DEFENDING THE PEN

My Views

2012-01-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

REVOLUTION?

Why is it that when cuts need to be made -- it's the poor or the seniors that have to pay the price? Why is social security the 'entitlement' that republicans always target? We the poor -- barely recognizable 'middle class' have bailed out the rich -- year after year. We bail out their banks -- we bail out their corporations -- we pay them not to plant crops -- we pay them to drill for oil and gas the richest resources that we have -- then turn around and pay them the highest prices for the final product. Why do we constantly hear that Medicare -- Social Security and Medical Coverage is too expensive -- but the research and development of better war toys is something none of us can live without? I am so sick and tired of the entire political circus. We have idiots running for president and idiots stopping any forward progress that our first decent president in years is trying to implement.

When Bush won the presidency in 2000 I predicted that America was on its way to "hell in a hand basket." And sadly to say, I was right. Visions of France when the peasants were told to eat cake come to mind. The French Revolution (1789–1799), was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France that had a major impact on France and indeed all of Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years. French society underwent an epic transformation as feudal, aristocratic and religious privileges evaporated under a sustained assault from radical left-wing political groups, masses on the streets, and peasants in the countryside. Old ideas about tradition and hierarchy - of monarchy, aristocracy and religious authority - were abruptly overthrown by new Enlightenment principles of equality, citizenship and inalienable rights.(Wikipedia)

Is that really where were headed? Probably not but then again I know the first list of aristocrats I would line up at the guillotine. (Yes, I admit it -- I am that angry -- and I don't think I'm the only one!)

The 'aristocrats' are killing this country -- the people with the most -- have the least compassion, or empathy -- a new class of sociopaths (someone whose personality makes them behave in ways that are dangerous to other people). This is more dangerous and frightening to me than any crazy mass murderer that ever lived because it applies to such an influential group of individuals. These are people who have mastered the art of propaganda. They simply lie and sadly millions believe it. I always thought education was what made people less sheep like -- somehow we have failed to teach folks to think for themselves. Not all folks of course, but a great number -- a number that will make this election more scary than the last one.

One such 'aristocrat' is a man that I will not name but he owns his own television stations, newspapers etc. and has more money than sense--he tweets that Santorum is a great guy. Suddenly his campaign is making a million a day. A man who is clearly a bigot, a homophobic, and completely clueless to the needs of a nation fighting for its life -- yeah that's what we need for president. Although the way it looks some folks would vote for a robot as long it was made from white metal and not black metal.

I hope I'm wrong -- I hope those that folks that slept through the last election -- the one where all the republicans won -- wake up and make their voices heard! If you snooze through this one our country will sorely suffer!

2011-12-22T22:33:00.000-05:00

Renée's 2011 Top Ten List

1. Potter's Field by Gina Gaudet, Phil Bannister, Autumn Rose Wood, T. G. Reaper, Cindy Parker,
Devlin Giroux, Leah Kalis-Denda, Dennis Neely, Donrad, John Schwabe -- anthology

* http://shop.accentalley.com/Lost-Word-Writers-Artists-Shop_c2.htm

2. Lost Angel Walkabout by Linda Ballou -- travel log

* www.lindaballouauthor.com

3. Island Girl by Lynda Simmons -- literary fiction

* http://www.lyndasimmons.com/

4. Follow the Falcon by Steve Kendall - mystery

* http://www.clublighthousepublishing.com

5. The Widow's Walk League by Nancy Lynn Jarvis -- mystery

* http://goodreadmysteries.com/

6. Murderous Intellectuals by Jonathan Maxwell -- historical literature

* http://www.amazon.com

7. The Farm by Walter P. Honsinger -- literary fiction

* http://www.amazon.com

8. Songs From the Heart: Melodies of the Soul by Byron Garrett -- poetry

* http://www.amazon.com

9. The Movie by Bosley Gravel -- literary fiction

* www.ripcot.com

10. Torture at the Back Forty by Mike Dauplaise -- true crime

* www.mikedauplaise.com

* A place to learn more about the author and to buy their book!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

The Widow's Walk League by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

2011-08-22T14:04:00.000-04:00

My Review:

The Widow's Walk League

By

Nancy Lynn Jarvis

The Widow's Walk League is the fourth book in the Regan McHenry mystery series. Real Estate has never been more deadly than when a real estate agent is approached at a funeral service by the friend of a recent widow. Olive is a character that immediately rankles Regan's nerves and that annoyance continues to until the last page, in the most entertaining way. Nancy Lynn Jarvis has outdone herself with this book. The Widow's Walk League takes you on a journey of murdered husbands, rich widows and a motive you'll never see coming!

Several times throughout the book I thought I had it all figured out. I didn't, and there is nothing better than reading a good mystery that you can't put down! Nancy has done it again, her Regan McHenry cozy series based on her former career in real estate is made all the more interesting because of her willingness to take what she's seen, and what she's experienced and put it imaginatively in her books. This is what makes good writing, this is what makes a good read, and this is why The Regan McHenry series is something you will want to add to your library, whether it's on your Kindle or on your bookshelf. I highly recommend The Widow's Walk League.

Yolanda Renee
8/19/2011

My Review

2011-08-09T18:13:00.000-04:00

Potter's Field
The Lost Word Writers Group

If you love poetry, enjoy horror, or if you just appreciate a good read, then Potter's Field by The Lost Word Writers Group is the book for you.

From the opening Iron Gates by Gina Gaudet, the Director of The Lost Word Writers Group, and the author of the haunting poem A Lonely Passage, to the humor of Phil Bannister author of the short story Fat Freddie Wilson, to the seriousness of Autumn Rose Wood's piece called Serving Life, to the pure horror of T. G. Reaper's tale A Small House In The Country, to the patriotism of Cindy Parker's poem To A Soldier Unmourned, or the sadness of Discarded Little Things by Devlin Giroux, and the history found in the story The Innkeepers Daughter by Leah Kalis-Denda, to the beauty of nature described by Dennis Neely in Beside Still Waters, or the truth found in Crazy Mary by Donrad, or by questions that will never be answered in The Passing by John Schwabe, this anthology has something for everyone. I am proud to say my copy of this book is signed by each of the authors, and that it sits on a book shelf where all my favorites reside.

Poetry is one of the most honest forms of expression, while horror is something many of us find cringingly fascinating but ultimately powerfully entertaining. Combine the two and you have a book that will surprise you from page one. The Lost Word Writers Group of Potter's Field have an anthology full of good writing, unsurpassed storytelling, with prose that entertains, causes you to pause and think, and inspires you to look at the headstones behind cemetery walls with a new appreciation, curiosity, and caution. Potter's Field is an exploration by each author of the unknown, the fears that haunt, and the compassion of death that awaits us all.

I highly recommend the book Potter's Field, and The Lost Word Writers Group as a collection of talented folks to follow, just to see what they produce next. Besides the excellent writing, the interesting stories, and poetry that touches the soul, this book is a wonderful work of art by a group of people who have mastered the talent of collaboration. My recommendation is a new book on how to successfully form and manage such a Creative Community.

Learn more about the group here: http://www.lostwordwriters.com

Listen to an interview with the authors here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

Yolanda Renée
7/31/2011

Collaboration Creates!

2011-05-05T09:57:00.000-04:00

The Lost Word Writers Group welcomes you to their second anthology, “Potter’s Field: Voices From a Creative Community.”

Come stroll with us into the cemetery...Within Potter's Field a spirited group of writers share their stories and challenge notions of the ordinary, of the conventional, and of the norm. Here lies murder, tragedy, horror, humor, sadness, and adventure with a spoonful of self-reflection, and another book from the Lost Word Writers Group to whet the appetite and stir the scope of human emotion.

The Lost Word Writers Group is a writer's support network in Jackson, Michigan. The group is uncensored and dynamic in nature. Personalities come together to clash, conflict, ignite, inspire and even surprise. They always support. This is their theme.

The group published their first anthology "Within These Walls: Voices From a Creative Community" in 2006. They have recently released their second and current anthology "Potter's Field: Voices From a Creative Community." Using a successful strategy, groups were elected and stages of book development began.

The Potter's Field theme was brought to light at a Lost Word Writer's meeting long ago. Whatever Potter's field meant to the writer, this was criteria for the "Potter's Field" anthology. The result is a completed anthology from writers of a wide range of writing styles and genres. The audience can read through the book as if walking through a cemetery with chapter names such as: The Iron Gates, Unmarked Graves, Ghosts, Humor in the Boneyard (one of my favorites), Tortured Souls, Wrongful Deaths, and Eulogies. A Word From the Lost Word Writers Group and author Biographies sum up this intriguing collection of works. It also boasts wonderful photographs from two of the authors. The reader has a chance to guess which author adorns the front and back covers depicting a character walking among cement and marble stones lined by lush green grasses and towering leaved trees.

If you are interested in learning more about the Lost Word Writers Group, or in purchasing the book or contacting authors, you can surf the Lost Word Writers Main Navigation Web-page at www.lostwordwriters.com. The site is under construction and more authors are being added. With that said, the site is interesting and surf-able, plus you can order a copy of Potters Field direct from the group.

The Introduction Iron Gates was written by the group's Director Gina Gaudet:

IRON GATES

"Step through these gates into another world. Lock down your fears. Hide away bias. All that you know, all that you believe may be challenged once you gather to hear what is said. Only truth needs telling, for no harm will come to those who rest in the grave. Come, the time is near. Take a deep breath, step forward and enter into The Lost Word Writers Potters Field. . . "

Potter's Field is an anthology of short stories and poetry, poet Cindy Parker introduces us to the book with one of her contributions called These Grounds:

THESE GROUNDS

"This is the place where they rest, where all their stories converge and their bones speak to the earth, rematerialize in the wood, and soak up the rain to reappear in endless shades of green.

And I come to listen sometimes as the leaves talk, or as the grasses sigh secrets too deep for this world.

Too deep for philosophy.

Too deep for me.

But . . . I come, hoping to leave with a better sense of myself."

Meet Gina and Cindy, along with Donrad, Thom, Autumn, Devlin, Phil, Dennis, Leah, and John on Saturday, May 14, 2011 @ 7:00 PM EST. Join us for a discussion about creativity with this very talented group of people. Some will read their words, some will explain their journey, but all will share their inspiration! Listen via the internet or call in at (347) 215-9536 to listen or to speak with the authors personally. Just use this link:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/05/14/a-conversation-with-the-authors-of-potters-field

Meet Blues Musician Ken Tucker

2011-04-27T17:02:00.000-04:00

Blues Musician Ken Tucker will play live on the Blog Talk Radio Show Conversations with Renee.

Mark your calendar for May 4, 2011 @ 9:00 PM EST and tune in to hear a blues great discuss his journey, play his music live, and answer your questions. Just call in at (347) 215-9536 to speak to Ken in person!

Sullivan, Indiana: Ken Tucker has 27 years' experience as a guitarist, songwriter, and performer. He has played for several groups over the years including, Christian Music Legend, Larry Norman, and Canadian Rocker, Lindsay Ell, Darrell Mansfield, as well as sharing the stage with the extraordinary, Shawn Mullins. Josh Hammond, Ken's occasional music partner and collaborator, is a harmonica playing and guitar picking force of nature. In spite of their diverse musical upbringings, they complement each other amazingly well. Ken's gravelly; baritone voice is a perfect blend for Josh's high tenor harmonies. They have been getting lots of airplay in the US and overseas. If blues, gospel, folk, Americana, and old school country is your forte', then you will find a musical friend in Back Porch Pilgrims. Check 'em out. Go ahead... you know you want to.

And on May 4, 2011 we are inviting you to an hour of great listening on Blog Talk Radio at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee where you can listen to Ken Tucker perform live, talk about his journey and answer direct questions from the listeners. Just call in at (347) 215-9536 and speak to Ken yourself -- or participate in the chat room where fans will keep the discussion going.

https://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/05/05/a-conversation-with-blues-great-ken-tucker

To learn more about Ken Tucker and his recent release Juke Joint Serenade read the review printed at FullTimeBlues.com. Where it's reported: "Brother Whiskey" starts the set, with what is arguably the best of the bunch right off the bat. This song is a monster, both sonically and lyrically. It's well written and well played, and in my opinion, it's the standout track from Juke Joint Serenade.

http://www.fulltimeblues.com/blues_music_review_062310.html

Or read Jazz News by Gary Tate

He says: "For those who crave honest, unadorned Blues that rocks out and can excite a crowd by packing an unforgettable wallop, here’s “two-thumbs-up” to Ken Tucker’s “Looking For Another Day”.

http://www.jazzreview.com/article/review-5499.html

Ken is now on Benevolent Blues Records (www.benevolentblues.com) with latest CD, "Juke Joint Serenade". Booking and representation is through NAF Entertainment, and if you would like Ken Tucker to make an appearance at your event or in your club or joint just write his representative, Holly, at holly@nafentertainment.com or call her at 952-846-8903.

A Conversation and some great blues music with Ken Tucker: May 4, 2011 @ 9:00 PM EST.

https://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/05/05/a-conversation-with-blues-great-ken-tucker

About CONVERSATIONS with RENÉE:

Conversations with Renée is an interactive, live Internet talk-radio show that focuses on authors and writers of all genres and mediums. Host Yolanda Renée explores the careers, advice, writing style and personality of each guest. Callers are encouraged to call (347) 215-9536 to listen or ask questions. The stream and archives are available at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee .

The show is live every Thursday at 9 p.m. Eastern. The show is hosted on Blog Talk Radio. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

You Can't Beat FREE!

2011-04-27T15:24:00.000-04:00

The Novel Murder, Madness & Love by author Yolanda Renée for eBook Readers is FREE until the end of April.

Anchorage, Alaska and the West Coast of Washington State—no setting is more beautiful or more mysterious, and with the addition of romance, nothing is more satisfying! Unless it's the ease of reading a good book anywhere with ePublishing and EZRead.com or Smashwords.com!

Yolanda Renée has just recently had her first novel, Murder, Madness & Love re-released on the website for eBook Readers www.ezread.com by EZRead Publications and at www.smashwords.com. The world of publishing is changing and EZ Read and Smashwords are taking knows this better than most.

USE ONE OF THESES PROMOTION CODES!

For the next three days, until midnight April 30th you can get a copy of Murder, Madness & Love for free at both EZRead.com or Smashwords.com. At EZRead.com just use the promotion code APR0404 and on Smashwords just use the promotion code TS95A.

Yolanda Renée chose to follow her adventurous spirit, which led her to Alaska and the setting of her novels and to EZRead.com a wonderful new site for both writers and readers: a site full of new opportunities. Writers of all varieties can use either the EZRead or Smashwords writing tools to create or convert an eBook in PDF or ePub format, perfect for reading on any device. The process is simple, easy, and quick.

Staying on top of the changes in both the publishing industry and the market place, Yolanda Renée has shown her own rebelliousness in her attempt to get her book to the fans. If you have any questions regarding Murder, Madness & Love send Renée an email at yolandarenee@hotmail.com .

Yolanda Renée is also the host of Blog Talk Radio’s Conversations with Renée. A show dedicated to learning and sharing the secrets to writing, publishing, and marketing. Renée interviews a variety of artists: authors, poets, publishers, and movie producers almost every Thursday. You can listen to all the shows in archive at

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

About Murder, Madness & Love:

In this suspenseful novel, a killer plays cat and mouse with a young widow against the snowy backdrop of an Alaskan winter. Branded a black widow after the suspicious death of her millionaire husband, Sarah Palmer flees Seattle for Anchorage. However, the peace and quiet she hoped to enjoy in her hometown is soon shattered. A killer is murdering Sarah look-alikes on the 14th of each month, taunting Sarah with a Valentine of evidence. After her experiences in Seattle, Sarah is slow to go to the police. When she finally does, she finds Detective Steven Quaid, who is called on to protect the beautiful widow from a stalker intent on her destruction. Steven is not entirely sure she is not behind the scheme herself, and before long Sarah has him wound up tighter than barbed wire. Is Sarah a victim or a very skilled manipulator?

Written purely for entertainment, this novel will keep the reader guessing and the main characters, Detective Steven Quaid and Sarah Davis Palmer will keep you wishing for more.

If you would like to know more about Yolanda Renée and all her books, or her BTR show Conversations with Renée –check out her website at www.yolandarenee.com .

A Conversation with Yolanda Renée: April 7, 2011

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/04/07/a-conversation-with-renee

Join us and bring all your questions – call in at (347) 215-9536

About CONVERSATIONS with RENÉE:

Conversations with Renée is an interactive, live Internet talk-radio show that focuses on authors and writers of all genres and mediums. Host Yolanda Renée explores the careers, advice, writing style and personality of each guest. Callers are encouraged to call (347) 215-9536 to listen or ask questions. The stream and archives are available at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee .
The show is live every Thursday at 3 p.m. Eastern/ 6 p.m. PT. The show is hosted on Blog Talk Radio. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

Author, Producer, Host -- Meet The Mortal Vampire -- E W Bradfute

2011-03-21T09:20:00.001-04:00

Paranormal expert and BTR host E W Bradfute will share his journey to success on Wednesday, March 23, 2011 @ 9:00 PM EST. Call in with your questions at (347) 215-9536

E W Bradfute author of The Mortal Vampire, producer of the movie The Mortal Vampire, and Blog Talk Radio Host for the highly popular show Pairanormal will be on Conversations with Renee to discuss his journey to success. E W claims that The Mortal Vampire is a psychological thrill ride that will have you speculating till the end, which promises a surprising twist. Set in the thriving outskirts of San Antonio, Texas this thriller will have you second guessing your reasoning and leave you thirsting for more. The story is based on the novel by E W Bradfute.

About The Mortal Vampire:

Detectives, Alexander Stephens and Jennifer Hill investigate a new string of murders being done in the fashion of a vampire draining the blood from the victims through two punctures in the neck and in daylight. Weird things begin to happen and it all seems to center around the local hospital. Hill finds herself romantically involved with a rookie officer who is the focus of Stephens’ suspicion until a second vampire releases his animalistic urges and crosses the line. Stephens and Hill find are now in the middle of a battle between two vampires, one that is obvious and one that remains out of their grasps. Can Stephens and Hill track down the elusive vampire or are they in for a brand new terror that they could never be prepared for?
The Mortal Vampire is set to be a three part series and will continue to be a psychological thriller all the way. Within the second of the series the actual medical terms and myths of vampires will be revealed forcing the audience to take a new look at their view of vampires and begin to question if the person sitting next to them in the theater is a vampire or not.

Follow The Mortal Vampire today on Facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mortal-Vampire/408245774971

http://www.themortalvampire.net/Home.html

About Pairanormal:

E. W. wears many hats, and is also known for his extremely popular BTR Show Pairanormal. Pairanormal, spelled funny but has a very serious research team. Pair is 2 and your hosts bring you informing and intriguing investigations each week. They are A Normal pair that really gives you the version of the X-Files in REAL LIFE situations. Together, with their team of Ghost Hunters, Clairvoyants, Believers, and Skeptics, they will give you the most entertaining investigative shows around. You as a listener can join in LIVE each time as they have an active chat room, open phone lines, and emails (pairanormal@ymail.com) that constantly give you the opportunity to tip them on new paranormal events.

Join us Wednesday evening for a fascinating conversation.

Just follow this link to listen via your computer:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/03/24/a-conversation-with-the-mortal-vampire

Or call (347) 215-9536 – you can listen to the show or ask E W a question. All shows are downloadable from iTunes.

Everything you ever wanted to know about eBook Publishing!

2011-03-12T15:24:00.000-05:00

EZRead.com—a rebellious new eBook publisher on BTR Show Conversations with Renée

Amelia Albanese & Jenifer Avery, eBook Specialist’s will answer your questions about publishing on-line—Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 3:00 PM EST. Call in with your questions at (347) 215-9536

San Jose, California: EZ Read Inc. was founded in 2010 as an eBookstore and a rebellious new eBook publisher. With the simple goal of uniting writers and readers, we strive to clear the storm clouds of publishing and bring eBook content to readers without proprietary restrictions, without any fuss.

With over 200,000 pay titles and the entire free Google library, eBooks are sold in PDF and ePub and can be read on a massive selection of devices. But more than this, our eBookstore strives to provide personal recommendations and thoughtful book selections that can rival any independent bookstore or bespectacled librarian. With author interviews and book reviews, our site is managed, maintained, and loved by employees who are as crazy about reading as you are.

EZ Read also is proud to host a full assault on expensive self-publication fees, rejection letters, and all around unhappiness with our new writing and publishing template. Writers of all varieties can use our writing tool to create or convert an eBook in PDF or ePub format, perfect for reading on any device. They can then choose to name their price and sell their work on our eBookstore’s Indie Marketplace. Or, if they are feeling especially nice, share their work for free. Our eBook service welcomes risk takers and free thinkers, and scoffs at tidy “safe bets” big publishing houses want you to believe is the only way to success.
In short, we hope that readers and writers of every sort will find an “EZ” connection, and find exactly what they were looking for on our site. http://www.ezread.com

Join us Thursday afternoon for a fascinating conversation.

Just follow this link to listen via your computer:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/03/17/a-conversation-with-ezread-publishing

Or call (347) 215-9536 – you can listen to the show or ask Amelia or Jenifer a question. All shows are downloadable from iTunes.

Murder, Madness & Love Released at EZRead.com!

2011-03-04T16:41:00.001-05:00

EZRead Publications Releases Murder, Madness & Love by author Yolanda Renée for eBook Readers at www.ezread.com

Anchorage, Alaska and the West Coast of Washington State—no setting is more beautiful or more mysterious, and with the addition of romance, nothing is more satisfying! Unless it's the ease of reading a good book anywhere with ePublishing and EZRead!

Yolanda Renée has just recently had her first novel, Murder, Madness & Love re-released on the website for eBook Readers www.ezread.com by EZRead Publications. The world of publishing is changing and EZ Read Inc., founded in 2010 knows this better than most.

EZRead is an eBookstore with a rebellious new eBook publisher. With the simple goal of uniting writers and readers, they strive to clear the storm clouds of publishing and bring eBook content to readers without proprietary restrictions, and without any fuss. With over 200,000 pay titles and the entire free Google library, eBooks are sold in PDF and ePub and can be read on a massive selection of devices.

Yolanda Renée chose to follow her adventurous spirit, which led her to Alaska and the setting of her novels and to EZRead.com a wonderful new site for both writers and readers: a site full of new opportunities. Writers of all varieties can use the EZRead writing tool to create or convert an eBook in PDF or ePub format, perfect for reading on any device. The process is simple, easy, and quick.

Staying on top of the changes in both the publishing industry and the market place, Yolanda Renée has shown her own rebelliousness in her attempt to get her book to the fans. If you have any questions regarding Murder, Madness & Love send Renée an email at yolandarenee@hotmail.com .

Yolanda Renée is also the host of Blog Talk Radio’s Conversations with Renée. A show dedicated to learning and sharing the secrets to writing, publishing, and marketing. Renée interviews a variety of artists: authors, poets, publishers, and movie producers almost every Thursday. You can listen to all the shows in archive at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

About Murder, Madness & Love:

In this suspenseful novel, a killer plays cat and mouse with a young widow against the snowy backdrop of an Alaskan winter. Branded a black widow after the suspicious death of her millionaire husband, Sarah Palmer flees Seattle for Anchorage. However, the peace and quiet she hoped to enjoy in her hometown is soon shattered. A killer is murdering Sarah look-alikes on the 14th of each month, taunting Sarah with a Valentine of evidence. After her experiences in Seattle, Sarah is slow to go to the police. When she finally does, she finds Detective Steven Quaid, who is called on to protect the beautiful widow from a stalker intent on her destruction. Steven is not entirely sure she is not behind the scheme herself, and before long Sarah has him wound up tighter than barbed wire. Is Sarah a victim or a very skilled manipulator?

Written purely for entertainment, this novel will keep the reader guessing and the main characters, Detective Steven Quaid and Sarah Davis Palmer will keep you wishing for more.

If you would like to know more about Yolanda Renée and all her books, or her BTR show Conversations with Renée –check out her website at www.yolandarenee.com .

About CONVERSATIONS with RENÉE:
Conversations with Renée is an interactive, live Internet talk-radio show that focuses on authors and writers of all genres and mediums. Host Yolanda Renée explores the careers, advice, writing style and personality of each guest. Callers are encouraged to call (347) 215-9536 to listen or ask questions. The stream and archives are available at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee .

The show is live every Thursday at 3 p.m. Eastern/ 6 p.m. PT. The show is hosted on Blog Talk Radio. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

What Would You Do If You Were Told You Had Alzheimer's?

2011-02-26T13:47:00.000-05:00

REVIEW OF

ISLAND GIRL

by

LYNDA SIMMONS

It is a question that makes you think – What Would You Do If You Were Told You Had Alzheimer’s – it is also a question that Lynda Simmons answers, at least for her protagonist Ruby Donaldson.

Ruby has just learned that she has a new friend, Big Al, (Alzheimer’s) and her immediate thoughts are of her family. How can she prepare them, protect them, and still maintain her independence? However, her family is estranged and stubbornly uncooperative. Even after they find out that she is ill, they find it hard to be sympathetic. Raising yet another question-- when a terminal illness hits is it really that easy to forgive and forget the misdeeds of the past.

Lynda delves into all those questions with skill, heart, and thoughtful reality. Her characters are people you know, the family dynamics genuine, but with any terminal illness, there is no happy ending. Yet Lynda Simmons gives you an ending that you will find satisfying, because it is selfless and filled with the warmth of genuine compassion. It brought tears to my eyes and required a handful of tissues to get through, but it was one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read of love and forgiveness, while staying true to the strength of its main character.

I highly recommend ISLAND GIRL. Ruby Donaldson will be someone you will recall fondly as a friend who touched your heart because Lynda Simmons created her that way.

Yolanda Renee
02/24/2011

To learn more about Lynda Simmons and her book ISLAND GIRL go to www.lyndasimmons.com

Join us Thursday afternoon for a fascinating conversation.

Just follow this link to listen via your computer:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/03/03/a-conversation-with-author-lynda-simmons-1

Or call (347) 215-9536 – you can listen to the show or ask Lynda a question. All shows are downloadable from iTunes.

What Would You Do If You Were Told You Had Alzheimer's?

2011-02-25T13:13:00.000-05:00

Author Lynda Simmons poses this question in her new novel, Island Girl, --Thursday, March 3, 2011 @ 3:00 PM EST. Call in with your questions at (347) 215-9536

Island Girl, the emotionally riveting story of a 55 year old mother, Ruby Donaldson, fighting to reunite her family as she struggles with the diagnosis of early on-set Alzheimer’s. 100 million people have been touched by Alzheimer’s and 35 million are worried about it; we all know at least one family that’s been affected by this disease. A question also raised is that if a mother, or anyone for that matter, has been unkind to their child or family, does that forgive them a lifetime of sins just because they’re sick? Does illness somehow grant them instant immunity, a moral get-out-of-jail-free card? Lynda Simmons has constructed a riveting tale whose characters give insight into the answers to these and many other questions.

About Lynda Simmons:

Lynda Simmons is a writer by day, college instructor by night and a late sleeper on weekends. She grew up in Toronto reading Greek mythology, bringing home stray cats and making up stories about bodies in the basement. From an early age, her family knew she would either end up as a writer or the old lady with a hundred cats. As luck would have it, she married a man with allergies so writing it was

With two daughters to raise, Lynda and her husband moved into a lovely two storey mortgage in Burlington, a small city on the water just outside Toronto. While the girls are grown and gone, Lynda and her husband are still there. And yes, there is a cat – a beautiful, if spoiled, Birman.

When she’s not writing or teaching, Lynda gives serious thought to using the treadmill in her basement. Fortunately, she’s found that if she waits long enough, something urgent will pop up and save her - like a phone call or an e-mail or a whistling kettle. Or even that cat just looking for a little more attention!

Lynda Simmons, author of Getting Rid of Rosie and now Island Girl, grew up in Toronto and now lives in Burlington, Ontario. www.lyndasimmons.com

About Island Girl:

Facing the terrible reality of her illness, Ruby refuses to let the disease control her future. But before she can take any final action, she must find a way to convince her elder daughter Liz to grow up and come home; to take her place as head of the family thereby securing the future of their home on the Island, and ensuring that Liz’s younger sister, Grace, will be cared for in the only place that is safe for her.

But there’s a reason why Ruby and Liz are estranged and Liz can’t help wondering: do you have to forgive someone a lifetime of sins just because they have Alzheimer’s? Does illness somehow grant them instant immunity, a moral get-out-of-jail-free card?

Ruby always thought she’d have a lifetime to make things right for her troubled family, but suddenly time is running out.

“Simmons exhibits an exquisitely deft understanding of the extraordinary difficulties that unite a family, and her portrayals of the three women, told in alternating first-person chapters, enable satisfying connections with each." Publisher's Weekly

“…elegantly written and insightful.” RT Reviews

"...this is not a reworking of Still Alice, but the thickly plotted story of a mother trying to clean up the messes in her life. . . a page turner that will both satisfy and enchant its readers." Winnipeg Free Press

To learn more about Lynda Simmons and her book ISLAND GIRL go to www.lyndasimmons.com

Join us Thursday afternoon for a fascinating conversation.

Just follow this link to listen via your computer:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/03/03/a-conversation-with-author-lynda-simmons-1

Or call (347) 215-9536 – you can listen to the show or ask Lynda a question. All shows are downloadable from iTunes.

Renaissance Man and Author Walter P. Honsinger

2011-02-17T18:40:00.001-05:00

Walter will share his latest release THE FARM and the third in his trilogy about adventure, friendship on Thursday, February 24, 2011 @ 5:00 PM EST. Call in with your questions at (347) 215-9536.

Walter P. Honsinger is a renaissance man. He is well read, well traveled, and I have found well versed in numerous areas. If you need help most anything, have a question about the most obscure, or are just wondering how best to write, publish, and market a book – Walt is your man. He survived a winter in the wilderness of Alaska, he helped organic farmers in Oregon make a success of their ventures, and he found his destiny during a summer at the beach!

Join us for an interesting conversation on how to turn your experiences in to Literary Fiction!

https://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/02/24/a-conversation-with-author-walter-p-honsinger-1

Walt is an avid hunter, angler, and gatherer who has journeyed to the remotest regions of the country. He began traveling around the country at the age of fourteen, often hitchhiking to his destinations.

Walt’s travels, encounters, and memories are often the inspiration for his writing. His novels THE BEACHCOMBER and THE CABIN relate to portions of his life and the people he interacted with.

