To celebrate the release of Book Two in the John Pilate Mystery Series, PILATE’S KEY, we’re giving you a chance to win some spiffy prizes!

GRAND PRIZE:

Paperback of PILATE’S CROSS

Autographed by the author and book cover artist/designer David Terrill

Paperback of PILATE’S KEY

Autographed by the author and book cover artist/designer David Terrill

and

One Download of the Shelf Unbound 2011 award-winning short story

OBSIDIAN

in any ebook format you prefer.

FIRST PRIZE

Paperback of PILATE’S KEY

Autographed by the author and book cover artist/designer David Terrill

SECOND PRIZE

One Download

PILATE’S CROSS or OBSIDIAN

in any ebook format you prefer.

THIRD PRIZE

One Download

PILATE’S CROSS or OBSIDIAN

in any ebook format you prefer.

How to Play:

In the new John Pilate Mystery PILATE’S KEY (see below for links to download your Kindle, Nook, iPad, Kobo or other ereader copy) there are at least five (5) lines from classic/cult movies quoted or recognizably paraphrased by characters in the book.

For your chance to win, read the book (no complaining–you have 26 days to read a 202-page book!) and be one of the first 4 persons to email three (3) correct answers to Author (at) Pilatescross.com before Noon CST on February 12, 2012.

Answers must be sent in this format:

The line spoken by the PILATE’S KEY character, which character said it, and from what film was the line paraphrased?

Example:

“My health. I came here for the waters,” Pilate said.  (Casablanca)

Grand Prize awarded to first email received with correct answers.

Other prizes will be awarded to correct answers in order of receipt.

Winners agree to allow their first name, last initial and City/State/Country be used for contest results announcements on Facebook, Goodreads, PilatesCross.com and Twitter.

Judging by J. A. Greenwood–all results announced Feb. 12, 2012 and are final.

Winners of paperbacks must provide full name and address for shipping. (U. S. Postal Service media mail shipping costs paid by J. A. Greenwood.) J. A. Greenwood is not responsible for items lost in shipping. Books will be shipped as soon as possible after the announcement of winners (subject to publisher fulfillment times and shipping conditions).

PLEASE DO NOT POST ANSWERS TO FACEBOOK, GOODREADS OR ANY OTHER WEBSITE.

If answers are posted publicly prior to contest conclusion, the contest will end with all entries ruled invalid.

Questions?  Ask ‘em right here on this page.

Get your Kindle Copy here. Get your copy formatted for Nook, iPad, Sony, Kobo, Diesel, PC, (EPUB) as well as Stanza, Smartphone, PDF, etc. here.

Thanks for reading! I hope you’ll enter!

REMINDER

If you’re in the Kansas City area Feb. 23, be sure to come to the reception and presentation about my work hosted by the Kansas City Public Library! More details and RSVP link here.

After 20 years, 7-Eleven, Inc. has opened a new store in the Kansas City area.

As part of the grand opening of the newest 7-Eleven® store for the metro area at 10701 Metcalf Ave. in Overland Park, a celebration will be held on Friday, Jan. 20, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will feature free food sampling, food specials, prizes and a special appearance by 711 Friday.

“While 7-Eleven is an international company, our outlets are neighborhood stores,” said 7-Eleven market manager John Kincaid.  “Getting involved with what’s meaningful to the community is important to us and how we do business.  Store operators are encouraged to be active members of the community.  Because most live where they operate their store, they know best how to meet local needs – whether it’s their customers’ tastes in food, a local school’s call for volunteers or the police department’s request for donations.”

The grand opening celebration kicks off with the official ribbon-cutting at 10:45 a.m. that Friday and continues until 1 p.m.

New to the Kansas City market is 7-Eleven’s hot foods program.  “We regularly introduce new products in our stores to determine the right mix for our customers, and that means everything from hot pizza to Perrier, from fresh salads to Slurpee® drinks, from buffalo wings to breakfast pastries,” Kincaid said.

