Posted on

Can I get a book agent?

I have been on the assumption for years while I was writing my numerous books that book agents were almost non-existent.

I thought the only way they would be interested in a book if it was from a criminal or somebody in the government.

In other word’s some kind of scandal.

The publishing companies years ago stopped taking manuscripts from first time authors. The slush pile was gone. But I ask you, how can you find a good author for your next best-selling book if you don’t accept a book from the slush fund.

I stopped submitting my manuscripts to a publishing company I felt it was a waste of paper, envelopes and postage.

I started listening to webinars on my phone and maybe it isn’t hopeless to get an agent.

What do you think? Frustration is the word for all authors.

When Writing a query letter

Attention: a specific person

Only words no pictures

300 words total

Hook- For first sentence

Example: Marriage can be a real killer

There is simply not enough room in a trunk for stuff and a Dentist

Description 100-150 words

Grammar and punctuation correct

Fiction

Character

Desire

Conflicts

solve problem

Non-fiction

Solve problem in your own way

Category

Fiction

Non-fiction

Science fiction

Romance

Thriller

Horror

Mystery

Young Adult

Children

Etc.

Adult Fiction

Example: Why are you an authority on subject.

DO NOT:

  1. No do not say I’ve been writing since a child.
  2. Ego
  3. Rude
  4. Asking for free advice.
  5. Facts do not mention other people or place.
  6. Proof query
  7. No Questions
  8. Do not pitch on social media.

All words.

All words same size.

Get to the point.

Why bankable produce

Specific guidelines for agents

Why you are right for agent’s book

If published on Amazon:

Delete

Rename

Rewrite

If you do a google search and

ask for an agent list you will get one.

ask for list book agents you will get a list.

Posted on

My Strange Inheritance

How would you like one day to have someone knock on your door and tell you, you have inherited something?

The first thing that comes to mind is money. Wouldn’t you?

What if I tell you that it is money lots and lots and lots and lots of money but it comes with a hitch.

Ah, here is where the story gets mysterious and exciting. Yes, in my book The Strange Inheritance that is exactly what happens.

A young woman receives a knock on the door and money spills through the doorway but of course, all good things have a catch right.

Well, this book does and it is a darn good one. Read it and find out.

It’s on www.amazon.com.

Thank you for reading my article. Copyright Linda Meckler 2021

 

Posted on

Face Masks or Not?

What do you think about the removing of face masks in June?

You must have some kind of opinion.

I am vaccinated but for some reason some people do not want to be vaccinated.

I want to be able to remove my mask in public. I feel safe now that I have been vaccinated.

But I have my reservations about the people who are not vaccinated.

My question is why not?

Do you want to continue wearing face masks for the rest of your lives?

I for one, want to be with people who have been vaccinated.

What do you think?

I want to see children being back in school.

I want to see people going back to work.

I want to see people being social again.

I will continue wearing my mask. What can happen I will be safe.

What do you think?

Thank you for reading my article. My website is www.lindameckler-author-artist.com

Copyright Linda Meckler 2021

Posted on

Linda Meckler’s Books

Four books in the Christy and Brad Adventure Series from ages 8 to adult

*Ghost Kids Trilogy

*Bear Thriller

*Shoot Out In Niagara Falls

The Horse Ranch Mystery

Fiction

*A Basketball Adventure

The Invitation

Adult Fiction

The Shoe Murder and Mystery Series

*The Bloody Knife

*The Bloody Mafia

*The Bloody Violin

Adult Fiction

*The Reluctant Royal

Science Fiction

Space Station Mars

Out of Hell

Non-Fiction

*Fight Your Medical Insurance Nightmares!! Let me how you how.

Appeal and Collection Letters for Medical Providers

Photos of San Diego

An autobiography Outline

Outline for Special Needs Children

Outline for parents of special needs children

Relationships

Questions for Lovers

People Make Relationships

Make Over Your Self-Confidence

Food Wars

Non-Fiction

*Writers How to Publish Free

*Editing Fiction Mistakes

TTY Communication Book

Sleep Apnea and Sleep Study with CPAP Machine

Thank you for reading my books. They are all available at www.amazon.com

They are all e-books but the one with a star in front of the book title is a paperback book.

