Xlibris presents a Guide to the Foreword, Preface, and Introduction

Guide to the Foreword, Preface, and Introduction

Xlibris knows you’ve asked the question, “When is this book actually going to begin?”

By Xlibris Publishing - September 26, 2013

Xlibris knows you’ve asked the question, “When is this book actually going to begin?” How many readers, turning the page in anticipation of seeing “Chapter One,” have been met instead by a preface? Or have read a few pages of introduction, only to realize at the end that it wasn’t even the book’s writer speaking to them?

What is a foreword? A preface? An introduction? Do you need all of them? In this article, Xlibris will clear up the matter for our authors, once and for all!

The Foreword (NOT the “forward!”)

This is probably the easiest part to identify because it’s usually written by someone other than the author. Basically, it’s someone else telling you why you should read it. “Who” writes it is just as important (and sometimes more important) as “What” that person writes.

If you’re self-publishing, find someone with authority on your book’s subject to write your foreword, because they’ll be lending you a bit of their credibility. While your mom would no doubt lavish praise on your latest whodunit, unless her name happens to be Cornwell, Gerritsen, or James, her stamp of approval is unlikely to increase your sales.

Remember, the foreword is a marketing tool. Whoever writes it will likely be mentioned on the book’s cover; after all, if one of a reader’s favorite authors likes this book, maybe the reader will too.

The Preface

Here things become a bit murkier, but not overwhelmingly so. Whereas the foreword was praise from someone other than the author, the preface gives the author a chance to toot her own horn. It’s a bit like a job interview; the author will talk about her own credentials, and why her book is worth your time. Like the foreword, a well-written preface will build credibility for the book. The author might also explain what led her to write the book in the first place.

Some authors will include acknowledgements in the preface, while others will give these their own section called, predictably enough, “Acknowledgements.”

The Introduction

The preface is where the author talks about themselves, but the introduction is where the book itself takes center stage. Usually (but not always) written by the author, the introduction is where she starts to whet your appetite for what follows. If the book has a central theme it will be likely be raised here, as well as a summary of the book’s contents. The goal here is to grab the reader’s interest, to make them continue turning the pages. If the preface answers the question “Why was this book written?” the introduction answers the question “What is it about?”

So that does it for the foreword, preface, and introduction. We hope our self-publishing writers have found this interesting and informative! Next time, we’ll flip to the rear of the book and see what lurks there. For now though, Xlibris hopes you’ve found this interesting, and looks forward to seeing you again!

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Techniques for Paraphrasing

Xlibris knows that paraphrasing means putting content, whether written or spoken, into other words. In writing, using direct quotations can be very easy. Sometimes, using quotes in your writing is important, but overusing them is the sign of a bad writer or implies you are just unfamiliar with the material you are writing about.

Paraphrasing allows you to reorganize many different sources in order to clarify meanings and to create a better understanding of the topic. However, you want to make sure you are using new words without retaining the original structure. Whatever you do, you do not want to plagiarize. That would be immoral, unethical and illegal.

When writing on a particular subject, Xlibris suggests using three or four different sources and writing a summary of all of them using your own words. You want to try to write a number of ideas in a simpler and more direct way.

There are many ways to rewrite and clarify ideas without using the same words and structure. You can use synonyms and change the parts of speech of some words, which mean changing adverbs to adjectives or verbs to nouns and vice versa for example. Try to use short words and short sentences when possible.

It’s also a good idea to change passive voice to active voice whenever you can. You can transform active voice to passive voice sometimes, but remember that most intelligent writing uses active voice, except in technical writing.

You can alter sentence structures and word orders as well as changing the types of sentences used in the originals. In other words, modify questions into statements and turn simple sentences into compound or complex sentences, etc. Try varying your conjunctions by using synonyms too.

Not only do you want to change sentence structures, but also try to vary the order of the ideas. It’s usually possible to put them in a more logical order or simply make your writing flow a bit smoother by doing this.

Anyway, practice makes perfect, so Xlibris self-publishing recommends choosing a topic, finding several sources of material about it and practicing writing your own summary, paraphrasing the original ideas. Do this, and you will find that you have quickly mastered the art of paraphrasing.

Original post here: http://www.xlibrisselfpublishing.com/writing-tips/techniques-for-paraphrasing/

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Xlibris Book Video: The Written World

Fatimah Jan. The Written World. Bloomington: Xlibris Publishing, ISBN 978-1-47977-623-8. 2013. Perfect Bound Softcover.

What if a stranger came into your life

and gave you the power to change an entire world?

Unearth the story of a young innocent girl

who discover she is destined to become the

keeper of an empire and it's seven kingdoms

In Fatimah Jan's debit novel a spell-binding

fantasy becomes reality.

Overview:

What if you were given a notebook, what would you do with it? What is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it worthless and meaningless? Is it a waste of time? Could you believe that the words you wrote had a significant meaning . . . something that could impact other people's lives, something that could help others? Would you still do anything with the book? 

