Sunday, September 30, 2007

Pamela Kinney Author of Haunted Richmond


Pamela Kinney, the author of Haunted Richmond, visits Muze's Musings today. She is only a couple of hours from me and I believe we will both be attending the writers' conference, Book Em on the 20th of October. I asked Pamela some questions about her book and I'll share her answers with you.

1 - What made you decide about Haunted Richmond, Virginia?

My editor, Dinah Roseberry was a member of Mid-Atlantic Horror Professionals like me and she just got the job as head editor of the paranormal section. She asked the horror authors on the MAHP forum if anyone wanted to write for Schiffer Books. I decided why not, so wrote up a proposal for Richmond and sent it. They accepted it.

2 - Did you meet any especially interesting people in your research? If so, would you tell us about one or two?

The couple that owns the business, Haunts of Richmond http://www.hauntsofrichmond.com/ that's the first chapter. For this attraction they do a haunted house, and later added the ghost tours. They even have their own ghost in the business. Sandi Bergman knows a lot about the local ghost stories and lore of Richmond. And another interesting person is the owner of Wrexham Hall. She uses this haunted house for her wedding/reception business. And she has proof that the lady in red actually showed up for a wedding--was in the couple's photo with them!

Actually many people I interviewed were all interesting and I like to thank them for making this so easy for this author to interview them.

3 - What's one of the most interesting stories you discovered in your research?

The Richmond vampire. That's his tomb on the cover. How his legend started with the train buried under the hill in Shockoe Bottom (another, very interesting story in the book) and how for years thanks to that story people would try to break in his tomb at Hollywood Cemetery and try to stake him. They finally had to remove his body and his wife's to undisclosed location so the break-ins would stop.

4 - What is one or two of your favorite things about the Richmond area?

Hollywood Cemetery--as it is a gorgeous place to tour. And that there is so much ghostly stuff going on in this city, plus loads of history.

5 - Do you plan to write other “Haunting” books in the Virginia area?

I hope to write a book on legends and myths of Virginia. Started collecting stories and more for this too. Working on an urban fantasy right as have chance to pitch to an agent end of September, but plan to start working on this end of October.

6 - I see on your website that you have a lot of appearances, can you tell us about your favorite experience with a reader?

That people do come looking for me. It's still unbelievable to me. Like the nice man who's on my MySpace, came looking for me at Dragoncon. I got to talk with him. And someone from the yahoo groups I'm with came too. I enjoy hearing by email from readers, or by comment on my MySpace, that they enjoyed the book. Anyone who gets Haunted Richmond, Virginia, or any of the fiction I write, please do email me and let me know how you liked it. PamelaKKinney@comcast.net .

7 - Have there been any especially difficult situations with the public?

The only time was when I was still writing it. Some lady who also exercised at Curses as I do said she didn't understand why anyone would write about ghosts who weren't real and that maybe I should come to her church. In other words, she stated his disbelief, but hinted that maybe I was doing devil's work. I asked her if she believed in angels and devils, and she said yes, so I said, “If you believe in them, then you believe in spirits.” Then I told her I go to a Catholic Church, but thank you for the offer of visiting her church. With nothing else to say after that to me, she got in her car and drove away. That was the only bad experience I had.

8 - What advice would you offer to a new author who wants to write a book about “haunting” experiences?

To do as an author friend, Deborah Painter told me, not only double check your facts, triple check it. And from me, have fun, for there's loads of interesting stories to find out there, anywhere.

9 - Would you like to tell us about Travel Guide to the Haunted Mid-Atlantic Region Anthology? It seems that the two books would work well together for people who want to learn about the paranormal in Virginia and other areas in the mid-Atlantic region.

It's a collection of horror stories by various horror authors, all set in the mid-Atlantic region only. Mine, “Plagued”, starts at the Maryland Ren Fest and ends in Richmond. It's a 'be careful what you buy at odd shops' tale. Other super authors in the anthology are Elizabeth Massie, who does great Southern horror and who won the Bram Stoker award twice, my editor, Dinah as D.P. Roseberry and other super authors. You can now find the anthology up at http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Guide-Haunted-Mid-Atlantic-Region/dp/1411680677/ref=sr_1_1/103-0687312-5804636?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186091830&sr=1-1 .

10 - You write in a number of different genres. Are you planning to move into any other genres, or to stay in these chosen genres? If you do plan to branch out, what genres are you thinking about?

Right now, I write horror, fantasy, science fiction and erotic and sweet romance (as Sapphire Phelan), plus these nonfiction ghost books, and that is it. I always thought I would be able to write mysteries too, years ago, but for now, no. But who knows what my future may hold and what I may do.

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Winners of Free Books From the Blog Tours

I promised to post the winners and I just got the list ---

Winners of Free Books from September '07 Authors on Tour!
On behalf of the September '07 authors on tour, I would like to thank all the kind comments that were left on their tour stops. It just goes to show you that people are still reading and love winning books!

The winners chosen at random are:

Nick Oliva has won a copy of Yvonne Perry's book, RIGHT TO RECOVER: WINNING THE POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS WARS OVER STEM CELL RESEARCH IN AMERICA!

Blackroze37 has won a copy of Hazel Statham's book, DOMINIC!

Malcolm Campbell has won a copy of Scott Zema's book, THREE STEPS TO INVESTMENT SUCCESS: BUYING THE RIGHT ART, ANTIQUES, AND COLLECTIBLES!

Yvonne Perry has won a copy of Nick Oliva's book, ONLY MOMENTS!

Yvonne Perry has also won a copy of Dwayne G. Anderson's book, PARTIALLY HUMAN!

Yvonne Perry has also won a copy of CJ Maxx's book, COMING BACK A VIRGIN!

