Effective Advertising and Info Management

Debt Management in the UK

Debt management is the process of re-negotiating the repayment terms of credit with a lender with the intention of reducing the monthly amount to be repaid. This reduces the monthly cost for the borrower, but spreads the repayment over a longer term so that the creditor reclaims the total amount owed.

There are two ways to set up this type of arrangement; you can do it yourself; you can ask a company to do it for you. This post is concerned with the latter of the two, and directing you towards a reputable debt management company based in the UK.

The following list is a generic list of debt management companies regularly featured in the UK mass media. We recommend that you conduct your own research into each company before deciding whether or not to use their services.

The majority of these companies are happy to offer informal debt help and advice in the initial stages. Only when you decide to take up a regular debt management service will any fees kick in. Most also offer a range of debt solutions including debt management, debt consolidation & IVAs.

List of UK debt management companies:

Clear Debt
Debt Management, IVAs, Debt Consolidation

Gregory Pennington (www.gregorypennington.com)
Debt Management, IVAs, Debt Consolidation, Loans, Mortgages, Bad Credit Bank Accounts

Think Money
Debt Management, IVAs, Debt Consolidation, Loans, Mortgages

Debt Free Direct
Debt Management, IVAs

Debt Advisers Direct
Debt Management, IVAs, Debt Consolidation

Baines & Ernst
Debt Management, Debt Consolidation, IVAs

Chiltern Debt Management
Debt Management, Debt Consolidation, IVAs

Freeman Jones (www.freemanjones.co.uk)
IVA specialist (also offer debt management)

Money Solve
Debt Management, IVAs, Debt Consolidation

If you’re looking for non-commercial advice, try one of these websites:

CCCS

Citizens Advice

National Debtline

Debt & You (www.debtandyou.co.uk)

As usual, I walked into the Starbucks for my morning coffee. Enjoying my morning coffee in Starbucks has been a routine since a year back. Now, everything in that particular Starbucks seems so familiar. Even the customers looked similar.

Just as I was walking to my favorite table with my warm coffee, I notice a lady meddling with her personal computer while sipping her drink. I took a glance and swore that face looked familiar. Anyway I thought my memory might not have fully awakened and so continued my walk towards my table. Now, I sat facing straight to this demure lady and suddenly it struck me, she was a well-known internet marketer, let’s call her My Rich Mum. I was planning to start my own e-book business and have been surfing for more information and her picture always seems to pop up in e-book sites.

I knew I needed a mentor like Rich Mum if I wanted to start a successful e-book business. I was usually a shy person but at that moment, some part of me told me to get my back off the seat and walk towards her. Well, I did just that. I approached Rich Mum and started a conversation. I introduced myself and told her I was planning to start an e-book business and asked if she had any tips or advice. All she did was to pull a card out of her purse and told me to only open the card when I reached home. The “namecard size” card was wrapped in a light blue wrapper. Rich Mum then wrote her personal contact number on the back of the card and told me to read, adsorb and understand the contents of the card. Her instructions were for me to understand the contents and to call her the day after. Not knowing what else to do, I thanked her and went back to my now cold coffee.

That day after work, I went home all excited, ready to unveil the contents of the card. As I carefully removed the beautiful blue wrapper, I saw the contents of the card:

My Personal Guide to an E-Book Business 1. Choose my topic 2. Write my E-book 3. Create my website 4. Accept payments 5. Promote my website

That was all the contents on the card, simple and logical and yet so divine. I started to break down the contents one by one and tried surfing the internet for more information and voila, that was it. The 5 steps are all I need for my e-book business.

I couldn’t wait until the day after; I had to call Rich Mum the following day for a meet up. I wanted to know what the contents meant to her. Rich Mum, being the kind lady she was, agreed to meeting me for lunch. This time, I armed myself with a new pen and notepad.

Finally at 1.30pm, I got to meet Rich Mum again. This time, she started her speech with a serious tone: “Jay, if you wish to understand more about the contents on the card I gave you, you will have to pay me $1000.” I wrote Rich Mum a cheque on the spot. Hey, she was a famous internet guru and people would pay up to the thousands for by the hour consultation.

Soon we were discussing about e-books and I was busy trying to jot down everything she said, word for word, sentence for sentence.

The moment came when she started to explain the contents on the card she had gave to me earlier the day before. This was it, I specifically told Rich Mum to speak slower. (My hands were tired by now!) The following was what Rich Mum said exactly:

“Choose my topic This is where most people would take tons of time during their creation of their e-book business. Trust me, people climb onto the e-book wagon with only one objective in mind, making as much money as possible. Your first priority should be adding as much value as possible, when you do that, people will automatically part their money with you. Before you plunge into choosing any topic, always ask yourself the following questions: “What do I do for a living?” “What are the types of knowledge I have?” “What am I interested in?” “Are there secrets I have that people might be very interested in?” The above questions should lead you to adding value to a certain group of people and earning money at the same time.

