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By CAREY FOXTimes Sports Editor
PUTNAMVILLE — Slick Griffin was a well known part of the Indiana racing family and a fixture at Lincoln Park Speedway nearly every Saturday evening. So it was only fitting that after his untimely loss during the off-season that the Putnamville oval would play host to the "Slick Griffin Memorial" race for UMP Super Stocks.
The Brazil native was a successful driver of the No. g2 machine and Ralph Groomer was on hand to drive the car as a salute to Griffin.
With a 24-car field on hand it was Mike Staggs that started on the front row and maintained that position despite challenges from Steve Peeden and Groomer during the 25-lap main event. Following a great pre-race salute to Griffin with Groomer leading the field, Staggs jumped out front as the opening green flag waved and left the rest of the field to sort out their finishes.
The most exciting position battle of the race proved to be a top-five war as Groomer was door-to-door with Josh Boller with Kenny Carmichael Sr. racing hard with Doug McCullough lap-after lap. Just behind that group was Josh Fagg with Kenny Carmichael Jr. and CJ Bryan in tow.
At the midway point, Peeden drove to the bottom and showed his nose to Staggs while attempting to get enough drive off the corners to make the pass. However, Staggs powered off the top to maintain his lead ahead of Peeden, Groomer and Boller.
With five laps remaining, Peeden was still right on Staggs' bumper, but the Marshall, Ind. native was not going to make a mistake that close to the victory.
Staggs held down the point over the last few laps to claim an extra special A-main victory as Peeden and Groomer wrapped up the podium. Boller took the fourth position ahead of McCullough, Carmichael Jr., Bryan, Fagg, Scott Carrington and Tyler Loughmiller.
The Midwest Sprint Car Series was on hand at LPS Saturday night and a 37-car turn out was in the pits chasing the winner's share of $3,000.
California's Robert Ballou brought a brand new Maxim race car to the track and swept his races with a heat race victory and later the A-main to add his eighth MSCS victory. The win ties him for Brady Short for third on the all-time winners list.
Ballou started fourth in the feature and took the lead from Dakota Jackson on the ninth of 30 laps. Chase Stockon gave chase and would eventually take over the second spot and would finish there in the GBR sprinter. Stockon stayed within striking distance over the last half of the race, but was unable to find a fault in Ballou's attack of the Putnamville oval. Brent Beauchamp placed third after starting fifth and Jackson had his best feature run to pick up a fourth-place. Chad Boespflug moved up five spots to take a top-five finish ahead of Jon Stanbrough. His drive from 16th to sixth earned him the Keizer Aluminum Wheels Hard Charger Award.
The closest finish of the night came in the UMP Modified feature as Eric Varner and Randy Shuman swapped the lead over the final laps before Varner got just enough of a run off the top of turn four to nose out the victory by a couple of feet.
The trio of Varner, Shuman and Bradley Sterrett were in a three-way position battle over the first half of the caution filled A-main. However, Varner began to pull a bit of a gap before Shuman reeled him in during the middle stages. Kenny Carmichael Sr. would reel in the lead pack for a spot in the top-five as Carlos Bumgardner Sr. and Wes McClara were wheel-to-wheel for fifth.
Up front, Shuman would finally make a pass stick on Varner with several laps remaining, but it wouldn't be enough. The pair went into the final lap side-by-side with a tight pack of Sterrett, Carmichael and McClara chasing them. Varner would get the drive he needed off the final corner as he drag raced down the front stretch with Shuman to gain the win with Carmichael, Sterrett and McClara wrapping a top-five finish that was separated by less than a second.
A super sized bomber feature that saw 26-cars start the A-main would have McCullough starting on the pole and staying out front for the duration of the feature. The victory was his fifth of the season as Tim Wright chased him across the line ahead of Jordan Almanza.
McCullough held fast to the lead despite several cautions over the length of the feature. Wright started in row two and was able to get past Almanza and set his sights on McCullough. However, passing was tough down the stretch as McCullough raced across the finish line once again. Harry Shepherd started on the front row and took fourth ahead of Blake Cross, Carlos Bumgardner Sr., Damon Harrell, Tom Courtney, Bob Farris and Mark Dickerson.
This weekend will be a regular card of sprint cars, UMP Modifieds and super stocks and bombers.
Lincoln Park Speedway
Midwest Sprint Car Series
1. Robert Ballou, 2. Chase Stockon, 3. Brent Beauchamp, 4. Dakota Jackson, 5. Chad Boespflug, 6. Jon Stanbrough, 7. Kyle Cummins, 8. Ryan Pace, 9. AJ Hopkins, 10. Brady Short, 11. Bradley Sterrett, 12. Jerry Coons Jr., 13. Shane Cottle, 14. Brian Hayden, 15. Kevin Thomas Jr., 16. CJ Leary, 17. Braylon Fitzpatrick, 18. Joe Liguori, 19. Jeff Bland Jr., 20. Blake Fitzpatrick
B-main winners: Leary, Hopkins
UMP Modified feature
1. Eric Varner, 2. Randy Shuman, 3. Kenny Carmichael Sr., 4. Bradley Sterrett, 5. Wes McClara, 6. Kenny Carmichael Jr., 7. Carlos Bumgardner Sr., 8. Dan Lewellen, 9. Jeff Deckard, 10. Scott Ricketts, 11. Jamie Rife, 12. Larry Lambert, 13. Chad Combs, 14. Brian Hayden, 15. Jacob Houts, 16. Gary Ricketts, 17. Wayne Newlin, 18. Aaron Zellers, 19. Paul Bumgardner, 20. Roger Mills
B-main winner: Lewellen
UMP Super Stock feature
'Slick Griffin Memorial'
1. Mike Staggs, 2. Steve Peeden, 3. Ralph Groomer, 4. Josh Boller, 5. Doug McCullough, 6. Kenny Carmichael Jr., 7. C.J. Bryan, 8. Josh Fagg, 9. Scott Carrington, 10. Tyler Loughmiller, 11. Chad Nolte, 12. Chris Campbell, 13. Travis Heramb, 14. Kenny Carmichael Sr., 15. JR Watkins, 16. Steve Smiley, 17. Brandon Query, 18. Josh McDaniel, 19. Gene Barnett, 20. Jeff Shepherd, 21. Jacob Wright, 22. Sample Bob, 23. Kenny Fields, 24. Harry Shepherd
Bomber feature
1. Doug McCullough, 2. Tim Wright, 3. Jordan Almanza, 4. Harry Shepherd, 5. Blake Cross, 6. Carlos Bumgardner Sr., 7. Damon Harrell, 8. Tom Courtney, 9. Bob Farris, 10. Mark Dickerson, 11. Mike Fisher Jr., 12. Justin Minardo, 13. Cody Wright, 14. Kyle Krupa, 15. Lenny Krupa III, 16. Mike Reitz, 17. Jack Hatton, 18. Jack Campbell, 19. Jerry Hutto, 20. David Wallen, 21. Megan Cavaness, 22. Ron Smith, 23. Brad Neese, 24. Cory Williamson, 25. DJ Smiley, 26. Mike Williamson


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Half Of Women Have Woken Up Angry at Their Partners... Because of Dreams
More than half of women wake up in a mood with their partner - because he annoyed them in a DREAM during the night, according to new research. A study found that men frequently commit misdemeanours such as being unfaithful, having a row or even fathering a secret child in their wives' dreams.
And it's not just husbands and boyfriends who are to blame - nearly two thirds of all the 2,000 adults polled said they are regularly in a bad mood with people who have upset them in a dream.
One in 20 people regularly give their boss the cold shoulder as they dreamt they sacked them the night before, the poll by hotel chain Premier Inn found.
It's not surprising then that four in ten adults said their moods are affected by the dreams they have had the previous evening.
A spokeswoman said:
''The research shows that our dreams impact heavily on our moods the next day.
''Whilst we may wake-up reeling or confused, or as these result show in a bad mood with someone, the best thing to do is just shake it off and make the most of the day ahead."
''It's important to try and unwind after a hard day at work, but that is easier said than done if something is playing on your mind.
''Our aim is to make our guest's stay with us as pleasant as possible and to ensure a good night guaranteed.''
The research found a third of those polled said they dream more when they are stressed, with work issues being the biggest contributor.
A third said that a conflict with a colleague often rears its head in a subsequent dream they have, and 42% have then confronted the person in question.
But it's not all bad news - a third of people have even had a romantic dream about a colleague.
The poll also found that 43% of adults experience reoccurring dreams, with visions of running away from something, flying and teeth falling out the most common - a further one in five keep dreaming that they fall over.
The Queen, Barack Obama and Cheryl Cole were the celebrities that adults are most likely to dream about.
And 44% of people often dream about an ex-partner.
The study also found that one in five adults said their dreams are affected by what they eat before bedtime and 20% said they have more vivid dreams when they are staying away from home.
Dream Expert, Davina MacKail adds:
''What we think about last thing before sleep affects our dreams, so if you're worried about work or a tiff you had with your partner those anxieties will rear their ugly head as we are trying to fall asleep or will wake us in the early hours resulting in a bad mood the following morning.
''There are a number of ways to ensure sweeter dreams and happier moods the next day, including exercising to reduce stress, avoiding horror movies late at night and avoiding late afternoon naps.''

subset: commoncrawl


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Top 10 Tips for Making a Great Pitch (with Bonus NPR Interview)
Your pitch is one of the most powerful and underrated arrows in your quiver as you attempt to scale the walls of Publishing Castle. Here are just a few helpful tips.
1. A great pitch is like a poem. Every word counts.
2. Make us fall in love with your hero. Whether you're writing a novel or memoir, you have to make us root for your flawed but lovable hero.
3. Make us hate your villain. Show us someone unique and dastardly whom we can't wait to hiss at.
4. Just because your kids love to hear your story at bedtime doesn't mean you're automatically qualified to get a publishing deal. So make sure not to include this information in your pitch.
5. If you have any particular expertise that relates to your novel, tell us. Establishing your credentials will help us trust you.
6. Your pitch is your audition to show us what a brilliant writer you are, it has to be the very best of your writing.
7.Don't make your pitch a book report. Make it sing and soar and amaze.
