Miracle, the novel--Video Trailer
Category: Writing and Poetry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24g8QcxziRc

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Boycott Amazon
Category: Writing and Poetry

For those of you who may not yet be aware, Amazon is using threats and intimidation, lies and strong-arm tactics to force subsidy and independent publishers like Jigsaw Press to print books with their affiliate print-on-demand company, BookSurge, instead of a printer of our own choosing. What they are trying to do is bully us into paying higher set up and listing fees for less than acceptable quality of books and in so doing, increasing costs to the consumer. Like we’re already not paying enough.

Publishers operate on very thin margins as it is. Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, apparently believes he’s not making enough from his customers, the authors, or the suppliers (aka publishers). This move on his part seems to suggest he doesn’t think he’s rich enough. He wants more from you, from me, from everyone purchasing from Amazon because he’s arrogant enough to think he can corner the market on books this way. What he is practicing with these Mafioso tactics (see links below) is something called illegal restraint of trade.

We’re not asking any one of you to do anything more than boycott Amazon. Buy your books, your products elsewhere, such as Barnes and Noble, where you can also get free shipping for orders over 25.00 and better discounts if you join their book club.

For the authors among you, if you blog, and would join other authors and independent publishers, such as Jigsaw Press, in this boycott, we invite you to blog on the issue as well as pass this on to all your friends. If you’re of a mind, if you’re as outraged as we are, you can also call, write, or email the FTC to complain--
a.. Phone: (202) 326-3300
b.. Mail: Write to:
Office of Policy and Coordination
Room 383
Bureau of Competition
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
c.. Email: antitrust@ftc.gov (Note: Email is not secure. Mark confidential information "Confidential" and send it via postal mail.)

The most important thing here is that we readers, authors, and publishers who built Amazon into the company that it is today, who made Jeff Bezos rich, register our complaint in a language Jeff Bezos and Amazon can understand: money, or the lack thereof.

We respectfully ask that you join us in boycotting Amazon.

See these links for more details on this:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120667525724970997.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

http://www.writersweekly.com/the_latest_from_angelahoycom/004597_03272008.html

These are just two of the articles generated as the story broke yesterday. The Washington Post and others are now reporting on this. We believe that soon the US Attorney will be looking into Amazon’s attempt to corner the market through illegal restraint of trade.

We also know that Jeff Bezos has shot himself in the foot for his greed.

Boycott Amazon.

The editor and staff of Jigsaw Press

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The Nightwing’s Quest by Stirling Davenport
Current mood: jubilant
Category: Writing and Poetry

Jack is in the house, here to help us celebrate the imminent arrival of Stirling Davenport's epic fantasy, The Nightwing's Quest.

In the underground world of Alvarra, the supreme ruler is the Nightwing, whose daughters will inherit her throne. Men in this dark-elven society are admired and pampered, but since the overthrow of the Siadhin Lords long ago by the women they bred to oppress, males may not hold positions of power. And peace has reigned for centuries.

But the current Nightwing has a son whose poisoned ambition is to kill his sisters and reinstitute the rule of the Siadhin Lords. When the eldest sister is assassinated, the second daughter, Tiala, does not wait to be next. She escapes Alvarra to seek champions from the Upworld lands, where she faces prejudice, superstition, and the Scourge of Elves--the sunlight.

Will a cadre of champions comprised of a tormented wizard, a fledgling shape-changer, and two bitter enemies be enough to secure the peace in Alvarra? At what cost?

In Hardcover. Fantasy at its epic finest. Only at Jigsaw Press.

So, raise your glass and join us in toasting Stirling Davenport's The Nightwing's Quest. Jack is definitely in the house and we're jazzed!

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Starting Our New Year Off Right!
Category: Writing and Poetry

Jigsaw Press has started the new year with a bang! Make that two!

First, Threads, a Blaine Horney Mystery, by Kris Karrel has been given a four cup rating by Maura, a book reviewer for Coffee Time Romance. Maura has some wonderful things to say and you can read her review here.

Secondly, we received notice of a wonderful article about two ladies and their efforts to raise autism awareness throughout central Minnesota using our children's book, The China Doll by D.M. Rosner. And are we ever jazzed! Our hardcover has sold out, but you can find the softcover version at Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and all the usual suspects on or about January 25th.

While we here at Jigsaw Press are thoroughly stoked, we can't in all honesty say we are surprised. It was only a matter of time before the world discovered what we knew all along--our authors and their books are simply top-notch!

Jack is in the house and we raise a toast not only to our wonderful authors but also their fantastic, and loyal, readers.

