Tag: award-winning author

An Epic Martial Arts Movie?

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Ninja Notes.

I recently posted my less than stellar editorial book review I received last year after my book, “The Reluctant Ninja: How A Middle-Aged Princess Became A Warrior Queen.” was released to the world. Fortunately, that review did not break my spirit. Instead, I was able to shake it off and move on, which is a skill I developed with my martial arts training. I’m glad I didn’t let it get to me, because the second one I received had an entirely different opinion, and here it is. As reviewed by FF of Readers’ Favorite: “Betrayed by a predator hidden in plain sight as a medical practitioner, Cheryl found herself battling PTSD and alone with nobody to talk to and share her traumatic experience with. Fortunately, Cheryl’s acupuncturist convinces her to take...

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Patience, Perseverance, and Number #1 Best Seller

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Cheryl's View.

Patience and perseverance are two valuable principles I learned in my martial arts training. It means that our focus is on the journey, rather than the end result. And it explains why the students that come to our dojo with their primary goal of becoming a black belt are usually gone in just a few months. Because everything takes time and effort. The same applies to every aspect of life. Focus on the journey, put in the time, the effort, and see what unfolds. That’s exactly what happened when I published my first book. I just focused on the journey, even though it was incredibly labor intensive. When I heard that the “real work” in writing a book begins after it’s published, I found it hard to believe. After all, it took me two and a half years to write it. In reality,...

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Writer’s Block

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Cheryl's View.

Writer’s block. Two words that can strike fear in the heart of every writer. And, like every writer, I have experienced it before, but nothing like I did over the past few months. It was so bad that I couldn’t write anything, not even my grocery list. I would sit at my kitchen table, pen and paper in hand (yes, I am that old-fashioned), and stare off into space. I even tried to get some inspiration by flipping through a few of my favorite cookbooks. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. The blank paper seemed to mock me as I tapped the pen to my head trying to get some creative synapses firing. And still, I had nothing. Great. My Red Booth Writer’s Group was getting ready to rally and come up with another four new articles to submit to The Pueblo Chieftain, and I couldn’t even come...

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Episode #37: Life Is Stranger Than Fiction

Written by Cheryl on . Posted in Femininja Podcast.

Life really can be stranger than fiction. It can also provide you with remarkable opportunities, if you know how to look for them. In this episode, award winning author Helen Starbuck describes how she has done exactly that to create her award winning mystery series, “The Annie Collins Mysteries.” Helen also shares her many “secret weapons” she uses in developing her characters and making them come to life, as well as how she decides when and how to kill them off, so to speak. After all, it IS a mystery series! She intertwines her professional experiences an operating room RN with her personal experiences to come up with unique story ideas, and reflects on how her career as a medical professional influences her stories. She talks about why it’s so important to step out of your comfort zone,...

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