My website is www.lindameckler-author-artist.com

Posted on

Prince Phillip’s Funeral

How Did Prince Philip Do It?

Watching the funeral of Prince Philip husband of Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years, I have to ask – How did he do it? How do you live in a fish bowl and raise a family and have your family’s dirty linen end up on television, newspapers, and the Internet? The pictures of the family and videos show they were an exceptional family and still are. They have love and each other backs against the world. The common people have problems but it is not aired to the public.

They lived a life we the common people can only imagine. The best of everything from schools, clothes, jewelry, cars, homes, to vacations and meeting the most important people in the world. But look at the price they pay every day of their life.

God bless the Queen and her family.

Thank you for reading my article.

Copyright 4-17-2021 Linda Meckler

 

Posted on

Social Security, Disability, and Unemployment

Social Security Disability SSI and Unemployment

When you received SSI payments every month it means you have some sort of disability either physical or mental.

If you are one of the lucky few who can maintain some sort of employment part time, you must submit your original pay stubs to the SSI office. This way the amount of money you receive monthly is correctly calibrated.

These check stubs must be turned in each month either in person at the Social Security Office or through the mail. Always keep a copy of your check stubs. Paperwork can always get misplaced.

The easiest and safest way to receive your SSI checks is in your checking or savings account. This way you do not have to worry about your check being lost or stolen.

If you do not turn in your pay stubs you are probably have an SSI overpayment. This means in simple terms you are in deep trouble. SSI wants their money back. They will start recouping their money every month. They will come up with an amount which will be removed before you receive your money. Or you may lose your SSI altogether.

If by some slim chance you are receiving unemployment while you are receiving SSI you must report your earnings to the unemployment office. This is done by including the amount of money earned on the unemployment form you feel out when you receive your checks. Then let us take it one step further. You must give SSI a copy of every unemployment check stub.

The SSI money comes from one government plan and the unemployment money comes from another plan. If you think that it is government money and your income will be automatically adjusted by the computer, you are mistaken.

When your unemployment has ended you must supply the SSI or Social Security office with the copy of the unemployment. Then and only then can your account be adjusted properly.

Over payments are easy to do. Be smart. If you are receiving SSI monthly payments make sure you make sure it is reported to SSI.

You can fill out a waiver form so you can appeal your claim. When you are on SSI you must be able to be able to receive enough money to survive. Meaning home and food.

Thank you for reading my article. Please feel free to read any of my numerous articles on various subjects.

Copyright  Linda E. Meckler updated 2021

Posted on

Smile

Be happy smile the pandemic is winding down. Soon we will  be able to get rid the of the masks when we are inside a store. I for one can’t wait what about you?

I can see myself going back to my normal activities with people in groups. With visiting my family and giving them a hug and receiving a hug in return.

I had my two shots and I felt relief. I felt like life will go on and hugs and kisses will go on and on.

What do you think?

Thank you for reading my article and smile

Copyright Linda Meckler 2021

Posted on

Anorexia, Bulimia and Teenagers

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by obsession with weight loss and low self-esteem

Anorexia or Bulimia simple means maintaining control over one’s own body. It is a destructive way to treat your body; especially your organs which are affected directly from starving yourself, using enemas, water and overuse of diet pills. Bulimia sufferer’s binge and purge to keep their weight down.

Just like any other addiction you have to get the person involved to admit to their addiction. In this case you must get your teenager to admit to this huge problem. This is the first step to solving this problem.

Teenagers become young women and men. If the Anorexia is not stopped in the teenage years, it will continue over into young adulthood. Girls have this disease more than boys. Teenagers can have this disease from any walk of life or ethnic group, but it is mainly Caucasian teenage girls who come from the middle to upper class.

