Wednesday, March 28, 2012

140 Characters & Your World Is Complete! So Twitter Away


There is no doubt that #Twitter is a fascinating tool of #social #demographics. There I said it all in 79 characters including spaces & hash marks! Or did I? "They" tell you that above and beyond all the marketing you must do for your own book, you have to network in the social manner using all the tools available. "Social Networking" including all the tools like Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and on and on and on, is a critical factor in getting your name out there. So one day you decide Twitter as well has to be in your arsenal. And you load this program, start learning the ropes and begin to twitter away.

Of course it does not help to Twitter unless people are "following" you. Notice I did not say "reading what you write" I said "they are following you". This is called "followers" in Twitter. How do you get "followers"? Well you have to start "following" people. The viral network has begun for you. So you follow them, and many on Twitter have a deep regard of social grace, so they follow you back. And then of course some of them with even more grace actually "re-tweet" or "RT" what you put out there. And soon you find your list growing. Maybe not the 20,000 followers that others have but you get a few. And you are a happy camper!


Now of course your writing abilities kick in. You have to express yourself in 140 characters or less. That includes a URL and all the hash marks if you use them. So now you go and sign up with a system like Bitly for free to make your URL as short as possible to keep that 140 limit!

Okay, you have the hash marks down. You have the following and followers down. You have the etiquette down. You have the URL thing down. You sit and think of the best way to actually "market yourself" on Twitter. So you begin to actually read the Tweets that are coming your way. And you get advice on what and how to tweet. So the other day I sat and actually read for a few hours the tweets coming through my system. It was fascinating. 

Let us go through some of them shall we:
  1. Buy my book here at Amazon
  2. Tweet Blog posts so you do not look like you are trying to tweet your books.
  3. Do not tweet blog posts because people are sick of reading blogs
  4. Do not tweet blog posts because you do not maintain a blog. After all you wanted to write books not blog!
  5. OMG! You do not have a blog? Where the hell have you been for 8 years? Start a blog they tell you. (You sigh and say to yourself "add it to the list".)
  6. Tweet homely nice things. Like "Love Everyone Today" and every one of your followers will get all mushy and go to your blog and web site and buy your books.
  7. Do not tweet homely nice things, because people just say when they read them "bleh".
  8. Go to the quote of the day site, steal a quote and tweet it. Even if it is a stupid, idiotic, mundane quote. After all it shows you are well-read and you care.
  9. Free Day @ Kindle and/or Smashwords. 
  10. My book has 4.8 rating in stars for reviews. You have to see it!
  11. Harry Potter went digital.
  12. Pay me $30 and I will show you how to get 20k of followers in a month. 
  13. Pay me $25 and I will show you how to get reviews.
  14. Pay me something and I will RT for you. 
  15. GM everyone. I woke up with a back pain.
  16. How is everyone today?
  17. Throw out Writer quotes like "Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. ~G. Fowler" (Actual Tweet). Makes you look well-read!
  18. Have a great picture like @LenoreWolfe. The woman does have a great pic! Worth following. (Especially consider this Tweet - "Some author photos scare me. What does your author photo say about you?"
  19. Be funny.
  20. Do not be funny because no one will get your sense of humor.
  21. Be kind and nice.
  22. Forget kind and nice. Just Twitter what you have to and get out of the system.
  23.  For Goodness Sake - Just Twitter! Someone will read it!
Just a small sample of course. A real small sample. Yet I do admit I have my favorites. These people use scheduled Tweets from a 3rd party program so 24 hours a day 7 days a week they are tweeting. Actually if you look at their numbers it works. Because they are active all the time. But I seriously do not understand how they spend the time setting up such a schedule. However, if it floats their boat it is all great.


So now you are addicted as well to Twitter. Add it to your list. Because you cannot take your eyes off of getting higher numbers in those who "follow you". And of course you follow them. So you have to think of ways to become even more and more witty and stand out in the crowd. Hey, you are a writer, suck it up and do it! Because if you do not, or if you keep on putting out Tweets which are totally meaningless then still a lot of people will follow you but you sure are not using that time to write your next great best seller which you can then Tweet about. And you join Tweet lists. So people will tweet about you and follow you - and you do the same for them. So you tweet and tweet and forget all about writing. Because those lists can get mighty long. 