Products include fresh bakery products and 7-Eleven’s line of hot foods like pizza, chicken tenders, buffalo wings and breakfast quesadillas. 7-Eleven’s newest product line is the value-priced, private-brand of 7-Select™ snacks, candy, beverages, groceries and paper goods.  Offering between 10 and 20 percent savings compared to national brands carried in stores, 7-Select items have proven extremely popular with customers since their introduction.

About 7-Eleven, Inc.
7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience retailing industry. Based in Dallas, Texas,   7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 9.000 7-Eleven® stores in North America. Globally, there are more than 44,700 7-Eleven stores in 16 countries. During 2010, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales close to $63 billion. 7-Eleven has been honored by a number of companies and organizations recently. Accolades include: #2 on Forbes magazine’s 2011 list of Top Franchises for the Money; #4 spot on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list for 2009, #3 in Forbes magazine’s Top 20 Franchises to Start, and #2 in Franchise Times Top 200 Franchise Companies. Hispanic Magazine named 7-Eleven in its Hispanic Corporate Top 100 Companies that provide the most opportunities to Hispanics.  7-Eleven received the 2010 Retailer of the Year honor from PL Buyer because of the company’s private-label brand initiative. 7-Eleven is franchising its stores in the U.S. and expanding through organic growth, acquisitions and its Business Conversion Program. Find out more online at www.7-Eleven.com.

Disclosure: 7-Eleven is a client of AlexanderG Public Relations.

Excerpted from the article by Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal Managing Editor Mark Reilly:

Best Buy Co. Inc. CEO Brian Dunn has gone public with a defense of the company’s business model — and some mea culpas — after a rough couple of weeks in the media spotlight for the electronics retailer.

The Richfield-based retailer has been the subject of several critical stories over the past month, ranging from a disappointing third-quarter earnings performance to a widely read essay at Forbes.com that argued Best Buy would be out of business within a few years.

Dunn, on Best Buy’s CEO blog “Brian’s Whiteboard,” acknowledges that some of the criticism is fair, and apologizes for the retailer’s cancellation of some online orders just before Christmas.

Too little, too late, or the now pro forma post-Netflix PR move? What’s your take? The comments section is open!

Okay, I promised before that I wouldn’t do one of those trite “end of the year” lists as a blog post, but I changed my mind when I was on Twitter yesterday. I was reminded that a lot of Twitter “newbs” come on line every day looking for good people to follow. So, in no particular order, these are some of my favorite Tweeters. Check ‘em out in 2012.

Note: This list is not comprehensive–I follow more than 3,800 tweeps–it’s just a sample of some of my favorites. They range from PR colleagues (and *clients) to writers to journalists to strategists to marketers to…well, people from all walks of life.

@kbmckinney Mom. Social Media Geek. Writer. Lawyer. And a Bunch of Other Stuff. (Kate posts consistently interesting tweets and info.)

@Brainzooming Tweets by Mike Brown featuring strategy, innovation, creativity, & social media ideas. (He’s also pretty funny.)*

@EdenBaylee Author of literary erotica and bestselling novel, FALL INTO WINTER. (Eden is a great example of a person who shares of herself and helps others in the social media space.)

@ShellyKramer Marketing/brand strategist, idea generator, digital content magician, scribbler, information junkie. Luv MilkDuds+Beer. Member of Oversharers Anonymous. (The “dean” of Twitter as far as I’m concerned–though Shelly is far more than a social media titan–check her out, you’ll see.)

@mmangen Bookworm | Horse Lover | Virtual Assistant | Single Mom | From the Land of Beer and Cheese now Living in the Sunshine State | Oldest of Seven | iTunes Addict (Michelle shares some fun stuff–with a wide variety of interests.)

@Dan_Coyle Nationally (now INTERnationally) Touring Singer Songwriter. Music Lover. Coffee Lover. Lover of Weird Things — If You’re Weird, I’ll Love You. (This guy is an excellent self-promoter who truly cares about his twitter friends and fans. He also has a quirky side and often posts links to some very interesting articles and sites.)*

@adamsconsulting Graduate of USC, Entrepreneur for over 10 yrs, Writer for BitRebels.com and InkRebels.com, Voice for the Homeless in Atlanta. I’m really into just being happy. (Diana always has something I can’t resist clicking!)

