ATTENTION AUTHORS! EPIC's eBook Competition Deadline 7/15/12

Note this fast approaching Deadline 7/15!  

Below are the basic rules but for more details and categories check this link.
Eligibility and Rules

1. Entries for EPIC's eBook Competition™ will be accepted from 12:01 AM Central Time US (CST) June 1, 2012 to 10:00 PM CST July 15, 2012.

2. Entries must be published in English and released for sale between June 1, 2011 through May 31, 2012. They must include a publication date and must be submitted as the product sells. Self-published books are eligible.

    A buy link must be provided, which shows the book is for sale. Please provide a link which goes directly to the book, not the publisher's or author's homepage.
    Electronic versions of books previously released in print format may be entered if eBook version meets entry requirements.
    Word-count requirements

Short Story     maximum 10,000 words
Novella     maximum 30,000 words
Anthology     maximum 200,000 words for entire collection
Non-Fiction; all Fiction; all Romance     minimum 30,000 words
Children's; Poetry; Graphic Novel     no minimum

3. Short stories and Novellas may be entered only if they have been offered for sale as a stand-alone work.

4. Entrants are not limited to the number of titles they may enter, however, the same work may not be entered in more than one category.

5. Works portraying pedophilia, bestiality (this does not apply in respect to Paranormal shape-shifters or aliens descended from cats, dragons,etc.), necrophilia, and/or snuff as acceptable sexual practices will be disqualified without notification or refund.

6. The entry form must be completed with all required information entered accurately. Contact the Competitions Chair at competitions@epicorg.com if you have any questions, before completing the entry form.

    Entry may be completed by either the author or publisher, except anthologies.
        Multi-author anthologies must be entered by either the editor or publisher. The editor should be listed as the "entrant," with the editor's shipping information.
        Single-author anthologies may be entered by the author as for any other entry.

    Publishers, when entering on behalf of authors, must complete a separate form for each author.
    In the case of co-authors, the entry form information and shipping address should be the "primary" entrant and shipping address.
        The upload form must reflect the information for the author(s) of the book(s) uploaded on that form.

7. No category changes will occur during any stage of the competition due to entrant error. Once a book is accepted into the competition, it cannot be withdrawn.

8. Entries must be submitted in non-DRM PDF format.

9. The entry file name must be in the following format: Category code-Title.pdf.

    For works which are part of a series, only the unique title should be used, not the series title. For example, a Historical work (category F05) which carries the title, Book V of the High Fliers of the Wild Circus: Trapeze Boys, would be entered as F05-TrapezeBoys.pdf.
    For guidance on renaming your files, refer to the eBook FAQs.

10. Non-compliance with these rules will result in disqualification without refund.
Entry Fee: $25 for EPIC members, $35 for non members.

Payments will be made electronically as part of the entry

Life After the Undead and The Walking Dead

Recently, one of our authors, Pembroke Sinclair, had a fantastic experience with Hollywood.

Her eTreasures book, ‘Life After the Undead’ now mixes with celebrities! When I learned about this, I knew I had to share their story with you, our dear readers, so I went to Pembroke and horror artist extraordinaire, Jerrod Brown, to get the details and their reactions. Read on!

From Jerrod:  I do Gallery Shows, Clubs and Conventions to promote my art work. Usually I'll set up a booth, selling my original paintings and prints.  I'm always aware of what celebrities are going to be there, prior to the event. So, I prepare accordingly.  In this particular case...the 'Lintz' Family would be at the show. 

Kelly Lintz (Mom) - The Hunger Games, The Mist

Mackenzie Lintz (Daughter) - The Hunger Games

Madison Lintz (Daughter) - The Walking Dead

Matt Lintz (Son) - Halloween II, The Crazies, Piranha 3DD

I thought what a better way to promote Pembroke’s book and my cover painting of 'Life After the Undead', than to have a cast member of 'The Walking Dead' actually holding it. Madison Lintz plays 'Sophia Peletier' in the mega hit series.