Elizabeth Grace has won a copy of Nikki Leigh's book, LADY LIGHTKEEPER!

Larrimie has won a copy of Caridad Pineiro's book, SOUTH BEACH CHICAS CATCH THEIR MAN!

Rhonda (blessed heart) has won a copy of Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein's book, THE TRUTH, I'M TEN, I'M SMART AND I KNOW EVERYTHING!

All winners were chosen because of their sincere comments and were chosen by the authors themselves.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Final Day of the September Blog Tours

Welcome to Friday September 28, 2007, stops on the virtual book tour trail – the last day of the September tours. I hope everyone has read some interesting interviews and possibly added some new books to your “to be read” pile. On this Friday, I'm offering the following interviews for your reading pleasure -

Nikki Leigh visits http://www.overthehillchick.blogspot.com/ to promote her book Lady Lightkeeper – Misty Cove Chronicles Book Two

Scott Zema visits the Start with the Facts blog to give us some background information about his book - http://startwithfacts.blogspot.com/.

The people who won the free books will be announced Saturday. Check my blog for details – www.muzesmusings.blogspot.com
Let's have some fun this month and get to know each other.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

September 27th - Blog Visits for You

Welcome to Thursday September 27, 2007, of the virtual book tours. Today, I'm offering the following interviews -

Nikki Leigh visits Jennifer Haines at www.a2eatwrite.blogspot.com to promote her book Lady Lightkeeper – Misty Cove Chronicles Book Two

Yvonne Perry shares information about her book Right to Recover Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America at http://www.muzesmusings.blogspot.com.

Dwayne Anderson shares his thoughts on promotion on the Inspired Author promotional interview blog - http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/author-promotional-interviews

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

September 26th - Blog Visits for You

Welcome to Wednesday September 26, 2007, of the virtual book tours. Today, I'm offering the following interviews -

Nikki Leigh visits http://community.livejournal.com/epress_online/ to promote her book Lady Lightkeeper – Misty Cove Chronicles Book Two.

Yvonne Perry shares information about her book Right to Recover Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America at http://www.publishingsecretsofauthors.blogspot.com.

Scott Zema shares the first chapter from his book with you on the Start At The Beginning blog - http://startatbeginning.blogspot.com/.

Nick Oliva shares his thoughts on promotion on the Inspired Author promotional interview blog - http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/author-promotional-interviews

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Yvonne Perry - Right to Recover


Nikki - Yvonne, it's great to have you with us today. I was reading about your books and saw that you wrote More Than Meets the Eye: True Stories about Death, Dying and Afterlife. Can you tell us a bit about that book? Also, did any part of this book and research lead you to your current book, The Right to Recover?

Yvonne - Thank you for allowing me to share with you. More than Meets the Eye covers many aspects of the dying and grieving process such as hospice care, post-mortem processes, assisting the passing of a loved one, suicide, and yes, the controversial topic of euthanasia. It also presents near-death experience and spirit visits from deceased loved ones and other topics people are somewhat reluctant to talk about. The book offers non-religious information and insight to assist people in finding peace about the mysterious process of transitioning back to God/Source. I included a collection of stories people shared with me, as well as a few of my own observations, opinions and experiences. There's a legal document that may be used as a living will is included in the appendix.

I've always been intrigued by death. As a child it was common for my parents to take me with them to a funeral home when someone from our church died. The experience did not upset me. In fact, I actually enjoyed trying to read the cursive writing on those tiny cards tucked between the mums and roses! I can remember sitting in church and listening to the preacher talk about Heaven. If Heaven is so wonderful, I reasoned in my young mind, why are people so sad when someone dies and goes there? As a young adult, I watched my family deal with our own critically ill loved ones, and was again puzzled by their hesitancy to let them go.

I have had a few “close calls” with death, and I do not fear what is on the other side. It's the suffering on this side that I absolutely have no use for. That is one reason I wrote RIGHT TO RECOVER; I want see an end of sickness and debilitating injuries. If stem cell research offers a cure for anything, it is worth a try.

Nikki - It seems to me that your book Right to Recover is very timely. There are many people who read the media reports and have heard about the senate debate and the president's veto. But, many of these people probably have very little “technical” knowledge about the subject. I am fascinated with the things I've learned while organizing your tour. However, I'll admit science was not my best subject in school. Could I still understand the information in your book? I guess the easy question is, can people with limited knowledge about the subject read your book and understand the details?

Yvonne - Yes, I purposely wrote the book in laymen's' terms so everyone can understand it. I've had several reviews that support the fact that the book is an easy, but very educational read.

Nikki - There seems to be a lot of “moral” debate about using stem cells. Would you share one of the common objections to stem cell research and how you would debate that objection?

Yvonne - Many people have been led to believe that blastocystic (embryonic) stem cell research destroys embryos. When they think of embryos, they think of a tiny baby. Therefore, they think a baby is being killed for research. This is not true. The research is conducted in a lab on a cluster of cells that have not begun to become anything but more cells. A fertilized egg in a lab is equal to any other type of cell. The fact that it could become a baby if implanted in a womb scares some people, who have a fearful view of a punishing God. They believe these cells are more human and therefore more sacred because of their potential. Why they may not be considering is now much better a life they could create for those who are already suffering in full human condition. The sad part is that these blastocysts leftover from in vitro fertilization are being thrown away without giving science a chance to study them.

Nikki - Do you have an objection to stem cell research after all your in depth research on the subject? If so, are you willing to share details about it with us?

Yvonne - No, I have not had any reservation from the start and since my research, I am even more convinced that we need to harness the potential these cells have. I didn't understand cloning when I began my research, and I had some concerns about it. After my research I am very supportive of therapeutic cloning.

Nikki - It seems that one of the big problems is that people are getting a lot of misinformation about stem cell research. How do you feel we can convince people that they NEED to learn the facts?

