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  • Jason Stadtlander

SVM Chronicles: December 9th
SVM Chronicles: December 9th 150 150 Jason Stadtlander

December 9th

Do you enjoy buying gifts this time of year? I do sometimes, but I prefer to find a time when no one else is around. The internet has made shopping without being around so many people much easier, but then you have to have the damn things delivered to you and risk someone seeing them if you’re not around. I’ve already bought each of my children two well thought out gifts, better to buy them then pass down something from the family. Although I really would like for them to hear what their grandfather has to say on his tapes. Most of them are sweet and benign, but there are other tapes that have a darkness to them. An underlying profundity that is just barely perceivable. It is that darkness and depth that I am afraid of my children hearing in their dead grandfather’s voice.

The Steel Van Man ChroniclesIt is that iniquity about our family history that I just don’t want to reveal to them. A part of me doubts that they would ever hear that in his loving voice, perhaps it is just me, tainted by the truth that sees the evil. For all I know, it’s not even really there in his recordings. However, it’s a chance I can’t take… at least for now.

I’ve been sitting here in my surveillance van, watching a man here in Lynn for the past four hours. Twice I’ve seen him leave and come home carrying bags of toys into his apartment. I watch as my hidden cameras see him wrapping the toys and trying on his Santa suit to make sure that everything fits. Ah, the holidays… a time of joy, innocence and perversion. The spirit of Christmas is nothing more than a mask for this man to wear for his disgusting perversions.

Methinks he will soon see what the true holiday spirit is all about, long before he has a chance to deliver his presents to good little boys and girls. Yes, I believe that he will find the Holidays sharp, cold and brutal in ways he can’t even imagine.

 

About The Steel Van Man Chronicles

The Steel Van Man is a thriller that was released in August of 2013 about a serial killer who hunts down those that abuse children. You can get the full book here. The “Chronicles” are the continuing journal of the serial killer from its point of view as it continues through its daily life.

  • Jason Stadtlander

Las crónicas de la bestia: 5 de diciembre
Las crónicas de la bestia: 5 de diciembre 150 150 Jason Stadtlander

Acción de gracias ya ha terminado y ya se acercan las Navidades. A partir del día después de Halloween se puede leer «Felices fiestas» junto a la ridícula publicidad pegada en los escaparates de cada establecimiento.

The Steel Van Man ChroniclesMe encantaría poder decir que las Navidades siempre han sido para mí un tiempo de amabilidad y felicidad. Un tiempo de alegría familiar y visitas de viejos parientes a quienes no hemos visto en todo el año. Un buen fuego arde en la chimenea del salón mientras la gente ríe a través de un vaso de ponche de huevo o de chocolate caliente y saborea la deliciosa comida y las pastas dispuestas a lo largo de toda la casa. El olor de pino impregnado en el aire que proviene del orgulloso árbol que preside decorado en una esquina con bastones de caramelo colgando de él. Quizá un alegre adulto entrado en carnes pasee por la fiesta con un disfraz de Santa Claus y reparta divertidos y pequeños regalos de su gran saco. Sí, me encantaría poder decir eso.

Sin embargo, no estaría diciendo la verdad. No tuve una mala infancia, pero definitivamente no fue como aquellos pintorescos momentos traídos de las escenas de un cuadro de Norman Rockwell. Nuestra casa tampoco estaba iluminada por el calor interno de un cuadro de Thomas Kinkade. De hecho, diría que se amolda más a la descripción de El Grito de Edvard Munch. Esa dura verdad de la existencia humana que solo se puede describir como miedo. ¿Alguien puede tener miedo a la Navidad? Mi madre se alejaba mucho de la definición de una madre solícita y cariñosa. Supongo que ella me quiso a su manera y, cuando era una niña, seguramente lo fuese. Sin embargo, más tarde descubrí que era una asesina sádica. A pesar de ser testigo de cómo mató a mi padre y cómo mutiló su cadáver, nunca se me ocurrió pensar que podría tratarse de algo fuera de lo «normal».

