Author Interview with Traci Lawrence: ACCEPT NO TRASH TALK

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Today’s Interview is with Author Traci Lawrence about writing her successful self-help book Accept No Trash Talk.

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Traci, how would you describe your book to someone who has not yet read it?

My book is about perseverance in the midst of trials, whether those trials deal with communication, or medical challenges. I want to help people to realize that everybody has the ability and the right to overcome great odds. My book is the voice of significantly undervalued people, but it is also the voice of anyone who has been subject to any amount of disrespect.

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How did you get the idea for the book?

The basis for the book was the disrespect that I received and witnessed in my earlier years. I wanted to show how I have pushed beyond bullying, and how numerous famous people have also done the same. I quote empowering examples of famous people in history and current events.

In addition, I got ideas from talking with people I know that feel overwhelmed by all that’s expected of them in their personal lives and careers.  Some people have more money, better health, or better social skills than the majority of people in their social circles. Yet, the less-fortunate majority should not be held accountable for circumstances that are beyond their control.

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There are many excellent self-help books on the market. Why should a person choose to read your book?

My book is unique because I am unique. I am a distinctive person in several ways: I come from a background of medical, mental, and social challenges, and; I only have a bachelor’s degree.  My book has several distinguishing characteristics: it’s shorter than most self-help books; it is formatted in an easy-to-follow outline, and; the language that I use is simple, everyday English. My writing should be relevant and clear to everyone because I have the common touch.

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How do you want your book to change the way that people think?

I want my book to be a platform for the promotion of the idea that everyone is “okay”. We’re all “broken”; nobody’s perfect, and that’s acceptable. Most of us are trying the best that we can with limited resources. Some groups want us to think that they are perfect. They think that they have a right to judge and devalue other people. Therefore, I want my book to raise awareness of how disrespectfully some individuals treat each other. Also, I want readers to realize that everybody deserves a chance to get ahead in life.

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Does your book have any underlying theme, message, or moral?

The underlying message of my book is that everyone has a right to live within their own truth and capabilities. Certain people shouldn’t be allowed to dictate what other people are capable of, or how they should act. Some of us have limited capabilities due to mental and medical concerns. The strongest of us are willing to push ourselves to expand our capabilities. I name such people, including historical figures and current celebrities, in my book.

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What would / could a reader or reviewer say about this book that shows they get you as an author?

One reviewer quoted a line from my book: “Everyone has a right to live within their own capabilities.”

My book is about people understanding and accepting their own capabilities. It’s also about everyone accepting the fact that not everyone operates within the same framework of values and strengths. For example, I have more medical challenges than many people, so I cannot be expected to accomplish as much as a person who has no medical concerns.

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Thinking way back to the beginning, what ís the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?

I have learned that beta readers are invaluable. I asked a few beta readers to look at portions of my book. They gave me validation and encouragement. They also gave me tough love when they pointed out areas where I could write with more clarity, conciseness, and optimism. Most of all, they demonstrated how to organize my highly jumbled thoughts.

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How did you get published? Please share your own personal journey.

I am self-published on Amazon. I went to the Amazon website and follow the links for self-publishing. I prized it very affordable, for only $2.99.  Prime Members can read it even for free .

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What general advice do you have for other writers?

I would say that a good rule of thumb is to write about that which you’re passionate. Passion always comes through; so does apathy.

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What is the best part of being a writer?

I like the fact that my edited thoughts are published for anyone to read.  My writing illuminates my thought processes more than my speech does.  I think that there are other people out there who think like me, so the purpose of my book is to give them a voice, too. I strongly believe that reserved people who have been undervalued need to be given a voice amidst the many loud voices in the world.

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Author-Traci-Lawrence

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Meet Traci Lawrence here too:

Facebook Accept No Trash Talk book page  https://www.facebook.com/Tracisebook

Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/114161341418207904221/posts/p/pub

Twitter https://twitter.com/aleen_traci

Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/tracilawrence77/

Author Blog http://tracisebook.blogspot.com/

Amazon page http://amzn.to/1nWAQ3y

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCznN3w6vzrldBkzc-2Vf-dw

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/traci.lawrence.779

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8416470.Traci_Lawrence

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Wo bleibt denn der Pilot?

