Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Twitter for Authors: Book Marketing and Publicity with Social Media





Why Twitter Is An Effective Marketing Tool

Many authors fail to see what the big deal is regarding Twitter. They read Tweets about what someone ate for breakfast or what color shirt they're wearing. They might sign up only to stare at a bare, lonely screen with zero followers.

Initially, it might be difficult to see the potential. But once you get started, Twitter has a tendency to “snowball” into a HUGE deal for authos – one that is absolutely essential for the growth of their platform and their exposure on the internet.

How Can You Use Twitter?

Here are just a few of the ways Twitter can help to benefit your global author platform:

Establishing rapport with your customers / readers.

Twitter allows for a bit more personal, less formal, more fun mode of communication. It allows them to catch a glimpse of you just as a regular person sending SMS texts from Wal-Mart, rather than as a serious, detached blogger or business owner.

Why is this useful? It allows people to connect and relate to you on a personal level – it makes you look just like a “regular Joe”, especially if you include random/fun tweets among the more serious, author-driven tweets.

Keeping your customers / readers updated.

With a blog, you might only update once or twice per week. With Twitter, you might send a handful of tweets per day, keeping your followers “in the loop” and reminding them of your existence.

Of course, it's not recommended to send a million tweets per day. This will only serve to annoy people and they will likely unfollow you.

Building a loyal, steady customer-base:

BUILD A LIST!” As a author, I'm sure you've heard this refrain many times over. Building a list is one of the most vital steps you can take in the advancement of your online business. Twitter is pretty much the same as building a list – although it might be even more effective in the long run.

When it comes to an email list, a large portion of your subscribers won't even glance at the emails you send. Their eyes will glaze over and they may even send it to the trash. With Twitter, your followers will see all of your Tweets. They'll digest its information in about half a second and if you include a link, they probably won't get offended.

Chances are, if you included an eye-catching description, they'll probably click it! Additionally, it won't SEEM like you are marketing to them, because you're just another Twitter user tweeting about random stuff!

Building up excitement for a book launch:
Just like with an email list, Twitter can be used to build up excitement about an upcoming book launch. It can start with occasional Tweets about your “new project”, and by keeping your followers up to date and offering freebies and cool stuff that they'll appreciate, you'll build trust and anticipation. When your book launches, a well-timed Tweet may likely be just as effective as a blast to your email list.

Driving traffic to your website or blog:

Wouldn't it be great if you could instantly notify hundreds or thousands of people every time you update your blog? Twitter makes this possible. It essentially acts as an RSS feed. By building a sizable list of followers, you pretty much have access to an instant source of traffic to your website or blog.

People who would otherwise not be aware of updates and new content will be notified, giving them a chance to check it out. If your blog is high-quality, people will keep an eye out for more of your Tweets.

Building relationships with business contacts.

Twitter makes it easy to keep in touch with business partners and contacts. Traditional instant messaging is on its way out, and you'll find that most savvy internet marketers use Twitter as their primary social networking tool. So take advantage of this fact! Hook up with your contacts so you can work on building a closer relationship.

Crowd-sourcing:

Crowd-sourcing is a unique form of outsourcing. It works by calling on your friends, fans, followers, email subscribers, etc. to contribute ideas and solutions. Basically, it is a form of “group intelligence”.

By listening to the crowd, marketers and business owners can figure out the exact thoughts, needs, and wants of their customer base. In this way, innovative new ideas and strategies are born that are guaranteed to fall in line with the desires of the consumer.

By directly asking your followers what type of book cover they'd like to see developed, or what their biggest setbacks are, or what they liked/disliked most about your last book, you can gain an incredibly amount of insight!

Twitter provides a perfect platform for crowd-sourcing.

Going viral:

Social networking sites give us a great opportunity to 'go viral'. This means that you Tweet about something that really catches people's attention. Your followers are impressed, so they re-Tweet it.

In turn, each of their followers re-Tweet it, and so on and so on, and soon your little Tweet spreads like wildfire, snowballing into a huge storm of clicks and traffic.

Of course, TRYING to make something go viral probably won't work. It tends to just happen on its own. Tweeting “Hey guys buy my new book click here” will never go viral, obviously. But if you find something really interesting, little-known, valuable, funny, etc., you might have a chance.

Very often, Tweets go viral without anyone really expecting or planning on it. This is just one of the many amazing benefits of social networking.

Monday, August 26, 2013

The Past Is Just Footprints in the Sand


Keith Dobbins New Single ‘Footprints’ reminds listeners to separate from their past.




