Publishing news from Google and Amazon

                                                     By Trina Boice

One of my publishers (Big World Network) creates this fantastic video series about what's happening in the book world. This week, the graphic designer/tech guru of the company debuts as the presenter.  Nice job Mario Hernandez!

What's in the news:  Google mobile searches now outpace online searches, Amazon creates a new YA Book Club, and ebooks are now available on JetBlue flights!

What Women Wish Guys Knew

Participating in the blog tour of my newest book, is the following book review posted by Shauna Wheelwright!   Thanks Shauna!

A review copy was provided

BASE HITS AND HOME RUN

RELATIONSHIPS

by Trina Boice

What Women Wish Guys Knew

Love is like baseball, so hit a home run in your relationship! With Trina Boice's advice, any man can learn how to step up to the plate. Learn tips, stats, and skills to make a powerful and lasting romance whether you're in the “minor leagues” of dating or the “major leagues” of married life.

Learn to:

Translate women’s thoughts into a sports language men can actually understand

Track your dating stats and plan strategies to up your game

Avoid foul balls, bad calls, and getting stuck in a pickle

Support each other with the occasional bunt or sacrifice fly

Cover all your bases—even when you’ve got kids on your team

With the right tools, you and your sweetheart can pitch a perfect game together every time you play. This is the perfect playbook for rookies and hall-of-famers alike.

My Review
Trina Boice is AMAZING and this book is INCREDIBLE!
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. IT!

Just look at some of the VERY FUN chapters in this book:

* Batter UP! The Game
* The Playbook: The Rules of Romance and Love Language
* Heavy Hitter: Be. A. Man
* Eyes on the Ball: Flirting Your Way to a First Date
* The Uniform: How to Look like a Knight in Shining Armor
* Sports Medicine: Win Over Her Heart and Funny Bone
* Catcher: Courting and Date Ideas
* Peanuts and Cracker Jacks: Kindness in a Nutshell
* AND MORE

Her advice is SO. RIGHT. ON!

I absolutely LOVE the baseball theme. Want to get to know a girl? Learn her stats: favorite color, dessert, flower, etc.

And the end-of-chapter assignments are PHENOMENAL! Even the shyest of guys can accomplish the First Base assignment.

I LOVE that Trina doesn't just talk about these things...her son went out and "field-tested creative dating tips and has learned some really interesting things that he shares in each chapter." Cooper became the coach for the team (those reading this book.) I really appreciated his insight, for as he said "women talk about what they want, and guys talk about what women actually want."

DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS ONE!
EVERYONE should read this book!
Put your relationship first and foremost...grab a copy today!

First Base assignment: ADD TO GOODREADS

Home Run assignment: PURCHASE A COPY HERE

Excerpt
In the words of legendary sports announcer Harry Caray, "Hello everybody! It's a bee-yooo-tiful day for baseball!" You've bought this book and stepped up to the plate. That tells me you're really serious about improving your relationship with the woman in your life. Either that or she bought this book for you, and now you have to read it because you know she's going to ask you what you learned. Don't worry; it's not going to be that bad. After all, it's partly about baseball, and you love baseball! Romance and baseball are not all that different, actually. They're both skills that you can learn and enjoy for the rest of your life.

You could read an entire book about baseball statistics, but that wouldn't make you a better player out on the field, would it? You have to get out and practice! This book is designed to be read in small sections and put into practice. Read a little bit, and then try an idea or two to see what works for you and your sweetheart. I guarantee you're going to have a ball! (Terrible baseball puns will be included throughout this book in order to keep your eyes rolling and awake.)

Let me first state the obvious that women are different from men. And that's a good thing! A lot of men have a hard time trying to figure out what women want and how they think. It's not that difficult if you learn their language and appreciate the differences. To make it easier, we're going to use terms you might feel comfortable with: the language of baseball.

This book is written for both men who are still in the "minor league" (dating) and men who have been drafted into the "major league" (marriage). Getting a girl and keeping her are not all that different. Maybe you've been playing too much baseball and still don't have a woman in your life. This book can help you with that too! This book will help you find a quality woman you can marry and be with for eternity.

This book was conceived one day after my husband and I were discussing our relationship early in our marriage. He's going to get a lot of credit in this book for some of the really great things he does in our marriage. When I need to use him as an example of whatnot to do, I'll just tell you, "I have a friend whose husband..." so you'll never know if it's him or really a friend of mine. Hey, I don't want to get in trouble with my husband and end up sitting on the bench.