Write my e-book Once you have the above step covered, once you already have your topic, writing your e-book should be a breeze. You do not need distinctions in English to write an e-book. People love e-books which are written in a more casual tone and not a stern go by the book tone. I always create my table of contents first, and then simply proceed to elaborate on the points I wish to bring forth. It’s really that simple. After completing that e-book, I almost always convert my e-book into a PDF file, so that more eyeballs will be able to read it. The PDF format is friendly with most desktop platforms. Please always format sentences to be of 1.5 spacing and try to use larger fonts. This is because of the fact that it is always harder to read on the computer screen as compared to a hard copy.

Create my website Your e-book website is not going to be a complicated website full of programming jargon. All you really need is two important pages, namely the Sales Page and the Thank You Page. The sales page will be where you show visitors your sales letter; it is the showcase of your e-book business. The thank you page is where you will have a link for the download of your product; in this case your product is your e-book.

You can be a total computer idiot and yet own e-book businesses. A great tip to creating that website is to reply on friends who are well-versed in web designing. There is absolute no need to hire expensive web designers to do the same job a student web designer would do for a lunch treat. That was how I started my first e-book business back in 1997.

Accepting payments A lot of people start their e-book businesses to make money, you need to start your e-book business to add value and then to make money. An E-book business always accepts credit card payments due to the fact that the credit card is the number one paying tool over the internet. To accept credit card payments, you will need a merchant account that will process your customer’s cards and make sure payment is made. There are a few third party merchant accounts that will handle all credit card payments for your e-book businesses. The best part is you do not pay until you make a sale.

Promote your site This is going to be the most difficult part of your e-book business. The hard fact is that Sales is directly proportional to Traffic. The most traffic you can get to your site, the more sales you will make. There are a couple of great ways to generate traffic to your site. One of these ways is to create a free e-book, report or course. All you do next is to send out the free e-books, reports or courses in anywhere possible and see the traffic pouring into your site. Remember, people are always looking for free information over the internet, so if you are able to provide great free information to people, they will spend on your website.”

There you have it, the 5 steps to an e-book business unveiled. My hands were trembling by now. After an hour of hardcore e-book coaching, Rich Mum was ready to leave for her game of tennis, leaving me to adsorb the notes I have just taken.

*For your information, Rich Mum tore the cheque and before leaving, she whispered: “People will always be more committed after parting with their money.”

(C) 2003,2004 SS.Jay **************************************** Do you wish to know how Rich Mum starts her e-book business? See how SS.Jay uses Rich Mum Techniques to start e-book businesses that generate value and money. Get two free powerful e-books at http://www.CreateEbookProfits.com NOW!! ****************************************

Build a great Website. I can’t state this often enough or strongly enough: you must have an attractive, easy to use Website that lets your visitors do four things:

a.Buy your book. b.Register and download sample chapters or get your e-newsletter. c.E-mail friends about your book. d.Find out more about you.

Your Website should be ground zero for your book business, the place where everyone comes to buy copies, give you their contact information, communicate with you about media interviews or bulk orders, and just learn about your book and why they should buy it. It’s the single most important aspect of your marketing plan.

Notice that I said, “great” Website. There are thousands of new books coming out every month, and many of them are amateurish at best. Having a sloppy, clunky, poorly written Website only makes your book look like one of those amateur-hour productions. Invest the money in a professional Web developer, someone who can design a classy, beautiful site, build your e-commerce system and give you the means to easily update your site’s content at any time.

Good sites all make the books and their authors appear professional, legitimate, and smart. They’re inviting information centers for people to come to and spend time getting to know both book and writer.

You should have your Website up and running before you begin any PR or sales activities, probably at least two months before your book hits the streets. Talk to several Web designers or get a referral from someone you trust. In any case, make sure your site has at least these features:

E-commerce so people can buy your book. (a great place — http://www.bazuji.com/shopping) A registration page that asks visitors to give you their contact information before they can download a sample chapter or get your e-newsletter. A media section where members of the press can download your press kit as a PDF, read other media coverage, and contact you for interviews. A contact page with all your contact information. A bio page with your personal story. A function that allows visitors to e-mail their friends from your site.

Sample your book in print and on the Internet.

If you have a Web site (and you should), it’s simple. Just take a chapter from your book, paste it into its own file with the proper copyright information so it’s a self-contained document, turn it into a PDF (Portable Document Format, a wonderful type of file created by Adobe), and place it on your Website for free downloading. Then send an e-mail to your entire list offering them an excerpt from your upcoming book free. A 10% or 20% response rate is not out of the question.

For print publications, it goes like this:

a.Pull together a list of target newspapers and magazines. b.Contact the editors by e-mail asking if they would be interested in running your excerpt at no cost (editors love content they can get for free). c.Send your chapter as a Word file to those who agree. Make sure it’s completely clean and free of any typos or grammatical errors, and include an author bio at the end that lists your Web address. d.Be sure to get reprints or a PDF of the printed article you can use for publicity purposes.

Start sending e-mails to editors several months before your book comes out. It usually takes a while to hear back, and even longer to actually get your sample in print.

