THEY SPEAK FOR MY WORK

THIS IS CUT AND PASTE FROM AMAZON.  NOTHING ADDED OR DELETED.

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This review is from: Alaska be Damned! (Kindle Edition)

I started reading this literary gem on a Sunday evening and stayed up way too late as I didn't want to put it down. I couldn't wait to get home from work the next three evenings so I could continue this fine read.
Starting out as a fast paced, stormy Alaskan ship wreck rescue, this story develops into an intriguing and complex romantic mystery exposing political corruption.
At the same time as the story develops, the characters fully develop until you really know them. The geographic area and waterways are described so well that you feel like you have just spent the summer in Alaska and have gotten to know Alaskan life.

 

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it!!, May 7, 2013

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MG (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alaska be Damned! (Kindle Edition)

I've got to say, this book was one of my favorites. Mr. Hatting did a fabulous job drawing me into the story from the very beginning and helping me to "feel" the characters. When you finish a book with the feeling that you have made new friends and that you'd rather hang out with them longer, then the author has done their job! I recommend this book to everyone. As has been the case with the other books I have read by Mr. Hatting, there is a bit of everything sprinkled in for any reader. Truly, truly, a resounding 5 star read!! Two thumbs up!!

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I'll be damned, Alaska be Damn is a fine read!, June 19, 2013

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Art Edwards - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Alaska be Damned! (Kindle Edition)

A very good read of adventure, intrigue, governmental corruption with nice romance added. The story begins with a sea rescue but it is followed by authority abuse, police corruption and vengeful, rotten politicians. Lots of good story thread about Alaska, fishing, along with this person who was wronged fighting back, finding love and great friendships. This man, his family and strong friendships all come together in this fast paced, entertaining novel, kept me reading day and night.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Alaska Be Damned, November 8, 2011

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Bette - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Alaska be Damned! (Kindle Edition)

This book grabs you from the very first page and doesn't let you go until you finish it. It was an awesome read! Another hit for a terrific author. Robert Hatting has done it again. I love his books!

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book but Needs editing, June 3, 2011

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Sherry Beair (Tulsa, OK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alaska be Damned! (Kindle Edition)

I really enjoyed reading this book. I am a fan of big books and this was a good one. I would consider rating the book higher except that it needs editing and formating. Words run together and sometimes the words are out of order. Othertimes it was like the book had been dictated and the person typing misheard the correct word. It was not bad enough for me to quit reading it but it was frustrating.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, July 2, 2013

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Kim Ingham - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Alaska be Damned! (Kindle Edition)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Alaska BE DAMNED. Wasn't what I expected when I started but with its historical and political concepts it remained an enjoyable and informative read. Look forward to reading more from Robert Batting.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very descriptive of Alaskan life and great characters., June 29, 2013

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MsMonicle - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Alaska be Damned! (Kindle Edition)

Wonderfully descriptive storytelling of Alaska,s beauty and treachery. Loved the warm and often humorous characters. Admired the strength of the characters too. All around good read that sometimes made me go hmmmmmm

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Alaska Be Damned, February 12, 2011

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CW - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Alaska be Damned! (Kindle Edition)

Wow! I was given this book as a gift and it was one of my best gifts. I didn't want to put it down. I loved the subject matter and the way he wrote about things. I especially liked the way he describes and treats relationships. I am a boat person and this author obviously either did his research or was one too. I like the way he twists and turns things as you go along. I read ALOT of books by many well known authors and enjoyed this one as much or more. It was obvious to me this author has either done alot or has a very vivid imagination and does his research.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Author's Background as a World Traveler Shows In This One, August 1, 2013

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Clara B. Ray (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Alaska be Damned! (Kindle Edition)

Author Robert Hatting wrote an engrossing novel, with intimate details of Alaska, the fishing industry, the sea, world travels, corrupt politicians/law enforcement, loyalty, passion & love. His background includes extensive travels worldwide, and his knowledge of so many landscapes showed expertly here. I became engrossed in this book because his vast knowledge of the sea, boats & the fishing industry were woven into a blockbuster storyline. I don't say that to be sensational, it was that type of book. Well written, seasoned with passion, honor, chivalry & an ending that leaves a satisfied feeling to the reader. If you love books on sea adventure, with correct terminology presented in a captivating format, "Alaska Be Damned" is one you will want to read.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, July 21, 2013

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MikeR - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Alaska be Damned! (Kindle Edition)

Great book, liked the characters, the author made me care what happened to these people, and that is what makes a good book for me.

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars good,not great, June 27, 2013

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Fonna "retired cop" (Texas) - See all my reviews

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Pretty good, but a little heavy on fishing stuff. Characters lacked depth of emotion, and throwing in a sex scene isn't a substitute.

