limits of her faith and endurance.

Convinced that Tamsen has been kidnapped, wealthy suitor Ambrose Kincaid follows after her, in company with her equally determined stepfather. With trouble in pursuit, Tamsen and Jesse find themselves thrust into the conflict of a divided community of Overmountain settlers. The State of Franklin has been declared, but many remain loyal to North Carolina. With one life left behind and chaos on the horizon, Tamsen struggles to adapt to a life for which she was never prepared. But could this challenging frontier life be what her soul has longed for, what God has been leading her toward? As pursuit draws ever nearer, will her faith see her through the greatest danger of all—loving a man who has risked everything for her?


READ THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS


Burning Sky
WaterBrook Press (Random House)
August 6, 2013 
ISBN-10: 0307731472 
ISBN-13: 978-0307731470

New York frontier, 1784 ~ Abducted by Mohawk Indians at fourteen and renamed Burning Sky, Willa Obenchain is driven to return to her family’s New York frontier homestead after many years building a life with the People. At the boundary of her father’s property, Willa discovers a wounded Scotsman lying in her path and she feels obliged to nurse his injuries. The two quickly find much has changed during Willa’s twelve-year absence—her childhood home is in disrepair, her missing parents are rumored to be Tories, and the young Richard Waring she once admired is now grown into a man twisted by the horrors of war and claiming ownership of the Obenchain land.

When her Mohawk brother arrives and questions her place in the white world, the cultural divide blurs Willa’s vision. Can she follow Tames-His-Horse back to the People now that she is no longer Burning Sky? And what about Neil MacGregor, the kind and loyal botanist who does not fit into her plan for a solitary life, yet is now helping her revive her farm? In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, strong feelings against “savages” abound in the nearby village of Shiloh, leaving Willa’s safety unsure.

Willa is a woman caught between two worlds. As tensions rise, challenging her shielded heart, the woman once called Burning Sky must find a new courage—the courage to again risk embracing the blessings the Almighty wants to bestow. Is she brave enough to love again?








Monday, July 7, 2014

Author Kevin Gerard Joins VS Grenier on The Writing Mama Show

The Writing Mama show is on every Monday and is hosted by Mom's Choice and Award-winning Author Virginia S Grenier, who is joined weekly by guest authors to talk about the publishing and writing industry. Grenier, with her guests, hope to not only share their love of the written word, but also tips on writing, what makes a good book and much more.


This week's guest is Author Kevin Gerard and teacher of statistics at Cal State San Marcos. When not writing or teaching, he enjoys walking the grounds at the San Diego Zoo, hitting the waves at Cardiff State Beach and visiting animals at local shelters. He also enjoys playing Halo on the internet; look for him in the rocket games as Magnifico, the magical dragon from the Diego's Dragon Fantasy series. To Follow Kevin Gerard, visit www.diegosdragon.com or www.conorandthecrossworlds.com


Learn more about our shows and network at our website http://worldofinknetwork.com
You can find great books and articles on our blog or follow us on our Facebook Fanpage!

Listen to the show live or via podcast at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2014/07/07/author-kevin-gerard-on-the-writing-mama-show