Author Profile: 20 Questions (more or less) With Sally Cronin

Enjoyed this interview of Sally Cronin. Thanks Dan!

Dan Alatorre - AUTHOR

Occasionally on the blog we will talk with one of our author friends, gaining valuable insights into their behind-the-scenes world.

Today we meet with Sally Cronin, a brilliant writer and friend of the blog.

Be ready for a few surprises!

After working in a number of industries for over 25 years, Sally decided that she wanted to pursue a completely different career, one that she had always been fascinated with. “I began studying Nutrition and the human body twenty years ago and I opened my first diet advisory centre in Ireland in 1998. Over the last 18 years I have practiced in Ireland and the UK as well as written columns, articles and radio programmes on health and nutrition. I published my first book with a Canadian self-publisher in the late 90s and since then have republished that book and released nine others as part of our own self-publishing company.

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Open Book Blog Hop – 19th June

This week we’re writing about what life events shaped us into who we are.

1.  Being an only child.

Being an ‘only’ child gave me much time to use my imagination and play alone.  I had an imaginary friend for years!  It also made me self-reliant, independent, and a bit of a loner.

2.  Not having a childminder.

I was further schooled in the art of self-reliance by being left alone in the house during the school holidays from the age of 9 while both my parents worked.  At times I also had to look after my 5 year old cousin.

3.  Winning an inter-schools’ story competition at age 11.

This win and the coveted certificate that came with it gave me the encouragement to write more stories.  I’m still writing them 48 years later!

4.  Early death of father at only 49.

I had to grow up quickly aged only 19 and be the supportive rock for my mother.

5.  Becoming a mother at the age of 24.

Giving birth to Leon and raising him to an adult gave me a gift of patience and tolerance that I never thought I’d ever have, all due to his hyperactivity, petit mal, tantrums, and general pain-in-the-arseness (I love him really!).

6.  Becoming a mother-in-law at the age of 46.

I learned to curb my impulsive nature and keep my mouth shut.  So far it seems to have worked – my daughters-in-law and I get on really well!

7.  Being diagnosed with thyroid cancer 12 years ago.

The three major operations, vocal cord palsy, 4 radioiodine treatments and 30 radiotherapy treatments I’ve had so far to try and beat this disease has taught me how to endure.  I’m very good at it!

8.  Caring for my  92 year old mother in the last years of her life.

This gave me understanding and compassion for elderly people in their day to day trials of just trying to live a normal life and maintain their independence whilst dealing with a body that is deteriorating and virtually immobile.

What life events shaped you?  Please link to this blog by clicking the blue button below.

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

The Offical Video Of The Bloggers Who Attended The Third Annual Bloggers Bash

Wish I could have made it – will try again next year!

Hugh's Views & News

Saturday, June 10th 2017 was the date for The Third Annual Bloggers Bash which, like the previous two years, was held in London.

And, what a day it was. Of course, as a member of the committee, I’m bound to say it was a success and that everyone who attended had great fun, but don’t take my word for it! No, allow me to introduce you to some of those who attended the event and hear what they had to say.

Click here for the links to all the blogs of those who attended and who feature in the video.

As the cameraman and social media guru for the day, I didn’t get a lot of time to talk to everybody, but I hope I managed to capture the spirit of the day in the video. I did manage to take a few photos, but these are nowhere as good as…

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Sunday Review: Have Bags, Will Travel by D. G. Kaye

After reading D.G Kaye’s book I now am very mindful of toilet door handles!

Diane Tibert

Have Bags, Will Travel

by D. G. Kaye

Rating: 4 stars

Quick, Light Read of Travel Memories

The opening sections had me nodding my head and smiling. Germs. While I’m not as obsessive about them as D. G. Kaye, I am a faithful hand-washer. Years ago, I began using my shirt, jacket or the paper towel I dried my hands with to open public washroom doors. I thought I was the only one who did this until I read Johnny Depp also did. And now I read Kaye does the same.