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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars good book, July 21, 2013

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K. hill (albuquerque) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Alaska be Damned! (Kindle Edition)

A very good book. Kept me interested and learned a little about Alaska. Somewhat predictable but still a good a book for a lazy summer day.

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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing tale, July 15, 2013

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ChristophFischerBooks ""diebus"" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alaska be Damned! (Kindle Edition)

"Alaska be Damned!" by Robert Hatting is an interesting and fascinating read.
It begins with the rescue of a ship in stormy weathers. Very descriptive and moody I was taken in by the writing at once and enjoyed watching the characters and the story unfold. While I was thoroughly loved the amount of detail and background information given about Alaska and its history, a small romantic part would have liked to stay clear of politics and that part of the plot as it moved forward.
Well written and featuring interesting characters this is well worth a read.

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PANAMANIAN PROMISES - BAD BEHAVIOR

One of the advantages of being a blog author (with no sponsors, advertisers, or paid subscribers,) is that I can switch topics, offer opinions and sometimes purposely piss off everyone.  There’s no way to keep me quiet if I feel strongly about a topic or condition -- I'M UNTAMED!

 

Writing novels is more of a hobby than a business.  The business model is full of flaws and the industry is corrupt.   Writing novels and being an INDIE is definitely a labor of love.

My background has always been business.  Over the years I developed a knack for spotting issues and problems in businesses, purchasing them and then repairing them and reselling. I developed a simple but effective system for managing employees (more on that topic at a later date).

 One doesn’t do forty of these ‘turn-a-rounds’ without noticing and appreciating the business models developed by enterprising entrepreneurs over the years. Once in a while a business model will come along that changes the way the world behaves; automobile, electricity, franchise food, mainframe computers, PC’s, air travel, cell phones, video games, the internet?  

Look at the modern world and see the advances for what they are; someone’s imagination and application.  Yes, everything you see is a result of personal innovation; an idea that germinated and sprouted in the human mind.  Then it was tested and applied to life as we know it. Once this idea became a product or service, someone else usually decided to use it and make it their own. (The copycat) If the originator (creator) didn’t build a decent business model, the copycat would prevail and make all the wealth.

Now, when enough ideas were stolen and used by a number of people; perhaps even a society, some dude writes them all down and calls it ‘a book of learning’. (notice I didn’t say all the ideas of smart people that were stolen) Then some other folks take this book and start what they define as education; reading contents of this book to interested people, some young – some old.

This process evolves into courses of study. These educators are seldom creators. They construct institutions to teach others by making rules.  Lots of rules, and policies, and more rules, and then they dictate the time required to study each subject.  Somewhere along the way someone says “we need diplomas and certificates” and then the government steps in and they make the skies black with more rules and laws.

So what do you get when the government and administrators take the reins of an organization?  FUBAR?

INNOVATION

 There has been very little innovation in the field of education. Think about it!  Compare it to the computer industry, transportation, communication, entertainment or the current publishing industry.  The excuse most often used by the educators when challenged is: there’s so much more to learn now than there was when you went to school. Look all the technology! No shit, Sherlock. HELLO!!!

Where is all this leading?  Simple.  I have developed a learning system that can teach any subject in record time.  I’ve messed with it for the better part of four decades and decided last fall to implement the system.  It’s called ENFORCED MEMORIZATION TECHNIQUE. This system is very low tech.  No need for anything except the student should have a notebook and pencil. The courses can be taught anywhere; in the workplace, at home, a church, or under a shade tree.

I can teach a bi-lingual instructor how to take a small group (10 or less) of Spanish speakers that don’t know a word of English and have them at a basic level English in 6 weeks – eighteen two hour lessons.

This course is inexpensive – tailored to the lower scale working Panamanian. 

The instructor need not do any more than be trained (a two hour session)and administer the classes that have been pre-sold.  The instructor receives payment for each student in the class. (A class of 10 students generates revenue to the instructor at just shy of $18 per hour.)  The seats in the classes are pre-sold, and the teaching materials are provided by my company. The instructor’s only responsibility is to collect the money at the beginning of each week, issue receipts, and BE ON TIME – INSISTING THAT THE STUDENTS DO THE SAME!

Sounds simple and rewarding for everyone concerned doesn’t it?  There are many students I have personally taught with this system that are now conversing in English and about to graduate from a conventional intermediate class. 

HERE’S THE RUB…the FLY IN THE ointment…the turd in the punchbowl.

MY BUSINESS MODEL DOESN’T WORK BECAUSE I’m launching it in the wrong culture.  LATIN AMERICA!!

My first organizational meeting with potential instructors and salespeople was prior to Xmas last year (2012). I invited forty-four people. – Six persons attended the meeting.

Textbooks have been written and copyrighted; the teaching material has been printed, utilized and tested.  THE SYSTEM WORKS!

Thirty-seven (37) instructors agreed to meet with me to be instructed in how to teach this revolutionary memorization technique. These were one on one, eye to eye contact appointments made over the past seven months.  None – not one person who agreed to meet and get trained has shown up for their training. NONE!

