Saturday, January 14, 2017

Cubicle to Cuba: Desk Job to Dream Job




About the Book
Title: Cubicle to Cuba: Desk Job to Dream Job
Author: Heidi Siefkas
Genre: Travelogue
In this introspective travelogue, author, speaker and adventurer Heidi Siefkas shares her transition out of the corporate world’s Cubicle Land to life on the road in Cuba and beyond. Heidi highlights another side of Cuba as well as perspective gained from years of travel to the once-forbidden island. Along the way, she seizes opportunities for adventure in Kauai, Italy, Peru, New Zealand, Australia, and other far-flung places, but always returning to Cuba for more.

Not unlike her previous books When All Balls Drop and With New Eyes, Heidi tells this story with a good dose of sass and humor in her signature down-to-earth vignettes.

Cubicle to Cuba will teach you about Cuba, but it will also inspire you to think outside the cubicle, travel more, and embark on your own Life 2.0 full of adventure.

About Heidi Siefkas


Heidi Siefkas is an author, speaker and adventurer.
Originally from small--‐town Wisconsin, Heidi hangs her hat in South Florida.
However, as an adventurer, she’s rarely home for long. The author of two inspirational books When All Balls Drop and With New Eyes, she has created the mantra
Look Up and speaks to groups worldwide. You can connect with Heidi at www.heidisiefkas.com and on Facebook and Twitter.

Links


Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeidiSiefkas



Author Heidi Siefkas answers about her writing and latest book Cubicle to Cuba

Describe your books in 3 words?

Adventurous, eye opening, and funny

If you could be any character from one of your books who would it be?

My books are non-fiction based on my own true stories. So, I’m the central character. Although there are times, I would like to teleport myself out of my misadventures, I’m the only character that I would like to be in my books.

What is your greatest fear about being an author/publishing your book(s)?

I think all artists and authors alike want to be praised. However, no one will ever be everyone’s cup of tea. Critiques of your own work are tough to take. It is even tougher when it is your own life. You have to have thick skin in this career. If you don’t you won’t make it past your first book.

Would the 10 year-old version of yourself kick your butt or praise you for what you've accomplished in life?

I see her doing cartwheels on our hobby farm in rural Wisconsin. She would be proud and jumping for joy, perhaps even with my childhood pet, a Saint Bernard named Caesar.

What do you do when you finish your book and turn it in to the editor?

First, I exhale. Then, I plan an adventure to get away from my home, desk, and piles of rough drafts.

What is your favorite Genre and why?

My favorite genre is non-fiction. I love true stories. You can’t make some of this of stuff up. I find non-fiction inspiring and educational.

What is one thing that would surprise us to know about you?  

When I was young, I wanted to be a bilingual doctor. I gravitated toward the sciences and not writing. However, it was through moving to Spain and learning my second language when I was twenty that I perfected my first. Little by little, I became more of a writer, starting as a blogger and working as a freelance writer. It wasn’t until I was in my thirties that I really harnessed this talent completely. I published my first book at thirty-eight.

Was there an Author who inspired you to write?

I enjoy reading other female authors. They all inspire me in one way, shape, or form. Some of my favorites are Susan Jane Gellman (love her travel stories and humor) and Lisa Genova (powerful stories including health scares). I’m currently reading Travels with Myself and Another by Martha Gellhorn.

How did you come up with the characters in your books?

The characters in my books are real people. To respect their privacy, I have changed all names.

Do you prefer to write alone or do you like to collaborate with other authors?

I write alone. I collaborate once I’m finished with a draft with my editor as well as with a close circle of proofreaders.

Everyone uses computers, tablets, phones and no one uses handwritten form or typewriters, what do you prefer to use?

All of my books started out as hand-written journal entries. I reread the journal entries and create a vignette that shares the story. Sometimes I quote the journal entries or emails and postcards that I sent to family and friends during the time period. However, I store everything on my Mac. I sometimes use the dictation function on my phone to write dialogues, as it tends to come out more naturally that way.

Is there a ritual you do everything before you begin your book?

I do research. I reread my journal entries. I look at photos and postcards. I even go back in social media to see some of the posts and photos.

What do you do when you finish your book and turn it in to the editor?


Repeat question

Giveaway is for a copy of the book per week of the tour. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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