The girls which are in plays, on television, play an instrument, dance, sing or in general out in the spot light are the ones which are the ones who will be easily reached into becoming obsessed about their weight.

One of the examples of this is Karen Carpenter who was a famous singer and drummer. She started her career as a teenager and one day she read an article in a local newspaper she was chubby. Ms. Carpenter had been on the top ten hit songs in the early seventies. This little article caused Ms. Carpenter to become obsessive about her weight. She became anorexic becoming grossly underweight while purging and binging; she damaged her heart and died of a heart attack at age 32.

Exercising may become obsessive to the teenage girl to burn calories and become thin. But even when the teenager is thin, she must be thinner in her mind. Excessive physical exercise can become dangerous, if the teenager becomes weak from lack of food. This is definitely a mental condition that could have started in many ways.

Reasons For Anorexia:

  • Mental disorder.
  • Physical disorder.
  • Child abuse.
  • Low self-esteem.
  • A diet that went out of control.
  • Feeding problems as an infant.
  • Family interference.

This does not leave out the ordinary teenager who just wants to belong and not be overweight. This is the teenager with low self-esteem and can’t quite pull his/her self out of this bottomless pit.

Teenage Girls

When teenage girls read fashion magazines where the models are pencil thin, this is when the teenage girls think they need to be as thin as the models. This is not true. These women chose this profession and the choice to stay pencil thin to keep their employment.

Now fashion is changing. There are magazines for the normal full to plus size women. They even have fashion magazines with normal to full plus women to show off women’s sizes. When you think about it, how many girls are pencil thin in the real world? This is one of the ways where these girls get idea’s they had to be pencil thin to look like these fashion models. In many cases in the fashion magazines the model’s photos have been photo shopped to make them thinner and their skin blemish free.

Medical Research

The human brain is where research is being conducted. The brain is complex.

Parts Of The Brain

Cerebral hemisphere

Thalamus

Hypothalamus

Pituitary

Pons

Medulla

Midbrain

Cerebellum

Spinal Cord

The hypothalamus is a part of the brain which dysfunctions.

It’s linked closely with the pituitary gland to control many of the body functions.

It monitors and controls your sleep cycle.

Omeostasis means running your body smoothly.

Nutritional Training

This is where the schools, parents, medical people need to start being trained into good nutrition. It should be part of their medical training, where the parents need to take an active interest in their teenagers eating habits.

There are other ways to lose weight and keep it off besides starvation, binging and purging. This is the number one problem in America today, either being anorexic or obese. There is too much junk food flashed in young adults faces from everywhere from television, movies, magazines, and television.

Teenagers think everything they put into their mouths will make them fat. They progress into a state of starvation where they can’t push the food into their mouth’s fast enough. This is what is called binging. This is followed by sticking their finger down their throat and vomiting. This is where the overwhelming medical problems start.

Parents

As a parent you must keep track of your teenagers’ various activities. You must be on the alert for anything out of the ordinary.

Playing with food.

Taking small helpings.

Pushing food around on the plate.

Brittle skin.

Teeth marks on knuckles.

Doesn’t want to eat in public.

Counts every calorie eaten.

As a parent when you realize your teenager is anorexic take immediate action. The teenager’s life is at stake.

Family Intervention

The family and good friends; if necessary, must be present to present their argument.

Talk about their health.

Tell your teenager how much you love him/her.

You must be strong.

Your teenager will protest. There is nothing wrong.

Take Action

Immediate medical attention a physician or Psychiatrist.

Admission to a hospital which specializes in anorexia.

Working with a Psychologist on a one-to-one basis or group therapy.

Group Therapy

Talking in groups of teenagers with the same problem.

Talking with a professional who will lead the group session.

Sports

This is important for all teenagers.

Join a gym.

Running

Aerobics

Walking

Swimming

Baseball

Football

Basketball

Bike riding

Skating

This will build self-esteem, keep weight down meet new people and explore new avenues to find out about themselves. Exercise will burn calories and keep the teenager’s mind off of food. When they reach home, they will be more than ready for a good family meal.

