Randy A Brown

Category: Books

  • Book Review: Guitars by Brad Trivett

    Book Review: Guitars by Brad Trivett

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Guitars is an excellent book about guitars. It works well as a buyer’s guide, but it also includes lots of information about the history of the guitar, guitar maintenance, pedals, amps, how to play the guitar, and more. The author knows the topic well and it’s obvious he has many years of experience with buying and selling guitars. He covers the types of wood used to build guitars and what each type is best for, the types of guitars and the sounds they’re best for, guitar neck shapes, what to look for when buying a guitar, what to avoid, and a lot more.

    There is a lot of fascinating information here. It covers a wide range of information with the main points we need to know. I’ve been playing since the early 80s and he was able to mention a couple of brands I’ve never heard of. I love the design of the book. I read it on PC and Fire 10, and it has lots of full-color photos, colored backgrounds that highlight the text, single and double-column layouts, graphics, and charts. It’s always readable and navigation is clear and simple.

    This is one of those books that I not only want to read but want to have handy for reference. If you’re interested in learning how to buy and sell guitars and want a book that provides a lot of good information along the way, Guitars by Brad Trivett is a great choice.

    You can purchase Guitars from Amazon (affiliate).

    This Kindle book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to post a positive review. My opinions are my own.

  • Free Ebook – Choosing a Bible

    Reading Time: < 1 minutechoosing a bibleI wrote an ebook for BibleBuyingGuide.com on how to choose a Bible. This ebook covers topics such as who the Bible is for, how it will be used, covers, bindings, paper, fonts, tools, and more. You can download the book by clicking on this link or cover photo:

    Choosing a Bible

     

     

  • Free for Kindle – 206 Tips for Writing Fiction

    Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis weekend tips(4/25-4/27) my 206 Tips for Writing Fiction is free! Here’s more information about the book:

    This is a book of tips. It will look different than most books on writing. Rather than giving you long explanations and step-by-step instructions on writing fiction, this book list tips within categories. The categories cover many aspects of writing fiction and editing your work. The tips are in no particular order. The tips themselves are designed to be easy to use. They start with a quick statement, which is printed in bold, and then you’ll find a few sentences that talk about the benefits of the tip and/or an example of how the tip might be used. This book is not exhaustive. There are plenty more books of tips to be written on the subject of writing fiction.
    Topics include:
    • Choosing a genre
    • Developing characters
    • Plot
    • General writing
    • Getting ideas
    • Staying motivated
    • Managing your time
    • Editing

  • I’m a NaNoWriMo Winner!

    Reading Time: < 1 minute2013-Winner-Facebook-ProfileI completed my NaNoWriMo novel today! My total word count was 50,001. This is my second novel this year. The first was Tales of Aarkan Zea Book 1: The Temple of Armaan Suun. I wrote it in 7.5 weeks between August and September while preparing for NaNoWriMo. My NaNoWriMo novel is the second book of the series: Tales of Aarkan Zea Book 2: Rise of the Aarkan King.

  • Free Kindle Books About Writing

    Reading Time: < 1 minuteAmazon’s Kindle platform is a great resource for books about writing. Here’s a short list of good writing books that are free:

    And here are a few good books that are worth buying:

     

  • Available for preorder – Letters and Life: On Being a Writer, On Being a Christian by Bret Lott

    Reading Time: < 1 minuteAll serious writers know that each word they write reveals something significant about their beliefs, something about their reason for creating, something about the one for whom they write. After all, writing lays bare the soul.

    Yet the work of a Christian artist is often pressured to fit into a popular mold, oftentimes forgoing quality for the sake of convenience or acceptance, or even simply because of a lack of the bravery necessary to look square in the eye the world, and to do so with the unflinching eye of Christ.

    In this series of intimate reflections on life and writing, critically acclaimed and best-selling novelist Bret Lott calls authors to pursue excellence in their craft through five fascinating essays and an extended memoir that explore everything from the importance of literary fiction to the pain of personal loss.

    Learn here what it means to be a writer who navigates the tension inherent to being a Christian in the public square—and to being an artist made in the image of God.

  • Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World [Kindle Edition]

    Reading Time: 3 minutes
    I am currently reading Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt. It looks to be a great book for entrepreneurs and is currently on sale at Amazon. Here’s the description from Amazon:

     

    Michael Hyatt, one of the top business bloggers in the world, provides down-to-earth guidance for building and expanding a powerful platform.