Kaye explains how air travel has changed over the years with new regulations, restrictions and lack of comfort. It’s not for the better but if you’re like Kaye, you keep travelling and apply humour to the wounds.

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A Fifties Child

T.V was only for watching in the evenings. After school it was making tents with blankets in the garden, roller skating, playing Jacks or cards in the street, and chalking hopscotch squares on the pavements. We roamed wherever we wanted to. We were FREE!

Retired? No one told me!

Born in the early 50’s, one of 3 and the oldest we had no Tv or phone we played out until dark and sometimes we were out all day playing in the woods, making camps…I was definitely not one of those girls who played with dolls and pushed someone else’s baby up and down the street..for fun! Really…I was  a tom boy…one of my earliest memories was this pink spotted dress my mum made me…she made all our clothes and I remember that when the elbows of our cardigans or jumpers wore thin my mum unpicked the sleeves and changed them over so the darned patch was in the crook of our elbow.

I also remember climbing the big old Oak tree in the middle of the green and catching the said pink dress and tore it! Girls then did not wear trousers only skirts and dresses.

We made tents in…

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Saturday Sale – 17th June

Don’t forget that on Amazon.ca my thriller A House Without Windows will be just CDN$ 1.79 for the rest of June.

Click here to read a preview.

Dr Beth Nichols thinks she has been held captive by Edwin Evans for about 8 or 9 years now. Amidst her grief she often looks back and thinks about her fiancée Liam; theirs was the greatest romance of all. She lays awake at night staring at the one light bulb that is never switched off, and prays that he is still out there somewhere searching for her…

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From 22nd – 29th June the German version, Ein Haus Ohne Fenster will be just $0.99 / £0.99.

Worldwide Link.

Die schwangere Ärztin Dr. Beth Nichols weiß nicht, dass sie von ihrem Ex-Patienten Edwin Evans verfolgt wird, als sie eines Abends von der Nachtschicht im Krankenhaus nach Hause geht. Nachdem sie betäubt wurde, wacht sie in Evans’ Keller auf, wo sie Monate später ihre Tochter ohne medizinische Hilfe zur Welt bringt und gegen ihren Willen viele Jahre gefangen gehalten wird.

In ihrer Verzweiflung und ihrer Trauer, die sie jedoch vor ihrem Peiniger verbergen kann, denkt sie oft an die glückliche Zeit, die sie mit ihrem Verlobten Liam, der ebenfalls Arzt ist, verbracht hat und hofft, dass er dort draußen noch immer nach ihr sucht.

Wird diese große Liebe die Jahre überdauern?

 

 

 

We need to talk about Grenfell, and the corporate manslaughter of the poor.

So many questions. Let’s hope somebody soon comes up with the answers…

JACK MONROE

I wrote this from the top of the church I volunteered in, inside the Police cordon at Grenfell, yesterday afternoon. I served as a Fire Control Operator for Essex Fire and Rescue Service from 2007 to 2011.

Everything about Grenfell looms, large and domineering. The spectre of what was once 600 peoples homes, shudders with ghouls and ashes, embers still burning on the top floors. Fire investigators hang out of windows, their hi-vis jackets indistinguishable from the deep burning red at the heart of the structure. Police cordons stand shoulder to shoulder, three deep. Hundreds of residents and protestors crush the Mayor into a corner as he tries to answer furious questions. Three stories of a local methodist church, basement to tower, packed floor to ceiling with donated shoes, clothes, toiletries, food, water. Six hundred stories, that will largely go untold.

I’ve seen a lot of fucking fires, I remarked…

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How to Build an Author Page on Amazon.co.jp

How’s your Japanese?  Mine is a little rusty, and because I sell a few books on Amazon.jp every week I thought I’d set up my author page. To save you the arse-ache of what I’ve had to go through to set mine up, here’s an easier way of doing it than toiling backwards and forwards from Amazon.jp to Google Translate:

1. Sign-in to your Author Central Account at: http://authorcentral.amazon.co.jp  I did set my account up a couple of years ago, but never got around to making an author page.  If you haven’t registered with Amazon.jp, they’ll need to confirm your email address first before they accept you.
2. Once registered, click the “本” (Books) tab on the top of the page.
3. Your books are displayed under “外国語の本” (Foreign Language Books).
4. Click the “さらに本を追加する” (Add more books) button near the top of the Books tab page. This will automatically bring up the books associated with your name or pen name.
5. Select “外国語の本”(Foreign Language Books) from the drop-down menu and click go.
6. Select one of your books by clicking “これが私の本です”(This is my book), or search for your book by title or ISBN. If you’re the only author listed for the book, click “これが私の本です”(This is my book).

