Blog Tour with MaAnna Stephenson

Today I'd like to Welcome MaAnna Stephenson to my blog. MaAnna is the author of the Sage Age - Blending Science With Intiutive Wisdom.

While currently known as a visionary thinker and new author, MaAnna Stephenson is a true Renaissance woman. From an early age she was exposed to a myriad of influences including her father's engineering and artistic endeavors, her maternal line of intuitives, and an intrinsic fascination with sound and music. Born in the small town of Humboldt, Tennessee, MaAnna began her journey as the youngest of three children with a huge age gap between her siblings and herself. Constant inclusion in the world of adults led to an early maturity and perhaps a different view of the world than most children experience – especially with the special gifts of the adults in her family. None of it was lost on young MaAnna. "My mother was also an intuitive, as were all the women in my immediate family. Having psychic senses was quite normal and the information derived from these methods was respected and adhered to. I became accustomed quite early to the fact that there were things - forces and powers - which could not be measured with a ruler but were just as real as anything I could see or touch."

An additional gift was bestowed by her paternal grandmother – the gift of music. Time spent at the organ with her grandmother, who was well known for her passion for music, ignited a flame in MaAnna as well. By the time she was a teenager, she was already a multi-instrumentalist and composer, exploring sounds and techniques with special interest in how they affected listeners spiritually and emotionally. Her advanced education continued this line of exploration as she attended Jackson State Community College and Lambuth University concurrently, double majoring in Music and Acoustics with a special apprenticeship at a local recording studio as a sound engineer.

MaAnna transferred to Jackson Area Vocational and Technical School, acquiring a degree in Electronics. This led to a prestigious job offer and subsequent move to Dallas, TX in 1984. She continued her work in sound engineering and music with several international hits to her credit.

After a decade in the big city, she accepted a field assignment in Nashville, TN where she has resided since. It was in Nashville that she began her writing career with a short story triggering what she calls "soul memories." In response to her experience, MaAnna began her self-education in the fields of technical, scientific and New Age thought, exploring ancient mysticism and the rational sciences with equal emphasis. After a five-year preparation period, she was initiated as a shamanka. Her training for this initiation further contributed to her education process as she continued her studies in reconciling the rational sciences and the intuitive arts. This process has culminated in the writing of the newly released "The Sage Age – Blending Science with Intuitive Wisdom".

The Sage Age – Book Synopsis –

Combining the knowledge of physics with intuitive practice is no small task. The two disciplines often use the same words to mean entirely different things. Written for the seeker with more than a casual interest, The Sage Age – Blending Science with Intuitive Wisdom demystifies complex ideas with intelligent analogies and examples designed to appeal to both the scientist and the natural intuitive.

Four years in the writing, this expansive new work combines knowledge from the physical sciences and the intuitive arts to present a visionary perspective that harmonizes these diverse disciplines into one body of knowledge.

With a well-researched approach to its subjects, The Sage Age covers a broad range of material from ancient to modern thought, frontier science and current intuitive practice to deliver a depth and breadth of understanding that culminates in a holistic perspective for our time.

Living up to its mantra of "new models for new thought," The Sage Age is certain to be a catalyst for dialogue and is destined to be a major work in its field.

To learn more about MaAnna Stephenson and The Sage Age, visit www.sageage.net and you can subscribe to The Sage Age Newsletter while you are there.

For more tour information, visit
http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/09/sage-ag:

Guest Interview With Deborah Thomas

Debbie Thomas, author of Brekleby Press, is touring with me in March 2008 and you will get to learn much more about her and her book.


A little bit about Debbie Thomas: A couple of Deborah's favorite yet infrequent past times are drawing and gardening, Deborah has penned short stories and poems for many years. Some pieces did find their way to blogs and other writers' sites. As a random act, she took part in a writing challenge, National Novel Writing Month (NANO - www.nanowrimo.org), and she penned her first novel length story. Later, a few friends encouraged her to attempt to publish it. Deborah Thomas lives with her four children in a small suburb outside of Springfield, Ma.

eddb: Today we welcome Deborah Thomas a new author on her first book tour. Good morning, Deborah, welcome to my stop at your book tour. I'm sure my readers would love to get to know you a little better.

Deb: Good Morning, Elena. Happy to be here.

eddb: 1) So, let's begin. Where are you from? And what inspired you to write this book?

Deb: I'm a single parent living with my four kids in Chicopee, a small town in western Massachusetts. The Brekleby Press part of an effort of writing a longer story in my early efforts of participating in NANO. It was a fun piece to write.
eddb: 2) The name of your book is intriguing. Is it a take-off on a real publishing company of just a play on words?

