tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27838782575776258792024-02-06T21:22:02.134-08:00The Septavalent StoneVictor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-34667099142588886622012-06-09T07:43:00.000-07:002012-06-09T07:43:17.648-07:00Highest paid Nigerian Actress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://nollywoodgossip.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Omotola-Jalade9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://nollywoodgossip.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Omotola-Jalade9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The Nigerian actress, OMOTOLA JALADE EKEINDE who has starred in numerous Nigerian movies, including my favorite, I BELONG, no longer takes home 1.5M naira per movie. Her average rate per movie is 5M naira.<br />
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Yeah compared to other major stars from Hollywood it is not much, but it is a start and I would like to say congratulations. She's not just all beauty, but she's got brains, talent and she's an over-achiever.<br />
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An inspiration to most girls.Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-54406628600168522622012-06-07T12:03:00.000-07:002012-06-07T12:03:18.307-07:00SHIT BEYONCE SAYS....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Beyonce-beyonce-230799_1024_768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Beyonce-beyonce-230799_1024_768.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hillarious, what do you guys think... lol</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XiBkLqn44oc" width="560"></iframe>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-79613117031367243092012-05-22T12:19:00.000-07:002012-05-22T12:19:48.649-07:00Can youtube help you as a writer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cache.ohinternet.com/images/e/ef/Youtube_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="http://cache.ohinternet.com/images/e/ef/Youtube_logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Okay this post is going to be really short but I hope it will gather a lot of comments. For about a year now I've been an active YouTube viewer, only recently did I start uploading my own videos.<br />
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I decided to upload videos to Youtubes because I noticed all this big time Youtubers and the fans they have amassed over the years. These Youtubers such as Shane Dawson, Jenna Marbles, Philip Defranco, Smosh and so on have gone on to make brands for themselves, selling t-shirts and various merchandise and other things.<br />
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And it made me wonder if the same route could work for books. Maybe I have not done my research well, but I haven't heard of any writer, indie or otherwise that makes Youtube videos as a means to promote herself, except Lauren Destefano, and it's a vloggy kind of thing not a planned out thing.<br />
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I know it's going to take out time from the actual writing, but publicizing and marketing is also an integral part of the book business. And trully I hate that part of the writing process, however I have found that I enjoy making the videos.<br />
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Notice that I try my best for the main part since I am just starting out, to shy away from things book related because if not done properly it might become dull and chase potential subscribers and viewers away.<br />
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So I am throwing this question out there before I get so caught up on Youtube instead of the actual writing. I am known for doing things without seeking other people's opinion, and now I have put my foot down. What do you guys think, is Youtube a useful tool in promoting yourself as a writer.<br />
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Here's my channel, and one of my videos.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/8eCFRm59qho?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-84625686775130914762012-05-22T11:44:00.001-07:002012-05-22T11:49:48.618-07:00Video of the day: The mugu will always pay<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qFLOz66fkBX_r4QL2liWVbPYSRt84SPXyCB-V2osVM2M3CPyydMnPtgsomVmlEhbmNZwcVoaThFhWOG-_-T4XAnngvtWr6cxi121yU2sizOhZG_kdY2o-bDSalBKK5MbmnGDEuO0zkmo/s1600/foreclosure_scammers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qFLOz66fkBX_r4QL2liWVbPYSRt84SPXyCB-V2osVM2M3CPyydMnPtgsomVmlEhbmNZwcVoaThFhWOG-_-T4XAnngvtWr6cxi121yU2sizOhZG_kdY2o-bDSalBKK5MbmnGDEuO0zkmo/s1600/foreclosure_scammers.jpg" /></a></div>The mugu will always pay is a short movie I wrote for my Youtube channel. It's basically about a boy who gets conned by his other friends into spending a lot of money for some girls in the hopes that he is going to get laid, only for his hopes to be destroyed, and later on finds out that the boys had their share from the money he spent on the girls. And so the boy decides to seek revenge.<br />
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I am basically making up videos to promote myself, because I've seen the potential of getting exposure through youtube, so I am trying to use that as a means to get myself out there so by the time I'm fully ready and I get to release my books, promoting it will be easier because I already have a fanbase.<br />
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So please y'all should go and subscribe to my channel, and share any of the videos you find interesting on your facebook walls. I could even promote fellow indie writers if my channel gets big.<br />
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Here's the episode one.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/SeZ6_cxWMm4/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SeZ6_cxWMm4&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SeZ6_cxWMm4&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />
And here's the episode 2, it gets better really.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ic9t4TQCjmg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Please comment and rate the videos, your feedback is really important.Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-22846774786522483542012-05-06T10:56:00.000-07:002012-05-06T10:56:30.177-07:0015 Powerful Things Happy People Do Differently<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://faithcenter.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/happy-people-multicultural-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://faithcenter.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/happy-people-multicultural-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What is <a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/1858/constant-in-happiness-or-unhappiness/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">the difference between happy people and unhappy people?</span></a> Of course, it may be very obvious, happy people are happy while unhappy people are unhappy, right? Well, that is correct, but we want to know what are the things that these people do differently and that is why, I have put together a list of things that HAPPY people do differently than UNHAPPY people.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">1. LOVE vs. FEAR.</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> Well, I can tell you for sure that those people who are really happy, <a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/1303/do-you-love-or-do-you-fear/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">FEAR less and LOVE a lot more.</span></a> They see each moment, each challenge, each person as an opportunity to discover more about themselves and the world around them.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">2. ACCEPTANCE vs. RESISTANCE. </span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Happy people understand that <a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/1747/what-you-resist-persists/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">you can’t really change a situation by resisting it, </span></a>but you can definitely change it by accepting that it is there and by understanding that there might be a reason for its existence. When something unpleasant happens to them, they don’t try to fight it, knowing that this will make the situation even worse, but rather, they ask themselves questions like: <em><b>What can I learn from this?</b></em> <em><b>How can I make this better? </b></em>and they go from there, focusing on the positive rather than on the negative. They always seem to see the glass half full no matter what happens to them.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.mdjunction.com/components/com_joomlaboard/uploaded/images/holding_a_grudge-be4a6395c0e83ecdc8b6e968d4c506f3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://cdn.mdjunction.com/components/com_joomlaboard/uploaded/images/holding_a_grudge-be4a6395c0e83ecdc8b6e968d4c506f3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">3. FORGIVENESS vs. UNFORGIVENESS. </span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Really happy people know that it’s not healthy to hold on to anger. They choose to FORGIVE and FORGET, understanding that <a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/3210/why-forgiveness-is-power/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">FORGIVENESS is a gift they give to themselves</span></a> first and foremost.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”</span></b></em><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Buddha<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_8SvLjFWXtPsXH6aOJFI4_i3TYhwn1g4hhl-bl6vNFw_VV52VOKpdKzENP2WcrE7rtFhtmMnCkZ1G4d3NZPNVHp8qlbG_pxJmV0vUEl1UrGDoSyxjIGnXP_CUwwgMsfOYq_DZJ4t0pI/s1600/trust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_8SvLjFWXtPsXH6aOJFI4_i3TYhwn1g4hhl-bl6vNFw_VV52VOKpdKzENP2WcrE7rtFhtmMnCkZ1G4d3NZPNVHp8qlbG_pxJmV0vUEl1UrGDoSyxjIGnXP_CUwwgMsfOYq_DZJ4t0pI/s320/trust.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">4. TRUST vs. DOUBT. </span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">They trust themselves and they trust the people around them. No matter if they talk to the cleaning lady or the C.E.O. of a multi billion company, somehow they always seem make the person they are interacting with feel like there is something unique and special about them.