Pump Up Your Book Chats with Tinisha Johnson Founder of Have Stress Relief Now Inspirational Website

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Have Stress Relief Now virtual Website Tour

Tinisha Johnson is an author, writer, and poet and a mother of two. She resides in Denver, Colorado. She is founder of Have Stress Relief Now, a free online membership site dedicated to aiding growth and awareness in your professional and personal life. You can learn more about Tinisha at her sites: www.havestressrelief.com and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Have-Stress-Relief-Now/198204746886571

What are the benefits of site membership?

Receive welcome gift of 3 unique audio mp3’s to help you relax
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Submit postings and interact in our “Stress Relief” forums
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Access to hundreds of articles/products/services on various subjects (EX: Receipes, self-help, work-from-home, etc.)

Giveaways During the Month of May

During the month of May, “Have Stress Relief Now,” will be giving away a $40 and $10 Amazon Gift Card, along with a free Ebook entitled “How to Manage Stress Before it Manages You.” Both give-a-ways will be accessible through the winners email.

There will be a total of 2 winners. 1st winner will win a $40 Amazon Gift Card and a free Ebook. 2nd prize winner will win a $10 Amazon Gift Card and a free copy of the Ebook.

http://www.havestressreliefnow.com/currentgiveaway.htm

Thank you for this interview, Tinisha. Do you remember writing stories as a child or did the writing bug come later? Do you remember your first published piece?

A: Yes, I do. My love for writing started at age 11 when I wrote 3 chapters to a storyline my teacher provided for us as an assignment in my creative writing class at the time. I ended up writing 8 chapters and received an A+. My teacher said something I’ll never forget. “Tinisha you’re a great writer. I know what you’ll going to be when you grow up.” He gave me a new perspective on my future. It was very encouraging to hear him say that. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to write stories and eventually see my stories published. My first published piece was a short story I wrote in 2002 for the Chicken Soup for the Soul.

What do you consider as the most frustrating side of becoming a published author and what has been the most rewarding?

A: The most frustrating side is book promotion and publicity. There are more writers and authors in 2011 than there used to be, let’s say in 2000. The supply is higher than the demand sometimes. However, the most rewarding is that I write because it’s truly my passion. I love to write. I feel like I provide value to others through my writing. It’s want I was meant to do. If I didn’t love writing, I would have gave it up a long time ago.

Are you married or single and how do you combine the writing life with home life? Do you have support?

A: I was married at a time, but currently, I’m a single mom of two. Sometimes it can be a challenge to find the time to write consistently for a couple of hours, but I try to utilize all the time I can find and then I journal a lot with pen and pad which I then convert to the computer.

What do you like to do for fun when you’re not writing? Where do you like to vacation? Can you tell us briefly about this?

A: I love to travel. I also love spending time with friends and family. I’ve never been out of the US, but I do enjoy traveling to the mountains and in big cities like Atlanta, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Dallas to name a few.

If you could be anywhere in the world for one hour right now, where would that place be and why?

A: Probably an island like Hawaii or the Caribbean’s. Or maybe even Paris. Why? Because I’ve never been to these places and I think they would be so much fun to go and these places would give me some ideas for my writing.

Who is your biggest fan?

A: Probably my two kids 🙂

Where’s your favorite place to write at home?

A: In my bedroom. That’s where my computer is and I normally write there when my kids are busy watching TV, doing homework, or asleep.

Do you have any pets?

A: No. I had a pet gerbil when I was about 10 years old. His name was Ralph. He was so cute! 🙂

Tell us a secret no one else knows.

A: I’m an only child, but actually, the real secret is, that I’ve always wanted a brother or sister growing up.

What’s on your to do list today?

A: Work on a blog entry for my website Have Stress Relief Now. www.havestressreliefnow.com

Now I’ve got a couple of fun questions for you. If Tom Hanks, in the movie Cast Away, had access to your website, how would that help him find a way off the island?

