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Where Awesome Book Readers Meet Awesome Writers

1. The Dead of Winter -

   About The Dead of Winter:

   Faced with a decision of when or if ever to remove his young wife from life support, a mysterious doctor offers a young man a third alternative. This alternative is a biologically altering process that will instill ageless and immortality. However, it is not without underlying abnormalities.
   Overwhelmed by well-intentioned but conflicting advice, a young man seeks solace in a mountain cabin in the dead of winter so he can come to terms with the inevitable. Not far from his own cabin, stands another shrouded in mystery. Although a doctor administers to those inside, the occupants remain elusive. On a late night outing, a brief encounter with one of its occupants, a beautiful but strangely exotic woman, leads the young man to seek out the doctor to learn more about her. Having already chanced upon one of his wards, as the doctor refers to those he cares for, he gives the young man singular access to his cabin and introduces him to his bizarre world of extraordinary people. Men, women, and children once diagnosis as terminally ill but who, through a cure kept guarded for over fifty years have renewed life. However, his wards must live a nocturnal, clandestine life, forever shielded from the deadly rays of the sun and dependent on a recurrent transfusion of blood as their sole nourishment.
   As the young man develops a personal relationship with the young woman, he comes to understand and appreciate her condition and that of the others, as strange as it is. Offered the process as a way to awaken his wife from her coma and restore her health, he allows the biological altering process to begin. However, as she undergoes the transformation, one that is irreversible, doubt of his decision seep in. What would she think of life thrust upon her without her consent? Locked into a world dependent on others. A world isolated from family and friends and forever denied the light of day. In the end, he makes a heart-wrenching decision.

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.

   Author Bio:
   Born and raised in the Los Angeles area. Graduate of California State, Fullerton in communication, film and television.

   The Dead of Winter is a post from Awesome Gang

   
   

2. Black Market Baby by Renee Clarke -

   About Black Market Baby by Renee Clarke:

   I was born in Canada in 1940. Pregnancy outside of marriage was a disgrace and young women who found themselves in such situations were whisked away and dumped into convents or hospitals. Babies were taken out of the arms of young mothers, often without their consent and sold to married couples. They were smuggled across the U.S./Canadian Border. Papers were forged or destroyed. They were called “black market babies.” I was one of these children. Black Market Baby reveals my life growing up as an adoptee . . . with its inherent sense of rootlessness, abandonment and denial. The writing of this book made my adoption real to me – the shame of unwed mothers, the shame of being different, the shame of being abandoned by my own mother and born of a questionable past. My parents didn’t tell me until I was eleven years old, a mistake made by many, and I spent most of my adult life ignoring the fact of my true origins. It wasn’t until I was forty-eight that I began to face the truth and start searching. This story exists on many levels: adoption, divorce, politics, mystics and psychics, backpacking into the wilderness to find solace, facing health issues, dealing with three daughters, dropping out of the clichéd housewife existence to living the alternative lifestyle of an artist, which has always been my secret desire. It shows the difficulties of coping with the truth about my life and facing the realities of who I am . . . it is a story of discovery.

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Buy the Book On Amazon.
   Goodreads Profile Page

   Author Bio:
   Black Market Baby is written under a pen name to protect the identities of those involved. This is my fifth published book and I’m working on the next two. I was born and raised in Canada and moved to the US to get away from the strangling political atmosphere in Quebec during the 1970s. I was finally drawn to the West – the Rocky Mountains – where I love to hike and eventually wound up at the Pacific Ocean.

   Black Market Baby by Renee Clarke is a post from Awesome Gang

   
   

3. Secret to Startup Failure: Fail Fast. Fail Cheap. Fail Happy. -

   About Secret to Startup Failure: Fail Fast. Fail Cheap. Fail Happy.:

   Award winning entrepreneur and author of popular webcomic series “EntrepreNo’s: Secret to Startup Failure” Sonia Lin unveils a startup life full of failures, based off her iconic humor in the webcomics that are weaved into practical themes in a startup life, coupled with words of advice to fellow entrepreneurs. The “fail fast, fail cheap, fail happy” mantra of this book commits to promote work-life balance and the ability to look beyond and laugh at the startup life vicissitudes in order to achieve long-term entrepreneurial success.

   For those who are crazy enough to keep failing…
   Award winning entrepreneur and author of popular webcomic series EntrepreNo’s: Secret to Startup Failure Sonia Lin unveils a startup life full of failures, based off her iconic humor in the webcomics that are weaved into practical themes in a startup life, coupled with words of advice to fellow entrepreneurs. The “fail fast, fail cheap, fail happy” mantra of this book commits to promote work-life balance and the ability to look beyond and laugh at the startup life vicissitudes in order to achieve long-term entrepreneurial success.

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.
   Visit the Facebook Fan Page.
   Goodreads Profile Page

   Author Bio:
   Sonia Lin is an entrepreneur, author, and developer. She is the author of EntrepreNo’s: Secret to Startup Failure, a webcomic series that illustrates the lack of work-life balance in a startup and is inspired by her startup experiences.

