Featured author of the week

Who Has a New Book? – Guest author Sally Cronin – What’s in a Name?

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Featured author of the week

 

I’m delighted to have over here today, author/blogger and great supporter of other artists, the talented Sally Cronin.

 

Sally always amazes me because she reads many blogs, shares many on her own blog,  hosts various series and promotions, and writes her own posts in various categories such as: short stories, health and nutrition, and more. And Sally still manages to get her book writing done. So today Sally is here to share some of her knowledge and tell us about her latest book, What’s in a Name?

Sally Cronin

About Sally:  

My name is Sally Georgina Cronin but you will find that I have had a number of variations online and for my books including Georgina Cronin and Sally Cronin.

After working in a number of industries for over 25 years, I decided that I wanted to pursue a completely different career, one that I had always been fascinated with. I began studying Nutrition and the human body twenty years ago and I opened my first diet advisory centre in Ireland in 1998. Over the last 18 years I have practiced in Ireland and the UK as well as written columns, articles and radio programmes on health and nutrition. I published my first book with a Canadian self-publisher in the late 90s and since then have republished that book and released eight others as part of our own self-publishing company. Apart from health I also enjoy writing fiction in the form of novels and short stories.

What's in a Name by Sally Cronin

Get this Book on Amazon!

 

Blurb:

There are names that have been passed down through thousands of years which have powerful and deep-rooted meaning to their bearers. Other names have been adopted from other languages, cultures and from the big screen. They all have one thing in common. They are with us from birth until the grave and they are how we are known to everyone that we meet.

There are classical names such as Adam, David and Sarah that will grace millions of babies in the future. There are also names that parents have invented or borrowed from places or events in their lives which may last just one lifetime or may become the classic names of tomorrow.

Whatever the name there is always a story behind it. In What’s in a Name? – Volume One, twenty men and women face danger, love, loss, romance, fear, revenge and rebirth as they move through their lives.

Anne changes her name because of associations with her childhood, Brian carries the mark of ancient man, Jane discovers that her life is about to take a very different direction, and what is Isobel’s secret?

 

Welcome Sal. I’m so happy to have you over today and share more of yourself and your writing with us all. So let’s dive in!

 

Can you share with us where your story ideas came from for this book?

 

I was fascinated with the origins of my name when I was young, and I asked my mother why she had called me Sally Georgina. Apparently she just liked the name Sally, but Georgina was after her mother. My grandmother was a very petite woman with small hands and feet and very ladylike.  As I grew, and grew to nearly six feet tall, with very large feet and hands I felt increasingly embarrassed by my middle name.

However, as soon as I read Enid Blyton’s Famous Five with my namesake known as George, I immediately felt much better.  Since then I have enjoyed a fascination with the origins of people’s names and this book is the outcome.

 

Is there any ‘nonfiction’ in some of the stories in this book about people you actually know, or perhaps about yourself?

 

I have used locations that I have either visited or lived in for a period of time. There are also some elements of my own experiences in those places since it is sometimes more authentic to bend the truth rather than create a new one.

 

Once again, you’ve published many of these stories on your blog as you wrote them, just as you did with The R’s of Life. Can you share you strategy with us for wanting to publish these stories on your blog first, and the benefits you found by doing so?

 

I find that it is very valuable to share the stories as early as possible for a couple of reasons. Beta readers are important to iron out elements of a story however long it might be. Faced with the task of writing 52 stories with each letter featuring a female and a male with the same letter of the alphabet, I thought that I should find out early on if the concept was going to be interesting for readers. There are a number of themes associated with the stories and it was also useful to see which themes seemed to be the most popular. Whilst you are looking at 75 to 100 people reading the post, about half might like or comment. Those stories which did not elicit the average response obviously needed some tweaking.

 

You’ve led such a creative and colorful life. Have you ever considered writing a memoir about some of the adventures you’ve experienced?

 

I think that my life has been wonderful but as everyone does, I have had my share of ups and downs regarding relationships and events. However, I feel that integrating those elements into the fictional stories instead gives me an opportunity to revisit them and change the ending to perhaps a more preferred outcome. I have used visualisation techniques in the past for myself and for my clients and using my own experiences in fiction but adapting them is actually quite therapeutic.

 

For those who don’t yet know you, you write not only short fictional stories, but you have a fantastic series on health on your blog, among many other series. What inspired you to educate yourself on the functions of the human body? And where did all the knowledge come from?