Walt lives in Lancaster, PA with his wife and two children. He still loves to travel and spends his free time hunting, fishing, and writing.
Walter is a graduate of Temple University with majors in Accounting, Computer Science and Statistics. He is the Area 5 representative for Pennwriters, a nationwide writers group. He has written five novels THE BEACHCOMBER, THE CABIN, THE FARM, THE BLUE OCEAN'S PEACE, and LANCASTER COUNTY LEGENDS.

All books are available at www.amazon.com

The Beachcomber - It seemed like the perfect summer vacation for Ethan. A beach house in Wildwood, New Jersey, college girls, and lots of partying. He never dreamed that he'd befriend Tully, a sixty-something World War II veteran. Or that the two would begin one venture after another. Tully showed Ethan how to enjoy his summer...and his life.

The Cabin is the story of three individuals, Sue, Ethan, and Anna attempting to survive the Alaskan winter in a log cabin that they built. Sue and Ethan are childhood friends and together they hitchhike across the country, purchase a truck in Oregon, and travel to Fairbanks, Alaska. In Fairbanks, they meet Sue's companion Anna. Anna is a beautiful, but terribly troubled, woman who has spent the winter gathering supplies and gear to outfit the adventure. The three overcome a host of initial problems and travel deep into the wilderness. They attempt to build a log cabin, and begin to try to live out their lives. The three find themselves plagued by building the cabin, the harsh conditions they live under, and their own interactions. The greatest danger the three face is a secret that Anna has kept hidden from everyone.

The Farm - Sue, Ethan, and Anna arrive in Oregon to find Sue's organic farming community devastated. Most barely made it through the winter. Sue's farm is overgrown and it's doubtful that she will be able to plant this spring. No one has cash to buy equipment or plant their crops. Livestock is selling below cost. Many are auctioning off their farms and moving away. Ethan has cash that he earned in Alaska and it might be enough to purchase some equipment and supplies. Their only hope is to construct a farm market where they can all sell directly to the public. The entire community will have to pull together or all of them will fail. A testament to the human will... The knowledge that love will pull us through... People working together can overcome anything.....

Join us for a conversation about literary fiction!

Use this link to listen online – or call in at (347) 215-9536 to speak to Walt in person!

https://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/02/24/a-conversation-with-author-walter-p-honsinger-1

Learn all about Travel Writing with Author Linda Ballou!

2011-02-15T10:09:00.000-05:00

Linda will share her new book Lost Angel Walkabout --Thursday, February 17, 2011 @ 3:00 PM EST. Call in with your questions at (347) 215-9536

Linda Ballou says her mission is to experience as many beautiful places on our planet as she can, before they are no more. “Travel tales relating my experiences while kayaking, horseback riding, sailing, birding and hiking about the globe have appeared in numerous national magazines. I had a great deal of fun collecting travel stories, and profiles of people I have met in “naturally high places” for my newest book, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales. For a complete bio as well as published on-line clips with photos, go to my website www.LindaBallouAuthor.com. Your reward, aside from learning about me and my work, will be to discover the secret to youth! Follow my blog to keep up with my latest adventures.”

Go to www.examiner.com and search for “Linda Ballou” to view my Great Outdoor Days in L.A.

All about Linda Ballou:

Linda Ballou is a rugged individualist who needs mountains and shady glens to stay in balance. She enjoys not having to make a living as a travel writer so she can be selective about her journeys and how and when she takes them. She aims to get to as many beautiful places in the world she can before they are no more.

She seeks outdoor adventures suitable for mature and fit travelers, with guides who have a high regard for the people and land they serve. Ms. Ballou is a thoughtful traveler, caring toward the environment, and sensitive to the respective local populations—that includes Main Street USA, not just lost tribes in the Amazon. She tries not to judge or condemn behavior alien to her own and attempts not to peer at people as though studying them through a microscope.

Her literary background heightens her enjoyment of research that includes reading travel narratives and historical archives about a region before visiting. In fact, she doesn’t want to go until she has a sense of what is going on behind the gorgeous scenery she considers herself privileged to enjoy. Like her travel writing hero Tim Cahill, she tries not to take herself too seriously.

Her novel approach to travel writing is detailed in a free download on her Web site www.LindaBallouAuthor.com titled “How to Make Travel Writing Work for You.”

Her highest achievement to date is her historical novel Wai-nani, High Chiefess of Hawai'i: Her Epic Journey. Through the eyes of Wai-nani, the reader experiences Hawaiian society as it existed when Captain James Cook arrived at Kealakekua Bay in 1779. Ride the billowing seas with Eku the wild dolphin Wai-nani befriends; learn why she loved the savage, conflicted ruler, Makaha; walk with her as she defies ancient laws and harsh taboos of the Island people; share the love she received from her people, and learn how she rose to become the most powerful woman in old Hawai'i. Read the first chapter and reviews on Wai-nani’s page at www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.

Join Linda Ballou on her blog http://wwwlindaballouauthor.blogspot.com for travel tips, eco-alerts, and all things Hawaiian. She welcomes your comments and would enjoy hearing about your adventures.

About Lost Angel Walkabout

Lost Angel Walkabout—One Traveler’s Tales is a spirited collection of travel narratives recounting the haps, mishaps, and serendipitous adventures that have given her a sense of wonder and delight. Some of the stories like “Falling in the Footsteps of John Muir” and “Look Both Ways on Small Islands” are reflections that might make you glad you stayed home, while “River Wise” and “Raven’s River” could inspire you to toss the TV clicker out the window and to explore our beautiful planet. All of the stories take you to the special places where you share the sensual experience of being there without straining one muscle, getting altitude sickness, or tipping your canoe.

ISBN 978-1449971526

Signed copy with free shipping at author’s site
www.LindaBallouAuthor.com
lballou6@sbcglobal.net

Whether river rafting in the vast wilderness of her Alaska homeland or trekking through the emerald hills of New Zealand, Ballou's evocative writing takes you there. She reminds us that in a frenetic world connecting with nature's beauty can serve as our salvation".—Michael Shapiro, author of A Sense of Place

"Linda Ballou is one of my personal favorite adventure writers. Her exquisite descriptions make the reader feel as if he is there in person. Her adventures are daring, making me wish I were physically fit and brave enough to enjoy the same, but I can vicariously through her writing. She writes with the deep, soulful incites into nature which will inspire and lift you. This is a beautiful book you'll want to re-read often."
-- Bonnie Neely, editor www.RealTravelAdventures.com and a top reviewer for Amazon.com.

"Lost Angel Walkabout: One Traveler’s Tales is a spirited collection of travel narratives recounting the haps, mishaps, and serendipitous adventures that have given travel writer Linda Ballou her sense of wonder and delight. Some of the stories might make you glad you stayed home, while others will inspire you to toss the TV clicker out the window and get up off the couch to explore our beautiful planet. All of these tales let you share the sensual experience of being there without straining one muscle, getting altitude sickness, or tipping your canoe."

Interview with Guest, Tim Cahill, America’s best loved adventure-travel writer

Join us Thursday afternoon for a fascinating conversation.
Just follow this link to listen via your computer:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/02/17/a-conversation-with-travel-writer-linda-ballou-1

Or call (347) 215-9536 – you can listen to the show or ask Linda a question. All shows are downloadable from iTunes.

Poetry -- A form of expression direct from the heart!

2011-02-04T09:23:00.002-05:00

Review of:

SONGS FROM THE HEART: MELODIES OF THE SOUL
by
Byron Garrett

When you receive a book of poetry, as you read each poem you look for meaning and how it relates to you and your life. Byron Garrett’s book “Songs from the heart: Melodies of the Soul” goes a little further than the typical book of poetry. He tells us what he was thinking when he wrote his selfless words. The lessons he has learned, the instruction his beloved Mother gave him, all come through on the pages of his beautiful tome.

Byron had a hard life, disabled at the age of twelve, raised by a single mother, he explains on the first page of his book part of his take on life. “…born with twelve fingers, I guess I was supposed to have more of a “grip on life,” but since “life” was not designed for people with twelve fingers, the doctors cut two of my fingers off. That taught me one lesson on life right away. Just when you think you have a “grip on things” something could “snip away” at your grip.”

It is because of that attitude and his determination not to allow his “disabilities to disable his abilities,” that he was able to create a charming book of poetry where he shares his hopes, dreams, and angst. He does it all with thoughtful consideration for the woman he credits for his existence, his Mother.

I highly recommend “Songs from the heart: Melodies of the Soul.” It is a beautiful tribute to a loving Mother from a son who has surpassed all expectations. Byron Garrett is to be commended for a delightful book of poetry that will touch the heart, sooth the soul, and inspire the mind.

Yolanda Renee
1/21/2011

Learn more about Bryon and his book on Conversations with Renee -- just use this link http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/02/10/a-conversation-with-poet-byron-garrett

It's All About Intrigue, Money, Love, and Betrayal!

2011-01-29T13:09:00.001-05:00

True Blood author of MONEY, HUSTLE & BETRAYAL

Steve Kendall author of FOLLOW THE FALCON
&
A CONVERSATION WITH RENÉE

Thursday, February 3, 2011 @ 3:00 PM EST.
Call in with your questions at (347) 215-9536

The Blog Talk Radio Show Conversations with Renee has two exciting new authors who claim it’s all about intrigue, art, money, and betrayal according to authors True Blood & Steve Kendall. Meet them Thursday, February 3, 2011 by following this link:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/02/03/a-conversation-with-true-blood-and-steve-kendall-1

TRUE BLOOD

True Blood was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Where his passion for reading and writing came in the second grade, True Blood has always loved writing winning “Writer of the Month” in grade school. He has a talent for writing short stories, poetry, and loves reading all kinds of books in the Urban Fiction genre he graduated from Miami-Dade College in 2008 receiving an A.S. degree in Fire Science Technology. In 2009, he wrote his first novel Money, Hustle, & Betrayal. Currently, True Blood resides in Miami, Florida where he is working hard on his next novel.

MONEY, HUSTLE & BETRAYAL

Cairo and Rodney have always been the best of friends, growing up in the harsh inner city of Miami. After toiling for years under notorious drug kingpin Hammer, they decided to take control of the game together. But, rage coupled with jealousy equals treachery. Rodney chooses to take the game for himself by eliminating out all those who are associated with Cairo, including Cairo himself. When Cairo learns about Rodney’s actions, he gathers his own crew together to fight back against Rodney and his men. Now, Cairo and Rodney are embroiled in a drug feud, determined to stand face to face until one falls. However, Cairo’s pregnant girlfriend Shawnee tries to reason with him not to take revenge on Rodney for the sake of their family. Caught in a battle between street dreams and the safety of his family, Cairo must decide on his path before Rodney makes the decision for him.

Money, Hustle, and Betrayal is about the betrayal of friendship. A man who has everything always gains enemies, even in friends. What is most devastating is the loss friendship and the gaining of an enemy based on success.

STEVE KENDALL

Steve Kendall was the president of advertising and public relations agency, a newspaper journalist, and the editor of a professional journal. He is the author of numerous articles that have appeared in national magazines and professional journals, the leader of communication skills workshops, and a teacher of women and teens who are learning to operate their own businesses. He lives with his wife in Harvard, Massachusetts. Follow The Falcon is his debut novel.

FOLLOW THE FALCON

The Falcon has a problem: He’s desperate to sell the twelve paintings he stole twelve years earlier from Gladstone, an art museum. The $350-million heist was the biggest in U.S. history—so big there’s a $6-million reward for the paintings’ return.

Brooke Lancaster also has a problem: She’s desperate to do what she loves—paint. But until she has some financial security, she can’t quit her two jobs to find out if she can make a living as a painter.

The Falcon needs a buyer. Brooke needs a windfall.

Suddenly, there’s hope for both. The Falcon gets an offer from a mysterious Frenchman. Brooke gets hope from a dying man’s last words.

With that, Follow The Falcon soars from a chateau-like museum outside Boston to the winding roads of the Cote d’Azur, from the dunes of Cape Cod to Thoreau’s ancient grave. Brooke pursues a dream while thieves, Mafia goons, and unscrupulous art aficionados pursue her. At stake: fortune, freedom and twelve masterpieces.

Join us Thursday afternoon for a fascinating conversation.
Just follow this link to listen via your computer:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/02/03/a-conversation-with-true-blood-and-steve-kendall-1

Or call (347) 215-9536 – you can listen to the show or ask Jonathan a question. All shows are downloadable from iTunes.

Please note all this information is published directly from materials provided by the authors.

The Elite Equals the Most Brutal of All

2011-01-28T09:51:00.000-05:00

REVIEW OF

MURDEROUS INTELLECTUALS
by
JONATHAN MAXWELL

MURDEROUS INTELLECTUALS – GERMAN ELITES AND THE NAZI SS is a book that makes you think, makes you take a second look at the atrocity--the holocaust. Jonathan Maxwell takes on the top players—the physicians, the scientists, the educators, the lawyers, the soldiers; he investigates and documents their motivations.

It was the intention of Adolf Hitler and his henchmen to eliminate the socialists, communists, democrats, Gypsies but especially the Jews. The thing we all have tendency to forget is that his henchmen were the elite in their society--the physicians, scientists, educators, lawyers, and soldiers. As Jonathan points out, the extermination of millions required organization, structure, and planning. It required men with skill, with education, and men of intent, and despite the claim they were only following orders, it took dedication to the cause.

In this book Jonathan Maxwell, details the backgrounds of these men, and while some of them can be labeled sadistic, most were just ordinary men in non-ordinary jobs. Jobs they were good at, jobs they wanted to keep, and jobs that meant the death of millions.

We tend to forget their backgrounds as we try to explain their crimes. Jonathan explores what made them who they became and what he discovered is that the answers are not so easy to compartmentalize. Labeling them as sadistic, cold-blooded, or sociopaths does not explain the number of men and women who took lives as if they were taking an order for widgets.

Jonathan Maxwell’s book MURDEROUS INTELLECTUALS is a must read for any history buff, and it should be required reading for all students. Forgetting what happened is not an option, finding out why it happened is important and we once believed necessary to keep it from happening again. However, current history proves it continues. Only when all humanity believes in the sanctity of all life will the lessons learned mean the end of holocausts worldwide.

Yolanda Renee
1/19/2011

THE NAZI ELITE = THE MOST BRUTAL

2011-01-21T16:57:00.000-05:00

History buff and non-fiction author, Jonathan Maxwell On BTR Show Conversations With Renée

Jonathan will share his insight into the Murderous Intellectuals that led the Holocaust Thursday, January 27, 2011 @ 3:00 PM EST. Call in with your questions at (347) 215-9536

Jonathan Maxwell is a Georgia writer and public speaker. He holds a BA in English, along with a psychology minor and a paralegal certificate. He is the author of "Murderous Intellectuals: German Elites and the Nazi SS," a book which examines why so many well-educated professionals- such as doctors, lawyers, and scientists- willingly joined the National Socialist party. It is the recipient of the "Allbooks Review Editor's Choice Award" in the "Best Non/fiction Book" category. His publishing house is Salt Lake City-based American Book Publishing, and his agent is Georgina Scott Orr with New York-based the WL Agency.
Join us at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee for a conversation about everything from writing to publishing and beyond!

MURDEROUS INTELLECTUALS:

Searching for a sense of understanding and a hope for future prevention, Jonathan Maxwell explores the different officials of the Holocaust, giving an extensive background of each. He investigates mental defects, childhood occurrences, and family situations of these horrific leaders and identifies the desk murderers (those who did not directly kill, but gave orders to kill). In this concentrated look at the events that took place; Maxwell attempts to identify the key causes of the mass murders in an effort to prevent future Holocausts.

Jonathan Maxwell’s compellingly readable book takes the reader inside Nazi Germany on many different levels. The book provides a portrait of a people and a country in continuous flux, from the events that led to Hitler’s popularity, to the Hitler Youth movement, to the embrace of National Socialism, to Hitler’s warped inner circle. A fine piece of work, Maxwell’s book will appeal to general readers interested in the inherent drama of Hitler’s unnerving rise to power and his subsequent apocalyptic fall. -- Jean Sasson, New York Times bestselling author.

Since its release, MURDEROUS INTELLECTUALS has garnered significant critical acclaim. The work itself examines why so many well-educated professionals- such as doctors, lawyers, scientists, and the like- willingly joined the Nazi SS, the notorious group that spearheaded the Holocaust. The book - along with many reviews- can be found on www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.

Join us Thursday afternoon for a fascinating conversation.

Just follow this link to listen via your computer:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/01/27/a-conversation-with-jonathan-maxwell

Or call (347) 215-9536 – you can listen to the show or ask Jonathan a question. All shows are downloadable from iTunes.

The Monsters Walk Among Us!

2011-01-18T17:19:00.001-05:00

REVIEW OF
TORTURE AT THE BACK FORTY
by
MIKE DAUPLAISE

TORTURE AT THE BACK FORTY, a true crime drama, is one of the most difficult books I have ever read, not because of the writing, but because of the subject – gang rape, torture, and murder. This atrocity took place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1983. Margaret Anderson was on a date, it went bad and her escort left her alone at a biker bar called the Back Forty. Margaret would not survive the night. Even though there were witnesses, few came forward. It was the dedication of the officers who investigated that got Margaret Anderson justice. They doggedly pursued the men responsible.

The most appalling thing about this book is the number of people who knew what happened to her and lied or simply kept quiet. One of them abandoned her to this horror, the man she considered a friend. He was her date that night. Weasel, a name that befits the owner, began a fight with her after they left the bar. Instead of taking a very inebriated woman home, he yanked her from the car by her hair and began kicking her with his steel-toed boots. Then he told the men watching, “she’s yours…” The bartender watched these men continue to kick her senseless, even heard Margaret’s ribs cracking under their brutality. If only one of these people would have intervened, Margaret may have survived the night.

Mike Dauplaise has written about something none of us wants to think about – TORTURE AT THE BACK FORTY describes for us the real life monsters that live among us, and the people who protect their existence through silence, and lies. Reality is often hard to accept, but when it is this meaningless, this unforgivable, and barely punished – it is near impossible.

While I found it difficult to read this true crime story, I also found it impossible to put down. I wanted; no, I needed to know the outcome. I wanted these men caught, I wanted them punished, and I wanted Margaret’s horrific death to mean something. Three of the four men convicted are or soon will be walking the streets, except for one, the man who practically beheaded her. He still claims his innocence.

“Margaret Anderson’s favorite color was yellow”-- so is mine.

Yolanda Renee

True Crime Drama reveals the monsters that walk among us!

2011-01-14T12:12:00.001-05:00

Reporter, freelance writer, and true crime author, Mike Dauplaise on BTR Show Conversations with Renée

Mike will talk about his true crime drama TORTURE AT THE BACK FORTY Thursday, January 20, 2011 @ 3:00 PM EST. Call in with your questions at (347) 215-9536

Mike Dauplaise is a freelance writer based in Green Bay, where he lives with his wife, Bonnie. He began his professional writing career in 1979 as a part-time sports reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette, and graduated from St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications in 1984.

He later worked as a reporter for the Wausau (Wis.) Daily Herald, sports editor for the Green Bay News-Chronicle, and copy editor and sports reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. After leaving the newspaper business, Dauplaise worked as a communications specialist in a corporate marketing setting while growing his freelance writing business.

With former Green Bay Packers security director Jerry Parins, Dauplaise is the co-author of Bodyguard to the Packers: Beat Cops, Brett Favre and Beating Cancer.

To learn more, visit www.mikedauplaise.com

Join us at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee for a conversation about everything from writing to publishing and beyond!

TORTURE AT THE BACK FORTY:

The true story of the murder of Margaret Anderson — raped on a pool table and left for dead near a manure pile — shocked the populace of Green Bay, Wisconsin, during the 1983 Christmas holiday. Though nearly beheaded, the single mother fought hard for her life, but in the end Margaret died, leaving her teen son motherless.

Author Mike Dauplaise practically makes the reader feel Margaret’s last breaths as he recreates the night she was killed. He then takes us to her home state of Montana, and finally along on the investigative pursuit of a lifetime.

This America’s Most Wanted drama ends nearly five years later with the capture of the last of her four attackers. Dauplaise exposes the motorcycle-gang culture of the 1980s to reveal what was done to Margaret, and the subsequent efforts to bring her attackers to justice. True-crime enthusiasts will revel in the detail and the manhunt.

“Riveting, yet undeniably disturbing because of the violence. Dauplaise delivers this America’s Most Wanted story in such in-your face detail that you can almost feel Margaret Anderson breathing.”— Detective Jerry Rogalski, Green Bay Police Department (Retired)

“With an unsparing eye, Dauplaise tells a penetrating story, set in a blustery outpost of America, about a murderer named Gargoyle, motorcycle gangs, an undercover operation conducted with a wife in tow, a hit man who runs out with a deposit, and a woman who deserved far better than her depraved end.” — Marek Fuchs, author of A Cold-Blooded Business

Join us Thursday afternoon for a fascinating conversation.

Just follow this link to listen via your computer:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/01/20/a-conversation-with-author-mike-dauplaise

Or call (347) 215-9536 – you can listen to the show or ask Mike a question. All shows are downloadable from iTunes.

".You need help...and ...the wisdom to know that it’s valuable."

2011-01-14T12:08:00.000-05:00

REVIEW OF
THE MOVIE
by
BOSLEY GRAVEL

THE MOVIE stars a young man, Stewart A Smithee, who hails from a small nowhere town referred to as Podunk. Stewart decides to add some spice to his life and his friend’s lives by writing, producing and directing a movie. The movie is the type most adolescents adore, and most adults abhor called Cannibal Lesbian Zombies from Outer Space –vs--Doctor Clockwork and his Furious Plastic Surgeons of Doom.

This unique look at small town life and the ends some inhabitants pursue to make the journey more interesting is a fun read. Stewart A. Smithee lost his father to cancer via suicide, shields his mother until she proves she can make it on her own, all the while searching for answers to life’s questions through the production of his movie. What he discovers is what we all eventually find – “Being alive is just like . . . making a movie – you can’t do it alone. You need help. And you need the wisdom to know that it’s valuable.” Stewart A. Smithee.

Bosley Gravel’s illustration of life in a small town through the eyes of the young Mr. Smithee is tongue-in-cheek humor, and yet full of insight, compassion, and hope. It is a fun easy read, about a time in life most of us can empathize with. Mr. Bosley did a wonderful job of making Podunk and its populace comes to life through his well-crafted characters.

I highly recommend THE MOVIE. As literary fiction, it reveals much about its author, as it entertains and enlightens the reader. Check out Bosley’s website www.ripcot.com for all his other writing credits.

Yolanda Renee
1/1/2010

Bosley Gravel Author of THE MOVIE

2011-01-06T19:28:00.000-05:00

Eclectic Writer, Bosley Gravel On BTR Show Conversations With Renée

THE MOVIE: Cannibal Lesbian Zombies from Outer Space versus Doctor Clockwork and his Furious Plastic Surgeons of Doom--Thursday, January 13, 2011 @ 7:00 PM EST. Call in with your questions at (347) 215-9536

New Mexico: Bosley Gravel, eclectic hack writer, was born in the Midwest and came of age in Texas and New Mexico. He continues to reside in southern New Mexico with his beautiful wife, two ill-behaved kids and a third who is still learning to misbehave, a ravenous corn-snake, a one-eyed rat, a passive-aggressive fish, two crabby cats and little old lady pit-bull. Good black coffee, listening to Billie Holiday and writing during that hour just before the sun comes up are among his favorite earthly indulgences. He writes in multiple genres and has been published in a variety of venues. His fiction focuses on the absurdly tragic and the tragically absurd. Much of his work is available online, in both text and podcast format. Visit his website at www.ripcot.com. Bosley Gravel is a fan of all independent films where ingenuity and creativity is limited only by the artist's obsession.

Join us at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee for a conversation, excerpts from the audio book, not in post production, and just about everything from writing literary fiction to writing horror and pleasing your fans along the way!

THE MOVIE: Cannibal Lesbian Zombies from Outer Space vs Doctor Clockwork and his Furious Plastic Surgeons of Doom

Stewie A. Smithee lives in a small town ... but he thinks big. Behind the counter of the local grocery store, he plans to break into the movie business by writing, directing, producing and filming his masterpiece Sci Fi flick, Cannibal Lesbian Zombies from Outer Space - versus - Doctor Clockwork and his Furious Plastic Surgeons of Doom. And the only thing small about that epic project is its budget. The whole town - many promised starring roles - rallies round: Apart from the local police chief and his brother the judge, who'll stop at nothing to sabotage the shooting of the outrageous, sexy movie on their prim and peaceful patch. And there are other major headaches for Stewie ... a cast of unruly friends, a morally-challenged cousin as his PA, and a luscious fiancée with a script of her own and a tough deadline: "Your film's in the can before our wedding day - or you're out of the picture!"

There's a whacky wisdom, an endearing innocence and a thrillingly encouraging message of optimism in Bosley Gravel's hilarious tale of dead-end, small-towners breaking all the rules and battling all the odds to earn their place in the big picture. In times of global gloom and doom, The Movie reminds us just how much can be achieved with a dream - and the sheer guts to chase it. Gravel's drum-tight prose make the pages turn at the rate of a smile-a-minute.

Other Credits:

Bosley Gravel has a list of his extensive and impressive accomplishments on his website at www.ripcot.com. and like Bosley it is diverse.

Join us Thursday for a fascinating conversation.

Just follow this link to listen via your computer:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/01/14/a-conversation-with-author-bosley-gravel

Or call (347) 215-9536 – you can listen to the show or ask Bosley a question. All shows are downloadable from iTunes.

2011-01-06T16:45:00.000-05:00

REVIEW OF

BEGONIA BROWN – A PHILADELPHIA STORY

by

Julia Press Simmons

Growing up in a place called Strawberry Mansion fosters the impression of comfort. The naming of daughters after the flowers in a garden, Violet, Daisy, and Begonia, further encourages that image. But we quickly learn in Julia’s latest book Begonia Brown—A Philadelphia Story, that pretty names do not assure a pretty life.

The mean streets of North Philadelphia harbor a harsh existence, especially for the young, and especially for young women. After the death of a caring Grandmother, Begonia has to learn to survive in the harsh world of homelessness, drugs, and violence. Using the unorthodox means of a hustler, this intelligent young woman does just that—she survives. The price she pays for her fortitude would stop most adults in their tracks. However, Begonia has two younger sisters, Violet and Daisy, who rely solely on her. They give her purpose and courage. They give her life meaning, but will her sacrifices achieve for them or for her, a life free from the want that all children deserve? I wish there were a pretty ending, but life is harsh, and survival is not all it is cracked up to be.

Julia Press Simmons grew up on the streets she writes about and knows firsthand of the struggle. She skillfully continues the series, with memorable characters and horrifying truths. Her book Strawberry Mansion—A Philadelphia Story was a surprising first novel from a very skilled writer. She follows that up with a remarkable second book. I highly recommend Begonia Brown—A Philadelphia Story. It is a book of fiction, taken from the cruel reality of life, but told with the heart and soul of a true wordsmith.

Yolanda Renée
1/1/2011

JANUARY INTERVIEWS

2011-01-04T14:15:00.000-05:00

CONVERSATIONS WITH RENEE
SCHEDULE OF SHOWS FOR JANUARY 2011

JANUARY 6, 2011 @ 3:00 PM EST

Julia Press Simmons a poet, playwright, publisher, and author
Julia will appear on Conversations with Renée to discuss: STRAWBERRY MANSION & BEGONIA BROWN the first two books in her ongoing urban fiction series A PHILADELPHIA STORY.

Julia Press Simmons is also an award winning Spoken Word Artist, and Playwright. Her play “Down There” was selected by the Shades of Black Festival Emerging Playwright’s Series in Nashville, Tenn. “Down There” also received a staged reading by the African American Playwriting Exchange in New York City. Her flash fiction has appeared in 34Parrallel, an independent magazine. Check out Julia’s website for more information on her and her books http://www.queenmidasbooks.com/.

Join us for a conversation about everything creative!
Use this link to listen online – or call in at (347) 215-9536 to speak to Julia in person!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/01/06/a-conversation-with-julia-press-simmons-1

JANUARY 13, 2011 @ 7:00 PM EST*

Bosley Gravel penned a coming of age opus called -- THE MOVIE

THE MOVIE -- Cannibal Lesbian Zombies from Outer Space vs. Doctor Clockwork and his Furious Plastic Surgeons of Doom, is just a small part of this humorous look at life in Podunk, USA.

Referring to himself as an eclectic hack writer Bosley was born in the Midwest, and came of age in Texas and southern New Mexico. He writes in a variety of genres. His fiction focuses on the absurdly tragic, and the tragically absurd. He likes good black coffee, nightmares, Billie Holiday, and that hour just before the sun comes up. See Bosley’s website for more information about all his writing success including THE MOVIE at http://www.ripcot.com/

Join us for a conversation about literary fiction, horror, and the humor in it all!

Use this link to listen online – or call in at (347) 215-9536 to speak to Bosley in person!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/01/14/a-conversation-with-author-bosley-gravel

JANUARY 20, 2011 @ 3:00 PM EST

Mike Dauplaise author of the true crime drama -- TORTURE AT THE BACK FORTY

TORTURE AT THE BACK FORTY tells the story of the dogged pursuit of Margaret Anderson's killers by members of Green Bay's law enforcement community, in cooperation with other departments around Wisconsin. The case was featured on the first season of “America’s Most Wanted.”

Mike has been a professional writer since 1979 and has a wide-ranging background that includes newspapers, magazines, corporate communications, and commercial projects. He is a freelance writer based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and offers writing services to a variety of clients. Check out his website http://www.mikedauplaise.com/ for more information about his writing services and his latest book – TORTURE AT THE BACK FORTY.

Join us for a conversation about the real monsters that walk among us!
Use this link to listen online – or call in at (347) 215-9536 to speak to Mike in person!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/01/20/a-conversation-with-author-mike-dauplaise

JANUARY 27, 2011 @ 3:00 PM EST

Jonathan Maxwell author of the non-fiction/history book MURDEROUS INTELLECTUALS

Since its release, MURDEROUS INTELLECTUALS has garnered significant critical acclaim. The work itself examines why so many well-educated professionals- such as doctors, lawyers, scientists, and the like- willingly joined the Nazi SS, the notorious group that spearheaded the Holocaust.

