R. Frederick Riddle's Blog, page 21

Riddle News: Pants on Fire

10 19 2020

Welcome to Riddle News which is published every Monday and Friday.

“We took a bad economy and turned it around. Donald Trump took a good economy and drove it into the ditch.” Joe Biden.

Fact Check time.

Is what Biden said true?

“We took a bad economy”

The Obama/Biden Administration inherited a very bad economy. And it got so bad that President Obama and Vice President Biden desperately tried everything they could think of to right the ship. It devastated people around the country.

But VP Biden was able to initiate a plan that began digging us out.

“We took a bad economy” is a True statement.

“and turned it around.”

It is true that jobs began rising again and the unemployment figures dropped. And this led to the economic experts claiming the recession was over in 2009. But to Mr. and Mrs. America it wasn’t. Numbers lie. In this case the experts looked at the job numbers and claimed victory. Unfortunately, those jobs were primarily low paying jobs, such as you might get at McDonalds, Wendy’s, Five Guys, Little Caesars, Pizza Hut, and the like. For the worker laid off from a six-figure or higher job, those jobs barely sufficed.

Part of the lower unemployment rate was that people were no longer part of the work force and weren’t claiming unemployment for a variety of reasons.

The truth is that in 2016 there were still jobless people. President Obama said that many of the jobs (such as manufacturing and technical) weren’t coming back. Basically, get over it and find another job.

“And turned it around” is Mostly False.

“Donald Trump took a good economy”

Right up to Election Day the morose continued. It was hardly a good economy, but it was better than in 2008 and it was acceptable to Obama/Biden. But it was not good.

During their eight years not only did our economy improve only marginally, but we were being taken to the cleaners by our foreign allies. Part of Donald Trump’s appeal to voters was his promise to lower taxes, to get rid of many of the restrictions that mom & pop businesses and small business in general were facing.

“Donald Trump took a good economy” is a False statement.

“and drove it into the ditch.”

In less than 3 ½ years President Trump rejuvenated the economy. Historic lows in Black, Hispanic, and just plain every ethic out there in unemployment. Businesses were hiring and began laying out their plans I believe right after Trump’s election. Why? Because they believed him and trusted him. He honored that trust by not only carrying out his promises but hiring people who believed as he did. Not all worked out, but he tried to get the right people in the right job.

Moreover, he kept his promises! The only thing that temporarily derailed his promises was a Democratic run House of Representatives and the Covid-19. But even those two forces didn’t stop him.

Our country is already turning the corner. Unemployment that had been in double figures is back in single digits. The number of people out of the work force is going down, hiring is up, people are going back to work and beginning to get their feet on the ground again.

In the ditch? No, we are now poised to leap forward!

“and drove it into the ditch” is a False statement.

In my opinion, there is no reason to believe that Biden/Harris would preside over a booming economy. They want to take us back to the days that Biden is so proud of. Fracking, a backbone of our economy, would be a thing of the past. Unemployment will sour and what jobs remain will be low paying because businesses will leave America again and may never come back.

I didn’t get into Trump’s likeability, because that is not what brought this country back and, frankly, is not what we need. We need a man who stands up to the world and insists that we will play on an even field. A man who will stand up to Putin, unlike Obama, and to China, unlike Biden. We need a man who not only makes promises but keeps them! And Donald Trump’s record backs him up.

I promise to talk about Covid-19.

If you watch TV and read the paper, you are aware of a resurgence in Covid-19 cases both abroad and here in the United States. They are calling it the second wave.

However, you need to take a closer look. It is not so much of a second wave as it is a continuation of the first wave. It is now hitting rural America. If you insist on calling it a second wave, I won’t argue with you. But to include it into the worldwide resurgence is simply not ethical.

I wrote a book, Trump an Outsider’s View, that covers Covid-19 and the Death Rate rather thoroughly. I still track the Death Rate and it is now down to 2.7%! And it is still going down. Dr. Fauci and others agree that the Trump Administration saved thousands of lives by restricting China travel in January, a fact embarrasses Biden who opposed the restrictions.