Not making a scheduled appointment, not calling to cancel, not telling the truth…this is common in Panama.  Ninety-nine percent of the populace act this way.  I normally shrug and go on with my life without angst or stress – except in two areas.  MY HEALTH and MY ASPIRATIONS!

Rather than give-up or let my frustrations affect my health, I ran some internet advertisements in Asia; Singapore, Jakarta, Hong Kong, and Manila. .  I’ve lived and travelled the Orient.  I have a basic feel for their culture.  It’s entirely different than Panama; 180 degrees different.

My ads were submitted in English and they gave a brief description of the opportunity and potential earnings. I received numerous responses from interested parties.  One in particular has been Skyping with me; learning the parameters of the system.  This lady is a home-care-giver in Hong Kong who speaks Chinese, Korean, English, and Vietnamese plus her native tongue, Tagolog.

Our Skype teaching/learning sessions were constantly being interrupted by bad connections.  I was considering sponsoring this woman for a visa.  I was waffling on the idea until I learned she was capable of giving me my Ozone injections.  This grain of knowledge came at a time when I had been stood-up by three (3) nurse/technicians scheduled to come to my house and give me the injections. None showed nor did they call.  I was at the end of my string. My health depends on these injections and since my dear friend Dimelza got married and moved to Panama City, I’ve been scratching to find a reliable technician.

 F**K ‘EM ALL! I’LL IMPORT SOMEONE!!!

I made a commitment last week to bring this woman to Panama.  She will be converting all my material to Chinese, Korean, and Tagolog.  While she is here, we will be calling on all the Chinese businesses in Panama. I expect we will be teaching many of the Chinese/Panamanians English using my technique. She will also be introduced to Ozone Therapy as she has agreed to provide my necessary injections.

Several of my close friends believe I am overreacting. I’m sure if I was in their position, I would think so, too.  HOWEVER, they don’t have the vision of what could change in the world of learning – I DO!

This isn’t about money; fortunes and fame.  THIS IS ABOUT CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE LEARN!!

Our world is a mess because the educational systems of most nations have failed.  Failed miserably! Perhaps I will be able to see my system take hold somewhere and start making a difference. It’s apparent to me after pushing a rock uphill for eight months it won’t begin in Chiriquí, Panama!

BLOG POSTINGS, PROMOTIONS, AND WORK IN PROCESS!

As I began scheduling August and September blog posts and promotions, it dawned on me I only have a narrow window left before I’m scheduled to send my WIP novel to my editor. 

Past lessons have taught me to schedule the editing prior to the completion of the novel that is WIP.  There are several factors to consider – the most important being -- not releasing the novel for publication without Melissa Gray’s final edit and Steve Caresser’s final formatting. (Melissa is booked solid 6-7 months in advanced)

So, now being cognizant of my timeline, I will minimize the amount of blog postings and the time spent on special promotions. 

SHOOTER is currently at 25,000 words – sixteen chapters; slightly past the halfway mark for the first draft. (Mid-way plot point)  Normally, I would be able to crank out the balance of the book by writing two thousand words a day and then go back and add all the senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, & sounds) in the next couple of rewrites. That could happen easily in thirty days.  However, this novel deals with a number of assassinations of public figures (including President Kennedy) so my research is voluminous and time consuming.  I’ll see how my next week progresses. 

 Sometimes a novel such as this will take on a life of its own and grow to dictionary size – ALASKA BE DAMNED, 140,000 words.  The outline for my best seller estimated the final product at around 80,000 words. Then the ‘word gods’ took over and it reached 260k. I peeled it back to 140k on the final rewrite.  The same phenomenon occurred to THE LAST FRUIT STAND ON GUAM.  That began as a novella with an outline that estimated a dozen chapters averaging 2500 words. LFS is around 120k.

I’m rather old fashioned.  I still write by the pound.  If my outline for a novel (like SHOOTER) doesn’t suggest a novel of 60k or more, I set it aside and move to the next idea.  An exception to that rule was TRES PIEDRAS. My outline was really a general idea with a burning desire to get it written.  It was 42k and I wrote in six weeks.  It was not scheduled for the editor so it sat on the shelf for almost five months.

I’m not sure SHOOTER will make my deadline.  I may not want to if this ‘hickie grows legs’.

 I can assure you of one thing; blog postings will be light unless they are supporting one of my novels being promoted. Also my FB and Twitter accounts won’t be used very often.  Chat and e-mail time will take place during scheduled hours as I will no longer have the internet active while I’m creating and immersed in my story.

Once my first draft is finished, I’ll go back to my normal routine. 

BTW -- I’m setting aside one of my current projects; trying to determine the price I need to charge these blog parasites for using my Amazon freebies to build their businesses. Think about that concept, fellow authors!