Well, it’s a YEAR! That’s right, we have been cross-promoting and helping one another for a year now.

To celebrate this accomplishment, we will have a SUPER-DUPER Anniversary Tour!

The number before the host’s name is the day in November that he/she will post in the tour.

1 Dianne Sagan is hosting Heidi Thomas
2 Harry Gilleland is hosting Karen Cioffi
3 Karen Cioffi is hosting Martha Swirzinki
4 Kathy Stemke is hosting Brigitte Thompson
5 Nancy Famolari is hosting Deborah Weed
6 Margaret Fieland is hosting Elysabeth Eldering
7 Crystalee Calderwood is hosting Harry Gilleland
8 Katie Hines is hosting Heather Paye
9 Helena Harper is hosting Steve Tremp
10 Liana Metal is hosting Crystalee Calderwood
11 Carolyn Howard-Johnson is hosting Marvin Wilson
12 Gayle Trent is hosting Dianne Sagan
13 Mayra Calvani is hosting Carolyn Howard-Johnson
14 Marvin Wilson is hosting Gayle Trent
15 Linda Asato is hosting Mayra Calvani
16 Heather Paye is hosting Katie Hines
17 Steve Tremp is hosting Helena Harper
18 Elysabeth Eldering is hosting Linda Asato
19 Darcia Helle is hosting Liana Metal
20 Deborah Weed is hosting Nancy Famolari
21 Brigitte Thompson is hosting Margaret Fieland
22 Martha Swirzinki is hosting Darcia Helle
23 Heidi Thomas is hosting Kathy Stemke

Each day there will be prizes offered. All you have to do is leave a comment on the host’s site on the day he/she is posting for their guest and you may be a WINNER!

The Winner will have a choice of ONE of 2 or 3 books of our members or other related gifts, OR a one day guest spot on THIS site!

Prizes being given away EVERY Day from November 1st through November 23rd!

OH! Wait a minute! That’s not all! We are still having our Mystery Site Giveaway and the SUPER-DUPER PRIZE is a $25 (US) GIFT CARD to either Amazon, Target, or an American Express Gift Card. I’ll know for sure by the end of this month.

Winners will be notified the day after each posting. The Mystery Site Winner will be notified Sunday, November 29th.

Come celebrate with us and have the chance of being one of the WINNERS of a great gift in the process.

Welcome to the first day of a month long celebration for the one year anniversary of VBT – Writers on the Move. We are a cross promoting group of writers.

I’m really excited to have Heidi M. Thomas with me today. She is from Montana, the Big Sky Country but now lives in Mount Vernon, Washington.

Raised on a rach in isolated eastern Montana, Heidi Thomas had a love of reading and writing since she was a little girl.

Heidi, tell us a little about yourself.

A tidbit of family history, that her grandmother rode steers in rodeos during the 1920s, spurred Heidi to write a novel based on that grandmother’s life.
Cowgirl Dreams is the first in a series about strong, independent Montana Women.
Heidi is a member of Women Writing the West, Skagit Valley Writers League, Skagit Women in Business, and the Northwest Independent Editors Guild. She is an avid reader of all kinds of books, enjoys hiking the Pacific Northwest, where she writes, edits, and teaches memoir and fiction writing classes.

Married to Dave Thomas (not of Wendy’s fame), Heidi has no children, but as the “human” for two finicky felines, describes herself primarily as a “cat herder.”
www.heidimthomas.com

You have a great book that I know I’m anxious to read. Tell us about Cowgirl Dreams.

Defying family and social pressure, Nettie Brady bucks 1920s convention with her dream of becoming a rodeo star. That means competing with men, and cowgirls who ride the rodeo circuit are considered “loose women.” Addicted to the thrill of pitting her strength and wits against a half-ton steer in a rodeo, Nettie exchanges skirts for pants, rides with her brothers on their Montana ranch, and competes in neighborhood rodeos. 

Broken bones, killer influenza, flash floods, and family hardship team up to keep Nettie from her dreams. Then she meets a young neighbor cowboy who rides broncs and raises rodeo stock. Will this be Nettie’s ticket to freedom and happiness? Will her rodeo dreams come true?

Based on the life of the author’s grandmother, a real Montana cowgirl.
Cowgirl Dreams is available from the publisher, Treble Heart Books, Amazon.com or the author website. It is suitable for both adult and young adult readers.

Do you think we could share some of what people are saying about Cowgirl Dreams?

Here are some of the reviews I’ve received.

