Fly -Like The Wind

Fly a work by Bridgette Z. Savage is written with the unique perspective of a horse. Fly. was a mare who served in the civil war with her owner, George M. Barrett. George treasured his beloved, Fly. When George enlisted in the Calvary at the start of the Civil War, he brought Fly with him. The army encouraged soldiers to bring their own horses. Fly, fit in well and was a quick learner. One day when George was sick, Fly broke free and joined the other horses and their riders. Fly followed the maneuvers perfectly. Fly's personality and dedication set her apart from the rest.
The editorial description: Based on the true story of a horse and her rider in the American Civil War, "Fly Like the Wind" recounts the adventures of two life-long friends from Posey County, Indiana. A young man and his treasured mare travel with the Indiana Cavalry into the deep South where their friendship and faithfulness carry them through unimaginable events. Strength of character and sense of purpose are important elements in this historic adventure. Woven around stories that have been told and retold for more than one hundred years, this book brings Fly to life in the hearts and minds of readers of all ages.

What's even more amazing is that you can actually see Fly's skeleton at the Workingman's Institute in New Harmony Indiana. This hidden treasure is a remarkable tribute to the mare who not only served but survived the Civil War. Not only that, Fly lived a long life for a horse. She was an example of what love and dedication can accomplish, even for a horse.

Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book

For those of you who prefer to see the reader, here is a link to do just that. Neil's people have uploaded videos of him reading the chapters. They will, in time, upload videos of him reading each and every chapter. So, in effect, he will have gifted the entire book to his fans. Why, would he do this? First, I'm sure it won't stay up forever. Second, he has realized that it pays off in the long run. After having given out, for a limited time, American Gods and Neverwhere, his publisher has noted an increase in sales across the board for all of his books. It makes sense really. There are so many books available on this planet that it boggles the mind. If you can get someone to actually read your book you have a potential reader for all your books. You can't catch a fish without bait. Its a win win situation for the author and his fans or potential readers. How great is that?

Banned Books Week

This is Banned Books Week, an event founded by the American Library Assn. back in 1982 and observed -- and debated -- ever since. Is there a fine line between protecting impressionable minds vs. the freedom of speech? It seems obvious that young readers shouldn't read adult oriented material. When is it OK to ban a book from the entire reading population? Should all books be available to every grown adult? The debate over "dangerous" books is never ending. The definition of what is considered dangerous or harmful is arguably the most difficult definition to come up with. Maybe a book called "1001 ways to commit suicide" or possibly a book called "how to kill people without getting caught" could be considered dangerous. The problem is, it isn't that clear cut. You won't see books with those titles. You will see such subject matter hidden inside works of fiction and and non fiction. Who's to judge? I can honestly say I couldn't take on such an ominous task. Nonetheless, books Americans have grown to love have, over the course of history, been banned. The freedom of speech must be defended, but to what extent? We would like to think that we enjoy freedom in our American democracy. As such, we expect to be able to exercise the free choice in what we read and write. Do we need censorship? I would like to say emphatically, no! However, I know what danger lurks between the leaves of those pages of many marketed novels. Yet, who am I to say you can't read it?

Back from the Aether

Life has its way of grabbing you by the lapels and shaking you awake. I've been reading, writing and then reading again. That is when I'm not working for a living and maintaining a home. After a hiatus I'm back and loaded with books and things to discuss. Check back soon as I've got some great books to review and enlighten.

