I have a little Satnav,

It sits there in my car.
A Satnav is a driver's friend,
It tells you where you are

I have a little Satnav,
I've had it all my life.
It isn't like the normal ones -
My Satnav is my wife

It gives me full instructions,
Especially how to drive -
"It's thirty miles an hour", it says,
"You're doing thirty five."

It tells me when to stop and start
And when to use the brake,
And tells me that it's never ever
Safe to overtake.

It tells me when a light is red
And when it goes to green -
It seems to know instinctively
Just when to intervene.

It lists the vehicles just in front
And all those to the rear,
And taking this into account
It specifies my gear.

I'm sure no other driver
Has so helpful a device,
For when we leave and lock the car
It still gives its advice!

It fills me up with counselling
Each journey's pretty fraught,
So why don't I exchange it
And get a quieter sort?

Ah well, you see, it cleans the house,
Makes sure I'm properly fed,
It washes all my shirts and things
And - keeps me warm in bed!

Despite all these advantages
And my tendency to scoff,
I do wish that once in a while . . .
I could turn the damned thing off.

(If my wife is listening I am NOT the author. Heaven forbid!)

In the coming days, you should be aware>Do not open any message with an attachment called: "Invitation FACEBOOK"

Regardless of who sent it, it is a virus that opens an Olympic torch
and burns the whole hard disc C of your computer.>

This virus will be received from someone you have in your address book

That's why you should send this message to all your contacts.

It is better to receive this email 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.

If you receive email called: "Invitation FACEBOOK", though sent by a friend,
do not open but delete it immediately

CNN said it is a new virus discovered recently
and that has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever.

It is a Trojan Horse that asks you to install an adobe flash plug-in.

Once you install it, it's all over.

There is no repair yet for this kind of virus.

This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc,
where the vital information of their function is saved.

THE INFORMATION HAS BEEN CHECKED WITH SNOPES

Stroke has a new indicator

They say if you e-mail this to ten people, you stand a chance of saving one life. Will you send this along?Blood Clots/Stroke - They Now Have a Fourth Indicator, the Tongue

STROKE: Remember the 1st Three Letters..... S. T. R.


STROKE IDENTIFICATION:


During a BBQ, a woman stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) ..she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.


They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Jane went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.


Jane's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 PM Jane passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Jane would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.


It only takes a minute to read this.


A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally . He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.


RECOGNIZING A STROKE


Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR. Read and

Learn!


Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.


Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:


S * Ask the individual to SMILE.

T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A

SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)

(I.e. It is sunny out today.)

R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.


If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.


New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue


NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is

'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.


A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this message sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.


I have done my part. Will you?

I don't know what Bram Stoker would have made of it. There was a timewhen Dracula ruled supreme butnow wherever you lookweappear to be knee deep in vampires. If Buffy isn't slaying themBella is dating them. Whatever happened to Christopher Lee'sswirling cape andredeyes that made us duck down in the back row of the seats at our local Cinema the Plaza, Tonypandy. Providing they let us in of course. It's hard to act sixteen when you're only eleven.
Don't misunderstand me, I'm not complaining, I can't get enough of them. As soon as Jonathan Harker alighted from his coach in the Transylvanian twilight and gazed up at the forbidding ramparts of Dracula's ancient castle I was hooked. Stephen King brought the whole vampire genresharply back into focus with his brilliantly disturbingSalem's Lot.
As I browse through the list of my mutual Twitter Followers I can see that vampires retain their sinister fascination for authors and readers alike. Here are some examples:

	Christine's Blog: Her Raven Domain: Blog of Christine Frost
	Kim's Blog: Kim Faulks Dark Paranormal Author
	Vee's Blog: Living Dead Girl Blog
	Karen's Web Site: karenessex.com