Lo cierto es que mi padre sí era solícito y cariñoso. Amó profundamente a sus hijos, pero, desgraciadamente, no estaba casado con una mujer, sino con una bestia. No hay duda de que en algún punto debió haber detenido a la bestia con la que se había casado, quizá antes de que fuera demasiado tarde. O, quizá, él lo descubriera después de que hubiéramos nacido y decidiera permanecer con nosotros para protegernos. La triste realidad es que yo nunca sabré la verdad, por lo menos en lo que respecta a sus sentimientos hacia mi madre. Todavía guardo las cintas de audio que grabó para nosotros y, mediante ellas, puedo afirmar que nos quiso. Su calavera perfectamente conservada no hace otra cosa que mirarme a través del cristal, justo detrás de la de mi madre. Así que brindo por vosotros dos: feliz Navidad, papá y mamá.

Acerca de Las crónicas de la bestia

El legado de la bestia (The Steel Van Man) es un thriller publicado en diciembre de 2013 sobre un asesino en serie que da caza a aquellos que abusan de niños. Puedes conseguir el libro completo aquí. Las crónicas son la continuación diaria de la bestia desde su punto de vista mientras continúa con su vida diaria.

  • Jason Stadtlander

SVM Chronicles: December 5th
SVM Chronicles: December 5th 150 150 Jason Stadtlander

December 5th

Thanksgiving is over and now the holidays approach. ‘Happy Holidays’ all the retailers say with their ridiculous marketing plastered everywhere the day after Halloween.

The Steel Van Man ChroniclesI would like to say that the holidays have always been a nice, happy time. Full of family cheer and old relatives visiting that we haven’t seen all year long. A nice fire burning in the living room as people laugh over a glass of thick delicious eggnog or hot chocolate, savoring the delicious food and cookies scattered throughout the house. The smell of pine in the air as the tree stands proudly decorated in the corner and candy canes hang upon it. Perhaps a fat jolly adult dressed in a Santa Claus outfit walks throughout the party distributing funny, small presents to everyone from his big bag. Yes, I would like to say that.

This however would be a lie. I didn’t have a bad childhood, but it was most definitely not like those picturesque moments torn from the scenes of a Normal Rockwell painting. Our house was not illuminated with the internal warmth from a Thomas Kinkade painting either. In fact, I would say it was more accurately described as Edvard Munch’s Scream. That harsh truth to the human existence that can only be described as fear. Fear for the holidays anyone? My mother was far from a kind, loving mother. I suppose she loved me in her own way and as a child, I thought she was very loving and kind. It was only later that I discovered her to be a sadistic killer. Even as I saw her kill my father and mutilate his corpse, it never occurred to me that this was anything but ‘normal’.

The truth was, my father was a loving, caring man. He loved his children deeply, but unfortunately he had not married a woman… He had married a monster. I have no doubt that he must have grasped at some point the monster whom he had married, perhaps not until it was too late. Or, perhaps he knew after we were already born but chose to stay to protect us. The sad reality is, I will never know the truth, at least not as far as his feelings toward my mother. I still have his tape recordings which he made to us and through those, I can tell he loved us. His beautifully preserved skull does nothing but stare back at me through the glass, right beside my mothers. So I raise a glass to you both, Happy Holidays Mom and Dad.

 

About The Steel Van Man Chronicles

The Steel Van Man is a thriller that was released in August of 2013 about a serial killer who hunts down those that abuse children. You can get the full book here. The “Chronicles” are the continuing journal of the serial killer from its point of view as it continues through its daily life.

Lynn Shore Drive, Lynn, MA
  • Jason Stadtlander

Lynn, Lynn, the city of sin…
Lynn, Lynn, the city of sin… 1200 900 Jason Stadtlander

There is a poem that I heard when I first moved to Swampscott (on the north side of Lynn, Massachusetts). I never heard the full poem until today, so I thought it would be fun to share it. There are apparently a few version of it, but I like this one the best.

