Whale Hunting Women by Dr Barbara Weaver Smith

You may be asking what whale hunting has to do with women and why we’re talking about this in the 21^st century. I was curious when I first heard the title too – but I can guarantee that this book will surprise you. I’ll share the full time which will give you some insights into the content. This book is titled Whale Hunting Women: How Women Do Big Deals.

We get used to long books that go on and on about a topic – but Whale Hunting Women gets right to the point. I couldn’t find any “fluff” in this book, but there is a lot of great content to help you. These are some of the chapters in this book –

· How Women Hunt Whales.

· Only a Minnow (In a Sea of Whales).

· Small Company Looking Big.

· Small Fish Hunting Whales.

· Radical Culture: Take a Rival to Lunch.

· Radical Culture: Money is Cheap.

· Radical Culture: Kill Some Commandments.

· Who Do You Trust?

· Whale Hunting Resolutions.

Women are uniquely qualified to “hunt whales” because they listen, align and empathize. Men can learn these qualities too – but women are usually raised to have these traits. That gives them a boost in the “whale hunting” concept.

For people who aren’t familiar with whale hunting – the entire village was involved in preparing for the hunt and the right combination of skilled people were necessary for the hunt. Imagine having several people in a small boat and having to hunt and kill a whale – then you have to row the boat to get the whale home. They had no “modern conveniences” like radar, radios, motors and other things to help them bring home the whale to help the people in their village. Today we have many tools to make a whale hunt easier, but we still need a skilled team filled with members who all contribute to the hunt.

Dr Barbara Weaver Smith helps the reader understand that small businesses can look bigger and they can compete with big companies to get the big clients. This is where the team you assemble will make the difference and give you an edge. In the current economic climate, using the tips in Whale Hunting Women allows us to compete with the “big boys” by building our team in creative and productive ways to attract the big clients without piling on additional financial obligations of hiring more staff members.

These ideas are just the beginning of the information that is included in this information packed book. As you read through this book we recommend that you take the time to work through the journal pages. I always like it when the author creates review exercises or journal pages that prompts the reader to dig deeper to learn more and to start applying what they are learning.

If you are a business woman or business owner who would like the tools to take the business to the next level – I highly recommend this book. If you have a woman in your life that is in business and she wants to set herself apart from the crowd – you need to buy this book for her. It is available on www.thewhalehunters.com along with much more information about Dr Barbara Weaver Smith and Whale Hunting Women.

Willing Spirits by Phyllis Schieber

Are you the kind of person who enjoys reading about friendships between women? Many women are the best of friends and they insist that they couldn't get through life without those friendship. If this sounds familiar to you -- this is a book you have to read. I'm not a fan of chick lit - and Phyllis' books have been called chick lit - but I don't agree. Schieber's books are about mature women who are in their 40s or 50s and they have accomplished a lot in their lives - and they have also had their share of difficulties.

In Willing Spirits we meet two friends who are in their 40s and their children are grown and have gone off to college. One (Jane) is married - although she is unhappy. The other (Jane) raised her sons alone because her husband walked out when the boys were very young.

Jane discovers her husband in bed with a younger woman and once the shock and anger wear off - she realizes that she doesn't want to be with him anymore. Her friend, Gwen, is there to support her.

As the story progresses we see the many dimensions of their friendship. We meet their children, mothers, significant others and many other people as these women work their way through their lives. Should a 40 something woman be alone when she isn't married? Is it all right to be involved with a younger man? What should she do when her 20 something daughter finds them in bed together? Is it all right to have an affair with a married man? If he leaves his wife - does that mean he will or that he should live with his mistress? How do grown sons handle their mother and her married lover? And - how can these women juggle their responsibilities and still be true to herself?

These are just some of the answers you will find in this book. You will laugh, you will cry, you will nod at the things that are familiar and you may even raise your eyebrows in surprise - but if you like stories about women, their lives and their friendships - you will enjoy Willings Spirits by Phyllis Schieber.

Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore

I was so excited about being asked to work on the promotional campaign for Julianne Moore's new book - Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully.

One of the obvious reasons is because I've heard great things about Julianne Moore.

Another reason is that I've had a great friend since we were about 7 or 8 who has red hair and I remember that he hated it while we were growing up. Now he has a daughter with beautiful red hair.

The other reason is because I've had people pick on me for years for an unusual name (real name, not pen name), I've always been tall and have been 6'1 since I was 13 and I had braces for years. So, I can understand the tough time Freckleface has.

I think its great that Julianne has used her childhood experiences in a way that will help children deal with the things that make them different. Hopefully this story can also help other children understand that they should not pick on people just because they are different. We're all different from one another - we're so much better off if we appreciate the differences, but it seems that is hard for some people.


