MANA's New Release: "Superstorm Sandy: In the Eyes of the Children" Now Available

Seven months before a tornado ripped through Moore, Oklahoma, Superstorm Sandy destroyed parts of New Jersey and New York on October 29, 2012. Now, a new book has been released that describes the storm from the children's perspective. 

Superstorm Sandy: In the Eyes of the Children, is a collection of essays from children who witnessed the destruction firsthand and felt – and some are still feeling – the devastating affects of the storm. Some residents are just now moving back into their rebuilt homes, while thousands of others are still homeless because their homes cannot be rebuilt or are still under reconstruction. 

In their essays, the children describe what they were doing before the storm hit,  the sights and sounds of the storm, how their homes were lost, and the pain and hearbreak they felt because of the storm. One student asked New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to "restore the shore." (Update: The Jersey Shore reopened Memorial Date weekend).

While many New York and New Jersey residents are trying to get their lives back on track, the emotional, psychological, and physical scars still remain from the storm, which flooded thousands of homes and caused dozens of death. 

The Bugle Calls

By Captain Adrian D. Massey
(For CPT Terrance Wright,  1LT Jeremy Wolfe, and our Fallen Comrades

Having been a witness at the windows of your soul, where we shared goals, dreams and life stories, 
I listened to you speaking of wanting to marry and have children. 
I watched your silent faith speak volumes. 
Having been even prepared for war, 
no one is prepared to lose a friend and comrade like this. 
Although your journey shortened, 
a Solider's soul never dies.
A flag is folded for you, 
and the bugle's tone vibrates
similar to your spirit in the air; 
it never ceases, always plays.
You are remembered and respected
as I pray for you, having been a witness
at the windows of your soul.
Tears run sharply down my face and theirs, 
my hand goes sharply up,
fingers to the corner of my right brow.
Young paratrooper, you are remembered.

Excerpt from A Solider's Poetic Response: A Slice of His Life. 
Click HERE to preview the book. 

Top Ten Writing Rules From Famous Writers

Produced by Lyra Communications, this video of the Top Ten Writing Rules from famous writers will inspire your writing and your love for the craft.

May is ALS Awareness Month

May is ALS Awareness month and The ALS Association will mark the month with a call to action to "Create a world without ALS. Speak up now to give hope."

ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects a person's nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The ALS Association supports global research and advocacy for those facing the challenges of the disease.

According to its most recent website traffic statistics, The ALS Association finds that more and more people are visiting www.alsa.org looking for information about the disease, its symptoms, diagnoses and treatments. This month, The ALS Association will work to turn that interest into action through an online and social media campaign around the shared vision to create a world without ALS.

"We typically see a spike in our web traffic when someone very visible is connected to ALS," Jane H. Gilbert, President and CEO of The ALS Association, said in a prepared statement. "But those spikes are now built upon a solid stream of daily visitors. During this year's ALS Awareness Month, we want to funnel that interest into action to encourage people to get involved in the fight against this devastating disease."

This year, MarketingNewAuthors.com (MANA) is getting involved by committing 10% of most of its sales to The ALS Association. Also, MANA is also using its Sunriser blog to raise awareness of ALS with its MANA Blog Continuing Short Story. For every 20 posts on the MANA Blog Continuing Short Story, MANA will donate $10 to The ALS Association. So, it's not too late to submit your comments to the MANA Blog Continuing Short Story.

Do You Know The Difference Between Traditional Publishing and Self-Publishing?

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Raising An Avid Reader

By Amanda C Smathers 

Pride filled my heart and tears came to my eyes as I walked out of the parent/teacher conference. My three year old is growing up. Her daycare teacher told us that her favorite past time was to sit in the library section of the classroom with her best friend and take turns reading and pretending to be teachers. As a former teacher of eight years, I was delighted that her passion is books and I know this is not by chance.

My husband and I are both avid readers. He reads two magazines a week and I love reading a book or on the iPad before bed. When I was a kid I'd spend hours lost in a book. It would be nothing to spend the entire weekend reading a novel from cover to cover. As an adult, I miss that freedom of reading. I still find time to read but no longer can I forget my responsibilities.

Allow your children to catch you reading a book or magazine. It shows them that you value books and you enjoy reading. They will follow your example. When they are babies read out loud to them the Reader's Digest or your favorite author. Use an upbeat voice and it won't matter if you are reading a children's book or the latest detective novel.