@OfRevolt I narrowly escaped the clutches of The Man to travel, write, and blog about the daily activities of being without a home. I sing, dance, and make merry! (My favorite travel blogger!)

@JohnFugelsang God got Vaclav Havel, the Devil got Kim-Jong II, and neither of them got near Christopher Hitchens. I’m an actor & comedian. Our album- http://bit.ly/un61bi (Smart, edgy comedian. Note he’s often political and Left-leaning. If you’re a Fox News fan, you probably won’t dig him.)

@Jdickerson Political correspondent Slate magazine/Political Director CBS News. (Informative, witty and incisive.)

@JeanGleason An HR Princess with attitude speaking the hard HR truths. I love to travel and the ocean! My family & friends are the most important things in my life. (Jean is a great person and a true resource for HR info.)

@JasonHarper Son of a librarian & English professor. Champion of writing, dialogue, knowledge & culture. Tweeting for @KCLibrary. (His bio says it all.)

@Harris_Barb PR chick by profession, humanitarian by passion. Writer of food blog http://ourfeedingfrenzy.com. @feedingfrnzy (Her food blog is a must-read. She needs to tweet more, though!)

@ginidietrich CEO of Arment Dietrich. Author of spinsucks.com. Vistage member. Author. Speaker. Communicator. Avid cyclist. A foodie. Loves shoes & wine. (Funny, informative and prolific, Gini has a great PR blog, too.)

@AlexisCeule Social Media Mamapreneur-Chief Engagement Officer: Making ur brand social via word o mouse! I love me some @Train and I’ll shoot u on MWII as KUfans2009. (Great fun and lots of cool info.)

@StephGreenKC Sprint B2B PR. Ask me abt M2M, connected car, smart grid, health/wellness, digital signs, security, mobility, IP. Love to chase my 3-year-old and travel! (Good telecom-related stuff and yes, she’s my wife so you’re damn right I list her here!)

I could go on…but time is running out on 2011 and I need to hop off the blog, Twitter and the internet in general to enjoy more time with my family. Remember–Twitter is a great way to connect with interesting people, but don’t let it hog all your time and prevent you from “connecting” with your loved ones and friends “in real life.”

Happy New Year.

Our colleague Kelly Davis pointed out a great post about public relations and client expectations on Ragan’s PR Daily by Elizabeth Friedland titled “20 Things PR Clients Should Know.”

It’s a little snarky, but comes from a good place and can help clients understand the most effective ways for us to succeed on their behalf. We encourage PR pros and clients alike to check it out.

We’ve excerpted a few of the twenty “things” that we found of particular import. We have said many similar things on this blog over the years, but this is such a succinct post that puts it all in one place we just had to share it. So, without further ado…our favorites from this educational post:

1. No, we don’t know every journalist everywhere across the universe—not that it matters. Even journalists whose weddings we were in will turn down our pitches occasionally.

2. A good publicist doesn’t have to be based in New York or Los Angeles to be effective. Ever heard of this crazy thing called email? (Note from AlexanderG PR: Have we mentioned we’re in Kansas City?)

[...]

5. Stop insisting we call the media. Most of them hate this and specifically request we contact them exclusively via email.

6. PR is not free advertising. PR is not free (or cheap), period.

7. Don’t ask us to pitch an idea and then not be available for an interview. If you want the press, we need you to be ready to talk to the media at a moment’s notice.

8. What matters most to you may be totally irrelevant to a journalist. Remember that it’s what they—not you—think is important that matters in the end.

[...]

10. Social media is more than Facebook and Twitter.

11. If you insist on running all tweets and posts past your legal department, don’t expect results from your social media strategy.

12. If a journalist says he or she is not interested in a story, that person means it. Reaching out again will further annoy the reporter and guarantee you’ll be ignored the next time.

13. Don’t measure your PR results in ad equivalency rates. Do you want to know you had $500,000 of ad equivalent value in negative press, or would you rather know 80 percent of the press you received was positive in tone and accurate in its messages?

14. No, we’re not writing any more “…pleased to announce…” ledes.

15. Ditto for “We’re so excited/thrilled/happy” CEO quotes. Pretend you’re explaining the story to a friend over drinks, and then give us that quote.