Lynn Shore Drive, Lynn, MA

Lynn Shore Drive, Lynn, MA

Lynn the city of sin

Lynn, Lynn the city of sin
You never come out, the way you came in

You ask for water, but they give you gin
The girls say no, yet they always give in

If your not bad, they won’t let you in
It’s the damndest city I’ve ever lived in

Lynn, Lynn the city of sin
You never come out, the way you came in.

  • Jason Stadtlander

How to Enable Parental Controls for iOS7, Wii U, 3DS and PlayStation 4
How to Enable Parental Controls for iOS7, Wii U, 3DS and PlayStation 4 150 150 Jason Stadtlander

Protecting Kids while GamingTis the season for giving technology gifts and with that comes parental responsibility.

Here are some tips on how to lock down technology for your children:

Apple iOS 7 (iPhone, iPad, iPod, iPad Mini)

iOS 7 is finally packed with lots of great parental lock-downs.

You can access these by:

  • Going to Settings > General > Restrictions
  • Tap “Enable Restrictions” and give it a four digit passcode. DO NOT give it the same passcode you use to unlock the device and never give it to your children.
  • Then you can selectively choose what apps and capabilities they can use. I highly recommend disabling the following (NOTE: disabling the apps below will not remove them from the device, it will simply hide them):
    • iTunes Store
    • Installing Apps
    • Deleting Apps
    • In-App Purchases
    • Scroll down and set “Websites” to “Limit Adult Content” (Personally, I chose to disable Safari and Internet browsing for my children. If they want to browse the internet they can do it on the computer where I can watch it better.)
    • Disable Siri’s ability to web search content and explicit language
    • Tap on “Location Services” and set it to off or at least set it so only GPS or map related apps use it, then set to “Don’t allow changes” at the top.
  • I would advise going through all the options slowly, see what might pertain to your child and what might not. I’m sure what I lock my 8 year out of would seem extreme to your fourteen year old. So look around and see what fits. You can always turn restrictions off to set it back to normal.

 

Nintendo Wii U

Wii U has some great capabilities, but to ensure that our children are only accessing the areas we want them to, I recommend enabling the parental controls.

  • From the Wii U Menu, select “Parental Controls.”
  • If prompted, tap “Next” and enter the four-digit PIN. If the PIN has been forgotten, it will need to be reset.
    • Select the option you wish to configure.
    • To change restriction settings, tap “Parental Controls Settings” and then “OK.”
      • You can set different restrictions for each user.
    • To change the four-digit PIN, tap “Change PIN.” Enter a new four-digit PIN then tap OK. Enter in the PIN one more time, and then tap “OK” twice. Select a secret question and create an answer that is at least four characters long, then tap “OK” three times.
    • To change the registered e-mail address, tap “Change E-Mail address” then tap “OK.” Enter in an alternate e-mail address then tap “OK” twice to confirm.
    • To remove all Parental Control settings tap “Delete All Settings” or press the X Button.

 

Nintendo 3DS

The one thing that a lot of people don’t think about is, 3DS has wifi capabilties, and with the included browser – though it may not look pretty, you can still access just about anything out there. Unlike Apple’s iOS7, 3DS cannot be granular (set to block specific types of websites and content). It’s either on, or off. You can control the following features: Software Rating, Internet Browser, 3DS Shopping Services, Display of 3D images, Sharing of audio/video files, Online interaction (exchanging data online between users), StreetPass, Friend Registration, DS Download Play, Viewing Distributued Videos, Child Online Privacy Protection. You can get more information on these details on Nintendo’s website

  • Select the System Settings icon on the HOME Menu, and tap “Open.”
  • Select Parental Controls from the System Settings menu, and tap “Yes.”
  • Create a four-digit PIN, and tap “OK.”
  • Enter the PIN a second time and tap “OK.”
  • Select a secret question, and tap “OK.”
  • Enter the answer and tap “OK.”
  • Tap “Set Restrictions.”
  • Select the restrictions you would like to put into place.
  • When restrictions are complete, tap “Done” to save the settings.

