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Table of Contents 1. A.J. Alise On Writing 2. John Bourne Law and Grace 3. Tracy Falbe Creating the Rys Chronicles 4. Fredric M Ham Paying Attention 5. Ian McKinley Future Shock Therapy: A Call to Arms 6. Jennifer Mueller Logged Into A Good Book Lately? 7. Marilyn Ross Writing Your Book: Shortcut Secrets for Putting Words on Paper

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A.J. Alise

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On Writing I got an email from a stranger the other day, and for just a moment, I felt like a real, genuine, honest-to-God author. The correspondent had seen my interview in a small Pocono Mountain newspaper, ordered my suspense novel CRIMSON ICE, (published under my pen name A. J. Alise) read it, chased down my email address and sent me an effusive, highly complimentary letter. My euphoria lasted all day. The next day, however, my inner critic had already returned, asking me where were all of the other letters and emails, and why was this writer the only one who had responded to tell me about her enjoyment of my novel. This is one constant of the writing life, that nagging voice that says your writing will never measure up, an opinion reinforced on the bad days by the seemingly endless rejections from agents and publishers, the days when the computer screen remains blank, and all of your ideas seem about as exciting as a bowl of cold oatmeal. So what keeps a “writer” writing? I can’t speak for the others sitting before their blank computer screens, leather-bound notebooks or yellow legal pads, but I can speak for this one. My mother planted the seed that grew into the belief that “writer” was an honorable, even elevated calling, not unlike the religious life. As the mother of a quickly growing family that finally peaked at ten, she nonetheless dedicated an hour each day to gathering her children around her, rocking the latest baby on her lap, while declaiming A great place to buy eBooks

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in a rich expressive voice all of the poems she had memorized during her own brief education. These ranged from nursery rhymes to Shakespearean sonnets, and this ritual was the highlight of my summer afternoons. When I was about 6, I announced that I had written my own poem for inclusion in her repertory and presented my creation in my best imitation of her style, six lines of doggerel celebrating my love for a newly acquired kitten. My mother’s reaction made me feel as though I had sprouted wings and taken a swift flight around the room. It hooked me for the rest of my life. “You’re a writer!” she declared, hugging me, her face glowing with joyous awe. “You’ve got the gift!” From that moment on I knew that writing was my calling. I became the class poet, the class playwright, a contributor and editor of high school and college literary journals. I got a job as writer and editor for several magazines and spent my days writing plays, articles, and stories. But then I got distracted by the necessity of making a living and abandoned the writing life for a career that allowed me to support my son. Still the itch remained. I wrote in my “spare” time and managed to have my plays performed in local theaters. I kept my “gift” alive and percolating. Now, finally, I can dedicate my life wholeheartedly to my writing. In the last three years I have written three novels, a bundle of short stories, revived and revised plays and other abandoned projects and perused bundles of saved letters and journals for fresh material. I work in my A great place to buy eBooks

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pajamas if I wish, sitting down at my computer with my morning coffee and going into a trance that may last all day. Some days it is as pleasurable and indulgent as eating chocolate for breakfast. Some days it is as painful as sticking needles into my eyes. But it is a passion, an obsession, an addiction that only grows stronger as it is indulged. So, if the pain and pleasure is in the process why suffer the rejection, why not just write, why pursue the elusive goal of publication? It is not about being famous or rich (although I believe I could deal with such an unexpected fate) but is, I believe, the pursuit of validation. Yes, you have something to contribute; no, you are not spinning your wheels in a vacuum; yes, someone out there appreciates your unique vision. The spirit demands to express its own vision but also requires some nourishment and some feedback in order to survive and continue to create.

Click cover to buy now. CRIMSON ICE By A.J. Alise

Following the disappearance of her sister, Rocky is hurled into a life changing adventure. The responsibility of caring for her own son, and her A great place to buy eBooks

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sister’s two children complicates everything and raises the stakes of this already tension-filled story. With nods to the genre-gumshoe beset by insurmountable challenges, really bad bad guys, and great cliché bits that never get old-this maintains the good old detective form, while adding a new dimension - a strong, maternal woman as the hero. About A.J. Alise

Alise grew up in rural Pennsylvania. She spends much of her time at her cabin in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, where the novel is set. She is a novelist, actor, teacher and playwright. Her plays have been produced in various New Jersey theaters. Alise’s other writing credits include the video productions:”World Hunger Project” and “Looking at Union, New Jersey”.

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John Bourne

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Law and Grace For more than 18 years of my life, I served as a Police Officer in Kent, in southeast England. In that time I saw many dreadful sights, I saw the depths that human behaviour can sink to, I saw and experienced hatred and violence. I also found comradeship, courage and human decency in adversity. As part of the self-discipline that being a Police Officer requires I kept a diary of those years, and learned to be a student of human behaviour in all its many forms. After 18 years of service, I experienced the call of God into the Christian Ministry and left the Police to begin training for the ministry. During this time, I had the opportunity to visit one of the world’s poorest countries. We live a privileged life in the West compared to so many of our neighbours in the so-called Third World. We have all been touched by television and newspaper reports of starvation and drought and its terrible consequences for millions of people. Most of us have seen so many images that suffering has less impact on us, we become tired of requests for help and our hearts can become hard and our purse strings closed. However, if we actually went to a poor country, walked among the poverty, saw the suffering, smelt the decay; surely then the effect would be life-long. That was certainly true for me, when I visited Bangladesh in 1989 with four friends. It was for all of us, a life changing A great place to buy eBooks