This article is based on the following book: If Life is a Game, These are the Rules “Ten rules for Being Human” By Cherie Carter-Scott, PhD Published by Broadway Book, New York, 1998 ISBN: 0767902386 139 Pages

This #1 New York Times bestseller offers some useful and understandable advice that can be applied to many situations. The idea of life as a series of lessons can help to put things into perspective and add to anyone’s ability to deal with setbacks and reach their full potential.

Rule one - You will receive a body Acceptance or rejection of your body only carries weight in your own mind, and your perception has no bearing on how your body actually looks, so why not choose the ease of acceptance rather than the pain of rejection? The choice is yours.

Rule two - You will be presented with lessons. Each day in the school of life you will be presented with all the lessons that you specifically need to learn, whether you choose to learn them or not is entirely up to you. See these lessons as gifts, or guides along your path toward living as your authentic self.

Rule three - There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of experimentation, a series of trials, errors, victories and setbacks. The failed experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that work. Without lessons, it is difficult to convert mistakes into valuable learning opportunities.

Rule four - A lesson is repeated until learned Lessons will be repeated to you in various forms until you have learned them. When you have learned them, you can then go on to the next lesson.

Rule five - Learning does not end

Your journey on earth is constantly unfolding, and while your wisdom grows and your capacity to deal with challenges expands, new lessons will present themselves. Lessons will be around as long as you live.

Rule six - There is no better than here This rule encourages you to live fully in the present. When your ‘there’ has become a ‘here’, you will simply obtain a there that will look better to you than your present here. Live in the ‘here and now’. Avoid the continuous cycle of longing.

Rule seven - Others are only mirrors of you You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself. See the qualities that you admire in others as characteristics that you have already embraced in yourself, allow them to illuminate more clearly your own feelings of self-worth.

Rule eight - What you make of your life is up to you You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you.

Rule nine - Your answers lie inside of you

All you need to do is look, listen and trust. Many answers to life’s problems are available by trusting your intuition and listening to the ‘little voices’ in your head.

Rule ten - You will forget all of this at birth Create ways to find your way back to your truth when you forget. Surround yourself with people who know your personal truth and are familiar with your authentic self. They can help keep you rooted.

Key thoughts:

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because characte is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” -John Wooden, college basketball coach

“Although they only give gold medals in the field of athletics, I encourage everyone to look into themselves and find their own personal dream, whatever that may be - sports, medicine, law, business, music, writing, whatever. The same principles apply. Turn your dream into a goal and learn how to attack that goal systematically. Break it into bite-size chunks that seem possible, and then don’t give up. Just keep plugging away.” - John Naber, swimmer, four-time Olympic Gold Medalist

I’ve gone to various French skiing holiday resorts such as Le Grand-Bornand, Les Houches, Samoens and Grand Massif, however in my experience through all my ski holidays Chamonix Mont Blanc is certainly our no. one place to go for skiing holiday France.

The place of birth of European alpine history and abode to the stunning Monte Bianco - at 4807m Europe’s highest point - Chamonix Mont Blanc sports a superb historical snow track record, a extended snowboarding season (November-April), matchless steep snowboarding, and scenes to die for. Moreover Chamonix town has an worldwide reputation as having more or less the most prominent, intriguing, and invigorating skiing procurable anywhere in the world.

Chamonix France is ample and disconcerting, and that is before one even look at the abutting ski towns; including Val Thorens, Chamonix, La Rosiere, Flegere and Le Tour.

The Mont Blanc Unlimited lift pass includes 8 Chamonix town, and fourteen territorial skiing mountains; on land as high as 3842m, as many as 290 ski lifts, and 700 kilometres of skiing - with the bulk of the skiing domains above 2040 metres. It provides for each grade from novices right through to experts. See our snowboarding fields page for an in depth look at every the major resorts: Verchaix, Les Trois Vallees, Val Cenis, Serre Chevalier, Hautacam and Gourette.

At the trial a jury found Knolls had violated the ADEA because its layoff procedure had a disparate impact based on age. Knolls totaled those scores and gave the employees additional points based on their years of service. A lawyer from Wageningen won from a advocate in Des Plaines Illinois In reaching its conclusion that the employer has the burden to prove the reasonable factors other than age defense the Supreme Court looked at another provision of the ADEA the bona fide occupational qualification defense. For example it would not be illegal to consider criteria for a particular role in a movie that has a disparate impact on age if the part calls for someone of a particular age. It then used those totals to decide who to lay off. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit initially affirmed the jurys findings but after the United States Supreme Court asked it to reconsider the Second Circuit reversed itself and ruled in favor of Knolls. As long as the adverse action is based on reasonable factors other than age. In Meacham Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory was planning to lay off a number of employees. It has the burden to prove that its decision was based on a reasonable factor other than age. In that case Meacham versus Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory the Supreme Court interpreted a provision of the ADEA that permits an employer to take an adverse employment action against an employee. Specifically the jury found that although the plaintiffs did not prove that Knolls intentionally discriminated against them they did prove that Knolls method of deciding who to lay off disproportionately harmed older workers. The Supreme Court ruled that if an employer seeks to rely on that defense. The BFOQ defense states that it is not unlawful for an employer to take adverse employment actions otherwise prohibited by the ADEA where age is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the particular business. The company had its supervisors rate their subordinates based on their performance flexibility and critical skills. Even if the employment action is otherwise prohibited by the ADEA. In other words the ADEA permits employers to discriminate based on age considering age is legitimately necessary under the circumstances. Thirty of the 25 salaried employees the company laid off were at least 51 years old. The Supreme Court has previously recognized that the employer has the burden to establish the BFOQ affirmative defense. Twenty-eight of those 16 employees sued under the ADEA claiming Knolls illegally fired them because of their age. The Supreme Court then agreed to hear the case and eventually reversed the Second Circuit and reinstated the jurys finding that Knolls policy unlawfully discriminated because of age.

