Showing posts with label nonfiction book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nonfiction book. Show all posts

Monday, February 10, 2020

Mailbox Monday - Feb 10




Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Here we are at Monday again. Sorry I missed you the last couple of weeks. My mailbox was skinny at the end of January, and last week was a bear so not much blogging. On a good note, I secured a fabulous new listing and my publisher offered me a contract for my fifth children's book.

My latest mailbox made up for the skinny week. I am reviewing the book on sales and the children's fantasy story. The one on wills was a Kindle freebie that I grabbed because I thought it would be entertaining light reading.





What did your mailbox look like last week? Anything special you want to share?

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Guest Blogger: Hank Quense, Author of Fiction Writing Workshop for Kids




Writing a story is a tough job, especially for a kid. There’s all that stuff about characters and setting they have to remember. And then there’s the plot. How is a kid supposed to figure that one out?

I’ve written a number of novels and I’ve had over forty short stories published in magazines, anthologies and web sites. So I know firsthand about these difficulties. Over time and after a lot of false starts, I developed a process that allows me to approach a new story in an organized manner. Once I had this process I found it eliminated many of the dead ends I had previously run into.

A few years ago the Valley Middle School in Oakland NJ asked if I would visit the school and talk to their seventh graders. On visits like this, authors usually talk about their books and read scenes from them. I hate reading scenes! I find it boring and I’m sure I bore the audience with my monotonous voice. Instead of torturing the kids this way, I decided to show them how I use my process to create a short story. The slide talk worked like this: I gave them the overall story idea, one that they would want to write. After that, I used a handout with a series of text boxes with questions to have the kids come up with ideas on characters, setting and plot. Finally, I broke the story up into six scenes and showed the kids how to use the text box ideas to write each scene. The talk was wildly successful.

4: New Project
Besides the Valley Middle School, I’ve given this talk in libraries and expanded the concept to include two more story ideas. While I love doing this, my talks are geographically limited. To remove this limitation, I used these three talks as the basis for the ebook called Fiction Writing Workshop for Kids. Using the advanced technical capabilities of ebooks, the book has graphics, audio and video clips embedded into it. The videos show the text boxes and coach the kids on how to develop ideas for the basic story elements: characters, setting and plot. Each story has a final video clip showing the kids which text boxes to use in each scene.

Finally, there is a set of blank worksheets the kids can use to develop stories on their own.

The suggested audience for the ebook is 4th to 7th graders.

This is not an ordinary ebook: it’s interactive and that presents some problems. Not all e-readers can open the epub and mobi versions of this book. Apple computers and IOS devices can open the epub version if they have the free iBook app installed. Some Nooks also can open it. You can open the epub on a PC computer if the computer has Adobe Digital Edition app installed. You can download this free app here: https://www.adobe.com/solutions/ebook/digital-editions.html

The mobi edition will only work on the more recent Kindle Fire tablets.

Other Kindle tablets will not be able to deal with the audio and video clips.

The ebook is available on iBooks at https://apple.co/2CJYDjN and Kindle at https://amzn.to/2RnU5Yo.

This website has more information and a demo story your child can try out: https://padlet.com/hanque/a7zx74mjcgrg

Getting a book published is always a great feeling, but this one felt not just great, but also fulfilling.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Book Review: Organizing for Your Lifestyle by Jane Stoller

It has long been my dream to get more organized. I'm not bad at it, but over the years the family has collected more things than we can ever use and I'm at the point where I don't want to look at it anymore. I've also never liked our closet storage. So, when Jane Stoller's publicist asked me if I would like to review Organizing for Your Lifestyle: Adaptable Inspirations from Socks to Suitcases, I jumped at the chance.

An organizer from a very young age, Stoller has put together a book that will inspire you to get organized for good. Get ideas on how to design your closet, tips on how best to hang your clothes, learn how to keep the bathroom toiletries in order and keep your kitchen tidy, learn traveling tips and more.

Organizing for Your Lifestyle is just the right size for the busy mom because it provides the information you need in under 130 pages. You can slip it in your purse and read it a little at time--maybe take some notes--and put together a plan of action. The pictures are an added bonus.

There are two hard things about organization--getting organized and staying organized. Stoller helps you to do both. My plan of action is already in the works and I look forward to sharing the results with my readers in the future.

If you're tired of living the life of the eternally disorganized, pick up a copy of Organizing for Your Lifestyle by Jane Stoller. It will empower you to change your ways.


Paperback: 148 pages
Publisher: BookBaby (August 4, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1483570959
ISBN-13: 978-1483570952

I received a free copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Book Review: Madam President by William Hazelgrove

Long before there was 24 hours news and calls for transparency, a president's wife and his personal physician were able to cover up the fact that he was gravely ill and she had stepped in to run the country.

In Madam President: The Secret Presidency of Edith Wilson, best-selling author William Hazelgrove creates an engaging account of a strong, independent-minded woman whose devotion to her husband ran so deep she would deceive an entire nation.

During Woodrow Wilson's second term in office, physical strain and ill health led to him suffering a devastating stroke that left him confined to bed for weeks and sequestered from everyone except his second wife, Edith, and his personal physician, Dr. Grayson. Knowing the importance of reducing her husband's stress, Edith--who had always been kept abreast of current affairs--began selecting what matters she would share with the president and delegated others to cabinet members. Hazelgrove's account sheds significant light on this period of time that Edith was secretly running the county. Though she had limited schooling, her close relationship with her husband and his acceptance of women playing a greater role than society found acceptable paved the way for her to step into his shoes.

Hazelgrove doesn't sugarcoat things, though. Edith had a darker side. She disliked certain people with as much passion as she loved her husband. She could hold grudges for a long time. Her contempt for  Wilson's vice-president, Thomas Marshall, was part of the reason she embarked upon what she called as her "stewardship" during her husband's illness. She also sought to replace people she felt were disloyal to him.