 

Sony PlayStation 4

PlayStation 4 has a multi-level security design to it. Parents (should) have control of the Master account and then setup Sub accounts below that. Here is how you setup the Master and Sub accounts:

(courtesy of PlayStation Website)

  • Log in to your Master Account. If you don’t have a Master Account, this article has information on how to create one.
  • Set passcodes. There are two different passcodes that you should set to make sure your settings are secure.
    1. Master Account passcode: This prevents other users from logging into your account to make changes to parental controls or view unauthorized content. To do this go to   (Settings) >  [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Login Settings] > [Passcode Management].
    2. Parental controls passcode: This passcode is must be entered before changing any parental controls. The default code is:0000, and it is recommended that you change it. To do this go to   (Settings) >  [Parental Controls] > [Restrict Use of PS4 Features] > [Change Passcode]. Take care to remember your new code as the only way to reset it is to initialize the PS4 via Safe Mode.
  • Sub Accounts
    • If you already have a Sub Account associated with your Master Account, you’re ready for the “Setting Parental Controls” section here.
    • If you do not have a Sub Account associated with the Master Account, please refer to this article for details on creating a Sub Account on the PS4, and then come back to the “Setting Parental Controls” section here.

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  • Jason Stadtlander

Typhoons, Earthquakes and War… Oh my!
Typhoons, Earthquakes and War… Oh my! 150 150 Jason Stadtlander

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Typhoon Haiyan

Typhoon Haiyan

The Raw Facts

Typhoon Haiyan is being described as a Super Typhoon, having obliterated most of the city of Tacloban in the Philippines as well as numerous neighboring towns and villages. Death tolls are expected to be well over 10,000.

In World War II over 60 million people were killed and at least 10 million of those that died were Jewish during the Holocaust.

In 1960, Chili experienced the largest recorded earthquake in history, registering 9.5 on the Richter scale. It killed 1,655 people, left 3,000 injured and 2,000,000 homeless.

Commonalities

What do these three circumstances have in common? Well, the primary commonality that is easy to see is that they all have death tolls. Two of these circumstances, we had no control over and the one man-made problem (World War II) was in a nutshell based on differences of opinion and belief.

Caring for othersOne other commonality that you may not initially see is the fact that with each of these – people came out of the woodwork to try and help one another. Whether it was for disaster relief, troops to fight with or groups of people to help rebuild torn communities. As I write this, even now, the world is just starting to coordinate efforts to help the Philippines.

Two things that are common with all of us humans:

1. We all have our own beliefs and we rarely (if ever) mutually agree world wide on a single idea.
2. For as much hate as there is in the world, there is often as much if not more people that care and want to help others.

Can a World Divided Really Ever be United?

This leads me to my ultimate question that I was getting at here… Can a world with so many different beliefs, so many concepts of peace, religion, politics, differences of opinion, really ever be truly united in a “Single World Society”?

Think about it. Don’t just think about the U.S. or the U.K. or even India and China. Think about the billions of others out there, living in tiny villages that have never heard of a telephone, much less the Internet. There are societies out there that have no idea that this whole other modern world even exists out there. They have no idea that their very survival could fall in the hands of someone – a culture or a country that they have never even heard of. How can we or any other group of people really presume to assume control of the entire world as a unified people without actually consulting everyone on the planet?

The seas (and I’m talking metaphorically here) that we must bridge in beliefs, politics, cultures, tradition, religion, etc. are so vast spread across so many people that the concept of a world government is almost unfathomable. So… Do you really believe we can ever have that? And yes, ‘ever’ is a long time. I’m not just talking decades, I’m talking centuries or even thousands of years.

