Madi Preda's Blog
November 14, 2019
The Property Boy by Patrick Brigham
The London Property Boy by Patrick BrighamMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
How One Man Spent Years Falling Off the Property Ladder
When Mike Mostyne’s business as a property developer crashed, he realises for the first time how fragile his happiness has always been, and how much he’s been taking his good life for granted. Now, without any money he suddenly finds himself navigating through life alone, as his wife Lavender left him for another man. Unsure how to deal with his own grief, let alone that of his little son, Mark. Michael Mostyne must find a way to navigate life that pleases his son, and start again. Step by step he start establishing a career as a real estate agent, and less official a MI5 collaborator. From that he got more troubles, as his son was kidnapped by IRA members. Although they didn’t do any harm to Mark, that means more worries for Mike Mostyne. He has to think about his poor mother Maude as well, as she was sick, having diabetes and a touch of Alzheimer.
But when it comes to his own emotions, Mike doesn’t know where to begin and he just made mistakes after mistakes. Here the author describe Mike as a ‘’Peter Pan’� boy, living the life, jumping from one woman to another in hope that he’ll find the real love. In the end he’ll ended up with a Bulgarian women, Nadezhda, who he seems to be in love with, but wasn’t the same from her point of view and she eventually gone back to Bulgaria. When the property business gone wrong again, after a few ups and downs, Mike Mostyne decided to go to Bulgaria, and start again with his beloved Nadezhda. Will she be his sweetheart, was she really the one who could make him happy? Can Mike find himself again?
Having read Patrick Brigham’s book, The London Property Boy, I knew that this would be just as compelling, just as brutally honest, and just as necessary. Hear me now: this is not easy books to read. This is not your typical good-time romance. This is a very real book dealing with very harsh realities of the property business crash in early 80’s in England, people feelings and life changes.
Overall, this book is an excellent read. At first, upon finishing it, I thought that I would have ended it differently. But then, the more I thought about it, the more I realised that this is exactly how life often plays out. Fiction tends to wrap itself up and tie all the loose ends together and see to it that everyone pays the price for their actions, but that’s not the way that real life works. That’s what I love so much about Patrick’s books. He isn’t afraid to write for truth or to discuss those topics that are so often ignored and yet so very relevant for everyone’s life, even today.
View all my reviews
April 24, 2015
I Am Malala-Malala Yousafzai
This world we live in is a bizarre environment as we try to keep our strength but we fight the windmills in endless adventures. We destroyed real courage to face challenges. We worry all the time saying that anyway is not in our power to change things.Sometimes we meet providential people, people who transform collective fears in heroes. This kind of people are invincible, unstoppable and unforgettable.
Malala Yousafzai’s book � “I Am Malala� is a disturbing story, full of drama and hard lessons of life.
In 2014, Malala and Indian Kailash Satyarthi, a defender of children’s rights were Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Malala being the youngest person in history that was awarded.Malala-Yousafzai
Malala was only ten when the Taliban had come to control most of Pakistan, including Swat province, where her family lived. Had been banned music and television, restricted human rights and closed schools for girls. Fear had become absolute master of consciousness. The fear of being kidnapped or beaten or executed. In a country overwhelmed by the horrors and crimes, a child still finds the strength to write a blog for the BBC’s. Urdu horrors that you see every day. She was only 11 when begin writing about occupation Taliban, Islamic fundamentalist groups atrocities, but also about the right of children (especially girls) to education. And just 12 years old when shot in the head by a Taliban group in the school bus that took her home, in their attempt to silence a voice that is heard increasingly stronger. Although seriously wounded, survived some complicated operations against the military hospital in Peshawar and then in Birmingham, where she followed a long rehabilitation treatment and where she lives now with her family.
Malala after facing death is no longer afraid of anything. She teaches some simple things, but deep and harrowing.