Sophie is a poor child from a large family. Living with the thought of one day being thrown in the streets had always stained their lives. Her father works several jobs only to be paid the minimum wage. Life is hard on the Bennet family. One day, a stranger visits her and gave her an unusual book. An empty book meant to be filled in only by her. 
Sophie begins her unknown journey that is soon to unfold. With every single word she writes, a new door in her life is opened, which reveals the most astonishing events that must play a part in her life in the near future.


Original video via Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJr7D86Px1A&feature=c4-overview&list=UUrgndUBO4qevd1DfhNPweyQ

Writing A Book?         Call 1-888-795-4274 or email publishtoday@xlibris.com for your free consultation. Get Started today by requesting your Free Editing Guide.

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Author Interview: Gloria Naylor

Four Questions for Gloria Naylor

1. Recent publishing industry news points out that despite a stronger presence of African-American literature, the range of interests, voices, and concerns of African-American readers are not adequately represented in books produced by the traditional publishing houses. Do you think smaller presses and self-publishing will help change this?

I believe they already have. Small presses and university presses have traditionally been a home for a wide array of views and concerns for African-Americans. And that's the way it should be. I don't feel that commercial publishing houses can — or should — attempt to cover all the special interests that prevail. Many are not equipped with the editors or marketing techniques to target the best audience for certain books. While a smaller house may not reach as wide an audience for a certain book, they will certainly target and reach an interested audience. And writers should not just want to be published — they should want to be read.

2. Have you ever considered self-publishing?

I've personally been fortunate enough to find an interested publisher for most of the work I've produced. And I've felt that the time and business acumen needed for self-publishing were beyond my abilities. But it's not something I would rule out for a person who's interested in investing all the time and effort needed.

3. There's also some debate about African-American literature being lumped together in bookstores, removing it once again from the general category of "literature" or general fiction, and therefore separating it from the literary "canon," whatever that is. What's your take on this?

I'm of two minds about this issue. There is really no one lump category called "American literature." The literature, like the country, is a polygot of different cultures and regions. Each has produced a distinct school of writing speaking to that particular uniqueness. But the politics of literature has traditionally relegated heterosexual white male literature from the northeast as American literature and everything else — regional, cultural, or female — as "special" literature. While I do take exception to this, I feel that African-American literature does have a core following of readers and scholars who cannot always depend upon the mainstream reviewers to alert them of new books in print. In this case, a separate section helps to serve the need of those readers to keep up with what's on the shelves. And if that is the motive of the booksellers, then I don't see a problem. But if the shelf placement is to meant to segregate the books, then I think a re-evaluation of the mindset of the bookseller is in order.

4. A recent Washington Post article discussed the issue of "writing what you know" vs. "writing what you want to know about." Can a white writer adequately write about black history, or Native American history, for that matter? Do you subscribe to the old "write what you know" cliche, or are research, passion, and interest sufficient requisites for writing?

I believe that the world is open game for any writer. If a subject is approached with care and compassion, then writers can cross cultural divides and do a creditable job. However, what cannot be researched or empathised is the personal resonance of a particular cultural experience — you have to be there to know there — which does not say that a black writer with inadequate skills can convey aspects of black life better than a white writer with greater skills. But nothing surpasses having a writer with the requisite skills catch the tones and textures and nuances of their own specific culture — they can make you feel what they feel, see what they see, hear what they hear. And it's from that formula that all the truly great books have come. But a merely good book isn't a bad thing either.

Gloria Naylor is a writer for theatre, film and television and the author of novels which include The Women of Brewster Place (1983 National Book Award Winner), Mama Day and Bailey's Cafe. She also edited the anthology, Children of the Night: The Best Short Stories by Black Writers 1967 to the Present. Her novels now mark their twelfth language translation.

Ms. Naylor graduated with highest honors from Brooklyn College and received a masters degree from Yale University. She has been distinguished with numerous honors including Senior Fellow, The Society for the Humanities, Cornell University; the President's Medal, Brooklyn College; and Visiting Professor, University of Kent, Canterbury, England. Ms. Naylor has won Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships for her novels; for her screenwriting, she has been awarded the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship. In April of 1994, Bailey's Cafe enjoyed a successful run during its world premier at the Hartford Stage Company.

Original post, visit the Xlibris.

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Author Interview: M.J. Rose

Originally posted on Xlibris Author's Lounge

Six Questions for M.J. Rose

1. Your first novel, Lip Service, was an online publishing success. What was your experience with potential publishers of the novel prior to that, and what prompted you to take matters into your own hands?

When my agent tried to sell Lip Service in 1996, we got two offers on it from the New York publishing community but ultimately the marketing departments of those two companies nixed the deals because the novel didn’t fit into a genre or niche. My agent suggested I write a new novel since editors liked my work so much, so I started to do some research which led me to the Internet.

Months online passed and I started to realize that the Net would be a great place to sell original fiction via electronic downloads. (This was in 1997 and no one had heard of ebooks yet.)

It took me till the late summer of 1998, but I worked out all the kinks and came up with a marketing plan and started selling Lip Service from my own website. Only a few months later, the book was discovered by Erika Tsang, an editor from the Doubleday Book Club and The Literary Guild. It was the first time they had discovered a book online or bought a self-published novel. A few weeks after that, Pocket Books bought the print rights. Lip Service is now available or will be soon in England, Australia, The Netherlands, Germany, and France. Pocket Books releasing Lip Service as an ebook is really bringing it full circle.

