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Asking hypothetical questions of dead presidents helps understand where our current one is taking us

2009-11-16T20:17:00Z

Niels C. Nielsen believes it is time to revisit one of the most controversial issues of the recent presidential campaign – Obama’s religious beliefs and background – and how they influence his day-to-day decisions. God in the Obama Era (Morgan James Publishing) begins and ends with chapters on Obama for relevance and interest, but the integral part of the book is actually a history of successive presidencies. Nielsen’s book is non-sectarian, positive and critical, and leaves the subject of Obama’s possible accomplishments and success open since it is too early yet for definitive judgments.

Understanding that nations which ignore their past live in a narrow time period, discounting the fact that what has gone before tells us much about what is going on now and what will happen in the future. Historically, religion – as both a positive and negative force – has influenced economics, international statecraft, as well as individual and social ethics. This brings up the question of where Barack Obama is taking this country – politically, religiously, economically and ethically. Comparing our current president with past presidents, from Washington through Bush, Nielsen wonders what they would say to each other as contemporaries. Since the election of 2008 turned out to be a watershed contest, looking to crucial decisions of policy change on the war in Iraq, the international economy, global warming, social security and immigration, it is the main intention of the author to help bring objectivity and perspective to the much-debated issues.

This brilliantly enlightening book offers guidance to evaluate what an ambitious new leader has done, and may do, in the longer setting of the history of his office. At the beginning of each chapter the author uses a narrative and chronological approach to show both the similarities and the differences between our current president and one of his predecessors, then asks a number of hypothetical “what if” questions of many past great leaders in an attempt to see how history could have been dramatically changed by their answers. Visit his informative website at: www.presidentsreligionandethics.com.

Niels C. Nielsen, Jr. is the J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Philosophy and Religious Thought emeritus at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He is well-recognized for his earlier book, The Religion of Jimmy Carter, also translated into German. The author’s daughter is the only non-native faculty member of her department at the University of Vienna, where she is intensely involved in explaining the Obama phenomenon to her students who have a varied interest in the transition from Bush II to a very different sort of presidency. Nielsen’s Religions of the World is a widely used college and university textbook.

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TIP SHEET:

Ron Highfield, Professor of Religion, Pepperdine University: “...this erudite, lucid, enlightening book brilliantly illuminates the central icon of American culture ... In the aftermath of the election, in which religion played a greater role than in any election since 1960, we are fortunate to receive this book…rich in insight, lively in style and wide-ranging in scope…penetrating analyses of 20 presidents … a “must read” for anyone interested in the presidency, the place of religion in American history and culture, or religion in the Obama campaign and presidency.”

Rev. George M. Atkinson, Director emeritus, Perkins School of Theology, TX: “Nielsen has written an unusually fine examination of the role of religion in the life and work of our presidents… comprehensive, balanced, puts into shadow any comparable books on the subject…students of American history will especially appreciate his careful treatment of this understudied topic, since it reveals ethical issues and nuances not examined in conventional studies ... students of religion will appreciate the connections between the personal piety and the social justice efforts of each president studied…heartily recommend this book!”

Bishop Andy Doyle, Houston Diocese, Episcopal Church: “…very much enjoyed the book…captured the virtue of American presidents and their particular and faithful understanding of our country’s civil religion. While no one president…Nielsen wrote about reflects each citizen’s faith or lack thereof…it represents them well as faithful men who have believed in a providential God. As for President Obama, I was intrigued and challenged by …(the) comment that “the responsibility of his presidency reaches out beyond the external history to the internal history of the soul, spirit, intention and vision” …words will stay with me for some time as I think about the topic of virtuous leadership both secular and religious.

The ancient Maya accurately predicted the end of their civilisation..... Is their prediction about the end of our world about to come true too?

2009-11-16T20:05:00Z

When archaeologist, Dr Shepherd finds a crystal skull in the hands of a dead colleague, the fragile world she has rebuilt with her husband begins to fall apart. When she seeks answers to the suicide note left by her colleague that says ‘I have seen the future.....’ she begins a quest with momentous implications. It leads her to an ancient tomb, deep in the rainforests of Central America, surrounded by armed guards.

Morton & Thomas’s new novel is an archaeological detective story. A pacy read, the story contains fascinating information about the ancient Mayan civilisation and their predictions for the year 2012.

The novel, dubbed the ‘new Celestine prophecy’ is set to challenge both the way we look at reality and our future....

About the authors:

Since a life-changing encounter with Mayan shamans in the jungles of Guatemala, Chris Morton and Ceri Louise Thomas have dedicated themselves to promoting the ‘message of the Maya about 2012’. The screenwriters and authors whose original factual bestseller ‘The Mystery of the Crystal Skulls’, has sold over 100,000 copies and has been translated into 15 languages, and recently inspired the Indiana Jones movies on the subject. Their new novel began life as the screenplay that helped to inspire Roland Emmerich’s new blockbuster ‘2012’. As well as being experts on the Mayan calendar, the couple are active environmentalists, helping to raise awareness of the plight of the natural world. They have appeared on Discovery’s Travel Channel, NBC’s Sci-Fi Channel and The History Channel. Their work has been published in the Daily Mail and Sunday Express in Great Britain, and they have contributed to numerous radio programmes both in the UK and around the world.

Dinner and a Play take on a Whole New Meaning when Theatergoers get to be Part of the Show

2009-11-16T19:58:00Z

Written and directed by David Sebastian Bach, who has over half a century of experience in show business, Pageants Can Be Murder provides a unique forum for audiences and cast to mingle. Taking place (Tuesday through Saturday) at the Alexis Park Resort, 375 E. Harmon in Las Vegas, NV, Pageants Can Be Murder stuns us with a bevy of gorgeous women, a world-class international cast and a four-course gourmet meal, all to overwhelm the senses of theatergoers in a lethally hilarious and family-friendly production.

Pageants Can Be Murder takes the audience on the ride of their life with non-stop, side-splitting laughter, delicious food, beautiful women, and an unsolved mystery that tantalizes the imagination the minute the theater lights are dimmed.

The antics of this unbelievably talented and sexy cast of outrageously funny characters thrill audiences and leave them in stitches. According to Bach, there are a number of elements that set this production apart from anything else that has ever been staged in Vegas. Jeffrey has appeared on numerous radio shows across the nation including Lorri Allen on Family Net Atlanta, Joey Reynolds on WOR New York, Bulldog and the Dude in Ocean City, Rhett Palmer on WZTA Vero Beach, Ray Read on KCMO Kansas City, Phyllis Hall on KXLO Lewistown, Larry Steele on WPUL Daytona Beach, John Cohn on WSBC Chicago, Frankie Boyer on WXBR Boston, Reverend Hudson on WJSS Baltimore, Harry Douglas on the Horne Radio Network and Jason Spiess on KFGO Fargo.

