Lory La Selva Padauno, Author of The High Priestess

Today we are interviewing Lory La Selva Padauno, author of the historical fiction novel "The High Priestess."
 
What can you tell us about your new Historical - Fiction novel, "The High Priestess"?
I'd like to begin by saying , it's quite an exceptional journey. From the present to the future and back, the book involves many elements of surprise and intrigue. Our main character ''Khafa'' is very strong willed and ambitious, while our second in command, is quite focused but somewhat lost at times, a great example of what we sometimes seek in our very souls, or are too afraid of becoming.

Who is the target audience for your book?
Naturally I'd like to say that the right audience would be those who like to  indulge in Historical - Fiction, the very readers that ''want the truth, inside the lie'', but I feel that we sometimes label and categorize our genre's all too well, and with good reason of course, however, I do believe that the avid reader would enjoy this book immensely for the simple fact that it has much more than History or Fiction in its contents.

What drew you to the Historical - Fiction genre?
As a long time lover of History and mysticism of the ancient world, it was easy to determine where I was headed. I'm an avid reader and I enjoy many books, but there has always been a dormant ''calling'' until the last two years of course, to pursue my writing in this fashion. It tickles my fancy, and it awakens me, in a manner that cannot be described, but only felt. 

''The High Priestess'' features the Khemitians. When did you first become interested in the Khemitians?
What we've been taught in History classes for the last 4, 500 years by Historians, is very bare boned and  basic. There's always another way, always another story, and for the Khemitians, there's always the truth. I became excessively involved in their teachings and it peaked my interest because I'm skeptical by nature, investigative by character, and this was something that needed to be exposed. Even though books have already been written about Khemit by many authors, for me it was about incorporating another view, with facts and fiction, whereas most of these authors only introduced Khemit and History. One would do well to explore the Khemitians and their teachings and expand their horizons and read ''The High Priestess."

Tell us a bit about protagonist Khafa.
Oh where do I begin! When we look at her character closely, we can see the ''Alpha & Omega" all bundled up in a sweet package. She is beyond beautiful and she uses this to further herself and her plans in this story. Khafa is someone we would all love to be, well, the better side of her of course, she's versatile and ever so clever, she can bring courage and hope in our weakest moments, and she's someone that many might cheer on, or love to hate, either way, she's perfect and undeniably the star of the show! *No spoilers here*.

How would you describe your writing style?
I want to say what others have said and that's easy. Many have said I'm very descriptive, all have said I'm definitely not lacking any imagination but the best description by far, is that they've dubbed me the ''Queen'' of great plots and too many twists to count. I thank them for the feedback, it's nice to hear, when someone like myself is very critical of their writing style, or at times insecure.

What is your favorite thing about writing?
It's an escape form reality. I'm someone who feels deeply, loves deeply, and writing just brings me to the next level of freedom, where I can write my thoughts and never be punished for it. It's therapeutic to a sensitive soul like myself, who's been injured and plagued with physical illnesses in the past two years all due to the fact that I invested many hours in my trade. I found something many years ago in writing and have recently brought all my stories to life, injuring myself in the process, but I wouldn't want to have it any other way, this is the best part of it for me because it's real.

What can you tell us about your next book?
Entitled ''The Legacy of a Legend" this book will take us back to ancient Rome, as recently requested by my Facebook audience. This book  is for them. The ones who are loyal and devoted to me and love my books. It involves a phenomenal character named  Arria, who will take Rome by storm, and she does it with righteousness and just cause. The book will launch this summer, and we're very excited to introduce a very - SPECIAL -  gladiatrix  and her world. *No more spoiling*

Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know?
There's so much to say, and I would like to mention that Indie writers are some of the worlds most dedicated writers to their fans. It's all for them, whatever we put down on paper, its due to the fact that people request it, they have a thirst for it, they want  relatable, innovative, imaginative, grippingly told stories that touch their hearts, play with their minds, and open up portals to other dimensions that have yet to be discovered. We're the little people, but our stories are big, and they are deep like the crevasses on Mars. Investing in an Indie authors works, not only helps the author grow, but there is one motto I live by, ''PAY IT FOWARD'' with me, it's all about giving back to my readers.

Relevant links:
Find The High Priestess on Facebook
Buy the book on Amazon
Buy the book on Amazon UK
Buy the book for the Nook
Buy the book Kobo
Buy the iBook

Matthew Tolleth, Author of Stillness Within the Storm

Today we are interviewing Matthew Tolleth, author of the self-improvement book Stillness Within the Storm.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a small town farming boy from the Willamette Valley.  My High School graduating class consisted of 62 young adults.  I served our country thereafter in the Navy for 4 years.  I have been so far west that I felt I was going east in this world.  I have been exposed to many third world countries and their cultures in my travels.  My job titles include everything from Machinist Mate, Assembling fitness equipment, to pouring Mud (concrete), Aircraft Mechanic, Medical Assistant and last and foremost Team Leader.

Describe the purpose of Stillness Within the Storm in a few sentences.
The purpose of my book, is to help my reader adjust the way they can view the world.  Just not so in how they view the world, but how my reader can adapt to have their world move around them and not through them.

Who do you think would most appreciate this book?
Everyone can find their own connection with Stillness within the Storm.  It is written to guide any reader to discover a new element within themselves.  To always move forward, to find a new foundation within their life to build upon.

What inspired you to write a book about helping people find the life they choose?
Because, we are always influenced by others(on a minute by minute basis) to; Act, feel, listen and follow what current media influences that tell us what how we should think, act and assimilate what they (media) think we need to feel what important in our life is. Hmmm…  Honestly?  We are influenced on how we “should” raise our children!  We are influenced on how we serve “breakfast” to our children.  We are influenced on the ultimate way to “secure” the perfect life to our family.  In the end?  All this influences that are making decisions for you?  Does not serve your own personal needs.  It serves the needs of dollar signs on others pockets!

One of the major themes of your book is finding stillness. How do you define stillness?
Stillness is being observant of every moment around you without being absent within it.  Stillness is an acute observation of your life’s moments as seconds tick forward in time.

Why is stillness important?
It is really difficult to help everyone understand why finding our “stillness” is important today for us all.  Discovering our own personal “stillness” gives back to all of us, the ability to guide our life where as the storm of existence moves around us.  When you find your own personal stillness?  You will move forward each and every day as the storm that is life, flows around you.

What are some of the major obstacles people face in finding stillness?
Today our stillness is “overshadowed” by TOO much information, TOO much stress, and TOO many things other people are telling us we “Should be doing”!  I suggest that we move away from our constant influences of advertisement on a minute by minute basis.  “Kill your TV” was not a bad idea when it was suggested so long ago.

How do you think reading your book will impact people?
My writing is designed to move the idea; from me being a writer making an impact on another’s life, to writing in a direction that will help impact my reader to discover what they really need to understand themselves on a personal level, to make the best change for themselves.