Looking at the quality ofthese blogs andof the cover designs of each book it would be easy for a new writer or potential author of vampire related fictionto become discouraged. Formidable competition combined with the sheer numbers of talented authors working within this particular sub-genre can prove extremely disheartening. It shouldn't, and there's a simple reason why. Have you ever noticed how in shopping malls similar types of shops cluster together? Have you ever wondered why?
Savvy retailers know that by offering choice people are more likely to turn up in large numbers. A cluster of shoe shops is likely to attract more people than just one solitary store. It's not a question of overcrowding but of providing variety within a specific niche. The same with books. The potential audience for any genre is mind-bogglingly massive and thereexists an insatiable demand. One reader will consume many books within a year. If they enjoyed Christine's Veiled Mirror it is likely they will look for other authors within the same genre. Good writing creates demand. How many authors have ridden successfully on Tolkien's coat tails?
Do not be afraid of competition, instead welcome it. If there are lots of successful writers within a particular genre that means that genre is highly popular and there is plenty of room for new talent. In fact the more talented writers there are within the genrethe more likely it is that interest will be sustained and grow as new authors are recommended by an ever increasing audience. So, do not give up on your dreams of becoming a successful author of vampire novels because so many have and are already doing the same thing. It's impossible for your genre to become overcrowded.
We interrupt this blog for a blatant piece of self promotion.
In her blog post Kim wrote:
"The hardest thing for an Indie Author like myself, is finding those readers who enjoy what I write."
Google+ eXplosion is now available on kindle(see the link at the top right of this blog). I took time out from writing BILLY:Family Secrets to write it becauseI believe it will go a heck of a long way to solving Kim's problem via the easiest route and in the quickest time. It's not really a question of standing out from the crowd, rather finding a crowd to stand in the middle of!
This Weeks Featured Followers: Kristi Bernard, Lake Lopez and Jeremy D Powell

Congratulations Kristi Bernard on winning the Inspiring Blog Award .

Kristi is one of those rare people who seem to shun the limelight preferring to encourage others.
You can findKristi's blog here: http://kristibernard.wordpress.com

Kristi Bernard is the writer, editor and founder of The Neophyte Writer . This blog is information for writers and their journey. Its a place where writers can learn and develop their skills. It features author interviews, book reviews , and trends in the world of writing.
Her story BIG RED was one of the first to be promoted on a site with a new endeavour in promoting authors and their books. The sites sole purpose is to have children read stories to other children via video. Since the launch of www.Smories.com . It has grown and become one of the most productive sites of its kind. Kristi has won writing contests at www.RedRoom.com , a website for authors.
Kristi Bernard TAKE A BOW!!!
From a child I always enjoyed being scared witless, even if it meant spending most of my childhoodhiding behind the sofa. My next Featured Follower has one stated ambition - to scare the hell out of you! Welcome Lake Lopez !

From what I've read of Jeremy's blog he has a lot to be hopeful about. Some really interesting and helpful posts thatI highly recommend. Visit Jeremy's blog at: http://jeremydpowell.wordpress.com/ Here's what Jeremy has to say about himself (modestly).

One of the most powerful and dramatic scenes ever committed to print so ingrained itself upon the human psyche that it has become a metaphor for a specific type of human behaviour we all recognise.Confronted by fanatical religious forces and constrained by political expediency Pontius Pilate washes his hands as a symbolic gesture of his innocence. He is not to blame as he condemns an innocent man to the most horrible of deaths.

Pilate got it wrong but did he ever live long enough to realise the man he abandoned would become the greatest figure in human history, and for many people much more?

Sadly, every day aspiring authors around the world are afflicted by 'The Pontius Pilate Syndrome'. Having laboured long and hard on their 'art and sullen craft' they simply abandon it to the forces around them. Many of them will never know if their lovingly crafted novel could have become something great with the power to move hearts and minds.

