Sunday, December 18, 2016

“The Days Don’t Stop” for Aleppo by Zeina Hashem Beck

THE DAYS DON’T STOP

the Tyrants sleep like gods
the Diplomats regret
the Diplomats are at their dinner tables
the Dancers dance
the Baker bakes the Bread rises 
the Earth orbits
the Mothers weep
the Fathers weep
the Children walk in their coats
the Children know
a law against killing people in houses
is not the same as not killing people in houses
the Rain drops
the Poet writes the dead
City’s name
the dead City remains dead open
like a cow hung in the cold of the slaughterhouse
the Lovers touch
the Singers sing
the Nightmares know
dreaming of being buried under the rubble
is not the same as being buried under the rubble
the Morning comes
the Bookkeepers count the Deaths & Births
the holy Book says
whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it
& whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it
O eternal Cinematographer
the Deeds flicker
on the screens of Hell & Heaven
the fallen building keeps falling
the Saved have no Peace
the tides of Blood & Hope eat the body like a disease
O Lord please do not heal us

Poets Respond
December 18, 2016
[download audio]
__________
Zeina Hashem Beck: “This poem is for Aleppo.” (website)
This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Friday, December 16, 2016

Alaska woman sues to block electors from voting for Trump | KTVA 11

Alaska woman sues to block electors from voting for Trump | KTVA 11: A Hillary Clinton supporter from Anchorage is suing Alaska’s three members of the Electoral College, claiming their anticipated votes for President-elect Donald Trump next Monday will violate her constitutional rights. Janice Park’s lawsuit will be heard Thursday in federal court in Anchorage. It claims that since Clinton is winning the overall nationwide popular vote, her …

Thursday, December 08, 2016

Amazon Launches Kindle Singles Classics

Amazon Launches Kindle Singles Classics: Amazon announced today the launch of Kindle Singles Classics, a new series of essays and stories from iconic authors.

Monday, November 28, 2016

Thank you, Les Edgerton


Marta Weeks shared Les Edgerton's post.
Published by Marta C WeeksNovember 23 at 3:20pm
Les Edgerton
Got my first review on the recent release of my novel, THE DEATH OF TARPONS. Made my day! Hope others will pick it up and honor me with a review. Here's what Ireland's Gerald O'Connor had to say about it:
5.0 out of 5 starsA beautiful tale of heart-ache and redemption
By Gerald O'Connor on 11 Nov. 2016
Verified Purchase
The Death of Tarpons by Les Edgerton is a coming-of-age book set in Freeport, Texas in 1955. It tells the story of Corey John, who, on facing his own death, returns to his hometown and recounts the harrowing days of a pivotal summer in his life when he was fourteen years of age. I read this story in one four-hour sitting, and, as a fan of Mark Twain, found it absurdly enjoyable for the similar tone and styles Edgerton employs. The voice is almost autobiographical, and the prose is evocative and rich without ever being stilted. The story itself appears simple at first, but the minute I read a few pages I was drawn in by the character of young Corey and the world and times of the setting.
Corey John lives in a house where his mother is slowly losing her mind to religion and his father physically abuses him. Despite this, Corey is desperate for his father’s love, and dreams of doing anything to become the man his father wishes he were. There’s such an obvious mismatch between father and son, and the conflict that arises from this is both brutal and painful to read. Every time the young boy attempts to please his father something happens to drive them further apart, and the violence that erupts is vicious at times. Even though the logic and worlds of Corey and his father are completely incompatible, you always have this hankering for them to unite. This constant push-and-pull created a tug of war in my head. The way Edgerton wrote this, I couldn’t help but side with both the kid and dad at various times, and as such it made for an uncomfortable read. But this no negative. Certainly not. It is what makes it so sweet. The story pulls no punches, showing parents and kids as real people with a bit of good and bad in them and all the bits in between. Edgerton presents the world as it is without any of that saccharin sweetness that seems to pervade literature and film these days.
The structure of the book is also worth noting. The first and last chapters are set in present day, book-ending the main story-line to create a very satisfying conclusion. By setting the book up in this manner, the tale of fourteen-year-old Corey appears to be no more than a fleeting thought in the older man’s mind. And yet we get to spend time in Freeport with the Texas sun and Jax Beer and Corey and his friend Destin and their maid Inez and it all feels wonderfully real.
In the end, The Death of Tarpons is about a boy on the cusp of manhood, finding redemption and strength in himself amidst a world full of violence and good. It may be set in older times, but it’s relevance is timeless. For all these reasons, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it to all.
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Marta Weeks
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Marta Weeks Hi Less, you have no idea what a pleasure it is for me to get your thanks! You are one of the very few famous authors who take the time to be cordial and helpful to beginning writers like myself. Your book HOOKED is an excellent book on writing. You are also one of the most giving authors I know. I hope its ok that I am posting your thank you and the review for your new book The Death of Tarpons, on my web: martacweeks.com
A blog about Writing, Editing, Writer Platforms, Publishing, Social Media, and other stuff.
MARTACWEEKS.COM|BY MARTA C. WEEKS
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Marta Weeks
Here it is.







https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154202177425914&set=a.42937585913.56315.514390913&type=3&theater

Free Records Available on Ancestry.com

Whether you are writing to publish or just looking for ancestors, here are some FREE videos that can guide you into gathering your data.

