As we all probably already figured out, the publishing business model is in trouble. With the rising popularity of eBooks as eReaders drop in price what profit is there in retail book selling? Learning their lesson well from the faux pas of the music industry, the publishing world does not want to force consumers to buy the products they want to sell. Rather they would like to supply the products consumers want to buy. By no means will printed books go away anytime soon, but the industry has to look into the future and, frankly, face the inevitable. Book sales have steadily decreased for about a decade while production costs have risen steadily, since for many books both a physical and a digital edition must be produced (even though I don’t understand why, at this age every book is digital first). As the music industry found out that at $0.99 song is less profitable than forcing you to buy a $20 CD, book publishers are also learning that a $9.99 eBook is less profitable than their $25 hardcover sibling. Personally, I have no issue with them making less, no-one is entitled to my money. Yes, Virginia – advertisements in books…

What impressed me the most about The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams is the excellent and loving research that has gone into the writing of this novel.

Samuel Barclay Beckett (13 April, 1906 – 22 December, 1989) was a Nobel Prize winning playwright and novelist from Ireland. Mr. Beckett is mostly known for his play Waiting for Godot

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by Ian Fleming is a top notch thriller is the second of what has become the “Blofeld Trilogy”, preceded by Thunderball (book review) and concluded with You Only Live Twice (The Spy Who Loved Me was written in between but is not included in the trilogy).

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z – A – Anderson, Steve – Historical fiction author talking about his ideas, research and social media. Atkin, Ann – Author of the “Flash His­tory” series talks about biographies, history and more. – B – Baer, Nadja and David Cohen – Talking about the graphic adap­ta­tion of the U.S. Con­sti­tu­tion. Belfer, Lauren – Author of “A Fierce Radi­ance” talks about research, writing and book promotions. Benn, James R. – Historical fiction author of the Billy Boyle WWII series talks about social media, cover art and more. Berger, W.K. – A published non-fiction author who decided to publish his first fiction book independently. Block, Stefan Merill – Author of “The Storm at the Door” talks about fictionalizing his grandparents’ lives, family and social media. Braude, Joseph -Author of the nonfiction book “The Honored Dead” (and several others) talks about social media, the Middle East and other subjects. Busch, Colleen Morton – Author of the nonfiction book “Fire Monks” talks about Zen, Buddhism, Social Media and fire fighting. – C – Cohen, David and Nadja Baer…

Current Giveaways: ======================================================== More Giveaways Coming Soon ======================================================== Past Contests One copy of The Man Who Came and Went by Joe Stillman – Ended July 21, 2022 One copy of Never Give Up by Bear Grylls – Ended March 16, 2022 Enter to win a mobi for Kindle copy of Cerebral Palsy: ‘A Story’ Finding the Calm After the Storm (3 winners)- Ended June 11, 2 $50 Amazon Gift Card from A September to Remember: Searching for Culinary Pleasures at the Italian Table by Carole Bumpus – Ended June 1, 2021 One copy of signed copy of Good Grammar Is the Life of the Party, swag, & a $25 Amazon Gift Card – Ended One copy of Hawthorn Woods By Patrick Canning – Ended July 13, 2020 One copy of The Last Sword Maker by Brian Nelson – Ended June 30, 2020 One copy of Becoming Superman by J. Michael Straczynski – Ended August 13, 2019 One copy of The Storm over Paris by William Ian Grubman – Ended February 14, 2019 One copy of The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred-Year-Old Man by Jonas Jonasson – Ended February 7, 2019 One copy of Samurai Castles by Jennifer Mitchellhill – Ended August 30, 2018 One…