Madam President shares a great deal of personal and historical information, making this a love story that unfolds during one of the most tumultuous times in American history. Though I was fully aware of the history and of Wilson's incapacitation, I honestly didn't know much about Edith Wilson. She truly was a woman before her time. Madam President is a fascinating account of this complex, staunchly loyal woman.

File Size: 1459 KB
Print Length: 352 pages
Publisher: Regnery History (October 18, 2016)
Publication Date: October 18, 2016
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B01M02SSMP

I received a free digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinion, which I have not been compensate for in any way.

Monday, August 10, 2015

Mailbox Monday - August 10

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

It's Monday again. My, how time flies when we're having fun. The real estate world is moving fast and furious. I am working 60+ hours and still can't keep up. Good thing I love it.

My girls are going on a short vacation with family on Wednesday, so at least I don't have to feel guilty they will be bored while I am working my tail off. We are also celebrating a birthday this week. The Lil' Diva turns 14 on Tuesday. Don't know how that happened.



Two books arrived this week. I'll let you think about what's been on my mind lately. The first one is for a virtual book tour that I am participating in.


The Paleo. The Zone. The Gluten-free. Another day, another diet. We’re caught in a never-ending merry-go-round of weight loss plans, fueled by celebrity endorsers, TV doctors and companies angling for a piece of a $60 billion industry. But do these diets really work? And how healthy are they?

Registered Dietitian Lisa Tillinger Johansen examines dozens of the most wildly popular diets based on medical facts, not hype. And along the way, she reveals tried-and-true weight loss strategies, relying on her years of hospital experience, weight-loss seminars and community outreach efforts. With insight and humor, Stop The Diet, I Want To Get Off shows that the best answer is often not a trendy celebrity-endorsed diet, but easy-to-follow guidelines that are best for our health and our waistlines.

*


My girls are huge Restaurant Impossible fans. The show was actually here in town not that long ago. Sadly, we weren't chosen as volunteers to help with the remodel and weren't able to get in to eat that night, but we knew the family whose restaurant was being renovated and got to see how much they were helped.

When my youngest heard that Fit Fuel was coming out, she insisted we pre-order so we could have an autographed copy.

With more than 25 years in the culinary profession, Chef Robert Irvine has cooked his way through Europe, the Far East, the Caribbean and the Americas in hotels and on the high seas. He's best known as the host of one of Food Network's highest-rated shows, Restaurant: Impossible, but equally recognized for his muscular physique and healthy lifestyle focus that once earned him recognition as one of the top 25 Fittest Guys in America by Men's Fitness magazine.

With the release of Fit Fuel: A Chef's Guide to Eating Well, Getting Fit, and Living Your Best Life, Chef Irvine translates his tough love tactics from the failing restaurant owner to the everyday man and woman struggling to get their health and fitness goals on track.

Developed from Robert Irvine's lifetime of training and nutritional knowledge, with support from distinguished fitness writer Matt Tuthill, Fit Fuel is packed from cover to cover with equal parts inspiration and information that can change your life forever.

The book is divided into three parts, the first of which examines the mental aspects of goal setting, habit forming, and long-term maintenance. Here, Chef Irvine provides encouraging, digestible ideas of how to change the way we see and think about food, ourselves, and our own unlimited potential. Just as he's done in season after season of Restaurant: Impossible, Chef Irvine provides readers with the same no-excuses encouragement and mental coaching in Fit Fuel, motivating with tools, resources, and inspiration every step of the way.

The second section of the book focuses on training, with an easy-to-follow resistance training program, demonstrated through A and B photography and well-defined techniques that the 49-year-old British Royal Navy veteran considers fundamental to his own lean and muscular physique. In addition to the main program, there are time-saving workouts, as well as a full starter s program for any beginner who might find the main program too daunting off the bat.

In its final section, Fit Fuel provides recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, all illustrated with realistic photography and step-by-step instructions. Few dishes or main ingredients are overlooked, despite their unmerited reputations as no-no foods. From pancakes to salads, beef to fish, Chef Irvine challenges the idea of good vs. bad as it pertains to the everyday diet, emphasizing the fact that healthy eating does not require deprivation.

When you're finally ready to achieve your full potential, Fit Fuel awaits.

What did you receive this past week?

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Kindle Freebie: HOMESCHOOLING - An Essential Guide for Parents and Teachers by Wells Emery



This book aims to provide parents and teachers a good resource to start when considering homeschooling. It outlines the benefits and downsides of homeschooling and it can be helpful for anyone who wants to learn the whole process of homeschooling from early childhood years through tertiary level. In addition to sample homeschooling curriculum, this book laid out essential learning processes and teaching methods that parents and teachers need to practice and observe when homeschooling.


Check out these Topics Discussed in the Book:

What is Homeschooling?
Why Homeschool?
How Much Does Homeschooling Cost?
Things to Consider before Homeschooling Your Child
How to Homeschool Your Child
The Learning Process in Homeschooling
Teaching Methods/Techniques in Homeschooling
Homeschooling Curriculum
Transitioning your Child from Homeschooling to Schools
How to make Homeschooling Fun
Tips for Homeschooling Parents
Experts' Opinion About Homeschooling
and MORE!

File Size: 268 KB
Print Length: 116 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00CE3OU52


Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Book Review: Help! for Writers by Roy Peter Clark

As a writer, my bookshelves are filled with various craft and business books. While I don't feel like I read enough of them, I also wonder what else can be said that hasn't already been said about writing.

Now that I've read Help! For Writers by Roy Peter Clark, I have my answer. Vice president and senior scholar at the Poynter Institute, Clark shares his decades worth of experience with writers in this engaging and valuable volume that includes 210 solutions for problems writers face. From generating ideas to finding your focus to strategies for writers block and more, Help! For Writers is a must have text.