Let's be honest , the most committed agent in the world does not care for your book the way you do. No Publishing House is as hungry for it to succeed as you are. But the truth is 'Big Issue' sellers do more book promotion than the majority of aspiring authors. There is a tendency for us not to want to dirtyour hands with the commercial aspect of things. When all is said and done, we are artists are we not? Yes, but even artists and their families have to eat and pay the bills so maybe it's time to get serious. Sometimes pictures can paint a thousand words:

If you want to move from aspiring to established there is one thing you have to do and that is take responsibility for marketing your own book. There are literally hundreds and thousands of aspiring authors publishing on Amazon, Smashwords and whatever. You have to try and stand out from the crowd. NO! That's the wrong way to think, because actually there's plenty of room for everybody. What you have to do is create your own crowd of readers and fans who can't wait to read your next book.

The obvious question is HOW?
To be honest it has never been easier because of the amazing phenomena known as social networking. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest are just the dominant tip of the social networkingiceberg. Savvy authors, marketers and large corporations utilise their awesome potential to reach and engage with prospective readers, customers and clients to great effect. You must do the same . Hold on, you say, I'm an author not a social media expert, I don't have want to waste my energy and lose my focus.

Granted, many of these large companies employ social media experts to promote their business. I do not claim to be a social media guru. My main focus is writing educational material but in the process of doing thatI discovered unless I dirtied my hands promoting my own stuff no one else was going to do it for me unless I paid them. That is why when Google+ entered the social media arena I sat up and took notice. I missed the boat a little with Facebook, I sure wasn't going to make the same mistake with Google+.

The beauty of Google+ is it is so easy to set up and get started. The learning curve is much less steep and in no time you can have access to thousands of prospective readers. It is still in its infancy and nowhere near as big as Facebook. . . yet. That is exactly why now is he time to establish a presence and begin to build your fan base. How much of an incentive is it knowing you already have an audience waiting for your new novel to be published? If that doesn't motivate you to write nothing will! Make no mistake about it Google is committed to ensuring the success of Google+. It is set to become huge.

The main reason I took time out to write Google+ eXplosion was to give a non techie leg-up to aspiring authors struggling to get themselves noticed as quickly and easily as possible.

Now remaining on the subject of promoting yourself and your books each week I intend to feature three of my Twitter Followers. They will be selected at random.
This weeks authors are Serena Akeroyd, Michael K Rose and Madison Woods.

Serena Akeroyd

You can visit Serena's blog at http://fledglingromancewriter.blogspot.co.uk/

She describes herself as a fledgling romance writer. Serena also designs very impressive book covers. Here are a few:

Rick Sullivan is wanted for murder. Agent Frank Allen, assigned to the case, soon finds out that there is more to Sullivan-and his actions-than he ever could have imagined.

As Allen pursues Sullivan across the known galaxy he begins to questions his own beliefs and loyalties. Will Allen be able to stop Rick Sullivan before he kills again?"

...a very entertaining sociological and political thriller, set in the future, with top notch, well fleshed out characters, and great action scenes."

- Steve Umstead, Author of The Evan Gabriel Trilogy

"With sharp prose, delicate and--at times--stabbing dialogue, scene setting that is on par with the best of the fiction writers of the past, Rose delivers a one-two punch to the gut that makes this reader want more and more."

- Benjamin X. Wretlind, Author of Castles: A Fictional Memoir of a Girl with Scissors

"Gritty, hardcore sci-fi with a fascinating twist, guaranteed to please!"

- C.L. Withers, Author of Castle Cape

Madison Woods

Good luck to all our featured authors.

Next Week: Does My Genre Look Overcrowded To You?

Faced with a blank sheet of paper or an empty page on Word what do we do for help? Why not pause and look around,inspiration may be closer than you think. For example, the local church yard is not always the dead end we take it to be!

Manyyears ago I took a class of children on a visit to a local church yard. We were a poor school and couldn't afford trips to leisure parks!
Children took rubbings of old headstones and we learnt much about our past from what was inscribed upon them. One headstone in particular caught our eye.

1815 immediately evoked images of the Battle of Waterloo where amid the bloody chaos of battle Napoleon's dreams of Empire were finally shattered. It was as he surveyed the carnage of the aftermath that Wellington uttered those famously desolate words:

We decided we wanted to find out more about John Williams soI wrote to the headquarters of the Life Guards and forwarded the officer in charge his details. They duly responded and John began to emerge from the shadows.

