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THE A LIST
AUTHORS MAKING MARKS IN THE INDUSTRY From media exposure to large-scale competitions, these individuals are living proof that a burning passion coupled with a brilliant idea can take you places.
COVER STORY
Be inspired as Florence Akumu Juma narrates controversial issues such as politics and world affairs through the innocence of a child’s perspective in her book, Resuscitating Kenya: United Nations to the Rescue.
IN SPANISH
BOOK CATALOG
I N SP AN I SH
Browse through and discover your next literary purchase from a wide array of titles from AuthorHouse, Xlibris, Trafford, Palibrio, Partridge and iUniverse.
Missed any big literary events or book launchings? No worries. This page gives you all the information you need to make you feel as if you were there in the flesh.
Sharpen your writing chops with these tips and tricks to help you write that masterpiece of a book.
Check out some of these book festivals and exhibits happening in the next few months.
e m o c l We Welcome to BOOKMAD, the new free magazine for all lovers of books and reading. If you’re an avid reader, an aspiring novelist or just want to selfpublish your story, this is the mag for you. And you can read BOOKMAD anywhere, any time - on your tablet or smartphone.
THE
CONTRIBUTORS Phil Mounsey COPYWRITER
If you’ve got the story in your head and haven’t got it together on paper yet, learn how many self-published authors have faced that battle and got their story published, plus learn from the many writing tips they disclose, all for free.
Maricel Alcantara
If you are looking for new books in your favorite genre, thrillers to fantasy to personal memoirs - they’re all here to buy and download!
Jeremy Scott
So go on and enjoy this edition of BOOKMAD and be sure to look out for next month’s with more secrets of successful self-published authors, more writing tips and a whole new catalog of books to read and enjoy.
Happy Reading!
COPYWRITER
Mireia Diaz COPYWRITER
COPYWRITER
Michael Burns COPYWRITER
Thomas McKinley COPYWRITER
Salve Dinolan
CONTENT COORDINATOR
Dominic Genotiva DESIGNER
Take a little time and tell us how we’re doing.
Raymond Chin ASSOCIATE DESIGNER
COVER STORY | FLORENCE AKUMU JUMA
a DIAMOND in the ROUGH Evidently, present-day world affairs are spiraling out of control in a sordid and unfathomable fashion. Unfounded violence, extensive injustice, and indirect negative influence are rife. The structure of political systems, although unintentional, adds fuel to the countless unfavorable situations throughout the world today. Inadvertent antagonism transcends from those with power, to their supporters who follow in suit, ultimately cultivating hostile environments. Trafford Publishing author Florence Akumu Juma is unfortunately considered as one of the few people across the world that not only has the prudence and insight concerning these state affairs, she also has the ingenuity to represent the intricacies of such political systems and creatively respond in a unique way—a children’s book. Resuscitating Kenya: United Nations to the Rescue endeavors to narrate the horrendous events and prolific violence in the aftermath of the dubious 2007 general elections in Kenya from the perspective of a child. At the time, the poorly executed information and imagery and the discouraging portrayal of the situation through local and international media had incredible
RESUSCITATING KENYA: UNITED NATIONS TO THE RESCUE Florence Akumu Juma E - b o o k | I S B N: 978-1-46694-865-5 | $3.99 A l s o a v a i l a b l e i n Pa perba c k
effects on the amplification of animosity and the subsequent disregard for human life and human rights. Taking sides ultimately renders a country helpless. Thus, Juma’s attempt to depict the consequences of a similar situation by way of an alternative approach to problem resolution renders positive, beneficial, and appropriate outcomes. To learn more about the approach needed to instill the required knowledge in young minds during these times of political volatility, Resuscitating Kenya can be purchased in both e-book and softcover formats direct from the Trafford Publishing bookstore for $3.99 and $13.54 respectively.
THE A LIST | CAROLYN FLEMING
Trafford Author
CAROLYN FLEMING’S Winning Journey
Winner of the First Horizon Award at the 2014 Eric Hoffer Awards, Trafford Publishing author Carolyn Fleming boasts an extensive literary career. Fleming’s title Journey Proud, set in a small town in rural Georgia, is a novel that people from all walks of life can relate to. Having grown up in Georgia herself, Fleming depicts aspects of life in Georgia with authenticity and legitimacy, reeling the reader into the story like no other. Fleming hopes that readers of Journey Proud will acquire a sense of what it means to “live and never look back . . . we must all learn to without corrosive feelings, or we will destroy our own lives, as well as everything we care for.” Journey Proud is written with subtle humor, cleverly instilled into the setting of 1933 Georgia. Readers are taken back in time as the characters believe they possess all the luxuries of life, knowing they fall short in regards to certain necessities. On top of Fleming’s First Horizon Award, she collaborated with her husband, Jack Fleming, and noted composer Allen Pote to write a book and
musical about early flight named Seaplane. As a result, they won the Adelia Rosasco Soule Award for literary distinction, as well as receiving honorary citizenship in Hammondsport, New York, the birthplace of Glenn Curtiss, one of the heroes of Seaplane.
