Author: Marissa DeCuir

A beautifully illustrated, uplifting collection of poems for adults and children encourages readers of all ages to unplug and appreciate the present.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NASHVILLE, TN – Author Jet Widick challenges the generations-old notion that well-written and powerful poetry is poetry saturated with melancholy themes and bleak perspectives in her latest illustrated collection, White Wild Indigo.

After living with silent Celiac disease for 15 years, Jet’s diagnosis presented an opportunity for her to seize control of her life from a once unknown assailant. As she fought to improve her physical health, she realized that her story could serve to help others on their journeys to wellness, and in doing so discovered the deep healing power of writing.

Written alongside her creative director, Kristen Alden, and illustrator Annie Moor, Jet’s third book of poems for adults and children chooses not to shy away from difficult or complex subjects. Supported by bright, whimsical illustrations, the nature-inspired poems deliver messages of compassion, tenacity and using perspective to empower yourself and others.

Jet Widick, the author and poet behind the popular Gluten Free Sage blog, is a wellness expert and advocate for Celiac disease who has worked to share her story in hopes that others will find inspiration and hope. Jet, a nickname her sons bestowed her once she became healthy and transformed herself, has seen creative endeavors blossom since she published her first two collections of poems. She and her partner in crime, Kristen Alden, continue to expand their exploration of poetry with projects like their Poetry in Motion series. Visit them online at http://www.jetwidick.com.

In an interview Jet and Kristen can discuss:

• Jet’s journey and advocacy with Celiac disease
• the decisions behind opting to self-publish
• their mission to promote wellness, self-awareness and confidence
• inspirations behind the poems
• why creating Gluten Free Sage was so important
• the significance and inspiration of “Keep at it!”
• and more!

About the Book:

“White Wild Indigo”
Written by Jet Widick | Illustrated by Annie Moor | Book Baby
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1543911183 | Price: $28.99
Paperback ISBN: 978-1543911305 | Price: $11.99
Illustrated Children’s Poetry

An Interview with Jet Widick

What first inspired you to begin writing poetry?
I wrote a lot of rhyming poetry when my boys were little and then things got incredibly busy and it took a backseat to much more important things such as work, raising the boys and building a rock solid foundation. It kicked back up again after one of the boys had a bicycle accident (Battered not Broken,) and then went full send into writing again after a 10 day hiking trip in Vancouver, Squamish, and Whistler, and shortly thereafter inspiration from a trip to Laredo, Mexico and then the trails of Vail, Colorado. Being outside, in nature, under starry skies or surrounded by birds and tall trees brought out this whole creative side that I had tucked away in my back pocket.

Did your writing change after your Celiac diagnosis?
Not directly related to it, but–once I was well and not malnourished (my only obvious symptom) it really took off. Recovering fully from Celiac took awhile, and navigating that lifestyle was something I had to learn. There were no experts or wise queens to help me. It was trial and error and that is why I launched glutenfreesage.com to help other people successfully navigate this new way of living… and then the poetry blossomed; mixed with many other beautiful things that followed. I would have to say my whole life I was artistic, but it was impractical for me to go that route when there were mouths to feed and lots of work to do. I prioritized other things first, so writing and poetry was something I set aside. I don’t advise it in retrospect. I now know you can do both. Everyone’s situation is different. Leading a full and balanced life is easy when you’re well, so I try not to be to hard on myself during that my Celiac went undiagnosed. My main goal was to have an amazing family, and–with everything that was going on–I’m proud and grateful for how that turned out.

Where do the ideas and themes in your poems come from?
Real life, kindness, sweetness, nature… love!

How did you decide to write and self-publish three books?
I was helping a lot of people hit goals and I LOVED that on every level. Being behind the scenes and handling minutiae of the people you love is beautiful. Then there came a time, however, when a wonderful friend asked me to think about what I want to do for myself. What sets your soul on fire? That’s when I made glutenfreesage.com, and then the poems just came from every corner of my heart.

What would you say to anyone skeptical of the healing aspect of poetry that you’ve discovered?
It heals! In a major way. It connects, rebuilds, warms. Poetry is everything. It’s your whole heart for your whole life in words.

www.JKSCommunications.com
237 Old Hickory Blvd., Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37221
Ellen Whitfield
(616) 258-5537
ellen@jkscommunications.com

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK CITY — Brimming with risk, secrets, and daring exploits, John Nuckel’s new novel, “Drive”, (March 6, 2018, from thewordverve, inc.) gives historical fiction and thriller fans no choice but to race through pages to the end.

An organization with a guiding principle of fairness operates in the shadows, emerging only when needed. Founded at the turn of the century by a former captain of Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, the Volunteers exist “Et Omnia Recta” — to make things right. In 1899, the Volunteers worked to dismantle the political power of Tammany Hall. And when one of their own is in danger from a Chinese hacker in the present day, they are called upon once again.

Pap Martinez, a dashingly brilliant coder, has gone underground after faking his own death to attempt to evade the evil grip of a former MIT classmate who wants him out of the picture. Protecting Martinez is the daughter of one of the Volunteers, Annie Falcone, whose life will be forever changed by the dangerous mission. She navigates through one threatening situation after another, with outside help from the secret organization she now belongs to, and attempts to do her part to “make things right.”

Jumping seamlessly between past and present day, “Drive” is a fast-paced, inventive thrillride. Fans of his past work won’t be surprised by the intensity and true-to-life feel that this author and radio personality brings to his newest work.

JOHN NUCKEL went from the welfare apartments of a middle-class town to a successful career in the financial world. Even in the midst of his accomplishments, he knew he needed to express himself creatively. He’s always said he met enough characters sitting on barstools on Wall Street to fill a dozen books, so now he’s embracing his creative spirit by writing. He encouraged others to do the same on his radio show, “Wake Up and Dream.” He is a New York Times contributing writer, and you can learn more about him at https://johnnuckel.com/. He is the author of three white-collar crime thrillers in The Rector Street Series (“The Vig,” “Grit,” and “Blind Trust’), as well as two short stories (“The Victory Grill” and “The Garden”). “Drive” is his latest work.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

“DRIVE”

Et Omnia Recta—to make things right.

