FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESK...

Welcome to e-Writer Magazine. E-Writer is a magazine
for writers of all types at all stages of development from
the novice to the expert. In these pages you’ll find interesting
ideas and tips on becoming a more effective communicator,
as well as book reviews, articles, even poetry. We’re open to
contributions from our readers and hope you’ll send us
interesting articles and news. If you have something to say,
say it here. You can contact our editor at editor@llumina.com

AUTHORS, GET PUBLISHED!

Llumina Press publishes “e” and print-on-demand books,
and pays higher royalties—60% on ebooks, and 30% on
Trade Paperbacks. Check us out at: http://www.llumina.com/
We’re giving self-publishing a good name…

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IN THE NEWS...

The following poem is by Elizabeth Cunningham.  It was her response to an interview on NPR with several ministers and rabbis and others who apparently thought the tsunami was their God's method of punishment of unspecified human bad behavior. I think you'll agree with Elizabeth.

THE CLERGY PRONOUNCE ON GOD'S PURPOSE FOR THE TSUNAMI

If the purpose of the world's religions
or their clergy
is to explain that we are
bad
and all our suffering
punishment then

we are better off without belief
better to stand stark and staring
in the wake of the terrible wave
better to let disaster knock us
senseless, sensible that we are only
small, strangely here, like all other
living dying things, the stranded fish
the torn up trees, the animals who sensed
the tremor first and fled.

Or if we must take life personally
must make god a person, why not
the one we long for, the one
who sees us hurt and takes us in her arms
or his and murmurs in our ear
I'm here, beloved child, I'm here.

by Elizabeth Cunningham

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PRESS RELEASES

PEACE PROMOTING POLI-SCI PROFESSOR PUBLISHES FOURTH OF NEVER AGAIN SERIES

Fort Lauderdale, February 2005:  Professor R.J. Rummel, Nobel Peace Prize Finalist and Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Hawaii, already the author of twenty-five works of non-fiction on the “democratic peace,” incorporates his passionate views into the latest book of his fictional Never Again series. 

A twenty-first century George Orwell, Rudy Rummel switched to fiction to promote his message to the wider public.    Embedded in the solidly entertaining and remarkably well-crafted (as well as historically accurate) political-science fiction adventure series, is the same message Professor Rummel has been preaching to his classes, his colleagues, the world:  That democracy and freedom are the only known antidotes to the collective violence bred by concentrated political power. 

However, don’t mistake any of Rummel’s Never Again novels for didactic morality tales.  They are not. The stories stand on their own as well-told adventures featuring love, lust, mystery, suspense, conflict and betrayal, all the elements essential to popular thriller fiction, and more.  Rummel’s underlying message, his truth -- that absolute power begets democide, war and famine, while democracy nurtures freedom and prosperity -- is woven subtly within the fabric of the fiction without dropping a stitch of the fantasy element.  Supported by the historical scaffolding that only a renowned scholar of political science could provide, Never Again entertains and educates, and, with Rummel’s hope for global peace in our lifetime, will unlock minds and open the door to peace and democracy on a global scale.

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Contrast in Cultures within and without the Black American Tapestry
 

FORT LAUDERDALE, February 2005:    Afro-American culture is often perceived as a  singularly homogenous ingredient in the melting pot that is America. Yet within the Black community exist a multitude of independent, yet interwoven, subcultures.  Authentic fifth generation Afro-Americans, Caribbeans, African immigrants, southerners, northerners, professionals, gangsters, workers, superstars, rich and poor, and more, are part of the fabric of the American Black experience.  These threads, whether they combine or clash, overlap or overshadow, complete a tapestry that evokes the Black American Experience.

Curtis Webley grasps two strong threads to weave an intricate story taken from that fabric in Surviving in America.  Two Jamaican boys immigrate to America.  Amin and Ragweed begin on similar paths: both are poor and fatherless, raised in rural Jamaica.  Both long to live in America.  Their lives diverge then intersect again and again, as they assimilate into American culture.  Amin, solid and sensible, is the model of the hard-working, mainstream and upwardly mobile, immigrant.  He follows the tried-and-true patterns of immigrants before him, weaving his way through education, a marriage, and professional success.  Ragweed’s story is different. Drugs, crime, prison, and illegitimate children with multiple mothers become the dimensions that define Ragweed’s life. A book greater than the stories of these two men’s lives, Surviving in America explores Jamaican and American culture, nature and nurture, and the hopes, dreams and failures that plague us all. 

Curtis Webley emigrated from Jamaica to the United States in 1975.  He received a B.S. in Accounting from Roosevelt University (1981), his C.P.A. in Illinois (1992) and his M.S. in Taxation from the Washington School of Law (1995).  Currently, Webley is a freelance writer, an adjunct professor of accounting and income taxes at colleges throughout Chicago, Controller of Spiral of Illinois, Inc., and owner/operator of Webley’s Accounting Services in Evanston, Illinois since 1981.  He is married and has five children.  The threads of Webley’s own life run through his well-written, emotional, intuitive, and intelligent saga, Surviving in America.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, February 2005:  A minor footnote to history records that the composer Robert Schumann, as he lay dying in a Bonn, Germany insane asylum, reported ghostly visitations and dictations of music by the already-deceased Franz Schubert.  Was something real created from Schumann’s night visions and then lost to history, or were his musical manias only a product of hallucinatory psychosis?   

Weaving a poignant, surreal story, Séance in B Minor is music itself.  Much like a symphony, its movements convey various ideas and moods, layered underneath the melody of the main story.  There are themes of mystery, loss, and wonder that are deepened and augmented by variations of art, philosophy, and spiritual quest.  Allison Hart, a research psychologist, questions the origin of inspiration for her patient’s latest painting. Gregori, a raving lunatic, drops cryptic hints about his canvas, which, to Allison, seems encoded with something mysterious. As she begins a journey of hopeful discovery – from a mental institution in Chicago to the Black Forest of Germany – Allison traces hints of a lost, enigmatic musical score, hints that become more substantial and alluring.  Her motivation proves, over time, to be less a professional assignment than a personal drama.  A painful, half-repressed memory is inexplicably tied to this rumored music of a subliminal netherworld, music exuding its melodies and harmonies through a schizophrenic mind and threaded through her own dreams.   

Does reality spring from a divine fountainhead?  Is there a link between artistic brilliance and higher consciousness?  What connections lie between genius, insanity, and a mystical realm?   Séance in B Minor will leave these questions humming in your head long after the last note has sounded.   

Author Tim Buck’s essay, “The Art of Conversation,” appears in the book Vocabula Bound (Marion Street Press, 2004).  He lives in Jonesboro, Arkansas. 

Séance in B Minor                           Publication: January 2005            

Author: Tim Buck

Paperback

ISBN: 1-595261-53-2

Pages:   292                                                    

Price:  $15.95                                          

Size:  5 x 8                              

Available from Llumina Press, Ingram, and Baker & Taylor.

Toll Free Orders Line:  1-866-229-9244

Or visit us on the web at <http://www.llumina.com/>

orders@llumina.com

For the first time in 100 years, children today have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.  According to the Center for Disease Control, the percentage of children between ages 6-11 who are overweight has increased 300% in the last 25 years.  (ACE Fitness Matters, Vol. 10, Issue 3; May/June 2004).  It is an increasing challenge to keep our children physically active because of budget cuts that eliminate P.E. classes in schools as well as combating the numerous hours children spend watching television and playing video games.

 Lambrou’s new book, Get Up & Jump Around, with a foreword written by Dr. Daniel J. Julius, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Benedictine University, is putting this challenge to the test.  Lambrou purpose is to get children to read the book, which is in poetry format, and also to have children actually get up and move to the beat of the words.  Hence the title, Get Up & Jump Around.  The poetry format contains poems that teach fitness concepts, and the sports poems allow children to use visualization to “play” in the game.  The book also contains a section that illustrates proper stretching techniques, an exercise log, glossary of fitness/sports vocabulary and “Muscle Man Sam,” which labels the names of the major muscle groups of the entire body.  Get Up and Jump Around is a power-packed book:  reading and learning for a healthy lifestyle, using visualization in sports, exercising the body, and having a great time in the process.  The book is suitable for children ages 6-12 and anyone else who wants to “jump around.” 

 “Lambrou’s unique interactive poetry approach energizes and motivates the children.  There are no scores being kept, no harping on the right strategy for the game.  It’s the freedom to create your jump, kick or any other movement to be what you’ve always imagined it to be.  Get Up & Jump Around, is an outstanding concept that makes every child a winner.  A truly groundbreaking book for children’s fitness. ~ Monica Zecher, Lifetime Fitness

 Not only does exercise keep children physically healthy, but studies show fitness is “food for the brain.”  University of Illinois researchers determined that increased oxygen flow from aerobic activity improves the brain’s ability to sharpen its attention on everyday tasks and goals.  Dr. Ratey, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School states, “There’s a growing trend among therapists who are using exercise to help increase the attention span of children with attention deficit disorder.  (Chicago Tribune, Section 1, March 17, 2004)

 Lambrou believes, “Being active is essential for a good quality of life.  Children who develop regular exercise habits not only improve their physical health, but improve their self-esteem and confidence, and they are more likely to stay active throughout their adult lives.  Fitness is for everyone, not just athletes.  I believe fitness is the secret to self-confidence and success.  What are you waiting for?  Don’t just sit there – Get Up & Jump Around!”