 

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  • Jason Stadtlander

Twisted Thursday – New Apple Products for the 2013 Holidays
Twisted Thursday – New Apple Products for the 2013 Holidays 150 150 Jason Stadtlander

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iSuck

The amazing new iSuck

I’ve had a chance to talk to Apple and have found out what they have in store for us for the 2013 holidays. These are some of the new innovative Apple products coming this holiday season! Checkout these awesome new products such as the iSuck, iWon, iGirl, iGuy and more.

iSuck

Specifically designed to work with the all new iMaid, this new standard for interactive vacuums will change your world. This new vacuum by Apple, with sleek designs and revolutionary sucking power will provide hours of enjoyment as you zoom around the house cleaning up those insane messes.

iMaid

Sick of cleaning? Aren’t we all? The new iMaid interfaces with your iPhone or use it even on iCloud on the web. Watch on real-time GPS as your iMaid zooms around your house cleaning up the messes you don’t want to. It’ll make your bed, take care of your children and even take out the trash.

iiEraseITEraseIT

iEraseIT provides a clean and simple way to eliminate all your data and wipe your memory clean. This little bad boy has enough magnetic power to rip the fillings out of your teeth at thirty yards.

 

 

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iWon

Never lose again

iWon

Want a way to ensure you’ll win at your next competition? Just interface the new iWon with your iPhone or iMac and setup your competition. It will systematically ensure that you win at whatever your activity is. It reaches out and infects your competition with viruses, reduced mental capacity and more!

 

 

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iGirl

All new iGirl

iGirl

Tired of rejections or having to spend money on date after date?  The all new iGirl by Apple will give you what you want, when you want it. She will fetch you a beer, watch the games with you, and if she won’t shut up, you can simply turn her off.  Look for wonderful new upgrades coming soon including “Enhance a Chest” and “Shakira Mode”.

 

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iGuy

A man when you need him

iGuy

Have home projects that need to get done, but never are?  Getting excuses when your man is asked to take out the trash or wash the dishes? Welcome to iGuy by Apple. Never again will you have that problem with iGuy. He never complains and always knows who the boss is… that’s right, the woman with the remote control. You can program him to sit on his butt and watch the game and at the snap of your fingers have him come in the kitchen to help you out. He doesn’t mind getting interrupted and will happily give you a massage. Now with “Hunk Mode” and “Shopping Mode”. New upgrades on the horizon include, “Select a Size” and “Gym Bunny”.

 

Legal Mumbo Jumbo: Yes, Apple is a registered trademark of Apple Corporation. And for those of you who may be too naive, of course none of the products above are real (though we wish they were). Happy Twisted Thursday![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
  • Jason Stadtlander

Eight Things Every Independent Author Should Know
Eight Things Every Independent Author Should Know Jason Stadtlander

Being an indie author is not exactly something I wanted to do. I wanted the more traditional route; find an agent who will in turn find a publisher that will dump bucket loads of money into marketing for my wonderful stories.

Sounds easy enough, right?

Well, one year later and 600+ query letters (10% which were rejected and another 90% that were never responded to) I decided to try the indie route with Ruins of the Mind. What an eye opener that was.

I had a rough idea of what I was getting into. I knew that I would need to hire an editor, an illustrator and find a print-on-demand company to put out the books. What I (and most indie authors) neglected to do was think about the marketing side. I know what you’re thinking, “I’ll just tweet it like crazy and mention it on Facebook as much as possible.”

Those are important, but it’s going to take a lot more rubber burning than a little social media blitzing. So I’ve come up with some important key facts that I have discovered in getting my two books (and two upcoming novels) out.

You will see links at the bottom to sources that I have personally used and will discuss throughout the article.

1. Marketing is critical

Word of mouth will by far be the best advertisement for you, but word of mouth won’t take off with you only getting your books into the hands of a few dozen people. You need to get it into the hands of hundreds or thousands of people.

