MSI Press Blog

  I  have read other "self-help" books, but none have been quite like this one. With the author's goal of providing a way of help and healing, he...[has] achieved his goal. His writing is smooth, and the fact that each chapter isn't too lengthy provides more inclusivity to readers who have shorter attention spans. After each chapter, the reader will leave with new knowledge, if not about themselves, then the world and people around them, allowing change to happen in their lives. What is great about this book is that previous knowledge is not required, but the reader can simply pick up the book, start anywhere, and take something valuable away from their time spent reading. I have read other "self-help" books, but none have been quite like this one. With the reflection questions, the reader will need to expect to answer them in their head, as there are no lines to write on; this can be positive or negative for specific readers.  Read the rest of the review HE...

  It being Caturday and all, I thought I would share a cute drawing of Sula, parish cat at Old Mission, that I saw in the Mission Gift Shop when I visited today. Sula is beloved by parishioners and visitors alike. People draw pictures of her; they photograph her, and of course they hold and pet her. Sula is known for her appearance in two Guideposts Magazines and for the six books she has written to raise money for the Mission's retrofit (it is located in California, atop the intersection of three earthquake fault). To read more on the web about Sula, including her Guideposts stories, click HERE . To see posts about Sula and her books, click HERE .

  Great book review from MidWest Book Review of How to Stay Calm in Chaos by Julie Gentile.  Exceptionally well written, concise, comprehensive, and thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, "How to Stay Calm in Chaos: An Everyday Self-Care Guide" is especially recommended for personal, professional, and community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections and reading lists. To see the whole review, click HERE . Read more posts by and about Julie Gentile and her books HERE .

  Jacqueline freelances as a Public Relations/Marketing Assistant for MSI Press. She has successfully set up interviews for MSI Press authors, as well as assisting with Press Releases. Jacqueline has an MBA in Marketing Management from LIU Post and earned a B.S. in Marketing from New York University, Stern Business School. She has held several marketing positions at Fortune 500 companies such as Canon USA and Fisher Price. Currently, she works as a freelancer in the areas of marketing and project management. Jackie currently prepares our monthly newsletter-bulletin that goes out to fans on the 15th of the month. She also prepares and distributes book information through e-blasts.

Here is some news shred from Science Fiction Writers of America that should be of concern especially to writers but also to readers. When books are stolen, writers lose income, and that makes it less possible for them to continue writing -- and THAT should be of concern to readers. Readers can help: Do not read purloined books. Find the publisher and acquire a legitimate copy.   HOW TO USE A PANDEMIC TO LEGITIMIZE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT The Internet Archive's Open Library Project--a huge repository of scanned print books available for borrowing in various formats--justifies its existence with a novel (and disputed) legal theory called Controlled Digital Lending, which it claims allows it to create new digital editions of in-copyright books without seeking owners' permission.  In March, as the coronavirus pandemic was taking off across the world, the IA abandoned one of the key provisions of CDL to create the National Emergency Library--basically, the Open Library with res...

(photo by Frank Perez) It is Tuesday. Time to tall turkey. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side. Today's topic is about formatting your book, before and for submission. Let's take a look at what happens to a pre-formatted book and what publisher expectations are. Proposal stage . Formatting a book for a proposal. Some authors send out a fully formatted book, complete with a cover design, to acquisition editors, very likely hoping to impress them with their advanced skills in writing and potential publishing. How do these acquisition editors respond? Many, if not most, vanity presses will accept these and publish them as is, warts and all. We have one such "published" book from a...

  Marti Wells-Smith is a Christian, wife, friend, and grieving mother, who finds great hope in continuing her life journey amid unexpected joy and sadness. She shares her deepest thoughts and experiences through free verse poetry and non-fictional prose to comfort others who struggle with the loss of a child or loved one, or with life itself. She’s a native Kansan who advocates for people in need as well as animals, large and small. Her background includes being a past board member for a local mother to mother ministry, safehouse and no kill animal shelter, as she continues to raise funds for the shelter at a local antique/thrift store. Her daily routine includes caring for her adopted lab mix and three devoted cats. Marti was involved in all fine arts that were offered during her school years and participated in local and regional theater productions well into her adulthood. She received a BA in English and Sociology from Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas, and began he...

