Happy Easter from all of us at Outskirts Press. Please enjoy these Easter favorites, starring adorable bunnies, rabbits, and hares.
…And… on the slightly darker side….
Category Archives: Author Spotlight
The polls are now CLOSED on the Best Book of the Year
The polls are closed and the winner is shown below, based upon the votes received through April. Stay tuned to a future blog posting for all the details. Congratulations to the winner, and thank you to all who voted. All the finalists should be extremely proud of their accomplishment.
Award-winning authors publish award-winning books with Outskirts Press!
Help us pick the winner of our Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year Award 2010, and its $1,500 Grand Prize! The votes start Friday April 15th at http://blog.outskirtspress.com. Review the three finalists and then vote for your favorite.
Votes will be accepted through the end of April. The winner will be identified on May 1st based upon the total number of votes received in this public poll. Each finalist has been encouraged to publicize this poll heavily. After all, a “best book” is not only one that is well-written and well-designed, but well-promoted, also.
The winner will be awarded the Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year Award, which includes a $1,500 Grand Prize and an exclusive award graphic permanently added to his/her publication.
Here are the finalists, along with links to more information about each one:
Finalist #1: The Key To Job Success In Any Career: Developing Six Competencies That Close America’s Global Skills Gap, by Frank B. Leibold, Ph.D. of Longs, South Carolina
Visit Frank’s author webpage by clicking here to:
- watch a video book teaser
- listen to an audio excerpt recorded by the author
- read more blurbs and quotes
- learn more about the book
- read an excerpt
- purchase the e-book instantly
Visit Frank’s book on Amazon by clicking here to:
- purchase the paperback
- write a review
Finalist #2: Psych Consults: A Concise Guide to Common Psychiatric Conditions, by Robert J. Mignone, M.D., F.A.P.A. of Sarasota, Florida
Visit Robert’s author webpage by clicking here to:
- watch a video book teaser
- learn more about the book
Visit Robert’s book on Amazon by clicking here to:
- purchase the hardback
- read the review
- write a review
Finalist #3: The Beads of Lapis Lazuli: A Greek Mystery, by Doris Kenney Marcotte of Cincinnati, Ohio
Visit Doris’ author webpage by clicking here to:
- watch a video book teaser
- learn more about the book
- read and excerpt
- purchase the e-book instantly
Visit Doris’ book on Amazon by clicking here to:
- purchase the paperback
- read the reviews
- write a review
- purchase the Amazon Kindle edition
It’s time to vote!
The polls are now closed on the Outskirts Press BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR Award
Now it is time to vote in the public poll below. Votes will be accepted through the end of April. You can only vote once, but you can get everyone you know to vote once, also. Notify your friends on Facebook; tweet your Twitter followers. Post a link to the vote on your blog, etc.
The winner will be identified on May 1st based upon the total number of votes received in this public poll. The winner will be awarded the Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year award, which includes a $1,500 prize and an exclusive award graphic permanently added to his/her publication.
To refresh your memory, here are the Finalists, one last time, along with links to more information about each one:
Finalist #1: The Key To Job Success In Any Career: Developing Six Competencies That Close America’s Global Skills Gap, by Frank B. Leibold, Ph.D. of Longs, South CarolinaVisit Frank’s author webpage by clicking here to:
- watch a video book teaser
- listen to an audio excerpt recorded by the author
- read more blurbs and quotes
- learn more about the book
- read an excerpt
- purchase the e-book instantly
Visit Frank’s book on Amazon by clicking here to:
- purchase the paperback
- write a review
Finalist #2: Psych Consults: A Concise Guide to Common Psychiatric Conditions, by Robert J. Mignone, M.D., F.A.P.A. of Sarasota, Florida
Visit Robert’s author webpage by clicking here to:
- watch a video book teaser
- learn more about the book
Visit Robert’s book on Amazon by clicking here to:
- purchase the hardback
- read the review
- write a review
Finalist #3: The Beads of Lapis Lazuli: A Greek Mystery, by Doris Kenney Marcotte of Cincinnati, Ohio
Visit Doris’ author webpage by clicking here to:
- watch a video book teaser
- learn more about the book
- read and excerpt
- purchase the e-book instantly
Visit Doris’ book on Amazon by clicking here to:
- purchase the paperback
- read the reviews
- write a review
- purchase the Amazon Kindle edition
It’s time to vote!