[...]

17. PR is a process. You know who hits it big overnight with a story on the “Today” show? Criminals, naughty celebrities, and shark-attack victims. Do you want to be one of them?

Good stuff Elizabeth! You can read the entire “20″ by clicking over here.

As the year runs down, my thoughts turn to making lists. Everybody has his or her “10 Worst PR Disaster” or “5 Best Burritos” or “Top Seven Things in 2011 That Are Not Listworthy.”

Not me. Instead, I turn to my annual list of TV shows that I’d make if I wrote for TV (yes, I used to be a TV executive–but it was public TV and they never liked my show concepts. Go figure). I mean really, when you think of the absolute mediocrity (like this and this and this) that passes for “great TV,” why shouldn’t I take a shot? So, without further ado, I present a few excerpts from my master list of Great TV I Will Someday Create. (All ideas and concepts are mine and they’re copyrighted; so don’t even think of stealing them, Lifetime Channel.)

The Mental List
A hunky dude wearing a vest and wry smile has to recall just what he needs from the store in this gripping mystery thriller. In the pilot episode, we find our hero standing in the middle of the produce aisle scratching his head, desperately trying to remember if he needs avocados or grapes–or both. If he succeeds, he has a great dinner with his wife. If he doesn’t–well, let’s just say that there will be hell to pay.

The Incredulous Hulk
A super hero who, when he loses his temper, becomes a green, muscle-bound crime fighter. He spends most of his time looking in the mirror in disbelief at the fact that getting angry transforms him from a 90-pound weakling to a 300 pound gym rat with skin the color of unripe bananas. He is simply incredulous that such a transformation occurs. He also wonders where he will buy another pair of his signature purple pants.

Potential spinoff: The Adventures of Sinistral. A left-handed villain attacks with left-handed compliments and his trademark introduction: the left-handed handshake.

Lawn Order
There are thousands of un-mowed lawns in the naked city, and the Lawn Order team practice an unconventional brand of landscaping. They cruise the mean streets of suburbia, seeking crabgrass, brown spots and Dutch Elm disease. When they find it, they get the lawn in order–pronto. Or there will be hell to pay.

Lawn Order SUV
In this spinoff of the popular Lawn Order, the team drives a sport utility vehicle instead of a pickup truck. Pretty much the same show, but different vehicle and a veritable fortune in syndication rights. (Or there will be hell to pay.)

Trapper Keeper, M.D.
In this 21st Century “reimagining” of the popular medical series of the late 70’s, early 80s, we see that Trapper John McIntire, M.D. is now a doctor who sells retro school supplies on the side. Watch for a cameo in the pilot by Alan Alda, who tries to take over the show with a righteous speech about hospital cafeteria food.

Dirty Sexy Brothers, Sisters and Parenthoods
This show will be so provocative, edgy and angsty I can’t even write about it on a family blog.

It’s The 1960s: Smoke ‘Em Or Else
A fond, saucy look back at a time when men were men, women were objectified and everyone drank at the office, flew Pan Am, went to the Playboy Club and smoked cigarettes like they were addictive or something.

No, Really, It’s a Reality Show
Real people are thrust into harrowing real-life situations with only their wits, self-tanner and alcohol. Subsequently they are egged on to overreact for the cameras and forced to eat live tarantulas. Or they just sit on the couch and watch reality shows.

Birth Lottery Winner Weddings

Inexplicably, Americans seem to really dig Royal Weddings, so this show would stage one every week for monster ratings.

Horse, M.D.

A brilliant horse doctor figures out the most unusual cases and acts like he was raised in a barn. That’s Doctor Ed, to you, Wilbur.
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Well, those are just a few of my ideas. If you’re a network exec you can reach me via this blog.

P.S.  After this I’d declare a moratorium on new cop, lawyer or doctor shows. Enough already!

