Jason Zandri's Blog: The GUNDERSTONE GOODREADS Review, page 10
December 24, 2015
FROM WALLINGFORD – Let’s celebrate our real heroes
As I finish my lunch and prepare to head out from work to spend Christmas Eve with my kids, I will take time tonight, and tomorrow, to remember the families who cannot do the same.
I will be ever mindful, and teach my kids the same mindfulness, that it is because of them and their sacrifices, sometimes their total sacrifice, that allows us to have what we have.
A fragile relative peace in our lifetime and as much protection as we could hope to have.
Thank you to the real heroes (originally written and published in the Record Journal Sunday December 19, 2010).
FROM WALLINGFORD – Let’s celebrate our real heroes
by Jason Zandri
A week before Thanksgiving, my neighbor David Gessert called one afternoon and asked me if I was going to be around on Wednesday. He mentioned that he and the neighbors were going to be having a little get together for U.S. Army Sgt. Jeff Sirois who was to be returning to Wallingford after nearly a year in Afghanistan. They were planning to line up along the final leg his travel route and wave the American flag and hold up some signs to welcome him home.
I thanked him for thinking of me and I apologized for being unable to attend. I had recently started a new job which requires me to go into New York City on a daily basis, a change from my previous job which offered me some flexibility for working from home some of the time.
When I think about how much attention in general America pays to which celebrity is cheating on whom and how long Bristol Palin was going to last on “Dancing With the Stars” it made me even more upset that I couldn’t make it that day.
As I was thinking of a topic to put together for this final article of mine before Christmas my thoughts went back to this event, a simple little gesture by family, friends and neighbors to welcome home this member of our armed forces from his recent deployment overseas.
We as a nation simply don’t celebrate our true heroes nearly enough.
We parade the winning World Series team down the main boulevard of whichever city they hail from for ticker-tape parades (and more times than I’d like to admit, this is the Canyon of Heroes, the lower section Broadway in the Financial District of New York City).
I read a lot of news stories: nearly everything in the Record Journal and a volume more from newspapers across the country online. Over the course of the year I’ve read stories about someone who saved animals from a burning animal rescue or another who heard an elderly woman’s cries for help and called 911.
Many of these stories called these people “heroes”. I absolutely agree that the actions that these people have taken are positively heroic but that is the maximum extent of credit I am willing to give them. You show me a police officer, a firefighter, an EMT, a member of our armed forces that puts their uniform on, pats their children on the head, kisses their spouse good-bye, and who puts themselves in harm’s way in an effort to make us safe and to preserve our way of life here in America for all, and I will show you a real hero.
A message is making its way across Facebook – “This Christmas, when you’re eating your dinner, smiling and laughing, remember that in another house somewhere, there’s an empty chair where a Hero should be sitting. They gave up their life or are presently serving overseas so that you can sit with your family. So light a candle for the Heroes that did not make it home and for those who are still serving.”
To my neighbors, the Siroises, whose house I have walked by dozens of times in nicer weather when I go for my walks downtown, thank you.
Jeff – thank you for serving our country and for protecting it.
Jen – thank you for all the support that you offer to Jeff and to your family while he is away.
To the Sirois’ children – thank you for your sacrifice of time with your father.
When you take the time to stop and consider this on a finite and personal level, it gives so much more meaning to “land of the free and home of the brave.”
To all the heroes – thank you. May you have the best of holidays and may you return home safely.
Unacceptable Behavior by Jessica Strong – Author
I put up a post on Tuesday December 22, 2015 about the sudden passing of author Jessica Strong who I knew through the Clean Indie Reads Facebook group.
In that post I outlined that the Clean Indie Reads group is pushing an effort to get our membership that are interested to do a little something in memory of her. On December 26th, as a little remembrance / coordinated effort to do something to honor her passing, we are going to buy her books all on that day.
As part of my own comments in that thread I said “I’d like to think we could get her to #1 with a coordinated effort such as this on Saturday 12/26…” “If I lived nearby and brought flowers or something to the family to say goodbye, I would spend so much more (and it would be equally worth it).”
So that is what I am going to do. I am going to log in at 9AM EST, “drop” $16.00, and get all her books.
Between now and then, I am going to showcase her books on my blog and on my author page over at Facebook.