Yvonne - That is the very reason I wrote RIGHT TO RECOVER. I'm hoping that organizations, foundations, and political figures that support stem cell research will let others know that my book is available. Hopefully, any publicity I do for the book will help people understand that they do NOT understand. Everyone who has read the book says they are much more informed afterward. Those who have heard about it, want to get hold of a copy. I've got a list of people waiting to purchase the book once it goes to print.

Nikki - In the writing and promotional classes I create, I often tell people they will learn and accomplish more - if they approach the information with an open mind. Would it help people to approach your book with an open mind? If so, how does will that help them?

Yvonne - Absolutely. Anytime we approach a situation or person with our opinion already set in concrete, we will not likely be changed even with logic or scientific proof.

Nikki - What sort of reactions are people in other parts of the world having to stem cell research? Do you think these reactions will hurt or help stem cell research in the United States?


Yvonne - Strangely enough, the US is the most closed-minded and causes much of the controversy worldwide. That's because we have a president who condemns the research, and he has a great amount of influence on the political members of the United Nations. Most countries do have guidelines and governmental oversight to the research. Countries that have a relaxed religious majority are able to proceed without as much hindrance, but many of them depend upon grants and funding that come from the US.

Nikki -Are there any final comments that you would like to share with us?

Yvonne - I want to thank you again for having me as your guest. If anyone wants more information about the book or about stem cell research, you might be interested in visiting my blog www.right2recover.com

Nikki - For anyone who hasn't seen Yvonne's tour page, I recommend that you visit this page http://virtualbooktoursforauthors.blogspot.com/2007/08/right-to-recover-virtual-book-tour-07.html and read the excerpt from Right to Recover. She deals with a very important subject that we need to understand. The repercussions or the benefits for the present and the future generations, make it crucial that we get a better understanding of this topic.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

September 26th - Blog Visits for You

Welcome to Wednesday September 26, 2007, of the virtual book tours. Today, I'm offering the following interviews -

Yvonne Perry shares information about her book Right to Recover Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America at http://www.publishingsecretsofauthors.blogspot.com.

Scott Zema shares the first chapter from his book with you on the Start At The Beginning blog - http://startatbeginning.blogspot.com/.

Nick Oliva shares his thoughts on promotion on the Inspired Author promotional interview blog - http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/author-promotional-interviews

Nikki Leigh visits http://community.livejournal.com/epress_online/ to promote her book Lady Lightkeeper – Misty Cove Chronicles Book Two.

Each person who posts a comment on any or all of the blog stops will be entered in a separate giveaway. Each comment will be entered in the drawing and at the end of the month one person will win a copy of the book being promoted on that blog. So, come out and say hi.
Let's have some fun this month and get to know each other.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

September 25th - Blog Visits for You

Welcome to Tuesday September 25, 2007, of the virtual book tours. Today, I'm offering the following interviews -

Nikki Leigh visits Cheryl Kaye Tardif at http://www.writetype.blogspot.com/ to promote her book Lady Lightkeeper – Misty Cove Chronicles Book Two

Yvonne Perry shares information about the cover art for her book Right to Recover Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America at http://judgebookbycover.blogspot.com.

Hazel Statham visits the best friend blog to tell us about the best friend in her book Dominic – visits http://mybestfriendsstory.blogspot.com/.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Monday, September 24, 2007

September 24th on the Blog Tour Trail

Welcome to Monday September 24, 2007, of the virtual book tours. Today, I'm offering the following interviews -

Nikki Leigh visits www.thestorybehindthebooks.blogspot.com/ to promote her book Lady Lightkeeper – Misty Cove Chronicles Book Two

Yvonne Perry shares information about her book Right to Recover Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America at http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Thursday, September 20, 2007

September 21st on the Blog Tour

Welcome to Friday September 21, 2007, of the virtual book tours. Today, I'm offering the following interviews -

Nikki Leigh shares her thoughts on promotion on the Inspired Author promotional interview blog - http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/author-promotional-interviews

Dr Barbara Holstein shares information about the heroine as she promotes her book The TRUTH: I’m Ten, I’m Smart and I Know Everything – http://shareyourheroine.blogspot.com/
Each person who posts a comment on any or all of the blog stops will be entered in a separate giveaway. Each comment will be entered in the drawing and at the end of the month one person will win a copy of the book being promoted on that blog. So, come out and say hi.



Let's have some fun this month and get to know each other.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm




Tuesday, September 18, 2007

September 19th on the Blog Trail

Welcome to Wednesday September 19, 2007, of the virtual book tours. Today, I'm offering the following interviews -

Nikki Leigh visits Elena Bowman - to promote her book Lady Lightkeeper – Misty Cove Chronicles Book Two http://elenadorothybowmansbooks.blogspot.com/

Dr. Barbara Holstein author of The TRUTH: I’m Ten, I’m Smart and I Know Everything – she shares information about her young hero - http://shareyourhero.blogspot.com/

Each person who posts a comment on any or all of the blog stops will be entered in a separate giveaway. Each comment will be entered in the drawing and at the end of the month one person will win a copy of the book being promoted on that blog. So, come out and say hi.
Let's have some fun this month and get to know each other.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Thursday, September 13, 2007

September 14th on the Tour Trail

Welcome to Friday September 14, 2007, of the virtual book tours. Today, I'm offering the following interviews -

Nick Oliva visits Muze’s Musings to tell us about the story behind his book, Only Moments –
www.muzesmusings.blogspot.com

Nikki Leigh visits with Pam Kinney at www.pamelakkinney.blogspot.com to promote her book Lady Lightkeeper – Misty Cove Chronicles Book Two

Dwayne Anderson is appearing on the “Share Your Heroine” blog at http://shareyourheroine.blogspot.com/

Hazel Stathan is appearing on the Inspired Author Self Promotion Blog to talk with us about her promotional efforts - http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/promotional-interview-hazel-statham
Each person who posts a comment on any or all of the blog stops will be entered in a separate giveaway. Each comment will be entered in the drawing and at the end of the month one person will win a copy of the book being promoted on that blog. Let's have some fun this month and get to know each other.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Only Moments by Nick Oliva


Nikki – Welcome to Muze’s Musings Nick. I’ve got some questions for you about your work and your book. In your bio, I read that you have been a musician, composer, photographer, an audio engineer, an Entertainment Director and Technical Director, a successful self-made money manager and you just opened a restaurant. Would you like to pick your favorite experience and tell us a little about it?