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experience, an experience that we desperately wanted to convey to others. One of the ways we sought to convey something of our experience was by means of a diary. I kept notes during the visit and produced a 60-page diary upon our return. The diary sold over 1000 copies and attracted many comments about the writing. The reaction to it struck a chord with me, I had always enjoyed writing and hoped to have the time, one day, to do some more. The following year I completed my training for the Christian ministry and was ordained into the Church of England. Over the next dozen years, I managed to revisit Bangladesh twice more, cycle 300 odd miles from Kent to Cornwall to raise funds for the Church, go on a mercy mission to Romania and form a link with a disadvantaged parish in inner city Liverpool. After each adventure, I wrote and produced a diary. They circulated within Church circles and were all well received, and each one kept my interest in writing alive. One of the things that worried me about being a Vicar was the requirement to preach at least once, and often three times or more every week. What could one say that was different, week in and week out? I liked the story of the new Vicar who delivered his first sermon on how Christians should show the love of Christ in their lives. It was a great sermon and warmly received. The next Sunday he preached exactly the same sermon, and the Sunday after that, and the Sunday after that. A Churchwarden was given the task of challenging him about this, which he duly did. The Vicar replied; “When you are all living out the love of Christ I’m preaching about I will move on to A great place to buy eBooks

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another subject!” I found that the way to prepare a different sermon every week was to continue with some of the discipline from my police days; to be a student of human nature, an enthusiast for current affairs, an observer of life and nature. From those sources there would be endless material to build a sermon on, applying the word of God to everyday circumstances. Ill health forced me to retire in 2003 and I moved to the Sussex Coast. Finally, I had some free time. I now spend my days in writing. My first book ‘Coppering The Cannon’ was about my first 6 years in the Police. ‘Death of Innocence’ followed, together with quite a few short stories. I am just completing another novel before embarking on the task of finding a publisher. I have the plot for another novel in note form and I want to write some more biographical books, including my journey into the Church. I have much to learn, I am far from the finished article, but they say ‘practice makes perfect’. I do not believe that perfection is attainable but improvement and proficiency are. I have no particular system of writing. I try to have an outline prepared and then work to it. I am not the most disciplined of writers so I do meander away from my plan. I like to imagine the scene and I live the story and sometimes feel led in another direction or the idea does not work. In the novel I am working on now, I had plotted out the story, which involved the death of a group of people. When I came to write it, I lived the story and became so upset at the deaths that I changed it. The power of being a writer! The idea for ‘Death of Innocence’ came from my experiences in the police, where temptation is A great place to buy eBooks

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something often encountered. It comes in many forms but always has consequences. In my story temptation arises which seems to have no consequences, but of course it does. If one thinks about it, nearly every time anyone succumbs to temptation they do so believing that they will get away with it. Prisons are full of people who made that mistake, and for every one in prison there are many others who avoided that penalty, but have to live with disgrace or shame, the pointing finger, the reluctance to trust again or any other of the myriad consequences of yielding to temptation. In my story the consequences of temptation are awful, the discovery of unsuspected depths of evil shocking, and the call to reassess life’s values compelling. I enjoyed writing it; I hope you will enjoy reading it.

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DEATH OF INNOCENCE By John Bourne Up until now, Mark Green, has lived a quiet, content life; happy marriage, loving family, decent job. One day, he finds a big bag of money – it seems to be the answer to all of life’s little problems. He gives into temptation and takes the money. Then, the money takes him - into a dark new world where his loved ones are threatened, he

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faces eminent risk of jail, death, or something even worse. About John Bourne John Bourne was born in 1949 in Brighton, on the south coast of England. In 1970 he and his wife settled in Kent where John joined Kent Police. He left the police in 1990 to study for the Christian Ministry. He was ordained at Canterbury Cathedral in 1991 and accepted the position as the Vicar of Marden, Kent and Chaplain of Her Majesty’s Prison Blantyre House. He retired in 2003 and has taken up writing, a long held ambition. In the Last years he has published one book and two short stories.

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Tracy Falbe

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Creating the Rys Chronicles Writing the Rys Chronicles has been a labor of love for me since 1997. Not only do I enjoy the process of writing I consider it one of my primary forms of entertainment. Many people enjoy playing computer and role-playing games, but I like losing myself in the adventure of creating a plot, populating it with characters, and exploring various themes and feelings that are inspiring me. My technique for writing is to write almost everyday. I usually adhere to quotas, albeit modest ones. The ability to write, I find, is very much like a muscle. One has to use it to keep it working well. When I've been sticking to my daily quotas, the writing gets easier, better, and more fun. Of course, like a muscle, rest is sometimes in order, and I would often allow myself one day off a week. However, I would usually get eager to write and at midnight on my day off, I would sneak in a few words. Writing also includes a lot of re-writing and editing, which I spend as much time on as the initial composition. Re-writing and editing are fun as well because that is when the polish gets applied. I'm painfully sensitive about allowing anyone to reader my early drafts. I won't show my husband, Scott, anything until I've put it through at least two rewrites. Although I enjoy writing fiction, it is not always a breeze. Characters have to behave according to their natures and their motivations need to make sense. Loose ends in the story need to be tied up, and with A great place to buy eBooks

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a long story with many characters across wide regions, much attention to detail is needed. Thus all the editing and scrutinizing. I would say the most painfully difficult part of writing is killing a character, especially a likeable or innocent one. Before writing someone's death scene, I'll often agonize for a day or two about whether I really should kill the character. For the sake of drama, I usually go out back and shoot Old Yeller, but not too often. Absolutely, the most wonderful part about writing fiction is when a character comes alive for me instantly upon writing the character's name. In some cases, a character seems to be birthed whole and complete by my muse and then usuallly starts making trouble and stealing scenes. I have worked very hard on the Rys Chronicles and am pround to offer the first two books, Union of Renegades and The Goddess Queen, to the public. It is my sincerest wish to entertain others as well as myself with my fiction.