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">They understand that <a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/1969/the-power-of-trust-and-encouragement/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">beliefs become self-fulfilling prophecies</span></a>, and because of that, they make sure to treat everybody with love, dignity and respect, making no distinctions between age, sex, social status, color, religion or race. These are the great men that Mark Twain was talking about: <em><b>“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” </b></em>Mark Twain<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">5. MEANING vs. AMBITION. </span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">They do the things they do because of the meaning it brings into their lives and because they get a sense of purpose by doing so. They understand that <em><b><a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/4236/by-doing-what-you-love-success-will-follow/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">“Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life”</span></a></b></em> like Wayne Dyer puts it, and they care more about living a life full of meaning rather than, what in our modern society we would call, living a successful life.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The irony here is that most of the time they get both, success and meaning, just because they choose to focus on doing the things they love the most and they always pursue their heart desires. They are not motivated by money; they want to make a difference in the lives of those around them and in the world.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">6. PRAISING vs. CRITICIZING. </span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Happy people would probably agree with Carl’s Jung theory on resistance: <strong><i><a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/4899/15-powerful-things-happy-people-do-differently/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">“What you resist not only persists, but will grow in size”</span></a>. </i></strong>They <a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/3042/addicted-to-criticizing-and-complaining/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">don’t criticize the absence of the behavior</span></a> they want to reinforce, but rather<strong><i>, </i></strong>every time the behavior is present, even if it’s not that often, they know that by praising the person and the behavior, they will actually reinforce the positive behavior.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When a parent wants to make sure that his 7 years old boy will learn to always put the toys back in the box after he’s done playing with them, he will make sure not to focus on the many times the child won’t do it, criticizing him and his behavior, but rather, every time the little boy does put the toys back, the parent will praise him and his behavior and that is exactly how he will <a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/842/how-to-feed-your-childs-potential/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">reinforce the positive behavior</span></a>, and in the end geting the wanted results.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">7. CHALLENGES vs. PROBLEMS. </span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Happy people will see PROBLEMS as CHALLENGES, as opportunities to explore new ways of doing things, expressing their gratitude for them, understanding that underneath them all lies many <span style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/657/no-end-to-personal-growth/" target="_blank">opportunities that will allow them to expand and to grow.</a></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTS7yqdh_nqhbf1FLH7nwGGedXwowA641Dq2Hv0eSJ964-Oj0XX" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTS7yqdh_nqhbf1FLH7nwGGedXwowA641Dq2Hv0eSJ964-Oj0XX" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">8. SELFLESSNESS vs. SELFISHNESS. </span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">They do what they do not for themselves, but for the good of others, making sure that they bring meaning, empowerment and happiness in the lives of many. They look for ways to give and to share the best of themselves with the world and to make other people happy.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">”Before giving, the mind of the giver is happy; while giving, the mind of the giver is made peaceful; and having given, the mind of the giver is uplifted.”</span></b></em><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Buddha<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">9. ABUNDANCE vs. LACK/POVERTY. </span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">They <a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/2676/two-rules-for-attracting-abundance-in-your-life/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">have an abundant mindset</span></a> living a balanced life, achieving abundance in all areas of life.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">10. DREAMING BIG vs. BEING REALISTIC. </span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">These people don’t really care about being realistic. They <a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/1830/why-give-up-on-your-dreams/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">love and dare to dream big,</span></a> they always listen to their heart and intuition and the greatness of their accomplishments scares many of us.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<em><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.”</span></b></em><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> Goethe<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">11. KINDNESS vs. CRUELTY. </span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">They are kind to themselves and others and they <a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/4845/give-up-your-self-defeating-self-talk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">understand the power of self love</span></a>, self forgiveness and self acceptance.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">12. GRATITUDE vs. INGRATITUDE. </span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">No no matter where they look, no matter where they are or with who, they have this capacity of seeing beauty where most of us would only see ugliness, opportunities, where most of us would only see struggles, abundance where most of us would only see lack and they <a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/664/dont-worry-be-grateful/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">express their gratitude </span></a>for them all.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">13. PRESENCE/ ENGAGEMENT vs. DISENGAGEMENT.</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> They <a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/3447/are-you-running-out-of-time/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">know how to live in the present moment</span></a>, appreciating what they have and where they are, while still having big dreams about the future.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<strong><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“When you are present, you can allow the mind to be as it is without getting entangled in it. The mind in itself is a wonderful tool. Dysfunction sets in when you seek your self in it and mistake it for who you are.” </span></i></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Eckhart Tolle<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">14. POSITIVITY vs. NEGATIVITY. </span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">No matter what happens to them, they always seem to <a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/3902/8-powerful-steps-to-positive-thinking/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">keep a positive perspective</span></a> on everything and by doing so, they tend irritate a lot of negative and “realistic” people.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.chrismower.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Taking-Personal-Responsibility-001-Personal-Responsibility-ChrisMower.com_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.chrismower.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Taking-Personal-Responsibility-001-Personal-Responsibility-ChrisMower.com_.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">15. TAKING RESPONSIBILITY vs. BLAMING. </span></strong><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">They take full ownership over their lives and they rarely use excuses. Happy people understand that the moment you choose to blame some outside forces for whatever it is that happens to you, you are in fact giving all your power away, and they choose to keep the power for themselves and <a href="http://www.purposefairy.com/4680/the-path-to-happiness-give-up-blame/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">taking responsibility for everything that happens to them.</span></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lifted from Purpose fairy blog</span></div>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-48386919931306615542012-05-06T09:27:00.000-07:002012-05-06T09:27:32.441-07:00Unwind, A review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcz67lmj7v1qeejg1o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcz67lmj7v1qeejg1o1_500.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Unwind, Unwind, what can I say about this book. Well the premise is a little bit of the roof. Picture a world where children between the ages of thirteen and eighteen are legally signed over by their guardians to be put through a harvest program where their organs are harvested so that others can make use of them. SAD.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was a bit slow at the beginning, but once I got into it, I was hooked. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The novel is basically about three teenagers who are getting prepared to be harvested or unwound as it is called in the book. They are organs would be harvested to those who need them, but the problem is that need is not a good word to describe this, because for example in this book, I can decided to get new eyes or what not just because I dislike the color of my original eyes, you get what I mean.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So these three teenagers are Connor, who is a headache, a typical problem child. His parents are perturbed by his demeanor so they decide to donate him for the harvesting program. In a bid to escape he meets Risa, a state ward who is being given up because of lack of money for upkeep, and Lev who is being given up by his parents as a sacrificial lamb unto God.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Connor and Risa are bent on remaining alive till their eighteen birthday at least so that they can be officially protected by the lam, while Lev on the other hand is torn between turning them in, and doing what he thinks is his main goal in life to have his body sacrificed to God.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I enjoyed the book, in the sense that all the characters were relatable and well thought up, however there were just some things that I found a bit unrealistic.