  • Publicity trumps Advertising. Ads are generally a waste of money. You spend a lot of money, reaching a few people and of those few people you get even fewer who are actually interested in your book. A targeted publicity campaign is a lot more bang for your buck and it gets news agencies to make some noise about you which is what you really want. It costs some money up front, but it’s worth it. It should run you anywhere from $2000 – $3500 for a good international campaign. Be forewarned, you’ll be sending out a few books for reviews – most likely 50 – 100, so budget accordingly.
  • Go social media crazy, but do it logically. Don’t settle for just Twitter and Facebook. Use everything at your disposal: Google+, StumbleUpon, Digg, Goodreads, Pinterest, YouTube, etc.
    • Do not post constantly. Social media works best if you schedule your posts (through a service such as HootSuite) for every four to six hours. If you post too often then sites will see your posts as spam, if you don’t post often enough, your readers won’t see the posts.
    • Every post counts. Always keep your professional image in mind when posting. Do not post things like “I’m depressed. My books never sell.” Your readers want to see exciting things that are going on with your writing world. Always keep upbeat and match your genre. For example, if you’re a horror author – talk about the gore and the insanity of reality. If you’re a romance author – keep your audience hot and bothered. If you’re a humor author – post some funny quips.
  • Provide a professional image. Set up author profiles on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and anywhere else you can. IMPORTANT: Include a real picture of you. Fake people, cartoon characters, abstract images, etc., do nothing for your professional image. Your readers want to see you. If you don’t like getting your photo taken, get over it. You’re in a public business now and you are your best sales image. Hire a good photographer or get someone who knows what they are doing to take a good picture of you.

2. Hire an editor

Nothing is more valuable that an experienced editor and they are not astronomically expensive. Your book could be the first thing your readers ever see from you. You want every word, every sentence and every nuance of your writing to be reflected in a professional manner.

Now, I have done professional typesetting, so I was able to save money there by laying out my own books, chapter headings, etc. But the editing, I hired out to Written Word Savvy and it was well worth the money.

One thing that a lot of authors don’t think about is the fact that an editor not only needs to edit the content of the book and check for grammatical and spelling errors, but they also need to not lose your ‘voice’ in the process. Nothing sounds worse than having one writing style throughout a book and then switching from time to time to a different writing style because an editor doesn’t know how to maintain an author’s voice. This comes from experience. The reality is you will also develop a rapport with your editor. The more you work together, the more streamlined and effective your final product will be.

3. Hire a Professional Illustrator

An ideal illustrator should know book design, what captures someone’s eye and what doesn’t. If your cover doesn’t grab your eye, chances are it won’t grab anyone else’s either. So don’t be afraid to criticize your illustrator’s work. It is your book after all and it’s their job to represent that.

4. Rome wasn’t built-in a day

I am not a patient man. I want things to happen now and when publishing a book, you see lots of money going out and nothing coming in for what feels like forever. I was certain that word of mouth would get around about my books, but I wanted it, needed it…now!

Then a friend said to me, “Jason, how long does it take you to read a book?” to which I responded, “I don’t know, a few weeks.”

They then said, “So, it’s okay for you take a few weeks to read an author’s book, but everyone else should be reading your book within a week?”

Good point. It takes time for people to read a book and then it takes time for them to tell their friends about it. Be patient, if it’s good…it will take off.

5. Do not order batches of printed books; use Print on Demand

I have known too many authors who order 1000 or 5000 books to get caught with a massive stock, money invested and possibly even discovering errors after the book was produced that they now have to live with. Use a high quality Print on Demand service. This means that every time someone orders a book on Amazon or a bookstore orders 20 books, that is all that is printed. It costs a little more per book, but it’s negligible. Then they simply send you the royalties every month, quarter or semi-annually depending on what you setup.

Another huge benefit is, if you find an error, you simply upload the new revision and only those books that were ordered before the revision will have the error.

6. Do Not Use CreateSpace to print your book

Companies like CreateSpace and LuLu are great for vanity press or for printing a rough draft of your book, but they lack one critical thing if you plan on your book getting into bookstores – return-ability.

I printed my first book with CreateSpace. Don’t get me wrong, they have tons of very helpful people and their process is very well designed, but the fact that bookstores can’t return the books will prevent most stores from ordering it. They will require you to sell them on consignment and then you get into paying for shipping, stocking and everything you wanted to avoid with Print on Demand in the first place.

My recommendation is to use LightningSource which is owned by the major book distributor Ingram. They have printing facilities in each region (U.S., U.K., Australia, etc.) and can ship locally for each region. They also accept returns.

7. If it sounds too good to be true, it is

There are literally hundreds of companies that will try to take your money and will give you little to nothing in return. I’ve seen almost all of them and have sampled the waters as well. If you ever aren’t sure about something, email me (using the contact form at the top of this site) and I will look into it for you.

