Megan Publishing Services Podcast

A podcast from those on http://amiabledragon.com

'Paternité de l´Œuvre - Publiez votre livre par vous-même' constitue un matériel d´assistance pour ceux qui veulent écrire, écrivent ou ont écrit un livre.   Il sert de guide à l´écriture et à l´auto-publication.   Il n´est pas censé être un guide détaillé sur le style, cependant, vous pouvez également trouver quelques conseils à ce sujet.  Alors, pour ce faire, nous partons du principe que vous êtes sur le point de commencer à écrire, vous êtes en train d´écrire ou que vous avez écrit un « manuscrit électronique », et que vous voulez savoir comment le publier vous-même auprès des grands éditeurs et distributeurs sous forme d´impression et en livre électronique.Clickez https://smarturl.it/authorship-fr?IQid=spreaker

Massage is internationally recognised as a means to well-being. Many countries have developed their own styles of massage for mental and physical health.

Home Movie Theatre SystemsbyOwen Jonesnarrated byDena Darvish DerakhshanThe information in this audio book on home movie systems and related subjects is organised into 17 sections.It will help you set up a home movie theatre system, and it may even help you venture out into a new career. The least that it will do is save you hundreds on professional advice.As an added bonus, I am granting you permission to use the content on your own website or in your own blogs and newsletter, although it is better if you rewrite them in your own words first.You may also split the book up and resell the articles. In fact, the only right that you do not have is to resell or give away the book as it was delivered to you.If you use formats other than these (like Kobo), you will find the books on your main retailer's site including apple iTunes.Get the audiobook from Audible here: https://smarturl.it/Home-Movies-audio?IQid=spreakeror get the ebook from Amazon here: https://smarturl.it/home-movies-am?IQid=spreaker

Hoe om Jou Hond ‘n Werklike Hond se Lewe te Geeen hom jou daarvoor te laat liefhêdeurOwen Jonesvertaal deurCorlia Jonesvertel deurDini Steyn'Hoe om Jou Hond ‘n Werklike Hond se Lewe te Gee - en hom jou daarvoor te laat liefhê.' is die volledige handboek oor kies, koop, verbinding met 'n hond bou en vir hom sorg. Geskryf deur 'n honde-eienaar wat so passievol oor honde is dat sy vrou seker is dat hy 'n hond was in sy laaste lewe! Owen Jones het sy lewe gedeel met honde sedert die eerste dag van sy lewe. Hy ken hulle so goed dat hy is seker dat hy hulle grappies kan vertel! Dit is 'n moet lees!https://smarturl.it/DogsLife-za?IQid=spreaker

Os Inadmissíveis é, na sua essência, uma comédia filosófica que tem o seu início quando Heng, um pastor de cabras de meia-idade que vive com a sua família nas montanhas de Chiang Rai, no norte da Tailândia, se começa a sentir mal. A princípio decide não ligar, mas com o passar dos dias começa a sentir-se cada vez pior e decide visitar a sua velha tia Da, a xamã da aldeia.Após recorrer a vários métodos de teste tradicionais, Da determina que o sangue de Heng se transformou em água, mas não lhe apresenta soluções.Segue-se a transição de Heng e as peripécias da sua família enquanto se adaptam às suas novas vidas, com novas aspirações e desafios, tendo uma aldeia remota tailandesa como pano de fundo.https://smarturl.it/Inadmissiveisonazn?IQid=spreaker

"Villfarelsen" är den första delen i en serie av tjugotre noveller om den andliga utvecklingen hos en ung flicka som heter Megan. Hon har latenta övernaturliga krafter och hon är nyfiken på att utveckla dem, men ingen annan som hon känner verkar ha någon aning vad hon pratar om.Eller gör dom det? Både hennes mormor och hennes mamma gör allt de kan för att stoppa Megan från att ta reda på mer. Historien visar Megans frustration med de levande, så när hjälp kommer från den andra sidan, tar hon emot den med öppna armar och utvecklar långsamt men säkert sina övernaturliga krafter.Detta är berättelsen om Megans uppvaknande."Villfarelsen" handlar om de paranormala krafter som finns inom oss alla, vilket borde göra dem helt normala istället för paranormala, om människor inte var så rädda för det övernaturliga, vilket i sig självt också är helt naturligt.Det här är en bok för alla som någonsin har funderat över det övernaturliga, paranormala eller metafysiska- Det handlar om den normala andliga utvecklingen som alla högre själar måste gå igenom för att nå sitt ultimata, oundvikliga öde, hur lång tid det än kan ta. Dessa berättelser bygger på faktum på flera sätt än en.https://smarturl.it/M1-Swedish?IQid=spreaker

Andropov's CuckooA dying man recounts the story of the most amazing person he has ever met, a brilliant, Soviet linguist whom he calls Youriko. It is a tale of love, daring-do, spies and danger set in Japan, Germany, Turkey, the USA, Canada and the UK, but mostly in the Soviet Union of the Seventies.Two girls, born thousands of miles apart in Kazakhstan and Japan just after World War II, meet and are like peas in a pod. They also get on like sisters and keep n touch for the rest of their lives.However, one wants to help her battle-scarred country and the other wants to leave hers for the West. They dream up a daring, dangerous plan to achieve both goals, which Andropov, the chief of the Soviet KGB, is told about. He dubs it Operation Youriko and it is set in motion, but does it have even the remotest chance of success?Andropov's Cuckoo is based on a ‘true story' related to the author by one of the protagonists.https://smarturl.it/Andropov-bounty?IQid=spreakercmd

Luc Wyn - The Belgian in Monterrey!Let's extend a warm welcome to a translator,  whom I have become friends with after working together on several of my books (not that he needed any help from me :-) )What is your name?Luc WynWhere are you from, Luc?Originally from Belgium but I am now residing in Monterrey, Nuevo León, MexicoAre you a full-time translator or are you free-lance?I'm a freelance translator for Babelcube, since I have other occupations as well.My Babelcube Profile can be found at: https://www.babelcube.com/user/luc-wynWhat made you want to become a translator?I've always been fascinated by languages and, contrary to sciences, learning them comes natural to me. I guess this process had its early beginnings when I was a small boy and used to play with an Italian boy on holiday. Neither of us knew each other's language but we managed three weeks of communication by exchanging names of certain toys and objects and colours and so on. That's probably when and where 'the fuse was lit'.What languages do you translate from and into?Currently most of my translations are either from Spanish or English into my own language, which is Dutch. I do also master German and French though and have on occasion translated from those languages as well.What is your favourite language to translate?Being the language aficionado I am, I don't really have a favourite language, as all of them have their innate specialities and all of them are interesting in one way or another. Some do present a bit more challenge as others however.What have you translated?I have translated a number of books in a number of genres, ranging from novels to books about antique tools and engravings on them. The majority consists of novels though.What made you decide for a career as translator?The profound love, or even obsession, you might say, for languages and everything connected with them that I've had since early childhood. I guess you might say I've inherited my mother's inquisitiveness and express that through my love for languages.If you could give a beginning translator a piece of advice, what would it be?Be selective about what you accept. And be perfectionist and thorough once you've accepted it. Reread meticulously what you've translated before you hand it in or upload it.Have you ever written something of your own, and if so, in what genre?I did do some short writing when I was young. Those were experiments with short stories inspired by people like Edgar Allen Poe and the likes. Other than that I tend to get into poetry once in a (very long) while.Tea or coffee?I like both in their own way with a preference for coffee.What is your favourite foreign food?Well, although it's technically not really 'foreign food' any more as such, pizza is among the top 5 here. I also like moussaka a lot, which is a Greek dish, or the tajine and cousocus from North Africa. I'm quite partial to oriental food as well, but steer clear from anything spicy.Either, depending on the momentWine or beer or pop?Wine with food, but otherwise, beer. Never pop!Where would you like to visit?Anywhere I haven't been yet :-)Favourite musical artist. Do you listen to music when you write? What?Listen to or read the rest on Megan Publishing Services here: https://smarturl.it/luc-wyn?IQid=spreaker

A Night in Annwnand its sequelsLife in Annwn and Leaving AnnwnbyOwen Jonestranslated by professionalsIn short, A Night in Annwn - International is about the Annwn Series, which relates the story of Welsh sheep farmer Willy Jones' last few weeks on Earth, or on The Surface as he later comes to call it; his subsequent life in Annwn, which is ancient Welsh for Heaven, but it was underground; and his decision to be reborn in order to help mankind.In A Night in Annwn, Willy Jones is missing his deceased wife and has let himself go, much to the dismay of his daughter. One day, he undergoes a Near-Death Experience (NDE) and wakes up in what he assumes is hospital, except that his nurse seems incredibly familiar. After a time in Heaven, which he is told is known by its ancient Celtic name of Annwn and is underground, he wakes up in a hospital in Cardiff on The Surface. The experience changes his life, but he does eventually die and goes on to live his Life in Annwn.Willy pairs up with his wife again, and goes about re-leaning life in Annwn, until one day, he, his wife and daughter decide to be reborn as Bodhisattvas to help mankind, This is the theme of the third book in the series Leaving Annwn.A Night in Annwn has been translated by professional translators into the following languages so far. Life in Annwn has been translated into some of them, and some have even been narrated by professional voice-artists, however the translations and narrations are on-going processes, so you may need to check back to see if your language has been covered yet. If you click on the book covers below, you will be presented with a sample of the text in that language courtesy of Amazon, although the books are also available on iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Scribd, Tolino and Audible in all other formats.Visit: https://smarturl.it/annwn1-previews?IQid=spreaker  