“Live and never look back... we must all learn to without corrosive feelings...” Carolyn has also co-authored Perils and Thinking Places with her husband Jack, along with publishing a cookbook named Pensacola Holidays, and a collection of essays about the American jury system titled Democracy Means Sharing by herself. Growing up in Georgia, Fleming didn’t have to travel far to obtain her bachelor of arts in English from Mercer University, before embarking on her literary career. With 3 children, 9 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild, Fleming now resides in Pensacola, Florida with her husband and enthusiastic Shih-Tsu.
THE A LIST | ROBERT MACNEILL
iUniverse Author
ROBERT MACNEILL Gets His Debut Novel Optioned
Thruline Entertainment Secures Exclusive Rights for Potential Production of Robert MacNeill’s Gorging Out as a movie
Author Solutions, LLC, announced recently that Hollywood-based production company Thruline Entertainment has secured a rights option for iUniverse title “Gorging Out.” The option grants Thruline a period of exclusivity during which it can acquire the title’s rights for the purposes of producing a feature film based on Robert MacNeill’s 2011 novel. ‘‘Gorging Out is one of the most engaging and twisted thrillers that I’ve read in a long time.On the face of it, the logline might seem like a challenge to most traditional publishers and might never have seen the light of day if Robert hadn’t self-published through Author Solutions. I’m just thrilled that I was able to discover it and now have the opportunity to bring it to life on the big screen,” commented Danny Sherman, producer with Thruline Entertainment.
“... gripping and engaging... it drags the readers into the plot and doesn’t let go until the shocking conclusion...” The plot of iUniverse Gorging Out
The plot of Gorging Out focuses on failed graduate student Roger Froehlich, who after leaving his wife, his young son, and worldly possessions behind, escapes to his hometown and the only important person in his life—his aunt Alicia. Terminally ill, his aunt asks Roger to help reunite her with her estranged son, Fritz, who’s suddenly disappeared. Despite his scorn for Fritz, Roger agrees to help his dying aunt and unwittingly finds himself dragged into the dark world of Fritz’s sexual perversion that leads to extortion, suicide, and murder. Suddenly in the midst of a driving desire to serve his aunt and his cousin’s sinister secrets, Roger is forced to do things he never could have imagined. In this suspenseful tale driven by the unscrupulous intentions of a graduate student, Roger finally confronts evil under horrifying circumstances and soon discovers how quickly hate can transform into revenge.
About iUniverse author Robert MacNeill
Robert MacNeill was educated at Yale and then went on to earn a PhD in animal ecology and behavior from Cornell. He recently left his successful career in conservation so he could focus 100% on his writing. What MacNeill said about his book: “The novel is gripping and engaging; it drags the readers into the plot and doesn’t let go until the shocking conclusion,” “It will stick with the reader for a long time.” The optioning of iUniverse Gorging Out represents the latest success for authors who are making connections with Hollywood through Author Solutions Book-to-Screen services which include the Pitchfest events held throughout the year.
THE A LIST | JOSEPH J. CRONIN
Xlibris Author
JOSEPH J. CRONIN Unveils A New Theory To Work Success
Climbing up the career ladder may feel like an uphill battle and, worse, a Sysiphian task for many professionals who tend to miss the first important step to reaching the top. To help young professionals further their career, Xlibris author Joseph Cronin has turned his invaluable years of work experience into a self-published treasure trove of work guidelines titled Theory YOU, released in May 2014. If you dare to go beyond the daily grind and get the coveted corner office spot, Joseph challenges you to begin with you. He calls this “Theory YOU,” that is, managing yourself before managing others.
“Success should not be a dream; you have the power to make success a reality.” Joseph has an impressive career portfolio that speaks for itself. He has held years of executive positions in big advertising companies, including vice chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising. He has also played a key role in saving US automobile maker Chrysler from bankruptcy in the 80s. Moreover, he has taught global management and global marketing at Northeastern University in Boston and spoke at several US universities. His career brought him to different parts of the world, such as Asia, Europe, South America, Africa, North America, and Australasia, enriching his global view.
Applying what he learned from being a manager and an educator, Joseph felt the need to extend his mentoring outside the classroom. I had the desire to help people like the students I taught and met via on-campus speaking engagements who did not have a mentor to assist them in their career. My teaching experience made me aware and my professional experience confirmed the theory.
