MSI Press Blog

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 arises indeed from the fact that 'tis the season for book awards...at least, for the opening of accepting 2022 award entries. The question is whether or not to enter, how many, and which ones. After all, they cost. Are they worth it? Here are some reasons they are worth entering: Attention. The more attention your book receives, generally the better it will sell. Awards are a very positive source of attention. Confirmation. You think your book is good. Your publisher through so when accepting it for publication. Winning a competition, especially the difficult ones, provides confirmation that you are ri

This Sunday, we begin a new Sunday feature: the story behind our books. We will take these one at a time, on Sundays. So, if you like knowing the unknown and little known, come on by on Sundays. This Sunday the book chosen to kick off our series is Task-Based Instruction by Leaver and Willis. This book was published by Georgetown University Press and appears among the affiliated books of MSI Press by virtue of having been co-authored by an MSI Press author (me - Leaver). At the time of the writing of this book, much was available about task-based instruction (TBI) in the English as a Second Language (ESL) field, of which the greatest amount appeared to have been written by Jane Willis of the UK, often together with her husband. For Foreign Language Education/Second Language Acquisition (L2), however, only a small generically oriented spiral-bound sample of essentially one task was available, written by Michael Long, then at the University of Hawaii.  In consulting and in administerin

  Just posted - a new affiliated book: At the age of forty-two, Roberta Rosnik discovers that her heritage is all a lie. Believing her family has German-Italian ancestry, she is shocked when her mother reveals she was adopted. Additionally, she learns that she is half Native American and a member of a tribe located in Washington State. Will she accept this shattering news and attempt to reconnect with her biological family and her tribe? Can she embrace both worlds and accept her new identity? For more posts about affiliated books, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter  here  or on our  home page . Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author-signed copy  of this book? P

  MSI Press announces a new, 5-star, affiliated book, Breakout , by Louis Espinola. Purchase the book from Amazon:  Breakout , In the aftermath of a great war on a remote island, a trio of friends make reservations at a vacant country house to rest from their usual daily lifestyle. But the trio finds itself under fire when a recently concealed evil from the war discovers their whereabouts and begins hunting them down with relentless ferocity, aiming to coerce them into their servitude. And yet, when all seems lost, the trio finds help in the most unlikely place. Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow  MSI Press  on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with  MSI Press LLC ? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Planning on self-publishing and don't know where to start? Our  author au pair  services will mentor you through the process. Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  review

  MSI Press has added to its collection of affiliated books a book coedited by Dr. Stephen Stryker (California State University at Stanislaus) and MSI Press author, Dr. Betty Lou Leaver: Content-Based Instruction in Foreign Language Education. Published by Georgetown University Press "a while back," so to speak, it was an immediate classic and remains so. To purchase this book on Amazon. click  HERE . For more posts about Betty Lou Leaver and her books, click HERE . For more posts on language learning, click  HERE . To see more affiliated books and learn about affiliated status, click  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  author

Just added as an affiliated book. Published by Cambridge University Press . Available through CUP or Amazon (and other online stores). Transformative learning has been widely used in the field of adult education for over twenty years, but until recently has received little attention in the field of world languages. Drawing on best practices and the research of distinguished international world language experts, this volume provides theoretical and classroom-tested models of transformative education in world languages at major university, state and governmental programs. Chapters outline theoretical frameworks and detail successful models from cutting-edge programs in a wide range of languages, with plenty of examples included to make the theory accessible to readers not yet familiar with the concepts. Classroom teachers, program administrators and faculty developers at every level of instruction will find support for their courses. With its innovative approach to the teaching and lear

  Today, Dr. Betty Lou Leaver and co-editors, who published the MSI Press affiliated book with Cambridge University Press, Transformative Language Learning and Teaching , were awarded the premier book award in the foreign language field, the Modern Language Association's Kenneth W. Mildenberger award. The citation for the award was given as: Betty Lou Leaver, Dan E. Davidson, and Christine Campbell bring together well-known and up-and-coming scholars in language teaching and learning to provide a thorough, coherent treatment of the concept of transformative learning in Transformative Language Learning and Teaching. Each of the twenty-four content chapters outlines relevant theoretical approaches and supplements them with successful examples from institutions around the world to illustrate theory into practice. With a broad range of examples and end-of-chapter discussion questions, this book is certain to become a go-to resource for teachers, teacher educators, administrator

