Travel Plans for the Holidays? Amazing Deals Today Dec 13

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High-end Travel Gear for the Lowest Prices ever - for example:

Delsey Luggage Helium Aero International Carry On Expandable Spinner Trolley

by DELSEY Paris TODAY ONLY $99.99  

instead of $360.00 regular

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Get it it here, and see more offers / sizes:

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Read more about travel in North America and Worldwide: http://a-happy-traveler.blogspot.ca/

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Did You Know: Ancestors of Famous People

Photo: Vera Kratochvil

Apple Founder STEVE JOBS - the Son of a Syrian Migrant

DONALD TRUMP - his ancestors came as religious refugees to North America ... welcomed and fed by the Natives (remember "Thanksgiving").
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Watching right-wing voices and their acting, one can only wonder and be reminded of parallels to 1939 Nazi propaganda... 
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Millions of Syrians had been fleeing an endless, bloody war for months and years, and more than 3,000 drowned before a single photograph of a three-year-old Alan Kurdi, lying at surf’s edge on a Turkish beach brought some attention to this human crisis.

MACLEANS, the Canadian weekly wrote:
"His death was a reminder of the huge risks his father was willing to take because staying would be so much worse." "The other defining image of the Syrian crisis springs from another realm entirely. .
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In yesterday’s Daily Mail, a figure far more powerful than the three-year-old Alan Kurdi has been marshalled again on social media: pictures of Steve Jobs, defined as “a Syrian migrants’ [sic] child,” even “The son of a Syrian refugee,” are making the rounds. Jobs, adopted at an early age, is the biological son of an American mother, Joanne Carole Schieble, and Abdulfattah Jandali, a Syrian who came to the U.S. in 1954."
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Dear Mr. Trump:
All we know is that they both were humans, which in the end is all that should matter - not if one believes in Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, or Islam.  The Natives did not ask your ancestors, Pilgrims from the Mayflower, what their religion was, before saving their lives and feeding them... 

Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays / Happy Hanukkah or whatever you believe in.

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US President Obama's Favored Book in 2015

The Guardian reported:
US president Obama chooses Lauren Groff’s Fates and Furies as his pick of the year, while the first lady selects Elizabeth Alexander’s The Light of the World.

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Read the NPR review here:
http://www.npr.org/2015/09/15/437286835/a-dreamy-marriage-turns-to-rage-in-fates-and-furies

If you haven't read it already, or want to gift it to a friend or family member, get it here: 



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Christmas in Italy, Spain and Greece

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In many European countries the festival of the Epiphany on January 6 offers yet another chance for festive celebrations - and certainly for gifts. Customers in these countries can do their shopping relaxed on Boxing Day and take advantage of much lower online and store prices.
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Spain 
January 6 is traditionally the day that Spanish children get their Christmas presents. Shoes are placed outside their bedrooms overnight, in the hope that the "Three Kings" will be generous with gifts of sweets and small toys. On Epiphany people also eat a sweet, donut shaped bread with candied fruit that contains a small toy or coin.

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Italy
Ending of the old year and beginning of the new year, il capodanno, is a great time to celebrate in Italy.  Women wear their red underwear to ring in the new year! They say it will bring you luck in the coming year (and maybe many bambini : ). Beautiful red dessous are popular gifts on this last day of the year.

January 6: Italian children, or at least the ones who have been good, are given gifts not by Santa but by a witch. La Befana flies down chimneys or through keyholes to leave presents after deciding who has been naughty and who has been nice. Children leave out stockings, hoping to wake up to discover sweets and toys.

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Greece

In Greece, Epiphany allows for a cleansing of the "goblins", little ghosts, that pop up between Christmas and January 6 to wreak havoc.  The only cure for this mayhem comes on the eve of Epiphany when the village priests bless the waters that people sprinkle throughout the house. This is usually enough to chase away the evil spirits for another year.  

