Win 10 FREE Copies of The Fine Art of Insincerity and a Call from Angela Hunt
(Via my friends at Glass Road Public Relations!)
Angela Hunt's highly anticipated May release of The Fine Art of Insincerity is coming soon and we couldn't wait to tell you this news!
Angela Hunt is having a giveaway contest she is calling Share It With a Sister. The details are listed below. We thought it would be fun for you to share with your readers. Enjoy!
We have waited a long time for the arrival of a new Angela Hunt novel, so in honor of the soon-coming release of The Fine Art of Insincerity, she's having a "Share it with a Sister" contest!
Since Insincerity is about three sisters, you can enter the contest by showing off your sisters. To enter, simply email a digital photo of you and your sister(s) (they don't have to be biological sisters) to aehcontest@gmail.com.
Enter as many times as you wish between March 1 and May 1, but only one entry per day, please. If you don't have a photo of you and your sister handy, you may enter simply by sending an email to that address with "Contest Entry" in the subject line.
Enter the Contest
Share It With a Sister
Email a photo of you and your sisters to aehcontest@gmail.com
Watch the Video at http://www.angelahuntbooks.com/
CONTEST PRIZES
Grand Prize
A tote bag filled with Angela Hunt books and 10 copies of The Fine Art of Insincerity for your book club
First Prize
Five first prize winners will receive an autographed copy of The Fine Art of Insincerity
Each week she'll be taking some of submitted photos and inserting them into the "Sisters" video that will play at http://www.angelahuntbooks.com . So check the website often--you may see your smiling face!
The grand prize winner of the random drawing will receive a tote bag filled with Angela Hunt books for herself and ten copies of Insincerity for her book club. (If you don't have a book club, call some friends. There's no better way to get started!)
Five first place winners will receive an autographed copy of The Fine Art of Insincerity, which officially releases on May 3. And yes, the first video playing is made up of pictures of Angela and her younger sisters! Watch the video here: http://www.angelahuntbooks. com
Hope you or one of your readers win!
Sincerely,
LeAnn Hamby
Glass Road Public Relations
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Monday, January 03, 2011
We're moving!
I'll be off-line for a bit as we move from central Ohio to western Kentucky. We're looking forward to be nearer to the bulk of the grandkidlets!
Letters from Home by David R. & Andrea R. Reiser
Title: Letters From Home
Authors: David R. Reiser and Andrea R. Reiser
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0-4706379-2-0
Pages: 240
Letters from Home is the ultimate gift to all parents and grandparents! Easy to read and understand, David and Andrea Reiser base parenting on teaching the basics of common human decency; faith, morals, ethics (including a strong work ethic), and the love of fellow mankind.
Each chapter is written as a letter to their sons on the subject of one basic belief for the betterment of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is followed by real life examples of the actions and beliefs, as well as lifestyle, of people they know who personify that trait.
Letters from Home gives structure, as well as, a blueprint for raising healthy, happy, productive, and loving children—who will go on to use those same guidelines to raise the next generation.
Bravo (!) to the Reisers!
Authors: David R. Reiser and Andrea R. Reiser
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0-4706379-2-0
Pages: 240
Letters from Home is the ultimate gift to all parents and grandparents! Easy to read and understand, David and Andrea Reiser base parenting on teaching the basics of common human decency; faith, morals, ethics (including a strong work ethic), and the love of fellow mankind.
Each chapter is written as a letter to their sons on the subject of one basic belief for the betterment of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is followed by real life examples of the actions and beliefs, as well as lifestyle, of people they know who personify that trait.
Letters from Home gives structure, as well as, a blueprint for raising healthy, happy, productive, and loving children—who will go on to use those same guidelines to raise the next generation.
Bravo (!) to the Reisers!
Friday, October 01, 2010
The Dead Rise First, Rapture Countdown
Title: The Dead Rise First, Rapture Countdown
By Alton Ragan & Robert D. McLaughlin
Publisher: Vessel Publishers
ISBN: 978-0-615-21151-0
Pages: 205
A work of fiction, based on 1 Thessalonian 4:13-14, the premise of the book is that the dead in Jesus will rise first at the Rapture. A feel-good look at end-times.
While I agree with much of the authors’ interpretation of Bible prophesy, this work begins with a small-town citizenry noticing that the power is out—their first clue that all is not right with the world. My biggest issue is the way in which the tribulation is down-sized, which, I fear, may lead many Christians to believe they’ll all be called up before any of the judgement (read: prior to earthquakes, massive hail, fires, famine, pestilence, disease, captivity/slavery by Satan’s followers, etc.) of God happens here on earth. I’ve never been able to find Scripture that supports this, and to believe that even small-town America could be so blind-sided of world events, both physical and spiritual, makes this particular take a hard sell.
This is a sweet tale and a feel-good read, but not realistic to many of us who are serious studiers of the Bible and end-times prophecy. However, it would be a good book to put in the hands of those just beginning their walk with God. All-in-all, the premise of the books is good and the storyline is one that hasn’t been covered well, or often, by Christian writers. An interesting concept brought to life.
Typical of self-published books, it could have benefited from a professional edit pre-publication.
Perhaps beginning with world events to set the stage for the (possible) world-wide power outtage, or news of any of the other happenings prophesied in Scripture, would have been a better beginning. Rather, we open the story to find a small town in Oklahoma without power, without the ability to use anything with computers—including cars—and not one person having any inkling that this may be more than a trivial and temporary matter.
The characters are believable, those currently alive, and those resurrected. Many are most interesting and represent real-life situations that could be comical, if the situation turned out to be different.
Overall the book is well-written and interesting. It provides one perspective on the coming end-times, that of small-town American Christians—and non-Christians. It makes the point well that those who have chosen to not follow the teachings of Jesus are doomed to an eternity of damnation. The authors also gave us clear indications that not all who profess to be Christian will make the cut when the Rapture happens.
Please note that I do not take a stance on whether the coming Rapture will be pre-tribulation or post-tribulation. However, to believe that it will happen without any loud build-up or fanfare is beyond my capability, based on my personal study of the Bible.
By Alton Ragan & Robert D. McLaughlin
Publisher: Vessel Publishers
ISBN: 978-0-615-21151-0
Pages: 205
A work of fiction, based on 1 Thessalonian 4:13-14, the premise of the book is that the dead in Jesus will rise first at the Rapture. A feel-good look at end-times.
While I agree with much of the authors’ interpretation of Bible prophesy, this work begins with a small-town citizenry noticing that the power is out—their first clue that all is not right with the world. My biggest issue is the way in which the tribulation is down-sized, which, I fear, may lead many Christians to believe they’ll all be called up before any of the judgement (read: prior to earthquakes, massive hail, fires, famine, pestilence, disease, captivity/slavery by Satan’s followers, etc.) of God happens here on earth. I’ve never been able to find Scripture that supports this, and to believe that even small-town America could be so blind-sided of world events, both physical and spiritual, makes this particular take a hard sell.
This is a sweet tale and a feel-good read, but not realistic to many of us who are serious studiers of the Bible and end-times prophecy. However, it would be a good book to put in the hands of those just beginning their walk with God. All-in-all, the premise of the books is good and the storyline is one that hasn’t been covered well, or often, by Christian writers. An interesting concept brought to life.
Typical of self-published books, it could have benefited from a professional edit pre-publication.
Perhaps beginning with world events to set the stage for the (possible) world-wide power outtage, or news of any of the other happenings prophesied in Scripture, would have been a better beginning. Rather, we open the story to find a small town in Oklahoma without power, without the ability to use anything with computers—including cars—and not one person having any inkling that this may be more than a trivial and temporary matter.
The characters are believable, those currently alive, and those resurrected. Many are most interesting and represent real-life situations that could be comical, if the situation turned out to be different.
Overall the book is well-written and interesting. It provides one perspective on the coming end-times, that of small-town American Christians—and non-Christians. It makes the point well that those who have chosen to not follow the teachings of Jesus are doomed to an eternity of damnation. The authors also gave us clear indications that not all who profess to be Christian will make the cut when the Rapture happens.
Please note that I do not take a stance on whether the coming Rapture will be pre-tribulation or post-tribulation. However, to believe that it will happen without any loud build-up or fanfare is beyond my capability, based on my personal study of the Bible.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Review: Doubleback by Libby Fischer Hellmann
Title: Doubleback
Author: Libby Fischer Hellmann
Publisher: Bleak House Books
ISBN: 978-1-60648-052-6 (hardback)
978-1-60648-053-3 (paperback)
Pages: 344 (ARC)
Doubleback is a thoroughly satisfying stand-alone thriller and the sequel to Easy Innocence which features single-mom and video-producer Ellie Foreman, and introduces her friend—former cop, now licensed PI—Georgia Davis.
In Doubleback, Georgia takes center stage when she’s hired by the husband of Chris Messenger, recently-deceased IT manager of a large Chicago bank who died under suspicious circumstances mere days after their young daughter had been kidnapped—only to be returned, unharmed—three days later. Odd enough circumstances. Then Chris’ boss is found dead.
Following leads means following the bank’s missing $3 million, without much help from the Chicago police or the bank. From Wisconsin to southern Arizona, Georgia does the travel while Ellie sleuths deeper into the money trail locally.
Georgia runs head-on into the bigotry and racism, corruption, poverty, human trafficking, mercenaries and drug cartels that are the southwestern America border towns. She must rely on her cop-instincts, because nothing is as it seems.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Treasure of Eden
Title: Treasure of Eden
Author: S. L. Linnea
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
ISBN: 0-312-94216-8
EAN: 978-0-312-94216-8
Pages: 351
Army Chaplain Jaime Richards plans to take a much needed R & R from her tour of duty in Iraq. But first she must tend to the spiritual needs of a wounded soldier and then thwart an attacker on her way to the plane.
From the Judean wilderness to Switzerland to Paris, she is chased, shot at, and then tortured by ruthless rogue CIA political officer and black-market antiquities trader Frank McMillan. McMillan believes that “he who rules Eden rules the world”.
Through it all Jaime gives up neither her faith, her love of Country, nor her angst for lost-love Yani.
As the clock ticks down on an eBay auction for a bejeweled box held by a Bedouin tribe in the hills of the Judean wilderness, the box—first discovered in 1954 and thought to bring good fortune to the tribe—disappears.
The race to find the box is fouled with the kidnapping of the young bride of the Hajj, misappropriations of Israeli military equipment and personnel, and murder.
From the wealthiest and most power-hungry moguls attending the invitation-only World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to an aging rock star’s haven in Paris, to the Judean wilderness, to Eden, Jamie is pursued at every turn.
Treasure of Eden is a suspense-filled thrill ride, impossible to put down! Although it is the third in the Eden series, it possesses all the flavor and texture of a stand-alone. Each character is multi-dimensional serving a duality of purpose.
Heartily recommended for the adventurous mystery/suspense reader, although romance lovers will find it just as delicious.
Monday, June 01, 2009
Review of Safe House by Christine Duncan
Reviewer's Choice
Reviewers do a service to writers that I think needs to be more appreciated. They help us get feedback on our work. And what more can anyone want?
I stopped by CrimeSpace the other day to see what other mystery writers are doing.
I was struck by a discussion started by Patrick Balester--"101 Things to do Before You Die (for Crime Writers)." Some of the list was applicable to all writers ("number 7: This year, query three agents a week until you snag one.") some of the list was an inside joke aimed at mystery writers by taking swipes at a couple of famous mystery folks (shake literary agent Janet Reid's tentacle???) Although the list didn't actually make it to 101, it did mention getting a review in your local paper, but that was it. For me, the review itself matters. I want a review where the reviewer gets it.
Oh, my books have had some nice reviews along the way, don't get me wrong. I love when that happens. But if I were doing the 101 list, it would be item 10 and item 21 and maybe item 33 and... See, there is a deal that we writers forget often as we pound out our work. We're writing for an audience. I love it when the audience likes my work.
I've done a lot of the things on Patrick's list. I've gotten books published, spoken at conferences, attended the famed Bouchercon, given talks about my books at the library, been on panels at writer's cons and taught fellow writers some of the little I know. Frankly, except for being published, none of it was on my to-do list before I die. (Don't get me started on speaking in public--but really why would ANYONE want that?) Again, with the exception of being published, none of it measured up to getting a review (either from a reader or from a published reviewer) where they "got" the books. Isn't that really why we write?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
VBT--Christine Duncan, June 1st
Christine Duncan is the featured guest at a virtual book tour stop on June 1st. Her latest book, Safe House, isn't quite out yet due to some unfortunate delays. However, Christine will be stopping by to respond to reader's comments, so please check back often.
Thanksgiving is coming up fast and the snow is starting to fall, plunging Colorado into a winter wonderland.
But who has time to celebrate? Certainly not battered women's counselor Kaye Berreano. With two teens, a job that tends to claim all of her attention and a new relationship with police investigator Pete Farrell, Kaye is more than a little overwhelmed.
When a kid she has known since birth turns up dead and her own son, RJ becomes a suspect, Kaye is forced into an investigation that leads her from the safe house to her own house.
An excerpt is available at http://www.readerseden.com/product.php?productid=743&cat=0&page=1, where you may also snag your own copy for a most reasonable price.
Thanksgiving is coming up fast and the snow is starting to fall, plunging Colorado into a winter wonderland.
But who has time to celebrate? Certainly not battered women's counselor Kaye Berreano. With two teens, a job that tends to claim all of her attention and a new relationship with police investigator Pete Farrell, Kaye is more than a little overwhelmed.
When a kid she has known since birth turns up dead and her own son, RJ becomes a suspect, Kaye is forced into an investigation that leads her from the safe house to her own house.
An excerpt is available at http://www.readerseden.com/product.php?productid=743&cat=0&page=1, where you may also snag your own copy for a most reasonable price.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Review: The Olive Horseshoe
Title: The Olive Horseshoe
Author: Ben F. Small
Publisher: Night Shadows Press
ISBN: 978-0-9799167-2-4
Pages: 357
Depth of character and exotic locales keep the action rolling at a clip which allows us license to accept that Denton Wright had become a billionaire at such a young age, that his insecurities were the driving force behind his martial arts training, and that he’d been on an extended kayaking—and soul-searching—trip through Maine when his father was murdered.
The prologue, which depicts the torturous murder of the senior Mr. Wright and a fellow traveler on a seniors’ excursion through Spain and Morocco, gives us as few clues to work from as it does Denton and his assistant, Mandy. Enter Jenna Rogers, daughter of the second ill-fated traveler and her California winery foreman Carlos, to rub raw the tangled mass of emotions.
The killer(s) left one signature calling card: The Columbian Necktie.
Add to the mix Howard Wright’s Manhattan law partner and his son, travel snafus, language barriers, break-ins, subsequent and supposedly unrelated murders, alpha-male personality issues, high-end surveillance gadgetry, an international drug cartel, and sheer gut instincts—and it’s one hell of a ride!
Will Denton find his soul as he grapples with the twisted minds of those intent on destroying him—and every other life he touches?
Delightful mystery/suspense/thriller. A very satisfying read.
Linda J. Hutchinson
www.lindajhutchinson.com
http://reviewhutch.blogspot.com
Author: Ben F. Small
Publisher: Night Shadows Press
ISBN: 978-0-9799167-2-4
Pages: 357
Depth of character and exotic locales keep the action rolling at a clip which allows us license to accept that Denton Wright had become a billionaire at such a young age, that his insecurities were the driving force behind his martial arts training, and that he’d been on an extended kayaking—and soul-searching—trip through Maine when his father was murdered.
The prologue, which depicts the torturous murder of the senior Mr. Wright and a fellow traveler on a seniors’ excursion through Spain and Morocco, gives us as few clues to work from as it does Denton and his assistant, Mandy. Enter Jenna Rogers, daughter of the second ill-fated traveler and her California winery foreman Carlos, to rub raw the tangled mass of emotions.
