Thursday, November 22, 2012

Dec 21, 2012 - The End of the World?

Click here for full sized poster
If you haven't heard about this pending prophecy you've been sleeping under a rock.  The Mayan calendar ends on that date.  Many people believe that major catastrophe will bestow the earth, or worse.... the world will end.  

Below is a video trailer for a film project in the making as we speak, called 'The End of the World Project'.  First, here's a message from the film maker, Angel:
I thought if you want you could write about the creators of the film a little as well - Maybe the more people know about us the more they will want to see the masterpiece we are filming now.
I worked on the following movies behind the scenes on the production crew:
  • War of The Worlds
  • Men in Black 2
  • Spider-Man
  • Spider-Man 3
  • Stuart Little 2
  • Marci X
  • How To Loose A Guy in 10 Days
  • The Nanny Diaries
  • and many more
and shows like Sex and The City
  • Law and Order
  • Time of Your Life
  • Now and Again
  • When I Grow Up (never aired anywhere but they spent over 5 Million)
We are planning to begin production on our own new motion picture "Future Victims" and the movie is scheduled to be filmed entirely on location here in Norway... The film is based on a screenplay that I wrote following the worst day of my entire life.
Movie plot: A mysterious individual is filled with rage following the death of his entire family - He goes on a killing rampage targeting the people that destroyed his life, killing his victims in their sleep in brutal and horrifying ways.
The story is absolutely terrifying, we cannot divulge any more information about the project at this time but what we can say is that we plan to begin production on this Hollywood masterpiece in January 2013 - If the World doesn't blow up before the end of the year.

We want Leonardo Dicaprio to play the character but he has tons of movies scheduled so that's the dream.
The film... the four horses of the Apocalypse.  The end of the world.  It's here... or is it?  Interviews with regular people like you and me, say that many believe something will happen on to our planet, to the human race, or to time itself!  Yet others believe nothing special will occur.  Is this naivety?  Or are those who believe our future will be changed on that date just being over-cautious or even paranoid?  

"Why should the world just end now?", asks one woman.  It's not like we haven't had dates predicted in the past.  End of the world dates are a dime a dozen.  So why does it feel different this time?  Why is it that December 21st, 2012 feel different than all the other end of the world predictions? 

What will the world be like afterward if World War III happens, or a major terrorist attack, or aliens attack, or nuclear war, or a global pandemic, or a global virus, major earth quakes, continents get ripped apart?  Will millions of people die on that date?  Can we accurately predict the future without scripture?  

This trailer also has interviews with the likes of Chris Rock and Gwyneth Paltrow.  Does NASA or the governments of the world know something they're not telling us?  Could we / should we be preparing for something that we don't know about?  We've created a world of fear, and pending doom.  To think there really was no need for any of it... if only we could all look to Jesus.  All it takes is for us to love Him unconditionally, and all will be well; but as this trailer shows that is not the case.  

What do you think?  Leave a comment in the comment section below and share your stories.  If you would like to be interviewed to give your opinions please contact me and I will arrange a video interview via Skype.                                 




Tuesday, November 20, 2012

BOOK REVIEW: Marketing Your Book on Amazon



Title
Marketing Your Book on Amazon

Author
Shelley Hitz

Publisher
Shelley Hitz, 2012

My Review
 

I’m writing my first three books and I’ve been completely overwhelmed by the publishing process that I’m about to face.  Shelley Hitz’s book ‘MarketingYour Book on Amazon’ has taken away a great deal of that weight off my shoulders.  The whole course of action is no longer like looking an angry bear in the face.  This book is easy to understand for those who are not computer savvy.  My kindle copy comes complete with links, screen shots, and a video tutorial.  It’s everything you need to make your marketing plan on Amazon a success.  As a newbie to this industry I am so thankful to be learning this information early on in my career.  Shelley has been a blessing to me.  Now I feel like I’m facing a friendly dog.  It’s much less scary.  
My Over-all Rating


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Saturday, November 17, 2012

The End of the World Project

Click here for full sized poster
You never know what they day will bring when you get up in the morning.... 

You know those days when life seems mundane, like the same old pattern is a big rut you’ll never get out of.  You get up in the morning, go to work, come home, have dinner, play on the computer or watch TV.  Then tomorrow it starts all over again.  Well, for me, Friday was absolutely not one of those days!  Woo Hoo!  I got up, went to my volunteer job at my church like I do every week.  It was a busy day, but nothing out of the ordinary.  Then I came home, had dinner; and, here’s the fun part,...  

Click here to read the entire post....