Deb: No. The title didn't actually come to me until I was almost finished with the book. The title was kind of play on words. The idea for the book came to me from a combination of a couple of old (late 60's and 70's) television shows. Dr. Who, The Twilight Zone and the Outer Limits.

eddb: 3) What in your background helps you to write a book such as this? And why did you decide to write this particular book?
Deb: I'd say that it has been a childhood hobby, starting with short stories and poems then later with longer pieces. My first novel length attempt from the participating in a website that challenged you to write a 50,000 story in 30 days, the National Novel Writers Month. The Brekleby Press is a result of year two for participation. My writing is still growing and developing. I'm still learning and growing right along with it.

eddb: 4) How do you take the reader from the past to the present or the present to the past?

Deb: There are two means upon which the reporters travel from the past to the present. The first one, actually ones are The Passage and The Tower of Babel. The Passage is an entity kind of like fate, with all the knowledge of any words and acts that has or ever will be. The Tower of Babel is the channeling portal upon which the reporters go thru time in. To access this tower, the reporters enter a room where the methods of how history were recorded thru time are stored. You have fabric or skins scrolls, stone tablets, hand scribed books, the old moveable printing press, old fashioned typewriter and the modern computer. When it's time to go to that period of time, the method of the time glows and captures the reporters and transports them to that time.

eddb: 5) Your book sounds interesting, a group of reporters jumping back and forth in time to become guardians of the "word". a) What word is it that they are attempting to protect, or it is words that have been spoken from the beginning of time to the present? b) And why?

Deb: The word in that even the smallest of pebbles can lead to bigger things. We are all witness to the everyday or the mundane. We can chose to notice and possibly savory and learn from these little tidbits or not. A cause and effect or repetition of the same acts. We all are stewards of the word whether we realize it or not.

eddb: 6) If the reporters do not have control of the Time Machine how are they able to transport from one dimension to another? And if they do, why would the Time Machine be the ultimate prize?

Deb: The passage determines the when and at what point the reporters will appear and disappear from that particular period of time. They are capturing that moment of time (the three minutes of fame). Now one of the crucial elements of this is that they can't interfere with time, no the catch twenty two is that is in real time for the period so they have to get the facts down and get back within the time it is suppose to have actually occurred. They don't, they have interfered with time. There are no excuses for this, whether infighting in the group or an outside force of a former employee/guardian. This former guardian wants to not only interfere with history but totally destroy the passage and tower.

eddb: 7) Is the heroine of this group, the only female member or does she have a "sister" to help her fend off the male members of the group?

Deb: Natalie isn't the only female but there isn't any type of sisterhood among the other females in her group. Natalie does have a "big brother" figure that helps her try and piece together what is going on. She is like this awkward person who has to grow into not only her "motley crew" of fellow reporters but into what is expected of her in respect to the passage.

eddb: 8) Will this be the only book in this genre, or are you planning on a sequel or series to it?

Deb: Yes, I have started two sequels to Brekleby, both untitled. They will be going into a little more background of the passage, and the two main characters.

eddb: 9) If you didn't write this book, what genre would you like to write in? Why?

Deb: I really don't gear my writing to any one genre. When the idea hits me, I just let it run its course. I mean I have two other projects right now that maybe classified as mysteries. One is a little further along than the other. I just don't consciously say it has to be this way.

eddb: 10) What are you working on now? And how far along with it are you?

Deb: I also have an urban fiction book called Ninomytus which the MC is a martyr for the condemned. He is a restless eternal soul. A reporter come in to interview him after the last attempted to kill him thru lethal injection fails. I am editing it right now with an anticipated release date of late summer or early fall.

Deb: I have a second book that will be available soon, 2 glances, published by CreateSpace that was an entry in the Amazon Break thru Artist contest last year. The MC is a therapist who helps people face and cope with their various idiosyncrasies. It's also helps him deal with his, being around people.

eddb: Thank you for joining us today, Deborah. It was a pleasure having you here. I trust my readers will have enjoyed getting to know you.

Deb: Thank you for having me. I've enjoyed talking with you and making me feel at home. I want to thank you for giving me the chance to talk about my book and look forward to doing this again http://inspiredauthor.com/promotion/Debbie+Thomas

Elena

News for the Virtual Book Tour Site

We're having a great week at the Virtual Book Tour website and I'd like to extend an invitation to each person to visit us. We have three great authors touring this month and they have posted a wealth of information about their books. You will find book summaries, excerpts, information about how current events tie into their books, why they decided to write that particular book and much more.

For people who haven't heard of the Virtual Book Tour website - let me share a few details. Each month a variety of authors are featured on the site and they share all sorts of information about their books. The website is www.inspiredauthor.com/promotion. Each touring author has their own tour page and all information about their tour can be accessed from that page. This is the page for February - http://inspiredauthor.com/promotion/february-authors-2008.

