#BlogTour Interview with Kevin C. Alston, Author of The 'Real' American Diet

Born & raised in the small town of Mullins, SC, by God-fearing parents who instilled religion into his life at an early age, he's had an insatiable appetite for knowledge since birth. God blessed him with a keen, analytical mind, & an almost feverish desire to help others. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran, married to the love of his life, with five wonderful kids, & a deep passion that still burns within him to help the less fortunate, through whatever means necessary.  The correlation between what we eat & the epidemic-like rise in diseases of today has the author on an impassioned mission to get to the bottom of what he thinks is a big conspiracy by our government & Big Business.

His latest book is The ‘Real’ American Diet.

Website Link: http://diet4america.wix.com/real , https://youtu.be/sQ8LOeFoj68

Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/kcasrkev1

Facebook Link: http://facebook.com/kcasrkev

About the Book:

This book is a culmination of the author's life, but mainly the past 10 years, where personal tragedies have led him to discover more about the correlation with food, nutrition & the diseases of today, &  

how it affects us all.

This program is an experiment of sorts, with the author using himself as the guinea pig, with positive results having been discovered, & hopefully, in time, even bigger positive results yet to come. 

Between our government & Big Business, we, the people, are already involved in an experiment.  It's like a big laboratory.  With all of the harmful toxins that are allowed in our air, food, &  water, diseases are at epidemic-like levels, & the author, for one, would like to know if there is more to this than is being told to us. It speaks volumes when other nations refuse to accept grains & meats from us, or at least it does to the author. 

Most of the ailments we suffer from today emanate from our guts, & our poor diets keep the sickness-wheels turning, costing each of us millions of dollars, a whole lot of heartache, pain, & suffering.  It's time to make a change, & that change started with the author's experiment on himself.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Real-American-Diet-Kevin-Alston-ebook/dp/B0794MPWWD/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+%27Real%27+American+Diet+kevin+alston&qid=1552343215&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spell

Would you say it’s been a rocky road for you in regards to getting your book written and published or pretty much smooth sailing?  Can you tell us about your journey?

Getting my book published was probably the easy part, albeit a little expensive, but getting that book out to the mainstream public has been the hardest part, for me. Like I reference in my book, I give God all the credit for creating this book. So, instead of forking out a lot more money to market the book, I decided to be patient, & allow God to connect me with the 'right' vehicle for getting the marketing done. I believe he has done just that. From the time that I ultimately decided that I was going to go ahead & do this, I knew that this was going to be quite a journey, mainly because I had no clue as to how to do all of it, from writing it, to getting it published, to marketing it. I've been practicing what I preach because I used myself as the guinea pig, per se. It's been almost 5 years that I have now been getting 'Real' with my diet, & I can honestly say that I don't skip a day in not doing it. The 'it' I refer to is the ritual. That's what I call it. The routine. I routinely do the very same routine every day, & I honestly believe that it is a major reason why I'm as healthy as I am today. No high blood pressure, no high cholesterol, no issues at all to speak of, & I'm 56 years young! My wife has even started to emulate my routine, somewhat. She isn't doing it exactly, but she is definitely following my lead. 

If you were to pen your own autobiography, what might the title be?

My autobiography would be titled,  Analytical Musings in a Lab Rat Society

When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation and/or fun?

 When I'm not writing, I love to bowl. I love to watch all sports. I'm too old to participate in most, but I'm a sports enthusiast, to the max

What makes your book stand out from the rest?

What makes my book stand apart from the rest is that it is all natural, & very sustainable. No special potions, & it is to be 'lived' ( done daily as any other routine ). The process of cleaning your body out won't happen overnight, but it will happen, if you put your mind to it. And sustaining it means that it won't cost you an arm-an-a-leg to continue doing it. The thing is about a lot of your diets today, you've got to continuously purchase the special meals, or potions, or other elixirs, & a lot of folks nowadays just don't have the extra cash to keep up. With my diet, you purchase the knowledge, which costs less than $10 per month to continuously utilize. So there is a big difference, when you get down to the nuts-n-bolts of it. And I'm living proof that it works.

Can you give us the very first page of your book so that we can get a glimpse inside?

Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have

given you every herb bearing seed, which [is]

upon the face of all the earth, and every tree,

in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed;

to you it shall be for meat.

IF YOU’VE BEEN dieting forever with very mixed

results, then you’ve finally come to the right place. These

lifestyle changes that I am recommending will be like no

diet that you have ever attempted, so if you combine what

I’m about to teach you with the proven methods that Dr.

Joel Fuhrman teaches you in his books—Eat to Live is the

best one to start off with—you will be well on your way to

attaining your goal of losing the dreaded weight that you

have been desperately seeking to get rid of for so long.