Jeffrey Taylor is the founder of Jeffrey Taylor Group, a holding company for Jeffrey’s various operating businesses. For more information please visit: http://jeffreytaylorpressroom.com

Created from a nightmare – a story for Halloween that will haunt your dreams forever

2009-10-26T20:26:00Z

Houston, TX, What better time of the year than Halloween to read a brilliantly written book that is not only a bone-chilling thriller but one that will surround the reader with haunting fear when all things familiar suddenly become sinister! Perhaps having been born in London with all its mystique and history contributed to Tariq Goddard, the author of The Picture of Contented New Wealth (O-Books), becoming a ‘master of fright.’ Gaining accolades and recognition when two of his earlier books were nominated for national and international awards, his latest book will be giving the likes of Stephen King a run for their money.

Created from one of Goddard’s own nightmares and the substance of good Halloween story-telling, The Picture of Contented New Wealth is a gothic tragedy set in the nineteen eighties. It is an exquisite blend of desire, excitement and humor – bringing much more to the traditional thriller than is the norm.
It is the story of the Conti family who purchase a house in Hampshire. The mother, bed-bound and complaining of a rare bone disease, hears a voice behind her ears that is not her own – causing her husband to fear that their home is a portal through which an older, more malign energy has passed and now possesses his wife and son. As their life deteriorates, his secular and agnostic world view undergoes a transformation, drawing him to a strange man from the hills – a preacher. Will this man be their unlikely savior or are he and his family merely victims of their own self-serving yuppie way of life? As the end of the eighties approaches, this family recognizes that it is not wealth they are obsessed with, but something far more evil…

Check out this amazing thriller and the author’s other talented works at www.amazon.com.

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TIP SHEET:

Adam Neville, author of Banquet for the Damned: “Creepy and evocative. Through the turn of phrase, the insight into the dark heart of humanity, and the incremental evocation of satanic evil, are echoes of William Peter Blatty, Henry James, Shirley Jackson and even John Updike. But more than any of these we hear Goddard’s own powerful voice.”

BBC Scotland the Book Café: “So freaky I couldn’t read this after dark at home by myself.”

A Halloween Survival Kit for Success

2009-10-26T20:16:00Z

Phoenix, AZ, - As a means to justify their drinking, some alcoholics will attest that Jeffrey Taylor was an alcoholic and yet he still became a success. True, but it didn’t come without his paying a huge price. He wasn’t always a success, he wasn’t always a millionaire and, as he will be quick to admit, he sure as heck wasn’t always a good husband or father. He was stopped in his tracks one cold, snowy night in New York City when police found him stripped of his clothes and lying in a gutter. He woke up in a hospital, on life support, suffering from alcohol poisoning - not able to even remember his own name. Today, however, Jeffrey Taylor’s name is synonymous with a very positive thing – he stands as living proof that people CAN change. He recovered from the devastating and humiliating effects of alcohol addiction and went on to achieve phenomenal financial success.

In Taylor’s first year of recovery, he wrote A Gentleman Drunk (Executive Caliber), an incredibly witty and honest biography about his road to survival and recovery. Not content with this, he went on to write his latest book, Going From W2 to 1099 (Executive Caliber). Not one to be deterred by a harsh economy, and believing that millionaires are made during a depression or recession, he wrote a much-needed, step-by-step guide for anyone looking for a fresh start and financial freedom – a realistic ‘show and tell’ for becoming an entrepreneur. Filled with non-traditional ideas, Taylor’s book offers priceless information and encouragement for going it alone in the face of adversity. Please visit his interactive website at: http://jeffreytaylorgroup.com/, and check out his books at www.agentlemandrunk.com and www.goingfromw2to1099.com.

Jeffrey Taylor is now the founder of Jeffrey Taylor Group, a holding company for various operating businesses that range from film and TV production advisor to operating a luxury cruise agency. He has known what it feels like to be both on the top and on the bottom. Check out his powerful story on Pat McMahon’s Show on AZTV Phoenix at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zvYwvI1WaA.

Womenopause, a Menopausal Makeover with a Positive Outcome

2009-10-26T20:08:00Z

LaPorte, IN – The mere sound of the word “menopause” strikes fear in most women and also many men - albeit for entirely different reasons! Even the most self-assured woman anticipates it with sheer dread, conjuring up visions of decline and demise, and men fear not knowing how to handle the changes in their partner – or deal with the ‘stranger’ that seems to have taken over their partner’s body!

With six thousand American women reaching menopause every single day, two amazing doctors felt a need to ensure these women get some serious help. They have exposed all the hype, marketing, and ill-informed opinions on this sensitive subject that, including peri-menopause and post-menopause, encompasses more than half of a woman’s lifetime. Womenopause: Stop Pausing and Start Living (O-Books), by Dr. Lovera Wolf Miller and Dr. David C. Miller, is like a menopause makeover that covers everything from hormones and hot flashes, brain and bone preservation, breast health, skin, fitness, food, sleep, sex and more. It presents a clear, fresh voice in the controversy of hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms, and offers solutions that are imbued with a confident enthusiasm that emanates from years of success.

Over the past thirty years, Dr. Lovera Miller has witnessed public fascination swing from one trend to another as new treatment strategies have come into vogue, adding even more confusion as women try to decipher what might work best for them. Womenopause is like a trusting and loyal friend, sharing experiences by allowing readers into the intimate conversation that takes place between a woman and her female gynecologist.

The superior credentials of both doctors authenticate how they have devoted their lives to helping menopausal women, and Womenopause is indicative of their goal to promote a ‘guide’ to feeling fit, feminine and fabulous in four weeks! More information can be found at www.womenopausebook.com and www.loverawolfmillermd.com

About the doctors:

Dr. Lovera is board certified and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a certified menopause practitioner, and has served as department chairman in hospitals in California, Iowa and Indiana. A passionate women’s health advocate, she is president of Health 4 Her, and lectures regionally on peri-menopause, hormone therapy, women’s wellness, and sexually transmitted infections.

Dr. David Miller taught neuroanatomy at UCLA and was an instructor of courses in physiology and neurophysiology. He is board certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology, American Board of Pain Medicine and the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians, and is also a certified menopause practitioner. He has published several scientific papers, and regularly presents at national medical meetings as well as lecturing regionally on topics related to chronic pain.

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TIP SHEET:

Irwin Goldstein, M.D., Clinical Professor of Surgery, USC at San Diego; Editor in Chief, The Journal of Sexual Medicine: ”…wonderfully knowledgeable while tastefully entertaining. Womenopause is an insightful guide for women, explaining in a light-hearted manner pre-menopause, the transition and post-menopause. Women of all ages would benefit from the knowledge provided in this book written to take away the fear of menopause and provide empowerment in its stead. Life after menopause should be enjoyed, not merely tolerated.”

Sharon J. Parish, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Albert Einstein School of Medicine; Board of Directors, Int’l Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health: “…it’s a fabulous book Womenpause is a very well-rounded, comprehensive compendium on the female transition commonly termed menopause. Lovera Wolf Miller and David C. Miller offer a refreshing look at a natural process that affects every aspect of the midlife woman’s health and well-being. They challenge standard social concepts of menopause as well as provide a new paradigm that focuses on vitality and wellness. The book offers a clear and understandable, yet thorough and scientifically sound explanation of the physiology of menopause and the anticipated physical, psychological and mental changes. The authors offer a well-balanced view of available remedies for symptoms including hormonal, non-hormonal pharmaceutical, and alternative treatments. Also, they nicely discuss behavioral and lifestyle approaches. This book is tremendous resource for any woman seeking to employ an intelligent and multifaceted approach to the Womenpause transition.”