About the Xlibris book
“Theory YOU” launches the topic of selfmentoring. It enables the reader to learn to manage themselves as a first step toward managing others. It provides a discipline that can propel the reader to eventually reach the corner office. Successful managers start by learning to manage themselves, and use that knowledge gained from self-mentoring to better manage scrollable text
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Meet the Xlibris author of the hour, and discover his book’s important message in today’s globalization.
Inspiration for the Xlibris book Theory You
THE A LIST | CHANTELLE TAYLOR
iUniverse Author
CHANTELLE TAYLOR
iUniverse Rising Star author, Chantelle Taylor in her UK army battledress
Makes History
iUniverse is proud to feature Battleworn, an autobiography by Chantelle Taylor, who has the distinction of making history by becoming the first female soldier to kill a Taliban fighter in closequarter combat while on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
“Suddenly, overwhelmed by a fear that I was about to be shot in the face, I experience a massive rush of blood to the head.” In Battleworn, she tells her story of B Company who fought relentlessly to hold Nad-e Ali, a dusty, sweltering hellhole surrounded by the Taliban during a routine patrol that escalated into a seven-week siege. Taylor faced the possibility of death daily. The book recounts gun battles and perilous patrols, culminating in the extraction of more than sixty-six casualties with four killed in action. “Every inch a woman and every inch a warrior; In peace and war Taylor is as radiant as gold and as tough as diamond.” - Sam Kiley, author of Desperate Glory & Foreign Affairs Editor of Sky News
Not only is Battleworn a story that merits telling, it is also a tale that readers want to read as Amazon Books reports. Ranking in the top 3000 paid Kindle books of the Amazon Bestsellers table, Battleworn also ranks very high in its categories: #29 in Biography & True Accounts (Professionals & Academics), #30 in Biography & True Accounts (Leaders & Notable People), and #40 in History (Military).
More about iUniverse Battleworn author, Chantelle Taylor
Chantelle Taylor joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1998, at age 22. Years later, after numerous deployments she was recommended to take the Queens commission from the ranks. After leaving the British Army in 2009, Chantelle became a diplomatic security consultant and spent a further three years based in Iraq. Now working as a senior security adviser and consultant in tactical medicine, the former soldier is writing her second book, a novel this time, with the desire of one day writing for a movie.
As the Daily Telegraph reported
“Our vehicles cannot withstand small arms fire for long so we must react. I pop back up and scrollable text
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A powerful story that merits telling, it is written with a humility that captures the sometimes impalpable humor of soldiers at war.
iUniverse Battleworn, a winner with readers
THE A LIST | MONICA SUCHA VICKERS
Xlibris Author
MONICA SUCHA
VICKERS Defies ‘Normal’
In a world of multitude cultures, beliefs, and ethnicities, we sometimes ask what constitutes normal. A few brave souls have defied popular norms and proven that normal is more often than not a misleading label. That they have done so without appearing overbearing is even more admirable. Xlibris author Monica Sucha Vickers never thought she deserved any kind of special treatment just because she was born with three missing limbs. She heeded her father’s advice and took it to heart: “Try it first and if you can’t do it, then ask for help.” She then grew up thinking she was just like everybody else. She made her first forays into writing through her autobiography, My Extraordinary Life. Her book has indeed made life more extraordinary as it was recently named one of the honorable mentions in the 21st Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards, Life Stories category. Aside from this literary achievement, Monica is also a recipient of the following awards in the Spiritual/ Inspirational category: Beach Book Festival – Winner Great Northwest Book Festival – Runner-Up Writer’s Digest – Honorable Mention London Book Festival – Honorable Mention New England Book Festival – Honorable Mention New York Book Festival – Honorable Mention Los Angeles Book Festival – Honorable Mention San Francisco Book Festival – Honorable Mention Paris Book Festival – Honorable Mention Great Southwest Book Festival – Honorable Mention Great Southeast Book Festival – Honorable Mention
Monica talks about her extraordinary life I was born in 1954 in Nebraska—in a time and place where mentally and physically disabled people were often placed in a “home,” a facility created for such a purpose. The severity of the disability also played in the decision. Apparently, it was felt that these facilities could/would provide the specialized care and equipment that would be needed—care and equipment not readily known or easily provided by the average parent. My physical disability was quite obvious at birth. I had no legs and only one arm. The doctors didn’t even think I would live (interesting that a missing limb or limbs were a threat to life). Looking for answers, my parents were advised by the doctors that placement in such a “home” was their recommendation, and so my father embarked on a journey to find one that would best serve my needs. Xlibris witnesses Monica’s extraordinary life journey My book, My Extraordinary Life, describes our journey. My life was very “ordinary.” From a very
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THE A LIST | SHETALL RAMSINGHANI
Partridge India Welcomes
Ms. SHETALL RAMSINGHANI Author Of The Golden Hour
Hi, I am Shetall Ramsinghani, born and brought up in New Delhi and presently working for a Diplomatic Mission, i.e., for a foreign government’s office in India. I completed my graduation in Bachelor of Arts from Delhi University. My first book, Love Beyond Veils, was a book of poems, which was created with my thoughts and with the guidance of my higher self. Later on I started participating in various competitions also and won the UK pet poetry competition in 2013.