I admit, fully and with glee, that I do exactly what the above tells you to do. I do not want to be an existential non-entity on Twitter! I have to do something, anything to pick up sales, to get my name known, to make this blog a 7 in Page Ranking which it once was years ago, before I let it languish. My bad! But then, silly me, I thought you should actually have something to say, in order to be a good blogger and social networker. But guess what? Twitter has proven me totally wrong on that score. You just need to .. well... TWEET!

And even with all this tongue-in-cheek attitude, I do have my favorites. First of all I use TweetDeck which is from Twitter itself. And I happen to like reading stuff from certain Twitter people (even though they schedule most of their tweets.) @Melissa_Foster and @dcPriya (Ashley Barron) to name two. So I am in Tweet heaven.

And wow! Every one of my Tweets can go to Facebook and all my Facebook posts go to Twitter. Automatically (once you allow it). So I can flood people with all sorts of information from my head.


The only thing is well, to be honest, just like all the others, Tweets about your books and your writing, (in the writing-author-reader world of tweeting) usually simply do not work. Because everyone is tweeting to everyone else about their books, their freebies, their blogs and God only knows what else. And the blog posts! I think I have seen every opinion of what should be done and what should not be done under the sun. One person says "Do X" the other "Do not even think about doing X". One famous author will tweet about how they became famous without using any marketing and another one will tell you the only way they became famous and selling oodles of books is to use all the Social Marketing tools available and Tweet away as much as you can. So you see there is really nothing you can actually gleam in terms of the ultimate truth in Tweeting. So why not just lay back and enjoy the fun. You never know what 140 letters with spaces and hash marks can do. And besides, it teaches you to redact your writing into only essential words. So your next book will be titled: "For The #Love Of #Country #Romance" Subtitled "#Vampire #Relationships With #Zombies". 


So what is the secret of success in Twitter? How do you really do it and get your name known? Here is your answer!











So for pity sake FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER!




Books by Ted William Gross

If you wish to purchase the books at Smashwords click here.

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Posted by Ted Gross at 3:00 PM 4 comments

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Interview: Charles S. Weinblatt - Jacob’s Courage: A Holocaust Love Story





Jacob’s Courage: A Holocaust Love Story  by Charles S. Weinblatt (2007, Mazo Publishers, Jerusalem Israel) a tender love story of two young adults living in Salzburg at the time when the Nazi war machine enters Austria.  This thrilling novel explores the dazzling beauty of young love, powerful faith and enduring bravery in a lurid world where the innocent are murdered.  Portions of the book are based upon pogroms visited upon my 102-year-old mother and her family in Russia.  It is a commanding coming-of-age love story. 









Genre: Historical Fiction

About The Book, The Art Of Writing & The Author:

Jacob’s Courage is a tender love story of two young adults living in Salzburg at the time when the Nazi war machine enters Austria.  This thrilling novel explores the dazzling beauty of young love, powerful faith and enduring bravery in a lurid world where the innocent are murdered.  Portions of the book are based upon pogroms visited upon my 102-year-old mother and her family in Russia.  It is a commanding coming-of-age love story. You can read some of the reviews and see the video trailer here: http://jacobscourage.wordpress.com/. Jacob’s Courage  is available in globally print and as an e-book, as well as from my publisher, Mazo Publishers.  Currently ranked #5 at Amazon under “products tagged Holocaust for popularity,” the novel resides in Holocaust museums throughout the world, including Yad Vashem and the USHMM.  Two film companies have expressed an interest in the movie rights.  Reviews include Jewish Book World and the Association of Jewish Libraries. Jacob’s Courage has been required reading for high school students.  It’s a powerful love story and a thrilling piece of historical fiction.  As one Holocaust center director stated, “At the end of the read one feels both hope and admiration for the human spirit.”