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I know this is a book of fiction, but at times I think there is a bit of truth in fiction. For example, the decision unwind Connor. I doubt any parent could do that to a kid they’ve trained and nurtured for years, especially when that kid has a brother. I just felt the idea of unwinding, though it was cool, was not plausible enough. I say so because there was just no good reason to make up for the decision the parents made.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The back stories of the other characters were sufficient enough though, I can understand why a state would give up a child they have no relations with to make up for costs, and I can also understand why two parents getting a divorce would want to dispose of their kids rather than endure the drama that comes with separation.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since I read the Hunger Games, I’ve been reading and enjoying dystopian novels recently. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another thing I found that wasn’t done well was his portrayal of future America; I felt it wasn’t fully fleshed out.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This book is enough to make anyone think and evaluate their life and how it affects those around them, especially the kids. An enjoyable read, I give it 3.5 stars.</div>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-86270494747183078012012-05-05T10:21:00.000-07:002012-05-05T10:21:09.286-07:00My Review of Catching Fire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.library.ohiou.edu/commonexperience/wp-content/images/catching-fire1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.library.ohiou.edu/commonexperience/wp-content/images/catching-fire1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The premise is this. Right after the Hunger Games, and just as the publicity tour is about to begin, Katniss still finds herself pretending to love Peeta in order to survive and this pains Peeta deeply.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Gale’s relationship with her on the other hand disappears slowly, and even though Katniss now lives in a luxurious home due to her victory at the Hunger Games, she finds herself itching to go back to the village where her old dilapidated house still is.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Also, President Snow pays her a visit and issues a warning, stating that her life and that of her family is in danger except she can prove to everyone that eating the deadly berries in the arena was just because she was madly in love with Peeta, and could not live without him, and not because she was being rebellious.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The reason he is particular about this is because, unknown to Katniss that little act of defiance is causing an uprising and her and Peeta are going to the center of it all.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>My thoughts.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">In as much as the book was quite interesting, I found this to be a bit tedious, slow and kind of over written. I know people keep saying that this was their best part of the series, but it wasn’t for me.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Hunger games was quick, meticulously planned, there was unintentional romance, gore and other dangerous elements infused into it. Catching Fire on the other hand was a bit too much of talking and telling. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The real action only started towards the middle of the book, when a special announcement was made about the new Hunger games, and how that decision was going to affect Katniss and Peeta.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyways the characters were well written as usual, I found Gale to be a bit lifeless though, but that’s probably because of the role he was forced into. The arena was just awesome with the new booby traps, and tasks. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There was a salt water lake this time where they all entered the arena, a lot of force fields, blood rain, mutated monkeys, and best of all new tributes, even though they were kind of old (read the book to know what I mean).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Of all the characters, the two characters I would love to see how they turn out in the movie is Finnick, sold for sexual favors because of his good looks, and Inobari (I hope I spelt that right.)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">An amazing book still, one I would recommend. I give it 3.5 stars.</div>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-28887029884042271492012-05-04T12:43:00.001-07:002012-05-05T10:43:49.899-07:00Rihanna, I'd love too see this movie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.idolator.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/rihanna-battleship-movie-poster-400x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://cdn.idolator.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/rihanna-battleship-movie-poster-400x300.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/wibUpCF1vIg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-86120236600076651812012-05-03T09:20:00.000-07:002012-05-03T09:20:43.969-07:00Akwa Ibom Horror: How my 3 brothers were murdered in one night -Helen Ukpabio cries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://e-expressnigeria.com//uploads/lthumb/helen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://e-expressnigeria.com//uploads/lthumb/helen.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The killings - shocking, barbaric and reminiscent of a mafia-styled gangland bloodletting - happened on March 25, 2012, when three brothers of same parents - Charles, Emmanuel and Joseph Akpabio - were shot in cold blood right before their 72-year-old mother, Atim Akpabio.</span></div><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The murdered young men were brothers of Evangelist (Mrs.) Helen Ukpabio, revered filmmaker and founder of Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries based in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. The heinous crime was allegedly perpetrated by a combine team of the State Security Service (SSS) operatives and a Nigeria Police squad.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The killing which was a culmination of a well-laid plan started on March 24, when three anonymous white men came to Mbente Village in Nkari clan, Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, the village where the decased, Emmanuel and Joseph, lived. They (white men) came in the company of one of one Benjamin Christopher Akpan Otu from Ifa village of the same clan. The three white men allegedly came on a courtesy visit, inviting youth leaders of the clan to come for a meeting concerning a dam that is to be constructed on their land.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Joseph Akpabio, one of the youth leaders, invited people in the village to welcome the visitors. The visitors requested for a formal meeting the next day. The youths had no idea that Benjamin, whom they consider a friend and who escorted the white men was a bait and that the other men in the white men’s entourage were actually SSS operatives. The next day’s rendezvous was fixed at Ikot Ekpene, which is about one hour drive from Nkari clan.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Benjamin, further suggested to Joseph that the meeting should be in his wife’s house at Ikot Ekpene. Joseph unwittingly accepted. The “Judas” went ahead by calling the Akpabio elder brother, Charles, a sailor who resided in Calabar, and informed him of the meeting. The latter called his brother to confirm it. To forclose any suspicion, the scheming Benjamin and his white men invited a few other youths, who were executives of the Nkari Youth, one Solomon Udoette, two others from other villages in Nkari and also the last of the Akpabio brothers, Emmanuel.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The next day March 25, the invited youth leaders left for the meeting not knowing they were on their way to their death. Joseph the host of the meeting bought drinks and prepared snacks for the coming visitors. He went the extra mile by asking his wife to buy petrol so that they could put on light and fan while the meeting lasted. The white men and their escort, Benjamin, called Joseph Akpabio to be sure he was there. They also confirmed whether his elder brother Charles, who lived in Calabar would make the meeting and the still-unsuspecting Joseph told them he was on his way.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Before long they were all assembled in Joseph’s compound. The mysterious white men came in a truck driven by one Toppa, who incidentally was a friend to the younger Akpabio, Joseph. Also in attendance was Benjamin Christopher Akpan.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Shortly into the meeting, the white men called for an interlude so they could hold a brief discussion among themselves outside. Just as they stepped out, the generator went off. The host’s wife who went out to check the cause of the power outage was confronted by about 20 policemen who all wore black T-shirts. She witnessed the final betrayal as the white men shook hands with the leader of the squad, a certain Noel Nduka before they departed.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Then the nightmare unveiled. The policemen rushed into the house rounded up those inside, handcuffed them and herded them into their trucks. Thereafter, the true intention of the meeting began to unfold as Benjamin Christopher Otu who was also handcuffed had his own handcuffs released and he suddenly began to discuss freely with the police. The police wasted no time in showing that they meant business: they shot all the six young men in their knees. Then the bizarre happening began to take the shape of a vendetta, as the Judas, Benjamin, replied that they should “go and shine in the grave”, when questioned by his friend Joseph about what crime they had committed to deserve such a treatment. With the traitor acting as their guide, the police drove their victims to their village allegedly to find the father of Emmanuel, Charles and Joseph with the intention to kill him also.