MGOC Contributor: Lucy A. Snyder

LUCY A. SNYDER
Read an excerpt from "Networking at Conventions" by Lucy A. Snyder in Many Genres, One Craft.

The most important part of making a career as a fiction author should be obvious: you have to write well and tell an engaging story. But if you've been writing and submitting for a while, you've no doubt realized that simply being a good writer isn't all there is to it. Luck seems to play a distressingly large role in the publishing process. But the funny thing is that writers who actively seek out writing opportunities generally seem to be "luckier" than those who don't.

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Lucy A. Snyder is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of the novels Spellbent and Shotgun Sorceress and the collections Sparks and Shadows, Chimeric Machines, and Installing Linux on a Dead Badger. Her writing has also appeared in several magazines. She has a B.S. in biology, an M.A. in journalism and graduated from the 1995 Clarion Writers' Workshop. Since 2005, she's directed the Context Writing Workshops. She currently is a Seton Hill MFA mentor. Lucy was born in South Carolina, grew up in Texas, and now lives in Ohio, with her husband and occasional co-author Gary A. Braunbeck. For more information, please visit www.lucysnyder.com.

MGOC Contributor: Patrick J. Picciarelli

PATRICK J. PICCIARELLI
Read an excerpt from "Guerilla Marketing: The Reality of Selling Your Book" by Patrick J. Picciarelli in Many Genres, One Craft.

Times were when a writer sold his first book to a publisher he stayed with that same publisher for the rest of his writing career.

The publisher expected to lose money on the first book, but assumed because they had faith in the writer’s talent and his ability to acquire a readership, that the writer’s second book would break even, the third make some money, the fourth make a little more and so on. This was called “bringing up a writer.”

Of course those were the Good Old Days. In the publishing world, we’re talking about the late twentieth century.

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Patrick J. Picciarelli is the author of Jimmy the Wags: Street Stories of a Private Eye, My Life in the NYPD: Jimmy the Wags, Mala Femina: A Woman’s Life as the Daughter of a Don, and Blood Shot Eyes. “The Prince of Arthur Avenue” from the Bronx Noir anthology was made into a movie in 2010. Picciarelli, a former U.S. Army machine gunner in Vietnam, spent 20 years in the NYPD, retiring as a lieutenant. He is currently a licensed private investigator. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and an M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, where he is now adjunct faculty.

MGOC Contributor: David J. Corwell

DAVID J. CORWELL
Read an excerpt from "Successful Book Signings: The Personal Touch" by David J. Corwell in Many Genres, One Craft

Congratulations!

After months, perhaps years, of diligently working on your manuscript, you’ve finally found a publisher who believes in your work – or you’ve decided to publish it yourself. Your article/book/story has arrived, you’ve set up your first signing event (bookstore managers always welcome calls or visits to discuss such an opportunity), and you’ve even sent out announcements to family and friends, as well as press releases to the local media. Now, you’re sitting (hopefully) near the entrance of the bookstore, your work nicely displayed. But as the first potential reader walks through the door, your initial enthusiasm evaporates, replaced by an internal trembling and dry mouth. You suddenly ask yourself: What do I do next?

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Read an excerpt from "The Top Ten Excuses People Give…" by David J. Corwell in Many Genres, One Craft

While book signings are one of the best ways to promote your work, not everyone you talk to will buy a book. Knowing what to expect ahead of time will not only help you develop a thicker skin when it comes to selling, but it may also give you a jump on how to turn a rejection into a sale. Here are the top ten “excuses” I’ve heard from potential readers when they’re clearly not interested in buying my book(s):

1. “I’ll be back/come back later.” As you casually observe, these people will go out of their way to “miss” your table as they leave the event.

