Travels With My Lovers

Media Kit



A photo of Erica Miner











• How long have you been writing, and what inspired you to become a writer?
• How much of your personality and life experiences factor into your writing?
• Which comes first, the story or the characters and does the setting play a significant part in your story creation?
• Do you find loves scenes difficult to write?
• What has been your greatest challenge as a writer?
• What are you currently working on?
• Why did you write Travels With My Lovers?
• Why do you find travel so inspiring for your writing?
• Where are the most 'romantic' traveling destinations?
• How would you encourage other women writers?
• Why do you believe journaling is such a powerful tool?
• Why is journaling especially valuable for writers?
• What made you decide to write Travels With My Lovers?
• Why did you write it as fiction? How much truth is in it?
• What can single moms do to find satisfying relationships and what lessons can they learn from your book?
• Do I really have to kiss a lot of frogs to find my soulmate?
• How can single mothers benefit from traveling?



INTERVIEW REPRINTS


Betty Dobson’s ‘Heritage Writer’ - April 2006

What motivated you to start writing?

A couple of major childhood events started me on the path. The first happened when I was seven. Many years ago in Detroit, where I grew up, there was actually money in the budget for after school activities in the public schools. I was placed in a Creative Writing class for gifted students - someone evidently saw a spark there - and I absolutely loved it. But writing was put on the back burner a year or so after that, when I started playing violin. Then when I was thirteen and about to start high school, my dad presented me with a journal. That rekindled my love for writing, and I journaled all my high school experiences until the day I left for college. Because of those journals, my recall of that time in my life is so vivid that I am now working on a novel series based on those events – despite the fact that the journals themselves are no longer in my possession.

What is the primary source of inspiration for you?

Inspiration comes from many sources. Sometimes a piece of music evokes events or feelings from my past, and I write about that. In my novel series, in fact, music is the primary source, since I’ve played so many hundreds of pieces during my musical life and listening to them creates a desire to hearken back to a particular event and/or the person connected to it. But mostly I’m inspired by the stories that pop into my head and dwell within my heart; those are the stories I am compelled to write.

Do you write when the muse strikes, or do you follow a writing schedule? Please describe your process.

Both. If I need to come up with a totally new concept or idea, I wait till the muse strikes – that is, if I have the luxury of waiting for it! But if I have an assignment, or need to rewrite an existing piece, I stick to a schedule. After completing my morning ritual (breakfast, exercise, etc.) I devote mid- to late morning to writing; after a break for lunch and perhaps a short walk (unless I’m on a roll and don’t want to take a break), I spend the rest of the afternoon writing. If I’m in the midst of something really important, I’ll spend a good chunk of the evening writing as well. So it’s morning, noon and night. Weekends I generally slow down a little to spend time with my hubby; but if there’s something I absolutely must finish, e.g. someone out there is waiting for a piece – I work through the weekend, too.

What have you done to promote yourself as a writer? What's left to do?

When I first published my novel, Travels With My Lovers, I started out by exploring the Web for opportunities of all kinds. I wrote to editors asking for reviews, looked for places to do book signings, etc. I printed up postcards, business cards and flyers about me and about my book, wrote up a press release and send them all out. I visited bookstores to drum up book signings. I made contact with as much media as I could manage (radio, online sites) to do interviews. The next phase involved making myself known and getting the word out. I entered the Direct from the Author Book Awards and won the Fiction Prize. I started lecturing, mostly around my home base of Southern California, and was lucky enough to land a gig lecturing for Celebrity Cruise Lines. (I would say that lecturing is the best way to become known and to sell books, by the way.) I’ve given courses and workshops online and in such venues as The Learning Annex. Then I developed a web site and eventually started writing and sending out a monthly newsletter, geared mostly to writers but including ‘fun stuff’ to read as well. But there is so much left to do! I would of course love to be on TV – after lecturing on the high seas I think I’m ready for that! – especially on Oprah (in that, I’m no different than anyone else, right?) I’m slated to lecture at some writers’ conferences and would like to expand my sphere in that direction. There’s a saying, ‘Writing is 5% writing and 95% promotion.’ No truer words were ever spoken; it never ends!

When did you discover your unique voice? How long did the process take?

