Shelfari Merges with Goodreads: What Authors Need to Know

Announced in January, Amazon will be merging Shelfari and with Goodreads on 16 March 16. We do hate to see Shelfari go simply because of all the great data fields that platform had to help readers find books. However, since Amazon bought Goodreads a while back, it was inevitable that one of the platforms would have to go. Given that Goodreads is infinitely more popular than Shelfari, it wasn't a hard decision for Amazon. 

So, you're an author that's spent time seeding your titles with great data about your book... where will all of this data go? On March 16th, all of your character summaries, important places, tags, and other salient data about your book will be somewhere in a cyber-warehouse never to be seen from again. Shelfari is allowing users to export all of their data in a CSV file up until March 16th. (For those not familiar with this file type, it's basically a universal version of a spreadsheet. You can open CSV files with Microsoft Excel or Open Office's spreadsheet.) To export all of your data, sign into Shelfari and go to this link. Hit the export button and Shelfari will then email you the CSV file within 24-48 hours. We're suggesting that if you've plugged data into the Shelfari system, you go through the export process. You never know when you might need that data somewhere down the road.

You can also export your library to your Goodreads account if you're not interested in saving your user inputted data. If you're not a Goodreads member, you'll have to set up an account to export your Shelfari library. You can signup for a Goodread accounts here. Now that you have a new or previously existing Goodreads account, sign into Shelfari and go to this link. Hit the export button and your Shelfari library will show up within 24-48 hours in your Goodreads account. For a full FAQ of most all things related to the merger, sign in to Shelfari and follow this link.

According to that FAQ, books with these statuses in Shelfari will be able to be found in the coorsponding statuses/sections of Goodreads:

Shelfari	Goodreads
I plan to read	to-read
I'm reading	currently-reading
I've read	read
Favorites	Shelfari-favorites
Own	At Goodreads, it will show up under "Owned books"
Wish list	Shelfari-wishlists
Tags (e.g. mystery)	Shelves will be created with the tag name and books with the tag will be placed in those shelves. If a shelf already exists in Goodreads with a tag name, tags will be prefixed with "shelfari-" (e.g. shelfari-mystery)

Here's the million dollar question that we haven't found a good answer for, will links to books in the Shelfari system redirect to Goodreads after the merger? There's nothing in Shelfari's FAQ about that, so we wouldn't count on it. We're going to keep our present Shelfari links live on our website until there's a definite answer. We also suggest that authors do the same on their websites just in case there are those out there who haven't gotten the word about the merger.

Follow Grave Distractions Publications on Twitter @GraveDistract, Facebook, Pintrest, or LinkedIn.

Pre-order Lee DuCote's Across Borders

Lee DuCote has followed up Fields of Alica and Waterproof with a tale of intrigue in Across Borders.  In Across Borders, Lawson Caine, an eight year veteran of the Border Patrol, is stationed in Presidio Texas with legendary lawman Capt. James Garrett. Lawson, who is from a long linage of lawmen, has gained the respect and reverence from his team, Dale Chanson, Terry Bennet, and the crazy member, Alex Sweeny. Together as a team their mission is to protect the US by patrolling the borders of Mexico for illegal aliens and the never ending drug trade.

James Garrett, who goes by the name Cap, has trained many young rookies from the academy and served as a father figure before turning them over to other stations within the four states that border Mexico. Their greatest task and personal vendetta is to capture a famous smuggling lord who is barbaric and callous leaving many Mexicans to die in the rugged terrain of West Texas. Over the last few years Lawson and Sweeny have built a brotherhood and together they work through the struggle of Sweeny becoming a widower and raising his eight year old daughter all while keeping a guarded eye on the border.

Lawson never expected anything to come between his dedication with the Border Patrol and his brotherhood with Sweeny until he meets local pharmacy owner, Lia Gonzales. Against her father’s wishes and the dissension she causes with her family Lia continues to see Lawson not realizing the inevitable consequences. Love blind, Lawson leads his team into a dangerous situation with Lia’s brother, who works for the smuggling lord, and loses more than his relationship with Lia.