8. A pitch is like a movie trailer. You start with an incredibly exciting/funny/sexy/romantic/etc. close-up with intense specificity, then you pull back to show the big picture and tell us the themes and broad strokes that build to a climax.
9. Leave us with a cliffhanger. The ideal reaction to a pitch is, "Oh my God, what happens next?"
10. Show us what's unique, exciting, valuable, awesome, unexpected, about your project, and why it's comfortable, familiar and proven.
Here's a link to interview David did about pitching for NPR.
NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza 2016
Read the 2016 pitches below and vote for your favorite.
- Kelly Brakenhoff (25%, 319 Votes)
- Allison Epstein (18%, 228 Votes)
- Caleb Ajinomoh (14%, 180 Votes)
- David Hogue (7%, 95 Votes)
- Chelsea DeVries (7%, 84 Votes)
- Madison Russel (6%, 72 Votes)
- Haley Bonner (4%, 55 Votes)
- Nikki Dylan (4%, 48 Votes)
- Paul Schumacher (4%, 47 Votes)
- Danielle Lewis (3%, 34 Votes)
- Patricia Walsh (3%, 32 Votes)
- James O'Fallon (2%, 26 Votes)
- May K. Cobb (1%, 16 Votes)
- Rachel Malcolm (1%, 11 Votes)
- S. Schilling-Kreutner (0%, 6 Votes)
- Sara Pierce (0%, 5 Votes)
- Carol Novis (0%, 4 Votes)
- Tlotlo Tsamaase (0%, 3 Votes)
- Jan Flynn (0%, 3 Votes)
- William Alan Webb (0%, 3 Votes)
- Miranda Lowe Summers (0%, 2 Votes)
- Jonathan Williams (0%, 2 Votes)
- Frances Avnet (0%, 2 Votes)
- Myron Kukla (0%, 1 Votes)
- Mary-Beth Brophy (0%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,279
758. That's how many pitches we got from our awesome NaNoWriMo friends. As you can see below, we got everything from future midwives to murder-solving college administrators to husband and wife pirate teams, to virtual reality transgendering all the way from Botswana. We think it is a testament to the amazing imagination, wonderful skill, and literary daring of Wrimos the world over. Though only 25 of the 758 pitches are critiqued below, everyone should be able to take away information from these critiques and apply it to your pitch. If you read the critiques carefully, you will see certain commonalities. Too much telling, not enough showing. Too much book-report writing, not enough beautiful prose. Hardly any comparable titles. Not enough insight into our heroes. Not enough details about the dastardly villains we're dying to hate.
Now for the 411: The 25 pitches below were selected randomly. Our comments follow each pitch. It's our mission to try to help all you amazing writers not just get published, but get successfully published. That's why we've told you what works, but also what needs to be improved.
On April 1st, we will name a winner. But, in the mean time, don't let our opinion sway you. What story intrigues you? What pitch would prod you from the couch to the bookstore (or, if you're really lazy, to buy it online)? This year, we've made it easy for you to vote for your favorite pitch. The pitch that receives the most votes will be awarded the "Fan Favorite," and the author will receive a free one-hour consult with us (worth $250).
But please note: YOU CAN ONLY VOTE ONCE! So please choose carefully. Don't just read the first couple of pitches — read them all. You owe it to your fellow Wrimos. Encourage your friends, family and random strangers to vote for you via the link to the poll. We will also be posting these pitches—a couple a day–on our Facebook page. We encourage anyone to "like" your entry but only poll votes from the webpage will count towards the Fan Favorite.
This year, we're doing something new and special. We're hosting a free webinar on Thursday, April 7th at 8PM EST. During the webinar, we'll be teaching the art of the pitch. A great pitch can open so many doors for you. A terrible pitch pretty much assures that those doors will remain closed. We will also answer any questions about pitching, publishing, writing, books, or the nature of the universe, mankind, womankind, life, love and death. Details to follow, but mark your calendars now!
Finally, through April 1st, we are still offering a free 20-minute consult (worth $100) to anyone who buys a copy of our book The Essential Guide To Getting Your Book Published, which was updated in July 2015! The new edition includes information on e-books, crowdfunding, social media, micro-publishing, and more. It retains all the topics covered in the earlier edition, including how to get an agent, self-publishing, and marketing. Just email us (firstname.lastname@example.com) a copy of your receipt and we'll be in touch to set up a time to talk.
Your humble servants,
The Book Doctors
P.S. You can join our newsletter to receive interviews and tips on how to get published.
Ann Ralph on the Joys of Fruit Trees, Taking Care of Mother Earth, and How to Get a Book Deal Writing About Something You Love
We first met Ann Ralph when she won our Pitchapalooza with one of the greatest elevator pitches we've ever heard: The Elements of Style for fruit trees. It made total sense even as it was counterintuitive. It communicated something so clearly, with such economy, intelligence and style. She also presented it in such a smart, relaxed, fun and yet information-packed way you couldn't help but sit up and pay attention. Plus, who doesn't love a great fruit tree? So now that her book Grow a Little Fruit Tree: Simple Pruning Techniques for Small-Space, Easy Harvest Fruit Trees is out, we thought we'd pick her brain and find out exactly how she did it.
To read this interview on the Huffington Post, click here.
The Book Doctors: How is your garden?
Ann Ralph: The garden is thirsty, but so far, so good. These dry winters are unusual and scary. Long, dry summers are nothing new. In most of California rain stops in May and won't start again until November. I planted with this in mind. The plants on a hot bank behind my house do entirely without summer water. The roadside tree trimmers left behind a huge pile of chipped prunings last fall. This stuff is gold to me. I applied it as a deep mulch around my fruit trees and ornamentals. Mulch helps tremendously with transpiration. I water my established fruit trees only about once a month. Mulch improves soil quality and sequesters carbon, too.
TBD: How did you get started as a writer?
AR: Nursery work was meant to be a placeholder until I got a real job. I got waylaid in a composition class on the way to a respectable career, then abandoned pretense for the work I liked, low pay, the outdoors, a cavalcade of interesting questions, great people, and writing in my off hours.
TBD: What are some of your favorite books and why?
AR: However beautifully rendered, nonfiction is constrained by facts. I get more sustenance from the truth in fiction: I think of the Salman Rushdie character who cooks grievances into her chutneys. I wish everyone would read All the King's Men, A Passage to India, and A Place on Earth. When our president quotes Marilynne Robinson, I feel sure we'll be okay.
TBD: How did you get started as a fruit tree enthusiast? What are some of your favorite fruit trees and why?
AR: I grew up in the San Joaquin Valley. We were awash in fresh fruit all year long. I went out the front door for Meyer lemons. Neighbors left bags of nectarines on the front porch. Teachers, like my dad, graded and weighed peaches for Del Monte in the summertime. He brought home leftover lug boxes full of fruit. My mother canned peaches and apricots to tide us over until summer came again. I had no idea how good we had it until I left California for New York. This last weekend I visited friends in Ripon and came home with a huge box of tree-ripe grapefruit. There is never too much grapefruit at my house.
TBD: What were some of the joys and difficulties of taking your passion and turning it into a book?
AR: I had a good idea about what made fruit trees confusing and difficult for people, and what was missing from existing books on the subject. Storey asked me to double the content. How right they were! Every step in the process led to a better book. The photography was more complicated than I expected it to be. Marion Brenner was generous with her time and up for anything. The trees, weather, light, and backgrounds weren't as cooperative. The photos took another year, the design a third. I sometimes despaired that I'd ever see the thing in print.
TBD: You've gotten some wonderful reviews. What did you do to promote and market the book?
AR: Storey Publishing has reach into the book business I could never have managed on my own. My sister has been a buyer for independent bookstores for thirty-five years. She drilled into me a sense of my shared responsibility for the book's promotion. I knew my audience. I also knew I had a book that people needed and would want to buy. I have great garden connections from Berkeley Horticultural Nursery. I'm easily evangelical on the subject of fruit trees.
TBD: The environment is going through some terrible times. What do you think are some solutions to bring back a balance with nature?
AR: Humans wield a lot of clout in the natural world. The organics now in markets are there because we wanted to buy them. We can look to decisions we make everyday, regarding packaging for one. We're drowning in plastic. Recycling is better than nothing, I suppose, but recycling plastics is a dirty business. I make yogurt at home. Its deliciousness aside, this small action by one person eliminates a need for hundreds of plastic containers. The environment doesn't exist apart from us. We're in the thick of it. For good or ill, we build it as we go.
TBD: How did you get a book deal?
AR: The Book Doctors pulled my name out of a hat at a Pitchapalooza at Book Passage in Corte Madera. They liked my pitch. I shopped a proposal around to several publishers with interest but without success, always on the heels of another fruit book. Arielle took the idea to Storey Publishing. I strengthened the proposal based on information from The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published. I'm sure that made the difference. I'm not just saying this because the Book Doctors happen to be asking the question. It's true.
TBD: What advice do you have for fruit tree growers?
AR: Keep your fruit trees small enough to manage. I wish I could take credit for my favorite pruning advice. It came from a UC Davis seminar, "If you don't know what to do, cut some stuff out." Fruit trees are forgiving. If you goof it up, they give you another chance.
TBD: What advice do you have for writers?
AR: Let's leave fruit advice to me and writing advice to Anne Lamott.
Ann Ralph is the author of Grow a Little Fruit Tree: Simple Pruning Techniques for Small-Space, Easy Harvest Fruit Trees. Publisher's Weekly called the book "a thrilling read for the backyard farmer." She is a fruit tree specialist with 20 years of nursery experience. She lives in the Sierra Foothills near Jackson, California.
Winning Pitchapalooza by Gloria Chao
This is originally from a great website called Novel Pitch.
Gloria Chao was the winner of the 2015 Pitchapalooza contest put on by The Book Doctors. She and I connected via twitter. The following is her experience from the event.
I am honored that NovelPitch has invited me to share my experience pitching in The Book Doctor's 2015 Pitchapalooza contest. I'm a strong supporter of writers helping writers, and am excited to give back (though I wish I could give more!) to the community that has helped in my journey thus far. Thank you, Ralph, for your Novel Pitch efforts, and thank you, fellow writers, for your constant support.