Asian Shorts Audiobookby various authorstranslated and narratedby professionalsAsian Shorts Internationalcollated byOwen JonesAsian Shorts is an anthology of nineteen short stories by nine different authors. Most of them are professional writers but two of them were previously unpublished and one of those went on to write several more books.The writers live all over the world too, in as much as nine people can, but countries include Cambodia, Canada, England, Thailand, USA, Vietnam and Wales. Their names and brief bios can be found under the list of translations below. free audiobook copies can be obtained in most cases, and other languages are being added as they become available.The authors contributing to Asian Shorts International, in no particular order, are: Mike Lord, Owen Jones, Bernard Foong, Gay Ingram, Jennifer J. Chow, S. R. Mallery, Trevor Aindow and David Collier.Please support these authors by checking out  and reading their work.Authors' Bios of Contributors to Asian Shorts International:Mike LordSinagiri, by Mike Lord – Rajah Kasyapu & the Frescoes at Singiriya, in Sri Lanka.Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/mrpafs7 Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/o74846hOwen JonesOwen Jones writes in many genre which you can discover on his here: http://owencerijones.com . His flagship series ‘Behind The Smile ~ The Story of Lek, A Bar Girl in Pattaya' is here: http://behind-the-smile.orgBernard FoongBernard Foong (aka Young) is the author of ‘A Harem Boy's Saga; a memoir' by Young (seven book series): http://aharemboysaga.com/wp/ The first three books in the series – ‘Initiation', ‘Unbridled' and ‘Debauchery' (published by Solstice publishing) are currently available at all Amazon online stores e.g. http://amzn.to/1FMlHVYGay IngramGay Ingram writes historical fiction. Mai Lin: Another New Beginning is her latest release. See all her published books at https://www.amazon.com/author/gayingram. She also contributes a weekly column to http://venturegalleries.com/author/gayingram/.Jennifer J. ChowJennifer J. Chow writes Asian-American fiction with a geriatric twist. She is the author of The 228 Legacy, a 2013 Finalist for 'Foreword Reviews' Book of the Year Award. She also writes the Winston Wong cozy mystery series under J.J. Chow. Visit her website for more details:See: https://smarturl.it/asianshortsauthors?IQid=spreaker

Daddy's Hobby PreviewsThis blog post, Daddy's Hobby's Previews contains previews on Amazon of BEHIND THE SMILE - The Story of Lek, A Bar Girl in Pattaya" volume 1: Daddy's Hobby in all the languages I currently have available: English, German and Portuguese. In some cases, there will be special offers and free audiobooks, while stocks last.Lek was born the eldest child of four in a typical rice farming family. She did not expect to do anything any different from the other girls in her class in the northern rice belt of Thailand.Typically that would be: work in the fields for a few years; have a few babies; give them to mum to take care of and back to work until her kids had their own children and she could stop working to take care of them.One day a catastrophe occurred out of the blue – her father died young and with huge debts that the family knew nothing about. Lek was twenty and she was the only one who could prevent foreclosure. However, the only way she knew was to go to work in her cousin's bar in Pattaya.She went as a waitress-cum-cashier, but when she realised that she was pregnant by her worthless, estranged husband, things had to change. She had the baby, gave it to her mother to look after and went back to work. However, now she needed real money to provide a better life for her child and to make up for spending its whole youth 500 miles away. She drifted into the tourist sex industry.The book relates some of her ‘adventures', her dreams and nightmares and her ‘modus operandi'. It tries to show, from Lek's point of view, what it really is like to be a Thai bar girl – the hopes and frustrations, the hopes and the let-downs, the hopes and the lies and deceit that are part of her every day life.One day she meets a man she likes and he likes her too. Nothing new there, it had happened hundreds of times, but she feels that it is different. They have a wonderful four weeks together and then he goes home – as they all had, leaving more promises and more hopes.This one returns, but real life with a real boyfriend is not as easy as she had dreamed it would be. They go through good and bad times, but will they stay together and for how long?After all she has been through, will she be able to be a regular girlfriend or even a wife again? Will she ever really be able to trust a man enough again either? Or would she be better off giving up her dreams and carrying on working in the bar?Lek begins to find out that getting what you wish for is not always as good as you thought it would be.'Behind The Smile' refers to the fact that Thailand is known the world over as 'The Land of Smiles'.Learn more here: https://smarturl.it/BTS-Previews-MPS?IQid=spreaker

'Daddy's Hobby' is het eerste boek in de serie 'Achter de Glimlach -het verhaal van Lek, een barmeisje in Pattaya'.

Uma Noite em AnnwnA história da EQM do velho Willy JonesAnnwn é a antiga palavra galesa para o Céu e, como Valhalla, era subterrânea.porOwen Jonestraduzido porNelson Leonel De BenedettiO romance conta a história de Willy, um velho pastor montanhês de Gales, que se deixou levar pela morte de sua amada esposa. Um dia, enquanto caminhava com sua velha cachorra, ela morre, e Willy cai de um ataque cardíaco induzido por dor, embora tenha desistido da vontade de viver muito antes.No entanto, ele acorda no hospital e tenta entender sua experiência. Dentro de pouco tempo, ele percebe que sua jovem enfermeira é sua falecida esposa, Sarah, e começa a perceber que está morto.Isso não o abala; na verdade, ele está muito feliz.Ele passa "dias" com Sarah em Annwn, durante o qual ela o mostra e explica como as coisas funcionam "no céu". Ele fica surpreso com tudo o que vê e ouve, até que de repente é chamado ao seu corpo sem aviso prévio. Seu corpo também esteve no hospital, mas no mundo físico, e ele acorda de uma experiência de quase morte (EQM). Então ele começa a começar a ver sua esposa novamente, e suas lembranças de estar em Annwn por vários dias retornam.Sua vida é transformada, e ele tem uma vontade renovada de viver, trabalhando com sua esposa do Outro Lado para o benefício dos menos afortunados ao seu redor, até que um dia, seu verdadeiro fim vem também, e ele está com sua esposa novamente permanentemente.https://smarturl.it/Annwn1-port-bounty?IQid=spreaker

Thailand volume 1 - Free AudiobooksThailand - Free Audiobookswritten byOwen JonesNarrated bySangita ChauhanPublished by Megan Publishing Services at Amazon, Audible and iTunesCopyright Owen Jones 2019 ©Thailand (volume 1) is a professionally produced and narrated audiobook on various aspects of Thailand and life in Thailand as experienced by the author of this blog, Owen Jones during the twelve years he spent in his wife's remote village in northern Thailand. It is organised into 15 chapters of about 500-600 words each, but will be followed by other volumes soon.However, this audiobook is not only meant as an introduction to Thailand for a visitor, but the purchaser may also use the content in his or her own audio blog or publication at no extra charge. The only restriction is that you may not sell the whole book as is without my written permission.You may split the book up and resell the articles. In fact, the only right that you do not have is to resell or give away the book as it was delivered to you.https://smarturl.it/Thailand-audiobooks?IQid=spreaker

Blubrry Podcast HostingI had been wondering about podcasting for at least a year, but it had become a permanent feature at the back of my mind. I'm sure you know what I mean. I felt that there had to be something to it for it to be so popular that even staid old Aunty, the BBC, was taking it seriously. After extensive research, I settled on Blubrry Podcast Hosting.My first thought was why a company dedicated to communication would want a name that looks like a typo.Anyway, I signed up for the free month of Blubrry podcast hosting thinking 'What the Hell have I got to lose?'I want to say right from the start, that this is not the correct approach, because, if you're like me, you will put a lot of effort into your new toy, and after thirty days, you will not want to lose all that work. As it happened, I was very impressed with Blubrry Podcast Hosting and wanted to build on the foundation I had laid. So, I left my monthly subscription of $12 open and carried on.Blubrry Podcast Hosting will send your podcasts to another dimension - one which you would have found previously very difficult to access. For example, your podcast will appear on YouTube, Spotify, Spreaker, Soundcloud and RadioPublic among others without any further intervention from you! Blubrry will make your work instantly accessible to hundreds of millions of people, who would otherwise never have even seen your stuff or heard of you! That is a lot of extra reach, global reach, in fact, for just $12 a month!Blubrry Podcast Hosting can be wonderful, but it still requires work from you, and this is what you need to factor in - your own commitment. I have spent years writing and posting 500-word articles - typically three or four times a week. Nowadays, I also convert them to speech and hand them over to Blubrry Podcast Hosting Services and my articles fly! But, you have to write the content first for the system to work. I would say that you need to write at least one a week, but the more you put in, the more you will get out! The Blubrry Podcast Hosting system is very easy to set up and use, especially for bloggers, so why not sign up for your free month of Blubrry Podcast Hosting using the link on this page and take your promotions into another dimension?In closing, I have often been asked why anyone with a blog host would want to pay for even more hosting. Well, audiofiles take up a fair bit of space, and if they are accessed often they could get you into trouble with your blog host. However, Blubrry was build for the job, so you will never have an issue.https://smarturl.it/blubrry-hosting?IQid=spreaker

