Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Making Grammar Fun

Garner makes grammar fun, and readers will not only find elucidation but also moments of pure delight while browsing these pages. This edition includes more than 10,500 entries (an increase of approximately 1500 over the 2003 volume). There are preface statements from all three editions as well as new, worthwhile introductory essays: "Making Peace in the Language Wars" and "Ongoing Struggles of Garlic-Hangers" (a consideration of the descriptive vs. proscriptive debate). As always, the entries are not only filled with clear lessons about language usage, trends, and problems inherent in misuse, but they are also peppered with cleverly chosen examples of both usage and misusage. Entries run anywhere from a line or two about spelling ("espresso" not "expresso") to a full column (see "effete") or more (see "irregular verbs" and the table following). Added to this edition is a language-change index that rates where a disputed usage falls on a scale of 1-5 (with 1 being "widely rejected" and 5 being "universally accepted") so that readers can gauge the correctness of a phrase such as "Hopefully, it won't rain tomorrow." Garner isn't a snob, though. His book is the best of its kind in that it simply reports the facts in an engaging way; language evolves and usage changes. The book ends with a 46-page glossary of grammatical, rhetorical, and other language-related terms, and a 10-page time line of books on usage. An invaluable ready-reference tool.—Herman Sutter, Saint Agnes Academy, Houston, TX

Every once in a while, an author or book from outside the Idaho boundaries of this blog moves me to write about it here. It is because some topics are discussed widely by the people around me.

Here is one of those:



According to Booklist:

The “prescriptive/descriptive” debate in usage is alive and well with this newest edition of Garner’s readable work. Featuring more than 10,500 entries (up from 9,000), this edition features several enhancements. They include identifying poor usage with an asterisk before the terms and ranking certain entries with a “Language Change Index,” which measures “how widely accepted various linguistic innovations have become.” The scale is from 1 to 5, with 1 being rejected and 5 being fully accepted. For example, coupon being mispronounced “kyoo” instead of “koo” is given stage 4 (“the form is virtually universal but is opposed on cogent grounds by a few linguistic stalwarts”). More
Bryan A. Garner
than 2,000 usages are ranked. Extras in the volume include a new essay from Garner (“The Ongoing Struggles of Garlic-Hangers”) as well as the essay that appeared in the previous edition (“Making Peace in the Language Wars,” in which Garner describes himself as being “a kind of descriptive prescriber”) and a concluding 47-page glossary of grammatical terms and a time line of books on usage. The main focus remains Garner’s entries and usage notes. They range from word entries that simply verify the spelling (mayonnaise), to those clarifying two terms (sight, site), to those where he offers his never dull opinions (such as holocaust, which he calls “one of our most hyperbolic words, beloved of jargonmongers and second-rate journalists”). But the longer essay entries on usage, ranging from the half-page Officialese to the 9-page Punctuation, are Garner’s bread and butter. One would be tempted to say that this is clearly one of the best works on the topic, but doing so would be using one of Garner’s weasel words (intensives such as clearly that “actually have the effect of weakening a statement”). Suffice it to say that it is highly recommended for most libraries. 

Monday, March 9, 2015

Win a Sony Blu Ray Player With Author Sky Alexander

Book 1 of The Fires of Love & Hate Series
An Idaho author and publisher has  an innovative design to help others achieve their goal of seeing their works in print.

Rising Phoenix Inc. is helping others achieve their dreams.

"We have seen some contracts with publishing companies where as an author they are not getting my fair share of a book deal," says founder and author Sky Alexander.

With each sale of a book, the buyer will be entered into a sweepstakes to win a Sony Blu Ray Player.

 This is why my company was designed to help authors. Authors who joining myself and my team at Rising Phoenix will have the full support of a publisher. This includes the editing, marketing, cover design, formatting and all services you would find at a large publisher. The difference is that my publishing house will split the profits 50/50 with the author and help them be able to finally see the benefits of their hard life’s work. My dream is to help authors who really want to write and become the next JK Rowling, Stephen King or Tom Clancy. Mission Change the world one book at a time.

Here is an example of Sky's riveting work:

FORCED TO LOVE is one of 20 books in Sky’s series The Fires of Love & Hate (Historical Romance Collection).

“Inspiration can come from anywhere, but nothing is more uplifting and irresistible to me as a new Sky Alexander novel," writes Heather on Goodreads. "This is one of my new favorites, (with FORCED TO LOVE) Sky Alexander shows his unique writing style that reminds us of how great historical romance and western romance can be written that reminds you of classics but with new addictive twists that are uplifting and intriguing in The Fires of Love & Hate (Historical Romance Collection). Hattie really shows that through thick and then love for your family is one of the most important things.”
Hattie Morran is a poor dirt farmers daughter in Missouri. Suddenly Hattie finds that her life is changed in the blink of an eye and she is forced to love Abner Garland. Now her Western Romance which is purely a façade for show and to save her family will soon come to an end. “But what about their anger?” Hattie asked. “Jess and Abner will be furious.” “Furious doesn’t even begin to describe how they’re going to react. Even though I probably shouldn’t, I am going to set them up with handsome allowances. What can they do? I’m of sound mind. So, Miss Hattie, when you marry Abner, I will give you nine-tenths of my fortune, and the remainder will be yours at my death.”
Author and Publisher Sky Alexander

From the moment that you are brought into the book you will be immediately part of the western romance in the middle of the south. The Fires of Love & Hate Series will keep you right in the middle of a tale that is based on some true and historical events. This historical romance series is sure to be you’re new favorite.

 Sky was born in Utah and raised in both Utah and California. He has been writing for many years and enjoys spending time with his family as well as staying up on the newest technology. A single father of two little boys, Lucas & Matthew. Sky lives in Idaho.

Sky holds a degree in Network Engineering and is currently finishing a degree in Software Engineering. Sky is currently working on two different series "The Fires of Love & Hate" (A Historical Romance series) & "Aspen Falls" (Action Adventure, Thriller series).

Sky welcomes emails from his readers and can salexander@risingphoenixpublishing.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/skyalexander79