REVIEW and GIVEAWAY
Talented and Beautiful Belly Dancers
(Belly Dancers Coloring Book 1)
(Belly Dancers Coloring Book 1)
by Richard G. Lowe Jr
Talented and Beautiful Belly Dancers is the first in a new series of adult coloring books by Richard G. Lowe Jr. The author stops by today for an interview and to share an excerpt from the book. You can also read my review and enter our exclusive giveaway for a chance to win a paperback copy of the book.
For more books by this author, please check out my blog post on Real World Survival Tips and Survival Guide and my blog post on Safe Computing is Like Safe Sex.
Description
An adult coloring book that is both exotic and beautiful!
Stressed with life and the constant drag of staring at screens all day? Do you feel the pressures of the world eating at your soul?
While we enjoy many modern conveniences, many people today are suffering mental and physical conditions brought on by our current lifestyles. Wouldn’t it be nice to get away?
Take a step back and immerse yourself in a coloring book that will both relieve stress and tantalize! This adult coloring book was actually built from a real group of gorgeous ladies who have performed all over the world and now their images are presented here for your coloring pleasure!
The images are high quality, the lines tight, and the time spent will relieve your tension and put your mind at ease. Imagine spending a few hours away from the texts, the emails, the long commutes and the gain some peace and quiet.
Over 100 pages of coloring book images ensure you have plenty to color.
All pages are printed on one-side sheets to make it easy to color. If you prefer pens or markers, place a sheet of plain paper between the pages to prevent the ink from bleeding.
If you are ready to take a step back to your childhood, ready to relax and enjoy these beautiful ladies and the art of coloring, buy now!
Book Video
Excerpt
Praise for the Book
"Richard has been submersed in Belly Dance culture and taking pics of dancers for years. I know because I am a belly dancer from birth! It's so cool to see him combine passions to come out with this book! I also love coloring and just got started on my first page. I look forward to sharing the pages with my students and introducing them to new dancers through the book:)" ~ Adelaide Marcus
"Lots of beautiful & amazing dancers, to color as you like :)))" ~ vanina
"I have three coloring books at home that I started coloring and then I lost interest. I just got this one and I can't stop looking at the pictures! The detailing of the costuming is fun to color while creating my own look for the costumes! I am definitely going to purchase another so that I have one for the pictures and another to color!" ~ Mishaah
"I just received my beautiful belly dancers coloring book. I enjoy belly dancing and I also enjoy coloring, what a great combo. I want to order more and give them out to friends who also enjoy dancing as a gift. What a great idea. There are so many interesting pictures in this coloring book. I hope there will be a volume 2 coming soon. love it love it love it." ~ jan r.
"Such a fun and wonderful idea! Page after page of beautiful dancers : )" ~ Nicole Richards
My Review
By Lynda Dickson
This is a gorgeous coloring book featuring 48 illustrations of beautiful belly dancers for you to color in. The images are full of intricate detail, both in the costumes and the backgrounds, and they will provide you with hours of coloring pleasure. But you better arm yourself with a good skin-color marker or pencil! My favorite image is of Onyx on page 73.
Be sure to check out the author's website for a glimpse of some of the amazing photographs from which the illustrations were made. There's even a list of 26 Featured Dancers at the beginning of the book, providing links to the dancers' websites so you can hire them for a function or even sign up for belly dancing lessons!
Interview With the Author
Richard Lowe Jr joins me today to discuss his new coloring book, Talented and Beautiful Belly Dancers.
For what age group do you recommend your book?
This coloring book can be colored by all ages.
What sparked the idea for this book?
I’ve been a belly dancer photographer for over a decade, beginning in 2005. During that time, I photographed over 1,200 belly dance performance events plus did over a hundred private photoshoots. This resulted in over 400,000 photographs, all of which are available on my website.
Recently, I saw several people were creating "adult coloring books" and it just made sense to turn some of the best of those photos into drawings suitable for coloring.
My concept is to honor my dancer friends by including their images in this coloring book.
Once I decided to create the book, I had to figure out how to change my photos into drawings. I tried a lot of software, and none of it produced the results that I desired. I tried several different artists and finally settled on one who was able to capture the look I wanted.
How do you hope this book affects people?
First, I hope they have fun coloring the pages. Second, I hope this shows people the beauty of this dance form and its aesthetic nature.
How long did it take you to complete this book?
This took about a month to complete.
What is your writing routine?
In the evening, before going to bed, I create a calendar and to-do list for the next day. In that, I block out at least 4 to 8 hours for writing (I’m a full-time writer) and at least 4 hours for promoting my books and other works. A self-published author MUST promote heavily. Books that are not promoted don’t sell.