It can take 3-5 business days before newly added title appears in your bibliography.

Also, you can add a biography to the Author Page by following these steps:

1. Log-in to your Author Central Account (https://authorcentral.amazon.co.jp)
2. Click the “著者ページ” (Author Page) tab on the top of the page
3. Click the “略歴を追加” (Add biography) link next to “略歴” (Biography) and enter your text.

When you’ve finished, click “略歴のプレビュー” (Preview Biography). If you’re satisfied, click “略歴の保存” (Save biography). Once you’ve saved your biography, it will appear on the Author Page within 30 minutes.

It’s easy-peasy.  It must be if I can do it!  Here’s mine:  https://www.amazon.co.jp/Stevie-Turner/e/B00AV7YOTU/

Friday Roundup – 16th June

1.  Thanks to Indies Unlimited for the opportunity to join in this Amazon Author Page Follow Fest:

http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2017/06/09/amazon-author-page-follow-fest-june-2017/

2  Dan Alatorre gives advice on gaining more Facebook author page likes.

How To Get More Facebook Author Page Likes

3. Raymond Crain on Mostly Blogging writes of ways to increase traffic to your blog:

http://www.mostlyblogging.com/generate-better-traffic/

4.  Lauren Sapala’s guest post on A Writer’s Path gives the most sensible advice on not comparing yourself to other writers:

Why We Compare Ourselves to Other Writers (and How We Can Stop)

5.  Blonde Write More gives some good advice here for writers:

How To Accept Literary Success Might Take Years To Achieve #SundayBlogShare #Writer

6. Thanks to Indies Unlimited for this advice regarding Vanity/Indie/Traditional publishers.

http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2017/06/12/vanity-predatory-indie-trad-what-does-that-mean-again/

7.  Thanks to AuroraJeanAlexander on Writer’s Treasure Chest for this blog on writing a book blurb:

https://aurorajalexander.wordpress.com/2016/08/24/me-and-my-book-blurb/

8.  Pekoeblaze gives 4 things learned from four years of blogging:

Four Things I’ve Learnt From Running A Blog For Four Years

9.  Michael Cristiano gives advice on how to write a novel worthy of publishing:

Throwback Thursday: How to Write a Novel That Will Actually Be Worthy of Publishing

10.  If you have enjoyed this week’s Friday Roundup, please could you click on the link below and give me a vote for my Kindle Scout campaign.  Thank you!

https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/3IQ62RDNCFI3F

Thanks to Don Massenzio, Kim’s Author Support Blog, A Writer’s Path, Jean M.Cogdell, and Jessica Bakkers for the re-blogs.

Thursday Cite & Insight Invite – 15th June

This week I’ve found a quote from the late British novelist Sir Terry Pratchett:

‘It’s not worth doing something unless someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren’t doing it.’

It’s the old ‘rules are made to be broken’ thing, which of course causes much excitement when you’re in the middle of breaking one of them.  In these days of ‘Elf & Safety’ though, the list of rules forbidding you doing anything are becoming longer and longer and harder to ignore.

However, have you ever experienced the thrill of breaking a known rule?  I must admit I can remember one or two episodes as an adventurous 12 year old involving Woolworth’s Pick ‘n Mix display and an apple tree in a farmer’s field, but hey…

Sam deliberately goes out of his way to ignore rules when he thinks they smack too much of the nanny state, but then he always was a bit of a rebel.  Me, I don’t even eat Pick ‘n Mix sweets these days…