Wow…well he would be able to stay motivated and confident that help would be on its way. In addition, he would be able to leave blog comments that he needed help off the island 🙂

You have a chance to appear on the hit talent show for authors, American Website Idol, with judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara Dioguardi and the newest addition, Ellen DeGeneres, to determine whether your website will make it to Hollywood and where you’d make millions of dollars. What would impress them more – your home page on your website, your blogs or your photos – and why?

A: I’ll choose the content I provide on my website, including my blogs. I really work hard to try to provide the best and quality content I can, to help people live happier lives and assist in relieving stress from their lives. I also learn a lot myself as I write my website content. I write a ‘stress relief’ personal and business blog. I also provide feedback and reviews on certain products and services. My site is totally dedicated to helping others.

You just got word that your website has received the 2010 NY Times Bestselling Website Award and you have to attend the ceremony to give an acceptance speech. Anyone who’s anyone will be there and it’s your shot for stardom. What would you say and who would you thank?

A: I would feel honored. I would thank all of my website members and those who have visited the site and left comments. I would also certainly thank Pump Your Book Promotion and all the sites/blogs where I was a guest blogger on.

I understand that you are touring with Pump Up Your Book Promotion in (May) via a virtual website tour. Can you tell us all why you chose a virtual website tour to promote your site online?

A: Yes, I’ve done 2 other virtual tours with Pump Up Your Book Promotion for my mystery novel Searchable Whereabouts and for my self-help book Lessons Learned. I received great feedback and it was a lot of fun. When I thought of launching my free online self-help membership site, I thought it would be really neat to take my site on a virtual tour. So far, I’m loving it.

Thank you for this interview, Tinisha. Good luck on your virtual book tour!

A: Thank you Pump Up. It’s been a pleasure. Thank you for the great interview. It was fun!

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"THANK YOU for all of these graphics!!! That was a valuable added perk of working with you on the VBT! Thank you for all the work you put into those, and into the organization and follow-ups on the tour itself. It's been a pleasure working with you, Dorothy!"Allyson Rice, The Key to Circus-Mom Highway

"Oh, awesome!! Thank you so much! You ran such a lovely tour. Those images are great, I look forward to using them and will miss seeing the regular postings on Twitter ;-).
I really appreciate your steadfast and ongoing support. It means a lot!!"Palmer Pickering, MOON DEEDS

"Just wanted to send you a quick note to say thank you again for the amazing blog tour and to tell you that we will be adding the tour to Mark's author website in the next few days. We will of course be recommending your company to other authors we know. And when Mark's next book is out, we will use your services again." Kirsten Grenside on behalf of Mark Grenside, FALL OUT

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Maria Andrade, DEFIANCE AND REDEMPTION

"Everyone did an excellent job. The blog pages were beautiful, and the trailer was so clever and funny. Thanks for sending these lovely "souvenirs" from my tour. I will be able to use all of these posts on Twitter. I enjoyed this so much and look forward to my next tour!"
Irene Woodbury, HONEYMOON ROULETTE

" I am delighted with the results of my recent tour with Pump Up Your Book. Dorothy is meticulous and professional, presents beautifully laid out pages, maintains constant contact with the client, and gives more than expected value for money. In a nutshell: you get what you pay for and more on top! I will certainly be using Dorothy’s services for my other Regency romance books.”
Arabella Sheraton, THE LORD BLACKWOOD REGENCY ROMANCE SERIES

"Thank you so much for The Shadow of Atlantis tour. I've really enjoyed all the posts and seeing my book being promoted. I will definitely come back to you with another of my titles!"
Wendy Leighton-Porter, THE SHADOW OF ATLANTIS

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M.B. Lewis, THE PILATE SCROLL

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Kathleen Shaputis, HIS KILT DROPPED HERE

"I appreciate you and your hard work. Thank you for creating these awesome images for my book and allowing me to use them. I am very thankful to have them!"
Joni Ankerson, TO KILL OR BE KILLED

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Aiken Brown, SON OF A SOLDIER

"Thanks so much for getting ANNA INCOGNITO out there and reviewed and shared with so many people. It was great to see it on so many twitter feeds!"
Laura Preble, ANNA INCOGNITO

"Thank you so much for such a fantastic tour! You did an amazing job getting it together so quickly, and I couldn’t have been happier!"
Lena Gregory, GRAVE CONSEQUENCES

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Jennifer Chase, FLOWERS ON HER GRAVE

"This has been one of the best things I’ve done as an author. Not only am I getting the word out about my books but I’m learning about my own work and my readers along the way. I love it!"
Elysia Strife, A PROMISE IN ASH

"Today my blog tour ended, with another great review which made me end the tour with a big smile! What a fun way to end this incredible 4-week tour. I will surely miss it. I want to thank you for arranging it so well and for being there for me whenever I needed. Thank you!!!"