Best Book of the Year – Finalist #3
Join us all this week as we acknowledge the finalists in the 2010 Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year Award. Today we focus on Frank B. Leibold, Ph.D. The public polls open on Friday right here on this blog. Anyone and EVERYONE can vote on the finalist they would like to see walk away with the award for the Best Book Outskirts Press published in 2010.
We will be accepting votes through the end of April, so tell everyone you know to visit our blog starting on Friday, April 15th to vote. The finalist with the most votes as of May 1 will be declared the winner of the Best Book of the Year 2010 award, the exclusive cover graphic (see right) and the $1,500.
For more details about the Best Book of the Year Award and your chance to be a future finalist, click here.
FINALIST #3: Doris Kenney Marcotte, author of The Beads of Lapis Lazuli
A HOUSEWIFE’S EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE
Heroes go on quests, housewives stay home and cook, but there are exceptions.
Kathryn Marshall is an ordinary Cincinnati housewife and mother until she purchases an ancient strand of lapis lazuli beads in an antique shop on the island of Crete. This is the beginning of a two-year long obsession with the ancient Minoan civilization that once flourished on Crete and culminates in an unfinished novel about the culture’s greatest mystery of love and desertion, the Greek myth of Theseus and Ariadne.
As she delves deeper into the myth, Kathryn finds inconsistencies in the story that she refuses to accept and they prevent her from completing her novel. What happens next could rewrite history!
Ignoring the objections of her husband, best friend, and mother, Kathryn embarks on a fact-finding mission that takes her to a deserted island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.
To gain the services of Jake Deupree, a renowned psychic explorer who helps archeologists locate important excavations, she reluctantly accepts him as her partner. When they go to Crete to search for answers to the mythical love story, it’s Kathryn who experiences odd premonitions, and neither of them is prepared for what their mission will uncover or what they will discover about themselves.
The Beads of Lapis Lazuli is part mystery and part psychological drama as it mixes history, obsession, and the paranormal for an exhilarating read. Bridging time and space, the story is about seeking truth, taking control of our lives and discovering the unknown strength hidden within each of us.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Doris has turned decades of studying Minoan civilization into two novels. She has researched at the Athens National Museum, the Heraklion Archeological Museum on Crete, and the British Museum in London, among others. Besides racing their Flying Scot sailboat, she and her husband have had blue water sailing adventures in Greece, Turkey, Australia, and the Virgin Islands. She lives at River House in New Richmond, Ohio, and Hilltop House in Wyoming, Ohio.
Like this finalist? Be sure to vote for her on blog.outskirtspress.com on Friday, April 15h.
Do you want to publish an award-winning book and be entered into the Best Book of the Year Awards?
Best Book of the Year – Finalist #2
Join us all this week as we acknowledge the finalists in the 2010 Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year Award. Today we focus on Robert J. Mignone, M.D., F.A.P.A.The public polls open on Friday right here on this blog. Anyone and EVERYONE can vote on the finalist they would like to see walk away with the award for the Best Book Outskirts Press published in 2010.
We will be accepting votes through the end of April, so tell everyone you know to visit our blog starting on Friday, April 15th to vote. The finalist with the most votes as of May 1 will be declared the winner of the Best Book of the Year 2010 award, the exclusive cover graphic (see right) and the $1,500.
For more details about the Best Book of the Year Award and your chance to be a future finalist, click here.