What is the Jewish related theme in your book? Young Jewish lovers and their families struggle to survive during the Holocaust. Some survive; but only because of the power of their faith, love and courage.
Is writing a full-time job for you? If not what else do you do? I am a happily retired university administrator. Having had to retire at age 51 on disability, I’ve turned to writing and found success with writing and with the book’s sales success.
How many books have you self-published or have been published in the traditional manner? I have produced five books, four of which have been published. I was trade published for Jacob’s Courage and for Job Seeking Skills for Students (1987, Kendall-Hunt Publishing). My SP books include Runaway Ducks (2011, Smashwords) and Book Marketing 101 (2009, Smashwords).

Why do you write? Writing (communication) is arguably my only viable skill. I’m terrible with math and dangerous with tools. But I’m pretty good with people. So, in retirement I write. I find the experience rewarding and a viable catharsis.

 When you are writing something new do you ask someone's opinion about it? I do not ask for opinions. Is that wrong? Oh crap. I just asked for an opinion!

 When you write do you need absolute concentration and quiet? Not at all. I typically write with classical music playing, or with other environmental distractions Do you believe or have you experienced "writer's block"? If so, when and why? I’ve never had “writer’s block.” That being said, some day it flows sweetly more than other days. When that occurs, I tend to focus more on research or editing.

 Do you incorporate incidents from your own personal life into your works? I tend to incorporate aspects of my personality and a few incidents into characters, especially a protagonist. However, those incidents are rare.

Do you write what you think the public wants to read or what you feel to be your inner-expression? Thankfully, I write as a hobby. I do not need to derive readers or income from it. It’s a hobby, not a career. So I have the luxury of writing what I like, not what I think the public might enjoy.

 If you did Self-Publish why did you do it? I self-published two e-books. One was a children’s book and the other a self-help book for writers who wish to promote their books. In both cases, it was an exploratory effort in a new market. I prefer using a traditional publisher for many reasons, not the least of which is their capacity to distribute, market and sell books in retail stores globally. Almost half of all books today are still sold on a store shelf. If you don’t use a traditional publisher, you’ll have a lot of expensive work to do. Trade publishers also represent your book at key international book fairs, conferences and conventions. And they have channels for the best reviews from the most compelling and persuasive sources in the genre.

 If you did or do have an agent, without naming them, tell us your experience on getting the agent and if you are satisfied. I currently do not have an agent. In fact, I was successfully published traditionally twice without an agent. Of course, agents can open new doors. But it can be at least as difficult to find an agent as it is a publisher. So, I devote some time to both searches. I had an agent who turned out to be a fraud. Thankfully, one of his employees told me about it and I lost nothing. I am somewhat more selective now.

When you market your book what path did you chose? Why? And what has not worked out for you and what has worked for you? I have an inexpensive e-book about author marketing and promotion here: "Book Marketing 101" ($1.99, Amazon http://tiny.cc/na2go and Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/2595. You can attend key international book fairs, market through catalog distribution, via e-mail and fax blasts, generate media publicity, arrange book tours, create a web site landing page and a Facebook fan page, solicit compelling reviews and arrange book tours and bookstore signings. You can contact local newspapers, magazines and on-line blogs in order to solicit articles and reviews for your book. You can contact local bookstores to arrange for book signings and tours, as well as local radio, TV and print interviews. You can sell books on your own through local organizations. You can obtain reviews and interviews about your book. One of the fastest ways to solicit business for your book is through the media. Since you require positive reviews to sell your book, newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and book clubs are a great place to start. When you encounter serious interest, send them a review copy. If your publisher runs out of review copies, send them the e-book as a review copy, or ask them to purchase a preview version for electronic readers. Select a landing page that can present widespread valuable data about your book to visitors, including the video trailer, persuasive reviews, published articles, information about your other books plus a link to TV, radio, magazine and newspaper articles about you and your writing career.  Select your landing page carefully.  It should also offer a wealth of feedback to you about who visited the page. You’ll want to know who visited the page, from where (referring address) and what they did on your site.  You’ll want to know who found your landing page, so that you can contact them with valuable information.  Such statistics are important to your future marketing.  For viral marketing, use Yahoo, Google, Hotmail, Wordpress, BlogSpot, Goodreads or Facebook and begin building your page.