 

In my early forties, I was told that making 45 was touch and go if I did not get my weight and health issues under control. I had followed many diets touted by others, but apart from basic biology at school, I had very little knowledge of how the body worked and how to provide it with what it needed to be healthy.  That was in 1995. I spent the next two years reading books on the body and its structure and organs, and also every nutritional handbook I could get my hands on. During this time, I took what I had learned, adapted and applied it. The one thing that struck me was that most of the information available was written by academics for academics.

As I lost weight and regained my health I kept a journal in ‘plain English’ so that I could explain how the body worked and what it needed clearly; in what I hoped was an interesting and entertaining manner. My first book was followed by a monthly magazine on health covering a number of topics, which ended up being my third health book. I am inspired to continue this on the blog to spread the message of how we can take back responsibility for our body and health as far and wide as possible.

 

Your blog is titled ‘The Smorgasbord Invitation’, aptly titled for the variety of articles readers can expect to find on your blog from health to laughter to various series including, but not limited to musical featured artists, and your Blogger Daily where you share some of your favorite picks of other’s posts of the day. Besides all of this, you generously offer other writers to have their work promoted on your blog and your Virtual Book Café. I know what it takes to prepare just one blog post and I commend you for keeping up with it all besides writing books. Would you like to share anything about how readers can go about taking advantage of your generous offer, and note anything you may request in return for promoting the works of others?

 

The current promotions that are available on Smorgasbord are in this link.

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/smorgasbord-free-author-and-blogger-promotion-2017/

My blogging and my books would be the poorer if it were not for the supportive community we all belong to. I know how tough it was to promote a book before social media and blogging and if I can help another writer to get some exposure then I am only too delighted.

Of course, when it comes to my own books I am very grateful for an opportunity to promote it.  Your kindness today is a prime example of that. However, one of the key elements that I really do ask for is that authors and bloggers participate in their own promotions on Smorgasbord.

There have been occasions when an author has asked me to promote their work but then does not share on their own social media or respond to any comments. This cuts down the effectiveness of the promotion considerably.  It also discourages the readers of the promotion to share or comment the next time that author is featured.

None of us can write a book, upload to Amazon or any other site and expect readers who buy our books to flock immediately to the page and spend money.  People buy people first and they will respond much more positively to an author who communicates well than they will to silence.

 

Now, getting back to the book, What’s in a Name, please give us a little introduction to the book and share an excerpt with us.

 

There are names that have been passed down through thousands of years which have powerful and deep-rooted meaning to their bearers. Other names have been adopted from other languages, cultures and from the big screen. They all have one thing in common. They are with us from birth until the grave and they are how we are known to everyone that we meet.

 

An excerpt from the story of Clive.

The boy stirred in his cot and waved his chubby fist in the air. The mid-afternoon sun was barred from his room by the rattan blinds at the window. The slowly moving blades of the fan above his cot sent a welcome and cooling breeze across his hot skin. The rest of the house was quiet, except for the gentle snoring of his amah as she dozed fitfully on the pallet on the other side of the room.

 

The boy was called Clive and was the fourth child and first son of a naval officer and his wife who were stationed here in Trincomalee. He was three years old and his curly blonde hair now lay slick against his scalp as he recovered from the fever. It had been a worrying few days with the doctor calling in every few hours to check on his condition. The household, including his three older sisters and his parents, were exhausted having had little sleep for the last few nights.

 

Measles in this climate could be very dangerous for a child Clive’s age and he had been restricted to his cot in the darkened room to prevent the risk of blindness. Thankfully his fever had now broken, and the family having enjoyed their Sunday curry lunch, had retired to their bedrooms to sleep the afternoon away beneath their ceiling fans.

 

Clive had been woken every hour or so to sip his favourite fruit juice and water from his beaker and the doctor was now happy he was past his crisis. But, the child was now hungry and the lingering smell of the chicken curry that the family had consumed at lunchtime drifted into the room.

 

Relieved that her charge was out of danger but extremely tired, his devoted amah had failed to latch the side of Clive’s cot securely. Seeing that there was a means of escape; he lifted his body up into a sitting position and swung his bare legs over the side of the mattress. It was easy enough to slide down onto the stone floor with its fibre matting where he held onto the side of the cot for a few minutes; his legs wobbling beneath him. But he was a strong little boy who spent hours on his tricycle and swam most days and this was evident in his recovery from this recent illness. Of course his growing hunger was a great motivator.

