Monday, March 28, 2016

Nicole Loughan, author of Divine Hotel, on hooking readers from the beginning



Get them in the beginning

Start every story with a bang. I mean that literally.

When I first started writing I was given a book by Les Edgerton called “Hooked: write fiction that grabs readers at page one and never lets them go.” This book has been a touch stone for me for all of my subsequent novels. The purpose is to find the correct beginning for your book. He said many people make the mistake of picking the wrong start point, it’s boring or backstory, and in this day and age the ending has to pop right from the first line. Just like songs, books need a hook.

Edgerton said that thousands of years ago people know how to open a book, just look at the first lines of Homer’s “The Iliad, “Rage-goddess, sing the wrath of Peleus’ son Achilles.” Or look at Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex, the first scene starts with the villagers warning Oedipus that a terrible curse is on the land and bad things are happening everywhere. The book starts with the problem with the intrigue, no introduction no description or backstory, straight to the point.

After reading about some of the best-beginnings I knew the hook was even more important in the era of the digital book, we only get a few pages to make a lasting impression and get readers to buy our product or agents to pull us off the slush pile.

When I applied the principals of Hooked to my own work I changed the opening of Divine Hotel as you will see below.

The first opening: Sarah walked up the steps to the secret back door of her office. (Blah boring right?)

Hooked opening: “You can’t catch me,” the boy shouted as he flung open the doors to the dilapidated dining hall. (It starts with action and sets just a bit of scene) very quickly in the first page we are given hints that there is something other worldly about the building they are in, it is referred to as a former palace which towered over the city, but fell into ruin.)

With my best-selling mystery series, which starts with To Murder a Saint I spent months crafting the correct beginning, and even changed the name. The book started with the name C’est Murder New York.

The first opening: Jason Stepwald was officially the worst date of my life.

Hooked Opening: It’s probably a bad sign on a first date that my mind wandered to how best to bury somebody.

You can find Nicole’s latest book Divine Hotel for sale on Amazon for an introductory $2.99 special. Her Saint’s Mystery Series are also available on Amazon starting with To Murder a Saint.



Divine Hotel

Time is running out for Philadelphia’s Divine Hotel…One woman is tasked with saving two children who lived at the once majestic hotel but she soon learns that there is more to their history and the hotel than she ever thought possible. To save them she’s going to have to re-set the clock for everybody at the hotel and the only way to do that is to go all the way back to 1964. Righting the wrongs of the past will be no easy feat, because there are those willing to fight to keep their sins buried in history.






Read an excerpt:

A long time ago, before most people can remember, a palace stood over Philadelphia. It was a place of refuge for the weak and weary of the city, a shining monument of marble, oak and brass that towered over the metropolis.
Good and evil were kept in balance there, until one day the scales tipped and evil won out. As the years passed, the marble and brass were stolen, and the oak was stripped of its shine. As the hotel fell into ruin, its inhabitants followed. All was not lost, though, for there was one chance to save the hotel—and its inhabitants—from this fate. Hidden not far away was an otherworldly gift meant to right the wrongs of the past, if only the right person could find it.


