Vid Lamonte' Buggs Jr.'s Blog

This week we travel “down under” to Australia to catch up with multi-talented author Rita Chapman. Rita has an impressive resume. She is the author of the popular Anna Davies Mystery Series. Sit down, relax, and read about Rita’s humble beginnings and her advice to aspiring authors.

****Since conducting this interview, Rita has released the Missing at Sea.****



4-U-Nique Publishing: What made you want to become an author?

Rita Chapman: I’ve always loved to write. In primary school I wrote long essays but it wasn’t until I retired that I finally realized my dream to publish a book.

4UNP: What motivates you to write?

RC: The weather! I live in a hot, sunny place but when it rains, it rains. Then I turn to my writing. Once I’m about a quarter of a way into the book then the story itself motivates me.

4UNP: Can you describe your writing style for those who aren’t familiar with your work?

RC: Mystery, contemporary romance, crime. In terms of am I a planner or a pantser, then more the latter.

4UNP: Tell us about your book(s). How did you come up with the concept?

RC: I have published three books:

Missing in Egypt, a romantic travel mystery and Book #1 in the Anna Davies Mystery series. A holiday in Egypt inspired this book.

Winston – A Horse’s Tale is for horse lovers from teenagers upwards. The book I had to write.

Dangerous Associations is a crime mystery. Probably inspired by watching too many crime shows on TV.

4UNP: What do you think readers will get out of your book(s)?

RC: An enjoyable read, I hope. The Missing series includes vivid descriptions of locations which I think will appeal to those who enjoy travel. Winston – A Horse’s Tale has a few subtle messages. I think ignorance creates a lot of unintended cruelty when it comes to animals.

4UNP: What are your other goals and aspirations? Do you have another book in the works?

RC: I’m very motivated at the moment. I’m nearly ready to release Missing at Sea, which is the second book in the Missing series. I already have the idea for the next one in the series and I have a title for my next crime book (but no idea of the plot yet!). I’d also like to write a horse book for children.

4UNP: Can you tell us about your publishing process?

RC: Edit, edit, edit! You can’t read your book too many times and you can still overlook errors in your own work. (Other people’s errors, of course, jump out at you immediately). I was recently invited to join a local Book Club and I have asked them to be beta-readers for my latest book.

If you are self-published the next step is formatting and, believe it or not, that is more painful than editing. Which font is easiest to read? How much space do I want between the bottom of the page and the page number? For some reason the page lengths do not stay the same on CreateSpace’s template so you need to go in and jiggle – then the justified format comes up short on a few lines, the Contents drops its page numbers, there’s a blank page where there shouldn’t be one. It is so good when it’s all finished and you can go back to writing.

4UNP: Do you have any upcoming events or promotions?

RC: Nothing at the moment I’m busy editing my next book, Missing at Sea. Like most authors, I hate editing but once I’m ready to publish I’ll arrange some promotions and the details will be on my website www.ritaleechapman.com

4UNP: Where are people most likely to see your works at?

RC: Amazon and Smashwords, Libraries. Smashwords also make them available through Kobo, Apple, Itunes, etc. Then there’s my wonderful local bookshop, The River Read on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, which stocks all of my books.

4UNP: Do you have any advice for writers who want to become published authors?

RC: Just do it! Once you have written something it is much easier to edit, change, and re-write. Now that you can self publish with Amazon and CreateSpace there is no need for all your hard work to sit on the computer – you can send it out to the world yourself.

4UNP: What are your best tips for dealing with writer’s block and staying creative?

RC: I have two tips – one is to leave writing and do other things until inspiration arrives. The second is to make yourself write a page a day. Once you start you will probably write more and if it’s not going the way you want it to you can go back and rewrite.

4UNP: Before we wrap our interview. We like to have fun and ask our guests; If you could be anything in the world, what would you be?

RC: I would love to have been a showjumper or a singer. Much too old to be either now and unfortunately I didn’t have the voice to be a singer!

Many thanks Vid for the opportunity to be featured on your blog. It has been fun!

4UNP: Thank you Rita for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview.