What do you have in mind for your next writing project?
I am already into three chapters in my next endeavor. In my current working environment, I realized that the minority of my work group has had marriages lasting longer than 25 years.  Most of my work group are on their second marriage.  And just a small percentages of that minority is “content” in their current marriage (over 25 years). I am asking, on a personal level, “what makes marriage really work”  And on that, I will ask permission from the minority group to give guidance to all; who are currently married, thinking about getting married, or are on Spouse # 3.

Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book?
Be warned… I will help you discover your own ego and how it influences the life you live.  If you can accept your ego and better understand it?  The loving, wonderful-loving presence you really are, will ascend to be who you really were meant to be.

More Information
www.stillnesswithinthestorm.com

Diane Gallagher, Author of Greenwich List

Today we are interviewing Diane Gallagher, author of the ChickLit/Bildungsroman novel Greenwich List.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’ve been infatuated with books since I learned to read at age 3.  As soon as I learned how to write I started writing stories and have been doing it ever since. In my day job, I am a teacher-librarian at a high school – a job I love because the kids keep me young. I also spend a lot of time working with queer youth and I have just recently started exploring the idea of training to be a lay pastor.  I love travelling and have done quite a lot of it.  In my twenties and thirties my focus was on Asia but in my forties and later my sites turned towards Europe.  In recent years, my husband and I bought a house in Sicily and our retirement plan is to spend six months in Canada and six months “under the Sicilian sun”.  I love being in Italy; there is so much there that is now influencing my writing.

Describe the plot of Greenwich List.
Greenwich List is the story of a young woman, Gwen, who comes to London after the break-up with her abusive boyfriend and boss.  While there, she meets Umah and Brody who, in an attempt to help her recover from the break-up, give her a list of crazy things to do – paintball, roller disco, zorbing – over the course of the weekend. Running parallel to this is the story in a romance novel that Gwen picked up in Greenwich Market with a heroine on the cover who looks remarkably like Gwen.

Who would most appreciate Greenwich List?
I think all women would enjoy this story – ages 16 to 60 (or more), particularly those who have an interest in travel or in London as the novel takes the reader all over the city.  Also, any woman who has been through the break-up of a not-so-great relationship will sympathize and perhaps recognize the emotional ups and downs that Gwen faces. 

What inspired you to write a book about a woman who deals with heartbreak in an unusual way?
There were a few things that led to the writing of Greenwich List.  The first, and most obvious, is that I had entered the Three Day Novel contest back in 2009 and Greenwich List is what I produced.  Over and above that, however, I related to Gwen in that my first marriage was similar to the relationship she had just left.  Much of what Gwen was feeling were things that I had felt myself.  In regards to the list, I had been in London in 2005 visiting a very good friend.  She was on the cusp of turning 30 and her friends there had given her a list of 30 crazy things to do and if she completed them all, they would throw her a huge birthday bash.  So, putting all these things together I got Greenwich List.

Tell us a bit about Gwen.
Gwen is young.  She hasn’t yet learned her worth otherwise she would have kicked Ken to the curb very early on. She has a sweet nature and loves to give happiness to others yet it is only through completing this list that she begins to see the value of giving herself happiness and, by reading the parallel romance novel, the importance of tapping into her inner strength. She also discovers that it is not a bad thing to have gone through such a bad break-up and abusive relationship because by doing so it gave her permission to move on with her life.

What happens to Gwen during her life changing adventure?
Gwen comes to London after the break-up with her abusive boyfriend and boss.  While there, she meets Umah and Brody (and a cast of other off-beat characters) who, in an attempt to help her recover from the break-up, give her a list of crazy things to do over the course of the weekend that lead her to self discovery.

How do you hope readers are impacted by your book?
First and foremost, I hope readers enjoy and are uplifted by Gwen’s story.  In my life, I have discovered that even the terrible things in life have a purpose and I have tried to convey that hopeful message in Greenwich List.  I would be very happy if even one person came out of reading this book understand this in their own life.

How long have you been writing?
I started writing stories almost as soon as I learned to read.  I was reading Dr. Seuss at age three and Robert Louis Stevenson by age four.  That is about when I started trying to put my own stories and books together.  In high school my short stories received honourable mentions in several writing competitions and I have been writing poetry – some good, some spectacularly bad – since I first read A Child’s Garden of Verses.  Some of the better and later stuff has been published. Greenwich List was the first novel I actually finished but there were three unfinished and abandoned novels before it. 

Are there any authors who have influenced your writing style?
I’m not sure about my style but there are certainly authors who have influenced the themes I address and the genres in which I write.  Fantasy always fascinated me and the authors that have most influenced me there have been E Nesbit, JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, JK Rowling, Christopher Moore and Neil Gaiman. In terms of themes, feminist themes and issues of social justice are very important to me and the authors over the years that have impacted me most are Margaret Atwood, Erica Jong, Charles Dickens, Richard Wagamese, Lee Maracle, Dr. Seuss, Joan Aiken, Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen and again Tolkien, Rowling and Gaiman. One last author who had a big influence on me is Sylvia Olsen.  I heard her speak one day and she talked about how she had had her first novel published at age 50.  I was 48 at the time and, until then, I had thought I was too old to start a writing career.  She showed me that it is never too late to start writing.

How do you think you’ve evolved as a writer?
The growth in my writing has paralleled my own personal growth.  I now have a deeper and broader understanding of the themes about which I write than I did earlier in my life.  With each work I finish, I find that I am learning something new about the craft and I search out other writers with whom I can discuss technique and other issues about writing.  I am quite excited to be taking a workshop with Richard Wagamese in June.

Is there anything about writing you don’t like?
Not one thing.

How do you feel about the increasing popularity of ebooks?
I think anything that puts a book in front of a reader is a good thing.  Also, it allows writers more access to publishing and to self publishing in an affordable way.  Granted, there are some books that have been self published that perhaps could have used a little more work, but overall, I think having a wider body of work available to the reading public that is much more affordable is always positive.  If it makes one person a reader that wasn’t before, how could it be negative?

What are your goals as a writer for the next ten years?
I will be retiring from my teaching work within the next year and I want to use the time to write longer and more consistently.  I always have ideas floating around in my head – at least five or six at any given time – and I’d like to see at least some of them come to fruition.  Also, I’ve been playing with the idea of starting a small publishing company focusing on “island writers”.  I think island people have a different perspective than those who have never lived completely surrounded by water.  It’s just an idea at the moment – not quite as well formed as a goal.

Have you ever had writer’s block?
No, thank goodness.  In fact, quite the opposite.  I usually have too many ideas clamoring to be written down!