Initially it began when I was studying screenwriting, which is a discipline far different from and far more difficult (to my mind) than any other form of writing. Since a screenplay is (ideally) such a visual form, I was motivated to create something altogether unique, and my voice seemed to emerge from that. That’s been developing over the last ten years or so. But I think it when I was writing Travels With My Lovers, about three years ago, that my writing voice mellowed and evolved into something close to what it is now. Ultimately, though, I think a voice in the writing sense continues to grow and evolve over a writer’s lifetime.

What do you consider your greatest achievement as a writer?

If by ‘achievement’ you mean recognition, then I’d say it’s the awards I’ve gotten for my novel, screenplays and poetry. If, on the other hand, you’re referring to achievement in my heart and soul, I’d say it’s the fact that I’ve actually written and completed two novels, three volumes of a novel series and six screenplays. That’s my body of work so far, and I feel really accomplished in that regard.

What's the most recent book you read?

I just finished Che Guevara’s Motorcycle Diaries. I thought the movie was fabulous, and I used it as one example of the influence of Journaling in films in my lecture on the subject. Right now I’m also reading Sylvia Plath’s Complete Journals (also for my film lectures) and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (for the sheer pleasure, but also to study the writing of a truly talented and skillful writer.)

Who are the writers you admire most?

J.K Rowling, to begin with (speaking of Harry Potter.) Not only did she succeed against immense odds, she is a perfect example of how believing in oneself should be a writer’s top priority – not to mention what an inspiration she’s been to single moms (I’ve been in that category!) Others I admire include Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, Victor Hugo, Marge Piercy, Laura Esquivel, Margaret Atwood, Helen Fielding and Erica Jong.

What's your best piece of advice for novice writers?

My screenwriting teacher in New York gave us a mantra that I always put forth to those I’ve mentored or who have asked me advice: KEEP GOING. Beyond the craft, the promotion frenzy and the other integral aspects of being a writer, perseverance is the bottom line. Stay the course and you will reap the rewards – with a large dose of patience, naturally!

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Just that I appreciate the opportunity to broadcast some of my views in your astonishing newsletter, Betty. May we all find 2006 to be the year of our dream fulfillment!


MY ARTICLES ON-LINE



The Power of Journaling: Part 1
Journaling is such an empowering tool...

A Spirited Woman’s Journaling Voyage
The SpiritedWoman.com

Nice Girls Can Be Naughty – A Series of Articles by Erica Miner
CoAbodeBlog.org

The Power of Journaling for Writers
AbsoluteWrite.com

Use Journaling to Manage Fear
Get ReadyForLove.com

Tales from a Journaling Queen – A Journal of a Voyage
QueensDreams.Blogspot.com

Italian Romantic Getaways
LifeInItaly.com

REVIEWS


The Light Connection
Book: Travels with My Lovers
By Erica Miner, 1st Books Publishing. 2002;
199 pages ISBN 1-IS4033-1764-X (pbk); 760-431-1713.

August 2006

From the Beaujolais bars of Montmartre to the monastic cells of Tuscany, the splendor of Europe is the setting for this romantic adventure novel, the story of five phases in a womans existence through her many travels and her many loves.

This fictional account of the life of a young female musician begins as her husband sends her off to Europe with their children. Young, alive and adventurous, she stumbles, plunges and nose-dives into exhilarating romantic situations that are poignant and funny because they reflect every womans actual or imagined adventures into the world of travel and romance. What woman wouldn't delight in the thought of an Italian lover who manages to fit his hand with a winning smile into jeans she had to struggle to zip up? And that's just for starters.

The story traverses five different stages of her life, from young wife and mother about to discover a dark secret about her husband... to emancipation via divorce... to the freedom allowed as her children enter their teen years... to that time in life when memory tempts her to seek out a former love... and finally, to the time when her children are grown and she returns to New York far more enlightened and indisputably wiser.

A good first novel. The style is heady, sensual, personal, easy to read and enjoy. If you're a woman who has lived this life, you'll have lots to look back on and smile about in your old age. If you've been more conservative in your romantic encounters, you'll find Travels with My Lovers a delightful vicarious experience of a life you might have had if you had only dared to take that walk on the wild side. Either way, you are sure to experience the agony of what it means to be an American woman on the loose in Europe.

