Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Barbara Milbourn interviewing Yvonne Perry on Writers in the Sky Podcast

BARBARA: Welcome to Writers in the Sky podcast. I'm your host, Barbara
Milbourn, and guess who I'll be interviewing today!-Yvonne Perry, the
founder of this podcast dedicated to the craft and business of writing.

Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer, author, speaker, and owner of Write On!
Creative Writing Services, a team of full-time freelance ghostwriters and
editors in Nashville, Tennessee. She writes about educational topics that
uplift the spirit and inspire excellence. Her writing style is lovingly
controversial and absolutely eye opening.

In her latest work, RIGHT TO RECOVER Winning the Political and Religious
Wars over Stem Cell Research in America, Yvonne Perry delivers to our
doorstep a well-rounded, well-researched book on what we need to know about
stem cell research. It challenges political and religious opinions about
research using in-vitro stem cells and provides a look at current stem cell
research therapies around the globe.

Welcome to Writers in the Sky, Yvonne.

YVONNE: Thank you, Barbara. You did that introduction very well. You are a
natural at podcasting. Perhaps I should have you do this more often!

BARBARA: I've learned SO MUCH from reading your book and I'm excited to
share it with our listeners. Let's begin at the beginning. In the
Introduction, you talk about meeting two men who inspired you Dan Bloodworth
and Michael Davis). Most people get inspired about losing weight or making
money. Talk to us about being inspired to write a book on such a complex and
controversial subject.

YVONNE: Honestly, my inspiration for writing this book is from my inner
guidance. After meeting Dan and working with Michael, I knew that I was
supposed to challenge the right-wing mindset regarding blastocystic stem
cell research. Part of my reason for being on the planet is to help others
understand greater spiritual truth and stop living a life of fear based upon
fabricated ideologies. Writing this book fit perfectly into my life's
mission.

BARBARA: We were talking about the matter of stem cell research being
controversial. Your writing style has also been called controversial--"lovingly"
controversial. In this book, you express facts and opinions that some
readers will find highly controversial. I found you courageous. Tell us
about courage and taking risks in writing.

YVONNE: Controversy goes with the territory whenever someone chooses to be
honest or challenge the beliefs of others. Every book I've written using my
own name has made me vulnerable to debate-even my humorous book EMAIL
EPISODES is a story about my life falling apart when I began to question
everything I believe about God, the Bible and societal norms. My second book
is about death, dying and afterlife. In it, I reveal my own story of
communicating with earthbound, non-physical beings. That is not something
most sound-minded people believe in, but it is something many people
experience when a loved one dies. With stem cell research the controversial
element was already in place before I began my book.

BARBARA: You're a savvy businesswoman. You are strategically targeting the
publishing of RIGHT TO RECOVER this fall. Why? And why is the time to
release a book important to writers in general?

YVONNE: After having President Bush veto the Stem Cell Research Enhancement
Act twice during his term in office, the issue of federal funding for stem
cell research is of major importance to candidates in the 2008 presidential
election. With the debates and political campaigns starting in earnest this
fall, I feel that the release of my book is very timely. I would like for
every politician to read the book just to see if the scientific knowledge
and moral logic has any affect upon their next vote regarding funding for
blastocystic stem cell research.

BARBARA: Talk about research! How did you decide when and where to begin?
And, how did you know when you had enough, and that it was time to get it
written down and out there?

YVONNE: Getting started was the easy part. There is a lot of information in
the news about stem cell research. It was up to me to locate scientific
experts in the field to help me separate fact from fantasy. It was like a
domino effect. Once I contacted one researcher or doctor, he or she would
put me in touch with another. Then, I came upon Don C. Reed-a proponent of
California's Proposition 71. Don's son, Roman has a spinal cord injury that
is very likely to be helped by blastocystic stem cell research. He is the
founder of Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act who introduced me to
Shane Smith Ph.D. Science Director, CNS Foundation, Former Science Director,
'Yes on Proposition 71' Don also introduced me to Rayilyn Brown, a woman
having Parkinson's disease. Don, Shane and Ray helped me more than I can
ever repay. Without them, this book would not be the factual work it is.