One rainy morning - Freckleface goes to Early Bird at her school. She loves Early Bird - but Windy Pants Patrick is also there and he's a bully. He picks on all the children - what will Freckleface Strawberry do?

Come along with Freckleface and see what she does in the face of a school bully.

I highly recommend this book for parents and their children. It give parents or other important adults a great opportunity to help children talk about how to deal with bullies and people who pick on them. Its also a great chance to teach children tolerance and caring about others.

LeUyen Pham is back to illustrate this second book in the Freckleface Strawberry series.

Before the Scalpel by Panchali Dhar, MD

What Everyone Should Know About Anesthesia
Before the Scalpel by Panchali Dhar, MD

I had the opportunity to help promote this wonderful new resource in a virtual blog tour. My regular visitors have gotten to know about a lot of great books I've reviewed that were written by tour clients. This is definitely another one that I highly recommend, but this one is different. The content of this book can and very possibly will, affect your health and the health of your loved ones.

Dr Panchali Dhar is a respected anesthesiologist in New York and she has written a great book that gives so much great information. It is not a dry medical text book - not at all. The layout is very interesting and colorful. Since I wrote my first non fiction books, I've become much more aware of the layout of books and this layout is very good and adds a new dimension to the content.

To see a sample of the information and the contents of the book, you can view this PDF - http://www.tellmepress.com/publ_images/pdf/before_the_scalpel.pdf

Some of the Topics Included in the Book Include:

The Anesthesiologist
What sort of choices are there
Understand the operating room, monitors etc
Recovery after surgery - including managing pain
Plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery
Concerns for overweight patients
Anesthesia and childbirth
Concerns for children when anesthesia is used
Dental anesthesia
Nausea and vomiting and how to take care of yourself when you wake
There is also the history and timeline of anesthesia along with a glossary and more

This book is simply packed with everything you need to know to understand anesthesia and the tools you need to have an educated conversation with your doctor before surgery.

At the end of each chapter Dr Dhar provides what she calls "Prescriptives:Be a Better Consumer". These sections ask you questions to review important points from the chapters. These questions will also prepare you to know what you need to tell your doctor - what information will make a difference for you during and after surgery.

From the added tidbits that are included in each chapter, the pictures and even a couple of cartoon, the tips and the "Panchlines" are all parts of the book that make it very readable, easy to understand and beneficial for you. I highly recommend that everyone should read this book if they are unsure about anesthesia. As I've frequently said during this virtual blog tour, when you are lying on the operating table is NOT the time to start thinking about anesthesia.

This is some additional information that we compiled for the tour that you may like to see:

To view videos about various elements of the book - visit

Concerns for Overweight Patients - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUVfO96wDxA

Preparing for Surgery - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6gDu1sl4DI

Plastic Surgery Patients - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-N8O_qbsJE

Surgery Concerns for Children - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk5N5w2m208


To read the full table of contents, visit http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2009/01/before-scalpel-by-panchali-dhar-table.html

This is the publisher's sale page - http://www.tellmepress.com/product.php/Before-the-Scalpel/3/

To buy your copy - http://www.amazon.com/Before-Scalpel-Everyone-Should-Anesthesia/dp/0981645305

Nikki Leigh

How Obama Won by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

How Obama Won by Earl Ofari Hutchinson
A Comprehensive Dissect of Obama's White House Win

I have to be honest that I’ve never followed politics for many reasons. But in the past year, I’ve worked with Earl Ofari Hutchinson, read four of his book and followed his blog posts. I can tell you that it has been a crash course in politics.

The unbiased details that he shares and the historic information that he provides to support his conclusions are fascinating to me because I love to learn the story behind the news. Earl Ofari Hutchinson is a nationally recognized political analyst and author who has had his finger on the pulse of the political system for years and he uses that experience to help the reader dissect Obama’s win.

That is also one of the things I really liked about his latest book, How Obama Won. So many things happened through the 20+ months of campaigning, that I had lost track of many of the details. Through the 20 chapters of this book, he starts with Obama announcing that he will run, his big and important win in the Iowa primary and brings the reader through the final days of the election. I was talking to a friend who was reading this and he mentioned that it felt like a friend was explaining the election to your personally.

In the pages of How Obama Won, Hutchinson discusses many things that helped propel Obama to victory and some things that had the potential to derail his candidacy. These topics include: the economy, fund raising, the black vote, Oprah’s support, “the Bradley Effect”, Jesse Jackson, Reverend Wright, the race issue, the Clintons, choosing the right vice president, Sarah Palin, Colin Powell, blue collar America, and more.

There are very high expectations for President Obama and his administration. This book is to the point and will take you back through the election process and remind you of the details that got Obama to his current position. Take a look back at this historic election that people will study for years to come. This is your chance to dissect Obama’s win. Sure Obama got more votes, but what lead up to him getting those votes? That’s what you learn in How Obama Won.