—Chiwah


BeMoreYou.com
Travels With My Lovers by Erica Miner (Book Review)

Posted: Friday, July 29, 2005
Section: Amazing

There are three basic requirements for essential summer reading. First, a novel enjoyed by the beach or pool should provide romantic escape from everyday life. Second, it should be a little racy but avoid the cheesy predictability of your mom’s old Harlequin books in which a guy named Thorpe “takes” a gal named Chastity on a deserted beach in Fiji. Third, it should contain something for the thinking woman to ruminate upon—one of life’s big questions. Travels With My Lovers (2003) does all of this. Former Metropolitan Opera violinist and currently sought after writer Erica Miner tells the fictional tale of an American woman ‘addicted’ to European men. She learns a lot about herself in her quest for true love and more importantly, self love. For me the novella calls to mind what a woman once told me at a yoga retreat I attended in a remote locale one New Year’s Eve. We were without contact with the outside world. Still, her husband drove 4 hours to bring her a romantic dinner and some champagne. We all marveled at his dedication. In her late 40s, she confided that they were both divorcees and newlyweds. “Funny,” she said that night, “Even when I was married to another man, I knew that my true husband was out there, married to someone else.” In her lonely post-breakup years she kept the faith and ‘the one’ came along. That’s the lesson of this book. There really is someone amazing out there waiting for all of us. For light reading, Miner’s handiwork is a treat. 
--MB


MidwestBookReview.com
Travels With My Lovers by Erica Miner
1st Books Library
Author Services (publicity)
2595 West Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404-2782
1403317658 $13.95 1-800-839-8640

Travels With My Lovers by Erica Miner is a sexual and transcendental novel. A New York woman who travels to Europe and experiences the depth and breadth of life and love. As a young wife and mother who uncovers a life-altering secret about her husband, to a gay divorcee with children to be concerned about, to a soulmate in a quest for a former love, and finally, returning to her home soil when her kids are grown, the heroine of this narrative experiences a broad range of emotion and maturity. Travels With My Lovers is a sensual and involving saga, adroitly presented and skillfully narrated.



FAN CLUB/QUOTES/KUDOS


""Travels With My Lovers Lovers was totally believable. Also nice to have the feminine perspective.""
Gary Gretencort

""I LOVED "Travels" so well written, intriguing, fun and poignant! I actually gobbled it up. It took me back to my experiences post college...aah those were our salad days! A terrific read throughout!"
Joyce Della Chiesa

""Captivated - I feel like I'm on a tour of a country I've never seen. I must say I love the book. I love the woman's confusion, pain, and lust. It's like watching a butterfly explode out of a cocoon...It's hot, yes, and it's lots of fun.""
Kenneth Wolman, writer

"Just finished Travels With My Lovers. The book has affected me deeply by its honest revelations of sexual desires that become unleashed under the influence of alcohol and an exceedingly romantic imagination and thirst for love and adventure. Good job!"
Lee Ryan

"Erica Miner - one excellent writer, journalist, and musician (no one knows more about music!)... Reading her work for me is witnessing an artist draw from her personal experience and distill/transform it with perception and insight into a communicative act.Check out her books, folks!"
David Hammond, Opera and Theater Director

"...you draw from experience and organize it honestly into art...your very perceptive and meaningful exploration...gave me such an insight into your development as a writer...you don't reiterate experience, you mine it for understanding, as any artist should."
David Hammond, opera and theater director

"The book worked marvelously...(it) surely gets one thinking...I feel like I am there experiencing it, the locals, even the personal interaction...I feel like taking off to France for my own adventures... This is not only a great story, but also an educational travelogue - one could even plan their next trip around seeing these places."
Tom Booth, Met Opera tenor

"...A story of insight into feelings, emotions, conflicts, passions...I find it intoxicating...one has to have some real personal understanding about the subject to write so well on it...I like the honesty in the way you express the story. The awakening of the protagonist...is part of her expression and growth as an artist and a person...And I really enjoy your descriptions of the scenery and sights, and the addition of the Italian."
Tom Booth, opera singer

"Reading your “Travels” book showed me how a person can begin to put their life into perspective."
Tom Lenzo, reader

"I'm about half-way through Travels and am feeling entirely blown-away. I too have succumbed to the delights of Florence and Paris, but sans such lovely companions. Pretty inspirational stuff, all in all... let me bask in the reflected energies you so aptly write about."
Shirley Weaver, violinist, reader