Deciding when to stop was the difficult part. The scene changes daily with
state legislators creating policy about how to handle the stem cell and
cloning issues in their state. I finally had to draw the line and call a
halt to my writing in order to get the book to print in time for Book Expo
America.

BARBARA: Tell us about your commitment to continue to bring research and
news on stem cell research to your audience.

YVONNE: The writing of the book was a large project within itself, but I am
daily adding more material to my blog to help people stay informed about
changes that have occurred since I sent my manuscript to my publisher. I set
up the site as a blog because I want to invite dialogue with my readers.
This site may be accessed online at www.right2recover.com .

We'll need to take a short break here.
Yvonne, thank you for being our guest today, please stay on the line. When
we come back we'll discuss what makes this timely book such an important
read. Listeners, please be sure to download and listen to both parts of the
show.

This is Barbara Milbourn and you're listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast.
I am a member of Yvonne Perry's team of writers and editors. You may read
more about me and the Write-On team on our website, Writers in the Sky dot
com.


********************* Segment 2 ***********************

Welcome back to Writers in the Sky podcast. I'm your host Barbara Milbourn.
Thank you for joining us for part two of my interview with Yvonne Perry,
author of RIGHT TO RECOVER Winning the Political and Religious Wars Over
Stem Cell Research in America.

Welcome back, Yvonne.

BARBARA: At least twice in your book you mention "your readers", saying in
one instance that they "are not in the right wing group that opposes
research". How does an author come to know who their readers are and do you
expect your reader base to grow in response to this book?

YVONNE: I knew from the start who would be interested in my book and who
would oppose it. Since I am an advocate of blastocystic embryonic stem cell
research, I know my book may not bide well with the right-wing and
ultra-conservative parties. Even if they read the book, they probably will
not change their mind. As a former fundamentalist, I understand that they
will not likely be persuaded by logic or factual information. However, those
who are on the fence regarding the issue and those who are curious to know
more will appreciate the education this book provides.

BARBARA: Let's discuss content for a few minutes. Your book seeks primarily
to educate and inform. I was one of those people who found the issue of stem
cell research too daunting to approach. I was ignorant. When 'human a life
begins' was a question for me; I didn't know an embryo from a zygote from a
morula, and I certainly didn't know about undifferentiated cells and their
potential to cure. I think I'm the majority - and that's dangerous. Why?

YVONNE: Whenever we believe something someone tells us that cannot be backed
up with fact or reason, it is worth investigating the issue before aligning
with that position as our own. Many religions teach unquestionable servitude
to the leadership or clergy. This can be very dangerous because it causes
people to deny their inner guidance and live outside their own personal
convictions. Following the crowd, or adhering to dogma set by an
organization can rob a person of their free will. Ignorance about stem cell
research and cloning, it causes bills to be passed that negatively impact
the well-being of others. It causes good legislation such as the Stem Cell
Research Enhancement Act to fail passage. This bill would bring funding to
research that holds great promise to millions of people. President Bush's
veto of this Bill is a disservice to those like Brian Bloodworth and Michael
Davis who have an illness that might be cured by stem cell technology. Just
think of our veterans returning from the war in Iraq who have been injured
and paralyzed. Animal studies show that spinal cord injury, neurological
disorders and Parkinson's type diseases respond well to blastocystic stem
cell implants. People have a right to recover and our president and Congress
are denying them this right.

BARBARA: It seems to me that the word "embryo" itself is a real problem-a
misnomer as you said-even though the term "embryonic stem cell research" is
widely used. Could this word and what it implies lie at the heart of what
stops people from embracing and funding stem cell research because they
think it is taking a human life?