Jonathan Maxwell is an Atlanta-based freelance writer and public speaker. He holds a BA in English, along with a psychology minor and a paralegal certificate. At present, he is finishing his second book. You can read more about Jonathan and the many reviews MURDEROUS INTELLECTUALS has received at www.amazon.com or http://www.barnesandnoble.com.

Join us for a conversation about the people who led this atrocity!
Use this link to listen online – or call in at (347) 215-9536 to speak to Jonathan in person!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/01/27/a-conversation-with-jonathan-maxwell

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE SHOWS CONTACT RENÉE AT yolandarenee@hotmail.com.
All shows can be found at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee in archives after the date scheduled, and can be downloaded from iTunes.

*Please note the time is different from the usual 3:00 PM EST it was scheduled for – 7:00 PM EST at the author’s request.

THE MEANING OF SUCCESS!

2010-12-31T16:10:00.000-05:00

Author, Poet , Playwright & Publisher, Julia Press Simmons On BTR Show Conversations With Renée

Julia will share her secrets of success for both writing and publishing Thursday, January 6, 2011 @ 3:00 PM EST. Call in with your questions at (347) 215-9536

Julia writes on her webpage @ Queen Midas Books: “I've spun tales for as long as I can remember—big ol' fat tales from my imagination. I was twelve years old when I began to write them down. Four years later, a couple of months after the birth of my son, I recognized my gift for what is was. Deep in the bowels of postpartum depression, I penned my first poem entitled “Suicide.” I poured all of my hurt into verse, and when I was done, the pain was gone. Since then I’ve received awards for my poetry, and I’ve had plays staged in Tennessee and New York, but nothing can compare to the overwhelming joy of “STRAWBERRY MANSION,” my very first novel and now my second novel "BEGONIA BROWN" the second in my series titled A PHILADELPHIA STORY.

A PHILADELPHIA STORY:
STRAWBERRY MANSION – Dramatic is one of many words used to describe Strawberry Mansion: A Philadelphia Story, a story based on a strong, often dismissed notion: the sins of the parents can and often do embed themselves in the children, creating devastating effects. The story is centered around three young women, friends, who must rely on their connection to each other to weather tragic storms. Tabitha, 19, lost her freedom in high school when she hooked up with a boy who would impregnate her and make her his punching bag. Lisa, 17, is deemed “the strong one” by her friends, but her own past of sexual abuse and pregnancy at the hands of her step father keeps her one second from falling apart as the drama builds. Shanice, 14, is a hellion, ready and willing to let any boy have her just to get the affection she believes her mother has withheld. As their world spirals out of control, they cling fast to one another in the hope that love, friendship, and strength will not only keep them together, but will also move them to a better place in their lives.

BEGONIA BROWN – We were named for the flowers in Grandma's Garden. Begonias, Violets and Daisies, and much like those flowers, we were showered with a love that rivaled the sun’s rays. We knew nothing of pain, or sorrow, or just how cruel the world could be until the day God saw fit to call Grandma Home. Her heart stopped two weeks after Daisy was born. My mother smoked us homeless two weeks after that. Now with Grandma gone and mommy on a constant crack high it's up to me to keep our little family together, and you best believe I'll stop at nothing to do just that. My name is Begonia Brown. I am a 17-year-old hustler and this is my story.
From the critically acclaimed author of Strawberry Mansion comes the tale of Begonia Brown. Raised in the unforgiving streets of North Philadelphia, Begonia Brown is undoubtedly a product of her environment, young, ruthless, and criminally minded.

JULIA PRESS SIMMONS:

Julia Press Simmons is also an award winning Spoken Word Artist, and Playwright. Her play “Down There” was selected by the Shades of Black Festival Emerging Playwright’s Series in Nashville, Tenn. “Down There” also received a staged reading by the African American Playwriting Exchange in New York City. Her flash fiction has appeared in 34Parrallel, an independent magazine. Julia does it all.

All information for this posting taken from http://www.gueenmidasbooks.com

Join us Thursday afternoon for a fascinating conversation.

Just follow this link to listen via your computer:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/01/06/a-conversation-with-julia-press-simmons-1

Or call (347) 215-9536 – you can listen to the show or ask Julia a question. All shows are downloadable from iTunes.

AN ADVENTURE WRITERS BEST

2010-12-15T20:59:00.000-05:00

REVIEW OF
LOST ANGEL WALKABOUT
One Traveler’s Tales
by
Linda Ballou

Recent poor health had me looking for an escape. When I picked up Linda Ballou’s book LOST ANGEL WALKABOUT, I found my salvation. Linda combines her most favorite things to create a book of adventures like nothing I have ever read. She blends her love of travel, and writing, and in several stories her love of horses, and with unsurpassed skill she takes the reader with her to places like Raven’s River, Alaska, to windswept Donegal Bay, Ireland, to Waipio Valley in Hawaii, and North Island, New Zealand to name just a few. Linda not only takes you on a journey to exciting places and distant lands she shares herself along the way. Her stories are personal, enlightening, and captivating.

Raven’s River is a particularly touching tale because it is a memorial to Matthew Wayne Bell, her nephew. It is a trip that entails a 140-mile journey, on the Tatshenshini, or Raven’s River and includes white water rafting and hiking on bear trails. Linda shares her adventure and her love for Matt, as she educates us on the environment. Raven’s River is a beautiful story of honor and discovery that is shared with grace and love.

I particularly enjoyed her journey in Golden Horseshoe or Bust. Linda, her 83-year-old mother, and nephew take off on a road trip. Her mother is insistent on driving. It is a typical family argument that adds amusement to this beautiful journey. Linda shares this memory of a courageous woman, with adventure in her soul, with a view in to her own. We learn even more about Linda and her mother in Water Dogs. These personal insights make this book of travel stories more like a novel.

LOST ANGEL WALKABOUT is more than a travel log, it is about Linda, the family she loves, the history of the lands and peoples she visits, and the folks she admires most, including adventure writer Tim Cahill and Horsewoman Lari Shea. I highly recommend this book: whether you are trying to plan your next journey, escape from your own couch, or want to inspire a young trailblazer.

You can check out all of Linda’s adventures and her historical novel Wai-nani, High Chiefess of Hawai’i; Her Epic Journey at www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.

ISBN: 13-9781449971526

Yolanda Renee
12/13/2010

WISHES AND DREAMS

2010-12-12T15:01:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, I'm doing a show on Christmas wishes. Something we adults claim is every child’s right, all the while secretly harboring our own. Christmas is a holiday everyone has specific feelings regarding. Whether you are wholly religious, against the commercialism, or completely caught up in it. Christmas allows us to get in touch with the best part of us, the child, the dreamer, the philanthropist. It is a time of hope, and an occasion we allow ourselves to indulge our deepest desires.

The holidays we celebrate in December conjure optimism, appreciation, and retrospection. We recognize our blessings and the needs of others, therefore making it a period of giving, a time for sharing. When the days turn gray, or snow white, the bright colors of the season sparks our fires. It helps to motivate us. It gets us up on those cold mornings, to scrape the ice off the windows, and tackle icy roads. Of course, if you live in a more temperate climate your physical struggle through winter is not so tough. Therefore, I believe that it goes deeper than that, our external environment is a metaphor for our internal struggles. December is the most loved month of the year. We realize, maybe due to Thanksgiving, just what we have and others do not. Why most of us wait until Thanksgiving to remember may just be the idiosyncrasies of the seasons.

In the spring, life begins a rebirth. Whether we want it or not our spirits fill with hope. We tackle projects with a gusto that surprises us. During the summer, nothing can stop us and life is more beautiful with each bright sunny day. We are moving, shaking, and getting things done. Life is being lived, but soon the leaves begin to turn, the mornings become cooler. Fall is just around the corner and things begin to slow down. The major holidays make us look closer at family and traditions. Halloween is the end of summer celebration. Thanksgiving is when we look backward at the year past and show appreciation for everything we have accomplished, or everything we have managed to hold onto despite our circumstances. December is a well-deserved celebration, before winter slows us down and a New Year demands our attention. Celebrating the seasons is as old as time and no matter what your impetus it touches us all.

Then again, it could mean that I'm wishing for way too much. Join the discussion and share your dreams and wishes. If you could have three – what would they be? If you could grant wishes for others, or just once get the gift you really want – what would that be?

A CONVERSATION ABOUT WISHES AND DREAMS

Thursday, December 16, 2010 at 3:00 PM.

Dial in at 347-215-9536 or listen via the web at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

Here's Your Shopping List!

2010-12-09T08:57:00.000-05:00

RENEE’S 2010 TOP TEN LIST

ON

CONVERSATION’S WITH RENEE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010 -- 3:00 PM

At BLOG TALK RADIO

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2010/12/10/renees-2010-top-ten-list

MY FAVORITE BOOKS AND THE AUTHORS WHO WROTE THEM – HERE IS YOUR SHOPPING LIST FOR 2010:

LOST ANGEL WALKABOUT by LINDA BALLOU
TORTURE AT THE BACK FORTY by MIKE DAUPLAISE
THE MOVIE by BOSLEY GRAVEL
DREAM CHASER by P CHRISTINA GREENAWAY
THE BEACHCOMBER by WALTER P HONSINGER
BUYING MURDER by NANCE LYNN JARVIS
THE WOLFMAN by JONATHAN MABERRY
WEB OF SECRETS by ERNESTO PATINO
LOOK AGAIN by LISA SCOTTOLINE
INSIDE OUT by MARIA V. SNYDER

It’s that time of year and books are the best gift you can give – please check out the authors above if you need some help with your gift list.

If you’re looking for a worthy cause to support this holiday season check out http://www.booksforsoldiers.com or http://www.booksforboots.org they could use those extra books that you have. In addition, http://www.shadowforestauthors.com is another site for both the author and the contributor! I hope your holidays are filled with family, fun, and the New Year with prosperity and love!

Renée

BUYING MURDER

2010-08-30T19:06:00.000-04:00

REVIEW OF
Buying Murder
by
Nancy Lynn Jarvis

When I read the jacket cover for Nancy Lynn Jarvis’s third novel Buying Murder, I was hooked. I fell in love with the title, and then the premise. I had my next cuddle up with a cup of tea, music, and a quiet evening--mystery.

Buying Murder happens when protagonist Regan McHenry and her husband decide to buy a beach house. Before beginning a remodeling project, they have a home inspector come in. During the inspection, a partially mummified body is discovered in a wall. Regan, who claims to have sworn off playing detective since her narrow escape in Backyard Bones, cannot resist trying to find the answers to whom, what, and when. After all, she knows where, and as her friend, Dave Everett says, “Your house, Regan, your murder.” How can a naturally inquisitive person just walk away from such a quandary, especially when the police put the murder on the back burner?

What I find the most intriguing about Regan’s adventures and Ms. Jarvis’s writing is that the stories of the buyers and sellers are interwoven. As Ms. Jarvis weaves her tale of fiction, she shows us the quirks and foibles of the real—real estate industry. Ms. Jarvis did this in her first two novels and skillfully continues it in her newest novel—Buying Murder.

In this story an eviction hearing, something that is supposed to be clear-cut and simple is anything but. Her life is threatened when the defendants take Regan’s testimony personally. As the mystery of the dead man in Regan’s beach house wall begins to unravel, the death threats become more serious. Whom should Regan fear? The family, friends, and enemies of the dead man, or the tin foil wearing, alien fearing, renters.

The author, Nancy Lynn Jarvis is a real estate agent; Ms. Jarvis takes her plot, her characters, and her stories from her real life experiences. Her protagonist Regan McHenry is also a real estate agent and when she stumbles across a mystery, it has something to do with the buying or selling of a house. As was the case in Ms. Jarvis’s, first two books Backyard Bones and The Death Contingency, the Regan McHenry Real Estate Mystery series is set in sunny Santa Cruz, California. Ms. Jarvis takes the reader on a tour of her community, and when she describes the fires of 2008, drives the streets, county roads, or walks the beach, you take that journey with her.

The truth is, Buying Murder, is one of those books you want to read from beginning to the end with no interruptions. It stands alone from the previous two novels, but I suggest you pick up the other two because that is what a good mystery series author is all about—quality! Ms. Jarvis delivers. ENJOY!

You can check out all of Nancy’s Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries at http://www.goodreadmysteries.com.
ISBN: 978-0-9821135-6-1

Yolanda Renee
8/30/2010

My list of favorites for the Year!

2009-12-14T15:53:00.001-05:00

RENÉE’S 2009 TOP TEN LIST PLUS 1!
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17,2009 @ 9:00 PM EST
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee
Call in @ (347) 215-9536

THE SHATTERED SILENCE – Matt Arnold – Literary Fiction

FORBIDDEN LOVE – S. E. Cox – Fantasy/Horror

RUN AT DESTRUCTION – A True Fatal Love Triangle -- Lynda Drews – True Crime

THE DEATH CONTINGENCY & BACKYARD BONES – Nancy Lynn Jarvis – Mystery

THE TALES OF TANGLEWOOD – Scott Kessman – Young Adult / Fantasy

MEXICAN BOWL FISHING – William Douglas Little – Humor

FROZEN TEARS – Mary Ann MacAfee – Literary Fiction

MY STRENGTH, MY POWER, MY LOVE & LORD OF THUNDER – Linda Mooney – Romance

SPECTRUM & ORIGINS – Cindy Parker -- Poetry

GUARDIAN OF THE GATE – Darren Poole – Urban Fantasy

BEGONIA BROWN – A PHILADELPHIA STORY – Julia Press Simmons – Urban Fiction

Join me Thursday, December 17, 2009 to discuss these great books! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2009/12/18/renees-2009-top-ten-list-plus-1-1

A very worthy cause -- stop human trafficking!

2009-11-30T13:21:00.000-05:00

SOLE TO SOUL!

http://soletosoul.wordpress.com

This is a link to a blog about a goal to help women in Uganda — this is about empowerment and will help fight human trafficking. Please check it out and let the author know you support her! If possible, donate to the fund that will get her to Uganda. She is a volunteer and must pay her own way.

Please help if you can -- repost and help get the word out about this very worthy cause!

Thanks,

My Favortie Author

2009-11-30T11:43:00.000-05:00

A CONVERSATION WITH AUTHOR JULIA PRESS SIMMONS

Thursday, December 3, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2009/12/04/a-conversation-with-julia-press-simmons

Call in @ (347) 215-9536

Julia writes on her webpage @ Queen Midas Books: “I've spun tales for as long as I can remember—big ol' fat tales from my imagination. I was twelve years old when I began to write them down. Four years later, a couple of months after the birth of my son, I recognized my gift for what is was. Deep in the bowels of postpartum depression, I penned my first poem entitled “Suicide.” I poured all of my hurt into verse, and when I was done, the pain was gone. Since then I’ve received awards for my poetry, and I’ve had plays staged in Tennessee and New York, but nothing can compare to the overwhelming joy of “Strawberry Mansion,” my very first novel and now my second novel BEGONIA BROWN the second in my series titled A PHILADELPHIA STORY. Words cannot express how grateful I am to everyone who has read it thus far, and for those who will read it in the future. Thank you all for helping to make my dreams come true!” http://www.gueenmidasbooks.com

BEGONIA BROWN – A Philadelphia Story
We were named for the flowers in Grandma's Garden. Begonias, Violets and Daisies, and much like those flowers, we were showered with a love that rivaled the sun’s rays. We knew nothing of pain, or sorrow, or just how cruel the world could be until the day God saw fit to call Grandma Home. Her heart stopped two weeks after Daisy was born. My mother smoked us homeless two weeks after that. Now with Grandma gone and mommy on a constant crack high it's up to me to keep our little family together, and you best believe I'll stop at nothing to do just that. My name is Begonia Brown. I am a 17-year-old hustler and this is my story.

From the critically acclaimed author of Strawberry Mansion comes the tale of Begonia Brown. Raised in the unforgiving streets of North Philadelphia, Begonia Brown is undoubtedly a product of her environment, young, ruthless, and criminally minded.

Join us Thursday night for an interesting conversation.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

It's All About PUBLISHING!

2009-11-15T00:46:00.000-05:00

A CONVERSATION WITH TITLE TOWN PUBLISHER, TRACY ERTL
Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/11/20/a-conversation-with-publisher-tracy-ertl
http://www.titletownpublishing.com
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

Tracy C. Ertl is a former Green Bay Press-Gazette police reporter and currently dispatches police officers and firefighters throughout Title town. Ertl was named 2004 Brown County Telecommunicator of the Year, another high point in her career that started 16 years ago with the Green Bay Police Department. Brown County Public Safety Communications is her employer since Green Bay merged into a joint operation.

As a life-long crime chaser, Ertl began her writing career as a crime reporter and was managing editor of "Lifestyle" magazine in the Fox Valley. She is an award-winning author, most recently taking third place nationwide in the 2005 National Shooting Sports Foundation's writing contest.

Tracy Ertl was a journalist for many years before she became a 911 dispatcher. Title Town Publishing is the merging of both passions!

Tracy loves being a publisher. A book has the ability to penetrate both the heart and the mind simultaneously and she considers it an honor and a responsibility to be able to impact people so deeply.

Tracy has a blog with Psychology Today called "Riding the Alligator - Dispatches from the Front Lines of Law and Life.” She will be submitting another one shortly on the psychology of skydiving and how such an activity can sometimes contribute to the healing of a crime survivor. Tracy has a son in the U.S. Marines and he recently returned stateside after his tour in Afghanistan.

Tracy is also a national law and fire instructor with APCO International, the largest public safety education provider in the world. She is an expert on active shooter incidents such as Columbine and Virginia Tech. When she instructs for APCO she goes into police agencies and works with their communications professionals to help ensure everyone comes out with the most people alive. On occasion, she has officers in my classes as well as dispatchers and police administrators.
She maintains full-time status as a 911 dispatcher with Brown County Public Safety Communications in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

About Title Town Publishing
Our coming confirmed titles include: When the Easter Bunny is Naked (One pedophile. A mother and a daughter. Breaking the silence) ALONE (Orphaned in the Ocean); HARRY - A Teenage Mass Murderer; Citizen Spy (mafia infiltration and a conspiracy theory on who killed Pope John Paul I); and Can A Serial Killer's Soul Be Saved (a Jeffrey Dahmer book).

2011 will bring a missing persons series as well as an arson series.
Title Town Publishing now accepts unsolicited submissions in the genres of non-fiction, true crime and inspirational.
Please submit a one-page synopsis, chapter proposals, one sample chapter, an author biography, and a full marketing plan in one WORD document.
Please send your submissions to Tracy Ertl: tracy.ertl@titletownpublishing.com.
No phone calls, please.

Sports - Love - Murder -- Run At Destruction has it all!

2009-11-08T10:32:00.000-05:00

A CONVERSATION WITH LYNDA DREWS author of RUN AT DESTRUCTION: A TRUE FATAL LOVE TRIANGLE. Join us November 12, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/11/13/A-Conversation-with-Lynda-Drews-1

Call in with your questions at (347) 215-9536

There's a love triangle between three teachers/runners, a suspicious bathtub drowning, and a small-town community rattled by speculation. But rather than an intriguing work of fiction, the events in Run at Destruction: A True Fatal Love Triangle really happened and they happened to the author's best friend. On November 12 at 9:00 PM EST, long-time runner and book author, Lynda Drews, will be interviewed about her new non-fiction, true-crime book.

Run at Destruction contains a Reading Group Guide and is unique. It's the only book categorized in these two ways: True Crime and Sports/Running. Anne Rule, the best-selling true crime author of The Stranger Beside Me, Small Sacrifices, and Mortal Danger said Lynda's book is: "Wonderfully written. A must for true-crime readers." Sean Hartnett, correspondent for Track & Field News said: "Run at Destruction is riveting and compelling... the 2009 runner's read!" While Publisher's Weekly said: "this title... relies on the strong bond between author and victim for emotional weight; passages about their shared moments, and Drews's feelings of emptiness in the decades since, are remarkable."

Lynda Drews, a Wisconsin native, recently gave the commencement speech at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, her college Alma mater. One lesson she shared with the graduates was: “to journal your life.” When Lynda, a marketing executive, made the decision to retire after her thirty-year career, she returned to an earlier passion. Run at Destruction is the outcome. Lynda and her husband, Jim, a retired guidance counselor and an accomplished runner, have two sons, Collin and Chris, and a golden retriever named Bailey. The family has lived in Green Bay since the mid-seventies and helped launch the local running movement. The city now hosts the nation’s fifth largest 10K, the Bellin Run.

More information can be found at www.lyndadrews.com and at www.lmdrews.wordpress.com

Angels of the Seventh Dawn by Frank E Bittinger

2009-10-30T19:59:00.000-04:00

A Conversation with Horror Author Frank Bittinger all about ANGELS OF THE SEVENTH DAWN, Thursday November 5, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST – Call in with your questions @ (347) 215-9836

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

By way of introduction Frank Bittinger claims that he writes gothic horror -- ghost stories, vampires and such -- because that's what he enjoys reading, and what a lot of his readers tell him they enjoy reading.

He is an avid animal rescuer and donates part of his royalties to this cause. He also personally rescues animals and has quite the menagerie of rescued animals. He was invited by Brian Keene to join him and other horror authors in Lebanon, Pa, to raise money for the humane society on November 14, because Brian knows how important animals are to him.

He also collects books, and since the fire that destroyed his home and belongings last May, he has managed, with the help of readers, to restore over half of the over 5,000 books he once had.

Angels of the Seventh Dawn, released in 2007, is about vampires, wereanimals, a series of mutilation murders, and magic. And there are a few sex scenes in the novel, so it may cause some of you to overheat a bit. With Angels of the Seventh Dawn Frank continues the journey through Western Maryland. He says the fun part is creating all the characters and having their paths cross. He suggests that you come along with him and uncover more of the myth of the Scarabae, and be introduced to more of the people who live in Western Maryland and get comfortable, we have a ways to go before the end.

Instead of including an excerpt from the next novel in my kind-of-a-series, let me just tell you there are more books coming in the future. At this time, I have approximately five more novels and a collection of short fiction (which will serve as a sort-of-prequel to my kind-of-a-series) planned for my Western Maryland and the Scarabae legend.

My Hexology, My Scarabae Saga:

Into the Mirror Black in stores now
#7 Preditors & Editors Horror Novel of the Year 2006

Angels of the Seventh Dawn in stores now
#9 Preditors & Editors Horror Novel of the Year 2007

Angels of the Mourning Light in stores now

Shadows Amongst the Moonlight October 2010

Illusions of Darkness: The Forbidden October 2011

Lair of the Scarabae October 2012

Other works:

Sinister Landscapes (story "Lead Me Into Temptation") available now
#8 Preditors & Editors Anthology of the Year 2008

What's It All About? Alfy!
poetry collection to benefit the rescued animals of Jollity Farm in Cornwall, UK

Check me out at:

http://FrankEBittinger.com

http://www.myspace.com/sacredscarab

look for me on Facebook

"A culture is only as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamed by artists."--L. Ron Hubbard

Renee’s Review
of
Angels of the Seventh Dawn
by
Frank Bittinger

Frank E Bittinger has created a novel with unique and unforgettable characters. The setting is an average hometown where a fight between good and evil could end in the apocalypse. However, in this novel the good is difficult to discern from the evil, and quickly puts this novel on a level different than most.

I enjoyed the unique skills and talents held by all the characters, whether a where-beast or a writer. The nightclub was a great setting with an interesting collection of creatures, angels, and demons.

This is a page-turner and the ending has a nice surprise for those of us who want more. I highly recommend this book. It is an excellent read from a very talented writer.

There is no Halloween without Zombies!

2009-10-26T13:33:00.000-04:00

The Zombie Master, Mike Lombardo aka Dr. Chud, will feed your APPETITES and answer your questions on the BTR show Conversations with Renée, Thursday October 29, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST.

East Petersburg, Pennsylvania -- Mike Lombardo producer/ director of Reel Splatter Productions, is our Halloween celebration special guest. Reel Splatter is an indie film troupe based in East Petersburg, Pennsylvania. He makes splatter/comedy short films. He says his tagline “Putting the laughter back in slaughter” is the best way to describe his stuff. It’s not straight horror (they don’t do scary). But he says, it is violent comedy.
Mike was working on “Long Pig” last time we spoke, tonight he will be here to tell us all about it. You can check out all his work at www.ReelSplatter.com – YouTube – and MySpace.
Call in with your questions for the zombie master of all time! (347) 215-9536 or listen via your computer at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/10/30/AConversation-with-Producer-Mike-Lombardo-1

Mike Lombardo (aka Dr.Chud) runs Reel Splatter Productions. Claims to be the crazy guy …. responsible for the directing, writing, editing and gore FX in our films. RSP’s is a small independent film troupe that specializes in no-budget splatter comedy. He hopes you will enjoy their strange and twisted sense of humor! Feel free to message or comment any questions or feedback you have about us or our flicks, cartoons, and pics! If you’re just bored and want to talk about old horror flicks or 20's era porno, shoot us a message, that's what this thing is here for! Our short films are all available to download from our website; you can also find Gore FX pics, Scripts, and Behind the Scenes photos there! www.reelsplatter.com.

Reel Splatter Productions is an independent film troupe that specializes in No-Budget Splatter/Comedy. We have a very strange and sick sense of humor, and I think it shows in our films, enjoy! RSP is also dedicated to helping fellow indie filmmakers, so if you need any FX or Tech help, shoot Mike a message. If you'd like to exchange links, just e-mail. Please help keep Reel Splatter alive! Tell your friends, family, co-workers, teachers, fellow Klansmen, anyone who will listen to you about Reel Splatter Productions! Reel Splatter is made possible through viewers like you!

A List of REEL SPLATTER FILM titles:

Long Pig
A Reel Splatter Halloween
Demonstration of the Dead
Take My Breath Away
Womb For Two Music Video
Skyler Phalanges: Zombie Hunter
Home Made Roofies
Where Has All The Laughter Gone?
Brady’s Games Zombie Commercial
Chainsaw Chink vs. Santa Claws

You can find all their productions at:

http://www.myspace.com/reelsplatter
http://twitter.com/reelsplatter
http://www.youtube.com/reelsplatter

A journey in the Wilderness!

2009-10-19T11:40:00.000-04:00

CONVERSATIONS with RENÉE

presents

MARY ANN MACAFEE

author of

FROZEN TEARS

OCTOBER 22, 2009
9:00 PM EST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/10/23/A-Conversation-with-Author-Mary-Ann-MacAfee-1

CALL IN AT (347) 215-9536

Mary Ann MacAfee, a former financial executive in entrepreneurial environments, has earned degrees in accounting and finance. After completing a literary fiction-writing program at the University of Washington and several UCLA writers’ workshops, her short stories began winning awards. Frozen Tears was a 2005 finalist in the San Diego Book Awards, the same year her short story The Face won first place.
Check out Mary Ann’s website at: www.maryannmacafee.com

Mary Ann MacAfee has spent most of her life in Southern California, despite her east coast roots and ten years in the Pacific Northwest. She earned degrees in accounting, finance, and later a CPA in 1991. She and her husband forged a successful entrepreneurship that culminated in the sale of their Seattle-based computer retail business in 1998.

Thereafter, she completed a literary fiction-writing program at the University of Washington and several UCLA writers’ workshops. Drawn by the warm weather and abundant sunshine, she and her husband and son relocated to the San Diego area in 2002. Her short stories began earning awards, a couple of them published, and her first novel was a finalist in the San Diego Book Awards in 2005.
Her inspiration to write comes from her writer mother, a deep respect for nature, and personal experiences dealing with the extremes of joy and sorrow.

FROZEN TEARS

The tragedy that becomes the genesis for Kale Weaver’s allegiance to wolves and the circumstances making her target of a primitive superstition is challenging, to say the least. But nothing trumps what follows when she is confronted by the ultimate ordeal. Whatever the risks, she must fulfill a wish for her young son that she had never imagined for him.

FROZEN TEARS embraces the ethos of America’s Last Frontier, its splendor and its brutality. The story is landscaped with natural animals, native populations and their ancient myths and rituals, and diverse groups of misplaced refugees from contemporary culture.

Kale’s page-turning journey, above all else, shows that love can triumph over life’s most dire challenges and painful losses.

To learn more about Frozen Tears check out Mary Ann’s U-tube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb5v2Ai6DV4

Join us for an interesting discussion about Alaska, adventure, and writing! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/10/23/A-Conversation-with-Author-Mary-Ann-MacAfee-1

Check out her press release at : http://www.prlog.org/10378879-award-winning-author-mary-ann-macafee-to-discuss-her-book-frozen-tears-on-conversations-with-rene.html
---------------------------------------------------------
Renée’s Review
of
Frozen Tears
by
Mary Ann MacAfee

Frozen Tears is a story of love, family, and promises. Kale is women determined to beat the odds, but hampered by social mores, the ruggedness of Alaska, and heartbreak. Kale’s story will tug at your heart but fill your soul with appreciation.

Mary Ann MacAfee takes an unusual setting with skillfully crafted characters then leads the reader on an unexpected journey. Her description of Alaska as a beautiful but unforgiving land, its inhabitants as eccentric, and Kale’s dramatic journey as mystical, gives her novel the literary flare of truth while meeting the reader’s quest for real adventure. The ending is unforgettable and Kale is a heroine of Great Spirit. I highly recommend Frozen Tears to readers of all genres. Her skill with scene description, characterization, and storytelling not only makes for a great read but is also a lesson in how it is done (writing).

Thank you Mary Ann, I consider Frozen Tears to be my number one reading choice of 2009!

A Conversation with poet Cynthia (Cindy) Parker

2009-10-12T11:43:00.001-04:00

CONVERSATIONS with RENÉE

Presents Poet

CYNTHIA PARKER

Author of

SPECTRUM AND ORIGINS

OCTOBER 15, 2009
9:00 PM EST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/10/16/A-Conversation-with-Cynthia-Parker

CALL IN AT (347) 215-9536

Cynthia Parker is a Jackson/Michigan native, grew up in Clarklake during the late fifties and sixties, and currently lives in the downtown Jackson area. She is also very honored and grateful to be part of the Lost Word Writers of Jackson, a local group of diverse and talented writers and published authors meeting the first and third Tuesdays at the Carnegie Library. She has two collections of poetry that were recently published (2009) titled Spectrum & Origins.

Spectrum is her first book of poetry and is a collection of 74 poems written and compiled over a ten-year period that reflect a spiritual journey across a spectrum of themes. She says her inspiration comes from nature, her faith, various encounters, and the people who have influenced her life. However, it is the struggle for redemption, and how Christ answers her deepest longings that have inspired her the most.

