Girly Chat!

21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes Book Tour

Author Cherie Burbach is enjoying a virtual book tour this month from April 2 – April 30 2010 to promote her book 21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes.  Girly Chat was able to catch up with Cherie Burbach, author of several books,  and ask her a few questions about her life as an author and what inspired her to write 21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes.  I am sure you will enjoy this interview with Cherie!

Girly Chat:  Cherie, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Tell us a little bit about your writing career so far.  How long have you been writing and what inspired you to write? 

Cherie: I’ve been a writer forever – since I was a kid.  When I became an adult, I entered the marketing field so I could write and get paid for it.  (I didn’t realize there were other ways to do that back then, so I was “being practical” by going into marketing.)  I worked in marketing for twenty years.  Over those years I would also occasionally write freelance articles on the side.  I enjoyed those so much more than marketing.  So a few years ago I made the decision to start up a marketing consulting business.  My plan was to do marketing part-time and supplement my income by freelance writing.  Turns out I was better as a freelancer than I ever was at marketing.  So I gave up the consulting business and I’ve been a full-time freelancer for about five years now.  It’s great and I haven’t looked back. 

As far as what inspired me to write, anything and everything in everyday life. Stories I want to tell or information I would like to read about are usually the subjects for the articles or books I write. 

Girly Chat:  You write on a variety of subjects from dating to poetry to health.  What do you enjoy writing about most?

Cherie:  Poetry, by a mile.  The bummer?  Poetry doesn’t pay very much!  haha.  So I write poetry and if I feel there is a feeling or message that others might enjoy, I put it out there with books or guest spots.  If not, I keep the poetry I write for myself. 

Girly Chat: You juggle a variety of writing ‘jobs’.  How do plan your day in order to get everything done? 

Cherie: I try and do blocks of time where I work one thing only, so I can get headway before moving on to someone else.  I have a routine where I check email and put out fires in the morning, update my blogs, and then move on to articles or other writing.  

If I didn’t do this, I’d be jumping back and forth to blogging, writing articles, researching, going on Facebook, checking email….. and my time would be scattered and inefficient.  When I take a new writing gig I immediately think about how I will fit a block of time in my day to get it done. 

Girly Chat:  Is there anyone who has been an inspiration to you in your writing? 

Cherie: My first and second grade teachers were very encouraging with my writing.  I got into poetry because my second grade teacher told my mom at a conference that I had a “poetic” way of writing.  She wanted me to try writing some poetry.  I knew nothing about it.  As an eight-year old, I thought poetry was “stupid” and “icky.”  What did I know? 

But then I sat down and tried to write a few poems, and I was hooked.  I loved it, and found that the words came easily for me.  I’ve never looked back.  A few years ago I published my first poetry book, which I did “just for myself.”  But I got such a positive response that it encouraged me to write some more. 

Girly Chat:  You’ve had a variety of books published, what made you want to write 21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes? 

Cherie: I wanted to write a book about all those times my friends and family didn’t quite have the information right with diabetes.  Just a simple, etiquette-type of book that encouraged people to find out more about the disease and also treat diabetics differently.  

Girly Chat:  What do you hope people will learn most from 21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes? 

Cherie:  I hope they will learn one or two things that will make them look at their diabetic friend with affection, and that they will want to find out just a little bit more about diabetes.  For example, if someone has been serving their diabetic pal sugar soda (or trying to, at least) I would hope they would wake up and see that a sugar-free beverage run is in order!  When their diabetic friend talks to them about their blood sugar levels, I’d hope they would want to find out more about what that means.  Diabetics can handle themselves, but it’s so much greater when our family and friends understand the things we deal with on a daily basis. 

Girly Chat:  What are some of your future writing plans?  Are there more books about diabetes in the works?  

Cherie: I don’t have another diabetes book planned, but I do have some fiction stories I’ll be working on.  I also have another dating-related book in the works. 

Girly Chat:   Have you any advice for readers about diabetes, not in the book, that you would like to mention?

Cherie: Sure!  I would encourage people to take a look at their own health and make positive changes.  If you have a diabetic friend, invite them to help you get more fit or to quit smoking.  Ban together to make a healthy lifestyle a fun and regular part of your world. 

Girly Chat:  Where can people purchase 21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes? 

Cherie: Anywhere online where books are sold, so places like Amazon and Barnes and Noble are a good place to look.  Also, many bookstores today can order the book if they don’t have it in stock. 

Girly Chat: 21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes is enjoying a virtual book tour this month.  Firstly, can you explain to readers what a virtual book tour entails and secondly, where else can we find you on the virtual book tour? 

Cherie: A virtual tour is an appearance at various blogs and websites in a specified timeframe.  In this case, guest posts, reviews, and interviews about my book during the month of April.  Where a regard book tour means that the author travels from bookstore to bookstore, a virtual tour means that all the “stops” are on the Web.  This allows the author to be seen by potentially more people, and gives them more exposure. 

If an author can do both a virtual and in-store book tour, that’s the best!  That way the author can still interact with people online and also meet them in person. 

I’ll be making several stops during the month, and you can find them all here. 

Girly Chat: Where can people go to learn more about you? 

Cherie: My website has links and information to find out more: www.cherieburbach.com. 

Girly Chat: Finally, is there anything else you would like to add? 

Thank you so much for being a part of my virtual tour!

You’re welcome, Cherie!  And good luck with 21 Simple Things You Can Do to Help Someone With Diabetes!  I think many people will find it a valuable resource for help with diabetes

Editor’s note: For Amazon reviews of 21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes click here