For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers

December 2008 Blog Posts (211)

Border Drug Wars, Bombs & Terrorism

Our southwestern border is surely in the same zip code as Hell!

A November 16, 2008 Los Angeles Times article pointed out that, “Few regions of the U.S. are immune to drug-trafficking organizations that have caused horrendous death and destruction." So far in 2008 drug related violence in Mexico has left nearly 4,000 of its people dead. And the violence has spread deep into the United States. There is a trail of slayings, kidnappings and other serious crimes that lead to at least 195… Continue

Added by Ben Furman on December 9, 2008 at 2:34pm — No Comments

Terrorism & Other than Mexican (OTM) Illegal Aliens

Other than Mexican (OTM) is a strange term. What does it mean? Ninety percent of the illegal aliens who cross the U.S. southern border each year from Mexico are Mexicans. The rest that come from all parts of the world are labeled Other than Mexican illegals by our government.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that oversees Customs, Immigration and Border Patrol enforcement said in a recent oversight committee that tens of thousands of OTMs enter the U.S. illegally each year.… Continue

Added by Ben Furman on December 9, 2008 at 2:33pm — No Comments

Consequence Management -- WMD

Foreign and domestic terrorists continue to poke and probe at our defenses with the sinister intent to use chemical, biological or nuclear weapons (WMD) against us. If they are successful, can we respond to and manage the death and destruction that we’ll face in the aftermath?

Giant steps have been taken to coordinate and incorporate civilian and military assets into dedicated prevention and response forces, and fast paced efforts are ongoing. This post will be a quick introduction.… Continue

Added by Ben Furman on December 9, 2008 at 2:32pm — No Comments

Counting down the days!~

Avenging Angel, A Shannon Wallace Mystery--Coming from Red Rose Publishing on December 18th! Excerpt now available

on the RRP site, under coming soon to EBOOK!

Blurb:

Shannon Wallace has lost something very important to her. She's in

trouble with the law. The law being Detective Salvador Ramirez. He's

still mad at her for something that happened during their college days.

If she doesn't find her missing item before he does, all hell will

break… Continue

Added by Kim Smith on December 9, 2008 at 10:47am — No Comments

Watch Humor Columnist & Author Kelly Epperson V-Logging with Santa Claus!

Kelly Epperson, author of When Life Stinks, It's Time to Wash the Gym Clothes, is on a virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion this month and today's stop is a… Continue

Added by Dorothy Thompson on December 9, 2008 at 8:31am — No Comments

CANCIONE NAVIDEÑAS.

FELICES FIESTAS!

GRACIAS POR ESCUCHAR LAS CANCIONES NAVIDEÑAS SELECCIONADAS PARA MIS AMIGOS DE ESTA WEBSITE.

BESOS MIL SUSANA… Continue

Added by Susana Marcos on December 9, 2008 at 7:38am — No Comments

Rejection: Is your book really THAT bad?

Rejection. Oh, how it stings. Most of us have been through it - plenty. Seeking jobs, college admissions, love, or publication for our books. It hurts. Destroys our self-image. For a while, anyway. And it tears at the thin fabric in which we cocoon with our fragile writer's ego, protecting the inner belief that our work is valid.

A new writer recently emailed me after receiving a flurry of rejections from big agents. With a crushed… Continue

Added by Aaron Paul Lazar on December 9, 2008 at 7:22am — 1 Comment

Day 7 of My Virtual Book Tour

Today you'll find me at American Chronical

Hope you'll get a chance to stop by and read some of the other articles and interviews along the way. You'll find all the active links on my website, www.martastephens-author.com and on my blog.

Leave a note, question, or comment on the tour stops and you could win a FREE virtual book tour from Pump Up Your Book Promotion… Continue

Added by Marta Stephens on December 9, 2008 at 6:29am — No Comments

Mysterious

Well folks my books aren’t on Amazon.com or Barns and Nobel yet, there is no mysterious thing going on with them as I can tell. The only good thing that may occur with my novels is that you will find yourself enjoying reading them. My wife just read Deadly Secret again for the third time; she claims she just doesn’t want to put it down. Well you know maybe I am wrong maybe there is something going on; my wife calls it a good read. She has almost finished Where Moonshine Flows and Love Grows let… Continue

Added by James W. Roberts Sr. on December 9, 2008 at 6:16am — No Comments

My Pushcart Prize Nomination

It’s every serious writer’s dream to have a story nominated for the coveted Pushcart Prize, one of the highest honors in the writing world.

Publishers who publish stories and poetry can nominate up to six pieces of published writing per year to submit for a Pushcart Prize. While many publishers do this, being chosen out of all the pieces each publishes per year is, in itself, an honor.