The message that God does not define a person by their past is a powerful one.  Like the tides washing away footprints on the sandy beach, people should let go of their mistakes.  The new single release, “Footprints”, by Keith Dobbins encourages listeners to shake off their past and move forward.
Dobbins felt so strongly about the message in “Footprints” that he chose this song to be his debut after 17-year absence from the music world; “I was motivated to sing this, because I want every at-risk person whether old or young, black or white or Hispanic or Asian to know that God recognizes life is real.  I want them to be encouraged and know they are not alone in making mistakes and dealing with the struggles of life.  Footprints in the sand disappear, and so can your past.”
Keith Dobbins is one of the most sought after Psalmist in America.  He brings the positive message of Christ to stages across North America and Europe, gaining rave reviews from audiences touched by his powerful performances.  A promoter of his concert in London, England stated that "Keith gives an electrifying and anointed performance!”
His past recordings have included various prominent music figures, including Yolanda Adams, Melvin Williams, Rance Allen, Vanessa Bell-Armstrong, and Shirley Murdock.
With the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, Keith Dobbins continues to set higher standards of excellence in his music and performances.  Because of his diligence, the Lord has blessed him with award winning, internationally released recordings that inspire people to praise and glorify the Lord throughout the world.
“Footprints” is a precursor to his soon to be released project “I’m Ready Now”.  This project will showcase the diversity he has gained over his music career.  Keith brings a myriad of musical styles that are relevant, honest, and truly touched by God.   

Keith Dobbins
Keith Dobbins grew up in Fayetteville, Tennessee.  He attended college at The Ohio State University, where he feels that he really grew up spiritually, mentally, and socially.  
Keith currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.  He serves with Bishop Donald Battle as they minister to over 7,000 people who come to worship and praise the Lord weekly.  He also leads worship occasionally at Buckhead Church, under the leadership of Andy Stanley.
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For media inquiries, or to request a review copy, please contact:
Khalid Winston




Thursday, August 22, 2013

Reviewers Needed for Mystery Novel


Forbidden Room





Fifteen years ago, in a mansion on Long Island, fourteen-and ten-year-olds Sara and Davey “Soldier Boy” Goldstein discover their parents shot to death. Murder? Suicide? Was that Uncle Charlie running from the scene? The children refuse to speak to the police and the crime is never solved.

Flash forward to the present and Sara – now an adult and the heiress to a very large fortune - is accused of killing Uncle Charlie. Soldier Boy has disappeared.

New attorney Michael Tucker has few clients, yearns to be like his famous grandmother and cannot afford to move out of his parents’ home. When Sara hires Michael, he gets the chance to defend an innocent person, a beautiful lover and notoriety like his grandmother. But is it more than he bargained for? Is Sara innocent or is she really a murderer?

Forbidden Room, a murder mystery, begins in the courtroom on the last day of Sara’s murder trial. The foreperson reads from the verdict form. “In The People of New York vs. Sara Goldstein, the defendant is found….”

Sara awakens in a hospital room where she was taken after fainting. Michael is by her side. Court is in recess until the following day. The verdict has not yet been announced. Told from the points of view of both Sara and Michael, Forbidden Room unfolds in complicated layers until the verdict is pronounced and Uncle Charlie’s murderer is revealed.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

A Chapter Book Filled to the Brim with Adventure

Author Don M. Winn’s first chapter book, ‘The Knighting of Sir Kaye’ is the perfect way to get boys interested in reading.





Parents and teachers are always on the lookout for ways to get boys reading, especially with the new school year about to start. The Knighting of Sir Kaye is just the ticket. Boys love stories about knights, danger, and bravery, and happily, this book has plenty of all three. The first installment in the Sir Kaye series, this book takes place in the troubled medieval land of Knox. It centers on Kaye Balfour, a twelve-year-old boy who wants nothing more in the world than to be a famous knight like his father. However, Kaye meets many challenges on his quest to make his dream come true.

Kaye seems to have a charmed life: his father is a legendary knight, he lives in a castle, and he has a great horse. However, there’s plenty wrong with it, too. For one, his father has been away for two years on “official court business.” For another, he deals with challenges that any boy might face: his former best friend hates him, other boys laugh at him for wanting to be a knight, and a bully has chosen Kaye as his target.

Kaye and his new best friend Reggie still manage to have plenty of carefree adventures, until one day, a small act on Kaye’s part makes him the queen’s surprising choice for a new knight. Suddenly, his world is turned upside down and he must face off against real knights and try to help the queen keep her kingdom.

Kaye is a relatable boy, who deals with many of the same issues any twelve-year-old might face today. The Knighting of Sir Kaye is well-paced with plenty of action and humor. Young readers will be captivated by this page-turner and anxious for the next installment in this IRDA Kids Category-winning series. Fans of author Don M. Winn’s picture books will likely begin the transition to chapter books with The Knighting of Sir Kaye, and new readers—as well as parents—will surely become devotees of Winn’s lively, warm, and funny style.


Don Winn



Don Winn is the award-winning author of the children’s novel The Knighting of Sir Kaye. He has written ten additional picture books, including Space Cop Zack, Protector of the Galaxy; The Higgledy-Piggledy Pigeon; Superhero; Twitch the Squirrel and the Forbidden Bridge; and Shelby the Cat.
Don has been writing for over 15 years. After he started writing poetry, Winn moved on to writing children’s picture books. Soon, he started to write chapter books for children. Winn lives in Round Rock, Texas.
For more information, please visit www.donwinn.com.
Find him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/authordonwinn.
Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/don_winn.

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For media inquiries or to request a review copy, please contact:
Don Winn
author@donwinn.com

Friday, August 16, 2013

How Kobe Bryant Flunked the Personal Branding Game

photo by Aaron Frutman

Guest post by Mike Consol

Much has been made of the personal branding of individuals. It's been a hot subject In recent years. One of the great failures of personal branding has been playing out in public view for years.