The killer(s) left one signature calling card: The Columbian Necktie.
Add to the mix Howard Wright’s Manhattan law partner and his son, travel snafus, language barriers, break-ins, subsequent and supposedly unrelated murders, alpha-male personality issues, high-end surveillance gadgetry, an international drug cartel, and sheer gut instincts—and it’s one hell of a ride!
Will Denton find his soul as he grapples with the twisted minds of those intent on destroying him—and every other life he touches?
Delightful mystery/suspense/thriller. A very satisfying read.
Linda J. Hutchinson
www.lindajhutchinson.com
http://reviewhutch.blogspot.com
Monday, May 04, 2009
The BOOKHOUSE Author Live Chats!
The schedule is up for the Bookhouse Chatroom author series! You'll notice MY chat on Thursday, June 11th. (Please notice that...)
Where: http://www.freewebs.com/thebookhouse/chatroom.htm
Time: 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. Eastern US
Where: http://www.freewebs.com/thebookhouse/chatroom.htm
Time: 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. Eastern US
Author Chat Schedule
Tuesday - May 5th - Author Frank Say
Tuesday - May 12th - Author J. E. Braun
Tuesday - May 19th - Author Andrea Kulman
Tuesday - May 26th - Author Elaine Charton
Tuesday - June 2nd - Author Donald James Parker
Tuesday - June 9th - Author Martha Jette
Wednesday - June 10th - Author Madelyn Lorber
Thursday - June 11th - Author Linda J. Hutchinson
Friday - June 12th- Author Lyn Armstrong
Tuesday - June 16th - Author Elizabeth J. Van Amelsvoort
Tuesday - June 23rd - Author Jean Harrington
Tuesday - June 30th - Author Deanna Jewel
Tuesday - July 7th VACATION - NO CHAT
Tuesday - July 14th - Author Arlene Radasky
Tuesday - July 21st - Author Linda Ciletti
Tuesday - July 28th - Author Charlotte Holley
Tuesday - August 4th - Author Nancy Kaiser
Tuesday - August 11th - Author Heidi M. Thomas
Monday, March 02, 2009
"Aphrodisiac" Preview
I'm currently reading Aphrodisiac by the husband and wife team Allyson Roy, thanks to my friend PJ Nunn at Breakthrough Promotions.
Sex therapist and Do-Me-Good sex toy distributor Saylor Oz and her so-far still-living best friend lead us on a 'race to the finish or die' romantic suspense. I'm half-way through this thrill-ride. Will give a full review later, but I'll say it now, "BUY THIS BOOK!". Very well written, with a realistic plot, an abundance of humor, and sexual innuendo to spare - or share.
Sex therapist and Do-Me-Good sex toy distributor Saylor Oz and her so-far still-living best friend lead us on a 'race to the finish or die' romantic suspense. I'm half-way through this thrill-ride. Will give a full review later, but I'll say it now, "BUY THIS BOOK!". Very well written, with a realistic plot, an abundance of humor, and sexual innuendo to spare - or share.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Publicist Sandra Beckwith's Quotes and Info For Writers
Sandra Beckwith puts out a quality newsletter twice per month to help writers promote their books, appropriately titled Build Book Buzz. She also provides potential ideas for books.
A former publicist, Sandra knows the ins and outs of the publishing industry.
The current newsletter features NYT bestselling author John Scalzi, who is also gearing up to build his Big Idea Authors website - opening on my birthday, April 20th. Take a look to see if you're interested in being interviewed or showcased.
"Build Book Buzz is a free e-newsletter published monthly by
Beckwith Communications, www.buildbookbuzz.com. Please forward
this newsletter to anyone. To subscribe, visit
www.buildbookbuzz.com. We do not share our mailing list with any
individual or organization for any reason."
I wouldn't recommend any site that sells, or rents, or distributes, or shares, their mailing list. That's a spammer's network. I won't promote spamming. Ever. (It's akin to my loyalty to Ann Landers - who hated having drop-in company as much as I did - and do.)
Sandra has an interesting survey going on, but it closes on March 1st. If you'd like to take part, time is running out.
Check it out and then drop me an email at linda at lindajhutchinson dot com to let me know what you think. Or leave a comment here.
Are you interested in reading about other sites on my recommended list? Let me know what you're looking for and I'll find it.
A former publicist, Sandra knows the ins and outs of the publishing industry.
The current newsletter features NYT bestselling author John Scalzi, who is also gearing up to build his Big Idea Authors website - opening on my birthday, April 20th. Take a look to see if you're interested in being interviewed or showcased.
"Build Book Buzz is a free e-newsletter published monthly by
Beckwith Communications, www.buildbookbuzz.com. Please forward
this newsletter to anyone. To subscribe, visit
www.buildbookbuzz.com. We do not share our mailing list with any
individual or organization for any reason."
I wouldn't recommend any site that sells, or rents, or distributes, or shares, their mailing list. That's a spammer's network. I won't promote spamming. Ever. (It's akin to my loyalty to Ann Landers - who hated having drop-in company as much as I did - and do.)
Sandra has an interesting survey going on, but it closes on March 1st. If you'd like to take part, time is running out.
Check it out and then drop me an email at linda at lindajhutchinson dot com to let me know what you think. Or leave a comment here.
Are you interested in reading about other sites on my recommended list? Let me know what you're looking for and I'll find it.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
T. Jefferson Parker and Pen on Fire
I had the pleasure of interviewing Barbara and love what she's doing for authors and writers. If you are in California, check it out. Should be a fun evening. Send me feedback if you have the chance to attend. linda at lindajhutchinson dot com
An Evening with T. Jefferson Parker and
Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
We have a very special evening coming up on February 10 with T. Jefferson
Parker.
T. Jefferson Parker¹s new book, The Renegades, is being published this
month, so next Tuesday night, at 7 p.m., we¹re holding a launch party at the
Student Center on the UC Irvine campus. We¹ll discuss Jeff¹s new book,
he¹ll read, take questions, and sign books provided by the UCI Bookstore.
There will also be refreshments. No charge.
This launch party also heralds ³Pen on Fire: A Speaking Series,² which
intends to bring literary events to Orange County on a regular, monthly
basis. Authors, magazine editors, literary agents and poets.
The show will be recorded for a future broadcast on "Writers on Writing,²
KUCI-FM and will also be podcast.
The New York Times Book Review said this about The Renegades: ³Another
insanely imaginative thriller from T. Jefferson ParkerŠthe wondrously weird
characters [take] this lurid plot to its outer limits.²
Unfortunately, reservations cannot be made (seats are free) so please get
there early. Here are directions:
http://shop.book.uci.edu/ePOS/form=cat.html&cat=101
If you have any questions, email me at Barbara@barbaraDemarcoBarrett.com.
Please forward this email to your reading and writing friends.
Please join us for a wonderful evening.
Barbara
p.s. Please let me know if you received duplicate emails, and apologies if
you did.
http://penonfire.blogspot.com
Author, PEN ON FIRE: A Busy Woman's Guide to Igniting the Writer Within
(Harcourt, 2004), honored with a 2005 ASJA Outstanding Book Award
Host, "Writers on Writing," Wednesdays at 9 a.m. KUCI-FM, on iTunes (click
on Public Radio), and podcast at An Evening with T. Jefferson Parker and
Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
An Evening with T. Jefferson Parker and
Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
We have a very special evening coming up on February 10 with T. Jefferson
Parker.
T. Jefferson Parker¹s new book, The Renegades, is being published this
month, so next Tuesday night, at 7 p.m., we¹re holding a launch party at the
Student Center on the UC Irvine campus. We¹ll discuss Jeff¹s new book,
he¹ll read, take questions, and sign books provided by the UCI Bookstore.
There will also be refreshments. No charge.
This launch party also heralds ³Pen on Fire: A Speaking Series,² which
intends to bring literary events to Orange County on a regular, monthly
basis. Authors, magazine editors, literary agents and poets.
The show will be recorded for a future broadcast on "Writers on Writing,²
KUCI-FM and will also be podcast.
The New York Times Book Review said this about The Renegades: ³Another
insanely imaginative thriller from T. Jefferson ParkerŠthe wondrously weird
characters [take] this lurid plot to its outer limits.²
Unfortunately, reservations cannot be made (seats are free) so please get
there early. Here are directions:
http://shop.book.uci.edu/ePOS/form=cat.html&cat=101
If you have any questions, email me at Barbara@barbaraDemarcoBarrett.com.
Please forward this email to your reading and writing friends.
Please join us for a wonderful evening.
Barbara
p.s. Please let me know if you received duplicate emails, and apologies if
you did.
http://penonfire.blogspot.com
Author, PEN ON FIRE: A Busy Woman's Guide to Igniting the Writer Within
(Harcourt, 2004), honored with a 2005 ASJA Outstanding Book Award
Host, "Writers on Writing," Wednesdays at 9 a.m. KUCI-FM, on iTunes (click
on Public Radio), and podcast at An Evening with T. Jefferson Parker and
Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
Monday, February 02, 2009
Review Super Bowl Ads?
If you'd prefer to watch (and review) the Super Bowl ads without having to watch the Super Bowl, check out this link:
http://video.yahoo.com/network/100076996
Feel free to post your reviews of the Super Bowl commercials in the comment section here.
http://video.yahoo.com/network/100076996
Feel free to post your reviews of the Super Bowl commercials in the comment section here.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Currently reading The Obama Nation
Currently reading The Obama Nation by Jerome R Corsi. Very interesting, fully annotated, biblio'd, and fact checked. It was written to make U.S. citizens fully aware so as to not vote for Obama for President. (Of course, I did not, even without reading this book.)
That didn't work, obviously. However, it does make us aware of what might happen in the Obama oval office.
Tears apart the un-truths, barely truths, and straight-out lies of Obama's Dreams from My Father, which he published in 1995 - which was written to prepare the voting public for his run for the presidency.
Interestingly, Mr. Obama has not sued Mr. Corsi for slander.
To track just how many of the nearly-500 campaign promises Mr. Obama made, snatch the link for the Obameter on my writer's blog.
That didn't work, obviously. However, it does make us aware of what might happen in the Obama oval office.
Tears apart the un-truths, barely truths, and straight-out lies of Obama's Dreams from My Father, which he published in 1995 - which was written to prepare the voting public for his run for the presidency.
Interestingly, Mr. Obama has not sued Mr. Corsi for slander.
To track just how many of the nearly-500 campaign promises Mr. Obama made, snatch the link for the Obameter on my writer's blog.
Friday, January 23, 2009
See Barbara DeMarco-Barrett in California on Sunday
Just in from a writer I thoroughly enjoyed interviewing a couple of years back. If you're in the area, stop by and say hello. Tell her I sent you.
(And if you'd like to post your review of one of her books here, let me know. linda at lindajhutchinson dot com)
Hi from rainy Orange Co., CA.... (gratefully so!),
This Sunday, Jan. 25, at 3 p.m., join us for a reading at Laguna Beach
Books, 1200 South Coast Hwy., in Laguna Beach. My students, including my
"Writers on Writing" co-host, Marrie Stone, Ben Peters, who recently had a
wonderful essay in Orange Coast Magazine and Phil Doran, author of The
Reluctant Tuscan: How I Discovered my Inner Italian, will be reading. Please
come by to join in the festivities.
And on Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at UCI's Student Center, I'll interview T.
Jefferson Parker whose new book is The Renegades. He'll read and sign books
as well. (No charge.)
Feel free to forward this to your friends. Hope to see you there!
Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
...
www.penonfire.com
Contributor: "Knitting: My Urban Escape," in the new anthology, KNITTING
THROUGH IT: Inspiring Stories for Troubled Times (Voyageur Press, 2008).
Author, PEN ON FIRE: A Busy Woman's Guide to Igniting the Writer Within
(Harcourt, 2004), honored with a 2005 ASJA Outstanding Book Award
Host, "Writers on Writing," Wednesdays at 9 a.m. KUCI-FM, on iTunes (click
on Public Radio), and podcast at http://writersonwriting.blogspot.com
....................................................................
"There is nothing like a dream to create the future." - Victor Hugo
(And if you'd like to post your review of one of her books here, let me know. linda at lindajhutchinson dot com)
Hi from rainy Orange Co., CA.... (gratefully so!),
This Sunday, Jan. 25, at 3 p.m., join us for a reading at Laguna Beach
Books, 1200 South Coast Hwy., in Laguna Beach. My students, including my
"Writers on Writing" co-host, Marrie Stone, Ben Peters, who recently had a
wonderful essay in Orange Coast Magazine and Phil Doran, author of The
Reluctant Tuscan: How I Discovered my Inner Italian, will be reading. Please
come by to join in the festivities.
And on Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at UCI's Student Center, I'll interview T.
Jefferson Parker whose new book is The Renegades. He'll read and sign books
as well. (No charge.)
Feel free to forward this to your friends. Hope to see you there!
Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
...
www.penonfire.com
Contributor: "Knitting: My Urban Escape," in the new anthology, KNITTING
THROUGH IT: Inspiring Stories for Troubled Times (Voyageur Press, 2008).
Author, PEN ON FIRE: A Busy Woman's Guide to Igniting the Writer Within
(Harcourt, 2004), honored with a 2005 ASJA Outstanding Book Award
Host, "Writers on Writing," Wednesdays at 9 a.m. KUCI-FM, on iTunes (click
on Public Radio), and podcast at http://writersonwriting.blogspot.com
....................................................................
"There is nothing like a dream to create the future." - Victor Hugo
New FR*E Classes for Writers
I'll be away for a couple of days - finally getting to celebrate Christmas with the grandkids. My recent surgery and the g'kidlet's illnesses made it impossible to do in December.
Just added new links for FR*E classes for writers at http://tinyurl.com/dfkd9z Check under the "Classes" heading on the Links for Writers page.
Also... Added new items to my pride and joy gift store, Linda's Gifts and Decor: http://tinyurl.com/c5bgcx
I recently had the privilege of critiquing a fiction manuscript for Ms. Hope Clark of Funds for Writers. She had the sweetest way of saying Thank You! www.ediblesinc.com Her verbal TY was quite enough payment for reading an enjoyable and satisfying mss, but the surprise delivery of the Edible Thank You was over the top!
Just added new links for FR*E classes for writers at http://tinyurl.com/dfkd9z Check under the "Classes" heading on the Links for Writers page.
Also... Added new items to my pride and joy gift store, Linda's Gifts and Decor: http://tinyurl.com/c5bgcx
I recently had the privilege of critiquing a fiction manuscript for Ms. Hope Clark of Funds for Writers. She had the sweetest way of saying Thank You! www.ediblesinc.com Her verbal TY was quite enough payment for reading an enjoyable and satisfying mss, but the surprise delivery of the Edible Thank You was over the top!
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Bruce Cook/Brant Randall VBT Happening NOW
I've had the pleasure of reviewing two of the books by these/this author(s). Bruce Cook writes suspense/thrillers and Brant Randall has written an historical novel based on a story his grandmother told him regarding the KKK in the New England states in the early 1900's. Both were well written and enjoyable reads. In fact, if you scroll down quite a ways, you'll find my reviews of both books; Philippine Fever and Blood Harvest.
I also had the opportunity to interview Bruce, and then Brant while on staff at The Writer's Chatroom. Great fun both times.
Today marks the one-month anniversary since the extreme makeover of my spine/neck and I'm still in a neck brace (only two more months to go!!), with limited mobility and energy. However, I would happily have joined in on this VBT if physically able.
Even though Bruce/Brant lives and works in CA and I'm in OH and we've never met, I consider him a friend and will continue to support him in his writing career.
Print out this post, pop into one of the virtual stops and leave a comment. Guaranteed to be fun.
