A Breath of Inspiration Ministry
Inspiring Faith One Word at a Time!
Welcome to Monica Cane's Virtual Book Tour for her new release: The Lost Coin
What is a Virtual Book Tour you ask? When an author has a book that he or she wants to promote, in addition to scheduling the traditional book tours at various bookstores, now thanks to the internet, authors can schedule tour stops at various websites all over the world. Each tour stop lets visitors know more about the author and his or her book through Questions and Answers as well as giving visitors the opportunity to peruse new websites.
If you missed the original tour at the beginning of May, No Worries! You can now enjoy the book tour information about The Lost Coin, Being an Author and The Publishing Process that was shared at each website visit below.
The website addresses where the stops were held will be listed for you in case you are interested in visiting the sites. Meanwhile scroll down to Stop # 1 and enjoy!
By the way, I love hearing from visitors so feel free to send me a note at abreathofinspiration@yahoo.com to say hello and also let me know how you liked visiting A Breath of Inspiration website.
Blessings,
Monica Cane
STOP # 1 - LATHROP CHRISTIAN CENTER
For the first stop on my tour, I visited Lathrop Christian Center at: lathropchristiancenter.org also known as LCC. I chose to stop at LCC because after visiting the church one Sunday morning I witnessed a simplicity of faith and purity of heart from the pastor and the members that was quite refreshing. I couldn’t help but think this would be a great starting point to share my new book, The Lost Coin.
Enjoy the Author Q & A slide show then go on to Stop #2:
STOP # 2 - INTERNATIONAL SELF DEFENSE INSTITUTE (ISDI)
On stop #2 of my virtual book tour I visited the International Self Defense Institute (ISDI) at: Isdimanteca.com
A karate studio may seem like a peculiar place to visit on a book tour but I chose this stop because in The Lost Coin the main character, Elaina Munroe is searching for her identity. During this process she makes some very unwise choices that lead her to places she never intended to go. In observing students at ISDI and other karate studios, I’ve noticed that the discipline and training of martial arts really seems to help students young and old discover a very positive side to their personal identity. Perhaps someone should have told Elaina Munroe to visit ISDI before getting into all of her trouble.
Enjoy the Author Q & A from ISDI and then go on to Stop #3 Q. What is The Lost Coin about? A. The Lost Coin is about an eighteen year old girl, Elaina Munroe, in search of her identity. She was brought up in a good faith-filled home, with a loving family but feels that they are much too over protective and are keeping her back from being all that she could be. Believing she is mature enough to handle life and pursue her dream of dancing in Southern California, Elaina leaves home without telling her family. Almost immediately, she meets a handsome stranger, Nick Weston, who seems to have all the answers. What she doesn’t know is that Nick is a con-artist who has an agenda all his own. The more Elaina becomes involved with Nick, the more complicated her life becomes and the farther she drifts away from her family and her faith, wondering if she’ll ever find her way back. Q. Is there a spiritual lesson you hope readers will grasp from The Lost Coin? A. Yes, there is. While I believe The Lost Coin is an intriguing and very entertaining story, I hope when readers finish the last page, they will have a better understanding of God’s unconditional love and mercy. And also that they will understand that no matter where their choices might have led them, they are never too far away from God. Q. Have you always wanted to write books? A. I never thought about writing a book, or articles or any type of publication that people would read. I just liked writing as a way to express myself when I was young. I was a very emotional child so when I tried to express my feelings, my emotions would often jumble up what I really wanted to say. However, when I wrote what I felt, it was so much easier for me. Q. What’s the best thing about writing for you? A. There are two things that I love most about writing. First, creating something out of nothing. It’s amazing to start with a blank page and then write something that actually makes sense when you’re finished. The most important however is the way I can talk to God and feel His presence while I’m writing. So many times when I’m in the midst of pounding the keys, I’ll stop and thank God for a sentence that sounded so much better than what I could have written without His help, which of course is pretty much everything. Q. What type of encouragement can you give to people interested in writing a book? A. I would have to say…JUST DO IT! Whether it’s a book about martial art techniques or your whole life story, whether your book is on every bookshelf in every store or simply shared amongst your closest friends and family, if you have a desire to write, you should. It’s very rewarding and you just never know what God might do with your story. Q. What is your favorite thing that you have written and why? A. I think whatever I’m presently working on tends to be my favorite but I would have to say, my first devotional article, Mighty Warrior from my first book, A Breath of Inspiration is my all time favorite because it was the first time I realized God gave me the ability to write. Q. Last question, how can people order The Lost Coin and also learn more about you? A. That’s easy. Visit the bookstore at Abreathofinspiration.com.
STOP # 3 - AUTHOR - NANCY SANDERS
On Stop #3 of my virtual book tour and I visited freelance writer, Nancy Sanders. She keeps all of her author interviews posted year round for visitors to enjoy.
I chose to stop by Nancy’s website as part of my book tour because she is the wonderful woman who shared with me the whole idea of a virtual book tour to begin with. I had been given her name by a mutual friend and when I sent Nancy an email asking if she would mind sharing a bit of information about virtual book tours, she responded right away with a wealth of information and open arms (via email of course). In her own way, Nancy made it clear that we are all here to help one another. I’ve never met her personally, but I will forever be grateful for her willingness to help a little author like me get the word out about The Lost Coin
Click on the link below and scroll down, until you find Monica Cane Interview. Be sure to visit Nancy’s site before heading to Stop #4.