This post is showcasing Unacceptable Behavior
SYNOPSIS: An old crime and an overly ambitious district attorney bring two college friends back together. One is a white police officer and the other a Native American attorney. The officer is involved in the arrest of a juvenile Native American but, when he sees that the District Attorney is going to railroad the young man to help jump start his political career, he calls his old college friend. The young man arrested is the son of a suspect in a serial murder case that has never been solved. Prejudice in the community, and sloppy police work when the boy’s father was originally arrested, has made solving the crime impossible. The friendship, though never in doubt, is strained at times, but provides the salvation for the attorney when the case takes an unexpected twist, and a witness comes forward that no one knew existed.
Print Length is 343 pages, it was released on July 10, 2011 through Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (ASIN: B005C2COXC).
The following is the “most helpful review” by Worduser on October 25, 2014
Hard to put down October 25, 2014
Reading this book is like finding a rare jewel in your backyard. The story has a mixture of trouble, anger, jealousy, ego, and frustration built throughout to draw the reader into the story and characters as though they had been cooked and served from a slow cooker. First, you have three teenagers, Ray, Mark and Scott, and they are in serious trouble. The cop, Luke, who knows all three are not equally guilty and a district attorney, Collins, structured from an egomaniac personality ready to step over the line for personal gain. Mix that into life on a Native American reservation, an abusive husband, armed robbery, a troubled marriage and a missing husband accused of being a serial killer and you have the ingredients for a great story. To involve the reader further add a guy named Peter to the mix and the circle is complete. After the love of his life left him for another man, Peter walked away from the reservation and set out to become the best criminal lawyer on the planet. Peter, a man on a mission, has only one request from potential clients – tell him the truth and never lie. If they are honest with him, guilty or innocent, he promises to do all he can for them. If they lie his wrath awaits their mistake. He takes young Ray on as a client because he believes he’s innocent – as innocent as his missing father, a serial killer, might be. I can’t give away more of the plot as that would be taking the apples from the pie before serving it. Much like a fine glass of wine hits the taste buds, Unacceptable Behavior weaves in, out and around the plot with sincerity true to the story. The plots and subplots unfold nicely, and the pace is even and well written. You come to like, despise and accept the characters with all their attempts, weaknesses and flaws as though they are old friends. You identify with most and feel you know the way over the bridge you travel. I enjoyed the pace author Jessica Strong created and gave Unacceptable Behavior 5 stars for drawing me in and keeping me there to the last page. I’m looking forward to reading more from the author and thoroughly enjoyed this book.
December 23, 2015
The 50 Best Indie Books of 2015 – I, Hero: The Beginning is #12
“We read books to set our lives alight, to take us places and to whisper the world into our ears. The truth is, even bad books contain whole vistas, whole new refractions on reality – but good books, really good books, well they contain galaxies, they take you places no one has ever been, they thrill you, they make you gasp, they make you cry. Reading a really good book can be exhilarating, it can be exhausting, it can be life-changing.”
There were over 10,000 nominations and votes. That list was shorted to the top 100 and from that the top 50 self-published books are showcased.
I Hero: The Beginning came in at #12
http://www.readfree.ly/the-50-best-indie-books-of-2015-20-11/
Thank you everyone that voted to make this possible!
LAST DAY – 10 Prizes! 10 WINNERS! RaffleCopter Giveaway
Now through and to the Christmas Holiday I am running a Rafflecopter giveaway – 10 Prizes! 10 WINNERS!
Christmas Eve, December 24, 2015 at midnight, it ends and I will announce the winners Christmas morning.
Here are all the details on the giveaway:
10 PRIZES! 10 WINNERS!- Author Giveaway
3 Amazon gift cards and 7 Kindle book prizes
$25 Amazon Gift Card
$15 Amazon Gift Card
$10 Amazon Gift Card
ALL 6 KINDLE EDITIONS OF MY BOOKS (one winner will get all six)
KINDLE VERSION OF Before Another Sunset – Second Edition
KINDLE VERSION OF Another Sunset
KINDLE VERSION OF I, Hero: The Beginning
KINDLE VERSION OF I, Hero: Nathan Returns
KINDLE VERSION OF As Life Goes: Elementary
KINDLE VERSION OF As Life Goes: The End of the Innocence
John Henry and the Tornado by Jessica Strong – Author
I put up a post on Tuesday about the sudden passing of author Jessica Strong who I know through the Clean Indie Reads Facebook group.