"Stop by to see the author mercilessly skewered. Add comments of your own!" Bruce/Brant
January 5 - http://www.andilit.com - review
January 6 - http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com - guest post -
January 9 - http://the1stpage.blogspot.com - excerpt
January 12 - http://rebecca2007.wordpress.com - interview
January 13 - http://bookwormsballroom.blogspot.com - review
January 14 - http://jmnlman.blogspot.com - review
January 15 - http://zensanity.blogspot.com - interview -
January 16 - http://tbfreviews.wordpress.com - review
January 19 - http://stuffasdreamsaremadeon.com - review
January 20 - http://scrappyd.blogspot.com - review
January 21 - http://beyondthebooks.wordpress.com - interview
January 22 - http://stuffasdreamsaremadeon.com - interview -
January 23 - http://scrappyd.blogspot.com - interview -
January 24 The Village Bookstore in Glendora, CA 7:30-9 pm. IN PERSON reading and signing
January 26 - http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com - review
January 27 - http://readingandmorereading.blogspot.com - interview -
January 28 - http://readingandmorereading.blogspot.com - review
http://thebookczar.blogspot.com - review
January 29 - http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com - guest post -http://poseysessions.blogspot.com - interview - will follow with her for the questions
January 30 - http://fictiontofruition.blogspot.com - review
I also had the opportunity to interview Bruce, and then Brant while on staff at The Writer's Chatroom. Great fun both times.
Today marks the one-month anniversary since the extreme makeover of my spine/neck and I'm still in a neck brace (only two more months to go!!), with limited mobility and energy. However, I would happily have joined in on this VBT if physically able.
Even though Bruce/Brant lives and works in CA and I'm in OH and we've never met, I consider him a friend and will continue to support him in his writing career.
Print out this post, pop into one of the virtual stops and leave a comment. Guaranteed to be fun.
"Stop by to see the author mercilessly skewered. Add comments of your own!" Bruce/Brant
January 5 - http://www.andilit.com - review
January 6 - http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com - guest post -
January 9 - http://the1stpage.blogspot.com - excerpt
January 12 - http://rebecca2007.wordpress.com - interview
January 13 - http://bookwormsballroom.blogspot.com - review
January 14 - http://jmnlman.blogspot.com - review
January 15 - http://zensanity.blogspot.com - interview -
January 16 - http://tbfreviews.wordpress.com - review
January 19 - http://stuffasdreamsaremadeon.com - review
January 20 - http://scrappyd.blogspot.com - review
January 21 - http://beyondthebooks.wordpress.com - interview
January 22 - http://stuffasdreamsaremadeon.com - interview -
January 23 - http://scrappyd.blogspot.com - interview -
January 24 The Village Bookstore in Glendora, CA 7:30-9 pm. IN PERSON reading and signing
January 26 - http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com - review
January 27 - http://readingandmorereading.blogspot.com - interview -
January 28 - http://readingandmorereading.blogspot.com - review
http://thebookczar.blogspot.com - review
January 29 - http://cafeofdreams.blogspot.com - guest post -http://poseysessions.blogspot.com - interview - will follow with her for the questions
January 30 - http://fictiontofruition.blogspot.com - review
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
This morning's social media events!
If you're a writer - or if you have expertise in a field like PR, social media, marketing, life - join HARO. Peter Shankman's Help A Reporter is a must-sign-up-for three-email-per-day must-belong-to experience. If you're looking for sources, post your request at www.helpareporter.com/press. Read the list on the morning, afternoon, or evening emails to see if you can contribute. Often, if you contribute to a story, you'll get a mention and some will even include your website address. (My ENT is being featured in Good Housekeeping because I responded to a query for input.)
Another reason to sign up for HARO is that you'll get to see what others, as in those names that appear in all the places you want your name to appear as the author, are querying and to which publications. This point is often overlooked by the newbie writer.
And, you'll have the opportunity to email back and forth with, or talk on the phone with, published writers if your response to their query fits their needs.
MY WEBSITE is FINALLY back up and running after the final encounter of the raging 4+ year-old war with my former webhost. The final blood-letting scene had them shutting down my site on two day's notice - NINE days after my very serious spine surgery. (I'm chronicling my recovery at Living With Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis blog site. All of my blogs are listed on my website.)
I'm now with GoDaddy, which is The Writer's Chatroom recommended webhost of choice. (Use TWC's affiliate link to sign up. It helps support the chatroom.)
Oh, and I'm building my entire Linda's Gifts and Decor store within my writer's website. Many less hassles on both sides. Just click the link about half-way down the menu on the left.
If you don't Twitter, you're losing out! You'll meet so many who can contribute to your writing career. While checking out PodCast 2009 in Ohio's website (I follow them at Twitter), there was a link to Words to Mouth. What an excellent site for writers and readers! It's definitely worth the stopover. I'll be following them SOON, as in today.
HARO, GoDaddy, The Writer's Chatroom, Linda's Gifts and Decor, Linda J. Hutchinson, Living with Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis, Twitter, Words to Mouth, and PodCast 2009 in Ohio were all mentioned in this post. And many of those listed here will be included in other blogger's and website owner's sites.
See how social media works?
Another reason to sign up for HARO is that you'll get to see what others, as in those names that appear in all the places you want your name to appear as the author, are querying and to which publications. This point is often overlooked by the newbie writer.
And, you'll have the opportunity to email back and forth with, or talk on the phone with, published writers if your response to their query fits their needs.
MY WEBSITE is FINALLY back up and running after the final encounter of the raging 4+ year-old war with my former webhost. The final blood-letting scene had them shutting down my site on two day's notice - NINE days after my very serious spine surgery. (I'm chronicling my recovery at Living With Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis blog site. All of my blogs are listed on my website.)
I'm now with GoDaddy, which is The Writer's Chatroom recommended webhost of choice. (Use TWC's affiliate link to sign up. It helps support the chatroom.)
Oh, and I'm building my entire Linda's Gifts and Decor store within my writer's website. Many less hassles on both sides. Just click the link about half-way down the menu on the left.
If you don't Twitter, you're losing out! You'll meet so many who can contribute to your writing career. While checking out PodCast 2009 in Ohio's website (I follow them at Twitter), there was a link to Words to Mouth. What an excellent site for writers and readers! It's definitely worth the stopover. I'll be following them SOON, as in today.
HARO, GoDaddy, The Writer's Chatroom, Linda's Gifts and Decor, Linda J. Hutchinson, Living with Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis, Twitter, Words to Mouth, and PodCast 2009 in Ohio were all mentioned in this post. And many of those listed here will be included in other blogger's and website owner's sites.
See how social media works?
Saturday, January 03, 2009
E-book stats
And you think e-books will never become much to shout about... Go here for the stats: http://www.openebook.org/doc_library/industrystats.htm
Friday, December 26, 2008
Reading mss of C. Hope Clark
Currently reading Ms. C. Hope Clark's mss. Enjoying it very much. I can't even tell you the title yet. But, I can tell you it's a good story with a great opening hook.
Having to wear a neck brace post-surgery makes reading a tough endeavor. I have to prop 5 pillows behind me on the bed and then prop 3 pillows on my stomach to hold the book, or in this case a stack of copy paper, in a position that I can read it through my tri-focal lenses - while maintaining my spine in the prescribed supine position.
Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh. Just wait until your spine falls apart.
My motto: "Never Give Up!"
You can follow the ups and downs of my recovery at http://livingwithfmandoa.blogspot.com
And, yes, my website is still down. My .com is probably lost forever. I'm working with GoDaddy to get it set up again. If you have tried to email me at linda@ I didn't get it. Please use hutchlj at yahoo dot com until further notice. Thank you!
Oh, I nearly forgot to say "Tripod/Lycos sucks - lousy webhost!"
Having to wear a neck brace post-surgery makes reading a tough endeavor. I have to prop 5 pillows behind me on the bed and then prop 3 pillows on my stomach to hold the book, or in this case a stack of copy paper, in a position that I can read it through my tri-focal lenses - while maintaining my spine in the prescribed supine position.
Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh. Just wait until your spine falls apart.
My motto: "Never Give Up!"
You can follow the ups and downs of my recovery at http://livingwithfmandoa.blogspot.com
And, yes, my website is still down. My .com is probably lost forever. I'm working with GoDaddy to get it set up again. If you have tried to email me at linda@ I didn't get it. Please use hutchlj at yahoo dot com until further notice. Thank you!
Oh, I nearly forgot to say "Tripod/Lycos sucks - lousy webhost!"
Monday, December 22, 2008
My website is still down.
This is day 5 of my website being down. Tripod's "FR*E" domain name is NOT FR*E if you every want to leave their web hosting - which I've been trying to do for a very long time. They won't give me the DNS unlock code until I've paid a $12.95 "rental" fee on my domain name - and agree to pay it for the rest of my life.
My site was never set up on "Fr*e" to begin with. I paid them $8.95 for the Pro plan every month for 5 years. One would think that I would own my domain name. However, I do not.
And, of course, their "customer service" is only open Monday through Friday from 8 to 5 - and it takes at least 3 days to get a response from them via email.
So, I've not only got a website that is non-functional STILL, but all of my website email is down, too.
I will say LOUDLY once again, "Do NOT use Tripod/Lycos as your webhost!" Ever.
GoDaddy is ready to give me telephone support - 24 hours per day !! - if Tripod will ever get around to giving me the DNS unlock code so I can move my site.
Tripod/Lycos sucks.
I'm sure this will not be the end to this particular rant. The BS never seems to end when your webhost is Tripod/Lycos.
Beware, be wary!
All of this on top of trying to heal from major spine surgery. Please excuse typos and mis-spellings. I haven't had my meds yet today.
My site was never set up on "Fr*e" to begin with. I paid them $8.95 for the Pro plan every month for 5 years. One would think that I would own my domain name. However, I do not.
And, of course, their "customer service" is only open Monday through Friday from 8 to 5 - and it takes at least 3 days to get a response from them via email.
So, I've not only got a website that is non-functional STILL, but all of my website email is down, too.
I will say LOUDLY once again, "Do NOT use Tripod/Lycos as your webhost!" Ever.
GoDaddy is ready to give me telephone support - 24 hours per day !! - if Tripod will ever get around to giving me the DNS unlock code so I can move my site.
Tripod/Lycos sucks.
I'm sure this will not be the end to this particular rant. The BS never seems to end when your webhost is Tripod/Lycos.
Beware, be wary!
All of this on top of trying to heal from major spine surgery. Please excuse typos and mis-spellings. I haven't had my meds yet today.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Tosca Lee releases Havah!
Tosca Lee, whom I interviewed in a live chat at The Writer's Chatroom because I loved her first book, Demon: A Memoir, is now releasing Havah: The Story of Eve.
Just in from Rebeca Seitz, President, Glass Road Public Relations, LLC:
A Novel Approach to Reflecting Your Light.
Tosca Lee's Next Book is in Stores NOW!
Havah: The Story of Eve receives praise...
"...a passionate and riveting story of the Bible's first woman and her remarkable journey after being cast from paradise...Lee's superior storytelling will have readers weeping for all that Havah forfeited by a single damning choice."
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)
"Havah is a novel with boundless imagination."
Eric Wilson (Fireproof)
"...an extraordinary book about an extraordinary woman...she has brought Havah to life."
Randy Ingermanson, Christy-award winning novelist
Giving Havah as a gift or want your copy personalized? Email books@toscalee.com to receive a FREE personalized bookplate.
Have a book club? Copy this link into your browser http://havahstoryofeve.com/main.php to learn about the FREE book club kit Tosca put together! You can also watch the trailer, read chapter one and read Tosca's notes about writing the book - which always offer more insights into the making of the book than you'd ever find on the flap.
Before you say, "I'm not into reading Christian/religious books," I'll remind you of what I said in my review of Demon: "If all references to religion, the bible and Christianity, were removed from this book, it would still be a great read!"
This book does not preach. You won't be seeing that shouting preacher in your mind's eye as you read Tosca's books. However, you will get lost in the story.
Tosca writes in a lilting, lyrically mesmerizing - nearly hypnotic - style that will keep you reading until the most unexpected of endings. She is a master storyteller who does impeccable research.
Contact Rebeca Seitz, President
Ph (615) 986-9516 ofc, (615) 308-1198 cell, (270) 472-3448 hm
Fx (615) 986-9517
www.GlassRoadPR.com
PS If I didn't adore Tosca as a person, I'd still say the same things about her books and her ability to write. Just wanted to clear that up.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Visit me elsewhere post-surgery
I'm having surgery tomorrow to replace at least 3 discs in my neck and to correct other problems caused by fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis.
The only blog I'll be updating for awhile is http://livingwithfmandoa.blogspot.com Considering some of the drugs I'll be on, this could be hilarious - or total chaos.
Stop by and say hello! I'll be tied to a recliner for a few weeks.
The only blog I'll be updating for awhile is http://livingwithfmandoa.blogspot.com Considering some of the drugs I'll be on, this could be hilarious - or total chaos.
Stop by and say hello! I'll be tied to a recliner for a few weeks.
Monday, November 24, 2008
One Big Mess of Info - That You Can Use Now!
After reviewing this newsletter I asked Jerry D. Simmons of WritersReaders.com for permission to re-print. There is an enormous amount of information and wisdom here.
Reader Feedback - A friend of mine sent me this email last week and I had to share with you -- “It is so seldom that people take time to give praise and appreciation where it is due that I am blown over with gratitude when someone makes the effort to bless me with a little. I'm sure most of us do appreciate the worthy acts and efforts of others, but sadly I think we are so caught up in the busyness of our lives we just don't take time to express it. And that is sad.
Also, I think we need to laugh more” . . . I couldn’t agree more!
Something To Make You Smile - Another friend sent me the following: Investment advice - A little levity in our troubled times:
If you had purchased $1,000 of Delta Air Lines stock one year ago, you would
have $49 left. With Freddie Mac, you would have $2.50 left of the original $1,000.
With AIG, you would have less than $15 left.
But, if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all of
the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling REFUND, you would have $214 cash.
Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily
and recycle. It's called the 401-Keg
Question to Consider - Q - My publisher wants to price my book well above the market for my category, how can I make them understand this is wrong?
A - Unfortunately you can’t, some publishers who charge a fee to print your book set cover prices based on page count. You can understand why, because they are making money off the services you purchase and not necessarily the number of copies you sell. Certainly they want you to sell copies because they do make money when you are successful. However, the business model for “most” vanity publishers, where you pay a fee to publish, is to sell services. Consider that roughly 90% of all authors who pay to have their book published actually sell less than 200 copies. Now you can understand why some vanity publishers focus on the upfront fees you pay and not the number of copies you sell.
Marketing Wisdom - From New York Times bestselling author and marketing expert Seth Godin, from his blog.
What happens when we organize?
Most power occurs because one side is better organized than the other. Labor is usually less well organized than management, criminals are usually less well organized than the police and customers are always less well organized than producers.
The internet promises to change that. It does it occasionally, sort of randomly. Sometimes, users will rise up and complain (as they did at Facebook). Or voters will organize online and hurt (or help) a politician or candidate.
Wikipedia works because so many contributors figured out how to self-organize into a group that produced something far more useful than a traditionally organized document.
I think we're at the earliest possible beginning of the changes we're going to see because of this sort of grass roots coordination.
Simple example: the Starbucks in Larchmont, NY keeps their thermostat at 64 degrees. And the stores in Breckenridge, Colorado keep their doors wide open all winter. If you're raging mad about energy waste, you could say something. And nothing would happen. But if customers organized and ten people said something or a hundred people said something... boom, new rules.
The system doesn't know what to do with a movement.
