HOW TO WIN A PITCH VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR--PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Join author Joey Asher as he travels the blogosphere in June 2009 with Pump Up Your Book Promotion Public Relations on his first virtual book tour to discuss his new business book, How To Win a Pitch (Persuasive Speaker Press).

How to Win a Pitch will help you learn how to: Develop presentations that win contracts. Create connections to secure business relationships. Identify, discuss and fulfill client needs effectively. Veteran business coach Joey Asher has helped his clients win over five billion dollars in new business contracts. He uses his former experience as an attorney and journalist to help readers and clients rise above their competition. He has authored two previous books, Selling & Communication Skills for Lawyers and Even a Geek Can Speak: Low-Tech Presentation Skills For High-Tech People.

PRAISE FOR HOW TO WIN A PITCH:

“How to Win a Pitch…should be considered required reading for every sales professional.” — Karen Schweitzer, Business School Guide for About.com

“This book will definitely change the way sales presentations are made.” — Vivek Singh, All About Presentations

“How to Win a Pitch is a fine choice for those who want to pitch themselves in a more appealing way.” — Midwest Book Review

“If you like winning, you will want to read this book…This book is bound to improve the presentations of anyone who reads it.” — Charles F. Bowman, Finance Business Executive and the North Carolina Market President, Bank of America

Joey Asher is one of the country’s preeminent experts on selling skills and communication. As President of Speechworks, an Atlanta-based communication and selling skills coaching firm that has been helping business people deliver presentations that win business for over 20 years, Asher combines his skills as an attorney and journalist to help sellers communicate a clear, simple message that connects with prospects and wins business.

Asher is author of Even a Geek Can Speak: Low-Tech Presentation Skills For High-Tech People, which was originally published by Longstreet Press in 2001 and is now in its third printing by Persuasive Speaker Press, and Selling and Communication Skills for Lawyers, which was published in 2005 by American Lawyer Media. How to Win a Pitch: The Five Fundamentals that Will Distinguish You from the Competition is his latest book.

A graduate of Cornell University, Asher earned his JD from Emory University Law School. Prior to attending law school, Asher worked as a newspaper reporter for the Gannett newspaper chain in Georgia and New York. Asher practiced law with Troutman Sanders L.L.P. in Atlanta, and worked as an adjunct professor of law at Emory University School of Law.

Joey Asher lives in the Atlanta, Georgia area with his wife and family

You can find Joey online at www.speechworks.net.

If you would like to follow Joey Asher on his virtual book tour, visit the official Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tour site at http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/.

Joey Asher’s virtual book tour is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, a virtual book tour agency for authors who want quality service for an affordable price. More information can be found on their website at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com.

New Video for Across the Pond by Storyheart

Someone recently drew my attention to a promotional video for Across the Pond by Storyheart. Across the Pond is a teen romance between Fred, a boy visiting the United States from England, and Brittany, whose parents are entrusted with Fred's care while he is in the States.

We reviewed this title here.

One of the things that can be most challenging about book promotion is to find a unique angle. Barry Eva, the writer known as Storyheart, did just that when he created this silent movie video trailer to promote Across the Pond. It looks like he got some help from his family.

Check it out!

Video Trailer for Herbert Howard Jones's The Pyewiz and The Amazing Mobile Phone

Herbert Howard Jones is on a virtual book tour to promote his young adult fantasy novel, The Pyewiz and The Amazing Mobile Phone. Herbert stopped by The Book Connection recently to talk about his antagonist, the Pyewiz. You can find that post here.

Since his visit, a video trailer has been created by yours truly for The Pyewiz and The Amazing Mobile Phone. View the trailer below and feel free to leave your comments here.

Interview with C.W. Gortner--Author of The Last Queen

Today’s special guest is author C.W. Gortner. The trade paperback of his historical novel, The Last Queen, was recently released by Ballantine Books (the hardcover was released in July 2008). We’re going to talk to this talented author today about Juana of Castile, the heroine of his novel.

Welcome to The Book Connection, Christopher. It’s a pleasure to have you with us. Can you please tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I write historical fiction; my novel is THE LAST QUEEN, published by Ballantine Books, Random House, was recently released in trade paperback. I’m passionate about books, animal rights and the environment. I’ve lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past twenty–five years but I’m half-Spanish by birth and also call Spain home. I hold an MFA in Writing with an emphasis on Renaissance Studies and have traveled extensively to research my work.



When did you decide that you had to write about the life of Juana of Castile?

