Beuty in Women

"The difference between an amateur and a professional is in their habits...We can never free ourselves of habits...But we can replace bad habits with good ones." Steven Pressfield


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Selena Haskins is a native Washingtonian who enjoys music, reading, spirituality, and spending quality time with her family. Selena's secret passion is playing video games. That's right, Selena is a gamer! Besides writing, she loves watching an intense game of NBA Basketball. You can find her in front of the TV cheering for her Boston Celtics!




1. What is the best and worst decision you've ever made?

The best decision I ever made was to publish my book. The worst decision I ever made was waiting so long to do it.

2. What was your dream job as a kid and why?

My dream job as a kid was to become an actor. It seemed like a lot of fun to pretend to be somebody else.

3. You have written a beautiful book, A River Moves Forward. Tell  us about the significance of the title and what it is about.

Thank you. A River Moves Forward was a title I came up with because no matter what happens in life, like a river, it will always move forward. So for us as humans, in order to take that journey forward in our lives, we have to learn from our mistakes, be forgiving and move on.


4. What do you think is the most significant barrier for women in 2013?

Every wall can be climbed with the proper tools. Whether we are women or men, whatever obstacles are thrown our way, we can overcome them with the right tools, the right resources, knowledge, wisdom, and a good system.

5. What woman inspires you and why?

My mother inspires me because she is not a quitter. The blood, sweat and tears, she never gives up on her goals. The inspiration I get from her is just keep trying and never quit.

6. What will be the biggest challenge for the generation of women behind you?

The biggest challenge for women coming up in the generation behind me will be understanding and appreciating their self-worth. It is important to understand the kind of messages we say about ourselves based on how we dress, talk, and carry ourselves. When we look at reality shows and all we see is women fighting over men and degrading each other and themselves. We need to put out more positive messages that will help our young women to become “ladies.” This is the only way they will be respected in our society.

Bette A. Stevens is an author and retired teacher who received her B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Maine at Orono before embarking on graduate courses in Curriculum Studies at Chapman University in California. She taught in elementary and middle school classrooms in California and Virginia. Stevens and her husband are now retired and living in Hartland. Stevens has written articles for ECHOES, The Northern Maine Journal of Rural Culture based in Caribou, Maine. Her love of children, of literature and of learning inspired her to write her first children’s book, The Tangram Zoo and Word Puzzles Too! Stevens’s latest award-winning children’s picture book: AMAZING MATILDA, A Monarch’s Tale, is a beautiful story that is sure to inspire readers and listeners alike, not only to reach for their own dreams, but to encourage others to do the same. PURE TRASH, The Story (released July 2013) is Stevens’s first book, a short story, for the Middle-grade/YA/Adult audience. It is a prequel to her upcoming debut. PURE TRASH, The Novel will be a coming of age novel featuring Shawn Daniels, the short story’s protagonist. Novel’s planned for release is Spring 2014) Find out more about the author and her books on her page on Amazon.



1. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your journey as a writer?

I am a writer who loves nature, people and literature. I advocate for children, promote childhood literacy and feature authors and their books on my website/blog and social media sites. I have been writing for many years. First, non-fiction, journalistic pieces that featured stories about interesting people. While teaching, I began writing books and stories that I could use in the classroom. I am inspired by nature and often take notes about God’s glorious canvas that surrounds us everywhere and later turn them into short poems. My stories, although fictional, are based upon real people that have entered my life and touched it deeply in some way. Actually, writing fiction was a step-in-faith for me. I have been an avid reader all of my life, but didn’t realize that I could write my own fiction until taking a creative writing course in the 1990s. For me, writing is my way of inspiring people—sometimes revealing the positive, at other times, revealing the negative. In a way, I hope to be a teacher (although I’m now retired from the classroom) to my readers by giving them pause for thought and discussion. I think that is the teacher in me.

2. As an Author, how do you divide your time between your writing and promotional activities?

My ideal would be one-third promoting and two-thirds writing. As a new author, that ideal is pretty much turned upside-down at this point and will likely be revised over time. But, I think that is probably a natural step in the writer’s journey… Just as learning and growing and changing is part of our everyday experience. I’m sure that I’ll find many new and exciting challenges along the way.

3. Describe your writing style in ten words or less.

Hopefully, my writing style is descriptive, accessible, informative and thought-provoking.

4. When you hear from your readers, what do they say?

My readers have all been very positive. Reviewers and proof readers have helped me to improve my writing and are invaluable allies. I am blessed in so many ways.

5. How do you use social media to promote your writing?

I try to post everything on all of my sites, while highlighting articles of interest and other authors and their books as well as writing tips and helpful ideas to involve families in reading, writing and spending time together.

6. How is this world a better place because of your books?

My goal is to inspire us all (myself included) to be better people―to believe in ourselves, to care for others and our natural world and to meet our challenges in ways that will improve our own lives and the world around us.

