Here is Todays List of Ebooks from AwesomeGang
Published: Thu, 11/06/14
http://awesomegang.com
Where Awesome Book Readers Meet Awesome Writers
- Ida Claire -
About Ida Claire:
DA CLAIRE is a feisty, fun rhyming picture book about a single dad trying to keep up with his imaginative daughter. A day with Ida Claire is a full day indeed!
32 full-color screens, written by bestselling thriller author Scott Nicholson and artist Lee Davis. Look for the children’s books IF I WERE YOUR MONSTER, DUNCAN THE PUNKIN, and TOO MANY WITCHES
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Scott Nicholson is author of more than 30 books.Ida Claire is a post from Awesome Gang
- One Light Burning (The Rippled Reality Trilogy Book 1) -
About One Light Burning (The Rippled Reality Trilogy Book 1):In a small town named Gordonville Pennsylvania that Kyle considers nowhere, he lives a lazy life with his father, trying to find him-self. A town whose economy and workforce decimated by losing its main employer of jobs there is not much work to be found. In turn, there is not much for a high-school drop out to do. It is a boring and monotonous existence for a young adult. Going from job to job, just to get by, he finds himself in the same rut as every other kid his age.
Most of his free time consists of playing poker with his friends and coming up with elite schemes to scam people out of their money. Something however, was about to change his life forever, and draw him ever closer to the only person he feels he is close with an older girl named Alicia.
The day before his eighteenth birthday, an unruly discovery of an abnormal ability he did not ask for reared its ugly head shaking up his world forever. Out of nowhere, he could now see the living future of random objects and things in a ghost like form ahead in time of their true selves. As if his life was not complicated enough having a mother who passed away five years in the past, and a verbally abusive father, who spent more time running a hole in the wall tavern than take care of him, it just got more convoluted.
The epiphany of this new-found ability occurs before a terrible accident transpires. A confused and bewildered Kyle questions why he was unable physically to use evasive actions to avoid what he knew was going to happen. Blaming himself for what happened, he delves into a deep dark path of questioning his realities and philosophical reasoning behind his new rippled reality.
“One Light Burning” is a fast-paced science fiction thriller, from start to finish with a deeply entrenched story of a young adult dealing with having lost his mother, a verbally abusive father, love, guilt and a newly acquired paranormal ability of his mind’s eye he does not understand.
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My fascination with writing started at a young age. I remember in school filling up the unused portion of spiraled notebooks with abstract ideas and stories. Being a very lucid dreamer, a lot of my ideas and characters come from dreams that I have had that I wrote down.My writing style is one that creates a complex plot, but one that melds together and all its parts make sense. Detailing characters feelings and living through their viewpoint, at a mysterious pace, revealing little by little just how everything fits together keeps a story interesting throughout the entire adventure.
One Light Burning (The Rippled Reality Trilogy Book 1) is a post from Awesome Gang
- Living with Depression: How to Overcome Depression and Live a Happy Life -
About Living with Depression: How to Overcome Depression and Live a Happy Life:
Depression is something that many people have experienced. It can take the form of short periods of feeling down in the dumps, but it can also be something that lasts for much greater periods of time. It can leave you feeling completely in despair and like you have nothing to help pull you out of the slump. Unfortunately, depression often leaves you feeling hopeless and alone, leading to a withdrawal from social interactions both at work and on a personal level.
Living with Depression is written to help provide you with an understanding of depression and to show you how you can overcome the feelings of despair and begin to live a happier life. In this book, you will not only learn the causes and symptoms of depression, but you will gain valuable insight into how you can build self-esteem and discover who you really are as well as the best way to handle criticism and how you can utilize positive thinking for maximum benefit. This book will explain how eating a healthy diet and getting enough exercise and sleep can help alleviate the feelings of depression. It will provide the tools you need to begin your journey to a happier and more jubilant life.
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Edward Wilson is an experienced writer, editor and blogger. Passionate about fitness, sports, diet and nutrition, Edward writes on a variety of health-related topics. Believing in that prevention is the best strategy to deal with diseases, Edward wants to help people around the world to benefit from healthy lifestyles.Living with Depression: How to Overcome Depression and Live a Happy Life is a post from Awesome Gang
- MEMOIRS OF A TRANSSEXUAL CALL GIRL- Enter the Butterfly -
About MEMOIRS OF A TRANSSEXUAL CALL GIRL- Enter the Butterfly:
99 Cent Bargain from November 5 – 8, 2014
Be forewarned that this book has a hard edge and the checkered path to Dee Dee’s existence and is not for the faint of heart. It’s true, nature does make mistakes. Dee Dee is the woman who lived inside the young boy Denny. Sound confusing? Imagine what young Denny went through? This powerful narrative follows the change in body, mind and life of a transsexual girl.
After a turn to prostitution to finance her sex change surgery Dee Dee makes the best of it and expands her new sex worker life to include owning and operating an escort service. After her surgery this narrative follows her as she indulges in some of the sexual behavior she had only dreamed about pre-surgery.
Yes, this book has a collection of Dee Dee’s excesses, but it also contains the story of how she overcame some huge obstacles. Courage is courage, be it in sex change surgery or from the view behind the bars of a locked jail cell. Most people would have given up or sought an easier way, but not Dee Dee.
This book is her legacy. Her hope is that it will endure and bring some clarity to readers about the trials of the transgendered. We know Dee Dee endured long enough to finish her journey and see her life’s dream come true, a claim few can make. In a way this book is a success story, it’s about a win, it’s about hope triumphing.
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Dee Dee Jackson is a post-op transsexual who passes completely and has worked as a casino card dealer, an entertainer playing guitar and singing, a song writer and now the Author of her Memoirs. She was raised in Wayne, New Jersey and Miami, Florida and currently resides in Salinas, Ecuador, SA.MEMOIRS OF A TRANSSEXUAL CALL GIRL- Enter the Butterfly is a post from Awesome Gang
- MIRACLES – The Holy Spirit’s Fire: 20 Inspirational True Stories of God’s Brilliance Ablaze (The Art of Charismatic Christian Faith Series Book 2) -
About MIRACLES – The Holy Spirit’s Fire: 20 Inspirational True Stories of God’s Brilliance Ablaze (The Art of Charismatic Christian Faith Series Book 2):
MIRACLES – The Holy Spirit’s Fire includes 20 inspiring true short stories of supernatural miracles of God. When the author received Jesus as Lord, she could never in her dreams or imaginings have thought that God would hand her a torch of fire of the Holy Spirit to carry out miracles for Him, in Jesus name. To heal the sick, cast away demons and bring forth miracles in His name. Journey with Connie Bryson and witness God’s brilliance ablaze!
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CONNIE BRYSON was a commercial actress and model, but soon felt a void. That void was the absence of God in her life. She dedicated herself to the Lord and soon after got married and had a family. She has been teaching the Bible to women for twenty-seven years, as of this publication. Connie enjoys writing, to encourage others daily, in her blog. Her love for God, family, and others has inspired her to share the supernatural events that God has created in her life. Connie’s greatest desire is to finish well.MIRACLES – The Holy Spirit’s Fire: 20 Inspirational True Stories of God’s Brilliance Ablaze (The Art of Charismatic Christian Faith Series Book 2) is a post from Awesome Gang
- NEURI SHAPE-SHIFTER -
About NEURI SHAPE-SHIFTER:
Neuri Shape-Shifter is the third book in the Mystic Mystery Stone Quest series. Twenty-five years after psychic tracker Luke Stone fought his nemesis the black magician Armand Jacobi in the heart of Death Valley, Armand is back. After a series of adolescent girls goes missing from Manhattan’s Lower East, Luke’s former stomping grounds, retired NYC detective Stan Banor reaches out to Luke for help. But the stakes suddenly go sky-high when Luke’s own daughter, Bridget Grace, a psychic even more powerful than her father, disappears leaving behind a cryptic note. As Stan and Luke race against the clock to find the girls, all clues point to Armand Jacobi. Gregorian chants hum, Catholic Saints animate, and fairy lanterns glow as Luke Stone chases his nemesis from New Camen, NH to Alphabet City, NY to the Leelanau Peninsula of Northern Michigan in a battle to save his daughter’s life.
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Leigh Podgorski is an award winning playwright and screenwriter. Among her favorite projects are a play and documentary on Cahuilla elder Katherine Siva Saubel entitled We Are Still Here and the one-act play Windstorm for which she interviewed Dr. Elisabeth Kubler Ross. Leigh’s novels include The Women Debrowska that is (very) loosely based on her own Polish ancestry, Ouray’s Peak which follows the story of one matriarchal Ute Indian lineage, and the Mystery Magical Realism Stone Quest series that includes Desert Chimera, Gallows Ascending, and Neuri Shape-Shifter.NEURI SHAPE-SHIFTER is a post from Awesome Gang
- The Business Idea Factory: A World-Class System for Creating Successful Business Ideas -
About The Business Idea Factory: A World-Class System for Creating Successful Business Ideas:
The Business Idea Factory is an effective and easy-to-use system for creating successful business ideas. It is based on 10 years of research into idea-generation techniques used by the world’s best scientists, artists, CEOs, entrepreneurs and innovators. The book is entertaining to read, has plenty of stories and offers bits of wisdom necessary to increase the quantity and quality of ideas that you create multiple times. Once you begin applying strategies described in this book, you will create successful business ideas regularly and make your life more adventurous. You will realize that there are few things that can bring as much joy and success in business as the moment when an excellent idea comes to your head.
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
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At the age of 19, Andrii obtained his CCIE (Certified Cisco Internetwork Expert) certification, the most respected certification in the IT world, and became the youngest person in Europe to hold it. At the age of 23, he joined an MBA program at one of the top 10 MBA schools in the USA as the youngest student in the program, and at the age of 25 he joined Cisco Systems’ Head Office as a Product Manager responsible for managing a router which brought in $1 billion in revenue every year.
These and other experiences have taught Andrii that success in any endeavor doesn’t as much depend on the amount of experience you have but rather on the processes that you are using. Having dedicated over 10 years to researching behavior of world’s most successful people and testing a variety of different techniques, Andrii has uncovered principles that will help you to unleash your potential and fulfill your dreams in a very short period of time.The Business Idea Factory: A World-Class System for Creating Successful Business Ideas is a post from Awesome Gang
- Rogue Genes -
About Rogue Genes:
Middle-east terrorists capture six five-year old polyploid boys from the village of Polysomia to fight as warriors in their country. At five, the boys look deceptively like diploid men, but will soon be nine-foot giants. Thanks to an influenza infection of their diploid parents, the boys carry genes for healing wounds and regenerating limbs, and for synthesizing vitamin C to keep them well.
How did kidnappers enter Polysomia that night? Did the gate guard help them find the boys’ apartments?
Will government agencies help in finding the boys? Legal rights of diploid Homo sapiens do not apply to polyploids. However, thwarting terrorist activities is a concern of the government.Meanwhile, the body of a diploid girl along with a large sum of money in a metal box is found buried in the woods near the Polysomia guardhouse. Did a polyploid kill the girl? If so, why? Is the money a pay-off from the kidnappers?
Polyploids are quarantined at Polysomia, and without help from law enforcement must hire someone to find the boys. The investigator they hire from a Yellow Pages listing takes two polyploids with him on the search-Jamil, a six-year old Iranian boy who speaks Farsi, and Simon, a full grown polyploid with violent tendencies.
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Victoria Sullivan is a writer and botanist. She studied biology at the University of Miami and has a Ph.D. in biology from Florida State University. She has published poetry, flash fiction, numerous botanical papers, and nonfiction articles. She held a faculty position in the Department of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette for 20 years. She is a resident of Sewanee, Tennessee, and winters in New Iberia, Louisiana.Rogue Genes is a post from Awesome Gang
- Meditation Techniques For Beginners: 12 Simple Meditation Techniques On How To Meditate Better To Reduce Stress And Anxiety -
About Meditation Techniques For Beginners: 12 Simple Meditation Techniques On How To Meditate Better To Reduce Stress And Anxiety:
Learn how to reduce stress, and live a happier life with Meditation
Today only, get this Kindle book for just $0.99. Regularly priced at $4.99. Read on your PC, Mac, smart phone, tablet or Kindle device.
You’re about to discover 12 easy and proven Meditation strategies that can change your life forever. Studies show forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress. Stress is known as the silent killer, playing a part in high blood pressure, heart disease, anxiety, and depression.
Stress is something you can take control over. The natural solution to this problem is meditation. There are countless benefits to meditation along with reducing stress, slowing down the aging clock, having more joy in life, getting rid of insomnia, and building health are just a few.Here Is A Preview Of What You’ll Learn…
The Importance Of Meditation
The Myths Of Meditation
Meditation Techniques For Fast Stress Relief
Meditation Techniques For Concentration
Breathing Meditation Techniques For Fast Anxiety Relief
Benefits Of Meditation
How You Can Apply These Techniques To Your Life Today
and much, much more!Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
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Hello, My name is Sophia Cannon and I am living my dream as an author. I want to share with everyone how meditation changed my life. In this book you will learn the benefits of adding just a few minutes a day on meditationMeditation Techniques For Beginners: 12 Simple Meditation Techniques On How To Meditate Better To Reduce Stress And Anxiety is a post from Awesome Gang
- Risky Brides: A Bestsellers’ Collection -
About Risky Brides: A Bestsellers’ Collection:
99 Cent Bargain from November 5 – February 1, 2015
This Exclusive Limited-Time-Only Edition features:
Eight Risky Brides
Eight Full-Length Novels and Novellas
Sexy Romance
Sweet Romance
Romantic Suspense
Romantic Thriller
Thriller
Historical Romance
Contemporary Romance
Cozy Mystery
And so much more!
No Cliffhangers.Looking for your next must-read author? You’ll find him or her in this limited-time-only collection. USA Today Bestsellers, (Vicki Hinze, Rita Herron, Donna Fletcher, Peggy Webb, Kathy Carmichael) veteran authors, (Kimberly Llewellyn and Tara Randel) and dynamic newcomers, (Bayard & Holmes) – all share their unique take on what it means to be a risky bride.
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:
USA Today Bestsellers, (Vicki Hinze, Rita Herron, Donna Fletcher, Peggy Webb, Kathy Carmichael) veteran authors, (Kimberly Llewellyn and Tara Randel) and dynamic newcomers, (Bayard & Holmes)Risky Brides: A Bestsellers’ Collection is a post from Awesome Gang
- Maiden Voyage by Dreama Faire -
About Maiden Voyage by Dreama Faire:An erotic travelogue of romance and intrigue! Facing up to her own quiet and lonely life, a spinster college professor decides to follow her fantasies, and books passage on a tramp steamer bound for South America. Her voyage takes her into the arms of a handsome, but mysterious seaman, and he, in turn, takes her on an incredible journey of passion, seduction, and submission. But when the games turn dangerous, they flee, isolating themselves into a cocoon of self-examination that surprises them both.
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Visit the Facebook Fan Page.Author Bio:
I have been writing for many years, mostly non-fiction, correspondence, grocery lists…you know, the boring stuff. Then, I discovered Erotic Romance and knew I’d found the perfect answer to middle age! So I entered an erotic short story contest and soon joined the ranks of published authors.Maiden Voyage by Dreama Faire is a post from Awesome Gang
- It’s Not My Favorite -
About It’s Not My Favorite:
“An irreverent, modern-day, romantic comedy!”
The Hutchinson sisters grew up under the piercing, pious stare of a preacher’s wife. Plagued by her ever-disappointed refrain, “Well, it’s not my favorite.” Their search to find their own way in the world has not been a screaming success.
Gwenn is a good girl, a responsible girl…a miserable girl. Her steady diet of vivid fantasies is the only part of her life she enjoys. She daydreams of new parents, a more exciting job and an actual love life. She struggles to run a business as The Organizer, while she stacks relationship carcasses in the closet of her own completely unorganized life. Her only real friend is her younger sister, Rachel.
Rachel is outgoing, risque and happily gay. The only people who don’t know this little secret are her judgmental parents, Pastor Ed and Shirley. Rachel struggles mightily to dodge her mother’s constant attempts to set her up with “nice Christian boys”; while holding down a job at the bakery and keeping up with her rock-star girlfriend!
Gwenn uncovers a photo that brings her imaginary world careening into reality. She’s forced to ask herself if wealthy artist, Daniel Gregory is the answer she’s been seeking or a grand delusion.
Break-ups, meltdowns, family secrets, wild nights and finally a journey of self-discovery to exotic New Zealand keep Gwenn and Rachel stumbling toward independence.
So grab your parka and join the Hutchinson girls, as they experience the Lake Effect in Duluth, Minnesota!