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Wo bleibt denn der Pilot? 
Hinter den Kulissen eines Executive Flugdienstes: Nehmen Sie Platz im Cockpit! The Pilot tells you all…
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Beruflich Fliegen ist alles zugleich: langweilige Routine und faszinierendes Erlebnis, Technik und Naturgewalten, Menschen und Maschinen.
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Nehmen Sie Platz im Cockpit und lassen Sie sich mit diesen Kurzgeschichten in den fliegerischen Alltag einer Berufspilotin entfuehren. Doris Daily wird Ihnen einige amusante Erlebnisse aus der Luftfahrt in lockerem Plauderton erzaehlen.
Bei Amazon fuer nur $ 2.99 / Euro 2.60
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Icebreaker More Important Than Women in Canada?

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Yes, it seems to be the case, judging the fact that Canada removed the only image on Canada's bills, showing Thérèse Casgrain, a feminist icon and Quebec heroine who died in 1981.  An image of Mme. Casgrain and her namesake volunteer-award medal disappeared from Canada's $50 bank note, replaced by the image of an icebreaker and a portrait of former premier Mackenzie King on a new currency series.
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Thérèse Casgrain fought for the right of Quebec women to vote, which they finally won in 1940.  She also became the first female leader of a political party in Canada, heading the CCF in Quebec, and was appointed to the Senate in 1970 by Trudeau.
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Change.org asks to sign a petition, to convince the Bank of Canada for adding more women to our bills.

When Mark Carney was governor of the Bank of Canada, the Bank decided to remove the images of the first notable Canadian women who finally made it onto our bank notes. While Queen Elizabeth II appears on $20 notes, the result is that there are again no women from Canadian history on our bills. It is unacceptable that female historical figures are not featured on the Polymer Series or another series - just male prime ministers and the Queen.
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Can we assume  that the approach of the Bank of Canada indicates plenty of prejudice and little pride in Canadian women?  Dear Bank of Canada:  Have a look at Australian currency bills, there are several women displayed!

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9 Important Tips to Consider Before Starting a Website

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Before you or your web designer starts creating your website:
Check out other websites in your field.  Identify those you like and take notes.  What is it about your layout and design that works?  What do you want to tell your visitors? How can you impress them about your books and keep them on your site - and coming also back at a later point? 

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1. Make an Overall Plan:

• Easy to Read
• Easy to Navigate the Website
• Easy to Use Links to Other Sites
• Contact Form for Visitors
• Sales Page e-Commerce for Your Books

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2. Writing for the Web
Web design consideration: In what pattern do people scan (not read!) your website?  Your first two sentences of each web page must convince the visitor to stay on your page.
Learn how to write for the web: from most important on top to less further on.  Keep your text short, use lots of paragraphs, sub titles, bullet lists and to make your web page appealing, add lots of images and graphics.
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3. Easy to Navigate
One thing, with many websites have in common, is lots of clutter which hide the key messages. It’s almost as if some people want to put everything on one tiny page.
Removing some of the clutter, particularly from the main page or what visitors can see, without scrolling down, can help to deliver the key messages. Ask yourself: Is my site easy to navigate, and does it have some empty space to make it easy to read?
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4. Links to Other Sites
If you have links to other sites: what happens when the visitor to your site clicks them? If they are taken directly to another site in the same window, and they find something more interesting, you have lost them.  All your external links should be set to open in a new window, leaving your site still on view.
Search Engine Optimization, short SEO: To move up to the top of the search list, you need to have lots of links from other relevant web sites to your page; submit your web pages to various sites that deal with your topic and encourage them to link their readers to you in return of the favor. Get lots of tips how to get more inbound-links.
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5. Contact Form

Set up a comments box on your site for visitors to communicate directly with you through email.
Ensure your visitors, that their email addresses are only used to respond to messages, and not being sold or used for any other purposes.  Don’t place your email address on your site, to avoid getting junk emails.
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6. Maximize Your Web Traffic 
Improve your visibility on search engines by using clear and accurate keywords in your web site title, description and body text. Don't forget Meta Descriptions and ALT image attributes for your images.  Use this FREE keyword tool.  See also #4, SEO.