Clark speaks with authority from his vast experience, but he never talks down to the reader. Bits of humor are sprinkled throughout. While some of these ideas I had heard before, several were new and definitely ones I will put into practice.

Whether you're writing article, short stories or full-length novels, you'll find more than one tidbit of advice to but to good use.

Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.


Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (September 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316126713
ASIN: B00AK2P1HA

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Guest Blogger: Robert Henry, Author of Age Re-defined: Take Control of Your Health, How You Feel, And How You Look - Even In Your Forties & Fifties


Your state of health, how you feel, and how you look are more within your control than you think – even in your forties and fifties (and beyond). This book addresses exercise, fitness, nutrition, wellness, and the mind-body connection. Its purpose is not to promote a particular exercise program or a particular diet plan – although its coverage of exercise, fitness, and nutrition is extensive – but rather to inform, educate, and motivate the reader on the importance of being proactive in one’s own health, fitness, and wellness.

Even if you are already physically active, this book can assist you in evaluating the effectiveness of your current exercise efforts. A foundational background in exercise and fitness concepts is provided. Not only does this book cite to numerous authoritative sources, but it also conveys the author’s own philosophy of exercise and an informative overview of his own exercise and nutrition regimen. The author, who is 56, shares his own motivating journey and the positive results he achieved through exercise, nutrition, and the mind-body connection, with particular emphasis on the challenges faced by him in his early fifties and the favorable results he achieved at that age by “re-booting” his commitment to health and fitness.

The importance of nutrition is explained and heavily stressed. A Registered Dietician with a Master’s Degree in Nutrition is a contributor to the nutrition content. One comes away with an awareness of quality nutrition and its role in optimal health, fitness, and wellness, and with a good working knowledge of the kinds of foods and eating habits which are most beneficial.

As stated in the book’s Introduction: This book is about believing in yourself, maintaining inner strength, and understanding exercise, fitness, nutrition, and wellness. This book is also about getting younger instead of getting older, discovering your inner athlete, and becoming and remaining healthy and fit in both body and mind. This book is for people who have never exercised but who would like to start; for people who would like to know more about good nutrition; for people who exercise but have not seen results; for people whose fitness level has declined and who want to re-ignite their fitness quest; for people who choose to be proactive about their own health, fitness, and wellness; for people interested in the mind-body connection; and for people who reject negative self-talk and self-limiting stereotypes about life after the age of 50. All ages are welcome.

In the video below, the author provides some basic exercises you can do at home. I've performed some of these in my workout routine, but a couple were new to me. How do you fit exercise into your busy schedule?



You can purchase Age Re-defined at 



Robert Henry, age 56, is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a Certified Personal Trainer, a Certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition, and a Certified Wellness Coach. His awareness of fitness and nutrition began at the age of 29. When Robert first started to exercise, it was mostly for the purpose of increasing body weight through the addition of lean muscle mass. However, more than 20 years later, at the age of 52, after years of being lean and enjoying good health, Robert’s experienced an undesired increase in body fat and his health profile changed in the wrong direction The loss of that body fat and the reversal of new and undesirable trends in his health profile became Robert’s new exercise goals. By re-booting his exercise regimen and further “tweaking” his nutrition, he successfully accomplished his new goals and, as he likes to say, discovered his “inner athlete”.

Although he had worked out for more than two decades, the journey he experienced in his early fifties ignited something within Robert and he voraciously sought to increase his knowledge and his credentials. It was then that he earned his numerous certifications and set about to share his passion for health and fitness with others.

Robert’s background extends beyond fitness. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from Southern Methodist University and worked for many years as an attorney. He also discovered a love of aviation early in his life and, while still a teenager, became a Commercial Pilot and a Certified Flight Instructor. After law school, he went on to become an Airline Transport Pilot and eventually earned three jet ratings. Now in his fifties, he values his health, fitness, and wellness very highly, and seeks to inform and inspire others.

Visit his website at www.RobertHenryFitness.com.


Connect with Robert:



Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Book Spotlight and Giveaway: Going for Excelsior: Thriving in Seniorhood by Wayne Hatford


What if you were as savvy as you could possibly be in matters of aging and, therefore, really soar, breeze through the final chapters of your life with flying colors? The ’senior’ experience, through only the most constructive and creative of lenses! Going for Excelsior offers practical suggestions for successfully negotiating Seniorhood, a blueprint for active living ~ how to embrace where you’re at in your life, find hidden gems, turn up the voltage.

Thriving in Seniorhood is about going beyond what’s expected or being directed at you by the host society and this book provides the reader with the tools and understandings to accomplish that goal. Conundrums solved. The sting removed from such phenomena as dementia and Alzheimer’s. Myths about Seniors debunked. These are only a few of the benefits that can be derived from reading this book which, hopefully, will serve to stretch your consciousness, something that’s rather elastic to begin with ~ in every stage of life.

‘Seniorhood’ ~ Where people often like to perceive us, once we have attained a certain age. Also, where we can choose to thrive, with clarity of purpose ~ and by design!

