Bernard Jan's Blog - Posts Tagged "ebook"

Things I didn't Tell You

I wasn't thrilled on the morning of my A World Without Color book launch. Even though I was up until 3.40 am waiting to see when it would be live and available for purchase I fell asleep before that happened. In the morning, I continued with my daily activities: vacuum cleaning, dusting, texting with my friends who were more excited than me that my book was live on Amazon, tweeting.

I felt calmness holding onto the vacuum cleaner. Focused on sucking in the dirt, I felt enormous relief that one part of this long journey was over. Yet I have to finish the paperback book and then collect as many good reviews as possible, but in the morning of my book launch I left myself to calmness.

Nobody knew how hard it was and how well I faked it. I can be a great Pagliacci. A perfect pretender. Screams and cries and tears and sobs I killed within me, because if I gave in to my emotions even for a second longer, I would be done. I would be catapulted back to the day when Marcel died... when we killed him.

It is such a thin line between grief and happiness, an invisible flight of a grain of dust from one part of the room to another.... Do you also know how hard it is to be happy when your heart wants to bleed into nothingness?

Two days later after the Saturday of July 1, 2017, I returned to my daily job full time. Four months during which I worked only part-time were over, not that I was too happy about it. But hard days at work are before us and I have to leave my baby, right after its birth, and tend to other things. I can only hope it won't suffer too much, that I will get it a decent life and exposure.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Yeah, I know I can count the days of the week, but the point is that after those super-crazy-busy days at work came Friday. And my trip to Sweden. A comforting thought of my land of refugee that has lived in the back of my mind for a couple of months already came to life. I barely had time to think of it, let alone rejoice it, between my daily work and my self-publishing efforts.

Now it is here. Sweden and my book together. Even if I planned it that way....

Not even the best marketing plans and experts can predict the future. No one can guarantee things will happen that way, the way we want them. No online lectures and marketing gurus can prepare us for the twists and turns that will happen when life decides to shows us who directs the order in the universe and where our role is in a bigger plan. We can only try, do whatever we can and hope for the best.

Sweden is on my plate now. I will breathe it with every pore on my skin. Its smells, its beauty, its calmness and order. Two weeks I will live by the order of another universe and I am determined to be happy. My down-to-earth and supercool friends Claire and Tommy are with me and they will make sure I recover from the accumulated stress and remember again that there is life outside of constant work and that it can be beautiful.

Like Sweden, like my book, like you my friends. I will be on a summer vacay on the north of Europesummer vacay on the north of Europe, but I won't forget you. This is where tweets, texts and e-mails prove their worthiness. Maybe that is the greatest value of social networking.

Bernard Jan

For images from Sweden please click here.

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Bernard Jan
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Published on July 09, 2017 03:00 Tags: a-world-without-color, bernard-jan, books, cats, ebook, novella, summer, sweden, vacation

This Author Needs Your Votes!

I am happy to tell you that my e-book A World Without Color, a true story about the last three days I spent with my beloved cat Marcel, has been selected to partake in the monthly "Cover of The Month" contest for August, 2017 on AllAuthor—a fast growing bibliophile network connecting readers and authors together.

The book cover is beautifully designed by Mario Kožar from MKM Media, while the amazing cover photo was taken by a fashion, lifestyle and portrait photographer Zach Singh.

At the moment my book's rank is #4 with 38 votes. It's excellent, considering 113 books compete this month. Since it's highest rank a couple of days ago was #3, you and me both know that with your help it can do better and rank even higher!

Please vote for my book and give it a boost!

You can also purchase A World Without Color e-book at Amazon or read it for free with Kindle Unlimited.

Thank you a million and thanks to all of you who have already voted for it!

BJ
www.bernardjan.com

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Bernard Jan
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Cover Wars

My book has entered another best book cover contest this month; this time it is Cover Wars!

Each week Author Shout posts 15 book covers in Cover Wars and at the end of the week (Sunday at 8 AM EST) voting will end. The cover with the most votes becomes their book of the week. They will promote it for one week on their website, shout outs, and their newsletter.

Please vote for my A World Without Color book cover. You can vote more than once, but only vote once a day. You can vote again only after full 24 hours or the vote will not count.

You can show further support to my book by clicking on its link and purchasing it if you haven't done so already. :)

Another book cover contest

In AllAuthor Cover of the month August contest my book cover has been shortlisted and earned a spot in top 50 (out of 113 books which started the contest).

Its current rank is #2 and I'm going after #1! For that I need your support. Please vote for A World Without Color now! The contest will be open until the end of August.

Thank you!