Will Lawson see the mistake he is making by continuing a relationship with Lia? Will Lia defy her father and keep a deep and passionate relationship with the Border Patrol Agent? In this story of protecting others on the border and the heartache of relationships you will find yourself in the lives of those who have sworn to uphold the law, no matter the cost. 

The eBook edition of Across Borders will drop on 1 Feb 16 and is available for pre-order from Amazon, Google, and Smashwords.

Follow Grave Distractions Publications on Twitter @GraveDistract, Facebook, Pintrest, or LinkedIn.

New Release: Pastures of Tender Grass by Charles Millson

Grave Distractions Publications is happy to announce the release of Charles Millson's first novel, Pastures of Tender Grass. The Old Testament story of Mephibosheth, the grandson of King Saul, is summoned to the palace of the new king, David. What does David want with him in Jerusalem? Perhaps he is being summoned to his death as a potential rival to the throne. And what part does King Saul's former servant play in all this? Prince Jonathan, the young man's father, and king David's best friend had died in battle many years before, the same day that the young man became crippled in both legs. Living in a place of great poverty, perhaps God was about to bless the young man far beyond his wildest dreams. Author Charles Millson brings the reader into this intriguing and exciting Bible story, as Mephibosheth witnesses King David at the height of his power and as he meets the woman who would change his life forever, Bathsheba. Palace intrigue, murders, revenge, but most of all, the blessings and mercy of God are all found in these pages. And the story poses the question: Could this young man be the inspiration for one of the scripture's most beloved passages, Psalm 23? Included in the book are maps, a timeline, a genealogy, and a description of each main character, as well as the author's notes on the background of the story.

Pastures of Tender Grass is available in both print and eBook formats. Please visit the Online Bookstore tab of this blog, or the Pastures of Tender Grass book page at the Grave Distractions Publications website for a full list of vendors. If you would like to read an exerpt from Charles Millson's Pastures of Tender Grass, please visit the preview page on our website.

About Author Charles Millson 

 

Charles Millson is a lifelong southerner. He is a teacher, minister, and advocate in a small town in middle Tennessee. After teaching in the Memphis, Tennessee area for over a decade, Millson turned his attention and talents to ministry in Romania and Costa Rica. He is also the author of More Than Rubies: Other Women in the Old Testament, a Bible workbook that looks at the lessons we can learn from the lives of some of the lesser-known women of the Hebrew Scriptures. He has also published a book of poetry, has been published in The Old Hickory Review, and has been a contributor to People’s World. His sports writing has been featured on such blogs as Rivals.com, where he was a managing editor, and on Bleacher Report. His ministry has taken him to work in the inner-city with low income housing, and currently he heads a nonprofit food bank in his small town. He can be heard weekly on a one hour radio talk-show called Westmoreland Wednesdays on WTNK out of Hartsville, Tennessee. In addition, Millson is a minister at a church in Westmoreland, Tennessee. He is the father of one son, Shawn, and he enjoys spending time with his English bulldog, Bucky.

Follow Grave Distractions Publications on Twitter @GraveDistract, Facebook, Pintrest, or LinkedIn.

Key to the Sacred Pattern: The Untold Story of Rennes-le-Chateau 2nd Edtion by Henry Lincoln Is Now in Print

For all those who have been patiently waiting for the second edition of Key to the Sacred Pattern: The Untold Story of Rennes-le-Chateau to be released in print, your wait is over. The listings for Henry Lincoln's backstory to the New York Times best selling Holy Blood, Holy Grail  is now available in print at Amazon.  In the coming weeks, other retailers' listings will come on line and we will update those links at the Key to the Sacred Pattern book page at the Grave Distractions Publications website. You can also check the availability of the eBook version of Key to the Sacred Pattern on the same page.