2002

“You can’t catch me,” the boy shouted as he flung open the doors to the dilapidated dining hall. The room was lit by slivers of sun that peeked through the cracks in the high ceiling, and sporadic beams of light that shone through hastily fastened boards covering the room’s many broken windows.
All that was left of the once great hall were water-stained plaster ornaments positioned high up on the ceiling, far out of reach. Everything of value was gone. The light fixtures, hardwood floors, door knobs, and every last bit of shined marble and brass had been stripped away. The floors were an uneven terrain of warped wood and broken boards. The edges of the room were a tapestry of trash, but the center of the great space, which had once housed long oak dining tables, was completely bare.
The girl in pursuit walked gingerly over the broken boards. She kept her eyes on the ground and squinted to keep the dust floating through the air out of her eyes.
“Slow down, Darrius!” she shouted.
She paused in front of a hole in the floor, which blocked her passage into the great room. She stared down and saw only darkness, which could mean the hole opened only down to the next floor, or could possibly reach as far down as all ten floors.
“Come on, Carol,” he shouted. “You aren’t gonna fall going over that tiny hole.”
She watched him move with feline grace over the broken boards and gathered her courage. She involuntarily held her breath, took two steps back, and focused her eyes on a point just past the opening.
She ran as fast as her legs would carry her toward the gap. She pushed off and wobbled as a loose board slid away from her. She fell awkwardly forward and threw her arms out to catch herself. She scratched her palms reaching out for the ledge and only managed a precarious hold. If she’d weighed just a bit more she might have fallen in.
Darrius raced to her. The strain of holding on was too much for her, one by one her fingers were slipping, the pinkies first, then the ring fingers, and then all at once the rest gave way and she fell. Darrius grasped her wrist just before she slipped out of sight. He grunted as he pulled her up and out of the hole. As soon as he had her over the edge he fell backwards and she landed beside him with a thud.
Carol lay back and caught her breath as Darrius joked, “I could’ve made that jump with you on my back, you chicken.”
She stared up at the ceiling and pointed at a plaster fruit basket. “Darrius, look, the ceiling. It’s changed again.”
He looked up and said, “I don’t see anything different. You always think that ceiling looks different. Who do you think would get all the way up there and fix the ceiling?”
“It does change,” she exclaimed. “It always looks like it’s about to fall apart, then it’s patched back up. Yesterday that fruit basket was just a hole in the ceiling.”
He laughed so hard the ground shook beneath him. When he stopped he realized the floor was shaking without any work from him, and he bolted upright.
“What is that?” Carol demanded, as she jumped up and looked down at the floor.
“It’s somebody pounding,” Darrius yelled as he, too, jumped up to his feet.
More knocks rang out around the hall, shaking up dust, which floated freely through the room. Suddenly a shout could be heard below their feet. “Keep it down,” followed by a more distant yell, “Shut up.”
When the pounding ceased they could hear the wail of sirens outside. Darrius jumped up and ran to peek through the boards.
“What?” Carol asked.
“It’s the cops.”
“What do we do?”
“We run.”


http://amzn.to/1MuAY7A


About Nicole Loughan


You may know Nicole as the syndicated humor columnist, “The Starter Mom,” or from her Best-Selling Saints Mystery Novels. Because of the series’ popularity, Amazon chose it for their Stipend Program to be turned into an audiobook at their expense.

An award-winning journalist and author, she was recognized by Writer's Digest as a top fiction writer in 2015 and won honorable mention in genre fiction from the Writer's Digest annual self-publishing competition for her Saints Mystery Series.

Nicole writes for two daily newspapers in the greater Philadelphia area and as a columnist for Happenings Media. Prior to working as a writer, Nicole was an Agency Social Worker for the Philadelphia Department of Human Services, where she first learned about the subject of her latest novel, Divine Hotel.

Nicole grew up on a rural farm in Southern Michigan, but she was always a city girl at heart. She still has a penchant for straight-from-the-dairy cheese, but otherwise prefers to spend her days in New York and Philadelphia and her adopted hometown in Bucks County. The mother of two, she is a soprano in The Bucks County Woman’s Chorus and an amateur pianist.

Connect with Nicole online:

www.nicoleloughan.com

https://www.facebook.com/nicoleloughanauthor/



Tour giveaway

5 e-books

5 paperbacks U.S. only
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Review of The Watermelon King by Daniel Royse



The Watermelon King

After being laid off from his job at a prestigious consulting firm, Dean decides to embark on a journey across east Africa with his younger brother. Unknowingly, the two travel into bandit territory through Northern Kenya where a medical emergency forces them to choose between their safety and their health.

Inspired by true events, The Watermelon King follows the journey of two brothers as they backpack across one of East Africa’s most inhospitable regions. As they endure endless days of difficult travel, a series of short stories written by their father begins to uncover some of their deepest motivations and brings to light their connection to the past. Along the way they begin to understand the beauty and frustration of life in Africa.



**My thoughts**

I am always intrigued by stories of other people's adventures abroad. I am in awe of their ability to survive in harsh climates with nothing more than the packs on their back. Stories about Africa seem to intrigue me the most. I know that it is a very beautiful continent, and I know that there is still a lot of ugliness there. At the beginning of this book, Daniel promises to just tell it like it is, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and he did.

The majority of the story in Africa tells of the brothers' journey from Ethiopia to Kenya. I can perfectly picture the various modes of transportation, the "hotel" rooms, the busy streets, and the potential hostile encounters that he describes. I cannot imagine trying to travel that way, and yet am curious about seeing it for myself.

This story about Africa is the framework of the story. Just as Africa runs on its own meandering time, so does this story about their African adventure. In fact, I found myself wanting more from that part of the story. I want to know more of their experiences, though I know the purpose of the story was to tell of their travels south and to share their father's writings.

Their father's stories about his own father, known as The Watermelon King, were extremely interesting and amusing. The man sounds like a real trip and someone I would have enjoyed meeting. You can tell that someone else wrote these stories, as the voice definitely changes. They are interspersed throughout the African adventure, supposedly shared at each point where Daniel actually read them along the way.