The next day, I stick to that schedule as closely as possible.
Another thing that I do is seclude myself into my office when I write. All interruptions are put on hold. This includes silencing the phone (including texts), shutting down Facebook, and getting rid of any other distractions. My writing time is for writing, not playing on Facebook, answering the phone or dealing with others.
It’s important to treat your writing as the most important thing of all during the times you’ve set out to write. Treat it as if your life depended on it.
How did you get your book published?
What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
You have to sit down and just do it. Create a writing schedule, the same time (if possible) every single day, and use that time to write. Write every day.
Second, don’t edit as you write. The first step is to write your thoughts down. The second step is to edit the writing. If you mix the two, editing as you write, you slow yourself to a crawl.
I also advise self-publishing because you have complete control over the process. The downside is you have to do everything yourself, including marketing and promotion, but once you figure it all out you’ll do fine.
One of the most important things a writer can do is get a good grammar book as well as a copy of the Chicago Manual of Style. Use these constantly. Don’t ask questions about grammar and style on the internet – look them up in these two books. That way you know what is right.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I am a photographer and spend a lot of time taking photos of nature, events, and shows.
What does your family think of your writing?
My sister is extremely supportive. She believes in the power of the written word. After all, she runs a school called the Schmahl Science Center.
Please tell us a bit about your childhood.
When I was a child, I was interested in becoming a geologist. I collected every type of rock and mineral that I could find and had a beautiful collection. I also built military models and had a model railroad in the garage. I was always creating something.
Did you like reading when you were a child?
Books were my main friends when I was growing up. I had a library of a thousand magazines and a couple of thousand books. More importantly, I read them all from cover to cover.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve wanted to be a writer from as early as I could remember. I wrote a lot, mostly for work, until I was 53 years old, then decided it was time to take an early retirement and become a professional writer.
In the two years since, I’ve written and published 32 books and also ghostwrote 12 additional books.
Did your childhood experiences influence your writing?
I was extraordinarily introverted when I was a child, and I found that books were my best friends. They were always there, always ready to share their experiences with me.
Which writers have influenced you the most?
Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, L. Ron Hubbard, J. R. R. Tolkien, Mike Resnick, Sir Basil Liddell Hart, Sun Tzu, Arthur Hailey, and Winston Churchill.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
My readers send me messages all the time, mostly congratulations on a job well done.
Fantastic. What can we look forward to from you in the future?
There will be at least three more volumes in the Belly Dancers Coloring Book series, probably one per month.
I’m working on a science fiction novel called Peacekeeper, which is set one million years in the future.
Plus I’ve got at least a dozen more books to publish this year.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to stop by today, Richard. Best of luck with your future projects.
About the Author
After spending over 33 years in the computer and information technology industry, Richard decided to take an early retirement to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional writer and published author. Richard is a leader in the computer industry, serving as Vice President of Consulting at Software Techniques and Beck Computer Systems before settling down as Director of Computer Operations at Trader Joe's. During his twenty-year tenure at that esteemed company, he focused on computer security and preparing for the possibility of disaster.
In addition to creating hundreds of articles for the web and blogs, Richard actively works as a professional ghostwriter. In that role, he has completed books on a wide variety of subjects including memoirs, business volumes, and novels. Because of his in-depth background in software management and computer security, Richard has ghostwritten a number of major books in those areas.
Additionally, Richard has published books of his own. His first two volumes, Safe Computing is Like Safe Sex and Real World Survival Tips and Survival Guide, respectively touch on the subjects of computer security and how to survive emergencies and disasters. Richard has also written and published a series of short ebooks on the aspects of freelance writing, including blogging and ghostwriting. Other published books include Expert Tips on Throwing a Party and How to Surround Yourself with Beautiful Women without Being a Sleazeball.
An avid adventurer, Richard has been a photographer for much of his life, with a focus on nature, scenic, performance and event photography. He has done everything from hiking in dozens of national parks throughout the country, to photographing various unique festivals and events, such as the Labyrinth of Jareth Masquerade Ball and the World Mermaid Awards Convention. He is well known in the Renaissance Festival and Belly Dance communities, having photographed over 1,200 dance events and 400 festivals. For several years, he photographed the Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, California.
Richard is currently working on a large number of short Kindle ebooks on a wide variety of subjects. Beginning in 2016, the first of a ten volume series of Science Fiction novels will be published.
One of Richard's passions is to use the power of words to educate people on human rights. He believes the world will be a better place when human beings are treated with the full respect and dignity they are due.
Giveaway
Enter our exclusive giveaway for a chance to win a signed paperback copy of Talented and Beautiful Belly Dancers by Richard G. Lowe Jr (US only).
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