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AUTHOR’S PAGE: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? Want to review our books? Contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. Such as, ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ Be sure to indicate your email address and your name.

 – – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. He is also an author of Historical, Speculative, and Mystery fiction, plus co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books. To reply to any blog you can comment on a blog and/or send an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. His Facebook page is at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. #Writingservices

Riddle News: Lies & Disruptions

10 16 2020

Welcome to Riddle News which is published every Monday and Friday.

Harris’s falsehood about President Lincoln

By now everyone knows that Vice President Pence won his debate with Kamala Harris hands down. But I want to address Harris’s rebuttal during the debate concerning the nominating of a new Supreme Court Justice.

When the subject came up, she chose to be a teacher and proceeded to tell all of us that President Abraham Lincoln refused to nominate a Supreme Court Justice prior to the election.

“In 1864 … Abraham Lincoln was up for reelection. And it was 27 days before the election. And a seat became open on the United States Supreme Court. Abraham Lincoln’s party was in charge not only of the White House but the Senate. But Honest Abe said, ‘It’s not the right thing to do. The American people deserve to make the decision about who will be the next president of the United States, and then that person will be able to select who will serve on the highest court of the land.” Kamala Harris

While it is true that Lincoln refused to nominate a Supreme Court Justice it is not true that he did so because of a principle such as she said.

Let’s take a journey back in time to 1864:

No evidence that Lincoln ever made comments she attributed to himLincoln’s Party usually refers to Republican PartyLincoln was running on National Union Party ticket, not RepublicanDemocrat Andrew Johnson was running as Vice PresidentA little fracas history calls the Civil War was taking placeCongress was in recessCongress wouldn’t reconvene until December 5, 1864Even if congress reconvened distance and transportation made it virtually impossibleFastest transportation was coal-burning trainSenators were at home far from Washington D.C.Communications in 1864: Limited primarily to city folkCommunications in 1864: No phone, no TV, no RadioCommunications in 1864: Telegraph was costly, slow, with abbreviated messagesCommunications in 1864: Newspapers usually a month old, not detailed, no pictures

What I found interesting was that even liberal Fact Checkers labeled her comments as False! That tells you something. When I saw and heard her remarks, I felt that it was a prepared comment, but if that were so, then she was ill prepared. And putting words into the mouth of any President, let along President Lincoln, is not only ethically wrong, it comes off as a lie!

Disrupt Business as Usual

Once again, the Democrats think Americans are stupid. Earlier they have pledged to disrupt the nomination of Barrett for Supreme Court. According to reports only one Democratic Senator was in the Senate while others stood outside. This was an attempt to force Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to ignore Senate Rules concerning Minority Party presence (two required).

However, I believe they failed. Why? Read the following:

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D) of Connecticut, walked in and voted “no” during voteOther Democrats voted by proxy

In other words, they were present, some hiding out in the halls until the vote began; then Blumenthal entered the chamber. There were at least two physically present and the rest were present through modern communications. The entire episode was staged to send a message to the American people that the process was flawed.

Instead, they sent a message to the American people that their concern for propriety was and is fake. And, in my opinion, most Americans saw it that way. Just as the Democrats never had a viable issue with President Trump but impeached him anyway, here they are using childish pranks to get their way. It is a disgrace.

As an aside, as a young man I saw a lot of differences between Republicans and Democrats, but men and women of both parties were willing to cross the aisle to come to an agreement on legislation. Those days seem to be loooong gone!

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AUTHOR’S PAGE: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? Want to review our books? Contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. Such as, ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ Be sure to indicate your email address and your name.

 – – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. He is also an author of Historical, Speculative, and Mystery fiction, plus co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books. To reply to any blog you can comment on a blog and/or send an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. His Facebook page is at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. #Writingservices

Ron’s Lit Tip Website

10 15 2020

Welcome to Ron’s Lit Tip. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I will share a tip with you.