Many Police Officers Admit to Getting Paranormal Help from Above and Beyond

2009-10-26T20:00:00Z

Traverse City, Mich., – It started as a routine traffic stop by two Detroit police officers, but seconds later, bullets from an Uzi-style submachine gun came screaming into their vehicle, piercing the hood and doors and shattering the windshield. Then something really weird happened.

The cop behind the wheel has no other explanation but to call it a divine mystery.

The remarkable story is part of Ingrid P. Dean’s new book, Spirit of the Badge: 60 True Police Stories of Divine Guidance, Miracles & Intuition, from Topaz Heart Publishing LLC. While Dean’s stories delve into the paranormal, her credibility is enhanced by her day job: she’s a detective sergeant for the Michigan State Police.

Dean’s adult life has been devoted to collecting hard facts and evidence. She also is a state-licensed polygraph examiner and teaches the art of detecting truth and deception.

The cop behind the wheel that Detroit night in 1992 told Sgt. Dean that when he was pinned down by the submachine gun fire, he faced a terrible choice: stay in the squad car and get shot, or exit the car and get shot. An Uzi fires 600 rounds per minute.

The cop opened the door and claims “a golden glow” filled the car. “I heard a calm, male voice say, ‘Don’t worry. You’re going to come out of this fine. You won’t be hurt.’ It felt as if a shield had been raised up in front of me.” The cop stood amid a hail of bullets and emptied his gun into the suspects’ vehicle. The suspects sped away, but the cop was unharmed. He later said, “I am alive today because of divine intervention.”

Dean wonders if the 60 stories in her book ever would have come to light if she weren’t the one asking the questions. Cops don’t like to talk about paranormal experiences, but if there’s anyone they trust, it’s another cop. Detective Sergeant Ingrid Dean has worked with the Michigan State Police for 20 years in a variety of capacities, including road patrol, polygraph, forensic arts, investigation and major crimes.

Spirit of the Badge contains real-life accounts of heretofore hidden elements of police work: the metaphysical, spiritual and inspirational. Dean interviewed active and retired police officers from across the country and gathered stories that highlight the human, humorous, intuitive and miraculous side of law enforcement.

Her book reveals that law enforcement officers go beyond Sgt. Friday’s old refrain from Dragnet, “Just the facts.” Instead, they sometimes rely on intuition. Her real-life accounts examine such subjects as angels and apparitions, dreams, signs, symbols, synchronicity, lessons of the heart, unexplainable phenomena, and healing with humor.

Dean holds a B.A. and M.A. in art and transpersonal studies. She is currently assigned to the Michigan State Police post in Traverse City, Michigan. The author is also a professional artist, musician and teacher.

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TIP SHEET:

Henry Reed, Ph.D., Professor of Transpersonal Studies, Atlantic University and editor of Psi Research, Venture Inward Magazine: “To read of these police officers' experiences that suggest a dimension of meaning beyond time and space is truly inspiring … The stories read like ‘true crime' drama."

Alan L. White, author of Alaska Behind Blue Eyes and Promise Not to Tell: "Spirit of the Badge is compelling in its exploration of the human psyche and as difficult to put down as a great thriller … a deeply penetrating work."

Phillip D. Schertzing, Ph.D., Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice: "A humanizing portrayal of police officers who relate in their own words their experiences of mysterious or unexplained
phenomena, amazing coincidences, or cases where their sixth sense of intuition saved them (and others) from harm."

Connie Anderson, Topaz Heart Publishing: “Sixty inspiring and most interesting stories submitted by police officers nationwide, Dean’s collection introduces us to the human side of law enforcement. You’ll chuckle at some of the stories and feel tears well up with others.”

Email to author: 10/5/09

I was moved by the author's app on TV this morning. My Dad has served his country in WWII as a navy Airman and Boston policeman for 34 years. Retired in 1982. He is losing his fight w/ cancer. All treatments have been suspended. Hospice is now called in. He does not have much time. I'm his son and love him dearly. I would like to read from this book at his bedside.

When Just Passing Through Takes on a Whole New Meaning

2009-10-26T19:53:00Z

Denton, TX, - When a person loses one of their senses, the remaining senses are acutely sharpened in an effort to make up for the loss. Such was the case with Beth Ann, blind from birth and the only daughter in the Eastman family. An extremely gifted six-year old, Beth Ann immediately knew there was a restless spirit lingering in her family’s new home.

Passing Through (Xlibris) is a deceptively rich book that takes readers on a nerve-wracking ride as Dr. Palmer T. Bramlett finds himself wandering through the beach cottage he built, overlooking the marsh that separates Sunset Beach from the southeastern tip of the North Carolina Mainland. A place he had happily enjoyed for fifteen years before old age and frailty put him in a nearby nursing home, where he spent the last, unhappy days of his life. Things have changed in his beloved home now that it is owned by the Eastman family. As he returns to the house as a ‘soul in transition,’ attempting to understand his new sensory world and why he is still on earth, he feels he has been given a new purpose.

Inexplicably drawn to the precocious Beth Ann and her brothers, Bramlett finds them in direct contrast to their uptight accountant father and their gifted and beautiful musician turned stay-at-home mom. As Beth Ann begins to trust and communicate with Bramlett there follows a vicious assault on her life that not only dredges up a disturbing allegation from his past, but questions his intentions. Things really begin to heat up when the brothers’ chance encounter with a psychopath puts the whole family in jeopardy. As Bramlett helps them survive not only a potential killer, but a violent storm and their own insecurities, he realizes he has made a real difference in their lives. This understanding helps him to find his own peace and a way to pass through to the next phase of his existence.

Ron Smith’s thirty-five years as a writer and editor is reflected in his pragmatic style that makes the reader feel totally comfortable spending time with the characters in his story. Visit his website at: www.rsmithnovel.com to read an excerpt from this captivating book.

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TIP SHEET:

Reader Reviews:

Roger Haldenby: “Gave your book a plug on my interview with Tony St. James on KFLP… listen online at www.kflp.net/HOME-AM.htm. Click on ‘AM Listen Live.’ Really enjoying the book…”

Megha N. Parajulee, Ph.D: “Thanks, Ron. Yes, you wrote a pretty cool book, I might say.”

A Real Hawaiian Punch Is Behind This Itch

2009-10-26T19:39:00Z

San Juan Islands, WA - One Big Itch (ArcheBooks), a suspense-filled tale of obsessive love, is like a tour of Honolulu between its covers. Sara Williams arrived in Hawaii in the mid-seventies during the 200th anniversary of the Cook Expedition, and was hooked by the history of the Polynesians and how the voyages of the Hokulae’a (their outrigger canoes) brought them to the Pacific Islands. She decided to study the Hawaiian culture and particularly how these voyages inspired a cultural renaissance among Hawaiians who understood that unless they took an interest in their own culture, would possibly end up just another “McParadise.”

