Write Anyway

Heading to the beach with nothing to read? Now you can head out in style with a book from one (or more!) of your favorite authors!

Pump Up Your Book Promotion is hosting our very first Summer Beach Reading Giveaway. Four great authors with 4 chances to win!

All you have to do is head on out to one of the blogs listed below and follow directions to win. It’s that easy!

As the Pages Turn is giving away a copy of Dorothea Hover-Kramer’s Second Chance at Your Dream!

This is the first book to apply the breakthrough insights of Energy Psychology to healthy aging. Energy Psychology is an exciting new healing method that changes the vibrational patterns in the energy fields to produce rapid emotional healing and a sense of well-being. With the help of the over fifty exercises for rebalancing yourself offered in this book, you can face the challenges and opportunities of later life to create a time of energy, abundance and joy.

You can visit Dorothea online at www.secondchancedream.com.

Click here to enter!

Fiction Scribe is giving away a copy of DCS’ Synarchy Book 1: The Awakening!

Thirteen bloodlines, The Brotherhood, fanatically loyal to their gods, the Anunnaki, have controlled the planet since his-story was written. In 1925 Stefano Vasco Terenzio, head of the Terenzio crime family makes a deal with the Anunnaki to solidify his control over the American Mafia. Clever and manipulative, Stefano’s true goal was to put his family in a position so one day they would be able to turn on their masters. Two generations later, the shockwave he ignited was still being felt. Now, as the world inches closer to 2012, time is running out.

The only thing in the Brotherhoods way is Terenzio, a family now divided as a truly epic battle begins that will determine whether mankind continues existing in a world of lies, or shatters the chains that have held it prisoner since his-story was written. Shocking yet hopeful, Synarchy slowly unravels the tightly laced reality we have created for ourselves. Blending the metaphysical with conspiracy, fact with fiction, debut author DCS has opened up a world that will force you to rethink everything you believe about your own. The knowledge within provokes the question; do you really want to know?

You can visit DCS on the web at www.synarchynovel.com.

Click here to enter!

The Book Stacks is giving away a copy of Dr. Ronald J. Frederick’s Living Like You Mean It!

So many of us long to feel more alive, connected, and secure in our lives, particularly now, in these challenging and difficult times. Why is it so hard? Part of the problem, says Dr. Ronald J. Frederick, has to do with a fear of our feelings—a feelings‐phobia—and the consequences of expressing our feelings to others. It’s this fear that keeps us stuck, detached from the wisdom inside us and distanced from the people around us. And yet positive emotional experiences can actually “rewire” our brain and free us up to experience ourselves and our lives more fully. LIVING LIKE YOU MEAN IT: Use the Wisdom and Power of Your Emotions to Get the Life You Really Want by Ronald J. Frederick, shows how we can overcome our feelings phobia in order to enjoy more satisfying lives.

You can visit Dr. Frederick on the web at www.livinglikeyoumeanit.com

Click here to enter!

Zensanity is giving away a copy of Richard Aaron’s Gauntlet!

Six hundred sixty tons of Semtex is detonated in a massive explosion in Libya – the last of a deadly stockpile. The operation seems to have gone smoothly, but within minutes of the explosion, CIA agent Richard Lawrence discovers that one shipment of the explosive was hijacked en route to the destruction point. Days later, a glory-seeking “Emir” broadcasts to the world that he is planning a massive terrorist strike against a major U.S. landmark. And he gives a timeline of one month.

You can visit Richard online at www.richardaaron.com.

Click here to enter!

Four great authors, four chances to win! Hurry before contests end!

Heading to the beach with nothing to read? Now you can head out in style with a book from one (or more!) of your favorite authors!

Pump Up Your Book Promotion is hosting our very first Summer Beach Reading Giveaway. Four great authors with 4 chances to win!

All you have to do is head on out to one of the blogs listed below and follow directions to win. It’s that easy!

As the Pages Turn is giving away a copy of Dorothea Hover-Kramer’s Second Chance at Your Dream!

This is the first book to apply the breakthrough insights of Energy Psychology to healthy aging. Energy Psychology is an exciting new healing method that changes the vibrational patterns in the energy fields to produce rapid emotional healing and a sense of well-being. With the help of the over fifty exercises for rebalancing yourself offered in this book, you can face the challenges and opportunities of later life to create a time of energy, abundance and joy.