Throughout much of the book, it was hard to see why these two stories were interwoven, other than Daniel was reading them to help pass time while traveling in Africa. At the same time, you can see that he is learning more about himself and his heritage as he reads these stories, sort of how he and his brother are finding out more about themselves and each other as they travel through Africa. It isn't some deep and profound realization that shatters their world and turns it inside out like in those big novels that were turned into movies. This one felt a bit more realistic. And again, they were entertaining.

It is not a typical memoir and I am ashamed to say that I am struggling to put my finger on just what made it so different. These two worlds being described are so different. You wonder why they are together, and yet, it makes perfect sense. I am glad I had the opportunity to read it and hope that Daniel shares more of his adventure stories with us.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.



Buy links:
http://amzn.to/1U46lXw


About Daniel Royse

Daniel Royse is the founder and editor in chief of the online travel publication, This Boundless World. He has written numerous articles on travel, business and politics. The Watermelon King is his first full-length novel.

Daniel is an obsessive writer and explorer who has backpacked to over 50 countries, spanning five continents. To the disbelief of many, he still enjoys long, hot bus rides through chaotic places.

Links:

http://www.danielroyse.com

https://www.facebook.com/DanielRoyseAuthor

https://twitter.com/Royse_Daniel

Friday, March 25, 2016

Ask Me Again (An Inspirational Romance Book 1) by Kara Kinsley



Ask Me Again


This is Book 1 of the 3 book "Ask Me Again" series.

Devin Grant had his future all figured out. Fight fires in his hometown until he could save the money to go off to college and become an Arson Investigator. He was going to leave his small town behind for something bigger and better. Until someone from his past walked back into his life.

Tricia Green had dreamed of leaving her run of the mill small town for as long as she could remember. All she wanted was to get away from the dead end life she lived with her alcoholic mother and never present father. More than anything, she wanted to head off to college and pursue her dream of being a physical therapist. But fate had other plans. Plans that would change her life forever.


http://amzn.to/1WObrqi


About Kara Kinsley


When I was a little girl, I was always fascinated by the stories my grandmother would tell me. When I'd visit her during the summer in Texas, she'd spend hours with me, while doing chores or making supper, spinning delightful yarns about dashing cowboys or sweet, but confident little ladies, who would sometimes have the craziest adventures.

One thing that always stayed with me was how, in the midst of everything they went through, their devotion to their faith would never waiver. She didn't know it back then, of course, but her amazing stories would later on inspire me to write.

I enjoy creating stories with characters that my readers can relate to: people who have everyday problems, but no matter what, their hope endures in that all will turn out in God's favor. My desire is that my novels will touch your heart, just as Grandma Rose's stories touched mine. I hope my words, dear reader, encourage you to always believe in love, never to give up and to always hold steadfast to your faith.

Meet Michael E. Thornley, Author, Entrepreneur, Blogger

Today I would like to welcome Michael E. Thornley to the blog. He is an author, entrepreneur, blogger, and so much more. Find out more about him and then check out his library of penned publications.

Michael Thornley was born in 1960 at Manly NSW Australia and grew up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Since 1986 he has resided mostly in Queensland Australia and for a short period also in the USA and Spain.

As an Author, Entrepreneur, Blogger, Humanitarian, Conservationist, Photographer, Ornithologist and Traveler, he has experienced many an adventure and met with some 'interesting' characters and of course, some wonderful people along the way.

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His work as an entrepreneur has allowed him to travel all over the world, "living the laptop lifestyle," through his positive midset and online income. 

The Wealth Flow Formula is his plan for success in life, and you can share in it with him.

"Achieve your dreams" is his motto in life and the theme of his website where he records his daily thoughts and experiences in this practice.

As an author, he has penned numerous books, both fiction and nonfiction. Please check out his titles below by clicking on a book cover.

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Twists of Fate is a spellbinding collection of 5 short stories set in the land down-under by Australian Author Michael E Thornley. The decisions and consequent outcomes made by the individual characters gives credence to the saying " You Reap what you Sow'.

However, the choices that we make in life may not necessarily provide us with the outcome we desire. Yet it may reward us with the future we deserve, whether we wish it or not!. So be careful what you wish for as it just may come true!

Written in the narrative style of the 'Twilight Zone' the 'Twists of Fate' may not be what you expected. It certainly was not what the characters in the book expected!... that is part of the charm and enjoyment of this series of short stories by Michael E Thornley.