"Joined Ist Regiment of Life Guards 23rd January 1839. Alloted Regtl. No. 680(1st series)
On enlistment he stated he was 23 years and 4 months old. Born at Cowbridge in Glamorgan.
Height 6' 3", fair complexion, grey eyes, brown hair - was trained as a clerk. . .
21st January 1848 married Susan Howard at Trinity Church Marlebone, London, but we have no record of the birth of any children during service with the regiment.

Did not serve overseas - discharged in the rank of private at his own request with a character assessment of very good on 8th April 1863 and received a pension for life of 1s 1d per day.
Would have been stationed with the Regiment in either London or Windsor. At the time the 1st Life Guards, 2nd Life Guards and Royal Horse Guards served at Cavalry Barracks, Windsor, Hyde Park Barracks, and Regent Park Barracks, London. The three regiments changed stations between these three Barracks each year."

Questions now began to flood our minds:
"Why did John move from rural South Wales to London? Had he heard stories from the drovers of a city paved with gold? What did John make of Victorian Londonwith itsfilth and squalor? What was it like serving in the Life Guards? How did he meet Susan Howard? Why did he leave the army and return home? What exactly happened to cause his death on the Rhondda Valley railway in 1865? Why is there no mention of any relative on his gravestone?

Questions lead to speculation and research. Did John leave the army because Mary had died? Had sheleft him for someone else? Why did he make his way to the Rhondda instead ofCowbridge? Speculation and research evolves into story.
We undertook a considerable amount of research and with funding from the Gulbenkian Foundation actually made a film approximately thirty minutes long filmed in various locations including the Welsh Folk Museum at St Fagan's.

The London that Charles Dickens brought so vividly to life wasthe London John inhabited. Public hangings took place throughout John's period of service. The last public hanging was on 26 May, 1868,outside Newgate prison, five years after John's discharge. The hangman's victim was Michael Barrett, the Fenian convicted of bombing Clerkenwell Prison, central London. A law banning the hanging of children under the age of sixteen was not passed until 1908. Could John have witnessed one of these events or even been assigned to help control the crowds?

Headlines that might have featured in the London press during the twenty four years John spent in London included:
"British Army Massacred On The Road From Kabul! The Worst Disaster In British Military History."
"Welsh Robin Hood Sentenced To Transportation. Rebbecca Rioters Caught At Last."
"Potato Famine Sweeps Ireland. Thousands Dead."
"Gold Found In California. Gold Fever Sweeps America."
"Great Exhibition Opens At Crystal Palace. The Eighth Wonder Of The World."
"Livingstone Discovers Great River In The Heart Of The Dark Continent."
"Crimea Sensation. Gallant Light Brigade Charge Russian Cannon."
"Florence Nightingale Takes Nurses To Crimea."

This is the London John left behind in the Spring of 1863. The Wales he returned to was a far different place. The Rhondda Valleys, once described as 'the gem of Glamorganshire', were being transformed into industrial communities almost overnight on a scale that rivalled events in the Klondike. Men desperate for workstreamed to the Rhondda from all over the United Kingdom and Ireland submerging this once rural community in a rising tide of humanity. John became one of them.

As an ex soldier he would not necessarily have been welcomed with open arms. Certainly not by any Irish with nationalist leanings or by many of his countrymen who had faced transportation and, in the case of the Chartists, death at the hands of the military. While his death is declared to be an accident we can always speculate that it might well have been worth further investigation given the prevailing mood of the time.

Quite an interesting journey from a visit to a local churchyard - I've already started on the novel!. The next time you feel in need of inspiration why not get up stretch your legs and go for a walk. We are surrounded by stories if only we would take time to 'stand and stare'.

For Danny Quigley and his buddy Scotty McGregor, missing a flight was the start of a journey into hell. Thus starts the third novel, a trilogy, The Quigley Rescue. The action is gritty and unrelenting as the SAS Special Forces duo, embark on a NATO mission to rescue an American major and two importantAfghan officials. It culminates in a fierce fire-fight, when the alarm goes off at a pivotal moment and theSpecial Forces team are forced back up into the mountains, chased by hundreds of vengeful Talibanand Al Qaeda terrorists.

