Monday, December 30, 2013

The Poetry of Ryan Daniels


Ryan Daniels spiritual inspirational poems about life tell a tale of inner strength and light that potentially exists in us all, a journey of exploring the inner spiritual self reveals a love that has manifested itself through his poetry, a love, which contains infinite possibilities.


You can see samples of Ryan Daniels poetry on his website, www.ryandaniels.net



His two poetry books can also be purchased on his website, or you can go to Amazon or Barnes and Noble's website directly to buy them.

"Treasured Portraits: Visual Poetry of Infinite Possibilities" can be purchased at Amazon by CLICKING ON THIS LINK. 
You can also buy it through BARNES AND NOBLE.

"Hallow Reed: The Master Within" can be purchased on Amazon by CLICKING ON THIS LINK.

Enjoy the world of poetry from a master of the craft!




Thursday, December 5, 2013

LEAPTRADE: The Best Way to Trade Your Video Games!


At LeapTrade.com, you can trade in the games you're done with and get games that are new to you, all for only the cost of shipping.  Request to get games from LeapTrade and Trade-In to earn points to be used towards other games.

LeapTrade is not like other video game retailers.  Our goal is to SAVE YOU MONEY, so you can play more games.  We also offer all kinds of benefits that you won't find anywhere else.

WE DON'T MARK UP ANY PRICES

With LeapTrade, our users get full value for their games.  We don't take a cut.  If a game is worth 500 points, and you trade it in, you get 500 points.  If you request that same game, guess how much you pay?  500 points.  It's really that simple.

YOU TRADE DIRECTLY WITH FELLOW GAMERS

The reason we don't mark up any of the prices is that we're not keeping any game inventory of our own.  When you trade in a game for LeapTrade points, you don't ship the game to us.  You ship it directly to your fellow gamer.  When you request a game using LeapTrade points, you get it from another gamer her on Leaptrade.

WE GUARANTEE EVERY TRADE

Don't worry.  We've got your back.  Trading your video games on LeapTrade is safe, because we track the trade every step of the way and we guarantee that you will receive a working copy of the title that you want to play or you'll get your points back.

POINTS MAKE TRADING QUICKER AND EASIER

With points, you don't need to worry about having the right game to trade for the game you want.  Trade-in your game for points, and use those points at anytime to request a game on LeapTrade.  You can even buy points directly from LeapTrade if you need extra.  100 points is roughly equal to 10 dollars.  LeapTrade points never get old or expire, and you can always use them to request the games you want.

WE HANDLE THE DEALS (SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO)

Even though you are trading those games directly with your fellow gamers, you don't have to worry about all the messy details.  We do it for you.  From ensuring your games get a fair value, to matching you up with trading partners, handling user notifications and tracking packages.

YOUR CHOICE: TRADE FOR POINTS OR TRADE FOR ANOTHER GAME

When you've got an old game kicking around, you can trade it in for LeapTrade points that you can then spend later for another game in the library.  If you want another game right away or you just like swapping games better, you can do an instant trade instead and get that new title rather than getting points.  It's entirely up to you.

TRADING YOUR GAMES IS FUN, EASY AND SAFE

If you're tired of getting unfair trade-in values, if you don't want to run the risks of online forums with strangers, then you should be trading your games with LeapTrade.  We make it easy and safe as possible, while providing you with the fairest values possible, both as the person trading in a game and the person receiving one.  We even have a forum, a news feed and review systems that let you connect with other gamers.

LEAPTRADE CONTEST!!!!
WANT TO WIN TWO XBOX ONE CONSOLES AND 2 COPIES OF EVERY NEW GAME FOR 6 MONTHS?  ENTER OUR NEW CONTEST NOW BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK!

VISIT LEAPTRADE.COM TODAY!

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

THE SCOUT by Eric Tozzi Now on Sale at Amazon!


Change is inevitable.  It's heading for earth at twelve thousand miles per hour...and it will land virtually undetected.  For Jack McAllister, a young writer who has finally launched a career for himself, it begins tragically: his estranged father, a former NASA engineer, dies suddenly at his home in Merriweather, Indiana, leaving Jack's Alzheimer's-stricken mother a widow.  But in the wake of personal heartbreak, he's confronted by an even more astonishing event--the covert landing of an alien machine in the forest just a few miles outside of town..

Now Jack must unmask the true purpose of the otherworldly device that has begun a detailed environmental survey of the woods.  Aided by the town's young resilient female deputy sheriff, he soon discovers that the alien scout is only one small part of a much larger operation, and the countdown to a terrifying catastrophe is about to take place.  Drawing deeply from his father's scientific influence, all while attempting to avoid the snares of a sexy, seductive, and scheming local TV reporter, Jack uncovers-and ultimately finds himself an unwilling component of-an alien plan set to terminate life on Earth as we know it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Eric Tozzi is an award winning film director (Ray Bradbury's "Kaleidoscope"), and a former NASA/JPL documentary producer for Mars planetary exploration.  Visit Eric online at www.erictozzi.com.

You can buy the book on Amazon right now by CLICKING ON THIS LINK!

Monday, November 25, 2013

CAT ALVIN - A Fun Educational App Now on Sale at Amazon & iTunes Store


** This amazing revealing story will teach your child the importance of being generous! **

*** Develops children's emotional intelligence!!! ***

*** Build your child’s counting skills in a fun way! ***

Take your child through an exploratory story into the forest. While in the forest, your little one will build his or her numbers and counting skills and will familiarize him or herself with different forest animals.