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"Has the attribute of 'Being a Gentleman' and thus the Art of Chivalry been lost in a modern world? What have been the catalysts that have led to an ever changing role for men?

This is the question that Australian Author Michael E Thornley raises and discusses in this guide to 'Being a Gentleman'. He has talked to a number of men AND women in the process of trying to establish reasons as to why the act of being a Gentlemen is fading from society and he has asked them all this question “is being chivalrous in fact ... dead?”

You may feel challenged by some of the suggestions which have been put forward from his research and are presented to you is this book for you to contemplate. However there have to be reasons for a change in men and we as a society must consider these reasons closely whilst at the same time decide on how we will all move forward together to return to common courtesies.

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A humorous yet informative guide to those readying themselves for a journey into the world of dating. It also provides thought provoking ideas for couples looking to bring fun and frivolity back into their relationships.

There are practical solutions, numerous cost saving measures and handy tips for those on a limited budget. A lighthearted yet sincere look into world of dating.

Author Michael E Thornley supports many of the suggestions with his whimsical quips and forthright encouragement (and sometimes discouragement should the situation require it. e.g. Like “run for the hills “ :)

We are sure you will enjoy this guide and Happy Dating!

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 'A Day in the Life' is a unique look at just some of the adventures that Australian Author Michael E Thornley has experienced over the last five years.

During that time he has traveled from Australia to Bali, Dubai, Spain, Canada and the USA, the latter where he lived for a year.

We share many of the humorous outcomes as he ventures out into the unknown on his daily walks! Well that is the unknown suburban streets and parks of cities around the world. Yet only he could have an adventure in such a situation what with bowling maidens over; being serenaded by turkeys and falling into large holes and having to be pulled out by his feet!

Michael is also in tune with nature as we find him trekking through woods to the Gates of Terror; chasing skunks over wetlands in the moonlight and having visitations from white coyotes and shovel nose rays.

Yet he also shares with us his inner most thoughts and emotions that are felt in some of the more serious moments. Hence it truly is a 'Diary of Humour and Emotions.'

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Who is in Your Family Tree is a guide for the budding Family Tree Researcher or Genealogists as they are also known as... there we are, learning something already and you haven't even read the book yet!

Michael E Thornley is not only an Author and Entrepreneur but in addition successfully runs 'Thornley Genealogical Services' as one of his businesses. “A man that wears many hats at once” he is sometimes heard to say. But he does this most successfully!

This book is a guide to the basics of 'how to get started' in researching your family tree. He has often been asked “ well I have seen all these links on the Internet about where to do the research BUT HOW do I get started??”

Thus Michael has put together a straight forward guide to answer some of the more common questions that are asked. He has also shared tips on what to expect when you start asking family and friends about 'what they know' in relation to 'my family'. You may be surprised at some of the reactions!


Thursday, March 24, 2016

Meet Danny Pehar, author of Awesome Being Awesome



Today I would like to welcome author Danny Pehar back to Andi's Book Reviews. His book Awesome Being Awesome is the self-help book for those who do not like self-help books. He was kind enough to take some time to talk to us some more about his writing and his work.


What was the inspiration for this book?
I decided to write this book when a cashier at a grocery store had told me she was going to commit suicide but stopped based on something I said to her while standing in her check-out line.

Our conversation was the most powerful thing that ever happened to me and I knew this was a story I needed to share.
You call it a self-help book for those who don't like self-help books. What makes this book different from a self-help book?
I generally hear three complaints over and over again when it comes to self-help books. The first one being that although most self-help books may focus on “the what you should do” and “the why you should do it” they leave the reader confused about “the how”. How do I do it, how do I get started in a practical manner? 
The second complaint is that most self-help books cover one topic of value and then the rest of the book is repetition of that one point.

The third complaint I hear most often about self-help books is that they are generally dry and a bit boring.

I wanted to write a book that catered to these complaints.