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> When the death squad got to the village, they gave their traitor guide a mask to cover his face so as to hide his identity. Back to the very compound where the meeting was held the previous day, the policemen stormed the house searching for Chief Essien. However, their quarry was not at home. As they ransacked the whole house, breaking down locked doors, the masked accomplice (Benjamin) led them on with sign language, directing them to pressurize the the Akpabio’s mother, madam Atim to produce her husband. When that failed, they dragged out two of their victims Charles (whose broken legs had been tied wit rafia ropes) and Joseph ad dumped them by plantain trees. The two elderly women, one, their 72-year-old mother, the other their uncle’s wife, aged 82 years cried, begged the policemen to set them free and to tell them what their crimes were. At that point Joseph did manage to tell his mother that Benjamin had set them up using the dam project. The two boys were shot before the very eyes of their mother and their uncle’s wife while their other brother, Emmanuel, and the other three young men were taken away.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Later, Benjamin confided in one Peter Ekpenyong Inuaeyen that the four boys who were not killed were being detained at the State Police headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia. He also gave out some phone numbers which include that of Noel Nduka, the SSS officer who allegedly shot the brothers.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> When a call was put through to him, Nduka allegedly confirmed that he killed the three brothers, claiming that they were terrorists. According to reports, when asked about whom they had terrorized, the SSS operatives was alleged to have claim that he has the right to kill anybody he is asked to kill.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> How the other captives met their end gave a picture of a mindless cruelty. By the next day, March 26, the remaining four young men who were still alive—Emmanuel Akpabio, Solomon Udoette and two others – were driven to Obot Akara and then shot at the boundary of Nto Edino and Obot Akara at about 1a.m. of March 27, 2012. Benjamin, the Judas, again called his confidant, Peter Ekpenyong Inuaeyen and told him that “all are gone”.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Noel Nduka, later told a local newspaper that the police team encountered some robbers who operated between Abia State and Akwa Ibom and had killed all four of them.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Meanwhile, two weeks before the tragedy, Benjamin, the deceiver, came with his accomplice, Toppa, and told the late Joseph of how the youths of the land were vandalizing the property and equipment for the dam. Benjamin insisted that since Joseph is the youth president he should call Charles to accompany him to go and pick some of those things for safety. Charles later told his wife that Benjamin did a strange thing by filming them with his camera phone while they were doing that. Today, the police are using what Benjamin recorded as their evidence to the fact that the boys have been stealing from the dam.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Killed and abandoned by the road, efforts made by the family of Chief Essien Akpabio to have the corpses of the murdered young men buried decently has been futile. A lawyer, who went to see the DPO of Obot Akara, was sent back empty-handed by the recalcitrant police boss.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> At the moment, it is alleged that Noel Nduka is still insisting that he must kill Lady Apostle Helen Ukpabio whom he claimed has been aiding the kidnappers. He has also sent threat messages and calls to the only brother of the deceased, Henry Akpabio who is resident in UK. He is alleged to have boasted that “they” are commissioned to eliminate him and the entire family of Chief Essien Ukpabio.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> In a brief phone chat with Sunday Express, grief-stricken Helen Ukpabio, said all her family wants now is justice and the recovery of the corpse of her remaining brother. “My life is in danger, but I’m not deterred, my family and I will follow this wicked case of injustice till we get justice. You cannot kill my innocent and defenseless brothers and expect me to keep quiet because you are working for the government.”</span>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-15311396593333610452012-05-02T10:55:00.000-07:002012-05-02T10:55:01.838-07:00Rihanna no go kill person, lol.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/533385_10150842311658846_51757123845_9887328_556730014_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/533385_10150842311658846_51757123845_9887328_556730014_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, Rihanna and Meek Mills at Perfections Strip Club. Dating? WHat do you guys think of this.</div>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-9489412132160259772012-05-02T10:19:00.000-07:002012-05-02T10:19:06.616-07:00What Nas thinks About Nicki MInaj<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ionetheurbandaily.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/nas-in-studio1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://ionetheurbandaily.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/nas-in-studio1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font: inherit; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For all the hip-hop purist refusing to give<a href="http://theurbandaily.com/tag/nicki-minaj/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(96, 96, 96); color: #035e81; text-decoration: none;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nicki Minaj</strong></a> her props, your homeboy <strong style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(96, 96, 96); border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #035e81; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://theurbandaily.com/tag/nas/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgb(96, 96, 96); color: #035e81; text-decoration: none;">Nas</a> </strong>just did.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font: inherit; padding-bottom: 1.5em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Ghetto Dreams”</em> rhymer recently told <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">XXL Magazine</em> about why he chose to do a record with Nicki for her new album<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pink Friday 2: Roman Reloaded</strong></em>. Nas also conveyed his appreciation of his fellow Queens MC.</div>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-26612580300668670432012-05-02T06:04:00.000-07:002012-05-02T06:04:50.944-07:00Woman pours boiling hot water on baby for crying to loud.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://topnews.net.nz/images/Boiling-the-Water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://topnews.net.nz/images/Boiling-the-Water.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Emilio's mother held her child under running scalding water for two to three minutes, before taking the baby out and to the hospital.<br />
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What do you guys think about this.Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-87269996147065146052012-05-02T01:00:00.001-07:002012-05-02T01:00:15.940-07:00A Nigerian mother to be Busola Ayeni gets a car on the Ellen Degeneres show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5YerM84QgIyr2j3igKBiJOMnE6vYzysXqu6Ysc13kM8YnxKm1s_7xd53WuTBx79rijSzZHbEWIqdFkKC9gUqujhdDU3leUPaa8xEJJWlMgpOKy4X-utUU3FE0Rfhe-EIT32WUAXOCB4/s1600/EllenDeGeneres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5YerM84QgIyr2j3igKBiJOMnE6vYzysXqu6Ysc13kM8YnxKm1s_7xd53WuTBx79rijSzZHbEWIqdFkKC9gUqujhdDU3leUPaa8xEJJWlMgpOKy4X-utUU3FE0Rfhe-EIT32WUAXOCB4/s320/EllenDeGeneres.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/Fh9u_uH65ic/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fh9u_uH65ic&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fh9u_uH65ic&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-53742668432748365842012-04-26T23:20:00.001-07:002012-04-26T23:22:09.114-07:00Nicki Minaj's starship, what do you guys think of the video<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://hollywoodbutcher.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/nicki-minaj-starships-1329229249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://hollywoodbutcher.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/nicki-minaj-starships-1329229249.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<object width="448" height="374"><param name="movie" value="http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/e/16711680/wshhPrTQLJrB4h4qDz90"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/e/16711680/wshhPrTQLJrB4h4qDz90" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullscreen="true" width="448" height="374"></embed></object>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-90360079993539727262012-04-19T03:27:00.000-07:002012-04-19T03:27:12.327-07:00Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection Teaser Trailer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Can't wait for this...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.movienewz.com/img/films/madeas_witness_protection_movie_poster1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.movienewz.com/img/films/madeas_witness_protection_movie_poster1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mAm9JDDDdSk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-77407868877684035342012-04-16T09:48:00.000-07:002012-04-16T09:48:24.391-07:00The Hunger Games made me appreciate food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbV0ZZHcuTlFUbH9XVSwLiVfKKqJju8uyR4MsYuMR0IPZ-m4nqMpX8vp4F6K1HdNnp6XxcYzCvWiLrUmhOZ7-E0EZh-IDPLRQeL_HgMW7hQEKu0ERzTTO5pbfUrzN3TTHrD_7YqzwALM4o/s1600/220px-James_Cameron_2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbV0ZZHcuTlFUbH9XVSwLiVfKKqJju8uyR4MsYuMR0IPZ-m4nqMpX8vp4F6K1HdNnp6XxcYzCvWiLrUmhOZ7-E0EZh-IDPLRQeL_HgMW7hQEKu0ERzTTO5pbfUrzN3TTHrD_7YqzwALM4o/s1600/220px-James_Cameron_2010.jpg" /></a></div>I must say that I was happy to have bought the audio version of this book, I mean I've heard people talk about it a lot, everywhere but I really got the urge to read it after watching the first preview. Yes the book was amazing, but I doubt I would have discovered this had I read the hard copy because first of all I'm not a fan of books with the first person as the narrator because they tend to go over unneccessary details to me, which is supposed to be included just to make it seem all natural, I hope I'm making sense, that being said, let's get to the main point, the book.<br />
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The only other book that has caused such reaction for me was the ORDER OF THE PHOENIX when I began to realize that JK Rowling wasn't just writing about a world she imagined, but a world she must probably, in one sick imaginatively twisted way, be living in.<br />