One Big Itch is a timely read. This ancient Polynesian crossroads hosts a sophisticated academia that spawned one native son who now occupies the White House, and another, Dr. Randolph Haverhill, the brilliant economist who lies dead on his doorstep. Playful city it may be, but every Hawaiian knows that the city of Honolulu is haunted – and so is Hawaiian P.I. John Spyer! He’s a conflicted hapa haole (half-white), too much of a haole to heed Madam Pele’s visionary warning to stay off the case, since John can never say no to old friends. Even though Haverhill’s current and ex-wives insist Randy was murdered by one of his crazed lovers, the police target Haverhill’s own ill-fated, teenage son. Forced to intervene in order to save Toby Haverhill, Spyer soon finds that every move he makes in this case jeopardizes his own client, opening up his own psychic wounds in the process.

Read sample chapters, view the zine format, and download cover art and author photo at: www.archebooks.com; Sara’s blog and more reviews and endorsements are available at: www.sarawilliamsnovelist.com and www.onebigitch.com. Williams splits her time between Fort Myers, FL and the San Juan Islands of Washington, and has ties to Hawaii that go back some thirty years, lending realism and authenticity to her page-turning novel.

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TIP SHEET:

‘Phil Jason’s Reviews’ recently made One Big Itch the lead-off cover feature in the Fort Myers Magazine with: “Williams…has mixed a high-energy mystery cocktail laced with more than a little Hawaiian punch….her third novel and the second to feature private eye John Spyer, intrigues and puzzles both protagonist and reader with an array of evidence, motives, and false trails. There are two sure things: The first is that academic superstar Randy Haverhill has been murdered. The second is that Spyer will not rest until he discovers the perpetrator…a third, less sure thing: Hawaii is haunted and its local spirits will spin you around until they have brought what is hidden to light.”

Eileen Goudge, NY Times best-selling author of The Diary: “Williams channels her inner Raymond Chandler with One Big Itch, an addictively ready tale set in Hawaii and featuring detective John Spyer. It abounds with local color and Hawaiian lore, and the story moves along at a fast clip as it builds toward the cliffhanger climax. You won’t see the end coming.”

Mystery Net.com: “Here is something new under the tropical sun, a Tony Hillerman style regional mystery set in Hawaii.”

Bob Morris, author of A Deadly Silver Sea: “One Big Itch will blow you away like the wind off The Pali. Here’s one novel with a real sense of place and a most intriguing hero.”

Don Bruns, author of Bahama Burnout: “If you love characters, One Big Itch has plenty of them. If you love location, you’ll fall in love with Sara’s Hawaii, and if you love a suspenseful race to the finish plot, One Big Itch will give you all you want. What a great read!”

Diane A.S. Stuckart, author of Portrait of a Lady, 2nd in the Leonardo da Vinci mystery series: “One Big Itch is one wild ride! With her quirky characters and rollercoaster plot, Sara weaves a slyly entertaining tale that combines the lush Hawaiian landscape of travelogues with the gritty reality of its urban streets. Alive with authentic native voices, this fast-paced mystery will leave you wanting to hop the next plane for a tropical adventure of your own.”

Matthew Goodman, author of The Sun and the Moon: The Remarkable True Account of Hoaxers, Showmen, Dueling Journalists, and Lunar Man-Bats in Nineteenth Century New York. “As if a page-turner of a murder mystery isn’t enough, One Big Itch also offers up an explosion of glorious Hawaiian color: expanses of mountain and sea, legends of native royalty, lots of local patois…not to mention a private investigator with a taste for Drambuie and vintage sports cars. Riding the New York subway, I almost felt I was in Diamond Head.”

Awareness of and Taking Action against a Furtive Killer

2009-10-26T19:11:00Z

Black Mountain, NC, It would take a nuclear weapon, detonated miles above the Earth’s atmosphere, to knock out the country’s entire electrical power grid. It would not instantly kill millions the way a direct hit by a nuclear weapon would, but death would be more insidious – people would die slowly from lack of water, food, emergency services, or violence after the breakdown of law and order.

The same destruction after an EMP attack as outlined in Dr. Forstchen’s chilling book One Second After (TOR/Forge Books) could also conceivably come from solar flare or geomagnetic activity. These facts align with frightening new predictions from an international panel of experts led by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who now predict a potentially catastrophic peak of solar geomagnetic activity in May of 2013.

Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, sides with Forstchen and the NASA/ NOASS report, urging that we take this cautionary tale very seriously. Gingrich presented the information outlined in One Second After to the American/Israel Public Affairs Committee at its annual policy conference. After reading Dr. Forstchen’s well-researched book, the head of the Missile Defense Agency and the head of the Congressional Investigative Committee on EMP pushed for preventative action.

Dr. Forstchen’s book outlines necessary precautions to ensure we have a fighting chance to survive. Some of these are:

Stockpiling safe water, canned food, medication, and first-aid supplies.
A plan to handle climate survival with wood stoves, a wood supply, propane-fueled lamps, kerosene space heaters, candles and matches.
How to set up a portable toilet with household items.
How to protect yourself and your family when law and order breaks down.
Having a plan for security – the best chance of survival is to act swiftly.

For more detailed information to withstand an EMP attack, read One Second After or visit the author’s website at: www.onesecondafter.com

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TIP SHEET:

W.E.B. Griffin, author of 36 best-selling military and detective novels: "The only thing more terrifying than this masterfully crafted story is the possibility of it actually happening - and not a damn thing being done to protect us."

Publisher's Weekly: "Fans of such classics as Alas, Babylon and On The Beach will have a good time as Forstchen tackles the obvious and some not-so-obvious questions the apocalypse tends to raise."

Whitney Scott (Booklist): "In a Norman Rockwell town in North Carolina military action by unlikely people becomes the norm in Forstchen's sad, riveting, cautionary tale, the premise of which Newt Gingrich's foreword says is completely possible."

Woman explores her own destiny using the 11:11 Code

2009-10-26T19:07:00Z

Houston, TX, How many times have you looked at the clock and were surprised by how often it reads 11:11 or 2:22 or even 3:33? One woman’s curiosity got the better of her when this kept happening and she would not accept it was a simple coincidence. Her adventurous personality provided her with the courage to further explore each twist of fate that kept popping up around certain numbers – just to see where it would all lead.

The 11:11 Code: Secrets of the Convent (O-Books) is a gripping story of how yoga teacher Hilary Carter was led, by a compilation of past lives, premonitions and number signs to purchase (with the intention of renovating) an ancient convent in Andalucía, Spain. The problems she encountered went way beyond any normal restoration of a historical property you would expect to see on a television show today. First, her financial backer died, then her first builder ended up in prison and the second builder became paralyzed in a tragic accident - and all this only scratches the surface. The actual building, formerly a home to the Knights Templar, was both haunted and had a will of its own. Carter has since sold the convent, but this exploration of synchronicity and destiny sits with The Celestine Prophecy as an inspiring example of discovering meaning behind events.