 Kids fitness expert, M.A. Kokos Lambrou’s passion to keep children active, inspired her to write and illustrate, Get Up & Jump Around.  Lambrou is also the author of WWW.WINGS, a novel for children in grades 3 and up, and Bear the Challenge, a book to benefit Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation, Inc., all available from Llumina Press.  Lambrou delivers motivational presentations in the areas of reading, writing, and physical fitness.  To request more information, contact the author:          

                                                                     Maria Lambrou

                                                                     P.O. Box 913

                                                                     Naperville, IL 60566

                                                                     makokoslambrou@yahoo.com 

 Alexander Lostocco, president of Internships for America, Inc., author of this quintessential bible for international youth aspiring to secure internships in The United States, has worked a multitude of international students and young professionals, screening, interviewing and selecting candidates for company programs.  That association provided the vision for his book, which is designed to prepare the international student and young professional to compete effectively for US internships.

  Lostocco received his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee, and received his MBA from the University of South Carolina. He has served on the trustee’s board for Christian Brothers University, where he initiated a personal scholarship program for the University.

US Internships for International Students and Young Professionals fills the information gap for young internationals seeking internships in the United States.  Yes, a plethora of guides exists about internships.  But, they are mostly aimed at the American-born.  Lostocco provides valuable information about how to cope with living and working in the United States with a clear “question and answer” approach and step-by-step instructions.  US Internships for International Students and Young Professionals gives the young international exactly what they need to pursue and complete a successful US internship.

Lostocco’s company can be accessed via the Internet at http://www.internship4america.com/, or can be emailed at alostocco@internship4america.com.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FEBRUARY 2005:  Jennifer Lauren, the self-professed princess of solo-dom, makes a convincing case for tossing out those fairy tale dreams in her new book, Solo Bliss: The Single Girl’s Guide to Enlightenment.  Lauren’s intelligent cheerfulness is contagious and convincing.  Her advice, optimistic and sensible, refutes the ‘happily-ever-after’ goal-oriented mentality most women were raised on – catching and keeping a trophy prince.  Indeed, Lauren makes us believe that living a full and productive life is the real grand prize.  That living happily ever after begins with embracing and enjoying Solo Bliss! 

While the media is still offering women strategies on where to meet men and how to catch them, Solo Bliss advocates not wasting one single second on the hunt.  Rather, Lauren proposes that, if Prince Charming is going to make an appearance, he would be more impressed with a dynamic, self-sustaining woman with a full, active solo life, than a longing bride-to-be.  And, if he doesn’t show up, so what?  If you’re already living an inspired, rewarding and satisfying existence, you may not even miss him. 

When Jennifer Lauren writes down the pros and cons of being single, the list on the left is the longer one.  Her common sense approach – better to sip champagne alone than to share a beer with a Bozo – will make one look at single life from a smarter perspective.  While Solo Bliss is the consummate guide to having the single life that all your married friends will envy, it is also a book that will tickle your soul as it reminds you of life’s delicious small solo pleasures. 

Jennifer Lauren’s website, www.solobliss.com, invites readers to share their solo stories.  Sorry, Prince Charming, you are not invited to this party. 

FORT LAUDERDALE, February 2005:  

What if you unknowingly married a witch? When Sam Melody, a hardworking private detective, marries Jasmine Pellitier, the consequences could be deadly. Jasmine seems like the perfect woman. She is actually a 2,500-year-old witch — pursued by ancient enemies who would stop at nothing to learn the secret of her powers. 

Brian Dobbins’ new novel, Jasmine’s Husband Sam, blends supernatural ingredients and several genres into one delicious nouveau cuisine brew. Dobbins incorporates the supernatural into what begins as a basic gumshoe detective tale. Then he spices it up with extra helpings of witchcraft and adventure. While the story stews, a romance simmers, showing Dobbins clearly has all his burners cooking. The result is an engrossing literary feast that follows no recipe but his own. 