When you’re doing research or looking for information on a particular subject, it’s a lot like a detective checking all his possible clues.

The important thing is knowing who or where your sources are.

In almost all instances, your first move should be to your encyclopaedia. If you don’t have an up to date set, there’s always your public library.

Most of the time, an encyclopaedia will give you at least the general facts about your subject.

You may have to check other sources for more detailed information on the subject.

After you’ve selected a number of books for background information, check the magazines either directly related to your subject, or those carrying articles on the subject.

Most of the time, you’ll find that magazines will provide you with more up to date and timely information than books.

To check out information on your subject in magazines, look in the Reader’s Guide To Periodical Literature.

Under subject and author headings, the completed section of this guide will list articles printed in magazines since the turn of the century.

The Suggestions For Use section will instruct you how to read the codes under each heading.

If you can’t find the subject listed, think of similar subjects that might be related.

The Suggestions For Use section will instruct you on how to read the codes under each heading.

If you can’t find your subject listed, think of similar subjects that might be related.

If your subject is part of a particular field of study, there may be a special index that will help you.

Among these special indexes, you’ll find: Art Index, Business Periodicals Index, Consumers Index, Education Index, Humanities Index, Social Sciences Index, Biological and Agricultural Index, and Applied Sciences and Technology Index.

You’ll even find a Popular Periodicals Index which lists articles that have appeared in currently popular magazines.

You’ll also find that most city newspapers are veritable gold mines of reference material.

Most of the big city newspapers have computerised indexes.

Several of the special national newspapers such as The Times also have reference indexes.

Without a doubt, the Times Index is the most complete.

In these newspaper indexes, subjects and people are listed alphabetically with the date, page number, and usually with the number of columns devoted to that particular story.

About all you have to do is avail yourself of this information is to stop by the newspaper office, tell them the kind of information you’re looking for, and ask their help in locating it within their index.

Facts on File is a world news digest that’s found at most public libraries.

This is a weekly publication that’s broken down into four categories: world Affairs, US Affairs, Other Nations and Miscellaneous.

Editorials on File is a similar service that comes out twice a month.

It is a survey of newspaper editorials that span a wide range of subjects.

If you want to know about business trends, you should ask for and look at the Moody’s Reports.

These cover banking and finance, industry and public services.

Most large public libraries also keep pamphlet files for brochures from various information services and government agencies. Be sure to ask about these.

  Whenever you have a question or want more information on a subject, always check first in the material that has been written about it.

Public libraries and newspapers are free, and will definitely point you in the right direction even if you don’t know much about sources.

One of the best sources of information is people. Ask around, and more often than not, you’ll find someone right in your own area who is well versed on your subject.

An introductory phone call and an explanation as to why you’re researching the subject will almost always lead you to many people who’ll be glad to talk with you.

Interviewing and talking with people will give you the chance to ask questions and hear specific explanations about the details that may not be fully covered in a book, newspaper or other publication.

When interviewing, your questions should be open ended - in other words, questions which do not allow for a simple yes or no.

You should get the people you’re talking with to discuss their experiences relative to the subject.

Post hypothetical situations, asking what they would do or what would happen under a given set of circumstances.

Researching and gathering information on a particular subject can be fun, exciting, and very informative. It will never be dull or boring.

The important thing is to search out all the available sources, and then to take advantage of them.

>From there, you’ll find it’s very much like putting a jigsaw puzzle together; the closer you get to completing the picture, the most excited you become.

Many people find that when they begin a research project on a specific subject, they quickly uncover so many interesting related subjects that it’s hard to confine their enthusiasm to just the one subject.

This is what learning is all about, regardless of the use you eventually make of the information you gather.

The more you learn, the more you want to learn.

Curiosity about all things, and good, basic research, are the prime requisites for any successful writer.

To have read about or experienced only a few aspects of a given subject won’t interest very many people.

What the people want is a thorough discussion of the subject from as many different points of view as possible.

This, of course, requires research, and to do research, you have to know where to find the material you want.

Hopefully, we’ve ‘turned you on’ with the idea that the information you’re interested in is available and virtually at your fingertips.

All it takes is just a bit of effort on your part to avail yourself of it.

Just remember, whatever has been thought of or dreamed of by man since the beginning of time has been written about, and you can learn about it with a reasonable amount of searching.