Origins is built around similar themes from nature, creation, and spiritual hope, but she also draws from her personal past , growing up, and exploring her family history, and themes of shared humanity. Origins has 32 poems written more recently plus some nature haiku. Both books are largely free verse, but in addition to the few haiku, she has an occasional rhyme, or quatrain.

For many years, Cindy has enjoyed the language of poetry. It has given a voice to her innermost thoughts and feelings, and is a way to release that voice from her heart through times of great difficulty, and of profound joy.

She says she really owes a lot to her high school English teacher, Mrs. Rupple, who was always encouraging her and her classmates to explore writing and learning about different authors and styles of writing. That is why she began opening up to the world of poetry.

One of Cindy’s goals is to encourage others to discover their own voice in a meaningful way, because it will start a journey of discovery that will continue to unfold each day.

To learn more about SPECTRUM, ORIGINS & Cindy check out her MySpace Page at: http://www.myspace.com/carcyn

Join us for an interesting discussion about poetry, writing, and publishing! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/10/16/A-Conversation-with-Cynthia-Parker

Check out the Press Release for Cindy’s appearance!
http://www.prlog.org/10372894-poet-cynthia-parker-to-discuss-her-books-spectrum-origins-on-conversations-with-rene.html ---------------------------------------------------------
Renée’s Review
of
Spectrum and Origins
by
Cynthia Parker

Poetry paints a picture. Poetry is the soul talking, and telling its story in as few words as possible. Poetry just happens to be my most favorite form of expression. Cynthia Parker has a real talent for painting great stories with her words and for speaking from the heart. Her recent release of Spectrum and Origins clearly make her a wordsmith worthy of recognition.

If you are looking for something to feed your creativity and give your life inspiration, pick up a copy of Cynthia Parker’s Spectrum & Origins. I highly recommend her work. Keep writing Cindy, but more importantly, keep sharing!

All Her Artistic Endeavors including Romance!

2009-10-02T15:20:00.000-04:00

CONVERSATIONS with RENÉE

presents

DEBI DESANTIS

author of

THE OTHER SIDE OF YOU

OCTOBER 8, 2009
9:00 PM EST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/10/09/A-Conversation-with-Romance-Author-Debi-Desantis

CALL IN AT (347) 215-9536

Debi DeSantis is originally from the Philadelphia area and moved to Florida in 1991 where she now lives. She began writing poetry and short stories when she was in high school, but never pursued it until about 5 years ago. Since then she has written and published two Romance Novels and one children’s book. She is currently working on her third novel and hopes to have it completed by the end of the year.

Her latest venture is book cover design; She started with her own covers and then branched out to fellow authors and several publishers. Besides writing and designing I’m also interested in the Criminal Justice Field and doing anything that involves being creative. I make gourmet gift baskets during the holiday and design beaded jewelry.

Travel is her vice…her escape from the real world and my “Utopia” which contributes to some of my poetry and writing choices. Her family has been to the most spectacular places….Italy, Austria, Germany, Ireland, England, and almost every island in the Caribbean. She claims her travels have served as a backdrop for some of her stories, and she hopes they take her readers to places they have not been to before.

Her ideal dream would be to live in Northern Italy, in a small town called Bolzano, which is located in and surrounded by the Italian Alps. Debi says, It is genuinely captivating, peaceful and truly overwhelming in its beauty. It’s a place that simply her breath away…there are no other words to describe it. Not to mention that the food was great and so was the chocolate. Just imagine living on a hillside overlooking a vineyard, or on an island swinging in a hammock under a palm tree, drinking some kind of fruity drink and soaking up the sun…maybe some day. She say she’ll let us know how it goes.

Debi says: “There is such beauty in this world that most of us only get a glimpse of, this is why making your dreams come true is so important.”

The Other Side of You is a story about passion, romance, surprise, and friendships. Individual paths cross, bringing about relationships between people that are formed during the most unlikely circumstances, offering hope, and the courage to make it through, even when there seems to be nothing but darkness at the end of the tunnel.

Interior designer, Morgan Whitley is confident, classy, and happy with the life she has made for herself. Satisfied with a busy schedule; not leaving much time for socializing or romance, socializing or romance, a trip to London will bring with it an unexpected encounter that ends up changing her life forever. Thus allowing Morgan, for the first time, to experience what it’s like to truly be in love….. and to be loved, offering her the chance to fulfill her need for affection. But not until she is able to put the demons from her past behind her, is she able to enjoy the pleasures associated with being in love. An unexpected encounter ends up changing her life forever.

Airline pilot Jason Moore fit into Morgan’s hectic world perfectly. He is not demanding of her time, nor is he around very often. But something was unique about their relationship; it progressed quickly and without warning. Morgan is overwhelmed by the passion and sexual chemistry they share and she is thankful that she allowed herself the opportunity to experience something so special. Jason was the most incredibly loving, passionate man she ever met. But one small favor would end up costing them everything. And a well kept secret is revealed at a most unwelcome time. The route that Morgan’s life would now follow brings about a revelation that seems impossible. Her faith and physical well-being are tested and a special bond is formed between strangers that may have never existed.

Join us for an interesting discussion about romance writing and cover designing! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/10/09/A-Conversation-with-Romance-Author-Debi-Desantis

Check out Debi’s Press Release @ http://www.prlog.org/10362149-designer-and-romance-author-debi-desantis-to-discuss-the-other-side-of-you-on-btrs-conversations.html

My favorite horror author Thom Futrell aka T. G. Reaper

2009-09-24T22:47:00.000-04:00

CONVERSATIONS with RENEE

presents

THOM FUTRELL
aka
T. G. REAPER

author of

MEAT PUPPET
THE HOUSE THAT DEATH BUILT
DRIPPINGS
NIGHT SONGS
EMPTY GRAVES
and many many more!

OCTOBER 15, 2009

9:00 PM EST (

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/10/16/A-Conversation-with-Thom-Futrell-and-Cynthia-Parker-1

CALL IN AT (347) 215-9536

Thom Futrell aka T. G. Reaper is the author of The House that Death Built, Drippings, Nightsongs, Empty Graves, and his latest Meat Puppet. He has also appeared in several anthologies, including Sinister Landscapes, Mausoleum Memoirs, and Within These Walls. He also has work coming out next year including The curse of Maple Creek, Potter's Field, and Splattered Entrails. He lives in Jackson Michigan with his wife, two daughters, and two ninja kitties.

Thom is a martial artist and horror author living in Michigan. He says he believes in the traditional arts over mixed martial arts, even though he has trained in both.

Check out his work:
MEAT PUPPET –
A new collection of dark horror fiction just long enough to scare the daylights out of you.
DRIPPINGS FROM THE PEN OF THE REAPER –
Another journey into the nightmare that is The Reaper.
NIGHT SONGS OF THE REAPER –
A collection of short horror fiction and dark poetry to keep you up at night and DYING for more.

All available at www.amazon.com

If you go to http://www.myspace.com/thegrinninggrimone you will learn a little more about Thom, but if you go to http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=75859815&blogId=510133363 you’ll be able to read some of his work!

Join us for an interesting discussion about horror writing and publishing!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/10/16/A-Conversation-with-Thom-Futrell-and-Cynthia-Parker-1

Darren Poole on CONVERSATIONS with RENÉE

2009-09-20T09:54:00.000-04:00

CONVERSATIONS with RENÉE

presents

Darren Poole

author of

GUARDIAN OF THE GATE: BLOODLINE

September 24, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/09/25/CONVERSATIONS-with-Renee

(347) 215-9436

Writing for Darren is an escape of the mundane, an enjoyment. He never once thought of having any of his work published, writing was just something that he liked to do. It was his wife Karen, who suggested the idea to him -- that he should send off a sample of his work.

Guardian of the Gate (Bloodline) had been his longest work yet, as his wife Karen asked him if he was going to try and make something of it, as he had placed hours and hours of his time into it. He did, and now (Bloodline) has been released.

Darren was born in Wigan, England in 1979. To Mother, Margaret Poole maiden name (Greenall) and to Father, Richard Irvin Poole, Darren is the youngest of four brothers, Brian Roscoe, Irvin, Paul Poole, and then Darren.

He is a loving husband and father to his wife Karen, and children, Callum James, Jessica Louise, and Shannon Marie. Darren himself is a very noble-minded person; he is both a teacher and student of the mystical and mantic arts. He is an avid fiction reader and of course now an author.

Darren can be somewhat obsessive about Nobility at times; he knows that his blood flows red, but he so longs for a hint of it to be blue. Darren has also had his time as a semi-professional wrestler under the ring name of Paul "Flash" Andrews, in which he has trained and helped quite a few students to get started within the UK wrestling scene, in over a ten-year time scale until he retired from the sport in 2007.

However, with Darren you never know if a comeback to wrestling is a never say never thing...

Check out Darren’s website @ www.DarrenPoole.co.uk

Join us Thursday night for a discussion about horror / fantasy and, writing, and publishing, and how Darren defines success!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/09/25/CONVERSATIONS-with-Renee
_________________________________________________________
RENÉE’S REVIEW
GUARDIAN OF THE GATE: BLOODLINE
by
Darren Poole

“Exiled from heaven. Banished from hell. Stranded in our mortal real. Once a warrior of the light, corrupted by the shadows. A lost troubled soul. Cursed to walk our mortal realm; as an Immortal. Not one or the other, something different, both sinner and saint. Mortal souls are in dire need of a guardian. Now , they have one . . . “

Guardian of the Gate: Bloodline is a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story becomes a movie in your mind as you read each page. I read this book in one sitting, and when I turned the last page, was disappointed that it had ended.

New author Darren Poole has created believable characters, even his angels and demons have human traits that we all recognize. As evil tries to take over the world, a dance hall owner, bartender, waitress, cook, and police detective attempt to foil their plan.

This highly imaginative writer has given us our next movie blockbuster. I highly recommend this book and I am looking forward to the next novel in this series, and much more from this talented and creative writer.

Mystery Author Nancy Lynn Jarvis on Conversations with Renee

2009-09-13T13:16:00.000-04:00

CONVERSATIONS WITH RENÉE

presents

Nancy Lynn Jarvis

author of

THE DEATH CONTINGENCY
&
BACKYARD BONES

September 17, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/09/18/CONVERSATIONS-with-Rene

(347) 215-9436

The real estate market is a mess. What’s a Realtor to do? One twenty year veteran of the industry, Nancy Lynn Jarvis, is writing murder mysteries set in Santa Cruz County instead of selling houses.

“Real estate is an interesting business,” the author says. “The stress level involved in buying or selling a home ranks right after death and divorce. People reveal a lot about themselves during the process. The business attracts its share of colorful practitioners, too.

Their stories and Nancy’s experiences provide the settings where her Realtor and part-time sleuth, Regan McHenry, works while she unravels mysteries.

After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, Nancy worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News/. / A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager of Shakespeare Santa Cruz.

Nancy’s work history reflects her philosophy: people should try something radically different every few years. Writing is her newest adventure.

"Nancy Lynn Jarvis used her years of experience in the real estate market to create protagonist Regan McHenry - a realtor who investigates murder mysteries in Santa Cruz County in between showing
property. Nancy's books are smart, funny mysteries, which also give a true to life look at the life of a real estate agent."
- - American Foy, S.F. Examiner.com, July 5, 2009

About Nancy’s Books:

Regan McHenry is a Santa Cruz, California, Realtor whose work puts her in the midst of mystery, mayhem, and murder. The amateur sleuth uses tools and techniques she's learned during her career and skills she's honed as a keen observer of human nature to solve mysteries - just not always soon enough to stay out of trouble. She's aided in her sleuthing by her husband, Tom Kiley, a computer
programmer turned real estate broker, and by her friend Dave Everett, a cop reassigned as a police public relations ombudsman after losing an eye in the line of duty.

Backyard Bones

It's not the first time Regan has experienced déjà-vu. But when the sensation involves finding a second body buried where one was found just weeks before, déjà-vu takes on new meaning.

Someone murdered a girl on her seventeenth birthday, and as Regan delves into the motive behind the girl's murder, she discovers many people are trying to hide secrets about their entanglement with the
dead teenager. Regan must figure out which of them is a murderer, and she has to do it carefully or she'll become the killer's next victim.

Santa Cruz, California, real estate agent Regan McHenry, her husband, Tom Kiley, and their friend, police ombudsman Dave Everett are back in a new story of murder. They invite you to come along for the twists and turns of this new mystery.

The Death Contingency

This murder mystery is set in Santa Cruz and Bonny Doon. A seller disappears before signing the grant deed. He turns up dead; and his nephew, a realtor Regan has known for years, becomes a person of
interest in his death. She's convinced the authorities focus is all wrong and sets out to prove it.

Then there's a second death in the neighborhood. When it's ruled accidental, Regan again finds herself at odds with the police. She thinks it's murder and even thinks she knows who the murderer is - but she has to unravel past secrets before anyone will take her seriously. And, the problem is - she doesn't want to be right.

Join us Thursday night for a discussion about mystery, writing, and publishing, and how Nancy defines success!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/09/18/CONVERSATIONS-with-Rene
_________________________________________________________

RENÉE’S REVIEW

THE DEATH CONTINGENCY
&
BACKYARD BONES

by
Nancy Lynn Jarvis

Nancy Lynn Jarvis has taken her career as a Real Estate Agent and turned it into a mystery-writing phenomenon. The Regan McHenry Mystery Series is fun, easy reading filled with well hidden secrets, reminiscent of the Miss Marple series by Agatha Christie.

Both novels held my interest from beginning to end, with a well paced, can’t put the book down, response from this reader. Her characters are real; her anecdotes from the real estate world ring of the truth, and add fun and humor. Her knack to take from her own life and the characters she’s met, make her novels stand out from the crowd.

I recommend these two novels THE DEATH CONTINGENCY AND BACKYARD BONES; you’ll want to add her books to your library. And yes, they are AWESOME!

A Healing Hawaiian Holiday!

2009-09-04T10:32:00.000-04:00

Have you been searching for the secret to youth?
Adventure Travel Writer Linda Ballou Claims To Have Discovered The Answer!
Join Us Thursday, September 10, 2009
on
Conversations with Renée
And Learn Her Secrets!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/09/11/CONVERSATIONS-with-Rene

Call in at (347) 215-9536

Linda Ballou is an adventure travel writer disguised as a Realtor. "I’ve been living a double life for the last decade. When I published my historical novel Wai-nani: High Chiefess of Hawai'i - Her Epic Journey , it became imperative that I come out of the drawer and into the streets to spread the “good news.” Writing is more fun and satisfying than profitable, and real estate is more profitable than fun. I love both worlds.

Blessed with a double dose of genetic wanderlust, I love to explore. When I was thirteen, my pioneering parents took me to Alaska, where I became firmly grounded in nature. From there I journeyed to proud California, where I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and a Doctorate in urban savvy. My debut novel, Wai-nani, High Chiefess of Hawaii is the culmination of a long-standing love affair with the Hawaiian Islands. A free-lance writer, based in Los Angeles, I’m having a great deal of fun collecting stories for my soon to be published travel collection Lost Angel Walkabout.

My quest today is to get to as many naturally beautiful places as I can before they are no more! I have hiked, biked, kayaked and ridden on horseback through some of our most precious wilderness areas. My travel articles and photos have appeared in numerous national publications, and my essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Times and various literary journals. “Look Both Ways on Small Islands” was included in the I Should Have Stayed Home anthology published by RDR Books. Please go to my website www.LindaBallouAuthor.com where you may view many of my articles and photos. If you look closely, your reward will be to discover the Secret to Youth.

Linda has over 24 published travel articles, and will discuss her most recent work A Healing Hawaiian Holiday. Join us Thursday night for a discussion about writing, travel and the secrets to eternal youth. Just use this link…

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/09/11/CONVERSATIONS-with-Rene

Author, Attorney -- Ellen M. Kozak

2009-08-25T20:53:00.000-04:00

Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know-- Seriously-- About the Business End of Being a Writer
(Including how to avoid being scammed!)
Attorney Ellen M. Kozak appears on Conversations with Renee – Thursday, September 3, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST.

Attorney Ellen M. Kozak practices copyright, publishing, entertainment, and media law in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her clients include publishers and literary agents as well as authors. Ellen is also an author herself-- FROM PEN TO PRINT The Secrets of Getting Published Successfully – and – EVERY WRITER’S GUIDE TO COPYRIGHT AND PUBLISHING LAW, along with two pseudonymous novels and more than 500 articles in publications as diverse as Travel+Leisure, Writer’s Digest, USA Today, Editors Only and The Journal of Information Ethics. FROM PEN TO PRINT was voted Best Book-length Work of Nonfiction for1990 by the Council for Wisconsin Writers.

EVERY WRITER’S GUIDE TO COPYRIGHT AND PUBLISHING LAW:

This book gives down-to-earth, easy-to-understand answers to questions like: What is a copyright? How long does it last? Can you inherit it? How do you determine who owns the copyright? What defines “fair use” of a copyrighted work? How can you determine when something is in the “public domain”? How is material on the Internet copyrighted? Now in its 3rd edition, this book by Ellen Kozak, herself both a writer and a media lawyer, answers these and other pertinent questions in clear, accessible language. For anyone involved in the book business—writers, editors, publishers, agents, lawyers, scholars, and even critics with questions about intellectual property—this authoritative and accessible disk reference is truly indispensible.

FROM PEN TO PRINT:

This indispensible and eminently readable guide is a source of complete information for writers on the practical business of getting published, whether the medium is books, magazines, newspapers, scripts, or even greeting cards. It answers your questions about everything from queries and submissions to contracts, copyrights, galleys, copy editing, publicity, and much more. Ellen Kozak shows you how to deal with writer’s block and keeps you going with practical suggestions on developing ideas, choosing a writing course, and fighting procrastination. You will learn about publishing from the inside and find out how you can be a part of it, while preserving your rights and your sanity.

WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT HER WORK:

“Do yourself a favor. Read this book even before you start writing.” ---Milwaukee Journal
“This is the good stuff . . . . It covers a lot of lively ground.” ---The Writers Alliance
“From Pen to Print is a resource book that every beginning and experienced writer should place on their reading list.” ---Textbook Authors Association

Join us: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/09/04/CONVERSATIONS-with-Rene
Call in with your questions (347) 215-9536

LENA YADA -- WOMAN EXTRAORDINAIRE!

2009-08-19T12:47:00.000-04:00

LENA YADA
Model, Actress, Professional Tandem Surfer, and Professional Wrestler
will discuss Hot Topics on PREMIUM VIEWS!

On August 19, 2009 PREMIUM VIEWS gladly welcomes Lena Yada model, actress, professional tandem surfer, and professional wrestler as our special guest. Her unique views on the Vixen Manual and How To Snag a Man will be a few of the Hot Topics discussed at 9:00 PM EST.

Lena Yada (born November 12, 1978) is an Japanese-American model, actress, Professional tandem surfer, and Professional wrestler also known for her short stint working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a backstage interviewer, valet and WWE Diva on its ECW Brand. Ms Yada, early in her career was first runner-up in the 2002 Ms. Venus Swimwear International pageant, and is also a former Miss Hawaiian Tropic Japan. Ms. Yada also competed in the quarter finals of the 2007 World Title of Tandem Surfing, making it to an eighth place ranking. In March 2008, her pair was ranked 14 for the 2008 WTT.

Premium Views is a show that invites you to join in with your opinion on today’s hot topics. From Diverse to Controversial, no topic is off limits to our panel of hosts. Similar to a popular television show, this venue offers you something you never get the opportunity to do there. Give your opinion, speak up and be heard, or just share with others who participate in the LIVE chat room. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/08/20/PREMIUM-VIEWS-1

Wednesday’s show – 8/19/2009

Join us and give you view on these topics – The Health Care Issue – civilized debate or bullying? $19 Hotel Rooms – roughing it? Or better yet a romantic 1 cent weekend? The new vacation? China decides only one dog per household – Is that fair? And our special guest Lena Yada joins us to talk about the Vixen Manual and her take on How To Snag A Man. Join us, just follow this link and listen live on Wednesday, August 19, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/08/20/PREMIUM-VIEWS-1

More about Lena Yada from the World Wrestling Entertainment (2008)

Ms. Yada first came to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) auditioning for the 2005 Diva Search and made it to the Top 30. She auditioned again in 2007 and made it to the final eight and placed third overall in the competition.On the October 22, 2007 edition of Raw she became the sixth contestant eliminated. On November 10, 2007, however, Ms. Yada was signed to WWE and made her SmackDown! television debut on January 4, 2008 as a backstage interviewer, interviewing Matt Striker and Big Daddy V.

After appearing only once on SmackDown!, on January 8, Ms. Yada was transferred to ECW. She hosted a "Diva Dance Off" between Kelly Kelly and Layla El, only to suddenly include herself at the end and crown herself the winner. She later became a heel and joined forces with Layla against Kelly Kelly, who had defeated them in a "Best Body" contest. Ms. Yada continued as a valet to both Victoria and Layla for the next couple of weeks, but then Yada returned to her role as a backstage interviewer. In the Summer of 2008, Ms. Yada began in-ring training at the Ultimate Pro Wrestling facility in California.

Ms. Yada participated in the Cyber Sunday annual Halloween Costume Contest, Ms. Yada was dressed as a Ninja. On November 3, 2008, on the 800th episode of Raw, Lena Yada won her in-ring televised debut in a 16 Diva tag team match after the current WWE Women's Champion Beth Phoenix pinned Mae Young. On November 10, 2008 she was released from her WWE contract just a week after her in ring debut.

Lena on the Independent circuit

Lena Yada made her post WWE debut by winning her first singles match against Christina Von Eerie at Pro Wrestling Revolution's big show on June 6, 2009 in San Francisco as part of ChickFight. Yada has currently signed with the all-female wrestling organization Wrestlicious.

About Premium Views

PREMIUM VIEWS is an interactive, live Internet talk-radio show that focuses on current affairs, the hottest topics, and Hollywood gossip. Hosts E. W. Bradfute, M. J. Watson, Morgan Lawrence, and Yolanda Renée give opinions, state the facts, and express their concerns. Callers are encouraged to call (347) 215-9536 to listen or ask questions. Your opinion is important! The stream and archives are available at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee. The show is live every Wednesday night at 9 p.m. Eastern/ 6 p.m. PT. The show is hosted on Blog Talk Radio.

Was it Plagiarism? Disuss it on Premium Views

2009-08-08T11:56:00.000-04:00

Premium Views Special Guest: Author S. W. Cox

Author S. E. Cox is the author of FORBIDDEN LOVE a vampire tale called ‘Romeo and Juliet’ of the 21st Century and the editor of House of Horror, a new online magazine dedicated to all things terrifying, will discuss the horror genre and the recent charge of plagiarism against the author of Twilight.

.E. Cox author of Forbidden Love and editor of the popular e-zine (online magazine) House of Horror will be the first guest on the newest talk show on Blog Talk Radio -- Premium Views. Ms. Cox is from the small town of Cannock in the West Midlands, England and the author of the newly released Forbidden Love, will call in to the show all the way from England to discuss her views on the recent lawsuit filed regarding plagiarism.

Join us and give your view on these topics – The Health Care Issue – civilized debate or bullying? Plagiarism – a real issue or just another frivolous lawsuit? The Economy – what is the solution and can it be legislated? John Hughes – a tribute / what is your favorite J H film? To give your view just follow this link and listen live on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/08/13/Premium-Views Remember you can call in using the click to talk feature or simply dial (347) 215-9536

Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 9:00 PM EST

Meet our Panel:

M J Watson, THE Producer, has created and hosted her own show. Well known in the world of radio, her brilliance is offset only by her beauty and charm. Her witty, yet intellectual views will keep you on your toes and her extensive knowledge and research will shock and amaze both the informed and the uninformed.

E W Bradfute, our Top Dog, is a popular radio show host, and author. His leadership and devil’s advocate role keeps the panel on the straight and narrow. E W has earned the Texas Leadership award for his work with young adults, and his Business Degree has garnered him success in all his entrepreneurial ventures.

Yolanda Renée, author and host of another Blog Talk Radio Show called Conversations; she brings her own distinctive slant to the topics. Renée tries to bring the world of books and publishing into the discussion on a regular basis. How does the economy, politics, and going green affect the artist? Tune in and see.

Morgan Lawrence, author, traumatologist, retired police officer, pilot – well folks you name it Morgan has done it. He is the intellectual, the wordsmith, and the trivia master of the show. There is no topic so unique that Morgan cannot discuss it with intelligence or integrity. Author of The Streets Ran Red, he is a popular guest on both television and radio.

About Forbidden Love:
Rosella is a human - vampire who falls in love with the son of her family's enemy, Prince Jonas. A forbidden Love, vampire romance, set in an English high school goes terribly wrong, when each of their families refuse to accept their love for each other. Forbidden Love is Romeo and Juliet for vampire lovers in the 21st Century.
Use this link to purchase your own copy of Forbidden Love by S. E. Cox
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/rosella-book-1-forbidden-love/6581204

Recent review of Forbidden Love:
Forbidden Love by S. E. Cox is all about a clan of pure blood vampires, and a hybrid clan that meld in with humans to survive. Their desires for life are no different from the rest of us. They want what we all want – Love. S.E. Cox describes it best: “Love is like a war -- easy to start, hard to end and impossible to forget.”

You will identify with Rose and her desire for first love. Along with the sacrifices made for it. Forbidden Love is the first in the Rosella series. This is a great read, a wonderfully told story that you will find difficult to put down. Congratulations, S. E. Cox on a magnificent addition to vampire lore. I am looking forward to more from this talented writer!

A recent interview with S. E. Cox on CONVERSATIONS with Yolanda Renée on Blog Talk Radio can be heard using this link http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/07/03/S-E-Cox-author-of-FORBIDDEN-LOVE
About House of Horror:
House of Horror is a part paying e-zine, and if you are interested in submitting your work to her online magazine check out the issues posted, and her submission guidelines by using this link http://www.houseofhorror.org.uk/ Ms. Cox wants you to know that if everyone that visited bought, just one book, then we could raise a lot for the Birmingham Children's Hospital Intensive Care Ward as well as pay all our writers.

Her other venture the recent release of Mausoleum Memoirs which is the first anthology released by House of Horror is also available for purchase. S. E. is currently conducting an open call for a new anthology "Creature Features." This new venture has her teamed up with John Lewis, producer of Creature productions. Every story must be between 1000 - 3000 words and involve some sort of horrific creature.

Purchase a book make a contribution:

All books, or anthologies purchased means a contribution to Birmingham Children's Hospital Intensive Care Ward. Due to the wonderful care that her own two daughters Libby-Ann and Lacey-Mae received there, this charity is close the heart of Ms. Cox. You can also donate directly to her charity by going to her MySpace website http://www.myspace.com/secox where you can learn more about Ms. S. E. Cox and all her projects.

Upcoming Titles by S.E. Cox False Awakenings, Lunar Eclipse, Harlequin, Sorority of Blood, Witching Hour And the real life story of the author: Crazy Single Mom!
http://www.prlog.org/10304601-cox-author-of-forbidden-love-to-discuss-twilight-plagiarism-on-premium-views.html

Vacation -- who has time for a vacation!

2009-07-31T14:45:00.000-04:00

For the month of August, Renée’s Book Talk will be on hiatus’ while I vacation and concentrate my efforts with Premium Views. However, starting in September Renée’s Book Talk will be back, but with a new name “CONVERSATIONS.” The show is the same, only the name has changed, and I already have a lineup that will knock your socks off just keep reading to learn more. If you would like to be a guest on either show, please send an email to yolandarenee@hotmail.com!

PREMIUM VIEWS

PREMIUM VIEWS is a show that invites you to join in with your opinion on today’s hot topics. From Diverse to Controversial, no topic is off limits to our panel of hosts. Similar to a popular television show, this venue offers you something you never get the opportunity to do there. Give your opinion, speak up and be heard, or just share with others who participate in the LIVE chat room.

Meet our Panel:

M J Watson, THE Producer, has created and hosted her own show. Well known in the world of radio, her brilliance is offset only by her beauty and charm. Her witty, yet intellectual views will keep you on your toes and her extensive knowledge and research will shock and amaze both the informed and the uninformed.

E W Bradfute, our Top Dog, is a popular radio show host, and author. His leadership and devil’s advocate role keeps the panel on the straight and narrow. E W has earned the Texas Leadership award for his work with young adults, and his Business Degree has garnered him success in all his entrepreneurial ventures.

Morgan Lawrence, author, traumatologist, retired police officer, pilot – well folks you name it Morgan has done it. He is the intellectual, the wordsmith, and the trivia master of the show. There is no topic so unique that Morgan cannot discuss it with intelligence or integrity. Author of The Streets Ran Red, he is a popular guest on both television and radio.

And then there is me. As a panelist on the show I get to give my two cents on hot topics of the day. PREMIUM VIEWS puts a new spin on an old formula. Join us as we discuss issues like the economy, politics, going green, plus the fun stuff such as “Why We Love Vampires.” Call in with your opinion, discussion point, or just to poke fun at the panel! I mean heaven forbid, we take ourselves too seriously!

The show begins Wednesday, August 5, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST – So join us for some fun at

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/08/06/Premium-Views

CONVERSATIONS
Begins
Thursday, September 3, 2009
at
9:00 PM EST
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee

With Ellen Kozak. Ellen is a copyright and media lawyer in Milwaukee. She is also the author of the prize-winning book From Pen to Print: The Secrets of Getting Published Successfully, two science fiction novels and hundreds of articles.

On September 10, 2009, Linda Ballou, author of Wai-nani: High Chiefess of Hawai’i – Her Epic Journey an historical novel couched in magical realism set in pre-contact Hawai’i. Linda, a former guest will be here to discuss her recent venture a Healing Hawaiian Holiday. Lballou6@sbcglobal.net

On September 17, 2009 I will finally host a mystery writer. Nancy Lynn Jarvis the author of The Death Contingency and Backyard Bones. Two novels where Nancy used her years of experience in the real estate market to create interesting mysteries set in Santa Cruz County, California.

September 24, 2009 Urban Fantasy writer Darren Poole from the UK will be on Conversations with Yolanda Renee to discuss his novel Guardian of the Gate: Bloodline.

So while Renée’s Book Talk aka the new CONVERSATIONS is currently on hiatus, it will come back with the same format , the same time period, and more great guests! So, enjoy your summer vacation, but remember to come back in September with your questions.