Medical Problems From Binging and Purging

  • Esophagus Is where the food starts in the mouth and travels downward into the stomach this is the tube which connects the mouth and stomach.
  • The bile and acid irritate the lining.
  • Tears can happen and become a life and death situation.
  • Narrowing of the esophagus can prevent food passing through.
  • This causes an inflammation of the stomach lining.
  • Can cause the stomach to rupture.

Medical Problems

  • Heart damage/Heart attack.
  • Loss of fluids and electrolytes.
  • Dehydration
  • Memory Loss
  • Anemia
  • Kidney Disease/Kidney failure.
  • Loss of teeth.
  • Reproduction system – might not be able to have children.
  • Lung complications
  • Osteoporosis
  • Hair loss
  • Depression
  • Low potassium
  • Kidney stones/failure
  • Weakness
  • Constipation
  • Ulcers
  • Death

When you become anorexic, you are not only hurting yourself, mentally and physically but your family and friends as well. There isn’t any easy fix for this mental/medical problem which can be life threatening. Take baby steps.

Family Therapy

This is where you talk with a Psychiatrist or family counselor and ask and answer questions.

  • What happens when you eat lunch in the school cafeteria?
  • Is it the food you don’t like?
  • Is it the way the food is set out for you to pick from?
  • Do you not like the food choices?
  • Do you want to see other food choices?
  • What would you like to eat at school?
  • When you hang out with your friends what do you eat?
  • What kind of food do you eat?
  • Can it be changed?

Family Dinner

  • Turn off the television.
  • Everybody sits around the table.
  • Talk to each other.

This is so important in keeping the communication open between you and your teenagers. Communication is disappearing in today’s world. With texting and e mails, instant messaging the English language is being lost. The teenagers feel it more than we think.

Try to get a dialogue going with your teenage ask your teenager what you can do to help. This won’t be easy since teenagers are usually closed mouthed about their personal life. Don’t give up. Try to find an even balance, you can talk about and win over your teenager’s confidence.

Love, Hugs, Compliments

Hugs can’t be mentioned enough. Hug your teenager every chance you can get. Tell your teenager you love him/her. Compliment him/her every chance you can get even for something you would never have thought of before. Your hair looks great today. I like your new sweater. I can’t do as many sit ups as you.  Build up your teenager’s confidence.

For the teenager daughter dad is probably the most important person in her life next to her mother. If there isn’t a dad a strong male who is important to her, an older brother or an uncle. There is a fierce love between dad and daughter. Dads must be especially aware of this. They can inflict damage to their daughters without realizing with a look or saying something. Teenage girls are very emotional and feel each emotion very strongly.

Even though your teenager has low self-esteem and doesn’t believe in him/herself, don’t stop the hugs, the I love you and the compliments.

Love, education, a good doctor and therapist, who can give nutritional advice, can get your teenager healthy mentally and physically. It will happen never give up. Love can move mountains.

Nutrition

Nutrition is so important. It’s as important as breathing. Yet it is not taught in the school system. When you graduate from high school and are out on your own the choices, we make to eat are sometimes not the best.

Today the way food is grown and processed is completely different from 20 years ago. This was when food was food and not chemicals. It was not loaded with salt, sugar, and fat.

We all must be educated on how to eat and what to eat. Today obesity is running wild though out the school system into adulthood. There is disease on the rampage which were for senior citizens not elementary school age children and older.

Education is the key. We must all be educated on what there is to eat that will not make us sick, make us obese or kill us.

Linda E. Meckler

Copyright 2010 updated 2021

Anorexia, Bulimia and Teenagers

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by obsession with weight loss and low self-esteem

Anorexia or Bulimia simple means maintaining control over one’s own body. It is a destructive way to treat your body; especially your organs which are affected directly from starving yourself, using enemas, water and overuse of diet pills. Bulimia sufferer’s binge and purge to keep their weight down.