  A new affiliated book, but not a new book, for sure. Task-Based Instruction in Foreign Language Education is a classic and came out in 2005. It was co-edited by MSI Press author and managing editor, Dr. Betty Lou Leaver, with Jane Willis of England, well-known for her work in TBI. The book is published by Georgetown University Press and is universally available -- and used in many countries as a handbook, a textbook, and a manual of examples of how to teach task-based language courses in any language. There is also an impressive theory section, written by Jane. The book combines examples of a wide range of TBI programs from several countries and continents and has become a staple for faculty development in government institutions as well as private institutions. For more posts on Betty Lou Leaver, click HERE . To reach Jane Willis's website, click HERE . For more posts on language teaching, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Fa

  The affiliated book, The Celeste Experiment , by Omar Imady has just won a silver award from Literary Titan.   When modern science fails to save his wife Celeste, Michael turns to religion. When religion fails to cure her, he is left searching for answers.  From his grief flows anger, determination, and finally the plan – a meticulous experiment to unravel the truth in one of civilization’s most controversial topics … the concept of God.  At the heart of this plan is Hamida Begum. A young woman of depth and intelligence, heiress to a lost lineage. Selected and prepared. Qualified in ways even Michael could never have anticipated.  Will her involvement in this vast, mysterious, and at times unethical endeavor deliver resolution?   This literary work, with a touch of magical realism,  The Celeste Experiment,  is the story of one man’s attempt to sever the spiritual threads of history once and for all. It is a thrilling journey of revenge and conviction, sorrow and rage, design and entr

  Book description: It's not easy to know what to do with yourself when you're grieving, anxious, angry, ashamed, or just feeling stuck. This little book offers a simple practice for releasing and relieving negative emotions, to help bring about a more compassionate, centered way of being with whatever is happening. Written by a psychotherapist and Jewish interfaith minister during pandemic times, The Little Book That Listens is like a series of Oracle cards with messages that comfort, encourage, uplift, and redirect. The power of self-healing is here for you. Book Review from Amazon - view more reviews there: I love this book of insight and tenderness towards Self. It felt like the language composed a maternal embrace, each page a reassurance from a high source, that I was loved. The book has received 10 reviews, all 5-stars. You can read the reviews and purchase the book from  AMAZON .   Julia Aziz has also published a book with MSI Press, Lessons of Labor .  To read more pos

  MSI Press affiliated book, Breakout , was recently reviewed on Goodreads:  Breakout (Phanerozoia Book Series 1) by Louis Espinola | Goodreads . Book description: In the aftermath of a great war on a remote island, a trio of friends make reservations at a vacant country house to rest from their usual daily lifestyle. But the trio finds itself under fire when a recently concealed evil from the war discovers their whereabouts and begins hunting them down with relentless ferocity, aiming to coerce them into their servitude. And yet, when all seems lost, the trio finds help in the most unlikely place. For more posts about Louis and his book, click HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow  MSI Press  on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with  MSI Press LLC ? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Planning on self-publishing and don't know where to start? Our  author au pair  services will mentor you through the process. Inte

  MSI Press has added to its collection of affiliated books a self-published book by MSI Press author, Dr. Amir Sabzevary: An Interpretative Introduction to Western Religion s: This book is an antidote to contemporary philosophical, religious-spiritual markets and trappings. The book details the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual subtleties and complexities that exist and are experienced on the quest towards wisdom: the qualities that teachers of wisdom must possess, what is expected from seekers after truth, the teacher-student relationship, the importance of love, the stages of spiritual evolution, and the nature of a spiritual community. This book offers a rare and uncommon glimpse into the inner or esoteric dimensions of the three great Western religious traditions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Using everyday language and examples, the book offers understandable accounts of some of the core and complex practices and teachings of these great traditions. Those inte