Key to the Sacred Pattern Synopsis

Ten years before the publication of Holy Blood, Holy Grail, Henry Lincoln began his odyssey into the mysteries of an insignificant village in the French Pyrenees.  In the 1890s, Bérenger Saunière, the penniless priest of Rennes-le-Château became spectacularly wealthy after finding coded parchments hidden in his church. His largesse transformed the village.  His Magdala Tower and his mysterious renovation of his church still stand as silent testament to the enduring mysteries of Rennes-le-Château.

Fifty years after Saunière’s death, Henry Lincoln picked up the trail to discover the truth behind the priest’s unexplained wealth. Lincoln’s dogged and methodical research culminated in three BBC television documentaries and the world-wide best-sellers Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The Messianic Legacy, which put forward the hypothesis that perhaps the priest had stumbled upon facts known only to a secret society, the Priory of Sion. Is it possible that Jesus was married? Did he father a blood-line which still survives?  Was the Priory of Sion behind the Knights Templars ? Did Saunière find some – or all – of their fabled treasure?

Clue after clue was uncovered by Lincoln and, in Key to the Sacred Pattern, he lays down the history of Lincoln’s quest. It is largely due to Lincoln’s dogged and methodical research into Bérenger Saunière, Rennes-le-Château, the Knights Templar, and the Priory of Sion that the world has seen a glimpse into one of history’s most compelling mysteries. Certainly Lincoln’s work has been generously built on by both fiction and non-fiction authors and the resulting cultural phenomena centering around Bérenger Saunière, Rennes-le-Château, the Knights Templar, and the Priory of Sion.

But to say that Key to the Sacred Pattern is the chronicle of a hunt for lost Templar gold or chasing a shadowy secret society would be a mistake. The true gem of Key to the Sacred Pattern is Lincoln’s presentation of the unarguable and astonishing facts behind this strange and gripping mystery. Far older than Jesus, it stretches back into an undreamt past. Is there a geometric pattern to the placement of holy places throughout Europe?  Discover the true Rennes-le-Château and the reality which lie beyond the mountaintop village. This second edition of Key to the Sacred Pattern contains additional material as well as new and updated images.

About Author Henry Lincoln 

Henry Lincoln has had a long and distinguished career as not only an author, but a television presenter, scriptwriter and actor as well. Most notably, Lincoln was a co-author of the 1982 New York Times bestseller, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail. At the time the controversial The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail introduced a majority of the world to the shadowy secret society the Priory of Sion, a treasure hunt in the tiny French village of Rennes-le-Château, and the theory that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail  also served as the basis for Dan Brown’s 2003 best-seller The Da Vinci Code. In the years since The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail was released, Lincoln has continued dissecting the mysteries of Rennes-le-Château in such works as Key to the Sacred Pattern: The Untold Story of Rennes-le-Château, The Holy Place: Discovering the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World, The Messianic Legacy (with Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh), and The Templars' Secret Island: The Knights, The Priest and The Treasure (with Erling Haagensen).

Serving as the basis for his written works, Lincoln wrote and narrated the following documentaries for BBC2’s series Chronicle: The Lost Treasure of Jerusalem...? (1972), The Priest, the Painter, and the Devil  (1974), and The Shadow of the Templars (1979).

Aside from his extensive book catalog, Lincoln is also known for co-writing three Doctor Who multi-part serials starring Patrick Troughton: "The Abominable Snowmen" (1967), "The Web of Fear" (1968) and "The Dominators "(1968).  Lincoln is also the creator of the recurring character Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

Lincoln currently lives in Rennes-les-Bains.   At the moment, Lincoln is archiving research materials  he has gathered in a 40-year quest to discover the truth behind the Rennes-le-Château mysteries.

Follow Grave Distractions Publications on Twitter @GraveDistract, Facebook, Pintrest, or LinkedIn.  

In Celebration of Pope Francis' Visit to the United States

With Pope Francis’ visit to the United States this week, Grave Distractions Publications author Bruce Davis’ Huffington Post article, “Is Pope Francis, St. Francis of Assisi Living In Our Midst?”, couldn’t be more timely. As usual, Bruce’s piercing insight into religious mysticism is both enlightening and thought provoking.