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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

BOOK REVIEW and AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Unexpected Christmas Hero



Title
Unexpected Christmas Hero

Author
Kathi Macias

Publisher
New Hope Publishers, 2012 

My Review
by Carley Cooper

Unexpected Christmas Hero by Kathi Macias is about a young woman and her two small children who loose everything and become homeless after her husband suddenly dies.  It’s a story that touched my heart like no other.  Josie Meyers struggles against the elements, trying to come up with enough food to keep herself and her children alive, and a daily battle to find a place to sleep indoors.  She also has a battle inside; with her faith.  Does God really hear her?  Is He listening?  Does He care?  Her trust issues extend to those around her as well, especially now that she’s homeless and living on the streets in the dead of winter.  Then she meets Rick; a homeless man who is rich in Spirit and shows the love of Christ to everyone he meets; but Josie isn’t sure he can be trusted.  Then her family receives the most incredible miracle on Christmas Eve. They discover the true meaning of friendship and Christmas in a very Unexpected Christmas Hero

Kathi Macias takes us into this world of homelessness in a way that made my heart want to reach out and help.  There are elements in the lives of homeless people that the rest of us do not even consider.  There was a time when I believed that homelessness was a possibility in my own future.  But thankfully, just like Josie Meyers, I have people that love me enough to step out of their way to help those in need simply because it’s what Christ wants us to do.  A meal, a bed to sleep in for a night or two, a ride some place, a few dollars, a simple gift like a disposable cell phone, or a prayer can change the whole world for someone in need.  Who are you going to be a hero for this Christmas?  
My Over-all Rating
Author Interview
Homelessness is a tough topic for Christmas. What inspired you to use that as the basis for your annual Christmas novel?I’ve been involved in homeless ministries, to one degree or another, for decades, so I’m not new to this area of ministry. But I’ll admit that I had never considered writing a novel about it until someone in my family, who had personally experienced homelessness at one time in his life, suggested it. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed the perfect theme for a Christmas novel. After all, at Christmas we celebrate the birth of our Savior, who was pretty much homeless at that particular point in time and was born in a stable because there was no room for them at the Bethlehem Motel 6.

Despite having previous ministry and even personal experience with the homeless, were there still some difficult times for you as you researched and wrote this novel?
Absolutely! I always try to climb inside the skin of my characters, and when I thought of myself as the young mother Josie, attempting to care for and protect her two small children while living on the streets, I wept. There were times when my own children were little that we didn’t have a lot of material things and almost never had enough money at the end of the month, but we always had a roof over our heads and never wondered where we would find our next meal. When I consider that approximately 25 percent of the homeless in America are families (either single or dual-parent) with small children, it breaks my heart.

Can you give us a brief synopsis of Unexpected Christmas Hero?This is a story about a young family—husband, wife, two small children—who seem to be living the American dream. But when the husband dies unexpectedly, the wife (Josie) not only has to deal with that loss but quickly discovers that they are destitute. Her husband had lost his job some months earlier but didn’t want to worry her, so he hid it from her, hoping to find another position. He didn’t, and eventually ran up all their credit cards, took out a second mortgage on the house, emptied their savings, and even cashed in his life insurance policy. It doesn’t take long until Josie and her children lose their home and find themselves living on the streets, depending on the charity of others to survive. Then they meet Rick, a homeless Vietnam vet who takes them under his wing and, in a most surprising and sacrificial way, becomes their unexpected Christmas hero.
Tell us about the “story behind the story,” which involves the man on the front cover.
When the publisher sent the designer out to find someone to pose as Rick, the homeless vet in the book, he spotted a man on the street who looked amazingly like him. He asked the man—whose name is Willard Parker—if he would pose for the book cover. The man readily agreed and then explained that he truly was homeless and hoped having his picture on the cover would somehow help him find his family, particularly his grown daughter. We are doing our best to stay in touch with Mr. Parker and also to spread his story across the Internet and on radio/TV in hopes of fulfilling his dream to be reunited with his family. If anyone looks at the picture on the cover and/or recognizes the man’s name (Willard Parker) and knows the whereabouts of any of his family, we would truly appreciate it if they would contact me at ezyrtr@ca.rr.com so we can take the necessary steps to try and make this reunion happen.

Where can people find your book?
It’s available on any of the main online venues (Amazon, ChristianBooks.com, Barnes & Noble, etc.) and many stores nationwide.
Can you give us your website info?
Sure! You can find me at www.kathimacias.com or www.boldfiction.com. I’d love it if people would stop by there and check out all my books, as well as the video trailers that go with them. They can also sign up to receive my weekly devotional, or check out where I’ll be speaking in the near future. Above all, click on “contact” and send me an email. I’d love to hear from them, and I promise to answer.
___

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview and/or book review on my blog. CSS Virtual Book Tours are managed by Christian Speakers Services (http://ChristianSpeakersServices.com).


———– About Kathi Macias ——— 

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 40 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences. She won the prestigious 2008 member of the year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) at the annual Golden Scrolls award banquet. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al.