At the story’s beginning, Alvin the cat, makes his way into the forest to gather food for his beloved family. Along the way this adorable cat makes quite a few friends by offering a helping hand to each one of them in need. As the story progresses a disaster strikes Alvin, and when it does, his heart is warmed as all of his newfound friends come to the rescue. This tale teaches a sense of responsibility to children and encourages them that kindness is always the best policy.


FEATURES
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- Loaded with interactive, simple, and fun tasks for kids to accomplish
- Teaches reading and numbers
- Teaches gratitude and generosity
- Develops children's emotional intelligence
- Animated and interactive characters
- Touch and drag capabilities
- Interactive surprises and hidden objects
- Use in either the “Read to Me” or “Read by Myself” modes
- Comes with sixteen professionally-illustrated cartoon graphic screens
- Designed for children 3 to 8+
- Compatible with iPhone and iPad models

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Cat Alvin is a tale that uses education-based techniques to engage children in a fun and playful app. This app uses the storybook medium as well as a creative and interactive premise to support the child’s emotional intelligence. The healthy dose of interaction will support good decision making in light of the player’s acquaintance with the story characters.
Parents who are looking to make kids emotionally stronger and introduce them with numbers and counting skills at an early age will definitely find the app heaven-sent.

Share a magic moment with your child, on a tablet or smartphone!!!

Buy it on Amazon HERE

Buy it at the iTunes store HERE

My latest book, FOUR BITES, is now on sale at Amazon!



I've just released a new book.  Well, it's sort of new.  Four Bites is a compilation of four horror stories.  Three of them (Small Town Evil, The Dead Ones, and Interstate 10) have already been released and published, and I've included one new story exclusive to this compilation (The Job Interview).

If you haven't picked up any of these books, or maybe just one, this is a great way to collect them all for one low price.  Small Town Evil, as a standalone book, is still going very strong.  It's still on the best seller list (today at #9), and it's been there nearly a year now.  That book is included here.

Currently it's only available as digital only edition, but there will likely be a paperback in the near future.

You can buy it now on Amazon by CLICKING ON THIS LINK.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Healthcare in Taiwan


The following is a re-posting of the article "Healthcare in Taiwan" by the Formosa Post.  I'll have some of my own comments on this underneath the video.

Healthcare in Taiwan is one of the most highly efficient health care systems in the world. Every citizen in Taiwan is fully covered and there is no such thing as pre-existing health condition. If you are an American living in the United States, you probably would know how wonderful the healthcare in Taiwan sounds, because in Taiwan, no matter you have a decent job or are jobless, you are always covered by so called “Universal Health Care”. It’s truly universal. Everyone is in and no one is out. The rate you pay might be slightly different but the monthly premium is really affordable, for most citizens, they pay less than US$50 per month and they have every right to access the health care system in Taiwan.

Health Care is a human right. When you lose your job, no matter if you quit or get laid off, you don’t want to lose the right to see a doctor. Especially when you are really sick, you seriously don’t want to worry that if the visiting to the hospital would cost you a fortune. Life is so precious and you don’t want to choose between your life and the ridiculous medical bill.

The other good thing about health care in Taiwan is you don’t need to see your primary physician and ask him to refer you to some specialists. The process may take a while if you always have to see your primary doctor first. All you need to do is present your health card to ANY of the clinics or hospitals. It’s that simply. Healthcare in Taiwan is such a success and so affordable. Even some tourists go to Taiwan to see some specialists. Yes, tourists can pay cash to see the doctors when they are sick or the specialists for some plastic surgery or Botox injection. Paying cash is a little bit higher than paying by presenting your health card, which fees will be deduced from your bank account. I heard that tourists from Canada or China take advantage of (not sure if I should use the word “abuse”) the health care in Taiwan.



There's been a lot of talk lately about Obamacare and how unpopular it is.  The last I read, it had a disapproval rating of something like 53%.  Conservatives like to run with that number and say "See!  Nobody wants Obamacare!"

However, what the GOP fails to mention is that, 16% out of that 54% dislike Obamacare because it's simply "not liberal enough" or they want "single payer" insurance, which is exactly what Taiwan has.  So the majority of the people here either want Obamacare or universal healthcare.  The numbers just aren't on the side of the GOP/Tea Party, regardless of the insane ramblings of Ted Cruz.

Critics will say that in Taiwan the lines are long to see a doctor, or that there aren't enough doctors.  Maybe that's true, maybe not.  I can tell you from my experience that sometimes I did have to wait, one time as long as three hours.  But who has never waited in a US emergency room for at least that long?  Taiwanese people like to run to the doctor for simple problems like the common cold, and maybe that's an issue that should be addressed.  Is simple, over-the-counter medication that hard to come by that people can't just treat themselves?  Perhaps Taiwan should consider charging some sort of penalty for people who go to the doctor to treat a runny nose.  But the positives FAR outweigh the negatives.  I've told this story a few times before, but I don't mind repeating it again:  When I lived in Taiwan, my daughter needed to stay in the hospital for a week.  At the end of our stay, we were presented with a bill for about US $6.00.  Yes, SIX DOLLARS.  The same hospital visit in the US could easily bankrupt a person without insurance, but in Taiwan it costs about as much as a meal at McDonalds.  Unbelievable.

Obamacare isn't perfect.  It may even totally suck for some people.  I have yet to figure out if it's even cheaper then what I'm paying right now for my private insurance (which is $184 a month).  The website (healthcare.gov) is so damn awful, I don't even understand if the figures they are quoting me are for 1 person or for 3 people.  But I think Obamacare is a step in the right direction and in the end, it may lead to single payer.  Our country can benefit a lot by following Taiwan's model for healthcare.  I hope we do it soon.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

FREE APP! GIFNIC FOR iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch!