Miri Leshem-Pelly, SCRIBBLE & AUTHOR

"I think you did an excellent job last time, thank you!"
Shami Stovall, KNIGHTMARE ARCANIST

"Just wanted to thank you for the book tour. :) You did a great job. :)"
Suzanne M. Hurley, THE TEDDY BEAR EYE CLUB

"I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful virtual tour in August for Brimstone and Water. I was very happy with the amount of attention given to the book and to me. I am mentioning it to friends on line that haven't gone to the site yet to be sure and take a look. Thanks for all your work."
Sharon House, BRIMSTONE AND WATER

"Thank you for running my book promotion for BlackJack. I am so pleased with the reviews that came in and appreciated all you did. My sales have improved from being around 800,000 down to the 200,000 on Amazon and hopefully dropping still. I will definitely be contacting you for a promotion again."
Christine Donovan, BLACKJACK

"You’ve been a joy to work with, and I’d do another tour with you in a heartbeat. Overall, it was an excellent experience and a good value. I’ll be sure to look you up when it’s time to release my next book."
Michael Allan Scott, GREY DAZE

"Just wanted to thank you for putting together a great tour for You Won't Remember This. I think the author was pleasantly surprised and overall very pleased."
Bacon Press Books

"Dorothy, thanks so much for another great VBT!!! The Twitter-Party was a new feature this time that I particularly enjoyed. I will continue to recommend PUYB to my writer-friends, because you are simply the best!!!"
T.M. Wallace, WINTERGARDEN

"Thank you for a great blog tour for my “Depression and Your Child.”
I’m in the middle of my third book and will definitely call on you again when it’s time to market it."
Deborah Serani, DEPRESSION AND YOUR CHILD

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Ashley Fontainne, GROWL

"Thanks for a very good experience with Pump Up Your Book. Fighter Pilot's Daughter has sold out of the first printing (still available as POD on Rowman & Littlefield's site, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.). My editor at R & L says there's a very good chance the book will come out in paperback in the summer. He asked me "Did you hire a publicist or something?" I told him about you, and he was impressed."
Mary Lawlor, FIGHTER PILOT'S DAUGHTER

"You are amazing Dorothy and I love what you do to get the spirit of our books out to the world. Thank you!"
Lee Papa, TEMPLE OF ALL KNOWING

"I can't believe the response this book is getting! I am so very thrilled that she liked it!!! You are THE BEST, Dorothy, for hooking up this amazing tour with all these stunning reviews! This was the book I was going to keep under my bed forever and ever and now WOW. I can't believe this is happening. It's like a dream come true!"
Madeline Wynn, DAUGHTER OF THE FALLEN

"Just wanted to say I'm appreciating your tweets so much. This is really helping my book sales, and I'm telling writer friends about you."
Mary Lawlor, FIGHTER PILOT'S DAUGHTER

"Thank you SO much!!!! I had a blast on the tour and appreciate all the time the bloggers and reviewers spent promoting Ash to Steele:)"
Karen-Anne Stewart, ASH TO STEELE

"When it comes to looking for a virtual book tour coordinator, Dorothy Thompson of Pump Up Your Book Tours is simply the best. I have tried several virtual book tour coordinators and have even set up a book tour on my own, but none of them were as successful as my tours with Pump Up Your Book Tour, which has the combination of expertise and experience needed to get the author the results they need. On this latest tour, TWELVE TO MURDER made it up to number three on Amazon! Thank you, Dorothy!"
Lauren Carr, Best-Selling Mystery Author of Mac Faraday, and Lovers in Crime, Mysteries