The Sinner’s Guide to Confession by Phyllis Schieber

Take three best friends, each woman has her own life and family. They share just about everything – but each friend has a secret that she won’t share with her friends or family. Will people think less of her if they know the secret she is hiding? How will her life change if she admits the truth? Will her life be better if she shares the secret? Admitting the truth gives friends and family the chance to help her with the secret – is that what she wants?

Barbara, Kaye and Ellen live in New York and they are each around 50 years old. Barbara recently lost her husband when he died unexpectedly. Thankfully, she has a lucrative career as a romance author and an even more lucrative secret. Her children are grown and on their own, but she is their mother and children have certain expectations about what their mother’s should do.

Kaye has a life with her husband and her children are adults, but her relationship with her husband has grown stale – is her future with him or another man? She meets a man who makes her feel sexy and desired, that makes her “stale” relationship with her husband even harder to tolerate. What will the future bring for Kaye and her family?

Ellen was forced, by her parents, to give up her daughter for adoption. This made her relationship even more strained with her parents and siblings. This forced adoption is even harder to handle as Ellen is married and she is unable to become pregnant. Will Ellen be able to meet her long lost daughter and if she does, can they forge a relationship?

Each of these women has a strong support system in place, but she needs to make the decision to trust these people with the secrets she is hiding. Their journey to self discovery takes you on an interesting, touching, emotion and at times a humorous trek through the pages of The Sinners’ Guide to Confession. Female relationship stories are not usually my favorite reads, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and often found myself laughing at great one liners and other times reaching for tissues as I read this very well written book by Phyllis Schieber.

Phyllis Schieber is touring cyber space in January 2009 to promote Sinner's Guide to Confession, for complete details - http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/12/sinners-guide-to-confession-by-phyllis.html

The Mind of A Genius by David Snowdon

Imagine if a genius created an invention that could literally change the world – for the better? What would a world changing invention be worth and what extent would be go to in order to get their hands on it? That is the premise behind The Mind of a Genius. I won’t tell you details about the invention, for that you need to read the book.

Malcolm Prince is a brilliant British scientist and he’s finalized the world changing formula. The word is out that he has succeeded and the British, American and Denmark governments are all interested. But, there are a few problems. Malcolm Prince dies without revealing the details and no one knows where he stored the formula. So, the brilliant scientist accomplished the impossible, but the world can’t benefit if the formula isn’t found. Then you have the concern that the formula could fall into the wrong hands.

The race is on – who will find the formula and how many people will go to jail because of their failed attempts to get their hands on the formula? A lot of money is being offered for the person or people who can get their hands on the formula. Which of these mysterious and devious people would you prefer has control of this world changing creation?

One government is trying a different approach. MI4 brings in their suave and very dangerous special agent Jason Clay. Clay is known to be a womanizer and the plan is for him to get close to Malcolm Prince’s beautiful widow. It’s a plum assignment for Clay and the money is good too. He meets Laura Prince and they get to know each other in the coming days. As they get acquainted and get closer, there are plenty of other people who want to get close to the beautiful widow or at least get close to her husband’s formula.

The Mind of a Genius brings together some very colorful and memorable characters to the story board and the action takes the reader from London to Copenhagen, Hong Kong and Australia. Who will find the formula? What is the formula? Will Jason Clay fall for the beautiful widow? Who is the dwarf? Who is Gorgeous Steve? And, who is the young man who keeps breaking out of jail? These are just a few of the answers that author David Snowdon answers in the pages of The Mind of a Genius. Get ready for international intrigue and mystery in the pages of this book.

David Snowdon is touring cyber space from mid January to mid March. For more information, vist http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/12/mind-of-genuis-by-david-snowdon.html

The Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal

I thoroughly enjoyed Shobhan Bantwal's first book, The Dowry Bride. It was well written and the glimpses into Indian culture were fascinating. Learning that paying or not paying a dowry could be a matter of life or death was shocking to me and she handled it very well in her book. So, I've been looking forward to reading her second book.

This weekend I took time to read The Forbidden Daughter and my wait was rewarded. The book is about female infanticide. That is the practice of killing female babies and unborn female babies. I've heard various reasons for female infanticide in India and that is one of the elements of this story. Are women less worthy or important than men? The characters have a variety of feelings about this question. Another element is the financial angle to performing abortions along with the social repercussions.

Isha Talik is drawn into this web of lies, deception and money when her obstetrician informs her and her husband that their unborn child is a girl. In an off handed comment, he says that he's willing to perform an abortion if they want to be rid of this child. Isha and Nikhil vehemently insist they will have their child, but they realize Nikhil's parents will want them to abort the child. The couple have one daughter and Isha knows her in laws treat her daughter Priya as less worthy than her male cousins. When the news is shared with the elder Taliks, they insist the child must be aborted.

