The Writer's Block: Where Are They Now? Catching Up with Sheri Fink

Today on The Writer's Block, we head to sunny California to check-in with award-winning children's book author and marketing machine Sheri Fink! Following her passions has established her brand and fueled her creativity. Prepare to get inspired!

1) Welcome back to The Writer's Block, Sheri! Please tell everyone a bit about who you are and where you live and work.

I'm an inspirational speaker, #1 best-selling author, and award-winning entrepreneur who creates books, products, and experiences that inspire and delight kids of all ages while planting seeds of self-esteem. I live in sunny Southern California and write everywhere I go around the world. 

2) What were you working on when we spoke last? (Interview link:http://raychelle-writes.blogspot.com/2012/03/writers-block-interviews-sheri-fink.html )

When I was last interviewed on The Writer's Block in 2012, I was preparing for the release of my second children's picture book, The Little Gnome. 

3) Catch us up on what you have done since then.

OMG ... so much magic has unfolded since 2012! I've published a total of 7 books including 5 #1 best-selling children's books (The Little Rose, The Little Gnome, The Little Firefly, The Little Seahorse, and Exploring the Garden with the Little Rose), an inspirational journal (My Bliss Book), and a sweet and sexy romance novel (Cake in Bed). The Little Rose was adapted into a stage play, I debuted a beauty line inspired by my characters, recorded and released two inspirational albums, and have had the privilege to share my story with over 35,000 people throughout North America. My children's books have been released in audiobook, ebook, and paperback editions ... It's a whimsical life! 

4) Whimsical indeed! What is next for you?

I'm currently working on a few potential book projects as well as expanding The Whimsical World of Sheri Fink brand globally. I want to bring the empowering messages of my books to kids worldwide. I love speaking to inspire and plan to do even more in 2017. One of my joys today is mentoring aspiring authors to achieve their dreams of publishing their books. It's an honor to nurture the spark of creativity in others and to see their books and their careers blossom and grow.

5) How did The Writer's Block help you promote yourself? What advice would you offer to aspiring author/illustrators?

The Writer's Block was one of my earliest author interviews and I was grateful for the opportunity to share. 

My best advice is to focus on what you really want without watering down your dream. Don't settle for safety or mediocrity ... Get in touch with the passion for achieving your goal every day and visualize yourself already having achieved it. Feel the feelings you'll feel when it's come true. Marinate in the juicy goodness of living your dream. Then, take action each day toward your goal and keep going no matter what. You are limitless and everything is possible if you stay in alignment with your highest vision and continually take inspired action in that direction. It's hard work, but your dream is worth it. You will get there and it will be even better than you imagined! 

Congratulations, Sheri! Thanks again for joining us on The Writer's Block!

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Sheri Fink is an inspirational speaker, a #1 best-selling author, an award-winning entrepreneur, and the creator of “The Whimsical World of Sheri Fink” brand. Sheri writes books that inspire and delight kids of all ages while planting seeds of self-esteem. All five of her children's books have become #1 best-sellers, including The Little Rose which was a #1 Amazon Best-seller for over 60 weeks.

CBS Los Angeles selected her as one of the top three authors in the local area, a distinction she shares with Dean Koontz. Sheri’s brand is the recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award for the best in family friendly entertainment. She was recently named an inspirational beauty by supermodel Cindy Crawford’s “Beauties Give Back” campaign.

Sheri’s newest adventure is a contemporary romance. She was inspired to write Cake in Bed, her debut novel, to empower women to be their authentic selves and to not settle for less than they deserve in life or in love, because everyone deserves to have their cake and eat it too ... preferably in bed! Discover more about Sheri and her books at www.SheriFink.com.

Keep up with Sheri!

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/SheriFinkFan

Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/Sheri_Fink (@Sheri_Fink)

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Sheri_Fink (@Sheri_Fink)

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...

**Ready to give your writing career a jumpstart? Promote your project on The Writer's Block!

Free E-Book Download Until December 31st for Fans of Raychelle Writes!

Greetings, All!

Author Stephen Black, a two-time alum of The Writer's Block (read his most recent interview here), is offering all of his e-books to you for free starting now until the end of the year! His titles include Obama Search Words (enjoyed this one--check out my book review), Bali Wave Ghost, I Ate Tiong Bahru, Flame Magnet (this one challenges the idea of what a book is), and Furikake.