 

Carefully he moved across the matting intent on seeing if his friend the family cook had a special plate of his favourite mild curry and banana. He moved into the hall but was disappointed that the door to the kitchen was firmly closed and the handle was out of reach of his eager fingers.

 

The door to the long veranda however was much easier to open and Clive pushed his way through into the stifling heat and the raucous sound of the monkeys in the trees in the garden. He loved the little macaques and often sat on the veranda in the cooler mornings and watched them play fight over the ripened fruit. He drifted across the wooden floor and down the two steps onto the dusty path. He was now in uncharted territory.

 

Link for book: https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Name-Sally-Cronin-ebook/dp/B01N6Y8BK1

 

Thank you so much Debby for this wonderful opportunity to talk about my blog and my latest book.. It is always a wonderful experience being here on your blog.

 

It was a pleasure having you over Sal. ❤

 

Sally Cronin's books

 

 

Connect with Sally on her social sites:

 

Read about Sally’s books and reviews:

 

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/my-books/

 

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/sallycroninbooks

 

Blog:  http://www.smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com

 

http://uk.linkedin.com/in/sallycronin1

https://twitter.com/sgc58

https://www.facebook.com/sally.cronin

https://www.facebook.com/sallygeorginacronin

https://plus.google.com/+SallyCronin/about

 

95 thoughts on “Who Has a New Book? – Guest author Sally Cronin – What’s in a Name?”

  6. This was a fantastic post! I’m fascinated by names and I’m intrigued by the twist Sally has put on learning about them. And as for the Smorgasbord blog, I’m a happy recipient of some of Sally’s attention and she is a true treasure to other authors. Good luck and best wishes on the new book!

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  7. Fantastic interview, Deb. You captured more of the enigma of Sally Cronin, whom so many of us have come to know and love. I especially enjoyed learning more about your name, Sally, as well as why you first publish your stories on your blog. Thank you both for sharing so extensively ??

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  8. REALLY fun to see Sally as the interviewee, after the many times I have enjoyed her interviews of others. GREAT job from both of you.

    Loved this: “sometimes more authentic to bend the truth rather than create a new one” – yes, and bottom-line truth is generally more relevant than accuracy!

    This was also typical Sally wisdom, “People buy people first and they will respond much more positively to an author who communicates well than they will to silence.”

    I pinned the graphic of Sally’s book linking to this interview on my Blogs and Bloggers Board. It’s about the only “social” I deal with anymore, but I do get quite a few visitors and repins, so I hope it will help a bit.

    **EVERYBODY ELSE**: If anybody reading has NOT checked out Sally’s health posts, you truly must. She explains complex processes in plain English, and I’m willing to bet that even folks who think they already know a lot about science and nutrition will learn something from each of her posts. I know I do.

    But Sally, my one burning question you did NOT answer is this:
    HOW do you manage to do all that you do? I stand in your shadow.
    xx,
    mgh
    (Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMORE dot com)
    ADD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder
    “It takes a village to transform a world!”

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    1. Thanks so much Madelyn for leaving your in-depth comments, which I adore! You are absolutely right, ‘People buy people first’, important statement. That’s why so many companies use celebrities to endorse their products, they may not know the product but they know the celebrity.
      And thanks for Pinning this to your board. I will look for you next time I’m on Pinterest. I must admit, I’m on so many sites but can’t keep up with them all, even though I have many boards and I send many posts and articles to them, I don’t get there often.
      And I had to laugh at your ‘burning question’ because that is one I’m always asking Sally, so good luck, lol. 🙂 xo

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      1. Between the two of you, you could probably double the production of any major corporation in under a year (faster if you both went on “vacation”).

        I wish science would study women with high productivity and figure out how the brain does THAT!
        xx,
        mgh

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    2. Thank you very much Madelyn for the wonderful write up and glad that enjoyed the interview as much as I did. As to the burning question… it is my job even though unpaid. I always was in the office first and out last and I still am. Having been in customer facing roles all of my career including when I started my practice as a nutritional therapist, I still need that interaction. For me helping others to be successful is very rewarding and I love it when people get something from my writing. There are other things I could be doing I am sure, but I wanted to find something I could do until I kick the bucket that is not restricted by age or gender. And your comments and Debby’s generosity are my rewards.. and the taxman is not getting a cent of it! hugs xxx

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      2. So I take it that you have abandoned sleeping, eating, bathing, grooming and going to the bathroom? 🙂