 
 

 

Tired of those complicated "Gif Movie Editor" apps?  Gifnic lets you shoot gifs just like taking pictures.  Apply filters and MEME texts, and then export to Facebook, Twitter, and even Tumblr!

FEATURES:
+ Auto Mode : Shoot gifs like you would shoot a regular photo...

WHAT'S NEW IN VERSION 3.2
+ Did some magic, now Gifs load faster when viewed on webpages
+ Die bugs, die!

SHOOT GIFS WITH JUST ONE TAP AND ADD MEME TEXTS!

This is a FREE app for iOS and you can download it now by CLICKING ON THIS LINK!

Friday, September 27, 2013

Fate of the Gods: Black Edition by K. Massop - On Sale NOW at Amazon


An arousing debut where war and magic are at the heart of each page. Revenge is dark and justice is served bloody and cold in this dark, epic fantasy.

Above the world known to all as Lacertus, Gods, humans, and supernaturalism leads to bloody wars. Hann, Guardian of Fort Ankh, is uncomfortable with his position as the Guardian King, although he feels quite at home on the bloody battlefield. His loyalty to his Princess, Katrina Celeste, and the Liberty Legion is seemingly unmatched by any other warrior in the legion. When Azmod’e, a powerful sorcerer, and his Royal Army plot to capture and arrest Katrina for “treason” the bloodbath begins throughout the territory of Rigor all the way to Ankh. Katrina realizes the partial extent of her magical powers during the first of many battles; while her legion doubts their ability to take on the world’s strongest armies head-on. The unsettling scenes throughout this dark tale produce incredible surprised, both for the better and the worse, leaving the reader to question what will happen next. In a land filled with sorcery and a fusillade of paranormal warfare; life, death, and land are on the line. Will Katrina realize her powers in order to gain freedom for herself and the Liberty Legion? Will Hann and other trusted warriors remain loyal to the Liberty Legion? Is Azmond’e indeed the most powerful sorcerer in the land? What will happen to the Royal Army? The ending is not customary of a traditional fantasy novel; nevertheless very satisfying.

In this debut, K. Massop creates a world set in the 14th century that is literally outside of this universe. Fate of the Gods blossoms beautifully into an unforgettable story about power, magic, love, and revenge. It’s rapid, appealing to those with a particular love of dark, epic fantasies, and leaves the reader in a paranormal trance.

You can buy this now at Amazon by CLICKING HERE.


Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Now on Sale - BRAZIL by Errol Lincoln Uys!


A spellbinding saga on a truly epic scale that brings to life Brazil and her history."

Through the lives of two powerful families, Brazil is the first work of fiction to depict five turbulent centuries in the history of a remarkable land. From colony to kingdom, from empire to nation, Brazil is filled with memorable people living through one of the great adventures in human history.

The Cavalcantis are among the original settlers and establish the classic Brazilian plantation -- vast, powerful, built with slave labor. The da Silva family represents the second element in both contemporary and historical Brazil: pathfinders and prospectors. For generations, these adventurers have set their eyes on El Dorado, which they ultimately find in a coffee fortune at Sao Paulo.

"A masterpiece! Brazil has the feel of an enchanted virgin forest, a totally new and original world for the reader-explorer to discover. " -- L' Express, Paris

Now on Amazon Kindle and in Print. 

You can buy it on Amazon by CLICKING ON THIS LINK

Website: http://erroluys.com/BrazilPage1.htm

Friday, August 30, 2013

Book Hotels Online at HotelsTip.com!

Why use HotelsTip?

** EASY RESERVATION  MANAGEMENT
From your account you can easily manage current hotel reservations.

**FACEBOOK LOGIN
You're just one click away from registration.  If you don't have an FB account, you can still use the classic method.

**NOW WITH HOTEL REVIEWS FROM "TRIP ADVISOR"

**NO RESERVATION FEES
We don't charge you for your reservations.  Reservations are absolutely free.


Book hotels online at HOTELSTIP.COM  or call 1-800-780-5733  Promo 358452


So what are you waiting for?  You know you need a vacation, don't you?  I just got back from one, but I need another one.  If I didn't have to stay home and babysit all the time, I would probably be in Europe right now attending the rest of Roger Waters' "Wall" shows.  So book NOW!

Friday, August 23, 2013

Now on Sale: Verbal Communication Skills for the Entrepreneurs by Kimberly Mathews



*************************************************************
Book Description:

Verbal communication skills are what all successful entrepreneurs possess.  The ability to communicate on a level that endears people to trust and like you is a skill successful people own.  Although the act of communicating may seem a natural process, effective verbal communication is a technique learned.  Verbal Communication Skills for the Entrepreneurs is about communicating for success.
*************************************************************
I know a lot of people who can benefit from this book.  There are some people that I work with who still seem to communicate on a grade-school level.  I see this a lot with the younger kids.  I don't know if it's the declining educational system or people are just generally getting dumber (or both?)  Hopefully, instead of buying another videogame or iPod, they'll get this book instead.

You can buy it NOW on Amazon by CLICKING ON THIS LINK.  There will be a one-day free promotion for the book on August 25th, so you have no excuse to not get this book!




Thursday, August 22, 2013

My New Facebook Page

I just created a new "Official" Facebook page for book promotions and other related topics.  If you liked any of my books, please feel free to "Like" the page whenever you get a chance.