In that post I outlined that the Clean Indie Reads group is pushing an effort to get our membership that are interested to do a little something in memory of her. On December 26th, as a little remembrance / coordinated effort to do something to honor her passing, we are going to buy her books all on that day.
As part of my own comments in that thread I said “I’d like to think we could get her to #1 with a coordinated effort such as this on Saturday 12/26…” “If I lived nearby and brought flowers or something to the family to say goodbye, I would spend so much more (and it would be equally worth it).”
So that is what I am going to do. I am going to log in at 9AM EST, “drop” $16.00, and get all her books.
Between now and then, I am going to showcase her books on my blog and on my author page over at Facebook.
This post is showcasing John Henry and the Tornado
SYNOPSIS: John Henry came back from Vietnam a long time ago. But all he did was return to his country, he didn’t really come home. He gave up the battle of trying to settle down until he heard a brother and sister playing. It had reminded him of better days when he was young. The days he had shared with his brother. So he had stayed in the small town of Woodville and listened to the two children laughing, playing and making plans. Then the tornado had hit and John Henry found himself wanting to protect the children, but if the town found out about him he may have to leave again and that was the last thing he wanted to do. The choice John Henry would have to make would be the bravest choice he had ever made – to finally come home and help two children who needed him.
“Sunshine Spaces” is a non profit organization that gives children with terminal or long term illnesses, a dream room makeover. These children have often endured grueling months of treatment and giving them a special place to relax, heal and be a kid again, is a ray of sunshine in these families lives. Please visit www.room-for-hope.com to see how you can make a difference in the life of a child!
Print Length is 63 pages, it was released on November 10, 2013 through Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (ASIN: B00GNK0BAK).
The following is the FIVE STAR review by “TOP 500 REVIEWER” Chief, USN Ret…VT Town
~~From Homeless to Hero~~, November 20, 2013
An outstanding story that tells about John Henry and his attempt at recovery from his time in Viet Nam. His life after Nam was one of shuffling from place to place and never setting his roots down. John Henry is now homeless with only one name on his contact list.
After a tornado rips though the town he is living in, he has an opportunity to help a couple of young children in need.
This story illustrates the importance of having someone to care for you which will lift your spirits. And, it also shows the value of the touch of another human.
Well done to this author.
Most highly recommended.
Bertie O’Brien and the Button Factory by Jessica Strong – Author
I put up a post yesterday about the sudden passing of author Jessica Strong who I know through the Clean Indie Reads Facebook group.
In that post I outlined that the Clean Indie Reads group is pushing an effort to get our membership that are interested to do a little something in memory of her. On December 26th, as a little remembrance / coordinated effort to do something to honor her passing, we are going to buy her books all on that day.
As part of my own comments in that thread I said “I’d like to think we could get her to #1 with a coordinated effort such as this on Saturday 12/26…” “If I lived nearby and brought flowers or something to the family to say goodbye, I would spend so much more (and it would be equally worth it).”
So that is what I am going to do. I am going to log in at 9AM EST, “drop” $16.00, and get all her books.
Between now and then, I am going to showcase her books on my blog and on my author page over at Facebook.
Today I am showcasing “Bertie O’Brien and the Button Factory: How Bertie O’Brien built a button factory slaying monsters”
I can’t give you a review of it; as I mentioned, the CIR group is going to do all our shopping on Saturday and then I will need to put it into my TBR bundle, but in the meantime I can share the summary with you and the existing reviews:
SYNOPSIS: I always knew there was a family secret. I just didn’t know how big that secret was until I went to visit my great Aunt Maggie. There in her attic she told me what everyone had tried to keep hidden all these years. My great, great Uncle Bertie was a monster slayer, but you won’t believe how he slew them. I’m still not sure I believe it myself.
Print Length is 39 pages, it was released on July 12, 2014 through Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (ASIN: B00LRWITEE).
FOUR STAR REVIEW – Unusual and interesting tale! – June 6, 2015 By Angela Castillo (follow the link to the review).
Another FOUR STAR REVIEW was written by GreenCedar on September 17, 2015
If you are looking for a short read-aloud, story to share with your young ones, this book seems like a good fit from the reviews.
I can let you know once I get it on the 26th and read it with mine.