I’ve been fascinated by Juana for most of my life. In my childhood I lived near a ruined castle that had belonged to Juana’s parents; and during a trip to Granada, where Juana is buried, I found myself entranced by her marble effigy. Most school children in Spain know the tale of Juana la Loca but I immediately wanted to know more. What was she like in real life? Did she really pull her husband’s bier behind her throughout the country, venerating his corpse? Was she truly mad? What happened to plunge her into such despair?

The book is full of period details and rich descriptions. How long did it take you to perform your research for this book and did you travel to any of the locations mentioned within its pages?

It took six years to research and write THE LAST QUEEN, including several trips to Spain. I did visit most of the sites mentioned in the book, as fortunately many of them are still extant, if somewhat changed since her time. The challenge after the research was to sort through it all and decide what I wanted to write about. Fortunately, it soon became clear that I wanted to focus on the woman herself— the fallible, humane, courageous and often lonely woman, whose experiences, while different from ours, certainly, are universal in her struggle to balance life and duty, betrayal and love. I even took a drive from Burgos to Toro in Spain, tracing Juana’s own trajectory.

You’ve written The Last Queen from Juana’s point of view. Did you find that difficult?

I didn’t, actually! What I found most difficult was getting up the courage to actually do it. I had written a previous version of the novel in third person, but my agent told me she felt something was missing, that Juana seemed too enigmatic. My agent didn’t tell me how she thought I could fix this, but as I began revising the manuscript, it soon became apparent that what I really needed to do was slip into Juana’s skin, to experience her life as she might have, through her eyes. It freaked me out at first, to attempt to write in the first person as a woman, but then I realized that writing is one art form where gender shouldn’t matter. We are invisible: our characters tell the story. And while I had to do some research to portray certain experiences, like giving birth, there were many other moments and emotions that Juana felt that were very familiar to me.

You’ve portrayed a different picture of Juana of Castile than what the world has been led to believe about her. Were you ever concerned that someone would question your portrayal of Juana?

Well, I thought it might raise some controversy but it wasn’t something I worried about. No other novelist had attempted to depict her side of the story before and frankly parts of her myth were so ludicrous I was surprised no one had challenged them before. I have had a few e-mails from readers who actually sounded offended by my portrayal of her, which to me just proves how deeply we want to believe the myths told about historical characters. In a way, it’s much easier to say, “Oh, she was crazy, the poor dear,” than look at the far more unsettling possibility that she was in fact not mad at all. Juana herself left almost nothing in her own hand, and much of what she said and did was recorded by men whose prejudices reflect the era. I always kept in mind that whatever I read about her was, in essence, an interpretation by someone who wasn’t necessarily disposed to show Juana in a kind light. While today we understand the effects of prolonged stress on the human psyche, in Juana’s era no one would have considered this as a possible cause for her behavior. When I carefully examined each of her allegedly erratic moments within the context of her circumstances at the time, her behavior became not only reasonable but often quite justifiable. I think that we need to challenge the old historical guard at moments; in the case of women in particular, history can deceive.

Juana is betrayed by so many people she should have been able to trust. How do you think that impacts how she has been viewed by future generations?

I think that we want to believe that somehow she was to blame for her misfortune. It’s very discomforting to think that she was betrayed, that very few people actually fought to save her from her fate. Future generations were indoctrinated by the historical record to believe that she was unstable and incompetent to rule, and she had to be dealt with accordingly. It was a concerted effort on the part of those who usurped her throne to obscure the truth and build up a legend of this mad queen so distraught over her losses she fell apart. Her son Charles V in particular had to justify his continuing imprisonment of her because he held her throne, and to admit that an injustice had been done to his mother would have been to admit he was not, in fact, the rightful ruler of Spain – which he wasn’t, not until her death. Juana was locked away because others wanted her power, and I think that’s one of the hardest things of all to accept. We want to pigeonhole events and people so we can better understand them, and to look at Juana’s fate as I think it occurred is not easy.

Let’s assume for a moment that tragedy did not strike Juana’s family and she did not inherit the throne when her mother died. What do you think this would have meant to Juana’s marriage? Do you believe her husband, Philip would have acted differently?

I don’t honestly know. Juana and Philip seemed quite happy in the initial years of their marriage, and it’s possible they might have remained so had she not become her mother’s heir. In my opinion, Philip was not as mature as she was, and perhaps later on they would have gone through difficulties. I certainly don’t think it was in his nature to remain faithful to her, and that no doubt would have caused friction. But their roles would have been reversed; as his father the Emperor’s heir Philip would have eventually inherited the Habsburg Empire and Juana would have been empress, his consort, mother of his children but not a ruler. In becoming queen of Spain, she in fact inherited more power than Philip and he just couldn’t accept it, not in a woman and not in his wife, whom he believed, as did most men of his time, should be subservient to him.