Click cover to buy now. UNION OF THE RENEGADES: THE RHYS CHRONICLES, BOOK I By Tracy Falbe A great place to buy eBooks

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The Rys Chronicles begin in Union of Renegades with this character-rich adventure that follows the travels of Dreibrand Veta, an ambitious warrior who seeks to rebuild his noble family’s fortune. He is the first to join the powerful rys spellcaster Shan, whose race possesses magical powers and whose Queen Onja rules many human kingdoms as their Goddess. The wickedness and tyranny of Onja disgust Shan and he desires to seize the rys throne from her. The third renegade is Miranda. After escaping from her abusive slave master, she becomes a crucial player in Shan’s bid for power. To weaken Onja, Shan raises rebellion among her human subjects and gathers allies to his cause. Shan demonstrates his magic in battle and convinces his followers that the fearsome rys Queen can be overthrown. For over two thousand years Onja has ruled, but now, not even fear of her ability to enslave souls will stop her ambitious enemies. About Tracy Falbe Tracy Falbe has been an enthusiast of fantasy stories since childhood. She was born in Michigan in 1972 and grew up in Mt. Pleasant. In 1995 she moved to Nevada and currently resides in Northern California with her husband, son, German shepherd, and black cat. Her hobbies include being a news junkie, archery, baking, and gardening. In 2000, she earned a journalism degree from California State University, Chico. She considers writing a necessary activity that she enjoys. She has the most fun writing in the fantasy genre. She finds inspiration in history and likes to contemplate warfare before gunpowder and life without modern A great place to buy eBooks

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technology. Placing characters in an elder world fantasy setting fascinates her and allows her to explore age-old notions of bravery when combat was often done face-to-face. Magic is another story element that adds to the pleasure of writing in this genre. Since learning to read and write as a child, Tracy always knew that she wanted to write novels. The Rys Chronicles represents the efforts of many adult years.

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Fredric M. Ham

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Paying Attention I cannot count the number of times that I heard my high school history teacher say, “Not another word out of you, or you’re off to the Principal’s office. You’d better pay attention.” However, I could have probably blamed my situation on Marsha who sat next to me in history class. She was very distracting. But that’s another story. So what does this have to do with writing? I say everything. I think the best writers are those who pay attention to everything that’s going on around them no matter where they are or what they’re doing, and they can shut off the world around them when it’s an absolute necessity (this is also paying attention, but introspectively). I will begin with the former premise, and cite an example. Let’s say I’m sitting on a wood and wrought-iron bench in a small park somewhere in New York City. Fall is in full force, there’s not a cloud in the sky, and the leaves have changed color. What was once lush, green foliage topping the trees is now yellow and crimson clusters everywhere I turn. There’s a nip in the air and I am so deeply engrossed in a novel that I’m off in another dimension. However, out of the corner of my eye I notice two men, probably in their early twenties, plop down on an identical bench opposite mine. They begin speaking, and it’s my trained mind that tells me to stop reading and start paying attention to them. Now I pretend that I’m still reading, but really I’m listening in and peering over the top of my paperback that I’m holding chest high. A great place to buy eBooks

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I sense that there is going to be something said that will be of interest to me. So I tune in. I’m paying attention for the sake of building my DIALOGUE database for writing fiction. I believe that listening to others engaged in conversation (I’m not suggesting eavesdropping; face it, I was on my park bench first.) can truly serve to improve the writing of realistic and gripping dialogue. The exchange between these two individuals is so rich in dialogue potential, it’s like being in Häagen-Dazs conversation heaven. It goes like this: One of the men on the bench is leaning backwards, his hands are locked behind his head and he’s peering skyward (he is Mr. Upright), the other has his elbows planted on his thighs and his forehead resting on the palms of his hands (he is Mr. Uptight). “What’s up with you, Man?” Upright asks. “Man, I don’t know,” Uptight says, then exhales heavily. “What’s it been, a couple of months now?” “Yup, I quit about three months ago,” Uptight explains. “Haven’t had a crack attack for weeks now.” “Then why are you so uptight?” “I don’t know, I’ve been off everything for months and I’m still disturbed.” Uptight straightens up, leans back on the bench, and then runs his right

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hand through a mop of thick black hair. “Damn!” he moans. Upright’s eyes sadden. “That’s messed up, Dude.” I overheard this conversation in a park in Greenwich Village three years ago. Even though this is a very sad situation, it’s rich in true-to-life dialogue. For me it reinforces the importance of realism that must be at the core of any dialogue that I write. I have never directly used these lines in anything that I’ve written, but I certainly recall the conversation (among others that I have written down over the years) when crafting dialogue that I want to ring true with titillating and intoxicating realism. I try to listen in and write down what I hear. I carry a small spiral notebook and an ink pen with me wherever I go and jot down what I think are interesting snippets of conversation. Then when is it time to stay in my own world and shut out the real world? When I’m writing, of course. I climb into my story and experience it, and in some cases even discover it, as I’m writing. What do the following cities have in common? Maeva Beach, San Francisco Chalkida, Greece Seattle Montreal San Diego Honolulu Paris

Tahiti New York City Hudson, Florida Washington, DC Cancun Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Indiatlantic Florida

These are the various locations where I have had the opportunity to write, and in many of them I wrote parts of Dead River. When I wasn’t enjoying the A great place to buy eBooks

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sights, sounds and conversations around me, I was in my hotel room (or my study at home) writing, in my world.