In the late 1800s, a secret society is formed by a captain from Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders with the support of the nation’s leading industrialists and bankers. Over a century later, the tradition continues, in the same saloons and boardrooms of New York City where it all began.

In this crime thriller, where history and current events unite, Woodbury Kane, Jacob Riis, and Roosevelt himself fight the tyranny of Tammany Hall in the first mission of the Volunteers during the turn of the last century.

In today’s New York, the descendants of the Volunteers recruit Annie Falcone, a New York police officer, who takes the oath: Et Omnia Recta. She is to provide protection to one man, America’s top technological mind, from his longtime adversary, Sheng, China’s most brutal hacker.

Annie is unaware that she’s merely a decoy to draw Sheng out for the hit squad that was sent ahead of her. Her instincts alone will be the force behind the success or failure of the mission.

Like so many other Volunteers before her, Annie’s survival depends upon her courage, her skill, and her DRIVE.

John Nuckel | March 6, 2018 | thewordverve, inc.
Paperback | 978-1-948225-06-9 |$15
e-book | 978-1-948225-05-2 | $5.99
white-collar crime/thriller

An Interview with John Nuckel

“Drive” is a bit of a departure from the career you have built as a writer of financial thrillers. Why did you decide to make the jump to something with a historical fiction angle?
I quoted Teddy Roosevelt’s “In the arena” speech at the end of one of my radio shows and since I wanted to go in a new direction with my writing, I started researching the Rough Riders and any connection with New York City. I found some very interesting characters that I think you’ll enjoy.

So much of this book is based in fact. Can you tell us more about the research that went into writing “Drive?”
I went to the New York Historical Society, the Museum of the History of New York and did a ton of research online. Make no mistake, although I do use real people in the book, this is all made up. I had so much fun writing what the famous journalist Jacob Riis would have said to Lower Eastside gangster Monk Eastman in the White Horse Tavern at the turn of the century.

Much of the action in “Drive” takes place in Martha’s Vineyard. Why did you choose that location as the backdrop for your book?
One of the joys of being a writer is that the smallest thing can become an inspiration. I was jogging in Martha’s Vineyard a few years ago and came across a path named Huckleberry Barrens. I turned in and ran around the scenic pathway. When I emerged and checked my GPS it didn’t register the distance. This scenic route along an estate lined street was off the grid! What a great place to bury a body!! Since I wanted to take my story out of NYC for a bit, this was the place.

How do you plan out your books? Do you know how the stories will end before you start writing?
I daydream about it for a couple of months. Then write an outline. Then change everything as I’m writing. The story sets the path for me, not the other way around.

What challenges did you face writing a novel that jumps between the past and present?
The main challenge is that there is so much history available that it is hard to funnel all the information I have gathered into a streamlined version. I learned that Al Capone, John Torrio, Meyer Lansky, and Arnold Rothstein among many others, all have roots in the Five Points Gang of the lower Manhattan. Who do I put in, who do I leave out? I do find it interesting that I have so many real life bad guys and very few good guys.

What can we expect from the second book in this trilogy?
The next book in the series will center on the Cotton Club during the 1920s. I’m doing research on the era now, and I’m really excited. The club was the center of the Harlem Renaissance, which brought us Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Cab Calloway and many other famous musicians. It was also the most popular night club for some of the most notorious gangsters in American history. Among them were Lucky Luciano, Dutch Shultz, Arnold Rothstein, along with dozens of others. It was a vibrant, volatile time, which made a lasting impact on New York in particular but on the country as well. I’m a few chapters in and I love it. I think you will too.

Is there anything else you would like to say to your readers?
The idea of my show and my general philosophy is that you must follow your passion. There has to be something in your life that is outside of work or family. Something for you! My life turned around once I started doing something that I loved in addition to my regular life. I wouldn’t recommend quitting your day job right away, but start that novel or learn that instrument. Your work life and family life will be better once you become a more engaged enthusiastic person. Once you start taking some time to follow your own dream, not only will you always have something to do, you’ll always have something you want to do. That is a gift!

www.JKSCommunications.com
237 Old Hickory Blvd., Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37221
Ellen Whitfield
(616) 258-5537
ellen@jkscommunications.com

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Radio Show, Luxury Boutique and New Book Cater to Playful Sexual Seekers

HOUSTON, Texas – A divorce attorney for years, Beth Liebling struggled to help couples see where they had gone wrong, but it was too little, too late. Once they were in her office, she couldn’t help them repair the relationship…she supported the process to end it. She began asking her clients questions most divorce attorneys might not put forward; Beth asked about sex. She found out that all of these couples had unsatisfying sex lives, whether it was the cause or effect of their crumbling marital state.

So what happens when the divorce attorney and mother of five ended up divorced herself? Beth found herself looking to heal herself and find what had been missing in her own life, as well as help the people who’d been her clients. She opened up Darling Way, a luxury boutique catering to love lives.

At Darling Way, Beth helps others embrace sex positivity and assists them in creating deep and loving relationships with their partners. And it’s a family affair…her adult son and daughter-in-law run the brand with her!

Since then Beth has become an influential love and relationship expert with her regular radio show, “Love and Laughter with Beth” on ESPN, and she’s adding to her offerings of sex expertise with her new book release, “Love and Laughter: Sexy (Meaningful) Fun for Everyone” (Darling Way, January 30, 2018). Beth speaks about mating, dating, sex and relationships from a uniquely personal, empathetic, yet also highly professional perspective. Her lighthearted approach about serious topics encourages, educates and empowers men and women of all ages and backgrounds to embrace their own sexuality in a way that uplifts their mind, body and spirits.