One thing that comes through clearly in The Last Queen is the level of greed and lust for power on the part of many of the male characters. Was the level of corruption as bad as is portrayed?

It was probably worse! The 16th century was very brutal as far as politics go; and at court power was everything. Men sacrificed their souls in pursuit of it. I think we desperately want to see the past as a glamorous, damask-laden time of castles and chivalry, but the truth is romance was a rarity, especially among royals. Women often were married off for political and familial advantage, and disposed of limited legal rights. And still, we find many examples of courageous and defiant ladies, Juana among them.

What is one thing you would like readers to learn about Juana of Castile?

That she was a woman who did the best she could under extraordinarily trying circumstances.

Could you recommend a good resource for readers wanting to know more about Juana?

Unfortunately, there are few biographies in English about her, and fewer in print. I can recommend Bethany Aram’s nonfiction study, Juana the Mad: Sovereignty and Dynasty in Renaissance Europe.

What projects are you working on now?

I’ve just finished a novel about Catherine de Medici, which will be published by Ballantine Books in 2010. Catherine de Medici is a very misunderstood and maligned woman in history, accused of some of the 16th century’s most heinous crimes. But during my research I uncovered a different picture of this Italian woman who became mother of the last Valois kings and one of France’s most influential queens.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Thank you so much for spending this time with me. I hope readers will enjoy THE LAST QUEEN as much as I enjoyed writing it. I always enjoy meeting with reader groups / book clubs and as a Random House Readers Circle edition, THE LAST QUEEN is a perfect book for discussion. If you want to schedule a chat with me, please visit my website for more information. I also always appreciate hearing from readers, who can write to me via my website at: www.cwgortner.com

Thank you, Christopher for sharing more about Juana of Castile. Best of luck with your virtual book tour.



You may read my review of The Last Queen here.

No Teachers Left Behind -- Why I Keep Thinking about It

Did you ever read a book that you can't seem to stop thinking about? That's the case for me with No Teachers Left Behind by Hopeful But Frustrated Teacher (HBF Teacher).

Here's my review of this realistic fiction book that details the day-to-day life in a fictional middle school. I admitted to having mixed feelings about it because I am not only a parent, but I also volunteer at my daughters' schools. I've heard the complaints about large class sizes, but my repeated offers to help out in the classroom aren't taken advantage of. Neither was my offer to run a fundraiser for the school library. It's sometimes a frustrating position to be in.

No Teacher's Left Behind did leave me with many thoughts to ponder--and I am still pondering them.

* Is it true that schools are so concerned about their discipline records that the administrators try to keep the children in the classroom, forcing the teacher to deal with unruly and disruptive students whose behavior impacts the entire class?

* How can educators be expected to prepare engaging lesson plans with limited supplies?

* What has easy access to illegal drugs done to our public schools?

* Why does violence run rampant through our schools and how can we stop it?

* Why are some parents unsupportive of their children's teachers? Do they see their children as blameless?

* Have teachers complained about large class sizes, undisciplined students, and unsupportive parents for so long, that everyone now turns a deaf ear?

I wish I had the answer to even one of these questions.

No Teachers Left Behind can't answer these questions for me. What it does, however, is make you sit up and take notice that America's public schools are in trouble. It makes you think of all those dedicated teachers working in America's public schools who truly want to help their students succeed. I also believe, that once you read No Teachers Left Behind, you'll be thinking about it for many days after you've turned the last page.


ABOUT THE BOOK: Explored through a series of poems, emails, and brief conversations, No Teachers Left Behind is a fictional yet realistic look at the frustrations of middle school staff.

AUTHOR'S BIO: HBF Teacher has been a public school Middle grades teacher for three years. Before that, HBF substitute taught for two years. HBF has also worked as a live-in nanny and an accounts payable representative.

Today when not nurturing young minds, HBF enjoys travel, photography, culinary arts, and the cinema. The Cohen Brothers and Tyler Perry are among her favorite artistic contributors.

TO SEE WHERE HBF TEACHER STOPS NEXT, VISIT http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/

HBF Teacher Discusses No Teachers Left Behind

Our special guest today is Hopeful But Frustrated Teacher (HBF Teacher). The author’s new book, No Teachers Left Behind, tells the story of a fictional school system—the frustrated teachers, its overpaid administrators, and the ignorant and unsupportive parents of the students who show little respect for authority.

Welcome to Book Tours and More. We’re thrilled to have you with us.