The bullet that went through her brain and neck, which destroyed the inner ear and took away hearing, turned her into an active militant for the right to education of children around the world. The book she wrote with a British journalist, I am Malala is the story of a girl who fight the Taliban regime in Pakistan, a country where women’s rights are constantly forgotten. Malalai is the daughter of a brave father, who put the foundation a school for girls and encouraged his daughter to speak. A mother’s daughter who lives each day with the horror of seeing their child killed. She is the daughter of millions of people, men and women, refugees, beaten, kidnapped, raped, killed, all those who can not speak about their pain, those who lost their courage and hope that there will be another day tomorrow. For them, on their behalf, speak now Malala. For those without a voice that can be heard.
Malala fight with a gun � a destroyed childhood, but one with great efficiency, since it was heard in the Oval Office and the United Nations and the child learned to live through misfortunes. She has a voice that asks for the right to education for millions of children living in poverty, in the midst of stupid wars.
The girl whose face will forever bear the traces of the attack has the courage to smile.She ensures us that no matter her face is asymmetrical now and she can not smile or blink well since God has been so generous and left her alive.
“I always look the way they look and my hair. But when you see death in front of your eyes, things change.�
“I once asked God to be a few inches taller. And he made me high up in the sky, so high that I can not even measure myself …�
Malala continues her struggle as she knows better, fighting for right to go to school for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. She herself went to Nigeria to show her solidarity with the 300 girls, most Christian, kidnapped by Islamist group (because western education is forbidden).
President Barack Obama told Malala a simple truth: Instead of sending weapons, send cards. The best way to fight terrorism is to invest in education.
I saw her name in the Romanian press recently, saying that Malala is placed by Time magazine among the 100 most influential people in the world. Unfortunately, it talks about people like Malala being too rare in Romania, a country that fails to set up a functional educational system.
Maybe we should rediscover, through a girl from Pakistan an essential truth: A child, a teacher, a book and a pen can change the world.
“A child, a teacher, a book and a pen can change the world.�
Malala Yousafzai’s book � “I Am Malala� is a disturbing story, full of drama and hard lessons of life.
In 2014, Malala and Indian Kailash Satyarthi, a defender of children’s rights were Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Malala being the youngest person in history that was awarded.Malala-Yousafzai
Malala was only ten when the Taliban had come to control most of Pakistan, including Swat province, where her family lived. Had been banned music and television, restricted human rights and closed schools for girls. Fear had become absolute master of consciousness. The fear of being kidnapped or beaten or executed. In a country overwhelmed by the horrors and crimes, a child still finds the strength to write a blog for the BBC’s. Urdu horrors that you see every day. She was only 11 when begin writing about occupation Taliban, Islamic fundamentalist groups atrocities, but also about the right of children (especially girls) to education. And just 12 years old when shot in the head by a Taliban group in the school bus that took her home, in their attempt to silence a voice that is heard increasingly stronger. Although seriously wounded, survived some complicated operations against the military hospital in Peshawar and then in Birmingham, where she followed a long rehabilitation treatment and where she lives now with her family.
Malala after facing death is no longer afraid of anything. She teaches some simple things, but deep and harrowing.
The bullet that went through her brain and neck, which destroyed the inner ear and took away hearing, turned her into an active militant for the right to education of children around the world. The book she wrote with a British journalist, I am Malala is the story of a girl who fight the Taliban regime in Pakistan, a country where women’s rights are constantly forgotten. Malalai is the daughter of a brave father, who put the foundation a school for girls and encouraged his daughter to speak. A mother’s daughter who lives each day with the horror of seeing their child killed. She is the daughter of millions of people, men and women, refugees, beaten, kidnapped, raped, killed, all those who can not speak about their pain, those who lost their courage and hope that there will be another day tomorrow. For them, on their behalf, speak now Malala. For those without a voice that can be heard.
Malala fight with a gun � a destroyed childhood, but one with great efficiency, since it was heard in the Oval Office and the United Nations and the child learned to live through misfortunes. She has a voice that asks for the right to education for millions of children living in poverty, in the midst of stupid wars.
The girl whose face will forever bear the traces of the attack has the courage to smile.She ensures us that no matter her face is asymmetrical now and she can not smile or blink well since God has been so generous and left her alive.
“I always look the way they look and my hair. But when you see death in front of your eyes, things change.�
“I once asked God to be a few inches taller. And he made me high up in the sky, so high that I can not even measure myself …�
Malala continues her struggle as she knows better, fighting for right to go to school for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. She herself went to Nigeria to show her solidarity with the 300 girls, most Christian, kidnapped by Islamist group (because western education is forbidden).