Dragons in the CloudsbyDavid BlairReview by Barry BoyDragons in the Clouds is a well-edited novel in the third person in the genre of historical fiction or fantasy and is aimed at young teenagers.The story of Dragons in the Clouds is actually set in in two epochs and on two continents. The main characters in the present day setting of the United States are Ray Evans and his young daughter, Reilly; and at some unspecified time in the distant past, in the kingdom of Albion, we meet King Arturus, Merlinius, Sir Solomon, David and his pet baby dragon, Rago. It is difficult to say who or what is the main protagonist of them.The story takes the form of Ray Evans recounting to his daughter a legend told to him by the elderly owner of a toy shop he met on his latest business tip to London. Mr Evans meets him when he goes in to purchase a toy dragon that he sees in the shop window.The Kingdom of AlbionThe main body of Dragons in the Clouds is set in the ancient Kingdom of Albion, which seems to be somewhere in Europe, but that is not explicit. The king of Albion, Arturus, is worried by public unrest caused by his people's fear of the dragons living in the land. In actual fact, there are two species of dragons: the carnivores and the herbivores. However, most people cannot distinguish between the two types and so fear them all.In an attempt to garner favour and quell the unrest, Arturus sets his royal knights, led by Sir Solomon, the task of exterminating all the dragons in the country. Without wishing to give too much away, some people find this grossly unfair, and set about trying to save the harmless plant-eaters, which leads to all kinds of battles between humans and humans, dragons and dragons and even humans and dragons.Thunder and LighteningThese exciting battles lead to the main theme of the Dragons in the Clouds, which is how thunder and lightening came into existence.Although Dragons in the Clouds by David Blair is aimed at a readership much younger than myself, I enjoyed the story and am certain that ten-twelve years olds will love it's unique plot and story-line. If I have a criticism, it is a small, personal one: I prefer not to see famous names from history and mythology used in this way, as it could blur the original stories (as Disney often has).The cover and the title are completely appropriate to the body of the story and I give Dragons in the Clouds by David Blair five out of five stars!Our unique interview with author David Blair can be found here: David BlairPodcast: Dragons in the Clouds

David Blair - AuthorDavid BlairToday's unique author interview is with a very special American writer, Mr David Blair, so let's get started right away.1 Name? David BlairWebsite: www.dragonsintheclouds.com2 Country of origin? United States3 Do you prefer to read a particular genre? I like all genres4 Do you write in the same genre? If not which one? I have written a fantasy, a western, and a contemporary crime drama5 Have you always written and what got you started professionally? I got involved in story telling in the 8th grade. I wrote, directed and starred in a student film called ‘'Destination Destiny'' I then picked up writing again in my early thirties. A movie producer friend of mine, challenged me to co-write a screenplay. And from that point on, I was hooked.6 How many books have you published? One, ‘'Dragons in the Clouds'' is my first published work. Although I do have other completed manuscripts waiting in the wings.7 Which one would you like to tell us about? ‘'Dragons in the Clouds'' of course.8 Why did you write this book and what is it about? ‘'Dragons in the Clouds'' first started out as a project for ‘'Puff the Magic Dragon'' that beloved song recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary. I was having lunch with the hair stylist for Universal movie producer Kathleen Kennedy's hair stylist. I mentioned that I was working on a story based on Puff, then about a month later I read in Variety - the industry magazine - that Kennedy had bought the rights to Puff. Needless to say, that taught me a lesson to keep my mouth shut. ‘'Dragons in the Clouds'' is a epic adventure that takes place in a time when Dragons were alive and freely roamed the land. The people during this time were getting eaten by a vicious specie of Dragon, the meat eaters. The ruling king of this period finally orders the total  annihilation of all living Dragons. A powerful wizard named Merlinius, does not agree with the Kings order, for he knows that all Dragons are not what they seem. For Merlinius is friends to a species of Dragons, the plant eaters. So to protect his Dragon friends, Merlinius grants a family of Dragons the spell of weightlessness and then tells them to fly up and to hide in the cover of the Clouds. And for them to only come down at night to feed. An unforeseen  ability of the Dragons' weightless spell is that their fire now looks like that of lightning and their roar now sounds like thunder. An apprentice to the wizard who has grandeur of his own has meat eating Dragons hidden deep within a cave and he too, gives them the same spell of weightlessness. Now enters a widowed mother and her young son who also has befriended a dragon, though a very young one. They suddenly find themselves caught between the king's order and the battle that has begun between the two species of Dragons. A battle that will determine control of the skies above the Kingdom of Albion. The apprentice's plan has consequences that may bring the Kingdom and perhaps the very world we live in today to a devastating end.9 Book cover and ISBN/ASIN:Dragons in the CloudsISBN -13: 978-1-949809-17-6 ASIN - B07KCQ817310 What would you like your next book to be on? I have a contemporary crime drama I am excited to publish. Titled ‘'Meaner than the Devil”11 If you could go anywhere in the universe, where would you go and why? The centre of the milky Way. I heard that is the centre or origin of the Universe. The Nebula would also be awesome to get a closer lo...Read the whole interview here: https://smarturl.it/D-Blair-mps?IQid=Spreaker

Amazon Blows It's Benevolent ImageAmazon Blows It's Benevolent ImageIn my case, first it was Google that blew its benevolent image by dropping its company motto of 'Do no Evil!' and closing my affiliate account without explaining why, and now Amazon has done more or less exactly the same. In both circumstances, I literally woke up one morning to find that a factor of my income that I had put a long time into had been taken away.Amazon sent me just one email stating that I had infringed some regulation, but that my affiliate account had been suspended. I tried to find out what I had done, but the reply was highly technical and written by lawyers. Something to do with 'pre-loading', whatever that is. If it is not using a link with an embedded affiliate link, then I have no idea what it is.I asked, but Amazon has sent me to Coventry. All I know is that my practices haven't changed since I joined Amazon more than twenty years ago, so either they have changed their rules or they are very bad at catching criminals like me. From my point of view, the Amazon penalty has cost me about $2 per week, which is all I earned, on average, from the 12,000+ visitors I sent them every month.I should have left them years ago, and I mean that, but I have other interests. The main problem is removing the Amazon affiliate links from the Smart URL links on my blog of 2,000 pages and the 4,000 Tweets that I have accumulated, so that another company can pick them up and use them in their own name. (#UPDATE: Skimlinks and Viglinks can do this)It means that I will lose a percentage of my $2 income, but, hey, I can live with that :-).So, why did Amazon do that to me?I honestly really have no idea, in exactly the same way that I didn't know what Google was taking about. I am just a hard-working, one-man band. I don't try to game any systems. Would you for $2 a month?I reckon that Google and Amazon just wanted to reduce the cost of paying out to millions of affiliates by picking on them. I mean, if people want to buy from those companies, and many, many do, then they don't have to go through me, do they? Amazon, Google and the retailer will still get paid, and the customer will still be happy whether a small man lije me is in the loop trying to earn a commission or not, won't they?It will mean that Amazon will have to write fewer, but larger cheques, which will save on bank charges... and I think that that is what this is all about - money, and keeping it among the already-wealthy.The rest of us can go and whistle for it.Please LIKE and SHARE this article using the buttons below and visit our bookshopAll the best,OwenPodcast: Amazon Blows It's Benevolent Image

¡«Cómo Dar a tu Perro una Verdadera Vida de Perros! Y que él te ame por ello...» es el manual perfecto sobre cómo elegir y cuidar a un perro! Ideal para niños y propietarios primerizos. Humorístico también :-) ¡Aprende a contarle una broma a tu perro!https://smarturl.it/DogsLife-Sp-audio?IQid=spreaker