I asked her mom (Kelly) if would be O.K. to take a photo of Madison with the book, explaining to her what it was about and that I had painted the cover art work. She was very nice and allowed me the opportunity. Madison was very sweet and wanted to make sure she looked good in the shot. I could tell her mom was very proud of her daughter's celebrity status, and the entire family was very fan friendly.

Now, Pembroke’s response when I asked her about her reaction: “Well, I knew Jerrod had contact with a lot of famous people. He has several photographs of himself with celebrities and pictures he's painted. I have to say, I was shocked and humbled when he sent me this photo. I mean, an actress from ‘The Walking Dead’? Are you kidding me?  I watch that show. I know *exactly* who she is. And look! SHE'S HOLDING MY BOOK!  It was freaking awesome! It was one of the most awesome and coolest moments ever!

It makes me very happy to know that I'm associated with such wonderful and talented people who are willing to go out of their way to help out a friend.  Jerrod is an awesome artist, and I hope with the two of us teamed up together, we can take our respective arts far!”

Congrats, Pembroke and Jerrod on making it to the set!

Look for Pembroke here:

Blog - http://pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com/

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pembroke.sinclair

You can find Jerrod and his work at these links:

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/HorrorArtist

Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/HorrorArtistJerrodBrown

Cafepress http://www.cafepress.com/JerrodBrown

Taxes and the Writer

Ellen Spain, Ph.D. is a retired Federal Investigator, educator, Secretary for the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition (EPIC), Acquisitions Editor-eTreasures Publishing, researcher, published author and much more http://www.ellenspain.com/. The tax information presented is summarized from a lecture I conducted with Martha Eskuchen on March 16, 2012, at EPIC's annual conference in San Antonio, Texas. It should be considered "food for thought" if you consider yourself a professional writer.

ARE YOU a PROFESSIONAL WRITER or are you WRITING AS a HOBBY?

Your first step is to determine whether or not your writing career can be called a trade or business. If you write without pursuit of getting published and making an income, you're not in the trade or business of writing for profit but have a hobby

The Internal Revenue Code of 1986 provides, "gross income to mean all income from whatever source derived, including (but not limited to) . . . royalties". I.R.C. § 61(a)(6).

"Writer" is defined in the Internal Revenue Code (in the section exempting free-lance authors from the requirement of capitalizing expenses associated with producing property): The term "writer" means any individual if the personal efforts of such individual create (or may reasonably be expected to create) a literary manuscript . . . I.R.C. § 263A(h)(3)(A). When an author writes a book, the literary ideas embodied in the manuscript are property.

When the author sells it in exchange for royalties, her interest in the contract by which the royalties are paid is also property. See Reece v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 24 T.C. 187 (1955), affd. 233 F.2d 30 (1st Cir. 1956). Royalties paid on the commercial exploitation of a book are taxable to its author.

 "Taxable income" means gross income minus the deductions allowed by the Internal Revenue Code. I.R.C. § 63(a) version IRS 1986.

 If you receive any amount of income from your writing, you are profiting from your writing business and must report it on a Schedule C form.

PROFIT: The IRS considers the following factors in determining your profit motive:

1. The IRS looks at the manner in which you operate. Do you conduct your writing activity in a "businesslike manner", keep accurate records, and operate your writing business in ways similar to profitable businesses. If you need help, consult a professional tax preparer or a tax attorney.
2. The IRS considers how much Time and effort you expend on your writing.
3. The IRS looks at your success in carrying on other similar or dissimilar activities and audits the taxpayers' history of income or losses with respect to the activity.
4. You will need to determine the elements of your personal pleasure in writing to determine if your writing is a hobby or a business. Remember, you can enjoy your work and get bored with a hobby.

RECORD KEEPING    The key to record keeping is to do it on a regular basis. Don’t let it pile up. I use a credit card to track my expenses and always obtain receipts. Here’s how I do my Quicken. I set up a category titled “Writing Expenses” and include the following subcategories:

Conference Fees; Contest Fees; Education/Seminars; Professional Dues; Subscriptions; Gifts/Donations; Meals & Entertainment; Office Equipment; Office Supplies; Postage; Website/Business Cards; Advertising & book Promo; Research; Books related to writing and to the specific research for a story; Hotel; Meals; Airfare; auto mileage; Misc. expenses.

