Interview: Tamara Elizabeth, Author of Fabulous Fifty and Reflecting It!

Today begins a new interview format at my blog. Instead of an introduction, I will post the author's bio, followed by the questions.

Enjoy!

Tamara Elizabeth is a speaker, author, self love coach, radio host, a master motivator of women in transition, conductress of motivational seminars, professional photographer, small space designer, lover of social media, mother of 5, and a fabulously loveable woman after her first 50 years. She is determined to create a revolution of women.

Born and raised in Vancouver, BC, she returned to the city life after 20 years away. She moved into a 500 sq ft apartment in the heart of downtown and lives her online business – Every Small Space is a Living Place. ESS is developing into a wonderful forum for people to come to find solutions to their small space challenges.

She is an esteemed member of the 2010-2011 Cambridge Who’s Who as one of 400,000 prominent net-workers in the world.

Visit her website at http://www.moximize.me/

Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Moximize_Me and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/moximize.


Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am a mother of 4 grown children, a certified Self-love Coach and Master Motivator of Women in Transition. I have worn many hats in my half century – daughter, sister, wife, mother of 7 (4 of my own and 3 I borrowed to raise just for the heck of it), fund raiser, travel photographer, globe trotter, and now a certified self-love coach and author. I have even thrown in “radio host” just so that I don’t get too comfortable in my zone.

I am 51 years young and I love life. I have had some challenges on my journey but I am coming through them just fine. I am an adventurer and that helps me stay focused in the present trudging forward in this enchanted forest of life.

My sense of humor has opened many doors to me and has helped me write a finishing chapter to each different story in my life. I really try to look at life with a spring in my step and a good laugh at each turn. Even through the tears I try to ring the humor bell and lighten things up a notch. Writing has been my greatest passion as I can finally be heard. I have been writing children’s stories since I became a mom but never had the courage to publish them. So they remained the bedtime stories for my children. Now my mission is to help inspire women to never give up no matter how challenging their life’s path has become.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in British Columbia. I reside in one of Canada’s many pearls – Vancouver on the west coast of our great Nation. I have had the luxury of being born to American parents and raised in the cultural backgrounds of both wonderful countries. My heritage is dug in deep with ties from Russia, United States and Canada.

What is your fondest childhood memory?

With a rich heritage in both Canada and the United Sates traditions – there was a lot of turkey eaten in our household with two Thanksgivings AND Christmas within 3 months of each other every year as I grew up. One US Thanksgiving has the most zing story. My relatives came up from Seattle to spend the holiday with us. They decided they wanted a fresh Turkey for the dinner so they smuggled a live turkey across the border and brought it to our house. When the Turkey gobbled from within the trunk and the custom’s officer asked what that noise was, my uncle stated that is daughter was practicing for a school play ad her part was of a turkey. I guess the customs agent bought the story because they all arrived for the weekend along with the turkey. Once the turkey was named – Matilda – we couldn’t kill it for dinner. So what were we to do with a pet turkey? Luckily we had friends that had farm. We asked them if they would adopt Matilda and they had no problem doing so with strict stipulation that she would not become Christmas dinner. Our friends raced racehorses. Matilda fell in love with one of their prized racers. She would ride his back while he rotted around the training ring to cool down after training. When the horse went on tour to race, Matilda would lose all her feathers with homesickness. Finally after an extended tour Matilda died of a broken heart.

With stories like these I my life, can you see why I became a writer?

When did you begin writing?

I have written all my life. I was raised in a strict household of the doctrine – to be seen and not heard. So I wrote to my imaginary friends and told them what I wanted to say but never allowed to express. Then as I got older and raised a large family of my own I encouraged my kids to tell all and with those wonderful stories I wrote children’s books. Then I became a travel photographer and created beautiful children’s picture books. But I never had the self-confidence to get them published so they sit on old floppies.

Do you write during the day, at night or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

I write in my living room with my laptop looking out my picture window of the busy city harbor in front of me. I watch the ferries travel to and from the mainland and imagine what challenges and transitions the passengers are facing in their lives at that moment. Life continues around me and inspires me to find creative things to write about.

What is this book about?

Fabulously Fifty and Reflecting It! – Discovering My Lovable me” is my story, a story of a woman who has discovered how through my reflections, the truly fabulously lovable me; the authentic me that I was born to be. I have moxie like the trail blazing women of the 20’s.

This book is the result of hard work and perseverance on a self-love journey. It is the reflection of my life and from these reflections I have created a workbook for the reader to assist her on her own journey to find the most authentic loveable you. I am the reader’s voice. I speak as her. I have been where she has travelled. I have finished licking my wounds and jumped back into the ring. I am MOXIMIZED!

My reflections shared are not to place blame on anyone in my path, for I take responsibility for my reactions to every challenge I have come across in my life. I just want the reader to understand that I have walked in their shoes and have never given up. I encourage the reader to understand that she can restart her life at any time she wants to and still find success in whatever she desires.

What inspired you to write it?

I found myself having to start life all over again at 50. My 2nd marriage crumbled under the weight of my husband’s addictions to alcohol and prescription drugs and I had to leave that life behind to save my soul. It was a difficult and scary decision to make but I new I had no other choice. With therapy and coaching I realized my level of self-love and then my self worth was only measured by me not the measuring rod of others. I took my essays that I had written as part of me healing process and created a workbook with the hopes that the experiences /I have faced head on will help other women hurdle their challenges and see the amazing light that is at the end of every tunnel.

Who is your favorite author?

Erma Bombeck – she taught me to take life as it is and not so serious. Laugh at myself and enjoy life’s roller coaster after all it is just a ride and every twist and turn is there for us to learn from.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

You can purchase it on amazon http://ow.ly/6tJXT

Do you have a website and/or blog where readers can find out more?

You can find out more about me @ http://moximize.me/

Do you have a video trailer to promote your book? If yes, where can readers find it?

Youtube @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNBxT3dk6fc

What is the best investment you have made in promoting your book?

A Virtual Book Tour

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring authors everywhere?

With the increasing ease to get published today, every budding author has something of value to share with the world and the world is open and waiting to embrace your gift. So just do it! Publish your works and share your expertise no matter what it is with the world. Eventually this planet and its people will be a better place for doing so – one book at a time.

What is up next for you?

I have many different spoons stirring my creative soup bowl. We’ll just have to see which one comes out first.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Write from your heart and soul a follow the “bar stool test” -write, as you would tell your story to the person who is sitting next to you at the bar. Not to worry about the formalities of correct writing – just write the streams of thoughts that flow from your inner being, it can all be tweaked into a more formal way later if so desired. When you write to pass the barstool test you reach the masses and you relate better to the niche you are destined to write for.

Thank you for your time.