Daddys Hobby - Hinter ihrem LächelnDaddy's Hobby - Hinter ihrem LächelnDie Geschichte von Lek, einem Barmädchen in PattayavonOwen JonesÜbersetzt vonPatricia StrolenyLek ist als Älteste von vier Geschwistern in eine typische Familie von Reisbauern hineingeboren worden. Sie hatte nie erwartet, dass sich ihr Leben anders entwickeln würde als das ihrer Klassenkameradinnen in ihrem Dorf im Norden Thailands. Normalerwise hätte dies bedeutet, ein paar Jahre lang auf dem Feld zu arbeiten, ein paar Kinder zu bekommen, sie dann zu ihrer Mutter zu geben, um weiter auf dem Feld zu arbeiten, bis ihre Kinder eines Tages selbst Kinder bekommen würden und sie an der Reihe wäre, auf diese aufzupassen. Eines Tages passierte jedoch aus heiterem Himmel eine Katastrophe: Ihr Vater starb jung und hinterließ einen Schuldenberg, von dem seine Familie bis dahin nichts gewusst hatte. Lek war zu der Zeit zwanzig Jahre alt und die Einzige in ihrer Familie, die eine Zwangsvollstreckung abwenden konnte. Jedoch war ihre einzige Option, nach Pattaya zu gehen, um dort in der Bar ihrer Cousine zu arbeiten. Sie fing als Kellnerin an und merkte bald, dass sie von ihrem Ehemann, mit dem sie sich zu der Zeit schon längst auseinandergelebt hatte, schwanger war. Nun musste sich einiges ändern. Sie bekam ihre Tochter, ließ sie bei ihrer Mutter, um auf sie aufzupassen und kehrte  nach Pattaya zurück, um weiter zu arbeiten. Nun musste sie mehr Geld verdienen, um ihrer Tochter ein gutes Leben zu ermöglichen und die Tatsache, dass sie fast 1000 Kilometer trennten, wiedergutzumachen. So driftete sie in die Sexindustrie ab.In diesem Buch geht es um ihre Abenteuer, ihre Träume und Alpträume, sowie ihren Modus Operandi. Es soll aus Leks Sicht erzählen, wie es wirklich ist, ein Barmädchen in Thailand zu sein - mit allen Hoffnungen und Enttäuschungen, die damit einhergehen und zum Alltag gehören.Eines Tages lernt sie einen Mann kennen, den sie wirklich mag und der ihre Gefühle erwiedert. Das allein ist nichts Neues, es ist ihr schon viele Male zuvor passiert, doch diesmal fühlt es sich anders an als sonst. Sie verbringen vier wundervolle Wochen zusammen, doch dann muss er zurück in seine Heimat - und wie so viele Männer vor ihm hinterlässt er eine Menge Versprechen und Hoffnungen. Und er kommt zurück. Aber das wirkliche Leben mit einem wirklichen Partner ist nicht so einfach, wie Lek es sich erträumt hatte. Sie machen gute und shclechte Zeiten zusammen durch, aber werden sie zusammenbleiben und wenn ja, wie lange? Wird sie nach allem, was sie durchgemacht hat, überhaupt in der Lage sein, wieder eine ganz normale Feundin und Ehefrau zu sein? Wird sie wieder in der Lage sein, einem Mann wirklich zu vertrauen? Oder wäre es das Beste, ihre Träume übe Bord zu werfen und einfach weiter in der Bar zu arbeiten? Lek lernt nach und nach, dass zu bekommen, was man sich gewünscht hat, nicht immer so ist, wie man es sich vorgestellt hatte.Der Titel "Hinter ihrem Lächeln" bezieht sich darauf, dass Thailand auf der ganzen Welt als das Land des Lächelns bekannt ist.Amazon   Apple iTunes   Barnes & Noble   Kobo   Scribd

Free Audiobooks For My Friends!I am giving away some of my most popular audiobooks completely free of charge on a first come, first served basis.All I ask is that you leave a short review in the language of the book when you've finished it.Languages currently available are: English, German and Spanish.I hope you enjoy them.If in the UK, please go to:http://audible.co.uk/acx-promoIf you are anywhere else, please go to:https://audible.com/acx-promoand then enter the free code for the book you would like to listen to. If it has already gone, please try another. Please note, the books for the UK market are marked with 'UK', but that is NOT part of the code, so please don't enter it into the box:In English:25D57NHYANN58 (Authorship) UK3MH4YLNMQLU3Q (Authorship) US5GW3JK6BF2JQ6 (A Night in Annwn) UK24B6SNGJ3CBTR (A Night in Annwn) US8GA7M96UMEKCH (The Alien House) UK4FY7ZJ9FQ8XAY (The Alien House) US3XB8AQBAFX8AM (Andropov's Cuckoo) UK3HSEWTEB5TC8B (Andropov's Cuckoo) USIn German:2F44X9QJU5LW2 (Asiatische Kurzgeschichten)2UEXXPTH93N78 (Asiatische Kurzgeschichten)6XWY6NXQ96GTY (Die Falsche Auffassung)85ES227WUCK9H  (Die Falsche Auffassung)3FEK9TC5T798H (Wie man seinem Hund ein echtes Hundeleben ermöglicht)3JWR6R77Z84KZ  (Wie man seinem Hund ein echtes Hundeleben ermöglicht)In Spanish:7KWPYN8247QW4 (Una noche en Annwn)3GE5MNXWAC7YR (El malentendido)42GNF3GL48PM3 (Cambiar el Destino)3WDNM8NAEKPD7 (Autoria)All the best,Owen JonesVisit my bookshop here:My Novels on AmazonAll the best,OwenPodcast: Free Audiobooks For My Friends!

Asiatische KurzgeschichtenNeunzehn Kurzgeschichten über Asien in verschiedenen Stilen von neun AutorenvonVerschiedene AutorenZusammengestellt vonOwen Jonesübersetzt vonMelanie B. FrankAsiatische Kurzgeschichten entstand aufgrund einer Abfolge von Ereignissen an einem Wochenende im Mai 2015. Ein Freund von mir erzählte mir, dass er einige Kurzgeschichten mit asiatischen Hintergrund gesammelt hatte, dazu erklärte ich ihm, dass ich auch welche hatte, ein anderer Freund schrieb mir eine E-Mail, dass er eine Kurzgeschichte über Pattaya schreiben wollte und einer meiner thailändischen Cousinen schickte mir ihr jüngstes Foto, das auf dem Buchcover.Es war, als ob mir jemand oder mehrere etwas sagen wollten.Die neunzehn Geschichten von neun Autoren in dieser Anthologie wurden mir innerhalb eines Monats zugesendet, sie sind genauso vielfältig wie ihre Schriftsteller. Die Vorgabe war, dass Asien oder ein Asiat in der Geschichte vorrangig vertreten sein sollte. Wir haben Geschichten aus Kambodscha, China, Laos, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand, den USA und Vietnam, von asiatischen und nicht-asiatischen Autoren, die in Großbritannien, Malaysia, Thailand, den USA und Vietnam leben oder von da stammen.Manche der Schriftsteller sind bekannte Autoren, manche sind in anderen Bereichen bekannt, manche habe vorher schon viel geschrieben und auf dem traditionellen Weg veröffentlicht, Andere wandern auf dem Indie-Publishing-Pfad und für wieder Andere ist es das erste Mal, dass sie ihre Geschichten in gedruckter Form sehen werden.Sie können mehr über die jeweiligen Autoren erfahren, wenn Sie die Website, die sie nach ihren Geschichten zur Verfügung gestellt haben, besuchen. Ich empfehle Ihnen wärmstens, dies zu tun, denn was Sie über die Autoren herausfinden werden, wird Sie garantiert überraschen.Zum Schluss möchte ich allen Autoren, die dieses Buch möglich gemacht haben, danken, wir hoffen, dass Sie sich daran erfreuen und jedem Autor über seine Geschichte ein Feedback geben oder mir als Herausgeber über das ganze Buch eine Rückmeldung schreiben.http://smarturl.it/Asian-Short-Germ-Aud?IQid=Spreaker

Brexit and PoliticiansI am a Remainer. My main reason for not wanting Brexit is that I don't trust our politicians. I don't trust any politicians, not only British ones, but it seems to me that we have more chance of justice, if we have a couple of layers of them. Yes, that is more expensive, but at least we ordinary folk might get a fairer crack of the whip.Just look at the things our British politicians have been caught doing over the last decade, and they have been getting away with it forever! I should imagine that the continental politicians are corrupt too - I can't see why they shouldn't be, but then the whole shebang should be reformed. Calling Brexit and retreating into our caves won't help.Anyway, another reason for being anti-Brexit crossed my mind the other day. I have always popped over to the Continent for a few days on the spur of the moment every now and then, time and money permitting. This will no longer be possible, will it, if we will require visas to go over there?I used to fly to Cork - thirty minutes away, but that might not be possible either, because they will be EU and we will be... what? British? Just British... stuck on our own little island with almost all our boats and bridges burned, unless we plan our once-a-year fortnight's holiday abroad.How pathetic, how limiting, is that? Everyone else in Europe can just get on a plane or a ferry, and Brits have to queue for a visa!No wonder rich people are buying EU citizenship in Malta so they don't get left behind the rest of the world like we will be!Brexit is a step back into the Dark Ages... voted for in haste and fuelled by liars who only want more power as British politicians - but you can bet your life that they will still have the right to spur-of-the-moment travel - it's always the bloody same:One rule for them and another for the rest of us!Vote for a second referendum! How can it be undemocratic to ask a more informed people what they want? It is the only way that we will move forward.Use #FBPE (Follow Back, Pro EU) in your social media messages to show you support remain or a second referendum!Please LIKE and SHARE this article using the buttons below and visit our bookshopAll the best,OwenPodcast: Brexit and Politicianshttp://smarturl.it/Brexit-mps?IQid=spreaker