Feature Authors for February 2008 -- Click for tour details

Earl Ofari Hutchinson - The Ethnic Presidency
www.inspiredauthor.com/promotion/Earl+Hutchinson+-+Feb+2008

Steven Clark Bradley - Nimrod Rising
www.inspiredauthor.com/promotion/steven-clark-bradley-author-nimrod-rising

Virginia Vassallo - How The Stars and Stripes Began
www.inspiredauthor.com/promotion/Virginia+Vassallo

We invite you to visit each author to learn more about their books.

The Ethnic Presidency by Earl Ofari Hutchinson - Who hasn't heard about the presidential primaries this week? In many of the news programs, one of the topics of conversation is the part that voters' race and gender will play in their vote. This is the topic of The Ethnic Presidency. Take a look at the part race plays for each and every candidate in 2008 and he provides many examples throughout the last century to show how race affects the elections. On Thursday February 7th, Mr Hutchinson is making a guest appearance on several different sites. You can visit him at any of these links - http://philipharris.blogspot.com/2008/02/ethnic-presidency-how-race-decides-race.html, www.americanchronicle.com/articles/51521 and http://community.myfoxmaine.com/blogs/PhilipHarris

Nimrod Rising by Steven Clark Bradley - Nimrod Rising is a book about the history of life itself and the origin of evil. The story and the geographical and historical background, centered around current events, will cause readers to pose such profound questions as, Who are we? Where did we come from? What was here before us? Where are we going? Are there answers to the question of why the world faces its current condition today? Nimrod Rising offers "possible" answers to those questions. It will awake the imagination and the cause self perception as they read. I am convinced it will hold your attention to the very end.

How The Stars and Stripes Began by Virginia Vassallo - Have you heard of the military newspaper, the Stars and Stripes? Have you ever wondered how it was started and who was the driving force behind its birth? If so, you must visit with Virginia. Her grandfather, Guy T. Viskniskki, the dynamic first officer-in-charge and editor-in-chief of The Stars and Stripes newspaper. This book is partially based on his autobiographical notes, family history and military records.

Any questions, feel free to contact me at nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com. You can also visit the website to learn more about book promotion. There are over 100 promotional articles and interviews posted at http://www.inspiredauthor.com/promotion/node/46.

Nikki Leigh

www.nikkileigh.com/promo.htm

JUDI MOREO'S ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08

Join motivational speaker Judi Moreo, author of the self-help and motivational book YOU ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH ACHIEVEMENT JOURNAL, as she virtually tours the blogosphere in January on her second virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotions!

Judi Moreo is a leading authority in the areas of communication and motivation. She has conducted consulting assignments, training workshops, seminars and keynote speeches in 26 countries on 4 continents. She has coached countless business leaders worldwide on issues of corporate change, cultural diversity and conflict management.

Her expertise has assisted corporations and organizations such as Walt Disney Imagineering; Sony Electronics; the U. S. House of Representatives; Investec Bank; U. S. Army; BMW; Johannesburg Stock Exchange; Nestle; and Nissan Motor Corporation.

As an international business leader and entrepreneur, Judi knows first hand what it takes to be successful especially amidst political, social and cultural differences. In 1991, she became a senior executive in one of South Africa’s most prestigious corporations. In 2003, Judi was named Nevada Business Person of the Year by the U. S. Business Advisory Council. She is currently President of Turning Point International, Inc., an international performance improvement consulting firm in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce honored her with the Woman of Achievement – Entrepreneur Award.

She has served on the Boards of Directors of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Women’s Council; the World Modeling Association; the Greater Las Vegas Soroptimist; Women in Communication; and the Las Vegas Professional Speakers Association. Judi is listed in the World’s Who’s Who of Business and Professional Women; Who’s Who in Professional Speaking; and the World’s Who’s Who of Women, and was awarded the Outstanding Achievement and Community Service Award by the American Women in Radio and Television.

This year Ms. Moreo received the Diamond Star Las Vegas Visionary Award.

You can visit her website at http://www.judimoreo.com/!

You Are More Than Enough Achievement Journal Synopsis:

Journaling is a very personal undertaking. Writing your thoughts gives you an opportunity to see what you are thinking. Having a written history of your thoughts and actions allows you to celebrate how far you’ve come and plan your next steps.

This journal is a tool for your journey to achievement. It has been designed to assist you in achieving your goals. It is a fast, easy, convenient way to record your wants, hopes, goals and dreams, to write down your ideas, and to create the life that you’ve dreamed of.

This is a no-guilt journal. It doesn’t matter if its Monday or Wednesday, January or July, the first or the twenty-first, today is a day to begin your journey.