You’ve worked hard on writing and getting your book published. But what do you do next? Do you have a website where potential readers can find you? If not, you need to consider having one. Below I will discuss different types (type names are products of my imagination). Let’s begin!

Starter Website

Many people who’ve never built a website before have to begin somewhere. I call this type a Starter Website because this is probably their first and they will eventually move to more complicated websites.

Basically, a Starter Website consists of about three pages: Home, About, and perhaps a Product Page. The last one may vary according to needs. This type is rarely an Ecommerce site. It most likely is a beginner, but it could also be a site that directs people to a store. This has value for the store because potential customers can learn about them, their location, their hours, and their products.

Next Step

I call this Next Step because an entrepreneur who wants to succeed will quickly discover that the Starter doesn’t meet the needs. In this phase the entrepreneur may add additional pages such as more product pages, biography of owner, Question & Answer page, and other general information. At this time there is no activity such as eCommerce. In other words, it is still basically an ad.

Pre-Ecommerce Website

This is a site that authors should consider.

If you are an Independent Author, but don’t want to be involved with credit card transactions, and such, the Pre-Ecommerce site may fit your needs.

As an example, I will use our website at https://RFrederickRiddleBlog.Com. While I once owned an Ecommerce site for an online store I operated, that store no longer exists. My site is the home of my blog and the home of T&R Independent Books. By the way, I built that website using WordPress and have been very happy with it.

It is a website designed to inform people about our products (books) and services (TR Writing Services). One of our pages is a Catalog which lets readers search through it for our books with the purpose to buy. Here we show all our books, both mine and my wife’s. Each book’s cover is shown with a brief description and a link to their Amazon page where they can purchase the book.

Amazon takes care of all transaction details, including shipping, tracking, and delivery. This relieves the Independent Author of a great deal of stress and work, enabling the author to focus on the writing.

In our case, TR-Writing Services provides the would-be writer the opportunity to contact us and learn more about our services (beyond what they see on the site, which is a lot). If we approve of a request for our services, we will email a link to an order page that links to the PayPal System. Again, just as Amazon above, PayPal handles the order, processing of the payment, and notifies us of the transaction.

Ecommerce Website

This is structured similarly to the Pre-Ecommerce Website. The major difference is that the site provides the means to purchase right there. For you, the author it means you must have an ecommerce financial source.

Shopify, Wix, and others provide you with all the tools you need. You will want to be able to accept major credit cards like MasterCard, Visa, Discovery, and others. You will absolutely need a Privacy Page (good idea for your Pre-Ecommerce site as well).

In this type of website, you will be responsible for the order fulfillment, which includes packaging, shipping, tracking, delivery, as well as returns. When I owned my online bookstore, I was able to handle that, but the financial transactions were handled by a bank. And, most important for a writer, I was still able to have time to write.

So, which Should I have?

I indicated earlier that I think the Pre-Ecommerce site is ideal for an author. You can have unlimited pages (depending on the hosting plan) which allows you to put your products out there to be seen. In fact, you can do everything you feel capable of doing except the Ecommerce.

Grading Your Website

There are a lot of tools available for you to build a website. One tool you might want to check out is a website grader. There are free online graders, such as the one Hubspot.com provides. These will examine your website and grade it. The higher the grade, the better.

I use the one provided by Hubspot.com and it will tell me of any shortcomings my site has. I am then informed how to improve it with or without their help. I find it a helpful tool.

Tip: Check with various hosting plans for the type of website you want. Then go for it.

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For information about us (“we edit, proof, and publish the book within you”)  contact us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com and get our Free Brochure which tells you about our services.

AUTHOR’S PAGE: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? Want to review our books? Contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. Such as, ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ Be sure to indicate your email address and your name.

 – – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. He is also an author of Historical, Speculative, and Mystery fiction, plus co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books. To reply to any blog you can comment on a blog and/or send an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. His Facebook page is at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

Ron’s Lit Tip What to Write

10 06 2020

Welcome to Ron’s Lit Tip. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I will share a tip with you.

