Dystopia or Sci-Fi Fan? Pre-Order ‘The Apollo Illusion’

Posted on April 12, 2018 by Shari Lopatin

If you’re into dystopias, science fiction novels, or young adult books (YA) … if your blood curls into your toes at the thought of defying “the man,” or asking questions when they’re dangerous, then The Apollo Illusion might be for you.

My debut novel, The Apollo Illusion, is now available for pre-order for just $2.99! A story for the hackers, the techies, the seekers, and the rebels of the world, The Apollo Illusion may increase in price after launch. So grab it now while you’re only splurging a couple of bucks on an “unknown author” and the book that piqued your curiosity.

‘The Apollo Illusion’ Synopsis

The year is 2150, and bullied nineteen-year-old Flora can no longer ignore the burning curiosity to learn what’s behind the towering Wall surrounding her home state of Apollo. Citizens still read books, discuss philosophy, and send text messages, but questioning The Other Side is forbidden.

When Flora’s naïveté accidentally reveals a dark secret about Apollo, she’s forced into an isolated web of truth, lies, and survival. Fearing for her life, she leaves behind a clue for her childhood friend, Andrew, placing her last hope in their special bond.

Audience: young adults and millennials
Genres: dystopian suspense, science fiction, speculative fiction, YA
Rating: PG-13 for some sexuality and occasional language

Pre-order now on Kindle, iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble (Nook), or Smashwords! (you know you want to …)

*Paperback will be available upon launch on May 19, 2018. Sign up for The Readers Club to get notified right away!

What I Learned Through this Crazy Publishing Process

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Shari Lopatin

In December last year, I founded my own indie publishing company, BookBooks Publishing LLC. My first client? Myself. 🙂

Front cover_final Yes, I am launching my debut novel, The Apollo Illusion, on May 19, 2018. In the future, I would love to create enough capital and (therefore) time to take on other authors who write fiction stories of social importance, while continuing to write more books of my own.

Right now, though? I am fighting for my life to navigate this new publishing learning curve! I never knew so many logistics were involved on the publishing side of creative writing.

So whether you’re a new self-published author who is looking for help in the beginning, or a writer working with an indie or large publishing house, I’d like to share with you some of the lessons I’ve learned on this publishing journey.

Lesson 1: Quality Work Isn’t Cheap, so Invest Wisely

I think it’s no secret that the world of self-publishing is growing exponentially. Therefore, it becomes harder for new authors to push through the “slush pile” and get discovered by readers.

The best way to stand out is by publishing a quality product. This means your work is clean, well-edited, well-structured, and the book is well-designed. I funded the launch of my book with my 9-to-5 salary, so I had to spend wisely. Here’s where I spent my money:

A team of two good, professional editors (one for structural edits, the other for copyedits)
Designers for the book cover, as well as internal formatting
Establishing an LLC for my publishing company
Taking out a P.O. box for my publishing company
ISBN purchases from Bowker
An accountant
A few Facebook boosted posts on my author page

As I begin making money from sales of my book, I may invest in some ads, but again, I will be selective.

Lesson 2: Be Realistic with Your Time

I work a full-time job. And I also have a life. Writing is part of that life, but it’s not everything. I have family, friends, a boyfriend, my cats, and my house. I have to take care of my health. I also love traveling.

I need to leave room for these things!

Therefore, when I set my launch date for my book, I gave myself more time rather than squeezing into a tight deadline. I can’t do everything at once, and I need to leave time to complete the essentials. I also need to realize that I’m not a full-time author and publisher, so I can’t compete with those who are. And that’s OK.

Here’s how I invested my time:

The 80/20 rule: I concentrate my efforts on the 20 percent of tactics that will produce 80 percent of the results
Developing my “branded messaging” as an author, and integrating it everywhere online
Establishing an e-mail list through MailChimp for potential future “fans”
Finding early reviewers to generate buzz upon launch, and leaving enough lead time to allow them to read my book
Setting up the logistics: filling out the Articles of Organization to establish my LLC, setting up a P.O. box, opening a business bank account, etc.
Research

Lesson 3: Research!

Before you jump full-force into self-publishing, I highly suggest you read this incredible guide from Smashwords founder, Mark Coker, “The Secrets to E-Book Publishing Success.” This free guide walks you through the business foundations of the publishing industry, and is beneficial to anyone who is new to this world (such as myself).