Svetlana Kovalkova-McKenna rated it: 5 of 5 stars

It is a wonderful YA (Young Adult) book! For the duration of the story you are completely immersed into the world of growing up in Montana in 1920s. Hard work on a family ranch, dreams that defy conventional wisdom, hard choices and, finally, success. Try becoming a rodeo star, when rodeo circuit is a man’s world and you are a teenage girl!
I appreciated author’s meticulous research. All the details of everyday life on a ranch, food, clothes, and people’s mindsets were so interesting…more It is a wonderful YA (Young Adult) book! For the duration of the story you are completely immersed into the world of growing up in Montana in 1920s. Hard work on a family ranch, dreams that defy conventional wisdom, hard choices and, finally, success. Try becoming a rodeo star, when rodeo circuit is a man’s world and you are a teenage girl!
I appreciated author’s meticulous research. All the details of everyday life on a ranch, food, clothes, and people’s mindsets were so interesting, true and well placed throughout the story; I could not help but admire it!
If you are a fan of “Little Women”, “Secret Garden”, “Little House on the Prairie” and “Ann of Green Gables”, take a note of this author, she is the one for you.
I would say the book is a great coming of age story with a lesson in history, lots of adventures, a touch of romance and a great lesson in perseverance. I am buying this one for my daughter.
***

From a male reader:

Heidi Thomas’s Cowgirl Dreams provided me with a delightfully engrossing pleasure: a “good read.” An added bonus was a bit of history detailing the hardships and delights of rural life in early twentieth century Montana and the expectations for women of the time. I approached the tale with a mixture of mild trepidation and hesitant curiosity, the twin themes not being typical fodder for my pleasure reading, and finished with the great satisfaction found in experiencing a well-told story. Nettie Brady’s adventure richly details a pair of transitions: a child growing into young adulthood and a women tackling roles previously claimed by the men of her times. This is a book for all ages, and I look forward to the possibility of reading further installments of Nettie’s life and times.

Peter Olson
***

Some girls claim they were born as horses and only later grew up to be western women. Heidi Thomas gives us one of those passionate, persistent young women in Nettie Brady, and she s based this sparkling and enduring character on her own grandmother s story. Cowgirl Dreams is a heart-warming read for all ages and lets us all know why Ms. Thomas is not only a fine editor of other author s books but shines as a skilled and compassionate writer herself. Jane Kirkpatrick, Award Winning author of A Sweetness to the Soul (Wrangler Award, 1995) and A Tendering in the Storm, winner of a WILLA Literary Award, 2008.	

***
Heidi has truly captured the heart of the early days of Montana. She brings to life Nettie and her dreams for the rodeo despite the opposition of a woman in an exclusive man’s arena. As I read this authors first novel it was a sweet reminder of the Jan Karon Mitford series. I look forward to reading the sequel in what appears to be a Montana series in the making!
Stephanie Hooper

These are wonderful. I’m sure that you will capture your readers and they will be fans for life, Heidi. Thank you so much for being with me. I know we all look forward to getting to know you and your writing better. How can people purchase your book?

Thank you for having me, Dianne.

Cowgirl Dreams is available at:

http://www.heidimthomas.com

Treble Heart Books

Amazon.com

I’m sure there are many lessons that people learn when ghostwriting a book. These are a few of the things that I’ve learned in my own experiences.

Active listening during an entire interview or conversation. You can take notes while you talk or record the conversation if the client knows you’re using a recorder, but if you don’t have a recorder or don’t use it for phone calls you could miss some important details.

Most people love to talk about themselves and what they are interested in. A few questions may be all they need to give you the information you need.

If you are not clear on something, then repeat what you think they said and ask if that is right. You can also ask them to clear up some confusion over a topic or fact.

Ghostwriting can help you find your own voice by learning to write with someone else’s voice.

These are just a few. If you do some ghostwriting and have other things you’ve learned from the experience I’d love for you to leave a comment. Have a great day!

Anyone who visits the blog regularly knows that once a month I have another author for my guest. We get to learn about them and at least one of the books they have written. I started a year ago to participate with a group that formed after attending the Museonline Writers Conference 2008. This free conference is one of the best conferences you could ever attend. It lasts a week and Lea Shivas and those who work with her to make this conference a success offer workshops and discussions with awesome, knowledgable presenters.

One of the workshops I participated in last year was concerned with promotions online. A few of us exchanged emails about starting a group that could do virtual book tours together on a rotation. The result was the VBT – Writers on the Move group.

Virtual book tours are a growing promotional tool and a great way to help other writers get the word out. It’s fun and can help bring people you might not otherwise get as random visitors to your blog.  You can put on your calendar that the 1st and 3rd of each month you’ll find another guest author here.