Although I focus on “the what” and “the why” I also give very practical advice and instruction on “the how”. I go into great detail on the exact steps a reader can take to achieve their desired goals. I also make a point of covering multiple topics of value, from weight loss, to career planning, to finances, to relationship advice, to resume and job interview preparation and so on. Every chapter is essentially a new topic of value. And lastly, I pulled a lot of comedy from my successful comedy shows to make sure the entertainment value was high and that the reader would remain interested as they make their way through the book. My personal goal was to create the funniest self-help book ever made.
You give lots of advice and suggestions in this book. Which one do you think had the most profound impact in your own life?
I would probably say the importance of a positive perspective, what I mean specifically is the ability to see the good within the bad. 
No matter what we do in our life, no matter how lucky we are, or how successful or how smart we are, the bad days will still come, there is nothing you can do to permanently protect yourself from problems. But if you learn to see the good within the bad, the opportunity passed the problem then it won’t matter because you will find success and happiness in good times and bad.
What kind of feedback have you had from readers about how it has impacted their own lives?
The feedback that I hear most is that the book is extremely funny and easy to read. I get a lot of comments from people talking about weight that they have lost based on my strategies. I also hear a lot of people talk about how the books detail on positive perspective has helped them overcome problems at work and at home.
What is one of the biggest challenges you have had to overcome?
I would have to say that the death of my mother was the hardest thing I ever went through. I was completely lost, home life was rough because we were all depressed, I was eating my feelings and gained extra weight that I certainly didn’t need and I could not concentrate at work and was on the verge of getting fired. Everything seemed horrible! It was then I learned the importance of a practical balance of mind, body and soul.

By practical I mean, I look at my mind as representing things like my career, my finances and my education. My body representing my health, strength, weight and how I feel about my appearance. And my soul representing everything else- My family, my relationships, my hobbies, my social life, my connection to something spiritual.

Some people will look at multiple successes from the same category and feel that they have a balanced life. For example, they may say, “I have an expensive car, an expensive house, expensive clothes. Why do I feel like something is missing?” The reason for this is because those are all successes from the same category. There is no balance. How many times do we hear a story of someone that seemingly has it all, but ends up incredibly depressed or even suicidal? Many times this is because all of their successes come from the same place with little to no balance. We need a balance of all the pieces that go into being human- the mind, body and soul.

The bad news is that all it takes is for one of these categories to be off, and it can drag the other two down. In my case, my mother was sick and it was hurting my career and my health, but the good news is, that all we need is success in one category to help pull the other two back up, so we can start to turn everything around. 
So I started to work out. I figured a better body was going to be the fastest way I could start to make myself feel better. My family situation wasn’t going to improve anytime soon and I wasn’t going to turn my career around in the next two weeks, but getting back in shape was something very achievable in a short amount of time. By taking control of one-third of what makes me human, I would be in a better position to handle my career and be in a stronger position to handle the inevitable death of my mother. No one is saying that the death of a loved one will ever be easy, but if you are stronger in the other parts of your life, you’ll fall apart that much less when something horrible happens. Sometimes that’s the best we can do.
Have you written any other books or have plans to do some more in any genre?
I have written a children’s book, one of them published about 10 others I am currently working on, not yet published. I am very interested in the children’s book avenue, because I have always believed the best advice is the one that is started earliest.
Thank you so much for your time!



Buy links
Amazon US / Amazon CA





Catch the book trailer here.


Read an excerpt here.







About Danny Pehar

Having to wear his older sisters' clothes to school because his parents felt that saving a few bucks was worth his utter humiliation, Danny Pehar learned to get through tough times by putting a comical spin on things. Danny began his corporate life by taking an entry-level job so entry level he was told he needed to be promoted just to reach the bottom. Working his way up from underneath the bottom, he has sold and worked on multimillion-dollar projects as an entry-level employee, a manager, a director and an entrepreneur. In addition to his business success, he is also a mixed martial arts enthusiast, a children's book author and a stand-up comedian with fans in Canada, Australia, Europe and the United States. Whether he has succeeded as a champion or taken a brutal beating, Danny has a story to tell that will make you laugh, make you think and make you awesome!

Social media: 

Friday, March 18, 2016

Check out the trailer for Awesome Being Awesome by Danny Pehar



Awesome at Being Awesome


When you were a kid you dreamed of building spaceships and being a superhero. Everything was magic, everything was awesome. But then you suffered disappointments: weight issues, relationship problems, money troubles, career troubles. Eventually the impossible was no longer possible. You lost your awesome.

But what if you could get it back? You can. Through funny, informative and inspiring stories from his life and work experience, Danny Pehar shows how strengthening one aspect of the three main parts of your life – mind, body and soul – will help you strengthen and balance the others.

And the results? You will learn to do an awesome amount of awesome things – from weight management to career management, from saving money to saving relationships, from building the perfect résumé to building the perfect speech, from getting through the toughest job interview to getting through the toughest day.





Buy links





About Danny Pehar

Having to wear his older sisters' clothes to school because his parents felt that saving a few bucks was worth his utter humiliation, Danny Pehar learned to get through tough times by putting a comical spin on things. Danny began his corporate life by taking an entry-level job so entry level he was told he needed to be promoted just to reach the bottom. Working his way up from underneath the bottom, he has sold and worked on multimillion-dollar projects as an entry-level employee, a manager, a director and an entrepreneur. In addition to his business success, he is also a mixed martial arts enthusiast, a children's book author and a stand-up comedian with fans in Canada, Australia, Europe and the United States. Whether he has succeeded as a champion or taken a brutal beating, Danny has a story to tell that will make you laugh, make you think and make you awesome!