FINALIST #2: Robert J. Mignone, M.D., F.A.P.A., author of Psych Consults
Have you been touched by depression, an anxiety disorder, or attention-deficit disorder? If you’re like most people, the answer is “yes.” Studies show these and other psychiatric conditions afflict one in three of us—and that doesn’t count family and friends who are also affected.
For decades, Robert J. Mignone, M.D., F.A.P.A., has helped people bounce back from all kinds of crises. A top-ranked psychiatrist in southwest Florida, Dr. Mignone has been called a gifted and inspirational speaker—in person and on TV. A two-time cancer survivor, Mignone shares his experiences in Ordinary Valor: How Cancer Saved My Life, Not Once, But Twice. He is also the author of Psychiatric Injury: Evaluation and Treatment of Psychiatric Impairment and Damages.
Now, the renowned Dr. Robert J. Mignone gives patients, their loved ones, and medical professionals a thorough, easy-to-understand guide to the most common psychiatric conditions.
This scholarly yet accessible book is designed for any adult seeking to recognize and treat everything from depression to specific issues faced by children and seniors.
You’ll learn:
- The features, health risks, and today’s treatment options for mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.
- Why many disorders are often misdiagnosed and incorrectly treated—and how you can make sure that doesn’t happen to you or your loved one.
- Depression and chronic illness: how to avoid falling into the depression trap after a diagnosis.
- Why people get depressed during the holidays—and how to cope.
- The truth about ADD and ADHD—and the latest on treatment options.
- Much, much more!
Full of practical information backed up by decades of experience, Dr. Mignone’s PSYCH CONSULTS is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about mental health.
Do you like this finalist? Be sure to vote for him at blog.outskirtspress.com on Friday.
Do you want to publish an award-winning book and be entered into the Best Book of the Year Awards?
THE PRACTICAL, ACCESSIBLE HANDBOOK FOR UNDERSTANDING—AND TREATING—COMMON PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS
Best Book of the Year – Finalist #1
Join us all this week as we acknowledge the finalists in the 2010 Outskirts Press Best Book of the Year Award. Today we focus on Frank B. Leibold, Ph.D.The public polls open on Friday right here on this blog. Anyone and EVERYONE can vote on the finalist they would like to see walk away with the award for the Best Book Outskirts Press published in 2010.
We will be accepting votes through the end of April, so tell everyone you know to visit our blog starting on Friday, April 15th to vote. The finalist with the most votes as of May 1 will be declared the winner of the Best Book of the Year 2010 award, the exclusive cover graphic (see right) and the $1,500.
For more details about the Best Book of the Year Award and your chance to be a future finalist, click here.
FINALIST #1: Frank B. Leibold, Ph.D., author of The Key To Job Success In Any Career
For Those Who Want To Improve Their Careers
Why has the current economic recovery been so sluggish? How can so many people still have difficulty in finding a job? And what are the new skills required for the 21st century? This book answers these questions and in the process develops six universal competencies that can lead to success in any job or career. It is a serious book about the greatest challenge America faces as it slips from global educational and economic dominance. Having been chosen as the best book in the Self-Help genre with a EVVY award by a panel of three independent experts I would be honored to receive your vote for Outskirts Press’ Book of the year award.
If you are struggling to find a job, concerned about keeping the one you have, or feel that your career has stalled, this book was written for you.
Despite 25 years of documented effort by 18 esteemed professional organizations to close it, America’s global skills gap is worsening–to the detriment of your employability.
Employees now have to navigate multiple job and career changes which will require new skills.
Leibold develops six scientifically validated Lifelong Transferable Competencies (LTCs) that are required for success in any job or career. He then offers over 60 practical suggestions on how you can enhance your future employment options by developing your own LTCs to improve your career transitions and influence.