What do you have in mind for your next project?
My next project is actually finished and I am looking for a publisher.  It is a story about three women and their connection with each other over differing times and places.  It deals with themes like family secrets, personal choice, and religion versus spirituality.  One of the projects that I am working on now is a murder mystery written in the steampunk style with a definite occult aspect to it.  It probably fits in the genre of weird fiction.  I am also writing a collection of sci fi/fantasy short stories.

Is there anything else you’d like potential readers to know about Greenwich List? 
I think I would like readers to know that this book was a breakthrough for me.  I had never believed that I had the writing stamina to finish a novel.  I would like other aspiring authors to know that it is possible for them, no matter what their age.

A short excerpt from Greenwich List:

Gwen’s soul was lifted as she looked across the city that was doing its very best to change her life. She raised her eyes skyward and whispered a little prayer of thanks to God or fate or whatever had pushed her in the direction of London and had put her in Greenwich Park two short days ago.
    Gwen raised her arms, and closed her eyes and from her mouth came the sweet tones of the old Welsh hymn that she had always loved as a child.
Dyma gariad fel y moroedd,
Tsturiaethau fel y lli:
Twysog Bywyd pur yn marw—
Marw i brynu’n bywyd ni.
Pwy all beidio â chofio amdano?
Pwy all beidio â thraethu’I glod?
Dyma gariad nad â’n angof
Tra fo nefoedd wen yn bod.
Here is Love, vast as the ocean,
Loving-kindness as the flood,
When the Prince of Life, lie Ransom,
Shed for us His precious blood.
Who His Love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He shall never be forgotten,
Throughout Heaven's eternal days.
    As the notes died away, Gwen lowered her hands, took a deep breath and turned to go back down the stairs. Behind her was a middle-aged woman standing with her mouth open and her hands clasped in front of her.
    “Oh, thank you. That was so beautiful. I’ve come all the way from Canada and you just made my visit here… I don’t know, I don’t have any words for it.” The woman had tears in her eyes and as she thanked Gwen, she took Gwen’s hand and squeezed it. “My mother was Welsh – she used to sing that very hymn when I was a child. I haven’t heard it in years. Thank you so much.” With that, the woman embraced Gwen.
    “You’re welcome. Where did your mother come from?” Gwen asked.
    “Trearddur Bay, it’s near Holyhead. I was always going to come back with my mother, but there was constantly something that got in the way. The children’s sports, my husband’s job, my job. I just kept putting it off. Then she died last year and it was too late. After she died, I felt like I had to come, to apologize to her.” The woman put her face in her hands and sobbed quietly for a moment. She looked up at Gwen with a tear-streaked face, but a beautiful smile. “But you singing that song – I felt like my mother was here saying, that’s okay, Pearl. I’m here with you.” She took Gwen’s hand again. “I will never, ever forget this moment. Thank you again.”

More Information
Buy the Greenwich List on Amazon
Find the Greenwich List on Facebook

Dave Adair, Author of Random Lucidity

Today we are interviewing Dave Adair, author of Random Lucidity.
  
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I have been writing in one form or another for almost 30 years. I live a very normal life in Pittsburgh with a tremendous family and lots of great friends. They all have been very patient with me as I promote Random Lucidity!

Describe the plot of Random Lucidity in a few sentences.
A struggling literary agent stumbles across a troubled man writing a masterful murder mystery. As he pursues the story, the project and his real life’s aspirations crash together in a remarkable fashion.

Who do you think would most appreciate Random Lucidity?
Anyone who has a dream, once had a dream or expects to pursue a dream in the future would enjoy this book. Also, anyone who likes to try to figure out plot twists and enjoys it when they guess wrong.
 
Random Lucidity is unique in that it has elements of mystery/thriller as well as literary fiction. What inspired you to incorporate elements from multiple genres?
It was initially intended to be a fairly strictly literary fiction. But, to be frank, I got bored after a while with where the story was heading. And, unbeknownst to me before I tackled this project, when I get bored, I go to some dark places.

Tell us a bit about the protagonist, Reggie.
Reggie is a guy that has the ability and drive to be anything he wants to be, but lacks the self-confidence to take the big step toward his goal. He’ll take several small steps in that direction, but simply can’t get out of his own way. Like many of us, if he would just open his eyes and see what is right in front of him, he would be able to get to where he wants to be … and with the girl he wants to be with.

Who was your favorite character to write?
I enjoyed writing Johnson Rambling. He quite literally came out of left field and is the only character that I can honestly say is completely foreign to me. I had no image of anyone in my life – past or present – to model him after, which made his development a very liberal experience for me.

Are there any authors who have influenced your writing style?
To be honest, I don’t read a ton of fiction. I am far more influenced by the writing of Bruce Springsteen or the Eagles than any classic or contemporary authors. I like the visual and emotional connection you get from Springsteen songs and lyrics. They can reel you in and hang on to you for a very long time.

What do you have in mind for your next project?
I’m about half way through with my next book. I am at the point that I have to decide if it will include characters from Random Lucidity or not. Lots of my readers want a sequel, but I’m not sure those characters are quite ready for another adventure. They must be exhausted!

Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book?
Just two things: first, it has been well received by reviewers and other authors. People seem to really enjoy the story. And second, this is just the beginning for me. You can expect about one quality book per year from me from here on out.

An excerpt from Random Lucidity:

A slight breeze brushed past Reggie’s cheeks on a chilly fall afternoon as he made his way from his new office space on 18th street to his apartment on 32nd. It was noon and the breeze was cool enough to send a shiver down his spine. The first shiver of fall. The first sign that winter soon would be upon him, and along with it would come the most miserable four or five months of the year.
     Cruising along, trying desperately not to feel the cold – “Think like you’re at the beach,” he’d say to himself for the first of what would shortly be dozens of times – Reggie decided to prove that mind was tougher than matter, and he took the longer way home through Ricky Grant Park, which was named after a young boy at some point in the past that was killed during a sled-riding accident on Sycamore Hill. More accurately, he was killed at the bottom of Sycamore Hill … underneath a Ford pickup to be even more exact. Yet another reason winter sucks, Reggie thought to himself. The brisk walk and his thoughts turning back to his big project kept him warm.
     Buoyed by the progress of the remodeling taking place at his new office – the future home of Hatcher Literary Associates, Inc. – Reggie mulled the idea for signage out front. It should be classy, he figured. Using some soft colors to mark the HLA and maybe black or silver around the edges. Forget that he had no clients and about the same number of prospective clients. He knew few would-be authors, and fewer still that would be willing to give him a cut of their earnings, if, by chance, they would have any. The sign had to be right. The sign made it real. Forget the cool $2,500 he spent for the first two months’ rent, and the $5,000 he borrowed for the remodeling. And the dwindling savings to support himself while he chased this disorganized dream. None of it mattered. The sign would make it real, for sure.
     Checking out signage in the park, Reggie was particularly interested in the plaque honoring poor, pitiful Ricky Grant. According to the square blue sign, engraved and outlined in gold, young Ricky died when he was just 11 years old. The plaque was dedicated by the “Friends of Ricky,” presumably, the same kids who shoved him down that hill with nothing between him and the street.
     Admiring the worn aspects of the sign and wondering aloud about how cool a sign like that would look out front of HLA, Reggie was interrupted by a sharp but controlled voice from the bench just a few feet to his left.
     “Quiet, please. Quiet please.”
     “Oh, sorry,” Reggie replied, turning to greet this stranger. “I didn’t see you there.”
     “Quiet, please. Quiet, please.”
     “OK. Sorry.” At that Reggie, agitated and embarrassed for his willingness to back away so quickly, moved on. Glancing back, he noticed that the aggravated park patron was a man about his age, wearing a ball cap backwards and a light blue running suit, his nose buried into a spiral bound notebook. He was writing furiously, like a man in a race to complete each sentence faster than the previous one. His left arm jerked angrily forward and back from the force of his movement. If he was writing anything other than gibberish, it would be impossible to decipher, Reggie thought.
     The young man temporarily suspended his madness and looked directly into Reggie’s eyes. They stared at each other for a few uncomfortable seconds. He then went back to his excruciating work. At that, Reggie became slightly uneasy about the prospect of encountering this troubled individual again. It was time to move on toward home.