Interested? Just drop Stephen an email to bookmerah16##at##gmail dot com and let him know that you are a fan of Raychelle Writes (You know, like you follow my blog and Facebook page or maybe Twitter @RaychelleWrites...). He will forward a link to his books and video interviews. From time to time, he send you updates on his upcoming projects. That only happens maybe 4 times a year, so no spamming or flooded inboxes to worry about here.

Happy reading!

The Writer's Block: Where Are They Now? Catching Up with Sherrill Cannon

Today on The Writer's Block, we head to New Hope, Pennsylvania to check-in with award-winning children's book author and playwright Sherrill Cannon! This former educator shares with us her mission to write positive, self-affirming stories for young people about mutual respect and following the Golden Rule.

1) Welcome back, Sherrill! Please tell everyone a bit about who you are and where you live and work.

I am a former teacher and grandmother of ten, and the author of eight published rhymed children's stories which have received forty-five 2011-16 National and International awards. I am also a playwright with seven published plays for elementary school children, which have been performed internationally in over 20 countries. Most of my books try to teach something, like good manners and caring for others.

Married for 56 years, my spouse and I are now retired, and live in New Hope, PA for half the year and then travel in our RV from coast to coast the other half to spend time with our children and grandchildren.  I have had a varied career:  I’ve been a teacher and coach, a professional newspaper sports writer and photographer, a dinner theatre stage manager, and a business administrator. Now I have time to write, when I’m not marketing (which is the other half of writing.)

2) What were you working on when we spoke last? (Interview link: http://raychelle-writes.blogspot.com/2012/05/writers-block-interviews-sherrill.html)

When we spoke last, I was just releasing my 4th book (Gimme-Jimmy) and had won 8 awards.  Since then, I have doubled the books to 8, and have totaled 45 awards (so far.)  I have found that entering contests has been my most successful means of marketing my books, and if you’d like to see a complete list, I will include it at the end of this interview, or please check out my website.  The subliminal message of all my books remains consideration for others – disguised as fun stories – and because of my awesome illustrator, Kalpart, I have been able to use my characters in subsequent books.  This is especially fun for me when I am reading another of my books at a school and a child remarks, “Oh look! I see Gimme-Jimmy!!”

Manner-Man followed Gimme-Jimmy, which along with The Magic Word, I term my “manners” books.  Manner-Man is a superhero who helps children cope with bullies and teaches them to look within themselves for their own superhero. Manner-Man includes both the characters Jimmy and Elisabeth – and also the illustrations include some of my CureJM kids.  All of my books are part of a Fundraiser for the CureJM Foundation where 50% of the cost of the books goes to CureJM.  Juvenile Myositis is an incurable children’s autoimmune disease, and many of the kids have interacted with me.  Both Addie and Cassie are part of the Manner-Man illustrations!  (http://sbpra.com/curejm )

3) You have been one busy lady! Catch us up on what you have done since then.

After Manner-Man in 2013 came My Fingerpaint Masterpiece in 2014 which has won 9 awards including both a Gold Medal in Children’s K-3 as well as an Illustration Award in the Reader’s Favorites contest.  It’s all about perspective and perception and is told from the perspective of an unidentified child (boy? girl?) for all the illustrations are what the child sees. There are also many hidden objects in the “masterpiece”!  I usually get a 50-50 vote when I poll the kids at the conclusion of reading the book to them.  Not surprisingly, it seems the boys vote for a boy and the girls vote for a girl!  I consider that a success!!!

Mice & Spiders & Webs…Oh My!, published in 2015, has won 5 awards including the recent Global eBook Gold Medal.  It emphasizes the importance of good listening, as well as being an introduction to computers.  A child is worried about returning to school since her teacher had mentioned they would soon have mice and spiders and webs in the classroom, but only for the girls.  Rosemary discovers that this means a computer mouse and the internet web, but why only females? Could she have misunderstood again?

The Golden Rule is my current 2016 book and is doing very well, since it already has 6 awards including the recent Book Excellence Award Gold Medal, a Children’s Literary Classics Silver Medal, and a Mom’s Choice Award. The focus is very direct in this book:  Treat others the way you’d like to be treated.  All of my books try to teach children to be nice.  This book shows children ways to do that.  When I read to the children, I like to ask them, “Have you done something nice for someone today?”  Fortunately I usually get a nice show of hands!

4) That's awesome, Sherrill! What is next for you?

My next and perhaps final children’s book for release in 2017 is My Little Angel.  It’s for a slightly younger child, and is obviously for those who believe in angels!  It’s about a little guardian angel who helps a child throughout the day.  All of my books are multi-cultural, but at the request of a fan I have included a couple of animals in the illustrations in this one. Extended family, you know!