Just like any other addiction you have to get the person involved to admit to their addiction. In this case you must get your teenager to admit to this huge problem. This is the first step to solving this problem.

Teenagers become young women and men. If the Anorexia is not stopped in the teenage years, it will continue over into young adulthood. Girls have this disease more than boys. Teenagers can have this disease from any walk of life or ethnic group, but it is mainly Caucasian teenage girls who come from the middle to upper class.

The girls which are in plays, on television, play an instrument, dance, sing or in general out in the spot light are the ones which are the ones who will be easily reached into becoming obsessed about their weight.

One of the examples of this is Karen Carpenter who was a famous singer and drummer. She started her career as a teenager and one day she read an article in a local newspaper she was chubby. Ms. Carpenter had been on the top ten hit songs in the early seventies. This little article caused Ms. Carpenter to become obsessive about her weight. She became anorexic becoming grossly underweight while purging and binging; she damaged her heart and died of a heart attack at age 32.

Exercising may become obsessive to the teenage girl to burn calories and become thin. But even when the teenager is thin, she must be thinner in her mind. Excessive physical exercise can become dangerous, if the teenager becomes weak from lack of food. This is definitely a mental condition that could have started in many ways.

Reasons For Anorexia:

  • Mental disorder.
  • Physical disorder.
  • Child abuse.
  • Low self-esteem.
  • A diet that went out of control.
  • Feeding problems as an infant.
  • Family interference.

This does not leave out the ordinary teenager who just wants to belong and not be overweight. This is the teenager with low self-esteem and can’t quite pull his/her self out of this bottomless pit.

Teenage Girls

When teenage girls read fashion magazines where the models are pencil thin, this is when the teenage girls think they need to be as thin as the models. This is not true. These women chose this profession and the choice to stay pencil thin to keep their employment.

Now fashion is changing. There are magazines for the normal full to plus size women. They even have fashion magazines with normal to full plus women to show off women’s sizes. When you think about it, how many girls are pencil thin in the real world? This is one of the ways where these girls get idea’s they had to be pencil thin to look like these fashion models. In many cases in the fashion magazines the model’s photos have been photo shopped to make them thinner and their skin blemish free.

Medical Research

The human brain is where research is being conducted. The brain is complex.

Parts Of The Brain

Cerebral hemisphere

Thalamus

Hypothalamus

Pituitary

Pons

Medulla

Midbrain

Cerebellum

Spinal Cord

The hypothalamus is a part of the brain which dysfunctions.

It’s linked closely with the pituitary gland to control many of the body functions.

It monitors and controls your sleep cycle.

Omeostasis means running your body smoothly.

Nutritional Training

This is where the schools, parents, medical people need to start being trained into good nutrition. It should be part of their medical training, where the parents need to take an active interest in their teenagers eating habits.

There are other ways to lose weight and keep it off besides starvation, binging and purging. This is the number one problem in America today, either being anorexic or obese. There is too much junk food flashed in young adults faces from everywhere from television, movies, magazines, and television.

Teenagers think everything they put into their mouths will make them fat. They progress into a state of starvation where they can’t push the food into their mouth’s fast enough. This is what is called binging. This is followed by sticking their finger down their throat and vomiting. This is where the overwhelming medical problems start.

Parents

As a parent you must keep track of your teenagers’ various activities. You must be on the alert for anything out of the ordinary.

Playing with food.

Taking small helpings.

Pushing food around on the plate.

Brittle skin.

Teeth marks on knuckles.

Doesn’t want to eat in public.

Counts every calorie eaten.

As a parent when you realize your teenager is anorexic take immediate action. The teenager’s life is at stake.

Family Intervention

The family and good friends; if necessary, must be present to present their argument.

Talk about their health.

Tell your teenager how much you love him/her.

You must be strong.

Your teenager will protest. There is nothing wrong.

Take Action

Immediate medical attention a physician or Psychiatrist.

Admission to a hospital which specializes in anorexia.

Working with a Psychologist on a one-to-one basis or group therapy.