The Megan Series Audiobooksby Owen Jones“The Misconception" is the first story in the Megan Series Audiobooks of twenty-three novelettes about the spiritual development of Megan, a young girl. In the first story, she is twelve years of age. She has latent, supernatural powers and is curious about how to use them, but no-one that she knows seems to have any idea what she is talking about.She tries asking her mother and even asks friends at school, but she gets no help. However, it is unclear whether her mother has had previous experience with the paranormal, although we do see early on in the first novelette that Megan's maternal grandmother was against the paranormal too.Her grandmother and her mother do everything they possibly can to prevent Megan from finding out any more. The first volume shows Megan's frustration with the living, so when help comes from Beyond, she grasps it with both hands and slowly develops her supernatural powers.The Megan Series Audiobooks is about Megan's psychic Awakening.‘The Misconception' is about the paranormal powers which lie in all of us, which would make them not so much paranormal as quite normal, if people were not so frightened of the supernatural, which is quite natural too.In the following books, and they are being released at the rate of one a month, we see Megan's behaviour under different circumstances. We also meet the people, and animals, who interact with her. The main characters are: Megan's mother, Suzanne; Megan's father, Robert; her spiritual guide, Wacinhinsha, her maternal grandfather, Gramps and her familiar, a huge Siberian tiger called Grrr.Wacinhinsha is a senior Spiritual Guide who has come to help Megan because she had no-one else, and was actually being punished for her curiosity into the paranormal and supernatural. He is a native American, what most people outside the USA would call a Red Indian of the Sioux tribe.Wacinhinsha has a deep knowledge of spiritual life and is willing to help Megan with anything that she wants to know, which no-one else she knows is seems able to do.Her grandfather, Gramps, has been dead for about thirteen years, but he is still very much a novice. He wants to help Megan and tries to get involved but his inexperience trips him up sometimes. Despite that, Megan is close to her Gramps as she has known him as a ‘ghost' since she was a babyGrrr is a tiger that died a long time ago. She cannot speak any language but tiger, of course, and humans do not understand much tiger - Megan is no exception. However, Megan and Grrr tend to understand each other a little more than anyone with a close pet does, although Grrr is not a pet by any stretch of the imagination.The Megan Series AudiobooksThese books are for everyone who has ever wondered about the supernatural, paranormal or metaphysical – it is about the normal, spiritual development that all higher life forms have to go through in order to reach their ultimate, unavoidable destiny, however long that may take. These stories are based on fact in more ways than one.Reviews are available on the website you will reach by following the link below. Please leave your own short review too.The Megan Series audiobooks, ebooks and paperbacks are on Amazon and also available in many other languages (see Foreign Translations above)!or get a free copy here: Megan The Misconception – 100% free!or get regular free!http://smarturl.it/megan1_lp?IQid=audiobookSpreakeror regular free audiobooks by joining our Megan's Free Audiobook Club:http://smarturl.it/meganaudiocug?IQid=audiobooksSpeaker

The Eternal Plan - RevealedThe man, the entity, as I have learned to describe him, whom I have known as my father for all of my life, is Colin Jones. He gave me a few carrier bags in 1999 and asked me to read the contents and to write a book on it, if I could.At that time, I could not and time did not seem pressing so I put the bags in my safe at home. He passed away a few years later on his 72 birthday, the 21st February.I, and all of our family were devastated, but I did nothing about ‘his papers'. I had no idea what to do.I moved abroad and wrote a novel. That took five years, although it is still unpublished. In 2011, I started a new venture publishing ebooks that I had written myself.The courage to write these ebooks had come from writing the first book. I looked for ways to circumvent traditional publishing and came across Amazon's Kindle.I learned how to publish my ebooks through them and realised how to publish Dad's book.It took me a long time, but I think that I was guided by Spirit, although I was a slow learner. My Dad, Colin Jones, would never have said that these writings are his own. Rather he would say that he was inspired, in the true sense of the word. People told him what to write.All of our family witnessed this over five or six decades. Sometimes, Dad would be sitting with us watching TV, but Dad's eyes would be shut and he would be writing the pieces that you see in this ebook. He did automatic drawings too.My brothers and I are very privileged to have been born with such a person, but as with most instances with parents, we realised it too late.I hope that you enjoy this book. I will expand it in later editions.One last point, my father's mother, Lavinia Jones, founded a spiritualist church in Barry, South Wales, where we lived and that church on Butrill's Road is still running to this day.All the best,Owen Joneshttp://meganthemisconception.comThe narrator is Steve Olsen and the compiler Owen Jones.Get The Eternal Plan - Revealed free here: http://smarturl.it/plan-lp?IQid=spreaker

Are Indie Authors Their Own Worst Enemies?Are Indie Authors Their Own Worst Enemies? It is quite possible! Years ago, only five or six, many indie authors were doing 'fairly well' and were confident about their future - that their sales would continue to rise and that they would continue to write enthusiastically.I started writing and self-publishing in 2012 and was selling ninety books a month by the end of the following year, and I was flying by the seat of my pants - I was learning how to market and distribute my three books as I went along, but was earning enough to live in Thailand, which admittedly was a cheap country to stay in those days.There probably weren't as many would-be writers back then either and there certainly weren't as many books on the virtual shelves in online bookshops, but I think that there may be another factor at play for why Indie Authors might be Their Own Worst Enemies.We all know that businesses exist to make money, and none are more brutal than the American Internet giants, and most of them make their money as a percentage of what they sell.And this is my point.In their struggle to become rich or and famous, too many novice writers pitch their books at 99c or even less. I regularly see "twenty ebooks for 99c".Now, I can understand why a misguided author may try to get his or her foot in the door using this tactic, but what about the Big Boys like Amazon? Are they going to be happy storing, serving and even promoting a 99c book or box-set for a 30% cut of 99c?I wouldn't be! Not when I can promote traditional publishers selling ebooks for $9.99 and paperbacks for $15.99 (or more)!Think about it.Amazon would earn 29c for selling an Indie author's box set of three - a month's supply of reading material - as opposed to $3 for one book!It's a no brainer!So, are Indie Authors Their Own Worst Enemies?Yes, definitely, and those who can't see that are ruining it for everyone else.I am convinced that Amazon has changed its algorithms to disadvantage indie authors because they sell their books too cheaply?Please LIKE and SHARE this article using the buttons below and visit our bookshopAll the best,OwenPodcast: Are Indie Authors Their Own Worst Enemies?http://meganthemisconception.com

How to Give Your Dog a Real Dog's Life (and make him love you for doing it!) - is a manual - a slightly humorous one - on how to choose, raise and live with a puppy and then a dog. It is an ideal gift for (young) first-time dog-owners.Written by Owen Jones and narrated by Justine EllisGet more info about the manual and which other languages it is available in on Megan Publishing services here:http://smarturl.it/dogsaudioMPS?IQid=spreakeror go straight to Amazon and Audible here:https://amzn.to/2XRL4q1

Wie man seinem Hund ein echtes Hundeleben ermöglicht (und er Sie dafür für immer liebt!)Geschrieben von: Owen JonesÜbersetzt von: Heike StepprathErzählt von: Daniel Meyer-Dinkgrafe"Wie man seinem Hund ein echtes Hundeleben ermöglicht - und ihn dazu bringt, Sie zu lieben" ist das komplette Handbuch, um einen Hund zu halten und sich um ihn zu kümmern, geschrieben von einem Hundehalter, der leidenschaftlich gern Hunde um sich hat, dass seine Frau sicher ist: Er war ein Hund in seinem letzten Leben!Owen Jones teilt sein Leben seit dem ersten Tag mit Hunden.Er kennt sie so gut, dass er sicher ist, dass er ihnen Witze erzählen kann!Dieses Buch muss man lesen!Hier gehts kostenlos!http://smarturl.it/DogsLife-Germ-bounty?IQid=spreaker

Londoner Frank marries Joy, a beautiful young Thai, who works in town. She has always dreamed of going to the Costa del Sol, so they head to an apartment in Fuengirola loaned by Frank's boss for their dream honeymoon.Things start to go wrong when Joy fears that the apartment is haunted. Fear leads to depression and deepens into terror. Frank has no idea what to do, except take her back to her family in Thailand, but that brings its own misfortune.Life finally looks brighter because of the intervention of a secret Scandinavian society.This is the story of how Evil can result from good intentions.Get a free copy of the complete audiobook here:http://smarturl.it/CalleGoyabounty?IQid=spreaker