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7.  Sell Online
If you are selling your books directly from your site:  is it fully secure, from the buyers perspective? Any web pages which require sensitive customer details, need to be fully encrypted. If your web page has no https in the address bar, it shows that it is not secure.  Read also how to get lots of visitors and book lovers to your website.
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8. Don’t Forget Sharing and Following Buttons
Would you like to have SEVEN times! more people read your blog or visit your website? So, how do you get followers to share your posts or website content online?  Make it easy for them to share what you have posted, so that others can discover your content – and forward it to their followers and friends, and these also forward it to their friends and followers …. You get the idea!

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9. Usability as Common Courtesy – Why People Really Leave Web Sites:
Want to learn more about a professional author website: this is the most important and useful book, you should read before anything else:  Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability  2nd Edition, by Steve Krug.
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail ~ Benjamin Franklin.  This is true for writing books, publishing and creating a website as well!


Examples of Author Websites: 

http://www.stephenking.com/press.php
http://www.jamespatterson.com/about_biography.php
http://www.thisisliteracy.ca/teenagers/resources/365

More outstanding websites of bestseller authors:
http://www.thewritingplatform.com/2013/02/ten-author-websites-that-really-do-the-business/

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A New MUST SEE for New York Tourists

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The Most Unlikely of Dreams
Not only tourists, but locals alike are drawn to the "HIGH LINE", a historic freight rail line, elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side.  This now very popular green space, above all the traffic hussle, runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th and 12th Avenues. 

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Once a Busy Freight Train Route
In 1934, the elevated railway was built for freight trains, so that they could deliver their goods directly from the track to the upper floors of factories and warehouses on the west side of Manhattan.  Later more and more trucks were used instead of trains, the route was less and less used, until 1980, when the last train left.  The route degenerated in the following years and with it the neighbourhood around them.
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Almost Exclusively Maintained with Private Funds
Founded in 1999 by community residents, "Friends of the High Line" fought for the High Line’s preservation and transformation at a time when the historic structure was under the threat of demolition. 
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Art and Photography Along the Way
Visitors can walk the 2,5 km long trail and "smell the roses" in the middle of the city, instead of exhaust fumes down on the streets.  Photographers love the trail as it allows for very interesting motives, from of rising developments to Hudson River sunsets.  Site-specific artworks, exhibitions, performances, video and film projections, are part of High Line Art, a program that invites artists to create work that responds to the High Line in a unique way. 

My Best Camera for Travel:  Nikon CoolPix
No, I did not shoot the awesome image for the poster above, but I do lots of photos, indoor and outdoors, and like that this Nikon does not need a flash, which is often forbidden, especially in museums.  The grip on one site allows for safe and comfortable usage. Highly recommend it - great gift for the holidays and birthdays too.
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A Secret Garden Everyone Knows
There are guided tours of the flower beds, free sports courses, common stargazing, concerts and activities for children.  A bridge over 11th Avenue supports a catwalk, flanked by low benches.  Senator Charles Schumer said: “If you go to New York, you have to get the Empire State Building View, was yesterday”.  "Today they say: 'If you go to New York, you have to run on the High Line."

The best of all: It's free to visit and walk the gardens and enjoy art.  Explore more free things in otherwise expensive New York at Travelettes.

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Is Business Travel Worth the Effort?

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Everyone wants to travel for pleasure.  However a “business travel budget” is often seen more as a luxury than a necessity.  Everyone nowadays uses Skype and other video calling platforms to make international business easier, but traveling to meet with business partners and suppliers, or to attend fairs and conferences will save you money and improve your profitability. 

Surveys with Executives Show:

• 42% of customers would be lost without in-person meetings
• 60% of frequent travelers believe more travel would increase company profitability
• 78% say conferences provide a high impact on gaining industry insights
• 76% of the respondents believe it’s crucial for developing industry partnership

Great Opportunities
Business Travel provides entrepreneurs many potential growth opportunities:  Statistics show that $9.50 is returned for every dollar spent on business travel!  When you become a real person and more than a voice or email address to the partner company, everyone becomes more helpful in wanting to make things work.
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Trade Shows are Great for Learning and PR

Just walking the aisles as an attendee can be a great experience in seeing big budget marketing tactics and then seeing how you can adapt them for your own business.  An inexpensive day pass is often all you need to purchase.

If you are looking for free public relation you can also meet the attending media by asking the exhibition organizers for a list of reporters who have pre-registered for the event.


