REGINA'S UNIVERSE
"Where the universe of writing and reading comes alive!"
Editor: Regina Paul
September 2005
Issue#2
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CONTENTS
o Editor's News
o Article: Seven Free Ways to Keep Your Work Safe from Plagiarizers
and Information Thieves
o Book Review: Quiet As It's Kept by Janet West-Sellars
o Thank you to New Subscribers
o Advertisements
o Copyright Info
o Your Subscription Info
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o Editor's News
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Hi Everyone,

Well, we made it to our second issue, and we've even got a few new
subscribers. So, a big welcome to the newbies, and I hope you'll like
it here in Regina's Universe.

On a happy note, there have been several additions to my author's
website and many more to come in the very near future. However, one of
those changes is that I've decided to offer an e-book version of a
novella I wrote in 1998 called THE MARK OF THE GUARDIAN, and another
very good e-book, THE POD WORKBOOK by Sarah Mankowski free if you sign
up for my newsletter. Now, these weren't available when I first set
this up, so if you are in that group of first subscribers and would
like your copy of these e-books just send me an e-mail with a request
and I'll send them to you.

The contest for a copy of the e-book version of GETTING OUT ALIVE
ended on September 15, 2005, and our winner was Erika Stuva. There is
a new contest up on my website in honor of my releasing THE MARK OF
THE GUARDIAN (if only as a freebie when you sign up for this
newsletter) for a wonderful basket of bath goodies which will run from
September 17, 2005 to October 17, 2005, at which time I will draw a
name and e-mail the winner. If you'd like to participate send me an
e-mail with the word "bath" in the subject line. That's all there is
to it!

I'm also very proud to announce that GETTING OUT ALIVE received two
wonderful reviews recently! One from Coffee Time Romance which can be
viewed here:
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/GettingOutAlive.html

And one from ecataromance which can be viewed here:
http://www.ecataromance.com/html/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1397

So, that's my news for this issue, and as always if you have an idea
for something to include in this newsletter, please do not hesitate to
contact me at tiwatz@yahoo.com That includes anything you've written,
or news you'd like to share that you know would be useful and/or
entertaining for the rest of us. So, that being said let's move on to
this month's featured article, "Seven Ways to Keep Your Work Safe From
Plagiarizers, and Information Thieves"

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o Seven Free Ways to Keep Your Work Safe From Plagiarizers and
Information Thieves
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Fortunately in the United States copyright is a simple thing. When we
write something and say it is ours, according to copyright law, what
we write is automatically copyrighted and protected. However, as nice
as this thought is, it's not something to be relied on in and of
itself. There are people out there who will steal your hard work in a
heartbeat and claim it for themselves. If you don't do what you can to
protect your original work, then you leave yourself open to those
unsavory characters whom I refer to as information thieves.

Here are seven ways you can protect what you've written:

*Keep several copies on disk as well as your hard drive, and hide some
copies, make sure you are the only one who knows where they are, and
that they are dated. This way if somehow your working copy disappears,
and miraculously appears under someone else's name you have proof that
it is indeed "your copy, and your original writing."

*Send each chapter as you complete it to a trusted friend who then
saves it to more than one disk and keeps them safe for you. (Make sure
this is someone you'd trust with your child or your dog)

*Once you've completed your final version print out a copy and mail it
to yourself, then don't open the envelope, just keep it put away. If
you don't want to waste ink, and paper you can save it to disk and
mail the disk to yourself. The key point here is don't open the
envelope when you receive it. This is your proof you wrote the book,
novella whatever.

*Under no circumstances, unless you totally and completely trust the
person (ie with your child or dog) should you give out copies of your
book or copies of chapters of your book in Microsoft Word, or Word
Perfect. To do so opens up the temptation for a person to make some
changes and then call your work theirs.

*Whether or not you are going the traditional publishing route (You
might want someone to read it before it comes out) or POD, e-book
whatever, you should create a copyright page for your book. You can
look at a copyright page in any book and modify it to fit your needs.
Then add it to the front of your book, novella etc. before you turn
your document into a PDF.

*Download a copy of a PDF conversion software. There are several free
versions available. I use pdf995, you can download it for free at
www.pdf995.com You can then convert your writing into PDF format and
thus prevent any changes by anyone else.