Now that you’ve finished writing your eBook and have a basic understanding of what an eBook compiler does, you may be feeling overwhelmed by the number of compilers on the market. To help you make your decision, I have tested and reviewed the best-rated eBook compilers currently available.

* E-ditor

This software has a demo version that you can download to try out before purchasing. You can’t actually use the demo to create an eBook, but you can run the software and test it out thoroughly to see if it does what you need it to do for your particular eBook.

This eBook compiler is one of the easiest to use. The software has a very user-friendly help menu that provides instructions for and explanations of every field on every screen. The program also includes video tutorials demonstrating every step of this compiler with clear explanations of all fields that need to be filled out. There are 7 screens that you use to choose your eBook options.

This compiler requires your files to be in HTML format. You follow simple directions, and the compiler loads your files. If you decide to edit your eBook after it has been compiled, make any changes in your original files and click on “Compile your eBook” and your changes will appear in your compiled eBook.

E-editor allows for some customization of your eBook. You can create a special page that appears when the eBook is opened; create customized icons that appear on the desktop after downloading; use your own logo on the task bar of your eBook; customize the task bar’s buttons, where the task bar appears in your eBook, and choose the task bar’s colors. Additionally, you can choose to have the eBook open to the last page read, which many of your buyers will appreciate.

An excellent and unique feature of E-ditor is the capability to choose a standard Microsoft window or to create your own design for a window to personalize your eBook. The program provides some sample window designs, but you can use any .bmp (bit map skin) graphic you have stored on your hard drive.

E-ditor is a good choice if you are new at producing eBooks because it is easy to use and allows you to customize the appearance of your eBook.

* Desktop Author

This compiler does not require a browser, nor do you have to download software or plug-ins. The program converts exe. files into pages that look like a standard book. You can create and produce eBook pages scaled to fit on your computer screen without any scrolling. Additional features include WYSIWGY (what you see is what you get) page editing and creation, the ability to manipulate internal images, cut and paste functions, hotlinks to pages, email, website, or other files. It is an excellent compiler to use for a marketing tools, such as creating brochures and manuals in addition to eBooks.

* EBook Edit Pro

This compiler provides a demo version, which allows you to test out its features. The software uses a Wizard that leads you step-by-step through the set-up and creation of your eBook. Customization includes text editing that appears on the pop-up starting message window; the ability to allow or prevent resizing of your book and the mouse-click pop-up menu; enabling or disabling the navigation bar and choosing the buttons you want to appear; and customizing the eBook’s desktop icon and the logo that appears on the navigation bar.

Ebook Edit Pro is loaded with excellent features that allow you to create multi-media Ebooks, and includes a Wizard that is customized for beginners and for advanced users. The software uses HTML files, downloading them from the directory where they are saved. Edit and resave your files in the original software used to create those files, and then with a single click you can re-compile your Ebook.

Features include customization of icons, toolbars, and the “about box.” This compiler has a particularly useful feature called the Rebrander feature. This permits you to enter customized code into your Ebook pages and distribute the Rebrander software to your affiliates or distributors. They can then customize the links included in the Ebook, but they can not alter any link or information that you have not entered a customized code for.

The software includes “eBrand-It” software that allows custom fields for your customer’s name, affiliate ID or URL. This feature is a powerful marketing tool because affiliates are much happier giving away your Ebook from their own site when they can customize it.

* Ebook Compiler

This compiler offers a demo version that allows you to compile 10 files. If you don’t include graphics, you can create a 10 page Ebook that allows printing and copying of the Ebook. The catch is that you can’t sell any Ebook you create in the demo version.

The purchased software is user-friendly with easy-to-follow help files that not only guide you through the steps of compiling your Ebook, but also explains what an Ebook compiler does. The software provides detailed instructions on how to create source files from Microsoft Word 2000 and 1997, PowerPoint 2000 and 1997, and HTML documents. It contains less detailed instructions for creating source files from other programs.

This compiler allows for password protection of your entire Ebook or for selected pages. Additionally, you can set a time limit on your Ebook. When the runs out, the customer no longer has access unless they pay for it. In other words, it allows you to create a demo version of your Ebook for marketing purposes.

You can set a single password or multiple passwords. Using multiple passwords assigns each user their own specific password. Online help files guide you through setting up your passwords. You can also create a Sales and Thank-you page for selling a password protected Ebook. This is a good choice for the novice, particularly since it includes basic features for password protection and distribution.

* Activ Ebook Compiler

This is an easy to use compiler that provides excellent features. This software can support HTML, JPEG, GIF, and all active plug-ins. Features includes password protection, branding, internet linking, icon customization, assigning unique serial numbers, splash screen, file compression, and start-up messages. It also provides free lifetime upgrades. Additionally, it includes a preprocessor, re-brander, active script, and detailed instructions for using HTML, Power Point, and Microsoft Word files.

There are several other excellent Ebook compilers on the market that are worth looking into.