 How much time do you spend on marketing your own work? I devote about 20-30 hours per week to marketing my books. Frankly, it’s not enough. But I review books for several organizations, including The New York Journal of Books. So, I always have a stack of books to read and review. That’s in addition to writing and researching my next books. For someone who is retired, I find myself very busy.

 If you self-published tell us in order the route you went, e.g. Kindle to Print to Smashwords or whatever you did. I self published with Smashwords and Kindle (KDP) almost simultaneously. I receive terrific royalty checks from Smashwords, but not from Amazon (KDP).With a premium membership at Smashwords, they will format all of your books for every type of e-reader, tablet or smart-phone for free. I highly value my relationship with Smashwords.

Which publishing sources would your recommend? And which would you not recommend? I could fill several pages with this question. But I’ll reduce my answer to this. There are two iconic sources to determine if a publisher or a literary agent might be a fraud or conducting a scam. They are: Predators & Editors (http://pred-ed.com/) and Writer Beware (http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/alerts/). Use them. They can save you from being a scam victim and losing thousands of dollars.

How much time and effort did you put into the cover of your book? LOL Thankfully, my daughter is a professional artist. She has plenty of experience with designing book covers. That is very lucky for me.

If you are a Kindle publisher, did you join KDP Select and if so what were experiences there and how would you judge it? I haven’t joined “select” yet. Frankly, I’m receiving excellent royalties from Smashwords.

Exactly what formats is your book in? (Nook, Paper, Kindle, Sony, Ipad..etc and etc.) Thanks to my Smashwords premium membership, my books are sold in every possible format for all e-readers, tablets and smart-phones, including Amazon, Apple, Diesel, Kobo, Sony Scrollmotion, Barnes & Noble, Baker-Taylor, etc.

 How did you decide on the price of your book? Include decisions if applicable for E-book and Print books. Or tell us how your publisher decided. My publishers decided on the price. One book was a short fiction how-to book on job seeking skills. The other was an epic fictional account of young Jewish lovers who became Holocaust victims and their families. I think that my publishers prices the books as well as they could. The Holocaust book, Jacob’s Courage, is 524 pages, which certainly costs more to produce than a 200-page fiction. I priced my two self-published books as low as possible (“Book Marketing 101” sells for $2 and the children’s book (Runaway Ducks) is $3. Again, I don’t write for income. I don’t need more money. So, I try to keep the e-books competitive. What advice would you give other authors or other people starting out? Construct web sites and blogs that can be used to attract the public to your book and accomplish the sale with a few mouse clicks. Distribute reviews, articles and related information by creating several attractive and concise web pages, by using appropriate key words in those web sites to attract search engines and by implementing an effective e-mail marketing campaign. You can accomplish all of this right from your own computer - and it is virtually cost free. Marketing a book can be time consuming and frustrating. But do not count on your publisher to accomplish everything, particularly if you are a new author. Be willing to implement your own marketing campaign with web sites, blogs, by writing articles and with an effective e-mail blitz. The harder your effort, the larger your royalty checks will become.

Do you consider yourself a success in writing, a wannabe, a failure or just misunderstood? A publisher picked up two of my books, including my debut novel. Many people have told me that my SP book on author promotion and marketing  is very helpful. To that extent, I am far more successful than I ever  imagined possible.

Excluding free giveaways (such as KDP) - have you ever made it into the top 100 of a list and stayed there for over 2 weeks? I don’t check lists. Jacob’s Courage has vacillated on the Amazon sales chart from about 80K up to 1M. For the past year or two, Jacob’s Courage’ has been ranked #5 for books tagged “Holocaust” for “popularity. It has also been ranked in the top 15-20 for books tagged “Romance novel.”  

Name one thing you absolutely hate about the publishing and writing world. I do not hate anything about the publishing and writing world. I try to learn how to play the game successfully. But I do not compete for success. I just write and serve it to the public as best I can.

Name one thing you love about the publishing and writing world. I love the opportunity to publish traditionally and to self-publish. I love the chance to learn how to promote my books. Mostly, I just love being able to write and to place my writing in full public view. I never imagined growing up that I would be a published author, especially for an epic novel.

What is your ultimate dream in writing and having your books published? My ultimate dream would be to become a best-selling author. But I have already exceeded my dreams. Just being trade-published twice has been an experience far beyond my dreams. I recently completed a poignant science fiction novel. My current task is finding a publisher for it.