You can visit Dorothea online at www.secondchancedream.com.

Click here to enter!

Fiction Scribe is giving away a copy of DCS’ Synarchy Book 1: The Awakening!

Thirteen bloodlines, The Brotherhood, fanatically loyal to their gods, the Anunnaki, have controlled the planet since his-story was written. In 1925 Stefano Vasco Terenzio, head of the Terenzio crime family makes a deal with the Anunnaki to solidify his control over the American Mafia. Clever and manipulative, Stefano’s true goal was to put his family in a position so one day they would be able to turn on their masters. Two generations later, the shockwave he ignited was still being felt. Now, as the world inches closer to 2012, time is running out.

The only thing in the Brotherhoods way is Terenzio, a family now divided as a truly epic battle begins that will determine whether mankind continues existing in a world of lies, or shatters the chains that have held it prisoner since his-story was written. Shocking yet hopeful, Synarchy slowly unravels the tightly laced reality we have created for ourselves. Blending the metaphysical with conspiracy, fact with fiction, debut author DCS has opened up a world that will force you to rethink everything you believe about your own. The knowledge within provokes the question; do you really want to know?

You can visit DCS on the web at www.synarchynovel.com.

Click here to enter!

The Book Stacks is giving away a copy of Dr. Ronald J. Frederick’s Living Like You Mean It!

So many of us long to feel more alive, connected, and secure in our lives, particularly now, in these challenging and difficult times. Why is it so hard? Part of the problem, says Dr. Ronald J. Frederick, has to do with a fear of our feelings—a feelings‐phobia—and the consequences of expressing our feelings to others. It’s this fear that keeps us stuck, detached from the wisdom inside us and distanced from the people around us. And yet positive emotional experiences can actually “rewire” our brain and free us up to experience ourselves and our lives more fully. LIVING LIKE YOU MEAN IT: Use the Wisdom and Power of Your Emotions to Get the Life You Really Want by Ronald J. Frederick, shows how we can overcome our feelings phobia in order to enjoy more satisfying lives.

You can visit Dr. Frederick on the web at www.livinglikeyoumeanit.com

Click here to enter!

Zensanity is giving away a copy of Richard Aaron’s Gauntlet!

Six hundred sixty tons of Semtex is detonated in a massive explosion in Libya – the last of a deadly stockpile. The operation seems to have gone smoothly, but within minutes of the explosion, CIA agent Richard Lawrence discovers that one shipment of the explosive was hijacked en route to the destruction point. Days later, a glory-seeking “Emir” broadcasts to the world that he is planning a massive terrorist strike against a major U.S. landmark. And he gives a timeline of one month.

You can visit Richard online at www.richardaaron.com.

Click here to enter!

Four great authors, four chances to win! Hurry before contests end!

Over the past month, I have asked all my readers on all my sites to Lend Me a Hand with a contest I am in on another site (where I write about Melbourne. Not being one to ask for something for nothing, I offered everyone three chances to win Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles, which I have been published in.

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who voted for me. Given the number of votes I have received over the past month, it’s obvious that some of you went ahead and voted without telling me. While reposting the contest was one of the criteria, I still appreciate everyone who voted just because I asked.

Now, on to the winners! I am very happy to announce that these three wonderful ladies are the winners. I am so happy to send them copies of the book not only for the votes or because I’m published in it, but because they also happen to be my friends. (Disclaimer: No preferential treatment was given in selecting winners. Winners were selected completely at random.)

Congratulations to the winners!

Jenera Healy of Just Me
Barbara Waters of Knitting Passion
Eliza Ferree of TV Bender

Please stop by these wonderful blogs and let them know I sent you.

Voting is still open for The Bloggers Guide competition, so if you have the time, I would appreciate it very much if you went there to vote. You can go to this post for details on exactly what to do.

Thank you again to everyone! I hope you all are having a wonderful week.

Hello everyone!

I’ve decided to hold a contest that will be a good thing for everyone. I don’t feel right just asking for help without offering something in return, so I figured a contest would be the perfect way to do things.