December 22, 2015
Jessica Strong – Author
Since I became an author in late 2014 I have met MANY others in the profession. Most of those people I have “only” met online. Jessica Strong was one of those people.
I say it past tense because, unfortunately, I learned today she passed away. She was young; it was sudden and it was unexpected.
I met her as I have met many of the other authors I know – online. In this instance it was on Facebook, in an author support group named Clean Indie Reads. (There are many readers in there as well, but I believe it is fundamentally more authors).
Many people will view their online friendships with some prejudice along the lines of “well they aren’t the same as knowing people in the real world.”
I agree. In the real world, all too often, I can’t catch up with people. I miss their calls, the email interactions are fractured, and we never get together anymore. If it isn’t work, or the kids, or the weather, or the writing, then it surely is [THE NEXT THING ON THE LIST].
In small circles and in certain groups, like Clean Indie Reads, you interact with people enough to get to know them a little. Sometimes you get to know them better than some of your neighbors.
I never had a conversation with Jessica. I read along some of the posts and conversations she had in the group, and I looked over her work at Amazon when I first joined, but that was the extent of it.
And now she’s gone.
The Clean Indie Reads group is pushing an effort to get our membership that are interested to do a little something in memory of her. On December 26th, as a little remembrance / coordinated effort to do something to honor her passing, we are going to buy her books all on that day.
As part of my own comments in that thread I said “I’d like to think we could get her to #1 with a coordinated effort such as this on Saturday 12/26…” “If I lived nearby and brought flowers or something to the family to say goodbye, I would spend so much more (and it would be equally worth it).”
So that is what I am going to do. I am going to log in at 9AM EST, “drop” $16.00, and get all her books.
Between now and then, I am going to show case her books on my blog and on my author page over at Facebook.
I’ve lost my opportunity to get to know her personally as a member of that group, but I will do what I can to try to get to know her posthumously in her writings.
She left a part of herself behind in those and I will not waste a second chance.
“Some opportunities come once in a lifetime; as needed, live as many lifetimes as you can.” #Zandriism
Jessica Strong
— BLOG – All things Literary and Political
— Amazon Author Page
— Goodreads Author Page
“Life generally offers you a second chance called “tomorrow” but why leave things to chance in case that tomorrow never arrives? Do something today.” #Zandriism
New Look Inside at Amazon for Fixed Format Books (Kindle Textbook Creator, Kids’ Book Creator)
101 Teen Word Scrambles: http://amzn.com/B019JLJB00
LOOK INSIDE FOR THE KINDLE TEXTBOOK CREATOR
Yesterday, I encountered a pleasant surprise shortly after publishing my mom’s latest word scramble e-book (101 Teen Word Scrambles).
We used the Kindle Textbook Creator because:
The letters are scrambled across 2 or 3 lines, so it’s a bit of a geometric formation.
The letters should ideally display the way that images do. Letters tend to pixelate in Kindle images, except when using the Kindle Textbook Creator (as long as you just leave the text as text, and don’t turn them into images).
It seemed ideal to have one image puzzle per page, a large image using large letters, for easy reading on any device.
Images usually take up a ton of memory, but they are greatly reduced when using the Kindle Textbook Creator.
It automatically centers images on each page.
In the past, I’ve always been informed…
View original post 811 more words
December 21, 2015
What Did Kindle Unlimited Pay for Pages Read in November, 2015?
Image from ShutterStock.
KENP PAGES READ FOR NOVEMBER, 2015
November, 2015 marks the first month that Amazon KDP is paying different royalty amounts in different countries for KENP pages read.
Here is the breakdown for November, 2015 by country:
United States: $0.00492 per page (US dollars). That’s an increase of 2.3% from October’s payment of $0.00481.
United Kingdom: £0.00327 per page (British pounds). That’s also an increase of 2.3% from October’s £0.003196.
Germany: €0.00425 per page (Euro). That’s a drop of 5.1% from October’s €0.00448.
France: €0.00458 per page (Euro). That’s an increase of 2.2% from October’s €0.00448.
Canada: $0.00608 per page (Canadian dollars). That’s a drop of 5.0% from October’s $0.0064. (Remember, these are Canadian dollars, not US dollars.)
India: ₹0.1075 per page (Indian rupees). That’s a drop of 66% from October’s ₹0.3163.
Are these changes to Kindle Unlimited pages read payments good or bad?
The most significant change…
View original post 472 more words