I heard about the Pitchapalooza contest through Twitter and submitted my query. Based on The Book Doctors' comments, I believe my pitch stood out because of the specifics—namely, the wording and humor. Since my novel is multicultural, I used words that gave a taste of Chinese culture, e.g. "sticking herself with needles" and "fermented tofu." I also highlighted the wacky characters with phrases such as "expiring ovaries," "unladylike eating habits," and "Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer." I think capturing the manuscript's voice in the query was why my pitch was chosen.
Winning Pitchapalooza gave me confidence and the courage to keep fighting. It also helped bring my manuscript to the next level. I had struggled with my genre, pitching NA contemporary for the contest. The Book Doctors helped me realize this was the incorrect categorization, pointing me toward adult with suggestions to age up my manuscript by changing from first person to third. This released a flood of ideas, and I spent the next several months rewriting—adding 24K words, changing the POV, and writing with a women's fiction audience in mind. I ended up with a manuscript that finally felt right.
The journey to publication is infamous for being long and relentless, but enjoying the small accomplishments along the way (and the writing, of course!) is what keeps me motivated. Putting ideas into words, sharing work with others, getting a personalized rejection, receiving a request, winning a contest—these are all achievements that require courage and are worth celebrating. And the writing community, including myself, will always be happy to celebrate with you!
Here are some of my tips for making your query stand out:
- If you're new to querying, check out Query Shark, published authors' blogs, Writer's Digest, and craft books.
- Keep the 250 word count in mind, but only at the end. When you first start, just write. You're more likely to have gems if you're whittling down.
- Avoid clichés, generalities, and obvious stakes. Use unique words to convey your voice (and do this in your manuscript as well).
- Cut out every word that's not essential. Too much detail bogs the story down.
- When you think your query is ready, get fresh eyes on it—family (my husband read a thousand versions of my pitch), friends, and other writers you meet through Twitter. Start with those familiar with your book, then end with people who know nothing about it. The latter will help identify confusing elements and will let you know if the pitch as a whole is not grabbing enough. Then, seize every critique opportunity by entering contests.
You can read Gloria's winning pitch for AMERICAN PANDA here.
About Gloria:
I earned a bachelor's degree from MIT and graduated magna cum laude from Tufts Dental—the perfect Taiwanese-American daughter. Except I wasn't happy. To get through practicing dentistry, I wrote. It took years to gather the strength to push my dental career aside, against my parent's wishes, to pursue writing full-time. Our relationship suffered, but my most recent novel, AMERICAN PANDA, strengthened our bond by forcing me to ask questions I never dared before. Now, my mother and I laugh about fermented tofu and setups with the perfect Taiwanese boy (though I think she still worries about my expiring ovaries).
You can find out more about Gloria at her website and on twitter.
Website: https://gloriachao.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gloriacchao
THE BOOK DOCTORS PITCHAPALOOZA WITH GRACE KENDALL OF FARRAR STRAUSS GIROUX BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY SEPT 16th 7:30pm
BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY SEPT 16th 7:30pm
WHAT: Pitchapalooza is American Idol for books (only kinder & gentler). Twenty writers will be selected at random to pitch their book. Each writer gets one minute—and only one minute! Dozens of writers have gone from talented amateurs to professionally published authors as a result of participating in Pitchapalooza, including Genn Albin, our KC winner who got a 3-book mid-six figure deal with Farrar Straus & Giroux.
WHO: Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry are co-founders of The Book Doctors, a company dedicated to helping authors get their books published. They are also co-authors of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published: How To Write It, Sell It, and Market It… Successfully (Workman, 2010). Arielle Eckstut has been a literary agent for over 20 years at The Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. She is also the author of nine books and the co-founder of the iconic brand, LittleMissMatched. David Henry Sterry is the best-selling author of 16 books, on a wide variety of subject including memoir, sports, YA fiction and reference. His first book has been translated into 10 languages and optioned by HBO, his latest book was featured on the cover of the Sunday New York Times Book Review. They've taught their workshop on how to get published everywhere from Stanford University to Smith College. They have appeared everywhere from The New York Times to NPR's Morning Edition to USA Today. .
HOW: At Pitchapalooza, judges will help you improve your pitch, not tell you how bad it is. Judges critique everything from idea to style to potential in the marketplace and much, much more. Authors come away with concrete advice as well as a greater understanding of the ins and outs of the publishing industry. Whether potential authors pitch themselves, or simply listen to trained professionals critique each presentation, Pitchapalooza is educational and entertaining for one and all. From Miami to Portland, from LA to NYC, and many stops along the way, Pitchapaloozas have consistently drawn standing-room-only crowds, press and blog coverage, and the kind of bookstore buzz reserved for celebrity authors.
PRIZE: At the end of Pitchapalooza, the judges will pick a winner. The winner receives an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for his/her book.
PRICE OF ADMISSION: To sign up to pitch, you must purchase a copy of The Essential Guide To Getting Your Book Published. Anyone who buys a copy of receives a FREE 20 minute consultation, a $100 value. If you don't want to pitch, the event is FREE.
WHEN: September 16, 7:30pm
WHERE: Brooklyn Public Library 10 Grand Army Plaza http://www.bklynlibrary.org/locations/central
Brooklyn Book Festival http://www.brooklynbookfestival.org/BBF/Home
Washington Post: http://thebookdoctors.com/the-book-doctors-pitchapalooza-in-washington-post
New York Times article: http://tinyurl.com/3tkp4gl.
Pitchapalooza mini movie: http://bit.ly/vm9YSu
Pitchapalooza on NBC: http://thebookdoctors.com/the-book-doctors-pitchapalooza-on-nbc-television
Here's what people are saying about Pitchapalooza:
"We came to Pitchapalooza with an idea and six months later we got a book deal with a prominent publisher. We simply couldn't have done this without this opportunity and without David and Arielle. We had been working on this project for several years, on our own, and struggling without any guidance. We were really discouraged by the entire process. Winning Pitchapalooza, and working with these two, really helped us focus and renew our enthusiasm in the project. And now we're going to be published authors!"—Nura Maznavi and Ayesha Mattu, Pitchapalooza winners Litquke, San Francisco, Oct. 2010
Here's what people are saying about The Essential Guide To Getting Your Book Published:
"I started with nothing but an idea, and then I bought this book. Soon I had an A-list agent, a near six-figure advance, and multiple TV deals in the works. Buy it and memorize it. This little tome is the quiet secret of rockstar authors."—New York Times best-selling author Timothy Ferris, The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich,
Lance Rubin on Harry Potter, the Stinky Cheese Man and How to Get Your Debut Novel Published
One of the fun things about being a Book Doctor is that we get to travel to cool places and meet cool people. If you haven't been to San Antonio, do yourself a favor and go. It's a beautiful city. The San Antonio Book Festival was really a blast: great authors, great craft stuff for Olive, our daughter, and most importantly, lots of readers. While we were there, we met Lance Rubin at the party they have for authors. He explained what his first book is about, and it's great. We decided to pick his brain about writing, publishing, and how he got his first book deal. To read on the Huffington Post, click here.
The Book Doctors: How did you get started as a writer?
Lance Rubin: Since I was eight years old, I always thought I was going to be a professional actor. So the writing I did through most of my life was often in service of that. When I was younger, I wrote skits and short films with friends that we would perform. In college, I wrote and performed a one-man show. After college, I co-wrote and performed a sketch comedy show called The Lance and Ray Show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Then, several years ago, I was finding my acting career frustrating and unfulfilling right around the same time I read The Hunger Games. I really loved it, and I thought, "Maybe I'll try to write a YA novel." It wasn't a fully rational decision, but I started writing, and I was having such a good time–feeling empowered and creatively fulfilled in new, exciting ways–that I kept at it. Even though I hadn't written long-form fiction before, I think all the various writing I'd been doing my whole life completely informed this book.
TBD: What are some of your favorite books and why?
LR: Some favorites include:
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Such brilliant storytelling: magical situations always grounded in humanity; a complex story that weaves and intertwines through seven books; humor that comes from a place of love; and fully fleshed-out characters who truly care about each other. I could go on and on. Anyone who's been resisting reading these is a fool.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. Not only does Chabon spin the most delightful, acrobatic sentences, but he tells a completely engaging story of friendship, love, comic books, WWII, and superheroes.
The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra. This nonfiction is all about the power of coincidences and synchronicity. I try to read it every couple years because it makes life more fun; you start to find coincidences everywhere, like a code from the universe you have to solve.
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. When I first read it as a kid, it made me aware of the way books can subvert narrative expectations and make you laugh out loud.
TBD: How did being a professional actor help and/or hinder you as a writer?
LR: As an actor, I was always trying to get inside the head of a character, figure out how that character thinks and responds to the world. When I started writing this book, with its first-person narrator, I realized there was a surprising amount of overlap, as I was essentially doing the same thing: figuring out how the main character (and all of the other characters, too) thinks and responds to the world. And it was even better because now I got to actually come up with what the characters say! That said, since I come from the world of acting and comedy, I'm often so focused on dialogue that the descriptive parts of my writing are severely lacking. But hey, that's what rewriting is for!
TBD: The idea for your new book, Denton Little's Deathdate, is so cool. How did you come up with it?
LR: I think about time a lot. I'm always taking inventory of my life in terms of dates. I'll think things like, "What was going on in my life a year ago today? Two years ago today? Three?" And so on. And I'm usually able to remember. So one day I thought, "What if I could take inventory of my life in terms of a future date? Specifically, themost important date, the day I'm going to die?" I wondered how this would change the way I lived. Or if maybe it wouldn't change a thing. And then I thought, "What ifeveryone knew the day they were going to die?" So then there was the idea: in a world where everyone knows their deathdate, the protagonist is going to die tomorrow. That was pretty much all I had for a few years. The rest came later.
TBD: How did you go about getting a book deal?
LR: I just Googled "book deal," clicked on the first link that appeared, and signed up! Isn't that how it works for everybody?