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Rue graduated from Pepperdine University with a degree in Journalism. Her intimate knowledge of the Midwest, the inordinate amount of time she spent in its churches’ pews and her unique parentage make her an expert on life after religion. Having moved 17 times by the time she graduated from high school Rue has seen more than her share of the Great Plains. She never stayed in one place long enough to make human friends. Her best friends were all characters from her beloved books; and the love of reading led to a lifelong passion for writing.It’s Not My Favorite is a post from Awesome Gang
- How to Write a Book and Tell Your Story, Easy Steps to Write, Publish, ad Promote Your Book -
About How to Write a Book and Tell Your Story, Easy Steps to Write, Publish, ad Promote Your Book:
This book will take the fear out of writing you book. Learn how easy it can be to tell you own stories as you capture the reader’s attention and draw them into your inner world of thoughts and characters, brought to life by your words. Books enrich our lives and the world needs your stories that only you can present in your own words. You can be one of the 2% who actually write their book! How to Write a Book and Tell Your Story was written for the ‘newbie author,’ to take the mystery out of writing your book. Read simple steps from choosing the subject to the actually book writing process. You will learn the most efficient method to write and publish your book. Writing your book is an amazing destination–your book in print with your author name of course!
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
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Barbara Miller, author, motivational speaker, and certified master life coach, is the founder of Barbara & Company International, Inc. Barbara studied Health & Wellness at Ashford University and also studied at Kendall College of Art & Design. Barbara earned her master life coaching certification through American University of NLP.
Barbara just released her fifth book, How to Write a Book and Tell Your Story, Easy Steps to Write, Publish, and Promote Your Book, a guide for newbie authors to take the mystery out of writing their book. Barbara also wrote Dancing in Rhythm with the Universe, 10 Steps to Choreographing Your Best Life, and You Lost Your Marriage Not Your Life, How to Create the Life You Want Your Way. Barbara has an active coaching practice which highlights accomplishing your goals!How to Write a Book and Tell Your Story, Easy Steps to Write, Publish, ad Promote Your Book is a post from Awesome Gang
- Chakras for Beginners and Kundalini Boxed Set: Meditation to Use Your Chakras energy and Kundalini Meditation -
About Chakras for Beginners and Kundalini Boxed Set: Meditation to Use Your Chakras energy and Kundalini Meditation:
This is what you get in this Meditation and Yoga bundle
Chakras
Meditation for Beginners
Reiki
Yoga
Kundalini
Meditation
Yoga
Pilates
Much, much more!This Meditation boxed set includes chakras and kundalini proven steps and strategies on how to learn one of the most amazing powers we all possess, our chakra’s energy and how to bance them for healing and living at our best. This book here is the most complete and comprehensive guide on meditation
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Buy the Book On Amazon.Author Bio:
Hi, I’m Adahi Flores. Here’s a little about me:I’m an entrepreneur, author, fitness enthusiast. I feel that I am extremely blessed for the life that I live.
The purpose of my books is to be a source of inspiration and change for those who refuse to settle for anything less than an extraordinary life. In my books I will openly and passionately share all of the strategies, resources, and tools that I continue to discover that have made a great difference in the quality of my life, and they will for your life as well.
All of my writing is dedicated to focusing on helping myself and others live a life of balance. I believe that there are 7 master areas for an extraordinary life, and each area requires constant growth, focus, and commitment.
I invite you to use my e-books here to help you achieve your goals and live the life you’ve always dreamed of. Feel free to browse the books. If I can help or inspire you in any way that I can, then there’s nothing that would make me happier.
I love to read – over the years I’ve consumed HUNDREDS of books on anything that could improve the quality of my life, on topics such as: self-help, biographies, business, marketing, psychology, health, fitness, spirituality, etc… I love to learn. I believe the best investment you can make is in yourself.
I also have an immense passion for health and fitness, and have made an incredible transformation in my physical body over the years.
If there’s any questions, comments or feedback you have for me – feel free to contact me anytime.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to hearing from you sometime soon!
“Thank you for taking the time to download my books, I hope that it will help you better your life in some way, I am here if you happen to need any help, please let me know :)”
Chakras for Beginners and Kundalini Boxed Set: Meditation to Use Your Chakras energy and Kundalini Meditation is a post from Awesome Gang
- Stairway To My Heart by Marion Marchetto -
About Stairway To My Heart by Marion Marchetto:Fans of the popular Emmy award-winning period series Downton Abbey will be irresistibly drawn to STAIRWAY TO MY HEART, the first book of The Bridgewater Chronicles. Come behind the scenes of a fictitious American dynasty and uncover the lives, loves, and lies that take place in this intriguing family saga.
What happens when the son of high society Boston old money marries the nouveau riche New York daughter of immigrant trades folk? Will there be smooth sailing? Will there be rough waters? Will this union withstand the test of time – or will the two lovers fall victim to the poison of power?
From the moment Cordelia Conner is born in New York in 1890, her seamstress mother vows her daughter’s life will be far better than hers. She dreams that one day, her daughter will become a lady of quality and marry a wealthy man—and she is prepared to dedicate her life to make it happen. Hundreds of miles away, young Kevin Newkirk is growing up in a prominent Boston family, accustomed to a life of prestige. He is keenly aware that he is the last Newkirk male and in need of a suitable wife to provide him with a son to carry on the family name. In love with a woman whose heritage is questionable, Kevin has no idea that Cordelia even exists.
When fate brings Kevin and Cordelia together during a weekend at a summer home, he decides she is the answer to his dilemma. Cordelia sees Kevin as the means to fulfill her mother’s burning passion. Their relationship seems destined to be a match made in heaven.
The first book of The Bridgewater Chronicles, STAIRWAY TO MY HEART introduces us to the Newkirk family, an emblematic turn-of-the-century affluent family and their devoted household staff. Marchetto’s trademark passion and quixotic characters will keep you spellbound as you navigate the twists and turns of this intricate drama. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be captivated by the characters – and taken in by the sweet sensuality of The Bridgewater Chronicles.
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Visit the Author’s Website.
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Visit the Facebook Fan Page.Author Bio:
As a Connecticut native daughter, Marion has lived in the Housatonic Valley (Shelton and Derby), The Fair Haven area of New Haven, Wallingford, and Meriden. She and her husband currently reside in Central Florida. Their three cats provide plenty of company and excitement.STAIRWAY TO MY HEART is the first book of her newest series, The Bridgewater Chronicles; this will be a family saga spanning five generations (from 1890 through the present). Marion has recently published THIS JADED HEART – book two of The Bridgewater Chronicles. (In 2013 STAIRWAY TO MY HEART was included in the celebrity gift bag for attendees at the International Emmy Awards.)
Through her writing Marion hopes to instill in her readers a desire to learn more about the history of where they live and/or were born while reliving the romance of times gone by.
She has been an invited speaker to local middle schools (Florida) during Literacy Week.
Stairway To My Heart by Marion Marchetto is a post from Awesome Gang
- Flash Bang -
About Flash Bang:
Sebastian Parks is drowning in a flood of his own creation. Dishonorably discharged from the Army, he’s wracked with night terrors and an anger that he can’t abate. Unemployable and uninterested in anything resembling a normal job, Parks makes his living in fugitive apprehension, finding wanted felons on Facebook and thumping them into custody with his ex-military buddies John Harkin and Eric “Etch” Echevarria. When the body of a teenage Muslim boy is found in front of a downtown Denver nightclub Parks, Harkin and Etch are called on to do what they do best:
Find bad men and make them pay.First-time author Kellen Burden serves up edgy humor, brutal action and crime fiction characters you can’t get enough of. Flash Bang is an action suspense thriller that will keep you turning pages until the end. Burden takes you on a ride you won’t experience in other private investigator mysteries. The dialog is clipped, cutting and completely original, and is the opening shot in a bounty hunter series that will leave you wanting more. If you like hard-boiled detective novels, give this new author a try.
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Buy the Book On Amazon.Author Bio:
Kellen Burden was born and raised in Southern California and has bounced his happy ass to Denver, Colorado,Portland Oregon and Seattle, Washington. He works in the field of loss prevention, security and organized retail crime investigation, and has recently begun a career with the Oregon National Guard. Flash Bang is his first novel. One time, he fought a bear.If you enjoyed this book, take a few moments to post a review on the book’s page at www.amazon.com . The author can be contacted at www.kellenburden.com
Flash Bang is a post from Awesome Gang
- Meditation: Chakras Yoga Boxed Set -
About Meditation: Chakras Yoga Boxed Set:These chakras book and Reiki contain proven steps and strategies on how to learn one of the most amazing powers we all possess, our chakra’s energy and how to balance them for healing and living at our best.
If our chakras or any part of our vitality system are out of balance, it can have a significant effect on our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. When they are out of parity or alignment, both our bodies and our lives are liable to be out of balance also. We may observe that we are prone to diseases, or that our lives are miserable, unsatisfying, or disorderly.
In these chakras and kundalini books you’ll learn that by keeping our physical body healthy and working well is an essential practice in balancing and healing the chakras.
It keeps all the secretions, hormones, and functions of various systems of our body in harmony and aligned with one another. If our chakras or any part of our vitality system are out of balance, it can have a significant effect on our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.
When they are out of parity or alignment, both our bodies and our lives are liable to be out of balance also. We may observe that we are prone to diseases, or that our lives are miserable, unsatisfying, or disorderly.To be healthy and joyful and keeping on developing spiritually, it’s essential to keep all the chakras balanced, easily flowing energy with the cosmic energy.
Our chakras are source centers of life energy that each one demonstrates a unique state of awareness.
you.
With this Chakras and Reiki box set you will learnh2>
Balancing of the Chakras- Its Role in Health
Clearing the Chakras
Healing the Chakras
Prayer and Meditation
chakra’s energies
Feel More Energized
How your chakras reduce Pain
And
Much, much more!Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Buy the Book On Amazon.Author Bio:
Hello, I’m Adahi Flores. Here’s a little about me:I’m an entrepreneur, author and fitness enthusiast. I feel that I am extremely blessed for the life that I live.
The purpose of my books is to be a source of inspiration and change for those who refuse to settle for anything less than an extraordinary life. In my books I will openly and passionately share all of the strategies, resources, and tools that I continue to discover that have made a great difference in the quality of my life, and they will for your life as well.
All of my writing is dedicated to focusing on helping myself and others live a life of balance. I believe that there are 7 master areas for an extraordinary life, and each area requires constant growth, focus, and commitment.
I invite you to use my e-books here to help you achieve your goals and live the life you’ve always dreamed of. Feel free to browse the books. If I can help or inspire you in any way that I can, then there’s nothing that would make me happier.
I love to read – over the years I’ve consumed HUNDREDS of books on anything that could improve the quality of my life, on topics such as: self-help, biographies, business, marketing, psychology, health, fitness, spirituality, etc… I love to learn. I believe the best investment you can make is in yourself.
I also have an immense passion for health and fitness, and have made an incredible transformation in my physical body over the years.
If there’s any questions, comments or feedback you have for me – feel free to contact me anytime.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to hearing from you sometime soon!
“Thank you for taking the time to download my books, I hope that it will help you better your life in some way, I am here if you happen to need any help, please let me know :)”
Meditation: Chakras Yoga Boxed Set is a post from Awesome Gang
- Real Santa -
About Real Santa:STARRED REVIEW BOOKLIST
“If somebody doesn’t make a movie out of this book, there’s something wrong with the world. This could have been played as an out-and-out slapstick comedy, but instead the author approaches the story like a character study: a portrait of a man with the best intentions in the world watching those intentions collide with reality. It’s a steamroller of a story, starting small, with George’s idea, and getting bigger and bigger as George tries to put the elements together, as his obsession takes him further and further away from reality. Beautifully done.”
David Pitts Booklist
“The author marries the everyday dramas found in the novels of Tom Perrotta and Nick Hornby to the high camp of Carl Hiaasen or Dave Barry. Adults looking for a funny holiday-themed tale that doesn’t lose its sense of wonder in the face of realism will find a treat here. A lovingly crafted comedy about the madness that fatherhood inspires.”Kirkus Reviews
Best-selling author Hazelgrove (e.g., Ripples; Tobacco Sticks) captures the human need to believe in something good. This book will satisfy readers looking for a happy Christmas story.– Library Journal
“Hazelgrove’s lively improbable narrative will appeal to the readers in the mood for holiday fiction.”Publishers Weekly
George Kronenfeldt is an unemployed engineer with one shot to keep his daughters belief in Santa intact. When Megan tells him the only way she will believe in Santa is if she can videotape him and then tells her fourth grade class she will prove the existence of Santa Claus by posting her video to YouTube, George realizes he must become the Real Santa.
Real Santa is a funny heartwarming story of parenthood gone wrong and illuminates what lengths parents will go to keep their children happy
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
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William Elliott Hazelgrove is the best-selling author of eight novels, Ripples, Tobacco Sticks, Mica Highways, Rocket Man, The Pitcher, Real Santa and the forthcoming Jackpine and The Pitcher 2. His books have received starred reviews in Publisher Weekly, Book of the Month Selections, Junior Library Guild Selections, ALA Editors Choice Awards and optioned for the movies. He was the Ernest Hemingway Writer in Residence where he wrote in the attic of Ernest Hemingway’s birthplace. He has written articles and reviews for USA Today and other publications. He has been the subject of interviews in NPR’s All Things Considered along with features in The New York Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Richmond Times Dispatch, USA Today, People, Channel 11, NBC, WBEZ, WGN. His most recent novel, The Pitcher is a Junior Library Guild Selection and was chosen Book of the Year by Books and Authors. net. His next book Jackpine will be out Spring 2014 with Koehler Books. A follow up novel Real Santa will be out fall of 2014.He runs a political cultural blog, The View From Hemingway’s Attic.
http://www.williamhazelgrove.com
Authors Own words
Born in Richmond, Virginia, and carted back and forth between Virginia and Baltimore, I blame my rootless, restless personality on my father. He was and is a traveling salesman with a keen gift of gab, great wit, a ready joke, and could sell white tennis shoes to coal miners.
It was during these sojourns up and down the east coast I soaked up the stories that would later be Tobacco Sticks and Mica Highways. I think authors should exploit their family history before raping the rest of the culture for material.
Dad finally got tired of the east and moved to the Midwest when I was fourteen. We settled outside of Chicago. It is here I came of age and went off to college for seven years — two degrees and one novel later I returned to Chicago and lived in many different apartments, trying to get a little two hundred page manuscript called Ripples published.
When a local printer said he would take a chance on my book, I jumped and had my first novel published by a man who had never published anything. Great reviews and moderate sales put me back to my jobs as a janitor, baker, waiter, construction worker, teacher, real estate tycoon, mortgage broker, professor, security guard, salesman — anything to make a buck and keep writing. The printer lost his mind and published my second novel, too. That landed me with Bantam after some rave reviews and a paperback auction for my second novel, Tobacco Sticks.
A third novel, Mica Highways, was sold on less than one hundred and fifty pages to Bantam and then I did a strange thing — I settled down to writing in Ernest Hemingway’s birthplace in Oak Park, Illinois. I have since been looking for the Great American Novel up in the old red oak rafters and I think I might have finally found one…. My new novel, Rocket Man, is an exploration of what the American Dream means today. A man moves to the suburbs and his life falls apart in one week. It is a satire but with events now, it seems very timely.
A fifth novel, The Pitcher will be out in September 2013. The story of a boy with an incredible arm but no way to make the highschool team. When an old World Series pitcher agrees to coach him, he finds that a dream is sometimes all you have.
Real Santa is a post from Awesome Gang
- Love Psalms -
About Love Psalms:This just may be one of the best inspired, Christian love stories to date. In the classic romance novel you will find a non fiction type of writing paired up with it because it explores the true life story of a man who lost love, lost faith, but found them both while walking along life’s path.
Pastor Joey Bauer really poured his heart out in this one. He has tried to mix a non fiction feel with a warm tug on the heart that Christian romance novels give you. He has tried to tell his stories, show that Christian love can have a happy ending, even if the beginning is devastating to say the least. You will find in this book some strength and motivation as you read how Pastor Joey in the form of Adrian, lost his one true love to a horrific disease, but God saw him through it all. Through it all he learned to trust in Jesus, in the high times and in the low times, on the mountains and in the valley.
Pick this book up today and be touched by its Christian love inspired message of hope. God’s grace is sure to speak to you in any situation you might be going through while reading the words off of this page. Accompanied by the book of Psalms you will find that even in bad times, Gods warm embrace is right around the corner. Don’t believe us? Check it out for yourself.
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“Everybody falls, but the great ones get back up, again, and again, and again.”-Comeback Kids Ministries Pastor Joey
This is the mantra that Pastor Joey lives by in his hometown of Stockton, California where he is the Senior Pastor of Comeback Kids Ministries. He is married with a wife named Janielle and two kids (Gavin, Hannah) as well as another child on the way. He and his family are very active in the community and having started a diaper and wipes ministry for the needy, they have seen many lives transformed not only through the kind deeds but the message of love, grace, and mercy that Pastor Joey Preaches. He is a motivator, and an inspiration to all who meet him.
Love Psalms is a post from Awesome Gang
- Sara’s Promise -
About Sara’s Promise:Do you believe in soul mates?