This debate rages and is only interrupted late one evening when the family receives news that Nikhil was stabbed to death at his job. Isha, Priya and the in laws are all shaken by the news of Nikhil's death. The news is especially devastating to his parents because Nikhil was their only son and he had no sons to carry on the family name. Life for Isha and Priya is tougher each day and after her father in law beats Priya, the young, pregnant widow walks out of the house - with almost no money and only some of her possessions.

Isha and Priya are taken in at the local convent and make their home in a small, bleak room and they wait for the birth of her daughter. The day after Diya is born, Isha is seen by the doctor who helps the convent. He was a student at the college Isha attended and he had a crush on her in school.

Doctor Harish Salvi becomes a very good friend and his affection for Isha and her children continues to grow over time. Isha is reunited with her sister in law Sheila. With Sheila and Dr Salvi, Isha finds the support she needs.

Over time things begin to look better for Isha and her family and her support network grows again. But, the story isn't over and Isha must deal with a couple more concerns before the end. Isha and her closest confidantes realize who killed her husband and why. She has evidence of his wrong doing and the time stamp on the computer disc makes it very obvious, who is responsible for his murder. Will they go to the police? Will the murderer pay for his crime? Who else will have to pay for this man's actions?

I don't want to ruin the story for anyone, but I highly recommend this story. You will grow to admire, you will admire and cherish Dr Salvi and you will care what happens to Isha's daughters. This book is a wonderful work from a talented author who share her knowledge of India with us.

Shobhan Bantwal is touring with Promo 101 Virtual Tours in October. Visit www.virtualblogtour.blogspot.com for more details.

Brillante Weblog Premio Award For This Blog

Isn't this a beautiful award? Joyce Anthony over at:

http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog

nominated me for it. This is a pay-it-forward award and my instructions were to now choose some blogs I find worthy of this award. The choice wasn't easy, but I have finally narrowed it down to the following. These are in no particular order; that would be impossible to do.

Joyce Anthony - http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog - I know she nominated me, but Joyce is always willing to work with me and to help the authors that I work with each month. She puts together an event on her blog which is a part of my tours. Her help is wonderful and very appreciated. I hope that I've been able to introduce her to some interesting new people.

Yvonne Perry - www.yvonneperry.blogspot.com - I met Yvonne as I was coordinating my very first blog tour- it was for her. We worked together and got to be friends and when I started doing more tours, she was one of the people I contact about upcoming tours. She's hosted a number of people for me, on her blog and in her newsletter. Its been great getting to know her even more as we;ve worked together on various projects and she offers a wealth of info for writers and others on her blog.

Kathleen Gage - www.themarketingmindset.com - I heard of Kathleen long before I actually got to talk with her. She shares a wealth of information for authors, speakers and others on her blog and she hosts a number of authors for me on her blogs as well. Kathleen and her blog are both wonderful resources that should not be overlooked and she is one of the nicest and most caring people that I know.

Dyan Garris - http://blog.voiceoftheangels.com - I met Dyan early in 2008 and we've worked together for a while. During this time I've come to know her as a person who truly wants to help others. She wants to share the information she has that can help other people improve the quality of their lives. She shares plenty of great information on her blog and her website. She has also become a friend and someone who has words of wisdom and comfort at the right time.

Carolyn Howard Johnson - www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com - Carolyn created a review blog where she is willing to post reviews for all sorts of authors, not just big name authors, but even the lesser known authors. Her instructions are very clear and it is very easy to take advantage of her offer. She has hosted a number of authors for me on their tours and her assistance is certainly appreciated.

Philip Harris - http://philipharris.blogspot.com - Phil Harris has been a good friend and he has hosted a number of authors for me. There are a number of topics that he is very knowledgeable about and those are great opportunities for him to host an author and to ask very targeted questions. He has a knack for getting to the heart of a topic and asking great questions. This has been helpful on a number of tours and I think he's also made some friends along the way.

I'm sure there are others that I've forgotten and I am sorry. I've also discovered some new blogs that are going to be very good for the authors to work with me. More great resources to come in the near future.

The rules for the above recipients are as follow:

Rules for next recipients of the Brillante Weblog Premio are as follows:

1. The award may be displayed on a winner's blog.

2. Add a link to the person you received the award from.

3. Nominate up to seven other blogs.

4. Add their links to your blog.

5. Add a message to each person that you have passed the award on in the comments section of their blog.

There you have it, folks, my nominees for this wondrous peer-driven award. Please stop by the above blogs and drop everyone a note of congratulations!!!

Email Marketing for Complex Sales Cycles by Winton Churchill

Direct mail and email marketing have gotten a bad rap for many years. But, when the email marketing is executed properly, the results can be fantastic. That is the sort of email marketing that Winton Churchill talks about in this book. It’s not just a simple email being sent from time to time, but it is an email system that gets definite and positive sales results for your business.