Please tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you been teaching? What made you want to become a teacher? And, did you ever envision yourself as an author?

I live in Atlanta Georgia, and I’m a happily married mother with two children. Growing up, I was lucky enough to have some really caring teachers who challenged me and inspired me to learn – that is why I had to become a teacher. My desire to become an author arose sort of from a similar path. As a student, I was disappointed in the endings of so many books and stories that I got to the point where I was constantly complaining about them. A teacher suggested that I rewrite an ending one day, and the writer in me was born.

How long did it take you to bring this book from the first draft to the final published product?

The 1st draft is always the easy part. I actually think I wrote No Teachers Left Behind in a month. The editing and proofreading seemed to take forever – around 3 months.

Were there any obstacles or challenges you faced during the publishing process?

I really don’t feel like I went through any major obstacles or challenges during the publishing of No Teachers Left Behind. Still, publishing is such a pins and needles ride. You’re always on your seat because you want to make sure that you end up with your very best efforts.

Tell us about No Teachers Left Behind. What is it about and where did you find the inspiration for it?

I wrote No Teachers Left Behind as medicine for myself. I was at the point where I was starting to feel quite disillusioned as a teacher. I was depressed by the red tape and all the other stuff thrown at teachers on a daily basis. No Teachers Left Behind helped me deal with my frustrations. In the book, I reveal the frustrations through the voice of a fictional middle school staff.

Why did you choose the format of poetry, emails, and excerpts to portray the lives of the people at Vilyon Middle School?

It just sort of came to me when I thought about the diverse group of people who choose, everyday, to become teachers. We come from so many places and speak in so many different voices. It just made sense.

Some of the language in this book is on the strong side. How do vulgarities and obscenities help or hamper the message you’re trying to get across?

Yes some of the language is kind of strong, but No Teachers Left Behind is realistic fiction. In the school where I work, this language is all too frequently the norm. Some people may find it offensive and choose not to read the book because of it, yet at the same time, as an author, telling my story, I had to be true to my story.

One of the themes that runs through the book is how administrators claim that their decisions are to help the children. Do you believe that to be true?

Not being an administrator, I can’t really speak as far as the intent behind an administrator’s decision. Sometimes though, as a teacher, who has to deal with the same bad behavior from the same child over and over again, I have to wonder about the logic behind my principal’s decision to keep that child in my class. Children are important, but at the same time, I can’t help but think teachers are just as important. Without them, where would the students be?

Do you think the politically correct desire to not leave children behind is what has created many of the challenges teachers face today?

I think the “no child left behind” act did indeed create many of the challenges that teachers are now facing. So much emphasis was placed on “not leaving children behind” that too much responsibility was taken away from the students and their parents and placed onto the teachers. Education is not a one-sided thing. It takes parents, students, and teachers working together to be successful.

There is an email on Page 187 that states, “Please be reminded that as effective teachers you should never sit down when you have students in your class. Statistics show that teachers who sit down during classes have a higher rate of discipline problems.” I have to ask, is this for real? Did someone ever send you a memo like that?

Word for word – LOL, I have never received an email like that, but I have had an administrator say something similar to that in a speech once. It made me laugh then, and it still makes me laugh now. If you’re an effective teacher, then it doesn’t matter where you are in your class. If you’re not an effective teacher, as a teacher, I’m the first to say, “Get out. You’re in the wrong field.”

In our daughter’s second grade classroom, the teacher removed all the tables, installed a reading loft with seating, and brought in a couch and several easy chairs. Instead of sitting at tables, the students use clipboards and sit where they choose to perform their daily tasks. What do you think of that idea? Is this something that would be allowed in your school district?

I love the idea of allowing students to create their own comfort zones. Students learn best when they’re comfortable. I don’t think my school district would have a problem with this idea. I can see them being all for it if the students can achieve their academic goals in an environment like this one. If I was teaching second grade, I would definitely enjoying having a similar setup in my classroom. Right now, in middle school, with the students I have, I’m not sure it would work for me because my students are so easily distracted.

What challenges have been brought upon teachers because of English as a Second Language students and the increased amount of students requiring evaluation and special arrangements for special needs?

There are some challenges because of the increase in the number of ESOL students and students with special needs, but these challenges are minimal. One good thing about the United States’ system of education is the fact that it is always producing new strategies and teaching methods for teachers to reach their entire student populations. The neat thing about these strategies is that they don’t stand out as being different. Most of the strategies are methods teachers can use with the entire class. At the end of the day, most students learn in similar ways so once again, the challenges are minimal.

Is there a way for America’s system of education to better address these issues than they are now?