   Her previous work includes the founding of a Chicago-based startup that won a Google-themed global business competition with a $250,000 investment, and was featured in major media such as TechCrunch, Bloomberg, and Yahoo.

   Sonia has been profiled in a Google commercial that was aired internationally and was a Ten Outstanding Young Persons finalist for her active role in the startup scene. She holds a Masters of Science in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Northwestern University.

   01/15/2014

   Secret to Startup Failure: Fail Fast. Fail Cheap. Fail Happy. is a post from Awesome Gang

   
   
4. The Man Who Built Boxes and other stories by Frank Tavares -

   About The Man Who Built Boxes and other stories by Frank Tavares:

   This is a debut short story collection of 12 stories that have been published in literary magazines and journals. If there’s a running theme, it might be that all the characters are people who, through choices they’ve made or actions they’ve taken, have managed to limit their lives. Some are driven by love, others by loneliness.

   They are all people any of us might meet and their situations aren’t uncommon, and yet there’s something about these people that made me want to tell their stories. They were never meant to be grouped together, but now that they are, they seem to be co-existing happily.

   What’s great about a short story collection is that you can pick and choose, some might engage you more than others.

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.
   Visit the Facebook Fan Page.
   Goodreads Profile Page

   Author Bio:
   I have been writing my whole professional life, but only started writing fiction about 13 years ago. I go back and forth between novels and fiction, the same way I go back and forth between my day job–teaching college and my writing. It’s a tricky balance that means getting up most mornings before dawn to write.

   I’ve been fortunate to have had a third job–as an announcer for National Public Radio. For the past 32 years, I’ve read the credits following all new and information programs. People know me as “the support for guy.”

   All three of these have given me great satisfaction but I’m very pleased that I’m reaching a point in my life when I can concentrate more on writing. An excerpt from my novel-in-progress, Digging Up Mr. Bradley, is the last story in the collection.

   The Man Who Built Boxes and other stories by Frank Tavares is a post from Awesome Gang

   
   
5. Be a Critical Thinker: Hone Your Mind to Think Critically -

   About Be a Critical Thinker: Hone Your Mind to Think Critically: “Deftly organized into two major sections, Donald Karshner’s Be a Critical Thinker is itself a model of rational thought and highly recommended and instructive. Thoroughly ‘reader friendly’ in style and presentation, Be a Critical Thinker would make an excellent high school or college curriculum textbook supplement for Philosophy or Political Science classes. Very highly recommended for community and academic library collections.” – The Midwest Book Review, Small Press Bookwatch, November 2013 When reading the newspaper, listening to politicians or discussing current events, how can you determine whether the facts and opinions shared are truthful and accurate or misleading and false? Donald L. Karshner has had a lifelong interest in developing critical thinking skills. Inspired by his granddaughter, who was open to suggestions as she went off to college, Karshner began compiling his advice on honing critical thinking. This book evolved from the few pages he had written for his granddaughter. Be a Critical Thinker offers a clear process for applying critical thinking skills to scrutinize ideas, facts and interpretations, even when they are inconsistent or contradictory. By applying the skills of critical thinking, you will be better equipped to clarify your thinking process, to intelligently critique what you read and hear, to correct errors, to dispel misunderstandings and ignorance, and to make a positive contribution to a discussion or debate. Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media: Buy the Book On Amazon. Visit the Facebook Fan Page. Goodreads Profile Page Author Bio: Donald L. Karshner has had a life-long interest in developing critical thinking skills. He grew up in Columbus, Ohio and was educated in the Columbus public schools. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Education degree from the Ohio State University in Columbus, and taught school in Columbus. Karshner went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree and was in the parish ministry for over thirty years. At age 86, he is retired and makes his home in Philadelphia, PA. 01/15/2014

   Be a Critical Thinker: Hone Your Mind to Think Critically is a post from Awesome Gang

   
   
6. Crowdfunding: The Next Big Thing -

   About Crowdfunding: The Next Big Thing:

   In CrowdFunding: The Next Big Thing, money-raising expert Gary Spirer reveals the secrets of raising capital in the digital age. He outlines the ins and outs of the five major capital-raising strategies, including how the current Kickstarter type crowdfunding differs from crowdfunding equity. The new world of crowdfunding equity can be hard to navigate due to numerous regulations, and the challenge of keeping crowds engaged. In CrowdFunding, entrepreneurs will learn about successful pitches and how to pitch concepts in person or on crowdfunding websites.

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.
   Visit the Facebook Fan Page.
   Goodreads Profile Page

   Author Bio:
   Gary Spirer leveraged his MBA in finance from Columbia University to become an investment banker, investor, and entrepreneur who has transacted over half a billion dollars of real estate development and syndication. Spirer has also raised over $60 million of equity—$125 million in today’s dollars—from accredited investors and small funds for emerging growth companies. Spirer is the founder of the interactive video hosting, marketing, engagement and analytics platform Questionmine, which measures viewers’ opinions, insights, and answers to surveys, polls, quizzes, and segments and responds to them in real time. He is also an author and a public speaker.