William Grafton had the perfect life with his lovely wife, Sara, and two wonderful children. But one day his perfect forever was shattered when Sara died suddenly, leaving him alone to raise his children and wonder how he would ever get through life without his soul mate. Five years later, he finds himself looking into a familiar pair of blue-green eyes that remind him of Sara. The woman is the exact opposite of his late wife, yet he finds he is drawn to her. But after a few strange occurrences, he begins to wonder–are these just coincidences or has his Sara come back to him as she once promised in the form of this new woman?
Annie Paxton doesn’t believe in soul mates or fate. She had watched her father die of a broken heart after her mother passed away and has since cast away any fairy tale ideas of love. Then she meets the man who has been haunting her dreams and she begins to see love in a whole new light. But her dream man is still tied to his deceased wife, and Annie doesn’t know if he will ever be able to break away from his past. As strange occurrences unfold, Annie wonders if William could ever truly love her for herself and not for the traits that remind him of Sara.
Were William and Annie brought together by fate, coincidence or by Sara keeping her promise?
**2013 National Indie Excellence Book Awards Finalist in Romance**
**Semi-Finalist in Romance in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Books of 2013**
What readers are saying about Sara’s Promise:
“With a realistic cast of characters who come alive and jump off the pages; a richly detailed and descriptive setting along the Oregon seaside; and a simply inspirational storyline that will have the reader experiencing the full gamut of emotions, Sara’s Promise is a tenderhearted story of love that will touch your heart and soul, and will resonate with you long after the last page has been read.” ~ Kathleen Higgins-Anderson – Jersey Girl Book Reviews
“Sara’s Promise is a wonderful story that I just got lost in. Deanna writes such warm, beautiful words that makes one just keep reading and reading. I did not want to put the book down, I did not want to leave Sara’s world.” ~ The Book Bag – Susan Schliecher
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Deanna Lynn Sletten is a bestselling and award-winning author. She writes heartwarming romances and women’s fiction novels with unforgettable characters. She has also written one middle-grade novel that takes you on the adventure of a lifetime.Deanna’s women’s fiction novels, Widow, Virgin, Whore and Maggie’s Turn have both made the top 100 bestselling book lists on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble in 2014. Maggie’s Turn was also a top 10 bestselling book on Barnes & Noble. Her romance novels Memories and Sara’s Promise both won semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Books of 2012 and 2013 respectively. Sara’s Promise was also a finalist in the 2013 National Indie Excellence Book Awards.
Deanna is married and has two grown children. When not writing, she enjoys walking the wooded trails around her northern Minnesota home with her beautiful Australian Shepherd or relaxing in the boat on the lake in the summer.
Sara’s Promise is a post from Awesome Gang
- Girl Jacked -
About Girl Jacked:Girl Jacked is the first novel in the Jack Stratton series that has 450+ Five-Star reviews with over 125,000 eBooks and paperbacks in distribution. If you love a mystery with action, humor and a dash of romance, try Girl Jacked today.
Police Officer Jack Stratton is hiding. Hiding from the world. From pain. From the memories of losing his best friend, Chandler, in Iraq. Suffering from PTSD, and isolated from those he cares about, the last thing Jack expects to hear is his foster sister Michelle is gone – Chandler’s sister. The words cut straight to his core. Although the police think she just took off, he knows Michelle would never leave those she loved behind – like he did. Now he must take action, find Michelle and bring her home… or die trying.
The first novel in the Jack Stratton Mystery Collection introduces us to handsome rogue, Jack Stratton, and his dark past. With a debt of honor to his dead foster brother, Chandler, Jack’s guilt drives him into a world of deception and lies. As Jack’s walls begin to crumble, he must navigate the quirky characters that seep into the mystery of his foster sister’s disappearance. And in the sleepy community of Darrington, like so many things in this world, nothing is as it appears to be. The hidden mysteries that often go unnoticed begin to emerge as Jack and his new unpredictable sidekick begin to turn over the rocks. Following a trail that has grown cold, Jack must tread carefully to protect his job, his family, and his own life…
Christopher Greyson’s novel weaves a tale full of mystery and action with humor and suspense. His unique stories and no-nonsense style of writing will take you on a page turning rollercoaster ride of emotions right up until the end.
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Christopher Greyson is an author, actor, martial arts instructor and storyteller. He has degrees in Theatre, Communications and Computer Science.Christopher currently lives in Massachusetts with his wife and two children.
His love for tales of mystery and adventure began with his grandfather, a World War I decorated hero. Christopher will never forget being introduced to his grandfather’s friend, a WWI pilot who flew across the skies at the same time as the feared legendary Red Baron. His love of reading and storytelling eventually lead him to write Pure of Heart, Girl Jacked, Jack-Knifed, Jacks are Wild and Jack and the Giant Killer.
Girl Jacked is a post from Awesome Gang
- The Three Kitties that Saved My Life -
About The Three Kitties that Saved My Life:
FINALIST 2014 RONE Award, Inspirational Book
AN UPLIFTING TRUE STORY OF LOVE – from love and loss to love once again – a feel-good read
#1 Amazon best seller in Love and Loss, December 2013
#1 Amazon best seller in Educator Biographies, April 2014
#1 Amazon best seller in Love & Romance, April 2014What if you suddenly lost your partner through life? How would you find the will to go on all alone? Would you ever be able to fall in love again? This is the true story of my journey from grieving widower, not caring if I lived or died, to the once-again happily married man I am today, a man who both loves and cherishes life. Come see how three lively, loving kitties completely turned my life around, giving me a new zest for living.
My story begins with loss and tears, but it ends with lots of love and laughter. I hope that you will find yourself both entertained and inspired by my journey.
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Michael Meyer is the author of mysteries, thrillers, humorous fiction, and non-fiction: Love and romance, laughter and tears, thrills and fears.His INTERNATIONAL SUSPENSE COLLECTION currently has two books: COVERT DREAMS, Book One; and DEADLY EYES, Book Two.
His CONTEMPORARY/HUMOROUS FICTION COLLECTION currently has two books: THE FAMOUS UNION, Book One; and THE SURVIVAL OF MARVIN BAINES, Book Two.
THE THREE KITTIES THAT SAVED MY LIFE was his heartfelt attempt to make things right again in his life after his first wife died, and putting this true story of love down on paper worked. It was something that he knew he had to do. One reviewer says of this book, “This is like drinking tea and honey on a cold day.”
THE SIR RODNEY VIGNETTES is a collection of humorous anecdotal episodes in the life of an Old World Charmer, allowing the English professor side of Michael Meyer to come forth.
He has resided in and has visited many places in the world, all of which have contributed in some way to his own published writing. He has literally traveled throughout the world, on numerous occasions. He has lived in Finland, Germany, Thailand, Saudi Arabia (where COVERT DREAMS – INTERNATIONAL SUSPENSE COLLECTION BOOK ONE – is set), and the U.S. Virgin Islands (where DEADLY EYES – INTERNATIONAL SUSPENSE COLLECTION BOOK TWO – is set). He gained the wanderlust to see the world, to experience other cultures, at an early age, and this desire has never left him. If anything, it has only gained in intensity as he has aged.
Among the many unique things that have happened to him in his world travels, he has walked the streets of Istanbul with a detective, searching for a pickpocket who got him good. He has ridden on the back of a motorcycle in Tehran while the driver, who spoke not one word of English, pointed out all the sights to him. He has wrestled an Iranian soldier who tried to break into his hotel room in Tehran. He has had the paint completely stripped from his car as he drove across Saudi Arabia in a sandstorm. He has stood on the stage of a busy nightclub in Tokyo, singing “She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain When She Comes” to an audience feeling no pain from the Sake they were drinking. He has been chased by a family of mongooses (yes, that is the correct spelling) on the idyllic Caribbean island of St. Croix. And that is just the beginning of his long list of worldly adventures.
As a recent retiree from a forty-year career as a professor of writing, he now lives in Southern California wine country with his wife, Kitty, and their two adorable rescue cats.
The Three Kitties that Saved My Life is a post from Awesome Gang
- Despite the Gentleman’s Riches -
About Despite the Gentleman’s Riches:Ginny and Jack go together like bean sprouts and French fries.
Ever since her parents died in a car wreck while she was a tween, Ginny has yearned to be part of a family. Years later, she joins a nonprofit that is struggling to save her community from a polluting power plant, and in the process the young woman finally discovers like-minded souls.
But when an unbearably handsome power-plant executive comes to town, Ginny’s simple world is tilted on its axis. With an effort, she’s able to ignore Jack’s good looks, but she has a harder time steering clear of his anguished younger sister, whose pain puts all of Ginny’s nurturing instincts on high alert.
As the young woman hovers on the cusp between two new families, she realizes that she can’t have it all. But will Ginny be able to choose between her nonprofit buddies and the enticing businessman without losing her heart?
This warmly sensual romance ends with a happily ever after and is on sale for only 99 cents!
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Aimee Easterling has been spoiled by four dogs, has spoiled six cats, and has largely been ignored by two guinea pigs, four turtles, a cockatiel, and a slew of fish during her thirty-some year life. Studying biology and working as a naturalist have both informed her writing, but she’s quite willing to let reality slide in favor of a good story. When not writing, she loves to read and always keeps books by Robin McKinley, Patricia Briggs, and Elizabeth Peters on her shelf. She is currently hard at work writing her next novel.Despite the Gentleman’s Riches is a post from Awesome Gang
- Murder in the Arboretum by Christa Nardi -
About Murder in the Arboretum by Christa Nardi:
Another murder in small town Cold Creek has tensions rising. Clive Johnson, the groundskeeper at Cold Creek College, is a convenient scapegoat for a police chief who seeks an easy solution. Convinced Chief Pfeiffe has it all wrong, professor and psychologist Sheridan Hendley sets out to help prove Clive’s innocence. But not everyone is pleased by her enthusiastic search for the truth. Just as her life is looking up personally, it looks like she might be the next victim. This is the second in the Cold Creek series.
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Christa Nardi is and always has been an avid reader. Her favorite authors have shifted from Carolyn Keene and Earl Stanley Gardner to more contemporary mystery/crime authors over time, but mystery/crime along with romance are her preferred choices for leisure reading. Christa also has been a long time writer from poetry and short stories to the Cold Creek series, Christa has joined many other reader/writers in writing one genre she enjoys reading – the cozy mystery. The series started with Murder at Cold Creek College; Murder in the Arboretum is the second in the series. Christa Nardi is a pen name for a real life professor/psychologist from the Northeast who is well published in nonfiction and technical venues.Murder in the Arboretum by Christa Nardi is a post from Awesome Gang
- THE SOUL AJAR, A Love Story by Kiana Davenport -
About THE SOUL AJAR, A Love Story by Kiana Davenport:From bestselling Hawaiian author, Kiana Davenport, comes THE SOUL AJAR, a riveting political thriller and love story. Set primarily in Hawaii, New York, and Russia, here is a novel that brilliantly knits together four seemingly unconnected lives: Adam, a CIA intelligence operative who suffers from albinism, and is searching for the Russian assassin who killed his mother, an act he witnessed as a child; Lily a young Hawaiian journalist who falls in love with him; Bazil, an intelligence operative from Mumbai who befriends Adam; and Zahira, a beautiful Afghani girl running from the Taliban. In this searing and multi-faceted tale, Davenport reveals the path these characters travel as their lives become intertwined in a haunting and timeless story of the love that binds humans together, and the wars that continue to tear us apart.
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Kiana Davenport is descended from a full-blooded Native Hawaiian mother and a Caucasian father from Talladega, Alabama. Her father was a U.S. Navy sailor who fell in love with her mother while stationed at Pearl Harbor. Kiana was born and raised in Honolulu, but her travels have taken her all over the world. *** She is the internationally bestselling author of the novels, SHARK DIALOGUES, SONG OF THE EXILE, HOUSE OF MANY GODS, and THE SPY LOVER. Kiana is also the author of three prize-winning story collections about the Pacific Islands: HOUSE OF SKIN, CANNIBAL NIGHTS, AND OPIUM DREAMS. These three volumes are now available as an ebook boxed set: PRIZE-WINNING PACIFIC STORIES, VOLUMES 1-3. *** A graduate of the University of Hawaii, Kiana has also been a Bunting Writing Fellow at Harvard University and a Visiting Writer at Wesleyan University. Her stories have won several O’Henry Awards, Pushcart Prizes, and The Best American Short Story in 2000. Her novels and short stories have been translated in nineteen languages. She divides her time between Hawaii and New York City. But her heart is always in her islands!THE SOUL AJAR, A Love Story by Kiana Davenport is a post from Awesome Gang
- Swan Deception by Gledé Browne Kabongo -
About Swan Deception by Gledé Browne Kabongo:
Someone knows Shelby Cooper’s Secrets — and is out for blood
Doctor Shelby Cooper is a brilliant research scientist with a past steeped in secrets and lies—lies about her true identity, her family, and what happened that summer night over two decades ago. But Shelby is a survivor no matter what, and now lives the life she only dreamed of with her powerful executive husband and two perfect kids in a picturesque New England town.
When her ex-lover is discovered shot to death in the trunk of her car, overwhelming evidence points to Shelby as the killer, and to the police it’s an open-and-shut case. For the Cooper family, it’s the beginning of an agonizing nightmare. Someone knows Shelby’s dark secrets, someone who despises her, someone willing to kill to destroy her.
To catch a psychopath and rescue his wife from a possible murder conviction, Jason Cooper must unravel the mystery of Shelby’s past even though their teenage daughter Abbie has other ideas about the investigation that could get her killed. As the clock ticks, a series of shocking revelations threatens to rip apart the Cooper family. But nothing can prepare them for a truth so horrifying, it may leave them shattered forever.
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Gledé Browne Kabongo is the #1 Amazon Bestselling author of the novel Conspiracy of Silence. She grew up in the Caribbean where her love affair with books began but she swears it had nothing to do with the fact that the library in her town overlooked the Atlantic Ocean. At age 13, she migrated to the U.S.She earned both a master’s and bachelor’s degree in communications from Clark University and Framingham State University respectively. After college, Gledé did a brief stint as a freelance newspaper reporter. A career in marketing soon followed, with organizations in the technology media, trade publishing and non-profit sectors.
When it comes to writing, Gledé describes her female protagonists in terms of brains and beauty, meet wounds and secrets at the corner of courage and vengeance. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two sons.
Gledé welcomes your comments, feedback, likes and follows. Connect with her.
Swan Deception by Gledé Browne Kabongo is a post from Awesome Gang
- Kelly Miller -
About Kelly Miller:
On edge after a two-week mandatory leave, Homicide Detective Kate Springer is blindsided when she discovers she shares a link with Tampa’s newest murder victim. A troubled teen found strangled and dumped in a remote part of town. The bond between them threatens to expose Detective Springer’s past—a past she’s been hell bent on keeping secret. When the killer finally emerges from the shadows, Kate’s secrets aren’t the only thing on the line. So is her life.
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Writing has always been in my blood. Since the age of thirteen when I coauthored a cheesy romance novel in a blue, spiral bound notebook, I knew I wanted to pursue writing as a career. But somewhere along the way, I lost my voice. Sure I could craft a witty email or write marketing copy for other authors, as I did in a previous job, but to write that great American novel seemed just out of reach.As is often happens, life simply got in the way. I got married, had three children, and adopted a black Labrador. As a stay-at-home mom, I was lucky to get an hour a day to myself. And when I found those few precious minutes, they were spent reading a good book. A voracious reader, I’ve been researching the mystery and suspense genres for more than two decades.
It was in my search for my own identity after staying at home with the kids that ultimately lead me back to my love of writing. I started my journey towards publication in August 2010. The first draft only took four months to write, but was followed by an enormous amount of time rewriting, and an even longer time searching for a publisher. Determination, perseverance, and God’s blessing made my publishing dream a reality. I signed a contract with Black Rose Writing on May 18, 2012 and my first mystery novel, Dead Like Me, debuted in November 2012. The second installment in the Detective Kate Springer series, Deadly Fantasies, debuted December 19, 2013. Since that time, the book’s rights have reverted back to me and I’ve gone indie!
Guess it’s time to start thinking of my next big dream. New York Times bestselling author some day? Possibly.
Kelly Miller is a post from Awesome Gang
- Essential Oils for Beginners – The Power of Aromatherapy -
About Essential Oils for Beginners – The Power of Aromatherapy:
The modern use of essential oils and aromatherapy has continued to grow as more people are discovering this gentle holistic way of improving their health without the use of harsh alternatives. In this book you will discover what essential oils are, what aromatherapy is, and the basics of essential oils as well as some popular oils to get you started.
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Hadley Howard received her first diploma in writing from the Institute of Children’s Literature on August 24, 1995. Since then she has written many articles for online blogs and websites as a ghostwriter.After being diagnosed with a minor health condition her passion became nutritional foods and optimal health education. She decided it was time to share what she has learned with the hope of helping others to reach their path to health and wellness. Hadley currently resides in Massachusetts with her husband and two dogs.