7. What are 5 life lessons you have learned that other women should know?

• “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3: 5,6 (NKJV)
• Life is short― make the most of every moment
• People are more important than things
• Be kind to everyone
• Be a good listener
• Follow your dreams

Books

AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarch’s Tale (Award-winning children’s picture book)
MATILDA’s Video debut
THE TANGRAM ZOO & WORD PUZZLES TOO! (Children’s activity book)
PURE TRASH (1950s short story for YA/adult readers)

Bio

Tara Ford lives in Hampshire, UK with her husband, children and a naughty husky called Meika. In between writing she enjoys taking care of her numerous Koi fish, but occasionally she also has to live with a frustrated heron that frequents the garden fence and peers longingly into the well protected pond.
Tara’s writing career began at the tender age of 15 when she wrote a beautiful love story as part of her English literature homework. Her writing career came to an abrupt end at the tender age of 15 when the teacher tore up her story, exclaiming that the content of the essay was highly unsuitable material for school. Although it had not been in the realms of 50 Shades of Grey, Tara’s first attempt at a short story had been shunned.
Over 3 decades of child-rearing, fish-fostering and dog walking later, Tara has reignited her dream of writing. Her first book, Calling All Services, a women's fiction-humour story, was released in July 2013. She has always wanted to write in this genre, but until a couple of years ago, she could never quite think of a good storyline. Then a sudden illness and some time in hospital gave her the beginnings of a novel which would eventually turn out to be the first book of four in the Calling All series.
Tara has completed the second book in the series, Calling All Dentists, which she hopes to publish, early 2014. Her third novel, Calling All Customers is currently an early stage, work in progress and her plans are to release this in 2015. Tara has ideas for a further series, again in the women’s fiction-humour genre, to be written in the future. Her ultimate dream would be to write a new book each and every year.

Tara’s debut novel, Calling All Services is a peep into the lives of one family, over the course of one unusually, eventful week. A rollercoaster of emotions will have you laughing, crying and cringing as the week unfolds to reveal one disaster after another. Will the members of the Frey family ever be the same again?

Blurb – Calling All Services



Alex Frey, successful businesswoman, wife and mother to a busy and demanding family, doesn’t find it easy to take a break. So when she’s hospitalised with a mysterious illness, paralysed and afraid of what the future might bring, frustration meets fear and she can’t wait to escape the hospital, get back in control of things and return her family to the normality of salmon paste sandwiches.
At home, her husband Grant is determined to manage the kids, Alex’s parents, his sister and anything else life can throw at him while his wife is away recuperating. But what else can possibly go wrong while Alex is in hospital? The Frey family is about to find out.



Contact details for Tara Ford:

Website & Blog
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Book Links:

15 – 5* Reviews
Calling All Services UK
Calling All Services US

It is inevitable that all of us will face some challenge whether at work, school, home or life in general.  For some, it can take a toll on our self-confidence.  It is important to take care of your mind, because a stressed out or negative mind won’t work as effectively to find a solution as a calm, positive mind. Avoid beating up yourself and follow the steps below:

1. Remove all negative energy from your body.

It’s incredible the amount of tension that builds up from thinking self-limiting thoughts.  Take your attention away from your doubts for a moment and take three deep breaths, inhaling for a count of four and exhaling for a count of four.

2. Jot down your thoughts.

Just do a brain dump of all the negative thoughts and worries you are feeling without judgment but do time yourself.  I love the website www.online-stopwatch.com for this exercise.  For three to five minutes, write or type as quickly as possible.  You can rip up your paper (or delete your file) in the end as a symbol of letting go of that bad energy and starting fresh.

3. Take action.

Stop yourself and ask, “Is this really true?” This simple but powerful question can help you gain major perspective.

4. Remember to smile.  

Go ahead and aim for a big, toothy grin:  the bigger, the better.  If the idea of smiling is tough, think about someone you love.  My favorite trick? Look up a few pictures of adorable, cute baby animals online using Google.   I dare you not to smile!

5. Use positive affirmation: 

From time to time your subconscious mind needs to be positively affirmed.  Just remember you can heal your life by speaking positive and faith filled words over any situation you are facing. A positive affirmation you can use is: "I am unlimited". There is no limit to what you can do. Take some quiet time to reflect and repeat this mantra over and over until you start to believe it.


6. Live a life of service to others.

Helping others is a great way to feel good about yourself. You must offer your talents to your community or someone in need. Sometimes you just need to offer a kind word to the elderly, who can sometimes feel isolated or a child who is feeling unloved. Not only will you support them but also you’ll add more meaning to your own life. The next time you are looking for something to be grateful for, you will always remember the good you did.

Don't feel overwhelmed by attempting all the steps at once. Aim to master at least one, then master the rest!


Copyright 2013
Winsome Campbell-Green
www.cgwritingservices.biz