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David J. Corwell’s stories appear in Cloaked in Shadow: Dark Tales of Elves (Fantasist Enterprises), Daily Flash: 365 Days of Flash Fiction (Pill Hill Press), Día de los Muertos (Elektrik Milk Bath Press), Voices of New Mexico (LPD Press/Rio Grande Books), and Tales of the Talisman (Hadrosaur Productions). He is an indefatigable promoter of his work, and his latest lineup of book signings can be found at http://booktour.com/author/david_j_corwell. David is also a 2006 graduate of the Seton Hill WPF program and the New Mexico sales rep for Fantasist Enterprises. He lives in Albuquerque with his beautiful wife and three daughters.

MGOC Contributor: Lynn Salsi

LYNN SALSI
EXCERPT from "To Be Reviewed or Not to Be Reviewed" by Lynn Salsi in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

Once upon a time book reviews gave readers, writers, and publishers an overview of the industry. A positive review in a major magazine or newspaper promised a book a long shelf-life in stores, giving the writer an opportunity to produce a second book before the first title went out-of-print. A review in a major newspaper like the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, or the Miami Herald put books and authors on an elite list.

Professional book reviewers delivered objective comments about content and interpreted the book’s importance as an addition to the canon of its genre. Newspapers—large and small—published weekly book pages which occupied space from a few columns to a complete section.Large dailies employed fulltime book page editors. Since writing defines civilization, print media considered the creation of a best-seller list a contribution to society. And, such lists defined the best writing available on a weekly basis.

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Lynn Salsi has a BA in Journalism and an MA and MFA in creative writing from Seton Hill University. She is the author of 18 books. She has received many awards, including Jacqueline Lougheed World Understanding Lecturer (International Alpha Delta Kappa), an American Library Association Notable Book Award, eight Willie Parker Peace History Book Awards, a Stars and Flags gold medal, and a silver medal from the Military Writers Society of America. In 2008 she was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for The Life and Times of Ray Hicks, Keeper of the Jack Tales. She writes popular fiction and
Literary non-fiction.

MGOC Contributor: Leslie Davis Guccione

LESLIE DAVIS GUCCIONE

EXCERPT from "Where Do I Go from Here? Being Orphaned" by Leslie Davis Guccione in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

Most writers will tell you their top professional priority is developing rapport with that all-important editor. She’s bought your manuscript; his revision suggestions are clear; you’ve signed your first multiple book contract.

Nearly twenty years have sailed by since my agent’s words, “Leslie, I’ve sold your manuscript,” danced through the phone lines. Armed with my IBM Selectric typewriter and a lifetime supply of Wite Out, I set sail. Not to belabor the metaphor, but with calm seas and a steady breeze I left port heading toward long term relationships with supportive, enthusiastic editors, increasingly lucrative multiple book contracts, and sterling reviews. Fan mail! Classroom visits! Book signings! Royalty checks!
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With the simultaneous sales of a YA and adult romantic suspense novel, Leslie Davis Guccione left public relations and fundraising copywriting to concentrate on fiction.  Over 25 years she’s published 28 novels for adult, middle grade and teen readers, garnering awards, starred reviews and genre fiction best seller status.  Her work has been translated into eight languages. As Kate Chester she created and wrote the six book Hear No Evil series, featuring deaf protagonists, for Scholastic, including Tell Me How the Wind Sounds, which was optioned for television. Leslie is adjunct faculty for Seton Hill University’s MFA program. Professional memberships have included The Authors Guild, Romance Writers of America and The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

MGOC Contributor: Lawrence C. Connolly

LAWRENCE C.CONNOLLY
EXCERPT from "The Teaching Writer" by Lawrence C. Connolly in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction:

You’ve finished your first novel. Now what?

The conventional wisdom is simple enough: start writing your second. That’s how you build a career. Write every day. Submit work when it’s finished. Keep submitting your finished work until it’s accepted. Unfortunately, none of these career-building steps are going to pay the rent. Indeed, even after acceptance, you’ll have to wait awhile for that first advance. Contracts will need to be vetted, signed, and returned. Checks will need to be cut (and if that sounds like a quick operation, just you wait). And if you’ve employed the services of an agent, you’ll have to wait for the publisher’s check to clear the agent’s bank before another check can be cut and mailed to you.