I received a message this morning from Silver Boomer Books that they have nominated my… Continue

Added by Mary Deal on December 8, 2008 at 2:06pm — 2 Comments

If you've been very good . . .

You might get a PIRATE, who's been very bad!

I'm in two places at once today. First PLEASURING THE PIRATE is being featured on Dear Reader.com this week. If you haven't signed up for this free, fun service, I urge you to try it out. Each week you'll received snippets from a new book, enough to know if you'd like to read more and a chance to visit with the author on their… Continue

Added by Emily Bryan on December 8, 2008 at 10:05am — No Comments

10 Ways to Promote Your Book Through the Holidays

We wish you a Merry Christmas! by asleeponasunbeam.

Continue

Added by Dee on December 8, 2008 at 8:18am — 2 Comments

Christmas Give-Away Week!!!

The authors at Authors and Books blog are giving away prizes for all of this week starting from Monday Dec 8th - Sunday 14th!

To be in the running for a prize simply comment on the posts through the week and one lucky winner will be drawn each day!

Prizes:

Anne Whitfield - Avenue Of Dreams and To Love Again ebooks (contemporary romance short stories)

Emily Bryan - Pleasuring the Pirate paperback (historical romance)

Renee Knowles - Courting Trouble ebook… Continue

Added by Anne Whitfield on December 7, 2008 at 7:59pm — No Comments

Guest Authors Scheduled to Appear on THE READING CIRCLE w/Marc Medley in December and January

Brenda K. Johnson 12/6/2008
Pamela Samuels Young 12/13/2008
Linda Wright 12/20/2008
Victoria Kelley 1/3/2009
Nancy Famolari 1/10/2009
Kimberly Raiser 1/17/2009
Jane McCormick 1/24/2009
Ella Curry 1/31/2009
Frances Shani Parker 2/21/2009

Tune into the web cast on WP88.7 FM - Brave New Radio broadcasting live out of William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey.

Added by Marc A. Medley on December 7, 2008 at 12:30pm — No Comments

'A Study in Red' - More Good News from Canada

I'm delighted that my award-winning novel 'A Study in Red - The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper' continues to do well on Amazon (Canada). Out of 197 books listed on the subject, this morning 'A Study in Red' was listed as the number 11 best selling book in the category,… Continue

Added by Brian L Porter on December 7, 2008 at 5:49am — No Comments

From The Front Porch: The Day After History Was Made

From The Front Porch: The Day After History Was Made

It was a day that was to be unlike any other

For it was the day a new Chapter in this life book

Was about to be written a new verse soon read

To be written with raw emotion and imbued

With quiet silent power where the vote that

Would soon rewrite all American and Global

History would with such certainty..finally be said

For on this day… Continue

Added by Daton O Fullard on December 6, 2008 at 11:10pm — No Comments

From The Front Porch: A Dream For America

From The Front Porch: A Dream For America

Last night when I sought sleep. It just somehow kept moving further and further away. Every time I would say please just come a little closer to be near to me. It would move further back and say just chill not just yet OK. I then said fine but please just tell me what it is. That you want my tired sore eyes to see. It was then that I looked up to see. All my African and American… Continue

Added by Daton O Fullard on December 6, 2008 at 11:07pm — No Comments

From The Front Porch: Came This Dawn of America's Son

Came this dawn of America's Son

from humbled ashes i arose

carried forward with neither

bitterness born from an innate

ability to persevere and cope

came the morning clouds of

their mantle of determined

ambition where they came

and placed before me a prayer

wrapped up in the

Audacity of their Hope

from tainted water of pain

once red worn white before… Continue

Added by Daton O Fullard on December 6, 2008 at 11:04pm — No Comments

"How Do I Get the Word Out about My Book & Build an Author Platform?”

Michael asked an excellent question:

“How would I be able to get the word out if I published a book? I currently have no “platform.’. I am not on tv/radio/public speaker . . . what are some of my options, or should I wait until I get a platform?”

I’m not sure if Michael already has a book written yet, but the time to think about “getting a platform” is before you even start writing.

And you don’t “get a platform,” you… Continue

Added by Pam Perry on December 6, 2008 at 9:07pm — 6 Comments

The Sky

My youngest sister and I were approaching the entrance of the shopping center doors and noticed something colorful in the sky falling quickly. We paused to look. It was very large balloons in the shape of fish; blue, black and yellow were their colors. We continued walking, making our way to the doors and noticed about four elderly people holding their chests, backs up against the door were a couple, while one was holding tightly to her walker and the other trying to comfort them… Continue

Added by Gina McGowan Cade on December 6, 2008 at 8:13pm — 3 Comments