tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9984338063551987652009-11-11T04:12:44.036-05:00News and information from those who make a difference in our world and in our livesDon McCauleynoreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-998433806355198765.post-80628130342616740042009-11-11T04:12:00.001-05:002009-11-11T04:12:44.085-05:002009-11-11T04:12:44.085-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Erica Miner’s new release, FourEver Friends, offers an in depth, first person glimpse at the 60's era; an era that Boomer Detroit residents look to with nostalgia and young adults look to with curiosity. She will be appearing on The Authors Show Radio on November 12, 2009</span><br /><br />Though many people today think of the Sixties as a bygone era, Boomers hold these years dear within their hearts and minds. In the 60's Detroit symbolized the American Dream. Now all of that has changed.<br /><br />On Labor Day in 1960, when JFK gave the keynote speech in downtown Detroit, the city was thriving. Businesses were doing well, education was well-funded and in top form, the city abounded with talent, especially among young people, and it was the all-important hub of Labor in the US. When Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, and subsequently the city exploded into race riots in 1967, all of that began to change.Erica Miner's newest novel, FourEver Friends, tells the tale of four teenage girls set in 1960's Detroit. It is a time she remembers fondly.<br /><br />"As a high school student at that time," states Ms. Miner, "I was full of hope for my city, my country, and my generation. I remember how wonderful it felt to anticipate the great changes to come. Since then my beloved city has been in a downward spiral, and with the current recession Detroit is hurting more than any other city in the US: the auto industry woes, the 15+% unemployment, are just the tip of this iceberg."<br /><br />Originally Ms. Miner wrote the book as a love letter to her four ‘BFFs’ and to the school that gave us them an astonishing foundation that they were able to draw on. The book can now be seen as somewhat of a snap shot that captures a better time, lived in a better place.<br /><br />In FourEver Friends, Ms. Miner takes us back to an era that Baby Boomers look to with nostalgia and young adults look to with curiosity. The 1960's were a time of new hope and idealism that ultimately dissolved into volatility and violence. In a specialized inner city Detroit high school, four teenage girls have established the roots of lasting friendship. Their backgrounds are different, but their passion for classical music and angst over raging hormones link them irrevocably. The girls' school is a cultural melting pot of race and ethnicity in which students are judged by their intellect and talents, not the color of their skin or religious upbringing.<br /><br />"As heartbreaking as it is for me to observe the troubles of the (no longer) Motor City," stated Ms. Miner, "I still see Detroit in my mind as it once was. My fictionalized memoir FourEver Friends, takes a trip down memory lane to a time when the Boomer generation navigated the waters of their adolescence against the background of JFK’s election, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the advent of the Beatles, and other major socio-political events. Even though some of these events could be considered in a negative light, those were the best days the city and the people there had ever experienced. This book will bring back fond memories of those times."<br /><br />Erica Miner will be appearing on The Authors Show Radio (<a style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);" href="http://www.theauthorsshow.com">www.TheAuthorsShow.com</a>) on Nov 12, 2009. FourEver Friends is now available at Ms. Miner's website at www.ericaminer.com, Amazon.com, and Barnes and Noble. She can be contacted by email at emwriter@earthlink.net.<br /><br />FourEver Friends<br />Erica Miner<br />Nightengale Press<br />ISBN - 9781933449739<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Profile:</span><br /><br />Violinist turned author Erica Miner has established a reputation as an award-winning screenwriter, author, lecturer and poet.<br /><br />A native of Detroit, she studied music at Boston University, the New England Conservatory of Music, and the Tanglewood Music Center. After experiencing a variety of highs and lows in her quest to forge a career in New York City, Erica won the coveted position of violinist with the Metropolitan Opera Company. When injuries from a car accident spelled the end of her musical career, she drew upon her lifelong love of writing for inspiration and studied poetry and screenwriting, winning awards in both categories.<br /><br />After moving to the west coast, Erica honed her screenwriting skills with author and script guru Linda Seger of "Making a Good Script Great" fame and with Ken Rotcop, the author of “Perfect Pitch.” Erica’s ten screenplays, one of which is based on her award-winning debut novel, Travels with My Lovers, have won awards and/or placed in such competitions as WinFemme, Santa Fe and the Writer’s Digest. She was a prizewinner in the Damas Gracias Poetry Competition in Upstate New York, and her essays and articles have appeared in Vision Magazine, WORD San Diego and numerous newsletters and E-zines. She is the author of Travels with My Lovers and FourEver Friends. Erica has completed the screenplay of her new novel, Murder in the Pit, scheduled for release in 2010.<br /><br />In addition Erica has developed a number of writing lectures, workshops and seminars on writing. Erica is available for interview and can be reached by using the information below.