5) How did The Writer's Block help you promote yourself? What advice would you offer to aspiring author/illustrators?

I loved being able to participate in The Writer’s Block earlier, and am so happy to become a part of it again.  It’s lovely to be able to share my books and the emphasis on being kind… We seem to need the reminder to get along with others – especially in this political environment.  As one of my thoughtful fans commented about The Golden Rule…”This is how we change the world…”

My advice to authors/illustrators is to be sure you find your niche in the children’s book world, and to send a positive message.  This is the same advice I offered in my previous interview, with the addition that it is very important to also be sure to include multicultural characters and illustrations so that ALL children can identify with your books!

Thank you, Sherrill! Congratulations on everything. My best to you!
*****
You can keep up with Sherrill by checking out her websites www.sherrillcannon.com and http://sbpra.com/sherrillscannon, by connecting with her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sherrillscannon/, and by following her on Twitter @SherrillCannon. Her plays can be found at www.lazybeescripts.co.uk.

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...

**Ready to give your writing career a jumpstart? Promote your project on The Writer's Block!

The Writer's Block: Where Are They Now? Catching Up with Joey Pinkney

Today on The Writer's Block, we head to Tennessee to catch up on the latest with Joey Pinkney! Fun facts: Joey is a super-bad book promoter. His interview on The Writer's Block has been the most viewed post on my blog since February 2012. And he has a thing for coffee and chocolate. Let's get caught up!

1) Welcome, back! Please tell us a bit about who you are and where you live and work.

Hello to Raychelle and everyone at The Writer’s Block. I really appreciate being back a second time around. Thank you for having me.

My name is Joey Pinkney. I am an author and book promoter. I live in Murfreesboro, TN, with my wife. For many years, I have maintained a book blog at JoeyPinkney.com. On that book blog, I have the JoeyPinkney.com 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With Author Interview Series. I promote authors and books via by Twitter Book Promotion Service - JoeyTweets.com.

Most recently, I write with publication in mind. I have a few standalone short stories published, and I have a few writing projects coming down the pike.

2) What were you working on when we spoke last? Read Joey's first interview here: (http://raychelle-writes.blogspot.com/2012/02/writers-block-interviews-author.html)

It’s been four and a half years since my debut on The Writer’s Block, and obviously a lot has changed since then. I was looking forward to a year filled with many interviews with authors from many different genres. I was just getting my feet wet with a couple of short stories published in anthologies. I had a few story ideas that I thought were going to make it to the market, but I allowed a lack of discipline and confidence get in the way.

3) It has been a long time indeed! Catch us up on what you have been up to since then.

In 2012, my published writings were contributions to larger works. I had two short stories in different anthologies. I had an essay featured in a third book. In 2016, I have 4 standalone short stories and a short twitter guide published. Those titles are “Cardinal Rule,” “Children in the City of the Fallen Towers,” “To Catch a Book Cover Model,” “Swiggers,” and “8 Simple Twitter Tips for Authors.”

I’ve decided to focus on publishing shorter works of literature for more reasons than we have space and time for. One reason would be because there is a group of readers who are looking to begin and finish a story within an hour or so and still get a proper beginning, middle and end. I personally like the challenge of the short story.

4) Glad to see that you have found your niche! What is next for you, Joey?

Next up for me is a novelette that fleshes out a fictitious neighborhood that has formed over the course of writing two previously published short stories. The story is entitled “The Legend of Tanisha Biggers,” and it will be published through SolaPress.com. It is the story of a young woman wrongfully accused of an old man’s death while struggling to move up and out of the neighborhood that she calls home.  

5) How did The Writer's Block help you promote yourself? What advice would you offer to aspiring author/illustrators?

The Writer’s Block help me gain exposure to a new group of people. It’s always good to get a diverse group of viewers, and The Writer’s Block does just that.

As a writer/illustrator, you are the “first reader/viewer” of your work. Be true to yourself. Be willing to take chances with your art.

Well said, Joey. We need diverse voices in literature and I am glad that your hat is in the ring. My best to you as always!

Joey Pinkney is a book promoter (http://joeytweets.com), blogger (http://joeypinkney.com), author (http://joeyspen.com) and chocolate enthusiast. He writes short stories that linger with the reader long after “the end.” To connect via social media, please see http://about.me/joeypinkney.

Keep your pen to the paper! Remember, inspiration is everywhere...