More Information
Buy Random Lucidity on Amazon
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Natasha McDowall, Author of Dental Assisting

Today we are interviewing Natasha McDowall, author of Dental Assisting.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
My experience in dentistry spans over seventeen years. I first started as an Auxiliary Aide in 1994 at a local community health center in another country. From there I went on to work as a Sales Promoter of dental products in supermarkets, before going on to dental chair-side assisting in private dental surgeries.  Throughout the years, I have worked in sole-trader practices, corporate group practices and even self-employed filling temporary positions at short notice.

Eleven years after first starting out as a Dental Assistant I qualified with the National Examinations Board for Dental Nurses (NEBDN) in England UK. In 2008, it became mandatory for all dental nurses to registered with the General Dental Council in order to practice legally, I applied for registration and was accepted.

I began seeking roles outside of the surgery, After working for many years as a chair-side dental assistant/dental nurse. However, because of my desire to share my knowledge and experience with potential dental assistants far and wide, I decided to write this book. Dental Assisting can be the stepping stone to a great career in or out of the dental surgery.
 

Describe the purpose of your book in a few sentences.
In this book, the author Natasha McDowall gives insight into dental assisting based on her knowledge and experience in the field. It is aimed at anyone who has trouble deciding on a career, looking for a change, a parent or single parent and need a flexible job with excellent earning potential.

Natasha discusses the two main ways to start a Dental Assistant career, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each, in order to help you decide on which one is your best initial approach.

Author Natasha McDowall

Who do you think would most appreciate this book?
I believe that young women or men with little or no qualifications, who want an opportunity to have career will mostly enjoy this book and the opportunity that it points out.

What inspired you to write a comprehensive book about the education and training to becoming a dental assistant?
I have worked in dentistry for over seventeen years, when I first started out in dentistry I was at a stage in my life where I wanted to do well. I was from a single parent home and saw my mother struggle and wanted to have a better chance for myself and my future family. Dental Assisting gave me that start, and it kept me going for many years. There was always plenty of work and the pay was relatively good considering it did not require an enormous amount of qualifications to get started.

I pursued many studies outside of the dental surgery over the years in terms of business education, but it was my dental assistant career that paid for it all. Therefore, up to this point I can say that dental assisting is what made the real difference in my life and helped me to accomplish many of my goals.

What are some of the advantages of a career as a dental assistant?
Mobility - Dental Assisting is a mobile career. I left my home and moved to a developed country as a dental assistant, and I was able to get a job in three days with what was a relatively good salary. I had outstanding loans in my home country that I was able to pay off ahead of schedule.

Flexibility - Dental Assisting can offer flexibility as it is possible to arrange hours and days for work around your family commitments.

Career Progression Opportunities - There are many career progression opportunities available to dental assistants with excellent earning potentials.  

In your book, you state that qualification requirements for dental assistants vary by state. Can you elaborate on this?
•    In some states, there is a requirement for a dental assistant to be certified before they can begin working.
•    In other states, a person can start training as a dental assistant on the job and earn a salary without having to be certified.
•    There are also some states where a person starts working without being certified but must enroll in a formal course within three months and work towards certification.

What are some common misconceptions people interested in being a dental assistant often have?
One misconception people often have about dental assisting as a career is that it is just about cleaning up after dentists and dental practitioners. Some may say it is the job of a “glorified maid”.

Dental Assisting is much more than cleaning up after dentists and dental practitioners; dental assistants with additional certification can carry out some treatments on patients. Therefore, dental assisting can be quite a hands-on role.

Do you see the field of dental assisting growing over the next few years?
Yes! More and more duties are being passed on to other dental health professionals in order to free up the dentists time for complex treatments. Therefore, I believe that the duties of dental assistants will expand in the future, giving additional opportunities for certification and salary increases.

Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book?
In my book, I share some of my knowledge and experience of the profession and give some useful tips.

More Information

Buy the book on Amazon 

Ritu Gairola Khanduri, Author of Caricaturing Culture in India

Today we are interviewing Ritu Gairola Khanduri, author of Caricaturing Culture in India.

 Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am a cultural anthropologist and historian. I am fascinated by media and research on print media in its various forms, namely, political cartoons, advertisements and comic books, in the context of India and its diaspora. At the University of Texas-Arlington, where I am an associate professor and teach cultural anthropology, I offer courses on global cultures, theory, visual culture and South Asia. This coming fall I will be offering a new course on Gandhi. I was born and raised in India and have also spent some of my childhood in Sri Lanka. After obtaining my MA and MPhil in History at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, I came to the University of Texas at Austin to pursue my doctoral degree in cultural anthropology.    

Describe your book, Caricaturing Culture in India.
Caricaturing Culture in India is a story of newspaper cartooning in India, beginning from its colonial years, when it was ruled by the British, until the present. My book shows that political cartoons not only reveal competing senses of humor but also serve as a turf for publicly debating how we represent communities and the limits of free speech or lack thereof in the contemporary world. Although India is the focus, the narrative also moves into the world of cartooning in Britain and the US. As the largest democracy in the world noted for its cultural diversity and secular politics, the social life of political cartoons in India is pertinent for understanding modern politics and it provides a fascinating look at the role of media in a global world.  

Who do you think would most appreciate Caricaturing Culture in India?
While scholars and students of history, anthropology, media, political science and art history will find much that would speak directly to their discipline, this book would interest all those intrigued by the conversations about cartoons for thinking about free speech and the freedom of expression. The Charlie Hebdo incident in Paris earlier this year made headlines all over the world and triggered opinions on the ethics of caricatures and norms in journalism. Last week, a “Draw the Prophet” cartoon competition and exhibition in Garland, near Dallas, TX, resulted in a shooting and a flurry of exchanges about rights and wrongs, religion and speech. This discussion needs to move beyond pat answers. Both events tell a story about our present, that is how cartoons have become a litmus test for situating our politics. However, it is important to note that despite cartoons of the Prophet being the common point of controversy, the event in Texas does not mirror the politics of Charlie Hebdo.
 