Spend some time learning about the publishing industry and studying cases of successful indie authors. Many of these authors have offered interviews or written articles on some of the steps they took to reach success. Jane Friedman is another great resource to help in that arena.

Once you conduct some research, you can more successfully develop a marketing strategy that will utilize your time wisely.

Lesson 4: Logistics are just as Important as Marketing

That’s right! The backend business side of things is imperative if you don’t want the IRS to come calling, or you want readers to take you seriously.

I never realized how many logistics are involved in publishing a book. Here is a list of everything I had to organize before my book even went to early reviewers:

Purchase a package of ISBNs from Bowker
Fill out all the required information for those ISBNs, including publication date
Request and set up a P.O. box from the Post Office for my business
Establish the Articles of Organization for my LLC
Request an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS
Open a business bank account tied to my LLC, and link this account to all sales pages for my book
Request a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) for my book, which is a two-step process that requires you to complete the ISBN process first
Copyright my book by submitting it to the Copyright office
Consult with an accountant
Bookkeeping
Coordinate with all editors and designers

This blog post is not meant to overwhelm anyone, but instead to merely showcase the degree of detail that goes into setting up a legitimate publishing company to legally separate yourself from your new business. I wanted to share some of the lessons I learned, and I hope it might help some of you get started if you’re considering this incredible journey!

4 Ways YOU Can Avoid Russian Influence in the Next U.S. Election

Posted on February 20, 2018February 20, 2018 by Shari Lopatin

As a former newspaper reporter, and with the recent 13 indictments of Russian nationals who infiltrated our political system during the 2016 U.S. elections, I’d like to offer some advice on how YOU can personally avoid Russian influence during the 2018 U.S. mid-terms. In case you haven’t heard, the FBI warned they would most likely attempt interference again.

I am offering this guide based on knowledge I obtained from my college degree (journalism), as well as my past profession in the same field. My goal is to help U.S. voters come together, whether liberal or conservative, and ensure our political process is truly OURS. I do encourage you to share this post if you find it helpful.

1) Beware of Political Memes (the new propaganda)

First of all, whether you lean right or left, DO NOT SHARE POLITICAL MEMES. Memes are the new propaganda, and propaganda plays into our EMOTIONS, not our rationale. Whether you are liberal or conservative, it is easy to fall into this trap if a message plays to your values or belief system. The Russians who infiltrated our political system used social media and inflammatory memes in many cases.

2) Stick to Legitimate News Stories

Unlike a political meme, a LEGITIMATE NEWS STORY will play to the facts and will appeal to your RATIONALE. Even editorials or opinion columns will cite proven facts as backup to the writer’s viewpoint.

3) Know Real News vs. Fake News

How can you tell REAL NEWS from FAKE NEWS?

Follow a variety of reputable news sources from both the right and left. For example, you may follow The Nation, but also The National Review. You may follow the New York Times, as well as the Wall Street Journal. I recommend picking five (5) publications. Scan them all regularly. If you see certain, factual trends being reported, they are true.
In journalism, this fact-trend tactic is called VALIDATION. The rule of thumb is to never write an article with less than three (3) sources. If you receive a claim from one source, you must validate it with a minimum of a second source to confirm its truth.
Look for ATTRIBUTION in your news stories or social media posts. True journalists always cite their sources of information, and the sources should not be other publications. They must be PRIMARY SOURCES. In other words, the information should not have come from a third-party medium or individual.
The only time a journalist will protect his or her source is in the case of ANONYMOUS PROTECTION. This is granted when the person leaking information is doing so in the best interest of the public’s right to know, but that individual may face severe consequences, whether legal or otherwise, for doing so. This is protected under the FIRST AMENDMENT, and is vital to our country’s checks and balances.

4) Don’t Trust Inflammatory Language

Beware of INFLAMMATORY LANGUAGE. I am not talking about your friend who ranted on Facebook out of anger or frustration, or even the grieving parents of a child who was shot at school. I am talking about emotional, inflammatory statements made by individuals YOU DO NOT KNOW OR RECOGNIZE, and whose statements lack attribution, validation, or any of the other points I mentioned above.

