Month: May 2013

Then a Miracle Occurs

I was moaning to my daughter Kat earlier tonight about how I needed to write this post, but I had no idea what to write about. “The 14th Street sinkhole,” she replied.

A little backstory is required here. A couple of weeks ago, a giant sinkhole opened at 14th and F Streets Northwest in Washington, DC. We don’t typically get sinkholes in DC – exploding manholes, yes, but not sinkholes – so this one is quite the novelty. It has even developed its own personality, complete with a Twitter account and Foursquare check-in spot.

But an IU post about it? “My post kind of has to be about writing,” I told Kat. “What relevance does a sinkhole have to writing?”

“Deus ex machina,” she replied. Continue reading “Then a Miracle Occurs”

Flash Fiction Star: Rich Meyer

Congratulations go out to Rich Meyer; his was chosen by readers as the favorite entry in this week’s Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge.

The winning entry is rewarded with a special feature here today and a place in our collection of winners which will be published as an e-book at year end.

Without further ado, here’s the winning entry:

Continue reading “Flash Fiction Star: Rich Meyer”

Sneak Peek: Running Against Traffic

Today we have a sneak peek from the contemporary fiction book by author Gaelen VanDenbergh: Running Against Traffic.

Paige Scott is done in. Done for. Done with it. Having spent her childhood shuffled between relatives who ignored her, and her adult life hiding within the walls of her relationships with men, she is prepared to live out her empty days in her crumbling marriage to David Davenport. David has other plans, however, and flings her into a remote, impoverished world, in stark contrast to the wealthy cosmopolitan one that was all she knew. Here she is forced to face the betrayals of her past and learn, for the first time, how to care for herself, and for others.

Running Against Traffic is available through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Amazon UK, and other online booksellers.

Here is an excerpt from Running Against Traffic… Continue reading “Sneak Peek: Running Against Traffic”

How to Keep Your Kid from Moving Back Home after College

How to Keep Your Kid from Moving Back Home after College (The Money Professors Series)
Available from Amazon in print or Kindle editions.

The book that helps parents guide their student through college from acceptance letter to graduation day. Parents will learn how to help their student manage his or her spending and finances while in college, determine the best and worst ways to pay for college, choose the right major and more.

Sadly, only a third of college students will graduate in four years and just 25% of college students have a job lined up at graduation. Even more sobering is that 80% of college students move back home with their parents after graduation. This book helps parents to help ensure their student walks across the stage within four years with a diploma and a job.

The three authors are industry leaders in personal financial education. Together, they have a combined 75 years of experience in banking, economics, and entrepreneurship. Now, they teach thousands of students personal finance concepts and decision-making skills as authors and as college instructors. The other books in The Money Professors series include The Graduate’s Guide to Life and Money and Extra Credit: The 7 Things Every College Student Needs to Know about Credit, Debt & Ca$h. Their books, lectures, and programs give students, parents, and educators the tools and knowledge to make good financial decisions all their lives.