Apologies for that dumb joke. I did have a relatively charmed journey to a book deal, as my best friend since I was three, Zack Wagman, has worked in publishing for over a decade and is a brilliant editor, currently at Ecco. He was one of a handful of close people in my life who read the first draft of my book and gave feedback, and then was one of a duo of close people in my life (along with my wife, Katie Schorr) who gave feedback on the three or four subsequent drafts over the next year. Finally, once I had a draft that was in solid shape, Zack connected me to agent Mollie Glick at Foundry Literary + Media, who responded to the book and signed me. (I know getting an agent is not supposed to be such a smooth process, so I understand if writers out there want to spit in my proverbial soup. I've faced a ton of rejection in my life, too, if that makes you feel better. See: abandoned acting career.) Mollie is terrific, and she guided me through one last big rewrite before submitting to various publishing houses. In November 2013, Denton was sold to Knopf Books for Young Readers.
TBD: What was it like working with your editor?
LR: Super. I feel so fortunate that I ended up working with Nancy Siscoe. She's smart and kind and funny, and she loves all the same things about my book that I do. By the time she got my first book, it had already been rewritten a lot, so her changes were minor but really insightful as to things that would make the story clearer and more satisfying. My second book, which comes out in April 2016, was pretty much a mess when she got it. So I was truly relieved when I received her pages and pages of single-spaced notes and they all resonated with me. It was like, "Oh man, she has great ideas about how to make this less of a mess. Thank god."
TBD: We're intrigued by the musical you're writing. What exactly is Annie Golden: Bounty Hunter, Yo!?
LR: Hey, thanks for asking! It's a musical I co-wrote with Joe Iconis and Jason "SweetTooth" Williams about a veteran musical theater actress named Annie Golden (to be played by veteran musical theater actress Annie Golden, known to many as Norma on Orange is the New Black) who gets pulled into the world of bounty hunting and starts kicking ass in ways she never imagined she could. It's a comedy highly inspired by exploitation movies of the 1970s and '80s–both story-wise and musically–but it's also about breaking out of the boxes society puts people into. It's been an exciting project to work on. We're hoping it will have its first production in the not-so-distant future.
TBD: Did you outline your book before you started writing? What kind of a routine do you have as a writer?
LR: Thus far in the two books I've written, I haven't outlined before starting my first drafts. I generally have some broad ideas about where the story might go and a page or two of notes on characters and potential plot points, but then I just start writing and discover as I go. In the case of my second book, I got about 15,000 words in, realized I hated where the story was going, scrapped it, and started again. Outlining might have helped me avoid that, but it's still the way I prefer to work.
As far as writing routine, I have several coffee shops and libraries that I bounce between. Last year, I worked almost exclusively at the Tea Lounge in Brooklyn. Then it closed out of nowhere in December, which was quietly devastating. I now keep a rotation of several spots because I'm not gonna get hurt like that again.
When I'm working on a first draft, I'm always aiming for word count, which was something I took from Stephen King's On Writing. With my first book, I tried to get 1,000 words a day. With my second, I aimed for 2,000 (and often only got to around 1,700).
I work way better in the morning, so it's often an 8:30 am – 3 pm workday, give or take an hour (and sometimes I'm needed on Dad duty for my 1-year-old son, so that timing's always subject to change).
I usually listen to music while I write, and the headphones going in is my indicator to myself: "Okay, stop dicking around on the internet. Time to work."
TBD: I noticed your book has been translated into several languages. It was really fun for me when I saw my book in Russian and its different covers. What was it like seeing the book you wrote in a language you can't read?
LR: That's absolutely been one of the most surreal parts of the experience. Each cover has had its own wonderfully distinct take on the story, which has been so cool, but it's the different-language part that is truly hard to wrap my head around. I heard an audiobook sample of the German edition last week, and I think my brain exploded. This story I plunked out on my laptop in random coffee shops has ended up in a recording booth in Germany, being read aloud by some talented German actor. That's nuts.
TBD: We admire the fact that you publicly admit to loving the New York Knicks. How are you holding up during this very difficult time?
LR: Oh man, it's been so rough. I mean, maybe there's some historical joy in knowing I just lived through the Worst Knicks Season of All Time. No, there really isn't. What a joke of a season. I miss Jeremy Lin.
TBD: I hate to ask you this, but what advice do you have for writers?
LR: Ha, I love the disclaimer at the beginning of that question. Here's my two cents: whether you're published or not, you need to start operating as if you're a published writer. Make writing a part of your daily routine, as if it's your job. Don't wait for inspiration to strike; just sit down and do the work every day. If you don't take yourself seriously in this way, then the universe won't be able to, either.
Lance Rubin is a New Jersey native who has worked as an actor and written sketch comedy, including successful runs of The Lance and Ray Show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. He's also co-writing a new musical called Annie Golden: Bounty Hunter, Yo! and loves Pixar, the Knicks, and Back to the Future. Lance lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son. His debut novel, Denton Little's Deathdate, is out now from Knopf Books for Young Readers, to be followed by a second Denton book in 2016. Learn more at lancerubin.com and follow him on Twitter @lancerubinparty.
How to Find an Agent: A Baker's Dozen from a Professional Agent Hunter
This article originally appeared in our monthly newsletter. You can view the full newsletter here. Join our newsletter to receive more FREE information on how to get your book successfully published.
David has now been a writer for 15 years. Before that, he was a professional actor for 15 years. In that time, he located, lured and landed over 50 agents. In fact, he got so good at it that he eventually got an agent to marry him and be the mother of his child. Sadly, on their wedding day, she fired him as a client. For those of you who don't know, that agent is Arielle.
We've seen lots of agents try to tell writers how to find an agent. The sad truth is agents have no idea how to find an agent. All they have to do is look in the mirror, and there is an agent staring back at them. They look around the office; they're surrounded by agents. Agents can tell you what things not to do and what things annoy them. But they also often give bad advice because, quite frankly, they don't want the competition.
We see lots of agents tell writers not to do multiple submissions. But, in fact, it can take an agent nine months to get to your manuscript. That's how long it took Arielle to read David's manuscript after he submitted it to her. And we went on to get married! Imagine if it took nine months for every agent to get back to you, it would take you seven years to query 10 agents. Of course, agents don't want you to do multiple submissions. They want you all to themselves.
David also heard an agent say a writer should never submit a book that's already been self-published. She said it in such a dismissive and entitled way. You find this a lot with agents; they tend to develop a dismissive, entitled, bitter, jaded, snarky outer shell. You can't blame them because they are constantly inundated, and everyone wants the agent to make their dreams come true. In fact, a great agent can make your dreams come true. David is living proof of that. However, he also did exactly what the dismissive, entitled agent said couldn't be done. One of his books went out-of-print, and people kept asking where they could buy it. So, as an experiment, he decided to self-publish the book. It was a great experience, and he learned an amazing amount from doing it. It cost him nothing because the book had already been published; and he bartered with people to make him a new cover, a new layout for the printed version and an e-book. He immediately started making money on the book. At the same time, he went out to a number of agents and editors, and lo and behold, got a book contract. When that happened, he immediately took the book down from where it was available, and no one was the wiser. Mind you, he didn't tell the people he was submitting a book that had already been self-published. But if they had asked, he certainly would not have lied. They didn't ask. He didn't tell.
So how do you find an agent?
1. Research
There is a fine line between research and stalking. The Book Doctors firmly believe it's important to stay on the research side of that line. The first thing David does is make a list of 10 to 15 books that are similar, in the biggest broadest sense of that word, to his book. Let us emphasize in no uncertain terms that we mean big broad strokes. And please, for goodness sake, don't say that your book is like no book ever written. Because that book will never be published. Lots of our clients have no idea what books are similar to their books. That's a problem.
One of the most important things you can do as a writer is to read, and you have to become an expert in the section of the bookstore where your book is going to live. Recently, someone pitched us a piece of noir. We asked him if it was more like Raymond Chandler, Dennis Lehane, or James Elroy. He looked at us like a confused puppy and said, "Who are they?" They're only three of the most successful and brilliant noir writers in history. If you are lucky enough to get an agent or editor interested, and they ask you if your book is similar to another book on the shelf, you have to be able to say, "Oh yes, I love that book, and readers of that book will love my book, but it's different in these ways …"
2. Find Books Similar to Yours
Take a field trip to your local independent bookstore. When the phones aren't ringing off the hook and the cash registers aren't going crazy, find a person who is the expert, or as close to an expert there is, in the kind of book you're writing. Then ask them what books they have that are similar to your book. Start making a list of books that are similar to yours, again in the broadest, largest sense. List books that looked interesting to you, that looked like they were done by people you'd like to do business with. In the acknowledgments section of those books, look for the agent and/or editor.
3. Make a List and Create an Environment of Competition for Your Book
Your agent list should be a little bit like a high school senior putting together their college list. You should have some well-known agents at the top of your list, some agents you admire but aren't bigwigs yet, and some agents that have just started out or whose lists are small.
As soon as anyone expresses interest, you immediately email everyone else on your list. There's nothing that's going to get you a response faster than having someone else interested. That's human nature. It's like the sorta cute kid in high school who shows up with a beautiful cheerleader on his arm. Immediately, he becomes much more attractive. He's exactly the same guy he was yesterday; only now someone else wants him. You see, every agent who's been in the business for any length of time has a recurring nightmare in which they're walking down the street, people are pointing at them, laughing and giggling, whispering to each other, "There goes the agent who passed on Harry Potter!" That's because every agent has passed on a book that has become wildly successful.
4. Know Thy Agent-to-Be
Make a file on each of the agents. Where are they from? Where did they go to college? What are their hobbies? Where have they been interviewed? What books have they agented? Are they a dog person? You're going to use all this information when you write your query letter.
One of the biggest mistakes that most amateur writers make is that they just send anonymous letters without doing any research. In lots and lots of places, it says that Arielle does not like fantasy and science fiction; and yet every week she gets another email from a writer that says, "Dear Agent, I know you're going to love my book; it's the first in a 37 book series. It's called the Unicorns of Narnia." Arielle used to actually answer those emails. She doesn't answer them anymore. They go directly into the trash.