2. Why did you choose to use the M. J. Rose pseudonym rather than your own name? 

I knew I was putting a very racy prologue up on my website and wanted to avoid getting any strange phone calls at 2am, so a pseudonym was in order. My mom — who had been my main source of encoragement all my life and always knew I'd one day be published — had just died. It was in honor of her that I took her name and added my own first initial: M. I wanted the original J. Rose to be part of my book in a meaningful way.

3. How did you get over the self-publishing stigma that so many would-be self-publishers seem to suffer? 

I didn't. I suffered it every day for eight months. Got laughed at and ignored by many. It bothered me but only to a point because I started getting such incredible reviews from readers and so much fan mail. Within a few months the derision began to matter less and less.

4. Lip Service was picked up by Pocket Books, a traditional publisher, and I understand you're working on another book that will be published with them. Do you feel more secure now that your work has been recognized by a larger publishing house? What if Pocket had never come along but your work was still selling just fine? I have to admit that I do feel more secure as an author now. Even more so because Pocket bought the second novel and then the first. I also feel validated because Lip Service is starting to get some attention for its literary merits. It was recently chosen to be part of Esquire's summer reading list. And Susie Bright recently chose Lip Service for her anthology, Best American Erotica 2001 — that was enourmous validation.

I don't have any idea how I'd feel if a print publisher hadn't picked up my novel — and its been too wonderful a ride for the last eighteen months to even think about it.

5. What are the some of the best techniques you've utilized to self-market your work? 

Generating word of mouth amoung readers. Each book is unique and the way to generate that buzz is unique for each title — but people telling other people is the only way to market fiction.

6. Do you have any predictions for the future of self-publishing in terms of industry attitudes changing? 

Industry attitudes already have changed. Time Warner's new publishing arm, iPublish.com, which opens up submission to unagented authors is proof of that. I recently interviewed the editor of iPublish for an article I recently wrote for Wired News. Her name is Claire Zion and she told me that she believes 20% of the books that are not published probably have potential but marketing demands that if a book can't sell over 25,000 copies, editors and agents have to pass on it. Now with ebooks, those books that have smaller audiences can be epublished because printing costs are eliminated and so are the issues of returns and warehousing.

M. J. Rose has been called the poster girl of e-publishing by Time and has been profiled in Forbes, Business 2.0, Working Woman Magazine, Newsweek and New York Magazine.

In March 1999, her novel Lip Service was the first e-book discovered online, published by Pocket Books in August, 1999. It was available as an ebook on May 16 and will be published by Pocket this July as a trade paperback. Her new novella, Private Places, available in five installments, is up now at Mightywords.com.

Her next novel, In Fidelity, will be published by Pocket Books in March 2001. Her non-fiction book, How to Publish and Promote Online, written with Angela Adair-Hoy, will be published by St. Martin's Press in January 2001.

Rose also covers the ebook industry for Wired News. She is currently working on her third full-length novel and is on the advisory board of Writer's Digest.

This article posted at http://www.xlibris.com.au/authors-lounge-q-and-a-rose.aspx

Writing A Book?           Call 1-888-795-4274 or email publishtoday@xlibris.com for your free consultation. Get Started today by requesting your Free Editing Guide.

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Author Interview: Janet Wong

Four Questions for Janet Wong

1. Your career took quite a different direction at one point, and now you're writing for kids. How and why did that happen? 

Before becoming a children's author, I was a lawyer. In my last job, I was the Director of Labor Relations at Universal Studios Hollywood, firing people, negotiating union contracts, and battling discrimination claims. It was mean-spirited work, and one day I started thinking hard about how I was spending the big money I made fancy uncomfortable clothes and pantyhose and dry cleaning and expensive restaurants and I saw all of a sudden that I'd rather do something more important with my life. I couldn't think of anything more important than working with kids, but I'd been a substitute teacher in the New Haven school district while I worked my way through Yale Law School, and I knew I wouldn't survive as a teacher! So I decided to quit my job and try to write for kids. A year and a half later and many manuscripts and 26 rejection letters later  my first book, Good Luck Gold, was sold. This was a very short time, an unusually short time, thanks to my mentor and UCLA Extension instructor, the poet Myra Cohn Livingston. 

2. What does poetry do for you, and what do you observe it doing for other people? 

I hated poetry as a child mainly, I think, because most of what we read was written by dead English poets. And I hated having to memorize a poem, stand up in front of the class then forget the poem. Myra Cohn Livingston was one of several speakers at a one-day UCLA Extension seminar that I took just a month after quitting my law job, and I had no idea who she was. (I was there to hear the editor speak about how to sell a picture book.) When Myra started talking about poetry, I started doodling and looking out the window. Then she read a poem of hers called "There Was a Place," from a book by the same title now, sadly, out of print. After she read this poem, a 12-line poem about a child's lost father, I found myself blinking back tears. I had never heard children's poetry like that, a serious poem told in very simple words about such an important and universal subject. I recite this poem often, when speaking in public, and always it brings tears to the eyes of several people in the audience. 

