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With the latest polls showing a Republican takeover of the House and the Senate in the upcoming Midterm elections, it's quite funny to have just read Dylan Loewe's new book Permanently Blue. The book describes how the Democrats will have the ability to hold both the Presidency and Congress for the next 24 years, based on a variety of factors. 

If only Loewe had had a time machine, he could've seen how quickly his book would be proven wrong, and avoided writing the thing altogether.

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Greg Nosal, a redshirt junior guard at Virginia Tech, thought he cut his finger really badly after throwing a block. It hurt, but nothing the 6-foot-6, 293-pound beast couldn't handle. It was only until his finger started bleeding profusely that he first considered getting help, and it was only when a trainer whisked him off to the locker room and told him to lie down that he realized part of his pinky finger had been ripped off.

And it was only after Nosal agreed to have the finger put on ice, took a painkiller, had his hand bandaged, and re-entered the game that fans realized how tough—or crazy—the Hokies’ offensive lineman truly is. Yep, that's right: his finger was ripped off, but he kept playing and waited until after the game to have it reattached. Nosal was fairly nonchalant about the whole incident, shruggingly stating, "I guess it's a big deal if your pinkie got ripped off."

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You have a great book in your hands. You have read it a million times, and you are still in love with it, especially since you are the author! It's your baby, but you know others will benefit from the words that compelled you to sit down and write. Sitting at the kitchen table and mulling over the details will not get your book in the hands of readers. 

You have to carefully craft a pitch and convince publishers to take a chance on your writing. You can't just craft any pitch, however. It must be well-written, carefully researched, and comprehensive. Don't let your baby fall because you failed to develop a strong pitch. Below is a list of ten common mistakes people make when they are trying to pitch their book.

Image via WikipediaDo you have a sense of humor? Do you get a kick out of low production bloody slasher flicks? Then give Don't Go In the Woods a shot. The terrible film has developed a cult following since its premiere in 1981, indicating that it has some redeeming qualities, but its plot, acting, soundtrack, and overall production quality certainly aren't some of them. It was even deemed a "video nasty" and wasn't available in England until 2007. I have to say, there's something great about the term "video nasty."




 Anyway, Don't Go In the Woods came out one year after Friday the 13th, and it follows the same any-wooded-area-is-a-potential-killing-ground mentality. Two young couples decide they're going to go cavorting in the woods for a nice weekend of backpacking, and whaddya know--they've wandered onto the hunting grounds of a psychopathic killer. Every five minutes or so, someone is killed off, be it a random camper that's introduced for the purpose of killing, or one of the main guys and gals.