My husband, Tom, is really creative and has come up with some incredible gifts over the years. Early in our marriage, he really came through on big events such as anniversaries and birthdays, but then there were disappointing and somewhat alarming long dry spells with nothing. No flowers. No romance. Nada. Our conversations occurred during one of those dry spells and basically consisted of my pitiful complaints that I was feeling unloved and unappreciated. I suggested that maybe he could replace the few big efforts with more frequent, smaller ones. He thought about that for a few minutes and said, "Oh, it's just like baseball. Home runs are exciting but don't happen that often. It's the small, consistent base hits that win the game." In a baseball peanut shell, that's it!

*****

Each chapter will contain some ideas you can put into practice to improve your current relationship or help you figure out how to get one! Even the greatest guy and the best relationship can use some tweaking every now and then. The first-base challenges are to help you ease into The Game. Go for second or third base to up your game. When you're ready to really knock it out of the park, try the home-run assignments.

Now, I'm not talking about rounding the bases in the traditional sense the world talks about it. I'm referring to bases as increasing efforts and bigger payoffs. What I mean is that if you're a beginner in the game of romance or want to start with something easy, then begin with the first-base assignments. They're simple to do, and you'll have some success. If you really want your girl to feel loved and appreciated, go for the home-run assignments. They require more effort, but the payoff is bigger too. "Happy wife, happy life," as people say.

First Base: Set this book out on a table so your girl will see it. Yeah, your buddies will make fun of you. That's okay though; you don't want to kiss your buddies.

Second Base: Put a bookmark somewhere in the book so she'll think you're actually reading it. Be prepared for her to ask you questions about it. Let her know it is the most fantastic book ever written.

Third Base: Read the doggone book already!

Home Run: Read the book with your girl. Ask her questions. Talk about it.

To keep the fire going, you have to continue adding some fuel, right? 

So grab some popcorn, peanuts, and Cracker Jacks and let's play ball.

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

This is a section that will be at the end of each chapter just for the ladies. Girls, you're not off the hook here. You have work to do too. A happy, healthy relationship includes two people.

About the Author

Trina Boice grew up in California, but currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. She worked as a Legislative Assistant for a Congressman in Washington D.C., and was given the “Points of Light” Award and Presidential Volunteer Service Award for her domestic and international community service. She wrote a column called “The Boice Box” for a newspaper in Georgia, where she lived for 15 years. She taught Spanish at a private high school and ran an appraisal business with her husband for 20 years. She currently writes for several web sites and is the Entertainment News Editor for Bella Online. Trina was selected by KPBS in San Diego to be a political correspondent during the last presidential election.

Learn more at: www.TrinaBoice.com

Where to get FREE ebooks

Book lovers rejoice! The internet has made books so much  more accessible, letting you find thousands of eBooks for  absolutely no cost. Read on your eBook reader, your  tablet, smartphone, laptop, or desktop computer. Here are  3 of the best sites where you can download your free books. 1. HundredZeros.com

Like

This site is a treasure trove for people who own a Kindle. The site will refer you to thousands of free books straight from  Amazon.com. If you don’t have a Kindle, don’t worry – You can download a Kindle app for your iPhone & iPad, your Android  device, for Windows Phone, and even for the PC or Mac.

2. ProjectGuttenburg.org Project Guttenburg is a free organization that wants to spread knowledge in the world. They offer several thousand titles, mainly in English but also in Czech, Portuguese, German and French. 3. Free-Ebooks.net Another great source for free eBooks is the aptly-named site,  Free-Ebooks.net. Offering their own collection of thousands of  books, magazines, including many titles in Spanish and Portuguese.

What beer goes with your book?

                                                      By Trina Boice

One of the companies that has published some of my books is Big World Network. The founder, Jim McGovern, posts these really great, quick videos about what's happening in the world of publishing.

In this episode, he talks about some interesting trends, such as recommendations for pairing beer with books, like wine with meals. Funny. Check it out!

More terrific books by Trina Boice

I love writing...as you can tell! I thought you might like to see some of my more recent published books! My next one hits stores next month!

Sign up to join this fun Blog Tour in April!

Pick a date you would like to post a review for my newest book and I'll send my readers to YOUR blog!

I'm super excited about this fun relationship book I wrote with my son.  It uses baseball terminology to help guys understand how women think.  Perfect for single guys looking for Mrs. Right, as well as married guys hoping to score points with their sweetheart.

To sign up for the blog tour, simply reply to this post or contact me at Fans of Author Trina Boice on Facebook!

What would J.R.R. Tolkien think about The Hobbit?