Enter basketball great Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers.

His monumental failure to turn himself into a sterling brand is largely attributable to a predecessor who has one of the world's strongest personal brands.

Enter NBA legend Michael Jordan, formerly of the Chicago Bulls.

The overarching theme is this: Michael Jordan was an original and Kobe Bryant is a knockoff. But there's more to the storyline than that, and it contains lessons for professionals in businesses other than sports. Learn from Bryant's mistakes and you're likely to avoid the same fate.

From a professional, on-court performance standpoint, the discrepancy between Bryant and Jordan shouldn't be so vast. Bryant has put up huge numbers during his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, including having just won his fifth NBA championship, just one short of what Jordan posted with the Chicago Bulls.

Bryant has scored more than 25,000 points, and will likely equal or surpass Jordan's 32,000-point career total. Bryant also shocked the basketball world in January 2006 when he scored a staggering 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, eclipsing Jordan's 73-point performance years earlier. It was the second-biggest scoring night in NBA history; only Wilt Chamberlain's 100 points in a 1962 game was bigger. (Some sports analysts said Bryant's performance was even more impressive than Chamberlain's.)

Lastly, Bryant has proven himself every bit as competitive and professionally disciplined as Jordan. He work ethic and refusal to quit on any play during any game is evident.

And what has Kobe Bryant gotten for all this? Just one Most Valuable Player award compared to six for Michael Jordan. He has received far fewer product endorsements, while Jordan is still pitching Hanes underwear and other products years after his retirement. And virtually every NBA announcer and analyst still keeps Michael Jordan in separate company. It was a big milestone for Bryant when television analysts acknowledged during this year's NBA playoffs that Bryant should "at least be part of the conversation" as to whether his greatness is equal to Jordan's.

He has just now earned the right to be part of the conversation? After all those accomplishments?

Yes, and here's why. From Kobe Bryant's earliest days in the league his admiration for Jordan was evident because he so closely emulated MJ's playing style. Everything about Bryant's manner said he was determined to become the next Michael Jordan - to prove he was as good as the man widely considered the greatest ever. Maybe even better.

And that spelled the end of any chance that Kobe Bryant had to create a brand of his own, one that could equal or surpass Jordan's and endure the test of time.

Contrast that with Michael Jordan's experience. Jordan was original, in part because the superstars immediately preceding him - the Boston Celtics' Larry Bird and the Los Angeles Lakers' Magic Johnson - were very different players stylistically. Bird and Johnson were marvelous talents, to be sure, but Jordan brought an athleticism and stamina the league had never seen the likes of - until Bryant came along.

There were other factors that made Jordan such an indomitable brand. He established several trademarks, including changing the NBA's attire. Jordan - still enamored with his college basketball uniform - wore his North Carolina University shorts and jersey under his Bulls uniform. To conceal the shorts and avoid violating the NBA's dress code, Jordan started wearing baggy shorts. The entire National Basketball Association soon followed his lead.

Jordan's far warmer, more playful personality and electric smile created better media, as well.

This two-person drama is a testimony to the power of personal brand. A strict numerical analysis of the two players would certainly place Bryant and Jordan on the same lofty pedestal. But that's only half the story. Factor in their personal brands, though, and Jordan wins in a blow-out.

There are several lessons to be culled from this saga. They include:

>> An enduring personal brand requires originality.
>> Imitating an icon is a surefire path to finishing in a distant second or third place.
>> Pay careful attention to both your contemporaries and predecessors.
>> Differentiate yourself.
>> Establish some marks of distinction.
>> Be aware of the subtext created by every word and action.
>> Don't underestimate the importance of personality.

You can bet Kobe Bryant would have drafted a different game plan if he could go back to his career's opening tipoff.

Mike Consol is president of MikeConsol.com. He provides corporate training seminars for communication skills, business writing, PowerPoint presentation skills and media training (both traditional media and social media). Consol spent 17 years with American City Business Journals, the nation's largest publisher of metropolitan business journals with 40 weekly newspapers across the United States. While at ACBJ, Consol held a variety of key posts.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Encouraging Children to Follow Their Imaginations, One Adventure at a Time




Award-winning author Don Winn encourages children to use their imaginations to create their own adventures in his new book, ‘Space Cop Zack, Protector of the Galaxy’.
 

Imagination helps children solve problems, adapt to new life situations, and learn how to think creatively. Classic childhood memories can revolve around something as simple as a homemade fort, a cardboard box time machine, visiting distant lands and galaxies without ever leaving the backyard, and exploring the world through reading. Today, however, many children’s memories might just revolve around the television and the computer.  Don Winn, the award-winning author of The Knighting of Sir Kaye, hopes to change all that with his new, imagination-filled book, Space Cop Zack, Protector of the Galaxy, a story that teaches children that they can create their own adventures while reading and playing.
Space Cop Zack, a little boy with a big imagination, and his faithful robot sidekick GARG chase the terrible Dr. Dogbreath across the galaxy. Together they brave bad smells, squishy slime, giant ocean monsters, and motion sickness. Do Zack and GARG finally capture Dr. Dogbreath, or does he escape their grasp? The end is all up to children’s imaginations.
Parents often want to nurture their children’s aptitude for imagination and discovery, and with this new children’s book, they can do just that. Winn’s goal while writing Space Cop Zack was to encourage children to create their own adventures.
Winn knows how important such imaginative odysseys can be—as a child, his imagination transformed a big cardboard box into a rocket ship, submarine, or whatever else he could imagine. These days, children seem to rely more on video games than imagination, and, as a result, they are missing out on the enriching experiences that imaginative play has to offer. Space Cop Zack teaches children that their imaginations can take them anywhere.