Bernard Jan
www.bernardjan.com

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Cover photo by Zach Singh; Cover design by Mario Kožar MKM Media

A World Without Color A True Story Of the Last Three Days With My Cat by Bernard Jan
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Published on August 20, 2017 08:22 Tags: a-world-without-color, bernard-jan, book-cover, contest, cover, ebook, novella

Anniversary Giveaway

Welcome to the A World Without Color giveaway!

Date: Sept 11 – Sept 25, 2017

On September 11 I am marking two years of launching my official website www.bernardjan.com and one year of my Twitter account @BernardJanWorld!

For that occasion I've partnered with Animal Bliss blog to give two e-books of my novella A World Without Color to two lucky winners and subscribers of the Animal Bliss blog in a two-weeks giveaway contest.

A World Without Color is a powerful, emotional and honest true story of the last three days I spent with my cat Marcel.

If you love animals, don't miss the opportunity to be one of two lucky winners of this heartfelt and moving novella!

I don't condition but appreciate the winners to subscribe to my blog Muse and follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. I will be happy to connect with you and follow you back too!

Reviews on Amazon and your votes at the AUTHORSdb Cover Contest 2017 are also welcome!

ENTER the anniversary giveaway.

Thank you!

BJ
www.bernardjan.com

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A World Without Color A True Story Of the Last Three Days With My Cat by Bernard Jan
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Download My Book for Free!

This is a onetime opportunity! Five days of free download of my book!

Wednesday, March 21, 2018, 12:00 AM PDT to Sunday, March 25, 2018, 11:59 PM PDT

Remember those dates, don't miss the opportunity to get A World Without Color, the true story of the last three days with my cat, at no cost for you!

On March 27, 2018 I am pulling my book out of KDP Select so it won't be available as free read on Amazon anymore. This is why this opportunity is the perfect time for you to get your ebook for free and read (and review it too) at your own time and pace.

Even if you don't get A World Without Color for free during those five days from March 21 to March 25, it won't be the end of the world, for you will be able to get it at a discount price. But more about it... later.

Good luck on my book hunt from March 21 to March 25, hope you will enjoy reading it! And don't forget, honest reviews are welcome and appreciated. :)

BJ
www.bernardjan.com

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Cover photo by Zach Singh, Cover design by Mario Kožar MKM Media

A World Without Color A True Story Of the Last Three Days With My Cat by Bernard Jan

Bernard Jan
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Free and Simple

I'll put it simple. Look for Me Under the Rainbow FREE DOWNLOAD!

Saturday, June 30, 2018, 12:00 AM PDT to Tuesday, July 3, 2018, 11:59 PM PDT

I won't say it for certain, but this is probably the last free promo in a while of my story of Danny, a curious harp seal pup with soft white fur and black innocent eyes, and Helen, an environmentalist and member of a young activist crew of the Rainbow Warriors, whose mission is to save animals.

This is why I give you four days to download my e-book. Happy reading!

In the brief moment he surfaced, he thought he heard a familiar sound. Rumbling, buzzing, splashing. Dragged under too soon, he could not figure it out.
But he had managed to breathe in some air before it yanked him below the surface again. He began to hallucinate. Images floated in front of his eyes. His mother, his father, Jon, other seals. They all smiled at him. All of them except the human female with golden hair and the sea colored eyes. In hers, this time, he only saw fear.


BJ
www.bernardjan.com

Bernard Jan
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The Story of Danny at Discounted Price

My book Look for Me Under the Rainbow is in Kindle promotion days! Here are the scheduled dates for discounted prices in Kindle Countdown Deal:

1 September 16, 2018 at 8:00 AM (PDT) 80h $0.99 67%

2 September 19, 2018 at 4:00 PM (PDT) 80h $1.99 34%

End September 23, 2018 at 12:00 AM (PDT) Original list price $2.99

Grab your ebook, if you don’t have it yet, and tell your friends who would love to get it at discounted price. Now is the time to do that and let them know!

Erwin’s eyes refocused on the present. “Helen, the boy in this legend was the first Rain-bow Warrior to walk this planet. We were named after him.”
She watched him bleary-eyed, mindless of where she was or the cup of coffee she held in the grip of her fingers that turned blue.
Then she wistfully smiled at him and said, “I think the legend about Rainbow Warriors is a bit different, but thank you anyway.”
“There are legends and legends, Helen, and this one’s mine. It can be yours too if you want. As long as Rainbow Warriors—no matter from which story, fable or legend—live among us, there is hope for this world. And even for this poor thing we came too late to save. If we believe there’s a rainbow, maybe his death wasn’t as terrible as it looks to us now, or in vain.”


Thank you for caring about animals and saving our planet!

BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Look for Me Under the Rainbow A Novella by Bernard Jan
Bernard Jan
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A New Year's Gift

Happy 2019!