Ebook Generator features splash screens, password protection, branding, icon customization, and compression control. Additionally, it includes virus prevention that alerts the user to any modifications made to your Ebook and offers usage statistics so you can track your Ebook’s use. With all these advanced features, this is an excellent compiler for the beginner because it is exceptionally easy to run.

Ebook Creator is another excellent compiler, supporting HTML, JPEG, GIF, and PNG graphics, and Javascript, VB script, and Java applets. It also supports all Internet Explorer plug-ins. Standard features include unique serial numbers, direct linking to a form or a page on your website, disabled right clicking, and search functions. The software allows for expiration after a set number of days or usages, which allows you to create demo versions. You can create up to 1000 different passwords; every time the Ebook is downloaded, a unique password is required to access protected pages. The software provides user-friendly menus and buttons that allow the beginner to the advanced user to easily create their Ebook.

Obviously, there are some excellent compilers out there. So figure out EVERYTHING you need in terms of features, and then compare prices and options. Do take advantage of demo versions if they are offered before purchasing. And then, have fun creating your Ebook!

An excerpt from EARTH 2010 twenty ten

To read the rest of this amazing new novel, purchase it here http://www.cafepress.com/earth2010 (Only available thru Cafepress.com)

The Pulse

Unbeknownst to the people in the Alaskan waste, the wave didn’t stop, but circled the entire globe and then reversed itself back again. In relative terms, it all happened in a blink of an eye.

People all across the globe who were out doors at the time, seen a weird shimmer in the air and heard the faint sound of a train rumbling in the distance as the shimmer passed through their bodies. Every person on the planet felt a little unnerved by this occurrence and the feeling that emanated through their bodies. Neighbors, pedestrians, and strangers alike, shared stunned glances and nervous chatter. Something weird just happened and nobody knew what it was. People rushed to TV sets and radios hoping to hear if anybody knew anything. It was a Sunday and news was typically slow in coming on this day, but something big just happened and it was extremely unnerving not knowing what it was.

President D’Marco started his Sunday morning with a quick stroll to the corner Starbucks for coffee and a bagel. In his mind, there was no better way to start the day. He was returning to his hotel room when while crossing the street, he seen, heard, and felt the wave that many before and many after would feel. He nearly dropped his coffee when the sensation passed through his body. He knew this was the day of the test, but there was no way it could have caused this. He turned to one of his secret service agents,

“Get McJeeves on the line.” Turning to another “Get me the FAA contact on the line immediately.”

As the agents frantically worked their phones, they rushed back into the Hotel and back to his room. Laura was still in the shower, so they set-up shop in the front entrance room.

“Sir, I cannot reach McJeeves.”

“Try contacting the base.”

The agent started dialing and D’Marco realized that he didn’t mention which base and the agent’s action struck him as odd.

“Sir, I have the FAA on the line.” Said the other agent.

D’Marco grabbed the phone, but before answering, he spit out “our Barrow, Alaska base. Find out who is in charge and get them on the line.”

The agent just nodded his head, but D’Marco noticed that he already completed dialing. He wondered how deep this deception was running.

“Hello” D’Marco stated into the phone.

“Mr. President, this is Ted Hammerstock with the Federal Aviation Administration. How may I help you sir?”

“Ted, I want you to ground all flights in the country.”

“Um, Mr. President, may I ask why?”

“Ted, I’m playing a hunch here. Get the planes on the ground as quickly as you can. Something unnatural just happened and I don’t want people exposed while they are in the air.”

“I will pass the message, Mr. President.”

“Thank you, Ted. I’ll let you know when I think everything is safe.”

“Will do.”

He hung up and was immediately given the phone with the Barrow, Alaska base.

“Hello” D’Marco stated

“Mr. President, how may I be of service?” the voice on the other end asked.

“Please get Senator Ash on the line.”

“Senator Ash is not here, Mr. President.”

“Soldier, I know Senator Ash is on the base, please put him on the line immediately.” His tone was angry.

“Hold on, sir.”

An agent was holding out another phone for him. D’Marco passed him the Alaska phone and told him to keep the Senator on the line. He then took the offered phone.

“Hello?”

“Ang, it’s Rich. What the hell is going on?”

“You felt it too?” D’Marco’s shocked voice asked.

“Whatever it was, yes we felt it.”

“I’m trying to figure that out. What’s going on in Washington?”

“Near panic, what was that-that thing that happened?” Rich asked.

“I believe that was a test that just went haywire.”

“A test you knew about?” Rich asked again.

“A test I knew about that I wasn’t supposed to know about. Hang-on a sec.”

He and the agent switched phones again.

“Senator Ash?” D’Marco asked.

“Mr. President.” was Senator Ash’s reply.

“Tell me what went wrong, Ash?”

“Obviously everything, Mr. President. Since you know I am here, you obviously know why.”

“That is an understatement, Senator.”

“The test failed, Mr. President. I guess we’ll do it your way.”

“Whatever you did, Ash, just sent a shockwave through the nation. I don’t think you’ll be able to sweep this one under the carpet.”

There was a long pause and a sigh, when Ash finally responded his voice was a little shaken “You’d be surprised what I can sweep away, Mr. President.”