  ... Two weeks later, an old friend and I took Grant’s [my son's] remaining ashes to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, my favorite place for Autumn retreats. Scott stayed home to care for our animals and give me a chance to fulfill my final mission with a much needed break during my most loved season of the year.      There was a light, misty rain at times, but the weekend was still lovely. I tried to take momentary breaks from my thoughts of Grant as we enjoyed the hills, foliage and turn of the century charm that’s unique and family oriented.      On our final day, we went to Inspiration Point, a gorgeous outlook that gives a sweeping view of the valley below. In years past, I’ve looked upon multi-colored trees scattered among streams, farm houses and red roofed barns, all of it appearing miniature from the fenced area above. It was always breathtaking in the sunlight, but that morning, it was cloudy with patches of fog as we drove up the wind...

  It is cold in most of the northern hemisphere now. Snow, ice, and temperatures below zero can result in feral cats being in dire straits, trying to find places to be warm, especially in the winter. Fortunately, it is rather easy and inexpensive to build a feral cat shelter for your neighborhood visitors from coolers.                                                                                                                                                                  There are a couple different versions, but the one above, from a foam cooler is the one recommended by the AS...

Extracted from photo by M. Katherine Shear, M.D. See original photo with words and blog article at aspire.com .   Whether they die in war, from illness, by suicide, or as a result end-of-life issues, their loss affects relatives, friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and colleagues in  devastating ways. The following books are gentle but helpful treatments of the issues of bereavement and grief. Damascus amid the War by Muna Imady Written by popular author, Muna Imady, whose book, Syrian Folktales, has delighted an uncountable number of readers outside of Syria, Damascus amid the War tells the very human story of the devolution of a society. The book containts 29 pre-war poins, vibrant with imagery of daily life in a robust Damascus. The 100 war poems that follow show the devastating affect on the people who navigate a daily existence after war came. This is a posthumous publication, containing Muna’s very last works and an introduction by her mother, Elaine Imady, author o...

  Lamentations of the Heart soulfully combines contemporary free verse poetry and nonfictional prose to tell the story of one mother’s grief following the death of her only child. The author interweaves scriptural passages with the inevitable struggles to accept and make sense of her new reality. All of it reveals the unending love for family that remains. Written to reach out to others who have experienced similar pain, it moves upon the uneven, wavering pattern of great emotion, along a tumultuous path blessed with signs and wonders --   an unwanted journey a tapestry of life healing begins   “The author speaks from her heart and touched mine as I read, shedding a few tears along the way.” (Jan Hedges, Owner, Hedgehog INK! Bookstore)   Available right now from Amazon . Other sellers will follow soon.  25% discount at MSI Press webstore . Use coupon code FF25.  Read posts about Marti and her book HERE .

  Great review of   review of One Family Indivisible (Greenebaum): Synopsis: Throughout history, from the neolithic age down to the present day, humans have divided themselves into groupings of "us" and "them". "One Family: Indivisible" by Steven Greenebaum is a kind of spiritual memoir that engagingly invites the reader into the deeply spiritual and lifelong journey of the author to find a way to acknowledge our differences without dividing and subdividing ourselves into competing tribes. It is a journey of mountain tops and deep valleys, but it leads to the inclusivity and mutual respect possible with Interfaith. Critique: Unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library collections, "One Family: Indivisible" is a thoughtful and thought-provoking read that is especially recommended for the personal reading lists of seekers from all races, ethnicities, and spiritual paths who are searching for that elusive goal of a community o...

  (photo by Frank Perez) It is Tuesday. Time to tall turkey. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side. Today's topic is about contracts--bad ones. We will state upfront that contracts are filled with legal terms that are often difficult for authors to understand. That legal information is important, critical, required. Also important, critical, required is that authors understand what they sign, reading the proposed contract as carefully as they would read any other document. AND RUN IT PAST AN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS LAWYER. OK, let's take a look at one can go wrong with a contract. Rights and copyrights (see our previous blog POST on this topic for more information): Never sign a contr...