If We Organize, the marketplace will hear us. To answer the question how do we sell more books? It’s simple, we market ourselves as a group. That is what Nothing Binding was created to do, bring attention to independently published books. Amazon is not going to do it, sure they’ll gladly sell your book and keep 55% as well as set the cover price. Can we do better? YES! It all starts with an idea followed by organization to create a movement. To learn more just send me an email, jerry@writersreaders.com, or better yet, sign-up for NothingBinding.com, it’s free.
TIPS for WRITERS - One of the most important issues for an author, especially if you are independently published. Read all about it by clicking the title below Who Owns the Rights to Your Work? Or cut and paste to your browser
http://www.writersreaders.com/blog.php?thebid=217 .
Book Awards - If you haven’t tried one your should, I recommend the Indie Excellence Awards, now accepting submissions. Here is the website, check it out
www.indieexcellence.com.
Did You Know? - The major publishers generate more than 90% of their revenue from less than 10% of the titles they publish. If you are an author in the “other 90% that generate less than 10% of a publishers revenue,” you better understand how the business works and what you can do to separate yourself from all the other authors under contract. For $19.99 you can buy my book and learn all you need to know about publishing from a former insider’s perspective, cut and paste this to your browser http://www.writersreaders.com/booksandmore.php .
The Headlines - Issues “WORTH READING” in the publishing business.
Court Rules Print-On-Demand Service Not Liable for Defamation
By Jeffrey D. Neuburger
Book publishers can be sued if they publish a book full of libelous statements because, the reasoning goes, a publisher should know what it prints. The publisher reviews the manuscript, edits and proofreads it, and distributes the finished book to retailers. It is involved in every part of the process.
But the Internet has given rise to a new breed of printing company, a hands-off model that doesn't get involved with the writing process at all. Online print-on-demand companies specialize in printing books exactly as they appear on submission, without any changes. If print-on-demand services don't exercise any oversight over their books, are they still liable when those books are found to contain defamatory statements?
That was the question in a motion recently decided in Sandler v. Calcagni, a defamation action filed in the federal district court in Maine over a book that was printed and distributed by BookSurge, a print-on-demand service that's owned by Amazon.com.
Print-on-demand services appear at first blush to be the same as traditional vanity publishers, printing houses where authors can pay to have their work printed. However, the web-based interface of print-on-demand reduces the time and expense involved in getting a book to print and also helps to get the book placed with online retailers. Another key difference is that, while many vanity publishers may insist on an author paying for a set number of copies, many print-on-demand services will only print up as many copies of a book as have been ordered.
Traditionally, book publishers could be held liable for defamatory statements in their books under the theory that they exercised some form of control over the books' contents. But online print-on-demand companies typically provide printing and distribution services only, and do not perform the traditional editing, fact-checking and marketing functions associated with other publishers. Sandler v. Calcagni appears to be the first case in which someone has argued that a print-on-demand company should face traditional "publisher" liability.
Don't Save the Cheerleader
The case started with a dispute between two high school cheerleaders over (what else?) a boy. According to the court's opinion, one of the cheerleaders, Calcagni, and some of her friends harassed Sandler with religious epithets. Eventually, Calcagni was convicted of a hate crime for allegedly spray-painting a swastika near Sandler's home.
Calcagni's parents decided to tell their side of the story with a tell-all book about the incident. They printed the book through BookSurge, and purchased several hundred copies, which they distributed to friends, family and local bookstores. Several other parties also purchased copies of the book online.
Not surprisingly, Sandler sued Calcagni, her parents, the freelancer and BookSurge. BookSurge made a motion to dismiss the claims against it, arguing that it should not be held liable as a publisher for purposes of defamation law.
What Makes a Publisher?
So far, I've carefully avoided referring to BookSurge as the publisher of the book in question. That's because "publisher" is a word of art in the law, a term that has a specific legal definition. There are specific legal consequences attached to the categorization of publisher -- consequences that BookSurge hoped to avoid. As the court itself noted, confusion can arise in defamation cases because "publisher" has a common business as well as a legal meaning.
Under the common law, whether a participant is deemed to be a publisher for purposes of imposing defamation liability depends on the "extent to which he participates with an author...of the defamatory statement in its publication," according to the court's ruling in this case. Actors who are "more actively involved" in the process may be held liable "because they have the opportunity to know the content of the material being published."
The court effectively viewed the BookSurge service as a giant online copy machine, noting that it had "negligible involvement" with the authors of the book. BookSurge never fact-checked or reviewed the manuscript, and it had no editorial control over the work. Accordingly, the court found that the service did not know, or have reason to know, that the book might be defamatory and thus could not be held liable.
We'll never know whether the ruling would have survived an appeal. On September 4, the remaining parties filed a notice of settlement with the court, ending the case. So the court's ruling on BookSurge's liability will stand for now as persuasive authority for other courts faced with that same issue.
Consequences
Print-on-demand services are an example of how the Internet enables writers to circumvent the gatekeepers of traditional communications channels. By dramatically lowering the cost and greatly increasing the ease of communication, writers who would previously have been blocked from the market can find an easy way to get their works out to the public. Authors no longer have to send copies of their great American novel to hundreds of publishers, praying for an editor to view it favorably. In fact, in this case, the parents first sought to have their book published by traditional publishing houses, which uniformly rejected the manuscript.
The question prior to Sandler v. Calcagni was whether the law would saddle these kinds of services with potential liability that would force them to vet their authors' works in the same manner as traditional publishers. If print-on-demand services were found not to be liable, they would have less incentive to weed out books that could give rise to legal action, almost certainly allowing more content to make its way into the stream of public discourse -- for good or ill, as this case arguably demonstrates.
Of course, there's an upside and a downside to all things. Freeing print-on-demand services from liability places the entire legal responsibility for content on authors, to the detriment of plaintiffs and defendants alike. Plaintiffs could not hope to recover much without a publisher's deep pockets, while authors would lose the protection of the publisher's attorneys and liability carrier. Such liability could bankrupt some authors, and the threat of legal action could cause authors to self-edit.
Outstanding Issues
Will courts in other states follow the Maine court's decision in Sandler v. Calcagni? That remains to be seen. Defamation liability is controlled by state law, with an overlay of federal law in the form of the First Amendment. Although the broad general principles of defamation law are fairly uniform throughout the U.S., another jurisdiction might take a different view of the liability of print-on-demand services.
Jeffrey D. Neuburger is a partner in the New York office of Proskauer Rose LLP, and co-chair of the Technology, Media and Communications Practice Group. His practice focuses on technology and media-related business transactions and counseling of clients in the utilization of new media. He is an adjunct professor at Fordham University School of Law teaching E-Commerce Law and the co-author of two books, "Doing Business on the Internet" and "Emerging Technologies and the Law." He also co-writes the New Media & Technology Law Blog
Commentary - The clear legal distinction has been made between traditional publishing and print-on-demand publishers. For authors, be aware, you can be sued for writing about anything that may be taken as libelous be a reader.
Success Story - Cheryl is a frequent contributor to this newsletter.
Canadian author Cheryl Kaye Tardif writes a novel titled ‘Finding Bliss’ on the new iPhone 3G
EDMONTON, AB, CANADA ― Apple’s new iPhone 3G hasn’t been available in Canada for very long and already one Canadian has discovered a unique use for it. Critically acclaimed author Cheryl Kaye Tardif plans to use the Notes application to write a novel titled ‘Finding Bliss’.
“I am often ‘blasted’ with an idea for a novel at the least convenient times,” Tardif says. “Two nights ago a novel idea about a teenage girl named Bliss hit me. I had to capture her story right away, so I immediately reached for my iPhone.”
Using the Notes application, Tardif drafted a brief outline for the novel, emailed the note to herself, then later copied the text into a Word document on her PC. It was her husband Marc, a cable installer for Shaw Cablesystems, who actually suggested the idea of writing the entire novel on the iPhone. It’s an idea that excites her.
“I’ve already started Chapter 1,” she says. “I plan to write each chapter on the iPhone, then edit it on my PC. And one of the characters will use an iPhone in the novel.”
Tardif has contacted Apple to let them know what she is doing. She hopes to hear from someone within the corporation. Not only does she want them to know how impressed she is with the iPhone, she wants them to know about ‘Finding Bliss’.
“I believe I’m the first author to attempt to write a complete novel using the iPhone.”
When asked about the plot of the novel, Tardif states, “’Finding Bliss’ will be an emotional, heartwarming story of a teenage girl who must fight to survive in a world of abuse, lies and loss. As she struggles to find herself, Bliss will discover exactly where she belongs and she'll learn that she is worthy of love after all.”
Cheryl Kaye Tardif is the author of three successful novels―Whale Song, The River and Divine Intervention. She recently arranged, with her publisher Kunati Books, to have 125 copies of ‘Whale Song’ added to VIP bags for 125 celebrities and special guests who attend Dallas Rocks 2008, an event that raises funds for Russell Simmons' Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F.) a non-profit international organization that supports education initiatives for disadvantaged people in Africa.
To read more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif, ‘Finding Bliss’ and to read a review of the iPhone 3G, please visit: http://www.cherylktardif.com/finding-bliss
To learn more about the iPhone 3G, visit Apple.com. For media enquiries, please contact: Rachel Sentes - Publicist - OutRight Communications Inc
780-406-8045 - rs@outrightcommunications.com
Interesting Fact - Five of the six largest publishers in the world are foreign owned. Below you will find their names and some of their various imprints.
(1) Random House, Inc., a division of Bertelsmann AG (a German Corporation), is the world's largest English-language general trade book publisher. It publishes some seventy imprints, including Anchor, Ballantine, Bantam, Broadway, Crown, Dell, Del Ray, Dial, Doubleday, Fawcett, Fodor, Dell, Knopf Group, Pantheon, Random House, Villard, and Vintage. It also owns the Literary Guild.
(2) The Penguin Group, which is owned by Pearson (United Kingdom), is the second largest publisher in the United States and Canada and the largest in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and India. Its imprints include Allen Lane, Avery, Berkley Books, Dutton, Hamish Hamilton, Michael Joseph, Plume, Putnam, Riverhead, and Viking. Penguin also publishes children's brands such as Puffin, Ladybird, Dutton and Grosset & Dunlap.
(3) Simon & Schuster, Inc., is the publishing arm of Viacom (United States). It publishes Aladdin Paperbacks, Atheneum, Atria, Fireside, The Free Press, Little Simon, MTV Books, Margaret K. McElderry, Pocket Books, Scribner, Simon & Schuster, Simon Spotlight, Star Trek, Touchstone, Washington Square Press, and Wall Street Journal Books.
(4) Harper Collins, a subsidiary of the News Corporation Limited (Australia), has annual revenues of over $1 billion. Its imprints include Amistad, Avon, Caedmon, Ecco, Eos, Harper Business, Harper Collins, Harper SanFrancisco, Perennial, Rayo, Regan Books and William Morrow. Its Zondervan unit publishes Bibles and Christian books, and its e-book imprint is Perfect Bound. Also Hyperion, and Miramax.
(5) Hachette Book Group USA formerly Time Warner Book Group Inc. (French) owns the Book-of-the-Month Club and the imprints Aspect; Back Bay; Bulfinch; Little, Brown and Company; Press Warner Books, The Mysterious Press and Warner Books (Warner Business Books, Warner Faith, and Warner Vision). It also distributes publishing lines for Arcade, Harry Abrams, Time-Life Books, and Microsoft.
(6) Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings, (Germany), publishers imprints that include Argon; Bedford; College-Group; Farrar, Straus & Giroux; Freeman; Hanley & Belfus; Henry Holt; Hill & Wang; Macmillan; North Point Press; Picador; St. Martin's; Scientific American; Times Books (partnership with New York Times Group); Urban & Fischer, and Worth.
The Prediction - Big changes are coming in publishing. Not only has the economic meltdown had an impact on Wall Street, book sales are slipping yet again. The time is coming and the biggest publishers are going to recognize the fact that their business model is broken. You can read more at the following:
The Perfect Time http://www.writersreaders.com/blog.php?thebid=148
Trust in the Community http://www.writersreaders.com/blog.php?thebid=147
Changing The Face of Publishing http://www.writersreaders.com/blog.php?thebid=140
Community of Independent Authors http://www.writersreaders.com/blog.php?thebid=139
Special Audio Book Production Offer - From now till December 31st, 2008, John Mahoney, owner/producer of Raven Audio Books, a professional experienced audio book recording studio located in Peoria, Arizona is offering authors a special price. Should you be interested in creating an audio book, please feel free to contact me. This is a link to some statistics on audio books that may be of interest. http://www.ravenaudiobooks.com/statistics.html or visit their web site
www.ravenaudiobooks.com, you can reach John by phone 623.215.8654.
Another Special Offer - For anyone interested in using press releases to spread the word about their book, here‘s a deal between now and December 30th.
If you purchase the $89 video release service from 24-7 and enter the special code below, you'll get $20 off your release. You'll pay only $69. These $89 releases look awesome. And you can include 4 pictures (book covers, yourself, etc.) AND a 2 minute video (book trailer, podcast, etc). If you have an event coming up or news that you want to promote, this is the time.
This code is active now and expires: December 30, 2008. Visit: http://www.24-7pressrelease.com, select the $89 release and be sure to enter the code: ckt123008
Mark Your Calendars - Scottsdale Society of Women Writers
What: PAGES RARE/NEW BOOKS – SPECIAL EVENT – Saturday 11-1-08
Who: Scottsdale Society of Women Writers - Books Signing Event - Discuss with them their work and review and purchase books for your reading enjoyment. Several of the authors will be speaking on their writing experience.
Anna Bartowski www.valuemeals.blogspot.com Value Meals on the Volga
Patricia L. Brooks www.plbrooks.com Gifts of Sisterhood
Kebba Buckley www.kebba.com Discover the Secret Energized You
Dana Davis www.danadaviswriting.com The Mask of Tamirella
Lilia Fallgatter www.lovingletter.com The Most Important Letter you will ever Write
Barbara Levy www.barbaralevy.com Mexican Strawberries
Marilyn McGrath www.marilynmcgrath.com All you know on Earth
WHEN: Saturday, November 1st - from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
WHERE: Pages Bookstore – 7100 E. Cave Creek Rd., 480-575-7220
The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers meets the last Wed. night of the month for networking, camaraderie, dinner and a professional speaker in the writing and publishing industry. Café Carumba in Old Scottsdale: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Contact Patricia L. Brooks, president and founder at 480-250-5556 or patricia@plbrooks.com
Upcoming Book Fair - Sunday November 16th from noon to 4:00, SSA will be holding a BOOK FAIR at the Sheraton Four Points Conference Center, 1900 E. Speedway, Tucson. Admission is FREE, there will be door prizes and refreshments. In addition to 60 local authors, award-winning authors Rhys Bowen and Virginia Nosky, are featured. Don’t miss it!
Read Books for Free - If you would like to read and review a book for free, please go sign-up for our program. Visit the site and sign up today. www.NothingBinding.com
Jerry, What Do You Do? - Interestingly enough I get this question a lot. The short answer is that I help writers make decisions about publishing, marketing and selling books. There is no one set way to publish, there are plenty of options and I help writers choose what’s best for them based on personal goals.
What Is WritersReaders.com? - The web site created to provide writers and authors with credible information on writing, publishing, and marketing books. Touted as the INSIDERS GUIDE to PUBLISHING, all of the information is based on my 25 years of corporate New York experience. It is also the only place where you can buy my book WHAT WRITERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PUBLISHING.
My Services - I have 30 years of publishing experience and offer a complete line-up of professional services. For more details click here. Or cut and paste the following link: http://www.writersreaders.com/blog.php?thebid=212.
Pass It On! If you find my newsletter helpful, please forward to everyone you think might find it interesting. If my newsletter was forwarded to you and you would like your own copy, send me an email, jerry@writersreaders.com. With your sign-up you’ll receive free an 20-page eBook titled “What Writers Need to Know About Marketing.”