    To be successful in the market today, you must possess two strategic assets: a compelling product and a meaningful platform. In this step-by-step guide, Michael Hyatt, former CEO and current Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers, takes readers behind the scenes, into the new world of social media success. He shows you what best-selling authors, public speakers, entrepreneurs, musicians, and other creatives are doing differently to win customers in today’s crowded marketplace. Hyatt speaks from experience. He writes one of the top 800 blogs in the world and has more than 100,000 followers on Twitter. His large and growing platform serves as the foundation for his successful writing, speaking, and consulting practice.

    In Platform, Hyatt will teach readers not only how to extend their influence, but also how to monetize it and build a sustainable career. The key? By building a platform. It has never been easier, less expensive, or more possible than right now. . .  The book includes:

    • proven strategies
    • easy-to-replicate formulas
    • practical tips

    Social media technologies have changed everything. Now, for the first time in history, non-celebrities can get noticed—and win big!—in an increasingly noisy world.

    Endorsements:

    “I’ve known Michael Hyatt for more than a decade, and during thattime I’ve seen him master just about every social media platform that’s hit thescene. He’s used blogging, Facebook, Twitter and more to expand his personalplatform from a successful book publisher to a leading national brand of hisown. Trust me, this guy knows what he’s talking about—so pay attention!” —DAVE RAMSEY, New York Times Best-selling Author, Host, “The Dave Ramsey Show”

    “A generous book from a man who knows what he’s talking about.Michael Hyatt has built a platform, and you can too.” —SETH GODIN, New York TimesBest-selling Author, We Are All Weird

    “Platform is absolutely essential to delivering value. As a big fanof Michael Hyatt, I’m excited he’s sharing this with you. Your job? Learn aboutthis and implement it. Your success depends on it.” —CHRISBROGAN, President, Human Business Works, New York Times Best-selling Author

    “Michael Hyatt is the authority on creating aplatform in our crowded world, and Platform is the definitive,step-by-step guide to building a platform—from the ground up. If you’re longingto become a true influencer in this world, Hyatt can teach you how. With Platform,Hyatt’s done the near-impossible: create a guide even more useful thanhis wildly popular blog!” —CLAIRE DÍAZ ORTIZ, SocialInnovation, Twitter, Inc.

    “I have watched Michael Hyatt build his own platform from the groundup to become one of the largest in the world. And he has done so with thestrategies and tips he outlines in this very practical book. Any author,speaker, or small business owner who wants a blueprint for getting the attentionand visibility they want, needs to read this book.” —JOHN C. MAXWELL, New York Times Best-sellingAuthor, and Leadership Expert

    “Michael Hyatt is a pioneer in social media who is now generouslysharing his ‘secrets’ with those of us who have been marveling at his successfor many years. Whether you are a seasoned writer, blogger, speaker and socialmedia enthusiast, or just now starting out, this book will help you take thatnext step and begin to build a platform of your own.” —DAN T.CATHY, President & COO, Chick-fil-A, Inc.

    “In today’s world, having an idea isn’t enough to land a book orrecord deal, get a movie made or find funding for your startup.  You needa platform: A connected following that’s ready to try, buy and spread the word.Final…

     

  • How to Discover Best Selling Amazon Kindle Nonfiction Book Ideas [Kindle Edition]

    Reading Time: 2 minutesHow to Discover Best Selling Amazon Kindle Nonfiction Book Ideas is one of the better books about writing and publishing for Kindle. Here’s the description from Amazon:

     

    How To Publish Kindle Books That Actually Sell
    Don’t Waste Months Writing Titles That Nobody Wants…
    ….Learn A Proven System For Discovering Winning Nonfiction eBook Ideas

    Find The Right Market Full Of Ready-To-Buy Amazon Customers

    You’re wasting time listening to the standard advice about Kindle publishing. You can’t write about any topic and expect it will become a best selling eBook. The truth is the Amazon marketplace is full of fickle readers. Most will only read a specific type of nonfiction book. If you’re not writing about these topics then no one is going to buy your book. It’s that simple!

    As an expert on niche research, I know what it takes to find proven, profitable markets. I use four free websites to discover where people are spending money. In my book, I show you these sites. Plus I teach you how to find the right niche that matches your background and personal interests.