My book includes a chapter on the Danish cartoon controversy that occurred in 2005. Then too cartoons of the Prophet were at issue. Although one can’t predict events, by taking a close look at the past and the present, my book preempts questions around the growing significance of cartoons in cultural and political debates. With the recent events in Paris and Texas, I hope my book will also interest a broad audience and provide a useful reference for rethinking such murky politics.

Do you think political cartoons have a similar influence universally? Or does the influence of the political cartoon vary culturally?
Political cartoons exist within the context of histories and cultures. This means that political cartoons do not have a universal influence and neither do they resonate uniformly even in the same place and time. The public engaging cartoons is fragmented both before and after the cartoon.

Ritu Gairola Khanduri, author of Caricaturing Culture in India.

What inspired you to write about the history of political cartoons in India? 
Political cartoons are integral to India’s newspaper culture. One day while browsing the Times of India, I came across an anguished reader’s letter to editor complaining about the staff cartoonist, R. K. Laxman’s cartoon on a devastating earthquake. I couldn’t get that letter and cartoon off my mind. This sowed the seeds for a project on interpreting cartoons and to ponder the social life of cartoons. I was also adept at drawing caricatures and cartoons, so a part of my fascination with this subject also grew from a short-lived dream of becoming a cartoonist.

What sources did you consult during your research?
I consulted various archival materials such as newspapers, cartoon folios, magazines, news digests and colonial government files as well as contemporary reports on the media. Additionally, I had conversations with several cartoonists.

Was it difficult to track down information about earlier political cartoons in India?
 Yes. The material I tracked was not consolidated in one archive and library—it had to be constructed through small steps that took me to various cities in three continents: New Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, London, Canterbury, and DC. A good chunk of this story of cartooning is a result of my conversations with senior cartoonists who began their career in the 1940s when India was at the cusp of independence from British rule. Those meetings too involved travel to different places in India.

What are some of the more surprising things you uncovered while doing research on political cartoons in India? 
There were surprises at every stage of the research for my book. I was excited to learn of a rich culture of “comic papers” in late-nineteenth-early twentieth century colonial India—weekly newspapers and publications replete with cartoons in Urdu, Gujarati, Hindi and other languages. Mahatma Gandhi’s analysis of cartoons in the 1900s, when he was in South Africa, made me realize that they were a part of his discussion of non-violent politics. Closer to our own times, I was surprised to observe that we have few women cartoonists. Most importantly, it was eye-opening to learn of the numerous interpretive debates cartoons provoked.

Has the role of the political cartoon changed as a function of changing technologies?
Cartoons have crossed borders before social media and the Internet. Political cartoons from Indian newspapers such as the Anglo-Gujarati Hindi Punch, which began publication in 1854, were published in British news digest Review of Reviews. Closer to our own times, the New York Times frequently published cartoons by India’s leading practitioners, such as Shankar, Kutty, R. K. Laxman, Bireshwar and Samuel, among others. This border crossing meant that the cartoon’s reach exceeded the cartoonist’s intuitive public. With Twitter and Facebook, it is more pronounced today and is definitely in the cartoonist’s radar. I don’t think we should be too quick to surmise that this rapid circulation, retweeting and sharing political cartoons endangers it or curbs the cartoonist’s creativity. Instead, the cartoon’s social life reveals how power is evoked, subverted and asserted.

Since cartoons position every one as critics, who can evaluate (unlike Art, which has designated critics performing that gatekeeping role), fret and celebrate, it opens up the space for deliberation and allows spilling over from social media to other public spaces, online to offline, and vice versa. It has consequences for everyone. We all get politicized. I am mindful that those who engage in social media are a fraction of the world. To give you an example of the cartoon’s generative capacity. A couple of years ago a professor from West Bengal, India, was incarcerated for a day on charges of defamation. His crime was that he shared a cartoon of the Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee on Facebook. The professor did not make the cartoon. So this is an interesting case of the cartoon’s impact; its circulation, and not the cartoon, was perceived as a threat and punishable by those in power. When we realize such threats are felt in a democracy and necessitate penal action, it gives pause. Of course, examples of cartoons as threats or as demeaning communities occur in the US too and there are numerous complaints against “offensive" cartoons. 

Why is it important to understand the influence of political cartoons? What are some of the conclusions you arrived at through your research?
Political cartoons, which tend to be published in newspapers and magazines, are ephemeral. This ephemerality, the prolific production cartoons in daily and serial publications, and the fact that this graphic satire is not celebrated as a “fine art,” tends to give the impression that cartoons are a trivial cultural production. They are not. Cartoonists are highly accomplished individuals, several I interviewed were art school graduates and saw their work as a form of political analysis. The diurnal, graphic and public form of cartoons brings immediacy to the politics around us. It works at a sensory level. All this makes cartoons significant.

Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book?
Several cartoonists shared their stories with me and navigated my attention as I traveled to archives and explored all sorts of print materials. As a cultural anthropologist, this engagement, “cartoon talk”—what readers make of the cartoons—and the social life of a cartoon, is at the core of my book.

The paperback edition of my book was recently approved by Cambridge University Press and will be available soon. Readers are also welcome to correspond with me through my FB author page: https://www.facebook.com/ritugairolakhanduri.

More Information
http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-12-31/cartoon-character-chronicles-indias-first-60-years-independence
https://www.facebook.com/ritugairolakhanduri
https://twitter.com/ritu_gairola 
http://www.cambridgeblog.org/2015/01/caricaturing-liberalism-and-the-politics-of-laughter
http://www.amazon.com/Caricaturing-Culture-India-Cartoons-History/dp/1107043328

María Escobedo Cubas, Author of Why is the moon following us?

Today we are interviewing María Escobedo Cubas, author of the children's book Why is the moon following us?       

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I hold a B.A. degree in Digital Animation from Véritas University and I´m the author of the children's book Why is the moon following us?. I have participated in several drawing/picture/illustration exhibitions in Costa Rica.

At this time, I am in Japan, improving my professional experience and developing a completely new style of illustration through deep exploration and exposure to new styles and cultures. One of my most important projects to date is an interactive app called "Why is the moon following us?", which was, at first, my graduation project at Véritas University in Costa Rica.

Completing the project took about a full year of research in terms of educational and aesthetic aspects. This app is an educational game for tablets that combines elements of children's illustration, animation and interactivity. Considering my experiences with this initial project, which included intense exploration and firsthand contact with some of the most important illustrators of the country, I decided to recreate this graduation project in a book that gives children the opportunity to learn while they have fun playing. This is how the adventure begins of creating the children's book Why is the moon following us?.