Group Therapy

Talking in groups of teenagers with the same problem.

Talking with a professional who will lead the group session.

Sports

This is important for all teenagers.

Join a gym.

Running

Aerobics

Walking

Swimming

Baseball

Football

Basketball

Bike riding

Skating

This will build self-esteem, keep weight down meet new people and explore new avenues to find out about themselves. Exercise will burn calories and keep the teenager’s mind off of food. When they reach home, they will be more than ready for a good family meal.

Medical Problems From Binging and Purging

  • Esophagus Is where the food starts in the mouth and travels downward into the stomach this is the tube which connects the mouth and stomach.
  • The bile and acid irritate the lining.
  • Tears can happen and become a life and death situation.
  • Narrowing of the esophagus can prevent food passing through.
  • This causes an inflammation of the stomach lining.
  • Can cause the stomach to rupture.

Medical Problems

  • Heart damage/Heart attack.
  • Loss of fluids and electrolytes.
  • Dehydration
  • Memory Loss
  • Anemia
  • Kidney Disease/Kidney failure.
  • Loss of teeth.
  • Reproduction system – might not be able to have children.
  • Lung complications
  • Osteoporosis
  • Hair loss
  • Depression
  • Low potassium
  • Kidney stones/failure
  • Weakness
  • Constipation
  • Ulcers
  • Death

When you become anorexic, you are not only hurting yourself, mentally and physically but your family and friends as well. There isn’t any easy fix for this mental/medical problem which can be life threatening. Take baby steps.

Family Therapy

This is where you talk with a Psychiatrist or family counselor and ask and answer questions.

  • What happens when you eat lunch in the school cafeteria?
  • Is it the food you don’t like?
  • Is it the way the food is set out for you to pick from?
  • Do you not like the food choices?
  • Do you want to see other food choices?
  • What would you like to eat at school?
  • When you hang out with your friends what do you eat?
  • What kind of food do you eat?
  • Can it be changed?

Family Dinner

  • Turn off the television.
  • Everybody sits around the table.
  • Talk to each other.

This is so important in keeping the communication open between you and your teenagers. Communication is disappearing in today’s world. With texting and e mails, instant messaging the English language is being lost. The teenagers feel it more than we think.

Try to get a dialogue going with your teenage ask your teenager what you can do to help. This won’t be easy since teenagers are usually closed mouthed about their personal life. Don’t give up. Try to find an even balance, you can talk about and win over your teenager’s confidence.

Love, Hugs, Compliments

Hugs can’t be mentioned enough. Hug your teenager every chance you can get. Tell your teenager you love him/her. Compliment him/her every chance you can get even for something you would never have thought of before. Your hair looks great today. I like your new sweater. I can’t do as many sit ups as you.  Build up your teenager’s confidence.

For the teenager daughter dad is probably the most important person in her life next to her mother. If there isn’t a dad a strong male who is important to her, an older brother or an uncle. There is a fierce love between dad and daughter. Dads must be especially aware of this. They can inflict damage to their daughters without realizing with a look or saying something. Teenage girls are very emotional and feel each emotion very strongly.

Even though your teenager has low self-esteem and doesn’t believe in him/herself, don’t stop the hugs, the I love you and the compliments.

Love, education, a good doctor and therapist, who can give nutritional advice, can get your teenager healthy mentally and physically. It will happen never give up. Love can move mountains.

Nutrition

Nutrition is so important. It’s as important as breathing. Yet it is not taught in the school system. When you graduate from high school and are out on your own the choices, we make to eat are sometimes not the best.

Today the way food is grown and processed is completely different from 20 years ago. This was when food was food and not chemicals. It was not loaded with salt, sugar, and fat.

We all must be educated on how to eat and what to eat. Today obesity is running wild though out the school system into adulthood. There is disease on the rampage which were for senior citizens not elementary school age children and older.

Education is the key. We must all be educated on what there is to eat that will not make us sick, make us obese or kill us.

Linda E. Meckler

Copyright 2010 updated 2021