———– Book Trailer ———  



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Saturday, November 3, 2012

BOOK REVIEW and AUTHOR INTERVIEW: A Christmas Journey Home: Miracle in the Manger



Title
A Christmas Journey Home: Miracle in the Manger

Author
Kathi Macias

Publisher
New Hope Publishers, 2011

My Review

Kathi Macias does it again.  She’s taken me inside a world that I knew almost nothing about.  Young Isabella pregnant, and her new husband Francisco have to escape Mexico into safety after her whole family was murdered.  Surviving in the Arizona desert, her husband is also murdered trying to protect his beloved wife and their unborn son. 

Not too far away lives Miriam, who lost her husband, who was a border guard.  He was murdered by people trying to escape Mexico.  It’s left her very bitter and filled with hatred toward the people of Mexico, and toward God. 

One miraculous Christmas Eve both women meet in a barn filled with animals and experience the miracle of Christmas together. 

I couldn’t put this book down.  Reading about the dangers of both Mexico and the desert reminded me just how blessed I am to have the life I have.  No matter how many trials I have, they don’t compare to those who are homeless, and in danger.  This book takes us through the heartache of grief, through labor and delivery of a child, and the struggle to survive.  My heart goes out to those who just long to have a good life and can’t get it in their homeland.  May God be with each and every one of you.  

My Over-all Rating
Author Interview

How did you come up with the idea for A Christmas Journey Home?
I knew I wanted to do a Christmas book—the first of what would become an annual event that my publisher and I were discussing—and I also knew that despite the lighter tone required in a Christmas book (as opposed to the darker themes of the persecuted Church and human trafficking, which I’ve been writing about), I had to stick to my “brand” as closely as possible: hence, an “issues-related” Christmas novel, dealing with the issues related to illegal immigration. 

What was your favorite scene to write in A Christmas Journey Home?
I loved writing this entire book, and the characters are delightful (except the villains, of course!), so I loved almost all the scenes. But I think I liked the scenes with Isabella’s old abuelo best, as the grandfather reminded me of my own grandpa and even my dad, both of whom I loved dearly. I love incorporating at least one elderly saint in each of my books, and in this one I decided on a man since most of the other books have had women as the elderly, praying characters. I also brought in a little boy because children can add such a delightful element to any story, and six-year-old Davey certainly does that in A Christmas Journey Home.

What was the most difficult scene, and why?
The toughest scene had to be when Francisco and Isabella thought they were finally on the verge of being able to get away from the migrant camp and find a small home of their own, where their baby could be born in relative comfort and safety. If you’ve read the book, you know that isn’t at all what happens. But this heartbreaking scene had to take place to bring the story to its miraculous conclusion.

What is there about you, apart from writing, that many people don’t know?
First, my “road name” is “Easy Writer” because my husband and I were Harley riders for many years. (We’ve traded the bike in on a 2005 Corvette, so I’m still “Easy Writer” but in comfort now!) Also, I served on staff at a large Southern California church for several years, training small group leaders and doing biblical counseling, among other things.

Who are some of your favorite writers, and are you an avid reader?
Absolutely I’m an avid reader! I have always loved books/reading/words and been fascinated by them. When I ran out of books as I child, I started writing my own. (Voila! Look what came of that!) As for favorite writers, that’s tough, but here are just a few: Brock and Bodie Thoene, Francine Rivers, Patti Lacy, Athol Dickson, Jim Rubart, and Alan Paton, who wrote my favorite all-time fiction book, Cry the Beloved Country. That book changed my life and inspired my novel set in South Africa in 1989, No Greater Love. I also enjoy reading Brennan Manning, Jennifer Kennedy Dean, Oswald Chambers, and Max Lucado for nonfiction.

What’s on the horizon for you now, so far as future book projects?
I am currently finishing up the final book of the three-installment Freedom series (Deliver Me From Evil, Special Delivery, and The Deliverer). Then I will jump into my Christmas 2012 novel (working title is A Home For Christmas) and a novel called Last Chance for Justice, which is part of the multi-author Bloomfield Series with another publisher. After that I hope to get going on a new fiction series, which is still in the discussion/planning stages with my publisher and agent. So life is busy, but most contracts coming my way seem to be fiction right now. I am also keeping busy with very occasional editing projects and some speaking/teaching around the country.

Where can we find out more about you, The Freedom Series, and keep up with your to-be-released books? 
Please feel free to visit my website at www.KathiMacias.com.


 ——————– ABOUT KATHI MACIAS ——————–

Kathi Macias, Author & Speaker

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Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 30 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences. She won the prestigious 2008 member of the year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) at the annual Golden Scrolls award banquet. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time riding their Harley.

“I can vividly remember the first time I heard Kathi Macias speak at a women’s event. Her calming spirit lit up the room. Her natural grace and passion for the Word of God was so powerful that it has stuck with me over many years. Kathi is very devoted to all the work that she does, whether it be speaking, writing or teaching, and that devotion manifests itself in all her pursuits.” ~ Robin Farmer, Camarillo, California





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