Finding subjects to write on can be difficult or easy depending on your approach. Experts advise that you find what is popular and write accordingly. I suppose that works if all you are interested in is sales. But if you want to write something good, write upon subjects you find interesting.

For example, I love history, so my favorite genre is Historical Fiction. In that genre I’ve written about Bible based history, which are historical events that are seen from a biblical view. When you use the book of Genesis you get history often written by eyewitnesses.  Out of this genre has come my The World That Was series.

Another genre I enjoy is Speculative Fiction. This and Science Fiction are like kissing cousins. Very much alike, but yet different. I usually explain this way, Speculative Fiction is Science Fiction without little green men. Often Speculative Fiction deals with future events, sometimes events recorded in the Book of Revelation. In one sense this is Historical Fiction in that it is history prewritten. The famous Left Behind series would fit in this genre.

My point is that I write what I enjoy.

Another genre I enjoy reading is Mystery. And that will soon produce Mystery novels. So, I have a question: Are you writing what you enjoy or just what someone else enjoys?

I may get negative feedback on this but writing only what others like may be financially profitable, but it is likely going to be less than your best work. Ideally, you want to write books that sell and that you like! This combination should bring out your best writing and sell.

I do not know of any guaranteed method that will meet that standard. As a general rule I would say first write down possible stories and then search the internet for the most popular genres out there. But just because no one else hasn’t written what you plan to write doesn’t mean your book shouldn’t be written.

On the other hand, don’t be afraid to write in an unfamiliar genre. Study it, learn some basics, and give it a try. Who knows, you might just find something new that you like to write.

Tip: Don’t let $$$ determine what you write.

Tip: Don’t be afraid to write in a popular, yet unfamiliar genre.

Get free Guide to Writing at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com.

Subscribe to Author Alerts (click and submit signup form)

For information about us (“we edit, proof, and publish the book within you”)  contact us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com and get our Free Brochure which tells you about our services.

AUTHOR’S PAGE: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? Want to review our books? Contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. Such as, ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ Be sure to indicate your email address and your name.

 – – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. He is also an author of Historical, Speculative, and Mystery fiction, plus co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books. To reply to any blog you can comment on a blog and/or send an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. His Facebook page is at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. #Writingservices

Riddle News: Trump Health Plan

10 02 2020

Welcome to Riddle News which is published every Monday and Friday.

In the first debate Biden said repeatedly Trump didn’t have a health plan. The following excerpts from a Newt Gingrich article prove otherwise.

Joe Biden’s assertion during Tuesday’s debate that President Trump does not have a health care plan is flat out false. 

Unfortunately, the mainstream news media’s fact checkers probably won’t call him out on it… In fact, there is a widespread misunderstanding of what the president has done in health care and how it all fits together. 

Back in 2018, we described…Trump’s “1,000 step progress on health reform,” noting that instead of opting to pass one giant, comprehensive health care bill, the president was delivering a series of small but significant reforms to cumulatively take us to a much better destination.  

[Riddle: Does that remind you of how things used to get done?]

That destination was outlined in 2017 by the administration in a 124-page Health and Human Services document, “Reforming America’s Healthcare System Through Choice and Competition.” …It paints a picture of an alternative model — one that puts patients before insurance companies or government bureaucrats and delivers better care and coverage at lower costs.  

Everything…President Trump has done in health care since then has been consistent with the vision laid …

Even …coverage of one of the president’s actions on health care is viewed in isolation rather than as another step towards the destination described in 2017.  