Debut children's book author María Escobedo Cubas

 
Describe the plot of your new book in a few sentences.
Lucy is a curious and joyful girl. Alongside her faithful friend Lulo, her magic rabbit, what seemed to be a simple trip to grandma’s house will become a unique adventure, a journey of perseverance to find her own answers. Will Lucy solve the mystery of why the moon is following them?

The debut book of illustrator Maria Escobedo creates a world full of tenderness and magic, with an amazing story and exceptional art. The innocence of her stories and illustrations make this an indispensable book for the enjoyment of our children.
 
Who do you think would most appreciate Why is the moon following us?
Well it is a family book to share with our children, so I wish both the kids and the parents will enjoy it a lot.
 
Tell us about the protagonists, Lucy and Lulo.
Lucy is a clever, little girl who wants to know everything about the world, especially something that she noticed during her travel.  Lulo is her small and loyal friend, a magical rabbit with hidden skills, one day she discovers something no one else saw.
 
What did you want to accomplish with the illustrations in your book?
To show, in part, how the world can be seen by our children. I also tried to create a unique style for my illustrations, something created to be appealing for kids.
 
Do you think of the story’s plot first? Or do the illustrations come first?
The story was first. It was a graduation project at first, and then I retook the story time later to recreate it as a completely new project, with new illustrations and everything new.

What do you have in mind for your next project?
Well right now, I have This is Tokyo (or Esto es Tokyo), another projects which is completely different. Gabriel Delgado and I post every week a video showing what it is to live in Japan, a beautiful and unique city.
 
Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book?
Here are another links to the author and her new project.

Author Contact Information
Personal
•    Email: info@lucyandthemoon.com
•    Twitter: https://twitter.com/ec_marie_
•    Instagram: https://www.pinterest.com/marieec/

MJ Project
•    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mgenjapon
•    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mgjapon
•    Twitter: https://twitter.com/mg_japon
•    Instagram: https://instagram.com/mg_japon/

More Information
Find out more about Why is the moon following us?
http://lucyandthemoon.com/
Facebook (English): https://www.facebook.com/lucyandlulo
Facebook (Spanish): https://www.facebook.com/pages/Luc%C3%ADa-y-Lulo/402479059924091
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lucykidsbooks
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lucyandlulo
Pinterest: https://es.pinterest.com/lucyandlulo/

Buy the book
eBook $4.99  / Printed Book (English and Spanish) $9.99 
English: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W8BY8AW
Spanish: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W8CAOZO
German: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W8BYD0M
Portuguese: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W8FZXY8

Jameson Hesse, Author of Whisper of Crows

Today we're interviewing Jameson Hesse as part of the Whisper of Crows blog tour. Whisper of Crows is a supernatural thriller/horror novel.

Describe the plot of Whisper of Crows in a few sentences.
Kanaan James is a disturbed teenage boy obsessed with his childhood friend Abigail Caulfield. A horrible car accident leaves Abigail stricken with amnesia and Kanaan, desperate for her attention, convinces her they are soul mates on the run from the law. In the midst of a passionate love affair, while hiding in an old abandoned house in the woods, Kanaan is forced to test boundaries of his own humanity.

What inspired you to write a book that explores the nature of reality?
I would have to say my own spiritual explorations.

Can you share with us what your creative process was like for Whisper of Crows, from the initial idea to the finished manuscript?
It just started coming out and didn’t stop until it was finished. It almost felt involuntary at times. It was great therapy for me.

How do you hope readers will react to Whisper of Crows?
I hope the are touched deeply by the twisted love story. I hope their skin crawls with the nasty. I hope they have trouble sleeping when they are done. I hope they never forget Kanaan James, and me of course.

Do you think your background in film has impacted how you tell stories when writing?
I think just the opposite. I am a writer first, then a filmmaker. Writing is God. Film is just a visual echo of that.

What do you have in mind for your next project?
I’m writing a sequel to Whispers and another novel called Even Darker.

More Information
Buy Whisper of Crows on Amazon 
Follow the rest of the Whisper of Crows blog tour
Visit Jameson Hesse's website
Follow Jameson Hesse on Twitter 
Like Whisper of Crows on Facebook

Sarah Wathen, Author of The Tramp

Today we are interviewing Sarah Wathen, author of the paranormal mystery novel The Tramp, book one of the Bound Chronicles.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m an artist turned author. I’ve always loved to write, but I only started writing young adult fiction about two years ago. Now I can’t get enough of it—The Tramp is my first full length novel, and it’s part of a four-book epic paranormal mystery series. I’m already working on book two, The Glamour, and I’ve finished a serial offshoot novel due out in July, Catchpenny. I also write YA flash fiction thrillers, and boy are those addictive. Painting with words is even more fun than painting with oil!

Describe the plot of The Tramp in a few sentences.
Childhood friends, Candy and John, share a bond more unique than they understand. They’re in the midst of all the normal traumas of being sixteen and in high school, but there is something sinister lurking underneath the trivialities of their small town life. Jealousy, desire, and revenge is a vicious cycle in any love triangle, but Candy is about to find out that what ties her to John is anything but normal. And much more vicious.

Who do you think would most appreciate this book?
Readers who enjoy settling into an epic tale, full of history and interconnections, will love this series. I’ve been told that my characters are so real that they feel like friends, and that makes me so happy. By the end of the Bound Chronicles, readers won’t want to let them go.

What drew you to the young adult paranormal mystery genre?
When I started the first draft, I did a lot of research into the region where the story takes place. Shirley County is fictitious and I never specify where exactly it is, but it’s vaguely around the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. I read about everything from the flora and fauna, to regional food, music and crafts, to the colonial settlers and the Native American tribes that were there first. The history was so rich that it seemed to me ghosts of the past MUST still circulate in modern times. I couldn’t write a new story without unearthing the past. And high school kids uncovering a mystery was simply natural—they’re the most fun to write about!

Tell us a bit about the protagonist, Candy Vale.
Candy is a tomboy who revels in going against the grain. She’s rebellious in a quiet way, though, and her awkwardness is part of her charm. She doesn’t realize she’s turned pretty in the past couple of years, even though the alluring new stranger, Sam Castle, has chosen her above all the girlie girls in their high school. She’s got a fiery temper and it gets her into trouble more often than not—especially when she blows up on the people who love her most.

Candy uncovers a surprising family history. Without giving too much away, can you give us any hints about what she discovers?
This was tough to do while writing The Tramp! I did want to give some clues, and one part of the mystery is solved in each of the four books. But as everything is connected, I don’t want to spill the beans. One thing I can tell you is that Candy has strange eyes, black eyes that Sam calls “fathomless.” They’re so weird because Candy is very fair and redheaded. She finds a painting—hundred of years old—of a Native American woman that Sam swears has the same eyes. This is the first clue that she starts to trace.

Sarah Wathen, author of The Tramp

Are there any authors who have influenced your writing style?
That’s sort of a funny story. About the time I started The Tramp, I was reading Stephen King’s book, On Writing. Without consciously doing so, I followed his advice to (I’m paraphrasing here) start with a situation, then build a story to make that situation happen. I began The Tramp by inventing the climactic scene first, then I did all my research, built the town, and developed characters to make that scene possible. That method just worked for me, and even though I’m not a huge fan of King’s fiction (I do enjoy it, though), I found On Writing to be excellent help for a new author. The funny part is that I’ve had several reviewers compare my writing style to Stephen King and it was a complete shock to me. I take it as a compliment, but it was the last comparison that I expected!

Do you think your background as a painter and illustrator has impacted the way you write stories?
Definitely. Art is a big part of all my stories because I guess I see the world through an artist’s lens. It’s what I know and art helps me to translate my thoughts into words. Since I’m a visual artist, I think I tend to put a lot of imagery into my writing—sometimes too much. Early on, my alpha reader nixed entire pages of description where I got carried away.

Is there any aspect of writing you don't like?
Editing is tough. The Tramp went through 8 rounds of edits and the book that I started with is nothing like the one that I published. I’m glad for it now, but that process was grueling to the extreme.

What can readers expect from the next book in The Bound Chronicles series?
The second book starts right where The Tramp leaves off, the very same day. There are plenty of unanswered questions at the end of the first book, but readers can expect questions (some, not all) to be answered pretty quickly upon starting The Glamour.

Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about The Tramp?
The Tramp has an original music soundtrack! It’s more than just great music, too—it’s a concept album designed directly after the characters and storyline of the book. It’s meant to be listened to from beginning to end, and some songs were written about exact chapters in The Tramp. The theme song, “Bound Hearts,” is a must listen for anyone who’s interested in reading the book. You can listen for free on Spotify here:http://spoti.fi/1IhFq6d . Buy the album, or tracks from it, on iTunes here: http://apple.co/1GVDACf

Thank you so much for hosting me, Maxine. I’ve really enjoyed this interview!

An excerpt from The Tramp:

“Come on, I’ll show you how to find rubies in the creek!”

The evergreen forest closed in around John and Candy. They stepped over loose earth and around algae-covered boulders, still slippery from a recent rain. John spotted a patch of bright orange mushrooms sprouting around the base of an enormous pine tree.

“Which alien planet sent those as spies?” he wondered aloud.

Delighted, Candy decided that they must find clues to lead them to the mushroom spaceship. No rubies were discovered that day, but John did find a bright red ladybug that he swore bit his nose, despite Candy’s protestations that “fairies” don’t bite. Candy found blue flowers with yellow sunny centers and John helped her lace them into her braids. She threaded her fingers with his when it was time to head back.

“Candy,” said a deep, quiet voice.

John jumped and Candy yelped.

“Oh my gosh. You scared me, Uncle Brian,” she said, grabbing her chest. John turned to see a tall thin man in faded jeans and a worn plaid flannel shirt: cuffs unbuttoned and gaping wide at his wrists. He was walking up the road towards them, just outside the little woodland. “Where’d you come from?”

“Candace, you need to come with me. Right now.” He was gruff and stony-eyed.

“In the truck?” Candy peered around him at an old blue pick-up. Its door was ajar. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re late, time to go home.” He held out his hand and flicked his fingers, impatient and distracted. “Just come with me. Now.”

“Jeez. Come on, John,” said Candy, tugging her new best friend’s hand.

Uncle Brian barked, “No. Just you. Let’s go—now.”

“But…” Candy let go of John, pink blooming across her face. “His grandma lives right next door to Grandma Catherine. He’s visitin’ from the city—”

“We’re not going to Grandma Catherine’s. Your mom wants me to bring you home.” Her uncle clenched his jaw and gestured towards the truck again.

The pick-up’s engine ticked out tense seconds. John strained his vision and could just see the limp figure of another kid asleep on the bench inside.

Candy followed his line of sight and perked up. “Andy’s with you?”

“Yes. Everything’s fine, sweetheart,” Uncle Brian said, his tone softening and his smile returning.

The smile looked forced to John.

“Okay. Well…bye.” Candy dove in for a hug. She squeezed his waist, leaned back and shrugged, “You just follow the trail around either way. It leads you right back to your grandma’s house. Or mine. It just circles the woods. Sorry.” She turned to walk with her uncle, without taking his hand.

“I can find it,” John said, not entirely certain that he could. But the unfamiliar trail was not what was setting his nerves on edge. That kid in the car looked more passed out than asleep; and John didn’t like the way Candy’s uncle smiled with his mouth but not his eyes. “Bye.”

John watched her walk away, her cut-off jean shorts still damp and muddy in the rump, and her coppery braids twisting down her back, trailing blue flowers with every step. She got into the cab next to her “sleeping” cousin—pinned between him and Uncle Brian—and waved from behind a filthy window. Her uncle slammed his door, avoiding John’s gaze. Then, the ratty truck spun its wheels hard, and they peeled away off the grassy shoulder, tires squealing on the asphalt. John gasped and trotted over to the road to see them racing away in a cloud of dust.

“No…”

He sprinted home, his feet pounding the packed earth and his lungs choking on their exit.

More Information
 www.sarahwathen.com

Lazhar Ichir, Author of The Dog Breeder's Handbook

Today we are interviewing Lazhar Ichir, author of The Dog Breeder’s Handbook, a comprehensive ebook about dog breeding.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Lazhar, I am the proud founder of Breeding Business, the top online destination for dog breeders, both occasional and professional. I’ve started this free platform to give our readers an amazing selection of in-depth articles, dog breeders’ interviews, dog breeding supplies reviews, etc.

Describe the purpose of The Dog Breeder's Handbook in a few sentences.
The Dog Breeder’s Handbook is simply the definitive guide to develop and improve your dog breeding methods and sales strategy. Whether you are an occasional breeder or a full time professional dog breeder, this is the most up-to-date manual to breeding dogs responsibly.

We want the readers to run an ethical dog breeding activity that is profitable and successful for their business to grow, and for their litters to thrive and improve noticeably.

Dog genetics and breeding techniques are essential, so we dive deep into these. The selection of the mating partners is perhaps the most important part as it will define what the progenies will be, many just take any two dogs and let them do their thing which is utterly wrong.

We go through each week of the bitch’s pregnancy, and then each week after the whelping. It is important to look after puppies and mom: they are your products, in a way. They must receive all the care possible.

Who do you think would most benefit from reading your book?
Anybody who is passionate about dogs. This is definitely not a get-rich-quickly scheme, or a manual to setting up your puppy farm business. The Dog Breeder’s Handbook is a thick and comprehensive guide to dog genetics, modern dog breeding styles, hereditary conditions, but also to business savviness and online marketing,

Full time dog breeders obviously are the first people interested in this volume, because of the topics to covers: pretty much all aspects of a dog breeder’s life. Yet, occasional dog breeders who are looking for a side-income will enjoy all the tips given in this book. Especially on the managements of the pregnant bitch and her litter.

A sample chart from The Dog Breeder's Handbook.

What inspired you to share your knowledge of dog breeding by writing a book?
Mating two dogs is easy, breeding dogs is hard. Most breeders know how to mate dogs, but they fail at knowing how to breed dogs. The difference being having a long-term vision for their breed but also having realistic business objectives.

We also have several chapters on setting up the legal company and complying to dog breeding licensing requirements, the bookkeeping and accounting laws, and obviously, the marketing, sales and promotion strategy in our digital age. I know dog breeders are not the most techy people so we made Social Engine Optimisation, Social Medias and Website Creation simple, but efficient.

Go on Google and search for dog breeders in any breed: the websites are all poor, from the early 2000’s. So jumping to the first page is easy. And if you don’t exist on Google’s first page, you don’t exist at all.

You cover the financial side of dog breeding in your book. Why do a lot of dog breeders, especially those starting out, run into financial trouble with their business? 
It all started with an observation: most dog breeders fail, and by failing I mean several things.

First, many try their luck, invest some savings and after a year need to stop breeding even though they sold all their pups. Well, selling is good, selling at the right price is better.

Secondly, many dog breeders want to do it full-time and after a few litters, they realise that they need another job to survive and pay all their bills. Sell more, or more expensive.

Lastly, successful breeders keep breeding but will tell happily you “you can’t make any money if you’re breeding quality dogs responsibly” - so, out of all the businesses on Earth, it is the only one where there is no chance of earning money? Sure. These breeders are amazing breeders, but this is it. To generate a profit you need to be a good marketer, and a good salesman.

We want our readers to be part of that other group, the profitable and successful dog breeders.

Also, the dog and pet community is very split between the “adopt don’t shop” people who insult breeders and blame them for the dogs found in shelters, and dog breeders who insult other dog breeders who manage to earn a living with their breeding business.

All I hear is, unless you are a puppy mill, you can’t make money by breeding dogs. Well, after reading this book, many have already changed their mind and already see the improvements. Being a passionate breeder is one thing, being an entrepreneur is another, profits come when you are both.

How important is it for dog breeders to be part of the dog show world?
Essential. And your question is perfectly formulated: what matters is being part of the dog show world, not necessarily winning. I always recommend breeders and dog owners to check their local dog shows and clubs and attend many events a year.

First, it is a wonderful networking space. Everybody in there is like you, a breeder or a dog lover, sometimes both. You can receive a constructive feedback on your dogs and how they could get better, you can meet amazing specimen and plan a future mating with them to improve your own bloodline, etc.

Second, it raises your dogs’ value and your kennel name’s reputation and awareness. You do not need to win within a ring to be recognised! Attend these events, show your face, chat with the judges, and your value will rise instantly. Put on your website which events you attended, put pictures of yourself and your dog(s) at the event and trust me, you will outclass 90% of the other breeders.

So many potential dog owners are being warned about puppy mills and bad breeders, so as soon as they see you at a dog show, they assume you are a super breeder, and most are so they are right to think so. Sure it costs the participation fee to enter the competition but the return on investment, in the long run, is huge.

It seems like most businesses these days require a web site/social media. Is this important for dog breeders as well?
This is my main fight and perhaps why a lot of people are hostile to me. I am down to Earth and extremely frank which causes me trouble but I love it, I love challenges, it is probably due to my entrepreneurial spirit.

Every single breeder who thinks of himself as a pure philanthropist completely disinterested in money is still selling his dogs, right? They say it is to minimise their losses. Well, with no less effort and care for the dogs, but extra hours on social medias and online digital marketing, they could generate profits. How is that bad?

The whole world has woken up and realised that Internet is the one and only marketplace for the future, and I want my readers to arrive on time for the party, because there is so much to do online for a dog breeder. SEO, Facebook Groups, breed-specific forums, blogging and content marketing, Twitter, etc. And because 99% of all dog breeders are doing zero online, they can improve so much by doing so little.

To put it simply, you can have the best dogs and the best kennel, if you don’t have a front door, no one will come in to see you. We tell you how to build that bloody front door.

Your book delves into the care of the dogs. Is caring for breeding dogs much different than caring for pets?
Yes, extremely different, because most pets do not share the same kind of relationship people share with dogs. Not just now, I am talking about the last centuries. Dogs and humans are incredibly close to each other, and working dogs are a proof of that bond.

Breeding dogs is like breeding your future friends. Breeding cats is like breeding pets. And I love cats but we must not be blind to the reality: dogs are our closest companions so whoever breeds them must be careful and meticulous.

What are some major things someone interested in breeding should consider before getting started?
Tough question, there is a whole chapter in The Dog Breeder’s Handbook. Failing to plan is planning to fail so we wanted to make sure soon-to-be breeders start by putting their thoughts and aspirations on paper.

Choosing the right dog breed is vital, you are going to work with it for years if not decades, you don’t want to pick a trendy toy breed to make quick bucks, and then become outdated just like your breed. But breeder the ever popular Golden Retriever makes you become one breeder out of thousands… So we explain how to pick your breed and how to differentiate yourself from other breeders.

Then, knowing the breed is what will build your foundation. I often say that a dog breeder start with no breeding at all. Read, learn, update your knowledge, exchange with judges, breeders, and professionals. Internet is a wonderful source of information… and bullshit too! Make sure you validate what you read, make sure you keep your critical thinking skills at all times.

Being a dog breeder means being objective. You don’t breed this dog because he or she is cute. You must obey the Kennel Club standards which define how should dogs within tis precise breed should look, behave and work. As difficult as it can be, you sometimes can’t and shouldn’t breed a dog you love because it is simply not a dog fitting the standard.

More than the dogs, whoever wants to start breeding must inform himself on the licensing rules in his country or state. Designing and building the kennel itself is important, some people breed toy dogs in their apartment, it is absolutely fine. Once you know your breed, you know what they need. Just offer them the best comfort and keep it all fresh and clean.

Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book?
The Dog Breeder’s Handbook is over 200+ pages, and it is extremely popular amongst breeders. I’ve received amazing feedbacks and whenever I receive a critic on the guide, I make sure I address it immediately and update the ebook regularly.

BreedingBusiness.com also offers fresh information and articles, interviews of other breeders and a lot of resources to get started the right way.

All we do is teaching professional and occasional dog breeders how to breed and sell dogs like it’s 2015, not 2005.

More Information
https://breedingbusiness.com/handbook
https://breedingbusiness.com/