Social media: 

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Read an excerpt from Awesome at Being Awesome by Danny Pehar



Awesome at Being Awesome


When you were a kid you dreamed of building spaceships and being a superhero. Everything was magic, everything was awesome. But then you suffered disappointments: weight issues, relationship problems, money troubles, career troubles. Eventually the impossible was no longer possible. You lost your awesome.

But what if you could get it back? You can. Through funny, informative and inspiring stories from his life and work experience, Danny Pehar shows how strengthening one aspect of the three main parts of your life – mind, body and soul – will help you strengthen and balance the others.

And the results? You will learn to do an awesome amount of awesome things – from weight management to career management, from saving money to saving relationships, from building the perfect résumé to building the perfect speech, from getting through the toughest job interview to getting through the toughest day.


Read an excerpt:
This book was designed to help bring out your inner awesome by helping you find happiness, success, good health and balance with your body, mind and soul. 
So how do we do that for the world? How do we bring out its inner awesome? How do we save it, how do we change it? Although the work is hard, the answer is actually very simple. The formula for a better world was written many years ago and it’s something I first came across when I was a little kid. It’s one of the most poetic, most profound and most important pieces of advice ever written: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” 
I love this quote for two main reasons. 
First, although it’s from the Bible, it’s not specific to any religion. It describes a way of life that’s applicable to anyone regardless of their belief system. 
Second, this one, short sentence describes the pathway to a better world. Think about it. If we all followed this way of thinking, if we all treated others the way we wanted to be treated, there would be no wars, no crime, no fighting. So many things in our world would improve. 
We can look at this critically and think, “Why should I follow this way of life when, clearly, in a world filled with so much evil, no one else thinks like this?” 
I encourage you to think differently. Don’t let others stand in the way of your trying to make the world a better place.

If you can change just one person to think like this, even if that one person is only you, the world is one person better than it was before. Change one person, change the world. You have that power because you are awesome!


Buy links





About Danny Pehar

Having to wear his older sisters' clothes to school because his parents felt that saving a few bucks was worth his utter humiliation, Danny Pehar learned to get through tough times by putting a comical spin on things. Danny began his corporate life by taking an entry-level job so entry level he was told he needed to be promoted just to reach the bottom. Working his way up from underneath the bottom, he has sold and worked on multimillion-dollar projects as an entry-level employee, a manager, a director and an entrepreneur. In addition to his business success, he is also a mixed martial arts enthusiast, a children's book author and a stand-up comedian with fans in Canada, Australia, Europe and the United States. Whether he has succeeded as a champion or taken a brutal beating, Danny has a story to tell that will make you laugh, make you think and make you awesome!

Social media: 

Monday, March 14, 2016

Vote for Through the Curtain by Mary Stone on KindleScout



Through the Curtain


Forbidden love - Muslim girl and Christian boy

Through the Curtain is a timely, riveting saga of how a young Muslim woman, dressed in her traditional niqab, progresses through her innocent life, from a wide-eyed child, to ultimately become a ruthless woman driven from within by her own inner demons to create mayhem and acts of horror, compelled by her own agenda. She is a Muslim woman who savors the blood of power and ultimately adjusts her own value system to suit each terrifying moment of her life.


Check out this Book, and if you like it click "Nominate Me"


About Mary Stone


Mary Stone was born in a small town in Pennsylvania. She got her bachelor's degree in New York and her master degree in Fine Arts in Paris. She was always passionate about writing. She published several books like Scent of Rain, Paper Heart, Believe in Love, Love Sweat and Gears Trilogy. She mostly writes about smart, sexy women and handsome alpha males who love them. She also likes to paint nature, landscapes, and portraits.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Good to Great Trading by S. Ryan FREE 3/8-3/9



Tired of the inconsistencies of your trading results?

Are you ready to turn your trading around today?

The seven enigmatic strategies outlined in this straightforward book can meteorically improve your odds of keeping your profits and not giving them back to the market.

There are good traders out there, BUT there are great ones too.

The difference between good trader and great trader is one thing: Consistency.

The majority of good traders can make money, but cannot find a way to do it in daily basis.

We want to be great traders. Don't settle for "good enough".

Good traders might make good returns here and there, but no one can rely on their results.

