The Mega Giveaway for Self-Publishers

Hey folks, there’s lots of good stuff up for grabs in this giveaway FOR authors. Check it out. 🙂

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Enter giveawayHERE

Giveaway Package: 

PRIZE #1: Book Doggy Preferred Placement Promotion (3 WINNERS)

Three lucky winners will each receive 1 Preferred Placement eBook Promotion through Book Doggy. The Preferred Placement Promotion allows authors to massively promote their free, almost-free or new release ebooks through BookDoggy.com, various social media pages, and the BookDoggy email newsletter.

PRIZE #2: Lulu Press Proof Copy (2 WINNERS)

Hey there, author! Lulu.com here. Just the first digital print on demand self-publishing company in the game. Have we got a prize for you! Two winners will each get a coupon code good for 1 free proof copy of their book! Just head over to Lulu.com, upload your manuscript, publish your book, and enter the code at checkout!

PRIZE #3: Archangel Ink Digital Formatting Services (2 WINNERS)

Archangel Ink is offering two authors digital formatting services for their manuscripts, worth $325. We’ll format your finished…

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New Book Available! Coloring for All Ages, and More!

You may have heard that the National Park Service had a big birthday this year. It turned 100 just last week! And to celebrate, Mr. Pish released a new book – it’s an all-ages activity book with coloring pages for kids and adults, as well as lots of puzzles, including crosswords, mazes, jumbles, and more.

The book sold out on the first day (not as impressive as it sounds, trust me!) – but then the printer had a glitch and couldn’t restock for nearly a week! Ugh! Not the best launch one could ask for. But we’re getting up, brushing off the dirt, and trying to start all over again, hoping that we can regain the awesome momentum we had before “the glitch.” Sounds like something that happens before the apocalypse. Well, it kind of felt like an apocalypse for that week, as people who purchased the book informed me their orders had been cancelled because it was sold out and out of stock. Oy.

All that aside, please check out this video – it’s fun and short and gives you an idea what the book is like. Then, if you’re so inclined, hop on over to Amazon and get yourself a copy or ten so that maybe I won’t end up eating an entire tub of tear-encrusted ice cream in the dark again tonight. If the book’s not your cup of tea, please feel free to share with those who might like it. Wow, that sounds an awful lot like begging. I won’t tell if you don’t. Anyway, enjoy the video, and thanks for your support!

Book’s official web page: http://mrpish.com/books/national-park-centennial-celebration/

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2bFbWpr

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2bY7aBO

Automatic link takes you to your Amazon Store: hyperurl.co/MrPish100

Publishing Scam

If you’re an author, or know one, please make sure to have them check out this information on publishing scams. The sharks are out there, and they’re circling you.

Jens Thoughts

I don’t think I’ve ever posted about publishing scams, but we all know they are out there. I’m a subscriber to Indies Unlimited and they reached out asking if I would post this information concerning new scams. Since we are all writers, I thought it would be a good post.

Many Independent Authors Have Escaped from Predatory Publishing

Arlington, VA (April 7) – More than a quarter of independent authors who responded to a recent survey at IndiesUnlimited.com said they definitely had, or might have, fallen victim to a predatory publisher before turning to self-publishing. The survey results were published on the blog this week.

Indies Unlimited conducted the unscientific survey as part of its #PublishingFoul series, which featured true stories from scammed authors throughout the month of March.

“Although our 115 respondents were self-selected, I think our results are pretty accurate,” said staff writer and former journalist Lynne Cantwell…

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Publishing Scammers Are Everywhere

That’s right. It’s sad, but true. There are people out there trying to suck authors dry of their hard-earned money. These predators include publishers, editors, agents, and more. It’s hard to know who the good guys are sometimes, especially for newbie authors.

Indies Unlimited is running a special during the month of March (yeah, I know, I’m late), featuring articles and guest posts about scammers and their victims. Make sure to check it out, and please share and spread the word, so we can hopefully prevent others from being scammed. You can find a running update of everything in the #PublishingFoul series here: http://www.indiesunlimited.com/tag/publishingfoul/

And please, even if you have NOT been a victim, please take a moment to complete and share our #PublishingFoul Scammer Survey. It’s fast, easy, anonymous, and free – and you don’t have to log in to anything to take it. We’re hoping to get a big response on this so we can take it to the media. Raising awareness is the only way we can stop these scammers. Thanks for your help.