Here's the link:

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Now on Sale at Amazon: Word Games Pack 7 in 1 Bundle!



Product Features:

7 in 1 Game
Uses Official Scrabble Dictionary
Allows you to choose between three skill levels of Easy, Medium, and Hard
Cool Music and Sound Effects
Fast paced games that you can play almost anywhere

Product Description:

Welcome to the wild, wonderful world of word games!  Word Games Pack is a group of 7 wacky and classic word games guaranteed to entertain even the greatest of minds.  This fantastic mobile app game is perfect for people of all ages.  Not only is it fun to play, but Word Games Pack is also educational!  Strengthen your spelling skills, vocabulary, and word identification while you have a BLAST!

Word Games Pack uses words from the Official Scrabble Dictionary

WORD SEARCH
A word search with a twist!  Using words from a topic or a random list, this word search will keep players of all levels challenged.  Don't worry about getting stuck because this word search comes with a Hint button.

HANGMAN
Zombie Hangman is a uniquely animated and exciting game of hangman.  Choose your letters by tapping the interactive keyboard on the game.  Each incorrect letter is displayed on the right side of the screen, in little colorful boxes.  Carefully choose your letters!  Each incorrect letter brings the zombie closer to YOU!

WORD SHUFFLER
This crazy word game will keep you on your toes.  Similar to the game Boggle, tap and drag your finger over each little square, highlighting the letters to make words.  Letters can travel in all directions on this game so don't forget to look up, down, forward, backward, and even diagonally.  Longer words earn you more coins.  Word shuffler comes with three game board sizes.

WORD MIX
Word Mix is a vividly colored game of skill so get ready to stretch your fingers and get ready for some rapid typing!  You will be given a set of letters and a 2 minute time limit.  Your mission is to use these letters to make 3, 4, and 5 letter words.  Tap these letters to send them to their designated boxes.  Scramble your brain to find all the words.  Use the shuffle button to scramble the letters when your brain feels scrambled as well!

FALLING LETTERS
Tap the letters as they fall in order to make words.  Watch as each letter illuminates with your touch!  The longer the word, the more points you will get!  Be careful, as the letters fall, they will stack up on you and it's game over if they reach the top!

WORD DEFENDER
Protect the planet from fallen words and use a cannon to shoot the correct vowel at each word.  Watch as the vowel blasts the correct word into pieces!  Do not miss too many targets.  If 5 words crash into the planet, the planet will be destroyed!

JUMBLER
How many words can you make in 60 seconds?  Jumbler will give you a set of mixed up letters.  Hurry up and tap the letters to make a word.  Each word will give you points.  Watch as the correct words slide off the side of the screen.

This is a very fun game and you can buy it on Amazon today by CLICKING ON THIS LINK

Also, check out the developers website at www.thatssopanda.com



Sunday, June 30, 2013

Now on Sale on Amazon - "Right Right Wrong!" for only 99 cents!


PRODUCT FEATURES:

Completely AD Free
Thousands of Trivia Subjects and Answers
Original Soundtrack created by The Chronomancer  (Available for purchase on Amazon)


PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

Unlike other Knowledge Triva based trivia games, can you 'train your brain to recognize the WRONG choice instead of the RIGHT one?

That's exactly what you'll be challenged to do in every 90 second game of Trivia Challenge Right Right Wrong!  Thousands of different subjects in a multitude of different categories like TV, Movies, Video Games, Arts, Science, Math, History, Food and much much more!  You are given a subject with three choices, a Right, a Right, and a Wrong.  It's your job to figure out the WRONG choice in a race against the clock!

Right Right Wrong! is designed to test and improve a player's knowledge and speed.  The more subjects you solve correctly within each 90 second game, the greater your chance of receiving bonus points and increasing your score.

So download it and find out why being WRONG never felt so RIGHT!

You can buy this app on Amazon for 99 cents by CLICKING ON THIS LINK



Now on Sale at Amazon - "World Puzzle Pic!"


Product Features

  • Super simple, surprisingly addictive and quick word game for the whole family.
  • Hot Puzzle Action
  • What's The Pic / 4 Pic 1 Word Style Gameplay
  • Reveal the Gameplay

Product Description

What's the Pic? What's the Word? Can you guess???

Pop that Picture to reveal exactly what's hiding underneath.

Gameplay is Simple:
1. Pop the Picture tiles to reveal parts of the picture.
2. Guess what it can be using a limited set of letters!

WARNING: This game is really fun and will keep you guessing!

Featuring 1000's of levels for everyone from Beginner to Expert!

Multiple Levels Featuring Categories Like:
* Animal Kingdom
* Car time
* Famous Places
* Fashionista
* Flags of the World
* Food Fun
* Logo Quiz
* Techno Geeks

It's like dozens of games all rolled into one :)

Super simple, surprisingly addictive and quick word game for the whole
family!
If you like games such as 4 Pics 1 Word, Logo Quiz, and Pop the Pic!
 On Kindle Fire, you can configure parental controls from the device
settings menu and then selecting Parental Controls.
On Android devices, you can configure in-app purchasing parental controls
from the settings menu within the Amazon Appstore.
PLEASE NOTE: This app lets you purchase digital content using actual
money.

This is a pretty fun app that the kids will enjoy and you can buy it by CLICKING ON THIS LINK
Right now you can get it for FREE!

