Issue 40

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The humble will be exalted and the exalted will be humbled.

I've always loved that quote and have tried to remember it from day-to-day. Yet the problem with writing books is that you need to self-advertise from time-to-time. It's the absolute worst thing about the writing life.

Think of it, and consider why most writers are a little off. You work on something, completely alone, for months and months. Through it all you tell yourself that it's the greatest thing ever written, but you counter that with bouts of - this is complete garbage. Months - maybe years -later you put it out there and before it even gets by the editor, you have to swing into self-promotion mode. You have to explain why you sat alone in your room, for hours on end, to tell a story that maybe no one would want to, or ever have the chance to read. And in your mind, you try and stay stable, and if people like it, humble.

I'm attending the New England Book Festival because Nobody's Home won a bit of recognition in the fiction category. As I told some of my co-workers in the construction field about it, they were very understanding of course. From one: You write books? What a dork.

From another: You get to fly to another city to drink wine with other geek writers? Oh, I'm so jealous!

Even from my wife at Book-Expo New York a couple of years ago: Boy this is fun, people talking about books!

Yet there is certainly a passion involved. I will drink wine, or whatever alcoholic beverage I'm forced to drink. I will discuss what I've read and what I'll be writing. Despite my above-quote, I may feel a sense of pride when I discuss Nobody's Home and do you know why?

Because I know the reason why I wrote the book. I understand that it was a learning experience for me where I was taught by my wonderful editor the art of transition, and where I handled an emotional conflict that was awakened in me by a madman that lived in my hometown.

It's one hell of a conflicted life, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be writing new things, real soon, because exalted or not, it answers the knock at the door in my own crowded head.

Cliff Fazzolari is a professional writer and prolific author. He is on the Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo PICU Parent Advisory Council. He currently resides in Blasdell, New York.

Thus far, you’ve completed step one and two in breaking free from those stubborn mental scripts haunting your life. In the first installment, I asked you to pull the sheet off your Ghosts and expose them to the light. At that time, you identified the insidious little whispers that were guiding your decisions and actions in ways that were hindering the achievement of your goals. In the second article, you countered each of these negative and irrational self-statements with alternatives that challenged your psychic status quo. Over the last couple of weeks, you have been rehearsing these new lines, substituting them into your mind each time a ghost tried to gain control, which brings us to Step Three - Translating Thoughts into Action! Are you ready?

The way we think about the world, our place in it and our ability to negotiate the ever changing current of life has a direct relationship to our decisions and behavior. If you don’t think you can talk to crowds because you expect to look foolish, it is highly unlikely you will seek out and embrace those opportunities. But if you did your homework, you’re now armed with a new arsenal that can exorcise the Ghosts rattling around in your head. This new way of thinking sets you up for a different outcome. If that old ghost starts saying that “everyone is going to know that your writing stinks”, you now know to immediately silence that voice by answering it with, “My writing is authentic. I can do this. I know my characters, my plot, and my process inside and out.” Baby steps lead to bigger steps, so start out with a trial or two. The best way to solidify your gains is to begin small. If your particular hurdle is related to talking to groups, invite five or ten friends over for a practice run. Each time the ghost tries to resurface, it gets blocked by your refurbished self-statements. Focus in on only one person at a time, breathe slowly and deeply then start talking. When you’re done, ask for honest feedback. Be sure to absorb the positive and cherry pick the rest. Identify what is valuable advice to build on so that your next event will shine even brighter. Don’t let the typical filter that zeroes in on the negative have free reign or else the ghosts will swoop right back in to take up residence.

The key to successfully translating your thoughts into action is developing an incremental plan that incorporates a series of reasonable steps to test out these new scripts. You shouldn’t jump from avoiding groups at all costs to being booked as a speaker for a group of 500! This would be a recipe for failure. Go through your unique list of mental ghosts, the revised “lines” you have written for yourself, and develop a plan to test out and practice these in several less intimidating ways. It takes reinforcement for healthy self-statements to take hold, gain in strength, and consistently translate into a new repertoire of action! Remember, success begets success.

Be sure to catch the next installment of Break Free from the Ghosts that Haunt You! Step Four – Generalizing and Expanding on your Success.

step four

Karen M Bence graduated with a bachelor of arts in Psychology from Dickinson College and a master's degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. A former social worker, psychotherapist and educator, Ms. Bence is also an avid equestrian and dog breeder.

By Carlotta G. Holton

How far and to what degree will one woman go to keep a promise? The Red Scarf (Berkley Trade, 2008) is a journey to a 1930’s labor camp at a significant time and place in world history; pre-World War II, Soviet Russia. Author Kate Furnivall shows us love and loyalty in its many forms – to one‘s country, friends, between man and woman and compatriots, tied together amidst suppression, violence and political upheaval.