Don’t wait for the “right” time or “next month” or “in the morning.” Now is the right time to begin. Every twenty-one days you will have the opportunity to reflect on your accomplishments and plan the next step in your journey. This is your journey. It’s ok not to write every day. It’s ok not to fill each page. Its ok to write more than will fit on just one day. If you skip a day, simply pick up where you left off in the next available space. If you date your entries, you will have a way to track your personal time table against the calendar. We all march to a different beat. Every day, week, month and year that you keep your journal becomes easier and more fulfilling.

It will provide you with a record of your strengths and successes as well as an acknowledgement of the characteristics, values, talents, people and things for which you are grateful.

When you finish a project, reach a goal, or stay on your diet just one more day, there are, included in your journal, two pages of peel and stick gold stars to reward yourself immediately for your success.

Judi Moreo's Achieve Your Dreams Virtual Book Tour '08 Participants:

If you would like to tell us how you achieved your dreams or are working toward your dreams, blog about it, send us the link and we will put it on Judi's personal tour page PLUS promote your stop in our daily promotions in which we reach thousands of potential visitors! Read the directions below the list of participants we have so far!
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BLOGGERS WHO ARE ACHIEVING THEIR DREAMS:


Writers in the Sky(Yvonne Perry)
Partially Human Book Blog(Dwayne G. Anderson)
Virtual Wordsmith(Lynn Lewis)
Let Us Play(Karen Magill)
Boomer Chick(Dorothy Thompson)
Pamela S. Thibodeaux
Chicken Bones (Kathleen Heady)
Only Moments (Nick Oliva)
Linda Kay Silva
Write What Inspires You(Donna McDine)
Benston Blogs(Rebecca Benston)
Mary Emma's Potpourri of Writing (Mary Emma Allen)
Deborah Woehr
The Success Of Flow As It Is (Demetria Head)
Dude, Where's My Muse? (Lis)
Marilyn's Musings (Marilyn Meredith)
Hot Ash's Romantic Comedy (Ashlyn Chase)
Charlene Leatherman

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Would you like to become involved in Judi's Achieve Your Dreams Virtual Book Tour? Read below how you can!

With 2007 behind us and 2008 on the horizon, it’s time to reflect on how we want the rest of our journey here on earth to go. Do we settle for letting life happen or do we take steps toward achieving our dreams? Do we think about it or do we DO it?

If you have watched the movie, “The Secret,” then you understand the power of affirmative thinking = affirmative action. Are you taking those steps in the right direction to enjoy life at its fullest – whether it’s through financial success, relationship bliss or perfect health?

On January 1, 2008, Judi Moreo, author of You Are More Than Enough Achievement Journal (Stephens Press, Dec. '07), will embark on a virtual book tour throughout the blogosphere, but it will involve YOU. She wants YOU to be the star in a campaign to let the world know how you are taking those steps in realizing your dreams.

If you would like to become involved in her ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ’08, here is how it works:

1. Repeat this passage from her book: “Every step I take brings me closer to the realization of my dreams” until you understand its powerful message.

2. Think about what steps you are taking to achieve your dreams and write about it. Your entry can be as long or as short as you’d like.

3. Post your message on your blog and give us the link so that we can post it on Judi's tour page down below. The email address to send your entry is thewriterslife(at)yahoo.com.

4. When we receive your link, we will put it on our daily rounds of promotions, thus bringing you instant traffic, so get those links to us soon!

5. We only ask that you include the passage above before your blog post so that people will understand what you are doing.

6. We also ask that you include a jpeg copy of Judi’s book, You Are More Than Enough Achievement Journal, in your blog post. You can find her book cover at http://tinyurl.com/3cqa46 and link it to http://tinyurl.com/ywf67x.

7. All participants will be listed below so that everyone can find out how YOU achieve your dreams!

That’s all there is to it! Hurry before time runs out. Become involved in a nationwide campaign to bring in 2008 with a bang and help others realize that dreams are not something that happens; dreams are something that YOU make happen. Let's make 2008 the year when you realize your dreams and make them happen. Share your stories and become involved in Judi Moreo's "Achieving Your Dreams Virtual Book Tour '08" where YOU are the star! Judi's virtual book tour will be highly publicized including press releases and other promotions. Let us know what steps you are taking to achieve success and be read by thousands of Internet users!

Click here to find out how you can win FREE incentives by buying Judi's book anywhere online!

Click here to find out how you can receive a FREE bracelet from Judi just by buying her book at her website at http://www.judimoreo.com/!
Judi's virtual book tour is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours at http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com/ and choreographed by Dorothy Thompson. If you are an author and you would like us to set up a virtual book tour for you, click here for more information!