You can keep up with Rita Lee Chapman and get all of her books here:

Website: www.ritaleechapman.com

Dangerous Associations:

An ex-husband, a new love, a stalker. Cathy Thompson’s link to her ex-husband fills her life with threats and intimidation. She must either trap her stalker or find Geoffrey to put an end to her life of fear.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1501062905

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

Large Print Edition: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1507554915/

Missing in Egypt

Missing in Egypt will intrigue you with its twists and turns, romance and adventure as well as its insights into Australian and Egyptian cultures. Australian Anna Davies travels to Egypt with her lover to help him search for his brother, who disappeared whilst on holiday. The Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbel and the Temple of Karnak are amongst the settings for their search. Will they be able to track him down and find him alive – or is Ramy already dead? What tragedies await Anna and Kareem as they come closer to retracing his footsteps? This fast-paced action plot will keep you guessing until the end.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Missing-in-Egyp...

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...

LARGE PRINT EDITION: http://www.amazon.com/Missing-Egypt/d...

Winston – A Horse’s Tale

One for horse lovers from teenagers upwards! Winston is a good-looking palomino horse whose life involves several different owners and many adventures. As you read his story, told by Winston himself, you will appreciate horse ownership from the horse’s point of view. Born on a country property in Australia, Winston tells of his breaking-in and education and the different people he encounters – good, bad and ignorant. As well as his own story, Winston includes the experiences of other horses he meets along life’s way.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G9QOZGE

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

Missing at Sea

Three years on from Egypt, Anna Davies embarks on her first cruise with best friend Sandra. A few days into the holiday they are woken by three blasts from the ship’s foghorn, indicating that someone has fallen overboard. A woman is lost at sea; the ship turns around to search for her, but she has disappeared into the night.

Was it suicide? Did she lose her balance and fall – or was there foul play involved? Did her husband push her? Would anyone be able to prove whether this was murder or an unfortunate accident?

What a perfect place to stage a murder!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XFKJTV4/

Copyright© 2017 http://www.4-U-NiquePublishing.com. Material is copyrighted but free to repost with proper listed credit, including our website address.

For years there has been an intense debate over what is the difference between an author and a writer. While many feel there isn’t a difference between the two; others believe there’s a major difference between them both. Archangelink.com states, “The difference between the two groups boils down to this: Authors are self-oriented, while writers are service-oriented”. Meanwhile, Robert Charles Lee says, “there’s no practical difference between author and writer. We could qualify the two words as a published or unpublished author or writer”.

I am both an author and a writer. I feel authors are people who have published or are working have their written pieces published. I believe writers are more than just people who write to become published. There are writers who write to keep their writings private. There are writers who write to inspire others; writers who write music, speeches, lesson plans, screen plays, and the list goes on. It is important to remember neither the author nor the writer is better than the other. The world is in need of both.

Here are some topics that authors and writers would love you to know.

1) Just because we write for a living Does Not mean we are perfect spellers and we use perfect grammar all the time.

We write because of our passion not because we have “mastered” writing. Before our books or our pieces are published they are edited and proofread several times. Bless our poor Editors’ souls.

2) If a writer/author happens to share their work with you, please be honored.

Sharing something so close to your heart can be scary. When authors/writers share their work with the world we become vulnerable. Before you tear our work up with criticism, please remember how much courage it took for someone to share their inner most thoughts with the world. Thoughts that will be publicly immortalize, thoughts that cannot be taken back once they are publishes.

3) We love compliments and constructive criticism.

Don’t just tell an author or writer that you loved or didn’t care for their work; Explain why or why not. We understand that each person will interpret our work differently. We love to hear what you experienced while reading, watching, or listening to one of our pieces, even if it’s not favorable. Just don’t be mean when explaining your thoughts to us.

4) Every writer and author needs reviews.

Telling us how great our book was is wonderful, but we would like the rest of the world to know how wonderful our work is. Our goal is to reach as many people as possible so we can help motivate, share our stories, or take them away from reality to a make believe land far far away. 4/5 ratings are great but text reviews goes a long way.

5) Please don’t compare our work to others.

Remember, each author and writer is different. We may have similarities to others but our talents are unique. Our works are like our children and saying our work is identical to another person’s work is a huge bummer. It’s totally fine to say our work “reminds” you of a classic, but please don’t tell us that our work is “just like” any other work; even a classic.

6) Recommend our work to other people.

Tell others about our work and what you experienced when you read it. Tell them to check the work out for themselves. You will get kudos when they come back and tell you how much they enjoyed the book you recommended. We all live for the moment of, “I told you so”, when someone is excited about reading or seeing something you’ve suggested to them. Don’t deprive yourself of this feeling by not recommend our work.

Copyright© 2017 http://www.4-U-NiquePublishing.com. Material is copyrighted but free to repost with proper listed credit, including our website address.