"I can say without hesitation that ERICA is an incredible writer. Travels with My Lovers was delicious! I know the book will meet with outstanding results. Go Ms E!"
Georgia Richardson, author

"You know how much I enjoyed reading Travels with my Lovers and also interviewing you on radio. Your narrative style is truly engaging, and I find myself re-reading sections when I need a lift from the every day, mundane things of life. "
Jackie O'Neal, O'Neal Media Group

"Your book made a dull business trip so much more enjoyable, thanks a lot! I had to go back to read the back cover to make sure that this is really fiction. Your characters are so well fleshed out, so three-dimensional. Congratulations!"
Roland Schaeffli, author, Switzerland

"Travels ... ahhhhhhhhh, I love it! I feel like I'm whisked away to places I've never been."
Heather W., GA

"Erica Miner is one of the few authors who has used her talent to fire up cruise audiences and have them dancing in the aisles --a real fireball!!"
Carolyn H., CA

"...A high brow gets loose and lusty on her summer vacations in Europe – an easy read that’s fun and fanciful."
Jo D., MI

"I loved it! You really transported me to Europe. It will have a permanent place on my bookshelf where I will dip into it again and again for inspiration!"
Suzanne J., VA

"I'm almost finished with Travels With My Lovers. Intriguing book. You make me want to travel to Europe and collect my own adventures."
Karen, CA

"You made me want to dust off the passport I got two years ago and then never used. I'd call that enjoyment. :)"
Lynn Goodwin, WriterAdvice.com

"I read Erica's book... It really makes me want to visit France again!"
Nancy V., VA

"I just wanted to drop by and say HI!! Your book was GREAT!!! I could not put it down!!"
Taneesha C., NY

"It is a book many women can identify with and feel better about their own adventures knowing they weren't alone with some of their experiences and thoughts. Your protagonist was smart. Many young women are not. So perhaps for the younger readers there is a lesson to be learned."
Patricia D., VA

"A travelogue that has a lover in tow is an interesting concept: some of us do have lovers at all the places we visit, but few write about it. I'm glad you decided to pen down your experience, if I may say so."
Arka D., India

"Your book is beautifully written and is very inspiring to me. The words sing to me from the pages. I enjoyed it as I flew to Cleveland. I wished the plane was actually flying to Italy instead. It made me want to travel abroad."
Emma H., OH

"I literally sat and read the entire book and didn't want it to end. For you other single women or divorced moms out there, there are lots of lessons of self-discovery and growth. But the real joy for me was that it is filled with the music, food, sights and cultures of Europe. It brought back wonderful memories of my own travels there years ago and made me want to pack my bags immediately!"
Jane E., CA

"Travels With My Lovers takes you on a colourful trip through Europe. She recounts the beautiful landmarks and cobbled side streets with great accuracy. You can tell, it is a path well trodden by the author, giving it authenticity and a convincing feel."
Tracey S., UK

"I keep feeling as I'm reading that I should be listening to classical music, sipping red wine, wearing silk pajamas and eating bon-bons and slipping the odd Italian or French phrase into my vocabulary. I can't wait to read another one of your books!"
Evelyn M., Canada

"I enjoyed your book very much and wondered if you had as much fun writing it as you had living it... Keep writing so we readers can continue to enjoy it."
Connie G., Canada

"Wow is all I can say!! Your book is a must buy for me… it should be a No. 1 Best Seller in my opinion... :)"
Vicki P., OR

"I finished Travels and it was WONDERFUL. Women in all stages of life can appreciate this novel. Thank you for writing from your heart & soul and sharing your insights with us all!"
Carrie, CA

"I've been enjoying your book and it is inspiring me to get to Italy again! I knew it would make me yearn for Travel again!"
Petra E., CA

"What a fun book to just get lost in, on my spa weekend! She is a wonderful writer! Is there a sequel????"
Donna J., AZ

"A fun romp"
Jade S., CA

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ON-LINE


National Association of Baby Boomer Women - Sept. 6, 2011
Power of Journaling, Article #9 - Exercises


CONTENTS

Sample Interview Questions for the Author
Interview Reprints
My Articles On-Line
Reviews
Fan Club/Quotes/Kudos
Newspaper Articles On-Line

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