  Maktoub  Arabs say that from the day of your birth the name of your beloved is invisibly engraved on your forehead. Perhaps this is true and explains the mysterious flicker of recognition I felt the day we met.  December 15, 1955 was a cold, overcast Thursday, and snowflakes were swirling down from dark skies, blown by gusts of biting, cold wind. I took the earliest bus into the city, and, as I hurried up the steps of the Main Building of New York University, I glanced at my watch. Eight o’clock. Good, I thought, three hours to review for my Russian exam at eleven. I had to do well because the possibility of a full scholarship hung on my grades this semester.  Looking back, I know it was actually fate that propelled me out of bed before dawn that day. Fate, destiny–the Arabs have a better word for it. They would say our meeting was maktoub or “written”. Omar Khayyam put it nicely: “The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,/ Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit/ Sh...

  Sula is back on duty at the Mission Gift Shop at Old Mission San Juan Bautista on Sundays, but she is taking Valentine's Day off, but has sent greetings. Now in semi-retirement, in part because of health (she is fighting cancer for the fourth time), she spends Sundays ministering to people at the various Masses, helping out in the gift shop, and receiving pets, accolades, and gifts from those who love her.  On this Valentine's Day, relaxing at her godparents' house, where she is spending her retirement except for her Sunday duty days, Sula reiterates a tweet from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA): This Valentine's Day, help mend the broken hearts of unwanted and helpless animals who feel that they've been forgotten. Just $19 a month can help the ASPCA provide love and care for neglected animals across the country. Make an urgent gift TODAY. HERE is where to reach the ASPCA. You can read more posts by and about Sula and her boo...

  The New York City Animal Care Centers suggest adopting a shelter pet for Valentine's Day. There is now an adopted shelter pet in the White House. How many households would it take, following suit, to empty the shelters? Often, shelter pets come from people who are too ill to continue to care for them or who have died. They are housebroken, domesticated, socialized, and usually loving. What a good companion that might be! Personally, I (MSI Press managing editor -- I am generally the one who writes our blog posts) "adopt" my pets from the street. Five of my current 6 cats were feral rescues, just picked up and brought in. As far as I know, none were abandoned but had been born "in the wild" and had scrapped for food. They did not know a kind touch, and vets wrote FERAL in big red letters across their charts. That is mainly because the cats hissed at them and either scratched or bit them or both. It takes some effort and TIME (not days and weeks, but months and ...

5. Motivational energy is something that is unique in the human condition. What is it, you may ask? One example: When you need to accomplish a task you really don’t want to do, you need to reach up and bring into your being a feeling, such as determination, which is a quality of the will, to help you do the task without procrastination. Even if the task is one that you really want to do, sometimes that energy has to be kindled in order to accomplish it. Reviewing why the task is important to do, and re-choosing it, can be helpful. The energy comes directly from your will. Will energy, used correctly, motivates a person to carry through with a project and finish it. It also helps someone to look at all the possibilities that a project may have, in order to begin and finish it.  It is an energy that needs to be learned through good, practical skills. Sometimes a person knows how to complete a project, but simply gets stuck and can’t move forward. That’s when she needs to focus ...

  Jeremy Feig, MSI Press author of the award-winning book, How My Cat Made Me a Better Man , inspired by his silky black and highly pragmatic late cat, Shelly, wrote recently that he and his family (wife and young daughter) had moved from Santa Monica, California to Cascais, Portugal in December. Say what? That is what I imagine Shelly would say. They pulled up roots and moved half a world away. Now, for a cat, that is a bit distressing. They don't like to change their habitats, and Shelly certainly was complete owner of her habitat in Santa Monica. However, Santa Monica is on the coast, and so is Cascais. Just perhaps Shelly could have found some way to feel at home in the new location. "We were looking to shake up our lives up a bit," Jeremy wrote. Very likely, Shelly would have agreed that he had succeeded. Nothing like moving to another geographic location, where everything looks different, the language is different, and you are now the minority. Still, Shelly would h...