This week’s spotlight is on a person who helped, 4-U-Nique Publishing and my book, You Ain’t Hungry Until I’m Starving, transition from being a dream to becoming a reality. Marci Wise is a mother, wife, author, and an adviser whose mission is to help others reach for the stars. Mrs. Wise’s words of wisdom inspired me when I needed them most. I am sure after reading both her interview and her book; you will see why Marci touches so many peoples’ lives.



Vid L. Buggs Jr: What made you want to become an author?

Marci Wise: I don’t think it was a want as much as a need. For years I was kind of haunted by this inner yearning to express myself – but I was blocked. It wasn’t until I went through my “breakdown to breakthrough” moment that I realized that it was my desire to be “perfect” that was the enemy. It made me paralyzed with fear that I might look stupid, so instead I did nothing. But I looked really great during all those stagnant years! Anyway, I eventually realized that perfectionism was holding me back and letting go of that has really freed me. Now my passion is spreading the word and helping other people to break free of the things that are holding them back. Knowledge is power, as they say.

VLB: What motivates you to write?

MW: I hate to see unnecessary struggle. So often people buy into this notion that our worth is tied to our accomplishments, but it takes a long time to reach a goal. What about all those moments in between? Are we not worthy of peace, happiness and contentment along the way? It seems like such a waste – so I decided to say so – and people seem to really respond to this alternate viewpoint, almost as though it has never occurred to them. Giving people permission to shine, right now, just as they are, seems like a powerful way to make the world a better place.

VLB: Describe your writing style.

MW: My style is very conversational. I think I’m a combination storyteller and problem-solver. I like to use metaphors and real-life examples to help people relate to my message on a heartfelt level. And I’ve always had a talent for breaking complicated information down into its simplest elements. With my writing, I try to present a logical sequence of information that not only provides information but also motivation. I want to put the fire and enthusiasm back into people’s lives.

VLB: Tell us about your book(s). How did you come up with the concept?

MW: I would say the concept found me. During the economic depression I was laid off from my job, and losing that part of my identity threw me into a personal crisis of sorts. I was feeling very disillusioned with life. Little did I know that losing that job would end up being the impetus for an amazing, spiritual growth spurt. The book, Pain, Passion & Purpose, is a very personal chronicle of my own journey through that time and the revelations revealed within. At times it’s very raw and real – at other’s it’s almost magical. It began to take the shape of a how-to manual for getting back to the “real you.” It took me four years to write the book because it’s not just words but blood, sweat and tears. I had to live the lessons before they could be transcribed to the page.

VLB: What do you think readers will get out of your book(s)?

MW: I hope that it will offer people the comfort of knowing that they’re not alone in their struggles. We all have those private, vulnerable moments and they’re nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I think if we would actually allow ourselves to listen to what they’re telling us, instead of chastising ourselves for feeling that way, we would be led to a better life. The book outlines a plan for expressing your whole being, mind, body and spirit, though the use of self-awareness, personal responsibility and Divine inspiration. In the end, it’s about accepting ourselves unconditionally, rediscovering the joyous abandon we had as children, and offering our unique gifts to the world.

VLB: What are your other goals and aspirations? Do you have another book in the works?

MW: Pain, Passion & Purpose was a snapshot in time of my own hardest breakthrough moments. Since that time, I feel like a different person. I’m no longer blocked and afraid to take chances – and I’m excited about life again. I’ve gone back to school and am now working as counselor helping people one-on-one, in addition to my writing. I have a couple of partially written manuscripts on my laptop that I will get around to finishing, but life is a learning process and I’ve spend the last few years studying the theories of some of history’s greatest minds. I know this information will add to the depth and integrity of these new projects. I’m excited to put all that I’ve learned to use.

VLB: Can you tell us about your publishing process?

MW: For Pain, Passion & Purpose I chose to self-publish in order to preserve the genuine nature of the project. This wasn’t a book written to reach a certain market or fit into a specific genre – it was a heartfelt message that was meant to be. I’ve ghostwritten for traditional publication, but this was a different animal and I knew that it was meant to stay that way, so I went with Createspace. Choosing to self-publish allowed me to control every aspect of the process. I won’t say it wasn’t challenging at times, handling the editing, formatting and cover design, but it was infinitely worth it. I’m proud of the book and pleased with the outcome.

VLB: Do you have any upcoming events or promotions?

MW: I am currently finishing up the final semesters of a Master’s program so I’m off the circuit until at least the fall.

VLB: Where are people most likely to see your works at?

