Animal Chat by M.J. Claire

A cute commercial, I believe the product is Pupperoni, shows an assortment of animals and how we communicate with them: a woman holds up a dress to a great Dane who is holding a sign that says 'I like the red one', a dog lies on his back holding a sign that says 'a little to the left' as his owner scratches his belly and a Bulldog, sitting by his burly owner, holds a sign that says 'I'm not going to cry' as they watch a sad movie. It makes me think about how we communicate with the animals in our lives.

Most of us have come to know when the animals we live with need the essentials: a fresh bowl of water, some moist food or a scratch behind the ear. One of my cats will meow and head butt me until I lift the covers so she can come under and snuggle against me. Another can go for days without any human contact but then she follows me everywhere I go, winding herself around my legs and trying to trip me up, until I give her some much needed attention.

It gets more difficult when these animals that we love so much are not feeling well, especially cats. Felines are so independent that we don't always notice, especially in a multiple cat household, when they are not eating, drinking or using the litter box. More than once, I have had a cat become ill and I have wondered to myself if I should have seen the signs earlier. In those instances, I can't help but think how nice it would be if they could hold up a placard saying 'hey stupid, I'm sick'. For owners with AIDS infected cats, it becomes even more important. Oftentimes, when we finally realize that they are sick, it is already too late for their depressed immune systems.

But not all pet owners are even that mindful. How many households are there where the dog or cats in residence are nothing but an afterthought? In those instances, the animal may be lucky just to be brought inside on a night when temperatures dip below zero. In these homes feeding and watering the animals may or may not get done on a regular basis, shots and regular vetting doesn't usually occur and the animal is probably not neutered.

These neglectful situations occur because many people do not see the health and well-being of their animals as an important consideration. If they did, our animal shelters would not be overflowing and there would not be astronomical numbers of innocent animals euthanized every year. For these owners, I would say; take a moment and look into the eyes of your animal. They are trying to communicate with you. They can communicate with you, but they cannot do it with a big sign around their neck. You have to look and listen.

On the far extreme of these owners are the ones who can only communicate with their animals in a violent manner. These are the people who enjoy inflicting abuse on something that is small and defenseless. How can someone actually enjoy looking into an animals eyes and seeing pain and fear? It is incomprehensible to me and yet it happens every day. These people just do not know, or care, that human beings do not have a monopoly on suffering. To these people, I would say, talk to your animals. They are much more than so much fur and bones. Perhaps, if you let them, they can help you find a way to heal the anger that drives you. Because, no matter what abuse you heap on them, the animals in your life will accept you. That is a great gift that should not be squandered.

Nightsweats in Bigelow Hollow

First Chapter

Our Boat Has A Hole In It by Janus Kane

I am curious. How many of you out there actually believe that our economy will have any integrity at all when the dust settles? Will the American dollar have any value after this recession has finally leveled out? First the disclaimer - I am by no means an expert. My one undergraduate course in Economics did not go well. I think I recall a C+ for my efforts. But, I have been successfully managing my own finances for over 30 years and I believe I have developed a sense of what works and what doesn't. I had no love for 'the Bush administration'. I do like Barak Obama and what he stands for. I think he is the shot-in-the-arm that this country needs. I do realize that 'doing nothing', in light of this recession, was not an option.

Having said all of that, I have to add emphatically that I am not in favor of, nor do I understand the current bailout philosophy. This is not the first time we have helped to bail out an industry (several years back it was the Savings and Loan organizations) and it will probably not be the last. But, where is this money coming from and are we placing no restrictions on its use? A wise man once told me; 'if you are going to give money - give it with the understanding that you will, in all likelihood, never see it again'. The context here was loaning money to a family member. The banking industry is not a family member, unless we consider it the shiftless uncle that drops in only when he needs some cash, and this money was not a gift. At least I hope it wasn't.

But, I am not sure. In all of the congressional hearings, I don't remember any mention of interest rates or repayment terms. How odd that the American people would give money to financial institutions that survive on one thing alone - the interest that they charge us for the use of their money. So now, if I am understanding this correctly, we are giving money to the banks so they can loan it back to us at the going interest rate. ????

I suppose that the original logic was based on the trickle down theory - that these large amounts of money would eventually trickle down and benefit the general populace. Unfortunately, the only trickling seems to be happening within the hierarchy of these major corporations.
But, if we put that questionable plan aside, that still leaves the question of where this money is coming from. How is it that we have suddenly gotten access to over a Trillion dollars that we are free to loan/give to whomever we choose? Is there a little back room at the Treasury where we are printing this special EXTRA money? Is this money backed up by gold bullion? If so, where was it when our government was running a financial deficit of its own?

Again, I acknowledge that math is not my strong suit, but it still does not add up. We had a Trillion dollars sitting around collecting dust while we had elderly who were shivering in the cold, while kids were dying for lack of health insurance and while mothers had to send their children to bed, hungry. I ask again, where did this big influx of cash come from? And while these corporations happily pad their bonuses and use this money unscrupulously, what will it do to the American dollar.