Add anything else here you feel is pertinent to your book. There are a hundred things pertinent to Jacob’s Courage. It tells the story of the Holocaust from ground zero. The fact that many of my maternal extended family perished in the Holocaust made the project that much more urgent and necessary.Jacob’s Courage rises like a phoenix from the ashes of my ancestors. Unless you have lived through the Holocaust, one cannot really imagine the depth of daily terror, mindless brutality and degradation. One cannot imagine how it feels to starve to death or to be forced into cruel slave labor. One cannot imagine how it feels to have everyone that you have known and loved murdered. Hitler not only wanted to exterminate all Jews; he wanted to erase the memory of Judaism from the world’s recollection. ButJacob’s Courage is also a tender coming-of-age love story, filled with the thrill and excitement of powerful love. Thus the novel explores the very worst and best of human nature and the dynamic power of the human spirit. Just visit http://jacobscourage.wordpress.com/.



Author Articles/Interviews
BookBuzzr: http://tiny.cc/377uk 
Jewish Literary Review Interview: http://tiny.cc/mnxga
Wandering Educators: http://tiny.cc/f7bsv
Joey Pinkney Interview: http://tiny.cc/3k4wp
Morgen Bailey: http://tiny.cc/dgmkq
Toledo Blade: http://tiny.cc/ce2fa
Toledo Free Press November 2010: http://tiny.cc/vd09m
Friday Author Interview Series: http://tiny.cc/44qn9
Thoughtful Reflections: http://tiny.cc/d85wx

Blogs & Web Sites
Author Summary: http://tiny.cc/4sndi
My blog on writing and publishing: http://tiny.cc/ewmbj
New York Journal of Books Reviewer Page: http://tiny.cc/ikni1
Smashwords: http://tiny.cc/lbvpv

Barnes & Noble:  http://tiny.cc/fic1g
Synopsis & Video Book Trailer: http://tiny.cc/yyf7t

Wix Author Page:  http://tiny.cc/4sndi
Smashwords: http://tiny.cc/lbvpv


Books by Ted William Gross

If you wish to purchase the books at Smashwords click here.

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Posted by Ted Gross at 12:24 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Interview: Delin Colón - Rasputin and The Jews


















This non-fiction work covers the famous or "infamous" Rasputin, documenting little known facts about his efforts to help the Jews of Russia at the time gain equal rights.

Rasputin and The Jews: A Reversal of History

by Delin Colón


“Rasputin and The Jews: A Reversal of History” is a work of historical non-fiction, debunking the myths surrounding Rasputin and offering a humanitarian image of him.  Rasputin, the spiritual advisor to the last Czar and Czarina of Russia, advocated equal rights for the severely oppressed Russian Jews who were deprived of all rights and were subject to torture and slaughter, at the whim of the military.

The book details specific incidents of Rasputin’s aid to Jews, as well as his efforts to persuade the Czar to grant them equal rights.  The Russian aristocracy was rabidly anti-Semitic and Jews were considered traitors.  Consequently, providing any aid to Jews was on a par with treason.  This was a major reason for the aristocracy’s campaign to discredit Rasputin.  In addition, he was anti-war, which was not a popular stance in a pro-war era.

Most books about Rasputin only briefly mention his aid to Jews, whether with admiration or derision, but this is the only book that focuses on the specifics, including his attempts to nominate cabinet ministers who were for equal rights for Jews and who were anti-war.  Several historians have noted that, had Rasputin been a noble, the aristocracy’s hypocritical accusations of womanizing and alcoholism would have been disregarded, since they themselves consumed French champagne and vodka by the case, as well as being rife with venereal diseases due to their own promiscuity.  It is unfortunate that the gossip and myths fabricated by the nobility and bureaucracy entered the history books, but it is an example of history being written by the powerful (and literate) and not by the common man.

Writing has always been a staple in my life, whether to express myself through poetry, short stories, articles, or opinion pieces.  Stream-of-consciousness writing has also been my method for resolving any personal issues or conflicts within myself.   I’ve been a technical writer for Sociological Abstracts, have edited other writers’ works, and once had a business pairing writers with clients, for commercial, creative, technical or industrial projects.  I also create minimalistic collage art.