Beth has a way of making sensitive sex topics seem “normal” and always fun. Beth’s emphasis on laughing together rather than “at” anyone and their sex questions or problems has endeared her to young, old, straight, gay and everything in between.

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In an interview, Beth can discuss:

* Helping couples and individuals find love and passion, no matter their hesitations
* Working with her family to run Darling Way…an unusual family business that she says brings them close together as a family!
* How sex (or sex problems) contribute to divorce… from a board-certified divorce attorney and divorcée
* How to be comfortable being uncomfortable;Talking about sex is intimidating but Beth can help anyone in a fun way to learn this key element of relationship communication
* The unique sex perspective she brings to the airwaves; Dr. Ruth is a clinician, Howard Stern is a “dirty bird,” and Beth is an inclusive confidante and friend to her listeners
* Being open to making mistakes when it comes to sex…it’s all in good fun!
* Removing the commercial trappings of Valentine’s Day: it’s a day to celebrate love, romance, and sex at its core!
* Enriching your sex life to empower yourself and your partner

Beth Liebling is many things—a former board-certified family lawyer, host of the radio show/podcast “Love and Laughter with Beth” (ESPN Houston 97.5Fm and Itunes), author of the new book “Love and Laughter: Sexy (Meaningful) Fun for Everyone.” A mother of five, and a grandmother of one, Beth is the family-forward founder of Darling Way, a sexy luxury boutique in the historic Houston Heights. Visit her at darlingway.com.

Beth has extensive experience speaking publicly, most obviously on her own radio show and on her additional weekly appearance on “The Blitz”, both on ESPN Houston Radio 97.5fm. She also leads workshops and discussions regularly in Houston at Darling Way and other venues, has been a speaker at B2B conferences. She broke down unspoken barriers in Dallas when she was invited by BC/BS to speak at their Active Living Expo for Senior Citizens about Passion at any Age.

“Love and Laughter: Sexy (Meaningful) Fun for Everyone”
Beth Liebling | January 30, 2018 | Darling Way | Genre: Self-Help
E-book ASIN: B078VN3Z8W | Price: $9.99
Paperback 978-1-947368-52-1: | Price: $15.95
www.JKSCommunications.com Ÿ| 237 Old Hickory Blvd., Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37221
Sara Wigal |Ÿ (615) 393-6975 |Ÿ sara@jkscommunications.com

www.JKSCommunications.com
237 Old Hickory Blvd., Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37221
Ellen Whitfield
(616) 258-5537
ellen@jkscommunications.com

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cancer survivor, TODAY show guest and Canyon Ranch Speaker for interview

NEW YORK, New York – There truly is no place like home. Our homes are our sanctuaries a place to de-stress and rejuvenate. Unfortunately, many of us aren’t aware of the toxins and synthetic chemicals that are lurking throughout the house.

Health and Wellness advocate and Good Home Company Founder, Christine Dimmick, takes a deep dive into the toxins found in our very own homes, and how you can limit your exposure to take control of your own health. Detox Your Home: A Guide to Removing Toxins from Your Life and Bringing Health Into Your Home explores how to improve health by empowering choices about our  clothing, food, cleaning products and more. Dimmick unveils what manufacturers won’t, so you can avoid exposing your family to the hidden toxins eating away at America’s health and wellness.

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About the Book

Detox Your Home explores and explains the labels that inform our purchasing decisions and the regulations that govern what consumer goods are available in our shops and supermarkets. From food, water, and kitchen goods, to personal care and cleaning products— even clothing and common household items like phones, furniture, and children’s toys— Dimmick uses the most recent scientific evidence to expose the harmful toxins lurking in our most intimate, everyday environments.

Christine Dimmick is the founder and CEO of The Good Home Company Inc. She pioneered the move to combine natural ingredients and true to life scents in cleaning products over 20 years ago in her NYC kitchen. She and Good Home products have been featured in O Magazine, Instyle, Dr. Oz and House Beautiful, along with appearances on the Today Show. She is a public speaker promoting health and wellness at Canyon Ranch, Lenox, Mass. and other wellness facilities. Christine can also be found blogging on Facebook for over 35,000 Good Home fans and hosting wellness events – spreading her unique message of health. Christine also consults with hotels, businesses and private homes where she helps clients to detox, remove toxic products and create a place of health and wellness. You can visit her website at www.christinedimmick.com.

In an interview Christine can discuss:

* Christine’s cancer diagnosis and awakening to toxic chemicals
* Her work to bring awareness to this subject to the public – via speaking at the UN, schools, health facilities, businesses
* Why the chemicals in our household products should be regulated by the federal government
* Why bottled water is hurting us
* The origins of the Good Home Company
* The differences between Organic, Non-GMO certified, Cruelty Free, etc. and various labels our food receives to identify it
* Why organic is so important
* Non-toxic beauty products (what’s ugly in our beauty routines?)
* How Climate Change is linked to toxins

“Detox Your Home: A Guide to Removing Toxins from Your Life and Bringing Health into Your Home”
Christine Dimmick  | April 2018 | Rowman & Littlefield
978-1-4422-7720-5: | $32.00, Hardback

“Detox Your Home, by Christine Dimmick, founder and CEO of The Good Home Company, tells us how to keep ourselves and our families as free as possible from toxic chemicals. When we purchase laundry detergents and household cleaners, cosmetics, personal care products, food, clothing, toys, and more, we can use this vital information to lead healthier and safer lives.” – Margaret Cuomo, MD, Board-certified Radiologist, author of A World Without Cancer

“Detox Your Home is impressively comprehensive, meticulously researched and refreshingly practical. For every product, from shampoo to electronics, Dimmick evaluates health and environmental impacts and gives us ways to detox. This landmark reference book makes once hard to find information accessible to all.” – Peggy O’Mara, Editor and Publisher of Mothering Magazine

An Interview with Christine Dimmick

How did you first become aware of the danger of toxic chemicals in home products?
When I started The Good Home Company – it was with the desire to create products that were made from wholesome ingredients – just like what you would eat. I knew I wanted natural ingredients – simply because it is better for us and the environment – and the right thing to do. It was not until my cancer diagnosis that I delved into toxins – in our cleaning products, in our makeup, in our food and in our air. I too like so many others figured if it was being sold – it was safe.