Nick - Everything leads to something else in life but we never know what that will be do we? I am fortunate that I have this curiosity that drives me to different things that are of an artistic bent. The Big Sur trip at 16 inspired the photography interest and then 35 years later it inspires a book. My boredom of living in my home town when I first left college after a semester before going back 2 years later inspired me to learn guitar and that inspired me to go back to college and really learn music. My college experiences lead me to pianos, tympani, drums, electronic music computers (Moog and the ARP) and productions with photography and music combined and that took me to script writing and composing. As one the wisest men that ever walked on this planet said, "follow your bliss," and that was Joseph Campbell. Of course, I didn't know that when I was doing these things but I naturally gravitated to those beliefs. I can't pick one as they are all special in their own way.

Nikki – How did you settle on basing the restaurant around Wyatt Earp? That’s interesting and I must say that I scanned your menus and things look great.

Nick - It is located next to a bar named Doc Holliday's and we share a common door so that seemed like a good fit as they were both best friends and did exactly what we were doing. One ran the restaurant and the other ran the gambling and saloon parlor in the Old West. We certainly couldn't call La Travitoria or Le Bistro and the whole theme fits in with Vegas so we fused the cuisine to blend a number of influences from Wild West Ribs to Sesame Ahi Tuna. The menu also has a sheriff's star next to our house specials that we call "Virgil's Favorite" in honor of Wyatt's brother who was the Marshal of Tombstone.

Nikki – I was reading the synopsis for Only Moments on your website and I thought it was interesting to set the stage in 2020 and then jump back in time 50 years. I’m getting ready to do some major revisions to a story and am looking at any possibility. Why did you choose this approach and how much time do you spend in 2020, before going back to your character’s teenage years?

Nick - The story is about a musician who is 66 years-old and he travels back in time to recapture the essence of his "soul" and to redeem himself for losing his purpose in life after his virtuoso violinist wife and soulmate passes on many years before. We spend just enough time (one whole day) to explore the future's vision of technology and how it cannot replace the human heart. He is very depressed but this one day is different and he doesn't know why. I can't tell you why because I will give away the whole story, but suffice it to say he feels totally different this day and his entire life changes because of it.

Nikki – You mention this problem in the characters’ relationship – “…and then the crisis of having grown so far apart despite being with each other constantly.” What are your thoughts on this problem? Do you think a lot of couples face this problem? If so, are there any things that you feel contribute to this issue in relationships?

Nick - It is very had to keep the spice and affection in a long marriage as there are doors that everyone goes through as we age together. First we are in lust with butterflies abounding. Then we settle down and begin to look at compatiblity issues and that's when the lovey-dovey stuff begins to fade as we see things we don't like and want to change them in each other. They begin get in the way of intimacy but someone has to compromise or the garbage will never go out to the can, and the dishes will not get done, and the floor will not get vacuumed, and let's not even talk about the bathroom! So, we begin to take our lust and it matures to be able to live together without arguing over all these things. Some couples make it though this state, some don't. That next stage is the acceptance of faults that one cannot change and both are now at peace with them, what I mean is, they do not cause friction anymore and the relationship becomes comfortable and the fantasy of leaving the relationship for a "wandering wonderlust" ends. Being with the same person is very very difficult, however romantic one would like to make it seem, but the reward of staying that course is total trust and honesty and is something that is immeasurable to those who realize the wonderful aspect of a monogamous relationship.

Nikki – In your backstory section, you talk about breaking the rules. Tell us about the rules, how you broke them and how that made the story better. I’ve always thought it was fun to break some of the rules and it can certainly add to a story.

Nick - The story was written in the first person and that is the most descriptive and active voice that one can write. Third person is voyeuristic and lacks the emotion of the first. The one downside of writing in one person's perspective is that it is extremely difficult to get into the mind of anyone else, to share their secret thoughts as your are essentially narrating the story with a different person. I wanted the readers to understand Angela, her faults, her neediness, and her inner thoughts about Chris so when she is involved in the World Trade Tower disaster with her father, I have her crossover to a near death experience and at that the point the voice crosses over as well and the reader realizes it is her speaking. That is a breach of the original first person's perspective. I only use her voice when she is in a semi-unconscious state-but still at that point I've broken a rule and breached a singular first person. It occurs so naturally that few will even concern themselves and most will be happy to have that insight into Angela's deepest feelings. I was happy to break the rule and still have it all make sense. It is the way I was taught music by my mentor Dr. Leonard Klein. You can break the rules but first you must know the rules. In music, in the arts, in life.

Nikki – I noticed the explanation about liberties you took in the story and how they deviated from facts. Have you gotten any flack from others about playing with the facts to make the story more effective?