Carter will shortly be setting out on a very special journey – she plans to travel along the 111 degree line of longitude to raise awareness of the 11:11 phenomenon, beginning in Calgary, Canada and ending in Nogales, Mexico. She will finalize her journey in New York where she will be available for interviews October 25 – 27th. Carter admittedly lives her life according to the numbers 11/111/1111 and firmly believes that her journey will help heal our planet. In fact, she suggests that if we each pause what we are doing at 11:11 a.m. every day, not just on November 11 (Veterans Day) when we honor those brave men and women who gave their lives for our freedom, and take a moment to reflect and send out positive, uplifting and peaceful thoughts - she believes it could make a huge difference in achieving a peaceful world.

There has already been much ado about the significance of 11:11 leading into the year 2012, and the fact that at 11:11 a.m. on December 21st in the year 2012, the Mayan calendar ends. It is believed that at this point a global or universal spiritual awakening will begin. After reading 11:11 Code, you will never look at the world in the same way again, for once you are awakened to the 11:11 sign, there is no going back to sleep …

Hilary Carter is a British Wheel of Yoga teacher, workshop leader and consultant astrologer, having studied with the world-renowned faculty of Astrological Studies in London. She is currently involved in setting up a yoga retreat center in an ancient convent that she has recently purchased in the Dordogne region of France.

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TIP SHEET:

Claire Wilkinson, author of The Crab Man: “Wow! What a book! This is a fascinating true tale of hidden secrets in an ancient Spanish church. The amazing coincidences that Hilary experienced around the number 11:11 took her on an incredible journey. Her discoveries and insights along the way will enlighten you and open your eyes to a new way of looking at the world…found the book intriguing and thrilling…couldn’t wait to continue reading and feel sure everyone else will too. It is such an important book…the truth will come out!”

Paul F. Newman, author of Declination in Astrology: “For those who have vaguely heard of 11:11 and maybe dismissed its wilder claims, this personal account provides an exciting and thought-provoking real life adventure. As a personal account of how mystical numbers can impinge so forcefully on a person’s destiny and change the course of lives, this is worth a dozen theoretical treatises on arcane revelation. The journey never flags and we travel in anticipation as the underlying (or unconscious) reasons for her buying the convent are gradually revealed.”

Barbara Venn-Lever, Host of ‘The Positively Barbara Show: “A delightfully easy read which draws you inward and onwards. It is a hard one to put down. Be prepared to have the blinkers and fetters removed and free your own spiritual evolution from ignorance.”

The Bourne, Bauer, Ryan and Sandor Identity: Real Life?

2009-10-26T18:51:00Z

Greenwich, Conn. , Who is the real Jordan Sandor? A new novel of espionage and suspense by Jeffrey Stephens has readers wondering if a genuine CIA hero is out there who actually matches the description.

In Targets of Deception, Jordan Sandor retires from the CIA, only to be lured back into action when his former mentor becomes a rogue agent and helps plot a massive terrorist attack against the United States.

Like other fictional spy sagas, the Jordan Sandor tale is based on actual events. This isn’t the first time the public has searched for the true heroes behind the fiction.

Many researchers insist that the real-life Jack Bauer (of Fox-TV’s 24) is Jose A. Rodriguez, former CIA Director of the National Clandestine Service. The real Jason Bourne is rumored to be Robert Duncan O’Finioan, who allegedly survived secret government black-op projects. And many believe the inspiration for Jack Ryan (from author Tom Clancy’s series) was Gen. Carl Stiner, retired Commander in Chief, United States Special Operations Command.

Stephens admits that Targets of Deception (Variance Publishing) put down its roots in non-fiction.

“A friend of mine years back was in the Central Intelligence Agency,” the author said, “and he told me the story of a rogue agent who had gone over to the bad side in the Middle East. He couldn’t tell me anything that was classified, obviously, but he told me how difficult it was to track him down. I thought it might make an interesting story if we positioned his protégé as the person who would track him. The student tracks the teacher.”

The true events evolved into Stephens’ critically acclaimed novel, Targets of Deception. While admitting that much of the story is fiction, Stephens has studied the secret world of intelligence carefully.

“We owe so much to our troops who are fighting overseas, but there are also covert operations going on that we don’t know and can’t know,” he said. “I thought that was fascinating. The more I delved into that, the more I realized this was a story I had to write.”

Realism touches everything Stephens puts on paper.

“I’ve been to every location in this novel, I did research in Washington, so everything in this book has veracity – the weapons, the agencies of government, and so on, were all based on fact,” he said. “The lethal gas in this is VX gas, which is real and was developed by the British toward the end of World War II, and all these years later it remains the most lethal nerve gas known to man.”

Stephens earned his B.A. in Creative Writing from Penn State at age 19, got his Juris Doctor diploma from Fordham University School of Law and headed a private law practice in New York. He and his wife Nancy live in of Greenwich, Connecticut.

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TIP SHEET:

Vince Flynn, NY Times No. 1 best-selling author of Protect and Defend: “Jeffrey Stephens has arrived with Targets of Deception; a ripping, good yarn of intrigue that will keep you turning the pages all the way to its explosive ending.”

Robert K. Tanenbaum, best-selling author, Malice, Counterplay, Fury: “Jeff Stephens is a writer to watch. His first book, Targets of Deception, is a very solid, fast paced thriller that carries the reader on a globe-trotting adventure into the world of counter-terrorism. We will want more of CIA agent Jordan Sandor.”

Steve Alten, NY Times best-selling author of Meg and The Shell Game: "Jeffrey Stephens takes the reader on a fast-paced tale of international intrigue and suspense in this, his first novel, Targets of Deception. With a terrific lead character in Jordon Sandor and many plot twists, I look forward to watching Stephens develop as a top-notch author."

Where East Eats West - The Street-Smarts Guide to Business in China

2009-10-26T18:33:00Z

Houston, TX, Designed to be the ultimate plane book, Where East Eats West: The Street-Smarts Guide to Business in China (Booksurge Publishing), entertains the weathered China hand as much as it educates the China rookie through humorous, firsthand narratives that make the reader feel as if Goodman is sitting beside them, having a conversation.

Already part of the MBA curriculum for Boston College, Rutgers and Colorado State University and winning praise by China veterans, Where East Eats West is an easy and wonderfully informative read. This book is perfect for the entrepreneur with a burning desire to head across the ocean in search of fame and fortune, or for those who have just received orders to relocate to China for the ‘opportunity of a lifetime,’ but have no idea what to expect. It is an amusing companion for those already in China doing business and struggling to maintain faith in a vision (and the essential goodness of humankind) or even for those who have been doing business in China for a long time (three years or more) and simply need a good laugh and know that they are not alone.
Among its many pearls of wisdom, Where East Eats West prepares the China newbie for those first few infatuating weeks and equips them with how to avoid becoming delirious with ‘China Fever’ as well as how to cope when reality sets in. Then it provides just enough historical and cultural background about business in China to help you understand where they’re coming from when you don’t see eye to eye which invariably happens.

