Pump Up Your Book Chats with Wayne Hatford, author of ‘Going for Excelsior: Thriving in Seniorhood’

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Wayne Hatford, B.A. in French and Spanish, M.A. in International Administration, is a teacher, writer, editor and author dedicated to bridging the gap between the physical and non-physical worlds. To that end, he channeled a friend, Janice Horn ~ “Letters from Janice: Correspondence with the Astral Plane” and, more recently, the spirit essence of Rudolph Valentino ~ “Valentino Speaks: The Wisdom of Rudolph Valentino” and “Going for Excelsior: Thriving in Seniorhood,” all of which are available via Amazon.com. Each of these works explores the “Other Side” while offering insight and practical suggestions on how best to make the most of this one.

A life-long student of metaphysics and transformation, Wayne has both taught in public school and been a personal property appraiser. Wayne Hatford now resides in Santa Rosa, California where he and the Valentino essence continue their collaboration.

His latest book is Going for Excelsior: Thriving in Seniorhood.

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Q: Can you tell us why you wrote your book, Going for Excelsior: Thriving in Seniorhood?

Because I felt strongly that Seniors, that age bracket and its myths, needed to be addressed through a different lens. And, given that I am a Senior myself, I also wanted to explore my own territory, delve into its psyche. Going for Excelsior is about thriving in Seniorhood, a blueprint for active living ~ how to embrace where you’re at in your life, find hidden gems, turn up the volume!

Q: Which part of the book was the hardest to write?

The end. There were so many more ideas I could have added, but I decided to keep things short and sweet. Anyway, I think readers will agree that GFE already has its fair share of interesting topics, as is.

Q: Does your book have an underlying message that readers should know about?

Yes. Life is everlasting and there is always a next phase. What we are doing as Seniors is getting ready for it!

Q: Do you remember when the writing bug hit?

In 1984, when I first realized that I was able to channel, communicate with those on the Other Side, and felt I needed to share the information that was being imparted to me with a larger audience.

Q: Do you have a writing tip you’d like to share?

Notice where and when ideas show up and have a strategy to commit them to paper, as soon as possible. For me, it’s often when I am driving. As a result, I always keep an open notebook on the front seat, and pull over to a safe spot when I need to jot something down. Words and ideas that come to us on the fly sometimes turn out to be the seeds of a future piece of writing.

Q: Where’s your favorite place to write at home?

I edit at my computer, which is on a desk in my bedroom. I use my spare room for channeling, and have it set up in a way that is conducive to that work.

Q: What do you do to get away from it all?

Go to movies, get lost in someone else’s world for a couple of hours, someone else’s dreams. It’s a very simple and inexpensive way of changing your perspectives! I also love to travel, especially to other countries, but that requires a lot more planning.

Q: What was the first thing you did as far as promoting your book?

I posted about it on Facebook and Twitter, also on the Yahoo Valentino discussion group sites, to make sure those populations, friends and fans, knew about its debut. I know of a number of sales that resulted from making this effort.

Q: What is the most rewarding part of being an author?

When someone says that your writing has been transformative for them. Getting positive feedback.

Q: If you could be anywhere in the world other than where you are right now, where would that place be?

Italy! I would love to be able to live there part-time.

Q: Thank you so much for this interview, Wayne. Do you have any final words?

Thank you, for giving me an opportunity to share my thoughts. If you decide to self-publish, do not be daunted or dismayed by the process; you can do it! Make sure you edit your material umpteen times and then edit it again! Have a professional design the cover and format the interior. Good luck!

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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.

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