Keeping records:

1.     Post your expenses where they make sense to you.  Keep accurate records, in a neat, orderly manner.

2.     Do not write off anything that isn’t directly related to your writing. If writing is mainly for your enjoyment, don’t deduct your writing expenses. That is not saying that you can't enjoy writing but it must be profit motivated.

3.     Keep a log to document how much time you spend writing.

4.     Do NOT throw away rejection letters or unpublished manuscripts as your work shows a profit motive.

5.     Operate your writing business like a traditional small business.

6.     BE HONEST AND BE ACCURATE:    When in doubt, check it out! Taxpayers hearing claims from preparers offering larger refunds than other preparers are encouraged to check it out with a trusted tax professional or the IRS before getting involved.

ESTIMATING YOUR TAXES:    If you are self-employed, you will need to make the payments every quarter: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdf.  Use their online workshop to calculate your estimated tax. The dates to pay in estimated payments are: 1st Qtr. – Due April 17, 2012: 2nd Qtr. – Due June 15, 2012: 3rd Qtr. – Due September 17, 2012: 4th Qtr. – Due January 15, 2013

Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)

An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is a tax processing number issued by the Internal Revenue Service to individuals who are required to have a U.S. taxpayer identification number but who do not have, and are not eligible to obtain a Social Security Number (SSN) from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

Congrat's to Ellen Spain

Congratulations to Ellen Spain for once again becoming published in The Penn Writer May/June 2012 Issue:  "Becoming an Active Reader"
Click here to read the complete article.

A Time for Scones and a Time to Write

The students sat chatting, drinking coffee and eating stale scones in the Gilley Cafeteria's annex. The rain and thunder roared outside.

“I can’t believe I missed seeing Martha Stewart here on campus,” Morgan Walker replied.

“Martha owns a place nearby in Northeast Harbor and likes to boat out to Gull Island whenever she is off set,” Peter Dugua said. He gulped some coffee. “Martha knows Sieur de Cadillac's President, so that is probably why her production people did a TV program about our Bar Harbor college campus.”

Roland Donovan nodded. “Morgan, if I would have known you wanted to meet Martha Stewart, I could have arranged for you to be with our group.”

“Sure looks like a Nor'easter is hitting Bar Harbor today,” Danny Fennchar said, biting into a scone while staring out the large window. “Not too bad for something baked yesterday.”

“Well, I make the best scones in Maine,” Morgan replied. “I have been following Martha Stewart's recipes since I started watching her cooking programs on TV.”

Peter raised his eyes. “You can bake scones?” He shook his head. “My mom gave up trying to bake scones. But I love them.”

Morgan smiled. “Scones aren't that hard to make. Just follow the recipe and be certain to preheat the oven.”

“I always wondered what went into these little things,” Peter said pointing to the few scones on their plate.

“Do you really want to know,” Morgan asked.

Peter nodded. “Yes. What are those magic ingredients?”

“Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, baking soda, vanilla, heavy cream, fresh blueberries, and eggs.” Morgan took out her tablet and wrote the ingredients. “Oh yes, after they cool, spread some softly whipped cream cheese on the top for a real treat.”

“When blueberry season comes, will you bake some scones for us,” Danny asked. “I bet your scones are much better than what the college cafeteria makes.” He held out the last piece, and then popped it into his mouth. “Hum!”

They all chuckled and drank some more coffee.

“Get me an audience with Martha Stewart, and I'll bake you all scones every week,” Morgan replied. She looked at the clock. “Right now we better get moving. Class starts in a few minutes.”

Morgan, Peter, Danny, and Roland are a few of the characters featured in Secrets in the Fog: The Invisibility Project and Danny's First Love by Ellen Spain and published by eTreasures Publishing.

***

Martha Stewart’s Blueberry Scone Recipe

used by Morgan Walker in Secrets in the Fog: The Invisibility Project

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose pre-sifted white flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces the size of peas

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing tops

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in center.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Stir in the blueberries and zest.

Whisk the heavy cream and egg in a large glass measuring cup.

Press your thumb in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the cream mixture. Stir lightly with fork until the dough holds together.