Making 10-15% only to lose 20-25% the week after is a symptom of good traders.

Great traders find ways to be profitable in the market with CONSISTENCY.

Real traders refuse to be "one stock wonder", who can make 5% today but then lose 20% the next day.

How this book benefits you?

Trading is a vicious game. And not sure if you realize this or not, but we are Davids trading against Goliaths of institutional traders, High Frequency Trading computers, and giant fund or hedge managers.

That fact alone requires us to exploit the smallest edge we could possibly have. This book will give you an extra edge you need to be a consistently profitable trader.

Regardless you are day trading, swing trading, Forex trading, futures trading, commodity trading, stock trading, options trading, or bond trading, this book will add values to your trading strategies.

What you'll learn?

1) How you can pick better trading opportunities by asking the right questions. Sounds simple, yet there is a reason this Chinese proverb exists "He who asks a question remains a fool for five minutes. He who does not ask remains a fool forever.

2) Objectivity and Selectivity: How you can make more money by looking at stocks or other instruments the correct way. This was how Jesse Livermore made his millions during the Great Depression.

3) Practical Application: How you can apply it on your trading / investing. This book discusses real life examples (i.e.:Tesla and the college student) and the art of trade execution. Analysis alone won't be enough!

4) Calm. Collected, Sane: If you have made then lost money in the market, let the seven principles guide your action in the market and solve the "puzzle of inconsistency"

Are you really doing what it takes to be a consistently profitable investor or trader, or just talking about it?

If you haven’t already, get the FREE course Zero to Trading: How to Double Your Trading Skills in 3 Days from http://Zero2Trading.com/free-course

The course consists of secret basic sauces of what make traders consistently profitable.

Don’t Leave Your Trading or Investing to Chances…

…because than frankly, you just gamble your money away. Might as well go to Vegas. More fun.

Trading is a respectful profession that requires commitment, determination, and persistence. The trading learning curve also requires your time, energy, and capital.

So in the end, we all can be CONSISTENTLY PROFITABLE investors and traders.

Download or BORROW the book and boost your trading today. For the complete system, check out http://Zero2Trading.com


HUSH-HUSH TRADING INSIGHT #1
A Person can be Smart, but People are Generally Stupid

“The stock market is never obvious. It is designed to fool most of the people, most of the time.”
Jesse Livermore

The fact that you are reading this book shows that you are an aspiring speculator, an experienced speculator, or someone who is looking to get back into the game of speculation, hopefully not because you were previously being slapped hard by the Mother Market.
In any case, unless yesterday was your first day in the market, you know how it feels to lose money.
You know that feeling when the stock (or any security for that matter) you were holding teased you by going up a little before going down much more at a faster speed than you could have imagined.
Then you were faced with a decision. Let go and admit that you were wrong, or continue to hold on and hope the price will bounce soon.
Well, in this book, we will learn about the ONE question that matters along with ONE cardinal sin of trading that is actually committed by millions of investors and traders every day.
That ONE Question that Matters in Speculation
“GOOD traders think about markets before they place their trades. GREAT traders do that – and they think about their thinking. This makes their trading more intentional, more controlled, and ultimately, more rule-governed.”
Brett Steenbarger, Trading Psychologist