<br /><br />Erica Miner<br />emwriter@earthlink.net<br /><a style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);" href="http://www.ericaminer.com">www.EricaMiner.com</a><br /><br />Posted by Don at <a style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);" href="http://www.freepublicitygroup.com">Free Publicity Focus Group</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/998433806355198765-3396288842870231681?l=heavenonearthsystem.blogspot.com'/></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/HeavenOnEarth/~4/EvUvPRGqB48" height="1" width="1"/>Don McCauleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-998433806355198765.post-91920998113050144192009-11-07T08:27:00.001-05:002009-11-07T08:27:00.597-05:002009-11-07T08:27:00.597-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Holiday Christmas cards with sound modules allow organizations to make an unforgettable impression in the mind of customers this holiday season. Clever Sound Promotions’ unique products deliver messages using fully customizable sound modules embedded within the traditional holiday greeting card and gifts.</span><br /><br />The traditional Christmas card, a flat, text based holiday greeting, is fast becoming a thing of the past with the introduction of ‘sound cards’ that allow organizations to both show and tell the message using innovative technology.<br /><br />“This affordable technology,” stated Karen Ibach, CEO of Clever Sound Promotions LLC, “makes any greeting card, company announcement or direct mail piece literally talk to the receiver of the piece. This can really set a company apart from the competition in the mind of the client and creates a memorable impression that will not soon be forgotten.”<br /><br />Holiday greeting cards are not the only promotional product that can be fitted with customized sound technology. In addition to sound cards, mailing tubes, key chains, flashlights, pens and magazine ads can be fitted with the sound device. Even the bell on the company’s front desk can be fitted to deliver a message each time a customer uses it.<br /><br />In addition, point of purchase displays can now feature not only visual information but also audio information. Study after study has shown the increased effectiveness of sales pieces and displays that actively engage potential buyers beyond the simple delivery of a text message.<br /><br />Sales organizations really stand to benefit by using this technology. Many of the largest corporations and companies in the world have begun to use sound module technology. In today’s marketplace the potential customer is inundated with so many marketing messages that the sales promotion pieces tend to blur into the background and are soon forgotten. It is important for any sales organization to make a one-of-a-kind, indelible impression in the mind of buyers. This technology accomplishes this goal. During this time of the year most companies send out traditional holiday greetings. These can also tend to get lost in the shuffle due to the sheer number of such messages. The sound card technology allows any sales organization to custom design a holiday greeting that will not soon be forgotten.<br /><br />“Adding sound to a promotion,” stated Ms. Ibach, “adds a completely different level of emotion and excitement. Our clients have used everything from a Tarzan yell to catchy audio logos. Organizations are limited only by their own imagination and I will state that some clients have wild and crazy imaginations. They often get a much higher response rate than most other forms of advertising produce; as much as 40% higher. The real benefit here is that the audio promotion pieces get past the tough gatekeepers and directly into the hands of their targeted customers.”<br /><br />More information is available at the Clever Sound Promotions’ website. Ms. Ibach is available for interview and can be reached using the information below or by email at kibach@promoplace.com.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Profile:</span><br /><br />Clever Sound Promotions specializes in the production of unique promotion items that leave a lasting impression in the minds of clients of companies, corporations and sales organizations.The company's clients have included Stapes, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Convention and Tourism Bureau, Wells Fargo, US Tennis Assoc., Coast Guard Academy, Omaha Steaks, Lands’ End, Orlando Magic, Northern Trust, Chicago Bulls, Foxwoods Casino, Frito Lay and Burger King.<br /><br />Products offered include custom cards, flashlights, pens, key chains, memo key chains, talking magazine inserts, desk bells and a host of other unique promotional items. The company is based in Arlington Heights, IL.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Contact</span>:<br /><br />Karen Ibach CEO<br />Clever Sound Promotions<br />2475 E. Towne Blvd<br />Arlington Heights, IL 60004<br />847-392-9600<br />kibach@promoplace.com<br /><a style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);" href="http://www.cleversoundpromotions.com/">www.cleversoundpromotions.com</a><br />Arlington Heights, IL 60004<br /><br />Posted by Don at <a href="http://www.freepublicitygroup.com/">Free Publicity Focus Group</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/998433806355198765-5783345418076838337?l=heavenonearthsystem.blogspot.com'/></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/HeavenOnEarth/~4/l4JbG2yEUbA" height="1" width="1"/>Don McCauleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-998433806355198765.post-69426341955122769142009-11-04T05:35:00.001-05:002009-11-04T05:35:12.250-05:002009-11-04T05:35:12.250-05:00