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The Shakespeare Code
By Virginia Fellows

Virginia Fellows, unfortunately died before her new book The Shakespeare Code was published. Fellows was one of a growing number of researchers who are convinced William Shakespeare was a sham, and the actual author of the great plays was Sir Francis Bacon. Bacon is also widely acknowledged as the illegitimate child of Queen Elizabeth I.

Furthermore, Ms. Fellows informs us that the plays and sonnets, while being great works of literature, also contain hidden messages in a coded form. She makes a convincing argument that by using the Bi-literal or Trithemius cipher systems, the reader can find a new and completely different story hidden within the text.

William Shakespeare is world-famous, though he is an author that you either love or hate. This is the author who generations of school children have grown up to dislike. Written nearly 400 years ago, the stories do not usually appeal to the younger generations. I, for one, remember being forced to read and dissect some of the plays in grammar school. I share in their pain!

The first printed efforts of William Shakespeare were released in 1623, and is widely known as the Shakespeare Folio, containing within it a mere 36 plays and other works. According to Ms. Fellows the real story contained within the Folio is actually more of a diary concerning the life and times of Francis Bacon, his contemporaries, and comments about life in the Elizabethan age.

Using the strange use of fonts, italics and capitalization as keys to the code, the Shakespeare Folio reveals a completely different tale. According to the deciphered material in The Shakespeare Code, Queen Elizabeth had two illegitimate children, Francis Bacon, and Robert, who later became the Earl of Essex. Many historians acknowledge Francis Bacon as being the illegitimate son of Queen Elizabeth, but few acknowledge there may have been a second child. At the Queen’s behest, the latter met an untimely end from the executioners axe in the Tower of London. Continue reading »

Scatterlings of Africa
by Peter Davies

Scatterlings of Africa is a fast-paced thriller, set in Rhodesia’s war against terror. (Rhodesia became Zimbabwe in 1980.)

It’s December 1972 and Lieutenant Ron Cartwright is obsessed with defending his country against insurgents in a vicious civil war. Comrade Gadziwa is equally determined to win the fight for Zimbabwe to be restored to his people.

While abduction, intimidation, torture and worse are going on in the war zone, the cities, towns and many farms remain safe, idyllic havens where Ron’s wife Angela and their young children live in relative comfort.

But the stress of their separate lives is taking its toll, and the arrival of Angie’s cousin Mark, who she hasn’t seen since she was a child, adds fuel to an already tense situation. The tentacles of war spread, plots cross, and life will never be the same again. Continue reading »

The Shakespeare Code
by Virginia Fellowes

What if the son of a queen was denied his heritage and couldn’t talk about it for fear of his life? How could he make sure that future generations knew the real story? He found a way—by cipher.

The prince? Sir Francis Bacon.

For over 250 years the codes remained undiscovered until the late 1800’s when a brilliant young surgeon revealed their secrets to the scorn and ridicule of the clergy and press. Yet his method and fascinating device led to the astounding conversion of many ardent detractors.

Nearly 400 years later, Virginia Fellows uses known decoding systems to reveal the hidden story and cross references them to known historic events. Placed within the works of Shakespeare and other writers of his time is a poignant and tragic tale that ends on a note of triumph. The encrypted message reveals a true story that far exceeds the drama, comedy, tragedy, intrigue, betrayal, false identity and heroism of the actual plays. 

Non-fiction written as an astonishing and compelling mystery novel, complete with false identities, characters of honor and nobility, foul play and intrigue, and lots of suspense.  Continue reading »

Talk Radio for Authors (Infinity Publishing 2007)
by Francine Silverman

About the Book

Talk Radio for Authors takes the guesswork out of finding responsive radio hosts. Each of the 230 talk radio shows includes contact information, theme and guest criteria, i.e., authors, therapists, teachers, sport coaches, so the book is suitable for anyone seeking air time.

The book also includes host bios and their opinions of the best and worst guests.

The shows are divided into 40 categories, ranging from Addition to Women.

Talk Radio for Authors is available from the publisher at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com (Category: Business/Economics- Marketing).

About the Author
Francine Silverman was a newspaper reporter for many years but her writing/marketing career really began in 2003 when she was author of two local guidebooks, Catskills Alive (1st and 2nd editions, 2000 and 2003) and Long Island Alive (2003), both published by Hunter Publishing. Having trouble marketing them and hungry for ideas, she decided to start an ezine for authors of all genres.  
 
