Virtual Writing Coach

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noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sat, 01 May 2010 02:34:00 +0000

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Quiet Strength

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:33:00 +0000

Tony Dunge's book is more than a coach talking about winning the superbowl. His Christian philosophy and scripture pervades his story from his cornerback days as a player at Michigan State to coaching the DBs for Chuck Noll and the Steelers to his defensive coaching job at San Francisco and ultimately his dream job at Tampa and coming close to winning it all before moving to the Colts and winning his first and only superbowl. How he and his wife handled the death of his 18-year old son is a testament to his faith that "all things work for the glory of God." This is a book about life and Dunge is a great motivator and storyteller.

The Hungry Ocean

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:04:00 +0000

Those that enjoyed the book and movie, The Perfect Storm, will enjoy Linda Greenlaw's autobiographical account of her training and experience as Captain of her own swordfishing boat. She contends with weather, equipment failure, sharks, the crew, and 30 days of grueling 21-hour days off the coast of Newfoundland. Her story is a modern day, Moby Dick, where Ahab becomes Linda. The commercial fisherman's life is both exhilarating and laborious where pounds of fish determine your destiny.

The Story of English

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:56:00 +0000

Robert McCrum, Robert MacNeil, and William Cran tell the story of the English language from its Anglo-Saxon origins two thousand years ago to the present day. From Cockney, Scouse, and Scots to Gulla, Singlish, Franglais, and the latest African American slang, the book is essential to anyone who wants to know more about our common tongue. (from back cover).

On Golf

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Fri, 29 May 2009 23:40:00 +0000

The fascination which makes it the game of all games is that the mental and the physical make-up of the player enters into it (by Charles Hanks). The role of a caddy is much like that of a politician: Say all the right things, pretend to care, but in the end just tell other people how to do their jobs.

Tyranny and Liberty: A Conservatist Manifesto

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:44:00 +0000

Mark Levin has written the Conservatist Manifesto in his latest book about our Founding Father's principles as encapsulated in our Declaration of Independence and applied under various Presidents from Jefferson to Obama. Suffice it to say the author attacks the statist philosophy that the USA is open to all countries, allies with all, willing to negotiate without preconditions and how Obama embraces the statist values at the expense of our individual liberties. If you're a conservative you will love this book; if not, skip it.

Street Gang

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:31:00 +0000

Michael Davis' biographical history of Sesame Street's last forty years from its inception in 1966 to educate children with their iconic characters of Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, and Big Bird. Today's parents grew up with Sesame Street and learned not only their letters and numbers but cooperation, fair play, tolerance and self-repect, values sorely lacking with today's young children.

Grisham's The Associate

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:39:00 +0000

Grisham has done it again and crafted a storyline on par with The Firm from ten years ago. Although the characters don't jump off the page like his earlier work, the plot is a good one and designed for a sequel. Despite the bad reviews on Amazon I gave it four stars because the subtext between father and son is subtle but critical and don't be surprised if Grisham's next novel is set in York, PA.

Merle's Door

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:54:00 +0000

Stand back, Marley and Me. Ted Kerasote's Merle's Door: Lessons from a freethinking Dog, is the best dog book, ever written. Merle is definitely an outdoor dog, spending his days and nights skiing, hiking, hunting elk. Master and dog entertain and learn from each other in this heartwarming story of living life on the edge without leashes, kennels, and kibbles. A must read for anyone who owns a dog.

Stephenie Meyers

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:42:00 +0000

Ms. Myers is popular with young teens and adults with her "vampire twilight" series which has been made into a movie. Breaking Dawn, Book 4 in the series was released in August, 2008, and the saga continues for this prolific author who may rival J.K.Rowling and her Harry Potter series for young reader appeal. She has six books in Amazon's top ten list.

The Longest Trip Home

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 21:18:00 +0000

John Grogan, author of the bestselling Marley and Me, has done it again with his memoir of growing up in Detroit, Michigan, the son of an auto worker. The book describes his exploits as a young Catholic altar boy, rebellious teen, young reporter and family man. The chapters are divided into three sections: growing up, breaking away, and coming home. The last section is especially poignant as he deals with the reality of his dying father and his own mortality.

New Book: Reflections From a Business Coach

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:42:00 +0000

I have a new book in production with iUniverse, Reflections From a Business Coach, which is a compilation of four years of monthly newsletters divided into four book sections that give advice on how to start your own business and manage it successfully. Look in January, 2009, for the book to be out and available at Amazon.com and Barnesandnobles.com.

Writing in the Digital Age

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 15:43:00 +0000

Bob Sacks writes in the current issue of Writer's Digest that information distribution is about getting all the information anywhere, antytime, on any platform. Just look at the growth of blogs, u-tube, print-on-demand, and video productions today. A company called E Ink has already developed electronic paper technology for Amazon, Kindle, and Sony Reader, phones, PDAs, and pagers.