The complete name of the book is Email Marketing for Complex Sales Cycles – Proven Ways to Product a Continuous Flow of Prospects and Profits with Effective, Spam Free Email Systems. When properly formulated and executed, an email mailing system can generate additional sales for your company – quickly.

We’re all familiar with the long drawn out and unpredictable sales methods. How many times have your sales people spent endless hours coddling sales leads? How often do these hours generate few sales? You know that isn’t cost effective, but every body does cold calling, trade shows and similar sales approaches. Or do they? You won’t need to continue these unpredictable sales strategies after you read and apply Email Marketing for Complex Sales Cycles by Winton Churchill.

To illustrate the wealth of information in this book, these are some of the topics–

· Email Marketing is Not About Spam.

· Email Marketing… Relatively Easy and Extremely Powerful – When You Do it Right.

· Change your Mindset, Change Your Future.

· Six Special Needs of Complex Sales Cycles.

· Three Critical Stages of Success.

· Unhooking – The Process of Un-Training Your Brain.

· Four Ways to Identify and Qualify Legitimate Prospects.

· The Rapport Sequence.

· Eighteen Essential Components Simplified.

· Seven Damaging Mistakes Many Executives Make.

· Eight Indispensible “Fast Track” Strategies.

Recipients have mental blocks about spam and supposed junk mail. So, the first thing to realize is that Winton Churchill isn’t talking about spam or junk mail. In various places throughout the book, he admonishes the reader to find a quality list. This helps you get better results because those lists contain people who want to receive information about a product or service that is similar to yours.

Email marketing is reasonably easy, but you need to understand why it works and how it works. The complex sales cycle is a powerful sales tool and Churchill helps you learn how to use it properly. Are you one of the business people who spent your budget on an address list, but didn’t know how to properly use the list? This book is for you. Just having the list isn’t enough. You need to reach the people and determine who needs your product or service. You also need to build up a rapport with these people in order to lead them to make a purchase.

The email complex sales cycle allows you to screen these potential clients, show them that you are an expert in your field, demonstrate ways that you can help them and lead them to your business to make a sale. That does not mean that every one on the list will become a client, but when you start with a targeted and qualified list, your chance of making the sale increase. Once you have the right list, work on the cycle of messages that prove your credibility and illustrate how you can fill their needs.

In several of the chapters, Churchill addresses the mindset and that re-training are necessary to make email marketing work. The content of this book helps you get past the preconceived ideas about spam and to see the strategic way that a complex sales system works.

I enjoyed the entire book and I really enjoyed the sections on how to identify qualified prospects, how to simplify the eighteen components that are necessary and learning about common mistakes. I learned long ago that we can learn through past mistakes – the ones we make and the ones that other people make.

Finally, the eight “fast track” strategies are very useful. We all want to fast track our sales cycle, but it needs to be done correctly. Throughout the book, Churchill explains that we can ruin the sales cycle by pushing too hard to fast, so learning how to effectively “fast track” the program is helpful and will help us avoid mistakes.

My copy of the book has all kinds of information highlighted for future reference. I found many great ideas and tips that I will use. As I was reading the book, I also noticed an idea forming to use email marketing for a client’s business. I hadn’t thought about the approach before, but it made so much sense as I read Email Marketing Solutions.

The content could inspire you to make radical changes in the way your sales force finds and how they handle sales leads. Think of the time and money you could save with a more effective sales prospecting system for your business. Let Winton Churchill show you how to make these changes and how to increase sales that are generated for your company.

Winton Churchill will tour the blog-o-sphere September 15 to October 10. For more details, visit www.virtualblogtour.blogspot.com

Vietnam Air Rescues by Dave Richardson

I have to start by saying that I love to read true stories - the good, the bad and the ugly :) This is a good one.

Dave Richardson is a man who was sent to Vietnam in the late 60's and he chose to be a helicopter rescue pilot while he was in the war. This put him in a position to have some fascinating experiences and it gave him a chance to see his faith in action during trying and dangerous times.

Vietnam Air Rescues started out as a book from a father, to his family. It was the chance to share his experiences and to help the family understand what he did during his time in Vietnam. A big part of the book are Dave's recollections and pictures from his rescues. There are many pictures throughout the book which are a great addition. I should mention that Dave does remind us that the pictures were taken over 30 years ago and most were taken under "less than favorable" conditions. Some of the pictures are out of focus, but when you read the content and realize what he was doing at the time he was taking the pictures, a bit of fuzz should be ignored.

The book begins with Dave Richardson's "Totally Unauthorized History of the Vietnam War". He shares his reflections of the war and his time overseas. He also explains the various editions of the book. The first edition was written for Dave Richardson's family, but as others requested copies, slight changes were made to make the story appropriate for other readers.

