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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION.  She started out in life as a journalist (B.A. in journalism at Michigan State University) and then segued into marketing after getting an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Currently she’s the president of Miller Mosaic, LLC, where she builds WordPress call-to-action websites for book authors and small business entrepreneurs.  She’s also the co-host of the twice-weekly BlogTalkRadio show www.YourMilitaryLife.com.

Hi, Phyllis. Thanks so much for this interview. Your book, Mrs. Lieutenant: A Sharon Gold Novel, came out in April of 2008. What is it about and what inspired you to write it?

I was inspired to write this novel because of my own experiences as a new Mrs. Lieutenant in the spring of 1970 during the Vietnam War.  As a Jew from the Chicago area I found myself with other new officers’ wives who had such different backgrounds than mine.  We all had to get along and we all faced the same fears of our husbands being sent to Vietnam. The novel is about four fictional characters dealing with racial, religious and class differences as well as their husbands going to Vietnam.

You’re the founder of Operation Support Jews in the Military. What is this all about and how can people help?

I just launched this site in response to the huge shortage of Jewish chaplains in all branches of the military today.  In September 1970 when my husband and I reached our duty station of Munich, Germany, right before the major Jewish holidays, the Jewish army chaplain and his wife warmly welcomed us and helped us adjust.  I personally know how important it can be to have a Jewish support community when you are a Jew in the military.

Thus www.OperationSupportJewsintheMilitary.com is designed to encourage American Jewish communities to do outreach to nearby military bases that do not have Jewish chaplains.  People can volunteer to conduct services on those bases or invite Jewish military personnel from those bases to attend Jewish community events.

Nancy Brown of www.YourMilitary.com - the creator and my co-host on our BlogTralkRadio show - graciously shared her company’s database with me to use on the site so that people can look up military bases by state.

You also help authors with book marketing. What advice would you give first-time authors who are trying to promote their book?

I’m helping authors with book marketing so that other authors don’t have to do what I had to do - spending intense months learning everything I needed to know to promote online.

My most important piece of advice is to have a website that effectively “sells” your book and that you can control once it is set up.  That’s why my daughter and I are now building what we have named “call-to-action websites” in order to give book authors what I wish I’d had when I had to figure out how to have a book website.

Virtual book tours and trailers are very popular with authors right now. Are they overly hyped, or are they really great tools of promotion?

I spent money on having a book trailer made for MRS. LIEUTENANT, and I think it’s a very good trailer (it’s on YouTube).  But I personally don’t think it’s a very effective use of a limited marketing budget.

On the other hand, in my opinion the most important use of a limited marketing budget (after getting an effective website) is a virtual book tour.  I took a virtual book tour through www.PumpUpYourBookPromotion.com - and I was very, very pleased with the experience.

Do you have a website and blog where readers may learn more about your work?

I blog at www.mrslieutenant.blogspot.com and at www.dogooderscrooge.blogspot.com and one of my websites is www.CalltoActionWebsites.com besides www.OperationSupportJewsintheMilitary.com.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

I’d like to encourage your readers to take control of their own projects and stop waiting for others to say yes to them.  I first tried to get a publisher for MRS. LIEUTENANT; then I took control and published the novel through a print-on-demand company.  Next I tried to get others to help with the shortage of Jewish chaplains in the military; then I took control and launched the website.

Thanks for the interview, Phyllis! I wish you the best of luck with your writing and other projects.

Phyllis’ Books…

Link to Amazon .

Link to Amazon .

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