Essential Oils for Beginners – The Power of Aromatherapy is a post from Awesome Gang
- FRANKENFOOD RECIPES #2: Unexpected Food Combinations that Sound Bad but Taste Great -
About FRANKENFOOD RECIPES #2: Unexpected Food Combinations that Sound Bad but Taste Great:FrankenFood Recipes #2 celebrates the exciting food trend of pairing dishes that, at first glance, don’t belong together but, when combined, make a new and unique flavor food experience. Best Selling Author Jean LeGrand’s new book (following in the footsteps of the popular FrankenFood Recipes) features 21 all new recipes (plus a couple of bonus recipes plus 5 “Frankenfood Quickies” plus a link for an 18 recipe cookbook) for marvelous food mash-ups such as Olive Cobbler, Cap’n Crunch Crusted Chicken Fingers, Macaroni & Cheese Donuts, Twinkie Tuna Loaf, Red Wine Chocolate Cake and more!
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Best-selling author Jean LeGrand is unsure whether he cooks because he likes to eat or that he eats because he likes to cook. He writes recipe books because “I like the fact that I can take all the enjoyment I get from cooking and extend it beyond my circle of family and friends. It makes me happy that I’m helping people enjoy both the cooking and eating sides of great food.”FRANKENFOOD RECIPES #2: Unexpected Food Combinations that Sound Bad but Taste Great is a post from Awesome Gang
- Alice – Part 1 By Lance Greencastle -
About Alice – Part 1 By Lance Greencastle:
Frustrated with her secluded life in convent boarding school Alice is jealous of her older sister’s freedom, and of her boyfriend. But when Alice stumbles and hits her head she wakes to find herself in a surreal wonderland where she must undertake a sensual journey of discovery.
Inspired by the classic Alice in wonderland, this original story combines contemporary cultural icons and classic themes, mixed up with sexual awakenings, experimentation and fantasies.This is the first part of a serial story.
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Lance Greencastle was born in Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. He now lives in Portlaoise in splendid suburban comfort. He spends half his day homeschooling his three children and the other half walking his two dogs. Where he finds the time to sleep, never mind write, is a mystery.Alice – Part 1 By Lance Greencastle is a post from Awesome Gang
- The 15 Best Questions to Ask Customers -
About The 15 Best Questions to Ask Customers:The title says it all. This book is for entrepreneurs and professional salespeople who want to start selling more every day. The book includes practical ideas that get immediate results.
The 15 sales questions are clever and they work. Asking these questions will enable you to uncover the problems your sales prospects are dealing with.
Ask these questions and watch your sales skyrocket.
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I have been a professional speaker and sales trainer for 26.5 years.My first job was a good one but it only lasted for 12 months. It was during a recession and even though I was the last to be let go, it was a bitter pill for me to swallow.
I decided to look for a sales job and landed one with the Rand McNally publishing company. During the next three years I had two more sales positions. And then it felt like somebody had slugged me with a 2 x 4.
I made a decision to join a major corporation, American Hospital Supply, and worked my way up the corporate ladder. And to do this I took an 80% pay cut. For me it was the right thing to do. All it took was a little courage. Okay – maybe a lot of courage.
I worked there for 13 years, 13 really good years surrounded by extraordinary people. I can honestly say this is where I learned the art of selling. During these years I had the following jobs: sales representative, regional sales manager, marketing manager, director of marketing, vice president of sales, vice president of marketing, and then became vice president of sales and marketing.
You know I really enjoyed those years working with American Hospital supply Corporation.
But I wanted and needed to do something else.
I had a burning desire to start my own company – a sales training company. That’s how Jim Meisenheimer, Inc. was born.
During these 26.5 years as a professional speaker and sales trainer I’ve been very fortunate to work with 542 different corporations.
I like to think of myself as a sales strategist. I show sales managers and their salespeople how to increase sales, earn more money, have more fun, and how to do it all in less time. My focus has always been practical ideas that get immediate results.
I’ve authored 13 sales books and created 27 CDs dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and professional salespeople improve their selling results.
I created the Sales Trailblazer Sales Training Program which provides sales tips and proven selling strategies in 24 lessons spread over 24 weeks.
And, I show them how to become Sales Trailblazers within their own companies.
I also created the Effective Sales Management Training Program which provides new and experienced sales managers sales management tips and proven sales management skills in 24 lessons spread over 24 weeks
I’ve also been fortunate enough to have been nominated to the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame four time times.
The 15 Best Questions to Ask Customers is a post from Awesome Gang
- Unfortunately Human -
About Unfortunately Human:
This journal was found in Hollywood, California. It appears to have been written by a young standup comedian, struggling to stay alive. There was no name found in the journal, only an inscription that read: “How I attempted murder, How I hung myself to free myself, and How I lost and found my little girl…”
It’s a fascinating read as it’s an entire story written in real-time. The narrator is writing the story as it’s happening, not even he knows what’s going to happen next.
It’s a fast-paced survival story told with short brutally honest journal entries, a wild journey through the human mind and body, filled with madness, despair, love, sex, and heartbreak.
Unfortunately Human is truly a story that fans of all genres can enjoy. There is something for everybody from fans of New Adult and Literary Fiction, Romance, Psychological Thrillers and Adventure, to fans of Transgressive Fiction, Dystopian and Classic novels.
Do yourself a favor and check out this innovative book, and be the first to share it with all your friends.
[Contains graphic language.]
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:
Ryan Haynes began his career as a standup comedian and comedy writer for National Lampoon. But his life took a drastic turn when the extreme symptoms of an autoimmune disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis left his entire spine fused, and his neck paralyzed. While struggling to stay alive, he devoted his life to studying and learning about health. He overcame the disease, and completely rebuilt his body. He returned to deliver the innovative novel, Unfortunately Human. He lives and writes in Los Angeles, where he is currently working on his next novel, tentatively titled: “Heal her”.therealryanhaynes.blogspot.com
Unfortunately Human is a post from Awesome Gang
- Create the Website You Want with WordPress: A how-to guide for building a branded business asset -
About Create the Website You Want with WordPress: A how-to guide for building a branded business asset:
Are you scared to create a website or already have a website and don’t know your next step?
Amazon Kindle best-selling author Rob Cubbon will allay your fears and show you how to do it the right way.
Do you find WordPress never does what you want it to?
Watch over the shoulders of the experts and discover the tricks, the themes, the plug-ins and techniques to get the website you want.
Despite using highly complex and powerful software, we will make it easy for you to set up a website and create a long-term branded business asset that will serve you for years to come. In this booklet you will find out how with simple step-by-step instructions, illustrated with screenshots.
A how-to guide for building a branded business asset
You can start off as a complete beginner and learn from an expert how to set up a website, how to blog, how to secure it, how to back it up, how to make money and how to develop an authority website and brand that looks good.
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:
Rob’s from England and lives in London.In 2006 Rob was wasting his life away on a string of mundane freelance jobs in design studios in London.
He started blogging regularly on RobCubbon.com and was suddenly able to attract his own clients.
By the end of 2008 he was able to start his own company, the imaginatively titled Rob Cubbon Ltd, to provide design and marketing services and work from home full-time.
He published his first product, a PDF e-book on sale on his site, in 2011. Since then he has created numerous e-books, physical books and video courses.
For Rob, running his own business has been a liberating and amazing experience. But it can be, at times, lonely and exasperating. For these reasons, Rob runs meet up groups in London for entrepreneurs and blogs, writes and talks on the subjects of business, design and marketing.
Pop by and say hi: http://robcubbon.com/contact
Create the Website You Want with WordPress: A how-to guide for building a branded business asset is a post from Awesome Gang
- One Mile Deep Long Time Dying 2 -
About One Mile Deep Long Time Dying 2:
Thrills, action, tension, and dangerous sexual chemistry lead to an stunningly explosive climax in One Mile Deep
Private Detectives, business partners and lovers, Eva Roberts and Dan Bradley are back in action, just as their heated love affair is hitting the rocks.
When DI Rowntree asks Eva to help a foreign girl on the run from sex traffickers, Eva can hardly refuse. But when Eva meets Zdenka Kruz, nothing goes according to plan. Eva’s old flame James Winstanley reappears to lure Eva to a tryst… meanwhile Zdenka Kruz seems committed to self-destruction at Dormammu – a private club of vice, sin and violence hidden in the heart of their home town.
Eva is suspicious of millionaire club owner Jon Chesterton’s intentions towards Zdenka, and determines to save her from his designs, but Eva’s tenacity causes lies and unravel and danger to explode all around them.
Will Eva’s life ever be the same after trying to rescue Zdenka? Can she resist a steamy lust for James Winstanley?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:
Thrills, action, tension, and dangerous sexual chemistry lead to an stunningly explosive climax in One Mile Deep
Private Detectives, business partners and lovers, Eva Roberts and Dan Bradley are back in action, just as their heated love affair is hitting the rocks.
When DI Rowntree asks Eva to help a foreign girl on the run from sex traffickers, Eva can hardly refuse. But when Eva meets Zdenka Kruz, nothing goes according to plan. Eva’s old flame James Winstanley reappears to lure Eva to a tryst… meanwhile Zdenka Kruz seems committed to self-destruction at Dormammu – a private club of vice, sin and violence hidden in the heart of their home town.
Eva is suspicious of millionaire club owner Jon Chesterton’s intentions towards Zdenka, and determines to save her from his designs, but Eva’s tenacity causes lies and unravel and danger to explode all around them.
Will Eva’s life ever be the same after trying to rescue Zdenka? Can she resist a steamy lust for James Winstanley?One Mile Deep Long Time Dying 2 is a post from Awesome Gang
- Fundamental Meditation: Increase Mindfulness, Find Inner Peace, Reduce Stress and Curb Anxiety with Meditation -
About Fundamental Meditation: Increase Mindfulness, Find Inner Peace, Reduce Stress and Curb Anxiety with Meditation:
You have heard of meditation. A friend has most likely mentioned that ‘you should try it’ and perhaps even listed a few of its benefits. But, why should you? In today’s crazy society with so much stress, conflict and general chaos, we’re all struggling for a little piece of mind and relief from our busy lifestyle. So many people go through each day stressed out, anxious, confused and frustrated with their job, their life and other people. What if there were a way to calm your nerves, quiet your mind and finally find some peace? There is – through meditation.
The greatest thing about meditation is that anyone can practice it and anyone can reap the calming, soothing benefits of it. You don’t need equipment, a subscription fee or anyone else. The only thing you need to find inner peace and reduce your stress levels, is a little time, a little instruction and a little practice. If you are a novice in the world of contemplative practice, then this book is just what you need to get started on the road to Inner Peace, Increased Mindfulness and Reduced Stress. Today is the perfect day to get started!
Here Is A Preview Of What You’ll Learn…
The Benefits of Meditation
What to Expect
Tools and Tips
All About Breathing
Different Practices
Obstacles to avoid
…and much, much more!Download your copy today!
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:
My name is Sid Akula, and I write mostly How-To and Self Improvement type books.
My life was a bit ordinary, I suppose you could say. I’ve had my ups and downs like you would expect from any other person, but for the past several years I have yearned for something much greater. I knew I could take my life to a new level if I just put in the work to educate myself and execute what I learned. For the remainder of my life, I will remain a student in many ways.
My journey into deep self improvement has been long but rewarding. After several years in this mode, I began thinking, “I should pass along a portion of this new found knowledge, experience and inspiration I have gleaned from these authors who have touched me.” And thus, the “Self Help Masters Series” was born.
To date, I specialize in writing summaries of classic Self Improvement masterpieces for the average reader to pick up, blast through in a short period of time, and decide in which direction they want to take their future learning. I have recommended so many books to so many people, and so many times, people have told me, “I just don’t have the time.” So I decided to take a stab at a solution!
And so, here we are… I hope that one or more of my books may be of great help to you or someone you care about. Please feel free to let me know if I’ve done my job! =)
Visit me online and sign up to get my books for FREE at: http://author.projectgroovy.com/sid-akula
To your very best self,
Sid AkulaFundamental Meditation: Increase Mindfulness, Find Inner Peace, Reduce Stress and Curb Anxiety with Meditation is a post from Awesome Gang
- Rising Star -
About Rising Star:
Following an angel’s betrayal, mortals and celestials alike fought against the demons in the War of the Races. The Lord of Hells was sealed away, and though demonic activity waxed and waned over the centuries, no one thought there would be another full-out war against them. Two thousand years later, however, rumors are circulating that the Lord of Hells has a daughter, and demonic activity is on the rise.
Few are willing to believe history will repeat itself, but those who do are feeling the weight. Gildas is one of six Ginjo, celestials who are bearers of the Farthest Lands, and diplomats of Celestia. He is haunted by the past and the future, and has personal ties to mortals. The young elf Ellina is that tie. She lives in Silver Crescent, a beautiful elven city in the ancient forest of Mithorin. Ellina wants to do what she can for her people and Gildas, but the more she hears Gildas’ reports, the more useless she feels. It isn’t long before both their worlds are turned upside down.
Neil is a rogue demon who wants to escape his heritage and aid the mortals of Elyshaeza. But his very appearance leads to distrust. When he encounters the elf Shara, ambassador of Silver Crescent, he is taken to the largely human city of Notton, where he is to be judged. But there is a mystery in Notton, and Neil is charged with solving it. The mystery leads him and three elves, including Shara, to a gruesome discovery, with an outcome no one expected. But while Neil hopes to sever all ties with the Hells, he and his new friends learn that those he left behind are not willing to sever ties with him.
Collie is a bookworm, and has never been outside her village home. She has had adventures through books, and that is all. But her world changes drastically when a beautiful, mysterious, and arrogant celestial named Shri unintentionally saves her and takes her to Celestia. He too believes there could be another War of the Races, and he wants Collie to do research for him. When one of the Ginjo goes missing, Collie takes matters into her own hands, and an encounter with a demonic mirror will literally take her to the Hells and back.
Artemis is a Glarent, genderless celestials who are charged with protecting Celestia. But a battle on the mortal plane leaves Artemis wounded and abandoned. It strikes out on a quest with two mortals, but doing so leads it not only to question its role, but its very identity, as its confronted with mortal expectation, and its budding, strange powers.
They all lead different lives, but they are all connected by the threat of another demonic war. Rising Star is the first of the Rain of Stars trilogy.
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Buy the Book On Amazon.
Visit the Facebook Fan Page.Author Bio:
I am an only child, and have lived in beautiful Oregon all my life, but I have been to various states, Japan, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands. I earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Portland State University in 2013.I have always loved reading, but when I was little, it was hard for me because I am dyslexic. I was behind my first few years of elementary school, but by sixth grade, I was at college reading level, reading adult books and ahead of many of my peers. Don’t ask me to do math, though.
I call myself a “girly nerd”. I love fantasy books, and am a big fan of Forgotten Realms, which is a Dungeons and Dragons setting. I am a huge collector and reader of manga (Japanese graphic novels). I like roleplaying online with friends via writing, and storytelling, and while I’m not the most technologically savvy person in the world, I like nerdy things. But I also like shopping, fashion–though I am not always update on the latest trends, and I have my own style–hair and skin care, and “girly” things.
I have been ballroom dancing since I was twelve, before it was considered “cool”.
Rising Star is my first novel.
Rising Star is a post from Awesome Gang
- Engaging and Effective Web app for Talent Acquisition -
About Engaging and Effective Web app for Talent Acquisition:Its Your Skills, an ideal resource for talent apps give you abreast information on web app for talent acquisition and also explains the necessity of web apps on talent. Read now to know more.
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Visit the Author’s Website.
Visit the Facebook Fan Page.Author Bio:
1An Ebook on Talent Profiling & Talent Engagement
Prepared By,
Itsyourskills.com
http://www.itsyourskills.com/
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Executive Summary
Conventional ideas about talent or jobs are passé. A stable government post is hardly anybody‟s dream job. In fact, jobs with global IT brands too don‟t seem lucrative anymore.
A job seeker today, unlike in the old days, can‟t say bye-bye to learning the moment he or she passes out of college with a degree. Today, learning does not stop at the collegiate level; it continues until retirement.
In this day and age a job isn‟t necessarily something that you travel to; your smartphone could also be your workplace. You can sign up with one of the many online job platforms and find a job of your liking. Likewise, companies can also find talent from across the globe.
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Technical innovations are rapidly and relentlessly rewriting the way we live and work the old ways of seeking talent and seeking jobs are now rendered redundant.
Amid this churn, if there‟s one aspect that has remained constant and promises to remain so it is our constant need for growth.
The word growth could mean different things to different people – for some it could mean wealth, for others it could mean power, social status, or recognition. But none of this is possible without s-talent development and talent engagement.
Talent development is the process by which we try to get better at what we do. . Think of it as education and training. Talent engagement, on the other hand, is about deploying our talent to create value for others. This is essentially about the job market.
Technology is dramatically reshaping both of these. Take the example of MOOCs (short for massive open online courses). These free, online courses about virtually everything under the sun are making their presence felt across the globe. They could well reshape how education is delivered and charged for in the years to come.