Dave shares many interesting details throughout the book, a jargon section, information about a typical day, details about the missions he flew, he shares maps of the area and full details on each of his rescues.

I feel that the personal feel is very obvious in the book. It feels like a friend is telling you about a year in his life and you get involved in the things they did to kill time when they had time to spare. We also feel the tension as he struggles to rescue a pilot who was shot down, realizing that a mistake would mean death for a number of people. It was never a situation where he only had to worry about his own life.

I interviewed Dave Richardson on my radio show and I got the chance to learn so many additional details. Learning more about how a person handles a helicopter added more tension to the rescue sections. I highly recommend listening to the interview for plenty of details. (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nikkileigh/2008/08/18/Nikki-Leigh-Talks-with-Dave-Richardson)

On August 25th, I will interview Dave Richardson and the last person he rescued, Kenny Fields. Both men wrote books about their experiences. One of the interesting things is that these two books give us the perspective from the air and the perspective from the ground. Dave was days from going home and he agreed to go out one more time. Little did he know what would happen over the next 48 hours. Kenny Fields was stranded on the ground and the rescue planes and helicopters had a very difficult time - these men will share their stories with us.

If you prefer to read the details - Dave Richardson's book is Vietnam Air Rescues (www.amazon.com/Vietnam-Air-Rescues-Dave-Richardson/dp/1434891348/nikkileighaut-20)
Kenny Fields book is Rescue of Streetcar 304: A Navy Pilot's Forty Hours on the Run in Laos (www.amazon.com/Rescue-Streetcar-304-Pilots-Forty/dp/1591142717/nikkileighaut-20)

If you would like to learn more about what happened behind the scenes this is a great place to start. There is no grandstanding, no political undertones and no agenda in Vietnam Air Rescues. But, there is a great story told from an author who is proud to share his story with us.

Transforming Power by Hugh Ballou

Transforming Power by Hugh Ballou

Hugh Ballou has over 40 years of experience as a choir director and has worked with small organizations and large organizations. I believe the largest had 12,000 members. Now, you may be asking yourself what a choir director knows about transforming power and how he can help entrepreneurs. That’s an interesting story.

As I’ve spoken with Hugh Ballou and as I read some of the articles and his book, it became very clear to me that the situations he faced with the choir members, the religious structure and the members of the congregations often reflect the situations we face in business. This is especially true when we talk about implementing change in any type of organization. This experience has given him a unique perspective when he deals with businesses and other organizations that need to make changes.

First, some detail about the structure of Transforming Power. The book was compiled by collecting personal experiences from over twenty different people who experienced a transformational change. Hugh Ballou hand picked the people that are included and asked the people to share a transformational story that would be beneficial and that would inspire others. Those stories are included in this book.

I looked up a couple of definition for “transformational change” -

A shift in the business culture of an organization resulting from a change in the underlying strategy and processes that the organization has used in the past. A transformational change is designed to be organization-wide and is enacted over a period of time. - www.businessdictionary.com

A qualitative change and an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another. - www.thefreedictionary.com

In the introduction, Hugh Ballou reminds us that each of us see the transformation from our own perspective and so each experience that is shared in the book, is told from that person’s perspective. There are interesting consistencies throughout the book that help illustrate how the need for transformational change can be a universal situation. Each story inspires and encourages leaders to begin the transformational process within their organization. This enables you, the reader, to begin to make a difference for the people who work with you and to the organization as a whole.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that people see “leadership” in many different ways. However, this is not talking about someone who was just put in charge of a group. A leader is much more than a manager or supervisor. A true leader accepts the challenge to help the people they lead. Our leadership can also help other people learn how to lead and to create a more positive and encouraging environment. The first step in this process is to realize if we need to make a change in ourselves. How can we honestly ask others to make a change, if we’re unwilling to make changes first?

There are key qualities that all transformational leaders should have. They include:

Sharing responsibilities.

Promoting creativity.

Clearly defining goals.

Effectively delegate to others.

Coach others in an effective way.

Celebrate accomplishments within the group and/or the organization.

Provide knowledge and education where needed.

Value the individuals in the group and/or organization.

Be a model of leadership.

A true leader can be a very powerful and encouraging person. However, something interesting that stood out to me as I read the book was that each story showed us some concern, vulnerability, fear etc. We each have concerns about change and especially major changes. The people who contributed to this project showed us those very human traits. I found it encouraging to realize those traits are common in this sort of situation.

Several of the experiences showed how people tell us they want change, but once the change begins, we see another side to them. It’s important to understand that sometimes they want a change that will make things better for them. Change is one of those times when you will experience growing pains – or we could call them changing pains. Any change will bring some difficulties within the process and as the change is happening. True and lasting change takes time and a transformational leader needs to be prepared for the complete journey.