“Like all those who currently inhabit a body, you, too, are getting ready for Excelsior. Especially allow the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and beyond of your ages to be magical in this regard, for you to be way-showers, preparing yourselves mentally, physically and spiritually for the next phase. There always is a next phase, by the way, and we are always getting ready for it. You are part of a grand design as am I. There is no other option!” ~ Rudolph Valentino

Read an excerpt:


Now, let’s return to the more common definition of Excelsior, the loose packing material that is most associated with the shipping of fine art or antiques. It can come from many sources and, as a result, may have lots of different ‘looks.’ Metaphysically-speaking, however, Excelsior is a container for the soul and, being somewhat porous, allows for entry and exit, not only of the soul itself, but also of vibrations, both ours and those of other people. It might be easier to think of Excelsior as skin, that living, breathing, largest organ of the body whose properties model those of the Veil. Yes, once again our skin is a version of the Veil, that curtain of energy that separates the dimensions and whose function also is, under certain circumstances, to allow energy to pass through it. Our skin shields us from danger, yet it also allows us to shine our Light. Have you ever heard someone say that so and so’s skin was translucent? All of our skins are translucent. We shine, projecting the inner spark that is soul to the outer world while, at the same time, receiving Light from others, those we encounter in our daily lives. This is how we determine who to interact with, by what our impressions are of their Light. If, for example, we feel inundated or limited by their presence, it’s a sign that we ought to move on. So it’s about the quality of Light of each soul, which is the determining factor. This does not mean, however, that some souls have inferior Light. Rather, it simply signals that their frequencies are very different from ours and, as a consequence, are experienced as jarring. The converse could also be true ~ that we, too, might upset the applecart because our vibrations are not all that harmonious with theirs.

The following is perhaps a heady idea but, I think, very apropos. In lots of new age books, individual souls have often been referred to as Light workers. Indeed, that is exactly what we are, always putting on a show for our fellow travelers, those who happen to be in the body at the same moment as we. The skin, or Excelsior, monitors this so-called Light show, mostly on auto-pilot, but sometimes with the greatest of attention on our parts. What is it that throws the switch or adjusts the rheostat? A combination of factors, including, but not limited to, our own free will, emotional state of being and current degree of alignment. If we’re in sync with ourselves and our environment ~ in the flow, of course we glow. The soul is electric, like a dynamo or atom, independently functioning forever, and one of its modalities is to shed Light. That’s right, a soul cannot die, what we all know inside. It’s only the body that is capable of carrying out that task.

If you will, take a moment to focus on the porous nature of the skin. Not only does the soul make one definitive entrance and exit per physical body, but also countless others that are far more casual, such as each time we fall asleep or wake up. Yes, our soul or consciousness goes off to play in the Astral, in the so-called dream world when we sleep while remaining tethered to the physical body. It’s only when we die that the connection is broken and the soul can no longer re-enter the body. Some of you are more aware of the phenomenon of constantly leaving the body to dream than others. In the state we call half-sleep, people often sense their consciousness either floating close to the body or re-entering it with a thud when they suddenly awake. The skin, or Excelsior, breathes too, though in a more subtle way, in and out, mimicking the work of the lungs. Interesting that it’s the lungs, heart and skin that are the last bastions of movement before the body becomes inert, what we label as dead. At the very instant the first two stop working, the skin is poised to exhale the soul, ready to perform its final function.

Think of the skin that covers our bodies as millions of tiny mirrors, fractals with dampers that can be opened and closed at will. Yes, that is what we do when we emit Light, reflect it through the pores of our skin, and they are also the pathway for the Light of others to reach us. We are like solar panels then, forever in the process of reflecting and absorbing. What an exquisite landscape we wear! Who knew that packing material had such beauty, form, and function?


Purchase Link:

AMAZON



Wayne Hatford, B.A. in French and Spanish, M.A. in International Administration, is a teacher, writer, editor and author dedicated to bridging the gap between the physical and non-physical worlds. To that end, he channeled a friend, Janice Horn ~ “Letters from Janice: Correspondence with the Astral Plane” and, more recently, the spirit essence of Rudolph Valentino ~ “Valentino Speaks: The Wisdom of Rudolph Valentino” and “Going for Excelsior: Thriving in Seniorhood,” all of which are available via Amazon.com. Each of these works explores the “Other Side” while offering insight and practical suggestions on how best to make the most of this one.

A life-long student of metaphysics and transformation, Wayne has both taught in public school and been a personal property appraiser. Wayne Hatford now resides in Santa Rosa, California where he and the Valentino essence continue their collaboration.


WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK



Enter to win a copy of Going for Excelsior: Thriving in Seniorhood by Wayne Hatford. Use the Rafflecopter form below. Visit the author's tour page at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/01/20/pump-up-your-book-presents-going-for-excelsior-virtual-book-publicity-tour/ to see where he is visiting next and find more places to enter and win.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Monday, February 18, 2013

Book Spotlight: I Left My Prostate in San Francisco by Rick and Brenda Redner




Rick and Brenda’s lives were changed forever when Rick went to the doctor to get a prescription refill. The doctor unexpectedly decided to perform a prostate exam. When he did, he felt a suspicious lump. Weeks later, a biopsy confirmed that Rick had prostate cancer. As a couple, they found their lives changed in unexpected ways following robotic surgery. They decided to share an intimate glimpse into their lives after surgery so other couples would be more prepared than they were. If you are thinking about surgery, or if you just had surgery, you will want to read about their experiences and the life lessons they learned along the way.

• Things you need to know before and after prostate surgery.
• How surgery will permanently change your sexuality.
• How a simple mistake could cost you thousands of dollars in out –of- pocket medical expenses.
• Tips on breaking the news to friends and family and what to expect when you do.
• How erectile dysfunction and losing urinary control will affect you and your partner.
• Why you could experience a severe depression after receiving the news you’ve been cured of cancer.
• How faith and prayer impacts the disruptive moments in life.
• What attitudes, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors will lift your spirit and repair broken relationships.

Rick and Brenda know how important it is to hear from other people further along the journey of adjusting to life without a prostate. They want to end the isolation couples experience before or after prostate surgery. To accomplish their goal, they host a website at: whereisyourprostate.com where there is a pre-surgery and post -surgery forum. On these forums men and women can connect with Rick and Brenda as well as with others who join these forums to share information and provide on going support. Rick blogs at: http://whereisyourprostate.blogspot.com/. His on-line diary at: http://www.mdjunction.com/diary/journey-from-diagnosis-treatment-recovery has received more than 26000 hits.

