Name:

Hometown: Dexter, NY

Book Title: Written in the Stars

Genre: Fictional Romance

Dorrance Publishing (DP): Describe your book in 10 words or less.

Lorie O’Brien (LO): A story about love and loss.

DP: What made you want to write your book?

LO: I have always dreamed of being a writer. As I got older, I would come up with characters and ideas and write things in a journal. In September 2018, a dear friend of mine passed away unexpectedly at the age of 47. His passing made me realize how short life was and that I needed to make my dream come true.

DP: How long did it take you to write your book?

LO: It took about six months to write the book. If I had been able to write full-time I would’ve been able to finish it sooner.

DP: How do you choose the names of your characters?

LO: A few of the names of the characters in Written in the Stars are actually the names of several people I went to high school with.

DP: What do you do when you have writer’s block?

LO: I am an avid runner. I love it because it helps me to leave everything behind and clear my mind. It’s great for writer’s block. I’ve gotten some of my best ideas worked out while running.

DP: What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

I think my favorite part was Part 2 with some of the twists that were thrown into the story. The ending was fun to write as well.

DP: If you were stuck on an island and had to have one person from each category with you, who would they be and why:

a. One character from your book:

LO: I would definitely pick Mac. Although he wasn’t one of the main characters from the book, to me he was the sweetest and most caring of them all.

b. One fictional character:

LO: Honestly, probably Marley from Marley and Me because I love dogs more than people!

c. One famous person (living or dead):

LO: I would probably want to spend my time on an island with Matthew McConaughey because I love the sound of his voice and his accent.

DP: Besides writing, what are your other interests?

LO: I’m an avid runner, and I just ran my first half marathon in September 2019.

DP: Do you keep a journal?

LO: Sometimes I do, but mostly I’m so busy on the road with my job that I just send myself voice emails throughout the day when I have things I need to remember.

DP: How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?

LO: My husband and I went out to dinner with our two daughters.

DP: If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters?

Mac… Adam Gregory
Lindsey… Analeigh Tipton
Dylan… Luke Benward
Michael… James Maslow
Melissa… Eleanor Tomlinson

DP: What did you enjoy most about working with Dorrance Publishing?

LO: Dorrance gave me the freedom to pretty much make the book what I wanted it to be without much tweaking on their end.

DP: Five favorite books of all time?

1. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Piccoult
2. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
4. Every Fifteen Minutes by Lisa Scottoline
5. The Pact by Jodi Piccoult

DP: One sentence of advice for other writers:

The best advice I could give is to be patient and let the story come at its own pace, don’t force it.

Are you ready to publish your book? Contact us today!

The post Author Spotlight: Lorie O’Brien appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Hometown: Reno, Nevada

Book Title: The Disney Apprentice: Transferable Lessons Learned

Genre: Non-Fiction

Dorrance Publishing (DP): Describe your book in 10 words or less.

Chuck Shields (CS): Stories in Disney culture, leadership, and transferable best practices.

DP: What made you want to write your book?

CS: My wife and daughter, who work with me in my consulting practice, urged me to take time out to share my Disney stories and experiences. I wanted organizations to understand how many of the best practices and cultural interventions designed at Disney can be successfully integrated into other organizations. My challenge at ManorCare/Choice Hotels Intl. was to see if we could use several of the best practices in an entirely different industry. It worked and we set new standards for the healthcare industry for Talent Management.

DP: How long did it take you to write your book?

CS: Eight months. Included fun stories, best practices, lessons learned, and Disney trivia.

DP: How do you choose the names of your characters?

CS: Used actual people and experiences.

DP: What do you do when you have writer’s block?

CS: I avoided writer’s block for the most part by spending considerable time upfront in developing a sequential outline. Occasionally had to stop and review where I was on the outline and create bullet points on the issues I wished to address.