   01/15/2014

   Crowdfunding: The Next Big Thing is a post from Awesome Gang

   
   
7. Wise Men & Other Stories: Lessons from the Holidays on Santa, God, Heaven, Death & More Fun Stuff from Someone Who Still Has a Lot to Learn -

   About Wise Men & Other Stories: Lessons from the Holidays on Santa, God, Heaven, Death & More Fun Stuff from Someone Who Still Has a Lot to Learn:

   “Wise Men & Other Stories: Lessons from the Holidays on Santa, God, Heaven, Death & More Fun Stuff from Someone Who Still Has a Lot to Learn” is a collection of holiday-related essays that blends humor and poignancy in the tradition of Robert Fulghum, Dave Barry, Bill Bryson and other great American humorists.

   This collection began with “Wise Men,” an essay about the author’s experience as a “wise man” in the St. Elizabeth Elementary Christmas play, and the lessons learned when he was asked to help another wise man who couldn’t remember his lines. That essay was published in newspapers across the nation and broadcast on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” program, and so began a tradition of holiday essays from Mike O’Mary.

   Over the years, the essays in this collection were read as part of “Morning Edition” on Northern Illinois Public Radio, and published in the Sunday magazines of the Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, Baltimore Sun, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Detroit Free Press and elsewhere. Along the way, O’Mary developed a cult following for his holiday stories.

   “O’Mary has a gift for simple, frank exposition of life’s most poignant moments,” says author Stephen Parrish (The Tavernier Stones). In Wise Men and Other Stories, O’Mary shares that gift with all of us.

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.
   Visit the Facebook Fan Page.
   https://twitter.com/dreamofthings
   Goodreads Profile Page

   Author Bio:
   Mike O’Mary is author of The Note, a book about the power of appreciation that was named the Best Gift Book of 2011 in the Living Now Book Awards. Mike is also author of Wise Men and Other Stories, a collection of holiday-related essays.

   In addition, Mike founded the Note Project, a campaign to make the world a better place by encouraging people to share notes of appreciation with others. Mike is also founder of Dream of Things, a book publisher and online book store, and series editor for Dream of Things anthologies, including Saying Goodbye, a collection of true stories about how we say goodbye to the people, places and things in our lives, and Be There Now, a collection of travel stories from around the world.

   In his career, Mike has written essays, fiction, drama and sketch comedy. He has published stories and essays in the Sunday magazines of the Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, Baltimore Sun, Cleveland Plain Dealer and Detroit Free Press.

   Mike has also written and produced sketch comedy in Chicago, and he was a commentator on WNIJ – Northern Illinois Public Radio, doing weekly commentaries as part of the local segment of National Public Radio’s Morning Edition program.

   Mike is a graduate of Knox College (BA in Economics and English-Writing), the University of Montana (MFA in Creative Writing, MA in English Literature), and the Second City Comedy Writing Program.

   In addition to his creative work, Mike has more than 20 years of experience in corporate communications, producing speeches, annual reports and other executive communications for the CEOs of many leading companies, including AAR Corporation, Andrew Corporation, Bank One, DeKalb Genetics Corporation, Discover Financial Services, Federal Signal, GE Zenith Controls, Hewitt Associates, Nicor Inc., RR Donnelley, Tellabs, UOP and others.

   Wise Men & Other Stories: Lessons from the Holidays on Santa, God, Heaven, Death & More Fun Stuff from Someone Who Still Has a Lot to Learn is a post from Awesome Gang

   
   
8. Worse Things Happen At Sea: A Very Funny Romantic Comedy -

   About Worse Things Happen At Sea: A Very Funny Romantic Comedy:

   Beverley Wilkins promised herself when she started working at Britannia Royal Naval College, the Royal Navy’s premier officer training establishment, that she would eventually become that most envied of creatures – an officer’s wife!

   She might be divorced and in her mid 40s, but it doesn’t mean she’s given up on romance – after all, she’s seen ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’…!

   The only problem is that so far, the only man in her life is her dog Nelson who unfortunately has a mind of his own – not for nothing is he named after Britain’s greatest hero…!

   But it’s a new term which means new officers.

   Anything could happen…!

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.
   Visit the Facebook Fan Page.

   Author Bio:
   Beverley lives with her husband in the beautiful South West of England along with a menagerie of animals including 2 dogs (an Irish terrier called Nelson, plus a neurotic ‘Chorkie’ named Pepé) and two cats called Dillon and Honey.

   She spent 8 years teaching English as a Foreign Language to International Military Students which is where the inspiration for her romantic comedy ‘Worse Things Happen At Sea’ came from.

   Her grammar should be pretty good (most of the time!)

   Worse Things Happen At Sea: A Very Funny Romantic Comedy is a post from Awesome Gang