        The mere mortals among us, even those of us who get our juice from helping others, don’t get NEARLY as much accomplished as you do – and we are eagerly awaiting the recipe for your secret sauce.
        xx,
        mgh

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  9. Great interview, Sally and Debbie. I’m also amazed at how much Sally accomplishes in a day – four or five times the average person, it seems. I was also fascinated with the meanings and origins of names as a kid and I still am. “What’s in a Name” is sitting in my ipad and now with a little summer breathing room, I’m excited to read. 🙂

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    1. I think Sally amazes many of us with her juggling expertise of writing, blogging, sharing, researching, and so much more. She is a solid rock in our foundation of blogging community. 🙂

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    2. Thank you Diana. Thank goodness I have a husband who is self-sufficient most of the time.. but I love everything about it and the first thing I do in the morning is switch on my computer and say good morning to my friends. It doesn’t get much better than that. I hope you enjoy the stories. hugs xx

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  14. Nice interview Debbie. I am amazed at how much Sally can do in a day! She is a prolific blogger too, I really admire her energy and enthusiasm. Stay blessed ladies…you are my role models! 🙂

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  15. Great interview. Was fun reading more about Sally. Thanks, Debby. I still don’t know how she does it all but I’ll just sit here in amazement. Liked learning about your name, Sally. Also, how you started writing your health posts. (Love the blurb…intriguing.)

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  16. Lovely to see Sally here, today, Deb. Couldn’t agree more with what she says about those that want promotion, yet do not market the post through social media or respond to comments. As you know, not responding to comments is one of my bugbears. Make me feel like this ?

    Looking forward to returning the favour and hosting Sally over on my blog next week and for the month of May.
    Hugs to both.

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  18. Debby and Sally, this was a fantastic chat you shared with us…. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall and listen to all the stuff that never made it into the interview…I bet there would have been at least a couple of bestsellers in that lot!

    I have just finished Sally’s Just an Odd Job Girl. It’s excellent. One of the things that always strikes me when in Sally’s books is her great clarity, economy and the ease in her writing… she never misses a trick & not a word is wasted. She can turn you from laughter to sadness in an instant and sum up a character’s complex and even conflicting emotions in a couple of simple phrases.

    Now of course I know there is a great deal of raw talent involved. You two are living proof to that… but there is also a great deal of skill required to hone raw talent… Again living proof!

    My questions are:
    Where and how did you learn to hone your prodigious gift Sally?
    What lessons can you share with us about your approach to writing & technique?
    And how much work do you still have to put into your writing to make it look so easy?

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    1. Paul, thank you for your lovely compliments and for commenting on Sally’s multi-talented skills. I had to laugh at ‘the fly on the wall’, but suffice it to say, Sal and I have some great conversations, and I should think if her and I ever collaborated on a nonfiction book, it just may be up there in the ratings, lol. And one more thing, I just loved ‘Just an Odd Job Girl’ I pegged Sally right away and knew who Imogene really was, lol. Ok, enough from me, I’ll let Sally reply and answer your questions tomorrow when she sees this. 🙂

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    2. Thank you Paul for the lovely comment and I am tickled pink that you love Imogen’s story.

      As to your questions…. I was thinking about story telling the other day when watching Anne of Green Gables and her fantasizing abilities she used to overcome her feelings of being an outsider and different. I spent quite a bit of time on my own as a child often in alien territory. My two older sisters had left home by the time I was 8 and we moved around such a lot that I always seemed to be joining already formed groups of children at school and attempting to make new friends.

      I also dived into books, reading novels way above my pay grade because most were nicked off my father’s library stack on his bedside table. This gave me quite a mature outlook on life. When I walked to school most were a mile away and I would create stories in my head (these days I would have been listening to my iPod or texting). As a result my essays were always liberally sprinkled with liberties (which is why I rarely got an A+) but my reports always said I had an active imagination!!!!

      Also, since I was being constantly thrust into insinuating myself into one girls’ clique or another I used humour to gain entry.. I would share one of my father’s mildly smutty jokes and there would be a lot of sniggering and no doubt some slaps when they went home and repeated to their parents.

      I was also immersed at home in the comedy of the time which my father preferred .. Morecambe and Wise, Tommy Cooper, Benny Hill, The Navy Lark, Spike Milligan etc. One liners were the best… I also liked Dave Allen and still love Billy Connolly. They told stories about ordinary people but in such a funny way they endeared you to them. By necessity they were short and it was up to you as the listener to add the detail.