    Generate Hundreds Of Book Ideas and Publish Your 1st, 2nd, and 100th Best-Selling Kindle Book

    The key to making a killing on Kindle is to follow a publisher’s model. You don’t succeed with a single title. Your best best is to locate a hidden niche full of hungry buyers who will buy everything you publish. That’s how the top authors really make money with Amazon eBooks.

    My guide details an additional four websites for exploring any market topic. You won’t have to guess what people will buy. Instead you’ll do a special type of research to decipher the language they use and locate the problems they encounter on a daily basis. In addition, you’ll discover the right way to get hundreds of profitable nonfiction book ideas.

    Discover 7 Secrets Of Highly Effective Kindle Authors

    You’ll need the right philosophy to win at the Amazon game. I’ve examined top-selling Kindle authors and discovered they have a specific mindset that leads tohundreds of daily sales. My guide details these 7 “highly effective” secrets and shows how you can adopt these winning habits.

    Use 5 Different Ways To “Hack” Amazon

    All the market research in the world won’t matter if you pick the wrong market. The only way to publish a best-selling book is to know if it’ something Amazon readers will buy. Fortunately I know the secret to determining the profitability of any nonfiction book idea. Specifically I use five tools to “hack” Amazon’s algorithm. You’ll learn:

      1. How to determine the average daily sales of any published title

     

      1. The quickest way to find related books in your marketplace

     

      1. A simple trick for discovering “hidden” book ideas

     

      1. My system for turning an unprofitable idea into a title that readers want

     

      1. How to use the top selling charts to find what’s currently popular in your market.

    There is a goldmine of information on Amazon. You just need the right tools to do the digging. With my “5 Amazon Hacks,” you’ll know…within minutes…if you have a best-selling book idea. Then all you have to do is write and publish your title!

    Would You Like To Know More?

    Get started right away and locate those best-selling nonfiction book ideas.

    Scroll to the top of the page and select the ‘buy button’ now.

  • How to Write a Non-Fiction Book in 3 1/2 Days [Kindle Edition]

    Reading Time: < 1 minuteI’m intrigued by this book:

    I like the idea of writing non-fiction and any book that can teach me how to write a non-fiction book in just 3 1/2 days gets my attention. Here’s the description from Amazon:

    This eBook teaches you the same strategies the author personally used to complete four books in record time. The step-by-step instructions contained inside this power-packed eBook will help you realize your dream of becoming the author of a book faster than you ever thought possible.

    Inside discover:

    • 2 powerful methods to choose what topic to write about first
    • The secret to staying focused
    • Specific strategies to limit distractions during your writing time
    • The exact 3 steps to take a successful “working” vacation
    • And much more!

    Grab this inexpensive eBook today and apply the strategies within to renew your writing life!

  • Kindle Daily Deal Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box [Kindle Edition]

    Reading Time: 2 minutesLeadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box is $1.99 today. Here’s the description from Amazon:

     

    International bestseller—over 750,000 copies sold and translated into 22 languages.

    Revised throughout, with a new section to help readers apply the lessons in the book.

    Reveals how we unwittingly sabotage relationships, at work and at home, despite our best intentions—and how we can stop.

    Since its original publication, Leadership and Self-Deception has become an international word-of-mouth phenomenon. Rather than tapering off, it has sold more copies each year since 2004 than it did in any of the first four years after publication. The book’s central insight—that the key to leadership lays not in what we do, but in who we are—has proved to have powerful resonances not only for organizational leadership, but in readers’ personal lives as well. This new edition has been revised throughout to make the story more readable and compelling. And drawing on the extensive correspondence the authors have received over the years they have added a section that outlines the many ways that readers have been using Leadership and Self-Deception, focusing on five specific areas: hiring, teambuilding, conflict resolution, accountability, and personal growth and development. Leadership and Self-Deception uses an entertaining story about an executive facing challenges at work and at home to expose the subtle psychological processes that conceal our true motivations and intentions from us and trap us in a “box” of endless self-justification—even when we’re convinced we’re doing the right thing. Most importantly, the book shows us the way out. Readers will discover what millions already have—how to consistently tap into and act on their innate sense of what’s right, dramatically improving all of their relationships.