Your Employees Need to Learn Working Without You

• Who responds first to a specific customer or client?
• Who might need access to passwords or special software?
• When do you need to be contacted?
• What events or circumstances might be coming up that needs your input?

Returning to the office, access what worked well and how to prepare better for in the future.  Remember:  Things can also go wrong when you are in the office.  Don't let worries preventing you to make important contacts at business trips. 

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Top 7 Tips to Promote Your Book for FREE

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Do you want more readers for your books and articles?  There is a cornucopia of free and effective promotion tools for writers on the Internet. You can achieve these marketing goals through online activities in a fun way, as most writers already like to hang out in cyberspace, networking and blogging.  Be Patient and Start Early.  Self-publishing can mean connecting with readers on a one-by-one basis.  It may take a few months to see a large uptake in traffic.
If you have a book coming out, give yourself time to create a fan base.  Don’t just start two weeks before your book becomes available - or worse: after its launch.

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1. Join Book Communities
As an author it is a MUST to be a member of these communities and a free (other than your time) way to introduce your book(s) and show your book titles.  Join Goodreads, Wattpad, Bibliophil, Scribd, BookMoch or Shelfari. More on my blog about book communities and for direct links.
Post snippets (or chapters) of your book to excite potential readers at Wattpad – see my blog about Wattpad: 15 million readers before her book was even published.
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2. Use Your Signature
Never send out an email without your author’s signature. You have probably heard this advice before, but: do you use the gains of e-mail signatures to market and promote your books?
Every day you send out emails to friends, business colleagues, your lawyer or accountant, potential clients, potential readers … If you have an email signature, you are constantly sending people “passive” marketing, spreading the word about you, your brand and your books. Create your email signature right now!
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3. Involve Social Networks
Most important of all for your success is to have LOTS of FOLLOWERS on SOCIAL MEDIA.
Show up on Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Facebook and Linkedin.  Important:  Click on “public” when posting on Google+ and your content will be immediately picked up by Google’s search engines. If you share interesting links (and your blog posts), and offer great free information, you will quickly become a favorite in these social networks. Your followers and connections on Social Media will later become your fan base, read and subscribe to your blog posts and newsletters and read / buy your books.
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4. Comment on Other Blogs
Take the time to find bloggers who write about topics similar to those you write about. When they have something good to say or you can add something to what they have written, leave a comment on their blog. Each time you do so, you leave behind a link to yourself, your website, or your blog. If people who read your comment find what you have written interesting, they will click on the link to find out more about you. They may then decide to become regular blog readers or subscribers, newsletter subscribers, or book buyers.
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5. Start and Maintain a Blog Yourself
Blogs serve as the best tool for increasing online visibility as these are constantly updated and thus attractive for search engines. The more visible you, your book, your website, and your blog become, the more traffic (readers) your blog will attract. This means more buyers for your book now or when it is released. To create a successful blog, write about something you feel passionate about and do so often and consistently. That’s all it takes.
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6. Contribute Content to e-Zine Article Directories
Recycle parts of your blogged book manuscript or blog posts into short articles you can post in content farms or e-zine article directories, such as Ezinearticles.com, Amazines.com, or Blogs of the Week and many more.  Almost all have a resource box for a short bio and a link back to your website, book, blog, or subscription form. These articles are picked up by other bloggers, newsletter editors, e-zine editors, etc., and each time your resource box is featured. Readers click on your links to find out more about you, subscribe to your blog and newsletter or purchase your book.  You can even use an e-zine article distribution services, and get your articles distributed to hundreds of e-zine directories at once, making it available to hundred-thousands of new readers and possible book fans.
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7. Optimize your Amazon Page
The first step of all you can do to climb up to bestseller status:

- “autograph” Kindle books
– choose the best categories for your books and update them regularly
– add tags/keywords/subjects to your book listing for more exposure
– add lots of reviews, “About the Author” and additional information to your Amazon sales page
– get the most out of your Amazon Central account, create a brilliant authors page
– find out which part of your books your customers highlight the most on the Kindle and post it on your website or blog
- If you want your writing to stand out from the thousands of competitors, good article, book or blog headlines are one of the most important things you can do to entice people to read further.

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No Money? No Problem!
Success in social media book marketing, using the tools described here, doesn’t require any financial investment.  Depending on your level of involvement, it may demand a strong time commitment, at least in the beginning.  Yet, as more you use these marketing tools, as faster you can handle them and as more visitors and buyers you will get.