Goodman openly shares his two most important rules to succeeding in the Chinese business market (and in another chapter) offers a friendly warning about the two most uncommon things in China –to preempt being caught off-guard. Where East Eats West’s down to earth advice will give its reader the tools to deal with such issues as China’s vast human resources, a.k.a. the enormous ‘talent puddle’ and offers everything you need to know about doing business in China, all wrapped up in a book so entertaining, you won’t be able to put it down.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sam Goodman, Canadian serial entrepreneur started his first business at eleven. Moving to China in 1995, Goodman learned the language, built and sold the ‘World-famous-in China’ chain of cafes, Beijing Sammies; was a Client Partner for the world’s largest executive recruitment firm and a successful negotiator in English and Chinese on the Westinghouse US-China $5.4 billion, nuclear power plant bid. When he’s not working, he’s rock climbing with his wife and daughter.

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TIP SHEET:

Ted Plafker, 20 year China veteran, author of Doing Business in China: “From sandwiches to nuclear power plants, Goodman’s in-the-trenches China experiences cover an unusually broad range and the advice he offers you comes unvarnished, unleavened, and unadulterated, just like he lived it. Anyone contemplating an adventure in the world of China business will learn an awful lot from him.”

Steve Chiu, 13-year China Veteran, Co-Founder, Zhaopin.com (China’s Monster.com): “Finally! A China business book from the perspective of an entrepreneur. Where East Eats West has got it all: the hard truth, humor and real insight into doing business in China as the little guy, and winning.”

We Need a ‘Reset’ for the War on Terror, Author Says,

2009-08-03T17:12:00Z

Washington, D.C. – Some of the United States’ top national security specialists agree with the sobering conclusions reached by distinguished author Ilan Berman in his new book, Winning the Long War: Retaking the Offensive Against Radical Islam. To wit:

The United States is losing the War on Terror

We cannot win unless we fundamentally change our approach

Jihadist ideology is an illegitimate interpretation of Islam, offers a bankrupt future, and we have the tools to marginalize it

Berman is an expert on regional security in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Russian Federation. He has consulted for both the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Department of Defense and provided assistance on foreign policy and national security issues to a range of governmental agencies and congressional offices.

When Berman speaks, officials in the U.S. defense, security and intelligence communities listen. In his day job, Berman is Vice President for Policy of the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, D.C., and he’s the author or editor of three previous books on tyrannical regimes, radical Islam and terrorist threats.

Robert C. McFarlane, former National Security Advisor to President Reagan, found unsettling truth in the pages of Berman’s Winning the Long War: Retaking the Offensive Against Radical Islam.

“This global struggle for the heart and soul of Islam bodes fair to change the course of history—and thus far, we in the West are losing,” McFarlane said. “In his absorbing and rigorous examination of where we stand in this battle of ideas, Ilan Berman documents an alarming litany of failures on our side. The power of this remarkable book lies, however, in Berman's prescriptions which, if adopted, are a basis for optimism that it's not too late."

Winning the Long War was eight years in the making. Berman describes it as “among the most challenging tasks I have ever undertaken.” He spent years analyzing transnational trends and cross-cutting issues affecting U.S. security.

“Every one – terrorism, proliferation, radical Islam, etc. – is a facet of the struggle we have found ourselves in as a nation since September 11th,” Berman said, adding that his revelations came as he weaved them together “into something resembling a coherent strategy. My hope is that, in some small way, it helps readers to get the ‘big picture’ of the War on Terror and what we have to do in order to win it.”

Berman serves as Adjunct Professor for International Law and Global Security at the National Defense University and is a member of the Associated Faculty at Missouri State University's Department of Defense and Strategic Studies. He is also a member of the reconstituted Committee on the Present Danger and Editor of The Journal of International Security Affairs.

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TIP SHEET:

Thomas J. Ridge, Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security: "The struggle against radical Islam is not limited to al-Qaeda or confined to Afghanistan and Iraq. The enemy is global. The challenge is multi-generational. The outcome remains uncertain. Ilan Berman argues persuasively that our strategic approach must be revisited and the rules of engagement changed. He offers a provocative, insightful and scholarly blueprint for defeating the enemy in the intellectual, economic, diplomatic, and political theaters of this confrontation."

Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., U.S. Senate Minority Whip: "Berman is right when he writes that military force alone will not be enough to defeat this enemy; we must also employ economic and ideological tools. Sadly, when we have used these tools, we have usually failed to do so effectively. Winning the Long War shows policymakers across the political spectrum what to do to win this war."

Robert C. McFarlane, Former National Security Advisor to President Reagan: "Islam is undergoing what once in America was called a 'revival,' the outcome of which will determine whether the overwhelming majority of moderate Muslims remain so. This global struggle for the heart and soul of Islam bodes fair to change the course of history—and thus far we in the West are losing. In this absorbing and rigorous examination of where we stand in this battle of ideas, Ilan Berman documents an alarming litany of failures on our side. The power of this remarkable book lies, however, in Berman's prescriptions which, if adopted, are a basis for optimism that it's not too late. Read it."

Brad Sherman, D-Calif., Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade: "Berman offers a complete and coherent strategy for the so-called Long War, a struggle against radical Islam that will last decades. Most importantly, he has put forth a vision for countering our adversaries by demonstrating to their target audience that the jihadist ideology is an illegitimate interpretation of Islam and offers a bankrupt future. Very few writing in this area have tied together all the elements of a successful counter-terrorism strategy—political, diplomatic, law enforcement and especially economic. Berman has.”

Author Rips Apart Conventional ‘War on Terror’ Beliefs

2009-08-03T16:34:00Z

Lone Rock, WI - Was America’s War on Terror a ghastly mistake? Did the United States sacrifice thousands of lives and billions of dollars for nothing? These are among the suppositions that author Kevin Barrett, a Ph.D. and Arabist-Islamologist, examines in his new book, Questioning the War on
Terror: A Primer for Obama Voters.

Dr. Barrett knows his conclusions will stir up controversy and bring emotions to a boil. He has appeared on Fox, CNN, PBS and other television networks to defend his research and will continue his quest to open the media’s eyes to possibilities they have dismissed.

Writing in a down-to-earth style, Dr. Barrett offers extensive, scholarly documentation to support such startling conclusions as:

The War on Terror triggered our current economic catastrophe

Terrorism is less of a threat than lighting bolts and bathtubs

There is no connection whatsoever between Islam/Muslims and terrorism

The only significant terrorists in today's world are governments

Osama Bin Laden repeatedly denied and deplored 9/11, and the FBI agrees he didn't do it

Historians agree that many of the biggest terrorist attacks in history may have been false-flag "inside jobs" committed by the enemies of the people blamed for the attacks

Because these conclusions are so radically different from the worldview of the mainstream media, readers may appreciate that in Questioning the War on Terror: A Primer for Obama Voters, they are framed as open-ended questions rather than dogmatic assertions.

“Americans are 30 times more likely to die from lightning strikes, and 10 times more likely to drown in their bathtubs, than to be killed by terrorists,” Dr. Barrett said. “Should we declare war against lightning bolts and bathtubs? Should we install PA systems in our bathrooms reminding us that the threat level of bathtub drowning has been raised to orange? Should we create a new Department of Bathtub Security empowered to do sneak-and-peak, warrantless searches of our bathrooms to make sure that we're using no-slip bath-mats? Would this be any crazier than what we're doing now?”

Using the Socratic method, Questioning the War on Terror asks 54 hard questions that, taken together, attack the central notion on which our post-9/11 political life has been based. It concludes with a list of 22 concrete actions that readers can take to end the War on Terror and achieve the change they voted for in the 2008 presidential election.