Today I’m participating in a mass blogging! WOW! Women On Writing has gathered a group of blogging buddies to write about family relationships. Why family relationships? We’re celebrating the release of Therese Walsh’s debut novel today. The Last Will of Moira Leahy, (Random House, October 13, 2009) is about a mysterious journey that helps a woman learn more about herself and her twin, whom she lost when they were teenagers. Visit The Muffin (http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/blog.html) to read what Therese has to say about family relationships and view the list of all my blogging buddies. And make sure you visit Therese’s website (http://www.theresewalsh.com) to find out more about the author.”

Goodie Giveaways: Besides link-love, we have several goodies to give away (gift certificates, t-shirts, tote bags, books, subscriptions). We will hold random drawings for all bloggers who participate by putting all of your names in a hat. Good luck!  Go to , The Muffin

Blending Families

I have a blended family, like many other women. It has its challenges, but we have had some great times with all of the kids. When my husband Greg and I got married eleven years ago, he had three adult children from a previous marriage and I had three children – two teenagers nearing 18 and a 12 year old daughter. My two oldest left home before the wedding so that left my 12 year-old in a home with two parents. She wasn’t particularly happy about the changes at first. I had been a single mother for almost 10 years. She had always thought it would be just the two of us during her high school years. It was rough that first year or so, but we came out on the other side as a close knit family unit. Our daughter became more “ours” than just mine.

The peak of great times involving all six of our children was at a family wedding. Everyone came from around the country and we spent three days together. It was the first time we had all been in one place at the same time. We really enjoyed the time and watching our adult children interact as siblings.

I know that everyone hears the worst stories about blended families. Ours has been spiced with trials, tragedies, and heart wrenching times, but the good times have been like climbing to the top of the mountain and seeing the whole view. I wanted those of you with blended families who are in the trenches trying to build a family that there are good things that happen.

Now for my guest:

About the author, Therese Walsh:

Therese is the co-founder of Writer Unboxed, a blog for writers about the craft and business of genre fiction. Before turning to fiction, she was a researcher and writer for Prevention magazine, and then a freelance writer. She’s had hundreds of articles on nutrition and fitness published in consumer magazines and online.

She has a master’s degree in psychology.

Aside from writing, Therese’s favorite things include music, art, crab legs, Whose Line is it Anyway?, dark chocolate, photography, unique movies and novels, people watching, strong Irish tea, and spending time with her husband, two kids and their bouncy Jack Russell.

Therese’s website: http://theresewalsh.com
Therese’s blog: http://theresewalsh.com/blog.html
Writer Unboxed: http://www.writerunboxed.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ThereseWalsh
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/therese.walsh

About the book:

The Last Will of Moira Leahy

By Therese Walsh

A LOST SHADOW
Moira Leahy struggled growing up in her prodigious twin’s shadow; Maeve was always more talented, more daring, more fun. In the autumn of the girls’ sixteenth year, a secret love tempted Moira, allowing her to have her own taste of adventure, but it also damaged the intimate, intuitive relationship she’d always shared with her sister. Though Moira’s adolescent struggles came to a tragic end nearly a decade ago, her brief flirtation with independence will haunt her sister for years to come.

A LONE WOMAN
When Maeve Leahy lost her twin, she left home and buried her fun-loving spirit to become a workaholic professor of languages at a small college in upstate New York. She lives a solitary life now, controlling what she can and ignoring the rest–the recurring nightmares, hallucinations about a child with red hair, the unquiet sounds in her mind, her reflection in the mirror. It doesn’t help that her mother avoids her, her best friend questions her sanity, and her not-quite boyfriend has left the country. But at least her life is ordered. Exactly how she wants it.

A SHARED PAST
Until one night at an auction when Maeve wins a keris, a Javanese dagger that reminds her of her lost youth, and happier days playing pirates with Moira in their father’s boat. Days later, a book on weaponry is nailed to her office door, followed by anonymous notes, including one that invites her to Rome to learn more about the blade and its legendary properties. Opening her heart and mind to possibility, Maeve accepts the invitation, and with it, a window into her past. Ultimately she will revisit the tragic November night that shaped her and Moira’s destinies, and learn that nothing can be taken at face value, as one sister emerges whole and the other’s score is finally settled.

Note: To read reviews about The Last Will of Moira Leahy, please visit Therese’s website: http://theresewalsh.com/News_Reviews/news_reviews.html

Sometimes people ask me why I would want to ghostwrite when I could spend the time writing under my own name or pen names.

For me, the answer is that ghostwriting provides a good income if you establish a good reputation with publishers, book packagers, and clients/authors. I’ve also become a better writer. After all, the more you write, the better you get if you are truly working on your craft and pushing yourself to always get better at it.

If you are a person that doesn’t like anonymity and it’s important that you are the one in the lime light, then ghostwriting isn’t for you. When the book does well, I’m still very excited about it, but my author is the one who is taking the bow. That is what I get paid for – to remain a ghost, in the background.