How to research GENEALOGY

Free Records Available on Ancestry.com

InstaFreebie Case Study | Self-Publishing Advice Center


For authors, as is for all media, the world is our oyster, and there are various marketing methods. Here is a FREE article by ALLI that takes everything into account so you can even reach the remotest places.

InstaFreebie Case Study | Self-Publishing Advice Center

Monday, October 24, 2016

12 Top Writing Tips for Beginners | Self-Publishing Advice Center

Alison Jack, thank you for this article. I really grabbed on to your sentence: "Apart from the basics: grammar rules, punctuation, spelling, and sentence construction, there are no rules for writing a book." Not because I am lazy and don’t want to learn writing techniques but because there is too much out there for sale to keep authors insecure and broke instead of writing.



12 Top Writing Tips for Beginners | Self-Publishing Advice Center


Self-Publishers: Until You Know How To Market Your Books, Don't Pay For A Book Marketing Service

Self-Publishers: Until You Know How To Market Your Books, Don't Pay For A Book Marketing Service

What to do with feedback



So you are ready, done with waiting, some friends, other writers and or an editor read your draft what to do after you get their feedback.

Check out the options in this article by FEEDBACK "Rewriting: What Is it And How Do You Go About It?"



Thursday, October 13, 2016

The Bayeux Tapestry facsimile | The home of beautiful books

Interested in freelance work?


Here is a free eBook of those interested in freelance writing.The Freelance Writer's Success Formula is a free download and has valuable information and an easy simple format. 

Steven James, on story telling

Here is the YouTube on Steven James on telling stories and writing as published on PNWA.

 http://www.authormagazine.org/interviews/James_Interview_2016_09.html?utm_source=Author+Magazine+October+3rd%2C+2016&utm_campaign=Author+Magazine+April+4%2C+2016&utm_medium=email

Tuesday, October 04, 2016

October 2016 Newsletter

Hi Friends,

So far October weather is a relief from the heat of summer. I feel more energy and ready to enjoy the holidays. Three days ago it rained and yesterday started the painting of the outside of our house, I am very excited. 

I hope fall is also a good time for you. So far we plan to dress up for Halloween and go to a family party. Some have already started Christmas shopping but in our family, we have simplified the holiday giving and made it more of a fun thing. We host Thanksgiving, and I like that because it’s the first holiday of the season. I will share more on Thanksgiving and Christmas in my November and December newsletter.

About my writing, I am doing editing from notes by a professional writer/editor. In the past I felt that I was using the "I need more editing" to delay rejection but since I read How To Become Immune To Rejection, "a riveting and eye-opening TEDx Talk" article posted on Happily Daily, by Jia Jiang I decided to start my road of "deliberate rejections." Because of that, my editing has taken on a new "feeling"; not of fear but of Dare To Be A Great Writer as in the title of the late Leonard Bishop's book, who I still consider to be my mentor.
 
I wish you a good October.

Much Love,

Marta


Thursday, September 15, 2016

Over 50 and want to write for the screen?

Check out the free webinar from ScreenwritingU.com and then decide. There also are several free screenwriting YouTubes on youtube. My motto is "never stop growing, up that is." 

https://screenwritingu.clickfunnels.com/over50?inf_contact_key=a90aa803ef4edabbe4b2fd4d8e8109c3ef8b4d8783af49defe68dc4aa146375c

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Eye surgery

Hi everyone, I am doing minimal media for the next few day or so. Yesterday I had surgery on my left eye, this morning my doctor  said I'm recuperating very well. 

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Dream of becoming a reporter?

Carriers in journalism, part-time or full-time, abound. At POYNTER you can learn at your own pace and it's not expensive. Check it out! Poynter.org
http://www.poynter.org 

From paper to screen

Do you think your book would be a great movie? You will never know until you try. 
On The Aspiring Screenwriter’s Guide to Page One are some interesting guidelines. 





https://screencraft.org/2016/05/23/aspiring-screenwriters-guide-page-one/

Monday, August 15, 2016

A freebie that keeps on giving...

Want your characters to grab readers? Here is a freebie you can get download into most of your devices. Free downloads of Crafting Unforgettable Characters   http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/confirmed/

Tuesday, August 09, 2016

Freebies I share with you

I love to share information that can help all, not just writers, live a good life and prosper. Here is one for writers:
The Freelance Writer's Battle by Ian Chandler