The Golden Hour is my second book and was released on 6 June 2014 by Partridge India. It has short imaginary stories of what I have seen and observed in my daily life. The Golden Hour is a varied and exciting collections of short stories with situations we face in our daily lives in cities. Some have the irony of life and some give you the strength and positive energy to move ahead no matter how life treats you. I have dedicated this book to my late grandfather, ShriGopal Das Ramsinghani, who passed away in August, 2013. The one who taught me how to live life with morals. My grandfather was very fond of reading short stories, and he enjoyed reciting them to me every evening after I returned home from work. After I lost him in August 2013, I recalled how he used to divert my mind from daily humdrum with the stories he used to read during the day after retirement. It took me a year to finish this book as I am a working woman and when priorities get mixed with passion, it does take time. The message I wish to convey to readers, through The Golden Hour, is that logic can take you from A to B, but imaginations can take you anywhere and everywhere. Come join my imaginations while reading my stories, and for a while live in your own world. Trust me, you won’t regret it. I have been promoting my book through social media and recently got my book reviewed by a journalist also, at http://www.businessinsider.in/ June-Releases-8-Cool-Books-To-Enrich-YourSummer-Reading/The-Golden-Hour/ >>
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THE A LIST | TRINA LICAVOLI GUNZEL
BookMad Is Pleased To Welcome
TRINA LICAVOLI
GUNZEL The AuthorHouse Author And Illustrator Of Grandmas Are Gorgeous!
A native of Pine, Arizona, Petrina Licavoli Gunzel (Trina) graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. While she has lived in Arizona, New Mexico, and Oregon, Trina now calls the Branson, Missouri, area home, along with her husband Jon and their two children.
Please tell us a bit about yourself.
“My name is Trina Licavoli Gunzel and I’m a children’s book author/ illustrator. I have over ten years’ experience teaching in public education and working as an educational consultant and trainer. That experience and my Master of Arts in Teaching/ Teacher Leadership give me a unique perspective on what books children enjoy, and how to use books to encourage conversations and create teachable moments.”
“I want people to teach children how to love and be compassionate by spending purposeful time together.” Do you have any literary influences that helped you develop your style and genre?
“Grandmas are Gorgeous! is written from a child’s perspective and includes examples of how her grandma really is gorgeous through her actions. Through memories and teachings, her grandma shows her that she loves her (with bright collage art pictures that relay the concepts.) It’s a wonderful gift for any mother, expecting mother, or grandma to read to children or enjoy while reflecting on memories.”
What inspired you to write your book, and how long did it take you?
“I have wanted to write and illustrate children’s books since I was a little girl. I had many book starts, but recently losing my grandparents and in-laws inspired me to create a family series of books that would inspire conversations, traditions and memories to be shared. I paid attention to what books my students enjoyed while I was teaching, and I enjoy creating activities that teach concepts of kindness and love, while relaying scrollable text
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“I have always been inspired by Maya Angelou, Jan Brett, and Eric Carle. They are some of my author role models who made me see that a career as a writer is a dream that can be accomplished. I have always enjoyed creating, sharing, and learning about art, so writing and illustrating is a perfect combination for me.”
Please tell us a little about your book.
THE A LIST | SOLOMON MWAPANGIDZA
AuthorHouse Meets
SOLOMON MWAPANGIDZA BookMad interviews AuthorHouse self-published author Solomon Mwapangidza, whose debut novel, Rebel Soldier, was recognized as the Outstanding First Creative Published Work at the 2013 Zimbabwe’s National Arts Merit Awards.
Please tell us a little about yourself.
“I was born on April 5, 1977 in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe. I attended Mutsvangwa, Ratelshoek and Chikore High Schools between 1992 and 1999 before attending the University of Zimbabwe, where I studied Literature and Theatre Arts. I’m currently studying for an MA in African and Diasporan Literature in English with Midlands State University. I teach Literature at Dangamvura High School in Mutare, Zimbabwe.”