Likewise, online job platforms which link freelancers to short-term job opportunities are rewriting the rules of the jobs market the picture however, is woefully incomplete without a discussion on talent profiling.
The term quite simply means knowing what we are, so as to be what we want to be. For a company, it is about knowing what talent is needed so the right choice can be made.
By profiling their customers/users companies like Facebook and Amazon have shown us how profiling can be done. . The sheer diversity and dynamically changing skill set makes talent profiling an extremely challenging job.
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To understand this complexity, let‟s understand the ingredients for talent. Some of them include:
a) Functional expertise – This is identified by subject matter knowledge and is enhanced by an awareness of the tools and technologies related to the area.
b) Proficiency: Proficiency is our ability to handle higher levels of complexity.
c) Cognitive and Behavioral skills: An ability to process information and the potential to display the right temperament during stress or whilst under pressure defines these skills.
While we agree that mapping all of these abilities is a complex task, it is it isn‟t impossible. Niche talent service companies like ours can successfully develop comprehensive skill profiles. And to successfully demonstrate this, we present to you ItsYourSkills!
What is ItsYourSkills?
This is a tool that provides a graphic picture of your skills including your current professional competence, talent level, deepest interest and areas for talent improvement. We‟ve incorporated all important ingredients that go toward making talent, including – the functional aspects, proficiency, and behavioral traits.
Technology and the churn won‟t stop with this, though. It is certain that big data will transform the talent landscape in the years to come, much in the same way it has transformed many other industries already.
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There are a few challenges that have to be successfully met before this can happen. The first challenge is data itself! In the talent space, data can be expressed in different ways, and is often unstructured.
The second problem is the nature of data that is used. Most of us have our resumes. Resumes have text; lots of them. And we all write our resumes in different forms, using our creativity to make them look appealing.
An era of intelligent systems that can understand data and cater to individual needs effectively could be a reality in a few years.
Talent-Spotting In a Churn
1. Introduction
The world of jobs and careers were very different back in 1994 when I completed my Masters in Business Administration from the Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur.
It was still a typically old-fashioned world – one in which words such as the employment exchange and government jobs predominated. Finding an employer for life was a dream for almost every job aspirant.
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The primary goal of a job seeker was to have a long and fruitful career with one company (yes, just one company), in the belief that both one‟s income and position in the overall hierarchy will grow with time. It was an era when the employer and employee seemed wedded to each other.
But it was also around this time, in 1994, that the forces of dramatic change were lurking around the corner. And strike they did!
In just a few years, the Internet, which has since undone vast industries globally even as it has helped create completely new ones, began its rapid journey from virtual obscurity to occupy the centre stage in people‟s lives.
Strong winds of change had already started blowing across India during the time, triggered by the country‟s dramatic shift from a form of socialism to a more liberalized economy. It was only a few years prior to my passing out from XLRI that the new economic regime was ushered in, giving wings to the dreams of private companies like never before. What happened over the following two decades was amazing. Indian job aspirants moved beyond their fascination for government jobs and began to pursue their dreams through the country‟s flourishing IT sector. Companies like Infosys, HCL, Wipro, etc. were now a global brand.
The new pathway for a typical job-seeker was etched through a BE degree that offered a calling card for an IT job sought arranged by an elaborate campus recruitment mechanism. This formula is now past its glory days and is fast becoming passé.
Technology‟s on a rampage and it is fast disrupting industries, brands, practices and work-related beliefs. Just look at what has happened in recent years to news media, especially in the most advanced markets of the world. It‟s now said to be the turn of the retail industry to be staring down the barrel.
Where are Nokia and Blackberry, superstars just a few years back, in the line-up of the top technology brands today? The answer is obvious. So relentless is the churn that it‟s futile to attempt stability in today‟s environment. It makes more sense for companies to be agile to anticipated changes.
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With technology becoming cheap and ubiquitous, there‟s a greater threat of jobs being replaced by automation than ever before and of skills becoming redundant.
Companies like TCS, Infosys, Wipro and HCL shot into prominence during the 1990s and caught the imagination of the country‟s youth. Fast forward to the situation today where the newer lot of reputed brands Flipkart, Justdial or Makemytrip aren‟t really big on the number of people it employs.
There‟s a definite shift toward small yet nimble companies that use technology to the maximum to drive their business. With the democratization of technology, the barriers of entering a business have all but dissolved.
Blue chip companies still have their pride of place but a college pass-out today considers a career in a start-up with equal seriousness. The experience and responsibility that comes with working in a start-up is invaluable for a fresher.
But those aren‟t the only changes happening in the world of talent and jobs.
The concept of a career itself has changed. It isn‟t only about work anymore. A generational shift has taken place in India. The earlier generation of employees had to fight hard for their daily life and their jobs. The succeeding generation has had it much easier, with the economic foundations already built.
Therefore, the mantra now is to balance work amid competing priorities, such as family, leisure, other interests and even learning. But can an employer offer this balance?
Unlike earlier, your workplace is not limited within a well-defined cubicle at office that necessitates a tiring commute. A workplace can be anywhere- a workstation at home or even your smart phone. You may also choose to work as a freelancer, and command premium rates if there‟s an impressive body of work to show.
Employment exchanges are an anachronism and are replaced by online platforms where people can pick and choose short-term work within the comfort of their home. Also, education and training aren‟t mere formalities to be completed before entering a career. These days, you can do it mid-career. Why, you can even do it right in the middle of a work-day, thanks to the mostly-free massive open online courses run by the top universities of the world.
Earlier formal education signaled your employability. But that‟s not the case anymore as people are forced to keep themselves up-to-date on skills to stay relevant and employable.
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Employability isn‟t just a concern for those passing out of college – it is important for all level of professionals.
Companies, on the other hand, can source talent from virtually anywhere in the world. The access to worldwide talent is easier than ever. But in order to attract the best talent, they also need to present themselves well.
Businesses have recognized they need to be nimble. They‟ve also realized they need to be open about working with partners and remain transparent in an increasingly Internet-driven world.
In a globalized world it isn‟t just a competition for one‟s products and services alone but also for one‟s talent. And as a result, wither the comfort zone!
To cut a long story short, the two important dimensions of the jobs market, viz. Talent demand and talent supply have been massively impacted by technology.
Change in the world of talent and jobs are the theme of this book. The book‟s chapters will be divided into three parts, each discussing a different dimension of change.
Part I is entitled „What‟s Still Constant and What Changes.‟ It is about the constant need amongst us for development. Of course, only the need is constant. The tools to make development happen have undergone a massive transformation.
Part II, entitled „What Ought to Change Soon,‟ is about the woefully inadequate tools for talent profiling, a prerequisite for talent improvement. It also details my attempt, through itsyourskills.com, to fill the gap.
Part III is about the inevitable future changes staring at us. Titled „What Will Change,‟ it is about how the world of big data and analytics could disrupt the world of talent and jobs.
PART I
What‟s Still Constant and What Changes
2. The Need for Growth
A massive technology-triggered churn may be changing the way the world functions but there are a few aspects that remain constant. The single most factors that are immune to change is the need for growth.
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It is an intrinsic impulse among us humans to put effort into developing our intellectual, physical and spiritual skills, regardless of the potential for reward. It becomes a continuous endeavor through one‟s life.
It was presented almost as a moral requirement by 17th Century Protestant theologian Roger Williams, who said, “The greatest crime in the world is not developing your potential. When you do what you do best, you are helping not only yourself, but the world.”
So, what is growth?
It could mean different things to different people – more money, greater recognition, improved quality of life, and so on.
Growth usually begins when we appreciate and respond to a quality or trait in another person and seek to imitate it. This pushes us to learn. It could also flow from capabilities that we seek in ourselves or those that others find in us. We nurture and develop these skills over time.
Monsignor Cormac Burke, an Irish civil lawyer once said, “Our minds and hearts are broadened according to the worth of these observed qualities and our own ability to admire and assimilate them. Then these qualities become our own and we are truly enriched.”
We are all unique in our own way. In the initial years of our life, our parents or teachers could spot a talent in us. This may be the start of a lifelong process of talent nurturing. Eventually, with age, we start making choices as to what learning path to take. These may be driven partly by a need to realize our talent, but also partly by the need to fulfill our most basic needs.
And thus begins our search for a job. Whilst working, we not only contribute to creating a product or a service, but also adequately compensate for the same. And this isn‟t purely monetary compensation. .
Sure, the salary at the end of the week or month is tangible and extremely important.. But there‟s more to it.
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A job also gives us an opportunity to fulfill some of our higher needs. Remember American psychologist Abraham Maslow? His paper on, „A Theory of Human Motivation‟ advocated a concept called the hierarchy of needs. Through the theory, Maslow proposed that humans have a hierarchy of five basic needs – physiological, safety, love, esteem and self-actualization. As one level is met, we set to seek the next higher level. “What a man can be, he must be,” he wrote in his paper.
A job plays an important role in helping an individual fulfill his social, esteem and self-actualization needs. Through a job, we make numerous friends and connect with different kinds of people all the time.
We also get a feeling that we are playing a part in doing or creating something useful, something that‟s bigger than the individual and one that will touch many lives. Jobs enforce a discipline that soon becomes a habit among us.
Growth requires two things – talent development and talent engagement.
What do these terms mean?
Talent development
As the name suggests, talent development is a process by which we try to get better at what we do well. A housewife, for instance, wants to cook better. A painter wants to outdo his earlier work. A programmer dreams of writing better code. You get the drift!
The opportunities for developing talent have been seen growing with every generation in this modern world. That‟s largely because of the advancement and democratization of technology and knowledge. The youth today surely have better access to technology, knowledge and education than the earlier generation.
Talent engagement is about how one could deploy his or her talent to create value for
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others. A basic example here: imagine a gifted painter who paints as a hobby and for self-satisfaction. Now, if his painting is shared with others, the painter not only gets recognized for the work but also reaps monetary rewards.
And, yes, the new inter-connected world has impacted the way talent is engaged too. The defining feature of this world is the ease with which work can be shared with anyone else in the globe. If you are involved in digital work, the geographical boundaries don‟t matter much. It‟s far easier than earlier to spot talent in any corner of the world.
Access to markets has often been and still is dominated by oversized business entities whose marketing efforts often include buying and shutting down competition, forcing non-compete agreements upon employees and independent contractors, and, probably the most damaging of all, adopting the attitude that too much intelligence is a handicap in an employee.
I earlier made a point that our need for growth remains firm amid the huge changes brought by technology. The interesting thing is both talent development and talent engagement are finding newer expressions, thanks to technology. Both the job seeker and job giver need to be aware of this.
Chapter 2 highlights
Our need for growth doesn‟t ever dim
Our jobs play an important role in highlighting this growth
Growth hinges on two aspects – development of our talent and opportunities at engaging our talent
3. New-Age
Talent Development
„The New York Times‟ called 2012 „the Year of the MOOC.‟ A few years earlier, the term MOOC, short for massive open online courses, was not even a part of our lexicon. It was in 2012 that players such as Coursera, Udacity and edX contributed to making the term popular.
These companies launched platforms where hundreds and thousands of online courses could be
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offered virtually to anyone who had a broadband connection and an email ID.
Toward the end of 2013, Coursera‟s enrolment had crossed 5 million while edX over 1.5 million members. Several other players have now joined the bandwagon. Subjects offered on these platforms range from childcare and nutrition to law and environment. „MOOCs have no doubt challenged the traditional education industry which now is anxious as to whether the old revenue model that has served it so well over many decades will survive. But MOOCs also help by pointing us towards a direction in which skill development is already moving.
What does development entail?
Consider the example of an engineer who says he wants to get better at his job. What could he mean? He perhaps wants to be able to solve more complex engineering problems.
Simply put, development means increased proficiency. Or, being able to do things faster or mastering new capabilities (even a new language).
In the early part of our lives, we were directed in our learning paths. As students, we learnt from the education institutions we were part of. MOOCs help people looking for knowledge that‟s beyond their basic degree. They now seem to sort of straddle the worlds of formal and informal learning. Yes, they do have a problem of massive dropouts. But one can easily visualize them being part of the formal educational channel pretty soon.
If you think India is not yet ready for such novelties, think again. Indians were only second to the Americans in taking to Coursera in 2013.
Moving beyond MOOCs, even the more traditional channels of formal learning have improved in recent years. There‟s no denying that the degrees, diplomas, certifications still command a lot of value amongst the job givers.
The avenues for pursuing them while simultaneously working have only grown in recent times. In fact, many corporate houses have tied up with educational institutions to be able to provide part-time education options for their employees.
There‟s a lot of innovation that has happened with respect to the course duration too. We now have a whole range of courses including one-year courses, satellite programs, onsite-offsite courses, and pure online courses.
In its newsletter in 2011, the International University Consortium for Executive Education pegged the total annual spends on corporate learning at a whopping $200 billion. It also quoted
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„BusinessWeek‟ magazine that put the executive education market in the United States then at $800 million.
There are also opportunities for outbound training, e-learning and webinars. For an individual, the tough part is planning and committing time for such courses. Pursuing them alongside professional responsibilities can become extremely challenging and is the main reason why many drop out midway. One also needs to think about the goals behind investing in such courses. But today‟s world is not just about the formal education process. If one wants to learn something, virtually nothing prevents him or her from doing so. The Internet advances in recent years have meant that knowledge and information is in everyone‟s fingertips, really!
We have already discussed MOOCs at length. In addition, there are numerous resources online. While some need validation, there are several others that have the trust of the audience that follows them regularly. If you are into software development, there are developer groups and forums that you can access to learn and understand your world better.
There are numerous networks, both offline and online. Historically, networks have been an avenue for learning about updates in a particular area. The online ones are really raising the bar when it comes to ideas and co-operation; of course, they are also doing it real-time. Networks such as LinkedIn have made it easy for professionals in a specific field to follow each other. Yes, we do live in an era of information overload, forwarded messages, and limitations in time, wherein form takes over substance. However, the real stuff that matters in the long run is more investment of time from our side.
We need to identify the most appropriate sources of news and information (meaning, those that have good analysis, factual perspectives, and valuable insights) and maybe pay for them (often these do not come cheap, they cost money).
We need to choose a few good ones, and devote time for more than just reading the headlines from these chosen sources. From widely browsing over the general topics, we need to go deeper into a select few. Eventually, only such browsing and reading makes sense.
But in spite of the online onslaught, people are valuing the real learning experience even more. That‟s why we can now see a significant increase in personal trainers, executive coaches, and personal counselors. We, as human beings, have progressed thanks to our spirit of adventure, and the experiences gained from these adventures. And there are real-life laboratories in the corporate world that offer this important aspect more than ever before. Yes, the reference is to start-ups.
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Youngsters today aren‟t averse to ditching a job offer in a big company in favor of working for a start-up. The learning curve in such a situation is steep. A youngster can dabble in a variety of roles and also take part in the decision-making of a resource-crunched start-up, gaining invaluable experience as a result.
Chapter 3 highlights
MOOCs are a pointer to the direction talent development could take in the future
Options for learning abound in today‟s world – better formal channels, online resources, webinars, and so on
We need to be careful in identifying the most appropriate online resources, though
4. New-Age
Talent Engagement
Damien Hoffman, the Editor-in-Chief for the Wall St. Cheat Sheet, proposed websites like ODesk and Elance for the Nobel Prize in Economics in this column for The Huffington Post. (ODesk and Elance are online platforms matching freelance job seekers with job givers.)
His thoughts may have been provocative but they weren‟t off-track considering the fact the award that year was shared between Peter Diamond, Dale Mortensen and Christopher Pissarides. These economists had thrown light on why there was no instant matching happening when someone was looking for a job and someone else was looking to fill up a vacancy. The trio, in short, brought to the fore the issue of search costs.
Hoffman was suggesting in his column that the likes of ODesk and Elance had gone a long way, after the Monsters had played their part, in reducing these search frictions.
Online employment tools have indeed, in many cases, completely destroyed barriers to employment, including geographical barriers. Today, everything from recruitment, hiring, training, work and payment can be dealt within the virtual world.
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In 2012 an Elance survey of 1,500 businesses across the globe revealed that a whopping 84% of recruiters believed online hiring gave them an advantage over competitors. They also predicted that in five years, 54% of their workforce will be freelancers, or otherwise working online. They were so happy with the quality of such talent.
Hiring online gives a three-way advantage: cost savings, faster time-to-hire, and access to talent otherwise not locally available.
As we speak, the top-three online job profiles are of web programmers, designers and content developers. But there are also attempts by local websites to help people hire plumbers, doctors and errand runners online too.
Elance and ODesk have now merged to bring under a single roof 8 million freelancers and 2.5 million businesses. “We‟re building a workplace for the world,” Fabio Rosati, CEO of Elance-ODesk, was quoted as saying in the „San Francisco Chronicle.‟
We live in an era of talent, unlike anything seen in the previous agricultural age and the manufacturing age, where opportunities outside these professions were limited. The information technology era has brought knowledge to the fore. It has also seen the emergence of the services sector and large-scale entrepreneurship, where the most important thing is not finance but an ability to keep cost low for ideas to take shape.