Nick - Other than taking reality and changing the times they occurred I really didn't play with the facts. In the original I had an outdoor concert event prior to Woodstock, called the Atlantic City Pop festival that I attended and saw Janis Joplin live and up close. After I edited that section out as it really didn't drive the plot regardless how interesting it was, I still wanted to include her in the climax so I made up a video tape that never appeared on the Midnite Special with Wolfman Jack. The Midnite Special debuted in 1971 not 1970 so there's another alteration. Fiction is fiction and if I wanted to write my autobiography that would have been a no-no. The book contains many things that happened to me, The meeting of Delphina who fortold Chris' future (though a different name) on the beach was real, I still have the bell she gave me. The Hatchet Murders, the Zodiac Killer in the area, the young kids who knew of Charlie Manson, Jimmy's sleeping bag on fire, the Buick flying through the air-all that was true. The incredible views on the rock they first lost their virginity was real, I've climbed it when I had the ability to do so. Much more happened but the focus was on "Chris" and not just this escapade.

Some of the futuristic incidents such as Chris' and Angela's separation was a conglomeration of reality and fiction somewhat based on the breakup of my own first marriage . The New York experience mirrors my time there exploring the city for many years.

But the book remains fictional and it is first and foremost a love story that shows unlimited devotion even after one mate dies. The story centers around the unconditional love of a man and woman that works its way through the decades. When we open up the first chapter, we already know Chris' wife is long gone and he has suffered greatly. The depression he allows himself to stay in for so long, changes as he begins to recount the past-though involuntarily.

Nikki – Its fascinating that you had an experience that was like the out of body experience you had describes years ago in your book. How did that affect you? Did it convince you that it was time to finish the book and get it published?

Nick - I can tell you, there was no St. Peter, there was no heaven, no hell, no judgement. It was a beautiful experience until I realized that I was fading into nothingness. At that point I asked for and received, a future vision of what would happen to my wife. That vision was extremely disturbing as I saw her in hysterics, crying and so emotionally distraught that I knew I had to fight to avoid becoming absorbed into the golden river that lay before me. I intend to write this experience in a non-fictional book, it is just very difficult to bring some of those memories up as they still to this day paralyze me mentally and make me very sad. Suffice to say that there were visions of many other things that I won't go into right now. So, I forced my way back once I made the decision or perhaps I should say I was "allowed" to make that decision. One must understand that I just came out of emergency surgery 2 days earlier and I was taken off the morphine/valium drip because my heart was stopping-that left me in extreme pain. I was in critical condition and wired to ICU's monitoring system. The cross-over was painless and took all of my pain away, so it was initially very wonderful. I knew I was going back to extreme pain but chose to do so in order to tell my wife and everyone else that it was okay to die. It wasn't something one should fear. I had to let them know in order that if I should die again while there in the hospital, they would understand and not be so forlorn. My devotion to my wife was the main impetus for me to return even though I knew I might be spending the rest of my life in pain on top of the severe diabetes that I have to deal with each day. Much of what I experienced mirrored my writing years ago, though not exactly, but the scenes were similar. Being such a skeptic that demands empirical evidence, I asked for the charts from ICU and was shown that I indeed had flatlined during the time that I went over at approximately 2 in the morning. That night after coming back I stood next to the bed waiting for them to come in with the defibulators and they did so a few minutes later and stopped in their tracks somewhat in shock looking at me. I told them I was alright, to put them down, as they almost seemed determined to use them on me from what their machines told them. That experience changed my mode of thinking immediately upon returning to the land of the living and despite the whatever attempts I've made to disprove it, it did happen.

In short, I recovered, although my left leg is still disabled from nerve damage that is more than likely permanent, I moved on with a new determination to get this book published among other things. This reinforcement of my life’s search renewed the vigor of discovery within me and regardless of the medical problems that I face daily, I live life knowing what is to come and unafraid of death.

Nikki – So, what’s your next project?

Nick - This non-fictional subject matter will hopefully be the basis for my next book, to share the incredible things I’ve been through with my near death experience and how it showed me that the things I believed in, the core of my beliefs, were really right in line with what I went through.

Nikki – Do you want to share your website address and the address where people can buy a copy of your book?

Nick - www.onlymomentsbook.com or Amazon

Nikki – Thank you for taking your time to tell us more about your book.

Nick - Thank you so very much for having me here today.

September 13th on the Virtual Tour Trail

Welcome to Wednesday September 13, 2007, of the virtual book tours. Today, I'm offering the following interviews -

Nikki Leigh visits Cheryl at Book Connection - http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/ to promote her book Lady Lightkeeper – Misty Cove Chronicles Book Two

Dwayne Anderson talks about the hero in his book – Partially Human on the Hero Blog - http://shareyourhero.blogspot.com/

Yvonne Perry shares the first chapter of her book Right to Recover Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America at http://startatbeginning.blogspot.com/

Also on the Start at the Beginning blog – you can read the first chapter of Nick Oliva’s book Only Moments - http://startatbeginning.blogspot.com/

Each person who posts a comment on any or all of the blog stops will be entered in a separate giveaway. Each comment will be entered in the drawing and at the end of the month one person will win a copy of the book being promoted on that blog. So, come out and say hi.
Let's have some fun this month and get to know each other.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

September 12th on the Virtual Book Tour Trail

September Virtual Blog Tours – The 12th

Welcome to Wednesday September 12, 2007, of the virtual book tours. Today, I'm offering the following interviews -

Nikki Leigh visits her own blog – www.muzesmusings.blogspot.com to promote her book Lady Lightkeeper – Misty Cove Chronicles Book Two. There is a twist on this post – September 12 is her parents’ anniversary and they have interviewed her today.

Nick Oliva visits the Hero blog to promote his book – Only Moments – visit him at - http://shareyourhero.blogspot.com/. Learn more about the hero of his book.