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Lawrence C. Connolly's fiction has appeared in many of the major genre magazines, among them Amazing Stories, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Cemetery Dance Magazine, and Rod Serling's Twilight Zone Magazine. His work can also be found in a number of best-of collections, among them Year's Best Horror, Best of Borderlands, and Best of the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction from Audible.com. One of his short stories, “Echoes,” has been made into two films. His supernatural thrillers Veins and Vipers are published by Fantasist Enterprises.

MGOC Contributor: Penny Dawn

PENNY DAWN

EXCERPT from "eFabulous: Publishing in a Paperless World" by Penny Dawn in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

In the early 80s, the Betamax went the way of the dinosaur. For those of you who weren't around to witness the war between Beta and VHS, these were home video media, predecessors of the Laserdisc (an obscure, LP-sized video alternative the size and shape of a frozen pizza). The Laserdisc, while wildly popular in Japan, didn't hold consumer interest in the United States, and was replaced by hip, smaller DVDs, at a time the word Blu-Ray might have conjured images of marine life. With the emergence of internet streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, the Blu-Ray may soon find itself a shell on a sandy shore, too. You have to roll with the changes, baby.

It's easier said than done. I confess I still house my collection of original Disney masterpieces on VHS, as well as the platinum, anniversary releases on DVD. And while working in the field of home interiors, I still design, upon request, entertainment centers housing slide-out shelves for these bulky dust-collectors. Yet there will come a time when even the few lingering, diehard fans of these should-be-bones-by-now media will eventually forfeit their relics for one reason: no one produces VCRs anymore. Nothing lasts forever.

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Penny Dawn is the author of seven novels, seventeen eBooks, and countless poems and trade articles. She teaches her craft at two colleges in the Chicago suburbs, volunteers at elementary school writing centers, and edits the work of hopeful writers through The Calliope. When she isn't writing, or teaching others to hone their ability to do so, she immerses herself in other passions: parenthood, the discipline of dance, home improvement, and her yellow lab. Visit her online at www.pennydawn.com.

MGOC Contributor: Ginger Clark

GINGER CLARK
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EXCERPT from "How to Get an Agent" by Ginger Clark in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

Write a really good book.

I know that sounds like a knee-jerk suggestion, but it is true. Now, really, a good book can mean both a well-written, lyrical literary novel or a commercial idea done well. You do not need to write the second coming of The Great Gatsby—it can be a fun, juicy tale of a werewolf and a vampire and their forbidden love. But it does need to be well done, with a well-paced plot, fleshed out characters, and believable dialogue.

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Ginger Clark has been a literary agent with Curtis Brown LTD since Fall 2005. She represents science fiction, fantasy, paranormal romance, paranormal chicklit, literary horror, and young adult and middle grade fiction. In addition to representing her own clients, she also represents British rights for the agency’s children’s list. Previously, she worked at Writers House for six years as an assistant literary agent and was as an editorial assistant at Tor Books. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College, a member of the Contracts Committee of the AAR, and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and pet chinchillas.

MGOC Contributor: Lee McClain

Lee McClain
EXCERPT from "Time Management: Creative Paths to Productivity" by Lee McClain in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

Time management? Ugh. Sounds like a seminar topic at a business event.

Careful management of time doesn’t come naturally to most creative writers, but that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. Figuring out this skill often means the difference between success and failure as a writer.

I can hear the protests now. Many writers assume that their possibilities of success depend on skill, talent, and creativity. While these qualities are important, none of them can manifest themselves unless a writer is willing and able to devote time to her craft. That means time to read in the genre, time to draft, time to revise, and time to study the market. When I directed Seton Hill’s graduate writing program, I saw many talented writers fail due to not managing their time; conversely, I saw writers who started out with what looked like very moderate talent improve and succeed—and publish—due to the massive time they devoted to their craft.

