Michael Byars Lewis's Blog, page 2
June 9, 2013
2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Mike and Kim at the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards!
Wow, it’s been just over a week since we’ve returned from NYC, the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and Book Expo America. It was a non-stop, week-long, whirlwind that was stressful, hectic, and a whole lot of fun! I’ll be honest, as a pilot, I’m a fish out of water here, but I met so many great people and had some fantastic discussions that I’ll cherish forever. I’ll probably break this trip up into three different blogs: Next Gen Indie Awards, Book Expo America, and NYC itself. I’ll start with the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. I’d like to thank Marilyn Allen and Catherine Goulet, co-founders of the event. This was an amazing and exceptionally classy event. I was extremely impressed. And the venue was superb! The Harvard Club on 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan! Gotta love it! We had the great opportunity to meet Beth-Kallman Werner, one of the programs advisors and talked for her at length! Thanks Beth for your insight and encouragement! We also shared a table with Janet Shawgo of Galveston, Texas, who won two separate awards for her romance novels! She and her sister were very friendly!
I’d also like the thank the judges, whoever they are, for picking SURLY BONDS to be a FINALIST. I’ve said it before, writing a book is a lot of hard work, but presenting it to the public is terrifying.
Mike with Marilyn Allen (L) and Catherine Goulet (R), the co-founders of the event.
Something like this lets an author know ‘yes, you’ve done something worthwhile and it’s pretty good too’! (my words, not theirs) I also want to thank my wife for tolerating me through this process, my mother-in-law who is my top sales-person, and my son who continues to encourage me. If you are a self-published author, or aspire to be, I can highly recommend the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Outstanding communication throughout the process and a top-notch organization through and through. We’ll see you in 2015 with our sequel!
2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards was first posted on June 9, 2013 at 1:09 pm.
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May 10, 2013
Support the Air Commando Association Foundation Endowment
How about a plug for a worthwhile organization? The Air Commando Association (ACA) is a non-profit Veterans association located in Mary Esther, Florida, right outside the main gate of Hurlburt Field. Information about the ACA from their website:
“The Air Commando Association was founded in 1969 by Brigadier General Robert Cardenas and then Colonel Harry “Heinie” Aderholt as an organization for retired and active duty Special Operations Forces personnel. The Association membership originally was composed of mainly active duty people.
The first reunion was held in 1969 and then every year from 1971 until today. In 1972, the association was incorporated as a 501(c)(19) not-for-profit Veterans Organization.
After several fund drives, enough money was available to build an ACA building located 3.9 miles west of the Hurlburt Field main gate. The ACA headquarters building was dedicated in 1998. It contains offices, a library, the commando store, and a large conference room. Throughout the building memorabilia highlighting commando/special operations accomplishment, photos, and projects are on display. The history covers over 50 years of commando operations starting with the first air commando unit established in 1943 and commanded by Colonel Phil Cochran immortalized by Milton Caniff in his comic strip Terry and The Pirates as Steve Canyon from 1944-1988. The history continues to the present day operations.
Goals and Objectives
To honor personnel of all ranks, rated and non-rated, who have helped make this nation great by their achievements in special operations.
To perpetuate the memory of such persons and record their achievements and contributions by suitable memorials.
To establish and maintain an Air Commando Museum. Preserving for posterity the history of the air commando/special operations mission and to identify those organizations and individuals deserving recognition, including those individual elected to the Air Commando Hall of Fame.
To foster, promote, and encourage a better sense of appreciation of the origins and growth of the air commando/special operations units the part they have played in economic, political, humanitarian, and military operation on a worldwide basis.
Also,
– To keep alive the air commando spirit.
– To rekindle wartime relationships.
– To share experience and lessons learned with members of today’s Air Force.
– To promote nation building through humanitarian efforts .”
Last year, the ACA expanded their scope and created the ACA Foundation Endowment in an effort to support Air Commandos – past, present, and future. The mission statement for the ACA Foundation Endowment is as follows:
“The ACA Foundation Endowment is a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization that provides critically needed support and finacial assistance to Air Commandos and their families, past, present, and future, in times of need. All donations to the ACA Foundation are tax deductible.”
Some of their talking points:
“1) The ACA Foundation is totally supported by the operational side of ACA. Therefore, funds contributed to the Foundation are totally 100% dedicated to supporting Air Commandos and their families…no overhead costs.
2) The ACA Foundation is considered by the USSOCOM Care Coalition as the face of AFSOC for benevolent needs. In that role, the Care Coalition comes to ACA first when there is a need.
3) ACA Foundation is very agile and can literally react at a moment’s notice. A couple of the vignettes highlight that fact.
4) Our contributions to assist AFSOC personnel and their families range from $150 to slightly over $10,000. ”
I won’t go into specifics on who this organization helps due to confidentiality issues but you can get more information on the Air Commando Association here:
and information on how to donate to the ACA Foundation Endowment here:
Support the Air Commando Association Foundation Endowment was first posted on May 10, 2013 at 1:57 pm.
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May 6, 2013
It’s an AWARD WINNER!!!
It’s official! SURLY BONDS was awarded as a FINALIST in the 2013 NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS! The organization is described on their website as follows:
The Next Generation Indie Book Awards is the largest Not-for-Profit book awards program for indie authors and independent publishers. In its sixth year of operation, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards was established to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books in 60 different categories, for the year, and is presented by Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group (www.IBPPG.com) in cooperation with Marilyn Allen of Allen O’Shea Literary Agency.
We won as a FINALIST in the FIRST NOVEL (over 80,000 words) category. It’s very exciting, we’ll see what happens! The awards ceremony is in New York City at the end of the month at BOOK EXPO AMERICA. I hope we can make it!
It’s an AWARD WINNER!!! was first posted on May 6, 2013 at 7:40 pm.
©2012 "Welcome to My Blog". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at partners@DanAndJenniferMedia.com