5. Make it Easy for an Agent to Say Yes
Agents are trained to say no. They're just looking for a reason to reject you. It sounds cold and cruel from a writer's perspective; but having lived with an agent for so long now, David totally understands it. They are inundated and overwhelmed, mostly overworked and underpaid. They've got 50 submissions that arrived in their inbox today, they had 50 yesterday, and will have 50 tomorrow. It's relentless. That's why they're looking for a reason to say no. These reasons include:
- Spelling or punctuation mistakes—we can't tell you how many people have spelled Arielle's name wrong
- Over-promising and under-delivering
- Too much horn-tooting and butt-kissing
- Using obvious and overblown comp titles (i.e. Harry Potter, Eat Pray Love, Hunger Games)
- Not following agent submission guidelines—you can't believe the percentage of submissions that do one or more of the above.
That's why if you just do the basics, it already ups your odds by loads.
6. Don't Submit Your Book Until It's Fully Polished
Writers are under the mistaken impression that an agent will help them fix their books. The agent is almost certainly not going to help you fix your book. If your book is not ready, the agent will reject you and your book. Almost certainly, that bridge will be burned.
7. Develop a Coping Mechanism for Rejection
JK Rowling was rejected 25 times. What makes you think you're any better than JK Rowling? Thicken your skin. Everyone has her own method of doing this. David subscribes to the Godfather model: It's never personal; it's always business. He also enjoys accumulating lists of people who've rejected him; so that when he finally gets a deal he's been looking for, he can send them all a very sweet email, and rub their noses right in it. But again, everyone has to come up with their own personal method.
8. Keep Up-to-Date
Sign up for Publishers Marketplace and Shelf Awareness. Keep abreast of who is selling books and making deals. Know what agents have awesome blogs. Speaking of which, here's a shout out to Jennifer Laughran, who has an absolutely awesome blogfor those of you writing children's books.
9. Go to Writers Conferences, Seminars and Workshops
There are very few places a writer can actually get face time with an agent. Conferences, seminars or workshops are one of them. You can listen to agents make presentations, and sometimes you can even have one-on-one sessions with them.
10. Join a Writers Group
When David lived in San Francisco, he found an amazing writing group. One of the writers was a very handsome, very charming, ridiculously talented writer. Plus he was a doctor. You wanted to hate him, but he was just too nice to hate. You knew if he caught a break, he was going to be huge. Well, he did catch a break. He wrote a little book called The Kite Runner and became an international sensation. His name is Khaled Husseini. Now David is connected with his agent by one degree of separation.
11. Attend Readings at Bookstores and Libraries
Any time an author whose work is similar to yours in any way, shape, or form comes to town to do a reading, GO! Buy a book. Be the last person in line at the signing. If someone comes behind you, get behind him/her. This is important because when you get up to the front of the line to have the author sign the book, it's very rude to have a conversation if there's someone waiting behind you. If you're the last one, then there's no pressure to move along. Sometimes the writer will want to talk to you; sometimes the writer will not want to talk to you. Pay very close attention to body language. Ask the writers if they're happy with their agent. If they say yes, this gives you the opening to contact the agent and say, "I was talking to your client yesterday, and she said how much she enjoyed having you as her agent."
12. Write a Killer Query
Three paragraphs. The first is always customized. Why should this agent be your agent? The second paragraph is your pitch. The third paragraph is a short bio. The whole query should reflect the voice of your book whether that be funny, authoritative, lyrical or whatever. This is your audition to show what a fabulous writer you are.
13. Persevere and Follow Up
Don't ever assume if you don't hear back from an agent that they are rejecting you. Assume they haven't even looked at your query or manuscript. David's maxim is: keep submitting until they say yes or the agent tells you to go to hell. He tries to have the Zen attitude that it doesn't matter whether they say yesor no. Because when someone says no, it's like you bought another lottery ticket. You have increased your chances of winning.
However, there are two kinds of perseverance: smart perseverance and stupid perseverance. The Book Doctors highly advocate smart perseverance. Always try to make your query/proposal/manuscript a little better. Polish, buff, shine until is evolves into the best versions of itself.
Whenever you are rejected, ask if there's anything you can do to make your work better. Time and again, David has seen people be very generous with their advice. When David first approached Arielle, he didn't know her. In fact, David didn't know anyone in the publishing business. After making initial contact, he sent her his manuscript. A week later he followed up, just to make sure she received the manuscript. It turned out she had already lost it. He sent another. A month later, when he hadn't heard anything, he called her on the phone. Generally speaking, agents don't want you to call them on the phone. But this is David's strength. We had a very nice conversation; he never even mentioned his manuscript. He found out afterwards that because he'd been so nice, Arielle felt very guilty. One month later, he did the same thing. This went on, as he mentioned earlier, for nine months. One human gestation period. Finally, he told her he was coming to New York for Christmas. He lived in Venice Beach at the time, and in fact he wasn't going to New York at all; but he had a feeling that if he said that, she would read his manuscript. He was right. As soon as they hung up, he went and booked a ticket to New York. Six months later, after she had helped him craft his proposal, she sold it for six figures in less than two hours. Ten years after that, they had the most amazing daughter ever.
This article originally appeared in our monthly newsletter. You can view the full newsletter here. Join our newsletter to receive more FREE information on how to get your book successfully published.
The Book Doctors Bring Pitchapalooza Back to Brooklyn Book Festival
BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY SEPT 16th 7pm
WHAT: Pitchapalooza is American Idol for books (only kinder & gentler). Twenty writers will be selected at random to pitch their book. Each writer gets one minute—and only one minute! Dozens of writers have gone from talented amateurs to professionally published authors as a result of participating in Pitchapalooza, including Genn Albin, our KC winner who got a 3-book mid-six figure deal with Farrar Straus & Giroux.
WHO: Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry are co-founders of The Book Doctors, a company dedicated to helping authors get their books published. They are also co-authors of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published: How To Write It, Sell It, and Market It… Successfully (Workman, 2010). Arielle Eckstut has been a literary agent for over 20 years at The Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. She is also the author of nine books and the co-founder of the iconic brand, LittleMissMatched. David Henry Sterry is the best-selling author of 16 books, on a wide variety of subject including memoir, sports, YA fiction and reference. His first book has been translated into 10 languages and optioned by HBO, his latest book was featured on the cover of the Sunday New York Times Book Review. They've taught their workshop on how to get published everywhere from Stanford University to Smith College. They have appeared everywhere from The New York Times to NPR's Morning Edition to USA Today. .
HOW: At Pitchapalooza, judges will help you improve your pitch, not tell you how bad it is. Judges critique everything from idea to style to potential in the marketplace and much, much more. Authors come away with concrete advice as well as a greater understanding of the ins and outs of the publishing industry. Whether potential authors pitch themselves, or simply listen to trained professionals critique each presentation, Pitchapalooza is educational and entertaining for one and all. From Miami to Portland, from LA to NYC, and many stops along the way, Pitchapaloozas have consistently drawn standing-room-only crowds, press and blog coverage, and the kind of bookstore buzz reserved for celebrity authors.
PRIZE: At the end of Pitchapalooza, the judges will pick a winner. The winner receives an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for his/her book.
PRICE OF ADMISSION: To sign up to pitch, you must purchase a copy of The Essential Guide To Getting Your Book Published. Anyone who buys a copy of receives a FREE 20 minute consultation, a $100 value. If you don't want to pitch, the event is FREE.
WHEN: September 16, 7pm
WHERE: Brooklyn Public Library 10 Grand Army Plaza http://www.bklynlibrary.org/locations/central
Brooklyn Book Festival http://www.brooklynbookfestival.org/BBF/Home
Washington Post: http://thebookdoctors.com/the-book-doctors-pitchapalooza-in-washington-post
New York Times article: http://tinyurl.com/3tkp4gl.
Pitchapalooza mini movie: http://bit.ly/vm9YSu
Pitchapalooza on NBC: http://thebookdoctors.com/the-book-doctors-pitchapalooza-on-nbc-television
Here's what people are saying about Pitchapalooza:
"We came to Pitchapalooza with an idea and six months later we got a book deal with a prominent publisher. We simply couldn't have done this without this opportunity and without David and Arielle. We had been working on this project for several years, on our own, and struggling without any guidance. We were really discouraged by the entire process. Winning Pitchapalooza, and working with these two, really helped us focus and renew our enthusiasm in the project. And now we're going to be published authors!"—Nura Maznavi and Ayesha Mattu, Pitchapalooza winners Litquke, San Francisco, Oct. 2010
Here's what people are saying about The Essential Guide To Getting Your Book Published:
"I started with nothing but an idea, and then I bought this book. Soon I had an A-list agent, a near six-figure advance, and multiple TV deals in the works. Buy it and memorize it. This little tome is the quiet secret of rockstar authors."—New York Times best-selling author Timothy Ferris, The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich,
The Book Doctor Client Leslie Sorrell Wins Texas Writers League Memoir Contest
Our absolutely fabulous client Leslie Sorrell, whose amazing memoir just won the Texas Writers League Memoir Contest. Can an absolutely fabulous book deal be far behind?
Bruce Holsinger on How to Write Historical Fiction, Plagues, Witches, Wars & Guns
The Book Doctors met Bruce Holsinger at the Tucson Book Festival (by the way, if you read or write, do yourself a favor and put the Tucson Book Fest on your Bucket List) and when he told us about his book, The Invention of Fire, we just had to pick his brain about fiction, non-fiction, teaching fiction, plagues, witches, wars and guns. To read on Huffington Post click here.
The Book Doctors: How did you start becoming a fiction writer?
Bruce Holsinger: Aside from various unfortunate childhood experiments, I never wrote much fiction until I was in my late twenties, teaching at the University of Colorado in Boulder. My wife was living in Wisconsin for a while, and I decided I wanted to spend part of that year writing a thriller. Unlike my two published novels, it ended up in the drawer, and with good reason (one of my favorite sentences from that manuscript: "The mashed potatoes were as fluffy as white clouds.").
TBD: You write novels and nonfiction. Do you approach them any differently?