“The Conference Board’s research confirms that American business finds new entrants to the workforce lacking in the skills required to be globally competitive both today and for the demands of the coming years. Frank Leibold, in his new book Competencies That Close America’s Global Skill Gap, recognizes and analyzes this deficit and offers individuals specific guidance on how to overcome these skill gaps. His advice is important for those just entering the workforce who may find they need skills heretofore unlearned. However, his advice may be even more critical for those more seasoned workers who are challenged by having to reinvent themselves in this new economic reality where employers are requiring employees to take on more responsibility for their personal and professional wellbeing.” — Mary Wright, Project Leader, Workforce Readiness Initiative, The Conference Board
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Frank Leibold after a distinguished 30 year business career with three multinational corporations and nine jobs-culminating in the position of Group President- re-tooled himself by returning to school and obtaining his Ph.D.. Frank then became a nationally recognized university professor of marketing while founding his own global management consulting company. He and his wife reside in South Carolina and spend time traveling to visit and spoil their nine grand-children- two in Australia.
Like this finalist? Vote for him at blog.outskirtspress.com on Friday, April 15.
Do you want to publish an award-winning book and be entered into the 2011 Best Book of the Year Awards?
Best Book of the Year Finalists Announced
Last year Outskirts Press announced a new contest recognizing the best in self-publishing: its own Best Book of the Year Award. This award identifies the overall best book Outskirts Press publishes each year. One of the requirements to be considered for the Best Book of the Year Award is to win an EVVY Award. Those winners were displayed in yesterday’s blog posting.
From among the most recent EVVY Award winners, Outskirts Press selected three books as Best Book of the Year 2010 finalists. Those books and their respective authors were identified and notified yesterday. Please join us in publicly congratulating them today:
The Key To Job Success In Any Career, by Frank B. Leibold, Ph.D.
Frank B. Leibold, Ph.D., after a distinguished 30 year business career with three multinational corporations and nine jobs-culminating in the position of Group President- re-tooled himself by returning to school and obtaining his Ph.D. Frank then became a nationally recognized university professor of marketing while founding his own global management consulting company. He and his wife reside in South Carolina and spend time traveling to visit and spoil their nine grand-children- two in Australia.
In The Key to Job Success in Any Career, Leibold develops six scientifically validated Lifelong Transferable Competencies (LTCs) that are required for success in any job or career. He then offers over 60 practical suggestions on how you can enhance your future employment options by developing your own LTCs to improve your career transitions and influence.
More about The Key to Job Success in Any Career and its author will be posted on this blog on April 11th. And everyone can play a role in determining who wins the Best Book of the Year award and its $1,500 Grand Prize by participating in the open poll on this blog on April 15th.
Psych Consults, by Robert J. Mignone, M.D., F.A.P.A. For decades, Robert J. Mignone, M.D., F.A.P.A., has helped people bounce back from all kinds of crises. A top-ranked psychiatrist in southwest Florida, Dr. Mignone has been called a gifted and inspirational speaker—in person and on TV. A two-time cancer survivor, Mignone shares his experiences in Ordinary Valor: How Cancer Saved My Life, Not Once, But Twice. He is also the author of Psychiatric Injury: Evaluation and Treatment of Psychiatric Impairment and Damages.
Full of practical information backed up by decades of experience, Dr. Mignone’s Psych Consults is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about mental health. This scholarly yet accessible book is designed for any adult seeking to recognize and treat everything from depression to specific issues faced by children and seniors.
More about Psych Consults and its author will be posted on this blog on April 12th. And everyone can play a role in determining who wins the Best Book of the Year award and its $1,500 Grand Prize by participating in the open poll on this blog on April 15th.
The Beads of Lapis Lazuli, by Doris Kenney MarcotteDoris Kenney Marcotte has turned decades of studying Minoan civilization into two novels. She has researched at the Athens National Museum, the Heraklion Archeological Museum on Crete, and the British Museum in London, among others. She lives in River House in New Richmond, Ohio, and Hilltop House in Wyoming, Ohio.