“If you feel you have a story to tell, pick up your pen and start writing it.” Are there any particular literary influences that helped you develop your literary style, subject, and genre?
“My imagination was captured by the Romantic novel, and I grew up in a continent that is struggling to shake off vestiges of colonialism, and whose literature largely represents that struggle. I suppose Rebel Soldier is a hybrid between the Romantic novel and the African novel, though I did not consciously make it so. My wife, Linda, once remarked that the book reflects its author’s identity crisis!”
Tell us a little more about your book.
“Rebel Soldier is a story about a young, strongwilled woman, Lizzy Chiwara, who grows up in a highly oppressive patriarchal society in which she witnesses gross abuses against women. As a child, she witnesses her mother being physically and emotionally abused by her father. Her beloved Aunt Rizi dies frustrated and bitter because “they” rejected and murdered her fiancé. Lizzy’s twin, Lucy, refuses to marry the man to whom she is given to appease the avenging spirit of Aunt Rizi’s boyfriend, and she commits suicide instead. After Lucy’s death, Lizzy must now be married off to that same man for the same purpose, but she too refuses. She vows to never get married or fall in love, in solidarity with her twin and aunt. She pledges loyalty and love to them, vowing to take her revenge on men. But that loyalty is severely tested when it turns out that the man she is being forced to marry is the same man she has always secretly loved. In a society where belief in the influence of the dead over the living runs deep, Lizzy faces a serious dilemma: to accept this man is to betray her deceased twin and aunt (incurring their wrath,) but to decline the offer is to betray her own heart. What happens to a yearning repressed, a longing sacrificed to principle and loyalty? That is the heart of the story.”
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THE A LIST | CECELIA MAY BROWN
Jack-Of-All-Trades:
CECELIA MAY BROWN Although some say a jack-of-all-trades is a master at none, Cecelia May Brown has undoubtedly proved otherwise. Brown has discovered her calling by incorporating several of her countless talents in a unique manner. Brown’s book, Aroma Remembers, epitomizes her quest to bring to light the spiritual connection that we all share.
“Aroma Remembers provides a new perspective on bullying in this day and age.” At the tender age of seven, Brown and her family migrated from Jamaica to settle in the Bronx, New York. Throughout her school days, she flourished academically to become an honor student. Upon finishing high school, Brown proceeded to Cornell University where she obtained a BA in Psychology. Continuing her studies at Northeastern University of Law, she graduated with a JD degree. As an attorney, Brown scaled the ranks to become an administrative law judge. However her interests were yet to be fulfilled. Brown’s curiosity in the metaphysical world saw her become a board member of the Unity Church of Christianity. Continuing on the same path, Brown became a Mahikari practitioner and became a Reiki master under the Usui method in 1998.
Currently, Brown is an ordained minister, an artist, a counsellor, and a metaphysical healer. Brown believes her qualifications allow her to promote all her talents in each of her vocations. Similarly, she believes that all positive traits are encompassed by courage, and everyone has the potential to personify this courage and its inherent qualities. Aroma Remembers provides a new perspective on bullying in this day and age. Written in a humorous approach, Brown manages to address the serious issue that the youth today face. Brown’s ability to extend universal truths using a group of teenagers in her story relates to her current professions and the metaphysical principles in our daily lives. Copies of Aroma Remembers are available in E-Book, softcover, and hardcover for $7.50, $14.50, and $24.50 respectively.
THE A LIST | QAMRUDDIN
Partridge India Welcomes
Mr. QAMRUDDIN Author Of Love, Live And Leap Ahead, To Discuss His New Book
“I have written a book, Love, Live and Leap Ahead. This book is being published through Partridge India. It is a motivational book. You may categorize this book as a fiction or a motivational book, whatever you like. But for me it is a motivational fiction. This book, Love, Live and Leap Ahead tells us how to put the great ideology into practice in day-to-day mundane life. I have intertwined the ideas in the story form in this book to generate curiosity. This is an
amazing fiction, incorporating principles of success, happiness, joy and human spirituality and built on insights into unconditional love, forgiveness, gratitude, understanding, enthusiasm, hope and faith. This motivational fiction demonstrates how you can be happy, serene and successful in all the circumstances. This is a journey into your subconscious mind. Just read it for the joy of reading and let the subconscious take over and ingrain success principles and inspirational ideas into your disposition.
