Looking beyond New Year’s Resolutions

So She Did, an organisation which empowers girls to invest in themselves, has this great suggestion for looking beyond the New Year’s Resolution cliches. Now I’m a little old to be calling myself a “girl”, but that doesn’t mean this advice isn’t pertinent for me too.

 

So, without further ado…

 

What is something wonderful that happened for you in 2015?

Seeing my stepson’s business really take-off!

What single word would you use to describe the life you lived in 2015?

Exploratory.

What single word would you use to describe the life you would like to live in 2016?

Achieving.

What are you looking forward to in 2016?

Trip to Tibet and research/digging out my decades-old notes to maybe (maybe) create a second edition of The Ultimate Guide To Lying.

What is something new you are going to try in 2016?

A MOOC (short course) in Psychology.

What is something simple that made you happy in 2015?

Publishing The Ultimate Guide To Lying.

What is something silly that you did in 2015?

Helped Sherax, our dog, roll herself downhill.

Do you have any serious goals (or whimsical aspirations) for 2016?

Change careers.

What will you mindfully cherish in 2016?

My last few months in the business world.

As this year comes to an end, what will you consciously let go of?

All my self-doubt.

What will you do differently in 2016?

Be more proactive in initiating friendships and business relationships.

What new connections/relationships/commitments did you establish in 2015?

Darla, political activism, and working with my stepson and his business partner.

What’s something you worked hard for this year?

Clearing my reputation after libel.

Do you feel good/proud/strong about the year you just lived?

Absolutely.

 

What will you do differently in 2016?

The Ultimate Guide To Lying is published!

The Ultimate Guide To Lying is now published and available for download on Amazon. And better yet, it’s under a fiver.  I might raise the price later.

A special thanks to everyone who reviewed the book and everyone who provided feedback and helpful suggestions. I didn’t have an army of beta readers, as I’m not doing this for money/fame etc so I’m not applying any strategy to this (hence no blog tours or online ebook launch party). But what I was fortunate enough to have were people who gave me great constructive criticism. Being anonymous, obviously I can’t ask my friends and family for comments like all the other indie authors do. I’ve been totally dependent on people on the internet, and they’ve been helpful- it’s always nice to know there are nice folks out there.

I started writing it on 14th December 2014 and was still tweaking it on 21st February 2015, a few hours before the launch. Those tweaks brought the word count up to over 21,950 words, making it the longest document I’ve ever created.

So, here it is.

You can also read a free sample right here.

One more thing: being anonymous, it’s a lot harder for me to make people aware of the book’s existence, because I can’t market it to my friends, Facebook followers or contacts…or anyone I know, period. I created a new Twitter for the purpose, where all my followers are internet denizens I’ve never met. That and this blog are the only platforms I have. So, any shares of this post will be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Firenza

Cover Reveal! The Ultimate Guide To Lying

 

So it’s 5 days until The Ultimate Guide To Lying hits Amazon on 22nd February. Time has gone by fast. And this, as the title of this post indicates, is the final cover design. I used a stock photo and MS Paint to create it. That’s because I didn’t want to spend any money on an ebook which could easily be my undoing if my colleagues find out I wrote it. I’m not spending anything on its marketing, either.

My original design for the cover featured a description of its contents, like this:

 

But I thought it looked too cluttered and didn’t work well in thumbnail size- you’d have to click on the thumbnail to get the bigger image and be able to see the words.

 

What do you think?

Book Review – The Ultimate Guide to Lying by Firenza Cole

Sally G Cronin’s review of The Ultimate Guide To Lying.
“a very clinical and precise guide to the human instinct to deceive, the art of manipulation and the use of deliberate falsehoods to further commercial gain. Using the skill as a honed tool to achieve a specific purpose in business, personal relationships and with those in authority.”

Why I wrote a book which gives advice about how to lie

Hi there. I guess you’re wondering why I’d write something like this. You might be a little surprised that, despite its obviously dubious-sounding title, I write this to break liars’ power over us. I’ve seen and heard of some very unethical stuff go down in companies I’ve worked for and in public sector organisations- even a couple of so-called nonprofits. I can’t reveal these things without losing my job, and even if I did, it’s unlikely anyone would benefit. So I thought, ‘Well, if I reveal these people’s tricks then everyone who reads it will be able to avoid being manipulated’. That’s way more effective than outing a few liars!

Another motivation for writing The Ultimate Guide To Lying was the fact that in my past I was libelled for years.

The first draft of this ebook was written in 2007. I stopped writing it because, though I wanted to help others overcome the obstacles I’ve had to and deal with bad people, I was worried that what I’d written would be misused to cause harm. But being a little less naïve now I realise that the bad guys know all of this already. I can’t possibly be helping them in any material way. So use this as you will, because anything is permissible against those who harm you for no reason.

I’m planning to launch The Ultimate Guide To Lying on Amazon on Jan 26, 2015  February 2015. It’s 55 pages long and over 18,500 words.

But there’s also a fun side to this ebook. When I decided to write most of it as a how-to guide, it became obvious that the book can, well, teach you how to lie. It can teach you how to lie very well….and get away with it.

Lying is an art form and a game. It’s the Ultimate Game, a game played at the highest levels, from the international stage (between countries) to the High Court and the media. But it is played to an excellent standard even at the lowest levels.