In an attempt to provide readers with a unique and compelling experience, author John Shors is making unheard-of efforts to connect with book clubs across the country. Shors is the author of "Beneath a Marble Sky," a work of historical fiction based on the remarkable story behind the Taj Mahal's creation. "Beneath a Marble Sky" has been hailed by book reviewers as a "work of art," is being made into a major motion picture by Hollywood and won a "Book of the Year" award from ForeWord magazine.

For the past two years, Shors has been asking book clubs across the country to invite him to participate in their meetings. By his count, he's spoken (via speakerphone) with about 200 book clubs. Says Shors, "I grew up reading several books a week and after finishing many works wanted to ask the author questions. Unfortunately, I only had a few such conversations, usually at a book signing with a roomful of strangers. Feeling that readers deserved more, I promised myself that if I ever had a novel published that I would go to great lengths to connect with readers."

"Beneath a Marble Sky" was published as a hardcover in 2004. As his book hit best-seller lists, Shors created his book club program, through which he called into book clubs across America. Clubs needed to simply contact him in advance and have a speakerphone handy. Shors promoted his program via his Web site (www.beneathamarblesky.com) and was soon chatting with several book clubs a week.

"My book club program has been extremely enjoyable, both for me and readers," Shors says. "Readers are able to ask me any sort of question about my novel, the publishing industry or the process of turning 'Beneath a Marble Sky' into a major motion picture. They get to talk with me among their friends and in a manner that is extremely casual and open-ended. Most every group, as our call winds down, tells me that this has been their all-time favorite discussion."
Read More... Invite A Best-Selling Author To Your Book Club
Have you recently started to become interested in autograph collecting and would like to know the present day market value of an autograph that you are interested in purchasing? Or have you inherited an estate from a family member and was surprised to find an abundance of autographed photos, items, cards, posters that you have no idea how to find the value much less who to sell them too?

There are several sources to find out how much your collectible or autographed collectible is worth. The internet has open a world at our finger tips, with online auctions to online stores, published price guides that can be purchased at most bookstores offer a “ rough estimate”, mainly it is worth what someone is will to pay for the item. Online Auctions are now a great source of finding out just that.

The key points that influence the value of autographed memorabilia is supply, demand, condition, form, content, subject, rarity. There is a demand for certain celebrity autographs and people willing to buy and sell them. That creates the market, which determines the value which is understood by both buyer and seller. Collecting autographs usually starts with a particular interest in and individual or occupation or interest in a certain subject. It is one of those hobbies that once you dibble in become a passion. Then in time become a very nice investment as those of you who have inherited collections and were surprise to find out that their value was more than you had ever imagined.

Many categories determine the price of a signature from an individual. The following abbreviations are used to help describe the type of letter or document that is being offered for sale.
· AD: Autograph Document (hand-written by the person to be collected, but not signed)
· ADS: Autograph Document Signed (written and signed by same individual)
· AL: Autograph Letter (hand-written by the person to be collected, but not signed)
· ALS: Autograph Letter Signed (hand-written and signed by same individual)
· AMs: Autograph Manuscript (hand-written; such as the draft of a play, research paper or music sheet)
· AMsS: Autograph Manuscript Signed (hand-written and signed by same individual)
· AMusQs: Autograph Musical Quotation Signed (hand-written and signed by same individual)
· AN: Autograph Note (much shorter than a letter)
· ANS: Autograph Note Signed (hand-written and signed by same individual)
· AQS: Autograph Quote Signed (hand-written and signed by same individual; poem verse, sentence, or bar-of-music)
· DS: Document signed (printed, or while hand-written by another, is signed by individual sought to be collected)
· LS: Letter Signed (hand-written by someone else, but signed by the individual sought to be collected)
· PS: Photograph Signed or Postcard Signed
· SIG: Signature on index card, cut out of autograph book or letter
· SP: Signed Photograph
· TLS: Typed Letter Signed
· TNS: Typed Note Signed
· folio: A printer's sheet of paper folded once to make two leaves, double quarto size or larger.
· octavo(8vo): A manuscript page about six-by-nine inches. (Originally determined by folding a printer's sheet of paper to form eighty leaves.)
· quarto(4to): A manuscript page of about nine and one-half by twelve inches. (Originally determined by folding a printer's sheet of paper twice to form two leaves.)
Not only does the category determine price, but so does condition, quality, rarity and the person of interest celebrity will also play a major part in determining value. As you will see in future weekly articles; a detail definition of each abbreviation, so you will become more educated in the valuation process of collecting.
Read More... How Do You Know What an Autographed is Worth?
World renown psychic and author Jane Doherty has found herself in a very prominent position on her new reality TV show called “Dead Tenants”, which is hosted by The Learning Channel. I say it’s a prominent position because of the phenomena that separates Jane’s psychic abilities from those of other psychics.

Whenever there are ghosts around Jane, she has an amazing physical reaction to them and handling it is no small feat either. The reaction Jane has is that her stomach area actually enlarges by as much as six inches around within seconds. And, Jane tells us that it’s extremely painful to her when this happens. If you watch Jane while this stomach expansion is happening, you’re going to hear her moaning and see her wincing … and trust me, it’s not dramatics … the woman’s in definite pain.