Research, however, has equally been a passion of mine, which makes historical non-fiction the perfect genre for me.  The impetus for writing my book on Rasputin was spurred by having read the published memoirs of my great-great uncle who was Rasputin’s secretary.  It was the first time I’d read about his aid to Jews.  I felt the need to correct the historical view and my decade of research turned up a treasure trove of information substantiating his activities.

Writing historical non-fiction is, in some respects, easier than writing fiction.  The ‘characters’ and ‘plot’ already exist, so half the work is done, rendering verisimilitude a moot point.  All that is left is to present the material in an appealing narrative for the reader.  Writer’s block is also eliminated because the facts and focus are clear.  For someone like me who loves research and writing, it is more fun than work.

The process of writing is, for me, a solitary activity.  I don’t discuss it with others until it’s in finished form.  The research takes longer than the writing process.  As I read, I use post-it markers on pages with information I want to incorporate.  I create an index card for each bit of information, with the source, and file it under the one of the categories created by my chapter outline.  Before writing, I order the index cards in each category in such a way that each subject segues easily and logically into the next.  The narrative then flows naturally. 

I decided to self-publish because I didn’t want to spend months waiting for responses, and I felt, given the specificity of my subject, that I could easily target my audience for marketing and promotion purposes.  I chose Createspace, for the paperback version, because there is no cost other than the books you choose to purchase (at a very reasonable price), and because of their connection to Amazon.  I’ve been very happy with them.  Sales reports are updated with each sale and easily accessible.  And, they pay promptly.  Putting the book on Kindle and Nook was a no-brainer.  There’s no cost and it widens your market.

My first post-publication act was to garner as many reviews as possible.  Targeting Jewish periodicals, as well as local ones, my pitch was enough to pique the curiosity of a number of editorial reviewers.  In nearly a year that my book has been on the market, I’ve only received glowing reviews and was gratified, recently, to have Charles Weinblatt publish his review of my book in The New York Journal of Books which does not review self-published work.  Such book reviews, in addition to generous book bloggers, such as Ted Gross, have contributed to a steady sales record.

As, I think, most writers will admit, writing a book is a relatively easy and finite task, as compared to marketing and promotion, which are never-ending.  Selling the book is an ongoing task and requires a lot of perseverance.  It can be exhausting, consume your life, and prevent you from writing further works, if you don’t confine it to a finite portion of your day.  It’s best to outline your marketing goals, prioritizing your targets for reviews, interviews, author signings, speaking engagements, etc.  About half my work day is spent marketing; the other half is for research/writing.  I also share my leads with online communities of writers, who generously do the same. 

I don’t give advice to writers because it’s such an idiosyncratic process.  Everyone has his or her own method.  The only dictum I ascribe to is not to worry about the business of writing before one’s done with the process of writing.  The process requires total commitment and concentration. Fretting over publishing, marketing and sales can only distract from the process. There’s plenty of time for the business end, once the book is published.

The feeling of success, for me, came with holding the first published copy of my book. After a fifteen year journey, the book in my hands was a huge feeling of accomplishment.  The reviews and comments I’ve received since then are the icing on the cake.  Currently, I’m in the research process for my next book which, hopefully, won’t take nearly as long.  I seem to be on a mission to make the public more aware of little known aspects of history.

Delin Colón on:

Website: The Real Rasputin - http://therealrasputin.wordpress.com/
Facebook:     http://on.fb.me/uNAT7j
Twitter:          https://twitter.com/#!/delincolon
LinkedIn:       http://linkd.in/xMXCp8
Fine Art America: http://delin-colon.artistwebsites.com/

“Rasputin and The Jews: A Reversal of History” is available on:

Amazon:   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1461027756
Kindle:      http://amzn.to/udec9z
B&N Nook:  http://bit.ly/wAIBch
Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/3584659

It can also be ordered through any chain or independent bookstore.