President Barack Obama told Malala a simple truth: Instead of sending weapons, send cards. The best way to fight terrorism is to invest in education.
I saw her name in the Romanian press recently, saying that Malala is placed by Time magazine among the 100 most influential people in the world. Unfortunately, it talks about people like Malala being too rare in Romania, a country that fails to set up a functional educational system.
Maybe we should rediscover, through a girl from Pakistan an essential truth: A child, a teacher, a book and a pen can change the world.
“A child, a teacher, a book and a pen can change the world.�
July 25, 2014
Marketing Plan and ideas for children's books promotion
Excerpt from How To Promote and Market Your Book by Madi Preda
How To Promote and Market Your Book
Links to order the book
Case study � Marketing Plan for Children’s Books
Summary
Marketing Plan developed for xxxxxxxxxxxx by xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx series � A collection of three books
- xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx
-yyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyy
- zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz
The collection is meant to delight and engage young children, ages . . . , to have fun while reading or be read to as part of their bedtime story experience. Each story has an educational message and a surprising ending.
What is a SWOT analysis?
SWOT sounds like a foreign language for some people, but is actually a very simple way to identify few attributes of a book or any other product.
S � Strengths
W � Weaknesses
O � Opportunities
T � Threats
These are attributes that you need to analyze by comparing them with other books in the same genre, and relating them to your target market.
SWOT Analysis of . . .
–Colorful illustration and attractive name of the characters.
–Educational message introduced to children through the toys� world.
–Interesting settings like Zoo, Aquarium, The Toys Museum, which will become a place to advertise and sell the books.
–Interesting points about how people take care of the animals and how toys have feelings like people.
–For the scholastic market, the series has a BIC code classification.
Opportunities:
–The collection may attract attention from associations that support children’s literacy and could be useful in nurseries, kindergartens, prep schools, or for use by parents who want to encourage their children to widen their reading experience.
–Included are activities and reading tips for teachers and parents, guided reading in classrooms, learning bags, and day-by-day reading boxes.
–The book can be used as a present for tea parties, birthday celebrations, and open days at libraries or schools.
–It is a good idea to start the publicity campaign before the school year starts, when meetings with parents take place, as an opportunity to include the books in the new school year curricula.
–Present the books at meetings at local schools, kindergartens, and other places where a fan club can be created. The collection can be presented together with coloring sheets for the characters of each story.
–Consider having books available at party venues for children and entertainers at children’s parties, playgrounds and after school programs.
–Try to place books with independent booksellers who specialize in children books (i.e. Scholastic).
–Starting an aggressive campaign from the beginning will give you or the publisher time to see if sales are increasing so there can be reprints in time for seasonal sales.
–Contact chain stores and find the right staff members to provide credible guidance.
Target market and positioning � All of the above
Promotion:
–Organize in-store displays and promotional materials.
- For children’s clubs and party venues, create a fan club, color sheets and award certificates for the best reader of the day, the hungry reader of the week, and the child who has read a certain number of stories from the collection.
- Schedule storytelling sessions with local bookstores, schools, and libraries. If possible, find some students, actors, philologists, or community members who want to volunteer their time for children’s entertainment.
- Print posters, flyers and bookmarks to highlight the location, coloring pages and award certificates.
- Print business cards with the book’s ISBN number, and contact info and give them to every location related with children activities.
- Contact children’s theaters and performances so that you can eventually make a partnering agreement and/or sub rights sale contract.
- Contact animators and actors organizations dedicated to encourage young children by performing.
- Contact online communities for parents and present the collection to them.
- Print a few coloring pages with your characters and offer them everywhere—party venues, toy stores, pediatric doctor’s waiting room, even offer them to children in the park. (Sounds silly maybe but it works, believe me)
Children’s books bloggers
All Things Jill-Elizabeth
Books Kids Like
educationdiva
educationdiva.com
Holly’s Check It Out Book List
Just Children’s Books
Kid Book Ratings
KidsRead
kidsread.wordpress.com
Novels On The Run
Page-turner
pageturnerby-beth.blogspot.com
Read it Again, Mama!