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Dr. Lee Tobin McClain happily divides her time between teaching and writing and finds that the two pursuits enrich each other. She writes romantic suspense, fiction for children and teens, and nonfiction essays and magazine articles. Among her novels are My Loco Life, My Alternate Life, and Sizzle. Her teaching interests include children's and YA literature, magazine writing, composition, and creative writing. The former Director of the Writing Popular Fiction Graduate Program at Seton Hill University, Dr. McClain now mentors graduate students. Find her on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Lee-McClain/e/B001KIDROM

MGOC Contributor: Ryan M. Williams

Ryan M. Williams
EXCERPT from "One Writer Many Genres" by Ryan M. Williams in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

In the mood for a sweet romance? Solving a fiendish murder? Taking a spaceship off to the uncharted reaches? Writing in multiple genres brings a multitude of rewards to writers, along with a few cautions.

READER EXPECTATIONS
A reader finds a mystery and falls in love with the clever cat detective, so she goes out and buys every other book the writer has written. When the new book comes out she rushes to the store for the exclusive midnight release and discovers that the cat is gone, replaced by a vampire, and it isn't even a mystery anymore, but a romance.

Does she jump up and down with a squeal of happiness?

Unlikely.

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His rap sheet reads like a small-time crook with a half-dozen aliases. As Ryan M. Williams writes the scifi Moreau Society series including Dark Matters and The Gingerbread House. Writing as Ryan M. Welch he has authored his mystery fiction, like the Poe-inspired cat cozy novelette The Murders in the Reed Moore Library. Other aliases include Tennessee Hicks (urban & dark fantasy), and R.M. Haag (horror fiction). His education includes a master of arts degree from Seton Hill University and the successful completion of the master class taught by Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch. He lives in Western Washington with his wife and son.

MGOC Contributor: Kaye Dacus

KAYE DACUS
EXCERPT from "The Pot-Bellied Pig Method of Critiquing" by Kaye Dacus in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

The more I’ve learned about critiquing, the more I’ve come to realize that the first thing we each need to learn is how to receive critiques well. Because until we know how to receive critiques, we will never be ready to give critiques.

I’ve seen several shows on Animal Planet about the (now-waning) phenomenon of having pigs as pets rather than dogs, cats, or other “normal” animals. As I’ve learned more about them, I’ve discovered there is much we can learn from these humble animals.

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Humor, Hope, and Happily Ever Afters! Kaye Dacus is the author of humorous, hope-filled contemporary and historical romances in the Christian publishing market. She holds an M. A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, is a former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, and currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. She loves action movies and British costume dramas. When she's not writing, she enjoys knitting scarves and "lap blankets" (she's a master of the straight-line knit and purl stitches!). Kaye lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and even though she writes romance novels, she is not afraid to admit that she's never been kissed.

MGOC Contributor News: Matt Duvall's Column at Fine Living Lancaster

Many Genres One Craft Contributor Matt Duvall is a new columnist for Fine Living Lancaster. Check out his first post for "Manly Living."

And read an excerpt of his article "Powerman Writes Women's Fiction" from Many Genres.

MGOC Contributor: Chun Lee

CHUN LEE
EXCERPT from "Pursuing the Graduate Degree" by Chun Lee in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

Success in writing can take many different paths. For some, being a ranch hand for ten years may be the perfect experience necessary to write a particular book. For others success can be found through the wonderful world of academia. There certainly are a fair amount of writers who have a day job in this field so it seems they go hand in hand. If you need to do a bit of research over a topic, you could model a lesson plan around it and I also can’t think of any other job that pays you to talk about books.

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Chun Lee is dodging gators and enjoying amazing Cajun cuisine in Lafayette, Louisiana. His work has appeared in The Late Late Show, Dissections, Sails and Sorcery, and the upcoming anthology Paper Blossoms, Shattered Steel. He is a graduate of the WPF program at Seton Hill University and is currently earning a Ph.D. in English at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

MGOC Contributor: Catherine Mulvany

CATHERINE MULVANY
EXCERPT from "Lessons from the Vampire Slayer" by Catherine Mulvany in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

When my editor suggested I try writing a vampire book (Something Wicked), I had a hard time working up any enthusiasm. I was familiar with Bram Stoker’s classic, Dracula, of course, Salem’s Lot by Stephen King, and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro’s Saint-Germain books, but no recently published work. So my first task was to read a broad cross section of current vampire fiction. Though I found many of the novels entertaining, I still wasn’t sure I could make a blood-sucking demon into a convincing hero.