In celebration of the publication of Bruce’s latest article and Pope Francis’ historic visit to the United States, we have a special offer on Bruce’s The Love Letters: Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi Meet Pope Francis and Dr. James T. Baker’s two act play, Under the Sign of the Waterbearer: A Life of Thomas Merton. Through our printing partner’s website, we’re offering a 20% discount on both of these books through 15 October 2015. Just click on the links below, or the embedded link above, to be taken to the appropriate book’s listing. Simply use discount code MHCK3EQC at checkout to receive your discount on either book.

The Love Letters: Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi Meet Pope Francis

Under the Sign of the Waterbearer: A Life of Thomas Merton

Follow Grave Distractions Publications on Twitter @GraveDistract, Facebook, Pintrest, or LinkedIn. 

Author Lee DuCote Book Tour

In support of his work, Grave Distractions Publications author Lee DuCote is hitting the road! The author of Fields of Alica and Waterproof will be making a number of appearances to discuss his work and sign books throughout the southern United States. Below is a listing of the event dates we have on hand. Lee will be adding dates and venues as they become available. For up to the minute details on Lee's events, follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instrgram, or sign up for email alerts from Lee using the form at the bottom of this page. 

Lee DuCote Book Signings and Appearances

• 19 September 2015, 1pm-3pm, at Pages and Palette in Fairhope, Alabama.
• 3 October 2015, 7pm-9pm, at the Jitterbug Coffee in Heber Springs 
• 10 October 2015 11am-1pm at the Barnes and Noble in Shreveport, Louisiana.
• 15 October 2015 noon-2pm, at the Book Mart and Cafe in Starkville, Mississippi.
• 24 October 2015 11am-1pm, at the Nightbird Bookstore in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

For additional information about Lee DuCote, or any of our authors, you can follow Grave Distractions Publications on Twitter @GraveDistract, Facebook, Pintrest, or LinkedIn. 

Get eMail Alerts from Author Lee DuCote

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

New Release: Under the Sign of the Waterbearer: A Life of Thomas Merton

In an ongoing agreement with Green Hills Press, Grave Distractions Publications has released  a second edition of Western Kentucky University history professor James T. Baker's play Under the Sign of the Waterbearer: A Life of Thomas Merton. This play was originally published in the late 1970s and this edition has new material and an afterword from the author. Under the Sign of Waterbearer is perfect for high school, college, or community theater productions.

About Under the Sign of the Waterbearer: A Life of Thomas Merton

Thomas Merton, known in religion as Father Louis, was born in France, in his words "under the sign of the waterbearer," in 1915. He studied at Cambridge in England and at Columbia in New York. As a student he lived what his friends have described as a bawdy life but turned from it to become a devout Roman Catholic. As America entered World War II he entered the abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani in Kentucky, and for 27 years he was a Trappist monk, in the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance. During his early days there he wrote an autobiography which became the third bestselling nonfiction book of the year 1949 and went on to write more than 50 more until in 1968 he at last went back into the world to meet with monastic leaders in Asia.

He had entered Gethsemani on December 10, 1941, when he was nearing his twenty-seventh birthday; and on December 10, 1968, as he was nearing his fifty-fourth birthday, he was accidentally electrocuted while attending a religious conference in Bangkok, Thailand. Many in the West consider him a saint and many in the East consider him a manifestation of the Buddha. His autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, has been compared to the Confessions of Saint Augustine No one who reads it or any other of his books is ever the same again.

The author of this play, James Thomas Baker, knew Thomas Merton and wrote the original version of the play soon after Merton's death. This completely revised and rewritten version, done as an expression of love and admiration in 2015, is to commemorate his hundred birthday.

Under the Sign of the Waterbearer: A Life of Thomas Merton is now available in print and eBook editions at Amazon and will shortly be carried by other major online retailers.


Follow Grave Distractions Publications on Twitter @GraveDistract, Facebook, Pintrest, or LinkedIn.