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Susan Collins is a boss, I tell you. The premise of the book is this. Twenty four teenagers from 12 districts are sent to the capital city where they are supposed to fight against each other to death, just so the inhabitants of the capital, or the government can have something interesting and fun to while away time, if you've read the book there's more to the fighting, but I'm not going to go into details.<br />
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If there's one thing the HUNGER GAMES did too me. it's that it made me appreciate food, but let's talk about the characters.<br />
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I don't mind having a daughter like Katniss, a kick ass character and the protagonist of the book who is very good in using a bow and arrow. Strong-willed and very, I don't even know she was just awesome. Then we have Peeta or is it Peter, I must say it felt kind of good to have somebody who was very good with words and a pretender to be on the good side for the change.<br />
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Did I forget Cinna (I hope I spelt it right) he is the epitome of awesomness. I never had a picture of Cinna in my head somehow I could never give him a face or skin colour, and I certainly did not take him to be black, but skip a few weeks later when I saw the movie, Lenny Kravitz was the Cinna I couldn't think of, he embodied the character so well, I shudder to think, maybe Susan had him in mind while writing.<br />
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And then about Rue, the same thing, I never had the chance to know if she was black or what not, and I certainly did not expect a black character to play her part either, but Amandla Stenberg was too adorable and played the part perfectly, I wonder why the rats were complaining.<br />
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Effie trinket on the other hand is a crazy cow (the character I mean) she is the kind of woman that would make you up and try to make you look perfect when death gives her a phone call that it is coming to take you, and mind you she can as well tell death to come back some other time,<br />
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We have Gale, I love the non existent but existent love triangle going on in the book, What do I mean, I mean there was a reason for everything, the love triangle did not seem planned, it wasn't the driving plot of the book, and it wasn't cliche.<br />
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I loved the atmosphere through out the book, you were always wondering what would happen next. TGhe people of the capitol are so annoying and are messed up that you can't help but admire Susan for writing something with such depth as to evoke any emotion such as the one I have which is deep loathing.<br />
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Then the Hunger games itself, the arena, the tasks and the battle scene was crazy. I mean there are tracker jackers (enhanced biogenetically insane wasps) there is abnormal fire, there are mutated humans and a lot of other things.<br />
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I'm rambling because everything about the book was good, yes some parts were a bit slow but still it was great. I never thought a book with no paranormal element would make me feel this way, Susan Collins rocked my world with the HUNGER GAMES, and now I have added her to the list of authors I really want to meet.<br />
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I give the book four stars, because it was that good.<br />
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</span></span></div>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-64706030182826465402012-03-16T13:26:00.001-07:002012-03-16T22:46:05.989-07:00Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonimiFQp4_1IoMEK-63JMXGUQYdIEX8CAp-Cci6G4pTdwd0XlV_uFY2e_EDARCXfmxGIOsg-xza4QkfvVzSCP2RIGUJZGtFuPgdl1yt9-yKO2O5x7Iss3SJYu8BUL9XuYQz0tPIZy2BWU/s1600/luckylep3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonimiFQp4_1IoMEK-63JMXGUQYdIEX8CAp-Cci6G4pTdwd0XlV_uFY2e_EDARCXfmxGIOsg-xza4QkfvVzSCP2RIGUJZGtFuPgdl1yt9-yKO2O5x7Iss3SJYu8BUL9XuYQz0tPIZy2BWU/s320/luckylep3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This give-away is hosted by <a href="http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2012/01/lucky-leprechaun-giveaway-hop-sign-ups.html" target="_blank">I AM A READER AND NOT A WRITER</a> and Cindy Thomas.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since it's a leprechaun Giveaway and there's no specific thing to give away, I'm going to be giving away copies of my book to a few commenters on this post, and one book of choice to a random lucky commenter on this post.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Rules are:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. Only six entries are allowed. 1 mandatory and five optional, and you must be a follower of this blog.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It is as simple as that, just simply add the book of your choice, and if you'll be interested in getting an e-book copy of my book, say so as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also, and this is not required or necessary on the reader's part, but if you could do a review of the book on your blog and send a link to me that would be just fine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can also like my new page on the side bar for updates and goodies, and also subscribe to my YouTube channel where I review Nigerian Music videos and talk about stuff <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/maguseify" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For a glimpse of my book, here it is.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi86ZiYN5mO-CSiXt_zxXvULaWFO-HaO0_tdg2UXru4gKFHs8IYkQEFj-ekfIuOLkbJcDH4XDL8XsEjnj7PCArs85jHkan0vYxcZi8piWsqVOh8DRoCzzKWp1lzQU6U1jXjZhfmnSA5XeC/s1600/The+Other+Child+06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi86ZiYN5mO-CSiXt_zxXvULaWFO-HaO0_tdg2UXru4gKFHs8IYkQEFj-ekfIuOLkbJcDH4XDL8XsEjnj7PCArs85jHkan0vYxcZi8piWsqVOh8DRoCzzKWp1lzQU6U1jXjZhfmnSA5XeC/s320/The+Other+Child+06.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Click <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007HOZGWY/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb" target="_blank">HERE</a> to read about it on AMAZON.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Can you also show my page on the side bar some love.....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-24938774359910033622012-03-01T11:29:00.000-08:002012-03-01T11:29:10.343-08:00My new book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi86ZiYN5mO-CSiXt_zxXvULaWFO-HaO0_tdg2UXru4gKFHs8IYkQEFj-ekfIuOLkbJcDH4XDL8XsEjnj7PCArs85jHkan0vYxcZi8piWsqVOh8DRoCzzKWp1lzQU6U1jXjZhfmnSA5XeC/s1600/The+Other+Child+06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi86ZiYN5mO-CSiXt_zxXvULaWFO-HaO0_tdg2UXru4gKFHs8IYkQEFj-ekfIuOLkbJcDH4XDL8XsEjnj7PCArs85jHkan0vYxcZi8piWsqVOh8DRoCzzKWp1lzQU6U1jXjZhfmnSA5XeC/s320/The+Other+Child+06.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br />
This is the cover of my new book. Considering that my first book, The Septavalent Stone has been pulled down to allow for more work, I didn't think anyone would notice if I decided to use my real name. What do you guys think about this. This is not the final work, a lot of changes can still be added, let me know what you think.Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-79233906487074548992012-01-26T09:43:00.000-08:002012-02-04T08:55:59.368-08:00Young Adult Giveaway Hop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCHN20-v5dhZouHh4TJ_VVW6cCbuExJ-hTH2HmvC3B8QE5Zor5oab2x3jV4xzeHHTRFQLFVAC6j-XQqknXjsNOOMzuU5Px6-rR5xqzFdcA4NsI1gs8JjxRSkERpZ9d8EBX78af0LBMMLP/s1600/yahop5.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCHN20-v5dhZouHh4TJ_VVW6cCbuExJ-hTH2HmvC3B8QE5Zor5oab2x3jV4xzeHHTRFQLFVAC6j-XQqknXjsNOOMzuU5Px6-rR5xqzFdcA4NsI1gs8JjxRSkERpZ9d8EBX78af0LBMMLP/s320/yahop5.gif" width="258" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">YOUNG ADULT GIVE AWAY HOP HOSTED BY I AM A READER NOT A WRITER AND DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE</div><br />
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So many books, really hard to choose. Here's what I'm going to do, I'm going to let you decide which book you guys want, and add in the comment. The rules are the same as the last give away. A maximum of four entries, you can follow me on twitter, like my page if you feel like, and I hope you do, and that's all.<br />
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BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
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Also check out my new cook blog and follow if you like: <a href="http://thedudecancook.blogspot.com/">http://thedudecancook.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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Thank you so much all of you for participating. THe winner is Brandy, please send me your details and the book you'd prefer and I'll send it to you.Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com145tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-32457557545959493322012-01-20T09:21:00.000-08:002012-01-20T09:21:31.645-08:00AND ZEE WINNER IZ....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBFWYDmLGSlq3YGlbvS0pQXhwOnkB0b8FMwIaH4jHxlT27t1j_2ZYvaEDj3F8EtncjE1U8ThKaZ2SJgmvU4MB55KmWl6TJTwymrarGyucHYgP958K5tCScK1NlUKFCg4L6ULt9pbDoMlZ/s1600/51h8p8sOdbL._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBFWYDmLGSlq3YGlbvS0pQXhwOnkB0b8FMwIaH4jHxlT27t1j_2ZYvaEDj3F8EtncjE1U8ThKaZ2SJgmvU4MB55KmWl6TJTwymrarGyucHYgP958K5tCScK1NlUKFCg4L6ULt9pbDoMlZ/s1600/51h8p8sOdbL._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></div>Congratulations Ralph. You are the winner of the dreaming of books giveaway. I will send you an email with details, thank you for participating.Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-5743996946300708452012-01-12T09:59:00.000-08:002012-01-19T13:16:25.543-08:00Dreaming of books GIVEAWAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveoAgD-4N6vecaPJnFn8vGHdvK4D3uZMOGjwvI7s5PDFfXAF_dm7KcXZeaNRh3kTZbBYhZkNUhokZECFcRU2XYGdRHM1xmXFwhzjVJTOXYdP85cq2eWrMtc_Hu64s2kIR1PNOeRXmpM9G/s1600/Ihaveadream-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveoAgD-4N6vecaPJnFn8vGHdvK4D3uZMOGjwvI7s5PDFfXAF_dm7KcXZeaNRh3kTZbBYhZkNUhokZECFcRU2XYGdRHM1xmXFwhzjVJTOXYdP85cq2eWrMtc_Hu64s2kIR1PNOeRXmpM9G/s320/Ihaveadream-2.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br />
Dreaming of books Giveway hop hosted by Martha's Bookshelf & I am a reader not a writer.<br />
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What books am I dreaming of giving away. Hmm, well for starters I'm drawn to books with paranormal elements. I love books geared at mysterious magical happenings, vampires without the romance, werewolves and a couple of other paranormal fiends. However,<br />