Are we creating a world where our children will have to carry thousand dollar bills around like we carry twenties? Are we edging toward the fifty dollar cup of coffee or the twenty dollar tank of gas? I have to wonder, because that is the one thing I took away from my Economics 101 course - supply and demand. In this instance, have we increased the supply of greenbacks in circulation to the point where they will loose their value? I suppose only time will tell, but one thing seems pretty clear - we are not going to fix our current economic problems by throwing more money at them.

The Little Insanity Intro

March Books Changes its Release Date for Nightsweats in Bigelow Hollow

March Books has changed the release date for their upcoming YA title 'Nightsweats in Bigelow Hollow'. Originally, this title was scheduled for publication in April 2009. That deadline has been moved to August 2009 to accommodate the review and printing schedule.
The release of March Books first publication, 'Nightsweats in Bigelow Hollow' has been changed to August 2009.

Nightsweats in Bigelow Hollow

Author - M.J. Claire
Website – www.mj.claire.com
genre - YA fantasy
Publisher - March Books
Publisher's website – www.marchbooks.com
ISBN 9781935367000
Publication Date - 8/1/09
Format - 6x9 Paperback
Pages - 148
Price - $12.95


Imagine walking through the park one night and being catapulted out of reality as you know it. Suddenly, you find yourself surrounded by mystical creatures called Animelfs. These creatures can transform themselves into any animal at will. Balthazar, Fagan and Maximillion also have the unique ability to travel anywhere, instantly, simply by stepping into a painting.Nightsweats in Bigelow Hollow is a character driven YA fantasy. The story revolves around Kelly Black, a college-aged heroine who is one part Buffy Summers and one part Nancy Drew. Kelly is reluctantly yanked out of her hectic but infinitely normal life and into a Twilight Zone adventure she won't soon forget. Her path leads to the unwelcome discovery of revelations about her family and herself that she might prefer remain hidden. Kelly learns that the Animelfs did not come upon her by accident. They sought her out because their destinies are, in fact, inextricably linked. Kelly must deal with the discovery of her mother's deception about their true heritage and the startling insight into her father's nefarious, secret endeavors.

Nightsweats is the first in a series of YA novels by M.J. Claire; it will soon be followed by 'Bigelow Hollow Revisited'. The series speaks of courage and determination as Kelly discovers strengths and feelings she did not know she possessed. However, Kelly's greatest challenge still lies ahead of her. She must confront her father about his inhumane treatment of countless innocent animals. The outcome of that confrontation has yet to be determined.

Serious review requests can be sent to elizabeth@marchbooks.com

March Books Changes its Release Date for The Little Insanity

March Books has changed the release date for their upcoming adult title 'The Little Insanity’. Originally, this title was scheduled for publication in April 2009. That deadline has been moved to August 2009 to accommodate the review and printing schedule.
The release of March Books first publication, ‘The Little Insanity’, has been changed to August 2009.

The Little Insanity
Author - Janus Kane
Website – www.januskane.com
genre - Commercial Fiction
Publisher - March Books
Publisher's website – www.marchbooks.com
Publisher's email – elizabeth@marchbooks.com
ISBN 9781935367291
Publication Date - 8/1/09
Format - 6x9 Paperback
Pages - 296
Price - $16.95

What percentage of us are damaged, handicapped, or fractured in some way that we struggle desperately to hide from the casual, and not so casual, observer? How many of us can lay claim to total mental stability, renouncing any character flaws or defects that can adversely affect our relationships and interactions with others?The French call sex 'Le Petit Mort', the Little Death, because it temporarily suspends the heart and the head. The 'Little Insanity' focuses on the equally crazy effects of relationships on our behavior, in the new millennium. Watch the insanity that ensues when six, seemingly sane, individuals mix and shake their own, not so healthy, personality cocktails together. Follow Jenn, Jason, Kyle, Kyra, Brad and Beth through the sexual and personal relationships that are 'The Little Insanity'. Don't mistake this for another knock-off of 'Friends'. This relay of relationships between these 30-somethings shines a light on the different faces we wear and the machinations we all go through to hide what is really beneath the surface. The setting for this little dysfunctional drama is a small town in Connecticut, although some of the story takes place in 'The Big Apple'.

With the pace of a literary soap opera, Janus Kane's first novel should appeal to readers who enjoy watching these fictional, but realistic, characters' lives unfold and unravel before them. These six characters are on a path of discovery that will lead them to painful truths about life, love, themselves and others. Like a car crash, we must watch as these events drive some of our characters, inexorably, toward a crescendo that is the ultimate insanity.