Which stock is hot right now?”
“What did Jim Cramer say yesterday about Facebook stock?”
“How much Apple stock with go up after iPhone 6 was released?”
“When will oil price bounce back?”
I promise you that, at one point of your life, you will hear the questions above, or the variations of them, either asked to you, asked around you, or asked by you.
This will occur even if you are not in on the lookout of for a good stock to invest in, or even if you do not have any interest in this crazy area called speculation.
Speculation is part of our society’s habit and, dare I say, culture.
It went goes all the way back to 1867, when the stock ticker appeared for the first time. It was not until 1920, the decade when Jesse Livermore (some would say he is the Father of Momentum Trading) made millions, that the stock speculation industry took off.
In the present day, stock speculation, or “investment”, has grown on the people everywhere around the globe.
TV shows, magazines, and talk shows are made exclusively for discussing opinions and analysis in this area. Check out The Mad Money, The Wall Street Warriors, Squawk Box, or Fast Money on Bloomberg TV, CNBC, and many more.
It is amazing to think about this actually. It is impressive how the world has made the speculation industry full of personalities and drama, while the correct way to speculate, whether in equities, futures, or commodities, is to minimize the emotions involved in the process.
Emotions kill logic. Emotions make the opinions of the so-called experts and analysts in those TV shows sound like Moses’ words. More importantly, emotions make average speculators into followers. As the result of their ignorance, average speculators will go “ALL-IN” with all their hard-earned money following the recommendation or advice of some expert or analyst.
Moreover, what seems unethical to me is the fact that those analysts actually put their money in a balanced-risk or fixed income mutual fund instead of putting their money where their mouths were.
The single phrase that always ticks me every time I hear it: But this guy, or that guy, or the analysts in CNBC said…”
It is ignorance at its best.
“I believe that the public wants to be led, to be instructed, to be told what to do. They want reassurance. They will always move en masse, a mob, a herd, a group, because people want the safety of human company. They are afraid to stand alone because they want to be safely included within the herd, not to be the lone calf standing on the desolate, dangerous, wolf-patrolled prairie of contrary opinion.”
Jesse Livermore
Nothing worth doing is easy, yet many speculators think they know the direction of Apple stock or when the oil price will bounce just by reading and listening to the analysts and so-called experts.
Speculators are required to do the homework to find sectors and individual instruments that fit their personalities and match their risk tolerance the most.
Warren Buffet made billions by buying undervalued stocks. He purchased the stocks when they were cheap and reaped the benefits when the real values were finally realized.
On the other side of the coin, Dan Zanger turned $10,000 into $1 million by buying momentum stocks. He only bought stocks when they were making new highs by breaking out of previous consolidation (more about that later). He rode the trend while it lasted and, unlike Buffet, Zanger did not hold his investment for a long period of time.
The four questions you read in the beginning of this chapter are NOT the correct questions to ask. They are the questions that were asked by lazy speculators in the past who refused to do the adequate research and, instead, put their money blindly in the mercy of the market.
To me it is no different than going to Las Vegas and throwing the money on the roulette table.
The question you need to ask actually does not involve Jim Crammer, Warren Buffet, George Soros, or any legendary traders and investors out there.
Leave alone all those CNBC, Bloomberg, or other media analysts whose jobs, sometimes, were to create stories and dramas overhyping the market (it feels like it, truly).
The one question you ask should involve YOURSELF. Why? Because people are stupid generally. There is a certain form of social pressure, as well as a willingness to be led (or told what to do), when it comes to the world of investing and trading.
It seems that people lose trust on their own capabilities to make their own judgement when it comes to good stocks to own.
Too many people invest or trade some stocks simply because they have listened to the analysts, to the investing newsletter they subscribe to, to the neighbors they talk with over the weekend, and more.
Have you ever asked yourself this question?
Am I an Investor, or Am I a Trader?
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the single most important question in stock speculation.
“Investing is the intersection of economics and psychology.”
Seth Klarman
The question puts the responsibility back on us, instead of on others’ opinion.
In the world of speculation, it is the right thing to do. Learn how to trade or invest, start small, lose some money (and you WILL lose money), go back to the charts and learn from your mistakes, try again and lose less money, go back to the studying room and see what you do wrong, trade again and breakeven, re-study your trades, make small money, and eventually, make enough/big money.
Notice there is no “watch CNBC or Bloomberg” there!



March 8 and March 9!



About the author:

An active trader, Steve's high interests include the world's stock market (he trades only US market though), investment strategies, personal finance, money management, entrepreneurship, vagabond lifestyle, gin & tonic, Texas Hold'em Poker, Manchester United, and NBA games.

If you are interested in investing or trading, book your FREE course now at http://Zero2Trading.com/free-trading-course

Or maybe, take a short, 13-question test to find out your risk tolerance profile. Get the test FREE of charge at http://Zero2Trading.com/your-risk-profile

He always holds on to the Warren Buffet's mantra: "Diversification is a protection against ignorance" and thus, Steve does not invest much in mutual fund anymore. Instead, his focus switch to diversification based on asset classes, such as properties and businesses.

Steve's primary asset, however, is his trading knowledge.

He trades the US Equity actively. When trading, Steve focuses on trending and momentum stocks. After wasting close to $13,000 in commission during Steve's early years trading, he trades only liquid stocks nowadays. His main method is scanning 250 stocks every night to find out the potential opportunities the next day. He then looks for the best setups that would allow him to go for the maximum profits.

It took him exactly five years to be a consistently profitable trader.

He started to write some books, which have become best-selling in Amazon's Business, Investing, Finance, and Education categories, while building his online business at the same time.

When he is not working on his new business, writing, or trading, he can be found reading books about business and money, drinking coffee and/or a little bit of alcohol, traveling, playing basketball or football, watching sports, working out, and hanging out with his old and new buddies.

Steve believes in leaving a legacy will make this world a better, richer, and more peaceful place to live.