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Now on sale at Amazon, "101 Days of Lula" by William Walkerley



Now on sale at Amazon, "101 Days of Lula" by William Walkerley.  This book is described as a "sexy memoir taken from the text messages of an unrequited love affair with an Asian Backpage.com escort."

This book may not be for everyone, and is definitely for mature audiences only.

You can buy it now for 99 cents by clicking on this link.


Saturday, June 15, 2013

"THE MONSTERJUNKIES" by Erik Daniel Shein & L.M. Reker NOW ON SALE at Amazon!

Hey all you hipsters and fantasy fans...meet the weirdest family in the world.  A modern day Addams Family, with the coolest parents and pets.  The MONSTERJUNKIES - an American family odyssey.  The book explores the one issue every adolescent faces no matter what his or her social status or economic condition:  How can I fit in?

Just 99 cents this week on Amazon and you can buy it by CLICKING THIS LINK!


Anastasia (Volume 1 of the Ringing Cedars of Russia Series) by Vladimir Megre Now on Sale at Amazon!

A New Updated author's Edition!

"ANASTASIA", the first book of the Ringing Cedars Series, tells the story of entrepreneur Vladimir Megre's trade trip to the Siberian taiga in 1995, where he witnessed incredible spiritual phenomena connected with sacred 'ringing cedar" trees.  He spent three days with a woman named Anastasia who shared with him her unique outlook on subjects as diverse as gardening, child-rearing, healing, nature, sexuality, religion, and more.  This wilderness experience transformed Vladimir so deeply that he abandoned his commercial plans and, penniless, went to Moscow to fulfill Anastasia's request and write a book about the spiritual insights she so generously shared with him.  True to her promise this life-changing book, once written, has become an international best-seller and has touched the hearts of millions of people world-wide.

You can buy this fascinating book on Amazon by CLICKING ON THIS LINK.

Friday, June 14, 2013

"Any Two Can Be Twindollicious" by Natasha Danna now on sale at Amazon!



Here's a cute little kids book that Sara and Kyle recommend (well...mostly Sara. It's more of a girl's book).  It's called "Any Two Can Be Twindollicious" by Natasha Danna and it's currently on sale at Amazon for $2.99 (Kindle Edition) and $17.41 (hardcover).  Here is the description:

Violet and Kelly are a pair of spunky twins who love doing everything together!  They play games, dress alike, and share all of their secrets.  Then one day, Abigail shows up and makes the girls question their own individuality.

By helping others each in her own way, Violet and Kelly discover that who they truly are comes from inside.  As their mom says, "Twindollicious, precisely!"

I had a chance to actually read this book to Sara and Kyle and I wrote up a review for it on Amazon.  Here is the text of my review:

"I have two children, a 6 year old boy and an 8 year old girl.  Though definitely not twins, they still thoroughly enjoyed the story (my daughter a little more so.)  Even though this is a story about twins, the themes could easily apply to any two siblings (two boys, two girls, boy/girl) who are always being compared to each other.  The author of the story teaches some great lessons about individuality and "not judging a book by its cover."  I'd also like to single out the fantastic illustrations.  Very well done and professional.

Near the end of the story, when the twins work together to capture an overly-excited guinea pig, we finally learn their individual strengths.  This reminded me of my own kids.  My son is afraid of spiders, but my daughter isn't, and when my son recently saw a large spider in his bedroom, my daughter grabbed an empty spaghetti-sauce bottle to trap the spider, and then released it outside.  It's teamwork, and that's really what "Any Two Can Be Twindollicious" is all about."

Ok, I do have to admit that I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for my review, but the review is sincere.  It is a good book, and much better than most of the other children's books I've read lately on the Kindle.

You can buy the book now by clicking this link.


Friday, May 31, 2013

FREE Kindle Books at "Click Reading" !!


Okay, here is a website that I'm proud to advertise on my blog.  Why?  Because it's all about Kindle Books!    As someone who sells books exclusively for the Kindle, I think this is a great website to discover new, highly rated books at low prices (and many are FREE!)

Don't have a Kindle?  No problem.  If you are just using a PC, or you have an iPad, you can just download the Kindle app and it will give you access to all the Kindle Books.  No more excuses of "Oh...I don't have a Kindle!"  That won't work anymore.  Start your reading adventure now!

Here is the website:  www.clickreading.com  
The link above will take you right there!

Hopefully you'll see one of my books on there eventually.  :)

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Now on Sale, "The Enchanted River Race" by Caldric Blackwell


Here's a cool new children's book that's now on sale.  It's called "The Enchanted River Race" by Caldric Blackwell.  Here's the synopsis:

When eleven-year old Lorovia is chosen to captain her district's ship in her village's enchanted river race, she anticipates a friendly romp down the river.  She quickly discovers, however, the race is anything but friendly, and she finds herself facing mystical landscapes, magical obstacles, and cutthroat competition.  With the help of her two best friends, Amy must rise to the occasion or risk continuing her district's decades-long losing streak.

You can buy this book here at Amazon.

You can also buy it here at Barnes and Noble.

And here at Powell's Books.

And finally, here at Indie Bound.

If you would like to learn more information about the author, you can visit his personal website here.


Saturday, May 11, 2013

Now on Sale, "One Minute Super Dad" - FREE THIS WEEKEND


Here's a cool little book you can pick up for free this weekend.  It's called "One Minute Super Dad: 99 One Minute Magic Moments You Can Easily Create to Raise Amazing Children" by Dr. Prashant Jindal MD.

Here's the book description:

Amazon No.1 Best Seller: Free Download this weekend: One Minute Super Dad. In Celebration & Gratitude of its success and getting the Amazon No.1 Best Seller Status, it is available for a free download for this weekend as a gift. Thank you everybody for making OMSD such a huge success. 