The conventional engagement model of full-time employment has undergone a drastic change in the last few decades. In the ‟70s and ‟80swe had to make our choice, out of a few limited opportunities.
Things have changed a lot since then but this traditional employment model still makes up a significant percentage of the overall workforce. Full-time employment offers job security, predictability of income, and takes care of their welfare. It provides individuals an opportunity to enrich their capabilities and offers exposure to different areas and functions. Their need for recognition and self-esteem is also taken care of.
While full-time employment remains the most prevalent form of workforce engagement, the terms of such an engagement are changing dynamically. Organizations are maturing and trying to make the environment as conducive and flexible as possible to accommodate an individual‟s aspirations. On the flip side the lifespan of companies are getting shorter; the products and services they offer change at short notice, and organizational structures are undergoing a dramatic change. This implies that professionals will have to live with constant change. ..
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Instead of focusing on the welfare of individuals in an organization, the focus is likely to be on business priorities. As long as our capabilities are needed and aligned to an organization‟s goal, our employment is guaranteed. If not, we will be disengaged from employment.
There seems to be a shift from trying to build loyalty to effective utilization of talent. We need to fine-tune our expectations from our company and focus our priority towards developing our talent. The fact that we need to develop our skills and make ourselves competitive should be our top priority and not of the organization. Great places to work will be those that engage us effectively and not those that create the best facilities for us to work.
A very high level of individualization and a fluid business environment are making it difficult to apply the same rules to large, diverse workforce satisfactorily. Individuals have more choices and their priorities are changing. The business environment itself has become turbulent, as predictability remains low with the rise of newer technologies and new businesses.
This is an area where non-full-time employment options are making great strides. Some individuals don‟t want to get tied in completely with just a company or a project and they are ready to sacrifice some of the predictability to gain a more rounded experience.
Individuals engaged in part-time employment have to develop and find opportunities for engaging their talent by themselves. However, this has become easy in the last few years. The connection between talent seekers and providers has increased. We know of housewives tutoring part time. Companies, who provide such service as a business, play a part as enablers in the process.
In „The Future of Work,‟ Thomas Malone, co-director of the MIT initiative „Inventing the Organizations of the 21st Century,‟ points to the revolutionary changes in organizational structures and the roles of employees. As per the book, the „command and control‟ philosophy will give way to „coordinate and cultivate.‟ Further, in the firm of the future, scale and
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knowledge strengths of large organizations will work side-by-side with the freedom and flexibility of smaller organizations.
The HR role will have to change as well. According to Phil Johnson, global management consultancy Hay Group‟s global head of work measurement, “As market demands continue to change, organizational success will hinge on an HR‟s ability to connect human capital decisions with business strategy. She/he will need to stop clinging to traditional processes and inefficient silos and move toward an integrated approach that links work and people to business results. Such change is critical if HR is to transition to its rightful place of strategic business partner.”
Business consultants have conducted studies that show that the emphasis amongst most executives right now is on “improving employee engagement” and “enhancing individual and team performance.”
However, in the next five years it is expected that the emphasis by these same executives will be on “developing future leaders” as first priority and “ensuring greater return on investment through people” as second priority. “Attracting talent” is expected to enter the picture in third place in five years, when finally there will be an emphasis on this crucial aspect by the people who hire.
When the primary focus finally turns toward acquiring and nurturing of talent, it‟s highly likely that most other employment issues will disappear, especially if the talent is engaged online. What a contrast to five years ago when the main emphasis was on complying with legislation and reducing employee turnover.
Chapter 4 highlights
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Online job markets for freelancers are revolutionizing the marketplace for talent
Organizations are becoming more aware of the need to provide for flexibility in full-time jobs
HR‟s focus will turn toward acquiring and nurturing talent
PART II
What Ought To Change Soon
5. Talent Profiling
How very useful it is for the likes of Google, Amazon and Facebook to be able to read the minds of their customers! Well, it certainly helps these Internet giants recommend or push products, services and advertisements.
In fact, as users you are already exposed to customer profiling even if you are not aware about the concept. Profiling, about which we will discuss at length in the next part, is the centerpiece of their operating model.
Alas, only if the world of HR had similarly effectively tools for profiling talent!
What is talent profiling, and why is it so important?
In Part II of the book, we read about the exciting new tools for talent development and talent engagement. But they won‟t be of much use if not backed by effective talent profiling.
The term quite simply means knowing what we are, so as to be what we want to be. For a company, it is about knowing what talent is needed, so the right choice can be made. To speak inn lay man‟s terms, a doctor can prescribe the right course of medicines only if the patient‟s health profile is understood. Similarly, a marketer needs to understand the needs of the customer before trying to attempt a sell.
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But profiling candidates is far more challenging than profiling customers. That‟s because of the sheer diversity and dynamically changing skill set.
Disappointingly, talent profiling hasn‟t stood up to the challenge as yet. Consider job portals. There‟s no doubt that they have managed to increase the opportunities for people to find jobs or for companies to find people. They, however, predominantly run on keyword search – i.e. the string of words that one uses to find matching candidates or jobs – a process that seems to have several limitations. The result: frustration for recruiters.
In my view, the ideal talent profiling tool needs to have three characteristics. One, it should be holistic. Two, it should be universal. And, three, it should have some way of standardization and normalization.
Let‟s look at them in detail.
Man is a sum of many parts. So, his talent profile is a sum of several skills. (Note: I will use the word skills loosely to include the harder and softer elements, knowledge and experience.)
Many of the current systems of profiling, whether a resume or a structured form used by job portals or psychometric assessments, have serious limitations. They look at some dimension of an individual‟s talent profile quite arbitrarily.
Last year, „The Economist‟ magazine pointed to the pitfalls of trying to measure “touchy-feely” traits such as personality, stomach for leadership and emotional intelligence. “These are hard to measure,” it said. The magazine also quoted Nik Kinley, co-author of „Talent Intelligence,‟ who reckons that these tests could lead to misleading results.
It is no secret then that line managers are often frustrated with their HR personnel because they feel the latter does not have an appreciation of functional, technical matter or other real kills that matter.
HR, on the other hand, feels that managers are overplaying the functional-technical aspect while ignoring behavioral skills. Bottom-line: any talent profiling tool should be holistic, taking cognizance of these different skills areas.
Now, to the second point, every human being – young or old, educated or illiterate, CEO or an intern – has talent. And everyone wants to develop it. But many of the talent profiling systems are complicated and often exclude vast sections of people from their purview. HR uses
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complicated jargon filled with competency mapping, which takes years to create and train people to use.
On the other hand, the mantra of today‟s world is simplification. This leads to inclusiveness. Even my mother, who lacks formal college education, can to video-chat with her grand-daughter in the US. If talent profiling is so important, it should be easy to understand and use. Universality is an important feature.
Third and final point, standardization and normalization lead to efficiencies. When everyone‟s on the same page, they benefit from an exchange of information, but if they‟re not, nobody would benefit from such an exchange.
Systems and processes can improve only if they create mechanisms for people to enter data in a certain defined pattern. By the way, this is why we have forms; so we don‟t have problems, say, with individuals typing different spellings of Bangalore. This is also why there are intelligent engines that can interpret that we are talking about the same thing; for instance, e-commerce sites understand that mobiles mean cell phones.
But standardization and normalization help in sourcing and use of information, cutting down the jargon and other barriers to understanding. And this, in turn, becomes yet another important step in the process of creating more intelligent systems – those that can analyze and interpret.
But while these three are necessary conditions, they are not adequate. A good talent profiling tool is more than these three attributes. We need to include more facets so that it can form a good guide for individuals to know where they are travelling to; where they can travel; what would reward them better and so on.
Chapter 5 highlights
Both talent development and engagement can‟t be done well without profiling talent first
Talent profiling tools have been disappointingly inadequate until now
An ideal talent profiling tool should be holistic, universal, standardized and normalized.
6. What Goes Into Your Talent
Cartoonist Randy Glasbergen mocked job interviews in one of his typically humorous works where an interviewing lady tells the bemused candidate, “Your resume is bloated with half-truths, false praise, exaggeration and unsubstantiated accomplishments.” And then the punch line: “I‟d like to hire you to write our Annual Report.”
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The cartoon could be taken as a light-hearted take on the mysterious ways candidates are selected or rejected. But on a more serious note, skills and talent are actually a matter of a lot of nuance. It isn‟t a straight case of just what one studied or where one trained. Two candidates with the same functional skills might still differ due to various other sub-aspects, proficiencies and behavioral attributes.
Here‟s how they pan out:
Let‟s start with the functional aspect. First, you need to study to gain some expertise in a particular skill. Thus, knowledge of double entry bookkeeping and taxation laws are mandatory to qualify as an auditing accountant
Second, the core skills are refined by the tools and technologies one has a grasp of. From the broad concept of a „programmer,‟ one can detail the specific languages related to the field (such as „Java‟, C++, VB.Net, and so on).
Three, contexts are also important. Being a civil lawyer in India is different from being a civil lawyer in the US. Every context has its own set of nuances and hence awareness of the same and adopting the right tools is essential for practical application and contribution.
Four, there could be differentiation in the activities and the roles played by the candidate. An accountant in an engineering firm may bring different skills sets from that of another accountant who works as a consultant in an accountancy firm.
While some professionals may have contributory roles, others may play management roles. There could also be instances of dual roles.
Speaking of proficiency, every professional is good in certain skills and no so good in some. This „goodness‟ in a skill differentiates ones profile from another.
Proficiency is our ability to handle higher levels of complexity. We are rewarded better when our skills are higher than that of a fellow professional with similar skills. Our aim and constant effort
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would, therefore, be to develop our proficiencies, both for internal fulfillment and for better recognition.
We now know why some individuals are compensated more than others. The answer is that they have proved their ability to handle complex situations more effectively than others.
Let me explain this with an example of two project managers. Managing a project involves complexities – it involves managing a large number of people, a huge amount of information as well as technology. The more capable of the project managers is the one who measures up as being able to handle a more complex project.
What is important is to understand that our development should be a relative measure of our proficiencies at two different points in time rather than a comparison between our proficiency vis-à-vis that of others.
Finally, there are cognitive and behavioral skills.
These skills are invariably linked to specific traits, such as the type of personality. It is not impossible to infer traits based on the skills that a person is adept at. For instance, there is a very good chance that a person with a shy disposition may not be adept at marketing. Similarly, a person with good people skills but with basic operational knowledge may be ideal for leadership roles.
The consequences of placing people in wrong roles and making failures of successful people can be disastrous for a company. The following scenario is all-too familiar: a company recognizes a good programmer by promoting her to a team leader position; and in many cases, the company loses a good programmer and gets a bad team leader.
Reminded of the „Peter Principle‟? Laurence J Peter‟s and Raymond Hull‟s funny 1969 take on management suggested that people are often promoted until they reach their “position of incompetence.” The Peter Principle has since made its mark in popular culture and management philosophy.
Here are some key behavioral skills at work:
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Analytical Thinking
Such a role involves breaking things into components or taking components already broken and considering these in new ways. Examples: researcher, data analyst, economist.
Non-Linear Thinking
Such a role requires bringing things together in pattern formation, pattern recognition, and breaking or creating codes. Examples: designer, product manager, music composer.
System Thinking
Such a role requires combining elements in functional order, or working within an established system. Examples: architect, product designer, application architect.
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Strategic Thinking
Such a role involves combining activities or other elements in the best time sequence, or dealing with competition and changing market conditions. Examples: strategist, fund manager.
Hands-On
Such a role involves fiddling with machines, equipment and fixing them. Examples: mechanical engineers, systems administrators.
Creative Tasks
Such a role involves artistic pursuits. Examples: graphic designers, singers, dancers.
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Knowledge-Centric
Such a role requires research, a grasp of new developments and putting together different pieces of knowledge. Examples: programmers, consultants, researchers.
Routine
Such a role involves what are called clerical activities. Examples: office assistant, data entry operations.
People Coordination
Such a role involves understanding different capabilities among people and knowing how to get work done from them. Examples: event managers, supervisors.
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Similarly, a role in communications would involve listening, comprehending and articulating; guiding others will require understanding people and connecting with them; socializing skills could help in influencing people; ideation skills work well for someone trying to sell to others; and finally the risk taking trait is key for those creating a sellable product or service.
Can leadership skills be developed? All of us acknowledge that we can build on our strengths. Smartness is about playing to our strengths and developing these strengths more and more. The smartest of leaders get people of different strengths to build a team with diverse and required strengths. No one is a superman but yes there can be a super-team.
Chapter 6 highlights
Talent isn‟t just a function of what one studied or where one trained – it involves a lot of other aspects.
Understanding talent involves deciphering the different levels of everything from functional skills, proficiency, and cognitive and behavioral skills
No one can be a super-man but, yes, there can be a super team!
7. ItsYourSkills!
Let‟s start with some nostalgia. Recall your school days, a time when you used to get a report card at the end of every term. Whether you gained an „A‟ or a „C‟ grade, the report card still served as your earliest skill profiling record.
Why haven‟t we been able to replicate the same process at the start of our careers? We should be able to, right? What we need are the following: a clear picture of our job skills, related skills,
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proficiency level, our level of talent development, and so on. And all that a company needs to do is hire the right talent, not worrying about sifting through hundreds of resumes.
A graphic skills profile is perfectly possible. And it‟s with this view that we at 3D Talent Service have come up with a simple and effective tool called ItsYourSkills. The attempt is to overcome the limitations of the current set of talent profiling tools, about which we discussed in a previous chapter.
The starting point of the journey for ItsYourSkills was my perception about the wide spread problem of employees‟ dissatisfaction with their current jobs and lack of clarity about what to do about it. People often came to me with that uneasy question, “What choices do I have?”
I therefore set out to create a mechanism to touch this problem universally, and not treat it „patient‟ by „patient.‟ The Web was clearly an opportunity.
I needed to ask some fundamental questions, some of which have been elaborated upon in this book. Some of the questions were regarding the meaning of career, meaning of growth, the reason for unemployment and job vacancies to exist side-by-side, and so on.
The whole exercise led me to believe that there is tremendous inefficiency in the talent market. This led me to another question: how can efficiencies improve?
I figured out there was a need to bring about a new model for profiling talent, one that is universal. I also knew technology was going to play a huge role in all this. The result: ItsYourSkills!
This tool will help provide a graphic picture of your current professional competence, talent level, deepest interest and areas for talent improvement.
Here‟s what is possible: you can move from your core subject to related sub-sections. If you are good at three languages (say you know German, French and Spanish), these will be clubbed under „Languages‟ and you can grade your proficiency.
Additionally, if you are adept at computer languages, such as CSS, Ruby, or Python, you can mention under the sub-section „computer‟ and grade your level accordingly. By moving from the core to sub-sections, and deeper into further sub-levels, you will find that you have created an in-depth profile of yourself. A resume can never do justice to this.
All the important ingredients that go toward making talent – the functional aspects, proficiency, and behavioral traits – are incorporated in the tool.
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So how does ItsYourSkills work?
At the outset, ItsYourSkills doesn‟t act as an evaluator. It provides for comprehensive profiling, so assessment becomes easier for the candidate as for the job giver.
It must be understood that different skills call for different types of assessment. It is much easier to judge the proficiency of an accountant than to assess the research ability of a science student.
Some skills are easily quantifiable, others aren‟t. There is also a lot of perception involved in regarding a person as an „expert‟ or a „topnotch‟ scientist. Subjectivity creeps in easily. But employers who hire people for the job need to have some inputs to make an informed decision. How can these limitations be overcome?
One way to do it is to get opinions or endorsements from colleagues, friends or bosses. This may go a long way in putting things in a proper perspective. Soliciting opinion on the prospective candidate from connected and trustworthy sources is another area that can be explored.
Crowd-sourcing could be explored. If you have downloaded an app, you would know how it works. You have an opportunity of grading the app on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the top score. This again has its limitations. We are fairly agreed on what makes a good movie or books, but many people will not know what makes for a good C++ programmer or an excellent database systems architect.
We believe we have made ItsYourSkills as comprehensive as possible, working on the following six aspects:
Expansiveness
Skills have been separated into many functional areas, and therefore it allows a person who has experience in various functional areas within a skill set to project the breadth of experience.
Clearly Definition
Specific skill sets have been broadly classified and intuitively arranged, so that an individual‟s profile is captured in its entirety and a clear picture emerges.
In-built Precision
A broad canvas of an individual‟s abilities from the basic to the highest level has been provided, taking into account the potential richness of different abilities.
Intuitiveness
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Skill and proficiency level are rated on a five-point scale but it also depends on the characteristics of the individual skill. For instance, academic qualification in a particular subject will be tested on the three aspects of knowledge, understanding and application.
Flexibility
The mechanism for input of proficiency levels is employed in different ways across different applications. When it concerns self-development, an individual will assign his or her own rating on the current level of proficiency and the level they wish to attain. In picking a candidate for a particular role, the company can assign the ratings required in order to fulfill the criterion for a particular job or role.