LET’S KEEP OUR AMERICAN POLITICAL PROCESS SAFE FROM OUTSIDE INFLUENCES!

Don’t allow yourself to be influenced by propaganda this upcoming election cycle. Vote how you want to vote, based on facts and correct information. PLEASE SHARE to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc., if you want to help spread the word.

What It Feels Like When Someone Wishes Me ‘Happy Hanukkah’

Posted on December 12, 2017 by Shari Lopatin

25394762_10157068487394578_5318986874420492042_o — Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah. This was taken from outside my home, looking into the front window.

I grew up in a conservative, Christian state where most people say Merry Christmas. And that’s fine.

I usually say Happy Holidays. I never take offense to a greeting of the season, regardless of how it’s spoken. But something warm and precious emerges when someone wishes me Happy Hanukkah.

Let me paint a picture for a moment:

When you grow up as a religious minority, you’re used to society overlooking your holiday. It’s nothing that bothers or insults you. Therefore, you never think twice when someone gives you a Christmas card, or a Santa hat, or an ornament. You appreciate it.

Yet, I’ve never forgotten the boss who bought me a Hanukkah card my first year on the job—accompanied by a bottle of wine—or the friend who texts me the first night of Hanukkah every year. Precisely because I don’t expect it, when someone wishes me Happy Hanukkah, they enter a special place in my heart and mind.

For me, those two simple words permeate deeper than the typical holiday greeting.

They say, “I see you. I recognize you. I understand this is your holiday, and I want to acknowledge that.” They say, “I accept you. I welcome you. And I hope you have a lovely Festival of Lights.”

I make it my mission to wish people whatever holiday they celebrate. For most of my friends or colleagues, I say Merry Christmas. I’ve wished a Happy Kwanza. And I say Happy Holidays when I don’t know someone’s religion.

Rarely, however, do I receive a Happy Hanukkah. When I do, it makes my heart dance. I rejoice in sharing the miracle and delight of my holiday with others, just as so many spread Christmas cheer wherever they go.

I know people do not say Happy Hanukkah for a variety of reasons: they’re shy, or they’re unsure of the correct greeting, or they think I also celebrate Christmas. Some people just don’t know. That’s okay.

But for the occasional person who acknowledges my holiday directly, thank you for making my smile glow just a little brighter.

Announcing my Debut Novel, ‘The Apollo Illusion’

Posted on November 27, 2017November 24, 2017 by Shari Lopatin

Tagline and title

It’s official, and I’m crazy excited! In 2018, my debut novel, The Apollo Illusion, will hit the virtual bookshelves. A stimulating dystopian suspense for young adults and millennials, The Apollo Illusion is a story for the hackers, the techies, the seekers, and the rebels of the world.

Want an Advanced Reader Copy?

I’m currently looking for early readers willing to post a review on Amazon, Nook, Apple, and/or Smashwords in exchange for a FREE advanced copy. Interested? I want to hear from you! Email me at shari.lopatin@gmail.com with your full name, email address, and whether you prefer Kindle, Nook, PDF, or print (if print, please include your mailing address).

What is The Apollo Illusion About?

Don’t Miss Launch! Join ‘The Readers Club’

Over the coming months, I’ll be releasing more details about The Apollo Illusion as we approach the launch, including sneak peeks and offering giveaways. Don’t miss out! Join “The Readers Club” email list and stay in-the-know.

Yes, I’m Angry. But I’m Choosing Love Anyway

Posted on March 23, 2017March 24, 2017 by Shari Lopatin

Let me start with this: I didn’t vote for Donald Trump. In fact, the man has the rare ability to crawl under my skin like lice and turn my blood to lava.

Despite these feelings, I have chosen to resist and fight back with the strongest action of all … love.

On the day of President Trump’s inauguration, I posted a single quote to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in response to the eruption in our country:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

This is perhaps my favorite quote by Martin Luther King, Jr., and no other words more adequately described how I felt on Jan. 20, 2017. Since then, I’ve watched hate grip this nation from all ends of the political spectrum, and while I’m not going to deny my anger, I’ve grasped for these words with greater fervor now.

A close friend of mine from childhood who is Christian said she has chosen to make love her battle cry. As a Jew who is more secular than religious, I decided to join her. My friend said love is not always an easy choice, and she’s right—which is why choosing to love, rather than giving into hate, is so effective.