MW: Pain, Passion & Purpose is available on Amazon or it can be ordered through Barnes & Noble. Additionally, some libraries stock a copy from time to time.

VLB: Do you have any advice for writers who want to become published authors?

MW: Write as much as you can, in any way that you can. This helps to hone your craft and get the flow going that will be needed to bring that book to reality. Articles, short stories, editorials – whatever you can. Also, allot a daily time in your planner for writing your book. This is staggering but I read somewhere that 97% of writers never finish their book! Just keep plugging away and treat yourself with something special with the completion of each chapter. Even if you’re never a best-seller, just completing your book will put you in the coveted 3%.

VLB: If you could be anything in the world, what would you be?

MW: That’s tough. I suppose I would just say “a light.” Whether that means I’m informative, inspirational or simply pleasant, I believe that world needs more people who are willing, ready, and able to shine.

VLB: What are your best tips for dealing with writer’s block and staying creative?

MW: I think the best advice I ever heard came from writer Anne Lamott who said, “Give yourself permission to write the worst s**t in America.” Getting the words to the page is the hardest part. Once you have that, you can edit and refine it until it shines – but if doubt stops the process then you’ll end up nowhere. To me, creativity means taking chances. Try new things, expose yourself to new experiences. Allowing yourself to feel and experience all the facets of life will add depth and passion to your work.

VLB: What keeps you busy these days? Editing, writing, family, etc?

MW: I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to take on a second career with counseling. Yet to me, I don’t see this as a huge divergence from what I’ve been doing. My clients are seeking answers and a better of life, just like my readers. The only difference is that this time I can actually look them in the eye to see if the message is getting through. I’m also looking forward to doing some traveling in the coming years with my husband. The new me knows that there’s an adventure around every bend – and I want to experience as many of them as I can.

Marci, thank you for your time and advice.

To find Marci’s book, Pain, Passion & Purpose, please click on the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Passion-P...

Copyright© 2017 http://www.4-U-NiquePublishing.com and www.vidbuggs.com. Material is copyrighted but free to repost with proper listed credit, including our website addresses.

How many times does a heart break?
Is a heart pieced back together, if so how?
Or, is a broken heart always broken and are we in denial?

Does one cry until their pain is not felt anymore mean their heart is mended?
Or, is it that they push their pain so far down that they have forgotten that their heart is broken?

They say time heals all.
Tell this to the souls who have seen death of a loved one many times.
Ask those whose heart was broken by a former love or one who has fell short of accomplishing their life’s dreams.

Does a broken heart keep breaking into pieces or does a heart turn cold?
Because with so much sadness in the world a heart cannot remain whole.
The only way a heart can keep breaking is by its broken pieces to be broken into more pieces
The only way a heart doesn’t feel pain is by the heart turning cold.

I ask you, can a heart once broken ever be made whole?

It’s a New Year and we all hear the chants of “New Year, New Me”. Many of us have made New Year Resolutions. History tells us by the third week of the New Year, many of our resolutions will be broken and the chant of “New Year, New Me” becomes a chant of “I’ll become a New Me next year”.

What is the reason many of us fail to live up to our New Year resolutions and goals? Well for starters, many of us fail to realize that a New Year doesn’t bring change to a person’s life. Change happens in a person’s life when they focus on changing daily. How can one change daily? Simple, you have to make daily goals and plans. We also have to remember old habits die hard. It takes 21 days to break a habit.

Many of us will abort our plans of change because we do not see immediate results. In order for growth to happen, one must be patient. Sow your seeds and remember seeds grow underneath the surface where it cannot be seen. Trees only begin to grow above the surface when the roots below the surface are strong enough to support the tree’s growth.

Plant your daily seeds and by year’s end your seeds and you will grow to become the person you envisioned you would become.

Here are a few things we must do to make 2017 great.

1). Live each day as if it’s your last.

2). Plan for the future, live for the present.

3). Learn from the past and don’t look back.

4). Let your passion guide you.

5). Remember there are lessons learned in our struggles.

6). Stay in your lane. (Mind and tend to your business).

7). Give more. This includes money, talents, time, advice, a helping hand or a listening ear.

8). Let all disputes (beefs) go. Especially if you are 30 plus. If you cannot get along with someone just distance yourself from them.

9). Don’t worry about who others are dating. You aren’t with these people, so why stress over someone who is dating outside of their race, dating someone of the same sex, or someone dating someone with or without money.