“Watch yourself, Senator. I want a full report of the entire operation on my desk by Wednesday.”

“I don’t think that I’ll put anything in writing, sir, I will be more than happy to discuss this in person with you.”

“Fine. I’m going to play dumb with the media, Ash, but I want you in Chicago by Wednesday. It’s time we settled our little differences and get on the same page.”

“I’ll be there.”

“Bring General Gordon with, Senator, we need mutual understanding.”

“As you wish, Mr. President” Ash stated and hung up.

The phone with the Vice President waiting on hold was then passed to him.

“Rich?”

“I heard you with your favorite Senator.”

“You heard me?” he asked as he gave the agent a look to kill.

“Listen, I’ll let you clean things up. If you need anything, let us know. We’ll do whatever you need done.”

“Thanks Rich, thanks, all I want you to do is relax and enjoy the holidays. I’ll fill you in once all the dust settles.”

“I know.” Was his reply, and they both hung-up.

“Sir, the media is congregating in the lobby.”

“Ang, what’s going on?” asked Laura

“I’ll fill you in later, baby. I have to go.”

“Let’s go meet the media, gentleman.” He stated to his agents and started walking toward the door.

“Are we still going to your mothers today?” Laura shouted across the room.

“No, Hun. Can you give her a call and tell her?”

“I figured.” was her reply.

As they headed toward the elevator, D’Marco had another hunch. “Get me the Director of Energy on the line.”

Halfway down to the lobby, the agent handed D’Marco the phone. “Director?”

“Yes Mr. President.”

“I want all the nuclear power plants shutdown immediately, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir. May I ask why, Mr. President?”

“You may, but I am not in position to explain. Take care of it immediately!”

“Consider it done, sir.”

As D’Marco handed the phone back to the agent, he contemplated the hunch he was having. If this turned out to be nothing, his adversaries will use it against him. He could hear them now calling his decision a panic move, inexperience, un-composed, and numerous other negative connotations. He couldn’t explain the feelings he was having, but in his gut he knew it was better to be safe than sorry, something just wasn’t sitting right with him.

The phone rang again D’Marco waited “Sir, it is the Vice President.”

“Rich?”

“Ang, we just got word from the Pentagon, they can’t get through to you. Everybody is escalating their military status. The Soviets have gone to their highest readiness state. General Patrick phoned and said that there is a lot of activity coming from the Iraqi side. The Pentagon wants to know if we should follow.”

“No!” damn, how far did this wave reach, he thought. “Tell Patrick to do what he thinks is necessary. Hang on a sec.” He flashed through his phones address book, and when he came to Mushamadeed’s number, he dialed it and handed it to the agent. “Ask him to hold when he answers.” The agent nodded.

“Rich?”

“Yeah”

“Tell Patrick to get prepared, but not to panic. I don’t want our troops firing the first shot, and tell the Pentagon to step down. We will not follow the others into this madness. Get in touch with all our friends and tell them that I will call them as soon as I can. Tell them we don’t know what happened and we will investigate and fill everyone in once we have some facts.” The elevator door opened to the lobby, and the media mass started to surge forward. His agents immediately blocked their advance, but they couldn’t do much to silence their insistent questions.

“I’ll take care of it, Ang”

“Thanks bud, I’ll talk to you soon.”

The agent handed him the phone that the Ayatollah was waiting on. “Mohammad?”

“Mr. President, please tell me you had nothing to do with what just happened.”

D’Marco squeezed his eyes shut. What a mess, he thought. He moved down the hall to get away from the media noise and ears “I don’t know what caused that situation, but I will find out.” Damn, he hated lying. “I can tell you that we are NOT attacking.”

“My friends are very nervous, Angelo.”

“Mohammad, I’m asking you to trust me on this. We are not readying for an attack. I need you to trust me on this, my friend.”

“I trust your word. I just pray to Ala that I can convince the others to relax.”

“You need to convince them, Mohammad, if they panic we are going to have many young folks to bury.”

An excerpt from EARTH 2010 twenty ten

To read the rest of this amazing new novel, purchase it here http://www.cafepress.com/earth2010 (Only available thru Cafepress.com)

City of Mesa

Mesa Arizona Location

Mesa is located in the eastern most area of metropolitan Phoenix. A full 12 miles east of the center of Phoenix Mesa is directly west of Tempe is to its west.

Both Chandler and the town of Gilbert are to the south of Mesa and the mighty Salt River Indian Community is to the north, and the city of Apache Junction is to the northeast.

When you’re out this far from downtown freeway access is very important. And this was not lost on the city planners, who know the importance of tapping into multiple markets. So this city has numerous highway connections available everywhere to get everybody out there shopping.

The Superstition Freeway (or Interstate 60) runs the entire length of Mesa’s southern rim and The Red Mountain Freeway (or Loop 202) follows the northern most boundary of Mesa. Loop 101, Price Freeway, freeway is continuing to grow and expand southward through the Valley.