Finally - Your comments and feedback are really important, please tell me what you think and what can be improved. Send me an email jerry@writersreaders.com .
Free Information – You may quote from or use any of the information, all or in part, under the conditions that: (1) The republication is not resold or used for any other commercial use, and (2) The author, Jerry D. Simmons and website WritersReaders.com are prominently referenced. All written material 2008ÓJerry D. Simmons.
Acknowledgment – My audience is writers and authors. Please accept the fact that this newsletter and TIPS for WRITERS are not edited. There may on occasion be grammatical, syntax, and spelling errors. I acknowledge the fact and apologize.
Jerry D. Simmons - Author, Publisher, Speaker
www.WritersReaders.com
eNewsletter TIPS for WRITERS from the PUBLISHING INSIDER
www.NothingBinding.com
Global stage for writers, authors, and readers
Publishing Insider Blog http://www.nothingbinding.com/blog/jerry
Author of What Every Writer Needs to Know About Publishing
Also available as an eBook
Reader Feedback - A friend of mine sent me this email last week and I had to share with you -- “It is so seldom that people take time to give praise and appreciation where it is due that I am blown over with gratitude when someone makes the effort to bless me with a little. I'm sure most of us do appreciate the worthy acts and efforts of others, but sadly I think we are so caught up in the busyness of our lives we just don't take time to express it. And that is sad.
Also, I think we need to laugh more” . . . I couldn’t agree more!
Something To Make You Smile - Another friend sent me the following: Investment advice - A little levity in our troubled times:
If you had purchased $1,000 of Delta Air Lines stock one year ago, you would
have $49 left. With Freddie Mac, you would have $2.50 left of the original $1,000.
With AIG, you would have less than $15 left.
But, if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all of
the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling REFUND, you would have $214 cash.
Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily
and recycle. It's called the 401-Keg
Question to Consider - Q - My publisher wants to price my book well above the market for my category, how can I make them understand this is wrong?
A - Unfortunately you can’t, some publishers who charge a fee to print your book set cover prices based on page count. You can understand why, because they are making money off the services you purchase and not necessarily the number of copies you sell. Certainly they want you to sell copies because they do make money when you are successful. However, the business model for “most” vanity publishers, where you pay a fee to publish, is to sell services. Consider that roughly 90% of all authors who pay to have their book published actually sell less than 200 copies. Now you can understand why some vanity publishers focus on the upfront fees you pay and not the number of copies you sell.
Marketing Wisdom - From New York Times bestselling author and marketing expert Seth Godin, from his blog.
What happens when we organize?
Most power occurs because one side is better organized than the other. Labor is usually less well organized than management, criminals are usually less well organized than the police and customers are always less well organized than producers.
The internet promises to change that. It does it occasionally, sort of randomly. Sometimes, users will rise up and complain (as they did at Facebook). Or voters will organize online and hurt (or help) a politician or candidate.
Wikipedia works because so many contributors figured out how to self-organize into a group that produced something far more useful than a traditionally organized document.
I think we're at the earliest possible beginning of the changes we're going to see because of this sort of grass roots coordination.
Simple example: the Starbucks in Larchmont, NY keeps their thermostat at 64 degrees. And the stores in Breckenridge, Colorado keep their doors wide open all winter. If you're raging mad about energy waste, you could say something. And nothing would happen. But if customers organized and ten people said something or a hundred people said something... boom, new rules.
The system doesn't know what to do with a movement.
If We Organize, the marketplace will hear us. To answer the question how do we sell more books? It’s simple, we market ourselves as a group. That is what Nothing Binding was created to do, bring attention to independently published books. Amazon is not going to do it, sure they’ll gladly sell your book and keep 55% as well as set the cover price. Can we do better? YES! It all starts with an idea followed by organization to create a movement. To learn more just send me an email, jerry@writersreaders.com, or better yet, sign-up for NothingBinding.com, it’s free.
TIPS for WRITERS - One of the most important issues for an author, especially if you are independently published. Read all about it by clicking the title below Who Owns the Rights to Your Work? Or cut and paste to your browser
http://www.writersreaders.com/blog.php?thebid=217 .
Book Awards - If you haven’t tried one your should, I recommend the Indie Excellence Awards, now accepting submissions. Here is the website, check it out
www.indieexcellence.com.
Did You Know? - The major publishers generate more than 90% of their revenue from less than 10% of the titles they publish. If you are an author in the “other 90% that generate less than 10% of a publishers revenue,” you better understand how the business works and what you can do to separate yourself from all the other authors under contract. For $19.99 you can buy my book and learn all you need to know about publishing from a former insider’s perspective, cut and paste this to your browser http://www.writersreaders.com/booksandmore.php .
The Headlines - Issues “WORTH READING” in the publishing business.
Court Rules Print-On-Demand Service Not Liable for Defamation
By Jeffrey D. Neuburger
Book publishers can be sued if they publish a book full of libelous statements because, the reasoning goes, a publisher should know what it prints. The publisher reviews the manuscript, edits and proofreads it, and distributes the finished book to retailers. It is involved in every part of the process.
But the Internet has given rise to a new breed of printing company, a hands-off model that doesn't get involved with the writing process at all. Online print-on-demand companies specialize in printing books exactly as they appear on submission, without any changes. If print-on-demand services don't exercise any oversight over their books, are they still liable when those books are found to contain defamatory statements?
That was the question in a motion recently decided in Sandler v. Calcagni, a defamation action filed in the federal district court in Maine over a book that was printed and distributed by BookSurge, a print-on-demand service that's owned by Amazon.com.
Print-on-demand services appear at first blush to be the same as traditional vanity publishers, printing houses where authors can pay to have their work printed. However, the web-based interface of print-on-demand reduces the time and expense involved in getting a book to print and also helps to get the book placed with online retailers. Another key difference is that, while many vanity publishers may insist on an author paying for a set number of copies, many print-on-demand services will only print up as many copies of a book as have been ordered.
Traditionally, book publishers could be held liable for defamatory statements in their books under the theory that they exercised some form of control over the books' contents. But online print-on-demand companies typically provide printing and distribution services only, and do not perform the traditional editing, fact-checking and marketing functions associated with other publishers. Sandler v. Calcagni appears to be the first case in which someone has argued that a print-on-demand company should face traditional "publisher" liability.
Don't Save the Cheerleader
The case started with a dispute between two high school cheerleaders over (what else?) a boy. According to the court's opinion, one of the cheerleaders, Calcagni, and some of her friends harassed Sandler with religious epithets. Eventually, Calcagni was convicted of a hate crime for allegedly spray-painting a swastika near Sandler's home.
Calcagni's parents decided to tell their side of the story with a tell-all book about the incident. They printed the book through BookSurge, and purchased several hundred copies, which they distributed to friends, family and local bookstores. Several other parties also purchased copies of the book online.
Not surprisingly, Sandler sued Calcagni, her parents, the freelancer and BookSurge. BookSurge made a motion to dismiss the claims against it, arguing that it should not be held liable as a publisher for purposes of defamation law.
What Makes a Publisher?
So far, I've carefully avoided referring to BookSurge as the publisher of the book in question. That's because "publisher" is a word of art in the law, a term that has a specific legal definition. There are specific legal consequences attached to the categorization of publisher -- consequences that BookSurge hoped to avoid. As the court itself noted, confusion can arise in defamation cases because "publisher" has a common business as well as a legal meaning.
Under the common law, whether a participant is deemed to be a publisher for purposes of imposing defamation liability depends on the "extent to which he participates with an author...of the defamatory statement in its publication," according to the court's ruling in this case. Actors who are "more actively involved" in the process may be held liable "because they have the opportunity to know the content of the material being published."
The court effectively viewed the BookSurge service as a giant online copy machine, noting that it had "negligible involvement" with the authors of the book. BookSurge never fact-checked or reviewed the manuscript, and it had no editorial control over the work. Accordingly, the court found that the service did not know, or have reason to know, that the book might be defamatory and thus could not be held liable.
We'll never know whether the ruling would have survived an appeal. On September 4, the remaining parties filed a notice of settlement with the court, ending the case. So the court's ruling on BookSurge's liability will stand for now as persuasive authority for other courts faced with that same issue.
Consequences
Print-on-demand services are an example of how the Internet enables writers to circumvent the gatekeepers of traditional communications channels. By dramatically lowering the cost and greatly increasing the ease of communication, writers who would previously have been blocked from the market can find an easy way to get their works out to the public. Authors no longer have to send copies of their great American novel to hundreds of publishers, praying for an editor to view it favorably. In fact, in this case, the parents first sought to have their book published by traditional publishing houses, which uniformly rejected the manuscript.
The question prior to Sandler v. Calcagni was whether the law would saddle these kinds of services with potential liability that would force them to vet their authors' works in the same manner as traditional publishers. If print-on-demand services were found not to be liable, they would have less incentive to weed out books that could give rise to legal action, almost certainly allowing more content to make its way into the stream of public discourse -- for good or ill, as this case arguably demonstrates.
Of course, there's an upside and a downside to all things. Freeing print-on-demand services from liability places the entire legal responsibility for content on authors, to the detriment of plaintiffs and defendants alike. Plaintiffs could not hope to recover much without a publisher's deep pockets, while authors would lose the protection of the publisher's attorneys and liability carrier. Such liability could bankrupt some authors, and the threat of legal action could cause authors to self-edit.
Outstanding Issues
Will courts in other states follow the Maine court's decision in Sandler v. Calcagni? That remains to be seen. Defamation liability is controlled by state law, with an overlay of federal law in the form of the First Amendment. Although the broad general principles of defamation law are fairly uniform throughout the U.S., another jurisdiction might take a different view of the liability of print-on-demand services.
Jeffrey D. Neuburger is a partner in the New York office of Proskauer Rose LLP, and co-chair of the Technology, Media and Communications Practice Group. His practice focuses on technology and media-related business transactions and counseling of clients in the utilization of new media. He is an adjunct professor at Fordham University School of Law teaching E-Commerce Law and the co-author of two books, "Doing Business on the Internet" and "Emerging Technologies and the Law." He also co-writes the New Media & Technology Law Blog
Commentary - The clear legal distinction has been made between traditional publishing and print-on-demand publishers. For authors, be aware, you can be sued for writing about anything that may be taken as libelous be a reader.
Success Story - Cheryl is a frequent contributor to this newsletter.
Canadian author Cheryl Kaye Tardif writes a novel titled ‘Finding Bliss’ on the new iPhone 3G
EDMONTON, AB, CANADA ― Apple’s new iPhone 3G hasn’t been available in Canada for very long and already one Canadian has discovered a unique use for it. Critically acclaimed author Cheryl Kaye Tardif plans to use the Notes application to write a novel titled ‘Finding Bliss’.
“I am often ‘blasted’ with an idea for a novel at the least convenient times,” Tardif says. “Two nights ago a novel idea about a teenage girl named Bliss hit me. I had to capture her story right away, so I immediately reached for my iPhone.”
Using the Notes application, Tardif drafted a brief outline for the novel, emailed the note to herself, then later copied the text into a Word document on her PC. It was her husband Marc, a cable installer for Shaw Cablesystems, who actually suggested the idea of writing the entire novel on the iPhone. It’s an idea that excites her.
“I’ve already started Chapter 1,” she says. “I plan to write each chapter on the iPhone, then edit it on my PC. And one of the characters will use an iPhone in the novel.”
Tardif has contacted Apple to let them know what she is doing. She hopes to hear from someone within the corporation. Not only does she want them to know how impressed she is with the iPhone, she wants them to know about ‘Finding Bliss’.
“I believe I’m the first author to attempt to write a complete novel using the iPhone.”
When asked about the plot of the novel, Tardif states, “’Finding Bliss’ will be an emotional, heartwarming story of a teenage girl who must fight to survive in a world of abuse, lies and loss. As she struggles to find herself, Bliss will discover exactly where she belongs and she'll learn that she is worthy of love after all.”
Cheryl Kaye Tardif is the author of three successful novels―Whale Song, The River and Divine Intervention. She recently arranged, with her publisher Kunati Books, to have 125 copies of ‘Whale Song’ added to VIP bags for 125 celebrities and special guests who attend Dallas Rocks 2008, an event that raises funds for Russell Simmons' Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F.) a non-profit international organization that supports education initiatives for disadvantaged people in Africa.
To read more about Cheryl Kaye Tardif, ‘Finding Bliss’ and to read a review of the iPhone 3G, please visit: http://www.cherylktardif.com/finding-bliss
To learn more about the iPhone 3G, visit Apple.com. For media enquiries, please contact: Rachel Sentes - Publicist - OutRight Communications Inc
780-406-8045 - rs@outrightcommunications.com
Interesting Fact - Five of the six largest publishers in the world are foreign owned. Below you will find their names and some of their various imprints.
(1) Random House, Inc., a division of Bertelsmann AG (a German Corporation), is the world's largest English-language general trade book publisher. It publishes some seventy imprints, including Anchor, Ballantine, Bantam, Broadway, Crown, Dell, Del Ray, Dial, Doubleday, Fawcett, Fodor, Dell, Knopf Group, Pantheon, Random House, Villard, and Vintage. It also owns the Literary Guild.
(2) The Penguin Group, which is owned by Pearson (United Kingdom), is the second largest publisher in the United States and Canada and the largest in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and India. Its imprints include Allen Lane, Avery, Berkley Books, Dutton, Hamish Hamilton, Michael Joseph, Plume, Putnam, Riverhead, and Viking. Penguin also publishes children's brands such as Puffin, Ladybird, Dutton and Grosset & Dunlap.
(3) Simon & Schuster, Inc., is the publishing arm of Viacom (United States). It publishes Aladdin Paperbacks, Atheneum, Atria, Fireside, The Free Press, Little Simon, MTV Books, Margaret K. McElderry, Pocket Books, Scribner, Simon & Schuster, Simon Spotlight, Star Trek, Touchstone, Washington Square Press, and Wall Street Journal Books.
(4) Harper Collins, a subsidiary of the News Corporation Limited (Australia), has annual revenues of over $1 billion. Its imprints include Amistad, Avon, Caedmon, Ecco, Eos, Harper Business, Harper Collins, Harper SanFrancisco, Perennial, Rayo, Regan Books and William Morrow. Its Zondervan unit publishes Bibles and Christian books, and its e-book imprint is Perfect Bound. Also Hyperion, and Miramax.
(5) Hachette Book Group USA formerly Time Warner Book Group Inc. (French) owns the Book-of-the-Month Club and the imprints Aspect; Back Bay; Bulfinch; Little, Brown and Company; Press Warner Books, The Mysterious Press and Warner Books (Warner Business Books, Warner Faith, and Warner Vision). It also distributes publishing lines for Arcade, Harry Abrams, Time-Life Books, and Microsoft.
(6) Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings, (Germany), publishers imprints that include Argon; Bedford; College-Group; Farrar, Straus & Giroux; Freeman; Hanley & Belfus; Henry Holt; Hill & Wang; Macmillan; North Point Press; Picador; St. Martin's; Scientific American; Times Books (partnership with New York Times Group); Urban & Fischer, and Worth.
The Prediction - Big changes are coming in publishing. Not only has the economic meltdown had an impact on Wall Street, book sales are slipping yet again. The time is coming and the biggest publishers are going to recognize the fact that their business model is broken. You can read more at the following:
The Perfect Time http://www.writersreaders.com/blog.php?thebid=148
Trust in the Community http://www.writersreaders.com/blog.php?thebid=147
Changing The Face of Publishing http://www.writersreaders.com/blog.php?thebid=140
Community of Independent Authors http://www.writersreaders.com/blog.php?thebid=139
Special Audio Book Production Offer - From now till December 31st, 2008, John Mahoney, owner/producer of Raven Audio Books, a professional experienced audio book recording studio located in Peoria, Arizona is offering authors a special price. Should you be interested in creating an audio book, please feel free to contact me. This is a link to some statistics on audio books that may be of interest. http://www.ravenaudiobooks.com/statistics.html or visit their web site
www.ravenaudiobooks.com, you can reach John by phone 623.215.8654.