As a leader is leading the group through a change, they have the opportunity to create a “community” feel and approach to the project. This community atmosphere has the power to create a synergy that is very beneficial to the change that is happening and the people who are involved. It isn’t productive to approach these changes in a dictatorial way. Leading and using the community approach is much more effective and lasting than a dictatorial approach. The community attitude also allows others to step up and be involved in many aspects of the changes that are being made.

Effective communication, delegation and planning are key to a change. When you begin a change, do you communicate the ideas? Do you find qualified people for delegated responsibilities? Are thorough plans developed to assist the change go smoothly? These things help the change process. There may be problems along the way, but leaders who take these initial steps have a higher chance for success.

All these points are illustrated very effectively in Transforming Power. A number of the examples relate to church situations and I enjoyed reading how effectively these approaches and techniques can be used in any organizational situation. Is your group or organization in need of change? This is a book you must read and you will be able to apply many of the examples that are included in your business, church or organization. For a special offer during August 2008, visit www.transforming-power.com.

NOTE - For more details about Hugh Ballou – visit www.hughballou.com. Book information available at http://www.amazon.com/Transforming-Power-Transformational-Encouragement-Inspiration/dp/0881775312 For full tour details, visit http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/06/transforming-power-virtual-tour-with.html

A SPECIAL BONUS TO EACH PERSON WHO PURCHASES TRANSFORMING POWER TODAY – Hugh Ballou has compiled a list of great FREE bonus gifts for anyone who purchases Transforming Power today. To see a sample of the items that are being given away, visit http://www.transforming-power.com. Just buy a copy of Transforming Power, return to this page and click to submit your invoice number to receive the web page link to download all of these gifts for FREE.

Nikki Leigh – Author, Publicist and Tour Coordinator

www.nikkileigh.com – Book Promo 101: Learn the Basics of Book Promotion

Get Noticed Get Referrals by Jill Lublin

How many times have you heard that you need to make a name for yourself? That’s something I’ve heard in many different contexts over the years. Get noticed, get referrals and networking – these are all powerful strategies that all business people should utilize.

Jill Lublin writes in an easy to understand manner that walks you through the process of getting noticed and getting referrals. This book focuses on getting noticed and networking in the real world, not on the internet. (But, I hear that her next book will deal with online promotion.)

Are you one of the entrepreneurs who feels that networking and generating referrals is something you could never do? Let’s think about that for a minute. What is a referral? Last time you saw a great movie or discovered a new restaurant, did you tell your friends about it? That is a referral. Have you ever had a friend recommend a doctor or a show? That is a referral. Getting and giving referrals can be just that easy. When people know you and understand what you do, it is easy for them to give you referrals.

Why do you want referrals? That’s easy, referrals are a great way to find new clients for your business. But, I’m getting ahead of myself. Sorry, I do that when I talk about referrals and networking because I’ve seen the “magic” in action and it is wonderful for your business.

First you need to get noticed. That is the first thing that Jill Lublin helps you understand in her book. Take a few minutes and think about your business. How many times have you gotten what you need through a recommendation from someone else? It could be a location, a supplier, an advertiser or clients – any of these things can be recommended by another person. These are referrals.

We have to put forth the effort to “get out there”. This means that you have to get noticed through meeting people and interacting with them. Jill gives some great pointers on how to do this. One of my favorite points was “to be completely there”. This simply means that you need to focus on the person you meet and really get to know them. Don’t scan the room for “someone better”. You never know which person could be a key to your future, so focus on each person individually and get to know them. These are the first steps in beginning to build new business relationships.

Throughout the book, Jill Lublin gives us Action Plans. These are at the end of each chapter and they help the reader implement the information they have read. What good is the information if you can’t figure out how to use it in your business? She also provides a wonderful Client Worksheet to give us an idea of what matters we should discuss with a new client. This is only a sample, but could be used to develop a checklist that is appropriate for each of us. The checklist is only a part of the information in Chapter Two about how to deal with clients effectively.

One of the chapters I included was about myths and misconceptions. There are so many myths in business and she chose fourteen common misconceptions and explains why they are not true. It’s a short chapter, but it can be an eye opener.

Where can you go to get noticed and to start this process? Chapter Six gives plenty of examples of where to go and she even suggests that you can start your own group. Once you get “out there”, you need to make a good first impression. Before you go to those networking meetings or the chamber of commerce mixer, read chapter seven. Jill Lublin takes you step by step through the process of making a great first impression and getting started on the road to referrals.