Don Winn




Don Winn is the award-winning author of the children’s novel The Knighting of Sir Kaye.  He has written ten additional picture books, including The Higgledy-Piggledy Pigeon, Superhero, Twitch the Squirrel and the Forbidden Bridge, and Shelby the Cat.
Don has been writing for over 15 years.  After he started writing poetry, Winn moved on to writing children’s picture books. Soon, he started to write chapter books for children. Winn lives in Round Rock, Texas.
For more information, please visit www.donwinn.com.
Find him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/authordonwinn.
Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/don_winn.


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For media inquiries or to request a review copy, please contact:
Don Winn
author@donwinn.com

Sunday, August 4, 2013

This Week's Free and Bargain Books


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Mystery

 

Noted novelist and newspaper editor Edgar Watson Howe once said. “A man who can keep a secret may be wise but he is not half as wise as a man with no secrets to keep.”

As the spring of 1958 arrives in San Francisco, it seems that baseball player turned private eye, Sam Slater and his fiancée, TWA stewardess Amelia Ryan, are surrounded by people who have secrets.

A prominent doctor, John O’Dell is being blackmailed by someone who has discovered a dark secret from his past. When the private investigator trying to catch the blackmailer is murdered, Dr. O’Dell hires Sam Slater to try to pick up the pieces. Someone is playing for keeps and will do anything to protect their own secrets.

Meanwhile, Amelia begins her new job as an international stewardess which takes her on adventures to New York City, London, Paris and Rome. In hot pursuit is a womanizing older pilot who has his sights set on Amelia.

Their lives get even more complicated when a mysterious woman from Sam’s past returns.

Sam and Amelia’s relationship will be tested as they work together to solve the mystery on the foggy streets of San Francisco.



Mystery



Fifteen years ago, in a mansion on Long Island, fourteen-and ten-year-olds Sara and Davey “Soldier Boy” Goldstein discover their parents shot to death. Murder? Suicide? Was that Uncle Charlie running from the scene? The children refuse to speak to the police and the crime is never solved.

Flash forward to the present and Sara – now an adult and the heiress to a very large fortune - is accused of killing Uncle Charlie. Soldier Boy has disappeared.

New attorney Michael Tucker has few clients, yearns to be like his famous grandmother and cannot afford to move out of his parents’ home. When Sara hires Michael, he gets the chance to defend an innocent person, a beautiful lover and notoriety like his grandmother. But is it more than he bargained for? Is Sara innocent or is she really a murderer?   

Forbidden Room, a murder mystery, begins in the courtroom on the last day of Sara’s murder trial. The foreperson reads from the verdict form. “In The People of New York vs. Sara Goldstein, the defendant is found….”

Sara awakens in a hospital room where she was taken after fainting. Michael is by her side. Court is in recess until the following day. The verdict has not yet been announced. Told from the points of view of both Sara and Michael, Forbidden Room unfolds in complicated layers until the verdict is pronounced and Uncle Charlie’s murderer is revealed. 

Mystery

About_Time_Already_Cover_for_Kindle.jpg 

Why has peaceful small town New Attica, Illinois suddenly seen murder, kidnapping, and blackmail? Could it be related to the unexplained disappearance of Elizabeth Warner? Are the dark secrets of the proud, prominent Roberts family to blame? Or, could it be the return of successful, independent, and somewhat lonely twenty-six-year-old Jenny Masters? She is being blamed… and framed.

Max and Michelle – a creative crime-solving duo from Blessington, Illinois – rush over to help Jenny. After meeting an assortment of friendly neighbors and fun-loving local gossips, they finally unravel the mysteries buried just below the surface of seemingly picture-perfect placid New Attica.

Honorable Mention – Mystery Category – 2010 Los Angeles Book Festival

Honorable Mention – Fiction Category – 2013 San Francisco Book Festival

L. A. Noble, author


Lou Ann Noble raised her two children in Central Illinois after graduating from Illinois State University with degrees in Mathematics and Psychology.

Series crime-solving duo Max and Michelle are from fictional Blessington, Illinois. They use their common sense and computer analysis skills to solve crimes. Lou Ann understands them well. She spent nearly 35 years working for a Bloomington, Illinois insurance company in various computer departments.

‘About Time Already’ character Jenny Masters is from New Attica, a fictional small town. Lou Ann grew up in Iowa where most towns are small towns.


Kelly’s assignment for the newspaper is to get photographs of King Tut. Not just photos of his mummy or sarcophagus, but of the long-dead pharaoh in the flesh. It seems he has grown tired of death and decided to rise and walk around Egypt in search of his lost love.

When Kelly arrives, the pharaoh’s attention is turned solely to her. He appears when she is alone, and disappears right before her eyes. While investigating, Kelly discovers she is the exact image of Tutankhamen’s concubine.

Before she realizes what is happening, Kelly is whisked away to another time. It seems she has been taken back to the time of the great pharaoh’s. Intrigue and treachery are all around, with danger lurking at the turn of every corner.

But this can’t really be happening, could it? Could Kelly actually have been taken to another time? Before she can figure out exactly what is real and what is illusion, she is drawn into a world of plots and counter-plots, with murder in the hearts of high-born players.

Could Kelly really be the reincarnation of the pharaoh’s lover? Is he expecting her to stay in Ancient Egypt with him? Will Kelly survive long enough to get the pictures?

Download Pharaoh's Lightning Here!

For information: www.mbnasdeo.com


 Mystery

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Veteran Homicide Detective James "Big Jim" Donegan and his partner, Chris Hunter, have been called to the scene of their latest case, a strangled call girl who has been put halfway through a wood chipper that was left unattended in one of the city's parks. 

Since he was eight years old Chris Hunter has looked up to Big Jim as a father-figure and a mentor. Today Big Jim intends to use this case, like every other crime that they have worked together, as an opportunity to teach the technically brilliant but socially awkward Hunter how to be a great cop. The training, like the work, is endless. Big Jim and Chris know that they have chosen a career that is never finished, that never stops, that death never sleeps.

When they first became partners in the Major Crimes Unit, Big Jim told Chris:

"People have to matter to you one way or another, even if it's only out of intellectual curiosity, but they have to count for something, inside, if you ever want to be really good on the Murder Police."

Hunter is doing his best to understand how people work and how to succeed on the Murder Police but the work gets harder when two more murders, one new and one old, are added to his caseload. Of course, Chris Hunter wants to solve these crimes to bring the criminals to justice but even more than that he wants to solve them to make Big Jim proud.

Amazon Download Here!

Barnes & Noble Download Here! 




Thriller



RED IS FOR RAGE, Book #2 in THE COLOR OF EVIL series, takes readers on a journey into the world of teen-ager Tad McGreevy, a boy with a paranormal ability (Tetrachromatic Super Vision) that allows him to “see” auras and the crimes of evil-doers in his dreams. Tad and best friend Stevie Scranton and friends at Sky High High School (Cedar Falls, IA) wage a classis struggle of good against evil in an exciting sequel to THE COLOR OF EVIL.

"Connie Wilson is back---and the return trip will be a joy to her readers. I've praised her work in the past and am happy to repeat the performance here and now. She's good! She's damn good! In a world of mainly bad-to-fair writers, she stands above the crowd with plot, description, and strong characters. Believe me, you'll enjoy her latest! That's a guarantee! Go Connie!" - William F. Nolan ("Logan's Run," "Nightworlds," Living Legend in Dark Fantasy)

“A fantastic tale of good and evil and those in-between…We get the sense that there will be more to come…When something takes hold of you and leads you on a journey full of twists and turns, you might be satisfied but you definitely want to experience it again. Experience it for yourself and you’ll see what I mean.” - C.A. Webb (“Conversations Book Club”)

“A scary, entertaining novel dealing with a young person’s supernatural power, bringing Stephen King’s ‘Carrie’ and John Farris’ ‘The Fury’ to mind.” - Pete Giglio (“A Spark in the Dark”)

Dark Fantasy

 

It is the eighteenth century.  A time when bold knights would learn that solidarity among men is the fortitude needed  to destroy the evil lurking in the shadows.  In a land far away called Alamptria, the free people of Elysium are under threat of the evil force of mount drone; home of the dark lord Makoor and his legion of vampires.  The former Elysian king is brutally murdered.  Terrible repercussions for those carrying out the assassination are ordered by the council of Confidus.  

From the land of Petoshine, the great elf wizard – Grongone bestowed three claymores of extraordinary power to three powerful knights from Elysium, who will shape the land and bestow freedom.  Time is running out and only the Seaton brothers with their claymores of power can defeat the undead.  The princess – Melina Hampshire has been fooled by the treacherous Tyrus Clore and taken to the far of land of Plaphorius, where she is under preparation of willingly giving her self to the world of the undead.  

A single seed of vampire is planted in the city of Koriston in hopes of annihilating the human race.  Andromin and Dragus Seaton investigate the infestation that has come to Koriston and foil the plot set by the Elysian traitor that is secretly importing caskets. Melinas beloved soul mate – Caprius Seaton and the Elysian army must race against the sunset to save the people from the evil Tyrus Clore and his legion of doom.

Download Alamptria Here! 


Fantasy

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Oliver Hamilton, Jason Garrett, and Jessica Thomas started out as your average high school students (well sort of). Oliver is a school fanatic, Jessica is obsessed with the universe and Jason’s world revolves around movies. But otherwise the three teenagers live pretty normal lives. Then one evening they run into a strange being from another world. After an unforeseen accident, Oliver finds himself trapped in a magical world of centaurs, fauns, and mermaids and it is up to his friends to help him escape before it's too late.


