Tak Tik Boom

Apple Getting Skinned

The web is buzzing with unflattering commentary about Apple's latest TV campaign. I'll be writing about it soon.

As a byproduct of Apple's ad problems, a post I wrote last year is getting a lot of attention and traffic.

If you're interested, the piece is called Advertising And The Future Of Apple and you can find it here.

Today I'm blogging about historical fiction on The Writer's ABC Checklist

Invasion Of The Paramarketers

We have a new breed in the advertising and marketing world. They are paramarketers -- almost marketers. They know the language. They know the look. They know the moves. But they don't have the chops.

In medicine and the law, people who are almost doctors and almost lawyers are clearly labeled. They are paramedics and paralegals. But in marketing, there are no such labels. They are called

Friends Family and Other Strangers From Downunder

Fancy relaxing in the shade this weekend with the cocktail of your choice and an entertaining mixture of Australian short stories? My e-book collection is free from all amazon sites for the next 5 days. I'd love some feedback too, please!

Ad Contrarian Bails Out Facebook

As you probably know, Facebook announced their earnings yesterday and the men in the grey suits on Wall Street were not happy. Shares in Facebook dropped 10% in after-hours trading after falling 8.5% earlier in the day. Facebook shares were already selling for less than a toasted raisin bagel with light cream cheese, so this was not a good thing.

One thing we don't want is for the men in grey

Social Media And The Olympic Games

The great Dave Trott turned me on to a truly wonderful social media video about the London Olympics. First take a look at it, then we'll talk.

You watch this and you say to yourself, is she serious? Then a question creeps into your mind. Is she really a social media person or is it a spoof?

One of the characteristics of great satire is that it straddles the line between reality and comedy.

Fellow Aussie and historical fiction author, John Ivor from Booktaste

Following John Ivor’s historical novel, No Kiss For A Killer, his second title in the Dreams Quartet – Run Maggie Run – is an adults-only paperback.

Sentenced to hang, 9-year old factory waif, Maggie flees 1830s Scotland and endures a violent odyssey to womanhood. On the run, her adventures take her to the far end of the world. She outsmarts Arab pirates, endures kidnapping, survives sex predators and is sold as a slave. Thrills, humour and compassion blend to give this novel its original label as ‘best serial since Dickens’.

For more details on Run Maggie Run, please refer to www.Booktaste.com