"Thank you again for all of your help and support for my recent book tour. You were so supportive and responsive, and I enjoyed working with you. It was a great tour and I really enjoyed it, especially when my book hit the top 100 in the two subcategories! That was awesome! Thanks for "pumping up my book!""
Monique Roy, ACROSS GREAT DIVIDES

"Thank you for another amazing tour, Dorothy!! I loved the sites I had an opportunity to visit and the people I met along the way. I even made a few new friends and found wonderful supporters that I'll never forget - I promise! The exposure you gave my book was absolutely unbelievable, and I can't think of a better way to welcome and expose an author's new creation to the literary world. Happy New Year to all your readers and may your success continue to grow. "
Kaylin McFarren, BURIED THREADS

"Thank you for a great virtual book tour. I thought it went really well and it was great to have a wave of PR that flowed through the two month period of my book release. I'm working on my next book - and will definitely reach out to you when it comes time to market! You were a delight to work with and really made me feel looked after. As I've mentioned before, I just don't know how you do it all."
--Deborah Serani, DEPRESSION AND YOUR CHILD

"I just wanted to let you know how wonderful I felt my book blast went for Be Careful What You Wish For in the month of August. So many emails and contacts that I would never have gotten. The publicity was just phenomenal!"
--R.K. Avery, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

"Just wanted to touch base with you and extend a huge thank you for the wonderful and successful book blast you arranged for Love Vindicated for me. I was very happy with your services and will be passing your name and brand along to some writer friends with a stellar recommendation. Again thanks and I look forward to working with you again in the future."
--Lila Munro, LOVE VINDICATED

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--Carol Nicolas, THE SIXTH POWER

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--Sandra D. Bricker, ALWAYS THE BAKER, FINALLY THE BRIDE

"Wow - you are absolutely fantastic. Can't believe how lucky I was to find you :)"
--Jo Sparkes, THE BIRR ELIXIR

"I just wanted to let you know that tonight Steven Manchester's Twelve Months became The Story Plant's first #1 Kindle bestseller. This couldn't have happened without you. Barb's cover is an absolute showstopper, Sue's copyediting boosted the overall work, Jackie's proofreading kept all of us honest, and Tracee Gleichner's blog tour started what has become an avalanche of great reviews."
-- Lou Aronica, STORY PLANT

"Blog tours have been the most effective promotion I’ve done. Dorothy Thompson and her company Pump Up Your Book are the greatest. I’ve spent money with other promotion companies that advertised packages then didn’t deliver the service they advertised, inflated their audience and reach and point blank falsely represented themselves. Dorothy has been a Godsend, and by far, her services are the best promotional endeavors I’ve invested in thus far."
-- Alicia Singleton, DARK SIDE OF VALOR

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-- Suzanne Jenkins, PAM OF BABYLON SERIES

"Dorothy Thompson helped promote my book, Gringos in Paradise: Our Honduras Odyssey. Taking part in it was so much easier (and less expensive) than the travel schedule I was hving to keep doing on my own. She set up everything, coached me through my part, and I found my book and I promoted it all over the Internet. It definitely increased my book sales."
-- Malana Ashlie, GRINGOS IN PARADISE

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---Deborah Woehr, PROSPERITY: A GHOST STORY

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--Kathy Holmes Eckardt, REAL WOMEN WEAR RED

“I invested in a three month virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Books promotions for my noir thriller, Moonlight Falls. Not only did the marketing campaign work wonders for spreading the word about the new novel, in the very last month, on the very last day of the tour, Moonlight Falls became an Amazon Kindle bestseller!”
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–-World Ahead Media

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--Mary Ann Loesch, NEPHILIM

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Question of the Day

How do you make sales happen for you?

A lot of hard work! I sponsor a lot of on line parties, festivals and contests. Book sales don’t magically happen, believe me. An author has to work hard to earn her readers. And then she has to work hard to keep them by giving them something they’ll enjoy reading. I try hard to make my books worth a reader’s time.

-- Sheila Roberts, Author of Winter at the Beach