Dr.Jindal was recently interviewed on the book's huge success recently by Sky TV. Watch his interview on the One Minute Super Dad You tube channel at tinyurl.com/OMSDtalk

Covering all areas of a child’s development, the 125-page dead simple and more importantly, “actionable” book is a distilled product of over 1000 pages of work and interviews. It gives the simplest and yet most powerful fathering tools one will ever find. In just one minute... and there are 99 of them… Dads can have a huge impact on their children.

Few of the Rave Reviews from Renowned Experts and Leaders:
 “If every parent can read this book, the world will be a different place.” James Michael Lafferty: Former CEO of Coca Cola and also P&G.
 “The mother will read books on parenting and when the husband doesn’t do it the way she does it, they fight.” Dr John Gray: Author, Men are from Mars Women are from Venus

Although I promote a lot of books on this page lately, this one actually seems like one I might enjoy.  If I can be a "super dad" to Sara and Kyle in one minute, why not?

You can get the book here for FREE this weekend.  After that it is $8.99.  Better act fast.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

My latest book, "THE DEAD ONES" is Now on Sale!



After taking a break from writing for a couple of months, I have returned with my latest book "THE DEAD ONES" which is now on sale at Amazon for 99 cents.  This one is sort of a prequel to my first fiction book, "Interstate 10" so if you liked that one you would probably like this one too.

My previous book, "Small Town Evil" has been doing insanely well.  It went on the Amazon best seller list shortly after I published it, getting as high as #16, and it's still on there today (today it's at #28).  I don't know what the secret was with that story, but it surprises me as much as it probably surprises you.

You can buy my latest book by clicking on this link.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

FREE MUSIC DOWNLOAD - "Party Like P Diddy" by Mac Peelo



If you like rap and hip-hop music, here's a song you can download (or stream) for FREE.  Everyone loves free music, right?  The artist's name is Mac Peelo and the song is called "Party Like P Diddy."  It's on KV Records.

You can download or stream it by clicking on this link.

You can also go to the artist website here and watch a video of the artist making the song.  Feel free to comment below to let them know what you think of the song.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Tactical Vantage - for all your gun needs!



If you love guns, here's a great website to visit, Tactical Vantage!  They carry the following items:

Firearm accessories and parts
Replacement stocks
Gun magazines and clips
Tactical rifle accessories
Tactical shotgun accessories
California legal magazines
and more!

This is THE website to visit for all your gun needs.  Who doesn't love guns?  Here in Texas, even the liberals love guns, so why not buy all this stuff before Obama takes it all away?  Okay, he probably won't take any of it away, but why take chances, right?

Here is the link to their website.

Friday, February 22, 2013

On Sale Now! "The Secrets of An Intelligent Consumer" by Leon Forte!



On sale now for Amazon Kindle, "The Secrets of An Intelligent Consumer" by Leon Forte.

Newly reedited for easy reading and understanding.

Easy techniques for the average person to save $200,000 over a working life without scrimping or sacrificing.

Buy the same goods and services you're using while saving large amounts of money.

Shop in many of the same stores right in your area.

Have more cash in your wallet and have more money saved.  Owe less money.

Anybody with a high school education can easily learn to become An Intelligent Consumer.

Everything is covered from food, clothes, and cars to buying or remodeling a house.

Learn to spot when you're being played for the fool.

In today's bad economy, I would imagine this book would be very helpful to consumers.  I also noticed this thing is 633 (!) pages long.  Don't be fooled by some of the other books out there with a similar topic that are just thrown together and are usually less than 10 pages long.  This is the real deal!

You can buy it now at Amazon for $4.99.  Just click on the link here.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Reviews and More Reviews, and My Response

Okay, so my first book "An American Teacher in Taiwan" has been out now for a couple of months and the reviews have started to come in.  Thankfully, they have all been pretty good.  I'm going to share some of the reviews here and respond to the criticisms I've received so far.  I have no problem with criticism if I feel it's constructive.  Sometimes it is, and that sort of criticism helps a writer to grow and improve.  Sometimes, it's just ridiculous.  One writer in the UK gave my fiction book 2 stars simply because "It wasn't long enough.  I wanted more."  They apparently liked it and didn't want it to end, so because it ended, I'm giving you 2 stars.   Seriously?

Anyway, here is the first review, from Joanne Johnson (a three star review):
"A decent account of an average guy living in Taiwan. His complaints get a little tiresome, though. I began to wonder why he stayed so long, and wrote about the experience, if he were so miserable."

I wasn't miserable.  I enjoyed my life in Taiwan.  Sure I had complaints, but there wasn't a single foreigner I met in Taiwan who didn't have complaints about Taiwan.  There is just so much to complain about, but that doesn't mean I hated the place.  Our decision to leave was mostly based on having children.  If we didn't have children, I likely would have stayed longer.

The next review, from CK (4 stars):
"I really enjoyed reading this book, but then I've had a similar life abroad as Ken and could relate to a lot of his experiences. Anyone who has been to China or Taiwan will appreciate his anecdotes, which are generally spot on. And if you're interested in living or teaching in this part of Asia, this is also a good resource to let you know what's in store. Ken sheds a lot of light on the inner workings of "cram schools" and how easy/hard it is to get by on an EFL teacher's salary.

