Kudos to Daytime Blue Ridge

That's me in the middle with my beautiful daughter sitting next to me on the set of Daytime Blue Ridge. A friend of mine said I looked bored, but nervous is probably more the case. And, had I realized the producer was taking a wide shot of all of the guests, instead of one at a time, I probably would have at least attempted a smile!

Daytime Blue Ridge is a local news and entertainment show which runs on WSLS, the NBC affiliate in Roanoke, at noon. Yesterday was my first live television appearance being interviewed for my books. I have to say all the folks at DBR were great. They made me feel very comfortable. Natalie Faunce was a great interviewer and even prettier in person. And Jeff Haniwiech, who filled in for Mike Wilson, has a fun personality. No wonder my daughter wants to work there after graduation.

Those of you who are either friends or fans of my Facebook Author Page probably have already seen this interview, but for those who haven't here it is...



Four minutes goes very fast and I tried to get in as much as the time would allow, without speaking as fast as I normally do. I have to give props to Daytime Blue Ridge for being so supportive of the Roanoke community. They recognize there's talent in these dar hills and have graciously given us a place to introduce viewers to our various endeavors.

One of the main obstacles an independent author faces is that too many media outlets refuse to give credence to our work. Although I have received support and interviews in local publications, efforts to get my books reviewed have been thwarted. Our local newspaper, The Roanoke Times, refuses to not only review any self-published author, but also accept reviews from others for self-published books. As I have been a paid columnist, as well as a free contributor to a blog, the irony is not lost on me.

I think the local newspapers are making a huge mistake by following in the footsteps of the New York Times and other publications who shut out reviews of independent author books. More and more people are turning to eReaders and discovering authors they never would have if they just read who's on the best-selling list. Snooki was on the NYT bestselling list. Need I say more?

As local newspapers are losing more and more readers, it's my belief they need to focus more on the talents in the community, and not just by listing where and when a specific person is having a reading, etc. Tell them about the book. Let the readers tell us about a book they read. Get everyone involved. Frankly, I don't see the difference between a local author who publishes via a University Press and/or a small publishing company who sells a handful of "real" books, versus a self-published independent author who may even sell more books on-line than either of those. It's the story that matters, not the ISBN number, or if a book is in a brick and mortar store. The times, they are a changing, and newspapers need to change with them. My advice to them...Take a page from Daytime Blue Ridge...Stop following and start leading!