8. Pay it forward

I can honestly say that I wouldn’t know half of what I know if it weren’t for my fellow authors. People like Joshua Graham, Ashley Fontainne and so many more that have helped me along the way. Don’t be afraid to ask people for help or ask questions. Most of us have been in your shoes.

The major advantage of being an independent author is, your competition can help you and you can help them. Get to know fellow authors, network with them and get news out about their books and in turn they will get information out about yours. I regularly interview authors on my YouTube show Author in the Headlights as well as interview for my blog various authors. Help out fellow authors and they will help you out.

Wrapping it up

It’s not cheap to get your book out there, but there are great crowd-funding sources like IndieGoGo and Kickstarter that can help you raise funds for your book. Just keep in mind that projects should only be in the $1000-$3000 goal for optimum success.

Here are some services I’ve used and highly recommend:

  • Smith Publicity: Awesome publicity firm and very good at communication (five star as far as I’m concerned)
  • Lighting Source: The best POD (Print on Demand) service I’ve found yet.
  • Bowker: Buy your ISBN numbers direct from Bowker. It saves you money and you have control over what shows up out on the databases.
  • Written Word Savvy: The owner Linda Sickinger is a phenomenal editor and works hard to make sure that your work comes out sounding like you.
  • Hootsuite: Lets you connect all your social media together so that you can blast out a message to all social media at once. Also lets you schedule your posts.
  • Blue Harvest Creative: Very good illustration company that will design your book covers and more.
  • Book Bub – Great service to get your book out, but extremely picky about what they choose.
  • Book Daily – Another book marketing channel. They transmit blurbs about your book along with links. I have seen a real increase in sales since I started using them.
  • Babelcube.com – A service that translates your book to other languages.
  • Ebook Services to Publish on:

Places to steer clear of:

  • Xlibris: Complete rip off and extremely pushy.
  • CreateSpace: Not a bad company and Amazon owned, but their books are not returnable and often are frowned on by bookstores.
  • LuLu: A good vanity press (creating books for family, or friends) but not a professional choice. Their books are not returnable.
  • “Award” companies – There a ton of companies out there offering “book awards” that you can paste on the cover of your book. Basically, you’re just paying for a no-name award to put on your book. Try and get real quality reviews by major newspapers and media for your cover. That will carry more weight with readers.

 
  • Jason Stadtlander

The Fear and Misunderstanding of the Muslim People
The Fear and Misunderstanding of the Muslim People Jason Stadtlander

I am not a Muslim, but over the years have had many friends who are. In recent weeks, I have become curious as to what it is that generates this giant black flag upon the people of Islam, so I have done some research.

To be Muslim in the 21st century has been a black ball in the eyes of a predominantly Christian world. On top of that, Islam has made a full 180 degree turn in much of the western world’s respect for the religion and culture. For those who don’t know, the Islamic religion dates back over two thousand years close to the beginning of Christianity.

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Judaism

Islam and Judaism share similar foundations

Similar Foundations

There are many similarities between Judaism and Islam. Surprisingly, many Christians (Christianity having foundational roots in Judaism) aren’t even aware that Adam, Abraham, Jesus and Moses were considered prophets in Islam. Fundamentally, there have been very few differences between Judaism and Islam up until a few hundred years ago. Keep in mind, I am talking basic beliefs such as the belief in a single God and the belief in a set of moral codes (The Ten Commandments in Christianity and The Five Pillars in Islam). Both Islam and Judaism reject the belief of the Christian trinity doctrine and the divinity of Jesus. No big surprise there given that it was the divinity of Jesus that branched off Christianity from Judaism to begin with.

Singular Motives and the Fear in the Unknown

I have noticed a disappointing truth. Many people who think “Muslim,” automatically think only of bombings. This is true even more perhaps with Americans as we tend to believe that we are somehow disconnected from the rest of the world—sadly, this is carried to a great extent through the media. But I asked someone on the street recently what they immediately thought of when they considered Muslim/Islam. What was his reply? “You mean the people who crashed the planes into the World Trade Center?”