Books by Ted William Gross


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Posted by Ted Gross at 7:37 PM 0 comments

Monday, March 19, 2012

One Story @ A Time Series

The "One Story @ A Time Series" introduces various short stories by Ted William Gross, as separate editions in electronic E-Book format. Each electronic version contains one (1) short story, taken from the short story collections of Ted William Gross. If you wish to purchase the books at Smashwords click here.

Each book contains one story and they are appropriately priced as well if you wish to read just one or a couple of the stories. 


“A Tapestry Of War” is part of the short story collection “Ancient Tales, Modern Legends”. “A Tapestry Of War” is based upon a real story which took place during the most recent Israel-Lebanon War. Having been a battlefield medic for many years, the events within this story do closely resemble the truth of war and the impact it has upon society and soldiers in particular. “A Tapestry Of War” is an edited and re-written excerpt from a longer novel which has not yet been published. This story has received quite a few rave reviews over the years. I do hope you enjoy it as much as a story of war can be “enjoyed”. 



“Addiction, Obsession, Love” is part of the short story collection “Ancient Tales, Modern Legends”. “Addiction, Obsession, Love” is about the fragility of love and a story of love lost, gained and lost again. It has received quite a few rave reviews over the years. I do hope you enjoy it and it will remain with you long after you have read it. 


"Elijah's Coins" is part of the short story collection "Ancient Tales, Modern Legends". "Elijah's Coins" is a historical fiction story in which the biblical Elijah appears in more recent times to grant those who wish the ability to change the course of their lives. This story has received quite a few rave reviews. I do hope you enjoy it. 



“Jacob's Ladder” is part of the short story collection “Ancient Tales, Modern Legends”. What happens when man and arch-angel meet and are forced to take action without any command to do so? What decisions must they arrive at despite the eons old silence of the One who rules them? How do they react to evil and good in their own way? How do they interpret the silence of the heavens? This is the story of “Jacob's Ladder” which is a mythical, fable-like discourse between man and angel. This story has received quite a few rave reviews over the years. I do hope you enjoy it.  


“Kapparot” is part of the short story collection “Ancient Tales, Modern Legends”. What happens when one man is allowed to view the most intimate of discussions between another man and his God? How does one react when hearing another judge God in the same way he judges himself? How does one truly atone for deeds they wish they had not done? The legendry Baal Shem Tov sought justice and compassion. He would settle for nothing less. “Kapparot” is a story of that long lost world where humility, compassion and honesty are crucial to the discovery of oneself. I do hope you enjoy it. 



"Love In A Café" is part of the short story collection "Ancient Tales, Modern Legends". "Love In A Café" is a romantic love story with a twist. This story has received quite a few rave reviews. I do hope you enjoy it. 



“Reverieing” is part of the short story collection “Ancient Tales, Modern Legends”. “Reverieing” is a story of the slow descent into depression, loneliness and sorrow by one man who has been destined by luck or fate to experience the purgatory of existence. This story is not for the light-hearted and will hit you with a sledgehammer of emotions. It has received quite a few rave reviews. I do hope you enjoy it but beware it will remain with you long after you have read it. 


“The Sunflower” is part of the short story collection “Ancient Tales, Modern Legends”. “The Sunflower” is a story of the effects that terrorism can have upon those that have been touched by it. It uses imagery and allusion to portray the seed of hate which propagates itself endlessly. It has received quite a few rave reviews over the years. I do hope you enjoy it but beware it will remain with you long after you have read it.


“The Heretic” is part of the short story collection “Ancient Tales, Modern Legends”. “The Heretic” is about faith and the questions it imposes upon the believer. It is up to you, dear reader, to decide who truly is the heretic within this short story. It has received quite a few rave reviews over the years. I do hope you enjoy it and it will remain with you long after you have read it. 


“Tiny Slivers From A Silver Horn” is part of the short story collection “Ancient Tales, Modern Legends”. “Tiny Slivers From A Silver Horn” is a fable or legend if you will, about Unicorns, mankind and the stars. It presents a message of hope though it forces upon those who dare to hope even during the darkest of times, a choice which will have dire consequences no matter which road they choose to embark upon. It has received quite a few rave reviews over the years. I do hope you enjoy it and it will remain with you long after you have read it. 

Books by Ted William Gross

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