BOOK PLACE

A PLACE TO SHARE AND/OR PROMOTE BOOKS - SEE WHAT'S OUT THERE

Featured Groups

All Groups (45)

  • Book Reviewers

    135 members Latest Activity: 13 hours ago Come rate books you read and help other writers know where to find the good ones. Be a book reviewer!

  • War zones and gun smoke

    4 members Latest Activity: Apr 13 This is for those who read and enjoy a good War Story or related fiction.(Or nonfiction for that matter)

  • Write Now

    104 members Latest Activity: Nov 10 A place to discuss the writing process, successes, or anything else related to writing fiction.

  • Nonplussed Nonfiction

    53 members Latest Activity: Nov 10 A place for nonfiction, historical fiction, etc. readings, writings, suggestions, discussion, tips, reviews, as well as what you contribute!

  • Non Fiction

    27 members Latest Activity: Nov 12 This group was set up for non-fiction writers.

  • Gaslight Writers

    11 members Latest Activity: Aug 9 A writing group for any adult; meets on the 2nd Mon and the 4th Wed of each month to share responses to writing assignments, offer encouragement and d…

  • Lelue's Realm

    12 members Latest Activity: Sep 16 This group is for book worms who can't enough to read And for any one who dreams of being sucessful writer.

  • Dark Diva Reviews

    21 members Latest Activity: Oct 1 Join DDR for romance book reviews, contest announcements and more.

  • Author Kimberly Ivey's Group

    3 members Latest Activity: Jul 12

  • Authors From MySpace

    164 members Latest Activity: 1 day ago This group is open to all authors, writers and readers, but is especially targeted to those authors who have a presence on MySpace and would like to e…

  • Article Submiiter

    17 members Latest Activity: Oct 12 Articles rank you quickly search engines, increase your popularity online, branding your name, build authority. Learn how, why and where. Ask friends…

  • Italian literature

    4 members Latest Activity: Sep 18 A group about italian literature and culture.

  • New York

    13 members Latest Activity: Sep 17 The city or the state. If you live there now or grew up there and have moved away... this is the group for you!

  • Wanna Write A Regional Ghost Book?

    21 members Latest Activity: May 13 Hi, I’m a senior editor with Schiffer Publishing and we are looking for authors of nonfiction regional ghost books for cities or well-populated towns…

  • Dark Eden Press

    16 members Latest Activity: Oct 4 A place to chat about upcoming releases, contests and more!

  • Virtual Tales

    12 members Latest Activity: Jun 13 Group for authors, editors and fans of books published at Virtual Tales.

  • Beach Tales

    13 members Latest Activity: Aug 20 Do you like stories - fiction or non fiction - that are set along the ocean and the coast? Do you like stories that involve lighthouses and boats? Tho…

  • Readers' Station

    35 members Latest Activity: Nov 10 Hello, I'm the founder of the Readers' Station. I work with a talented and interesting group of authors at the Readers' Station. Our website is www.re…

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Morgan Mandel Morgan Mandel created this social network on Ning.

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MORGAN'S OWN BLOGSPOT

A Christmas Tree Already

On the way home from work yesterday, I passed a house that already had a lighted and decorated Christmas tree up and showing by the window.

Is it not too soon for that? In my mind, the day after Thanksgiving is when the Christmas Season starts. That's when it's fair game to put up a tree and decorations and start shopping. The way things are going this year, I'll be lucky if I get organized enough to decorate a few days before Christmas.

With our dog, Rascal, who lives up to her name, we'll probably go with a fiber optic small tree on top of an end table. One of these days I may pull put the larger tree from the box in the basement and set it up, but not until our doggy is a little more sedate. I don't feel like chasing her to get ornaments out of her mouth. I will be putting up knick knacks, lights inside and decorations on the walls, so it will still look Christmasy. No lights outside because for some reason we have no outlets outside.

While we're on the subject of Christmas trees and such, be sure to add holidays in your books. You can mention decorations and lights  or Easter eggs and baskets, or even mattress sales in your descriptions to ground the reader as to the season.
Now, back to that tree I saw. What about you? When do you decorate for Christmas? What do you put up?

Winners and Losers at the CMAs and Life

I love country music and almost every country performer. While watching the CMAs, I enjoyed seeing the winners accept their awards. On the other hand, it was hard for me to see the losers do their best to appear gracious and for the most part succeeding.

For every winner, there's a loser. In life and in books, it's the same way. How people react to their good and bad fortune shows what their characters are made of.  You don't have to tell a reader who the good guy or  bad guy is. Let their actions speak for themselves. The readers are smart enough to figure it out.

PS Can't finish this blog without saying - You Rock, Taylor Swift! You are one smart, talented teenager! Congrats on all your awards, especially, Entertainer of the Year!!!

CMA Awards Tonight and Twitter

One of my favorite shows is on tonight - the CMA Awards. If you're a country music fan, you're probably like me and will be glued to the TV 8pm EST, or in my case 7pm, in the flatlands of Illinois.

Almost all my favorite performers will be there, except I hear that Rascal Flatts can't make it.

I'll be on Twitter during the show also. That's part of the fun of it - discussing and dissecting outfits, performers, songs and even commercials, kind of like I'm at a giant party with people who all go for the same thing and want to share.

What about you? What kind of music do you like? Do you tweet during a favorite show or event?

Things People Say and Do at Book Signings


Saturday was a Killer Career book signing at Barnes and Noble in Schaumburg. I just love the way they do their posters, by the way. Very professional looking.

It was 70 degrees outside, which is an unusual temperature for November. Needless to say, not everyone wanted to waste such a beautiful day by pending it inside a book shop.

The usual assortment of customers did come by, some asking me questions about how long it took to write my book, how I got started, and how many books I'd written.
Some said they'd never heard of me. I've heard that one before. (g) 

What was surprising is that three children, not at the same time or with the same party, asked for my autograph - two on the back of bookmarks, one on a slip of paper. That usually doesn't happen. Maybe it's the economy. I don't know if their parents put them up to it, or if they thought of it themselves.

One person asked about my book and then said she doesn't buy from Barnes and Noble, but online instead. Since she was in the store, I can only assume she was scouting there for books first. I don't know.

Oh, yes, a variation on the restroom question was, "Where are the dictionaries?"


Another took the time to show me some missing pages in one of the magazines.

What about you? What questions have people asked you at book signings? Anything that stood out at a book signing you'd like to share?

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Rascal is sleeping right now. When she gets up, you'll know about it.

When RASCAL wakes up, you'll hear from her and/or her Mom - that would be me, Morgan Mandel.

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