From the back cover: “Mr. Qamruddin is an experienced and successful motivational trainer, author, life coach, speaker, and compere. He has trained so many persons to live an effective, peaceful, and meaningful life. He is an adroit storyteller and has authored three motivational books. These books have effectively changed lives of so many persons. He delves deep into lives and spirits of great thinkers and achievers. He has dexterously shown that worthwhile accomplishments can be achieved with faith, hope, courage and enthusiasm. He has demonstrated how the power of Hope, faith, enthusiasm, laughter, kindness, unconditional love, gratitude, and positive mental attitude can be applied successfully in life on a daily basis. He has also explained how you can live a life of serenity, ease, joy, peace and happiness in adverse situations.”
THE A LIST | NINA ERRYCK
Partridge Africa Kicks Off With The Launch Of NINA ERRYCK’s
Starstruck
Partridge Africa is delighted to announce the publication of Starstruck, a story of the twists and turns of romance, which takes place during the excitement of the World Cup.
Nina Erryck is an English and psychology graduate from the University of Ghana. She lives with her family in Ghana’s capital city, Accra, while juggling the demands of a career in finance with her passions for reading, writing, and watching films. Nina is a voracious reader and loves to create stories. “I have loved reading since as long as I can remember,” says Nina. “I totally hated math and so I skipped most of my math classes and hid in the school library reading. I love reading, because to me it’s an escape from the real world when things become too stressful or just too real.” She also adds that “While I really don’t have much of a professional literary background, I have always known that I can write, and I have written a great deal of stuff that I never had the bravery to try to publish until Starstruck.” Nina’s book – the first launched by Partridge Africa – is a romantic novel set against the timely setting of the World Cup. As a further dimension, her homeland, Ghana, fielded a strong team this year that presented a challenge to the formidable members of its division – Portugal, the US, and Germany.
Starstruck celebrates the transformation and selfsearching that take place through the course of finding and catching the one you love. In the novel, a famous but self-centred soccer star, Roland Degraft, finds himself infatuated with two strong-spirited young women, neither of whom are falling at his feet as he’d anticipated. To find his right match, he needs to discover the humility involved in giving yourself wholeheartedly – and leaving your own heart open – to another person.
“I love reading, because to me it’s an escape from the real world when things become too stressful or just too real.” Nina states that Starstruck is only the beginning of her writing ambitions. “I really hope that someday I can just be a writer and nothing else,” she says. “My writing is more of a personal thing -- a gift, if you will -- that I plan to hone into a skill. I have a very active imagination, and I create stories from almost everything that happens around me.” Partridge Africa looks forward to reading more of Nina’s stories, and congratulates her once again on Starstruck!
THE A LIST | VANDANA SINHA
Partridge India Author
VANDANA SINHA Presents Her Blog
Partridge India is honoured to present a blog from Vandana Sinha, author of Random Thoughts. Ms. Sinha tells Partridge India about her writing passion and self-publishing experience.
My writings
Writing is my love and passion. I’m lost to the world when my fingers are plonking away on the keyboard. A sort of an umbilical connect betwixt my thoughts and words, as do I leave my pen unharnessed with the utmost candour. My writings are not only candid but verge many a times onto bluntness because I strongly feel, any art which allows itself to get impacted by external factors loses its intrinsic worth. Art is an expression of an artiste, an expression of the artiste’s innermost self. Let it go, like a horse ungirdled, with its flowing mane, in all its naked beauty.
“Art is an expression of an artiste, an expression of the artiste’s innermost self.”
Self-publishing with Partridge India
It’s been a great experience working with Partridge India. My debut book, Random Thoughts, with not the slightest idea of what publication was all about, when I stepped into it. Since everything was slotted by days I knew exactly what to expect when. Self-publishing was great since it gave me the feel of literally seeing my baby going through the various stages of crawling, teething, toddling, walking, into teens and then on the threshold of marriage. Getting a book published had been on my mind lately. While browsing the net, Partridge India literally fell in my lap. In the sense, the moment I went onto its link, my mind was immediately made up. Everything I read was exactly in accordance to what I was looking out for. Plus, it being a Penguin Random House Company spoke further of its merits. My mind was made up, then and there. A quick succession of telephone calls from Partridge India’s end and the process of publication started. A complete novice in the field of publication I was completely at a loss many a times. Everything was electronic, viz.
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My writings are versatile, ranging from those aspects of life, I feel strongly about, softly moving into the misty haze, as I find myself running with a childish glee to catch a butterfly or an utterly spoilt brat, my Papa’s brat, pulling the roof down on some pretext or the other. It takes me little to jump from a lady of wisdom to a pretty, little girl, a menace to her teachers. How . . . because despite being so many years young that pampered girl still lurks in me somewhere, bringing that impish smile onto my lips and eyes, as though at the ‘drop of a hat’.
Penning anything comes effortlessly to me because I can never camouflage my feelings. I am as I am and love myself for the way I am. Public image matters not to me, the reason why I sleep like a babe, the moment my head hits the pillow.