Another Special Offer - For anyone interested in using press releases to spread the word about their book, here‘s a deal between now and December 30th.
If you purchase the $89 video release service from 24-7 and enter the special code below, you'll get $20 off your release. You'll pay only $69. These $89 releases look awesome. And you can include 4 pictures (book covers, yourself, etc.) AND a 2 minute video (book trailer, podcast, etc). If you have an event coming up or news that you want to promote, this is the time.
This code is active now and expires: December 30, 2008. Visit: http://www.24-7pressrelease.com, select the $89 release and be sure to enter the code: ckt123008
Mark Your Calendars - Scottsdale Society of Women Writers
What: PAGES RARE/NEW BOOKS – SPECIAL EVENT – Saturday 11-1-08
Who: Scottsdale Society of Women Writers - Books Signing Event - Discuss with them their work and review and purchase books for your reading enjoyment. Several of the authors will be speaking on their writing experience.
Anna Bartowski www.valuemeals.blogspot.com Value Meals on the Volga
Patricia L. Brooks www.plbrooks.com Gifts of Sisterhood
Kebba Buckley www.kebba.com Discover the Secret Energized You
Dana Davis www.danadaviswriting.com The Mask of Tamirella
Lilia Fallgatter www.lovingletter.com The Most Important Letter you will ever Write
Barbara Levy www.barbaralevy.com Mexican Strawberries
Marilyn McGrath www.marilynmcgrath.com All you know on Earth
WHEN: Saturday, November 1st - from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
WHERE: Pages Bookstore – 7100 E. Cave Creek Rd., 480-575-7220
The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers meets the last Wed. night of the month for networking, camaraderie, dinner and a professional speaker in the writing and publishing industry. Café Carumba in Old Scottsdale: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Contact Patricia L. Brooks, president and founder at 480-250-5556 or patricia@plbrooks.com
Upcoming Book Fair - Sunday November 16th from noon to 4:00, SSA will be holding a BOOK FAIR at the Sheraton Four Points Conference Center, 1900 E. Speedway, Tucson. Admission is FREE, there will be door prizes and refreshments. In addition to 60 local authors, award-winning authors Rhys Bowen and Virginia Nosky, are featured. Don’t miss it!
Read Books for Free - If you would like to read and review a book for free, please go sign-up for our program. Visit the site and sign up today. www.NothingBinding.com
Jerry, What Do You Do? - Interestingly enough I get this question a lot. The short answer is that I help writers make decisions about publishing, marketing and selling books. There is no one set way to publish, there are plenty of options and I help writers choose what’s best for them based on personal goals.
What Is WritersReaders.com? - The web site created to provide writers and authors with credible information on writing, publishing, and marketing books. Touted as the INSIDERS GUIDE to PUBLISHING, all of the information is based on my 25 years of corporate New York experience. It is also the only place where you can buy my book WHAT WRITERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PUBLISHING.
My Services - I have 30 years of publishing experience and offer a complete line-up of professional services. For more details click here. Or cut and paste the following link: http://www.writersreaders.com/blog.php?thebid=212.
Pass It On! If you find my newsletter helpful, please forward to everyone you think might find it interesting. If my newsletter was forwarded to you and you would like your own copy, send me an email, jerry@writersreaders.com. With your sign-up you’ll receive free an 20-page eBook titled “What Writers Need to Know About Marketing.”
Finally - Your comments and feedback are really important, please tell me what you think and what can be improved. Send me an email jerry@writersreaders.com .
Free Information – You may quote from or use any of the information, all or in part, under the conditions that: (1) The republication is not resold or used for any other commercial use, and (2) The author, Jerry D. Simmons and website WritersReaders.com are prominently referenced. All written material 2008ÓJerry D. Simmons.
Acknowledgment – My audience is writers and authors. Please accept the fact that this newsletter and TIPS for WRITERS are not edited. There may on occasion be grammatical, syntax, and spelling errors. I acknowledge the fact and apologize.
Jerry D. Simmons - Author, Publisher, Speaker
www.WritersReaders.com
eNewsletter TIPS for WRITERS from the PUBLISHING INSIDER
www.NothingBinding.com
Global stage for writers, authors, and readers
Publishing Insider Blog http://www.nothingbinding.com/blog/jerry
Author of What Every Writer Needs to Know About Publishing
Also available as an eBook
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Why I'm a Libertarian - with reviews
I'm a Libertarian. Have always been, and will always be. I'm a peace-loving fighter for liberty, for all who want it.
Following is one of this month's editions of The Liberator Online. (It comes out twice per month.) In it you'll find reviews of books, a fr*e download or two, reasons why we, as Americans, should be scared sh*tless by the political, environmental, and economical mess, in our country - and why no president/politician can, or will ever be able, to fix it - unless we change our ways, and thinking.
My stand will most likely land me in one of the 800+ fully-operational concentration camps right here in America for being a "dissident". I'm not a dissident. I'm not anyone anyone should be afraid of. However, I am a firm believer that we need to get back to living up to our Constitution and Bill of Rights as they were written by our forefathers.
So, here it is. Read on if you love freedom. Read on if you love liberty. Read on if you think this country is headed straight to hell if we don't change our ways.
In This Issue:
The passing of Marshall Fritz.... Walter Williams asks: "What 'laissez-faire'
capitalism?".... Victims punished -- for being robbed.... They're ALL
"redistributionists".... Dismantle and disarm anti-freedom slogans.... 40%
discount on "The Best of Harry Browne".... and much more!
THE LIBERATOR ONLINE
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Vol. 13, No. 18
Circulation: 69,503 total subscribers in over 100 countries.
The world's largest-circulation libertarian publication!
Published by the Advocates for Self-Government
Edited by James W. Harris | Email: james@TheAdvocates.org
Want to read the enhanced HTML version of this LIBERATOR ONLINE? Just click on:
http://www.theadvocates.org/liberator/vol-13-num-19.html
SUPPORT the world-changing work of the Advocates! Please see:
http://www.theadvocates.org/letter-from-sharon-november-08.html
or call us toll-free at 1-800-932-1776.
We have some great "Thank you!" gifts waiting for you!
___________________________________________
"The World's Smallest Political Quiz [is] one of the freedom movement's most
recognized and effective outreach tools."
-- Congressman Ron Paul, Congressional Record, April 15, 2008
___________________________________________
CONTENTS
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
* Marshall Fritz, my hero, mentor and friend
* Save 40% off "The Best of Harry Browne" -- and help the Advocates!
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES
* Advocates President quoted in leading environmental newspaper
* LAST CHANCE for the 2009 Freedom Cruise -- PLUS, DISCOUNTS!
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
* Shocking Bailout Numbers
* Robbery Victims Punished -- For Being Robbed
* What "Laissez-Faire Capitalism"?
QUICK SHOTS: Vote for the "redistributionist" of your choice... Regulations
equal a second income tax... John Stossel bemoans the cult of the presidency...
Conan O'Brien says "we're totally screwed..."
PERSUASION POWER POINT #258
* How to Dismantle and Disarm Anti-Freedom Slogans
by Michael Cloud
ASK DR. RUWART
* How can we help Africa?
ONE-MINUTE LIBERTY TIP
* Telling How Libertarians Are Different from Liberals and Conservatives
by Sharon Harris
PRODUCT REVIEW
* * The Best of Harry Browne: You save over 40% -- and help the Advocates!
___________________________________________
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Dear friend,
By now you have probably heard the sad news: Marshall Fritz -- Advocates
founder, creator of the World's Smallest Political Quiz, and legendary
libertarian activist -- passed away last week after a long and courageous
battle with pancreatic cancer. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by
family.
There is much more information about Marshall, including photos and personal
tributes and rememberings, at our Web site:
www.TheAdvocates.org
If you haven't yet, I urge you to visit that site and learn more about this
remarkable man.
I have lost a mentor, hero, and dear friend.
We mourn the passing of a truly great man, renowned for his enthusiasm,
devotion to truth, and love for liberty.
We celebrate a life that was a grand adventure that touched millions of people
around the world.
And we will honor his memory by continuing to build the Advocates for Self-
Government, the organization he created, and to advance the great cause of
liberty to which he devoted his life.
* * *
Welcome to 108 new Liberator Online subscribers this issue. Thanks for joining
our subscription "family" of almost 70,000 liberty-loving readers in more than
100 countries!
To learn more about the Advocates and our work for liberty:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org
To learn more about libertarianism:
http://www.Libertarianism.com
-- Sharon Harris, President | Email: sharon@TheAdvocates.org
PS: We have a very special, limited-time offer for you: Save 40% on "The Best
of Harry Browne!"
Take advantage of this, and you'll get...
* Harry Browne's last published book, LIBERTY A-Z. (A $13.95 value.)
* Harry Browne's uplifting speech, "The Future is Not Hopeless," on CD. (A $10
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* Harry Browne's insightful speech, "The Seduction of Force," on CD. (A $10
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All of this is yours for only $20 (plus shipping and handling).
This is a $33.95 value -- so you save $13.95. That's more than a 40% savings on
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Act today! This offer is good through November 27, 2008.
To order, or learn more, see "Product Review" at the end of this issue. Or
visit:
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Your purchase supports the great work of the Advocates. Thank you!
_________________________________________
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WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES
* ADVOCATES PRESIDENT QUOTED: Sharon Harris was quoted in an article in
Environment and Climate News, the excellent and highly influential pro-market
newspaper published by the Heartland Institute. The article, "Schools Cut Back
to Four-Day Week," concerned efforts by government schools to deal with rising
energy costs. Harris went to the core of the problem: government central
planning.
"What's interesting about this story is that it points out just how inflexible
government bureaucracies are," Harris said. "It's always difficult to make any
changes in the system. If we had more parental choice in education, we would
immediately see the benefits. There would be more and quicker innovations and
improvements.
"Families are different from each other, with different interests and different
needs," Harris added. "If we had a free market in education, we'd see many
choices -- not just in locations of schools but [also] in hours of operation
and in curriculum."
http://www.heartland.org/publications/environment%20climate/article.html?article
id=23936
* LAST CHANCE and LOWERED PRICE for TWELFTH ANNUAL FREEDOM CRUISE: Hurry --
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__________________________________________
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
by James W. Harris
Brain-Boggling Bailout Boondoggle Numbers
How much has the government thrown down the bailout rathole... so far?
The Reason Foundation's Anthony Randazzo has added it up for you.
However, before you read further, consider this warning from Randazzo:
"A word to the wise: get some duct tape to wrap around your head, 'cause these
numbers all together are gonna make it explode -- if it hasn't already."
Okay, you've been warned. Strapped it?
Here goes:
* $29 billion for Bear Stearns
* $143.8 billion for AIG (thus far, it keeps growing)
* $100 billion for Fannie Mae
* $100 billion for Freddie Mac
* $700 billion for Wall Street, including Bank of America (Merrill Lynch),
Citigroup, JP Morgan (WaMu), Wells Fargo (Wachovia), Morgan Stanley, Goldman
Sachs, and a lot more
* $25 billion for The Big Three in Detroit
* $8 billion for IndyMac
* $150 billion stimulus package (from January)
* $50 billion for money market funds
* $138 billion for Lehman Bros. (post bankruptcy) through JP Morgan
* $620 billion for general currency swaps from the Fed
ROUGH TOTAL: $2,063,800,000,000
Yes, over $2 trillion dollars. As of November 7.
That's about $6,800 for every man, woman, and child.
About $15,000 per taxpayer.
And actually, it's even worse.
Randazzo adds: "This doesn't include the hundreds of billions the fed has and
will buy up in commercial paper and lend out to other financial firms. The
deficit is nearly $440 billion this year, and the national debt is $10.5
trillion.
"If these numbers don't shake the next Congress into becoming more fiscally
responsible, probably nothing will."
(Source: Reason Foundation:
http://www.reason.org/outofcontrol/archives/2008/11/how_much_have_w.html }
* * *
Robbery Victims Punished -- For Being Robbed
When someone fills his tank at a gas station and then drives away without
paying, that's a crime. No one would argue with that.
And a new law in Shreveport, Louisiana is threatening those involved in that
crime with heavy penalties, including stiff fines and even jail time.
The only problem: those facing this punishment are... the gas station owners
and employees who've been robbed.
Say what?
Recently the Shreveport city council passed a law requiring gas customers to
prepay before fueling up. The idea was that this would reduce gas thefts.
However, some gas stations didn't like the law, because it inconveniences
customers and adds to employee workloads.
So to make sure all stations obey the law, the council added a stiff penalty.
Attendants and owners face fines and even jail if a gas theft happens while
they're on the job. Business owners can be fined $250 for the first offense,
$500 for the second.
Says the law: "If convicted a third time, [owners] must pay up to $500 and face
up to six months in jail. Owners won't be charged if the policy is publicly
posted for employees."
That's right: the council says a robbed station is itself partly responsible
for the crime. And if they can't catch the robbers, at least they can track
down and punish the... victims.
"This is the wrong way to get crime statistics down," said city councilman
Monty Walford, who opposed the law. "I frankly think that it's not government's
place to tell a business how they have to collect money. Are we next going to
ask grocery stores to require a deposit before you go in?"
Careful what you say there, Walford. Don't give your fellow council members any
more ideas.
(Sources:
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080916/NEWS01/809160
346
http://thisiscommonsense.com/2008/10/15/the-crime-of-being-robbed/ )
* * *
What "Laissez-Faire Capitalism"?
As the economic crisis continues, we're constantly hearing critics blaming
America's alleged "laissez-faire economy" for somehow causing it.
For example, the New York Times recently declared: "The United States has a
culture that celebrates laissez-faire capitalism as the economic ideal."
Baloney, says renowned economist and syndicated columnist Walter Williams:
"First, let's establish what laissez-faire capitalism is. Broadly defined, it
is an economic system based on private ownership and control over of the means
of production. Under laissez-faire capitalism, government activity is
restricted to the protection of the individual's rights against fraud, theft
and the initiation of physical force. ...
"You can decide whether we have an unregulated laissez-faire economy. There are
15 cabinet departments, nine of which control various aspects of the U.S.
economy. They are the Departments of: Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, Health and Human Services, Education, Energy, Labor, Agriculture,
Commerce, and Interior.
"In addition, there is the alphabet soup cluster of federal agencies such as:
the IRS, the FRB and FDIC, the EPA, FDA, SEC, CFTC, NLRB, FTC, FCC, FERC, FEMA,
FAA, CAA, INS, OHSA, CPSC, NHTSA, EEOC, BATF, DEA, NIH, and NASA.
"Here's my question to you: Can one be sane and at the same time hold that ours
is an unregulated laissez-faire economy?
"Better yet, tell me what a businessman, or for that matter you, can do that
does *not* involve some kind of government regulation.
"A businessman must seek government approval for the minutest detail of his
operation or face the wrath of some government agency, whether it's at the
federal, state or local level. Just about everything we buy or use has some
kind of government dictate involved whether it's package labeling, how many
gallons of water to flush toilets or what pharmaceuticals can be prescribed.
...
"{T]here is massive government control over our economy."
Dr. Williams goes on to point out, as we have recently done in past issues,
that the crisis was not caused by the market, but by enormous government
interference with the market -- again, precisely the opposite of "laissez-faire
capitalism."
(Source: Walter Williams:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=80027 )
* * * * * * * *
QUICK SHOTS...