Dr Barbara Holstein is promoting her book – The Truth, I’m Ten, I’m Smart and I Know Everything by sharing the powerful introduction - http://startatbeginning.blogspot.com/

I have a surprise and unscheduled post. Feel free to visit this blog to learn more about - Right to Recover Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/educational-book-stem-cell-research-people-who-don-t-have-or-want-degree-biology

Let's have some fun this month and get to know each other.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

An Interview with Nikki Leigh and Her Parents


Muze’s Musings – Interview with Nikki's Parents

I’m doing something a little different today. First, this is my parents’ anniversary – 43 years, I believe. Happy Anniversary to dad and mom. Since I had a spot in the tour, I asked if they would like to ask me some interview questions. These are the questions they asked.

1 – Did you have any personal obstacles to overcome in order to write? If so, how did you do that?

I did have quite a few stumbling blocks and I was talking about this on the Communati blog earlier this week (www.communati.com). I wanted to write for years, but I doubted whether I could do it. So, I put it off for a long time. In 1987, I made rough notes about a series of characters, a location for the story and basic ideas for the story. It was an interesting story, but my doubts and concerns caused me to file the notes away. Believe it or not, I kept those notes in a box for the next 14 years. I’m just amazed I could find them when I decided to give writing another try.

One day I was on roof estimates with my younger brother and he mentioned to the homeowner that I wanted to be a writer. I think this was because she is an artist and works with some authors. She came to talk with me and strongly recommended that I should read The Artist Way by Julia Cameron. I high recommend this book for anyone who wants to pursue any creative pursuit in their life. I didn’t follow all the instructions and exercises in the book – but the point got across to me. I also read Vein of Gold by Julia Cameron. These helped me get past the doubts and I decided to try to write. I found the Writers’ Village (www.writersvillage.org) and the price was right and the class schedules were very flexible. And, eight published books later, the rest is history.

For anyone who has personal doubts and concerns, I recommend that you read one or both of these books. Go into it with an open mind and when the book asks about your life, but honest with yourself. It’s amazing what a difference it can make in your life and your creativity. Unleash your personal creativity 

2 – What is your primary interest in writing?

I wanted to find a creative outlet. It seems like the chance to be creative was one of the things that drew me to promotional work. My favorite place to be, is on the coast, on the sand, near lighthouses --- so, why not write about that setting? I also love interesting architecture and history. There is so much wonderful history associated with lighthouses and the early days of the Lifesaving Service (which became the Coast Guard). I also enjoy the fact that my novels give me a chance to share more lighthouses and lifesaving details with my readers. There is a lot of authenticity in my novels, so you will learn about both of these organizations and the wonderful work that they did over the years. There will be more lighthouses and lifesaving history in future Misty Cove and Cape Hatteras books.
My novels give me a chance to weave together history, architecture, the ocean and my imagination. What more could I want?

3 – What is involved in choosing the “right” setting?

For a long time I thought Cape Cod was the right setting for Kennalyn’s story (being released as Stormy Shores later this year). But, when I visited the area, I knew it was the wrong place. On that same trip, my brother and I visited Cape Ann and that was the right setting. The area, the people, the scenario, everything was right for the story. As I researched the area and its history, I realized there were more stories to tell about the people of Cape Ann.

Sometimes a specific place is just “right” for the story. If you try to force a story into the wrong setting, it won’t help your story. I’m an author who feels the right setting and an accurate setting is very important when you tell a story. I will be at the Muse Online Conference with my publisher and a good friend. We’ll be talking about choosing, researching and using setting in your story. Feel free to visit us on October 9th at 6:00 pm EST. For more details, click here - http://www.freewebs.com/themuseonlinewritersconference/. We will have a workshop on the 9th and we will have a forum where you can ask questions all week. Hope to see you there.

4 – How did family trips to the beach as a child enhance your stories?

The beach has always been my favorite place. I live in the mountains of Virginia, so the beach is a nice change. When I was young we traveled all over the east coast and other areas might show up in future stories, but the Outer Banks has been a favorite destination for years. It just seemed natural that I would write about the area, and there will be more books set in that area. When I write the sequel to Lady Lightkeeper, I’m moving a lot of the action to Wilmington NC.

How could I write and not include information about the ocean, powerful waves, gulls, the smell of the ocean and lighthouses? I’ve loved the area and each facet of the ocean – I had to include these things in my stories.

5 – Was there anything about Stormy View that sparked the idea for a historic series?
In Stormy View (soon to be re-released as Stormy Shores), I created a lot of family history for Captain Bart. He is the latest in a long line of lighthouse keepers in the Jones family. His pride prompted me to include stories about brave rescues by other family members over the years. I was having a lot of fun creating these pieces of the history for Kennalyn and Captain Bart to share with Kennalyn’s daughter. I researched the history of Cape Ann and found so many great things that I had to write about the people and their history. The historic Misty Cove Chronicles were born. Lady Lightkeeper is the second book in that series.

6 – Is any of your personality reflected in your characters? If so, what?
This is an interesting question and one that I’ve avoided for ages. There are elements of me in Lizbeth and Kennalyn. I will admit that Mrs. Stevens and Ida do not have any of my personality traits – no matter what people may try to say.

I am independent and determined to accomplish things. I am very loyal to people I care about and I do what I can to protect those same people. I also do what I must to deal with the things life throws at me. But, I must admit that I throw a lot of problems at both of these women. They held up well, no matter what I made them handle. If you’ve read my books and like these women, wait until you meet Georgette – she will be in Rebels and Rogues.

7 – Have you written yourself into a corner with a story? If so, how did you fix the problem?

This is a problem that no reader has mentioned to me, but I had to fix the problem anyway. When I referred to Kennalyn’s great great great grandmother in Stormy View, I called her Lizbeth Jones. The problem was that I named her Lizbeth Kinsey in Widow’s Walk. That was a pretty big problem and I wasn’t entirely sure how to fix it. Believe it or not, I didn’t think about it until I was about 1/3 of the way through Lady Lightkeeper. There were only a few good ways to fix the problem, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise for people who will read Lady Lightkeeper. If you email me privately, I’ll tell you what I did. My actions have gotten me so mad emails from readers and some suggestions for future story elements. I can be reached at nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com.