I must admit to you that although this will not be easy,

mainly because there are habits that first must be broken,

it is obtainable if you’ve got a little willpower. If you give it

your all, you will achieve what you’ve been seeking. And in

the end, you will be glad that you did because you will find

yourself living a healthier, major disease-reduced lifestyle

as well.

If your book was put in the holiday section of the store, what holiday would that be and why? 

If my book was put in the holiday section of the store, I believe that Easter would be the appropriate spot. Jesus died on the cross for all of us. That was the ultimate sacrifice. Sacrifice a moment of your time to check out what I've come up with to combat all diseases, & you just may be pleasantly surprised by my analytics. I wrote it to help everyone. My sacrifice for my people. Besides, I reference the bible throughout my book.

Would you consider turning your book into a series or has that already been done?

I would consider it. I've even thought about it. So yes. That would be great if at all possible.

When you were young, did you ever see writing as a career or full-time profession?

The guy who played all sports, & played them well. No. I definitely didn't see writing as a career. But I was always good in English class. I have pretty good penmanship as well, so, I wouldn't say that I  didn't consider it in some form or fashion as a teenager.

Did any of your books get rejected by publishers?

No, my books haven't been rejected. This is my first, & there's quite a buzz going on about it.

What is your view on co-authoring books; have you done any?

I have never co-authored a book, but a friend of mine has, so, I wouldn't say that I wouldn't ever do it. I would probably be flattered more than anything.

What’s next for you?

I have 3 more years to retire from Chrysler, so you never know. I definitely want to get a business up-and-going that I don't personally have to run, but that will benefit my family & I during our retirement years. A supplement.

Interview with 'Josephine Baker's Last Dance' Sherry Jones

Author and journalist Sherry Jones is best known for her international bestseller The Jewel of Medina. She is also the author of The Sword of Medina, Four Sisters, All Queens, The Sharp Hook of Love, and the novella White Heart.  Sherry lives in Spokane, WA, where, like Josephine Baker, she enjoys dancing, singing, eating, advocating for equality, and drinking champagne.

Her latest novel is Josephine Baker’s Last Dance.

Website: http://authorsherryjones.com                                                        
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sherryjones
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sherryjones
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sherry-jones
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sherryjonesfanpage
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josephinebakerslastdance
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cybersecuritytechnologywriter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1219600.Sherry_Jones

 Book Blurb:

From the author of The Jewel of Medina, a moving and insightful novel based on the life of legendary performer and activist Josephine Baker, perfect for fans of The Paris Wife and Hidden Figures.

Discover the fascinating and singular life story of Josephine Baker—actress, singer, dancer, Civil Rights activist, member of the French Resistance during WWII, and a woman dedicated to erasing prejudice and creating a more equitable world—in Josephine Baker’s Last Dance.

In this illuminating biographical novel, Sherry Jones brings to life Josephine’s early years in servitude and poverty in America, her rise to fame as a showgirl in her famous banana skirt, her activism against discrimination, and her many loves and losses. From 1920s Paris to 1960s Washington, to her final, triumphant performance, one of the most extraordinary lives of the twentieth century comes to stunning life on the page.

With intimate prose and comprehensive research, Sherry Jones brings this remarkable and compelling public figure into focus for the first time in a joyous celebration of a life lived in technicolor, a powerful woman who continues to inspire today.

Purchase Josephine Baker’s Last Dance in paperback,  ebook,  and  audiobook  formats on  Simon and Schuster’s website (available on Amazon,  Barnes and Noble,  BooksAMillion,  Indiebound,  Kobo,  and  other sites). Learn more about Sherry’s books  at  www.authorsherryjones.com

Thanks for this interview, Sherry. Congratulations on your new book! Would you say it’s been a rocky road for you in regards to getting your book written and published or pretty much smooth sailing?  Can you tell us about your journey?

I had a contract with Simon and Schuster/Gallery Books before I started writing JOSEPHINE BAKER’S LAST DANCE, so that part was smooth sailing. Writing the novel was challenging, though. Writing about her life from her childhood (she was born in 1906) into the 1960s, when she spoke at the March on Washington with Dr. Martin Luther King., Jr., meant I needed to become an expert on six decades of European and American history and culture, not to mention Josephine Baker’s life story, which she herself revised a number of times. And structuring the book as I did, following the structure of her last performance to tell her story in music, dance, costumes, and art, resulted in my rewriting the book several times in effort to figure out how to do this just right. Fortunately, my editor, Kate Dresser, and my literary agent, Natasha Kern, were enthusiastic and supportive about how I wanted to tell Josephine’s story, and provided me with great feedback. Kate’s help was so critical to the book’s success that I dedicated it to her!  

If you were to pen your autobiography, what might the title be?