Book Promotion Newsletter was born in March 2003.  Fran compiled a questionnaire with all her burning questions that she continues to send to each new subscriber. Two years later, she had so many creative marketing strategies from subscribers that she put together a book called Book Marketing from A-Z (Infinity Publishing 2005), containing the best marketing tactics of 325 of them.  Continue reading »

When I was asked by the IBS Network to review the book Romance, Riches and Restrooms by Tim Phelan, I had mixed feelings. One the one hand I was interested in any book concerning other people’s experience of IBS, but on the other, I knew that any intense concentration or work such as operating a computer would start to make my stomach tense and bring on my symptoms. Even reading with a purpose can have the same effect, but being a new member and having started a new self help group I wanted to do it for myself, other IBSers and the network. Unfortunately, the IBS Net work does not get a mention. What follows is the result of this endeavour!

From the start of Tim’s book I was struck by Tim Phelan’s easily readable writing style. He engaged me straight away, writing his inner most thoughts about his wish to succeed, the effect he is having on other people and how he desperately cares what other people think. My sympathy for Tim started when I read about his experience at a boarding school in Lawrenceville when he was fourteen. His English teacher came into his room to break the news that his father could no longer pay his tuition and the fact that this made him ashamed. Also I was given an insight into his attitudes and beliefs when he wrote about his father as ‘a charismatic Irish Catholic who worked hard and played even harder’, and how he had been affected by his parents divorce 5 years earlier. You could see how his own attitude to life had formed, seeing the result of his fathers ‘vices and addictions’ that ‘ultimately brought his rags to riches success story violently crashing down on him…and all of us’. Tim was determined to have a more stable life. These experiences obviously affected him deeply and perhaps contributed to the baggage he carried that possibly contributed to his IBS later on.
Continue reading »

By Tim Phelan

What could possibly be worse than being stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on a California freeway and realizing that your irritable bowel syndrome is kicking in full force with no restroom options in sight? How about having the girl of your dreams, who is unaware of your condition, in the seat next to you?

This, as well as many other equally embarrassing situations are detailed in Tim Phelan’s book, Romance, Riches, and Restrooms. A Cautionary Tale of Ambitious Dreams and Irritable Bowels.

Set amid the rigid expectations of a polite society where mentioning bodily functions is taboo, Romance, Riches, and Restrooms is a tragically hilarious memoir about one man’s desperate quest to conceal and conquer irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) before he becomes a penniless hermit.
Continue reading »

By Sandy Nathan
Stepping Off the Edge: Learning & Living Spiritual Practice reads like a good novel, while teaching the great truths of humanity. A powerful tale of insight and spiritual unfolding, this book will take you to new realms of thought and feeling.

Sandy Nathan leads the reader with wit and warmth into taking a look at life, in particular, their own life and just what is going on. More importantly, she helps the reader ask the important questions. Do I like my life? Do I like the way I am living? If the answer is ‘yes,’ be ready to sit back and enjoy an enlightening excursion to another level of living. If you unfortunately answer ‘no,’ be ready to learn specific ways to turn ‘no’ into ‘yes’, or, at least, ‘maybe.’ Ms. Nathan guides without preaching, leads without pushing, and does it all with a sense of humor as she shares her own life experiences.
Review: Amazon Definitely NOT a “How To” book, December 4, 2006 Reviewer: G. B. Shepherd (Santa Ynez, CA USA)

About the Author
Sandy Nathan is not a blazing new talent. “I’m a blazing old talent. I’m a mother, a grandmother and someone who’s had several professional careers. My first published book was in economics. Unless you’re into cost/revenue analysis, you probably haven’t heard of it. I’ve been around for a long time and have had experiences from the everyday professional/personal/family realm to the inner world of deep meditation. I love both.”

Buy Sandy’s book at Amazon

Author Richard Hains, a London-based hedge fund manager, launched an innovative book promotion campaign this week with the release of his MTV-style, video and a contest to win an all-expenses paid weekend to London’s fast lane–all to kick off his high finance/low morals novel Chameleon.

Hains, an enigmatic financier who has been characterized as a cross between James Bond and the Great Gatsby, has already optioned the film rights to Chameleon  - - and to no less a producer than Izidore Codron of Hotel Rwanda fame.

Hains is a Scorpio born in the Year of the Tiger. His polish, humor and slight air of arrogance are part of his charm and, unmistakably, traits he’s spent some time cultivating. But spend more time with him and you’ll find someone who is reluctant to throw himself into the spotlight.

He believes in hard work, simple ethics, and often considers himself to be an under-achiever, despite his success in the financial, mining and literary worlds. He reluctantly admits that a sense of contentment is not something easily found, but whether it’s opening a goldmine in Mongolia, running a large private hedge fund or writing his first novel, Hains always seems to be on the move.

Visit Hains website, enter the contest to win an all-expenses paid weekend in London with the author; visit the hottest clubs, have a driver at your disposal, and experience the lifestyle most people can only dream of.

Elaine Allison
The Velvet Hammer
http://www.thevelvethammer.com/
 
Elaine, what prompted you to write The Velvet Hammer?

So many reasons, this is a long one. (There was also just as many reasons not to write the book, so read on).
 