BH: Absolutely, and they must come from different quadrants of my brain. My academic writing is slow and deliberate, painful at times, with lots of fact-checking between one sentence and the next. With fiction I can find a flow and write very quickly, and even though I'm a heavy reviser I find the experience of fiction writing vastly more pleasurable. This isn't to say that I don't take joy in my nonfiction/academic books–but the joy comes with the finished product more often than with the process of writing the prose.
TBD: What are some of the pitfalls and joys of writing historical fiction?
BH: Pitfalls: lots of fans and readers who know the period as well as or even better than I do–and they'll let you know it! I love hearing from readers with suggestions, corrections, and so on, though it can be quite intimidating to present a fictional version of a past that some might take as truth. In writing historical fiction you're always treading that line between plausibility and invention, and that line can often be quite fuzzy.
Joys: rediscovering a moment in history that I thought I already knew. As I said in my historical note in A Burnable Book, though I've been teaching the literature and culture of medieval England for nearly twenty years, I was continually surprised and delighted to learn new things about that world and its everyday life. The Middle Ages have always fascinated me, never more so than now, when I'm getting to contribute to a wider public understanding of that era and its many resonances with our own.
TBD: What drew you to this time and this place: 1386 London?
BH: This is the era of Geoffrey Chaucer, the medieval poet at the center of my academic discipline. Chaucer figures importantly in both of my novels, and this particular moment in the history of London was a fascinating one. In the fall of 1386 a massive French navy was assembled just across the channel in Sluys, prepared to invade England. Though the invasion never occurred, the city and the realm were deeply paranoid about the possibility, and there were suspected French spies lurking under every bush. The Invention of Fire is in part about the traffic in weapons across the channel–particularly hand-held gunpowder weapons that were just coming into their own. The English word handguns (in its Middle English form handgonnes) first appears in a document from this decade, and there were many political crises in these years that provide a rich background for the kind of story I wanted to tell.
TBD: What have you learned about writing by teaching literature?
BH: Quite a lot–more than I could have imagined when I started writing fiction. The Middle Ages gave us so many kinds of stories: adventure, romance, saints' lives, epics, as well as a considerable body of bawdy and quite obscene tales that writers like Chaucer knew and appropriated in their own work. One of the things I value about studying and teaching medieval literature is what it tells us about the power of story. This was an era in which people really know how to sit and listen to a good story for hours at a time. We hear a lot these days about our fragmented attention spans, and one of the lessons I try to teach my students about the Middle Ages is the quality of attention that must have been required to listen to and absorb a work like Beowulf in its original form.
TBD: How does someone get a Guggenheim? Who did you pay to get yours?
BH: I wish it were that easy! The Guggenheim Foundation has always been generous to scholars and writers, and I feel deeply fortunate to have been honored with one of their fellowships, which allowed me a year free of teaching a number of years ago to work on one of my academic projects.
TBD: Did learning a musical instrument, and learning how to be a musician, help you as a writer?
BH: Absolutely. I spent a big chunk of high school and all of college (in the School of Music at the University of Michigan) preparing for a career as a classical clarinetist–and this required many hours a day of disciplined, regimented practice. I'm not nearly as regimented in my writing routine, but I think music did teach me how to squeeze the best results out of a relatively short span of time.
TBD: Why are you interested in plagues, witches and wars?
BH: I try to stay away from them as much as possible, except in the classroom. Last year I taught a massive open online course (or MOOC) called "Plagues, Witches, and War: The Worlds of Historical Fiction." The course enrolled 20,000 students from around the world, and we spent eight weeks reading historical novels from the eighteenth century to the present. I had several wonderful guest writers of historical fiction visit the class, both in person and virtually, including Katherine Howe, Mary Beth Keane, Yangsze Choo, Jane Alison, and Geraldine Brooks. Their novels imagine plagues, witches, and various wars, among other things–so it was a catchy title that helped frame the selection of works on the syllabus.
TBD: What have you learned about the gun industry and culture by studying the history of guns? What do you think is to be done about gun violence in America?
BH: On one level, the modern gun industry bears no resemblance to the nascent gun culture of the medieval world, which was just starting to experiment with smaller, more efficient gunpowder weapons. There was no real mass production of guns until much later in English history, and in the period I'm writing about, the longbow remained a much more lethal and reliable weapon than the handgonne. At the same time, I think the sort of do-it-yourself gunsmithing we're starting to see with things like 3D printers and mail-order kits represents a return of sorts to the local, private manufacture of guns that characterized the earliest medieval experiments–and that's quite a frightening thing. I'm a strong believer in much, much stricter gun laws, at the national and local levels. We lose over 30,000 people to guns every year in this country, and our gun culture is just out of control. Though The Invention of Fire isn't what I'd call a political novel–it doesn't take a position on contemporary gun violence or legislation–it does try to understand the allure and seduction of guns in their earliest form. It's a novel about the beginnings of gun violence, and it would be silly to pretend that it doesn't have contemporary relevance.
TBD: I hate to ask you this, but what advice do you have for writers?
BH: Keep writing, keep writing, keep writing, and don't spend time fretting about a publishing industry that doesn't recognize your genius. It took me fifteen years and two manuscripts in the drawer to get a novel picked up. All the clichés about persistence are true!
Bruce Holsinger is an award-winning fiction writer, critic, and literary scholar who teaches at the University of Virginia. His debut historical novel, A Burnable Book, won the John Hurt Fisher Prize and was shortlisted for the American Library Association's Best Crime Novel of 2014, while his scholarly work has been recognized with a Guggenheim Fellowship and other major awards. He has written for The Washington Post, Slate, The Nation, and other publications, and appears regularly on National Public Radio. His new novel, The Invention of Fire (HarperCollins/William Morrow), imagines the beginnings of gun violence in the western world.
Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry are co-founders of The Book Doctors, a company that has helped countless authors get their books published. They are also co-authors of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published: How To Write It, Sell It, and Market It… Successfully (Workman, 2010). They are also book editors, and between them they have authored 25 books, and appeared on National Public Radio, the London Times, and the front cover of the Sunday New York Times Book Review.


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101/1-5 Donald Street,
Prahran, VIC 3181
$1,130 Bond Need help paying the bond?
Available now
Rent ID: 802761
- 1 Bed
- 1 Bath
- 0 Cars
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Prahran Mews Apartments - Student Accommodation Prahran
Open for Inspection: Please refer to http://sha.com.au/inspections/
** This unit with Air conditioning **
5 minutes walk to Swinburne Prahran!!
5 minutes walk to Prahran Train Station, 15 minutes to the city.
5 minutes walk to St Kilda Road Tram Station, 15 minutes to the city.
Luxurious and Large student only accommodation, located just behind fashionable and funky Chapel Street. Stroll to all the shops and entertainment on Chapel Street, or train and tram take you to the city centre in minutes.
Rental includes gas usage!!!
All units have gas cooking, heating, limited number with air conditioning.
Most also feature balcony or courtyard.
Apartments come fully furnished and include intercom security entrance, separate bedroom, separate living area, full modern kitchen with gas cooking, own large stylish fully tiled private bathroom.
Furnishings include chairs, study desk, storage shelves, bed, TV, microwave and fridge.
BigAir Wi-Fi broadband access at student discount rate - NO contract, NO phone line required!!
The complex also includes onsite communal laundry.
Optional secure onsite car parking available for eight cars.
Main Features
1 Bedroom
1 Bathroom
0 Car spaces
Inspection times
Inspections are by appointment only.Book inspection
This property is NBN™ ready. Uses a fixed line which is a form of connection that utilises a physical line running to the property.
- Type
- Fixed Line
Walk Score®
This property is a walker's paradise with daily errands not requiring a car. This is a rider's paradise with world-class public transportation available.
- 90-100
- Walker's Paradise
- Daily errands do not require a car
- 70-89
- Very Walkable
- Most errands can be accomplished on foot
- 50-69
- Somewhat Walkable
- Some errands can be accomplished on foot
- 25-49
- Car Dependent
- Most errands require a car
- 0-24
- Car Dependent
- Almost all errands require a car
- 90-100
- Rider's Paradise
- World-class public transportation
- 70-89
- Excellent Transit
- Transit is convenient for most trips
- 50-69
- Good Transit
- Many nearby public transportation options
- 25-49
- Some Transit
- A few nearby public transportation options
- 0-24
- Minimal Transit
- It is possible to get on a bus
Top 3 features for Prahran
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Close to everything, you can ditch the car at this great 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment. 101/1-5 Donald Street, Prahran is unfurnished and available to rent.
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Miracle Napping Solution!
After struggling with naps for a while now and sometimes succeeding, sometimes not, I was at my wits end! Yesteday, Alexis was clearly in need of a nap towards the late afternoon. She was not falling asleep in her swing, which usually works. I put her in her crib but she started kicking her legs in the air and playing with her feet. Then she started whining and not falling asleep. So, I thought I would try to put her on her tummy. I had tried doing that before but she never liked it and would pick her head up. Well she put her head on the mattress and I patted her butt a little and then left the room. I didn't hear anything on the monitor and went back to check on her and she was out! She actually slept for an hour and a half! I decided since it worked I would do it again today to see if it was a fluke or not and she's asleep, almost 2 hours now!! Yay!!!!! She never napped that long in her crib on her back before so I think this is it!!