I think that when many people hear the words "children's poetry," they think only of silly, entertaining poems with a regular rhythm and rhyme. That's why they're so surprised when they discover the whole wealth of contemporary children's poetry that is serious, or funny in a very sophisticated way, and often unrhyming: poems by Nikki Grimes, Alice Schertle, Deborah Chandra, J. Patrick Lewis, Paul Janeczko. The best of these poems can change your way of seeing something in less than a minute, read aloud. 

3. So what's this about one of your poems appearing on New York subway and bus posters? 

In April, May, and June of 1998, the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority chose three poems for its Poetry in Motion program, and 5,000 posters with my poem "Albert J. Bell" from A Suitcase of Seaweed were placed on buses and subways in New York City. It was quite an honor, since the other two poems chosen were William Blake's "Tyger" poem and Theodore Roethke's "The Bat"! I do about 40 school visits a year, all over the country, and recently I was in New York to work with two schools. Sitting on the subway, I noticed one of this year's Poetry in Motion posters up in the corner, beyond posters about teen pregnancy and ESL and what a joy! By the time I finished reading the poem once and twice and three times I was at my station. Poetry can do so much in such a little space, and in the most unlikely places. 

4. Many of your school programs fall around significant times of year, such as Mother's Day and the Lunar New Year. How does this assist you in terms of teaching, and in terms of marketing your books? 

My third book, The Rainbow Hand: Poems About Mothers and Children, begs to be read around Mother's Day, so this is why many schools invite me to visit them then. My seventh book, This Next New Year, illustrated by Yangsook Choi, is a picture book about the Lunar New Year as a time of hope so it is natural, too, that teachers and librarians would be most interested in it at the Lunar New Year. But I do school programs the whole year round, even in summer. 

My fourth book, Behind the Wheel: Poems About Driving, has been used successfully by high school teachers to motivate reluctant readers and writers to write their own poems about driving experiences, real and imagined. My fifth book, Night Garden: Poems from the World of Dreams, encourages students of all ages to write about their dreams; and my sixth book, Buzz, a picture book about the buzzing sounds a child hears in the morning, lends itself to an exercise in onomatopoeia. Teachers are doing amazingly creative things in their classrooms, making all sorts of curriculum connections. When I visit a school, I usually model a metaphor/simile exercise where a child will take a family member and turn that person into a plant, animal or object. I will always remember the girl who said, "my mother is like braces / she's a pain to deal with / but she straightens me out."

About the Author

Janet Wong was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in Southern and Northern California. During her junior year in college, she lived in France, studying art history at the Universite de Bordeaux. When she returned from France, Janet founded the UCLA Immigrant Children's Art Project, a program focused on teaching refugee children to express themselves through art. Janet graduated from UCLA, summa cum laude, with a BA in History and College Honors. She then obtained her JD from Yale Law School, where she was a director of the Yale Law and Technology Association and worked for New Haven Legal Aid. After practicing corporate and labor law for a few years for GTE and Universal Studios Hollywood, she chose to write for young people instead. 

Janet's poems have been reprinted in many textbooks and anthologies, as well as in some more unusual venues, including the New York subway and on a car-talk radio show. 

Janet's awards include the International Reading Association's "Celebrate Literacy Award," presented by the Foothill Reading Council for exemplary service in the promotion of literacy. She also has been appointed to the Commission on Literature of the National Council of Teachers of English. Janet's first two books have received several awards including the prestigious Stone Center Recognition of Merit, given by the Claremont Graduate School's Stone Center for Children's Books. Articles by and about Janet can be found in the Claremont Reading Conference Yearbook, Scholastic's Instructor Magazine, Creative Classroom, Teaching and Learning Literature, California English, Booklinks, and various other teaching journals and newspapers.

Original article via: http://www2.xlibris.com/authors_lounge_QA_wong.htm

Writing A Book? Call 1-888-795-4274 or email publishtoday@xlibris.com for your free consultation. Get Started today by requesting your Free Editing Guide.

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Top Tips to Improve Your Proofreading – Part Two

Whether you enlist the services of an editor or not, you should still want your book to leave your hands looking as professional as possible. In this second installment of proofreading tips, Xlibris Writer’s Workshop discusses more techniques from the experts for finding those embarrassing errors before anyone else does.

1)    Have someone else read your work. This is probably the most important tip and, unfortunately, the one most likely to be skipped by writers or bloggers rushing to post. Well, don’t skip it. There’s nothing like a second set of eyes checking your work, and not just for spelling or punctuation errors. Remember, you wrote the piece, so naturally you understand what you were trying to say. A second reader may find that the meaning isn’t so clear, or point out inconsistencies that you didn’t realize existed.

2)    Read it aloud. This will reveal mistakes you missed when you simply scanned the page silently. If the piece isn’t too lengthy, consider having it read aloud to you. One additional note: if you’re writing a screenplay, it’s VITAL that you have the script read aloud, and not by you! If your reader has difficulty with a line, whether due to sentence construction, word choice, or sentence length, it’s likely that an actor will have trouble too.