I write for a site called The Bloggers Guide, writing articles all about my beloved Melbourne and surrounds. Currently, they have a contest running for the six regional winners from around the world. (I’m standing for Australasia.)

I’m hoping to not only win the grand prize but to also have at least some of my entries become popular enough to be published in The Bloggers Guide to Melbourne book. I very much need your help.

What You Can Win

Like I said, I don’t feel quite right asking for your help and giving nothing in return. What I’m offering you is… drumroll… a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles. (The one in the picture.)

Why this book? This recently published book just so happens to have a nonfiction story about a horror roommate of mine tucked in its pages.

I’m giving away three copies. If more than ten people enter, I will increase the number of copies to give away to five.

If you’re not keen on this book, just let me know and we’ll work something else out.

Winners of this (my) contest will be announced May 3rd.

How to Win

I very much hope you’ll go in and vote to help me, as it doesn’t take a lot of time and you don’t have to sign up to do so. However, there is no way to keep track of who voted. Because of that…

All you have to do is put up one post. Easy peasy. Just let your readers know what’s going on and that I’m looking for a little help from my friends (I’m going to get that song stuck in my head now). Put up a post with a little blurb, the links to where they can vote, and how they can also go in for a chance to win. (They must come back here to leave a link to their post to be entered.)

Where to Vote:

Go here: http://www.thebloggersguide.com/wbc and give five stars to The New Australian.

Go here: http://www.thebloggersguide.com/melbourne/the-new-australian and rate me at five stars again.

Lastly, go here: http://www.thebloggersguide.com/blogs/jmsilver That’s a list of all my blog entries. You can click on the “+” signs next to each entry.

Voting goes until May 1st, so be sure to check in often and cheer on The New Australian.

As always, thank you for your kindness and support.

Hello everyone! JM here. Yes, I am still alive and kicking.

Thank you to everyone for your patience while I recover and to my wonderful husband for taking over on my blogs when and where he could. I know he had a lot of fun. I hope you enjoyed his writing.

Because I’m cross-posting this on most of my sites, I can’t say whether or not he’ll continue to post on *this* site in particular. He took on the heavier load of the beginning of the week and now things are winding down a bit. I’m hoping that by next week, I’ll be either completely back to health or at least to a point where being awake for more than two hours isn’t an effort.

For those of you who are curious about what’s going on, I’ve had some sort of virus or other for about a month now. It’s quite miserable, but a big problem for me because I can’t get paid leave from work (a downside to freelancing) is the fatigue (and zero energy). I am sleeping a lot, and thought I’m told it’s what I need, it still doesn’t make life any easier.

So that is what’s been going on with me and why my husband volunteered to step in and share some of the load so I can recover properly.

We went to the hospital last night and I got a chest x-ray to make sure I’m free and clear of pneumonia, which I am. So now it’s up to me to rest and a new round of antibiotics to get cracking on this virus.

Thank you again for all your patience. I’ll be right again in no time.

After starting to recover from the nearly week-long heatwave that blasted through Melbourne last week, we have once again been hit by the heat and reminded that yes, in fact we do live about eight miles from the sun.

Today Victorians and those residing in New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory were advised to stay indoors, keep as cool as possible and keep the fluid intake up. Of course, there was (and is) a total fire ban in the hopes of making the lives of those out saving other lives in this heat easier. But add in the dust/smoke storm we had brewing in my part of the neighbourhood and things were just plain not easy.

Tomorrow, it is forecasted that areas in New South Wales will be the hottest place on Earth, reaching temperatures of 47 degrees C – 116.6 degrees F.

What does this have to do with me blogging?

Where I live, it got up to (at least) 45.5 degrees C – otherwise known as 113.9 F. While we did learn from our mistakes last week and ordered an air conditioner, my husband and I do try to be conscious of the environment so we turned it off as soon as we could open up the flat.

Thanks to the aircon, my brain is only partially melted, but it was also mostly melted last week and didn’t get long enough time to recover.

If I owe you an email, a response of some sort, if you wanted me to check out a video on YouTube or something on your blog, anything, I apologize. I am catching up (now that things have cooled down locally and I can think) as fast as I can. You can feel free to send reminders just so long as they are polite ones. I truly thank you all for your patience.