text: Volunteer Current Opportunities Volunteer Mascot Wearer About the opportunity We are looking for confident and enthusiastic individuals to wear our loveable mascot costume and entertain children (and adults!) at our fundraising and awareness events. You will bring Wolly the lion to life, making sure as many people as possible know who we are. Activities include: Dressing up as Wolly the lion Waving to children, shaking hands and interacting with children and young people Posing for photos with children and young people Handing out flags, stickers and other promotional material Taking part in bucket collections Attending centre and shop opening, festivals, schools and fundraising events Skills and Experience Fun and outgoing personality Enjoy meeting new people and be friendly and approachable Good at using own initiative Access to a car or local transport Reliable Have empathy for patients and families affected by cancer When & Where Opportunities to volunteer will be on an ad hoc basis throughout the year and are likely to be mainly at weekends. We will give you plenty of notice about upcoming opportunities and will not expect you to be available for all of them. We know that mascot costumes can be very warms so you will only be expected to wear them for short periods of time at each event. Appearances could be across the Wessex region. Practical Considerations Be a minimum of 16 years old Height must be between 5ft 6inches and 5ft 10 inches Good level of fitness as mascot costume is quite heavy DBS check is required for this role (generated by Wessex Cancer Trust) What we Offer Volunteers will be part of our valued community team helping to make a difference to people and families affected by cancer An excellent opportunity to gain experience with the fundraising and marketing team Out of pocket expenses Certificate of volunteering. To apply please contact Charlotte our Community and Events Fundraiser: T: 023 8067 2200 E [email protected]


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The AT Pro water hunting package includes the gear that Nugget uses on his water hunting adventures. AT Pro metal detector Pro-Pointer AT Gray Ghost Amphibian underwater headphones AT Pro Hat Camo find's pouch Nugget Noggin Autographed photo. *if you would like the metal detector autographed by Nugget Noggin, please leave a message with your...
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Laundrapp is proud to work with some of the best dry cleaning companies across the UK, both as partners and customers.
Our network of dry cleaning partners are the backbone of our business and make sure we always collect, clean and deliver to the highest standards. We work closely with partners to ensure our door-to-door service is convenient, safe and affordable.
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Nature parks near Siena
The best green spots of this area
Crete Senesi, Val d'Orcia, torrents and lakes in the area of Siena... how to choose among these natural treasures?
Come with us and we'll show you four routes in the natural reserves of Terra di Siena, to discover the wilder side of this territory.
The beech grove of Pietraporciana
In the Rocconi forest, which lies between the magical world of the Crete of the Val d'Orcia and the neatly organized farm land of the Val di Chiana, there is a stand of centuries-old beech trees which is documented and marked by the Italian Botanical Society. This antique place protects beneath its rock walls, giant beech trees as well as other rare plants, flowers of every kind and lush moss that covers enormous boulders. The route offers incredible 360° panoramas.
Riserva Naturale of the Lake of Montepulciano
Visit the reserve using sign-posted trails. There is also the possibility of going out in small boats on the lake. The reserve, which is run by the LIPU, includes a humid zone of 470 hectares of which a third is the actual lake and the rest the surface is covered by a typical swamp vegetation. This is one of the last great swamps in Tuscany and as such generates much naturalistic interest in the migratory passing, the wintering and nesting of many species of birds, some of which are rare and threatened.
The Nature Reserve of Lucciolabella
Visit one of the most picturesque zones of the Val d'Orcia which is protected not only for its scenic richness but also for its uniqueness. This country has clay soil, deprived in many places of any vegetation and interspersed with barren knolls, torrents and rolling valleys planted with grain. These eroded clay formations, especially on the steepest slopes, create what are called "calanchi" and are populated only by hardy plants capable of resisting in the desert-like climate.
Museum of the Orgia woods
This excursion will be fun and interesting for everyone and very suitable for children. The route offers anthropological, botanical, faunistic and scenic points of interest. During the excursion you'll have the chance to see wonderful panoramas of the valley of the Merse river. Please note the changing vegetation as you move through as well as the traces left by wild animals. The coalbunkers, the lime kilns, the hermitage and the chestnut drying ovens are a testimony of the life and work of the local peasants. All of this is explained very well and originally in the museum, both internally and externally in the woods.


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Feline species are known to be territorial animals where they mark out a certain area as their own territory. They do not like any other animals, especially ones from their own species to enter their domain.
Know your Cat Better by Understanding its Behaviors
Pet owners should understand why cats behave in certain manner to manage their emotions. For instance:
Urinating on Personal Items – Although it may be disgusting, yet your pet cat may pee on your personal items. This action allows it to relieve its anxiety about being invaded by a foreigner.
How to Eliminate incessant peeing – The ideal way to remove such a trait is to be a little tidier and proactively reduce anxiety that your feline pet is feeling.
Scratching furniture, shoes, and bags – Scratching is essential for a cat to sharpen its claws. However, it also scratches to transfer scents to foreign objects. It uses this technique to arouse the scent glands in its paws to emit the scent.
How to eliminate too much scratching – A cat will generally scratch sofas, shoes, socks, and furniture as it is here that there are different types of scents. To avoid this behavior – if it is a menace – you should put scratching posts. Initially, place them in the prominent areas where your feline pet usually scratches. Finally, place them in your preferred spots.
Meowing – A cat meows to communicate. For instance, kittens meow to get attention from their mother. Generally, cats don't often meow. When they do, it means they intend communicate something to the pet owner.
How to eliminate too much meowing – if your cat makes too much of noise, you can stop this behavior by responding to it only when it is quite.
Kneeding – When cats need to relax, they often kneed by pacing a soft object with their paws. A common object for kneeding is a bed-sheet or blanket. Sometimes they kneed on the lap of their owner. A cat can also kneed to create harmony in the house or with its owner.
How to eliminate kneeding when it becomes gory – When cats drool or purr while kneeding softly, it is a pleasant situation for both the pet and owner. If the cat starts kneeding with its claws it becomes intolerable. You can stop it from hurting you by trimming its claws or using a thick blanket under the paw while it is kneeding.
Swishy Tail – if a cat is hostile and angry, it generally swishes it tail as a signal to show that it is ready to attack. Sometimes it can also show its swishy tail if it wants to play.
How to tackle a cat with swishy tail – Ensure you are not too close to the feline pet while it has a swishy tail. Understand why it is hostile — A new cat is in the vicinity or is it frightened? Keep a blanket with you so that you can use it if it is determined to attack. Provide better toys or treats if necessary to assuage its anger.
Rubbing against an object in the house – The behavior is similar to peeing on objects where the cat wants to transfer their scent on various objects in their own turf. They intend to dominate their presence in the area – say, your house and its belongings.
When rubbing against your cheek or hands, it means that the cat wants attention from you. They generally rub their head and cheeks or their entire body. Sometimes they snug in between the legs. If done moderately, it is a show of warmth and bonding with the owner.
Did the tips help you to manage your cat's idiosyncrasies? If not, don't get hassled.


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Open-Back Swimsuit
€ 319
One-piece Alaïa swimsuit with scoop neck, slender shoulder strap and open back. Low-cut thigh.
Select color
Select size
Please select color
Please select size
Composition: 75% Polyamide, 25% Elastane
Product reference: AS9UG77RJ010
The model is 178 cm and wearing a FR 38 size.
Product reference: AS9UG77RJ010
The model is 178 cm and wearing a FR 38 size.
Please read the following care instructions, they will help you to preserve the quality of your product.
We offer a speedy Express shipping service for any address. We also provide an easy return service: just ship your items back to us with a shipping service of your choice within 30 days from delivery. Read more on Returns & Refunds.
Your orders will be delivered carefully wrapped in soft silk Alaïa paper and signature box.
The perfect packaging for your Alaïa gifts.


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Along with our new look, we also (finally) have a new product listed.
Multiplication can be challenging for our students. Why not make it fun? This set gives teachers and students lots of different options for multiplication fact practice.
Here's a little freebie from the set-- our Multiplication Progress Tracker (or, as our kids called it, their Multiplication Sticker Charts). For some of my students, we filled in the squares when they mastered a fact. For others, we put stickers over the squares. It was so motivating! It also worked as a great assessment tool for me, a good self-assessment for students, and parents appreciated being able to see which facts they could help their child study at home.
Download the freebie here.
The whole set contains 160+ pages of practice for facts 0x-12x. Here's what you can find in the whole set--
Set includes the following:
Multiplication set includes the following:
Multiplication Study Guides
Multiplication Practice Circles
Multiplication Matching
Horizontal Multiplication Practice
Vertical Multiplication Practice
Multiplication Facts
Hands-on cut and glue multiplication flaps
Multiplication Mastered/Need to Study Self-assessments
Multiplication club motivation system
Multiplication prize ribbons for fact mastery
Check it out here:
I love to teach this along with skip counting songs from Have Fun Teaching! The "Counting by Threes" video is my favorite. I can even rap it solo now. My class laughs at me. #nerdyteacher
Have fun!


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December already? Time is flying! We hope that everyone had a delicious Thanksgiving break. We have many fun times to look forward to in December.
As you probably know, I have made a few short trips to Florida during the past few months. I'm fortunate enough to still have my grandparents in my life. Grandma is 95 years young & grandpa will turn 95 in January. I will make another trip in January to celebrate that milestone with him. Grandpa has been ill so my trips have been a big help to my aunt who cares for them both. Ms. Sarah, Ms. Joyce, Ms. Fabi & Ms. Bethany have done an excellent job while covering my absences. They maintain our schedule & activities & it is greatly appreciated.
Singing & Dancing:
Stretching Song (Have Fun Teaching)
Christmas Freeze Dance (The Kiboomers)
Dreidel Hokey Pokey (The Kiboomers)
Reindeer Pokey (The Kiboomers)
Five Gingerbread Men (The Kibbomers)
Creative Kids Anthem
Make a Circle
Jump Up & Down (transition song)
ABC You Later (Sing to Learn)
The Goodbye Song (The Learning Station)
Goodbye (Dream English Kids)
Day-O (The Learning Station)
Books We Read:
The Shape of Me & Other Stuff (Dr. Seuss)
Families (Shelly Rotner & Sheila M. Kelley)
In a People House (Theo. LeSieg)
The Little House (Virginia Lee Burton)
The Feelings Book (Todd Parr)
Wild Feelings (David Milgrim)
Grumpy Pants (Claire Messer)
The Feel Good Book (Todd Parr)
The Way I Feel (Janan Cain)
December Birthdays
12/16: Melanie
12/18: Ms. Bethany
12/31: Nicholas
Activities: Last week we painted & made snowmen with Ms. Sarah. This week we painted with bows. Next week we will be decorating our paintings with various textured materials. We also discussed feelings & emotions this week during circle time. Developing emotional intelligence is an important skill for children. "Children with higher emotional intelligence are better able to pay attention, are more engaged in school, have more positive relationships, and are more empathic." (Tominey, O'Bryon, Rivers, & Shapses 2017). We introduced the Mood Meter which we will use to identify our feelings during the course of the day. The mood meter is color coded & we describe each color with one word: red = angry; blue = sad; green = calm; yellow = happy. We will expand upon our knowledge of feeling words that correspond to each color as we progress through the school year. We brainstormed similar words for "happy" & "mad" during circle time. Families can help at home by recognizing your child's emotions: "I see you are frowning & crossing your arms. I do that when I feel mad. How are you feeling? What happened that caused you to feel that way?"