Story Quest Children’s Books
KIDS RELATED WEBSITES � UK
Google + Communities
Children’s Magazines
Parents Magazine
Underneath The Juniper Tree
Facebook Groups for Children’s Books
Bed Time Story TV Show
Twitter @
Radio Shows for Children:
How To Promote and Market Your Book
Links to order the book
Case study � Marketing Plan for Children’s Books
Summary
Marketing Plan developed for xxxxxxxxxxxx by xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx series � A collection of three books
- xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx
-yyyyyyyy yyyyyyyyyyyyyy
- zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzz
The collection is meant to delight and engage young children, ages . . . , to have fun while reading or be read to as part of their bedtime story experience. Each story has an educational message and a surprising ending.
What is a SWOT analysis?
SWOT sounds like a foreign language for some people, but is actually a very simple way to identify few attributes of a book or any other product.
S � Strengths
W � Weaknesses
O � Opportunities
T � Threats
These are attributes that you need to analyze by comparing them with other books in the same genre, and relating them to your target market.
SWOT Analysis of . . .
–Colorful illustration and attractive name of the characters.
–Educational message introduced to children through the toys� world.
–Interesting settings like Zoo, Aquarium, The Toys Museum, which will become a place to advertise and sell the books.
–Interesting points about how people take care of the animals and how toys have feelings like people.
–For the scholastic market, the series has a BIC code classification.
Opportunities:
–The collection may attract attention from associations that support children’s literacy and could be useful in nurseries, kindergartens, prep schools, or for use by parents who want to encourage their children to widen their reading experience.
–Included are activities and reading tips for teachers and parents, guided reading in classrooms, learning bags, and day-by-day reading boxes.
–The book can be used as a present for tea parties, birthday celebrations, and open days at libraries or schools.
–It is a good idea to start the publicity campaign before the school year starts, when meetings with parents take place, as an opportunity to include the books in the new school year curricula.
–Present the books at meetings at local schools, kindergartens, and other places where a fan club can be created. The collection can be presented together with coloring sheets for the characters of each story.
–Consider having books available at party venues for children and entertainers at children’s parties, playgrounds and after school programs.
–Try to place books with independent booksellers who specialize in children books (i.e. Scholastic).
–Starting an aggressive campaign from the beginning will give you or the publisher time to see if sales are increasing so there can be reprints in time for seasonal sales.
–Contact chain stores and find the right staff members to provide credible guidance.
Target market and positioning � All of the above
Promotion:
–Organize in-store displays and promotional materials.
- For children’s clubs and party venues, create a fan club, color sheets and award certificates for the best reader of the day, the hungry reader of the week, and the child who has read a certain number of stories from the collection.
- Schedule storytelling sessions with local bookstores, schools, and libraries. If possible, find some students, actors, philologists, or community members who want to volunteer their time for children’s entertainment.
- Print posters, flyers and bookmarks to highlight the location, coloring pages and award certificates.
- Print business cards with the book’s ISBN number, and contact info and give them to every location related with children activities.
- Contact children’s theaters and performances so that you can eventually make a partnering agreement and/or sub rights sale contract.
- Contact animators and actors organizations dedicated to encourage young children by performing.
- Contact online communities for parents and present the collection to them.
- Print a few coloring pages with your characters and offer them everywhere—party venues, toy stores, pediatric doctor’s waiting room, even offer them to children in the park. (Sounds silly maybe but it works, believe me)
Children’s books bloggers
All Things Jill-Elizabeth
Books Kids Like
educationdiva
educationdiva.com
Holly’s Check It Out Book List
Just Children’s Books
Kid Book Ratings
KidsRead
kidsread.wordpress.com
Novels On The Run
Page-turner
pageturnerby-beth.blogspot.com
Read it Again, Mama!
Story Quest Children’s Books
KIDS RELATED WEBSITES � UK
Google + Communities
Children’s Magazines
Parents Magazine
Underneath The Juniper Tree
Facebook Groups for Children’s Books
Bed Time Story TV Show
Twitter @
Radio Shows for Children:
