Friday, July 25, 2014

And the Indie Author showcase continues with Robin D'Antona

Welcome back everyone! I'm excited to introduce this next Author to you because she is a personal friend. While Robin D'Antona may not be a fiction author I think we can all benefit from her expertise in bullying prevention. She is the co-author of the recently released 

Bullying Solutions: Learn to Overcome from Real Case Studies. 


A little about Robin:


Robin D’Antona, Ed.D. is an educational consultant and adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University. She conducts trainings, workshops and seminars nationally for school districts, after-school programs and other groups training parents, teachers, coaches and practitioners about bullying prevention. Robin is a National Certified Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Trainer.


She serves as an expert witness and reviews case documents and advises parties in bullying cases.

Robin is recognized as a dynamic lecturer and keynote speaker. She speaks nationally about bullying, cyber bullying and school safety at leading conferences and at symposiums at Harvard Medical School, Boston University Medical School and at Salem State University.

 

She is a founding Board Member of the International Bullying Prevention Association, which supports research-based best practices in bullying and violence prevention in schools. Robin has conducted and published research on the effects of bullying, bullying in athletics and cyber bullying.


She is an advisor to Sesame Street Workshop and was a consultant to the nationally distributed video production Words Can Work: Bullying True Stories. Robin has appeared as an expert on bullying prevention on WGBH-TV, WBZ-TV, CNN, and HLN news. She has been featured in articles in People Magazine, The Boston Globe and other publications.

Robin is a nationally regarded author on the issue of bullying. Her books include:

·       Bullying Solutions: Learn to Overcome From Real Case Studies (Barrons Publishers. Release date 6/2014)

·       Tackling Bullying in Athletics (Rowman and Littlefield Publishers 2010);

·       101 Facts About Bullying: What everyone should know (Rowman and Littlefield Publishers 2008)   

  • The Comfort Zone: Bullying Prevention in After School Programs  (Bryson-Taylor Publishers 2008)
  • Breaking Through The Line – Bullying and Athletics (1999)

I was lucky enough to get Robin to answer a few questions for all of us.


WMR: How did you get started writing?
Robin: Actually I do not consider my self a writer – I just like to talk about things that I feel passionate. I started writing informational pamphlets for a target audience – patents, teachers and youth. This gave me experience and confidence to continue writing. I find the process of writing difficult – I feel like I have so much to say but it is challenging to put that on paper.  I find that once I get started I have to work until I have completed a section so that can mean long hours. Other times I just do background work to help me prepare. When I am stuck - I play solitaire on my computer. It clears my head and I can go back to writing with a fresh perspective. 
For me writing is a process not an event. I often will be thinking of things I want to say at times when I am away from my computer, so I keep a notebook of what seem to be random thoughts. Then when I am putting together a chapter, I often refer to that notebook for ideas.

WMR: Why did you choose the subjects you have?
Robin: Actually my subject chose me – after the tragic death of my son from bullying over 20 years ago, I became interested in bullying prevention.  Writing became an outlet to understand and heal. At the same time, it felt good to be proactive to help people be aware of the devastating impact of bullying and to provide tools for prevention. Now since bullying has become such a national topic, I look for areas related to bullying that have not been previously addressed.  I was one of the first to write about bullying in athletics which was and still is considered an area where bullying does not exist.
When you are presenting a proposal to a publisher, one of the first things they want to know is: what other books have been written on your topic.  So it is good to check that out before you begin writing. Look for a new topic or new angle on a topic that has not been previously published.

WMR: What do you hope to accomplish with your books?
Robin: I want to send a message of prevention and hope. Bullying has been going on for as long as there were children on a playground but it does not have to continue as long as we are aware, proactive and teaching children about kindness, empathy and self-respect.

WMR: Do you prefer to co-author or work on your own?
Robin: Actually all four books I have written have been with co-authors. It is great to be able to brainstorm and write with someone else, even when they live out of state. We are careful to be certain that the work has flow and is written in one style. That is crucial since when writing styles are mixed it may feel choppy to the reader. Right from the beginning we work out the details of how we will work together.
Then we map out the chapters in detail, giving the book an overall plan. In the last book my partner, Mike Carpenter, gathered all the personal stories of bullying and I handled all the writing of the problem solving key points as well as the suggestions for parents. We both edited the manuscript before we sent it to the publisher’s editor.

WMR: What do you like the most about being an author?
Robin: It is a great way to get out a message. I write best when I am “talking”, so I try to write as if I am having a conversation with someone. That way I feel as if I am being myself, and hopefully the reader will feel as If I am talking to them directly.
Writing has made me a better listener. Everyone has a story of bullying – either as a target, bystander or the one who bullies. Every time the topic of bullying comes up, people tell about me their personal experiences because it is such a universal topic. Talking helps them deal with their feelings and it gives me a greater perspective of the issue that I hope I can bring to my work.

Snippet from book:
It has been said that “knowledge is power.” In instances of bullying, knowledge of how others dealt with the problem can be an empowering tool for someone in a similar situation. Bullying Solutions compiles 40 real-life examples of various types of bullying and explores how they were confronted. These are not scientific case studies, but rather detailed illustrations of actual events. Some have a good outcome, others were not resolved successfully. By reviewing the actions of parents, school administrators, children, and others involved in the bullying cases, readers will benefit from the “lessons learned” from the mistakes of others in handling or even recognizing a bullying problem.
You can find Robin D'Antona on the web at http://www.stopbullyingma.org or on Twitter




Friday, July 18, 2014

Indie Author Spotlight ~ J. Aleksandr Wootton

Welcome back everyone! 
Thanks for stopping by to check out the latest installment of my Indie Author Showcase. 
Today Wolf Majick Reviews is happy bring J. Aleksandr Wootton to the spotlight. I have had the pleasure of reviewing both novels in his series, although I can't seem to find the review post for the second one. (I will keep looking and post a link later) Anyways if you enjoy Fairy lore or anything about the Fay you should pick up this series.

A little about J. Aleksandr Wootton

J. Aleksandr Wootton is a Virginian and a bookworm, in the Tolkienic meaning of 'worm' as 'dragon' - he hoards books in shelves and spare rooms and likes to sleep surrounded by them.

In his spare time he chairs the Folklore Studies department at Lightfoot College, where his research focuses on post-war Faerie.



WMR: First off could you explain to our readers a little about the “worlds” you have created?

Jack: The world I've been exploring in my Fayborn series is an awful lot like our world. The only difference is - and I bet you didn't know this - most of us have fairies somewhere in our family trees.

See, centuries and centuries ago the Fay nearly destroyed their world, Faerie, in a civil war. The survivors fled to our world, and have been living and fighting here in hiding ever since. You can't record anything true about them - old enchantments keep that from happening - but most fairy tales and folk legends were true histories of real events, real meetings between humans and fay, until somebody wrote them down.

So we're not completely sure what happened in the past, but we do know one thing - there are thousands of Fayborn refugees here on earth - some who know their heritage, some who don't - and they need to get home, to heal Faerie, before their power and legacy fades away completely.
WMR: Is there anything you hope readers will take away from your work?
Jack: I hope they have fun getting caught up in Petra's adventure... and I hope they enjoy meeting their old friends from beloved classics and familiar fairytales for new adventures. 
I hope the Fayborn series helps readers take a second look at the everyday world around us - there's more magic here than we give it credit for.
WMR: How long have you been writing?
Jack: Since I was 8 years old. I published my first novel in July 2012, though I've published shorter works before that.
WMR: Do you have a favorite character to write? What about the hardest character?
Jack: Sometimes the characters you didn't create yourself are the most challenging - it's great to spend time with them again, but you've also got to be sure you understand them well enough so that they stay "true to themselves" for readers. Toad from The Wind in the Willows and Wormwood from The Screwtape Letters both have parts to play in the Fayborn series, and I've enjoyed writing them very much.
But of course, I have soft spots for my own characters, especially Petra, my protagonist - a girl who turns out not to be ordinary. Petra suddenly discovers that fairies are real, that they need her help... but helping them might mean becoming a slave, forever, to the man who's been stalking and harassing her family since before Petra was born.
WMR: Where can readers find more information about you and your books?
Jack: My website, www.jackwootton.com
WMR: Do you have any suggestion for aspiring writers?
Jack: Read good writers; read what good writers write about writing; and write, write, write.
One really helpful resource I was introduced to recently is the podcast Writing Excuses - I highly recommend it!
WMR: What is the hardest thing about being a new author?
Jack: Figuring out the right balance of marketing/outreach for published projects while forging ahead with new writing projects. There's no trick to it - you just have to keep up with both!

J. Aleksandr Wooton's Work

Her Unwelcome Inheritance  (Fayborn, #1)
Paperback ISBN: 978-1491291009
ebook ISBN: 9781301949687
August 18 2013

The Eighth Square  (Fayborn #2)
Paperback ISBN: 978-1492860945
ebook ISBN: 9781301752799
October 8 2013

A First or Final Mischief  (Fayborn, #3)
Wootton's current project - coming soon!
Release Date TBA

Forgetting: impressions from the millenial borderland
Paperback ISBN: 978-1494448318
ebook ISBN: 9781311237439
December 10 2013

Friday, July 11, 2014

Author Spotlight : Kate Evangelista

Well its Friday again so you know what that means…
Wolf Majick Reviews would love to welcome Kate Evangelista author of New Adult, Romance and YA Novels , to our Indie Author Showcase.


A little about Kate
When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department and never looked back. Today, she is a graduate of De La Salle University - Manila with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature. She taught high school English for three years and was an essay consultant for two. Currently she writes full-time and is based in the Philippines.

I was excited to have Kate take part in my Author showcase after having read her novel Taste. Now I haven't gotten a chance to read her other work but I absolutely loved Taste and can't wait to read a few more by her. Being a good sport Kate even took the time to answer a few interview questions :)



WMR: First off could you explain to our readers a little about the “worlds” you have created?

Kate: There are so many of them. Where to start? The real deal is each world belongs to the characters. I build them based on the descriptions my characters give me as they tell me their story.

WMR: Is there anything you hope readers will take away from your work?

Kate: Enjoyment. When I write, my hope is my readers will enjoy the stories of my characters. Reading is an escape. When readers pick up one of my books, I hope I can give them that.

WMR: How long have you been writing?

Kate: Of and on since high school, but professionally? A little over five or six years. Time moves so fast, I can’t seem to keep track anymore.

WMR: Do you have a favorite character to right?

Kate: Bedlam. You will meet him in my NA novel coming out from Entangled Embrace called Impulse. Watch out for that one. It’s a wild ride.

WMR: What about the hardest character?

Kate: It would have to be Phoenix from my debut novel. I wasn’t as confident as a writer then so I think I didn’t do her justice.

WMR: Where can readers find more information about you and your books?

Kate: My website is the best place to start: www.kateevangelista.com

WMR: Do you have any suggestion for aspiring writers?

Kate: Finish the manuscript. Remember, there isn’t a story if you don’t finish what you’re writing.

WMR: What is the hardest thing about being a new author?


Kate: All the waiting. Looking for an agent involves waiting. Looking for a publisher, too. Then there’s the waiting involved when you’re getting ready for publication. Basically, lots and lots of patience is needed when you’re a new author.




Check out Kate on the Web at
www.kateevangelista.com
Twitter
GoodReads
FaceBook