Dramatic play & sensory activities are always on our agenda. All of our children learn best through multi-sensory play. We introduced our Chanukah sensory table & brought out the
red play dough & seasonal cookie cutters!
This month we introduced the Friday Dance Party Holiday Edition. Ask your children what instruments we used & what songs we played.
Dessa: "Daddy has no hair so he doesn't know how to do it."
Tyler: "My dad always sleeps with a pumpkin in his bed."
Aviana: "Ms. Sheri, your hair is red turning to grey."
Looking Ahead:
- Winter is on the way & what better way to welcome old man winter than wearing our pajamas to school! Pajama Day is December 21. Wear your comfiest, coziest pajamas to school!
- Pajama party Friday, 12/8/17 from 6:00-8:45. $10 per child. Open play fun.
- Our Winter Holiday Party is on 12/22/17 from 10:30-11:30 in the morning & 2:00-3:00 in the afternoon. All families are invited to attend whether or not your child attends school on Friday. There will be a sign-up sheet located by the front door beginning on Monday, 12/11/17. We are also asking for treat donations for goody bags. We would like to avoid candy/food treats due to allergies. Target's Bullseye Playground & Dollar Tree have inexpensive winter holiday treats. Please send in any goody bag treats by Wednesday, 12/20. Thank you for your help.
- 12/12 – Menorah Lighting on Main Street, 6:00 pm in front of The Coste Agency
- Dec. 25 – Jan 1 – Winter Break
- We are still collecting pajamas for our pajama drive through 12/12. The pajamas will be donated to children living in a local homeless shelter along with a book donated by Scholastic. Thank you to everyone who has already donated.
- Please keep in mind that our school hours are 8:30-11:30 & 12:00-3:00. Children must be picked up on time. Frequent late pick ups will be result in a late pick-up fee of $5 per 5 minute intervals. We realize there are always extenuating circumstances which might result in an occasional late pick-up. A phone call/text during these instances is appreciated & will not result in a late pick-up fee.
Our thoughts are with Ms. Joyce at this time due to the passing of her father. We wish her well while she gathers with family in Florida. She will return to school next week.
Wishing you all a fabulous weekend!
Ms. Sheri, Ms. Joyce, Ms. Sarah, Miss Fabi
Tominey, S. L., O'Bryon, E. C., Rivers, S. E., & Shapses, S. (2017, March). Teaching Emotional Intelligence in Early
Childhood. Young Children, 72(1), 6-12.


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An adaptation of Neil Gaiman's comic series Sandman has been through various stages of development over the years, but it appears that things might be heating up on a feature film iteration at Warner Bros. The comic, which first launched in 1989, revolves around Morpheus (aka Dream) who is the personification of dreams. Initially captured by a cult ritual and held captive for 70 years, Dream is released in modern day to find his kingdom in disrepair. A new report claims that Warner Bros. has become taken with pitch for a Sandman movie by Man of Steel screenwriter David S. Goyer, with none other than Joseph Gordon-Levitt mentioned in connection with the lead role. Hit the jump for more.
The folks over at Badass Digest are hearing that Goyer has pitched a version of Sandman to WB that the studio is "very receptive" to. Moreover, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is apparently involved in the potential project, most likely as the actor who will portray Morpheus. The report stresses that this is very early days and the project may never come to fruition, but WB is high on Goyer as their current go-to screenwriter for all things DC Comics and has been trying to get Gordon-Levitt to lead one of their franchise properties for some time.
Again, there's no telling what will become of this potential Sandman idea, but it's interesting to see Goyer branching out from the superhero world. He's no doubt looking to cash in some of the goodwill from Man of Steel (and Batman vs. Superman, presumably) to get something a little different off the ground, and that something different might just be Sandman.


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Download here
Category Archives: Night
A small baby toddler watching the fish in the water with fascination – stock photo
Download here
Spooky Halloween at night – stock photo
A spooky Halloween image best suitable for your event flyers/posters and related Halloween designs. Download here
In a scary forest at night – stock image download
Download here
Love is beautiful stock photo
Love is beautiful stock photo Download here
Create a beautiful wallpaper in photoshop
In this Photoshop Tutorial, we will create a beautiful wallpaper using Photoshop CS5. Continue reading…
The Scream photoshop tutorial
You must have heard of the popular The scream movie In this photoshop tutorial , let's make some scary photo manipulation based on the theme of Scream!! I used photoshop cs5 for this manipulation. Sources used: Forest Scream Horse Light … Continue reading
Inspirational art 18- Night
I have featured some amazing digital art works based on night theme. You are sure going to love them! I have featured some of the best works I found on deviantart and the artists are already notified about the features.
In the night
My latest photo manipulation work. You can check the sources used here


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Monday, May 23, 2011
China's Electronic Waste Hell
Monday, May 23, 2011 Electronic Waste , Paranormal 1 comment
China is thе wоrld's sеcond lаrgest prоducer оf E-Waste prоducing оvеr 1 million tоns а yеar. Bеsidеs, China is the largest importer оf E-Waste frоm аll оver thе world. It gаthers 70% оf electronic garbоge еаch yеаr (20-25 million tons).
1 comments :
There was a chap called Kevin McCloud who visited a place where e-waste was recycled - looked a lot like this. Basically it's a huge shanty town built up around the recycling industry. Good on them I say, yes it's not a western income, but compared to some of the options they have it's pretty good work, and considering the bad press that China gets for environmental waste we should look at these images as setting an example to the rest of the planet for recycling our rubbish.
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The AdvanceTEC Difference – Technology, Engineering and Construction. We understand your technology – and then we engineer and construct to enable it.
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Cloud-based project management platform provides the entire project team the full picture real time
• State-of-the-art, cloud-based PMS provides the client, suppliers and subcontractors complete, consistent information in real-time
• Full tracking and anytime access of schedule, drawings, submittals and meeting minutes
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• Tablet enablement allows our delivery team to resolve issues promptly
Estimating from the inside out provides budgeting that you can rely on and solutions that work
• Sound estimates based on a comprehensive understanding of your cleanroom requirements – what you want to do and how you will do it
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• Focused cleanroom industry experts lead clean build protocol training, management, and outcomes
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Ethical, old-school business approach serves as the foundation core of how we operate
• Treating clients, A/E firms, construction managers, general contractors, lab planners, consultants, subcontractors and others the way we want to be treated – with respect, honesty and integrity
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Does anyone here have a working copy of The Simpsons Movie on Blu-Ray?
After I made the post a couple weeks ago about season 18, I decided to throw in my copy of the Simpsons movie on Blu-Ray and watch it. I hadnt watched it in years.
I love the seasons so much more for some reason.
Anyway, when I tried to watch the Blu-Ray it automatically said Error: Cannot Operate This Disc.
Its flawless, no scratches whatsoever, Ive probably only watched it 3 times since Ive owned it.
I also own the DVD, luckily. It still plays fine.
Ironically I just bought the DVD to put on my shelf with my seasons so it would fit in, because the Blu-Ray case was too small.
So Ive actually never watched the DVD up until a couple weeks ago.
I decided to pick up the Blu-Ray again on eBay. I found one used for $12 in a lot with 3 other movies I didnt have so I bought it.
Out of all 4 Blu-Rays, the Simpsons Blu-Ray was the only one that wouldnt play!
The disc was also like new, no scratches whatsoever.
I just kept the Blu-Rays because it really isnt the sellers fault.
Something odd though, this second Blu-Ray sometimes loads up on my Sony Blu-Ray player as a Data BD.
When I go into the Stream folder, it will let me select the .M2TS files, but it doesnt play any of them at all.
I decided to buy a brand new copy and it arrived today. Same exact problem.
The disc wont even load, I literally opened this one out of the shrinkwrap and put the disc in my Blu-Ray player, and it said the same exact thing.
So this is the 3rd copy Ive bought that doesnt work now.
The DVD plays fine, but the Blu-Rays seem to be bad.
I found this post from 2017, so Im guessing Im not alone: https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...lu-ray.659139/
Im curious if anyone actually has a working copy?
Or is there a Blu-Ray release that doesnt have Disc Rot?
I tried all 3 discs out on 4 different Blu-Ray players, my PS4 and my PCs Blu-Ray Burner.
I thought at least my PC would load one of them, but it just sits there acting like its going to load but it doesnt do anything.
I wouldve liked to watch the movie in HD, but I guess Im just stuck with the DVD in this case.
I have experienced this problem with other Blu-Rays, just to name a few,
House Of 1000 Corpses - Went through 2 copies on Blu-Ray, the first copy wouldnt play at all, the second copy plays, but it skips quite a bit close to the end of the movie. Both discs are totally scratch free. Have it on DVD too, no problems with the DVD.
The Devils Rejects - Skips all over the place in the middle until the end. Also have this on DVD and there are no problems with the DVD.
Rambo Boxset - Parts 1 & 2 barely play at all, but part 3 plays. I dont own the DVD.
The one thing those have in common is the fact that theyre all older releases, and they are also all Lionsgate releases.
I think the older Lionsgate Blu-Rays are infamous for having problems.
Im just curious if anyone else has experienced problems with their Simpsons Movie Blu-Ray? Ive considered upgrading the TV seasons on Blu-Ray, but if theyre just going to start rotting in a couple years like the movie Blu-Rays have seemed to, I guess Ill pass on them.
Im not trying to be a downer or anything, Im just wondering if I order the European copy or the Australian copy, it might actually work. I prefer the Blu-Ray over the DVD.
If anyone has any information on this, Id seriously appreciate it!