Even after Danny becomes a civilian, the nail-biting action never lets up when he receives a mysterious message from an old friend, long believed dead. He journeys into the deep woods of British Columbiain Canada, with a select group, to find him, and there discovers a threat against the U.S. that would make 9/11 look like a picnic."

About the author:

Russ McDevitt is no stranger to action. Born in Ireland, he has travelled the world; working on the railroad, and a logging town in Canada before heading down to Hawaii, Fiji, then New Zealand where he worked for 6 months on the docks. He later moved to Australia where he travelled with a boxing and wrestling troupe for nearly 3 years, taking on all comers. Returning to Canada, he joined the Forces as a military policeman, and served with the NATO brigade in Europe.
Latterly he enjoyed a successful career in the life insurance industry in Ireland and the UK, and earned a reputation as an industry writer, coach and motivational speaker, winning the Irish and British toastmasters awards. He has appeared on Irish and Canadian TV, now lives in Canada with his wife Marie and has 6 children.
More books by Russ:

Next week I'll be featuring some of my Twitter Followers and their books and asking "Do You Have Pontius Pilate Syndrome?"

P.S. I would love to feature more Welsh authors on my blog http://kindleauthors.blogspot.com I am delighted to say that Jean Mead will be featured in the very near future.

In My Craft or Sullen
Art

Still the fact remains, all who strive to write havebeen in the same boat. So what do we do to overcome it? I do not claim to have a magic potion. Imagine if you could sell a cure for writers block?

1. Forget About The Muse! There isn't one. Yes, there will be times when the words flow more easily but if you wait for the Muse's mythical call you will most likely end up like Greyfriars Bobby.
2. Be disciplined. Set yourself a time and place and stick to it. Determine to write and take Winston Churchill's words, "Never give up, never give up, never, never, never," and make them your own.
3. Set Yourself Deadlines. Start a blog and commit to writing a post once a week. Enter writing competitions and mark the final entry date in your diary.
4. See yourself as an author . If you have committed yourself to write then you are not an aspiring author - you already arean author. Your novels are just waiting for you to commit them to print!
5. Begin to build your audience. If you know you have a readership already waiting for your novel that is powerful motivation to persevere. My book Google+ eXplosion will help you reach your target market even as you write.
6. Multi-task. This is definitely one for the ladies! If you have more than one project on the go then you can always switch from one to the other if you find yourself getting mentally bogged down and that brick wall is looming closer (pardon the mixed metaphors).

Let's just take a look at a snapshot of a few of my MutualTwitter Followers:


Michelle describes herself as a 'Paranormal romance writer about to take the indie plunge.' good on you Michelle - go ahead and dive straight in! R.W . sounds a bit like me and describes himself as an Epic Fantasy Writer . Gina is an 'Aspiring Best Selling Author ' and this is really positive because shealready sees herself as succeeding. Self belief cannot be underestimated. We should all try to visualise ourselves as being successful. There is one thing howeverI would say to all of them. Don't pigeon-hole yourselves.

Billy lives in socially deprived community in the South Wales valley. A family crisis leads tothe the discovery ofan ancientfamily album. The secrets Billy uncovers within it's pages will change his life forever.
"A stern gaunt individual stared at Billy from a frozen distance in time. He wore a flat cap and crumpled baggy trousers. A long jacket covered what appeared to be some kind of vest. His dark eyes and hooked nose reminded Billy of a hungry watchful sparrow-hawk. A long drooping moustache made him look miserable, as if he had just missed a kill. He could certainly do with a good feed. Billy couldn't imagine anybody messing around if he was headmaster. But what impressed Billy
most was the fact he was covered from head to toe in what appeared to be black dust."

Ensure Children Succeed At Math

"The program teaches universal math concepts in a way that is totally child-centered.