President Trump goes against every core value I’ve been raised to believe.

My father paid my way through college working as a music teacher and I grew up on the stage, yet President Trump wants to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts.
I have a profound respect for nature, yet President Trump wants to gut the Environmental Protection Agency.
I believe health care is a right, not a privilege, yet President Trump is pushing Congress to disband the Affordable Care Act.
I’m a former journalist—launching my career with the First Amendment in my pen—yet President Trump calls citizens like me the “enemy of the American people.”

His lack of empathy for those who are different than him, or believe differently than him, or oppose him politically, appalls me. Yet rather than label other Americans who have labeled me, I stand here on this page, and I am declaring to you, President Trump: I CHOOSE LOVE.

I will not lose friendships over this election and I will strive to speak from a place of reason, rather than anger. I will funnel my dissent into saving animals, helping my family and giving to those in my life who need it. I will stand up for minorities or refugees and call my representatives in Congress to keep you in line. I will celebrate life alongside my Muslim friends, my Christian friends, my Catholic friends, my Jewish friends, and my Atheist friends. I will aim to understand those who are different than me. I will use my writing to provide a voice for the voiceless.

I will love, President Trump, and I will look for the light inside every American, whether they voted for you or not. In the words of another MLK quote that I admire, “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

#LOVEWINS

(If you agree, click one of the SHARE buttons below, and share this message with your friends.)

An Open Letter to Mike Pence on ‘Life’ and Universal Health Care

Posted on March 7, 2017March 7, 2017 by Shari Lopatin

NOTE: After working in healthcare communications for eight years, this is a subject I felt compelled to write about publicly in light of recent political developments. I’d initially written this letter in January, but refrained from publishing it because of my career. The time has come to speak out, however, so I feel the need to publish this disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post, and on this blog as a whole, are my own and do not represent any other person, business, or entity.

An Open Letter to Mike Pence on ‘Life’ and Universal Health Care

Dear Vice-President Mike Pence,

I read your quote from the March for Life event on Jan. 27 this year in an article from The Atlantic, “We will not rest until we restore a culture of life in America.”

I’m glad to hear you say that, because this opens the door to let Congress know we want health care for all.

Even after the Affordable Care Act was implemented, 29 million Americans went without health insurance in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s “Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2015” report. This means nearly 30 million people could not access or afford treatment for conditions ranging from a sinus infection, to a heart attack.

Before the ACA, however, it was much worse. In 2008—during the days of pre-existing conditions and lifetime caps—nearly 16 percent of the U.S. population went uninsured, compared to only 9.1 percent in 2015 (source: U.S. Census Bureau).

If we’re going to talk about restoring a culture of life, let’s start with this, because many people are forced to choose between paying for their food or paying for their medicine. I’m one of them, having agonized over whether to visit the emergency room and risk bankruptcy, or stay home in a potentially life-threatening situation.

In one case, while I was studying journalism in college, my father—a music teacher—could no longer afford to keep me on his health insurance. Before I could find another plan, I became sick with mononucleosis and needed treatment. Yet, no doctor or clinic would see me because I didn’t have insurance. At the same time, insurance refused to cover me because of my pre-existing condition.

More recently, a family member—who would prefer to remain anonymous—may be forced to leave retirement simply for employer health benefits. She is a retired teacher and a type 2 diabetic who receives her health insurance through the Federal Exchange. However, with Congress’s plans to repeal the ACA, she’ll be forced to work full-time because she can’t afford the state’s $600-per-month premium and she’s too young for Medicare. Once the ACA is gone, she will have a “pre-existing condition” once again.

You see, Vice-President Pence, in my world, life matters too, which is why health care is a right and not a privilege. I hear politicians preaching their morals time and time again, but their actions do not reflect their words. I’m going to make it easy.

The time has come to get serious about a universal or single-payer system that leverages public-private partnerships. This will ensure cost control of sky-rocketing drug prices, allow practitioners to concentrate on treating and healing patients, and still offer businesses opportunities in the private sector. France demonstrates an exemplary standard of this model, so much that the World Health Organization ranked them as number one in the world for health systems.