In fact, what really stood out to me in this book is how honest Ken is in sharing his personal life with the reader. The book includes photographs of people close to him and stories about his ex-wife, siblings, and in-laws that I don't think I would have the guts to divulge in my own writing. The teaching chapters are fun and useful, but it's the stuff about dating, raising a family, and dealing with his Taiwanese parents-in-law that make this a truly unique read.

One thing you should be aware of, though, is that the book is a direct copy of the author's (now closed) blog. I'm not all that bothered if a blogger wants to monetize what they wrote online, but Ken keeps referring to the chapters here as "blog posts" and at one point even asks you to leave a comment at the end of the article. Um... seriously? These kind of moments broke the flow. I would have liked to see a little more editing take place before the book was published. Likewise, An American Teacher is full of grammatical typos that are harder to forgive coming from an English teacher.

So I gotta knock off a star for the presentation, but don't let that deter you. This is definitely a good story and is one of the better "teacher abroad" memoirs I've read."


This was a nice review, and I have to admit that I feel a bit embarrassed that I didn't catch all the typos and grammatical errors.  It was a big book (356 pages) and I had to edit it myself.  I can't really afford a professional editor.  I've fixed all the errors that I've spotted and re-uploaded the file, so anyone who has bought the book recently should have a (slightly) improved version.  I also took out the chapter about "Kung Pao Chicken" (I just felt it didn't fit) and I added a new chapter about visiting the seedy side of Hong Kong (something I felt was too X rated to talk about on the blog.)

And finally, here's another one from A. Jeffers (5 stars):
"I first stumbled upon this book back in early 2009 when it was still a semi-active blog. At that time I was still in college and had recently returned to the US from my first trip to Taiwan with my Taiwanese girlfriend. I was curious about living and teaching in Taiwan after graduation.

As soon as I came across this blog (now book), I read through the whole thing in about 4 hours. It was compulsively readable, and "I couldn't put it down", as they say. The writing was accessible, the experiences were interesting, and the reader soon feels as if the author--who brings valuable perspective as a typical Everyman foreigner-- is their friend and travel guide. The author covers a lot of ground, from finding work, to starting relationships, to teaching English classes, and even raising kids in a foreign culture. What is more unique than all of this, though, are the plain-spoken descriptions of everyday life of an English teacher in Taiwan from the perspective of a relatively uninformed newcomer.

Judged solely as a piece of writing, this clearly is not a high-caliber literary effort. On the contrary, it is simply a published blog, written by an Average Joe. But for me, that's what makes it so great. It is a well-documented experience of a regular guy who finds work and love in Taiwan and rejuvenates his life in the process. This book is exactly what it claims to be, and it provided valuable perspective and ultimately helped me in my decision to move to Taiwan after graduation, where I still am, happily teaching English and studying Chinese.

As someone with a Taiwanese girlfriend who was already considering moving to Taiwan to teach English, I found this book to be an invaluable resource for its unfiltered presentation of what it's really like to live and teach here. Admittedly, though, my situation made this book much more relevant for me than for the average reader. Having been in Taiwan for about a year and half now, I can attest that the author's observations and descriptions are generally quite accurate. I will say, though, that his perspective is significantly hindered by the fact that he never seriously tried to learn the Chinese language. That is my only criticism.

In the end, I do not rate this book highly as a piece of literature, but simply for the accessibility and truthfulness of the insights it provides to living and teaching in Taiwan.

If you're curious about teaching English in Asia, life in Taiwan, and multicultural relationships, I bet you'll enjoy this book."


This is a good review as well, though this reviewer did manage a few jabs at my writing style.  It was always my intention to write simple and deliberate.  If you want to read a blog about life in Taiwan that's far more pretentious than mine, I would recommend my friend David's blog, "Meigouren Adventures"  He also complains a lot more than I do.

Actually, I wanted to learn Chinese.  I really did.  When I first arrived, I started doing language exchange with this really cute Taiwanese girl who spoke terrible English.  Once I met Christy, I stopped seeing that girl, even though our relationship never turned romantic.  I also wanted to enroll in a class in Hsinchu to learn Chinese, but again Christy put her foot down.  She didn't want me spending money on something that she felt she could teach me herself.  She wanted to be my sole Chinese instructor, either out of cheapness or insecurity.  I don't know which...possibly both.  Now, I don't want to put all of the blame on my lack of learning Chinese on Christy, but....65% sounds good.  :)

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Now on Sale for the Amazon Kindle: "In the Midst of Secrets" by Katherine Vogel


Now on sale for the Amazon Kindle: "In the Midst of Secrets" by Katherine Vogel.

Synopsis:
"Her father was an intimidating man who held fast to his belief in his African heritage; that black should not marry white to avoid racial confusion.  She was in love with a white man whose mother wished to keep her family's heritage intact by not crossbreeding with another race.
Tiffany only wanted to be with Jonathan but had to face a father who was hell bent on controlling his family's every move.  Revelations would take him off his high horse as he realized all his family members kept secrets from him, secrets they knew he could not tolerate.  The showdown would bring a proud and sometimes unreasonable man to his knees.
A son's quest to find the truth would reveal a secret so crushing that the family may never recover.  "A secret that was buried for over thirty years."

Sounds interesting.  The racist father sounds a little like my own (deceased) father-in-law.  If this were an Asian-white story, I'd think she was writing about my life.

You can buy the story by clicking on this link.

Friday, February 8, 2013

My Latest Book, Now on Sale!


My second fiction book was just released today on Amazon.  It's another supernatural/horror/ghost thing called "Small Town Evil."  Unlike my last story, "Interstate 10", which my wife Christy called "like a table with three legs instead of four," she really liked this one.  She assures me that this story "has all four legs."  Okay...odd analogy, but I get it.

