Back to back books to read!

I just finished two books that I liked so much I had to share. First, A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.

It is not the kind of book I typically pick up. It was recommended by a friend...in fact, he went and got it for me at the library so I didn't have much of a choice. Not that I wanted a choice, he hasn't steered me wrong on suggestions thus far.

However, when I started the book I was a tad skeptical as I saw the title of the first chapter and started reading. A few hours later I was wishing the book didn't have to end, all the while trying to rush to the end.

It's a book that will stay with me. I wanted to live next to Ove. I wanted to know him. It reminded me of my grandfather. It had me looking at life a little differently. It may be one of the best books I have read in many years.

I'm not going to tell you anything more about the book. Or about Ove. I just want you to read it. I will tell you that I had tears in my eyes at the end and that's a rare, rare experience for me when reading a book.

The second book was an impulse grab that I picked up at the same time Ove was put in my hands. I always grab 7 or 8 books at the library, Before the Fall by Noah Hawley was on an end cap and I grabbed it without reading the insert. I just liked the title and cover and needed one more book to finish out my stack.

It was also happenstance that I read it right after A Man Called Ove. The two could not be any more unlike the other in tone, story line or characters. Yet it dovetailed perfectly with Ove. It made me think, it was an affirmation of life, it was another book that had me looking at life and maybe some of the people in my life a little differently.

Before the Fall is a book about a plane crash, the lives of the people on the plane and all those who are touched. It was an interesting look at the intersections of lives, coincidences, while showing some interesting aspects of our current world. At times I wanted the author to go more in depth but then I found myself liking the way he made ME travel down the paths, let me come to my own conclusions.

Not telling you any more about that one either. You have to read it.

Love to hear back from you if you either or both.

What would you miss the most?

I just finished re-reading One Second After by William Forstchen. It's an interesting book, thought provoking and scary. It's a story about what happens after an EMP attack is unleashed on America.

I see that they're in production at Warner Bros. to make a movie with the book as the basis. I'll go see it.

The scary part of the book is that it's a true possibility. Many of the apocalyptic movies and books are so far removed from the realm of possibility that I would classify them as entertainment. The things that happen in One Second After could happen. I doubt it would happen on the scale that's depicted in the book, but even an EMP over our major cities would create devastating havoc for many, many years.

An EMP is an Electro Magnetic Pulse. I won't go into details, it's easy to look it up (and I'm definitely not an expert!). On a very-simplistic level --- it would wipe out, shut down, kill computers, cars with electronic components, airplanes, your electric can opener,  trains...anything that has a computer circuit or is run by any form of electricity. Here's a quote from the "About EMP" section on Forstchen's website: "In far less than a milli second the entire power grid of the United States, and all that it supports will be destroyed." (http://onesecondafter.com/pb/wp_d10e87d9/wp_d10e87d9.html)

Destroyed.

How do you repair things without electronics? Dams would shut down. Trains wouldn't run. Freezers wouldn't work. Electric power tools would be useless. Tractors, dead. Processing machines, kaput. Circuit board fried.

Most grocery stores have maybe three days of food. They rely on heaters, coolers, freezers and transportation.

How far are you from a grocery store? Right now you hop in your car and drive the five or ten miles. Unless you have a clunker from the 60s or earlier you vehicle isn't going to work. So... think about walking. Think about carrying the food home. Think about how fast those who got their first would clean out the shelves.

If you do have a clunker that works how are you going to fill the tank with gas? The gas station pumps aren't going to work.


No communication either. No radio or TV no Internet to tell us what's going on. No cell phones. No telephones, either. You wouldn't know what was going on with your son in college, your daughter who's visiting a friend across town or your parents living in another state.

Hospital equipment unable to function, elevators stopped or crashed... People in the inner cities would start to move outward hoping for food to live on. How long before the animals on the farms are butchered without thought to the future?

We gradually acquired skills and knowledge to bring us to our current wonderful lifestyles. What happens when all at once everyone loses everything? Most of us don't have even basic survival skills. Do you know what's edible in the forest? How to butcher a deer (assuming you could figure out how to kill it in the first place)? Know where the nearest stream is with fish? Could you grow a garden with edible food before you starved? Could you protect it from those who are out to survive any way possible?

Since reading the book for the first time I sometimes look at some of the things I take for granted and wonder what I'd miss most. Some of the big things are easy --- connection with family, communication, heat, air conditioning, FOOD. Transportation. Refills on medicines.

But, assuming I was one who managed to somehow survive for a period of time, I sometimes wonder what little things I'd miss the most?

I always think about toilet paper. Once whatever I have in the house is gone it's gone.
Toothpaste.

Bandaids.
Aspirin.

Shampoo.
Hot tea.
Napkins.
Contact lenses / replacement glasses.
Tape.
Music.

What about you? 

Here are a few links to get you started if you'd like to know more about EMPs:
http://onesecondafter.com/pb/wp_d10e87d9/wp_d10e87d9.html
http://www.futurescience.com/emp/emp-protection.html
http://unitedstatesaction.com/emp-terror.htm

Supplemental Notification of Authors and Publishers About Google Book Search Settlement Begins Today

/PRNewswire/ -- Distribution of the Supplemental Notice in the Google Book Search Settlement is now taking place. The Supplemental Notice summarizes the principal changes from the Original Settlement to the Amended Settlement. The Court overseeing the case preliminarily approved the Amended Settlement, and approved the Supplemental Notice, on November 19, 2009.

Please visit http://www.googlebooksettlement.com/ for detailed information, including the Supplemental Notice and revised key dates. The website is available in 36 languages.

The Court will hold a hearing on whether to grant final approval of the Amended Settlement on February 18, 2010.

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First-hand Stories from Marine Corps Boot Camp

/PRNewswire/ -- From the rifle range to the mess hall, the obstacle course to swimming, "A Few Good Memories, Tales of Marine Corps Boot Camp" (published by Trafford Publishing) by Marine Bob Taylor shares more than 400 first-hand stories of Marines and their experience during an amazing time of each of their lives -- boot camp.

"My book is a collection of stories collected through my web site in 1999," Taylor said, who also got a chance to spend two weeks in 2000 at camp at Parris Island. "Over the years, I had read many Marine books - most were of the 'blood and guts' variety. I published the web site and requested first-hand humorous stories about Boot Camp from the Marines who experienced them.

"Hardly two months had passed when I had received over a thousand stories," he added. "I began a difficult selection to filter the best. Most were the humorous type I had envisioned, but a few nostalgic and sad stories made the cut because of their quality - and the balance they provided."

Readers are sure to enjoy the first-hand stories of the men and women of the United States who have volunteered to train to be Marines and defend the country against foreign enemies as well as the highly professional Marine drill instructors, who work day and night to produce the best fighting men and women in the world.

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Book Review: Other Places - A Family's World War II Experience in Germany and the US

Author Ria Veeren takes readers back to World War II and the struggles of one Dutch family in Other Places. The story is her story as she tells of her immigration to America in 1948 and also of the events which led to her immigration.

Of interest in the book are parts of her family's life in Holland and in Germany during World War II and her father's role in providing for his family during a time of war. Excerpts from her father's, Jack Veeren, diary will appeal to those who have an avid interest in history. The elder Veeren, a photographer, served as in interpreter for the Americans immediately after the war.

Those of who have never lived through a war or have the memories shared by the greatest generation will benefit from learning about the effects of a war on everyday people. Other Places is this experience for one family and worth reading.

Staff Report

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Book Review: defining Twilight; Enticing Teens to Learn

"Quick," I said to my teenager. "Define futilely." The eyes that bore back into mine were blank, almost oblivious to my question. "Are you woolgathering?"

"What is this?", asked the teenager who was now experiencing grave misgivings over the decision to walk in to the room with me as I sat reading.

So began my excursion into defining Twilight by Brian Leaf, a delightful book chock full of vocabulary words. What's the deal?

The Twilight book series by Stephenie Meyer has been the latest rage among teens and young adults for a couple of years now. The movie is seen on a regular basis at my house as others descend in droves. The books are so popular that I've walked in and found the teens playing Twilight Trivia or reciting favorite lines of the movie. The books are kept close as a reference so the kids can be sure of their facts.

I admit I had seen the movie, but had not taken time to actually read the book. When asked to review defining Twilight, I knew I had to bite the bullet and jump head first into the land of chaste vampires. The Twilight book was fun to read, and it was full of wonderful words not commonly used by teens today. Do they understand the meanings?

Enter Leaf's defining Twilight, and it's a match made perfect for any student studying to take one of the college entrance exams. Leaf has provided an entertaining way to use the Twilight book as an aid to learning vocabulary. It's a great concept. Read the page in the book, and define the word. There are also quick exercises to use to complement learning the definitions.

It sure beats digging out the old Digests I had to use when I was studying for the SAT. Perhaps I would have scored better on the standardized tests of my day if someone had made learning the vocabulary more pertinent to the times.

Leaf will release his second book in the Defining series in October. I can't wait to see the words he defines and introduce them to my teen.

Staff Report

Defining Twilight

RJ Note: Who knew that this latest rage not only has tons of people reading again, but it would be educational too?

(NAPSI)-Fans of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series can't resist the allure of Edward's myriad charms-his ocher eyes and tousled hair, the cadence of his speech, his chiseled, alabaster skin-and it could improve their vocabulary.

A new study guide for mastering these vocabulary words and others found on the SAT, ACT, GED and SSAT exams can help students learn more than 600 words based on their context in the popular vampire-romance series.

To use the book, "Defining Twilight" (Wiley) by Brian Leaf, you refer to the page where each vocabulary word appears, read the word in context and come up with a definition. Then you check your definitions against those provided in the workbook, make corrections and complete the drills.

The book also offers synonyms, word parts and memorization tools as well as drills and quizzes to integrate the new material.

"I would never have believed that students could study vocabulary and enjoy a great book like 'Twilight' at the same time, but Brian Leaf makes it possible," said Peter Facinelli, who plays Dr. Carlisle Cullen in the "Twilight" saga movies.

The book will be followed with a "Defining New Moon" vocabulary guide. To learn more about the book and read an excerpt, visit www.cliffnotes.com/go/definingtwilight and the "Defining Twilight" Facebook page.

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Georgia Preacher Rescued Apollo 11 Astronauts

/PRNewswire/ -- When Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins splashed down into the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969 after their historic moonwalk, the first human they saw had flowers plastered all over his wetsuit. A picture of Wolfram standing on top of the capsule holding on to the recovery loop like a cowboy on a bucking bronco was plastered all over America's newspapers and periodicals, including the now-defunct Look magazine. You can't miss Wolfram. His flowers distinguish him from the others.

Wolfram remembers that remarkable day as if it were yesterday, "Who would have thought that a 20-year-old seaman like me would have ever gotten the chance to be part of history? Dreams do come true."

Rescuing astronauts was not the only adventure of Wolfram's short navy career. He was deployed twice to Vietnam where he received a purple heart from a leg wound received during a firefight with the Viet Cong. John lost eight close friends, "I was one of the fortunate ones. I was able to return to the U.S. and pick up where I left off."

John's amazing story is chronicled in a book he has published called Splashdown, The Rescue of a Navy Frogman -- just in time for the 40th anniversary of the first Moon landing. Wolfram not only describes in detail his journey to become a Navy UDT/SEAL, he also shares with readers his personal struggles, coping with drugs and the controversial war. While hallucinating on LSD in a Vietnam hotel room, he escaped the horrors of suicide after hearing a familiar voice -- the one that had spoken to him once before as a child.

With the help of faith that never left his side, Wolfram weaves into his narrative how while he was trained to rescue others, he found himself in need of rescue.

When asked the question, what do you want readers to get out of your book, among other things? His reply was "to realize someone is out there, urging us to try, to take the risk, to brave the danger, and standing ready to reveal Himself as our savior."

Wolfram's own conversion came at the end of his four-year Navy enlistment. His turnaround was so dramatic that many of his UDT-11 teammates were also converted. Four of them became preachers of the gospel.

Wolfram's Christian journey has led him back to Vietnam, among those whom he fought in order to lead them to Jesus. "Going back to Vietnam was a rush beyond words," says Wolfram. "I faced my demons and answered God's call all at the same time. I've been making trips every year since the early '90s."

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Self -Editing Improves Manuscript for Publishing

RJ Note: Becoming an author certainly sounds fun. Of course, I am published in print for all eternity. I do wonder if this book idea in my head could actually be put on paper. What about you?

/24-7/ -- A writer who wants to publish often entrusts manuscript enhancement to expensive third-party editors. However, no one can do the first round of improvements better than the person who can best keep the written ideas closest to the original: the author.

Drawn below is EDIT. These are practical tips for a writer to self-edit before giving the manuscript to a publishing company. The acronym makes the guidelines easier to remember as a writer plans about how to get a book published.

Eliminate. Get rid of improper words and replace them with accurate ones needed to convey the message. To get the most precise word that describes an idea, it is best to use a thesaurus. When in doubt of the meaning of a word, consult a dictionary. Even if already repeatedly used, a word may imply another meaning when taken in a different context.

Try to eliminate the negatives. Using the word "not" is sometimes effective for emphasis. Nevertheless, sentences written in a positive tone are generally better and stronger than negative ones.

Design check. Another way of self-editing a manuscript is to check the design of the sentences. This means looking at structure, construction and even figures of speech.

Watch for passive sentences. It is always clearer to express an idea when sentences are in active rather than in passive voice. The subject-verb-object structure describes action rather than illustrates situations and this provides readers with an easier understanding of what a writer wants to tell.

Keep an eye for the right punctuation marks and avoid complex sentences as much as possible.

Be consistent and careful in using figures of speech: they must be within the context of the descriptions. Do not confuse readers by comparing something to a forest only to associate it later to an ocean. Using figures of speech is for a purpose, not just for a play on words. Use them creatively and logically.

Inspect. Thoroughly examine each sentence for accuracy of grammar and spelling. Check out your word processor for this application but be watchful in applying the changes to your manuscript.

Test. A writer must test how the message sounds by reading the manuscript aloud. This allows revision of awkward phrasings and avoids redundancy.

These are the four handy self-editing tips that are vital to the publishing process. To complete your publishing journey, you may request a free book publishing guide.

For more information, please visit http://www.xlibris.com/requestkit/index.asp?src=apr&key=rc , e-mail pressrelease@xlibris.com or call at 1-888-795-4247, to receive a free publishing guide.

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10 Tips To Get Your Book Published

RJ Note: Ever thought about writing a book? Here are some tips in case you're writing and are now thinking of the next phase- publishing.

(StatePoint) Over 412,000 books were published in the past 12 months. That means over 1,100 books are flooding the marketplace daily - or almost one a minute.

So how can you break through the clutter to get your book published, promoted, and sold?

"The good news is there's no better time in the history of publishing for individuals seeking access to the marketplace," says publishing veteran Brian Feinblum. "You're no longer at the mercy of big publishing houses. You can get a book published on your own with minimal financial investment - and reap a greater percentage of the profits."

Feinblum, a former book editor and publicist, is the chief marketing officer of Planned Television Arts (PTA), the nation's largest and oldest book promotions firm. He often helps self-published or first time authors.

PTA (www.plannedtvarts.com) has helped many authors become best-sellers, nurturing thousands of unknowns to become household names. Their clients include: Wiley & Sons, Simon & Schuster, Harper Collins, Random House, Penguin Putnam and McGraw-Hill.

Here are 10 tips from Feinblum on how to get published:

* If you want a traditional publisher to publish your book you usually need a literary agent. An agent will take 15 percent of the money the book generates. Once a literary agent agrees to represent you and finds a publisher, it can take another 12-18 months to publish the book. To locate an agent, consult the "Literary Market Place," a directory available at most libraries.

* Self-publish. This means you invest money to print your books. You get to keep all profits and retain control of the editing, cover, and content. It's best to find a distributor who can sell your book to bookstores and libraries, and generate sales to corporations and associations. A distributor typically takes about 25 to 30 percent of the proceeds.