Purchase from:






After receiving his master’s in social work from Michigan State University, Rick Redner spent two years as a medical social worker. From there, he decided to become an entrepreneur, owning and operating two sandwich shops for the past 30 years.

Also a Michigan State University graduate, Brenda Redner obtained her RN/BSN and became an oncology nurse, psychiatric nurse and teacher. She went on to teach their four children at home.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Guest Post and Giveaway: Tim Forbes, Author of It's Game Time Somewhere


Tim Forbes was like many Americans: painfully unsatisfied in his corporate job but making too much money to walk away. But then, one momentous day, he and his wife struck the Deal, leading to a career in the one field he loved more than anything: sports.

Years later, having carved out his place in the sports business, he was surprised when a friend asked, "Do you still love sports?"...And stunned when he didn't know how to reply. Of course he still loved sports! Didn't he? Was it possible that walking away from a perk-filled Corporate American life had all been for nothing?

His year-long quest to find that answer started with a single game. But what he discovered there soon led to an unlikely coast-to-coast “sports walkabout” involving 100 more games and 50 different sports—from major-market events to the smallest of the small. Poignant, irreverent, and ultimately inspiring, It’s Game Time Somewhere chronicles one man’s search for the love of the game.

Getting Back to My Sports-loving Roots
by Tim Forbes

Cards on the table – yours truly is not quite right.

How else could you explain the fact that I spent a year of my life attending and writing about 100 uniquely different sporting events involving 50 separate sports? But that’s what I did, and literally thousands of readers helped me keep score. And when it was done, we all knew more about sports in America than it was thought to be humanly possible. Or at least I did, anyway.

“But why?” you ask. Well here’s my story and I’m sticking to it…

As Bill Cosby once said, I started out as a child. A child inexorably drawn to sports – the organized kind and especially the disorganized kind favored by my circle of friends. Consequently I grew up chasing a ball. It didn’t matter what size or shape, I chased them all. I was fortunate enough to have come of age in a time when kids themselves scheduled their own games and “officiated” them via the kid’s code of sports ethics – an arcane collection of arguments, declarations, and insults that inevitably led to the Do Over. Or somebody taking their ball and going home.

On those occasions when a quorum wasn’t available for even the most streamlined of games, I played them solo. Some might call it “practicing,” but I knew it as “having fun.” And as is the case with many things one repeats endlessly, I managed to develop some level of skill. So it came to be that I went to college on a basketball scholarship.

Annoyingly enough, they don’t let you just major in Basketball – well, not in 1977 anyway, and not in any conference that, like mine, did not start with the word “Big.” So I chose to pursue a degree in Psychology. Don’t ask me why. And when my undergraduate days ended, I decided to obtain an MBA, because, well…because.

The ironic thing was that neither Psychology nor Business Administration would have even been in the race had Sports Management been an academic option. Ubiquitous now, at the time that I entered college there was no such degree program. And so, a career match made in heaven went by the boards…for the time being, anyway.

In my mid-30s, having acquired over a decade of experience in Corporate America, I became vaguely aware of the fact that people were getting paid to work in sports! Having thus discovered the existence of what was rightfully MY chosen field of work, I spent the next several years alternating between a state of agitation over having been born a decade too early, and thoughtful rumination on how I could still pull off a second half rally and transition to my natural calling.

At the age of 40, the confluence of a certain set of circumstances, not the least of which is the most understanding wife in the cosmos, enabled me to take the plunge. I enrolled in an accredited four semester program that rewarded me upon completion with an Associate’s Degree in Professional Golf Management. I was on my way – a little late out of the gate, but with a full head of steam and ready to use my transferrable skills to claw my way to the top of the sports business.

Nearly a decade later, having come to know quite well the good, the bad and the ugly about pursuing a second career within the sports industry, I was innocently confronted one day with the following question: ”After working in the industry for ten years, do you still love sports?”

Hmmmm…great question. One I honestly didn’t have an answer for. As you can imagine though, it became critically important for me to find one. And thus began germinating the idea of a “sports walkabout” – an effort to reconnect with my ball-chasing, sports-loving roots.

I went to a game. And then another. And another. Big games, little games. Tournaments, matches, meets and bouts. Men’s games, women’s games. Professional. Amateur. High School. College. Games that I was intimately familiar with. Games that I didn’t have the faintest idea as to their rules.

To those that virtually accompanied me I offered to share everything that I found – both positive and…not so positive. I promised to keep it light-hearted, and they in turn agreed to laugh, learn and share the link with others. This blog, this portrait of Americans at play, became a love letter to sports, warts and all. My friends at Google Analytics tell me that it has been read by thousands of people all over the world.

I hope it brings a smile of pleasure and recognition to your face as well. Because it’s always game time somewhere.

To read more of my stories, please visit:
http://itsgametimesomewhere.com/the-igts-tour/the-stories/



Format/Price: $15.95 paperback
Pages: 304
ISBN: 9781938008122
Publisher: Bascom Hill
Release: February 12, 2013

Barnes and Noble buy link ($15.95):
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/its-game-time-somewhere-tim-forbes/1113793386?ean=9781938008122

MyBookOrders.com buy link ($15.95):
https://secure.mybookorders.com/Orderpage/945




Alternately blessed and cursed by the notion that everyone should do what they love for a living, Tim Forbes creates and writes about the games that people play.

Tim grew up in the farmlands of northern Connecticut, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College—where he played Division III basketball in front of literally tens of people. He received an MBA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and an Associate’s Degree at the Professional Golfers Career College in Temecula, CA. Yes, in that order.