Remember is you would like to be a guest on either show send an email to yolandarenee@hotmail.com!

Support the Troops -- Donate your Books!

2009-07-28T09:30:00.000-04:00

On my Blog Talk Radio Show, I do a regular commercial for charities that accept books. Jamie Saloff author of TRANSFORMATIONAL HEALING and a recent guest on my show asked me to write a blog about these opportunities, therefore, this blog. I have taken the information for each charity from their website:
Please check them out!

The first is BOOKS FOR SOLDIERS: http://www.booksforsoldiers.com/

The Process:

1. Join the Forum – Meet the troops; get a user ID – which is needed to use the message boards. To become a guest all you have to do is register – create a username, give an e-mail address for contact, and a password; then complete the form. Look for an activation email that the system will send you. You will need to reply to it to complete the registration.

2. Become an Official Volunteer – To provide more security for the troops they require volunteers to fill out a notarized application and mail it in. It’s a simple process but does require notarization. Remember folks nothing is more important than the security of our troops.

3. Get to Shipping – Once your application is approved, you will be able to send troops books, DVDs, games and relief supplies. You will also have access to the Pen Pal area and Post Card Jamboree. On average volunteers, fill over 1000 requests a month. Get started today and get your company, civic group, or place of worship involved with supporting the troops!

http://www.booksforsoldiers.com/
----------------------------------------------

The second is BOOKS FOR BOOTS – B4B: http://www.booksforboots.org/index.html

BOOKS FOR BOOTS partners with authors and publishers. Authors donate their royalties and authors donate books. The money goes to the VA hospitals where it is used for special needs and emergencies. This can in some cases include helping families with travel costs to make that bedside visit.
The books go to the vets in the hospitals.
This program, launched in June 2007, is part of a nonprofit 501 (C)(3) corporation founded in 1984 and the founder is Rick Gelinas, author of THE VENGEANCE TRAP.
http://www.booksforboots.org/index.html
------------------------------------

The third option is SHADOW FOREST AUTHORS:
http://www.shadowforestauthors.com/

The mission at Shadow Forest Authors – SFA – is to encourage every author worldwide and from every genre to donate just one copy of their title to fill a void in reading material and get both paperback books and e-books where they are urgently needed. Author and supporters standing together to make a difference, our humble shadows speaking volumes.
What do SFA Authors and Supporters contribute?
SFA authors donate a copy of their title to SFA beneficiary, who places books in much needed hands. Authors do not have to list with SFA to donate books. SFA would appreciate you adding a note to a beneficiary, acknowledging that you support SFA.
Everyone can help not only authors but also readers – check out the site and find out how! They also have a newsletter but more importantly, they have a list of beneficiaries all over the world:
The Australian Literacy and Numeracy foundation – Australia
Got Books – USA
Book Aid International – UK
Adult Reading Assistance Scheme – New Zealand
World Public Library – USA
Read Between the Bars – USA
The Women’s Prison Book Project – USA
Mission Australia – Australia
And many more!
http://www.shadowforestauthors.com/

PLEASE FOLKS – CHECK THEM OUT!

Love Among the Stars!

2009-07-19T08:57:00.000-04:00

Renée’s Book Talk

with

Linda Mooney

author of

MY STRENGTH, MY POWER, MY LOVE

July 23, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

(347) 215-9436

Linda loves to write romance with a fantasy or science fiction flair. Her technique is often described as being as visual as a motion picture or graphic novel. By day, she is a Kindergarten teacher, wife, and mother of two who lives in a small south Texas town near the Gulf coast. But at night, she delves into alternate worlds filled with daring exploits and sensual, erotic romance.

Book: My Strength, My Power, My Love

Once in every one million births, a child is born on Bellac with the Synergistic gene. These children are taken from their parents and raised, trained, and prepared for the day when they will find their Synergistic other half. For when that happens, an entity is created from the combination of both male and female who holds unbelievable powers. An entity who is trained to protect and defend its home world.

Grey Dansis is a Synergian. She has reached the time when she must meet the others like herself and hopefully find the male who will become her life-long partner from a crowd of strong, prime adult males who are ready to join the war as soon as they are united with their female halves.

Unfortunately, Grey has secretly harbored a longing for Rowe Maine. But the man is five years her senior and considered long past acceptance. He is an Unmatched Synergian who has lost his chance to become one of the rare new entities. By law, he is no longer able to seek his mate. Now the man is a trainer and teacher at their special school.

It won’t be long, however, before their world is again attacked by marauders. The creatures bent on domination are a species the Synergians have never encountered before. And this time the creatures’ goal isn’t just to conquer Bellac, but to totally wipe the planet's population and its army of Synergians out of existence.

Grey has no idea that Rowe, the man she has long been in love with, is her fated other half. Or that the power coming from their union would be the only force strong enough to save Bellac from complete annihilation.

Because the law won't even let them touch.

My Strength, My Power, My Love is Linda’s eighth book with Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, and is also her eighth consecutive number one best seller with the publisher.

Join us Thursday night for a discussion about science fiction and romance, writing, and publishing, and how Linda defines success!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee
_________________________________________
RENÉE’S REVIEW
MY STRENGTH, MY POWER, MY LOVE
by
Linda Mooney

“Once in every one million births, a child is born on Bellac with the Synergistic gene. These children are taken from their parents and raised, trained, and prepared for the day when they will find their Synergistic other half. For when that happens, an entity is created from the combination of both male and female who holds unbelievable powers. An entity who is trained to protect and defend its home world.”

The premise of this Science Fiction / Romance novel caught me off guard. I was blown away and completely enamored with the idea. This novel will make you wish you were of the Synergian race and that there was only one true match for you.

Linda Mooney takes you on a beautiful journey to the stars and beyond. She has a wonderful ability for writing stunningly beautiful scenes and the expertise for making an emotional connection through her characters. She is a talented and powerful writer and I highly recommend My Strength, My Power, My Love. It is a necessary read for all lovers of science fiction or romance.

Inspiration -- something we can all use!

2009-07-10T23:59:00.000-04:00

Renée’s Book Talk

with

Reverend Jamie L. Saloff

author of

TRANSFORMATIONAL HEALING: Five Surprisingly Simple Keys Designed to Redirect Your Life Toward Wellness, Purpose, and Prosperity

July 16, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

(347) 215-9436

After being diagnosed with cancer at age 24, author Jamie Saloff set out on a mission. For nearly a decade, she read every book she could on healing and wellness. But none offered the simple, personalized method that she was looking for.

One night, she shut herself in her bedroom with a pack of sticky notes, colored markers, and a piece of poster board. She wrote single words and short phrases on the notes, placing them in related clusters on the poster board. Then something amazing happened.

Realizing her ailment had been a part of an elaborate, innate system designed to lead her to her ultimate purpose, she quickly began putting what she'd learned to use, turning her one-time hopes and dreams into realities, including writing a book so she could share her discovery with others.

Jamie is the creator and owner of www.PolkaDotBanner.com. Jamie consults authors on publishing their own books and has been a book designer for over a decade (see her links below). She is a student of Fellowships of the Spirit in Lily Dale, NY, recently becoming a certified metaphysician and minister, and has studied energy medicine with Donna Eden. She is a long-standing member and past Meritorious Service award winner of Pennwriters, a Pennsylvania-based, multi-genre writers’ organization. She is formerly a home schooling mom. She lives with her husband and two sons south of Erie, PA.

Others have raved:

“I have just finished your book and I think it is one of the best books on healing and spirit I have read in years. I have a wide background in alternative healing techniques / hands on healing / feng shui / nutrition, etc. etc. Your ‘body songs’ have given me a new outlook . . . Thank you.”
-- Janice Kyd

“I like the thought that my symptoms have been speaking to me since I was little and I’m now tuning in to the message – today my neck felt oddly loose and pain free – every time I did a shoulder check in a parking lot before backing up, I could actually turn and see – how strange! – I feel a testimonial coming on . . .”
-- RW

“Don’t let the seemingly simple exercises and easy to implement programs fool you. This book is packed with power! Saloff’s uncomplicated approach, backed by her own experience, shows you how self-healing can be mastered by anyone.”
-- Dr. Nell M. Rodgers, DC MN, author of Puppet or Puppeteer

To learn more check out Jamie’s websites:

http://www.plokadotbanner.com

http://www.Saloff.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------
RENEE’S REVIEW

of

TRANSFORMATIONAL HEALING: Five Surprisingly Simple Keys Designed to Redirect Your Life Toward Wellness, Purpose, and Prosperity

by

REVEREND JAMIE L. SALOFF

It’s a simple question “Do you wish you could change your life for the better” while the answer is an easy one – do you have any idea of how to accomplish the task? Transformational Healing: Five Surprisingly Simple Keys Designed to Redirect Your Life Toward Wellness, Purpose, and Prosperity by Reverend Jamie L. Saloff gives you a systematic process that will take you on a journey of physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.

Just reading Reverend Saloff’s words will open your mind to the possibilities but using her exercises will open an entirely new world of promise. Reverend Saloff skillfully guides the reader in learning how to interpret the underlying emotional connection and deeper spiritual meaning. In other words, you will find answers to questions you never knew to ask. For instance, did you know you choose: the outcome of a day, the past, and its effects on your present and future, or the negativity that stops you cold? We have all heard the words: positive attitude, forgiveness, belief, prayer, and success, but do you really know their meaning or their influence on your life. Transformational Healing is a book that takes you progressively through the process of discovering your own power and finding the balance in life we all desire.

I highly recommend this wonderful and enlightening book. Thank you Reverend Saloff, for sharing your journey, and showing us how to find our own healing path.

I Could Seriously Use Your Help!

2009-07-09T18:15:00.000-04:00

Tonight’s show is with Literary Fiction writer Matt Arnold author of The Shattered Silence, An Open Universe, and Crossroads. Join us tonight at 9:00 PM EST:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/07/10/Matt-Arnold-author-of-THE-SHATTERED-SILENCE-1

Do me a favor and rate the shows -- mark them as a favorite – these small steps will go a long way to help me get my show featured on the BTR home page. Your help is appreciated!

See you tonight!

If you missed these shows, you can still hear them in their entirety – just use the link below:

Mike Lombardo the Director of Reel Splatter Films -- Horror
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/05/01/Mike-Lombardo-Director-of-Reel-Splatter-Films

Diane Tegarden - author of Anti Vigilante and The Rips in Time – Science Fiction
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/05/22/Author-Diane-Tegarden-Anti-Vigilante-and-The-Rips-in-Time

William Douglas Little author of Mexican Bowl Fishing – Humorous Non-fiction Short Stories
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/05/29/William-Douglas-Little-author-of-Mexican-Bowl-Fishing

Janice Taylor author of All is Forgiven, Move On – A unique/ humorous take on dieting
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/06/25/Janice-Taylor-author-of-ALL-IS-FORGIVEN-MOVE-ON-1

Scott Kessman author of The Tales of Tanglewood – Fantasy and Young Adult or children at heart
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/06/19/Scott-Kessman-author-of-THE-TALES-OF-TANGLEWOOD

Brandon Ford author of Splattered Beauty -- Horror
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/06/12/Brandon-Ford-author-of-SPLATTERED-BEAUTY-1

Yvonne Mason author of Silent Scream – True Crime
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/06/05/Yvonne-Mason-author-of-SILENT-SCREAM

S. E. Cox author of Forbidden Love – Fantasy/Horror
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2009/07/03/S-E-Cox-author-of-FORBIDDEN-LOVE

Thanks for your help,

Renée

IT'S JUST A STORY!

2009-07-03T07:12:00.000-04:00

THE MAKING OF A MONSTER
Philadelphia, PA

1964

“Congratulations, it’s a boy!”
“I know. I’ve always known I’d have a son.” Bell declared as she took him from the nurse and let him rest against her bosom. “You are so beautiful my little one.”
“Do you have a name picked out?”
“Lucifer S. Reynard.” She said proudly. She watched as the doctor who was working on her and the two nurses in the room all looked at one another.
“That’s a . . . different name. Is it his father’s?” The doctor asked.
“Of course. Who else would he be named after?”
“Then that’s the name you want on the birth certificate? The S, what does it stand for.” The nurse inquired.
“The S is just an initial, you know like Harry S. Truman.” She smiled and leaned back against the pillow and cuddled her tiny bundle. Bell was nineteen; she had been a prostitute since the age of twelve after running away from her foster parents who had abused her for years. This was her first pregnancy.
I know the father. The S stands for his name, but you don’t need to know that. In time, though, you will all know it. In time, she smiled her satisfaction and relaxed in her happiness.
“Do you want him circumcised?”
“No. It isn’t necessary.”
“Have you considered the hygiene factor? We have a number of circumcisions done on older children because of a lack of cleanliness.”
Bell sneered. “I’ve made my decision. My Luci will not be cut for any reason!” The tone of her voice shocked them all. “It’s barbarian and unnatural, and it’s my decision.”
Her outburst stopped them all in their tracks. Silence followed and a harsh tension permeated the room. They all looked at Bell, but relaxed when they noticed that she was happily feeding her tiny son. Inwardly she was smiling. She chalked their responses up to the ignorance of the masses.
Do you want me to have a member of the La Leche League drop by to see you?”
“Why, because you don’t think I know how to use my breasts. Just clean him up, let me get a shower. I plan to go home today. I can’t afford to lie around a hospital.”
Bell had a Black Sabbath to attend. Tonight she would give her child to the cause. She would present him to her coven and he would be marked as the one. It was something she had anticipated for nine months. The celebration would go on for three days and she would be adored, just as Mary had been!

1968

“Luci, what’s wrong. What happened?” Bell ran down the front steps at the sound of her son crying. She looked around but did not see anyone. She hurried him into the house.
“Quit that crying. How many times do I have to tell you, men don’t cry. Never cry.” She shook him but a look of fear stopped her. She sat down on the couch beside him. “Tell me, what happened?”
He wiped his eyes on one sleeve and his nose on the other. He sat up straight. “Luis and Jonny, they were making fun of me and my name. They said I was a bastard… What is a bastard mommy?”
“For one thing it’s a child born without a father. You have a father. He’s not around. Hell their father’s aren’t around, never were. They have no right to pick on you. You aren’t a bastard. You’re Father’s name is on your birth certificate.” She took a deep breath. “What’s wrong with your name?”
“They said Luci is a girl’s name.”
“Now listen to me. Your name is Lucifer S. Reynard. You have a father and I was married to him when you were conceived. See this ring. It’s my wedding ring and someday it will be yours.” She held out her hand to show him the silver diamond ring. A pentagram not apparent to the normal glance shined with a clearness in the right light.”
He admired it and delicately touched it. “Mine?”
“Someday, yes, after you’ve earned it.”
I call you Luci for short, but your name holds great power. Do you want me to call you Lucifer?”
Luci sat proudly. “No. I like when you call me Luci. Can I see it Mommy. Can I see that cer . . . tifi . . . thing. again?”
Bell nodded and went to the desk in the corner to retrieve the document. She remembered the night she conceived Luci. It was the black Sabbath and she had participated in the ritual of erotic sacrifice and had consented to marriage, to the ruler of hell. It was a night she barely recalled, except that she knew she had been chosen by Satan to have his son. The visions of that night were fleeting but powerful, and it was the only night she had not used protection.
She handed him the birth certificate. “See, you are named after your father. One day you will hold all the power of his realm. You will lift your hand and Luis and Jonny will bow at your feet. That’s power.”
“Power?” He repeated. His small innocent face held a look of awe. “Wow.”
“Exactly. You are the son of a very important . . . man. He can’t be here with you because he is busy taking care of business. One day that business will be yours. I will teach you all about it, as you get older. Just remember, never be ashamed of who you are. Hold your head high, and never allow them to make you cry. Men do not cry, Kings do not cry!”
He sat mesmerized by the document in his hand. “Mommy, what does the S stand for?”
“I’ll tell you if you promise not to cry, ever again.”
“I promise Mommy, I promise.”
“Okay, but you can’t tell anyone. Ever.”
“I won’t. I’m good at keeping secrets. You know I’m good.”
She hugged him to her. “Yes my son, my little devil, you are. The best, the very best. Your full name is Lucifer Samael Reynard.”
“Wow! Really? Samael . . .” He seemed surprised and proud. It made her feel wonderful. All this time he was learning and accepting his fate. Her pride soared. She kissed the top of his head. “Yes. Really. Remember you can’t tell anyone. Ever. The name Samael, is how you will know the people you can trust. Those people will call you that name because they will recognize your greatness, your power.” She held his chin, looked directly into his eyes. Remember; never tell anyone what your secret name is.”
“I won’t Mommy. I promise I won’t.”
“Good boy! Now come on I have guests coming in a few minutes.”
“Oh, but I . . . I wanted to talk more about Daddy.” He said with disappointment.
“I know, but all will be revealed on your fifth birthday. Just two more months, that’s such a short time. Be patient. Tell you what. We’ll put your birth certificate back in the envelope and you can take it with you to your hide-a-way. I’ve already made your favorite dinner. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chocolate pudding, and three cokes. But you have to promise to keep it safe. It’s an important document, it’s your heritage.”
He looked at her with love. “I’ll keep it safe. I promise.”
She hurried him upstairs. In the small bedroom next to her room, she led him to a closet. She opened the door and ushered him in, and knelt down for her kiss. Dutifully, he planted one on her mouth. “Do you have your crayons and paper?”
“Right here.”
“Good, now draw me a masterpiece. Remember, complete silence. I’ll come and get you when my guests leave.” He nodded and sat down on the pillows and blankets that covered the floor.
She locked the door, and went to put on some perfume before her first guest arrived. Tonight she had three men scheduled. In the past, she had walked the streets to earn money, but since giving birth to Luci, she moved her prostitution indoors. Now her guests came to her home, regulars, and a few new men occasionally. It had taken a year to achieve this new way of doing business, but now she had a regular schedule. Locking Luci in the closet was her way of keeping him safe, and she thought it kept him from knowing the truth.
However, Luci was a very smart young man. He had a small hole that looked directly into her room. He had used a pen to drill through the paper-thin walls. He watched his mother with her guests nightly. He simply turned out the small lamp in his hiding space and watched as his mother entertained them. Then he would draw the pictures of what he saw. These pictures he hid in his secret place under a floorboard.
Tonight while he ate his dinner, he carefully read the birth certificate that his mother had allowed him to keep. He would be five in a few months but he could read. In fact, he had been able to read since the age of three. He was intelligent. He knew more than his mother thought he did. He had seen pictures of his father. Jonny and Luis had shown him Lucifer the Beast. It was what had scared him, made him cry, but now it made him proud. He loved and adored his mother. He believed her when she said he should be proud, that he was important, and that his father was powerful. He knew who he was, and at the age of almost five, he looked forward to his future and the power his mother had promised. After his dinner, he turned out his light and opened the peephole. After several hours, he drew what he saw and like all his old pictures this one showed a small child observing. However, today the child had horns and a pointed tail.
He hid the naughty drawings but made sure to draw the masterpiece for his mother. It was a portrait of his family, including his father. He almost forgot and added horns to it but he was not supposed to know yet. Curious he rubbed the top of his head looking for the beginning growth of his horns. Disappointed he lay back on his pillow to dream.

Remember - the touch, the taste, the angst - the sex?

2009-06-27T23:31:00.000-04:00

Renée’s Book Talk

with

S. E. Cox

author of

FORBIDDEN LOVE

July 2, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

(347) 215-9436

S.E. Cox has been writing on and off for ten years. She began her first novel at the age of fifteen, and has since gone on to write several short stories. She now lives in the small town of Cannock in the West Midlands, England with her two daughters, Libby-Ann and Lacey-Mae.

2008 saw S. E. Cox, take the challenge of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and complete her 50,000 word Novel “False Awakenings.” In just twenty-nine days. It should be ready for publication for 2010. “Forbidden Love,” her recently released novel is the first installment of the Rosella series, “Hybrid Theory,” the sequel, will be available later on in the year.

Upcoming Titles by S.E. Cox False Awakenings, Lunar Eclipse, Harlequin, Sorority of Blood, Witching Hour And the real life story of the author: Crazy Single Mom!

FORBIDDEN LOVE:
Rosella is a human - vampire who falls in love with the son of her family's enemy; Prince Jonas. A forbidden Love, vampire romance, set in an English high school goes terribly wrong, when each of their families refuse to accept their love for each other. Romeo and Juliet for vampire lovers in the 21st Century.

Use this link to purchase your own copy of FORBIDDEN LOVE by S. E. Cox

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/rosella-book-1-forbidden-love/6581204

Join us Thursday night for an interesting discussion about horror, writing, and publishing with S. E. Cox who will be calling into to the show from the United Kingdom!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee
(347) 215-9536

Renée’s Review of
FORBIDDEN LOVE
by
S.E. Cox

Forbidden Love by S. E. Cox is all about a clan of pure blood vampires, and a hybrid clan that meld in with humans to survive. Their desires for life are no different from the rest of us. They want what we all want – Love. S.E. Cox describes it best: “Love is like a war -- easy to start, hard to end and impossible to forget.”

You will identify with Rose and her desire for first love. Along with the sacrifices made for it. Forbidden Love is the first in the Rosella series. This is a great read, a wonderfully told story that you will find difficult to put down. Congratulations, S. E. Cox on a magnificent addition to vampire lore. I am looking forward to more from this talented writer!

If you fought the battle and lost -- you're ahead of the game!

2009-06-21T12:03:00.000-04:00

Meet Janice Taylor, the voice of

“OUR LADY OF WEIGHT LOSS”

and author of “ALL IS FORGIVEN, MOVE ON”

on

RENEE’S BOOK TALK

June 25, 2009 @ 4:00 PM EST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

(347) 215-9536

Weight loss artist*, Janice Taylor, most certainly did not wake one morning with a smile on her face and enthusiastically say, "Whoopee, I'm fatter than ever. I'll go on a diet. This will be fun!"

No. She rolled out of bed, pulled up her size XXL elastic-band pants and said, "Oh my, even these are tight. I must stop the fat monster from further multiplying before HE takes me over entirely." She prayed for guidance.

That's when Our Lady of Weight Loss entered the picture. "Who is Our Lady? Where did she come from?" you ask. Janice wonders as well, "Is Our Lady a higher-power, the higher-self, the 'good' Mother that lives within each of us, or is she just a fig newton of her wild imagination? Does it really matter?"

What matters is that instead of eating crazy amounts of fried foods, heavily buttered bread and chocolate in any form, Janice was able to permanently remove over 50 pounds of excess weight 5 years ago. (Butter up your boss, not your roll!)

"I exchanged fat for art," she explains. "Our Lady guides me and 'feeds' me messages, and I illustrate them. At first, I created the art just for myself, but soon friends and acquaintances wanted to know the secret to my oh-so-fabulous success."
Janice’s book “ALL IS FORGIVEN, MOVE ON” Our Lady of Weight Loss’s 101 Fat burning steps on Your Journey to Sveltesville! A book you do not want to be without on your journey to self-esteem and size satisfaction!

Check out her website at Janice@ourladyofweightloss.com

________________________________________________

RENEE’S REVIEW OF

ALL IS FORGIVEN, MOVE ON

BY

JANICE TAYLOR

In her book “ALL IS FORGIVEN, MOVE ON” Janice explains that many of us fail to reach our weight-loss goals because one dietary transgression sends us into despair, opening up the floodgates of overeating and self-deprecating thoughts. Janice invites those of us who either have thought or said, “I couldn’t resist” or “I feel like a failure” on a fat-burning, soul-lifting journey to “Sveltesville” – the place where we can be done with the ups and downs of weight loss madness forever.

Her book gives 101 forgiving and fun steps to keep you recharged and inspired. I have struggled with weight gain and loss for years and I found her book both refreshing and inspirational. Weight gain has more to do with the mental conditioning than food intake and Janice recognizes this and leads you on a journey to success. I highly recommend this book to any one struggling with self-esteem and weight issues.

Please join us Thursday afternoon and learn the weight loss secrets that are vital for success!

OPEN YOUR IMAGINATION AND MEET THE FEY!

2009-06-14T14:00:00.001-04:00

Renée’s Book Talk
with
Scott Kessman
author of
The Tales of Tanglewood

June 18, 2009 @ 9:00 PM EST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

(347) 215-9436

Scott tells us “The Tanglewood can be found anywhere that the sunlight streams through the trees and the noise of man is left far behind. It can also be found in the hearts of anyone, young or old, who still dreams of another land, or another time, where the magic of the fey is strong and bright.”

Scott also claims that The Tales of Tanglewood is not just a story. It is the culmination of many years worth of dreams. It is a wish upon a star, glowing brightly in the midnight sky. It is a childhood fantasy of wonder and magic brought to life.

Scott has toiled as a graphic artist for many years, seeing fit to labor away
at a multitude of short stories and longer story ideas, with the idea in mind that he would one day publish a collection. It was not until recently that he began work on The Tales of Tanglewood, and everything has changed.

Partially inspired by his love for fantasy and folklore, and his love for his wife, whose ideas contributed much to the story, Scott hopes that anyone who reads it can feel the same magic he felt when writing it. He loves the woods. He loves Ireland. He writes. He draws. He cooks. He loves his wife. He enjoys the little things in life. Strip the world of contemporary shopping malls and mind-dulling technology, and you will find the world a magical place to be.

Scott Michael Kessman currently resides in Long Island, New York, where he lives happily with his beautiful wife and two annoying cats. He has always been a writer, since the days of early childhood, when he was first able to put his dreams into words.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Renée’s Review of
The Tales of Tanglewood
by
Scott Kessman

The Tales of Tanglewood --The Lon Dubh Whistle by Scott Kessman is a chronicle based on a fantasy many of us have had as children – the hope of seeing the fairy folk. Walking through the woods enjoying the sounds of nature with sunlight dancing off the leaves, and butterflies flitting among the trees is the moment we have all imagined the magic of fairyland and the creatures that reside there.

In this wonderful tale, a young boy finally gets his wish. Colin meets the elves, pixies, sprites, and brownies and finds his destiny. After falling for the devious temptation of the sprites, he takes on an adventure to capture the Lon Dubh Whistle. Will his mistake lead to war or salvation for the fey?

I loved The Tales of Tanglewood. It is a great escape, and a story that will touch the hearts of adults and fill the minds of children with its truth. I highly recommend this book to parents and grandparents who want to give the gift of imaginative adventure.

Join us Thursday night for a discussion of fantasy and magic!

REVIEW OF SPLATTERED SCREAM

2009-06-10T06:01:00.000-04:00

Renée’s Book Talk with author Brandon Ford
Thursday, June 11, 9:00 PM EST
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee
(347) 215-9536
---------------------------------------------------
RENÉE’S REVIEW
of
SPLATTERED BEAUTY by BRANDON FORD

Alyssa Peyton has made a living with her screams of terror in horror films created to instill shock and fear in its audience. Her career was envied; she married well and for a short time lived lavishly. However, good things never last and when it all falls apart so does she. To cope she indulges in pills and alcohol. Soon she comes to a point of no return and suddenly others scream in terror as dead bodies begin to stack up.

Brandon has written and dedicated his book to all the Scream Queens of the horror industry and he has done them proud! Splattered Beauty is an excellent read and not for the faint of heart. If you love the slasher films, if you don’t turn away from the blood and gore on the screen you will love this splatter fest as Alyssa takes revenge on all who have dared to cross her. I highly recommend this book. It is a great read, especially late at night when you are all alone! Just don’t forget to lock those doors!

Scream Queens and Splattered Beauty

2009-06-07T19:08:00.000-04:00

Renee’s Book Talk with author Brandon Ford
Thursday, June 11, 9:00 PM EST
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee
(347) 215-9536

SPLATTERED BEAUTY
BRANDON FORD

There are a lot of things Alyssa Peyton once had. She once had a prolific and lucrative career as a leading actress in a slew of low-budget horror films. She once had a loving relationship with her producer/director husband, Peter. She once had fans and a dedicated following. All of this has vanished in the blink of an eye.
Now, Alyssa has acquired a serious problem with both substance and alcohol abuse. She possesses a strong sense of self-loathing that seems to intensify every day. She has also found a new friend in devoted teenage fan, Taryn.

Watching her life crumble and deteriorate, Alyssa knows it is up to her to make things right. With the help of Taryn, she begins a string of brutal and sadistic murders, all in the name of a twisted form of retribution.
It is up to an aging detective to stop them before the body count rises. But will Alyssa stop him first?

His follow-up to Crystal Bay, Brandon Ford, a lover of all things horror, has written Splattered Beauty as a sort of love note to his favorite scream queens. The novel contains a foreword praising genre favorites Linnea Quigley, Debbie Rochon, Tiffany Shepis, and more. Available now in paperback and Amazon Kindle from Arctic Wolf Publishing.

Brandon Ford made his debut in the Leucrota Press anthology Abaculus 2007. The collection, featuring the year’s best in science fiction, fantasy, and horror, includes his short story, “Elmer’s Grue.” Soon after, his first novel, Crystal Bay, was released by Arctic Wolf Publishing. The horror/suspense story has been praised by the likes of Garry Charles, author of Summer of the Massacre, who called the book “a well-crafted story that hails back to the old horror/thrillers of the late ‘70s,” and filmmaker Ryan Nicholson (Live Feed and Gutterballs), who calls Ford, “the new Prince of Horror, soon to be King.”

Ford has also contributed to Twisted Dreams, an independent literary magazine founded by best-selling author Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc, as well as the anthologies Sinister Landscapes (edited by Alan Draven, author of Bitternest), and Raw: Brutality As Art (edited by Adam Huber, co-author of Snuff).

www.myspace.com/writerbrandonford
www.writerbrandonford.blogspot.com

Join us for a very interesting discussion about writing, scream queens, and horror films!

Silent Scream, Dream Catcher and other News!

2009-06-01T16:02:00.000-04:00

Yvonne Mason the author of the true crime drama
SILENT SCREAM
is on
Renee’s Book Talk -- June 4, 2009
@ 9:00 PM EST.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee with host Yolanda Renée on Thursday June 4, 2009 at 9:00 PM Eastern. The exclusive interview will highlight Yvonne’s latest news regarding the release of her true crime drama “SILENT SCREAM” and the release of her new novel “DREAM CATCHER.”