With regards to her expanding tummy, Jane says, “It feels like a contraction when a woman is in labor, but it doesn't ever release me until the spirit leaves. Instead, the stomach expands as if I was nine months pregnant.” Jane actually describes it as very intense muscle cramps, where her stomach is physically gripped by the ghost, and if you watch, the belly will actually lift up. Jane continues, “Often I can tell by the grip whether it is a female, male or child spirit. It first happened to me in 1990, when I investigated my first haunted house with a researcher.”

The belly area is associated with the third charka located at the solar plexus, which is the area that dominates the gifts of telepathy, clairvoyance, clairsentience and an awareness of astral entities. It’s interesting that historically the belly area is associated with body’s core of energy sometimes called the “Chi Point” or the “Hara”, both of which translate literally to mean belly. It’s also interesting that historically, psychics felt their gift came from their gut … called “reading with the pit of the stomach” … where today, most psychics describe their gift coming from their third eye charka, between the eyes and centered in the middle of the forehead. With Jane Doherty, it seems to make good sense that the physical phenomena of Jane Doherty’s expanded stomach would be directly related to her psychic gift.

Jane’s devout belief in the power of God comes through in all that she does because she feels strongly that her psychic abilities are a God-given talent. Using her psychic abilities allows Jane to bring comfort to people whose hearts are hurting, and hope to those who need it most. And, that’s her personal goal on Dead Tenants whose families are in desperate need of help and knowledge to deal with their home’s ghosts.

The Dead Tenants TV show follows the journeys of the Preternatural Research Society (PRS) — a team of paranormal investigators — through the attics, basements, living rooms and back yards of some of the most haunted houses in the country. Coming to the aid of families experiencing very unwanted ghosts and unexplainable activity in their homes, Jane Doherty and the PRS team do their best to assist the families. The Dead Tenants show weaves the historical, scientific and psychic into a rich tapestry to help the viewer better understand the hauntings.

"There was never a question of how I would use my gift," Jane says firmly. "I have taken every possible opportunity to help others." Jane Doherty is the real deal, on TV and in print. Her words are like the words of her book - so compelling, you won't be able to put it down.

Jane Doherty’s book, Awakening the Mystic Gift: The Surprising Truth About What It Means to Be Psychic, chronicles Jane's own psychic awakening and what it truly means to be psychic. For those seeking more information on what it means to be psychic, this book is a very compelling read.

Jane Doherty is a gifted psychic and medium of international acclaim. Many refer to her as the "real deal" because of her accuracy and sincere caring nature. In fact, Hans Holzer, known best for his many books on ghosts and paranormal activities, has named Jane Doherty as "one of the top twenty psychics in the world." A born teacher, Jane feels part of her own purpose in life is to teach others to open to their own psychic abilities, and for this reason Jane has brought her psychic teachings to an online format through the Herbal-College.com website. Here Jane has established a book club for her readers to explore more about their own psychic abilities with her personally, and Jane will also teach her multi-leveled Psychic Development courses at the Herbal-College.com website.
Read More... Haunted Houses, Dead Tenants and a Big Tummy Ache
Gustav Klimt and his paintings, prints, and art.

Austrian symbolist painter Gustav Klimt was born in a small town near Vienna in 1862 and educated at the Kunstgewerbe Art School. Klimt, as well as other symbolist painters, were part of a 19th century movement that infused art with mysticism by using mythology and dream imagery in order to paint the language of the soul. Klimt, however, was one of the most controversial. His use of symbolism in his work was considered too deviant and his art was constantly being criticized for being both too sensual and erotic. Klimt paintings that were so heavily disdained during his time are today considered to be some of the most important paintings ever to come out of Vienna.

Gustav Klimt began his career as an artist in 1883 when he formed Kanstlercompanie (an organization consisting of a group of artists) with his brother Ernest and a friend named Franz Matsch. They were commissioned by theatres, museums and churches to decorate the walls with murals and paintings. One of Klimt's most famous paintings Tragedy was commissioned by the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. In 1893, Klimt and Matsch had a falling out over a commission from the new university of Vienna to decorate the ceiling of the Great Hall. Klimt never again accepted another public commission and the company dissolved. Almost immediately following this break with Matsch, Klimt's painting Philosophy was exhibited at the Paris World Fair and won the Grand Prix.

Gustav Klimt paintings are distinguished visually by their elegant gold backgrounds and mosaïc patterns. Thematically, Klimt celebrates life, as demonstrated in The Kiss, a popular painting of a couple embracing passionately. However, at times, his paintings also juxtapose the joy of life with the certainty of death. Paintings such as Hope (a pregnant woman surrounded by pale solemn faces) offer the viewer a unique and profound experience of happiness at the beauty of life and sadness at the inevitability of death simultaneously. Gustav Klimt died of pneumonia in Vienna in 1918. Fortunately for the world, his work lives on.
Read More... Gustav Klimt Prints