Click cover to buy now. DEAD RIVER By Fredric M. Ham

Adam Riley’s world is suddenly shattered when his seventeen-year-old daughter, Sara Ann, mysteriously vanishes from a small Florida beach community on a sweltering afternoon in late summer. Three days after her disappearance the abductor calls the Riley home, and when he doesn’t demand ransom money it quickly becomes apparent to everyone that his sole motive is to torment the family. The horror is only beginning. With no clues evident to the local authorities they turn to the FBI for assistance. The clock is ticking and the kidnapper must be found. Who is this person? What motivates him? Who could be next? The FBI profiler tries to answer these questions, but the terror sweeps through the beach community like a hurricane and soon it spreads to a near-by town. What happens to a man whose daughter has been kidnapped? To what lengths will Adam Riley go to ensure justice is served? Can his religious beliefs provide a moral compass and guide him in the right direction? Only time will tell.

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About Fredric M. Ham

Fredric M. Ham was born and raised in a small Iowa

town. After graduating high school, he served in the U.S. Navy which included three tours of duty in Vietnam. After the Navy, Fred attended Iowa State University earning B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical engineering. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States and around the world. He has explored the Far East and studied various cultures. His many years of research and writing experience have led to over a hundred published technical papers, a textbook on artificial neural networks, and the holding of three United States patents. He is currently an Endowed Chair Professor of Electrical Engineering at Florida Institute of Technology where he has been on the faculty since 1988. Dead River is his first novel. He has written several short stories and is currently working on his second novel. He resides in Indialantic, Florida with his wife.

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Ian McKinley

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Future Shock Therapy: A Call to Arms Risk denial is a very common phenomenon. People living with a constant threat eventually learn to ignore it – sometimes to the point that they will adamantly deny that any real danger is present. It is found everywhere, from villagers living in the shadow of high dams to the residents of cities built on known fault lines, from teenagers with fast motorbikes to pensioners with unfiltered cigarettes, from the sedentary obese to the addicts of extreme sports. Possibly the largest manifestation of this mindset, however, is in the almost universal equanimity about the developments of the 21st century which are looming ahead. True, there is a bit of concern about the greenhouse effect, global pandemics and nuclear terrorism. Nevertheless, these are merely the “catastrophes du jour”. The worries of the latter half of the 20th century – nuclear war, population growth, failing oil reserves - have largely been forgotten. But they haven’t gone away. The increasing number of sources of future risk just pile up and, indeed, may even build synergistically on each other. Very few think about this, though; it’s just too scary. The facts are available for all to see – but nobody wants to look. The message isn’t new and has featured in many scholarly publications. But nobody reads them. Or, even if they do, they don’t do anything about it. They’re in denial! No doubt about it, the problem is so mindblowingly huge that it doesn’t seem possible for a mere mortal to find a point of contact to even start developing a solution. A few facts: the world population was 3 billion in the ‘60s, hit 6 billion in A great place to buy eBooks

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1999 and 6.5 billion earlier in 2006. Even if growth tails off as hoped, the population will peak at around 10 billion in the middle of this century. That’s just about the time that known reserves of oil and gas will run out – assuming their use isn’t considerably curtailed before then, due to global warming concerns. So, over the next 5 decades we can expect the entire world population of 1960 – extra! Where will the needed resources come from? Food and water are clearly critical; production, which already struggles to meet demand in many places, needs to be expanded by a full 50%. But this isn’t enough – medication, housing, education and access to the commodities now considered as standard in the West must also be provided. The 20th century was characterised by increasingly obscene disparities in wealth within and between countries: against the laws of thermodynamics, the rich continually got richer while the poor got poorer. We continue this trend at our peril. The expanding population will be crammed into the new mega-cities of the developing world. The media and internet will ensure constant exposure to the lifestyles of the developed world and, like half of the world’s existing inhabitants, they will expect their fair share of the cake. Blatant inequality, more than any absolute value of poverty, is a driving force for groups to build opposition to a system. Maybe this was not much of a concern to the rich and famous in the past, when the few countries with weapons of mass destruction made and enforced the rules. Recently, however, terrorists have learned to maximise the global impact of attacks which, in absolute terms, are rather minor. And this is only the first sign of things to come. Unless the roots of the problems can be tackled, the next decades will A great place to buy eBooks

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inevitably see such actions ramp up in scale. It is surprising, really, that we haven’t yet had a “dirty bomb” or an exploding LNG tanker take out some major political or financial district. But that would be peanuts compared to the potential of table-top bioweapons. Would you dare betting your life that this will not occur over the next few decades? Because you already are! In order to pre-empt the worst disasters that lie ahead, there are political and technical problems that need to be solved. On the technical side, the fundamental bottleneck is really energy. If you have enough power, then the rest is doable – at least in principle. How does this look? The energy debate has been going on for decades, often as an ideological battle between green renewables, dirty fossil fuels and dangerous nuclear. But look at the big picture. The local tree-huggers fighting to replace reactors with windmills are concerned about an ingrown toenail when both legs are about to be blown off by a land mine. Too graphic? That’s the problem; the analogies normally used aren’t graphic enough to get the message over. We desperately need a rational global energy policy which aims to provide the energy required in the most costeffective way possible while ensuring that there is no global degradation of the environment. Without such a framework, the squabbles between the proponents of different energy sources is just diverting attention from the real problem; just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Even if a technical solution is possible, implementation needs a commitment from the rich developed countries to support their poorer neighbours. This is not an area where past records A great place to buy eBooks

