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Category Archives: Survey Poll

Author Poll: John Garlick needs your help with his cover

John Garlick is self-publishing a book with Outskirts Press. And he wants your help deciding his book cover.

Book Summary

John Garlick was born with the deck stacked against him: the youngest of six children born to a metis family of Irish, French, and Chippewa Indian in a small town in Montana where classism and racism were alive and well. In addition to these disadvantages, John was gay…and there was no place in this world for a gay man. As John learned to navigate a world where bullying and prejudice never stopped, he also learned about his own incredible strengths as a compassionate caregiver, as a musician, and as a man who was able to maintain balance and perspective through self-discipline, humor, and the ability to both give and receive the deepest and most lasting kinds of love. This candid, intelligent, and insightful memoir is a testament to what one person can accomplish by staying true to principles of integrity and hope for change, even in circumstances that seem impossible.

About the Author

John Garlick was born in Lewistown, Montana. Later in life he moved to Alaska and then to Seattle. He and his partner currently live in Palm Springs.

Please take a look at two possible covers below and then vote on the choice you recommend for John.

Click on the thumbnail below to enlarge Cover Option A

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Cover A

Click on the thumbnail below to enlarge Cover Option B

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Cover B

 
 

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Author Poll: John Sparks wants your help with his cover

John Sparks is self-publishing a book with Outskirts Press. And he wants your help deciding his book cover.

Book Summary

To: Authorized Personnel Only
Location: National Aeronautics Research Consortium (N.A.R.C.) Labs
From: Doctor Robert J. Guttenberg, N.A.R.C. Director
Attention, all personnel: Your help is desperately needed in relaying this message to anyone who will listen. One week ago, N.A.R.C. Labs received an unearthly signal, emanating from the far side of the moon. The renowned Harvard graduate Dr. Sing Ann Howell can barely hold our computer together. Effective immediately, by Presidential Order, a 24-hour work rotation is in effect. Project Blue Star, America’s nuclear rocket, is being pulled from its ashes. Pilot training will be provided by Captain Tom Dangerfield in an effort to beat the Soviet response. Time is of the essence. We cannot allow ourselves to lose the race for this unearthly mystery…
Addendum: Over eleven hours ago, Tom Dangerfield and I encountered a woman of distinction who claims to be Anna Urisa, Captain of the Guild scout ship from the planet Arseina, broadcasting the distress signal that we are now receiving. The validity of her story is unknown…our traditional beliefs and ideas may be the defining elements, limiting our ability to see the truth. I encourage everyone to see past our earthly limitations, as they may be our undoing…

About the Author

John Sparks embarked on a lifelong quest to find the origins of French radio signals in northern New York, only to discover that he lived just minutes from Quebec. Undeterred, John launched a new quest, 1950s technology to receive iPod videos. As a philosopher and freelance writer, John has traveled the United States teaching the value of passion writing, which he identifies as writing expressed as the voice of life flowing with ideas, visions, and dreams drawn into words representing the flow of the internal, touching the mind of the reader. John is an Unexploded Ordnance Technician certified by the Department of Defense.

Please take a look at two possible covers below and then vote on the choice you recommend for John.

Click on the thumbnail below to enlarge Cover Option A

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Cover A

Click on the thumbnail below to enlarge Cover Option B

UneartlyTales_Proof2Cover B

 

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Author Poll: J. Dean wants your help with his cover

J. Dean is self-publishing a book with Outskirts Press. And he wants your help deciding his book cover.

Book Summary

When writing about fifty years of any human life, one can only be humbled by the period of history through which so many of us survive. Life takes so many turns that the cultural changes, unfelt from day-to-day, feel like seismic shifts when surmised and stockpiled. Any man’s life is one that changes so much every year. You can go from looking in the mirror at someone you wish to grow old when you’re a teenager to wishing you were younger in a heartbeat.

Some of the memories that you’ll read may strike you as unbelievable – they do to me recalling them. But no matter how thrilling, traumatic or incredible the events of my life have been, I have not embellished, exaggerated or elaborated in any of the telling of these events. With my co-writer, I have constructed a faithful to me which stands up to the memory of time elapsed, even if sometimes my life has felt too fantastic to be real. In short, every word of what you’re about to read is the truth, whether I wish it was or not.

About the Author

Abandoned by his father when he was just nine months old, Jeffrey Blalock was placed in an orphanage by the age of three, in the summer of 1965. Abused and imprisoned under the guise/cloak of religious education, young Jeff faced a daily fight for survival against the very people who were supposed to be protecting him.