DP: What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

CS: A toss-up between discussing my time leading the Disney University, which was described to me by the President of our Theme Parks worldwide as the “Keeper of the Keys of our culture” and my years at Imagineering helping recruit the creative design staff, the engineering team, project management team and prototype manufacturing group that designed, engineered, and built EPCOT Center and our first overseas version of Disneyland in Tokyo, Japan.

DP: If you were stuck on an island and had to have one person from each category with you, who would they be and why:

a. One character from your book:

CS: Van France, the first Manager of the Disney University. He and I developed a wonderful relationship during my Disney Days.

b. One fictional character:

CS: None.

c. One famous person (living or dead):

CS: George Bush Sr.

DP: Besides writing, what are your other interests?

CS: Still consulting with some very interesting organizations. Golf and my 7 grandchildren.

DP: Do you keep a journal?

CS: No, but I should.

DP: How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?

CS: Sent copies to my family and close friends.

DP: If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters?

CS: Not sure it would work as a movie.

DP: What did you enjoy most about working with Dorrance Publishing?

CS: There interest in marketing the book.

DP: Five favorite books of all time?

CS: 1. The Host 2. Clive Cussler books 3. The Da Vinci Code 4. Jack Reacher

DP: One sentence of advice for other writers:

CS: It’s hard work, but a great feeling of accomplishment when completed.

Are you ready to publish your book? Contact us today!

The post Author Spotlight: Chuck Shields appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Name: Jennifer Shaw Cronin

Hometown: Medfield, MA

Book Title: Under the Hidden Moon

Genre: Adventure

Dorrance Publishing (DP): Describe your book in 10 words or less.

Jennifer Cronin (JC): A fun action/adventure story featuring strong, independent women.

DP: What made you want to write your book?

JC: I love to read and I had wanted to write a book for the past 15 years. I had a couple of false starts, but this time I persevered!

DP: How long did it take you to write your book?

JC: 11 months

DP: How do you choose the names of your characters?

JC: I have always loved the name Fiona and if I had had a boy, we would have named him Liam. The other names I just looked online at names and picked the ones I liked. For my villain, Abbott Nelson, I have no idea where that name came from it just pooped right out onto the page.

DP: What do you do when you have writer’s block?

JC: I usually do research or read instead of trying to force words.

DP: What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

JC: I enjoyed their trip to Alaska. Someday I would love to go to Alaska so I had fun reading travel books, looking at photographs online and doing the general research that went into writing about their trip.

DP: If you were stuck on an island and had to have one person from each category with you, who would they be and why:

a. One character from your book:

JC: Fiona, she is pretty tough and would keep things interesting.

b. One fictional character:

JC: Jamie Fraser from the Outlander series!

c. One famous person (living or dead):

JC: Robin Williams

DP: Besides writing, what are your other interests?

JC: I love CrossFit, hiking, reading, and cooking.

DP: Do you keep a journal?

JC: I do, and I write in it almost every day.

DP: How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?

JC: I haven’t really celebrated yet. I must admit I’ve been a bit anxious about the whole process. All of a sudden, I am putting my work out there for everyone to see and judge. I think I will celebrate after my book signing my first event!

DP: If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters?

JC: Maybe Amy Adams for Fiona and Chris Hemsworth for Liam.

DP: What did you enjoy most about working with Dorrance Publishing?

JC: Everyone has been so supportive each step of the way. It was always easy to ask a question and I never felt like my questions weren’t important.

DP: Five favorite books of all time?

JC: This is a tough one! There are so many books I love. I know the entire Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon is a real favorite. Dean Koontz’s Intensity for scaring me to death. Michael Crichton’s Timeline. I saw her speak the day her book was released and have a signed copy, Disappearing Earth by Julia Philips and Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone.

DP: One sentence of advice for other writers:

JC: Make it a habit to write every day even if it’s only a couple of words.

Are you ready to publish your book? Contact us today!

The post Author Spotlight: Jennifer Shaw Cronin appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.