THE A LIST | CHRISTINE AMOUR-LEVAR
CHRISTINE AMOUR-LEVAR Reveals Her Secrets To Being Mummylicious
Partridge Singapore is proud to announce the launch of The Smart Girl’s Handbook to Being MUMMYLICIOUS, a practical guide offering advice to post-natal mothers on how to get back in the groove and maintain their edge mentally and physically.
Christine Amour-Levar is an extraordinary individual. Fluent in six languages, she has worked in high-pressure marketing roles for Nike across four continents, holds degrees in International Business and Interior Design, and launched Singapore’s only multi-brand Brazilian fashion boutique, while also contributing articles to various periodicals and founding a charity devoted to ending violence against women. In between all of this, she has raised four children and remained active in their daily lives. Hence, Christine’s Handbook speaks from experience. The book, published by Partridge Singapore, contains 19 chapters, in which Christine outlines how to bring yourself back into tip-top shape—literally from the moment you return home from the hospital. Her wisdom extends from breastfeeding, exercise, and diets to the more psychological aspects of postpregnancy, such as finding yourself attractive again, continuing your romantic relationship with your partner, and keeping intellectually active.
As Christine said in an interview just after publishing her book, “Motherhood is the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me, and raising my four children is the greatest job I could ever undertake. Nevertheless, I do manage to pack in quite a lot of other activities, projects, work, hobbies, and passions. Because of this, I feel I am able to lead a fulfilling and meaningful life.” Christine writes in a familiar, sitting-next-to-you style, which makes you feel that she is your trusted companion, and the book is loaded with humorous observations and personal anecdotes to keep you smiling. At the same time, the Handbook doesn’t go completely soft on you, and provides a Weight-Loss Contract with Yourself and a Measuring Table for your figure. Lest that appear too strict, the 25 Mummylicious Recipes help you along that rough road back to your old shapely self.
SOPA DE LETRAS | ARIEL ORAMA LÓPEZ
ARIEL ORAMA LÓPEZ “La plasticidad será el metal más preciado del futuro”
Vivimos en un mundo cada vez más globalizado y virtual pero no por ello menos interconectado. Una tendencia creciente de las sociedades que el autor de Palibrio, Ariel Orama López -‡AG en su faceta artística-, ha decidido trasladar a un plano individual para cumplir con su objeto de estudio: explicar el comportamiento del ser humano actual a partir de los cambios sociales. Por la envergadura de su ambición, las respuestas llegan con su obra Sinapsis Crëativa, fruto de 13 años de investigación pluridisciplinar que han conseguido crear de forma innovadora un nuevo marco teórico de la conducta humana. Su secreto: la integración de dos variables hasta ahora aparentemente contrapuestas, creatividad y neurociencia -o el binomio arteciencia-, atadas a la virtualidad.
El libro de las mil disciplinas
Para sus indagaciones, Orama ha partido de los hallazgos sobre la denominada “década del cerebro”, el encéfalo y las conexiones neuronales pero ha añadido a la misma neurociencia terrenos hasta el momento poco estudiados, la creatividad y la virtualidad. “Ante la carencia de un marco teórico que explicara la conducta humana actual a partir de la integración del binomio creatividad-neurociencia y que propusiera maneras distintas de observar las interacciones, de un ser humano conectado a lo virtual, a los denominados objetos nómadas (celulares, ipad, otros) y a lo global, decidí emprender este proyecto”, asegura. Por paradójico que pueda parecer, todo ello lo ha llevado a concebir la creatividad desde la mirada científica y la neurociencia desde una mirada creativa. A ello le ayudaron las enseñanzas adquiridas a lo largo de su dilatada trayectoria profesional como psicólogo clínico: Estudios de psicología y ciencias naturales, experiencias docentes y de >>
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SOPA DE LETRAS | DIANA DIZDAREVIC
DIANA DIZDAREVIC “Hoy es el momento más importante de nuestra vida”
Leerla empuja a comerse el mundo. Sus enseñanzas transmiten confianza, pensamientos positivos y autoestima con un objetivo: “Transmitir las técnicas de empoderamiento que llevarán a lograr la felicidad”. Unos conocimientos que la autora de Palibrio, Diana Dizdarevic, ha obtenido gracias a su Doctorado en Coach y Liderazgo y su Certificación Internacional en Coach de Vida Integral y que ahora decide compartir con los lectores en el libro Coaching de éxito. Se trata de un ensayo de “autoayuda y motivación” que transmite útiles pautas de actitud ante los acontecimientos de la vida para ayudar a liberarse de las emociones negativas: “Hoy es el momento más importante de nuestra vida”, destaca la doctora.