Creamy Polenta & Vegetable Medley

Welcome to another episode of “I ate it so you wouldn’t have to.” #glutenfree #foodreview

Gluten-Free Gusto Blog

This dish by Eating Right is described in small type on the package as creamy polenta and vegetable blend topped with Marsala sauce. Honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about this. The first time I tried it, I assumed by the photo on the package front – which is loaded with diced tomatoes and sprinkled with melty cheese – that it was going to taste like tomato sauce. But instead I got the Marsala sauce, which has a little sweetness to it that just doesn’t seem right with this dish. I thought maybe that since I was expecting one thing but got something else, that might have been my issue with this.

So, I tried it again. This time I added some cooked, cubed chicken for a little more protein. I feel the same way about it. I really think it would be better with tomato sauce (and I’m…

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Liberte Gluten Free Coconut Yogurt

Oh my, this is the good stuff. Tastes like a decadent dessert, not yogurt, & it’s #glutenfree #yum

Gluten-Free Gusto Blog

If you love coconut but hate yogurt, this is the snack for you. That’s right, you can hate yogurt, but that’s okay – because this is not like any yogurt you’ve ever had. This is quite possibly one of my best discoveries so far.

For starters, this doesn’t taste like yogurt. It’s smooth and creamy and light – with none of that nasty yogurt tang. There’s lots of real coconut mixed in with it – no need to stir. It’s not a gross fruit on the bottom kind of deal.

Since it’s not like regular yogurt, and in fact – more like a dessert, Liberte is a bit higher in calories and fat (doy, that’s why it tastes so good!). Still healthy, however: no added color, no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives, and it contains 8 grams of protein and 5 different strains of live and cultures – it’s totally…

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LARABAR Apple Pie Snack Bar

Like apples? Want a quick & easy gluten-free snack? Larabar has one for you. #glutenfree #apples

Gluten-Free Gusto Blog

Okay, this LARABAR Apple Pie snack bar definitely tastes appley (Yes, that is NOW a word). The consistency is decent, with just the right amount of almonds and walnuts. But there is something about it I just can’t put my finger on. No big deal.

Gluten-free, dairy free, soy free, non-GMO, vegan, and Kosher. Hard to go wrong with that combination. Only 6 ingredients. Back to nature. I got this on sale for 99 cents. I’d say if you see them at that price, grab them. They’re great for airplane or car travel and days out sightseeing. Or just for a snack in between meals.

More at www.larabar.com.

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Mr. Pish Interviewed by Famous Author

Award-winning author Melissa Bowersock sat down with our own traveling terrier, Mr. Pish, for an indepth interview today. Check out the fun at http://mjb-wordlovers.blogspot.com/2014/12/author-interview-mr-pish.html

Just one of the many photos and vignettes Mr. Pish shares in today’s interview!

Eating Right Gluten Free Carnitas Bake

A nice spicy change for #glutenfree diets – only $2.99 at Safeway! Got a bit of a bite to it. #carnitas

Gluten-Free Gusto Blog

I know what you’re thinking: what’s a Yankee with a sensitive palate doing eating a Carnitas Bake? Answer: living dangerously.

I have to say, this Carnitas Bake by Eating Right is a bit spicy, but I’m picking the green peppers out, so maybe that’s toning it down a bit. Okay, and I’m also picking out whatever looks like a red pepper.  I will be honest, I actually like this.

It does have a kick to it, but I don’t mind it. The overall flavor is pleasant and a bit on the sweet side. I guess that is balanced out by the peppers for most people. The consistency is fine – I cooked it for 5-1/2 minutes and just the very outside edges of the tortillas got a little hard and crispy. It probably could have gone for 5 instead. There is plenty of meat which is moist and not chewy.

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Author K.S. Brooks Interviews Character Special Agent Kathrin Night

This interview was originally published by The Plotline on September 30, 2011.

I created Special Agent Kathrin Night in 1986. She graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1994, and has worked for (officially and in some cases unofficially) MI6, Naval Intelligence, the FBI, CIA, NYPD and the BITA (investigative arm of the United Nations Security Council).

I could tell there was going to be trouble when I walked into the room. Her dark lashes gave her amber eyes a sort of otherworldly gleam. Maybe it was just the lighting. I studied her; as always, her hair was perfect, shiny, wavy, wild…looking touchable and seductive. Such smooth skin on her strong jaw…I couldn’t help but stare at my creation. Beautiful, tough, and complex: she was more like a warrior than anything else. I felt badly that I’d put her through everything I had in three books – with many more to come. Shattering her ankle and taking her out of active service now seemed cruel. I suddenly felt guilty.

“Special Agent Night,” I smiled, having a seat across from her.

“Author,” she replied.

“Author…” I repeated, sort of disappointed she’d been so impersonal.

“You don’t like that.”

“It’s not about what I like, really.”

“Well, you know I don’t care for doing interviews,” she said quite factually.

“I know. I appreciate that you came.”

“I didn’t think I had much of a choice.” She raised her right eyebrow.

That eyebrow told me everything I needed to know. She was now in control.

“So,” Agent Night said, cocking her head slightly to the left, “I have some questions.”

“Okay, shoot,” I replied, realizing shoot was not a wise word to say to a trigger-happy character. “I mean, go ahead…ask away.”

She took a moment…most likely to profile me: evaluating my jewelry, my make-up, and my posture before she spoke. “You don’t seem to have a confidence issue.”

“That’s not a question.”

“True.” A twinge of a smile appeared, then disappeared as quickly. “Do you feel threatened by me?”

“On the contrary. I have a great fondness for you.”

“Then why are you constantly beating the…daylights out of me in our books?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Come on – over the course of three books and a pending sequel, you’ve practically drowned me, thrown me out of an airplane, bashed my head into a concrete floor, tried to strangle me, had me standing on an improvised explosive device…you’ve left me in the desert to die, had me beaten and tortured and…”

I needed to slow her down. “Whoa…wait a minute…I don’t do anything to you that I know you can’t handle.”

“Handle? And then you send me to a shrink. What exactly is that all about? And the flashbacks…I almost forgot about those.” Her eyes were narrowed and fiery.

“Listen, I’m very careful about what I do to you. I have faith that no matter what I throw at you, you’ll find a way to rise above it. You haven’t let me down yet.” She still looked angry – more like ‘seemed’ angry since no one could ever see through her Poker face. “I actually try some of the things I do to you to make sure you can get out of them. I’ve had to tone down a couple because they were too dangerous.”

That eyebrow went up again. “Tone down? Really. Like what?”

“Like in the Nubian desert. I was going to have them tie your feet to your hands, then your hands to your neck, so that if you tried to get free, it would choke you.”

“You DID do that,” she interrupted.

“Right, but I was going to have them tie a plastic bag over your head as well.”

“I would have been dead.”

“I know that…now. I had thought you could tear the bag open with your teeth, until I tried it myself, that is. Having that bag tied over my head was terrifying…there was no way to grip it with my teeth, and I couldn’t get the rope untied before I’d run out of air.”

“I didn’t realize you’d tried that.”

“Yeah,” I nodded.

“What’s the deal with the Russian?” she asked without warning.

I couldn’t believe it. “The Russian? That’s what you call him?”

She reconsidered the reference to her lover. “Aleksey. What’s the deal?”

I shook my head. “He’s your partner. Domestic and otherwise. I’m not sure I understand your question.”

“You have a habit of taking away whatever you give me.” She paused. “I kind of like having him around.”

I smiled. It was her way of asking me not to kill him off. She was growing to love him, as I’d hoped. I was glad. I really did want her to be happy. “He’s good for you.” I could sense she was thinking about his bright smile, his turquoise eyes and his sculpted physique. At least I knew I was. He truly was a catch.

She moved on to the next subject like she had a list in her head. “How much do you and I have in common?”

“As time goes on,” I smiled, “not too much. We’ll both always believe in doing what’s right, in seeing justice served.” I tried to think of other things, but she was so much more than I could ever be. “I’m sorry if you thought I was beating you up. I have to make things realistic.”

“It’s part of the job.”

“Exactly.”