Kevin Barrett, Ph.D., is one of America's best-known critics of the War on Terror. He taught at colleges and universities in San Francisco, Paris and Wisconsin, where he ran for Congress in 2008. Dr. Barrett currently works as a nonprofit organizer, public speaker, author and talk radio host. His website is http://www.truthjihad.com

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TIP SHEET:

“Kevin Barrett is taking on a big sacred cow, one that hardly anyone in the mainstream media or in Congress would dare to seriously question -- the War on Terror, which in the past eight years has joined the flag, motherhood and apple pie as things an American dares question only at the risk of being labeled 'unpatriotic' or a 'supporter of terrorism.' Barrett delves into many of the assumptions behind the War on Terror: the myths, the lies, the propaganda. The reader should be prepared to question some of his favorite political beliefs.” -- William Blum, author, Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II

Finally, a Diet That Really Works – as Long as You Spit

2009-08-03T16:26:00Z

Murphy, Texas – Come up with a diet that really works, and the world will beat a path to your door. Author Diana Estill found just such fortune-maker, which she calls the Flavorless Diet:

“Insert the morsel into your mouth, and if it doesn’t taste good, then keep eating it. If it does taste good – spit it out and start over.”

Maybe she should write a diet book, since one of those can almost always be found on a bestseller list, but instead, Estill has written Deedee Divine’s Totally Skewed Guide to Life (Corncob Press). In a weird, Dave Barry/Erma Bombeck sort of way, she makes sense.

Other nuggets from Estill’s alter ego, the legendary Deedee Divine:

“I’m allergic to sweating. Every time I perspire, I develop a bad attitude.”

“At my house, the earliest signs of spring arrive in the form of weeds.”

Deedee also says: It’s hard to live among do-it-yourself types when you’re a get-somebody-else-to-fix-it person. Do-it-yourself turns up in my vocabulary only during conversations like this:

Husband: “I need this shirt ironed.”

Me: “Do it yourself.”

Deedee Divine is on a mission to help readers find fun in their daily trials and frustrations. She encourages them never to take themselves or their circumstances too seriously. Deedee tackles aggravations and annoyances shared by women who are emotionally overstretched, and she hands out advice that drifts toward the absurd.

Deedee Divine’s Totally Skewed Guide to Life is one part family therapy, one part social satire, as the author informs her readers that the “family that doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Estill/Deedee finds levity in everything – from roadways to the kitchen. Nothing is sacred as she takes literary punches at anyone who thinks they have no imperfections.

Having been a teen mom and tenth-grade dropout, Diana Estill knows how difficult life can be and how important it is to find comic relief in the morass of daily challenges. Her goal is to turn failures, quirks and frustrations into theater of the absurd.

Check out her somewhat eccentric website at www.totallyskewed.com.

Deedee Divine’s Totally Skewed Guide to Life is a ForeWord Magazine 2008 Book of the Year finalist and has been, together with her first book, Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road (Brown Books), on Amazon’s top 100 bestsellers list of books categorized under parenting humor/essays.

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TIP SHEET:

Midwest Book Review: “Utterly entertaining reading.”

American Chronicle: “A fine balance of quirky humor, sometimes absurd…”

Bookreporter.com: “Bust a gut funny!”

Dead Fred is alive and well and plotting revenge in sunny South Florida

2009-08-03T16:17:00Z

Palm Beach, FL - There is no doubt that Frank McKinney is an extraordinary man. From his oceanfront treehouse office, perched 23 feet above the Atlantic and accessible by suspension bridge, McKinney promotes near fantasy lifestyles for the very wealthy by creating and selling one-of-a-kind mansions for tens of millions of dollars. A true American original who never lost touch with the childhood thrill of playing super hero, he recently made a grand entrance costumed as a pirate king, propelling 250 feet down a flaming zip line before unveiling his latest masterpiece and donating profits from the spectacular event to charity.

If creating multimillion-dollar masterpieces and writing successful business books perched in a tree is McKinney's reality, then what would his fantasies be?

Readers have the chance to peek inside the head of the man who makes millions with his imagination in Dead Fred, Flying Lunchboxes, and the Good Luck Circle, (Health Communications, Inc.).

Since his daughter, 11-year old Laura, was in pre-kindergarten, she and her dad have walked to school every day, rain or shine. The thousands of one-mile trips through a dense grove of trees, past an eerie nature preserve and over a rickety drawbridge on the Intracoastal Waterway, spawned wild tales that became the basis of Dead Fred, Flying Lunchboxes, and the Good Luck Circle.

"I have the joy of walking to school with my daughter and her friends every day. It means I never lose touch with the little boy inside," McKinney says. "Not every child or parent is so lucky, but I hope to pass along the sense of wonder and possibility that fuels children's imaginations and inspires me so profoundly."

Ppeekk (pronounced ‘Peekie’) Rose Berry is the thirteen year-old heroine in McKinney’s ride-of-your-life adventure. Forced to walk to her first day of school after moving from rural Indiana to sunny Florida, she has a chance encounter with a mysterious little man who leads her to find King Frederick the 9th, a flattened, 3-inch, dead shiner fish who comes to life in her hands. She aptly names him “Dead Fred,” and is soon introduced to his brilliant underwater kingdom of High Voltage – a place where manatees talk and practical-joking clownfish encourage children to launch their lunchboxes off the bridge!

Ppeekk soon discovers that Dead Fred has been dethroned by Megalodon, a fiendish 50-foot prehistoric shark that has returned from extinction and uses his entourage of vicious crabs and blood-red remora fish to threaten and extract the imagination and joy of children everywhere – and bring the kingdom of High Voltage to an abrupt end. As she and Dead Fred learn to love and trust one another, he enlists her help in trying to save High Voltage from the evil beast. Ppeekk and her friends use all their resources to lure Megalodon and his rogue army into the fight of their lives in a heart-pounding adventure that takes place in the middle of a fierce and deadly Category 5 hurricane.

Frank McKinney does nothing second-best. As profiled on CBS Evening News, 20/20, USA Today and Oprah, his seemingly bottomless well of creativity and imagination is testament that Dead Fred is no exception. He is a five-time international best-selling author, philanthropist and visionary. Dead Fred is charged with fairy-tale wonder, enthralling magic and page-turning suspense.

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TIP SHEET:

Steve Alten, NY Times best-selling author of the MEG series: “An engaging and uplifting tale with more interesting characters than a Narnia adventure.”

Being Your Own Boss to Control Your Own Destiny – What a Wonderful Place to Be

2009-08-03T16:08:00Z

Phoenix, AZ - During this time of recession when most people are barely clinging to their jobs and possibly hate what they are doing but happy to get a paycheck, along comes a man who advocates ‘chucking it all in and doing your own thing’ – believing that you will never look back! Jeffrey Taylor is this man. He worked in corporate America from 1975 to1984 when he decided he had had enough and changed his life forever by becoming an entrepreneur. His latest book Going From W2 to 1099 (Executive Caliber) is not a textbook for starting a business (there are way too many of those out there already) but is an informative guide for the days when you run out of ideas and are tempted to give up. With twenty-five successful years under his belt, Taylor knows and shares how to stretch dollars in order to stay in business.