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Sci-Fi



An amazing Sci-Fi thrill ride that has been called a cross between Planet of the Apes, The Hunger Games and Indiana Jones.
A hunt for the world's top predator takes a billionaire casino magnate from the plains of Africa and the beaches of Key West and Fiji to the mysterious jungles of South America in an action-packed adventure set in a world where animals have evolved side-by-side with humans. 
In Las Vegas, Shaw, billionaire casino magnate and self proclaimed world's greatest showman, nears completion on the massive Serengeti Resort & Casino. Its amphitheater is being transformed into an authentic slice of African savanna for the show Predators and Prey which will savagely pit animal against animal in the bloodiest gladiatorial spectacle ever created for human entertainment. The only thing missing is the main attraction - which Shaw soon finds in Shark, the world's only Great White pool-playing shark to be exact.

Shaw envisions the show's tagline as "Come One - Come All To See - The Only Great White Shark In Captivity" but soon learns that capturing the world's top predator and delivering him to Vegas is easier said than done. This daunting task will require the cruel tactics of the evil animal slave trading
hyena, Old Jack. The heartbreaking plans they devise and innocent pawns they use to try to coerce Shark's allegiance will force all to rely on primitive instincts to survive.

Download Shark & the Wolf Here!
Sci-Fi

John Smith: Last Known Survivor of the Microsoft Wars

This is a post-polar-shift novel. You will challenge every assumption you have ever had, from crude oil to religion, while reading it. Fans of Babylon 5, Star Trek TNG, Battle Star Galactica (the new one) and classic science fiction writing will greatly enjoy the bountiful Easter Egg hunt. Consider for one second the possibility, then hang onto your mind with both hands while you take the ride. It's okay to think about this book every time you fill up. Just look around you and notice the others thinking the same thing.

Read First Chapter Here: http://bit.ly/15wGErk

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 Satire

Summer Shares Front Cover.jpg

This satiric novel grapples with the social and sexual issues that confront the lives of a group of young New Yorkers who share a beach house in The Hamptons from Memorial to Labor Day weekends. It is during the summer of 1981 when The Hamptons just began to grow in popularity before becoming the exclusive community it is today. The narrator and central character, Chris McCauley, in a voice reminiscent of the first person “J.D. Salinger narrative style,” is wounded from a disastrous love affair with his ex-girlfriend, Laura. He decides that spending a summer in the Hamptons would be the best emotional therapy he could undertake.

As the novel unfolds we learn about the other share members through Chris’ interaction with them. We discover their restlessness and passions as they go about searching for a “significant other.” All their passionate and, often times, humorous dramas are staged on the beaches, at the parties, and at the “hot spots” of the Hamptons.

Through his nostalgic voice Chris’ world unfolds in an entertaining series of flashbacks, complete with male vulnerabilities, insecurities and the role ego plays in moments of self-clarity: “Most men grow old but not all mature.” He also offers glimpses of his life with the materialistic Laura and his inability to let go. He realizes that learning how to let go might be where the maturing process for him will begin. It’s a major character flaw that he must learn to overcome if he wishes to obtain emotional salvation.
Literary Fiction

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Master Gardener – A novel about gardening, magic seeds, eco-terrorism, politics, big business, love and Wylie Cypher by Rolf Margenau


A Great Summer Read – fun, entertaining and informative.

What the critics are saying:

San Francisco Book Review:

"Finally, a novelist — and a very good one at that — has taken a crack at the dark side of industrial agriculture. Sprinkled with satirical send-ups of recent conservative legislation, Master Gardener ends as tidily as a Shakespearean comedy, with matches made and justice served – but in surprising ways. It’s a satisfying conclusion after a fun 300 pages, and best of all, there’s room left for yet another adventure with Wylie."

Karen Dahood at Bookpleasures.com:

"He just tells you the story: what his robust cast of characters says, thinks, and does. If you are willing to go along with that, and hang on tight, it is wonderful ride. More than that, it is a gentle warning. Although this author appears not to take himself or his topic too seriously, his credentials suggest that he knows things most of us do not. His intelligent good-heartedness shows through the satire. He depicts the villains as buffoons; they tar and feather themselves. His heroes are over 55, getting their second chances. The young people are still learning how to love. The dogs are adorable."

William Phenn at Blogcritics:

"It is a good book that is fun to read, easy on the eyes and rated
 a strong “A” on my rating chart.  I strongly recommend Master Gardener to all."

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Children


The Knighting of Sir Kaye by Don M. Winn
WINNER: 2013 IndieReader Discovery Award

A fast friendship forged across a treacherous forest. One foolish mistake. A rescue attempt that really shouldn’t have worked. And a very new, very young queen who knights twelve-year-old Kaye Balfour because she wants to teach a lesson to the real knights?

Kaye has always dreamed of being a famous knight like his father, but at twelve years old, his horse knows more about fighting battles than he does. How can he compete against grown-up knights in the next tournament? Can he prove to himself and everyone else that he has what it takes to be a real knight?

This rousing adventure tale about friendship, loyalty, and the value of holding fast to knightly ideals is sure to please independent readers.