Our recent posts about the Gigabit City ideation activities conducted in part by our client The Brainzooming Group (download the free report here) have us keeping an eye on Kansas City’s new economic thrust:

As entrepreneurs ourselves, this is a fantastic affirmation. You see, less than two years ago in the darkest depths of the Great Recession–equipped with little cash, a few connections and the tremendous knowledge and encouragement we received from graduating the Kauffman FastTrac GrowthVenture program–we started AlexanderG PR.
Since then our revenues have more than tripled and our client load (local, regional and national) is quickly approaching the point where a dedicated part-time staffer will need to be hired…not to mention the fact that our job satisfaction has never been better.
It’s great living in a city that respects and encourages entrepreneurs. Most of all, it’s exciting that with Google fiber technology, the rest of the world will know about it very soon. The possibilities are endless.

Our friends at The Brainzooming Group helped shape an intriguing project featuring two graduate level marketing communications classes at the University of Kansas. Students in Max Utsler’s “Innovations in Marketing Communications” class and Barrett Sydnor’s “Integrated Marketing Communications and Sales Strategy” class are writing blog posts during the semester on topics related to the classes, including branding, marketing, media relations, social media, experience marketing, and innovation.

Today’s author is Patrick Kerr. Patrick is pursuing his Masters degree in Marketing Communications at KU.

Patrick offers some insights and opinions about the impact of the Google Ultra-High Speed Internet technology that has been “gifted” to Kansas City. Is it just a “marketing ploy” by Google or a genuine advantage for KC–or both?

Ever since Google announced it was planning to build an ultra high-speed broadband network in Kansas City on both sides of the river, I’ve wondered what the actual impact would be on the metro area. After all, Google made it clear that the plan would do very little in terms of jobs which disappointed city leaders and laid-off workers hoping for an immediate economic windfall. Who cares if you can download the latest Youtube video faster than usual?  Is this really going to improve the quality of life in the metro area, or is this merely a marketing ploy by a company that is systematically taking over the technology world?

First, let’s take a look at what the new technology will actually do. The plan is to build a network that will deliver Internet speeds of up to 1 gigabit (or 1,000 megabits) per second using state-of-the-art-fiber technology. That’s approximately 20,000 times faster than dial-up and more than 100 times faster than a typical broadband connection.  In the animal world, that would be like a cheetah racing a turtle in a dead-on sprint.  In other words: scary fast.

According to Google, the plan will boost the area economy by allowing new innovations and cutting-edge technologies to develop in Kansas City. That’s all well and good and sounds convincing enough on paper, but how does that translate in reality? With the announcement of the Bistate Innovations Team, Kansas City leaders from both sides of the state line aren’t waiting around to find out. The team is made up of 12 key people appointed by both Kansas City mayors and will look at ways the area can take advantage of the project.

“From designers to small-business owners, health care to education, the arts to industry, these exceptional individuals will work together to explore every possibility our exciting partnership with Google may offer. I am confident this team will seize this transformational moment for both Kansas Cities,” said Kansas City, Mo. Mayor Sly James in a statement following the announcement.

So it is clear area leaders are taking a proactive approach to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That’s the first of many steps in the right direction. But how is this news being received at the national level?  According to a recent Wall Street Journal roundup of industry hubs across country, the newspaper identified Kansas City as an emerging technology hotbed and even suggested the city’s new nickname should be “Silicon Prairie.”  The article cited the growth of area tech giants Sprint and Cerner as reasons for the choice, but also credited Google’s ultra-high-speed internet plans for solidifying the selection.  Now that’s the kind of traction that just might encourage businesses to relocate to or start up in Kansas City.

Now back to the question of how this new development will impact the daily lives of Kansas Citians. Just this past weekend, Google-owned YouTube announced it was planning to launch 100 new channels of professionally made video to the otherwise amateur content that currently dominates its website. The Wall Street Journal, British newswire Reuters and online magazine Slate are some of the many channels scheduled to debut on the new lineup. The move is seen as one more step in moving TV to the Internet. Once the city’s new high-speed Internet is in place, it will be at the forefront of this exciting new technology.

Of course, some analysts see the development as yet another way to increase viewership on the Internet – which is precisely where Google wants them. Perhaps Google’s plan to build the new high-speed connection for Kansas City is a marketing ploy after all.

-Patrick Kerr lives and works in the Kansas City area. His interests include good food, fishing and finding new hobbies to take his mind off the reeling Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.