      So I think that may be where my style was honed… I do think of it as a gift but for me.. because when someone tells me they love a short story or in this case Imogen’s story, it feels like Christmas.

      I think the above also applies to your next question.. I write about life, what has happened to me but also to people that I have met. Do not sit next to me on a plane as I will have your life story before we have left the tarmac.. This interrogation technique came in very useful when interviewing guests on radio and television. I had to do a lot of research beforehand as with writing a story or book… I had to get my facts right… I had to find the key elements that made the interview interesting, especially when it was a 30 minute profile interview… and I had to make it look and sound seamless.

      And this applies to writing too.. Whatever century we are writing about past, present or future all our stories contain people. If they are authentic the story will be too. You have to get your facts right… you cannot write about a century that you have not experienced without doing massive research… But it is the characters who will connect to with your reader and you need to make them stand out.

      Before Debby kicks me out for being long winded…….I am still that young girl walking to school and fantasizing about life and people except now I am usually on my treadmill. All my stories begin in my head and get replayed over and over until I sit down and type them. I do like to use images as prompts, especially old black and white family photographs with people in them that I do not know.. I am delighted that I make it look easy… but when you are doing something you love it hopefully comes across that way.

      Thanks Paul… hope I have answered your questions and that Debby is still talking to me.. Perhaps a smutty joke might be in order… did you hear the one about……

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      1. Fantabulous Sal! You could write a book on my page and I’d never kick you out!!!! Your childhood, although different than mine was similar to mine in so many ways as far as trying to fit in. It’s no wonder we have such a wonderful connection. ❤ xoxo

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      4. Well girls thanks for the bonus entertainment to Sally’s thorough and insightful answer. And thank you for taking the time to answer in such detail Sally…
        I always love to read about others writers inspiration and writing techniques as there is always something to learn (that in the end helps me to become a better writer.) You gavesome great tips especially about working out your plots and stories while exercising- what a brilliant way to take your mind off hard graft. A perfect end to a perfect interview.
        Luv to both Paul X

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      5. Thank you so much Paul for sharing your thoughts here. It’s a real treat having you over and interacting with us gals. 🙂 ❤

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  19. What a lovely post, Sally and Debby. Not only did it provide a wonderful extract of a story from Sally’s book but I learned a lot of new information about Sally. I could never imagine you being overweigh, Sally, you have so much drive and energy which doesn’t go with the concept of poor health. Fantastic that you have learned so much about diet and health and overcome this obstacle in your path of life.

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    1. Thanks so much for reading Robbie. I’d like to add that weight is a constant battle for many, and sometimes it’s very hard to lose those extra pounds, especially once menopause hits and your body changes and your waist line mysteriously disappears, lol. 🙂

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  20. This is a wonderful interview with Sally! I love Sally and her books! She is an amazing lady who gives so much of herself to help others. She has a kind and generous nature that is filled with endless enthusiasm for others. I don’t know how she accomplishes all that she does so gracefully. She is an author’s best friend! Thank you for highlighting Sally’s books and giving her a well deserved time in the spotlight for a change!
    Best wishes to you Deb and Sal. Blessings, hugs and much love! ❤️Xx

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    1. Thank you so much Janice for YOUR kind words. How Sal manages to get so much done is a true mystery which seems to be the $64,000 question, lol. 🙂 ❤

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  21. How lovely to meet Sally here, Debby. She is a very prolific writer and amazing blogger. Her name pops up in my inbox, not only for her posts, but on the posts of many other bloggers too. She is extremely generous. I don’t know how she does it. I’m in awe.

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    1. Lol Norah,it seems we all want to know Sally’s magic formula. I was thrilled for her to make time to answer some questions and be featured here. 🙂

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  22. Sally is so inspiring in so many ways… And I learnt lots of new things here within this interview with Sally Debby.. Many thanks for sharing .. And for asking all the right questions.. 🙂 ❤ ❤ Love to both you fine Ladies.. ❤

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  23. Thanks for inviting Sally over to your blog, Debby. She is such a model and saint to all of us bloggers (and writers) and I am amazed that she gets to fit in all the work, writing, promoting, inviting, reviews and anything else in the same 24 hours I have. 🙂 I hope that every writer she promotes returns the favor somehow or at least thanks her, re-posts and answers comments; it would only make sense.

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    1. Thank you so much Liesbet. Yes, how Sally manages to do all is enigma, lol. It’s a wonderful community we have and if we all share, reblog, comment, etc., we’re all giving back to each other in some way and gaining new readership in the process. 🙂

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