165 pages

See what reviewers are saying about it:

“An excellent start to what promises to be a fine medieval adventure series for young children, readable and entertaining...a lively and adventurous kids’ book, full of gentle humor and warmth…” IndieReader

“A triumphant story…I enjoyed every minute of it and look forward to seeing where Sir Kaye goes next.” Alex Cord (actor/director/writer) posted on BarnesandNoble.com

“A choice pick for the young fantasy fan, much recommended.” The Midwest Book Review

SALE: For a limited time, the eBook is available for only $2.99.

Hurry, offer ends soon.

Click here for book and purchase information



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Religion/Spirituality

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Never discuss religion or politics, as the saying goes, if you want to keep the peace.  But it does not take a long look around our world to see that old adage has not worked well. I think it’s time to try a different way.

Religion, politics, and science all have enormous influence in how we construct our societies. If we want to have any chance to create the peace and transform our world into what it was always meant to be, they need to be discussed. That exchange demands we do it openly, honestly, rationally, and in the context of their association with each other.

The relationship anyone develops with the Divine will always encompass faith and it will always involve passion. It will always be unique and personal, and it will always be a mystery. But, it must as well leave room for reason or it will likely miss the mark of Truth. God Theories seeks to promote a greater balance among the ingredients we use to hold our spiritual views together. It makes very careful use of sound scientific principles to prove to a virtually absolute degree of certainty several principles of Spiritual Truth. These include the ideas that none of us could have possibly come into this world by fate or chance, that conscious involvement originating outside the physical domain has to play a role in determining how we do come into this world,  and that we are all, in essence, eternal spiritual beings. 

Business


Product Details

What distinguishes America's Service Meltdown: Restoring Service Excellence in the Age of the Customer is its striking originality and applicability to businesses of nearly every type and size. Based on the author's extensive personal and professional experience, the book offers a straightforward, no nonsense model that clearly explains how to organize the modern enterprise for the delivery of service excellence.

Customer-oriented companies can operate more effectively, Raul Pupo argues, by focusing on the critical success factors of service: leadership that unequivocally believes they are in business to serve the customer; a business-planning process centered around the customer; an organizational ethic of service up and down the ranks; and an empowered, motivated, and competent frontline organization. Readers will discover what it takes to serve customers superbly, how excellent customer service profoundly improves profitability, and how to identify the biggest obstacles to good service. Most importantly, they will be rewarded with concrete instructions that will enable them to deliver topnotch customer service every step of the way.

Download America's Service Meltdown Here!



Memoir/Biography


Hollywood Stories is packed with wild, wonderful short tales about famous stars, movies, directors and many others who have been a part of the world's most fascinating, unpredictable industry!

What makes the book unique is that the reader can go to any page and find a completely engaging and illuminating yarn. Sometimes people won't realize that they are reading about The Three Stooges or Popeye the Sailor until they come to the end of the story. The Midwest Book Review says Hollywood Stories is, "packed from cover to cover with fascinating tales."

A professional tour guide in Hollywood, Stephen Schochet has researched and told thousands of entertaining anecdotes for over twenty years. He is also the author and narrator of two audiobooks Tales of Hollywood and Fascinating Walt Disney. Tim Sika, host of the radio show Celluloid Dreams on KSJS in San Jose has called Stephen," The best storyteller about Hollywood we have ever heard."

Full of funny moments and twist endings, Hollywood Stories features an amazing, all-star cast of legendary characters and icons and will keep you totally entertained!

If you are interested in stories about Hollywood Celebrities, Movie Stars, Movie Gossip, Directors, Famous People, and Movie History, this book is for you!



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Politics

Product Details

HOW TO RETIRE ON $40,000/YR AT AGE 52 AND HAVE AN ESTATE OF 1/2 MILLION DOLLARS WITHOUT SPENDING ONE MORE DIME! AND LIVE A HAPPY PROSPEROUS LIFE.

If a husband and wife or significant other both work, then their retirement benefits at age 52 should be at least $80,000 a year and have an estate value of one million dollars.

"Politicians and bureaucrats will hate it. Idiotic government spending is destroying America. This little book tells them that taxpayers have had a belly full and are going to clean up their act. This nasty book should be every Taxpayer's Bible!

Alarming as this comic book presentation is; Readers will enjoy the satire and the edgy humor of the graphics. This is a nasty little book. It tells the truth . . .", says author, James E. Joyce.



"BUT IN REALITY, IF THE HARD WORKING MIDDLE CLASS DOESN'T WAKE UP THEY ARE GOING TO BE OLD & POOR!", he continued.

This sensational new book is available here: The Federal Government is Run by Idiots!



Technology




Dr. Satwant Kaur, the First Lady of Emerging Technologies ™, has drawn on her extensive knowledge of embedded technologies to offer a vision for how to use these technologies to the benefit of today and tomorrow in her new book, Transitioning Embedded Systems to Intelligent Environments. Insightful and relevant, this book brings the awareness of the intelligent embedded systems all around and where these systems are headed in the future.