Comprehensiveness
The application delves deeper into skills and other elements of proficiency, so a complete overview is provided. It offers a dynamic profile from the perspective of basic, functional, cognitive, supplemental, behavioral and managerial angles.
Chapter 7 highlights
3D Talent Service has come up with a simple and effective skills profile tool called ItsYourSkills
All important ingredients that go toward making talent – functional aspects, proficiency, and behavioral traits – are incorporated in the tool.
ItsYourSkills doesn‟t act as an evaluator but provides for comprehensive profiling, making assessment easier for the candidate and for the job giver
PART III
What Will Change
8. Big Data Is Here
If the current march of technology has overwhelmed you, wait for the world of big data and analytics to fully unravel!
We already hear a lot about them making a big difference in many areas. Big data is indeed driving a lot of fields such as financial sector, marketing, social media and healthcare. Why, even the famed Large Hadron Collider is a big data science experiment.
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The new tech giants all thrive in this game. According to Wikipedia, retail giant Walmart handles more than 1 million customer transactions every hour, “which are imported into databases estimated to contain more than 2.5 petabytes of data – the equivalent of 167 times the information contained in all the books in the US Library of Congress.” It also points out the fact that Facebook handles some 50 billion photos from its user base.
For the tech giants, more importantly, big data is the way by which they understand their customers. Take the example of Facebook and Amazon. The former is the world‟s most-sought after social media platform while the latter is the global leader in e-commerce.
What they do and very effectively at that, are the following: understanding the individual very well; and based on this understanding, present the user with appropriate choices brought from a huge marketplace.
Amazon studies our behavior by tracking the books we‟ve bought, book reviews we‟ve read, the platforms that we prefer to read our books, the frequently with which we buy, the price range and so on. Likewise, Facebook evaluates our interests, our friends‟ network, their preferences, our activities, the searches we make, and so on. In short, they create a profile of us.
The red flag here is on the issue of privacy. Some feel their privacy is violated, just so that someone else benefits. These concerns ought not to come up when the input of data is completely voluntary. Of course, it needs to be pointed out that the user also does benefit because of data collection.
Tracking the customer is just one part of the work of these big online brands. At another level, they pull providers of services or products that would be of interest to us. And they pull real hard. That‟s because, the larger the number of products and services, the better the chance that they will be able to meet our needs.
They lure the providers through many ways. They give tools to offline providers so as to get them to their platform. They also provide things like logistics and payment support that will help the providers service the customers better.
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The important thing is to have an intelligent engine that will pick the right choices from really huge packets of data. This involves understanding group behaviors, making hypotheses on likely behaviors, analyzing data for patterns and creating algorithms based on them.
When you see the many recommendations that these sites make to us, you will be reminded about how this process works. Individuals can be precisely targeted now. The era of mass targeting has almost gone past us. For marketers, this is not just an opportunity to save money but also to target revenues better. The geographical barriers to advertising, marketing and distribution by small, remotely-located businesses are also virtually eliminated, as a result.
If this aspect of individualization can be replicated in the talent space, it will have huge implications not only in the HR world but for human development in general. But the big question is: can it be replicated? Well, let‟s be optimistic but there are challenges.
The first challenge is data itself! In most already-functional examples of big data (e.g., Google, Amazon and Facebook), data to profile us is collected in subtle ways. It is centered around the „clicks‟ we make on the screen. Data can also be collected with users filling forms that are structured – where information about age, location and so on are filled up.
In the talent space, data can be expressed in different ways. Data is unstructured (it‟s mostly textual). Take a simple example. Let us say an employer makes a job posting for a „software engineer.‟ Maybe what she wants is a programmer. And there are many people out there who call themselves as „programmers‟. But if we don‟t have a way to tell a system that software engineer = programmer, then all the people who call themselves „programmers‟ are going to be left out of the process.
The second problem is the nature of data that is used. Most of us have our resumes. Resumes have text; lots of them. And we all write our resumes in different forms, using our creativity to make them look appealing.
But to bring out data from all these creative texts to manipulate-able data is a big challenge. We have a number of resume parsers, which extract text and put them into manipulate-able data form. However, they are severely limited in their capabilities. Most of them may do a good job of pulling out information on education, age, companies one has worked in, title, and so on. But they are severely limited when it comes to skills. And this matters more than all others.
This challenge shows itself at a different level. Companies expect employees to fill up various forms at different points – at the time of joining, training, appraisals and so on. There are three issues with this, however. One, data on skills which are central to talent remains uncaptured.
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Two, data remain in silos on different systems. Three, data is not dynamically updated even as employee scenarios changes.
For effective delivery of talent development and engagement using big data and analytics, we need the data-fication of talent.
An intelligent engine can help individuals understand the changes happening in the market – say, what skills are hot – and help them to adapt faster. Such an engine can also enable better talent engagement.
Let us take an example. Imagine a chemical manufacturing company is looking for a program manager to set up a new plant in Africa. An ideal profile could be one who has been in chemical engineering and who has been a program manager and one who has also had exposure in Africa also experience setting up new plants.
Such a combination itself may not be available in the market. However, if we analyze the requirements, the most important requirement is program management. Maybe there are people in the market who are good in program management or project management in the manufacturing industry who could fit this position. But such connect is possible only if the system knows what is key and what is not and also knows what are similar skills (program management = project management).
What enterprises need are intelligent systems that can cater to individualization. They also need to develop capabilities for use of data on skills. So far, companies have not been thinking this way. This would call for looking at an employee not from the viewpoint of demographics but from the basis of the talent profile.
Big data might have a long way to go in the area of talent but it seems more certainly as the way to go.
Chapter 8 highlights
Big data will transform the world of talent and jobs in the years to come
The likes of Facebook and Amazon have managed to profile their customers very well but profiling talent is a real challenge
If the aspect of individualization is replicated in the talent world, it will have huge implications for human development in general
The Road to the Data Future
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Earlier this year, Deloitte brought out the „Global Human Capital Trends 2014‟ report that surveyed more than 2,500 business and HR leaders from over 90 countries.
The report came up with some revealing statistics about the use of (or rather the lack of) analytics by human resource departments across companies. .
The survey reported that 86 percent of companies had no HR analytics capability. In comparison, 81 percent of the companies use analytics in finance, 77 percent in operations, 58 percent in sales, and 56 percent in marketing.
According to the report, only 7 percent of the large companies “rated their organizations as having “strong” HR data analytics capabilities today.”
At the same time, over three-fourths of large companies thought HR and talent analytics issues as “urgent” and “important.”
While recognizing that a data-led HR future is inevitable, it is important to point out that the transition will happen over many years. The Deloitte report itself pointed out that it could take three to five years for companies to build a strong talent and analytics function.
CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, in a report in November 2013, pointed to three factors impeding the use of big data in organizations. They were barriers to sharing data, capabilities to deal with data, and cultural barriers.
Analytics is perhaps used in some of the HR information systems. But the focus here is far greater on manpower analysis, emphasizing on aspects such as age, location, and experience.
But what we need are data at the skill level. That‟s what will make talent handling more intelligent. Improved talent profiling tools are surely going to be a step toward this future. Change is again in the air!
Engaging and Effective Web app for Talent Acquisition is a post from Awesome Gang
- Inevitable (The Harmony Series) Book 1 by Angela Graham -
About Inevitable (The Harmony Series) Book 1 by Angela Graham:
Book 1 of the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Harmony series.
After experiencing a humiliating breakup, twenty-two-year-old Cassandra Clarke is fresh out of college and living a simple solitary life without any intentions of pursuing love anytime soon.
When the estate next door sells, the last thing Cassandra expects is the unnerving attraction she feels for her sinfully handsome neighbor, Logan West, the young and charming single father with a playboy reputation.
It’s through Oliver, Logan’s four-year-old son, who keeps popping up in her childhood tree house, that she slowly begins to catch glimpses of the compassionate and wounded man Logan has hidden beneath his strong exterior.
Cassandra knows it’s wrong and that she’s heading for another heartbreak.
Logan will never be able to give her what she wants…love.Book 1 of 3- All books are released
Book 2, Irreplaceable
Book 3, Indestructible
Also check out Indulge, The Prequel for Logan’s storyLearn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Visit the Author’s Website.
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Visit the Facebook Fan Page.Author Bio:
New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author.Angela knew she found her calling in the world of fiction the moment she began pounding away at the keys for her first short story in 2012. With a baby on her shoulder, she wrote for about a year before deciding to try her hand at an actual novel. It was the best decision she ever made and since then she continues to bring characters to life in her free time snuck away from her first role as mother to her three young children.
-Be sure to check out her website at www.loveangelagraham.com“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.”
– Ella FitzgeraldStay connected by signing up to receive monthly newsletters. These include New Releases, Sales, Excerpts, Teasers, & more…
Sign-Up Link: http://eepurl.com/WrIKXText SEXYBOOKS to 24587 for alerts with the latest releases, sales and giveaways.
Inevitable (The Harmony Series) Book 1 by Angela Graham is a post from Awesome Gang
- HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE: Learn how to make money from home with my step-by-step plan to build a $5000 per month passive income website portfolio -
About HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE: Learn how to make money from home with my step-by-step plan to build a $5000 per month passive income website portfolio:
In association with makemoneyfromhomelionsclub.com
Online passive income is the ultimate dream. Making money while you sleep. Everybody wants it.
But is it really possible?
The short answer is “yes.”
The longer answer is “yes, but it isn’t easy to accomplish.”
If it was, wouldn’t everyone be doing it?
In my ebook, I give you a step-by-step plan on how to develop a passive income website portfolio and show you how making money online actually works.
The specific plan I teach is designed to make you $5,000 per month in passive income earnings, based on 10 websites, with each website having a targeted earnings level of at least $500 each. Once you understand the process though, you can decide to build 20 of these websites, or 100! When you stop is up to you (and yes, there are people making tens of thousands of dollars per month on the Internet based on these concepts – they just love the work and don’t ever stop building new websites or expanding their current ones!).
What’s great about the business plan that I teach you is not only the income level you will accomplish if you follow through, but all that you will learn in the process. The skills you learn in this ebook will enable you to build all kinds of online businesses and open the door for all kinds of entrepreneurial projects you may have.
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:
Mike Omar is the owner of makemoneyfromhomelionsclub.comHe is a big fan of entrepreneurship and primarily interested in helping others create small businesses (that can eventually grow into large businesses!).
He has been self employed for over five years and has done business consulting on the side for several business start-ups.
His best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: “Always be working on side projects outside of your regular job until the day you can quit, always make sure you are progressing, and if you haven’t done so already, START NOW!”
For more information on home entrepreneurship, be sure to visit makemoneyfromhomelionsclub.com
HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE: Learn how to make money from home with my step-by-step plan to build a $5000 per month passive income website portfolio is a post from Awesome Gang
- Queen -
About Queen:You can’t hide from the past.
Queen’s world was shattered, and she was banished to a foreign land. Years pass before she dares to return, but what she finds is of little comfort. Greed and dishonesty have festered and grown in her absence. Embittered and cynical, Queen trusts few people.
Owen pursues a clandestine investigation and finds himself working side-by-side with a veritable ghost, an agent few have seen, a master of disguise known simply as Queen. He craves her trust…but then uncovers a secret from his family’s past that could destroy her.
Queen once sought refuge in America and now seeks it in disguise. Owen has always found his refuge in God, but will his faith be strong enough for the challenges ahead? Can he convince Queen to stop hiding, or is he doomed to become her most hated enemy?
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Visit the Author’s Website.
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Visit the Facebook Fan Page.Author Bio:
Heather Gray authors the Ladies of Larkspur inspirational western romance series, including Mail Order Man, Just Dessert, and Redemption. She also writes the Regency Refuge series: His Saving Grace, Jackal, and Queen – plus contemporary titles Ten Million Reasons and Nowhere for Christmas. Aside from a long-standing love affair with coffee, Heather’s greatest joys are her relationships with her Savior and family. Heather loves to laugh, and this theme is prevalent in her writing where, through the highs and lows of life, her characters find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her.Queen is a post from Awesome Gang
- Claire and the Big Bad Bunny by D.D. Chant -
About Claire and the Big Bad Bunny by D.D. Chant:Claire is invited on a weekend getaway by her best friend Bunny. Staying in a Scottish Castle sounds like fun and Claire is willing to overlook the fact that Bunny’s almost sister-in-law, Snotty Lottie, has also been invited.
However Bunny hasn’t been entirely honest.
Fresh air, kilts and Snotty Lottie… what could possible go wrong?This is a 7.900 word short story, #3 book in the ‘Claire’ series of short stories.
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Visit the Author’s Website.
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Visit the Facebook Fan Page.Author Bio:
Hi everyone!My name is Dee Dee, I’m twenty seven and I live in a beautiful part of Devon, England, with my family.
That introduction made me feel a little bit like I was on Blind Date!!!
As our house is in the countryside we have some unusual neighbours including chickens, ducks, geese, pheasants, a cat (that adopted us when we moved in!!!) and some koi. I also have a very long suffering younger sister, Jingle, who is a brilliant guitar player. She keeps me supplied with coffee and brownies, generally making sure that the Chant household doesn’t grind to a halt.
I really hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them.
I love reading and have a kindle, I enjoy almost every genre; if there is adventure and romance I’ll be there with coffee and a brownie! I also like to cook and wear impractical high heels! You may also have noticed that I have a horrible addiction to exclamation marks!!!Claire and the Big Bad Bunny by D.D. Chant is a post from Awesome Gang
- Ebola : The Ultimate Guide to Ebola Protection, History, Symptoms, Treatment -
About Ebola : The Ultimate Guide to Ebola Protection, History, Symptoms, Treatment:Ebola : The Ultimate Guide to Ebola Protection, History, Symptoms, Treatment
The #1 Bestseller on Amazon
Regularly priced at $4.99 but for special limited period this book is offered at $2.99. Read on your PC, Mac, smart phone, tablet or Kindle device.
Ebola the name itself induces panic & fear. In 1976 a deadly virus emerged from the Congo forest. It can kill up to 90% of it’s victims. While the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization have both expressed serious concerns that we are on the brink of disaster, border enforcement agencies seem blithely unconcerned.
Ebola, previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the Ebola virus strains. The natural reservoir host of Ebola virus remains unknown. However, on the basis of evidence and the nature of similar viruses, researchers believe that the virus is animal-borne. As Ebola is a current health issue, knowing how the world is working towards trying to overcome the threat of this deadly virus is comforting and re-assuring
Warning : Ebola could infect 4.1 billion people over the next 24 months!
PREVENT YOURSELF NOW!!
Here is a preview of what you will learn in this book : –
INTRODUCTION
What is Ebola?
History of Ebola
Symptoms of Ebola include
How is the virus transmitted?
How Is Ebola Diagnosed?
How Is Ebola Treated?
How Can You Prevent Ebola?
Can Ebola be stopped?
What about a strong immune system?
HELP SOMEONE IS INFECTED
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF PERSON WHO IS SUFFERING FROM EBOLA
SANITATION & DISINFECTION & CLEANISING – IMPORTANT
CLEANISING ITEMS YOU MAY REQUIRE FOR QUARTINED PATIENTS ROOM
Facts about Ebola
Recommended websites
and much more…
What are you waiting for. Scroll above and hit the buy button NOW!!
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
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My name is Akshat Agrawal. I have written this book so that I can help people to get more information about this deadly Ebola virus.Ebola : The Ultimate Guide to Ebola Protection, History, Symptoms, Treatment is a post from Awesome Gang
- The Top Ten Best Pets For Children: Tips on Care and Proper Choice for Your Child (Today’s Top Ten’s Book 1) [Kindle Edition] -
About The Top Ten Best Pets For Children: Tips on Care and Proper Choice for Your Child (Today’s Top Ten’s Book 1) [Kindle Edition]:A Proven Step-by-Step Method To Discovering The Best Pet For Your Little One
Today only, get this #1 Amazon.com bestseller for just $0.99. Regularly priced at $4.99. Read from Amazon Kindle, Kindle Cloud Reader, and Kindle Applications for PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows phones, smart phones and tablets.
You’re about to discover proven steps and strategies on how to choose the right pet for your child. Your child might spot a cute dog or kitten at a neighbor’s house. Maybe her best friend has a guinea pig or a rabbit. Which pet is right for your family?
Here Is A Preview Of What You’ll Learn…
Adopting а Νеw Cat
Caring Fоr Turtles – Ноw tо Таkе Care оf Pet Turtles
Dоеs Yоur Child Wаnt а Rabbit Аs а Pet?
Ferret Care – Іnfоrmаtіоn Ferret Lovers Мust Know
Gerbils – Тhе Best Pet Option fоr Young Children
Goldfish аnd Betta Fish Маkе Great Fіrst Pets Fоr Children
Hamsters – Тhе Perfect Starter Pet
Keeping Guinea Pigs Аs Pets
Much, much more!Download your copy today!