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are good. The instant response to catastrophes which get wide media coverage contrasts with the inertia with regard to proving continuous baseline support. The World Bank gives financial aid to help development, while restrictive trade practices block it. At the very best, it’s a bandaid for the ingrown toenail in the analogy above. Indeed, given the enthusiasm with which the arms industry of the developed world encourages any available funding to be spent on weapons, it is likely that any land mines around were purchased from the countries which are supposedly the biggest providers of aid. So, with all this doom and gloom, where does the writer come in? Isn’t it the job of politicians to sort all this out? Well, maybe there is a glimmer of hope. It wasn’t so long ago that many thought it wasn’t a case of if a nuclear war would occur – only when and how close you might be to ground zero (this was the original use, well before 9-11, denoting the point below detonation of an atom bomb). This threat built up slowly along with the size of nuclear arsenals and, in most cases, the general public simply ignored it – classic denial. Not surprising when politicians were espousing a philosophy of “Mutually Assured Destruction”. This period was characterised by growing interest in science fiction and increased exposure to postapocalyptic dystopias, which were one of the dominant themes at that time. Some of these were really quite terrifying. The books started it, but cinema had most impact – “Doctor Strangelove”, “On the Beach” and the rest. The mass media made the horrors of nuclear war inescapable and slowly, helped build opposition to the whole MAD idea. Did all this really help to create the nuclear disarmament treaty? I don’t know, but it certainly A great place to buy eBooks

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helped. Films, books, songs and comics all played a role in making it more difficult to escape into denial. It is also noticeable that, as this theme has become passé, the entire disarmament movement has bogged down and the initial commitment to move towards elimination of nuclear arsenals reneged on by all the big players. Well, that catastrophe hasn’t gone away, but the threat was certainly reduced considerably. Here’s the challenge - writers have got to start making the horrors of the future real, so that popular pressure forces politicians to start moving. We know what hasn’t worked in the past – weighty tomes, expert commissions, think tanks … We also know what did – novels, films, theatre, music which force the issues to be faced. No “sanitised for your protection” or sugar-coated pills, we need the visceral shock value of “Threads”, “The day after” and “When the wind blows”. Only when the danger cannot be ignored, will there be a real push to do something about it. The crunch might come in the middle of this century, but the work needed to minimise threats will take decades, so we really have to start now. Of course, you should practice what you preach. As a scientist, I can make the points above in technical papers and lectures but, as I noted previously, the impact is negligible on a global scale. I can also try to present these messages in the popular science media – both directly and in blistering letters to the editor in response to some of the ridiculously parochial suggestions for solutions to these problems (swap your SUV for a bicycle and build windmills by all means, but don’t pretend this is going to replace nuclear for the giant conurbations A great place to buy eBooks

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of the future). Still not enough, though, not reaching enough of the right audience. So I also write science fiction. This is an ideal medium for presenting these messages as sub-text, the environment in which the plot develops. I have also chosen the sub-genre of cyberpunk, which allows a lot more flexibility to go into technical detail. Finally, I have specifically aimed at a mature audience, allowing more graphic use of sex and violence to increase impact and shock effects. This last point has raised criticism, but again I think this is denial – the hope that the nice, comfy western suburban lifestyle and associated morals will continue indefinitely. I’ve already addressed violence, but also think about sex. There is now more extreme pornography freely available on the internet than could have been obtained by any but the most dedicated (and rich) collector of past decades. Organised religions are collapsing and alternative lifestyles gaining wider acceptance in all democracies. This will be the backdrop of the mid-21st century - the feeling of the world of “Blade Runner”, seasoned with a lot more sexual permissiveness. This is a personal view of things – not a prediction of the way things will be, but a warning of how they may well turn out. I cannot expect the impact of a JK Rawlings, but can hope that such concerns are also building in a wider community of writers who will also be motivated to think a bit about this problem. It’s very easy; everything is on the internet. Look at trends in population, power production or any particular measure of environmental health over the last five decades and extrapolate them into the future. Frightening, isn’t it! Anyway, rather than trying your best to forget

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about the entire thing, think of how this could be incorporated into your own work. It doesn’t have to be entirely negative, though. There’s nothing to stop you proposing solutions or speculating how these might work. I doubt that there is any single action that will solve all our problems, but there are many things that might help. For example: ¾ Impose an internationally levied tax on all ultra-rich individuals and companies; even if only a small fraction of income / turnover, this could be enough to support all the UN organisations and thus avoid the present domination by the big funding nations. ¾ Set a worldwide minimum development time for any new generation of electronic hardware / software (of 10 years, say); this would cut down on profligate replacements of adequate material to remain up to date, benefit users in the developed world by ensuring that all kit is properly debugged before it goes on sale and encourage extending marketing to the third world at knock-down prices as items pass their initial sales peak. ¾ Set a significant (and annually increasing) tax on aircraft fuel; maybe drive acceptance by splitting tax income between the communities at both ends of any flight, the airlines (to aid restructuring) and development of alternative high-speed ground transport infrastructure (railways, shipping). ¾ A major increase in tax on fuel for private vehicles to be used directly for subsidising public transport. ¾ Move to a single, worldwide currency (the “uno”?) administered by a world bank, which A great place to buy eBooks

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might avoid some of the anomalies caused by manipulation of the present international money market. Closer to home, what about ebooks? These still are borderline with regard to acceptance, but my prediction would be that this will change very soon and very rapidly. For a start, an ebook is certainly much more environmentally friendly than paper, with negligible energy requirements for their production and distribution. The print industry is not the biggest user of power and resources, but worldwide the total is certainly significant. And this is for the present case where only a small percentage of the population has access to books and papers. Nevertheless, fashion is likely to be the key driver for change. All that is needed for the transition to occur is a cheap, user-friendly “ibook” reader. It is easy to define the specifications – size of a small paperback with a screen expandable to A4, capable of downloading files by Bluetooth and with a few Giga memory: should be doable for less than a hundred bucks. Give that ipods must be nearing saturation by now, this is a challenge for all of these smart Apple guys (hopefully, because, if not, it will be Microsoft and then that would just be another mid-century catastrophe to add to our list!). Replace books and newspapers and the market could dwarf the music industry. Not only make lots of money, but help to protect the environment into the bargain! But what would the global impact really be? Are there also downsides? Someone should start thinking about these issues before they build up momentum; at an early stage small pushes have enough leverage to modify the final product but, after a certain point, it is simply too late.

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These are just a few ideas – if anybody is interested, feel free to use them as you like, but be aware they are rough idealistic concepts only - caveat emptor! On the other hand, you can be assured of no “Da Vinci” type copyright squabble here. It took a time to build opposition to nuclear weapons but, in the present world of instant international communication, things can move a lot faster. All it needs is enough people prepared to face the problems and communicate them in a way that the shocking dangers cannot be ignored. Maybe the mindset of risk denial can finally be broken. Future-shock therapy, in fact. Nagoya University May 2006

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EXTREMOPHILE By Ian McKinley Extremophile takes the reader into a plausible nearfuture where beautiful people pursue an elixir of youth. The hero, Bruce Roberts, sets out to find a supply of bugs (extremophiles), from which the formula is derived. While traveling the world he and his companions must fend off those wishing to control or destroy the elixir. This rollercoaster,

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round-the-world quest focuses on both the external dangers and the internal sexual tensions. About Ian McKinley

Ian McKinley holds a Ph. D. in chemistry from Glasgow Unvesity. He has a professsional background in nuclear waste management. A Scot who has lived in Switzerland for 20 years, he has been involved in an array of work related to nuclear waste management, incluing archeology, geology, Microbiology, engineering and public communication. He has coauthored three tecnical books, as well as hundreds of articles in a variety of publications. This is his first novel.

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Jennifer Mueller

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Logged Into a Good Book Lately? My interest in writing came about simply enough; I was reading a series of books and I became fed up with them. I just pulled out a notebook and said I could write one better. That’s it. I never dreamed of being a writer and truth be told, for ten of the twelve years since that fateful day, I was a closet writer. No one read any of my stories; very few even knew that was how I spent my spare time. I love history and they range from ancient Egypt to modern day. They range in genre from western, mystery, suspense, spies, a few romances pop up even; you get the idea. Then three years ago, my husband said you spend so much time writing you should try to get them published. This from a man I hadn’t let read anything in four or five years and just like that, I did. One of the first pieces I sent out was accepted within weeks. This is going to be easy I thought. I was wrong of course. I had one other piece that fit their guidelines so I sent it in. Not quite as quickly as the first, I got a letter saying the publisher had died and the publication was closing. Come to think of it, has that happened twice. Why am I giving you a background? Well, it’s a lead up to saying I’m published. I have ISBN numbers, book covers, everything an author needs, except a pallet of books sitting in a warehouse. That’s the whole point of the essay. Most people when they think of the publishing world imagine large New York publishing firms putting out big titles; Harry Potter, John Grisham, you know the names everyone has heard. Then there’s the literary A great place to buy eBooks

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side of small college magazines with little budget, tiny publishers that put out a book a year. They’re the prestige side of it. Whatever literary actually means, I’m not it. I tell a story, that’s all I claim. What’s a girl to do with forty plus stories and novellas in a world that wants blockbuster novels and short literary pieces? Then I saw one market that sounded promising. Diskus Publishing takes short stories 1,500 to 15,000 words for something they call Quick Picks, quick reads for if you haven’t time or if you want to find out what e-books are all about. I sent in three stories even though I knew nothing about e-books. I knew what they were of course, downloaded books for a reader either hand held or on your computer. You can store dozens in the space in the space of one paperback if you backed them all up. They got started in the late 90’s and now there are multitudes of e-publishers out there. Did I mention they accepted those three stories? Did I mention they’ve accepted six more since? I have books in a variety of versions to accommodate the variety of readers that have come about. A buyer only has to find a book they like, go to the checkout and tell the publisher which version they want to download, html, doc, rtf and or pdf. Some of the most popular reader programs are Adobe Acrobat e-Book Reader, Microsoft Reader, tk3 Reader, PDF Reader, Mobipocket Reader, eRocket, Peanut Reader, Palm Reader. For information on the above, http://www.mindlikewater.com/ebook_readers.html has links to the various options. The end of traditional books some claimed, but they soon found that some people still prefer the idea of curling up with a book and not a computer screen. A great place to buy eBooks