I’m working on one called I’VE HAD A STRING OF MEN. But I’m envisioning a series of books, because it seems that my life has been far more eventful and interesting than Karl Ove Knausgaard’s, for instance.

When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation and/or fun?

I love to read, play classical music on my piano, socialize with friends and my fiancé, Tom; eat and drink wine, and travel.

What makes your book stand out from the rest?

Josephine Baker! Hello! Not only is she one of the most iconic figures of the 20^th century—everyone knows her as the topless African-American dancer in the banana skirt—but she had an amazing life offstage that few know about. She fought racism covertly and overtly throughout her life, not only striving to prove that black women could do anything white women could—and do it better—but working as a World War II spy against the Nazis, risking her life, and using her fame to speak out against racial segregation in the United States. Ms. Baker was one of the very first civil rights activists in America, and she succeeded in getting many nightclubs, theaters, restaurants, and hotels to integrate for the first time. She raised so much hell that, when she left the country, the FBI told her not to come back.

Can you give us the very first page of your book so that we can get a glimpse inside? (Just the first page please)

Sleep? How can she sleep when there’s so much living to do?

She’s never needed much rest but it eludes her now and no

wonder, her name in lights in Paris again, the first time in

years, big stars filling the front rows night after glorious night,

the critics raving like she’s pulling off some kind of miracle,

like she rallied herself from the grave to sing and dance her

life’s story across the stage. But she’s just sixty-eight, not dead

yet! She only looks it right now, running on fumes and just a

lick of sleep after what might be the greatest performance of

her life. How will she top it tonight? Never mind: Josephine

Baker always finds a way.

“I heard you come in at five this morning.” Lélia, her maid,

stands behind her in the bathroom and pins Josephine’s wig to

the scant sprigs poking out from her scalp. Dear Lord, look at

her in the mirror, the feed sacks under her eyes, she looks like

a Saint Bernard. “Are you trying to kill yourself?”

 “By dancing all night with Mick Jagger? I can think of worse

ways to die.” She has never had a wilder premiere, nor one

as star-studded: Sophia Loren, Alain Delon, Princess Grace,

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Diana Ross, Carlo Ponti, and,

of course, Mick. The standing ovation lasted fifteen minutes.

She’d thought it would never end, her legs quivered like jelly

as she’d staggered to her dressing room to collapse. Afterward,

the reception in the Bristol Hotel with the cake like a tower

to celebrate her fifty years on the Paris stage, the 50 on its top

making her cringe, it would only remind Mick of her age. But

the gleam in his eyes hadn’t faltered for an instant, he’d made

her feel like sweet cream in her silk Nina Ricci dress, and he

the tiger licking its chops.

If your book was put in the holiday section of the store, what holiday would that be and why?

It would appear under “Black History Month,” because, although she was an entertainer until the day she died, Josephine Baker’s entire life was about race and eradicating racism.

Would you consider turning your book into a series or has that already been done?

All my novels comprise a series about “Kick-Ass Women in History.” A’isha, wife to the Muslim Prophet Muhammad who became a great political adviser, warrior, and “mother of the believers”; the four sisters from Provence who became influential queens of France, England, Germany, and Italy; Blanche de Castile, the formidable “white queen” of France; Heloise, the scholar who loved Abelard: these women prevailed against incredible odds (stacked against them because of their gender) to reach their highest potential and make a difference in the world. Josephine Baker holds a prominent, rightful place among them.

When you were young, did you ever see writing as a career or full-time profession?

I’ve wanted to write books pretty much since I learned to read them, when I was 4. My second-grade reading teacher made the dream real for me by asking me, in front of my entire class, to keep my given name if I ever became a published author, so she would know it was me. (I did.)

Did any of your books get rejected by publishers?

My first novel, THE JEWEL OF MEDINA, got rejected by Random House/Ballantine Books after they accepted it. When they’d sent it to a history professor for an endorsement, she flipped out! “A national security issue,” she called my book in an email. “More dangerous than the Satanic Verses or the Danish cartoons.” Random House executives dropped the book like a hot potato, and no other mainstream publisher in America would touch it. A British publisher planned to bring it, but his London home office got firebombed and that put an end to that. Ultimately, though, THE JEWEL OF MEDINA came out in 19 languages, was a Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award finalist, and a best-seller in seven countries. It found a home with a tiny U.S. publisher. Today, it’s available today via ebook or by writing to me—I have print copies at home and am happy to share them.

What is your view on co-authoring books; have you done any?

My wasband and I co-wrote THE HIKER’S GUIDE TO MONTANA’S CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL in 1990 and nearly divorced over it.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on a proposal for Gallery now about an amazing woman in history who presented as male. His story is so inspiring and, like all my books, offers important lessons for our times. This matters to me because, like my heroines, I live to make a positive difference in the world.