MSI Press Blog

  It is Tuesday. 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. This week, after posting the zillionth or so MSI Press book excerpt, it seemed like the topic of the power of sharing book excerpts as a marketing tool might be appropriate. So, er goes. These are omse of the reasons why sharing book excerpts can be a power marketing tool: Builds Interest and Hype Excerpts give readers a sneak peek into the book, sparking curiosity and making them want to read more. Showcases Writing Style Readers can get a feel for the author’s voice, tone, and storytelling, helping them decide if the book is for them. Encourages Pre-orders and Sales A compelling excerpt can push readers to pre-order the book or buy it as so...

  Excerpt from 10 Quick Homework Tips (Alder & Trombly) TIP # 1    HEAD OFF STRESS BY BEING PROACTIVE "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." ~ Chinese Proverb   Why is this Important?   One of the biggest reasons, if not THE biggest reason, that kids and parents alike feel stress about homework is that their family simply has no concrete plan for how, when, and where homework will get done.  Kids may not act like it, but they need, and even like, having rules.  They feel better, safer, if they know exactly what is expected of them.  Think about your daily life, at work or at home.  Do you feel more confident, more calm, on days that you are unsure what your boss will want from you, when you don’t know what you are expected to do, or where you should do it and with what tools… or on days when you know exactly what is expected of you, where you know just what to do, where, when and how? ...

  excerpt from The Rose and the Sword (Bach & Hucknall) Introduction                  The popular ideal of finding one’s “soul mate” in a partner stems from the relationship between the two basic energies that exist, beyond gender and sexual identity, in each of us. We all possess a mix of these energies. When the inner feminine energy is weak and the inner masculine energy is dominant, a person loses his or her inner direction, for feminine energy is like a guiding system; without its guidance, actions can lead to unchecked aggression. When the inner masculine energy is undeveloped and the inner feminine energy is strong, swirls of inspired thought dissolve like mist, ungrounded in the action needed for manifestation. When these two energies are equally developed, the individual is richly endowed with inspiration and intuition (the feminine) as well as the ability to express these riches in the world (the masculine).  ...

  Introducción  Cada vez que alguien escribe sobre un tema, de alguna forma escribe sobre sí mismo. Mi nombre es Nelson Fernando Ustman S., y durante este breve espacio en nuestro planeta tierra, he sufrido, he vivido, he reído, he llorado, he cantado, me he caído, y me he vuelto a levantar. He vivido toda clase de decepciones y he convivido con todos los aprendizajes en los fríos inviernos de esta estación de la vida que me tocó transitar. No escogí a mi familia, ni a mi raza cuando llegué a este lugar de nacimiento. Quizás desde ese momento y lugar me tocó arañar la tierra con todas mis fuerzas para poder tener derecho a un espacio de convivencia y acercamiento con los demás. No fue fácil, fueron muchos los tropiezos antes de poder levantar mi cabeza y prepararme para la nueva estación. No es tan sencillo llegar a una familia donde no te están esperando y mucho menos donde no te han invitado. Razón más que suficiente para ser abordado por la soledad, y el a...

  ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre El Día de Muertos y Halloween?   Halloween no es parte del Día de Muertos, aunque el período y algunos símbolos son los mismos o similares. Hay siete diferencias principales.   1 El Día de Muertos dura 3 días, mientras que Halloween dura solo un dia. 2 Aunque los católicos generalmente celebran el Día de Muertos y Halloween, el Día de Muertos es una fiesta sagrada, mientras que Halloween es una fiesta secular. 3 El D ía de Muertos es una oportunidad para celebrar la vida y recordar, un día para reunirse con los familiares. El significado del Día de Muertos influye en las actividades. Ese significado se ha mantenido fiel a sus orígenes; no se ha perdido con el transcurre del tiempo. Halloween llega en la víspera del Día de Todos los Santos, y antiguamente se llamaba en inglés Hallow’s Eve (la víspera santificada). Siglos atrás, los celtas pensaban que esa noche las almas de los muertos volvían para dañar los cultivos ...

  Photo by Kaleena Scargill Some of the people who form a big part of my mission [taking emotional/spiritual care of the parishioners at Old Mission San Juan Bautista] struggle with cancer. I do understand them—their fears, their pain, their sometimes-sadness. I feel those things, too, at least as much as a cat can feel. I know that God made humans to have even deeper feelings and a greater range of feelings, and I am glad that some of those feelings include loving animals because it is through that love that I can connect with them and bring them the message of God’s love. I have to tell you about one of my special friends, Loryn. She understands me because she had cancer, and I understand her because I had cancer—the same way Cody and I understand, support, and love each other. Maybe it is better if I am not the one to tell her story, though. Maybe she should tell her own story. I think you will find it more interesting that way. So, here is what she wrote for my book about her e...

This book itself contains excerpts from the best of MSI Press's publications on triumphing over difficulties. Want to brighten your day? Find out how others did! From Good Blood by Irit Schaffer -- As soon as I looked into his blue eyes, every cell in my body bubbled with joy. Yes, this must be love. I am in love for the first time. His are the bluest eyes I have ever seen. They are like the deep blue of the ocean on a clear and sunny day. My mom is sitting to my left, my sister, Edna, to my right, and I am falling in love. Ari Ben Canaan is his name. He is in charge of taking a boatload of people to Palestine. The boat, Exodus, is filled with Jewish Europeans planning to make their home in the soon to be independent State of Israel. Unfortunately, the British authorities have detained the boat in Cyprus. They are not allowing Exodus to complete its voyage to Palestine, and Ari has to take charge. His confidence is portrayed in his thin and muscular 5’9” frame. “We can g...