SILENT SCREAM

The true story of Gerard Schaefer the trusted police officer and the maniacal serial killer. The screams which have been silent for thirty-four years are no longer silent. They now have a voice.
July 1972 Nancy Trotter and Pamela Sue Wells were taken to a remote area on South Hutchinson Island in Martin County tied, gagged, and hung. They were left to die. But they managed to escape. This escape led to an investigation of a crime that before 1972 had no name. Law enforcement was in uncharted waters.
Nancy Trotter and Pamela Wells were just two of the nine known and possibly as high as 34 unknown victims. They ranged from Fort Lauderdale Florida to Europe and N. Africa.
Silent Scream finally gives the victims a voice – Their screams are no longer silent and with that voice comes peace.

DREAM CATCHER Failure was not an Option
In the years leading up to the 1950’s there were no resources for the challenged. They were placed in asylums or back rooms and left to die. They were never talked about or acknowledged. They were the silent children. The ones no one wanted. The ,ones who never given a chance to live.
Yvonne Mason has given us a story of success in a time of failure for the challenged. She has given a voice to a child born in 1952 who became challenged. This young man was not put away.
He was not shunned and he was not ignored. In her book Dream Catcher, Ms. Mason tells of Stan who was never supposed to succeed. He was supposed to fail.
Yvonne is a licensed bounty hunter for the state of Georgia, a motivational speaker, and prolific writer. Her philosophy in Life is to Pay it Forward – “In this life we all have been helped by others to attain our dreams and goals. We cannot pay it back but what we can do is ‘pay it forward.” Yvonne does this on a daily basis.

Join us on Thursday night for an interesting discussion with an interesting personality! Call in to talk to Yvonne at (347) 215-9536 or use the “click to talk: option via your computer.

Contact Yvonne at:
www.myspace.com/authorsdream57
www.myspace.com/yvonnemason
www.thebookattic.ecrater.com online bookstore

How Would You Write It?

2009-05-31T12:09:00.000-04:00

HELL ON EARTH

She asked for help
They all turned her down.
She went to friends
They would not hear her.
To her father
She does not exist.
For her mother
She is the sin that cannot be forgiven.
She asked her sister
Her own life is all she can handle.
She tried to tell her brother
He is to set in his ways.
She has nowhere to go
No way to get there
No one to turn too.
Resigned to her fate
Resigned to her death.

She looks out on the world around her and sighs, the blue ski dotted with wispy clouds, the colors of spring painted in bold colors across the landscape. A light wind ruffles the new leaves and the dainty flowers in the garden, and she dreams of feeling the sun on her face and hearing the birds tending to their young. She pretends that she has escaped the pain of her reality and that she is free from her prison.

She is a prisoner in a relationship held together through intimidation, manipulation, and fear. She says it is a prison of her own making and yet the shackles that hold her are made of the strongest and saddest motivations known to man.

“If I can’t have you, no one can! You exist only because I allow you too,” He tells her and she knows it is the true because he holds all the power.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tell me readers – does she do him in or does he finally release her from her hell on earth? How would you write it?

Mexican Bowl Fishing & William Douglas Little

2009-05-28T06:13:00.000-04:00

Tonight Renee’s Book Talk is all about laughter with William Douglas Little. Join us at 9:00 PM EST, tonight May 28th. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee or call in to (347) 215-9536 to listen and if you want to talk just hit the one key on your phone.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
RENEE’S REVIEW
MEXICAN BOWL FISHING And Other Tales of Life
by
William Douglas Little

I laughed aloud. I couldn’t help myself. William Douglas Little’s book MEXICAN BOWL FISHING and Other Tales of Life is full of humorous parables about life and the events that make us blush with embarrassment, simmer with rage, cause a bruised ego or bring us that comeuppance we somehow earned along life’s journey.

From the first story of Eddie’s superglue fiasco, to being outwitted by a pet and the lesson not learned in the final story Mexican Bowl Fishing, I laughed. We have all been there and done things similar, but William Douglas Little writes it so well, and tells it so honestly. His writing takes away that feeling of stupidity, it removes the hit to the confidence because laughing out loud is therapeutic and knowing that you aren’t the only one – well what is more equalizing than knowing that at some time or another the rest of the world has hit that sliding glass door head first.

Thank you for the laughter. This book is a must read especially on those days where patience is lost and anger ties you up in knots. Laugh aloud and feel the warmth of camaraderie.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE!

2009-05-24T22:05:00.001-04:00

Renee’s Book Talk is pleased to announce the next book up for discussion:

MEXICAN BOWL FISHING And Other Tales Of Life

A Collection of Short Stories by Columnist
William Douglas Little

In certain parts of Mexico, the sewer system lacks some of the convenient features you might be accustomed to here at home. For example, dropping even a single sheet of toilet tissue into the bowl will cause the entire system to back up. This becomes a problem for those of us who are creatures of habit. Somehow, the idea of dropping tissue into the trashcan doesn't stick well when performing the task of, well ... using toilet tissue. So what happens when habit takes over and you accidentally drop a square into the bowl? Mexican Bowl Fishing, of course ...

Like his monthly MPN Column, William Douglas Little's book "Mexican Bowl Fishing" hones in on the most humorous, (and usually most embarrassing), tales of life, often noting the life-lessons that he's learned along the way. Most importantly, the ability to laugh at one's own inadequacies.

In this book, William recounts 26 individual stories including unrevised versions of his popular columns, "Bury the Cat Slowly", "A Lesson in Cheap", "Used Parts Salesman" and his introductory column, "Practice What We Preach" as well as 22 brand new, hilarious tales. Each story offers a humorous telling of the unfortunate circumstances that seem to plague his life, all delivered with his real world, conversational writing style that has attracted thousands of readers to his magazine column. Unfortunately, Mr. Little's misfortunes are all too recognizable by many of us!

With great lessons to help anyone in their job and their everyday life, Mexican Bowl Fishing is an entertaining look at the importance of laughing off embarrassment and focusing on the most important goal in life ... having fun. This book is required reading for anyone who has ever suffered from bad luck, misfortune, accidental injury or the minor complications of everyday life!

Send Laughter To Our Troops! Purchase your copy of Mexican Bowl Fishing from my website and I’ll donate a copy to outgoing military personnel headed to places like Iraq, Afghanistan. http://www.mexicanbowlfishing.com

Join us on Thursday, May 28, 2009 at 9:00 PM EST on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee for a spirited and humorous discussion of the minor complications of everyday life.

SCIENCE FICTION IS WHERE IT’S AT!

2009-05-15T17:53:00.000-04:00

On May 21, 2009 at 9:00 PM EST – Renée’s Book Talk Interviews: Diane Tegarden

Diane is the author of three published books, and has been a print journalist since 1992, Diane enjoys writing about a wide range of subjects including; renewable energy, environmental concerns, holistic health, women’s issues, and Native Spirituality. Her work has been published in: The Pasadena Star News, Security Sales Magazine, The Pasadena Weekly, The Solar Flare, The Feral Forest, The Daily Sundial, the West Coast Well Being, Associated Content and Healthy Breakthroughs.

In April 2004, she self-published her first book, “Getting Out Of Limbo– A Self Help Divorce Book For Women,” which provides step by step instructions on how to achieve financial and emotional independence in preparation for a divorce. It is currently listed for sale at Amazon.com, Target.com and on her website, FireWalkerPublications.com.

During Women’s History Month in March 2008, Diane was interviewed on Radio Talk Shows about divorce and domestic violence, referencing her experiences in “Getting Out Of Limbo– A Self Help Divorce Book For Women”.

Her company, FireWalker Publications Inc., was formed in 2004 to promote her passionate, original written works, materials, ideas, and creations. Since 2005, she’s written for two online content producers, Associated Content and Constant Content.

Diane released her first poetry ebook, "Light Through Shuttered Window" in December 2007. The 90 page ebook is a compendium of poems about life, love and the process of creativity, and is currently available exclusively on her website at www.FireWalkerPublications.com.

Diane's newest release “Anti-Vigilante and The Rips in Time” is a science fiction novel set in the distant future with its hooks deep into renewable energy and the changing face of the planet. It is exclusively available on her website at www.FireWalkerPublications.com.

For more information about the author, visit her website:

www.firewalkerpublications.com

***********************************************

A synopsis of “Anti-Vigilante and The Rips in Time”:

“Terrax, the Crystal Planet, is an exacting world. A place where human physical contact is impossible and stepping outside is virtual suicide. The atmosphere is a hurricane of Coriolis winds and deadly scatter showers, composed of toxic metals formed into whip-like threads kilometers long. Immense Ocean Domes cover over the toxic sludge where the oceans used to be.

The surface of Terrax is covered in crystalline structures, called the Hives, where only the upper crust lives. No one can survive the raw elements; all must reside inside buildings, vicariously living through virtual reality programming.

To believe the tales of “Olde Earth,” a place where clean water flowed from the sky, where the outdoor air was breathable, and edible food grew out of the ground? These were no more than nestling’s stories, ancient mythology from a distant Time.

Until the Rips in Time occurred...…What happens next changes Terrax forever.”

For more information about the author, visit her website:

www.firewalkerpublications.com

***********************************************

RENÉE’S REVIEW
“ANTI-VIGILANTE AND THE RIPS IN TIME”
by DIANE TEGARDEN

ANTI-VIGILANTE AND THE RIPS IN TIME is a fascinating science fiction novel where even in a world where life is lived vicariously through virtual reality, murder is commonplace and carried out with extreme emphasis on brutality. It never fails to amaze me -- the mind of the writers of science fiction, the terminology that is all their own, and a world created with such detail you think you are there.
This book is beautifully written about a place called Terrax (earth in the distant future). A world where human physical contact is impossible and pornography is an20addiction, Murder a pastime and death just as horrible as it is in any reality.

For me the beauty of the book is the poetry and it is scattered very liberally throughout. All science fiction readers will enjoy this look at a world where the atmosphere is non-breathable and its population looks back in time at the mythology that is earth today.

ANTI-VIGILANTE AND THE RIPS IN TIME is a unique read by a very talented writer.

Yolanda Renee,
www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee
www.yolandarenee.com

RAMBLING!

2009-05-12T08:17:00.000-04:00

UPDATE!

This week’s show is all about you! What you are up to and how your projects are coming – so be sure to call in to BTR (347) 215-9536 to let us all know. Also, if you would like to be a guest and have one full hour dedicated to your work just send me an email at yolandarenee@hotmail.com and I will send you the details of how Renee’s Book Talk works.

Be sure to join us at www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee Thursday @ 9:00 PM EST.

YOU HAVE TO CHECK THIS OUT:

I just read Mike Lombardo’s recent blog about the Lancaster Area Film Festival. Please use the link below to read and enjoy all the great photographs of the event.
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=53453303&blogId=488621790

ANNOUNCING!

Pennwriters 22nd Annual conference titled ‘A writer’s Tool Chest’ is being held this weekend at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott – May 15 – 17, 2009.

Pennwriters, Inc. is an independent network of writers with more than 450 members from Pennsylvania and beyond. Established in 1988 as a networking organization for published and aspiring writers of all genres, you can check out their website at www.pennwriters.com .

FYI

Have you ever participated in the ten-minute pitch of your work to an agent? The first time I did – I made every mistake in the book. Recently I came across this wonderful idea in The New York Noose, the Mystery Writers of America New York Chapter – Check it out!

CREATE A WORKSHEET BEFORE YOU PITCH!
When creating your pitch, create a worksheet by answering the following questions, developed by Les Standiford:

PROJECT DESCRIPTION – Your Manuscript Title
ONE-SENTENCE DESCRIPTION
MAIN CHARACTER
WHAT HE WANTS
EXTERNAL & INTERNAL PROBLEMS
RESOLUTION
ENGAGING THE READER

Try to keep these project descriptions to one page – force yourself to distill your book down to its essence!

I’m done rambling for today – hope you found some of it helpful!

MARKETING!

2009-05-11T09:59:00.000-04:00

Thursday’s Show!

I originally had Tracee Gleichner scheduled for Thursday night, but due to a family illness, she had to cancel. Please keep her and especially her family in your prayers and thoughts.
I am currently trying to schedule a group of authors from the Pennwriters Group. They are holding their 22nd annual conference this weekend at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott. May 15 – 17, 2009. If you can stop by and check it out. Lisa Scottoline is Friday’s Keynote Speaker.
I did want to highlight Tracee’s skills and let you know that there is another option out there for marketing your books – check it out!
________________________________________________________
TRACEE IS ALL ABOUT -- MARKETING!
MEET:
Tracee Gleichner
PR Specialist and Tour Coordinator
Pump Up Your Book Promotion
"We take book promotion to the virtual level!"
LEARN ALL ABOUT PROMOTION:
Welcome to Pump Up Your Book Promotion PR, a full service online book promotion agency who can show you how to sell books without leaving the comfort of your home! If you are an author in need of an online book promotion service, Pump Up Your Book Promotion PR can be your answer to slow sales or even non-existent sales! Pump Up Your Book Promotion PR is a public relations firm that will give your book the best online distribution that money can buy. In fact, it’s the only known PR service of its kind because it concentrates on those millions of people who buy books online every day. We feel very strongly that this is the new age of promotion and our products and services give you optimum online presence...guaranteed! We work with authors on a one-on-one basis for powerful and effective online PR to give your book the best chance at success. We do not send you on book signings to brick-and-mortar stores because we believe it’s time people realize the potential of effective and powerful online marketing. We concentrate on everything online so that you don’t even have to leave the house to sell your books! WANT MORE INFO ON HOW TO GET THE MOST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK? Feel free to drop me a line. :)
CHECK OUT HER WORK:
http://scribevibe.blogspot.com- guest posts
http://zensanity.blogspot.com - interviews

Tracee also reviews books at http://thereviewfromhere.wordpress.com

ZOMBIES, ZOMBIES, AND MORE ZOMBIES

2009-04-25T18:50:00.000-04:00

I am happy to announce that Mike Lombardo producer/ director of Reel Splatter Productions will be my first official guest on Renee’s Book Talk on April 30, 2009 @ 9:30 PM. Mike just finished writing a short story titled Play Place. It is an interesting tale of dreams, nightmares, life, death, fast food, starvation, and ZOMBIES! Mike has promised to post it online and when he does, run – do not walk to the site and give it a good read! It is beyond excellent!

On the REEL SPLATTER website Mike, excuse me Dr. Chud writes: “Have you wondered what it would be like to watch "Womb For Two,” "Demonstration of The Dead,” and "Skyler Phalanges: Zombie Hunter" on the big screen? Well, now you find out! They'll be screening at the Lancaster Area Film Festival (LAFF) on May 2nd! Not only that, but after several blood sacrifices to the dark gods (Special shout out to Cthulhu and Dagon; we love you guys! Ry'ghezengro forever baby!) I was able to get put on the Judges Panel! So folks, it looks like Reel Splatter Productions is going to the movies! Come hang out with us and watch some great flicks! The Reel Splatter crew will be there in full force selling t-shirts and such too, so start saving your pennies!

Mike Lombardo runs Reel Splatter Productions. Reel Splatter is an indie film troupe based in East Petersburg, Pennsylvania. He makes splatter/comedy short films. He says his tagline “Putting the laughter back in slaughter” is the best way to describe his stuff. It’s not straight horror (they don’t do scary). But he says it is violent comedy.

Mike was working on “Womb For Two” last time we spoke! It has been finished for a while so check it out along with all his work at www.ReelSplatter.com – YouTube – and MySpace.

Join me the night of April 30, 2009 at 9:30 PM EST for a discussion with a young writer and filmmaker. Call in with your questions for the zombie master of all time! (347) 215-9536

http://www.myspace.com/reelsplatter
http://www.ReelSplatter.com
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

What I've Learned Since My Last Post

2009-04-11T22:08:00.000-04:00

What I’ve Learned Since Writing “I Beg to Differ”

Some have told me my last post was controversial. Others have written to say they agree, and still others have written that I should get more involved and try to do my best at making a difference where it’s needed. I liked all those answers. What I especially liked were the friends I’ve made because of the article.

Being controversial doesn’t mean I’m not a team player, it just means certain things really get under my skin. When that happens, I write about it, in either a blog or a letter to the editor. Believe me I know I’m opinionated and I do try to not to be a pest about it but sometimes we all fail to reign in our demons.

Getting more involved is an option and I admire all those who do. This year due to the economy I won’t be able to attend any conferences, but in the years to come I hope I can. Volunteering at these conferences is a great way to meet and make friends. The big error I made at my first conference was to take my husband with me, sort of a second honeymoon. I don’t recommend combining the two! While I was fascinated with the process, he was bored. His boredom and dissatisfaction left me pulled in two directions. My recommendation, go with a friend who is also a writer. You’ll network together much more successfully.

At my first conference, I met and attended several seminars put on by agents. Even did the pitch. What I saw from most were folks (agents) who were bored, unprepared, and clearly tired of the constant questions put to them by the attendees. I realize that we can make a pest of ourselves, but they should come prepared for that or at least come prepared for the seminars they hold. Standing at a podium for an hour or more expecting your audience to bring up questions pertinent to the subject they thought they were going to hear information regarding can make for a long – long hour!

As for making a difference, I would like to see some conference seminars on self-publishing, to include both the pros and the cons. I would even like to see conference organizers invite some of the bigger self-publishing houses to attend, because the more exposed they are the better the results will be for everyone.
If you are interested, the groups I belong to are, Pennwriters, Romance Writers of America (RWA), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), and Small Publishers Association of North America (SPAN). Why, because of the resources they provide, the connections you can make and because the information in their newsletters is priceless! I also attend several writing groups to get needed feedback, one that I created. This in itself has been invaluable!

So the answer to the question "To Join or Not to Join" is by all means JOIN -- participate -- make a difference – be heard – network – and make success your own!

I BEG TO DIFFER!

2009-01-19T22:25:00.000-05:00

Today I read an article from a writers group that I belong to. The article was explaining how to attain the coveted “published member status.” Meaning that as a “published member” you would have the privilege of attending the Published Author activities at their annual conference.

As explanation this article goes on to explain that to achieve “published member status” all members have to first “pay their dues.” The so called “litmus test” is payment for your work – not by a reader but by a publisher.

This is how it is described in the article:

“In this modern age, it is all too easy to get a book published, if you really want to. Leaving aside for the moment vanity publishers, there are also a wide variety of small press publishers who offer very comprehensive royalty contracts, with nothing paid by the author up front but often with little or no royalties paid after the fact due to limited marketing by the publisher. And the number of magazines, both electronic and print, willing to accept stories from any writer in the world, are a list most of a mile long. This is a good place to pay your dues, but it is not a professional sale by the standard of any writing group in any genre. We know. We’ve checked.”

"If you’ve made this kind of sale in the past: Congratulations! You are one step closer to those professional sales your skill should now garner. You are paying your dues, just as all Published authors have done.”

“Keep writing and you will soon join that elite group who have the “write” to say: I’m a Published __________!” (The blank is the name of the group)

The more I thought about the criteria explained in the paragraphs above the angrier I became. Granted it is easy to get a book published – and I have read a number of poorly written self-published books. But, I have also read a number of amazing self-published novels that are well written, interesting, and worthy of being on the New York Times Best Seller List.

I have also read poorly written trash that garnered the traditionally published author a huge advance and celebrity status and this group is telling me I haven’t paid my dues, but this author has? Come on folks just because a person can walk across a stage and look good in an evening gown – hire a ghost writer – or pass off fiction as non-fiction does not mean they have “paid their dues” because the publishing industry is more interested in sales than literature and we all know it!

Traditional publishers put out as much if not more drivel by well known author as vanity publishers, and a lot of it by big name authors. In fact, my favorite author – a very well known author – recently put out a book I could not read – a book that could not hold my interest. Those 600 plus pages were a waste of paper and ink – yet this book also won a top award.

Why? Because of the author‘s reputation – a name bigger than the publishing industry itself! This happens daily and will continue to happen. I mean just have an affair with a politician, murder for money, or not – write fiction disguised as non-fiction and you too can claim the coveted status of “published author.” This group will accept you with open arms – regardless of the works quality – because the only way to be accepted as a true author is to be paid that advance!

If this group wants to give “published member status” to only those member who have “paid their dues” through a paid advance maybe they need to re-think their criteria. In this “modern age” great authors are self-publishing and self-marketing and “paying their dues in a big way.”

What is wrong with considering the number of books sold (it is being paid for your work). Or what about reading an authors work, because folks there is “paying dues” (buying the right – especially through heinous acts) and there is “paying dues” (earning the right through good work, hard work, and dedicated work!)

But if it is this groups desire to remain “elitist” -- so be it. Personally, I will keep my dues dollars this year and apply them to the self-publishing costs of my next novel, and if this commentary is me burning a bridge – I say “burn baby burn.”

RED RIBBONS

2008-12-23T11:51:00.000-05:00

My version of a Christmas story -- a dark tale of love.

Kelly was having a hard time finding her Christmas spirit. Her kids were grown and living on their own and cared less about how she celebrated the holiday. They had significant others that took their time and attention. Her husband had no interest either and she found motivating herself by watching all the Christmas shows unsuccessful. This was the first year in her forty some odd years that the spirit of Christmas proved elusive. So much so that the pumpkin wind chimes and fall wreath that she had placed on her front porch in October, were still in place. Christmas Carols, her favorite music beginning on Thanksgiving Day had failed to entice her buying spirit. On December 21st just four days before that all-important day, there was no wreath on the door, no tree standing near the fireplace and no gifts purchased and wrapped. Bah-hum-bug was her attitude and she could find no way to change it.
“I’m not depressed. I’m just not into it this year.” She told her good friend Donna, over a cup of coffee at their favorite café.
“You aren’t going to do anything this year?”
“Nope. Nothing.”
“I don’t understand? You’re the woman we all try to emulate. From the handmade gifts to the home made treats, and dare I even mention the decorating and shopping. If you’re not depressed then what is it?”
“I don’t know. It just isn’t worth it anymore. I tried to give my children the perfect holiday and instill some tradition but their grown and uninterested, and I don’t want to do it alone.”
“But to give up completely?”
Kelly sighed and warmed her cold hands around her cup of coffee. “Maybe it’s time for a new tradition. Besides look at all the money I’m saving.”
“Like that’s an issue for you.” Donna shook her head and sipped her cappuccino.
“I know. I’m privileged and ungrateful. That’s why I’ve decided to make a huge donation. Someone who really needs it will benefit. Someone who appreciates the spirit of the holiday.”
“Does that mean you’re not going to have your Christmas party?”
“Not this year.”
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Everyone loves that party.”
“Sorry. Jack will be out of town and I’m just not interested but I did get you a gift.” She handed Donna a red envelope.
“Gosh, I feel honored.”
“Don’t, I only thought of it five minutes before you arrived.”
Donna opened the card to find a gift certificate for the Café they were sitting in. “Actually, it’s perfect. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I do value your friendship and these regular meetings are like therapy for me.”
“Me too, believe me. Me too.” Donna reached out and touched Kelly’s hand. “I’m a little worried for you. This is such a drastic change in behavior. Is anything else wrong?”
“You mean besides the fact that Jack is tied up with his new position at work and I barely see him anymore? No. It’s the same old same old.” She checked the time. “Speaking of Jack. I promised to pick up some Champaign for his Christmas party and drop it by the office. I better run or I’ll be late. His party is this evening and then he’s leaving on a business trip.”
“It’s almost Christmas. I thought work eased up a bit during this time of the year.”
“His new position has him even busier than ever. He’ll be home on Christmas Eve.”
“Then we better go. I have to run too. I still have some shopping to do before my flight leaves.”
“When will you be back?”
“After the New Year. I’m visiting my family for Christmas and then going to Florida for some fun in the sun. My Christmas present to me.”
“You deserve it.” Kelly hugged her good friend and they walked out to the parking lot. “Have a great trip and a Merry Christmas.”
“You too.” They parted ways.
• * *
Just five days later Donna stood over the body of her good friend and remembered their last conversation. Kelly lay in a beautiful gold coffin dressed in a crisp white suit. She looked as though she were peacefully asleep. “I’m sorry Kelly. I’m so sorry.” Donna told her as she reached in to smooth the blond hair around her face.
“Why, Donna. What are you sorry for?” Jack walked up behind her and touched her shoulder.
“She was my best friend. I should have been here. I should have been a better friend.”
“She loved you and you were a good friend. I’m the one who should ask her forgiveness.”
“I agree.” A deep voice sounded from behind them. “Please come with me. The both of you.”
They turned to face a man in a new but poorly fitted suit. He flashed his badge and ID. Detective Mirror stood before them. They looked one to the other and said in unison.
“Why?”
“Mr. Hart your wife was murdered. She didn’t commit suicide as originally thought. I need both of you downtown to answer some questions. If you please.” The hound dog looking man stepped aside and pointed down the aisle to the door. The rest of the mourners stood in silence as the Detective and his men took control of the room. “These nice gentlemen will escort you.” Two uniformed officers took each one of them separately to the station house.
In an interrogation room, Jack paced impatiently until Detective Mirror opened the door. “Please have a seat Mr. Hart.”
Jack complied and with his hands folded on the table in front of him, he waited for the next statement from the Detective.
Detective Mirror observed his suspect. Jack Hart was an impeccably dressed, clean-shaven man with salt and pepper hair and an attitude of annoyance. Mirror sized him up as someone who thought the world revolved around him. An egotistical, highly educated, more money than sense white-collar two-martini lunch slime ball. Clyde Mirror did not like the man who sat before him. “Mr. Hart who wanted your wife dead?”
“I have no idea.” His hands flew up with palms open as he sat back in his chair. “I assumed she killed herself. She’d been despondent, not interested in the usual Christmas celebrations or preparations. How do you know she was murdered?”
“We thought she took sleeping pills but they don’t show up in the toxicology report. Now a full autopsy will take place.”
“Then what killed her?”
“As soon as we know you will. Her body has been moved to the morgue.”
“This is unbelievable.”
“I’m just glad we discovered the truth early. It’s a quick turnaround. Barely thirty six hours after she’s discovered and you’re ready to cremate her.”
“Those were her wishes. She didn’t believe in embalming. Ask her attorney it was spelled out along with her will.”
“Yes, well the coroner is appreciative. It will allow us to find the evidence we need. In fact, let me check on his progress.” Detective Mirror got up to leave the room but turned back. “Mr. Hart when was the last time you had sex with your wife?”
“What. How is that important?”
“It helps us establish a time line, that’s all.”
“Gosh I don’t know. I flew out on the 21st maybe the night before.”
“You seem a little confused. Most men know that answer without thinking about it.”
“Sorry, if I’m not thinking clearly. You just told me my wife was murdered. I was trying to get a handle around suicide and now this.” Jack stood up.
“Okay, that’s fine. Just settle down. I’ll be right back.”
In another interrogation room, his other suspect waited. He entered and sat across from her. Donna seemed to shrink into her chair. With arms folded across her chest, she looked frail and frightened. His heart almost went out to her. Wide eyes set against flawless pale skin and surrounded with hair the color of a starless night. With one flip of his hand the file fell open and a picture of Kelly Hart taken in the morgue lay in full view of Donna. She saw it and pulled away in shock.
“Your full name is Donna May Firestone?”
“Yes.” She fidgeted.
“You seem nervous. Is there anything wrong?”
“No. I mean. I don’t know why I’m here.”
“You want to find the person who killed your best friend don’t you?”
“Yes, of course.” She did her best to relax and dropped her hands to her lap
“Good. Then tell me how long you and Mr. Hart have been having an affair?”
“What? What do you mean?” She began wringing her hands and found it difficult to sit still.
“Come on Ms. Firestone. We’ve already been to your apartment. We found his clothes hanging in your closet, and a picture of the both of you on a bedside table. I assume Mrs. Hart, your best friend, didn’t visit your place very often?”
Donna lowered her head to her hands. “I didn’t kill Kelly. I didn’t kill her.”
“Then you’re saying Mr. Hart killed her?”
“No, I’m not saying that at all!” Her head shot up and she looked straight into his eyes. She had the most beautiful deep purple eyes. He cleared his throat.
“Good because he was out of town that morning. We’ve already checked his alibi.”
“I was out of town too. I spent Christmas with my family.”
“Yes, we checked. You bought a plane ticket, actually, two tickets. One to set up your alibi and the other the one you used later that evening after you killed Kelly. You used the name Anita Jacobs on that flight. We’re certain it was you; the flight attendant described you to a T, including all the alcohol, you consumed. She says she’s never seen anyone so upset and determined to get drunk. In fact, she’s downstairs waiting for us to put a line up together. Do you think she’ll have a problem picking you out of the bunch, even without your red wig?”
“Shit!”
“Is that all you have to say?”
“What do you expect me to say?” Her nervousness was suddenly gone. She now appeared cool and collected.
“Well for one, why did you kill your best friend? And why in such dramatic fashion?”
“She was a bitch. A stupid, over indulged bitch who didn’t know how good she had it!”
“How do you mean?”
“I gave him everything. Everything she refused to, and yet he threw me over for her. I preformed the kind of sex he said she never would. I did all the things he liked. Three years of my life. Three years of being there whenever he called. All that time waiting for him and pretending interest in her problems. And what does he get me for Christmas? He dumps me and tries to send me on a vacation to Florida. Suddenly, she’s all he’s ever really needed. What am I chopped liver? The bastard.”
“Then why kill her if you’re mad at him?”
“I love him. I’ll always love him. I knew he’d grieve for a day or two but then he’d come back to me.”
“But she was your best friend.”
“She was a good friend.” She said thoughtfully. “I thought I was doing her a favor. She seemed so unhappy and honestly, she was blind to the truth. She blamed herself for everything and never saw Jack as he really was, in love with me.”
“So you murdered your best friend to get her husband, your boyfriend back?”
“Seems so petty but yes.”
“Tell me how you did it.”
“I went over the morning of Christmas Eve. I told her I had her gift, and wanted to see her before I left. She let me in and when we walked into the living room, I stuck her with a syringe of flecogyseem. It’s fast acting and leaves the body almost immediately. How did you know what killed her it’s supposed to be untraceable?
“The coroner found the needle mark but we took blood and urine samples the night she was found. Her toxicology report didn’t match the empty bottle of pills. We put two and two together. The officer on duty that night couldn’t leave it alone said he had a gut feeling it was something other than suicide. He documented everything and put a rush on the blood test.”
“So I screwed up?”
“In a big way, we found the syringe and the half empty drug bottle in your bathroom an hour ago. Why did you keep it?”
“I never thought you would figure it out. Every one believed it was suicide. I don’t know. Honestly, this was my first murder.”
“Continue with your story.” Detective Mirror sat back and waited while Donna explained the rest.
“While she was dying I went to the attic and got the Christmas decorations. Then I put up the tree and set out all the collections she had. All her stupid snowmen and those innumerable Christmas trees. She had more holiday junk than twenty people but I made the inside of her house look like she would have. No, I made it look better.” Her pride surprised Mirror, but at this point, her story mesmerized him.
“When Jack walked in that evening, I wanted him to find her in the subdued light of holiday candles and with soft Christmas Carols playing on the stereo. It was perfect! I even remembered to hang a wreath on the front door.
“You decorated her house, why?” Now the Detective was shaking his head in disbelief. This was a part of the crime even he hadn’t foreseen.
“I thought it would add to the appearance of suicide. Like she finally gave in to the Christmas spirit but was too depressed for it to have done any good. I knew she had those pills. I saw them in her purse at the Café and asked her about them. Her doctor had prescribed them to help her sleep. I looked them up on line and knew they would make the perfect tool for suicide. I just emptied them down the sink and left the empty bottle beside a glass. Since the prescription was just a few days old, I knew everyone would assume she’d taken the full bottle.
“Pretty cool thinking. Why didn’t you leave a suicide note?”
“I couldn’t match her hand writing and I knew that everyone was aware of her recent frame of mind. I just figured the scene would speak for itself.”
“Why put a red ribbon around her body and place her under the tree naked? Was this your gift to Mr. Hart?”
“In a way. The last time I spoke with her I asked her what Jack wanted for Christmas and she told me he’d said that he wanted her under the tree wearing only a red ribbon. He told me the same thing. Only when he said it to me, I was the one he wanted naked under the tree. Then two days later, he tells me it’s over. I was only trying to give him what he wanted. It’s what I did. What I’ve always done.”
Detective Mirror left the room and returned to the interrogation room that held Jack Hart.
“Well, Mr. Hart you’re wife’s murder is solved. The only thing I don’t understand is why you had sex with your wife after you found her dead?”