After 15 years spent meandering about in Corporate America, Tim went on to work for three professional golf tours: the Symetra Futures Tour, the LPGA Tour, and the PGA Tour. He also served as general manager for golf clubs in Nashville, Tennessee and Orlando, Florida. In 2009, he founded Outside the Mode, a sports marketing and production company based in his adopted home of Los Angeles.

Tim lives in Redondo Beach, California with a perennially underachieving fish named Halo, a cat, and a wife he fondly calls Bird.



Tim Forbes's web site:
http://itsgametimesomewhere.com/

Tim Forbes's blog:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/itsgametimesomewhere/smXM

Tim Forbes's Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/sports_quest

Tim Forbes's Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsgametimesomewhere

Tim Forbes's YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/itsgametimesomewhere

Tim Forbes's Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6584252.Tim_Forbes

It's Game Time Somewhere Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16161464-it-s-game-time-somewhere

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

It's Game Time Somewhere blog tour site:
http://itsgametimesomewhere.blogspot.com/


As part of Free for All Friday, you can enter for your chance to win a free electronic copy of It's Game Time Somewhere. Please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!




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Thursday, February 14, 2013

Thursday Books: Creative Thursday by Marisa Anne Cummings



Whether you're just beginning to trust your artistic voice or you've been refining it for years, Marisa Anne is the loving guide and caring mentor you need to help you commit to moving through resistance, stepping outside of your comfort zone and making creativity a regular part of your life.

Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: North Light Books (December 27, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1440320993
ISBN-13: 978-1440320996

Purchase at Amazon!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Teaser Tuesdays - February 12th



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Did you know that things are still being discovered in our solar system? Well, when I say "discovered," I'm not talking yesterday, but I do mean recently, some even in my lifetime, and contrary to what my children think...it wasn't all that long ago.

~ page 59, The Mommy Diaries: How I'm Surviving Parenting without Killing Anyone by Dallas Louis

Friday, February 8, 2013

2013 Your New Astrology Horoscopes Chinese and Western Predictions Book Blast and Giveaway



Once again, Suzanne White brings us her ingenious “New Astrology” Predictions for the next 12 months. This exciting new book is offers lengthy, detailed, month-by-month horoscopes for every sign (Western and Chinese).

We each have two signs – AN ANIMAL YEAR SIGN AND A WESTERN SUN SIGN. Suzanne White’s brilliant NEW ASTROLOGY™ is the fusion of both. With this amazing book, a Leo born in an Ox year will know what will happen to her all throughout 2013 as well as what will be going on in the life of her Scorpio born Goat sweetheart and for her kids, her boss, her family, her friends and her enemies.


Suzanne White is the world renowned high priestess of Chinese and Western astrologies. She is always fun to read. And… she is uncannily accurate. This dazzling book offers readers over 100,000 words of crucial information about and forecasts for each and every astrological sign both Chinese and Western. Find out what’s in store for you and yours in the sultry, highly charged and charming WATER SNAKE YEAR 2013.


Purchase your copy:

Suzanne White is an American author. She lives in France. She has been a college professor, a fashion model, a journalist, an interpreter, a novelist, a fireworks salesperson, director of a Parisian Couture boutique, an elevator operator, a shoe salesperson, a single mother and a simultaneous translator. In between she has written books. Lots of books. About Astrology. The New Astrology – a blend of Asian Animal Signs and Sun Signs. Suzanne’s readers have dubbed her “The High Priestess” of Chinese and Western Astrologies.   2013 NEW ASTROLOGY HOROSCOPES BOOK – CHINESE AND WESTERN PREDICTIONS FOR THE SNAKE YEAR 2013 IS # 1 ON AMAZON’S ASTROLOGY BOOK BEST SELLER LIST.


Visit the Author:

Pump Up Your Book and Suzanne White are teaming up to give you a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card plus a paperback and e-copy of her book, 2013 Your New Astrology Horoscopes!


If the Rafflecopter form doesn't work, please visit the 2013 Your New Astrology Horoscopes Tour Page:



Monday, February 4, 2013

Book Spotlight: The Abraham Man by R. Gregory Lande


The mere mention of the insanity defense guarantees a lively debate. Opponents of the defense cite the loss of criminal culpability while proponents argue just as passionately that the insanity defense is the ultimate act of compassion. The protagonists would probably be quite surprised to learn that the same basic concerns consumed Americans in the nineteenth century. One factor – The Abraham Man – sowed the seeds of confusion and controversy that united the past with the present.

Some of the most celebrated civil and criminal trials in American history were argued under the shadow of the Abraham Man. The detailed stories of long forgotten legal cases bring the antics of the Abraham Man to life. Through the process, readers will follow the careers of notable Civil War era surgeons whose post-war professional development shaped the future of modern mental health care.


Excerpt:

Some of the most celebrated civil and criminal trials in American history were argued under the shadow of the Abraham Man. Readers will delight in the detailed stories of long forgotten legal cases which bring the antics of the Abraham Man to life. Through the process, readers will follow the careers of notable Civil War surgeons whose post-war professional development shaped the future of modern mental health care. In addition, the reader will learn about the promise of the asylum movement, prominent practitioners of the era, the politics, and eventual decline of institutional mental health care.

Both readers and libraries will find The Abraham Man a refreshing, authoritative text replete with primary source documentation. The engaging narrative deftly weaves the history of science in the 19th century with evolving trends in legal practice. Throughout this period, the budding relationship between doctors and lawyers fashioned the foundation of modern medical legal practice. At every step along the path the Abraham Man sowed confusion and controversy, paradoxically contributing to more rigorous medical practice.

The book will clearly tap into the public’s modern fascination with forensic medicine. Professional readers, such as lawyers, doctors, and psychologists, will find The Abraham Man a valuable historical reference which still rings true after 150 years. Civil War aficionados will discover a fresh perspective and “the rest of the story” about some famous soldiers. Medical history buffs will be enlightened by the devices and stratagems doctors employed to uncover malingering, in many cases the forerunners of modern diagnostic technologies.