Hurricanes and Generals

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:03:00 +0000

Ike, you gave us a fright
We hunkered down all night
Howling winds carving through the city
Taking no prisoners, taking no pity
Galveston submerged like a submarine
Where once stood a city, proud and serene

Ike, your predecessor was calm and collect
A world war II hero to the chosen and select
Who risked their lives for country and freedom
Against dictators evil and gruesome
Your path cut through Texas like the Normandy invasion
Or Sherman’s march through an uncivil nation

Armored with battery-powered radios and flashlights
Anxiously awaiting recovery from flight
People left homeless with doubt and fear
Families at risk of losing everything dear
Turn to God for hope in prayer
To remove uncertainty and despair

But out of the pit of devastation and unnerve
We are comforted by heroes ready to serve
Policemen, firefighters, emergency crews arrive
Foregoing their loved ones to help us survive
The story is the same in any natural disaster
People help people as taught by our Master

Literary Agents Still Accept Manuscripts

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:32:00 +0000

The current issue of Writer's Digest lists 28 agents who are interested in first-time authors; go to page 30 and look at their submission guidelines, many of whom accept email inquiries. Some listed are: Bliss Literary, Doyen Literary, Dunham Literary, Brickhouse Literary Agents, Nancy Love Literary Agency, Joy Harris, Ellen Pepus, The Seymour Agency, and Castigilia Literary Agency.

Three Cups of Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:03:00 +0000

Greg Mortenson's non-fictional book by the same name follows the alpiner after his failed attempt at K-2, the second largest mountain in the world at 8311 meters; under heavy criticism and doubt in a post 9/11 world he has built over 60 schools for the Sunni Muslim girls in Pakistan just below the Kamakoram Mountain range in remote villages with the help of his non-profit agency, the Central Asian Institute.

One Thousand Hills

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 21:00:00 +0000

Stephen Kinzer is a journalist who has travelled in over 50 countries on five continents and has written a book by the same title about President Paul Kagame's rise to power in Rwanda. For those of you who saw the movie Hotel Rwanda, the book picks up where the movie left off and begins with the French occupation in the early 1980s. This is more than a book about genocide. This is a must read for those who want to see what a tiny African nation can do with true grit, leadership, and forgiveness.

John Adams biography by David McCullough

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:43:00 +0000

McCullough’s carefully crafted book intricately weaves the founding of our nation in the strong, intimate relationship between Abigail and John who parented four children (a fifth was stillborn and a sixth, Susanna, lived only two years) during the small pox epidemic that hit Boston in the 1780s. Little did King George know that religious freedom would lead to a body politic embracing the concept that “all men are created equal, with inalienable rights. . . . ” The book is intriguing in its detail and relationship between Adams and Jefferson in their retirement from government.

Philip Roth

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:21:00 +0000

Philip Roth is one of our greatest contemporary historical fiction writers. His 1997 Pulitzer prize winning book, American Pastoral, tells the story of a European Jewish family, Lou Levov and his son, Swede, who inherits his father's glove making tannery in New Jersey during the fifties. The turbulent sixties is the backdrop for this seemingly "pastoral" family who disintegrates into oblivion brought about by their daughter's egregious acts against America to assuage any guilt she may have felt about being upper-middle class. Roth's narrative descriptions are similar to James Michener's extensive use of visual content.

Writer's Digest Competition

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:58:00 +0000

Send your best 1500 words or fewer short story to Writers Digest Short Short Story Competition, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990 by 12/1/08 for $12 entry fee and you could win $3,000 and a publishing contract.

Dialogue

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:18:00 +0000

Dialogue is the clearest way of signaling a change in a relationship. Characters must have a reason to say what they say--something beyond the writer's need to convey information. Avoid trendy speech in dialogue. Writing dialogue can be fun; you get to say anything you want under the guise of your characters.

UNC Houses Southern Cultures

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:53:00 +0000

UNC publishes Southern Cultures, a quarterly journal of UNC's Center for the Study of the American South since 1992. Topics range from kudzu, horses as "equine relics" of the Civil War, the Southern accent, the role of the hog, the history and concept of "redneck," professional wrestling, and sorority rushes. There are over 3,000 subscribers today that fills a niche for southern history and culture.

Remedies for Writer's Block

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:47:00 +0000

Start with whatever you have; a scene, a piece of dialogue, a character's mannerism; you can fill in the details later; consider what you would most like to do if you dared; now do it through your characters; write what's inside of you: anger, joy, tears, resentment.

Digital Writing On Cellphones

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 18:19:00 +0000

It finally happened. A young Japanese writer using her cellphone has composed and published a children's book that can be downloaded onto any computer and printed. Amazon also features short stories on line by going to www.amazon.com/shorts.

Tess Gerritsen

noreply@blogger.com (Keith Barton) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 16:10:00 +0000

Medical thriller writer Tess Gerritsen has now taken on historical fiction in her latest thriller, The Bone Garden, which features real-life doctor Oliver Wendell Holmes. Set in the 1830s, Julia Hamill discovers a skull while digging her garden at a home that once belonged to a woman in her 90s. Medicine, archeology, and grave robbers keep the reader turning pages in her departure from her genre of medical thrillers.