Resources:

http://goitaly.about.com/od/festivalsandevents/a/newyears.htm

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/europe-celebrates-end-of-christmas-epiphany-s-kings-witches-and-goblins-a-670411.html

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Amazon Trivia since 1994 - Infographic

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Amazon makes a lot more money with selling web services than they do with selling books and other goods..
Forbes.com wrote recently: “A few months ago Amazon reached what its founder and CEO Jeff Bezos demurely tells me was “an interesting milestone.” The retailing giant, so ubiquitously associated with books, then music and video, now has tens of millions of products in stock -and a majority are non-media goods: drills, dress shoes, tennis rackets and almost anything else that a human can ship. During the last ten years however their largest revenue comes from web services. 
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What about AWS = Amazon Web Services and their Cloud Business? Amazon Web Services (AWS) are always two steps ahead of the competition, even as countless new clouds come online to compete. How can they do it?

• Innovation comes from small teams that work directly with customers.

• It is easy to prioritize new projects when the engineers really know the customer.

• Amazon works to lower costs for customers, not just lower costs for itself. "We’ve reduced prices 19 times over the past 6 years, and this an area we will continue to focus," Werner Vogels, Amazon's CTO says.

Hundreds of thousands of customers around the world – from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies to government agencies use Amazon's cloud and other web services. 

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by infographiclabs. Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.

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Amazon Prime Introducing the Prime Membership, was a brilliant move for Amazon. The average member makes $1,224 in Amazon purchases each year, compared with $505 for non-Prime customers. The TIME wrote: “Membership in Amazon Prime, which offers unlimited free two-day shipping, has doubled in less than two years. Analysts predict it’ll double again by 2017.  Even more interesting than the growing Prime ranks is what Prime seems to do to subscribers. 
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A 2010 Businessweek story stated that Amazon Prime broke even within three months of launching, not the two years predicted by its creators. That’s because customers spent as much as 150% more at Amazon after they became Prime members. Subscribers not only ordered more often, but after paying the US$99 fee, they started buying things at Amazon that they probably wouldn’t have in the past.  Since shipping was always speedy and free, members saved themselves a trip to the store for things like batteries and coffee beans.”
“In all my years here, I don’t remember anything that has been as successful at getting customers to shop in new product lines,” Robbie Schwietzer, vice president of Amazon Prime, told Businessweek.

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Amazon has launched a public cloud Marketplace for desktop apps in spring of 2015. They will now sell subscriptions to software such as Office and Visual Studio on a pay-monthly basis. The new desktop software offered across the Marketplace will run on Amazon’s virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) service, AWS WorkSpaces.
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The monthly subscriptions will start at approx. $30 for Windows Desktop and Office Professional Plus.  Formerly paid apps deployed by organizations had to be managed, monitored and billed separately. Now any add-on applications purchased across the Marketplace are paid for monthly with the total AWS order.
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See also: The Hidden Empire, Update 2013, a Slide-Share

http://www.slideshare.net/faberNovel/amazoncom-the-hidden-empire
Why Amazon Prime Could Soon Cost You Next to Nothing

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Former executives all have stories about Bezos’ obsessive focus on the customer – and a perfect delivery system.  Read the Amazon e-Commerce Success Story by CBS - or hear it directly from Jeff Bezos’ speech.
And here is his advice for entrepreneurs:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVZAIss-A-Y.

However who has contributed to Amazon’s success as well?  You and me!  By uploading our books to Amazon.  Let’s pad us on the shoulder too! 

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2015 CYBER WEEK DEAL for your own BOOK

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CYBER WEEK DEAL: Just $39 (instead of $79) for your own BOOKS'
Advertising and Social Media Promotion,
including your reduced or KDP FREE e-book campaigns.

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So, new books will get the same chances as established ones! 

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Your Benefit for 3 months and beyond: - Introduction of your book
(1 page, incl. links) on 4 websites (stays there forever!)
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• Posting of your book article (incl. URL) on all our Social Media sites 
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• Your book will be on the front page for at least one week.

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You will receive a confirmation from PayPal and we will send you a question form 

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Get a great head start for this holiday season!