One of the books on leadership that I ghosted became an amazon best seller in Canada. I have a copy of it on the shelf with other books I’ve written and am very proud to have it there. However, it is important to remember that without the author’s ideas and message, I wouldn’t have written the book. The collaboration is a great experience, especially when you and the author really click together.

Ghostwriting has given me the opportunity to write about many different topics – nonfiction. I’ve written about overcoming fears, becoming more than you are, getting the best and most out of life, leadership in business, real estate, teaching children how to manage money, and finding your purpose.

Most ghostwriters get paid a flat fee for their work and then go on to the next project. Sometimes a ghostwriter is recognized. One of my clients recognized me in the acknowledgements of his book. Occassionally, a ghostwriter gets a small percentage of the profits/royalties on books sold.

I admit that my efforts for every day blogging for a month now has a couple of missed posts. However, I am going to keep going. Sunday is my favorite day of the week. I usually spend the moring involved with choir, Sunday school, and services and than have a quiet afternoon with family or friends. Sometimes, I read or take a nap. By evening, I start putting things together for the week.

This weekend we went from a few days of Fall weather, most of the leaves haven’t even turned yet – Winter arrived yesterday with a major cold front and we had our first freeze. Wow!

Tomorrow … more about ghostwriting.

The initial interview helps getting to know your client/author as well as what they want to cover in the project.  I begin by finding out about the client’s background and interests. How did they get to where they are? Visit with them regularly during the project.

Clarify the type of book they want to write and what the subject will cover. As a ghostwriter, part of your job is to help direct your client in narrowing a subject that is too broad. For example, relationships has many subtopics. Education has many aspects. It is best to focus in on one aspect or only a few related subtopics. People don’t realize it, but their first instinct is to cover everything in one book. It becomes a never ending book. Encourage your client to write more than one book about the topic.

Work through the basics of what they want to say in the book. Their personal stories help enrich the content and help the reader to associate with the writer and the subject matter. What people does the client admire? Do they have favorite quotes? Who is their market? Are they clear on what the overall message is?

Compile some questions that you want to ask your client about their book and put together specifics that help clarify what the book includes. Then, put together an outline. Submit the outline to your client and then collaborate until you get the outline that your client is satisfyed with.

Next, it’s time to begin writing. As in other writing, allow yourself to write the first draft imperfectly. No first draft is ready for publication. It is where we start.

Most of all, enjoy working and collaborating with your client. Give them your best and they will return for your services time and time again. They will also refer other people to you.

For additional information about becoming a ghostwriter, read my article at Writing for Dollars.

Okay, for anyone who is keeping track, yes, I missed yesterday. However, I’m back today. A good friend passed away and I just didn’t make it to the computer yesterday. I’m really trying to do well with the posting daily challenge. I won’t let one day missed stop me. Now, lets look at ghostwriting.

The biggest challenge in being a ghostwriter is to always write in the author’s voice. Your client is the author. When doing a ghostwriting workshop, I include how to capture that person’s voice.

Some tips are:

Listen to the way they speak.

Ask yourself if there are certain terms or words they use a lot.

Watch for common phrases.

Listen to how they structure their sentences – spoken or written.

Talk with them in person and through emails enough to capture how they say things and how they feel about the subject matter.

Get them to tell you personal stories that will fit in with the theme or subject matter of the book. They will help you maintain their voice, as well as put more of them personally in the book.

Use a recorder if you can. If you’re working with them from half way around the world, talk often on the phone. There may be a video of them speaking that they can send you or one online.

Ask them for notes or any drafts they may have of the book. Those are helpful for sentence structure.

Then, start writing and do the polishing so that your author’s message flows.

Those are the tips for today. Tomorrow I’ll address how to get to know your client through interviews.

I went to a party about a year ago and when a woman asked me what I do, I told her I was a freelance ghostwriter, author, and speaker. She nodded and then asked “Do you like scary stories?”

I had to explain to her that a ghostwriter doesn’t write stories about ghosts or necessarily scary stories. Anyone else who may be a little confused, let me clarify that ghostwriters are hired to work with a person who has a good idea, a message, or information that they want to write into a book. They either don’t have time to do it themselves or can’t write. So, ghostwriters like myself collaborate with them and assist them in writing their book.

In cases with high profile clients, a ghostwriter has to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Sometimes, the ghostwriter’s name is given with the author’s name. For example, Don Piper with Cecile Murphy (90 Minutes in Heaven). Most of us work annonymously and are paid a flat fee for our work. Then, we move on to another project. It can be a very lucrative career.

Hope you’ll come back tomorrow to find out more about this life as a ghostwriter.