Serious review requests can be sent to elizabeth@marchbooks.com

The Trying Task of Self-Editing

Every time I try to read Strunk or ‘The Chicago Manual of Style’, my head starts to hurt. I don’t think that attention to grammar comes easily to most people, especially in today’s ‘hurry up and go’ society. In my own case, I find myself using punctuation the way a blind musician plays music - by ear. For good or bad, my acid test is how a sentence sounds when I read it. That does not mean that it is right. I am sure there are those who would argue with my comma placement or my use of a dash rather than a colon. To a degree, some of these choices are open to the author’s interpretation.

What is not up to interpretation is the myriad of careless spelling errors that seems to be so prevalent in self-published works. Whether it is online or a hard copy publication, this is an infraction that hurts everyone who ventures into the seas of self-publication. I would venture to say that this is the main reason that self-published authors do not get the respect they deserve. Publishing a work that you have labored over is a complex endeavor. It should be taken seriously. Editing your own work is tedious, exhausting and difficult, but it has to be done.
It is a given that, even after the most strenuous editing efforts, there will still be small things that may be missed. Big publishing houses put out books that are less than perfect and that is with the resources of an arsenal of editors and proofreaders. But, we can all tell the difference between one errant typo and a story that is replete with errors.

In some instances, it is hard to believe that the author has made even a cursory effort to proof their writing. It is almost as if, once the words are written, the author wants nothing more to do with them. How tragic? If an author doesn’t even enjoy reading his/her own words, how can they expect someone else to?

We all realize that editing ones own writing is a difficult and arduous task. We can commiserate with those who have words popping into their heads so quickly that they just have to write them down, but please, have some compassion for the reader. Mistakes are made. We’re not perfect. That’s why God made erasers and that’s why Bill Gates gave us spell check (is he the one who was responsible for that…hmmm?).

This kind of careless effort brings us all down. The advances in printing technology are a huge boon to those who want to see their lovely words in book form. Let’s not take advantage of it and let’s not take advantage of the poor reader who spends their hard-earned money, only to get a sub-standard piece of literature. We can’t all be Keats or Tolkien, but we can all make our publications the best and most polished works they can be.

After all, your name is on this story that you have labored over for months and months. Have some respect for your art. Put your best work out there and make sure that it is a reflection of you. If you like going out to dinner in a dirty, tattered t-shirt, okay then. Hopefully you don’t, but even if you do, don’t make your book suffer by sending it out into the world looking like a filthy street urchin. Dress it up in its Sunday best. Give it the respect it deserves and make your writing something you can be proud of.



Read on. Visit our website http://www.marchbooks.com/

Animal Advocacy by M.J. Claire

People who know me are not surprised that a recurring theme in my stories is the humane treatment of animals. The key word here being - humane. We all need to remember that we, as human beings, do not have a monopoly on suffering. Animals, whether they be four-legged with fur or covered in feathers, scales or fins, feel pain. They can also communicate with us.



Anyone who has formed a bond with a beloved pet knows that they are not the unthinking doorstops that some people believe they are. So, whether it be the animal testing labs that are killing animals in the name of better cosmetics, the unthinking business owner who leaves their dog tied outside in all kinds of weather to guard their cherished junk cars or the thoughtless pet owner who does not have their cats spayed because 'the kittens are so cute' but them dumps them off at the nearest farmhouse to fend for themselves, I will be endeavoring to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.





Hopefully some of you will do the same and report the careless person who leaves their dog in a baking car while they run in to do some shopping or the clueless person who puts their dog at risk of hanging by tying them on their deck.



We are supposed to be the intelligent species. Lets start acting like it. My books speak primarily to kids who need to see that there is a better way to treat the other beings that share this planet with us. Kids that need to realize that animals deserve more respect and better treatment. Kids that need to see that there is a better way to cohabitate with our smaller, more vulnerable companions.
There is a better way. Let's find it.

Meet Kelly Black

Publishing in Today's Tough Economy by Janus Kane

Is there ever a good time to start a venture of this magnitude? Entering the complex world of publishing is a daunting endeavor under the best of circumstance. These are certainly not the best circumstances. With businesses folding all around us, what besides temporary insanity would prompt such an undertaking?
The answer is simple. There has never been a greater need for a little dose of healthy escapism. What, other than a good book, can better transport us out of the sea of troubled waters that is now our reality? What else can give your mind the kind of vacation that it so desperately craves?
A good book may not cure your problems. It won't make them go away. But, perhaps it will put us in a better frame of mind to come back and deal with them. And even if it doesn't, it will still give us those blessed hours where we can focus on someone else's problems, someone else's life, someone else's story - all for less than the price of a take-out pizza.
March Books is all about bringing good stories to eager readers. We believe in good, healthy escapism - wherever and whenever you can get it.
Read on. Visit our website http://www.marchbooks.com/

Meet Kelly Black

Kelly's escape from the Black Institute

Meet Jenn, Jason, Kyle, Kyra, Beth and Brad