What was your process like for finding out the chemical information about all of these products?
Research, research and more research. The internet is a huge resource and much easier than when we had to do research at a public library in high school! MSDS Sheets (Material Safety Data Sheets) are what we use business to business to provide protection for workers and how to dispose of chemicals. Every single ingredients needs one. The harms and dangers of chemicals are there for you to read if you want to find them. Along with MSDS Sheets, I researched EU and US regulations and used all governmental sites – such as https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ – which is a public resource that everyone has access too. Articles and lawsuits and industry experts were also a part of my process. I did make it a point to not follow conspiracy theories and in fact debunked one on SLS. It was important to me to share the harms, but also the fallacies.

How are climate change and chemical toxins linked?
Toxins from the manufacturing of many of our consumer products are huge contributors to climate change. Petroleum by products are in nearly every body product we use. Mass production of corn syrup is not only rotting our insides and causing obesity, but the industrialization of corn and the over subsidizing of it – causing depletion of the soil with the need for more tilling – which is one of the highest emitters of greenhouse gases.

Why should chemicals in our household supplies be regulated?
I believe that when you buy a product off the shelf – it should be properly tested for harms against you or the environment. Our health and the planet’s health are intertwined. It is not the consumer’s responsibility to determine if a product may or may not cause them cancer – it is the manufacturers. Nothing with harm should be available in my opinion.

What can I do to minimize toxins in my own home?
Reducing toxins is also good for your wallet! All you need to clean is castile soap, vinegar and water.  This simple solution in a glass spray bottle can clean everything in your home. Take out the vinegar and castile soap and it can be used to shower with. It is 100% biodegradable and does not leach preservatives into our waters.

www.JKSCommunications.com
237 Old Hickory Blvd., Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37221
Ellen Whitfield
(616) 258-5537
ellen@jkscommunications.com

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK – After Chase and Alicia envision a happy future together in C.J. Pastore’s “Captive of A Commoner,” they struggle to make that a reality in her steamy new book, “Apart.” Fans of the first book will delight in reading more about the couple’s adventures, and newcomers will be able to step in without missing a beat!

Alicia is achieving success in the fashion world and is striving for independence in her career.  Her relationship with sexy Chase is still smoldering, but when he tells her he’s been deployed overseas, the world they’ve built together crumbles bit by bit.

Family interventions, visits from old flames, strain at work and an unexpected surprise combine to make Alicia feel adrift. When she comes under attack, Alicia must face the challenge of protecting herself and the people she and Chase love.

Pastore returns in a thrilling sequel to her hit novel, in which reviewers praised the “fiery, combustible chemistry” and “well-crafted story.” All couples face challenges, but Chase and Alicia are tested more than most. Will their passion help keep their love alive through the obstacles?

C. J. Pastore lives in Manhattan with her husband and two children. When not pounding the keyboard and writing, she enjoys teaching, jogging, and reading. The enjoyment of travel is a necessity for C.J. Immersing herself in other cultures, laughing, eating, and drinking with the local populace are favorite pastimes. Intrigued by the cornerstones of love, C.J. often records people’s answers to its essence and the hurdles that must be overcome to ensure that second chances spell success.  She holds true to Anne Frank’s belief that “people are really good at heart,” and deems that whether walking in your own neighborhood or traversing the globe, the kindness and well-meaning wishes of others can be absorbed and reflected.

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About the Book

Growing up is hard. No one knows that better than Alicia Cesare.
As a child, Alicia struggled to free herself from the cloying shadow of her mother’s depression and the overprotectiveness of a meddlesome family. Now, with a top-selling fashion design and a passion-filled relationship with New York City real estate mogul Chase Reardon, being an adult isn’t so bad … until she’s viciously attacked by a Russian drug lord out for the blood of anyone that matters to Chase.

Under constant surveillance from family and a team of ex-special-ops Marines, Alicia remains determined to maintain her freedom and grow her fashion brand. This does not sit well with Chase, who considers Alicia’s behavior as much of a threat to her safety as the drug lord himself.

Chase thought his service to the United States ended, but when he’s called to duty overseas, he readily responds. What’s meant to be a simple mission unravels into a dangerous separation for the new lovers.

No matter how independent Alicia thinks she is, nothing could have prepared her for this twist of fate.
Trapped in a web of lethal reprisals from Chase’s past, Alicia struggles to protect herself and those she cares about while grappling with loss, need and the transcendent force of unconditional love.
“Apart”

C.J. Pastore | Feb. 13, 2018 | New Rose Press
Paperback | 978-0-9979480-2-8 | $14.95
e-book | 978-0-9979480-4-2 | $3.99
romance

An Interview with C.J. PASTORE

How did you handle writing this book a standalone even though it is a continuation from your first book, “Captive of A Commoner?
It was challenging to write a continuation of Book 1 as a standalone story. The characters were subconsciously a part of me, and it was easy to assume that readers who had not read Captive of a Commoner knew more about them than they actually did. A specific sequence of character development was essential. Scenes were developed that actively placed the characters together so the reader could become acquainted with their roles and personalities.  Backstory had to be added to familiarize the reader with what occurred previously. Then, the characters had to evolve as the plot unfolded. Alicia especially had to emerge from an inexperienced innocent to a mature woman able to flex her wisdom as her life experiences changed.

Why do you think some women are afraid to act as sexual beings?
I think there is some social anxiety about women enjoying sex too much. Young women are generally not taught how to explore their sexuality, their desires, and what makes their bodies feel good. As such, it might be harder for them to understand sex as a means of receiving pleasure and not only providing it for another. It’s difficult for women to untangle what it means to be sexualized by outside pressures and what it is to experience their sexuality from within. I think many in society are threatened by women who are empowered enough to reach out for what is pleasurable and satisfying to their inner sexuality.

