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Thomas Bacher, University of Akron Press
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Useful Apps for Writers
There are thousands and thousands of apps out there now. While some can be serious productivity killers, there are plenty of apps that can actually help you with your writing. Authors that are looking for some assistance should take advantage of the technology that is available to them today.
Here are some of our favorite apps for writers: View Article…
Download “He PromisD Nvr 2 LeaV Me” by Mark Lowery for FREE
FREE!
(for a limited time only)
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He PromisD Nvr 2 LeaV Me tells the story of Taran Johnson, a writer whose serene and opulent New York City lifestyle is derailed when he tries to honor a pledge made years earlier. His past and present collide, taking him back to a town he’d tried to forget, reintroducing him to a people and a culture he no longer recognizes. Along the way, he gets a scary look at drug addiction as his marriage and life are threatened. Can his growing faith save him? He PromisD Nvr 2 LeaV Me is the inaugural product of Lion’s Roar Press.
About the Author: Born in the Bronx, New York, Mark Lowery is an award-winning journalist who has reported and edited for national magazines and major newspapers, including Newsday, The Detroit Free Press, and The Plain Dealer. He lives near Cleveland, Ohio.
Ways to Escape the Winter Blues and Take a Mini Mental Vacation
Winter blues got you down? If so, it can be even more difficult than usual to get into a groove with your current writing project. Sometimes all you need is just to get away from it all for a little bit to rejuvenate yourself. If a tropical vacation isn’t in your budget, there are other ways to take a mini mental vacation that will keep your creative and artistic juices flowing.
Here are a few recommendations: View Article…
Guideposts Titles Featured on ChristianBook.com
4 Popular Guideposts Titles Available for $0.99 Today!
One of Bookmasters’ publishers, Guideposts, have four of their popular titles available for $0.99 today (regularly $9.99) as Daily Deals on www.ChristianBook.com. Be sure to check them out!
- Seaside Harmony
- Sunflower Summer
- Sweet September
- Love Finds You in Valentine, Nebraska
6 Places to Go for Character Development Inspiration
During a writing project, it’s common to sometimes feel “stuck” when it comes to the characters in the story. Maybe you aren’t sure who the main characters should be or what their background stories are. When this happens, the best thing you can do is to leave your desk and actually get out and observe the people around you. Instead of constantly looking down at your phone when you are out and about, keep your head up and take notice of the people around you. What are their behaviors? What are they wearing? What kind of accessories do they have? Let your imagination run wild as you make up a backstory, personality, and potential future for these strangers. You never know when something will “click.” View Article…
A Sony/Kobo eBook Update from Bookmasters
Sony closes eBookstore, transfers to Kobo
Claire Holloway, Bookmasters’ Director of Data Management & eBook Services
The eBook marketplace contracted ever so slightly this past week with the announcement that Sony would cease operations of their Reader Store eBook marketplace. In late March 2014, Sony will transfer their eBook customers to Kobo. Owners of Sony’s devices and eReading apps will then purchase their eBooks and store their current libraries in the Kobo ecosystem.
Kobo, a Canadian-based eBook device maker and eBook store, is one of the top eBook distribution outlets for Bookmasters. Kobo currently handles the eBook ecosystems for such outlets as WH Smiths (UK), Whitcoulls (NZ), Powell’s (US), Indiebound (the ABA independent bookstore program) (US), Easons (IE), Fnac (FR), and others around the world. The eBook titles that Bookmasters distributes to Kobo are also listed for sale on those individual storefronts, extending the global reach of our distributed eBook titles.
We’ve seen great growth from Kobo in 2013 and predict that this development will increase the growth rate in 2014 as Sony’s customer base merges with Kobo.
For more information, go to www.newswire.ca/en/story/1301509/sony-selects-kobo-to-bring-its-world-class-ebookstore-to-sony-readers-in-the-us-and-canada.
Healthy and Convenient Snacks to Enjoy While Writing
Sometimes during a writing project you might be “in the zone” and you don’t want to take time away from your work to eat a full meal. That’s understandable (we’ve all been there!) but you need to remember that your body needs fuel. You won’t be able to continue to perform at a high level (or really, any type of productive level) if you don’t eat. Eventually those hunger pangs will catch up with you and become distracting distraction. That’s why it’s so important to have a stash of convenient, healthy snacks on hand. You can quickly grab a snack to keep your body satisfied and keep on writing! View Article…
Download “Olinguito Speaks Up” by Cecilia Velástegui for FREE
FREE!
(for a limited time only)
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Olinguito is a shy and furry animal that sucks his thumb all day long and hides in the treetops of the Ecuadorian cloud forest. No one in the whole world knows that he exists. Olinguito is too shy to let the other creatures know that he has been listening and watching them, and enjoying the tales told by Tomas, an ancient Galapagos tortoise. Tomas loves to tell fantastic stories about the strange creatures of the Galapagos Islands, from the poisonous longnose stubfoot toad to a Pinta Island tortoise named Lonesome George, who no one in the cloud forest has ever seen. When Olinguito hears the other cloud forest animals ridicule Tomas for making things up, he realizes that these are not tall tales—they are memories of creatures driven to extinction. Shy Olinguito is finally moved to speak up in defense of Tomas. This poignant story addresses respect, both for the environment and for our elderly, and explores universal themes of friendship, memories, and finding the courage to speak up.
About the Author: Cecilia Velástegui was awarded First Place in Adult Fiction by the International Latino Book Awards in 2012 and 2013. She received her graduate degree at the University of Southern California, speaks four languages, and has traveled to more than 60 countries. She lives in Southern California with her family, two alpacas, and 11 other pets. This is her first children’s book.
Small Signs That You’re Making Progress with Your Writing Project
It’s no secret that writing projects are challenging. It’s uncommon for a writer to feel 100% confident in their abilities and on track throughout an entire project. Sometimes writers block can set in or life hands us distractions that keep us away from our writing. It’s easy to feel stuck in a stalemate and like you aren’t making any progress; however, maybe it’s time to challenge that way of thinking Maybe you aren’t hitting all of your daily or weekly word count goals, or your timeline for finishing your project has been pushed back a few times, but that doesn’t mean that no progress has been made. A writing project should be viewed as lots of little projects that are part of one larger project. If you are making small goals for yourself and achieving these goals, you will be much more likely to stay positive and stay the course instead of abandoning your writing all together. View Article…
Download “Happiness” by Douglas A. Smith for FREE
FREE!
(for a limited time only)
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In the midst of a successful business career, Doug Smith received life-altering news that set him on an entirely new journey to understand what leads to truly joyful, meaningful living-in other words, what leads to happiness. Through research and study, he began to understand that what the most joyful among us have in common is that they remember the past with peace, anticipate the future with confidence, and live in the present with joy and exuberance. Additionally, he discovered that what gives them this perspective is a set of skills that they consistently, even if subconsciously, practice. He also realized that he is not particularly good at several of these skills. In Happiness: The Art of Living With Peace, Confidence and Joy, the author recounts, with insight and humor, his journey to better understand and practice the skills of happiness with the goal of helping others on their own path to joyful, meaningful living.