EXTREME MARKETING

2008-12-18T21:51:00.000-05:00

When you query an agent or publisher, one of the questions they want answered is. “Exactly what are you willing to do to market your novel?” Most authors would quickly answer “anything.” Even the first time author who does not have a clear understanding of what marketing means. I admit I had no idea what marketing was. I mean I understood what a book signing was, and even looked forward to the crowds that would line up just for my book and my autograph. Dreams are so wonderful but nothing like reality.

Not long after the launch of my book, I woke up. The dream faded in the harsh light of reality. It happened in a place where two books were sold in three hours as I sat at a book signing set in amongst the books shelves of my favorite bookstore. Total strangers looked at me as though I was a strange phenomenon instead of the famous author I saw myself as, at least until that day.

In reality, the world for a new author is a place where bookstore owners dread your call, and clerks dismiss you with “you need to have your publicist call us.” Publicist, but I’m the author?” The real world is harsh and with the proliferation of new writers and novels, it is not going to get better anytime soon. Publishers do not publicize unless you are a Koontz, Patterson, King or Rowlins and bookstores do not schedule book signings for the same reason, unless you are persistent and catch them in a weak moment.

If you want to sell your books, you have to do it yourself, and unless you are wealthy enough to afford your own publicist you must design, print, and distribute postcards, announcements invitations and find a database of contacts, book buyers, bookstores, and book reviewers. It is all up to you and if you are a typical writer, the only thing you really want to do is write. At least it is all I really wanted to do, but now I find myself asking total strangers if they like to read. And when they say no, I come back with. “But I bet you know someone who does.” Books make a great holiday gift, and for $10 – well you can’t go wrong.” Yes folks that is part of my spiel, do you think it the reason Walt always outsells me?

My novel Murder, Madness & Love is set in Anchorage, Alaska and Walt Honsinger, author of The Cabin a novel also set in Alaska have teamed up to do our book signings / sales. We are hoping to take advantage of the current curiosity about Alaska, thanks to Sarah Palin and her recent run for Vice-President. Our most recent collaboration was to book a table at a local Christmas Country Fair where craftsman sold unique gifts and holiday decorations.

While most of the Fair is held indoors, part of it always spills out doors due to the large number of participants. Since we were late getting our reservations made we ended up outdoors. Not usually, such a bad proposition here in Pennsylvania even in November unless it snows, is only 23 degrees, and the winds are gusting to 25 miles per hour. All of which happened this year.

However, being the troopers that we are we figured since our novels were set in Alaska, and since we had both spent a winter at 50 degrees below zero and in a winter wonderland of extremes we thought this would be a breeze. Okay, so it has been 30 some years since we were both there, and we are no longer young and foolish. Well, maybe no longer young is the more appropriate statement. Foolish might describe our idea, but when you consider that we each sold a good number of books despite the weather maybe, it was not so foolish after all.

The snow was blowing in squalls, the temperature with the wind chill was in the teens to single digits, and although dressed warmly I was as frozen as a snowman. Walt took it all in stride, barely wearing gloves, a hat or even a winter jacket he seems to still be acclimated to that 50 below weather of Alaska.

Folks were coming by in waves and while some of them were receptive to our story on this day, they would have preferred a novel about Hawai’i or somewhere, anywhere other than Alaska. It was too cold to even pull their hands from their pockets and make the purchase. They seemed interested, but unwrapping the blanket they were in was just too difficult and in that wind just simply not going to happen.

After an hour and no sales I went to warm up inside. Envious of all those sitting indoors where there was no snow blowing in 25 mile per hour gusts I hurried to get back to my partner and our cold quest. I was certain that the experience would be harder now that I had felt the warmth but my frozen toes and fingers had thawed, and I was ready to tackle the frozen wallets of the shoppers.

As soon as I arrived back to the table Walt exclaimed – “No, go away. Take another walk. Drink another cup of coffee. While you were gone, I sold five books. Three of yours and two of mine.”

“Wonderful.” I was thrilled, but honestly considered going back indoors. I could not complain. After all, I was staying warm and still selling books, but I stayed and did my best to drum up business. I mean the gauntlet was thrown. I was determined to win this challenge.

However, the weather changed for the worse. The gusts got stronger, the sun completely disappeared and the folks across the midway from us all packed their belongings and left. These folks had set up elaborate stands filled with Christmas crafts, jewelry, blankets, and other essentials. In addition, they had warm jackets, comfortable chairs and blankets to wrap themselves up in, but it was not enough. The weather had beaten them and they were going home after barely two hours.

Walt and I were determined, or too stubborn to admit how cold we really were. Which, now I will admit. I was frozen. Walt, like I said before seemed be taking it all in stride. I was determined not to succumb. After all, I had survived four years in Alaska, one winter on the North Slope during a time when the temperatures reached 74 below. Happy Valley Camp just a hundred miles south of Prudhoe Bay experienced some of the extreme weather and I survived that. How could I not manage this few hours on a November day in Pennsylvania?

It got to the point that I was no longer aware of the cold. I was shivering, shaking so bad it was visible, and I could barely fold my fliers. Walt noticed and brought it to my attention. “Go inside your frozen solid. Warm up. I’ll watch things.”

He was right. I needed to get warm. I had actually gotten frostbite when I was in Alaska. It is not something ever really heals. My fingers begin to feel the effects of cold weather when it hits 40 degrees. At 23 degrees they were like frozen appendages, with no real function except the numbing pain of severe cold. Walt was winning the challenge and I was wimping out.

I went inside as Walt suggested leaving him in the cold and blowing snow. I found a warm building where I pretended interest in all the sights while my flesh thawed. I met a cartoonist and poet and invited him to the Lancaster Writers Meeting. When I walked back outside to join Walt, I was still about twenty feet from the table when I heard. . .

“Noooooo. Go back inside. The sun came out and I sold 5 more books.”

This time I was certain that I was a curse to our quest. Did I chase folks away instead of entice them with my great sales pitch? What was it that Walt had and I didn’t?

I mean he is a strong handsome man, and granted he had written an adventure novel based on his true-life experience, but what was wrong with me? I was beginning to feel slighted, unappreciated, and useless as a saleswoman, but he was right. The sun was out the temperature had risen and folks were streaming by.

It only made me more determined to sell a book, and I did, eventually. It was Walt’s book, which made me feel much better about my place in our partnership. We sold five more books after that and all while I was present. We handed out 100 flyers and some of those brought folks back to the table to buy the books before they went home that day. A greater achievement will be to have those flyers returned with orders for more books.

It was a great experience, a fun Saturday and a lesson in extreme marketing. So all you agents and publishers alike, Walt and I are willing to do just about anything, anywhere to make that sale, to introduce our novel to the buying public and to win the challenge out of stubbornness or foolishness. Therefore, no matter the weather, come rain, wind, and snow we will market our novels to the buying public, with humor, appreciation, and hopefully a little humility.

A Person Who Gets It!

2008-12-15T09:40:00.000-05:00

Introducing

Avil Beckford

Author of

TALES OF PEOPLE WHO GET IT

Renee’s Book Talk

December 18, 2008 @ 8:00 PM EST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

(347) 215-9536

An alumna who really gets it

By Matthew Fox

Many authors write books on personal development thinking they are the experts. Not so for Avil Beckford, BComm’91. When she wrote such a book, she sought insight from people from all walks of life—business leaders, cancer survivors, coaches and accountants.

“I wanted answers to the questions I had for the interviewees,” the Toronto-based Beckford says. “And I figured if I wanted to know the answers, likely other people wanted them as well.”Beckford’s recently published book, Tales of People Who Get It, is an extension of her regular newsletter, Ambeck Edge for Ambeck Enterprise, her business information research, analysis and writing services company.

In it, she interviews 34 people, including journalist Claire Hoy, business leader Purdy Crawford, business consultant and academic Joseph Martin, and Reelworld Film Festival founder Tonya Lee Williams. Beckford groups the interviews into five sections: leadership; change management; innovation; personal beliefs and “getting what we need.”

Each interviewee describes a challenge, its resolution, lessons learned and more personal observations such as major regrets, favourite quotes and influential books. Beckford includes her own insights, a section for self-evaluation and, tucked away in an appendix, she answers her own interview questions.

“Writing this book transformed me,” Beckford says. “The interviewees are my invisible mentors.”Beckford notes that the same themes kept arising from the interviews, despite how diverse her sources were. “We are not as different from each other as we think,” she says. “To be successful, you have to be passionate, focused and engaged in continuous learning—that’s the foundation of personal fulfillment.”

Beckford hints at the possibility of a future edition given that she continues to interview engaging people. She recently spoke with Linda Hollander, an entrepreneur and consultant known as the “Wealthy Bag Lady,” and Beckford hopes to one day connect with Richard Branson and Warren Buffett.

Tales of People Who Get It and its workbook companion, Journey to Getting It, are available at www.ambeck.com. Beckford has just shot a video promoting the book for YouTube and is planning a book launch in her native Jamaica later this spring.

Join us for an interesting conversation!

Renee 2008 Top Ten List + One

2008-12-03T11:37:00.000-05:00

I am recommending these books for your reading pleasure and as the perfect gift for this holiday season. Give the gift of reading this year!

Please note – I have labeled each genre and listed them alphabetically. The reason I have done this is because all these books are number one – each one shines as a great work by the author.

Below is the link for the Tuesday nights show where I discussed each one!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2008/12/03/renees-top-ten-list-for-2008-1

# 1 Children’s Literature
The Smartest Little Artist by Tonya Lambert

#2 Historical Fiction
Wai-nani: Chiefess of Hawai’i by Linda Ballou

#3 Horror
Bad Moon Rising by Jonathan Maberry

#4 Literary Fiction
The Cabin by Walt Honsinger

Mystery
#5 Tremolo-Cry of the Loon by Paul Alan Lazar

#6 Night Crimes by Judith Colombo

#7 Non-Fiction
Tales of People Who Get It and Journey to Getting It is its accompanying workbook by Avil M Beckford

#8 Science Fiction
We, Robots by Sue Lange

#9 True Crime
Silent Scream by Yvonne Mason

#10 Urban Fiction
Strawberry Mansion – A Philadelphia Story by Julia Press Simmons

#11 Poetry
The Answer to Life’s Questions by Carey F. Grimstead

AN HAWIIAN ADVENTURE

2008-11-06T14:31:00.000-05:00

WAI-NANI -- HIGH CHIEFESS OF HAWAI’I
HER EPIC JOURNEY
by
Linda Ballou

Before I interview an author, I read their novel. My next guest Linda Ballou will be on my show November 20, 2008 at 8:00 PM EST.

Her novel WAI-NANI -- HIGH CHIEFESS OF HAWAI’I HER EPIC JOURNEY is a beautifully written epic about a strong independent woman. It is a history lesson written with care and heart about a remarkable people during an amazing time. The character of Wai-nani was inspired by the Queen Ka’ahumanu, the favorite wife of Kamehameha the Great.

Linda has caught the beauty, mystery, and heart of the Hawaiian culture. I found this book both educational, and inspirational, a seductive journey through time and to a place of great beauty and history. A must read for all those who enjoy romance, strong women, and history.

Below is a professional review written by Barbara Sharp Milbourn – someone who knows what they are doing when they sit down and write about another’s work. ENJOY!

Wai-nani: Voice from Ancient Hawaii
A review by Barbara Sharp Milbourn

Travel writer and photographer Linda Ballou delivers a generous slice of Hawaiian history with details of land and sea so vivid, it is almost better than being there.

Wai-nani: Voice from Ancient Hawaii is a meticulously researched account of the Hawaiian Islands around the time of Captain James Cook. The major theme of the novel is the dismantling of the social hierarchal system based on kapu (taboo) that had been brought to the Islands by the Tahitians years before. But what a story!

Meet Wai-nani whose character is based on Ka'ahumanu, favorite wife of Kamehameha the Great, unifier of the Hawaiian Islands around 1810. She is a young woman of royal descent so at home in the sea that she thinks of herself as half sea creature. Her comfort in the water is juxtaposed to her conflict on land, particularly her resistance to the kapu system. We accompany her as she leaves home and meets Makaha (Kamehameha) two hundred years ago when chiefs in feathered capes and tattooed warriors battled for island dominion, priests read the future in pig entrails, men and women ate in separate houses, and human sacrifices were commonplace. We know her and her people, and we connect to place through stunning details of mamo birds, koa trees, 'ie'ie flowers, and taro fields. We drink the bitter 'awa, trek up steep palis, peer into smoking volcanoes, and wave slide bearded monsters.

Much changed with the arrival of Captain Cook, the death of Kamehameha, and the pressure brought to bear on the system. But some things are eternal—love, the circle of life, and the grand and vibrant sea.

The author’s reverence for the land and its people inhabits her words. Linda Ballou is a new voice from ancient Hawaii.

Barbara Sharp Milbourn is a writer and editor living in Nashville.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

2008-10-31T14:21:00.000-04:00

I have written one of my first stories in what I hope to be a memoir of my experiences in Alaska. It is called FIRST IMPRESSIONS -- I have posted it on my web site under the Tab labeled Alaska just go to http://www.yolandarenee.com or check out The PolkaDotBanner http://www.polkadotbanner.com and read it there. The Polka Dot Banner site is another site to advertise your novel and get more exposure as an author, check it out!

But to entice you to read my story I have posted the first couple of paragraphs below -- ENJOY!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

My initial impression of Alaska was influenced by the views that went on for miles, the countless pine trees; magnificent snow covered mountain ranges, and an endless blue sky, but along with the Alaskan wilderness and its beauty came my first introduction to prostitution.

As a twenty year old, I was naïve, so much so that I seldom if ever got the punch line to a dirty joke. My boss used to love to tell them just to see me blush. One afternoon he stopped by my desk and I knew what was coming just by the grin on his face but I was determined I would get the joke this time. I listened intently to his delivery.

"A father and daughter were talking, and the father says – I found a prophylactic on the patio this morning."

Not wanting to screw up yet another of his jokes I stopped him. "What is a prophylactic," I asked innocently? It was a word I had never heard, and I wanted the definition so I would understand the joke.

My boss stared at me – his face held shock, and disbelief, and he immediately turned on his heel and walked back to his office.

He had never reacted that way before and it floored me, but the rest of the room was on the floor with laughter. One co-worker took pity on me and quit laughing long enough to explain that the punch line to the joke was.

"The daughter looks at her father and says, 'Dad, what is a patio?"

They all split their sides laughing, but the joke was once more on me. Mainly because I still didn't get it, at least not until I got home and could look it up. The one good thing to come of this incident; my boss never told another dirty joke in my presence.
_____________________________________________________

Another note of importance if you missed Yvonne Mason on Renée's Book Talk last night you have got to listen to the story of her true crime drama SILENT SCREAM. It is one interesting novel and Yvonne is an extremely interesting lady – you have to meet her!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

YVONNE MASON ON RENEE'S BOOK TALK!

2008-10-29T13:02:00.000-04:00

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008 @ 8:00 PM EST

SILENT SCREAM THE LATEST NOVEL FROM RENOWNED BOUNTY HUNTER AND AUTHOR YVONNE MASON!

Yvonne Mason the author of the newly released true crime drama SILENT SCREAM is on Renee’s Book Talk 10/30/08.

Famed author Yvonne Mason will appear on the BlogTalkRadio show “Renée’s Book Talk” (http://blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee) with host Yolanda Renée on Thursday October 30, 2008 8:00 PM Eastern. The exclusive interview will highlight Yvonne’s latest release “SILENT SCREAM.”

Callers are welcome to join the conversation during the show by calling (347) 215-9536. The live, Internet talk-radio show will stream from the host page at http://blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee.

Yvonne is a licensed bounty hunter for the state of Georgia, a motivational speaker, Blog Talk Radio Host, and the Promotions Manager for Triad Productions. Her philosophy in Life is to Pay it Forward – “In this life we all have been helped by others to attain our dreams and goals. We cannot pay it back but what we can do is ‘pay it forward.”
Her book SILENT SCREAM is the true story of Gerard Schaefer the trusted police officer and the maniacal serial killer. The screams which have been silent for thirty four years are no longer silent. They now have a voice.
July 1972 Nancy Trotter and Pamela Sue Wells were taken to a remote area on South Hutchinson Island in Martin County tied, gagged, and hung. They were left to die. But they managed to escape. This escape led to an investigation of a crime that before 1972 had no name. Law enforcement was in uncharted waters.
Nancy Trotter and Pamela Wells were just two of the nine known and possibly as high as 34 unknown victims. They ranged from Fort Lauderdale Florida to Europe and N. Africa.
Silent Scream finally gives the victims a voice – Their screams are no longer silent and with that voice comes peace.

Yvonne has signed with Kerlak Publishing. Brilliant Insanity and Tangled Minds will be re-released through them.
Join us on Thursday night for an interesting discussion with an interesting personality!
Contact Yvonne at:
www.myspace.com/authorsdream57
www.myspace.com/yvonnemason

My Contribution to Halloween and Reel Splatter Films

2008-10-21T12:10:00.000-04:00

WHEN ZOMBIES ATTACK

by

Yolanda Renée

“What are you doing?” Mike asked as he came through the living room rubbing his hair dry with a towel.
“Reading this book. Jonathan Maberry’s latest novel, Zombie CSU the Forensics of the Living Dead.
“You’re kidding. I thought you found the subject boring”
“I do. How can you read this drivel? He interviews the world’s top authorities on how to survive a zombie attack – as though there will ever be such a thing. And people like you read it. You need to grow up Mike, really!”
“Angie, Angie, Angie.” Mike shook his head and rolled his eyes. “They’ve proven zombies exist – voodoo rituals and all – so they do exist.”
“Drug induced maybe – but none of them have ever eaten a human being!”
Mike sat down on the couch next to her. He kissed her lightly on the forehead. “Okay so maybe it is a little juvenile, but it’s a hobby, besides you collect guns and call yourself a survivalist. What are you getting ready for World War III?”
Angie threw her arms around his neck. “Touché, we’re even. I’m a survivalist and you’re a zombie hunter. We’ll call it even. I will admit the book is well written. It caught my attention because of the survivalist mentality of it.”
She kissed him soundly. “Have you finished it?”
“No, I just got it. I'm not a voracious reader like you.”
“Well, the best arsenal against them is the gun. Shoot them in the head, besides they move slow enough – it shouldn’t be that difficult to survive an attack.”
Mike smiled broadly. “Now that’s what I like to hear. I’m going to Lancaster tonight. Gary and the guys are having a beer, zombie fest. We’re watching NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Why don’t you join us, it should be fun!”
“No, you go ahead. If it weren’t for the farting contest you guys get into, I might have considered it.”
“I can ask them to forgo the contest.”
“And ruin their chance to embarrass me, I don’t think so. They would agree until they got drunk and then any promise would be out the window. No thanks.”
Mike picked up his keys, kissed her goodbye, and walked out the door. Angie curled up on the couch and continued reading.
Startled awake by the fall of her book to the floor, Angie went to the kitchen to get a drink. She returned to the couch and picked up the remote. She muted the sound and prepared to channel surf but all she found was news. The clock chimed midnight. The news should be over, what happened to Saturday Night Live? She kept channel surfing but even HGTV had the news on. She unmuted the sound. Guess I should find out what the big deal is.
Mary Jane Finney was reporting. “Police are telling all residents of Pennsylvania to stay away from Three Mile Island. Something has gone terribly wrong – and that’s all they will say. On the eastern side of the Susquehanna River, the military is patrolling. No one is getting in and no one is getting out. The status of those in the red zone is unknown.” Angie muted the television as she tried to digest the news.
She nervously got off the couch knocking her drink over onto the rug. Torn between getting a towel to clean it up and running to the window to look out onto her world, she rushed to the window. She switched on all the outside lights. They lit up the yard but then one by one they exploded. She grabbed the phone to call Mike as she ran through the house securing the windows and doors. The phone was dead and suddenly the electricity went out. She stood alone in the darkness. Her heart pounded, sweat covered her body, and a chill went up her spine.
Think Angie, think! She moved toward the desk drawer with the flashlight and the battery-powered radio. Neither one worked. She searched for batteries, found an empty package, and threw it angrily against the wall.
Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she realized that the moon was full. Moonlight will have to guide me. No, the night goggles. They should be here somewhere. She found them and walked to the picture window to look out over the yard securing them over her eyes. Fear made her shake and she wrapped her arms around her chest as she stared into the night. I told Mike living near Three Mile Island would be a mistake. Am I supposed to stay put or try to leave? What made those lights explode? Is it safe to go outside? Her mind filled with questions but not the answers.
She stared into the night. Something is moving in those trees. She moved closer to the window and saw flashes of moonlight reflecting off something in the bushes. She squinted to get a better look. Her eyes finally adjusted to the goggles. What are the Richards doing out there at this time of night?
Her eyes grew wide as she watched their slow and lumbering movements. They barely picked up their feet and their bodies swayed from side to side. “No!” She looked away.
She looked back in time to see them break through the bushes on the left side of the yard. Zombies! No, it can’t be. I’m dreaming. It’s just a nightmare. She pinched herself. It hurt, and nothing changed. She realized it was no dream. She watched as they moved towards her house. The yard began to fill with them, the Cranes, the Eddies, the Donners, and many more, all neighbors.
It’s not a dream. I’m living the nightmare!
What to do, what to do? She thought and nervously wrung her hands. Calm down, calm down, she told herself as her eyes made out the book Zombie CSU, lying on the floor by the couch. Suddenly it all came flooding back to her. She knew exactly what to do and quickly ran to the den.
Mike, why aren’t you here? I need you. I need your promised protection! No, Angie. You need to take care of yourself, just as you always have.
She unlocked the gun cabinet and took out the entire contents – a rifle, shotgun, and two handguns, a thirty-eight, and a forty-four. She loaded each gun. Her hands shook. She dropped a few bullets on the floor. They rolled away in the darkness. She took a deep breath. Calm down, breathe. You’ll need every one of these and the last one has your name on it. Remember, it’s better to take a bullet to the head, than to watch them eat you. “Thank God, I read that book.” The sound of her own voice comforted her in the silence.
As she loaded each gun, her confidence returned. She filled her pockets with the ammunition and gathered her weapons. She moved toward the attic but stopped suddenly, hesitating. Food, water, don’t forget the essentials. She told herself and headed to the kitchen to get the supplies that would insure she would not die of hunger or thirst. You have no idea how long this siege will last before rescue.
Halfway to the kitchen she heard glass breaking and realized, it was already too late. She turned and ran for the stairs. She stumbled over the book her anger mounted and she was tempted to kick it aside. Instead, she picked it up. I might need its advice.
In the attic, she hurried to the window. She looked out over the front yard. The monsters shuffled slowly toward her. How do they know I’m here? Do they smell their prey? No, you idiot. You turned on the outside lights; you let them know you were here. Note to self, if I survive, learn to maneuver in the dark!
She laid out her weapons and put the ammunition for each in a separate place, and then she began to move the dusty furniture and boxes against the attic door. She had a sneezing fit and wiped her nose on her sleeve. “So much for manners. I should have gone with Mike to the farting contest.” She giggled without the joy.
Note to self, prepare survival kit in advance – tissues, food, water, ammunition, and a steel door on the attic entrance. If I were a true survivalist I would have already been prepared, she scolded herself. Finally finished she returned to the window. The zombies seemed to be multiplying as they poured continuously across the large yard. Time to take a few of you out! She suddenly realized she would have to open the window but fear stopped her.
What if the air is contaminated? Well, either this will give me unlimited access or the air will rush in and turn me into one of them. She took a deep breath, removed the window, and tried to hold her breath but fear made her breathe deeply. She waited, nothing happened. I’m still human. “Get ready to meet your maker, you zombie shit!” She yelled as she started shooting.
She fired the first five shots.” Dead on. Take that you stupid beasts!” The shots came faster and faster as she used each gun. Sweat poured from her brow when the last gun emptied. She wiped her forehead with dirt-covered hands and calmed herself as she reloaded.
Her ears rang from the loudness of the shots but she still heard the noise from below. The monsters were in the house. Breaking glass and splintering wood caused the bile in her stomach to rise to her throat. She hurriedly finished reloading. Suddenly the attic door rattled. They had found her and panic almost made her drop the gun. She looked outside to see a few of the zombies munching on their fallen comrades. She quickly shot them in the head and when the lawn looked like a battlefield with dead in silent repose, she turned toward the attic door. With her guns reloaded and by her side she waited among the old furniture, hiding the best she could from the fiend’s intent on having her as their midnight snack.
The sound of their slow but steady attack on the old wooden door began to drive her crazy. “What. You want me to open the door. Assholes just get it over with!” She waited for the inevitable. They finally broke through and she stood up calmly shooting each one as their head appeared through the attic opening.
“Die! Die! Die,” she shouted repeatedly as she took them out one by one. “Yes! God yes! I might just survive this!” After an hour, it became quiet. There were no more zombies to shoot. The noise in her head dissipated. She glanced out the window. The dead lay where they fell. She listened and nothing moved in the house. For the first time she relaxed. All I have to do is wait for the rescuers. Now just don’t fall asleep. She picked up the book, squinted in the subdued light, and tried to make out the words. Read, Angie, read. Do anything but don’t become complacent.
“Angie. Come on honey. Wake up. Are you all right?” Mike shook her gently by the shoulders.
“Slowly she awoke. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her from the floor.
“God, Angie. I’ve been so worried. I borrowed Gary’s camouflage gear and snuck in to find you. I knew you would survive, with all those guns. I knew my girl; my survivalist would make it through!”
He hugged her tightly and she hugged him in return.
“Angie, are you all right?” She must be in shock he thought. “It’s all right, Angie. They’re all gone. You took everyone out. Just like the book said. One good shot to the head and they die.”
Her hold on him got stronger.
“I’m sorry baby that I left you all alone but I’m here now. Come on let’s get to Lancaster.” He tried to break his hold but she would not let go. Her head rested on his shoulder, her arms were around his, and she held on for dear life.
He held her tightly, trying to understand the horror she had been through but knowing the danger of being caught in the area. “We have to go babe, I brought you a uniform so we can get out without any questions. Come on hon. we have to go!”
Suddenly, she bit off his ear and swallowed it whole. Her hold around him was super human. He was helpless as she ripped into the side of his face. He went limp with disbelief and shock as she tore the skin from his cheek and devoured it like candy. He sank to the floor and she sat atop him, holding his arms down at his side as she tore open the soft skin of his belly. He prayed for unconsciousness. However, he was still awake when she pulled out his intestines and smiled with delight as they hung disgustingly from her teeth. He watched in horror and amazement but had no strength to fight, as she slurped noisily through his insides.
So much for Jonathan Maberry and Zombie CSU, he thought as his remaining eye spied the novel lying on the floor beside her gun; covered in his blood.

Check out Reel Spatter Films @ http://www.reelsplatter.com/

YVONNE MASON ON THE ODD MIND

2008-09-21T12:34:00.000-04:00

DON'T MISS THIS SHOW!

BRILLIANT INSANITY by author YVONNE MASON

CHECK ANGELLESA's SCHEDULE FOR DATE AND TIME

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/angellesa

Call (347) 945-7025 to speak to Yvonne!

Yvonne Mason is the author of Stan’s Story, Tangled Minds, and Brilliant Insanity released in July 2008, and Silent Scream to be released this fall.

Yvonne is a licensed bounty hunter for the state of Georgia, a motivational speaker, Blog Talk Radio Host, and the Promotions Manager for Triad Productions. Her philosophy in Life is to Pay it Forward – “In this life we all have been helped by others to attain our dreams and goals. We cannot pay it back but what we can do is ‘pay it forward.”

In her book Brilliant Insanity Louis Reinhart has five days to live before he is injected with the lethal cocktail. Louis Reinhart has been given permission to tell the world his side of the story. The Fort Pierce Sentinel has agreed to send a reporter to interview Reinhart. However, Reinhart has been very specific as to which reporter he will agree to talk see.

Her name is Mandy McQuaid. She is a rookie reporter. This is her first job and she is stuck in the obit section of the paper. Even though the Editor is not happy about Reinhart’s request, he sends Mandy to conduct the interview.

Reinhart has his own agenda. He believes he was justified in his quest for retribution and he wants to share it with the world. Not only does he want to share it with the world, but it is very important that he share it with Mandy.

As Reinhart draws Mandy into his web of lies, and narcissistic behavior one wonders where the next bend in the road leads. What surprises, what evil will pop out to shock and amaze even the most seasoned reader.”

As of today, Yvonne has signed with Kerlak Publishing. Brilliant Insanity and Tangled Minds will be re-released through them with the possibility that they will also publish her next novel Silent Scream.