This is the true story of a boy who was left to fend for himself and conditioned against love, compassion and trust in a place where no-one survived intact. This is the story of a person able to declare against his tormentors, that his will would not wither, his body not broken and his spirit never suffocated – Not Today.

Please take a look at two possible covers below and then vote on the choice you recommend for J. Dean.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option A

Cover A

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Cover A

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option B

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Cover B

 

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Author Poll: D. Glenn Harris wants your help with his cover

D. Glen Harris is self-publishing a book with Outskirts Press. And he wants your help deciding his book cover.

Book Summary

The family is still the launch pad for propelling young people into society as productive and contributing members of the society. Marriage the way God designed- the framework for the family- is under attack. The kids will one day leave and the two of you will be “empty-nesters”. It will be good for her to be able to reflect on how well she was loved all through the child-rearing years and look forward to being courted by you all over again. Couples can fall in love all over again; or at the other end of the spectrum, realize that it was really the children that kept them together and in the loneliness of the empty, lifeless, loveless house, decide to leave the marriage. It starts with you.

About the Author

D. Glen Harris has been a dedicated Christian for 23 years and married to his bride Shannon for 27 years. He is a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who lives the sacrificial crucified life and a retired United States Army Officer. He is the founder of the R.E.A.L. Men Nation.

Please take a look at two possible covers below and then vote on the choice you recommend for Glen.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option A

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Cover A

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option B

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Cover B

 

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Survey Poll: Tell Us Which Video Is Your Favorite

We would like our reader’s opinions on which of our two videos you like best.

VIDEO #A


VIDEO #B


 

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“Show Me Your Love” Winner, Tommy Baker wins a free Laptop!

The videos were fantastic.  The voting was tight. The love was spread. When all was said and done, Tommy Baker, author of Santa Claus, the Fourth Wise Man, was named our big winner of the “Show me Your Love” contest. Tommy’s video was charming and it’s obvious that his book is loved.  Here’s the winning video:

Tommy wins a sparkling black, HP – Pavilion 15.6″ Laptop complete with Windows 8 for being the finalist receiving the most public votes for his video in the Outskirts Press “Show Me Your Love” promotion. Congratulations, Tommy!

videolovecontentwinnerAuthor Tommy Baker was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the heart of the Bible Belt.  In 2009 he was ordained into the ministry and founded United Body of Christ Christian Ministries. Tommy has a gifted ability to relate scripture to children through the literary arts and writes these books in hopes to bring future generations into a closer relationship with Christ.

His first Book, “Santa Claus the Fourth Wise Man” was released in December 2012 and is about a young Nicholas Claus who sees the star of Bethlehem and hears the angels announcement of the birth of Christ. Nicholas starts off on an amazing journey to witness the birth and wanders into the land of elves to become Santa Claus.  Tommy’s book is scheduled to tour the International Book Fairs starting in April.

Poll Results

Video #3 – Tommy Baker, “Santa Claus, The Fourth Wise Man” 58.97%
Video #2 – Davy Jennings, “Kansas Gospels” 30.77%
Video #1 – Larry Wright, “Longhorn Tales” 10.26%
 

Vote now for the winner of the free laptop!

self publishing
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Outskirts Press has been “sharing the love” and inviting its family of successfully published authors to do the same. This has come in the form of a $300 publishing promotion as well as a video promotion for the chance to win a free laptop. The video submissions have been collected, the best of them have been posted on our Facebook Page, and the “likes” have been tabulated.

Now it’s time for you to vote for the winner of the free laptop!

From among all the submissions we received, the top videos are presented below. Simply vote for your favorite in the polling box below the last video. The polls will be open until end-of-business on Thursday, February 28th. The winner will be announced on Friday, March 1st.

Good luck to the three finalists. And thank you to all our wonderful authors who took the time to submit their videos:

Now, without further ado…

VIDEO #1: Larry Wright, author of Longhorn Tales


VIDEO #2: Davy Jennings, author of Kansas Gospels


VIDEO #3: Tommy Baker, author of Santa Claus, The Fourth Wise Man


Are you ready to publish your book?

 

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Author Poll: Writer B.J. Armstrong wants your help with her book cover.

B.J.Armstrong is self-publishing a book with Outskirts Press. And she wants your help deciding her book cover.

Book Summary

Everyone Has a Story to Tell—What Is Yours?