Lily was born in eastern Isaan near the Mekong River, the only daughter of Chinese-Thais who owned a shop in their small village.Her parents had a close friend that Lily called Uncle who used to smile at her and take her gifts as a small child. However, when she was just eleven years old the nature of the gifts changed and there was always a price to pay for them that Lily hated.Dare she upset her parents by telling them? An accident of fate at school gave Lily the means to put an end to the problem once and for all and her parents came to realise what had been going on in their daughter's life. Soon after the incident, Lily's father died. some said from shame. Lily herself was given compensation which she wanted to use to change her life. Her decision was to go to University in Bangkok. It was there that she realised that the compensation, which had seemed a fortune in the village, would not be enough to fund her University life in full and she descended into the seamier side of Bangkok life.A serial killer is taking the life of men in Bangkok and the city is rightly scared. Not only are the men marked in death but a trademark flower is left at the scene of each killing. The press says this is the most frightening serial killer since the cannibal child killer, Si Ouey Sae Urng of the 1950's. Fear haunts the city and no-one knows who will die next or how the victims are chosen. The police are baffled and the citizens cower behind closed doors fearful for their lives.http://smarturl.it/lily1_lp?IQid=Spreaker

"The Misconception' is the first story in a series of twenty-three novelettes about the spiritual development of a young girl called Megan. She has latent supernatural powers that make her curious about them, but no-one else she knows seems to have any idea what she is talking about.Or do they? Because both her grandmother and her mother do everything that they possibly can to stop Megan from finding out any more. The story shows Megan's frustration with the living, so when help comes from Beyond, she grasps it with open arms and slowly develops her supernatural powers. It is about Megan's Awakening.'The Misconception' is about the paranormal powers which lie within all of us, which would make them not so much paranormal as quite normal, if people were not so frightened of the supernatural, which is quite natural too.This is a book for everyone who has ever wondered about the supernatural, paranormal or metaphysical - it is about the normal, spiritual development that all higher life have to go through in order to reach their ultimate, unavoidable destiny, however long that may take. These stories are based on fact in more ways than one.http://smarturl.it/Megan1-bounty?IQid=spreaker

"Una noche en Annwn - La historia de la ECM de Willy Jones" porOwen Jones, traducida porAlexia Polasky es la palabra galesa Annwn es la forma antigua en la que se hacía referencia al Cielo y, al igual que el Valhalla, era subterráneo. Leer más aquí: http://smarturl.it/Annwn-bounty-es?IQid=spreaker

Cadena de DaisyAmor, intriga y el inframundo en la Costa del Sol.Daisy, la orgullosa hija de un adinerado gángster de Londres, John, y su esposa española, Teresa, crecieron en Marbella en la Costa del Sol, también conocida como la Costa del Crime. Ella idolatró a sus padres y trató de impresionar a su anciano padre ayudándolo a dirigir los negocios familiares después de la universidad. Sin embargo, un desastroso error de juicio termina en una tragedia familiar, y su madre pone a Daisy en un camino más seguro para ayudar a la comunidad local como penitencia. La Cadena de Daisy es una historia trágica con un final agradablemente feliz.http://smarturl.it/daisy-spanish?IQid=spreaker

Daddy's HobbyVolume 1 of Behind The Smileby Owen JonesNarrated by Hem ClevelandLek was born the eldest child of four in a typical rice farming family. She did not expect to do anything any different from the other girls in her class in the northern rice belt of Thailand.Typically that would be: work in the fields for a few years; have a few babies; give them to mum to take care of and back to work until her kids had their own children and she could stop working to take care of them.One day a catastrophe occurred out of the blue – her father died young and with huge debts that the family knew nothing about. Lek was twenty and she was the only one who could prevent foreclosure. However, the only way she knew was to go to work in her cousin's bar in Pattaya.She went as a waitress-cum-cashier to Pattaya, but when she realised that she was pregnant by her worthless, estranged husband, things had to change. She had the baby, gave it to her mother to look after and went back to work. However, now she needed real money to provide a better life for her child and to make up for spending its whole youth 500 miles away. She drifted into the tourist sex industry.The book relates some of her ‘adventures', her dreams and nightmares and her ‘modus operandi'. It tries to show, from Lek's point of view, what it really is like to be a Pattaya Thai bar girl – the hopes and frustrations, the hopes and the let-downs, the hopes and the lies and deceit that are part of her every day life.One day she meets a man she likes and he likes her too. Nothing new there, it had happened hundreds of times, but she feels that it is different. They have a wonderful four weeks together and then he goes home – as they all had, leaving more promises and more hopes.This one returns, but real life with a real boyfriend is not as easy as she had dreamed it would be. They go through good and bad times, but will they stay together and for how long?After all she has been through, will she be able to be a regular girlfriend or even a wife again? Will she ever really be able to trust a man enough again either? Or would she be better off giving up her dreams and carrying on working in the bar?Lek begins to find out that getting what you wish for is not always as good as you thought it would be.'Behind The Smile' refers to the fact that Thailand is known the world over as 'The Land of Smiles'.Free audiobook link:http://smarturl.it/BTS1-bountyIQid-MPShttps://soundcloud.com/owen-jones-author/behind-the-smile-volume-1-daddys-hobby-by-owen-jones-narrated-by-hem-clevelandFree audiobook link:http://smarturl.it/BTS1-bountyIQid-MPS 

The UK Post OfficeWhen I was young, there was a period of my life when I couldn't wait to open a Post Office Savings Account and also buy Premium Bonds. I can't remember how old one had to be, but let's say fourteen for the savings account and sixteen for the Premium Bonds, the top prize for playing which every month was a million pounds.At roughly the same time, I started buying coins for my collection from around the country and selling my duplicates too, which usually involved transferring money using Postal Orders. It made me feel independent and that made me feel ever so grown up.At eighteen years of age, I abandoned the Post Office in favour of the bank, and postal orders for the more convenient cheque.Well, now, forty-five years later, we seem to have come full-circle, since my bank no longer issues cheques. I had to send £65 to the Home Office last week, and I had to pay the Post Office £8.50 for the expensive privilege!£8.50 to send £65 within the country!Daylight RobberyThat is not only 13%, it is daylight robbery and a kick in the teeth to all the people who use this crappy 'service'. They get my money for three or four days, and I give them 13% for the privilege! Is the dreaded and very expensive, Western Union cheaper?It really wouldn't surprise me.However, the nightmare doesn't end there. I had to send irreplaceable documents, which the counter staff cheerfully told me are not covered by their normal insurance, and so had to pay £11.50 postage and insurance.At least this was a reduction. The first time I sent exactly the same package, they charged me £18.50!You couldn't make it up, could you, but I think the Post Office is... as they go along!There has to be a better way, and, for me at least, the Post Office will be my last option next time, not the first port of call.Stuff 'em - they don't care about us!Please LIKE and SHARE this article using the buttons below and visit our bookshopAll the best,Owen.Podcast: The UK Post Office

Donald L #Vasicek is our latest featured author on #MPS Megan Publishing Services. Read our unique interview with this fascinating, award-winning American author and screenwriter here: http://smarturl.it/vasicek-author-int?IQid=spreaker

How do you regard novels involving #psychic abilities? Spiritual or #fantasy ? Take a look at this review of Donald L. Vasicek's fascinating latest novel The Eyes of Death on #MPS Please ReTweet http://smarturl.it/EyesOfDeath?IQid=spreaker

O Cuco de AndropovUma História de Amor, Intrigas e a KGBporOwen JonesTraduzido por Nelson Leonel De BenedettiUm moribundo narra a história da pessoa mais incrível que ele já conheceu, uma brilhante linguista soviética que ele chama de Youriko. É um conto de amor, ousadia, espiões e perigos ambientados no Japão, Alemanha, Turquia, EUA, Canadá e Reino Unido, mas principalmente na União Soviética dos anos 70.Duas garotas, nascidas a milhares de quilômetros de distância no Cazaquistão e no Japão logo após a Segunda Guerra Mundial, se encontram e são como ervilhas em uma vagem. Elas também se comportam como irmãs e mantêm contato pelo resto de suas vidas.No entanto, uma quer ajudar seu país marcado pela batalha e a outra quer deixar o dela e ir para o Ocidente. Elas sonham com um plano ousado e perigoso para alcançar os dois objetivos, sobre os quais Andropov, o chefe da KGB soviética, é informado. Ele o chama de Operação Youriko e ela é posta em movimento, mas tem a mais remota chance de sucesso?O Cuco de Andropov é baseado em uma "história verdadeira" relatada ao autor por uma das protagonistas.Disponível em: http://smarturl.it/cucodeandropov?IQid=spreaker

The Fate Twister - AudiobookFate TwisterThe Story of Wayne GammbyOwen JonesNarrated byPauli MurphyWayne Gamm was born on a remote sheep farm on a mountainside in north Wales on a stormy night in June. The midwife and even the family itself wanted him to be delivered in hospital because he was going to be large and he was Gwynedd's first baby, but for reason's that will become apparent, his mother and grandmother, Rhiannon, thought that might be very dangerous.All of Gwynedd's family had been born on the farm, Yr Ardd Y Ddraig, The Dragon's Garden, for as far back as they knew - a family bible put that at 324 years - and they were all either witches or warlocks.The problem with the males though was that they were 'lose cannons', meaning they had difficulty focusing their powers. Wayne followed suit, although all witch babies have to learn self-control, even the females.Gwynedd and Rhiannon had high hopes that Wayne would be more capable than his male antecedents, but it turned out that he had such great power, and so little control, that even his own family were wary of him.He was feared and shunned at school by teachers and fellow-students alike because they knew from experience, that things could get a little weird when Wayne was around.The more astute noticed that when he was happy, good things happened, but when he was upset, anything could befall anyone. Luckily, Wayne was a happy person by nature, but this made it worse for him, because he didn't want to hurt people, so he refused to accept that he was causing the disruptions. They called him Fate Twister behind his back. Wayne grew up dejected, rejected, lonely and in denial.This is the story of the early life of Wayne Gamm, Fate Twister.Free Audiobook Link:http://smarturl.it/fatetwister-bounty?IQid=MPS

