Pleasant Good Evening, a Memoir: My 30 Wild and Turbulent Years of Sportstalk hits #1 on the Amazon bestseller rankings in multiple categories
Canadian sports fans have grown up listening to Dan Russell’s Sportstalk radio show over its three-decade run, and now they can relive some of the most iconic moments in BC sports history in Dan’s new memoir, Pleasant Good Evening, a Memoir: My 30 wild and turbulent years of Sportstalk.
Russell has been interviewed by dozens of media outlets, and his book hit #1 in the Amazon bestseller rankings in multiple categories.
What began in 1984 as a simple 50-minute filler grew into the longest-running and most-listened-to show of its kind in Canada.
What inspired you to write your memoir?
Initially, it was something I planned for my kids to one day knew what my career was all about. But mostly it was about making sure the legacy of the trailblazing show I hosted would be forever on the record.
What do you hope readers will take away from your book?
Many things, I think. 1) Setting goals is great, both short-term and long-term. But chasing dreams can be as unhealthy as it is healthy. 2) The best broadcasters are the best listeners. 3) To steal a line from former Sportstalk regular Harry Neale, “Hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard.”
As an English major, writing has always been a part of Ryan Lawrence’s life. It was only after leaving his long-time profession that he took his education and a passion for writing and began his author journey.
Ryan currently lives in London, Ontario, with his husband Todd, their cat Dora, and a massive comic book collection that once fell on Todd (Ryan assures us that he’s okay).
We’re thrilled to welcome Ryan as our author of the month for June. Read on to learn his advice for authors when self-publishing and marketing their work . . .
Toot your own horn! Be proud of what you have created, and never feel embarrassed to promote yourself. Excitement is contagious!
Tips to unleash your inner Goddess/God with Tellwell author of the month, Rita Kakati-Shah
Rita Kakati-Shah, the author of The Goddess of Go-Getting, holds many roles both in the business world as an entrepreneur, founder & CEO, public speaker, media contributor and, now, author. She is an award-winning gender, diversity, and inclusion career strategist, speaker and coach. She founded and runs, Uma, a company that provides strategic expertise in those areas to Fortune 500 companies.
The Goddess of Go-Getting was launched on International Woman’s Day by the Consul General of India in New York and has become the number one bestseller across three categories on Amazon.
Kakati-Shah was born and raised in London, England and is from Assam heritage. She now lives in New York City with her husband and children.
You have a unique voice, so tell the story in your voice, not in someone else’s. Once you find your voice, you’ll feel the passion and your writing will flow!
Rita Kakati-Shah, author of The Goddess of Go-Getting
Authors may battle imposter syndrome, question their ideas and talent, and struggle to let go of fears. How can authors unleash their inner Goddess/God to overcome their fears?
Love this question! First and foremost, you have to remember that as an author you have your own voice. Even if two authors were to recount the exact same story, their prose and expression would be different. You have a unique voice, so tell the story in your voice, not in someone else’s. Once you find your voice, you’ll feel the passion and your writing will flow!
What habits or rituals have you adopted that have helped you overcome fears and unleash your inner goddess?
We’re so proud to celebrate our authors each month and let everyone know how incredible they are when it comes to promoting their books to the masses! And this month is no different!
It’s been an exciting month for quite a few Tellwell authors – from award wins, to interviews with major media outlets, to some incredible reviews! Great work, everyone!
Paul Smyth’s DELIVERIES won the Action/Thriller Fiction award 2021/2022 from the 1st Annual BREW Book Awards, which is run by the book blogger group The Chrysalis BREW Project.
Are you a fan of suspenseful reads? Get your copy of DELIVERIEShere.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
I feel that others on the spectrum, their families and those in their lives like teachers, might find comfort in many familiar issues autistic people face. Some may be inspired from reading what I’ve gone through, survived and thrived. Readers who have little or no experience about autism (besides Rain Man or the Good Doctor), will gain compassion for folks that are ‘different’.
Goodreads is a social network specifically designed for finding your next great read, and is a vital tool for authors! With over 125 million users, it provides authors with direct access to not only their current readers, but also potential new readers.
By claiming your Goodreads author account, you will be able to unlock a whole new world of Goodreads beyond ratings and reviewing books. Below, we’ve broken down these benefits for you to showcase why Goodreads should be one of the top platforms in your marketing plan!
Book marketing is a crucial aspect of a book’s success. It takes a lot of hard work and effort, but the payoff can be worth it. We are celebrating a number of authors this month who have done a wonderful job promoting their book in the media, speaking at events such as TEDx and even starting their own podcast. One of our authors even invested in a huge ad campaign with her local transit line.
Lisa Bournelis’ TEDx Talk is now live. Watch here!
Our Tellwell February Author of the Month, Chantel Riley, on how social media has helped her promote her children’s book.