3)    Read it backwards. This technique, obviously, won’t help you with sentence construction errors, but it’s useful for finding spelling errors. When you read forward, you tend to get into the “flow” of a sentence and are more likely to miss spelling mistakes. Starting at the last line and working backwards breaks up that flow, and allows you to focus on each word individually.

4)    Proofread a printed copy of your work. There are several reasons for this. Most writers find that they are simply more successful at finding errors when they take a break from their monitors and use paper instead. Perhaps there’s just something about changing the format that allows you to read with a fresh eye. There’s another reason, though. When you proofread, you should only proofread; this is not the time for stylistic changes or reworking dialogue. If you’re proofreading on your computer, it’s too easy to slip back into “creative mode,” which will make you a less effective proofreader.

5)    Use your word processor’s spell checker, but don’t trust it completely. While not a replacement for a second set of eyes, a spell checker is still effective at calling attention to things you may have missed. They aren’t perfect though, so treat their advice as if it’s coming from your mom: listen to it, but don’t necessarily follow it.

In today’s world of e-publishing and blogging, where the “Publish Now” button is always close at hand, the potential for errors to make it to your readers has never been higher. By following these tips though, you maximize your chances of catching them in the draft stage.

Stay tuned for more tips on this vital stage of the self-publishing process! Xlibris thanks you for visiting, and looks forward to seeing you again at Writer’s Workshop! For more information, check us out at www.xlibris.com.

Original article here. http://www.xlibrisselfpublishing.com/editing-guidelines/xlibris-writers-workshop-presents-top-proofreading-tips-part-two/

Writing A Book?             Call 1-888-795-4274 or email publishtoday@xlibris.com for your free consultation. Get Started today by requesting your Free Editing Guide.

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Tips to Improve Your Proofreading - Part 1

Once settled on a process that picks up spelling and grammar errors easily, concentrate on their proofreading speed. Often authors find themselves consistently misspelling the same words or repeating the same consecutively making a sentence seem boring and bland. Repeated misspellings come from a mental block or the word is not well known, they also come from the authors typing skill. By understanding the nature and reason for frequent errors and finding the most misspelled and repeated words, a writer will learn to take extra care not to use them so often. Authors should pace themselves by evaluating each sentence alone, consciously going through the spelling, grammar and structure.

Read full article here: http://www.xlibrisselfpublishing.com/editing-guidelines/xlibris-improve-your-proofreading-p1/

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Xlibris Book Review: The Cloak of Deception

The Cloak of Deception

''Memoirs of a Rural Undercover Cop''

Written by: Darryl Parker

Published by: Xlibris LLC

Date published: 06/08/2009

Edition: Casebound Hardcover

ISBN: 978-1-43633-302-3

Available in Hardcover

Review:

The Cloak of Deception is written to provide insight into the criminal justice system as it relates to the politics of drug enforcement in rural America. Its content illustrate the events, actions and incidents that occurred on the flatlands, back roads and waterways of a small region of Virginia. This book could spark a new wave of debates over crime, justice and society.

Book Teaser:

XIV

DON'T CRY OVER SPILT BEER

A drug enforcement investigator learns early in his career that his ability to successfully infiltrate and serve his community will rely heavily on his down to earth approach in interrelating with the general public. This effort is not reserved for the in the clouds, can’t see the forest because of the trees, social upper elite. (They wouldn’t know that there was a drug problem unless an aircraft filled with cocaine crashed through their $500,000.00 home in the middle of the night). I am referring to the hard working blue-collar people who after work. raise hell, drink beer, and curse the damnation of their struggling existence. Of course, some of these individuals are members of the dark criminal element and it is a drug agent’s responsibility to identify, confront, and effectively bring them to justice. This can not be accomplished by comfortably propping yourself up behind a desk in a safe, tranquil, air-conditioned office. A fisherman can not can not bass while sitting in his boat resting in the middle of a cornfield.

I chose to be a law enforcement officer for the people and among the people. I opted to frequent various establishments across the region and intermingle with the true populace. I refused to pretend that I was somehow “better” than the people I swore to serve and protect simply because I wore a badge.

I had numerous conversations with, and befriended, many people in the area by meeting them in popular nightspots and holes in the walls. I considered it good, basic, and straightforward police work. I wasn‘t pulling any punches. The drug dealers knew who they were and they damned sure knew who I was.

---------------------

I could have cared less that the information provided to me by a drug dealer during a game of nine-ball was in retribution of another sleeping with his wife. That was none of my concern. Illegal drugs were. I had no personal animosity against any of these people. In fact, I found most to be quite amicable and they all shared a common and admirable quality that

governmental officials and upper crust community activists often fail to posses. Lack of hypocrisy! These people have nothing to lose and could care less. Their information is genuine, raw, and reliable, and if you fuck them over they will kick your ass without hesitation. They were fully aware that given the evidence of criminal activity I would arrest them in an instant. They also knew that I would buy them a beer, shoot a friendly game of pool, and help them fix a flat tire in the parking lot after last call. They more importantly realized that I would risk my life to assist them in an emergency situation or aid them in a personal crisis.