“I just wanted to understand your motivation behind it. I’d rather have things that way than be a coward.”

She was always strong, always determined, and I was proud of her. “I hope you can enjoy Aleksey. And I hope you can appreciate Doctor Scully.”

“Scully…” she sneered. “Why are you wasting my time by sending me to a shrink?”

“I’ve put you through a lot. You don’t even realize some of the things that happened to you in your childhood. Dr. Scully can help you with all of that, if you’ll let her.”

“You know I have trust issues.”

“Yeah, I know that. But I also know you’ll figure out who to trust when the time is right.”

She took a breath. “Falling from that cliff in Afghanistan…and shattering my ankle…those things happen in my line of work. The assailant won’t kill anyone else, and I’m walking better than anyone expected. Sometimes I can’t even tell I was injured. The pain doesn’t bother me. But not working…well, I have a hard time with that.”

“I understand. But sometimes things happen for a reason. Sometimes people get on the wrong track and they need something monumental to get them onto the right one.”

“How is fighting terrorism the ‘wrong track’?”

“It was starting to suck the life out of you,” I explained.

“Am I going to get my career back?” Before I could answer, she said, “I want to rephrase the question. Are you going to continue to dangle carrots in front of me or are you going to let me do what I’m made to do?”

“Yes.” I knew toying with her was dangerous. But for some strange reason, I couldn’t resist.

“To the latter?”

“Yes,” I smiled, finally giving her something. I owed her that.

“Thank you,” she actually smiled back. But I knew the smile wasn’t for me. It was because she was glad she was going to be fighting injustice again. It was, after all, her life.

“For the answer or for letting you get ‘back on track’?”

“Yes,” she said, and quite glibly at that. Then her face changed, a sort of satisfaction came over it. “I just thought of another way we’re alike. Neither one of us seems to ‘play well with others’.”

She was right about that. I got the feeling that the interview was almost over. I wanted to hug her, but that kind of thing would only make her feel awkward. And I’d already done enough to her. I wanted to tell her that I was always with her, but she didn’t need that kind of reinforcement – she’d probably roll her eyes at it. What could I say before we parted ways that would let her know how much I admired her? I was a big wuss, and she was a rock.

“Hey, writer lady,” she said with a single nod, “are we done here? I have a hockey game to get to.”

“You don’t have any other questions for me?”

She blinked. “Yes, one more actually.” A pause preceded, “Is your life as good as mine?”

I was flabbergasted: paralysed by so many thoughts that they morphed into blankness. “What?” I said with nearly a double-take.

“Other than my ankle, I’m in excellent physical condition, I do basically whatever I want, I’m extremely comfortable financially, I have a fantastic mountain home on the West Coast and my penthouse in New York City…and the only thing I really have to worry about is going back to work. Do you have it that well?”

“Why do you ask?” I really didn’t know what else to say, and that kind of popped out.

“Your shoes are quite worn which tells me that you can’t afford new ones. The skin on the tops of your hands looks dry, and your fingernails aren’t all the same length, indicating that you do chores, wash your hands a lot and don’t take the time to take care of them. Your eyelids have a tinge of yellow – so your liver isn’t as healthy as it should be. You look tired, and borderline anemic.” She cocked her head, and those waves of silken brown hair shone gold under the overhead lights.

She was an amazing profiler. Everything she said was spot on. “No. I don’t have quite the life you do.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she replied after studying me for a moment longer. “Take care of that liver. I’ve got more for you to document.”

“That you do,” I smiled, knowing in her own indubitable way, what she was really trying to say. “Tell Aleksey I said hello.”

“I will. And please thank Rose for this opportunity to go one-on-one with you. I’d originally thought it was a bad idea, but it worked out.” She effortlessly pushed herself up from the chair and headed towards the door.

Although I constantly hear her voice in my head, seeing her in this way was so different. I wanted to say or do something…the ‘just right’ thing… more for me than for her. Her sophistication made me feel like a dork in comparison. “Special Agent Night,” I blurted as she opened the door.

She turned slightly and looked at me. I stood, straightening my posture as tall as I could, then gave her my best possible Navy salute. “It’s an honor to know you.”

“Likewise,” she said, saluting back. And then she was gone.