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So there were e-books out there that lost out on a whole audience, but the idea for Print on Demand took hold with e-publishers. They had the formatting for the book, covers, and all. The best was it didn’t take lots of money tied up in stock. The format sits with the printer until an order come in, then he pulls out a file and prints out a single book if need be. All those books that traditional publishers put out that never sell end up recycled in various ways or at most are a tax write-off, there are no storage costs, and less paper is wasted too. It takes a little time, sometimes a few days, sometimes a couple of weeks. I’m not going to theorize if print on demand (POD) will lead to the downfall of the traditional publisher either. I, personally, don’t think it will. For instance, I just can’t see all those people that line up in costumes for a release of a Harry Potter book ever wanting to give up that experience. I, myself, like browsing a bookstore probably more than the average next guy and used bookstores beware. However, as rural areas loose out on small business like bookstores, there’s a niche to fill. Sure, there’s Amazon and Barnes and Noble online, but you can’t browse and take everything in. Give them a word and you get thousands of books to wade through that may have nothing to do with what you want. How many times have you gone into a bookstore and come out with something you never thought you would read just because it caught your eye? With many e-publishers, they recreate the feel of going into an actual bookstore. Diskus and the newly opened DDPstore have new release covers jumbled, cookbooks next to romances, next to A great place to buy eBooks

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poetry and science fiction. The older titles are arranged by genre, from there you can browse. Browsing is back without downloading page after page. The blurb isn’t lost among ads and forms to fill out. Like picking up a book and reading the jacket, there’s nothing to distract you but the next book. Isn’t that the best part? As in traditional publishing, there are genre publishers as well. Science Fiction being heavily represented, as are romances. I might have stories that leaned that way once upon a time, but I thought it was a fluke when a story was accepted as a romance. That one was out of print for a time, but it got me thinking and a new publisher for it. Titan Press is the mainstream side of erotic Venus Press. Okay, okay, not so long ago I wouldn’t have ever said I wrote romances but I found out romance sells. (Hush, keep this quiet but sex even more) So a couple months after it came out, I had another story that I pitched to a different publisher. You know how I said I write historical? Well, it was a time travel and it was too short. Can you double it and we’ll look at it? When Egyptian Nights came out in October from Linden Bay Romance, I suddenly have a Recommended Read. I go and chat at sites and people know me because of that book. It’s kind of nice I have to say. That was 2005. I had nine books come out. All those stories I have that rather leaned the way of romance but not really well, I made them lean further and submitted them to all over the place. May 2006 and I already have twelve books coming out for the year and one into 2007. Digital Pulp Publishing put out a western romance I wrote called The Wolf Within, one of my many versions of the A great place to buy eBooks

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novel that I wrote from that series I didn’t like. They are also taking a different approach. Besides putting out books of their own, they are also going to all those small publishers and allowing them to join the e-book realm by putting out e-versions of their print titles. Not to mention a free cookbook I made up with recipes from all those historical periods I write about. All those little publishing houses that put out a few titles a year can now sell e-book versions of their titles without getting expensive software, or setting up an online download center. Remember how I said I never would admit I wrote romance. Well, I have ten out or coming and it’s not the chaste kiss sort of thing. Did I just admit that?? Thousands of people a day visit web romance publishers, Venus Press alone has an average of 40,000 and I swear I saw one quote as many as 60,000 people every day. This from a company that just started up a year ago. I have four coming out with them. Romance at Heart has had 137,000 visitors since 2004. I have two out with them. One of my babies, a story I wrote about the colonial period in Kenya, is coming from Chippewa publishing. Did I mention I was in the Peace Corps and lived there for two years? Oh yeah and Midnight Showcase took one for a digest of theirs. With another handful of stories submitted, I’m sure that list will just keep growing too. If you are really into browsing, like in a bookstore though, you have that option. www.fictionwise.com is the mother ship of e-books. If they are sold off the publisher’s website, they will be there. Mobipocket is another and there are many more and yes, even Amazon has an e-book division. A great place to buy eBooks

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It was a proud day when one of my titles was there. I have a book at Amazon!! Oh yeah and Digital Pulp Publishing I mentioned has a store growing every day. Many of these sites have bookshelves as they are called. If your computer crashes and you loose all those books you paid for, you can log in and download them all again instead of having to store them all in backup yourself. This is not self-publishing or vanity publishing. All of these companies offer royalties from 35 to 50%. Try getting that from a traditional publisher, with print royalties often being 10% if not 7%. The difference is obvious. You get editors to make it the best it can be, you get marketing, you get into online bookstores, but wait isn’t that starting to sound like a traditional publisher? The final product is the same thing after all; the only difference is how it gets to your hands. My novel will be submitted to traditional publishers. I mean 105,000 words, that’s a lot to read on a computer screen. I plan to put out many of my stories as e-books though. Yes, there could be that prestige that comes from having them in some little literary journal. Maybe one day I’ll actually write something they would want and for the principle of the thing, I would send it to them again just to see if they would take it. When it comes down to it though a journal with a few hundred readers compared with how many copies I can sell all across the country . . . hey the internet is involved how many can I sell around the world there isn’t much contest for most of what I write. Besides, as I say on my website, I can travel history without leaving my chair and that is the whole point when I write. In that regard, I am still a closet A great place to buy eBooks

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writer, writing just to see if I can make something better than that series of books each time.

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When a mysterious woman arrives at a cattle ranch with the owners niece all the men take notice until she pulls out a very large gun and proves she can use it. But all of that is only the middle of the story for Gabrielle has lots of secrets to reveal.