Oh, and if you could, please think positive thoughts for the men and women out there saving many Australian and international visitor lives by fighting bushfires and responding to calls in the SES (State Emergency Services).

I know it’s a bit early, but the deadline to sign up is January 31st…

In celebration of St. Patty’s Day, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is passing on the Luck o’ the Irish to you! Sign up for a Luck O’ the Irish March Tour before January 31, 2008 and you will receive this great book promotion package!

* One virtual book tour (March ‘09 only)
* A minimum of 15 - 20 visits on blogs and websites geared specifically for your book, with possibilities of appearing at Reuters, USA Today, Chicago Times, Washington Post and high profile news sites
* Press releases which are specifically written for your book and are syndicated to hundreds of news sites
* Full publicity including but not restricted to daily postings about your book through social networks and other media
* Personalized tour banner
* Personalized tour page

The special price for this package is only $299 and only available for purchase between Dec. 15 - Jan. 31. This discount cannot be applied after the deadline.

Payments can be made via PayPal (Paypal accepts most major credit cards), money order or check.

This special is available not only for books that are recently released, but also for books that were released in the last 2 years.

Space is limited and will be on a first come, first serve basis.

If you are interested, please fill in the form below and one of our representatives will be in contact shortly.

Thank you and pump up that book!

Dorothy Thompson
CEO/Founder Pump Up Your Book Promotion
www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com

Go here for more details on this special promotion.

I know it’s a bit early, but the deadline to sign up is January 31st…

In celebration of St. Patty’s Day, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is passing on the Luck o’ the Irish to you! Sign up for a Luck O’ the Irish March Tour before January 31, 2008 and you will receive this great book promotion package!

* One virtual book tour (March ‘09 only)
* A minimum of 15 - 20 visits on blogs and websites geared specifically for your book, with possibilities of appearing at Reuters, USA Today, Chicago Times, Washington Post and high profile news sites
* Press releases which are specifically written for your book and are syndicated to hundreds of news sites
* Full publicity including but not restricted to daily postings about your book through social networks and other media
* Personalized tour banner
* Personalized tour page

The special price for this package is only $299 and only available for purchase between Dec. 15 - Jan. 31. This discount cannot be applied after the deadline.

Payments can be made via PayPal (Paypal accepts most major credit cards), money order or check.

This special is available not only for books that are recently released, but also for books that were released in the last 2 years.

Space is limited and will be on a first come, first serve basis.

If you are interested, please fill in the form below and one of our representatives will be in contact shortly.

Thank you and pump up that book!

Dorothy Thompson
CEO/Founder Pump Up Your Book Promotion
www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com

Go here for more details on this special promotion.

I know it’s a bit early, but the deadline to sign up is January 31st…

In celebration of St. Patty’s Day, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is passing on the Luck o’ the Irish to you! Sign up for a Luck O’ the Irish March Tour before January 31, 2008 and you will receive this great book promotion package!

* One virtual book tour (March ‘09 only)
* A minimum of 15 - 20 visits on blogs and websites geared specifically for your book, with possibilities of appearing at Reuters, USA Today, Chicago Times, Washington Post and high profile news sites
* Press releases which are specifically written for your book and are syndicated to hundreds of news sites
* Full publicity including but not restricted to daily postings about your book through social networks and other media
* Personalized tour banner
* Personalized tour page

The special price for this package is only $299 and only available for purchase between Dec. 15 - Jan. 31. This discount cannot be applied after the deadline.

Payments can be made via PayPal (Paypal accepts most major credit cards), money order or check.

This special is available not only for books that are recently released, but also for books that were released in the last 2 years.

Space is limited and will be on a first come, first serve basis.

If you are interested, please fill in the form below and one of our representatives will be in contact shortly.

Thank you and pump up that book!

Dorothy Thompson
CEO/Founder Pump Up Your Book Promotion
www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com

Go here for more details on this special promotion.

Image found at Cafe at the End of the Universe

It seems the fun isn’t quite yet over at 451 headquarters.

451 management recently purchased all kinds of new equipment and is in the process of switching everything over to those new systems. As you can imagine, doing all that isn’t easy and comes with its own hiccups.