The Circuit Court Judge deeply resented my activities of this nature. He openly, according to Sheriff Clarke, complained about my drug enforcement approach and methods. Judge Spruill probably would have been less objectionable and much more at ease if I had spent my time dressed in a three-piece suit and frequented upscale cafés drinking martinis with my pinkie extended. Actually, I do not think that the judge really cared how I was dressed or what establishments I patronized. I feel Spruill was much more concerned with whom I was talking to and the potential of their disclosures.

Obviously, individuals that distribute illegal substances on the street level are human beings and not demons released by Satan through the gates of hell to poison the world (even though sometimes it does appear they are). These people have families, problems, and personal goals not unlike any other member of society. The conflict exists in the route they chose to pursue their wants and needs. The reasons drug dealers enter a lifestyle of criminal activity vary from one individual to another and range from mere survival, to desperation, to depression, to peer pressure and intimidation, to just plain greed.

Constant interaction with elements of the drug culture on a daily basis takes a heavy toll on an officer. Neither an undercover agent’s superior officers nor the general public can send someone in to clean up a cesspool and then complain when, upon his return, he doesn't smell like a rose. I am not insinuating that any strayed actions conducted by an undercover officer should be overlooked, nonchalantly discarded, or negligently tolerated. They do, however, need to be expected, understood, and properly addressed. It needs to be accepted as fact a. truly effective undercover operative will never be able to embed him or herself into the bowels of the criminal element until becoming bi-cranial and learning to think fluid shit.

A narcotics agent, over time, learns to embrace danger, fear, and anxious anxiety as his friend. Consequent anxiety and stress become part of your evolution into the matrix of the dark side of the criminal justice system.

Unfortunately when your assignments are completed there is no outlet available to purge cynicism and other parasitic side effects from your system. Even more discouraging. though, is the realization that there is nobody that actually gives a shit. The professional abandonment leaves a narcotics officer buried with confusion, frustration, and a bitterly sarcastic belief that his sacrificed efforts are being taken for granted. (Or even being used against him).

The physical and mental scars of a drug agent are deeply rooted but any plea for help, either overt or latent, is often discarded with, "What have you done for me lately?" Still, somehow you crave it because you learned long ago that as you weave your way through the world of drug enforcement theres no time to cry over spilt beer.

Click here to order this book available at Xlibris Bookstore, or contact:

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Xlibris Book Review: The Quicksilver

Michael C. Madden. The Quicksilver. Bloomington: Xlibris Publishing, ISBN 978-1-46530-018-8. 2011. Perfect Bound Softcover.

Overview:

It wasn't supposed to be like this. This is all too real... time travel is real - irreversible! You can go forward, but you can never go back! We should have listened to him... what have we done??...the deepest thoughts of Mason Tucker. They found it in the bush and it took them to the Quicksilver. The Quicksilver showed them adventures beyond their wildest dreams... and devastated their lives. Now, Wynter Barnes and his five unlikely companions from Merrick Springs, have more power and responsibility than should ever be given to anyone. Least of all, those so young.

Awards:

The Quicksilver by Michael Madden received an honorable mention in the 2013 SAN FRANCISCO BOOK FESTIVAL Competition under the Young Adult Section.

Book Teaser:

Chapter one

A New Day Threatens

Morning came all too fast. Wynter Barnes showered and got ready to go. It was a relief not to have to wear his school uniform for the rest of the week. The jeans. hooded top, and sneakers he wore felt particularly comfortable.

It was Tuesday morning, the first day of year eleven camp. 'l‘he students of Merrick Springs Grammar were to be picked up by buses from school and taken to a place high in the Victorian mountains called Camp Wilson. Wynter did not know ifthe bully Mason Tucker was going on the four day trip, but desperately hoped he was not.

Wynler considered his reflection in the bathroom mirror and sighed. To his own mind, he was an average-looking boy, of middle height for his age, with a slim build. He had dark hair, blue eyes. and a plain face. Average and plain was Wynter Barnes in all areas except for his intellect. Wynter was smart, very smart, and he knew it. For a sixteen-year-old boy, however, that was more often a curse than a blessing.

---------------------------------

[2]

He sighed again, feeling dread at what was to come in the day ahead-dread at the thought of facing the boy Mason Tucker. For reasons Wynter could no longer remember, Mason had decided it would be fun to start

picking on him at school. Despite his reputation for being something of a super brain, Wynter did not regard himself as a nerd or an outcast in any particular way. Mason was going to great lengths to make him feel as though he should however.

The bully had arranged for the two of them to have a light after school the afternoon before. Wynter had agreed to nothing however; he wanted no part of it. He had managed to get the jump on Mason and slip away unnoticed, thanks mostly to his best friend, lett Nguyen, who had distracted Mace while Wynter snuck away.

Wynter knew he would pay for that today. Mason would surely come for him. The thought of standing toe to toe with another human being, pounding relentlessly on each other’s heads, held little attraction to Wynter. even less considering that the so-called human being facing him would be a year older than he and considerably larger. Mason had been kept back at the end of the previous year, forced to repeat year eleven.