I will start the new 2019 year with something nice, a small gift of $2 discount on my novella Look for Me Under the Rainbow. The whole week its Amazon price will be only $0.99 so please mark these days and share them with anyone you know and care about.

Thursday, January 3, 2019, 8:00 AM PST through Thursday, January 10, 2019, 12:00 AM PST

This is a 67% discount on my story about the harp seal pup Danny and the group of Rainbow Warrior environmentalists and activists trying to save baby seals hunted for their fur. My readers love this story and the message it carries.

If you've read and loved it too, please leave the honest review. Your review will help it shine and sparkle in the constellation of the millions of books. With your love, it will find a way to its new readers.

"Jan has provided an intense connection filled with love, fear, bonds, and touching moments we can easily translate as humans. From oil spills to getting caught between the ice, we understand the struggles of animals who can only do so much to protect themselves or their young . . . Without getting into any gory details or making it uncomfortable, Jan has truly shown a different side of life in the ocean. Death is never easy. Loss is profound. Through wonderful imagery, lyrical text, and strong emotions, he's got a winner with Danny's story."
James J. Cudney, author of Watching Glass Shatter, Father Figure, Academic Curveball and Broken Heart Attack

Many thanks and best wishes for glorious and glowing 2019!

BJ
www.bernardjan.com

Bernard Jan
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Look for Me Under the Rainbow at Discount Price!

This is your opportunity! Look for Me Under the Rainbow at a 67% discount price during Kindle promo week!

Monday, June 24, 2019, 8:00 AM PDT through Sunday, June 30, 2019, 8:00 AM PDT

“I would have this book in schools everywhere, because it really teaches people (and kids) the cruelties of humans. The story as a whole and Danny reminded me of Bambi. Highly recommend the book!”—John-Clement Gallo, author of The Shadowverse

An excerpt from the book:

Danny watched with joy as baby seals crawled out from hollows in the ice that served as cots and waddled to their mothers. They hungrily suckled on warm milk before returning to their ice beds to continue their sleep.

Danny’s seemingly indifferent father strutted around their group, protecting them from unexpected enemies. Now and then he emitted a proud bellow. The sight not far from him was in every faction full of love; Danny could hardly stop himself from running to join them. He wanted to snatch some of that warm intimacy for himself, as well as play with the new pups. He wished he could get closer to his father too. Though he reached out to him several times, his father treated him with such aloofness Danny backed off—ashamed and aching. Alone. Back to the loneliness in which he spent the first eight days of his life, because his mother would still not let him join the others.

“But, Mom, why aren’t we living with other seals? Why are we alone? Why can’t I play with the others? Look how happy they are!” He watched with longing as two pups rolled down the icy slope, playfully holding each other by the neck.

“Be patient, son,” his mother always replied. “Soon you will be able to play with them, too.”

“But when, Mom, when?”

“Soon, Danny, very soon.”

Thank you for downloading your eBook!

BJ
www.bernardjan.com
Look for Me Under the Rainbow by Bernard Jan
Bernard Jan
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My EBook at a 67% Discount Price!

I am happy to tell you that my eBook Look for Me Under the Rainbow is again at a 67% discount price during Kindle promo week!

Sunday, September 15, 2019, 8:00 AM PDT through Sunday, September 22, 2019, 12:00 AM PDT

Grab this opportunity and read the story of a harp seal Danny at a favorable price! Please spread the word and tell your friends about it. If you care about its message and want more future readers to hear about it, please leave an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads. Thank you!

“I loved this short story about a sweet young harp seal who faces both adventure and loss despite being so young. This is a gentle, but realistic tale about the life many seals face out in the wild—with humans being their most feared predator. While sad in parts, I found this story to be very though-provoking and encouraging. If only we can stay brave and true to ourselves even when the darker parts of the world show us their horrible faces.”—Sara Flower Kjeldsen, author of Followed, The Suicides and seven other books

An excerpt from Look for Me Under the Rainbow:

Just as she started to chase and catch up to her prey, she heard a deafening rumble and felt the ice above her tremble. Petrified, she listened to the strident screech of breaking ice. With swift movements, she swam to the hole in the ice from which she surfaced a few minutes ago.

Sliding, stumbling, she managed to climb onto the ice floe. She looked in the direction of the barking group of seals, at the same time they plunged into the sea. Fear and panic spread to other groups. Almost in an instant, all disappeared. Only the unprotected young remained behind on the empty ice floes.

Her blood ran cold when she looked at the place where her boys were supposed to be. Nobody there. No sign of life. With tears in her eyes, she uttered a bark full of pain and anguish.

“Danny! Jon!”

Download Look for Me Under the Rainbow.

BJ
www.bernardjan.com

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Look for Me Under the Rainbow by Bernard Jan
Bernard Jan
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