What role do you think erotica novels play in helping people explore their sexuality?
Romance books, particularly erotica, can empower people to be unafraid to explore their inner sexuality. Often written from a female perspective, they grapple with the question, what do women want in a relationship? Erotica emphasizes that there is nothing wrong with reading words that spark the libido. Unlike other genres, these types of romance novels don’t hide or gloss over the sexual encounter. They reveal that, while life is full of conflict and tension, ultimate happiness and pleasure can thrive in a consensual, emotionally satisfying and safe sexual relationship.

What do you think is unique about Alicia and Chase’s relationship?
I often wonder about what drives a couple together. What forces mold the building blocks of their compatibility and desire? What’s unique about Alicia and Chase’s relationship is that the spark that propels them together starts when they are children. Growing up in the same town, they can follow the thread of each other’s family problems and the insecurities that subsequently result. Alicia witnessed how Chase took care of his alcoholic father and Chase observed how Alicia’s mother’s depression effected Alicia’s development. As adults, they use the past as a springboard to tackle and resolve their present conflicts.

Do you think men can enjoy romance novels?
I think men can learn from romance novels. Men can also gift their special someone a romance novel they know he/she will enjoy. Then together they can have fun with the sexual exploits of their choosing.

Are any of the characters in your book based on real people?
The characters are fictional. In some instances, I combined several people into one character. Some of the events were based on real life situations. My mother suffered from depression and my father was an alcoholic. They were loving and dynamic people who battled their illnesses with resilience, courage and outside help.

Is there anything in particular you do if you’re hit with writer’s block?
If I’m uninspired, it’s important to separate myself from my writing. I usually take a long walk or jog, watch Netflix, cook, read, do what it takes to get my mind off what I’m writing.

What three authors would you like to sit down with, and what would you ask them?
There are so many great authors I’d select for a face to face chat. Elena Ferrante, John Steinbeck, and Liane Moriarty are three who currently come to mind. I’d want to ask Elena Ferrante how she is able to reveal so many personal truths with such blazing honesty and where she gets the inspiration to expose the charged connections between people so that the reader is pulled into their lives? Although it’s not possible, an ultimate wish would be to have Ferrante and Steinbeck engage in a conversation about what guided them to write about injustice, poverty, and inequality.  I’d inquire about what they thought made friendships and love endure. Then, I’d absorb the depth of their dialogue expressed from a male and female’s perspective. As a contemporary Australian author, I’d ask Moriarty to describe how she effortlessly weaves domestic abuse, rape, and female rivalries into stories that fill the reader with hope and yes, even laughter. She, too, would be invited to be part of the conversation with Ferrante and Steinbeck adding to another question about how human beings cope with the emotional traps buried within intense relationships.

Apart features scenes that are sexually explicit without being crass. How did you balance that fine line?
Specific words and how they’re expressed highlight the path readers take when they open a book. Slang or shocking words work in certain contexts especially if part of dialogue or what a character is thinking that might apply to a specific event. It’s when they’re overused that it can be assumed an author was not able to paint a scene using precise and perceptive language.

www.JKSCommunications.com
237 Old Hickory Blvd., Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37221
Ellen Whitfield
(616) 258-5537
ellen@jkscommunications.com

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“In Another Country, and Besides” takes you on a sprawling adventure that will leave you questioning and breathless
Maxwell Jacobs weaves a tense tale of love, desperation and uncertainty.

Zürich, Switzerland – “In Another Country, and Besides” opens with a startling and striking scene, and immediately launches into a piercing novel rife with tension, nostalgia and excitement.

Harry Hoffman, who is more than just the simple writer he wants to be, is a character you won’t soon forget. A somber and scarred man, he is desperate to escape a past that lingers in the corners of his mind. When he meets the exquisite Cleo, he sees a chance for a fresh start, but complications grow from their tenuous relationship, and Harry is tempted into behavior that threatens his new way of life. His love of Cleo and all that she offers is a powerful force that threatens to consume anyone and anything in its path.

What is hidden in Harry’s past that he is running from, and will those memories catch up with him? Does he have the strength to make himself a new man, or will he revert to his old patterns?

Maxwell Jacobs has created a vivid and moving experience that takes you across post-war Europe and into the mind of a character unlike any you have met before. “In Another Country, and Besides” is an expressive adventure that will linger in your mind and leave you questioning what is right, what is wrong, what is real, and what matters.

Maxwell Jacobs grew up in the north of England, before moving to New York to work in the publishing industry. Throughout his 20’s he lived in Paris to devote himself to writing. In his early 30’s he moved to Mexico, before moving to Switzerland to begin In Another Country, and Besides.

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About the book

In Another Country, and Besides, tells the confessional story of Harry Hoffman, an expatriate living in post-war continental Europe. During a time of moral bankruptcy, dissolution, and unrealized love, Harry is a lost soul with a sinister past.

Our story begins in Venice, where our protagonist meets Cleo, who offers him an unexpected love affair and a chance to start over. But when this newfound happiness is threatened and their affair is strained by new passions, jealousies and other men, Harry slips back to his old ways and plots his revenge. This takes him on a great variety of adventures and experiences -from Zurich, and the Swiss Alps, to the Cote d’Azur and finally to Paris, irresistibly drawn back to the great, sprawling city he had once fled in bitterness and disgust.

From its violence, ignorance and cruelty, to its joy and mystery, In Another Country, and Besides is told in a language of great simplicity and power of loyalty and courage, love and defeat and the tragic death of an ideal that shows vividly Jacobs own expatriate experiences and by doing so, has created a story with the mass and movement of an epic novel.