The reality is that few people seem to want to know what Islam is or what it is to be a practicing Muslim. It is perhaps this same fear or lack of desire to understand one another that has in turn fanned the extremists’ own resentment of western culture and desire to destroy those who do not follow their ways.

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Muslim Women

Women of Islam

Repression, Lack of Equality in a Changing World

I truly believe that the Islamic extremists must be predominantly male, and here is why. In the Qur’an it basically states:

  • Men are keepers and protectors of the home, managing their families and women, giving them a specific place in society.
  • Women do not have the same rights as men under Islamic law. This is not that surprising, as many and most religions have shared the same belief over the centuries.
  • A woman belongs to her husband, as a caregiver and keeper of the home and family. She is there to serve him and his needs, and to raise the family. She is only for his eyes alone, and out of respect for herself and her husband, she wears a veil or a Burka.

So it is generally believed that Muslim women should:

  1. Avoid standing on the balcony.
  2. Conceal herself while welcoming men at the door.
  3. Not go out after she has used perfume.
  4. Wear her dresses long and not imitate unbelieving women.
  5. Not speak in a loud voice.
  6. Not walk in the middle of the road.
  7. Not mingle with men or shake hands with them.

Now, are these views really that different from all other ancient religions? No, I don’t believe so. However, the fact that they have been maintained for so long in a world predominantly influenced by western society is unusual.

The Shores are Too Far From One Side to the Other

This sheds light at least as to why there may such a large gap between some Muslim people and our western society. Is the fact that western societies choose to be ignorant and not understand them and the Middle Eastern cultures in turn choose to see our willingness to allow our women to have wills of their own and believe in such things as the Doctrine of Trinity too large of a bridge to cross?

Trying to put myself in their shoes, it would be understandable that they might see our desire and acceptance to openly allow things like pornography and display the female body as offensive. For them it must be a massive turn from what they believe is morally right for a female and therefore, an insult. I’m not saying either side is totally right or wrong, but what I am saying is that they are such totally different worlds, is it even possible to meet in the middle?

Possible perhaps, but this requires compromise and understanding on both sides. It requires Muslims to understand that we do not view religion as having a steadfast hold on how a society is formed and functions, while it requires western cultures to respect that religious doctrine is the foundation of some cultures. Our country, the United States, was formed around the principle of being able to practice the religion we wanted at our founding—Christianity. It should be noted that at the time that the Quakers first migrated here, their belief and faith was such a fundamental part of their culture that it led to extreme circumstances such as the Salem Witch Hunt. We may have moved away from this close binding of religion and society because we now need to live in harmony with so many divergent religions in a confined geographic area, but we cannot forget that others out there are still living directly under that religious umbrella. It offers them structure, purpose and a sense of being.

Two questions might be raised. First, have we as a society lost something along the way because a singular, primary faith no longer flows through the veins of our country? Second, is it possible for Islam, Christianity and Judaism (as well as other religions) to find some middle ground, inclusive of those who choose to live under the direct law of their faith and those who have chosen to separate their faith from the law?[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
  • Jason Stadtlander

Author in the Headlights with Jennifer Sage
Author in the Headlights with Jennifer Sage Jason Stadtlander

Welcome Jennifer Sage

This week I have caught Paranormal Romance Author Jennifer Sage in my headlights. She stopped, stared me down like a deer in the… er… headlights… and finally agreed to pull over for a second so that I could ask her some questions.

Watch our interview below.

Visit Jennifer’s website

Visit Jennifer’s website: http://www.jennifersage.com/

Follow Jennifer:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjennifersage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jennifer_Sage
Blog: http://www.jennifersage.com/jennifers-blog.html

Find Jennifer Sage’s books:

Check out all her books on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Sage/e/B005Z6A3PG

Immortal Dreams (Volume 1)  Keltor: The Guardian Archives  Immortal Bound: Book 2

Copyright © Jason Stadtlander - All Rights Reserved

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