*One final note is to make sure if you post any of your writing on
your website that you put a copyright note at the bottom of each page.
This way there is no way for someone to say "but it wasn't
copyrighted." While it's true that the same as if you write something
and say it's yours, legally it's yours, this is also true of the
internet. However, why take chances? The internet is international, I
think it's better to be safe than sorry later on. Also many writers
post exerpts of their writing to writer's groups, boards etc. Make
sure you put a copyright notice at the bottom of the exerpt, you don't
know who might be surfing the boards, or signed up for your writer's
group. Again, why take chances?

These are only a few ideas to protect your writing and they are of
course free. You can also opt to pay the fee to protect what you
writing through the US Copyright office, http://www.copyright.gov/ for
$30 which I highly recommend. However, if like me you are a struggling
writer trying to make ends meet and begin your career, the above tips
will work just fine until you can afford the fee. It's also important
to remember that whether you actually pay the fee to copyright through
the US Copyright Office or not, your writing is protected by copyright
law. So…that being said, Happy Writing, and please do everything you
can to protect your work! You'll be glad you did.

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o FEATURED BOOK REVIEW: Quiet As It's Kept by Janet West-Sellars
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Quiet As It's Kept by Janet West-Sellars is a novel about family, and
a wonderful novel at that. She does something successfully that I have
seen few writers do, and that is to give each character their say.
Now, I say this, because in her novel we are able to read each
person's point of view. Rather than being only about one character,
although it centers around Zee, and her relationship with her father
Scott, you experience each character's thoughts, personality and
feelings. It is rare for a writer to be able to do this and do it
well, but Ms. West-Sellars broke the bank in that respect!

The story opens with Scott's funeral and a quick flash of each
character's thoughts on the service, and the people attending. Then
the author skillfully weaves her way backwards showing the reader
everything that happened up to that point, while still maintaining a
grip on the present.

Zee has a strange relationship with her father who she both loves and
hates. Zee's mother Olivia died giving birth to her, and for that her
father Scott will never forgive her, or so it seems. Even when Zee is
diagnosed with a terminal disease from which she will not survive if
she doesn't receive a kidney transplant, Scott doesn't change his
attitude nor his treatment of his youngest daughter. There is clearly
a mystery here, because his attitude towards his eldest children is
completely different and a more normal father/child relationship. As
Zee struggles with the death of her father and her feelings, you
experience what any of us might experience upon the death of a parent
whom we may have loved, but did not understand.

As I read this book, I found that every time I thought I'd figured out
the truth of just who Zee was to Scott, and just what her relationship
to the other family members and friends was, I was wrong, and Ms.
West-Sellars had taken another twist or turn of the plot into another
direction. I had a difficult time putting it down to go back to work!
I began wondering if the truth would ever be revealed and if there
would be any resolution for the characters, but mainly for Zee. I
really wanted to see her come out of the experience whole and healthy.

Mystery, romance, intrigue, and secrets revealed, Quiet As It's Kept
is definitely a keeper. I would highly recommend this book to anyone,
and I look forward with great anticipation to the future novels of
Janet West-Sellars!

Do you have a review you'd like to submit for the next issue? Send it
to me at tiwatz@yahoo.com two weeks before the first week of every
other month to be included in the next issue.

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o Thank you to Subscribers
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Thank you so much for subscribing to Regina's Universe! That means a
lot to me, and for those of you who signed up recently, I hope you
enjoyed your free e-books. Please feel free to pass this newsletter
along to anyone you feel might be interested. The only thing I ask is
that you pass it along in its entirety rather than just pieces of it.

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o Advertisement
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Having a hard time finding a book you want to read? Need some
adventure in your life? Check out GETTING OUT ALIVE by Regina Paul.
Bad aliens, good aliens, romance, secrets to be revealed, and
interplanetary travel, this book has everything! Not to be missed!
http://www.reginapaul.bravehost.com for more info (including reviews)
and to order.

Would you like to advertise your book or writing product in this
space? Advertising is free for subscribers. Ads must be received two
weeks prior to the first week of every other month to be included in
the next issue. Non-subscribers who want to advertise should contact
me via e-mail tiwatz@yahoo.com
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o Copyright Information
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Copyright 2005 by Regina Paul, All Rights Reserved.
Visit us online at:
http://www.reginapaul.bravehost.com/ReginasUniverse.html

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o Subscription Info
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