This story was based on a screenplay that I wrote back in 2003.  Unless your name happens to be Quentin Tarantino or George Lucas, screenplays just don't sell for the Amazon Kindle.  People don't want to read them.  So, rather than publish that screenplay as is, I decided to completely re-write it as a novella, taking out the parts I thought didn't work, and adding some new stuff.  It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.  It's almost like taking something and translating it into another language.  In a screenplay, you can just write "they fight" and that's good enough.  In a book, you can't be that lazy.  You have to be a bit more descriptive.  However, since it was a screenplay, the story still remains somewhat dialogue-heavy, and that might turn off some of the gore hounds looking for a cheap thrill (it does have a little bit of gore, but not a lot.)

I like the cover for this one more than the last one.  Usually I just tell him one or two sentences about the story, and he comes up with the covers.  This time he really nailed it.  He captured the image of the girl I was looking for, and the car driving on the foggy road is straight from chapter 1 of the book, and this guy didn't even know that.

So, here it is, the latest book, Number 5 in my catalog.  You can buy it by clicking here.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

"GO FIGURE" Now Available for Kindle on Amazon!


"Go Figure" is the first in a series of children's books by author/artist Dennis Young.

Dennis is known as the musician who played in the legendary 80's band "Liquid Liquid."  Recently, he has focused his creative skills on painting & drawing.  Along with his paintings in exhibits on record covers, he now has completed his first in a series of children's books called "Go Figure."

The book revolves around unique characters where kids can use their imagination to create a storyline each time they look thru the pages of the book.  Grown-ups are encouraged to join in the fun.  So, grab your kids and "GO FIGURE"

Here is the link that will take you directly to the book.

Legitimate Work at Home Jobs and Opportunities


Don't worry, my blog hasn't been hacked.  I'm going to be promoting a few websites and products to help some people out, so here's the first one!

This is a website called I'm Here For You.  It's got a lot of great advice on how to make money from home (and who doesn't want to make money from home?)

Now Available, the Short Story "Interstate 10"


My first short fiction story is now available at Amazon on the Kindle for only 99 cents.  It's called "Interstate 10" and it's a supernatural/suspense/horror thing around 40-50 pages (depending on the size of your Kindle.)

If you happen to pick it up, keep in mind that this is a short story, and that's the reason why events transpire rather quickly.  So please don't complain about it being too short.  It's supposed to be.

The same guy (idrewdesign) designed the cover for this.  It wasn't the image I was expecting, but I still like it.  It's still better than anything I could have done on my own.

I haven't gotten my nerve up to write a novel yet, nor am I even sure I can do it.  The time and dedication it takes to write a novel are daunting.  With continual interruptions from the wife and kids, it's difficult to even write a short story these days.  I'd have to be able to lock myself into a room for 8 hours a day to put the kind of effort into a novel that I'd like to.

My regular readers of my other blog "From Taiwan to Texas" (assuming they are still around) are probably saying "Is that what this blog has become now?  Just a promotional tool for your freakin' books on Amazon?!"

The answer is YES AND NO.

I have no more books pending on the horizon.  My blog/books are finished, and that was the only short story I had been working on.  That's it for now.  So...eventually I'll return to the blog you once remembered, but of course I'll still my promote my stuff.  Who wouldn't?  :)

You can buy the short story here.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Finally, The Third Book! "The Reluctant Austinite"


So...I have another book out, called "The Reluctant Austinite."  I've decided, with this book, I'm not going to go all out and try to promote it (other than this blog, of course).  This is just a simple, under the radar release for me.

When I was editing the 2nd book, "From Taiwan to Texas," I had realized that I left out a lot of the Texas and Austin stories, and I wanted to make a special book with just those stories (and several of my other stories as well.)  It's not like the other books at all.  It doesn't really touch any of the deep and dark sections of the other books.  This is more of a light-hearted thing, which means I'll be lucky to sell one or two copies (okay, maybe three.)

Speaking of sales, I was a bit surprised to see that my previous two books are actually selling.  I'm averaging about maybe one per day.  Okay, these aren't life changing numbers, but something is better than nothing, right?  Reading the "Author Forums" on Amazon, I've seen many writers complaining about not selling a single copy of their book, after months and months.  So I guess selling a dozen or so is something to celebrate.  I also had a few promotional days where I gave the book away for free, and several hundred people downloaded them.  The promotional days are supposed to encourage people to buy your other work.  Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

Anyway, this is my final book (I promise) that will be based around my blogs.  There won't be any more.  The next book I plan to publish on Amazon will be a fiction story that I'm working on right now.  It's a short story, probably under 50 pages, that I'll sell for around 99 cents when it's finished.  I'm hoping that some of my loyal readers (however few or many there may be) will follow me to the next genre.  We'll see.

You can buy the third book here

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Second Book Now Available! "From Taiwan to Texas"

More great news to announce.  My second book is now on sale at Amazon (for the Kindle.)  "From Taiwan to Texas: Life in Mid-America"

It's kind of amusing, I think, that I have published both of my books on Kindle, when I don't even own a Kindle myself.  Christy and I have been having a few arguments about whether or not we really need one.  I want one.  She doesn't.  She seems to think that our iPhone's are just as good as a Kindle.  Seriously though...it's not that easy to read large amounts of text on an iPhone.  I can feel my eyesight getting worse every time I use the iPhone.

Anyway, here is the link the book if you'd like to buy it!