[Riddle – We skip to a partial listing of his actions]

Repealed the individual mandateEliminated ObamaCare’s health insurance, medical device and “Cadillac plan” taxesExpanded health reimbursement arrangements to allow employers to help pay for their employees’ individual health plan premiums with pre-tax fundsLowered prescription drug prices for the first time in 50 yearsApproved a record number of generic drugs, saving Americans $2.6 billion…Took executive action to ensure price transparency in health careLowered Medicare Advantage premiums considerably — by as much as 40 percent in some states — while modernizing the program with new benefits and optionsImproved kidney care with more transplants and better treatmentLowered the price of insulin for those on MedicareInvested in advances in genetic therapy for sickle cell diseaseLaunched a $500 million initiative to find cures for childhood cancersAddressed the opioid crisis by expanding access to medication-assisted treatment and lifesaving naloxone, reduced opioid prescriptions by 35 percent, and launched findtreatment.gov to help those addicted Passed Right To Try to give critically ill patients access to lifesaving cures that haven’t been approved by the Food and Drug Administration;  Expanded access to telehealth, especially in rural and underserved areasSigned historic VA Choice and Accountability legislationLaunched a 24-hour suicide hotline for veterans; andSigned the largest-ever increase in childcare development block grantsAllowed more health expenses from health savings accountsGave states more flexibility to run their individual markets.  

Also…orders that would go a long way toward solving…surprise billing problem, saving more money on drugs, and providing additional certainty to those with pre-existing conditions that they will always be able to find affordable health coverage.   

… all consistent with the vision his administration laid out three years ago. They reveal that — contrary to news media reports and Biden’s talking points — not only does President Trump have a health care plan, he has been successfully implementing it. 

Thanks to his 1,000-step approach…we are on our way to a transparent, patient-focused health care system that delivers better care and coverage at lower costs.

For more from Newt, go to Ginrich360.

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For information about us (“we edit, proof, and publish the book within you”)  contact us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com and get our Free Brochure which tells you about our services.

AUTHOR’S PAGE: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? Want to review our books? Contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. Such as, ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ Be sure to indicate your email address and your name.

 – – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. He is also an author of Historical, Speculative, and Mystery fiction, plus co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books. To reply to any blog you can comment on a blog and/or send an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. His Facebook page is at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. #Writingservices

Ron’s Lit Tip Writer’s Growth

10 01 2020

Welcome to Ron’s Lit Tip. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I will share a tip with you.

Are you a beginning writer?

Have you written your first book?

Have you written several books?

If you can answer yes to any of the above questions, then you have something in common with most writers: You need to grow, to improve.

What’s wrong with my writing?

I didn’t say anything was wrong. A better question would be: How do I grow as a writer?

OK, how do I grow?

Think about muscles. If you work out with weights and other exercise equipment there is a likelihood that you are going to get stronger. And if you don’t work out there is an equal chance you will get weaker. Muscles need exercise. Well, think of your writing. The skills you have developed are like muscles. Just like muscles need to be exercised, your writing muscles need to be used.

But Growth also needs Food.

Just as your body and your muscles need vitamins and other nutrients, you as an author also need something. That something can be many things, such as learning new skills, shedding mistakes that hold you back, maybe adding a genre to the one you already have, and many more.

Genre?

Yes. Each genre has its own unique characteristics. For example, my first genre was Historical Fiction. I wrote books that took place in history. My series The World That Was is based on history that took place in biblical times. But my novel Dead Eye Will took place in American History. These are sub-genres under Historical Fiction. So, even adding a sub-genre to your resume can add to your overall appeal and, more importantly, to your skill set.

But adding an altogether different genre will definitely sharpen your skills and add new ones. I told you above that I wrote, and still write, Historical Fiction. I love history and that was a natural for me. But I also enjoy science fiction, so I decided to try writing Science Fiction, although what I write is more appropriately called Speculative Fiction. (I explain the difference as Speculative Fiction being Science Fiction without little green men. It is futuristic, can take place in space, here on Earth, and never involve aliens.)

Two Different Genres Require Two Different Skill Sets.

Some skills transfer to any genre, but writing historical novels requires a knowledge of history and the placement of the novel within the selected historical times. On the other hand, speculative novels require a knowledge of science, whether space science or future science that may impact our daily lives. Since it is generally futuristic you are writing history in advance. This resulted in my Christland series.

If that wasn’t enough, I have become interested in Mystery, a totally different genre. I am currently working on a mystery that involves murder and science set in the future.