Remember that everyone who posts a comment on any of my virtual tour visits will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a copy of Lady Lightkeeper. In addition, anyone who buys a copy of Lady Lightkeeper can be entered in a drawing to win a copy of Widow’s Walk (Book One) or Lilah and the Locket. All you need to do is send me a copy of your receipt and I’ll pick a winner by the end of the month.

For much more information about my books, visit www.nikkileigh.com

Monday, September 10, 2007

September 11th on the Virtual Tour Trail

September Virtual Blog Tours – The 11th

Welcome to Monday September 11, 2007, of the virtual book tours. Today, I'm offering the following interviews -

Yvonne Perry starts with the facts - http://startwithfacts.blogspot.com/
to promote her book Right to Recover Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America

This is a surprise stop that wasn’t on my schedule -- Nikki Leigh visits My Best Friend’s Story - http://mybestfriendsstory.blogspot.com/ to promote her book Lady Lightkeeper – Misty Cove Chronicles Book Two

Dwayne Anderson talks about the villain in his book – Partially Human on the Bad Guys and Villains blog – http://badguysandvillains.blogspot.com/

Scott Zema talks about the cover for his book – Three Steps to Investment Success - http://judgebookbycover.blogspot.com/

September Giveaways - Each person who buys a copy of Lady Lightkeeper needs to email me a copy of their receipt. I just need a receipt that shows you bought a copy of Lady Lightkeeper and I'll enter you in the drawing for a copy of Widow's Walk. That seemed like a good giveaway since the story starts with Widow's Walk. However, if the winner already has a copy of Widow's Walk, I'll be happy to send a copy of Lilah and the Locket instead.

In addition, each person who posts a comment on any or all of the blog stops will be entered in a separate giveaway. Each comment will be entered in the drawing and at the end of the month one person will win a copy of the book being promoted on that blog. So, come out and say hi.

Let's have some fun this month and get to know each other.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Day Five of the Virtual Blog Tour

Day Five - September Virtual Blog Tours

Welcome to Day Five, Friday September 7, 2007, of the virtual book tours. Today, I'm offering the following interviews -

Yvonne Perry visits Be My Guest! at www.bloggingauthors.blogspot.com to talk about her book – The Right to Recover (Stem Cell Research)

Nikki Leigh visits Bryn Colvin - http://blog.myspace.com/brynneth_n_colvin to talk about her book Lady Lightkeeper

Dr Barbara Holstein visits The Best Friend Blog to tell you about the best friend from her book The Truth: I’m Ten, I’m Smart and I Know Everything http://mybestfriendsstory.blogspot.com/

Hazel Statham visit the Hero Blog to tell us about the hero of Dominic. Visit her at: http://shareyourhero.blogspot.com/ (Psst – This post is scheduled for Monday, but you can get a preview today at http://shareyourheroine.blogspot.com/ where we learn about the heroine from Dominic.)

I would also like to invite you to visit my Self Promotion blog at http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/node/12. There are promotional articles, author interviews and much more. This content is always being updated, so check back.

September Giveaways - Each person who buys a copy of Lady Lightkeeper, needs to email me a copy of their receipt. I just need a receipt that shows you bought a copy of Lady Lightkeeper and I'll enter you in the drawing for a copy of Widow's Walk. That seemed like a good giveaway since the story starts with Widow's Walk.However, if the winner already has a copy of Widow's Walk, I'll be happy to send a copy of Lilah and the Locket instead.

In addition, each person who posts a comment on any or all of the blog stops will be entered in a separate giveaway. Each comment will be entered in the drawing and at the end of the month, one person will win a copy of Lady Lightkeeper from me and the same giveaway applies to all of our authors this month. So, come out and say hi.

Throughout the month, messages will be posted at www.muzesmusings.blogspot.com and http://www.inspiredauthor.com/v3/blog/litekepr among other sites with all updates and links to all blog posts. Let's have some fun this month and get to know each other.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Day Four - Nikki Leigh, Yvonne Perry, Dwayne Anderson & Scott Zema Blog Tour Visit for Thursday September 6

Day Four - September Virtual Blog Tours

Welcome to Day Four, Thursday September 6, 2007, of the virtual book tours. Today, I'm offering the following interviews -

Yvonne Perry author of Right to Recover (Stem Cell Research) visits Plug Your Book www.plugyourbook.blogspot.com

Nikki Leigh author of Lady Lightkeeper visits Sharon Hurley Hall (she has a wealth of wonderful freelancing information on her website that you should check out – after you read my interview) This is the link for my interview http://doublehdesign.com/blog/books/book-talk-nikki-leigh/

Dwayne Anderson author of Partially Human will visit My Best Friend’s Story and tell us about the part the best friends play in his book - http://mybestfriendsstory.blogspot.com/

Scott Zema author of Three Steps to Investment Success: Buying the Right Art, Antiques and Collectibles is visiting the Author Promotional Interview Blog. The link is http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/author-promotional-interviews

I’d also like to invite you to visit my Self Promotion blog at http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/node/12. There are promotional articles, author interviews and much more. This content is updated frequently, so check back.

September Giveaways - Each person who buys a copy of Lady Lightkeeper, needs to email me a copy of their receipt. I just need a receipt that shows you bought a copy of Lady Lightkeeper and I'll enter you in the drawing for a copy of Widow's Walk. That seemed like a good giveaway since the story starts with Widow's Walk. However, if the winner already has a copy of Widow's Walk, I'll be happy to send a copy of Lilah and the Locket instead.