I knew first hand, men and women had to lead differently
 
I learned this early as I worked in an all-male maximum security prison at the age of 19 as one of Canada’s first female prison guards, back in the seventies (part of affirmative action) I realized quickly, that women had to lead differently than men.  My life depended on it.  I shared these stories and examples for years, then put my experiences good or bad into a book to teach others.
 
Women kept telling me - that will work for me? 
 
While speaking and training across North America, I had many women come up to me after the session and say “That technique will work perfectly for women - you should put it into a book”.  When I mentioned they were just leadership skills that both genders could use, many of them retorted by saying no, “That way you taught us - is just kind enough, or just forthright enough without going overboard or backing down”. 
 
98% of the books on leadership, were written by men
 
When I went to the bookstore to find books written by women for women on the topic of leadership, 98% were written by men offering tactics that may not always work for women… or they were written in a tone that didn’t always resonate with me (I wondered if other women reading the books felt the same way).  I asked, was there something missing in the marketplace?  Was there a need for a mentoring “skills based” book for women, written by a woman, so more women would be encouraged to step in to leadership, or step up into more prominent leadership roles?  I believed this to be true.
 
There is still a huge gap Continue reading »

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Richard Hains. His new book, and actually his first book, is Chameleon. This is a close look at the seedier side of high finance. It is an interesting view of the highs and lows of the financial world.

Chameleon is proof that you are a great writer, where did you learn these skills?

I certainly appreciate your enthusiasm toward Chameleon. My writing is simply a combination of experience mixed with a degree of enthusiasm. The skills were not actually learnt, but I took a great deal of care and time in getting the style and structure of the novel as right as I could.

During the ’70s I lived in the Earls Court area of London, it was a haven for young Australians. It seemed that every one of them owned an older VW Camper and a need to see the world. Is that how you arrived in London?

You are so right, at that time Earl’s Court, you will recall, was called Kangaroo Valley. I arrived in London having just completed an economics degree at Melbourne University with little more that youthful enthusiasm and a taste for some form of adventure. I intended to return to Melbourne after 6 months and that was 21 years ago.

My research shows that when not writing great novels you are a very successful figure in the financial world. How did you find time to write Chameleon?

My writing began as an interest, became a distraction and developed into an obsession. I think to do anything really well you need to have almost an obsessive interest in it. I found the time, but it was not without other sacrifices.

How long did the project take?

I wrote the screenplay first. This took four years and once completed, I realized that the only way to get the screenplay made into a film was to turn it into a best selling novel. The final draft of the novel took another four years and I am currently in the process of trying to achieve that illustrious best seller status. As your readers will appreciate, this was a difficult ambition, although I have great confidence and enthusiasm toward the novel and reviews such as yours, give me great heart.

There is obviously a little of Richard Hains in the main character Jon (only the good traits of course!). Are any of the other characters based on real people? I really like Delboy, somehow he just has to be real!

Your understanding of the novel and its characters are unusually good. Delboy is indeed a real character. A close friend and one of the great characters of the London Options Exchange of the late 1980’s. The Andy character is also real. All others are very much a part of my imagination, although there are those quite close to me that see a great deal of me in the main character.

Where did you get the idea for the plot from?

The idea of monopolizing the U.S. government bond market was actually attempted in the 1980s by a senior Salomon Bros. employee and it almost bought down the bank at the time. Warren Buffett was in fact bought in to sort the mess out. It was wildly ambitious and illustrated bravado of unique proportions in the financial markets.

I have interviewed many authors, and it is my theory that writing books is more addictive than crack cocaine, so what can you tell us about your next project (I know you have one!)?

I have considerable commercial experience in the Former Soviet Union and this is the inspiration for the next project.

You have come up with a truly unique approach to marketing Chameleon - there is a web site, a youtube segment, and of course the competition. I understand that the winner is in for an interesting prize. Can you tell us a little more?

In a market that publishes 500 books each day, it appears that to have a well-reviewed book is simply not enough. We have developed a series of fairly unique promotional tools, hoping to draw attention both to the novel and, to some extent, its author. These tools are apart of this overall promotional program, but above everything else, I am hoping the quality of the book will sell it, these tools do little more than attract attention to it.

Clearly the internet is an important marketing tool to you. Do you see it as an adjunct, or a replacement for the more traditional book marketing tools?

I am merely an author and have little understanding of this and the more traditional areas of marketing. That said, I strongly believe that the internet will continue to be the way forward with regard to sales and marketing and certainly cannot be ignored.

Could your scenario in the book actually happen? The manipulating of the stock market?

Certainly. It could and has happened as I mention above.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with the readers? Are you really one of the most eligible bachelors in England?

I have recently enjoyed some fairly high profile publicity along those lines. I regard it as amusing and can’t take it too seriously although it is quite flattering.

The next time I am in London I am going to phone Richard and go for a beer or two. This author is a must read!