Join Lesa for an interesting discussion with an interesting personality!

Contact Yvonne at:
www.myspace.com/authorsdream57
www.myspace.com/yvonnemason

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RENEE’S REVIEW

BRILLIANT INSANITY

Yvonne Mason

BRILLIANT INSANITY written in the words of a maniacal killer makes this a thriller you will find impossible to put down. It is an interesting look at the thoughts, justifications, and reasoning of a man convicted of the brutal death of one victim but the perpetrator of many more.

Yvonne Mason has captured the persona of genius gone horribly wrong. The story is a page-turner with characters skillfully drawn and crimes beyond imagination. The ending has a twist that will surprise the most profound criminologist. This is an excellent read from a skilled writer.

I'M FED UP AND I WANT ANSWERS!

2008-09-20T12:33:00.000-04:00

I read online yesterday about a car that gets 65 miles per gallon and it is a Ford. It is the 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic and goes on sale in November but not here in the United States! It will be sold only in Europe.

Why? Because it uses diesel, and Ford America President Mark Fields thinks most Americans are turned off by that fact. In addition, because this car is made outside of the United States they do not feel they can import it and make a profit selling this car to Americans.

I just want to know why? Why isn’t the technology to produce a vehicle with the MPG capability already here in the US? I ask this question because several years ago we owned a Geo Metro. A car that got 40 to 50 MPG and they simply quit making them. The point is – that at one time they did and the gas mileage was phenomenal, compared to what is out there now! (My husband drove this car 2700 miles across country and it cost him $68.00 – of course that was in 1998) Still, my point is, why if they could do it then – why aren’t they doing it now?

I’m fed up. It’s asinine it’s ridiculous and it’s disheartening that we live in a country as capable as the United States and we are so behind on what matters most. We have people dropping dead on a daily basis from a lack of medical care. Yet when a financial firm goes bankrupt, begins to fail – a business whose only concern is the bottom line and we the tax payers are going to bail them out. We can save a business – heaven forbid we save a human life! Heaven forbid we care more for our fellow men than our pocket books. Heaven forbid we rebuild a city in our own country destroyed by Mother Nature, before we rebuild a war torn city in another.

Why are our own citizens less deserving? Why do the poor only get poorer? Will this election really see change – or will we prefer to see it all fall down around our ears before we begin to take the stand we all know needs to be taken?

Just my thoughts, my questions on a Friday night – do you have any answers?

TONYA LAMBERT CHILDREN'S AUTHOR

2008-09-14T12:17:00.000-04:00

RENÉE’S BOOK TALK

with

Tonya L. Lambert author of

THE SMARTEST LITTLE ARTIST

Thursday – September 18, 2008 @ 9:00 PM EDT

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

Call (347) 215-9536 to speak to Tonya!

Tonya has been writing since she won a prize in second grade in the Young Author’s contest. She has written for newspapers and magazines for approximately 3 ½ years and recently published her first book, a young adult inspirational fiction book called MEANT TO BE.

THE SMARTEST LITTLE ARTIST is her second book. She has always had a love of art and photography and taught a preschool art class at her local recreation center. She wanted to create this book THE SMARTEST LITTLE ARTIST to teach children about art through fun projects and creative writing. She lives in Virginia and her daughters are very excited about Mom writing a children’s book.

“This book is the first in a series, called THE SMARTEST LITTLE ARTIST. The series is designed to foster a love of poetry, literature, creative writing, photography and various forms of art in children. It will to help stimulate creatively and help children learn, while having fun at the same time.

It features children’s stories, poems, artwork, and illustrations that kids can color and photographs, and encourages kids to create their own expressions. It is very interactive and encourages parents and grandparents to do activities with their kids. It is educational in two ways – it stimulates their intellectual side as well as their artistic one.”

Tonya lives in Virginia. Her daughters are very excited about Mom writing a children’s book. Join us on Thursday night for a fun and entertaining conversation with a children’s author and very artistic Mom.

Join us on September 18th to discuss a unique creative inspiration for children and adults through all artistic pursuits by a talented writer.

Tonya’s Published Writing
Make a Resolution to Save a Life, The Colonial Heights Patriot (newspaper),Jan 9, 2005
Nursing Riddles, Advance for LPNs Magazine (print version), May 29, 2006
A Donation of Life, Advance for LPNs Magazine(print version), June 26, 2006
Have No Fear, Advance for LPNs (online version), July 1, 2006
Find the Hidden Message, Advance for LPNs Magazine(print version), Sept 18, 2006
Fall, (a poem), Vain Magazine, (print version and featured on website,callmevain.com), Nov 2007
You Might Be a Nurse if… Advance for LPNs Magazine (print version), Nov 2007
The Right Place at the Right Time, Advanceweb (online, now on staff), Jan 29, 2008
That New-Nurse Smell, Advanceweb, Feb 7, 2008

Contact Tonya at:
Myspace; http://www.myspace.com/momnursewriter
E-mail: nurseytonya@yahoo.com

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

RENEE’S REVIEW

of

THE SMARTEST LITTLE ARTIST

by

Tonya L. Lambert

THE SMARTEST LITTLE ARTIST – Book 1 – The Many Faces of Friendship, is a fun, artistic romp through the many facets of creativity – writing – photography – painting – drawing – poetry and short stories. It engages the reader whether six or 60. My only wish was that I had been given such a gift as a youngster. Parents or grandparents can use it with their youngest as a book to read or give it as a gift to the aspiring artist. Better yet give it as a gift and maybe inspire a hidden talent!

The stories are interactive, the pictures to be copied or colored and the poetry is a rhyme all children can learn and sing.

I enjoyed this book of creativity and look forward to the next in the series. Thank you Tonya for your inspiration – keep teaching and writing!

THE HAUNTING

2008-09-13T11:59:00.000-04:00

The room is completely dark. The only light comes from the digital clock sitting on the nightstand. I can only sleep in complete darkness, complete silence, and even then it is a hit and miss proposition. I suffer from insomnia and a good night’s sleep is a rare thing. Tonight I am physically and mentally exhausted. After a day of carrying and placing furniture, unpacking and tearing down boxes, the only room I completed, and the most important, is the bedroom. I fell asleep instantly.

Suddenly awake I open my eyes and listen intently. A noise, unusual and not the floorboards, not the door, is my mind playing tricks on me? The walls could be creaking in this old house. I hear it again; someone is in the room with me. “Who’s there?”

No answer, yet I know someone is with me. Fear begins its assault. I’m on my back and frozen in place. This person moves closer and I can’t see them but I can sense them. Suddenly she is beside me, looking down at me. The light from my digital clock reflects off the blonde hair circling her face. Dark round orbs drill into my eyes.

“What do you want?” I manage to ask.” She just stares. Her head moves closer to mine, I can’t take my eyes off hers. Her face gets closer. “Help me! Help me!” I scream. My voice fades as my heart slows to a stop.

I no longer suffer from insomnia. My new home, my new bedroom with its dark wood floors, ancient carved wood work with my large king size bed covered in white organza, soft pillows and comfortable blankets sits unused, at least by me. I walk the floor; the only sound I make is the soft swoosh of my gown against the wood. I no longer suffer from insomnia. Now I seek out the dark. I wait patiently for the night, stay hidden in the shadows, and cry tearlessly for my life.

As a ghost, I no longer suffer. I roam between four walls waiting for the next insomniac, waiting for the next darkness seeker. Only light keeps me away. Only the light can save you from my stare. When you look into my eyes death is all you’ll see, your death and my release.

A SIMPLE POLITICAL QUESTION!

2008-09-12T12:01:00.000-04:00

I never talk politics or write it for that matter. It’s sort of a personal thing. Everyone has an opinion so I don’t like to run sway over the thoughts of others and start arguments. However, I do have a question.

Why is it wrong to offer tax credits toward education, or even free education to those young folks who volunteer to serve their country by volunteering to spend a year or more in say the Peace Corps? Why is it only appropriate for the folks who volunteer for military service? Some of our youth aren’t cut out for military service but would do wonderful in a more humanitarian role. Why isn’t it a good investment in the future of our youth?

I don’t understand that stance at all, in fact I don’t understand when the government goes to hand out it’s billions more isn’t spent on education, medical needs, or just simply the well being of its own citizens. Don’t get me wrong I don’t believe in the current welfare system, it’s a necessary evil, but it’s broken and doesn’t solve any of the problems poverty causes. Why are our politicians so wrapped up in buying the rest of the world what their citizens need and ignoring its own?

A good investment in the American people would do wonders for the future of this world. All its citizens, especially our youth deserve the opportunities a good education promises. Especially since education and its cost are almost prohibitive. I paid my own way – but today that isn’t as easy. Coming out of school with a mountain of debt is not a great way to start a life!

Just a simple question and both politicians running for President have an opinion. Obama is for education for service. McCain is against it. What do you think?

ANOTHER PET PEEVE -- ACTUALLY SEVERAL!

2008-09-11T14:59:00.000-04:00

This pet peeve is based on a recent experience. My husband Terry had surgery on Wednesday in an outpatient clinic – you know one of those day surgery centers. The newest version of the Ford assembly line idea, get them in, naked, cut them open, sew them up, wake them up and send them home!

Anyway, it is a good thing I guess, because I abhor hospitals and the costs are kept down, but the service does leave something to be desired. For instance: we told everyone connected with my husband’s surgery – doctors, surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists – everyone—how awful Terry reacts to anesthesia. So what happens when we get there? They all act shocked and surprised to find out he has a bad reaction to anesthesia. This was my first indication it wasn’t going to be an uneventful day but not the last.

That came when the anesthesiologists suggested he could write a prescription and that I could run to the pharmacy down the road to get it filled. It was a patch similar to Dramamine, that wouldn’t even begin taking affect for hours after the surgery. I looked at my poor husband – both of us were astounded that they didn’t have the right medication on hand – I know he isn’t the only person in the world to experience such bad reactions. My husband vetoed the idea – he knew he would be sick immediately upon waking and a patch that wouldn’t even work for several hours didn’t sound like a great idea. I’m sure because he was certain they would wheel him away and I’d be out on the road when he needed me. The next suggestion was more invasive but it did work. He’s doing fine and did not have the same reaction as before. In the past, he was sick with nausea, vomiting, and dizziness for days. This time he woke up hungry.

But my real aggravation yesterday was the fact that when it was all said and done, they sent me home with a person who was so out of it he doesn’t even remember the trip home. And my favorite – a list of do’s and don’ts, which included this order in capital letters – DO NOT LEAVE THIS PERSON UNATTENDED FOR 24 HOURS—and yet they give you a prescription for the pain medication. THE PAIN MEDICATION!

The one item this individual is going to need right away is a hand written note that you have to take to a pharmacist. Which means you have to leave this patient alone while you travel back to town to fill a prescription – that -- by the way they did not even fill out correctly – Therefore, a phone call had to be made, a doctor tracked down and the correct information deciphered. While I wait – while my husband waits – home alone – just hours after having surgery.

Why can’t they give you the medication in pill form – at least enough for the first 24 hours? Why do they tell you not to leave this person alone and then require you to run to town to fill such a necessary item? Or at least call it in so you can pick it up on the way home – which would take less time and would only leave the patient alone for several minutes instead of an hour while you try to achieve your goal – hoping beyond hope they sleep through your absence and don’t wake up in severe pain.

Maybe this is no big deal to folks who live in town or down the street from the hospital, pharmacy or doctors office, but we live in the country and going to either of these places is a trip of miles and time!

Okay, so I’ve vented! Terry is doing fine – and my new occupation of nurse is going to be short lived – Thank goodness!

Although, Terry is forbidden to have sex for a month so I have him on suicide watch. LOL!

Renee's Book Talk on September 11th

2008-09-10T19:18:00.000-04:00

Rick Gelinas joins BlogTalkRadio host Yolanda Renée on “Renée’s Book Talk” September 11, 2008 at 9:00 p.m. EDT

Author of “The Vengeance Trap,” a novel he co-authored with his wife under the pen name A. L. Hansen, and founder of the charity Books for Boots, Rick will discuss his novel and how his charity helps wounded soldiers.

Winter Haven, Florida – September 8, 2008 – Famed entrepreneur Rick Gelinas will appear on the BlogTalkRadio show “Renée’s Book Talk” (http://blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee) with host Yolanda Renée on Thursday, September 11, 2008 9:00 PM Eastern. The exclusive interview will highlight Rick’s novel “The Vengeance Trap” and the charity he created called Books For Boots www.booksforboots.org

Callers are welcome to join the conversation during the show by calling (347) 215-9536. The live, Internet talk-radio show will stream from the host page at http://blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee.

Rick Gelinas along with his wife are the co-authors of “THE VENGEANCE TRAP” they chose the pen name Axel & Linda Hansen giving them the single name A. L. Hansen. “THE VENGEANCE TRAP” is an award-winning novel where star-crossed lovers meet, lust, and have two sons. But deep love is trapped in their hearts because these two passionate adventurer’s lust for revenge and power. Love must wait!

“This exclusive interview with Rick Gelinas is a must-listen for any writer or fan,” said Renée, host of the program. “Rick is also a co-founder in 2007 and now national director (volunteer) of Books for Boots, a 501-1(C) (3) program that encourages authors and publishers to donate cash and uncirculated new books of exceptional quality. The books go to wounded American war heroes in VA hospitals nationwide. The cash goes to VA hospitals to be used for emergency needs of the patients, which can include assistance for poorer families to make bedside visits. NOTE: Books for Boots (B4B) has no payroll and no fixed overhead. It is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors. See B4B at www.booksforboots.org

An archive will be available at the same link immediately following the show or listeners can subscribe to the archives via the RSS feed located on the host page. Read more about the host and the discussion on Renée’s blog at http://www.yolandarenee.blogspot.com

About “Renée’s Book Talk”

“Renée’s Book Talk” is an interactive, live Internet talk-radio show that focuses on authors and writers of all genres and mediums. Host Yolanda Renée explores the careers, advice, writing style and personality of each guest. Callers are encouraged to call (347) 215-9536 to listen or ask questions. The stream and archives are available at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee. The show is live every Thursday night at 9 p.m. Eastern/ 6 p.m. PT. The show is hosted on BlogTalkRadio.

About BlogTalkRadio

BlogTalkRadio is a free, web-based platform which allows any user with a phone and a computer to host a live, interactive Internet broadcast. Hosts call into the service by phone, managing callers on the web-based host dashboard. Shows stream live directly from the host’s BlogTalkRadio web page with archives available for all past shows. BlogTalkRadio has been featured on ABC News, The Washington Post, Portfolio, Talkers Magazine, and TheStreet.com. The citizen broadcasting network can be found at http://www.blogtalkradio.com.

Press Contact

Yolanda Renée
(717) 361-4128
yolandarenee@hotmail.com

A. L. Hansen author of THE VENGEANCE TRAP

2008-09-05T13:38:00.000-04:00

RENEE’S BOOK TALK
with
A. L. Hansen author of THE VENGEANCE TRAP

September 11, 2008 @ 9:00 PM EDT

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

Call (347) 215-9536 to talk the author!

Rick Gelinas along with his wife are the co authors of THE VENGEANCE TRAP – they chose the name Axel & Linda Hansen therefore the A. L. Hansen penname.

“THE VENGEANCE TRAP is an award-winning novel where star-crossed lovers meet, lust, and have two sons. But deep love is trapped in their hearts because these two passionate adventurer’s lust for revenge and power. Love must wait!

This is a typical love story – however these lovers are anything but typical! As children they suffer the most horrible loss: both families murdered!
She is a commando; she must leave her man and kids, and AVENGE the murder of her parents and her brother. He is a shipping magnate who gets rich on both sides of the law—gun-running is his hobby. It is only as they fight off great evil and learn to be good parents that our gal and guy heal their wounded hearts, discover who they really are, and learn to feel true love.”

Rick is also a co-founder in 2007 and now national director (volunteer) of Books for Boots, a 501-1(C)(3) program that encourages authors and publishers to donate cash and uncirculated new books of exceptional quality. The books go to wounded American war heroes in VA hospitals nationwide. The cash goes to VA hospitals to be used for emergency needs of the patients, which can include assistance for poorer families to make bedside visits. NOTE: Books for Boots (B4B) has no payroll and no fixed overhead. It is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors. See B4B at http://www.booksforboots.org/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RENEE’S REVIEW

THE VENGEANCE TRAP
by
A. L. Hansen

In 1983, a woman warrior and her passionate pirate start you on a roller coaster ride around the world as they learn what true love is. You start in Ireland, and soon you are into the culture and color of many lands around the globe.

On their mad adventures, our star-crossed lovers conquer the lust in their hearts. This romance/adventure, titled The Vengeance Trap, is the first release of The Vengeance Trilogy. The protagonists, Kathleen O’Toole and Omar Jabri, struggle under a huge challenge. Both their families were murdered. She lusts for revenge. He lusts for power. Kathleen wants to punish the terrorists who murdered her family. Omar wants to be so powerful that no one will ever again be able to take his loved ones away from him--which makes him an insanely jealous lover.

Because their hearts are distracted, the love they feel for each other suffers. Two children are born. Kathleen wants to be a good mom. Omar wants to give his sons a real family. But neither wants to give up their lust. Result: conflict, big time. It’s the kind of family saga you don’t want to put down. It takes you to exciting places with nonstop action, suspense, and passion. A great read! I recommend this book and look forward to the next in the series.

Chapter One of The Vengeance Trap can be downloaded free of cost at http://www.readourbook.com/. Book two of this trilogy, titled The Vengeance Twist, is due out in 2009.

MEET THE NEW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF C.L. FREIRE

2008-09-03T10:51:00.000-04:00

C. L. Freire joins BlogTalkRadio host Yolanda Renee on “Renée’s Book Talk” September 4, 2008 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern

Noted tween fantasy author will discuss her new job as Editor-in-Chief for TREI Literary, the online magazine.

Famed tween fantasy author C. L. Freire will appear on BlogTalkRadio’s show “Renée’s Book Talk” (http://blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee) with host Yolanda Renée on Thursday, September 4, 2008 9:00 PM Eastern. The exclusive interview will highlight C. L. Freire‘s new job as Editor-in-Chief of TREI Literary, the online magazine as well as the successful marketing of her novel DAVID THORNE: The Golithian Orbs due to be released on October 1, 2008.

Callers are welcome to join the conversation during the show by calling (347) 215-9536. The live, Internet talk-radio show will stream from the host page at http://blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee.

“This exclusive interview with C. L. Freire is a must-listen for any writer or fan,” said Renée, host of the program. “Her successful marketing campaign has entertained and fascinated Myspace readers worldwide. Now as Editor-in-Chief for TREI Literary C. L. is giving writers a new voice in which to showcase their art. We hope to answer some of her fans’ biggest questions” and give all writers insight into new publishing opportunities.

An archive will be available at the same link immediately following the show or listeners can subscribe to the archives via the RSS feed located on the host page. Read more about the host and the discussion on Renée’s blog at http://www.yolandarenee.blogspot.com/

About “Renée’s Book Talk”

“Renée’s Book Talk” is an interactive, live Internet talk-radio show that focuses on authors and writers of all genres and mediums. Host Yolanda Renée explores the careers, advice, writing style and personality of each guest. Callers are encouraged to call (347) 215-9536 to listen or ask questions. The stream and archives are available at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee. The show is live every Thursday night at 9 p.m. Eastern/ 6 p.m. PT. The show is hosted on BlogTalkRadio.

About BlogTalkRadio

BlogTalkRadio is a free, web-based platform which allows any user with a phone and a computer to host a live, interactive Internet broadcast. Hosts call into the service by phone, managing callers on the web-based host dashboard. Shows stream live directly from the host’s BlogTalkRadio web page with archives available for all past shows. BlogTalkRadio has been featured on ABC News, The Washington Post, Portfolio, Talkers Magazine, and TheStreet.com. The citizen broadcasting network can be found at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/.

###

Press Contact

Yolanda Renee
(717) 361-4128 yolandarenee@hotmail.com

C.L. Freire author of David Thorne: The Golithian Orbs

2008-08-30T05:54:00.000-04:00

RENÉE’S BOOK TALK
with
C. L. Freire, Author of DAVID THORNE: The Golithian Orbs

September 4, 2008 @ 9:00 PM EDT

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

Call (347) 215-9536 to speak to the author.

C. L. Freire will appear on Renee's Book Talk to discuss her novel, DAVID THORNE: The Golithian Orbs, an edgy, tween fantasy about a boy's desperate fight to save the life of the first friend he has ever had...a man charged with murder. She will also be discussing TREI Literary, the online magazine for writers, for which she is Editor-in-Chief.

C. L. has used her MySpace page and blog, countless networking sites around the web, and subsequent interviews on Blog Talk Radio to turn her debut novel into a marketing phenomenon. Pre-Orders for DAVID THORNE: The Golithian Orbs were launched on the night of June 30th, during another broadcast appearance on Blog Talk Radio. The book will officially be released on October 1st.

C. L. has been writing since the age of thirteen, and, in her late teens, threw herself into writing scenes and short stories. Five years ago, she set out on writing her eight-part fantasy series. Now, before her first novel hits the market, some have already called her the next J. K. Rowling. C. L. says that writing is a mind bending obsession, and as all writers, dreams of being on the NY Times Best Sellers List. She currently has the first two novels in the series completed, and is hard at work on the third, in addition to running TREI Literary Magazine.

She has been quoted on Myspace as saying, "Give me the atmosphere of a dark city street, where the subtle noises that hang in the air remind me that I'm part of the world."

How to reach C. L
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/clfreire TREI on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/trei_literary

A TRUE STORYTELLER!

2008-08-28T23:08:00.000-04:00

Aaron Paul Lazar is true storyteller and his book Tremolo – Cry of the Loon, is testament to that skill!

Below is the link to his interview on Renee’s Book Talk -- Listen to it and listen to the first chapter of his new book Tremolo – Cry of the Loon the prequel to the LeGarde Mystery series. This was one of the most enjoyable hours I’ve spent in a long time. I know you will say, but you say that after every show. How can we believe you now?

True and I don’t deny that I have said it before – I have enjoyed each show, I do enjoy each show and the reason – because each show introduces another individual with a true talent. Aaron’s talent is in his telling of a great story, with the descriptive voice to take you to the place his characters are. I am amazed at each show with the talent, the artistry, the sense of pride each and every guest has for their work and the talents they exhibit in their writing.

I share these shows with you because I hope you will take the time to listen and learn, and as I do appreciate the individual journey to success. Writers are awesome folks and I consider myself very lucky to be in the enviable position to interview them on a weekly basis. Thank you one and all.

Just listen, and you’ll see!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/YolandaRenee/2008/08/29/Aaron-Paul-Lazar-Author-of-Tremolo-cry-of-the-loon-1

It's Mystery Night on Renee's Book Talk!

2008-08-27T17:19:00.000-04:00

RENÉE’S BOOK TALK

August 28st, 2008 @ 9:00 PM EDT
with
Aaron Paul Lazar author of TREMOLO CRY OF THE LOON

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

Call (347) 215-9536 to speak to the author!

It is another mystery night on Renée’s Book Talk, on Blot Talk Radio join me for a discussion with Aaron Paul Lazar regarding his latest in a mystery series.

Thomas Fortenberry, literary critic wrote: “Reading Lazar’s books is like listening to a symphony. There is a gentle harmony that slowly builds, one instrument at a time, as characters and places are introduces and events unfold.” Read the entire review at www.thomasfortenberry.net.

Then stop by and be part of the discussion by calling (347) 215-9536. Also a contest will be held – the winner will receive a copy of Murder, Madness & Love written by the host Yolanda Renée!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RENEE’S REVIEW

Tremolo-cry of the loon by Aaron Paul Lazar

“In this coming-of-age mystery set in the Belgrade Lakes region of Main, young Gus LeGarde witnesses a girl being chased through the foggy Maine woods. She’s scared. She’s hurt. And she disappears. “

This story brought back happy memories of childhood fun. Gus is a typical preteen, but also selfless and brave. As a prequel to the LeGarde Mysteries it sets the scene for the future, and Gus’s foray into the world of solving mysteries. It was a fun and yet scary romp back to a time many will relate to. It took me back to my favorite series, the Nancy Drew mysteries and a time in life that was both exciting and world changing. This is a nostalgic and entertaining read.

So I couldn't sleep -- what else was there to do?

2008-08-26T12:34:00.001-04:00

SINS

As darkness falls
the truth seeps in
The reality stark
the pain unbearable

Dreams once bright
become clouded and dim
The failure haunts
the emptiness uncharitable

As sleep eludes
in the overpowering gloom
Actions are rehashed
the mistakes declarable

Direction is gone
hope is forever lost
Prayers are voiced
the sins unforgivable

Mystery writer Aaron Paul Lazar

2008-08-22T20:18:00.000-04:00

RENEE’S BOOK TALK

August 28st, 2008 @ 9:00 PM EDT
with
Aaron Paul Lazar author of TREMOLO CRY OF THE LOON

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee

(347) 215-9536

Aaron Paul Lazar, columnist and author of the LEGARDE AND MOORE MYSTERY series, lives in Upstate New York. After writing in the early morning hours, he works as an electrophotographic engineer at Kodak in Rochester, New York.

DOUBLE FORTE is the founding book of the LEGARDE MYSTERY series and was released in January, 2005. UPSTAGED, the second book was released in October, 2005. His third, TREMOLO: CRY OF THE LOON, was released by Twilight Times Books under the Paladin Timeless Imprint in the fall of 2007. Watch for HEALEY’S CAVE: A SAM MOORE MYSTERY AND MAZURKA, the fourth in the LEGARDE MYSTERIES, in 2008. Aaron is currently working on his 13th book, tentatively entitled, “THE AVIARY.”

He is a regular columnist for Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine, Voice in the Dark literary journal, and frequently writes for the Absolute Write newsletter.

Thomas Fortenberry, literary critic wrote: “Reading Lazar’s books is like listening to a symphony. There is a gentle harmony that slowly builds, one instrument at a time, as characters and places are introduces and events unfold.” Read the entire review at www.thomasfortenberry.net.

Join me for an interesting discussion with a man of many talents! Remember to ask a question directly to the author just dial – (347) 215-9536.

Contact him at:

E-mail: aaron.lazar@yahoo.com
Website: www.aplazar.gather.com
Website: www.legardemysteries.com
Website: www.mooremysteries.com
Blog: www.aaronlazar.blogspot.com
__________________________________________________________
RENEE’S REVIEW

Tremolo-cry of the loon by Aaron Paul Lazar

“In this coming-of-age mystery set in the Belgrade Lakes region of Main, young Gus LeGarde witnesses a girl being chased through the foggy Maine woods. She’s scared. She’s hurt. And she disappears. “

This story brought back happy memories of childhood fun. Gus is a typical preteen, but also selfless and brave. As a prequel to the LeGarde Mysteries it sets the scene for the future, and Gus’s foray into the world of solving mysteries. It was a fun and yet scary romp back to a time many will relate to. It took me back to my favorite series, the Nancy Drew mysteries and a time in life that was both exciting and world changing. This is a nostalgic and entertaining read.

DEFENDING THE PEN

My Views

The Widow's Walk League by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

My Review

Collaboration Creates!

Meet Blues Musician Ken Tucker

You Can't Beat FREE!

Author, Producer, Host -- Meet The Mortal Vampire -- E W Bradfute

Everything you ever wanted to know about eBook Publishing!

Murder, Madness & Love Released at EZRead.com!

What Would You Do If You Were Told You Had Alzheimer's?

What Would You Do If You Were Told You Had Alzheimer's?

Renaissance Man and Author Walter P. Honsinger

Learn all about Travel Writing with Author Linda Ballou!

Poetry -- A form of expression direct from the heart!

It's All About Intrigue, Money, Love, and Betrayal!

The Elite Equals the Most Brutal of All

THE NAZI ELITE = THE MOST BRUTAL

The Monsters Walk Among Us!

True Crime Drama reveals the monsters that walk among us!

".You need help...and ...the wisdom to know that it’s valuable."

Bosley Gravel Author of THE MOVIE

JANUARY INTERVIEWS

THE MEANING OF SUCCESS!

AN ADVENTURE WRITERS BEST

WISHES AND DREAMS

Here's Your Shopping List!

BUYING MURDER

My list of favorites for the Year!

A very worthy cause -- stop human trafficking!

My Favortie Author

It's All About PUBLISHING!

Sports - Love - Murder -- Run At Destruction has it all!

Angels of the Seventh Dawn by Frank E Bittinger

There is no Halloween without Zombies!

A journey in the Wilderness!

A Conversation with poet Cynthia (Cindy) Parker

All Her Artistic Endeavors including Romance!

My favorite horror author Thom Futrell aka T. G. Reaper

Darren Poole on CONVERSATIONS with RENÉE

Mystery Author Nancy Lynn Jarvis on Conversations with Renee

A Healing Hawaiian Holiday!

Author, Attorney -- Ellen M. Kozak

LENA YADA -- WOMAN EXTRAORDINAIRE!

Was it Plagiarism? Disuss it on Premium Views

Vacation -- who has time for a vacation!

Support the Troops -- Donate your Books!

Love Among the Stars!

Inspiration -- something we can all use!

I Could Seriously Use Your Help!

IT'S JUST A STORY!

Remember - the touch, the taste, the angst - the sex?

If you fought the battle and lost -- you're ahead of the game!

OPEN YOUR IMAGINATION AND MEET THE FEY!

REVIEW OF SPLATTERED SCREAM

Scream Queens and Splattered Beauty

Silent Scream, Dream Catcher and other News!

How Would You Write It?

Mexican Bowl Fishing & William Douglas Little

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE!

SCIENCE FICTION IS WHERE IT’S AT!

RAMBLING!

MARKETING!

ZOMBIES, ZOMBIES, AND MORE ZOMBIES

What I've Learned Since My Last Post

I BEG TO DIFFER!

RED RIBBONS

EXTREME MARKETING

A Person Who Gets It!

Renee 2008 Top Ten List + One

Recommended Reading & Holiday Gifts for 2008

AN HAWIIAN ADVENTURE

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

YVONNE MASON ON RENEE'S BOOK TALK!

My Contribution to Halloween and Reel Splatter Films

YVONNE MASON ON THE ODD MIND

I'M FED UP AND I WANT ANSWERS!

TONYA LAMBERT CHILDREN'S AUTHOR

THE HAUNTING

A SIMPLE POLITICAL QUESTION!