The Disallowed - AudiobookThe DisallowedThe Humorous Tale of a Contemporary Vampire FamilybyOwen JonesNarrated byMelanie CrawleyHeng Lee is a goat-herd in the remote mountains north-east of Chiang Rai in northern Thailand, very close to the border with Laos. It is a tight-knit community where everyone knows one another.Heng gets sick all of a sudden, but not too sick to take the goats out, until one day he has to go to see the local shaman, because he has started fainting.There are no medical doctors in the vicinity and the Shaman has been good enough for most people for centuries.The Shaman takes some specimens and comes to the conclusion that Heng's kidneys have stopped functioning and so has little time left to live.The battle is on to save Heng's life, but there are other forces at work too.What will become of Heng, his family and the rest of the community, if he takes the Shaman's advice?Free Audiobook Link:http://smarturl.it/disallowed-bounty?IQid=MPS

Daisy's ChainA Story of Love, Intrigue and the Underworld on the Costa del SolbyOwen JonesNarrated byWilliam James HillDaisy, the proud daughter of a wealthy ex-London gangster, John, and his Spanish wife, Teresa, grew up in Marbella on the Costa del Sol, aka, the Costa del Crime. She idolised her parents and sought to impress her ageing father by helping him run the family businesses after uni. However, a disastrous error of judgement ends in family tragedy, and her mother puts Daisy on a safer path of helping the local community as a penance. Daisy's Chain is a tragic tale with a pleasantly happy ending.Free Audiobook Link:http://smarturl.it/daisyschain-bounty?IQid=mpsFree Audiobook Link:http://smarturl.it/daisyschain-bounty?IQid=mps 

Asian Shorts - AudiobookAsian ShortsCompiled byOwen JonesNarrated byBob SterryAsian Shorts came about because of a sequence of events on one weekend. A friend was telling me that he had several short stories with Asia as a backdrop, I was saying that I had a few as well. Then another friend sent me an email that he wanted to write a short on Pattaya, and one of my Thai cousins sent me her latest photo, the one on the cover of this book.It was like somebody was trying to tell me something, or several were anyway.The nineteen stories by nine authors in this anthology were sent to me in one month, but are as varied as their writers. The stipulation was that Asia or an Asian had to feature strongly in the story. We have stories featuring Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand, the USA and Vietnam, by Asian and non-Asian authors who live in or come from Britain, Malaysia, Thailand, the USA and Vietnam.Some of these writers are well-known as writers, some are better known in other spheres; some have written a lot before and been published in the traditional sense, others are travelling the Indie Publishing path, and for yet others this is the very first time they or you will have seen their stories in print of any kind.You can read more about each author by visiting the web sites that they have given after their stories. I thoroughly recommend that you do this, as what you will find out about the authors will surprise you.I guarantee that.Free Audiobook Link:http://smarturl.it/asian-shorts-bounty?IQid=MPSFree Audiobook Link:http://smarturl.it/asian-shorts-bounty?IQid=MPS

Andropov's Cuckoo - AudiobookAndropov's CuckooA Tale of Love, Intrigue and the KGBbyOwen JonesNarrated byWilliam James HillA dying man recounts the story of the most amazing person he has ever met: a brilliant Soviet linguist, whom he knew as Youriko. It is a tale of love, daring-do, spies, and danger set in Japan, Germany, Turkey, the USA, Canada, and the UK, but mostly in the Soviet Union of the 70s.Two girls, born thousands of miles apart in Kazakhstan and Japan just after World War II, meet and are like peas in a pod. They also get on like sisters and keep n touch for the rest of their lives.However, one wants to help her battle-scarred country and the other wants to leave hers for the West. They dream up a daring, dangerous plan to achieve both goals, which Andropov, the chief of the Soviet KGB, is told about. He dubs it "Operation Youriko", and it is set in motion, but does it have even the remotest chance of success?Andropov's Cuckoo is based on a true story related to the author by one of the protagonists.Free Audiobook Link:http://smarturl.it/Andropov-bounty?IQid=MPS

A Night In Annwn - AudiobookA Night In AnnwnThe Story of Willy Jones' NDEbyOwen JonesNarrated byAndrew McGuirkWilliam Jones, a sheep farmer from the Brecon Beacons, had led a happy life, until his wife, Sarah, died young. It left him devastated and seemingly bent on self-destruction. His daughter, Becky tried to help, but even she was losing patience with her father.One evening, he is certain that he has died and been put out of his misery, but it was not to be. He recovered. However his life was never to be the same again.He had discovered Annwn where his wife lived, and his newly found vitality changed his life and that of all those with whom he came into contact.A Night in Annwn is a love story that spans the greatest divide - that between life and death; a look at a near-death experience and a new take on the mythological Welsh Heaven, which is Annwn.Be prepared to see another side of Welsh Celtic mythology, but you will never think of death in the same way again.Listen to a fifteen-minute clip of the Night In Annwn audiobook read by the wonderful narrator Andrew McGuirk (he lends so much pathos to the story) free here:Free Audiobook Link:http://smarturl.it/Annen1-bountyFree Audiobook Link:http://smarturl.it/Annen1-bounty 

Dead CentreNot All Suicide Bombers Are Religious!byOwen JonesFor immediate release:Author's new book receives a warm literary welcome.Readers' Favorite announces the review of the Fiction - Action book "Dead Centre" by Owen Jones, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1499121628.Readers' Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the "Best Websites for Authors" and "Honoring Excellence" awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies."Reviewed By Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' FavoriteDead Centre – Not All Suicide Bombers are Religious by Owen Jones is a different take on a hot topic of conversation. Tony, a terrified soul, walks into an upper class department store in Baghdad and just seconds later, he detonates the bomb strapped to his body. The Iraqi government first treat it like any other suicide bomber and the case is passed over to Captain Allawi. Things are not what they seem, though. A young police officer spots something on the store's surveillance video that changes the game plan, taking the investigation off on a tangent. Six more apparent suicide bombs go off, which cannot be explained unless they are treated in the same way as the Baghdad bomb. A new form of terrorism is taking over the world and it could be unstoppable. Possible breakthroughs get them nowhere and it's all looking hopeless until the Chinese government and the SAS are called in.Dead Centre – Not All Suicide Bombers are Religious by Owen Jones was a great read. A well written thriller that starts off on top gear and stays there all the way through. The scary thing is this sort of event could happen – could be happening now for all we know – and the subject is likely to get one or two backs up. However, subject aside, Mr. Jones has written a superb story, with great characters, that spans 9 different countries and dozens more cities. Excellent book, I will definitely be looking out for more from the same author."You can learn more about Owen Jones and "Dead Centre" at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/dead-centre where you can read reviews and the author's biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.Stop Press: Now available in Portuguese, and as an audiobook, and coming soon in French, Italian, and Spanish. There is also a sequel: DEAD CENTRE II (also available in Portuguese).Readers' Favorite LLCMedia RelationsLouisville, KY 40202800-RF-REVIEWsupport@readersfavorite.comhttps://readersfavorite.com

Biometric Data for Residency CardsMy wife is Thai, for those of you who don't know me, and, since we have moved back to the UK to live, she needs a residency card (RCUK) or residency permit. These days, these cards contain biometric data such as iris scans and finger prints.We first submitted her application for a residency card four months ago, so, for about eighteen weeks, she has had nothing to do, because the local government will not grant her the right to work without one. This is completely illegal, I might add, and contravenes the EU Directives to which the UK is a signatory. However, they don't care about the law unless it suits them.The government and the politicians who run it are the biggest crooks around... anyway, we all know that already, so back to the point.On Thursday, we received a letter from the Home Office telling my wife that she should send them her biometric data within fifteen days of the date of the day that letter was posted. Well, I don't know what that was, but the date on the letter was the third of the month, but the day we received it was the eleventh. Eight days to get a government letter 150 miles? That doesn't sound right, does it? She had seven days to complete the task with a weekend in that. That sounds like them trying their damnedest to obfuscate to me.Anyway, so we caught the bus to the nearest facility - the Post Office fifteen miles away - and asked for the biometric data service.'Oh, it's down today, please come back on Monday. Sorry. Next!'I wouldn't move!I complained to everyone around me and made a total nuisance of myself until the manager came.'I'm sorry, Sir', she said, 'but the engineer can't get here for four hours. You may wait over there, if you like'.I went into overdrive.The result was that she rebooted the machine and it took my wife's biometric data!I thanked them and left, not sure whether to be happy that we had gotten the job done, or whether to be really sad that our once great Royal Post Office - the role model for all the others in the world - has sunken so low.Please LIKE and SHARE this article using the buttons below and visit our bookshopAll the best,OwenPodcast: Biometric Data for Residency Cards 