Gently pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to mix well.

Pat dough into a 6-inch square baking pan about 1 1/4 inches thick and cut into four 3-inch squares. Then cut squares in half on the diagonal to form eight triangles. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Brush tops with cream.

Bake until golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer scones to wire racks to cool.

Enjoy with whipped cream cheese.

Interview with the author: Ellen Spain: the Secret Scone Recipe

I like to bake and learned some great techniques from my late mother. But with the time constraints as a novelist, as eTp's Acquisitions Editor, as an educator, and as a caring wife,  I found my baking time now started around midnight, when I couldn't focus anymore hours on my computer screen and everyone else was asleep.  I still love the taste of scones, but now I have to drive pretty far to buy a scone at Starbucks.

“Wait a minute, Ellen,” I muttered. “Do your research. This is the twenty-first century. Scone making has to be easier than those Martha Stewart recipes.”

I was correct.              Now I have a sure-fired way to make scones the easy way.  I checked out the local department stores and gourmet grocery, and ended up finding everything I needed to bake great scones at Amazon.com. But you can find the following where-ever you wish.

Here is my secret scone recipe:

1.  Bake in a Nordic Ware Scone pan (I also have a cast iron scone pan but I prefer the cast-aluminum surface because it is easier to clean). Do not wash these pans in your dishwasher. Always spray the scone pan before you add the scone mix.

2.  Use Krusteaz Scone Mix. I tried all the brands and prefer this one because it is really fool-proof. I use 2% milk and if the mix is too lumpy, I add an additional tablespoon.

3.  I like to add cinnamon chips to the dry ingredients. Use the expensive brand for a fantastic taste however, I find the Hershey brand is okay and much cheaper in price.

4.  If I want cherries or blueberries, I use the dried ones mixing about a half of a cup into the dry ingredients first. Beware: fresh berries cause the dry ingredients to absorb the fruit flavor and the end scone has the consistency of a soft muffin rather than a heavy scone with a hint of fruit taste. You can also use raisins with the cinnamon chips.  I like to prepare other foods using dried fruit, so I purchase a four-pound box at Amazon since it is a lot cheaper than buying the dried fruit in my local grocery store.

“Good job, Ellen.” And people still think I slave away at the over baking yummy things for breakfast rather than pounding away on my keyboard all day. But having that great cup of coffee and a scone in the morning while checking my email in my PJ's is a novelist's dream job. Oh yes, one problem: scone crumbs jam up the buttons on my keyboard.  Enjoy the scones fellow authors.

****************************

Ellen Spain is a retired Federal Investigator, now turned author, editor, researcher, and educator. Ellen is active with EPIC, PennWriters, RWA, SCBWI, and the Pittsburgh East Writers. www.EllenSpain.com

Congratulations to Pembroke Sinclair and Life After the Undead! Top Ten P&E Awards!

Congratulations to Pembroke Sinclair for taking 9th in the Young Adult category for Life After the Undead, a zombie story. Also, the cover art for Life After the Undead placed 10th in the Cover Art poll (cover art by Jerrod Brown).

Each year, competition is fierce in this annual contest run by Preditors and Editors. The Preditors & Editors™ Readers' Poll honors print & electronic publications published during the year.

Way to go, Pembroke! We are thrilled!

Pembroke and her Contest Winning Book

You can find Life After the Undead here.

Get Ready to Solve a Mystery at EPICON 2012 Coming Up March 15-17

Join us at EPICon 2012 in San Antonio!
 

If you plan on attending EPICon 2012 in San Antonio, Texas March 15-17 at the historic (and haunted) Menger Hotel, but haven’t already, please register now. REGISTRATION CLOSES 2/29/12. Please visit www.epicorg.com for details.

This year’s theme is Mystery at the Menger. Conference attendees will take part in a murder mystery party in the hotel. The first person to guess the villain wins an e-reader!

There will be a slate of informative workshops for publishers, editors, authors, and readers, plus an eFiesta – a celebration of the e-revolution in publishing. The schedule is now published.