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Catherine Mulvany is the author of six novels and one novella. She holds a Master's degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and has taught school for fifteen years. Married with three children, she lives in the Pacific Northwest. Visit her website at www.catherinemulvany.com.

MGOC Contributor: Steven Piziks

STEVEN PIZIKS
EXCERPT from "A Primer for Writing Media Tie-ins" by Steven Piziks in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

Two weeks before Christmas, 2002, my agent Lucienne called me out of the blue. Like most authors, I love it when my agent calls me out of the blue. It means good news. When it’s bad news, agents send e-mail.

“I have a proposal for you,” Lucienne said. “Have you heard of John Cusack?”

“Yes,” I said cautiously.

“He’s doing a thriller called Identity, and Pocket Books acquired the rights to publish the novel based on the movie. The editor called me to ask if I knew anyone who wanted to write it. The movie deals with multiple personality disorder, and since your first novel was all about MPD, I thought of you. Interested? They’re offering ten thousand dollars.”

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Steven Piziks currently teaches English in southeast Michigan. When not writing, he plays the folk harp, dabbles in oral storytelling, and spends more time on-line than is probably good for him. Visit his web page at http://spiziks.livejournal.com or find him on Twitter as @StevenPiziks.

MGOC Contributor News: Dana Marton's The Third Scroll

Many Genres, One Craft contributor Dana Marton has a new novel out--The Third Scroll.

A maiden healer sold to barbarians.

A world of savage warlords and cruel concubines.

When ancient powers collide, can the slave save the realm and the high lord's heart?

Sold into slavery, Tera, a budding healer, is thrust into the savage realm of barbarian warlords, the same realm which claimed her mother years ago. She must avoid the displeasure of her warrior lord and survive the cruelties of the concubines, even as war threatens on the horizon.

Yet a greater danger looms when she catches the eye of the most powerful lord of the land and he takes her for his Pleasure Hall. Tera struggles to escape, while searching for the secret behind her mother’s death. But what she discovers challenges everything she believes in. A path set long ago beckons. A path that could lead to triumph, or the destruction of her world.


posted by heidi

MGOC Contributor: Michael Bracken

MICHAEL BRACKEN

EXCERPT from "I Write Short Stories" by Michael Bracken in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

I write short stories. A lot of them.

In a publishing environment where many writers bemoan the lack of markets for short fiction, I've placed almost 900 short stories. That's 2.7 million words, give or take, or the equivalent of 45 short novels.

When I began writing as a teenager in the 1970s, short story publication was considered the first step to becoming a genre novelist. Writers learned their craft by publishing short fiction in the popular magazines of the day before grappling with the complexity and length of novels. They established writing credentials, providing heft to their query and cover letters, and developed a readership before their first novel ever hit the wire racks at the grocery store.

That doesn't seem to happen much today, and many writers, perhaps encouraged by the ease of publication offered by low-cost vanity publishing companies, leap directly into novel writing without first establishing their writing skills and publishing credentials. Among those who succeed as novelists, some write short stories as an afterthought and some established genre novelists write short fiction only at the invitation of anthology editors.

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Michael Bracken is the author of 11 books, including All White Girls, Deadly Campaign, and Tequila Sunrise. More than 800 of his short stories have been published worldwide. His “Dreams Unborn” was named one of The Best American Mystery Stories 2005 and “All My Yesterdays” received a Derringer Award. Bracken edited five crime fiction anthologies whose stories have been short-listed for the Anthony, Derringer, Edgar, and Shamus awards. Bracken served as V.P. of both the Private Eye Writers of America and the Mystery Writers of America’s Southwest chapter. He also belongs to the Horror Writers Association and Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Bracken received his B.A. in Professional Writing from Baylor University.