Wynter gave himself one more ruthless assessment, grabbed his bag, and headed out into the kitchen. He was having breakfast with his mother, father, and younger sister, Casey, when there was a knock on the door, lett Nguyen. Wynter’s next-door neighbour and best friend, let himself in. 

‘Morning, Barnes’s.' lett called as he strolled into the kitchen, looking as much at home as anyone else. Iett wore dark grey cargo pants and a blue jacket. His ever-present green baseball cap sat crooked on his head, long strands of black hair jutting out here and there, lett was of a similar height and build to Wynter.

‘Oh hi, Iett,’ Wynter's mum said. ‘Excited about your trip, darling?’ Wynter’s mother was a short, slightly plump woman with mousey brown hair. She had a kind face and large blue eyes which people often said were a

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[3]

mirror image of Wynter‘s. Or was it that Wynter’s eyes were a mirror image of hers?

‘Yep. sure am, Mrs Barnes. Raring to go,’ Iett said, before turning to Wynter. ‘You ready?’

‘Guess so,’ Wynter picked up his bag, then kissed his mother. ‘See you later,‘ he said, then shook his father’s hand.

‘Behave yourself. Wynn.’ his father told him in his most stern voice. Wynter’s dad had serious features and steel grey hair. He was not a tall man, but was straight-backed and lean. ‘We'll see you in four days.’

Wynter nodded, then ruffled Casey's long blonde hair. The ten-year-old girl glowered at him with her large blue eyes. ‘Have fun at camp with Mia, Pooh Bear,’ she said in a mocking voice.

Wynter rolled his eyes at his little sister, then followed Iett out to the car. The morning air was still and cool. A heavy fog had settled over Merrick Springs, making the early morning light eerie. Wynter’s home appeared neat and modern in the grey glow of dawn. He smiled at Iett's twin sister. Mia, who was sitting patiently in the back seat. He waved through the car window to lett's mother. loaded his bag into the boot. and climbed into the back seat beside Mia. Mrs Nguyen drove them all to school.

When they arrived, they saw a large gathering of students and teachers in the school car park. The buses had already arrived. They unloaded themselves and their bags, said goodbye to Mrs Nguyen. then made their way into the body of students. Wynter privately marvelled at how different everyone looked out of school uniform. Excited babble filled the air, mixed with the scent of a dozen different types of girl's perfumes and boys deodorants.

As they moved amongst the other students, looking for the bus to which their class had been assigned, Wynter heard a few whispered comments along the lines of ‘Look, there he is’. ‘His face doesn’t look that bad‘, and ‘I didn't think he was going to show up today‘.

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How to Edit Great Books

We at Xlibris Publishing believe that one of the most widespread errors that aspiring authors and, indeed experienced writers commit in writing is to try to edit their book as they are writing it.. So instead of getting your great masterpiece out and on paper you tend to get bogged down in the minutiae of editing. The general consensus amongst published authors is to write your book then edit your book.

 

Let’s say you wrote twenty pages yesterday. Please do not waste today by trying to edit those pages line by line. If you wrote that ....click here to continue reading How to Edit Great Books.

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Xlibris Book Review: Nothing is Strange with You

James Jeffrey Paul. Nothing is Strange with You. Bloomington: Xlibris Publishing, ISBN 978-1-43636-626-7. 2008. Perfect Bound Softcover.

Overview:

A young man kidnaps his own nephew and makes him his servant and sex slave. He abducts young boys, has his way with them, and, if they "know too much," kills them. He forces his nephew to participate in his crimes and to consign these little victims, sometimes still living, to their graves. His father is afraid of his own son. His son mocks and abuses him, falsely accuses him of incest and child abuse and still he supports his son. His mother loves her boy and will do anything to help him even commit murder. The Gordon Stewart Northcott case a part of which is fictionalized in the major new Clint Eastwood film CHANGELING, starring Angelina Jolie is still, eight decades later, one of the most nightmarish in American criminal annals. This book nearly two decades in the research and writing tells the whole story for the first time. Disclaimer: It should be noted that the film CHANGELING is not based upon this book, nor this book upon it. Both are entirely separate works, and one had no influence upon the other's creation.

About the Author:

Mr. James Jeffrey Paul's book entitled "Nothing is Strange with You" remains as one of Xlibris Best selling books and has captured interest from the media such as People Magazine, Talk Radio Production and Morning Edition

Book Teaser:

CHAPTER FOUR

"THE HEADLESS MEXICAN"

There was a Mexican’s head brought out there one day." Sanford said.

He could not fix the date, except that it was "[a]bout three months, two or three months" before two brothers named Winslow (ahout whom more later) were brought out to the ranch, which happened in May 1928. Early on the morning of this particular day (which was certainly 1 February 1928), Stewart told Sanford that he was going into Los Angeles, but did not say why. Around noon, Stewart drove his Buick Roadster back into the farm yard and told Sanford that he had killed a man-specially, a Mexican. As proof, he took a black tar pail out of the back of his car and showed him what was inside.