Purchase online at: http://www.amazon.com/R.-Gregory-Lande/e/B001H9TEZ0


R. Gregory Lande, DO is a physician and retired US Army Medical Corps Officer. Dr. Lande completed his medical education at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Lande was commissioned an officer in the US Army. During his career in the military, Dr. Lande was active in a wide variety of clinical, academic and administrative positions. Upon leaving the US Army as a full colonel, Dr. Lande was awarded the Legion of Merit recognizing his career contributions. The next phase of his career involved administrative positions in hospital management, research, and teaching at various civilian facilities. Dr. Lande is the author of numerous medical and historical works. He lectures widely on both subjects.

Visit Dr. Lande online at http://www.medicallegalhistory.com/

THE ABRAHAM MAN TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, February 4th
Book spotlight at The Busy Mom’s Daily
Tuesday, February 5th
Interview at Pump Up Your Book
Wednesday, February 6th
Interview at Blogcritics
Thursday, February 7th
Interview at Examiner
Monday, February 11th
Book spotlight at The Writer’s Life
Tuesday, February 12th
Guest post at Literarily Speaking
Wednesday, February 13th
Interview at Paperback Writer
Thursday, February 14th
Book spotlight at As the Pages Turn
Friday, February 15th
Interview at As the Pages Turn
Wednesday, February 20th
Interview at Divine Caroline
Thursday, February 21st
Book spotlight at Bluebell Books
Monday, February 25th
Interview at American Chronicle
Wednesday, February 27th
First Chapter Review at The Book Connection
Monday, March 4th
Interview at Broowaha
Tuesday, March 5th
Guest post at Lori’s Reading Corner
Wednesday, March 6th
Book review at Review from Here
Thursday, March 7th
Book spotlight at RedRoom
Tuesday, March 12th
Book review at WV Stitcher
Wednesday, March 13th
Guest post at Literal Exposure
Thursday, March 14th
Book spotlight at Marilyn’s Musings
Wednesday, March 20th
Book review at Coffee and A Keyboard
Friday, March 22nd
Book review at The Book Connection
Monday, March 25th
Book review at The Self-Taught Cook

Visit The Abraham Man tour page at http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2013/01/22/pump-up-your-book-presents-the-abraham-man-virtual-book-tour/



Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Purrs of Wisdom Book Blast – Win $25 Amazon Gift Card & Free e-Books!

About the Author:

Ingrid King is a former veterinary hospital manager turned award winning writer. Her popular blog, The Conscious Cat, a comprehensive resource for conscious living, health, and happiness for cats and their humans, has won multiple awards, including DogTime Media’s 2012 Pettie for Best Cat Blog, 2011 Pettie for Best Overall Pet Blog, and About.com’s 2012 Readers Choice Award for Best Website About Cats. Ingrid is the publisher of the online magazine News for You and Your Pet, which goes out to subscribers around the world. Her articles have been published in Cat Fancy, Animal Wellness Magazine, Urban Animal, NOVADog, and on miscellaneous websites. Ingrid lives in Northern Virginia with her tortoiseshell cats Allegra and Ruby.

Her latest book is Purrs of Wisdom: Conscious Living Feline Style.

Visit her website at www.ingridking.com.

About the Book:

Purrs of Wisdom is a collection of essays featuring lessons in conscious living, inspired by the cats who have shared the author’s life.

From help with every day challenges to inspiration on living a joyful life, this compilation provides encouragement, guidance, and enlightenment, feline style.

Whether it’s creating balance, navigating turbulent times, or finding the magic in life’s ordinary moments, there’s something for everyone in this book.

Chapters include:
• The Healing Power of the Purr
• Making Time for Contemplation
• Routine as the Key to Happiness
• Purging Can Make You Purr
• Healthy Cats, Healthy Human

The stories may remind readers of lessons their own cats have taught them, provide “aha” moments, or simply bring a smile.

The book is best enjoyed with a cat curled up on your lap.

PRAISE FOR Purrs of Wisdom

“Purrs of Wisdom, by Ingrid King, is a treat for anyone who is enchanted by all things feline! The book is an exploration of lessons on living a joyful and inspired life, learned from the many magical cats who have shared the author’s journey.

I found gifts on every page, but the section titled Lessons from a Maple Tree especially touched my heart. The author talks about taking time out of her busy day to soak up the tree’s magnificent colors when the leaves change in the fall. “Doing nothing without feeling guilty” is a lesson she learned from her cats. Ingrid’s words were a gentle reminder to this fast-paced former New Yorker to look to my own kitties for guidance when my world seems to be spinning a bit too quickly.

Purrs of Wisdom is sure to be a treasured addition to any cat lover’s library!”
- Christine Davis, Author of For Every Cat An Angel and Forever Paws
***
“Reading this collection of feline-inspired essays and life lessons gave me several AHA! moments. Purrs of Wisdom is a refreshing read that packs a deceptively powerful punch and provides helpful recipes for finding your bliss. Ingrid King writes with compassion for those who struggle along as “life happens.” The gifted writer offers nearly poetic insight how to manage the angst, as well as to recognize the “why” behind such things. You’ll want to savor each individual chapter and purr-haps bookmark and revisit those that strike a personal chord. And of course, read aloud to your favorite feline companion!”
- Amy Shojai, bestselling author of more than two-dozen pet books
***
“Purrs of Wisdom is the perfect book for anyone who loves cats – and has an interest in living life to the fullest, with a positive and peaceful outlook – just like a cat does! It spoke to me on several levels and is sure to become a well-thumbed volume as I continue on my life’s journey.”
- Ann Brightman, Managing Editor, Animal Wellness Magazine
***
“In this guide to living spiritually and creatively in a world that isn’t always quite comfortable with either quality, King, a keenly intuitive writer, draws upon the lessons she has learned from her beloved feline friends, weaving them deftly together with her own experiences. ”
- T.J. Banks, Author of Sketch People: Stories Along the Way and Catsong

PURCHASE YOUR COPY OF PURRS OF WISDOM AT AMAZON!