Cambiando nosotros, cambiará el mundo
Basándose en una filosofía de crecimiento personal y mejora del potencial humano, el llamado coaching, la escritora insta a los lectores a liberar todo lo negativo que obstruye su camino al éxito y no poner límites al pensamiento propio. Nacidos de su tesis, los conocimientos de este libro publicado en español se podrían resumir en una máxima según la cual la persona es siempre la responsable de aquello que le sucede en la vida: “Si queremos que el mundo cambie, primero debemos empezar por cambiar nosotros mismos”, apunta.
Uno de los actos de presentación del libro de Diana Dizdarevic, ‘Coaching de éxito’
A partir de valores como “amor, compromiso y respeto por uno mismo y las propias >>
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Wi n n i n g T ip s for aspiring authors
Earlier this year at WonderCon Anaheim, AuthorHouse and Golden Apple Comics announced the launch of publishing packages designed specifically for comic book and graphic novel authors. Says Ryan Liebowitz, general manager of Golden Apple Comics, “I talk to comic creators in our store on a weekly basis who are searching for an easy and
affordable way to get their work out there. The package is a solution for graphic novelists to instantly get books into distribution, which is the key to success.” In celebration of this great new opportunity for artists and writers alike, today we present some helpful tips for writing graphic novels!
F i ve Tips f or W ri ti n g Gra p h i c N o v e ls 1. Look to film for guidance – in some ways, graphic novels have more in common with movies than novels. How? The visual element. Graphic novels are expected to show, not just tell, and you should avoid simply using the script to express everything. Movies face the same restriction, unless they resort to voiceovers. At the same time, the text portion of a graphic novel is one advantage that screenwriters don’t have. Internal monologues, emotions, and ideas might be difficult (or time-consuming) to show with pictures; a line or two of prose, however, can cut right to the chase and move the story along. 2. Include relevant details in the script, not just the drawings – while keeping #1 in mind, critical information should always be mentioned or pointed out in the script. Some readers will focus on the text while skimming over the artwork, and even just a brief mention of a key detail can help keep them from getting lost. 3. Stick figures and thumbnails – The script comes first, the art comes later. Period. You’ll likely be doing some heavy editing (see #5) and there’s no reason to create artwork that won’t make the finished book. In the meantime though, make use of stick figures and crude thumbnails; they’ll give you an idea of what drawings are needed, how you’ll distribute text, and allow you to receive feedback from test readers–again, before the final artwork is drawn. 4. Great writing can’t prop up bad art, and vice versa – You’re probably better at one of the two skills (writing and drawing) than the other, but you have to be able to produce quality work
>>
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MARK
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2014 -Toronto
September 21, 2014 Queen’s Park Circle
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Revenge of Money
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ISBN: 978-1-49690-900-8 Price: $6.99 Also available in: Paperback, Hardback
by Alfred Lenarciak
About the Author
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Alfred Lenarciak was born in Poland. He escaped the Communist regime in 1974 and later immigrated to Montreal, Canada. His degrees in engineering and finance were platform that allowed him to invest and work all over the world over a span of 30 years. In 1990, he was part of the team advising Poland’s newly democratic government to implement economic reforms, where he met many of the leaders from that period. During the last decade, he has been developing the ancestral estate of his wife in >>
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Between 1989 and 1990 SOLIDARNOSC (Solidarity) movement, under the leadership of Lech Walesa, was the key catalyst in the fall of the Berlin Wall and the final collapse of the Communist regime. Solidarity was greatly supported by Polish Pope, John Paul II, US President Ronald Reagan and UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Even Polish and Soviet police couldn’t crush the determination of millions devoted Catholics, who prayed on their knees together with the Solidarity chaplain, Monsignor Henryk Jankowski. Various foundations created by Monsignor received charitable
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SPOTTED AROUND TOWN
Author Douglas Is Getting His Message Across When we wrote about debut iUniverse author Douglas Gardham back in September last year*, we said he had set a big challenge for himself with his career change from engineer to novelist. Toronto-based Douglas got off to a great start with five-star reviews for his novel, The Actor; however, it has been his own relentless book-marketing efforts that have really gained him recognition and a substantial following. From TV and radio interviews, newspaper coverage, book videos, to using the full gamut of social media, including gathering nearly 15,000 Twitter followers and seemingly never-ending book signings, Douglas has really embraced the self-publishing ethos and effective book marketing.
To learn more about Douglas and where his next book signings are, visit his blog or check him out on social media.
Better still, buy The Actor at the iUniverse bookstore.
* http://www.authors.iuniversepublisher.com/rising-stars/self-publishing-company-introduces-douglas-gardham/
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