* VOTE FOR THE REDISTRIBUTIONIST OF YOUR CHOICE: "Sen. John McCain's
fulminations against President-elect Barack Obama's socialism or infatuation
with redistributing wealth were as risible as would be former President Bill
Clinton lecturing Pinocchio on the evils of mendacity.
"For the last century, both the Republican and Democratic parties have embraced
the morality if not the economic wisdom of the progressive income tax and
government spending to redistribute wealth. The parties differ in inches as how
much redistribution would be morally or economically optimal."
-- Bruce Fein, constitutional scholar and Associate Deputy Attorney General
under President Reagan:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/11/redistribution-blather/
* FED REGULATIONS = A SECOND INCOME TAX: "Federal regulations cost Americans
almost as much as the income tax and more than 40 percent of all federal
spending, according to 'Ten Thousand Commandments,' the Competitive Enterprise
Institute's annual report on the burdens of federal regulation. Federal
environmental, safety, health, and economic regulations cost more than $1
trillion a year in addition to the costs of official federal spending."
-- Heartland Institute: Government's "10,000 Commandments"
http://www.heartland.org/publications/budget%20tax/article.html?articleid=23879
* THE CULT OF POLITICS: "It's exciting that the world is so excited about
Barack Obama. I'm excited, too. That he achieved the presidency says something
good about America. ... But the excitement also frightens me. It reinforces the
worst impulse of the media and political class: the assumption that all
progress comes from Washington. In a free society, with constitutionally
limited government, the president would be a mere executive who sees to it that
predictable and understandable laws are enforced. But sadly, the prestige and
power of the presidency have grown, and liberty has contracted. That is not
something to celebrate."
-- libertarian journalist John Stossel of ABC's 20/20
http://www.creators.com/opinion/john-stossel/the-road-to-serfdom.html
* TOTALLY: "Today, at his first press conference as President-elect, Barack
Obama said America will succeed if we can put aside partisanship and politics.
Nice. Yeah, in other words, we're totally screwed." -- Conan O'Brien, Nov. 7.
* * * * * * * *
"Good News, Bad News, Unbelievable News" is written by Liberator Online editor
James W. Harris. His articles have appeared in numerous magazines and
newspapers, and he has been a Finalist for the Mencken Award, given by the Free
Press Association for "Outstanding Journalism in Support of Liberty."
___________________________________________
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__________________________________________
PERSUASION POWER POINT #258
How to Dismantle and Disarm Anti-Freedom Slogans
by Michael Cloud
"The word 'slogan' comes from the old Gaelic word 'sluaghairm,' and means 'the
war cry, or gathering word, of a Highland clan in Scotland; hence, any rallying
or battle cry,'" wrote Bernice Fitz-Gibbon.
Slogans galvanize groups -- and move them to action.
Sometimes slogans serve good causes. Often they don't.
Anti-freedom slogans are used to shut down independent thinking. To silence and
intimidate individuals who disagree.
What can you do to disarm anti-freedom slogans?
Translate them.
You've heard the phrase, "lost in translation."
When it comes to slogans, the truth is *found* in translation.
Consider this John F. Kennedy slogan: "Ask not what your country can do for
you;
ask what you can do for your country."
Here's what Robert Ringer found when he unpacked, analyzed, and translated it:
"Let's analyze this brilliantly conceived slogan carefully and logically. First
of all, what is a country? It's a geographical area composed of -- in the case
of the United States -- over 200 million individuals. I've never asked 200
million people to do anything for me, except not interfere with my right to
live a peaceful life. Ask what you can do for your 'country?' Does this mean
asking each of the more than 200 million individuals what you can
do for him?
"No, individuals are not what Kennedy or any other politician has ever had in
mind when using the word 'country.' A country is an abstract entity, but in
politicalese, it translates into 'those in power.' Restated in translated form,
then, it becomes: 'Ask not what those in power can do for you; ask what you can
do for those in power.' You wouldn't respond quite so eagerly if it were
phrased in its true form, would you? On the contrary, you might laugh in
disbelief." (Quoted from Looking Out for Number One [1977] by Robert Ringer.)
Want to try your hand at unpacking, analyzing, and translating
collectivist/anti-freedom slogans?
Here are a few:
* "Taxes are the price we pay for civilization." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
* "Yes, we can." -- Barack Obama.
* "If we can send a man to the moon, we can establish universal health care."
* "Why can't we run government like a business?" -- numerous politicians
* "It's not an issue of big government or small government. It's an issue of
smart government." - Barack Obama
* "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." -- Derek Bok
* "The end of welfare as we know it." -- Bill Clinton
* "The National Debt: We owe it to ourselves." -- Anon
* "We have a trade deficit." -- numerous
* "A government of the people, by the people, and for the people." -- Abraham
Lincoln
* "My country right or wrong."
* "A lifetime of public service."
Try your hand at unpacking, analyzing, and translating these slogans.
Test your answers on others. Family, friends, and co-workers.
If your translation works, if it dismantles and disarms the slogan, your
hearers will stop using the slogan -- and will pass it on to others.
It just might wipe out the anti-freedom slogan.
Because you made sure the truth was found in translation.
* * * * * * * *
Michael Cloud is author of the acclaimed book "Secrets of Libertarian
Persuasion" available exclusively from the Advocates:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org/secrets.html
In 2000, Michael was honored with the Thomas Paine Award as the Most Persuasive
Libertarian Communicator in America.
___________________________________________
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___________________________________________
ASK DR. RUWART
Dr. Mary Ruwart is a leading expert in libertarian communication. In this
column she offers short answers to real questions about libertarianism. To
submit questions to Dr. Ruwart, see end of column.
* * *
How can we help Africa?
QUESTION: What would be the libertarian response to issues in Africa? How can
we effectively help the extremely poor and sick?
MY SHORT ANSWER: The short-term way to help the poor and sick in other nations
is to contribute to private organizations that target those you want to help.
Some work to improve sanitation, a major cause of disease. Some provide medical
care. Others link needy children to sponsors in wealthier nations. Still others
provide small loans for "mom and pop" businesses. With a bit of Internet
research, you can determine which organizations are worthy of your support.
The long-term way to help the poor and sick is to demonstrate how they too can
become prosperous and healthy. Cutting back government spending, regulation,
and taxation is the surest way that any nation can become rich (for details,
see my book, "Healing Our World." The 1992 version is available as a free
download at www.ruwart.com; you can buy the 2003 edition there or from The
Advocates.)
The freedom enjoyed in the U.S. in earlier years was a beacon of hope to
impoverished nations, giving them a blueprint to their own prosperity.
In recent years, the U.S. has moved away from the principles that made it
great. Restoring liberty in our own nation will show others the way to end
their own poverty and pain.
LEARN MORE: "Betrayal: Why Socialism Failed in Africa" by George B. N.
Ayittey. This is a short essay from the Foundation for Economic Education:
http://www.fee.org/pdf/notes/NFF0505.pdf
The libertarian Independent Institute posted this incisive review of two
excellent books by African free-market advocate George B. N. Ayittey. The
review summarizes his work and gives links to his books:
http://www.independent.org/publications/tir/article.asp?a=341
* * * * * * * *
Got questions? Dr. Ruwart has answers! If you'd like answers to YOUR "tough
questions" on libertarian issues, email Dr. Ruwart at: ruwart@theAdvocates.org
Due to volume, Dr. Ruwart can't personally acknowledge all emails. But we'll
run the best questions and answers in upcoming issues.
Dr. Ruwart's previous Liberator Online answers are archived in searchable form
at: http://www.TheAdvocates.org/ruwart/categories_list.php
Dr. Ruwart's outstanding books "Healing Our World" and "Short Answers to the
Tough Questions" are available from the Advocates:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org/Merchant2/merchant.mv
___________________________________________
ONE-MINUTE LIBERTY TIP
Telling How Libertarians Are Different from Liberals and Conservatives
by Sharon Harris
Recently, Liberator Online editor James W. Harris was trying to think of a way
to explain libertarianism to a child. The child, though smart, was ignorant of
most political concepts.
He thought over his usual stock of answers, and found them lacking in this
situation.
Finally he came up with something like this:
"Liberals and conservatives both believe the government should force peaceful
people, at gunpoint if necessary, to live the way *they* think they should.
Libertarians are against this."
He followed that with a more familiar libertarian definition:
"We think people should be free to do as they wish with their lives and
property, as long as they aren't harming anyone else."
The first paragraph of his definition is one I'd never heard before. There are
several useful things about it.
* It makes libertarians stand out distinctly from all other political
viewpoints.
* It puts non-libertarians in the position of defending and justifying their
advocacy of violence. This is a valuable switch, as usually it is libertarians
who, right from the start, find themselves in the position of defending the
elimination of various government programs.
* It is a definition that immediately invites a nod of agreement and
appreciation. Most people, after all, don't consciously advocate the initiation
of force, and don't realize that's inherent in liberalism and conservatism.
* It makes libertarianism sound downright moderate and reasonable. The
immoderate, unreasonable ones are those who would use violence to force
peaceful people to live the way they think they should. They are the bullies;
we are the ones who defend them against the bullies.
Every libertarian should have an excellent answer memorized for this common
question, "What do libertarians believe?" (You can find some suggestions at
http://www.libertarianism.com/definitions.htm
This particular formulation is not a perfect answer for all occasions, by any
means. But it may be a useful addition to your libertarian communication
toolbox.
* * * * * *
Sharon Harris's One Minute Liberty tips are archived at:
http://www.theadvocates.org/one-minute.html
___________________________________________
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"May it be to the world... to assume the blessings and security of self-
government." -- Thomas Jefferson, June 24, 1826.
Following is one of this month's editions of The Liberator Online. (It comes out twice per month.) In it you'll find reviews of books, a fr*e download or two, reasons why we, as Americans, should be scared sh*tless by the political, environmental, and economical mess, in our country - and why no president/politician can, or will ever be able, to fix it - unless we change our ways, and thinking.
My stand will most likely land me in one of the 800+ fully-operational concentration camps right here in America for being a "dissident". I'm not a dissident. I'm not anyone anyone should be afraid of. However, I am a firm believer that we need to get back to living up to our Constitution and Bill of Rights as they were written by our forefathers.
So, here it is. Read on if you love freedom. Read on if you love liberty. Read on if you think this country is headed straight to hell if we don't change our ways.
In This Issue:
The passing of Marshall Fritz.... Walter Williams asks: "What 'laissez-faire'
capitalism?".... Victims punished -- for being robbed.... They're ALL
"redistributionists".... Dismantle and disarm anti-freedom slogans.... 40%
discount on "The Best of Harry Browne".... and much more!
THE LIBERATOR ONLINE
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Vol. 13, No. 18
Circulation: 69,503 total subscribers in over 100 countries.
The world's largest-circulation libertarian publication!
Published by the Advocates for Self-Government
Edited by James W. Harris | Email: james@TheAdvocates.org
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"The World's Smallest Political Quiz [is] one of the freedom movement's most
recognized and effective outreach tools."
-- Congressman Ron Paul, Congressional Record, April 15, 2008
___________________________________________
CONTENTS
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
* Marshall Fritz, my hero, mentor and friend
* Save 40% off "The Best of Harry Browne" -- and help the Advocates!
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES
* Advocates President quoted in leading environmental newspaper
* LAST CHANCE for the 2009 Freedom Cruise -- PLUS, DISCOUNTS!
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
* Shocking Bailout Numbers
* Robbery Victims Punished -- For Being Robbed
* What "Laissez-Faire Capitalism"?
QUICK SHOTS: Vote for the "redistributionist" of your choice... Regulations
equal a second income tax... John Stossel bemoans the cult of the presidency...
Conan O'Brien says "we're totally screwed..."
PERSUASION POWER POINT #258
* How to Dismantle and Disarm Anti-Freedom Slogans
by Michael Cloud
ASK DR. RUWART
* How can we help Africa?
ONE-MINUTE LIBERTY TIP
* Telling How Libertarians Are Different from Liberals and Conservatives
by Sharon Harris
PRODUCT REVIEW
* * The Best of Harry Browne: You save over 40% -- and help the Advocates!
___________________________________________
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Dear friend,
By now you have probably heard the sad news: Marshall Fritz -- Advocates
founder, creator of the World's Smallest Political Quiz, and legendary
libertarian activist -- passed away last week after a long and courageous
battle with pancreatic cancer. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by
family.
There is much more information about Marshall, including photos and personal
tributes and rememberings, at our Web site:
www.TheAdvocates.org
If you haven't yet, I urge you to visit that site and learn more about this
remarkable man.
I have lost a mentor, hero, and dear friend.
We mourn the passing of a truly great man, renowned for his enthusiasm,
devotion to truth, and love for liberty.
We celebrate a life that was a grand adventure that touched millions of people
around the world.
And we will honor his memory by continuing to build the Advocates for Self-
Government, the organization he created, and to advance the great cause of
liberty to which he devoted his life.
* * *
Welcome to 108 new Liberator Online subscribers this issue. Thanks for joining
our subscription "family" of almost 70,000 liberty-loving readers in more than
100 countries!
To learn more about the Advocates and our work for liberty:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org
To learn more about libertarianism:
http://www.Libertarianism.com
-- Sharon Harris, President | Email: sharon@TheAdvocates.org
PS: We have a very special, limited-time offer for you: Save 40% on "The Best
of Harry Browne!"
Take advantage of this, and you'll get...
* Harry Browne's last published book, LIBERTY A-Z. (A $13.95 value.)
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This is a $33.95 value -- so you save $13.95. That's more than a 40% savings on
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Act today! This offer is good through November 27, 2008.
To order, or learn more, see "Product Review" at the end of this issue. Or
visit:
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Your purchase supports the great work of the Advocates. Thank you!
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WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ADVOCATES
* ADVOCATES PRESIDENT QUOTED: Sharon Harris was quoted in an article in
Environment and Climate News, the excellent and highly influential pro-market
newspaper published by the Heartland Institute. The article, "Schools Cut Back
to Four-Day Week," concerned efforts by government schools to deal with rising
energy costs. Harris went to the core of the problem: government central
planning.
"What's interesting about this story is that it points out just how inflexible
government bureaucracies are," Harris said. "It's always difficult to make any
changes in the system. If we had more parental choice in education, we would
immediately see the benefits. There would be more and quicker innovations and
improvements.
"Families are different from each other, with different interests and different
needs," Harris added. "If we had a free market in education, we'd see many
choices -- not just in locations of schools but [also] in hours of operation
and in curriculum."
http://www.heartland.org/publications/environment%20climate/article.html?article
id=23936
* LAST CHANCE and LOWERED PRICE for TWELFTH ANNUAL FREEDOM CRUISE: Hurry --
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__________________________________________
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, UNBELIEVABLE NEWS
by James W. Harris
Brain-Boggling Bailout Boondoggle Numbers
How much has the government thrown down the bailout rathole... so far?
The Reason Foundation's Anthony Randazzo has added it up for you.
However, before you read further, consider this warning from Randazzo:
"A word to the wise: get some duct tape to wrap around your head, 'cause these
numbers all together are gonna make it explode -- if it hasn't already."
Okay, you've been warned. Strapped it?
Here goes:
* $29 billion for Bear Stearns
* $143.8 billion for AIG (thus far, it keeps growing)
* $100 billion for Fannie Mae
* $100 billion for Freddie Mac
* $700 billion for Wall Street, including Bank of America (Merrill Lynch),
Citigroup, JP Morgan (WaMu), Wells Fargo (Wachovia), Morgan Stanley, Goldman
Sachs, and a lot more
* $25 billion for The Big Three in Detroit
* $8 billion for IndyMac
* $150 billion stimulus package (from January)
* $50 billion for money market funds
* $138 billion for Lehman Bros. (post bankruptcy) through JP Morgan
* $620 billion for general currency swaps from the Fed
ROUGH TOTAL: $2,063,800,000,000
Yes, over $2 trillion dollars. As of November 7.