In addition, each person who posts a comment on any or all of the blog stops will be entered in a separate giveaway. Each comment will be entered in the drawing and at the end of the month, one person will win a copy of Lady Lightkeeper from me and the same giveaway applies to all of our authors this month. So, come out and say hi.

Throughout the month, messages will be posted at www.muzesmusings.blogspot.com and http://www.inspiredauthor.com/v3/blog/litekepr among other sites with all updates and links to all blog posts. Let's have some fun this month and get to know each other.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Nikki Leigh, Yvonne Perry and CJ Maxx

Day Three - September Virtual Blog Tours

Welcome to Day Three, Wednesday September 5, 2007, of the virtual book tours. Today, I'm offering the following interviews -

Yvonne Perry visits Family, Fun and Faith blog - http://communati.com/main/blog/familyfunandfaith to promote The Right to Recover

Nikki Leigh visits http://www.authortalks.blogspot.com/ to promote Lady Lightkeeper

CJ Maxx visits http://itsallinthesetting.blogspot.com// to promote Coming Back a Virgin

I would also like to invite you to visit my Self Promotion blog at http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/node/12. There are promotional articles, author interviews and much more. This content is always being updated, so check back.

September Giveaways - Each person who buys a copy of Lady Lightkeeper, needs to email me a copy of their receipt. I just need a receipt that shows you bought a copy of Lady Lightkeeper and I'll enter you in the drawing for a copy of Widow's Walk. That seemed like a good giveaway since the story starts with Widow's Walk.However, if the winner already has a copy of Widow's Walk, I'll be happy to send a copy of Lilah and the Locket instead.

In addition, each person who posts a comment on any or all of the blog stops will be entered in a separate giveaway. Each comment will be entered in the drawing and at the end of the month, one person will win a copy of Lady Lightkeeper from me and the same giveaway applies to all of our authors this month. So, come out and say hi.

Throughout the month, messages will be posted at www.muzesmusings.blogspot.com and http://www.inspiredauthor.com/v3/blog/litekepr among other sites with all updates and links to all blog posts. Let's have some fun this month and get to know each other.

Nikki Leigh - www.nikkileigh.com
Fiction Author
Book Promo 101 - Basics of Book Promotion
www.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_101.htm

Monday, September 3, 2007

Day Two of the Virtual Blog Tour

Day Two - September Virtual Blog Tours

Welcome to Day Two, Tuesday September 4, 2007, of the virtual book tours. Today, I'm offering the following interviews -

Yvonne Perry is Pumping Up Her Promotion - www.pumpupyouronlinebookpromotion.blogspot.com

Nikki Leigh is the Guest of Dorothy Thompson - http://www.bloggingauthors.blogspot.com/

Nick Oliva shares info about the cover art for his book - http://judgebookbycover.blogspot.com/

I would also like to invite you to visit my Self Promotion blog at http://inspiredauthor.com/v3/node/12. There are promotional articles, author interviews and much more. This content is always being updated, so check back.

September Giveaways - Each person who buys a copy of Lady Lightkeeper, needs to email me a copy of their receipt. I just need a receipt that shows you bought a copy of Lady Lightkeeper and I'll enter you in the drawing for a copy of Widow's Walk.

That seemed like a good giveaway since the story starts with Widow's Walk.However, if the winner already has a copy of Widow's Walk, I'll be happy to send a copy of Lilah and the Locket instead.

In addition, each person who posts a comment on any or all of the blog stops will be entered in a separate giveaway. Each comment will be entered in the drawing and at the end of the month, one person will win a copy of Lady Lightkeeper from me and the same giveaway applies to all of our authors this month. So, come out and say hi.

Throughout the month, messages will be posted at www.muzesmusings.blogspot.com and http://www.inspiredauthor.com/v3/blog/litekepr among other sites with all updates and links to all blog posts. Let's have some fun this month and get to know each other.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Day One Virtual Tours - Yvonne Perry and Nikki Leigh

Welcome to, Monday September 3, the first day of a new series of virtual blog tours including Yvonne Perry and Nikki Leigh.

On this day, we have an interview with Yvonne Perry on the Writer's Life blog - http://www.thewriterslife.blogspot.com/

We also have my interview on the Pump Up Your Promotion blog at - http://www.pumpupyouronlinebookpromotion.blogspot.com/

I've also posted the schedules for my Lady Lightkeeper tour and for Yvonne Perry's tour on the following pages -

Yvonne Perry - Right to Recover - http://www.inspiredauthor.com/v3/virtual-tour-yvonne-perry-author-right-recover

Nikki Leigh - Lady Lightkeeper - http://www.inspiredauthor.com/v3/nikki-leigh-virtual-book-tour-schedule

I'll post tour updates for Yvonne and myself and any other touring authors that I host on any of my blogs. Now that its time for the tour to begin, I can announce the giveaways that I am having this month. Here are the details....

Each person who buys a copy of Lady Lightkeeper, needs to email me a copy of their receipt. I just need a receipt that shows you bought a copy of Lady Lightkeeper and I'll enter you in the drawing for a copy of Widow's Walk. That seemed like a good giveaway since the story starts with Widow's Walk. However, if the winner already has a copy of Widow's Walk, I'll be happy to send a copy of Lilah and the Locket instead.

In addition, each person who posts a comment on any or all of the blog stops will be entered in a separate giveaway. Each comment will be entered in the drawing and at the end of the month, one person will win a copy of Lady Lightkeeper. If the winner bought the book already, I'll send them another book as a prize. Any questions, contact me. nikki-leigh@excite.com.

Nikki Leigh
www.nikkileigh.com
"Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance"
Book Promo 101 - www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm
Visit us on the Promo 101 Promotional Services site - http://www.bookpromotionservices.com