STOP # 4 - IMG PRINTING
On stop #4 of my virtual book tour I visited graphic designer, Brian Fisk at IMG Printing at imgprint.com
I chose to stop by Brian’s website as part of my book tour because without Brian’s fantastic graphic skills, I would not have been able to complete The Lost Coin as he is the one who designed the cover. If you are ever in need of a good graphic designer, you will want to check out Brian's work.
Enjoy the Author Q & A from Img Graphics before visiting Stop #5
Q. Did you take a lot of writing courses before you started writing books?
A. I actually had no formal training when I began to write for the purpose of publication. I just studied how other authors formatted their articles or books and used them as my example. Most of my writing education has come simply from just writing itself. After already being a published author however, I did take a writing correspondence course through the Christian Writers Guild to help me gain a better understanding of the craft.
Q. What’s the hardest thing about writing for you?
A. Time. I don’t know one writer who doesn’t struggle with this issue. Most authors have day jobs which makes writing as much as you want, when you want, a huge challenge. I’ve had more than my share of silly typo’s slip through because I’ve had to squeeze in writing in the midst of my already hectic day. But it’s still worth it.
Q How do you decide on a cover for your book?
A. While most traditional and Print on Demand publishers have their own graphic designers that they use to design covers, I just go to my pal Brian and let him know what the story is about, what ideas I might have for the cover and let him do the rest. He is very creative and always comes up with something great.
Q. What type of conflict do the main characters deal with in The Lost Coin?
A. Though Elaina Munroe and her antagonist Nick Weston are complete opposites, they both struggle with a similar conflict. They both want to pursue their own will, without considering the cost.
Q. What causes your main character, Elaina to abandon her faith?
A. Elaina’s actions are similar to many of us. She doesn’t abandon her faith all at once or just because of one particular incident, she simply makes one bad choice after another without stopping long enough to recognize it. Eventually when she does stop for a moment, she looks back and wonders how she got to the place she’s at--a place far away from her faith.
STOP #5 - EDITOR - ERIN K. BROWN
On stop #5 of my virtual book tour I visited my Editor/Co-author and friend Erin K. Brown at writereditor.net
When I originally contacted Erin K. Brown, I assumed she would be a pretty good editor. What I didn’t know is that she would take The Lost Coin to heart and become an essential part of bringing the story to life. As the co-author she saw things in the story that I hadn’t even considered. Erin is a blessing to me (and many others I’m sure) and visiting her on this tour is an honor.
Enjoy the Author Q & A the head over to the final Stop #6.
Q.Are there different ways to publish a book?
A.Many people don’t realize that there are different ways to go about publishing. The three main ways are Traditional, Print on Demand and Self Publishing.
Traditional Publishing is when a publishing house agrees to publish your manuscript and completely covers the cost for the publishing/marketing process. A traditional publisher will usually maintain the rights to your manuscript for seven years or longer with the author earning a small royalty off of each book sold. Bigger publishing houses often place copies of your book in bookstores but it doesn’t guarantee sales.
Print on Demand (POD) Publisher will publish your book for a fee and make it available to numerous online bookstores. Authors usually maintain complete rights to their manuscript and receive a larger royalty for each book sold. A POD publisher usually offers some Marketing and Promoting for an additional fee; however, it is primarily up to the author to get the word out about his or her book. If an author is passionate about their book and is willing to promote it, then POD is a very nice option.
Self publishing is where an author does everything from scratch. Beginning with formatting the book, editing the manuscript, creating a cover, purchasing an ISBN number which is needed if the book is to be sold in stores, along with printing, promoting and distributing the book. Every detail is on the author. Though it is a lot of extra work, the good part of self publishing is that the author has complete creative control, full royalty benefits and will never have to share his/her rights to the manuscript.
Q.Where do your writing ideas come from?
A.I regularly pray and ask God to show me what things He wants me to write. Usually an idea will hit when I’m reading scripture or an inspirational book of some sort. I’ll read one sentence and suddenly an entire story pops in my head based on an experience I have had applying that particular scripture and I’ll feel an overwhelming desire to write about it. It really is a God thing.
Q. Why did you choose Manteca as the home town for your main character?
A. I once read that authors should write about towns, settings, and environments that they are familiar with, unless of course they are planning on doing extensive research on a place unfamiliar to them. When an author writes about the places they know well, it comes across more realistic to the reader. My main character makes her way from her home town (and mine) of Manteca and ends up in my personal favorite vacation spot Santa Clarita. Two towns I know and enjoy.
Q.Is your family excited about you being a published author?
A. Although my family is happy that I serve God through writing honestly, I think they are more impressed when I remember to buy cookies and goodies when I go grocery shopping. Desserts are a big deal in our house.
Q. What do you hope readers will take away from The Lost Coin?
A. Naturally I hope readers will be entertained by the story and that they’ll tell their friends about it, but more than that, I really want readers to see how God works in the lives of these characters and understand that while the characters are fiction, Gods grace, mercy, forgiveness and love is very real.
Q. Do you think there will be The Lost Coin part two?
A. The story certainly ends with plenty of opportunities to develop a part two but I honestly don’t know yet if that’s the next project God has in mind for me or if there is something else brewing. One thing I know for sure, I hope to work with Erin again.
STOP # 6 - WOODWARD ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
For the final stop (#6) I created a clip from questions asked from Woodward Elementary Students. Those kids and their teachers are simply amazing!
Enjoy the clip.
Thank you for visiting MONICA CANE'S VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR!
If you would like to purchase a copy of The Lost Coin or other books by Monica Cane, be sure to visit The Bookstore