You can reach out to conference attendees by advertising in the main program as well as the eFiesta program. If you are interested, please contact Marci Baun at marci.baun@gmail.com. You can also find new readers by providing gift certificates as prizes for the conference and Friday’s eFiesta readers’ event. Contact Marci Baun at marci.baun@gmail.com for details.

For more information on the conference or how you can participate, please contact Kim Wollenburg at rwakw@yahoo.com, Marci Baun at marci.baun@gmail.com or Lorna Collins at 31months@cox.net. They are all working very hard to make the sponsorship program successful and help you spread your name recognition.

eTreasures is participating in the Publisher panel and Martha and author Ellen Spain are leading a business workshop on taxes.

See you in March!

Upcoming Radio Guest spot

Please join one of our author's Cindy Cromer, author of Desperate Measures, for a guest spot on an internet Blog Radio Show.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2012/01/25/a-good-story-is-a-good-story-with-host-marsha-casper-cook

Congratulations to Pembroke Sinclair

Its a great honor to announce Life After the Undead has been nominated for the Preditors and Editors readers' poll.  You can vote for it here (http://critters.org/predpoll/novelyoungadult.shtml) and for the cover here (http://critters.org/predpoll/bookart.shtml).  I didn't know if you wanted to put this on the blog or other spots where people can vote.  I posted the links in the group sites.

Merry Christmas Wishes!

Merry Christmas to all the eTreasures authors, staff and readers!
May the Christmas season fill your home with joy, your heart with love & your life with laughter.
Martha

eTreasures Twelve Days Blog #8: Love for Christmas!

Can we tempt you with a book of Love? Cupid Gone Wild is a collection of Valentine tales but Love is wonderful year round and very special at Christmas.

Cupid Gone Wild

Sometimes true love needs help. Five Cupids take on a challenge this Valentine's season: To match the most unlikely couple they can find.

Love Transposed by Pepper O'Neal and Chelsy Day - Free Read One arrow straight through two chests was all it took for carpenter/painter Dan, and trust fund baby Jane to go from making each other crazy, to being crazy about each other.

Love Potion 2-14 by Pepper O'Neal White witch Kole Trillion has a successful business, customers who swear by her potions and spells. Unfortunately, she also has the bad luck to fall in love with a man who doesn't believe in magic, Police Detective Gage Corwin.

The Bachelor by Heather Hiestand Abbie Harper didn’t mean to buy the date, but one look at Jake Cordalys and she’s ready for red-hot romance. Jake is not looking for something complicated, but when Cupid is involved, all plans go out the window and romance flies in.

The Boss Wore Red by Delle Jacobs and SamMarie Ashe Alexandria Bergstrom was chosen because she desperately needed to alter the course of her life. Clint Riordan doesn’t know what will make him completely happy until he meets Alexandria. By giving Alexandria this opportunity to discover her true past, the pairing of Alexandria and Clint will repair past mistakes and produce a new brighter future.

The Wrong Target by Sherry Gloag Headmistress, Tina Blackberry and businessman Ryan Thomas can't control events after Ryan's daughter steals his coveted golden arrow and takes it to school, But put Cupid on the job and nothing can go wrong, or can it? 

The Hollywood Hookup by Chelsy Day Actor Casey Jones and Stunt Woman Sandra Benson have a history. Can Cupid get them past the animosity and prove that true love in Hollywood is NOT impossible? 

 Comment on this post for an entry to win an eBook copy of Cupid Gone Wild.

[Treasure Chest #8] 

Winner will be picked from all comments.

Individual giveaway ends December 26, 2011 at 10 pm.
See the "Twelve Days Blog Tour" post for two other chances to win.

Winner of Twelve Days #6 Giveaway

CONGRATULATIONS to HOTCHA12 who won Twelve Days Giveaway #5:

An eBook copy of Silicon Self by Kirtimaya Varma.

Thanks for commenting hotcah12.  Hope to see you again during the week!

Winner of Twelve Days #5 Giveaway

CONGRATULATIONS to DONNAS who won Twelve Days Giveaway #5:

An eBook copy of Desperate Measures by Cindy Cromer.

Thanks for commenting Donnas.  Hope to see you again during the week!