Book lovers love free books

A wonderful "YA" novel is available for free.I put "YA" in quotations because the book is great for all readers, it just happens to be marketed within this category. The author, Cory Doctorow, believes in the free flow of information for all. If you like the book, then by all means, buy a hard copy of it. Pass it along to your friends. Doctorow mentions how Neil Gaiman stated that he was all for free use and passing along books to friends. The idea is that authors can get their work read easily through the free exchange of words. In other words, if its readily available, it might just get read. How does one discover a new author? Not by going out and buying their books. Something has to make them want to buy it in the first place. More often than not, someone is loaned a book or picks up one at the library and finds a great read. As such, they are inclined to purchase the wonderful author's other books. Even the best marketed writers must grab an audience. It isn't easy in the competitive literary marketplace to find a reader. There are millions of titles full of millions of stories looking for you, the reader. When a book isn't sitting in the front display then it is more difficult to capture someone's attention. Offering your writing for free is a way of telling others that you are a good writer, go ahead, take a look. It is a win-win situation for both parties. The author gets noticed, and hopefully liked and the reader gets a free book. For one who loves to read and write I can definitely empathize with the need to connect people to great reads. Kudos to Gaiman and Doctorow who understand how it really works, at least in an ideal world.

Books, beautiful inside and out

As a self proclaimed book lover, I truly appreciate books. Now I've discovered there is an artist who appreciates books in a whole new way. Nicholas Jones is a book artist. He takes books and turns them into his own sculptural art forms. What a unique idea. I can't help but feel a bit sorry for the words written on the pages, which after being turned into art, are not able to be read and enjoyed. Of course, there are plenty of books out there, and unless he is sculpting the only copy, a duplicate can be read. Is he destroying the book or recreating it? It is obviously a little bit of both. Destroy, however, is a strong word which I don't think applies here in its literal sense. Jones is passionate about his art. In his own way, he is paying tribute to the books he uses. Not only is he honoring the author but also the publisher and printer. He is demonstrating that there are more uses for a book than just reading and shelving. I guess, if someone has an artist's eye, he could see design in just about anything. Take an inanimate object and carve, paint, paste, sculpt, etc and create something new and fresh. As one who appreciates art in all its forms, I can value Jones intrinsic view upon the printed word. He sees potential in the volumes of bound paper around him.
I remember, as a child, I was taught to create a Christmas tree out of a Reader's Digest. We folded each page into a triangle. Then we spray painted our fanned out Digests and added glittery decorations. I wonder if Jones had created the same thing as a child? I always thought that it was a wonderful craft idea but, even then, I hated to see the written words destroyed so easily. I knew that the Digests had already been read and would only end up in the trash. The Christmas trees created from them was surely a tribute to the small magazine.
Michelangelo once said that within every block of marble there is a great sculpture waiting to come out. Apparently, Jones sees the same thing in the books he uses. Here's to art in all its wonderful forms. May each one of us learn to see the potential in all things.

Support coming from all sides

Since Amazon blacklisted many of the POD and small publishers who refused to sign with Booksurge, support has been filtering in from all over. Several groups have stepped up to the plate like Nothing Binding, You Write On, Google, American Society of Journalists and Authors with more each day. On the surface, it makes sense that Amazon would support it's own POD business over its competitors. However, Amazon isn't just a POD publisher. Amazon is a huge retailer.
Walmart has spent years trying to be everything. They force manufacturers to cut back on their product quality in order to sell for less. Walmart even forces the music industry to cut out offensive lyrics in their CDs if they want to sell through America's largest retailer. Amazon, like Walmart, seems to be dealing in ultimatums rather than good old fashioned marketing.
Booksurge customers are beginning to speak up about the poor quality of their books. Amazon has to decide who they want to be. If they want to be a huge online retailer, then they must play by the rules that govern retailers. If they choose to be a publisher, then they must follow those guidelines. The laws which curtail monopolistic practices must be carefully considered when analyzing this latest move by Amazon. Amazon depends on the publishers more than the publishers depend on Amazon. Publishers have shown, much to Amazon's chagrin, that they can sell their own books very well. Read this. Without the product to sell, Amazon wouldn't exist. There comes a time when the hard working manufacturers, publishers, writers, etc. must band together in the effort of fair play. There is power in numbers. Amazon's numbers exist because of the millions of people behind the products they sell. Most independent countries of the world exist because a group of people banned together and said "enough!"