YVONNE: Absolutely. The term embryo gives the mental image of a tiny
fish-looking baby floating around inside its mother. People have the idea
that a miniature baby is being chopped into pieces for scientific purposes.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. The research many call "embryonic"
is actually conducted on a cluster of cells known as a blastocyst. The cell
division that brings a fertilized egg to this stage occurs in a Petri lab
dish. Because of terminology, many people have assumed that President Bush
is right in his assumption. According to the dictionaries and encyclopedias
I checked in my research, these cells cannot even be called an organism.

A blastocyst can only become an organism or embryo if it has implanted in a
uterus where it receives proper nourishment to differentiate into all the
cells and organs required to form a human being. I re-emphasize that IVF
eggs cannot develop to the next stage and become an embryo while in the lab.
This development requires signals from the mother and without those signals
all these cells can do is continue to divide/multiply. A lab-created
blastocyst is not an embryo; it is no more human than a skin cell, a nerve
cell, or any other cell in the human body. In vitro blastocyst stem cells
might be compared to an acorn. An acorn is not an oak tree, but it has the
potential of becoming an oak tree if the proper environment is provided.

Based on the 2006 Random House Unabridged Dictionary, an embryo is "the
young of a animal in the early stages of development WITHIN THE WOMB, in
humans up to the end of the second month." NOTE: embryo refers to
development inside the uterus, not in vitro.

Merriam Webster's dictionary defines the term embryo as "an animal in the
early stages of growth characterized by the laying down of fundamental
tissues, and the formation of primitive organs and organ systems; especially
the developing human individual from the time of implantation to the end of
the eighth week after conception."
NOTE: an embryo has tissues and organs; blastocysts do not. Also, there is a
huge difference in fertilization, which may occur in a lab or inside a
woman, and conception/implantation, which may ONLY occur in a woman. Without
implantation in the womb an embryo cannot begin to form.

BARBARA: Your book expands our visions of the future of medicine and our own
part in it. For example, you make a good argument for new parents banking
their child's cord blood when they are born. Could you talk about this one
aspect for a moment?

YVONNE: Since there are so few studies on cord blood infusion, it can't be
considered a proven treatment; however, an Illinois mother whom I know, Mary
Schneider, banked her son's cord blood when he was born. Within a year or so
Ryan was showing moderate signs of cerebral palsy. After an extensive search
for a doctor willing to administer her son's cord blood CD34 stem cells back
to him, Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg introduced stem cells from Ryan's own cord
blood to his body through a 20-minute intravenous drip of stem cells in the
back of his hand. This was followed by two hours of saline drip to nudge the
cells through his system. The cells then instinctively knew how to find
their place and begin repair and regeneration. Within a week Ryan was
showing progress and continued to improve in the weeks and months afterward.
A few months after the infusion, the dexterity in Ryan's hands and arms
returned. Today the 4-year-old boy speaks clearly in coherent sentences and
is at normal weight for his age group. He is testing at normal or even above
average levels in motor skill tests.

BARBARA: Your book will be released this fall. How are you marketing it?

YVONNE: At first I started marketing the book myself. I made a 6-month plan
to include gathering endorsements and reviews, creating a strong online
presence, arranging speaking engagements and lots of press releases. I found
that all my time was being spent on marketing the book and since I do have a
writing services business to manage, I decided to hire a publicist. Chuck
Whiting, here in Nashville, will be handling my promotion from here on.

BARBARA: How can our listeners learn more about you and your new book?

YVONNE: My business Web site is writersinthesky.com and my book URL is
right2recover.com. Both of these will link you to my online media room and
give tons of information about my writing business, our newsletter, blog,
podcast and my books.

Thank you, Yvonne. I'm afraid our time is up for today. It's been a pleasure
talking with you today about RIGHT TO RECOVER Winning the Political and
Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America.

This is Barbara Milbourn and you've been listening to Writers in the Sky
Podcast. You may learn more about Write On! Creative Writing Services and
access other author interviews on our website, "writers in the sky dot com".
Thanks for listening
Rayilyn Brown
Board Member AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's Foundation
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