Many people recognize the importance of sharing their life story-each of us has a special place in the world, and the experiences you’ve had can never be repeated or replaced. But the idea of writing a memoir can be overwhelming! That’s where BIO-BY-U  can help. This interactive, easy-to-use workbook provides prompts and ideas so that you can write your life story in your own way. The book consists of subjects and a list of questions about each subject. You can use this workbook with a computer, a tape recorder, a typewriter, a video camera, or pen and paper…it’s up to you! You can answer the question prompts with a word, a sentence, a paragraph, or a longer story. When you’re done, you’ll have your life events laid out in story form. This workbook helps to organize and clarify life events, and gives you a format to describe to the reader each person and place in your life. You’ll have the opportunity to reflect, to explain, and to share the experiences that have made you who you are. It’s easier than you think-let BIO-BY-U unlock the story of your life!

About the Author

Beverly Armstrong started developing her biography-writing a workbook in 1976, when she asked her father to write stories of his parents and his childhood. She further developed the book over the years while writing her own story. Today, she uses the workbook as an interview guide to write the life stories of people who do not read or write English.

Please take a look at two possible covers below and then vote on the choice you recommend for B.J.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option A
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Cover A

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option B

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Cover B

 
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Posted by on February 20, 2013 in Survey Poll

 

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Author Poll: Writer William Kenly wants your help with his book cover.

William Kenly is self-publishing a book with Outskirts Press. And he wants your help deciding his book cover.

Book Summary

Coming out of the fog and disorientation of general anesthesia from the operation, three words sliced into my comprehension with absolute clarity: Medullary Thyroid Cancer

These three words changed author William Kenly’s life as he began a very intimate journey of personal discovery. Some friends would move closer; some would distance themselves. Some people would open up and share their deepest secrets because he now belonged to their “meddie” club, and other people would move against him, driven by the bully inside as they saw a vulnerable target. Kenly suffered at the hands of incompetent doctors and had unnecessary procedures and treatment. He was steered away from nutrition and other alternative medical treatments, but he also met doctors whose advice about this rare disease was insightful to the point of ethereal vision.

The Dogs of Cancer is a courageously open and uplifting personal exploration of cancer and its effects on not only the cancer patient but the lives of those around him. The book explores dealing with cancer, and MTC in particular, but it also delves into the rewards of spiritual growth. The reader will discover glimpses of an inner god-consciousness, a spirit that leaps from the part of us that routinely handles the everyday triumphs and tragedies, and connects the day-to-day routine with universal energy and understanding. This beautifully written memoir assures the reader that although “cancer sucks,” it can lead to a better understanding of self and the universe that surrounds us.

About the Author

William Kenly is also the author of the highly acclaimed The Dogs of Divorce (2010) and The Dogs of Luck (2012). The Dogs of Business is due out in 2014. Kenly was diagnosed with MTC in 2008 and writes frequently on the subject. He and his wife live north of Boston in their empty-nest home abutting a state park. They enjoy biking, kayaking, skiing, traveling, and watching their four 20-something-year-old children start their own adult lives. Contact the author at williamkenlybooks@gmail.com.

Please take a look at two possible covers below and then vote for the choice you recommend.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option A

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Cover A

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option B

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Cover B

 
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Posted by on January 31, 2013 in Production Options, Survey Poll

 

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Author Poll: Writer Sharon King wants your help with her book cover.

Sharon King is self-publishing a book with Outskirts Press. And she wants your help deciding her book cover.

Book Summary

Bullying is one of the biggest issues affecting our children today. This problem is not just a social issue; it directly affects the victim on all levels, including grades, family and mental health. The statistics on bullying are shocking. One out of five children admit to having been bullied and every seven seconds a child is bullied. This problem is fast becoming an epidemic.

As an early childhood educator and caretaker, I am dedicated to help in the fight against this alarmingly growing problem. The first step to overcome bullying is to educate ourselves and our children. Literature is one of the greatest resources parents and teachers have to enlighten and educate children. Working closely with parents, educators, after-school programs administrators, and church ministries, we can use literature as a tool to teach children to identify and report any bullying. Many children and young people are often intimidated or feel isolated and, therefore, do not report bullying, whether they are the victim or not. It is crucial to shed light on bullying to isolate and correct this devastating problem.

After reading this book, which is targeted for young children, I believe it can be used in conjunction with other educational tools, such as role playing, to promote open discussions among children. There are many components of bullying including reporting bullying and it’s far reaching effects. This book focuses on all of these issues.

About the Author

Sharon has worked as an early childhood educator and administrator in child care centers and in church ministries, and is the author of Junior Alien Zone. She lives in Amarillo, Texas with her husband, Charles, of 43 years. They have three adult children, four grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and two dogs.

Please take a look at two possible covers below and then vote on the choice you recommend for Sharon.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option A

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Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option B

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2 Comments

Posted by on January 21, 2013 in Production Options, Survey Poll

 
 
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