**Ready to give your writing career a jumpstart? Promote your project on The Writer's Block!

The Writer's Block: Where Are They Now? Catching Up with Stephen Black

Today on The Writer's Block, we head to Singapore to catch up on the latest with Stephen Black! He is quite an accomplished and interesting fellow. Be sure to read his first interview on The Writer's Block to get Stephen's take on marketing and branding: 

"The idea is simply that my "brand" is whatever I do: art, writing, photography, video, music and breeding thoroughbred Chihuahuas. (Just kidding about the Chihuahuas.)"

1) Welcome back to The Writer's Block, Stephen! Please tell our new readers a bit about who you are and where you live and work.

I am an American artist/videomaker and writer. I live in Singapore and Bali.Ten years ago I wrote my first book.

2) What were you working on when we spoke last? (Interview link:http://raychelle-writes.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-writers-block-interviews-stephen.html )

Well, that interview was a refreshing reminder of what my life was like then! The book which was then called being called Tiong Bahru is now called i ate tiong bahru...and it has become a national bestseller in Singapore.

3) Catch us up on what you have done since then.

Since that interview, I have done very little marketing and a lot of writing. I completed the following books: Furikake, Contact With Shadow, Bali Wave Ghost and Flame Magnet, which is a "secret project " that could lead to a new way authors and readers connect. All of these books are on Amazon, but only one, i ate tiong bahru, has been printed.

4) What is next for you?

I am working on the follow up to i ate tiong bahru, which will be called tiong bahru mouth. tiong bahru mouth could be two books: one consisting of photographs I have been taking of Tiong Bahru, the other a collection of short stories. I should mention that I am also very interested in virtual reality. I have two projects related to this, one at www.gallery.sg, the other at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Hiverlab.BeachRd&hl=en I hope to be able to work on other projects like these.

5) How did The Writer's Block help you promote yourself? 

(The) Writer's Block will always be one of my strongest memories related to ebooks and epublishing. My experience with Raychelle was friendly and very professional, in that her blog was one of the first places where my work as a writer was shared. And, Raychelle also kindly wrote a review on Amazon, which I think was the first.These were both very encouraging!

6) What advice would you offer to aspiring author/illustrators?

If you are considering becoming a full-time writer, ask yourself if you are prepared to go through very difficult times. There will be the difficulty of creating great work and then there will be the difficulty of paying the bills, not to mention getting the work in front of readers.To paraphrase Tolstoy and to repeat what I wrote for Writer's Block  many years ago, ink is blood.

Thank you, Stephen! Wishing you the best in your future endeavors!

An American who has lived most of his life in Asia, Stephen Black is an artist/videomaker, photographer and writer. His works have been shown in galleries and festivals around the world and his fifth book, i ate tiong bahru, is a national bestseller in Singapore. 

You can keep up with Stephen by checking out his website www.blacksteps.tv and by connecting with him on Facebook as Stephen Black, and following him on Twitter @bookmerah.

Keep your pen to the paper! Inspiration is everywhere...

**Ready to give your writing career a jumpstart? Promote your project on The Writer's Block!

The Writer's Block: Where Are They Now? Catching Up with Kathryn White

Today on The Writer's Block, we travel overseas to chat with award-winning children's author Kathryn White! In addition to publishing over 30 books, She is an educator, library advocate, and literacy consultant.

1) Glad to have you back, Kathryn! Please tell everyone a bit about who you are and where you live and work.

Hello, I live in the South West of England and work from home.

2) What were you working on when we spoke last? (Interview link: http://raychelle-writes.blogspot.com/2012/05/writers-block-interviews-kathryn-white.html)

I was just launching Ruby’s Sleepover at our last interview. That book came out and another follow-up Ruby’s Baby Brother commenced. That too is out now. It’s been a great series to work on.

3) Catch us up on what you have done since then.

Since our last interview I’ve written Sea Wolf, an educational text for Bloomsbury, which came out this year, also a picture book, due out next Summer with Andersen Press. But the most interesting project I’ve embarked on to date is BALANCE; it’s a Y/A novel based around the drugs scene for teens. Publishers didn’t take it on so it has gone through my Agent, Bath Literary Agency and is out now on White Glove. It’s hard work getting it out there, but worth every minute if it gets kids talking and supporting each other in dealing with what is cultural fact of life. It’s published under the pseudonym, Kit White.

4) What is next for you?

Promotion, promotion, promotion of BALANCE. I’m used to having marketing departments in publishing houses getting my work out there. Now it’s down to me and there’s no budget enough to match the big corporates. I have a dedicated website for the book – www.kitwhite.co.uk

5) How did The Writer's Block help you promote yourself? What advice would you offer to aspiring author/illustrators?