Some advanced networking information includes:

Chapter 8 – Goals, Intentions and Strategies Chapter 9 – Cultivate the Media Chapter 11 – Focus, Focus, Focus Chapter 12 – Always Keep It Real Chapter 15 – Be Flexible and Keep Your Options Open The book contains a wide variety of information to help you get noticed and get referrals, but one of my favorite chapters is number fourteen – Service Makes a Difference. I don’t know about you, but I feel outstanding customer service is a thing of the past in many businesses today. Its sad, but how often have you gone into a business, emailed a business or called a business and been ignored or put on hold for an extended period of time?

Getting Noticed and getting referrals is a great start, but once you have the customer, you must knock their socks off with great customer service. Jill Lublin gives us the ten commandments of business, she tells us to be pleasant, respond to customers, encourage people to come back and to use heart centered marketing. Those are the subheadings in chapter fourteen, but I’ll let you discover the hidden treasures about how to give outstanding customer service.

I recommend this book for any business person who needs to learn how to get noticed. Even if you are getting noticed, are you getting referrals from others? If you aren’t getting referrals and your aren’t networking – you’re missing a big piece of the entrepreneurial puzzle. Jill Lublin’s new book can give you the networking pieces of the puzzle that you’re missing. You can learn much more about Jill Lublin and Get Noticed… Get Referrals at www.jilllublin.com and http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/06/jill-lublin-author-of-get-noticed-get.html

The Bounce Back Book by Karen Salmansohn

The full name of the book is The Bounce Back Book how to thrive in the face of adversity, setbacks and losses. How is that for a mouthful? Karen Salmansohn has 29 books in print and has sold over 1,000,000 books. I figure there must be something special in her books, so I read The Bounce Back Book. The first thing you notice is the red rubber cover. That’s right, it’s just like a red rubber ball. When you open the cover, you see colorful pages with vivid graphics.

Karen Salmansohn claims that her books are written for people who wouldn’t be caught dead reading self help books. This book is packed with information to help people “bounce back” from all sorts of adversities, setbacks and losses. Entrepreneurs know that major problems in our personal lives can impact our day to day work. As entrepreneurs, we need to be focused on our business and one way to do that, is to learn how to deal with those problems life hands us – personal or business problems. That’s why I think this book is beneficial for business people.

Each person has their own way of dealing with problems. Some people ignore them and pretend they will simply go away. I don’t know about you, but my problems never just disappear. So, I had to learn to face these problems head on and to learn how to get past them. That can be incredibly difficult, depending on your situation and the problem, but it is possible.

In the Bounce Back Book, Karen Salmansohn shares 75 tips on how to face problems. Some are very easy, others require more thought and effort. I put a paper clip on every tip that I thought was really beneficial – there are a lot of paper clips in the book. But, don’t’ skip the introduction, she gets to the heart of the matter in the opening pages. A couple of thoughts in the introduction include:

· In life, you always have a choice. Be weak or be strong.

· Who you are as a person is best revealed by who you are during times of conflict and crisis.

Those are two powerful and true statements. I contend that people can be a victim or a survivor – that’s another way of saying we can be weak or we can be strong.

Throughout the book, she presents a tip and then gives further information about that particular tip. Some of the details are simple common sense and other areas include examples or a bit of philosophy to support her suggestions. Below are some examples of the tips in the book.

Tip # 4 - We’ve all heard of the stages of grief – these steps show we are beginning to heal and beginning to deal with a crisis or a problem. At the end of this section, she gives 4 assignments for people to begin the healing process.

Tip # 9 – “It’s not only the event itself, but the way we explain the event to ourselves that causes depression.” That is so true. Our perception of an event can make it easier or harder for us to get past the problem. How do you view problems or troublesome events in your life?

Tip # 10 – “Happiness is a choice, not just a matter of genes or good luck.” Will you make the choice to be happy?

Tip # 16 – “Write a complaint letter. Then answer it.” Make a list of each thing that is a problem, fear, concern for you and then write a reply. If someone else came to you with the problem, how would you try to help them?

Tip # 35 – “Don’t just write a ‘To Do’ list. Write a ‘To Be’ list.”

Tip # 39 – “Shrink negativity into nuggetivity.” Think about whatever it is that is bothering you and let yourself think about it for 3 minutes. At the end of 3 minutes, you cannot think about it any more.

These are just a few of the bits of wisdom that Karen Salmansohn shares with us. What problems do you need to deal with and to handle? I feel pretty sure that there is a nugget in the book to help you with the problem. This book is a quick read and it is entertaining. If you wouldn’t be caught dead reading a self help book – this book was written for you.

For more information about Karen and her virtual book tour -

Karen Salmansohn - The Bounce Back Book (May 27th to June 30th, 2008)

Author and Book Information - http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/05/upcoming-virtual-book-tours.html

Tour Schedule -
http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/05/bounce-back-book-tour-schedule.html

Bounce Back Book - Spa Giveaway
http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/05/bounce-back-giveaway-your-turn-to-share.html