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Treasury of Bizarre Christmas Stories

“Fiza’s first compilation of short stories makes her come across as a sort of modern day neo-mystic.  Through the 22 stories in the book, the author communicates to us lessons in faith in a way that will appeal to both adults and children alike.  The language is simple and lucid, yet enticing and appealing at the same time.” Reviewer for ‘The Examiner’

This collection brings together, a variety of bizarre Christmas stories never heard before. From creepy dark catacombs to a haunted winter wonderland, this treasury brings with it, a mystical side to Christmas and the birth of a legendary baby. Whether deep in a forest of India or back in time, in Bethlehem, ‘Treasury Of Bizarre Christmas Stories’ brings to its readers the holy, the Almighty, the haunted, the obsession, the innocent, the magical and the reason to celebrate.
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About the Author:Fiza Pathan holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and Sociology. She is a qualified teacher having also a Bachelor’s degree in Education, her special subjects being History and English.  Fiza is an avid reader of books of all genres and writes short stories and articles. Don’t miss to read Fiza’s blog regularly: http://insaneowl.com
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More Books by the Author:
Fiza Pathan is also the author of ‘S.O.S. Animals And Other Stories‘ and ‘Classics: Why we should encourage children to read them‘, as well as the sequel: 'Classics: HOW we can encourage children to read them' which is available as a paperback edition and various digital formats on Amazon and other platforms.  Her latest two books are women's fiction - even so they describe the grim realities that women are facing in India: NIRMALA: The Mud Blossom and Amina: The Silent One.

Discover more on Fiza Pathan's Amazon page and see the long list of Fiza Pathan’s book awards. 

Treasury of Bizarre Christmas Stories is available:

e-Book version
http://www.amazon.com/Treasury-Bizarre-Christmas-Stories-Pathan-ebook/dp/B00ADQ7HMK

Paperback
http://www.amazon.com/Treasury-Bizarre-Christmas-Stories-Pathan/dp/1481081764.

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Grants for Writers – Get the Money / Residency - Apply!

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Among the country’s largest grant makers, in average one proposal in three is typically funded. Study the requirements carefully, ask for copies of grant proposals they have previously funded. Some samples can even be found on their websites or other resources available online.  Write your proposal in a positive manner and language and proof-read it carefully.  Explain how your project can benefit others.  
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How to Write a Grant Proposal
If you have never written a grant proposal before, do some research on the topic before you begin.  Numerous how-to listings and guidelines offer insights to novice grant writers, and even those with experience.  Understand the meanings of the vocabulary being used in grant guidelines or to access a glossary of common terms.  Some sponsor guidelines will even provide just such a glossary unique to the particular sponsor. 


Current Grant Offers:
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For Australian Writers
International Fellowships in Helsinki, Finland,  Berlin, Germany or Rome, Italy.
The International Residencies Program enables the artistic development of individual artists and groups by brokering and offering high quality residency experiences.  Residencies last between 6 months and one year.  See several case studies of residencies. 
Closing: midnight, 1 December 2015. 
http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/funding/new-grants-model/

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Rauschenberg Foundation 2016 Artist as Activist Fellowship
Robert Rauschenberg Foundation announced the 2016 Artist as Activist Fellowship, which provides independent artists and art collectives with a demonstrated commitment to applying their creative work to the public sphere up to $100,000 over two years along with access to opportunities for professional advancement. This years theme is racial justice with particular focus on mass incarceration. US-based artists and artist collectives seeking to work full-time on an ambitious creative work tackling this issue should apply. Fellowship period is May 1, 2016 – April 30, 2018. Applicants will be notified in Late April 2016. 
Deadline: December 7 at 5:00 pm (EST).  
http://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/artist-activist-fellows

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Atlantic Center for the Arts Residency in New Smyrna, FL
In this beautiful, modern residency, close to New Smyrna, FL, artists participate in informal sessions with their group, interact/collaborate, and work independently on their own projects. The relaxed atmosphere, unstructured program and lush, unspoiled environment provide considerable time for artistic experimentation, exploration and creation. Full and partial scholarships are provided.
Open to all artists (US and International), a basic command of the English language is necessary.  Applicants must be at least 21 years old at the time of the residency
Deadlines: March 24 for Summer, May 19 for Fall residency.
http://www.atlanticcenterforthearts.org/master-artist-residence-program-details-0