               By Trina Boice

Now that the final installment of the Hobbit has been released in the movie theaters, the final cinematic tale by J.R.R. Tolkien goes full circle.  What would he have thought about how his literary masterpieces were portrayed on the silver screen?  

Below is a review from my movie review blog called Movie Review Maven.  
How would you have reviewed this last film in the trilogy?

Movie:  THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES

PG-13, 2 hours 24 minutes

Grade:  A-

In a Nutshell:

Fans will be mostly satisfied with the way the end is handled and how introductions are made to step viewers into the Lord of the Rings trilogy, as we go full circle.  I think J.R.R. Tolkien would have been very proud of the way Peter Jackson has presented both of his stories, and especially impressed by how Peter Jackson was able to squeeze 3 entire movies out of his Hobbit tale.  

I didn't think The Hobbit movie trilogy wasn't quite as awesome as the Lord of the Rings trio, but it's still a fine companion in the storytelling and worth the visit to CGI Middle Earth.  Easily the most violent of all of the films in the series, the battle of five armies includes the army of fans who will see the final installment and make Peter Jackson's movies go down in history as one of the most beloved cinematic stories.

Uplifting Theme:

·         “You should never underestimate dwarves.” – Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage)

·         “Don’t underestimate the evil of gold.” – Gandolf

·         What is your true treasure?

·         Cowardice vs. true bravery
*    "Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? I don't know. Perhaps because I am afraid, and he gives me courage."   - Gandolf

Things I liked:

·         The action starts exactly where it left off in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug .  If you missed Part 2, then the beginning of this movie and subtle plots and characters will probably be confusing for you. Better to start from the beginning.  To see my movie review of the previous Hobbit movie, click here.

·         The cliffs in 3D are magnificent and scary!

·         The landscapes are stunning.  The aerial views are just beautiful.

·         Smaug is magnificent.  I love it when his belly glows before he hurls fire at his enemies.  Did you see him as a guest on The Colbert Report?  Hilarious.  While you’re at it, watch the recent Saturday Night Live skit of TheOffice: Middle Earth., hosted by Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins). Super funny.

·         FINALLY, Legolas (Orlando Bloom) actually runs out of arrows.  Ha ha

·         I can never get enough of seeing the gorgeous, majestic elves with their silky long hair, and elegant poise.  The moose that Thranduil (Lee Pace) rode was awesome.  Watching the synchronized army in battle was cool too.

·         The IMAX 3D version of the film offers incredible clarity.  If you’re a big fan of this trilogy, it's worth it to pay extra for it.
*    Aiden Turner (Kili) is so cute!  Former heart-throb Orlando Bloom (Legolas) is starting to look old because of the odd CGI work they did on his face.
*    Two words: Benedict Cumberbatch.

Things I didn’t like:

·         I hate looking at Alfrid’s zit face.  He’s such a greasy little weasel that you love to hate.

·         Gandolf is such a helpless wizard.  Seriously, he rarely uses his wisdom and power until after suffering peril for a long time.

·         Remember the fake CGI scene in the last Hobbit movie when Legolas was jumping on barrels in the river?  Well, there’s some more of that awkward action, but this time there are rocks that are crumbling and falling down mid-air as he unbelievably climbs up them.  There are a few other times when the CGI looks more like a video game than cool imagery.  Whatever.  The movie is still visually amazing.
*  Considering Bilbo is THE hobbit that this trilogy is named after, he played a somewhat minor role in this last film.
*   While it's always lovely to see Cate Blanchett, that green, psycho look on Galadriel isn't becoming on her.  ha ha

Funny lines:

·         “I may be a burglar, but I like to think I’m an honest one.” – Bilbo

·         “Not every man is brave enough to wear a corset.” - Alfrid

Interesting lines:

·         “What is it you know?” – Thorin

“Nothing for certain.  It is what may come I fear.”  - Legolas

·         “It is your king’s command.” – Tauriel  (Evangeline Lilly)

“He is my king, but he does not command my heart.” – Legolas

·         “If this is love, I do not want it.  Take it from me.  Why does it hurt so much?” – Tauriel

“Because it was real.” – Thranduil

·         “If more people valued love above gold, this would be a far more merry place.” – Thorin

·          "I will not hide when others fight our battles for us."  - Kili
*     "You started this.  You will forgive me if I finish it."  - Thranduil

Tips for Parents:

·         The title of this movie includes mention of five armies…let that be a warning to you…there are a lot of battle scenes, violence, and gruesome death scenes, including decapitation and burning bodies....kinda icky and scary stuff for young children!

Check out these fun Hobbit products for Christmas: