Friday, June 28, 2013

Abundance Triggers by Kanta Bosniak--Interview and Review


How have you been able to use social media (Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, etc.) to help market your book?

I have an author page on Goodreads and I’m planning a giveaway with the release of “Twin Flames,” the next book in my “love poems” series. I tweet when I have a new release, review, or blog post. I recently joined Google + and post there too. I love Facebook because I’m an artist as well as writer and it’s so visual. Also, I love the vibrant, supportive, and spiritual community there. So many amazing people who make me laugh and touch my heart. I feel engaged and have a sense of dialog as I post. It’s a party, a coffee klatch, and a spiritual salon all rolled into one. I have an author page, a coaching page, a weddings page, and pages for a couple specific publications. They interact. The love poems series is very wedding-y. The author page relates to coaching. I share from one page to the other and from all pages to my personal page. 

Do you have any advice for new authors looking to promote themselves on these sites?

Yes. Don’t make it all about work and selling a product. Put your heart into it. Have fun and invite others to have fun with you. In so doing, you will find more pleasure and the pleasure will be contagious. We’re here to serve, and when we serve, our energy investment naturally returns to us multiplied. We’re also here to be happy, and I think happiness is one of the ways we do serve! There’s a definite goofiness factor in much of what I post on Facebook and in the conversations I most enjoy.

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about when I say to put the fun first. I have a page for my weight loss book, “Lose Weight in Alpha State” and my audiobook guided imagery “Lose Weight in Theta State.” I found it boring and dry to go there and just directly promote, so I neglected the page. Then one day, I decided that since weight loss for most women is so connected to self- concept and self-presentation, and since I love clothes, accessories and all the girly stuff, I’d change the page name to “Kanta Bosniak Beauty & Style.” Now, it’s a lot more fun for me and my page guests because the publication posts are like occasional sponsor messages and all the other posts are empowering and entertaining eye candy.

What type of writing routine do you have? Any tips you can share about it?

If you want to be a writer, write. Write every day, or most days. Think of yourself as a professional and schedule it into your day. I leave time in the early morning for jotting down new ideas. Then, I flesh it out later. Editing is a separate task. I let the inspiration flow and then tighten it up later.

How has it been trying to balance your writing with your day job and/or family life? Is there anything you would change?

I prefer to write in the morning, which works really well with my other activities, as I do most of my other business later in the day. In my longtime marriage to the father of my now grown son, I never had a problem pursuing creative activities. It has always been part of my life. I’m now dating and still, no problem. If anything, the opposite; I have amazing support from my friends and loved ones. I think it’s important to surround yourself with people to accept you for who you are, recognize that you need quiet time and solitude to work, and support you in doing what you do by respecting your boundaries.

Setting is an extremely important aspect in grabbing your readers’ attention. What made you choose to set your book in the setting you chose?

I realize that this interview form is framed for fiction authors. For them this is a great and relevant question, because for readers of this blog who are writers, it’s one that is very helpful to consider. I’m not a fiction writer, but I’ll answer it anyway. 

I’m a writer and illustrator of mind/body/spirit books, thematic coloring books, books of sacred love poems, and script books for hypnotherapists and spiritual practitioners. I also write, perform and produce guided imagery audiobooks. Setting doesn’t come into play in any of these genres, except, in a sense, the guided imageries. These are really personalized mythic journeys that occur after a longish and purposefully boring relaxation process. The goal is to help the conscious mind rest with soothing language and stylized cadence, so it isn’t paying attention. It’s a weird form, which I happen to love. And it’s the opposite of fiction, screenwriting or public speaking, where you want to grab their attention from the get-go.

What types of books do you read? How do you think they have influenced your writing.

I read the poetry of Rumi, Hafiz, the English Romantics, the Transcendentalists, Neruda, T.S. Eliot, Mary Oliver. I read books about Peruvian and Hawaiian shamanism, New Thought books, and books in the detective/mystery genre. My current favorites are Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch and Janet Evanovitch’s Stephanie Plum series. I like a balance of lyrical and crisp and humor is a plus. As a kid, I read every myth, fable, fairy and folk tale I could get a hold of. Probably the most influential book was “The Little Engine That Could.” I loved the art, the story and the message. “I think I can,” said the Little Train as he focused his thoughts and climbed the mountain to take the toys and good things to eat to the children on the other side. I wanted to grow up to be a writer and artist who could inspire people like that book inspired me. Affirmative Prayers R Us!

My thoughts:
Abundance Triggers is an excellent book for guiding us into the right state of mind. It's especially helpful to those who have been experiencing difficulties in life. Bosniak encourages the use of a journal to explore the ideas in her book and even gives questions we can answer in our journals. She also encourages drawing and including other forms of art in our journals. In fact, she even included drawings and quotes in the book drawn and written in her own hand. The last chapter focuses on Prayer and Meditation with various techniques to assist in the practice. I've been wanting to initiate meditation in my life so this will be an excellent resource for my doing so. 

Bosniak has written a wonderful spiritual guide here. In telling her own experiences, she shows her connection to the practices she teaches. I plan on keeping this book close by my side, especially on those days when I need a spiritual lift.

About the book:
Most people get that "happy" is the launch pad for personal and professional success. But, where's the "happy button?" Author, minister and coach Kanta Bosniak has made a lifetime study of state-shifting and offers readers a whole toolbox of happy buttons she calls abundance triggers."

"Abundance Triggers is a practical how-to for shifting negative thoughts and the emotions they produce to those good feelings which boost energy and support well-being. Bosniak begins with simple yet efficient physical awareness techniques and guides readers through a process of how to build their own more advanced and personalized triggers for relaxation, increased energy and sense of purpose.

Once the toolbox is built, she then delves deeper into disengaging those limiting beliefs and the habitual negative emotions they generate and replacing the old sad "stories" with more resourceful ones. Bosniak also shares entertaining anecdotes and personal stories. Her writing voice is warm, conversational and engaging and the book is filled with refreshingly lighthearted and whimsical doodle art as well as creative journaling exercises to help the reader anchor and habituate a feel-good new "normal."

About the author:
Kanta Bosniak is an artist, writer and minister with over 40 years experience an educator in spiritual growth. She is a frequent speaker at churches, universities and conferences throughout the US. Venues have included Yale, Columbia, SUNY, Virginia Tech, UNCW, Camp LeJeune Midway Center for US Marines, The Association for Research and Enlightenment, Unity Churches, and many more. Kanta is the author of 12 books and 5 audio recordings and was twice Artist-in-Residence at Omega Institute. Collectors of Kanta's art include a Nobel Prize Winner, an Emmy-winning producer, a popular television actress, several authors, a U.S. National champion athlete and people of all walks of life. She is listed in Who's Who in American Women.

Book Website:
http://www.KantaBosniak.com

This book tour was organized by Pump Up Your Book.

A copy of this book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for providing it.

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