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November 2015: Application for Amtrak Residency is Open!
The Amtrak Residency Program:  “An idea sparked by our customers, the residency offers a select group of writers the chance to traverse the country in trains and experience amazing scenery, an environment that fosters engaging connections and the unique opportunity to explore and be inspired by the diversity of landscapes America has to offer.  The 24 residents offer a diverse representation of the writing community and hail from across the country.”
http://blog.amtrak.com/2015-amtrak-residency-application/


For more Grants and Residencies do check out the websites below.  Most grants will be offered every year. So if you miss a deadline, mark your calendar for the next one. Read this article to get ten tips before applying.  There are hundreds of possibilities for writers, and statistically the odds you win are pretty high!


http://www.miraslist.com/2009/04/finding-money-for-your-dreams.html

http://www.miraslist.com/2009/03/italian-residencies.html

http://www.miraslist.com/2009/04/fubright-grants-inside-scoop.html

http://www.resartis.org/en/news/upcoming_deadlines/

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An Author's Experience with Amazon Pre-Order

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... and solutions for YOUR pre-orders.
Bestseller author Mindy Klasky "Our pre-orders for the set steadily grew as we invested time, money, and effort in promoting Mischief. On November 2, 2015, well before Amazon’s ten-day deadline, we uploaded the final version of our text file. That final version contained nineteen novellas, each of which was proofread, formatted, and hyperlinked in a master table of contents. Amazon confirmed receipt of the final file.
On November 17, Mischief Under the Mistletoe went live.  Shortly after midnight, approximately 8100 pre-orders were fulfilled. Alas, Amazon mistakenly sent those customers the placeholder file instead of the final file. (New customers who placed orders after the book released, received and continue to receive the correct file.)

Forty-eight hours later, the situation remains unresolved. Nearly 40% of our reviews are one- or two-star reviews, commenting exclusively about the problems of the placeholder file. Most frustratingly, Amazon refuses to delete the one- and two-star reviews–even though those reviews patently have nothing to do with the quality of the product."  Rather with Amazon's faulty delivery... but read the about the whole horrifying ordeal here:
http://www.mindyklasky.com/index.php/2015/11/amazons-pre-order-quagmire

Here are some Solutions to Protect Your Pre-Orders I suggested to Mindy:
We had issues with pre-order for "Marketing on a Shoestring" in March and are banned for a year - due to the fault of Amazon's untrained and incompetent employees. But this was nothing to what you went through... Forget Amazon pre-orders. Five things authors can do in the future:

1. Sell through Apple i-Books as well: You can set up pre-orders ONE YEAR in advance!
http://www.savvybookwriters.com/pre-orders-on-apple-ibooks-up-to-1-year/

2. Sell pre-orders from your own website(s): easy and inexpensive to set it up, you get to know your customers and you EARN MORE.
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/why-sell-your-books-from-your-own-website/

2. Create an e-BOOK giveaway at LibraryThing or BookLikes three months in advance.
http://www.savvybookwriters.com/how-librarything-can-help-you-to-more-reviews/

3. Create a print-book giveaway at Goodreads six weeks in advance.
http://www.savvybookwriters.com/succcessful-book-giveaways-print-and-ebooks/

4. Set up a virtual book launch and announce it through Goodreads and Google+ EVENTS (free)
http://www.savvybookwriters.com/how-to-create-buzz-for-your-upcoming-book-on-goodreads/

5. Use your (and your other box-set author's) email newsletter to create excitement for your upcoming box-set every months in the period before your book launch.
https://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2014/06/04/secrets-of-successful-newsletters/

6. Not happy with Kindle publishing/KDP/KindleUnlimited results/ Book-Review-Plugging / Pre-Orders? Registered Letter to Amazon CEO Russ Grandinetti. Or sue them for substantial costs and losses / reputation that you experienced through their unprofessional behavior and spreading lies to your readers.

Always remember: Don't put all your eggs in one basket! 

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