Sometimes it’s easy to forget the things that make us smile. With a 24/7 news cycle reporting that the polar ice caps are melting, oil spills in the oceans, wars heating up around the world, and the job market in a deep freeze, it’s tempting to feel that the world is falling apart. But good things are all around us too. Ask a child what makes them happy and they’ll probably tell you something as simple as tying their shoes by themselves.  Sound too basic for you? Well when was the last time you really stopped to consider the simple things in life? How much joy does it bring you to hit all green lights on your way home from a long day of work? Or how fun is it to know the correct answers on Jeopardy? What about putting on a fresh pair of jeans right out of the dryer or the smell of fresh baked bread? Continue reading “Happiness: Take a Walk on the Bright Side” »

Bellevue Press Leads Pulitzers As Harding’s “Tinkers” Takes Fiction Honors

The 2010 Pulitzers
(with the official finalists listed underneath the winners):

Fiction

Tinkers, by Paul Harding (Bellevue Literary Press)
Love in Infant Monkeys, by Lydia Millet (Soft Skull Press)
In Other Rooms, Other Wonders, by Daniyal Mueenuddin (W.W. Norton & Company)

Continue reading “Pulitzers Dominated by Bellevue Press” »

Hardcover Nonfiction

Top 5 at a Glance
1. THE BIG SHORT, by Michael Lewis
2. CHELSEA CHELSEA BANG BANG, by Chelsea Handler
3. THE PACIFIC, by Hugh Ambrose
4. CHANGE YOUR BRAIN, CHANGE YOUR BODY, by Daniel G. Amen
5. COURAGE AND CONSEQUENCE, by Karl Rove

The regional winners of the Commonwealth Prize were announced:

Best First Book

Adaboi Tricia Nwaubeni, ‘I Do Not Come To You By Chance’ (Nigeria)
Shandi Mitchell, ‘Under The Unbroken Sky’ (Canada)
Daniyal Mueenuddin, In Other Rooms, Other Wonders’ (Pakistan)
Glenda Guest, ‘Siddon Rock’ (Australia)

Best Book

Marie Heese, ‘The Double Crown’ (South Africa)
Michael Crummey, ‘Galore’ Canada)
Rana Dasgupta, ‘Solo’ (UK)
Albert Wendt, ‘The Adventures of Vela’ (Samoa)

The overall winners will be announced April 12th.

“A HARMONIZED life these days sounds like a tall order. Between housework, homework, workwork, and busywork, there are perpetually too many things to do, and not enough time to find that mythical balance. Nothing is more frustrating than feeling like you’re doing doing doing but getting nothing truly done that you really want. Working with people from all walks of life, from full-time moms to CEOs at large companies, I’ve distilled many universal truths about success. There’s a secret I’ve learned that works quite well at helping you to achieve what you want: Decide what you want.” says Jack Canfield the Co-creator of ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ series. Do you agree? Send Us your thoughts!

National Book Critics

Circle Award Winners

Hilary Mantel “Wolf Hall” (Fiction)
Richard Holmes “The Age Of Wonder” (General Non-Fiction)
Blake Bailey “Cheever: A Life (Biography)

Young Lions Award

Award goes to writers under the age of 35

Jedediah Berry “The Manual of Detection”
Katie Kitamura “The Longshot”
Philipp Meyer “American Rust”
C.E. Morgan “All The Living”
Wells Tower “Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned”

(Articledashboard.com) “Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.” – James Russell Lowell

Books are man’s best friend simply because they are the gateway to knowledge and wisdom. So, if you are planning to give a gift to someone, then why not gift him or her with a book? I’m sure that most people you know around you will be book lovers too, and the best present that they can accept is a good book too. Continue reading “Books: The Best Gift To Send To Whom You Love” »

(Articledashboard.com) Some people love romances or love military books, however fantasy is a much better genre. Not only do you get action, romance, and adventure, but you get everything that comes along with magic, knights, kings, and peasants. Continue reading “Why Fantasy Is The Best Genre” »

(Articledashboard.com) I’m often asked by authors whether they should seek publication with a major publishing house or self-publish. Given the industry changes over the past 20 years, I almost always recommend self-publishing. Here’s why:

1) SAVE TIME. Most commercial publishers work on an 18-24 month production cycle. Self-publishing will take only 2-4 months once your manuscript is completed. This becomes especially important for time-sensitive material. Continue reading “Why Self Publish?” »