That's about $6,800 for every man, woman, and child.
About $15,000 per taxpayer.
And actually, it's even worse.
Randazzo adds: "This doesn't include the hundreds of billions the fed has and
will buy up in commercial paper and lend out to other financial firms. The
deficit is nearly $440 billion this year, and the national debt is $10.5
trillion.
"If these numbers don't shake the next Congress into becoming more fiscally
responsible, probably nothing will."
(Source: Reason Foundation:
http://www.reason.org/outofcontrol/archives/2008/11/how_much_have_w.html }
* * *
Robbery Victims Punished -- For Being Robbed
When someone fills his tank at a gas station and then drives away without
paying, that's a crime. No one would argue with that.
And a new law in Shreveport, Louisiana is threatening those involved in that
crime with heavy penalties, including stiff fines and even jail time.
The only problem: those facing this punishment are... the gas station owners
and employees who've been robbed.
Say what?
Recently the Shreveport city council passed a law requiring gas customers to
prepay before fueling up. The idea was that this would reduce gas thefts.
However, some gas stations didn't like the law, because it inconveniences
customers and adds to employee workloads.
So to make sure all stations obey the law, the council added a stiff penalty.
Attendants and owners face fines and even jail if a gas theft happens while
they're on the job. Business owners can be fined $250 for the first offense,
$500 for the second.
Says the law: "If convicted a third time, [owners] must pay up to $500 and face
up to six months in jail. Owners won't be charged if the policy is publicly
posted for employees."
That's right: the council says a robbed station is itself partly responsible
for the crime. And if they can't catch the robbers, at least they can track
down and punish the... victims.
"This is the wrong way to get crime statistics down," said city councilman
Monty Walford, who opposed the law. "I frankly think that it's not government's
place to tell a business how they have to collect money. Are we next going to
ask grocery stores to require a deposit before you go in?"
Careful what you say there, Walford. Don't give your fellow council members any
more ideas.
(Sources:
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080916/NEWS01/809160
346
http://thisiscommonsense.com/2008/10/15/the-crime-of-being-robbed/ )
* * *
What "Laissez-Faire Capitalism"?
As the economic crisis continues, we're constantly hearing critics blaming
America's alleged "laissez-faire economy" for somehow causing it.
For example, the New York Times recently declared: "The United States has a
culture that celebrates laissez-faire capitalism as the economic ideal."
Baloney, says renowned economist and syndicated columnist Walter Williams:
"First, let's establish what laissez-faire capitalism is. Broadly defined, it
is an economic system based on private ownership and control over of the means
of production. Under laissez-faire capitalism, government activity is
restricted to the protection of the individual's rights against fraud, theft
and the initiation of physical force. ...
"You can decide whether we have an unregulated laissez-faire economy. There are
15 cabinet departments, nine of which control various aspects of the U.S.
economy. They are the Departments of: Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, Health and Human Services, Education, Energy, Labor, Agriculture,
Commerce, and Interior.
"In addition, there is the alphabet soup cluster of federal agencies such as:
the IRS, the FRB and FDIC, the EPA, FDA, SEC, CFTC, NLRB, FTC, FCC, FERC, FEMA,
FAA, CAA, INS, OHSA, CPSC, NHTSA, EEOC, BATF, DEA, NIH, and NASA.
"Here's my question to you: Can one be sane and at the same time hold that ours
is an unregulated laissez-faire economy?
"Better yet, tell me what a businessman, or for that matter you, can do that
does *not* involve some kind of government regulation.
"A businessman must seek government approval for the minutest detail of his
operation or face the wrath of some government agency, whether it's at the
federal, state or local level. Just about everything we buy or use has some
kind of government dictate involved whether it's package labeling, how many
gallons of water to flush toilets or what pharmaceuticals can be prescribed.
...
"{T]here is massive government control over our economy."
Dr. Williams goes on to point out, as we have recently done in past issues,
that the crisis was not caused by the market, but by enormous government
interference with the market -- again, precisely the opposite of "laissez-faire
capitalism."
(Source: Walter Williams:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=80027 )
* * * * * * * *
QUICK SHOTS...
* VOTE FOR THE REDISTRIBUTIONIST OF YOUR CHOICE: "Sen. John McCain's
fulminations against President-elect Barack Obama's socialism or infatuation
with redistributing wealth were as risible as would be former President Bill
Clinton lecturing Pinocchio on the evils of mendacity.
"For the last century, both the Republican and Democratic parties have embraced
the morality if not the economic wisdom of the progressive income tax and
government spending to redistribute wealth. The parties differ in inches as how
much redistribution would be morally or economically optimal."
-- Bruce Fein, constitutional scholar and Associate Deputy Attorney General
under President Reagan:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/11/redistribution-blather/
* FED REGULATIONS = A SECOND INCOME TAX: "Federal regulations cost Americans
almost as much as the income tax and more than 40 percent of all federal
spending, according to 'Ten Thousand Commandments,' the Competitive Enterprise
Institute's annual report on the burdens of federal regulation. Federal
environmental, safety, health, and economic regulations cost more than $1
trillion a year in addition to the costs of official federal spending."
-- Heartland Institute: Government's "10,000 Commandments"
http://www.heartland.org/publications/budget%20tax/article.html?articleid=23879
* THE CULT OF POLITICS: "It's exciting that the world is so excited about
Barack Obama. I'm excited, too. That he achieved the presidency says something
good about America. ... But the excitement also frightens me. It reinforces the
worst impulse of the media and political class: the assumption that all
progress comes from Washington. In a free society, with constitutionally
limited government, the president would be a mere executive who sees to it that
predictable and understandable laws are enforced. But sadly, the prestige and
power of the presidency have grown, and liberty has contracted. That is not
something to celebrate."
-- libertarian journalist John Stossel of ABC's 20/20
http://www.creators.com/opinion/john-stossel/the-road-to-serfdom.html
* TOTALLY: "Today, at his first press conference as President-elect, Barack
Obama said America will succeed if we can put aside partisanship and politics.
Nice. Yeah, in other words, we're totally screwed." -- Conan O'Brien, Nov. 7.
* * * * * * * *
"Good News, Bad News, Unbelievable News" is written by Liberator Online editor
James W. Harris. His articles have appeared in numerous magazines and
newspapers, and he has been a Finalist for the Mencken Award, given by the Free
Press Association for "Outstanding Journalism in Support of Liberty."
___________________________________________
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__________________________________________
PERSUASION POWER POINT #258
How to Dismantle and Disarm Anti-Freedom Slogans
by Michael Cloud
"The word 'slogan' comes from the old Gaelic word 'sluaghairm,' and means 'the
war cry, or gathering word, of a Highland clan in Scotland; hence, any rallying
or battle cry,'" wrote Bernice Fitz-Gibbon.
Slogans galvanize groups -- and move them to action.
Sometimes slogans serve good causes. Often they don't.
Anti-freedom slogans are used to shut down independent thinking. To silence and
intimidate individuals who disagree.
What can you do to disarm anti-freedom slogans?
Translate them.
You've heard the phrase, "lost in translation."
When it comes to slogans, the truth is *found* in translation.
Consider this John F. Kennedy slogan: "Ask not what your country can do for
you;
ask what you can do for your country."
Here's what Robert Ringer found when he unpacked, analyzed, and translated it:
"Let's analyze this brilliantly conceived slogan carefully and logically. First
of all, what is a country? It's a geographical area composed of -- in the case
of the United States -- over 200 million individuals. I've never asked 200
million people to do anything for me, except not interfere with my right to
live a peaceful life. Ask what you can do for your 'country?' Does this mean
asking each of the more than 200 million individuals what you can
do for him?
"No, individuals are not what Kennedy or any other politician has ever had in
mind when using the word 'country.' A country is an abstract entity, but in
politicalese, it translates into 'those in power.' Restated in translated form,
then, it becomes: 'Ask not what those in power can do for you; ask what you can
do for those in power.' You wouldn't respond quite so eagerly if it were
phrased in its true form, would you? On the contrary, you might laugh in
disbelief." (Quoted from Looking Out for Number One [1977] by Robert Ringer.)
Want to try your hand at unpacking, analyzing, and translating
collectivist/anti-freedom slogans?
Here are a few:
* "Taxes are the price we pay for civilization." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
* "Yes, we can." -- Barack Obama.
* "If we can send a man to the moon, we can establish universal health care."
* "Why can't we run government like a business?" -- numerous politicians
* "It's not an issue of big government or small government. It's an issue of
smart government." - Barack Obama
* "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." -- Derek Bok
* "The end of welfare as we know it." -- Bill Clinton
* "The National Debt: We owe it to ourselves." -- Anon
* "We have a trade deficit." -- numerous
* "A government of the people, by the people, and for the people." -- Abraham
Lincoln
* "My country right or wrong."
* "A lifetime of public service."
Try your hand at unpacking, analyzing, and translating these slogans.
Test your answers on others. Family, friends, and co-workers.
If your translation works, if it dismantles and disarms the slogan, your
hearers will stop using the slogan -- and will pass it on to others.
It just might wipe out the anti-freedom slogan.
Because you made sure the truth was found in translation.
* * * * * * * *
Michael Cloud is author of the acclaimed book "Secrets of Libertarian
Persuasion" available exclusively from the Advocates:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org/secrets.html
In 2000, Michael was honored with the Thomas Paine Award as the Most Persuasive
Libertarian Communicator in America.
___________________________________________
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___________________________________________
ASK DR. RUWART
Dr. Mary Ruwart is a leading expert in libertarian communication. In this
column she offers short answers to real questions about libertarianism. To
submit questions to Dr. Ruwart, see end of column.
* * *
How can we help Africa?
QUESTION: What would be the libertarian response to issues in Africa? How can
we effectively help the extremely poor and sick?
MY SHORT ANSWER: The short-term way to help the poor and sick in other nations
is to contribute to private organizations that target those you want to help.
Some work to improve sanitation, a major cause of disease. Some provide medical
care. Others link needy children to sponsors in wealthier nations. Still others
provide small loans for "mom and pop" businesses. With a bit of Internet
research, you can determine which organizations are worthy of your support.
The long-term way to help the poor and sick is to demonstrate how they too can
become prosperous and healthy. Cutting back government spending, regulation,
and taxation is the surest way that any nation can become rich (for details,
see my book, "Healing Our World." The 1992 version is available as a free
download at www.ruwart.com; you can buy the 2003 edition there or from The
Advocates.)
The freedom enjoyed in the U.S. in earlier years was a beacon of hope to
impoverished nations, giving them a blueprint to their own prosperity.
In recent years, the U.S. has moved away from the principles that made it
great. Restoring liberty in our own nation will show others the way to end
their own poverty and pain.
LEARN MORE: "Betrayal: Why Socialism Failed in Africa" by George B. N.
Ayittey. This is a short essay from the Foundation for Economic Education:
http://www.fee.org/pdf/notes/NFF0505.pdf
The libertarian Independent Institute posted this incisive review of two
excellent books by African free-market advocate George B. N. Ayittey. The
review summarizes his work and gives links to his books:
http://www.independent.org/publications/tir/article.asp?a=341
* * * * * * * *
Got questions? Dr. Ruwart has answers! If you'd like answers to YOUR "tough
questions" on libertarian issues, email Dr. Ruwart at: ruwart@theAdvocates.org
Due to volume, Dr. Ruwart can't personally acknowledge all emails. But we'll
run the best questions and answers in upcoming issues.
Dr. Ruwart's previous Liberator Online answers are archived in searchable form
at: http://www.TheAdvocates.org/ruwart/categories_list.php
Dr. Ruwart's outstanding books "Healing Our World" and "Short Answers to the
Tough Questions" are available from the Advocates:
http://www.TheAdvocates.org/Merchant2/merchant.mv
___________________________________________
ONE-MINUTE LIBERTY TIP
Telling How Libertarians Are Different from Liberals and Conservatives
by Sharon Harris
Recently, Liberator Online editor James W. Harris was trying to think of a way
to explain libertarianism to a child. The child, though smart, was ignorant of
most political concepts.
He thought over his usual stock of answers, and found them lacking in this
situation.
Finally he came up with something like this:
"Liberals and conservatives both believe the government should force peaceful
people, at gunpoint if necessary, to live the way *they* think they should.
Libertarians are against this."
He followed that with a more familiar libertarian definition:
"We think people should be free to do as they wish with their lives and
property, as long as they aren't harming anyone else."
The first paragraph of his definition is one I'd never heard before. There are
several useful things about it.
* It makes libertarians stand out distinctly from all other political
viewpoints.
* It puts non-libertarians in the position of defending and justifying their
advocacy of violence. This is a valuable switch, as usually it is libertarians
who, right from the start, find themselves in the position of defending the
elimination of various government programs.
* It is a definition that immediately invites a nod of agreement and
appreciation. Most people, after all, don't consciously advocate the initiation
of force, and don't realize that's inherent in liberalism and conservatism.
* It makes libertarianism sound downright moderate and reasonable. The
immoderate, unreasonable ones are those who would use violence to force
peaceful people to live the way they think they should. They are the bullies;
we are the ones who defend them against the bullies.
Every libertarian should have an excellent answer memorized for this common
question, "What do libertarians believe?" (You can find some suggestions at
http://www.libertarianism.com/definitions.htm
This particular formulation is not a perfect answer for all occasions, by any
means. But it may be a useful addition to your libertarian communication
toolbox.
* * * * * *
Sharon Harris's One Minute Liberty tips are archived at:
http://www.theadvocates.org/one-minute.html
___________________________________________
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aphorisms, and metaphors, Harry makes the case for liberty -- one clever quip
at a time. The book is organized alphabetically for easy reference, and covers
almost every political topic, from Affirmative Action to Zero (a Flat Tax Rate
of). Liberty A-Z will arm you with an arsenal of soundbites to spice up your
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* "The Future Is NOT Hopeless!" Speech on CD [45 minutes]
You'll be challenged, enlightened, and inspired as Harry Browne makes the case
for why we should be hopeful about the future of liberty. You'll hear specific
examples of trends and polls that are moving in our direction, delivered in
Harry's warm, heartfelt style. You'll also hear Harry puncture the gloomy myths
that libertarians sometimes fall for -- such as the notion that the American
public is too apathetic or dumb to embrace liberty. An uplifting speech!
Professionally recorded at the Advocates' 20th Anniversary celebration (October
2005). This was one of Harry's last public speeches before his death in 2006.
* "The Seduction of Force" Speech on CD [61 minutes]
Libertarians agree that people should not initiate force against others.
However, as Harry Browne points out, even libertarians can be tempted to use
government force to achieve "important" goals -- especially in the area of
foreign policy. With Harry's help, you can learn how to resist this temptation.
Once you hear this speech, you'll understand why the audience gave Harry a
standing ovation at the end. A crisp, professional recording from the
Advocates' 20th Anniversary celebration (October 2005). This was one of Harry's
last public speeches before his death in 2006.
A $33.95 value -- yours for only $20 (plus shipping and handling)! You save
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* * * EXTRA ADDED BONUS: FREE "Discover Liberty" tabloid! We'll enclose a free
copy of our acclaimed OPH outreach tabloid with your order.
Again, that's more than a *** 40% savings *** on two great speeches and an
extraordinary book by one of America's greatest libertarian communicators.
ORDERING
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Your order helps support the essential work of the Advocates -- thank
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*** This offer good through November 27, 2008. ***
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THE LIBERATOR ONLINE is the official newsletter of the Advocates for Self-
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THE LIBERATOR ONLINE was created by Paul Schmidt and James W. Harris.
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