* If you want to get published quickly, keep most of your profits, and lay-out little money, consider using print-on-demand publishers such as iUnivese.com, Trafford, or Blurb.com. Instead of printing thousands of books in advance, they print a book when a consumer orders it.

* Publish an e-book. No printing is involved. People order your book online and it's downloaded or emailed to them.

* To convince a literary agent to represent you or a publisher to publish you, create a book proposal. You must identify what your book is about, why you're qualified to write it, how big the marketplace is, what your competing titles are, and how you plan to promote and market the book. It's not enough to have a good idea or a well-written book.

* Publishers are looking for authors with a platform or following. Create a Web site, blog regularly, build an e-zine mailing list, podcast, speak at local groups, and network at LinkedIn.com and other sites.

* Check if the media is featuring the topic your book covers. If it's fiction, find similar novels. You want to follow a trend and tie into it. However, uniqueness counts. If yours is the only book of its kind, you may have found an underserved niche, ready to be exploited.

* Attend Book Expo America (www.bookexpoamerica.com), the annual publishing event featuring publishers, literary agents, editors and booksellers.

* Read about the publishing industry. "Publishers Weekly" is the magazine covering book publishing. They also have a free daily e-zine. Consult www.publishersweekly.com.

* Tell everyone you know you're trying to get published. Send sample chapters to friends, co-workers, family, etc. You may get lucky and get discovered. At the very least, you'll get useful feedback.

For additional tips on getting your book published or promoted, email feinblumb@plannedtvarts.com. To learn more about book publicity, visit www.plannedtvarts.com.

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Dr. Ben Johnson Services, LLC Releases a New Book about Breast Health

RJ Note: Food for thought, or is it thoughts to read?

24-7 -- Most women pay little attention to their breasts unless there is a problem. A new book, The Secret of Health: Breast Wisdom (Morgan James 2008) by Ben Johnson, M.D., D.O., N.M.D. and Kathleen Barnes, changes that focus to breast health.

As an integrative cancer specialist, Dr. Ben Johnson has treated hundreds of women with breast cancer. The experience led him to seek ways to increase awareness of the directions women can take to keep their breasts healthy, thereby diminishing their risk of breast cancer and other breast diseases.

Dr. Johnson and his co-author have a unique approach to breast health that stems from the principles of the Law of Attraction as presented in the blockbuster movie, The Secret, in which Dr. Johnson appears. The book expands on the Law of Attraction by adding the principles of quantum physics and cellular memory that show how deeply our emotions affect every cell in our bodies, causing wellness or illness.

"Dr. Ben Johnson and Kathleen Barnes have fresh new ideas based on solid science and on the truths of the Law of Attraction," said Hyla Cass, M.D. author of 8 Weeks to Vibrant Health (McGraw-Hill 2006)

The Secret of Health: Breast Wisdom is written to provide greater breadth and scope on maintaining healthy breasts than other similar books. Unlike other books that deal primarily with breast cancer, The Secret of Health: Breast Wisdom focuses on dietary and lifestyle choices that create breast health for women of all ages.

Dr. Johnson explains some of the principles used to bring about healing on the deepest possible levels:

"To put it in the simplest possible terms: Your body, down to the individual cells, remembers and believes messages about you that may not be true.

"These messages are lies. Somewhere along the line, you might have been told you were stupid, ugly or not good enough. These messages may have come from your family, from society, even from generations past."

The Secret of Health: Breast Wisdom offers ways to heal those toxic memories, to re-establish healthy communication between cells by eliminating all sorts of old cellular memories based to help us learn on all levels to forge a sense of self-worth, something that many women are lacking.

Johnson, co-author with Kathleen Barnes, said modern medicine focuses on disease conditions rather than on means of creating health. "Nowhere in medicine is this as apparent as in breast health," says Dr. Johnson.

The Secret of Health: Breast Wisdom is loaded with practical advice and personal anecdotes from both Barnes and Dr. Johnson about wearing bras, thermograms versus mammograms, the healthiest diet, the best supplements, and much more.

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