MGOC Contributor: Jennifer Brisendine

JENNIFER BRISENDINE

EXCERPT from "Keeping It Real: Mixing Truth and Fiction in YA" by Jennifer Brisendine in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

If you know even one pre-teen, ‘tween, or full-blown teenager, you recognize how difficult it is to pull the proverbial wool over their eyes. You can’t easily persuade the average young adult that a loss of privileges is really harder on you than on him, or that she should clean her room for the sense of accomplishment, or that yes, he will need to know the finer points of the quadratic equation in his everyday life.

Selling young adults on fiction is equally challenging… no matter how fascinating a story you tell.

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Jennifer Brisendine's creative non-fiction appears in the Seal Press anthology The Maternal Is Political, and her essays have appeared in LiteraryMama and the Mom Writer's Literary Magazine. After ten-plus years in the high school English classroom, she currently works as a freelance editor and writer while continuing to pursue fiction and non-fiction projects. She lives in southwestern Pennsylvania with her husband, two sons, and a petite 100-pound Great Dane.

MGOC Contributor: C. Coco DeYoung

C. COCO DE YOUNG

EXCERPT from "Linking Past to Present" by C. Coco DeYoung in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

"Wonder-lust," the need to know more and silenced only by research, can serve as both the catalyst and foundation of well-crafted historical fiction.

Carefully whittled, it becomes a chain linking the author and young reader to the annals of history.

Research is for me a hands-on experience steeped in sensory input. Wonder-lust created a need in me to feel the sensations of a rail-riding hobo during the Great Depression. "You don’t have to hop a moving train," a fellow writer once chided. "You could lose a leg!" Nevertheless, grabbing hold of the “grip iron” or ladder of the worn wooden boxcar was like gripping hold of a leg of history. As a writer of historical fiction obligated to fulfill the expectations of the young reader, the first-hand experience of hopping a train goes far beyond the realm of research necessary to write a period piece.

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C. Coco De Young is an award-winning author, freelance writer, and storyteller. Her middle-grade novel, A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt, received the Marguerite de Angeli Prize, nomination for 10 State Book Awards, the 2000-2001 Keystone to Reading Book Award, Teacher's Choices 2000 by the International Reading Association, a Booklist "Top 10 First Novels" of 1999, and was selected by the Children's Book Council and the National Council of Social Studies as a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People. Ms. De Young holds a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Elementary Education, and an M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction, both from Seton Hill University. She resides in Ridgefield, Connecticut with her husband, Don.

MGOC Contributor: Patrice Lyle

PATRICE LYLE

EXCERPT from "Ten Ways to Lose Your YA Reader" by Patrice Lyle in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

The young adult (YA) fiction market is totally hot. What’s even hotter is actually writing the stories that captivate teen readers’ hearts. The ones that keep them up past their bedtimes to finish reading. The ones they text their friends about during class when they’re supposed to be learning something constructive. The ones they can’t wait to spend their allowance on.

Writing for the teen audience is in many ways similar to writing for adults. Great pacing, strong characterization, vivid world building and a clever plot. Sure these are all essential. But there are more ways to lose young readers than adults. Here are the main ten.
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Patrice Lyle grew up in Astoria, Oregon, where she watched several movies being filmed in her neighborhood; such as The Goonies, Free Willy and Kindergarten Cop. Seeing these stories “come to life” at a young age instilled in her a great love of story telling. When she was nineteen, she embarked upon a European adventure to work as a nanny in Amsterdam with her sister; a trip that ended up being the greatest story of all. She returned home and eventually earned an MA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and a graduate degree in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health. She now lives near Baltimore with her husband and three cats, where she divides her time between her two passions in life: helping people get healthy and writing paranormal novels. Her YA paranormal novel, LETHALLY BLONDE, will be available in 2012 from Leap Books. Please visit www.patricebooks.com.