Taylor understands first-hand the fears and problems that arise when owning a business and offers help to get started, with advice on handling problems in a no-nonsense, common-sense way – adding his philosophy of taking charge and not wasting time worrying about things you have no control over. Instead he believes in getting success from paying as little as possible for services, thus gaining the most revenue for your time and efforts. He stresses the importance of taking basic business courses and the need for a good business plan, knowing that even during a bad economic climate there is money to be made. It’s a matter of finding the right combination of what the public needs and what you have to offer in order to build a successful business. In his latest book he outlines some of the key issues that entrepreneurs face, including transitioning from a job to ownership, finding clients, defining the business, looking for where people need what you have to offer, and deciding who you can trust.

Jeffrey Taylor is a man who has walked the talk. He is the founder of Jeffrey Taylor Group, a holding company for various operating businesses that range from film and TV production advisor to operating a luxury cruise agency. He is also no stranger to the self-help book market and has previously published two textbooks on the equipment leasing industry, as well as a fascinating autobiography on his life as a recovering alcoholic (A Gentleman Drunk). In between his busy business schedule, he finds time to give back to the community by teaching commercial real estate courses. Visit his web sites at: www.jeffreytaylorgroup.com and www.goingfromw2to1099.com.

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TIP SHEET:

Readers rave about Taylor’s book:

“The book boldly and clearly benefits everyone. It’s got ‘Joe Six-Pack’ attitude yet also appeals to people higher up the corporate ladder who have been downsized into unemployment.”

“Although the book suggests ‘reading in one setting doesn’t make sense’ – I couldn’t stop myself. Timely material – timeless advice. Looking forward to reading it again and again.”

“Really enjoyed reading your book. It was informative and entertaining, and as a recent 1099-er myself, I found it very helpful.”

“Very funny and educational. Another winner. Way to interject recovery with everyday life laced with personal experience and knowledge backed up with research.”

“A clever, compelling, and entertaining guide for those transitioning to self-employment…as easy to read as A,B,C.”

Life’s Most Meaningful Journey to the Ultimate Destination - Heaven on Earth

2009-08-03T16:04:00Z

Fox Island, WA - Every person on this planet wants to experience Heaven on Earth and be able to look at normal, everyday things and find beauty and absolute joy in each and every one of them. Finding Heaven Here (O-Books) is the latest extraordinary book from John C. Robinson, a man who has devoted his entire life to getting answers in order to find this Heaven on Earth. Robinson’s credentials speak volumes: he is a psychologist and an ordained interfaith minister with doctorates in both psychology and ministry, and he is an author, teacher and mystic. He has spent the better part of his personal and professional life exploring the relationship between psychology, spirituality, mysticism, and religion, and knows that the presence and experience of Heaven on Earth is the greatest secret on the spiritual path.

Heaven on Earth – the ordinary world transfigured in enlightened consciousness – represents the ultimate destination of humanity’s greatest journey. To mystics the pathway is obvious, but in the minds of the majority it is believed to be inconceivable. The layman’s consciousness is so obstructed with thoughts that they cannot grasp that Heaven on Earth is the ordinary world around them transformed in awakened consciousness. It means opening minds to explore the beauty in everyday things the way children are able to do, when innocence and acceptability are not blocked by thoughts or preconceived notions. It means that as a child, pretty much what we see is what we get! As adults, we become too busy to stop and really see the divine world; we only see what we think. In this thought world, we allow concepts, beliefs, stereotypes and prejudices to filter our experience so completely that we have totally stopped witnessing the beauty of what is right there before us. If the scene or subject is not instantly visually appealing, we see hardship, struggle, danger, and anything else negative that our thoughts can conjure up. Finding Heaven Here offers hope for anyone who truly wants to be able to find and enjoy life in a Heaven that really is here on Earth!

Robinson’s amazing book does not suggest a change to any particular religion in order to make this possible; instead he is offering the hope of waking up each day and discovering that we are already in Heaven – what a wonderfully appealing idea: it’s cost-free, it’s always here, and it makes us incredibly happy to be alive – plus it just happens to be consistent with every religion out there! In this heightened consciousness, people and things become incredibly beautiful, infinitely precious, and imminently holy. What an instrument to cure the world’s ills and take out evil once and for all!

If you didn’t cause it, and you can’t cure it or control it, you better make darn sure you understand it

2009-08-03T15:55:00Z

Chicago, IL - How many women have been told by mothers and grandmothers that they have to “kiss a lot of frogs to get to the prince?” What they neglect to add is that the prince might be more in love with himself than with the woman he professes to adore. This is why all women should read Lisa Scott’s compassionate and informative new book It’s All About Him: How To Identify and Avoid the Narcissistic Male (Cedar Fort Publishing). Definitely not another ‘girlie’ story but a knowledgeable account based on the author’s first-hand experiences – she says it like it is and shares the tell-tale signs to look for (and run from), with advice on how to cope if you are already involved in such a relationship.

What woman hasn’t been involved at some point with a man who doesn’t understand her, avoids communication, or is basically obsessed with himself and his issues only? He can be charming, fun, and exciting in the beginning but once he knows he has her heart his true colors will eventually emerge and his façade will crack – leaving her in the unenviable position of wondering what happened to that incredible man she fell in love with. Remember, narcissists have two things in common: they depend on a significant other to provide the ego-stroking they crave, and they are addicted to attention. Fear not. Help is on the way!

It’s All About Him is an informative, quick-read that helps women understand what makes these men tick! Given the right tools, women will be better equipped to avoid such involvements in the first place. Visit Lisa’s inspiring message-board on her website at www.lisaescott.com that acts as a support group for women trying to break free from a narcissistic relationship, and check out details of her blog talk radio show at: www.blogtalkradio.com/allabouthim.

A Master’s Degree in Human Resources from Loyola University and working full-time in the role of human resources’ professional gives Lisa an opportunity to observe first-hand human behavior, but it is her own personal experience in falling for two pathological narcissists that gives her credibility as evidenced in her book.

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TIP SHEET:

Candace V. Love, PhD Clinical Psychologist: “Lisa Scott absolutely grasps the essence of narcissism…was continually amazed how she was able to take this very complicated psychological construct and distill it down to its fundamental nature-illustrating it in a way that was easy to understand. She provides a practical and hopeful approach for any woman dealing with this type of man.”

Sam Vaknin, PhD, Author of Malignant Self-Love - Narcissism Revisited: “Awareness of the pernicious epidemy of pathological narcissism has been steadily growing over the last decade and resulted in a prodigious and copious output of self-help guides, textbooks, and personal memories…it is difficult to find something akin to Lisa’s work: part textbook, part self-help tome, part personal and painful memoir…only way to effectively defend against a narcissist is to learn from the harrowing experiences of those who fell prey…Lisa has gone to great lengths to acquaint herself with the latest scholarly literature and scrutinize her own encounters with brutal honesty. The result is a compelling narrative…makes for a riveting tour de force of the tortured landscapes of the la-la lands of malignant self-love.”