I’ve been told that the blogs shouldn’t experience a lot of down time, but you can expect hiccups, burps, and maybe even the occasional fart in the next few days. Be assured that everything will still be puttering along and you should definitely come back!

I promise you that we are just as tired as you when it comes to the sites’ down time. Hopefully everything will be switched over by the end of this week and next week we will be running back to normal next week. (Or maybe even starting this weekend…)

Again, I’m so, so sorry for the down time. I know that, even when it’s out of your hands, a blog having down time can reflect negatively on the blogger. I have some interesting things coming up in the future, though, so I hope that is enough to keep you coming back.

And, just to keep you entertained while things are getting taken care of (not that I think you can’t entertain yourselves), here is the link to Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along blog. There is a lot of fun to be had and the final installment is coming soon!

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Be well and have a fantastic rest of the week.

Writing prompts come in many shapes, types and sizes. I try to provide a good assortment here on site, but I’m not always sure I’m doing the right thing. However, I have decided to spread out and try a few different things.

There are a couple weekly memes that I participate in on other sites that I will be including here from now on. I’ll also be continuing on with random work banks, Thursday thirteen writing prompts and Friday Feasts as well, but I’ll try to spice it up in coming weeks. If you read my other sites, I apologize for the doubles, but it’s the only way I can get more variety here on WA.

I have not lost my passion for music, however, so you don’t need to worry there. Today is still Musical Monday and, while I don’t really have a theme for this week, I would like you present you with a few of the music videos that have been inspiring my writing lately.

I hope they inspire you as much as they do me, and I hope you have a great Monday and rest of the week.

Maroon 5 - I Won’t Go Home Without You

Maroon 5 has long been one of my big inspiration bands. While I can’t claim to like all of their songs, there is a soft spot in me for many of them.

How Can I Not Love You (From Anna and the King)

This is a very sweet and romantic song that I have loved since I first saw Anna and the King. Very appropriate if you have any characters going through romantic strife.

Hi all! Man it seems like forever since I’ve been able to post here. Do you feel the same?

Anywho, because of what happened, it came to my attention just how many people read here that have no way of getting in touch with me when the site is down. For the majority of you, that’s not a problem. Either you have my email address or you’re just not that upset about not being able to contact me for whatever amount of time. And that’s okay because I’m not always the best correspondent.

However, it would have been very nice to be able to let you know what was going on.

Because of that, I have been ‘inspired’ to tell you about a few of the other places you can find me, should something like this happen again. (Let’s all hope that it doesn’t.)

Twitter

Facebook

I’m at other places to, but these two are the ones I generally check in on every day. If you have any recommendations of other things I should join, let me know. Just keep in mind that I’m usually quite lazy and I’m proud of the fact that I have two social sites that I visit daily.

Feel free to friend me on any of these sites. It would be great, though, if you could let me know that you’re friending me because you saw this post. (“Hi, I’m ___. I read you on ___.) That’s not possible for all the sites, but I will definitely appreciate it if you put it in when you can.

Thank you all. Now it’s time for lunch.

Hi everyone!

Phew! We are back in action (as you can see). Did you miss me? I missed you!

Group hug!

Too much? Okay. I’ll behave.

I am very glad to be back in action and posting here on site. I apologize for all the down time, but as happens with technology sometimes, we had a bit of a technology burp. Apparently some drives and servers went down at headquarters and things were a bit messy for a while.

Don’t ask me to go into it further because it’s probably, ultimately, quite boring.

Thank you all for your patience (and for coming back after such a long gap). I know that going too long without posting can be a bit of a ‘virtual death’ for any site, so I doubly appreciate all of you who have been checking in with me via email, twitter and other things.

If any of you are interested in alternative ways to contact me (should the sites ever go down again, heaven forbid), leave a comment and I’ll post up some of my information.

I would like to reward everyone who stuck around through all this by holding a contest. I know I just held two big contests, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hold a few more, right?

If you have any ideas for a contest, please let me know. I’ll be taking your suggestions for the next few weeks so we can hopefully get something going soon.

Once again, my apologies, and thank you to everyone for your patience. I’m very glad to be back.

Have a good one!