Jasmine’s Husband Sam takes the reader from Sam and Jasmine’s adventures in modern-day New York City to her ancient beginnings and back again. Fighting a battle between good and evil, they elude their enemies, and keep their own love burning. In a fascinating new take on the witch-tale, follow Jasmine and the man she loves to a final showdown between the powers of Darkness and Light.

Jasmine’s Husband Sam is Dobbins’ first novel.  Brian Dobbins lives in Cincinnati, Ohio and is finishing his second book.

            You’ve written it.  It’s been edited and proofed until it’s perfect.  The formatters molded your text into a visually-appealing masterpiece.  The cover design is magic, even better than you’d envisioned. It comes back from the printers beautifully bound with your name on the byline, your long-awaited dream realized.  You run your fingers along the spine of your new baby and inhale the scent of fresh ink on crisp pages, and maybe trace your name on the cover, just to make it real for you.  The story you gave birth to, the message you were compelled to deliver, is contained within those pages.  So, now what to you do? 

            Whether you turn it over to a professional or do it yourself, marketing your manuscript comes next.  You know who you wrote it for, but how do you reach them?  Marketing is the tool that builds the bridge between your finished text and its intended audience.   Here are some things to consider in scaffolding that bridge so that your new baby can walk across it right into the hands of your intended readers: 

 Marketing is the tool that takes your book from infancy to realizing its full potential.  You put so much of yourself into writing it.  Don’t neglect its marketing!

POD is a relatively inexpensive way to test the waters for your book, allowing you to print copies as needed.  If your book finds a market and is selling, we can also offer you the opportunity to do an offset run, greatly reducing your cost per book.

 So try one of our POD programs along with a distribution and marketing/promotion package that is second to none, and then talk to us about printing in quantity.

There are so many reasons to publish your book with Llumina Press.…We offer a reputation for publishing quality books, personal service, the best author discounts in the industry and the highest royalties (ours are based on list price). In addition, we were the first POD company to offer bookstore returnability through Ingram (and no loss in royalties) as well as bookstore representation.

What more could you ask for?

Publish your book today 

Call Deborah Greenspan at 954-341-5636

Toll Free 1-866-229-9244

or

E-mail: Deborah@llumina.com

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BOOK SIGNINGS

SURVIVING IN AMERICA  BOOK SIGNING - SATURDAY FEBRUARY 19TH - 2:00 PM AT BEST SELLERS IN HEMPSTEAD, NY

Curtis Webley, author of Surviving in America, has a book-signing on February 19th at 2:00 p.m. at Best Sellers Book Store, at 43A Main Street, Hempstead, Long Island, New York (516) 564-5103.  Curtis was interviewed by Vibe Radio in Virginia on January 29th and is receiving tons of accolades for his book.

PERFECT PITCH BOOK SIGNING - SUNDAY MARCH 13TH - 3:00 PM at BORDERS IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA

Daniel S. Green, author of The Perfect Pitch:  The Biography of Roger Owens, The Famous Peanut Man at Dodger Stadium, will be signing books with Roger Owens, The Dodger Peanut Man, at Borders in Long Beach, California at 3:00 p.m.  Baseball fans come get your red-hot peanuts here!!!  Pasadena and Torrence appearances are being scheduled, too!

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JUST FOR FUN

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BLOCKBUSTER BOOK PACKAGE

Want to save time, money and still get the most comprehensive and effective publishing package available?  Llumina has made it easy for you by designing the Blockbuster Package. This includes everything we recommend to publish and market your book.  (Except editing as that depends on what's needed for your book.)

Here's what the Blockbuster Book Package includes:

Publishing of your manuscript as a Trade paperback, Hardcover, and ebook.  This regularly sells for $799.

The Llumina Professional Promotion Package (regular price: $899)

A Marketing Kit (regularly $175)

A full year's Returnability through Ingram and Llumina for both paperback and hardcover  versions of the book ($500 for the first book and $140 for the second)

A 1/4 page ad in our Bookstore Catalog ($349).

A hard proof copy of the book that is shipped overnight ($50)

The total value of this Blockbuster Book Package is $2912, but when purchased as a package instead of separately, the cost is $2699.

That is a SAVINGS to you of $213.

And that's not all!  You'll also receive 10 copies of your paperback book and 2 copies of your hardcover. 

Order the Blockbuster Package here.

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GALLEYS AVAILABLE TO REVIEWERS...

Discover the Self - A Life Changing Experience, by John Fairhart

Stay Dead ! by James Dunavant

If you'd like to review one of these books in galley,
please contact the publisher at Llumina Press.

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