These three genres are different from one another and demand different skills from me. Some I know, others I am learning. And that is what I mean by growing. I am adding new skill sets to what I already had and using new tools to do it. These represent multiple genres.

Tip: To grow, add to yourself new skills, tools, and maybe genres.

Get free Guide to Writing at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com.

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For information about us (“we edit, proof, and publish the book within you”)  contact us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com and get our Free Brochure which tells you about our services.

AUTHOR’S PAGE: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? Want to review our books? Contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. Such as, ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ Be sure to indicate your email address and your name.

 – – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. He is also an author of Historical, Speculative, and Mystery fiction, plus co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books. To reply to any blog you can comment on a blog and/or send an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. His Facebook page is at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. #Writingservices

Ron’s Lit Tip Observations

09 30 2020

Welcome to Ron’s Lit Tip. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I will share a tip with you.

Last night I watched the debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. I decided to report on that instead of my normal lit tip.

The debate was a disaster in many ways, but I did draw a few things from it.

Classic Trump

The President is combative. That is not a news flash, we all know it. And last night he was very combative. He won’t and wasn’t silent when he felt Biden was lying. He interrupted Biden frequently and dominated the debate.

Joe Biden

Joe had memorized certain words and phrases prior to the debate. This showed up several times. He used the following, “he doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” “he’s a liar,” “a clown,” plus the laugh. All of these were put out there hoping that one of them was a virile sound bite. The laugh was designed for video.

But for all intents and purposes these failed. What I remember the most from the debate was that Biden was ineffective, at times he fumbled his words, his lips quivered, and some people noticed stressed facial expressions, all of which indicated that Joe Biden was having cognitive troubles.

But of more concern to me was he couldn’t handle the attacks from President Trump. He had to know that the attacks were coming, and his only response was to mumble words and phrases he had memorized. In one instance, he seemed to need the moderator, Chris Wallace, to help him.

It occurred to me that if Joe Biden couldn’t handle a debate where he knew attacks were coming, how could he expect to handle the pressure of the Presidency?

Chris Wallace

Wallace is Center Left, a liberal who doesn’t like Trump. So, it wasn’t surprising that his overall performance favored Biden. Although both candidates ignored the agreed upon rules and interrupted one another, Wallace appeared to give Biden more leeway.

Fact Checkers

I have little confidence in factcheckers, so I didn’t watch them. This morning I looked at a couple to see what they were saying. Basically, they were predictable.

Overall

I remember a time when debates revealed information that proved important to the election. Last night’s debate revealed little. There are a few items though.

Court Packing – There has been talk that if the Senate confirms Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court and if Biden wins, he will try to pack the court. In other words, increase the number of judges. This only requires a Congressional act signed into law by the President. Biden refused to answer the question by Wallace if he supported packing the court.

Economy – Simply put, President Trump favors opening up businesses, schools, etc., while Biden supports shutting everything down. I find Biden’s leanings amusing to a degree. He continually referred to Trump’s shutdown as a “recession.”

Jobs –Biden and Wallace both cited the number of jobs Obama created as opposed to the number of jobs Trump has created. The problem with that is that the Obama jobs were low paying (think McDonalds) while the jobs under Trump have been increased factory jobs, higher paying white collar jobs, and the return of many white collar employees to or near the pay levels of prior to 2008.

Who won? That’s easy. Trump 1, Biden 0.

Get free Guide to Writing at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com.

Subscribe to Author Alerts (click and submit signup form)

For information about us (“we edit, proof, and publish the book within you”)  contact us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com and get our Free Brochure which tells you about our services.

AUTHOR’S PAGE: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? Want to review our books? Contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. Such as, ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ Be sure to indicate your email address and your name.

 – – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. He is also an author of Historical, Speculative, and Mystery fiction, plus co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books. To reply to any blog you can comment on a blog and/or send an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. His Facebook page is at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

Ron’s Lit Tip Immerse Yourself

09 29 2020

Welcome to Ron’s Lit Tip. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I will share a tip with you.