10). Cherish everyone who has walked into your life; even if it was for a moment. You may not realize it but these people have taught you valuable lessons in life.

11). Be happy and thankful.

Happy New Year.



Vid Lamonte’ Buggs Jr is the author of You Ain’t Hungry Until I’m Starving. Copyright© 2016 http://www.vidbuggs.com. Copyright © 2016 http://www.4-U-NiquePublishing.com. Material is copyrighted but free to repost with proper listed credit, including our website addresses.

Recently I launched 4-U-Nique Publishing, LLC; as well as releasing the first of four books that I have written, “You Ain’t Hungry Until I’m Starving“. The questions I have received the most about these events are, “How does it feel about releasing your book and Publishing Company” and “Are you excited about your accomplishments ?” Well if you know me I hardly get excited over anything. My feelings on the accomplishments are I am happy that these resources are finally available for the public. I feel when I accomplish any goal that I have set, I am/was suppose to reach; so I am never surprised, shocked or excited when that goal is achieved. This doesn’t take away the importance of the goal that has been reached at all.

What was the inspiration behind “You Ain’t Hungry Until I’m Starving“? The book is a collection of writings that I wrote in a time period when I was finding myself. In life we change is the only constant thing. So we by habit change and have to find ourselves continuously throughout our lives. This book was actually written in the time periods of 2007-2010.

What took so long for this book to be released? I had several Publishing Companies wanting me to sign with them. However, the more I found out about the Publishing/Author business, the more I understood that once you sign a contract with a publisher, they now own the manuscript of your work. I couldn’t give control to someone/something over what I feel/felt and let them change my writings. I quickly found out that the resources available for Authors that wanted to self-publish were limited and expensive. From there I created 4-U-Nique Publishing,LLC and wrote/finished 3 other books, while putting the release of “You Ain’t Hungry Until I’m Starving” on hold.

What are the messages hope to be received in this book? Overall the messages that I hope people will get out of this book are; Being true to One’s self, Never giving up and going after what you want in life no matter what anyone says, Loving yourself and each other, as well as keeping others(all creatures) in mind.

Ultimately I know that each person will get something different from each topic. I have learned a long time ago to allow people have their own experiences. For example in “My Son“, I have had people say I was too hard on my son’s mother. However, that piece is about a man that wants to be there for his child but for whatever reason he isn’t allowed. Not every man that isn’t in their child’s life is a deadbeat and just walked out.

“My Love” people think that is about a women in my life. I wrote that specifically like that so people could relate. In truth that was about the game of basketball.

The only selection in the book that I tell people what to think is “The Writer and The Pen“. When I first wrote this and shared with a small few; they could understand the connection between the writer, pen and brain in the literal sense. In order for the message to be received I told the readers who/what each metaphor was.

Was everything in “You Ain’t Hungry Until I’m Starving” based on first-hand experiences? In some way or another yes. I realized the more I shared some of my writings people were relating to what I wrote. So in turn I would listen to people more. I would take their experiences, add them with mine and then wrote a piece from that.

What has been the initial reaction of the book? The reviews of this book has been great thus far. I am realistic though. I know that you cannot please everyone. As much as I would like to please everyone, that isn’t my goal. My goal is to have as many people as possible to read and practice the messages that the book presents. My editor, Marci Wise, gave me the first sign that this book was a good book. I am hard on myself and due to this book being written years ago, I am definitely a better writer. I definitely had low expectations for this book, however, Marci told me it help her make the decision to take a journey that she was in doubt of for a long time. A few others have told me similar stories. That is what matters most to me.

The messages received is what matters the most. You know people these days try so hard to fit in but being unique and stand outside the box is so much more fun. You accomplish more going on your own path and listening to that voice that is inside you. This is what I speak on in “Coward“. It’s so easy to follow the crowd and to hate. That’s the coward’s way out in life. It takes strength to go your own way and having people doubt you and make fun of you for being different. The strongest person in the World is a person that LOVES. Do you really know how challenging it is to Love? Hating something you don’t like or understand or agree with is easy. Loving is a challenging because it takes patience, understanding, looking outside of yourself, past other’s differences and being hurt. Show me a person that loves unconditionally than I will show you a person that can conquer the world.



Where can one purchase “You Ain’t Hungry Until I’m Starving“? Right now it is on AMAZON. Soon it will be an ebook on Kindle. After about a month or so you can purchase the book on Itunes, Smashmouth and other outlets.



Be sure to check out http://www.vidbuggs.com and http://www.4-U-Niquepublishing.com