Furnivall effectively captures the heroine’s plight with insight and style. Her characters are well drawn, varied and well developed. Sofia Morozova and Ana Fedorina, two prisoners in the Davinsky Labor Camp develop a unique friendship. Ana retells the stories of her charmed childhood in Petrograd and about her love for revolutionary Vasily. Worried for the health of Ana, Sofia manages a bold escape and finds herself hunted through her journey through the cruel elements and desolation of Siberia. The harsh landscape fittingly personifies the enemy; it is icy, ruthless and unyielding in its purpose.

In the remote village of Tivil, Sofia is nursed back to health by a Gypsy family, led by Rafik who has a unique extra sensory gift. The acceptance of spiritual/supernatural abilities replaces the formal religion which has been banned. This interesting subplot, a socio-political commentary, depicts how churches were boarded up resulting in a subculture of villagers who secretly keep their hidden icons from the officers who staunchly uphold the regimented propaganda that overrides the town. Formalized religion, long the comfort of the oppressed, is a threat to the politicos.

The mistaken identity of Mikahil Pashin, the handsome factory director whom Sofia thinks is the long lost Vasily in disguise, adds to the complications and her dilemma in fulfilling her promise. The pace quickens as Sofia and her friends do battle to find the real Vasily, encountering along the way the rigid Aleksei Fomenko.

Sofia’s red scarf stands out amongst the brutal white and grey landscape of a country on the brink of drastic change. Like a beacon, it shines with hope for all those who struggle for freedom, religious beliefs and a loving family at peace. So does the book.

Susan Goggins, the real name of Raven Hart, has been a newspaper reporter, a speechwriter and technical writer. She wrote romances for Harlequin and Zebra and with the late Virginia Ellis, created the vampire series beginning with The Vampire’s Seduction and The Vampire’s Secret, which she is continuing on her own with Vampire’s Kiss, The Vampire’s Betrayal and the January release, The Vampire’s Revenge.

Q: Vampires are quite hot in literature and films today. Why are people drawn to this soul-challenged entity?

A: Vampires’ immortality, power, and beauty both seduce and fascinate us. We want to know whether the vampire character can rise above his or her nature and use their powers for good or evil. How much of their humanity—in terms of justice and mercy—can they retain? How much do they want to and why? As powerful as they are, we have something they have lost and often long for--They have been cut off from the grace of God, often through no fault of their own. And for that we can also pity them.

Q: There is about the horror of vampirism a sexual undertone: a sense of simultaneous repulsion/attraction. Why is this combination so alluring to readers and film goers?

A: Romantically speaking, vampires are the ultimate “bad boys.” Bad boys are those brooding, motorcycle-riding, rule-breaking males who are oh-so attractive but who you can’t take home to mom and dad. Vampires are the forbidden fruit whose danger is not just to our reputations, but to our very mortal lives and even our immortal souls. We who have a thing for the bad boys just love the men who make our heads say “no, no” and our hearts (and our various other body parts) say “yes, yes.”

Q: Who are some of your favorite contemporary authors of vamp lit? Why?

A: I love L.A. Banks’ Vampire Huntress series. That series has everything—an epic star-crossed love story, and incredibly rich and fascinating world, a hip urban vibe, plus lots of action and violence. I just love it.
I also love Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series for its intensity and pacing and sensuality. I adore Charlie Huston’s Joe Pitt vampire novels because of their gritty noir prose and great plots and characters. I admire the way he has re-imagined Manhattan and the boroughs of New York as parcels of territory in vampire gang warfare.

Q: Your vampire, e.g. Jack McShane, a sexy, blue-collar, NASCAR-loving vampire, varies from the stereotypical isolated Byronic- type character. What made you give your vampire an updated twist and how do readers relate?

A: Initially it was to create a lot of contrast with the series’ other main character, William Cuyler Thorne, who is the traditional Byronic type. Then Jack’s character just grew and grew until he took over the series. Even though he’s a working class guy, he’s really deep. He prefers NASCAR, but he knows a lot about the arts and literature. He’s quite a fan of Shakespeare, actually, and likens himself and his love interest, Connie, to Romeo and Juliet. Connie calls him “The Renaissance Redneck.” Judging by my email, Jack has quite a few fans. People seem to really relate to him.

Q: Why did you decide to do a vampire series?

A: I just adore vampires. Always have, every since I first read Interview with a Vampire, and was hooked for life. And then there was Buffy, and I along with millions of others, fell in love with Angel and Spike. I always thought that Spike was the greater hero because he had to fight against his evil nature first because of love and then because it was the right thing to do. He really had epic character growth through the long arc of that story.

Q: What kind of support/networking did you experience in being a member of the Georgia Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America?

A: I would never have gotten published without GRW. I met wonderful women who were generous enough to share their knowledge with me and encourage me. And through GRW I joined a series of critique groups whose members struggled along together and helped each other very step of the way to publication. Out of frustration, I wanted to quit a time or two along the way, but my critique group members literally wouldn’t let me. I remain grateful to them for not letting me give up.

Carlotta Holton is the author of Salem Pact and Touching The Dead, and is a member of the National Federation of Press Women and an affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association.

Carlotta Holton has just received her second award for Touching the Dead from the National Federation of Press Women Communications Contest. Click here to purchase the book.