Winner of Twelve Days #4 Giveaway

CONGRATULATIONS to MARIA D. who won Twelve Days Giveaway #4:

An eBook copy of  the A Christmas Wish Joy Brook's new novella.

Thanks again for commenting Maria. Looks like you are going to be a big winner this week!

Winner of Twelve Days #3 Giveaway

CONGRATULATIONS to MARIA D. who won Twelve Days Giveaway #3:

An eBook copy of  the Sweetheart's in Bloom Anthology which includes Cher Green's novella Escape to Love.

Thanks for commenting Maria. Looks like you are going to be a winner this week!

eTreasures Twelve Days Blog #7: A Holiday Gift

Check out my release for a last minute holiday idea for a friend.

Her Dreams Come True

by Miranda Heart
Shunning all that is holy, Annabelle’s soul now hangs in the balance. A gift  from a witch seals her fate and thrusts her into the waiting arms of an incubus.  The incubus, not being quite as evil as his Master gives Annabelle a way out.  She now has one night to save her family and her  soul.

Rediscovering love and finding his soul is the last thing  Roshan has on his mind. Out of curiosity he’s worn the gifted necklace for  months with no sign of his intended bride. So it was nothing for him to offer  shelter during a terrible storm to a beautiful maiden. How surprising that the  poor orphaned girl would turn out to be the one that would bring light into his  soul. He has only one night to find the love he thought he’d lost all those  years ago.
Genre: Historical, paranormal
Pages: 66, Novella;    eBook $1.49

Sincerely,
Miranda Heart
Comment on this post for an entry to win an eBook copy of Her Dream Come True.

Open Worldwide. Winner will be picked from all comments.

Individual giveaway ends December 26, 2011 at 10 pm.
[Treasure Chest #7]

 

See the "Twelve Days Blog Tour" post for two other chances to win.

New Release: Part of PROM NIGHT SUMMER ANTHOLOGY A Tale of Two Prom Dates by Evie Alexis

Product Description

Part of PROM NIGHT SUMMER ANTHOLOGY

A Tale of Two Prom Dates

by Evie Alexis

Victoria Reynolds is getting ready for prom. She has the dress, the shoes, even the beautician. The problem is: she has one too many dates.

One second, Victoria accepts the invitation from the star basketball player Randy Calhoun. After running into philosophic thinker, Scott Feldman, on a quick walk, she agrees to be his prom date.

Will Victoria be able to make up her mind in time, or will she hurt both boys as she struggles with “The Carmen Curse”?

La-la-la-la!

Genre: YA
pages: 70, Novella
eBook: $1.49

Winner of Twelve Days #2 Giveaway

CONGRATULATIONS to MARIA D. who won Twelve Days Giveaway #2:

An print copy of The Spaces Between Your Screamsby Author Christopher Hivner

Thanks for commenting Maria. 

eTreasures Twelve Days Blog Post #6: When Silicon is The Spirit

When Silicon Is the Spirit
By Kirtimaya Varma

Computer addiction, computer-mediated lives, and solitary Internet habits of those who never let normal human living come between themselves and their computers have become hallmarks of our age.

While we continue to advance technology, we are also falling under the spell of the “rhetoric of the technological sublime” and unable to see the illusory capabilities of technology. The virtual world of cyberspace has many attractions. But it is also a dirge-like ode to the seclusion of people hardly aware of themselves, their family, and their society. Think of those who fall down dead of exhaustion while playing computer games for days together. Think of those absorbed endlessly into web surfing, email exchange, downloads, and other computing paraphernalia. Think of those who have given themselves up 24/7 to meet the professional challenges of technology and market. The elemental urges of an increasing number of IT zealots seem to be computation and competitive advantages rather than self preservation and sociability.

Is the insatiate human hunger for computing similar to the one that began in the Garden of Eden? A recent Stanford University study found that fourteen percent of computer users neglected work, family, food, and sleep in order to remain online. The American Medical Association wants to classify Internet obsession as a psychiatric disease. Chinese psychologists recognize Internet addiction as a condition similar to compulsive gambling or alcoholic dependence, and camps are held to treat Internet addicts. In South Korea counselors wean children away from spending long hours on the Internet. Meanwhile, the online world continues to expand unabated. Virtual reality mongers could not have been happier, if they still know what happiness is!