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MY GIVEAWAY: HOLD YOUR BREATH FOR THIS......<br />
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1. Winner will receive their choice of any of this books, and it will be shipped to the winner directly from me, through Amazon.<br />
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2. To be eligible for this giveaway please follow this blog, and just add a comment stating the book you'd like to get, and that's all. You can get your name entered twice if you like my page as well, or three times if you also follow me on twitter, or better still, enter a couple of times by commenting. The maximum entry per person is just five times K?<br />
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For book summaries, click on the book titles below the cover.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhta5b3nO15hknQZOs5HGeUYFaS4QpUOHuOxEayPaCnoCEkONvakFez8oWvJaywi2hcarFYGtVToMzqFNGaLdMNUgDfNSGquGiEUdRZEYXYUGD2yjUOkdDnJp1EbcpYGgvFeXkgmJoaYERl/s1600/51h8p8sOdbL._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhta5b3nO15hknQZOs5HGeUYFaS4QpUOHuOxEayPaCnoCEkONvakFez8oWvJaywi2hcarFYGtVToMzqFNGaLdMNUgDfNSGquGiEUdRZEYXYUGD2yjUOkdDnJp1EbcpYGgvFeXkgmJoaYERl/s1600/51h8p8sOdbL._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1442430354/ref=rdr_ext_tmb" target="_blank">BITTER SWEET by SARAH OCKLER</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_96ziVeSvQrcDVQMBr6dYYuG1Uca6X9hP5XaTVP6_lteppicHK0C7p7TX9PI-_sC07QEbiHbt1RWX_TWm19Ow6AfWl-kCeiwgZO1LxmAx1roPEdboEW9dqa_rIC1v0m42-7oQ_JFS55q/s1600/51h8p8sOdbL._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_96ziVeSvQrcDVQMBr6dYYuG1Uca6X9hP5XaTVP6_lteppicHK0C7p7TX9PI-_sC07QEbiHbt1RWX_TWm19Ow6AfWl-kCeiwgZO1LxmAx1roPEdboEW9dqa_rIC1v0m42-7oQ_JFS55q/s320/51h8p8sOdbL._BO2%252C204%252C203%252C200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click%252CTopRight%252C35%252C-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><span style="color: red;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062081861?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0062081861&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">RUTHLESS</span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKK7XKP1nmLUG8QLUkWtn7AjdhxESfAxYreFmEegdnMYXfyHDVhaxj_pdlRGfLMlbulr4EXmuqfSJpdkKVM4tdy4lc-BT999HZtWSBxEET3p82KuRJoppWn3oQYDVRazUwREfOf32BU0D/s1600/51jOnun3xbL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKK7XKP1nmLUG8QLUkWtn7AjdhxESfAxYreFmEegdnMYXfyHDVhaxj_pdlRGfLMlbulr4EXmuqfSJpdkKVM4tdy4lc-BT999HZtWSBxEET3p82KuRJoppWn3oQYDVRazUwREfOf32BU0D/s320/51jOnun3xbL.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451656505?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1451656505&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">MICHAEL VEY: THE PRISONER OF CELL 25</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This giveaway will run till the nineteenth, and then the winner will be announced. Thank you guys for participating, and Happy new year. I hope you guys like the books I picked.</div>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com94tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-38270096449928492422012-01-06T01:19:00.000-08:002012-01-06T01:19:51.799-08:00Twitter and Facebook Hop<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVE1rKif2O4VJCauoTzejk08BrVheECKuhJgLDELqYCBll1frQM1LLxkWXlNeOHtKZ5QImoiVFZ3MpqxO-vmiDhvO49jPHgOgHUevHR39zRZAJPaesYlarwgEwAgAkyz5nKoZ4zFqyTJP/s1600/socialhop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVE1rKif2O4VJCauoTzejk08BrVheECKuhJgLDELqYCBll1frQM1LLxkWXlNeOHtKZ5QImoiVFZ3MpqxO-vmiDhvO49jPHgOgHUevHR39zRZAJPaesYlarwgEwAgAkyz5nKoZ4zFqyTJP/s1600/socialhop.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://parajunkee.com/2012/01/twitter-facebook-hop-3.html" target="_blank">parajunkee's blog</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Welcoming you guys to the twitter and facebook hop hosted by <a href="http://parajunkee.com/2012/01/twitter-facebook-hop-3.html" target="_blank">PARAJUNKEE</a>.<br />
Today we are linking up our Facebook Fan Pages & our twitter accounts so we can earn more followers and likes. Social networks are an integral way to get more exposure for your blog, so click away.<br />
<br />
RULES TO PARTICIPATE<br />
1. As a courtesy please follow and like the host: Parajunkee<br />
2. When you follow or like someone @mention them and let them know so they can follow back.<br />
3. Leave a comment and tell me if this is a meme keeper<br />
4.As a courtesy if someone follows you. be sure to follow back.<br />
6. Have fun<br />
<br />
You can follow me on twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/jacobolisajones" target="_blank">@jacobolisajones,</a> and here is my fan page <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/JO-Jones/185381468163807" target="_blank">THE SEPTAVALENT STONE</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAbzL_kkGHkuajGhuTePICTo89-UcdtVb4feiWPlovR6HUSTA2jrvTbaIWoudefylHulfFjK61y_F0q9Su0oVlQB1Hax5QBhQwK1gBLcJK7HT34o1gOVHcOdTUzo0u5wkDtjMOlyPGFVf/s1600/socialhop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAbzL_kkGHkuajGhuTePICTo89-UcdtVb4feiWPlovR6HUSTA2jrvTbaIWoudefylHulfFjK61y_F0q9Su0oVlQB1Hax5QBhQwK1gBLcJK7HT34o1gOVHcOdTUzo0u5wkDtjMOlyPGFVf/s320/socialhop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-34973927850355257852011-12-25T11:09:00.000-08:002011-12-25T11:10:08.463-08:00Guest Post by J.J Bidell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZS6Q2pGv-DWufWbTnn6L9VHaOqX4XHwZxL3H6y6bRPTYoemaOonMnAV_WYM1Q5sLMH8cCoT2WL0wzHpGg427T24n6nHv7hZIaPq2PfAaRCaGqsDEQAgZ5iKVXFOvIAA301V_4rpn5UGMR/s1600/Foto+J.+J.+Bidell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZS6Q2pGv-DWufWbTnn6L9VHaOqX4XHwZxL3H6y6bRPTYoemaOonMnAV_WYM1Q5sLMH8cCoT2WL0wzHpGg427T24n6nHv7hZIaPq2PfAaRCaGqsDEQAgZ5iKVXFOvIAA301V_4rpn5UGMR/s320/Foto+J.+J.+Bidell.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Thank you so much for the opportunity to do a guest post on your blog today. My real name is Elke Becker and I am a German author living in Spain, so my English is far from being perfect. So please bear with me ;-) <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">After travelling round the world I settled down in Mallorca Spain, a beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea. I never felt like home in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region> and for that reason I looked for my place in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">I lived alone in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Venezuela</st1:place></st1:country-region> where I started studying Spanish. Nobody over there spoke English or German. So I felt very lonely there at first, that’s why I started writing and realized I loved doing it, and never wanted to stop. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">The stories of too many funny adventures, curious situations, different customs and very nice people from all over the world just have to be told. As it was in a time where not every home had an internet connection, I had to connect with family and friends going to the cyber café. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">So I started typing out all the things that happened to me like I was writing dairy, then I would send it to my family.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">I had not yet thought of writing a novel, I just kept writing just for myself.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">The first three books I ever worked on are in a file in my computer. They are nice to read … but without a real story or plot … I showed it only to my sister and to a friend – they loved the stories, but I know they will love everything I write because they love me. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">So I took courses in creative and screenplay writing, bought books like “How to write a damn good novel” and some other books about writing – and I wrote a lot. Short stories, longer ones and scripts for short movies.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">After another year I tried to start my next novel. I worked on my plot using the “snowflake method”, wrote a crime story – inspired by a true story – and found a publisher in Germany. So things started slowly.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">It was great fun during the screenplay writing course, I worked out the storyboard of my script for a short movie and it helped a lot in dialogue seeing the written words come alive by actors. I will never forget the feeling I had seeing it on the screen. If you wish to have a look – it is subtitled and free: </span><span lang="DE"><a href="http://vimeo.com/groups/germanshortfilms/videos/14587417"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">http://vimeo.com/groups/germanshortfilms/videos/14587417</span></a></span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Well, my nieces are not interested in crime stories not even in the ones I’ve written. Kids are cruel and honest and I love this. But they asked me why I am not writing something for them like an urban fantasy story without werewolves and vampires and I promised to consider it. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">As I travelled to Mexico before I remembered a legend of jaguar people in the Maya era and I started thinking: What will happen, when a young woman in present time transforms into a panther in a foreign country? What if she fell in love and the one she falls in love with is in danger? Slowly I developed the plot. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">I travelled to Maine to find the right place for the US setting and after a year the first part of the novel was completed. I wrote this story under the name J. J. Bidell. (The name comes from my nieces Jessica and Janine and the maiden name of my beloved mother Bidell)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">My nieces love the story and other readers in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region> like the story too. So I asked a professional translator in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:state> to translate the first part for English readers. Some people asked me, why English spoken people would read a novel of an unknown German author and I was not able to answer, maybe because the story sounds interesting? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">In the mean time I am working on the second part which will be finished in December this year (German Edition) and I love how the characters challenge me while trying to live their own life in the story. And the story I have in mind for them.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">My only intention is to entertain the reader for some hours. Nothing more, nothing less. If I achieve this I am very happy and if not I try to achieve this next time.<br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Biography<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">J. J. Bidell grew up in the country-bred of <st1:place w:st="on">Southern Germany</st1:place> with an older sister and a younger brother. Since she was 18 years old she travelled every year like a backpacker thru the North and <st1:place w:st="on">South America</st1:place> as she never felt comfortable in her native country. She considers herself like a cosmopolitan with German roots. After living in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Venezuela</st1:country-region> and in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">Dominican Republic</st1:country-region> she moved to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Since 2005 she lives on <st1:place w:st="on">Mallorca</st1:place> with her older sister and her fifteen year old black cat, which is more than happy that she never has to set paw in another airplane again.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br />