Click cover to buy now. COOKING THROUGH THE AGES By Jennifer Mueller Told through the stories of DPP author, Jennifer Mueller, Cooking through the Ages offers readers an eclectic array of recipes, served with “side dishes” – excerpts from Jennifer’s

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books, sprinkled with tidbits of history at a prix fixe price: it’s FREE! Bon apetite!

About Jennifer Mueller

Jennifer Mueller’s interest in writing came about simply enough: she was reading a series of books and became fed up with them. She said to herself, “I can write better.” So she pulled out her notepad and she’s been writing ever since. Her experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya, her varied travel experiences and a great passion for history have all leant themselves to a wide array of stories and novels. They say that you must write about what you know: Rafting on the Nile, living in a Montana ghost town, exploring Europe by way of hostels, experiencing Africa on safari, and living in the Black Hills of South Dakota have all contributed to the vivid accounts inherent in Mueller’s stories. Though most of her days are now currently spent with her daughter, She still travels in her head whenever she writes. You can learn more about Jennifer Mueller, her travels and her books by visiting her website: http://jennifermuellerbooks.com

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Marilyn Ross

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Writing your Book: Shortcut Secrets for Putting Words on Paper When talking, you have the advantage of voice inflection—pacing—facial expression— and body language to help convey your message to people. In a book, the words alone must do allthe work. Maybe that’s why some of us feel like a bird with its wings clipped when it comes towriting. Now here are some step-by-step tips to de-mystify the writing process: To give your book direction, create a mission statement for it just as you would do for any business. It needn’t be lengthy. The more focused, the better. Twenty to forty words that targetyour audience and encapsulate your message is ideal. Here’s one of mine: “Prosper in Paradise helps urban residents realize their vision to escape big city hassles, earn a good livelihood in Small Town USA, and experience enhanced quality of life.” Now create an outline or a table of contents. Group likely topics together and put them in the most logical order. If you have two or three main headings with many sub-headings, perhaps a Part I, Part II, Part III format would make it easier for readers to grasp your message. Don’t become preoccupied with trying to start writing the book at the beginning. Follow your passion. Commence with whatever is easiest and most interesting to you. (Then, after you’re more comfortable with the written word, come back and create a dynamite beginning to hook readers.) A great place to buy eBooks

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This gets you into the flow and begins to release your creative juices. It’s a good idea to write the Introduction early since this sets the stage for the whole book. An Introduction tells the scope of the work and details how people will benefit from reading it. It also keeps you focused on the target. As in visiting the dentist, so in writing—brief is better than lengthy. Lean sentences are the most inviting to read. So are concise paragraphs. Use short, pithy words. This isn’t the time to parade your scholarly vocabulary! It’s a place to communicate. Easily. Swiftly. Effectively. Write the way you speak: use contractions; even incomplete sentences. You aren’t getting a grade in English lit—you’re communicating! Think of it as holding a paper conversation. Spice your pages with case histories, anecdotes, stories, jokes, similes or metaphors, examples of what works...and what doesn’t. Such flavoring gives your message zest. One approach some of our busiest clients like is to dictate their thoughts, have the tape transcribed, then reorganize and partially clean up the manuscript pages before sending them to us. This doesn’t require a large time commitment, nor the ability to be an experienced word crafter. Or if you speak or teach, tape yourself, have it transcribed, then use this as the skeleton for your book. Flesh it out and have it professionally edited. Weaving a compelling book is no easy task. If you hire someone to ghostwrite your book,

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be sure he or she has the skill to leave your mental fingerprints. The book should be written in your voice; it must be an extension of your personality and mannerisms. But perhaps you already have the guts of a book. Have you written several articles or a column? Often these can be linked together and repackaged as a book. Collect similar topics under group headings. Be sure all information is current. Then write transitions to bridge from one piece to the next. If you don’t have such a foundation already laid, maybe now is the time to begin! Having a book is a secret marketing weapon. It opens doors for new business. CEOs and other decision makers delight in receiving a personally autographed book rather than the usual brochure. Plus an autographed book gets past the gatekeeper, whereas a brochure gets roundfiled. It also gives you fresh credibility. Writing a book makes you an “expert.” The media will often interview you on your area of expertise...and in the process, publicize you and your business. And, of course, it produces a new revenue stream. By using the writing shortcuts detailed here you can quickly and painlessly get your book going. Start to make it happen today! © 2006 Marilyn Ross

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Click cover to buy now. SHAMELESS MARKETING FOR BRAZEN HUSSIES By Marilyn Ross

Kudos from Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the Guerrilla Marketing book series: "Shameless Marketing for Brazen Hussies has an eye-popping life lesson on every page. Marilyn Ross covers all the bases as they've never before been covered. It's fun to read, shockingly incisive, and extremely enlightening -whatever your gender."

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About Marilyn Ross

Marilyn Ross, who has been called a "trend tracker" by Entrepreneur magazine, has written or coauthored 13 books. Her Big Ideas for Small Service Businesses was selected as one of the 30 best business books of the year by Soundview Executive Book Summaries. In Shameless Marketing for Brazen Hussies she again preaches about what she practices. In addition to writing award-winning books, articles, and newsletters, Marilyn is in demand as a professional speaker. A member of the National Speakers Association, she presents seminars and training workshops for associations, organizations, and corporations. She speaks about marketing, writing, publishing, and entrepreneurship. Through her firm, Communication Creativity Corp., Marilyn offers hourly consulting via phone and email; Onsite evaluations to help new startups or floundering veterans; plus ongoing coaching and mentoring. Her passion is to help women excel and prosper.

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