Social media has been a great help connecting me to an audience I could never have reached on my own.
Chantel Riley, author of I AM: Precious Affirmations
Chantel Riley has an impressive résumé as a television and Broadway actress. The talented on-screen star is also a singer/songwriter, she owns and operates a children’s clothing boutique, and is now adding “children’s author” to her accolades. Her positive-affirmations book for children has landed her on Canada’s national entertainment show, eTalk. She has also received glowing reviews for I AM: Precious Affirmations, and uses her social media platforms of tens of thousands of followers to promote her book.
The Toronto-based actress speaks about the heartfelt inspiration behind her children’s book and how social media has helped her reach a much wider audience, and shares her top three affirmations for authors!
Instagram @chantel_riley
Instagram @chantel_riley
You have an impressive résumé as a Broadway and television actor and owner of a children’s clothing boutique. Tell us more about yourself.
I was born in Toronto to my Jamaican parents, Joan and Errol Riley, and come from a big family. I have four siblings. Before I got into show business, I grew up taking dance lessons and singing in my church.
What inspired you to write I AM and become an author?
We had reached the one-year mark of the pandemic and I noticed I was seeing more and more reports of the decline of mental health in our youth and young children, along with the unfortunate and heartbreaking increase of suicide rates. Having two nephews of my own—one is 11 years old and the other 19 months old—I worried for their mental wellbeing and any effect this pandemic may have on them.
I am a strong believer in affirmations and the power of positive thoughts. Speaking to myself with positive words of power and love has helped me overcome some of the darkest moments of my life. Children are the future and I wanted to make sure I can leave something behind to help guide them down a road filled will love and positivity.
From book signings to rave reviews and exclusive interviews, our authors had a busy end to 2021! Congratulations on your terrific accomplishments, everyone! We’re thrilled to highlight your successes.
“A clear, thoughtful memoir with an upbeat tone, GOOD MORNING, BLAKE is both a delightful read and a valuable perspective on growing up autistic in a neurotypical world.” – Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader.
For me, just getting the book published was a success. Would I love to sell a million copies, too? Of course! But that wasn’t my goal going into it. I wanted to help as many people as possible.
Serena Holmes, author, The Accidental Entrepreneur
2022, here we are! How are you all doing? Rested and energized for a new year, we hope. However, if you’re more so in the mind state of, What? A new year! Where do I begin? What do I focus on? know that you aren’t alone. Take a breath. You’re doing your best.
One of the best ways to get out of a funk is to take a page of advice from someone who’s been in a similar situation and managed to work their way out of it. Take Serena Holmes, for example. Serena is the author of The Accidental Entrepreneur: Turning Tragedy into Triumph to Embrace my Destiny in Entrepreneurship. Serena doesn’t just offer advice and inspiration for growing entrepreneurs based on her success and accomplishments, she gives readers a look at what it took to get there, including the hardships she faced growing up.
In a 4/5 star review from IndieReader, C. S. Holmes said, “THE ACCIDENTAL ENTREPRENEUR by Serena Holmes is an introspective, hopeful self-help tome offering detailed facts and figures regarding one woman’s journey towards creating a self-sufficient, self-actualized life.” If you’re looking for a book to inspire and motivate you, this is it! Moreover, when we asked Serena if we could feature her as Tellwell’s January Author of the Month, she agreed to not only answer our questions, but to share the lessons she learned from self-publishing, so that other authors could benefit. Find out about her self-publishing tips and how she’s used media mentions and online marketing to build a following of over 14 thousand on social media!
Serena, tell us a bit about yourself.
Where do I begin? I just celebrated my fortieth birthday. I am a proud mama to a gorgeous two-year-old girl named Sienna, and a happy wife. I became a mom pretty late in life, since I was focused on my career throughout most of my twenties and thirties.
I have had my own brand-experience agency called Tigris Events for the past eighteen years, and also obtained my real estate license this past year. Before COVID, I loved to travel but am fortunate to have a family cottage to get away to when I have some downtime.
What inspired you to write The Accidental Entrepreneur?
Running your own business can be a lot like riding a roller coaster. There are plenty of ups, downs, and learning curves, especially since you have to figure out most things for yourself. I had a lot of crazy things happen throughout my childhood that I believe helped give me the foundation to be successful as an entrepreneur. Between those experiences and those I gained during my time as a business owner, I felt compelled to write and publish a book about it to help others on the same path.
What was it like opening up about the vulnerable parts of your journey as an entrepreneur, and why did you feel they were important to include in your book?
Opening up in this way was extremely nerve-wracking. I was worried about upsetting some people, but in no way was I trying to do that. The experiences were what they were, and for those that I included in the book, I felt it was important to add context for readers and detail the kinds of lessons that were learned along the way.
