VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

On Monday, July 26th join host Marsha Cook and her co - hosts April Robin, Freda Roberts and VS Grenier. This week’s show is going to be filled with exciting segments that you won't want to miss. The special guest host for this week is Dean Kaner, a writer, manager and script doctor. He’s quite funny and extremely witty. His management skills have taken many writers right to the top. Dean is also going to share his early childhood experiences with some humorous stories about his Stan Laurel Scrap book and how over the years his management company became a reality. He is one of three authors of a wonderful produced play,” The Boys Of Winter”. The production took place in Boston. Dean is now using his excellent writing skills as a Script Doctor, to help new writers establish themselves as credible scriptwriters. The lively conversations and discussions that listeners can partake in every week are April’s Pick and Virginia’s Perspective. April’s pick is a call in discussion about

Bobbie Hinman grew up in Baltimore and has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She is the author and co-author of seven successful cookbooks. Several years ago, Bobbie decided to re-invent her literary career. With her experience as an elementary teacher, along with the joys of reading to her ten grandchildren, Bobbie has turned her attention to the world of children’s literature. Bobbie’s books have received numerous awards. She is currently in demand as a presenter at schools, libraries and book festivals. VS: Bobbie, I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today. I know being a parent and writer can be hard. Now, you started writing back in the 80’s when your children were teenagers. Can you share with us how the writing industry has changed over the years? Bobbie: In the 80’s, when I started writing, the only way to have a book published was to be accepted by one of the major publishin

If you want to learn to write articles that maintain the interest of your readers, you want to avoid wandering from the intended topic too often. Your article writing efforts should always focus on the subject or point you're trying to make to the reader. By deviating from the main topic, you risk confusing and losing the reader while also making the writing process more difficult. Let's face it writing articles can be challenging enough as it. By adding content that is meaningless to the reader, you are also creating more work for yourself. Effective writing skills should include trying to make your point using as few words as possible while keeping the reader's interest. Let's look at 5 major advantages you gain when writing articles that are concise and don't stray from the intended point. Increases Authors' Focus By sticking to the subject or theme of the article the writer can maintain better focus and complete the composition quicker. Allo

I’m back from my four day weekend. I really cannot say it was much of a vacation. I spent most my time dealing with my teething baby or painting my kitchen. Of course, my hubby did most the work in our kitchen since our teething baby never slept unless mommy was holding her. Our son was luckily enough to escape the craziness of our house over the weekend. He went camping with a bunch of friends at Lake Powell . From what my son tells me . . . they were blasted by a sand monster in the middle of the day and late into the night. However, the boys faired well against the creepy crawlers of the night, the blood sucking flyers, and water creatures. The five year old was not so lucky. She spent most of her time in the back office with her four legged furry brother and sister . . . Taz and Speedbump. So after the weekend ended, I thought it was time to start promoting my book. I have been pounding on doors left and right, but not one door has opened. I’ve contacted my local

Today, on A Good Story is a Good Story, at 8pm central please join host Marsha Cook and her co-hosts April Robin & Freda Roberts, along with their wonderful assistant Virginia Grenier. They will have a candid discussion with independent publishers who publish good books! With so many authors publishing their books with independent publishers, it’s time to recognize these books as first rate books. Not every traditionally published book is a winner and that is the same in the Independent market. On the show this week, is Neal Wooten, owner and managing editor of Mirror Publishing. He will be discussing his theories on Independent publishing, and why the concept of books on demand and Independent publishers are on their way to the top. The Independent publishing world is changing rapidly and certainly becoming a powerful source. Robin Surface from Fideli Publishing will also be there to discuss her views on the changing market . Both Publishers are very successfu

Describe what you feel right now using your sense of smell. If you feel frustrated, write about what your frustration smells like. Use vivid words. Don’t skimp on adjectives. This comes from http://www.creativewritingprompts.com

It was great taking some time off from writing and life. I’ll share more in tomorrow’s post. I am happy to say I did not pack on the pounds relaxing. I actually have lost some more weight. Hooray! Let’s hope this new trend sticks. Health Tip: I am lucky because my family doesn’t tend to have high cholesterol. Which I do find odd, since most of my family is over weight. However, I have many friends who do have to worry about their cholesterol levels. Let’s face it . . . as we get older we just can’t eat the same things we did in our 20’s. So here is a great article for those of you who worry about your cholesterol. Top 7 Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol Without Prescription Medications Today’s Weight 188 Weight on July 5, 2010 190 Goal weight by December 31, 2010 130 I have been using a log to track my activity level and food intake each day. The site is totally FREE! Come join me on Fi

This past week has been one of those weeks that just isn't getting any better. So before I completely go off the deep end according to my hubby . . . I'm taking a four day weekend starting today. I guess between the teething baby, who has gone back to not sleeping, the teenage son not doing a think I've asked him too (Like it would be any other way), and our five year old daughter running out the front door or letting our dog out every chance she gets is taking its toll. My creative juices are completely running and hiding from me. I really don't blame them or my children from wanting a break from the vein pulsing mom. So I'm going to enjoy some of the 100 plus degree weather here in Southern Utah. Take some time to sleep in while hubby is on vacation, and maybe just relax a bit. Okay, maybe a lot. I love what I do, but I think it is important to remember to take a time out from time to time when life gets a bit crazy. Or as I have been saying lately, "Insane

If writing articles is something you do often you can appreciate the need for having to maintain your focus. The usual writing process includes the proper research beforehand to insure the content is useful to the reader. The harder part is to sit down and put it all together in a format that is both interesting and easy to follow; this is the real test of your writing skills. Even harder yet is trying to complete your article writing in a reasonable amount of time. Even the tiniest distractions can derail your train of thought and literally double the amount of time it takes to complete your article. Learning how to write an article in a minimal amount of time is more a result of following a structured and disciplined system and less about your unique writing skills. Today we're going to discuss some writing tips that should help you get more out of the time it takes you to write an article. The early morning hours seem to be the most productive time for article writing and her

RR Tracks - A GOOD STORY IS A GOOD STORY Monday July 12th at 8 pm Central, join host Marsha Cook and her two co-Hosts April Robins, and Freda Roberts. They will welcome a new assistant for the show, Virginia S. Grenier. Craig Clyde will join the show. He’s a screenwriter, novelist and Movie Director. He has directed over eighteen films and he will be discussing his new film ROOTBEER CHRISTMAS. The chat lines will be open and they welcome callers.