Pat Gelinsinger, the CEO of VMWare and the author of the foreword to Transitioning Embedded Systems, compares Dr. Satwant Kaur to Gordon Moore. Subramanian Ganesan, Professor of Engineering at Oakland University calls the book a “must-read for every student, scholar, and soothsayer of the convergence phenomenon”, highly recommending the book to system developers, enterprise management professionals, platform architects, and “techno-entrepreneurs”.

After defining an embedded system as one that “has intelligence built in for computing and decision making”, Dr. Kaur uses the human system as an example of the most complex and what all other embedded systems mirror. An intelligent environment, then, uses a team of embedded systems, each with a designated function. From the 100 applications stemming from Intel’s embedded processors to embedded systems within a person’s own home, Dr. Kaur’s book highlights the significance of these systems. They are inescapable, but essential components of human life as well as contemporary culture.

Download Transitioning Embedded Systems Here!

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Technology



2008 Best Books Award Winner in the category Business: Computers/Technology/Internet - USA Book News.


Service Oriented Architecture is all the rage these days. Dozens, if not hundreds of books are published on it, and more seem to show up every day. This book isn't awash with buzzwords and jargon. In truth, this book will probably be shunned by the SOA eltie. Rather than focus on the front end, this book focuses on the back end. That Heritage data silo/application where all of the other books just draw a box with "connect somehow" written on it. Most of them try to sell some expensive midleware along the way.





Modern Day Historical Novel

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Israela, a novel about a family torn in a country at war, takes us to the land of Israel and the daily battles that are waged in the name of religion and politics. The story draws us into the homes and lives of three women and their loved ones. It dramatizes the impact that the long-term conflict in the Middle East has on Israel and its Arab neighbors, showing how ordinary people struggle to live among violence and the fear of terrorism and war.




Historical Criminal Fiction

Product Details

When I was eight years old, I overheard adults in my South Philadelphia neighborhood discussing seventeen disenchanted and unfaithful neighborhood wives who allegedly murdered their husbands for insurance money. This was a fascinating topic for an 8 year- old boy eavesdropping on adult conversation. People were discussing the true story of Philadelphia’s infamous 1938 poison murder conspiracy scandals. My fascination led to obsession as I grew older, and I knew that I had to write about these women, their lovers and their husbands.

The setting of The Wicked Wives takes place when the times were marred by the Great Depression and the prelude to World War II, and is largely confined to the City of Philadelphia. At 293 pages, the novel is equal parts murder, suspense, love, lust, corruption, treachery and intriguing court suspense leading to a dynamic ending.

The protagonist, First Assistant D.A., Tom Rossi is placed on the horns of a dilemma. He wants the party’s nomination for District Attorney but powerful Deputy Mayor Bill Evans refuses to back him; unless Tom prevents the arrest of the deputy’s niece, Lillian Stoner, for the homicide of her husband, Reggie. Evans demands that Tom not order an autopsy on the body. He gives Tom 24 hours to decide or threatens to have him disbarred, defeated in his campaign to win the nomination for D.A. and to have his girl, Hope, fired as a nurse from her city job. Hope is part African American, but can pass for white.

Tom’s anger at Evans outweighs his logic. Before an autopsy confirms a homicide, he orders arrests of Lillian and her lover, Giorgio DiSipio, for the murder of Reggie Stoner. Their arrests make headline news. Homicide is deluged with phone tipsters accusing Giorgio of being involved in many other similar suspicious deaths involving adulterous wives and insurance. Many of the wives live within a few blocks of Giorgio’s tailor shop. But, the medical examiner concludes that pneumonia caused death, not homicide. Infuriated, Evans has Hope fired, damages Tom’s political future, begins disbarment proceedings against him and causes a break-up of his love affair with Hope. The Globe Newspaper headline reads: “D.A. Candidate’s Girl-friend Fired From PGH for Lying About Colored Background.”
A fascinating conspiracy unfolds. The poison gang’s colorful and hilarious characters help to deep-six a minimum of 20 husbands. The supporting cast includes Giorgio, “The Don Juan of Passyunk Avenue.” Aside from Lillian, “the society wife”, the wives include Rose, the “Kiss of Death Widow,” Eva "the nymphomaniac" and the "hopelessly in love" Joanna.

The gang’s ring leaders, the mysterious Lady in Black and her companion, the Giant, continually elude arrest and systematically execute key state witnesses prior to the wives’ trials.

After many comical episodes, intriguing detective work and two suspense filled high profile trials, 10 wives plead or are found guilty of murdering their husbands. Tom concludes that a life without the love of his girl-friend is a life without pleasure. He goes to her with hat in hand to propose marriage. But Hope coldly rejects him.

Upon completion of the prosecutions, Tom is still stymied. The mysterious Lady in Black and the Giant executioner have evaded arrest. Acting on a tip he travels to New York to arrest the Giant and his Lady in Black. This trip led to a dynamic and explosive ending.

The Wicked Wives gleefully explores the sins of lust and greed, and the disappointments that love often brings. The characters, although they commit murder and adultery, are extremely likable, and often amusing.
I'm a lawyer with offices in center city Philadelphia. I began my law career as a criminal lawyer, and have more than forty-seven years of criminal and civil court- room trial experience. It is from this experience and personal interviews with judges, lawyers, police and witnesses that were involved in these cases, that the novel is based.




 
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