Having just revisited my first interview with you, I see a reader left feedback on my work and I was sorry I missed that; it was wonderful to read. The interview was a valuable experience in focusing my attention on where I was and where I wanted to be.

Thank you, Kathryn! Best of luck to you!

Kathryn White has over 30 books published for children of all ages. When They Fight, her first picture book, was selected as a notable book for social studies by the US Libraries Association and Here Comes the Crocodile, was shortlisted for both the Nottingham and Sheffield Children's Book Awards. Most recently, her picture book Ruby’s School Walk was shortlisted for the Boston Globe’s Best Read Aloud Book Award in the USA.

She is a regular performer at the Edinburgh, Bath and other major literature festivals and frequently holds school events on creative writing. In addition Kathryn has been a creative writing tutor for adults at HMP Shepton Mallet and a consultant on raising literacy standards in early years’ education. She is also a qualified TESOL teacher and has run a number of courses for foreign language students.

Kathryn has been heavily involved in the campaign to keep libraries open in Somerset.

You can keep up with Kathryn via her websites:
 www.kathrynwhite.net and www.kitwhite.co.uk.

Keep your pen to the paper! Inspiration is everywhere...

**Ready to give your writing career a jumpstart? Promote your project on The Writer's Block!

The Writer's Block: Where Are They Now? Catching Up with Braxton A. Cosby!

Today on The Writer's Block, we welcome back the multi-talented Braxton A. Cosby! He is a shining example of what it means to be an enterprising entrepreneur. Prepare to be inspired!

1) Glad to have you back with us! Please reintroduce yourself, tell us a bit about who you are, and where you live and work.

Well, my name is Braxton A. Cosby and I live in Atlanta, GA with my lovely wife. I've been a resident Georgian for about 12 years now and I practice as a licensed Physical Therapist by day, and pursue my writings of fiction by night. When I'm not writing or working, I also dabble in acting and modeling, making appearances on a few shows and commercials.

2) Share with us what you were you working on when we spoke last? (Interview link: http://raychelle-writes.blogspot.com/2012/02/writers-block-interviews-braxton-cosby.html)

When we last spoke, Raychelle, I was working on my science fiction series, The Star-Crossed Saga. At the time, book one, Protostar was released and I was in the middle of a book tour inn the S.E. as well as making a few stops with my uncle, Bill Cosby. Ironically enough, as I am completing this interview, I am currently ramping up for my release of Solstice, which is the last book of the three part series. It is truly both exhilarating and sad to complete a series but it is something I've longed to do for a while.

SOLSTICE BOOK TRAILER from Braxton A Cosby on Vimeo.

3) Congratulations on finishing the series! Catch us up on what you have done since then. 

As you can see I've been incredibly busy. I've started my own production company called Cosby Media Productions, a three fold division company that focuses on publishing books, and then taking them to the next level of entertainment via TV or film. Currently, we have Protostar slated for production, as well as some other properties we have ownership of via our novel publishing branch. Currently we have over 20 books in our stable, with three more releases slated for the winter of 2016. 

Our strategic partnerships allow us to make advances in the entertainment industry that we are grateful for and our prayer is that God moves us further so that we can offer entertainment that both speaks to the mind and souls. I also released a health book, Fat Free for Life: 13 Principles of Guaranteed Weight Loss and Ultimate Health through Siloam Publishing. So far, I've written and published over 10 novels myself since 2012.

  

4) That's quite impressive, Braxton. Glad to say I knew you "when!" What is next for you? 

With 2017 looming in the distance, I really want to continue to hone my writing and acting skills. Both have become huge passions of mine and I dream to be successful in both. Also, business with physical therapy is still very profitable and as long as I can continue to help others with my hands, I feel it's the gifting that was God-given and I always welcome the opportunity to do that as well. (*Check Braxton out on TV One's "Fatal Attraction!")

5) How did The Writer's Block help you promote yourself? What advice would you offer to aspiring author/illustrators? 

The Writer's Block helped to facilitate networking with other authors, such as yourself, Raychelle, and that was encouraging. We, as content creators, need to reach out to one another and offer advice to further one another's careers. If I had to give young authors any advice, it would be to keep reading; especially in the areas and genres in which you write. There is no substitute for creativity and many times I get inspired from those who have gone before me and have done great things.  

Thank you, Braxton! I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

You can keep up with Braxton via his websites The Online World of Braxton A. Cosby and Cosby Media Productions and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Keep your pen to the paper! Inspiration is everywhere...

**Ready to give your writing career a jumpstart? Promote your project on The Writer's Block!