The hiding places computer leads to is the antithesis of what IT utopians glamorously call “the global village” and “the society of the spectacle,” predicted in the 1960s. The computer has redefined the traditional relationship between humans and humans, and humans and machines, while humans adjust their evolution to the machine. In the book iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind neuropsychiatrist Dr Gary Small and Gigi Vorgan say that digital technology is altering the human neural circuitry. “This evolutionary brain process has rapidly emerged over a single generation . . . . Although the science behind the way technology affects behavior and mental state is only in its infancy, initial observations indicate important links between extensive brain exposure to new technology and mental disorders.”

In Ape and Essence Huxley depicts mankind as concerned only with war and technology and so removed from reality that humans have become unintelligent animals spiraling toward World War III. Faust warns that certain kinds of power come at a price of what we hold most uniquely human. Are we paying too high a price for the power of technology? Perhaps. We need to steer the course of technology to create a human-centric community rather than passively experience the power of technology in a technology-centric community. 

And if we don’t do so? We shall end up caught in situations I have tried to capture in my Science Fiction novel SILICON SELF, recently published by eTreasures Publishing.

Anderson is passionately developing software to speedily reach the leading edge of IT. His wife Nora wonders how dangerously close to the edge can he go, and whether the folly of ignorance is less dangerous than that of too advanced technologies? She tries to wean him away, determined to save her family and the world from at least one technology leader.

In the blinding rush to be ahead in technology, Anderson and his peers build up an expensive IT solution, but only to find there is no problem needing it. To discover or invent a problem for a ready solution is known as “solving the solution.” While striving to solve the solution, their ISP breaks down and they lose Internet connectivity. They struggle to find their worlds outside the Internet. Cut off from virtual reality, they cannot cope up with any reality, and are constantly in conflict with themselves, their colleagues, and their environment. Their encounters create comical situations.

I believe the story of SILICON SELF touches the lives of all of us in a way that is at once comic and tragic. How much comical can our computing environment be? And how much tragic can our computing environment be? Where is our obsession with computers leading us?

It would be interesting to share our experiences and views. While I have shared mine with readers through my novel SILICON SELF, I cordially invite readers to comment on what I have said, and also enlighten me with their experiences and views.       

SILICON SELF

by Kirtimaya Varma

                                                         Product Description

Anderson is developing software to speedily reach the leading edge of IT, not letting normal human living come between himself and his computer. His wife Nora wonders how dangerously close to the edge can he go, and whether the folly of ignorance is less dangerous than that of too advanced technologies? She tries to wean him away, determined to save her family and the world from at least one technology leader.

In the blinding rush to be ahead in technology, Anderson and his peers build up an expensive IT solution, but only to find that there is no problem needing it. To discover or invent a problem for a ready solution is known as “solving the solution.” While striving to solve the solution, their ISP breaks down and they lose Internet connectivity. They struggle to find their worlds outside the Internet. Cut off from virtual reality, they cannot cope up with any reality, and are constantly in conflict with themselves, their colleagues, and their environment. Their encounters create comical situations.

Genre:  Sci fi, Fantasy;  Pages: 390

Comment on this post for an entry to win an eBook copy of Silicon Self.

Open Worldwide. Winner will be picked from all comments.

Individual giveaway ends December 22, 2011 at 10 pm.

[Treasure Chest #6]

 

See the "Twelve Days Blog Tour" post for two other chances to win.

New Release: Part of PROM NIGHT SUMMER ANTHOLOGY THE GIFT By Kat Deacon

Product Description

Part of PROM NIGHT SUMMER ANTHOLOGY

THE GIFT

By Kat Deacon

All Seri Graham wanted for her sixteenth birthday was a date for junior prom and a car. Not much right? Seri goes from bubble gum and chick flicks to smiting demons and meeting her Gregori Watcher mother for the first time. Along with her two besties Maya and Lucy, using the gift from her mother, Seri tries to survive long enough to discover who and what she is and make it to the prom.

Genre: YA
Pages: 83, Novella
eBook: $1.49