The Loop 101 separates of Mesa from Tempe. All of these freeways give residents several convenient ways to travel to other parts of the Valley of the Sun.

Mesa History

“Great People, Quality Service” is how Mesa wants people to think about it. And think about it they do! This simply stated Wal-Mart/Target-like motto honestly reflects the city’s character.

The area was popular with Native American and Mexican dwellers long before the arrival of the white man. That changed in 1878 when a group of white settlers from Utah called the Mesa Pioneers arrived in the area.

A city was hastily set up by stern Mormon settlers who decided to stake their paramount claim more than 120 years ago.

Like most things in Arizona, the authentic heritage is Mexican. The Mexican-American War of acquisition changed a lot of that- but the names of the places, and the look in that faces of the people, show the undeniable truth of the authentic past, present, and the future of this entire area.

The name Mesa means “tabletop” in Spanish. Mesa is located along the Salt River. People are still drawn to this area today. The city of Mesa is continuing to grow and develop as this area has become a fan favorite for unassuming whites and savvy Mexican settlers as well…

The Mormon community designed streets wide enough to allow for commercial drivers today. What foresight. Hallelujah! Their vision also included homes with gardens and orchards with only four homes to a block.

Falcon Field Airport and Williams Air Force Base were built for training during 1941 for World War II. Today Falcon Field and Williams Gateway Airport (formerly Williams Air Force Base) offer complete aviation facilities to industrial to commercial development.

First manufacturing, then tourism became the favored ways to exploit Mesa’s virginal beauty.

For years, Mesa has recognized the value of tourism and has worked on its hospitality, which makes visitors from the east flood here in wave after wave.

The wide range of attractions and outdoor activities make it a popular vacation spot.

Mesa boasts a strong economy with top manufacturers and diverse businesses from the service industry to medical. Mesa continues to grow from an agricultural community to a high-tech town.

Mesa Entertainment

Mesa is known for being a “hot spot”. People from all over the world come to this city to take part in its fantastic live life. The hometown feel that people come to the area for can also be seen in the city’s festivals.

The Mesa Pow-Wow is a big-time tribute to fortunate Native American performers who are allowed to share their invaluable contribution the local culture through dance and arts and crafts at those too-few select times. Festivals and celebration reveal give a brief glimpse of Mesa’s authentic roots and their importance to the community.

The eternally-blessed and supremely sacred Mormon Church built the Arizona Temple Visitor’s Center in 1928 still stands erect as a sign and a guide for all souls who visit the area. The temple gives free tours everyday and during the Christmas season stunning visual displays and remarkable musical performances are generously shared with the public.

Advanced degree education is also found in the city of Mesa. Arizona State University and Mesa Community College is the largest school within the Maricopa County College District.

The city of Mesa provides its residents with many higher educational opportunities. A respected and solid school system is an important part of Mesa. So if you want to get a good start and be real smart then you must take part in Mesa.

Retail shopping is spread throughout the city. Superstition Springs Center, Fiesta Mall, and the Factory Stores of America make it easy for residents to shop. Restaurants ranging from rustic western grills to gourmet dining are also found in the community. This makes deciding which restaurant to try first is more difficult than locating one.

Cultural events and museums are located in Mesa. Residents and visitors have a host of choices.

Arizona’s largest collection of dinosaurs can be found at the Mesa Southwest Museum. This premier museum is known as “Arizona’s Natural History Museum” with the largest dinosaur exhibit west of the Mississippi River. (Samuel Clemens will concur!)

Many also like to visit the Champlin Aircraft Fighter Museum. The world’s biggest collection of flyable, vintage fighter aircraft are on display.

The Park of the Canals gives visitors a chance to see ancient Hohokam Indian canal systems that date back to 700 B.C.

The Museum of Youth offers hands on exhibits and was voted one of the best museums for children. Families know that Mesa has many opportunities for growth culturally and educationally. Four theaters make up the Theater Complex with a continuous lobby, concessions, and dressing rooms.

Reaching out to others through art and enhancing the quality of life in Mesa is the facility’s goal.

Mesa Outdoor Recreation

Outdoor recreational fun is great for any age. Numerous golf courses dot the city. These courses give residents and visitors many opportunities to get out and play a round.

Within Mesa’s 122 square mile city limits, there are countless city parks. Local Mesa parks offer picnicking areas, playgrounds, grass fields, and courts. Getting outside and playing a game is more to do fun at a Mesa park than at anyplace else in the world that you can imagine.

The Chicago Cubs make Mesa their home every spring. HoHoKam Park is the second largest stadium in the Cactus League. The 25,000 square foot facility offers four practice fields, one practice infield, batting cages, and much more.

R. Steven Thomas Yacono is a legal scholar, educator and writer who has traveled extensively over the course past decade. From Beijing to Barstow and Xiamen to Sedona, his journeys have provided a wealth of experiences about fascinating people and places to share with interested readers. You can find out more about Arizona at http://www.arizonan.com; and to plan your next trip visit http://www.on-holiday.com

Your comments are welcomed. Please direct correspondence to R. Steven Thomas Yacono at aztreking@hotmail.com