Look for our next release in hardcover--The Nightwing's Quest by Stirling Davenport--at Amazon and all the usual suspects on February 1, 2008.

For the missing pieces of your reading puzzle...

Jigsaw Press

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In support of Aaron Russo’s America: From Fascism to Freedom
Category: News and Politics

Seems there's skulduggery afoot in America, and has been for almost 100 years. And we, the editor and staff of Jigsaw Press, after viewing all 11 parts of Aaron Russo's America: From Freedom to Fascism on YouTube are proud to announce our support of the revolution, our first piece of business the drive to abolish the Federal Reserve.

Watch the movie.  Then go to the Restore the Republic website. Sign the petition.  Join the forum.  And get ready.  We have a legacy bequeathed us by our forefathers, the framers of the Constitution. 

And here at Jigsaw Press, we are loud and proud in announcing our willingness to lay down our lives to ensure our children's future is free from tyranny.

You can be sure those hookers masquerading as senators and congressman don't have the patriotism, the ethics or morals to help us.  Nope, they're just as we have suspected all along: lazy, indifferent, selfish, self-serving, and anti-American.  Hell, they think we the People exist to provide for them. Boy, are they in for a rude awakening.

We're in for the long haul, even if the struggle gets a little bloody.  After all, we're no less than our forefathers.

Watch the movie.  It's time to gather our forces.

The editor and staff of Jigsaw Press

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Another Great Review of Miracle
Category: Writing and Poetry

We, the editor and staff, of Jigsaw Press are tickled to our tootsies to announce another great review of Miracle the novel by M.L. Bushman--this time from Lettetia at Coffee Time Romance. She gave the book five cups, their highest rating, and we are jazzed!

You can read the review here or visit The New Book Review blog and leave a comment on the review also posted there.

Visit one, or better yet, visit both and please do leave a comment--only takes a minute, and we'd be glad to return the favor should you ever need us to do so.

This calls for a shot of Jack!  And guess what?  He just happens to be in the house!

Have a great day and don't forget to visit our website at Jigsaw Press

From the editor and staff of Jigsaw Press, we wish you all the best!

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Meet the author of The China Doll
Category: Writing and Poetry

If you're down central Florida way, you can meet the author of The China Doll, D.M. Rosner, up close and personal.

On November 10 at 1:00 p.m., Ms. D.M. Rosner will be signing her wonderful children's book designed to raise autism awareness among youngsters ages 4-8 at the Walt Disney World Coronado Springs Resort in conjunction with the Florida Writers' Association annual conference.

November 18, from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m., you can find her and The China Doll at Toys 'R Us in Lake Wales, Florida.

If you're in the area, be sure to stop in and say hey! And get your signed copy of The China Doll.


The editor and staff of Jigsaw Press.

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Judge Throws the Book at Us
Category: Writing and Poetry

We should be serving time, but instead, after listening to the bitch, Madame Editor, whine that without her staff, she'd be up the proverbial creek without a gilded paddle, the judge threw the book at us. Several of them. Literally. Let us off with a warning and made us go back to work. And he was smiling.

Three squares and cable television for thirty days sounds like a vacation versus working half-a-day for Madame Warden...er...Editor.

Well, the judge did say he liked our books, all of them, called them great reads and indicated he could hardly wait to see the movies; then added that putting us all in jail for a little two-week celebration that got out of hand seemed a travesty when we have such great stuff in the offing, like Stirling Davenport's The Nightwing's Quest and M.L. Bushman's second novel, The Implausible Hero.  So, we did feel good about that.

Anyway, here we all are, back in Purgatory...uh...the office, slaving away for that perfectionist bitch, who is more than happy to dock our pay for one stinking typo.

 
At this time, we also wanted to let you know that the free eBook offer is no longer available and the two-for-one special on The China Doll has gone by the wayside as well.

However, we will be adding an excerpt from Threads, a Blaine Horney Mystery by Kris Karrel to our website shortly and we do have very limited supplies of The China Doll by D.M. Rosner for those who wish to help us raise autism awareness. 

Will somebody please find Jack Daniels and send him our way? From the looks of things, we're going to need him...soon...real soon.  Ssssshhhh--here she comes, swaggering, too...dammit. 

It's a great life if you don't weaken.

