Digital vs. Print: The Book Battle Rages On February 2, 2015 – Posted in: Blog, Books, Inspiration, Thoughts

As the holiday shopping season swings into full force, it’s interesting to watch people buying books. Many a wish list has everything from the latest by Stephen King to an Amazon Gift Card (an actual card or via email) to a new e-reader device. Yet the battle for which is more popular is truly running neck and neck. No matter who you ask, the answer is always different, and usually very passionate. Christine Donovan, from Deerfield Beach, FL, says, “I love my Kindle! I can have anything I want at my fingertips! The store is always open, no matter what my mood.” Essentially, she’s right. The internet is always open, and you can go to any site that sells digital books, pick what you want, pay and within seconds it’s downloaded onto whatever device you use. Yet others will say, “But I love the feel/look/smell of a book in my hands,… Read More

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Life, The Big Lebowski, and What Have You January 30, 2015 – Posted in: Blog, Books, Review

Lebowski ipsum dO YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS, LARRY? Dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit praesent ac magna justo pellentesque ac lectus quis. Mr. Lebowski asked me to repeat that: Her life is in your hands. Elit blandit fringilla a ut turpis praesent felis ligula, malesuada suscipit malesuada non. That is our most modestly priced receptacle. Ultrices non urna sed orci ipsum, placerat id condimentum rutrum, rhoncus. Yeah man, it really tied the room together. Ac lorem aliquam placerat posuere neque, at dignissim magna ullamcorper in aliquam sagittis massa. Zere ARE no ROOLZ! Ac tortor ultrices faucibus curabitur. I SAY VEE CUT OFF YOUR CHONSON! Eu mi sapien, ut ultricies. Excuse me! Mark it zero. Next frame. Ipsum morbi eget risus nulla nullam vel nisi enim, vel auctor. When will you find these guys? I mean, do you have any promising leads? Ante morbi id urna vel felis lacinia placerat vestibulum… Read More

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Two Books with Horrible Dating Advice – Posted in: Blog, Books, Love

When I was single, I hated dating—which is probably why I didn’t do much of it. There are so many unspoken rules, and girls play games, and it’s enough to make you want to become a celibate monk. Okay, it’s not quite that bad. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to find the right girl, and the rest is history. But even though my “game” probably sucked, I knew some common rules of dating. I mean, the really, really basic do’s and don’ts. The same can’t be said for some of these characters from literature. These guys and girls really knew how to screw up some relationships. Here’s the type of advice they might give you based on their stories. “Girly, spineless men are the most attractive kind of men. Obsess over them, and never stop obsessing over them.” –Scarlett O’Hara (Gone With The Wind) We all know Rhett Butler had serious… Read More

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Writing, Creativity and Motivation – Posted in: Accessories, Books, Inspiration, Posters, Review

Voltaire is reputed to have said to a client “… madam, here is the novel you commissioned it’s in two volumes, if I had more time I could have written it in one.” What a dramatic statement! It gets to the heart of new writers problems – how to be clear and concise. As an established writer I am frequently asked for advice but fail miserably in supplying answers. I have been writing now for over 40 years and still cannot give a clear prescription for the aspiring novelist. But here are some ideas. Firstly, start from a base in which you have some competence or knowledge. I was asked recently to review a manuscript produced by a female. What a surprise – and yet it wasn’t a surprise. The plot was clear, too clear from the beginning. I suspected it was a paradigm of Mills & Boon with little… Read More