Take action today and download this book for a limited time discount of only$0.99!
Check Out What Others Are Saying…
Tags: Pets, Animals, Kids Safety, First Pet, Pets Children’s Books
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:
Our mission is to improve your life by helping you be the best YOU that you can be. We have been a thriving business for the past six years, contracting with numerous writers, publishers, editors and graphic designers to create top-selling products. We have experienced a variety of genres including science fiction, religion, sociology, psychology, health and fitness, child development, business management, and leadership. Rictamily has been part of the U.S. Army for over 10 years and committed our lives to helping others. We have undergrad degrees in Social Work and Aviation and graduate degrees in Special Education and Theology. We employ over 20 contractors who work as a team to provide the best possible service to the consumer.The Top Ten Best Pets For Children: Tips on Care and Proper Choice for Your Child (Today’s Top Ten’s Book 1) [Kindle Edition] is a post from Awesome Gang
- Avocado: The King Of Fitness Fruits. Includes 20 Healthy Recipes -
About Avocado: The King Of Fitness Fruits. Includes 20 Healthy Recipes:
Are you getting enough of this amazing superfruit?
Find out how truly special this fruit is and why it has so many ‘adepts’ all over the world!This book answers questions such as:
– What makes the avocado so healthy?
– Is there a ‘daily recommended avocado intake’?
– How do you choose an avocado?
– How do you store an avocado?But thats not all! This book also includes 20 healthy and easy recipes such as:
– Guacamole
– Avocado Aioli
– Avocado Shrimp Salad
– Eggs Baked In Avocados
– Avocado Ice Cream
– Avocado Chocolate Pudding
– Banana Avocado SmoothieLearn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Buy the Book On Amazon.Author Bio:
I am a writer from a small country called Latvia. It is exciting to get my books out there into the world.Avocado: The King Of Fitness Fruits. Includes 20 Healthy Recipes is a post from Awesome Gang
- Ozzy The Otter: A Fun Rhyming Story -
About Ozzy The Otter: A Fun Rhyming Story:
It is Ozzy The Otter’s birthday party. The whole Otter clan is going to be participating. The party attendee’s include Ozzy’s uncles, aunts, grandparents and friends. Ozzy is excited about his birthday party, but he is always rushing and is impatient.
At the party there are lots of games going on. Everyone is happy, grownup and kids are all enjoying themselves. But because Ozzy was impatient and rushing, something happens at the party.
What happened? How did the party turn out? Find out by reading this beautifully written and illustrated book.
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Visit the Author’s Website.Author Bio:
A former atheist/agnostic.
A recovered porn addict, skeptical Christian, loves Jesus.
Have a fifth degree black belt and I can eat five lbs. of steak in one sitting.
Have a B.A. in Psychology and M.Div from SEBTS.
Both degrees negate each other, i.e. I’m still a dummy.
Have a mixed German shepherd named Rosco, have two toenails growing out of one toe, and I’m addicted to coffee, ginger ale, and tomato juice.Ozzy The Otter: A Fun Rhyming Story is a post from Awesome Gang
- Weight Loss Hacked:: Tips and Tricks to Lose weight, Belly fat, Get fit & Feel great! -
About Weight Loss Hacked:: Tips and Tricks to Lose weight, Belly fat, Get fit & Feel great!:
You’re About To Discover The Secrets To Fast, Effective, Long term Weight Loss
Wanting to lose weight isn’t and should not be about succumbing to society’s idea of perfection or ideal. If you’ve reached the point in your life where you’re ready to let a few pounds go, whip yourself in shape and feel better about yourself, then this book is perfect for you.
One of the main things that you’ll want to do when trying to lose weight is to ensure that you’re going about it the right with. With thousands of diets out there, it can be exceptionally difficult to determine not only which one is for you, but also, which one won’t put your health in jeopardy. This is often the primary concern and the primary drawback to getting in shape. Oftentimes, people look at getting in shape and losing weight as a challenge that’s way too hard to complete. They often believe that the only way to get to a healthy weight is to drastically cut down the amount they eat or to exercise from day till night and night till day. Of course, this is a thought that is exceptionally discouraging. However, it’s one that luckily enough, is very far from the truth.
In this book, you’ll be introduced to some very simple weight loss hacks that will make getting in shape a breeze. You’ll learn how to diet efficiently, and set yourself up for success by not venturing too far out of your comfort zone in order to get fit and drop the extra weight. Tips and tricks, hacks and myths, they’ll all be explored in this book- teaching you just how to get to a size that you can be proud of and ensuring that you stay healthy along the way.
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Buy the Book On Amazon.Author Bio:
An inspirational author and writer!!!Weight Loss Hacked:: Tips and Tricks to Lose weight, Belly fat, Get fit & Feel great! is a post from Awesome Gang
- Rogue Hunter: Inquest -
About Rogue Hunter: Inquest:
LUST AND FURY COLLIDE IN A GALAXY ON THE VERGE OF WAR.
Fearing retribution from ruthless gangsters over an unsettled debt, intergalactic bounty hunter Zyra Zanr ventures to a distant world to collect the reward for Boris Skringler, a notorious terrorist, who has been sentenced to death by political rivals of the InterGalactic Alliance. When she fails to secure his release, she decides to break him out of prison. Zyra soon finds herself an unwilling participant in events that lead to a climactic showdown between the most powerful worlds in the galaxy.
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Visit the Author’s Website.
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Kevis Hendrickson is an aspiring filmmaker, musician, and the author of six Science Fiction and Fantasy novels, including The Legend of Witch Bane and the Rogue Hunter series. His second novel Rogue Hunter: Quest of the Hunter won the Red Adept Annual Indie Award (2010) for ‘Top Science Fiction’. His most recent novel is Rogue Hunter: Life Force. The fourth book in the series, Rogue Hunter: Longshot, is scheduled for release in Fall 2014.He has also published one novella, one epic poem, one non-fiction book, and eight short stories. Hendrickson lives in sunny Miami, Florida U.S.A. where he spends his days dreaming of new worlds and epic adventures.
Rogue Hunter: Inquest is a post from Awesome Gang
- Faster by Calvin Demmer -
About Faster by Calvin Demmer:
Faster is a short-story about Brock Johnson, a man trying to escape his dark past. Brock has a simple motto in life: “Keep moving forward . . . and make sure you’re moving fast.” One night, a stop at a diner, in the middle of nowhere, he’s forced to realize just how close his past is to catching him.
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Buy the Book On Amazon.Author Bio:
Calvin Demmer is a writer of Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy.Faster by Calvin Demmer is a post from Awesome Gang
- Double Trouble by Ruby Dixon -
About Double Trouble by Ruby Dixon:
In the world of motorcycle clubs, a snitch is a dead man. And the Bedlam Butchers have a snitch who’s intent on taking down one of the newest members of their club.
Shy knows just who the snitch is, too–it’s her older brother. But she can’t do anything about it, because Shy’s got no one to protect her. If she tells what she knows, her brother’s going to sell her out to his new, dangerous buddies. If she keeps quiet, she’s still at risk from the Butchers. She needs someone at her back. Enforcers Muscle and Beast are the perfect solution… if she has the guts to make a play.
Beast’s big hulking form and a face only a mother could love drives most women away. Muscle’s pretty as could be, but he’s got a nasty attitude and a brick wall around his heart. No one wants to get in their bed…which means they’re perfect for Shy’s needs. When the three get together, it’s obvious that these men need Shy just as much as she needs them. And now she wants to stay for entirely different reasons than just safety.
But what’s going to happen when they find out Shy has been withholding information?
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Visit the Author’s Website.
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Visit the Facebook Fan Page.Author Bio:
Ella, Ruby, and Kati love romance, love strong heroines, and love those oh-so-bad alpha heroes. We love stories that are hot, sexy, and dangerous. So when we got together to write this series, we only had one rule: to write the kind of romances that we love to read.We also know how difficult it can be to carve out time for a full-length novel…and reading a book in parts isn’t always as satisfying. Our series is written for the busy romance reader in mind. In each story, you’ll find scorching heat, wild emotion, and a romance that will have you turning the last page with a happy sigh.
Double Trouble by Ruby Dixon is a post from Awesome Gang
- Forever After -
About Forever After:
Once upon a night not so long ago in a land not so far away, Sarah Evers meets her Prince Charming. She lives a happy life as the newest lawyer at Williams and Sons, not thinking love is a bump in the street away.
After a night of drinks with the gorgeous Declan Press, Sarah is swept into a whirlwind romance with the heir to a corporate kingdom. What her beloved fails to mention is that he plans to use her to secure his legacy before grandfather cuts him off. When Declan’s wicked stepmother lets it slip to ruin Sara’s forever after and have her stepson cut off, she doesn’t count on him really falling in love. Sarah must decide if she wants to follow her heart back to the doomed love, or her brain out west and away from all she wants.
Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Visit the Author’s Website.
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Alexa Night is the alter-ego of a married twenty something fantasy/romance author. She wanted to keep the writings separate and not have awkward family dinners so Alexa was created.Forever After is a post from Awesome Gang
- The Confidence Route -
About The Confidence Route:
Have you ever wondered what the essence of happiness is? Why are some people happy and other people gloomy? How is happiness linked with self confidence, contentment and peace? Why is it so important to be happy in life? If all these questions have bothered you sometime in your life, then this is the book you are looking for.
Happiness is actually simple. Once we understand the true meaning of happiness and adopt certain lifestyles, happiness will no more be an obscure feeling. However you can be happy only if you truly want to be happy.
It is very crucial to be happy in life. Have you ever seen a sad person spreading cheer? Only if you are happy, you can spread happiness all around you. You can prosper well at work and keep your personal relations nourished only when you have a happy state of mind. It is also happiness that leads to self confidence and vice versa.
It is also true that there is no more misleading term than happiness. People presume happiness can be obtained just by dancing in parties and by drinking. Real happiness is not so transient. It definitely requires some discipline and dedication from your side.
In order to be happy, you should first write down your motto: I want to be happy.
Then you need to follow this motto. This book will be your faithful friend and guide you to your destination of happiness. All you need to do is follow the ten simple steps mentioned in the book and you will find yourself basking in the arms of happiness.
Well, the steps are really simple. It won’t require you to do difficult tasks. Some of the steps are chasing your dreams, eating healthy, sleeping well, adopting the right attitude towards life and making friends.
Do these steps sound tough? I am sure they don’t at all. Dive into this self-help book to seek and achieve real happiness.Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
Buy the Book On Amazon.Author Bio:
Amy Beach is a Chicagoan through and through and she often shares her passion for her home-town by volunteering her time at everything from local food banks to animal shelters. Her strong character has always invited the trust of those around her and has developed her into a motivational leader. Amy takes joy in sharing her vast experience of personal motivation, habit change, and building a lasting character.The Confidence Route is a post from Awesome Gang
- Escaping the Sun by Rhett Goreman -
About Escaping the Sun by Rhett Goreman:
Building on current trends in climate change, technology, cosmology, and human nature; this book provides an often frightening insight into the far future. In that future, a number of inexplicable “accidents” are taking place, and when massive asteroid impacts wipe out almost all life in our solar system, the human race has to be rebuilt from genetic archives. But as the new generation of people on Earth, the Moon, and a huge star cruiser discover more about events in the past, so the ultimate fate of all humans is thrown into jeopardy once again. Can you help Rhett Goreman save the lives of millions?
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:
My life-story, as told in “Escaping the Sun”, builds to nothing less than an explosive action packed adventure, but it also has a purpose. It contains predictions about the future, many of which are already becoming true. It’s main prediction is the destruction of all life on Earth. However, this will be no natural disaster.
Join me, and my small group of friends, as we discover what has really happened to human race and try to prevent an ultimate fate that is probably even worse than extinction.Escaping the Sun by Rhett Goreman is a post from Awesome Gang
- Out of Time -
About Out of Time:
Joe Dawson is a struggling 41-year old writer battling a serious case of writer’s block. When he travels to Wales in a last-ditch attempt to reignite his career, he finds himself staying at a mysterious seaside hotel, where nothing is quite what it seems. As the secrets of his past finally catch up with him, Joe is thrust into a life or death situation where his every action could have terrible consequences.
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:
Christian Saunders, who writes fiction as C.M. Saunders, began writing in 1997, his early fiction appearing in several small-press titles and anthologies. Following the publication of his first book, Into the Dragon’s Lair – A Supernatural History of Wales, he worked extensively in the freelance market, contributing both fiction and non-fiction to over 40 international publications. His novellas Dead of Night, Apartment 14F: An Oriental Ghost Story, and Devil’s Island, are available now, as are From the Ashes – The REAL Story of Cardiff City Football Club and X: A Collection of Horror. His new novella, out now on DeadPixel Publications, is called Out of Time. He works in London as a sports writer, and blogs for the Huff Post UK.Out of Time is a post from Awesome Gang
- Discovering Sports: The Ultimate Companion in Knowing Sports Better -
About Discovering Sports: The Ultimate Companion in Knowing Sports Better:This book contains a wealth of information for Kids on Sports, Engaging in Sports, How to Improve Sports Performance, and Careers in sport.
This book contains proven steps and strategies on how to better know and discover new information about the thing we all love, sports.
This book has everything that sports lovers need to know about the vast world of sports. From knowing the history of sports, to discovering its advantages, to improving sports performance and skills, this book will certainly be helpful in pursuing and achieving your sports dreams.
Many people and organizations, from something small such as little leagues to something big such as the Olympics, conduct sports activities to improve and maintain physical and mental abilities of players. Sports sometimes also become the factor that leads to the discovery of one’s talent. For whatever reason sports is conducted, only one thing is sure. Sports bring enjoyment to participants as well as audiences or spectators.
If you are interested in Sports, then this is the material for you.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:
Aloha! My name is Kathy Brooks. I am a proud mother, wife and a researcher at heart. Through my own life experiences, I have become an expert at getting to the core of points on most of my topic of interests. I currently work as a research and implementation profession and have been in the field for several years working for Fortune 500 companies. Like many people, I kind of fell into my profession. Little did I know just how much of an impact it would have on my personal life. My research knowledge was a God sent for my dating life, my marriage and in my journey of becoming a mother.I became an author to share my gift with the world. Every topic is one of personal interest that I have been through or helped a very close friend with. I believe that things could be done the easy way if the correct information and tools are provided. I believe in getting it right the first time. I believe that my gift could help a lot of people by providing the correction information whether if its to make a life changing decision or just to stir them in the right direction. The internet provides so much information but it could take days to decipher what is correct or misleading. I have found my research extremely helpful when it comes to health and personal relationships from alternative natural remedies to developing stronger intimate relationships with my friends and family.
There are new ideas and concepts put out into the world daily. These ideas and concept could hold the key to improving lives drastically, for instance, recent news reported on an optician who learned a technique to remove cataracts within 7 minutes. He traveled to Ethiopia to provide free service to those in need. Hundreds of blind Ethiopians showed up for the treatment not knowing whether it would cure them. But within 2 days several of them regained sight with gratitude. Think of how the patients’ lives improved with one 7 minute procedure. The right information could help so many people. This is how my gift will bless the world. I look forward to contributing excellent quality research.
Discovering Sports: The Ultimate Companion in Knowing Sports Better is a post from Awesome Gang
- Solar System: Fun Facts about the Sun and the Planets -
About Solar System: Fun Facts about the Sun and the Planets:This book contains fun facts for Kids about our solar system, the sun, and the planets around it. I hope you enjoy learning about them!
If you are interested in the Solar System, then this is the material for you.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:
Aloha! My name is Kathy Brooks. I am a proud mother, wife and a researcher at heart. Through my own life experiences, I have become an expert at getting to the core of points on most of my topic of interests. I currently work as a research and implementation profession and have been in the field for several years working for Fortune 500 companies. Like many people, I kind of fell into my profession. Little did I know just how much of an impact it would have on my personal life. My research knowledge was a God sent for my dating life, my marriage and in my journey of becoming a mother.I became an author to share my gift with the world. Every topic is one of personal interest that I have been through or helped a very close friend with. I believe that things could be done the easy way if the correct information and tools are provided. I believe in getting it right the first time. I believe that my gift could help a lot of people by providing the correction information whether if its to make a life changing decision or just to stir them in the right direction. The internet provides so much information but it could take days to decipher what is correct or misleading. I have found my research extremely helpful when it comes to health and personal relationships from alternative natural remedies to developing stronger intimate relationships with my friends and family.
There are new ideas and concepts put out into the world daily. These ideas and concept could hold the key to improving lives drastically, for instance, recent news reported on an optician who learned a technique to remove cataracts within 7 minutes. He traveled to Ethiopia to provide free service to those in need. Hundreds of blind Ethiopians showed up for the treatment not knowing whether it would cure them. But within 2 days several of them regained sight with gratitude. Think of how the patients’ lives improved with one 7 minute procedure. The right information could help so many people. This is how my gift will bless the world. I look forward to contributing excellent quality research.
Solar System: Fun Facts about the Sun and the Planets is a post from Awesome Gang