The staff of Jigsaw Press

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No Good Deed Goes Unpunished--Twice!
Category: Writing and Poetry

Well, it probably goes without saying that our release party got out of hand and the celebration marking the release of Threads, a Blaine Horney Mystery, is finally winding down. Meaning our consultant, Jack Daniels, has left the house for a little while and we, the staff of Jigsaw Press, have returned from that two week binge with our new author, Kris Karrel. She's a real wild woman, who likes her red beer and has been known to dance on tabletops after a few too many. Sorry, but if we got any pictures, we don't remember when or even where we might've left the camera. If we had a camera.  Unless...couldn't be evidence now, could it?  Hell, most of us don't recall leaving the building so if someone besides the local sheriff knows exactly what we were doing between September 30 and October 15, please contact us as soon as possible. Our lawyer may be interested in your deposition and possible testimony.

Anyway, in the interim we hope everyone has taken advantage of our free download of the eBook version of Threads. If not, there's still time, just visit our webpage and get while the getting's still good.

On a slightly more serious note, we have a second special we'd like to bring to your attention, an offer that reflects not only our commitment to autism awareness, but to our loyal public as well.

If you order The China Doll, a wonderful picture book by D.M. Rosner and illustrated by Robert Jones that introduces kids ages 4-8 to the most common characteristics of their peers with autism, we'll throw in a second copy of The China Doll absolutely free. That's right--you buy one for $12.95, you get a second one free. In giving you a free book with each purchase, we hope to encourage you to give that second copy to your child's favorite teacher, your local elementary school library, your church group, or any group where children may encounter a peer with autism. We're counting on you to help us raise autism awareness among our kids so that no child with autism is ever left out or left behind. This special is available only at Jigsaw Press and only while supplies last.

Lastly, as we nurse our hangovers and wonder what happened to our paychecks, not to mention two weeks (two whole weeks for chrissakes!) we turn to the future, to the The Nightwing's Quest by Stirling Davenport, a sterling writer with a jewel of a fantasy you simply can't afford to miss.

So, praise the Advil and pass the...ah, hell...never mind that now, just visit our webpage, get your free Threads, a Blaine Horney Mystery download while you still can and pick up on The China Doll two-for-one special as well. And look for The Nightwing's Quest by Stirling Davenport in November!

We thank you all so very much!

The editor and staff of Jigsaw Press

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A Word to Authors...
Category: Writing and Poetry

Some authors labor under the mistaken impression that once he or she signs a contract to provide a manuscript to a publisher, he or she owns the resulting book.

Wrong.

The publisher offers a contract to the author for the right to hone his or her raw material, aka the manuscript, into a salable product, a book. While this manuscript might be God's gift to the world, it is still at the time of signing just that, a manuscript. It is raw material. It is words formulated into sentences that are double spaced on 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper. It is not a book.

In order to produce a salable product, a book, from said raw material, aka the manuscript, the publisher assigns an ISBN, files for copyright (in the author's name of course), creates a cover, deliberates over the smallest of details, like the fonts for both the cover and the interior, edits the raw material, proofreads for typos, designs the interior of the book--chapter headings, running headers, drop caps, page number placement, so on and so forth--then typesets, proofreads, makes corrections, proofreads again, and when the final touches are deemed complete, when every issue great and small has been addressed, the publisher sends the developed product to a printer for printing, then must vet the proof, make any corrections, pay for any corrections, acquire a new proof and finally, finally, finally sign off on the run. This is a general idea of how the raw material, aka the manuscript, is polished into a book. It is not something that can be done overnight, or in a couple of days, or even a week, especially if the publisher has an interest in providing quality products to consumers.

As you can see, the publisher to this point has made a considerable investment in the author's raw material to turn it into a salable product with not a penny in return--yet. This investment in time and money is every bit the equal of the author's investment in creating the raw material, aka the manuscript. Neither publisher nor author will see any monetary return until the release date has come and gone, and maybe not even then, maybe never. Publishing is, for lack of a better term, a crap shoot. At best.

So, if you as an author think for one minute after you sign with a publisher that you own your book, you are dead wrong. You have taken on a partner now, one who has made a rather large investment in your raw material in hope of a small return. While your name might be on the byline, you've sold the right to make all the decisions to the publisher who would invest time and money in you. This is not to say the publisher and/or editor would not consult with the author regarding any decisions to be made, but the final word goes to the publisher. It's in the contract. Harassing your editor and/or publisher, repeatedly reminding them that it's your book as if the publisher has not made any investment whatsoever in your raw material will only get you, as an author, a rather poor reputation.

And one more thing--if your publisher is willing to market your book, thank your lucky stars because that is truly the exception these days, not the norm.


The editor and staff of Jigsaw Press

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