</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Under the name Elke Becker she published several short stories with Amnesty International, in anthologies and a novel with Schenk Publishing House. Her script of a short movie “Marie´s voice” has been running in several international film festivals like in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Colombia</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br />
</div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Where to meet:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Home: <a href="http://www.elke-becker.com/">www.elke-becker.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Twitter: @JJBidell<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Facebook: </span><span lang="DE"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/JJBidell"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">https://www.facebook.com/JJBidell</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Link to the novel: </span><span lang="DE"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005IHDW82"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005IHDW82</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVPoR64EfEa0Eog0W7HOjcxqsjww6d6Kjcvnetl7efwHH2nt32GauKU3pkpUE25rYQijZ-zHGqw40KkIHItZUHzoIIS9YAO6SAgPBJNLpSwZjZJXJduMsstKDsgCxQW6ts6P9JVHFq0yg/s1600/Cover+In+the+Shadow+of+the+Moonlight+-+The+Awakening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVPoR64EfEa0Eog0W7HOjcxqsjww6d6Kjcvnetl7efwHH2nt32GauKU3pkpUE25rYQijZ-zHGqw40KkIHItZUHzoIIS9YAO6SAgPBJNLpSwZjZJXJduMsstKDsgCxQW6ts6P9JVHFq0yg/s320/Cover+In+the+Shadow+of+the+Moonlight+-+The+Awakening.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br />
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</div>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-41845674708830731792011-12-20T09:20:00.000-08:002011-12-20T09:20:57.576-08:00HARRY POTTER FANS ONLY: YOU'VE BEEN WARNED, HEXED POSTOkay guys this post is totally random cos I happened to stumble upon something really great. Look at the picture below.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF12VkjGF1VLtdKFTFLy2qVjrVo7CIWu0ETNIv0w8YGsCC1_49B64nWcQgruydbDoNroyJ1V6ue1QIrJE0V0msz9Sp_k3CWXNvuCJV5e5_MT63GrXFdGb9Rp-tlq13_ZtHgAhvpEIdtruh/s1600/IMG00129-20111220-1731%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF12VkjGF1VLtdKFTFLy2qVjrVo7CIWu0ETNIv0w8YGsCC1_49B64nWcQgruydbDoNroyJ1V6ue1QIrJE0V0msz9Sp_k3CWXNvuCJV5e5_MT63GrXFdGb9Rp-tlq13_ZtHgAhvpEIdtruh/s320/IMG00129-20111220-1731%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I know right, I was just coming back from a friend's place, and it was really cold plus it was a dark and lonely alley so I kept looking over my shoulders and around me, you know keeping alert, when I saw that. A Portkey. Thank God for BlackBerry, I quickly took a picture of it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVTodv7rBgVBaFYXlaLlhBwl8tRjOnfvsUC-7Ev8XfCPEY1kY_6Fx4ILHuPLFjrb8NKrjCCbRWayKWQ5Pk1n8RQqIBwIAjmbKjCjs979m5vW7ImfHDZxIoq2OfZ9GP4Ge36GfkV6YAq_z/s1600/IMG00127-20111220-1731%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVTodv7rBgVBaFYXlaLlhBwl8tRjOnfvsUC-7Ev8XfCPEY1kY_6Fx4ILHuPLFjrb8NKrjCCbRWayKWQ5Pk1n8RQqIBwIAjmbKjCjs979m5vW7ImfHDZxIoq2OfZ9GP4Ge36GfkV6YAq_z/s320/IMG00127-20111220-1731%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It was sitting there, beside a pile of some unspeakable things, and I knew I had to take a shot of it. I don't think I have to tell you what a portkey is, cos if I did, you won't have gotten past the first line since you're definitely not a HP fan, and you'd have been struck by <i>conjuctivitus totalus </i>which is an extremely difficult conjuctivitis curse that causes the conjunctiva of the eye to be inflamed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCI3rCOkKunjpefj7F4g-_VmAIli4Bv0rGhZcA_TjSC68zGfXGgGfncj3bgLd6a1ZB3RjOjXYtVfFvmqDUeX36YwET2d1yiIsXDamy-VkglLQnYtrEmkPmOCl1PzPjKYO74DVAlFjATiR/s1600/IMG00130-20111220-1731%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCI3rCOkKunjpefj7F4g-_VmAIli4Bv0rGhZcA_TjSC68zGfXGgGfncj3bgLd6a1ZB3RjOjXYtVfFvmqDUeX36YwET2d1yiIsXDamy-VkglLQnYtrEmkPmOCl1PzPjKYO74DVAlFjATiR/s320/IMG00130-20111220-1731%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Needless to say, I couldn't resist, I just had to touch it, and guess what it transported me home, about thirty or fourty minutes later where I took a nice warm bath, and had the gloves disinfected. Needless to say, I had my Harry Potter moment.<br />
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Ever had any Harry Potter moment such as this one, put a comment on the post, below. Have a wonderful Christmas ya'll.Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2783878257577625879.post-70598529224526854742011-12-15T09:39:00.000-08:002011-12-15T09:39:55.996-08:00Self publsihing and Traditional publishing, an Unbiased comparison<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">They say every writer wants to see his or her book with a Random House or Simon & Schuster logo on the spine, right? And that’s what I’ve been working towards these last five years. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, I am not one of those writers. As a matter of fact I think traditional publishers are messed up, and they can suck it, for all I care. Damn them.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;">Hmm, who am I kidding. Of course I want to be traditionally published, I long for the day that i would see the Bloomsbury logo on the spine of my book, long for the day I'll be doing tours round the world for my books. That’s the reason I’ve written one middle-grade novel and three YA novels, the reason I hired an editor to edit my work, the reason I’ve created a blogger platform, and the reason I’ve submitted my manuscripts to agents. I’m getting so close. Why would I want to give up all I’ve worked so hard for when I’m so close to getting it? </span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The assumption is that traditional publishing is the real deal and self-publishing is for writers who couldn’t make it any other way. But I’m not a big fan of assumptions. I like to examine things more closely and from different perspectives. So let’s take a closer look at how traditional publishing stacks up against indie publishing today. </span><br />
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<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable"><tbody>
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<tr> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(79, 129, 189); border-color: white white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 3pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Traditional Publishing</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(79, 129, 189); border-color: white white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 3pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Indie E-Publishing</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 3pt 3pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">How long does it take?</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(167, 191, 222); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 36.85pt 0pt 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">According to a survey conducted by SF writer Jim C. Hines, it takes the average writer ten years to get a first novel published. <a href="http://www.jimchines.com/2010/03/survey-results/"><span style="color: #993300; text-decoration: none;">http://www.jimchines.com/2010/03/survey-results/</span></a></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(167, 191, 222); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">This works according to Parkinson’s Law, which states that work expands to fill the amount of time allotted to it. Three months to a year is about right.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 3pt 3pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">How much does it cost?</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(211, 223, 238); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">That depends on how much you want to invest. There are the basic expenses of mailing dozens of query packages over ten years, but most successful writers also invest in conferences, which cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. Some writers also take MFAs, which generally cost over $10,000. </span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(211, 223, 238); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Again, it depends on how much an author wants to invest. Basic expenses include books on writing and publishing, copyright registration, an editor, and a professionally designed cover. Total expenses usually run $200-$1,000. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 3pt 3pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">How big of an advance can a writer expect to get?</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(167, 191, 222); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">According to a survey conducted by SF writer Tobias S. Buckell, the median first-time author advance is about $5,000. Combine that with the above survey, and that means the average writer earns $500 a year for the first ten years of his career: <a href="http://www.tobiasbuckell.com/2005/10/05/author-advance-survey-version-20/"><span style="color: #993300; text-decoration: none;">http://www.tobiasbuckell.com/2005/10/05/author-advance-survey-version-20/</span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(167, 191, 222); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Indie Publishers don’t get an advance, and they do have to spend money to publish their books. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 3pt 3pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">What about royalties?