Statement on Visit to the United Kingdom, by Professor Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rightsVersion with footnotes (PDF)London, 16 November 2018ConclusionThe experience of the United Kingdom, especially since 2010, underscores the conclusion that poverty is a political choice. Austerity could easily have spared the poor, if the political will had existed to do so. Resources were available to the Treasury at the last budget that could have transformed the situation of millions of people living in poverty, but the political choice was made to fund tax cuts for the wealthy instead.It was a British philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, who memorably claimed that without a social contract, life outside society would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” The risk is that if current policies do not change, this is the direction in which low-income earners and the poor are headed. Loneliness rates have soared in recent years and life expectancy rates have stalled in the United Kingdom, with the latest statistics showing a sharp drop in the annual improvement that has been experienced every year since the records began, and an actual drop for certain groups.The compassion and mutual concern that has long been part of the British tradition has been outsourced. At the same time many of the public places and institutions that previously brought communities together, such as libraries, community and recreation centers, and public parks, have been steadily dismantled or undermined. In its fiscal analyses, the Treasury and the Government constantly repeat the refrain that fiscal policy must “avoid burdening the next generation.” The message is that the debt burden must be paid off now. The problem is that the next generation's prospects are already being grievously undermined by the systematic dismantling of social protection policies since 2010.The negotiations surrounding Brexit present an opportunity to take stock of the current situation and reimagine what this country should represent and how it protects its people. The legislative recognition of social rights should be a central part of that reimagining. And social inclusion, rather than increasing marginalization of the working poor and those unable to work, should be the guiding principle of social policy.The UK should introduce a single measure of poverty and measure food security.The government should initiate an expert assessment of the cumulative impact of tax and spending decisions since 2010 and prioritize the reversal of particularly regressive measures, including the benefit freeze, the two-child limit, the benefit cap, and the reduction of the housing benefit for under-occupied social rented housing.It should ensure local governments have the funds needed to tackle poverty at the community level, and take varying needs and tax bases into account in the ongoing Fair Funding Review.The Department of Work and Pensions should conduct an independent review of the effectiveness of reforms to welfare conditionality and sanctions introduced since 2012, and should immediately instruct its staff to explore more constructive and less punitive approaches to encouraging compliance.The five week delay in receiving benefits under ...

Our Visit to the DoctorFor various reasons, but mostly because of travel, I have not had a medical check-up for twenty-four years - since I was forty. My wife is fourteen years younger than me, and she has never had one. So, being back in the UK 'for good' now, I thought that it was about time that I got that sorted out.We registered with Ravenscourt, a doctor's surgery in Barry, my home town, and were told that it would take six weeks. That was quite a surprise, shock even, but I had heard about the cut-backs, and since we were 'non-essential' and there was nothing obviously wrong with us, we let that go, even though the appointment fell inconveniently on my birthday.So, we went along, at the also inconvenient time of nine a.m. not knowing what to expect. Friends had suggested that a full medical check-up would take 'about an hour'.We arrived punctually at the surgery, awaited our turn, which was also on time, and went up together, although only I was actually called. The doctor was surprised, but was all right about it when I explained that I sometimes needed to clarify some terminology for my Thai wife.That wasn't a problem and the young man took our blood pressure and listened to our breathing. We were both 'A OK'.'How are you feeling?' he asked.'OK', we replied. 'However, my back is pretty bad', I said. 'I can't walk a hundred metres without having to sit down'. He gave us forms to go to two separate hospitals for blood tests and heart traces.'I take these blood pressure tablets', I offered. 'I've been taking them for twenty-four years, are there better ones available now?' I wanted to say that they were effecting me in other ways, but didn't.'Oh, they are working for you, and they are readily available, so I recommend that you stick with them'.'I disagree', I countered, 'The last prescription I had for them in Barry, could not be fulfilled by Boots in Barry. I was looking for sixty and they only had twenty-eight...'His attitude changed visibly - he obviously didn't like being contradicted.Our interview was over, but my back problem hadn't been mentioned, so I asked him to validate my application for a bus pass (I am sixty-four, and one qualifies at sixty).'That isn't my job', he replied. I took a deep breath, could see that we weren't going to get anywhere and left with the strange feeling that there was something he wasn't telling me. We had been in there for fifteen to twenty minutes for two check-ups...Is that what the revered British National Health has been reduced to?Please LIKE and SHARE this article using the buttons below and visit our bookshopAll the best,OwenFootnote: Boots the chemist could not fulfil that order either – they were twelve Atenolol short.Podcast: Our Visit to the Doctor

Fourth of JulyFrom the thirteenth of September, 2004 to the fourth of July, 2005, we slept on my mother-in-law's floor in the small, rice-growing village where we live in northern Thailand, while we were waiting for our own house to be completed. However, after a party at a friend's that finished after midnight on the third, instead of going back to Mum, we slept on our own floor.You could say that the fourth of July, 2005, was our own Independence Day. There were no windows or doors yet in those days, and I'll never forget being awoken at seven am by my wife's screams when she surprised a poisonous snake changing its skin in the spare bedroom.She phoned her mother who lives only fifty yards from our rear gate, and she came over and killed it.She also phoned the contractors to tell them to get the doors on sharpish, and then she set about organising a party. The eleventh of July completed my first full year in The Land of Smiles.Just under seven years after that event, I was filling in a U.K. visa application form for my wife and it called for details of her parents' identity cards. Well, her father has been dead for twenty years, so that only left her mother.When I saw the card, it was my turn to be shocked.'Do you know when your mother was born?' I asked my wife, not knowing whether it was a stupid question or not, but I had never seen her have a party.'No,' she replied, 'I'm pretty sure she's never told us'. Now, I'm fairly certain that as a Westerner, you find that strange enough, but I informed her that her mother's birth date was easy to remember because it was on American Independence Day in the year after World War II finished: July 4th, 1946, but she gave me a blank look.'What are they?' she asked.She had never heard of either, but Thailand doesn't look far outside its own borders or affairs, except where football is concerned, and they are not taught about WWII, because the Japanese overran them and that is considered embarrassing, so they just ignore it.On the other hand, every year, I get asked by at least one American, whether we British celebrate the 4th. Of course no! We lost! Although I personally am glad you escaped the poncy British royal family and aristocracy (despite the fact that you have let everyone down by allowing your own aristocracy to develop).However, in spite of not celebrating the day, I hope that those who do have a great time, and maybe some of you will remember my lovely mother-in-law's birthday as well.(This true story is expanded upon in the second volume in the series 'Behind The Smile' called 'An Exciting Future").Please visit our new book links page here: BooksAll the best.OwenPlease visit my bookshopPodcast: Fourth of July

Cruelty to SnakesWhen I arrived at the shop for a beer a few minutes ago, the 'landlady' was in a panic, because a girl had reported seeing a snake entering her shop. I saw it too, but I wouldn't have said anything since it was not poisonous and I knew what cruelty would await it if they found it.Most Thais kill all snakes on sight whether they're dangerous or not, which I think is bloody stupid and their least endearing quality. Often they display the most extreme cruelty during these usually pointless killings.They say it's better to be safe than sorry.It's hard to argue with that, but since most snakes are not poisonous and eat a lot of rodents that eat their rice, I would have thought it was worth learning (at school perhaps) which ones were helpful and which were to be avoided. It would put an end to a lot of the ritual persecution and cruelty.In fact, most of the snakes' killers are older women and teenage boys. I've seen women dancing after killing a snake and boys parading their trophy about as if they had achieved something miraculous. They're big heroes with snakes that can't fight back, but daddy is called to kill the really serious ones.Identifying SnakesWhat I have learned is that short, stumpy, light-green snakes whose back of the head is a lot wider than its nose are killers. This includes the pit vipers. Then there are cobras, which tend to be black here, and a few others which have quite distinctive markings and that's it. The large constrictors (over three or four metres) are also best given a wide berth, but I think that would come naturally JThis one today didn't match any of those criteria. It was about two foot six long, as thin as a bottleneck and dark green with hatching (a little like in the photo). It probably ate beetles, but three people armed with six-foot-long long sticks trapped it in a corner and hit it a few times before dropping it into the drainage system. I don't think it was dead, but perhaps had a broken back, so it's going to have to lie down there in pain until it starves to death.That sort of cruelty makes me sick.All the best.OwenPS: a note about the photo: my neighbour found this five-foot, harmless beauty, a so-called flying snake, on the outside of her front door when she got up bleary-eyed after their house-warming party. She called me to see it and then shooed it away :-) but most would have killed it on the spot.Please visit our bookshopPodcast: Cruelty to Snakes