“In Another Country, and Besides”
Maxwell Jacobs | Feb. 13, 2018 | Morgan James
Paperback | 978-1683505310 | $15.95
e-book | 9781683508397 | $9.99
Thriller

An Interview with Maxwell Jacobs

You’ve traveled a lot throughout your life. What is your favorite place to write? 
Having lived in Paris for most of my adult life, it was and is still, a very good place to work. But in general I have worked well everywhere. I enjoy writing in old hotels in the swiss alps and farm houses in Provence, France. But the best writing is certainly when you are in love.

What inspired you to choose the locations in the book? 
Good writing is about what you know and have experienced. If you make up a story, it will be real in proportion to the amount of knowledge that you have acquired. That’s what happened here. I was going through a tough time and then one night in Venice I just started and allowed the story to follow the events that were unfolding in my personal life. I stayed in Venice until Carnival had finished, then continued back in Zurich, where I was living at the time. After some months, the manuscript was up to 40,000 words, so I packed up the car and drove to the south of France for the summer. There I traveled to  Arles, Nîmes, and Antibes, all of which featured heavily in the story.

Harry is, as you’ve said, an “odd fellow.” How did you create a character with such unique characteristics?
Some ideas come from real life. Mostly I invent people from a knowledge and understanding and experience of people.

How do you separate fact from fiction when you are writing a book that’s partially based on real-life experiences? 
From things that have happened and from things as they exist and from all things that you know and all those you cannot know, you make something through your invention that is not a representation but a whole new thing truer than anything true and alive, and you make it alive, and if you make it well enough, you give it immortality.

Is there anything you do when you’re stuck in a writing slump? 
The best way is to always stop when you know what is going to happen next. Then you have the juice for the next time.

Why do you think the post-war backdrop is so perfect for this novel? 
I think men of a certain age after war and a result of their war experience along with social upheavals of the time creates a somewhat cynical and disillusioned environment without cultural or emotional stability which suited the story I have tried to tell.

The ending of this book is begging for a sequel – any plans for one? 
Sometimes you know a story. Sometimes you make it up as you go along and have no idea how it will come out and everything changes as it moves. This was not one of those stories. It was as real as anything. But it was a period of my past, and that’s where it should stay.

If you were able to sit down with three writers, who would you choose and what would you ask them? 
In company with people of your own trade, you ordinarily speak of other writers’ books. The better the writers, the less they will speak about what they have written themselves. I simply try to write better than certain dead writers of whose value I am certain. This would include Twain, Flaubert, Stendhal, Hemingway, Crane, Turgenev, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Chekhov, the good Kipling, Zola, Joyce, Sarte, and Shakespeare.  .

Can you describe the mechanics of writing?
When you start to write you get all the kick and the reader gets none. After you learn to write, your whole objective is to convey everything, every sensation, sight, feeling, place and emotion to the reader. To do this well, you have to work over what you write. If you write with a pencil, you get three different views at it to see if the reader is getting what you wanted him to get. First when you read it over; then when it is typed, and again in the proof. This way, it keeps fluid longer so that you can make it better easier.

Do you know what is going to happen when you write a story?
Almost never. I start to make it up and have happen what would have to happen as it goes along.

How much should you write in a day?
The best way is to read it all every day from the start, correcting as you go along, then go on from where you stopped the day before. When it gets so long that you can’t do this every day, read back two or three chapters each day; then each week read it all from the start. That’s how you make it one piece.

What books should a writer have to read?

• The Blue Hotel and The Open Boat by Stephen Crane
• Midshipman Easy, Frank Mildamay and Peter Simple by Captain Marryat
• Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• Kim by Rudyard Kiplin
• Madame Bovary and L’Education Sentimentale by Gustave Flaubert
• Dubliners and Ulysses by James Joyce
• Le Rouge et Le Noir and La Chatreuse de Parme by Stendhal
• Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham
• War and Peace and Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
• Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann
• Hail and Farewell by George Moore
• The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
• The Oxford Book of English Verse
• The Enormous Room by E.E. Cummings
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
• Far Away and Long Ago by W.H. Hudson
• Tom Jones and Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding
• Portrait of a Lady and The American by Henry James

What advice do you have for young writers who are starting out?
Try and write something that has not been written before and write the book you want to read. Aside from that, side projects and hobbies are important.

What is the best early training for a writer?
An unhappy childhood.

How can a writer train himself?
Start with watching what happens around you. Remember what the noises were and what was said. Find out what gave you the emotion, what the action was that gave you any excitement. Then write it down and make it clear so the reader will see it too and have the same feeling you had. Also as a writer try not to judge situations, only understand them. When people talk listen completely. Don’t be thinking what you’re going to say. You should be able to go into a room and when you come out know everything that you saw and heard. If that room gave you any feeling you should know exactly what it was that gave you that feeling.

How do I get published?
Open up your cabinet of curiosities. Tell good stories. Learn to take a punch. Stick around.

www.JKSCommunications.com
2819 Vaulx Lane, Nashville, TN 37204
Angelle Barbazon
(615) 928-2462
angelle@jkscommunications.com

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WINDERMERE, Florida – “Everybody Needs A Bridge” is the story of how the bonds we form and the decisions we make when we are young shape our future self.
As a white, middle-class female growing up in a socially segregated Alabama town, Erin is raised to embrace people regardless of gender, class and race. But when those theoretical lessons become reality, she is faced with hard choices and no clear solutions.

Colleen D. Scott, basing her engrossing novel on real-life events, takes us on a coming-of-age journey through Erin’s high school years and beyond.
Admist racial tensions and societal pressures, Erin dreams of pursing a life free of oppressive expectations. As she grows, important relationships and life-changing events challenge her to determine her own path, despite the difficulties. In the face of unspeakable tragedy and enduring adversity, Erin must decide if what she wants is worth the consequences she will face.

Readers will undoubtedly empathize with Erin’s journey and the problems presented by growing up in a society grappling with change. Scott brings a unique perspective to a pivotal story about discovering who you are meant to be.