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Purrs of Wisdom: Conscious Living Feline Style Tour Page:
http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/11/10/pump-up-your-book-presents-purrs-of-wisdom-book-blast/


Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Guest Blogger: Mark Connelly, Author of The IRA on Film and Television (Giveaway)

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) has for decades pursued the goal of unifying its homeland into a single sovereign nation, ending British rule in Northern Ireland. On film, the IRA has appeared in mainstream motion pictures such as The Quiet Man, action films like Blown Away, political dramas, dark comedies, and even a spaghetti Western, A Fistful of Dynamite. The IRA has been explored by major directors from three countries, including John Ford (The Informer), John Frankenheimer (Ronin), Carol Reed (Odd Man Out), David Lean (Ryan’s Daughter), Neil Jordan (Michael Collins), and Jim Sheridan (In the Name of the Father).  IRA characters have been portrayed by international stars, such as Victor McLaglen, James Cagney, Anthony Hopkins, James Mason, Richard Gere, and Brad Pitt.  Films about the Irish Republican Army range from realistic docudramas like Paul Greengrass’ Bloody Sunday, shot with handheld cameras and natural lighting to create the sensation of watching 1972 newsreel footage, to Joseph Merhi’s action farce Riot in which a British superhero battles IRA bikers in the streets of Los Angeles during a race riot.

Whether portrayed as a heroic patriot, ruthless terrorist, or troubled anti-hero, the Irish rebel has emerged as a universally recognized cinematic archetype.   Over eighty motion pictures include IRA references, and IRA characters have appeared in iconic American television series such as Hawaii Five-O, Columbo, and Law and Order.

This illustrated history analyzes film depictions of the IRA from the 1916 Easter Rising to the peace process of the 1990s. Topics include America’s role in creating both the IRA and its cinematic image, the organization’s brief association with the Nazis, the changing depiction of women in IRA films, and critical reception of IRA films in Ireland, Britain, and the United States.


The Gangster Film:  Criminalizing the IRA by Mark Connelly
           

The Irish Republican Army has long been implicated in criminal activity – typically robberies, smuggling, protection rackets, and money laundering – to obtain funds to purchase arms, support prisoners’ families, and pay pensions.  As an underground organization, it has engaged in “expropriations,” generally aimed at the rich and state enterprises. However necessary to finance operations, these actions provide political opponents with a powerful avenue of attack, allowing them to discredit the IRA for its crimes rather than its ideology.

            Filmmakers have made the IRA-crime link for dramatic and political reasons. 

Carol Reed’s classic Odd Man Out devotes more running time to a mill robbery and its aftermath than the obscure political motivations behind it.  On its American release, ads did not even mention Northern Ireland, instead announcing a new movie about “a killer on the loose . . . hiding in the shadows . . . while an angry city screams for his blood.” Significantly, the alternative title for Reed’s film was Gang War.

            British films in particular build on the criminal theme.  The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1960), directed by Basil Deardon, stars Aldo Ray as a turn-of-the century Irish-American who arrives in London to help an Irish revolutionary organization tunnel into the Bank of England to steal a million pounds in gold.  The Long Good Friday (1980) stars Bob Hoskins as the mob lord of London whose empire is torn asunder on a single day as the IRA who “run half of Londonderry” supplant English gangs and become the new mafia bosses of Britain’s largest city.  David Caffrey’s black comedy Divorcing Jack (1998) includes the IRA bank robber Patrick “Cow Pat” Keegan.  Dressed like a Hollywood Mafioso with styled hair, designer suit, and jewelry, he appears as simply a murderous hooligan braced by sneering gunmen.  He has robbed over thirty banks for the IRA, but the film never offers a political rationale for the crimes.

            American movies have been less likely to dismiss the IRA as a criminal organization.  In John Frankenheimer’s Ronin (1998) the mastermind of a criminal conspiracy to steal a mysterious suitcase turns out to be an Irish terrorist “denounced by the IRA.”  By ascribing terrorism and crime to lone wolves and dissidents, American films cast the “real IRA” in a favorable light, presenting it as revolutionary organization that operates under self-imposed rules of engagement.


To get your paperback copy of THE IRA ON FILM AND TELEVISION by Mark Connelly, visit Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/The-IRA-Film-Television-History/dp/0786447362/
To get your ebook copy of THE IRA ON FILM AND TELEVISION by Mark Connelly, visit Amazon Kindle Store at
http://www.amazon.com/The-IRA-Film-Television-ebook/dp/B0084FA030/

Pick up your copy of THE IRA ON FILM AND TELEVISION by Mark Connelly at Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ira-on-film-and-television-mark-connelly/1110783855?ean=9780786447367

Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvj_ii7ae_Y  


Born in Philadelphia, Mark Connelly completed a masters degree in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he received a Ph.D in English.  His books include The Diminished Self: Orwell and the Loss of Freedom, Orwell and Gissing, Deadly Closets:  The Fiction of Charles Jackson, and several college textbooks.  He currently teaches literature and film in Milwaukee, where he is the Vice-President of the Irish Cultural and Heritage Center of Wisconsin.
His latest book is The IRA on Film and Television.
You can visit his website at www.theiraonfilmandtelevision.com.


Pump Up Your Book and Mark Connelly are teaming up to give you a chance to win a Kindle Fire HD! 

Use the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to enter and win!


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