If you’ve been following me for very long you’ve read my advice to identify with your primary character and, to some extent, with all the characters. This is important and I don’t mind restating the idea. But there is more.

Like What?

Just as a painter doesn’t paint his primary characters in colorful clothes and place them in a drab setting, so the writer must also not forget the overall picture. Every part of a painting garners the painter’s attention. The same is true with the written word.

When I edit my books, I not only look for misspelled words and poor grammar, I look at the flow of the story. It is also called ‘pace’. Pace can be affected by the tense of the words, the length of sentences and paragraphs, and more.

But there is more than spelling, grammar, and pace. There is the ‘coming alive’ factor. I love it when a reader says I brought the story alive!

How is that done?

There are many technical tools available to achieve this, but I think one of the most useful tools is your involvement in the story. Or, to put it another way, are you immersed in the story?

Immersed?

Just as you got immersed in your character(s), you need to be immersed in your story or plot. The plot could be described as the most important part of a story. If you have a character that is great but the plot flops, you have a flop. However, you might be able to overcome bad characters with a good plot. It is difficult, but not impossible.

By immersed I am saying that you are into the plot. You can picture it unfolding even as you are writing it or later reading it. Anticipation develops and carries you forward. But a bad plot does not have that ability.

So, how do I Immerse Myself in the Story?

You let the story take control. Just as you become a character and let the character take on a life of its own, you do the same thing with the plot. You start out with a basic plot and let it build upon itself.

If you are reading your story and it suddenly develops bumps, you might need to stop and smooth it out. For example, you are reading along in the present tense and suddenly the book is in past tense. Easily done, easily fixed. Usually the culprit is one word and only requires changing the tense. Other times it could be a sentence, a paragraph, or the entire scene. Which means you go back and rewrite the offending portion.

Sometimes this requires more than the correct word but changing the wording, even the structure. There are times when you toss the offending scene and either replace it or leave it out.

Tip: Let the plot drive you.

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R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. He is also an author of Historical, Speculative, and Mystery fiction, plus co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books. To reply to any blog you can comment on a blog and/or send an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. His Facebook page is at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. #Writingservices

Truth on Trump

09 28 2020

Welcome to News which is published every Monday and Friday.

Today’s news regards President Trump’s accomplishments and the facts regarding him, his administration, Covid-19, the economy, and more. If you didn’t watch the video please do so, it gives an overall view.

Soon the first debate will take place. I have no qualms about Trump vs. Biden but hiding in the reeds are network ‘bobbleheads’ and so-called factcheckers that will attempt to discredit anything the President says. Not that Trump will be clobbered, after all he did survive 2016 and won the presidency.

But the NeverTrumpers are not above using lies and distortions to discredit the President. That means that all of us have to be alert to the truth, which is one of the reasons I wrote Trump an Outsider’s View. Although conservative and a Trump supporter I have done my best to present the facts and let the reader decide what is truth and what is not.

There is an argument out there that this is not the most important election. I’ve read it and don’t buy into their argument. This election is critical because most of the gains that President Trump has achieved for our country are by decree. The next President can override them.

What Does That Mean?

It means that the next president can issue his own decrees which would supersede whatever President Trump has done. That covers a lot of ground including our economy, the wall, immigration, and more.

Are there other reasons it is critical?

Yes. The swamp still needs drained. The House Democrats in particular have shown that they are not fit for office. Good people elected them to do their job which is to legislate. Instead they have used government time, energy, and money to undermine and try to destroy a duly elected President. The American people see through all their actions and need to sweep them out of office!

In addition, while President Trump has accomplished much, he still has more to do. One thing is to rebuild the economy from the shutdown. He is already doing that, but he needs more time. Further, he also has more to accomplish both domestically and internationally.

The First Debate is About Taxes. What about them?

I expect to hear the same old Democratic arguments that are always made against Republicans without supporting facts. That is that the tax breaks are just for the rich. Tell that to the mom and pop businesses that were thriving in the Trump economy prior to Covid-19 and are beginning to get going again.