It was the blood-soaked head of a man with long black hair and dark skin. 

Stewart set the pail down inside the door of the ranch house and changed his clothes. Later, they built a bonfire in the now-drained duck pond behind the garage, and Stewart “just dumped [the head] out in the fire" along with a bundle of the Mexican’s black clothes. He didn’t tell Sanford the victim’s name or any details about the killing except that he had shot the Mexican because he knew too much. He added that he had left the headless body by the side of the road near Puente because "[h]e had no place else to put it."

The head hurned all that afternoon until darkness fell, by which time "all but a chunk of it" had been consumed. The remaining piece was placed in a bucket and broken up with an ax, then was placed in sacks along with the ashes, which Stewart then (so he told Sanford} disposed of at the dump yard near Norco where he normally dumped his garbage. He returned about forty-five minutes later, then informed Sanford that they were going to visit his parents in Los Angeles.

Before and during the drive to his parents’ Brittania Street home. Stewart told his nephew what to say: that Stewart “had hired this Mexican out there on the ranch and he had caught him stealing money and shot him.” They needed to tell George and Louise this story "so if anybody come, they would know what to say."

Later in the trial, under questioning by his son. George would testify. “You came in there [to the Brittania Street house] one evening, I do not know what time it was. It was early in the evening. It was not very late."

"About how early?" Stewart asked.

"Uh, it might have been seven o'clock."

"Was it a Saturday evening-let's see. Was it a Thursday evening?”

“I do not know the date. I could not tell you what night of the week it was, but you came in there. Sanford done most of the talking. You said very little. The statement was you had hired a Mexican to come to the ranch to do some work." He added. "I do not know whether this Mexican came to the ranch of his own accord or whether you brought him there or Sanford or how he got there, but Sanford was not very well at the time and you apparently wanted someone to do the work and you hired him."

"At that time," Stewart asked, "there was a lot of chickens being hatched at the ranch, wasn’t there?"

“I believe there was, yes sir.” George told his son. "Anyway, he had not had his dinner, his meal of some kind. I believe it was his dinner. You started getting him his dinner. Sanford, I believe, was in the next room lying down, I understand, and you started getting him his dinner. While you were around getting him his dinner. he [the Mexican] spied some money of yours lying there loose-you almost always had some lying around loose-and you caught him in the act of stealing it. You accused him of it, and he made a run for you with a knife. He said he would get you. Sanford apparently heard it in the other room and he got up and came in and seen him running for you and he grabbed a gun and shot him, and then you fainted. Sanford cut his head off. You took him and buried the head, I believe, and then you took the body out to Puente and dropped it."

True to his roller coaster pattern of behavior, Stewart would at times admit to this killing, at others deny it; but whenever he admitted having done the deed, he always, or usually, stuck to his first alibi-that he had killed the Mexican in self-defense. His most elaborate-and darkly comic-account of the episode was given on the evening of 29 November 1928, while he was being taken from Canada back to the United States to stand trial. It was given to Earl Redwine, who retold the story in court under direct examination by Stewart himself. It bears quoting in full.

“The defendant stated to me." Redwine testified, “that he drove the Mexican to his ranch in his Buick automobile about 1:30 P.M. on February 1st. He stated that he cooked dinner, and asked the Mexican if he had had dinner. The Mexican said yes, he wasn't hungry. Defendant stated that he had stopped at Norco on

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Xlibris Book Review: Eclectic Poems From The Soul

Jerry L. Robinson. Eclectic Poems From The Soul. Bloomington: Xlibris Publishing, ISBN 978-1-46532-102-2. 2009. E-Book.

Overview:

Eclectic Poems From The Soul is my journey through many conflicting situations in broken relationships, trust, depression and fully understanding my hurts and the hurting of others through forgiveness. Getting a firm grip in my personal relationships with Jesus Christ as expressed in each fulfilled promise based on the Word of God in my life. Each poem is a bit of me, yet much of my growth evolved from seeing other struggle to victory through similar situations. I am victorious and at peace in my life. I hope this helps you to find that peace that many times we evade.

Book Teaser:

Unspoken Words

Unspoken words have meaning. The impact of these words
penetrates the deepest segment of my soul. Sincere words for
Brown and Hopkins brought each of us to pause and focus on
the finitude of life, where hope and grace awaits us.

We spoke sacred words in songs, commentaries and prayers.
ln the stillness of the postlude, one tall lanky soldierly looking
man, with composure walked quietly, stopping with a small
wobble to the left . . . took his place at the Altar of Honor,
displayed eternal respect and esteem, like those before him
placed one memento of gratitude on the Altar of Honor.

What he did differently from the others, he slowly moved from
a vertical posture to kneeling. During those fleeting seconds, a
rush of spiritual and emotional energy swelled within and those
who saw his gesture without a word, knew he had experienced
the presence of the Almighty God.


Barrett, you humble warrior, mastered the essence of honor.
KNEEL to HONOR those who die that we might LIVE. Through
each tear within the soul. I say with thousands other as Barrett
walked away as we understood the essence of honor.

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