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Story of Noah's Ark - Canadian Version

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The Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in Canada, and said, "Once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populated and I see the end of all flesh before me. Build another ark and save two of every living thing, along with a few Good humans." He gave Noah the blueprints, saying, "You have six months to build the Ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights".

Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard, but no ark. "Noah", He roared, "I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?"

"Forgive me, Lord," begged Noah. "But things have changed. I needed a building permit. I've been arguing with the inspector about the need for a Sprinkler system. My neighbours claim that I've violated the neighbourhood zoning laws by building the Ark in my yard and exceeding the height limitations. We had to go to the Development Appeal Board for a Decision."
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"Then Transport Canada and the Departments of Highways and Hydro demanded a Bond be posted for the future costs of moving power, trolley and other overhead obstructions, to clear the passage for the Ark's move to the sea. I argued that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing of it."

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"Getting the wood was another problem. There's a ban on cuttinglocal trees in order to save the spotted owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save the owls. But no go!"

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"When I started gathering the animals, I got sued by animal rights group. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. As well, they argued the accommodation was too restrictive and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space."

"Then Environment Canada ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until they'd conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood."

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"I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on how many minorities I'm supposed to hire for my building crew. Also, the trades unions say I can't use my sons. They insist have to hire only Union workers with Ark building experience."

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"To make matters worse, the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species. So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least ten years for me to finish this Ark."

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Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky. Noah looked up in wonder and asked, "You mean you're not going to destroy the world?"  "No", said the Lord. "The Canadian government beat me to it!"

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Where to Find Free Image Sources Online

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Even though I am an avid photographer, taking often several hundred images a month, from time to time I need a certain photo motive that I cannot take myself.  The question was, where can I find inexpensive photographs?  A lot of research brought up a handful of online offers that I like to share with you. 
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I am only on page 12 of about 5,000 pages of free photos and have downloaded already dozens of beautiful images that I can use for websites, books and yes, also for this blog.  For me, this is the best of all the websites offering free photos that I found so far:  http://www.morguefile.com
An amazing hidden treasure on the internet, ten, no hundred-thousands of free images (more than 300,000 as of this writing, to be precise) and you are allowed to copy, distribute, transmit and to adapt the work.  No “accounts” necessary as on other websites, just go to “free photos”, choose an image and download it.
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A Real Treasure Trove!
Some of the photos are in such a high resolution that you can use them for your book cover image.
There are certainly more common websites who offer royalty free images at low prices and even some free ones too:

http://www.istockphoto.com

http://www.dreamstime.com

http://www.shutterstock.com

http://www.fotosearch.com/

http://www.Freedigitalphotos.net

http://www.deviantArt.com
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While you are browsing, download any images that catch your eye.  Don’t assume you will be able to return to that page later.  Chances are, you will never find this particular image again.  These photo sites change constantly, rotating in an irregular way.  Just save the ones you like and decide which ones to keep later.
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My Favored Camera:  Nikon CoolPix
I do lots of photos, indoor and outdoors, and like the grip on one site allows for safe and comfortable usage. Highly recommend it - great gift for the holidays and birthdays too.
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Difference Between Free, Royalty-free and Rights-managed?

Free images can be downloaded without any rules or agreement and are in the public domain. The creator offers his work public and free, there are no legal rights or restrictions for his or her work and it can be duplicated.  Images which have been copyrighted can still be considered as free when they are explicitly announced by the artist to be used, copied, distributed or modified.

Royalty-free images are given the right to use. There is an agreement that the licensee can use the photo without paying additional royalty charges, but it does not mean that the licensee can use the image for whatever he/she wants.

Rights Managed images means a contract between the licensor and licensee, regarding licensing the rights to use photographs, specifying to use the content in a certain way. This can include the length of time, the medium, the size, the format and the location of use. Unlike images under royalty-free licenses, the licensor is in control or has history of the rights granted involving the image. This is a positive for the licensor as he or she can earn more by creating more offers to the licensee such as exclusivity within a specific region or industry.

Digitaltrends.com writes:  “The bulk of the images on the Web are subject to copyright – meaning the photographer or creator of a particular image retains exclusive rights to that image – and are therefore protected under federal law.
However, there are tons of free-for-all images that fall under something called
“public domain.”

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