But this is a good time to take a critical look at the plan that Biden/Harris have put out there. We don’t have enough rich people to pay for that! Soak the rich historically hurts the middleclass and the lower-class workers. Why? Because just as profits trickle down the food chain so do taxes. Or the rich close up shop and leave the country which leaves us with fewer high paying jobs. It is a disaster waiting to happen.

Wouldn’t the Government Step In?

Of course, they would. It is what the liberals want. But how many governments have taken over the economy and prospered? Some have experimented and seemed to prosper for a while, but it never lasts. Eventually you run out of rich people’s money.

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R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. He is also an author of Historical, Speculative, and Mystery fiction, plus co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books. To reply to any blog you can comment on a blog and/or send an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. His Facebook page is at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. #Writingservices

News Voter Fraud

09 25 2020

Welcome to News which is published every Monday and Friday.

Is Voter Fraud Real?

Yes, it is real. But before talking about it let’s make sure you understand the issue. The President refers to voter fraud meaning mail-in voting. The issue has been blurred by politics.

What is Mail-in Voting?

Basically, there are two systems. Some states, like Florida, mail ballots to people who request them. Other states mail out ballots to people in mass mailings without requiring a request or, in some cases, an ID. It is this latter form of mail-in wherein fraud is possible.

But They Say There’s No Evidence of Mail-in Fraud.

“They” say a lot of things. Check out the Heritage Foundation which has done a lot of work in this regard. Here’s a sampling taken from my book Trump an Outsider’s View.

FRAUDULENT USE OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS:

Requesting absentee ballots and voting without the knowledge of the actual voter; or obtaining the absentee ballot from a voter and either filling it in directly and forging the voter’s signature or illegally telling the voter who to vote for.

The above shows that there are 4 types:

Requesting absentee ballots and voting without knowledge of the actual voterObtaining absentee ballot from a voter and filling it in directlyObtaining absentee ballot from a voter and forging the voter’s signatureIllegally telling he voter who to vote for.

The Heritage Foundation provides state by state cases of voter fraud. You simply go to their site and you can find out the stats for any state.

This year is different from previous years in that states are mailing out ballots to, in some cases, everyone. These are unsolicited and apparently unmanaged (there have been reports of individuals getting more than one ballot).

So, Is that a Big Problem?

Commonsense tells you yes, the potential is there. It doesn’t matter that there may not be a specific track record regarding mass mailings. This is a relatively new experience where states mail out to all citizens but maintain no records or safeguards. For example, do they require a valid signature and address? Do they have a system to detect and prevent duplicate voting? Do they have a system in place to prevent someone from voting both by mail and by in-person voting?

If I Vote by Mail, Will it Be Counted?

Good question and no one has an absolute answer. Technically every vote should count. But how do you count a vote that has no name attached to it? And should you count a vote that was received after the deadline?

The Congress and the states can pass laws that provide for early counting of mail-in voting or extended time to count. Some states are already working on this. But because this is rather new you really can’t foresee all the potential problems. Personally, I think the safest way is to go to your polls and vote early.

But this in itself requires thought and action on the part of states because of the Pandemic. While there is evidence the virus is winding down there are still strident voices calling for a variety of restrictions to remain in force or be returned.

And you still have the problem of ballots without ID.

In my opinion, these ballots should not be counted. You have no way of determining who voted and how many times they voted. This is where the fraud question is centered. Unrequested ballots and unidentified ballots represent a dark place in the whole process. And no genius has come forward with a plan to protect the integrity of the process.

In all likelihood this election is going to the courts.

If the President wins in a landslide such a case may be averted. But you also have Congressional elections taking place which could go to the courts. It is a messy situation.

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ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? Want to review our books? Contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. Such as, ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ Be sure to indicate your email address and your name.

 – – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. He is also an author of Historical, Speculative, and Mystery fiction, plus co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books. To reply to any blog you can comment on a blog and/or send an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. His Facebook page is at RFrederickRiddlesWorld. #Writingservices