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.  Today's post discusses blogging for authors. Blogging is an excellent platform for authors, especially authors with a first-time book, if they do certain things to make the blog a good support for their book. Here are some things to consider if you plan to make a blog an important part of your platform. Importance of consistency Blogs have brands. They are recognized. When the brand is reinforced, readers feel comfortable with the blog and validated in the time they will spend to read your posts. (And maybe even excited enough to do some word-of-mouth advertising for you.) There are two items that require consistency in order for readers

  HOSPITALITY “ I mean to stay at your house today.” --Luke 19: 5   How would you react if you received a personal call from some celebrity, such as the Pope or the President, asking you to have a private dinner with him at your home. Your initial reaction would likely be shock. “ Why me?” you would ask, thinking you are not worthy of such an honored guest. Then, panic, “ How can I prepare for such a guest?” As reality sets in, you begin scrambling to put your house in perfect order. All the clutter would be thrown out. You would clean until the place was spotless. You would likely obsess about what to serve for dinner, trying to guess what your guest would like most. You would set the table with your finest linen, plates, and silverware. And you would cook up a storm. How privileged you would feel to entertain such an important person. DIVINE HOST When people ask me what happens after we die, I answer, “ We return to where we were before we were born.” Ultimately, we do no

What follows is a guest post from Dr. Elizabeth Mahlou, from her blog, Clan of Mahlou. I cannot resist. I am going to post something that came to me in email. I think all parents (and grandparents) can relate. Here it is: GOD CREATED CHILDREN (AND IN THE PROCESS GRANDCHILDREN) To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students... here is something to make you chuckle. Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children. After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was "DON'T!" "Don't what?" Adam replied. "Don't eat the forbidden fruit," God said. "Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey, Eve! We have forbidden fruit!" "No way!" "Yes, way!" "Do NOT eat the fruit," said God. "Why?" "Bec

  Today's guest post comes from Julie Gentile, via her blogsite. The author of two health and fitness books , Julie has great suggestions for self-care. Forgive yourself, she says -- and shows how in her latest post, which you can read HERE .  For more posts about Julie and her award-winning books, click  HERE .                                                                             Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter                           Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .

Joshua Shea, co-author of He's a Porn Addict...Now What? , has done some unsettling reserarch. He shares it with us in today's guest post.: When Donald Trump went on TV that Wednesday night in early March as one of the last people to admit what many of us had come to recognize in the previous 72 hours – the Coronavirus was the real deal – one of my first thoughts went to how this was going to be the single greatest boon to the pornography industry since the invention of the Internet. We’re still in it – probably not even at the halfway point – and it turns out, I was unfortunately correct. As much as I detest PornHub, I’ve got to give them credit for the statistics they provide. Granted, they are not independently verified and sometimes they leave out crucial information (such as ignoring the fact “teen” is a popular search term in their annual report) but I think they are providing a unique window into what is happening. In late February and into the first week of March

  Joanna Charnas, author of several award-winning books , has provided the following guest blog post. My Father’s Influence on Managing Chronic Illness: Common Sense and Saliva By Joanna J. Charnas   I’m always striving to manage my multiple chronic illnesses effectively and with more ease, and less stress. My eighty-one-year-old father entered a nursing home this year due to worsening Alzheimer’s symptoms. Since his placement, I’ve considered his influences on my life and have particularly savored memories of my early childhood with him. As I contemplated this period, I began to appreciate the long-term effects his parenting style had on my health challenges.     Dad was a hands-on, no fuss parent. If I wet my bed in the middle of the night, I was instructed to wake him up, not my mother. He’d calmly help me into fresh pajamas, lay a large towel over the soiled linen that would be changed in the morning, and then tuck me back into bed. My occasional bed-wetting was drama f

  In a post on her blog that she shared today, Marti Wells-Smith ( Lamentations of the Heart ) relates a dream about her late son that was experienced by a friend.  Here is the beginning of the post: I want to share a dream with you that a dear friend had, following the passing of my son in 2019. She said that Grant appeared in what looked like a hologram, with a radiant smile, and impressed upon her what seemed to be a telepathic message. He told her that we shouldn't be sad, because there is no sadness in heaven - and that everyone there is connected heart to heart - with a universal language...I think of this often, and rejoice for the beautiful signs I've received, and for a dream such as this. My son is blissfully happy now, forever. But my sadness? It still comes and goes, as time moves along and life continues. Yet it's not a hopeless sorrow - I have great hope for our futures. Can you feel your loved ones gone on? Do you also wait to be reunited with great ex

For National Women's Health and Fitness Day, Julie (author of 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas) provided us the following guest post. My 3-year-old does Downward-Facing Dog and Tree Pose. Even at her age, she’s learning how simple and fun it can be to fit in exercise and that exercise is integral to mind-body wellness.   Since she and her brother were newborns, they’ve seen mama stretch, run, walk and lift weights. And some days they exercise with me. The message they’re getting about exercise is: “Fitness is fun and it helps keep us healthy!” As they grow, they’ll know exercise is just as much a part of their day as brushing their teeth and washing their hands. I wake up knowing when I’m going to workout. Fitness fits in the nooks and crannies of almost every day. Sometimes it’s a 20-minute yoga video before breakfast; other times it’s a 30-minute walk outside with the family after dinner. Scheduling time for exercise

Dr. Haim Omer has alerted us to a new post of interest to parents: You're invited to read my new post "Some vital questions about our children's safety"  https://www.haimomer-nvr.com/post/some-vital-questions-about-our-children-s-safety .  This is the first in a series of posts designed to help parents exercise "vigilant care".  This is the parental attitude of keeping an ear to the ground, of creating the appropriate feeling that the child is accompanied by the parents.  Vigilant care has all the advantages and none of the disadvantages of "parental monitoring".  Whenever I lecture on my approach, I tell the people in the audience that if they want to keep one idea, one single tip of my approach, than it is that parents should learn how to exercise vigilant care.  This and the upcoming posts aim at helping parents foster this attitude.   Dr. Omer is the author of the forthcoming book, Courageous Parents . Available on pre-order f

  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, Jackie Johnson, CEO of DotsKonnected , a virtual assistant company, and our MSI Press newsletter editor -- and more -- explains how a virtual assistant can help authors in this guest post. How Virtual Assistants Can Help Authors In the world of publishing and content creation, authors are often faced with the challenge of  juggling multiple tasks, everything from brainstorming ideas and researching topics to editing  manuscripts and marketing their work. However, there's a secret weapon that can help authors reclaim  their time and focus on what they do best: WRITING. Virtual assistants (VAs) can be  essential to authors as th