The Beads of Lapis Lazuli is part mystery and part psychological drama as it mixes history, obsession, and the paranormal for an exhilarating read. Bridging time and space, the story is about seeking truth, taking control of our lives and discovering the unknown strength within each of us.
More about The Beads of Lapis Lazuli and its author will be posted on this blog on April 13th. And everyone can play a role in determining who wins the Best Book of the Year award and its $1,500 Grand Prize by participating in the open poll on this blog on April 15th.
Do you want to publish an award-winning book and be entered into the Best Book of the Year Awards?
Self-Publishing Author Spotlight: Rachel August
When publishing your own book, it is important to find the right self publishing company. With so many to choose from, it can often be difficult for authors to make a decision. However, when you find a company that provides you with the assistance you are looking for in publishing/promoting your book, it’s best to stick with them.
Many of our authors publish several books with us, and we like to schedule these spotlights so that you can get to know so these writers that call Outskirts Press their publishing home.
Outskirts Press author, Rachel August, is the author of two children’s books. She is a mother and remembers how fascinating the child’s mind is and wanted to share those memories through Children’s Books, just like the one’s she read to her children. She is a New Orleans native and now resides in Washington State. Rachel grew up as a military dependent and is now a Military wife.
Below are the two books she has published with Outskirts Press.
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Adventures of Libby Nickel: What’s your Mommy’s First Name?
Libby What’s Your Mother’s First Name? My Mommy’s first name is Mommy.
Libby Learns That Her Mommy’s Name Is Not Just Mommy. Come On The Journey With Libby As She discovers her Mommy’s first name.
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AMBER-GRACE’s shoes are missing!
AMBER-GRACE’s Shoes Are Missing! Can you help AMBER-GRACE find them? Join AMBER-GRACE and her playful puppy TRAMP on their adventure to piece together the mystery. Will they find her shoes, or will AMBER-GRACE discover something even more important?
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So why does Rachel keep coming back to Outskirts Press? We’ll let her tell you in her own words…
“Outskirts press made publishing as easy as 1-2-3. Every step of the way there was a representative or consultant that expertly guided me through each stage of the publishing process. The most fascinating part was watching the process. It was like being in a cookie factory where one can see the first stage with the mixing of ingredients all the way to the final packaging of this perfectly made delicacy. Exciting is imagining various scenes of my book and conveying that to the illustrator’s and magically there’s my most vivid imagination come to life through my book. I purchased the Pearl package and to see my full-color illustration and hold it was the most wondrous thing. To see this imagined character come to life in full-color and be more beautiful than expected is pretty amazing. My experience with Outskirts was so amazing that I am working on my third Pearl book with them.”
Are you publishing your own book and looking for support like this?
Self-Publishing Author Spotlight: Jerry Snodgrass at Hastings Super Bookstore
On January 29, 2011, self-publishing Outskirts Press author, Jerry Snodgrass, held a book signing at Hastings Super Bookstore in Killeen, Texas. At the event, he was able to sell and promote all three of his published titles: Forgotten Honor, Lone Star Destiny, and Moments to Remember 1957.
Gerald “Jerry” Snodgrass grew up in the small college town of Indianola, Iowa, in the fifties. After high school, he entered the military, fulfilling his childhood dreams. A Vietnam veteran, he is the author of Frontier Justice and Forgotten Honor. His love and fond memories of growing up in the Midwest, and of being a graduate of the high school class of 1957, prompted him to write Moments To Remember 1957, a fictional memoir of the senior class of Indianola High School. Jerry currently resides in Killeen, Texas, with his wife Elizabeth, and their little dog, Stormy.
Recently, Jerry’s writing career was jump-started, and he was invited to publish a book with Strategic Book Publishing. Jerry was kind enough to stop by to answer a few questions about his keys to success with his fellow self-publishing authors:
OP: What is your author platform? How did you build it?
JS: “Internet. Email. Posters. Flyers. Marketing visits to local book stores. Word of mouth by readers. Pursu[ing] book signings, even in grocery stores. My first book signing was in a grocery store.”