After decades spent pursuing a career in the corporate world and raising three incredible children, Colleen decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an author. Raised in southern Alabama, this new author artfully weaves compelling story lines with emotion evoking characters into biting social commentary. And like most southern women, Colleen enjoys great food, football and reading a great book on a sandy beach.

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About the book

High school is a difficult time for every teenager. When Erin enters a large public high school in 1980, she’s more than a little intimidated. Shocked by the realization that the legacy of her southern Alabama town isn’t a thing of the past, Erin struggles to find her way and in the process forms several important relationships. Brittany, whose genuine friendship and unconditional support help Erin navigate her unfamiliar surroundings. Shelby, whose strength and confidence challenge Erin to make her own decisions. And Emmet, whose magnetism and acceptance inspires her to dream of a different future.
As the years pass, Erin’s new bonds grow stronger. And together, they search for the answer to one important question: How do you define your own path, feel like you belong, and yet resist all of the social pressures and rigid expectations?
Tragically, after their time in high school ends, Erin becomes separated from these important friends. Alone, she struggles to find the courage to continue her journey. Ultimately, she is forced with a life-defining choice. Her decision will catapult Erin into adulthood, will test her faith, love and courage, and inevitably have an impact on the lives of those she loves most.

“Everybody Needs A Bridge”
Colleen D. Scott | Feb. 1, 2018 | NKD Ventures
Paperback | 978-1-947832-00-8 | $9.99
e-book | 978-1-947832-01-5 | $5.99
Young adult | Coming of age

An Interview with Colleen D. Scott

When writing a book based on real events, how hard is it to keep fact separated from fiction?
The key element for me was to ensure that the events and experiences of the main character were factual. The novel is an obvious social commentary set in a specific place and time. But in order for the reader to identify with and connect with the main characters, their experiences had to be authentic. These events provide the necessary context for their actions and emotions. Once the core structure of truth was in place, it was easy to add the fictional elements by changing physical descriptions, locations, consolidating and eliminating characters and adding dialogue.

Three are a lot of negative things explored in the book about growing up in the South – what are some of the positives?
It’s important to keep in mind that the novel outlines a story emerging from the first generation to grow up after the civil rights movement. The primary characters don’t remember life before the civil rights act. And although the civil rights movement technically ended in 1968 when the civil rights act was signed, for the South, that was only the beginning. The subsequent desegregation of schools, organized busing and elimination of many Jim Crow laws, may have changed how people behaved in public, but it takes far more to desegregate society.

I provide that context not to excuse the behaviors and actions. But hopefully, after reading this novel, the reader will understand the struggle and recognize some of the causes of those behaviors. Many of which we still experience in society today. Specifically, I want the reader to examine how the fear of being ostracized socially, the fear of not measuring up to societal expectations, drive behavior.

I hope the reader can see some of the positive aspects of the South beyond the negatives. The ardent belief in the power of hard work, perseverance and dedication are just a few key values highlighted repeatedly throughout the novel. And it’s that level of commitment and dedication to hard work that it takes to bring about the level of change needed.

If you could sit down with three writers, who would they be and what would you ask them?
There are so many, it is difficult to narrow it down to three! I would love the opportunity to ask Pat Conroy how his family members reacted to the story lines of his novels. His novels high light the generational divide in a similar emotional way.

Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of my favorite authors to read. She is a great story teller and I would love to have a conversation with her about her creative process. I would also like to meet John Grisham. Although his novels primarily center on the legal aspects of similar experiences, he seems to have a similar relationship with the south. And if I am allowed to add a fourth, I would love to meet Jesmyn Ward too! I love her work and she grew up not too far from my hometown.

Why do you think it’s important for adults to read stories classified as YA?
Young adult fiction is my favorite genre. The story lines are compelling, many are thought provoking, and the stories are told without gratuitous sex and violence. Young adult novels not only reconnect the adult reader with their own adolescence, but they explore struggles which for most of us extend beyond our teens and twenties.

How hard was it to put yourself in the mind of a teenager?
It wasn’t difficult at all! I believe our young adult years are profound and transformational times in our lives. As a result, those emotional times, filled with life directing decisions, are permanently burned in our memories!

What is your writing process like?
I start by identifying a theme and a story line which best illustrates that theme. Once I have a general idea of the story, I use sticky notes stuck on a wall to outline the scenes and build a skeleton outline. From that skeleton of scenes, I isolate the main characters that give the reader the best perspective. Then I spend time visualizing the main characters and develop a relationship with them. Once I begin writing I let the story take over. Along the way, I tweak the outline, add and eliminate scenes, combine and develop characters, so it is helpful that the outline is made of sticky notes!

Do you have something you do when stuck with writer’s block?
The story wants to be told. So if I get stuck on a particular scene, I take a long walk. It helps me let my mind run free and allow the story to take back over.

Why did you feel like you had to write this book?
I strongly believe that it requires courage to live even an ordinary life. I wanted to write this novel in order to honor the people who give us courage along the way and demonstrate how critical those key relationships can be in our lives.

How are plans shaping up for sequels?
I have completed a second novel which is unrelated, titled Everybody Needs To Remember, which should be published later this spring. I expect to complete a sequel to Everybody Needs A Bridge by the end of 2018.

If you had to sum up your message in one sentence, what would it be?
Use your power of support and encouragement in your personal relationships for good not evil. Help the people in your life to live with courage.

www.JKSCommunications.com
2819 Vaulx Lane, Nashville, TN 37204
Angelle Barbazon
(615) 928-2462
angelle@jkscommunications.com

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the midst of Bicentennial celebrations, Carson Mahoney narrowly escapes a home invasion that reduces her house to rubble. In a West Virginia commune, her sister Cam kills the commune leader. Now both sisters must flee.

Already a suspect in her secretive husband’s murder, Carson fears the police will suspect her of arson and put her in jail. It happened before, back when the two sisters were teenagers, imprisoned in a foreign country. It cannot happen again.