</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(211, 223, 238); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">A traditionally published author earns royalties once his or her book has earned out its advance. That doesn't sound too bad...except when one considers the majority of books by first-time authors don't earn back their advance. What's even more alarming, is that, according to research conducted by writer Kris Rusch, publishers--including some of the big six--are under-reporting ebook sales. So even if your book is selling enough to earn back your advance, you might never know it: <a href="http://kriswrites.com/2011/04/20/the-business-rusch-royalty-statements-update/"><span style="color: #993300; text-decoration: none;">http://kriswrites.com/2011/04/20/the-business-rusch-royalty-statements-update/</span></a></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(211, 223, 238); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">This depends on the writer’s abilities as a writer and as a marketer, but consider this: in ten years, an indie publisher can easily produce five ebooks, and if he sells them at $2.99 each (which would earn $2 for every copy sold), he only needs to sell 500 copies on average per book over a ten year period to make up the money he didn’t get from an advance. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 3pt 3pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">What about a second book?</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(167, 191, 222); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">According to editor Alan Rinzler, 80-90% of books don’t earn out their advance, which means that’s all an author gets--and it means an author will have a doubly hard time finding a publisher for a second book: <a href="http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2011/06/05/good-day-sunshine-for-writers/"><span style="color: #993300; text-decoration: none;">http://www.alanrinzler.com/blog/2011/06/05/good-day-sunshine-for-writers/</span></a></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(167, 191, 222); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Indie publishers usually build an audience, which means they generally make more money the more books they have out. One unsuccessful book doesn’t put an end to an indie publisher’s career. He can always try, try again--with a different book or even the same book. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 3pt 3pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">What about editing? </span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(211, 223, 238); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">According to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Self-Editing-Fiction-Writers-Second-Yourself/dp/0060545690?ie=UTF8&tag=widgetsamazon-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><span style="color: #993300; text-decoration: none;">Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print</span></a> by Renni Browne and Dave King, “first-time authors are being printed rather than published—assuming they’re fortunate enough to get a publishing contract in the first place.... An acquisitions editor who signs up fifteen or twenty books a year couldn’t possibly edit them all...” </span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(211, 223, 238); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Most smart indie publishers hire editors. This costs money, but at least indies can shop around. They choose who they’re going to work with, and they have the final say. You can’t fire your editor at a traditional publishing house, but you can fire a freelance editor who works for you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 3pt 3pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">What about cover and interior design?</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(167, 191, 222); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The publishing house chooses your cover based on their knowledge of the market and sometimes other factors (including a cheaper royalty-free cover). Authors may or may not be happy with the results, but they have no say. Brunettes have been turned into blondes. African-American protagonists have been portrayed on covers as white. Sometimes writers have had to rewrite scenes to fit cover images. </span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(167, 191, 222); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The cover is perhaps the most important thing an indie publisher can invest in. Some designers sell halfway decent covers for under $50, but most good ones go for $300 and up. It’s a good idea to start with something cheaper and then change it when you’ve made enough to justify the expense. Again, if you’re self-publishing, the choice is yours.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 3pt 3pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">What about marketing?</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(211, 223, 238); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Most publishers today expect most first-time novelists to do their own publicity. Those big advertising budgets are for writers who have already made the bestseller lists. You get a book launch, maybe a book signing or two, and a dozen or so review copies to mail out. Otherwise you’re basically on your own.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(211, 223, 238); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Like a traditionally published writer, this is mostly in your own hands. Your one advantage here is that you know it. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 3pt 3pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">What about getting your book into brick-and-mortar bookstores? And what about Amazon?</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(167, 191, 222); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">A big publisher does have an easier time getting your book into brick-and-mortar stores, however...You might not have noticed, but brick-and-mortar bookstores are closing at an alarming rate. In addition, new books usually only stay on the shelf for a few months before they’re remaindered. After that, your book is the same boat as one that was self-published---unless your book goes out-of-print, in which case, it’s at a disadvantage. Your access to Amazon is pretty much the same, except that the publisher will probably act on your behalf. Again, it’s not in your hands.</span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(167, 191, 222); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">For a small additional fee (about $50), most POD printers can make your book available to brick-and-mortar bookstores that ask for them, whenever they ask for them. It can never go out-of-print. You can sell your book through Amazon, and what goes on your book’s page (with the exception of reviews and comments) is in your hands. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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<tr> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 3pt 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">What about reviews?</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(211, 223, 238); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Big publishers usually have access to more print reviewers than indie publishers do, but that doesn’t guarantee your book will be reviewed in the New York Times. And even if it is, that doesn’t guarantee the review will be positive or that it will lead to sales. Print newspapers are fading even faster than brick-and-mortar bookstores. They still matter, but not as much as word of mouth and social media marketing. </span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(211, 223, 238); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">When it comes to marketing, indie publishers usually focus on social media. A dozen glowing reviews from real people with real names on Amazon--or people saying nice things about your book on Twitter--will probably boost your book sales more than a great review from a print newspaper.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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<tr style="height: 294pt;"> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white; border-style: none solid; border-width: 0px 3pt 0px 1pt; height: 294pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">What about ebooks?</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(167, 191, 222); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 294pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Traditional publishers usually charge $9.99 (the maximum Amazon allows in the 70% royalty range) for ebooks, because they don’t want ebooks to undercut their hardcover sales. Authors, however, usually only make about 15% of that. There is a very slim chance your publisher will invest heavily in marketing your ebook (they do that for bestsellers), so your $9.99 ebook will probably have to compete with similar indie-published books that cost a lot less than yours. In some categories, the indies are winning hands down. Recently, only one of the top ten Science-Fiction novels on Kindle was traditionally published--and it was a decades-old classic, Ender’s Game. In short, the competition is fierce, and this is one you're very unlikely to win. Amazon claims to sell more ebooks than books in any other format, so this is a major loss for the traditionally published writer who isn't a bestseller. </span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(167, 191, 222); border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) white white rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; height: 294pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 183.35pt;" valign="top" width="244"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Indie publishers can charge less for ebooks and still make money, not only because their expenses are low and they can put out as many books as they can write in any given length of time, but because ebooks--when done right--should be their primary money maker. They can make $2 of pure profit for every ebook copy sold at $2.99. That’s 25% more than a traditionally published author whose ebook sells for $9.99. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></div></td></tr>
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</div><div>The original post you can find at <a href="http://shevi.blogspot.com/2011/08/i-know-my-friends-mean-well-when-they.html">Shevi Arnold's blog</a>. You should go over there, she has a lot of fun stuff and tips for authors, self-published and agented.</div>Victor Olisahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14545092169207937515noreply@blogger.com2