As a teacher and a parent, even I am conflicted on a solution to this problem. There are so many variables. Still, I must admit to feeling teachers should have a greater input into America’s system of education. If nobody asks us what we think and then changes are made, then we truly are being left behind.

It seems that students have changed a great deal since I was in school. In high school, I remember there being one stabbing incident and the whole school was in an uproar over how something like that could have happened. Nowadays, it’s not abnormal to read in the news about shootings, stabbings, even massacres in our public schools on a regular basis. How are teachers able to deal with these issues?

It’s confusing. We think about it, and we don’t think about it. You know it’s out there and a possibility so you keep your eyes open, yet at the same time, you pray it never happens. You can’t do anything else except quit, and if you became a teacher for the right reasons, then quitting is really not an option because deep inside, you truly believe you can make a difference. I think that’s why I keep showing up everyday.

What kind of support do you get from parents when discipline issues arise?

It depends on the parents. Some are really supportive, and it’s a great thing. Problems arise when the parents are nonchalant and/or just live in a state of denial and look immediately towards the teacher as the source of the problem.

How does lack of support from parents make your job harder? Do you think some of the lack of support is due to there being so many families where both parents are forced to work?

A lack of support from parents makes my job incredibly hard. Both parents working – I can see that being a minor factor in the lack of support, but I don’t see it as being a huge factor. Both my husband and I work. He works 60 to 80 hours a week, and I’m often grading papers at home and creating lesson plans. Still my children know I will not tolerate them disrespecting an authority figure. My children also know the importance of a good education, and even my youngest, in the fifth grade, is always asking her teacher for extra work (and this is on her own) even during holiday and spring breaks.

What is the main thing that you want readers to come away with once they’ve read your book?

After reading No Teachers Left Behind, I hope readers will view teachers differently. I would like for parents to reach out to their children’s teachers and get to know them better. The old saying “it takes a village to raise a child” is still very much true.

Where can readers purchase No Teachers Left Behind?

Readers can find the book at amazon.com.

Do you have a website or blog?

The website to learn more about No Teachers Left Behind is http://www.noteachersleftbehind.info

What are your plans for promoting No Teachers Left Behind?

I am doing a lot of direct marketing as well as an exciting blog tour with pumpupyourbookpromotion.com. I am also meeting readers through myspace, twitter, and facebook.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with me today. I have enjoyed the interview.

Thank you for spending so much time with us today, HBF Teacher. Good luck with your book.

HOW TO WIN A PITCH VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '09

How to Win a Pitch will help you learn how to: Develop presentations that win contracts. Create connections to secure business relationships. Identify, discuss and fulfill client needs effectively. Veteran business coach Joey Asher has helped his clients win over five billion dollars in new business contracts. He uses his former experience as an attorney and journalist to help readers and clients rise above their competition. He has authored two previous books, Selling & Communication Skills for Lawyers and Even a Geek Can Speak: Low-Tech Presentation Skills For High-Tech People.



AUTHOR'S BIO:

JOEY ASHER is one of the country’s preeminent experts on selling skills and communication.


As President of Speechworks, an Atlanta-based communication and selling skills coaching firm that has been helping business people deliver presentations that win business for over 20 years, Asher combines his skills as an attorney and journalist to help sellers communicate a clear, simple message that connects with prospects and wins business.

As a professional communication and selling skills coach, Asher has worked with executives, managers, and salespeople at such firms and organizations as The Home Depot, Skanska, Hardin Construction, Georgia Pacific, Global Payments, The Weather Channel, UPS, Kimberly-Clark, Alston & Bird, PricewaterhouseCoopers, AMVESCAP, Verizon, Cisco, and Kurt Salmon Associates.

Asher is author of Even a Geek Can Speak: Low-Tech Presentation Skills For High-Tech People, which was originally published by Longstreet Press in 2001 and is now in its third printing by Persuasive Speaker Press, and Selling and Communication Skills for Lawyers, which was published in 2005 by American Lawyer Media. How to Win a Pitch: The Five Fundamentals that Will Distinguish You from the Competition is his latest book.

A graduate of Cornell University, Asher earned his JD from Emory University Law School. Prior to attending law school, Asher worked as a newspaper reporter for the Gannett newspaper chain in Georgia and New York. Asher practiced law with Troutman Sanders L.L.P. in Atlanta, and worked as an adjunct professor of law at Emory University School of Law.

Joey Asher lives in the Atlanta, Georgia area with his wife and family.

You can visit Joey online at www.speechworks.net.

TO SEE WHERE JOEY STOPS NEXT, VISIT www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com.