But running away is also not an option. Cam needs to find the innocent whose life she has saved. Carson must find the thugs who destroyed her home and her livelihood. All too soon, the sisters learn how impossible it is to hide and how difficult it is to trust those who offer help. Will they survive long enough to clear their names?

Caroline Taylor has written a tightly woven thriller full of female empowerment and bravery, with strong women seeking justice and formidable opponents in their way. With twists and turns, jolting from the present to the past, readers will be holding their breath until the very end.

Caroline Taylor is the author of two mystery novels, “What Are Friends For?” and “Jewelry from a Grave,” one nonfiction book, “Publishing the Nonprofit Annual Report: Tips, Traps, and Tricks of the Trade,” and numerous short stories and essays, which are featured on her website at www.carolinestories.com. A collection of short stories, titled “Enough: Thirty Stories of Fielding Live’s Little Curve Balls,” is forthcoming from Literary Wanderlust in April 2018. A longtime resident of Washington, DC, she now lives in North Carolina.

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About the book

When armed gunmen invade Carson Mahoney’s Washington, D.C., home in 1976 and then blow it up, she decides she must disappear. She’s already a suspect in the murder of her former husband, so calling the police is not an option. Neither is jail. Carson turns to her sister Cameron for help.

But Cam has her own troubles. Now living in a West Virginia religious commune, she discovers the commune leader “counseling” a three-year-old girl with his fly open. She slashes his throat and flees with the child, only to be captured. But jail is no option for her either. It is a hell that stretches back ten years to a foreign country where both sisters were imprisoned for debt owed by their parents, a place where raping female captives is a job perk. Cam manages to escape the commune only to wind up cornered in a hotel room. The only way out is a three-story fall to the ground.

Meanwhile, the thugs who invaded Carson’s house reach her before she can summon help, and she learns that she is one of many loose ends to be tied up because of her former husband’s role in the assassination of Orlando Letelier.

“Loose Ends”
Caroline Taylor | December 7, 2017 | Moonshine Cove Publishing
Paperback | 9781945181269 | $13.99
Thriller

An Interview with Caroline Taylor

You are an experiencedwriter, having tackled fiction, non-fiction and short stories. What drew you to write a thriller?
Did changing genres change your approach to writing? I am a big fan of Thomas Perry’s Jane Whitefield series, featuring a woman who helps people change their identity and disappear. I thought I might try my hand at something similar, based in Washington, D.C., where I lived for many years. It didn’t change my approach to writing, per se, although I did have a lot of fun putting my two main characters into a mess of trouble and then trying to figure out how to get them out of it.

Were any of the characters in your book inspired by real people?
Not so much real people as a desire to write about women who do not let victimhood define them. I also thought it would be interesting to make one of them a graphic designer, which I was, briefly, back when waxed galleys and press-type were the tools of the trade.

How did your experiences living abroad inform your plot line in “Loose Ends”?
It was a real eye-opener for me to learn that rights we take for granted as U.S. citizens do not extend beyond our own borders. And it shows how naïve some Americans traveling abroad can be, as recent incidents in North Korea and Mexico have shown. It seemed to me an excellent way to create the backstory that explains both sisters’ justifiable fear of incarceration.

What can readers learn from the strength of Cam and Carson?
They are both named after heroes (real and radio) of the Old West. In that way, they are throwbacks to a time when circumstances did not allow you to fall apart or whine or become immobilized by fear. You had to pick yourself up and press on, against whatever odds you faced, because surrender meant certain death.

What led to you to explore corruption within a Christian commune?
Mostly media accounts over the years of child abuse in religious cults. The images of women from these cults and how they are made to dress made me think they were powerless and probably unable to prevent the abuse. Perhaps they themselves were victims of abuse.

Do you have a method for tackling writer’s block?
If I can’t think of what to write, I go for a walk, take up some household task that involves physical rather than mental labor, or, when available, work on a freelance editing assignment—anything that  gives the creative side of my brain a rest.

If you could sit down with three authors, who would they be and what would you ask them?
Elmore Leonard: How do you manage to write such spot-on dialogue for your low-life characters? Alan Furst: Tell me your secret of writing a scene about sex that makes it both sexy and interesting but never graphic. Olivia Manning: Guy and Harriet Pringle are unforgettable characters — Guy for being such a useless, albeit charming cad, and Harriet for her blindness to what’s happening around her and her acerbic tongue. Were they based on people you knew or an amalgam of people you knew, or did they spring solely from your imagination?

There are so many storylines in “Loose Ends,” but you said you write without an outline. How did you keep everything straight?
With great difficulty. But I had no choice. I have tried to outline a plot, but it always winds up looking trite, derivative, boring, or all of the above. Once I write an opening scene, I take Ann Tyler’s advice and just let the characters take me where they want to go. Sometimes that works beautifully, as it did with Loose Ends. Other times, I have to stop their journey, turn them back, and start them down another path until I begin to see where they will end up.

Why did you decide to name chapters after songs?
The 1970s was awash in unforgettable music, and I wanted to pay homage to it. Some of the songs are of earlier vintage, but I tried to make the song titles as contemporary as I could while also having them suggest what is going to happen in the chapter.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Understand that rejection does not mean you’re no good. Rejection simply means that the person doesn’t want your story and that it could be because of personal prejudices, the current market, competing stories, or even personal or work issues that make rejecting a piece easier than taking it up. Learn from rejection on those rare occasions when someone gives feedback. But, also, look at that feedback with a critical eye. One reviewer of Loose Ends thought my characters were cold and unfeeling because they didn’t cry or cave under duress. To me, they seem like strong women, women who have survived a terrible ordeal in the past and who have learned the hard way that it’s up to them to make a life for themselves, to find justice in an unjust world.

www.JKSCommunications.com
2819 Vaulx Lane, Nashville, TN 37204
Angelle Barbazon
(615) 928-2462
angelle@jkscommunications.com

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/