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I thought you might like the information about tonight’s Virtual Book Tour with New York Times best-selling author and master debater, Dinesh D’Souza, on his book,  “What’s So Great about Christianity.”

Nearly 700 questions have come in from all around the world from believers, atheists, and agnostics alike (judging from the questions). We will answer as many as we can in 60-70 minutes.

Here’s the info:

DATE: Tuesday, November 18,2008

TIME: 5pm PACIFIC /6 pm MOUNTAIN/7pm CENTRAL /8pm EASTERN(time/date converter link)

WEBCAST and info link with call-in info (listen via computer–no long-distance charges; replay available immediately after.) If you have trouble dialing in (phone lines are limited), use the webcast.

And remember, if you can’t make this live call/webcast, the recording will be made available afterward (but you have to be signed up at http://www.askaboutchristianity.com to get the notification.)

Hope our paths cross there!

Just a quick reminder: On Tuesday night, October 28, I will be interviewing Nancy Ortberg in a Virtual Book Tour to discuss her book, Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands: Lessons in Non-Linear Leadership.

The cool thing is, you get to ask Nancy a question ahead of time! Just go to http://www.asknancyortberg.com and you’ll get to sign up, ask a question (or not), get the call-in details and see how these Virtual Book Tours work! You’ll also be able to download the first two chapters of Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands: Lessons in Non-Linear Leadership free when you sign up, so you can get a taste of the book right away.

I recently sent Nancy’s book to Seth Godin, author of Tribes, another inspiring book about leadership. The other day he wrote back to thank me, and said he’d already bought a copy right before my book came. (I told him I’d send him a book for commenting on my blog, but didn’t tell him which one.)

So–Seth Godin thinks Nancy Ortberg is worth reading, and you will, too! It’s a terrific book. Great stories and insights. Make sure you get a copy, and if you can, listen to the Virtual Book Tour. If you can’t make the live event, you can always listen to the replay. You’ll get the link when you sign up.

(And you too will get a free book if you comment on my blog.)

If you’re an author or aspiring author, have you ever considered that you are a leader? As I mentioned in my recent Publishing Coach Weekly article, the real job of a successful author is to lead. Lead people toward your vision, lead people to interact with your ideas and do something about them.

Since you’re already a leader (author means authority), I believe you will be interested in attending the Virtual Book Tour with Nancy Ortberg next Tuesday evening. I’ll be asking Nancy Ortberg YOUR questions on leadership and how to unleash leadership potential in yourself or others.  We have dozens of questions already from all over the world!

I believe Nancy Ortberg’s “lessons in non-linear leadership” will inspire you. Nancy is a great storyteller as well, and I’ll be asking her to share some of her great stories during our interview. Storytelling is also something all authors need to do well–another benefit you will glean from listening to this VBT.

Nancy’s book is called Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands and you’ll get a free sample chapter when you sign up for the Virtual Book Tour at http://www.asknancyortberg.com. Even if you don’t have a question, or can’t make the live call next Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. Eastern, you’ll get the link to the replay afterward to listen to at your convenience.

One of my passions is to warn you of people, companies and products to avoid because they are scams.

There are lots of people who prey on the desire that so many of us have–to get our ideas out of our hearts and heads and into the world. Usually via a book (although, I keep trying to say, there are now many other ways of getting our messages out).

Anyway, I just discovered a great new blog, and of course, I just linked to it. It’s called Writer Beware. These wonderful folks are doing a great service, pointing out scams and intelligently showing why they are scams.

Bravo to Victoria Strauss, Richard White, and A.C. Crispin for a great-looking blog that provides a valuable service. Do check them out.

I’m excited to be doing several Virtual Book Tours in the coming weeks, and I’d like to invite you to the first one.

If you’re a parent or educator, or have a child in your life you’d like to love and understand better … or you just want to know more about the many ways one can be smart, check out the upcoming Virtual Book Tour with Dr. Kathy Koch, author of How Am I Smart? A Parent’s Guide to Multiple intelligences. On the upcoming Virtual Book Tour (rescheduled from October 13), we’ll be talking about the eight multiple intelligences and how to apply it to helping children succeed in school.

As usual with these Virtual Book Tours, you get to ask Dr. Kathy Koch your question, and we’ll answer submitted questions on the live teleseminar. You’ll be able to listen to via your phone (normal long-distance charges apply) or via webcast (no long-distance charges).

All the details are here. Even if you don’t have a question, sign up so you’ll get the call-in info and the link to the replay, if you can’t make the live call.

This book has helped my daughter’s self-esteem as we identified her strengths, and helped her to value her friends’ strengths as well. It’s been fun to have a “new language” to use when talking about our uniqueness.

When you sign up, you’ll get access to a sample chapter of How Am I Smart? A Parent’s Guide to Multiple Intelligences, plus a link to another interview I did with Dr. Kathy. Good stuff!

Just got a nice surprise in the mail: copies of my book, MotherStyles: Using Personality Type to Discover Your Parenting Strengths, in Korean an “Complex Chinese”!

Janet Penley, with whom I wrote the book, labeled which was which–I sure couldn’t tell! (Though the covers were vastly different. Korean went with a cartoonish cover, while the Chinese went with something similar to the American version–Moms and kids. Tried to find a picture on line–no luck.)

In the Publishing Coach Weekly teleseminar I did today, I mentioned some of the satisfactions of being a published author (before I got the mail). This is one of them: holding in your hands a book you helped write that will reach people halfway across the world.

I’d love to hear from you–what is most gratifying to you about being an author? (Or, what is it that spurs you on toward achieving the dream?)

Remember, if you comment, you get a free book!

Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern, 10 a.m. Pacific is your opportunity to get your question answered about writing, publishing, or promoting a book on the next Publishing Coach Weekly teleseminar.

Each Publishing Coach Weekly teleseminar is held at 1 p.m. Eastern, 10 a.m. Pacific, for 30-45 minutes. Here you can ask your question, before or during the call. You can also get your Action/Resource Guide the day of the call. (Replays available within 48 hours at www.publishingcoachweekly.com/teleseminarreplays.html.)

The questions I plan to answer include:

• “Are there any ways to test the idea(s) one would have for a book? No sense working hard on a manuscript if it wouldn’t have market appeal.”-Barb
• “What are some good strategies for determining market interest as well as gaps in the existing book market?”–Lynne
• “If you were to write a book, how would you rank the most important things to spend time and money on? (Topic would sell or not, market, title, cover, content, etc.–not marketing, website, etc.–just the book…)”–Johnny

Plus I’ll tell you what I think is the most important quality you need to become a successful author.

It’s all here.

Just a quick reminder that today is the first Publishing Coach Weekly class! I hope you can join me as I talk about how to connect
with your market to find out what THEY want to know from you.

Plus I’ll answer questions. We have some great ones!

To ask a question now, go to www.askyourbookpublishingcoach.com. (This will be the Ask page you can always go to for Publishing Coach Weekly teleseminars.)

For the teleseminar, you will have your choice of listening on the phone, or via the Web. You may also ask more questions right online, during the
call, via a form you fill out. (Cool, huh?)

Here’s the call-in information:

DATE: Thursday, August 28, 2008
TIME: 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern
CALL-IN NUMBER: 218-486-3696
Use Conference ID: 821610#

To attend on the Web, get your Action Guide, ask your question during the call (if there’s time), go here. Fro the replay afterward, go to www.publishingcoachweekly.com.

You are invited to the very first of many Publishing Coach Weekly teleseminars.

Each week I’ll cover a tip, questions submitted both live and prior to the call, and a resource … all designed to speed you on the path to becoming a successful author!

The teleseminar will be held on Thursdays at 10 a.m. Pacific, 12 noon Central, and 1 p.m. Eastern. They’ll only be 30-45 minutes long, so I’m hoping you can take a lunch or other break and join me.

But if not, you will be able to listen and even download the audio recording from my new site, http://www.publishingcoachweekly.com.

On that new site, you will get an article of the week, the teleseminar recording, and a recommended resource. I hope you will come back regularly!

For this week’s teleseminar, I have something very special planned.

(more…)

Devon Plumberg just interviewed me for her Blog Talk Radio “Gutzy Gab” show.

We talked about …

• my writing and publishing journey.
• how I became an author.
• how I got into publishing (despite people telling me how difficult it is to land a job in publishing).
• how I found my “calling” as a publishing coach/consultant.
• how to deal with “doubt spasms” and keep others from killing your dream.
• how to find that unique constellation of experience, gifts, talents, and passions that add up to your unique destiny and contribution to the world.

I think you might find it inspiring. (It’s 30 minutes long.)