OP: We saw on Strategic Book Publishing’s website that any authors they “pick up” must have a minimum of 1,000 book sales in the past year. How did you accomplish this?
JS: “They took a chance on me and I split the publishing 50-50.”
OP: If you could start your self-publishing journey all over, what would you do differently?
JS: “I would do more editing. Edit, proof, edit!!”
OP: If you could pass one piece of advice to other self-publishing authors, what would it be?
JS: “Follow the instructions your publishing marketing people tell you. The author sells the books. Get out and market your books. Get posters, flyers, and business cards made. Present yourself and your book to local book stores. Attempt to arrange book signings.”
OP: What are your plans for the future (as far as publishing is concerned)?
JS: “I write daily, just trying to come up with the right subject. I have started screenwriting. I am positive that Outskirts Press is the right fit for me. I hope my next book will be published by Outskirts Press.”
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ABOUT JERRY’S BOOKS
Title: Forgotten Honor
ISBN: 9781432718176
Price: $12.95 (Paperback) / $21.95 (Hardback)
Summary: From the steamy jungles of Vietnam, to the ancient city of Istanbul, Blake Tanner is a man you want on your side. Follow him as he travels from his home in Colorado to New York City, Atlanta, London, Istanbul, Naples, Athens, and Barcelona in search of clues and answers connected to his friend’s death.
Title: Moments to Remember 1957
ISBN: 9781432732806
Price: $13.95 (Paperback)
Summary: It’s the summer of 1956, and how teenagers lived and loved and played, when James Dean was the coolest and rock ‘n’ roll was the only music worth listening to, comes to life in Moments to Remember 1957. In a small town in the Midwest, at Indian Falls High School, we meet the greaser and the misfit, the farm boy and the girl next door, and the dreams they thought were “made in the shade.” Here’s a slice of American life – both good times and bad – that will have you digging up your old 45s, sipping on some cherry Coke floats, and wondering what happened to all the friendships that were going to last forever.
Title: Lone Star Destiny
ISBN: 9781432744151
Price: $16.95 (Paperback)
Summary: It is 1878, as young John Wesley Steel leaves home for the wild Texas Frontier. It is a deadly time in the state’s fledgling history as Indian, Mexican, and white men fight for their beliefs. Wes works as a cowboy and then begins the life of a Texas Ranger, he soon falls in love and marries. But as Steel’s family grows, so do the dangers, and now he must fight to save his dear ones and the land he loves.
Are you self-publishing your book and looking to receive
marketing support and services like this?
Outskirts Press Author Appears in Oprah’s Audience: Alexander Devereux
Alexander is in the first row on the right.
On Friday, November 5, 2010, Alexander was in the audience of the Oprah Winfrey show, along with 200 other men who suffered from sexual abuse during their childhood. This is the same abuse he shares in detail in his book, Gar Fish & Long Gravy.
Alexander Devereux’s Gar Fish & Long Gravy: Memoirs of Southern Sensibility, published by Outskirts Press, collects the stories, insight, tragedies, and uproarious wit of an unforgettable cast of characters.
Based on real-life experiences, Gar Fish & Long Gravy is about the mistakes we make, the loves we share, and the stories we tell each other that make us who we are. It is the touching story of a boy who ultimately breaks free of the poverty and abuse of his extended family, yet never forgets the important lessons he learned along the way.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Alexander Devereux overcame epilepsy at birth, dyslexia, and poverty to graduate from college and become a highly successful professional. An ordained minister, he works in the administrative field of higher education. Devereux is at work on his second book, a follow-up to Gar Fish and Long Gravy. He lives in Atlanta.
A brief interview with Alexander is featured here: http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/In-His-Own-Words-Male-Survivors-Speak-Out/20.
For more information or to contact the author, visit www.outskirtspress.com/alexanderdevereux.
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marketing support and services like this?