I’ve worked in journalism, media and communications for more than 10 years, of which eight were spent in healthcare communications. I have seen this issue from all sides and am confident when I say, this proposal could be a real solution.

I am ready to help restore a culture of life in America, Vice-President Pence. The question is, are you?

How Entering the Obama Era from Israel Helps Me Come to Terms with Trump

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Shari Lopatin

I wrote this narrative/op-ed on Jan. 20, 2017–the day President Donald Trump was inaugurated. I submitted it to a couple of publications, but it was never accepted fast enough to be timely. I hate to see it go to waste, and therefore decided to publish it here. I thought some of you might enjoy the read or perhaps find it insightful.

How Entering the Obama Era from Israel Helps Me Come to Terms with Trump

Written by Shari Lopatin on Jan. 20, 2017

Eight years ago today, I sat crammed into a tiny Tel Aviv hotel lobby with 30 Jews who were strangers days before, and together, we watched Barack Obama become the President of the United States of America.

When we boarded our El Al flight to Israel about a week prior for our Birthright trip, we’d left our country still swimming in the Bush era. I was the only Jew from Arizona and felt nervous at first, knowing not a name in our group. But after riding camels through the desert and sleeping in Bedouin tents scattered throughout the Negev together, we’d become like family, and I watched alongside these newfound friends 6,700 miles away as our country’s tides changed on Jan. 20, 2009.

I come from a state that leans conservative and Christian. I’d never been surrounded by others who believed as I do, or voted as I do, or survived anti-Semitism like I had. It not only felt safe to cheer as I watched Obama take his oath of office, but electric and freeing, like the adrenaline of a raging river or, as one of my travelmates said, “winning the World Series.”

For us, this was our first political victory. When I’d cast my virgin ballot at age 18, the year was 2000 and George W. Bush had won. Then, 9/11 rocked our nation and although I’d supported our involvement in Afghanistan, I’d protested Iraq from the beginning. Somewhere deep in my bones, I knew this war would change the future of the U.S. and the world.

The taste of triumph, I’ve learned, has a sweet but perilous flavor. I was young and hopeful when Barack Obama took office, and over the coming years, I flourished. The Affordable Care Act—known to many as Obamacare—granted me freedom to leave a full-time job and afford an individual health plan while I started a business. The tax credit for first-time homebuyers in 2009 allowed me the financial flexibility to buy my first house.

Under Obama, I became Middle Class America. I prospered. And I’m dang thankful for it.

But as I said, the taste of triumph has a sweet, yet perilous flavor. I grew used to winning, and in my elation, became numb to the fury developing in the underbelly of our country. Not everyone moved forward like I did, and in their anger, many turned to a man who manipulates emotion to gain power.

Today, that man stands in the spot Obama did as I watched from a boxed television set in Israel, and I find myself feeling alone again. In my despair, I close my eyes and like a wind funnel sucking me through time, I fall into that scrunched Tel Aviv hotel lobby eight years ago, surrounded by rejuvenation and faith and acceptance.

That moment, though fleeting, will survive through eternity in all of us, and I tell myself—even as we enter an era of uncertainty and darkness—Yes We Can.

Shari Lopatin is a writer, journalist and storyteller with more than 10 years in media and communication. She writes both fiction and non-fiction and prefers to concentrate on the micro and macro effects of social issues.

America, How I Weep

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Shari Lopatin

3366563115_9466d16e02_z — Courtesy of “Beverly & Pack” via Flickr

America, How I Weep

A Poem, by Shari Lopatin

Oh America,

How I weep for thee!

My once beautiful muse,

My distant refuge.

Your maternal embrace

Protected our grace, and welcomed

My family whole.

But now I stand atop your dream,

In cowardice and fear I glean …

We watch with haste,

Such distaste,

And mourn the death of hope

And faith.

America, when will you rise?

And crush the hate which I despise?

With this prayer,

I say to thee,

Revive the truth in us … in me.

Martin Shkreli Looks Like a Sith Lord in this AP Photo

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Shari Lopatin

I first saw it on my Facebook feed today from a New York Times article. And I couldn’t help but notice, Martin Shkreli kinda looks like a Sith Lord in this Associated Press photo … doesn’t he?

And considering today is the first FULL day that Star Wars is open in theaters, I call this #winning for the AP!